Analysis of ancient Roman coins has shown that the defeat of the Carthaginian general Hannibal led to a flood of wealth across the Roman Empire from the silver mines of Spain. This finding, which gives us a tangible record of the transition of Rome from a regional power to an Empire, is presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Paris.

The Second Punic War, where Hannibal famously marched his elephants across the Alps in a failed attack on Rome, has been regarded as one of the pivotal events of European history. Rome entered the war as the dominant power in Italy, but emerged an empire1. The war led to the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, with the Romans gradually gaining control over the lucrative Spanish silver mines from around 211 B.C. Revenues from the rich Spanish silver mines coupled with booty and extensive war reparations from Carthage, helped fund the expansion of its territory.

Now the application of geochemical analysis techniques has provided proof of the importance of the Spanish silver to the Roman conquest. A group of scientists based in Germany and Denmark and led by Prof Fleur Kemmers and Dr Katrin Westner (Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt) analysed 70 Roman coins dating from 310-300 B.C. to 101 B.C., a period which bracketed the Second Punic War. Using Mass Spectrometry, they were able to show that lead in the coins made after 209 B.C. has distinctive isotopic signatures which identified most of the later coins as presumably originating from Spanish sources. The changing origin of the coin bullion is mirrored by differing ratios of the lead isotopes 208Pb, 207Pb, 206Pb and 204Pb, which serve as geological clocks recording the formation age of the ores used to extract the silver. After 209 B.C., the lead isotope signatures mostly correspond to those of deposits in southeast and southwest Spain or to mixtures of metal extracted from these districts.

“Before the war we find that the Roman coins are made of silver from the same sources as the coinage issued by Greek cities in Italy and Sicily2. In other words the lead isotope signatures of the coins correspond to those of silver ores and metallurgical products from the Aegean region”, said Katrin Westner. “But the defeat of Carthage led to huge reparation payments to Rome, as well as Rome gaining high amounts of booty and ownership of the rich Spanish silver mines. From 209 B.C. we see that the majority of Roman coins show geochemical signatures typical for Iberian silver”.

“This massive influx of Iberian silver significantly changed Rome’s economy, allowing it to become the superpower of its day. We know this from the histories of Livy and Polybius and others, but our work gives contemporary scientific proof of the rise of Rome. What our work shows is that the defeat of Hannibal and the rise of Rome is written in the coins of the Roman Empire”

Commenting, Professor Kevin Butcher (Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Warwick, UK) said: “This research demonstrates how scientific analysis of ancient coins can make a significant contribution to historical research. It allows what was previously speculation about the importance of Spanish silver for the coinage of Rome to be placed on a firm foundation”.

1. See Michael P. Fronda, Between Rome and Carthage: Southern Italy during the Second Punic War (2010), Introduction.

2. See Prof Fleur Kemmers and Dr Tom Birch “Coinage and the dynamics of power”

Scientists at the Universities of Oslo and Liverpool have uncovered the secret behind a goldfish’s remarkable ability to produce alcohol as a way of surviving harsh winters beneath frozen lakes.

Humans and most other vertebrate animals die within a few minutes without oxygen. Yet goldfish and their wild relatives, crucian carp, can survive for days, even months, in oxygen-free water at the bottom of ice-covered ponds.

During this time, the fish are able to convert anaerobically produced lactic acid into ethanol, which then diffuses across their gills into the surrounding water and avoids a dangerous build-up of lactic acid in the body.

The molecular mechanism behind this highly unusual ability, which is unique among vertebrates and more commonly associated with brewer’s yeast, has now been uncovered and is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The international team has shown that muscles of goldfish and crucian carp contain not just the usual one, but two sets of the proteins normally used to channel carbohydrates towards their breakdown within a cell’s mitochondria – a key step for energy production.

While one set of these proteins appears very similar to that in other species, the second set is strongly activated by the absence of oxygen and shows a mutation that allows channelling of metabolic substrates to ethanol formation outside the mitochondria.

Further genetic analyses suggest that the two sets of proteins arose as part of a whole genome duplication event in a common ancestor of goldfish and crucian carp some 8 million years ago.

Dr Michael Berenbrink, an evolutionary physiologist at the University of Liverpool, said: “During their time in oxygen-free water in ice-covered ponds, which can last for several months in their northern European habitat, blood alcohol concentrations in crucian carp can reach more than 50 mg per 100 millilitres, which is above the drink drive limit in these countries.

“However, this is still a much better situation than filling up with lactic acid, which is the metabolic end product for other vertebrates, including humans, when devoid of oxygen.”

Lead author Dr Cathrine Elisabeth Fagernes, from the University of Oslo, said: “This research emphasises the role of whole genome duplications in the evolution of biological novelty and the adaptation of species to previously inhospitable environments.

“The ethanol production allows the crucian carp to be the only fish species surviving and exploiting these harsh environments, thereby avoiding competition and escaping predation by other fish species with which they normally interact in better oxygenated waters.

“It’s no wonder then that the crucian carp’s cousin the goldfish is arguably one of the most resilient pets under human care.”

Immigration policies focusing on racial profiling and criminalization of Latinos in the United States have direct implications on immigrants and their family members, many of whom are U.S. citizens, according to a study by a University of Kansas researcher who explores these consequences amongst mixed-status families in the Midwest.

Intersections between legal status and race can make the experiences of illegality different between U.S. immigrants from Latino indigenous and non-indigenous groups, said Andrea Gómez Cervantes, doctoral candidate in sociology. She conducted interviews with 67 members of mixed-status immigrant families and 18 months of ethnographic participant observation during 2016-2017, a period also coinciding with the presidential election.

“Given today’s immigration enforcement increasingly rooted on racial profiling as a tactic to apprehend undocumented immigrants, indigenous-Latino immigrants, particularly those who have darker skin tones and shorter statures, are more easily targeted,” Gómez Cervantes said. “To add another dimension, many indigenous-Latino migrants do not speak Spanish or English fluently, leading to difficulty in gaining access to important information and resources.”

She will present her findings Sunday, Aug. 13, at the American Sociological Association’s 2017 annual meeting in Montreal. The project was funded on a grant from the National Science Foundation, and the KU Institute for Policy & Social Research provided assistance with the award submission and will help to manage the award.

An estimated 4.5 million U.S.-citizen children live with at least one undocumented parent, Gómez Cervantes said, and in her research, she interviewed members of families in Kansas of both non-indigenous Latino ethnicity and of indigenous Mixteco, Tlapaneco and Mayan ethnicity.

“Kansas, although commonly overlooked as a state of immigration, has a long history of Latinx migration, starting with Mexican laborers in the early 1900s through their involvement in constructing the railroad. Since then Mexican families have settled throughout the state and built communities,” she said. “Kansas is also the heart of both anti-immigrant and pro-immigrant policies and social movements. In this complex environment, families must find ways to navigate illegality, immigration enforcement and other forms of institutional violence in order to live their everyday lives.”

However, a majority of existing research on Latino migration did not make a distinction between group differences.

“There are ample variations amongst Latino groups including race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality and class, amongst many other social dividers,” Gómez Cervantes said. “Indigenous communities face ample marginalization and discrimination in their countries of origin, particularly in Mexico and Central America; therefore, upon arrival to the U.S. they may already be at a disadvantage.”

Respondents in the study, particularly those from indigenous families, mentioned fear of the new government, language barriers, anxiety of participating in public spaces and anguish over social institutions, including law enforcement and education, as threats to their abilities for their families to successfully integrate into U.S. society.

The findings also illuminate the experiences of living in a mixed-status family — having members with various legal statuses in the same family ranging from undocumented, semi-legal, to citizens — in the United States can be a completely different experience for Latinos depending on if someone is from an indigenous or non-indigenous group. The interviews, though, also shed light on the everyday lives of mixed-status families and their contributions to Kansas communities, she said.

“Grounded in the experiences and voices of mixed-status families,” Gómez Cervantes said, “I hope to elaborate and provide ideas to change current immigration policies and newly signed executive orders in order to help voice the concerns and fears of these very marginalized groups.”

Saudi security forces have surrounded and sealed off the predominantly Shia town of Awamiya in July 2017 as they confronted an armed group hiding in a historic neighborhood slated for demolition, Human Rights Watch said today.

The violence in the Eastern province, which began in May, has resulted in deaths and injuries among the residents, local activists said, and caused significant damage to the town, based on an assessment of satellite imagery. Residents and activists say that most residents have fled Awamiya, and those who remain lack essential services such as medical care. The town remains sealed off.

“Saudi security forces should provide essential services to trapped Awamiya residents and make sure they can move in and out of the town safely,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Saudi authorities should also immediately and credibly investigate whether its forces used excessive force in Awamiya.”

Saudi Arabia announced plans to demolish and redevelop the al-Musawara neighborhood of Awamiya, Qatif governorate, in 2016, citing health and safety reasons. Demolition began on May 10, after al-Musawara residents were evacuated, but met with armed resistance. Awamiya residents told Human Rights Watch that security forces have fired into populated areas far from al-Musawara, killing residents, occupied a public school, closed clinics and pharmacies, and prevented essential services such as ambulances from reaching the area.

Security forces engaged in shoot-outs with an unknown number of armed men inside al-Musawara, and on July 26 brought in additional armored vehicles and sealed the town’s entrances and exits, residents and activists said.

Awamiya has a longstanding reputation of opposition to Saudi rule and has been the site of protests about government discrimination against Saudi Shia. It is the hometown of a prominent cleric, Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed in January 2016 over his encouragement of protests in 2011 and 2012. The execution sparked a series of events leading to a breakdown of diplomatic relations with Iran and heightened sectarian tensions across the Gulf region.

On July 28, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland stated that she was “deeply concerned” about photos purporting to show Saudi security forces using Canadian-made Terradyne Gurkha RPV-model armored vehicles. She ordered an investigation into how Saudi forces are using the vehicles. Saudi forces have also deployed another type of armored vehicle manufactured by the South African company F & R Catai to Awamiya. The automatic cannon in this vehicle’s turret can penetrate and cause considerable damage to buildings and other infrastructure.

Human Rights Watch analyzed satellite imagery that shows extensive damage to the neighborhood and the town’s main commercial street bordering it. While much of the damage is due to the demolition, the images also show buildings and areas damaged by the violence.

Activists and residents said the armed men are on most-wanted lists authorities have issued since 2012 for protest-related crimes in the area.

Saudi Arabia announced on August 10 that security forces had forced nearly all “terrorists and criminal elements” out of al-Musawara, and authorities took international journalists on a tour of the neighborhood on August 9.

Saudi activists said the violence has killed more than a dozen people, both Saudis and foreigners, in addition to at least five armed militants. A Saudi Interior Ministry official told Reuters that eight members of the police and four members of the special forces had been killed. The Saudi authorities have not released information on resident casualties. Reuters reported that a 3-year-old boy died on August 9 from injuries suffered when an armored vehicle fired on his family’s car in June.

Saudi authorities should immediately investigate the circumstances of all casualties related to the use of force by police and security forces and hold security forces accountable if it is shown that they fired at residents unlawfully, Human Rights Watch said.

Five residents interviewed said that Saudi security forces have put people in Awamiya at risk, arbitrarily shooting at or arresting those who emerged from their houses. The residents said that to their knowledge Saudi authorities never issued an order for people to leave Awamiya, and their only chance to leave safely has been for short periods allowed by security forces since July 26.

The residents said that local volunteers and activists coordinated the evacuation without assistance from Saudi authorities. They said that security forces turn away anyone who attempts to return to Awamiya to check on relatives or recover property or possessions.

Local residents said that people have been fired at and injured in areas such as al-Shukrallah, al-Jumaymah, and al-Rif neighborhoods, which are west of security forces who are stationed between these neighborhoods and al-Musawara to the east. The residents said they had not seen any armed militants in these areas.

The five Awamiya residents and three activists close to the situation said that a majority of the town’s inhabitants fled after security forces escalated the situation on July 26. They said that most fled between July 27 and 28 when the town’s electricity was cut off for more than 24 hours, leaving people exposed to temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) without air conditioning. Residents and activists said that the electricity grid had been damaged by gunfire, but did not know who was responsible.

The residents said that security forces closed all of Awamiya’s clinics and pharmacies in May, which they believed was to ensure that militants could not seek medical treatment. Since July 26, they said, security forces had not allowed emergency services to reach the wounded or taken steps to provide humanitarian assistance to people who remain there, though all the shops in the area were closed.

They also said that security forces had occupied a boys’ secondary school, which borders al-Musawara, and circulated a video that they said showed government forces firing a rocket-propelled grenade from the roof into al-Musawara. Human Rights Watch independently verified the video location by matching landmarks and rooftop features visible in the video to corresponding locations in satellite imagery recorded during the fighting. Human Rights Watch also determined that the rocket-propelled grenade was fired into al-Musawara in the general direction of the Ahmed bin Mahmoud mosque.

The United Nations experts on cultural rights, adequate housing and extreme poverty condemned Saudi Arabia’s destruction of al-Musawara on May 24, noting that the operation had forced “residents out of their homes and of the neighborhood, fleeing for their lives.” They stated that the destruction of al-Musawara would “erase the traces of … historic and lived cultural heritage.”

The Saudi government should publicly order the security forces to abide by the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, Human Rights Watch said. The Basic Principles state that security forces shall “apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms,” and that “whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall: (a) Exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved; (b) Minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life.” Furthermore, “intentional lethal use of firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.”

The Basic Principles further provide that, “[i]n cases of death and serious injury or other grave consequences, a detailed report shall be sent promptly to the competent authorities.” The findings of the investigation should be public and result in appropriate disciplinary action or prosecution.

Saudi Arabian security forces should also refrain from using schools, which can cause damage or destruction to important educational infrastructure and interfere with children’s right to an education in safety.

“Saudi Shia in Awamiya face discrimination every day, and for the last three months have been caught in the crossfire,” Whitson said. “Saudi authorities should take immediate steps to allow people to safely return home, allow business and clinics to reopen, and compensate residents for property damage and destruction caused by security forces.”

By Saurabh Malkar*

Perusing through my morning news digest, I came across an article from The Daily Mail featuring a story on the employment of child labor in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

While I can be chillingly apathetic to social plight, especially, when it doesn’t concern my loved ones: something I impute to my upbringing in a third world country; I was deeply moved by this story, which shed light on the horrors of artisanal cobalt mining, employing children, working in dangerous conditions, with no safety measures, and being paid a pittance.

The kicker, though, of this story was that much of this cobalt would go into battery packs that would be installed in electric cars marketed to gullible, do-gooders around the world.

But, why would one want to buy cars that take hours to refuel and can only be refueled at specific points, thus, imposing a massive time cost on their usage? These contraptions don’t match in utility to gasoline-powered cars, let alone surpassing them. No wonder governments around the world are trying to get consumers to buy electric cars through purchase subsidies and tax exemptions of all sorts.

Ever heard of an iPhone or a Mac being subsidized or tax exempted by the government to boost sales? You won’t because products that offer value sell like hotcakes; it’s only products that don’t offer any that need government interventions to hard sell them.

Another way of hard selling electric vehicles is through ‘virtue signaling.’ The sales pitch involves promises of reducing users’ carbon footprint, stemming the tide of climate change, and protecting the environment. But most importantly, it involves washing your hands off of gasoline, a product bloodstained due to the endless wars fought over it, one of the major promulgators of environmental and social injustice and displacement of indigenous folks.

Buying electric cars is thus, a route to salvation, accumulating good Karma, penitence, and all other moral goods. More importantly, it is also a way of segregating oneself from the ranks of the ignorant, irredeemable, hopeless, uneducated folks who drive around in gasoline powered vehicles polluting the environment, melting the ice caps, perpetuating wars and injustice, and pushing the world one step closer to Armageddon. Electric cars make the do-gooders feel good about themselves.

But are electric cars the solution to environmental problems and a way to jack up one’s moral credit score?

Most electric cars run on Lithium-ion batteries because of their energy holding capacity and low-weight characteristics. As environmentalism garners mainstream acceptance and more and more people buy into its narrative, the market for these vehicles is exploding and so is the demand for Lithium-ion batteries.

Contrary to the name, Lithium-ion batteries contain not just lithium, but also cobalt, nickel, manganese, aluminum, and graphite. While nickel, manganese, and aluminum have a relatively stable supply, it is cobalt, lithium, and graphite that present predicaments that are incompatible with the narrative of environmentalism.

Most of the lithium used in electric car batteries is mined in the Lithium triangle of Latin America: an area embedded in the salt flats of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. Several mining companies from around the world have started operations in this region, but the news for the indigenous people isn’t good. Lithium is so valuable that it has been dubbed ‘white gold,’ but the local residents bemoan that they haven’t seen any returns from the mining operations flowing their way; despite the fact that the prized mineral comes from lands that are under their possession.

A lack of formal process to negotiate property rights between the indigenous peoples and the mining companies, compounded by lack of accountability and communication gaps has left the communities short-changed. Many indigenous representatives, who excitedly agreed to the mining operations, now regret as they grapple with reality.

One of the companies – Exar – that will begin operations in 2019 is projected to reap $250 million (in 2016 dollars) annually. The contract also requires Exar to make annual payments to the local communities – a clause that the official leader of these communities wasn’t aware of, until one of the reporters investigating the issue, enlightened him.

More worrisome than missing out on the windfall is the fear of water depletion from sources that the local communities depend upon for their survival. Scientists seem divided on this contentious issue. Regardless, locals are justified in their concerns over water, as lithium mining is a water intensive process and the region has faced persistent drought over several years.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an impoverished country in sub-Saharan Africa, contributes to around 60% of the global supply of cobalt, an essential element in the Lithium-ion battery.

The state of affairs of the artisanal cobalt mines of DRC was the subject of an extensive article in The Washington Post. Miners, of whom children make a significant portion (about 40,000 according to UNICEF in 2012), work in unforgiving and dangerous conditions with hand tools, no safety measures, and very little oversight. Mining accidents and related deaths are common and so are the long-term health effects of coming in contact with heavy metals.

While the DRC has both industrial and artisanal mines, suppliers prefer cobalt from the latter due to the lower cost, especially when global cobalt demand is on the uptick. A major hurdle in disincentivizing artisanal operations is the inability of cobalt to be designated as ‘conflict-mineral,’ as it doesn’t fuel a war or internal conflict.

China’s record on air quality hasn’t been lustrous, with widely circulating reports of smog engulfing its major cities. But the residents of some towns in north-eastern China, much to their despair, literally get to see a special kind of luster in the air at night, when faint light hits graphite particles floating in the air.

Graphite is an indispensible element in Lithium-ion batteries and its growing global demand has lead to China’s rise as the top supplier in the market.

The Washington Post, about a year ago, published a detailed report on the effects of Chinese graphite plants on nearby villages. The presence of graphite dust on crops and in the air presents the likelihood of this toxic substance being ingested or inhaled leading to heart and lung diseases. Locals have also complained of graphite plants releasing industrial waste into nearby rivers, polluting the local water supply. This has significant effects, not only on the human population, but also on the flora that grows around these water bodies.

According to The Post, their efforts to get major firms in the consumer electronics and electric vehicles business to comment on these revelations in their supply chains were met with generic responses of appeasement or refusal to disclose suppliers or complete silence.

But, investigative reports aside, there are two big elephants in the room. First, electric cars can deliver on their claim of reducing carbon footprint, only if they are run on electricity generated from renewable energy. That seems unlikely given that only around 15% of total US electricity generation is from renewable sources (2016); the picture does look brighter across the Atlantic in the EU-28, where renewable sources produced around 29% of total electricity (2015).

The second problem is slightly complex and involves a weighing of the total fossil-fuel based energy and products that go into producing electric cars (from mining to assembly line), including individual components, against the purported energy savings and environmental benefits. In the grand scheme of things, it’s highly unlikely that electric cars will produce a net good or that they will fare any better than regular cars.

Another embarrassing problem for the Church of Environmentalism is the hypocrisy of its clergy. Al Gore, the patron saint of the green movement, according to a recent report, lives in a house that in the past year burned enough energy to power a typical American household for 21 years. Just the outdoor heated swimming pool ended up consuming energy that could power 6 typical homes. This was revealed after the release of his new documentary film, “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” which has him fly over melting icebergs in an aircraft running on petroleum-derivative fuel.

But Gore claims that his donations to Green Power Switch, a scheme to separate green-minded folks from their money, purge him of his sins towards Mother Nature.

Actor-turned-environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio made headlines when he made a round trip from France to New York to accept a ‘green award.’ The close to 8000-mile long journey, completed on a private jet, didn’t please the environmental laity. But worry not because his charitable foundation, in 2016, pledged £10 million to various green initiatives.

Environmentalism, thus, is nothing but a way to feel good about yourself, to wash off the supposed sins of driving around in a gasoline powered car and using incandescent light bulbs. It’s also a great way to make bucket loads of money and undertake lucrative career transitions.

I don’t mean to suggest that oil drilling and petroleum products are good for the environment and don’t bear any social costs. They might, but they don’t push a holier-than-thou narrative and actually have to undergo strict environmental and health and safety audits, something that is lacking in the supply chain of green products.

About the author:
*Saurabh Malkar, is an ex-dentist and a business graduate who is greatly influenced by American conservatism and western values. Having born and brought up in a non-western, third world country, he provides an ‘outside-in’ view on western values. As a budding writer and analyst, he is very much stoked about western culture and looks forward to expound and learn more.

Source:
This article was published by Modern Diplomacy

The violence in Charlottesville, Virginia  is a national calamity. It is a product of white supremacists and home grown terrorists.

Donald Trump responded by condemning hatred “on many sides.” His refusal to call it what it is, and condemn the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and KKK members who perpetrated this violence, is a dangerous lie that fuels more hatred and violence.

Kudos to the Republican senators who are now calling on Trump to denounce the white supremacists that incited this tragedy. More must join the call. The country needs all our leaders – Republican and Democrat – to stand united against hatred and bigotry.

But all of us – you and I and every decent person in America – must also stand up against it: Not with violence, but with a firm and visible commitment to decency, tolerance, and the rule of law.

Don’t wait for Donald Trump to condemn it. He unleashed it. It is now up to us. We must not allow this in America.

Japan deployed its Patriot missile defence system on Saturday, August 12 after North Korea threatened to fire ballistic missiles over the country towards the US Pacific territory of Guam, local officials and reports said, according to AFP.

Regional tensions are mounting as Washington and Pyongyang ratchet up their war of words, with President Donald Trump warning Pyongyang would “truly regret” any hostile action against the US.

Japan has in the past vowed to shoot down North Korean missiles or rockets that threaten to hit its territory.

The defence ministry deployed the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system in Shimane, Hiroshima and Kochi in western Japan, which North Korea had warned could be along its missiles’ flight path, public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News said.

It also deployed the anti-missile system in neighbouring Ehime, according to the reports, while the Asahi Shimbun said one maritime Self-Defence Force Aegis destroyer was stationed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to shoot down airborne missiles.

Television footage showed military vehicles carrying launchers and other equipment for the surface-to-air system entering a Japanese base in Kochi before dawn.

Immediate confirmation from the defence ministry was not available but an official at the crisis management office of the Kochi prefectural government said the PAC-3 had been deployed.

“While standing by 24 hours in preparation for a launch, we are calling on our residents to be on alert in case we issue emergency information,” Makoto Ebuchi added.

Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s chief government spokesman, said earlier this week that Tokyo “can never tolerate” provocations from North Korea and the country’s military, will “take necessary measures” to protect itself.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also renewed his pledge Saturday morning to prevent any accidents related to the North’s warned launch.

“I will do my best to secure our people’s lives and property,” Abe said without elaboration.

Two U.S. service members were killed and five others were injured conducting combat operations in northern Iraq on Sunday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported in a press statement.

Initial reports indicate the incident was not due to enemy contact.

The incident is under investigation.

“The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes’ families, friends and teammates,” said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.

Townsend added, “There are no words to describe the respect I have for you and sorrow I have for your loss. I hope there is some small solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the nations of the coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands.”

In accordance with policy, the coalition defers casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.

Given President Trump’s personal predilections, India should also be ready to fight its own battles.

By Harsh V. Pant*

Chaos continues to be the name of the game in Washington. The Donald Trump administration has been in office for more than six months now and it shows few signs of being in control. Changes even at the highest echelons are happening at a speed rather difficult to follow, and the lower rungs of bureaucratic appointments remain curiously vacant. Presidential tweets are now changing policies even as America’s long standing global commitments seem up in the air.

General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, had to send a note to officers last week saying that there were no immediate plans to change the Pentagon’s transgender policy, following the US President’s tweets about banning trans personnel in the US military. On the other hand, the State Department seems ready to scale back its diplomatic presence at this year’s annual United Nations summit in September. Though it is being sold as a cost-saving initiative, it will underline Trump administration’s attempts to retreat from global diplomacy for the rest of the world.

The White House and the Republicans in the US Congress often seem to be working at cross purposes with the President making no real effort to shape public policy outcomes like his predecessor. Meanwhile, North Korea launched its second intercontinental ballistic missile last week, deepening worries about Pyongyang’s missile programme, and with it, the regime’s ability to top a nuclear warhead on one of those missiles. With up to 30 nuclear weapons and missiles that can strike US bases and allies in Asia, Pyongyang is now ready to challenge the US like never before. Trump’s reaction to the latest North Korean launch came on Twitter where he wrote that he was “very disappointed” in China and that Beijing had done “nothing” for the US with regard to North Korea.

Amidst this shambolic performance, US-India ties do seem to have been put on an even keel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in June. He managed to move the bilateral relationship towards the strategic plane from a purely transactional one. To a large extent, it is the US-India growing bonhomie that lies at the heart of Chinese aggressive posturing at Doklam. So far, Washington has avoided taking a direct position on the issue but a hardening of the US posture vis-à-vis China would serve India well.

At the regional level, the Trump administration is on the verge of greenlighting an increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan though the US President is still to make up his mind whether to commit to Afghanistan for the long haul. There are discussions about a seemingly better option being a large drawdown in US forces with an increased focus on counterterrorism, rather than counterinsurgency. Recent weeks have witnessed a rising tide of violence across Afghanistan and the Taliban is readily using the attacks in Kandahar to create supply routes back into Pakistan.

Against this backdrop, a bipartisan group of American senators have last week called for greater cooperation with India in Afghanistan. In a change from the past, Washington is now very comfortable with India taking on a greater role in helping Afghan security forces. Calling for trilateral security and civilian cooperation between India, Afghanistan and the US, the US Congress wants the US Department of Defense to promote security and stability in Afghanistan that “aligns with the mutual interests” of Afghanistan, India, and the US.

These developments underscore that despite a White House mired in multiple domestic crises, the rationale for strong ties with New Delhi remains as potent as ever in Washington. But it is equally true that given President Trump’s personal predilections, India should also be ready to fight its own battles.

This article originally appeared in DNA.

By Dr Subhash Kapila*

China and nuclear weapons states created as proxies by China, that is, North Korea and Pakistan, have rendered Asian security as explosive in 2017 by their unrestrained war-mongering and sabre-rattling impacting Indo Pacific Asia pointedly.

The United States which is the main intended target of China in 2017 in China’s bid to emerge as the “Strategic Equivalent” of America, needs to awaken to the dangers posed by China and its nuclear proxies not only to Asian security but also to United States more pointedly. Successive American Presidents have failed via their China-accommodative strategies to persuade China to act as a responsible stakeholder in Asian and global security.

The Asian security environment in 2017 presents the sordid spectacle where an aggressive China reminiscent of Hitlerian Germany and totally oblivious to its responsibilities as a “Responsible Power” by virtues of its Permanent Membership of the UN Security Council has unleashed a ‘tsunami’ of war-mongering and sabre-rattling directly against its peer Asian rival India, besides against Japan in the East China Sea and against Vietnam in the South China Sea.

China’s main target, however, is not Asian nations but the United States. China is targeting the United States in a two-pronged strategy. The first prong is war-mongering and sabre-rattling against Asian nations perceived by it to be close to the United States—-India, Japan and Vietnam. The second prong is aimed at the United States directly by proxy use of North Korea and its nuclear and missiles arsenal capable of hitting the United States.

Indo Pacific Asia becomes China’s preferred theatre for war- mongering and aggressive brinkmanship and also a potential theatre of possible Chinese military operations should China’s war-mongering provocations especially through North Korea tempts the United States to strike North Korea. Lest it be forgotten is that the United States has crucial stakes in the stability and security of the Western Pacific and the India Ocean.

The Asian security environment is rendered further explosive with China implicitly encouraging the two rogue nuclear weapons States created by it in the form of North Korea and Pakistan—both also having the dubious reputation of being “Terrorist States”. This stands distinctively to the fore coinciding with the advent to power in Beijing of Chinese incumbent President Xi Jinping.

In mid-2017 China has set ablaze Indo Pacific Asia extending from Indian borders with China Occupied Tibet and extending to the Seas of the Western Pacific. China having made its land-boundaries turbulent on its periphery, either directly or through its proxies and is now engaged in extending its military turbulence in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

While the logic of China’s hostile reactions towards India directly and through the contrivance of the China-Pakistan Axis—a Xi Jinping creation are fathomable, what defies strategic logic is China’s egging on North Korea towards a nuclear weapons confrontation with the United States in which the total destruction of North Korea is assured.

The latter above can only be understood as Chinese logic of disposing of what is now a troublesome proxy showing signs of defying Chinese strategic objectives too. Secondly, China may be presuming that the United States militarily engrossed in taming North Korea would be diverted from intensification of its strategic gaze on China’s military adventurism in the South China Sea and also taming India before it reaches the full potential of its military potential.

Against the above backdrop, two major questions need to be examined. The first is as to how China perceives that it is militarily empowered to challenge the might of the global Superpower, the United States and simultaneously expect that India as an Emerged Power can be coerced militarily by raising disputes on the borders. The second question that needs to be examined is does China realistically believe that it can get away unscathed from the explosiveness that it has set in motion in the Asian security environment directly and through Pakistan and North Korea as proxies.

On the first question, the only logical surmise that surfaces is that China in the arrogance of its new-found military power feels empowered by Hitlerian impulses to expand its geographical boundaries to “strategic boundaries” something on which it had given notice years backs but now forgotten in strategic discourse. In the process these would be stepping stones towards the ultimate Chinese strategic objective of China’s Asian hegemony.

On the second count China would be highly unrealistic to assess that China could remain unscathed and unharmed by the unintended consequences that could follow in the wake of the United States strikes on North Korea or by unleashing offensives against India on the China Occupied Tibet borders.

Even if China’s war-mongering and sabre-rattling remains confined to rhetorical posturing’s, the dangers still exist of a misreading of intentions by either China of its adversaries responses or the United States and India likewise and thereby igniting an explosive and surcharged tinder-box create by China.

In conclusion, what needs to be emphasised strongly is that a concerted global community effort led by the United States is required to checkmate a military aggressive China strongly intent in 2017 to overturn the stable existing global order both directly and through the use of its nuclear proxies North Korea and Pakistan.

*Dr Subhash Kapila is a graduate of the Royal British Army Staff College, Camberley and combines a rich experience of Indian Army, Cabinet Secretariat, and diplomatic assignments in Bhutan, Japan, South Korea and USA. Currently, Consultant International Relations & Strategic Affairs with South Asia Analysis Group. He can be reached at drsubhashkapila.007@gmail.com)

There is something unsettling about how President Trump has surrounded himself with generals. From his defense secretary to his national security advisor to his White House chief of staff, Trump looks to senior military officers to fill key positions that have been customarily filled by civilians. He’s surrounded by generals and threatens war at the drop of a hat.

President Trump began last week by threatening “fire and fury” on North Korea. He continued through the week claiming, falsely, that Iran is violating the terms of the nuclear deal. He finally ended the week by threatening a US military attack on Venezuela.

He told reporters on Friday that, “We have many options for Venezuela including a possible military option if necessary. …We have troops all over the world in places that are very, very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering, and they are dying.”

Venezuela’s defense minister called Trump’s threat “an act of craziness.”

Even more worrisome, when Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro tried to call President Trump for clarification he was refused. The White House stated that discussions with the Venezuelan president could only take place once democracy was restored in the country. Does that mean President Trump is moving toward declaring Maduro no longer the legitimate president of Venezuela? Is Trump taking a page from Obama’s failed regime change policy for Syria and declaring that “Maduro must go”?

The current unrest in Venezuela is related to the economic shortcomings of that country’s centrally-planned economy. The 20th century has shown us very clearly that state control over an economy leads to mismanagement, mal-investment, massive shortages, and finally economic collapse. That is why those of us who advocate free market economics constantly warn that US government intervention in our own economy is leading us toward a similar financial crisis.

But there is another factor in the unrest in Venezuela. For many years the United States government, through the CIA, the National Endowment for Democracy, and US government funded NGOs, have been trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government. They almost succeeded in 2002, when then-president Hugo Chavez was briefly driven from office. Washington has spent millions trying to manipulate Venezuela’s elections and overturn the results. US policy is to create unrest and then use that unrest as a pretext for US intervention.

Military officers play an important role in defending the United States. Their job is to fight and win wars. But the White House is becoming the war house and the president seems to see war as a first solution rather than a last resort. His threats of military action against a Venezuela that neither threatens nor could threaten the United States suggests a shocking lack of judgment.

Congress should take President Trump’s threats seriously. In the 1980s, when President Reagan was determined to overthrow the Nicaraguan government using a proxy army, Congress passed a series of amendments, named after their author, Rep. Edward Boland (D-MA), to prohibit the president from using funds it appropriated to do so. Congress should make it clear in a similar manner that absent a Venezuelan attack on the United States, President Trump would be committing a serious crime in ignoring the Constitution were he to follow through with his threats. Maybe they should call it the “We’re Not The World’s Policeman” act.

This article was published by RonPaul Institute.

West Antarctica’s vast ice sheet conceals what may be the largest volcanic region on earth, research has revealed.

The continent’s ice covers almost 100 newly discovered volcanoes, the largest of which is as tall as the Eiger in Switzerland, a study has found.

Geologists and ice experts say the range has many similarities to East Africa’s volcanic ridge, which is currently acknowledged to be the densest concentration of volcanoes in the world.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh remotely surveyed the underside of the ice sheet for hidden peaks of basalt rock, like those of other volcanoes in the region whose tips push above the ice.

They analysed the shape of the land beneath the ice using measurements from ice-penetrating radar, and compared the findings with satellite and database records, as well as geological information from aerial surveys.

Scientists found 91 previously unknown volcanoes, ranging in height from 100 to 3850 metres. The peaks are concentrated in a region known as the West Antarctic Rift System, spanning 3,500 kilometres from Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Results from the study, which is the first of its kind, will help scientists understand how volcanoes can influence long-term fluctuations in the ice sheet. They could also help improve understanding of how the continent has changed during past climates.

Their results do not indicate whether the volcanoes are active, but should inform ongoing research into seismic monitoring in the area. Volcanic activity may increase if Antarctica’s ice thins, which is likely in a warming climate, scientists say.

Previous studies and the concentration of volcanoes found in the region together suggest that activity may have occurred in previous warmer periods.

The study, published in the Geological Society Special Publications series, was proposed by a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr Robert Bingham, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, said: “It is fascinating to uncover an extensive range of volcanoes in this relatively unexplored continent. Better understanding of volcanic activity could shed light on their impact on Antarctica’s ice in the past, present and future, and on other rift systems around the world.”

Max Van Wyk de Vries, a student at the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who conceived the study, said: “Antarctica remains among the least studied areas of the globe, and as a young scientist I was excited to learn about something new and not well understood. After examining existing data on West Antarctica, I began discovering traces of volcanism. Naturally I looked into it further, which led to this discovery of almost 100 volcanoes under the ice sheet.”

If the knowledge that our brains can produce new cells in adulthood is ever going to help in the fight against neurodegenerative disease, we need to understand the underlying mechanisms more effectively. Towards this end, a new study drawing on EU-funded research, sheds further light on the role the protein APP plays in neuroplasticity.

It is known that mutations in the gene responsible for the amyloid precursor protein (APP) are implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, a new study recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, and drawing on work from the EU-funded AGGRESSOTYPE project, has reported for the first time a link between these protein variants and childhood cognitive ability.

The study specifically observed an association between the APP gene and Performance IQ (PIQ). PIQ is believed to reflect fluid intelligence, referring to problem solving and reasoning abilities reliant on working memory, unlike so-called crystallised intelligence which denotes accumulated knowledge. The work raises questions about the protein’s role in neuroplasticity and later cognitive disorders.

The role of neuroplasticity in cognitive health

Communication between cells in the brain occurs via synapses which contain
specialist proteins. Intellectual and cognitive function relies on this neural network retaining adaptability, known as neuroplasticity. However, mutations in some of these synaptic proteins can lead to brain dysfunctions and disorders, such as epilepsy or autism.

Researchers in this study focused specifically on a cluster of genes referred to collectively as the ‘ARC complex’ for their association with the Activity-regulated cytoskeleton associated protein (Arc). Arc and its regulators and inter-actors are known to facilitate neuroplasticity. However, the genes in the ARC complex have also been implicated in a number of conditions characterised by cognitive disabilities, most notably, Alzheimer’s’ Disease. The study was therefore predicated on the theory that the ARC complex may be an important determinant of cognitive abilities throughout the lifespan and also of age-related dementia.

To conduct the study, the researchers analysed both the IQ scores and genetic markers of 5,165 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. They then examined the DNA sequence variations of 17,008 adults with AD, alongside 37,154 healthy adults. They also considered the genetic data of 112,151 adults assessed on cognitive functions.

Tracking the pathways from molecules to behaviour

The study indeed found that a variation in the DNA sequence within the gene encoding the APP protein was associated with children’s fluid intelligence. In adults, this same variation has been associated with AD. Additionally, the genetic variation within the APP gene appeared to be correlated with the efficiency of information processing (expressed as reaction time). It is known that APP encodes a protein that forms creates neuritic plaques or extracellular deposits in the grey matter of the brain, considered to be a pathological hallmark in AD brains. However, it is not known how these plaques affect brain functions and whether they themselves lead to AD.

The research team have described their work as ‘exploratory’ and called for follow-up studies to more accurately understand how APP variations may affect cognitive function over a lifetime. It is hoped that this increased etiological understanding will eventually lead to treatment for cognitive dysfunctional disorders, such as AD.

The AGGRESSOTYPE (Aggression subtyping for improved insight and treatment innovation in psychiatric disorders) project which enabled some of the study’s work, was set up to explore the biological basis of aggression, focusing specifically on childhood disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It takes a multidimensional approach, which includes inputs from genetics, brain imaging and epigenetics, as well as cognitive and behavioural assessments.

The project aims to develop algorithms for aggression prediction, accompanied by treatment options including not only pharmacological but also non-pharmacological strategies, such as biofeedback. It is estimated that aggressive psychiatric disorders affect more than 5 million children or adolescents in the EU and cost the health system more than six billion Euros per year to manage.

Cordis Source: Based on project information and media reports

In June 2017 compared with May 2017, seasonally adjusted industrial production fell by 0.6% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.5% in the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In May 2017, industrial production rose by 1.2% in both zones.

In June 2017 compared with June 2016, industrial production increased by 2.6% in the euro area and by 2.9% in the EU28.

Monthly comparison by main industrial grouping and by Member State

The decrease of 0.6% in industrial production in the euro area in June 2017, compared with May 2017, is due to production of capital goods falling by 1.9%, durable consumer goods by 1.2%, non-durable consumer goods by 0.4% and intermediate goods by 0.3%, while production of energy rose by 1.8%
In the EU28, the decrease of 0.5% is due to production of capital goods falling by 1.5%, durable consumer goods by 0.8%, intermediate goods by 0.4% and non-durable consumer goods by 0.3%, while production of energy rose by 1.4%

Among Member States for which data are available, the largest decreases in industrial production were registered in Ireland (-7.5%), the Czech Republic (-3.8%) and Malta (-3.2%), and the highest increases in Luxembourg (+3.4%), Estonia, Croatia and the Netherlands (all +1.2%).

Annual comparison by main industrial grouping and by Member State

The increase of 2.6% in industrial production in the euro area in June 2017, compared with June 2016, is due to production of energy rising by 5.1%, durable consumer goods by 4.0%, intermediate goods by 3.8%, capital goods by 1.6% and non-durable consumer goods by 0.6%.

In the EU28, the increase of 2.9% is due to production of durable consumer goods rising by 4.2%, intermediate goods by 3.9%, energy by 3.7%, capital goods by 2.4% and non-durable consumer goods by 1.5%.

Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in industrial production were registered in Estonia (+14.5%), Romania (+11.5%) and Sweden (+8.9%). Decreases were observed in Ireland (-8.1%) and Malta (-1.3%).

(EurActiv) — Suspected jihadists killed at least 17 people and wounded eight during a raid on a restaurant in Burkina Faso’s capital,the communications minister said,as security forces sought to free people still trapped inside today(14 August).

A Reuters witness saw customers running out of the Aziz Istanbul restaurant in central Ouagadougou as police and paramilitary gendarmerie surrounded it amid gunfire.

“This is a terrorist attack,” Communications Minister Remi Dandjinou told a news conference. He said the toll was provisional because the security operation was still underway.

Burkina Faso security forces killed three suspected jihadists but there were still people trapped inside the building, he said later on state TV.

The French embassy in Burkina Faso is in contact with local authorities regarding the attack on a restaurant and French citizens are advised to avoid the area, the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

“Our embassy is being kept informed of the situation due to permanent contact with local authorities,” the foreign ministry stated.

A woman said she was in the restaurant celebrating her brother’s birthday when the shooting started.

“I just ran but my brother was left inside,” the woman told Reuters TV as she fled the building.

Burkina Faso, like other countries in West Africa, has been targeted sporadically by jihadist groups operating across Africa’s Sahel. Most attacks have been along its remote northern border region with Mali, which has seen attacks by Islamist militants for more than a decade.

Thirty people were killed when gunmen attacked a restaurant and hotel in Ouagadougou in January 2016 in an incident claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

AQIM and related jihadi groups were largely confined to the Sahara desert until they hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in Mali in 2012 and swept south. French forces intervened to prevent them taking Mali’s capital, Bamako, the following year, but they have since gradually expanded their reach, launching high-profile attacks on Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.

A new al Qaeda-linked alliance of Malian jihadist groups claimed an attack in June that killed at least five people at a luxury Mali resort popular with Western expatriates just outside Bamako.

African nations launched a new multinational military force to tackle Islamist militants in the Sahel last month, but it won’t be operational until later this year and faces a budget shortfall.

As Islamic Republic of Pakistan marks its annual Minorities Day, Christian human rights organizations have demanded a law to punish acts of religious discrimination.

“A law should be passed that provides a definition, grounds for persecution and punishment for acts of discrimination, particularly on the basis of religion and belief, in order to give effect to freedoms and equality guaranteed in articles 20 and 25 of the constitution,” states a resolution passed at a convention held in Lahore to mark National Minorities Day Aug. 11.

Six civil society organizations, including the Pakistani Catholic bishops’ National Commission for Justice and Peace, jointly organized the event titled “Celebrating religious diversity in Pakistan.”

“Provisions in the Constitution of Pakistan that are incompatible with fundamental rights given in the constitution should be amended to remove conceptual inconsistencies about equality of rights among citizens,” said the resolution.

More than 400 participants, including priests and nuns, raised their hands endorsing the resolution that was read out at the conclusion of the convention.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi pledged that his government will fulfill the promise made to the non-Muslim Pakistanis by the country’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah on Aug. 11, 1947 to protect religious minorities.

“We will make Pakistan such a tolerable society where basic rights of every citizen are protected and where all Pakistanis, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims work collectively for progress and prosperity of the country,” Prime Minister Abbasi said in a statement.

Aug. 11 was declared Minorities Day in 2009 by the then minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti who was shot dead in the capital Islamabad in 2011.

Christians and Hindus are minorities in the mostly-Muslim country of about 200 million people. Both religious groups have long faced discrimination.

After seven years of fighting, the Syrian conflict continues unabated. Although there are peace efforts underway under various auspices including the United Nations, little real progress has been made. The number of external actors now operating inside Syria has increased over time and in intensity. The slogging goes on with no apparent victor either in the field or at the peace table.

So where is all this going to end up? A return to a re-vitalized Assad dictatorship supported militarily by Russia and Iran? Or, as some observers have suggested, a loose series of enclaves operated by proxy groups and Syrians, or in the best of all possible worlds, a very decentralized series of city states and regions under purely local authority.

The conflict now fully involves proxy actors, many of them from neighboring states. On the Syrian government side, the expansion of the conflict has brought in Russian, Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces to prop up the pro-alawaite regime of Bashar al-Assad. On the rebel side, Turkey continues to support a safe haven for Syrian refugees and fighters. The Kurds, who are no friends of the Turks, are now fully engaged receiving material and training support from Western proxy states like the USA. The Saudis and Qataris, when they are not fighting amongst themselves, find time to assist their religious allies in the Syrian opposition.

The only common point that all these factions seem to have in common is the shared objective of ridding Syria from the Islamic state militants. This objective is now in the process of being achieved in Raqqa and soon Deir ez- Zor.

After seven years of conflict, can we assess with any degree of certainty who is winning the Syrian conflict? Is Bashar going to eventually succeed in quelling the largely Sunni rebellion with his Russian air, sea and land assets? Or, are the rebels going to topple the Bashar al-Assad regime and rewrite the map of the Middle East?

This article proposes a Minority Report, one which is, on the face of it, does not appear very likely to occur. Let me begin my case for a Syrian rebel victory by raising a key point in their favor. It is the reason why, in a significant part, the rebellion began, why it continues and why, in my view it will end with his demise and that of his odious dictatorship. Bashar al-Assad’s and his lack of flexibility and political savvy will be his ultimate downfall.

Two examples illustrate my point. In December of 2016, with the rebels on the run and Aleppo in government hands, Bashar decides to ‘punish’ the rebels by launching a chemical attack in rebel-held Idlib. The international consternation that followed with the accompanying embarrassment caused to his Russian allies has strengthened Western resolve and material aid to the anti-government Kurds and Syrian rebels. Moreover, there is evidence that the Russian negotiating stance has been confounded on a number of occasions by Bashar’s (c’est moi ou le déluge) philosophy.

In addition, Bashar’s inflexibility and inability to talk to the opposition is a serious handicap for the government side. The post-Aleppo period illustrates his lack of political timing and dubious military strategy.

Yet, the Syrian opposition is extremely heteroclite and full of fractious groups of armed individuals whose only common cement is their hatred of the Assad government. They are a combination of secular and non-secular Islamist groups of highly variable cohesive abilities. Many of the groups are poorly equipped and have little training. At first glance, the eclectic nature of the Syrian armed opposition should make it an easy target for the better equipped government forces especially with Russian air power in the balance. Yet, the variable and unique nature of each groups’ ideological orientation, military training and material make the opposition an impenetrable maze for Syrian intelligence. The usual forms of torture and blackmail yield even less results and do not help the military effort. They only serve to embolden the enemy and increase its determination to resist. The lack of predictability is an invaluable advantage for the Syrian opposition that more than makes up for its lack of cohesion, training and lack of material.

While the presence of proxy fighters is now an essential component to the Assad military strategy, it is also a focal point for the venting of Syrian nationalism. The presence of foreign troops on Syrian soil is a rallying point for Syrian nationalists. Even the Turks have been unable to pressure the Syrian opposition into declaring war on the Kurds or insisting as a sine qua non that peace is only possible in the absence of Bashar al-Assad. The armed Syrian opposition is a citizen’s army and the importance of Syrian nationalism even present in some Syrian Kurds as a motivating force has been greatly underestimated. Heavy reliance on the Russians and Iranian proxies comes at a price – they can be withdrawn as circumstances change and only a fool can ignore their importance during any serious peace negotiations. In this regard, the Syrian opposition is far better placed than the Assad government.

In guerrilla warfare, there is no one military front. There are many fronts and the Syrian opposition, given its regional and eclectic nature, is proof of this. Often the prevailing authority will seek to eradicate the opposition in one big offensive like the one against Aleppo. The reality is different in guerilla warfare. Like so many pin pricks, the government troops are in constant movement attempting to quell dozens of brush fires some of which are very close to the capital. Opposition activities close to the capital are especially concerning for a regime that seek hegemony throughout the country. Attacks near the capital have a negative impact on government moral and tend to highlight its lack of favor amongst the population. In 2017, fighting in the suburbs of Damascus (eastern Ghouta and Jobar, just 2 kilometers from the old city walls) are illustrations of how close the opposition is active in and around the Syrian capital.

Castro’s success in Cuba was built upon this multi-faceted approach, which the Syrian armed opposition has adopted by necessity and by virtue of its unique development. Aleppo was a tough blow but by no means fatal. Contrary to the Cuban example, the Syrian opposition does not present a united front galvanized by one ideological perspective. Nor does it have one charismatic leader like Fidel Castro or Che Guevara. Instead, the opposition permits one to believe that, if they are victorious, it might have a better chance at becoming a more democratic state than the one-party Cuban state. The unique Syrian mosiaque of religions, tribes, generations and ethnicities forecasts an inclusive participatory post-conflict political solution.

Early in the Syrian conflict, a Free Syrian commander confided that he was hoping for a more vigorous Western response to the brutal tactics employed by the Bashar al-Assad government. My gentle warning to him was not to hope for such aid since it would probably not be forthcoming, and, even if it were, it would be better for the rebels to depend on Syrian ingenuity and determination ensuring a truly independent victory. So far, the first of these predictions one has proved true. The question is now whether the Syrian opposition will rise to the occasion and cause the surprise few are willing to consider plausible.

The progress of humanity demands no less.

*Bruce Mabley is a former Canadian diplomat having served in the Middle East, and is the director of the Mackenzie-Papineau think tank in Montreal.

Tom Cruise was injured during a building-jumping stunt on the set of “Mission Impossible 6”, TMZ reveals.

The 55-year-old actor was in London Sunday, August 13 when he attempted to leap from a rigging onto a building but he fell short of the mark and hit the building pretty hard.

The video shows Cruise trying to limp away and then collapse. He then limps back to the edge of the building and is pulled away by crew members on the safety team.

The extent of his injuries is still unknown.

Thank you. I’m in Washington today to meet with my economic team about trade policy and major tax cuts and reform. We are renegotiating trade deals and making them good for the American worker. And it’s about time.

Our economy is now strong. The stock market continues to hit record highs, unemployment is at a 16-year low, and businesses are more optimistic than ever before. Companies are moving back to the United States and bringing many thousands of jobs with them. We have already created over one million jobs since I took office.

We will be discussing economic issues in greater detail later this afternoon, but, based on the events that took place over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, I would like to provide the nation with an update on the ongoing federal response to the horrific attack and violence that was witnessed by everyone.

I just met with FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the deadly car attack that killed one innocent American and wounded 20 others. To anyone who acted criminally in this weekend’s racist violence, you will be held fully accountable. Justice will be delivered.

As I said on Saturday, we condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence. It has no place in America.

And as I have said many times before: No matter the color of our skin, we all live under the same laws, we all salute the same great flag, and we are all made by the same almighty God. We must love each other, show affection for each other, and unite together in condemnation of hatred, bigotry, and violence. We must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans.

Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.

We are a nation founded on the truth that all of us are created equal. We are equal in the eyes of our Creator. We are equal under the law. And we are equal under our Constitution. Those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America.

Two days ago, a young American woman, Heather Heyer, was tragically killed. Her death fills us with grief, and we send her family our thoughts, our prayers, and our love.

We also mourn the two Virginia state troopers who died in service to their community, their commonwealth, and their country. Troopers Jay Cullen and Burke Bates exemplify the very best of America, and our hearts go out to their families, their friends, and every member of American law enforcement.

These three fallen Americans embody the goodness and decency of our nation. In times such as these, America has always shown its true character: responding to hate with love, division with unity, and violence with an unwavering resolve for justice.

As a candidate, I promised to restore law and order to our country, and our federal law enforcement agencies are following through on that pledge. We will spare no resource in fighting so that every American child can grow up free from violence and fear. We will defend and protect the sacred rights of all Americans, and we will work together so that every citizen in this blessed land is free to follow their dreams in their hearts, and to express the love and joy in their souls.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America. Thank you very much.

Source: White House

The vultures are circling. They can see the wounded man on the ground, and are waiting for his end.

So are the human carnivores – the politicians.

They sing his praises, swear to defend him with all their heart – but in their heads they are already calculating who might be his successor. Each of them mutters to themself: Why not me?

Binyamin Netanyahu is facing the greatest crisis in his long career. The police are about to conclude their investigations. The Attorney General is under huge pressure to issue official indictments. The large demonstrations near the Attorney General’s home are growing from week to week.

The Attorney General, the Inspector General of the Police and the Minister for Internal Security were all personally picked by Netanyahu (and his wife). Now even this does not help. The pressure is too strong.

The investigations may drag on for another few months, but the end seems certain: State of Israel v. Binyamin Netanyahu will go to court.

When a member of the government is indicted for a felony, they usually resign, or at least take leave of absence. Not Netanyahu. No sir!

If he resigned, who would guard Israel and save it from the numerous dreadful dangers threatening the state from all sides? The Iranians are promising our extinction, the evil Arabs all around want to kill us, the leftists and other traitors threaten the state from within. How can we survive without Bibi? The danger is too awful to contemplate!

Netanyahu seems to believe this himself. He, his wife and his eldest son behave like a royal family. They buy without paying, travel as guests of others, receive expensive gifts as a matter of course.

Popular humor accompanies all these transgressions. The police has entered this spirit and decorated his files with many zeros.

File 1000 concerns the gifts. The Netanyahus are surrounded by a crowd of billionaires, who compete with each other in presenting gifts. Many jokes were made about the expensive cigars and pink champagne given to the family – until it transpired that their value amounts to tens of thousands of dollars. And the donors expect  something in return from the donees.

File 2000 concerns a peculiar matter. Yedioth Ahronoth (“Latest News”) was Israel’s largest daily newspaper, until Israel Hayom (“Israel Today”) appeared – a paper distributed for nothing. It was founded by Sheldon Adelson, an admirer of Netanyahu and the owner of huge casinos in Las Vegas and Macao. It is devoted to the single task of glorifying King Bibi.

In a recorded private conversation, Netanyahu offered Noni Moses, the owner of Yedioth, a deal: Israel Today would reduce its size and circulation if Yedioth started to glorify Bibi. Legally, this may amount to bribery.

And then there is File 3000, deep beneath the sea. The German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp (two names well remembered as Hitler’s weapons suppliers) builds our submarines. Three, six, nine. The sky – or the sea – is the limit.

What do we need submarines for? Not to sink enemy fleets. Our enemies, such as they are, have no powerful fleets. But they may obtain nuclear missiles. Israel is a very small territory, and a nuclear bomb or two could destroy it. But no one will dream of doing so if they know that out there lurk submarines, which will respond with nuclear missiles within minutes.

The German shipyard, with the support of the German government, sells the submarines to the Israeli navy. No middlemen needed. But there are middlemen who put millions in their pockets. How many pockets? Ah, there we are. Quite a number of pockets, and all these pockets belong to people very close to the Prime Minister.

Perverted minds may imagine that tens of millions have reached the PM himself, perish the thought.

This week, a prestigious TV program aired an investigation, and the picture was shocking. The entire military and civilian environment seems to be infected by corruption, as in a failed African state.

One of the few lessons I have learned in my life is that nobody reaches the top of any profession if they are not devoted to it absolutely, totally.

To get stinking rich, you must love stinking money. Not the things money can buy, but money itself. Like the miser of Moliere, who sits all day and counts his riches. If you also want something else, love or glory, you will not get to be a multi-multi-billionaire.

Don Juan did not care for anything but women. Not love. Just women, more and more of them.

David Ben-Gurion wanted power. Not the pleasures of power. Not cigars. Not champagne. Not several villas. Just power. Everything else, like his Bible club and his reading Don Quixote in Spanish, was just pretense. He wanted power and held on to it as long as he could. (In the end, when he surrounded himself with a praetorian guard of youngsters like Moshe Dayan and Shimon Peres, his colleagues ganged up on him and kicked him out, with some help from me.)

A person who wants political power, but also the amenities of life, several villas and a lot of money will not really reach the very top. Netanyahu is a good example.

He is no exception. His predecessor is in prison, and so are several former ministers. A former President of the State was just released from prison (for sexual offenses).

Netanyahu grew up in the a family which was not affluent. So did Ehud Olmert. So did Ehud Barak. So did Moshe Dayan. They all loved money too much.

Sarah Netanyahu, the Prime Minister’s wife, is also about to be indicted. She is accused of paying for her extensive private needs with government funds. She is not widely appreciated. Everybody calls her Sarah’le (“Little Sarah”), but not from love. She also grew up in straitened circumstances and was a low-grade air stewardess when she met Bibi in a duty-free shop.

I was lucky. Until my tenth birthday, my family was quite rich. When we fled to Palestine, we soon became as poor as synagogue-mice, but much happier.)

Another lesson: no one in power should stay there for more than eight years.

People in power attract flatterers. Every day, year after year, they are told that they are just wonderful. So wise, so clever, so handsome. Slowly they become convinced themselves. After all, so many good people can’t be wrong.

Their critical senses become blunted. They get used to being obeyed even by people who know better. They become immune to criticism, and even get angry when criticized.

After the l12 year tenure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a wise and successful president, the American people changed their constitution and limited the terms of the president to two, altogether eight consecutive years. Very sensible.

I speak from experience. I was elected to the Knesset three times. I very much enjoyed the first two terms – eight consecutive years – because I felt that I was doing the right things in the right way. During my third term I felt that I was less keen, less innovative, less original. So I resigned.

Netanyahu is now in his fourth term. High time for him to be thrown out.

The Bible enjoins us: “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth” (Proverbs 24, 17). I do not rejoice, but I shall be very glad if he goes.

I do not hate him. Neither do I like him. I don’t think that I have spoken with him on more than two or three occasions in my whole life. Once when he introduced me to his second – not last – wife, a nice young American woman, and once when he saw my picture in a photo exhibition, wearing a pilot’s cap. He told me that I looked like Errol Flynn.

My attitude towards him is not based on emotion. It is purely political. He is a talented politician, a clever demagogue. But I believe that he is leading Israel slowly but surely towards a historic disaster.

People believe that he is devoid of principles, that he will do anything – just anything – to stay in power. That is true. But underneath everything there hide some ironclad convictions – the weltanschauung of his late father, the history professor, whose special field was the Spanish inquisition. Father Benzion Netanyahu was an embittered man, convinced that his colleagues despised him and blocked his career because of his extreme right-wing views. He was a fanatic, for whom even Vladimir Jabotinsky was far too moderate.

The father admired his elder son, Yoni, an army officer who was killed in the famous Entebbe raid, and did not respect Bibi very much. He once said that Bibi was not fit to be prime minister, but could make a good foreign minister – a very shrewd observation.

If Binyamin Netanyahu falls, which seems possible, who will replace him?

Like every clever (and unsure) leader, Bibi has destroyed every likely rival along the way.