Monday, August 25, 2025
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Polaris of Enlightenment

Monday, August 25, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/world/us-increases-military-presence-off-venezuelas-coast/

World

US increases military presence off Venezuela’s coast

Published today 14:44
– By Editorial Staff
Parts of the US Navy have been heading toward Venezuela's coast in recent days.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The US has deployed at least three warships to waters off Venezuela in what it claims is an operation against drug trafficking. However, Bolivian President Luis Arce argues that the real purpose is geopolitical control over Latin America and its natural resources.

The US has recently expanded its military presence in the Caribbean by positioning three Aegis-class destroyers – USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson – in waters off Venezuela’s coast, according to several media reports. The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima is also reportedly part of the force.

The operation reportedly involves approximately 4,000 American military personnel, including Marines, and is officially described by the US as part of the fight against drug trafficking to America. Specifically targeting drug trafficking originating from the Venezuelan drug cartel “Cartel de los Soles” (Cartel of the Suns).

The American administration emphasizes that preventing and limiting drug flows to the US are high-priority objectives. In addition to the destroyers, reconnaissance aircraft and an attack submarine are being used in the area to monitor and combat drug smuggling.

Meanwhile, Venezuela has responded by mobilizing more than 4.5 million members of the country’s militia forces to defend national sovereignty. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro calls the American presence a “provocation” and a threat to Venezuela’s territorial integrity.

Bolivian president: “A cover story”

Washington regards Nicolás Maduro as an illegitimate leader and has offered a $50 million bounty for his capture. The Venezuelan government dismisses US accusations as politically motivated and unfounded.

From Bolivia, President Luis Arce has criticized the US military escalation during a video address at the Bolivarian Alliance (ALBA) summit.

— We know that behind this failed international war on drugs lies the real objective to geopolitically control Latin America for its natural resources and to dismantle organized peoples, so that we cannot follow our own sovereign path, says the Bolivian president.

He argues that the international “war on drugs” is actually a cover story for America’s ambition to geopolitically control Latin America and exploit the region’s natural resources, as well as to crush the peoples’ independence and sovereignty. Arce emphasized that Bolivia stands firm in its sovereignty and peaceful cooperation within the region.

The American military buildup has created concern in Latin America, as critics argue that the measure risks escalating tensions and contributing to destabilization in an already troubled region.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/merkel-admits-population-replacement-policy-drove-germans-to-afd/

World

Merkel admits: Population replacement policy drove Germans to AfD

Population replacement in the West

Published today 12:41
– By Editorial Staff
Today, the AfD is the largest party in large parts of eastern Germany - largely due to the policies pursued during Angela Merkel's tenure as German Chancellor.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

In a new documentary, Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel admits that her borderless migration policy from 2015 onwards caused many Germans to abandon the establishment parties and instead turn to the nationalist Alternative for Germany.

Despite her migration policy having far-reaching negative consequences for the German people and society, Merkel emphasizes that she regrets nothing.

“Wir schaffen das” – we can do it. Angela Merkel’s words from August 2015 became the symbol of Germany’s borderless mass immigration policy when the country received nearly one million asylum seekers during a single autumn. The decision, which was made without broad political support, fundamentally changed German society according to many observers.

Now, nine years later, the former Chancellor is forced to admit in a documentary on the public service channel ARD that her policy also had major political consequences – and that many Germans abandoned the old established parties and instead sought alternatives that better represented their interests.

— Of course my decision caused people to join AfD. And in that way AfD definitely became stronger, says Merkel in the documentary.

“Major task”

The EU- and immigration-critical Alternative for Germany (AfD) today runs almost neck-and-neck with Merkel’s own Christian Democratic CDU/CSU in opinion polls – a dramatic development that can be directly linked to the mass immigration wave of 2015 and the societal problems that followed.

Despite this, Merkel refuses to acknowledge any mistakes. In the documentary, she stubbornly defends both her policy and her controversial statement.

— It wasn’t meant to express anything other than that we face a major task, she says about the infamous words “Wir schaffen das” – a promise that many Germans today consider naive, deceptive and detached from reality.

Stifled debate during Merkel’s era

Under Merkel’s leadership, Germany pursued perhaps Europe’s most borderless immigration policy, while all criticism was systematically dismissed and opponents routinely labeled as “racists” and “Nazis” – a smear campaign strategy that remains common ten years later.

Germany also has some of the Western world’s harshest laws regarding opinion crimes. People who publicly criticize immigration policy in strong terms risk substantial fines and prison sentences – an arrangement that free speech activists say has created a culture of self-censorship and fear of expressing what one really thinks about the consequences of immigration.

Despite more than one in five Germans today voting for AfD – and the party being largest in large parts of eastern Germany – its opponents still try to criminalize it by claiming its policies violate the German constitution.

Alice Weidel AfD Alternative for Germany
AfD leader Alice Weidel is very popular in many parts of Germany. Photo: X/@Alice_Wiedel

Rhetorical shift

In recent years, Germany and several other European countries have drastically changed their rhetoric around migration. Talk of open hearts and boundless solidarity has been replaced by demands for stricter border controls and tougher asylum rules.

In practice, however, the tougher rhetoric has not resulted in any comprehensive change. Mass immigration continues, albeit at a somewhat lower pace, while promised large-scale deportation programs repeatedly get bogged down in bureaucratic processes without ever being realized.

In Sweden, for example, the current government often speaks of a migration policy “paradigm shift” – despite mass immigration continuing at historically high levels and Sweden receiving almost 100,000 migrants last year.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/russia-demands-un-meeting-on-nord-stream-attack/

World

Russia demands UN meeting on Nord Stream attack

Nord Stream attacks

Published today 10:03
– By Editorial Staff
The explosions destroyed pipelines that were intended to transport Russian gas directly to Germany,
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Following the arrest of a Ukrainian man in Italy, Moscow is now requesting an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council. Russia accuses Germany of lacking transparency in the investigation of the 2022 gas pipeline explosions.

Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The request comes after Italian police on Thursday arrested a Ukrainian citizen suspected of being involved in the explosions in September 2022.

The arrested individual has been identified in media reports as Sergej Kuznetsov, a former military officer. According to prosecutors, he allegedly led a group that rented a yacht and placed explosives on the gas pipelines using commercial diving equipment.

Moscow has repeatedly criticized the German investigation and accused Germany and neighboring countries of both delaying the process and excluding Russia from the investigative work.

“We will highlight the delays in the German investigation and the absence of transparency”, wrote Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky on Telegram. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.

The explosions in September 2022 registered magnitudes of 2.1 and 2.3 on the Richter scale. The blasts destroyed pipelines that were intended to transport Russian gas directly to Germany, with one pipeline filled with gas at the time of the explosion.

German investigators reportedly suspect that a small group of Ukrainians was behind the attack – a theory that Moscow has dismissed as “ridiculous”.

USA and Norway pointed out

President Vladimir Putin has previously suggested that the United States most likely was behind the sabotage, and last year Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed they had “credible information” that American and British agents were involved in the plot.

The Nordic Times has previously highlighted how Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist Seymour Hersh in February 2023 published a report where he, using sources, reached the conclusion that the United States, with help from Norway, was behind the explosions.

According to Hersh’s sources, US Navy divers allegedly placed the explosives during the NATO exercise Baltops 2022 in June of the same year, only to remotely detonate them three months later.

Both the United States and Norway have categorically rejected Hersh’s claims as groundless, while Western establishment media have chosen not to closely examine his allegations but instead focused on the less politically sensitive narrative that the attack was carried out by an independent group of Ukrainian actors without any official support from Kiev.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/swedish-pensions-finance-israeli-white-phosphorus-manufacturer/

World

Swedish pensions finance Israeli white phosphorus manufacturer

The situation in Gaza

Published 22 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
An Israeli M109 Doher fires a shell. The self-propelled artillery system is one of several that can fire ammunition containing white phosphorus.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Sjunde AP-fonden (Seventh AP Fund) owns shares worth €9 million in Israeli ICL Group, which manufactures white phosphorus. Human rights organizations have long warned about the company’s links to war crimes against civilians – and now the fund’s officials claim they will review the investment.

Swedish public radio Sveriges Radio Ekot reveals that Swedish pension funds are invested in the Israeli company ICL Group, a manufacturer of white phosphorus that has previously received harsh criticism from several human rights organizations.

The investigation shows that the Seventh AP Fund (one of Sweden’s national pension funds) owns shares worth €9 million in the company. During 2025, the pension fund’s holdings have also increased from 1.2 million to 1.6 million shares.

White phosphorus may be used in conflict zones under international law to illuminate targets or create smoke screens. However, the substance is prohibited for use in ammunition near civilians as it causes severe burns.

Israel has been accused by several human rights organizations of using white phosphorus in densely populated areas during attacks in Gaza. According to the radio station, it is not established whether phosphorus from ICL Group specifically was used in these attacks, but the company has previously listed the U.S. Army – which has close cooperation with Israel – as a customer.

“Difficult to verify”

Mikael Lindh Hök, communications director at the Seventh AP Fund, says that they do not plan to immediately sell the holdings, but that the investment will be reviewed.

— If it’s true and you can actually verify that their product, in this case white phosphorus, is used by the Israeli military in the conflicts, then that is grounds for blacklisting, as it constitutes a violation of human rights, he says.

Lindh Hök simultaneously points to the difficulties in obtaining evidence.

— But there we have the problem that it has been very difficult to verify this, as there are contradictory reports. No one has admitted, so to speak, that they have used it. But if we manage to get it verified, then that is grounds for exclusion.

Amnesty: Suspicions are enough

He emphasizes that the fund manages money for six million Swedes and therefore requires clear evidence before acting.

— Then we want to get it verified so that it doesn’t become arbitrary. Sometimes it can be a rumor that a company has violated something, and then it later emerges that it hasn’t violated an international convention. And since we are the default option for six million Swedes, we have set the threshold at: what international conventions has Sweden signed? he explains further.

Astri Sjoner, political advisor at Norwegian Amnesty, believes that the suspicions alone should be enough to act.

— Now several parties have pointed out that they suspect it is this company’s white phosphorus that has been used in Israel’s warfare in Gaza. When there is this type of suspicion, it is important that those who invest in it take on extra responsibility to assess the risk of human rights violations.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/analyst-israel-preparing-new-war-against-iran/

World

Analyst: Israel preparing new war against Iran

The escalation in the Middle East

Published 21 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The question is whether Donald Trump will keep the United States out of a new Israeli war against Iran.
4 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Swedish-Iranian Middle East expert Trita Parsi assesses that Israel will likely initiate a new war against Iran before December – perhaps as early as the end of August. The next conflict will likely be significantly bloodier than the previous one, he warns.

Israel is determined not to give Iran time to rebuild its military capacity after the June war, according to Trita Parsi, well-known Iran expert and author. In a new analysis, he warns that an attack could come within the next few months.

“Israel is likely to launch another war with Iran before December – perhaps even as early as late August”, writes Parsi.

Iran is already preparing for the attack. According to the analyst, the country played a long-term game during the first war and measured its missile attacks while waiting for a prolonged conflict. Next time, Iran is expected to strike hard from the beginning.

Large-scale war

Parsi assesses that the coming conflict will be significantly more devastating than the June war. If US President Donald Trump again gives in to Israeli pressure and joins the fight, the US could face an extensive war with Iran.

“United States could face a full-blown war with Iran that will make Iraq look easy by comparison”, warns the Iran expert.

According to his analysis, Israel’s June war was never solely about Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The goal was rather to shift the balance of power in the Middle East, where Iranian nuclear capabilities were indeed an important but not decisive factor.

Failed with main objectives

Israel had three main objectives with its attacks in June, according to Parsi: to draw the US into direct military conflict with Iran, to overthrow the Iranian regime, and to transform the country into the next Syria or Lebanon – countries that Israel can bomb without American support.

He notes that only one of these objectives was achieved. Despite early intelligence successes – such as killing 30 high commanders and 19 nuclear scientists – Israel only managed to temporarily disrupt Iran’s command structure.

“Within 18 hours, Iran had replaced most if not all of these commanders and launched a heavy missile barrage, demonstrating its ability to absorb significant losses and still mount a fierce counterattack”, writes Parsi.

Threatened to kill generals’ families

According to the Washington Post, Mossad agents, speaking fluent Persian, called high Iranian officials on their mobile phones and threatened to kill them and their families if they did not record videos condemning the regime and defecting publicly. More than 20 such calls were made during the war’s first hours.

“Yet there’s no evidence a single Iranian general capitulated to the threats, and the regime’s cohesion remained intact”, notes the Iran expert.

Contrary to Israel’s expectations, the attacks did not lead to mass protests or uprisings against the Islamic Republic. Instead, Iranians of all political colors rallied behind the flag, though not necessarily behind the regime itself.

Parsi quotes an artist in Tehran, Iran who told researcher Narges Bajoghli at Johns Hopkins University:

“I used to be one of those who would chant during protests to not send Iranian money to Lebanon or Palestine. But now I understand that the bombs we all face are one and if we don’t have strong defenses across the region, the war comes to us”.

Israel signals new offensive

Both Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir have signaled that a new offensive is likely. The June war was just the first phase, according to Zamir, who added that Israel is now “entering a new chapter” of the conflict.

The Middle East analyst explains that Israel is determined not to give Iran time to replenish its missile arsenal, restore air defenses, or install improved systems. This is central to Israel’s “mowing the grass” strategy: to strike preemptively and repeatedly to prevent opponents from developing capabilities that could challenge Israeli military dominance.

To deter further attacks, Iran is expected to strike hard and fast from the beginning of the next war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned on X:

“If aggression is repeated, we will not hesitate to react in a more decisive manner and in a way that will be IMPOSSIBLE to cover up”.

The Iran expert assesses that the cost for Israel must become overwhelming, otherwise the country will gradually erode Iran’s missile capacity and leave the country defenseless.

Trump’s role becomes decisive

Trump’s response to a second Israeli war with Iran could be decisive, according to Parsi. The president seems unwilling to engage in a prolonged conflict – the 12-day war exposed critical shortages in US missile stockpiles.

“By green-lighting the opening salvo, Trump has walked into Israel’s trap – and it’s unclear whether he can find a way out”.

Limited involvement is probably no longer an option. Trump will either need to go all in on the war or stay out completely. And staying out requires more than a one-time refusal – it requires sustained resistance to Israeli pressure, something he has so far not shown either the will or strength to manage, concludes Trita Parsi in his analysis.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Trita Parsi is an Iranian-Swedish author and one of the most prominent experts on Iran and Middle Eastern politics. He is executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a Washington-based think tank that advocates for diplomatic solutions and generally opposes military interventions. He previously founded the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).

Parsi holds a doctorate in international relations and has written several acclaimed books about the relationship between the US, Israel and Iran. His analyses are regularly published in leading newspapers such as the New York Times and Foreign Affairs, and he is frequently consulted as an expert by international media outlets including CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera.

Parsi's focus on dialogue and diplomacy has also led to harsh criticism from pro-Israeli groups and parts of the shah-friendly Iranian opposition, who believe that Parsi is too soft on Tehran and have accused him of being a regime-friendly lobbyist.

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