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US and China publicly rebuke each other in first major talks of Biden era

Justin McCurry
The Guardian
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 21:12 UTC
US China talks Anchorage
© screenshot
US-China talks 2021 in Anchorage, Alaska, USA
The United States and China have publicly clashed during their first face-to-face high-level talks since Joe Biden took office, with one senior Chinese official urging the US to address "deep-seated" issues such as racism, and accusing his American counterparts of "condescension".

Any hopes that the meeting, in Anchorage, would reset bilateral ties after years of tensions over trade, human rights and cybersecurity during Donald Trump's presidency evaporated when the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, opened their meeting with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi and the state councillor Wang Yi.

After Blinken referred to rising global concern over Beijing's human rights record, Yang said: "We hope that United States will do better on human rights. The fact is that there are many problems within the United States regarding human rights, which is admitted by the US itself," he said in a 15-minute speech that appeared to irritate Blinken.


Comment: See also:

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Arrow Up

The UK is Russia's greatest security threat in Europe behind the US

Andrew Korybko
OneWorld
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 00:00 UTC
lion bear map
© Ferguson
Lion and the Bear
The British are masterful perception managers and have a centuries-long history of reversing the truth. This strategic characteristic was on full display earlier this week after its recently completed Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy claimed that "Russia remains the most acute threat to our security". As can be expected, the reality is actually the opposite: the UK remains the most acute threat to Russia's security in Europe, though behind the US of course. I explained last summer how "MI6 Might Become The CIA's Proxy For Stopping Europe From Moving Towards Russia" after London's spree of fake news attacks against Moscow encompassing everything from the Skripal false flag saga to allegations of a secret Russian spy base in the French Alps. Last month, "Intrepid Journalists Exposed The UK's Information-Driven Hybrid War On Russia", which includes a continental network of media proxies in Latvia and other former Soviet countries.
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Snowflake Cold

For Leviathan, it's so cold in Alaska

Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 00:00 UTC
Wang Yi
© Facebook
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to exchange views with his US counterpart in Alaska.
Leviathan seems to be positioning itself for a geopolitical Kill Bill rampage - yet brandishing a rusty samurai high-carbon-steel sword. Predictably, US deep state masters have not factored in that they could eventually be neutralized by a geopolitical Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique.

In a searing, concise essay, Alastair Crooke pointed to the heart of the matter. These are the two key insights - including a nifty Orwellian allusion:
1. "Once control over the justifying myth of America was lost, the mask was off."

2. "The US thinks to lead the maritime and rimland powers in imposing a searing psychological, technological and economic defeat on the Russia-China-Iran alliance. In the past, the outcome might have been predictable. This time Eurasia may very well stand solid against a weakened Oceania (and a faint-hearted Europe)."
And that brings us to two interconnected summits: the Quad and the China-US 2+2 in Alaska.
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Stop

U.S., Russia, China and Pakistan urge Afghan cease-fire


RFE/RL
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 06:19 UTC
Mullah Baradar
© Aleksandr Zemlianichenko/AFP
Mullah Baradar (center), the Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator, arrives at the Moscow conference on March 18, 2021.
The United States, Russia, China, and Pakistan have jointly called on Afghanistan's warring sides to reach an immediate cease-fire just six weeks before a deadline for the United States to pull out troops who have been in the country for nearly 20 years.

A joint statement issued after the conclusion of talks in Moscow on March 18 reads:
"At this turning point, our four countries call on the sides to hold talks and reach a peace agreement that will end more than four decades of war in Afghanistan."
The statement called on the Taliban and government forces to curb violence and urged the militants not to declare offensives in the spring and summer. It also said the four countries were committed to mobilizing political and economic support for Afghanistan once a peace settlement had been reached.

The Moscow talks were meant to breathe life into negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban that opened in Qatar in September but have stalled over government accusations that the insurgents have done too little to halt violence.

Comment: Without resolve, there is no resolution. At least peace talks are underway...
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said the government in Kabul is committed to engaging in "substantive and serious" negotiations on establishing a cease-fire and achieving "a comprehensive political settlement that ends the war and brings about sustainable peace in the country."

A member of the Taliban delegation sent to Moscow on March 19 said that if Washington fails to withdraw its forces by May 1, there could be a "reaction," which could mean increased attacks by the group.

"They should go," Mohammad Suhail Shaheen told a press conference, warning that staying beyond the deadline would breach the U.S.-Taliban deal. "After that, it will be a kind of violation of the agreement. That violation would not be from our side.... Their violation will have a reaction," he added, without elaborating on what form the "reaction" would take.

In keeping with the agreement, the insurgents say they have not attacked American or NATO forces.


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Shoe

Aaugh! A brief list of official Russia claims that proved to be bogus

Matt Taibbi
taibbi.substack.com
Fri, 19 Mar 2021 00:00 UTC
Lucy/Charlie Brown
© Screenshot
"The Set-Up"
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released a much-hyped, much-cited new report on "Foreign Threats to the 2020 Elections." The key conclusion:
We assess that Russian President Putin authorized, and a range of Russian government organizations conducted, influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden's candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump, [and] undermining public confidence in the electoral process...
The report added Ukrainian legislator Andrey Derkach, described as having "ties" to "Russia's intelligence services," and Konstantin Kilimnik, a "Russian influence agent" (whatever that means), used "prominent U.S. persons" and "media conduits" to "launder their narratives" to American audiences. The "narratives" included "misleading or unsubstantiated allegations against President Biden" (note they didn't use the word "false"). They added a small caveat at the end: "Judgments are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact."

As Glenn Greenwald already pointed out, the "launder their narratives" passage was wolfed down by our intelligence services' own "media conduits" here at home, and regurgitated as proof that the "Hunter Biden laptop story came from the Kremlin," even though the report didn't mention the laptop story at all. Exactly one prominent reporter, Chris Hayes, had the decency to admit this after advancing the claim initially.

Comment: "The Director of National Intelligence releases a report, and the press rushes to kick the football again." The definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results) comes to mind.



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Better Earth

Disparate nations have joined to defend the UN Charter and rein in US aggression across the world - not a moment too soon

Daniel Kovalik
RT
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 07:07 UTC
UN Flag
© Reuters
Flag of the United Nations
A 'Group of Friends' including Russia, China and a host of others have united to call out America's decades-long disregard for the core founding principle of the United Nations: maintaining international peace and security.

The United Nations was created after WWII with one chief aim - to prevent the scourge of war. Thus, Article 1, Section 1 of the governing document of the United Nations - the UN Charter - states that, prime amongst the purposes of the United Nations is
"[t]o maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace."
Article 2 of the Charter goes on to explicitly ban "the threat or use of force" as well as intervention in the domestic affairs of other nations. Such prohibitions were informed by the horrors of WWII, including the Holocaust, which emanated from Nazi Germany's aggressive war in Europe. In short, the nations of the world wanted to prevent such an evil from ever happening again. As UN Secretary General Kofi Annan would later state,
"[n]o principle of the Charter is more important than the principle of the non-use of force as embodied in Article 2 [of the UN Charter] . . . ."
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Arrow Down

'Not fitting of a president': Erdogan blasts Biden's 'unacceptable' comments about Putin

Ilya Tsukanov
Sputnik
Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:07 UTC
Erdogan
© Reuters/Murad Sezer
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
President Biden sparked a diplomatic spat with Moscow after agreeing with a journalist's characterisation of President Putin as a "killer," and threatening to make the Russian leader "pay a price" for Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2020 US presidential election. Putin brushed off the remarks, wishing Biden "good health".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out in defence of his Russian counterpart on Friday, saying the US president's remarks about him were "unacceptable" and calling Putin's response "elegant". "Mr. Biden's statements about Putin are not fitting of a president. Mr. Putin did what was necessary by giving a very clever, very elegant answer," Erdogan said, speaking to journalists after Friday prayers, his remarks quoted by Sputnik Turkey.

Erdogan's remarks come in the wake of Biden's much-talked about interview with ABC News on Wednesday, in which the US president said he agreed with the characterisation of Putin as a "killer," suggested he had no soul and warned that Russia would "pay a price" for its alleged election meddling.

Comment: Not only is there no justification for Biden's sardonic labeling, he chooses to degrade both Russia and the US with his cringe-worthy remarks. His job is to speak for every American. Instead he speaks for himself.

See also:

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Brick Wall

US foreign policy under Biden is a return to the 'old normal' - expect continuation of tradition of subverting democracy abroad

Tomasz Pierscionek
RT
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:13 UTC
Biden
© Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
US President Joe Biden
Biden's administration includes hawks from the Obama era and other disciples of imperialism. Despite the delusions of some progressives, Biden's foreign policy is hardly a breath of air.

US President Joe Biden's election heralds a return to business as usual, where Wall Street and large corporations dictate domestic policy whilst the State Department and Pentagon spearhead America's imperialist ambitions abroad. The US establishment and its allies can cool their nerves. In contrast to Donald Trump, who was accused of instigating a right-wing mob to storm Congress and sabotage democracy at home, Joe Biden looks set to follow the US tradition of subverting democracy abroad.

Following Trump's neglect of his NATO allies, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to the combative cold-war alliance. In January, Biden made his views clear during a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in which the former declared he was "totally committed to NATO." A few weeks later Biden informed world leaders at the annual Munich Security Conference that "America is back" and followed with the usual adversarial stance towards Russia and China.
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Arrow Up

Pakistani PM Imran Khan: Peace with Pakistan will give India direct access to Central Asia


NDTV
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 01:47 UTC
Imran Khan
© Reuters
Pakistani PM Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said India will benefit economically by having peace with his country as it will enable New Delhi to directly access the resource-rich Central Asia region through Pakistani territory.

Delivering the inaugural address at the launch of the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue, Imran Khan also claimed that his government after coming to power in 2018 did everything for better ties with India and it was for India to reciprocate. India will have to take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much, he said.

India last month said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said repeatedly that the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility. India has also told Pakistan that "talks and terror" cannot go together and has asked Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching various attacks on India.

Imran Khan discussed Pakistan's vision of comprehensive national security, built on the pillars of traditional and non-traditional security, including his vision for economic prosperity and human welfare. He dwelt at length on the issue of peace in the region, including peace between Pakistan and India, saying "the unresolved Kashmir issue was the biggest hurdle between the two countries."

Comment: See also:

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Eagle

How the US military subverted the Afghan peace agreement to prolong an unpopular war

Gareth Porter
The Grayzone
Tue, 16 Mar 2021 17:18 UTC
Douglas Macgregor
© US Army / public domain
Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor
Appointed in the final days of Trump's presidency to remove all US troops from Afghanistan, Douglas Macgregor tells The Grayzone how military leadership undermined the withdrawal and pressured Trump to capitulate.

In an exclusive interview with The Grayzone, Col. Douglas Macgregor, a former senior advisor to the acting secretary of defense, revealed that President Donald Trump shocked the US military only days after the election last November by signing a presidential order calling for the withdrawal of all remaining US troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

As Macgregor explained to The Grayzone, the order to withdraw was met with intense pressure from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Gen. Mark M. Milley, which caused the president to capitulate. Trump agreed to withdraw only half of the 5,000 remaining troops in the country. Neither Trump's order nor the pressure from the JCS chairman was reported by the national media at the time.

The president's surrender represented the Pentagon's latest victory in a year-long campaign to sabotage the US-Taliban peace agreement signed in February 2020. Military and DOD leaders thus extended the disastrous and unpopular 20-year US war in Afghanistan into the administration of President Joe Biden.

A peace agreement the Pentagon was determined to subvert

The subversion of the peace agreement with the Taliban initiated by the US military leadership in Washington and Afghanistan began almost as soon as Trump's personal envoy Zalmay Khalilzad negotiated a tentative deal in November 2019. The campaign to undermine presidential authority was actively supported by then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

Comment: Given the above, the following news is no surprise:
The Biden administration is weighing whether to extend the US troop deployment in Afghanistan until November, instead of pulling out all personnel by the May 1 deadline, NBC News reported Thursday, citing two officials familiar with the matter.

Biden had actually opposed Pentagon leaders' efforts to keep the American soldiers in Afghanistan beyond May 1, but they managed to persuade him to consider the extension, the report says.

According to one of the officials familiar with the recent discussions, "Biden wants out," one of the officials familiar with the recent discussions said. He explained that the Defense Department had insisted that the Taliban isn't upholding the terms of the agreement, characterizing the case as "Look, you own this now, Mr. President, and we can't guarantee you what will happen if we just precipitously pull everyone out."

A second official said there were in fact several options on the table, including a withdrawal by or close to May 1, keeping troops indefinitely, or for a fixed period to be set by Biden. "The decision is with the president," the person added.


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