Pausing… Armageddon?

Based on where this war was being waged – the Middle East – your Eyewitness figured President Trump wasn’t just FIGURATIVELY threatening Armageddon but the real thing: the last battle between good and evil!! He’d promised to bomb Iran “into the Stone Age” if they didn’t comply with his demand that they allow all ships to pass freely through the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday!! But there it was at the last minute – after promising “a whole civilisation will die tonight”, he announced that Iran had caved in and ships laden with their cargoes of oil that keep the world’s factories humming could now zip through without fear!!
Iran, however, had another take on what transpired!! They announced mockingly that Trump had just produced another TACO – “Trump Always Chickens Out”!! They pointed to their 10-point plan that would be the basis of negotiations starting Friday in Pakistan and which Trump described as a “workable basis on which to negotiate”. Your Eyewitness feels that’s a remarkably optimistic assessment – seeing that the demands are precisely what the Yanks have been literally up in arms about!!
Without interpreting, let’s look at the Iranian demands in their own words: “In this plan, America is fundamentally committed to guaranteeing non-aggression; the continuation of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz; the acceptance of uranium enrichment; the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions; the termination of all resolutions of the Security Council and the Board of Governors; the payment of Iran’s damages; the withdrawal of US combat forces from the region; and the cessation of war on all fronts, including against the heroic Islamic Resistance of Lebanon.” WOW!!!
Now, right off the bat we gotta point out that Israel ain’t even part of even the negotiating team – and they’ve merrily violated the last condition by insisting Lebanon’s not part of the truce!! Less than twelve hours after Trump’s announcement, they launched what they boasted was the “largest coordinated strike targeting more than 100 Hezbollah command centres and military sites”!! Hundreds are said to’ve died – which the Iranians will be duty-bound to avenge!!
But the biggest stumbling block will be whether President Trump’s gonna concede control of the Strait of Hormuz to Iran – since this was his primary goal for launching the war against them!! According to Reuters – “Under the two-week ceasefire framework, all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz will be subject to a $2 million fee under a ‘controlled transit’ system coordinated with the Iranian armed forces.” This will mean the US is back to square one on a strategic choke point through which 20 per cent of the world’s energy supply transits!!
From where your Eyewitness sits, this war looks like it’s gonna remain frozen for a while longer!!

…Suriname’s arrogance
Your Eyewitness was pleased the GCCI supported the Upper Corentyne Chamber by blasting the Surinamese for covetously imposing excessive charges on their cargoes of timber and aggregate floating down the Corentyne River. They followed your Eyewitness’ suggestion that we cease all cooperation with them on the Corentyne Bridge – and also cooperation in their offshore O&G industry that’s about to take off!!
At the funeral of Suriname’s former President – Santokhi – Guyana’s Pressie lauded him for being a good friend of Guyana who saw the Corentyne River as a tool for unity rather than division!! All true. But let’s not forget he wasn’t able to move his Government to offer our fishermen a guaranteed number of fishing licences for the river!! Under Suriname’s system of governance, the Opposition that’s now the Government must’ve used their control over the bureaucracy to block the licences!!
Suriname can’t have it both ways – claim total ownership of the Corentyne River AND of the new River Triangle. Let’s settle this once for all!! ICJ arbitration!!

…Caricom’s SG appointment
PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar condemned the “surreptitious and odious process” used by Caricom leaders to reappoint Barnett as SG. She said she was constructively “disinvited” when she wasn’t asked to stay behind after the formal HOG meeting!!