Assad Flees As Syrian Rebels Take Over the Capital

A Syrian rebel celebrating with Ak-47 rifle

by Admin Dec 8, 2024 Things went from bad to worse for ousted Syrian President Bashaar Assad after the Syrian Rebels announced that they had seized the capital Damascus from the Syrian forces who withdrew before the rebels got to the city gate. The hostile takeover strikes a deep blow into the shaky region that has suffered devastating tension between Israel, Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon since the October 7 terror attack in Israel that claimed over a thousand lives. The Syrian military with aid from Iran and Russian forces failed to stop the fierce Syrian rebels from taking control of the capital city. The insurgents launched a widespread offensive against the Syrian military. They took over key cities in a massive military campaign in a matter of days with support from both Israel and Turkey Air Force pilots who provided air support for the rebels. The hostile takeover by the rebels has left the Russians and Iranian government in disbelief of how the rebels swiftly took control of several cities within a matter of days, the Iranian foreign minister said the Iranian envoys tried to prevent the overthrow by organizing a diplomatic meeting between Turkey and Syrian government but failed due to the interference from the United States government and  Israel. The Iran elite Revolutionary Guards faced deadly Israeli strikes in Syria and gave an adequate response to the situation. The Iranian foreign ministry said Syria’s fate is in the hands of the Syrian people and they will be the ones to decide their future without any external interference. Also, Hezbollah forces which have always provided essential support for President Assad for several years since the beginning of the civil war in 2011, withdrew all of its troops from Syria on Saturday as rebel factions approached Damascus. The Russian government reported that President Assad had fled the country before the rebels got to Damascus and he left a message for a smooth transition in power between his government and the rebel forces.  The whereabouts of President Assad and his family were not disclosed by the Russian government who also revealed that they were not involved in the power transition plan for the rebels to take over the government. The Russian government has been a major supporter and defender of Assad and helped him quell a rebellious uprising during the civil war broke out in 2011 between the Syrian government and several factions of the rebel groups including the ISIS organization that was backed by the United States government. Rebel leader Abul Mohammed Al Golani hinted that there would be no going back or a cease-fire agreement between the rebels and the Syrian government, he said “The future is ours,” and that they are breaking free from the Assad family leadership that has led the country for close to half a century.  He further said “The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people,” Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali called for free elections to take place in the country after Syrian government officials announced they had approved the transition plan for a new government. Prodesq political analyst Temitope Oladeji gave an insight into how the situation deteriorated swiftly without strong resistance from Assad’s forces and his allies, Temitope Oladeji explained that the rot within the Assad government gave way for the collapse of the government, he further pointed out that the Syrian forces relented easily after they lost Aleppo the largest city in the country but failed to rally with the Russian forces and the Iranian support. In an exclusive report, Temitope Oladeji stated that a coup attempt took place on Friday night within the Syrian army which led to the total takeover of Hama and Homs which the Russian government had planned to help the Syrian army mount a counter-offensive operation against the rebels. The Lacadiscal actions of the Syrian army made the Hezbollah forces withdraw from Syria coupled with the fact that the Israeli and the United States air forces supplied air support for the rebels in a clear message that showed that they were up against a superior enemy. What next for Syria is quite unclear but from the historical precedent of what happened to Libya and Iraq after Islamic fanatics took over the country is a clear fate of what will happen in Syria because several rebel factions will tussle over power control which will lead to a new era of civil war but the fate of Assad in Syria is certainly sealed.

Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Clashes With United States Secretary of States At OSCE

Anthony Blinken, the United States Secretary of States and Sergie Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Secretary

by Admin Dec 6, 2024 In a rare face-off between Sergei Lavrov the Russian foreign minister and Anthony Blinken the United States Secretary of State had a clash of words at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held in Ta’Qali, Malta on Thursday. The Russian foreign minister laid a direct accusation against the United States and the Western countries for the war in Ukraine and the escalation of the crisis. He said, “After the Afghan disgrace, there was a need for a new common enemy.”  “The result is the reincarnation of the Cold War, but now with the far greater risk of its escalation into the hot phase.” Lavrov said that the desperation of the United States to put NATO in the spotlight created the Ukraine crisis and the drive to make a statement about being the strong powerhouse of the world led to the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine. He added that if the United States is interested in the de-escalation of the conflict it desisted from giving Ukraine the green light to use long-range missiles to attack deep into Russian territory, the actions of the West show that they do not care about Ukraine or de-escalation of the war. The Russian foreign minister stood up and walked away from the meeting before Anthony Blinken and other foreign Western envoys could speak at the summit as a protest to Blinken’s actions to cut off all forms of communication between the United States and Russia since the war began in 2022. The United States Secretary of State said that Russia is to be held responsible for the crisis in Ukraine and the escalation of the conflict, Blinken highlighted the danger of North Korean forces on European soil and fighting European forces shows a clear escalation of the conflict by Russia, he further pointed out that the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile to attack Ukraine, Russia’s decision to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, and also the relentless attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Blinken said “Mr Lavrov spoke about the sovereign right of every member state to make their own choices,” He further added “That’s exactly what this is about: the sovereign right of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people to make their own choices about the future, not to have those choices made in and by Moscow.” Prodesq Political Analyst, Temitope Oladeji gave a clear insight into the meeting between Sergei Lavrov and Anthony Blinken, Temitope stated that the United States Secretary of State refused to accept the fact that the decision to accept Ukraine as a member of NATO and the plans to install missiles in Ukraine prompted the decision of Russia to Invade Ukraine and halt the deployment of United States nuclear weapons at the border with Russia.  Temitope further hinted that the decision of the Malta government to revoke the passport of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova was a clear signal that the Malta government and the United States government had planned to lay a trap for the Russian foreign minister who refused to take the bait and left immediately after his speech. The United States has further committed itself to the escalation of the war by announcing to give Ukraine over 725 million dollars from Russia’s frozen assets for arms procurement. 

French Government Collapse After Vote of No-Confidence was Passed by Parliament

Michel Barnier, Embattled Prime Minister of France

by Admin Dec 6,  2024 In a surprise turn of events, the French parliament has passed a vote of no-confidence in a shocking decision that could lead to the resignation of Michel Barnie, the Prime Minister who has barely spent three months as the country’s oldest prime minister.  The decision by the French lawmakers to reject a government has not happened in six decades, placing the country’s political system in turbulent times. The vote was led by Marine Le Pen, a far-right politician and former presidential aspirant who ran against President Emmanuel Macron in the last presidential election but lost to Macron.  Marine Le Pen united with opposition leaders to censure Michel Barnier’s government after the former Brexit negotiator moved controversially to push for the execution of his budget without a vote in the parliament. Marine Le Pen pushed for a total vote of 336, which is more than enough for the required votes of 288. The decision made has warranted Michel Barnier to tender his resignation but, he will remain a caretaker for the time being until the French President appoints a new prime minister to succeed him.  Although President Macron has bluntly rejected any suggestion of his prime minister to resign from the government, the president who just recently returned from a state visit to Saudi Arabia has firmly shown his support for the embattled prime minister. The left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP), which is the party with the most seats in the parliament, had initially criticized President Macron’s decision to appoint centrist Michel Barnier as prime minister instead of their candidate. Along with the far-right National Rally (RN), the NFP rejected the Prime Minister’s budget, which proposed €60 billion (£49 billion) in deficit reduction, deeming it unacceptable. Marine Le Pen, made a direct attack on Michel’s Budget calling it “toxic for the French”. In his defense the Prime Minister said the decision to vote him out of office would not solve the country’s financial problems, he said, “We have reached a moment of truth, of responsibility, adding that we need to look at the realities of our debt. He added that “I did not present almost exclusively difficult measures because I wanted to”.  Marine Le Pen, reiterated that there is no going back on the resignation process for the Prime Minister and expressed her stance that it has nothing to do with losing the presidential election to President Macron and, neither does the resignation of the Prime Minister affect the presidency of Macron.

Failed Martial Law Sees South Korean President Suk Yeol Face Impeachment

President Suk Yeon of South Korea

by Admin Dec 4, 2024 Things went south for South Korean President Suk Yeol after the South Korean parliament vetoed his declaration of martial law after the president accused his citizens and opposition parliament members of being sympathetic and aiding insurgency with the North Korean government. President Suk Yeol said that “I am imposing martial law to protect the country from anti-state forces that sympathized with North Korea”. Less than two hours after the announcement, the military and police were deployed and took over the streets and the airspace. In contrast, the military headed towards the parliament building where the members of parliament were gathered to vote against the martial law. The military then announced that all parliamentary activity was suspended under martial law while protesters stormed the building to prevent the military from entering the building and disrupting the proceedings while other protesters took to the streets of Seoul, the capital city to protest against the presidential imposed martial law. Lee Jae-myung, the opposition’s Democratic Party leader went on a live broadcast and called on the citizens to assemble at the parliament building and defend their democratic rights to freedom. He further pleaded with his fellow members of parliament to ensure that they found their way into the building to ensure a fair vote was held to counter the presidential martial law. The Democratic main opposition party whose lawmakers were forced to jump over the parliamentary fence fences and wrestled with security forces so they could vote to overturn martial law.  President Suk Yeol, a conservative politician and former reputable public prosecutor, was elected president in 2022 and has been facing serious allegations from the opposition parties. On May 9, 2024, the president issued a public apology for his wife’s actions of accepting an expensive luxury handbag as a gift.  On November 26, President Yeol vetoed a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into corruption allegations involving his wife, the third time he rejected the opposition-led bill. These and many other cases have plagued President Suk Yeol and his latest attempt to declare a nationwide martial law which was short-lived by the parliament and a call for his impeachment was made by opposition leaders. The liberal opposition Democratic party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament, said its lawmakers had decided to call on President Yeol to stand down straight away or they would take steps to impeach him. He said, “President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it”. Kim Yong-Hyun, the defense minister, has issued his resignation letter amidst an impeachment motion from the Democratic party. If  President Yeol accepts Kim’s resignation before parliament votes, the defense minister would no longer be subject to the impeachment process. The South Korean parliament is set to vote over the impeachment process on Friday against President Yeol after a series of parliamentarians submitted their letter for the call for an impeachment trial against the president. 

President Joe Biden Issues Presidential Pardon for His Son Hunter Biden

President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden

by Admin  Dec 4, 2024 President Joe Biden has announced that he would issue a presidential pardon for his son Hunter Biden for his alleged tax crimes and gun charges against his former conviction that he would not use his presidential position to protect his son from prosecution. President Biden issued a pardon based on the fact that he said his son was a target of political persecution by the opposition party which he deemed selective and unfair to his only surviving son. In a statement issued by the White House, the president said “There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution, In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” The president said throughout his judicial and political career he has unfailingly followed the rules of the law and has upheld them and has been fair in implementing them to the highest standards in the country. President Biden further stated that “Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further, I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.” The decision to pardon his son came a few weeks before his son will be tried for crimes sentencing for a couple of felonies related to making a false statement about his drug use during a gun background check and failing to pay at least $1.4m in taxes. Donald Trump, the President-elect has frowned at the decision of President Biden to use his presidential powers to protect his son from prosecution after all evidence suggested that he is guilty of the crimes charged against him.  President Trump, who was convicted of a series of crimes during the President Biden administration took to his Truth Social media page and said “Does the pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?”. He called the pardon a “Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” President Trump who is rumored to use the judicial system to go after his political opponents has vowed to fight the presidential pardon given to Hunter Biden. 

Syrian Rebels Takes Over Aleppo City Of Syria

Syrian Rebels in Aleppo

by Admin Nov 30, 2024 In a surprise attack against the largest city in Syria after Kurds militants launched an offensive against the city on Friday, killing several civilians and Syrian soldiers for the first time in the past nine years. The attack has left the city in ruins and thousands of civilians to flee the city. It has increased tensions in the Middle East, which has experienced endless fighting since Hamas orchestrated an offensive against Israel last year October. The city of Aleppo has not suffered such enormous attacks since 2016 after the Syrian forces retook control of the city with the help of Russian and Iranian forces in a bloody military operation against ISIS and Kurdish militants. Fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) of the Kurdish Liberation Front began a major offensive on Wednesday earlier this week from their base in the Idlib countryside, a narrow patch of land located in Syria’s northwest province. In a deadly offensive against the Syrian army, the armed militiamen reached the city of Aleppo within three days after a series of clashes and missile attacks in the city. The Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday and have ordered the Syrian troops to withdraw from the city in preparation for a major counter-offensive against the militants in the next 48 hours. Russia’s su-34 jet fighters carried out a series of air strikes against the insurgents killing two hundred militants on Friday night while President Putin of Russia announced a new shipment of weapons to Syria on Monday. David Carden, the UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis said that the three-day battle left 27 civilians killed. At the same time, hundreds more were injured from mortar shells and rocket barrages. The rebel forces in a swift wave recaptured dozens of towns and villages in the Aleppo countryside, seizing a military base, weapons, and tanks from Syrian government forces. In the heat of the battle some Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups based elsewhere in north-west Syria joined the fighting and launched their offensive against the Syrian government forces taking over the Aleppo government headquarters and Aleppo University. Dareen Khalifa, of the nonprofit International Crisis Group said “The regime’s lines of defense have crumbled, I think they were taken aback. No one anticipated how fast the rebels would reach towards the edge of Aleppo.” Bashar Assad’s government which began in 2011 has witnessed endless violence and fragile peace since it took power and reclaimed lost territories in 2016 from rebel forces. However, President Assad has yet to address the situation in Aleppo as the Syrian government continues to scrabble around for more support from Russia and Iran.  The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying “The regime’s lines of defense have crumbled, I think they were taken aback. No one anticipated how fast the rebels would reach towards the edge of Aleppo”. Prodesq political war analyst Temitope Oladeji said the attack on Aleppo has the hands of the Israeli government all written over it, in the past few days Israel has dramatically escalated airstrikes against Iranian forces stationed on the ground in Syria, carrying out over 116 strikes on Syrian territory killing 100 civilians and have left over 500,000 people to relocate.  However, Temitope Oladeji further stated that the attack on Aleppo is a major escalation of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in which observers have seen Ukrainian mercenaries in Syria carrying out attacks on Russian weapons deports in Syria and training Syrian rebels in the operation of drones.  Dmitry Peskov, The Kremlin spokesperson on Friday said that Moscow regarded the rebel attack as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and wanted the authorities to act fast to regain control.

Benjamin Netanyahu Begs French President Emmanuel Macron To Block ICC Arrest

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and France President Emmanuel Macron

by Admin Nov 27, 2024 With the reality that his fate has been finally sealed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, to help block the warrant arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his war crimes in Gaza and West Bank. In a lengthy telephone conversation, Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded with the French president to help him elude justice from the International Criminal Court’s decision to declare him and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant wanted for crimes against humanity with the genocide committed in Gaza against the people of Palestine. It could be recalled that on November 21, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant who had a falling out with Benjamin Netanyahu over his policies surrounding the hostage rescue and his approach towards the incursion of Southern Lebanon in his war against Hezbollah, the Israeli Prime Minister in his defense denied Yoav’s allegations and blamed him for the Iranian document leaks and also said he could not trust his Defense Minister no more here by relieving him of his responsibility.  Emmanuel Macron who had earlier turned down the pleas of the Israeli prime minister made a turnaround on his decision after the French president and the United States President Joe Biden brokered a ceasefire deal between Hezbollah and Israel which took effect by 3 am on Wednesday. Less than 24 hours after brokering the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, the French President announced that the Israeli Prime Minister was immune to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant, he declared that France would not uphold the ICC’s arrest warrant. France joins the United States in condemning the International Criminal Court arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister.  Most European countries have declared that they would uphold the ICC’s arrest warrant for the arrest of the Israeli Prime Minister and his former Defence Minister. However, the French Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, in remarks made today during a session in parliament, said that France would fulfill its obligations under international law concerning the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu which contradicts the stance of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Police Report Exposes Ex-Brazil President of Coup Attempt Against President Lula

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil Former President

by Admin Nov 28, 2024 In a shocking revelation by the Brazilian police, an investigation has revealed that Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president was actively involved in a coup attempt to overturn the presidential election results of 2022 which he lost to current President Lula, the police investigation report reveals. The Brazilian police presented an 884-page report to the Brazilian Parliament, which made the report available to the public. The report highlighted eight major pieces of evidence against Jair Bolsonaro which included secret meetings with the Brazilian Army leadership to plot a coup in 2022. The police accused the former president and 36 high-ranking military and government personnel of taking part in the plot, among the officials named were former Minister of Defence Walter Braga Netto, ex-National Security Adviser Augusto Heleno, former Minister of Justice and Public Security Anderson Torres, and the head of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party, Valdemar Costa Neto. The report revealed that “The evidence collected throughout the investigation shows unequivocally that then-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted, and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organization aiming to launch a coup d’etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law”. The report has been sent to Paulo Gonet, the highest Brazilian prosecutor who is yet to decide whether or not to lay indictments on the former president. Jair Bolsonaro has denied all allegations laid against him and said he was never part of any kind of coup plot to overturn the 2022 elections but leaked audio recordings suggest high-ranking members of the Brazilian Army were involved in conspiring to keep Bolsonaro in power. However, after the election results which President Lula won by a run-off emerged ahead by just over 2.1 million votes, former President Jair Bolsonaro refused to publicly concede defeat, his refusal sparked a dangerous protest which led to the blockage of highways and attacks on police stations. On January 8, 2023, a week after President Lula was sworn into office, a mighty protest broke out as supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro took to the streets and descended on government buildings, they destroyed the Three Powers Plaza, a square in Brasilia that houses the presidential palace, the Supreme Court, and both houses of Congress. The protest was evoked to spark a military intervention which would likely be used to remove President Lula from office but the Brazilian police returned normalcy to the country while hundreds of protesters were arrested. 

Australia Passes New Law to Ban Under 16 From Access to Social Media

Australia Senate

by Admin Nov 28, 2024 Australia’s parliament took one of the boldest steps as a pro-democratic country. It passed a law that bans children under 16 from accessing social media in what is regarded as the strictest regulations targeting the platforms in the world. The Parliament passed the law on Thursday afternoon after weeks of long deliberation, the law requires social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to prevent those under 16 from having any form of social media accounts. The Australian Senate said the failure of any of the social media platforms to comply with the new law attracts a fine of up to AUS$50 million (US$32.5m). Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia led the campaign for the law and was at the forefront of rallying parents to support the bill. The Australian prime minister said, “Social media is a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators”. Albanese further said that he wants to encourage the Australian children to “turn off their phones and onto the footy and cricket field, the tennis and netball courts, in the swimming pool”. Sarah Hanson-Young, a Greens senator, said before the vote that the legislation was “boomers trying to tell young people how the internet should work to make themselves feel better.” However, advocacy groups and academicians in Australia have warned that the ban could prevent vulnerable young people, especially those from the LGBTQ community and immigrant teenagers, from finding a support group through online networking.  Also, Australia’s Human Rights Commission has condemned the law saying that the law is interfering with the human rights of young people by blocking their ability to participate within society and keeping up with the outside world.  Prodesq gathered that some social media platforms companies, including WhatsApp and YouTube, will also likely be granted exemptions, because teenagers may need them for work or recreation.

Angola Mediates Peace Agreement Between Rwanda and the Republic of Congo 

DRC soldiers digging trenches in Eastern Congo

by Admin Nov 26, 2024 A truce has been reached between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with the help of the Angola negotiators to quell the disturbing conflict in the Eastern Republic of Congo with the Rwanda M23 militia causing uneasiness in the region with hundreds of Congolese dead and thousands more displaced.  A key document was signed to agree on a peace deal on Monday in Angola between the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Republic of Congo who assembled in Luanda with their envoys. The key document was in the presence of Tete Antonio the Angola foreign minister, who later disclosed to the journalists present that a pact had been reached between the two countries. In early August, Angola brokered a ceasefire between the two countries but was violated by the M23 militia in October, the group that is heavily backed by the Rwanda government and is made up of the Tutsi ethnic group of Rwanda descent went on a violent spree that forced hundreds to leave their homes.  A grueling conflict between the Republic of Congo forces and the M23 terrorist group has displaced thousands since 2021 despite the conflict and violation of the ceasefire agreement by M23 militias the Rwanda government never backed out of the diplomatic dialogue due to the consistent pressure from Angola government in a bid to stabilize the humanitarian crisis in Eastern Congo. However, the new agreement does not reveal the details of the agreement between Rwanda and the Republic of Congo, the Angolan government mediators revealed that the details of the peace agreement are a bid to keep confidentiality to avoid criticism and manipulation of the public against their respective governments. In the previously drafted agreement made in early August, it was agreed upon that the M23 group created by the former ethnic Hutu leaders in the wake of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide should be dismantled as a precondition for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from the borders of Eastern Congo. Often portrayed by Rwanda as a threat to its security, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is one of various disparate militias fighting alongside the Congolese armed forces against the M23. For the past three decades, the DRC’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by internal and cross-border violence.