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News & analysis from Proletarian Internationalist Notes—news, reviews and analysis from a global perspective
China-Palestine relations appear to strengthen further in the midst of U.S. attacks in Syria and Afghanistan
April 15, 2017
This week the United States dropped an unusually powerful non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan supposedly to deal with some ISIS tunnels there. Long-nicknamed “Mother of All Bombs” even in public U.S. military media, a single GBU-43/B MOAB reportedly has a blast yield about half that of the “Fat Man” atomic bomb the United States detonated over Nagasaki at the end of World War II, immediately killing tens of thousands of people.
The blast in Afghanistan may have killed fewer than a hundred people, because of the target chosen. Death toll reports may increase. Some have disturbingly suggested the expensive attack would have been more economical had more people been killed. At the same time, as the death toll increases, the claim of some (who appear to be covering for the United States) that no civilian died becomes more and more likely to be false.
The terroristic use of huge weapons of mass destruction to kill people including some likely civilians, for political gain and to scare third parties possibly including Russians, was supposed to have ended with World War II. Not any more.
What’s next, AmeriKKKans, dropping a huge bomb on Palestine to destroy tunnels there? Palestinian civilians have already died in U.S.-backed attempts to destroy tunnels in Palestine.
Afghanistan continues to have no relations with I$rael officially, but is currently trapped in an abusive relationship with the United States. Some of those who are severely skeptical of the two-state solution (which the United States opposes in reality), or have some harsh anti-Israel rhetoric, nonetheless favor the Amerikans. The U.S. attack last week openly against Syria is of more-obvious relevance to Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan, and this writer understands that some countries are suffering from ISIS activity more than the United States is. But the acquiescence or silence in certain countries – of people who generally oppose Israel, other outposts of the United States nearby, and U.S. interventions in the Greater Middle East – regarding the MOAB attack, is regrettable.
Trump was careful to avoid admitting the MOAB drop was intended as a message for northern Koreans.(1) However, paleoconservative Amerikan Patrick Buchanan was quoted as describing the MOAB attack as a “message” to the DPRK.(2) Unfortunately, the supposed isolationist – who opposed the brazen U.S. Syrian air base strike(3) – approved of the attack in Afghanistan. This may confuse some of Buchanan’s white trash followers instead of helping them compete with urban liberals in opposing war.
After recently opposing the idea of attacking Syria, Korea, and Iran, there was bound to be some U.S. military outrage that Pat Buchanan had to celebrate unless he wanted to become known as an uncompromising peacenik. It is somewhat hard to criticize Buchanan harshly for approving of the attack supposedly targeted at ISIS, after so many liberals and so-called leftists in the United States supported the Syria strike. Though it doesn’t want the United States to operate in Syria without permission, the Syrian government is in conflict with ISIS.
The MOAB attack was evil regardless, but the distinction Buchanan is making is that the attack wasn’t against the Afghan government and was allowed by Afghanistan. Such a rule of thumb may lead to avoiding bad results much of the time. It isn’t enough, though.
Formerly in power as a U.S. puppet, Hamid Karzai denounced the MOAB attack.(4) Whether the government in charge in Afghanistan actually approved of the attack before it happened, or not, the attack was both humiliating and disgraceful. Those using the fact that Karzai was a U.S. stooge as president, to attack Karzai for criticizing the MOAB attack, are mistaken. One can discern there how U.S. government social media teams, and pseudo-leftists claiming to oppose corrupt leaders, might use anti-Amerikan rhetoric to undermine anti-Amerikanism after such events.
Karzai hours ago said on Twitter that “the US has lost whatever claim of purpose it had.”(5) “With this abuse of our soil, the US presence in Afghanistan is against the interests of the #Afghan people.” Everyone should try to outdo Karzai in opposing the United States, but nobody should disagree with that tweet. The citadel of Satanic polytheism in the United States gets away with unilateral attacks and embarrassing attacks because it is still hegemonic. The world is struggling under U.S. hegemony, which must be opposed.
In related news, today is the last day of the Palestinian foreign minister’s meetings in China. According to Xinhua, “Riyad al-Malki thanked China for its support for the just cause of the Palestinian people, hoped to deepen political mutual trust and cooperation and expected China will continue to play a bigger role in the Middle East issue.”(6)
According to SABC News in Azania, “China has called for a political settlement as the only correct approach to the Syrian issue and for Israel to allow Palestine to build an independent state. / China says the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria should be maintained and respected.”(7) ““We do like to see more Chinese involvement in bringing about a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. And of course, you know, China is a good friend to both parties, to Israel and Palestine. That really qualifies her to play a role if that really suits her,” says Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki.”
China Daily published part of that quote and also noted, “The status of Palestine remains the “root issue” of the Middle East despite other issues that have been popping up in the region, [Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi] said.”(8)
After releasing material seemingly showing U.S. capabilities for obfuscating the origins of cyber break-ins, hackers this week released some files appearing to show the United States had the ability to monitor and forge international payment network transactions.(9) That is something Amerikans have accused northern Koreans of doing. According to Reuters, “Al-Bassam, a computer science researcher at University College London, said on Twitter that the Shadow Brokers documents show that the “NSA hacked a bunch of banks, oil and investment companies in Palestine, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, more.”” Such reports and claims may do some damage to the United States’ ability to influence Mideast countries. It seems to this writer that any U.$. intelligence activity involving the SWIFT secure messaging network also could have affected the interests of transnational financial capitalists in European countries.
This is an opportune time for people in various countries to encourage China to play a greater role in Mideast peace efforts. The United States’ diminished standing as a result of its involvement in the Middle East limits its ability lead any peace process there. Peace isn’t a top priority of the United States in the Afghan, Palestinian or Syrian context in the first place.
France’s foreign minister also visited China this week. The visit overlapped in time with Foreign Minister al-Maliki’s visit.(10) The first round of the French presidential election is in less than two weeks. If France wants to do something about the Palestinian issue, now would be a good time. It isn’t wise to hope Macron(11) or Le Pen will be more supportive of Palestinian independence.
Not that this is a coincidence or really matters to most people opposed to the two-state solution, but the fifteenth anniversary of Marwan Barghouti’s abduction is also today. Iranian Press TV has reported that Barghouti is leading a hunger strike against inhumane conditions of thousands of prisoners.(12) Palestinian Prisoners’ Day is on April 17. ◊
See:
• “Moab attack on Isis was a baffling choice in cold-blooded terms of cost,” 2017 April 14. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/14/moab-attack-isis-baffling-choice-cold-blooded-terms-cost-afghanistan
• “Palestine issue solution important condition for Mideast stability: Putin,” 2017 March 29. https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/03/29/1366419/palestine-issue-solution-important-condition-for-mideast-stability-putin
• “Iran attends Afghanistan peace conference in Moscow,” 2017 April 15. https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/04/15/1379204/iran-attends-afghanistan-peace-conference-in-moscow
See also:
• “China, government leaders continue to reject Greater Israel one-state solution,” 2017 March. https://github.com/pinotes/pinotes.github.io/blob/master/_posts/2017-03-25-news-two-state-solution-elites.md
• “Annexation fraudulently sold as revived one-state solution,” 2017 March. https://github.com/pinotes/pinotes.github.io/blob/master/_posts/2017-03-17-news-one-state-annexationism.md
• “The global anti-American economic struggle: Iran and China address trade and investment obstacles,” 2017 January. https://github.com/pinotes/pinotes.github.io/blob/master/_posts/2017-01-22-news-2017-World-Economic-Forum-China-Iran.md
• “AmeriKKKa is still the dominant power in the world and needs to be opposed as such,” 2016 December. https://github.com/pinotes/pinotes.github.io/blob/master/_posts/2016-12-28-news-US-hegemony-UNSC-settlements-resolution.md
Notes:
1. “Trump says he is ‘very, very proud’ of the military’s ‘successful job’ dropping the ‘mother of all bombs’ on ISIS,” 2017 April 13. http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mother-of-all-bombs-moab-isis-2017-4
2. “Pat Buchanan critical of Syria strike applauds massive bomb against ISIS as warning to North Korea,” 2017 April 13. http://dailycaller.com/2017/04/13/pat-buchanan-critical-of-syria-strike-applauds-massive-bomb-against-isis-as-warning-to-north-korea/</a>
3. “White nationalist Pat Buchanan is more anti-war than U.S. liberals and so-called leftists, because of Obama,” 2017 April. https://github.com/pinotes/pinotes.github.io/blob/master/_posts/2017-04-15-news-Syria-strike-Buchanan.md
4. “Karzai strongly condemns US dropping of huge bomb in Afghanistan,” 2017 April 14. http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/04/14/517983/Afghanistan-Hamid-Karzai-US-bombing-MOAB-Achin “Karzai, who became Afghanistan’s first president under an agreement largely negotiated by Western countries after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, further called on his country to “stop” the US.”
“Afghan officials claim over 90 Isis militants killed in MOAB strike,” 2017 April 15. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/afghan-officials-claim-over-90-isis-militants-killed-moab-strike-1617109
5. @KarzaiH, 8:40 AM - 15 Apr 2017. https://twitter.com/KarzaiH/status/853271726733619201 “By using #WMD, the US has lost whatever claim of purpose it had. With this abuse of our soil, the US presence in Afghanistan is against..1/2.”
@KarzaiH, 8:41 AM - 15 Apr 2017. https://twitter.com/KarzaiH/status/853271987300556800 “2/2 the interests of the #Afghan people.”
6. “Chinese VP says China supports Palestinian just cause,” 2017 April 15. http://www.ecns.cn/2017/04-15/253518.shtml
7. “China preaches peace for the Middle East,” 2017 April 13. http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/1b201d0040c430e7b70bf7d9ce9b621f/China-preaches-peace-for-the-Middle-East “On Palestinians when meeting the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Wang Yi says Palestine must be allowed to build an independent state.”
“China urges correcting ‘historical injustice’ to allow Palestinian state,” 2017 April 13. http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-palestinians-idUKKBN17F192 “Wang told a joint press briefing with Maliki that 70 years after a U.N. resolution was passed on a plan for a Jewish state, Palestinians are still being prevented from having their own independent country.”
“China urges establishment of Palestinian state,” 2017 April 13. http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Historical-injustice-China-urges-establishment-of-Palestinian-state-486919
8. “Wang meets Palestine’s foreign minister, affirms support for a two-state solution,” 2017 April 14. http://m.chinadaily.com.cn/en/2017-04/14/content_28926422.htm ““We do like to see more Chinese involvement in bringing about a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine,” al-Malki said. / He added that the fact that China is “a good friend” to both Israel and Palestine will help the country play a role in helping solve the issue.”
9. “Hackers release files indicating NSA monitored global bank transfers,” 2017 April 14. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-swift-idUSKBN17G1HC
10. “Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying’s Regular Press Conference on April 7, 2017,” 2017 April 7. http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/t1452149.shtml “At the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development of the French Republic will pay an official visit to China from April 13 to 14. / At the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Riad Malki of Palestine will pay an official visit to China from April 12 to 15.”
“‘Conflict could break out at any moment’ over N Korea: China,” http://www.business-standard.com/article/international/conflict-could-break-out-at-any-moment-over-n-korea-china-117041400318_1.html
11. “Macron: France unilaterally recognizing State of Palestine ‘would not serve anyone’,” 2017 April 12. http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/1.783024 “French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron came out against efforts to unilaterally recognize the State of Palestine. Speaking to France’s Radio J, Macron broke with the government policy and said unilaterally recognizing Palestine “would not serve anyone” and claimed the move would “create instability.”“
12. “Gazans express solidarity with prisoners ahead of mass hunger strike,” 2017 April 10. http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/04/10/517544/Gazans-express-solidarity-with-prisoners-ahead-of-mass-hunger-strike
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