Foreign Minister Arreaza To US 'Ambassador'
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-12
Venezuela scoffed at the presentation of credentials by the person in charge of the US "virtual embassy" in Colombia, pointing out that his office in Caracas awaits him. | James Story, assigned as the supposed US ambassador to Venezuela, delivered his credentials to the fugitive Venezuelan opposition politician Julio Borges, "envoy" of the self-proclaimed president of Venezuela, coup leader Juan Guaidó, on Monday in Bogotá, the Colombian capital, reflecting the White House's commitment to the opposition and to regime change in Venezuela.
popularresistance.org/foreign-minister-arreaza-to-us-ambassador-your-office-in-caracas-awaits-you/

Syrian envoy submits credentials to FM Zarif
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-12
TEHRAN, Dec. 12 (MNA) — Newly-appointed Syria's ambassador to Tehran Shafiq Dayoub submitted a copy of his credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167068/Syrian-envoy-submits-credentials-to-FM-Zarif

OAS's New Attempt To Interfere In Venezuela Rejected
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-12
On Wednesday, the representatives of Argentina, Mexico, and Bolivia to the Organization of American States (OAS) rejected a new resolution that disregards Venezuela's Sunday elections and calls for a transitional government. | The representatives condemned the new attempts of destabilization against Venezuela, noting the belligerent strategy promoted by the OAS resolution that claimed the elections did not observe International Law's guarantees. | Argentina's ambassador to the OAS Carlos Raimundi rejected both the calls to not recognize the elections' results and the imposition of conditions to the Venezuelan gov…
popularresistance.org/oass-new-attempt-to-interfere-in-venezuela-rejected/

US adopts 'new official' map of Morocco, which includes Western Sahara
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-12
US adopts 'new official' map of Morocco, which includes Western Sahara | Washington's ambassador to Rabat says map 'recognises Morocco's sovereignty' over disputed territory after North African nation normalised relations with Israel | MEE and agencies | Sat, 12/12/2020 – 20: 13 | Supporters of Western Sahara's independence hold Western Saharan and Algerian flags during a demonstration in Bordeaux, France on…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/united-states-morocco-western-sahara-adopts-official-map

Go Vote Yourself a Raise, Georgia — You've Long Earned It
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-11
All political eyes are on Georgia's runoff election on January 5th, 2021. Two Senate seats are up for grabs and will decide whether the evil Trumpster and corporatist Senator Mitch McConnell stays in total control of the U.S. Senate or not. If the Democrats win both seats, the Senate would be split, 50-50. Vice President…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/11/go-vote-yourself-a-raise-georgia-youve-long-earned-it/

Lebanon: UN-backed tribunal sentences Hezbollah militant in Hariri assassination
news.un.org | 2020-12-11
The UN chief on Friday took note of five concurrent life sentences handed down to a Hezbollah militant, convicted in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, fifteen years ago.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/12/1079892

Given gaps, inconsistencies, Syria's declarations on chemical weapons programme not considered 'accurate and complete'
news.un.org | 2020-12-11
Outstanding issues related to Syria's initial declaration of its chemical weapons stockpile and programme cannot be considered "accurate and complete", the head of the world body monitoring States' implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention told the Security Council on Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/12/1079882

Joe Biden Might Have Good Instincts, but His Foreign Policy Team Doesn't
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-12-11
Ted Galen CARPENTER | Considerable controversy has emerged in both the foreign policy community and the news media over whether Joe Biden's administration will reflexively restore America's pre-Trump approach to international affairs. On no issue is that question more crucial than with respect to Syria, and on no issue is it more imperative that Biden repudiate the legacy of the Obama administration. A failure to take that step will cause the United States to become even more deeply mired in the Syrian quagmire. Not only would such an unwise course create another endless U.S. war similar to the interventions in A…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/12/11/joe-biden-might-have-good-instincts-but-his-foreign-policy-team-doesnt/

OPCW executives praised whistleblower and criticized Syria cover-up, leaks reveal
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-12-10
Documents obtained by The Grayzone show that OPCW executives privately criticized the manipulation of a Syria chemical weapons probe, and supported a dissenting veteran inspector. One official, however, feared helping the "Russian narrative." These private admissions further expose the public whitewash of the Douma cover-up, and undermine the ongoing attacks on the whistleblowers who challenged it.
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/12/10/opcw-executives-praised-whistleblower-and-criticized-syria-cover-up-leaks-reveal/

Will Joe Biden "Revise" U.S Agenda in Syria? Use Terrorism Pretext to "Keep Boots on the Ground"?
Ahmad Salah | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-10
The mayhem of the presidential elections left the American policy-makers locked in heated arguments about the future of the US domestic and foreign policy alike. One of the most pressing issues on the agenda is the Middle East developments, especially …
globalresearch.ca/will-washington-review-double-standards-syrian-file/5731783