インドは何に慌てているのか

RT2018/5/21
Bypassing US sanctions, countering China: Why Modi's 'no agenda' meeting with Putin is anything but
Narendra Modi arrives in Sochi for an "agenda-less" meeting with Vladimir Putin, but there won't be time for chit-chat – the two men must save key arms deals left up in the air by US sanctions, and find common ground on China.

"This is a very different kind of meeting. Normally, we have a system of annual bilateral summits that are very structured, where you negotiate and you come out with documents, contracts and joint statements," said Pankaj Saran, India's ambassador to Moscow, ahead of his prime minister's arrival in the Black Sea resort on Monday afternoon.

Instead, the one-day visit will provide a chance for the two leaders to develop "personal chemistry, build up their relationship" and "discuss issues important to their own countries," said Saran. The trip was planned at short notice after Putin was re-elected for a fourth term in March, and will be conducted without honor guards, official dinners or other formalities.

'US won't dictate which weapons we can buy'

The issue that is equally important to both is the fate of Russia's agreed weapons exports to India, estimated to be worth $12 billion. Ever since India declared independence, Moscow has sold far more arms to New Delhi than any other state.
Read more
Russian S-400 air defense systems. Alexey Malgavko Russia expects to sign S-400 air defense system deal with India this year – official

But a major obstacle has risen in the shape of CAATSA, the anti-Russia, Iran and North Korea legislation passed by Congress last year. It not only penalizes Moscow's own strategic industries, but is liable to sanction third-country companies working with Russian entities on the list, including Russia's official arms trader Rosoboronexport.

On Saturday, US official Tina Kaidanow, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, who is herself traveling to India for talks later this month, warned New Delhi "to evaluate any potential large defense purchase from Russia seriously," saying it must not "enable" Russia's "malign behavior."

So far, India has held steady in the face of this pressure, which Moscow views as an underhanded attempt to muscle into the largest arms import market in the world.

"We are not going to allow our defense requirement to be dictated by any other country. We have conveyed this to the Capitol Hill. Russia has been a reliable and trusted partner," said a senior Indian official, quoted by multiple local media outlets last week.

In a tweet sent out prior to his visit, Modi also confirmed that he would seek to "strengthen the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia."

However, it would be complacent to exclusively blame Washington for a slide in that partnership, which has seen Russia's share of arms imports fall from 79 percent between 2008-2012 to 62 percent in 2013-2017, according to think tank SIPRI.

Even before Modi was elected in 2014, India began a geopolitical shift closer to Washington, while its arms industry has made a deliberate move to lessen its reliance on Russian companies, which Indian officials say experience difficulties with deadlines, cost overruns, and spare-parts supplies.

While undisputed Russian hits such as the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft systems are still in demand – India is intent on buying five at a cost approaching $6 billion – more speculative projects have run into trouble.

The nadir has been India's public decision just last month to exit the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project, mooted for over a decade. New Delhi is apparently dissatisfied with both the timelines and the characteristics of what would have been a groundbreaking, jointly produced jet, and a new model for Russia's post-Soviet aerospace industry.

It is likely that Modi and Putin will eventually feel comfortable enough to broach the topic during their face-to-face meeting, which is expected to last between four and six hours.

"My own experience has been that it takes time for us to take a final decision, when it comes to frontline fighter or attack aircraft," prominent Indian diplomat-turned-expert Gopalaswami Parthasarathy told RT. "I am sure that we can overcome any mutual doubts we may have on the Russian FGFA, once we can better match what we need with what is available. Finally, the entire issue of spares and transfer of technology remains crucial for defense supplies."
India to woo Russia away from China?

On nuclear, the relationship is similarly fruitful, if not so politicized. Indian representatives announced that the two leaders would discuss further cooperation in this area, with Russia completing reactors 3 and 4 of Kudankulam, India's largest nuclear power station, which is being constructed in the south of the country. Moscow will vie to complete reactors 5 and 6 by the start of the next decade, but nothing has been finalized, and the success of the project could determine the path of the country's energy industry – a relevant concern for a rapidly growing economy, and a population that is expected to overtake China's within five years.

Perhaps even more intriguing is the prospect of trilateral nuclear development with Bangladesh, to be piloted at the $13-billion Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, where Russian engineers will supply the tech, and the Indian side will provide some of the financing, management and influence.

Modi's informal one-to-one summits, which he has made his preferred form of international diplomacy, aren't about the nitty gritty of construction deals, but rather big ideas – of which India's place in the world remains central to the country's identity. And China remains the measuring stick.

"India sees China as a rival in a competition for regional leadership," Alexey Kuprianov, a senior research fellow at Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told RT.

Between the two countries ,there are plenty of indirect tensions. Beijing's "One Belt One Road Project" – a reimagining of the silk road backed up by massive infrastructure and industrial investment – is not only a bid for Asian supremacy and a metaphorical encroachment into its backyard, but actually goes through a disputed territory between India and arch-nemesis Pakistan, which has enjoyed closer ties with China in the past few years.

There is also a direct flashpoint – Doklam is a remote Tibetan area through which the undefined Sino-Indian border passes, but it captured headlines in both countries for over two months last summer, after a stand-off and series of clashes between border guards on both sides.

New Delhi is alarmed that Russia, the other great power in the immediate vicinity, is drifting noticeably closer to China, with whom it has a tighter fit, not just economically but geopolitically too, with both countries seeing themselves as a counterweight to US hegemony.

Modi's task will be to reassure Putin that India will not become a prong of a Western-directed alliance (talk of a potential regional partnership between United States, Japan, Australia and India was restarted last year) and also to show that its economic opportunities are as attractive as those offered by China. Perhaps sweetening the deal by offering Moscow a large new showpiece project, like the Russian-backed pipeline from Iran to India that was announced at the end of last year.

all US involvement in northwestern Syria is at an end ？？ 違うだろう

「米軍が北部シリアから撤退し、2億ドルの人道支援も他地域に振り分け」との情報が流れていますが、正確には北西部シリアに投じていた2億ドルの資金を北東部シリアに振り向けるということです。米国は、シリア北部でクルド系のSDFを支援し大量の車両や武器、弾薬を供与しています。2億ドルは人道援助ではありません。米国はシリア南部で政府の行う人道援助を妨害しています。米国はシリア北東部に新たな基地を建設し、テロリストを集結させています。CBSのニュースも疑問点だらけです。

※　やのっち(｡･ɜ･)d @_yanocchi0519　氏はよく研究されていると思いますが、2018/5/20の次のツイートは誤解を招く表現になっています。
「米軍、シリア北部から撤退のお知らせ️
ｷ━━ｲｲｨｨ(｡☉ω ⊙｡)ﾀｧｧｱｱ━━ｯｯｯ!!!!!」

debka　May 19, 2018 @ 18:43
US withdraws involvement, $200m in aid, from northwestern Syria
The Trump administration announced Saturday that all US involvement in northwestern Syria is at an end, barring humanitarian assistance, since the region has been cleared of ISIS. This area includes Idlib which is still under rebel control and is surrounded by Russian, Syrian and Turkish forces, as well as Afrin which is under Turkish occupation up to Aleppo. The administration said the money could be more usefully spent in other parts of the country

CBSNEWS　May 18, 2018, 6:52 PM
Trump administration ends aid for northwestern Syria
The Trump administration has withdrawn all assistance from Northwest Syria, according to administration officials. This is the newest demonstration of the administration's intent to briskly exit the country once ISIS is fully defeated.

The decision, made through an inter-agency process over the last few weeks, will mean that tens of millions of dollars will be cut off from previous U.S.-backed efforts to strengthen and stabilize the local society. Projects included countering violent extremism, supporting independent society and independent media, strengthening education, and advocating for community policing. The region will become the first area of the country where, other than humanitarian aid, the U.S. is officially disengaging.

Trump freezes $200 million in funds earmarked for Syria recovery

After President Trump's request to review all U.S. assistance to Syria, administration officials were tasked with looking at where the U.S. could save money and, in short, get more bang for their buck in the country. The U.S. assistance in the northwestern region is viewed as not having a great impact on Syria in the long-term. Some of the money that has been cut from the northwest is being reprogrammed, those decisions are ongoing.

The administration intends to narrow its focus onto the fight against ISIS and has recently halted funding to groups like the White Helmets, a famed rescue and civilian assistance operation in Syria. ISIS has been cleared from 95 percent of the territory it once occupied, but is clinging on to its last strongholds. Last month, when Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis was asked about withdrawing from Syria, he said there would be a "re-energized" fight in the Middle Euphrates River Valley against ISIS. Mattis did not say what would happen after that fight had concluded.

A State Department official told CBS News, "$200 million of stabilization assistance for Syria is currently under review at the request of the President. Distinct from that amount, U.S. assistance for programs in northwest Syria are being freed up to provide potential increased support for priorities in northeast Syria, as will be determined by the outcome of the ongoing assistance review, including the D-ISIS campaign and stabilization efforts."

メルケルとプーチンは話が通じる仲

プーチンはドイツ語が達者なようです。メルケルのこの表情、なかなか良い。独ロ接近は本物かもしれません。

UAEの株式投資会社が顧客の資金を不正使用

Bloomberg　2018年5月10日 11:00 JST
Dubai Firm Rattles Mideast Dealmaking With Alleged Misused Funds
It’s troubling for any asset manager, but this dispute has the potential to damage a region.

Allegations that one of the biggest and oldest private equity firms in the Middle East misused client money -- including from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank -- have sent shock waves through the ranks of local dealmakers. The firm, Dubai’s Abraaj Group, has shaken up its top ranks, cut dozens of jobs and hired outside help to probe the matter and patch up relations with clients, but the fallout may just start to ripple through.

Since the allegations surfaced in February, private equity deals and fundraising in the region, which had already been slowing, have come to a halt, according to interviews with about a dozen financial industry executives. The issue has hurt the region’s reputation and threatens to bring back concerns about a lack of transparency that had kept some investors away, they said, asking for anonymity because the matter is sensitive.

“The true impact of the Abraaj situation is one of reputational capital,” said Karim A. Souaid, managing partner of Growthgate Capital, a private investment firm operating in the region. It “will impact the appetite of fund investors to commit, and the capabilities of fund managers to raise capital. "

管理人には驚きはありません。

エルドアンがイスラエルにオットーマンスラップ イスラエル人はパレスチナ人にナチがユダヤ人にやったことをやっている

エルドアンのこの非難は、イスラエルの最も痛いところを突いています。世界の人たちがこれをどう受け止めるかに注目しています。

RT2018/5/19
Israelis are doing to Palestinians what Nazis did to Jews during WWII – Erdogan
Israeli actions in Gaza are similar to those perpetrated against Jewish people during Nazi persecution, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. Days earlier, he called Israel a “terrorist” and “apartheid” state.

“There is no difference between the atrocity faced by the Jewish people in Europe 75 years ago and the brutality that our Gaza brothers are subjected to,” Turkish President Erdogan said on Friday, as cited by AFP.

READ MORE: Turkey vows to bring Israel to ICC over Gaza carnage, Tel Aviv says Ankara will be there first

“The children of those being subject to all sorts of torture in concentration camps during World War II are now attacking Palestinians with methods that would put Nazis to shame,” Erdogan reiterated.

The Turkish strongman was speaking in Istanbul, where presidents, prime ministers and other dignitaries from over 40 Muslim states gathered for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The gathering showed support for Palestinians and condemned the inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem. The OIC has also pledged to create an “international peacekeeping force” to protect the Palestinians.

A long-time critic of Israel, Erdogan recently engaged in a war of words with Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of being “a terrorist” and leading “an apartheid state.” The Israeli premier did not mince his words either, calling Erdogan “a butcher” with reference to Turkey’s ‘Olive Branch’ operation in Syria’s Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

The lingering feud between Turkey and Israel escalated on the heels of renewed violence in Gaza, where massive protests erupted during the last week. At least 60 protesters were killed and over 2,700 were injured by Israeli bullets, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Reacting to the spike in violence, Ankara called for Israel to be held accountable, particularly by filing a lawsuit at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. “Israel should be taken to the International Criminal Court [over the killing of Palestinians]. Since third parties cannot do it, Palestine needs to initiate this,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT Haber on Thursday.

He also vowed to ensure “that the Israeli authorities and Israeli soldiers who point guns at defenseless people are held accountable.” His call was joined by the OIC Secretary General Yousef al-Othaimeen, who branded the Israeli actions “a war crime and a crime against humanity.”

Responding to the Turkish proposal, Yuval Steinitz, Israel’s minister for national infrastructure, energy and water, said Turkey is “ripe” to appear in the ICC long before Israel. Recalling Turkey’s crackdown on Kurds, he said “those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”

timesofisrael 18 May 2018, 9:06 pm
Erdogan likens Israeli ‘brutality’ in Gaza to Nazi murder of Jews
'There is no difference between the atrocity faced by the Jewish people in Europe 75 years ago and the brutality that our Gaza brothers are subjected to,' Turkish presidents says

Kose)

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) − Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday compared Israel’s actions against the Palestinians in Gaza to the Nazi genocide of the Jews in World War II.

“There is no difference between the atrocity faced by the Jewish people in Europe 75 years ago and the brutality that our Gaza brothers are subjected to,” he told a summit of Islamic leaders in Istanbul.

Erdogan, who supports the Hamas terror group that rules Gaza, has long been one of the fiercest critics of Israel and has raised the level of rhetoric in recent weeks. On Friday he also organized tens of thousands to rally against Israel in Istanbul.

He added that the leadership of a people “who were subjected to all kinds of torture in the concentration camps during World War II is attacking the Palestinians with methods similar to the Nazis.”

“I will say openly and clearly that what Israel is doing is banditry, brutality and state terror,” he said.

Six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II in the Holocaust, many perishing in gas chambers and death camps.

Erdogan had earlier told a mass rally in Istanbul that as the victims of the Holocaust, the Jewish people of Israel should stop their government’s actions against the Palestinians.

“We believe a people who were victims of the Holocaust will not give consent to the crime against humanity committed by their own state,” he said.

Large crowds thronged the massive Yenikapi meeting area on the shores of the sea of Marmara under the slogan “Curse the oppression, support Jerusalem,” ahead of an address later in the day by Erdogan.

Demonstrators held Palestinian and Turkish flags and brandished slogans including “Jerusalem is our red line.”

We are calling on the world and say ‘Israel, America and Zionism, you all dragged humanity into chaos’,” said protester Levent Ayaz.

“With God’s permission, Jerusalem belongs to us and is the capital of Islam as long as this ummah (Islamic community) exists,” he added.

Erdogan is hosting for the second time in half a year a summit of the world’s main pan-Islamic group seeking to show solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel after deadly clashes at the Gaza border Monday in which some 60 Palestinians were killed by IDF fire.

Many in the international community have criticized Israel for the deaths, while the IDF and Hamas have both noted that many of the dead were members of Gazan terror groups. A Hamas official, Salah Bardawil, said Wednesday that 50 of the fatalities were Hamas members.

※　p @OdNezu氏の2018/5/15のツイート
「今日、シオニスト指導者達のパレスチナに対する態度を見て、いったい誰が過去の反ユダヤ主義の巨匠達を批判できるだろうか？今ほど、彼等の分析に忠実であらねばならない時はない」（ジェローム・ブルボン）

※　p @OdNezu氏の2018/5/15のツイート
「パレスチナ人に対する虐殺行為がまったく罰されない今日の状況を目にしながらなお、ユダヤ問題など存在しない、あるいは些細なものだと言える人がいるのだろうか？」（ジェローム・ブルボン）

※　p @OdNezu氏の2018/5/15のツイート
「ホロコースト神話が、世界を耐え難い暴政に屈服させ、彼等がすべてを支配し、嘘をつき、弾圧し、虐殺し、やりたい放題何をしても決して罰されることがない体制を不動にするための絶対的手段であることを理解できないのは、白痴か卑怯者だ。」（ジェローム・ブルボン）

※　p @OdNezu氏の2018/5/15のツイート
「７０年来シオニスト集団は中東を血と炎の海にした。テルアビブの犯罪集団は、サダム・フセインを悪魔化し、その抹殺を煽動した後、シリアとイランを抹殺しようとしている。彼等の常軌を逸した殺人的狂気は不変だ。」（ジェローム・ブルボン）

Syrian Analyst: US, Israel Have to Consider Consequences of Attacking Syrian Army and Its Allies

FARSNEWS2018/5/20
Syrian Analyst: US, Israel Have to Consider Consequences of Attacking Syrian Army and Its Allies
TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian political analyst Steven Sahiounie believes Israeli strikes on Syria are aimed at weakening the Syrian army to ensure Tel Aviv would never be forced to give back occupied Syrian land in Golan Heights.

In an exclusive interview with FNA, the analyst said that Washington and Tel Aviv “have to make their own calculations about the repercussions of an attack on the allies of Syria; they would have to calculate their own losses after such action.”

Mr. Sahiounie also said that Saudi Arabia, as the main financier of terrorists in Syria, “faces a future of diminished power in the region” unless there is a change of policies in Riyadh.

Steven Sahiounie is an independent Syrian journalist and political analyst. He has been covering the Syrian crisis since it’s onset in 2011 and has published several articles in numerous media outlets, including Mint Press and Fort Russ News. He has also been interviewed by international news outlets such as Press TV.

FNA has conducted an interview with Steven Sahiounie about the ongoing crisis in Syria and the recent developments surrounding the issue namely the US’ plan for an independent Kurdish state on Syrian soil and the Turkish military intervention into the country.

Below you will find the full text of the interview.

Q: Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, Saudi Arabia has been actively supporting terrorists in the country. These terrorists are now losing ground every day. What do you think would be the implications of such failure for the Saudi foreign policy?

A: Saudi Arabia has failed in their goal of overthrowing the legitimate government in Syria. I believe that the plan, structure and goals of the project were not Saudi in origin. Saudi Arabia was used by USA as the paymaster of their project to overthrow the Syrian government. Saudi Arabia played their role, because if they were to refuse to follow the direct orders of Washington, DC., their own government could be changed in 24 hours. The right to be a King in Saudi Arabia is not a natural thing: it depends entirely on the US government. Who sits on the throne in Riyadh is not up to the Saudi Royal family, and certainly not up to the Saudi citizens, who have no say, and no voice in the government. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy: you are either the King, or related to him, or you are no one. Some inside sources have said that the Saudi officials have given up hope on their cause in Syria, because they have seen the events on the ground, as the Syrian government has consistently been recovering areas in Syria that had been under the occupation of radical Islamic terrorists. Radical Islam is a political ideology, and is not a religion or a sect.

I don’t see the Syrian crisis as a Saudi foreign policy, but as a US foreign policy, in which Saudi Arabia was forced to play their role. The terrorists and their weapons and salaries were not enough to achieve the success that US had planned for. I wouldn’t lay the blame for the failed attempt at the feet of the King of Saudi Arabia, because he played his role well, and fulfilled his obligations to Washington, DC. The failure of the project will always sit with the American government: they failed to take into account the resistance and steadfastness of the Syrian people, and their allies, in the face of international attack and occupation. I don’t think this failure in Syria will affect Saudi foreign policy: they will stay a client state of the USA, and they have no intent on restoring a relationship with Syria, or some of their Persian Gulf neighbors. The King of Saudi Arabia faces a future of diminished power in the region, and subservience to American whims and schemes, unless he could take a new path by making friends with his neighbors, and sharing peace and prosperity with his subjects and neighbors.

Q: We have seen the Israeli regime and the so-called US-led coalition targeting the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allied forces many times. What do you think is the reason for such moves?

A: The Israeli goal in Syria is to make sure there is destruction and chaos across Syria. Israel wants to ensure they never have to give back occupied land in Syria. Israel wants to keep the Syrian military weak, or their ultimate goal would be the complete destruction of the Syrian military, which is also the US goal. By destroying the Syrian military, the US and Israel could have achieved the overthrow of the legitimate government in Syria. The Syrian government has remained strong, united and effective during 7 years of war because of the unity and loyalty of the Syrian Arab Army, and the resistance of the Syrian people, who have sent their sons, brothers, husbands and fathers to serve in the military. The US and Israel may continue to attack the Syrian Arab Army and their allies on the ground in Syria, but we expect the eventual victory in Syria. The US and Israel have to make their own calculations about the repercussions of an attack on the allies of Syria: they would have to calculate their own losses after such action.

Q: The so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have received tremendous amount of arms and support from the United States, initially with the stated aim to fight Daesh (ISIL or ISIS). But apparently, the US is now preparing the ground to establish an independent Kurdish state in Syria. What do you think the US is seeking to achieve by disintegrating Syria?

A: The US has a long history of dividing nations for the purpose of subjugation. For example: the US-NATO attack on the former Yugoslavia; the US-NATO attack on Libya; the US attack on Iraq. From the outset of the attack on Syria, which began in March 2011, experts knew that the end-goal of the USA was a divided Syria, and in fact the various maps of the proposed ‘states’ within a future Syria have been on the media for years. They have paraded these proposed maps in front of our eyes so many times; there are people who are probably convinced that Syria is already divided. The old military scheme of “Divide and Conquer” is still in use today. Cut things up: making them smaller and easier to control, subjugate and confiscate the valuable resources available. The American government found their perfect partner in the Syrian Kurds. There is a part of that community who are willing to be a traitor to their own country and citizenship, and willing to maim and kill their own neighbors for the promise of their own ‘homeland’ and substantial paychecks to achieve the goal. However, not all of the Syrian Kurdish community is part of the plan, or in support of it. By using this small community of traitors and criminals, the US military found a willing partner in their plans to cut up Syria, thus preventing a united Syria, with its original borders. This plan also dovetails into the Israeli position: to show the world that ancient people are deserving of their own homeland, newly established, from the existing lands of the Middle East. This new Kurdish homeland would legitimize the 1948 establishment of Israel, as a homeland for the Jews, who are also an ancient people. If the ‘international community’ will support this new Kurdish homeland, from original Syrian soil, this would reinforce the Israeli position that their homeland is also a legitimate claim. As we know, the goals of the USA and Israel are most times interwoven and sometimes indistinguishable.

Q: The US announcement of its plans to recognize a Kurdish state in Syria has seemingly provoked Turkish invasion on Kurdish areas. What are Turkey’s objectives in its military intervention and how do you think this recent development would affect the process of reaching peace in Syria?

A: The Turkish military has invaded Syria at Afrin. However, this is not the first time Turkey’s military has been used officially to kill and destroy in Syria. We must not forget the role of the Turkish military in the attack, invasion and occupation which resulted in the destruction of Kessab, Syria on the North West border in 2014. In fact, Kessab has still not recovered from that devastation. Turkey has suffered at the hands of Kurdish terrorists who have killed and maimed thousands in Turkey for decades. However, Turkey knows full well that Afrin is Syrian, and the Syrian military with their allies are capable of stabilizing Afrin and preventing any Kurdish terrorists attacking either Turkish citizens, or Syrian citizens. Thus, this Turkish invasion of Afrin is a subterfuge for the real intent: to cut up Syria, not in favor of the Kurdish homeland plan, but for the new Turkish district of Afrin, which the Turks have long argued would be a ‘safe-zone’ for Syrian refugees, who could then be relocated there. Also, this could be the “No-Fly-Zone” which Turkey has long campaigned for. Conceivably, the Kurds living in Afrin would then be displaced, and their homes and farms occupied by Syrian refugees who are loyal to Turkey. The Syrian refugees in Turkey, who are loyal to Turkey, are all directly connected to various terrorist groups, such as Free Syrian Army and other Al Qaeda aligned groups. Turkish history tells us of the genocide of Armenians and other Christians in 1916, and the survivors were displaced, with their homes and farms given to Turcoman settlers, originally from Central Asia. I hope that history will not repeat itself.

シリアに関してMSMがいろいろなデマを流しているようだ

FARSNEWS2018/5/20
Sources Reject Reports on Putin's Demand for Iran's Withdrawal from Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- Sources in Syria's presidential office dismissed media claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Iran to withdraw its military advisors from Syria.

Quoting the Russian officials, the sources told the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen newspaper on Sunday that Putin's remarks did not include the Russian forces and Iranian advisors who are in Syria at the demand of the legal government and they will leave the country whenever Damascus demands.

Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad held a meeting in Syria in Sochi earlier this week during which Putin said that the foreign forces will leave Syria after the Syrian army's victory against the terrorist groups and the start of political process in the country.

In relevant remarks in December, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani reiterated his country's firm decision to continue its military advisory role in Syria until all terrorist groups are uprooted.

"We will continue presence and providing advisory services in Syria until annihilation of all terrorist groups in the country at the demand of the legal Syrian government," Shamkhani said, addressing a forum in the Western province of Kurdistan.

He underlined that allegations against Iran by Israel or other countries would never tilt the country's calculations and decisions in pursuit of its national interests and establishment of regional security.

シリアの復興に際して国が市民の不動産を没収するとのデマも流れています。

FARSNEWS2018/5/19
The Lies They Say About Post-War Reconstruction in Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- First things first: The Syrian government which liberated so many cities and towns from foreign-backed terrorist groups of ISIL and Al-Qaeda – with a helping hand from Iran, Russia and Hezbollah – has no plans whatsoever to confiscate homes and lands of those who fled the once terror-held areas. There is no ‘New Land Law' for it either.

Still, that hasn’t stopped ‘fakestream’ media outlets in the West and the Arab world to claim otherwise. They claim that a new urban development law in Syria has put the onus on citizens, millions of whom are displaced, to prove ownership of their homes − or potentially risk losing them to postwar developments - and government supporters.

This is while the full implications of Law 10 of 2018 are yet to be seen. There are provisions allowing distant relatives to register properties for absentee landlords, allowing for flexibility. However, there is no conflict between government loyalists and opponents, nor should this be a cause for anxiety - especially among those forced to abandon their homes in areas where foreign-backed terrorist groups have now been crushed. Under the law and through legal channels, people are free to return to their homes as their rights will be protected as soon the nationwide reconstruction efforts begin.

Indeed, it is silly to argue that those who can prove ownership will still lose their homes because of their political affiliations or activities. No government entity is going to steal any private property and no civilians will ever get arrested just because they want to return to their homes. Syria has already proved otherwise in thousands of cases, where thousands of militants have applied for government amnesty and have return home along with the families across the country.

Into the argument, and according to the Syrian government officials and entities, those who have left the country, or those who have been internally displaced (over 6.6. million), can ask their families and relatives to register their properties using the necessary paperwork, and keep the hope of return alive. True, it will be a complicated process, but no one is going to scuttle this process deliberately, much less put such legal claims in jeopardy. Those who possess the proper paperwork can and should secure their home as per a new presidential decree, that’s according to the Syrian Interior Ministry.

The political interpretation is that the government seeks to rebuild the country and it will need all the help it can get from the international community and its own people. Besides, no one in the government has ever said that Damascus plans to alienate its own people, much less recoup the land of the displaced and redistribute it to those close to the government so they can rebuild new neighborhoods. Such baseless allegations are there to ensure further divisions inside Syria and deeper distrust among the general public.

Irrespective of media shenanigans in the West and the Arab world, the people of Syria should help their government to rebuild post-conflict Syria. Their efforts and investment in rebuilding Syria will bolster their domestic market and economy and heighten international competition over their own future. Such unity would also prevent the de-facto partition of Syria and any return to its pre-war unevenly- developed status.

The government and the people should take steps to prevent Syria from sliding backwards economically and prevent Syria from unbalanced development. They can seek help from their allies and the international community to leverage reconstruction assistance as a tool for jumpstarting reconciliation talks between the opposition parties and the government as well, and convene multi-track dialogues on development with various stakeholders to ensure reconstruction is consistent across the country.

People are the hope for rebuilding Syria and the government cannot do this alone. That’s a fact. They should never allow any chance of renewed violence and division, nor should they ever let national reconstruction efforts and plans pave the way for an open-ended American military occupation and dominance. Their unity and resolve could tip the scale toward the Syrian people and government.

サウジ皇太子MBSにやはり異変があったらしい

サウジのクラウンプリンスMBSが公の場に現れなくなったことから死亡説が浮上しましたが、いったんは4/21以降に子供向けアトラクション施設の開場式に出席した画像が流れ、死亡説は正しくないとの説が強まりました。

しかし、5/19に行われた軍事大学の卒業式に国防大臣でもあるMBSの姿が見えなかったことから、憶測が再燃しています。サウジ国内のみならず世界中が注目するMBSの消息ですが、サウジ国王は何も発言していません。

サウジ国王は、実子のMBSに王位を継がせるために王族内で話をつけたとされていますが、継承権をはく奪された皇太子とその親族の不満と反発は強いものがあるはずですし、MBSがクラウンプリンスになった後、汚職摘発と称して他の王族をホテルに閉じ込め拷問もしたとの話も流れています。

サウジの王位継承者は、米国が実質的に決めるとの説もあり、MBSはトランプに献金をしたりしています。イラク、シリアのテロリストの最大のスポンサーはサウジで、この費用やイエメン戦争の費用がかさんでサウジは国家財政の危機に陥っています。

MBSは対イラン強硬派であり、他方でイスラエルと急接近しています。

MBSが死んだとなれば、王位継承者の選定からやり直しになりますし、米国やイスラエルがサウジに対してこれまでのようなキャッシュディスペンサーの役回りを期待できるのか不透明な面も出てくるでしょう。イスラエルVSイランを軸とした現在の対立の構図が変わることもありえます。

サウジ国王は健康状態が良くないとされています。王位を継がせようと困難を押して王位継承権の地位につかせた皇太子が死ぬ、あるいは精神的に異常をきたすとなると、現国王にとってはこの上ない悲劇になります。

FARSNEWS2018/5/20
TEHRAN (FNA)- Saudi Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman who has not appeared in the public after the April 21 coup in his palace continues to be absent in public gatherings and was not seen among a host of Riyadh officials at the cadets graduation ceremony in King Abdolaziz military college on Saturday night either.

The Saudi defense ministry announced in a statement on Sunday that Riyadh ruler Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdolaziz has attended the ceremony instead of bin Salman.

The statement declined to comment on the reason of bin Salman's absence while naturally the defense minister should participate in such ceremonies.

Last Thursday, an Iranian daily reported that bin Salman is likely dead after an assassination attempt on his life last month, claiming intel from the security service of an Arab state.
（略）
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has witnessed a series of radical political changes over the past year as Mohammed bin Salman ousted his cousin as crown prince and jailed well-known princes in an anti-corruption purge.

Moreover, bin Salman oversees social and economic reforms that have been censured by several powerful Wahhabi clerics.

Notably, bin Salman made no media appearance during the April 28 visit of the newly-appointed US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to Riyadh, his first foreign trip as the top US diplomat.

During his stay in Riyadh, Saudi media outlets published images of Pompeo’s meetings with King Salman and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

This is while the state-run outlets used to publish images of meetings in Riyadh between bin Salman and former US secretary of state Rex Tillerson.

It is not clear if bin Salman’s disappearance is due to reasons such as him feeling threatened or being injured in the incident.

FARSNEWS2018/5/20
Saudi Concerns Growing over Fate of MBS as People Start Asking His Whereabout
TEHRAN (FNA)- Unofficial reports on the death of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman after the last month coup have gathered pace after his month-long absence from the public as Hashtag وفاة_ولی_العهد (#Death-of-Crown-Prince) has gone viral in the country suggesting that the prince has succumbed to his injuries sustained during the coup.

Bin Salman has not been seen in the public since April 21 attack on his palace in Riyadh which has raised speculations about his injury and death.

Yousef al-Hazeri, an Arab social media activist, wrote in his twitter account that "if bin Salman's death is true, it means that Trump has this time used up the milking cow just like a traveling shampoo and threw it into the sinkhole".

2018年05月18日
サウジの皇太子MBSは本当に死んだのか？

イランでキノコ中毒 190人入院、9人死亡

RT2018/5/20
9 dead, dozens critical & need liver transplant as 700+ get poisoned by wild mushrooms in Iran

At least 50 of the victims who were hospitalized across Iran’s eight provinces are in critical condition, with some requiring liver transplants to save their lives, the emergency services said.

READ MORE: Magic mushrooms are ‘safest drugs’ compared to LSD, ecstasy & cocaine – study

The country’s Ministry of Health attributed the incident to spring rain across the mountainous regions of the country, and issued a warning advising people to “avoid eating wild and unfamiliar mushrooms,” and refrain from even touching them because “skin toxicity is present in some species of fungi.”

Authorities advised the public not to buy mushrooms from street vendors. Those who experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or severe dizziness are advised to drink a lot of fluids and visit a health center immediately.

Saudi King Absent in OIC Meeting on Palestine, Amman Publicizes Differences with Riyadh

FARSNEWS2018/5/19
Saudi King Absent in OIC Meeting on Palestine, Amman Publicizes Differences with Riyadh
TEHRAN (FNA)- The extraordinary meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Palestine was held in Istanbul on Friday in the absence of Saudi King Salman, while Jordan's king looked undeterred to show narrowing differences with Qatar, Turkey and Iran and distancing his country from Saudi, UAE, Bahraini policy of rapprochement with Israel.

The declaration issued at the end of the OIC conference described the US decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem al-Quds as "unlawful" which could “trigger chaos in the region".

“We reaffirmed once again the vital importance of preserving the sanctity and historical status of Al-Quds and Haram Al-Sharif for the whole Muslim Ummah, emphasizing that the Muslim Ummah could strongly defend its causes globally only by acting in unity and solidarity,” the declaration signed by 48 countries said.

During the conference held in the absence of the Saudi King and PA president, Jordanian King Abdullah II sat beside Qatari Emir Tamim bin Ahmed al-Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Analysts believe that the move indicates Jordan's different stance with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain which are rapidly moving towards normalization of ties with Israel.

Meantime, the Jordanian media said that King Abdullah II and the Qatari king have had intimate talks during the conference.

Addressing the conference, the Jordanian king said that "the violence, aggression, and violations perpetrated by Israel against the brotherly Palestinian people in Gaza and elsewhere in the Palestinian Territories must stop. The international community must uphold its responsibilities before history; peoples of the world and all people of conscience must uphold their responsibilities in protecting the Palestinian people and enabling them to gain their rights and end occupation, injustice, and despair".

S. Arabia Starts New Wave of Arrests over Ties with Israel

FARSNEWS2018/5/19
S. Arabia Starts New Wave of Arrests over Ties with Israel
TEHRAN (FNA)- Saudi authorities have arrested several activists for denouncing the industrious efforts made by Riyadh, particularly those of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.

The Arabic-language al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper quoted social media activists as saying that the Saudi authorities have last Thursday detained two male activists named Dr. Mohammad al-Rabi'eh and Dr. Ibrahim al-Madimiq and four female activists, including Lajin al-Hazloul, Azizeh al-Yousef, Iman al-Nafjan and Noureh Faqih, who are all against Riyadh's attempts to normalize relations with Israel.

Also, Abdollah al-Qamedi, a Saudi activist living in Britain, said that the Saudi authorities have imprisoned his mother and brother for over 50 years with permission to visit family members.

In a relevant report in February, Qatar’s Arabic-language al-Arab newspaper, reported that Saudi forces detained Noha al-Balawi, a female activist, over a post she published on her Twitter page, criticizing normalization of ties with Israel.

Balawi, wearing a niqab in the video, stated that Israeli-Saudi relations would only serve the interests of the Tel Aviv regime, and would be to the detriment of Arab nations.

Speaking in an interview with France 24 television news network on December 13, 2017, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom had a “roadmap” to establish full diplomatic ties with the Tel Aviv regime.

In mid-November last year, a Lebanese paper published a secret document that showed that the Saudis were willing to normalize relations with Israel as part of a US-led Israeli-Palestinian peace effort and unite Saudi-allied countries against Iran.

The document, published by al-Akhbar daily, was a letter from the Saudi foreign minister to bin Salman, explaining why it was in the kingdom’s interest to normalize relations with Israel. The letter said a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel has risks for the kingdom due to the strength of the Palestinian cause among Muslims.

The Saudis' willingness to boost ties with Israel has offended several Arab countries, including Jordan.

As for the Palestinian refugee issue, the letter says the Saudis would be willing to help the estimated five million Palestinian refugees worldwide settle in the host countries rather than being brought back to the occupied Palestinian territories.

US to Support Kurds in Manbij against Turkey

FARSNEWS2018/5/19
US to Support Kurds in Manbij against Turkey
TEHRAN (FNA)- Kurdish sources reported on Saturday that the US forces have underlined in their meetings with the Kurdish officials that they will remain in Manbij as differences have widened between the American and Turkish militaries over the presence of Kurdish forces in the town.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news quoted the military command council of Manbij as saying that a meeting was held between an official delegation of the US-led coalition forces' command center and a number of Kurdish commanders in Manbij.

The meeting on the political and security situation of Manbij was held in the presence of William Urback, a representative of the US state department, Commander of the US-led coalition General Jimmy Gerrard, Commander of the Kurdish forces in Manbij Mohammad Mostafa, Spokesman for Manbij's military council affiliated to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Sharfan Darwish and Deputy Commander of Manbij military council Ibrahim Banawi.

It added that the US forces have underlined their continued presence in cooperation with the Manbij military council until they prevail control over the entire region.

Meantime, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has several times threatened that he will send his forces to Manbij after driving out the Kurds from Afrin.

Darwish had announced earlier this month that the US forces have set up a new military base in Manbij in Northern Syria at the borders with Turkey.

He said that the French forces have been stationed in the military base with the aim of monitoring and protecting the borders, adding that the base has been established immediately after the Turkish army and its allies' attacks on the Kurdish forces in Afrin and Ankara's repeated threats to enter Manbij.

Experts say military assessments show that establishment of a new military base in Manbij that comes in the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's pullout pledge will exacerbate tensions between Washington and Ankara.

Skripal Case 12

FARSNEWS2018/5/18
Sergei Skripal Released from Hospital
TEHRAN (FNA)- Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, poisoned in the United Kingdom, was discharged from a hospital in Salisbury, the National Health Service (NHS) England said Friday.

"Sergei Skripal has been discharged from Salisbury District Hospital. Mr. Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were admitted to the hospital along with DS Nick Bailey after having been exposed to a nerve agent on 4 March 2018. All three have now been discharged," the statement read, Sputnik reported.

Yulia Skripal, for her part, was released from the hospital on April 11 after recovering and regaining the ability to speak in late March.

"It is fantastic news that Sergei Skripal is well enough to leave Salisbury District Hospital," hospital's Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks said.

According to the Chief Executive statement, despite the fact that all the patients have been discharged, the NHS respects their confidentiality and could not disclose the details of their treatment.

The NHS noted, citing Cara Charles-Barks, that all the staff had shown high skills and professionalism while treating the Skripals.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal have reportedly been taken to an undisclosed location for their safety.

RT2018/5/17
UK detectives 'question Sergei Skripal' over trips to London and MI6 meetings
Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal is still being questioned in hospital by detectives about meetings with his alleged former MI6 handler and his trips to London, ten weeks after being poisoned by a nerve agent, reports Sky News.

It is thought that they want to ascertain details of Skripal’s life in Britain, reportedly attempting to pinpoint his monthly meetings in a Salisbury restaurant with his supposed former MI6 handler and his regular trips to London.

According to reports Skripal had been in contact with Estonian and Czech Republic intelligence agencies, briefing them on various methods used by Russian spies. The double-agent reportedly gave a lecture as recently as 2016 in the Czech Republic. The meetings have been posited by some publications in the British and US press as a motive for the Kremlin to poison Skripal.

Speaking to Sky News, espionage historian Alexander Vassiliev suggested another culprit, the Russian mafia. Vassiliev told Sky News that criminals are most likely behind the nerve agent attack on Sergei and his daughter Yulia Skripal. Their motivation? Embarrassment for Vladimir Putin and his government as "the Russian government had no reason to kill Skripal", Vassiliev claims.

Vassiliev says there wasn’t a reason to kill him [by the Russian government]. I'm sure when Putin released him, and pardoned him, he knew Skripal would be co-operating with British secret services and other European espionage agencies.

"All defectors are doing it, they work as consultants, they give lectures, they write books - it's a normal thing. He had to earn his living somehow - he wouldn't have been a taxi driver.

"Skripal was arrested in 2004 - that was a long time ago and he didn't know specific details about current objectives or operatives. The Russian government had no reason to kill Skripal - he was nobody and he wasn't a danger.

"It was obvious that killing him would create a huge international scandal that would damage Russian reputation all over the world."

The British government insists that the Kremlin was behind the attack on the Skripals, who were reportedly poisoned by a nerve agent administered on the door handle of Sergei’s home in Salisbury. Yulia was discharged from hospital five weeks ago, but has not given any interviews since being released. Russia denies any involvement.

EC President: EU to Devise Mechanisms to Circumvent US Sanctions on Iran

FARSNEWS2018/5/18
EC President: EU to Devise Mechanisms to Circumvent US Sanctions on Iran
TEHRAN (FNA)- President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker underlined that the EU countries are looking for ways to avoid US sanction on Iran.

"We are preparing legislation in order not to recognize US secondary sanctions imposed against European companies for cooperating with Iran," Juncker said.

The EC president underlined that for this purpose the European Union will enact a law to ban its companies from US sanctions imposed on Iran.

"Given the above issue, the legislation will not recognize any court order to impose a fine that the White House may impose on the European companies to do business in the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said, adding, "As the European Commission, we are duty bound to protect our companies in the face of sanctions imposed by US on Iran."

Juncker said that the European Commission has decided to allow European Investment Bank to facilitate investment of European companies in Iran.

EC will maintain its cooperation with Iran while the US Treasury Department has recently announced to European companies that they have been given a six-month deadline to end their investment in Iran.

FARSNEWS2018/5/18
Minister: Over 120 German Companies Operating in Iran
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Minister of Energy Reza Ardakanian underlined that the US exit from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has not influenced foreign companies' presence in Iran, and said that tens of German firms are active in Iran.

"With the coordination made in this regard, 120 German firms will continue their activities in the Islamic Republic of Iran," Ardakanian said after meeting senior German officials in Berlin.

He pointed to the activity of Germany’s Siemens Company in Iran and said, “As a prestigious company based in Germany, Siemens will comply with its contractual commitments with Iran wholeheartedly."

The visiting Iranian minister of energy has traveled to Germany at the official invitation of German Minister of Environment, Economy and Energy.

The two sides have exchanged their views on broadening relations in different fields.

ネタニヤフがイランは父祖の地だと主張

theonion2018/5/10
Netanyahu Begins Calling For Israeli Return To Ancient Homeland Of Iran
JERUSALEM−Declaring that it was long past time for his people to live once again on their ancestral soil, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly began calling Thursday for the Israeli return to their ancient homeland of Iran. “The land of Iran has long been part of our heritage, and we implore the international community to work with us to ensure its return to the independent Jewish state,” said Netanyahu, adding that Israel was willing to use military force if necessary to reoccupy all 636,400 square miles of present-day Iran that were historically included in the promised land bestowed upon the Jewish people by biblical mandate. “The so-called Islamic cities of Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, and dozens of others were founded on what were once ancient Jewish kingdoms, not to mention how many of our most sacred sites Iran currently occupies, including the Imam Reza Holy Shrine, the Jamkaran Mosque, and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple of Chak-Chak. In fact, Iran is home to the highest concentration of Judaic ancient holy sites anywhere in the world outside of Mecca, Lumbini, and Vatican City. We demand that the Jewish people be permitted to return to ruling our ancestral Persian homelands.” At press time, Netanyahu had approved plans to begin construction on a large Israeli settlement in downtown Tehran.

サウジの皇太子MBSは本当に死んだのか？

サウジアラビアの王位継承予定の皇太子MBSが暗殺されたのではないかとの観測が出ています。

この情報を最初に伝えたメディアは、イランの新聞 Keyhanのペルシャ語版です。国際ニュースは英語版もありますが、そこには載っていません。

「ある匿名のアラブの国の上級職員に送られた秘密機関の報告書が明らかにした」とあります。イランがアラブの国と言えるのか疑問ですが、一応含めておきます。
「MBSは、彼の宮殿に対する4/21の攻撃で2発の弾丸を受けた」と具体的で「MBSはそれ以来公衆の前に現れていないので死んだかもしれない」としています。

「2018/4/21、宮殿の周りで激しい銃撃音が聞かれた。その際サルマン国王は市内の空軍基地にある米国のバンカー（避難壕）に連れていかれた」

Reports said the king and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were evacuated　
「国王だけでなくMBSも避難した」と報告書は述べています。

4/21の銃撃戦直後の報道では、おもちゃのドローンが宮殿に近づきすぎたため警護隊が銃を発射したとされていました。しかし、今回の記事の記述では、クーデターが起き、宮殿を攻撃した兵士は宮殿の上を飛ぶドローンから得られた記録映像と諜報情報に導かれていたとあります。

Saudi opposition members claimed that "a senior ground force officer has led a raid on the palace to kill the king and the crown prince".

MBSは自分についてのメディアの報道が好意的になるよう、良い印象を流すよう西側メディアに大金を払っているとされています。そして、外国の要人が訪問した時には、進んでカメラの前に立っています。ところが4月末にポンペオがリヤドを訪問したときにはメディアへの露出はありませんでした。

Notably, bin Salman made no media appearance during the April 28 visit of the newly-appointed US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to Riyadh, his first foreign trip as the top US diplomat.

この間、国営メディアは、ティラーソンとの会談画像を使っていたようです。
This is while the state-run outlets used to publish images of meetings in Riyadh between bin Salman and former US secretary of state Rex Tillerson.

A few days after the April 21 incident, Saudi media published footage and images of bin Salman meeting several Saudi and foreign officials. But the date of the meetings could not be verified, so the release of the videos could be aimed at dispelling rumors about bin Salman’s conditions.

It is not clear if bin Salman’s disappearance is due to reasons such as him feeling threatened or being injured in the incident.

MBSが公衆の面前に姿を現さない原因は、三通り考えられます。
�@　死んだ
�A　負傷が大きく、療養・リハビリ中
�B　暗殺を恐れて人前に出れない精神状態　MBSはかねて暗殺を極度に恐れているとの説がありました。

このニュースにある情報のソースは、中東のある国のインテリジェンス機関の報告書だとされています。カタール、エジプト、ヨルダン、クウェートなどサウジの周辺国の可能性もありますが、よその国のインテリジェンス機関の報告書をイランの新聞社がそうやすやすとは入手できません。しかもこのレポートの内容からしてそんなレポートを出していてしかもイランのメディアにも渡していたことがサウジにばれたら大変な騒ぎになります。

この報告書を書いたインテリジェンス機関は、イランの機関ではないでしょうか。IRGCの可能性が強いと管理人は思います。

IRGCは、前にMBSは王である父親を倒してでも早く王位につきたいとの願望があるとの情報を流しています。4/21の「クーデター」についても当然情報を集めています。

MBSがいとこなどに当たるであろう他の皇太子をホテルに軟禁して財産提供を求めたときに、皇太子の一人がイランに亡命しています。

このMBS死亡観測報道は、すぐにサウジの知るところとなりますから、事実であろうとそうでなかろうとサウジは抗議、攻撃のアクションを起こすでしょう。それを見込んだ嫌がらせなのか、それとも情報収集力を見せつけるためのものなのか。

イラン政府は、おれは知らん、新聞社が勝手に情報を得て勝手に書いたことと言い逃れるのでしょうが、それで済むか。ここ数日のサウジの反応に注目です。

スプートニクが続報を流しました。2018/4/28のQiddiya opening seremony にMBSが国王とともに現れ、その画像が出回っています。



これで4/21の戦闘で死んだという説は否定されますが、それから約3週間。公の前に姿を現さないのはなぜかということになります。

・・・・・

Neo Tv Network - Official　2018/05/17 に公開
BREAKING: Saudi Crown Prince Likely Killed in Coup? | 17 May 2018
Neo Newsはパキスタンのメディアです。

Star 2 Sun　2018/05/17 に公開　のキャプチャー








https://english.almanar.com.lb/507483
The Saudi government claims that the heavy gunfire was only an operation to shoot down a recreational drone. “It was a small remote-controlled toy airplane that came into restricted airspace and was immediately shot down,” a Saudi official had announced after the incident.

Meanwhile, Saudi activists in the social media say the shooting had nothing to do with a drone, but it was an attack from vehicles carrying heavy machine guns and shooting randomly.

Some sources affiliated with Saudi opposition groups also suggest that the April shooting has frightened bin Salman, forcing him to ban the royal family members and top officials from leaving the country for fear that his cousin and former crown prince, Muhammad bin Nayef, would try to topple him.

The official Saudi websites have not released any new photo of bin Salman for the past three weeks. The latest stories covering news of MBS’s meetings and visits dates back to April 24.

GGの顔はこういう形成過程を経ている

管理人の選んだ好感が持てるGGの顔NO1

米国国防総省元職員の肩書きでメディアのインタビューに登場するMichael Maloof氏


もう少し若い時はこんな感じ

眉と額のしわが変わりません。頭髪がなくても大丈夫！　

とても表情が豊か。そのまま顔文字に使えます。


ラブロフをNO2とするわけにはいきません。同じくNO1。
セルゲイ・ラブロフ

プーチンの新内閣で続投だそうです。プーチンが、世界の外交界が休ませてはくれないでしょう。世界は彼の双肩にかかっています。

米国人医学者　ジョン・W・ゴフマン氏
低線量であろうと外部被曝が蓄積していくとガンや白血病を発症する人が増えるという研究を発表し、大学教授の職を追われた。少しいたずらっぽいような笑みがなんとも言えない。この人もやはり上位に持ってきたい。


2017/6、英国の総選挙でコービン率いる労働党が躍進。昨年の労働党内の追い落とし策謀を乗り越えて大きな成果を上げました。
コービンはしたたかで柔軟。うれしそうです。


新たなノミネート

2018/5/17アサドとプーチンが会談

http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/57488
17 мая 2018 года21:35
Сочи
Заявления по итогам российско-сирийских переговоров
В.Путин: Сегодня в ходе беседы мы согласовали наши совместные действия с Президентом Сирии по борьбе с терроризмом и с террористическими образованиями в Сирийской Арабской Республике, отметили большие результаты, которых добилась сирийская армия на этом пути, и пришли к выводу, что на сегодняшний день сложилась благоприятная ситуация для активизации политического процесса.

В этой связи Президент Сирии принял решение направить свою часть делегации для формирования Конституционного комитета, который должен работать над Основным законом Сирии. Россия приветствует это решение Президента Сирии и всячески будет его поддерживать, имея в виду и договорённости, которые были достигнуты в ходе Конгресса сирийского народа, прошедшего несколько месяцев назад в Сочи.

Наряду с активизацией политического процесса считаем очень важным предпринять необходимые шаги для восстановления экономики Сирии, а также давно назревших, сложных, но необходимых для решения гуманитарных вопросов.

Рассчитываем на поддержку Организации Объединённых Наций и всех стран, которые заинтересованы в решении сирийского кризиса.

Б.Асад (как переведено): Я очень высоко оценил результаты сегодняшней встречи, которая была очень плодотворной в полном смысле этого слова.

В первую очередь мы оценили ситуацию в Сирии с военной точки зрения. Она развивается очень позитивно благодаря тем шагам, которые были сделаны на треке борьбы с терроризмом. Соответственно, благодаря военным успехам нам удаётся нормализовать ситуацию в стране, что открывает путь для возвращения наших многочисленных граждан в свои дома.

Хотел бы поблагодарить Президента России Владимира Путина и российское правительство за то, что на всех этапах сирийского кризиса Россия всегда предоставляла гуманитарную помощь сирийским гражданам, бежавшим из своих домов в результате действий террористов.

Что касается экономического сотрудничества, то мы отметили рост российских инвестиций в последнее время, инвестиций российских компаний в различные сферы экономики Сирии, а также обсудили возможные шаги по дальнейшему поощрению интереса российских компаний к инвестициям в нашу страну и участию в процессе восстановления страны.

Мы провели оценку развития политического процесса в последние месяцы, имею в виду итоги Конгресса сирийского национального диалога, а также раундов Астаны, обсудили шаги, которые требуется предпринять для того, чтобы и далее добиваться прогресса на этом направлении.

Основное внимание мы сфокусировали на вопросе Конституционного комитета, который должен быть создан по итогам работы Конгресса сирийского диалога. Мы рассчитываем начать соответствующую работу с ООН. Сегодня я подтвердил Президенту Путину, что Сирия направит список своих делегатов в Конституционный комитет для обсуждения поправок в действующую Конституцию. Это будет сделано как можно скорее.

В.Путин: Исходим из того, что в связи со значительными победами и успехом сирийской армии в борьбе с терроризмом, с началом более активной части, с началом политического процесса в его более активной фазе иностранные вооружённые силы будут выводиться с территории Сирийской Арабской Республики.

英語への機械翻訳
Statements after the Russian-Syrian talks
V.Putin: Today, during the conversation, we agreed our joint actions with the Syrian President on combating terrorism and with terrorist entities in the Syrian Arab Republic, noted the great results that the Syrian army achieved on this path, and concluded that today there was a favorable situation for the activation of the political process.

In this regard, the Syrian President decided to send his part of the delegation to form the Constitutional Committee, which should work on the Basic Law of Syria. Russia welcomes this decision of the Syrian President and will support it in every possible way, bearing in mind the agreements that were reached during the Congress of the Syrian people, held several months ago in Sochi.

Along with the activation of the political process, we consider it very important to take the necessary steps to restore the economy of Syria, as well as long overdue, complex, but necessary for solving humanitarian issues.

We count on the support of the United Nations and all countries that are interested in solving the Syrian crisis.

B. Assad (as translated): I very much appreciated the results of today's meeting, which was very fruitful in the full sense of the word.

First of all, we assessed the situation in Syria from a military point of view. It is developing very positively thanks to the steps that were taken on the track against terrorism. Accordingly, thanks to military successes, we are able to normalize the situation in the country, which opens the way for the return of our numerous citizens to their homes.

I would like to thank President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the Russian government for the fact that at all stages of the Syrian crisis, Russia has always provided humanitarian assistance to Syrian citizens who fled their homes as a result of terrorist actions.

As for economic cooperation, we noted the growth of Russian investments in recent years, investments by Russian companies in various spheres of the economy of Syria, and also discussed possible steps to further encourage Russian companies' interest in investing in our country and participating in the reconstruction of the country.

We assessed the development of the political process in recent months, I am referring to the results of the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue, as well as the Astana rounds, and discussed the steps that need to be taken to continue to make progress in this direction.

We focused on the issue of the Constitutional Committee, which should be created following the results of the work of the Congress of the Syrian dialogue. We expect to start working with the UN accordingly. Today I confirmed to President Putin that Syria will send its list of delegates to the Constitutional Committee to discuss amendments to the current Constitution. This will be done as soon as possible.

V.Putin: We proceed from the premise that, in connection with the significant victories and success of the Syrian army in the fight against terrorism, with the onset of a more active part, with the onset of the political process in its more active phase, foreign armed forces will be withdrawn from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

サウジの王位継承予定の皇太子暗殺か

2018年04月23日
サウジ宮殿近くで銃撃戦　土曜夜のクーデター

FARSNEWS2018/5/17
Daily: Arab Intel Says Saudi Crown Prince Likely Killed in Coup
TEHRAN (FNA)- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is likely dead after an assassination attempt on his life last month, a Persian-language daily reported claiming intel from the security service of an Arab state.

According to the Persian-language newspaper, Keyhan, a secret service report sent to the senior officials of an unnamed Arab state disclosed that bin Salman has been hit by two bullets during the April 21 attack on his palace, adding that he might well be dead as he has never appeared in the public eversince.

Heavy gunfire was heard near the Saudi King's palace in Riyadh Saudi Arabia on April 21, while King Salman was taken to a US bunker at an airbase in the city.

A growing number of videos surfaced the media at the time displaying that a heavy gunfire erupted around King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's palace in the capital, Riyadh.

Reports said the king and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were evacuated to a bunker at an airbase in the city that is under the protection of the US troops.

While Saudi officials and media were quiet over the incident, there were contradicting reports over the incident. Witnesses and residents of the neighborhoods near the palace said a coup was underway, adding that the soldiers attacking the palace were guided by footage and intel they were receiving from a drone flying over the palace.

Saudi opposition members claimed that "a senior ground force officer has led a raid on the palace to kill the king and the crown prince".

Videos also showed that a growing number of armored vehicles were deployed around the palace. 'Bin Salman's special guard' then took charge of security in the capital. Riyadh's sky was then closed to all civil and military flights as military helicopters from 'Bin Salman's special guard' were flying over the palace.

Bin Salman was a man who almost often appeared before the media but his 27-day absence since the gunfire in Riyadh has raised questions about his health.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has witnessed a series of radical political changes over the past year as Mohammed bin Salman ousted his cousin as crown prince and jailed well-known princes in an anti-corruption purge.

Moreover, bin Salman oversees social and economic reforms that have been censured by several powerful Wahhabi clerics.

Saudi Arabia is also embroiled in a long running conflict in its Southern neighbor Yemen, dubbed by the United Nations as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Notably, bin Salman made no media appearance during the April 28 visit of the newly-appointed US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to Riyadh, his first foreign trip as the top US diplomat.

During his stay in Riyadh, Saudi media outlets published images of Pompeo’s meetings with King Salman and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

This is while the state-run outlets used to publish images of meetings in Riyadh between bin Salman and former US secretary of state Rex Tillerson.

A few days after the April 21 incident, Saudi media published footage and images of bin Salman meeting several Saudi and foreign officials. But the date of the meetings could not be verified, so the release of the videos could be aimed at dispelling rumors about bin Salman’s conditions.

It is not clear if bin Salman’s disappearance is due to reasons such as him feeling threatened or being injured in the incident.

sputniknews.2018/5/17
Where's Mohammed? Media Speculates About Possible Death of Saudi Crown Prince
The apparent disappearance of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the public eye has led several Iranian media outlets to wonder if one of the most powerful men in the kingdom might’ve been killed during an attempted coup last month.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was allegedly hit by two bullets during the April 21 attack on the royal palace in Riyadh and may actually be dead as he has not appeared in public since the incident, Kayhan newspaper reports citing "a secret service report sent to the senior officials of an unnamed Arab state."

As Press TV points out, no new photo or video of bin Salman has been released by Saudi authorities since that day, and the prince "was not even seen on camera when new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made his maiden visit to Riyadh in late April."

"Bin Salman was a man who almost often appeared before the media but his 27-day absence since the gunfire in Riyadh has raised questions about his health," the Fars news agency remarks.

The Saudi authorities however are yet to comment on this matter.

On April 21 several media agencies reported heavy gunfire emanating from the Saudi royal palace in Riyadh, prompting speculations about a possible coup attempt taking place.

The Saudi authorities however claimed that the incident merely involved palace security guards firing upon a drone which allegedly was flying too close to the premises.

A number of local media outlets however reported that King Salman himself was evacuated to a nearby military installation during the shooting, with Saudi analyst Ali al-Ahmed naming the King Khaled base as the monarch’s destination.

米国に抱いていた幻想は捨て去るときだ

2018/5/16はちょっと驚きのニュースが流れています。

�@　まず、米国がイラン核合意から離脱し、欧州の対応いかんでイランも脱退しウラン濃縮を再開すると脅す事態になっていましたが、欧州とイランとの間で合意成立の見込みが立ったようです。
the EU and Iran agreed on a 9-point economic plan to protect the nuclear agreement on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that he had held constructive meetings with his European Union counterparts to save the nuclear agreement after the US pullout.
The Iranian foreign minister made the remarks following a meeting with his French, British and German counterparts as well as EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels on Tuesday.



イランと欧州の間の交渉に関連してロシアが欧州に圧力をかけていました。

�A　ドイツのメルケルが、シリアの「巨大紛争」はロシアやイラン、トルコなどの国なしでは解決できないと述べています。ロシアの貢献を評価しています。

�B　EU欧州理事会議長ドナルド・トゥスクが2018/5/16、ブルガリアのソフィアで開催された西バルカンサミットでトランプの変幻極まりない政策を批判し、「EUは米国についての幻想を捨てた」と述べました。

欧州は、米国が在イスラエル大使館をエルサレムに移したことに伴って生じたガザの虐殺の停止を求めています。
The EU reiterated its “clear, consolidated” position on Israel-Palestine on Monday, which calls for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with “Jerusalem as capital of both [states].”

�C　一方北朝鮮問題については、米国と韓国が空軍の演習を開始したことでハイレベルの南北会談をキャンセルするとともに、米国が対話でなく降伏を模索するのであれば北朝鮮は米朝首脳会談を再考することがあると表明しました。

�D　ガザの虐殺に関しては世界中で激しい非難の声が上がっています。すでに死者63人に上ったとされますし、イスラエル軍は非人道的な弾薬を使っており、糾弾の声が高まっています。


�E　この虐殺を審議した国連安保理事会の緊急会合では、国際的な調査を求める決議に米国国連大使が拒否権を発動しています。




�F　米国国防総省元職員の肩書きでメディアのインタビューに登場するMichael Maloof氏は、2017/10/14のRTのインタビュー記事で次のように述べています。

It’s also going to have an effect of ostracizing us from the other allies. And it could pivot more of the – in this case – Russia as being the adult in the room when it comes to dealing with Iran and other international issues – especially in the Middle East.

イラン核合意問題での米国の対応によっては、同盟国が米国を貝殻追放する効果を持つこととなり、イラン問題や他の国際問題、特に中東の国際問題を扱う場合にロシアが「唯一の大人」として中心に位置することになる、というものです。

2017年10月16日
米国に背を向ける国が増えいずれ貝殻追放されるだろう

彼の予測通りの展開になっています。

2018/5/17も大ニュースが飛び込んできています。
�G　サウジアラビアの王位継承予定の皇太子が暗殺されたのではないかとの観測が出ています。
サウジアラビアの王位継承予定の皇太子　Mohammed bin Salman はMBSと略称で呼ばれています。皇太子が多く名前が覚えにくいからです。

2018/4/21にMBSの宮殿近くで大きな発砲事件があり、リヤドの空港が閉鎖されました。クーデターだとのホィッスルブロワの情報もありました。今回の情報元はイランのようです。

ポンペオのサウジ訪問時に会見写真がないなど27日間公の場に姿を現していないことなどが理由とされています。MBSは、米国とイスラエルに密接にアプローチしていました。一つはいざという場合に自らの身、力を守るためであったと見られますが、あっさり暗殺されてしまうとなると、これは大きな誤算です。米国とイスラエルにとって大きな打撃になります。

�H　ザハロバ報道官が米国とその主導軍がシリア国内に拘留している数千人のテロリストの扱いに関して沈黙を続けていると批判しています。追放か司法手続きかという原則を外れて刑罰適用なしで解放することを狙っているのではないかとの疑いを示しているのです。

米国とその同盟がテロリストを使ってシリアを攻めていることは周知の事実であり、ロシアは具体的な証拠を十二分につかんでいます。米国とその同盟は、テロリストを温存し、次の場面で使うことを計画しています。傭兵ですから彼らはどこの国にでも行きます。相当数がアフガンに送り込まれているようですが、今はシリア北部などの方が管理がしやすいということでしょう。