NOURNEWS-
“US Navy Commanders are probably aware that if there is war in the Persian Gulf, it will be bloody and they will suffer heavy casualties, so saner heads might prevail. Let’s hope so,” Mark Taliano told Tasnim.
Taliano is an author and independent investigative reporter who recently returned from a trip to Syria with the Third International Tour of Peace to Syria. In his new book titled “Voices from Syria”, he combines years of research with on-the-ground observations to present an informed and well-documented analysis that refutes mainstream media narratives about the dirty war on Syria.
Following is the full text of the interview.
Tasnim: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he's instructed the US Navy to "shoot down and destroy" any Iranian gunboats “harassing” American ships, in the wake of a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf. "I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea," Trump tweeted. What is your take on this?
Taliano: Empire is crashing and desperate. It seeks to continue its policy of permanent criminal warfare. But it is overextended. Its terrorist proxies in Syria and beyond are losing and will continue to lose. US Navy Commanders are probably aware that if there is war in the Persian Gulf, it will be bloody and they will suffer heavy casualties, so saner heads might prevail. Let’s hope so.
Tasnim: The threat came after Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday successfully launched and placed the country’s first military satellite into the orbit. Do you think Trump wants to undermine this? What are your thoughts on the launch?
Taliano: I applaud Iran’s improved military situation. Strength against oppressors, particularly Empire, is the only road to peace and successful diplomacy
Tasnim: It seems he is trying to divert attention from his poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis. What do you think?
Taliano: The COVID-19 crisis is a manufactured crisis. The US economy is crashing and police state measures are ramping up. Poverty in the US is climbing exponentially. Trump appears to be trying to put people back to work, to lift the lockdown, but other forces are at play which are prolonging the crisis. Will he seek diversions? Yes. Will he blame other countries for the crisis? Yes.
Tasnim: There are reports and concerns that China could win over the post-coronavirus world and leave the US behind. How this could happen?
Taliano: The COVID-19 crisis is undermining global economies, including China’s powerful economy. This is likely one of the goals behind the manufactured crisis. China does not have military bases all over the world, and it does not seek world domination, unlike Washington. So, I do not think that China seeks to “win over” the post-coronavirus world. China is a trading nation and will continue to expand trade to benefit global economies. That being said, China will resist criminal US military hegemony if necessary, and it is equipped to do so.
TASNIM