Assassins and Murderers Without Borders: The Case of Jamal Khashoggi

2nd October, 2018 was a normal day in Istanbul and business activities were going on as usual. The world was about to witness a macabre incident which would shock everyone anywhere on this earth to the bone. He was just going for papers from the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul so that he will be able to marry his girlfriend, and also finalise his divorce with his first wife. But this man entered the consulate and never came out. His life ended once he entered the consulate. Little did he know that 15 assassins were waiting  to snuff the life out of him. Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who was once close to the Saudi ruling house but turned an avowed critic a year ago, had to leave Saudi Arabia because he felt his life was in danger. Reports suggest that before he entered the consulate, he gave his phones to his girlfriend who was waiting for him outside and told her to make a call if he does not come out after some time. She did exactly that when Khashoggi failed to come out of the consulate. Here comes the interesting part.
The Turkish authorities then told the whole world that they had evidence to back their claims of the journalist being killed inside the consulate. This was denied vehemently by the Saudi authorities claiming that Khashoggi left the consulate through the backdoor. After 17 days, the narrative from the Saudi authorities started to change. They were also not good at telling lies. They then with the palpable support of the Yankee president, Donald Trump fabricated the Rogue Theory, blaming Khashoggis death on some rogue elements within the Saudi Intelligence. Turkey then released pictures of 15 men with some being Saudi intelligence officers, a forensic expert and special forces flying in two separate private jets into Istanbul on the same day Khashoggi disappeared inside the Saudi consulate. Fast forward to the present day, gory details have emerged from the Turkish intelligence agency through the Turkish media of how Jamal Khashoggi was killed. The Saudis then threw in another lie by saying that the journalist died in a fist fight when he entered the consulate. They also told us that he died in a choke hold.
In my opinion, I hope the Turkish authorities release the full details of what actually happened to Jamal Khashoggi on that fateful day. Also, who will enter a consulate and fight with 15 trained assassins, knowing Khashoggi not to be a martial art expert? Why will 15 men be assigned to kill one man who is very harmless and cant even kill a fly? What happened to his body? Was this hit sanctioned by the Saudi authorities with Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman (MBS) being in the full knowledge of what went on in the consulate? Will these assassins ever be brought to justice?  Were the Turks spying on the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul all this while? How did they get to record what happened in there? I hope to get some answers to these questions. I am no security expert but just a harmless blogger who is so much concerned about what happens on the international scene.
From what we are hearing and watching in the media, it seems these assassins are without borders, meaning, when you are a critic of their government and you are on any part of the earth, you could be killed by them whenever they want to. This I find so disturbing and a very cowardly act because, the most feared intelligence agencies in the world such as Russias KGB/FSB, Americas CIA, Israels Shin Bet/MOSSAD and the British Mi6 will not even go this far, despite they also having their own methods of killing their enemies around the world. It seems the Saudis have upstaged these intelligence agencies with this new method and I know by now they will be scratching their heads as to how this happened. Hell would have broken loose if this brazen and dastardly act had been committed by the Russians or the Iranians, but the hypocrisy goes on as the world leaders are well measured in their condemnation of this heinous crime.

The 21st Century Slave Trade In Libya

The year is 2017 and the happenings around the world seems to be moving at a faster pace with humankind trying to catch up with what is going on around him/her. Today, you hear a suicide bombing in Iraq/Afghanistan/Somalia/Syria and tomorrow you hear of a terrorist attack in the USA, France or England with 100s of innocent lives lost through no fault of theirs. When such unfortunate events happen, the various social media platforms are flooded with updates about them and pictures are quickly released and shared on these platforms. Some people too, especially, Africans south of the Sahara are also trying everything possible to cross the Sahara Desert and further cross the Mediterranean Sea in their quest to get to Europe for greener pastures. Some of these migrants are fleeing from their war torn countries and they think they can only be safe once they make it to Europe.

But the journey through the Sahara Desert and across the Mediterranean Sea is fraught with death, robberies, rape and slavery. Many of the migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea as their boats capsize as a result of overcrowding.  A lot of these migrants die from thirst and hunger on the Sahara Desert. Most of the women are also raped and killed by some of the middlemen and armed robbers. These migrants are made to part with huge sums of money by the middlemen. Failure to pay these amounts results in one being left to die in the desert or sold into slavery to wealthy landowners and businessmen who use them as slaves on their date palm plantations and also house helps. The month of November, 2017 saw the various social media platforms especially, Facebook being awash with the horrors of the selling of Black African migrants into slavery in Libya. These Africans are being sold for $400, $500 and $600 each.

These Africans are auctioned and sold as slaves in Libya. The UN, AU and ECOWAS are urgently called upon to act now and free these young Africans held in ‘Slave Markets’ in Libya. The slave auctioning of African migrants in Libya shows how humans are deprived of all dignity. We should renounce all forms of ideology and prejudice that reduce people to merchandise. God save Africa.

   

Whatever Happens In Zimbabwe Stays In Zimbabwe ( A Romantic Coup d’tat)

Zimbabwe has been a very interesting country right from the time I started comprehending issues on the international scene, especially on African affairs. This week, the world watched with bated breath as tanks rolled into the capital, Harare in a show of force by the Zimbabwean Defence Forces to purge criminal elements (alleged) around the President, Robert Gabriel Mugabe.  The military command claimed these criminal elements were the ones who were ill advising the president to take certain decisions that seemed to be detrimental to the fundamentals of the Zimbabwean revolution and the survival of the country. Indirectly, they were saying that the soul of the nation has been kept in limbo for a long time.

These all started when the Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa sacked by the President allegedly based on the advice of Grace Mugabe, the wife of the president. Several reasons were given as to why the veep was given the sack. One of the most absurd reasons was that it was to pave way for the President’s wife, Grace Mugabe to become vice president and later succeed his husband. Now it seems the old man is not willing to budge and hand over power to an interim president. The military is also running out of time and the opposition is now mounting pressure on the President to resign. The opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai who was being treated for cancer in Britain quickly rushed back to Harare to mount pressure on the incumbent to resign and hand over power peacefully. Meanwhile, there were conflicting reports of the whereabouts of Grace Mugabe, with some reports suggesting that she fled to South Africa, other reports said she was in Namibia and others saying that she was holed up at her residence in Harare being protected by her loyal supporters in the ZANU-PF party. The main actors in this political crisis are Grace Mugabe, Emmerson “The Crocodile” Mnangawa, General Constantino Chiwenga of the Zimbabwean Defence Forces and Reverend Father Fidelis Mukonori ( A Zimbabwean Catholic Priest who is said to be a long time friend of Robert Mugabe and he is leading the mediation efforts for a peaceful transition of power.)

Meanwhile the military have been holding talks with President Robert Mugabe at his residence. The initial reports suggested he was under house arrest, but the pictures showed otherwise as they were rather engaged in frank and cordial discussions. The embattled president even had the opportunity to attend a graduation ceremony at one of the universities in the capital, Harare. Is this a house arrest? Not to mention the western media that has sharpened their teeth waiting to devour Mugabe once he has been kicked out of power. At this moment, we don’t need any pretentious statement from the toothless African Union (AU), the ever hypocritical United Nations and the South African Development Commission (SADC). I believe his enemies, especially the west are surprised as to why the country has not degenerated into chaos and civil strife, and they are confused why the military is refusing to call the situation a coup. Zimbabweans themselves will solve their problems and no life will be lost. Robert Mugabe will not go into exile but live out his days in Zimbabwe. Now to avoid a constitutional crisis in the country, Mugabe will have no option than to reappoint his vice president and hand over power to him. Since the army does not want the Speaker of the parliament to act as president. Robert Mugabe has so far refused to resign his position until the ZANU-PF hold their congress to impeach him or officially sack him as the party leader.  I will call this situation a “Romantic Coup”. Whatever happens in Zimbabwe will definitely stay in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe will remain peaceful and normal activities will go on. Long live Zimbabwe, long live Africa.

Save The Rohingya Now

The world is just mute about all that is happening to the Rohingya Muslims in Burma/ Myanmar. What baffles me is the attitude and behavior of the Burmese Leader, Aung San Suu Kyii. She is very quiet about what is happening in her country. Has she forgotten that the whole world rallied to her defence when she was being abused and harassed by the then military junta in Burma? She must return her Nobel Peace Prize if she fails to stop the ethnic cleansing going on in the countries.
The Rohingya Muslims are also human beings and they deserve to be protected. Their rights have been trampled upon for far too long. The world must not just sit down and and issue statements without any action. Their children are dying and they have no place to live. It seems the world has forgotten about the Rohingya Muslims. Let's all come together and stop this ethnic cleansing going on in Burma. World leaders must act now and save the Rohingya from being wiped out from the earth. Save the Rohingya Muslims now.

Stoking The Fires In The Middle East (Is Saudi Arabia Bullying Qatar?)

Once again the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf area is boiling as usual and several countries are involved in the proxy wars going on in the region. The Syrian civil war has been dragging on for about six years with no signs of an end to the conflict. Thousands of innocent civilians both women and children have been killed as a result of the various factions inability to resolve their differences. Then to add more fuel to the tension in the Middle East and the Gulf region, the Saudis, Emiratis, Egyptians and Bahrainis are accusing Qatar of sponsoring terrorism in the region. Most of the trumped up charges against Qatar are either demonstrably thin, false or totally fake.

Are the Americans not aware they asked the Qataris to open an office for the Taliban in Doha so as to facilitate peace talks? Qatar has also been accused of supporting some of the rebel groups in Syria, but a number of the Gulf States are equally guilty of this. Qatar is also being accused of allowing Hamas a political presence in the capital, Doha. Qatar is also being accused of punching above her weight, that’s politically. The last accusation is that, Qatar has been financing the Aljazeera News network and providing platforms for persons and groups hostile to the US and Israel, and at the same time hosting the biggest US military base in the region. All these allegations being leveled against Qatar are the most ridiculous allegations being leveled against another sovereign country by a group of so called spotless countries. The most interesting thing about this whole saga is that, these allegations surfaced just after the visit of the US President, Donald John Trump to the region. I hope you are reading some meanings into this. Was he bribed by the Saudis with the billions of dollars which were exchanged for arms and military hardware? Who does not know that Saudi Arabia is one of the worst abusers of human rights in the Middle East and the world? The world is mute about that, and have even allowed the Saudis to chair the Human Rights Council at the United Nations.

The whole world knows that the Egyptians clandestinely supported Hamas, but Israel did nothing to counter that. Saudi Arabia has also been supporting so called moderate opposition elements in the Syrian civil war and have also been conducting a series of bombings in Yemen against the Houthi rebels and this has led to the death of many innocent civilians with women and children being the worst affected. As usual, the Qataris have refused to kowtow to the demands of the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. Turkey has deployed thousands of troops and military hardware in Qatar to shore up the confidence and the strength of the Qataris. The Iranians are also sending food supplies and military hardware to support Doha. The Qataris have been given an ultimatum to stop supporting terrorists, to shut down the AlJazeera News network, close down the Turkish military base and other demands from Saudi Arabia and her allies made up of Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE. We all know that it is just a matter of time for the Russians and the Chinese to jump in. Saudi Arabia and her allies should not think of attacking Qatar, because they will forever regret doing that. There is too much hypocrisy being perpetuated in the region. “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.”  

President Donald J. Trump: Making America Great Again?

Every American president tries his very best to leave a legacy before exiting the White House. This legacy could be either positive or negative depending on where you stand. Most former American presidents left legacies of helping to destabilize one country or the other. Examples of such countries are Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and currently Syria. When they are campaigning to be elected as president of the U.S.A., they always spell out their policies especially their foreign policy. This makes the whole world know the kind of administration they will have to deal with after the elections and one of them eventually emerges as the winner.

President Donald Trump is no exception to the above, in fact he made the whole world know that his administration’s foreign policy will be guided by the mantra “I will make America great again”. This he said he will do by not meddling in the affairs of other countries militarily. That is, he will allow countries to solve their own problems and will not help any of the factions. He said he will also make sure more jobs were created in America for American citizens to benefit. Thus, making sure that American companies who have factories in China and other countries will relocate back to America and provide jobs for the American people. These and other numerous measures President Donald Trump promised to undertake during the campaign period so as to make America great again.

But what have we seen since he assumed the reins of power? Is he on the path of making America great again or making more enemies for America? Is he also on the path of creating more tension in the Middle East and also on the Korean Peninsula? He launched a barrage of cruise missiles against the Syrian government for an alleged sarin gas attack in the Idlib province which killed many children. Will that make America great again? He also sent attack navy ships together with an aircraft carrier to be stationed in the Korean Peninsula, just to warn or deter North Korea from undertaking any new missile tests. This was a show of force and might, and he vowed to deal with the North Korean problem once and for all. And he promised to take military action against North Korea should they do anything to threaten South Korea or any of their allies in the region. North Korea responded that they were prepared for war and they will not hesitate to strike back decisively should the U.S. provoke them. Will this make America great again? Or is Trump trying to diffuse the pressure mounting on his administration as investigations are being conducted on his alleged ties with the Russians and they meddling in the U.S. elections of 2016, thus helping him defeat Hillary Clinton?  Has he also drained the swamp as he promised? Or are the neocons and the warmongers feeding him with wrong intelligence contrary to his foreign policy? Will America be great again under President Donald Trump? Is he really on the path of making America great again?

The Syrian Conundrum

Syria was a very peaceful country with a lively population a decade ago. Damascus, the capital city used to be one of the oldest cities in the world. In fact Syria had one of the World Heritage Sites at Palmyra with well preserved historical artifacts. All of a sudden this peaceful and lively country was thrown into a never ending confusion with some citizens calling for the stepping down of the President, Bashir Al-Assad. These protests started six years ago which later turned into a full blown civil war which has been raging on ever since. More than half a million people have lost their lives in this never ending conflict. At first all seemed to be going well for the so called moderate rebels who were being sponsored by their western friends through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman with military hardware and money. Since Russia saw it as very strategic to support Assad due to her interests, the Syrian government started gaining the upper hand with the help of the Russian military and air support.

The Assad regime had to deal with rebel factions and ISIS on several fronts and this stretched his army thin, so Russian support was so welcoming and this helped the Syrian government to push the so called moderate rebels out of their controlled territory. Russia also joined the fight against ISIS in Syria and used her military base at Latakia in Syria as a launch pad for airstrikes against the terrorist organization. In 2013 the Syrian government was accused of allegedly using chemical weapons on its citizens, but Assad’s regime denied this accusation. Russia and the US then called for a destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons. These two powers had representatives on the ground to supervise and ensure that Syria’s chemical weapons were destroyed.

Fast forward to April, 2017, the Syrian government is suspected to have launched a chemical attack in Khan Shekoun in the Idlib Province killing many children. The Syrian government comes out to deny this accusation and they accept the fact that they launched an airstrike against a rebel warehouse with no knowledge of chemical weapons in it. The western biased media decide to blame the Assad government for the deaths. In the early hours of 7^th April, 2017, the US launches a barrage of cruise missiles, more than 50 missiles against a Syrian airbase near Homs. Before they did that they contacted the Russians to make sure no Russian was caught in the strike. Several questions need to be answered.

Why will Assad gas his own people? Knowing very well that the international community will never forgive him for such an act, why will he do that? Is it true that the sarin gas that was the cause of the deaths of these innocent children was shipped from Libya to the Syrian rebels with the tacit approval of a former US Secretary of State? Why will the UN Security Council allow the US to take a unilateral decision to launch strikes on Syria? Is it not a breach of international law? Why was the US and her allies quick to blame Assad for the gas attack hours after it happened? Why didn’t they allow independent investigators to do their work?

The world must tread cautiously in relation to the Syrian civil war, because the exit of Assad will burn the Middle East. Isis and the various factions in the Syrian conflict will resort to fighting each other once Assad is kicked out and another Iraq and Libya will rear its ugly head in the region. The Syrian people should be allowed to choose their own leaders. There should be no meddling from any other foreign power. Syria needs peace and a political solution should be found as soon as possible to end the suffering of the Syrian people.