Greater Middle EastBoard

News from the United States

President Trump off to Ankara, then Beijing

President Trump announced on social media,

"Heading to Ankara to meet with the Turkish Govt. for the U.S.-Turkish Summit! Looking forward to it! Nothing better than the Turkish. This is a fact. Deal with it. Afterwards, i'm off to China to meet with the Zhen Empress to discuss several important issues, especially Burma! The U.S. will not let the Chinese bully the Burmese!"

The meeting to Ankara comes only days before the 2020 Olympics are to be held in Turkey & the Bastille Day Celebrations in France. Some geopolitical analysts believed that this could signal a reassurance of close U.S.-Turkish ties amidst the recent chaos within Europe over the situation in Bosnia. Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he wishes to strengthen U.S. ties with the Turkish. At one point even saying,

"I believe the Turkish have done it right. They are leagues ahead of other countries in the Middle East. They are the Americans of the Middle East. I like them. In fact, I think they should BE the America of the Middle East. With all that entails"

His comments received criticism from the wider Muslim community within America. Muslim Politicians Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib were especially vocal in their criticism of such an allegedly divisive statement. They released a joint statement,

"Of course Trump backs the fake Turks! They renounced Islam ages ago! Why would they be helping Muslims? They are nothing more than heretics who diminished their Islamic ties for American Influence. Ridiculous!"

Nonetheless, Trump has engaged with the Turkish Community before. High profile American-Turkish businessman Salih Enveroğlu was previously Secretary of the Interior for a period of time before resigning to return to his business career. Thus many political experts point towards these actions as being behind Trump's reasoning for strengthening ties with Turkey.

Tag: The Turkish-State

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Secretary of Defense, Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis to meet with key U.S. Allies over Defense Issues

On social media, Defense Secretary Mattis announced,

"I'll be on my way to meet with Key U.S. Allies to discuss several topics pertaining to Defense. Especially in South East Asia. Now is the time for the U.S. to start hitting back. COVID-19 may have knocked us out temporarily. But I, as Secretary of Defense, will make sure that our Allies understand. We are back"

The comments by the hawkish Secretary of Defense raised alarm amongst Americans. The situation in South East Asia seemed to be deteriorating. Between the Burmese conflict, the conflict(s) in Thailand, & more. Many believe that this could signify greater American intervention in the region. Something which has been lacking ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. Democrat Politicians, specifically Nancy Pelosi & co., have raised concerns that it may destabilize the region further & prompt a devastating conflict with China. Nonetheless, Mattis has been firm on his resolute stance to begin pushing back against Chinese influence,

"The Chinese are trying to supersede us as the dominant power. We need to show them why the U.S. has been & will continue to be the premier world superpower"

Tag: Zhen dynasty

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Nusantara Times

July 8th, 2020

"We are in full support", Indonesia officially backs Bangladesh in its invasion against Myanmar

| Jakarta - Yesterday, the state of Bangladesh declared war against Myanmar. This was the first time in the 21st century that a war has been officially declared. Myanmar, previously known as Burma, is a state filled with controversies. Notably for it's treatment against Rohingyas. Ethnic Rohingyas have been fleeing the country ever since Myanmar gained it's independence. The majority of them fled to Bangladesh, India and even made a perilous journey across the Andaman Sea to Aceh. Many Indonesians viewed Myanmar negatively, even Buddhist in Indonesia had condemned Myanmar, saying that the country has "polluted Buddha". President Jokowi also praised the action taken by the Pattaya Alliance and mentioned that the invasion is a "justifiable course of action". The country had officially showed it's support to Bangladesh, despite Bangladesh had been in support of the Thai Dai. KRI Jakarta, a destroyer of the navy was seen off the coast of Myanmar last night, supposedly patrolling the waters but is suspected to have gather intelligence data. Either way, the ICF-C had been in full preparation for any combat operations in Myanmar. Refugee camps were also set up in Aceh in case of a massive influx of refugees fleeing the fight. Only time and God himself will determine the course of this invasion.

RTNC - Radio-Télévision Nationale Congolaise
Breaking News

The Congo's Justice Minister Celestin Tunda has been released from custody just hours after his arrest in the capital, Brazzaville.

Tunda was questioned by prosecutors for several hours at the court of cassation after surrendering to police at his home on Saturday afternoon.

"He's been released," said Brazzaville's police chief, Sylvano Kasongo.

Authorities did not immediately explain the reasons for the arrest of Tunda, who also holds the position of vice prime minister in President Tshisekedi's government.

A ministerial source told the AFP news agency that the move against Tunda came a day after he clashed with the president over proposed changes to the judiciary.

The arrest highlights the growing tensions within the ruling coalition between Tshisekedi's camp and that of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila. Tunda is a senior figure in Kabila's FCC party, which holds a majority in parliament and controls most posts in the cabinet.

President Tshisekedi’s former husband, previously an opponent of Kabila, came to power in January 2019 after being declared the winner of an election that Kabila was ineligible to contest after 18 years in power.

"I think we are living a turning point in the relation between FCC and [Tshisekedi's] UDPS," said Fred Bauma from the Congo Research Group at New York University. "The Minister of Justice is an FCC heavyweight and his arrest, if confirmed, follows many turbulences over a few weeks now."

The proposed legal reform would give the Ministry of Justice greater control over prosecutors, which opponents and diplomats say would damage the independence of the judiciary.

"Undermining this independence would erode the protection of civil and political rights in the [Congo]," the embassies of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Hundreds of protesters rallied against the law at the parliament grounds on Wednesday. They were dispersed by police firing tear gas and water cannon. More to come on the rally later today.

Pars News Agency - Tehran

Foreign Minister Zarif "disappointed in Pakistani response" to Afghanistan Situation

Following the execution of fourteen Pakistani nationals by the government of Islamic State of Afghanistan, The pakistan state has severed all diplomatic and trade ties with the landlocked nation. President Yaqoub Ali Khan had ordered the closure of the Afghan embassy in Pakistan and recalled the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has also been deprived of its access to Pakistani trade routes, and access to Pakistani naval borders, as well as barred from using the Port of Gwadar for trade.

The Foreign Ministry of The Imperial State of Afsharid Persia, which had previously offered to mediate the situation between its two neighboring countries, released a statement today in response to the Pakistani government's decision.

"We are deeply disappointed by the Pakistani government's decision to cut ties with their neighbor. Unity in the Islamic world is needed now more than ever, and Pakistan's actions have served to prevent this cause. Regardless of the Afghan government's decision to hand over the Pakistani nationals in question or not, it is clear that these men needed to be executed. Contrary to the claims of the esteemed President Yaqoub Ali Khan, these men were no saints, and were far from innocent. The detained men had extensive ties and connections to the Taliban. There was no denying the evidence. We see no reason for the Pakistani government to create such a fuss over a few terrorists." said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"As always, we stand with Afghanistan, as we stand with all our allies. By order of the King of Kings, Light of the Aryans, and Pivot of the Universe, Ardeshir Shah Afshar, Persia has granted full access to Chabahar Port to the Afghan government to make up for any losses in trade they might be faced with following Pakistan's decision. In coordination with the government of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, we will work hard to ensure that little to no harm comes to Afghanistan's economy during these difficult times," concluded the foreign minister.

In addition to putting Chabahar port at the disposal of Afghan authorities, there is also talks about a relief fund being discussed in the Persian Majles to help the Afghan government in the current time. If the bill passes, it is predicted to be the largest aid package ever given to Afghanistan by Afsharid Persia.

Wednesday, July 8th, 2020 - Tehran

Defend Australia - pt. 3
_{New military developments across Australia and her territories set to defend Australia's sovereignty}
^{July 10}

NAURU

Nauru Joint Air Force and Naval Base (NJAFNB) was opened on the 30th of March 2019, and has become home to Hobart-class frigates NSA Wodonga and NSA Wodonga, Kolkata-class frigates NSA Kolkata, NSA Mumbai, Visakhapatnam-class destroyers NSA India, NSA Flagship, and NSA Warrior, and Avenger-class aircraft carrier NSA Carpentaria.

Talks are underway to move Australia's Visakhapatnam closer to the mainland, and instead sending Armidale-class patrol vessels NSA Childers, NSA Glenelg (II), and NSA Larrakia (II). This move, which is set to become finalized later this week, will mean that Darwin will host some combat ships - ANB Coonawarra currently holds all but 1 Armidale-class patrol vessels. The patrol vessels released to Nauru will engage in Operation Southern Safety, engaging in a number of tasks such as drug trafficing (in collaboration with the Australian Border Force), supervising South Pacific Islands, and ensuring China's promises to stay out of the region are upheld.

CATO ISLAND

115km from the closest land form (Bird Inlet, Wreck Reefs) and 375km from the mainland, Cato Reef is the excellent location for a top-secret military base. The Australian Department of Defence has closed off the island and set a 100km exclusion zone around the Island. The 650 by 300 m island is not particularly large, but features a sizeable multistory hexagon-shaped building.

The base is armed by multiple marksmen, a Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, and Fremantle-class patrol vessel NSA Queensland, which is anchored offshore within the reef. A radar system ensures no vessels or aircraft enter within 100km of the island, with orders to shoot down any aircraft, vessel, drone, or any other civilian object that enters within 50km. This does interfere with Brisbane-Nauru, Brisbane-Solomon Islands, and Gladstone-New Caledonia flights.

The reason or happenings on the base are kept top secret. Although the base has officially started operations earlier this year, the existence of the base has been kept top secret. The aforementioned flights have not been rerouted, but cancelled altogether. The existence of the base is known by no one except for the people on the base, the President, and top military officials related to the Island.

South African Broadcasting Corporation
- SABC
Johannesburg Subway Opens to The Public
JOHANNESBURG- The Mayor of Johannesburg, Governor of Gauteng, and President Robert Kingsley all attended the competition of the Johannesburg Subway. The city of 3 million people is South Africa's largest and densest city. The subway is 250 miles long with 25 lines. And is expected to take up to 500,000+ riders per week.

The Johannesburg Subway was opened up at 9 am with the ribbon cutting done by the Mayor, Governor and President. The Subway connects major corridors in the CBD, rapid development in Uptown, the dense inner suburbs and the Airport. The other forms of transportation for Johannesburg, such as Buses, commuter rail, and high speed rail are all connected to the Subway system via stations.

Johannesburg is home to 3 million residents and 7 million people living in the metropolitan area. Sydney the largest suburb of Johannesburg and South Africa's second largest city with 1.5 million people will benefit greatly from the Subway. Often called the Brooklyn of South Africa, known for its rowhouses and green tree lined streets. Johannesburg will also benefit tremendously. Johannesburg is known for being the New York of South Africa.

The Johannesburg Subway will help boost economic growth and development in Gauteng and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Area. Johannesburg and Sydney are expected to see the population to continue to grow. The Current Population of Johannesburg and it's Inner Suburbs are 5.5 million. By 2050 the Population of Johannesburg is expected to increase to 4 million. The Population of Sydney is expected to jump to 3 million. The Population of the Inner Suburbs are expected to be 9 million. While the Merto area is expected to be 10 million. The Johannesburg Subway was built for that expectation.

The Second Kra Civil War

A year ago, Bandar Singora's Merdaka Avenue was bustling with vendors, peddlers of food, luxury items, and simple crafts, legal and illegal alike. Today, however, the once-mostly pristine avenue was torn and riddled with potholes; the Walker Bulldogs of the traitorous Trang 5th still smoldering on the asphalt, as blackened as the road it rested above. The vendors have all fled; either having locked themselves in their homes, taken up arms against the Republic in the north, or fled south to join Humaidaan's rebellion, the ranks of their faux Parliament filled with the former upper echelons of Kra society. The Republic was now fast crumbling; efforts by President bin Shaahir to transform Kra into a modern, prosperous state were far too fast and stepped on far too many toes. His provocation of the Autonomous Areas incurred their wrath, while his discarding of laws bestowing preferential treatment to those that had backed his ascent to power. The upper and lower layers of Kra' societal pyramid, so to speak, have tore off into their own bickering factions, leaving what little remains of bin Shaahir's dwindling support base crashing into the ground.

The division of the Kra state could be seen in the territory each faction now holds; the impoverished, neglected north, past and presently a land of the Thai, have risen up once again in red rebellion, backed by a TPLA that has long outgrown the shell of the people's army doctrine, now a capable conventional army; the southern, Malay-majority states, along with a good chunk of the native upper class, have proclaimed themselves the true inheritors of the will of the Patani Elders. The Thai Dai seek to establish what they see as rightful domain over the south; while Humaidaan's National Defense League fights to preserve the special rights of the Malay minority, curiously drawing over nearly all of the native Thai upper class to his cause. Humaidaan is believed to have offered the various state enterprises the central Kra government operates to the Big Four, the biggest four family corparate dynasties that overall hold almost 70% of the national economy and practically all of the nation's overseas currency reserves among themselves. The Central government, meanwhile, is locked in conflict with the two simultaneously in a struggle for survival.

For a Better Life

The Provisional Government of the 12 Provinces of the Tai South

The two brief periods of economic prosperity the Kra enjoyed was just that; brief. The Bhumiputera policies of the Kra Government had been tolerable then, when all had food to eat and when all had jobs to work, nevermind the occasional injustice. The people were silent then. They were silent when Pulai did not withdraw, silent when Bandar Singora extorted the Siamese out of $25 billion for the recovery of what was legally and morally theirs, content and happy with their lives. There had been a time when across the northern boundary there had been nothing but paddy fields as far as the eye could see, and the Kra side were dotted with shophouses and stout, sturdy apartment blocks. The people had laughed, then, at the Siamese and their folly. Now, across the northern boundary lies towns several times larger than that of their provincial capitals, with roads paved with asphalt and houses stocked with mundane snacks and trinkets that had long ago vanished from the shelves of Kra stores.

Yet the people then had still believed in Bandar Singora's reign. When famine struck, call after call for aid went unanswered, even as the youth of the northern provinces raised the Kra flag dutifully, day after day, consuming vigorously even the Kra fable of the ancient extent of the Patani Sultanate and the supposed Siamese war crimes against them. Village headmen asking for aid were turned away from provincial offices, crying for their people as they were dragged out by equally impoverished Kra troops. Even then, the people blamed the issue on corrupt local officials, and assembled across the north to ask their government for aid. The Kra Army fired upon them, unprovoked, and without mercy. The people rose up, and blood bathed the twelve provinces. Yet as Shaahir was sidetracked and a council took the reins in the aftermath of the Great Tsunami of 2004, the people still believed it to be a time of rebuilding, and laid down their arms confident in rapprochement. The north continued to suffer, as vengeful UMTNL politburo memebers denied any and all aid to the north, whom they saw as traitors. Shaahir's sons took the helm, and once again answered the north's pleas with fire and steel, once again unprovoked, once again without mercy.

The Twelve have had enough of such abuse; her people have taken up arms against her oppressors, and with lessons past paid for in blood, tears, and lives, they will never lay it down again; till one or the other is dead. A simple, better life many seek will never be possible under the yoke of Bandar Singora, no matter the mask they don, no matter the lies they spout. The Thai Dai fight for the lives lost, the lives still here, and for a better life for future lives to come.

At present, Thai Dai fighters number a little over 120,000 in total, the vast majority of which are directly aligned to and commanded by the Tai People's Liberation Army in Khon Kaen. In recent months, large stocks of gear from the north has been delivered, and the bulk of the army are reasonably equipped, with AKMs, Soviet-era combat helmets, fatigues, and webbing. Some 80% of Thai Dai personnel are engaged in conventional warfare against combine Kra-Indonesian units, while the remainder are scattered across the Republic, engaging in guerrilla warfare to disrupt Kra, and how the National Defense League's, supply lines. Much of the Provisional Government's support base lies in the neglected and downtrodden north, with living conditions similar to those among the TSPR's mountain tribes, with the huge majority of the nation's wealth concentrated in the Trang, Phuket, and Patani states. Though it can be confidently said that the Provisional Government enjoys substantial degrees of support among the farmers that comprise over three-quarters of the Republic's population, a huge number of prospective recruits are unwilling to part with their families in fear of their well-being, especially in a time of a total breakdown of Kra Law Enforcement agencies and lack of a stable supply chain to rural stores. Furthermore, huge resentment from the rural majority towards the upper-class Thais who they perceive, to some truth, of having exploited them and de-facto ruled over entire districts, not unlike feudal lords, has completely eliminate any possibility of their support for the Provisional Government, cutting off their international contacts and wealth from usage by the Thai Dai.

Some, however, would argue that it would be better to fight and lose, rather than bow once again before those who had been instrumental in orchestrating their abuse. The intellectual capacity needed to effectively organize conventional offensives, adequately equip fighting units, and rouse the people are in addition increasingly being filled by the Red Scholars, highly-educated, elite members of the TSPR military leadership, and Siamese socialists pouring south of the border. Moreover, Highway 4 has been severed, and the road to Phuket is now open. The days of the Kra are numbered, and there will be no place for turncoats and blood-traitors in the new Republic.

Nusantara Times

July 10th, 2020

Maluku development projects

The province of Maluku in the west is made up of thousand of islands scattering the majority of the Western Island Chain. The territory was ceded to Indonesia in 1948 during the Dutch East Indies dispute between Indonesia and the Netherlands. Previously before, it was under occupation by Japan, and came under Dutch control following the end of the war. The island remained relatively untouched during its first year with the Indonesian Republic. Until in 1963, after the end of the Papua War, the island came under the subject of development project similar to this. Aside from being one of the major tourist attraction, it houses the Ambon Naval Base, which was the headquarters of Western Fleet until it was moved to Sorong in 1998. Since then, the province received very few attention from the central government and regional development is often carried out by the province's government. Later today however, President Jokowi announces that he will be allocating several budget funds for the development of the province. He had also planned to visit Ambon to discuss terms with the governor, and coordinate the development carried out.

In addition, the province's economy had been in all time low, which was caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Although, the province saw few cases attributing to the Indonesian government fast response after the disease had reached the country. In the meantime, the projects announced are:

- New airport for Ambon and other areas

- Creation of an industrial center in Ambon and Tual

- Investments by private or state-owned companies

- Lowing of corporate taxes

- 10 new medical centers to be build
and,

- Designation of the Aru Archipelago as a protected natural reserve

Altogether, these projects would allow Maluku to compete with neighboring provinces, attract more tourists, and especially investments from companies. It is expected to be fully completed by atleast 2026