Middle East Politics

berbatrick said:
I don't think they should reactivate the treaty, since they know that the next Republican will just tear it up again and try and starve them into submission. The weapons themselves could be a better bargaining chip than a piece of paper.
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A new treaty is almost impossible imo, even before this assassination. Iran passed the required enrichment limit last year, the US will use the cancelation as a mean of extracting better terms than the JCPOA. Both parties will be heading into this round of talks expecting something better than what they had before.
Your point is also very valid. On a host of issues, I don't think the world would ever trust the US again. Why commit to something when a maniac is likely to follow your presidency?
 
Adisa said:
A new treaty is almost impossible imo, even before this assassination. Iran passed the required enrichment limit last year, the US will use the cancelation as a mean of extracting better terms than the JCPOA. Both parties will be heading into this round of talks expecting something better than what they had before.
Your point is also very valid. On a host of issues, I don't think the world would ever trust the US again. Why commit to something when a maniac is likely to follow your presidency?
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Also, i believe Rouhani's second term is ending so who knows what the position of the new Iranian leader will be. If he isn't considered a reformer willing to bargain then Khamenaei will probably not be willing to negotiate, which is when the real problems may begin.
 
^ who'll be Iranian president makes absolutely no change whatsoever.

Khamenei is the de-factor leader and after that it's IRGC (Sepah) and Basij before the presidency (after regime's second most powerful person being taken out 11 months ago). The presidential "elections" are irrelevant at this point.
 
If only they could get rid of the Ayathullahs they can become a modern State. They are much more advanced than any other country in the middle East.
 
Shamana said:
Seemed a bit steep. Considering the lack of coverage.
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It may be a typo, here she is last week claiming 1,500, which is what Reuters reported last year:

 
2cents said:
It may be a typo, here she is last week claiming 1,500, which is what Reuters reported last year:

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Not a typo, because she says it in the interview. But since she consistently states the number of 1,500 killed otherwise, including in her documentary, it seems to be a glitch.
 
Pre emptive measure by Israel who rightly expects that Biden will let Iran successfully finish its quest for A bomb. Trump was the stupidest President ever but he was right regarding Democrats blindness in dealing with cheaters like Iran and China
 
ThinkTank@Cafe said:
Pre emptive measure by Israel who rightly expects that Biden will let Iran successfully finish its quest for A bomb. Trump was the stupidest President ever but he was right regarding Democrats blindness in dealing with cheaters like Iran and China
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I've always assumed Trumps action in 'dealing' with Iran was just Russia's doing tbh. Not sure the act has benefitted anyone else?
1. Get US to break their word and forever taint their reputation and ability to make future international agreements.
2. Give their only middle eastern ally permission to develop the bomb.
 
Simbo said:
I've always assumed Trumps action in 'dealing' with Iran was just Russia's doing tbh. Not sure the act has benefitted anyone else?
1. Get US to break their word and forever taint their reputation and ability to make future international agreements.
2. Give their only middle eastern ally permission to develop the bomb.
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You’re overthinking it. He was just pissing on Obama’s bed.
 
Organic Potatoes said:
You’re overthinking it. He was just pissing on Obama’s bed.
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I think it started from the WH Press Dinner when Obama made fun of The Donald. He was there himself and you could see that he was so angry. No one gets to make fun of The Donald and gets away with it is what he feels.
 
As part of it America recognizes the Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara.
 
RedTiger said:
The long engagement finally results in marriage.

How many of the O.I.C members will have official diplomatic relations with Israel by the start of ramadan? What's everyone's guess? I'm going with 20 to 25.
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I think the number stands at 30 including Morocco. I could be wrong.



Arguably so, yes.
 
Israel - Bhutan peace deal brings end to decades old conflict:

 
Jordan always had discontent. Especially in the tribes. Furthermore lots of Palestinians too in Jordan. Life is not easy for the Jordanians. They have taken in so many refugees it has overflowed. This has hit the economy that's was always struggling. The income is so low too. There is no oil and everyone who has to cross the Jordanian palestinian border gets harassed all the time by the Israelis. They have to cross to work in Jordan. One of the nicest people in the middle East. But corruption is rife too.
The Foreign Intelligence they mention could be the Israelis or the British.
 
Palestinian news source (Gaza) say Mahmoud Abbas is in a coma after suffering a serious health setback.




The Jerusalem Post, however, cites PA officials as saying Abbas will fly to Germany for routine check-ups.

 
Abu Mazen has been a disaster for the Palestinians. I have never met any palestinian who says anything good about him.
 
80 years since the Farhud:

 
A photo from the souk in Mosul apparently in the early 30s:

Crowded_marketplace_%28Mosul%2C_1932%29.jpg
 
“One of the keys to Khamenei’s longevity—he’s been ruling since 1989—has been his ability to use Iran’s unelected institutions to bolster his power while at the same time using Iran’s “elected” institutions to avoid accountability. He can outsource political repression and crackdowns to the Revolutionary Guards while also holding Iran’s president responsible for the country’s failing economy. Yet engineering the election of his mentee, Raisi, will make it difficult for Khamenei to continue scapegoating Iran’s president for his own failures.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/a...19252/?utm_source=pocket-app&utm_medium=share
 
Driving the car is apparently Ali Makhlouf, son of Bashar al-Assad’s notoriously wealthy and corrupt cousin Rami Makhlouf. In the passenger seat is an Israeli Instagram model:

 
2cents said:
Any Lebanese on the Cafe know what’s happening exactly? @Ballache @Slevs @kafta @maba723

Looks like Lebanese Forces initiated things today?
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Amal and Hezbollah supporters organized a protest in front of the Palace of Justice in Beirut (they're not happy with the investigatons of the Beirut port explosion).
Members of the Lebanese Forces started shooting at the protesters, killing 6 people and injuring many more. This, of course, led to armed clashes which ended after the army interfered.
I'm not one for wild theories, but even I knew that something was gonna happen today. I didn't expect it to be this major but how did the security forces and intelligence services miss this? There was literally 10's of trained snipers on roofs all around the area...Hezbollah now are claiming that 2 high ranking Lebanese Forces officials were in the area yesterday, why go through with the protest?
Something doesn't add up, and the situation now is extremely tense.
 
Ballache said:
Amal and Hezbollah supporters organized a protest in front of the Palace of Justice in Beirut (they're not happy with the investigatons of the Beirut port explosion).
Members of the Lebanese Forces started shooting at the protesters, killing 6 people and injuring many more. This, of course, led to armed clashes which ended after the army interfered.
I'm not one for wild theories, but even I knew that something was gonna happen today. I didn't expect it to be this major but how did the security forces and intelligence services miss this? There was literally 10's of trained snipers on roofs all around the area...Hezbollah now are claiming that 2 high ranking Lebanese Forces officials were in the area yesterday, why go through with the protest?
Something doesn't add up, and the situation now is extremely tense.
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Thanks. Is the Palace of Justice in a Christian area? Can only think some higher party must have given the LF the nod to go ahead with this.
 
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