DARREN LEWIS 'With Iran bombing, Trump is compromising our very survival'
Do you worry about the message being sent out by two nuclear weapons states bombing a non-nuclear weapons state without having been attacked first? Are you any more confident that Operation Midnight Hammer has "obliterated" - in the words of Donald Trump - Iran's nuclear capability when the widely held view is that the weekend strikes were theatrical?
Particularly as Trump's vice-president JD Vance replied on Sunday night when asked about his boss's assessment: "Severely damaged versus obliterated - I'm not exactly sure what the difference is.
Do you really share both men's total belief that their mission has been a success when the objective, expert analysis suggests the so-called "bunker buster" bombs used are more or less useless when dropped on mountainous terrain?
Do you think Israeli citizens in underground bunkers across their country, Americans in Middle East military bases and ordinary people across Europe, now feel any safer with the blue touch paper well and truly lit by a man who unilaterally engaged the US military without Congressional authorisation?
Whatever you think of the Iranian regime, would you, if you were that country, heed the call from US and European leaders to return to the negotiating table when you were already there as your country was bombed behind your backs last week?
Would you, if you were Iran, see the point of returning to the negotiating table when, having agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015, Trump tore it up three years later? Are you as fascinated as this columnist that the bloodthirsty commentators and politicians, hungry for Britain to join a bombing campaign without a shred of decent intelligence, will be the same ones insistent that not a single one of the refugees or asylum seekers displaced by any escalation should be allowed to escape to the UK?
Do you really believe a conflict with Iran would be as quick and simple as the 20-year Afghanistan war to replace the Taliban with the Taliban? Are you feeling any more confident that the rest of the world actually cares that, amid it all, the hostages taken on October 7 appear to have been forgotten about?
Or that Israel is still pounding Gaza with 55,000 Palestinians dead there, including 15,000 children with the number of people killed queueing for food rising to 400 on Sunday? Are you worried that former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, said on Sunday that "a number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads."?
Are you still waiting for the dossier that backs up Trump's move to dismiss his own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who insisted earlier this year (she has since fallen into line, of course) that Iran was not trying to create a bomb?
Are you with the International Atomic Energy Agency who also insist there is no evidence to suggest Iran is breaching guidelines?. Or are you willing to place your faith in Trump - the man who describes actual truth as fake news?
Are you more comfortable that the UK has learned its lessons after being hoodwinked into joining the war on Iraq 22 years ago? Or are you now realising that a systematic attempt remains ongoing to manipulate the British public into rejecting peace in favour of setting the world on fire again?
Do you feel any more confident that the US - where women cannot do as they wish to their own bodies and whose homeland security agents are literally pulling people off the streets, detaining them illegally and violating their human rights - are in a position to decry an Iran regime whose citizens are on TV, unified in the streets supporting their leadership?
And do you think this carry-on over the last few days will make the Iranians more or less likely to say to themselves: "We really do need a credible nuclear deterrent"?
It is frightening to think that this could be the moment that really did motivate Iranian leaders to go that way. That should worry us all.
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The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Russia becomes first country to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban regime. Will China follow?
Russia has become the first country in the world to grant official recognition to the Taliban government in Afghanistan, with experts monitoring the situation warning other countries like China could soon follow suit. Russia's foreign ministry announced late on Thursday that it had received official credentials from Gul Hassan Hassan, a newly appointed ambassador from the acting government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to Russia. Mr Hassan Hassan met with the Taliban 's acting foreign affairs minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The foreign ministry hailed the official recognition of the Afghan government and said it will allow 'productive bilateral cooperation' between the Taliban and Moscow. 'This brave decision will be an example for others … now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone,' Mr Muttaqi said after meeting Russian officials. No other country has formally recognised the Taliban government. However, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, in a step towards recognition. The first photos of the celebrations by the former militants showed them waving the Islamic Emirate's white and black flags and offering prayers in the balcony of the Afghanistan embassy in Moscow. Zabiullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, welcomed the move and said he hoped more nations will now identify them as the official leader of Afghanistan. 'The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is grateful to Russia for this act. We call on other countries to follow the same path to build a better and stronger relationship of recognition with us,' Mr Mujahid told The Independent. The Taliban stormed to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 after the exit of US and Nato forces and promised a moderate rule in the country. But shortly after taking control, the Taliban banned girls and women from schools above sixth grade, colleges, and workplaces. What followed was stricter and harsher implementation of the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, under which girls and women are still banned from public spaces, salons, national parks and gymnasiums, among other places. The Taliban were shunned on the international stage due to their 'gender apartheid policies' and Western diplomats and officials earlier said the isolation would continue until it changed course on women's rights. Russia removing the 'terrorist' tag from the group and recognising them as the official rulers of Afghanistan is being seen as a major step towards ending that isolation – even though the situation for Afghan women has not changed. Taliban leaders have travelled to Russia and China and held high-level talks with many other countries to build diplomatic ties, all part of an effort to seek international legitimacy. Moscow 's decision to upgrade its relationship with the Taliban was made by Russian president Vladimir Putin on advice from foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, said Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov. What does Putin gain from the Taliban? Russia has a complex history with Afghanistan. Soviet troops invaded the country in December 1979 to prop up a Communist government, but became bogged down in a long war against mujahideen fighters armed by the US. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev pulled his army out in 1989, by which time some 15,000 Soviet soldiers had been killed. Russia has been gradually building relations with the Taliban, which Mr Putin said last year was now an ally in fighting terrorism. Since 2022, Afghanistan has imported gas, oil and wheat from Russia. The Taliban was outlawed by Russia as a terrorist movement in 2003, but the ban was lifted in April this year. Russia sees a need to work with Kabul as it faces a major security threat from Islamist militant groups based in a string of countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East. 'Of course, Moscow seeks to establish closer economic ties with Kabul. Russia is pursuing a number of infrastructure projects, in which Afghanistan could play an important role. For example, Russia is promoting transport corridors that are expected to run through Afghan territory,' said Aleksei Zakharov, fellow with Strategic Studies Programme at New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF). But to achieve success in these projects alongside the Taliban, Moscow will first need to get a grip on the security situation in Afghanistan. Several terrorist groups, including Isis's regional outfit Isis-K, have carried out attacks in the country against foreign contingents. 'It's still an open question if Russia can get anything in return for IEA's official recognition,' says Mr Zakharov, suggesting this could prove to be a risky bargain for the Kremlin. 'The Taliban are not in a position to provide any guarantees against future attacks. Their track record on fighting terrorism has been mixed,' he said. In March 2024, gunmen killed 149 people at a concert hall outside Moscow in an attack claimed by Isis. US officials said they had intelligence indicating it was the Afghan branch of the group, Isis-K, that was responsible. The Taliban said it was working to wipe out the presence of Isis in Afghanistan. Will China follow suit? "As a traditional friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday, after Russia's recognition of the Taliban. "No matter how the internal or external situation changes in Afghanistan, diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan have never been interrupted," she said. The Taliban's soldiers have been celebrating on social media. 'The next in line to recognise the Islamic Emirate will be all the other members of BRICS, InshaAllah. Cry, enemies!' said a Taliban supporter on X, referring to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa's coalition. Russia's decision 'would pave a clearer way for China at least to officially recognise the government in Kabul', said Kabir Taneja, deputy director and fellow at Strategic Studies Programme at the ORF in New Delhi. 'Others may still be wary. For Russia, this may have been expedited due to the Ukraine war and the ISKP-led terror attack in Moscow in April 2024.' The Middle East will be a 'little more sceptical', he told The Independent. 'However, it is possible that normalisation of Ahmed Al Sharaa in Syria will pave an easier path more specifically for Arab powers to normalise the Taliban as well,' Mr Taneja said, referring to Syria's president – a former al-Qaeda militant. Senior authorities on Afghanistan, however, continued to warn against the risk of colluding with the Taliban at the expense of Afghanistan's women and girls. David Loyn, author of The Long War and a senior expert on Afghanistan, cautioned: 'There is no plan as to how to move forward to save Afghan women. 'The best thing from this could be if the US and other Western countries sat up and took notice that Russia is cozying up to the Taliban, who harbour al-Qaeda and run a terrorist state,' Mr Loyn told The Independent. 'And we know what happens when Afghanistan is ignored. The consequences were 9/11,' Mr Loyn warned.
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Russia becomes first country to recognise Taliban regime
Russia has become the first country to recognise the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan. The Afghan flag outside the embassy in Moscow has been replaced with one for the hard-line organisation. The move is a major diplomatic boost to the group after it seized power nearly four years ago following the withdrawal of US and Nato forces. It signals a significant diplomatic shift for Moscow away from the international stance of non-recognition of the regime because of its extreme human rights record. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: 'We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields.' The announcement followed a meeting between Andrei Rudenko, the Kremlin's deputy foreign minister, and Gul Hassan Hassan, the Taliban's envoy to Russia. The group's flag was then promptly hoisted at Afghanistan's embassy compound. Dmitry Zhirnov, the Russian ambassador to Kabul, described the decision as historic, while Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's foreign minister, said it would set an example for others. Anas Haqqani, a powerful figure within the group, said: 'The politics of pressure and distance has proven fruitless. Only dialogue and engagement can resolve matters and bring proximity.' The display, which was condemned by Afghan political and civil society groups for fuelling extremism, has been seen as part of Moscow's attempt to expand its influence in the region after the US withdrawal. Shukria Barakzai, a former Afghan parliament member, said she was shocked and disappointed by Russia's decision to legitimise the Taliban regime. She told The Telegraph: 'Russia, being a [United Nations Security Council] member, recognising a terrorist group is shocking. I am really disappointed. I don't understand what changed in the Taliban's policies and ideology that Moscow had to recognise them. 'In the process to cut the influence of the West in the region, Moscow's action will fuel extremism,' she said, adding that she does not expect better from countries such as Russia, who also have a poor human rights record. The Taliban's policies have plunged Afghanistan into an economic and humanitarian crisis, with millions living in poverty and having limited access to food. Women have been locked out of education and economy. The US has frozen billions in Afghanistan's central bank assets, resulting in the country's banking sector being largely cut off from the global financial system. The international community has repeatedly stated that recognition of the Taliban regime depends on respect for women's rights, the formation of an inclusive government and ensuring that Afghanistan is not used as a base for terrorism. The UK has not proscribed the Taliban as a terrorist group and Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader, is not subject to sanctions. However, it does not recognise the group as a legitimate government. The former Soviet Union fought a nine-year war in Afghanistan that ended in Moscow withdrawing its troops in 1989 following their defeat by the mujahideen, some of whom later founded the modern Taliban. Russia, which described the US withdrawal as a 'failure', has taken steps to increase its engagement with Taliban authorities since, seeing the group as a potential economic partner and ally in fighting terrorism. It is one of the few countries that did not close its Afghan embassy after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. In April, it also removed the Taliban from its list of banned groups after 22 years. Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special envoy to Afghanistan, called the Taliban an 'objective partner' in the fight against terrorism earlier this week at a UN-sponsored meeting in Doha, stressing that the Kremlin must arm them to help eliminate the ISIS threats. During the group's first rule in the 1990s, only three countries – Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – recognised the regime.
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Hamas ‘considering laying down arms'
Hamas is considering laying down its weapons as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, sources have said. The terror group is yet to respond formally to a proposal from the White House, aimed at freeing the hostages potentially within days. However, Saudi outlet Asharq News reported, citing Hamas sources, that the organisation was showing 'flexibility' on the issue of possession, manufacture and smuggling of weapons under a post-war settlement. Repeated attempts to reach a new deal have failed since February because Hamas refuses to release hostages without an Israeli guarantee to end the war, effectively leaving the terror group at large in the Strip. At the same time, Israel has stopped short of committing not to resume fighting after the hostages are recovered. Using the political momentum from his bombing of Iran and subsequent brokering of a peace deal between the Islamic Republic and Israel, Donald Trump is now effectively offering Hamas that guarantee himself, according to reports. Sources say the president has committed to begin detailed discussions on ending the war on day one of a 60-day ceasefire, on which approximately eight hostages would walk free. Arab nations have put forward a proposal for an interim technocrat government for Gaza, with the involvement of the Palestinian Authority. An end to weapons smuggling Similar discussions were due to begin some days into the January ceasefire deal with Hamas, but never materialised owing to Benjamin Netanyahu's domestic political constraints. Israel then restarted its military campaign in mid-March. According to Asharq, Hamas may commit to put an end to weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip and manufacturing its own weapons. It may even commit to handing over its existing weapons. There has also been suggestions that a symbolic number of senior Hamas figures would agree to go into exile. However, Hamas has issued no formal response yet – although Mr Trump says he expects one within 24 hours – and the optimistic reports could amount to nothing. The group has a history of appearing to entertain proposals only to introduce hurdles later in the process. Israel has repeatedly said that Hamas can have no part in running a post-war Gaza government. The question will be to what extent Mr Netanyahu's government is prepared to consider a staged process of reform. Under what is known of the proposed agreement, Hamas would release 10 living hostages, approximately half of the total number it holds, and a number of bodies over the 60-day period.
