UKRAINE, THE DONBAS SEPARATISTS AND THE CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX CHURCHES INVOLVEMENT IN THE CONFLICT

KONSTANTIN MALOFEEV: FRINGE CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX FINANCIER OF THE DONBAS SEPARATISTS

By: Maksym Bugriy (Source: FT)

The RUSSIA-supported separatists operating in eastern UKRAINE as well as some of their backers in RUSSIA are increasingly espousing a radical ideology based on a meld of Christian Orthodoxy, expansionist Eurasianism, and irredentist state aggression. One important figure closely tied into this group is Konstantin MALOFEEV. A self-described “Orthodox businessman,” MALOFEEV is believed to personally finance the DONBAS separatist operation and has direct links to President Vladimir PUTIN’S inner circle. Although he has been sanctioned by both the EUROPEAN UNION and CANADA, to date MALOFEEV has not come under US sanctions and flies under the radar of Washington policymakers.

CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX FAITH AN THE STAGING OF AN “TRANSNISTRIA SCENARIO” IN UKRAINE 

On July 28, as the RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN conflict continued to escalate, RUSSIA marked the Day of Baptism of Rus. Simultaneously, UKRAINE held celebrations for the Day of Baptism of Kyivan Rus and commemorated Volodymyr the Great (980–1015)—a Great Prince of Kyivan Rus who introduced ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY as the principality’s state religion. 

Related Article: 

AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE USSR, THE MAIN ENEMY OF THE USA WILL BE THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/01/greater-albania-united-states-project.html

The dual observances in MOSCOW and KYIV illustrate the importance of the CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX faith to the cultural identities of both nations as well as their competing desires to lay claim to its roots. But meanwhile, a radical fringe version of ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY has been growing in importance among the backers of the RUSSIA-sponsored separatist movement in eastern UKRAINE’S DONBAS region. 

This ORTHODOX-based ideology justifies MOSCOW’S irredentist politics and openly welcomes RUSSIA’S hybrid warfare against UKRAINE and other potential EURASIAN states. Both the official RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH led by Patriarch KIRILL, as well as its “affiliated” UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (Moscow Patriarchate), have cautiously distanced themselves from the DONBAS militants and pro-KREMLIN hardliners who espouse these pseudo-ORTHODOX views. Nonetheless, the fringe ORTHODOX movement has attracted support from several high positions around the KREMLIN, including an activist RUSSIAN “ORTHODOX businessman,” who has been accused of financing much of the DONBAS rebellion.

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH KONSTANTIN MALOFEEV PROMOTER OF CHRISTIAN ORTHODOXY, EXPANSIONIST EURASIANISM

The RUSSIAN “ORTHODOX businessman” in question is Konstantin MALOFEEV, the founder of the investment firm Marshall Capital and, at one point, the largest minority shareholder in the RUSSIAN telephone company Rostelecom. MALOFEEV seems to have close connections to RUSSIAN political technologist (and, until recently, the supposed “prime minister” of the self-proclaimed “DONETSK PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC”) Aleksandr BORODAY and to military commander Igor GIRKIN (a.k.a. STRELKOV). 

As evidenced from a conversation intercepted by the Security Service of UKRAINE (SBU) during the early days of escalation of the DONBAS conflict, STRELKOV allegedly reported to MALOFEEV about killing a high-ranking Ukrainian counter-terrorism official. In turn, MALOFEEV is allegedly heard on the tape encouraging STRELKOV to pursue the military operation in SLOVYANSK without hesitation. The RUSSIAN businessman also congratulated STRELKOV on a “well-marked” holiday of Verbnoye (Palm) Sunday (Novosti Dnya, April 14).

KONSTANTIN MALOFEEV IS BELIEVED BY SOME OBSERVERS TO BE ONE OF THE PRIMARY FINANCIERS OF THE ENTIRE SEPARATIST OPERATION IN EASTERN UKRAINE, 

acting on the personal directives of RUSSIAN President Vladimir PUTIN. The arguments in support of this reasoning were laid out in a May 27 investigative article by the RUSSIAN online media outlet The Insider (The Insider, May 27). The article refers to the contents of a hacked e-mail written by STRELKOV in which the DONBAS military commander claims that in the spring of 2014 he was employed as the security chief at Marshall Capital. In another e-mail released by The Insider, which STRELKOV allegedly sent four years earlier, he muses about staging a “Transnistria scenario” in UKRAINE and notes that “some of his friends” were involved in planning the operation. 

Importantly, the same e-mail mentions that the financing for this operation was being “allocated by Staraya Ploshchad [4 Starya PLOSHCHAD is the address of the Presidential Administration building in MOSCOW].” The Insider further investigated MALOFEEV’S alleged current connections to President PUTIN’S administration, including PUTIN’S chief of staff, Sergei IVANOV, as well as IVANOV’S son. The online news source concluded that the circle of MALOFEEV’S contacts included RUSSIAN Communications Minister Igor SHCHEGOLEV and Father TIKHON (GEORGIY ALEKSANDROVICH SHEVKUNOV), who presides over SRETENSKY MONASTERY and is believed to be Vladimir PUTIN’S personal confessor (dukhovnik). The Insider further deduced that most likely Moscow is making “direct use of MALOFEEV’S [financial] resources for combat operations in southeastern UKRAINE without the official involvement of the RUSSIAN Armed Forces” and suggested that FATHER TIKHON actually might have acted as a liaison between MALOFEEV and the KREMLIN (The Insider, July 25).

MALOFEEV SPONSORED A GATHERING IN VIENNA OF RADICAL NATIONALISTS, IDEOLOGICAL PROPONENTS OF “EURASIANISM” AND EUROPEAN FAR-RIGHT POLITICIANS

Konstantin MALOFEEV has openly denied his alleged role in the UKRAINE war, as well as repudiated the suggestions of STRELKOV’S employment with Marshall Capital (Forbes-Russia, May 21). Nevertheless, he welcomed being called an “Orthodox businessman” and sought to highlight his role in sponsoring “humanitarian aid.” However, he has been unable to entirely hide his more radical activities. For example, this past June, a Swiss newspaper reported that MALOFEEV had sponsored a gathering in VIENNA of radical nationalists, ideological proponents of “Eurasianism” and EUROPEAN far-right politicians. 

At this meeting, ultranationalist RUSSIAN philosopher Aleksandr DUGIN was a keynote speaker (Tages Anzeiger, June 3). Moreover, Russian journalist OLEG KASHIN—one of the first to write about MALOFEEV’S alleged role in the UKRAINE crisis—also reported that in the 1990s, this notorious RUSSIAN businessman had contact with ORTHODOX CHURCH METROPOLITAN Ioann (Snychev), who has a reputation of being “openly fascist” and who later “made friends with DUGIN” (Slon, May 19). DUGIN is particularly well known for his EURASIANIST (Russian imperialist) views and as a proponent of RUSSIA’S irredentist war against UKRAINE.

MARSHALL CAPITAL PARTNERS 

A lawyer and an investment banker who founded Marshall Capital Partners in 2005, MALOFEEV has been accused of “raidership” influence over the RUSSIAN telecommunications monopoly SVIAZINVEST (Lenta.ru, November 1, 2010). His funds accumulated a 10-percent stake in Rostelecom, one of RUSSIA’S most powerful telephone companies. And in February 2013, his company was searched by authorities in relation to a criminal investigation involving a VTB loan to  one of his assets (Forbes-Russia, February 4, 2013). Marshall Capital supports the Saint Basil the Great Charitable Foundation, which MALOFEEV personally established in 2007, as well as a range of other projects (Marshall Capital, July 30). On July 22, the UKRAINIAN Ministry of Interior opened a criminal case against Konstantin MALOFEEV on charges of financing unlawful military groups (RBC, July 22). 

He was placed on the EUROPEAN UNION’S sanctions list on July 30 for his role in supporting the armed separatist movements in UKRAINE (eur-lex.europa.eu, July 30), and was also added to CANADA’s sanctions list on August 6 (international.gc.ca, August 6); but so far officials in the UNITED STATES have failed to subject him to US sanctions.

RELIGIOUS JUSTIFICATION FOR RUSSIAN IMPERIALISM

MALOFEEV’S alleged partnership with FATHER TIKHON in funding the DONBAS rebels further underscores the centrality of radical CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX thought in guiding RUSSIA’S imperialist policies. FATHER TIKHON is known for being a conservative intellectual, a writer and director of several documentaries, as well as the editor of the RUSSIAN ORTHODOX Church web portal Pravoslavie.ru. 

His beliefs blend ORTHODOX conservatism with ideologies linked to the cultural legacy of the SOVIET UNION and RUSSIAN irredentism. FATHER TIKHON is believed to be especially close to Putin — he is the RUSSIAN president’s spiritual confessor. Illustratively, in a recent SBU counter-intelligence recording, a former UNITED RUSSIA party official states that FATHER TIKHON’S help would be needed to defend warlord Igor STRELKOV’S fading reputation before Vladimir PUTIN (SBU YouTube Channel, July 25). 

“RUSSKIY MIR” OR “RUSSIAN WORLD,” WHICH IS OPENLY PROMOTED BY THE OFFICIAL RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

PUTIN and FATHER TIKHON’S “geopolitical” views are remarkably similar. Both dwell on a cold war–style confrontation between Russia and the West (The Trinity Temple at Vorobyevy Hills , June 21, 2013). Notably, the idea of the “RUSSKIY MIR” or “RUSSIAN WORLD,” which is openly promoted by the official RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, easily combines with nostalgia for the SOVIET UNION’S bygone hard power and global dominance. The resulting ideology serves as philosophical justification for RUSSIA’S irredentist wars in its neighborhood.

WEST UNLEASHED A NEW CAMPAIGN WITH THE PURPOSE TO DESTROY THE ORTHODOX-SLAVIC WORLD

Finally, the aforementioned sectarian pseudo-ORTHODOX doctrine is widely employed by the RUSSIA-backed insurgents operating in DONBAS. On July 28, for example, STRELKOV issued an order banning the militants from using obscene language. In this directive, STRELKOV referred to the rebels as an “ORTHODOX ARMY” and labeled his enemies “HATERS OF CHRISTIANS” who, he proclaimed, “seized power in KYIV and order ORTHODOX UKRAINIANS to fire at their own temples [and] sneer at [Orthodox] Banners [religious icons] and the ORTHODOX Clergy” (Informastionniy Korpus, July 28). A couple days earlier, an editorial on the militants’ official website stated: “We fight for the Faith of Christ […] after the West unleashed a new campaign with the purpose to destroy the ORTHODOX-SLAVIC world. This is why the Opolcheniye [militia] is called The ORTHODOX Host…” (Informatsionniy Korpus, July 26).

From a purely religious perspective, the militants’ sectarianism has little in common with true ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY. But there is a distinct danger that the RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH and even RUSSIAN authorities may be increasingly swayed by its radical nationalist ideology, the consequences of which could lead to further chaos and unrest along RUSSIA’S borders. Consequently, proponents of this dangerous ideology such as Konstantin MALOFEEV—who have deep pockets and whom the KREMLIN can, seemingly, count on to finance artificial militant rebellions abroad—pose a specific threat to WESTERN policies and should not be ignored.

AFRICA - TRANS-SAHEL ‘NEW FRONTIER’ IN GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM OPERATIONS

MORE DECISIVE INVOLVEMENT IN SAHLE  SHOULD BE LONG-TERM GEOPOLITICAL OBJECTIVE  OF THE EU BUT DIFFICULT TO SELL TO THE PUBLIC 

Via Defense Web

The SAHEL-SAHARA region is the ‘new frontier’ in global counter-terrorism operations, prompting major transitions in US and French military positioning, according to a new report. 2014 is a critical year for militarization of the SAHEL-SAHARA and the entrenchment of foreign powers there. 

Background Information: 

INSTABILITY IN THE SAHEL COULD PROMPT INCREASED MIGRATION AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING WHICH IS BOUND TO SPILL OVER INTO EUROPE. 
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/11/mali-sahel-and-france.html

THE REMOTE SAHEL-SAHARA IS THE LABORATORY FOR EXPERIMENTS IN 21ST CENTURY COUNTER-TERRORISM OPERATIONS

“With the drawdown of foreign forces from AFGHANISTAN, 2014 is the year when the Global War on Terror really comes to northwest AFRICA,” said Richard Reeve, lead author of the report. “The remote SAHEL-SAHARA is the laboratory for experiments in 21st century counter-terrorism operations. These are defined by their open-ended length, “light-touch” approach - with limited boots on the ground and a reliance on special forces, drones and private military companies - and an increased capacity and willingness to intervene militarily to protect US interests. As these operations increase, there is real concern, not just about their effectiveness in countering violent extremism, but the long-term impact these operations will have on the region’s stability.”

Background Information: 

SEVEN ECONOMIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA ARE EXPECTED TO BE AMONG THE TEN FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/africa-forgotten-and-underestimated.html

THE SAHEL-SAHARA AREA, HOME TO AL-QAIDA IN THE ISLAMIC MAGHREB (AQIM), ANSAR AL-SHARI’A AND BOKO HARAM

Recurrent security crises since the 2011 ARAB uprisings and NATO-assisted overthrow of LIBYA’S Gaddafi regime have radically changed international perceptions of northwest AFRICA as a focal area of activities by jihadist groups. The SAHEL-SAHARA area, home to over 200 million people, is also home to three primary jihadist groups – Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar al-Shari’a and Boko Haram. 

Background Information: 

FRENCH TROOPS SHOULD HUNT QAEDA BEYOND MALI BORDERS
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/11/france-and-mali.html

As a result of the security threats present, the SAHEL-SAHARA is now a priority area for FRENCH and US external counter-terrorism operations, the report noted. FRANCE has been the dominant external security actor there for over a century and sees a direct threat to its citizens and territory from regional terrorist groups. 

EU INTERESTS IN SAHARAN ENERGY RESOURCES (OIL, GAS, URANIUM) 

EUROPEAN states, and increasingly some ASIAN states, have strong interests in SAHARAN energy exports (oil, gas, uranium) and trade, including arms sales. The US had few regional interests before 2002; the September 2012 deadly attack on its diplomats in BENGHAZI radically changed its perception of the threat to its interests from the SAHEL-SAHARA.

Background Information: 

EU FUNDS MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE SAHEL UNTIL 2020

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/11/european-union-acknowledges-need-of.html

WHY THE SAHEL IS CRUCIAL TO EUROPE'S NEIGHBORHOOD – AND ITS SECURITY STRATEGY
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/07/eu-involvement-in-mali.html

BUILDING A “COMMON EU VISION” FOR SAHEL SECURITY
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/11/hotspot-sahel.html

FRANCE: FROM SHORT-DURATION MISSION IN NORTHERN MALI TO A PERMANENT POSTURE AT OVER A DOZEN LOCATIONS ACROSS FIVE OR MORE SAHEL STATES

On 1 August, FRANCE formally initiated its redeployment of military forces under Opération Barkhane. This sees FRENCH land, air and special forces move from a high intensity, short-duration mission in northern MALI to a permanent posture at over a dozen locations across five or more SAHEL states. 

Background Information: 

FRANCE AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
FRANCE reluctant to be left alone to deal with another AFRICAN hotspot – MALI, CHAD and now the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/10/france-and-central-african-republic.html

The military operation launched in January 2013 against AQIM and its allies in northern MALI was one of at least seven such FRENCH-led interventions in the region since 1968. However, it was the first major overt operation by an external power to target jihadist groups and it was the most multinational, the report noted. 

At least 22 other countries provided direct support for Opération Serval and the associated AFRICAN-led International Support Mission to MALI (AFISMA). Opération Barkhane and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in MALI (MINUSMA) entrench the presence of over 9,000 external security forces in the SAHEL-SAHARA with mission and mandate to combat terrorist groups.

NEW CRISIS RESPONSE CONCEPT “NEW NORMAL”

The new report notes that the US is increasing its presence more steadily in line with the maturation of its newest combatant command, AFRICA Command (AFRICOM), and the rolling out of a crisis response concept known as the “New Normal”. Already tested in SOUTH SUDAN and LIBYA, this could see US Marines establish bases across the continent with the capacity to deploy within hours to anywhere that US citizens and interests are threatened.

The report also finds that SAHEL-SAHARA operations are increasingly using “remote-control” methods, with a heavy reliance on special forces, drones and private military and security companies. The true nature and extent of counter-terrorism operations in the SAHEL-SAHARA can only be guessed at. 

Covert operations using Special Operations Forces have become an increasing feature of US operations. Several hundred are believed to be present in the region on undisclosed “contingency operations”. Since at least 2013, FRENCH, UK, CANADIAN and DUTCH special forces also operate in MALI, NIGER and NIGERIA. Air-mobile US Marines task forces are increasingly deploying to AFRICA from bases in SPAIN and ITALY and are known to be seeking at least one “Intermediate Staging Base” in coastal WEST AFRICA.

INCREASED UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE OPERATIONS OVER AFRICA 

FRANCE and the US are increasing their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the SAHEL-SAHARA, the report finds. NIAMEY airport in NIGER is their main ISR base in the SAHEL, where each operates two unarmed versions of the MQ-9 Reaper “hunter-killer” unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The FRENCH base at N’DJAMENA in CHAD has also been used for UAV operations, notably during the current US response to the Chibok abductions in northeast NIGERIA. However, the most potent US UAVs operating over AFRICA are probably based at SIGONELLA in SICILY. So far, the only recorded regional usage of armed UAVs has been by the US during the NATO -led intervention in LIBYA in 2011, although there is some evidence of armed US UAVs over SOMALIA. 

Background Information: 

CHAD AND ITS OIL RESERVES
Mounting border conflict with SUDAN may hinder economic development
 http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/10/chad-and-its-oil-reserves.html

ALGERIA, the most capable regional actor, has immediate plans to acquire long endurance combat UAVs for use in the SAHARA. Given gaps in its UAV coverage from NIAMEY, SIGONELLA and DJIBOUTI, the US is likely to seek further long-term UAV basing facilities, possibly in SENEGAL and CHAD, the report predicts. Meanwhile, FRANCE, the US and (sporadically) the UK and SPAIN operate a significant number of manned ISR aircraft across the SAHEL-SAHARA.

CONTRACTING OF PRIVATE MILITARY AND SECURITY COMPANIES BY THE US ON THE INCREASE 

Something the report delves into is the contracting of private military and security companies by the US in a number of sensitive roles, including the running of ISR operations. Private military and security contractors (PMSCs) are a small part of FRENCH operations in the SAHEL-SAHARA but have run key parts of AFRICOM’s covert counter-terrorism operations in the region. These include running a post-2007 ISR operation using light aircraft (Operation Creek Sand), transporting special operations forces, providing medical evacuation and search and rescue capacities, and to stockpile aviation fuel at regional airports. MINUSMA will contract PMSCs to operate its unarmed UAV s from MALI.

Background Information: 

ASIDE OF INCREASED MILITARY PRESENCE, THE USA ALSO EXPANDED ITS COVERT INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS ACROSS AFRICA
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/12/usa-china-and-africa.html

AFRICOM EXPANDS MISSION IN AFRICA: 
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/africa-and-usa.html

USA INCREASES ITS PRESENCE IN AFRICA "THE RISING CONTINENT", WHILE EUROPE KEEPS ON UNDERESTIMATING IT
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/africa-and-usa.html

REGIONAL COUNTER-TERRORISM TRAINING ALSO INCLUDES THE EUROPEAN UNION, CANADA, ISRAEL, COLOMBIA AND JAPAN

The report notes that counter-terrorism training to regional security forces has become ubiquitous under AFRICOM’s multifaceted TRANS-SAHARA Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) and is likely to be expanded significantly under the Counterterrorism Partnerships. In addition to FRANCE, a range of second-tier external actors also play a role in regional counter-terrorism training, including the EUROPEAN UNION, CANADA, ISRAEL, COLOMBIA and JAPAN.

The use of abduction and illegal rendition of terrorism suspects appears to have been a minor aspect of recent counter-terrorism operations in the SAHEL-SAHARA. However, there were numerous such cases documented between 2001 and 2004 implicating ALGERIA, The GAMBIA, LIBYA, MAURITANIA and MOROCCO. MOROCCO, the US’ primary regional ally, was accused of hosting secret detention and torture facilities. Since October 2013 US special forces have twice abducted terrorist suspects from LIBYA and taken them for trial in the US without the consent of the LIBYAN government.

INTERVENTION IN MALI APPEARS TO HAVE DISPLACED AQIM AND ITS ALLIES INTO LIBYA, NIGER AND POSSIBLY NIGERIA

Over its eighteen months, Opération Serval in MALI (January 2013 to July 2014) achieved tactical successes within major strategic limitations, according to the report. The (overstated) advance south of jihadist groups was repelled and control of much of the north was returned to the MALIAN government. However, FRENCH, AFRICAN and UN intervention has not addressed the political and social nature of the northern rebellion and has limited ability to protect civilians against a terrorist rather than insurgent threat. Moreover, intervention in MALI appears to have displaced AQIM and its allies into LIBYA, NIGER and possibly NIGERIA. UN mandates for ongoing FRENCH operations in parallel to MINUSMA effectively authorise an indefinite right of deadly pursuit of groups that FRANCE may define as terrorists. This is a dangerous precedent that goes beyond the normal understanding of peace support operations and UN accountability, the report cautioned.

The US has set much more strategic objectives for its TSCTP but so far has seen marginal success. While AFRICOM and Washington have established a regular military presence in all regional countries and thus a close knowledge of its local partners’ capabilities, there is little recognition of the often toxic nature of these partnerships, according to the report. Successes in building capacities of MAURITANIAN and CHADIAN elite units is balanced by dismal failures in MALI and LIBYA and the disruption caused by repeated political interventions, mutinies and coups by elements of allied regional militaries.

Background Information: 

LIBYA A FAILED STATE - Volatile SAHEL region
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/10/libya-failed-state.html

LIBYA THE WILD WEST OF NORTHERN AFRICA - Porous borders turn LIBYA into radical sanctuary
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/10/libya-wild-west-of-northern-africa.html

FRANCE, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE US, RELIES HUGELY ON THE SUPPORT OF CHAD’S AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT FOR BASING AND COMBAT SUPPORT

Governance and human rights are considerably undermined by the current securitisation of policy in the SAHEL-SAHARA, the report finds. FRANCE, and to a lesser extent the US, relies hugely on the support of CHAD’S authoritarian government for basing and combat support. Undemocratic governments in ALGERIA and MAURITANIA have also been able to normalise their international relations, including arms imports, as crucial partners in SAHARAN counter-terrorism operations. Perceived international protection may discourage some regional governments from seeking internal political settlements. The elected MALIAN government seems to have interpreted the post-2013 FRENCH military spearhead and UN shield as a reason not to pursue a peace process with northern separatists.

Background Information: 

FRANÇAFRIQUE
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/10/african-and-france-new-era.html

Rather than discrediting terrorist ideology as planned, the heightened visibility of US and FRENCH forces in the SAHEL-SAHARA and the strengthening of Islamist militia during the LIBYAN civil war appears to have significantly increased the profile and activity of jihadist groups. The threat they pose to the US, FRANCE and EUROPE from SAHEL-SAHARAN jihadist groups is still largely assumed; neither AQIM, Boko Haram nor Ansar al-Shari’a has yet launched an attack outside its home region, the report finds. While some disruption of such groups has been effected since 2013, at least the motivation for retaliatory attacks is likely to increase as the militarisation of the SAHEL-SAHARA continues.

“This report on the increasing use of remote-control methods in US and FRENCH led counter-terrorism operations in the SAHEL-SAHARA raises many important questions. The report reveals how, amongst other things, private contractors are involved in some of the most sensitive of counter-terrorism operations - including the operating of unarmed drones from MALI - as well as an increased reliance on special forces and drones,” said Caroline Donnellan, manager of the Remote Control project. “These emerging counter-terrorism methods raise broader concerns regarding the accountability and transparency of these operations.”

WALL STREET ANIMOSITY AGAINST ARGENTINA

NEW INVESTMENT LAW AIMED AT 

OPENING THE MARKETS TO ORDINARY 

CITIZENS 

Interesting perspective from Andres, a reader comment: 

A comment to show how some "quiet" developments in Argentina ("quiet" because they are not commented in the mainstream US press) really upset the financial markets and explain partially the animosity against Argentina in Wall Street.

A year ago, it was enacted a new investment law aimed at opening the markets to ordinary citizens, not having to pass through middle-men (brokers, etc.) and thus saving commission fees at the time of investment in the Buenos Aires stock exchange. 

Departure from the US Dollar 

The aim was to depart from the popular saving tool: The US Dollar. By investing in local companies and startups, people reinvest in productive activities (instead of just accumulating green papers under the mattress) and make society less dependent on the availability of US cash, which in turn depends on trade surplus and lending from international institutions.

In January 2013 Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring wrote: 

LATAM not adhering to vulture finance system dictated by IMF, World Bank and Corporations
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2012/01/latam-economic-downgrading-tactics-by.html

MOODYS, S&P and FINCH oppose "University rating agencies" 

Thus Universities could create their own rating agencies and participate in the same market than Moodys, S&P and Fitch. These 3 agencies didn't like that, since it could turn into serious threat on their latitude on providing ratings based on political or ideological factors, as is happening now with Argentina (low grades despite the fact that ARGENTINA  can perfectly pay their structured bonds) and Southern Europe. (Some of these southern countries have better ratings than Argentina but are less likely to be able to pay their obligations in the long term).

What would happen if, 5 years from now, American universities start reporting the success of Argentine universities in providing sound credit evaluations, thus claiming a part of that pie from Wall Street? US universities can perfectly fulfill the role of credit rating bodies, since they mainly need access to databases and a crew of young university students.





Related Topics: 

When ARGENTINA was the “sunny boy” of the IMF under president MENEM, who unquestionably followed IMF doctrine of privatizing state assets......................................
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2012/04/argentina-and-repsol.html

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BANKS CONTROL THE ECONOMY?
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2012/02/doomsday-scenario.html

CORPORATOCRACY...... ARGENTINA’S DEFAULT IN 2001, WHICH MANY ARGUE WAS CAUSED TO A LARGE EXTEND BY THE IMF.......
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2011/10/corporatocracy.html

INSIDE JOB RATING AGENCIES
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2011/10/inside-job-rating-agencies.html

IMF: DESTROYER OF NATIONS?
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2011/08/imf-destroyer-of-nations.html

IN JULY 2011 Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring wrote: US COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULT
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2011/07/money-makes-world-go-round-and-politics.html

RATING AGENCIES, THE FEDERAL RESERVE, THE PARIS CLUB, THE IMF, brokers and speculator

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2011/07/global-financial-monopoly-game-part-2.html

ISIS: SAUDI ARABIA’S CONCERNS THAT THE KINGDOM MAY BE THE ISLAMIC STATE’S NEXT TARGET

ISIS APPEARS TO BE APPEALING TO ALL YOUNG, IDEOLOGICALLY COMPATIBLE MUSLIM MEN 

DABIQ: WHAT ISLAMIC STATE’S NEW MAGAZINE TELLS US ABOUT THEIR STRATEGIC DIRECTION, RECRUITMENT PATTERNS AND GUERRILLA DOCTRINE

By: Michael W. S. Ryan

On the first day of Ramadan, the Islamic State in IRAQ and Syria (ISIS) declared itself the new Islamic State and the new Caliphate (Khilafah). For the occasion, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, calling himself Caliph Ibrahim, broke with his customary secrecy to give a surprise khutbah (sermon) in Mosul before being rushed back into hiding. Al-Baghdadi’s khutbah addressed what to expect from the Islamic State. The publication of the first issue of the Islamic State’s official magazine, Dabiq, went into further detail about the Islamic State’s strategic direction, recruitment methods, political-military strategy, tribal alliances and why SAUDI ARABIA’S concerns that the Kingdom may be the Islamic State’s next target are well-founded.

Published in several EUROPEAN languages, including English, the magazine has a number of purposes. The first is to call on Muslims to come help the new caliph. Next, the magazine, comprising 50 vivid pages of color pictures, illustrations and artfully crafted text, tells the story of the Islamic State’s success in gaining the support of SYRIAN tribes, reports on the success of its recent military operations and graphically portrays the atrocities committed by its enemies, as well as vivid pictures of its own violence against Shi’ites. 

The premier issue also used classic Islamic texts to explain and justify the nature of the caliphate, its intentions, legitimacy and political and religious authority over all Muslims. Throughout its carefully constructed allusions, the magazine subtly appeals to the followers of other jihadist groups including the followers of the Islamic State’s foremost jihadist critics and potential followers in the ARABIAN Peninsula.

Another important purpose of Dabiq in the service of recruitment is to establish the Islamic State’s cosmic destiny by combining an eschatological account of coming battles gleaned from popular apocalyptic literature, the classical traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, prophecies and modern tactics taken from Salafi-Jihadist strategic literature. 

The strategic portion of this message is attributed to the original leader of the jihadist insurrection during the AMERICAN occupation of IRAQ, Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi. 

Taken together this mix is intended to capture the imagination of young warriors and inspire them to come and fight for Islamic State. This presentation will not solve the array of challenges facing the Islamic State, but it probably will help attract more young adherents as well as prove that al-Baghdadi and his advisers have developed a serious plan. It is important for Western countries to appreciate the dangerous instability this new movement, despite its obvious flaws, is capable of generating if left to its own devices.

HOSTILE NEIGHBORS AND OTHER JIHADISTS ARE DETERMINED TO THWART ITS SUCCESS

The hard part is just beginning for the Islamic State. Its predecessor ISIS swept across Sunni IRAQ in a whirlwind of success it had prepared by using clandestine cells, terrorism and guerrilla tactics to harass, distract and exhaust the central government. In the north, the badly disorganized and dispirited IRAQI armed forces in Mosul panicked before the mere specter of ISIS shock troops. The tribes in the rest of the north became what Clausewitz referred to as the levee en masse (arming of the people) with ISIS suddenly in the lead role. Historically, the tribal leadership did not follow ISIS’ ideology, but the Islamic State now serves as the best organized and funded “enemy of my enemy” in both IRAQ and SYRIA. It also has a windfall of money and arms to dispense to those willing to follow its lead.

In the long run the chips are stacked against the Islamic State. Hostile neighbors and other jihadists are determined to thwart its success; moreover, managing and governing territory requires a different skill set than conquering it. On the other hand, Islamic State guerrilla cadres and leadership have real world experience from both IRAQ and SYRIA with sudden success followed by sudden failure. Its leaders’ ability to understand this reality and adapt to the challenges that are coming should not be underestimated, however. In addition to their own experience, the Islamic State's leaders are eclectically drawing on extensive ARABIC literature on global jihadist theory of guerrilla war, politics and governance, such as the writings of Abu Bakr Naji and Abu Mus‘ab al-Suri. Thus, Islamic State leaders know they must learn the political game in this new environment and make use of the best practices in public relations, which have served them well despite the horrific violence they have inflicted on all those perceived as enemies.

DABIQ: SYMBOL OF ARMAGEDDON

The most significant of the Islamic State’s recent efforts at public relations and recruiting is the publication of the first issue of its official magazine Dabiq. Published in multiple languages (including English), Dabiq’s cover theme is “The Return of Khilafah” (caliphate). [1] According to the magazine, its title:

… is taken from the area named Dabiq in the northern countryside of Halab (Aleppo) in Sham (SYRIA). This place was mentioned in a hadith describing some of the events of the Malahim (what is sometimes referred to as Armageddon in English). One of the greatest battles between the Muslims and the crusaders will take place near Dabiq. [2]

This area, at the time of publication under the control of SYRIAN forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad, is a symbol of the great clash-to-come between the forces of the new caliphate and the West in which the forces of Islam will be triumphant. This prophecy is traced to a classic hadith and was used by Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi to the effect that the promised victory in Dabiq will be the first step in the conquest of the world as symbolized by the anticipated defeats of “Constantinople” (Istanbul, TURKEY )and then “Rome.” [3] In the apocalyptic tradition, Issa ibn Maryam (the Christian Jesus) will descend near Damascus to lead the army arriving from “al-Madinah of the best people.” [4] “Al-Madinah” can mean simply “city” as well as the city of that name in SAUDI ARABIA. By featuring this eschatology in such a prominent place, the magazine attempts to connect Islamic State and its new caliph to a cosmic purpose, obviously meant to have a romantic appeal to recruit young men looking for a cause.

ISIS APPEARS TO BE APPEALING TO ALL YOUNG, IDEOLOGICALLY COMPATIBLE MUSLIM MEN 

The magazine is carefully crafted with symbolism that would be meaningful to jihadists, some amounting to “dog whistles” perhaps to signal to potential recruits that Islamic State is pursuing the stated goals of various jihadist groups and individuals that might otherwise be considered rivals or even enemies. For example, the use of the term “Millah Ibrahim” means the religious community or path associated with the patriarch Ibrahim (Abraham). The magazine has an extensive discussion of leadership entitled: “The Concept of Imamah (Leadership) is from the Millah (Path) of Ibrahim.” However, Millah Ibrahim is also the Arabic title of an influential 1984 jihadist tract written by the famous PALESTINIAN-JORDANIAN ideologue Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi. Al-Maqdisi was a former teacher of Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi, but broke with him because of al-Zarqawi’s extreme violence against fellow Muslims. Accordingly, al-Maqdisi has not been a supporter of ISIS, but supports Ayman al-Zawahiri and al-Qaeda instead. By using this reference in its first magazine issue, it is most likely that the Islamic State is attempting to appeal to al-Maqdisi’s followers and admirers over the head of al-Maqdisi himself [5]

Among other things, al-Maqdisi’s book, Millah Ibrahim, attacks the SAUDI royal family’s rule. Thus, this book and others by al-Maqdisi were popular with Juhayman al-Utaybi, the leader of the group of insurrectionists responsible for the violent takeover of the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979. Some of these admirers later joined AQAP. [6] The message here could well be received as: the Islamic State follows al-Maqdisi’s jihadist views on the apostasy of SAUDI ARABIA, but unlike al-Maqdisi, Islamic State is willing to act on its views, not just theorize about them. Is the Islamic State appealing directly to young members and the leadership of AQAP in YEMEN as well as to the disaffected youth in SAUDI ARABIA?

To cite one other potential appeal among numerous signals embedded in the terminology used in the glossy Dabiq, we need to consider the apparently straightforward subtitle of the magazine: “The Return of the Khilafah.” On March 18, 2012, the radical PAKISTANI extremist group, Hizb-ut Tahrir Wilayah PAKISTAN (The Liberation Party of the State of PAKISTAN) issued an online English language white paper with the same title. [7] Hizb-ut Tahrir, which is not a guerrilla group, argues that the caliphate should be based in PAKISTAN, but their arguments, though based in the circumstances of SOUTH ASIA, are similar to ARAB jihadist ideological discourse. Could it be that the Islamic State is trying to appeal to English-speaking Hizb-ut Tahrir radicals in PAKISTAN and GREAT BRITAIN who want action rather than white papers? The most likely answer to this and other question is that ISIS appears to be appealing to all young, ideologically compatible Muslim men who crave action rather than words and might be lured to join the new caliphate’s army.

KHILAFAH DECLARED - PATH TO LIBERATING MECCA AND MADINAH FROM THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT AND JERUSALEM FROM THE JEWS

Dabiq asserts that the Islamic State is synonymous with the caliphal state. To this end it features selections of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s public address in Mosul as the new self-declared caliph. The selections of statements are meant to demonstrate that one of the Islamic State’s major purposes is to return dignity to oppressed and humiliated Muslims, a theme consistently used by al-Qaeda’s media propaganda as well. The Islamic State emphasizes that it is a place for all races, ethnic groups and nationalities to gather together to fight in the trenches together as brothers. Reminiscent of al-Zawahiri’s message on numerous occasions, the new caliph announces the “heavy boots” of Muslims “will cause the world to understand the meaning of terrorism... will trample... the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy, and uncover its deviant nature.” This is a highly polarizing call for all Muslims to come and fight for the Islamic State, which claims to be the best path to liberating Mecca and Madinah from the SAUDI government and Jerusalem from the Jews.

REPORTS ON THE TRIBES

Dabiq features the purported results of two Sunni tribal assemblies near Aleppo, SYRIA. The magazine asserts that the Islamic State:

... has an extensive history of building relations with the tribes within its borders in an effort to strengthen the ranks of the Muslims, unite them under one imam [leader]... [and that] its practice of attending tribal forums, addressing the concerns of the tribal leaders and accepting their bay’ah [pledge of allegiance] is regularly met with success. [8]

DEMOLISHING THE “SYKES-PICOT” BORDERS AND OPENING A WAY BETWEEN “IRAQ AND SHAM (DAMASCUS SYRIA)

The “report” lists the tribal groupings in SYRIA that attended the assemblies complete with pictures of elders sitting in a forum and young men pledging bay’ah to the Islamic State and its caliph. The “head of tribal affairs” for the Islamic State announced that its mission was “neither local nor regional but rather global.” He related that Islamic State intended to implement Shari’a and listed recent successes in IRAQ to include taking over the state of Ninewah, freeing Sunni prisoners, taking over the Mosul airport and military bases, demolishing the “Sykes-Picot” borders and opening a way between “IRAQ and Sham.”

According to the magazine, the Islamic State representative stressed that he wanted the tribes help with their “wealth, their sons, their men, their weapons, their strength and their opinion, and encourage their sons and their brothers to join the military body of the Islamic State.” [9] The Islamic State representative also wanted to hear their advice and respond to their concerns; concerns, for example, about the Islamic State’s classic guerrilla strategy of taking ground and then leaving it when a conventional force challenges it. The Islamic State does not clarify what its response is to such concerns but its magazine reported what it promised to the tribes in concise bullet points. These include

•  “Returning property to rightful owners,”
•  “Pumping millions of dollars into services that are   important to the Muslims,”
•  “Security and stability,”
•  “Availability of food and consumer products in the market, and a
•  “Reduced crime rate.”

Dabiq also reports that the tribes, for their part, asked the Islamic State to collect and distribute the widows and orphans tax and to give tribes weapons acquired from the regime or FSA.

FROM HIJRAH TO KHILAFAH

Dabiq spends considerable space using hadith to explain how the imamah (leadership) envisioned in the Millah Ibrahim is political as well as religious, and moreover, is the same as the leadership established by the Islamic State. Embedded in this discussion is an argument against democracy, which separates religious from political leadership. Towards the end of the magazine, the discussion turns to the strategy and tactics the Islamic State uses and how young men can help in the global struggle by migrating to support the caliph in his struggles to consolidate and expand the Islamic State.

THREE-STAGE GUERRILLA WARFARE STRUCTURE BASED ON MAOIST IDEAS 

The magazine calls for scholars, judges and people with military, administrative and other expertise as well as physicians and engineers to come serve in the Islamic State. Naji and al-Suri’s ideas (without attribution) are then described as lessons learned in the fighting in AFGHANISTAN and elsewhere and applied by Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi, the founder of what became ISIS. In a general outline, Dabiq describes a three-stage guerrilla warfare structure based on Maoist ideas as interpreted by numerous left-wing insurrectionists in the 20th century and jihadist groups in the 21st. [10]

The political-military stages in Abu Bakr Naji’s writings mirror the ones Dabiq ascribes to al-Zarqawi and uses similar technical vocabulary: 

• “nikayah” (damage or terrorist tactics), 
• “tawahhush” (mayhem or savagery) and 
• “tamkin” (consolidation or establishing a state). 

All of these stages ideally take place in a country with a weak enough central government with regions that jihadist guerrillas can target. 

The first stage, nikayah operations, involves terrorist attacks to frustrate the central government and create as much chaos as possible to cause the central government to withdraw forces from the target region. 

When the chaos is sufficient, referred to here as “tawahhush,” a region is so destabilized that the mujahideen are able to take control of the area or areas in a primitive government that Naji called “administration of savagery” in his work Idarah al-Tawahhush (Administration of Savagery). [11]

SAUDI ARABIA AND THEN JERUSALEM (SAUDI ISRAELI CONNECTION) ARE THE ULTIMATE TARGETS 

Dabiq comments that al-Zarqawi had intended to initiate wider and more complex attacks in IRAQ to consolidate these jihadist-administered areas into a state, using Naji’s term for establishing an Islamic state, “tamkin.” This third stage occurred, according to Dabiq, when al-Zarqawi’s successor, Abu Omar al-Husayni al-Baghdadi, established the Islamic State of IRAQ. Furthermore, the magazine asserts, this was the first state “set up exclusively by the mujahideen – the active participants in the jihad – in the heart of the Muslim world just a stone’s throw away from Mecca, al-Madinah, and Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem].” After Abu Omar’s death, new leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi established the khilafah. It is the clear intention of Dabiq to show that the Islamic State is the realization of the life-long dream of Ayman al-Zawahiri, currently the Islamic State’s most prominent jihadist critic. 

Background Information: 

ISRAEL AND SAUDI ARABIA

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/11/israelis-saudis-and-iranian-agreement.html

SAUDI ARABIA — ENGAGE IN COVERT “INFORMATION SHARING” WITH ISRAEL

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2012/08/israel-and-iran-airstrike-unlikely.html

All this is standard jihadist grand strategy and signals that the two holy cities in SAUDI ARABIA and then Jerusalem (SAUDI ISRAELI CONNECTION) are the ultimate targets. Overlaid onto this political-military strategy is a related action plan belong to the current phase when the caliphate is newly established. This five-phase plan appeals to Sunni Muslims and those desiring to convert:

• Travel to the Islamic State;
• Join up;
• Help destabilize the tyrant to further the goal of expansion;
• Consolidate new areas;
• Extend the caliphate over the new areas.

CONCLUSION

DABIQ provides the first admission, albeit indirectly, that the ISLAMIC STATE and previously ISIS have been following a strategy as laid out in broad strokes by ABU BAKR NAJI and informed by the teachings of ABU MUS’AB AL-SURI. 

This strategy is linked to the founder of this Salafi-Jihadist current, Abu Mus’Ab Al-Zarqawi, in his terror campaign in IRAQ until his death in 2006. The magazine anecdotally connects the Islamic State to tribal coalitions inside SYRIA and IRAQ. Through its allusions and usurpation of terms and titles, the magazine seeks to connect the Islamic State to the goals of major organizations and jihadist thought leaders even when they are known to oppose the Islamic State. The appeal encompasses the entire jihadist movement, including al-Qaeda affiliates and non-al-Qaeda extremists like Hizb-ut Tahrir with its large clandestine following in PAKISTAN, GREAT BRITAIN and elsewhere. 

With its apocalyptic aura the Islamic State is attempting to appeal over the heads of other communities to disaffected youth and motivated young professionals. 

In its context, it is a powerful message; despite its serious shortcomings, the Islamic State will continue to create savagery and mayhem until the new state and its fighting vanguard can be checked, either by an outside force or, more likely, by the very people now under its harsh rule.

Dr. Michael W. S. Ryan is an independent consultant and researcher on Middle Eastern security issues and a Senior Fellow at the Jamestown Foundation. He is the author of Decoding Al-Qaeda’s Strategy: The Deep Battle Against America (Columbia University Press, 2013).

Notes

1. For an online version of Dabiq, see http://www.writeurl.com/publish/ujzjvs1ep33kyflhw4ey

2. Ibid. p.4.

3. Ibid. p.2.

4. See Jean-Pierre Filiu, Apocalypse In Islam, trans. M. B. DeBevoise, (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2011).

5. For a purported switch of allegiance from al-Qaeda to the Islamic State, see the jihadist forum al-Melahim wa’l Fitan claiming to record the pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State of nine “al-Qaeda soldiers,” including one claiming to be al-Maqdisi’s brother. The document is addressed to AQAP indicating that the signers were members of AQAP, 

http://alfetn.net/vb3/showthread.php?t=82569. 

Aaron Zelin, who brought attention to this document, referred to the group as a “breakaway faction” of AQAP; see Aaron Zelin, “The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement,” Research Note 20 (June 2014, The Washington Institute For Near East Policy).

6. For a full account of al-Maqdisi’s thought, influence, and relationship to Saudi Arabia and visits with Juhayman’s followers, see Joas Wagemakers, A Quietist Jihadi: The Ideology and Influence of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012).

7. See www.hizb-ut tahrir.org/PDF/EN/en_books_pdf/PK_Return_of_the_Khilafah_English_OK_rev.pdf for an online version of Hizb ut Tahrir’s “Return of the Khilafah;” For a profile of this group see Farhan Zahid, “The Caliphate in South Asia: A Profile of Hizb-ut Tahrir in Pakistan,” in Terrorism Monitor, July 10, 2014, http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=42600&no_cache=1.

8. Dabiq, p.12.

9. Ibid. p. 13.

10. For an analysis of jihadist political-military strategy, see Michael W. S. Ryan, Decoding al-Qaeda’s Strategy: The Deep Battle Against America, (New York: Columbia University Press, 2013).

11. Abu Bakr Naji, Idarah al-Tawahhush: Akhtar Marhalah Satamurru biha al-Ummah (The administration of savagery: the most dangerous phase through which the ummah will pass), N.p.: Markaz al-Dirasat wa al-Buhuth al-Islamiyyah, Nd.), http://www.tawhed.ws/a?a=chr3ofzr.

TURKEY AND ISIS - COMRADES IN ARMS?

WHY IS TURKEY SUPPORTING  ISLAMIC STATE FIGHTERS IN IRAQ?

Now that U.S. forces are engaged in combat operations against Islamic State fighters in IRAQ, the Obama administration must press ISIS on all fronts, targeting its financing, logistics, and weapons providers. TURKEY — AMERICA’S ally and NATO member — is allegedly involved. Clarifying TURKEY’S role would serve U.S.-TURKEY relations. 

SON OF ERDOGAN ALLEGEDLY FUNDS THE  HUMAN RIGHTS, FREEDOMS AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF NGO IHH, HISTORICALLY KNOWN OF ASSISTING EXTREMIST GROUPS 

Members of TURKEY’S parliament and prominent personalities described connections between TURKEY, TURKS and militant Sunni organizations, such as the Islamic State in IRAQ and SYRIA (ISIS). They allege a prominent role for TURKEY’S Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), an Islamic charity with a history of assisting extremist groups. Bilal Erdogan, President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son, has ties to the IHH board, and allegedly uses his father’s political network to raise funds for the organization. Some sources say Bilal has served on the IHH board, but the IHH web site does not currently list him as a board member.

An IHH truck was stopped by the gendarmerie near Adana in Hatay on January 1, 2014. It was loaded with arms and ammunition headed for SYRIA. The Hatay public prosecutor tried to launch an investigation, but was blocked. When he filed a criminal complaint alleging obstruction of justice by TURKEY’S Interior Minister and MIT, he was dismissed. Police who stopped the vehicle were fired. The Hatay governor said the operation was a “state secret.”

Background Information: 

Turkeys Erratic Foreign Policies

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2012/08/turkeys-erratic-foreign-policies-all.html

Turkeys Foreign Policy Poker Game 

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/turkeys-foreign-policy-poker-game.html

Ammunition was also found on two passenger buses heading to SYRIA. Officers from the antiterrorism branch of the Adana Police Department released photos of ammunition on the buses to the media. They, too, were fired.

In an effort to clear TURKEY’S name, the government cracked down on IHH in early January 2014. TURKISH authorities arrested 23 people, including senior al-Qaeda operatives, associated with IHH, including al-Qaeda’s Middle East deputy leader ?brahim ?en, who is a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, and Al Qaeda’s TURKEY representative, Halis Bayancuk. The move against IHH came just weeks before Geneva II, a major international conference aimed at stopping SYRIA’S civil war, where TURKEY was envisioned to play a leading role.

Members of TURKEY’S parliament allege that the government still supports jihadis — facilitating their travel at border crossings between TURKEY and SYRIA, providing truckloads of weapons, and offering health care at TURKISH state hospitals to wounded warriors.

NOT ALL ISIS FIGHTERS ARE FOREIGN FIGHTERS. ABOUT 10 PERCENT ARE TURKISH CITIZENS

Parliamentarians wrote President-elect Erdogan and Davutoglu asking for an official explanation of government ties to ISIS, and its knowledge about IHH activities. The letters were conveyed through Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek. The government did not respond.

Deputies report the steady flow of unmarked trucks in Adana, Kilis, Gaziantep, and Kayseri – towns near the border with SYRIA. They believe the trucks are transporting weapons. Residents of Kilis describe routine interaction between TURKISH officials on one side of the border and ISIS on the other.

According to a TURKISH doctor, TURKISH ambulances deliver war-wounded to TURKISH hospitals on the border with SYRIA. They have no papers or identification. The Ministry of Health covers their expenses. The notorious ISIS commander, Abu Muhammed, was photographed receiving treatment at Hatay State Hospital in April 2014.

WHICH DIRECTION IS TURKEY  HEADING? 

Not all ISIS fighters are foreign fighters. About 10 percent are TURKISH citizens, according to a well-known Turkish scholar.

Some Islamist TURKS sympathize with ISIS and support its conservative values. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc recently said, “A woman will know what is haram [forbidden] and not haram. She will not laugh out loud in public.”

Devotion to Islam is one thing. Assisting Islamists to commit genocide in the name of God is another.

Instead of excuses and denial,TURKISH officials should condemn the Islamic State. To show the world it is serious about fighting terrorism, TURKEY should establish a joint border monitoring mechanism with the UN to make sure no weapons are transferred to ISIS.

Bilal Erdogan should disassociate from the IHH. IHH’s Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council should be suspended, pending an investigation into its activities.

Related articles regarding TURKEY:

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/07/turkish-leadership-demoralized.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/06/turkey-in-turmoil.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/turkeys-double-edged-sword-policies-or.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/turkeys-sunni-crescent.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/turkeys-chess-game.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/turkey-shiite-persians-versus-wahhabi.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/seismic-shift-in-middle-east.html

http://iwpr.net/report-news/syria-becomes-focus-iranian-turkish-rivalry

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2013/04/turkeys-changing-foreign-policy-stance.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2013/04/turkey.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/turkey-and-kurds.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2014/04/turkey-and-its-water-strategies.html

http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2014/04/turkey.html



Source: CNBC