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In this mailing:
* Con Coughlin: Biden Cannot Delay Sending Tanks to Ukraine
* Amir Taheri: Iran: Selling Family Jewels to Buy Loyalty


** Biden Cannot Delay Sending Tanks to Ukraine ([link removed])
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by Con Coughlin • February 5, 2023 at 5:00 am
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=ra-52f7af5809191749&ct=1&title=Biden+Cannot+Delay+Sending+Tanks+to+Ukraine [link removed]
* From the outset of the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has calculated that Western support for Ukraine would eventually wane. And, with the Russians reported to be preparing a new spring offensive, any sign of hesitancy by Washington in terms of supporting Ukraine will encourage Putin in the belief that he will meet no meaningful resistance from the Western alliance....
* The Ukrainian military says it is in desperate need of the heavy armour if it is to withstand a new offensive.
* The Pentagon, which has been lukewarm about supplying the tanks from the outset, says the delays are due to the fact that it will need to purchase new Abrams tanks to supply Ukraine because the Defense Department doesn't have any available spares, which seems remarkable given that the US Army and US Marine Corps currently operate nearly 5,000 Abrams.
* The [F-16 fighter jets], just like the tanks, are deemed essential if the Ukrainian military is to stand any chance of withstanding a new Russian offensive. The supply of Western fighters such as the F-16 would significantly enhance Ukraine's war-fighting capability, and would send a strong message to Putin that the West remains committed to ensuring Ukraine ultimately declares victory over Russia.
* As with so many other issues relating to Ukraine, the Biden administration finds itself unable to reach any firm decision about whether or not to accede to Kyiv's request....
* As with the tanks request, it has been left to European politicians to increase the pressure on the Biden administration to respond positively to the Ukraine request for fighter jets, with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson making a direct appeal for Washington to supply warplanes during his recent visit to the US.
* "The faster Putin gets out of Ukraine and the quicker we return to stability and the more powerful the message we send to people like China that the West – America, the U.K. – will not tolerate aggressive attempts to change borders by force," Johnson said.
* Certainly, the Biden administration's constant dithering over its military support for Ukraine is not only demoralising for the brave Ukrainian forces fighting to protect their country from Russian tyranny. It also encourages Putin in the belief that, despite the significant losses he has suffered during the past year, he can ultimately achieve victory.

The Ukrainian military says it is in desperate need of the heavy armour if it is to withstand the new offensive the Russians are said to be planning to launch later this month. Any sign of hesitancy by Washington in terms of supporting Ukraine will encourage Putin in the belief that he will meet no meaningful resistance from the Western alliance. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers operate a T-64 tank in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on February 4, 2023. The Soviet-era T-64 tank has been in service nearly 60 years. (Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden may feel that, by finally authorising the shipment of American tanks to Ukraine, he has demonstrated that he remains committed to the Ukrainian cause. But given the time it will take for the tanks to arrive in Ukraine, it could well prove to be an empty gesture.

Furthermore, with the White House resisting Ukrainian requests for F-16 fighter jets to protect the tanks, Biden risks sending mixed messages about just how committed his administration is to supporting Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invaders.

From the outset of the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has calculated that Western support for Ukraine would eventually wane. And, with the Russians reported to be preparing a new spring offensive, any sign of hesitancy by Washington in terms of supporting Ukraine will encourage Putin in the belief that he will meet no meaningful resistance from the Western alliance as he maintains his barbaric assault against the Ukrainian people.

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** Iran: Selling Family Jewels to Buy Loyalty ([link removed])
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by Amir Taheri • February 5, 2023 at 4:00 am
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* What does an autocrat do when his support base is shaken by popular protests?
* The standard answer is: he tries to reassure supporters by increasing their privileges, thus giving them a bigger stake in the preservation of the status quo.
* Transfer of public assets to chosen supporters has a routine pattern.
* The supporter, usually a senior IRGC officer or a senior mullah, secures a low-interest loan from a state-owned bank to buy a state-owned asset at rock-bottom price. Almost always this is just a formality. Once the asset is acquired, the new owner forms a company and sells parts of its shares to others, making a huge profit. Those who acquire prime real estate make especially big killings.
* One problem remains: will retired or cashiered generals feel confident enough about the regime's future to embark on the recycling scheme offered?

What does an autocrat do when his support base is shaken by popular protests? The standard answer is: he tries to reassure supporters by increasing their privileges, thus giving them a bigger stake in the preservation of the status quo. Pictured: Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi speaks at a rally outside the former US embassy in Tehran, on November 4, 2022. (Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

What does an autocrat do when his support base is shaken by popular protests?

The standard answer is: he tries to reassure supporters by increasing their privileges, thus giving them a bigger stake in the preservation of the status quo.

This is what Islamic Republic's "Supreme Guide" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is trying to do with an edict for the largest privatization scheme in Iran's history.

Unveiled last week, the scheme is the seventh of its kind since the first was launched 23 years ago.

The new scheme offers four novelties:

First, unlike previous schemes it sets no limit to what tangible assets could be sold.

Second, it waives oversight on a case-by-case basis by the Cabinet and the Islamic Majlis (ersatz parliament).

Third, it sets no time limit for the scheme, in effect giving a seven-man coterie the right to sell state assets for as long as they deem fit.

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