Hamas, Iran, Syria, Russia and China – a formidable axis is forming against the West

[beijingwalker]

Hamas, Iran, Syria, Russia and China – a formidable axis is forming against the West​

The past 24 hours have shown how much the Middle East has become a tinderbox of anger and resentment​

October 18, 2023 5:46 pm

Israel is vehemently denying it was responsible, pointing to detailed evidence the blast was caused by a misfired rocket, launched by Islamic Jihad. President Joe Biden has said the explosion was caused by “the other team”, not Israel. But he also said he asked “tough questions as a friend of Israel” during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said “cool heads must prevail”, pointing out that too many people jumped to conclusions and urging people to “wait for the facts, report them clearly and accurately”.

I learned this lesson for myself in 2014 when I was in Gaza, during a previous conflict, when Israeli troops moved in. Trying to disentangle claim and counter claim in the middle of a war-zone is extremely challenging. Offering a “hot take” in the immediate aftermath of an incident risks spreading misinformation, stoking tensions further.

In this case, it seems some journalists from reputable news organisations have fallen into that trap, before the facts have been established. It’s exacerbated an already febrile situation. The crowds across the Middle East baying for revenge aren’t listening to the denials from the Israel Defence Forces or the forensic evidence from multiple experts suggesting the small crater was not consistent with an airstrike. Instead they are hearing the claims from Arab leaders, like Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, who called the blast a “hideous war massacre”, claiming Israel had crossed “all red lines”.

In this atmosphere of rage and half-truths, American diplomatic outposts are suddenly being targeted. Crowds tried to set upon the US embassy in Beirut last night. The volatility of the situation means the Pentagon needs to be ready to respond to this fast moving crisis, wherever it lurches next. The past 24 hours have shown how much the region has become a tinderbox of anger and resentment.

There is no suggestion that any of the US forces deploying to the Middle East will be used offensively at present. Instead they provide the United States and Israel with options in the event this conflict escalates further. In America, the horrendous attack on Israel and the unfolding war are dominating the news channels. Once again families are bidding farewell to servicemen and women who will be sent to the Middle East at short notice. Once again the world is watching with increasing alarm as violence in the Middle East threatens to spread and intensify.

But there is also a broader picture worth considering, as these events pull into sharp focus how the international order is coalescing into two opposed camps. Just as President Biden is in Israel, pledging his support to Israel, so Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing meeting President Xi Jinping. Russia and China have both refused to condemn Hamas and appear to be forging an ever closer alliance. Hamas, Iran, Syria, Russia and China are forming a formidable axis of opposition to the West.

This week in the Middle East has illustrated how combustible that challenge can be to global security. Now, the Pentagon is watching closely how Iran will react. The region feels like it is on a precipice.

Hamas, Iran, Syria, Russia, and China – a formidable axis is forming against the West

The past 24 hours have shown how much the Middle East has become a tinderbox of anger and resentment

inews.co.uk

 

[SalarHaqq]

NATO and especially the USA regime is bankrupt and deprived of credibility.

For countless years, Washington has been threatening Iran with military aggression ("all options are on the table") but never dared act upon these utterances. Genuinely pathetic, and exposing the USA regime for the paper tiger it is.

 

[LeGenD]

Russia and China are closing Israeli embassy? If not then this is rhetoric.

 

[indushek]

For all the hyperbole, this can't be believed till at least one of these does something overt and not covert. Strategy of Sun Tzu or some centuries old strategist aside, let us see who dares to act and not speak.

Talk is easy, putting men on ground is what it takes to change the situation practically.

 

[tower9]

NATO and especially the USA regime is bankrupt and deprived of credibility.

For countless years, Washington has been threatening Iran with military aggression ("all options are on the table") but never dared act upon these utterances. Genuinely pathetic, and exposing the USA regime for the paper tiger it is.

A war with Iran would be 10x more costly than the Iraq war

 

[大汉奸柳传志]

the West™ is so obnoxiously self-centered, crying about this axis or that summit like everything under the sun is about them.

Meanwhile in the eyes of the world this is The West™ in a nutshell.