OPINION: Owolabi - Murdered in Nigeria, buried in America

By

abiodun KOMOLAFE

On Nov 6, 2022

One of the greatest shortcomings of Nigeria’s existence is that she has never evolved into a nation. 

The amalgamation of territories, imposition of the colonial masters, the unfortunate intervention of the military and its attendant maladministration of the civil-society, and the corruption-infested politicians have not actually given the country that opportunity to realize her potentials. To be honest, it is because Nigeria’s handlers have different motives and a diametrically opposed understanding of the concept of development that her journey to nationhood has remained an illusion.

As we know, there is no generally acceptable interpretive understanding of the concept of development. For instance, part of the organic components of a nation is the understanding of the meaning of the concepts of citizenship. It is on this premise that a nation thrives. In other words, since no nation flourishes without its citizens, any nation that wants to thrive must have its organic components in place and the majority number of the population must share, intimately, the rudimentary knowledge and understanding of what it means to be a citizen, as agreed to, and enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria. Otherwise, it will just be as if one is running against the wind.

On July 28, 2022, Olugbenga David Owolabi was kidnapped alongside his staff, Rachael Opadele in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, by yet-to-be-identified kidnappers. Owolabi was a Nigerian-American who had come to Nigeria, to invest in the hospitality business in Ogbomoso, his hometown. On August 3, 2022, they were senselessly killed by their abductors, despite the payment of N5m ransom. Owolabi was buried on October 1, 2022 which, as fate would have it, coincided with a very important day in Nigeria’s chequered history. Opadele had earlier been buried in Ogbomoso, on August 5, 2022. Like the others, Nigeria has again succeeded in making the sun of three of her promising citizens set at dawn.

Olugbenga Owolabi is gone; and there’s nothing anybody can do to bring him back to life. But, if he had known that the country he called his own didn’t understand what it meant to be a citizen, he wouldn’t have come to Nigeria at all, not to speak of investing here. Let’s face it: the short time he spent in the USA – and he became a citizen – is now the only gift God has given him. From the time mappings for his life, all things being equal, if he had not come here, those unredeemed killers and haters who have turned Nigeria into a pool of blood would not have slaughtered him like a ram. Of course, they’d not have killed him without the American government deploying its entire arsenal for battle against his killers.

Typical of the Nigerianness in us, nobody is talking about who killed Owolabi; and neither Oyo State nor his Local Government has uttered a word; forget about admitting that the State has lost an illustrious son. Rather, it’s been business as usual, as if nothing happened. No justice! Not even a show of pretence for it! Sad that, even up to the point of the corpse being flown abroad, no Nigerian officials were seen to have shown any semblance of sympathy, either by words or actions. Well, that’s to show how horrible our system is. In our clime, the worth of a citizen has gone into a nosedive! Why then should one die for the country?

Owolabi’s unfortunate death is not the first; certainly, it won’t be the last either! Since his murder, several other unresolved murders have taken place. Yet, the heavens have not fallen! And who cares? After all, those who died did not belong to the families of members of the ruling class. So, life goes on! But, again, this is Nigeria! America takes care of her living and the dead! Nigeria does neither! Here in Nigeria, life no longer has any meaning! Ours is a generation of wasters, in a very dangerous country! Against the backdrop of our illimitable woes, the leaders _“daily call on the citizens to make sacrifices while they (the leaders) wallow in privilege.”_ Tragically, the leadership doesn’t even understand why and how the country is being led to a moral free fall in all areas.

The general assumption is that Nigeria is a sovereign state, but the current state of heightened insecurity only suggests that she may have already been stripped of her sovereign attributes. Otherwise, how do we describe events in the land which have only shown that our leaders are in a wide sea of uncertainty with regard to how a nation evolves; the inalienable rights of a citizen, and why he or she must be accorded such? Remember the 2013 Boston Marathon domestic terror attack and how the American government rose to the occasion! Remember how US Special Forces rescued Philip Walton, an American citizen held hostage in Nigeria in 2020! Here in Nigeria, the late Hamani Tidjani was only unlucky to have positioned his wind vane wrongly. And he paid dearly for it! On Owolabi’s gruesome murder, even the texture and essence of the _Nigerians in Diaspora Commission_ (NIDCOM) seem to have been seduced into compliance with sickening silence.

Had Oyo State Government been truly there for those it was elected to serve, somebody in government would have noticed the state administrative protocol gap in Owolabi’s unfortunate murder, and would have issued a statement on behalf of the government. That his remains were taken back from the land of his birth for internment in a foreign, adopted country was a big shame of unimaginable proportions. But again, how did we get here? For God’s sake, how does one belong to a country where human lives are not valued; where _“yesterday’s dreams have become the worst nightmares”;_ where _“very sharp pieces of broken promises”_ have become the new ideology? And, if we may ask: what is the functional relevance of Nigeria’s sovereignty? Isn’t that why a Leah Sharibu could still be languishing in the terrorists’ den even as the government continues to behave as if it never happened?

The social thoughts of a society, I was made to understand, undergird the thought flows of its citizens. For example, when President John F. Kennedy famously urged Americans “ask not what” their _“country can do for”_ them but _“what”_ they _“can do for”_ their _“country’,_ that became the mantra in the USA that even a kid in that _‘God’s own country’_ was always ready to die for the American flag. On the converse, have we asked why Nigeria now looks _“like a boiling pot that everyone wants to escape from”_ and why Nigerians are with misdirected aggression prepared to _‘japa’_ into certain deaths in Ukraine?

With happenings like this in Nigeria, national consciousness and the concept of patriotism are on the verge of losing both their meanings and relevance; of course, with huge national security implications! Nigeria may also lose investors and her capacity for economic growth will be hindered. To put it bluntly, what it means is that, once the central value of citizenship is lost, the entire country is lost. The more reason the handlers of Nigeria must do a new orientation programme that will teach Nigerians to be patriotic. In doing this, the government should lead by example. Otherwise, the scheme will fall like a pack of cards.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, rest the souls of the faithful departed and grant us peace in Nigeria!

 _*KOMOLAFE wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State ([email protected]; 07087941459 - SMS only)_

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#SPECIALMILITARYOPERATION: Russia targets US and European arms shipments in Ukraine

The Russian Ministry of Defense destroyed US and European military equipment depots using naval "Kaliber" missiles, and reported the surrender of 265 Ukrainian militants at the "Azovstal" plant.

Russia announced today, Tuesday, the targeting of US and European arms shipments, near the city of Lvov, in western Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement: "have been targeted and the destruction of American and European arms shipments near the city of Lvov missiles, naval aircraft CALIBER."

According to the statement, high-precision air missiles of the Russian Air Force hit two command posts and a communications center, including the 30th mechanized brigade in the Bakhmut region, 28 military assembly areas, and two depots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The United States provides a number of European countries led by Germany and Britain Kyiv sophisticated weaponry.

The statement stated that 265 Ukrainian militants, including 51 seriously wounded, surrendered and laid down their weapons, after they were trapped in the Azovstal factory in Mariupol.

Russia announced yesterday, to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian military in the factory area "Azovstal" to evacuate the wounded to medical institutions in the People's Republic of Donetsk.

Also, the Russian Defense Ministry indicated that its forces had killed, during the past 24 hours, "more than 470 extremist militants, and disabled 68 units of military equipment."

Mariupol: Captured Ukrainian Commander says US-supplied Javelins ‘useless’

RT: The Kiev troops defending Mariupol couldn’t fire a single US-made missile, the captured officer claims

The US-made Javelin anti-tank systems have been praised for their effectiveness by Washington officials and have been turned by Western Media into a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance in the conflict with Russia. But a commander of the Ukrainian marines, who ended up being captured during the fighting for Mariupol, has revealed to RT that the hardware doesn't really live up to the claims.

“The Javelins didn’t prove useful, especially in urban warfare,” Colonel Vladimir Baranyuk, the commander of Ukraine’s 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, said.

“We couldn't even launch one. I think it's completely useless in an urban environment, as something always gets in the way,” he explained.

Baranyuk's unit was also armed with Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapons (NLAWs), supplied by Britain, but these also had their flaws, according to the officer.

“As for the NLAW missile launchers, well, we used them more often than the Javelins, but it has its own issue with the battery draining in cold conditions, making it impossible to launch,” he said.

Shoulder-fired Javelin missiles are equipped with infrared guidance and are said to be adopt a “top attack” trajectory to strike the roof of a tank, which is its most vulnerable part. Just like NLAWs, they're a “fire-and-forget” weapon, meaning that the missile guides itself to its target.

More than 5,000 Javelins have been supplied to Kiev by Washington. Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri said last week that it accounted for a third of the US stockpile of those systems. London, for its part, has already armed the Ukrainian military with over 4,000 NLAWs and other anti-tank missiles.

“The Javelin… have proven to be very, very effective in this fight,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in April, referring to the conflict in Ukraine.

An image of Christianity’s Virgin Mother Mary with a Javelin has become an internet meme during the conflict, with US President Joe Biden boasting earlier this week of Ukrainian parents calling their newborn kids “Javelin or Javelina” in honor of the American system.

Baranyuk and his marines had been tasked with guarding the northern outskirts of Mariupol, a strategic port city in the southeast of Ukraine, from the advancing Russian forces.

The commander was captured during a failed attempt to flee the city, which he claims he attempted together with several loyal men after realizing that Kiev's promises to send help to his encircled troops were lies.

Mariupol has seen the heaviest fighting during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and suffered immense destruction. The city is now almost entirely controlled by Russian forces, with the Azovstal steel plant - where Kiev servicemen and nationalist fighters of the notorious Azov Battalion are holed up, now being the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance.

Russia attacked its neighboring state following Ukraine's failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, signed in 2014, and Moscow's eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-brokered Minsk Protocol was designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.

The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join NATO. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.

Source: RT

The United States dragged Ukraine to this point says Iranian Supreme Leader

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has on Tuesday said the United States is a "complete model of modern ignorance".

In a speech addressed to the Iranian people on the occasion of the anniversary of the resurrection of the Prophet Muhammad, Ali Khamenei said: "The West is using science and technology to kill and exploit people and spread moral vice to achieve its interests," noting that "the ruling regime in the United States is creating crises and feeding them."

Khamenei added: "The United States is a mafia regime.. the economic mafia, weapons, and the types of gangs that control the country and stand behind the American governments and install presidents..They created ISIS in the region and they admitted that and we witnessed the atrocities committed by ISIS..They need to create crises to secure the interests of the arms factories."

He continued, "The United States dragged Ukraine to this point by interfering in its internal affairs, coups of color and changing governments."

And the Iranian guide continued: "We oppose wars, killing peoples, and sabotaging infrastructure wherever that happens, and this is our firm position."

He continued: "What is the United States doing in eastern Syria and Afghanistan? Why are they stealing the wealth of this country? Why do they defend the crimes of the Zionist entity that continue day and night? They do all these crimes in the name of human rights."

Khamenei added: "The Yemeni people have been bombarded for the past eight years, but the world has turned a blind eye to that."

The Iranian guide explained, "We support stopping the war in Ukraine, and this is achieved by identifying the roots of the crisis, which lie in Western intervention there.. We do not adopt double standards as the West does ... Western support for its affiliated countries is just a mirage, and this is what we witnessed in Ukraine and Afghanistan, admittedly by the Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, and the former Afghan president, the West cannot be relied upon.

Khamenei said: "The second lesson from Ukraine's issues is that popular support is the biggest supporter of any government, and the main element for the independence of countries. If the Ukrainian people entered the arena, we would not witness what is happening now.. This is what we witnessed in Iraq during the US invasion, where it did not enter The people are in the arena, but on the other hand, when the people attended in the face of ISIS, they made great achievements."

Source: RT

Russian President Putin Readt to Negotiate with the US-Led NATO, Ukraine only 'part' of the problem says Kremlin

President Vladimir Putin of Russia is “willing to negotiate” over demands for security guarantees with the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, highlighting that the issue surrounding Ukraine is only “part” of the overall problem.

Peskov noted that negotiations have consistently been at the top of the president’s list of priorities. “President Putin has always been demanding negotiations and diplomacy”, Peskov said to CNN, adding that it was the Kremlin which originally “initiated the issue of guarantees of security.”

He said: “Ukraine is just part of the problem, it’s part of the bigger problem of security guarantees for Russia,” the spokesman continued, emphasizing that Putin is “willing” to engage on a wider range of subjects.

Peskov’s comments were met by with a positive response in Washington, where US Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre welcomed the chance for dialogue.

We are open to diplomacy. That door to diplomacy is open, as we have said,” she noted. “And so … that’s what we want to be headed towards.”

Peskov’s comments on Monday night echoed similar statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who earlier that day had highlighted Russia’s desire for effective dialogue with the West.

“We will develop a dialogue on aspects that are currently practically important, with our Western, primarily American, colleagues,” Lavrov declared.

These recent comments from the Russian officials coincide with an announcement on Tuesday morning from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Russian response to US-led NATO regarding security proposals is nearing completion.

On December 17 last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a draft agreement between Russia and NATO members presenting Moscow’s security demands, namely the guarantee by the US-led military bloc of its non-expansion east into Ukraine and a limit to the deployment of troops and weapons to the bloc’s eastern flank, in effect returning NATO forces to where they were stationed in 1997.

Moscow received an official written response from Washington on January 26. However, shortly after the text arrived, Putin lamented that all of Russia’s fundamental demands were ignored.

Source

GOFAMINT VICTORY MONTH PRAYER FOR MONDAY 17TH JANUARY, 2022

 DAY 16: MONDAY, 17TH JANUARY, 2022

FOCUS:     GOFAMINT IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA - DIVINE VISITATION     FOR TOTAL SUCCESS AND MIRACULOUS EXPANSION

TEXT:           HABAKKUK 3, PSALM 2:8

INSPIRATIONAL WORDS FOR EFFECTIVE AND FERVENT  PRAYERS

Before focusing upon our GOFAMINT field in the Americas, let us consider the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these continents. The Americans have never had it so bad in their history to have lost so many of their citizens to the cold hands of death, as it happened in 2020/2021 before the advent of COVID-Vaccination. Not even in war times have they lost so many citizens as to this pandemic; why this? Despite their being the best and first among equals in technology, economy and medical science, yet the pandemic caught them pants down! 

The book of Habakkuk we read clearly showed that this is God’s anger, and divine visitation is needed for restoration and the onset of revival. 

The on-coming generation in Americas are fast becoming like what happened to Israel after the death of Joshua. “… and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, not yet the works which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). God must raise up for them the “Men of Issachar” tribe  in those continents who will teach the people what should be done that there might be divine visitation and restoration.

This is where our GOFAMINT North American field will come in, as the church with the word for their world. We must pray this prayer with passion for our North American field so that they will be God’s chosen instruments of revival for these continents.True to their calling, the Theme of the North American Convention in 2021 was “The Permanent Revolution for Bumper Harvest” As the North American field is positioning herself to be used by God in this respect, may supernatural prosperity come mightily upon them to spread the kingdom in accordance with Zech. 1:17 in Jesus Name.Finally, our daddy G.O, Pastor (Dr) E.O Abina, has also saddled them with the key assignment of advancing to South America, especially by first penetrating the land of Brazil for planting the GOFAMINT Church solidly there, The South American continent has 14 nations with a total population of 415 million. Brazil must therefore become our beachhead to these nations in Jesus Name.

As of 2020, there are 12 countries in South America viz: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. French Guiana is an overseas territory of France and not an independent country. In this American subcontinent, where the predominant language is Spanish, Portuguese is only spoken in Brazil. This country, Brazil is the most populous with approximately 210 million residents. Brazil is followed by Argentina, with a population of approximate 41 million.

LET US PRAY

1. Let us pray that the mercies of God through the Blood of Jesus will come mightily upon the Americas for a divine visitation that will lead to revival.

2. As we know that most of the old-time revivalists of the past couple of centuries came from North America, let us pray for mercy and forgiveness on the part of this continent and restoration from their backsliding.

3. The prosperity gospel that rocked the Christian world today also came from North America, and while the Kingdom merits of it are quite laudable, most people globally tilted towards the worldly and ungodly aspects. Let us confess the sins of men of God all over the world that aided the propagation of this lopsided gospel.

4. Now let us pray that the scourge of COVID-19 Pandemic be eased by God and that like the Azuza Street Pentecostal revival of old in California started, God will begin a fresh divine visitation on the nations in the Americas, especially the USA.

5. As the GOFAMINT North America had prophesied a bumper harvest during their 2021 Annual Convention, let us back them up in our prayers that their words will not fall to the ground (I Sam 3:19).

6. It is the burden of our North American field that the 5-fold ministry be fully restored among them for global harvest. Let us pray that the Lord will confirm this vision.

7. The next generation in the Americas are currently in the same dalliance as we saw in Judges 2:10. Let us pray that the Lord will revive His works among their youths especially, and cause a divine visitation for positive turn around.

8. Let us pray for the GOFAMINT NA that their proposal to grow their field “5 years younger” will receive divine backing for Kingdom advancement.

9. Let us prophesy upon our NA field that the Lord will make them competent to rise up to the challenges of end time revival and global harvest.

10. Pray also for our NA field that they will continue to be the “Japhetic” and “Jabezic” generation for many of our other Foreign Mission fields.

11. Let us pray for our AGO (FM), Pastor Sunday Adu, for a fresh unction upon him as he steps down this year from the office of the National Overseer (N.O) to face fully the duties of our Foreign Mission fields, especially the non-Africans.

12. Let us also pray for the newly chosen N.O and his Assistant, Pastor Taiwo Fagbuyi and Pastor Ebenezer Ikemebomeh respectively that the Lord will pour upon them double portion of the anointing for service, as they step into the shoes this year.

13. Let us pray that the burden of our father in the Lord, Pastor (Dr) E.O. Abina, to have the GOFAMINT planted in Brazil this year will be fulfilled through the instrumentality of our N.A field.

14. Pray that the field that will be planted in Brazil will be self- supporting, self- financing and self-propagating.

15. Let us pray that the Lord will surprise the NA field with abundant finances as they target One Million US Dollars ($1,000,000) to start their own Gospel City Project.

16. Let us pray that with the success of prophetic entry of this field into Brazil this year,   the GOFAMINT will spread like wild fire into other nations of South America.

17. Our North American field also covers Canada, and right now we exist in only 2 locations there. Let us pray that this field will blossom this year for more Church planting, and God will grant us a strategic inroad into Canada.

18. Let us pray for our current 2 Assemblies in Canada that they will receive the grace of self-support, self-propagation and sustainability.

19. Let us pray that grace will speak for our churches in North America that they will win souls of both indigenous white and coloured Americans into our churches to share the rich heritage of the Word ministry.

20. Let us pray that the Lord will raise covenant missionary helpers for us in GOFAMINT, through whom we will ride into the Continent of South America.

21. Pray that the Lord will provide the finances in hard currencies to take the gospel to Brazil, and thus destroy the roots of the high level of immorality there.

22. That the Lord will grant the language breakthrough for our Church, GOFAMINT, especially in Spanish, French and Portuguese to these nations.

23.  Pray that the Lord will break the barriers erected by high level of immorality and sexual promiscuity in these nations through the anointed word Ministry we carry.

24. That none of our members will fall prey to the spirit of error and immoral pleasure ravaging these nations, but will stand strong and secured in the Holy Spirit.

Closing session for the day:

Your personal prayer requests for 2022

Special ministration for the day. As determined by the pastor.

Moscow rejects Washington concerns about Ukraine as smokescreen

President Putin

Russia on Monday  vehemently condemned and rejected the U.S. claims of a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine.

Kremlin added that it could be a ruse intended to cover up what it described as Ukrainian leadership's aggressive intentions.

According to the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov who dismissed U.S. media allegations of Moscow's purported plans to invade Ukraine as part of efforts to discredit Russia. 

Peskov maintained that troop movements on Russia's own territory shouldn't concern anyone.

Ukraine complained earlier this month that Russia has kept tens of thousands of troops not far from the two countries' borders after conducting war games in an attempt to further pressure its ex-Soviet neighbor. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has supported a separatist insurgency that broke out that year in eastern Ukraine.

Speaking to Ukraine's foreign minister this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that Russia's "playbook" was to build up forces near the border and then invade, "claiming falsely that it was provoked."

Peskov sought to turn the tables on Ukraine and the West, arguing that the expressions of concern by the U.S. and its allies may "camouflage aggressive intentions in Kyiv to try to solve the problem of the southeast by force."

He accused the Ukrainian military of increasingly frequent shootings across the tense line of contact in the east and added that Moscow is strongly worried about the U.S. and other NATO countries providing Ukraine with weapons.

"The number of provocations has been growing, and those provocations have been conducted using the weapons that NATO countries sent to Ukraine," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. "We are watching it with a grave concern."

Russia has cast its weight behind the separatist insurgency in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland known as Donbas that has left more than 14,000 people dead. But Moscow has repeatedly denied any presence of its troops in eastern Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday also criticized what he described as "bellicose rhetoric" by Ukrainian military officials, charging that it could "reflect a desire to conduct provocations and turn the conflict into a hot phase."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rejected the Russian allegations of Ukraine's plans to launch an attack on Donbas as part of Moscow's "disinformation."

"Let me state it officially: Ukraine does not plan a military offensive in the Donbas," Kuleba said on Twitter. "We are devoted to seeking political & diplomatic solutions to the conflict."

In a strongly-worded statement, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) scathingly criticized the U.S. State Department of spreading "absolute lies" about a purported Russian buildup near Ukraine.

"The Americans are painting a horrible picture of Russian tank armadas crushing Ukrainian cities," it said in Monday's statement. "It's surprising to see a speed at which a formerly respectable foreign policy agency is turning into a mouthpiece of mendacious propaganda."

The SVR alleged that it was Ukraine that was beefing up its forces near Russia and Belarus.

The Russian spy agency also accused the U.S. and the European Union of encouraging "the sense of permissiveness and impunity" in Ukraine, comparing the situation to Western expressions of support to Georgia before the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.

Russia routed the Georgian army in the brief conflict that erupted when Georgia attempted to reclaim control over a Russia-backed separatist province. Moscow then recognized the independence of Georgia's two separatist provinces after the war.

Source

United States warns Israel its attacks on Iran nuclear program are counterproductive — NYT

It is no long a new apotheosis that threatening Iran by America and allies, economy sanctions or "economy Terrorism" as Tehran called it has always been counterproductive and by continuing doing so America is only putting all it's Allies in the region at risk, although Washington has repeatedly claims all options are on the table.

In contrast, the he officials of the United States have warned Israel that its attacks against the Iranian nuclear program are counterproductive and have enabled Tehran to rebuild an even more efficient enrichment system, according to the New York Times report Sunday.

NYT, citing officials familiar with the behind-the-scenes discussion between Washington and Jerusalem, as the Biden Administration continues to try and bring Iran back into the nuclear deal, the report said that Israeli officials have dismissed the warnings, saying they have “no intention of letting up.”

While in the last 20 months there have been four explosions at Iranian nuclear facilities attributed to Israel, along with the killing of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, the report said Washington officials have cautioned their Israeli counterparts that while such efforts may be “tactically satisfying,” they are “ultimately counterproductive.” And that Iran has managed to resume enrichment within months, often installing newer machines that can enrich uranium far faster.

However, the officials said Israel appeared unmoved by the arguments, and this was one of the many areas on which the US and Israel disagree regarding efforts to thwart Tehran’s drive to build nuclear weapons.

Further complicating matters was the fact that Iran has apparently managed to improve its defenses, particularly in the cyber field, the report said. As a consequence, cyber attacks like the Stuxnet attack that crippled centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear enrichment site for more than a year, an attack widely reported to be a joint US-Israeli effort, have become “much harder now to pull off.”

The major concern now was how close Iran has come to being able to build a nuclear weapon since then-US president Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018.

This week, with Iran set for talks with world powers in Vienna on November 29, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tehran had again increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Iran’s stockpile, as of November 6, was many times in excess of the limit laid down in the agreement with world powers, said the IAEA report. Such highly enriched uranium can be easily refined to make atomic weapons, which is why world powers have sought to contain Tehran’s nuclear program.

The Vienna-based agency told members that it is still not able to verify Iran’s exact stockpile of enriched uranium due to the limitations Tehran imposed on UN inspectors earlier this year.

The IAEA has been unable to access surveillance footage of Iranian nuclear sites or of online enrichment monitors and electronic seals since February. The agency’s chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, told The Associated Press this month that the situation was like “flying in a heavily clouded sky.”

Sunday’s NYT report said that since abandoning the agreement, Iran had managed to reduce its breakout time to a bomb from about a year to just a few weeks.

“Before Mr. Trump decided to scrap the deal, Iran had adhered to the limits of the 2015 agreement — which by most estimates kept it about a year from ‘breakout,’ the point where it has enough material for a bomb. While estimates vary, that buffer is now down to somewhere between three weeks and a few months, which would change the geopolitical calculation throughout the Middle East,” the report said.

US officials have publicly warned that Iran’s violations are making it increasingly unlikely that there can be a return to the 2015 deal as it was.

The US envoy for Iran Robert Malley warned Friday that Tehran was approaching the point of no return for reviving a nuclear deal after it boosted its stocks of enriched uranium before the talks resume this month.

“The time will come if Iran continues at this pace with the advancements they’ve made, [it] will make it impossible even if we were going to go back to the JCPOA to recapture the benefits,” Malley told the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain, referring to the deal by its official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“Iran’s advances are spreading alarm across the region… that’s what’s making the clock tick faster and making all of us say that the time is short for a return to the JCPOA,” Malley said.

And I want to be clear, because there’s no ambiguity about what they seem to be doing now, which is to drag their feet on the nuclear talks and accelerate the progress in their nuclear program,” he added.

The US envoy said he was not encouraged by the statements from the new Iranian government of President Ebrahim Raisi, which earlier on Friday accused Washington of conducting a “propaganda campaign” against the country.

With the possibility of a return to the 2015 deal fading, the US was examining the possibility of hammering out an interim deal with Iran, the New York Times report said, confirming a separate report last week. “Inside the White House, there has been a scramble in recent days to explore whether some kind of interim deal might be possible to freeze Iran’s production of more enriched uranium and its conversion of that fuel to metallic form — a necessary step in fabricating a warhead,” the Times said. “In return, the United States might ease a limited number of sanctions. That would not solve the problem. But it might buy time for negotiations, while holding off Israeli threats to bomb Iranian facilities.”

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan raised the prospect of an interim agreement with Iran, to allow more time for nuclear negotiations, in talks with his Israeli counterpart, Eyal Hulata, the Axios news site reported last week.

A pair of American sources said Sullivan and Hulata were just “brainstorming,” and that the proposal was suggested by an unspecified European ally of the US.

The US sources said the proposal was for Iran to suspend a disallowed nuclear activity such as enriching uranium to 60 percent, in exchange for the US and allied countries releasing some frozen Iranian money, or issuing sanctions waivers on humanitarian goods.

An unnamed Israeli official cited in the Axios report said Hulata told Sullivan he was against the idea and Israel’s concern was that any interim agreement could become permanent, allowing Iran to maintain its nuclear infrastructure and supply of uranium it has built up.

While Israel has been more direct, staying her readiness to attack Iran’s nuclear program and allocating billions of dollars to IDF to prepare and train for a potential strike, the United States has been trying to reassure its allies in recent days that if diplomacy fails, other options are available.

“The United States remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. And we remain committed to a diplomatic outcome of the nuclear issue,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Manama event, which was put on by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

“But if Iran isn’t willing to engage seriously, then we will look at all of the options necessary to keep the United States secure,” he said.

However, Iran has proven on several occasions that they are not soft power. In retaliation for the assasination of general suleimani Tehran fired precision missiles from their territories and they successfully destroyed American military base in northern Iraq. On another occasion the Houthi forces in Yemen flew barrages of Armed drones into Aramco oil field in Saudi Arabia crippling oil production, Iran was behind the attack.

Any aggressive act against Iran will yeild response from Tehran no matter how and irrespective of who is the aggressor and may not halt the Persia nuclear programs for the time being.

Currently, Iran is not known to  possess weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and has been signatory to treaties repudiating the possession of WMDs including the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 

Iran has first-hand knowledge of WMD effects as over 100,000 Iranian troops and civilians were victims of chemical weapons during the 1980s Iran–Iraq War.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Says US, E3, PGCC statement worthless to reply

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said the US, the E3 and the PGCC statement is worthless and deserves no reply.

According to the report by IRNA,  Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted as saying a recent anti-Iran statement by the United States, the E3 - Britain, France and Germany - as well as the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council is not worth answering.

Khatibzadeh, while addressing reporters said such a meeting and statement is a fake and illegitimate showoff that does not deserve any reaction.


According to him, the US administration who violated UN Resolution 2231 and withdrew the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is responsible for the current situation in respect of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

 "The United States is the only country in the world that has a dark history of using nuclear weapons and it is also the one that intervenes in other countries internal affairs and now the US is trying to create a crisis and propagate against Iran." He said


While referring to certain Arab states in the region, he noted that these countries, which are responsible for the invasion of Yemen, are not in a position to put forward baseless accusations against other nations in order to get rid of the responsibility of their crimes.

Robert Malley, the US Special Representative for Iran, and representatives of three European powers, as well as envoys from PGCC states, met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last week to discuss the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The participants issued a statement, attempted to reiterate their unfounded charges on Iran's regional influence, and continued their Iranophobic policy.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatibzadeh pointed to comments made by his French counterpart Anne-Claire Legendre, warning that political officials' taking stances with the purpose of affecting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will definitely tarnish the reputation of the international body and question the legitimacy of the agency's moves.


France has called on the IAEA Board of Governors to convey "a strong message" to the Islamic Republic in their next session on November 24.


The Iranian spokesman further condemned the US's new sanctions on six Iranian individuals and one Iranian entity, underlining that such a failed policy to put more pressure on Iran shows the Americans' dismay.

The United States Department of the Treasury announced on Thursday that it has put names of six Iranian individuals and one Iranian entity into the sanction list, claiming that they have tried to affect the 2020 presidential elections in the United States.

On Saturday, American  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to counter its “dangerous use” of suicide drones in the wider Mideast.

This is a pledge coming as negotiations remain stalled over Tehran’s atomic deal with world powers. His comments in Bahrain at the annual Manama Dialogue appeared aimed at reassuring America’s Arab allies in the Gulf as the Biden administration tries to revive the nuclear deal, which limited Iran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

“The United States remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. And we remain committed to a diplomatic outcome of the nuclear issue,” Austin told attendees at an event put on by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “But if Iran isn’t willing to engage seriously, then we will look at all of the options necessary to keep the United States secure.”

Authorities in Tehran has long maintained its nuclear program is peaceful, though U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency say Tehran had an organized weapons program until 2003. 

US Navy nuclear engineer, his wife arrested for trying to sell submarine secrets to foreign power

A Maryland-based Navy nuclear engineer and his wife have been arrested on charges of selling secret information about the design of nuclear power warships to someone they thought was a foreign power but was actually an undercover FBI agent.

The Justice Department claims Jonathan Toebbe, through his Pentagon-issued national security clearance, had access to restricted data about naval nuclear technology and used that access to send a package to a foreign government on April 1, 2020. After that, the affidavit alleged he began corresponding with someone he believed to be an agent of another country, but who was an undercover FBI agent. Court documents claim the Navy engineer agreed to sell this restricted data to the undercover agent for $10,000 in cryptocurrency.

Toebbe and his wife, Diana, then allegedly went to West Virginia, where the Navy engineer placed a memory card inside half a peanut butter sandwich, with his wife on the lookout. According to the Justice Department, the card contained restricted data about submarine nuclear reactors.


Based on the criminal complaint, the engineer at one point suspected a trap, but continued with more such "dead drops."


"I am sorry to be so stubborn and untrusting, but I can not agree to go to a location of your choosing," the engineer said, according to a criminal complaint. "I must consider the possibility that l am communicating with an adversary who has intercepted my first message and is attempting to expose me."


Attorney General Merrick Garland said the complaint "charges a plot to transmit information relating to the design of our nuclear submarines to a foreign nation."


"The work of the FBI, Department of Justice prosecutors, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of Energy was critical in thwarting the plot charged in the complaint and taking this first step in bringing the perpetrators to justice," Garland said.




CBS News

#EndBlockadeAgainstCuba: We must not tire, we cannot be defeated says NMSC

PRESENTATION BY THE NIGERIA MOVEMENT TO THE AFRICA 2021 VIRTUAL CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE OF SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA  FACILITATED BY THE CUBAN INSTITUTE OF FRIENDSHIP WITH THE PEOPLES, HAVANA, HOLDING  ON OCTOBER 7, 2021.

We must not tire, we cannot be defeated!

1. Revolutionary greetings to all delegates of the African Solidarity Movements and Friendship Associations with Cuba participating at this special virtual conference facilitated by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) We note with regret that due to the COVID-19 pandemic which made large physical gatherings unsafe, the 7th African Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba scheduled for Mozambique, could not hold.

2. We salute President Fernando Gonzalez and the entire team of dutiful and committed members of ICAP for their sacrifices and faithfulness to the ideals of the Cuban Revolution in sustaining the commendable tradition of solidarity and friendship with us the African people and our organisations in the defence of humanity.

3. The Nigeria Movement speaks here with painful feelings but fond memories of two unforgettable comrades who departed after our 2019 conference. We lost in May 2020 Comrade AbdulKareem Aka-Motajo – who at his demise was the President of the Nigeria-Cuba Friendship and Cultural Association and a leader of the Nigeria Movement of Solidarity with Cuba. Then in September, 2021 we lost the immediate past Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria – Companero Carlos Trejo Sosa. Both comrade Motajo and Ambassador Trejo were instrumental to the successful hosting of the 6th African Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba which held in Nigeria from September 23 – 25, 2019. In a part of the tribute to Ambassador Trejo by the Nigeria Movement, we had said: Ambassador Trejo meant everything to us in the Nigeria Movement of Solidarity with Cuba. He was the initiator of uniting the various groups in Nigeria with relations or association with Cuba under the banner of a single solidarity movement. He was also central to the inauguration of the Nigeria Movement of Solidarity with Cuba. Companero Trejo was a lively, resourceful, highly knowledgeable, widely experienced and friendly personality with whom we shared pleasantries and confidence! These comrades are unforgettable.

4. We should at this virtual Conference affirm that the relationship between Nigeria and Cuba is symbiotic and deeply rooted in shared historical and cultural heritage. It is not possible to speak of Cuba and the Cuban without reference to the tremendous influences of African, especially, Nigerian cultures. Hence, at these times of the tightening of the criminal US Blockade against Cuba with over 243 punitive economic, financial and commercial measures, targeted at crippling the Cuban people, we the Nigeria Movement cannot be indifferent. We are resolved to stand with Cuba as a DUTY to defend the Cuban people and the unparalleled gains of the Cuban Revolution. We declare to the whole world that Cuba is never, and will never be alone!

5. We acknowledge that despite the hardship that Cuba is facing as a result of the blockade, the sudden outbreak of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 and the ill-fated US plot of insidious protest and campaigns of internal destabilisation aimed at collapsing the Revolution, the Cuban people have remained firm and resolute in the defence of truth, principles and ideals of Humanity! Cuba’s role and the sacrifices of her medical brigades in saving lives in over 57 countries, remains an exemplary and unparalleled achievement, for which the Cuban White Shirts deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.

6. \At this point in addressing solidarity with Cuba and facing the future together in the defence of Humanity, permit me to reiterate the ACTION PLAN FOR THE AFRICAN MOVEMENT OF FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA as adopted at the 6th AFRICAN CONTINENTAL MEETING OF SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA.

The plan which as a result of the pandemic has largely not been implemented,   is to:

• Promote the legacy of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and the Cuban People in Africa, in the form of conferences, commemorative activities, panels, political events in different countries.

• Expand the solidarity movement in Africa to include amongst others, all graduates of Cuba and their families.

• Strengthen and increase the relationship between political forces, trade unions, youth organizations, women's organizations and friendship associations with Cuba.

• Strengthen the links amongst the solidarity organizations with Cuba in the different countries of the continent by encouraging the exchange of experiences.

• Address the people and Congress of the United States with requests to end the illegal and inhuman blockade against Cuba, the Helms Burton Act, the activation of its Title III and the illegal occupation of Guantanamo by the United States.

• Perform, on the 17th of each month, actions demanding the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States government, the end of the aggressive escalation and the return of the territory occupied by the illegal Naval Base in Guantanamo. These should include sending letters to the US government, marches in front of US Embassies/ Consulates, among others.

• Engage the Parliament in every African country and the African Union to approve Resolutions demanding that America ends its illegal and inhuman blockade against Cuba and its illegal occupation of Guantanamo.

• Reinforce actions of solidarity, information dissemination and support for the cause of the Palestine and Saharawi peoples and solidarity with former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the Bolivarian Revolution.

• Promote brigades, caravans, and socio-political groups in all countries through Amistur, on the 60th anniversary of ICAP and the Cuban Revolution.

• Build International Volunteer and Solidarity Work Brigades with Cuba.

• Develop communication strategies including television, radio, social networks, and other platforms for the dissemination of the Cuban reality.

• Intensify the use of social networks as platform to denounce hostile policies against Cuba and in response to disinformation campaigns against the Cuban people.

• Support Cuban collaborators, especially doctors, in different countries and popularize the impact of their work in various communities.

• Draw up strategies for the creation of solidarity organizations with Cuba in those African countries where they are not yet established.

• Prioritize the rejuvenation of the structures that make up the Solidarity Movement with Cuba in a creative and comprehensive way.

CONCLUSION:

The solidarity actions with Cuba, is like a marathon race in which we must not tire so long as imperialism does not tire   or is defeated. As you know, a people united by noble ideas and whose hearts beat in unison for the development of humanity, can never be defeated! There is victory for us!!  Solidarity, forever!!!

Cuba Will Outlive the US Criminal Blockade!

Ever Onward to the Cuban Revolution!

 

Comrade ABIODUN AREMU

For and on behalf of the Nigerian Movement of Solidarity with Cuba

NIGERIA MOVEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA

c/o Pascal Bafyau Labour House, NLC Headquarters, FCT Abuja

E-mail: [email protected]

*Members of the Nigeria
 Movement of Solidarity with
Cuba @ the African Continental
Virtual Conference of Solidarity
with Cuba held yestday
October 7, 2021*

United States to spend $319 million on new Consulate General in Lagos, Nigeria

The American government (US Department Of States) has approved a $319 million contract for the building of a new U.S. Consulate General in the Eko Atlantic, developed by South Energyx Nigeria Limited in collaboration with Lagos State government.

According to a report from the US Department of State on Tuesday, the 12.2-acre site for the new Consulate General would be handled by the awardee of the contract, Pernix Federal, LLC of Lombard, Illinois.

The US Department of State’s Capital Security Construction Program, known as the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, which was established in 1999 awarded the contract while the design architect for the project is Ennead Architects of New York. 

The aim of the new Consulate General is to “provide a modern, resilient platform for diplomacy in Nigeria and is expected to be completed in 2027.”

 The report indicated that the Eko Atlantic as “the location will provide the future diplomatic campus and its neighbors with access to sustainable, modern infrastructure, including an 8.5 km seawall designed to protect the city from rising sea levels and coastal erosion.”

Since its establishment, the OBO has completed up to 168 new diplomatic facilities and currently has more than 50 active projects, either in design or under construction worldwide.

US House passes bill allocating $1 BILLION to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome system after its battering during recent Gaza conflict

The US House of Representatives has passed legislation allocating around $1 billion to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome air-defense system. The massive funding package received overwhelming bipartisan support.

The bill was passed by 420 votes to 9 on Thursday, a day after the legislation was introduced. The measure needed a minimum of 260 votes to become law.

The $1 billion in funding to replenish the reserves of the defense system was initially incorporated into a must-pass bill that the House considered earlier this week. That legislation – on government funding and the suspension of the debt limit – was threatened by a group of progressives who vowed to sink it over the Israeli funding.

The bill’s opponents reiterated their arguments during debates on Thursday, with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) giving a fiery speech on the House floor.

“I will not support an effort to enable war crimes and human rights abuses and violence. We cannot be talking only about Israelis need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system, and are dying from what Human Rights Watch has said are war crimes,” Tlaib told fellow lawmakers.

The speech immediately drew objections from Tlaib’s opponents, who accused the Democrat of “anti-Semitism” and alleged she was seeking to destroy Israel altogether.

“To advocate for the dismantling of the one Jewish state in the world, when there’s no place on the map for one Jewish state, that’s anti-Semitism and I reject that,” Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) said.

The funding’s approval was welcomed by Israel, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressing his gratitude to US lawmakers.

“Thanks to all members of the US House of Representatives, Democratic and Republican alike, for their sweeping support for Israel and the commitment to its security. Those who try to challenge this support got a resounding response today,” Bennett said in a statement.

Israel’s Iron Dome, which is designed to intercept rockets and other projectiles, was depleted during the conflict with Palestinian militants in May. According to Israel’s tally, some 4,350 rockets were fired from Gaza during the escalation, with the vast majority being intercepted by the mobile all-weather air defense system.

Source: RT

Erdogan says US-Turkey relations ‘not healthy’ and failed to ‘start well with Biden'

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Ankara’s ties with Washington remain “not healthy.”

US continues to act towards Turkey in a manner that’s not “honest,” Erdogan has said, urging the US to “sort out” the non-delivery of F-35 jets.

He said America did not act honestly, and it [still] isn’t acting so. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Turkey’s president touched on the frosty relations between his government and the US, signaling it was up to the latter to fix the situation.

The ongoing F-35 debacle remains the main problem in bilateral ties, according to Erdogan, with Turkey kicked out of the 5th-gen fighter program by Washington after Ankara opted to purchase Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft systems. For Turkey, “the S-400 business is over,” and it’s not possible to somehow revert the purchase.

“We bought F-35s, we paid $1.4 billion, and these F-35s were not given to us. The United States needs to first sort this out,” the president said.

I cannot say that a healthy process is running in Turkish-American ties.

The change of US administration, with President Joe Biden taking over early this year, has apparently done little to warm up Turkish-US relations.

“I can’t say we started well with Mr. Biden,” Erdogan said. “We, Turkey, act honestly. Our stance is honest, but unfortunately America did not act honestly, and it [still] isn’t acting so.”

I worked well with George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, but I cannot say we started well with Joe Biden,"  Erdoğan said, expressing discontent with the incumbent United States President.

"After 19 years in office, I can’t say that we have reached a good position with the U.S.," he added.

"The U.S. must understand that Turkey won’t step back from the S-400 deal," Erdoğan further said, referring to the Russian missile defense system that led to a row between Turkey and the U.S.

Answering a question about Turkey’s stance on the latest developments in Afghanistan, Erdoğan also pointed out the U.S.’s failure and indifference to the situation.

He underlined that the U.S. made their decision without input from Turkey, and thus could not expect Turkey to pay the price for the country’s irresponsible behavior.

Erdoğan said: "It is unthinkable for Turkey to open doors and accept them (Afghan migrants). Our country is not an open-air corridor. It is not easy to accept such a thing. This action has a price and cost."

"The United States cannot say, 'Open the doors and let the Afghan people enter Turkey.' It is the U.S. that has to pay the price here. The U.S. needs to take steps in this regard," he added.

"Biden is transporting weapons to YPG terrorists operating in Syria," he also added, referring to the U.S. support to the PKK-linked terrorist group.

Turkey and Russia signed the S-400 contract back in late 2017, following years of Ankara’s failed attempts to procure modern anti-aircraft systems from its NATO allies. The $2.5-billion deal encompassed delivery of four full S-400 batteries, including various vehicles and launchers, and a cache of missiles. The deliveries began back in 2019 and have already been completed.

Ankara’s move invoked a furious reaction in Washington, with senior US officials repeatedly trying to press Turkey into abandoning the deal. Ankara has not bowed to the pressure, however, and has ended up being kicked out of the F-35 program, while the country’s defense sector has been targeted by US sanctions.

Moscow and Ankara have been in talks over procuring a second batch of the S-400 system. Back in August, Erdogan said his nation had “no hesitations” about the purchase, while Russia’s state-owned arms company Rosoboronexport indicated that the new contract would likely be signed by the end of this year.