Image is a map of the Western Sahara, sourced from this article in the Middle East Eye. Much of the information in the preamble also came from there, as well as this article.
November 6th marked the 50th anniversary of Morocco, under King Hassan II, beginning the invasion and occupation of much of the territory of the Western Sahara. Today, approximately 80% of the territory of the Western Sahara is controlled by Morocco, with the Polisario Front - the government of the Sahrawis - controlling the rest, hugging the border of Mauritania. Between them lies one of the longest walls and one of the largest minefields on the planet, of which construction began in the 1980s.
The legitimacy of Morocco's control over the Western Sahara is one of those long-lasting diplomatic issues which ultimately doesn't seem to matter very much in terms of on-the-ground realities, and reveals the eternal uselessness of the United Nations especially in regard to actually helping oppressed people. Up until about 2020, the US and certain other Western countries did not formally recognize Morocco as having sovereignty over the whole territory, but in terms of providing genuine opposition to Morocco, it seems that Algeria is the major player in the region. While American, European, and Moroccan corporations exploit the fisheries and phosphate minerals of the region, protected by their minefields (and claims of merely advancing the cause of renewable energy development, AKA greenwashing), Algeria provides what aid they can to support the displaced Sahrawi people, many of whom have been forced to live in refugee camps.
On October 31st, the US put forward a resolution in the UN Security Council which was adopted (Russia and China abstained) and provided major support to Morocco, urging the Polisario Front to adopt the 2007 "autonomy plan", which would, despite its name, be synonymous with an end to their independence movement. Such a plan was met with much jubilation in Morocco, with King Mohammed VI remarking "From now on, there will be a before and an after October 31, 2025.” Such a date was also the catalyst for the PF intensifying their guerilla struggle against Morocco, as legal avenues for autonomy and basic human rights are running out as the imperialists grow more desperate.
Last week's thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.
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The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.
The Zionist Entity's Genocide of Palestine
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
2 abstentions being Russia and China? Disgraceful
“ Russian representative to the UN:
We simply cannot support this decision. Moscow insisted on giving the Security Council a role in monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution does not conform to the two-state, two-people formula as adopted in the New York Declaration.”
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/46401
The below declaration is from before the resolution passed today:
spoiler
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most MercifulPress Release
Regarding the Memorandum of Palestinian Factions and Forces on the American Draft Resolution at the Security Council
The Palestinian factions and forces issued a political memorandum warning of the dangers of the American draft resolution proposed for a vote at the Security Council, concerning the establishment of an international force in the Gaza Strip, considering it an attempt to impose international tutelage over the Strip and to pass a biased vision favoring the occupation.
The factions affirmed that the proposed formula paves the way for external dominance over the Palestinian national decision, by turning the management of Gaza and reconstruction into a supra-national international entity with broad powers, which strips Palestinians of their right to manage their own affairs.
They stressed that any humanitarian effort must be managed through the competent Palestinian institutions, under the supervision of the United Nations and relevant international bodies, based on respect for Palestinian sovereignty and the needs of the population, away from the political or security exploitation of aid or its use to re-engineer the reality in Gaza.
The memorandum warned against turning humanitarian aid into a tool of pressure and blackmail subject to foreign management, which marginalizes Palestinian institutions and undermines the work of UNRWA, with the factions emphasizing the necessity of preserving its role as an international witness to the refugee issue and their inalienable rights.
The factions also stressed their rejection of any clause related to disarming Gaza or infringing on the Palestinian people's right to resist and defend themselves, affirming that this right is firm and internationally guaranteed, and that any discussion on the issue of weapons must remain a national internal matter linked to a political process that ensures the end of the occupation, the establishment of the state, and the achievement of self-determination.
The memorandum criticized the proposed role of the international force, considering that it practically turns it into an entity serving the occupation through direct coordination with it. It confirmed that any international force, if established, must be fully subject to the United Nations' mandate and direct supervision, and must work exclusively in coordination with official Palestinian institutions, without involving the occupation or granting it any powers or field coordination, and that its tasks should be limited to protecting civilians, ensuring the flow of aid, and separating forces, without becoming a security authority or a supra-national administration.
The memorandum also confirmed its rejection of any tutelage or foreign military presence, or the establishment of international bases inside the Gaza Strip, as this represents a direct violation of national sovereignty.
The factions called for international monitoring mechanisms to hold "Israel" accountable for its ongoing violations and to hold it responsible for the safety of civilians and the starvation of the population due to its control over Gaza crossings.
It concluded by affirming that the proposed Arab-Islamic model for managing the Strip represents the most acceptable option, and that any arrangements concerning Gaza must be based on the free Palestinian will and the unity of the land, people, and cause.
Palestinian Factions and Forces
Sunday: 25 Jumada al-Awwal 1447 AH Corresponding to: November 16, 2025”
This statement is from today
“In response to the UN Security Council's adoption of the US draft resolution on Gaza, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) affirms the following: The Security Council decision does not meet the demands and political and humanitarian rights of our Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip.
The decision separates the Gaza Strip from the rest of the Palestinian geography and attempts to impose new realities away from the constants of our people and their legitimate national rights.
The decision imposes an international guardianship mechanism over the Gaza Strip, which our people, forces, and factions reject.
The resistance weapon is linked to the presence of the occupation, and resisting the occupation by all means is a legitimate right guaranteed by laws and international charters.
Any international force must be present at the border to separate the forces and monitor the ceasefire and be subject to United Nations supervision.”
☭ 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙢𝙧𝙞𝙆𝙆𝙆𝙖, 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙎𝙎𝙧𝙖𝙚𝙡 ☪☫
Then why didn't you fucking veto it!?!? There's no more good boy favor to be curried with the west. Ukraine is the final proof they want to destroy you!
Edit: at the very least you could play hard-ball with Trump and force him to make a concession to you on Ukraine before standing aside. Doing this gets you NOTHING.
Russia's power projection capabilities have taken a significant blow with regards to events in Syria, the war in Ukraine, and even Iran. Russian influence in the Middle East and West Asia is fading, they've maintained relations with the Al Jolani government in Syria, but it's no where near what they had with Assad. Even globally, Russia was bragging about sending a single cargo plane to Venezuela... One plane, when the US sends an entire aircraft carrier.
As for China, they seem uninterested in rocking the boat too much. The Saudis have picked F-35s over J-35s, that's a significant blow to Chinese military aspirations there.
They could veto, but what would it accomplish? The ability to influence outcomes via hard power or even soft power, for both Russia and China, are limited. The majority of the Middle East, and even Muslim majority countries outside of the Middle East, are on board with the United States' Gaza peace plan, or at least paying lip service to it. These are the most important nations for deciding if this goes through or not. The US is giving them security agreements and military equipment to placate their fears or distaste for Israel. The strikes on Iran have also made thse nations less afraid of Iran. Iranian threats on the Gulf states don't have the same weight as before, and the security agreements and military equipment are part of that, placating fear of Iran.
Thats the hard truth. Most of the Muslim world has chosen Dubai, Ankara, Doha, and Riyadh over Palestine. The people may hate the west but they sure as hell dont hate the Gulf money - and so their subjugation towards the empire remains.
I wonder what backroom threats and deals were made.
Historically:
March 2003 Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war
December 1990 NYT --How U.S. Won Support to Use Mideast Forces The Iraq Resolution