March, 2021

• 7 March

  Syrian pound hits new low in contagion from neighboring Lebanon’s currency crisis

  The Syrian pound fell to a record low on the black market on Wednesday, hit by the ripple effect of currency woes in neighboring Lebanon with which it has extensive business and banking ties, dealers and bankers said. Traders said it cost close to 4,000 to buy one dollar on …

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• 7 March

  Western powers scrap plan for IAEA rebuke of Iran, diplomats say

  Britain, France and Germany have scrapped a US-backed plan for the UN nuclear watchdog’s board to criticize Iran for scaling back cooperation with the agency, diplomats said on Thursday, amid concerns about efforts to revive Iran’s nuclear deal.

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• 7 March

  U.S. Proposes UN Conference To Boost Afghan Peace Talks

  The United States has proposed convening a United Nations-sponsored international conference on Afghanistan, a senior U.S. State Department official said. News of the proposal came as the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, wrapped up three days of talks in Kabul on March 3 aimed at reviving stalled Afghan …

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• 7 March

  US hails plan by Germany to sail warship through South China Sea

  The United States has welcomed a plan by NATO ally Germany to sail a warship across the disputed South China Sea for the first time after almost two decades, amid tensions with China in the resource-rich waters.

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• 7 March

  ‘Confident’ China to Convene Rubber-Stamp Parliament

  China is expected to tout its strong economic performance during the pandemic and unveil long-term goals for its economy at an annual meeting of its ceremonial legislature beginning Friday in Beijing. Thousands of delegates will attend the National People’s Congress session and a parallel gathering of a political advisory body, …

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• 7 March

  Biden, Afghanistan And Forever Wars – OpEd

  The papers are full of suggestions on what US President Joe Biden should do about his country’s seemingly perennial involvement in Afghanistan. None are particularly useful, in that they ignore the central premise that a nation state long mauled, molested and savaged should finally be left alone. Nonsense, say the …

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• 7 March

  Confucius Institutes And Espionage – OpEd

  “Chinese Confucius Institutes are suspected of espionage” – such headlines graced news articles a couple of years ago, but the reality is that everyone knows about it, but it’s difficult to prove. In this article I will explain the role of these institutes as an instrument of Beijing’s soft power.

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• 7 March

  China In The Middle East: Stepping Up To The Plate – Analysis

  By defining Chinese characteristics as “seeking common ground while reserving differences,” a formula that implies conflict management rather than conflict resolution, Messrs. Sun and Wu were suggesting that China was seeking to prepare the ground for greater Chinese engagement in efforts to stabilize the Middle East, a volatile region that …

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• 7 March

  Are Iran’s Presidential Elections Democratic Or Just A Charade? – OpEd

  The vast majority of Iranians are struggling with poverty, unemployment and skyrocketing prices, with more than 60 million of Iran’s 82 million population living below the poverty line, and millions left to fend for themselves for their most basic necessities of life.

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• 7 March

  Reciprocity And Coercion: Ending The Downturn In US-Iran Relations – Analysis

  Just days after the United States struck Iranian-linked targets in Syria, militia members fired a volley of rockets at Ain Al-Asad air base. The U.S. strike was conducted in response to an attack on Balad airbase in Iraq on February 20 by Iranian proxies.

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