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Showing posts from May, 2025

John Bolton Urges U.S. to Revive Support for Western Sahara Referendum

In a compelling op-ed published on May 28, 2025, in The Washington Times, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton reignited the debate over one of the world’s most neglected and unresolved territorial disputes: Western Sahara. With China and Russia expanding their influence across Africa, Bolton argues that now is the time for the United States to reassert its commitment to international law and democratic principles by supporting a long-delayed referendum for the Sahrawi people. A Frozen Conflict Since the 1970s Stretching along the northwest coast of Africa, south of Morocco, Western Sahara remains a non-self-governing territory—the last colonial question on the African continent. When Spain abruptly withdrew from the territory in 1975 following the death of General Franco, both Morocco and Mauritania moved in to fill the vacuum. In response, the native Sahrawi population organized under the Polisario Front and began armed resistance, with Algeria offering political ...

9,000 Skulls for Boualem Sansal? A Disgraceful Proposal and a Moral Outrage

In a surreal segment aired on France Inter, journalist Léa Salamé flippantly suggested a grotesque “exchange”: trading the 9,000 skulls of Algerian men and women stored in Paris’ Musée de l’Homme for the supposed “liberation” of the controversial writer Boualem Sansal. This offhand remark, delivered with alarming nonchalance, betrays a profound ignorance of colonial history, a troubling contempt for Algerian memory, and an indecency that demands condemnation. When ‘Humor’ Becomes an Insult to the Dead What does such a suggestion truly signify? That even in death, decapitated and displaced, Algerian bodies may still be used as bargaining chips? That a mutilated national memory can be reduced to a rhetorical device in a radio broadcast? Behind this tasteless comment lies an unspeakable idea: the remains of anti-colonial resistance fighters, displayed as trophies by a former empire, are still treated as negotiable objects of French discretion. A Colonial Memory Still Denied The 9,000 sku...

Who destroyed Gaza? Hamas or the Israeli army?

“Hamas has destroyed Gaza and turned the world against Israel. Supporting Israel is standing with the truth.” These claims, echoed in certain political and media circles, are based on an inverted reading of reality. They conceal a brutal truth: the destruction of Gaza is the direct result of Israeli military operations—unprecedented in scale—and denounced by many international voices as genocidal. Gaza Under Fire: Numbers and Reality Since October 7, 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israeli territory, the State of Israel has launched a military campaign of unprecedented intensity against the Gaza Strip. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 35,000 dead, more than 70% of whom are women and children (source: Gaza Ministry of Health, figures corroborated by the UN). More than 60% of homes destroyed. Water, electricity, healthcare, and education networks completely dismantled. Famine, disease outbreaks, and mass displacement toward so-called “safe zones”—which were then themselves bomb...

Trump and South Africa: A Stand for Afrikaners or an Attempt to Humiliate a Pro-Palestinian Ally?

What was meant to be a diplomatic effort to mend strained relations between the United States and South Africa quickly descended into a spectacle of political confrontation. During a joint press conference at the White House, former U.S. President Donald Trump blindsided South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with provocative allegations of a so-called “genocide” targeting white farmers in South Africa—claims long discredited by independent observers and judicial authorities. Trump’s theatrical use of misleading video footage and inflammatory language turned a diplomatic meeting into a media ambush. While the moment drew international attention for its shock value, it also invites deeper reflection: What were Trump’s real motivations? Was he expressing genuine concern for Afrikaners, perhaps influenced by his admiration for Elon Musk, a white South African by origin? Or was this a calculated move to publicly shame a country that dared to challenge Israel at the International Court of ...

The Katechon Revisited: Theological Roots, Geopolitical Relevance, and Contemporary Conflicts

The concept of the katechon, central to Christian eschatology, was reinterpreted by Carl Schmitt through a politico-theological lens marked by the idea that, in every age, a historical or spiritual force prevents the advent of final chaos. In light of current geopolitical upheavals, some analysts extend this interpretive framework by identifying new katechons capable of restraining the emergence of a global order perceived as destructive or malevolent. This article offers a critical reflection on the contemporary reactivation of the katechon, exploring its echoes in the current conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine. 1. The Katechon: Theological Origins and Schmittian Reception The term katechon originates from the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians (2:6–7), in which the apostle Paul refers to “the one who restrains” the coming of the Antichrist. In Christian tradition, the katechon designates the force — either a person or institution — that delays the revelation of ultimate evil and the...

The Violent Recomposition of Power in Tripoli: An Autopsy of Political Collapse in Libya

Fourteen years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, Libya remains mired in chronic political fragmentation. Far from regaining institutional stability, the country continues to be governed by a logic of militias, local clientelism, and foreign interference. The Libyan conflict has become entrenched, turning Tripoli into a permanent theatre of power struggles. The recent events of May 2025 highlight the extreme fragility of the capital’s politico-military equilibrium, particularly through the assassination of powerful militia leader Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, known as “Ghneiwa,” and the chain reaction it set off. 1. Militia-Based Governance Rooted in State Collapse Since 2011, Libya has lacked a functioning state in the institutional sense. Public institutions are severely weakened, if not altogether absent, and sovereignty is effectively divided among armed groups. In Tripoli, security has for years relied on an implicit coexistence among militia factions, whose authority is grounde...

The Retailleau Report: When Political Showmanship Undermines Strategic Governance

The recent publication of a confidential report on the infiltration tactics of the Muslim Brotherhood into French institutions has sparked a flurry of controversy — not for its findings, but for the manner in which it was unveiled. Orchestrated by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, the release of the document appears less a matter of national security than a calculated move in a broader campaign of political positioning. What was originally intended as a tool for internal analysis has now become a spectacle — emblematic of a political approach that prioritises media attention over effective governance. 1. A Strategic Document Turned into a Political Prop Commissioned by Retailleau’s predecessor, the report was designed as a working document, grounded in analysis and intended to support a discreet and structured response to the threat of ideological entrenchment in public institutions. According to sources familiar with its origin, it was never meant for public consumption — not out of...

When Morocco Wages War with Drugs: A Toxic Strategy to Destroy Algeria’s Future Generations

More than three years ago, I raised the alarm about a dangerous possibility: the existence of underground tunnels between Morocco and Algeria used for large-scale drug trafficking. At the time, my warnings were dismissed, mocked, or labeled as “conspiracy theories.” Today, that so-called “theory” has emerged from the shadows—quite literally. According to credible media sources, a secret tunnel has been discovered linking Moroccan territory to the Bab El Assa region in Algeria’s Tlemcen province. This tunnel was allegedly used to smuggle significant quantities of processed cannabis (kif)—a product the Moroccan regime has long weaponized to destabilize Algeria. And this isn’t an isolated case. Just a few months ago, a similar tunnel was uncovered in the occupied city of Ceuta, used by Moroccan-Spanish smuggling networks to traffic both drugs and migrants. These are not coincidences. This points to a coordinated and well-established underground infrastructure, most likely developed with t...

From Political Islam to Investment Islam: The Strategic Reconfiguration of the Middle East in Contemporary U.S. Policy

Since President Donald Trump’s official visit to Riyadh in 2017, U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East has undergone a profound transformation. This shift marked a clear departure from the Obama administration’s approach, which emphasized dialogue with “moderate” Islamist actors in the wake of the Arab Spring. Instead, the Trump doctrine favored a partnership with traditional Gulf monarchies, prioritizing economic growth and authoritarian stability over political reform and ideological pluralism. This article seeks to examine the implications of this paradigmatic shift, exploring the emergence of what may be termed “investment Islam” as a replacement for “political Islam”. It analyzes the resulting transformations in regional power dynamics, evaluates the reliability of emerging narratives, and offers a critical perspective on the new U.S.-led framework for Middle Eastern order. 1. From Obama’s “Moderate Islam” to Trump’s “Profit-Driven Islam” The Obama administration’s Middle Eas...

The Fall of the Rafale: A Russian Report Unveils Pakistan’s Silent Aerial Supremacy

A recently released Russian report sheds critical light on the underlying causes of the Indian Air Force’s setback in a high-stakes aerial encounter with Pakistan. At the heart of this analysis lies a stark conclusion: Pakistan’s integration of advanced airborne surveillance and missile systems—particularly the Saab 2000 Erieye—enabled it to outmaneuver and ambush Indian Rafale jets without warning, and with surgical precision. Saab 2000 Erieye: The Eye That Sees All At the core of Pakistan’s aerial strategy is the Saab 2000 Erieye, an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft of Swedish origin. Pakistan currently operates a fleet of nine such aircraft, equipped with the Erieye AESA radar—a cutting-edge system with a detection range of up to 450 kilometers, a combat radius of 3,700 kilometers, and an endurance of nearly 9.5 hours. This high-altitude sentinel offers a formidable command-and-control platform, allowing Pakistan to orchestrate engagements from a distance, wit...

Algeria in the Crosshairs: The Hour of Reckoning Has Come

On May 2nd, 2025, behind the closed doors of Abu Dhabi’s presidential palace, a high-level security meeting took place—not to discuss peace, but to plot an attack. Not a military assault, but a strategic, silent war targeting the political and media heart of one nation: Algeria. Presiding over this covert war council was Tahnoun bin Zayed , the shadowy mastermind of Emirati intelligence. Alongside him: Mohammed Al Gergawi , in charge of media influence operations; Saeed Al Ghafli , responsible for intelligence coordination; and foreign consultants from the American firm GSG , a private contractor known for information warfare and strategic psychological operations. The mission was given a chilling codename: “Disrupt Algeria.” Why Algeria? Because Algeria refuses to kneel. Because it acts with independence in Sudan, partners with Turkey and Qatar, and openly opposes Emirati interference in Libya. In Tahnoun’s own words during the meeting: “Algeria is moving in Darfur, aligning with Tur...