WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019

Volume 6, Number 205

EIR Daily Alert Service

P.O. Box 17390, Washington, DC 20041-0390

• The Syria Template
• Pence Heads Delegation to Turkey, Negotiations Could Involve All Forces in the Area
• Syrian Army Continues To Move Farther Into Northeastern Syria
• Putin Greeted in United Arab Emirates, as Jets Paint Sky With Russian Flag Tricolor
• No Long-Term Settlement to Regional Problems Is Possible Without Riyadh, Putin Tells Saudi Hosts
• Trump Steps Up Campaign Against ‘Military-Industrial Complex’ War Party
• Kommersant Writes, Xi-Modi Summit Will Strengthen Role of ‘Moscow-Beijing-Delhi Troika’
• Fed’s Crisis Strategy: Keep Extending, Keep Pretending
• Knowledge Is the Only Tangible Value, Asserts Spain’s Astronaut Science Minister
• Greens Target Expansion of Spain’s Valencia Port, Cutting New Silk Road to Europe

EDITORIAL

The Syria Template

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—The beleaguered nation of Syria—nearly wiped off the map by a decade of British geopolitical warfare executed by London and the Obama Administration; the cockpit of intended thermonuclear conflict between the United States and Russia; and ravaged by terrorism and bled white by millions of desperate refugees who fled for their lives—has in the last week become the centerpiece of an entirely new systemic world order based on sovereignty and development.

There are three principal reasons for this.

First: The nation and people of Syria resisted, refusing to be swallowed up by pessimism. There is a lesson to be learned here.

Second: U.S. President Donald Trump reversed decades of American submission to London’s policy of perpetual warfare, and on Oct. 9 announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, and declared war against the “military-industrial complex” and the “intelligence agencies” that have wasted $8 trillion and lost “millions and millions of lives” attempting to defend their dying world order. He has repeated that policy commitment on two or three occasions since Oct. 9, facing down a tempest of intelligence warfare conducted through the Establishment media, even though “I’m sort of an island of one.” There is a lesson to be learned here, as well.

Third: Russian President Vladimir Putin was primarily responsible for turning the geopolitical tide in Syria by coming to the country’s aid in 2015, and launching a successful joint war against ISIS and other terrorists. On Oct. 3, speaking in Sochi at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club a full week before this week’s developments in Syria, President Putin took note of what has been achieved since 2015 and, looking forward, presented a farsighted proposal for the entire planet:

“We think the Syrian settlement can become a model for resolving regional crises where diplomatic mechanisms will be used in the vast majority of cases…. Now is the time for outside-the-box steps and actions.”

He continued: “We suggest that the accumulated prejudices and mutual pretenses must be pushed aside, and a security and cooperation organization be created in the region almost from scratch. In addition to Western countries, Russia, China, the U.S. the EU, India and other interested countries could join as observers.”

Putin then addressed the broader situation: “We have just heard this, that we have entered an era with no world order whatsoever…. Yes, such a scenario is indeed possible. But it is fraught with many threats…. This is why we cannot do without a systemic world order. But we also need both flexibility and, let me add, non-linearity … which presupposes the ability to consider various cultural and value systems, the need to act together, dismissing stereotypes and geopolitical clichés. This is the only way to effectively solve the challenges on the global, regional, and national levels.”

Putin then went on to praise President Trump’s approach to the Korean Peninsula crisis. “We must give credit to President Trump’s courage and ability to take outside-the-box steps. Indeed, for many decades, U.S. presidents ignored the D.P.R.K. and saw it as an outcast. Mr. Trump was able to take a historic step….”

Echoing the thinking of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin then stated: “The time has come to talk in terms of a global ‘concert’ of development models, interests, cultures and traditions where the sound of each instrument is crucial, inextricable and valuable, and for the music to be played harmoniously rather than performed with discordant notes, a cacophony.”

Here too, there is a lesson to be learned.

Almost 20 years ago, at the time that the Oslo Accord between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization was signed in September 1993, Lyndon LaRouche, who was in prison at the time, responded immediately to this breakthrough effort to end British geopolitical warfare in the Middle East. He insisted that crucial projects had to begin—ground had to be broken for them—by the end of that very month of September, in order to create the momentum needed for the Accord to succeed. In an interview Sept. 8, 1993, LaRouche said:

“The urgent thing here is that we must move with all speed to immediately get these economic development projects, such as the canal from Gaza to the Dead Sea, going, because if we wait until we discuss this thing out, enemies of progress and enemies of the human race, such as Kissinger and his friends, will be successful, through people like [Ariel] Sharon’s buddies, in intervening to drown this agreement in blood and chaos.”

The lesson for today, is that the dramatic global shift that has been opened up around Syria must be brought to fruition by rapidly bringing economic development throughout the region, based on the Belt and Road Initiative and LaRouche’s proposals for a global economic and cultural renaissance.

STRATEGIC WAR DANGER

Pence Heads Delegation to Turkey, Negotiations Could Involve All Forces in the Area

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Turkey on Oct. 16 for negotiations, heading a delegation that includes National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and special envoy James Jeffrey. The Vice President will meet with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Oct. 17, according to Axios, citing the White House.

Pence said on Oct. 14 that President Donald Trump spoke with President Erdogan, urging him to implement an immediate ceasefire, reported Sputnik. At the same time, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions “against two ministries and three senior Turkish government officials in response to Turkey’s military operations in Syria, according to a Treasury Department statement Oct. 14.

Trump himself issued a statement on Oct. 14, which says in part: “I will soon be issuing an Executive Order authorizing the imposition of sanctions against current and former officials of the government of Turkey and any persons contributing to Turkey’s destabilizing actions in northeast Syria. The steel tariffs will be increased back up to 50%, the level prior to reduction in May. The United States will also immediately stop negotiations, being led by the Department of Commerce, with respect to a $100 billion trade deal with Turkey. … I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey’s economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path.”

Trump also announced that he has ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, though they would be remaining in the region “to monitor the situation and prevent a repeat of 2014, when the neglected threat of ISIS raged across Syria and Iraq.” He specified that a contingent of U.S. troops would remain at the Al Tanf base in southeastern Syria “to continue to disrupt remnants of ISIS.” Trump also wrote in a partial tweet yesterday: “Anyone who wants to assist Syria in protecting the Kurds is good with me, whether it is Russia, China, or Napoleon Bonaparte. I hope they all do great, we are 7,000 miles away!”

Negotiations with the U.S. delegation apparently will include discussions with all forces in the area, including Russia and Syria, reported Sputnik. “The President is deeply committed to ending the unnecessary violence and loss of life in the northeast,” a senior U.S. administration official said yesterday. “What we’re trying to do now is first of all, restore the situation as best we can via ceasefire, via reconciliation of the various interests that are in play at this time in the northeast and ensuring that the various forces, which involve not only … the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces], our own troops that are still on the ground, the Turkish military … as well as Russian and Syrian forces, to get them all to hold in place and to then come forward with a set of plans,” the U.S. official explained.

The official further stated that earlier in the day, the government did not think the ceasefire negotiations were possible, “but now we do,” and also said “I think the President would not be willing to send a high-level delegation on short notice like this unless he was pretty confident there was at least a chance at getting to a ceasefire,” Sputnik reported.

In its continuing and failing attempt to make itself relevant in today’s current affairs, the European Union member states on Oct. 14 issued a “unanimous” condemnation of Turkey’s offensive in Syria. It stopped short of an arms embargo, most likely because Turkey would have laughed it off, since the entire EU has sold Turkey no more than €45 million worth of arms in the last year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called on Turkey to halt its military operation in northern Syria, urging the country to “come back to the right track.”

Syrian Army Continues To Move Farther into Northeastern Syria

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—The Syrian Arab Army is continuing to move into northeastern Syria and bringing heavy weapons, including tanks, along with it. This includes Manbij, where the SAA has now replaced U.S. troops that evacuated the town less than a day earlier. While the Syrian Army is expected to deploy to Kobani, which is the border almost directly north of Manbij—their troops have yet to travel to this border city, reported Al Masdar, likely to secure their position before crossing the Euphrates and moving north. Al Masdar reported separately that the reason for the quick deployment to Manbij was due to reports of an imminent Turkish military offensive to capture the city.

Syrian troops, also with tanks and other heavy weapons, have also arrived in Tabqa and Raqqa city after the U.S. military and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew from that area. Especially important is that Syrian authorities will take over the border crossing with Iraq in northeastern Syria. A Syrian Army source told Al Masdar the military will be jointly controlling the town of Al-Malkiyah on the border of Iraq as part of their ongoing agreement with the SDF in northern Syria.

“Bearing this in mind, local self-governments in the settlements of Manbij in the Aleppo governorate, al-Tabqa in the Raqqa governorate, Kalyshliah, and al-Hasakah in the Hasakah governorate have declared complete restoration of the Syrian Arab Republics sovereignty on their territories,” said Maj. Gen. Alexei Bakin, chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, yesterday. “Representatives of the Agedat, Bu Shaaban, Abu Kemal, Albu Hassan tribes in the Deir Ezzor and Raqqa governorates applied to the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties asking to help restore Syria’s legitimate authorities and resolve humanitarian problems,” Bakin stated.

The Kurds who dominate the SDF are insisting that the deal with Damascus is only for security at the borders and does not affect the autonomous administration which will continue to function as it has until there’s a political agreement with the Syrian government. “There is an understanding between SDF and Damascus—a military agreement only,” Badran Jia Kurd, a senior Kurdish official, told Associated Press in an interview, during which he also indicated that he has been in talks with Russians since the start.

Putin Greeted in United Arab Emirates, as Jets Paint Sky with Russian Flag Tricolor

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the U.A.E. today, for meetings on regional issues as well as business and space cooperation with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed and other top U.A.E. officials. However, Putin did not merely receive the usual red carpet welcome. “Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the United Arab Emirates has been celebrated in a way that could startle even a VIP guest who has seen it all, as it included a horse escort alongside his vehicle and what appeared to be cars from the Russian road police,” Sputnik reported today. The report included video of the horse escort carrying Russian and U.A.E. flags, as well as a flight of U.A.E. air force jets that painted the sky in the white-blue-red tricolor of the Russian flag. The streets were decorated with Russian and U.A.E. flags, and Putin’s motorcade was accompanied by two U.A.E. police cars made up to look like Russian police cars. One Russian journalist captioned the image: “How far signs of respect can go.”

In reporting on the agreements that Putin signed while in Abu Dhabi, TASS highlighted those dealing with space, business and investments. Putin pledged that Russia is willing to advance cooperation with the United Arab Emirates in the space field. He named satellite navigation and launching spacecraft into orbit as promising areas of cooperation. “The space exploration cooperation has reached a new level,” he told bin Zayed. Putin extended congratulations to the U.A.E. leadership after astronaut Hazza Al Mansoori successfully travelled to the International Space Station, becoming the first person from the U.A.E. in space. “This breakthrough became possible due to our friendship and your effort to advance this very idea.” Al Mansoori even presented Putin with a medal.

In the realm of business cooperation, Putin and his hosts signed documents including a memorandum of understanding between Russia’s Ministry of Energy and the U.A.E.’s Ministry of Energy and Industry in energy cooperation; a memorandum of understanding between Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation on cooperation in the area of peaceful use of nuclear energy; a concession agreement between Russia’s oil major Lukoil and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company on the Gasha gas field. There were also a number of cooperation agreements signed involving the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Lukoil, Gazprom and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

No Long-Term Settlement to Regional Problems Is Possible without Riyadh, Putin Tells Saudi Hosts

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia, he stated at the beginning of his talks with the Saudi King on Oct. 14: “Saudi Arabia will chair the G20 next year and will play an important role in addressing key issues on the global economic agenda… I am convinced that without your country, it is hardly possible to achieve a just and long-term settlement of any problem in this region. I hope that this visit will give an additional boost to our cooperation across all areas. We have drafted an extensive package of joint documents to be signed during this visit and acted upon later.”

When he met with Crown Prince bin-Salman, Putin stated that “We both support efforts to counter the terrorist threat and achieve long-term political and diplomatic settlement of crises in the Middle East and North Africa.” Putin also emphasized Russia-Saudi Arabia cooperation on oil and the world energy markets.

U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC

Trump Steps Up Campaign against ‘Military-Industrial Complex’ War Party

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—President Donald Trump took his campaign to mobilize the American people to support him in shutting down the “endless wars” to the “Values Voter Summit” three nights ago, where he spoke to some 3,000 people. The “summit” is organized annually by the Evangelical Christian Family Research Council, some of whose leaders (e.g. its Executive VP, retired Gen. William Boykin) have been prominent cheerleaders for those wars.

The President made the effects of these wars personal for his audience, recounting again how hard it is to sign all those letters to the families of those who have died, or to accompany families as they receive the coffins of their loved ones at Dover Air Force Base.

We have been in these wars, one of them for 19 years, where the fight is not to win, but just to stay there. At what cost?

“We’re in there now for $8 trillion, thousands of our lives, and millions of lives on the other side, by the way,” he reminded his audience. “Millions. We’re talking about millions and millions of lives….

“So despite all of the blood that was spilled, the lives lost, and the money that was spent, the Middle East is … less safe now. It’s less secure, less stable, and they fight.”

“I want you to understand these things,” the President said. “Going in was the worst decision. They went in for weapons of mass destruction, and there were none. There were none. That was the intelligence agencies. They’re real— real beauties.”

He reminded his listeners that he had ordered U.S. troops out of Syria a year ago—and what happened when he did. “I said, ‘That’s enough.  Let’s get out.’ I got—you wouldn’t believe—the military industrial complex came down on me.”

“I think we’ll get along great with China. I think we’ll get along great with Russia,” he said at another point. “But when they create a phony Russia hoax, it makes it tougher to get along with Russia.  When they create lots of different scenarios with China, it makes it tougher to get along with China.  I think we will do great, but they got to let us run our country the way it is supposed to be run.”

The President made clear that he is willing to stand up to these pro-war interests, even if he finds himself to be “an island of one again,” as he said, now in his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, rather than jump into the fight between the Turks and Kurds. He recounted how he had stood alone a year and a half ago, when he refused to back the Kurds after they launched a fight against the Iraqi government. “And everybody said, ‘We have to fight with the Kurds.  We have to fight…’ ” and he refused, insisting “we’re not going to choose sides.” He was proved right, he said: With no backing, the Kurds left, and there was very little combat.

He showed the same gumption in the assault on Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh. “Plenty of people said, ‘Cut him loose, President’ ”—including a some of the people in this room, he observed. “I’m never going to reveal your name, but the people in this room. They said, ‘Cut him loose, President. Cut him loose.’ I said, ‘Can’t do it.  He’s done nothing wrong.  They’re phony stories about him.  They were made up, just like they were made up about me and other people.  They were phony stories. Can’t do it, I’m sorry.’ ”

THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER

Kommersant Writes, Xi-Modi Summit Will Strengthen Role of ‘Moscow-Beijing-Delhi Troika’

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—In their daily wrap-up of Russian media coverage of major international developments, TASS reported yesterday: “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘beginning of a new era’ in relations between India and China following President Xi Jinping’s informal trip [Oct. 11-12] to the South Asian country. This rapprochement between Beijing and Delhi is radically changing the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, opening up new opportunities for Russian diplomacy, Kommersant wrote. According to diplomats and experts interviewed by the newspaper, now Moscow would not have to constantly make a difficult choice between two strategic partners, and the Moscow-Beijing-Delhi troika will become a determining factor in global politics.”

The TASS account continued: “Indian Ambassador to Moscow D. Bala Venkatesh Varma told Kommersant that the second informal meeting between the leaders of India and China was another example of India’s strong relations with leading world powers. The meeting will have a positive impact on relations within the Moscow-Beijing-Delhi trio and as far as interaction among the three countries within BRICS goes, the diplomat added.”

COLLAPSING WESTERN FINANCIAL SYSTEM

Fed’s Crisis Strategy: Keep Extending, Keep Pretending

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—The New York Federal Reserve Bank had to make almost $90 billion in short-term liquidity loans (“repurchase agreements”) to banks Tuesday morning, the third-largest emergency loan volume in one day since “repo” operations suddenly started on Sept. 17. The New York Fed then announced that these overnight and term “repo” lending operations are now extended to January 2020, at least. These will continue to be (at least) the overnight repos at up to $75 billion/day and the Tuesday and Thursday two-week repos at up to $35 billion.

The Federal Reserve had initially announced (on Sept. 18) that these liquidity loans to the big banks would continue to the quarter-end on Sept. 30; then they were extended to “at least” Oct. 10; then until “at least” Nov. 4; and now, “at least” until January. The pattern of steadily growing holes in the “everything bubble” of debt, is clear.

The Fed has now added outright purchases of securities from these banks as well, insisting on calling them “not-QE.” These will be purchases of $7.5 billion/day on each Monday and Wednesday (though starting with Thursday of this week, Oct. 17) of one-month, three-month and six-month T-bills. When these mature they’ll be rolled over by the New York Fed, along with their interest, into new T-bill purchases. Estimates by wiseguys at various banks are now of about $400 billion in such Fed money-printing by the second quarter of 2020; again, “at least.”

SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Knowledge Is the Only Tangible Value, Asserts Spain’s Astronaut Science Minister

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—Spain held its first Space Congress in Madrid Oct. 9-10, to highlight Spain’s world-class space industry capabilities, its leading role in producing for space exploration, the benefits this brings to society, and the technological challenges ahead. It was timed to coincide with International Space Week, and sponsored by TEDAE, or the Spanish Defense, Security, Aeronautics and Space Technology Association, with the support of various government space- and technology-related institutes.

Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, astronaut Pedro Duque, told to digital publication Infoespacial.com afterwards, that the conference had delivered a clear message to society, that “investing in space is profitable.” He made clear that his use of the word “profitable” was not in its merely monetary connotation, but also with its broader meaning.

“The only uniquely tangible value which exists in the world is knowledge,” Duque declared, in elaborating on why the space industry and technology is crucial. “The country which invents the most is the one which, in the long run, will have the greatest income and which will best pay pensions. Neither extracting oil or gold are important; what is important is knowledge. That is why we have to invest, so that this knowledge is transformed into products…. Industries develop and then they pass on their knowledge to the others, and they have to continue to do so. The more we spread it, the better.”

Spain is celebrating that it has just built the Cheops satellite, which is to be launched soon, to carry out the European Space Agency’s planned mission to search for exoplanets.

Greens Target Expansion of Spain’s Valencia Port, Cutting New Silk Road to Europe

Oct. 15 (EIRNS)—Simultaneous with the European Union-spurred Greek decision to halt plans for the expansion of Piraeus Port near Athens, whose terminal is operated by China’s COSCO Shipping, the European Green movement, in cahoots with Spanish anti-growth fanatics, is mobilizing to block the planned expansion of the port of Valencia in Spain. Both port expansion projects are key to, and premised on the much-needed expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative in Europe.

On Sept. 27, “The Greens” group in the European parliament filed a parliamentary inquiry, signed by Danish Socialist People’s Party MEP Margrete Auken, which charges that the plans to build a fourth container terminal at the Valencia port, with an underwater tunnel to feed the resulting cargo traffic to the nearby expanded logistics/rail center without clogging city roads, violates EU legal norms for environmental protection. They claim the port didn’t undertake the required Strategic Environmental Evaluation, and will bring on such “great disorders” as emitting pollutants, building new roads, removing part of the sea floor, and changing “the dynamic along the coastline” which will affect the nearby Alburfera Nature Park.

The parliamentary anti-port initiative is coordinated with a “Ciutat-Port” group formed in Valencia with the sole purpose of blocking the expansion of the port. Ciutat-Port is demanding a moratorium on all work on the expansion—which is already moving ahead—asserting that not only is it illegal, but also that it “scandalously contradicts” the recent declaration of a “climate emergency” by the Valencia provincial and city governments, and instead “betting on an anachronistic, polluting and unhealthy development model.”

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