UK's withdrawal process

From 30 March 2019 onwards, the UK will not be a Member State of the European Union. As it is known, more than one year ago the UK notified the European Council of its intention to withdrawal from the European Union, and only a mutual agreement between the EU and UK authorities can change this date.

Since 1957 twenty-two European countries have joined the founding six Members States (Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg) to become Members States of the European Union. The international organization of European countries was formed after World War II to reduce barriers and increase cooperation among its Member States. Unfortunately, the United Kingdom is the sole Member State ever to withdraw from the Union. After the UK's government had triggered the Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, most Member States of the EU said that Britain would likely try to retain all the benefits of European Union membership without obbligation.

As a consequence, the withdrawal process is unique and unprecedented. The prospect of Britain's withdrawal with no deal shows the impact on future trade relations. That's why most investors are still very cautious concerning their exposure to the British equity market. Actually, it is not clear the final deal that will be negotiated between the UK and the European Union.

In the meanwhile, some British politicians have suggested that Parliament should consider holding a second referendum. According to a survey made by www.bbc.com, "The outcome of any second ballot could well depend on who does and who does not vote", considering that 28% didn't vote in 2016 Brexit referendum.  
As mentioned this week by Gabriela Baczynska, from http://uk.investing.com, there are still too many questions and few answers in talks between the E.U and Britain over the country withdrawal from the international organization of European countries.

Human trafficking through the Mediterranean sea

On Sunday 10 June, Italy's government decided to stop a rescue ship from docking an Italian port. Malta also refused permission for the vessel to dock.

At the moment the rescue vessel, Acquarius, is located next to Malta, and according to International law the ship should go there.

Following France and Austria, Italy also will start to push people back at the border. The key aim is to stop the business of illegal immigration and human trafficking ... it's easy to see why the previous Italian government didn't do the same.  

Illegal immigration will not exist anymore in the EU

During the next two months, some important legislative decrees will be issued by the new Italian Government. The first one is about restrictions on the right of entry and the right of residence.

According to the EU directive 2004/38/EC, each Member State has the right to made restrictions on the ground of public security or public  health. And the adoption of the necessary measures to stop Italy from being "Europe's refugee camp" can't be considered an infringement of the EU law.

A soon as the new Italian Government cuts funds for temporary settlements built to receive refugees, illegal and undocumented immigrants will not exist anymore. Italy will not be the country of first arrival for asylum-seekers.

In addition, most migrants, who arrive in Italy, come from Nigeria, Gambia or Eritrea, and they flee their countries because of civil war or political persecution. They usually try to reach Italian shores through other countries, such as Lybia and Tunisia. And migrants who reach those North African countries are not in trouble and don't need to get away. In other words, they are already granted immunity from political prosecution in Libya and Tunisia. The Italian Government  can't  consider them as  asylum-seekers.

I've heard of "Apartheid Israel"

Since Palestinians began to commemorate the "Nakba" along the Gaza Strip border this month, more than sixty Palestinians have been killed along the Gaza-Israel border, incuding an eight months girl. Some scholars have been arguing that Israel may be charged with genocide and crimes against umanity. They compare Israel treatment of Palestinians to South Africa's treatment of non-whites.   

In 1948 more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes and land when Israel declared itself a State. And today there are more than 5 Million Palestinian refugees worldwide, who are still demanding to return to their homes after seven decades.

Although the 2002 "Arab Peace Initiative" agreement stated that no settlement can be imposed on Palestinians people without their consent, communities of Jews are still moving to the West Bank, where there are 2,5 Million Palestinians. In addition, there are 1.6 Million Palestinians in Israel, who are marginalized, and 2 Million of Palestinians in Gaza Strip, which may be compared to the Warsaw Ghetto. 300,000 Palestinians are living in Jerusalem, that was officially recognised as capital of Israel on May 14 by the Trump Administration. This morning Paraguay opened its Israel embassy in Jerusalem. It's the second country to follow the United States. Unfortunately, I'm afraid we will see other followers. 

Middle-East's regional fault lines

While the Yemeni civil war is still widely seen as a proxy war between the two regional powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran, an intensive attack  has been launched by Israel on Iranian positions in neighbouring Syria.  

Meanwhile, at least 55 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army in the protests along the Gaza-Israel border over the past weeks, and UAE forces have occupied sea gateways and airport on the Yemeni island of Socotra. Yemeni policy makers say UAE army has occupied the island without informing the government. They have also raised the UEA's flag over buildings across the Yemeni territory, in the aim to expand their presence in the Middle East and Horn of Africa.

In addition to this, as mentioned in my previous post, another proxy war between superpowers is now heating up in Syria: on the one hand we can see Russia, Iran and Turkey, on the other hand, the U.S. are followed by Britain and France in support of Israeli and Saudi Arabia interests in ensuring  to stop Iran's regional expansion. 

In this perspective, since June 2017 Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Baharin have broken diplomatic ties with Qatar, which has improved its relationship with Turkey in economic and military matters. Consequently, the Turkish government is using its ties with Qatar to weaken Saudi influence in the Gulf.

Unfortunately, it seems that regional chaos in the Middle East is set to continue with no solution. 

"Land bridge" through Syrian desert

As mentioned in my previous post, after the U.S. had launched 105 missiles on 12 April, a Pentagon spokeperson said that two chemical weapon facilities in Syria were destroyed. But that wasn't exactly the case. 

According to a Lebanese source, the U.S. pretended to target chemical weapon facilities in South Syria. Actually, they destroyed a weapon convoy headed to Hezbollah group in South Lebanon. The trucks were probably accompanied by Iranian military forces. As it known, Iran has recently succeeded in securing one land corridor that goes through the Syrian desert and then continues to the Lebanese border through Shiite populations centers.

Unfortunately, in the current regional cold war, Syria is the principal conduit for Iranian military and financial assistance to the Lebanese Hezbollah.  

In this picture it's easy to see two important alliances. On the one hand, We can see  Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria. On the other hand,  the U.S. are followed by France, and Britain in support of Israeli and Saudi Arabian interest in ensuring to stop Iran's regional expansion. 

Action needed to be taken on Syria's future

It isn't easy to understand why the U.S. launched 105 missiles overnight in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack on Douma, 10 km North from the centre of Damascus. According to the Pentagon, on Saturday 12 April two chemical weapons facilities were targeted.

As it is known, chemical weapons are considered hazardous-waste, and they have to be sent to a specific treatment, storage and disposal. As a consequence, the distruction of chemical weapons facilities is not considered a hazardous-waste management, and it may be really dangerous for the environment and the human health. In December 2001 an American agency  prepared a report, "State hazardous-waste regulatory programs to waste chemical weapons", for the eight U.S. States with chemical weapon storage facilities managed by the U.S. Army.    

In this perspective,  how can the U.S. destroy Syrian chemical weapon sites by a missiles attack? Someone blames the Syrian Government for a suspected gas attack, and one week later creates a polluted environment on the same territory!  

With regards to the suspected chemical attack in Syria, President Trump recently made a question: "what kind of nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?". Maybe the U.S. President forgets that Saudi Arabia doesn't stop killing civilians in Yemen, and Israel makes Palestinian-Arabs protest executions along the Gaza's border ... Saudi Arabia and Israel are both America's allies, and they don't fit the agenda of most of the media.

In my opinion, the U.S. missiles attack on Syria is a way to join the diplomatic activity of Russia, Iran and Turkey on Syria's future, but the three remain united in their desire not to provide advantage to the United States.