Alien Stone Found in Egypt Has Scientists Questioning Everything About Our Solar System

(ANTIMEDIA) — The latest research on an extraterrestrial stone discovered in Egypt has shown its mineral composition is unlike anything found in our solar system. Further, researchers say the formation of the stone predates the sun, forcing the scientific community to question traditionally held beliefs about how the solar system itself was created.

The “Hypatia” stone, named for Hypatia of Alexandria, the first prominent Western female astronomer and mathematician, was first discovered in 1996. By 2013, scientists had proven that the rock, which is broken into pebble fragments, was not from Earth. Two years later, it was established that Hypatia had not come to Earth from any known comet or meteorite.

Now, in a newly published study, a research team from the University of Johannesburg has revealed that even less is known about the mysterious rock than previously thought.

“When Hypatia was first found to be extraterrestrial, it was a sensation, but these latest results are opening up even bigger questions about its origins,” said Dr. Marco Andreoli, a research fellow at the School of Geosciences at the University of the Witwatersrand and a member of the study team.

That team, led by geochemistry professor Jan Kramers, describes the internal structure of the Hypatia stone as something like a fruitcake that’s fallen off a shelf and landed in a pile of flour. The cake dough represents the majority of the stone’s makeup, the fruits and nuts are the mineral grains, and the flour is the material picked up by the stone when it impacted Earth.

To discover how Hypatia formed, the team analyzed the mineral compounds contained within the stone’s fragments. What they found was that the combinations of minerals were unlike anything else known to exist in our solar system.

For instance, Hypatia has the opposite ratio of carbons to silicons found in known types of meteorites. What’s more, this unique mixture that makes up the stone appears to have formed in pre-solar time — meaning before the sun and the planets of our solar system.

These discoveries, which suggest the Hypatia stone formed outside our solar system and long before it was even created, are forcing scientists to reexamine the prevailing theory that the solar system came about when a nebula collapsed into the sun and the remaining material formed the planets.

Future analysis will no doubt provide even more startling details about Earth’s most mysterious rock, but as professor Kramers states, revelations about Hypatia’s origins are already “tugging at the generally accepted view of the formation of our solar system.”

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Trump Condemns "Horrible And Cowardly" Egypt Mosque Attack As Death Toll Hits 235

Update: After holding an emergency cabinet meeting, Egypt"s el-Sisi, speaking publicly about today"s attack for the first time, vowed that the perpetrators wouldn"t go unpunished. El-Sisi earlier declared a State of Emergency and three-day morning period following the attack.

However, many on twitter blamed el-Sisi"s policies for emboldening the militants.

 

Worst thing about the massive terror attack in #Sinai ?
It will give justification to the likes of #Sisi and #Trump and their so called War on Terror.#Egyptians will pay with more loss of freedom- if that is at all possible.

— Amr Khalifa (@Cairo67Unedited) November 24, 2017

 

* * *

Update: President Donald Trump has offered his condolences to the families of the victims in today"s shooting at a Mosque in the Northern Sinai Peninsula: The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence!

 

Horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenseless worshipers in Egypt. The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2017

 

* * *

Early Friday, militants armed with guns and explosives stormed a mosque in Egypt’s troubled northern Sinai Peninsula on Friday, killing at least 235 people and wounding at least 120 others, according to Bloomberg, in what appears to be the deadliest mass killing in Egypt since the 2013 attack in Rabaa al-Adawiya, where soldiers loyal to present-day leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi murdered as many as 900 Islamists who had gathered in the square for a nonviolent sit-in.

The assault west of the town of El-Arish in Sinai targeted people gathered for Friday prayers, when mosques in Egypt often overflow with worshipers. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Yet Sinai province, a triangular piece of land bordering southern Israel and the Gaza Strip, has been a key battleground in the government’s battle against a local branch of Islamic State. Al-Arabiya and other local sources said some of the worshippers were Sufis. Islamic State regards them as apostates because they revere saints and shrines, which hardliners believe is tantamount to heresy.

El-Sisi has declared three days of mourning, according to Shorouk News. State TV reports five militants were involved in the attack.

While the bombings aren’t seen as threatening the stability of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s government, they’ve devastated the tourist industry, a vital pillar of the economy, according to Bloomberg. El-Sisi called a meeting with the security committee following the mass killing, according to the state-run television said.

Grisly images of the attack have emerged on social media showing bodies covered in bloody sheets.

 

??? ??? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? #?????? ??? ????? #?????? ??? ???? .#?????#????????? pic.twitter.com/ubBl1y7bRq

— Sinai News - ????? ???? (@sinai_news_1) November 24, 2017

 

According to Bloomberg, militants in four vehicles drove up to the mosque, set off an improvised explosive device outside the building and opened fire on people praying inside, according to a senior official in the north Sinai security directorate who asked not to be named. Locals took up weapons to help thwart the attackers, the official said. The suspects fled as security forces arrived.

While the majority of the militant violence has been confined to the northern part of the Sinai, it has on occasion spilled over to Cairo and other main cities. Meanwhile, attacks against Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority have killed dozens.

According to Russia Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered condolences to al-Sisi, describing Friday’s attack as cruel and cynical.

"The murder of civilians in the course of a religious service is striking with its cruelty and cynicism. We are once again convinced that the notion of human morality is absolutely alien to terrorists," Putin said in a telegram of condolences.

As the BBC points out, Northern Sinai has been living under a media blackout over the past few years. No media organisations, including state-sponsored media, have been allowed to travel there.

Friday’s mass killing comes after at least 54 police, including 20 officers and 34 conscripts, were killed during a raid on a militant hideout south-west of Cairo. The team was ambushed, and the ensuing firefight resulted in one of the largest death tolls for Egypt’s security forces in recent years. Authorities replaced the military’s chief of staff and almost a dozen top police officials following the incident. Of course, the major difference beteen Friday"s attack and the 2013 massacre at Rabaa al-Adawiya is that the latter was perpetrated by the Egyptian government, which has tried to wipe out all memory of the killing in the years since.

Mysterious Discovery Inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid Baffles Scientists

(ANTIMEDIA) — The Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has long tantalized historians and scientists. Despite being one of the most feverishly studied historical relics, the internal structure of the Great Pyramid has not yielded a significant discovery since the 19th century and, as such, it is still considered to be one of the most mysterious places on Earth. Discussions of the origin and purpose of the Great Pyramids are published in perpetuity in academic journals and internet forums alike. The newest peer-reviewed revelation, published in Nature, is sure to generate a fresh wave of hysteria. According to an international team of scientists, there is a mysterious void, a massive hidden chamber, nestled inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The discovery was made using a non-invasive cutting-edge technique called cosmic-ray imaging, or muon tomography. The newly discovered chamber is 100 feet long and located above the pyramid’s so-called Grand Gallery, which is one of the ancient tomb’s larger labyrinthine passageways.

Researchers are unsure what the purpose of this new chamber was, though some have speculated that it was used as a point of leverage during the original construction of the pyramid in 2560 BC.

Aidan Dodson, an Egyptologist at the University of Bristol, believes the newly discovered chamber could answer questions about how the builders of the mammoth structure operated inside.

“The pyramid’s burial chamber and sarcophagus have already been discovered, so this new area was more likely kept empty above the Grand Gallery to reduce the weight of stone pressing down on its ceiling,” he said.

“We don’t know for the moment if it’s horizontal or inclined, [or] if it is made from one structure or several successive structures,” said Mehdi Tayoubi, president and co-founder of the HIP Institute in France and one of the leaders of the study.

“What we are sure about is that this big void is there, that it is impressive, that it was not expected by, as far as I know, any kind of theory.”

Mehdi added that such a void cannot be an accident.

Hany Helal of Cairo University says the study intended to reveal more about the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt’s Old Kingdom period of history during the reign of the Pharaoh Khufu. While the team did not originally intend to seek out hidden chambers, they are now faced with a new mystery that will likely be a hotly debated topic for years.

“We open the question to Egyptologists and archaeologists,” Helal said of the enigmatic void, “what could it be?”

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Qatar Formally Rejects Outrageous Saudi-Led Demands

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, instituting a land, sea and air blockade, an undeclared act of war.

A baker’s dozen of outrageous demands were made to be rejected, not accepted by Qatar.

They include curbing ties with Iran, shutting down Al-Jazeera and other news outlets Qatar controls, ending military cooperation with Turkey, paying reparations to Riyadh and its rogue allies, among others – and comply in 10 days or they become invalid.

Time expires today, extended by 48 hours, but it didn’t matter. As expected, Qatar rejected the ultimatum, replying by handwritten letter to the four countries.

They plan to meet in Cairo this week to decide their next moves. It’s unclear if they’ll impose illegal sanctions or something harsher.

They’re evaluating Qatar’s response before deciding how to proceed. Its contents aren’t publicly known.

By phone on Sunday, Trump spoke separately with leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, discussing his “concerns about the ongoing dispute.”

According to the White House, he urged “unity in the region,” and cooperation in combating terrorism America and the rogue quartet support – without further elaboration.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Al Attiyah earlier said demands on his government were “meant to be rejected.”

Last Saturday, he offered “a proper condition for dialogue,” with no further explanation. In Riyadh, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel urged resolving things diplomatically.

What’s next is unknown so far. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said the four countries will shortly decide future steps in dealing with Qatar as well as “exchange points of view and evaluation of the existing international and regional contacts in this connection.”

Qatar indicated it won’t back down. In a video message, Al-Jazeera said “(w)e too have demands…We demand press freedom.”

Qatari Defense Minister al-Attiyah said his nation isn’t “easy to be swallowed by anyone…We stand ready to defend our country.”

With neither side backing down, resolving the dispute won’t come easily.

Senator Corker Blocks Arms Sales to Gulf States Over Qatar Row

During his May visit to the Riyadh, Trump and the Saudi family dictatorship agreed to at least a $300 billion US arms sales deal with the kingdom over the next decade.

Because of the row between Riyadh, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt and Qatar, Senator Bob Corker (R. TN) blocked it until things are resolved, in a letter to Rex Tillerson, saying:

Saudi-led Gulf states “did not take advantage of the summit (with Trump) and instead chose to devolve into conflict…hurt(ing)” America’s regional agenda.

“(B)efore we provide any further clearances during the informal review period on sales of lethal military equipment to the GCC states, we need a better understanding of the path to resolve the current dispute and reunify the GCC.”

Major arms deals require preliminary approval by leaders of the House and Senate foreign relations committees – before the statuary 30-day congressional review process begins to approve or reject these deals.

Talks among the parties are deadlocked. Irreconcilable differences remain. A sweeping 13-point ultimatum by Saudi-led three Gulf states and Egypt would be unacceptable to any nation wishing to retain its sovereignty.

Qatar rejected them as “baseless and unacceptable.” On Tuesday, Riyadh said they’re “non-negotiable,” Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir, saying:

“We made our point. We took our steps and it’s up to the Qataris to amend their behavior, and once they do, things will be worked out, but if they don’t they will remain isolated. They know what they have to do.”

US efforts to resolve the row so far failed. Qatar has been blockaded for three weeks. According to UAE spokesman Omar Ghobash, Doha hasn’t “respond(ed) positively to what we sent.”

Asked if the row could escalate to military conflict, he said “(n)ot from our side…We’ll cut all our ties with Qatar, economic, political, and even social…”

A July 3 deadline for Qatar to accept unacceptable demands is days away. Asked what happens if things aren’t resolved by then, Ghobash said “we’d no longer be interested in bringing Qatar back into the Gulf and Arab fold.”

Days earlier, White House press secretary Sean Spicer called the spat “a family issue (to be) work(ed) out (among) themselves.”

Tillerson called demands on Qatar “very difficult to meet.” US arms sales to the Gulf States is big business.

According to the Congressional Research Service, during the four-year 2012 – 2015 period, Riyadh bought $17 billion worth of weapons and munitions, Qatar $9.9 billion, Kuwait $4.4 billion, the UAE $4.2 billion, Oman $900 million, and Bahrain $300 million.

These are billions of dollars of reasons alone why Washington will pressure all sides to resolve things.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar: Irreconcilable Differences

Both oil-rich countries are rogue states. They’re family dictatorships, state-sponsors of terrorism, guilty of high crimes against peace, defiant of rule of law principles.

Riyadh and its rogue allies (the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt) want Doha transformed into a subservient vassal state, its resources exploited, its wealth stolen, perhaps regime change demanded next.

A sweeping 13-point ultimatum reads like post-WW I Versailles terms – unacceptable to any nation wishing to retain its sovereignty. Here’s the dirty baker’s dozen:

1. Curb diplomatic ties with Iran. Close its diplomatic missions. Expel members of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. Agree to commerce and trade allowed by the JCPOA nuclear deal alone.

Both countries share a common natural gas field, its production and possible pipeline plans not likely to be abandoned.

2. Sever ties with terrorist organizations, not ones Qatar, Riyadh and its rogue allies support, just the Muslim Brotherhood and Hezbollah.

Neither is a terrorist organization. Hezbollah is a legitimately elected part of Lebanon’s government.

3. Shut down Al-Jazeera, the Qatari owned, funded and operated propaganda service.

4. Shut down other news outlets Qatar funds, directly and indirectly, including Arabi21, Rassd, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and Middle East Eye.

5. Expel Turkish forces from the country. End internal joint military cooperation.

6. Cease funding and supporting all groups and individuals designated by Riyadh and its rogue allies as terrorists.

7. Hand over alleged “terrorist figures” and other individuals wanted by Riyadh and its allies. Freeze their assets and provide information on their location, movements and finances.

8. Stop granting citizenship to individuals wanted by the Saudis and its allies. Stop alleged interference in their internal affairs. Revoke citizenship for individuals demanded by these countries.

9. Cease contractual relations with designated political opponents of the Saudi dictatorship and its rogue allies. Hand over all documents explaining contacts and relations with these groups and individuals.

10. Pay reparations to Riyadh and its allies for alleged loss of life and financial losses, the sum to be determined.

11. Consent to monthly audits for a year, quarterly for a second year, for the next decade Qatar to be monitored annually for compliance.

12. Ally with other Gulf States and other Arab nations politically, economically, militarily and socially – in line with a 2014 agreement with Riyadh.

13. Agree to all of the above in 10 days or the demands become invalid – no further elaboration on what’s next if Qatar refuses.

It’s unimaginable any country would accept these demands willingly. They amount to unacceptable unconditional surrender.

How Washington intends dealing with this situation remains to be seen. On Wednesday, Rex Tillerson said demands on Qatar should be “reasonable and actionable,” adding:

“We support” Kuwait acting as mediator, “and look forward to this matter moving toward a resolution.”

Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Abdulrahman al-Thani earlier rejected interference in his country’s internal affairs.

Doha’s ambassador to Washington Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani stressed “Qatar has the right to chart its own course, without the interference of other nations, and that is what we can and will do. The door to the negotiating table will stay open.”

Riyadh and its rogue allies slammed it shut with their unacceptable demands. What comes next may further destabilize the region.

A Final Comment

In response to the 13-point ultimatum, Qatari communications office director Sheikh Saif al-Thani said the following:

“This list of demands confirms what Qatar has said from the beginning. The illegal blockade has nothing to do with combating terrorism. It is about limiting Qatar’s sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy.”

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said it’s studying the demands before “prepar(ing) an appropriate response.”

It’s likely to be go to hell in diplomatic language.

Persian Gulf Feud

Riyadh accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism ignores the pernicious regional infestation of Saudi-supported extremist Wahhabism, the ideology connected to ISIS and likeminded groups.

Both countries support regional terrorist groups, both US allies, despite mixed messages from Washington on Qatar.

Secretary of State Tillerson called for “no further escalation by the parties in the region, (urging) calm and thoughtful dialogue” to resolve things, asking other Gulf states to ease their blockade, citing humanitarian reasons ignored by Washington in all its wars.

Qatar is home to the Pentagon’s Central Command, thousands of US military personnel stationed in the country. During his visit to Riyadh, Trump met with emir al-Thani, saying Washington’s “relationship (with the country) is extremely good.”

On Friday, he tone changed, calling Qatar a longtime “funder of terrorism at a very high level…Stop teaching hate. Stop the killing,” he said.

The diplomatic standoff continues. Iran offered Qatar use of its southern ports to import needed goods. The tiny Gulf state is import-dependent.

On Wednesday, an Iranian cargo plane delivered tons of supplies to Qatar. National Agricultural Products Federation of Iran president Reza Nourani said talks are underway to export food to the nation.

It’s currently sending around 50 tons daily to the region. Some of it could be diverted to Qatar. Iranian ships can supply much more of what’s needed.

Turkey’s Erdogan pledged support for the al-Thani regime, one rogue leader supporting another.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Egypt, one of the rival Libyan regimes, the Saudi-supported Yemeni one, and the Maldives cut ties with Qatar, imposing a land and sea blockade.

On Thursday, they designated 59 individuals and 12 entities in the country as terrorist organizations.

Qatar is Turkey’s staunchest regional ally. It plans building a military base in the country to confront unnamed “common enemies,” according to Turkish ambassador Ahmet Demirok.

Ankara is already allied with Qatar militarily, small numbers of its forces in the country. Plans are for many more to be deployed.

Gulf states welcomed Trump’s criticism of Qatar. It has nothing to do with supporting terrorism, no nations more supportive than America, its key NATO allies, Israel, the Saudis and other regional rogue states.

Part of the dispute is over Qatari/Iranian ties and its alleged Muslim Brotherhood support. A larger issue is over control of regional oil, gas, pipelines supplying it and their routes.

If the region wasn’t resource rich, it wouldn’t suffer from endless US-led wars. Syria is targeted for regime change to eliminate an Israeli rival and isolate Iran – ahead of longstanding plans to replace its government with pro-Western puppet rule.

Will Saudi forces invade Qatar to transform the state into a Riyadh satellite? Is Trump signed on to the scheme?

Is another regional war likely besides those raging in Iraq, Syria and Yemen?

Institute for Gulf Affairs director Ali al-Ahmed believes it’s coming. He “received reports of Saudi military movements near the Qatari border” days earlier.

“They are preparing,” he said. If Saudi terror-bombing of Yemen eases, it would indicate a likely move against Qatar, he said.

“I have it on good authority that Trump has already told the Saudis he would have no objection,” he explained. Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain will support the action, he added.

Riyadh wants Qatar reduced to satellite state status, along with control over its resources and cash reserves, said al-Ahmed.

“Saudi Arabia was a state founded on the principle of robbery and looting. That is what the al-Saud originally were: They were desert raiders and looters. They were desert pirates. Now they desperately need money again,” he explained.

If he’s right, Saudi war on Qatar with US and regional support could happen any time.

The Pope in Egypt

The visit of Pope Francis to Egypt on April 28-29, 2017 (previously, the Pope visited the Middle East three years ago – Jordan, Palestine, and Israel in 2014) could have become historical had it not been for the conflict surrounding the DPRK, primarily provoked by the US Administration, which has taken up all the attention of the international community, alongside the Presidential elections in France. When Francis was leaving the ancient Egyptian land, he was asked questions on these topics. He responded reluctantly, preferring being questioned about his first visit to Egypt in 44 years, except for the “pilgrimage”, and in fact, the passing visit of Pope John Paul II in 2000. It was then, in 1973, that Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Shenouda III laid the foundations for the relationship between the Coptic and Catholic churches, the development of which was one of the main objectives of this visit. The declaration adopted in that far year recorded the creation of a commission for a theological dialogue between the two churches, which opened the way for a wider communication between the Catholic Church and the entire family of the Eastern Orthodox churches.

In the landmark document, as emphasized in the new declaration of the Pope of Rome Francis and the Patriarch of Coptic Theodoros (Theodore) the Second, both churches recognized that, in accordance with the apostolic tradition, they profess “one faith in one Triune God” and “in the divinity of the Only Begotten Son of God … a perfect God with respect to His divinity, a perfect man with respect to his humanity.” It was also recognized that “Divine life is given to us and nourishes us through the seven Sacraments” and that “we honour the Virgin Mary, the Mother of True Light,” the “Mother of God.” At that time, it was a breakthrough talking point in the inter-Christian dialogue, especially given the fact that the Coptic Church is Miaphisite (pre-Chalcedonian), which is interpreted (unjustly) by many people as its monophysitism.

In the new declaration, the parties have taken the next steps towards each other in order to demonstrate their readiness to deepen the interaction of the two branches of Christianity. As the spiritual basis for this interaction, it was stated: “Together, we can bear witness to such fundamental values as the sanctity and dignity of the human life, the sanctity of marriage and family, and the respect for all the creatures that God entrusted to us. In the face of many modern problems such as secularization and the globalization of indifference (an interesting new term ­ Author’s note), we are called upon to offer you a common answer based on the values of the Gospels and the treasures of our traditions. In this regard, we are pleased to begin a deeper study of the Eastern and Latin fathers, and we will promote fruitful exchanges in pastoral life, especially with regard to catechesis and the mutual spiritual enrichment of monastic and religious communities.”

Although Francis’ long-awaited April visit to Egypt was intended primarily to give impetus to the theological rapprochement of the two churches, the movement towards eucharistic communication, which was confirmed by the contents of the Joint Declaration, took place when the Copts faced one of the most brutal attacks in their history, and their churches were desecrated on April 9-10 by two terrorist attacks organized by Isis, which claimed almost 50 lives. This tragic coincidence gave a special colour to the visit of the Pope, which the Copts perceived as an act of spiritual support to their coreligionists, which was also reflected in the Joint Declaration, which stressed the desire to ensure the peaceful coexistence of Christians and Muslims in one land. In fact, the apostolic fathers had to resort to the secular liberal rhetoric. To defend the Copts rights, the Declaration includes a note that “all the members of society have the right and duty to participate fully in the life of the country, enjoying full and equal citizenship and cooperating in the building of their country. Religious freedom, including the freedom of conscience, is rooted in human dignity, and is the cornerstone of all other freedoms. This is a sacred and inalienable right.”

It should be recognized that it was precisely this effect (the positioning of the Pope as defender of all Christians, who does not deny liberal values at the same time), which the Vatican counted on. This effect was enhanced by the content of Francis’ meeting with the Imam of the largest Islamic university Al-Azhar University, Ahmed al-Teyib, dedicated to the issues of inter-religious dialogue and the struggle against extremism under religious banners. It is true that Francis was not afraid to talk in public about certain fundamental things concerning religious extremism stained in the colours of Islam. In his address to the Imam, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and members of Government and Parliament, he explicitly recalled the Christian stage of Egyptian life as a world heritage, and stated the need for the unconditional respect of inalienable human rights, such as the equality of all citizens, freedom of religion and freedom of expression, without any distinction. At the same time, (being a true liberal) he referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Chapter 3 of the 2014 Constitution of Egypt, which covers the Copts’ rights for the first time ever in the history of Egypt.

In other words, the objective of the visit was achieved, from the Vatican’s point of view: the visit managed to make another step towards the Copts, bringing them closer, and also scored important points for the Pope in the eyes of Egyptian Christians as a defender of their rights.

If we look at this visit today, we believe that it should not be perceived within the usual rivalry between Moscow and Rome for the souls of Christians and the influence in the Christian world. In any case, not only in this respect. In recent years, all the Christian churches have faced the same challenges that were mentioned in the Joint Declaration of the Pope and the Coptic Patriarch, namely, the aggressive imposition of global neo-liberal “values”, as well as the attempts of certain political forces to completely destroy the Christian presence in the Middle East, where it originated, by the hands of the Muslim Sunni fanatics. These phenomena are pushing all the Christian churches toward rapprochement, and it is no longer important who is heading this movement. In this context, we pay attention to the proximity of the points stated during the visit of the Pope to Cairo and the Joint Declaration of February 13, 2016, promulgated after the meeting of the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow and the All Russia Cyril in Havana. Both documents, with varying degrees of detail and deepening in theological issues, point out one thing: the need for Christians around the world to jointly resist the new challenges and threats that are now truly existential for Christianity.

Let us recall a few words from the Havana Declaration: “Our eyes are directed, first of all, towards those regions of the world where Christians are being persecuted. In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa, our brothers and sisters in Christ are being exterminated as whole families, villages, and cities. Their temples are subjected to barbaric destruction and plunder, shrines are desecrated, and monuments are demolished. In Syria, Iraq, and other countries of the Middle East, we are painfully watching the mass exodus of Christians from the land where the spread of our faith began and where they have lived peacefully since the apostolic times together with other religious communities.” We are urging the international community to act immediately to prevent the further displacement of Christians from the Middle East. Raising our voice in defence of the persecuted Christians, we also sympathize with the sufferings of adherents of other religious traditions that are victims of the civil war, chaos, and terrorist violence.”

Therefore, the visit of Pope Francis to Cairo and his meetings with Islamic representatives, primarily with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, can also be viewed as the implementation of the provisions of the Havana Declaration, including its call for the initiation of an inter-religious dialogue, and, thus, we should welcome it. Apparently, we are witnessing a historical process, which Christians began to overcome their millennial contradictions on a number of theological issues that has long prevented the joint protection of their spiritual values. Obviously, if Christians find a common vision of the foundations of their religion and get a new spiritual energy that will help them reach new horizons, it will be much easier to build a dialogue with the newly reopened Islamic ummah. Today, in the face of aggressive atheism of neoliberals and radical Islam, it becomes a matter of physical survival for them.

Maxim Yegorov, a political observer for the Middle East, exclusively for the online magazine ‘New Eastern Outlook’.

Over 37 Killed In Two Coptic Christian Church Bombings In Egypt; ISIS Claims Responsibility

At least 37 people were killed and more than 100 injured in two separate bombings at Christian Coptic churches packed with worshippers in northern Egypt one week before Coptic Easter, Reuters reports.

The first bombing, in Tanta, a Nile Delta city less than 100 kilometers outside Cairo, killed at least 26 and injured at least 78, Egypt"s Ministry of Health said. The second, carried out just a few hours later by a suicide bomber in Alexandria, hit the historic seat of the Coptic Pope, killing 11, including three police officers, and injuring 35, the ministry added. In a separate explosion, one person has been reported killed in a bombing of the Tanta police academy.

Egyptians gather in front of a bombed Coptic church in Tanta, Egypt, April 9

Shortly after the explosions, ISIS via its al-Amaq news agency, claimed responsibility for the bombings.

#ISIS, via its al-Amaq agency, claiming responsibility for Palm Sunday church bombings in #Egypt.

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 9, 2017

The attacks are the latest in a series of assaults on Egypt"s Christian minority, which makes up around 10% of the population and has been repeatedly targeted by Islamic extremists. They come just one week before Coptic Easter and the same month Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Egypt. The deadly bombing take place as the Islamic State branch in Egypt appears to be stepping up attacks and threats against Christians.  In February, Christian families and students fled Egypt"s North Sinai province after a spate of targeted killings.

Those attacks came after one of the deadliest on Egypt"s Christian minority, when a suicide bomber hit its largest Coptic cathedral, killing at least 25. Islamic State later claimed responsibility for that attack too. 

According to Reuters, CBC TV showed footage from inside the Tanta church, where a large number of people gathered around what appeared to be lifeless, bloody bodies covered with papers. Thousands gathered outside the church in Tanta shortly after the blast, some wearing black, crying, and describing a scene of carnage.

"There was blood all over the floor and body parts scattered," said a Christian woman who was inside the church. "There was a huge explosion in the hall. Fire and smoke filled the room and the injuries were extremely severe," another Christian woman, Vivian Fareeg, said.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail are set to visit the Tanta site on Sunday and Sisi has ordered an emergency national defense council meeting, state news reported.

The spike in bombings marks a deadly shift in Islamic State"s tactics, "which has waged a low-level conflict for years in the Sinai peninsula against soldiers and police, to targeting Christian civilians and broadening its reach into Egypt"s mainland is a potential turning point in a country trying to prevent a provincial insurgency from spiraling into wider sectarian bloodshed."

Egypt"s Christian community has felt increasingly insecure since Islamic State spread through Iraq and Syria in 2014, ruthlessly targeting religious minorities. In 2015, 21 Egyptian Christians working in Libya were killed by Islamic State.

"Of course we feel targeted, there was a bomb here about a week ago but it was dismantled. There"s no security," said another Christian woman in Tanta referring to an attack earlier this month near a police training center that killed one policeman and injured 15..

Copts face regular attacks by Muslim neighbors, who burn their homes and churches in poor rural areas, usually in anger over an inter-faith romance or the construction of a church.

Pope Francis expressed his "deepest condolences" to all Egyptians and to the head of the Coptic Church during his Palm Sunday Mass before tens of thousands of people in St Peter"s Square. "I pray for the dead and the victims. May the Lord convert the hearts of people who sow terror, violence and death and even the hearts of those who produce and traffic in weapons," he said.

In light of recent geopolitical developments, a military response from the US to the two bombings is likely.

Is The U.S. Forcing Egypt Toward A Russian Alliance?

Submitted by James Durso

“The lion is back in his den!”

Hosni Mubarak, former President of Egypt, walked free last week after six years in detention on charges of murder and corruption. What does the U.S. have to show for it? Nothing.

In January 2011, Egyptian activists planned protests against corruption, lack of economic growth, and the heavy-handed police tactics of the recent years.  The protests were scheduled for 25 January in Cairo and across Egypt.  A broad swath of Egyptian activist groups participated, including the Islamists.  The protests quickly escalated and became increasingly violent to the extent that the police were replaced by the military.  At the end of two weeks, Mubarak had dissolved his government, appointed an interim leader, and announced he would not seek re-election in the September 2011 elections.

In early February 2011, on the same day that Vice President, and former intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak would resign as President, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces suspended the constitution and dissolved both houses of Parliament for six months until elections could be held.  In May 2011, Mubarak was charged with the murder of protesters and ordered to stand trial.

The elections of June 2012 handed power to the only organized opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood and its leader, Mohammed Morsi, who promptly tried to install an Islamist constitution and grant himself broader power than had Mubarak.  The secular opposition was upset that the Islamist opposition they helped usher into power would be so…Islamist.  More violent protests ensued. The whole sorry mess came to an end in July 2013, when the military seized power and Morsi’s hand-picked minister of defense, General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, became Egypt’s leader and was elected President in May 2014 with a Chicago-like 93 percent of the vote. 

Where was the U.S. in all this?  Inside the White House, Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Gates favored Mubarak’s gradual transition out of power, concerned that giving a longtime friend of the U.S. the bum’s rush would tell other friendly leaders in the region that the U.S. would buckle if it were them.  President Obama decided, however, the U.S. would be “on the right side of history” by forcing Mubarak from power after only two weeks of protests.  Thus, America forgot that its key audience in the Arab Middle East is the rulers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, not every activist with a Twitter feed. 

As a man once said, "How"s that working out for you?"  For America, not so well:

1. President El-Sisi is cordial with the U.S., but he is hedging his bets by getting closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin whom he has met with several times, in Russia and the Middle East.

2. Egypt has signed contracts with Russian companies for nuclear power reactors and advanced fighter aircraft. Egypt was stung when the U.S. delayed the delivery in 2014 of paid-for attack helicopters Egypt claimed were needed for counter-terror operations in the Sinai Peninsula - the first time the U.S. had used the Foreign Military Sales “nuclear option” of withholding spare parts or denying delivery of equipment. Egypt took the lesson and is diversifying its supplier base.

A key part of supplying military equipment is not just shipping the hardware, it is training the people.  Egypt has traditionally sent its military leaders, including then-Brigadier General El-Sisi to U.S. military schools, where they learned U.S. doctrine, the better able to cooperate with the U.S forces, were exposed to U.S. society and made contacts with future U.S. military leaders.  That opportunity to form relationships with future U.S. leaders may now be diluted.

3. Egypt is seeking Russian training for its forces. In one ironic twist, Russia will be training Egyptian pilots of the Russian Ka-52K Katran attack helicopter that will be based on Egypt’s new French-made Mistral-class amphibious assault ships that were once bound for Russia but not delivered after Russia seized Crimea.

4. Egypt is cooperating with Russia’s support of Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar by allowing the deployment of Russian Forces to the Egypt-Libyan border. Haftar, a renegade Gadaffi regime official who cooperated with U.S. intelligence and lived in the U.S. for two decades, returned to Libya to help oust Gadaffi and later gained command of the largest militia, ­­­­which opposes the UN-recognized, Tripoli-based unity government.

U.S.-Egyptian relations aren’t in dire danger, but Egypt’s relations with the U.S. and Russia may be returning to that of an earlier era, not exactly Nasser’s "positive neutrality," but more independent of the U.S.  And Egypt’s more independent stance will be helped by the recent discovery of an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas - worth about $100 billion - off its Mediterranean coast.

President El-Sisi was the first foreign leader to talk to President-elect Trump, who previously described El-Sisi as a “fantastic guy,” so goodwill is there.  America’s leaders will now have to dedicate time and attention to get Egypt on-side rather than assuming it will be a perennial “Yes” vote for U.S. policies in the region. 

Egypt and Interconnection of the European, Middle Eastern and North African Energy Systems

In the recent years, the Arab Republic of Egypt, one of the most developed Arab countries, has gone through difficult times. In addition to the political instability, Egypt has encountered an energy crisis that had grave consequences for all sectors of the country’s economy. Nevertheless, the country continues remedying the ramifications of the crisis. Supported by its long-standing partner, the Russian Federation, Egypt is striving to become a regional energy leader.

A lion’s share of the Egyptian energy is produced from natural gas and oil products. A shortage of these fossils causes a disrupted supply of energy. In 2014, Egypt sustained one of the most severe energy crisis in the past few decades, which affected both country’s residents and large enterprises, where the latter suffered massive losses. The crisis was so deep that in September 2014, after an accident that had plunged Cairo in complete darkness, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a statement saying that the shortage of power was threatening the very existence of the state. He emphasized that the adverse circumstances had been triggered by a long-term underfinancing of the country’s power production industry. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also noted that the Egyptian power sector was in need of $12 billion investment.

After the incident, the Egyptian government stepped up its efforts to improve energy security. A plan envisaging a reconstruction, modernization and development of the entire energy sector, as well as diversification of energy sources was enacted. Egypt chose to advance the production of both traditional (hydrocarbon-based) and alternative sources of energy (solar, wind, etc.).

The Egyptian nuclear program also received a new impetus. At that time, the country began looking for foreign and private investors. In 2014, Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker announced that the Egyptian leadership had set the development of the country’s energy sector as its main priority. Today, the country is increasing the amount of investment in the development of its power sector. In November 2016, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy announced the allocation of $1.2 billion toward the overhaul of the country’s systems of energy transportation and marketing. Egypt has also committed to the increase of its annual investment in the development of the energy sector to $130 billion by 2030.

However, Egypt, like many other countries of the region, is cautious to rely solely on its own capacities in the matter of energy security. Therefore, it is looking to integrate its energy production network with the networks of neighboring countries to ensure that in case of emergency it would have access to backup power sources. This strategy has been adopted by many states across the globe. The creation of “energy pools” allows participating countries to help each other whenever their own electricity production fails. Pool participants can also sell electricity produced in excess, thus improving the quality of energy resource management and leveraging the power grid load. By today, Egypt has already formed energy coalitions with Jordan and Libya. In the near future other countries of the Arab Maghreb Union (which includes Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), as well as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, might join in.

The most desirable project, however, will be the interconnection of Egyptian and Saudi Arabian energy complexes. Saudi Arabia, being one of the richest Arab countries, is also actively developing its energy sector, including the nuclear and solar power production. Another advantage—by integrating with the Saudi Arabian grid, Egypt would gain access to the power systems of other countries of the Persian Gulf. Since Egypt and Saudi Arabia are separated by an extension of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, they have to run a seabed cable to connect their power grids. The project was launched in 2015. A test run is scheduled for the summer of 2017.

Early this February, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus signed a memorandum of understanding under which the three countries would map out a plan on the pooling of their energy systems. The memorandum was signed by the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company and the Cyprian Euro Africa. The participants are planning to connect the Egypt’s power system with the networks of Greece and Cyprus via the Greek island of Crete. To achieve this goal, a seabed cable would be laid across the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy of Egypt, this is only a part of a larger energy cooperation project engaging European and African countries. According to the Egyptian Minister of Energy Mohamed Shaker, in the next 1.5 years, the parties to the memorandum would produce a feasibility study, calculate the cost of the project and map out an environmental protection plan.

However, resolution of the energy crisis is just a part of the Egypt’s strategy. The country has long been cherishing the idea of becoming a major regional energy center. This is yet another reason why Egypt is seeking to interconnect its power grid with its North African, Mediterranean and Arabic neighbours. The Egyptian leadership expects that a successful implementation of this strategy would allow the country to assume the role of a key mediator of energy exchange between African, European and Middle Eastern countries, boosting the country’s energy security, its economic well-being and international prestige. And Egypt’s geographic location is conducive to the achievement of this goal.

However, it would take much more than mere integration of power grids for Egypt to transform into a major Middle Eastern and North African energy hub. Egypt must first scale up its production of electricity so that it can meet its own energy needs and share the surplus with the partners. And Russia might come in handy for Egypt to attain its goal. In November 2015, Russia and Egypt signed an agreement on the construction of the first nuclear power plant near the Egyptian town of El Dabaa. All the documents required to launch the project’s works should be executed within the first six months of 2017. It is clear that by becoming the first country-producer of nuclear power in North Africa, and one of the first in the Middle East, Egypt would increase its chances for becoming a regional energy leader. However, one NPP might not be sufficient. Prior to the political upheaval of 2011, which restrained the implementation of the Egyptian nuclear program, the country had been planning to build between 5 and 8 NPPs. It is quite possible, though, that the Egyptian leadership will reconsider its old plans.

After all, the creation of an energy pool interconnecting the entire Middle East and North Africa would undoubtedly contribute to the economic prosperity of this vulnerable region, thus contributing to the stabilization of the overall situation in the region.

Dmitry Bokarev, expert politologist, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook“

120 U.S. Generals and Admirals Just Sent Trump a Dire Warning About Diplomacy

(ANTIMEDIA Op-Ed) America’s generals are talking turkey. But we’re not talking about the well-known idiom for “speaking frankly” about a subject … although over 120 retired generals did just send a frank letter in response to a new State Department-slashing budget proposal by President Trump.

In that unusual military missive, a group of “former three- and four-star generals” led by “Retired Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and retired Adm. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme allied commander,” pled with lawmakers and yet another general, new National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, to preserve State Department funding.

Why do these men of war want to make sure Trump doesn’t gut diplomacy? Because they think it is “critical to keeping America safe,” according to a report by CNN on the much-discussed letter.

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Silly generals. Don’t they know that Trump’s $54 billion military budget increase — which all by itself equals 80% of Russia’s total military budget — is all the diplomacy Uncle Sam’s going to need in his blustery new world of nuclear domination? In fact, don’t they know that their never-serving commander-in-chief actually knows more than they do? As ever, it appears that the generals are woefully behind Trump’s tremendous curve.

Or are they?

Because the real turkey some generals are talking is Turkey … as in the strategically located Muslim-majority nation where America stores some of those tantalizing nukes Trump wants to stockpile. It’s also where one of the world’s many strongmen du jour is cracking down on his enemies in the press … along with many, many others.  And it’s where the military has traditionally been the guarantor of the secular nation’s often tenuous democracy. It’s the type of role the military in the United States has (mostly) avoided over the course of American history. At least, that was until Donald Trump became commander-in-chief.

Now, in a mostly overlooked story, Politico has detailed the extent to which Trump’s cabinet of generals has quietly formed a phalanx against the possible excesses of a man who has described himself as the “most militaristic person who will ever meet.” According to Politico, the elevation of Sith Lord-wannabe Steve Bannon set off alarms among Trump’s generals. That order also marginalized Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford. It left “the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, without a permanent seat on the NSC’s most senior body” and put Bannon in the all-important role of being the last person to have Trump’s ear when Mr. Militaristic makes life and death decisions to use kinetic force.

As Politico’s Patrick Granfield wrote (with thanks to additional reporting by the Associated Press), “it was on account of concern with these sorts of half-baked executive orders coming out of the White House that Mattis and Kelly arranged to have one of them in the country at all times during Trump’s initial weeks in office.”

Yes, you read that correctly. Former Generals Mattis and Kelly were alarmed enough by this turn of events to institute a fail-safe plan that made sure one of them was “in the country at all times” … just in case things went off the rails. As Garfield states all too clearly, “it shows that it is military leaders, albeit retired, who feel the need to guard against the overreach of a civilian executive. It’s a phenomenon familiar to countries like Turkey or Egypt, but not the United States. Until now.”

Yup, until now.

Frankly speaking, this notable insight into the generals’ startling machinations fits a fairly clear pattern. Despite the understandable unease many expressed at Trump’s obsession with collecting top brass, they’ve thus far been bulwarks against the excesses of the blaring bugle boy they’ve signed up to serve.

The key moment may have been the National Security state showing the door to the widely disliked Lt. General Michael Flynn. The Strangelovian Flynn was unceremoniously dumped because insiders didn’t like his rosy “Russian to judgment” on Putin. Perhaps just as important, though, may have been his dangerous histrionics about Islam that were tantamount to declaring war on a religion. Coincidentally, it wasn’t too shortly after Flynn “put Iran on notice” that the final leaks washed out his tenure.

The appointment of the widely-respected warrior-scholar Gen. H.R. McMaster to fill that vacancy signaled a big win for the people who know what it means to send people into combat. In fact, while the draft-avoiding Trump was enduring his own “personal Vietnam” by avoiding the lurid landmines of sexually transmitted diseases as he charged into the battlefield of Manhattan’s nightlife, his new National Security Advisor was literally writing the book on Vietnam. And that’s not the only way the two men are not on the same page.

Unlike Trump, McMaster pointedly said that the magic words “Radical Islamic Terrorism” not only lack supernatural implications but are counterproductive to the fight against terrorism. Even better, the head of Trump’s Department of Homeland Security not only contradicted his boss when said he “regretted” the bungled rollout of the “It’s Not A Muslim Ban” Muslim ban, but General John Kelly’s DHS also sent a report to the White House contradicting the claim that the famous “seven countries” pose a risk to the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But Trump knows more than the generals, right?

At least, that’s what a senior administration official believes. That’s why the unnamed official unabashedly told the Journal, “The president asked for an intelligence assessment. This is not the intelligence assessment the president asked for.” Perhaps this was yet more evidence to Kelly and Mattis that during those frenetic first few weeks one of them needed to be “in country” just in case the fight to protect the republic went hot.

So far, the only real heat is coming from the commander-in-chief’s self-serving willingness to deflect the responsibility for the disastrous raid on Yemen. Although the White House still claims it was a tremendous success, the raid yielded no usable intelligence, failed to nab the targeted terrorist, saw a Navy Seal killed and a $75 million plane go up in flames and, perhaps worst of all, a number of women and children killed in the hackneyed operation. But now the Democrats see a sequel to Benghazi, and the father of the fallen SEAL not only refused to meet with Trump but also called for an investigation into the debacle.

So, true to form, the commander-in-chief has blamed the generals for muffing what would otherwise have been a highly-rated episode of his ongoing divorced-from-reality show. And what better place for him to pass the buck than on another divorced from reality show—the feckless fawners of FOX & Friends. As Trump said to the media’s most mendacious ménage a trios:

“This was a mission that was started before I got here. This was something they wanted to do. They came to me, they explained what they wanted to do ― the generals ― who are very respected, my generals are the most respected that we’ve had in many decades, I believe. And they lost Ryan.”

They lost Ryan. Or, to coin a phrase, they didn’t save Chief Petty Officer Ryan Owens. Steve Bannon couldn’t have scripted it any better. Seriously, he literally couldn’t have scripted it better. The movies he made totally sucked. But Trump, who watched a lot of generals on TV in preparation for his candidacy, has obviously been locked and loaded ever since he watched Spielberg’s movie. Like the cynically stagecrafted ovation he produced for CPO Ryan’s heartbroken widow, Trump delivered his blame-shifting lines like a real pro. Unfortunately, the actual pros in the military are now at the whim of a commander-in-chief whose only real allegiance is to himself and his beloved brand identity.

And that’s the real danger the generals now have to guard against — the inherent paranoia that seems to come with the strongman style of governance. Ultimately, when the leader begins to confuse himself with the state — and when culpability for mishaps and malfeasance are opportunities to force underlings to fall on their swords — the generals in tenuous democracies often have to do what the electoral system cannot.

But because America is not Turkey, all Trump can do right now is propose a draconian, government-gutting budget, sign often-ceremonial executive orders, and prioritize brash displays of phallic power over the softer power of diplomacy. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s that soft power the generals want to preserve.

As the missive from the retired generals pointed out, “The State Department, USAID, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way.” They also noted that when he was Commander of U.S. Central Command, Trump’s current Secretary of Defense Secretary James “Mad Dog” Mattis said, “If you don’t fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.”

Unfortunately for us all, that’s exactly what Trump intends to do.

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Egyptian Cloud of Doom or Enduring Desire for Islands

Once started, the crisis in relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt is unstoppable. Let us recall that Riyadh was one of the forces that in 2013 catapulted President A.Sisi to power, although to the untrained observer, this was not obvious. For Riyadh, it was important to remove the Muslim Brotherhood from power, which the Saudi stronghold suspected of being ready to “snort” with Saudi Arabia’s main enemy – Iran. At that time, Saudi authorities hoped that, in exchange, Egypt would become a docile instrument in the hands of the Saudi Kingdom, and would be prepared to align itself to the wishes of its “elder brother”.

Furthermore, Riyadh was convinced that Cairo had nowhere else to turn to, to escape Saudi Arabia’s hot embrace, primarily since Egypt entered a period of long-term economic and social problems, and was thus in dire need of financial and other assistance from the Saudis. In order to ensure that no doubts were raised that things will go on as planned, in April 2016, during King Salman’s “historic” visit to Egypt, A.Sisi was promised large-scale economic assistance amounting to about 25 billion dollars, in addition to the earlier-promised 9 billion dollars. In return, the Egyptian leader had to forget about any kind whatsoever of renewal of relations with Iran. He was also mandated to increase Egypt’s participation in the Yemeni operation, starting March 2015. Egypt had to align itself on the side of the anti–Huthi alliance led by Riyadh and go along with the Saudi policy on Syria.

The transfer of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir allegedly affiliated to Saudi Arabia was to be the “icing on the cake”. This would allow Saudi Arabia to gain control over the passage of ships in the Gulf of Aqaba. Arguing for the passing of this transaction, the Saudis reiterated that the island had been transferred for temporal use to Egypt in 1950, as a result of a deal between King Farouk and Saudi King Abdelaziz. Allegedly, the Egyptian king sent the husband of his sister with a message to King Abdelaziz to allow Egypt to take over control of the two islands, with the aim of ensuring security. And allegedly, such permission was granted. Referring to President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s daughter, Hoda Abdel Nasser, the Saudis claimed that they allegedly possess in their archives a document entitled ‘Annex to the Main Provisions, Included in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archive of February 28, 1950’. This document allegedly states that “in view of recent actions by Israel, which identify the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir in the Red Sea at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba as being under imminent threat, the Government of Egypt, with the full consent of Saudi Arabia, has been ordered to take over control of these two islands, and this action has been done.” Anwar Sadat himself had allegedly admitted Saudi Arabia’s claim of ownership of these islands. It was reported that Anwar Sadat was personally involved in the negotiations at Camp David, and wrote that the islands belonged to Saudi Arabia. Other arguments were given in favor of Saudi Arabia’s affiliation with the islands, including the correspondence between the famous Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faisal, and his Egyptian counterpart, Ismat Abdel Magid, between 1989 and 1990.

However, this full confidence of the Saudis in their allegation was called into question in the autumn of 2016, when the Administrative Court of Egypt under the State Council of Egypt supported the decision earlier adopted by the court of first instance on annulment of the April agreement on the transfer of the islands to Saudi Arabia, and the government’s appeal against it was rejected. However, the State Affairs Commission challenged these verdicts, and at the end of September 2016, the Court on Urgent Cases suspended the decision of the Administrative Court. Nevertheless, it was obvious that the issue of the transfer of the islands still stalled.

The Saudis tried to apply economic levers on Egypt. From October 1, 2016, the Saudi main oil corporation, Saudi Aramco, discontinued its monthly preferential deliveries of 700 tons of oil products to Egypt. Not only did it fail to help Riyadh, but further complicated the situation.

The situation got even worse later on. On January 16, 2017, the State Council of Egypt, which is considered Egypt’s highest court, dismissed the appeal that the government had filed in response to the earlier-adopted decision on the illegality of the April 2016 agreement on the “return” of the Saudi islands. Moreover, the lawyers’ arguments on the hand-over of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Riyadh were declared insolvent, while the people supporting Egypt retaining these islands presented very powerful maps dating back to 1906, 1912, 1913 and 1922, where the islands are designated as belonging to Egypt. Interesting to note here is that then, Saudi Arabia did not even exist as a state, with it only appearing in 1926.

It is now obvious that the case has reached a dead end. Saudi Arabia is pinning its hopes on a resolution by the Constitutional Court, which will meet on February 12, as well as at a lobby by a number of Egyptian parliament officials supporting its position. They, in turn, rely on the fact that the legal conflict between the decision of the Constitutional Court and the parliament will be resolved in favor of the latter as the bearer of the legislature.

In Riyadh, the developing situation is being blamed on “troublemakers” from the former naseerists (particularly Hamdina Al-Sabbah), and the Saudis are reassuring themselves by thinking that A.Sisi himself is in support of the amicable transfer of the islands, and that only a small minority is disputing this decision. However, there is reason to think that this is not true, to say the least. Egypt has recently witnessed a widespread development of a robust public opinion that under no circumstances should the islands be handed over. These sentiments, albeit widespread, are primarily based on national pride and the principle of sovereignty, rather than simply on legal arguments (although these look quite convincing), which numerous court decisions confirm. Opposition to this solution is based on the fact that even if A.Sisi really wanted to keep his promises, he could not do so without jeopardizing his credibility as Head of State.

The story serves as a clear indication that Egyptian-Saudi relations have entered a phase of a serious crisis. And this no longer deals with the issue of control or ownership of the islands. The main issue here has now become about Egypt’s foreign policy and its degree of independence. It seems that the people prevailing in Cairo are those betting on the strengthening of the country’s sovereignty, even at the cost of erupting a very serious quarrel with its powerful neighbor. This is evidenced by the reluctance of the Egyptians to “buckle” under pressure from their “benefactor” in the issue surrounding Egypt’s participation in the Yemeni operation, where Egypt has limited itself to merely patrolling the Yemeni airspace using six of its planes and the passage of its Navy’s vessels along the coast. There is nothing resembling a large-scale participation in a ground operation against Huthis, as desired by Riyadh. Likewise, Egypt has also refused to follow in line with the Saudi approach on Syrian affairs, and is all the more inclined to support the Russian initiative, including in the UN. In general, the Egyptian leadership is increasingly demonstrating that it will still fight to regain a leading position in the Arab world, which it lost during the period of Arab unrest, which, in the irony of history, has been dubbed the ‘Arab Spring’. And, apparently, this spirit will grow further, and attempts to exert pressure by introducing all sorts of sanctions, as in the case with Russia, will lead to the opposite results.

Meanwhile, Riyadh is trying not to further aggravate the accumulated animosities, and still considering revitalizing strategic cooperation with Egypt as an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s security network against the growing Iranian threat.

Pogos Anastasov, political scientist and orientalist, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

Think Banning Refugees Is Bad? Then You Need to Know How They Were Created

January 30, 2017   |   Darius Shahtahmasebi

(ANTIMEDIA) On Saturday, Reuters obtained a report conducted by U.N. experts advising the U.N. Security Council that the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition’s attacks in Yemen “may amount to war crimes.” The report investigated ten coalition air strikes between March and October that killed over 292 civilians, including some 100 women and children.

“In eight of the 10 investigations, the panel found no evidence that the air strikes had targeted legitimate military objectives,” the experts wrote. “For all 10 investigations, the panel considers it almost certain that the coalition did not meet international humanitarian law requirements of proportionality and precautions in attack…The panel considers that some of the attacks may amount to war crimes.”

Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Sudan. Out of all of these countries wreaking havoc on Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, only Sudan makes Trump’s ban list of refugees. Yemen, the victim of the onslaught, also makes the list.

Even before the start of the Saudi-led war in March 2015, Yemen was already suffering a humanitarian crisis, including widespread hunger and poverty. Over 14 million people are starving, and seven million of them do not know where they will get their next meal.

To date, the Saudi-led coalition has struck over 100 hospitals, including MSF (Doctors without Borders)-run hospitals. The coalition has struck wedding parties; factories; food trucks; funerals; schools; refugee camps; and residential communities.

According to Martha Mundy, professor emeritus at the London School of Economics, the Saudi coalition has also been hitting agricultural land. Noting just 2.8 percent of Yemen’s land is cultivated, she argued that “[t]o hit that small amount of agricultural land, you have to target it.”

Further, she pointed out that the Saudi coalition “was and is targeting intentionally food production, not simply agriculture in the fields.” This direct attack on civilian infrastructure comes in tandem with a blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia that has created a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.

The coalition has also been caught using banned munitions, including British-made cluster bombs, meaning that unnecessary losses and excessive suffering have been exacted (another apparent war crime).

As a result, more than three million Yemeni civilians have been displaced, according to the U.N. This is exactly how and why refugee crises happen in the first place — unnecessary war and suffering at the hands of the rich and powerful players on the world stage.

But what does this have to do with the United States? This is Saudi Arabia’s problem, not America’s. Right?

The support the U.S. has given to Saudi Arabia to enable these war crimes is quite extensive. According to the Saudi Arabian foreign minister, U.S. and U.K. officials sit in the command and control center to coordinate air strikes on Yemen. They have access to lists of targets. The Obama administration provided airborne fuel tankers and thousands of advanced munitions.

In addition to regularly drone-striking Yemen, killing countless civilians in the process, the U.S. has also provided intelligence to the Saudi-led coalition that has been gathered from reconnaissance drones flying over Yemen. In arms sales, the U.S. has made an absolute killing – quite literally. So much so that in December 2016 the Obama administration was forced to halt a planned arms sale to Saudi Arabia because of the mounting civilian death toll. It is hard to get an exact figure on the amount of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but as it stands, it was well over $115 billion during just Obama’s eight years as president .

The Obama administration was also well aware of the inexperience of the Saudi-led coalition in conducting wartime operations. As the New York Times reported:

“The first problem was the ability of Saudi pilots, who were inexperienced in flying missions over Yemen and fearful of enemy ground fire. As a result, they flew at high altitudes to avoid the threat below. But flying high also reduced the accuracy of their bombing and increased civilian casualties, American officials said.

“American advisers suggested how the pilots could safely fly lower, among other tactics. But the airstrikes still landed on markets, homes, hospitals, factories and ports, and are responsible for the majority of the 3,000 civilian deaths during the yearlong war, according to the United Nations.”

America has played its part in this war. But what about Iran? They are allegedly arming the rebels in Yemen to provoke Saudi Arabia, so they should face some of the blame — right?

According to the U.N. experts, this highly perpetuated propaganda is not even remotely true.

“The panel has not seen sufficient evidence to confirm any direct large-scale supply of arms from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, although there are indicators that anti-tank guided weapons being supplied to the Houthi or Saleh forces are of Iranian manufacture,” the experts stated.

Okay, fine. But that was Obama. Donald J. Trump clearly has new and improved plans for foreign policy and immigration and for dealing with refugees across the board. Correct?

Well, not really. Barely hours after his inauguration, the military conducted drone strikes in Yemen. This is in light of the fact that former drone operators wrote an open letter to Barack Obama claiming the drone program is the single most effective recruitment tool for groups like ISIS. Then, on top of these drone strikes, Trump ordered a raid involving Navy SEALs that reportedly killed at least one eight-year-old girl, as well.

Refugees don’t appear out of thin air. While Trump uses refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations as a scapegoat for the inner turmoil facing the United States and other Western nations, his policies will only help exacerbate the refugee crisis, leaving parts of Europe and the wider Middle East to deal with the fallout.

By all means, close your doors to Yemen — but only after you withdraw all your personnel, equipment, aircraft, and material and financial support for war crimes committed in one of the world’s poorest countries. Until then, the least one can do is welcome with open arms those who are fleeing a horrific war conducted by an inexperienced, cowardly, violent coalition to avoid further radicalization of those civilians innocently caught up in geopolitically motivated wars.

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