The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant ISIL, one of the most brutal and dangerous terrorist groups in modern times which has captured territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic “caliphate” and called on Islamic factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance. The move is an expansion of the group’s ambitions to wage a war and pose a direct challenge to the central leadership of Al Qaeda, which has already disowned it. In a statement from the group posted on Islamist websites and Twitter, the group has renamed itself “Islamic State” and proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as “caliph”, the head of the state. But the grope is not only a threat to the region, it poses a threat to UK national security with hundreds of British Muslims fighting there and will sure come home to cause atrocities here.
Category Archives: Defence & Security
EU Expansionism NOT Putin Caused Ukraine/Crimea Crisis ©
Before condemning Russia for using veto in UNSC, ruling Crimean referendum illegal or blaming Mr Putin for the Ukraine crisis, let us remember our glass houses, or our record of interventionism and above all EU role in creating this crisis in the first place.
ِTwo million voters in Crimea decided by over 97 percent yes in a referendum, to rejoin Russia (going back to 1954 status quo before the peninsula was given to Ukraine by Moscow without the Crimeans being consulted ) one day after Russia vetoed an American sponsored UN Security Council resolution aiming to block the referendum. Given the ethnic balance of the peninsula population the result was no surprise. Even a ‘no’ vote wouldn’t have kept the 1954-2014 status-quo since the other choice would have been more power to Crimea and less rule from Kiev.
While our Foreign Secretary carry on condemning the result, with a growing American size mouth, and threatening nonsensical un-implementable sanctions , and our Fleet Street subs coming up with cold-war-era headlines, let us just remember some historic facts about glass houses, goose and gander and the the like metaphors. We, and our American allies hailed elections in Afghanistan and Iraq ( countries with no traditions of fair elections or fair-play , and who don’t play cricket) as great democratic steps forward, even though they were held under military occupation ( or our & American troops kicking down doors while families having dinner was not “occupation” the same way Arabs and Muslims wouldn’t consider colnialising Spain, Egypt, and formally Christian lands AS occupation, but god’s liberation from infidels?); elections held while and terrible strife going on with car bombs round the corner from almost every polling station.
Putin is unlikely to accept direct talks with new regime in Ukraine ©
BBC, evening news, and Downing Street sources express cautious optimism that Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has opened to persuasion leading to direct talk with the Ukrainian acting government… evidence runs contrary to this optimism nonsense as Moscow doesn’t recognise the new regime in Kiev especially with Moscow is convinced that EU expansionist policy to swallow former Soviet Republics was directly behind the crisis.. the easiest way is to keep Crimea under Moscow control.
The latest spin from Downing is based on a telephone conversation intitated this morning by Prime Minister David Cameron and President Putin, which ended with only two agreed points, first the need for international community to economically support Ukraine, and second the two leaders to continue dialogue, obviously over the phone. Since Mr Putin is no exception from any other leaders who wouldn’t see eye to eye with his rivals in the west on the above two points, it is amusing how this can be interpreted as reason for optimism.
West’s sound and fury may signify nothing to stop Putin in Crimea
Written By: Adel Darwish 5 March 2014
Published: March 7, 2014 Last modified: March 5, 2014
President Barack Obama’s attempts to isolate Russia by freezing all military co-operation and threatening to boycott the next G8 summit in Sochi in response to its armed intervention in Crimea, appeared to be unilateral, as the United States’ European allies show no appetite for imposing sanctions on Moscow.
Britain, supposedly the most reliable partner, is the least able to respond, according to documents held by a Cabinet Office official on his way to Number 10, who accidently exposed it to cameras waiting in Downing Street for just such an opportune moment.
The documents outline Britain’s options in response to Europe’s worst crisis since the end of the Cold War. We should not attend any Nato meetings to consider military actions, nor should we rush into trade sanctions or close financial institutions to the Russians, as this would harm Britain economically. Russian oligarchs invest billions in the City, and in property in wealthy parts of central London. There is also considerable British trade with and investment in Russia.
William Hague Mustn’t put EU Before UK national Interests
If we follow foolish European Union Foreign Policy (God knows why they should have a foreign policy department, commissioner and team financed by our taxes) over Egypt, we risk a great deal of our interests being badly damaged, not just in Egypt but among Egypt powerful, rich influential allies like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman as well as Jordan ( they are also essentially part of wider historic British interest in Middle East and the Gulf region).
PM Cameron meets UAE Crown Prince
Prime Minister David cameron received HRH Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at number 10 in Downing Street earlier today. The two leaders discussed areas of cooperation between the two nations and the progress hat has been made developing strategic partnership since the PM visit to the capital Abu Dhabi last november.
Supplying Arms to Syrian Rebels is not Policy but Lunacy
Against expectations, against experts advice, and against commonsense, Britain and France bullied the majority of European foreign ministers to lift the sanctions on supplying arms to Syrian “rebels” ( if indeed we know who they are), in a move which majority of sane observers see as escalation. pouring oil on fast spreading fire with real possibility that missiles would fall into te hands of terrorists to be used against us.
EU Council Meeting Monday: Is William Hague pushing a US Agenda to Arm Syrian Rebels?
Our foreign Secretary William Hague heads to Brussels to attended the European Union Council of ministers meeting monday ( 27 May), to discuss, among other issues, amending the embargo on providing arms to Syrian rebels fighting to overthrew the dictatorial regime of President Bashar al-Assad in a two year bloody civil war that claimed an estimated 94,000 lives and turned near one fifth of the population into refugees . Backed mainly by France, Hague wants to amend the embargo ( which comes to an end or renewal at midnight Friday 31 May), in order to supply more equipment to the rebels. In February, the UK and France persuaded other member states, overcoming considerable reluctance, to allow the supply to the rebels of non-lethal military equipment for defensive purposes.
Israel Raids on Syria could play into Assad’s and Iran’s hands©
Two raids by Israeli Airforce on targets inside Syria within 48 hours of each other throw many questions in the air. Will it let the two-year-old Syrian civil-war spill over border and become a region war as we have seen before when the Israelis get involved? Will it prove Syria’s dictator Bashar Assad’s claim that the rebellion started by protests in 1011 was a wider Israel, American plot to weaken what the Iranians call ‘the regional resistance to Israel and American aggression’? Or will it hasten Assad’s downfall? or will it suck Israel into a wider conflict if, as expected, Iran instructs its allies, Hezbollah in Lebanon to launch attack on Israel as they did in 2006; or perhaps a Hamas in Gaza to launch more rocket attacks on southern Israel forcing the Jewish state to take action in Gaza which would claim civilian lives and trigger waves of protests in Muslim countries?
An overwhelming Deja vu pricked my sense watching Foreign Secretary William Hague making his statement to the commons about Syria and other matter. Same like reading columnists pontificating on the Middle East, or reading Arab press – especially those sponsored by our allies in the Gulf. America’s president issue strong warnings to another Arab dictator(yes a handful of them still around despite what naively and historically wrong called “ Arab Spring”) dictator accused of using (WMDs) or chemical weapons, our prime minister straight away joins the chorus disapproval, while the opposition ( from the dictator’s own nation), backed by our Arab friends in the Gulf call l for western intervention. Heard it all before?
Pray read on….. Continue reading