Walid Muallem’s visit to Iran

Walid Muallem’s visit to Iran

Dr. Jassim Taqui

The strategic circles here follows with keen interest the visit of the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem to Iran along with the Chairman of National Security Bureau Gen. Ali Mamluk. This interest stems from the emergence of the anti-US Russian-Turkish-Iranian axis in Syria and the Middle East along the lines of the Russia-China- Pakistan axis in South Asia. Moscow dominates things in both axes with the advent of the new US President Donald Trump to power in the United States.

Trump has shown keenness to end the US-EU sanctions against Russia enforced following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.

The Syrian delegation met with Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, known for being a strongman in Iran because of his influence over the Iranian Murshid Ali Khamenei, his clandestine relationship with the US administration and special ties with the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.

The delegation also met with Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security of Iran. Shamkhani is responsible for different Iranian militias fighting alongside the forces of Bashar al-Assad.

The visit of the Syrian delegation on Saturday, January 7 has come one day after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in Syria. It was Russia and Turkey who concluded the agreement in the absence of the United States. This shows a major US diplomatic failure in Syria to the extent that former President Barack Obama appeared on the US televisions on the last day of his term admitting the failure of his policy in Syria. In a self-criticism high mode, Obama took the responsibility for the killing of innocent people, especially children in Syria. Obama was making a great effort to control his tears while television showed Vice President Joseph Biden standing beside him and looking to Obama with contempt though Biden was equally responsible for the holocaust of the Syrian children.

Putin pursued a pragmatic policy in dealing with the  Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. After publicly accusing him of supporting the IS (Daesh) and proving the same with evidence, which showed his intelligence agencies were helping Daesh selling  stolen Syrian and Iraqi oil, Putin imposed sanctions on the Erdogan regime. However, relations started to improve when the Russian Intelligence uncovered a CIA-sponsored coup and enable the Turkish intelligence agencies to foil, arresting all CIA agents in Turkey.

Both Syria and Iran are concerned over the strong Russian-Turkish relations especially when the Russian President Vladimir Putin made a pledge to expel the Iranian militias from Syria. This would inevitably weaken both Bashar al-Assad and Ali Shamkhani. On the long run, the step would rid Syria and Iraq of dominance the Iranian militias and the sectarian slogans they raise; claiming that they were in Syria and Iraq defending the holy shrines.

The Russian-Turkish agreement has marginalized Syria as a protector of the Russian interests in the region. Now, it is Turkey, which is promising to withdraw from the NATO and to allow for the passage of the Russian gas pipeline through the Turkish lands on their way to supply EU with Russian cheap and environmentally friendly natural gas. This practically kills the Qatari gas pipeline to transfer gas to EU via Syrian territories, which has been the initiator of the civil war in Syria. Bashar al-Assad refused to permit the Qatar gas pipelines to pass through the Syrian territories under the Russian pressure or/ and secret deal. Qatar and its allies tried everything to bring down the regime of Bashar through a devastating 2011-2017 civil war. This is the real reason behind the Syrian civil war that killed and wounded millions of people; mainly children and women.

The general perception is that there is a secret understanding between Putin and Trump about the unity of the Syrian territory. Putin and Trump support the revival of the old secular regime in Syria and the liquidation of pro- al-Qaida militant organizations including Daesh, Al-Nusrah, and the Army of Islam.

The understanding includes also scaling down the Iranian influence in Syria and Iraq, forcing Tehran to abandon its "velayat-e faqih" approach that Tehran used to justify military interventions through proxy wars in the Gulf region and North Africa. So Iranians feel concerned by the Turkish- Russian axis and the behind-the-scene Trump support.

The Trump policy is centered on canceling Obama's Middle East policy and the principle of "creative chaos" and bring things to the state they were at before the start of the Arab Spring movement in 2011. Trump stressed on this policy during his election campaigns and there are no indications to suggest that he intends to change his mind after assuming the presidency of the United States of America.

It is expected that  Bashar al-Assad would relinquish the presidency and that his successor would be a "dark horse" of the Alawites sect. The new President would be supported by the victorious factions in the Syrian civil war especially the Christian and the Kurds, who repelled Daesh and liberated Aleppo along with the Syrian National Army. 

More US troops wounded in Iraq, Syria

More US troops wounded in Iraq, Syria

Al-Bab Report

At least 14 American military personnel have been wounded in combat since the start of October while battling Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, according to Defense Department data.  

The sudden increase accounts for nearly half of the 30 wounded-in-action reports that the U.S. has publicly acknowledged since the ISIS campaign began in August 2014, and coincides with two ongoing offensives targeting the terror group's strongholds in both countries: Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, the Islamic State's self-declared capital.

Although comparatively small when measured against monthly casualty reports from the height of America's full-scale conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the numbers suggest that more U.S. troops are being sent closer to the Islamic State's front lines to direct or help local forces who are in the lead. It's a sensitive topic for the Pentagon and the White House, which has made painstaking efforts to minimize any perception that American forces are actively engaged in ground combat despite steadily increasing force levels in both theaters where now more than 5,500 U.S. troops are deployed. 

Russia starts withdrawing troops from Syria

Russia starts withdrawing troops from Syria

Al-Bab Report

Russia is starting to withdraw forces from Syria and its aircraft carrier group will be the first to leave, the Russian armed forces chief says.

The announcement comes days after Russia and Turkey negotiated a ceasefire in Syria which is largely holding, according to the UN.

Russia has carried out air strikes on anti-government rebels since 2015.

Moscow's involvement is credited with turning the war in favor of its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"In accordance with the decision of the supreme commander of the Russian armed forces Vladimir Putin, the Russian defense ministry is beginning the reduction of the armed deployment to Syria," Gen Valery Gerasimov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Tasks set for the carrier group, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov vessel, had been completed, the commander of the Russian force in Syria Col-Gen Andrei Kartapolov was quoted as saying.

Col-Gen Kartapolov said Russia still had sufficient air defense capabilities in its S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems deployed in Syria, AFP news agency reported.

The force reduction follows an order from President Putin on 29 December, days after Syrian government troops finally ousted rebels from the key battleground city of Aleppo in their biggest victory since the uprising against President Assad began in 2011.

Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is now pushing for peace talks to be held later this month in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana.

Russia first launched air strikes in Syria in September 2015, saying they were targeting the fighters of so-called Islamic State.

Last March, Russia announced it was withdrawing forces but continued air strikes.

This is not Russia's first "withdrawal" from Syria. In March 2016 President Putin announced the start of a pull-out. Some warplanes were flown out.

But Russia's military role continued and its air power remained decisive. Russia has aircraft, air defenses and artillery deployed in Syria, along with many advisers working with Syrian government forces. But we have never been able to ascertain the exact scale of the Russian forces involved.

The initial phase of the Russian "draw-down" involves the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and its naval group, which has hardly played a major role in the fighting. Russia's stated intention is to build up its bases in Syria for the long-term, but Putin may be sigsignalingat in Moscow's view, with the fall of Aleppo and the entrenchment of the Assad regime, one important phase of the fighting is over.

British Air Forces pics Airbus

British Air Forces pics Airbus

Al-Bab Report

The Royal Air Force's A400M Atlas transport aircraft fleet is to be supported by Airbus Defence and Space in a £410 million ($504 million) deal announced Jan 5. 

The Defence Equipment and Support arm of Britain’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the contract will secure maintenance, upgrade, and repair support of the planned 22-strong fleet of Airbus-built aircraft through 2026.

The work will take place at the RAF’s air transport hub at Brize Norton where a £62 million hangar capable of housing three Atlas aircraft at one go is on schedule to be fully equipped in the next few months.

The RAF fleet currently stands at 14 A400Ms following the delivery of two aircraft at the end of last year.

The fleet is scheduled to reach 22 in 2019 and be the backbone of the RAF’s air transport capability alongside smaller numbers of Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin C-130J aircraft.

The deal was single-source, but a spokesman for DE&S said the long-term intention is to look at the possibility of running a competition when what is known as the Medium Term Contract (MTC) comes up for expiry.

“A competitive process would have been impractical at this time as the aircraft is still in development and the fleet size is building. The intention is to consider competing for the support service when the aircraft design and fleet is mature. The MTC is subject to single source pricing regulations, which ensures transparency in pricing and that value for money for the taxpayer is balanced with providing the industry with a fair return,” said the spokesman.

“The contract is for Airbus to provide the number of aircraft required for tasking, with the requirement based on the fleet size, and incentivizes sortie achievement,” he said.

Engine drops out of B-52

Engine drops out of B-52
Al-Bab Report

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. —  An engine dropped out of a B-52 bomber during a training flight on Wednesday, the Air Force has confirmed following questions from Defense News. 

Because the B-52 runs on eight Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3/103 turbofan engines, pilots were able to land the aircraft safely without any injury to the five personnel on board. The Air Force has since dispatched a UH-1N Huey helicopter to recover engine debris, which was found located in an unpopulated area about 25 nautical miles northeast of Minot Air Force Base, an Air Force spokesman said in a statement. 

There were no weapons onboard the B-52, which belongs to Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing and was conducting a training mission, he said. 

The service was not able to provide the root cause of the mishap, but the spokesman said an initial safety investigation has been initiated. 

The incident could also ignite debate about whether and how to re-engine the service’s B-52 inventory. The Boeing-manufactured bomber has been flying since 1952 and is expected to remain operating until around 2040, depending on when it is fully replaced by the Northrop Grumman’s B-21. 

U.S. Supports Implementation of Trade Facilitation Agreement in Pakistan

U.S. Supports Implementation of Trade Facilitation Agreement in Pakistan

Al-Bab Report

Islamabad, January 04, 2017: The U.S. is supporting the Ministry of Commerce with a training workshop on the Trade Facilitation Agreement in Islamabad. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity and Training for Pakistan Project, organized the workshop to raise awareness among public and private stakeholders on the Trade Facilitation Agreement and its impact on Pakistan’s trade competitiveness.

The three-day workshop was opened Jan. 4 by Minister for Commerce, Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan and USAID Mission Director John Groarke and facilitated by trainers from the International Trade Center, the World Customs Organization, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.  Participants include 70 representatives from government agencies, private sector associations, and private business and logistic operators.

The World Trade Organization member countries approved the Trade Facilitation Agreement in December 2013 at the 9th Ministerial Conference. This agreement has established a global framework for member countries to reduce the time and cost of cross-border transactions.

USAID is helping the participants identify trade regulations to which Pakistan is not yet compliant, and assisting in designing plans to meet the Trade Facilitation Agreement’s requirements. The training will ultimately help to improve Pakistan trade in international markets.

“Pakistan stands to benefit from the provisions of a newly adopted WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation that could reduce the cost of trade and make Pakistani goods more competitive in a greater number of markets,” Groarke said in the opening session.

The Commerce Minister said continued support from international organizations will help Pakistan fulfill its obligations to the World Trade Organization. He said the agreement can benefit small and medium-sized enterprises in Pakistan by reducing trade costs and unnecessary border formalities.

The US-funded Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity is a five-year initiative to further development of Pakistan’s trade sector. This workshop supports USAID’s objective in improving Pakistan’s trade environment by building institutional and human capacity.

India goes for single- Engine Fighters

India goes for single- Engine Fighters

Al-Bab Report

India will invite global competitive bids to select a foreign single-engine fighter to be made in India, said Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Addressing a news conference here, Parrikar said the final selection for a western partner to provide a single-engine fighter for the Indian Air Force will depend on the transfer of technology terms and the pricing proposed by the original equipment manufacturer.

Parrikar disclosed another single fighter line will be done under the Strategic Partnership model that will be announced later this month.

"We will submit a new acceptance of necessity proposal for new single engine fighters to Ministry of Defense in the next four months, and will request to fast-paced this new program," a senior IAF official said. "IAF will put up a demand for 200 new single engine fighters to be made in India, which will easily cost around $45 million apiece without weaponry."

The Strategic Partnership concept was mooted by MoD's Aatre Committee, which in its April 2016 report recommended the appointment of select few private sector companies be designated as SPs.

However, a top MoD official said the selection of an Indian private company to manufacture single engine fighters will only be approved by the cabinet by the end of 2017. Thereafter a global bid will be floated, with the expectation that Lockheed Martin of US and Saab of Sweden will pitch the F-16 Block 70 and Gripen, respectively.

The global tender will be floated in the first quarter of 2018. At that time, a private company will be nominated as the strategic partner's production agency and a two or more year process will kick off to evaluate technical and financial bids and conduct extensive trials, MoD official noted.

The final government-to-government deal will be inked in 2021.

Currently, there is a proposal to buy additional Rafale fighters, Parrikar announced, after an $8.8 billion deal was signed with France in September for 36 of the fighters.

IAF wants to replace its 11 aging Russia MiG-21 and MiG-27 squadrons in the next five to seven years. The service faces a shortage of fleet strength as it has around 34 operational fighter squadrons – 11 short of the 45 required to fight China and Pakistan at a future date. 

Pal-Pak Vision completed

Pal-Pak Vision completed

Dr. Jassim Taqui

Al-Bab Institute For Strategic Studies visited the majestic Palestinian Embassy in the diplomatic enclave and met the Palestinian Ambassador Walid Abu Ali.

Abu Ali was in a great mood. He explained to Al-Bab how the Palestinians struggled for over two decades to build the Embassy. He called the Embassy, “Pal-Pak Vision,” and praised the leadership of Pakistan and President Mahmoud Abbas for contributing in completing this Vision.

Evidently, Abu Ali should also take a credit in implementing this gigantic task during his tenure as the Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan. His dedication to the cause of Palestine and the positive role he played in cementing the bilateral relation have also contributed in implementing Pal-Pak Vision, which reflects the love and affection of the people and government of Pakistan to Palestine, the First Qibla and the Second Haram.

The Palestinians conceived the design of the Embassy from the Palestinian Flag, explained Abu Ali. A renowned Pakistani Architectural Firm designed the Building with input and amendments by the Embassy of the State of Palestine and Palestinian architects. 

It is hoped that the Pal-Pak Vision would be the living sign indicating that the Palestinian State is inevitably coming, God Willing.

Abu Ali is a good news for Pakistan. His political acumen, charisma, and diplomatic skills have added warmth to otherwise excellent relations. He is young, active, and full of ideas; making him an extremely successful ambassador and the best representative of the holy State of Palestine.

Al-Bab Camera was active and recorded the following photos and videos: 

Obama brought bankruptcy to America

Obama brought bankruptcy to America

Mike Palmer

No one believed Porter Stansberry eight years ago.

As head of one of America’s largest independent financial research firms, Mr. Stansberry’s work back in 2008 led him to a bold, but worrisome, conclusion:

He predicted that the world’s largest mortgage bankers–Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which at the time were responsible for nearly 50% of all the mortgages in America–would soon go bankrupt.

In fact, in June of 2008, while their stock prices were still trading at well over $20 per share, Stansberry published a report to his customers titled: “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Are Going to Zero.”

Inside this report, Stansberry explained:

“For those of you who don’t work in the financial industry, it might be hard for you to immediately grasp what’s so dangerous about the extreme amount of leverage employed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Let me explain exactly what Fannie and Freddie do and why they’re in so much jeopardy…”

We all know what happened next. Both agencies went bust—and if not for a bailout from the Federal Government, both would have declared bankruptcy.

Barron’s—America’s second biggest financial newspaper—even wrote a story about Mr. Stansberry’s accurate prediction, and called it “remarkably prescient.”

Over the years, Mr. Stansberry has made a name for himself by accurately predicting the biggest and most important collapses in America. A few others he’s accurately identified well in advance include: General Motors, General Growth Property (America’s biggest mall owner), D.R. Horton (a homebuilder), and Gannett newspapers, to name just a few.

Stansberry also predicted the recent collapse of oil and natural gas prices as early as 2010, when he wrote a report titled: “Peak Oil is a Flat Lie.”

Well, now Mr. Stansberry has issued another fascinating warning, about a new and looming bankruptcy.

As Mr. Stansberry writes:

“No one believed me years ago when I said the world’s largest mortgage bankers would soon go bankrupt.

And no one believed me when I said GM would fall apart… or that the same would happen to General Growth Properties.

But that’s exactly what happened.”

And, that brings us today…

Stansberry says the next big bankruptcy in America will be even bigger than those he’s identified in the past. In fact, he says this looming bankruptcy will threaten your way of life, whether you own any investments related to it or not.

This collapse, says Stansberry, will change everything about our normal way of life: where you vacation… where you send your kids or grandkids to school… how and where you shop… the way you protect your family and home.

I strongly encourage you to check out Mr. Stansberry’s recent write-up on this situation.

António Guterres – Biography

António Guterres – Biography

Al-Bab Report

António Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took office on 1^st January 2017.

Having witnessed the suffering of the most vulnerable people on earth, in refugee camps and in war zones, the Secretary-General is determined to make human dignity the core of his work, and to serve as a peace broker, a bridge-builder and a promoter of reform and innovation.

Prior to his election as Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015,  heading one of the world’s foremost humanitarian organizations during some of the most serious displacement crises in decades. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and the crises in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Yemen, led to a huge rise in UNHCR’s activities as the number of people displaced by conflict and persecution rose from 38 million in 2005 to over 60 million in 2015.

Before joining UNHCR, Mr. Guterres spent more than 20 years in government and public service. He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, during which time he was heavily involved in the international effort to resolve the crisis in East Timor.

As president of the European Council in early 2000, he led the adoption of the Lisbon Agenda for growth and jobs, and co-chaired the first European Union-Africa summit. He was a member of the Portuguese Council of State from 1991 to 2002.

Mr. Guterres was elected to the Portuguese Parliament in 1976 where he served as a member for 17 years. During that time, he chaired the Parliamentary Committee for Economy, Finance and Planning, and later the Parliamentary Committee for Territorial Administration, Municipalities and Environment. He was also leader of his party’s parliamentary group.

From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Guterres was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he chaired the Committee on Demography, Migration and Refugees.

For many years Mr. Guterres was active in the Socialist International, a worldwide organization of social democratic political parties. He was the group’s vice-president from 1992 to 1999, co-chairing the African Committee and later the Development Committee. He served as President from 1999 until mid-2005. In addition, he founded the Portuguese Refugee Council as well as the Portuguese Consumers Association DECO, and served as president of the Centro de Acção Social Universitário, an association carrying out social development projects in poor neighbourhoods of Lisbon, in the early 1970s.

Mr. Guterres is a member of the Club of Madrid, a leadership alliance of democratic former presidents and prime ministers from around the world.

Mr. Guterres was born in Lisbon in 1949 and graduated from the Instituto Superior Técnico with a degree in engineering. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. He is married to Catarina de Almeida Vaz Pinto, Deputy Mayor for Culture of Lisbon, and has two children, a stepson and three grandchildren.

The Secretary-General Appeal for Peace

The Secretary-General

Appeal for Peace

New York, 1 January 2017

Al-Bab Report

On my first day as Secretary-General of the United Nations, one question weighs heavily on my heart.

How can we help the millions of people caught up in conflict, suffering massively in wars with no end in sight?

Civilians are pounded with deadly force. Women, children and men are killed and injured, forced from their homes, dispossessed and destitute. Even hospitals and aid convoys are targeted.

No one wins these wars; everyone loses. Trillions of dollars are spent destroying societies and economies, fueling cycles of mistrust and fear that can last for generations. Whole regions are destabilized and the new threat of global terrorism affects us all.

On this New Year’s Day, I ask all of you to join me in making one shared New Year’s resolution:

Let us resolve to put peace first.

Let us make 2017 a year in which we all – citizens, governments, leaders – strive to overcome our differences.

From solidarity and compassion in our daily lives, to dialogue and respect across political divides… From ceasefires on the battlefield, to compromise at the negotiating table to reach political solutions…

Peace must be our goal and our guide.

All that we strive for as a human family – dignity and hope, progress and prosperity – depends on peace. 

But peace depends on us.

I appeal to you all to join me in committing to peace, today and every day.

Let us make 2017 a year for peace.

Thank you.