On FPF #421, I discuss Trump getting Iran and Israel wrong. Trump continues the failed maximum pressure campaign against Iran. The Iranian people are suffering but their leaders remain firmly in place. The US continues to place more sanctions on Iran and Iran responds by moving away from more commitments outlined in the defunct JCPOA. The US is now looking to exploit protests in Iran in an attempt to weaken the leadership. 

Like Trump's Iran policy, Trump has been wrong on Israel from the start. Trump has already taken major steps moving the US embassy and recognizing the Golan Heights as Israel territory. Now, the Trump administration has changed the US position on Israeli settlements.  The settlements clearly violate international law - and for the past four decades, the US has agreed - now the US says that isn't the case. The move is being seen as a boon to Netanyahu, who is in a power struggle, and to legitimize any Israel decision to annex parts of the West Bank. 

Links

• Amazon will protest the Pentagon awarding the Penton’s cloud contract - JEDI - to Microsoft. [Link]

Ukraine

• Russia will return three ships to Ukraine. Russia seized the ships after the Ukrainian ships entered Russian waters without permission. [Link]

Bolivia

• Officials of the coup government in Bolivia are threatening opposition legislators and journalists. [Link]
• At least 23 people have been killed during protests in Bolivia. [Link]

NK

• North Korea says it is not going to engage in talks with the US just so Trump can brag about it. North Korea wants to put changing the hostile policy on the table. [Link]
• The US and South Korea postponed upcoming wargames. [Link]
• Trump tweets at Kim Jong-un telling him to make a deal soon. [Link]
• North Korea says it will not engage in talks with the US unless the US hostile policy is on the agenda. [Link]

Afghanistan

• From January through October, the US dropped over 6,000 missiles and bombs on Afghanistan. [Link]
• American and Australian hostages were released by the Taliban in exchange for three Taliban officials. [Link] 
• The Afghan government claims victory over ISIS-K. It says over 600-IS fighters have surrendered to the government over the past few weeks. [Link]
• 12 civilians - including three children - were killed by a car bomb in Kabul. [Link]

Israel 

• Pompeo announces the US no longer views Israeli settlements are inconsistent with international law. [Link]

Iran

• Protest breakout in Iran over rising fuel prices. At least one person has died during protests. [Link]

• Amnesty International reports that over 100 people were killed during protests in Iran. [Link]
• New documents from Iran are leaking showing how Iran capitalized on the Iraq War to gain influence in a new Iraqi government. [Link]
• The IRGC warns it will use decisive and revolutionary force to end protests. [Link]
• Pompeo says the US stands with Iranian protesters. [Link]
• Pompeo says the US will end sanction waivers for Iran’s Fordow nuclear site. [Link]
• Iran now has 130 tonnes of heavy water. The JCPOA limited Iran to under 130 tonnes. [Link]

Syria

• Turkey is threatening to attack northeastern Syria if all Syrian Kurdish forces as withdrawn. [Link]
• Turkey says Syria Kurds killed 10 people with a car bomb in a Turkish controlled in northern Syria. [Link] 
• Russia announces it has taken control of a former-US base in northern Syria. [Link]

Libya

• Seven civilians were killed by an airstrike at a biscuit factory in Libya. Haftar’s forces are behind the attack. [Link]
• The US carried out four drone attacks in southern Libya at the end of September. Officials claim the attacks killed roughly ⅓ of the 150 IS fighters in Libya. The drones were launched from Niger. [Link]