History, Religion, Politics, Culture, and Travels in the Islamic World
Christian Bleuer has been maintaining the massive “Afghanistan Analyst Bibliography” since 2004. Bleuer just published the final edition (29 April 2024), accompanied by an essay titled, “The State of Research on Afghanistan: Too many poor quality publications and some real gems.” Links included at post.
China, Russia, and Iran, a coalition of countries targeted by the collective west, know they have a common enemy and are cooperating militarily, politically, and economically to neutralize it. Recent meetings of Iranian, Russia, and Chinese defense ministers in Astana (Kazakhstan); and China’s reaction to threats by Antony Blinken, are addressed.
Writing about political and military developments in the Middle East has distracted me from writing about my primary interests: travels, peoples, cultures, religion, and history. A short photo essay about my student days in Damascus in the 2000s when I studied Arabic at Damascus University
44th anniversary of the 24-25 April 1980 failed attempt by US Special Forces to rescue hostages held at the US Embassy in Tehran. Video and photo essay with links to informed analyses.
Maj-Gen. Aharon Haliva, chief of the Israel Defense Force’s Military Intelligence Directorate, announced his resignation on Monday, ostensibly for his failures w.r.t. the 7 October attack, but Iranian sources inform me that his departure is due to his failure to estimate Iran’s response to Israel’s illegal attack on its Damascus diplomatic facility.
Signals from Tehran indicate either that a shift in its nuclear weapons policy has taken place, or policy review is ongoing within power circles. A Senior IRGC commander, Ahmad Haghtalab, said: Israel’s provocations may lead Tehran ‘to revise and deviate from the previously declared nuclear policies and considerations.’ My view is that Iran has already ‘crossed the Rubicon.’
Former U.S. Ambassador Chas Freeman explains why Iran’s precision strike on Israel was a huge success. Subtitled video and transcript below.
Congress passed bills on 20 April 2024 that provide a total of $95 billion in military aid to Israel, Taipei, and Ukraine; lead to a U.S. ban on TikTok; add sanctions on Iran; and steal billions of Russian assets held in the U.S. A dark day for investor confidence in U.S. as a “safe have,” U.S. foreign policy, and U.S. Citizens (who lose liberties and dollars); but an excellent day for the Iran-Russia-China “Tripartite Alliance,” which will retaliate against the U.S. in Asia-Pacific and Middle East.
My article, ‘Israeli Air Defenses are not Untouchable,’ on how IRGC developed an impressive arsenal of drones and ballistic missiles over twenty years, was published at the Cradle (link in post). An ‘expert’ on IRGC, Mr. Kasra Aarabi, wrote, ‘IRGC neither has the doctrine nor the capabilities for direct war with Israel…’ Oops. This is an example of the ongoing ‘competency crisis,’ where credentialed ex-military officers and ‘experts’ at think-tanks supply US/UK governments with analyses that lead to cockeyed policies. GIGO: ‘Garbage-In, Garbage-Out.’
My thesis on IRGC strategy vis-à-vis Israel, ‘How do Iranians ‘Boil a Frog’? Slowly and methodically,’ published at the Cradle was mentioned (with indignation!) by Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. during the 15 April 2024 U.N. Security Council meeting on Iran’s strike on Israel. Video below.
Perspectives 
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