The problem is not the Nuclear sanctions though, but the sabotage sanctions that Trump put on top of them. I.e. terrorism sanctions and similar sanctions that in reality are related sanctions, but is designated otherwise by trump to make removal of them more difficult (thus sabotage sanctions). Iran demands these to be lifted, I am not sure Biden is willing to do so since it is politically difficult to do so for a domestically weak US president. This Iranian government is also more Hard-Line, so they will need “more” to sign an agreement when the US broke the pact. This is going to be challenging I suspect, because the Iranians will not be willing to sign just anything for sanction relief. But the Russians thinks it is going the right way. So good signs.
Interesting related story out of Israel:
I generally do not comment as a rule on India - Pakistan issues at all but this really takes the cake
One, Pakistan insists that the supplies will have to be transported by Pakistani trucks. The Indian side has proposed that if not Indian, then at least Afghan trucks can carry the material across to Afghanistan. Afghan trucks have been plying these roads for transportation of goods and materials in the past as well. But, the Pakistani side for now is insisting on Pakistani trucks.
Secondly, Pakistan wants to levy shipment charges on aid being sent to Afghanistan. India is insisting that there should be no additional cost to supplies being sent as humanitarian aid.
They need an asymmetric deal that will in all but words, give them the nod they desperately need to placate their ego and nationalism. They need it to in all but words be one that recognices them as Afghanistan’s imperial power. Because after all, Afghanistan under the Taliban, is a (problematic, but ISI loves these groups) Pakistani Security satellite. They now want to be payed for it as well, as imperial colonial powers “should be”. It stinks…
Then again, I loathe Pakistani Security Politics and I am not super objective on that matter. I am sure some soul could possible write something a tad more sympathetic to Pakistan. I can’t.
I have a lot of Pakistani friends but Pakistan as a country is dictated by it’s army and is a massive clusterfuck.
Shameful how the world stands by…
Not much of an alternative, and she had precious little moral capital after her stance on what was happening to the Rohingya.
Seriously? She now deserves summary life imprisonment by a bunch of fascists because she was weak willed when put in an impossible political dilemma?
Mighty Burma can not in any way be swayed by it’s neighbours or China?
Didn’t contemporary accounts suggest that she was being more hardline than the army?
Not really a matter of deserving or otherwise. But who would want to take on the problem now? It is a version of the Niemöller ‘first they came’.
As for being swayed by neighbours, yes, absolutely. The Thais seem satisfied with the current state of affairs with the generals, the Chinese pleased, and Bangladesh as powerless to help her as they were to help the Rohingya.
Unfortunately this seems plausible (read till the end, it is well argued):
I can’t post in the other thread I am using to update this situation due to the stupid spam filter.
By the way, I know this is crazy, but Sergey Shougu claims the United States is planning a provocation with chemical weapons in Donbas, using private military contractors. Obvious propaganda lie, but very note worthy and dark if you are looking for a Casus Belli, however silly.
Translate if you want :
And right on cue, new standards for mass graves in war and peace time, coming into effect february 1: Grave in law: state adopts national standard for mass-casualty burial (this is some days old but I missed it at the time).
Check the map:
And these are not your regular SU-24 dropping unguided bombs with the aid of a so-so computer. These drop very, very precise munitions and can far easier evade GBAD. This is a very forward deployment of a fighter-bomber with very long range.
Releasing @Magnus from the spam block!
Prince Andrew Googling how to fake one’s own death as I type.