World Takes A Short Pause ...

A short lead post this week ...  

World Takes A Short Pause ...

... Trump's US still hasn't extracted itself from Iran, so the real world is kind of on a short pause.

Claims of Victory

Wars that don't end in the total destruction and surrender of one side ....

"Mission accomplished" US President Bush 2003

   ... can often produce strange definitions of victory.

Only The Devil Loves Wars

One of the surprises of the war in Iran are the casualty figures ...

Tehran Bombed - Low Comparatively Casualties?

 

.... I say surprises, because considering the sheer volume of munitions being expended by all sides, especially by the US and Isreal, but also by an Iran lashing out in all directions, you would expect many thousand upon thousands of dead and wounded.

A World In Flames?

Has the world gone gone to hell?

The World In Flames?

That question has to be asked if you just look around at the state it's in.

All Change Syria

Well Syria has just ended the long phase 1 of the civil war. The rebels have captured Damascus and Bashar al-Assad has taken his family and fled to Moscow and claimed asylum.

Ahmed al-Sharaa - De-facto New Leader Of Syria?

The key to his fall, seems to be his ignoring Turkeys attempts to negotiate a peaceful power swap or arrangement with the rebels. They finally lost patience with his refusal to shed any power, and silently authorised the rebels offensive by not saying no. 

The World Awaits

Well, the US is making the most important decision since, well, the last one.

Divisive Politics Now The US Norm?

Yes, it's US Presidential Election day.

2023 - Another 'Bloody' Year

What can we say ..... 

War in Ukraine And Gaza Conflict.

end of another 'bloody' year ....

Brutal Policing States

More than 1,300 people were arrested for unsanctioned protesting against the order, by Russian President Vladimir Putin, that a further 300,000 Russian men were to be called up go fight in his war against the Ukraine ... 

Russian Protestors Meet Usual Brutality

... the protests were met with the usual dictatorship brutality, which we see in all authoritarian states similar to Russia.

Hostage Diplomacy Is Hostage Taking

 If anything tells you that China is, like Iran ....

State Hostage Taking - Practised By Both China And Iran

..... now a serial state hostage taker, aka 'hostage diplomacy', and not subject to the internationally recognised rule of law, then its the sudden release on the 25th of September 2021, of not one, but two Canadian citizens.

Trumps Travel Ban Travails

President Trump has reissued his travel ban list (minus Iraq), which of course is still essentially the same list of countries who were under extra scrutiny under President Obama (now minus one). Although you would never know this from the pro-refugee, pro-immigration liberals, who weep every time a refugee is refused entry.

Many Americans Remember Iranians Treatment
Of Hostages - Even Though Liberals Don't.

Now I am happy to admit that President Trump is possibly a tower short of a shopping mall, but in this area I actually think he's being rather restrained, as there are many more Islamic paradises he could have included in the list. So with his minimalist list of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen (six of the seven countries on the original 27 January order), the US have subjected the citizens of those countries to a 90-day travel ban and extra background checks.

Being Your Own Worst Enemy

I can't help thinking that the saying that 'you get the governments you deserve' is true ..... 

Top Row Imelda - Imee - Ferdinand 'Bong Bong' Jr - Marcos
Bottom Row Joseph - Jinggoy Ejercito - JV Ejercito - Estrada

...... So the Iranians for example depose a Shah, but replace him with a Militant Mullah and his corrupt religious acolytes, who have become millionaires while the people suffer as a result of their policies.

 

Sinful Compassion

When an Iranian politician shows some compassion to a woman, who also happens to be non Muslim and not related to him, he runs risks, and this is what happened to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was photographed partially embracing the mother of Hugo Chavez (a political friends and ally), at his funeral in non Muslim Venezuela.

Natural Human Compassion or Islamic Sin?

So what looked like simple human kindness and compassion to most of the world ..... is condemned as 'sinful' and 'un-Islamic' in Iran, where all hell broke loose with photo shop claim, and counter claim, made. They even blamed the 'The Daily Telegraph' newspaper for faking the picture at one point, while publishing a faked one of him kissing some Iranian politician (who they claimed was one of Chavez's uncles .... you can't make this stuff up).

Which is Photo-shopped?

However what I took from this story is what it said about those Muslims, who complained that he was 'Un-Islamic' and had 'committed a sin' by comforting a woman in her grief ....and they believe they are superior.

Cuban Crisis Remembered

I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 well ..... not the news stories, but my parents reaction - my mother glued to the reports (which seemed to be constant), of where the Russian ships were believed to be, and where the USA fleet was waiting for them. I would come home from school to face parents who seemed drawn. We even had a school event where we had to sit under our school desks when the teacher blew a whistle (although I don't think it registered why) .... I don't think anyone under the age of fifty five, really realises that we actually were hours away from the end of the world as we knew it.

Cuban Missile Crisis Anniversary October 2012

Nowadays we assume that the US, China and Russia are not stupid enough to invade each other, but we are not as far away from those times as many people assume .... Iran, North Korea, and possibly Pakistan are all armed and dangerous, and either have, or will have the capability to strike out with nuclear weapons at a superpower, or a close ally, in their stupidity.

What's actually more worrying is that in the case of one of these 'rogue' nuclear nations, there would probably not be any 'hot line' diplomacy, we would just wake up to their actions, and have to either back down, or instantly retaliate e.g. Iran drops a few warheads on Israel, or the other way round (Israel has the same weapons, but is not usually considered a 'rogue state' outside of the Arab/Muslim countries), then either the US or Russia would either have to retaliate on their behalf, or just accept that this had happened, and try to negotiate with the 'victors' or 'aggressors' .... if the result was obliteration for the victim, the question is, would the superpower ally, really risk 'Armageddon' to honour the treaty?

Its the point we would all have to consider when relying on an allies nuclear umbrella .... yesterday Sudan  said it was attacked by Israel after an explosion at an arms factory, that it claims was caused by an Israeli air strike .... not for the first time.

Start Of The Arab Winter?

We at PC towers always wondered if the Arab Spring might turn, without any summer, into a long winter, and maybe, just maybe, we are seeing the first signs of things turning sour.

 

The Salafists Are Democrats -
Who Believe In The Civil Society!!

In Egypt, the ultraconservative Islamists, known as Salafists, have emerged from the first stage of Egypt's parliamentary election as a powerful political force.

 

Nobel Prize, Ignoble Politics

China's behaviour over the award of the Noble Peace prize to Liu Xiaobo one of their own citizens, but one who is in prison for protesting for human rights, has been nothing less than shameful

..... but the behaviour of some of their 'friends' around the world has been equally disgraceful.

 

Islamic Science: Women Responsible For Earthquakes

Promiscuous women are responsible for earthquakes, a senior Iranian cleric has said.

Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi told worshippers in Tehran last Friday, that they had to stick to strict codes of modesty to protect themselves.

"Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes," he said.

These guys like to call themselves 'scholars' but are just plain ignorant.

Islamic Disunity Games

The Islamic 'Solidarity' Games, will not take place in Iran this April, after yet another row amongst the Ummah. Not content with the violence and mayhem carried out in the name of Islam, they can't even pretend to like each other (no wonder they hate the rest of us so much).

The row this time features on whether the "Persian Gulf" should be called the "Arabian Gulf", with the medals and logo's referring to the "Persian Gulf", but all the Arab countries call it the "Arabian Gulf", so they have boycotted the games.

These games are meant to strengthen ties amongst Islamic countries have only been held once in 2005, in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

Iran has long campaigned to ensure the body of water between Iran and the Arabian peninsula is known as the Persian, not the Arabian, Gulf.

Balochistan Insurgency Wants Independence

Pakistan faces many threats but not just from the Taliban or Al-Queda. Its disparate parts, that were force welded together by Jinnah, have been unravelling ever since. Maybe the largest threat is from the Balochistan insurgency which has been running for decades (since Pakistan was formed) and there are various groups (the Baloch National Front, Balochistan Republican Party and Balochistan Liberation Army) who are fighting the Pakistan army.

For those of you who are not familiar with Balochistan (and I expect that this is most of you and me) here's a map .... as you can see its about half of the country but only 5% of the population.

Why is this important?

Well should Balochistan really press for independence, then Pakistan as a political entity is finished and a power vacuum could lead to general wars across a region which includes Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Shia's and Sunni's, Taliban, Al-Queda, Drug Runners, and Warlords, as well as nuclear weapons ....... that's why its important!

The World From AyeRan (Pronounced 'I Ran')

Any regime that believes in the supernatural for guidance eventually goes mad ........... the Mullahs of Iran are nothing if not brutal, so why is anyone surprised when claims are made that they have stolen the Nobel Peace Prize medal of Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi.

Shirin Ebadi Nobel Prize 2003 - Stolen By Mullahs

Ms Ebadi also told the Associated Press that her French Legion d'Honneur award, and a ring given by the German association of journalists were also taken. Mrs Ebadi is very wisely out of the country at the moment, or it may not have been just her money and medal that were stolen ....... reports suggest that her husband has been given a state sanctioned beating in lieu of his wife getting tortured to death.

Talking of Iranians fleeing persecution, brings me to this story about a Non-Muslim Iranian pleading for asylum in "European" Turkey ...... where it turns out that in another example of "European Norms", the Turks regularly refuse asylum to Iranians, often forcing them back over the border to almost certain arrest, torture and possible death.

This time it was Negar Azizmoradi, who is the leader of the Raelian movement in Iran, and who by chance was able to get enough publicity, that she couldn't just be quietly shipped back to a death camp in Iran. There is no denying that the Raelians are as nutty as they come, but are non violent and essentially harmless, however with their libertarian attitude to sex, and their belief that humans were created by extra-terrestrials (see scientologists with their belief in thetans, and Xenu), Raelians are inevitably risking harsh treatment by the Mullahs.

The crime of apostasy - rejecting religious faith i.e. essentially not being a Muslim - carries the death penalty there, and supporters of Negar Azizmoradi say that is what will happen to her if the Turkish government sends her back to Iran.

The fact that this is an 'issue' to the Turks proves once again that Islamic Turkey is not naturally "European" by temperament or inclination, and in fact has more in common with Iran than Sweden.