Bharat Rakshak

I am not sure how much to go by the 150 year inflation adjusted crude oil price. Price of any commodity changes by supply and demand dynamics and not static. For static commodities, purely going by inflation from some sensible early date might make sense.

Reports that a Iranian militia HQ has been destroyed In Iraq, multiple weapon depots hit and heavy casualty (dozens of ambulances were seen heading to Iraqi border from Iran). Also top Iranian rep guard commander Siamand is dead, are they this incompetent after rocket strike why are they still waiting in Iraq rather than heading back to Iran?

The power vacuum in Iraq,thanks to the asinine US/UK led invasion that deposed " secular" Saddam,saw the pro-Iranian Shiites in Iraq ,majority of the population, flex their muscles in the aftermath. I remember a top BBC scribe fawningly interview the then Saudi crown prince before the invasion,who said,"one may invade and get rid of Saddam, but is there any plan afterwards as to who will rule Iraq?"

The deposed Iraqi military were never factored in by the conquerors of Baghdad ,who thought that by orchestrating the topplingbof statues of Saddam and hanging him high by a kangaroo court,wild west style, would suffice. The US/ West thought they could then steal Iraq's oil,part of the masterplan, never dreaming of the insurgency that included many from Saddam's army who bogged them down post invasion .An on-off policy towards the Kurds, mortal fnemies of Saddam who wanted thrir own state, betraying them at will saw the emergence of a rabid anti- western front of Islamic fundoos along with Al Q that morphed into ISIS.

That bestial entity was encouraged by the Saudis,Gulfies and US to topple Assad in Syria! " Go west,ISIS ,go west!" was the mantra.

Regime change was the name of the game. We know what happened afterwards, the failure to defeat the cancer of ISIS whose influence spread into Europe, the Russian intervention along with the Iranian backed militias on the ground that with the Syrian army finally took ISIS to the cleaners,the remnants holed in the last bastion at Idlib. The Iranians under the late Gen.QS ,had brilliantly established a chain of influence on the ground from Iran,through Iraq into Syria and Lebanon. To save the souls of ISIS, the reactionary players are attempting to destroy the RG and pro- Iranian Iraqi militia leadership. Turkey and the Ottoman pretender are in the plot too,he also looking to fill the vacuum and regain a lost empire that " Orenz of Arabia" helped bury in the sand a century ago! Iranian logistics are a bit stretched,so the forces of eviltude,Saudi backed ,desperate to get rich again, are attempting to KO the Iranian leadership LTTE style.

With the Ottoman pretender throwing his fez into the ting, the agony of W.Asia has been dxtended for "God only knows" how long.

Iraq insurgency was started by Saudis to prevent a stable Shia democratic Govt

Qatar added fire to Iraq & Syria to prevent Alwadi stable Govt in Syria

Both are Sunni Insurgencies to stop democracy & keep Oil prices High

Question is - Are Iraqis today better off without the stifling rule of Saddam or not ? Rest all will be footnote in the history books languishing in some dusty library.

UAE doing too little to stem terrorist financing, says watchdog

The U.S.-allied Gulf state, which includes the region's financial and commercial center Dubai, will now be put under a year-long observation by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Vikas wrote:Question is - Are Iraqis today better off without the stifling rule of Saddam or not ? Rest all will be footnote in the history books languishing in some dusty library.

Be careful what you write. It could be said to apply to many different nations under many different oppressors. Just because brutality delivers stability does not justify it or its continuation. Every nations majority deserves to govern itself.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/featur ... -the-Emir-

coup rumours in Qatar, Iran & Turkey intelligence on their roads?

IndraD wrote:https://english.alarabiya.net/en/featur ... -the-Emir-

coup rumours in Qatar, Iran & Turkey intelligence on their roads?

I am bit skeptical, with such a large US airbase thier, can Iranian intelligence officials roam and police the streets, will uncle allow this?

Qatar mouthpiece Al Jazeera calls it disinformation campaign https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/ ... 25356.html

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origin ... -bank.html

, thousands of Lebanese from all walks of life and sects poured into the streets of Beirut and nearly every other major city in Lebanon the night of June 11. They set fire to banks, blocked roads and voiced deep frustrations with the political establishment backing Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government over the Lebanese pound’s reported drop of around 25% in value on the parallel market against the dollar in the previous two days.

Same old same old. The Lebanese have been braining each other for 45 years. Very sophisticated people, as they like to think.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origin ... uwait.html

Now, as the outflow of educated professionals also begins, their exodus carries risks for Middle Eastern economies, as many lucrative economic sectors could virtually collapse. Having few locals with the experience or education needed to replace skilled professionals, serious management issues may arise in the days ahead.

First, most of the GCC states have long-term economic policies known as “Visions.” To execute these long-term plans, highly skilled professionals are essential — and even as the larger Gulf states started getting involved in more development projects, the requirement shifted from low-skilled labor to a high-skilled foreign workforce. Nowadays, the focus is on attracting high-skilled expats while low-skilled migrants are being reduced to provide jobs for locals.

Second, the Gulf states would face losses in taxation. Having introduced a 5% value-added tax

In the UAE alone, 900,000 jobs would be lost, according to estimates by Oxford Economics. Considering that the country has a population of 9.6 million, this would be 10% of its residents.

Basically, only foreigners who invest are welcome, and as Kuwaiti parliament member Safa al-Hashem said, expats should “pay even for the air they breathe.” Oman has also ordered state companies to speed up local employment under its "Omanisation" plan, while Jordan already gave its 800,000 migrants a deadline to leave the country under a “Jordanians first” bid.

The Arab world's first nuclear plant in Barakah, UAE at 1400 MW goes critical. Built with help from South Korea, once all 4 reactors are up and running, the 5600 MW project will generate a fourth of UAE's power requirements.

BBC report on Barakah

Arab World Simply refuses to look at Economic Tsunami which is coming with Electric Vehicles & impending slow motion ban on fossil fuels by Europe. I think a ceiling of USD ~40 will be put on Brent by Economic exigencies.

Beirut explosion

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... on-capital

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

Mukesh.Kumar wrote:The Arab world's first nuclear plant in Barakah, UAE at 1400 MW goes critical. Built with help from South Korea, once all 4 reactors are up and running, the 5600 MW project will generate a fourth of UAE's power requirements.

BBC report on Barakah

UAE is making a serious push towards science and technology and will be a serious contender in a decades time. They also are about to launch a space mission. The glowing reviews of their space programs seem so out of league with how the west treats Indian space program.

Look at this sample from the smithsonian mag:

The Arab region was a cradle of early space science
During the Middle Ages, Islamic scientists used math and science to refine the movements of the planets and the stars, leaving an indelible mark on astronomy and space science. Today, 24 craters on the moon bear the name of Islamic scientists, and more than 165 stars, including the three stars that make up Orion’s Belt in the Orion constellation, have names of Arabic origin.

Wonder if India is feeding this program in anyway.

Absolutely Insane blast in Beirut. Iran or false flag?

Cain Marko wrote:Absolutely Insane blast in Beirut. Iran or false flag?

Lebanon's state security press liaison cites 'explosive' seized materials housed on the port as possible reason for the explosions. Worth noting that a UN court was to deliver a verdict on the assassination of Hariri in 2005, strongly believed to be carried out by pro-Syrian regime elements. Several possibilities, Hezbollah bound armament taken out by Israel?

I have travelled extensively in Beirut. Have lyrically walked the streets beside where this happened. This is very close to Zaituna Bay really upmarket place. This is disastrous. The massive explosion in an area which is close to dense population centres.

As of now it seems that this was an industrial accident. But already rumours running thick in Lebanese diaspora about possible confrontation between IR and IL.

vimal wrote:

Mukesh.Kumar wrote:The Arab world's first nuclear plant in Barakah, UAE at 1400 MW goes critical. Built with help from South Korea, once all 4 reactors are up and running, the 5600 MW project will generate a fourth of UAE's power requirements.

BBC report on Barakah

UAE is making a serious push towards science and technology and will be a serious contender in a decades time. They also are about to launch a space mission. The glowing reviews of their space programs seem so out of league with how the west treats Indian space program.

.

The government has intent and pushing hard. Remember no group has predestined intelligence. It comes from intent. In a way these guys are real serious

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-mid ... t-53656328

ebanon's Prime Minsiter Hassan Diab has said it is "unacceptable" that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were being stored in a warehouse.

"I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened so we can hold them to account and impose the most severe punishment," the prime minister was quoted as saying by an official Twitter account.

"It is unacceptable that a shipment of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate has been present for six years in a warehouse, without taking preventive measures and endangering the safety of citizens".

Mukesh.Kumar wrote:

vimal wrote:
UAE is making a serious push towards science and technology and will be a serious contender in a decades time. They also are about to launch a space mission. The glowing reviews of their space programs seem so out of league with how the west treats Indian space program.

.

The government has intent and pushing hard. Remember no group has predestined intelligence. It comes from intent. In a way these guys are real serious

So you mean GoI and ISRO has no intent but these arabis have?
We've been in this game for decades now and barely register except for when racist tropes at NYT print a racist cartoon on Mars mission. These guys have not launched a single thing and get glowing reviews from Smithsonian mag. Money speaks indeed!

Mukesh.Kumar wrote: The government has intent and pushing hard. Remember no group has predestined intelligence. It comes from intent. In a way these guys are real serious

If only UAE get serious about training the lazy-ass but very TFTA "emiratis" to become physics teachers in school, I dont have to yell in PTA meetings about the high turnover of my kid's physics teachers. Every science teacher from reputed schools of India gets poached. Most of them come back after stint saying the only difference is the salary, because the only seriously academic kids are still the Indian kids of NRI parents over there.

This space mission is as serious as how building the Bhurj Khalifa spawned off numerous Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP headed by serious Emirati structural engineers.

https://theconversation.com/uae-mars-mi ... ons-143038

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) successfully launched its Mars mission dubbed “Al Amal”, or “Hope”, from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan on July 20. This is the first space mission by the UAE, and the first Arab mission to Mars – making the world’s first launch countdown in Arabic a moment for the history books.

the nation managed to put together a delivery team of 100% local, Emirati staff with an average age of under 35. And setting a deadline of six years rather than ten, as most comparable missions do, it pulled the launch off on time and within budget –

The UAE’s mission has been timed to coincide Hope’s arrival into Martian orbit with the nation’s 50th anniversary as an independent country. Through its design and execution, the mission aims to diversify UAE’s economy from traditional activity, including oil and finance.

What we found was that there’s already evidence that the mission is having the intended impact. The country has massively boosted its science capacity with over 50 peer-reviewed contributions to international space science research. The forthcoming open sharing of Hope’s atmospheric data measurements is likely to amplify this contribution.

The nation has also generated significant additional value in logistics by creating new manufacturing capacities and know-how. There are already multiple businesses outside the realm of the space industry that have benefited from knowledge transfer.

Hope will reach Martian orbit in February 2021.

Objectivity while discussing competitors would be beneficial, they may small players now, but they have the deep pockets to create a viable infrastructure.
Edited: https://www.financialexpress.com/lifest ... e/1680757/
Aug 23, 2019 2:34 PM

or the first time in the Arab region, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be playing a critical role in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) launching of its first spacecraft “Hope Probe’’ next year.Top diplomatic sources told Financial Express Online that, “The UAE Space Agency and ISRO have both set up a joint working group regarding this mission. There have been several meetings with the Indian Space Agency, and the latest was earlier this year.”

ricky_v wrote:Objectivity while discussing competitors would be beneficial, they may small players now, but they have the deep pockets to create a viable infrastructure.

Indeed, objectivity is needed, when fluffing up a country that is desperately trying to stay relevant beyond Expo2020 (which went south due to Corona) and oil shocks in the neighbourhood. As per those who used to run the middle-east, now streaming back to India, their pockets are deep. Infact they are of infinite depth due to large holes in them.

Any space agency starts with a satellite of basic subsystems in LEO. And that is for countries with good, functioning national labs and universities run by local academicians and researchers. Then they graduate to more complex satellite bus, power systems, ground control links, orbit maintenance complexities etc. Of course, I am not even going into the scientists from their academia or industry, who are clamoring for space in a satellite for their favorite experiments or sensors! After a decade of tracking and operating a satellite, the complexities of orbital control is learned. Then maybe goto a basic launcher program. ISRO, Skoreans etc are recent examples from asia. Countries with mature and organic aerospace industry like Brazil are stills struggling, while yesteryear powerhouses like UK, France and Germany decided to stop their national programs and instead come together. Heck, even Musk, with NASA's quarterbacking, started with suborbital shots, inside the pre-eminent space faring nation on Earth.

But we have to be objective and go with the fact that emiratis under 35 years of age designed a complex bus, sensor suits, mission planning of an interplanetary mission in six years and said "boo!" to their competitor ISRO

Dont know if oldies remember a time when BRF was not objective in the past decade: we all ROTFL when the creepy-idiot Musharraf claimed that their second-hand Hughes satellite has put SUPARCO ahead of ISRO by 30-months etc.

hnair wrote: Indeed, objectivity is needed, when fluffing up a country that is desperately trying to stay relevant beyond Expo2020 (which went south due to Corona) and oil shocks in the neighbourhood. As per those who used to run the middle-east, now streaming back to India, their pockets are deep. Infact they are of infinite depth due to large holes in them.

Like all things gelf, sir, this one too can be staffed by expats and rubber-stamped by the locals and they have the money to set up the infrastructure; it is not necessary that the scientists be home-grown, that is not how the arabs have hacked it till now. Some time back there were reports that the gelf was interested in space tourism, given the dwindling interest in their only product, and they seem to be moving towards it.
Involving the penniless retards to our immediate west does not negate or promote the point.

If you like them and their schemes, knock yourself out. Everyone has their personal likes.

But your objectivity part. Where is the objectivity in coming to BRF and claiming they are going to be ISRO competitors, while putting in articles put out by professional PR? That is as musharafian as one can see around here.

Last on this topic.

ricky_v wrote:Like all things gelf, sir, this one too can be staffed by expats and rubber-stamped by the locals and they have the money to set up the infrastructure; it is not necessary that the scientists be home-grown, that is not how the arabs have hacked it till now.

If you claim objectivity, how can you say that ? Infrastructure is an engineering product. Engineering products are created by technological mastery. Technology is developed from mastery over basic sciences.

They do not have an "infrastructure". They have a turn key product purchased with money. The two are not the same thing. That is like calling your wardrobe your textile infrastructure. It's not - it's a collection of garments you bought with money. That is the point hnair is making here ; the native 'talent' doesn't have the competence to do much more than figure out how to turn on the light switch of the building, if that.

Infrastructure fundamentally generates economic activity and wealth creation, and enables society to develop. They are enablers. The base of scientific teaching and education develops the ability to master technology, and implement meaningful engineering solutions. When there's no institutional base of knowledge and skill, anything that is built is kept running by hired personnel who have no interest in anything but the pay cheque, and leave once their term ends, with all the knowledge in their head. You're then compelled to pay more to get more people.

The Gelf folks are simply leveraging obscene amounts of oil money to make more money, using imported talent and purchased solutions. They have a purpose in the world - to hand out their riches to others who are happy to take it and nod along. Quoting from a movie:

But what do you need a financial advisor for? Twenty years ago you had the highest Gross National Product in the world, now you're tied with Albania. Your second largest export is secondhand goods, closely followed by dates which you're losing five cents a pound on... You know what the business community thinks of you? They think that a hundred years ago you were living in tents out here in the desert chopping each other's heads off and that's where you'll be in another hundred years, so, yes, on behalf of my firm I accept your money.

hnair wrote:

ricky_v wrote:Objectivity while discussing competitors would be beneficial, they may small players now, but they have the deep pockets to create a viable infrastructure.

Indeed, objectivity is needed, when fluffing up a country that is desperately trying to stay relevant beyond Expo2020 (which went south due to Corona) and oil shocks in the neighbourhood. As per those who used to run the middle-east, now streaming back to India, their pockets are deep. Infact they are of infinite depth due to large holes in them.

Any space agency starts with a satellite of basic subsystems in LEO. And that is for countries with good, functioning national labs and universities run by local academicians and researchers. Then they graduate to more complex satellite bus, power systems, ground control links, orbit maintenance complexities etc. Of course, I am not even going into the scientists from their academia or industry, who are clamoring for space in a satellite for their favorite experiments or sensors! After a decade of tracking and operating a satellite, the complexities of orbital control is learned. Then maybe goto a basic launcher program. ISRO, Skoreans etc are recent examples from asia. Countries with mature and organic aerospace industry like Brazil are stills struggling, while yesteryear powerhouses like UK, France and Germany decided to stop their national programs and instead come together. Heck, even Musk, with NASA's quarterbacking, started with suborbital shots, inside the pre-eminent space faring nation on Earth.

But we have to be objective and go with the fact that emiratis under 35 years of age designed a complex bus, sensor suits, mission planning of an interplanetary mission in six years and said "boo!" to their competitor ISRO

Dont know if oldies remember a time when BRF was not objective in the past decade: we all ROTFL when the creepy-idiot Musharraf claimed that their second-hand Hughes satellite has put SUPARCO ahead of ISRO by 30-months etc.

I sense the hidden hand of the Mudi in giving Hope to UAE.

Guys, neither for or against. But given the intent of at least Dubai and Abu Dhabi governments, they are serious about building capability. Whether through national's or liberalizing residency or possibly citizenship high skilled foreigners. Don't dhoti shivver but don't be arrogant like the NYT on Indian space program. And at least on BRF I expect people to look objectively beyond the paid positive PR they have recieved.

Just fishing,

Does anyone with knowledge have an opinion on how the grain silo remains standing whilst it was immediately next to the explosion. Image in the link below

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/be ... 54651.html

Lebanon – What happened?

https://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org ... -happened/

amar_p wrote:

It’s that ancient war between the brothers. If you study the demographic changes in Lebanon in the last few decades and the great escape of one group, you will understand who is asking France go take over.
This is something India should always be aware of, especially with pockets in various coastal areas.

UAE & Israel reach agreement for full diplomatic normalisation https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53770859

Israel and UAE strike peace deal

Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a historic peace deal on Thursday that will lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern nations in an agreement that US President Donald Trump helped broker.
Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend applying sovereignty to areas of the West Bank that it has been discussing annexing, senior White House officials told Reuters.

Israel finds a large market for it's weapons now. I can see Barak8 on their way to Dubai..

nam wrote:Israel finds a large market for it's weapons now. I can see Barak8 on their way to Dubai..

This should certainly have MBS blessing correct?

More than anything else I would ask if this is a case of lines being drawn and opposing camps being sorted out. Is this a realignment against China-Iran-Turkey emerging axis in MENA?