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Calling itself the Alliance for Securing Democracy, the group describes itself as "a bipartisan, transatlantic initiative" that "will develop comprehensive strategies to defend against, deter, and raise the costs on Russian and other state actors' efforts to undermine democracy and democratic institutions," and also "will work to publicly document and expose Vladimir Putin's ongoing efforts to subvert democracy in the United States and Europe."It is, in fact, the ultimate union of mainstream Democratic foreign policy officials and the world's most militant, and militaristic, neocons. The group is led by two longtime Washington foreign policy hands, one from the establishment Democratic wing and the other a key figure among leading GOP neocons.
"Of course we are all for compromise but there will be no compromise on these six principles," Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, told reporters, as cited by the media.Qatari ambassador to the United Nations Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani said that the four Arab states scaled back their demands not as a sign of good faith, but in attempt to save their image amid international pressure over the initial list of demands, the newspaper added.
"The UK now has the unique historic opportunity to stop the killing spree of Wahhabism-inspired terrorists by releasing the UK government's report on terrorism financing in the UK which, according to media reports, places Saudi Arabia at its center of culpability," the group said in a letter signed by 15 people.The group pushed for the report to be published even if it is yet to be completed, while urging May to keep in mind the thousands of victims of terrorist attacks. The letter has also been sent to opposition representatives, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
"The longer Saudi Arabia's complicity is hidden from sunlight, the longer terrorism will continue. They must be stopped; but who will stop them? We submit that you are uniquely situated to shine the cleansing light of public consciousness," the group added, according to the Independent.
"We blocked the border not only in Egypt but in the Golan Heights," Netanyahu reportedly said during a closed session with the premiers of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia in Budapest on Wednesday.Netanyahu focused most of his energy during the meeting on bashing the EU, accusing it of "crazy" behavior due to conditions put on its relationship with Israel over the Palestinian peace process.
"We built the wall because there was a problem with ISIS [Islamic State/IS] and Iran trying to build a terror front there. I told [Russian President] Putin, when we see them [Iran/IS] transferring weapons to Hezbollah, we will hurt them. We did it dozens of times," he said, as quoted by Haaretz.
"The European Union is the only association of countries in the world that conditions the relations with Israel that produces technology and every area, on political conditions. The only ones! Nobody does it," Netanyahu reportedly said.Although the remarks were not intended to be relayed to the press, they were accidentally transmitted to reporters through headphones.
"In case the US wants to insist on pursuing sanctions against Iran's defense sector and the IRGC [Revolutionary Guards], it needs to first dismantle its regional bases within a range of 1,000km around Iranian borders," Tasnim news agency quoted the commander as saying.
"Washington should be aware that it will pay dearly for any miscalculations," he went on to say.
Jafari said that Iranian missile capabilities are "rapidly growing," creating an effective deterrent against any threats, the agency reports. He added that the Islamic Republic's missile program is by no means "bargainable or negotiable."
Comment: See also: Erdogan warns Turkey will not tolerate Kurdish state and 'terror havens' on its borders