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Southeast Asia Indonesia weighs acquisition of Chinese J-10C fighter jets
- Latest: Krishna with Flute
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South Asia More opportunities for Pravin Sawhney to make money by peddling fake analysis
- Latest: Krishna with Flute
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[🇮🇳] AMCA- India's state of art 5.5 generation aircraft- Tracking the development.
- Latest: Krishna with Flute
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[🇧🇩-Airforce] Lalmonirhat Air Base---A Nightmare for India
- Latest: Krishna with Flute
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World How fake animal rescue videos have become a new frontier for animal abuse
- Latest: Israel Person
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South Asia India’s stock market rated above Japan and China by more fund managers: survey
- Latest: Krishna with Flute
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South Asia India overtakes Japan to become world’s 4th largest economy: NITI Aayog CEO
- Latest: Krishna with Flute
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[🇷🇺] Russia vs West
- By Saif
- Russian Defense Forum
- 26 Replies
‘Cold War’ can turn ‘hot’
Warns Lavrov, accuses West of destabilising the ‘Eurasian continent’
Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov yesterday accused the West of destabilising the "entire Eurasian continent" and warned that the Cold War that the west is waging can turn "hot".
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga branded Lavrov a "war criminal" as they both attended an international summit in Malta, the latter's first visit to an EU member since the 2022 invasion.
Sitting between the representatives of San Marino and Romania, Lavrov railed against the EU, Nato and in particular the United States.
He said the West was behind a "reincarnation of the Cold War, only now with a much greater risk of a transition to a hot one", according to a transcript of his remarks from RIA Navosti.
He also accused Washington of military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region that sought to "destabilise the entire Eurasian continent ".
Sybiga accused Moscow of being "the biggest threat to our common security" as the two foreign ministers sat on the same huge table at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also in Ta'Qali, near Valetta, for the talks, though officials said he had no plans to meet Lavrov.
"Russia is not a partner; it is the biggest threat to our common security. Russia's participation in the OSCE is a threat to cooperation in Europe," Sybiga told ministers from the 57-member body.
"When Russians say they want peace they lie," he said, adding: "Ukraine continues to fight for its right to exist.
"And the Russian war criminal at this table must know: Ukraine will win this right and justice will prevail."
Lavrov, who has been sanctioned by the European Union, had not visited an EU country since a December 2021 trip to Stockholm, again for an OSCE meeting, Russian media reported.
The OSCE was founded in 1975 to ease tensions between the East and the West during the Cold War, and now counts 57 members from Turkey to Mongolia, including Britain and Canada as well as the United States.
Warns Lavrov, accuses West of destabilising the ‘Eurasian continent’
Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov yesterday accused the West of destabilising the "entire Eurasian continent" and warned that the Cold War that the west is waging can turn "hot".
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga branded Lavrov a "war criminal" as they both attended an international summit in Malta, the latter's first visit to an EU member since the 2022 invasion.
Sitting between the representatives of San Marino and Romania, Lavrov railed against the EU, Nato and in particular the United States.
He said the West was behind a "reincarnation of the Cold War, only now with a much greater risk of a transition to a hot one", according to a transcript of his remarks from RIA Navosti.
He also accused Washington of military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region that sought to "destabilise the entire Eurasian continent ".
Sybiga accused Moscow of being "the biggest threat to our common security" as the two foreign ministers sat on the same huge table at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also in Ta'Qali, near Valetta, for the talks, though officials said he had no plans to meet Lavrov.
"Russia is not a partner; it is the biggest threat to our common security. Russia's participation in the OSCE is a threat to cooperation in Europe," Sybiga told ministers from the 57-member body.
"When Russians say they want peace they lie," he said, adding: "Ukraine continues to fight for its right to exist.
"And the Russian war criminal at this table must know: Ukraine will win this right and justice will prevail."
Lavrov, who has been sanctioned by the European Union, had not visited an EU country since a December 2021 trip to Stockholm, again for an OSCE meeting, Russian media reported.
The OSCE was founded in 1975 to ease tensions between the East and the West during the Cold War, and now counts 57 members from Turkey to Mongolia, including Britain and Canada as well as the United States.
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[🇵🇰-Airforce] Pakistan to Get Chinese-Made Shenyang J-35 Fifth-Gen Fighter Aircraft Within 24 Months
- By Jiangnan
- Pakistan Airforce
- 138 Replies
According to Pakistan's 24 News HD media outlet, this acquisition is part of Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) efforts to enhance its capabilities and widen the gap between its air power and that of India.
DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Pakistan has reportedly approved the purchase of the Chinese-made fifth-generation fighter jet, the Shenyang J-35, with deliveries expected within 24 months.
According to Pakistan’s 24 News HD media outlet, this acquisition is part of Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) efforts to enhance its capabilities and widen the gap between its air power and that of India.
The Shenyang J-35 is expected to outperform India’s advanced fighters, such as the Rafale and Sukhoi Su-30MKI.
This advantage is projected to remain until India secures its own fifth-generation fighter jets.
Earlier this year, the PAF hinted at its intent to acquire the Shenyang J-35/FC-31 “Gyrfalcon,” developed by China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
PAF Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, stated that the Shenyang J-35/FC-31 would enter service “soon.”
Summary:
Pakistan has approved the acquisition of the Chinese-made fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35, with deliveries expected within 24 months. This move aims to enhance the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) capabilities and widen its technological edge over India, which still relies on 4.5-generation fighters like the Rafale and Sukhoi Su-30MKI.
The J-35, developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, is designed for air combat and air-to-ground operations. PAF pilots are already undergoing training in China to operate the aircraft, signaling its imminent inclusion in Pakistan’s fleet. The acquisition aligns with Pakistan’s broader strategy to modernize its air force, replacing aging F-16s and Mirage 5s with advanced fighters.
This deal also reflects China’s growing influence as a defense supplier, with the J-35 joining the J-10C and JF-17 in PAF’s inventory. Analysts view the J-35 as a significant boost to Pakistan’s air power and a key component of its future aerial strategy.
Negotiations for the procurement of the Shenyang J-35/FC-31 have reportedly been finalized, with PAF pilots already undergoing training in China to operate the aircraft.
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The acquisition of the Shenyang J-35 has raised concerns in neighboring India, which still relies on 4.5-generation fighters like the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Rafale.
The move underscores Pakistan’s commitment to advancing its aerial capabilities while highlighting China’s growing role as a defense supplier.
At the recent Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, China unveiled official images of its second fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Shenyang J-35A.
Designed for air combat and air-to-ground operations, the Shenyang J-35A reflects China’s ambition to compete with the United States in developing stealth fighters.
Chinese J-20
With the Shenyang J-35A, China joins the U.S. as the only nations to produce two distinct fifth-generation fighters, the Shenyang J-35A and J-20 “Mighty Dragon,” akin to the American F-35 and F-22 “Raptor.”
The inclusion of the Shenyang J-35 into PAF’s inventory complements earlier acquisitions of Chinese aircraft, including the J-10C and the jointly developed JF-17.
Analysts suggest the Shenyang J-35 will replace Pakistan’s aging F-16s and Mirage 5s, signaling a shift towards a more modern and diversified air force. – DSA
DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Pakistan has reportedly approved the purchase of the Chinese-made fifth-generation fighter jet, the Shenyang J-35, with deliveries expected within 24 months.
According to Pakistan’s 24 News HD media outlet, this acquisition is part of Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) efforts to enhance its capabilities and widen the gap between its air power and that of India.
The Shenyang J-35 is expected to outperform India’s advanced fighters, such as the Rafale and Sukhoi Su-30MKI.
This advantage is projected to remain until India secures its own fifth-generation fighter jets.
Earlier this year, the PAF hinted at its intent to acquire the Shenyang J-35/FC-31 “Gyrfalcon,” developed by China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
PAF Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, stated that the Shenyang J-35/FC-31 would enter service “soon.”
Summary:
Pakistan has approved the acquisition of the Chinese-made fifth-generation fighter jet, the J-35, with deliveries expected within 24 months. This move aims to enhance the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) capabilities and widen its technological edge over India, which still relies on 4.5-generation fighters like the Rafale and Sukhoi Su-30MKI.
The J-35, developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, is designed for air combat and air-to-ground operations. PAF pilots are already undergoing training in China to operate the aircraft, signaling its imminent inclusion in Pakistan’s fleet. The acquisition aligns with Pakistan’s broader strategy to modernize its air force, replacing aging F-16s and Mirage 5s with advanced fighters.
This deal also reflects China’s growing influence as a defense supplier, with the J-35 joining the J-10C and JF-17 in PAF’s inventory. Analysts view the J-35 as a significant boost to Pakistan’s air power and a key component of its future aerial strategy.
Negotiations for the procurement of the Shenyang J-35/FC-31 have reportedly been finalized, with PAF pilots already undergoing training in China to operate the aircraft.
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The acquisition of the Shenyang J-35 has raised concerns in neighboring India, which still relies on 4.5-generation fighters like the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Rafale.
The move underscores Pakistan’s commitment to advancing its aerial capabilities while highlighting China’s growing role as a defense supplier.
At the recent Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, China unveiled official images of its second fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Shenyang J-35A.
Designed for air combat and air-to-ground operations, the Shenyang J-35A reflects China’s ambition to compete with the United States in developing stealth fighters.
Chinese J-20
With the Shenyang J-35A, China joins the U.S. as the only nations to produce two distinct fifth-generation fighters, the Shenyang J-35A and J-20 “Mighty Dragon,” akin to the American F-35 and F-22 “Raptor.”
The inclusion of the Shenyang J-35 into PAF’s inventory complements earlier acquisitions of Chinese aircraft, including the J-10C and the jointly developed JF-17.
Analysts suggest the Shenyang J-35 will replace Pakistan’s aging F-16s and Mirage 5s, signaling a shift towards a more modern and diversified air force. – DSA
South Asia The USA and South Asia
- By Saif
- South Asia
- 7 Replies
Donald Lu set for one last South Asia trip
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka 03 December, 2024, 22:18
Donald Lu | UNB file photo
US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is scheduled to travel to India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal from December 3 to 10.
His trip will strengthen cooperation with key partners in South Asia to promote regional prosperity and security, according to the US Department of State.
In New Delhi, India, Assistant Secretary Lu will support U.S.-India collaboration in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. He will join Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink to lead U.S. participation in the U.S.-India East Asia Consultations. The Consultations, along with separate meetings with senior Indian officials, will provide an opportunity to exchange perspectives on global and regional issues.
On December 5, Assistant Secretary Lu will travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to advance U.S.-Sri Lankan joint efforts to promote sustainable economic growth, combat corruption, and strengthen people-to-people ties. USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Anjali Kaur and Department of the Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Kaproth will join the Assistant Secretary to meet with senior government officials from Sri Lanka’s new administration and representatives from civil society.
Discussions will deepen ties with the new government, support its efforts to combat corruption, and explore how the United States can support Sri Lanka’s governance and economic reform agenda through tailored technical assistance, capacity building, and development programs.
Assistant Secretary Lu will conclude his trip in Kathmandu, Nepal, meeting with senior leaders to advance cooperation on environmental protection, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development. He will meet with youth leaders to gain insights into their vision for the future of U.S.-Nepal relations.
Additionally, discussions will emphasise the importance of cultural preservation, recognizing Nepal’s rich heritage as a cornerstone of its identity and a key driver of its tourism and economy.
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka 03 December, 2024, 22:18
Donald Lu | UNB file photo
US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is scheduled to travel to India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal from December 3 to 10.
His trip will strengthen cooperation with key partners in South Asia to promote regional prosperity and security, according to the US Department of State.
In New Delhi, India, Assistant Secretary Lu will support U.S.-India collaboration in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. He will join Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink to lead U.S. participation in the U.S.-India East Asia Consultations. The Consultations, along with separate meetings with senior Indian officials, will provide an opportunity to exchange perspectives on global and regional issues.
On December 5, Assistant Secretary Lu will travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to advance U.S.-Sri Lankan joint efforts to promote sustainable economic growth, combat corruption, and strengthen people-to-people ties. USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Anjali Kaur and Department of the Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Kaproth will join the Assistant Secretary to meet with senior government officials from Sri Lanka’s new administration and representatives from civil society.
Discussions will deepen ties with the new government, support its efforts to combat corruption, and explore how the United States can support Sri Lanka’s governance and economic reform agenda through tailored technical assistance, capacity building, and development programs.
Assistant Secretary Lu will conclude his trip in Kathmandu, Nepal, meeting with senior leaders to advance cooperation on environmental protection, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development. He will meet with youth leaders to gain insights into their vision for the future of U.S.-Nepal relations.
Additionally, discussions will emphasise the importance of cultural preservation, recognizing Nepal’s rich heritage as a cornerstone of its identity and a key driver of its tourism and economy.
World Trump Demands ‘Commitment’ From BRICS on Using US Dollar
- By Bilal9
- World Affairs
- 2 Replies
(Bloomberg) -- US President-elect Donald Trump warned the so-called BRICS nations that he would require commitments that they would not move to create a new currency as an alternative to using the US dollar and repeated threats to levy a 100% tariff.
“The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER,” Trump said in a post to his Truth Social network on Saturday.
“We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy,” he added.
Trump on his campaign trail pledged that he would make it costly for countries to move away from the US dollar. And he’s threatened to use tariffs to ensure they complied. Saturday’s threat took on new relevance as the president-elect prepares to retake power in January.
BRICS Summit Hosted In Johannesburg© Photographer: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images Europe
Trump and his economic advisers have been discussing ways to punish allies and adversaries alike who seek to engage in bilateral trade in currencies other than the dollar. The measures include considering options such as export controls, currency manipulation charges and levies on trade, Bloomberg News reported in April.
Trump has long stressed that he wants the US dollar to remain the world’s reserve currency, saying in a March interview with CNBC that he “would not allow countries to go off the dollar” because it would be “a hit to our country.”
The president-elect’s warning against the BRICS nations suggests “how confused the incoming administration is about the global trade and capital system,” according to Michael Pettis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“The US cannot both reduce its trade deficit and increase the global dominance of USD because these impose diametrically opposed conditions,” Pettis said on his X account.
The BRICS group of emerging-market nations — the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — expanded this year to include Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt. It discussed the issue of de-dollarization at a summit in 2023. Backlash against the dollar’s dominance gained traction in 2022 when the US led efforts to impose economic sanctions on Russia.
While some potential dollar rivals such as the Chinese yuan have already made inroads, that has often happened at the expense of currencies other than the dollar.
Despite the group’s rhetoric, the infrastructure that backs the dollar, such as the cross-border payment system, will likely give the US currency a decisive edge for decades to come.
Evidence of this emerged during the bloc’s October meeting in Kazan hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a champion of reducing the international role of the dollar. Organizers for the meeting encouraged attendees to bring US dollars or euros with them as non-Russian Mastercard or Visa cards don’t work in the country.
Economic advisers to Trump and his campaign have spoken in particular about targeting the BRICS effort.
“There is no chance that the BRICS will replace the U.S. Dollar in International Trade, and any Country that tries should wave goodbye to America,” Trump said Saturday.
The president-elect has already rattled world markets ahead of his second term with threats to levy an additional 10% tariffs on goods from China and 25% tariffs on all products from Mexico and Canada if those countries do not do more to stem the flow of illegal drugs and undocumented migrants across US borders.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump on Friday to discuss trade and border issues in a bid to tamp down tensions between the two allied nations after the tariff threat.
But other nations may consider ways to mitigate the Trump tariffs on their economies. China could allow its yuan to depreciate by as much as 10-15% in response to any trade war unleashed by Trump, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. The bank sees a 5% average depreciation in emerging-market currencies over the first half of 2025.
--With assistance from Harry Suhartono, Trista Xinyi Luo and Philip Glamann.
“The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER,” Trump said in a post to his Truth Social network on Saturday.
“We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy,” he added.
Trump on his campaign trail pledged that he would make it costly for countries to move away from the US dollar. And he’s threatened to use tariffs to ensure they complied. Saturday’s threat took on new relevance as the president-elect prepares to retake power in January.
BRICS Summit Hosted In Johannesburg© Photographer: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images Europe
Trump and his economic advisers have been discussing ways to punish allies and adversaries alike who seek to engage in bilateral trade in currencies other than the dollar. The measures include considering options such as export controls, currency manipulation charges and levies on trade, Bloomberg News reported in April.
Trump has long stressed that he wants the US dollar to remain the world’s reserve currency, saying in a March interview with CNBC that he “would not allow countries to go off the dollar” because it would be “a hit to our country.”
The president-elect’s warning against the BRICS nations suggests “how confused the incoming administration is about the global trade and capital system,” according to Michael Pettis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“The US cannot both reduce its trade deficit and increase the global dominance of USD because these impose diametrically opposed conditions,” Pettis said on his X account.
The BRICS group of emerging-market nations — the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — expanded this year to include Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt. It discussed the issue of de-dollarization at a summit in 2023. Backlash against the dollar’s dominance gained traction in 2022 when the US led efforts to impose economic sanctions on Russia.
While some potential dollar rivals such as the Chinese yuan have already made inroads, that has often happened at the expense of currencies other than the dollar.
Despite the group’s rhetoric, the infrastructure that backs the dollar, such as the cross-border payment system, will likely give the US currency a decisive edge for decades to come.
Evidence of this emerged during the bloc’s October meeting in Kazan hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a champion of reducing the international role of the dollar. Organizers for the meeting encouraged attendees to bring US dollars or euros with them as non-Russian Mastercard or Visa cards don’t work in the country.
Economic advisers to Trump and his campaign have spoken in particular about targeting the BRICS effort.
“There is no chance that the BRICS will replace the U.S. Dollar in International Trade, and any Country that tries should wave goodbye to America,” Trump said Saturday.
The president-elect has already rattled world markets ahead of his second term with threats to levy an additional 10% tariffs on goods from China and 25% tariffs on all products from Mexico and Canada if those countries do not do more to stem the flow of illegal drugs and undocumented migrants across US borders.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump on Friday to discuss trade and border issues in a bid to tamp down tensions between the two allied nations after the tariff threat.
But other nations may consider ways to mitigate the Trump tariffs on their economies. China could allow its yuan to depreciate by as much as 10-15% in response to any trade war unleashed by Trump, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. The bank sees a 5% average depreciation in emerging-market currencies over the first half of 2025.
--With assistance from Harry Suhartono, Trista Xinyi Luo and Philip Glamann.
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South Asia India banned a Chinese app four years ago. Government agencies are still using it
- By Jiangnan
- South Asia
- 18 Replies
[🇮🇳] France offers tech to make India Navy's submarines almost invisible in Indian Ocean Region
- Indian Defense Forum
- 6 Replies
France offers tech to make India Navy's submarines almost invisible in Indian Ocean Region
France has offered advanced pumpjet propulsion technology for India's Project 66 and Project 77 submarines, enhancing stealth, maneuverability, and operational effectiveness, strengthening India's underwater capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region
By The Week News Desk Updated: November 26, 2024 13:05 IST
In what may come as a major enhancement to the stealth capabilities of the Indian Navy's submarine programmes, an advanced pumpjet propulsion technology has been offered by France for the planned next-generation diesel-electric attack submarines, known as Project 66, and Project 77, which is the initiative to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).
The pumpset propulsion technology, a sophisticated alternative to traditional propeller systems, is already operational in the French Barracuda-class submarine. The technology significantly decreases the acoustic signature of submarines, allowing for quieter operations and improved stealth capabilities. If the deal goes through, the submarines of India may become some of the quietest in the Indian Ocean Region, offering a major advantage for the Indian Navy in underwater warfare.
READ MORE: Did Indian Navy quietly launch its fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine?
Stealth is of extreme importance to submarines operating in hostile waters.
Apart from helping minimize the noise produced during operation, this cutting-edge tech will also offer enhanced maneuverability to submarines, giving them an added edge while navigating complex waters.
“In a comparison between two otherwise identical submarines, the one with the pumpjet will always have a lower dived endurance, a lower dived range, a worse indiscretion ratio, a lower overall endurance, and a lower overall range, than the one with a propeller. This will confer a substantial tactical and strategic advantage on the conventionally-propelled submarine in a very broad range of operational scenarios," a report titled 'Australia’s Future Submarine: Getting this Key Capability Right' read.
ALSO READ: India's Rs 40,000 crore nuclear submarine plans set to significantly boost Navy's fighting powers
The adoption of this technology will help India's operational effectiveness of its submarine fleet, making it a formidable power in the Indo-Pacific region. France's willingness to offer this advanced technology to India demonstrates the growing defence ties between the two countries, which also involves joint military exercises across air, sea, and land domains and co-design, co-development, and co-production of military hardware.
TAGS
Arab Re-election of Trump and its impact on Middle East.
- By Saif
- Islamic History
- 0 Replies
Trump II and the Middle East
As‘ad AbuKhalil 01 December, 2024, 00:00
Donald Trump at a meeting on the Middle East Strategic Alliance in New York in September 2019. | White House/Shealah Craighead
IT IS too early to draw an outline of the Middle East policy of the incoming Trump administration. The cabinet and other senior positions are shaping up, while Democrats are doing their best to badger Arab-Americans for their vote against the Democratic Party.
We can draw on a variety of factors to understand the general direction of Donald Trump’s Mideast policies.
Will Jared Kushner play a role in the new administration? Trump viewed his son-in-law as an in-house Middle East expert not because of his academic credentials or his experience in the region, but purely because of his fanatical attachment to the Likud agenda.
Even if Kushner does not have a formal role in the White House he could, by virtue of his proximity to the president, override decisions by the State Department or other agencies if he deemed them unfavourable to Israeli interests.
But that probably wouldn’t be necessary as Trump is appointing people beholden to AIPAC’s agenda and who in some cases are even more extreme than AIPAC. Some of them are much closer to the West Bank criminal settler movement.
Kushner is likely to play a role because his Abraham Accords are considered by some Democrats (such as New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman) as a great achievement and an example of success by the Trump administration. In fact, political and military developments in the Middle East since October 7 all refute the premise of the Abraham Accords that basically dismissed the political salience of the Palestinian question.
The Kushner plan was predicated on the notion that the Palestinian cause will go away if we ignore it and if we secure peace treaties between Israel and Arab despots. The two most influential Middle East leaders (the despot of Saudi Arabia and the despot of the United Arab Emirates) are very close to Kushner and the two countries, along with Qatar, have contributed generously to his business ventures solely because of his proximity to his father-in-law.
Since Trump’s management of policy is eccentric at best (or informal and unprofessional) it is not unreasonable to consider the possibility of a political role for Massad Boulos, the father of Trump’s other son-in-law, Michael Boulos. Massad has been talking with the president-elect on Middle East policy matters and Trump appointed him as his point man for outreach with the Arab and Muslim American community during the election.
His efforts bore fruit as many Arab Americans in Michigan were persuaded by Boulos that Trump is serious about ending the on-going wars in the Middle East. There’s even a Middle East restaurant owner of Lebanese origin in Dearborn who swore that the president-elect pledged to end the Israeli war on Lebanon.
If Boulos were to play a role on Middle East policy it is likely that he will clash with Kushner over different visions of the Middle East and the U.S. role. Which in-law will Trump favour? In the 2024 election campaign, Boulos seemed to have had a bigger role than Kushner.
Arab hopes and second-term presidents
IN THE Middle East in particular there’s always been illusory hopes that in a second term an American president will be kinder to the Arabs because they are free of the AIPAC yoke.
Some Arabs still believe that the Mossad killed President John F. Kennedy (although there is no evidence of that whatsoever) in order to prevent him from restoring justice to the Palestinians.
Arabs also believed that Richard Nixon, the staunch Zionist who gave Israel all it wanted and more in the 1973 war, was planning to help Arabs in his second term and that Watergate was a Mossad conspiracy to foil his Middle East plans.
The same hopes were pinned on Ronald Reagan, whose second term was as bad as the first when it came to the Middle East.
Bill Clinton in his second term actually betrayed the Palestinians more than he did in his first, especially in the infamous Camp David meeting toward the end of his second term, when he lied to the Palestinian people, pledging that he would not fault the Palestinian Authority’s Yasser Arafat if the talks failed. He then rushed to blame Arafat when they did.
To be sure, Trump is not a regular politician and doesn’t operate according to the norms. But the same constraints are placed on him, if not more than usual.
Talk of a deep state
TRUMP and his advisors talk of the Deep State in reference to the permanent national security state regardless of change in the White House. Former president Barack Obama and Trump both tried to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and President Joe Biden finally achieved that goal with a lot of controversy and objections by the press, which is largely a guardian of the national security state.
Trump will also likely operate from grudges he’s held since his first term. How will Trump balance the debt he owes Miriam Adelson and his resentment against Benjamin Netanyahu who rushed to congratulate Joe Biden when Trump was still contesting the results of the 2020 election?
Trump has publicly criticised Netanyahu, and he seems resentful that not only Israelis, but also American Jews have not appreciated him enough for all he did for Israel in his first term. He spoke glowingly about Mahmoud Abbas and about his desire for peace — a jab at the Israeli government.
Trump’s aims for the region
HERE is what Trump likely wants to accomplish in the Middle East in his second term:
The profit motive will remain primary in his second term as it was in his first. He wants oil and gas puppets in the Middle East to spend lavishly on US arms and other goods. Those despotic puppets won’t disappoint and don’t demand an exorbitant political payment from the White House outside of military support and looking the other way on democracy and human rights. The Saudi government may, however, out of self-interest, demand increased security guarantees from the US in return for normalisation with Israel.
As Trump won praise for the Abraham Accords, he may invest in their perpetuation and expansion to new members, especially Saudi Arabia, but also others including Lebanon. Obviously Lebanon is the least likely candidate given the solid military opposition to peace with Israel within a large segment of the population.
Liberals and conservatives alike are still convinced even after a year of Israeli genocide, that peace with Arab despots is sufficient to provide stability for the region (which translates as stability for U.S. interests in the region). But Trump will face a hurdle in attempting to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords; the Saudi public remains staunchly supportive of Palestinian political rights. And the horrific scenes spread throughout Middle East media of Israeli slaughter of Palestinians, Lebanese, Yemenis and Iraqis have only deepened Arab public detestation of Zionism and its crimes.
But Saudi Arabia is willing — for a price — to lower its political requirements for peace with Israel; and recently the Saudi foreign minister indicated that the government no longer demands the establishment of a Palestinian state as a precondition for peace with Israel but merely a declaration of a pathway to a Palestinian state, i.e. a verbal declaration of sorts to assuage the Saudi public.
he appointment of several staunch Zionists to the new administration could lead to an increase in political concessions from Trump to Israel, adding to those he served them during his first term. U.S. recognition of West Bank annexation appears plausible, though it’s debated within Israel because it would expose the state’s blatant apartheid. The regional and international backlash this would provoke could also disrupt expansion of the Abraham Accords.
It is less likely that Trump will initiate a war in the Middle East as his appetite for war appears far less than that of the Biden-Harris administration. This does not mean, however. that Trump will not support and arm any existing or new Israeli war against Arabs or Iran.
Trump may engage in negotiations with Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program. The meeting between Elon Musk and Iranian diplomats in New York (if it happened as Iran has denied it) likely had Trump’s approval. In contrast, Biden wasted four years without pursuing dialogue with Iran, despite the Democratic Party’s backing of the 2015 nuclear agreement. Trump appears less constrained by Washington’s political establishment than Biden, who has consistently aligned with the war-focused Washington agenda. This highlights Trump’s willingness to explore unorthodox diplomatic paths.
We don’t really know what to expect from Trump in his second term. Will he feel emboldened by his decisive victory to distance himself from the agenda of war and aggression of the Deep State or will he continue on the predictable path of hostility to Iran and unconditional support for Israeli aggression?
Trump will inherit dangerous regional conflicts from the Biden administration. Biden has taken the world closer to nuclear war than any previous time since the Cuban Missile Crisis. There will be political rewards for Trump if he were to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine and to end Israel’s wars in the Middle East. But peace is still a dirty word in both the Democratic and Republican parties’ lexicon.
Consortiumnews.com, November 30. As‘ad AbuKhalil is a Lebanese-American professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus.
As‘ad AbuKhalil 01 December, 2024, 00:00
Donald Trump at a meeting on the Middle East Strategic Alliance in New York in September 2019. | White House/Shealah Craighead
IT IS too early to draw an outline of the Middle East policy of the incoming Trump administration. The cabinet and other senior positions are shaping up, while Democrats are doing their best to badger Arab-Americans for their vote against the Democratic Party.
We can draw on a variety of factors to understand the general direction of Donald Trump’s Mideast policies.
Will Jared Kushner play a role in the new administration? Trump viewed his son-in-law as an in-house Middle East expert not because of his academic credentials or his experience in the region, but purely because of his fanatical attachment to the Likud agenda.
Even if Kushner does not have a formal role in the White House he could, by virtue of his proximity to the president, override decisions by the State Department or other agencies if he deemed them unfavourable to Israeli interests.
But that probably wouldn’t be necessary as Trump is appointing people beholden to AIPAC’s agenda and who in some cases are even more extreme than AIPAC. Some of them are much closer to the West Bank criminal settler movement.
Kushner is likely to play a role because his Abraham Accords are considered by some Democrats (such as New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman) as a great achievement and an example of success by the Trump administration. In fact, political and military developments in the Middle East since October 7 all refute the premise of the Abraham Accords that basically dismissed the political salience of the Palestinian question.
The Kushner plan was predicated on the notion that the Palestinian cause will go away if we ignore it and if we secure peace treaties between Israel and Arab despots. The two most influential Middle East leaders (the despot of Saudi Arabia and the despot of the United Arab Emirates) are very close to Kushner and the two countries, along with Qatar, have contributed generously to his business ventures solely because of his proximity to his father-in-law.
Since Trump’s management of policy is eccentric at best (or informal and unprofessional) it is not unreasonable to consider the possibility of a political role for Massad Boulos, the father of Trump’s other son-in-law, Michael Boulos. Massad has been talking with the president-elect on Middle East policy matters and Trump appointed him as his point man for outreach with the Arab and Muslim American community during the election.
His efforts bore fruit as many Arab Americans in Michigan were persuaded by Boulos that Trump is serious about ending the on-going wars in the Middle East. There’s even a Middle East restaurant owner of Lebanese origin in Dearborn who swore that the president-elect pledged to end the Israeli war on Lebanon.
If Boulos were to play a role on Middle East policy it is likely that he will clash with Kushner over different visions of the Middle East and the U.S. role. Which in-law will Trump favour? In the 2024 election campaign, Boulos seemed to have had a bigger role than Kushner.
Arab hopes and second-term presidents
IN THE Middle East in particular there’s always been illusory hopes that in a second term an American president will be kinder to the Arabs because they are free of the AIPAC yoke.
Some Arabs still believe that the Mossad killed President John F. Kennedy (although there is no evidence of that whatsoever) in order to prevent him from restoring justice to the Palestinians.
Arabs also believed that Richard Nixon, the staunch Zionist who gave Israel all it wanted and more in the 1973 war, was planning to help Arabs in his second term and that Watergate was a Mossad conspiracy to foil his Middle East plans.
The same hopes were pinned on Ronald Reagan, whose second term was as bad as the first when it came to the Middle East.
Bill Clinton in his second term actually betrayed the Palestinians more than he did in his first, especially in the infamous Camp David meeting toward the end of his second term, when he lied to the Palestinian people, pledging that he would not fault the Palestinian Authority’s Yasser Arafat if the talks failed. He then rushed to blame Arafat when they did.
To be sure, Trump is not a regular politician and doesn’t operate according to the norms. But the same constraints are placed on him, if not more than usual.
Talk of a deep state
TRUMP and his advisors talk of the Deep State in reference to the permanent national security state regardless of change in the White House. Former president Barack Obama and Trump both tried to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and President Joe Biden finally achieved that goal with a lot of controversy and objections by the press, which is largely a guardian of the national security state.
Trump will also likely operate from grudges he’s held since his first term. How will Trump balance the debt he owes Miriam Adelson and his resentment against Benjamin Netanyahu who rushed to congratulate Joe Biden when Trump was still contesting the results of the 2020 election?
Trump has publicly criticised Netanyahu, and he seems resentful that not only Israelis, but also American Jews have not appreciated him enough for all he did for Israel in his first term. He spoke glowingly about Mahmoud Abbas and about his desire for peace — a jab at the Israeli government.
Trump’s aims for the region
HERE is what Trump likely wants to accomplish in the Middle East in his second term:
The profit motive will remain primary in his second term as it was in his first. He wants oil and gas puppets in the Middle East to spend lavishly on US arms and other goods. Those despotic puppets won’t disappoint and don’t demand an exorbitant political payment from the White House outside of military support and looking the other way on democracy and human rights. The Saudi government may, however, out of self-interest, demand increased security guarantees from the US in return for normalisation with Israel.
As Trump won praise for the Abraham Accords, he may invest in their perpetuation and expansion to new members, especially Saudi Arabia, but also others including Lebanon. Obviously Lebanon is the least likely candidate given the solid military opposition to peace with Israel within a large segment of the population.
Liberals and conservatives alike are still convinced even after a year of Israeli genocide, that peace with Arab despots is sufficient to provide stability for the region (which translates as stability for U.S. interests in the region). But Trump will face a hurdle in attempting to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords; the Saudi public remains staunchly supportive of Palestinian political rights. And the horrific scenes spread throughout Middle East media of Israeli slaughter of Palestinians, Lebanese, Yemenis and Iraqis have only deepened Arab public detestation of Zionism and its crimes.
But Saudi Arabia is willing — for a price — to lower its political requirements for peace with Israel; and recently the Saudi foreign minister indicated that the government no longer demands the establishment of a Palestinian state as a precondition for peace with Israel but merely a declaration of a pathway to a Palestinian state, i.e. a verbal declaration of sorts to assuage the Saudi public.
he appointment of several staunch Zionists to the new administration could lead to an increase in political concessions from Trump to Israel, adding to those he served them during his first term. U.S. recognition of West Bank annexation appears plausible, though it’s debated within Israel because it would expose the state’s blatant apartheid. The regional and international backlash this would provoke could also disrupt expansion of the Abraham Accords.
It is less likely that Trump will initiate a war in the Middle East as his appetite for war appears far less than that of the Biden-Harris administration. This does not mean, however. that Trump will not support and arm any existing or new Israeli war against Arabs or Iran.
Trump may engage in negotiations with Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program. The meeting between Elon Musk and Iranian diplomats in New York (if it happened as Iran has denied it) likely had Trump’s approval. In contrast, Biden wasted four years without pursuing dialogue with Iran, despite the Democratic Party’s backing of the 2015 nuclear agreement. Trump appears less constrained by Washington’s political establishment than Biden, who has consistently aligned with the war-focused Washington agenda. This highlights Trump’s willingness to explore unorthodox diplomatic paths.
We don’t really know what to expect from Trump in his second term. Will he feel emboldened by his decisive victory to distance himself from the agenda of war and aggression of the Deep State or will he continue on the predictable path of hostility to Iran and unconditional support for Israeli aggression?
Trump will inherit dangerous regional conflicts from the Biden administration. Biden has taken the world closer to nuclear war than any previous time since the Cuban Missile Crisis. There will be political rewards for Trump if he were to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine and to end Israel’s wars in the Middle East. But peace is still a dirty word in both the Democratic and Republican parties’ lexicon.
Consortiumnews.com, November 30. As‘ad AbuKhalil is a Lebanese-American professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus.
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