Palestine Chronicle – December 11, 2024
Day 432 of genocide in Gaza: 44,805 martyrs, 106,257 wounded
Two rockets were launched from the central Gaza Strip towards the Gaza envelope and reportedly fell in an open area.
At least 18 Palestinians were killed and others were missing in an Israeli airstrike on a house near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza.
The Ziv Hospital in Safad announced it received four Israeli soldiers who had been wounded in south Lebanon, without providing any further details.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry (Gaza), 44,805 Palestinians have been killed, and 106,257 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/live-blog-rockets-from-gaza-massacre-near-kamal-adwan-soldiers-injured-day-432/
Al Mayadeen – December 11, 2024
Assad’s fall won’t significantly impact the Resistance Axis: Ex-CIA
Former CIA official Paul Pillar argues that the fall of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won’t be a major setback for the Resistance Axis, emphasizing the challenges of a new regime under HTS and the broader implications for the Middle East.
Former CIA official Paul Pillar, in an article for National Interest, argued that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime is not expected to be a major blow to the Resistance Axis. Pillar noted that the Assad family had governed Syria since 1970, and disrupting this long-standing power structure is expected to destabilize the region.
He raised concerns about Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), labeling it a "radical jihadist" group formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, still listed as a terrorist organization by the US. Although HTS has tried to present itself as more moderate, Pillar believes this is a strategic move, not a genuine ideological shift. He compared this to the Taliban’s attempts to moderate its stance for international recognition before reverting to its original ideology.
"Despite some efforts to reassure Christians in Syria, the new regime is not likely to become a haven of religious tolerance. Assad headed a regime that favored its Alawite minority but was fundamentally secular and not driven by a religious mission. The same will not be true of the Salafists who control HTS," Pillar said.
Pillar also dismissed the idea that a regime controlled by HTS would be more democratic or tolerant than Assad's secular government, highlighting the continued internal instability due to religious and ethnic divisions. He suggested that Syria’s civil war would persist, much like how ISIS exploited the earlier stages of the war.
On Syria’s relations with Gulf states, Pillar argued that the Gulf’s attempts to distance Assad from Iran have failed. He warned that an Islamic regime in Syria would challenge the legitimacy of monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Pillar noted "For the Saudis and especially the Emiratis, an Islamist regime in their region is anathema because of the basis for legitimacy it offers as an alternative to monarchical rule," adding that "The UAE demonstrated the lengths it would go to oppose such a regime with its military intervention in Libya."
Regarding the Resistance Axis, Pillar asserted that while there would be logistical challenges for Iran and Hezbollah in Syria, the regime change wouldn’t be a major setback for the Axis. He explained that Syria, under Assad, has been "more of a drain than an asset" for Iran, as the alliance had always been one-sided, with aid flowing from Iran to Syria.
Pillar concluded that "the Manichean idea of an Iranian-led axis as the paramount source of the Middle East’s troubles needs to be discarded," as it is inaccurate, stressing that this will become clearer as Syria’s future unfolds.
It is also important to note that Pillar retired from the CIA in 2005 after a 28-year career in the US intelligence community. His final role was as the National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia. Before that, he held several analytical and managerial positions, including serving as the chief of analytic units at the CIA, focusing on regions such as the Near East, the Persian Gulf, and South Asia.
US, Israel orchestrated Syria crisis, Resistance steadfast: Khamenei
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, stated on Wednesday that the events in Syria were orchestrated in American and Israeli command centers.
During his speech, Sayyed Khamenei emphasized that Iran has "evidence that leaves no room for doubt" to support this assertion.
He highlighted the role of a "neighboring country," which, according to him, "played an overt role in the events in Syria and continues to do so, as is evident to all," adding that "The primary force behind the conspiracy, the planning, and the command centers was in America and the Zionist entity."
Sayyed Khamenei affirmed that "the power of the Resistance will expand further than ever before, encompassing the entire region."
"The Resistance remains steadfast," he said. "The more pressure it faces, the stronger it becomes. The more crimes committed against it, the greater its legitimacy," Sayyed Khamenei explained.
"The more they fight the Resistance, the broader its front becomes. I assure you, it will grow stronger and encompass the entire region."
He further stressed, "Those who naively think that weakening the Resistance will weaken Iran do not understand what Resistance means. I assure you, Iran is strong and resilient, and it will only grow stronger."
Addressing the occupation of Syrian territories over the past few days, Sayyed Khamenei said, "It is certain that these attackers, each with their own goals, and with objectives that vary from one another, are seeking to occupy land in northern or southern Syria."
Explaining that "the US is trying to establish a foothold in the region; these are their aims," he reasserted that "with time, it will become clear that they will not achieve any of these goals."
Sayyed Khamenei proclaimed, confidently and without doubt, "The patriotic Syrian youth will liberate the occupied areas of Syria, and there is no doubt that this will happen."
In conclusion, once again, Sayyed Khamenei reaffirms the historic position of the Axis of Resistance, stressing that "The US will also fail to establish a foothold, and with God's blessing, strength, and power, the Resistance Front will drive the Americans out of the region."
Iran’s indigenously-developed Simorgh light transport aircraft undergoes test flight
Iran’s new light transport aircraft Simorgh, designed and developed by experts at the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), has successfully conducted a test flight, after it underwent various checks to receive a type certificate
.
The turboprop military transport aircraft, named after a benevolent bird in Persian mythology and literature, took the test on Wednesday during the 12th edition of the Iran International Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Iran Airshow 2024, held on Kish Island on the northeast of the Persian Gulf.
“This aircraft has been designed, developed, and manufactured in compliance with international standards and regulations by the Ministry of Defense and [domestic] knowledge-based firms. It was unveiled and flown at this exhibition,” Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Nasirzadeh stated.
He pointed to advances made in Iran's defense and military spheres, saying that major strides in the aviation industry have been taken over the past few years, and the Islamic Republic can now produce a wide range of sophisticated military hardware.
The Iranian defense chief went on to note that his country has attained self-sufficiency in the aviation industry, emphasizing that Western sanctions “have not managed to undermine our willpower and capabilities.”
For his part, Secretary of the Supreme Economic Coordination Council between heads of the three branches of the Iranian government, Mohsen Rezaei, stressed the importance of military and defense development in order to maintain and strengthen national independence and freedom through reliance on domestic capabilities.
“America and Israel are against the independence of countries, and everyone must be cautious against their conspiracies,” Rezaei pointed out.
Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.
Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiation.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and expand Iran’s defense capabilities.
The Politics of Nobel Peace Prize: When war-mongers are felicitated in the name of 'peace'
[2024 Nobel Peace Prize was given to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization campaigning against nuclear weapons.]
By Humaira Ahad
The magnificent ceremonial rooms of Stockholm City Hall’s Golden Hall, adorned with millions of gold leaf pieces and colored glass, welcomed hundreds of white-collar guests for the Nobel Prize ceremony on Tuesday.
The Nobel Prize banquet is held annually on December 10, commemorating the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
Nearly 50 percent of the laureates attending the fancy white-tie ceremony meet Swedish royalty and are awarded a gold medal. This association with the wealthiest five percent of society often adds a layer of controversy to the entire Nobel Award affair.
Over the years, the Nobel Prize, particularly the Nobel Peace Prize, has been highly politicized. It is awarded based not on merit but rather on strong political connections, according to experts, which is primarily while war-mongers are felicitated in the name of peace.
Past recipients include contentious figures such as former US President Barack Obama, whose drone strikes killed thousands in West Asia; Aung San Suu Kyi, under whose regime the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar faced multiple massacres; Shimon Peres, the former foreign minister of the Israeli regime accused of war crimes against Palestinian civilians; and Narges Mohammadi, a provocateur of unrest in Iran and a recipient of significant Western backing.
A promotional stunt by the ‘merchant of death’
Alfred Nobel, infamously nicknamed the “merchant of death,” famously used the Nobel Prize as a promotional strategy to repair his tarnished public image.
As the inventor of dynamite and other explosives, Nobel was widely criticized for profiting from dynamite and other explosives that caused widespread destruction.
In 1888, a French newspaper mistakenly reported Nobel’s death, publishing the headline: “The merchant of death is dead.” The obituary claimed that Nobel “became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before.”
This premature obituary deeply disturbed Nobel, who realized that his legacy could be defined by these damning words. Motivated by this fear, he established the Nobel Prize—a well-choreographed effort at rebranding and a public relations exercise designed to leave behind a more positive legacy.
The tarnished legacy of the Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize, born out of this calculated maneuver, has been mired in controversy ever since. Over the years, it has been awarded to individuals accused of promoting war and committing atrocities against ordinary citizens, from the West to the East.
Despite being named the Nobel Peace Prize, the award often has little to do with promoting peace and condemning war. Instead, it has frequently honored individuals who are seen as war criminals or politically driven figures.
The list of controversial Nobel Peace Prize recipients, who have been war-mongers, is long.
Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919, despite initiating military interventions in 12 countries and using deceit to justify American involvement in World War I.
Aung San Suu Kyi, a leader of Myanmar, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 “for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.” However, she oversaw policies that facilitated the annihilation of Rohingya Muslims through military-led mass killings.
This pattern highlights that the Nobel Peace Prize is often influenced by political motives rather than genuine contributions to peace.
Arwa Mahdawi, a New York-based writer, aptly summarizes the skepticism surrounding the prize.
“The Nobel Peace Prize is a farce; it has been for a long time. Really, it’s time we stopped pretending otherwise and put an end to the pomp and pretense altogether. Indeed, it’s amazing anyone can still say the words ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ with a straight face considering its recipients constitute a who’s who of hawks, hypocrites, and war criminals,” she noted.
Controversial winners
Barack Obama
One of the most controversial Nobel Peace Prizes in recent years was awarded to Barack Obama in 2009. The Nobel Committee praised him for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
However, during his presidency (2009–2015), Obama dramatically expanded and normalized the use of armed drones in countries such as Yemen, Pakistan, Libya, and Somalia.
Dubbed the “drone president,” he authorized 542 strikes that resulted in an estimated 3,797 deaths, according to human rights groups.
“Turns out I’m good at killing people. Didn’t know that was going to be a strong suit of mine,” Obama was reported saying to his senior aides in 2011.
Henry Kissinger
The former US diplomat received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for negotiating a ceasefire during the Vietnam War. Yet, Kissinger’s policies fueled devastating wars in neighboring Cambodia and beyond.
His widely documented war crimes span across countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Cyprus, East Timor, Palestine, South Africa, and Vietnam.
As the US Secretary of State, Kissinger shaped America's interventionist foreign policy, which later helped America establish its hegemony and imperialism globally.
Christopher Hitchens, in his 2001 book The Trial of Henry Kissinger, remarked:
“The U.S. could either persist in averting their gaze from the egregious impunity enjoyed by a notorious war criminal and lawbreaker, or they can become seized by the exalted standards to which they continually hold everyone else.”
Shimon Peres
The former Israeli regime's Prime Minister received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his role in the Oslo Accords alongside Israel’s prime minister of the time, Yitzhak Rabin, and former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
The accords failed to recognize Palestinian statehood and allowed illegal Israeli settlements to expand in the occupied Palestinian territories.
According to the European Union statistics of 2023, roughly 121,000 settlers were living in the occupied Palestinian territories when the Oslo Accords were signed. Now the number exceeds 600,000 settlers.
Peres played a key role in the military regime imposed on Palestinian citizens until 1966, under which the occupying regime carried out mass land theft and displacement.
During Peres’ tenure as the military affairs minister from 1974 to 1977, many settlements were established in the occupied West Bank. These illegal settlements were built on confiscated privately owned Palestinian land.
Pere has also been described as “an architect of Israel’s nuclear weapons program.”
As the regime’s prime minister in 1996, he ordered and oversaw the killing of 154 civilians in Lebanon by the Israeli occupation army. The operation, widely believed to have been a pre-election show of strength, saw Lebanese civilians intentionally targeted.
Another notorious incident was the Qana massacre when the Israeli regime forces shelled a United Nations compound and killed 106 sheltering civilians.
“Everything was done according to clear logic and in a responsible way. I am at peace,” Peres said later about the incident.
Narges Mohammadi
Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize was given to Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian citizen who became popular in the West for her involvement in subversive activities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Mohammadi was following the directions of various Western agencies, as evidence revealed.
The 52-year-old who was falsely referred to as the champion of women’s rights by the Noble Peace Prize Committee was at the forefront of the 2022 deadly riots in Iran.
Due to her social media activities and the backing of Western agencies, the Nobel Peace Prize committee chose her for the award in 2023.
Mohammadi serves as vice president of the so-called Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), a Western-funded organization headed by Shirin Ebadi, a prominent anti-Iran figure and 2003 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mohammadi’s primary activities have mostly revolved around writing on social media and giving statements to foreign media regarding men who were jailed in Iran for murders and terrorist attacks.
Like Ebadi, Mohammadi received large sums of money from her Western backers to create a ruckus.
Dec. 10: ‘Axis of Resistance’ operations against Israeli occupation
By Press TV Website Staff
Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 44,800 Palestinians so far, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.
The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Tuesday, December 10, are as follows:
Al-Qassam Brigades’ operations on Dec. 10:
- Targeted an Israeli armored personnel carrier and a Merkava tank with two 'Yassin 105' shells near the university intersection in the Al-Janina neighborhood east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.
- Targeted a gathering of Israeli forces in an ambush in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
- In a joint operation with the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, targeted Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in Gaza's Netzarim corridor with heavy mortar shells.
- Al-Quds Brigades’ operations on Dec. 10:
- Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles during their incursion into the heart of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
- Targeted an Israeli military convoy and detonated their military jeeps and vehicles, followed by clashes with regime soldiers on combat fronts in Tulkaren, occupied West Bank.
- Seized Israeli military drones while they were carrying out intelligence missions over the skies of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip.
- Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli soldiers and military vehicles that penetrated the center of north Gaza's Jabalia camp.
- Yemeni military’s operations on Dec. 10:
- Targeted two US destroyers and three accompanying supply ships in the Gulf of Aden with rockets and drones.
- Targeted Israeli military sites in Yaffa and Ashkelon regions with a barrage of drones
Israeli tanks reach outskirts of Damascus amid intense strikes on Syria: Report
The Israeli military has occupied several villages south of Damascus, with its tanks now being stationed around 20 kilometers from the outskirts of the Syrian capital, a new report says.
Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported on Tuesday that the Israeli tanks have moved past the southwestern Syrian city of Quneitra and reached 3 kilometers away from the town of Qatana, near Damascus.
Israel started the push to expand its occupation of Syria on Sunday, after foreign-backed militants, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), announced the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government following a rapid two-week offensive that led to the capture of Damascus.
Israeli forces seized the buffer zone that separates the occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria in violation of a 1974 disengagement agreement between the Tel Aviv regime and Syria.
They also captured the strategic Mount Hermon in Golan, which provides high ground for the entire area.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Syrian Golan Heights will remain part of the occupied territories “for eternity.”
Israel's exploitation of the current chaotic situation to deploy its occupation forces to Syria has drawn condemnations from regional countries.
“We condemn the fact that Israel has entered Syrian territory and taken control of the buffer zone,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said, "The seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights … confirms Israel’s continued violation of the rules of international law, and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.”
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the regime has carried out nearly 300 air raids on Syria over the past two days.
They added that if the aerial assaults continue at their current pace, the Syrian Air Force will be all but destroyed in a matter of days.
New Israeli strikes hit the Syrian city Salamiyah, in the eastern countryside of Hama Province, as well as military installations north of Raqqah, and the Shayrat air base in Homs' countryside.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/10/738823/Israeli-tanks-reach-outskirts-Damascus
When Terrorists are not Terrorists:
US, UK mull removing HTS militants in Syria from terror list
The United States and Britain are mulling removing the terrorist designation of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) after the former offshoot of al-Qaeda overthrew the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“US officials are in contact with all the groups involved in fighting in Syria, including the main group that ousted Assad, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was once affiliated with al-Qaeda and remains on a US terrorist list,” The Washington Post reported on Sunday.
The newspaper cited an American official as saying that the US administration has not ruled out removing HTS from the terror list to enable deeper US contact and cooperation with the group.
“We have to be smart … and also very mindful and pragmatic about the realities on the ground,” the official said.
Another US official also said the White House is in the process of conducting a “real-time assessment” about HTS.
That’s while Vice President-elect J.D. Vance on Sunday expressed concern about the nature of HTS militants, saying many of them "are a literal offshoot of ISIS,” using an alternative acronym for Daesh.
“One can hope they've moderated. Time will tell," he added.
On Sunday, armed groups, led by HTS militants, captured the Syrian capital, which led to the fall of Assad’s government.
The fall of the Assad government "fulfills a longtime US foreign policy goal,” The Post noted.
The UK is also considering removing HTS from a list of banned terrorist groups to which it was added in 2017 as an alias of al-Qaeda.
When asked by BBC if a process to review HTS's designation as a terror group was underway, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said on Monday, "Yes, obviously that's got to be considered. They've been proscribed for quite a long time now."
However, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was still "far too early" to consider a change of policy.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/10/738839/US-UK-mull-removing-Syria-HTS-terror-lists
Press TV Editorial – December 9, 2024
West-engineered fall of Syrian govt. won’t alter equations of resistance axis
The dramatic turn of events in Syria has come as a surprise to many after a cluster of militant groups took control of Damascus and forced President Bashar al-Assad to leave the country.
The “regime change” plot in Syria had been in the works for years, with the involvement of various international and regional actors sharing one goal – the overthrow of the Assad government.
What happened now could have happened 13 years ago when there was a consensus among some Western and Arab states to bring down the democratically-elected Assad government.
In fact, the decision to oust Assad from power was made even before 2011, in 2005, following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The West decided to use that opportunity to remove the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah from the scene.
Given Syria’s strategic importance for Hezbollah and the resistance front, they sought to use Assad’s good offices to execute their malignant plot against the Lebanese resistance movement.
In some meetings between Western officials and Assad following Hariri’s assassination in early 2005, he was offered control over Lebanon in exchange for disarming Hezbollah. However, he checkmated them by pulling out his troops from the country to avoid falling into a vicious trap.
It was then that the Western bloc decided Assad must go, as he refused to enter any deal that would compromise his government’s support for the resistance front. Notably, it was this resistance front that thwarted Western plots for almost two decades against Lebanon and Syria.
From the horrors of Daesh, a Takfiri terrorist group with territorial ambitions over all Muslim countries in the region, we are now faced with a combination of terrorist and armed opposition groups that limit themselves to Syria, some even to specific parts of the country.
This clearly shows that, though it is not a good day for the resistance front, the bigger evil has already been defeated, and the resistance has successfully foiled many plots against the region.
As Iran’s Foreign Ministry noted in a statement on Sunday, Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, and the fate of the country must be decided by the Syrian people, not outsiders.
Outside interference is what wreaked havoc in the Arab country over the years, particularly the impious plots engineered by the US and European states along with the Israeli regime against Syria.
To undermine the democratically-elected government in Syria and weaken its support for the Axis of Resistance, the United States and its allies weaponized sanctions against the country.
In 2011, before the Western-backed insurgency broke out in Syria, the country had a stable government and a prosperous society. It is estimated that Syria’s foreign reserves were around $20–22 billion at the time, and the armed forces consisted of nearly 300,000 active personnel.
After the advent of anti-government insurgency, a few thousand military personnel joined the enemy’s camp, swayed mostly by lucrative financial perks and psychological warfare.
In the following years, as militancy aggravated, the country’s thriving economy was wrecked by crippling and cruel sanctions, which pushed people toward poverty and fomented discontent.
The armed forces were equally affected by the deteriorating economic situation, especially after the US government announced additional sanctions against Syria under the so-called ‘Caesar Act’ in December 2019, forcing many of them to switch sides to sustain their families.
Thus, the Syrian army faced internal collapse due to draconian economic pressures. Despite the Assad government’s strenuous efforts to manage the situation, it wasn’t enough.
With the national armed forces disintegrating and demoralized, no other force could substitute them. However, despite their involvement in other regional developments, from Gaza to Lebanon, Syrian government allies were ready to provide military help upon Damascus’ request. Yet, foreign forces can only support Syrian forces, not replace them.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, for its part, resolutely stood alongside the government and people of Syria until the last day, offering every form of assistance required by the Damascus government.
President Assad, in his final days in office, appeared confident that he could protect Syria, but the situation dramatically spun out of control, plunging the country into an era of uncertainty with potential ripple effects for all of Syria’s neighbors.
But will these unsavory developments affect the resistance axis? Throughout the years, the resistance has not depended on anyone. Even before Syria became the logistic route for the resistance, Hezbollah and other movements had established themselves as forces to reckon with.
This will continue in the future as well. The resistance movements in Yemen and Gaza have been virtually cut off from their supporting countries, but they still find ways to persist.
The latest war between Hezbollah and the Zionist regime proves this. Despite the regime bombing all routes between Syria and Lebanon, the Lebanese resistance maintained the upper hand and forced the embattled Benjamin Netanyahu regime to seek a ceasefire deal with Lebanon after Hezbollah’s historic 'Black Sunday' operation in the heart of Tel Aviv.
The Zionist regime's rapid advancement into Syria, beyond the occupied Golan Heights after the fall of the government in Damascus, underscores its long-standing ambition to materialize the idea of ‘Greater Israel’ by occupying more Syrian territory.
The countries that backed these terrorists and armed opposition forces to overthrow the Assad government should now ponder how they will resist Tel Aviv’s expansionist agenda when the regime forces knock on their borders.
Time will prove that those who cheered for the fall of the Syrian government were the real losers.
