When Brave Words Turn to Foolish Tragic Actions

by with No Comment FeaturedGlobalPolitics

We all started this new year with the perception that this decade would bring about change. For some, that change would be professional; for others, that change would be in the form of personal growth. For the world, many of us hoped that change would come from men and women who would be less trigger happy and more eager to have an open dialogue.

Unfortunately, we were not paying attention. Our first wakeup call came on January 3rd with the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. The Iran and U.S. divide spans decades, and to try and explain the entire conflict would be exhausting and possibly passionately rebuked from not just both sides of the aisle here, but also on a global scale. 

As I was once told long ago, truth is a matter of perception.

To sum up the current events in a neat bow, and bring you, the reader up to speed on what has taken place in the past three years, here is my take on the current battleground between Iran and the United States. 

Summary of  tensions:  

Since President Trump decided to pull out of the Iran deal in 2017, tensions have been mounting between the two nations, and it took on a more aggressive tone when Trump decided to impose severe sanctions against Iran. 

Since these sanctions were in place, both nations have taken political, and at times physical swipes at each other. One could call it, testing the “waters,” so to speak. 

From capturing an ally oil tanker to shooting down a probing U.S. drone, both nations have been continually pushing one another to a boiling point. 

That boiling point came to a head in Iraq. Right after Christmas, on December 27th, 2019. An American contractor was killed among other Iraqi military personnel by an Iranian backed militia group, Kataib Hezbollah, which the group denied any involvement with the attack. 

The U.S. then responded by attacking Iranian backed militias within the region, which resulted in Iraqi citizens storming and attacking the U.S. embassy in Iraq, breaching and damaging the outer perimeter. Though the Iraqi military stepped in to break up the protests, the damage was done, and unfortunately, a set of options were brought to Trump’s table. 

These options provide the president with a set of responses ranging from the extreme to the more reasonable appropriate actions that a wise leader would take.

The option that Trump picked was the extreme option, and that was assassinating Qasem Soleimani. 

Who is Qasem Soleimani?

Qasem Soleimani was an Iranian Major General and leader of the Quds forces of Iran. From his start in the military in 1988 to his death in 2020, Soleimani rose among the ranks in the Iranian army and ended up leading and controlling the extraterritorial military and clandestine operations in service to Iran. Towards the latter part of his life, Soleimani was considered the second most powerful individual in Iran, second only to Ayatollah Khamenei, and also being the Ayatollah’s right-hand man.  

To some, especially in the west, Soleimani was the leader of a shadowy organization that ran multiple militia groups in Syria and Iraq and was behind the deaths of many American troops. To others in Iran and its allies, Soleimani was considered a hero and legend. Someone that provided Iran with a barrier against all its enemies and a role model for all that knew him or served under him. 

Perception, to one group he was a monster that needed to be removed from the game board; to another group he was more than just a military general. 

Soleimani was a symbol. 

When the Pentagon learned that Soleimani would be in Iraq, a decision was made to kill him. On January 3rd, A U.S. sanctioned drone strike attacked Soleimanis’ vehicle and his entourage just outside the Baghdad International Airport, Killing Soleimani, and other essential figures within his group. 

This attack brought the U.S. and Iran dangerously close to World War 3. After the attack, Iran vowed for revenge, and for days, the world held it’s breath on what steps Iran would take to exact that revenge. 

On January 8th, the world had its answer when Iran attacked two Iraqi bases that held U.S. troops within its walls. Strategically missing everyone and only causing minimal damage to the stations. 

This attack was a way for Iran to save face and also send a clear message to Trump not to push their buttons. Unfortunately, as with any conflict, innocents end up paying the price for being caught in the middle. 

A Ukrainian civilian aircraft that flew too close to one of the Iranian military bases in the early hours of January 8th, was shot down by an officer who mistook the civilian aircraft for a U.S. military response. 

This tragedy was a shock to the world and to the nations that had its civilians on the airliner. For days, speculations were thrown as to how and what downed the airliner, until Iranian officials admitted to mistakenly shooting down the plane with missiles.

Looking at this new conflict at the dawn of a new decade, led me to contemplate how many countless issues similar to this current one also escalated to catastrophic levels… over impulsive decisions, brave words, and cries for bloody revenge. 

How much time have we had to put aside our differences? Whether those differences deride from religious beliefs or the pigment of one’s skin tone? How much time have we been given to know better? 

How much time have we been given to learn from our forefather’s mistakes and our past? When will we individually hold ourselves and those we elect to represent us on a global scale accountable? When does it end? The divide we set amongst ourselves that only hinders our evolution and deconstructs all the hard work our species has done thus far to advance us collectively?

2020 is a big year. A year that I hope none of us can hide behind falsehoods and half-truths anymore. 

A year where we will be held accountable for our actions, and if there is any justice in this universe, a year that Trump will exit his role as president and pave the way for someone else to stand center stage. 

Someone who values life over ego. 

Syria Will Be Part of Trump’s Legacy – But History’s Judgement Is Still Unclear

by with 2 Comments FeaturedGlobalPolitics

The president’s pullout of Syria is essentially an effort to force an end not only to our engagement in the area, but also to the basic credibility of the neoconservative worldview- as well as efforts in the future to shape global democracy and influence world order. There are plenty of Republicans who see this approach as heresy, and there are plenty of Democrats and media outlets who relish the blood-on-blood infighting to come (and who will strangely express their outrage at a decision they would have lauded once merely because the opposite of the administration’s policy is their policy), but the reality is much more nuanced.

On the surface, the president’s motivation is driven by polling. Our commander in chief is a populist at his core- not an idealist.  Most Americans (many in both parties) don’t favor extending the war in Syria. This is quite simply because we aren’t able to do what it takes to win. Assad’s forces are backed by Russia; there’s no way to build real stability in the region without a heavier hand than we are willing to take or through regime change, and there seems to be no way to force regime change short of open war with Russia. Further, as China increasingly begins to flex in the pacific and begins to highlight our “meddling in the affairs of others” -including Syria- as China launches their own massive campaign for development, seeking access to the natural resources of sub-Saharan Africa, the president is mindful that it’s from China where we face the greatest long term security threat, and it’s China who benefits most from our distraction to a protracted entanglement with Syria and Russia. Further, while the timing of Iran was the president’s doing, it’s also clear that they are a much greater threat to global security in the near term. Our security interest in Syria is that someone accountable to the UN controls and regulates the area- whether it be Turkey or the US, either will make certain that it isn’t ISIS. We really can only do so much.

But that’s only part of the story. Turkey’s interest in Syria isn’t focused first on restoring peace to Syrians. The Kurdish forces we have used since the beginning of the war in Iraq have fought with us because they are a people without a land. Spread throughout Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, this proud, ethnic population descended of Saladin is at odds with each of those nations as they seek to restore some autonomy. They have been capable allies because they have more than 1,000 years of history fighting for their own survival. Walking away from them when we are done will be a public betrayal that the Chinese and Russians will hold up as the true nature of “American Imperialism.” They will say that Americans come with high ideals, but leave when it’s no longer convenient. To Bush-era neoconservatives, it’s unthinkable; to Trump and his “America First” agenda, it’s a way to cross the bridge back from nation-building and burn it behind him.

In the long term, this may be the better move. The people of Vietnam, the people of Iraq, and increasingly the people of Afghanistan have come to realize that Americans come and Americans go. If we fool no one, and if we do really lack the resolve (and quite possibly the ability) to build regimes and promote democracy in the aftermath of conflict, then it is possible that the sooner we go the better. This may also help us usher in a day when America accepts that it is no longer the sole global hegemon and must share global military and economic influence with both China and Russia once again. If pulling back now gives them space we would have needed to cede eventually through direct conflict, it may increase stability in the long term also.

But in the short term, it’s a lot of bad taste. To those who can’t bear to see America as anything but a beacon of light that can dictate the ways of the world, it looks like a retreat. To those focused first on human rights, it’s a turnover of power to another heavy-handed imperial force that will bring another wave of increased violence before it can hope to bring local stability. While the president’s motivation may be no deeper than extending a political olive branch to a growing, centrist plurality of the American public focused on their own economy, anxious to make a trade deal in China and not willing to subsidize stability of the Kurdish population (so long as there’s someone on the ground containing ISIS), if America is a truly is a shrinking power, in 50 years this may be seen as a thoughtful and pragmatic preservation of resources. 

Similar Read: The Trump Doctrine: What Ukraine Says About Trump’s Foreign Policy

Shamima Begum is a Mother… It matters

by with One Comment FeaturedGlobal

I am a mother. I gave birth to two healthy boys in a hospital, surrounded by professionals and never lacked anything I needed to take care of them as well as I could, except experience for my first-born of course. Shamima Begum is a mother as well. Contrary to me, although she gave birth three times, she can only hold one baby in her arms today. Contrary to me, she didn’t live in a safe environment with everything available in case the babies or she needed anything. Her husband didn’t read parenting books, didn’t wander the streets with his babies in a brand-new foldable pram or in a fancy ergonomic baby-carrier. Her children died. Both of them died and now she’s waiting with her third child for a future. A future in which both she and her child are taken care of, sleep safely and have access to medicines, vaccines, and doctors in case they should need them. Why is Shamima denied what every woman should be granted as soon as, willingly or not, they find themselves pregnant? Because when she was only a fifteen-year-old British girl with a less marginal future ahead of her, she made the wrong choice.

I’m not defending her choice, but I’m deeply convinced that all teenagers make mistakes.

Edit: If she had smoked pot, shoplifted or drunk more than she should have, there would be no question as to whether or not she could return to her native country. She’s not a drug addict, neither a neglecting parent. But she went too far, to Syria, to ISIS, to a romanticized utopia. She believed, as many teenagers did and still do, that she knew better and that she would be taken seriously and useful there. She thought she would be loved and doing the right thing, proving her family, teachers or whoever said she’d better listen that they were wrong. She says she’s willing to change if that can change authorities’ minds about her coming back. Isn’t that what any lost and contrite teenager would say? She has been through so much we can’t even begin to imagine, and she’s still grieving her dead babies while nursing a newborn and trying to keep him alive. 

Shamima Begum deserves better than to be forsaken and denied: she deserves a second chance including psychological support, medical care, and the certitude that as a mother. She has a duty toward her son: doing her best to ensure he grows up in a world made of opportunities and learns from his mistakes. Because just like any other kid, one day, he’ll make some too. 

Similar Read: Shamima Begum Is a Mother… It Matters 

The Unknown Heroes of Rojava

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZGlobal

When people think of war, they imagine the US Marine Corps or the British Royal Air Force. These are the men who receive our gratitude and respect. There are many men and women; however, that seem to go unnoticed. In 2014, The Islamic State declared their “Caliphate” inside of a Mosque in the city of Mosul, Iraq. The videos posted by the Islamic State horrified many people across the world striking fear into their hearts. There were some men and women who couldn’t sit idly and let the Islamic State continue their brutal oppression, so these everyday people, many of whom had zero military experience, left for Rojava (Western Kurdistan) to fight alongside US-backed YPG and YPJ forces. 

It is believed, around a thousand western volunteers have joined their ranks, many of whom have since lost their lives. These men and women live and die for the sake of humanity without anyone knowing their names. An IT technician named Jac Holmes from Bournemouth, UK had joined them. He quickly became infamous for his drive and skill. He carried out many operations and helped liberate the de-facto capital of the Islamic State, Raqqa. On October 23, 2017, Jac lost his life, he stepped on an IED left behind by the Islamic State. Nobody knows his name, not even most British people. He had fought bravely and with honor yet receives zero recognition for his selfless acts.

Why are his actions deemed less honorable than those in the military? He died fighting against the Islamic State and should be honored as a hero. When Trump wants to withdraw from Syria it disgusts me, it is a blatant betrayal to our loyal Kurdish allies and to all western volunteers. Jac had given his life to bring peace to Rojava; however, this peace is threatened by Turkey’s looming invasion. The best way to honor these unknown heroes is by rejecting Trump’s rash decision and demanding we stay and protect our Kurdish partners.  

Trump Pulls Troops… Kurds Turn to Assad?

by with One Comment FeaturedGlobal

As a result of Trump deciding to pull troops out of Syria, the Kurds have decided to turn to President Bashar Hafez al-Assad and the Syrian government for protection, which only complicates an already complex situation. The Kurds, who were backed by the US, are now relying on Assad for help, which is less than ideal for the US and our allies.

Similar Read: Trump’s December, A Week To Remember 

What could all this possibly mean in the near future…

1. Turkey moves on the Kurds in Syria (meaning they also attack their Kurds), which brings Kurdistan to fight with Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syrian Kurds, and possibly Azerbaijan and Armenia in an extreme case.

2. Syria backs up the Kurds, which means Russia also backs the Kurds.

2a. Syria, in turn, supports a free Kurdistan in order to garner further support, which would ultimately disrupt Turkey, Iraq, and Iran from holding on to their Kurdish population.

2b. Russia still wants a piece of Turkey for shooting down that fighter jet a while back. If confirmed Russia intervention on behalf of Kurds, does Turkey try to activate NATO, which by treaty pulls the US in?

3. Syria, with Russian support, gives the Kurds a new ally and, in turn, means we potentially lose a foothold in the region as we’ve burned the Kurdish population too many times.

Syria, the Office Potluck of International Relations

by with One Comment Uncategorized

“When you’re invited to the holiday or general office potluck, there’s a natural reluctance to jump right in and grab a plate. The United States engagement with the Syrian Civil War is no different. The reluctance to intervene should be maintained for as long as possible.” 

There’s a wide range of opinions on the current Syrian Civil War. I can bet dollars to doughnuts, no one who isn’t in Syria or Syrian has a true clue on what they’re talking about. That goes from the President of the United States to the AmandaRyan Facebook page of your high school classmate and husband who post their very narrow suburbs of Atlanta point of view of the conflict. The Syrian conflict is much more layered than seeing awful video clips of children being rushed to hospitals, and the knee jerk reaction post of the AmandaRyan account, stating, “Why don’t we do something?!”

Speaking of AmandaRyan, one of them thought it would be a good idea, instead of getting catered food, for the office to have a potluck. Potlucks are a hairline above spaghetti night at vacation bible school. And no, I’m not a foodie or food snob, I just don’t like bad food and neither does my stomach. And potlucks produce nothing but questionable looking and even more questionable tasting food. Why? Cause people can’t cook, just that simple. Some people have no business dabbling in the world of cuisine for they don’t know what they’re doing. They prepare and cook based on what they think should go into a recipe, or worse based on how they think it should taste. The result is crockpots full of boiling goo that’s supposed to be jambalaya. No, thank you.

Back to Syria.

Syria is in a sense a potluck. For starters most don’t even know where Syria is, they don’t understand the variables involved in the Syrian war, and they don’t understand why. Yes, in a simplistic way the Syrian war is between the government of Bashar Al-Assad vs rebellious forces vs a group who calls itself the Islamic State. The group was said, by then candidate Trump, to have been co-founded by Hillary Clinton and President Obama. The denouncement Trump gave is equal to someone saying, by me not liking the Backstreet Boys, it led to the creation of One Direction, crazy! Anyway, there’s three legitimate groups fighting. None of them are factions in which the United States should side with. None have pure intentions in their actions – meaning neither of the factions are fighting to establish a wholesome, non-oppressive, democratic society. No, all sides are fighting to control Syria the way they see fit, and we simply don’t know enough to understand or decide which fit is best. Which is bad.

Potlucks are generally bad for their cuisines made to the liking of a specific individuals. Unlike restaurants or people who cooked something so good all types of people request it from them, the United States should never get involved in a foreign affair in which the clear purpose and clear reasons is not understood by both the United States and the people we’re supposed to help. Simply go down the list of every bad American intervention and I don’t have to explain myself.

For a potluck, the best plan of action to avoid eating and being labeled antisocial is to simply go into the break room to show you’re aware and your presence will be noted. However, at no point are you getting a plate. The United States has already made its presence known regarding the Syrian conflict, and there’s no need to do more. Syria may look like jambalaya and we know how to get down on some jambalaya, but in actuality it’s a cold and unseasoned minestrone soup. 

Iran Wracked by Waves of Protests

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZInternationalNews

Since December 28th tens of thousands of protesters have gathered all around Iran. The protests first began in the Northeastern city of Mashhad and constitute the largest outbreak of civil unrest in the country since the disputed 2009 presidential election and the wave of “Green Revolution” protests it caused. More than 20 people have died in the protests, which are still ongoing.

The demonstrations were initially sparked by concerns over the state of the country’s economy and the high prices of staple goods. After the lifting of sanctions under the nuclear deal, there was an expectation among Iranians that the economy would recover from its period of stunted growth, an outcome that has been slow to materialize. Youth unemploymenthas reached 40% and, not coincidentally, young people make up a large portion of the protesters. With all of these factors putting the country’s population on edge, the straw that broke the camel’s back and brought Iranians into the streets came in the form of a leaked draft budget which increased spending to the military and the clerical establishment while cutting subsidies for the poor.

Over the following week the protests developed from being focused on the state of the economy to being an open rebellion against the country’s repressive theocratic regime, with protesters chanting slogans such as “death to the dictator.” The country’s activist foreign policy has also become increasingly unpopular as many of its citizens struggle to make ends meet domestically. Iran has spent billions supporting proxies and allies in the region, such as the Syrian government, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and to a lesser extent the Houthis in Yemen.

The Iranian government has accused the protesters of being sponsored by foreign governments to create social unrest in the country and has cracked down pretty heavily on the protesters, using tear gas, water cannons, and other means in an effort to forcibly disperse them. According to human rights groups thousands of protesters have been rounded up and detained. Those arrested could potentially face brutal prison conditions or the death penalty, in a recent declaration made by the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Court. The regime has throttled internet access and blocked social media and messaging apps that had been used by the protesters to organize. As a result, the information coming out of the country began to slow leading to rumors of the protests dying out, but these turned out to be untrue. The government was also able to mobilize pro-government counter protests.

As of right now it is still too early to determine what will come of these protests. Some analysts are predicting the end of the regime while others expect the protests to fizzle out and amount to nothing. The protests seem to have no well-defined leadership, so it is unclear who, if anyone, would be able to lead a regime change. President Rouhani’s position has definitely been weakened and it is likely that the country’s security apparatus, especially the Revolutionary Guards will have seen their influence expanded asa result of their role in dealing with the protests.

Meanwhile, the US government has expressed support for the Iranian protesters. The Trump administration, which has already been openly hostile towards Iran and the Iranian government, has suggested the possibility of more sanctions depending on Iran’s reaction to the protest. The President has tweeted several times in support of the protests including tweeting that Iranians are finally “getting wise”. The United States requested an emergency session of the United Nation’s Security Council on the subject of Iran. The session was held on Friday and US Ambassador Nikki Haley took the opportunity to put Iran “on notice” that the US would not tolerate any human rights abuses. Other countries such as France and Russia voiced their dismay that the US was bringing what they viewed as an internal Iranian affair to the Security Council.

President Rouhani responded by saying that Donald Trump had no right to criticize Iran after calling them terrorists and preventing Iranians from entering the United States. Iranians don’t really care for President Trump and it’s unlikely that his tweets will have any effect on the protests. American sanctions as well as the United State’s wavering position on the nuclear deal are at least partially responsible for the economic stagnation that spurred the protests.

Terror in Barcelona

by with No Comment International

Terror in Barcelona

As the story unfolds, citizens of 24 nations were among those killed and injured in Barcelona including one Belgian national confirmed to be among the dead. This attack, the latest in a wave of vehicle “terror” across Europe in recent times, caused panic in Spain’s largest city and drew swift condemnation from leaders around the world.

“It was clearly a terror attack, intended to kill as many people as possible.” – Josep Lluis Trapero, Senior Police Official. 

A few hours later, police said they had killed “four suspected terrorists” and left another injured in Cambrils, a city that is 79 miles south of Barcelona. The region’s government of Catalonia, where both Barcelona and Cambrils are located, verified the incident in the early hours of Friday, which the local authorities had earlier stated as a “possible terrorist attack.”

How it unfolded…

A white Fiat van, which was reported rented, plowed into pedestrians outside a Jewish restaurant on a busy street in Barcelona a little after 5 pm on Thursday (8/17/17). The Vehicle moved onto the promenade and charged down the busy walkway in central Barcelona for 500 meters, going back and forth as it ran pedestrians down and turned a beautiful tourist destination into a nightmare killing zone.

Eyewitness Testimonies… 

Aamer Anwar a lawyer and Rector from the University of Glasglow was walking in La Ramblas when he heard screaming. He said a shopkeeper told him five or six people were badly injured and described the scene as “chaos.”

Aamer’s witness account:

“I was walking down Las Ramblas for something to eat. Part of the street was in the shade so I decided to keep walking down and literally within 10 seconds there was a crashing noise. I turned around and people were screaming – I could see a woman screaming with her kids – people started running and jumping into shops. I ran for about 50-100 meters and turned around to see what was happening.”

British tourist Keith Welling, who had come to Barcelona on Wednesday with his wife and 9-year older daughter, said they saw the van drive right past them down the avenue and took refuge in a restaurant when panic broke out and the crowd started to run.

“People were shouting and we heard a bang and someone cried that it was a gunshot. My family and I ran into the restaurant along with roughly 40 other people.”

Cambrils…

Locals of the Spanish seaside resort of Cambrils fled in terror in the early hours of Friday after five terrorists wearing suicide bomb vests launched the second vehicle attack in the country just after a few hours from the first. As of now, six people have been hurt in the second attack, when attackers drove into pedestrians before being shot and killed by the security forces. Of the six civilians caught in the Cambrils attack, two are said to be in serious condition. As of now, one has unfortunately died per an official Twitter account.

This time the Vehicle used was an Audi A3. It rammed into people on the seaside promenade of the tourist city of Cambrils. Police said the suspects in Cambrils carried bomb belts, which were detonated safely by a police bomb squad. Media reports said a car crashed into a police vehicle and nearby civilians. Police shot the attackers, one who was waving a knife around. For now, police have not said how the attack was being carried out. A police officer and five civilians have been injured, one which has now passed away due to serious injuries.

Isil claims responsibility…

According to the jihadist organization’s propaganda outlet Amaq, “Soldiers” of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have announced that they orchestrated the deadly van attack. Amaq said they had launched the attack in response to calls to target states taking part in the US-led coalition battling the jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the attack was “jihadist terrorism” which required a swift global response. At a news conference in Barcelona, Rajoy said:

“Today the fight against terrorism is the principal priority for free and open societies like ours, it is a global threat and the response has to be global.”

Isil, which once controlled a self-declared “caliphate” across large parts of Iraq and Syria, has now suffered major losses in recent months. Coalition-backed Iraqi forces recaptured its Iraqi stronghold Mosul in July.

More to come as the story develops.

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