History, Religion, Politics, Culture, and Travels in the Islamic World
Rashid Khalidi’s statement that the Axis (AoR) “was designed by Iran to protect the Iranian regime. . . . It wasn’t designed to protect Palestine,” is ahistorical on multiple levels, but raises questions such as (1) who is in/out of AoR?; and (2) what is Iran’s strategic goal?; how will AoR help Iran achieve its objectives?
The fall of the House of Assad is not a debacle for Iran nor the death knell for the Axis of Resistance. Hizballah will thrive despite the fall of Assad, who was not pulling his weight. Iran appears to have conducted a cost-benefit analysis and determined that the financial and human costs of remaining in Syria and underwriting the Assad regime outweighed strategic and military benefits. Most relationships have inherent timers; the Assad-Iran marriage was ready for dissolution.
The Assad regime afforded protections to Syria’s diverse minority faiths: assorted Christian denominations, Alawi Shiʿa (Nusayri), Druze, and Twelver Shiʿa. The Barbarians are inside the gates; the future of Syrian Christianity is uncertain. A photoblog, with commentary on Christianity in Damascus and Ma‘aloula.
The FBI is scubbing its “Most Wanted” list of references to Muhammad al-Jawlani, the leader of Hayʾat a Tahir al-Shams (HTS)—the principal power in post-Assad Syria. He was the emir of Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaida affiliate in Syria. An image of his “Most Wanted” poster has been preserved, along with a link not yet deleted by the FBI. al-Jawlani is being presented to the public as “rebel,” and according to an interview he recently did with CNN, “a kinder, gentler, and woker” Islamist! Ya Allah!
“With Israel pushing the US toward a new war against Iran, the IAEA's anti-Iran resolution has already backfired, undermining Tehran's new negotiations-friendly administration, and handing a proverbial gift to the nation's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.” My essay. Link to article is at my website.
When David Petraeus was asked by a journalist at the onset of the Iraq War on the outcome, he replied “Tell Me How This Ends.” A bold but reasonable prediction by me on the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine War: it will not end through any settlement proposed by Trump. It will end with an unambiguous Russian military victory over Ukraine—NATO’s “battering ram” against Russia.
Second photoblog on Aleppo, Syria, and its surroundings. Includes brief comments on St. Simeon and the 700–750 abandoned settlements in northern Syria dating to the transition period from Roman rule to Byzantine rule.
Turkish-, American-, and Israeli-backed HTS terrorists (“rebels” in the parlance of the west) have besieged Aleppo in northern Syria, prompting this photo blog. Background note on HTS, which is derived from al-Qaiʾda, along with an observation on who benefits (cui bono?) from this offensive, are included.
Perspectives 
You must be logged in to post a comment.