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The Balance Of International Payments Is Economic Nonsense – OpEd

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Let us define the set of all human beings whose height is greater than 170 cm and less than 180 cm. Call this set A. Now let us collect data on all the dealings between members of set A and members of set B, which consists of all human beings whose height is less than or greater than those in set A. What economic significance can we ascribe to the aggregate of monetary flows between members of set A and members of set B? Correct answer: none. This aggregation of persons who trade with persons in the complementary set has no economic meaning; the sets are arbitrary so far as economic understanding is concerned. People—individuals, firms and other organizations, and governments—trade in order to improve their economic condition. Whether they trade with shorter or taller people or with people within a certain height range or outside this range has nothing to do with economics or human well-being. To draw up a balance of inter-set payments for set A and set B, or any given subset of B would serve no purpose. It would be a nonsensical exercise.

Now let us define the set of all human beings who reside within the boundaries of a certain nation-state, say, the United States of America. Call these people the elements of set P. Now collect data on all the dealings between members of set P and members of set Q, which consists of all human beings who reside outside the USA. What economic significance can we ascribe to the aggregate of monetary flows between members of set P and members of set Q? Correct answer: none. This aggregation of persons who trade with persons in the complementary set has no economic meaning; the sets are arbitrary so far as economic understanding is concerned. People—individuals, firms and other organizations, and governments—trade in order to improve their economic condition. Whether they trade with people inside or outside the USA has nothing to do with economics or human well-being. To draw up a balance of inter-set payments for set P and set Q, or any given subset of Q (e.g., residents of China or Mexico) would serve no intellectual purpose. It would be a nonsensical exercise.

Yet exactly such a nation-based “balance of international payments” accounting system has been constructed and “analyzed” for a very long time. In centuries past, when kings needed to accumulate gold and silver to pay mercenaries to fight their wars, they had a reason to accumulate such data and to promote policies (such as customs duties on imported goods) that would discourage imports, thereby keeping gold and silver from flowing out of the country in payment for the imports. This sort of “political arithmetic” eventually grew into the modern system of international balance of payments accounts (indeed, the entire system of national income and product accounts, as well). The old monarchical logic for the collection of such data has long since evaporated, however. Modern governments have other ways to organize and finance their wars.

Meanwhile, other interested parties discovered that they might use certain conditions, such as a so-called deficit in the balance of trade (the value of national imports of goods and services exceeds the value of national exports of goods and services) as rhetorical fodder to feed their politicking for the government to place greater tariffs (import taxes) on goods and services imported into the home country that compete for domestic sales with the goods offered for sale by domestic sellers. This gambit is nothing but a means of suppressing competition, an activity in which sellers unfortunately commonly engage, employing the government’s force in their quest if they can enlist it. This so-called protectionism obviously hurts domestic consumers by depriving them of access to better terms of trade otherwise available from foreign sellers.

Recall, however, what was already said: every trade, whether with members of one’s own set or members of another, complementary set, is undertaken in the expectation of gain. The idea that even though every transaction was voluntarily entered into for mutual gain there is something wrong if the aggregate value of exports from one’s set falls short of the imports is, to speak frankly, preposterous. One cannot add up a number of gainful exchanges, whether they be purchases or sales, and conclude that in the aggregate a baleful situation has been created. To give this impression is nothing but a trick, a diabolical scheme, by which some sellers in effect hope to pick the pockets of domestic consumers.

The root of this evil is the aggregation that is employed in such balance of payments accounting systems. Nations as such don’t gain or lose from trade; only individual traders do. If the trades into which these people voluntarily enter entice them by the prospect of mutual gain, it simply cannot be the case that the sum total of their transactions amounts to a bad deal.

This article was published by The Beacon.


The Racist History Of Gun Control – OpEd

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By Tho Bishop*

Frequently we see the case against gun control entirely grounded upon a Constitutional defense of the Second Amendment. While the Founding Fathers’ warnings about the importance of defending liberty with an armed populace are as important today as they have ever been, this approach has some flaws.

For one, the Constitution was not meant to grant positive rights to citizens but rather was intended to recognize the natural rights and restrict the ability of the federal government to limit them. The Founding Fathers did not believe that these rights could not be limited, however. Instead, they saw that legislation that restricted one’s natural rights should be handled by governments closer to the people themselves, including states and localities.

This is why the Bill of Rights was not intended to apply to state government.

Though many state constitutions shared similarities with the Bill of Rights, by 1820 only 9 of 22 states had language explicitly protecting the right to bear arms: Massachusetts (1780), Pennsylvania (1790), Kentucky (1792), Tennessee (1796), Ohio (1801), Indiana (1816), Mississippi (1817), Connecticut (1818), Alabama (1819), and Maine (1819). (The number was 18 of 33 by 1886.)

Of course that lack of state constitutional protection did not mean that states were necessarily hostile to gun rights – at least, for white citizens.

The same could not be said for “Indians,” “Free Negroes,” “Mulattos” and certainly not slaves.1

Prior to the passing of the 14th Amendment, eight states2​ had gun control legislation that criminalized the possession of fire arms by non-white free citizens. Virginia required such individuals to receive government permission. Three additional states3​ had constitutional language that specified that gun rights were reserved exclusively for white men.4

In order to maintain the horrific institution of slavery, the state had to disarm those most likely to empathize with its victims.

While the “peculiar institution” was ended as a result of the Civil War, racially motivated gun control laws were not.

While the 14th Amendment prevented states from explicitly mentioning race in legislation, state governments still managed to find ways to disarm black citizens.

As David Kopel and Joseph Greenlee have noted, these included laws that banned pistols that were not used by former Confederate officers, severe racial discrepancies in the penalty for unlawfully concealed carrying, as well as gun licensing requirements  that, in the words of a future Florida Supreme Court Justice, were “passed for the purpose of disarming the negro laborers” and “was never intended to apply to the white population.”

The racial motivation behind gun control did not end in the 19th Century either.

One of the most obvious examples was California’s Mulford Act, signed in 1967 by Governor Ronald Reagan. The law was a direct response to the Black Panthers’ open-carry patrols of Oakland neighborhoods, and banned the carrying of loaded weapons. It is also worth noting that the NRA, who for all the attention given to them by the media has often promoted the growth of government restrictions on gun rights, actively supported the legislation.

Of course, the outcome of gun control policies continues to have a disproportionate effect on minority communities. Every government hurdle placed on legal gun ownership renders citizens more dependent upon the state for their own protection. As we have seen, not all police response is equal.

For example, in Chicago the ACLU has found that:

African American and Latino neighborhoods wait much longer for a police officer to be dispatched after an emergency 911 call, have fewer officers assigned to minority districts for each emergency call than predominantly white neighborhoods and that minority neighborhoods continue to have more violent crimes per officer than white neighborhoods.

Justice Clarence Thomas also noted the unique experience of black Americans in his opinion on McDonald v. Chicago.

The use of firearms for self-defense was often the only way black citizens could protect themselves from mob violence. As Eli Cooper, one target of such violence, is said to have explained, “ ‘[t]he Negro has been run over for fifty years, but it must stop now, and pistols and shotguns are the only weapons to stop a mob.’ ”

So while it is easy for well-protected politicians, celebrities, and billionaires to champion the cause of gun control, it’s important to remember that the history of such legislation has come at the expense of those most vulnerable in society.

An unarmed populace is always easier to victimize than an armed one.

About the author:
*Tho
is an assistant editor for the Mises Wire, and can assist with questions from the press.

Source:
This article was published by the MISES Institute.

Notes:
1. As Chris Calton informs me “the first colonial statute that specifically targeted black people (not just slaves, not Indians, and not white servants) was a Virginia law prohibiting gun ownership for blacks in 1639. ”
2. Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, and North Carolina
3. Arkansas, Florida, and Tennessee
4. Frassetto, Mark, Firearms and Weapons Legislation up to the Early 20th Century (January 15, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2200991 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2200991

Trump And The Iran Nuclear Deal: Geopolitics And Financial Unipolarity – Analysis

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By Ambassador (Retd) KP Fabian*

On 8 May 2018, US President Donald Trump, true to his style and ‘America First’ philosophy, walked out of the Iran nuclear deal, technically known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). A fortnight has elapsed and it would be pertinent to examine the geopolitical implications of Trump’s decision.

The US’ Position

By now it is reasonably clear why Trump withdrew from the deal. He has failed to provide any rational argument against the deal for the obvious reason that there is none. The JCPOA is a 159-page document that prevents Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—the foreign leader closest to him spiritually—have argued that unless sanctions are re-imposed, Iran will continue with its ‘destabilising’ policy in the region, and develop missiles endangering Israel’s security—and that therefore it is imperative to keep Iran permanently in a pariah status.

The project to keep Iran as a pariah state fits in with the Israeli right wing’s decades old project for Greater Israel that involves the weakening of Israel’s neighbors, sowing discord among them, and eventually establishing Pax Israelica in the region. In pursuing his goal, Trump gave short shrift to the EU which had urged him to stay with the deal, and decisively demonstrated his disregard for international law. Obviously, the rest of the world must think hard on ways to deal with Trump. This question needs to be addressed in a context wider than the Iran deal.

Spotlight on the EU

Iran has made it clear that it would abide by the deal if the EU provides “practical guarantees” for the economic benefits of the deal. Iran wants trade and investment from Europe. The secondary sanctions that Trump has unleashed are meant to punish any non-US entity doing business with Iran by preventing it from doing business with US entities. In short, non-US companies have to now choose between the US and Iran.

The key question is how the EU will respond to US sanctions? In public, the EU has not minced words. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said, “It seems that screaming, shouting, insulting, and bullying, systematically destroying and dismantling everything there is already in place, is the mood of our times.” This begs the question: is the EU willing and able to stand up to Trump?

The EU-Iran trade stood at 20.9 billion Euros in 2017—a substantial jump from 13.7 billion Euros in 2016. The EU has initiated action for the 1996 “blocking statute” [Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96 of 22 November 1996] to protect EU companies from US sanctions. In 1996, such action was taken in the context of trade with Cuba, but it was not tested as the US backed down. There is no good reason to believe that Trump would back down. He has already announced his intention to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum from the EU. It is rather unlikely that the EU will want to begin a trade war with an unpredictable Trump who can be easily provoked into disproportionate retaliation.

Major EU companies such as Norway’s shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk, Italy’s steel giant Danieli, and France’s oil major Total have announced their decision to quit Iran. In short, these big companies do not believe that the EU can protect them from Trump’s wrath.

What are Iran’s options?

Obviously, the options will depend on power equations in Iran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s opponents, the hardliners, never wanted the deal as they distrusted the US. Trump seems to be seeking a ‘regime change’ in Iran. If he expects a new regime suitably intimidated and therefore ‘friendly’ to Washington, Trump is sadly mistaken. If Rouhani falls, the hardliners will step in.

However, what can a hardline government do? Can it start enriching uranium in violation of the deal? In that case, the EU will be compelled to join the US in imposing sanctions. Therefore, Iran finds itself in a weak position. A government that finds itself in a weak position will stamp out dissent. Repression will follow if people start protesting over price rises or abridgment of liberties.

There is the risk of Israel starting fireworks to provoke Iran into open hostilities; but Iran, even under a hardline government, is likely to act with utmost restraint. If Israel succeeds in provoking Iran, there can be a regional conflagration with disastrous implications for the regional states and states whose citizens reside there, apart from oil prices shooting up. India, in particular, is vulnerable.

Financial Unipolarity and the World Order

There exists a unipolarity in the world of international finance. Will the EU, China, and Russia work together to dismantle the US’ unipolar hold? No sign of any such project has been seen yet. Russia and China by themselves can provide limited relief to Iran. Russia can buy and sell Iran’s crude. Russia and China might be glad to draw Iran closer into an alliance with them.

Implications for India and Ways Ahead

If India goes slow on the Chabahar port project or reduces the import of crude from Iran at the US’ behest, it will hurt India, and New Delhi’s plans to project itself as an emerging regional power will be ruined. The US’ sanctions regime needs to be viewed in a wider context. The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), passed in 2017, can be applied to prevent India from entering ‘significant’ defense deals with Russia. It is inevitable that Putin and Modi would have discussed CAATSA at the recently concluded summit in Sochi. Obviously, it would have been undiplomatic to make any specific mention about it in public. One may reasonably conclude that India will not stop buying arms from Russia because of CAATSA.

India’s diplomacy needs to navigate in the perilous geopolitical waters with Chanakyan strategies. Above all, diplomacy is the art of dancing with more than one partner at a time. The unipolarity in the financial world needs to be dismantled. India should not appear to be taking the lead in dismantling it, but it should be dismantled sooner or later, the sooner the better.

How Russia Survived Sanctions – Analysis

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By Chris Miller*

(FPRI) — When Americans discuss Russia’s economy, words such as corruption, kleptocracy, and petrostate dominate the conversation. These buzzwords miss the point. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Russia knows that the country is badly governed. But the interesting question is not why Russia’s economy is run inefficiently. It is how—after four years of low oil prices and economic sanctions—the Kremlin is doing so well.

Of course, concepts such as corruption and petrostate get much right. Russia’s rulers are corrupt. Former spies and secret agents dominate not only the government, but business, too. Oil and gas play as large a role as ever in Russia’s economy. But despite the corruption and despite the inefficiency, Russia has survived four years of war and sanctions mostly unscathed. It has waged war in Ukraine and Syria. It has imposed counter-sanctions on Western food producers and on Ukraine. Putin recently won re-election (flawed though the election was) with two-thirds of the vote. Russia’s elite is, broadly speaking, united around him. How did Russia manage this? Faced with Western sanctions over its nuclear program, Iran made concessions and cut a deal, which the Trump administration recently withdrew from. Even North Korea appears at least partially responsive to sanctions, and in the past has proven willing to cut a deal in exchange for sanctions relief. Russia has, at least so far, proven relatively immune to economic pressure.

How has Russia managed to survive sanctions? First, it prioritized macro-economic stability, keeping its government deficit low. Second, it pushed the cost of adjustment onto the population by devaluing the ruble. Third, it bailed out sanctioned firms via the banking system. Thus far, the system has worked. The Kremlin has retained domestic control and foreign policy independence. It has not been forced to compromise with the West.

Macroeconomic Stability

Russia has prioritized macroeconomic stability—limiting deficits, keeping government debt levels low—since Putin took power in 1999. The entire generation of people who currently rule Russia suffered through two financial crises during their formative years, first in 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, and again in 1998. Russia’s rulers are committed to macroeconomic stability because they personally understand the costs.

Even well-governed countries struggle to manage their economies responsibly. Oil-soaked autocracies manage less well than most. Try this thought experiment: Imagine an oil-dependent country in 1999, in which a young lieutenant colonel took power, committed to using the security services to bolster his power. Such a country exists in Russia (Putin was a Lieutenant Colonel in the KGB), but also in Venezuela (Chavez had been a Lieutenant Colonel, too.) It is worth reflecting on their differences. Putin’s economic successes are often credited to oil prices, yet commodity price swings alone cannot explain what differentiates Russia from Venezuela. Where Venezuela spent recklessly, Russia saved, paying down debt and accumulating reserves.

Chart 1 – Oil Price: Dollar versus Ruble

Devaluing the Ruble

When Russia entered the current crisis in 2014—facing falling oil prices and Western sanctions—it stuck with the Putinomics playbook. The Kremlin kept its budget deficit low, and as a share of Gross Domestic Product, it peaked at 3.4%—significantly lower, as a share of GDP, than America’s budget deficit will be in 2018. Russia balanced its budget via the second part of its crisis response, a sharp ruble devaluation that pushed the cost of adjustment onto the population. Roughly half of Russia’s government revenue is funded via taxes on oil and gas, which is priced in dollars on international markets. Nearly all of Russia’s government spending—salaries, pensions, and the like—occurs in rubles. Russia cannot control the price of oil, nor can it control how much oil it pumps. The Kremlin can, however, control the ruble price of oil. Letting the ruble fall against the dollar means that the Kremlin gets more rubles for each barrel of oil it taxes. Though the price of oil collapsed in 2014 and 2015, the Kremlin let the price of rubles collapse, too. Thus, it received roughly the same number of rubles at the end of 2015 as it had in early 2014 [see chart 1]. Its budget, as a result, was not far from being balanced.

Chart 2 – Russian Real Wages, 2014=100

Devaluing the ruble achieved the government’s goals. The Kremlin retained the financial flexibility it needed. But it was not costless, as chart 2 shows. Ruble devaluation saved the budget by shifting the cost onto the Russian people. Imported goods, priced mostly in dollars or in euros, became far more expensive in ruble terms. As import prices increased, inflation shot upward. Yet, Russians’ incomes didn’t increase, so they became poorer. Inflation-adjusted incomes fell by over 10% at the nadir of the crisis—a level that, if it was experienced in the U.S., would bring the population onto the streets with pitchforks in hand. Yet, Russians have not mobilized in opposition to the government’s decision to make them bear the cost of the crisis—at least, they have not mobilized yet. By every metric we have, Russians approve of Putin’s activities in office. Public opinion polls say that at least 80% of Russians approve of his work. Political scientists who have researched the polling data say the true number may be closer to 70%. Either way, it is a far higher approval rating than what you might expect after a painful economic crisis, as demonstrated by chart 3, which draws on research from Yuval Weber. There have been no significant protests about wages, and hardly any strikes. Thus, the government has no incentive not to make the population pay the cost, and to keep its own budget balanced.

Chart 3 – Percent of Russians Expressing Approval and Disapproval of President Putin

Dealing with Sanctions

After the 2014 sanctions, Russia not only had to distribute the cost of adjustment—doing so on the backs of the populace—but it also had to bail out specific firms. The Kremlin chose to do this via the banking system. Rather than handing out cash directly to sanctioned firms, a policy that risked attracting attention from Russians who believed that they, too, deserved help, the Kremlin hid its bailouts in the banking system.

In the year after sanctions hit, several new, privately owned banks grew rapidly, borrowing dollars from Russia’s central bank, and using this funding to provide loans to sanctioned firms. Thus, even Russia’s most heavily leveraged firms that were under sanctions survived. Since then, most of the banks that grew rapidly in 2014 and 2015—largely by lending to sanctioned firms—have gone bankrupt. Taxpayers have picked up the tab. Yet, because this bailout—of banks, but also of the sanctioned firms that they lent to—was disguised via bank loans, few Russians understood, and fewer still complained. In the long run, the government will pay tens of billions of dollars bailing out banks, funded via higher taxes and lower spending on health, infrastructure, education, and other things which make Russians better off.

After the U.S. decision to impose new sanctions on several Russian oligarchs and firms in April 2018, many analysts have asked whether Russia has the capacity to withstand a new round of sanctions. However,, so long as Russia’s population remains docile in face of failing incomes, there is no reason to think that the Kremlin cannot repeat its 2014 playbook. It would take far more serious sanctions to drive Russia’s economy toward a crisis deeper than that of 2014. Sanctioning Russian sovereign debt issuance might have that effect, or cutting it off from the Swift international payments system. But, the more that Russia’s economic problems are directly caused by U.S. sanctions—as opposed to Putin’s mismanagement—the easier it is for the Kremlin to blame economic problems on the West. Sanctions have imposed a significant long-term cost on Russia’s economy, deterring investment and modernization. But the Kremlin has been willing to bear the cost. And the Russian people have been willing to let the Kremlin stick them with the bill. Until they start complaining, the Kremlin will have the foreign policy flexibility it needs.

About the author:
*Chris Miller
is the Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program. He is also Assistant Professor of International History at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University

Source:
This article was published by FPRI.

Iran: Ayatollah Khamenei Outlines Tehran’s Conditions For Staying In Nuclear Deal

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Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday announced necessary conditions for Tehran to stay in 2015 nuclear deal after the US withdrawal from the agreement.

On the seventh day of the auspicious month of Ramadan, the heads of government branches, officials, government authorities, a group of senior managers as well as political, social and cultural activists met with Ayatollah Khamenei.

At the meeting , the leader said US enmity with Iran is deep but all American plots against the country have failed since the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to what he called “the fundamental, deep and constant enmity” of the United States towards the Islamic Republic and said Iran would definitely defeat the US if Iranian officials fulfill their duty.

“From the beginning of the [victory of the Islamic] Revolution to the present day, the United States has carried out various types of hostilities to undermine the Islamic Republic and has organized various types of political, economic, military and propaganda activities against it,” the Leader said, Press TV reported.

The United States has always done everything to “overthrow” the Islamic Republic, but it had been, and would be, defeated, he added.

“All of these measures were aimed at ‘subversion,’ and this word that is repeated is nothing new. All of these plots have failed… the Islamic Republic is moving forward after 40 years with various capabilities… We do not doubt the defeat of the enemy, and anyone who is familiar with Islamic teachings knows this,” the Leader stressed.

He noted that the current US president would meet the same fate as his predecessors, like George W. Bush, the neoconservatives and Ronald Reagan, and will be lost in history.

The Leader cited Iran’s experiences of US behavior over the years and said, “The first experience is that the government of the Islamic Republic cannot interact with America … Why? Because America is not committed to its promises.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said that both the previous and current US administrations reneged on their promises in a way and threatened the Islamic Republic, adding that’s why Iran does not negotiate and interact with the US.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the second experience was the deep animosity of the US towards Iran, adding that Iran’s nuclear program was not at the heart of US enmity towards the country but the Islamic establishment that has stood up to it, noting,” The United States wants to eliminate the components of power in the Islamic Republic.”

The Leader went on to say that history showed flexibility with enemies had made them bolder, stressing only resistance against the US would make it back down.

On relations with Europeans, the Leader said that Iran does not seek confrontation with Europe, but the UK, France and Germany showed that they will follow the US in sensitive issues.

The Leader also set out conditions for Tehran to stay in the nuclear deal with world powers, including steps by European banks to safeguard trade with Tehran after the US withdrawal from the agreement.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that European powers must protect Iranian oil sales from US pressure and continue buying Iranian crude, and must promise they would not seek new negotiations on Iran’s missile program and regional activities.

“European banks should safeguard trade with the Islamic Republic. We do not want to start a fight with these three countries (France, Germany and Britain), but based on their past records, we don’t trust them either,” he said.

“Europe should fully guarantee Iran’s oil sales. In case Americans can damage our oil sales…, Europeans should make up for that and buy Iranian oil,” the Leader stated.

The Leader also said that “the Europeans must submit a resolution against the US at the UN Security Council to protest” Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA.

He also called on the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) “to be ready” to restart nuclear activities “if necessary and in case the JCPOA proves to be useless.”

“If the Europeans hesitate to respond to our demands, Iran reserves the right to restart its suspended nuclear activities,” he added.

Hawaii Guard Aids Evacuations During Volcano Eruptions

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By Gary Sheftick

Joint Task Force 5-0 in Hawaii is helping authorities handle evacuations, provide security and monitor air quality as Mount Kilauea spews out clouds of toxic gas and lava destroys homes in its path.

About 2,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes so far on the big island of Hawaii, but the majority are staying with friends and family, Air Force Lt. Col. Charles Anthony, state public affairs officer, said in an interview.

Only a few hundred people are in temporary community shelters, he said.

National Guard Provides Aid

More than 150 National Guard troops have volunteered for active duty to help with evacuations and to man checkpoints in front of the lava flow. Other troops are standing by in case more evacuations are needed.

National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are conducting aerial surveys to monitor the lava and check on fissures, Anthony said. At least 17 fissures in the Puna district are currently emitting lava and toxic gases. One lava flow is approaching the Puna geothermal energy plant, and Anthony said that situation is being watched closely.

Members of the 93rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team are monitoring air quality to ensure dangerous gases do not encroach on populated areas.

Last week National Guard soldiers went door to door in neighborhoods such as the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens to warn residents of the danger and advise them to evacuate in front of the approaching lava flow. Anthony said some residents waited until the last minute.

“I have no idea how anybody could stay inside that evacuation zone for days on end,” Anthony said. “The amount of gas and smoke and steam … sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid and all is incredibly nasty stuff.”

Evacuation Zone Patrols

The troops of JTF 5-0 are staged in the town of Hilo, about 15 miles north of the evacuation zone. They go into the evacuation zone for about four hours at a time to conduct roving patrols and help police man checkpoints, Anthony said.

Army Brig. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara is the task force commander. He is the deputy adjutant general of the Hawaii National Guard. Some active-duty officers and enlisted soldiers from the island of Oahu have joined Hara on the task force staff, Anthony said. They are planning for contingencies in case the volcano eruption worsens.

Despite the troubles with Mount Kilauea, business continues as usual across most of the island, Anthony said.

“It’s just a beautiful, picture-perfect day on a Hawaiian beach,” he said. Then he contrasted it with the situation inside the evacuation zone, where toxic fumes kill foliage and hot lava obliterates structures.

“It’s a mix of paradise and a freaking hellscape,” he said.

Rohingya Militants Killed Nearly 100 Hindus In Myanmar’s Rakhine State: Report

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Rohingya Muslim militants unlawfully killed nearly 100 Hindus in Myanmar’s Rakhine state during deadly attacks on police outposts last year that resulted in a violent crackdown and an exodus of refugees into Bangladesh, Amnesty International says in a new report.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) carried out brutal attacks on the Hindu women, men, and children in two villages and abducted residents, said the report, based on photographic evidence and on dozens of interviews in northern Rakhine and in Bangladesh, where hundreds of Myanmar Hindus are living in refugee camps.

“Our latest investigation on the ground sheds much-needed light on the largely under-reported human rights abuses by ARSA during northern Rakhine state’s unspeakably dark recent history,” Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International’s crisis response director, said in a statement.

“It’s hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA’s actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we’ve spoken to,” she said. “Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine state.”

The investigation found that ARSA killed 53 Hindus from the Kha Maung Seik village tract in northern Maungdaw township on Aug. 25, 2017, the same day the militant group launched deadly attacks on 30 police outposts in the region.

Another 46 Hindus from neighboring Ye Bauk Kyar (also spelled Yebaw Kya) village disappeared and are believed to be dead.

In September 2017, local Hindus and members of Myanmar security forces unearthed four mass graves containing the remains of 45 massacred Hindus, later identified as residents of Kha Maung Seik village tract or people who were visiting the community at the time of the attack. The bodies of the other eight people who were killed have not been found, the report said.

Amnesty International also documented ARSA’s involvement in other killings and violent attacks against members of other ethnic and religious communities, including the murders of six Hindus and the injuring of another on the outskirts of Maungdaw town near Myo Thu Gyi village.

ARSA has denied responsibility for the attacks, blaming them instead on ethnic Rakhine who lived in the multicultural communities along with Hindus and Rohingya.

Until now, rights groups and members of the international community have blasted the Myanmar government for not allowing U.N. investigators and independent media outlets into northern Rakhine to probe the campaign against the Rohingya following the August 2017 attack by ARSA, and a smaller-scale assault by the group on border outposts in October 2016.

Myanmar and the army have vehemently denied allegations that security forces indiscriminately killed, tortured, and raped Rohingya and burned down their homes, despite statements by the United Nations and others that the crackdowns, which together drove nearly 800,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh, amounted to ethnic cleansing.

Total number killed higher

On Wednesday, Ni Maul, a Hindu social worker and local community leader who first reported the massacres of the Hindus found in mass graves, told the Myanmar Service of Radio Free Asia (RFA) – a sister entity of BenarNews – that he already knew that ARSA had slain dozens of Hindus from the two villages on the same day in August 2017, though he put the total number of Hindus killed at 122.

“We were sad to see many people killed … I helped government authorities find the bodies and submitted a report, saying how many people were killed and how many were missing, but we never received any response from the government about it, and we don’t know what the international community will do now that it knows what ARSA did to these people,” he said

Though some members of the international media on government-supervised trips, rights organizations, and a group of diplomats from the U.N. Security Country were allowed to visit ethnic communities in northern Rakhine, including Hindu communities, and to interview many people, none of them issued any statements about ARSA being responsible for the attacks, he said.

Meanwhile, the government has been providing protection for eight young Hindu women who witnessed ARSA’s attack on their fellow villagers in Kha Maung Seik, he said.

The militants had forced the women to convert to Islam and took them and eight of their children to a refugee camp in Bangladesh, where the women were forced to issue statements on social media that Rakhine ethnics were responsible for the attack. Myanmar and Bangladeshi forces tracked down the women and children and repatriated them in October 2017.

Ni Maul said the government had agreed to take back the more than 400 Hindus still in camps in Bangladesh.

Better late than never

Though the Myanmar government has repeatedly rejected reports and evidence of atrocities committed by government soldiers against the stateless and persecuted Rohingya during the violence in Rakhine state, observers said Amnesty International’s new report would be welcome.

“Amnesty International’s report shows very important and strong evidence that the international community needs to think about regarding the Rakhine conflict,” said Myanmar political analyst Yan Myo Thein.

Former information minister Ye Htut said the report’s release was better late than never.

“Although Amnesty International’s report came out late, it is better than remaining ignorant about the Rakhine problem,” he told RFA. “We can even say it is a good sign.”

Diplomats from the U.N. Security Council who visited Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and areas in northern Rakhine state affected by violence had seemed not to accept what Myanmar officials told them about the ARSA attacks on ethnic minority communities, Ye Htut said.

“Now that Amnesty International has agreed with this, Myanmar will have better communication with the international community, diplomatically speaking,” he said.

Pyi Thway Naing, editor-in-chief of Myanmar’s Khit Yanant magazine, said the report showed that the government must allow independent media and others to visit Rakhine and look into the accounts of killings and other abuses committed.

“A report by a famous human rights organization like Amnesty International provides strong support [as an indication of] Myanmar’s general crisis,” he said.

Though the government opposes accusations by the international community that it has caused the problems in Rakhine state, it can’t dispute the evidence in the report, he said.

“The Myanmar government should allow international media and organizations to travel to conflict areas,” said Pyi Thway Naing. “If it does, we will have real evidences such as that which Amnesty international has in the report.”

“When the government finds out who committed crimes, it must take action against them, including ARSA, people from the military, or the police,” he said. “If the government can’t do this, it will face more hardship and problems.”

ICC ‘cannot take action’

Earlier this month, Amnesty International was among four human rights groups that called on the U.N. Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the crackdown on the Rohingya, saying the violence amounted to crimes against humanity.

The appeal came a week after U.N. Security Council envoys visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to assess the situation on the ground in Rakhine state, after which they called for a “proper” investigation into the events surrounding the Rohingya exodus.

Myanmar can set up such a probe through an ICC referral or by holding its own comprehensive inquiry.

The call by the rights groups came a month after an ICC prosecutor asked the international tribunal to rule on whether the court can exercise jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of the Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

Myanmar argued that because it is not a member of the ICC, such a move would undermine its charter and run against the Netherlands-based ICC’s charter.

On Wednesday, Zaw Htay, director general of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi’s office, repeated the government’s previous response that the ICC had no jurisdiction over Myanmar, which is not a member of the 123-party body.

“The ICC has no jurisdiction, and we will not accept any action it takes against Myanmar,” he said at a press conference in Naypyidaw.

“ICC member Bangladesh has no jurisdiction concerning Myanmar because Myanmar is not an ICC member,” he said.

Whenever the government has concrete evidence of abuses or crimes committed in Rakhine during the crackdown, it will investigate it and take action against the wrongdoers, Zaw Htay said, adding that military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing told the U.N. Security Council envoys to provide such proof if they had it.

“We have been saying the same thing since we started having problems in Rakhine state,” he said. “Though Myanmar is not opposed to investigating and taking action against people who committed crimes, the ICC cannot take any action. It is impossible.”

“We don’t deny that we have human right violations in Myanmar, but please provide us with concrete evidence,” he said.

Sri Lanka: Severe Weather Kills 11, Nearly 105,352 Affected

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Nearly 105,352 persons of 18 districts of Sri Lanka have been affected due to prevailing adverse weather conditions, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced.Meanwhile the death toll has increased to 11 the DMC said in its latest update.

A total of 84,943 persons belonging to 18,542 families are affected by the prevailing disaster situation in the country. The Ratnapura District is the worst affected with 6133 families belonging to 189 Grama Niladhari divisions in the Ratnapura District.The affected Grama Niladhari divisions fall under the Divisional Secretariats of Elapatha, Ratnapura, Kiriella, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Kalawana, Eheliyagoda, Kuruvita, Kahawatta, Opanayaka, Pelmadulla, Balangoda, Imbulpe and Godakawala.

Meanwhile, The Department of Meteorology says that the prevailing rainy condition in the Southwestern part of the island is expected to enhance some extent from today, particularly tonight. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-Western provinces, it said.Heavy falls, about 100 mm can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Western, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara districts.Fairly heavy falls, about 75mm can be expected at some places in Mullaitivu, Trincomalee and Batticaloa.


China May Lift Two-Child Policy: Here’s What That Could Mean – Analysis

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By Michelle La Rosa

Amid reports that China may be considering putting an end to its two-child policy, experts are questioning the extent of a possible law change, and the effects it would have.

According to Bloomberg, the Chinese government had commissioned research on the childbirth restrictions in the country, and on the potential effects of lifting them. An announcement on the removal of the policy could come by the end of the year, or next year, the outlet reported, citing anonymous sources.

Reggie Littlejohn, founder and president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, said that removing the policy “would be a momentous victory for human rights and a vindication of the application of international pressure as a strategy to affect change within that totalitarian regime.”

“But I am holding off on this celebration,” she told CNA, noting that “the Chinese government just commissioned a study. It has not yet enacted the new law.”

She also voiced concern that birth penalties may still be enacted for pregnant women who are not married.

“In some places, an unmarried woman who is pregnant may be forced to pay a ‘social compensation fee’ of up to 10 times her annual salary,” Littlejohn said. “If she cannot pay the fine, she may be required to abort.”

Littlejohn has spent the last decade fighting against forced abortion, gendercide, and sex slavery in China. She and other human rights activists have documented abuses committed against women in China who become pregnant without permission from the state. In some cases, these women are forcibly removed from their homes and strapped to a table in a forced abortion procedure, and are sometimes forcibly sterilized as well.

China’s one-child policy was initially mandated in the 1970s in an effort to limit the country’s population growth. Recent numbers, however, show an aging demographic that could pose serious fiscal problems for the country’s future. Around 25 percent of the population is expected to be at least 60 years old by 2030, nearly double the percentage of that age in 2010.

The one-child policy was amended in 2013, permitting couples to have a second child if either of them were an only child themselves. In 2015, it was amended again, allowing all couples to have a second child.

Despite these changes, however, birth rates in the country have remained low, falling 3.5 percent last year, according to the Bureau of National Statistics.

After four decades of restrictive birth limits and national messaging aimed at convincing Chinese parents that one child is best, some experts wonder whether removing the policy will result in higher birth rates.

Huang Wenzheng, a senior researcher at the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, suggested that the change in policy will likely have little effect on the birthrate in the country. According to Bloomberg, he cited the relatively low numbers of women of childbearing age in China and a low desire to have multiple children.

Littlejohn warned that the “devastating legacy” of the one-child policy will remain even if the restrictions are lifted. Babies born now will not enter the workforce for decades, she noted, meaning that the shortage of workers will not be alleviated for years.

Another consequence of the policy has been couples resorting to abortion or infanticide if they discover their child is a girl. A strong male-preference exists in China, as boys can keep the family name and run the family business or farm.

Consequently, China has faced a serious imbalance in their gender ratio, with over 30 million more males living in China than females.

“Tens of millions of men will never marry because their future wives were selectively eliminated,” Littlejohn said.

The country has also seen a steep rise in senior suicide, with the suicide rate for the over-65 age group four to five times higher than the general population, according to a study in the American journal Aging and Disease.

Littlejohn has attributed the high suicide rate in part to the lack of family support for the aging population, due to the one-child policy. She told CNA earlier this year that she had once encountered an elderly woman in China who told her that “some days she only ate salt and she had bought a rope to hang herself with when life got too tough.”

Irish Nuns Maligned In Maine Newspaper – OpEd

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On the front page of the May 13 edition of the Portland Press Herald, there was a story about a young boy who was placed for adoption by nuns at the Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, Ireland. In the course of the article, there is a remark made by a genealogist at the Maine Irish Heritage Center in Portland, that is scurrilous.

Deb Sullivan Gellerson is quoted as saying the following about pregnant young women in Ireland who were in the care of nuns at the Abbey: “These young women became pregnant out-of-wedlock and due to the families being ‘strict Catholics’ they had to send them away to give birth. Then, the very same religious order abuses, sells or even kills these children, yet these abbeys and orphanages continued to operate for generations.” (My italics.)

All of this is inaccurate. Few children were abused. None were sold. And none were killed.

What Gellerson has done is to recycle the lies that were told by Martin Sixsmith and Steve Coogan: Sixsmith wrote the book Philomena, and Coogan did the screenplay of the movie by the same name (he also helped to produce it and starred in it). To read a lengthy rebuttal see my 2014 article, “Debunking ‘Philomena.'”

The first charge, that the nuns abused the children, was found wanting by the 2013 McAleese Report; it is the most comprehensive report on Ireland’s mother and baby homes ever written.

Senator Martin McAleese chaired this Irish governmental committee on the Magdalene Laundries, homes for unwed mothers and other abandoned women run by nuns. The report shows, in great detail, that neither the women nor the children were abused. It is a cruel hoax. See my account, “Myths of the Magdalene Laundries.”

Gellerson, like so many others, is content to believe the worst about the Sean Ross Abbey. She should ponder what people like Ann Tobin have  said about the nuns who ran the home, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary.

Tobin’s out-of-wedlock boy, Michael, “was presented to me after he was born and I breast fed him. I was treated very well in the hospital.” She said the nuns “were very, very good,” maintaining that she “never saw a nun strike a girl” during her four year stay. However, she said, “I saw girls striking, pushing, and swearing at nuns but I never, ever saw a nun hitting a girl.”

It is also a lie to say that the children were sold. “I remember going into the room with the Sisters and they said a lady in America wanted Michael to bring him up. They asked would it be okay to send him and I said yes.”

The lie about babies being sold by the nuns was directly challenged by Sister Julie Rose in 2014; she was an official at the Sean Ross Abbey. “No children were sold by any mother or the congregation, to any party, nor did the congregation receive any monies in relation to adoption while we were running the mother and baby home.” There were, of course, donations, unsolicited contributions. That’s what adopting couples do—it’s a token of their gratitude. But the babies were never auctioned off to the highest bidder.

It is important to note that Philomena Lee was never forced to give her baby up, nor was he sold. When she was 22, she voluntarily signed an oath giving her son up for adoption. Philomena said, “I hereby relinquish full claim forever to my said child Anthony Lee and surrender said child to Sister Barbara, Superioress of Sean Ross Abbey, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, Ireland.”

As is customary, the nuns received a donation from the adopting couple, but Anthony was not sold.

The movie floated another myth, claiming that Philomena travelled to the U.S. frantically looking for her son. Here is what Suzanne Daley and Douglas Dalby wrote in the New York Times on November 29, 2013: “In fact, much of the movie is a fictionalized version of events. Ms. Lee, for instance, never went to the United States to look for her son with Mr. Sixsmith, who is played by Steve Coogan, a central part of the film.”

In fact, the first time Philomena Lee set foot in the United States was in 2013 when she went to Los Angeles to hawk her movie. Indeed, Philomena never even bothered to tell her daughter, Jane, about the brother she never knew she had until Philomena had too much to drink at a Christmas party in 2004. As it turns out, Philomena never found her son: he died in 1995 and was buried on the grounds at the very convent that took her in when she was in need.

The most serious accusation made by Gellerson—that the nuns killed children—is not even made by Philomena, Sixsmith or Coogan. It is a bald face lie.

Gellerson owes Catholics an apology. It doesn’t get much sicker than this.

Contact Gellerson and her superiors: rishhc@maine.rr.com

Ihsan Trust Promoting Education For A Brighter Pakistan – Interview

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Ihsan Trust was established as an independent trust (Waqf) in 2010 with the vision to create a poverty free society on the principles of equality and compassion. Their missions is to reach out and help the poor and needy according to the principles of Islam and take care/look after the wellbeing of poor and needy and to encourage the socio economic uplift of the low income community in order to increase the economic prosperity of the society, ultimately contributing towards the betterment of Pakistan and Ummah.

Its aims and objectives are to raise the standard of living of under privileged, downtrodden, neglected sections of the population and low income group, with a strategic approach for developing a sustainable system for the welfare of these neglected segments, helping the society as a whole. The core activities are: 1) Educational & Skill Development, 2) Rural Development, 3) Health & Hygiene, 4) Immediate relief to the affectees of any natural disaster/ calamity, 5) Rehabilitation and other community building services, 6) Qarz-e-Hasna, 7) Establishment and operation of orphanages, 8) Providing funds for the marriage of poor girls, 9) Assist indebted poor people and 1) Islamic Microfinance. Its Board of Trustees comprises of eminent personalities like Dr. Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani, Mufti Bilal Ahmed Qazi, Mr. Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, Mufti Yahya Asim, Dr. Zeeshan Ahmed, Mr. Kamal Mian and Mr. Suleman Muhammad Ali.

Followings are excerpts from an exclusive interview with Fayyaz-ur-Rehman.

What is the prime focus of Ihsan Trust?

Fayyaz-ur-Rehman: One of the major focuses of the trust is providing Qarz-e-Hasna (interest free loan) for the education to the needy and deserving students of major and leading universities of Pakistan. Through this scheme Ihsan Trust bears the educational expenses of the students on purely on “Need cum Merit” basis in order to enable them to complete their higher education.

The repayment policy for the Qarz-e-Hasna is very simple. The amount sanctioned to a selected student depends on his/her need and eligibility. During the study period, the student has to pay a nominal, token repayment amount (depending upon the financial position of the candidates, his/her parents/guardians monthly income) to the Ihsan Trust as repayment. After the completion of his/her education, the repayment amount for the Qarz-e-Hasna is to be adjusted according to the income of the student

Does the Trust contact student or student contacts the Trust?

Fayyaz: In order to proceed with the sanctioning of Qarz-e-Hasna to the students, Ihsan Trust has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various institutes and universities. As per the MoU educational institutions initially select and shortlist the candidates for this scheme. The cases are then forwarded to the Ihsan Trust which after proper analysis of the documents conducts the interviews of the candidates to assess their exact need and requirement of financial assistance. Then managing trustees finally approves the student for this Qarz-e-Hasna facility and the funds of the Qarz-e-Hasna are transferred to the university account on the behalf of the student.

Nothing, not a single penny is given in the hands of the selected students. Monthly token repayment from the student starts from the very next month. Throughout this process, the university helps and assists Ihsan Trust by awareness campaigns, ensuring timely repayments by the students and acting as an intermediary between the Trust and the students.

Would you like to talk about some major arrangements?

Fayyaz: Ihsan Trust signed MoU with The Citizen Foundation (TCF) in 2010 to provide funds for the scholarship of 100 TCF alumni pursuing intermediate education. According to the renewed MoU of 2013, Ihsan Trust has provided funds to TCF for scholarship of 250 alumni pursuing intermediate education.

TCF is a professionally managed, non-profit organization set up in 1995 by a group of citizens concerned with the dismal state of education in Pakistan. It is now one of Pakistan’s leading organizations in the field of formal education. TCF has established 910 purpose-built school units throughout the country with an enrollment of more than 126,000 students. TCF encourages female enrollment and strives to maintain a 50% female ratio in most of its campuses.

TCF has a full female faculty of 6,300 members. TCF also has a dedicated Teacher Training Center in Karachi and Mansehra for the ongoing training of its faculty and provides logistical support to all its teachers. About 9,500 jobs have been created in communities in which TCF operates.

Tell us about some grass root project.

Fayyaz: Ihsan Trust has provided sponsorship to 150 students of Britainnica School located in Surjani Town in Karachi for one year and has also provided copies (notebooks) to 250 needy students of the school. The ceremony to hand over the cheques of these initiatives by Ihsan Trust took place in Britainnica School Surjani Town on Sept 10, 2013.

Waleed Khan of Ihsan Trust highlighted the joint collaboration and other initiatives of Ihsan Trust to the entire team of Britainnica School. The efforts of Britanica School to make remote area children literate and educate are highly commendable. Ihsan Trust is proud to be the part of this noble cause and play its part in providing education to the poor and needy as per its mission and objective.

Nasim Memorial Educational & Welfare Society established in 1983, is running the Britainnica School with the efforts of philanthropist Ms. Yasmin Nigar, who has been running the school in order to provide quality education to the poor children of Surjani Town and Gulistan-e-Johar. Most of the children studying in these schools belong to very poor families. But the entire team of Ms. Yasmin is doing great job in imparting education to them. Although, Britainnica School have been providing the best possible facilities to the children with their own efforts, the costs are rising and the resources are shrinking.

Britainnica facing a severe problem of providing copies, uniforms, etc. to the poor students (these things are provided free of charge to the poor students) and payments of utility bills etc. They approached Ihsan Trust, which agreed to join hands with them in the noble cause.

Has the efforts of Ihsan Trust recognized internationally?

Fayyaz: Ihsan Trust has received the Global “Islamic Economy Award 2017” in the category of “Waqf and Endowment” in recognition of its efforts to provide interest free loans to deserving students for higher education. His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, presented the award to Ihsan Trust, at a ceremony held in Dubai. Ahmed Ali Siddiqui received the award on behalf of Ihsan Trust.

Kashmir: Islamic Groups Reject India’s Ceasefire

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By Umar Manzoor Shah

Islamic militants and separatist groups working to free the Kashmir region from India have turned down a federal offer of a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The United Jihad Council (UJC), an amalgam of militant groups leading an armed struggle against India’s military, on May 18 rejected the ceasefire declaration but said it would have welcomed it had the government shown some seriousness and character.

On May 16, the start of the holy month, the government declared a ceasefire in the state and told security forces not to launch any anti-militancy operations.

UJC head Syed Salahuddin, addressing a meeting, termed the ceasefire “a big joke.”

“Once the month of Ramadan is over, India will again unleash terror,” he said, adding that such tactics will not mislead the people of Kashmir or the international community.

Separatist groups and militants want to free Kashmir, where Muslims form 96 percent of the population, to establish a free Islamic state or to make it join with the neighboring Islamic state of Pakistan.

India considers Kashmir an integral part of the nation and has used military might to suppress the secessionist move. India has accused Pakistan of helping the militants, an allegation Pakistan has denied consistently.

The federal announcement of a ceasefire said it was “important to isolate the forces that bring a bad name to Islam” and invited “everyone to cooperate in this initiative and help the Muslim brothers and sisters to observe Ramzan [Ramadan] peacefully and without any difficulties.”

Islamic leaders in Kashmir want India to consider a political solution to free the region from Indian rule.

“It’s better for India to accept the nature of the dispute and resolve it as per the aspirations of people and in the light of U.N. resolutions,” Salahuddin said.

Kashmir’s chief religious cleric and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, while addressing people at Kashmir’s grand mosque on May 18, the first Friday of Ramadan, termed the ceasefire a mere “pause button” of killing Kashmiris.

The announcement carries a deep meaning on how Kashmiris live at the mercy of more than 800,000 Indian troops, who enjoy complete immunity and can kill at will, he said.

Mohammad Yasin Malik, a former militant leader and present head of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), said a comprehensive plan is needed to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

“The people of Kashmir have never ever been in favor of violence but it was always a compulsion due to the status quo,” Malik told ucanews.com.

Meanwhile, various political groups have welcomed the ceasefire.

Mansoor Hussain Soharwardhy of the Peoples Democratic Party said the ceasefire was an opportunity to work for peace and reconciliation.

“This is the time when we can show to the world that we care for our people and want them to live in peace and tranquility with dignity and honor,” Mansoor said.

The conflict dates to 1947 when British rule ended with the creation of India and Pakistan. Both countries claim Kashmir, part of which is ruled by each of them. Kashmir was the focus of three wars between them as well as countless skirmishes.

Militants have stepped up violence since 1989. Rights groups estimate that 100,000 people have been killed, but Indian official records put the number at closer to 47,000.

Calls for dialogue have come from a range of community groups, not least Christian churches. However, conditions set by both nations have stymied efforts to convene talks.

Since January, 53 militants, 33 civilians and 13 soldiers have been killed in the violence.

Saudi Riyal Coins To Gradually Replace Notes

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The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) announced that new riyal coins will replace one riyal notes starting from Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It said paper currencies will still be traded alongside the new coins until until all the one riyal notes are gradually phased out across banks, as planned.

SAMA said the coin has been coined under the patronage of King Salman and has received great attention and care, while relying on detailed studies on the world’s latest technology in coin industry.

It said the new designs come in small sizes, along with shapes and colors different from the previous coin designs.

The agency had earlier unveiled the new design of coins in different denominations, including the one riyal and the new two riyal coins. The other coins are in the 50-halala, 25-halala, 10-halala and one-halala denominations.

During the launch of the annual release of monetary currency, SAMA said that procedures were in place for handling the coins in all commercial banks across the Kingdom.

SAMA urged all commercial banks to facilitate the circulation of the currency by installing high speed checking machines in their branches and cash centers, and providing machines to accept depositing coins.

It stated that the new riyal coin is an integral part of the national currency that will be traded alongside the note riyal, and that the refusal of circulating coins will expose violators to penalties.

It also noted that the decision to replace the one riyal notes with riyal coins has many positive effects on the Saudi economy.

Adding that the existence of the one riyal notes in circulation affected the selling of riyal coins, and at times led to its rejection by traders.

This resulted in rejecting denominations of the coin, which in turn led shop owners to feel less urged to provide coins. Such widespread negative practices contributed to the rejection of the coin.

It said the number of banknotes traded in the riyal notes category make up 49% from the amount of banknotes in circulation across the country because they do not enter the natural cycle of cashflow, due to being transferred among traders for long periods of time, during which the paper currency becomes severely worn out.

It noted that among the benefits of the decision is that the average coin life expectancy is estimated at twenty to twenty-five years, compared to the life expectancy of paper currency, which is estimated between twelve months and eighteen months, depending on the conditions of circulation.

It also noted that coins are efficient for recycling, and their transfer and preservation remain easier that paper currency.

Ten Steps Kyiv Must Take To Counter Russian Efforts To Control Sea Of Azov – OpEd

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The Russian Federation has shown itself ever more ready to take steps to bottle up Ukrainian shipping in the Sea of Azov by the use of its naval power, a violation of international law that would severely harm Ukraine’s economic and security situation if it goes unchallenged.

There are some short-term solutions like shifting Ukrainian sea traffic away from Azov ports to Odessa and longer term ones like building a canal between Ukraine and Russian-occupied Crimea (rusjev.net/2018/05/23/kryimskiy-poluostrov-mozhet-stat-ostrovom-ukrgidroproekt-rassmatrivaet-proekt-stroitelstva-chernomorsko-azovskogo-kanala/).

But according to Andrey Klimenko, an expert on Crimea for the Maidan of Foreign Affairs, there are ten steps that Ukrainian specialists on maritime law and military affairs say Kyiv needs to take now or in the immediate future (nv.ua/opinion/a_klymenko/kak-nam-sokhranit-kontrol-nad-azovskim-morem-10-shahov-2471500.html).

These are:

  1. Ukraine must send a note to the Russian foreign ministry stating that it will not respect Moscow’s effort to close the sea near Berdyansk because that it an act of aggression, and Kyiv must also inform all international organizations and especially those who deal with maritime law.
  1. Kyiv must call for an immediate session of the UN Security Council.
  1. It must “immediately denounce the 2003 treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on cooperation in the use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Straits.
  1. Kyiv must declare the Sea of Azov a territorial sea, its internal waters and exclusive maritime economic zone.
  1. It must give orders to the Ukrainian navy and security forces to “take under control the territorial waters of Ukraine in the Sea of Azov.
  1. Kyiv must denounce all agreements with the Russian Federation regarding the use of the Sea of Azov.
  1. It must seek to work with partners to impose sanctions “against all ports of the Russian Federation on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov” to block Russian schemes to avoid existing sanctions regimes.
  1. Kyiv “must develop a plan of crisis measures in order to minimize the negative consequences of the loss of the possibility of using ports on the Sea of Azov.”
  1. It must urge its partners to “create an international naval union (Ukraine-Georgia, Ukraine-Romania, Ukraine-Georgia-Romania, possibly with the participation of Turkey” to protect naval and coastal infrastructure in Ukraine.
  1. Kyiv must “do an analysis and secure ratification by Ukraine” to the full list of international conventions and agreements concerning maritime operations.

These ten measures are likely to inform Kyiv’s policies in the coming days if as expected Russia moves to tighten its control over the Sea of Azov and the Kerch straits.

Decades Of Unconstitutional Wars – OpEd

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Despite United States Congress members insisting that Congress debate and vote on US military actions overseas, congressional leadership has chosen inaction, allowing military actions unilaterally pursued by the executive branch to continue unrestrained. And, when, this year, consideration has begun to move forward on an authorization for use of military force (AUMF), it is in the form of legislation (S.J.Res. 59) sponsored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) that would rubber-stamp the US government’s existing wars and sweepingly authorize the executive branch to choose to pursue much more additional military action across the world.

How did we reach this situation so far removed from the US Constitution’s dictate that Congress alone decides if the US goes to war, as well as what is the scope of any such wars? Constitutional scholar Louis Fisher examines this question in detail in his article “Unconstitutional Wars from Truman Forward” in the latest issue of the Center for the Study of Statesmanship’s journal Humanitas.

In his article, Fisher, who is a member of the Ron Paul Institute Academic Board, lays out the clear direction in the Constitution that it is Congress alone that has the power to place the US into war as well as to define the limits of any war it authorizes. Fisher supports this argument with a discussion of both the wording of the Constitution and context including statements of Founding Fathers.

The legislature’s power over war, Fisher notes, was recognized in the judiciary in the early years of the US. As an example, Fisher discusses an 1804 US Supreme Court decision requiring the payment of damages for a US naval captain seizing a Danish ship that was sailing from a French port. President John Adams, in ordering the seizing of ships sailing to or from French ports in the Quasi-War, had ordered actions beyond the scope of congressional authorization that only said ships could be seized that were sailing to French ports.

Then, in 1936, the US Supreme Court decision in the case United States v. Curtis-Wright Export Corporation included dicta (comments made in a decision though not part of the decision’s holding or the reasoning used to reach the holding) supporting expansive presidential power to unilaterally pursue war. While Fisher, in his article, shows in detail the faults with the dicta, he also notes that the argument presented in the dicta has “expanded presidential power from one decade to the next.”

Another avenue supporting expanded presidential powers in regard to war, which Fisher explores in detail, is presidents pointing to international organizations, whether the United Nations (UN) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to improperly attempt to justify military actions without congressional authorization. Similarly, Fisher critiques arguments rooted in the War Powers Resolution and the 2001 AUMF related to the September 11, 2001 attacks in America and the 2002 AUMF regarding Iraq for excusing the executive branch unilaterally pursuing military actions around the world.

Read Fisher’s article here.

This article was published by RonPaul Institute.


Why Modi Government’s Ramzan Ceasefire In Kashmir Is Doomed To Fail – Analysis

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By Manoj Joshi

The ceasefire ordered by the government is a poor copy of the one that was initiated by the Vajpayee government between November 2000 to May 2001. That was a carefully prepared event towards making peace in Kashmir by engaging the separatists and the militants and bypassing the Pakistanis.

A lot of behind-the-scenes work with the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) went into it. And it came apart because of systematic ISI pressure. First, after supporting it, the HM chief Salahuddin who resides in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, renounced his support.

Chaotic ceasefire

It was viewed seriously enough by the ISI that it triggered an attack on the Red Fort by Lashkar-e-Tayyeba terrorists and a suicide bombing at the headquarters of the Army’s 15 Corps in Srinagar. It led to severe infighting in the APHC and the eventual assassinations of the principal advocates of peace, HM deputy chief Abdul Majid Dar and Abdul Ghani Lone. Eventually, New Delhi threw in the towel and invited Musharraf for talks in Agra.

The current non-initiation of combat operations (NICO), to give the ceasefire a more precise name, comes in a confused and chaotic circumstance, in the middle of the government’s blood and iron strategy to finish off militancy for good in the state.

There is no doubt that the NICO will be a boon to the militants who have been under enormous pressure. But it has not even got token support from the militants of any stripe, or, for that matter, the so-called joint resistance leadership, who also doubles as the APHC.

From Clausewitz onwards, military strategists acknowledge that military operations are a means of fulfilling political ends. In the case of the Modi government in Kashmir, it is difficult to discern any other goals other than to militarily finish off the militancy.

Though the Prime Minister’s two-hour stop-over in Srinagar on Saturday to inaugurate a hydro project is being conflated as some kind of a political gesture, the fact is that there is no discernible political initiative accompanying the ceasefire. His last set of golden words, uttered while inaugurating another project in April, were his standard wordplay—“the youth of Kashmir have two ways ahead, on one hand you have tourism and on the other terrorism.”

There are problems with this approach and the current NICO appears to be aimed at heading them off. In what is increasingly appearing to be a failed policy, the removal of armed gunmen from the scene is only leading to their replacement by a radicalised mass of young Kashmiris who are increasingly ready to sacrifice their lives in attacking military convoys and even tourist groups with stones.

Mob fury

So far, rules of engagement have prevented mass casualties, but the recent lynching of a JCO and the killing of a tourist signal a situation that is slowly getting out of hand with the crowds escalating their violence using stones, Molotov cocktails. The Army is simply not trained to deal with this unless the government intends to give them the freedom to deal with the situation like the Israeli Army which does not hesitate to shoot at violent, but unarmed protestors.

The difference is that while the Israeli soldiers are killing “the enemy”, Indian soldiers will be asked to fire at their own unarmed, albeit violent countrymen.

Different tactics

The big challenge is to evolve tactics to deal with these mobs. For long it has been clear that the Army is not the right kind of force to deal with this because it is not equipped to handle violent but unarmed mobs. This is not an uncommon challenge, it is confronted by police forces across the world in Germany, France, South Korea or Brazil.

The handling requires special tactics, equipment, a very high level of training and psychological conditioning and a significant mass of personnel who would have to be deployed across the Valley.

Though the Modi government is an expert in appropriating ideas and icons, it seems to lack the creative ability or the executive skills to go beyond simple copying. The same seems to be the case with the ceasefire or NICO.

Experience should tell us that the problem has two tracks – the Pakistani and the domestic – which must be simultaneously engaged and the process synchronised in a manner that ensures that both move at the same pace.

Engaging one and not the other doesn’t work, neither does an uncoordinated procedure. More than anything else, it also requires a point man who has the prime minister’s authority. As of now, all these seem to be lacking and so, there is little chance that there will be any forward movement.

This commentary originally appeared in Dailyo

Is Pakistan Army Chief’s Offer For Talks Serious? – Analysis

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By Harsh Kakkar

Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had recently stated, during the passing out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy, that “it is our sincere belief that the route to peaceful resolution of Indo-Pak disputes, including the core issues of Kashmir, can be found through comprehensive and meaningful dialogue”. He added, “while such dialogue is no favour to any party, it remains the inevitable precursor to peace across the region. Pakistan remains committed to such a dialogue, but only on the basis of sovereign equality, dignity and honour.”

This is the second time that he has made such a statement. The first was when he addressed the senate in December last year. On that occasion, he stated, “the military is ready to back political leadership’s initiative for normalisation of relations with India.”

Addressing a group of visiting South Asian journalists, Pakistan’s army spokesperson, General Ghafoor, echoed their chief’s words, stating that the army is ready to formally inject itself into any dialogue process with India. He went on to state that there was a trust deficit between the two countries and the time had come to move forward. He stated that the SAARC could be the most effective forum, if it could be revived. Pakistan has been raising the SAARC bogey recently, as the organisation remains in cold storage since India, supported by close allies, refused to attend the meet in Islamabad in 2016. Gen. Ghafoor’s words matching those of his chief, were aimed at conveying the message, hoping India takes the first step.

The Pakistan army has been blaming India for all their ills, whether it is their homegrown terror group, TTP, uprising in Baluchistan and FATA or the current US approach to them. Even the rising PTM movement, though peaceful, is being accused of India backing. For them, Indian presence in Afghanistan is an anathema. They have never shown any change in outlook towards India, whether it be reducing support to international terrorists who head anti-India groups, reducing infiltration, ceasefire violations or controlling funding to the Hurriyat.

General Bajwa’s comment that such a dialogue can only be on the basis of dignity and honour is laid bare by the simultaneous anti-India actions. India’s stand has not wavered since Modi undertook the Lahore visit and was rewarded by Pathankot. India has stood by its statement that ‘talks and terror’ cannot go hand in hand. India would remain adamant and it can afford to.

Pakistan on the other hand is facing an increased threat from the rapidly growing PTM movement and unending TTP attacks. In addition is the poor state of its economy, push by China to resolve its issues with India, growing conventional disparity and increasing Indian footprint in Afghanistan. Indian refusal to join the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) reduces income to the CPEC, adding to Pakistan’s economic deficits. International pressure continues to mount on Pakistan to do more against terror groups and resolve issues with India. Therefore, India remains on strong ground.

Over the years, India too has continuously been making errors in its foreign policy approach. First, it has always engaged the Pakistan civilian leadership, hoping it would reign in the deep state. This has never happened, the result being a terror strike, every time some progress appears on the horizon. Second, while every nation engages the Pakistan army chief, aware that he holds all the cards, India ignores him. The reason for India ignoring him is possibly avoiding giving similar importance to its own army chief.

Third, India has always adopted a civilian dominated foreign policy, ignoring military diplomacy. Thus, the true seat of power in Pakistan has never been interacted with nor addressed. Enabling military delegations to meet at a neutral venue enhancing military to military contacts may break the deadlock between the two countries. However, bureaucrats fearing success in military diplomacy would prefer marring relations with Pakistan, rather than risking it.

In the present instance, the government has failed to realise that both General Bajwa and Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat had served simultaneously in the same mission in Congo. While General Rawat commanded the North Kivu Brigade, General Bajwa commanded the South Kivu Brigade. Both were under India’s ex-army chief, General Bikram Singh, and hence would know one another.

India is being cautious as it has been bitten by Pakistan on multiple occasions. Further, with elections due in 2019, any attempts to initiate dialogue with Pakistan, if countered by a terror strike, would impact the standing of the present government and be exploited by the opposition. Therefore, it has not commented on the offer of the Pakistan army chief. The offer did receive support from the local parties of Jammu and Kashmir — PDP and NC leadership. While the two NSAs remain in contact, there has been no further progress.

Such an action would have conveyed the message that its intentions are genuine, compelling India to take note. On the contrary, the first few days of Ramadan witnessed heightened ceasefire violations leading to civilian casualties on both sides.

Pakistan must enhance mutual confidence, as India impacted by past experiences, is unwilling to accept mere words, even if they flow from their army chief. Unless there are positive indicators from Pakistan, nothing would change. India would continue to rise economically, while Pakistan would flounder. India can afford to enhance military power, while Pakistan can only do so at the risk of further harming its economy. Thus, India would always remain in the driver’s seat.

Rice Becomes Less Nutritious As CO2 Levels Rise

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Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will reduce the nutritional value of rice, according to an international research team that analyzed rice samples from field experiments started by a University of Tokyo professor. Specifically, iron, zinc, protein, and vitamins B1, B2, B5, and B9, were reduced in rice grown under higher carbon dioxide concentrations expected in the second half of this century (568 to 590 parts per million).

“Rice is not just a major source of calories, but also proteins and vitamins for many people in developing countries and for poorer communities within developed countries,” said Professor Kazuhiko Kobayashi of the University of Tokyo, co-author of the recent study and expert in effects of air pollution on agriculture.

Populations in countries with both the highest rice consumption and lowest gross domestic product may experience more malnutrition as the nutritional value of low-cost staple foods like rice declines. Not all varieties of rice responded in the same way, so future research projects may examine the possibility of finding varieties of rice that can remain nutritious despite the change in the atmosphere.

The rice was grown at research sites in China and Japan using an open-field method where researchers build 17-meter-wide (56-foot-wide) plastic pipe octagons elevated about 30 centimeters (1 foot) above the tops of plants within standard rice fields. A network of sensors and monitors measure wind speed and direction to determine how much carbon dioxide is released out of the pipes to raise the local carbon dioxide concentration to the desired experimental level. The technique is known as Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE).

“I first started using this technique in 1998, because we knew that plants raised in a plastic or glass house do not grow the same as plants in normal, open field conditions. This technique allows us to test the effects of higher carbon dioxide concentrations on plants growing in the same conditions that farmers really will grow them some decades later in this century,” said Kobayashi.

Local wildlife has sometimes added an additional challenge to the research. “At our first field site, we learned we have to keep all of the pipes and tubes above the ground because raccoons kept chewing through everything and jeopardized the experiment,” said Kobayashi.

Researchers analyzed a total of 18 different varieties of rice for protein, iron, and zinc levels. Nine varieties of rice grown in China were used for the vitamin B1, B2, B5, and B9 analyses. Other common names for the vitamins are thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pantothenic acid (B5), and folate (B9).

Six hundred million people primarily in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Madagascar consume at least 50 percent of their daily energy and/or protein directly from rice. This was also true in Japan during the 1960s, but current Japanese receive only about 20 percent of their daily food energy from rice.

The Trouble With Iran – OpEd

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That the current Iranian regime poses a problem for the free world is a fact of life. It even poses a problem for Russia, its de facto ally in the Syrian conflict. But the Iranian dilemma comes into even sharper focus following US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, and the escalation of long-standing tensions between Iran and Israel into open military skirmishes.

Today’s difficulties stem back to the Iranian revolution of 1979, which chased the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, from the Peacock Throne. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the revolution, believed fervently that he was on a holy mission to rid Iran – and possibly the world − of what he saw as Western corruption and degeneracy, and to return his country, under an Islamic theocracy, to religious purity.

Khomeini and his radical Shia Muslim regime was viscerally opposed to 80 percent of the Islamic world − the Sunni branch of Islam − and in particular to its leading state, Saudi Arabia. Rejecting Sunni Islam as apostasy, Khomeini claimed to be the leader of the entire Muslim world, a claim rejected by the Sunni Muslim rulers of the Middle East. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Khomeini declared that Mecca − which with Medina, two of Islam’s holiest shrines, lies within Saudi Arabia − was in the hands of “a band of heretics” and should be liberated by true Muslims.

Khomeini’s burning belief in the uncontestable validity of his mission led him to undertake and to commission acts of terror against Sunni Muslims and the West, regardless of the loss of life involved. Starting in the 1980s, a wave of kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations were carried out across the world, maintained after his death in 1989 by his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khameini. These include the blowing up in 1983 of a van filled with explosives in front of the US embassy in Beirut, killing 58 Americans and Lebanese, and the bombing in the same year of the US Marine and French Drakkar barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 American and 58 French peacekeepers. On May 30, 2003, a US federal judge ruled that Hezbollah carried out the attack at the direction of the Iranian government.

In 1989 Khomeini put a fatwa on Indian-born British author Salman Rushdie because of his novel The Satanic Verses, and the Iranian government offered $2.5 million for his murder. A bombing in London in August 1989 was assumed to be a failed Hezbollah assassination attempt.

In 1992 Hezbollah operatives boasted of their involvement in the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina killing 29 people. Two years later Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina and the subsequent death of 85 people. Argentinian courts concluded that Iran was behind the attacks.

And so the list continues, spanning the globe – 21 people, including 12 Jews, killed in an airplane attack in Panama in 1994; the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing inside Saudi Arabia killing 19 US servicemen; the 2005 assassination of one-time Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri; the 2012 Burgas bus bombing in Bulgaria killing 6; on and on…

The deal to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for a lifting of sanctions − a high-water mark of ex-US President Barack Obama’s legacy − was pursued on the grounds that it would encourage Iran to adopt a more reasonable approach to its dealings with the West, and might even end decades of hostility.

In the event the opposite has been the case. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard have spent the billions of dollars they have acquired in expanding their malign influence throughout the Middle East. Over the past three years Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon and Israel have all been on the receiving end of unprovoked acts of Iranian aggression.

In Syria, Iran has used its alliance with Assad to build what amounts to a state-within-a state, just as it did in neighboring Lebanon in the 1980s when it set up Hezbollah. Until Israel’s recent air attack which disabled much of Iran’s military infrastructure in Syria, the Guard had its own airfield, underground command and control facilities, thousands of missiles, its own dedicated drone base, and an estimated 20,000 Iranian-trained militiamen at its disposal. The purpose of this investment, it seems clear, was to increase Iran’s ability to confront Israel across the Golan Heights, while Hezbollah – armed and equipped by Iran – tackles Israel from south Lebanon.

It is doubtful if Iran’s strategic objectives have the backing of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. It was widely reported that Israel’s airstrikes on Iranian positions within Syria had been the subject of an understanding with Russia, and that in consequence there was never any danger of a military confrontation between them. In fact a day or two later, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, flew to Moscow for face-to-face discussions with Putin.

Moreover, Iran’s regional ambitions, both religious and political, lie well beyond Russia’s aims for Syria. Putin intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015 in order to secure Russia’s military foothold in western Syria. This he has achieved, gaining the additional bonus of a vastly enhanced political presence in the Middle East. Now he is looking to secure some sort of political compromise and to back out. Putin understands perfectly well that any final settlement cannot leave Iran entrenched inside Syria as a permanent military and political force. Netanyahu must have made it quite clear that Israel, with whom Putin seeks a close relationship, would not permit it, and would itself destroy any military infrastructure if need be.

Meanwhile the problem of how to deal with Iran remains. Trump favors bankrupting it with sanctions, in the hope, perhaps, that deteriorating economic conditions will induce the population to rise up and overturn the regime − or that perhaps, in line with his interchange with the North Koreans, the Iranian leadership would respond to determined opposition by agreeing to recast the nuclear deal. Alternatively, there is the course that remains the bedrock of Obama’s and the Europeans’ policy – to attempt to bribe the Iranian regime by continuing to lift sanctions and encouraging lucrative trade deals, letting the nuclear consequences take care of themselves.

Which is more likely to yield an effective and lasting result?

Cigarette Smoke Directly Damages Muscles In The Body

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Not only is smoking bad for your lungs, but new research shows that components in cigarette smoke directly damages your muscles. The research, published in The Journal of Physiology, indicates that smoking decreases the number of small blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to muscles in the legs.

We know that smoking limits a person’s ability to exercise because it makes their muscles weaker. It was widely believed this muscle weakness is because the lungs become inflamed and eventually destroyed by habitual smoking, therefore limiting activity and exercise.

However, the findings of this study suggest that cigarette smoke directly damages muscles by reducing the number of blood vessels in leg muscles, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen and nutrients they can receive. This can impact metabolism and activity levels, both of which are risk factors for many chronic diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes.

The research conducted by the University of California, San Diego in conjunction with Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Kochi University, involved exposing mice to smoke from tobacco cigarettes for 8 weeks, either by inhalation or by injecting mice with a solution bubbled with smoke.

The study did not identify which of the approximately 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke are responsible for this muscle damage. Identification of the responsible chemicals is a key avenue of further research, along with understanding the process by which they reduce the number of blood vessels.

Ellen Breen, the lead investigator commented on the study: “It is vitally important that we show people that the use of tobacco cigarettes has harmful consequences throughout the body, including large muscle groups needed for daily living, and develop strategies to stop the damage triggered by the detrimental components of cigarette smoke.”

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