In the News May 27

International News in Brief

Israeli Occupation Forces Shoot at Palestinians Defending Their Homes Against Illegal Settlements

The Israeli occupation forces on the night of May 25 shot at Palestinians in the Huwwarah neighbourhood of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. The Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) confirmed that 52 people were wounded. Local sources reported that a large number of illegal Jewish settlers raided Huwwarah and raised Israeli flags under the protection of the occupation forces. The Palestinian residents challenged the settlers’ provocative presence in their neighbourhood.

The New York Times reported that an Israeli intelligence officer said Tel Aviv has informed Washington that it was behind the assassination of an officer of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran this week.

Greek Authorities Hand Over Iranian Oil from Seized Russian Oil Tanker to the U.S.

On May 25 Greece announced that it will deliver Iranian oil cargo that was on board the Russian oil tanker Greece seized on April 19 to the U.S. On April 19, Greek authorities seized a Russian oil tanker formerly named Pegas, now known as Lana, off the coast of Euboea Island as part of its efforts to implement sanctions issued by the European Union against Russia. Greece said it acted “at the request” of the U.S. justice system.

Also on May 25 Iran announced that Greece had seized another Iranian-flagged ship, arrested its crew members, and seized the cargo on board. Iran said Greece had acted upon orders from the U.S. in violation of international law, describing the seizure as “state-sponsored maritime piracy.” Iran said, “Athens must immediately release the ship and comply with its international obligations.”

Canada Cancels Exhibition Soccer Match with Iran

Canada has cancelled the Canada-Iran Exhibition Soccer Match scheduled for June 5. The Canada Soccer Association announced that “over the past week, the untenable geopolitical situation of hosting Iran became significantly divisive and in response the match was cancelled.” The match was first announced on May 12, as part of the preparations for the World Cup, until high ranking political figures intervened.

Prime Minister Trudeau, for instance, said on May 17, “This was a choice by Soccer Canada. I think it wasn’t a very good idea to invite the Iranian soccer team here to Canada. But that’s something that the organizers are going to have to explain.” Ralph Goodale, Canada’s High commissioner to the United Kingdom, who had five different cabinet posts during his years as a Liberal Member of Parliament, tweeted on May 25, “This behaviour by Canada Soccer is repugnant. It calls into question both the competence and the values of the organization.”

Serbia Once Again Refuses to Implement Sanctions Against Russia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on May 25 that Serbia will not join anti-Russian sanctions. “Right now there is no such possibility,” the President said. As a condition to join the European Union, Serbia has been under tremendous pressure to “harmonize” its policies with those of the EU.

“You now talk about the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but you didn’t talk that way 23 years ago,” Vucic told the EU, referring to the 1999 NATO war that resulted in the occupation of Serbia’s province of Kosovo. “Today you talk about respecting the UN resolutions, but you forget UNSCR 1244 when it comes to us,” he added.

The resolution, which supported the armistice that ended the 78-day war, also guaranteed Serbia’s sovereignty over Kosovo — which the U.S. and its NATO allies proceeded to ignore when they backed Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008. “You have to understand Serbia is special, because only Serbia was bombed and attacked by NATO countries, many of which are EU members. So you have to keep that in mind when you talk to us,” Vucic told the EU leaders.

U.S.-China Policy

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on May 26 delivered a speech at George Washington University which elaborated the Biden administration’s “approach to the People’s Republic of China.”

“Blinken laid out a three-pillar approach to competing with Beijing in a race to define the 21st century’s economic and military balance,” The Associated Press (AP) reported. AP added that Blinken described the most serious long-term challenge to the international order as the one posed by the People’s Republic of China. “China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order — and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it,” Blinken said. “Beijing’s vision would move us away from the universal values that have sustained so much of the world’s progress over the past 75 years,” he said.

Comment

It is clear the United States is going all out to give new impetus to a “civilizing” crusade which it seeks to impose on Canada, the European Union, NATO members and all others it can succeed in threatening or bribing to join its unholy war.

The Crusades were military expeditions undertaken by Christian powers in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries to win the Holy Land from the Muslims. The objectives of the Crusades were “to check the spread of Islam, to retake control of the Holy Land, to conquer pagan areas, and to recapture formerly Christian territories,” the Encyclopaedia Britannica says. They were battles to the death for souls that if not saved were seen to be forever lost.

Crusading came to an end in the 16th century when Protestants such as Martin Luther led the Reformation. They had no use for Crusades, which they believed were cynical ploys by the papacy to grab power from secular lords.

The crusading upon which the United States and its allies, including Canada, have embarked to impose what they call universal values on all countries in the world, is not a mission the majority of countries nor the peoples of the world will join. The mission to save civilization by making sure what are called “western shared values” prevail is taking the world into an abyss of medieval obscurantism, anarchy, violence and destruction at a time humanity is striving to create conditions where the right to be of all human beings and peoples is recognized as the priority to which everyone must submit. Now is the time to speak out against the destructive U.S. crusade aimed at “civilizing” the world in its image and under its jackboots.

Typical “Compensation” for U.S. Chief Executives of the Standard & Poor 500

The typical compensation package for chief executives who run Standard &Poor (S&P) 500 companies soared 17.1 per cent last year, to a median $14.5 million, according to data analyzed for The Associated Press by Equilar.

The S&P 500 is an index of 500 public companies in the United States that are selected by the S&P Index Committee. It is not the same as the Fortune 500 list which is an annual list of the 500 largest companies, compiled under the auspices of Fortune magazine, using the most recent revenue figures. It includes public and private companies.

The main difference between the two lists, which do overlap (in addition to their compilers), is that one includes private companies, while the other only includes publicly traded large-cap companies, i.e. companies with a market capitalization value of more than $10 billion.

Biden’s New Executive Order to Strengthen Police Powers

U.S. President Biden issued a new Executive Order which he claims will advance “effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices.” The aim claimed is “to enhance public trust and public safety.” Far from it, these are measures which seek to remove the participation of the people in solving the problems of police impunity, racism, discrimination, inequality, mysogyny, white supremacy and the violence they generate.

TML Daily, posted May 27, 2022.