Greece, S= audi Arabia to look at linking their power grids

Reuters

September 27, 2023

<= /div>

ATHENS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Greece and Saudi Arabia agreed on Wednesday to set=20 up a jointly-owned company that will look at linking their power grids,=20 taking the first step in their plan to supply Europe with cheaper green=20 energy, the Greek energy ministry said.

Greece's IPTO and Saudi Arabia's National Grid will set up a company, Saudi=20 Greek Interconnection, tasked with examining the commercial viability of the power interconnection, the ministry said in a statement.

IPTO and National Grid will each hold a= 50% stake, it added.

The deal comes after Greece and Saudi Arabia discussed last year the po= ssibility of such a tie-up.

About 40% of power in Greece is produced by renewables and the Mediterranean=20 country is already looking to build an undersea cable linking its grid=20 to Egypt as it seeks an enhanced role in supplying cheap energy produced by renewables.

Greece has also agreed with Cyprus and Israel to build the world's longest an= d deepest underwater power cable to link their grids at a cost of about=20 $900 million.

Reporting by An= geliki Koutantou Editing by Alexandra Hudson

--0000000000006e899a06066ceebf-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 10:30:11 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3C65FB0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:30:11 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 3C65FB0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="hGk7WOvI" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 32DEEBD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:30:11 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f41.google.com (mail-ej1-f41.google.com [209.85.218.41]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 0FED9BD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:30:11 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f41.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9ae7383b7ecso2621890366b.0 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:30:10 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695922209; x=1696527009; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=huQTXO7mewH5HZUVYs4Tqnqf2zW2ZbmU3twfTDnWwyE=; b=hGk7WOvIzlVI+wvMZrQRvp8onTrwwenedqXEtMeWgENgY4aYkrUCXuK0tU8KWusb30 hYu83x7eRki+oudI2l7YlmMfpnRvp3WauETvsgcxDotMBq2/vIE2E/hgmobc53XZfjca 7LhyVNgb6H1UQ/rEYbo4aLy5jIn471znz2f6KphVk0b1Jrj9hbHKYR9M94sPabn44Avr 5r7yrU+pyxOmOiBg5d7BQWhI5Oox1bXhQLStcJPgM8peVVXO7v18Xu146slgANqn9NCZ PJgrE8qtv47P6to6aFEVx8IHV61nJ2l5nOZXup7/SBgkZF2/F24g175mA7/b7pDyjE9C S3dA== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695922209; x=1696527009; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=huQTXO7mewH5HZUVYs4Tqnqf2zW2ZbmU3twfTDnWwyE=; b=Xc4MTUJFkBkCvCvFNLAaNurMxUkPSRLAYqDGY/f7jHpauJGUDIjxoReGZsmmHCMdnc u4PXoLH+Rtja7rZZC3tdvVPepXxc76LXEzBBSh15ppJ4M9CyAfPiHAfHIZa5nOsNLid6 UVAHSaeMffq6gA4Irjq0AaHRkA81iDM4VS68q3tXmmZuCRSxnj8k70IuoxvkhZCVB7wc knuu/WN8vwbY+c98FvGaIxJef7bCXLqQNWvYUnARq+/EneD9+nwW7Corv8D03wKK+utv 1S9WWRJMXtEJceEArBdhQx8LoW6kylx58XAhAiNwqhKS69rbBzfHqmMF615ffMY3REZ1 kGeQ== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0Ywr3YvyqRTYM05fQMAyzjjRFAl9W/pVjma7KmvsMVRjez2SYBIR +nE6BNHUiXcfT7cmI66HbtDubrgyC76EfM07J4Us+OIYhe//1Q== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IFE/tpeJfNPP5msWlyOGIzNt2GFGpbeFcUdxrY/X3A2IZ7O286ApreVhFk4j2n40WOs3gNRMf7nyZBi7+B4CUc= X-Received: by 2002:a17:907:7f0e:b0:9a9:fa4a:5a4e with SMTP id qf14-20020a1709077f0e00b009a9fa4a5a4emr1870279ejc.13.1695922209076; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:30:09 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:29:53 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000d6bcb306066ea8ba" Subject: [Salon] Cast Down from Media Olympus X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:30:11 -0000 --000000000000d6bcb306066ea8ba Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable https://newkontinent.org/cast-down-from-media-olympus/ Cast Down from Media Olympus 28.09.2023 By Edward Lozansky With rare exceptions, this headline could be applied to all the mainstream media in the U.S. today. But here I'll concentrate on only the New York Times and the Washington Post, since these two papers have long been considered America=E2=80=99s journalistic icons, ably representing the professionalism and integrity of their calling, and deserving their places on the Olympic peak. Their courage in revealing Washington=E2=80=99s misdeeds, both in domestic = and international affairs, is well known and there are countless examples to prove it. For the record, I often praised and quoted them in my writings, and not because they with nice photos but because they deserved it. But *The Post* and *The Times* have changed, and one can only argue about when the process of their degradation began. Historically, both papers have represented the Democrats and the Left, causing much Republican criticism. As examples, Republicans during Reagan=E2=80=99s day called them =E2=80=9CP= ravda on the Hudson=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9CPravda on the Potomac=E2=80=9D respectively, b= ut this name-calling was mostly a humorous jab. Things changed dramatically after Donald Trump announced his first White House bid in the 2016 election. Journalistic integrity and responsible reporting were thrown into the toilet and replaced by overwhelmingly fake news and stories. Trump must be defeated, and all means were justified in achieving that goal, including Hillary Clinton=E2=80=99s grotesque =E2=80= =9CRussiagate=E2=80=9D campaign to depict Trump as Putin=E2=80=99s stooge. When Trump won despite this onslaught, the whole Democratic machinery, including NYT and WP, was mobilized to destroy his presidency together with its intention to turn US-Russia relations from confrontation to cooperation= . The American and Russian presidents=E2=80=99 : =E2=80=9CThe =E2=80=98Spirit of the Elbe=E2=80=99 is an example of how our = countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valor and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.=E2= =80=9D Had Trump succeeded, there would be no war in Ukraine and no threat of nuclear WW3, but both papers even supported Blinken=E2=80=99s operation to = blame the Hunter Biden =E2=80=9Claptop from hell=E2=80=9D story on Russia, helpin= g Biden to win the 2020 elections, and taking us one step closer to war with Biden=E2=80= =99s rejection of Russia=E2=80=99s December 2021 proposals for mutual security guarantees. The key point in these proposals was a neutral status for Ukraine with no membership in any military blocks including NATO. Biden had until February 23, 2022, to agree on this deal but he rejected Russia=E2=80= =99s proposals. And, here again, both NYT and WP applauded this approach. Below are relevant quotes from their top columnists, Thomas Friedman and David Ignatius, whom I often quoted and applauded in my *Washington Times* and other publications=E2=80=99 columns back in the late 90s, when many of = us still hoped for new, brighter, and mutually beneficial relations between the United States and post-communist Russia. When the first round of NATO expansion began in 1998, one of the most distinguished American diplomats, George Kennan, who called NATO expansion a fatal foreign policy mistake: =E2=80=9DIt shows so little understanding of Russian history and Soviet his= tory. Of course, there is going to be a bad reaction from Russia, and then [the NATO expanders] will say that we always told you that is how the Russians are = =E2=80=94 but this is just wrong.=E2=80=9D And this is what : =E2=80=9CBack in the early 1990s, I opposed NATO expansion after the fall o= f the Berlin Wall because I thought our priority should be trying to nurture a democratic Russia=E2=80=A6. Now, 30 years later, though, when the prospects= for a democratic Russia feel utterly remote, I would gladly use NATO and the E.U. to nurture and secure a democratic Ukraine.=E2=80=9D As for the WP=E2=80=99s David Ignatius, here is what he said in his WP arti= cle back in 1999, where he highlighted some of the most damning revelations of the multi-billion-dollar robbery of Russia with the help of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and with the acquiescence of the Clinton administration: =E2=80=9CBy allowing the oligarchs =E2=80=94 in the name of the free market= =E2=80=94 to grab Russia=E2=80=99s resources and siphon anything of value into their own offs= hore bank accounts, the United States poisoned Russia=E2=80=99s transition from communism=E2=80=A6 What makes the Russian case so sad is that the Clinton administration may have squandered one of the most precious assets imaginable =E2=80=94 which is the idealism and goodwill of the Russian peop= le as they emerged from 70 years of Communist rule. The Russia debacle may haunt us for generations.=E2=80=9D : =E2=80=9CThese 18 months of war have been a strategic windfall, at relative= ly low cost (other than for the Ukrainians). The West=E2=80=99s most reckless anta= gonist has been rocked. NATO has grown much stronger with the additions of Sweden and Finland. Germany has weaned itself from dependence on Russian energy and, in many ways, rediscovered its sense of values. NATO squabbles make headlines, but overall, this has been a triumphal summer for the alliance.= =E2=80=9D Of course, both NYT and WP just follow the voices of Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, Polish President Duda =E2=80=93 and many others, in= cluding President of Ukraine Zelensky =E2=80=93 who openly declare their desire to = use Ukrainians as cheap cannon fodder for their geostrategic goals of defeating Russia, a country whose people and leaders from Gorbachev to Putin offered friendship, cooperation, and even alliance to America, only to be rebuffed in the name of a unipolar world order under U.S. hegemony. I think it would be appropriate to conclude with a quote from Luke 23:34-35= : =E2=80=9CAnd Jesus said, =E2=80=98Father, forgive them; for they know not w= hat they do.=E2=80=99 =E2=80=9CAnd parting his garments among them, they cast lots. =E2=80=9CAnd = the people stood beholding.=E2=80=9D --000000000000d6bcb306066ea8ba Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

https://newkontinent.org/cast-down-from-media-olympus/

Cast Down from Media Olympus

= =09

28.09.2023

By Edward Lozansky

With rare exceptions, this headline could be applied to all the=20 mainstream media in the U.S. today. But here I'll concentrate on only= =20 the New York Times and the Washington Post, since these two papers have=20 long been considered America=E2=80=99s journalistic icons, ably representin= g the professionalism and integrity of their calling, and deserving their=20 places on the Olympic peak.

Their courage in revealing Washington=E2=80=99s misdeeds, both in domest= ic=20 and international affairs, is well known and there are countless=20 examples to prove it. For the record, I often praised and quoted them in my writings, and not because=C2=A0they with nice=C2=A0photos but because t= hey deserved it.=C2=A0

But The Post and The Times have changed, and= one=20 can only argue about when the process=C2=A0of their degradation began.=20 Historically, both papers have represented the Democrats=C2=A0and the Left,= =20 causing much Republican criticism. As examples, Republicans during=20 Reagan=E2=80=99s day called them =E2=80=9CPravda on the Hudson=E2=80=9D and= =E2=80=9CPravda on the=20 Potomac=E2=80=9D respectively, but this name-calling was mostly a humorous = jab.

Things changed dramatically after Donald Trump announced=C2=A0his first= =20 White House bid in the 2016 election. Journalistic integrity=C2=A0and=20 responsible reporting were thrown into the toilet and replaced by=20 overwhelmingly fake news and stories. Trump must be defeated, and all=20 means were justified in achieving that goal, including Hillary Clinton=E2= =80=99s grotesque =E2=80=9CRussiagate=E2=80=9D campaign to depict Trump as Putin= =E2=80=99s stooge.

When Trump won despite this onslaught, the whole Democratic=20 machinery, including NYT and WP, was mobilized to destroy his presidency together with its intention to turn US-Russia relations from=20 confrontation to cooperation.

The American and Russian presidents=E2=80=99

=E2=80=9CThe =E2=80=98Spirit of the Elbe=E2=80=99 is an example of how o= ur countries can put=20 aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater=20 cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valor and courage of all those who=20 fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be=20 forgotten.=E2=80=9D

Had Trump succeeded, there would be no war in Ukraine and no threat=20 of nuclear WW3, but both papers even supported Blinken=E2=80=99s operation = to=20 blame the Hunter Biden =E2=80=9Claptop from hell=E2=80=9D story on Russia, = helping Biden to win the 2020 elections, and taking us one step closer to war with=20 Biden=E2=80=99s rejection of Russia=E2=80=99s December 2021 proposals for m= utual=20 security guarantees. The key point in these proposals was a neutral=20 status for Ukraine with no membership in any military blocks including=20 NATO. Biden had until February 23, 2022, to agree on this deal but he=20 rejected Russia=E2=80=99s proposals. And, here again, both NYT and WP appla= uded=20 this approach.=C2=A0

Below are relevant quotes from their top columnists, Thomas Friedman=20 and David Ignatius, whom I often quoted and applauded in my Washington = Times and other publications=E2=80=99 columns back in the late 90s, when many of= us=20 still hoped for new, brighter, and mutually beneficial relations between the United States and post-communist Russia.

When the first round of NATO expansion began in 1998,

one of the = most distinguished American diplomats, George Kennan, who called NATO expan= sion a fatal foreign policy mistake:

=E2=80=9DIt shows so little understanding of Russian history and Soviet= =20 history. Of course, there is going to be a bad reaction from Russia, and then [the NATO expanders] will say that we always told you that is how=20 the Russians are =E2=80=94 but this is just wrong.=E2=80=9D

And this is what

=E2=80=9CBack in the early 1990s, I opposed NATO expansion after the fal= l of=20 the Berlin Wall because I thought our priority should be trying to=20 nurture a democratic Russia=E2=80=A6. Now, 30 years later, though, when the= =20 prospects for a democratic Russia feel utterly remote, I would gladly=20 use NATO and the E.U. to nurture and secure a democratic Ukraine.=E2=80=9D= =C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0

As for the WP=E2=80=99s David Ignatius, here is what he said in his WP a= rticle

=C2=A0back in 1999, where he highlighted some of the most damning revelations of=20 the multi-billion-dollar robbery of Russia with the help of the Federal=20 Reserve Bank of New York and with the acquiescence of the Clinton=20 administration:

=E2=80=9CBy allowing the oligarchs =E2=80=94 in the name of the free mar= ket =E2=80=94 to grab Russia=E2=80=99s resources and siphon anything of value into their own off= shore bank accounts, the United States poisoned Russia=E2=80=99s transition from= =20 communism=E2=80=A6 What makes the Russian case so sad is that the Clinton= =20 administration may have squandered one of the most precious assets=20 imaginable =E2=80=94 which is the idealism and goodwill of the Russian peop= le as they emerged from 70 years of Communist rule. The Russia debacle may=20 haunt us for generations.=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9CThese 18 months of war have been a strategic windfall, at relat= ively low cost (other than for the Ukrainians). The West=E2=80=99s most reckless= =20 antagonist has been rocked. NATO has grown much stronger with the=20 additions of Sweden and Finland. Germany has weaned itself from=20 dependence on Russian energy and, in many ways, rediscovered its sense=20 of values. NATO squabbles make headlines, but overall, this has been a=20 triumphal summer for the alliance.=E2=80=9D

Of course, both NYT and WP just follow the voices of Lindsey Graham,=20 Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, Polish President Duda =E2=80=93 and many othe= rs,=20 including President of Ukraine Zelensky =E2=80=93 who openly declare their= =20 desire to use Ukrainians as cheap cannon fodder for their geostrategic=20 goals of defeating Russia, a country whose people and leaders from=20 Gorbachev to Putin offered friendship, cooperation, and even alliance to America, only to be rebuffed in the name of a unipolar world order=20 under U.S. hegemony.

I think it would be appropriate to conclude with a quote from=C2=A0Luke = 23:34-35:

=E2=80=9CAnd Jesus said, =E2=80=98Father, forgive them; for they know no= t what they do.=E2=80=99

=E2=80=9CAnd parting his garments among them, they cast lots. =E2=80=9CA= nd the people stood beholding.=E2=80=9D

--000000000000d6bcb306066ea8ba-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 10:47:42 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 75514B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:47:42 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 75514B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="NLra4DTY" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 618ABBD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:47:42 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ed1-f41.google.com (mail-ed1-f41.google.com [209.85.208.41]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 5F668BD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:47:42 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ed1-f41.google.com with SMTP id 4fb4d7f45d1cf-5335725cf84so15358436a12.2 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:47:42 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695923261; x=1696528061; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=DlBJ71MlPSCsaWeZ5KYe+MBY1kaImkZHvH1yOymwjZY=; b=NLra4DTYJNjS6lXJH0h3fg+p5XBEEM1n/4gLeNxPsgV/dWINdP7A3Go3LZtVQ4ttDG iUep11/A5nuujVV+EfW4mhhooarXh3WlTciAhtl19uHlcCXMYLCE2vbM3UdPfEZn1BDM 2yPxVLP6ArZhtOnB+RleUoKMlnHwm4jR498/GDDnC/2cdHjbB6ckO2SGuI2lJ8uNw/TV JyeZzjfWEDZWW++0S0CgRW0NsSrrPrrNoe6jUXqn84sf+l7uFFoPLcflnFG0A3pEx8+S ZTccQRkifJ9LjJb39SckcGAAkGcTmdT0xCspALjeRtvXZULBvODuYBlbQJrZP6k4+gHM M/1Q== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695923261; x=1696528061; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=DlBJ71MlPSCsaWeZ5KYe+MBY1kaImkZHvH1yOymwjZY=; b=cby8Wk0MtjCXm3XNxuY1Qy+49gNqLcBkJDVu7oNXuyuaRDNLWkjR1L9keBasCpESQT 1U+ZrsQghM2N5wWyD41qbCJh3saqmHA6kbOhY5JOHfI7lJknRF5yRUGhybuPtTnCo6lW cw3wVQqDqHUpbM1dLpNlPSEzJUplXfoqfBxSvexE9A+JnYnuHt/D2yIscPk9IuTHhM5L gbIRgkgXjEsphi7hjx6I4N8xmHoaZqgROAioqHcrmBMm/eVYnh+cBBUjWHfY58weLT7G DRlcm4A5FfSdfzrHePbOU0DdzfGVRXiTsulF/DkqrxCCK0bLPLbXdKKOOlnuCjr/6U2k vHQA== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0Yw19GvtDDwR9tUb/5YLOBaQlBPHcUl5ggseNvEk/tKGdn/QTrTN xPW71GzGEbPZojzGTLt8M697gcJWlHE8WAuOhc2kjdEtWpP3zA== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IG7LIFLzpDq7GlGEN6XW2YdROkxzSwGlrnrAwEj0tsQ7LU0n/fdR88UI2lU54B3GN14zZgLEc6QByJepMpYaww= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:32cb:b0:9b2:b2f8:85dc with SMTP id k11-20020a17090632cb00b009b2b2f885dcmr2052091ejk.34.1695923260581; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:47:40 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:47:24 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000836f4506066ee798" Subject: [Salon] China expects to OK 6-8 nuclear power units per year in green energy drive X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:47:42 -0000 --000000000000836f4506066ee798 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/china-expects-ok-6-8-nuclear-power-units-per-year-green-energy-drive-2023-09-27/ --000000000000836f4506066ee798 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

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--000000000000836f4506066ee798-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 11:04:15 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5E39CB0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:04:15 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 5E39CB0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="eT2nEcsf" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 52131BD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:04:15 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f52.google.com (mail-ej1-f52.google.com [209.85.218.52]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 506C6BD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:04:15 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f52.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9a9f139cd94so1654771766b.2 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:04:15 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695924253; x=1696529053; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=bk17Zs8I4jeoF5TP71cMrPJpZxdQXNuvUY5rwQWCBFQ=; b=eT2nEcsf7AeBJdl7qXQSWtVoVqJ2p7Jg4t+8jp5nY1YWRLKhbp+FZ7SEuqE8tBMq/e Zsk98rB+zEN1IEuhLKht4Hyr5REhmkjid5zl9bv4PIRfziPi/Hso/bd1tW9T9ObIgPP5 oi4IercMNDtlXhpCt44WBb6iHNzu+JbzmrlPlIbqC0vU+dciTmDqG9aYAKe/r6GFCbT4 X5qRZIyXoCyRpaAa7GAoCAKDuHAd2YVZkd+RgtJmK9B40qy43E9JG2cHwan/rVgObinR kOIEe9qFH1uZlT8rZhH/tVnGxWegScfkWxU3vqPiwwIdIvXSw/Piv7dOjWkvc3wnwCb8 DxGA== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695924253; x=1696529053; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=bk17Zs8I4jeoF5TP71cMrPJpZxdQXNuvUY5rwQWCBFQ=; b=MWXPTdmzP211dza6X0bU/do3CiO3DHOPPrGrnd69xKjNaKqeVoblYCC5JZQELY+E88 7BOblgVSeGsrubnSuLaxeLzmwk4sXiR98sAnpKbSnblThcxlEPToeIbvjEVwbIQfGmBy IbNA+1YjnPJRVaKk0kaPYWmBqtA5uYC/QRFFhGChn9wA0l5IZ+kg5QHm5BOijET+eP6b 4kKz2xRddKTXVeZcKZijXN+xjL60VVvo9FyqL0drRTQ1zKOAf4gsi3EgJbuIRCqWKofO c9Lb1Ybq+xJ/TceH+DfZAzUP62nWM0H0fUFsdEXSrIVZGSdmKjMTBzy2saMyQprEveX3 DANQ== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YyzHD85OdjRAIDaUrEgciRGgyMeGBwH6dgh/buYSZAcm5zygzNK aI0X9yKktP6zubAU9GeyD6rf4Q285ImGx7Y6g46yOCx8SIPI+g== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IFSYZLEEL7ZDm4ElkQbWhcFR2e7OS8LGjgE1db1tb1RnN8qxf9SACuRwrBXB8VBd12sctM/Mw/fIxCkH8WpLO8= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:13:b0:9b2:7492:70a0 with SMTP id 19-20020a170906001300b009b2749270a0mr2180884eja.27.1695924253286; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:04:13 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:03:56 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000aee73e06066f22af" Subject: [Salon] How To Win The AI Race X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:04:15 -0000 --000000000000aee73e06066f22af Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" https://www.chinatalk.media/subscribe?r=1eogb --000000000000aee73e06066f22af Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"

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--000000000000aee73e06066f22af-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 11:07:37 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5F096B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:07:37 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 5F096B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="KtKD4T7a" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 5859ABD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:07:37 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ed1-f52.google.com (mail-ed1-f52.google.com [209.85.208.52]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id D8B34BD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:07:36 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ed1-f52.google.com with SMTP id 4fb4d7f45d1cf-53639fb0ba4so1058153a12.0 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:07:36 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695924455; x=1696529255; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=68wPUWbwT7l/W2sdd7gmmFt+1zR4EA71uYPOvbNJZzk=; b=KtKD4T7a/BUOsfcckjbT/pBQGmz7+hOJiMRMrJ+DhR+aovIiLZfpmJeLc9OKvERCeh mDz5dgUShslF2sRJEw/EhSENoMGd7liiC0Jw9ZVeFXwenKBM5I7xy3nOHEVOySR3A/Le 7UIEqMJ03icHaJMRBFoBDpaR05QcD6FHaYzKujX0+X46fcnQr0O1xcr8Ox3GEvEOYQqm 3+vMt2z4pariDUuvQuyq+CGS/PhFsGDQfQoT4fV0dXbquVKfXvLPMawl2mQYAXgeGBhg E7xAjQ+MDnFULNuFIV3K5eWbpJyL0ooVmxn8o/6rzVspqTuyUEgFcdIYVbeVJLR39oTF 5rcw== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695924455; x=1696529255; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=68wPUWbwT7l/W2sdd7gmmFt+1zR4EA71uYPOvbNJZzk=; b=uubBNaK8hiyDs3wmifvu7KNybpR9DkHVZXGOI+jh8c+8ZBT9bufce2AKAErHuIPDXN TuCM32acJaJkBEAb05KJDvgawome2UbTfNESq+ow3JkyxBJXaen7FW3r3USZJNQl/c05 NbPWkqknL8kRTSaqpIJf/OHlP4L6CLtZZ9jcUZPs0NE1iseupWDuDeq9kAd6vyPjDlBY fctbiV/PrNCvV7TKdBVGcBm26UWJXlr6B6pexZnFaFWWdpXelBqGJLtoFzLTKUNXyF+m ijnNCqaKY3oKo1eVdEVIXVg9pSmi9A6ygGLsCf8wr4jkWGoHuSwR2sWER4DoS0sBFx/w J0gw== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0Yzqf3OR9fxHtziRyZHHHP10IlaosJYmpvk5Ckskf6u5X98q8UO1 5n5ApOdSrus0uqkk6OdY/D5sibFCOJ5i8wX36wsxF/RcjytIFA== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IGvXlZld+JhU2Xa9fcU4Pg9r+pc+ooxkFpL63+afmlXIOza5Ay7UB12WcCPljESSd7m5dHR9Bu2rhrI323+VrU= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:109e:b0:9ae:41db:c27f with SMTP id u30-20020a170906109e00b009ae41dbc27fmr1667475eju.10.1695924454668; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:07:34 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:07:18 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000afc3d206066f2e42" Subject: [Salon] The Oslo Accords: History and Impact X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:07:37 -0000 --000000000000afc3d206066f2e42 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable [image: Fast Facts] The Oslo Accords: History and Impact September 13, 2023, marked 30 years since the signing of the Oslo I Accord. The Oslo Accords (1993): - Then Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) negotiator Mahmoud Abbas signed the Declaratio= n of Principles , also known as the Oslo I Accord, that laid the foundation for future pea= ce talks. - Secret negotiations for the Oslo I Accord began in Norway in January 1993. Neither the PLO n= or Israel wanted to publicly acknowledge the engagements because it was illegal for any Israeli to speak with a member of the PLO until 1993. - The Accord established the Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern the West Bank and Gaza Strip, recognized Israel=E2=80=99s= right to exist peacefully, and renounced terrorism. It also laid out a five-year transitional period consisting of two phases: - The first phase would see Israel withdraw forces from Gaza and Jericho and Palestinian elections be held in the West Bank and Gaza. - The second phase, a renewed round of negotiations, would begin no later than three years after the Israeli withdrawal. These =E2=80=9Cp= ermanent status negotiations=E2=80=9D would address the issues of Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security arrangements, borders, and relations and cooperation with neighboring states. - The goal of the permanent status negotiations was to see the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). - UNSCR 242 and 338 called for a just and lasting peace through the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the areas occupied during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War (the Sinai peninsula, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, = and East Jerusalem), freedom of navigation in international waters, a resolution to the refugee problem, and the territorial and political independence of each state in the area (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, an= d Palestine). UNSCR 242 established the =E2=80=9C land for peace =E2=80=9D principle that was central to multiple future agreements, including the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in 1979 and the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty in 1994. Implementation of the Agreement (1995-2000): - In September 1995, then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed Oslo II , which withdrew more Israeli troops from the West Bank and divided i t into Area A, which fell under complete PA authority, Area B, governed un= der a shared security agreement, and Area C, administered under Israeli cont= rol. - Oslo II included measures to structure elections, redeploy Israeli security forces into the West B= ank before elections, arrange for safe passage between Gaza and the West Ban= k, and set a deadline of May 1999 for a permanent resolution to be reached. - In 1996, the PA held elections and Arafat=E2=80=99s Fatah party won with 88% of the vote . - The Oslo Accords=E2=80=99 five-year transitional period passed without any final peace treat y and with the continued development of Israeli settlements in the West Ba= nk. The Second Intifada occurred in 2000. - According to the U.S. State Department , by 2000, =E2=80=9C the prospect of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict look= ed more distant than it had eight years earlier.=E2=80=9D - Scholars cite the peace process as having been halted by forces on both sides. The Impact of the Oslo Process: - In 1994, Arafat, Rabin, and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their roles in the Oslo I Accord. - Individuals in both Israeli and Palestinian society have opposed the Accords. - Israel=E2=80=99s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in Nove= mber 1995 by a far-right Israeli for his role in the process. - Prospects for peace in the Palestinian territories today are bleak, as 2023 is on track to become the deadliest year since 2005. - According to the UN, 204 Palestinian and 26 Israeli civilians were killed in the first eight months of 2023 , surpassing the number of casualties in the entirety of 2022. - The Oslo Accords helped pave the way for the Abraham Accords, a process that established diplomatic ties between Israel and Morocco , the United Arab Emirates , and Bahrain in 2020. - On September 22, 2023, Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that Israel is =E2=80=9Cat the cusp =E2=80=9D of a historic breakthrough on a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, but neither side has provided details about the U.S.-led negotiations. - Saudi Arabia demands progress towards a Palestinian state , though developments on this are anticipated to be challenged by Israel= =E2=80=99s current government, the most conservative in the country=E2=80=99s histo= ry. --000000000000afc3d206066f2e42 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

=E2=80=8A

<= tr>

<= tbody>

<= td class=3D"m_-701764497796942508text_content-cell m_-701764497796942508con= tent-padding-horizontal" style=3D"text-align:center;font-family:Georgia,Tim= es New Roman,Times,serif;color:rgb(43,43,43);font-size:18px;line-height:1.2= ;display:block;padding:10px 40px" align=3D"center" valign=3D"top">

The Oslo Accords: History and Impa= ct

<= td class=3D"m_-701764497796942508text_content-cell m_-701764497796942508con= tent-padding-horizontal" style=3D"text-align:left;font-family:Georgia,Times= New Roman,Times,serif;color:rgb(43,43,43);font-size:18px;line-height:1.2;d= isplay:block;padding:10px 40px" align=3D"left" valign=3D"top">

September 13, 2023, marked 30 years si= nce the signing of the Oslo I Accord.

<= /td>

T= he Oslo Accords (1993):

Then Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres= and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) negotiator Mahmoud Abbas sig= ned the Declaration of Principles= , also known as the Oslo I Accord, tha= t laid the foundation for future peace talks.
Secret negotiations for the Oslo I Accord began in Norway in January 1993. Neither the PLO=20 nor Israel wanted to publicly acknowledge the engagements because it was illegal for any Israeli to spe= ak with a member of the PLO until 1993.=C2=A0
The Accord established the Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern the West Bank and Gaza Strip, recognized Israel=E2=80=99s r= ight=20 to exist peacefully, and renounced terrorism. It also laid out a five-year transitional period consisting of two phases:=C2=A0
The first phase would see Israel wit= hdraw forces from Gaza and Jericho and Palestinian elections be held in the= West Bank and Gaza.
The second phase, a renewed round of negot= iations, would begin no later than three years after the Israeli withdrawal= . These =E2=80=9Cpermanent status= negotiations=E2=80=9D would address the issues of Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security=20 arrangements, borders, and relations and cooperation with neighboring=20 states.
The goal of the permanent status negotiati= ons was to see the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions= 242<= /a> (1967) and 338 (1973).
UNSCR 242 and 338 called for a just and la= sting peace through the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the areas occupied during the= 1967 Arab-Israeli War
UNSCR = 242 established the =E2=80=9Cland for peace= =E2=80=9D principle that was central to mu= ltiple future agreements, including the Egyp= t-Israel Peace Treaty
in 1979 and the<= /span> Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty in 1994.

I= mplementation of the Agreement (1995-2000):
- In September 1995, then Israeli Prime Mini= ster Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed Oslo II, which withdrew more Israeli troops from the We= st Bank and divided i<= a href=3D"https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=3D001AMYjzbQa4QXtQlrVkbxj5c63jievCg2= yWGYGkGqyJSZmgROI2qIYOKvmQsa4CWLc_27245qXMDe3A7blr2ixctbr3HNbqj_4We6oabnjPN= bqbkd7PD5nhtnexYV8DMa-_mfB0ZWW0lgDV4Wdc6pta6NHcNiIIbSVmA2oLhnvSxspn-FT5oNhY= eHs5g2nRIdGW6ZsCungSq7IcaLcI8s_5Q=3D=3D&c=3DsYw-y8VUXZr3N_I5b0DSZy0-M5h= PRfo0mago7V-JKZw9uNJF1YxgyA=3D=3D&ch=3DKXD0NfukujwrWr3HGnk-pM8mTcP17Sna= Pi6G9Yh6uaWQlxblCaKvQg=3D=3D" style=3D"font-size:16px;color:rgb(113,23,9);f= ont-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-weight:bold= ;text-decoration:none" target=3D"_blank">t into Area A, which fell under complete PA authority, Area B, governed=20 under a shared security agreement, and Area C, administered under=20 Israeli control.
- Oslo II included measures to structure elections, redeploy Israeli security forces into the West=20 Bank before elections, arrange for safe passage between Gaza and the=20 West Bank, and set a deadline of May 1999 for a permanent resolution to=20 be reached.
- In 1996, the PA held elections and Arafat=E2=80= =99s Fatah party won with 88% of the vote.
- The Oslo Accords=E2=80=99 five-year transi= tional period passed without any final peace treat y and with the continued development of Israeli settlements in the Wes= t Bank. The Second Intifada occurred in 2000.
- According to the U.S. State Department,= by 2000, =E2=80=9C the prospect of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict looked= more distant than it had eight years earlier.=E2=80=9D
- Scholars cite the peace process as = having been halted by forces on both sides.
T= he Impact of the Oslo Process:=
- In 1994, Arafat, Rabin, and Israeli Foreig= n Minister Shimon Peres were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their roles in= the Oslo I Accord.
- Individuals in both Israeli and Palestinian society have opposed t= he Accords.=C2=A0
- Israel=E2=80=99s Prime Minister Yitzhak Ra= bin was assassinated in November 1995 by a far-right Israeli for his role in the process.
- Prospect= s for peace in the Palestinian territories today are bleak, as 2023 is on t= rack to become the deadliest year since 2005.
- According to the UN, 204 Palestinian and 2= 6 Israeli civilians were killed in the first eight months of 2023, surpassing the number of casualties in the ent= irety of 2022.
- The Oslo Accords helped pave the way for t= he Abraham Accords, a process that established diplomatic ties between Isra= el and Morocco, <= /a>the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain in 2020.
- On September 22, 2023, Israeli Prime minis= ter Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that Israel is =E2=80= =9Cat the cusp=E2=80=9D of a historic breakthrough on a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, but=20 neither side has provided details about the U.S.-led negotiations.
- Saudi Arabia demands progress towards a Palestinian state, though developments on this are anticipated to be challenged by=20 Israel=E2=80=99s current government, the most conservative in the country= =E2=80=99s=20 history.

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--00000000000010c92406066f5168-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 11:26:33 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4FAA8B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:26:33 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 4FAA8B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="fquiTvMz" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 415EEBD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:26:33 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f51.google.com (mail-ej1-f51.google.com [209.85.218.51]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 09D3CBD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:26:33 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f51.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9ae75ece209so1571401366b.3 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:26:32 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695925591; x=1696530391; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=pfb6IwA+2lqejey1ygCWFgHD26GEnCG3NOYpO4Q7jlc=; b=fquiTvMzjmznjrOyFjve8q85pRIYk4qCrj7cUiB09lS0R30d+IFtlZ3/kZo8d//QBq SeNPycyR02CJoFXMd2qf0tPa+PePQFcBPgv1TKRPCXgOufJuil0Cv/R/LU6yo5fBjTqy KZvBwGqKu+a/EOTx+HCKtUVbRdzHKAn8fVGDhzU2BpYTedYEMGVVyhmLqyQAhrLqi4Es QZ+lMe2Tvy9QF5+mFOqw3jcQr2kvyx77xWBspwdRHBXOuDFrqTit/lb/v7IS2t79qUrB gyAXpEG5KlHc4gU8ZaWf2w7icmLNp0fP4XJmgN1D+7aeMDYH7seZrIZ0wABranr1n2uP p2Ww== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695925591; x=1696530391; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=pfb6IwA+2lqejey1ygCWFgHD26GEnCG3NOYpO4Q7jlc=; b=dFv4LXxIJg2MLkAX9t/X9TnNRkj6VAS4AO4VT7qbJetKXsyhNfUtDRgGvSrh4PN3ev FEl5ta0iLg0gF/c4eD3s6ZCCGuQEJY/GwJ5KBQ4WvvddtgjR21H7K9dtB0UqUI7L4vpJ o+xxKXnLexuzefi1jKI8X6wNgbY7J3dOuwJvZ9DCbQHrqjgL0a/yZIyljvTHKvZDkiUq 6JGte34H0Yc8b8kfV/QkCtojPT/s/gz1sKBvY42vrg81C5ZDQPUVPrKdfxGj5acN0QCx BOcEVGn+97ptyxHTXxKnocv/46DuZAR2oxi1lw12plBhGH1svNX0wXiOr2+6skKUTKxJ EGVQ== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0Ywhv2ZQ5sFQMftEmnaNRXY4uWl2ht1MwAYih46jW2LWQ8DLg4e1 K8E+QbWW4Fi6Qqi+6TImASmUXZrceDOCjh8vev4p+p4pjdGlJg== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IFi0f7YkG8fVyKPcLsVN5d8xNpK7EsyCGAraK9zlanqWvtmsZr09dYn5BK8ayPSt0AVb7fEmJaFqEIf/NwPhd4= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:74c5:b0:9aa:20b2:35e7 with SMTP id z5-20020a17090674c500b009aa20b235e7mr1868149ejl.9.1695925590884; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:26:30 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:26:15 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="00000000000069063e06066f72f8" Subject: [Salon] =?utf-8?q?The_End_of_America=E2=80=99s_Middle_East?= X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:26:33 -0000 --00000000000069063e06066f72f8 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The End of America=E2=80=99s Middle East The region=E2=80=99s four major c= ountries have all forfeited Washington=E2=80=99s trust. By *Hisham Melhem* , the Washington correspondent of Radio Monte Carlo, Paris. https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/09/14/united-states-middle-east-egypt-turkey= -saudi-arabia-israel/ September 14, 2023 For more than 50 years, and especially since the Iranian revolution of 1979, U.S. policies and initiatives in the Middle East rested on a complex network of relations with four diverse regional pillars: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt. At one time or another the United States worked with one or more of these states to contain the perennial fires ravaging the region (even when these same states ignited the fires in the first place, whether Saudi Arabia in Yemen , Israel in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories , or Turkey in Iraq and Syria ). Over the years, the U.S. achieved some notable victories in the region, alone or with these erstwhile allies. But the world that gave rise to these relationships is undergoing changes that require a serious, even radical, reevaluation. There is no longer a Soviet threat to the Gulf region, and the U.S. has become the largest oil producer in the world. Meanwhile, the last U.S.-sponsored peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis collapsed almost a decade ago, the two-state solution has long been dead , and the extremists in charge of Israel today are on a messianic mission to formally annex all the Palestinian territories under their control. The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt have been charting their own paths, flagrantly disregarding Washington=E2=80=99s core interest= s. They believe that closer political, economic, and military relations with Russia, China, India, or each other=E2=80=94openly or clandestinely=E2=80= =94will provide them with suitable alternatives to the United States. To put it bluntly, America=E2=80=99s four traditional pillars in the Middle East are now too b= rittle to be relied upon. Much has been written recently about how the Turks, Israelis, and Arabs have been involved in dialogue with one another, exploring ways to revive regional diplomacy, cooperation, and investment. Some analysts went as far as to proclaim the dawn of a new era in the Middle East. But these de-escalations should be welcomed with much caution. The men who today sing the virtues of reconciliation were the same ones who ravaged Yemen; laid siege to Qatar; rampaged in Syria and Libya ; and shunned Bashar al-Assad, Syria=E2=80=99s despot, after a popular uprising, only to = welcome him after he committed war crimes and turned his country into a narcostate . In reality, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt have all been pursuing various forms of aggressive nationalism. Israel has already codified religious chauvinism and exclusivism, and some of its leaders regularly incite terrorism and call for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the West Bank. In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has fostered a new culture of hyper-nationalism in an attempt to diminish the influence of the religious establishment and build by coercive means a Saudi national identity revolving around his authoritarian persona. In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is known for stirring up a version of aggressive Turkish nationalism, laced with religious overtones and mixed with Ottoman revivalism in his frequent campaigns of grievances and intimidation against the West. Erdogan projects himself as the embodiment of these corrosive values. And in Egypt, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi=E2=80=99s decade-long reign has been the most autocratic and disastrous in modern Egyptian history. Moreover, these countries have mostly stopped cooperating with the United States on its regional priorities. Sisi was planning to provide rockets and artillery rounds to Russia to use against Ukraine before he was caught by U.S. intelligence agencies earlier this year. Erdogan only barely managed to maneuver his way out of a major crisis with U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO powers at the recent Vilnius summit, when he seemed to drop his opposition to Sweden=E2=80=99s accession to NATO after a year of obstruction. But his blackmailing of Europe by threatening to unleash waves of Syrian refugees continues. And Erdogan=E2=80=99s earlie= r purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system should have warranted harsher sanctions than it received. The historical factors that once cemented ties to the United States have also dissipated. The Soviet Union, which posed a threat to the countries of the region, is no more. (Ironically, Russian President Vladimir Putin today enjoys warmer personal relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman, and Erdogan than these leaders enjoy with Biden.) There are no longer any foreign threats to the Gulf. The role played by oil has also changed dramatically. Oil had fueled America=E2=80=99s relations with Saudi Arabia dating back to World War II, = with the U.S. and its allies in Europe and Asia coming to rely on imported oil and gas from Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf states in exchange for the U.S. military guaranteeing the safety of these transactions. But the United States is no longer the lone outside power with an economic stake in the Gulf region. Asian powers such as China , India , and others have established or reestablished complex economic and trade relations with the Gulf. And it is only natural that higher economic Asian activity will bring with it a higher political and military profile. And, in truth, this marks the return of a deeper history for the region. Long before the onset of large oil revenues, Gulf port cities resembled Indian Ocean port cities. The economies of these small port cities were dominated by merchant families: Arab, Persian, African, Baluch, Indian, and others, with Sunnis and Shiites living on both sides of the Gulf. Over the centuries, these families developed a rich maritime culture that created a complex exchange of people and goods across the Gulf cities, East Africa, and the port cities of the Indian subcontinent and beyond. These renowned traders with their ubiquitous dhows traversed these waters long before Western powers controlled them. For the new Gulf states to look eastward is nothing more than to reestablish the old maritime lanes. Seen in this context, the hyperventilation in some official quarters in Washington and among the commentariat class over China=E2=80=99s limited ro= le in reestablishing diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran is both unwarranted and exaggerated. Most of the initial hard work was achieved earlier in quiet talks in Baghdad and Oman, until the Saudi leadership, with an eye on catching Washington=E2=80=99s attention, brought in China to= produce and direct the last scene, giving Beijing credit for the whole production. The Biden administration responded as expected, which explains, in part at least, its current unseemly scramble to make peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel. iFor the foreseeable future, no state or combination of states could seriously undermine America=E2=80=99s strategic, economic, and technical ed= ge in the Gulf region, and the U.S. should make it clear to the Arab Gulf states that reckless cavorting with China at the expense of the United States will have consequences. (We should note that the Saudis made their first clandestine purchase of medium-range missile systems from China in the 1980s.) Riyadh is not about to halt its long Western orientation. American technology and expertise will continue to be essential for the Saudi energy sector, which remains the kingdom=E2=80=99s main source of income; we are not about to wi= tness thousands of young Saudi students flocking to Beijing and Shanghai to study Mandarin. The Biden administration=E2=80=99s seeming obsession with mediating a deal = between Saudi Arabia and Israel to formalize their existing de facto normalization is a Sisyphean labor=E2=80=94one that, even if it is partially successful, = will not benefit the U.S. politically or strategically in the long run. Its primary political result will be to strengthen the authoritarian rule of Mohammed bin Salman and embolden Netanyahu in his establishment of a more fundamentalist Israel. And such a deal, regardless of any assurances given to the Palestinians, will hardly change their fundamental lived reality=E2=80=94that of occupation and the denial of basic rights. The price Saudi Arabia is trying to extract from the Biden administration=E2=80=94inc= luding more extensive security guarantees that would elevate the kingdom to the status of other U.S. formal allies, nuclear technology for a civilian energy program, and freer access to U.S. arms=E2=80=94is a burden too much = to bear. Saudi Arabia, given Mohammed bin Salman=E2=80=99s character and aggressive = history, is not a partner worthy of the price. The crown prince is exploiting Washington=E2=80=99s exaggerated fears of an assertive China in the Gulf re= gion to gain concessions the U.S. will live to regret. A Saudi-Israeli peace deal, if it materializes, will at best be a deal among the existing elites of both countries, and accelerate the regional drift toward more autocracy and authoritarianism. Such a deal will not guarantee at all that Mohammed bin Salman or Netanyahu will not continue to pursue policies, such as the de facto support for Russia=E2=80=99s war against Ukraine, that either viol= ate U.S. interests or negate its values. The United States=E2=80=99 reassessment of relations with Saudi Arabia, Isr= ael, Turkey, and Egypt should take place in the context of reducing its military footprint in the region. There are U.S. troops deployed throughout the region, from Turkey and Syria, to Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman. This is in addition to the periodic flights of U.S. strategic bombers on roundtrip missions to the Persian Gulf, along with frequent deployments of aircraft carriers to the Arabian Sea. Are large U.S. air bases really necessary in Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE? The U.S. could defend its interests in the Gulf (namely, deterring Iran and terrorist groups in the region) by maintaining the crucial naval base at Bahrain, the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and supplementing it with more concentrated air power. This force can be further buttressed by aircraft carriers sailing in nearby waters. Before the string of recent wars in the Gulf, beginning with Iraq=E2=80=99s invasion of Iran in 1980, t= his was the non-overbearing way that American power was felt in the region. A wise Arab Gulf leader told an American diplomat at the time, =E2=80=9CWe want yo= u to be like the wind, we want to feel you, but we don=E2=80=99t want to see you.= =E2=80=9D That was sound advice then and would be mostly sound advice now. Once upon a time, there existed a great reservoir of good will in the Middle East toward the United States. America was seen by the people of the region as the educator that built the American University of Beirut (1866) and the American University in Cairo (1919), among other educational institutions from Turkey to the Gulf. America was hailed as the promoter of self-determination after World War I. America was the refuge of choice for the first wave of immigrants beginning in the late 1880s, fleeing the harsh conditions in Ottoman Syria (today=E2=80=99s Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine)= and seeking the promise of freedom in the United States. Most importantly, America was a major Western power with no colonial legacy in the Middle East. America did not rule over Arabs and Muslims, unlike the European powers. The caption of a picture taken in 1878 of the Syrian family of the professor Yusif Arbili says it all: =E2=80=9Chere (at last) I am with the c= hildren exulting in freedom.=E2=80=9D That reservoir of good will began to dwindle with the growing U.S. support for repressive autocratic regimes in the quest to check local communists and the Soviet Union. America=E2=80=99s embrace of Israel following its con= quest of more Arab lands during the 1967 Six-Day War deepened and widened the alienation of many Arabs from the U.S. Opinion polls throughout the region today confirm the negative views of U.S. policies in the Middle East and of America itself. Lowering Washington=E2=80=99s military profile and elevating its de= fense of human rights in a consistent, explicit, and universal fashion would go a long way toward restoring its credibility with the people of the region. It would also help them fend off autocracy, repression, and aggressive nationalism at home. At a time when America=E2=80=99s democratic system of governance, its liber= al open society, and its cherished concepts of inclusive patriotism and political pluralism are being challenged and eroded, it is folly to further undermine those values and the institutions that undergird them by seeking closer ties with indefensible regimes in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt may be Washington=E2=80=99s traditional allies in the reg= ion, but they do not deserve that status today. *Hisham Melhem* is the Washington correspondent of Radio Monte Carlo, Paris, and writes a weekly column for Alhurra television=E2=80=99s website. --00000000000069063e06066f72f8 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

The End of America=E2=80=99s Middle East

The region=E2=80=99s four major countries h= ave all forfeited Washington=E2=80=99s trust.

=20

By Hisham Melhem, the Wash= ington correspondent of Radio Monte Carlo, Paris.

=20 =09 =09 =09 =09

https://foreignpolicy.com= /2023/09/14/united-states-middle-east-egypt-turkey-saudi-arabia-israel/=

=20

=09

=20 September 14, 2023

=09 =09 =09

For more than 50 years, and especially since the Iranian=20 revolution of 1979, U.S. policies and initiatives in the Middle East=20 rested on a complex network of relations with four diverse regional=20 pillars: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt. At one time or another the United States worked with one or more of these states to contain=20 the perennial fires ravaging the region (even when these same states=20 ignited the fires in the first place, whether Saudi Arabia in Yemen, Israel in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories, or Turkey in Iraq and Syria).

Over the years, the U.S. achieved some notable victories in the=20 region, alone or with these erstwhile allies. But the world that gave=20 rise to these relationships is undergoing changes that require a=20 serious, even radical, reevaluation. There is no longer a Soviet threat=20 to the Gulf region, and the U.S. has become the largest oil producer in the world. Meanwhile, the = last U.S.-sponsored peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis collapsed almost a deca= de ago, the two-state solution has long been dead, and the extremists in charge of Israel today are on a messianic mission to formally annex all the Palestinian territories under their control.

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt have been=20 charting their own paths, flagrantly disregarding Washington=E2=80=99s core= =20 interests. They believe that closer political, economic, and military=20 relations with Russia, China, India, or each other=E2=80=94openly or=20 clandestinely=E2=80=94will provide them with suitable alternatives to the U= nited States. To put it bluntly, America=E2=80=99s four traditional pillars in t= he=20 Middle East are now too brittle to be relied upon.

Much has be= en written recently about how the Turks, Israelis, and Arabs have been involved in dialogue with one another, exploring ways to revive regional diplomacy,=20 cooperation, and investment. Some analysts went as far as to proclaim the dawn of a new era in the Middle East. But these de-escalations=20 should be welcomed with much caution. The men who today sing the virtues of reconciliation were the same ones who ravaged Yemen; laid siege to Qatar; rampaged in Syria a= nd Libya; and shunned Bashar al-Assad, Syria=E2=80=99s despot, after a popular uprising, only to= =20 welcome him after he committed war crimes and turned his country into a narcostate.

In reality, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt have all been=20 pursuing various forms of aggressive nationalism. Israel has already codified religious chauv= inism and exclusivism, and some of its leaders regularly incite terrorism and call<= /a> for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the West Bank. In Saudi=20 Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has fostered a new culture of=20 hyper-nationalism in an attempt to diminish the influence of the=20 religious establishment and build by coercive means a Saudi national=20 identity revolving around his authoritarian persona.

In Turkey, Presi= dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan is known for stirring up a version of aggressive Turkish nationalism, laced with religious=20 overtones and mixed with Ottoman revivalism in his frequent campaigns of grievances and intimidation against the West. Erdogan projects himself=20 as the embodiment of these corrosive values. And in Egypt, President=20 Abdel Fattah al-Sisi=E2=80=99s decade-long reign has been the most autocratic and= disastrous in modern Egyptian history.

Moreover, these countries have mostly stopped cooperating with the=20 United States on its regional priorities. Sisi was planning to provide rockets and artillery rounds to Russia to use against Ukraine before he was caught by U.S. intelligence agencies earlier this year. Erdogan=20 only barely managed to maneuver his way out of a major crisis with U.S.=20 President Joe Biden and other NATO powers at the recent Vilnius summit,=20 when he seemed to drop his opposition to Sweden=E2=80=99= s accession to NATO after a year of obstruction. But his blackmailing of Eu= rope by threatening to = unleash waves of Syrian refugees continues. And Erdogan=E2=80=99s earlier <= a href=3D"https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/14/us-sanctions-turkey-over-russian-= s400.html">purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system should = have warranted harsher sanctions than it received.

The historical factors that once cemented ties to the United States=20 have also dissipated. The Soviet Union, which posed a threat to the=20 countries of the region, is no more. (Ironically, Russian President=20 Vladimir Putin today enjoys warmer personal relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman, and Erdogan than=20 these leaders enjoy with Biden.) There are no longer any foreign threats to the Gulf.

The role played by oil has also changed dramatically. Oil had fueled=20 America=E2=80=99s relations with Saudi Arabia dating back to World War II, = with=20 the U.S. and its allies in Europe and Asia coming to rely on imported=20 oil and gas from Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf states in=20 exchange for the U.S. military guaranteeing the safety of these=20 transactions. But the United States is no longer the lone outside power=20 with an economic stake in the Gulf region. Asian powers such as China, Indi= a, and others have established or reestablished complex economic and trade relations with the Gulf. And it is only natural that higher economic=20 Asian activity will bring with it a higher political and military=20 profile.

And, in truth, this marks the return of a deeper history for the=20 region. Long before the onset of large oil revenues, Gulf port cities resembled Indian Ocean port cities. The economies of these small port cities were dominated by merchant families: Arab, Persian, African, Baluch, Indian, and others, with Sunnis and Shiites living on both sides of the Gulf.=20 Over the centuries, these families developed a rich maritime culture=20 that created a complex exchange of people and goods across the Gulf=20 cities, East Africa, and the port cities of the Indian subcontinent and=20 beyond. These renowned traders with their ubiquitous dhows traversed=20 these waters long before Western powers controlled them. For the new=20 Gulf states to look eastward is nothing more than to reestablish the old maritime lanes.

Seen in this context, the hyperventilation in some o= fficial quarters=20 in Washington and among the commentariat class over China=E2=80=99s limited= role in reestablishing diplomatic relations b= etween Saudi Arabia and Iran is both unwarranted and exaggerated. Most of t= he initial hard work was achieved earlier in quiet talks in Baghdad and Oman, until the Saudi leadership, with an eye on catching Washington=E2=80=99s attention, brought in China t= o=20 produce and direct the last scene, giving Beijing credit for the whole=20 production. The Biden administration responded as expected, which=20 explains, in part at least, its current unseemly scramble to ma= ke peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The Biden administration=E2=80=99s seeming obsession with mediating a de= al=20 between Saudi Arabia and Israel to formalize their existing de facto=20 normalization is a Sisyphean labor=E2=80=94one that, even if it is partiall= y=20 successful, will not benefit the U.S. politically or strategically in=20 the long run. Its primary political result will be to strengthen the=20 authoritarian rule of Mohammed bin Salman and embolden Netanyahu in his=20 establishment of a more fundamentalist Israel. And such a deal,=20 regardless of any assurances given to the Palestinians, will hardly=20 change their fundamental lived reality=E2=80=94that of occupation and the d= enial of basic rights.

The price<= /a> Saudi Arabia is trying to extract from the Biden=20 administration=E2=80=94including more extensive security guarantees that wo= uld=20 elevate the kingdom to the status of other U.S. formal allies, nuclear=20 technology for a civilian energy program, and freer access to U.S.=20 arms=E2=80=94is a burden too much to bear. Saudi Arabia, given Mohammed bin= =20 Salman=E2=80=99s character and aggressive history, is not a partner worthy = of=20 the price. The crown prince is exploiting Washington=E2=80=99s exaggerated = fears of an assertive China in the Gulf region to gain concessions the U.S.=20 will live to regret. A Saudi-Israeli peace deal, if it materializes,=20 will at best be a deal among the existing elites of both countries,=C2=A0 a= nd accelerate the regional drift toward more autocracy and=20 authoritarianism. Such a deal will not guarantee at all that Mohammed=20 bin Salman or Netanyahu will not continue to pursue policies, such as=20 the de facto support for Russia=E2=80=99s war against Ukraine, that either= =20 violate U.S. interests or negate its values.

The United States=E2=80= =99 reassessment of relations with Saudi Arabia,=20 Israel, Turkey, and Egypt should take place in the context of reducing=20 its military footprint in the region. There are U.S. troops deployed throughout the region,=20 from Turkey and Syria, to Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,=20 Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman. This is in addition to=20 the periodic flights of U.S. strategic bombers on roundtrip missions to=20 the Persian Gulf, along with frequent deployments of aircraft carriers=20 to the Arabian Sea.

Are large U.S. air bases really necessary in Kuwait, Qatar, and the=20 UAE? The U.S. could defend its interests in the Gulf (namely, deterring=20 Iran and terrorist groups in the region) by maintaining the crucial=20 naval base at Bahrain, the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and=20 supplementing it with more concentrated air power. This force can be=20 further buttressed by aircraft carriers sailing in nearby waters. Before the string of recent wars in the Gulf, beginning with Iraq=E2=80=99s invas= ion=20 of Iran in 1980, this was the non-overbearing way that American power=20 was felt in the region. A wise Arab Gulf leader told an American=20 diplomat at the time, =E2=80=9CWe want you to be like the wind, we want to = feel=20 you, but we don=E2=80=99t want to see you.=E2=80=9D That was sound advice t= hen and would be mostly sound advice now.

Once upon a time, there existed a great reservoir of good will in the Middle East toward the United States. America was seen by the people of the region as the educator that built the American University of Beirut (1866) and the American University in Cairo (1919), among other=20 educational institutions from Turkey to the Gulf. America was hailed as=20 the promoter of self-determination after World War I. America was the=20 refuge of choice for the first wave of immigrants beginning in the late=20 1880s, fleeing the harsh conditions in Ottoman Syria (today=E2=80=99s Syria= ,=20 Lebanon, and Palestine) and seeking the promise of freedom in the United States. Most importantly, America was a major Western power with no=20 colonial legacy in the Middle East. America did not rule over Arabs and=20 Muslims, unlike the European powers. The caption of a picture taken in=20 1878 of the Syrian family of the professor Yusif Arbili says it all:=20 =E2=80=9Chere (at last) I am with the children exulting in freedom.=E2=80= =9D

That reservoir of good will began to dwindle with the growing U.S.=20 support for repressive autocratic regimes in the quest to check local=20 communists and the Soviet Union. America=E2=80=99s embrace of Israel follow= ing=20 its conquest of more Arab lands during the 1967 Six-Day War deepened and widened the alienation of many Arabs from the U.S. Opinion polls throughout the region today confirm the negative views of U.S. policies in the Middle East and of America=20 itself. Lowering Washington=E2=80=99s military profile and elevating its de= fense of human rights in a consistent, explicit, and universal fashion would=20 go a long way toward restoring its credibility with the people of the=20 region. It would also help them fend off autocracy, repression, and=20 aggressive nationalism at home.

At a time when America=E2=80=99s democratic system of governance, its li= beral open society, and its cherished concepts of inclusive patriotism and=20 political pluralism are being challenged and eroded, it is folly to=20 further undermine those values and the institutions that undergird them=20 by seeking closer ties with indefensible regimes in the Middle East.=20 Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, and Egypt may be Washington=E2=80=99s traditi= onal=20 allies in the region, but they do not deserve that status today.

=09 =09 =09

=09

=09 =09 =09

Hisham Melhem is the Washington correspondent of Rad= io Monte Carlo, Paris, and writes a weekly column for Alhurra television=E2= =80=99s website.

=09

--00000000000069063e06066f72f8-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 11:29:37 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3613EB0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:29:37 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 3613EB0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="HryXuwTX" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 31707BD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:29:37 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f51.google.com (mail-ej1-f51.google.com [209.85.218.51]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 0DA11BD007 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:29:37 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f51.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9b2a3fd5764so786879766b.3 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:29:36 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695925775; x=1696530575; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=1tOv6gatoToR1z9wUQxBq7Eb31m5PqEOZZN++Tkbzo4=; b=HryXuwTXOtDLSlxcOkykgZLTIQybqMiTjiILD7VbJhtGW7Ox1+cKuikOmX0apnCJ65 XIxXIi44HhyQ58ArTVZs8Kbe46L1hS8xYNSXaKgKl+1wHIsSVL21/RsVAzYpk7KvfhJM r7V3hE6SUlbq+wHAB5Y3IqvHS9pHloK0W3yAob8RWQ/GKK6zy+uywVA6eaoSRcjyLBX/ eTehZmJXhjsLCOOESmSV6Ms1weGo/1uMe7mr9NOFRBRDUpJE7EH98tbNs2fYPBRqCIkY fi5A1X8tRZVzst5Sy1A7I/VUQSDMauWp3SBcYAqij77e4VhJ/j76/KgEkBoPBT+XFEA3 uoqA== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695925775; x=1696530575; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=1tOv6gatoToR1z9wUQxBq7Eb31m5PqEOZZN++Tkbzo4=; b=gc+JpDEOJjcO0OWwT9ZgcR3ZbRbMoqe7nMEN7DB8jlpjFvjozAaQnjZxltXlxm8fxL jDOvSbUkGaV7c/hlA2EdCwSuYWLFLDFo/4IZRq9U+KN2yxdcsllUCq5dYbNg2ZeCuYIz paJyo9kUGtDIPtBJ0tfoxuHYHieNYM0E/e49H6ZhSmqiadHcXVeefd8583rrHOeAJqBV 2oI8Cx43F0b4a1oMINqWeQtAD4lkaLW7eRLG7LGg2WxHAm2ulNJhJWdRhm9YPxIpg0O3 Y+LkfQr4oPOXlQ5fz4ZCrLfkbRoV6nVE+4/D3AM7gRceUXxzIWNBPHaXHMWTZBXJUvtM aZSw== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YzoGZSxvP6djMU73jEX7qKyQF5GZ18TbO3O6jMQHvyAieKxXc/1 G7fVe8aTtuHNMvq0deLJ0IWV5XqAMo7qUzA5iuDhIg7wQu1m+A== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IGFnWN5O8RCq6gM7N9EdMgeETbEy8/PIRHLZQ6/svfNy1S42Zan+6SV2CPi30qdVWwzQ0iAlzcPlQvSLrbl/08= X-Received: by 2002:a17:907:7632:b0:9b2:cf77:a105 with SMTP id jy18-20020a170907763200b009b2cf77a105mr271080ejc.15.1695925775084; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:29:35 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:29:19 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="00000000000063b2a006066f7d4f" Subject: [Salon] Large-Scale Genetics Research Arrives in Nigeria X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:29:37 -0000 --00000000000063b2a006066f7d4f Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-09-28/parkinson-s-gene-foun= d-in-africa-with-funding-from-sergey-brin?cmpid=3DBBD092823_prognosis Large-Scale Genetics Research Arrives in Nigeria Results from what could be the largest-ever study of Parkinson's disease genetics in people of African ancestry found that someone with two copies of a newly discovered variant are at roughly 3.5 times more risk of developing the disease than those with no copies. Researchers at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, the US National Institutes of Health and University College London probed the genes of 1,488 Parkinson=E2=80=99s patients from Nigeria and the US, and compared th= em to DNA from more than 196,000 people who didn=E2=80=99t have the disease. While the new variant was located in a known Parkinson=E2=80=99s disease ri= sk gene called GBA1, it hadn=E2=80=99t been seen in previous studies because it=E2= =80=99s rare in European populations, according to the results published in Lancet Neurolog= y . In Black people of African ancestry, it turns out to be relatively common. Genetic disease studies have a diversity problem: Historically, they=E2=80= =99ve mostly included people of European ancestry. There are good reasons for geneticists to study a broader population. Diseases such as Parkinson=E2=80= =99s and Alzheimer=E2=80=99s aren=E2=80=99t well understood and brain pathology and = genetics may vary in people with different ancestries. =E2=80=9CMost of the genetic studies that are done across diseases are done= mainly in people from European populations and that leaves out a whole host of individuals,=E2=80=9D says molecular biologist Ekemini Riley , managing director for Aligning Science Across Parkinson=E2=80=99s (ASAP), w= hich sponsored the study, and, through its Global Parkinson=E2=80=99s Genetics P= rogram , helped train people in sites in Nigeria that performed it. Studying diverse populations increases the number of gene variants found and potentially provides new clues for drug discovery, she says. You may not have heard of ASAP, but its a broad initiative funded by Alphabet co-founder Sergey Brin=E2=80=99s family foundation. Brin, who disc= losed years ago that he has a gene that increases the likelihood of developing the disease, has quietly become one of the biggest funders of Parkinson=E2=80=99s research. ASAP works hand in hand with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson=E2=80=99s Research to impl= ement its programs. One of its big projects aims to study the genetics of Parkinson=E2=80=99s in populations around the world to get a better picture= of what causes the disease. The study in Lancet Neurology is one of the first big results. Scientists in Africa have been waiting for the opportunity to do this type of ambitious project. Most previous Parkinson=E2=80=99s genetics studies in= West Africa have been small scale due to funding and resource constraints, precluding clear conclusions, says Njideka U. Okubadejo , a neurologist and Parkinson's researcher at the University of Lagos and a senior author on the study. =E2=80=9CIt was a dream come true to finally have sustainable support and f= unding=E2=80=9D to expand the work to a larger network of Nigerian neurologists, she says. Another important collaborator in the project was the genetics testing firm 23andMe, which was co-founded by Brin=E2=80=99s former spouse Anne Wojcicki and contributed anonymous data from more than 195,000 people of African American or Afro-Caribbean descent. ASAP=E2=80=99s Global Parkinson=E2=80=99s Genetics Program is working to su= pport similar research on almost every continent. =E2=80=9CI would expect we=E2=80=99re g= oing to get many findings like this,=E2=80=9D says ASAP=E2=80=99s Riley. =E2=80=94 *Bob Lan= greth* --00000000000063b2a006066f7d4f Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/202= 3-09-28/parkinson-s-gene-found-in-africa-with-funding-from-sergey-brin?cmpi= d=3DBBD092823_prognosis

Large-Scale Genetics Research Arrives in=C2=A0Nigeria

Results from what=20 could be the largest-ever study of Parkinson's disease genetics in=20 people of African ancestry found that someone with two copies of a newly discovered variant are at roughly 3.5 times more risk of developing the disease than those with no copies.

Researchers at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, the US National Institutes of=20 Health=C2=A0and University College London=C2=A0probed the genes of 1,488=20 Parkinson=E2=80=99s patients from Nigeria and=C2=A0the US, and compared the= m to=20 DNA=C2=A0from more than 196,000 people who didn=E2=80=99t have the disease.= =C2=A0

While the new variant was located in=C2=A0a known Parkinson=E2=80=99s disease ri= sk gene=20 called GBA1, it hadn=E2=80=99t been seen in previous studies because it=E2= =80=99s rare=20 in European populations, according to the results published in = Lancet Neurology. In Black people of African ancestry, it turns out to = be relatively common.

Genetic disease studies have a diversity problem: Historically, they=E2=80=99ve mo= stly=20 included=C2=A0people of European ancestry. There are=C2=A0good reasons for= =20 geneticists to study a broader population. Diseases such as Parkinson=E2=80= =99s=20 and Alzheimer=E2=80=99s aren=E2=80=99t well understood and brain pathology = and genetics=20 may vary in people with different ancestries.

=E2=80=9CMost of the genetic studies=C2=A0that are done across diseases are done mainly = in people from=C2=A0European=C2=A0populations=C2=A0and that leaves out a whol= e host of=20 individuals,=E2=80=9D=C2=A0says molecular biologist=C2=A0Ekemini Riley, managing director fo= r Aligning=C2=A0Science Across Parkinson=E2=80=99s (ASAP), which sponsored = the study, and, through its Global Parkinson=E2=80=99s Genetics Program, helped train people in sites in Nigeria that performed it.=C2=A0Studying= =20 diverse=C2=A0populations increases=C2=A0the number of gene variants found a= nd=20 potentially provides new clues for drug discovery, she says.

You=20 may not have heard of ASAP, but its a broad initiative funded by=20 Alphabet co-founder Sergey Brin=E2=80=99s=C2=A0family foundation.=C2=A0Brin= , who=C2=A0disclosed years ago that he has a gene that increases the likelihood of=20 developing the disease, has quietly become one of the=C2=A0biggest funders of Parkinson=E2=80=99s res= earch.

ASAP works= hand in hand with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson=E2=80=99s Research=C2=A0t= o=20 implement its programs. One of its big projects aims to study the=20 genetics of Parkinson=E2=80=99s in populations around the world to get a be= tter=20 picture of what causes the disease. The=C2=A0study in Lancet Neurology is o= ne of=C2=A0the first big results.

Scientists in Africa have been waiting for the opportunity to do this type of=20 ambitious project. Most previous Parkinson=E2=80=99s genetics studies=C2=A0= in West=20 Africa have=C2=A0been small scale due to funding and resource constraints,= =20 precluding clear conclusions, says=C2=A0Njideka U. Okubadejo,=C2=A0a neurologist an= d Parkinson's researcher at the University of Lagos and a senior=C2=A0a= uthor on the=C2=A0study.

=E2=80=9CIt was a dream come true to finally have sustainable support and funding=E2= =80=9D=20 to expand the work to a larger network of Nigerian neurologists,=C2=A0she= =20 says. Another important collaborator in the project was the genetics=20 testing firm 23andMe, which was co-founded by Brin=E2=80=99s former spouse = Anne Wojcicki= =C2=A0and contributed anonymous data from more than 195,000 people of Afric= an American or Afro-Caribbean descent.

ASAP=E2=80=99s Global Parkinson=E2=80=99s Genetics Program=C2=A0is working to support sim= ilar=20 research on almost every continent. =E2=80=9CI would expect we=E2=80=99re g= oing to get=20 many findings like this,=E2=80=9D says ASAP=E2=80=99s Riley.=C2=A0 =E2=80= =94=C2=A0Bob = Langreth

--00000000000063b2a006066f7d4f-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 11:32:02 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id ECCAAB0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net ECCAAB0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="NrkFfQYD" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id E0C9DBD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f48.google.com (mail-ej1-f48.google.com [209.85.218.48]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id B4C6BBD007 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f48.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9ad8d47ef2fso1695130566b.1 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695925920; x=1696530720; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=SLjW3pJfk85ebQleKdlSpjFTG4YsQju28B5yp6UIHY0=; b=NrkFfQYD72DwwgkiyhoRtPwUwVOkxm7vNpN8iXoUIIjj11krEZv8sx8FXlTfb8zqsS 1pyw17u+DVWc+A6N7oZ3GPF7sRkeXwV90GN1Mx+cvTZzd8x3YU9DQwmNM8CnXSUlEkg3 PruPn3nE5kSOtW5nzs0L+CHs3AXLC772hqhAL7/4VDuBdN/mLbZYpi0hK0qov5UTWMBB 5KLEWL0KMCH/afD/LT+CAwbhCoYMptTvFgWtXLFCfzEnFotsdR8SrWVGfLvLScWrZBd6 MA/PTH9YA3Ki88uWN7pk8m6CTO6JkSVGKz6Vbl0EgmI70nfeXFM5gv6Up3YslbVmYeEo EKEg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695925920; x=1696530720; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=SLjW3pJfk85ebQleKdlSpjFTG4YsQju28B5yp6UIHY0=; b=dpgdGOvOEq42RAMmNqfyrkl3nh3+oj6mcKpo+rXMFEgepaH0qLMMfIyR7olS98NTWw bTEMXd2nXeFnF4eP6aNyWBfD1RnB8AzOQob0JZudDLbUWckVNZuk7SptPxNTxbqb6Yn0 AxxcVzdSiEA8B9lH3YoCuxSXNEapNlxEi5KgO7viCp9n4K05vjHjQDJBY8muuu9uwSom 4oIi1XUQkhzaURWOMV2i9YfrhL/RgVsbHkExOg5KYTnTouk4pHHvDrzIiAMmSdXKMY0q 9CVuwUh9fcTVa7bmm0JFTF/DD9yzTOJeNSV7PInNRAFk9w7bgE+I2W+Xx1I98Ugb433F yl0w== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YxlVEDPqvwxvAbZwMmyw6IVF2JmDP72x3GGlNhs9AQ6qHghJD0s 7CDGdoMwuAuD/cHa95UGYL7M2DQpQSlGpBYa6M+KVVOHyw4WxA== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IHpM9zQP3G/ZjSlDEYvYB3EBB8Vb08CIcUl6jpoOS69vHVgmPkRd50XajvPnERRK5mpWbv7ibSkNgB3aGnYJrM= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:530b:b0:9b2:6b4f:6a39 with SMTP id h11-20020a170906530b00b009b26b4f6a39mr1698126ejo.64.1695925919630; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:31:59 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:31:43 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000000149aa06066f86c0" Subject: [Salon] =?utf-8?q?New_data_on_ultra-rich_tax_cheats_wrecks_the_?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=98working-class_GOP=E2=80=99_ruse?= X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:32:02 -0000 --0000000000000149aa06066f86c0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/09/28/wealthy-tax-avoidance-ro= n-wyden-data/ New data on ultra-rich tax cheats wrecks the =E2=80=98working-class GOP=E2= =80=99 ruse By Greg Sargent Columnist| September 28, 2023 Republicans have been amplifying the claim lately that their party has undergone a =E2=80=9Cpopulist=E2=80=9D makeover, rendering it both anti-eli= te and pro-working class. One way Republicans purport to illustrate this is by attacking President Biden=E2=80=99s expanded funding for the Internal Revenue Service= , insisting that it empowers a strike force of bureaucrats to prey on ordinary Americans. But new data on tax avoidance by the ultrarich badly undermines GOP claims to being an anti-elite, pro-worker party. It shows that if Republicans get their way with regard to the IRS, a nontrivial number of very rich Americans would continue to underpay taxes they owe, effectively making out like bandits =E2=80=94 some literally so. Nearly 1,000 tax filers who earn more than $1 million per year have still not filed federal tax returns for at least one year from 2017 to 2020, according to IRS data provided to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). What=E2=80=99s more, the 2,000 people who represent the highest-income non-= filers in one or more of those years owe a total of more than $900 million in federal taxes, the data shows. =E2=80=9CThese are people who essentially blow raspberries at the IRS,=E2= =80=9D Wyden told me. =E2=80=9CThey=E2=80=99re sophisticated people. They know this is wrong,= wrong, wrong. And they do it anyway.=E2=80=9D The data underscores that when the IRS is underfunded, wealthy tax cheats benefit in a big way. An underfunded IRS is what Republicans are advocating for. To illustrate the realities of elite tax avoidance, Wyden=E2=80=99s staff a= sked the IRS for a breakdown, by income, of high-end earners who didn=E2=80=99t file= returns during at least one of those years. The senator=E2=80=99s office obtained o= nly numerical data about those categories, not specific names of non-filers. The data is detailed in a letter that the senator wrote to the IRS, urging it to respond to the situation with more aggressive enforcement policies. The information helps illuminate the true nature of the political and ideological dispute over IRS funding, undermining GOP talk of a =E2=80=9Cworking class=E2=80=9D makeover. Biden=E2=80=99s Inflation Reduction Act, signed last year, included $80 bil= lion in additional IRS funding. Biden sought it specifically to bring in more revenue by targeting wealthy tax cheats. But House Republicans voted this year to repeal that funding . Many GOP presidential candidates , including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy , have attacked it. Republicans claim it will be used to target small businesses and workers =E2=80=94 burnishing the GOP=E2=80=99s supposed pro-worker cred= ibility. Unfortunately for Republicans, enforcement funded by that law has paid off =E2=80=94 bringing in more than $38 million from 175 rich tax delinquents, = the IRS announced in July . And this month, the agency announced plans to use the funding for still more efforts targeting wealthy tax avoiders. Starving the IRS has been a longtime Republican project . Indeed, GOP efforts to cut agency funding had some success in creating precisely the state of affairs that Wyden=E2=80=99s data illustrates. We don=E2=80=99t yet know how far the IRS will get in using the new funding= to target wealthy tax avoiders. As Wyden wrote to the IRS, the information on non-filers shows that the IRS must do still more, including making criminal referrals to the Justice Department. But one thing is clear: Both the Biden administration and congressional Democrats such as Wyden are pushing for more enforcement directed at high-earning avoiders. An irony to the GOP=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9Cworking class=E2=80=9D positioning i= s worth noting. Jean Ross, a tax expert at the Center for American Progress, points out that high-end avoiders =E2=80=94 such as those documented in the IRS data =E2=80= =94 often can afford lawyers and accountants who aggressively shield income. By contrast, wage earners=E2=80=99 incomes are reported to the IRS by employers. So while Republicans claim that funding the IRS will disproportionately hurt ordinary Americans, doing so actually makes it more likely that elites and workers will be treated *equivalently*. =E2=80=9CIt moves us closer to = a world where everybody pays the taxes they legally owe,=E2=80=9D Ross says, =E2=80= =9Crather than continuing current disparities, where unpaid taxes are disproportionately owed by the very wealthy.=E2=80=9D Republican policies would make those dis= parities worse. The GOP =E2=80=9Cworking class=E2=80=9D makeover is dubious in other ways. = As Paul Krugman details in the New York Times , the MAGA-loyal House Republicans who lean hardest into =E2=80=9Cpopulist=E2= =80=9D positioning are also the most insistent on deep spending cuts that would hurt working people. There is an opening for Republicans to fuse right-wing positions on social issues with a more pro-worker economic agenda, but they just aren=E2=80=99t taking it. True, some populist-sympathetic thinkers have a real agenda to align GOP policies with the interests of working-class voters, mainly by strengthening unions and worker bargaining power, as Eric Levitz demonstrat= es in New York magazine . But the Trump administration weakened labor protections in numerous ways that tilted the balance of power away from workers and toward employers. On taxes, this disconnect is particularly stark: If Republican efforts to defund the tax police prevail, the real winners will not be workers and small businesses but a subset of wealthy elites =E2=80=94 who will chortle = all the way to the bank. Opinion by Greg Sargent Greg Sargent is a columnist. He joined The Washington Post in 2010, after stints at Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine and the New York Observer. Twitter --0000000000000149aa06066f86c0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

https://www.washingtonpost.= com/opinions/2023/09/28/wealthy-tax-avoidance-ron-wyden-data/

New data on ultra-rich tax cheats wrecks the =E2=80=98= working-class GOP=E2=80=99 ruse

<= span class=3D"gmail-wpds-c-cNdzuP">By Greg Sa= rgent

Columnist|

September 28, 2023

Repub= licans have been amplifying the claim lately that their party has undergone a=20 =E2=80=9Cpopulist=E2=80=9D makeover, rendering it both anti-elite and pro-w= orking class. One way Republicans purport to illustrate this is by attacking President Biden=E2=80=99s expanded funding for the Internal Revenue Servic= e,=20 insisting that it empowers a strike force of bureaucrats to prey on=20 ordinary Americans.

But new data on tax avoidance by the ultrarich badly undermines GOP claims=20 to being an anti-elite, pro-worker party. It shows that if Republicans=20 get their way with regard to the IRS, a nontrivial number of very rich=20 Americans would continue to underpay taxes they owe, effectively making=20 out like bandits =E2=80=94 some literally so.

Nearly 1,000 tax filers who earn more than $1 million per year have still not=20 filed federal tax returns for at least one year from 2017 to 2020,=20 according to IRS data provided to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Or= e.).

What=E2=80=99s more, the 2,000 people who represent the highest-income non-filers in=20 one or more of those years owe a total of more than $900 million in=20 federal taxes, the data shows.

<= div class=3D"gmail-wpds-c-eyhHZm gmail-wpds-c-eyhHZm-igCbUYf-css">

=E2=80=9CThes= e are people who essentially blow raspberries at the IRS,=E2=80=9D Wyden tol= d me. =E2=80=9CThey=E2=80=99re sophisticated people. They know this is wrong, wr= ong, wrong.=20 And they do it anyway.=E2=80=9D

The data underscores that when the IRS is underfunded, wealthy tax cheats=20 benefit in a big way. An underfunded IRS is what Republicans are=20 advocating for.

To illustrate the realities of elite tax avoidance, Wyden=E2=80=99s staff ask= ed=20 the IRS for a breakdown, by income, of high-end earners who didn=E2=80=99t = file=20 returns during at least one of those years. The senator=E2=80=99s office=20 obtained only numerical data about those categories, not specific names=20 of non-filers.

The data is detailed in a letter that the senator wrote to the IRS, urging it to respond to the situation with more aggressive=20 enforcement policies. The information helps illuminate the true nature=20 of the political and ideological dispute over IRS funding, undermining=20 GOP talk of a =E2=80=9Cworking class=E2=80=9D makeover.

Biden=E2=80= =99s Inflation Reduction Act, signed last year, included $80 billion in additional IRS funding. Biden sought it spe= cifically to bring in more revenue by targeting wealthy= tax cheats.

But House Republicans = voted this year to repeal that funding. Many GOP p= residential candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, have attacked it. Republicans claim it will be used to target small=20 businesses and workers =E2=80=94 burnishing the GOP=E2=80=99s supposed pro-= worker=20 credibility.

Unfortunately for Republicans, enforcement funded by that law has paid off =E2=80=94 bri= nging in more than $38 million from 175 rich tax delinquents, the IRS announced in July. And this month, the ag= ency announced plans to use the funding for sti= ll more efforts targeting wealthy tax avoiders.

Starving the IRS has been a longtime Republican project. Indeed, GOP efforts to cut agency funding had some success in creating=20 precisely the state of affairs that Wyden=E2=80=99s data illustrates.

We don=E2=80=99t yet know how far the IRS will get in using the new funding t= o=20 target wealthy tax avoiders. As Wyden wrote to the IRS, the information=20 on non-filers shows that the IRS must do still more, including making=20 criminal referrals to the Justice Department. But one thing is clear:=20 Both the Biden administration and congressional Democrats such as Wyden=20 are pushing for more enforcement directed at high-earning avoiders.

A= n irony to the GOP=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9Cworking class=E2=80=9D positioning is = worth noting. Jean=20 Ross, a tax expert at the Center for American Progress, points out that=20 high-end avoiders =E2=80=94 such as those documented in the IRS data =E2=80= =94 often can afford lawyers and accountants who aggressively shield income. By=20 contrast, wage earners=E2=80=99 incomes are reported to the IRS by employer= s.

So while Republicans claim that funding the IRS will disproportionately=20 hurt ordinary Americans, doing so actually makes it more likely that=20 elites and workers will be treated equivalently. =E2=80=9CIt moves u= s=20 closer to a world where everybody pays the taxes they legally owe,=E2=80=9D= Ross says, =E2=80=9Crather than continuing current disparities, where unpaid ta= xes=20 are disproportionately owed by the very wealthy.=E2=80=9D Republican polici= es=20 would make those disparities worse.

The GOP =E2=80=9Cworking class=E2= =80=9D makeover is dubious in other ways. As Paul Krugman details in the New York Times, the MAGA-loyal House Republicans who lean hardest into =E2=80=9Cpopulist= =E2=80=9D=20 positioning are also the most insistent on deep spending cuts that would hurt working people. There is an opening for Republicans to fuse=20 right-wing positions on social issues with a more pro-worker economic=20 agenda, but they just aren=E2=80=99t taking it.

True, some populist-sympathetic thinkers have a real agenda to align GOP=20 policies with the interests of working-class voters, mainly by=20 strengthening unions and worker bargaining power, as Eric Levitz demonstrates in New York magazine. But t= he Trump administration weakened labor protections in numerous ways that tilted the bal= ance of power away from workers and toward employers.

On taxes, this disconnect is particularly stark: If Republican efforts to=20 defund the tax police prevail, the real winners will not be workers and=20 small businesses but a subset of wealthy elites =E2=80=94 who will chortle = all=20 the way to the bank.

Opinion by Greg Sargent is a columnist. He joined The Washington Post in 2010, after=20 stints at Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine and the New York=20 Observer.<= /a>

Twitter

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Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:44:04 +0000 Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:44:03 +0000 (UTC) From: Gilbert Doctorow To: "salon-request@listserve.com" , "salon@listserve.com" Message-ID: <1194692605.5454964.1695926643248@mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_5454963_360870619.1695926643246" References: <1194692605.5454964.1695926643248.ref@mail.yahoo.com> X-Mailer: WebService/1.1.21797 YMailNorrin Subject: [Salon] 'Sixty Minutes' holds up the mirror to the West X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:44:05 -0000 ------=_Part_5454963_360870619.1695926643246 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2023/09/28/sixty-minutes-holds-up-the-mirror-to= -the-west-and-the-picture-in-the-frame-is-ugly/ Sixty Minutes holds up the mirror to the West: and thepicture in the frame = is ugly Readerswill note that I have very often made reference to what I learn watc= hing talkshows on Russian state television Rossiya 1 directed at their dome= sticaudience, namely Sixty Minutes and =C2=A0Evening with Vladimir Solovyov= . =C2=A0Very often the expert panelists, whetherleaders of the Duma parties= and Duma committee chairmen or retired militaryofficers, offer commentarie= s that are insightful and novel. However,another aspect of these programs is perhaps still more useful to my= professional work, and that is their putting on air each day digests of Wes= terntelevision broadcasting, and especially =C2=A0interviews or public spee= ches by well-knownAmerican and European politicians. The Western broadcaste= rs which are featuredmost often on these Russian programs include CNN, ABC = News, Fox News, the BBCand ZDF (Germany). The videos posted are not sound b= ites. On the contrary, theycan be several minutes long each, and very often= are clustered to show Westerncoverage of a given issue. To be sure,some of the issues covered day after day are marginal. I have in= mindtransgender events and scandals such as the fight over multi-gender to= iletsbeing introduced in various American school systems or the fight over = dragshows presented to the children of soldiers on U.S. military bases. The= intentof the Russian newscasters is to highlight the degeneracy that now p= asses forprogressive culture in the West. But the stories speak for themsel= ves and theRussian news hosts are not thickening the paint. As they like to= say on afrequently repeated Euronews segment:=E2=80=9CNo comment.=E2=80=9D But otherissues are serious, geopolitical and entirely germane to the milit= ary confrontationwith the West that Washington and Brussels have brought on= . These Russianbroadcasts allow Western politicians to utterly discredit th= emselves before anyright-thinking person with a moral compass for a conscie= nce. Severalsuch cases have come up in the past two days.=C2=A0One was an interv= iew given by Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell inwhich he repeats near= ly word for word what fellow Republican and the as yetunindicted war crimin= al, the senior Senator from the state of South Carolina,Lindsey Graham, has= been saying to reporters during and following his lastvisit to Kiev: that = the war in Ukraine serves American objectives perfectlybecause it is hittin= g the Russian army hard while costing the United States nota single life of= its men in uniform. Of course,the assertion that no American servicemen have been killed in Ukr= aine is a lie.To be sure, the Poles have provided the largest contingent of= NATO officers andsoldiers to have been killed by the Russians in Ukraine. = The Poles are close toUkrainians in having a death wish by going up against= The Bear. But Americansoldiers and officers are on the ground in Ukraine i= n their capacity asinstructors and intelligence operatives, and the Russian= missile strikes onconcentrations of =E2=80=9Cforeign mercenaries=E2=80=9D = almost certainly have taken the livesof GIs.=20 But thatone lie is the least of McConnell=E2=80=99s offenses against human = decency. He hasopenly stated =C2=A0the most cynical logic tojustify the dea= ths of at least 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers and officers as wellas the perma= nent maiming of countless others.=C2=A0All for the sake of weakening Russia= militarily and ensuring that not asingle American pays the price? I put as= ide the question of whether the Russianarmed forces have actually been weak= ened. I believe the contrary is true. Ofcourse, Lindsey Graham took this na= rrative one step further than McConnell byexpressing the hope that as many = Russians will die as is possible. Sixty Minutes does not let anyoneforget t= hat, every few days showing Graham delivering these obscenities. Inpresenting to their public statements that were duly recorded by American= broadcasting companies, is Russia engaging in propaganda?=C2=A0 Absolutely = not. It is doing the job of normaljournalism, informing its audience. Sixty Minutes today also put on the screen the latestremarks by Donald Trum= p on how he would have prevented the Russian invasion ofUkraine: by bringin= g the market price of oil down to $40 and so drasticallycutting the revenue= s available for Russia to stage its assault on Kiev.=C2=A0 The presenters a= nd panelists did comment onthis one, saying flatly that Russia will be sure= not to support Trump=E2=80=99s next bid for the White House if theseidioti= c remarks by The Donald are his much touted but till now closely held =E2= =80=9Cpeaceplan.=E2=80=9D CanadianPrime Minister Justin Trudeau also was given plenty of air time on = Russianstate television today. One video showed him standing by visiting Uk= rainianPresident Zelensky in the Canadian parliament several days ago appla= uding thehonors bestowed by the Speaker on a Ukrainian freedom fighter who = settled in Canadaafter the end of the Second World War. The fact that this = freedom fighterfought the Russians from within a Nazi SS Waffen unit that m= urdered civiliansin Galicia became public after this ceremony and resulted = in the Speaker=E2=80=99sresignation, in the Parliament adopting a resolutio= n condemning the Nazis andin a public apology by Trudeau for the scandal.= =C2=A0However, as Sixty Minuteshighlighted in its coverage of Trudeau=E2=80= =99s remarks on the subject, he left out ofhis list of victims of the SS Wa= ffen and Nazi forces in general any mention ofthe deaths inflicted on Russi= ans. In case theaudience did not quite understand the moral monster who today su= llies thefamily name of Trudeau, Sixty Minutesalso put on air a lengthy den= unciation of Trudeau that appeared on Indiantelevision in which inter alia = he was called out as a cocaine addict whoseplane on arrival in India for th= e G-20 gathering several weeks ago was found tobe carrying illicit narcotic= s but was untouchable. The same Indian broadcastsaid that Trudeau missed th= e first day of the G-20 because he was busy takingdrugs in his hotel room. = Is this Russian propaganda? Or is it just airing dirtylinen that others liv= ing in the =E2=80=9Cfree world=E2=80=9D have put out for their audiences?= =C2=A0 In any case, the point being made is that JustinTrudeau and fellow a= ddict Zelensky have more in common than admiration for oldNazis. Lastly, Sixty Minutes today did not ignore theformer Secretary of State and= presidential candidate of 2016, Hilary Clinton.They offered a clip from Cl= inton=E2=80=99s interview yesterday with CNN=E2=80=99s ChiefInternational A= nchor Christiane Amanpour in which she asserted that VladimirPutin was hims= elf responsible for the expansion of NATO. Here the temptationwas too great= and the panelists indulged their revulsion for the lady who wasbehind the = whole fake Russia-gate story that did so much to bring us to thebrink of WW= III.=C2=A0 Was she fare game fortheir mocking and contemptuous words about = her?=C2=A0Of course she was. =C2=A9Gilbert Doctorow, 2023 ------=_Part_5454963_360870619.1695926643246 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

https://gilbertdocto= row.com/2023/09/28/sixty-minutes-holds-up-the-mirror-to-the-west-and-the-pi= cture-in-the-frame-is-ugly/

Sixty Minutes= holds up the mirror to the West: and the picture in the frame is ugly

Readers will note that I have very often made reference to what I learn watching ta= lk shows on Russian state television Rossiya 1 directed at their domestic audience, namely Sixty Minutes and Evening with Vlad= imir Solovyov. Very often the expert panelists, whether leaders of the Duma parties and Duma committee chairmen or retired military officers, offer commentaries that are insightful and novel.

However, another aspect of these programs is perhaps still more useful to my professional work, and that is their putting on air each day digests of Wes= tern television broadcasting, and especially interviews or public speeches= by well-known American and European politicians. The Western broadcasters which are featu= red most often on these Russian programs include CNN, ABC News, Fox News, the B= BC and ZDF (Germany). The videos posted are not sound bites. On the contrary, = they can be several minutes long each, and very often are clustered to show West= ern coverage of a given issue.

To be sure, some of the issues covered day after day are marginal. I have in mind transgender events and scandals such as the fight over multi-gender toilets being introduced in various American school systems or the fight over drag shows presented to the children of soldiers on U.S. military bases. The int= ent of the Russian newscasters is to highlight the degeneracy that now passes f= or progressive culture in the West. But the stories speak for themselves and t= he Russian news hosts are not thickening the paint. As they like to say on a frequently repeated Euronews segment: =E2=80=9CNo comment.=E2=80=9D

But other issues are serious, geopolitical and entirely germane to the military confr= ontation with the West that Washington and Brussels have brought on. These Russian broadcasts allow Western politicians to utterly discredit themselves before= any right-thinking person with a moral compass for a conscience.

Several such cases have come up in the past two days. One was an interview given by Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell in which he repeats nearly word for word what fellow Republican and the as yet unindicted war criminal, the senior Senator from the state of South Carolin= a, Lindsey Graham, has been saying to reporters during and following his last visit to Kiev: that the war in Ukraine serves American objectives perfectly because it is hitting the Russian army hard while costing the United States= not a single life of its men in uniform.

Of course, the assertion that no American servicemen have been killed in Ukraine is a = lie. To be sure, the Poles have provided the largest contingent of NATO officers= and soldiers to have been killed by the Russians in Ukraine. The Poles are clos= e to Ukrainians in having a death wish by going up against The Bear. But America= n soldiers and officers are on the ground in Ukraine in their capacity as instructors and intelligence operatives, and the Russian missile strikes on concentrations of =E2=80=9Cforeign mercenaries=E2=80=9D almost certainly ha= ve taken the lives of GIs.

But that one lie is the least of McConnell=E2=80=99s offenses against human decency.= He has openly stated the most cynical logic to justify the deaths of at least 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers and officers as w= ell as the permanent maiming of countless others. All for the sake of weakening Russia militarily and ensuring that not a single American pays the price? I put aside the question of whether the Rus= sian armed forces have actually been weakened. I believe the contrary is true. O= f course, Lindsey Graham took this narrative one step further than McConnell = by expressing the hope that as many Russians will die as is possible. Sixty= Minutes does not let anyone forget that, every few days showing Graham delivering these obscenities.

In presenting to their public statements that were duly recorded by American broadcasting companies, is Russia engaging in propaganda? Absolutely = not. It is doing the job of normal journalism, informing its audience.

Sixty Minutes= today also put on the screen the latest remarks by Donald Trump on how he would have prevented the Russian invasion= of Ukraine: by bringing the market price of oil down to $40 and so drastically cutting the revenues available for Russia to stage its assault on Kiev.&nbs= p; The presenters and panelists did comment on this one, saying flatly that Russia will be sure not to support Trum= p=E2=80=99s next bid for the White House if these idiotic remarks by The Donald are his much touted but till now closely held= =E2=80=9Cpeace plan.=E2=80=9D

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also was given plenty of air time on Russian state television today. One video showed him standing by visiting Ukrainian President Zelensky in the Canadian parliament several days ago applauding t= he honors bestowed by the Speaker on a Ukrainian freedom fighter who settled i= n Canada after the end of the Second World War. The fact that this freedom fighter fought the Russians from within a Nazi SS Waffen unit that murdered civilia= ns in Galicia became public after this ceremony and resulted in the Speaker=E2= =80=99s resignation, in the Parliament adopting a resolution condemning the Nazis a= nd in a public apology by Trudeau for the scandal. However, as Sixty Minutes highlighted in its coverage of Trudeau=E2=80=99s remarks on the subject, he= left out of his list of victims of the SS Waffen and Nazi forces in general any mention= of the deaths inflicted on Russians.

In case the audience did not quite understand the moral monster who today sullies the family name of Trudeau, Sixty Minutes also put on air a lengthy denunciation of Trudeau that appeared on Indian television in which inter alia he was called out as a cocaine addict whose plane on arrival in India for the G-20 gathering several weeks ago was foun= d to be carrying illicit narcotics but was untouchable. The same Indian broadcas= t said that Trudeau missed the first day of the G-20 because he was busy taki= ng drugs in his hotel room. Is this Russian propaganda? Or is it just airing d= irty linen that others living in the =E2=80=9Cfree world=E2=80=9D have put out f= or their audiences? In any case, the point being made is that Justin Trudeau and fellow addict Zelensky have more in common than admiration for = old Nazis.

Lastly, Sixty Min= utes today did not ignore the former Secretary of State and presidential candidate of 2016, Hilary Clinto= n. They offered a clip from Clinton=E2=80=99s interview yesterday with CNN=E2= =80=99s Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour in which she asserted that Vladimi= r Putin was himself responsible for the expansion of NATO. Here the temptatio= n was too great and the panelists indulged their revulsion for the lady who w= as behind the whole fake Russia-gate story that did so much to bring us to the brink of WWIII. Was she fare game for their mocking and contemptuous words about her? Of course she was.

=C2=A9Gilbert Doctorow, 2023

------=_Part_5454963_360870619.1695926643246-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 12:11:17 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 08B3AB0858 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:11:17 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 08B3AB0858 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="YUNqP6Pb" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id F21A8BD22C; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:11:16 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f54.google.com (mail-ej1-f54.google.com [209.85.218.54]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id CD9E1BD23A for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:11:16 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f54.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9b0168a9e05so1466006866b.3 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:11:16 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695928275; x=1696533075; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=Zi5RsHtnoN5diw8GFW3bpEhc82KSnky01TAbYFJhU+c=; b=YUNqP6PbG8ffDaGUzd3yd1siKDDbizodoz1oKv45AVmgBIVDquTtc0/YoB/y//SVK4 Lrutvmw20Ax7g3zepDu6tNKRwFiLN4fatG2FrPs5q1ZxevvxLCWC1e+NxiL8OX/R4LH7 3oKnG7DEDtkDhsCqhGkwDLsJLm42eXsod4agRHVgHU/SyGq8QvFcLEuPHP4cbqb67bb2 nSctNcjZMz7IgKwPdMifSh1obD16CRbbrpvOa9P+bX2RfwXaLw0ptdgmBPDp+/AFeWB1 OYiiqk/0wMus9/6lOH5q1gedpZF1z/1l4TugQh5Hs5ShHAqXxQwf/dfuOjU4lYXWiO1/ BUTg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695928275; x=1696533075; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=Zi5RsHtnoN5diw8GFW3bpEhc82KSnky01TAbYFJhU+c=; b=ovx5IYSK0PYCjS6xzlT6Jw3GWGws/LuvqVtpLkz2a3TPx0MUggR+8UTSk0GBLPWwI/ iZw2OHn3irqCG+tXMfTZujbFZz8ijIr5A6/k1IZCJlA40ZnK0SOmlOCtAI7YS8uMKh8m oAfjBfC6rnqNmT7oCr/tw8ZKDAn1JsqfU8MC1IqxAmw/vIgIy7Twod6ekXBXBDgrOpsL UCGrWruKbV6GO4n7OzPtrHq+pQNhQvfYLHkF15U3NtekiEHJN5/fNfZ80LpnG/Q9GQOR eFN5boeeN+DKnfcq/e2jhbfH+ohNRePtTkR5mrxWSKJdsZPkPmnMbwM5rPL/IuEP4Xz/ B+Kg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YzogCxG3Ma7kei3KzY9lJaiCXGLrEiAMVLcSR27Eo3A5bE9tOoP TGmY3QWLmXFwbYC/UJBqeCPrgKNNk/k7PmKF5jUmtqcPXIE= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IEtI4jT7lR86KplfI6OdeBtJxP1KFlPz3/XM1xL+Ysi9lQcnMm4Np/yzVpGXq41wXuwqOox3RkCeCMaVIB8Yaw= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:2d2:b0:9a1:bebc:8282 with SMTP id 18-20020a17090602d200b009a1bebc8282mr2062090ejk.32.1695928274813; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:11:14 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:10:58 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000629197060670123f" Subject: [Salon] [Mbrenner] NOBEL PEACE PRIZE X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:11:17 -0000 --000000000000629197060670123f Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Brenner, Michael *Friends & Colleagues* *A Norwegian acquaintance of mine, whose brother-in-law sits on the Nobel Peace Prize award committee, has passed on information about the likely recipient. The inside position for this year's award is held by Joe Biden. Not that astonishing when you reflect on it. Consider the salutary consequences of his brilliant grand strategy and dexterous diplomatic moves:* 1. *Godfathering the Sino-Russian partnership that, for the first time since Genghis Khan built the Mongol empire, has brought peace and stability across Eurasia from Belarus to Beijing - and beyond.* 2. *Acting decisively to end the long civil war in Afghanistan* 3. *Paving the way for a conciliation between China and India.* 4. *Resolving the bitter confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia - thereby, putting balm on the historic Sunni-Shi'ite wounds.* 5. *Permanently settling the simmering dispute over the Nordstrom II pipeline* 6. *Facilitating the Polish-Ukrainian burying the hatchet of their historical antagonisms over the past 500 years** 7. *Further consolidating the entente between Brazil and Argentina - the two great South American rivals* 8. *Fostering an unprecedented bipartisan consensus on a strategy to protect the Rules Based International Order against threat from rogue states like Russia & China * 9. *Ensuring that Belarus no longer be caught between the European Union and Russia competing for influence and allegiance* 10. *Setting an example for humane handling of immigrant flows by allowing the political marketplace to distribute them on a cost-efficient basis* 11. *Easing tensions between Japan and South Korea by yoking them together to combat China and Russia in East Asia* 12. *Taking steps to mend fences with Venezuela by politely requesting that it resume exporting to the U.S. its heavy crude in exchange for payment drawn from the country's reserves frozen by the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England * 13. *Stabilizing the nuclear arms control regime via the reinforcement of mutual deterrence by committing a trillion dollars to developing hypersonic ICBMs that match Russia's* *Quite a record of accomplishment - deserving the Nobel Prize with Oak Clusters.* - *My informant now tells me that the Nobel committee is deeply disturbed by the sudden and drastic deterioration in relations between Kiev and Warsaw. Apparently, ultra-nationalist leaders in the two capitals have succumbed to the atavistic instinct to bury the hatchet in each other. Hence, the committee is hastening to correct the award certificate to read: "Facilitating** the Polish-Ukrainian burying the hatchet of their historical antagonisms for the past 500 years - for an unprecedented 18 months"** *My source has added that, in a singular gesture of respect, the Nobel Committe chairman will come to Washington in order personally to escort Biden to Oslo. Evidently there is concern that otherwise the President might show up in Stockholm readying himself to receive the Nobel Economics prize. Biden also was counseled to bring along Kamala Harris - just in case.* *best* *Michael Brenner* *mbren@pitt.edu * _______________________________________________ If you wish to unsubscribe yourself from this list, please go to the following link: https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/mbrenner Go to the bottom of the page and enter your email address in the box and hit the button for "Unsubscribe or edit options" Then enter your email again in the email text box, and then click unsubscribe. You will receive an email shortly with a link to confirm your unsubscription. Click on the link and you will be unsubscribed. _______________________________________________ mbrenner mailing list mbrenner@list.pitt.edu https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/mbrenner --000000000000629197060670123f Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Brenner, Michael <mbren@pitt.edu>

=C2=A0

Friends & Colleagues

A = Norwegian acquaintance of mine, whose brother-in-law sits on the Nobel Peac= e Prize award committee, has passed on information about the likely recipie= nt. The inside position for this year's award is held by Joe Biden. Not that a= stonishing when you reflect on it. Consider the salutary consequences of hi= s brilliant grand strategy and dexterous diplomatic moves:

Godfathering the Sino-Russian partnership that, for the first time since Genghis Khan b= uilt the Mongol empire, has brought peace and stability across Eurasia from= Belarus to Beijing - and beyond.
Acting decisively to end the long civil war in Afghanistan<= /b>
Paving the way for a conciliation between China and India.
Resolving the bitter confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia -= thereby, putting balm on the historic Sunni-Shi'ite wounds.=
Permanently settling the simmering dispute over the Nordstrom II p= ipeline
Facilitating the Polish-Ukrainian burying the hatchet of their his= torical antagonisms over the past 500 years*
Further consolidating the entente between Brazil and Argentina - t= he two great South American rivals
Fostering an unprecedented bipartisan consensus on a strategy to p= rotect the Rules Based International Order against threat from rogue states= like Russia & China=C2=A0
Ensuring that Belarus no longer be caught between the European Uni= on and Russia competing for influence and allegiance
Setting an example for humane handling of immigrant flows by allow= ing the political marketplace to distribute them on a cost-efficient basis<= /b>
Easing tensions between Japan and South Korea by yoking them toget= her to combat China and Russia in East Asia
Taking steps to mend fences with Venezuela by politely requesting = that it resume exporting to the U.S. its heavy crude in exchange for paymen= t drawn from the country's reserves frozen by the Federal Reserve and the Bank of E= ngland=C2=A0
Stabilizing the nuclear arms control regime via the reinforcement of mut= ual deterrence by committing a trillion dollars to developing hypersonic IC= BMs that match Russia's

Quite a record of accompl= ishment - deserving the Nobel Prize with Oak Clusters.

My i= nformant now tells me that the Nobel committee is deeply disturbed by the sudden an= d drastic deterioration in relations between Kiev and Warsaw. Apparently, u= ltra-nationalist leaders in the two capitals have succumbed to the atavisti= c instinct to bury the hatchet in each other. Hence, the committee is hastening to correct the award certifi= cate to read: "Facilitating=C2=A0the= Polish-Ukrainian burying the hatchet of their historical antagonisms for the past 500 years - for an unprecedented 18 months"*<= /li>

My source has added that, in a singular gesture of respect, the Nobel Co= mmitte chairman will come to Washington in order personally to escort Biden= to Oslo. Evidently there is concern that otherwise the President might sho= w up in Stockholm readying himself to receive the Nobel Economics prize.=C2=A0 Biden also was counseled to br= ing along Kamala Harris - just in case.

best

Michael Brenner

mbren@pitt.edu

=C2=A0

=C2=A0

=C2=A0

_______________________________________________
If you wish to unsubscribe yourself from this list, please go to the follow= ing link:

https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/mbrenner
Go to the bottom of the page and enter your email address in the box and hi= t the button for "Unsubscribe or edit options"

Then enter your email again in the email text box, and then click unsubscri= be.=C2=A0 You will receive an email shortly with a link to confirm your uns= ubscription.=C2=A0 Click on the link and you will be unsubscribed.

_______________________________________________
mbrenner mailing list
mbrenner@list.p= itt.edu
https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/mbrenner

--000000000000629197060670123f-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 12:19:22 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id EE8FDB0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:19:21 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net EE8FDB0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="B74JGs9T" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id D6702BD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:19:21 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f41.google.com (mail-ej1-f41.google.com [209.85.218.41]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id AE13CBD231 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:19:21 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f41.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9a648f9d8e3so1823462366b.1 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:19:21 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695928760; x=1696533560; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=7aRDb32K5GZ0lEbOFcjoDtb9NDhqcwM2JKc83yop05g=; b=B74JGs9TU3MaE1f22QNUbM7+Yk7IKj9WTgu92oWUQkoX1ltu6rZ7Ld85O/MwtdK3Ol T8RwBMZR8Tkn/rEEEkxa7hoqJo8Nrgx70Y7401In4ib4PVcc0N0lsBQkVUp/qpb4rwSO oCu+8nWKzz8ply0eKK9tqbijvireOEJdPfVun46B2MhQ2iJogdn9u3TUlId7SxJMk6nY 2w4eDJUBYPQk5H2ssVI8OkbJ7xY/C1LqPwdqufLi31ImcnJLPEJOyuuEBVaqCDd6oQVR DcIWQDq/0vRNSTeeprlZqMJjwy63qagIoX9Eqc+GarHcyZdXnmUt//WtxcoEbfwcZ0// VoMA== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695928760; x=1696533560; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=7aRDb32K5GZ0lEbOFcjoDtb9NDhqcwM2JKc83yop05g=; b=OMh6oCVTjK3NrbSfITWj4HfavmKjpuLhSUKdWb/FNDDlZiOPDxeXBQZNr6OH1mtIZa FGcK1XThVGRT5WmFthnbKzykaB38Ak3QoUxU0VNJEXV9jKGrJPnxKN+r819b75rlIPkm KmICeQ+kTLgIiW+GQu/yrabsl8ue1tZbVcuN6uxHqpLo7MRlL/osgfIkt8xyjLU7yVyS HJp2/OTxHZjhil4nGj4yRN2YSVd3QoMVWjxGH9zoeoWnBZjoDS8WqDoXBR7mma4yi+SS tHAuF6zX1YUTV3cruZzmLg05CksH2m2+RqjuWug7ehKwUWH5oHrw+yRh7FD/Zq6AfTQH hUmg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YzAp/DA0ujXjwzNfiLQ9v4neAq+Ai7U6i7UliMm2voU/405Bein GPLDEMZ19Seg3ghOidzOxYFSNxZnR5++WP+O0dL8r9iM8VfA1w== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IExHi+UjSgcfg5SKdbR0QmLFwXuMLzux6GVjT+p07QoTSwkONMuUiGpHPfmEtsFxUWHVydEHrBu1WwjlKWmU2U= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:2098:b0:9a1:f4e8:87b9 with SMTP id 24-20020a170906209800b009a1f4e887b9mr2516307ejq.45.1695928759756; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:19:19 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:19:03 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000004a2d0a0606702f8b" Subject: [Salon] Does America Need a $1 Trillion Pentagon Budget? X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:19:22 -0000 --0000000000004a2d0a0606702f8b Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable *https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhartung/2023/09/28/does-america-need-a= -1-trillion-pentagon-budget/?sh=3D3ce191fb6bad Does America Need a $1 Trillion Pentagon Budget?* *By William D. Hartung * September 28, 2023 Current discussions of the federal budget are consumed with the prospects for a government shutdown, as is to be expected given what=E2=80=99s at sta= ke. When it comes to the Pentagon budget, officials have spoken out about the impacts of a shutdown on U.S. military operations. Under legislation working its way through Congress, the troops would still be paid, and basic operations could continue. The issuing of new contracts and the start of new programs would likely cease, but this would only become a major issue if the shutdown dragged on for a long period of time. The best likely outcome in the short-term would be a =E2=80=9Ccontinuing resolution=E2=80=9D that keeps funds flowing until November 17th, at the sa= me levels in place for this fiscal year (which ends on September 30th). In the midst of this budgetary chaos, there has been little discussion of the size or content of the Pentagon budget proposed for next year. At $886 billion for the Pentagon and work on nuclear warheads at the Department of Energy, spending for military purposes will be at one of the highest levels since World War II, far higher than at the peaks of the Korean or Vietnam wars or the height of the Cold War. At this rate, the Pentagon budget could hit an astonishingi $1 trillion within the next few years. What=E2=80=99s behind this unprecedented surge in Pentagon spending? There= are two main drivers: an unrealistic, =E2=80=98=E2=80=99cover the globe=E2=80=9D mi= litary strategy and the power and influence of the arms lobby. Neither of these factors is compatible with providing an effective defense of the United States and its allies at a reasonable cost. The current National Defense Strategy , released in October 2022, is a model for how not to make choices. It calls for maintaining the capacity to win a war against Russia or China; intervene against regional powers like Iran and North Korea; and sustain a global interventionary capability that includes over 750 overseas military bases and counterterror operations in at least 85 nations . The strategy document references the potential impacts of non-military risks like climate change, but the priorities for spending are clearly being determined by an overly ambitious, misguided attempt to preserve global military dominance =E2=80= =93 a fool=E2=80=99s errand that will waste untold billions and increase the poss= ibiliies of U.S. engagement in unnecessary conflicts. The second driver of near record levels of Pentagon spending is the arms lobby =E2=80=93 weapons contractors, Pentagon bureaucrats, and military spe= nding boosters in Congress. Not only has this network regularly added tens of billions of dollars to the Pentagon=E2=80=99s official budget request in re= cent years, but it has prevented the Department of Defense from retiring weapons systems it says it doesn=E2=80=99t need, from the dysfunctional Littoral Co= mbat Ship to numerous older generation aircraft. All of this activity is driven by pork barrel politics and corporate interests =E2=80=93 profits for the b= ig weapons makers and jobs and revenues in the states and districts of key members of Congress. The bias towards special interests over the national interest is bolstered by an elaborate influence machine that includes tens of millions in campaign donations and lobbying expenditures; hundreds of lobbyists =E2=80= =93 many of them former Pentagon or Congressional officials; funding of sympathetic think tanks that make the case for ever more Pentagon spending; involvement of contractor personnel in government advisory bodies that help shape spending and strategy; and placement of jobs and contracts in the states and districts of members of Congress with the most influence over the size and shape of the Pentagon budget. Needless to say, spending choices governed by parochial politics rarely align with any coherent defense strategy, a point that is occasionally acknowledged by Pentagon leaders themselves. This is no way to construct a budget, or defend a country. A more effective approach to defense would start with a more realistic view of the military challenges posed by Russia and China; greater reliance on allies to defend their own regions; abandoning the policy of =E2=80=9Cgloba= l reach=E2=80=9D that calls for the ability to fight anywhere in the world on short notice; implementing a =E2=80=9Cdeterrence only=E2=80=9D nuclear strategy that incl= udes eliminating Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which increase the risk of an accidental nuclear war based on a false alarm; cutting the size of the armed forces, especially the Army, in line with a less interventionist strategy; and reducing the Pentagon=E2=80=99s spending on hundreds of thous= ands of private contract employees, many of whom do redundant tasks, or work that could be done better and more cheaply by civilian government employees. These changes would need to be accompanied by a greater emphasis on diplomacy rather than the overly militarized approach that characterizes current U.S. strategy. Getting to a saner, more effective approach to defense will mean confronting the arms lobby: curbing campaign contributions to members of Congress with the hands on the Pentagon spending spigot; curbing the revolving door between government and the arms lobby; promoting alternative economic options for communities that are disproportionately dependent on weapons spending; and fostering a robust national debate on how much is enough to protect the United States without crowding out funding to address major non-millitary challenges from climate change, to outbreaks of disease, to economic inequality and racial injustice. Solving these larger problems will require major societal efforts that go far beyond shifting some funds from military to civilian purposes, but a change in federal priorities would be a step in the right direction. So, even as Congress struggles to pass a budget and keep the government open, we need to set the stage for a thorough national conversation on how much is enough to defend the country, and what strategy is most likely to get us there. Otherwise we=E2=80=99ll soon be spending $1 trillion or more= on the Pentagon with no guarantee that all that money will make us any safer, and a strong possibility that it will make matters worse. --0000000000004a2d0a0606702f8b Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhartung/2023/= 09/28/does-america-need-a-1-trillion-pentagon-budget/?sh=3D3ce191fb6bad=

Does America Need a $1 Trillion Pentagon Budget?By William D. Hartung=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 September 28, 2023

Current discussions of the federal budget are consumed with the prospects for a government shutdown, as is to be expected given what=E2=80=99s at stake.= =C2=A0=C2=A0
When it comes to the Pentagon budget, officials have spoken out about the=20 impacts of a shutdown on U.S. military operations.=C2=A0 Under legislation= =20 working its way through Congress, the troops would still be paid, and=20 basic operations could continue.=C2=A0 The issuing of new contracts and the= =20 start of new programs would likely cease, but this would only become a=20 major issue if the shutdown dragged on for a long period of time.=C2=A0=C2= =A0
The best likely outcome in the short-term would be a =E2=80=9Ccontinuing=20 resolution=E2=80=9D that keeps funds flowing until November 17th, at the sa= me=20 levels in place for this fiscal year (which ends on September 30th).
In the midst of this budgetary chaos, there has been little discussion of=20 the size or content of the Pentagon budget proposed for next year.=C2=A0 At= =20 $886 billion for the Pentagon and work on nuclear warheads at the=20 Department of Energy, spending for military purposes will be at one of=20 the highest levels since World War II, far higher than at the peaks of=20 the Korean or Vietnam wars or the height of the Cold War.=C2=A0 At this rat= e, the Pentagon budget could hit an astonishingi $1 trillion within the=20 next few years.
W= hat=E2=80=99s behind this unprecedented surge in Pentagon spending?=C2=A0 There are two= =20 main drivers: an unrealistic, =E2=80=98=E2=80=99cover the globe=E2=80=9D mi= litary strategy and=20 the power and influence of the arms lobby.=C2=A0 Neither of these factors i= s=20 compatible with providing an effective defense of the United States and=20 its allies at a reasonable cost.
The current = National Defense Strategy, released in October 2022, is a model for how not to make choices.=C2=A0 It= =20 calls for maintaining the capacity to win a war against Russia or China; intervene against regional powers like Iran and North Korea; and=20 sustain a global interventionary capability that includes over 750 overseas military bases=C2=A0and counterterror operations in at l= east 85 nations.=C2=A0 The strategy document references the potential impacts of non-military=20 risks like climate change, but the priorities for spending are clearly=20 being determined by an overly ambitious, misguided attempt to preserve=20 global military dominance =E2=80=93 a fool=E2=80=99s errand that will waste= untold=20 billions and increase the possibiliies of U.S. engagement in unnecessary conflicts.
The second driver of near record levels of Pentagon spending is the arms=20 lobby =E2=80=93 weapons contractors, Pentagon bureaucrats, and military spe= nding boosters in Congress.=C2=A0 Not only has this network regularly added tens= =20 of billions of dollars to the Pentagon=E2=80=99s official budget request in= =20 recent years, but it has prevented the Department of Defense from=20 retiring weapons systems it says it doesn=E2=80=99t need, from the dysfunct= ional Littoral Combat Ship to numerous older generation aircraft.=C2=A0 All of= =20 this activity is driven by pork barrel politics and corporate interests =E2= =80=93 profits for the big weapons makers and jobs and revenues in the states=20 and districts of key members of Congress.=C2=A0
The bias towards special interests over the national interest is bolstered=20 by an elaborate influence machine that includes tens of millions in=20 campaign donations and lobbying expenditures; hundreds of lobbyists =E2=80= =93=20 many of them former Pentagon or Congressional officials; funding of=20 sympathetic think tanks that make the case for ever=C2=A0 more Pentagon=20 spending; involvement of contractor personnel in government advisory=20 bodies that help shape spending and strategy; and placement of jobs and=20 contracts in the states and districts of members of Congress with the=20 most influence over the size and shape of the Pentagon budget.
Needless to say, spending choices governed by parochial politics rarely align=20 with any coherent defense strategy, a point that is occasionally=20 acknowledged by Pentagon leaders themselves.=C2=A0
This is no way to construct a budget, or = defend a country.=C2=A0
A more effective approach to defense would start with a more realistic=20 view of the military challenges posed by Russia and China; greater=20 reliance on allies to defend their own regions; abandoning the policy of =E2=80=9Cglobal reach=E2=80=9D that calls for the ability to fight anywher= e in the=20 world on short notice; implementing a =E2=80=9Cdeterrence only=E2=80=9D nuc= lear strategy that includes eliminating Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs),=20 which increase the risk of an accidental nuclear war based on a false=20 alarm; cutting the size of the armed forces, especially the Army, in=20 line with a less interventionist strategy; and reducing the Pentagon=E2=80= =99s=20 spending on hundreds of thousands of private contract employees, many of whom do redundant tasks, or work that could be done better and more=20 cheaply by civilian government employees.=C2=A0 These changes would need to= =20 be accompanied by a greater emphasis on diplomacy rather than the overly militarized approach that characterizes current U.S. strategy.=C2=A0
Getting to a saner, more effective approach to defense will mean confronting=20 the arms lobby: curbing campaign contributions to members of Congress=20 with the hands on the Pentagon spending spigot; curbing the revolving=20 door between government and the arms lobby; promoting alternative=20 economic options for communities that are disproportionately dependent=20 on weapons spending; and fostering a robust national debate on how much=20 is enough to protect the United States without crowding out funding to=20 address major non-millitary challenges from climate change, to outbreaks of disease, to economic inequality and racial injustice.=C2=A0 Solving the= se larger problems will require major societal efforts that go far beyond=20 shifting some funds from military to civilian purposes, but a change in=20 federal priorities would be a step in the right direction.
So, even as Congress struggles to pass a budget and keep the government=20 open, we need to set the stage for a thorough national conversation on=20 how much is enough to defend the country, and what strategy is most=20 likely to get us there.=C2=A0 Otherwise we=E2=80=99ll soon be spending $1 t= rillion or more on the Pentagon with no guarantee that all that money will make us any safer, and a strong possibility that it will make=C2=A0 matters worse.=

--0000000000004a2d0a0606702f8b-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 12:25:04 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id C8024B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:25:04 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net C8024B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="bgRIGGnU" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id B2ECCBD23B; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:25:04 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ed1-f52.google.com (mail-ed1-f52.google.com [209.85.208.52]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 88E65BD23A for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:25:04 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ed1-f52.google.com with SMTP id 4fb4d7f45d1cf-536b39daec1so220271a12.2 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:25:04 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695929103; x=1696533903; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=c2Cr8FLW0W3ChPaXpJyUWqZiwRxls2p5a8XKkoXJgvA=; b=bgRIGGnUblPZ5lS1u/Cl0bD+x8Zv3V6P6tAe6T07MtzuyL50qTFKlEw7vJU5h568tX 4eh2nOvi+waDdh0/3QcBYcs1iRFQUAVFIM2LppuMQWgE9/IvK/NwKlCBqHisoCbS3IZi yAnd7s8cI25hAx1qiiLHtCTFhtVot0dwVL4uEp3PzMFZ+YsvKlkomsXaiG2Jkfp3/ybp 1cNXIvWdmdvmhW7/exbJI47D4gA6fCB90Vu4nWTTFjEYJBp2q9KaRvfkdTKAkkr5pbLk ZtMVIrGDSgg+rrTJTxcTRIcBHqoKI+L+pEWxMAyymDis7iXd5msz5Lr8O6Jen+RCOOIM BpRg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695929103; x=1696533903; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=c2Cr8FLW0W3ChPaXpJyUWqZiwRxls2p5a8XKkoXJgvA=; b=gha39canG9V8crm2bLx3Ru8PujwpLxHllwxzFsDQM+7+0uP/d3h4AUCNRuXu367rbC xsXgS6pW/o7gy7cpeT8HVrfYqeoNzi+BZ2hSmvqndrv+1CJ9UHCt6osz6T+77WNAmM8L rwbgs6EwzG1Q43PMlOlGDnj+i3nM14V5wKAH/SB2azLYkYQl2z4/DwFNjVKRC2o9uwGc kmFuyUYon0CM68ilO23WClgcHl2xNq0yO38GYeIMl19fFqb8XZirB6nI/o//itT9IyoA 8ffnD5cx7xXFQOuZoao8dDKPsZ9eEFf0xQyboheaD6qXVmy8OMDR5P1Ws3JEvkWny8GQ qyYA== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YxlRwpyCeaEKCDDpNJxmP9MO/FqJi8SMu2j62NMKqoqG6cwJjyn MWldpt7NQJZlxj1SKNCCo7cCApKS1Sjd9KSPbfKSMnCFA2wsFw== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IEDblsF9uHoqSZfkEZgirQuRyzCWUU0HisI119q7LTmlA9KbnQ029ALkts6E8qvFJ9n8eDyHbunw/jvCArSwyc= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:31db:b0:99b:f58d:1c49 with SMTP id f27-20020a17090631db00b0099bf58d1c49mr1919335ejf.53.1695929102439; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:25:02 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:24:46 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000b71a5a06067043a9" Subject: [Salon] =?utf-8?q?Nazigate=3A_Canada=E2=80=99s_top_general_won?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99t_apologize_for_applauding_Ukrainian_Waffen-SS_?= =?utf-8?q?vet?= X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:25:05 -0000 --000000000000b71a5a06067043a9 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable [image: Menu logo] Nazigate: Canada=E2=80=99s top general won=E2=80=99t apologize for applaudi= ng Ukrainian Waffen-SS vet Wyatt Reed =C2=B7September 28, = 2023 *As Canada=E2=80=99s top officials express embarrassment for honoring a WWI= I Nazi collaborator in parliament, the leader of the country=E2=80=99s military, G= en. Wayne Eyre, refuses to apologize for his standing ovation. The Canadian military has trained Ukraine=E2=80=99s notorious neo-Nazi Azov Battalion fo= r years.* Canadian politicians have been in frantic damage control mode since feting a former member of the Waffen-SS during a parliamentary reception for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 22. The Speaker of Canada=E2=80=99s House of Commons, Anthony = Rota, resigned following the incident, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lamented it as =E2=80=9Cextremely upsetting,=E2=80=9D and opposition leader= Pierre Poilievre branded the affair the =E2=80=9Cbiggest single diplomatic embarra= ssment=E2=80=9D in Canada=E2=80=99s history. But amid the gratuitous public rites of contrition, one influential official has been conspicuously absent: Canada=E2=80=99s highest-ranking ge= neral. According to the Ottawa Citizen , Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre has =E2=80=9Cdeclined to apologi= ze for his standing ovation=E2=80=9D for Yaroslav Hunka, the now-notorious 98-year= -old former member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, whose members gained international infamy for hunting down anti-Nazi partisans, massacring thousands of civilians, and burning hundreds of Polish villagers alive. The notion that the Nazi proclivities of figures like Hunka could have escaped Eyre=E2=80=99s notice now appears increasingly remote. In 2017, Ukr= aine=E2=80=99s Azov Battalion published photos on their website publicizing their meeting with high-level Canadian military officials, who had arrived in Ukraine to help train the notoriously neo-Nazi infested unit, which was officially incorporated into the Ukrainian National Guard. A year later, Azov posted photos on its official social media channels showing Canadian military attach=C3=A9 Col. Brian Irwin meeting with its personnel. Responding to a query from journalist Asa Winstanley, a Canadian military spokesman justified training the fascist military on the grounds that the session =E2=80=9Cincl= udes ongoing dialogue on the development of a diverse, and inclusive Ukraine.=E2= =80=9D Just four months before Russia=E2=80=99s invasion of Ukraine, The Friends o= f Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies sent a letter to then-Acting Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre and Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan demanding an investigation into the decision to train Ukrainian neo-Nazis. The Jewish group urged them to ensure that such instruction did not continue. =E2=80=9CIf Canada is going to be providing military training to foreign fo= rces, then it is our responsibility to know we are not training neo-Nazis,=E2=80= =9D said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, policy director of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center. =E2=80=9CIt is our obligation to our Canadian veterans who sacrific= ed so much defeating fascism in Europe.=E2=80=9D But such warnings apparently went unheeded. The Canadian military not only declined to discontinue its Nazi-training policies, it escalated its program of coaching avowed fascists. Since Russian military operations in Ukraine kicked off in Feb. 2022, Canada has invested a further $1.6 billion USD in the arming and instructing of Kiev=E2=80=99s military. On the sidelines of Zelensky=E2=80=99s now-infamous address to the Canadian Parliament, Ottawa authorized the further disbursement of another $483 million USD in aid and training on F-16 fighter jets. Canada=E2=80=99s scheme of funneling weapons to Kiev and coaching Ukrainian= forces officially began in 2014, just months after anti-Russian forces toppled the democratically-elected government of Viktor Yanukovych in a brutal US government-backed coup d=E2=80=99etat. Under the auspices of =E2=80=9COpera= tion UNIFIER,=E2=80=9D more than 33,000 Ukrainian troops received =E2=80=9Cadvanced combat instruc= tion by Canadian soldiers,=E2=80=9D Canada=E2=80=99s state-affiliated CBC reported in 2022. Ukraine=E2=80=99s ambassador in Ottawa, Yulia Kovaliv, heralded the trainin= g initiative as a =E2=80=9Cvery important initiative.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CIt is also important to further provide Ukraine with heavy weapons= ,=E2=80=9D she added. In the UK, where Canadian forces frequently travel in order to school Zelensky=E2=80=99s army in the art of killing Russians, the program receive= d a similarly warm welcome. An ebullient British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement at the time that he was =E2=80=9Cdelighted=E2=80=9D tha= t =E2=80=9Cthe Canadian Armed Forces will be joining the growing international effort to support the training of Ukrainian soldiers in the UK.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CCanada=E2=80=99s expertise will provide a further boost to the pro= gramme and ensure that the Ukrainian men and women, coming to the UK to train to defend their country, will get a wide pool of experience and skills from both UK forces and our international partners,=E2=80=9D Wallace crowed. Just what exactly the nationalist-leaning members of Ukrainian armed forces did with the training and tacit blessing of Canada has yet to be ascertained. But Azov members have been implicated in a number of war crimes. Despite the unit=E2=80=99s recent push to whitewash its Nazi tenden= cies, Azov =E2=80=94 which has since expanded to a full-fledged brigade under Kie= v=E2=80=99s official command =E2=80=94 retains as its leader Andrey Biletsky , who once described Ukraine=E2=80=99s role on the global stage as helping to= =E2=80=9Clead the white races of the world in a final crusade =E2=80=A6 against Semite-le= d Untermenschen.=E2=80=9D Biletsky has taken pains to distance himself from the comment, but the unit has not undertaken similar efforts to distance itself from Biletsky. In September 2023, Biletsky was photographed proudly shaking hands with Zelensky during an intimate meeting with the Ukrainian President on the outskirts of Bakhmut. And Zelensky himself appears to have few problems with publicly associating with the group. In a post commemorating the encounter with Ukraine=E2=80=99s most celebrate= d Nazi formation, Zelensky declared: =E2=80=9CI am grateful to everyone who defend= s our country and people, who brings our victory closer.=E2=80=9D --000000000000b71a5a06067043a9 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

=09
Nazigate: Canada=E2=80=99s top general = won=E2=80=99t apologize for applauding Ukrainian Waffen-SS vet
=
Wyatt Reed=C2=B7September 28, 2023

As Canada=E2=80=99s top officials express embarrassment for honoring a WWII N= azi=20 collaborator in parliament, the leader of the country=E2=80=99s military, G= en.=20 Wayne Eyre, refuses to apologize for his standing ovation. The Canadian=20 military has trained Ukraine=E2=80=99s notorious neo-Nazi Azov Battalion fo= r=20 years.
Canadian p= oliticians have been in frantic damage control mode since feting= a former member of the Waffen-SS during a parliamentary reception for Ukrainian President Volodymyr=20 Zelensky on September 22. The Speaker of Canada=E2=80=99s House of Commons,= =20 Anthony Rota, resigned following the incident, while Prime Minister=20 Justin Trudeau lamented it as =E2=80=9Cextremely upsetting,=E2=80=9D and op= position=20 leader Pierre Poilievre branded the affair the =E2=80=9Cbiggest single=20 diplomatic embarrassment=E2=80=9D in Canada=E2=80=99s history.

But amid the gratuitous public rites=20 of contrition, one influential official has been conspicuously absent:=20 Canada=E2=80=99s highest-ranking general. According to the Ottawa Citizen, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre has =E2=80=9Cdeclined to apolog= ize=20 for his standing ovation=E2=80=9D for Yaroslav Hunka, the now-notorious=20 98-year-old former member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the=20 SS, whose members gained international infamy for hunting down anti-Nazi partisans, massacring thousands of civilians, and burning hundreds of=20 Polish villagers alive.

The notion that the Nazi proclivities of figures like Hunka could have escaped Eyre=E2=80=99s notice now appears= =20 increasingly remote. In 2017, Ukraine=E2=80=99s Azov Battalion published ph= otos=20 on their website publicizing their meeting with high-level Canadian=20 military officials, who had arrived in Ukraine to help train the=20 notoriously neo-Nazi infested unit, which was officially incorporated=20 into the Ukrainian National Guard.

<= /div>

A year later, Azov posted photos on its official social media channels s= howing Canadian militar= y attach=C3=A9 Col. Brian Irwin meeting with its personnel. Responding to a query from journalist Asa Winstanley, a Canadian military spokesman jus= tified training the fascist military on the grounds that the session=C2=A0=E2=80= =9Cincludes ongoing dialogue on the development of a diverse, and inclusive=20 Ukraine.=E2=80=9D

<= /div>

Just four months before Russia=E2=80=99s= invasion of Ukraine, The Friends of= Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies sent a letter to then-Acting Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre and Defense=20 Minister Harjit Sajjan demanding an investigation into the decision to=20 train Ukrainian neo-Nazis. The Jewish group urged them to ensure that=20 such instruction did not continue.

=E2=80=9CIf Canada is going to be provid= ing=20 military training to foreign forces, then it is our responsibility to=20 know we are not training neo-Nazis,=E2=80=9D said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, po= licy=20 director of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center. =E2=80=9CIt is our=20 obligation to our Canadian veterans who sacrificed so much defeating=20 fascism in Europe.=E2=80=9D

But such warnings apparently went=20 unheeded. The Canadian military not only declined to discontinue its=20 Nazi-training policies, it escalated its program of coaching avowed=20 fascists. Since Russian military operations in Ukraine kicked off in=20 Feb. 2022, Canada has invested a further $1.6 billion USD in the arming and instructing of Kiev=E2= =80=99s military.

On the sidelines of Zelensky=E2=80=99s n= ow-infamous address to the Canadian Parliament, Ottawa authorized the further disburs= ement of another $483 million USD in= aid and training on F-16 fighter jets.

Canada=E2=80=99s scheme of funneling wea= pons=20 to Kiev and coaching Ukrainian forces officially began in 2014, just=20 months after anti-Russian forces toppled the democratically-elected=20 government of Viktor Yanukovych in a brutal US government-backed coup=20 d=E2=80=99etat. Under the auspices of =E2=80=9COperation UNIFIER,=E2=80=9D = more than 33,000=20 Ukrainian troops received =E2=80=9Cadvanced combat instruction by Canadian= =20 soldiers,=E2=80=9D Canada=E2=80=99s state-affiliated CBC reported<= /span> in 2022.

Ukraine=E2=80=99s ambassador in Ottawa, = Yulia Kovaliv, heralded the training initiative as a =E2=80=9Cvery important initiative.=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9CIt is also important to further= provide Ukraine with heavy weapons,=E2=80=9D she added.

In the UK, where Canadian forces=20 frequently travel in order to school Zelensky=E2=80=99s army in the art of= =20 killing Russians, the program received a similarly warm welcome. An=20 ebullient British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement at=20 the time that he was =E2=80=9Cdelighted=E2=80=9D that =E2=80=9Cthe Canadian= Armed Forces will be joining the growing international effort to support the training of=20 Ukrainian soldiers in the UK.=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9CCanada=E2=80=99s expertise will= provide a=20 further boost to the programme and ensure that the Ukrainian men and=20 women, coming to the UK to train to defend their country, will get a=20 wide pool of experience and skills from both UK forces and our=20 international partners,=E2=80=9D Wallace crowed.

Just what exactly the=20 nationalist-leaning members of Ukrainian armed forces did with the=20 training and tacit blessing of Canada has yet to be ascertained. But=20 Azov members have been implicated in a number of war crimes. Despite the unit=E2=80=99s recent push to whitewash its Nazi tendencies, Azov =E2=80= =94 which has=20 since expanded to a full-fledged brigade under Kiev=E2=80=99s official comm= and =E2=80=94 retains as its leader Andrey Biletsky, who once described Uk= raine=E2=80=99s role on the global stage as helping to =E2=80=9Clead the white races of the world in a final cr= usade =E2=80=A6 against Semite-led Untermenschen.=E2=80=9D

Biletsky has taken pains to distance=20 himself from the comment, but the unit has not undertaken similar=20 efforts to distance itself from Biletsky. In September 2023, Biletsky=20 was photographed proudly shaking hands with Zelensky during an intimate meeting with the Ukrainian President=20 on the outskirts of Bakhmut. And Zelensky himself appears to have few=20 problems with publicly associating with the group.

In a post commemorating the encounter wi= th Ukraine=E2=80=99s most celebrated Nazi formation, Zelensky declared: =E2=80=9CI am grateful to everyone who = defends our country and people, who brings our victory closer.=E2=80=9D

--000000000000b71a5a06067043a9-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 12:26:27 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id F364BB0858 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:26:26 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net F364BB0858 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="Y5+hFEcK" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id EAE00BD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:26:26 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f44.google.com (mail-ej1-f44.google.com [209.85.218.44]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id C7BA3BD231 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:26:26 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f44.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9a9f139cd94so1667908366b.2 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:26:26 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695929185; x=1696533985; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=5CZKIlF3lYezxIowBMEVyGTroRlN5Owekikvxr46QJQ=; b=Y5+hFEcKYxgeVm8PRRU5FcYA15Xa06/7jr6A+QCMTjK420PRBPArSIf2HjPvhGWaq0 oHY43mTAuiVVYZuLSIup1FdbzCpA6YG86u1f1WPD9Ta0Q7tk3R8TEw/ZUmVq64H9XeVc 3U/LmZ1wkCJ9hTf4a3Pdwdka7U8qd3BK1F+a72xqr/6ClXnkhVGtmNLRADu2+byTKzi8 yYo9Q1jz4ss2Cg+o84VQGerzDtR7iO5QISLbtn8k7ufLRjD8QWmXWWCmRcNxYkVJiSOM 3eeH9VTWEoiDJL1P8nGqnRrhwozfm3Vr4oOm4ZN9QAL1CNbXQ4SvwTVHpZ9n40GOM/g5 vOOA== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695929185; x=1696533985; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=5CZKIlF3lYezxIowBMEVyGTroRlN5Owekikvxr46QJQ=; b=C31hcjIO2snNYY4qASZofu1GM6dshdb5reAn2Q6SWjeZOege37oSIC6gUd6C/uEsVB hgs7YQSfP88zI2dnicHibTS154zNKUqG8kPwpMSXhDXA66PWZufMINFHoGi2nld3v2J0 hU0wW44DpLkc9Sz7CPFheAvNizvEnTRBXO0vfZQCwOhd5vcmnNluuqvQX2inAYXei0OP 8VcieZcZ5YgECea4dibqNzUpyMHrrUtOQRTvDfVsNPZGYqeekjT4Um9yq2YrZ0h8LVzk xEIxF2kWbS23ZE5afZGme53bWf3C0jRhMBkoFqWZgdWuGRRQa9ID0f40sHdkkCxXLJfg ZLwg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0Yz7XMDrPlcsiLR22rtxn8LVYKl1ez6TdcEfW4RPDSB4iwOtVPPa EANbYFz/hX52wU7qPmqAj/meSrEgx/M3rSrnH0jNfr1UZ1w= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IGbXmi5N+g8UmmrtLbqItGUWU3d+TVecl7DRRgtFf4dtk+et7jLlRjEJOTWoAYyCbiWuBmVbzoSgfyz7l6B/dg= X-Received: by 2002:a17:907:1de6:b0:9ae:48df:2235 with SMTP id og38-20020a1709071de600b009ae48df2235mr1942531ejc.55.1695929184802; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:26:24 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:26:08 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000009fda3b06067048e7" Subject: [Salon] Fwd: "Saudi delegation cancels visit to Palestine's Al-Aqsa fearing backlash." (Al Mayadeen, 9/28/23.) X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:26:27 -0000 --0000000000009fda3b06067048e7 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" *Saudi delegation cancels visit to Palestine's Al-Aqsa fearing backlash* Al Mayadeen, September 28, 2023 *The Saudi delegation, led by the ambassador to the Palestinian Authority, Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi , canceled its scheduled visit on Wednesday to the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque after several Palestinian parties voiced their criticism of the plan and called for the prevention of such a visit, which is seen as a new step toward normalizing ties with the Israeli occupation entity.* *Al-Sudairy was recently appointed by Riyadh as its non-resident ambassador to the PA. The official arrived in Ramallah on Tuesday to discuss Saudi Arabia's normalization efforts with the entity and present his credentials to President Mahmoud Abbas, marking the first visit by a Saudi delegation to Palestine in three decades. * *Israeli media commented on this matter, stating, "The Saudi ambassador to the Palestinian Authority canceled his Al-Aqsa visit due to anticipated criticisms and repercussions."* *The announcement of the visit "faced reactions, with some calling for its prohibition, seeing it as a sign of normalization with Israel. After understanding the sensitivities from their hosts in Ramallah [Mahmoud Abbas], the Saudis postponed the visit."* *Saudi Arabia's delegation had planned to visit the holy mosque to allegedly commemorate the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed PBUH, occurring on Wednesday and Thursday. However, al-Sudairi informed his hosts in Ramallah, as per Haaretz, that he "does not intend to go to the Al-Aqsa Mosque but promised to visit in the future."* *In response to an inquiry by Haaretz, the Israeli occupation foreign ministry claimed that it "was unaware of this plan." According to Palestinian reports cited by the newspaper, the Saudis "requested not to publicize the date and details of the visit to prevent any Israeli interference in the visit's agenda and also to prevent potential Palestinian protests against normalization with Israel."* Declining Saudi support for normalization *A recent poll conducted by the Washington Institute for Near East Studies in Saudi Arabia found that the number of Saudi citizens in favor of normalizing ties with the occupation entity has declined by nearly 20 percent in recent years.* *From around 40 percent of the kingdom's population supporting this move earlier, the recent survey revealed that this number is at approximately 33 percent.* *The poll also showed that vis-a-vis normalization, Saudis believed that the Palestinian ambitions come in second place, while 36% agree that it is "important" to gain "new steps toward political rights and better economic opportunities for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza." * *Moreover, the results showed that not only has the percentage of support for normalization been declining over the years, but also there has been a declining reliance of Saudi public opinion on American guarantees as the report highlights "American commitments are unreliable lately."* Normalization for nuclear power *Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman confirmed earlier this month that Riyadh is on a trajectory towards normalizing ties with "Israel."* *"Every day we get closer ," he said in an interview with Fox News released last Wednesday.* *In response to a question on the requirements of a normalization deal, the de facto Saudi leader claimed that "the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part." Adding that there had been "good negotiations" so far. Additionally, he expressed Saudi's intent to pursue nuclear capabilities if Iran does so.* *Read more: WSJ: Saudi Arabia offers PA funds resumption... but at what cost? * *On this matter, Yair Lapid, "Israel's" opposition leader, expressed reservations about Saudi Arabia procuring a nuclear program. Echoing similar sentiments, Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, pointed out that no normalization deal should risk the entity's security, hinting at the possible concessions Saudi might demand.* *Israeli reports suggest that Saudi Arabia has outlined stringent terms for normalization. These terms include gaining "Israel's" approval for uranium enrichment, constructing a nuclear facility for peaceful use, and establishing a US-Saudi defense pact among others.* *However, US officials have cautioned that any agreement with these conditions will not be in the near future.* --0000000000009fda3b06067048e7 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Saudi delegation cancels visit to Palestine&= #39;s Al-Aqsa fearing backlash
Al Mayadeen, September 2= 8, 2023
The Saudi delega= tion, led by the ambassador to the Palestinian Authority,=C2=A0Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi, canceled its scheduled vis= it on Wednesday to the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque after several Palestinian partie= s voiced their criticism of the plan and called for the prevention of such = a visit, which is seen as a new step toward normalizing ties with the Israe= li occupation entity.
Al-Sudairy was recently appointed by= Riyadh as its non-resident ambassador to the PA. The official arrived in R= amallah on Tuesday to discuss Saudi Arabia's normalization efforts with= the entity and present his credentials to President Mahmoud Abbas, marking= the first visit by a Saudi delegation to Palestine in three decades.=C2=A0=
Israeli media commented on this matter, st= ating, "The Saudi ambassador to the Palestinian Authority canceled his= Al-Aqsa visit due to anticipated criticisms and repercussions."
The announcement of the visit "faced reactions, wi= th some calling for its prohibition, seeing it as a sign of normalization w= ith Israel. After understanding the sensitivities from their hosts in Ramal= lah [Mahmoud Abbas], the Saudis postponed the visit."
Saudi Arabia's delegation had planned to visit the holy mosque= to allegedly commemorate the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed PBU= H, occurring on Wednesday and Thursday. However, al-Sudairi informed his ho= sts in Ramallah, as per=C2=A0Haare= tz, that he "does not intend to go to the Al-Aqsa Mosque but promi= sed to visit in the future."
In response to a= n inquiry by Haaretz, the Israeli occupation foreign ministry claimed that = it "was unaware of this plan." According to Palestinian reports c= ited by the newspaper, the Saudis "requested not to publicize the date= and details of the visit to prevent any Israeli interference in the visit&= #39;s agenda and also to prevent potential Palestinian protests against nor= malization with Israel."
Declining S= audi support for normalization
A recent poll conducte= d by the Washington Institute for Near East Studies in Saudi Arabia found t= hat the number of Saudi citizens in favor of normalizing ties with the occu= pation entity has=C2=A0decline= d by nearly 20 percent=C2=A0in recent years.
From around 40 percent of the kingdom's population support= ing this move earlier, the recent survey revealed that this number is at ap= proximately 33 percent.
The poll also showed that = vis-a-vis normalization, Saudis believed that the Palestinian ambitions com= e in second place, while 36% agree that it is "important" to gain= "new steps toward political rights and better economic opportunities = for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza."=C2=A0
Moreover, the results showed that not only has the percentage of supp= ort for normalization been declining over the years, but also there has bee= n a declining reliance of Saudi public opinion on American guarantees as th= e report highlights "American commitments are unreliable lately."=
= Normalization for nuclear power
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman confirmed earlier this= month that Riyadh is on a trajectory towards normalizing ties with "I= srael."
"Every day we get closer," he said in an interview with=C2= =A0Fox News=C2=A0releas= ed last Wednesday.
In response to a question on th= e requirements of a normalization deal, the de facto Saudi leader claimed t= hat "the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that pa= rt." Adding that there had been "good negotiations" so far. = Additionally, he expressed Saudi's intent to pursue nuclear capabilitie= s if Iran does so.
= Read more:=C2=A0WSJ: Saudi Ara= bia offers PA funds resumption... but at what cost?
On this matter, Yair Lapid, "Israel's" oppositio= n leader, expressed reservations about Saudi Arabia procuring a nuclear pro= gram. Echoing similar sentiments, Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, poin= ted out that no normalization deal should risk the entity's security, h= inting at the possible concessions Saudi might demand.
Israeli reports suggest that Saudi Arabia has outlined stringent terms= for normalization. These terms include gaining "Israel's" ap= proval for uranium enrichment, constructing a nuclear facility for peaceful= use, and establishing a US-Saudi defense pact among others.
=
However, US officials have cautioned that any agreement with t= hese conditions will not be in the near future.

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--00000000000068c94f060671cda9-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 14:30:26 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id E2943B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:30:25 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net E2943B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="Xl6kyr2v" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id D667BBD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:30:25 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f45.google.com (mail-ej1-f45.google.com [209.85.218.45]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 966FABD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:30:25 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f45.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-9ad8a822508so1780999866b.0 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:30:25 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695936624; x=1696541424; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=3g4lbySYpNdGUq39U8Fj2H4FeYg5W9G1jpyj5dTZrQ0=; b=Xl6kyr2vYr7607pc21dJaOIcfTXHxX210dzUifgE6GXM66vJLZrTCbM0CQ09Khogtd E/vkJ96E5FosoR8k1P5/DLW5fbVRrv98ImlaEFFprb8SOMdsj92AhfGj6RbEfOsFn4zl fN9PWijLvrtjvi12xsAhxFN3op1C0YSUUyB9eXTFrAYHUP2IOaQvJN6m6VXTWH97UuMi +YblFcMBKZeoi5Cgz9LdWG0N03/NWlNhluDan/f8QX8vMSC+tJ3IJSodIKsR6+7+20oL +xINYzgiDqhe6qX0wEsuXQGus9UkcgzGS1jd+OZJeopFaFbYHJq4uQiltamQCXb+WqBx zaug== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695936624; x=1696541424; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=3g4lbySYpNdGUq39U8Fj2H4FeYg5W9G1jpyj5dTZrQ0=; b=ZBxfyYmnLD2kcxf3UYwNbKvdtNaD/ZCW20/N7EgBa0LFtna8G6mQ29n4Orsx4yU2i3 oNmaS66b5wlwbaKhbOZRHp/IJvqteOyyT8i4BDqNSFR0axBSrShw+kU1PaPEt1MtEhDQ m954xhfu97XtVKTSGtF+WVjGwPUqurYWQv5U1+NVc4owlZc5hunbyt4/YpRBEIbuqF0x wJO2Y6fLgqxIGt9dbV3iNUB/4cdDDVZplopzjADRBKZ7m7TBpr+zsOiH5kpxXaO0b698 YYFnvIupoKzDJByMA97JENAvvXuV4XHG3e7y6nLFwRgDlZgvcyVNrqyx0Wt68zMVS/kB rYGg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YzpG3W72FCFyP5jJQAoGTaqBacAjGI4ev1gz5Z9Sp0fjJJFGRHd YfSq3A+jrDsvzf+Wz7bX71bsoktoT2wqiDRXZ0PJZ2jQ44hD/A== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IHtp6gkcehlJAbASNyoQOIKVqdz8j2tWWwa/NyeE0ESmEyVCWwToP9lvbnF+Ko3pN+9H+X6SbMSYItPcAroNk4= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:73d4:b0:9ae:6744:4591 with SMTP id n20-20020a17090673d400b009ae67444591mr2202310ejl.43.1695936623338; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:30:23 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:30:07 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000feeb6c0606720301" Subject: [Salon] THREE DECADES OF CHINESE STUDENTS IN AMERICA, 1991-2021 X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 21:30:26 -0000 --000000000000feeb6c0606720301 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable https://uscet.org/uscet-releases-three-decades-of-chinese-students-in-ameri= ca-1991-2021/ THREE DECADES OF CHINESE STUDENTS IN AMERICA, 1991-2021 September 13, 2023 News Click Here to Download the Webpage as a PDF File Download Click Here to View the Chinese Webpage (Translation courtesy of Zhang Juan . Special thanks to our partner, The Carter Center, and their publication, =E7=BE=8E=E4=B8=AD=E6=95= =85=E4=BA=8B=E6=B1=87 ). As a new academic year begins, student flows between the U.S. and China remain far below pre-Covid levels of 2019-2020, while lingering issues and tense U.S.-China relations cloud the prospects for resuming robust two-way educational exchanges in the near future. In this uncertain period, the US-China Education Trust is proud to announce the release of *Three Decades of Chinese Students in America, 1991-2021 *. This joint report from USCET and the China Data Lab of the UC San Diego 21st Century China Center provides a broad perspective on the changing composition and experiences of students from China who earned degrees in the United States over a period of three decades.[i] *Why survey former Chinese students?* The estimated three million students from China who have studied in the United States since the late 1970s represent one of the largest cross-border flows of students in modern times, and they have long been viewed as a generally positive presence at American colleges and universities. In recent years however, Chinese international students have become a focal point of rising U.S.-China tensions and suspicions on all sides, with some viewing the students as insidious agents of Chinese government influence and others raising doubts about their loyalty to China. As critics continue to raise questions about the value of educating students from China in America, it is important to consider the long-term costs and benefits of this exchange. USCET launched a survey of former Chinese students in America in late 2022 to create a wider framework for understanding this group, add student perspectives to a dialogue that often takes place without their input, and put a human face on the stereotypes and statistics. The survey is, to our knowledge, unique in its broad scope and timeframe. While most studies focus on current students from China or recent graduates from particular schools or regions, this survey spans three decades and includes undergraduate and graduate alumni who attended universities across the country. Respondents were divided into three cohorts based on larger societal trends impacting the composition of the group. The first cohort consisted largely of graduate students pursuing advanced degrees at U.S. institutions between 1991 and 2003. The second cohort graduated between 2004 and 2015, a time when the number of Chinese international students rose steeply and undergraduates surpassed graduate students in number. The third cohort completed degrees in the U.S. between 2016 and 2021. During this period, tensions between the two nations rose steadily and the pandemic temporarily all but halted student flows. The annual increases in Chinese international student numbers slowed and then reversed during these last years. *Chinese International Students in America 1985-2021* *Challenges and questions* The tense and unsettled state of U.S.-China relations made this a difficult time to conduct a survey of former Chinese students, even a strictly anonymous one as this was. Students from China have been criticized in the U.S. as potential spies, and in China as too influenced by the West. The resulting political whiplash may well have depressed the number of former Chinese international students willing to fill out a survey, particularly, the relatively recent graduates who have been the most directly impacted by the downturn in relations. The survey results represent a sample of 404 former students from China, a small segment of the former Chinese student population but one whose responses track with known trends in the larger student population. The broad scope of the survey allowed us to gather a range of experiences and compare responses over time among different segments of the population, although it obscured the impact of events of shorter duration. It did not account for the effect of pandemic restrictions, for example, although many 2020 and 2021 graduates at the tail end of our survey=E2=80=99s time frame = had to study remotely from China during their final semesters. Balancing the number of responses from various segments of the population presented another challenge. We achieved good representation in terms of gender, cohort, type of institution, and country of citizenship but were less successful in terms of degrees pursued, receiving far more responses from graduate students than undergraduates. Another imbalance was the fact that 77 percent of our respondents currently reside in the United States, although not all are Americans; some 58 percent of the respondents overall are Chinese citizens. The preponderance of U.S.-based respondents was not unexpected since it proved to be relatively difficult to attract survey takers residing in China, but it implies that our conclusions apply more to those individuals with the desire or opportunity to remain in the U.S., whether they are Chinese or American citizens. The* Methodology * section of the report discusses these issues in more detail. These limitations were accepted in the interest of applying a wide lens to the topic. The goal of this survey was not only to add to our understanding of Chinese student experiences in America, but to stimulate dialogue and raise questions for further research. How, for example, can American colleges and universities successfully engage Chinese international students in campus life and make sure they understand their academic rights and responsibilities? What steps can be taken to minimize political pressures that surround these students in times of tense U.S.-China relations? What benefits and risks are associated with the presence of Chinese international students on campus over the long term and how can they be measured? *Key survey findings* The full online survey report is divided into four broad questions related to the student experience. Each question is answered with visual data, analysis, and key takeaways. The findings are briefly summarized below and the full analysis can be accessed by clicking on each question in blue. *Why and how do Chinese students come to America? * The vast majority of survey respondents unequivocally reported that they came to the United States in search of excellence in education. Not surprisingly, other top motivating factors included the chance to experience life in another country, greater freedom in choosing what to study, and the opportunity to improve career prospects. As China developed a sizable middle class, more Chinese families were able to afford to send students to study abroad. Less than 10 percent of our sample received financial support from their families prior to 2004, rising to more than 75 percent of those who graduated after 2015. Almost two-thirds received merit-based financial assistance from their schools, and less than 2 percent reported receiving Chinese government funding. *How do students from China interact with others on campus? * Although employment was the most common nonacademic use of student time, a third of respondents also participated in sports at some level and in many other extracurricular activities at lower rates. However, survey takers in the later cohorts reported increasing academic pressure and less time for social activities. Looking at media consumption as another measure of campus integration, students got their outside news from sources that changed over time as one would expect. Newspapers and TV were supplanted by significant increases in the use of both Chinese and American social media. The survey also provides some evidence to counter the notion that students from China have relied mainly on Chinese media sources while in America =E2= =80=93 respondents used both American and Chinese sources at high rates, showing a great deal of integration into the American media environment. *What type of negative experiences have Chinese students encountered on campus? * Chinese international students are clearly affected by changes in U.S.-China relations and domestic politics in both countries. Not surprisingly, our survey shows a rise in students reporting uncomfortable pressure to conform to certain political views over the years, with this pressure emanating from both American and Chinese sources. Those who graduated before 2004 reported relatively little intrusion of politics into their years of study, but such concerns rose significantly for the group that graduated after 2015. Incidents involving anti-Asian sentiments and perceived discrimination also rose uncomfortably over time. *How do former Chinese students feel about their time studying in America? * Despite negative incidents, signs of durable goodwill were not hard to find among the survey respondents. Most looked back on their school experience with warm feelings for their campus and their friends, as well as the people and landmarks they encountered through travel. More than 85 percent of the sample reported that they found Americans friendly and welcoming, and a similar percent said they would choose to study in America again if given the choice now. Significantly, many respondents remain connected to their school in some way =E2=80=93 the rate of participation in American al= umni associations and of financial giving to their schools both exceeded the US average by a wide margin. In keeping with the lower average age of the Chinese international student population over time and rising tension in U.S.-China relations, there was a drop in the number of students who stayed on to become U.S. citizens over the decades =E2=80=93 from 71 percent in the first cohort of 1991-2004 grad= uates to 30 percent in the second cohort. The third cohort of 2016-2021 graduates left school too recently to determine ultimate citizenship, although a growing number of this group report that they tried but failed to stay in the U.S. after graduation. *Closing thoughts* Overall, these survey results appear to be reassuring for Americans worried about the presence of students from China. Our sample shows a group making their own decisions to study in America, largely motivated by a desire for academic excellence and personal gain, primarily financed by family and university support. Despite some feelings of alienation and negative political or racial encounters on campus, most respondents report that they took away fond memories and enduring friendships, and many have chosen to stay in touch with their university. At the US-China Education Trust, we believe educational exchanges form the bedrock of U.S.-China relations and are a critical element in maintaining peace between our two countries. Exchanging students and scholars was a top priority when the U.S. and China normalized relations in the1970s, and has remained a mainstay of people-to-people relations ever since. We hope that both countries will continue to welcome each other=E2=80=99s students and p= rovide ample opportunities for them to engage with each other=E2=80=99s societies first-hand. This is more important than ever during unsettled periods in U.S.-China relations in order to ensure that our future leaders can communicate with each other, understand cultural nuances, and work their way together through difficult bilateral issues and geopolitical challenges= . The US-China Education Trust is grateful to the Henry Luce Foundation for their support of this project and to the team from UCSD=E2=80=99s China Dat= a Lab for their critical role in the project. Members of the China Data Lab at UC San Diego=E2=80=99s 21st Century China Center consulted on the project, ana= lyzed the survey data, co-authored the full *Survey Report* , and host it on their website. It is our shared hope that the initial findings in this report will raise new questions, elevate student voices, stimulate dialogue, and encourage further research. Special thanks to USCET=E2=80=99s former program manager, Trenton Marsolek, who worked tirele= ssly on managing all aspects of the USCET survey. We would like to thank the many individuals who took the survey and shared it with their former classmates, and the dozens of other individuals and organizations not themselves eligible to take part in the survey who provided support and shared the survey widely. *A list of supporting organizations *is found in the Methodology section. ------------------------------ [i] In this report the terms =E2=80=9CChinese students=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9CChine= se international students=E2=80=9D refer exclusively to students from the P.R.C. --000000000000feeb6c0606720301 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
https://uscet.org/uscet-release= s-three-decades-of-chinese-students-in-america-1991-2021/

<= /div>
THREE DECADES OF CHINESE STUDENTS IN AME= RICA, 1991-2021
September 13, 2023News
=
Click Here= to Download the Webpage as a PDF File Download
Click Here to View the Chinese Webpage<= /a>
(Translation courtesy of=C2=A0 Zhang Juan. Special thanks to our partner, The Car= ter Center, and their publication,=C2=A0=E7= =BE=8E=E4=B8=AD=E6=95=85=E4=BA=8B=E6=B1=87).
As a new academic year begins, student flows between the U.S. and China=20 remain far below pre-Covid levels of 2019-2020, while lingering issues=20 and tense U.S.-China relations cloud the prospects for resuming robust=20 two-way educational exchanges in the near future. In this uncertain=20 period, the US-China Education Trust is proud to announce the release=20 of=C2=A0Three Decades of Chinese Student= s in America, 1991-2021. This joint report from USCET and= the China Data Lab of the UC San Diego 21^st=C2=A0Century China Center provides a broad perspective on the changing composition=20 and experiences of students from China who earned degrees in the United=20 States over a period of three decades.[i]
Why = survey former Chinese students?
The estimated three million students from China who have studied in the=20 United States since the late 1970s represent one of the largest=20 cross-border flows of students in modern times, and they have long been=20 viewed as a generally positive presence at American colleges and=20 universities. In recent years however, Chinese international students=20 have become a focal point of rising U.S.-China tensions and suspicions=20 on all sides, with some viewing the students as insidious agents of=20 Chinese government influence and others raising doubts about their=20 loyalty to China. As critics continue to raise questions about the value of educating students from China in America, it is important to=20 consider the long-term costs and benefits of this exchange. USCET=20 launched a survey of former Chinese students in America in late 2022 to=20 create a wider framework for understanding this group, add student=20 perspectives to a dialogue that often takes place without their input,=20 and put a human face on the stereotypes and statistics.
<= /div>
The survey is, to our knowledge, unique in its broad scope and timeframe.=20 While most studies focus on current students from China or recent=20 graduates from particular schools or regions, this survey spans three=20 decades and includes undergraduate and graduate alumni who attended=20 universities across the country. Respondents were divided into three=20 cohorts based on larger societal trends impacting the composition of the group. The first cohort consisted largely of graduate students pursuing advanced degrees at U.S. institutions between 1991 and 2003. The second cohort graduated between 2004 and 2015, a time when the number of=20 Chinese international students rose steeply and undergraduates surpassed graduate students in number. The third cohort completed degrees in the=20 U.S. between 2016 and 2021. During this period, tensions between the two nations rose steadily and the pandemic temporarily all but halted=20 student flows. The annual increases in Chinese international student=20 numbers slowed and then reversed during these last years.
=
Chinese= International Students in America 1985-2021
Challenges and questions
The tense and unsettled state of U.S.-China relations made this a difficult time to conduct a survey of former Chinese students, even a strictly=20 anonymous one as this was. Students from China have been criticized in=20 the U.S. as potential spies, and in China as too influenced by the West. The resulting political whiplash may well have depressed the number of=20 former Chinese international students willing to fill out a survey,=20 particularly, the relatively recent graduates who have been the most=20 directly impacted by the downturn in relations. The survey results=20 represent a sample of 404 former students from China, a small segment of the former Chinese student population but one whose responses track=20 with known trends in the larger student population.
The broad scope of the survey allowed us to gather a range of experiences=20 and compare responses over time among different segments of the=20 population, although it obscured the impact of events of shorter=20 duration. It did not account for the effect of pandemic restrictions,=20 for example, although many 2020 and 2021 graduates at the tail end of=20 our survey=E2=80=99s time frame had to study remotely from China during the= ir=20 final semesters. Balancing the number of responses from various segments of the population presented another challenge. We achieved good=20 representation in terms of gender, cohort, type of institution, and=20 country of citizenship but were less successful in terms of degrees=20 pursued, receiving far more responses from graduate students than=20 undergraduates. Another imbalance was the fact that 77 percent of our=20 respondents currently reside in the United States, although not all are=20 Americans; some 58 percent of the respondents overall are Chinese=20 citizens. The preponderance of U.S.-based respondents was not unexpected since it proved to be relatively difficult to attract survey takers=20 residing in China, but it implies that our conclusions apply more to=20 those individuals with the desire or opportunity to remain in the U.S.,=20 whether they are Chinese or American citizens. The=C2=A0Methodology=C2=A0sectio= n of the report discusses these issues in more detail.=C2=A0
These limitations were accepted in the interest of applying a wide lens to=20 the topic. The goal of this survey was not only to add to our=20 understanding of Chinese student experiences in America, but to=20 stimulate dialogue and raise questions for further research. How, for=20 example, can American colleges and universities successfully engage=20 Chinese international students in campus life and make sure they=20 understand their academic rights and responsibilities? What steps can be taken to minimize political pressures that surround these students in=20 times of tense U.S.-China relations? What benefits and risks are=20 associated with the presence of Chinese international students on campus over the long term and how can they be measured?
Key survey findings
The full online survey report is divided into four broad questions related=20 to the student experience. Each question is answered with visual data,=20 analysis, and key takeaways. The findings are briefly summarized below=20 and the full analysis can be accessed by clicking on each question in=20 blue.
Why an= d how do Chinese students come to America?
The vast majority of survey respondents unequivocally reported that they=20 came to the United States in search of excellence in education. Not=20 surprisingly, other top motivating factors included the chance to=20 experience life in another country, greater freedom in choosing what to=20 study, and the opportunity to improve career prospects.=C2=A0 As China=20 developed a sizable middle class, more Chinese families were able to=20 afford to send students to study abroad. Less than 10 percent of our=20 sample received financial support from their families prior to 2004,=20 rising to more than 75 percent of those who graduated after 2015. Almost two-thirds received merit-based financial assistance from their=20 schools, and less than 2 percent reported receiving Chinese government=20 funding.
Ho= w do students from China interact with others on campus?<= /p>
Although employment was the most common nonacademic use of student time, a third of respondents also participated in sports at some level and in many=20 other extracurricular activities at lower rates. However, survey takers=20 in the later cohorts reported increasing academic pressure and less time for social activities. Looking at media consumption as another measure=20 of campus integration, students got their outside news from sources that changed over time as one would expect. Newspapers and TV were=20 supplanted by significant increases in the use of both Chinese and=20 American social media. The survey also provides some evidence to counter the notion that students from China have relied mainly on Chinese media sources while in America =E2=80=93 respondents used both American and Chin= ese=20 sources at high rates, showing a great deal of integration into the=20 American media environment.=C2=A0
What type of negative experiences have Chinese studen= ts encountered on campus?
Chinese international students are clearly affected by changes in U.S.-China=20 relations and domestic politics in both countries. Not surprisingly, our survey shows a rise in students reporting uncomfortable pressure to=20 conform to certain political views over the years, with this pressure=20 emanating from both American and Chinese sources. Those who graduated=20 before 2004 reported relatively little intrusion of politics into their=20 years of study, but such concerns rose significantly for the group that=20 graduated after 2015. Incidents involving anti-Asian sentiments and=20 perceived discrimination also rose uncomfortably over time.
How do former Chinese stu= dents feel about their time studying in America?
Desp= ite negative incidents, signs of durable goodwill were not hard to find=20 among the survey respondents.=C2=A0Most looked back on their school=20 experience with warm feelings for their campus and their friends, as=20 well as the people and landmarks they encountered through travel. More=20 than 85 percent of the sample reported that they found Americans=20 friendly and welcoming, and a similar percent said they would choose to=20 study in America again if given the choice now.=C2=A0 Significantly, many= =20 respondents remain connected to their school in some way =E2=80=93 the rate= of=20 participation in American alumni associations and of financial giving to their schools both exceeded the US average by a wide margin.=C2=A0
<= div style=3D"border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:= inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">
In keeping with the lower average age of the Chinese international student population over time and rising tension in U.S.-China relations, there=20 was a drop in the number of students who stayed on to become U.S.=20 citizens over the decades =E2=80=93 from 71 percent in the first cohort of= =20 1991-2004 graduates to 30 percent in the second cohort. The third cohort of 2016-2021 graduates left school too recently to determine ultimate=20 citizenship, although a growing number of this group report that they=20 tried but failed to stay in the U.S. after graduation.
Closing thoughts
Overall, these survey results appear to be reassuring for Americans worried=20 about the presence of students from China. Our sample shows a group=20 making their own decisions to study in America, largely motivated by a=20 desire for academic excellence and personal gain, primarily financed by=20 family and university support. Despite some feelings of alienation and=20 negative political or racial encounters on campus, most respondents=20 report that they took away fond memories and enduring friendships, and=20 many have chosen to stay in touch with their university.
At the US-China Education Trust, we believe educational exchanges form the bedrock of U.S.-China relations and are a critical element in=20 maintaining peace between our two countries. Exchanging students and=20 scholars was a top priority when the U.S. and China normalized relations in the1970s, and has remained a mainstay of people-to-people relations=20 ever since. We hope that both countries will continue to welcome each=20 other=E2=80=99s students and provide ample opportunities for them to engage= with each other=E2=80=99s societies first-hand. This is more important than eve= r=20 during unsettled periods in U.S.-China relations in order to ensure that our future leaders can communicate with each other, understand cultural nuances, and work their way together through difficult bilateral issues and geopolitical challenges.
The US-China Education Trust is grateful to the Henry Luce Foundation for=20 their support of this project and to the team from UCSD=E2=80=99s China Dat= a Lab for their critical role in the project. Members of the China Data Lab=20 at UC San Diego=E2=80=99s 21st Century China Center consulted on the projec= t,=20 analyzed the survey data, co-authored the full=C2=A0Survey Re= port, and host it on their website.=C2=A0It is our shared hope that the initial= =20 findings in this report will raise new questions, elevate student=20 voices, stimulate dialogue, and encourage further research. Special=20 thanks to USCET=E2=80=99s former program manager, Trenton Marsolek, who wor= ked=20 tirelessly on managing all aspects of the USCET survey.
We would like to thank the many individuals who took the survey and shared it with their former classmates, and the dozens of other individuals=20 and organizations not themselves eligible to take part in the survey who provided support and shared the survey widely.=C2=A0A list of s= upporting organizations=C2=A0is found in the Methodology secti= on.
=
[i]=C2=A0=C2=A0= In this report the terms =E2=80=9CChinese students=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9CCh= inese international students=E2=80=9D refer exclusively to students from th= e P.R.C.

--000000000000feeb6c0606720301-- From spytalk@me.com Thu Sep 28 14:40:34 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8E905B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:40:34 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 8E905B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=me.com header.i=@me.com header.b="G7iWkW5A" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 83FB2BD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:40:34 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from qs51p00im-qukt01080102.me.com (qs51p00im-qukt01080102.me.com [17.57.155.19]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 464B8BD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:40:34 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=me.com; s=1a1hai; t=1695937233; bh=6RgKdIRXiW1qdL/n5qSGqBn1DQxEjSCPwT8bYfKq2mI=; h=From:Content-Type:Mime-Version:Subject:Message-Id:Date:To; b=G7iWkW5A9IhP8IPIiy3oYplQc5YCKtUNZMOoUzTWvXw1D7m9Ic0cAPcPFTg6EFD1/ P4e/2wW3Zd/BGIdwddkv5o0Px6D3LlTC2KtGJ1L+H/eBMC7vEK2YEIhQg1kumnt4rf cR2IRiFpSWoSx/dO8cf9S2tABMVAHxpD1f0JldfzTPjZd3ar8MfUu24OpWRhQzcVby xFZrDP551r1tDf25QyAaro1piO3RO4b4rxoTg2moucu5KKzKTJg5gPcYQL5l8aw9+k 0lP9IIHBVtgQedm2QHAXaOkoz5HBbxBP0N8xx3g+c3UcDCk/I/L9KqVv802IAjWoE+ uMqmHQa6flY+w== Received: from smtpclient.apple (qs51p00im-dlb-asmtp-mailmevip.me.com [17.57.155.28]) by qs51p00im-qukt01080102.me.com (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 0315D1CC0131 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 21:40:32 +0000 (UTC) From: Jeff Stein Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_F4C75FBF-B2BC-4C86-84E1-E368EF69521A" Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 16.0 $3774.100.2.1.4$) Message-Id: <9C238A2D-C167-4E3D-A2E2-2F501E089702@me.com> Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:40:22 -0400 To: salon@listserve.com X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.3774.100.2.1.4) X-Proofpoint-GUID: 2rPqm_jyPGznvN3JViKIWh7yuChEPn6J X-Proofpoint-ORIG-GUID: 2rPqm_jyPGznvN3JViKIWh7yuChEPn6J X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: =?UTF-8?Q?vendor=3Dfsecure_engine=3D1.1.170-22c6f66c430a71ce266a39bfe25bc?= =?UTF-8?Q?2903e8d5c8f:6.0.138,18.0.572,17.0.605.474.0000000_definitions?= =?UTF-8?Q?=3D2020-02-14=5F11:2020-02-14=5F02,2020-02-14=5F11,2020-01-23?= =?UTF-8?Q?=5F02_signatures=3D0?= X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 suspectscore=0 mlxscore=0 bulkscore=0 malwarescore=0 clxscore=1015 spamscore=0 phishscore=0 adultscore=0 mlxlogscore=546 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx scancount=1 engine=8.12.0-2212070000 definitions=main-2309280185 Subject: [Salon] Anatomy of a Smear X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 21:40:34 -0000 --Apple-Mail=_F4C75FBF-B2BC-4C86-84E1-E368EF69521A Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Flawed reports paint erstwhile Iran negotiator Rob Malley and his = colleagues as patsies of Tehran = https://open.substack.com/pub/spytalk/p/anatomy-of-a-smear?r=3D2hta&utm_ca= mpaign=3Dpost&utm_medium=3Demail =20 =EF=BF=BC Jeff Stein=20 Editor-in-chief, SpyTalk (202) 812-3034 =E2=80=94 cell/Signal Twitter: @spytalker www.spytalk.co --Apple-Mail=_F4C75FBF-B2BC-4C86-84E1-E368EF69521A Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="Apple-Mail=_39F8DDF9-A304-42CF-9ADF-6A205130C12B" --Apple-Mail=_39F8DDF9-A304-42CF-9ADF-6A205130C12B Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Flawed reports paint = erstwhile Iran negotiator Rob Malley and his colleagues as patsies of = Tehran
https://open.substack.co= m/pub/spytalk/p/anatomy-of-a-smear?r=3D2hta&utm_campaign=3Dpost&ut= m_medium=3Demail

Jeff = Stein = <= /span>= <= /span>
Editor-in-chief, SpyTalk<= /div>
(202) 812-3034 =E2=80=94 cell/Signal<= /span>
Twitter: = @spytalker<= /span>
www.spytalk.co
= <= /span>
= <= /span>

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boundary="000000000000a19d1b0606735e32" Subject: [Salon] The Knitted Kippah of Yom Kippur Worshipers in Tel Aviv Has Brought Disaster on Israel X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 23:07:21 -0000 --000000000000a19d1b0606735e32 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable *https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2023-09-27/ty-article-opinion/.premium/the= -knitted-kippah-of-yom-kippur-worshipers-in-tel-aviv-has-brought-disaster-o= n-israel/0000018a-d775-d476-abcf-f7f7bb790000 * *The Knitted Kippah of Yom Kippur Worshipers in Tel Aviv Has Brought Disaster on Israel - Opinion - *Haaretz.com *Gideon Levy Sep 27, 2023 * *Listening to the outcry over the =E2=80=9Cpogrom=E2=80=9D in Tel Aviv=E2= =80=99s Dizengoff Square on Yom Kippur, the =E2=80=9Csanctity of the day=E2=80=9D and the offense to= =E2=80=9Cthe worshippers=E2=80=99 feelings,=E2=80=9D it=E2=80=99s impossible not to reca= ll the daily offenses that they commit against us, the secular leftists. But in Israel, secular people have no feelings. Only religious people have feelings that must not be offended.* *Their feelings were offended? In that square, it suddenly became clear that we also have feelings. Their values were desecrated? Ours were desecrated long ago. Moreover, a large proportion of the harm done to us, the secular democrats, has been caused by the complainers in Dizengoff Square.* *When I see Israelis in knitted kippahs and their gleaming white Shabbat shirts, with their ritual fringes hanging out the sides and their guns poking out from behind, organizing prayer services in the heart of this secular square, this greatly offends my feelings. It reminds me that they and those like them go out every Friday night (and other nights) for rampages against their shepherd neighbors wearing those same festive Shabbat clothes, carrying the same guns, backed up now by clubs and iron bars.* *Even if most of those praying in the square don=E2=80=99t take an active p= art in these rampages, it=E2=80=99s reasonable to assume they support them, at lea= st through their silence. The rioters are their own flesh and blood. They come from the same village, yeshiva, women=E2=80=99s yeshiva, or high school. Th= is takeover of public spaces in Tel Aviv by settlers and their abettors offends my feelings, just as their actions harm me greatly.* *For years, Israel has been shaped in their image. For years, Israel has been dragged in their wake, until they finally tipped the balance through violence, deception extortion, threats, and fraud. Had it not been for them, perhaps we would be a democracy. Instead, because of them, we are a racist apartheid state.* *Rosh Yehudi, the organization behind that pure and innocent prayer service in the square, is decisive proof of the close connection between religionization and the forcible takeover of the occupied territories. In the Shiloh Valley, they do it through thuggery; in Dizengoff Square, through saccharinity. But the goals are the same.* *In the Shiloh Valley, there=E2=80=99s no one to stop them anymore. In the = square, there were suddenly people to stop them. No tears should be wasted on the harm done to them; they don=E2=80=99t even deserve crocodile tears. The har= m they have done to us is many times greater. * *No cloying act of =E2=80=9Cbrotherhood=E2=80=9D of the kind they advocate,= no dialogue and no joint Torah study can paper over the fact that they, with the backing of all Israeli prime ministers and the Israel Defense Forces, are guilty of turning this country into an apartheid state. Had there been no religious, nationalist, messianic, racist right, there would have been no settlers. And had there been no settlers, there would long since have been no occupation. How simple, and how true. * [image: Protesters clash with police, Sunday evening in Tel Aviv.] *Protesters clash with police, Sunday evening in Tel Aviv.Credit: Tomer Appelbaum* *When they come to Dizengoff Square, they bring their arrogant, nationalist ideology with them. And the height of their audacity was that they came to the square in the name of freedom, liberalism, and democracy. The settlers and their abettors, members of Rosh Yehudi and their supporters, are the community that is forcibly depriving their Palestinian neighbors of these values. And now, they are trying to gradually do the same to Tel Aviv. They have no right to benefit from liberalism. They are its enemies. * *Seeing members of the Garin Torani movement =E2=80=93 young religious Jews= who move as a group to city neighborhoods =E2=80=93 in the heart of Tel Aviv al= so offends my feelings. Anyone who has paid visits in recent years to the Palestinian towns that became mixed Jewish-Arab cities in 1948 knows what the members of this movement plan to do =E2=80=93 Judaize, provoke, stage a forcible takeover, and, in the end, push the locals out.* *Go to Ramle, Lod, or Acre and you=E2=80=99ll see. There, they are offendin= g a great many feelings. And now, it=E2=80=99s both all right and necessary to = block them in Tel Aviv. You can find everything in the Garin Torani movement, except good intentions. * *Yes, the knitted kippah has become a symbol that sparks resistance. Many of those who wear it bear responsibility for this. It=E2=80=99s the symbol = borne on the heads of more and more IDF officers and senior officials at Israel=E2= =80=99s Civil Administration in the West Bank, as well as many judges, journalists, and politicians =E2=80=93 too many. * *The knitted kippah makes its wearer a suspect until proven otherwise. The knitted kippah has brought down disaster on Israel. And this needs to be said.* --000000000000a19d1b0606735e32 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
https://www.haaretz.c= om/opinion/2023-09-27/ty-article-opinion/.premium/the-knitted-kippah-of-yom= -kippur-worshipers-in-tel-aviv-has-brought-disaster-on-israel/0000018a-d775= -d476-abcf-f7f7bb790000

The Knitted Kippah of Yom Kippur Worshipers= in Tel Aviv Has Brought Disaster on Israel - Opinion - Haaretz.com
Gideon LevySep 27, 2023 =
Listening to the outcry over the =E2=80=9Cp= ogrom=E2=80=9D in Tel Aviv=E2=80=99s Dizengoff Square on Yom Kippur, the = =E2=80=9Csanctity of the day=E2=80=9D and the offense to =E2=80=9Cthe worsh= ippers=E2=80=99 feelings,=E2=80=9D it=E2=80=99s impossible not to recall th= e daily offenses that they commit against us, the secular leftists. But in = Israel, secular people have no feelings. Only religious people have feeling= s that must not be offended.
Their feelings were o= ffended? In that square, it suddenly became clear that we also have feeling= s. Their values were desecrated? Ours were desecrated long ago. Moreover, a= large proportion of the harm done to us, the secular democrats, has been c= aused by the=C2=A0complainers in D= izengoff Square.
When I see Israelis in knitte= d kippahs and their gleaming white Shabbat shirts, with their ritual fringe= s hanging out the sides and their guns poking out from behind, organizing p= rayer services in the heart of this secular square, this greatly offends my= feelings. It reminds me that they and those like them go out every Friday = night (and other nights) for rampages against their shepherd neighbors wear= ing those same festive Shabbat clothes, carrying the same guns, backed up n= ow by clubs and iron bars.
Even if most of those p= raying in the square don=E2=80=99t take an active part in these rampages, i= t=E2=80=99s reasonable to assume they support them, at least through their = silence. The rioters are their own flesh and blood. They come from the same= village, yeshiva, women=E2=80=99s yeshiva, or high school. This takeover o= f public spaces in Tel Aviv by settlers and their abettors offends my feeli= ngs, just as their actions harm me greatly.
For ye= ars, Israel has been shaped in their image. For years, Israel has been drag= ged in their wake, until they finally tipped the balance through violence, = deception extortion, threats, and fraud. Had it not been for them, perhaps = we would be a democracy. Instead, because of them, we are a racist aparthei= d state.
Rosh Yehudi, the organization behind that pure and innocent prayer service in the sq= uare, is decisive proof of the close connection between religionization and= the forcible takeover of the occupied territories. In the Shiloh Valley, t= hey do it through thuggery; in Dizengoff Square, through saccharinity. But = the goals are the same.
In the Shiloh Valley, ther= e=E2=80=99s no one to stop them anymore. In the square, there were suddenly= people to stop them. No tears should be wasted on the harm done to them; t= hey don=E2=80=99t even deserve crocodile tears. The harm they have done to = us is many times greater.=C2=A0
No cl= oying act of =E2=80=9Cbrotherhood=E2=80=9D of the kind they advocate, no di= alogue and no joint Torah study can paper over the fact that they, with the= backing of all Israeli prime ministers and the Israel Defense Forces, are = guilty of turning this country into an apartheid state. Had there been no r= eligious, nationalist, messianic, racist right, there would have been no se= ttlers. And had there been no settlers, there would long since have been no= occupation. How simple, and how true.=C2=A0
Protesters clash with police, Sunday evening in Tel Aviv.<= /span>Credit: Tomer Appelbaum<= /b>
When they come to Dizengoff Square, they bring their arro= gant, nationalist ideology with them. And the height of their audacity was = that they came to the square in the name of freedom, liberalism, and democr= acy. The settlers and their abettors, members of Rosh Yehudi and their supp= orters, are the community that is forcibly depriving their Palestinian neig= hbors of these values. And now, they are trying to gradually do the same to= Tel Aviv. They have no right to benefit from liberalism. They are its enem= ies.=C2=A0
Seeing members of the Gari= n Torani movement =E2=80=93 young religious Jews who move as a group to cit= y neighborhoods =E2=80=93 in the heart of Tel Aviv also offends my feelings= . Anyone who has paid visits in recent years to the Palestinian towns that = became mixed Jewish-Arab cities in 1948 knows what the members of this move= ment plan to do =E2=80=93 Judaize, provoke, stage a forcible takeover, and,= in the end, push the locals out.
Go to Ramle, Lod= , or Acre and you=E2=80=99ll see. There, they are offending a great many fe= elings. And now, it=E2=80=99s both all right and necessary to block them in= Tel Aviv. You can find everything in the Garin Torani movement, except goo= d intentions.=C2=A0
Yes, the=C2= =A0knitted kippah=C2=A0= has become a symbol that sparks resistance. Many of those who wear it bear = responsibility for this. It=E2=80=99s the symbol borne on the heads of more= and more IDF officers and senior officials at Israel=E2=80=99s Civil Admin= istration in the West Bank, as well as many judges, journalists, and politi= cians =E2=80=93 too many.=C2=A0
The k= nitted kippah makes its wearer a suspect until proven otherwise. The knitte= d kippah has brought down disaster on Israel. And this needs to be said.

--000000000000a19d1b0606735e32-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 16:09:55 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 98F93B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:09:55 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 98F93B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="JpA2rhv3" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 876BBBD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:09:55 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ed1-f43.google.com (mail-ed1-f43.google.com [209.85.208.43]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 5DBBCBD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:09:55 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ed1-f43.google.com with SMTP id 4fb4d7f45d1cf-533d6a8d6b6so13599064a12.2 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:09:55 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695942593; x=1696547393; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=9l620x2tKYXl4miMAh3lDVjyqAa30TKiRg+bGEkPPmk=; b=JpA2rhv3hmkRI6x/XyVDdG784w18UZY2AKzADHS/Q6+yctjATxRY+iHdrIxwJRe0JI Y0boo1QKJ7J4nykZzhrD4aOyGLkH413y7TIE0p3EtOs2I2sbH+8+sXd72ta7cGSB6Ou/ FRraLPyZA5dz2gof8pQAijXTeTHwvD8IbPJrSPGCMT5b0DO8dZkxbPCmAgvNDa/2HKA0 05ihJMQD97TDH2/ecoxXuD8YUW7nKW5CbefOG5MG+DyvNy4ul8GGRhAR25uGNwoiMVQK 0qFdVTdZECxrK/ZJqy9atPa3XSgyfYnIcdj3eoD2jXL2Yh1B1rpHJhSUjK6A/Um+vU9L ZQtA== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695942593; x=1696547393; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=9l620x2tKYXl4miMAh3lDVjyqAa30TKiRg+bGEkPPmk=; b=QQmQo4yxcN17A3L7AFi/b/YQd+sVa1okyut/Uj2SKRqUaxpVr0uV5wwET4pVMMoH5K UGn1ObYz3vI/X4gD6YZblruqoXlGS72ryXNlcy1zSRC/jUQ4cPVtytE8zVGSEVCUVpKe OaOvpI5VaeibnDpu6jdz1UC5cYNAIrpmta6WNVUQWJgLIMJPOLp+WrVQoLFJudT3e8DW I4xq/MNcXnm3XwcuwuNW4nSdGUFfwoFtml24W3FsUNXh/qFgMPU8pV6F6AabrBbTvVxs au0QZe4Epl0kJImfXjwltNxqJtvH9j2n5E3FxuQGL9HsV7iASBdWN4UVEhYCtVMRMLKs Gu6w== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YzjxFJNeAseZVAkCMxe+5duOt8Kt60JaY66dkyG6r310QxvC6Iq 6qI1kC30KR0lf/rPX4aQr1gGTKPctji9BCbCdp0/9gqVT2U= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IEo4JDpA8ZfCGFJZZdnpu7l0CXngs9+t/A6fMaWCMNNgh1GkQLYxUA7ylVNva+xCD80DHEr4Qps+piqNs730Vw= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:5a65:b0:9a1:f81f:d0d5 with SMTP id my37-20020a1709065a6500b009a1f81fd0d5mr2599868ejc.54.1695942593390; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:09:53 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:09:37 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000d6abe306067367c3" Subject: [Salon] With the Waffen-SS against Russia X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 23:09:55 -0000 --000000000000d6abe306067367c3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable *https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/news/detail/9359 * *With the Waffen-SS against Russia*Scandal of applause for Waffen-SS'ler in Canada's parliament leads to first consequences. Waffen-SS'ler are also publicly honored in the Baltic States. Berlin rejects UN resolution against "chlorification of Nazism." *28 SEP 2023* Participants in the war of annihilation *The scandal surrounding the roaring applause for the former Waffen-SS man Jaroslaw Hunka in the Canadian parliament continues to make waves. Hunka was officially welcomed as a guest on Friday last week on the occasion of an appearance by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the parliament in Ottawa; the speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, paid tribute to him with the words that the 98-year-old was "a Ukrainian-Canadian veteran from World War II" who had "fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians" "and continued to support the troops today." 1] Rota emphasized: "He is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service." Hunka was then honored with standing ovations by the Canadian Parliament and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This happened, although no great historical knowledge is required to guess that a Ukrainian who fought against the Soviet Union ("Russians") in World War II did so alongside Nazi Germany. Hunka was a volunteer in 1943 in the 14th. Waffen-Grenadier-Division of the SS (Waffen-SS-Division Galicia) and had participated as a member of the unit in the German war of annihilation against the Soviet Union - including war crimes.* Massacre of Polish civilians *Hunka's appearance and the roarous applause for him are now leading to the first consequences - after protests by Jewish organizations, including the friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies and B'nai B'rith Canada. Parliament spokesman Rota resigned on Tuesday after a long period of reflection. Prime Minister Trudeau has so far been content with the statement that he was "deeply ashamed" about the incident. 2] In Poland, Education Minister Przemys=C5=82aw Czarnek announced on Tuesday tha= t he had asked the Institute for National Remembrance (Instytut Pami=C4=99ci Narodowej, IPN) to "urgently check" whether Hunka was suspected of having committed crimes against Polish citizens, including Jewish faith, during World War II. If there are "signs of such crimes", then Warsaw will apply to the Canadian authorities for his extradition in order to be able to put him on trial. 3] The Waffen-SS Division Galicia has actually committed massacres of Polish civilians, among others, for example on the 28th. February 1944 in the village of Huta Pieniacka, where, according to different estimates, she murdered between 500 and 800 Poles. Their participation in several other massacres, in which countless Poles were killed, is historically proven.* Safe haven for Nazi criminals *The background for Hunka's appearance in parliament in Ottawa is not least that Canada has become a refuge for large parts of the Ukrainian Nazi collaboration after the Second World War. Although Canada officially refused entry to members of the Waffen-SS, it granted the Waffen-SS Division Galicia an exception in principle in 1950. 4] In 1986, an official investigation came to the remarkable conclusion that "accusations of war crimes" against the division were "never" adequately justified. Critics classified Canada as a safe "port for Nazi criminals" years ago. 5] The alleged war criminals who were never convicted also included Ukrainians, including Ukrainian members of the Waffen-SS.* Honorary commemoration *The scandal surrounding the applause of the Canadian parliament for Hunka reminds us that members of different units of the Waffen-SS are still honored in various European countries - especially in Eastern Europe. In the west of Ukraine, for example, in the summer of 2013, a deputy of the later Kiev ruling party Swoboda took part in a commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Waffen-SS Division Galicia.[ 6] After further commemorations for the division were held in Western Ukraine for several years - where the form of Ukrainian nationalism, shaped by the fascist and Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, is particularly strongly anchored - marched on the 28th. April 2021 for the first time hundreds through Kiev to commemorate the founding of the Waffen-SS unit in 1943. 7]* "Hardly afraid of contact" *Members of the Waffen-SS are also honored in the Baltic States. In Estonia, for example, a number of monuments have been erected since the 1990s, which are in praise of Estonian volunteers of the Waffen-SS. International attention was attracted, for example, by a memorial stone in the Estonian village of Mustla, to which Alfons Rebane is dedicated, an Estonian who rose to the standard leader of the Waffen-SS and continued the fight against the Soviet Union after the end of the Second World War, but now underground. In 1961 he fled to the Federal Republic. The daily newspaper Die Welt stated a few years ago that "in Estonia as in the other two Baltic states Lithuania and Latvia" "the fear of contact with the Waffen-SS ... is currently low": "Much more important" the joint positioning "against the big and aggressive neighbor Russia" appears to many activists on the ground today. 8] In Latvia, on the other hand, a public memorial march is held every year in honor of the Latvian members of the Waffen-SS; the youngest took place on the 16th. March of this year.[ 9] There, too, the Nazi collaborators enjoy appreciation as the most determined fighters against the Soviet Union or against Russia.* Champion for Western values *In Germany, this has been leading for some time to the fact that the federal government officially turns to a softer attitude towards organizations of the Nazi collaboration, including the Waffen-SS. This is reflected in the regular votes of the UN General Assembly on resolutions that speak out against any "glorification of Nazism" and in which also the honor or Include glorification, among other things, of the Waffen-SS. For years, the Federal Government could not bring itself to support the resolution, but abstained from the vote - on the grounds that the wording assumed "persons who campaigned for the independence of the Baltic states from the Soviet Union in the 1940s, a general connection to the National Socialist crimes." 10] In November last year, Berlin even explicitly refused to condemn the "glorification of Nazism." The background to this was the Ukraine war. A total of 52 states voted no - including almost all, which usually proudly stage themselves as champions for "Western values." 11]* *[1] Isabel van Brugen: Who is Yaroslav Hunka? Ukrainian With Nazi Past Honored in Canada. newsweek.com 25.09.2023.* *[2] Josh Kaplan: Justin Trudeau 'deeply embarrassed' after hosting Nazi in Canadian parliament. thejc.com 26.09.2023.* *[3] Claudia Chiappa, Kyle Duggan: Poland seeks extradition of Ukrainian SS veteran who was applauded in Canada. politico.eu 26.09.2023.* *[4] Tristin Hopper: Canada's long history of soft-pedalling the Ukrainian Waffen-SS Galicia Division. nationalpost.com 25.09.2023.* *[5] Anthony Depalma: Canada Called Haven for Nazi Criminals. nytimes.com 03.02.1997.* *[6] Nils Casjens: Deputy of Ukrainian governing party honors Waffen-SS. daserste.ndr.de 07.03.2014.* *[7] Bernhard Clasen: With SS symbols and Hitler salute. taz.de 29.04.2021.* *[8] Sven Felix Kellerhoff: Can an Estonian SS officer be honored? welt.de 25.06.2018. S. From perpetrators, victims and collaborators (III). * *[9] March 16 parade takes place in Riga. eng.lsm.lv 16.03.2023. S. also The commemoration of the military .* *[10] Written questions with the in the week of the 8th Responses received from the Federal Government in December 2014. German Bundestag, printed matter 18/3519. Berlin, 12.12.2014. S. The commemoration of the soldiers .* *[11] Les D=C3=A9codeurs: Why France and 51 other countries voted against U= N resolution condemning Nazism. lemonde.fr 09.11.2022.* --000000000000d6abe306067367c3 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
https://www= .german-foreign-policy.com/news/detail/9359

With the Waffen-SS agai= nst Russia
Scandal= of applause for Waffen-SS'ler in Canada's parliament leads to firs= t consequences. Waffen-SS'ler are also publicly honored in the Baltic S= tates. Berlin rejects UN resolution against "chlorification of Nazism.= "
28=C2=A0 SEP 2023
Participants in the war of annihilation
The scandal surrounding the roaring applause for the former Waffen-SS ma= n Jaroslaw Hunka in the Canadian parliament continues to make waves. Hunka = was officially welcomed as a guest on Friday last week on the occasion of a= n appearance by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the parl= iament in Ottawa; the speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, paid t= ribute to him with the words that the 98-year-old was "a Ukrainian-Can= adian veteran from World War II" who had "fought for Ukrainian in= dependence against the Russians" "and continued to support the tr= oops today." 1] Rota emphasized: "He is a Ukrainian hero, a Canad= ian hero, and we thank him for all his service." Hunka was then honore= d with standing ovations by the Canadian Parliament and Prime Minister Just= in Trudeau. This happened, although no great historical knowledge is requir= ed to guess that a Ukrainian who fought against the Soviet Union ("Rus= sians") in World War II did so alongside Nazi Germany. Hunka was a vol= unteer in 1943 in the 14th. Waffen-Grenadier-Division of the SS (Waffen-SS-= Division Galicia) and had participated as a member of the unit in the Germa= n war of annihilation against the Soviet Union - including war crimes.
Massacre of Polish civilians
Hunka's appearance and the roarous applause for him are now leadi= ng to the first consequences - after protests by Jewish organizations, incl= uding the friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies and = B'nai B'rith Canada. Parliament spokesman Rota resigned on Tuesday = after a long period of reflection. Prime Minister Trudeau has so far been c= ontent with the statement that he was "deeply ashamed" about the = incident. 2] In Poland, Education Minister Przemys=C5=82aw Czarnek announce= d on Tuesday that he had asked the Institute for National Remembrance (Inst= ytut Pami=C4=99ci Narodowej, IPN) to "urgently check" whether Hun= ka was suspected of having committed crimes against Polish citizens, includ= ing Jewish faith, during World War II. If there are "signs of such cri= mes", then Warsaw will apply to the Canadian authorities for his extra= dition in order to be able to put him on trial. 3] The Waffen-SS Division G= alicia has actually committed massacres of Polish civilians, among others, = for example on the 28th. February 1944 in the village of Huta Pieniacka, wh= ere, according to different estimates, she murdered between 500 and 800 Pol= es. Their participation in several other massacres, in which countless Pole= s were killed, is historically proven.
Sa= fe haven for Nazi criminals
The background for Hunka&= #39;s appearance in parliament in Ottawa is not least that Canada has becom= e a refuge for large parts of the Ukrainian Nazi collaboration after the Se= cond World War. Although Canada officially refused entry to members of the = Waffen-SS, it granted the Waffen-SS Division Galicia an exception in princi= ple in 1950. 4] In 1986, an official investigation came to the remarkable c= onclusion that "accusations of war crimes" against the division w= ere "never" adequately justified. Critics classified Canada as a = safe "port for Nazi criminals" years ago. 5] The alleged war crim= inals who were never convicted also included Ukrainians, including Ukrainia= n members of the Waffen-SS.
Honorary comm= emoration
The scandal surrounding the applause of the= Canadian parliament for Hunka reminds us that members of different units o= f the Waffen-SS are still honored in various European countries - especiall= y in Eastern Europe. In the west of Ukraine, for example, in the summer of = 2013, a deputy of the later Kiev ruling party Swoboda took part in a commem= oration of the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Waffen-SS Division G= alicia.[ 6] After further commemorations for the division were held in West= ern Ukraine for several years - where the form of Ukrainian nationalism, sh= aped by the fascist and Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, is particularly s= trongly anchored - marched on the 28th. April 2021 for the first time hundr= eds through Kiev to commemorate the founding of the Waffen-SS unit in 1943.= 7]
"Hardly afraid of contact"<= /font>
Members of the Waffen-SS are also honored in the Balt= ic States. In Estonia, for example, a number of monuments have been erected= since the 1990s, which are in praise of Estonian volunteers of the Waffen-= SS. International attention was attracted, for example, by a memorial stone= in the Estonian village of Mustla, to which Alfons Rebane is dedicated, an= Estonian who rose to the standard leader of the Waffen-SS and continued th= e fight against the Soviet Union after the end of the Second World War, but= now underground. In 1961 he fled to the Federal Republic. The daily newspa= per Die Welt stated a few years ago that "in Estonia as in the other t= wo Baltic states Lithuania and Latvia" "the fear of contact with = the Waffen-SS ... is currently low": "Much more important" t= he joint positioning "against the big and aggressive neighbor Russia&q= uot; appears to many activists on the ground today. 8] In Latvia, on the ot= her hand, a public memorial march is held every year in honor of the Latvia= n members of the Waffen-SS; the youngest took place on the 16th. March of t= his year.[ 9] There, too, the Nazi collaborators enjoy appreciation as the = most determined fighters against the Soviet Union or against Russia.=
Champion for Western values
In Germany, this has been leading for some time to the fact that the fed= eral government officially turns to a softer attitude towards organizations= of the Nazi collaboration, including the Waffen-SS. This is reflected in t= he regular votes of the UN General Assembly on resolutions that speak out a= gainst any "glorification of Nazism" and in which also the honor = or Include glorification, among other things, of the Waffen-SS. For years, = the Federal Government could not bring itself to support the resolution, bu= t abstained from the vote - on the grounds that the wording assumed "p= ersons who campaigned for the independence of the Baltic states from the So= viet Union in the 1940s, a general connection to the National Socialist cri= mes." 10] In November last year, Berlin even explicitly refused to con= demn the "glorification of Nazism." The background to this was th= e Ukraine war. A total of 52 states voted no - including almost all, which = usually proudly stage themselves as champions for "Western values.&quo= t; 11]
[1] Isabel van Brugen: Who is Yaroslav Hunk= a? Ukrainian With Nazi Past Honored in Canada. newsweek.com 25.09.2023.
[2] Josh Kaplan: Justin Trudeau 'deeply embarrassed' after hosti= ng Nazi in Canadian parliament. thejc.com 26.09.2023.
[3] Claudia Chiappa,= Kyle Duggan: Poland seeks extradition of Ukrainian SS veteran who was appl= auded in Canada. politico.= eu 26.09.2023.
[4] Tristin Hopper: Canada'= s long history of soft-pedalling the Ukrainian Waffen-SS Galicia Division. = nationalpost.com = 25.09.2023.
[5] Anthony Depalma: Canada Called Hav= en for Nazi Criminals. nyt= imes.com 03.02.1997.
[6] Nils Casjens: Deputy = of Ukrainian governing party honors Waffen-SS. daserste.ndr.de 07.03.2014.
[7] Bernhard Clasen: With SS symbols and Hitler salute. taz.de 29.04.2021.
[8] Sven Felix Kellerhoff: Can an Estonian SS officer be honored? welt.de 25.06.2018. S.= =C2=A0From p= erpetrators, victims and collaborators (III).
= [9] March 16 parade takes place in Riga. eng.lsm.lv 16.03.2023. S. also=C2=A0The commemoration of the m= ilitary.
[10] Written questions with the in th= e week of the 8th Responses received from the Federal Government in Decembe= r 2014. German Bundestag, printed matter 18/3519. Berlin, 12.12.2014. S.=C2=A0The= commemoration of the soldiers.
[11] Les D=C3= =A9codeurs: Why France and 51 other countries voted against UN resolution c= ondemning Nazism. lemonde.f= r 09.11.2022.

--000000000000d6abe306067367c3-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 17:31:43 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4ADB7B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:31:43 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 4ADB7B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="cnCcXpOG" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 3EEB3BD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:31:43 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ed1-f53.google.com (mail-ed1-f53.google.com [209.85.208.53]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 1092EBD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:31:43 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ed1-f53.google.com with SMTP id 4fb4d7f45d1cf-533cbbd0153so13714115a12.0 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:31:42 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695947501; x=1696552301; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=9gnpuZ5oIO2ZIZFNAPYNnJaPRebtm9RXUXBRCekX7xM=; b=cnCcXpOGZQJMysxjjujDOIG/R+RNwLTg5D/3ioJsoEiyuLuE1B+V6z4BvLLqcvcUjH xxnIh+K6V5oj69KhXIFGYOT0GfRRVtMLNu9dDybEYYonGnjA9Xi5fY+kShe6cxZirOXA PMV8gDEtfvTdF1rlFHq0e/xEQit/PEscPrJBW6i6mJ1Qgte5Y3YTj0mCbysc3/JV0wgc upoZQ+eKzTwm6N6xv6iEhCROIBwyo1YYHaDYrGSUVXQq/MSXczOwF+fUKeVxw4jhvHX9 VYd3GChoCP6Qt+zjQnUeiyFhOvCT0OzQWNw8OyhIZfT6CToZKM5WV4k/GHKKzzF4VqLA jtdQ== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695947501; x=1696552301; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=9gnpuZ5oIO2ZIZFNAPYNnJaPRebtm9RXUXBRCekX7xM=; b=QtqiLySdrn+JY8FhKxdOykV6wDeNjrAgLdhiCgl+13zMUoX0GQ95IY/bcACDPp9/0h WWDxfj6wFG1wbG6mItzNANI95MGXP7XuH8uHsd3q5RWmGUpZGiwxHQrzh7uw0Dj4dFis Urse4pivPZMovF43J83Q0zEq5QBMPPw/R/XkdSh4QT2nj/9Dw72IogEKSGX8daaqrO8G yazHFjzR4QuZHwWzju+mj3JrJ+eo64a1NKNQlFCCnnudoOIZJOEf0YytmQG1uySyiwhb 949SbrTxV5QDYoPmryrC6JiN7mSDHnQ8x3QPwQo3Wdy8Qp83B12fau5zQUFEiBJCKLWz MKNw== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YwOITJ8KRdMmPlfAgiwmoJxZd7fTdqz4K2pA9RJtrVZ0MMuhdlA MgD7Kpb9dUmBxBDZWmCqPZVbDfU/fRg5YYKICjHtD+3ER18= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IF2jsfv6yZooIK5Fo1rpmLsU2XjDoPzNXR7ActABg+qtgUiHYYurUlpUpC6nzQvRG6Rpr/HU6eEN7YmxVwTObo= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:8454:b0:9b2:b99b:943 with SMTP id e20-20020a170906845400b009b2b99b0943mr2485125ejy.34.1695947501181; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:31:41 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 20:31:24 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000005da0200606748cb3" Subject: [Salon] Taiwan unveils first domestically built submarine as China threat grows X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:31:43 -0000 --0000000000005da0200606748cb3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/28/asia/taiwan-celebrates-submarine-constructio= n-intl-hnk/index.html Taiwan unveils first domestically built submarine as China threat grows Eric Cheung [image: 230928132811-05-taiwan-submarine-launch.jpg] Kaohsiung, Taiwan CNN =E2=80=94 none Taiwan unveiled its first-ever domestically built submarine on Thursday, an accomplishment the island democracy=E2=80=99s leader hailed as a significan= t milestone as Taipei works to boost its military deterrence in the face of a growing threat from Beijing. President Tsai Ing-wen presided over a ceremony at the submarine=E2=80=99s = shipyard in southern Kaohsiung city where the diesel-electric vessel was officially named =E2=80=9CNarwhal=E2=80=9D in English and =E2=80=9CHai Kun=E2=80=9D in= Mandarin =E2=80=93 which can be loosely translated as =E2=80=9Csea monster=E2=80=9D. =E2=80=9CThe submarine is an important realization of our concrete commitme= nt in defending our country,=E2=80=9D Tsai said. =E2=80=9CIt is also important eq= uipment for our naval forces in developing asymmetric warfare strategies.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CIn the past, many people thought building an indigenous submarine = would be an impossible task. But we have made it,=E2=80=9D she added. The ceremony was a significant personal moment for Tsai, who launched a flagship defense policy to build the first domestic submarine shortly after taking office in 2016. [image: Taiwan's president gives a speech at the launch ceremony of Taiwan's first domestically built submarine, in Kaohsiung on September 28.] Taiwanese defense chiefs hope the submarines would help to make it far harder for a potential invasion by China, which claims the island as its territory and has ramped up its saber-rattling in recent years. Journalists were given a tour inside the submarine=E2=80=99s shipyard but w= ere not allowed to take close-up photos for security reasons. Details about the ship=E2=80=99s size or capability were also not disclosed= during the ceremony, which was also attended by Sandra Oudkirk, Washington=E2=80= =99s de facto ambassador to Taiwan, as well as the representatives from the Japanese and South Korean missions in Taipei. Tsai said the indigenous submarine project was =E2=80=9Ca top priority=E2= =80=9D of her administration. With the addition of =E2=80=9CNarwhal=E2=80=9D, Taiwan will have a total of= three submarines by 2025 =E2=80=93 it already has two Dutch-made submarines that = were first commissioned in the 1980s. Taiwan previously has said it plans to build a total of eight indigenous submarines. Asked about the new submarine at a monthly press briefing on Thursday, China=E2=80=99s Defense Ministry likened the vessel to =E2=80=9Ca mantis tr= ying to stop a chariot=E2=80=9D, invoking a common Chinese idiom. Taiwan's military is preparing in case China attacks. See how 02:57 - Source: CNN Defending the first island chain In an internal briefing attended by CNN last week, Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, an adviser of Taiwan=E2=80=99s National Security Council and a leader of th= e indigenous submarine project, said the new fleet will play a key role in preventing Beijing from conducting a naval blockade of the island. While the Taiwan Strait might be too shallow for submarines to operate in, the vessels could be most useful when deployed to target Chinese warships in the Bashi channel =E2=80=93 which separates Taiwan from the Philippines = =E2=80=93 and the waters between Taiwan and Japan=E2=80=99s westernmost islands, he said. Because China=E2=80=99s access to the Pacific Ocean is limited by the first= island chain =E2=80=93 which includes Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines =E2=80=93 = its naval forces would need to pass through these two strategic points to gain access to the wider ocean. [image: Dozens of naval officers at the submarine's shipyard welcome President Tsai Ing-wen to the launch ceremony in Kaohsiung on September 28.= ] Therefore, Huang said, Taiwan can help limit China=E2=80=99s projection of = military power by deploying its submarines there. In the event of a military conflict, the Chinese navy =E2=80=9Cwill definit= ely want to enter the area to the east of Taiwan so as to surround us and limit the US=E2=80=99 ability to intervene,=E2=80=9D Huang told the briefing. =E2=80=9CBecause submarines can operate deep under water and are hard to de= tect, they have a better chance of getting close to (Chinese) aircraft carriers= =E2=80=9D and launching attacks. That assessment was shared by Collin Koh, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, who said the new submarine fleet would help Taiwan build a =E2=80=9Cmore credible second-str= ike capability.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CChina has a lot of focus on countering what they see as potential = US military intervention, and it has planned for a major naval engagement with the US outside the first island chain, around the Philippine Sea,=E2=80=9D = he said. =E2=80=9CIf the Taiwanese want to contribute to that, then one way to do th= at is to bottle up the PLA Navy within the first island chain, don=E2=80=99t allow i= t come out and help the US military intervention become successful,=E2=80=9D he ad= ded. Admiral Huang also said the submarines are designed with the capability of carrying US-made MK-48 torpedoes, which can be used to target surface ships. A challenging journey Taiwan has increasingly emphasized a policy of defense self-sufficiency, which has seen the island ramp up its domestic weapons development to modernize its armed forces and be less reliant on overseas procurement. Tsai took office at a time when Taiwan had been struggling to persuade the United States and European nations to sell the island big ticket military hardware items. That has become less of an issue in recent years as Beijing ramps up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taipei and the United States in particular has signed off on a slew of large military sales under President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump. But Taiwan=E2=80=99s indigenous military procurement program remains a lync= hpin of its defense strategy, particularly when it comes to systems like anti-ship missiles that could defend against a potential invasion. [image: A video showing the submarine's construction and testing is shown during the launch ceremony in Kaohsiung on September 28.] In March, CNN visited a Taiwanese state-owned military weapons developer , as it unveiled five new types of indigenous military drones that are capable of surveillance and launching aerial attacks. Taiwan=E2=80=99s success in building its first submarine could help allevia= te some concerns over its military preparedness as Beijing increasingly asserts its territorial claims over the island democracy of 23.5 million. China=E2=80=99s ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territor= y , despite having never controlled it. Beijing has long vowed that the island must be =E2=80=9Cunified=E2=80=9D with the Chinese mainland, by force if ne= cessary, while the Taiwanese authorities strongly reject China=E2=80=99s territorial claim= s over it. Beijing has ramped pressure on Taiwan under Xi Jinping, China=E2=80=99s mos= t assertive leader in a generation. In recent years Chinese fighter jets, bombers and surveillance aircraft have conducted an ever growing number of sorties around the island, while Chinese warships have crossed the unofficial Median Line that runs down the Taiwan Strait with growing frequency. Last summer China=E2=80=99s military launched massive drills to protest a v= isit to Taiwan by then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. [image: Taiwan has unveiled its first domestically built submarine, 'Narwhal,' at a shipyard in Kaohsiung.] At the internal briefing, Admiral Huang said Taiwan first attempted to build a new submarine fleet when former president Lee Teng-hui founded a task force in 1995, but faced difficulties as the US was reluctant to sell its submarines to the island. The project formally began in 2016, after Tsai took office. He said the process of building Taiwan=E2=80=99s first submarine had been v= ery challenging due to budget limitations, delays resulting from a global chip shortage, and concerns over possible Chinese espionage. The project involved a total of 1,003 Taiwanese personnel, most of which were involved in designing the submarine=E2=80=99s blueprint, Huang said. T= he personnel were all subject to monitoring by a military security division to ensure no secrets were leaked. Huang said he was given a budget of $1.54 billion (NT$49.36 billion) to build the first ship. About 60% of the budget was spent on acquiring overseas materials and military equipment, but he believed that percentage would decrease in the future as Taiwan=E2=80=99s domestic submarine shipbui= lding industry becomes more mature. He declined to disclose which countries approved export permits for Taiwan but said he had reached out to senior military leaders in the US Pacific Fleet, Japan, South Korea and India. After the submarine was unveiled, it will enter sea trials next month before entering service next year. --0000000000005da0200606748cb3 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

https://www.cnn.co= m/2023/09/28/asia/taiwan-celebrates-submarine-construction-intl-hnk/index.h= tml

=20
Taiwan unveils first = domestically built submarine as China threat grows
Eric Cheung
=

Kaohsiung, Taiwan CNN =C2=A0=E2=80=94=C2=A0 none

Taiwan unveiled its first-ever domestically built submarine on=20 Thursday, an accomplishment the island democracy=E2=80=99s leader hailed as= a=20 significant milestone as Taipei works to boost its military deterrence in the face of a growing th= reat from Beijing.=20

President Tsai Ing-wen presided over a ceremony at the submarine=E2= =80=99s shipyard in southern Kaohsiung city where the diesel-electric vessel=20 was officially named =E2=80=9CNarwhal=E2=80=9D in English and =E2=80=9CHai = Kun=E2=80=9D in Mandarin =E2=80=93=20 which can be loosely translated as =E2=80=9Csea monster=E2=80=9D.=20

=E2=80=9CThe submarine is an important realization of our concrete=20 commitment in defending our country,=E2=80=9D Tsai said. =E2=80=9CIt is als= o important=20 equipment for our naval forces in developing asymmetric warfare=20 strategies.=E2=80=9D=20

=E2=80=9CIn the past, many people thought building an indigenous subm= arine would be an impossible task. But we have made it,=E2=80=9D she added.=20

The ceremony was a significant personal moment for Tsai, who=20 launched a flagship defense policy to build the first domestic submarine shortly after taking office in 2016.=20

=20

=20 =20 =20

Taiwanese defense chiefs hope the submarines would help to make it far harder for a potential invasion by China, which claims the island=20 as its territory and has ramped up its saber-rattling in recent years.

Journalists were given a tour inside the submarine=E2=80=99s shipyard= but=20 were not allowed to take close-up photos for security reasons. =20

Details about the ship=E2=80=99s size or capability were also not=20 disclosed during the ceremony, which was also attended by Sandra=20 Oudkirk, Washington=E2=80=99s de facto ambassador to Taiwan, as well as the= =20 representatives from the Japanese and South Korean missions in Taipei.=20

Tsai said the indigenous submarine project was =E2=80=9Ca top priorit= y=E2=80=9D of her administration.=20

With the addition of =E2=80=9CNarwhal=E2=80=9D, Taiwan will have a to= tal of three=20 submarines by 2025 =E2=80=93 it already has two Dutch-made submarines that = were=20 first commissioned in the 1980s.=20

Tai= wan previously has said it plans to build a total of eight indigenous s= ubmarines.

Asked about the new submarine at a monthly press briefing on=20 Thursday, China=E2=80=99s Defense Ministry likened the vessel to =E2=80=9Ca= mantis=20 trying to stop a chariot=E2=80=9D, invoking a common Chinese idiom. =20
=20 =20 =20
=20 =20

Taiwan's military is prepar= ing in case China attacks. See how

02:57 - Source: CNN

Defending the first island chain

In an internal briefing attended by CNN last week, Admiral Huang=20 Shu-kuang, an adviser of Taiwan=E2=80=99s National Security Council and a l= eader of the indigenous submarine project, said the new fleet will play a key role in preventing Beijing from conducting a naval blockade of the=20 island.

While the Taiwan Strait might be too shallow for submarines to=20 operate in, the vessels could be most useful when deployed to target=20 Chinese warships in the Bashi channel =E2=80=93 which separates Taiwan from= the=20 Philippines =E2=80=93 and the waters between Taiwan and Japan=E2=80=99s wes= ternmost=20 islands, he said.

Because China=E2=80=99s access to the Pacific Ocean is limited by the= =20 first island chain =E2=80=93 which includes Japan, Taiwan and the Philippin= es =E2=80=93=20 its naval forces would need to pass through these two strategic points=20 to gain access to the wider ocean.

=20

=20 =20 =20

Therefore, Huang said, Taiwan can help limit China=E2=80=99s projecti= on of military power by deploying its submarines there.

In the event of a military conflict, the Chinese navy =E2=80=9Cwill= =20 definitely want to enter the area to the east of Taiwan so as to=20 surround us and limit the US=E2=80=99 ability to intervene,=E2=80=9D Huang = told the=20 briefing.=20

=E2=80=9CBecause submarines can operate deep under water and are hard= to=20 detect, they have a better chance of getting close to (Chinese) aircraft carriers=E2=80=9D and launching attacks.

That assessment was shared by Collin Koh, senior fellow at the S.=20 Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, who said the=20 new submarine fleet would help Taiwan build a =E2=80=9Cmore credible=20 second-strike capability.=E2=80=9D
=20
=E2=80=9CChina has a lot of focus on countering what they see as pote= ntial US military intervention, and it has planned for a major naval=20 engagement with the US outside the first island chain, around the=20 Philippine Sea,=E2=80=9D he said.

=E2=80=9CIf the Taiwanese want to contribute to that, then one way to= do=20 that is to bottle up the PLA Navy within the first island chain, don=E2=80= =99t=20 allow it come out and help the US military intervention become=20 successful,=E2=80=9D he added.

Admiral Huang also said the submarines are designed with the=20 capability of carrying US-made MK-48 torpedoes, which can be used to=20 target surface ships.=20

A challenging journey

Taiwan has increasingly emphasized a policy of defense=20 self-sufficiency, which has seen the island ramp up its domestic weapons development to modernize its armed forces and be less reliant on=20 overseas procurement.

Tsai took office at a time when Taiwan had been struggling to=20 persuade the United States and European nations to sell the island big=20 ticket military hardware items.=20

That has become less of an issue in recent years as Beijing ramps=20 up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taipei and the United=20 States in particular has signed off on a slew of large military sales under President Joe Biden= and his predecessor Donald Trump.

But Taiwan=E2=80=99s indigenous military procurement program remains = a=20 lynchpin of its defense strategy, particularly when it comes to systems=20 like anti-ship missiles that could defend against a potential invasion.=20

=20

=20 =20 =20

In March, CNN visited = a Taiwanese state-owned military weapons developer, as it unveiled five= new types of indigenous military drones that are capable of surveillance a= nd launching aerial attacks.=20

Taiwan=E2=80=99s success in building its first submarine could help= =20 alleviate some concerns over its military preparedness as Beijing=20 increasingly asserts its territorial claims over the island democracy of 23.5 million.

China=E2=80=99s ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it. Beijing has long vowed that the=20 island must be =E2=80=9Cunified=E2=80=9D with the Chinese mainland, by forc= e if=20 necessary, while the Taiwanese authorities strongly reject China=E2=80=99s= =20 territorial claims over it.

Beijing has ramped pressure on Taiwan under Xi Jinping, China=E2=80= =99s most assertive leader in a generation.=20
=20
In recent years Chinese fighter jets, bombers and surveillance=20 aircraft have conducted an ever growing number of sorties around the=20 island, while Chinese warships have crossed the unofficial Median Line=20 that runs down the Taiwan Strait with growing frequency.=20

Last summer China=E2=80=99s military launched massive drills to prote= st a visit to Taiwan by then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.=20

=20

=20 =20 =20

At the internal briefing, Admiral Huang said Taiwan first=20 attempted to build a new submarine fleet when former president Lee=20 Teng-hui founded a task force in 1995, but faced difficulties as the US=20 was reluctant to sell its submarines to the island.=20

The project formally began in 2016, after Tsai took office.

He said the process of building Taiwan=E2=80=99s first submarine had = been=20 very challenging due to budget limitations, delays resulting from a=20 global chip shortage, and concerns over possible Chinese espionage.
=20
The project involved a total of 1,003 Taiwanese personnel, most of which were involved in designing the submarine=E2=80=99s blueprint, Huang = said. The personnel were all subject to monitoring by a military security=20 division to ensure no secrets were leaked.

Huang said he was given a budget of $1.54 billion (NT$49.36=20 billion) to build the first ship. About 60% of the budget was spent on=20 acquiring overseas materials and military equipment, but he believed=20 that percentage would decrease in the future as Taiwan=E2=80=99s domestic= =20 submarine shipbuilding industry becomes more mature.

He declined to disclose which countries approved export permits=20 for Taiwan but said he had reached out to senior military leaders in the US Pacific Fleet, Japan, South Korea and India.

After the submarine was unveiled, it will enter sea trials next month= before entering service next year.

--0000000000005da0200606748cb3-- From cwfresidence@gmail.com Thu Sep 28 17:38:50 2023 Return-Path: X-Original-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Delivered-To: salon@mlm2.listserve.net Received: from mlm0.listserve.net (mlm0.listserve.net [161.35.233.68]) by mlm2.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1CF02B0852 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:38:50 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 1CF02B0852 Authentication-Results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="Z+yB8t9z" Received: by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) id 10733BD23A; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:38:50 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: salon@listserve.com Received: from mail-ej1-f44.google.com (mail-ej1-f44.google.com [209.85.218.44]) by mlm0.listserve.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id C6185BD237 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:38:49 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-ej1-f44.google.com with SMTP id a640c23a62f3a-99bf3f59905so1770520866b.3 for ; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:38:49 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20230601; t=1695947928; x=1696552728; darn=listserve.com; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=uRyW9m7oHqdCkJN1wdD8O7+znXadQObRt4uJKhn5unA=; b=Z+yB8t9zRIQbx3c+LKXnpFTShPQy9TYiWdVxa+NCZszHcfsptCYS1rgUxzD9mdFI3D dIGknNWYtR4Ni8L5wR5zk3nmpE+UydCCxmB2U7QsczU0Xk7DBAiqYt4/flyy9uuGZETn DQErtexPXZTd9PgUk6x9LKAR6SVGAgNNfzhag9Vmz6rSeiBVWms9cI5zIoSS85aUR+Q8 4M7hF2rA7AR+jZXCLUTWpai7VRqdYTJEMm3DpBdjAC++G+1pXUB0aLl5bQTBnvlStQm7 fCK+jRT71QaFIYhyg7GmUzmwF8JwqEx/6ymxDhzQAiKPxb+rjKyRDbbK2SVVQQHWv+56 Bquw== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1695947928; x=1696552728; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=uRyW9m7oHqdCkJN1wdD8O7+znXadQObRt4uJKhn5unA=; b=MaOk4BiB3DA+htO8oyPvNpwulierTOvNZPZr8UGbvHreF/plT2Hy0kMQyEIwvXfevz VVUrnqLv5jxBD18HqonyF/wrYZhKwixWoWwKyYvMaViPI3DwaaznreLZeCRV86sgpfsp GLaOCSnTweNcOJYo8UM6T0fwWLse2efI2mwC86Fh1XCbW5FjpvTV0In8O9quiImN+T77 5Rjp4ac+K28o5MHR416SmHzcxjsbNyXdmcmYI+7ZeRKe5n/cm+j/+EI5FTmlhrddJ0qG Bf3eiBaGzK8+pcDgsNIDM1NEXl28CFFOoqk4+d1hBWeT9THb2Pri+vBzMVT9GWq1SKx3 pOeA== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0Yyz0LngkvTvioW+wroe/qpgnN/XnAVWROh0r5+dyCpfifaUJrnf qylikU+U1t8Dci3+oKDZZG5t/qWGYK67UJGGHz3N8mj7bQ8= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IHD6OrzRqXJPC53R7mVBRLOIkLKFXfNak4xHklJWcSgpbYZLR8j+5oH3X4xAwRyBH2u1MrZdKT9GUUOwopCuls= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:8469:b0:9ae:724f:2f97 with SMTP id hx9-20020a170906846900b009ae724f2f97mr2609216ejc.56.1695947927571; Thu, 28 Sep 2023 17:38:47 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Chas Freeman Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 20:38:31 -0400 Message-ID: To: salon@listserve.com Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000c7d354060674a53e" Subject: [Salon] The new Iran-Iraq railway, a track to prosperity and markets X-BeenThere: salon@listserve.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.33 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion List for the Committee For The Republic List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:38:50 -0000 --000000000000c7d354060674a53e Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable *https://new.thecradle.co/articles/the-new-iran-iraq-railway-a-track-to-pro= sperity-and-markets * September 27, 2023 *The new Iran-Iraq railway, a track to prosperity and markets*After decades of setbacks, the upcoming integration of Iraq and Iran's railways promises to boost bilateral trade, religious and cultural tourism, and economic prosperity - with significant regional and global implications. *The groundbreaking cross-border railway project connecting Shalamcheh in Iran to Basra in Iraq relaunched on 2 September.* *The news came a belated 46 years after it was first announced in 1978 - a year before Iran's Islamic Revolution took the world by storm. * *In the aftermath of the revolution, and because of the outbreak of the subsequent Iran=E2=80=93Iraq War (1980-88), the railway initiative remained= on hold for several decades. Although the project would have reaped significant benefits for both countries - spurring successive governments to pursue its completion - it is Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani who managed to strike the deal.* *At the railway's inauguration ceremony, Sudani helped lay the project's foundation stone alongside Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who said the completion of the project would significantly boost trade exchanges between the two countries by connecting their respective railway systems and aligning these with international transport routes.* *Map of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway* *Tourism and trade relations* *Upon its completion in two years, the Shalamcheh-Basra Railway will span 32 kilometers, include three stations, and a bridge connecting Iran with Iraq across the Shatt al-Arab - all constructed with Iran's support. * *Maytham al-Safi, information director at Iraq's Ministry of Transport, tells The Cradlethat "the railway line will eventually link to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala" in order to facilitate the transportation of pilgrims visiting shrine cities to and from Iraq.* *Iraq and Iran share a border that stretches approximately 1600 kilometers, as well as numerous religious, cultural, and tourism similarities. Each year, around 3 million Iranians make pilgrimages to the Shia holy shrines in Iraq, while 2 to 3 million Iraqis visit Iran , home to the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad and the influential Qom seminary. * *In 2018, about 24 percent of all tourists visiting Iran came from Iraq, the largest of any country. Iran also boasts a significant health tourism industry - ranking 46th globally - and Iraqis constitute the second-largest group of health tourists to Iran after Afghanistan.* *Despite these significant cultural ties, the volume of trade between the two countries has remained dismal. Even in the most optimistic scenario, Tehran and Baghdad have achieved only 50 percent of their targeted $20 billion in trade . * *Several factors have contributed to this: a decline in electricity trade; reductions in gasoline and diesel exports; competition from Iran's commercial rivals like China, India, the US, Turkiye, and the UAE; excessive commercial bureaucracy between the two states; and a lack of efficient and rapid transit capabilities to Iraq.* *Iran-Iraq trade decline* *According to the latest statistics, non-oil trade between Iraq and Iran reached $8.9 billion in 2021, but over the past two years, Iran's exports to Iraq have declined in 20 different categories. Farzad Pilten, head of the West Asia office of the Iran Trade Development Organization, noted a 60 percent decrease in gas exports and an 80 percent decrease in gasoline exports to Iraq. * *Iran's performance has lagged behind other exporters, slipping to fourth place in exports to Iraq after the UAE, Turkiye, and China.* *The decrease in exports between Iran and Iraq can be attributed to various factors, notably the insufficient transportation infrastructure connecting the two countries. Much of this trade relies on a very inefficient transportation of goods by road. As Javad Hedayati, director general of Iran's International Transit and Transport, explains , Iranian trucks transport goods to the shared border, where they are laboriously unloaded and handed over to Iraqi trucks: * *"In this mode of interaction, trucks carrying cargo due to congestion sometimes have to wait for more than four days at the borders to receive their turn and unload their cargo, while the cost of stopping them at the border is more than $200 per day."* *The completion of the Shalamcheh-Basra Railway project promises to significantly boost trade by reducing transit costs by up to 20 percent , and help Iraq offset its staggering trade imbalance. In 2018, Iran exported approximat= ely $9 billion worth of goods to Iraq, while Iraq's exports to Iran amounted to a mere $58 million.* *Iran's transit hub ambition* *Iran's strategic goal of becoming a key regional transit hub is closely tied to its ideal geographical location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. Recognizing this geopolitical opportunity, the Raisi administration - which has heavily prioritized the "Looking to the East" and "Neighborhood" policies - has embarked on ambitious plans to harness this potential.* *Iran already has a domestic railway network that spans 14,300 kilometers, with plans to add an additiona l 10,000 kilometers via 36 ongoing rail projects. Impressively, the country has established seven cross-border connections to neighboring railway networks and achieved self-sufficiency in engineering services, railway construction, and rail production - even exporting domestically-produced railroad cars and train engines. * *Iran is currently strategically positioned along two international railway routes: the East-West and International North-South Transport Corridor s (INSTC). The east-west route connects ASEAN countries and China to European markets, while the INSTC transit route links Russia to India via Iran.* *The Shalamcheh-Basra rail project particularly complements the East-West railway connection. Via Iraq, Iran will be able to connect to the Syrian port of Latakia and its transit capacities, which might be vital to Europe.* *The Iran-Iran railway also opens up the possibility of connecting with other Persian Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. There are reports that Saudi Arabia is exploring the idea of linking railroads to Iran through Kuwait and Basra, which would create a direct rail connection between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. * *Iraq's role in global transport* *Iraq, on the other hand, stands to benefit from improved access to markets in Central Asian countries , Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan via its rail link to Iran. A southern Iraqi railway which already transports more than 6 million tons of cargo, could boost the exchange of goods to over 20 million tons upon completion of the Iran-Iraq rail connection. * *Furthermore, Shia pilgrims from Azerbaijan would have easier access to the holy city of Karbala via this railway, generating transit and tourism income for Iraq. Hafez Sadatnejad, manager of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway project, adds that the rail link with allow for the transportation of 4 million pilgrims to the pilgrimage cities of Mashhad, Qom, and Karbala in both countries.* *By integrating this railway with Iran's considerable capacities in the Khorramshahr and Imam Khomeini ports, cargo from different countries can be efficiently transported to the country's southern waters. Iran's extensive port infrastructure plays a crucial role in its foreign trade, with a target of achieving a cargo handling capacity of 500 million tons within the next five years.* *For Iraq, the railway link with Iran is part of a broader and more ambitious project that extends from China to Europe . As economist Maitham al-Amili explains to The Cradle: * *=E2=80=9CDespite what is said that the goal of the project is to facilitat= e the transportation of travelers between Iraq and Iran, it is part of a larger project that will contribute to diversifying Iraq's financial resources by making it a transit corridor for millions of tons of goods if completed.=E2= =80=9D* *On 20 August, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced an agreement with Turkiye to link Iraqi railways to Turkish railways via a 133-kilometre line, with the aim of linking the grand port of Al-Faw to Europe, all within what is known as the =E2=80=9CDevelopment Road .=E2=80=9D* *Amili believes that Iraq has a role in the new global transportation project that =E2=80=9Cextends from China through Iraq to Syria, by land and= sea through the port of Al-Faw .=E2=80=9D* *A hard American veto* *Iraq's geostrategic location as a bridge between West Asia and Europe favors its position as =E2=80=9Ca major complement to the global transporta= tion map linking Asian countries to the European Union,=E2=80=9D says economist Nabi= l al-Marsoumi: * *=E2=80=9CRail transport is the safest means of transport, in addition to b= eing inexpensive, and it always brings economic prosperity to the countries that rely on it, as in China and other countries=E2=80=A6the multiplicity of por= ts to Iraq will enhance the opportunities to encourage its industries and increase its exports, not only oil, but also in the agricultural, petrochemical, and other sectors."* *Mazen al-Ashaiqer, also an economist, warns that =E2=80=9CIraq needs to di= versify its transport lines with neighboring countries, especially for passengers, with the increasing tourist traffic to and from the country, with added economic importance if a rail or sea connection with China is achieved, making it a corridor towards Europe.=E2=80=9D* *These ambitions come with notable challenges and geopolitical complexities. Political analyst Mahmoud al-Hashemi says that =E2=80=9Cthere= are major American obstacles that Iraq=E2=80=99s plans for sea and land connect= ivity with Iran and China will face.=E2=80=9D * *=E2=80=9CThe US is well aware of the positive impact of these projects on = Iraq, but it wants this country to be part of its conflict with China, Iran, and Russia.=E2=80=9D* *A senior government source reveals to The Cradle that =E2=80=9Cthere has b= een an international conflict going on for more than ten years to control international transport lines, at the center of which are Iraq and Syria, and its main poles are China, Russia, Iran, and the United States.=E2=80=9D= * *He says that a transportation project is being sought by some countries to link China with Iraq and Iran, all the way to the port of Latakia on the Mediterranean Sea, to shorten the sea transport route via the Red Sea or the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, =E2=80=9CBut we cannot say that the Basra-Sha= lamcheh railway line is part of this project.=E2=80=9D * *The same source attributes the mobilization of US forces along the Iraqi-Syrian border and the arming of local tribes to =E2=80=9CWashington=E2=80=99s attempts to blo= ck the railway project from Basra to the port of Latakia via the Syrian cities of Albukamal and Deir ez-Zor.=E2=80=9D * *This is in addition to the express land line that will connect Iran to Syria via Al-Qaim border crossing, as it will constitute a new victory in the soft economic war ongoing between China and Russia on the one hand and the US on the other hand.* *Shalamcheh-Basra Railway and the region * *The influence of US propaganda on shaping public opinion in Iraq regarding economic and security cooperation with Iran is a notable concern. Speaking to The Cradle, Iraqi journalist Hassan al-Shammari points out that both =E2=80=9Clocal and international media are subject to an American media mac= hine to direct public opinion in accordance with its policies.=E2=80=9D* *According to Shammari, =E2=80=9Cany observer of the Iraqi media will notic= e that they welcome, or at least turn a blind eye to, any projects between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Turkiye, for example, while an organized media attack is launched against any similar project with Iran.=E2=80=9D He adds:= * *=E2=80=9CThis is what accompanied the announcement of the railway connecti= on project with Iran, while there is no criticism of the railway connection with Turkiye within the development road project, or of the railway connection with Saudi Arabia.=E2=80=9D * *Opponents of the railway connection with Iran often express concerns about its potential impact on the grand port of Al-Faw . Former Basra governor Wael Abdul Latif and former Minister of Transport Amer Abdul-Jabbar have warned that the railway may divert shipping traffic to Iranian ports, leading to increased prices and a reduction in port efficiency. * *However, as Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi confirmed in a recent press conference:* *=E2=80=9CThe government laid the foundation stone for the project after an economic feasibility study, ensuring Iraq=E2=80=99s economic and political security, and not compromising the country=E2=80=99s sovereignty and econom= y.=E2=80=9D* *As the Shalamcheh-Basra Railway project advances, it serves as a poignant symbol of progress toward enhanced shared prosperity for, and a new level of connectivity between, Iraq and Iran. * *This often-overlooked region within West Asia is poised to leave an indelible mark on global trade and transportation in the years ahead, contributing to broader regional integration and ushering in a new era of economic and logistical cooperation.* --000000000000c7d354060674a53e Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
https://new.thecradle.co/articles/the-new-iran-= iraq-railway-a-track-to-prosperity-and-markets

=
= September 27, 2023

The new Iran-Iraq railway, a track to prosperity and mar= kets
After decades= of setbacks, the upcoming integration of Iraq and Iran's railways prom= ises to boost bilateral trade, religious and cultural tourism, and economic= prosperity - with significant regional and global implications.
The groundbreaking cross-border ra= ilway project connecting Shalamcheh in Iran to Basra in Iraq=C2=A0relaunched=C2=A0on 2 September.
The news came a belated 46 years after it was first announced in 1978 -= a year before Iran's Islamic Revolution took the world by storm.=C2=A0=
<= b>In the aftermath of the revolution, and because o= f the outbreak of the subsequent Iran=E2=80=93Iraq War (1980-88), the railw= ay initiative remained on hold for several decades. Although the project wo= uld have reaped significant benefits for both countries - spurring successi= ve governments to pursue its completion - it is Iran's President Ebrahi= m Raisi and Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani who managed t= o strike the deal.
At the railway's inaugurati= on ceremony, Sudani helped=C2=A0lay the project's fou= ndation stone=C2=A0alongside Iranian First Vice Presid= ent Mohammad Mokhber, who said the completion of the project would signific= antly boost trade exchanges between the two countries by connecting their r= espective railway systems and aligning these with international transport r= outes.
Map of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway<= p style=3D"max-width:100%;font-family:-apple-system-font">Tourism and trade relations
Upon its completion in two years, the Shalamcheh-Basra Railway= will span 32 kilometers, include three stations, and a bridge connecting I= ran with Iraq across the Shatt al-Arab - all constructed with Iran's su= pport.=C2=A0
Maytham al-Safi, information director= at Iraq's Ministry of Transport, tells=C2=A0The Cradlethat "the railway line will eventually li= nk to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala" in order to facilitate th= e transportation of pilgrims visiting shrine cities to and from Iraq.
Iraq and Iran share a border that stretches approximate= ly 1600 kilometers, as well as numerous religious, cultural, and tourism si= milarities. Each year, around 3 million Iranians make pilgrimages to the Sh= ia holy shrines in Iraq, while=C2=A02 to 3 million Iraqis visit Ir= an, home to the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad and the influential Qom= seminary.=C2=A0
In 2018,=C2=A0about 24 percent of all tourists visiting I= ran came from Iraq, the largest of any country. Iran also boasts a signific= ant health tourism industry - ranking 46th globally - and Iraqis constitute= the=C2=A0second-largest group=C2=A0of health tourists to Iran after Afghanistan.
Des= pite these significant cultural ties, the volume of trade between the two c= ountries has remained dismal. Even in the most optimistic scenario, Tehran = and Baghdad have achieved only 50 percent of their=C2=A0targeted $20 billion in trade.=C2=A0
Several factors have contributed to this= : a decline in electricity trade; reductions in gasoline and diesel exports= ; competition from Iran's commercial rivals like China, India, the US, = Turkiye, and the UAE; excessive commercial bureaucracy between the two stat= es; and a lack of efficient and rapid transit capabilities to Iraq.<= /b>
Iran-Iraq trade decline<= /b>
According to the latest statistics,=C2=A0non-oil trade= =C2=A0between Iraq and Iran reached $8.9 billion in 2021, = but over the past two years, Iran's exports to Iraq have declined in 20= different categories. Farzad Pilten, head of the West Asia office of the I= ran Trade Development Organization,=C2=A0noted=C2=A0a 6= 0 percent decrease in gas exports and an 80 percent decrease in gasoline ex= ports to Iraq.=C2=A0
Iran's=C2=A0= performance=C2=A0has lagged behind other exporters, slipping to fourth place = in exports to Iraq after the UAE, Turkiye, and China.
The decrease in exports between Iran and Iraq can be attributed to vari= ous factors, notably the insufficient transportation infrastructure connect= ing the two countries. Much of this trade relies on a very inefficient tran= sportation of goods by road. As Javad Hedayati, director general of Iran= 9;s International Transit and Transport,=C2=A0explains,=C2=A0Iranian trucks transport goods to the shared b= order, where they are laboriously unloaded and handed over to Iraqi trucks:= =C2=A0
"In this mode of int= eraction, trucks carrying cargo due to congestion sometimes have to wait fo= r more than four days at the borders to receive their turn and unload their= cargo, while the cost of stopping them at the border is more than $200 per= day."
The completion of the Sha= lamcheh-Basra Railway project promises to significantly boost trade by redu= cing=C2=A0transit costs by up to 20 percent, and help Iraq of= fset its staggering trade imbalance. In 2018, Iran=C2=A0exported=C2=A0approximately $9 billion wor= th of goods to Iraq, while Iraq's exports to Iran amounted to a mere $5= 8 million.
Iran's tra= nsit hub ambition
Iran's strategic goal of bec= oming a key regional transit hub is closely tied to its ideal geographical = location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. Recognizing this geopolitica= l opportunity, the Raisi administration - which has heavily prioritized the= "Looking to the East" and "Neighborhood" policies - ha= s embarked on ambitious plans to harness this potential.
Iran already has a domestic railway network that spans 14,300 kilome= ters, with plans to add an=C2=A0additional=C2=A010,000 kilometers via 36 ongoing rail p= rojects. Impressively, the country has established=C2=A0seven cross-border connections=C2=A0to nei= ghboring railway networks and achieved self-sufficiency in engineering serv= ices, railway construction, and rail production - even exporting domestical= ly-produced railroad cars and train engines.=C2=A0
Iran is currently strategically positioned along two international railw= ay routes: the East-West and=C2=A0<= u style=3D"max-width:100%">International North-South Transport Corridor= s (INSTC). The east-west route connects= ASEAN countries and China to European markets, while the INSTC transit rou= te links Russia to India via Iran.
The Shalamcheh-= Basra rail project particularly complements the East-West railway connectio= n. Via Iraq, Iran will be able to=C2=A0connect=C2=A0to the Syrian port of Latakia and its transit capac= ities, which might be vital to Europe.
The Iran-Ir= an railway also opens up the possibility of connecting with other Persian G= ulf states like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. There are reports that Saudi Arabi= a is exploring the idea of=C2=A0linking railroads=C2= =A0to Iran through Kuwait and Basra, which would create a direct rai= l connection between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.= =C2=A0
Iraq's role in= global transport
Iraq, on the other hand, stands = to benefit from improved access to markets in=C2=A0Central Asian countries, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan via its rail= link to Iran. A southern Iraqi railway which already transports more than = 6 million tons of cargo, could boost the exchange of goods to over 20 milli= on tons upon completion of the Iran-Iraq rail connection.=C2=A0<= /p>
Furthermore, Shia pilgrims from Azerbaijan would have easier = access to the holy city of Karbala via this railway, generating transit and= tourism income for Iraq. Hafez Sadatnejad, manager of the Shalamcheh-Basra= railway project,=C2=A0adds=C2=A0that the rail link with allow f= or the transportation of 4 million pilgrims to the pilgrimage cities of Mas= hhad, Qom, and Karbala in both countries.
By integ= rating this railway with Iran's considerable capacities in the Khorrams= hahr and Imam Khomeini ports, cargo from different countries can be efficie= ntly transported to the country's southern waters. Iran's extensive= port infrastructure plays a crucial role in its foreign trade, with a targ= et of achieving a cargo handling capacity of=C2=A0500 million tons= =C2=A0within the next five years.
For Iraq,= the railway link with Iran is part of a broader and more ambitious project= that=C2=A0extends from China to Europe. As economist Maitham al-Amili= explains to=C2=A0The Cradle:=C2=A0<= /b>
=E2=80=9CDespite what is said that the = goal of the project is to facilitate the transportation of travelers betwee= n Iraq and Iran, it is part of a larger project that will contribute to div= ersifying Iraq's financial resources by making it a transit corridor fo= r millions of tons of goods if completed.=E2=80=9D
On 20 August, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced an ag= reement with Turkiye to link Iraqi railways to Turkish railways via a 133-k= ilometre line, with the aim of linking the grand port of Al-Faw to Europe, = all within what is known as the =E2=80=9CDevelopment Road.=E2=80=9D
Amili believes that Iraq has a role in the new global transportation= project that =E2=80=9Cextends from China through Iraq to Syria, by land an= d sea through the=C2=A0port of Al-Faw.=E2=80=9D
A hard American veto
Iraq's geostrate= gic location as a bridge between West Asia and Europe favors its position a= s =E2=80=9Ca major complement to the global transportation map linking Asia= n countries to the European Union,=E2=80=9D says economist Nabil al-Marsoum= i:=C2=A0
=E2=80=9CRail transport= is the safest means of transport, in addition to being inexpensive, and it= always brings economic prosperity to the countries that rely on it, as in = China and other countries=E2=80=A6the multiplicity of ports to Iraq will en= hance the opportunities to encourage its industries and increase its export= s, not only oil, but also in the agricultural, petrochemical, and other sec= tors."
Mazen al-Ashaiqer, also a= n economist, warns that =E2=80=9CIraq needs to diversify its transport line= s with neighboring countries, especially for passengers, with the increasin= g tourist traffic to and from the country, with added economic importance i= f a rail or sea connection with China is achieved, making it a corridor tow= ards Europe.=E2=80=9D
These ambitions come with no= table challenges and geopolitical complexities. Political analyst Mahmoud a= l-Hashemi says that =E2=80=9Cthere are major American obstacles that Iraq= =E2=80=99s plans for sea and land connectivity with Iran and China will fac= e.=E2=80=9D=C2=A0
=E2=80=9CThe U= S is well aware of the positive impact of these projects on Iraq, but it wa= nts this country to be part of its conflict with China, Iran, and Russia.= =E2=80=9D
A senior government source = reveals to=C2=A0The Cradle=C2=A0that =E2=80=9Cthere has been an international conflict going= on for more than ten years to control international transport lines, at th= e center of which are Iraq and Syria, and its main poles are China, Russia,= Iran, and the United States.=E2=80=9D
He says tha= t a transportation project is being sought by some countries to link China = with Iraq and Iran, all the way to the port of Latakia on the Mediterranean= Sea, to shorten the sea transport route via the Red Sea or the Atlantic Oc= ean to Europe, =E2=80=9CBut we cannot say that the Basra-Shalamcheh railway= line is part of this project.=E2=80=9D=C2=A0
The = same source attributes the=C2=A0mobilization of US forces along the Iraqi-Syrian border= and the arming of local tribes to =E2=80=9CWashington=E2=80=99s attempts to= block the railway project from Basra to the port of Latakia via the Syrian= cities of Albukamal and Deir ez-Zor.=E2=80=9D=C2=A0
This is in addition to the express land line that will connect Iran to S= yria via=C2=A0Al-Qaim border crossing, as it will constitute a new victory = in the soft economic war ongoing between China and Russia on the one hand a= nd the US on the other hand.
Shalamcheh-Basra Railway and the region=C2=A0=C2=A0
The influence of US propaganda on shaping public opinion in Iraq rega= rding economic and security cooperation with Iran is a notable concern. Spe= aking to=C2=A0The Cradle, Iraqi journalist = Hassan al-Shammari points out that both =E2=80=9Clocal and international me= dia are subject to an American media machine to direct public opinion in ac= cordance with its policies.=E2=80=9D
According to = Shammari, =E2=80=9Cany observer of the Iraqi media will notice that they we= lcome, or at least turn a blind eye to, any projects between Iraq and Saudi= Arabia, Jordan or Turkiye, for example, while an organized media attack is= launched against any similar project with Iran.=E2=80=9D He adds:=C2=A0
=E2=80=9CThis is what accompanied = the announcement of the railway connection project with Iran, while there i= s no criticism of the railway connection with Turkiye within the developmen= t road project, or of the railway connection with Saudi Arabia.=E2=80=9D=C2= =A0
Opponents of the railway connecti= on with Iran often express concerns about its potential impact on the grand= =C2=A0port of Al-F= aw. Former Basra governor Wael Abdul Latif and former Minister of Trans= port Amer Abdul-Jabbar have warned that the railway may divert shipping tra= ffic to Iranian ports, leading to increased prices and a reduction in port = efficiency.=C2=A0
However, as Iraqi government spo= kesman Bassem al-Awadi confirmed in a recent press conference:
=E2=80=9CThe government laid the foundation = stone for the project after an economic feasibility study, ensuring Iraq=E2= =80=99s economic and political security, and not compromising the country= =E2=80=99s sovereignty and economy.=E2=80=9D
As the Shalamcheh-Basra Railway project advances, it serves as a po= ignant symbol of progress toward enhanced shared prosperity for, and a new = level of connectivity between, Iraq and Iran.=C2=A0
This often-overlooked region within West Asia is poised to leave an inde= lible mark on global trade and transportation in the years ahead, contribut= ing to broader regional integration and ushering in a new era of economic a= nd logistical cooperation.

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