Author: Mideast discourse

Counterterrorism leaders were told that a refocusing on Beijing and its advanced technology is inevitable, Associated Press reported The CIA’s shift of focus to “great power competition” with China means that “money and resources would be increasingly shifted” away from counterterrorism (CT), the spy agency’s second-highest ranking officer reportedly told leaders of its CT branch. The meeting was held some weeks ago behind closed doors, the Associated Press reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources. Deputy Director David Cohen assured officials during the meeting that fighting terrorists would remain a priority for the agency to a significant degree, the report said. The entire US intelligence…

“White Helmets” terrorist organization and terrorist organizations are filming fake videos in Idleb to later accuse Russia’s forces and Syrian Arab Army of delivering strikes at civilians, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, Oleg Yegorov said. Tass quoted Yegorov as saying that according to reports received by the Center for Reconciliation, terrorists of the Jabhat al-Nusra jointly with the pseudo-humanitarian organization White Helmets are filming fake videos in Qatan area, Idleb countryside to later accuse the Russian forces and the Syrian Arab Army of delivering strikes at the civilians and civil infrastructure. the White Helmet organization…

Israel confirmed on Sunday it has agreed an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, ending the deadly Israeli airstrikes and the barrage of Palestinian rockets for three days. Lior Hayat, head of Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate, said in a statement that the cease-fire would take effect at 11:30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT). “If the cease-fire is violated, Israel reserves the right to respond forcefully,” Hayat added. Israel also thanked Egypt for mediating the cease-fire. Starting Friday, Israel unleashed a series of airstrikes targeting PIJ sites in Gaza, killing at least 43 people…

However, Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow was not currently holding any negotiations with Kiev representatives A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky could be held only after the two countries’ negotiators complete their “homework,” with prerequisites for highest-level talks currently unavailable, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “As for a highest-level meeting between [Russian] President Putin and [his Ukrainian counterpart] Zelensky, it could take place only after the negotiators complete their homework. This element is currently unavailable, so there are no necessary prerequisites for [a meeting] mentioned by Mr. Erdogan yet,” Peskov said,…

Freedom of the Press is not so free when the Israeli occupation forces are involved. Al Mayadeen correspondent in occupied Al-Quds reported Sunday that the network’s crew was assualted by the Israeli occupation police while covering the settlers’ incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and their provocations inside the Old City. Our correspondent indicated that the Israeli occupation assaulted and arrested Al Mayadeen cameraman, Mohammad Asho, in an attempt to prevent him from performing his job, after settlers attacked him as well. Videos showed Israeli occupation police and settlers assaulting Al Mayadeen cameraman and dragging him on the ground for the mere reason of performing his job. In the…

The Islamic Jihad resistance movement and the Palestinian people made a great achievement in the face of Israel, the movement’s secretary general said, lauding the Palestinian nation’s resistance against the Zionist regime’s aggression on Gaza. “Fifty-eight Zionist-populated settlements were simultaneously brought under the al-Quds Brigades’ rocket fire,” Ziad al-Nakhala said during a press conference in Tehran on Sunday after the movement agreed to a truce with Israel following three days of strikes on the Gaza Strip by the Israeli regime forces. On Friday, the regime carried out a massacre against the Gaza City, killing dozens of people, including Taysir al-Jabari,…

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip have caused the escalation of tension. “The new escalation was caused by the Israeli army firing into the Gaza Strip on August 5,” said Zakharova in a statement, prompting the Palestinians to respond with a barrage of rocket attacks at Israel. The spokeswoman expressed Moscow’s deep concern about the outbreak of a new spiral of armed violence in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. “We express deep concern about these developments, which could lead to the resumption of an all-out military confrontation and the further deterioration of the deplorable humanitarian…

Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said Washington may have deliberately ratcheted up tensions in the region Beijing has suggested that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-California) Taiwan visit may have been part of a ploy by the US aimed at creating a pretext to deploy more of its military to the region. In a statement made during his visit to Bangladesh and published on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that “there are signs that the United States is trying to repeat its old tricks.” The diplomat clarified that Washington has a history of “creating a problem first, and then using it to…

The continuing military exercises include amphibious assault training The Chinese military said its drills around Taiwan will continue on Monday, despite initial plans announced last week that they will last until mid-Sunday. They were launched in response to a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The training on Monday will take place in the sea and airspace near the self-governed island, and will focus on anti-submarine and amphibious assault operations, a statement released by China’s Eastern Theater Command said. Monday’s prolongation of the training near Taiwan is the second announced by the People’s Liberation Army in…

The US has reportedly supplied Kiev Forces with advanced anti-radiation missiles in a bid to weaken air defenses providing cover to the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine. On August 7, Russian sources shared photos showing the remains of a US-made AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile, that was allegedly launched by Kiev forces, near a position of the Russian military in an unspecified part of Ukraine. The AGM-88 was designed to detect, attack and destroy radar and transmitter. The proportional guidance system that homes in on enemy radar emissions has a fixed antenna and seeker head in the missile’s nose.…