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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
In the "Indo-Pacific" region, the US is strengthening its military presence and drawing allies into its geopolitical framework, thereby driving a new round of space arms races. According to Japan's Asahi Shimbun, a US Space Command opened at the US Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo on December 4, aiming to "strengthen Japan-US cooperation." The US is expanding its space influence through military alliances, seeking to leverage Japan's technological and economic strength to help secure its space dominance.
At the same time, however, the US seeks to limit Japan's technological independence, wary that any significant advancement could challenge its global hegemony.
The anonymous expert said the US' attempt to control Japan's space technology significantly limits Japan's ability to independently develop its space capabilities. For instance, in order to monitor Chinese satellites, the US has required Japan to deploy American-made sensors on the QZSS satellites, Japan's version of GPS. This not only compromises Japan's technological autonomy but also gives the US substantial control over Japan's space activities, the expert said, noting that the US' involvement in Japan's high-tech fields, including aerospace, will help ensure the US' total dominance over space technology. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202412/1324840.shtml
Senior military representatives, scholars and experts from all around the world came to China for a symposium on Sun Tzu's The Art of War and shared their insights on the connection between the Chinese timeless masterpiece of military strategy and the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which was first proposed by Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum for Asia in April 2022.
At the core of the GSI are the six commitments: stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; stay committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; stay committed to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter; stay committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously; stay committed to peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation; and stay committed to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. Read more 👉https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202412/1324837.shtml
Russia's Defence Ministry said that Ukraine had attacked a military airfield in the southern Russian city of Taganrog on Wednesday morning with six U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles and promised retaliation.
The ministry said in a statement that all six missiles had been shot down or intercepted, but that falling missile debris had caused injuries among personnel.
"This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered and appropriate measures will be taken," it said. @LauraRuHK
‼️🇸🇾 🇮🇷 Iranian military adviser who returned from Syria 24 hours ago: We warned the Syrians about the impending attack 3 months before it began - Pars
➖ We were on high alert 3 months before the events, as we received information that an attack on Aleppo was planned from Idlib. This place became the center of concentration of all armed groups supported by Israel and Turkey. We informed the Syrian side about this, - said Emir Hussein Haji Nasiri.
➖On the second day of Assad's visit to Russia, the battle for Aleppo began. Various units of the Syrian army retreated without resistance, and only Shiite forces began to fight. Never before have we seen such a retreat by the Syrians.
➖ All the equipment of the Syrian armed opposition was American. In 2015, we fought in Syria against opponents who had only torn jeans and Kalashnikovs. Now we saw them with professional military gear and American weapons. Their equipment was armored, indicating long-term preparation for combat.
➖Syria was not ours (Iran's) to negotiate about. We went there to stop our enemy 2000 km away from our borders, ensuring the safety of our people. The future will show what will happen to the situation in Syria.
After the first victory people were hopeful and dreamed of rebuilding, but US occupation of important economic areas and brutal sanctions destroyed that dream. Reality was Assad could fight but after all the death and destruction what could he offer Syrians in return. Seems like he decided the best solution was to not fight and to go into exile.
@Slavyangrad
📈🇨🇳 Chinese car exports to the US hit historic high - statistics
Exports of passenger cars from China to the US reached a historic high of $2.9 billion in the first 10 months of this year, Sputnik has calculated. This is the highest value for such a period since 1992. Previously, such statistics were not kept.
Golf cars, snowmobiles, hybrid cars, electric buses and tractors - the US buys all this from China in addition to ordinary passenger cars.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin: interview to ‘Razvedchik’ (‘Intelligence Officer’) news magazine
One of the possible scenarios in the medium term envisions the Western countries attempting to unleash a global armed conflict with an epicentre in Eurasia. That would be the global capital’s tried and true strategy of dealing with a crisis. It is encouraging, however, that Washington and London are by no means the only ones who are bound by what they call shared values. There are new, equally resilient groups of countries in the world. There are more responsible players who, if united, will be able to resist the West’s adventurous plans and resolve any problems independently, keeping the planet from sliding toward World War III. Keep reading 👉 https://globalsouth.co/2024/12/10/director-of-russias-foreign-intelligence-service-sergey-naryshkin-interview-to-razvedchik-intelligence-officer-news-magazine/
At long last! Russian Railways is resuming passenger rail service with China and North Korea after it was suspended in 2020, the holding announced on its official Telegram channel.
"We are resuming passenger rail service with China and the DPRK. With the introduction of the 2024-2027 schedule, international trains of China Railways on the route Suifenhe-Grodekovo and those of the DPRK Ministry of Railways on the route Tumangang-Khasan will resume service," the statement said.
Member of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council and former IRGC Commander, Mohsen Rezaei, warned on Tuesday that "terrorists are preparing to launch attacks on Iraq."
He stated that 11,000 ISIS militants have been trained at a US military camp in northern Syria, raising concerns that they may target Iraqi cities such as Mosul or Tikrit in the coming months.
In related comments, Rezaei reported that "Israel" had struck 250 military sites and infrastructure targets in Syria within the past 24 hours, while accusing the US and militants of destroying all military sites in the country.
He further suggested that the recent developments in Lebanon, Syria, and potentially Iraq reflect the enemies' growing fear of the region's independence and their efforts to weaken its populations. (Source: Al Mayadeen) @LauraRuHK
My personal opinion: The fall of the Syrian Arab Republic ruled by Assad is a tragedy. Analyst opinion: without political reforms it was inevitable.
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One of the most absurd claims i hear is that Russia and Iran were caught unaware in Syria, that their intelligence was flawed. That's nonsense. Moscow and Teheran knew perfectly well what was going on. But they didn't run Syria, didn't make policy decisions. Assad ruled the country. Admittedly it wasn't easy. After being targeted by a colour revolution in 2011, Syria has been at war and under Western sanctions for over a decade, the economy is on its knees, part of the country is under foreign occupation depriving Syria of crucial oil and wheat revenues, the population has shrunk as millions fled and among those who stayed discontent kept mounting. Supporting a government whose policies eventually alienated the majority of the population is not sustainable in the long term. If Assad had accepted the idea of sharing power with some opposition forces through political reforms, he could have maintained leverage as the burden and the responsibility would have been shared too. At some point it became clear that without a process of national reconciliation the country would become ungovernable. Unfortunately Assad didn't give priority to such an urgent task. No one will be able to rule the country without starting that process. And there is no guarantee of success. As some analysts have pointed out, Syria could prove very toxic for those who are now claiming victory. @LauraRuHK
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Syria - The "blame game" is not just a waste of time, it is toxic and risks damaging the same actors that some of you claim to support. This is not a time for recriminations and defeatism, both of which play into the hands of the enemy. If you believe that a fairer world order is worth fighting for, then keep fighting. It won't be served to you on a silver plate. /channel/LauraRuHK/9422
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❗️Now that Damascus has fallen, what does this mean for Russia?
One practical issue is the Central Asian jihadists.
What will happen to the many thousands of Central Asian jihadists? Mostly Uzbeks, Tajiks and Uyghurs, will they stay in Syria? Will they attempt to go home? Or will they be prepared for use in another area, presumably Russia?
As we discussed a week ago, the Central Asian countries should be seriously re-evaluating their relationship with their "big brother" Turkey. Erdogan has an army, thousands?, tens of thousands?, of Central Asian militants who are beholden to Turkey and violently opposed to their regimes, especially in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, bit also the other Central Asian countries. Instability in Central Asia means instability for Russia.
But even more important, these militants are also violently opposed to Russia.
And we mustn't forget the Chechens who are part of this HTS mercenary group. Some were fighting in Ukraine where they learned modern military craft, including the use of drones, which they have been imparting to their Central Asian "brothers".
Do we have any doubts that the anglo overlords of HTS would love to unleash these forces on Russia? In Ukraine? A new front in Central Asia? In the Caucasus?
Or will these Uzbek and Tajik jihadists be infiltrated as "workers" into Russia to act as terrorist cells?
⚡️ Two Majors
Ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family are in Moscow, where they have been granted asylum out of humanitarian concerns, a source in the Kremlin told RIA Novosti. The flag of the Syrian Arab Republic has been removed from the building of the country's embassy in Moscow.
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❗️Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stepped down and left Syria after negotiations with some participants of the Syrian conflict, gave orders on peaceful transfer of power, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
Russia did not take part in the negotiations, the ministry adds. (Source: RIA Novosti)
🔴 Armed groups have entered Syrian capital Damascus
🔴Press TV correspondent says all official institutes, facilities in Damascus have been evacuated
🔴Syrian PM says ready to work with any government chosen by people
🔴 Syrian PM says believes Syria belongs to all Syrians, can establish friendly ties with all neighbors
@PressTV - #Syria
Russia tells citizens to avoid visiting US - Travelers risk being arrested under false pretenses on American soil
Russian nationals should avoid making non-essential trips to the US and allied countries, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said, warning that they could be “hunted down” by the American authorities for political reasons.
Travelling to the US poses “serious risks” due to “the increasing confrontation in the Russian-American relations,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a regular press briefing on Wednesday.
She stated that more Russian nationals were being “hunted down by American authorities, especially by secret services,” with Washington utilizing “fraudulent schemes” to lure Russians abroad in order to prosecute them for “political reasons.”
“For the upcoming holidays and beyond, we strongly advise to avoid non-emergency visits to the US and allied countries, especially Canada and, with rare exception, the countries of the European Union,” Zakharova said.
“When staying abroad, you should avoid situations, in which you can become a victim of provocations and be detained under the pretense of supposedly violating local laws,” the spokeswoman added. https://swentr.site/russia/609223-russia-warns-avoid-travel/
South Korea - The plot thickens
Democratic Party lawmaker Park Beom-kye revealed that he received a tip-off from a military whistleblower that the unmanned drones North Korea claimed Seoul had sent to Pyongyang in October were indeed sent on orders of the South Korean military — more specifically, on the orders of the former defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, to justify the declaration of martial law. North Korea showed much restraint and didn't react to the provocation. ▪️ US complicity is highly likely given that its surveillance covers the demilitarized zone between the two countries. The former defence minister tried to kill himself shortly before he was formally arrested over his role in this month's martial law operation.
https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1172239.html
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, is in Beijing. Yesterday Indian Defense Minister Singh held talks with president Putin and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov in Moscow to discuss defense and security cooperation between the two countries.
During the meeting, Singh said that "despite the geopolitical challenges and immense public and private pressure on India, India has made a conscious decision to not only continue close contacts with Russia but also to deepen and expand our cooperation. We will always stand together with our Russian colleagues." ▪️Most likely what happened in Syria featured prominently on the agenda. The West has never had any qualms about using terrorists and proscribed extremist organizations to destabilize countries and extend its control. There is no question it will continue to ignore international law in its desperate attempts to prevent the creation of a multipolar world. Now the real question is, what can the global majority do to defend itself from the chaos and destruction unleashed by the hegemon? The UN is toothless, its resolutions are shrugged off, while the US and its side kicks target any country that refuses to be dominated, any government that doesn't toe the line, any leader that can't be bought or blackmailed. @LauraRuHK
The flag of the Syrian Arab Republic was hastily replaced on the masts of Syrian embassies. Delivered by incredibly fast couriers? The emoji flag on social media hasn't changed 🇸🇾
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Syrian transitional government talks with ousted officials to transfer power
Syrian ministers from the newly formed transitional government met with members of the ousted Bashar al-Assad's administration on Tuesday to organize the transfer of state institutions and ensure the continuity of public services, according to the Syrian national TV. (Source: Xinhua) Chaotic scene 👉 https://x.com/drhossamsamy65/status/1866679222238146689 @LauraRuHK
Vanessa Beeley recounts how she had to leave her home in Syria and the sense of loss she experienced, which is not only personal. As Israel invades the country, destroying Syrian military and defence infrastructure, and armed groups terrorize the population, tragedy becomes collective. Here is the long version of the text she shared on Telegram. https://beeley.substack.com/p/safe-while-syria-burns?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=716517&post_id=152882937&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3ogpak&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
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When the EU blocked its airspace to Russian airlines Russia's response was symmetrical.
Only four European carriers offer flights to Russia - they didn't close their airspace and maintained civilized relations with Moscow: Air Serbia, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines and Belavia.
As a result of the EU unwise decision, European flights to Asia have become longer, more expensive and harder to find as more and more airlines cancelled routes. Chinese airlines have been meeting the demand. Currently China has the largest number of airlines using Russian airspace.
Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways are also still operating in Russian airspace and have increased routes and flights. Chinese airlines now account for 77% of traffic between China and Europe. In some markets, like Italy and the U.K., Chinese carriers hold as much as 100% and 95% of the market, respectively. @LauraRuHK
Israeli occupation forces are just 20 km south of Damascus, taking over areas in the countryside, after the new regime came to power.
https://en.mdn.tv/8ERp
Iran's Press TV reports that Sayyidah Zaynab, one of the most important destinations for Shī‘a Muslim pilgrims in Syria, is secure. /channel/presstv/121437
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Russian telegram channel V8 suggests Russia should provide shelter not only to the Assad family, but also cadets of military academies, students from universities, and in general the intelligentsia and qualified specialists from Syria. That's an excellent suggestion. /channel/vault8pro/52201
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Li Xinggang (Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University) told the Global Times on Sunday that Syria is highly likely to fall into long-term turmoil in the future. "Because different regional armed forces have different goals and demands in the highly complicated Syrian issue. Assad's government cannot withstand the current change, and no power can build up new order or create a new balance of power immediately," he said.
For a long time, multiple foreign forces have been supporting Syrian anti-government forces to weaken and fight the Assad regime, with US troops still occupying oil fields and key transportation routes, which have seriously damaged Syria's reconstruction process and economy, Li noted.
Wang Jin (Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Northwest University in Xi'an) told the Global Times on Sunday that "economic problems are the fundamental reason. Syria used to have reliable military forces to make sure the situation remained essentially under control, but economic problems have undermined the country's ability to maintain military strength, which is why the government forces fled or surrendered quickly." Syria's sudden change shocks the world, ‘might worsen chaotic Middle East situation’ - Global Times
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202412/1324602.shtml
🇸🇾 It's too early to say the Syria crisis is close to an end – pundit
"Chaos and a struggle for power will begin in Syria now. Therefore, it is at least premature to say that the crisis is close to an end," Nikolay Surkov, senior researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), told Sputnik.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, following negotiations with participants of the conflict, resigned from the presidency and left Syria, instructing a peaceful transfer of power, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali announced on December 8 that he had established contact with the jihadi forces that entered Damascus after beginning their advance on November 27.
"After the [2023] earthquake, the Syrian economy went into a tailspin," Surkov said, commenting on the reasons for the defeat of Syrian government forces. "The government didn't even have the money to properly maintain the armed forces."
"Russia cannot be more Syrian than the Syrians themselves," Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in 2015.
"Syria has long been divided. Now the government in central Syria has changed. Earlier it was the Syrian government that relied on Iran and Russia, now it will be the Islamists," Surkov said.
#BREAKING | The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that President Bashar al-Assad left the presidential post and Syria after negotiations with participants in the Syrian conflict, giving instructions to transfer power peacefully.
Russia also called on all parties involved in the conflict to abstain from violence and resolve their issues through political means.
Regarding Russia's military bases in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said that there was no security threat to the bases at this moment, clarifying however that they are in a mode of increased combat readiness.
I had refrained from commenting on the situation in Syria because I didn't want to add noise. Serious mistakes were made but it's pointless to add insult to injury. No one can change the past. We can only hope that lessons have been learned and those mistakes won't be repeated in Ukraine. Freezing a conflict emboldens the enemy and gives it time to reorganize its forces and fine-tune its strategy. My thoughts are with the people of Syria. ▪️The hegemon is no ordinary monster; like the Hydra, it has multiple heads, each capable of regeneration. Hercules alone could not kill this beast - for every head Hercules severed, multiple new ones would sprout in its place, making the battle seem almost unwinnable.
Realizing the futility of simply chopping off the Hydra's heads, Hercules' nephew Iolas suggested a change in strategy: cauterizing the necks after decapitation to prevent regeneration. That's the task ahead. The global hegemon can only be defeated by a global coalition that outsmarts the monster.