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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US reopens ambassador’s residence in Syria, suggests non-aggression pact with Israel
2025-05-30
[IsraelTimes] Raising flag in Damascus, American envoy Tom Barrack says Israel-Syria conflict solvable through dialogue, as Washington rolls back Assad-era sanctions

The US ambassador to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
, Tom Barrack, who has also been appointed special envoy to Syria, arrived to inaugurate the residence, Syrian state-run news agency
...and if you can't trust the state-run news agency who can you believe?...
 SANA reported.

On Thursday, speaking to Saudi channel Al Arabiya in Damascus, Barrack described the long-standing conflict between Syria and Israel, who have technically been at war since 1948, as a "solvable problem" through dialogue, proposing a "non-aggression agreement" between them.

Rooters reported earlier this week that Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have, in recent weeks, held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region.

Washington hasn’t formally reopened its embassy in Damascus, which closed in 2012 after protests against the government of strongman president Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
 were met by a brutal crackdown and spiraled into civil war. Assad was unseated in December in a lightning rebel offensive.

But Barrack’s visit and the raising of the flag were a significant signal of warming relations.

Washington was initially circumspect about Syria’s new leaders, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former leader of an Islamist bad boy group that the US still lists as a terrorist organization.

However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well...
 US President Donald Trump’s administration, encouraged by two US allies in the region, Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
 and Turkey, has shown increasing openness to Damascus in recent weeks.

Trump held a surprise meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh earlier this month, and the US has begun to roll back decades of sanctions slapped on Syria under the Assad dynasty.

The US State Department posted a statement on X on Thursday attributed to Trump announcing Barrack’s appointment as envoy to Syria.

"Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East. Together, we will Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" the statement said.

Barrack thanked Trump in an X post for "your bold vision, empowering a historically rich region, long oppressed, to reclaim its destiny through self-determination."
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
'The Shadow of Al-Nemr': Prominent Iranian Ayatollah Arrested in Saudi Arabia, deported as Tehran disavows remarks
2025-05-30
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] Iran-Saudi détente has come under attack after prominent Shiite cleric and TV presenter Gholamreza Qasimiyan was arrested by Saudi authorities while on the Hajj pilgrimage.

The reason for his arrest was his criticism of the “two-faced reforms” in Saudi Arabia, a country that in recent years has sought to become the “Switzerland of the Middle East.”

Given Kasimian's influence on his flock (both in Iran and in neighboring countries), the arrest of a preacher of this caliber cannot go unnoticed by official Tehran.

However, judging by the latest statements, Iranian officials are more concerned about the fate of relations with Riyadh than about supporting their compatriot.

SHADOW HAWK
In Iran, Qasimiyan is considered a fairly important figure. Despite his relatively young age (52), he is part of the inner circle of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and has protégés in the government and security forces.

His connections are especially strong in the national parliament, where one of his friendly figures is the speaker himself, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Kasimiyan holds conservative views in the spirit of the teachings of the first leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, and vehemently rejects the concept of a “liberal Iran,” considering freedom of morals the first step towards the collapse of the country.

The theologian was among those who for a long time torpedoed the reform of the Iranian “morality police” (Gasht-i-Ershad), and later supported the street protests of conservatives.

Although Kasimiyan has until recently tried not to publicly go against the course of the country's top leadership and has not criticized the rapprochement with Saudi Arabia, he has remained the unofficial ideologist of the most conservative (albeit small) part of the Iranian elite. The one that continues to see Riyadh as an "American-Israeli servant" and a potential enemy.

EPHEMERAL LIBERALISM
Kasimiyan fell into the hands of Saudi law enforcement immediately after he recorded a video during the pilgrimage criticizing the country's authorities.

In an address to his flock, the theologian obstructed the current “corrupt” course of Saudi Arabia and called on his compatriots “not to trust the diplomatic tricks” of their Arabian neighbor.

At first glance, the attacks are motivated by the preacher's ultra-conservative views and his dissatisfaction with the fact that the traditionalist kingdom has made a serious drift over the past decade towards expanding internal freedoms, aiming to become a "Middle Eastern Switzerland" - with gambling, specific types of tourism and an active nightlife.

For a long time, Kasimian frightened his compatriots with such “decomposition”.

On the other hand, the picture created by the Saudi authorities is still far from reality. Clubs and casinos in the country are located next to "houses of correction" under the control of the morality police, and the theological community controls the contours of both domestic and foreign policy. "Liberal" Saudi Arabia is still ephemeral.

It is precisely this dualism that Kasimiyan emphasized, suggesting that the Arabs are similarly deceiving other countries (and especially Iran) on the diplomatic track.

Of course, he had criticized the Saudis before, but this time the theologian crossed the line - he staged a political action during the pilgrimage, thereby insulting the royal house. Riyadh considered it unacceptable to ignore his attacks.

COURSE ON CRITICISM
Despite the fact that Kasimian was arrested on Monday, the information was not made public for a long time until Shiites, concerned about the disappearance of the preacher, themselves raised the alarm and achieved coverage of the topic in regional media.

However, the royal court continued to remain silent. Comments from the Foreign and Interior Ministries were extremely general. They emphasized that the Saudi side had not yet brought any charges, and that the detention of a public figure "has no political overtones."

The reaction of the Iranian authorities, who were apparently taken by surprise by the news of the arrest of a high-ranking cleric, was much more varied. Representatives of various ministries and departments of the country sometimes expressed conflicting assessments.

For example, the head of the delegation of Iranian pilgrims, Seyed Abdul-Fatah Navab, noted that it is not worth projecting the statements of the arrested ayatollah onto all of Iran, since his position “reflects personal views.”

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref made similar points, adding that the “unfortunate incident” does not harm Saudi-Iranian relations.

Other Iranian officials have gone further and proposed extraditing Kasimian to Iran to face charges under national law.

However, there were also those in high offices who supported the arrested man.

For example, Iranian judicial official Asghar Jahangir called the arrest “unjustified and illegal,” calling on “relevant authorities to look into the matter.” Several members of parliament and senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also called for pressure on Riyadh.

However, the more time passes since the arrest, the quieter the voices of the "ultra-conservative party" become. Many - including the all-powerful speaker Ghalibaf - prefer not to comment on what is happening at all. At the official level, the course towards criticizing Kasimian confidently outweighs.

The head of the ideological and political department of Khamenei's office, Ali Saeedi, put an end to the story : he characterized his compatriot's statements as "damaging to Iran's reputation" and emphasized their "detachment from reality." By doing so, he de facto expressed not only his own position, but also that of Iran's highest authorities.

Official Tehran's attempt to distance itself from the controversial theologian is not without foundation. Kasimiyan's voice is listened to not only by Iranian ultra-conservatives, but also by Saudi Shiites, whose share in the kingdom is, according to various estimates, between 10 and 15%.

Previously, this minority has repeatedly acted as the "engine" of protests and anti-government demonstrations, which has formed a firm conviction among the Saudi authorities that local Shiites are almost entirely agents of Tehran. The Iranian establishment does not want to support this thesis.

RELATIONSHIP CHECK
The Qasimiyan affair is a good test of the strength of the new Saudi-Iranian relations. If the parties can resolve the conflict in a legal framework and without mutual recriminations, this will have a more convincing effect on the populations of both countries than numerous exhortations and bravura speeches by officials.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have had a hard time overcoming the consequences of the “small cold war” that began in 2016 after the Saudis executed influential Shiite cleric Nemr al-Nemr, and are unlikely to want to return to the confrontation phase.

Moreover, the resumption of confrontation will hit the image of both powers and weaken their ties with China, which has made considerable efforts to reconcile its Middle Eastern counterparts.

The investigation is being conducted in a "gentlemanly manner." Thus, after the incident with Qasimiyan, Saudi Arabia suspended "until further notice" the issuance of visas for Iranian participants in the Hajj, but Tehran chose not to respond to this attack.

As a sign of gratitude, Riyadh did not emphasize the arrested preacher’s closeness to the highest authorities: not a single Saudi publication wrote about the connections between Qasimiyan and Khamenei, and not a single blogger spoke about them.

There is a high probability that the parties will avoid direct accusations against each other until the very end, so that the “shadow of al-Nemr” does not hang over them even more.

Iranian cleric deported from Saudi as Tehran disavows his fiery remarks

[Rudaw] Senior Iranian holy man Gholamreza Qassemian has been deported to Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
from Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
 after he had reportedly been arrested by Saudi authorities during the ongoing Hajj season. The holy man was detained shortly after posting a now-viral controversial video sharply criticizing the alleged commercialization of the kingdom’s holy sites.

Qassemian on Thursday shared a picture of himself seemingly aboard a plane, addressing his followers with a message: "With your prayers and follow-up, and the diligent follow-up of the Iranian Consulate in Saudi Arabia, I was released from prison and am returning to my beloved homeland via Dubai."

According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Qassemian was arrested in Medina by Saudi police a day after "recording a short video in the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi)," which quickly circulated on social media platforms.

In the controversial video Qassemian is heard harshly criticizing what he called the commercialization of Saudi holy sites.

"The merchants and exploiters of the Qibla [Kaaba - the most sacred site in Islam] have provided ideal conditions - casinos, centers of prostitution, and vulgar concerts are all in place," the holy man stated.

Notably, Iranian officials were quick to distance themselves from Qassemian’s remarks.

In a veiled response to the incident, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday dismissed attempts to undermine Tehran’s ties with Saudi Arabia and disrupt "Moslem unity."

"Iran in no uncertain terms condemns any attempt to harm Moslem unity," Araghchi emphasized on X, adding that Tehran is "determined to not allow anyone to sabotage relations with our brotherly neighbors, including the progressive path of Iran and Saudi Arabia."

Qassemian’s case comes at a time when Saudi-Iranian relations are advancing with caution.

The two countries agreed to restore diplomatic ties under a landmark China-brokered accord in March 2023, ending a seven-year rupture. Relations had broken down in 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad in response to Riyadh’s execution of Shiite dissident holy man Nimr al-Nimr.

Between 2021 and 2023, senior Iranian and Saudi holy mans and security officials held a series of talks in Baghdad (five rounds) and Oman (five rounds), culminating in the March 2023 agreement to reopen embassies and implement cooperation accords.

Since the election of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in July 2024, bilateral relations have notably strengthened.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman
...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Lord of Most of the Arabians...
 and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
 were among the first leaders to congratulate Pezeshkian on his victory, expressing a desire to deepen ties. In a major diplomatic milestone, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Tehran in April 2025 - the highest-level Saudi visit to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution - to discuss regional security and economic cooperation.

Pezeshkian has repeatedly emphasized that a core pillar of his foreign policy is to "build bridges" across the Middle East and beyond, advocating for regional integration and dialogue, especially with Gulf Arab states, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
, and Central Asian nations.

Tehran’s prompt disavowal of Qassemian’s inflammatory comments highlights the pragmatic approach Pezeshkian’s administration appears to be taking as it seeks to stabilize ties with its neighbors.
Link


Arabia
Trump’s huge Saudi arms deal may be limited by US pledge to preserve Israel’s military edge
2025-05-29
[IsraelTimes] As Riyadh eyes advanced weaponry, Washington’s commitment to Israel’s defense supremacy means coveted F-35 fighter jets likely won’t be part of $142 billion in potential sales

A landmark $142 billion arms deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
 has the potential to reshape the way the Middle East looks from a defense perspective, significantly boosting Riyadh’s military might. But despite its high profile and even higher price tag, the arrangement will likely be limited by a longstanding US defense doctrine safeguarding Israel’s regional defense superiority, experts say.

While details about the deal remain scant, speculation surrounding what it may include has been colored by Saudi Arabian requests to purchase state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets. But any such sale, analysts point out, would run afoul of a US commitment to Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge, or QME, which has long curtailed the transfer of certain advanced weaponry to the region.

The White House unveiled the deal, described as "the largest defense sales agreement in history," on May 13. According to a White House fact sheet, the US will supply Saudi Arabia with "state-of-the-art war-fighting equipment and services" from more than a dozen American defense contractors.

The Trump administration has not detailed what the agreement entails, beyond sketching out five key areas it says the deal covers: advancing air force and space capabilities; strengthening air and missile defense systems; bolstering maritime and coastal security; modernizing border protection and ground forces; and upgrading information and communications technology.

Two anonymous sources briefed on the matter told Rooters earlier this month that the US and Saudi Arabia have discussed Riyadh’s potential purchase of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter. But it’s unclear how serious any discussions are or if they are progressing to more advanced stages.

The Saudis have long had their eye on the F-35, hoping to become the second country in the Middle East, after Israel, to acquire the world’s most advanced aircraft.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia signaled interest in purchasing the F-35 fighter jet following what was described as a $110 billion arms agreement with the US earlier that same year.

That arms agreement took the form of commitments rather than actual defense deals, and it’s unclear if the Saudis purchased more than a fraction of that promised $110 billion. What is clear is that while Riyadh got its hands on plenty of munitions, it was ultimately unable to purchase any F-35 fighter jets.

JET-SETTERS
Despite repeated interest from regional powers, the US has consistently blocked the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries in order to preserve Israel’s QME.

"The US is committed to Israel’s QME and has taken this into account in its arms sales to the region," Zain Hussain, a researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s arms transfers program, told The Times of Israel. "Exporting F-35s to other states in the region would present a significant shift in that policy."

Israel today is the only country in the Middle East with F-35 fighter jets in its arsenal, currently operating 45 of the advanced aircraft with additional units on order.

"The export of the F-35 to another state in the region would potentially mean that state acquiring stealth, data fusion, and deep-strike capabilities widely considered superior to other aircraft currently operated in the region," Hussain said.

At the same time, he emphasized that Israel still holds a significant operational advantage: "Israel remains the most experienced operator of the F-35 in the region and has been allowed to modify the aircraft to meet its specific needs."

Indeed, Israel has uniquely customized its fleet of F-35s, rebranding the stealth fighter jet as the "Adir," Hebrew for "mighty." Through close cooperation with Lockheed Martin, Israeli defense firms have integrated proprietary technologies into the aircraft — including advanced electronic warfare systems, enhanced command and control capabilities and locally developed weapons systems.

Washington’s commitment to ensuring Israel maintains a qualitative edge in military capability dates back to Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency. In 2008, it was formally codified into a law requiring that Jerusalem’s position be considered before any weapons sales to the region.

The doctrine is rooted in Israel’s position as a democratic ally surrounded by often-hostile neighbors. Given its geographic and demographic disadvantages, Israel cannot rely on quantity in warfare and instead depends on technological and tactical superiority.

Over the decades, US arms sales to Arab states have repeatedly put Israel’s QME to the test. At times, they have only gone through thanks to US assurances or complementary arms sales to Israel.

In 1981, Jerusalem strongly objected to Washington’s decision to sell AWACS surveillance planes and advanced F-15 enhancement packages to Saudi Arabia, fearing it would erode Israel’s technological superiority. Despite fierce opposition, Congress narrowly approved the deal, with then-president Ronald Reagan offering Israel a set of reassurances, including an additional $600 million in military aid and 15 new F-15s.

More recently, the Trump administration in 2020 agreed to sell 50 F-35s to the UAE following Abu Dhabi’s agreement to normalize relations with Israel, though officials denied any linkage between the two.

The potential F-35 sales raised red flags in Israel, but Jerusalem eventually said it would not oppose the deal, after the US agreed to sign a formal agreement reaffirming Washington’s legally enshrined commitment to maintaining Israel’s regional military advantage.

In the end, the sale was torpedoed by the UAE rather than the QME. In 2021, the Emirates suspended talks with the Biden administration on buying the planes due to various disagreements over the sale, including their price tag, and in 2024, officials in Abu Dhabi said they did not plan to revive the deal.

TRUMP AND THE SAUDIS
Ahead of Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, some believed that arms sales would similarly be used as part of a package that would see Riyadh normalize relations with Israel, which would have likely played a role in overcoming any QME-related hurdles.

Instead, Israel was left off to the side as Trump and the Saudis heaped lavish indulgences and effusive praise on each other.

During his visit, Trump addressed the Saudi-US Investment Forum, hailing the "close partnership" between Washington and Riyadh and praising Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
 for the kingdom’s sweeping transformation since Trump’s last visit as president.

"Exactly eight years ago this month I stood in this very room and looked forward to a future in which the nations of this region would drive [out] the forces of terrorism and extremism... and take your place among the proudest, most prosperous, most successful nations anywhere in the world as leaders of a modern and rising Middle East," Trump said.

"Critics doubted that it was possible," he added, "but over the past eight years, Saudi Arabia has proved the critics totally wrong," citing the kingdom’s emergence as a global business leader.

In tandem with its ambitions to become a business hub, Saudi Arabia has dramatically ramped up its military spending, signaling its intent to play a more assertive role on the regional and global stage.

According to a February statement by Ahmad al-Ohali, governor of the Saudi General Authority for Military Industries, the kingdom increased its defense budget from $75.8 billion in 2024 to $78 billion in 2025. al-Ohali also noted a consistent 4.5 percent annual growth in defense spending since 1960, placing Saudi Arabia as the fifth-largest military spender in the world, and the largest in the Arab world.

NO FAIRY GODMOTHER
After his stop in Riyadh, Trump continued to Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 and the UAE, notably skipping over Israel — a move that raised concern in Jerusalem over potential shifts in regional priorities and the optics of Israel being sidelined during a major US diplomatic tour.

"This week there was a party in the Middle East — a grand ball full of colorful costumes, money and gold changing hands — and we found ourselves playing the role of Cinderella before the transformation," columnist Sima Kadmon wrote in Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

"The fairy godmother we thought we had, flew off to Saudi Arabia and Qatar."

The Trump administration has made several moves lately that have left some wondering whether Washington is still committed to taking Israel’s position into account in cases where it is not required by law.

These include nuclear talks with Iran, a ceasefire with Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
 rebels that allows them to continue firing ballistic missiles at the Jewish state and a deal with Hamas
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
 to free Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander that bypassed Jerusalem.

The agreement to arm the Saudis at record numbers comes amid growing frustration from Trump over Israel’s prolonged war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
 — a conflict he reportedly sees as complicating his efforts to broker a landmark regional deal.

Trump has made no secret of his ambition to secure Saudi-Israeli normalization as a cornerstone achievement of his second term. But Riyadh has made it clear that any such agreement is contingent on a ceasefire in Gaza and tangible progress toward Paleostinian statehood.

Although Saudi Arabia was not among the original signatories of the 2020 Abraham Accords, it has cautiously endorsed the initiative from the sidelines. Still, the kingdom has repeatedly stressed that its participation depends on movement toward a two-state solution — a goal that now appears increasingly remote amid the ongoing war.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed that Trump "wants to see this conflict in the region end," but the administration has firmly denied reports that it is threatening to "abandon" Israel over its Gaza campaign.

Dr. H. A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London, told The Times of Israel that Trump’s visit "was primarily about the [Gulf Cooperation Council], not about the appalling situation in Gaza, and applying ’America First’ transactionalism to foreign policy in [the Middle East and North Africa] more generally."

He added that while "there is frustration in DC with Tel Aviv’s conduct in Gaza... DC is still very much supportive of Tel Aviv."
Link


Europe
French experts say Sweden has become a base for jihadist gangs
2025-05-29
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Victor Lavrinenko

[REGNUM] Recently, an expert report on the activities of the extremist group Muslim Brotherhood (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) in the EU, prepared at the request of the French government, was published. The strengthening of Islamist extremists is observed not only in France itself, but also in some other EU countries,

The authors of a report prepared for the French government warn that the extremist Muslim Brotherhood* movement has gained a foothold in the country, threatening both the values ​​of local secular society and the safety of ordinary citizens.

It has been estimated that the group controls at least 200 mosques in France and has hundreds of subsidiaries.

The report stresses that the further growth of the influence of radical Islamism will have devastating consequences for the country.

At the same time, the document did not ignore the situation in other EU countries, where Islamists feel especially at ease. First of all, Sweden was named among these countries, where, according to French experts, very favorable conditions have been created for Islamic radicals.
Indeed.
Sweden is mentioned in the report several times, and it is noted that it is the active branch of the Muslim Brotherhood* that has established itself in this Scandinavian country.

The report explains this as follows: “The favourable position of the Muslim Brotherhood* in Sweden is explained by the great tolerance of Swedish multiculturalism and the good relations between the movement and local political parties, especially the Swedish Social Democrats.”

SWEDEN'S REACTION
In Sweden itself, the report did not go unnoticed.

Local Labour Minister Mats Persson has announced that he is putting together his own expert group to draw up a full picture of the spread of radical Islamism in the country.
Run a search of the Rantburg archives, your Excellency. There you’ll find much of what you need to get started.
Persson threatens that he will not let this go so easily: "We will cut off foreign funding for religious communities, especially where foreign countries finance radical mosques."

The Swedish Social Democratic Party is alarmed - they deny that they have supported or assisted extremists in any way.
On the contrary.
Party Secretary Tobias Bodin justifies himself: "We have zero tolerance for connections with extremist organizations."
“Call them something else, though, and we’re good to go!”
It should be noted that in the spring of 2023, the Social Democrats were already harshly criticized for the fact that their MP Jamal El-Hajj took part in a conference organized by the Palestinian organization Hamas.
See?
The Social Democrats then asked El Hadj to "take a break" from his parliamentary duties, but did not expel him from the party. However, a year later, the Swedish press revealed that the deputy had tried to obtain refugee status in Sweden for a certain Egyptian imam whose sermons were openly extremist. Only then did the Social Democrats ask their disgraced colleague to leave the party.

At the same time, the Swedes remember how the “social democrats”, in the name of their misunderstood “tolerance”, while they headed the government from 2014 to 2022, opened the country’s doors wide to migrants from “third world” countries.

It is not surprising that Sweden was the third country in Europe after Belgium and Austria from which the largest number of Muslims left to fight for the Islamic State*.
Definitely not surprising, no, except that France is lower on the list.
DEFENSE UNIVERSITY REPORTS
Experts have been sounding the alarm about the radicalization of Sweden's Muslim community for a long time. Back in 2018,
…alarms were sounded considerably earlier than that…
the local Defense University prepared a study on the increase in the number of Salafists in the country — supporters of "pure" Islam, advocating, in particular, for jihad against "infidels."

One of the most famous Salafi jihadists was, in particular, Osama bin Laden. Salafis advocate for the restriction of women's rights, and many of them also insist on not having friends among the "infidels" and keeping communication with them to a minimum.

At the same time, as noted at the university, radicalization often goes hand in hand with ethnic crime. Criminals really like to imagine themselves as “warriors for the faith” - this is how they justify their own actions in their own eyes.

"A gang of bastards walk into a grocery store. If the cashier isn't wearing a hijab, they take whatever they want without paying. They call the cashier a 'Swedish whore' and spit at her," says a police officer from the city of Västerås.

"Often young Muslims ask Syrians and Kurds, restaurant or shop owners, about their religion. If the answer is 'not Islam', they are persecuted. We have also seen Muslims as young as 10 or 12 say to older Swedish women: 'We are at home here,'" he adds.

In Gothenburg, Salafists demanded that Muslims not vote in local elections because it is "haram." The radicals threatened their fellow believers that they would answer "on the day of judgment" for all the actions of the dishonest politicians for whom they voted.

“In some areas they raised the flag of the Islamic State (an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation),” the local police shared.

And there they told about the preacher Said Regea (a native of Somalia) who came from Canada and, speaking in one of the mosques in Gothenburg, emphasized the importance of “purity.” In order to maintain it, it is important, according to him, not to allow children to be interested in the customs of “Jews, Christians or Zoroastrians.”

Seven years ago, the Defense University emphasized that cafes and shops owned by non-Muslims periodically become victims of vandalism, and that Christian priests are threatened with beheading.

However, the radicals are no better at treating so-called "secular" Muslims who do not adhere to Salafism. They are often harshly ostracized and discriminated against in every possible way. As a result, some refugees have begun to complain that, having moved to Sweden, they are faced with scenes familiar to them from their native Iraq or Afghanistan - for example, they see three-year-old girls in niqabs.

BANDIT JIHAD
In addition, as already mentioned, experts from the Defense University noted the alarming fact of the fusion of religious radicalism and organized crime - sometimes jihadists and members of ethnic gangs join forces to make it easier to terrorize the surrounding population.

Salafis and Islamists are actively taking control of mosques and Muslim cultural associations, as well as businesses created by former refugees, forcing them to pay tribute.

At the same time, the native Swedes, for a time, simply had no idea what processes were taking place in the vicinity of their large cities, where people from Asia and Africa settled.
The police didn’t open files, the news media didn’t report about it, and the politicians kept their eyes firmly shut while piously lecturing the voters about the necessity of tolerance. And when the native Swedes tried to talk about the viciousness of thr Moslem newcomers, they were shut up, by force if necessary.
But there are areas where local legislation has lost its force: gender segregation is actively practiced; radical religious leaders order women not to complain to the authorities about their husbands’ cruelty.

The text of the study ended with criticism of the Swedish authorities for their inability to put obstacles to the spread of radical ideology. In particular, examples were given from the activities of ordinary Swedish secular schools, where the administration, having yielded to the demands of radical parents, forced girls to wear hijabs.

Seven years have passed since then, and the problem has become even more acute. And it’s not as if Sweden’s current moderate-conservative ruling coalition, which replaced the migrant-loving Social Democrats in 2022, is doing nothing at all to counter radicalism.

For example, the authorities are closing radical Islamist schools, trying to legislate against women covering their faces, tightening entry rules, and promising migrants money to return home. The trouble is, these measures are both insufficient and long overdue.

Fortunately for the Swedes, the numerous ethnic gangs do not act as a united front, otherwise the natives would have a very bad time. Criminal organizations fiercely fight each other for food supplies - they shoot and blow up competitors with enthusiasm. In this case, selfish interests are higher than empty slogans about the "unity of brothers in faith."

INVASION OF NORWAY
The fierce competition between Swedish gangs has already led to them, like a cancerous tumor, beginning to subjugate neighboring countries, in particular Norway.

The head of the local National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos), Christine Quinje, recently addressed the government with a warning about the growing threat from organised crime.

Despite all the efforts of the police, criminal networks in Norway continue to grow and develop, according to Kvinje.

And although the national budget for 2024 allocated 600 million Norwegian kroner (52 million euros) to combat organised crime, according to Kvinje, this has not produced tangible results.

She seriously fears that organised crime will grow to such proportions that it “will threaten democracy and the welfare state and will cause destabilisation of society.”

A characteristic feature of Swedish gangs is the hiring of minors, who do not face the same harsh penalties as adults. According to police, the number of underage robbers in Oslo has doubled between 2023 and 2024.

And in Norway in 2023, 21,800 criminal cases were initiated against minors, which is 28% more than in 2022. The Norwegian publication Aftenposten writes that more and more criminal elements are now appearing in this country, having managed to “leave their mark” in Sweden.

According to Norwegian police inspector Yngve Myrvoll, branches of the Swedish gangs Foxtrot and Gottsunda have emerged in the country, actively recruiting young people. These gangs are involved in large-scale drug trafficking and various fraudulent operations.

Foxtrot's presence in Norway was widely reported after a powerful explosion rocked the streets of the local town of Drøbak last October. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but police suspected attempted murder.

Experts noted that this is a typical “Swedish manner” – it is members of Swedish criminal groups who have recently taken to blowing up competitors in the criminal business right in their homes.

These suspicions were confirmed during the investigation - it turned out that the explosion was carried out by members of Foxtrot.

Since then, members of this network have given Norwegians many more reasons to speak ill of them. The criminals who came from Sweden, who so often like to pose as "true Muslims", make Norway forget that until recently it was considered a peaceful and safe country.,
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Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Israel and Syria holding face-to-face meetings at border to calm tensions
2025-05-28
[IsraelTimes] Syrians represented by border governor Ahmad al-Dalati, Israel by unnamed security officials; talks are on ‘absence of war,’ not normalization, for now

Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes, five people familiar with the matter said.

The contacts mark a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades, as the US encourages the new Islamist rulers in Damascus to establish relations with Israel and Israel eases its strikes on Syria.

They also build on back-channel talks via intermediaries since Salafist tough guys Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
 toppled Syrian strongman Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Horror of Homs...
 in December, said two Syrian and two Western sources, as well as a regional intelligence source familiar with the matter.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject for two nations with no official ties and a history of enmity. The direct talks and their scope have not been previously reported.

On the Syrian side, the sources said contacts have been led by security bigshot Ahmad al-Dalati, who was appointed governor of the province of Quneitra, which borders the Golan Heights, after the fall of Assad.

Earlier this week, Dalati was also put in charge of security in the southern province of Sweida, home to Syria’s Druze minority.

Rooters could not determine who participated on Israel’s side, though two of the sources said they were security officials.

Three of the sources said there had been several rounds of in-person meetings in the border region, including in territory controlled by Israel.

Israel’s foreign ministry and Syrian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Earlier this month, Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed indirect talks with Israel that he said were aimed at calming tensions, a striking admission that followed a Rooters report that the UAE was mediating such talks.

Israeli military operations in Syria have escalated since Assad’s fall, with Jerusalem saying it will not tolerate an Islamist hard boy presence in southern Syria.

Israel has bombed what it says are military targets across the country, and Israeli ground forces have entered southwestern Syria, where they are currently stationed in a number of outposts in a buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

The Jewish state has also cautioned against swift recognition of the new government in Syria, expressing deep skepticism about Sharaa, who until recently had a $10 million bounty on his head from the US.

But the strikes and the criticism have subsided in recent weeks.

On May 14, a meeting between US President Donald Trump
...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
 and Sharaa in Riyadh upended decades of US Syria policy, and signaled to Israel’s government that it should work to reach understandings with Sharaa.

The regional intelligence source described Trump’s engagement with Sharaa as a pivotal part of a realignment in US policy that upset Israel’s post-Assad strategy of exploiting Syria’s fragmentation.

TENSIONS DOWN IN SWEIDA
The relative calm in May has also seen a reduction in tensions around Sweida, which saw days of bloody festivities between Druze armed factions, some of which have Israeli backing, and Sunni Moslem fighters last month.

Amid the violence, Israel had launched a series of Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s, including one just outside the presidential palace overlooking Damascus, which it framed as a warning over threats against the Druze, a minority group with communities in Syria, Leb
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
 and Israel.

While the direct talks are currently focused on joint security, such as preventing conflict and reducing Israeli incursions into Syrian border villages, two of the sources said they may help pave the way for broader political understandings.

"For now, they are about peace, as in the absence of war, rather than normalization," said the person familiar with backchannel talks.

Trump indicated after meeting Sharaa that the Syrian leader was willing to eventually normalize ties with Israel, while adding that it would take some time.

Sharaa has not commented on the statement, saying instead that he supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a UN buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

Syria’s new rulers have made repeated efforts to show they pose no threat to Israel, meeting representatives of the Jewish community in Damascus and abroad and detaining two senior members of the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
 terror group, which participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
-led attack on Israel.

Additionally, Paleostinian sources said on Friday that several Iran-backed Paleostinian terror groups had left Syria altogether under pressure from the new regime.

A letter sent by Syria’s foreign ministry to the US State Department last month, seen by Rooters, said "we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel."

Israel has so far treated such statements with intense suspicion, due to the new leadership’s roots.
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinian clans are looking to join Abraham Accords after Oct. 7.
2025-05-28
[Jpost] It began with a sentence that sounded less like the opening of a diplomatic talk and more like the opening pitch at an accelerator demo-day. Economy Minister Nir Barkat — whose résumé lists two tech exits before it lists "mayor of Jerusalem" — stepped onto the Jerusalem Post Conference stage in New York and said he was tired of hearing that the West Bank was unsolvable.

If a product fails, he told the room, you either ship a better one or the market walks. His "product" was the Paleostinian Authority; his better version was a Paleostinian chapter of the Abraham Accords. "One day — hopefully soon — Arabs in Judea and Samaria will decide they’ve had enough of the PA and ask to join the accords," he said.

"If they work with Israel, we’ll help them build Dubai. If they fight Israel, they’ll end up looking like Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Phones came up like periscopes. The routine chatter about Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
’s eventual normalization vanished. Barkat was talking about Rawabi, Abu Dis, perhaps even Jenin, not Riyadh or Jakarta.

In his model, clusters of West Bank towns would bypass Ramallah, plug directly into Israeli security and Gulf capital, and trade under commercial annexes adapted from the UAE-Israel playbook. No midnight shuttle diplomacy, no flags raised over Rose Garden lawns — just container IDs, escrow instructions and profit-and-loss sheets.
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Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran-backed Palestinian terror groups said to leave Syria under pressure from Sharaa
2025-05-24
[IsraelTimes] Flight of pro-Assad factions comes amid Trump’s demand that the new regime crack down on Palestinian terrorism as a condition for sanctions relief

Leaders of Iran-backed Paleostinian terror groups in Syria close to former president Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Leveler of Latakia...
 have left the country under pressure from the regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the ouster of the Iran-backed strongman in December, Paleostinian sources said Friday.

The armed factions’ flight comes amid a White House demand that Sharaa crack down on Paleostinian terror groups as a condition for the removal of Washington’s sanctions on Damascus. There have also been unconfirmed reports that Syria’s new regime has held indirect talks with Israel on potential normalization between the two countries, despite Israeli leaders’ deep suspicion of Sharaa due to his jihadi past.

The crackdown did not appear to affect the Syrian presence of Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
-based Hamas
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
, which is also backed by Iran, nor that of Fatah, the secularist faction that dominates the West Bank-based Paleostinian Authority.

The leader of one Iran-backed Paleostinian group, who left Syria after Assad’s overthrow, said on condition of anonymity that "most of the Paleostinian factional leadership that received support from Tehran has left Damascus" to countries including Leb
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel...
. Another faction leader still in Damascus confirmed the development.

The first faction leader said "the factions have fully handed over weapons in their headquarters or with their cadres" to the authorities, who also received "lists of names of faction members possessing individual weapons" and demanded that those arms be handed over.

A third Paleostinian faction source in Damascus said that after Assad’s overthrow, "we gathered our members’ weapons ourselves and handed them over, but we have kept individual light weapons for protection... with the [authorities’] authorization."

In Yarmouk, a Paleostinian refugee camp in the Damascus suburbs that was devastated during Syria’s civil war, factional banners usually displayed at the entrance were gone and party buildings were closed and unguarded, AFP photographers said. Factional premises elsewhere in Damascus also appeared closed.

Many Paleostinians fled to Syria in 1948 following the creation of Israel, and from the mid-1960s Syria began hosting the leadership of armed Paleostinian factions. Iran-backed Paleostinian groups enjoyed considerable freedom of movement under Assad.

Washington, which designates some of the factions as terrorist organizations, last week announced it was lifting sanctions on Syria. The White House had earlier said the new Syrian regime would have to comply with demands, including suppressing terrorism and preventing "Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory."

According to the White House, during a meeting in Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
 last week, US President Donald Trump
...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party...
 gave Sharaa a list of demands that included deporting "Paleostinian terrorists."

The Iran-backed Paleostinian factions in Syria, along with other terror groups from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
, are part of Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance®, which is openly committed to Israel’s destruction. Some Axis members fought alongside Assad’s forces when civil war erupted in Syria in 2011.

In neighboring Lebanon, a government official told AFP that the disarmament of Paleostinian camps, where factions usually handle security, would begin next month based on an accord with visiting Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas
...aka Abu Mazen, a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial. While no Yasser Arafat, he has his own brand of evil, just a little more lowercase....>
, who also met with Sharaa in Damascus last month.

’UNWELCOME’
The Iran-backed Paleostinian groups in Syria "did not receive any official request from the authorities to leave Syrian territory" but instead faced restrictions, the first faction leader told AFP.

Some factions "were de facto prohibited from operating," or their members were arrested, he said, adding that the new authorities have seized property from "private homes, offices, vehicles and military training camps in the Damascus countryside and other provinces."

Syrian authorities did not immediately provide a comment to AFP when asked about the matter.

Earlier this month, officials from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Paleostine-General Command (PFLP-GC) said Syrian authorities briefly detained factional chief Talal Naji.

In April, Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
 said Syrian official Khaled Khaled and organizing committee member Yasser al-Zafri were tossed into the calaboose "without explanation." A source from the group told AFP on Friday that they were still detained.

The second Paleostinian faction leader, from a group that has remained in Damascus with limited representation, said there was "no cooperation between most of the Paleostinian factions and the new Syrian administration."

"The response to our contact is mostly cold or delayed. We feel like unwelcome guests, though they don’t say that clearly," he added, also requesting anonymity.

A Hamas official in Gaza told AFP that it had "channels of communication with our brothers in Syria."

Hamas has minimal representation in Syria, having left the country after the civil war there began. Hamas’s ties with the Assad regime had deteriorated amid the terror group’s support for opposition demands.

Yarmouk camp resident Marwan Mnawar, a retiree, said that "nobody knows what happened to the factional leadership," adding that "people just want to live, they are exhausted" by the conflict and factional infighting.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah seeks boost in Lebanon vote as disarmament calls grow
2025-05-24
[IsraelTimes] Though the terror group was badly weakened by the war with Israel, popular support among Lebanese Shi’ites remains strong

Amid the rubble left by Israeli bombardment of south Leb
...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects....
, campaign posters urge support for Hezbollah in elections on Saturday as the group aims to show it retains political clout despite the pounding it took in last year’s war.

For Hezbollah, the local vote is more important than ever, coinciding with mounting calls for its disarmament and continued Israeli Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s, and as many of its Shi’ite Moslem constituents still suffer the repercussions of the conflict.

Three rounds of voting already held this month have gone well for the Iran-backed terror group. In the south, many races won’t be contested, handing Hezbollah and its allies early wins.

"We will vote with blood," said Ali Tabaja, 21, indicating loyalty to Hezbollah. He’ll be voting in the city of Nabatieh rather than his village of Adaisseh because it has been destroyed.

"It’s a desert," he said.

The south’s rubble-strewn landscape reflects the devastating impact of the war, which began when Hezbollah began launching regular attacks on Israel in October 2023 in support of Hamas
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
 following the latter terror group’s devastating attack on southern Israel.

After nearly a year of war, Israel launched a major offensive against the organization. Hezbollah emerged as a shadow of its former self, with its leaders and thousands of its fighters killed, its influence over the Lebanese state greatly diminished, and its Lebanese opponents gaining sway.

In a measure of how far the tables have turned, the new government has declared it aims to establish a state monopoly on arms, meaning Hezbollah should disarm.

Against this backdrop, the election results so far indicate "the war didn’t achieve the objective of downgrading Hezbollah’s popularity in the community," said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center, a think tank. "On the contrary, many Shia now feel their fate is tied to Hezbollah’s fate.

Hezbollah’s election performance "really matters," Hage Ali added. "It shows they still represent the great majority of Shi’ites and underlines the reality that any attempt by other Lebanese to disarm them by force would risk being seen as a move against the community and jeopardize civil peace."

Hezbollah’s arms have long been a source of division in Lebanon, sparking a brief civil conflict in 2008. Critics say Hezbollah has unilaterally involved Lebanon in wider Middle East conflicts.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called for dialogue with Hezbollah over a national defense strategy, implying discussion of its weaponry, but talks have yet to begin.

Wednesday saw the Lebanese and Paleostinian Authority presidents agree that Paleostinian factions won’t use Lebanon as a launchpad for any attacks against Israel, and to remove weapons that aren’t under the authority of the Lebanese state.

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, a Hezbollah opponent, has said that Lebanon has been told there will be no reconstruction aid from foreign donors until the state establishes a monopoly on arms.

Hezbollah, in turn, has put the onus on the government over reconstruction and accuses it of failing to take steps on that front, despite promises that the government is committed to it.

A US State Department spokesperson said that while Washington was engaged in supporting sustainable reconstruction in Lebanon, "this cannot happen without Hezbollah laying down their arms."

"We have also made clear that transparency and economic reform are the only path to greater investment and economic recovery for the country," the spokesperson said in response to a Rooters query.

Hezbollah claims its weapons are now gone from the south, but links any discussion of its remaining arsenal to Israel’s withdrawal from five positions it still holds, and an end to Israeli strikes.

Israel says Hezbollah still has combat infrastructure, including rocket launchers in the south, calling this "blatant violations of understandings between Israel and Lebanon." It says the five positions are necessary to defend northern Israel from the threat of Hezbollah, which had planned an October 7-style attack on northern communities.

A French diplomatic source said reconstruction would not materialize if Israel continues striking and the Lebanese government does not act fast enough on disarmament.

Donors also want Beirut to enact economic reforms.

Hashem Haidar, head of the government’s Council for the South, said the state lacks the funds to rebuild, but cited progress in rubble removal. Lebanon needs $11 billion for reconstruction and recovery, the World Bank estimates.

In Nabatieh, a pile of rubble marks the spot where 71-year-old Khalil Tarhini’s store once stood. It was one of dozens destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Nabatieh’s central market.

He has received no compensation and sees little point in voting. Expressing a sense of abandonment, he said: "The state did not stand by us."

The situation was very different in 2006, after a previous Hezbollah-Israel war. Aid flowed from Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and Gulf Arab states.

Hezbollah says it has aided 400,000 people, paying for rent, furniture, and renovations. But the funds at its disposal appear well short of 2006, recipients say.

Hezbollah says state authorities have obstructed funds arriving from Iran, though Tehran is also more financially strapped than two decades ago due to tougher US sanctions and the reimposition of a "maximum pressure" policy by Washington.

As for Gulf states, their spending on Lebanon dried up as Hezbollah became embroiled in regional conflicts and, echoing the US, they declared it a terrorist group in 2016. Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
 has echoed the Lebanese government’s position of calling for a state monopoly of arms.

Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah said it was up to the government to secure reconstruction funding and that it was failing to take "serious steps" to get the process on track.

He warned that the issue risked deepening divisions in Lebanon if unaddressed. "How can one part of the nation be stable while another is in pain?" he said, referring to Shi’ites in the south and other areas, including Beirut’s Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs, hard hit by Israel.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Sources: Syrian gov’t found Eli Cohen dossier after Assad’s fall, offered it to Israel
2025-05-21
[IsraelTimes] After Israel announced recovery of archive in ‘covert and complex Mossad operation,’ sources tell Reuters that Sharaa okayed its return to ease Israeli hostility and as gesture to Trump

Syria’s leadership approved the handover of the belongings of long-dead spy Eli Cohen to Israel in a bid to ease Israeli hostility and show goodwill to US President Donald Trump
...Oh, noze! Not him!...
, three sources told Rooters.

Israel announced its recovery of the trove of documents, photographs and personal possessions relating to Cohen on Sunday, saying its spy agency Mosssd
...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end...
 had worked with an unnamed foreign intelligence agency to secure the material.

However,
a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth...
 a Syrian security source, an adviser to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and a person familiar with backchannel talks between the countries said the archive of material was in fact offered to Israel as an indirect gesture by Sharaa as he seeks to cool tensions and build Trump’s confidence.

Cohen, who was hanged in 1965 in a downtown Damascus square after infiltrating Syria’s political elite, is still regarded as a hero in Israel and Mossad’s most celebrated spy for uncovering military secrets that aided its lightning victory in the 1967 Six Day War.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Cohen on Sunday as a legend and "the greatest intelligence agent in the annals of the state."

While Israel has long sought to recover his body for reburial at home, the return of his archive held for 60 years by Syrian intelligence was hailed by Mossad as "an achievement of the highest moral order."

Israel has not publicly revealed how the archive came into its possession, saying only that it was the result of "a covert and complex Mossad operation, in cooperation with an allied foreign intelligence service."

Netanyahu’s office, Syrian officials and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Syria’s role in Israel’s recovery of the Cohen archive.

COHEN DOSSIER
After rebels led by Sharaa suddenly ousted President Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
 in December, ending his family’s 54-year-long rule, they found the Cohen dossier in a state security building, according to the Syrian security source.

Sharaa and his foreign advisers quickly decided to use the material as leverage, the source added.

The Syrian security source said Sharaa had realized that the Cohen archive was important to the Israelis and that its return could amount to a significant diplomatic gesture.

Ending Israeli attacks on Syria and improving relations with the United States and other Western countries are vital for Sharaa as he seeks to revive his shattered country after 14 years of civil war.

Israel regards Sharaa and his ex-insurgents, who once formed the al Qaeda faction in Syria, as unreconstructed jihadists. Israeli forces have been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Assad — mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries — and have repeatedly bombed targets in support of Syria’s minority Druze sect.

This month, Rooters reported that the United Arab Emirates had set up a backchannel for talks between Israel and Syria that included efforts to build confidence between the sides.

There have also been other indirect channels for talks, according to two people familiar with the matter.

In the talks, Syria agreed to measures including returning the remains of Cohen as well as three Israeli soldiers killed while fighting Syrian forces in Leb
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?...
 in the early 1980s, a person familiar with those talks said. The body of one of those soldiers, Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman, has been returned, Israel said last week.

The return of the Cohen archive came in the context of those confidence-building measures and was done with Sharaa’s direct approval, the person said.

Last week, Trump held a surprise meeting with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
 where he urged him to normalize ties with Israel and announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria.

Syrian officials have said they want peace with all states in the region, and Sharaa confirmed this month that Damascus had carried out indirect talks with Israel via states it has ties with in order to calm the situation.
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
That, too: Hamas document shows Oct. 7 attack aimed at derailing Saudi normalization – report
2025-05-19
[IsraelTimes] In days prior to assault, leader Sinwar said ‘extraordinary act’ needed quash Riyadh’s openness to diplomatic ties with Israel; other documents show great concern over issue

Hamas
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
’s Gazoo chief Yahya Sinwar told associates in the days prior to the terror group’s devastating October 7, 2023, attack, on Israel that an "extraordinary act" would be required to derail normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
, according to a document reportedly found by the IDF in Gaza.

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday on a number of documents from recent years that discussed Hamas’s concerns about Saudi movement toward diplomatic ties with Israel, and the terror group’s efforts to hamper it.

Successive American administrations have sought to broker such an agreement, framing it as the "crown jewel" of potential normalization deals, in light of Saudi Arabia’s overarching status in the Arab and Moslem worlds.

Arab intelligence officials familiar with Hamas told the Journal that the documents appeared to be genuine.

The Journal did not publish any images of the documents, and there was no official Israeli comment.

The minutes of a meeting of Hamas’s political bureau in the Strip on October 2, 2023, cite Sinwar as saying, "There is no doubt that the Saudi-Zionist normalization agreement is progressing significantly." The Hamas leader warned a deal would "open the door for the majority of Arab and Islamic countries to follow the same path."

According to the Wall Street Journal, Sinwar said that it was time to activate an attack plan that the terror group had been working on for some two years "to bring about a major move or a strategic shift in the paths and balances of the region with regard to the Paleostinian cause."

Without directly quoting the document, the Journal said Sinwar — who was killed by the IDF about a year into the war — expected other Iran-backed terror and proxy groups to join the fighting.

Other documents apparently seized by the IDF and reviewed by the newspaper included one from September 2023 that recommended escalating violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem to decrease the chances of normalization between Jerusalem and Riyadh.

That document criticized the Saudis for what Hamas saw as their "weak and limited steps to neutralize" the terror group and prevent it from blocking normalization.

A Hamas briefing from August 2022, marked "secret" and composed by the group’s military leadership, urged a "reposition" in order to "preserve the survival of the Paleostinian cause in the face of the broad wave of normalization by Arab countries, which aims primarily to liquidate the Paleostinian cause." That realignment increased its coordination with, among others, the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.

Then, in October that year, Hamas prepared a job advertisement, also found by the Israeli military, for a position in its Department of Arab and Islamic Cooperation to lead diplomatic efforts to stop normalization. It described the job as, in part, "Marketing the movement’s programs to confront normalization" and organizing activism groups in the Arab world to call for boycotts on entities that backed having ties with Israel.

Hamas did not respond to a request for comment on the report, the Journal said.

Though Israel and Saudi Arabia have not established diplomatic relations, their clandestine ties strengthened in recent years as they confronted a shared threat in Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia in November 2020 to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
, the first publicly reported meeting between the two.

Former US president Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant....
’s administration sought to include a normalization accord between Israel and Saudi Arabia in a "mega-deal" it worked to sign with Riyadh, which has long made clear, however, that such an agreement would require a political horizon for the Paleostinians.

The Biden administration had managed to make significant progress in the series of bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia — and was slated to begin serious discussions with Riyadh regarding the exact terms of the Paleostinian component of the package — when Hamas launched its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

The onslaught and ensuing war derailed the normalization effort and Riyadh began to recognize that it would need more concrete steps toward the establishment of a Paleostinian state, as solidarity with the Paleostinians in Saudi Arabia and the region on the lam skyrocketed due to the devastation in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump
...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!...
 has also pledged to broker an Israel-Saudi normalization deal, repeatedly asserting that additional countries would quickly join the Abraham Accords, which normalized ties between Israel and several Arab countries at the tail end of his first term. But during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, part of a three-day regional tour that did not include Israel, he indicated his recognition that Riyadh won’t be joining as quickly as he may have hoped.

It is not the first time that documents ostensibly found in Gaza have been leaked to the international press.
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Trump says he’s not frustrated with Netanyahu: ‘He’s an angry man, and he should be’
2025-05-18
[IsraelTimes] As reports claim there’s a rift between them, US president says Israeli PM has ‘been hurt badly’ by Hamas-led October 7 attack, adds ‘he’s got a tough situation’ on his hands

US President Donald Trump
...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down...
 said in an interview Saturday that he is not frustrated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing to downplay claims of a rift between the two leaders, saying that he understands Netanyahu’s anger with Hamas
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
Trump visited the Middle East this week, skipping Israel but stopping in Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
, Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 and the United Arab Emirates, leading government critics to warn Israel was being left out of Washington’s regional diplomatic initiatives as Netanyahu’s government continues the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Asked by Fox News if he was frustrated by the prime minister, Trump responded: "No, look, he’s got a tough situation. You have to remember, there was October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent mostly peaceful days in the history of the world — not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes."

Trump claimed, as he often has, that the massacre in southern Israel by Hamas-led bully boyz on October 7, 2023, would have never happened under his watch, arguing that Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
had been broke under his first administration and would not have been able to fund the Paleostinian terror group’s activities.

That attack, which sparked the ongoing war, killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages who were taken to Gaza. Of them, 57 are still held captive, 34 of whom are confirmed dead by Israel.

"Bibi, he’s an angry man, and he should be because of October 7, and he’s been hurt badly by that, but in another way, he’s been sort of helped because I think he’s fought hard and bravely," Trump added, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

Trump has repeatedly denied reports of a rift between him and Netanyahu, insisting that his choice to not visit Israel during his trip to the region was not a snub, despite making several policy decisions without Israeli input or against Israel’s wishes, such as the ongoing Iran nuclear talks, the decision to restore ties with and lift sanctions from Syria, and the US ceasefire with the Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
 rebels in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
On Wednesday, Trump said his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates was "good for Israel," adding that "having a relationship like I have with these countries... I think it’s very good for Israel."

Netanyahu also denied the reported rift, calling his relationship with Trump "excellent."

Despite the denials, Channel 13 reported last week that people in Netanyahu’s inner circle have expressed unusually harsh criticism toward the Trump administration in recent weeks.

"There’s chaos in the Trump administration — the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing," said a senior figure close to the premier, according to the report.

"It’s not even clear if this has anything to do with us. Everything operates according to the president’s whims. Sometimes that works in our favor, and sometimes it doesn’t," the source said.

Citing unnamed US officials, NBC reported last week that Netanyahu was growing increasingly frustrated with the US approach to Iran amid the nuclear talks, seemingly the largest point of contention between the two leaders.

Speaking to NBC, one US official said Israel was "worried about any deal" that the US could sign with Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions.

To that end, two US officials said Netanyahu has privately dismissed the negotiations as a waste of time, arguing that even if a deal is forged, Tehran would inevitably break it.

Israel would rather take action and strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, the report said, and believes that the opportunity to do so is shrinking further the longer talks continue.

Jerusalem is reportedly unhappy that the ongoing US-Iran talks are said to be developing into a largely similar framework to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which was signed by then-US president Barack Obama
They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them...
and was panned at the time by Netanyahu as disastrous for Israel. Trump withdrew from that deal in 2018.

Under the terms now being discussed, according to reports, Iran would limit stockpile size and centrifuge types, and dilute, export or seal its 60 percent uranium stock under unprecedented ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scrutiny, in exchange for substantial sanctions relief.

This approach has not aligned with Netanyahu’s longtime position, which is that Israel will not allow Iran to attain nuclear weapons and is opposed to any talks that don’t lead Iran to agree to a "Libya-style agreement," under which Tehran’s entire nuclear program — both military and civilian — would be dismantled completely.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump says he’ll lift sanctions on Syria, restore ties with new president Sharaa
2025-05-14
See also here.
[IsraelTimes] Meeting between leaders set for Wednesday; sources say Damascus may offer talks on normalizing relations with Israel under Abraham Accords

US President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and whatever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th and 47th President of the United States...
 said Tuesday he will move to normalize relations and lift sanctions on Syria’s new government to give the country "a chance at peace."

Trump is set to meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom takingup the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
 with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the onetime Death Eater who last year led the overthrow of former leader Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Scourge of Qusayr...
. He said the effort at rapprochement came at the urging of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
, the Saudi de facto ruler, and Ottoman Turkish President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
"There is a new government that will hopefully succeed," Trump said of Syria, adding, "I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special."

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Tuesday that Trump’s decision to lift sanctions was a "pivotal turning point for the Syrian people, as we move toward a future of stability, self-sufficiency and genuine reconstruction after years of destructive war."

Sharaa will be the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since the late Hafez al-Assad met Bill Clinton
...former Democratic president of the U.S. Bill was the second U.S. president to be impeached, the first to deny that oral sex was sex, the first to have difficulty with the definition of the word is...
 in Geneva in 2000.

It was a major boost for the Syrian president, who at one point was imprisoned in Iraq for his role in the insurgency following the 2003 US-led invasion of the Arab country. Sharaa was named president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by Death Eater groups led by Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
, or HTS, stormed Damascus, ending the 54-year rule of the Assad family.

According to the London Times, citing unnamed security sources, Sharaa may use the meeting to offer talks on normalizing relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.

A US security source confirmed the possibility of Damascus joining the accords, with the United Arab Emirates as a mediator. Sharaa confirmed last week that Abu Dhabi is already acting as an intermediary between Israel and Syria, with talks focusing on security and intelligence matters and confidence-building between the two countries, which have no official relations.

The source added that Washington and Gulf countries are seeking to pull Syria away from Iranian influence. Tehran, sworn to Israel’s destruction, propped up the former Assad regime throughout the bloody Syrian civil war.

The US has been weighing how to handle Sharaa since he took power in December. Gulf leaders have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and will want Trump to follow, believing it is a bulwark against Iran’s return to influence in Syria.

Then-president Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Joe's wife and daughter weren't killed by a drunk driver. He didn't graduate with three or even two degrees, wasn't in the top half of his law class, and his daddy didn't come home from a hard day's work in the mines and play football with the guys. The NAACP hasn't endorsed him every time he's run....
 left the decision to Trump, whose administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government.

"The president agreed to say hello to the Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow," the White House said before Trump’s remarks.

The comments marked a striking change in tone from Trump and put him at odds with Israel, which has been deeply skeptical of Sharaa’s turban past and cautioned against swift recognition of the new government.

Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaeda gunnies battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003. He still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq, and the US once offered $10 million for information about his whereabouts because of his links to al-Qaeda.

In 2011, Sharaa came back to his home country, where he led the branch of al-Qaeda that was known as the Nusra Front. He later changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and cut links with al-Qaeda.

Syria has had fraught relations with Washington since the days of the Cold War, when Damascus maintained close links with the Soviet Union and later became Iran’s closest ally in the Arab world.

London-based Syrian analyst Ibrahim Hamidi said Trump’s meeting with Sharaa marks a "strategic shift" in the country, with Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
forced to leave and Russia, which also backed Assad and now gives him sanctuary, weakened.

"The Syrian-American meetings in Riyadh open the gate for the two sides to start discussing disagreements and issues between them with an atmosphere of dialogue," said Hamidi, editor-in-chief of the Arabic magazine Al Majalla. "This is important."
Link



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