France's Involvement: Houthi Drones & US/Europe's Endless Conflicts!!

And welcome to Geopolitical Trends. So excited to be with you on this December 15th. Oh my gosh, where time goes. Is it true, as they say, as we grow older, time goes by faster? So I'm, I'm really don't know now where the year goes by. All of a sudden you find here's the end of 2023. So anyway, excited to be with you here because I got an interesting topic for you. That falls within the realm of my academic background— geopolitics, international relations, global affairs— and, and because it's a reflection of truly when you realize powers, be they great powers or those who play a role on the global stage to a degree, now competing for piece of the pie, because that's all it's all about. So in the case of France The key question we need to ask is really why all of a sudden France is getting involved. Uh, will I use the term dragged? Not necessarily so. So this is what I'm gonna be talking. I'm gonna keep all my thanks to all the new channel members, supporters, and also for those who bought me coffee, including the recent one just happened 20 minutes ago from Alan MCI. Thank you so much for buying me coffee, truly appreciate it. And I will also say thanks to those who got me Super Stickers last time, but it showed up later. So I'm gonna give all of you— give you guys my thanks later on towards the end here. Uh, I want you just to be aware that in this video here, guys, this— today's video, it is, uh, by one of my sponsors here, and it is by the name of Wealth Research Group. So I'm gonna talk briefly about it as I move along because It is part of the conversation as to why France is getting involved. Don't think France is doing it for the goodness of its heart. No, it's business, it's, it's interest, it's strategic, uh, uh, interest for France, that is. And that ties to the financial aspects, which I will talk about in a second here. So, uh, first let me, uh, share the questions with you because you need to know, uh, like I always do, I have to ask you questions. Those are the questions that we all need to ask. I already have my own questions as we move into the analysis aspects of it. So, so the first question is, why is France getting involved? So here you look at where France is, you look out with the Red Sea, you look out where the Houthis are, and why will France go and get involved, shut down those two drones? Okay, maybe if there is a reason for it, and that's what we're going to get into Second thing, could this be a tactic from French government itself, from Macron, to divert attention from the failure of economic, domestic economic policies? Because if you know anything— and I have family in France— if you know anything about France right now, it's chaotic economically speaking. France, the way I used to know it when I was a kid, it's gone. So, so could this be a diversion? Because, yeah, second question is— or third question rather— is this preventing the right wing from winning the upcoming elections? Because you notice there's a right-wing, uh, emergence in Europe, across Europe, not just in France, you know. And what is France's right-wing first order of business if they ever take the helm of power? Can anybody tell me what? It's been stated on the record, by the way. What's her name? She's a representative of the right wing, Marie Le Pen. What did she say publicly? It's disclosed, it's known. If she becomes the president of France, there is one first order of business she's gonna get on right away. So if you know the answer, type it on the chat box and I'm gonna check it out for you. So, and, uh, then the last question we need to think is, okay, was there any talk between the US and France, but the objective was a US strategy to keep France down? Those are legitimate questions we ought to ask as I move forward into our conversation here. So, so, and to all of you who been here the first time, please make sure to subscribe to this channel. I mean, you all know what's going on with YouTube and trying to suppress this channel, whatever. Anyway, we beyond that, we're gonna moving on. I am working on putting together the next platform where we're gonna move some of our conversations. You will be notified in due time. For now, we just keep it as is, uh, and yeah, please just make sure to subscribe to the channel and type in where you are joining me from. I would greatly appreciate it. So, so let's dive in into our this, and I have geography and I have history for you because it's all part of the big picture. So, so just for those who might not know the background story— and by the way, I got the information through French, French, uh, information in French language. I speak French, and I'm going to share it with you and translate for you the part, uh, that's going to make sense to you as to where this is about. Well, here is what was, uh, written in French language, in its original language here. It says, la frégate multimission de la Marine française Languedoc a abattu samedi soir 2 drones Houthis au large du Yémen et en mer Rouge, selon un communiqué de l'armée française. Les drones ont été lancés au Yémen par les Houthis soutenus par l'Iran. Translate to the French Navy multi- mission frigate, its name Languedoc, down to, uh, Houthi drones off the coast of Yemen on Saturday night in the Red Sea, according to a statement from the French military. The drones were launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. So, so that is what the story is all about. So, and I wanted to provide you not about the drones— no, no, no, no, we go beyond that. I wanted to provide you my own assessment, my own analysis as to really what's in it for France, why France is getting all of a sudden, you know, why Germany didn't go, why the UK didn't go. Even the UK is doing something else completely. Why, for example, Italy didn't go but France did. So, and this is where, uh, and by the way, the Central Command also said, our Central Command said, and I quote, The French Navy has announced that the Longue D'Arc multi-mission frigate shot down two Houthi drones in the Red Sea. They wanted to confirm the stuff because usually you hear the information, sometimes it is verified, sometimes it is not. And I'm gonna share with you an image of this, uh, Longue D'Arc because, uh, I was aware of it a few years ago because it was in work for 7 years. That's where, uh, this one here, uh, it's a, it's a very advanced multi-purpose frigate that specializes in anti-submarine warfare. That is its specialty here. It has also carried air defenses, including, uh, the missiles to shut down, uh, planes and of course drones. In that, the ship is part of a relatively new program of frigates building that has seen 8 similar frigates in the French Navy put to sea as part of the same class. And, uh, and this one, by the way, to my, uh, to my knowledge, it started back in about, uh, 2013-14, uh, somewhere around that time where they started the program on all this one. So, so now it's entering a full, uh, uh, service into their Navy. So Now the question is, okay, why France and the Middle East have such a deep lingering past? Because if you ask any, uh, uh, individual who understands the dynamics of international relations, it's going to become the question, well, if you know the history of France's ties to the Middle East, because France was part of the history of the Middle East. This is why it's very important. Mind you that France's special interest in the Middle East is defined also, also by security interests, trade, cultural and social changes. And this has been for over the last few decades, over the last decade— let's just go with the decades— that France has sort of increased its active role across the region. And working to support whatever issues were. If you look at the last decade, what was the main issue that the Europeans and Western powers were dealing with the Middle East, with Iran? It has to do with the nuclear— Iran's nuclear program. Well, France has to play a role into that, not because they care. It's because France, they care about Iran or about the West. No, no, no, they care about the economic incentives Because if you remember, what did France do during the '50s for Iran? Can anybody tell me what happened? I know it's a little bit complicated here, but, uh, France, uh, offered the exil— offered the sanctuary to someone who exiled from Iran uh, back then. Oh, I want to say thank you. Oh, thank you to Harry L. Oh wow, that's, that's so generous of you, Harry. Thank you so much. You gifted 5 Geopolitical Trend membership for those individuals. Thank you so much. This is what I missed last time from Zudrugo. That was— got about 10 memberships. So thank you so much, Harry. Truly, truly appreciate it. And I'm sure the individuals who got this membership are very, very grateful to you. So thank you so much. Uh, so yeah, it was about the Shah, but it was something specific. You're absolutely correct, Muslim Revert, you know, because France was the one that gave, uh, Ayatollah Khomeini not Khamenei, Khomeini, allow him to exile to France. And when he returned, he returned to Iran from Paris. So, uh, France was playing the idea of economic incentives. That is why. That's on one end, on France— on, on Iran. The other one has to do with Lebanon. This is why Lebanese people speak French fluently, because the presence of France over there over time. And I'm gonna get in into all this. And this is where I want to tie in the word from our sponsor, uh, the, uh, about the Wealth Research Group. And this has to do with the financial aspects. And why is this important? And by the way, I do know the president of this entity personally. We spoke on the phone, we talked. Very interesting individual, very savvy, understand the dynamics of global investments and so forth. And this is why he is putting together— this is his own, he's not doing it for any other, any other entity but his own here. This why he's putting alongside a special report that a lot of people have requested. So, and he added a quick review, and I'm going to share with you the link for this one so you'll see it. And let me open up that hyperlink here, and I'm going to share it with you guys. So you can see, uh, and because of, uh, we came to sort of, uh, learn about each other, and he seems to support the channel here and understand the dynamics of what's going on, and he's willing to support, uh, me on this channel here. So, so here's the thing. What Lior, uh, did was, uh, beside this, uh, special report— and I'm going to provide you the links to download The Epic Market for 2024, which by the way I posted for you guys on the, uh, on the community for those who did not see it. So, so as I said, they added a quick link for this. And why is this important? Because the Wealth Research Group, okay, a special report and watch list are designed to tackle the most fundamental, uh, concerns that investors are facing at any moment. So, so the way, uh, the, uh, uh, research group does it is by providing you with potential solutions to understand. So the special report, that's the way for the research group of reaching out to you. And, and that Lior said, and I quote here, we want to put critical reports in your hand when applied correctly. Will increase your wealth substantially. First of all, a special report is wealth derived from new knowledge, then a wealth of new skills and strategies, and lastly suggested action steps, uh, or action steps rather, to take and improve your financial well-being. And like all other publications, the underlying theme is to make you wealthier every day and by also ensuring your wealth doesn't dissipate. So, so the, the list is designed for long-term wealth accumulation. It's the result of sustained research and prolonged patience. World Research Group focuses 100% of the energy on stocks that are compounding monsters. We feature companies that we determine are worth of your time and should be on your radar if you are looking for a safe retirement. And since you are taking a massive action to take control of your own investments and build your own financial fortress, uh, uh, World Research have included all of the special reports and watch lists that they ever published as links so you can save them and become a savvy investor. So And I am sure you are gonna be learning a lot from it, and I am gonna download, uh, the links for you in the description. You have them there and you can check it out. So, all right, let's move on to our conversation. Let me say thank you also to KL. Thank you so much for your Super Sticker, truly appreciate it. It means a lot to me, guys. And by the way, uh, oh, Harry, where is Harry? There he is. Thank you so much. Lebanese, thank you. They are Phoenixes, not Arabic. Thank you very much, Hedy. Truly appreciate your Super Sticker and your sense of humor for that. So, uh, the idea of your support is what I'm going to be counting on moving forward. If I am to be around here for a few more years doing this, without your support it will be nothing. So I want to, I want to be upfront about this one. It's because I've been looking into reducing a little bit of presence on this platform, but you all know why. You all know why. So, and, and for me, I need to give you the full information that I have, and this way you can be aware of what's going on. So, all right, let's move on into our, uh, uh, as I said, you understand just the background of what's going on with all this. So let us tackle First of all, let us tackle geography because we need to understand, uh, the where France is. And I'm sure you guys know where France is, uh, nonetheless we're still gonna have to, uh, I don't like to assume, and that's the whole idea of when you share knowledge. When you share knowledge, you don't assume that everybody knows whatever. So all right, let me share with you. I'm gonna leave this on Where is it? There we go. I'm gonna just leave— let me see if I can make it full picture here for you to see. There we go. So this is, uh, certain areas of France, and I'm gonna leave it where— yeah, it's right there. This all the way here. So we'll do France, then we'll do the Middle East. Western Europe, this is where France is bordering the Bay of Biscay, also the English Channel between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK. It is also bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Spain. So when you look at France today, well, France is one of the sort of modern country in the world. You do not ignore France's history, even though since the era of Charles de Gaulle, when he pulled France out of NATO back in 1966, France been going down. You see different presidents and so forth. Like, as I said, I have family lives there. I'm very, very familiar with the France system. I speak the language there. Uh, so France is not what it used to be, at least when I was a kid. And when I was 10 years old, whatever, France was at its height at that time. So That shows you how old I am, right? So, uh, and it is leader among the European Union nations, because when you think about the EU, who the two countries you think about? Can anybody tell me? There are only two countries. Let me see if you guys can type it here in the chat box. There are only two countries you can think about when it comes down to, uh, Uh, where is it? Right there. Let me see here. Two countries in France— uh, two countries in Europe, rather. That comes when it comes down to Italy and France. No, I disagree with you, Nicholas. I disagree with you. I agree with Omzi. Germany and France. This is because Italy economy is not the same as it is as the one in France or Germany. So, and to realize how much Germany— Italy is so weak, look at just what they did recently when pulling out of the BRI under pressure from the United States. So, so this is where, uh, it tells you where the difference is. And, uh, I don't know why I have this sticker here. All right, let me share. Oh, uh, I want to say thank you to ANATM, thank you very much for your super sticker. Truly appreciate you, appreciate you for that. So let me put back the map for you guys here because you need to see this map and the— as I explained a little bit, the history of France. There we go. All right, why this, uh I have this thing show up here. Oh, it says live viewers, whatever. I don't know how to take that out. It's not moving anyway. So let's, let's move on with what we need to do here. And as I said, uh, so France did play an influential role on global stage at some point. It is not as it used to be, even though it still holds certain key positions, like for example, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a member of NATO, a member of G7, a member of G20, a member of the AU and other multilateral organizations. But at the same time, the influence France used to have is no longer the same as it is today. And remember, France joined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009. Reversing Charles de Gaulle decision back in 1966 when he withdrew France forces from NATO. This is where the fear in France right now from the current government about the right wing if they win the elections, because they don't want to be part of NATO anymore. They don't want to be part of that. This is where the fear. So, and in recent decade, as you may know the history, again The reconciliation and cooperation between Germany and France have proved central to the economic integration of Europe. And this one specifically came to head in January 1991— 1999. What happened again? I want to test your knowledge here. What does this reconciliation and cooperation between France and Germany that introduced something in Europe in January 1999 and still holds till today, something in the financial market. Can you guys type that in? Let me see, because I wanna, you know, I want you to be part of the conversation, guys. That's the whole idea of all this. And, and it was France and Germany that worked on it, but at the same time Oh, you got it, you got it, Nicholas, you got it right. It was the euro. But who was also behind that idea of the euro? It was the United States, because we wanted to ensure that everything will be tied to the dollar. You know, I remember a few years ago, of course before 1999, even when I was a kid, you move to, you move to countries, and I have family scattered in Europe and so forth. You move from Germany to France, I had to sort of convert the money from the French franc to the German mark or Dutch mark. So back then, and things have changed the moment the euro entered the picture. So, but there is another reason also to understand part of the French history, which by the way, in the early of the 21st century We're talking about just recently what happened. 5 French overseas entities, okay? And I'm gonna spell them out for you. The one is, uh, first one, French Guiana in South America, Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, uh, uh, Martinique in the Caribbean, Mayotte in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, and Réunion, Réunion, or Réunion, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa. Well, I take interest in one particular one. Let me share it with you because I need to show you the geography of this particular location. So funny how France still claims sovereignty over this, which to me is problematic. You, you, you shouldn't have that. All right, here's the map. I want to share it with you guys. Share screen. Stop this one. And Comoros. Okay, hold on a second, let me make sure. Oh, oh, not, not that one. I got a different map here for you. It's, uh, it's very, very important to understand, uh, those ones here. It's, uh, how it has been perceived in certain parts of the world that France holds some sort of, uh, uh, I don't know, you want to use the term sovereignty, you want to— it's kind of weird, weird how, how this is, but Uh, yeah, I don't know what it is. Komoros and Mayotte. Yeah, I, I, I can find it. I don't want to waste time, guys, because we need to move on here, so So anyway, I want you to know there were those French, uh, 5 overseas entities, as I mentioned. So now the other aspects of all this is to understand it within the context of French history. Uh, where is it? France map. There we go. All right, let's see, share this with you here because you need to see it. Screen, France map. All right, here it is. And I want you to see this one. We didn't the context of, uh, live. Okay, now when it comes down to the history of France, it has an interesting history that we all know, uh, we, we, we can't ignore because it's very, very important to understand this. And with this history You have to understand the link to it, to the Middle East, for mainly two main other countries, Syria and Lebanon. So, so the mandate for Syria and Lebanon, which started back in 1920— start in 1923 all the way to 1946, which by the way was the League of Nations mandate, which was founded after World War I. And why, why did it happen? Because the part— the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire concerning Syria and Lebanon. So the mandate system was considered the antithesis to colonialism, okay, with the governing country acting as a trustee, meaning France was acting as a trustee when it comes down to Syria, when it comes down to Lebanon. So, so it was until the inhabitants were able to stand on their own And at that point, the mandate will terminate and an independent state will be born. So when the first time the French arrived in Lebanon, the French were received as a liberator by the Christian community. But as they entered Syria, they were faced with a strong resistance. And thus, as a result, the Mandate region was subdivided into 6 states. Yeah, 6 states: Damascus in 1920, Aleppo in 1920, Arawit in 1920, Jabal Druze in 1921, the autonomous sanjak of Alexandretta in 1921, which is a modern-day— it's a Hatay, a location there— and the state of Greater Lebanon in 1920, which became later modern-day country of Lebanon. This is why it's very important. So to understand this, the drawing of these states was based in part on the sectarian makeup of Syria. This is why Syria and Lebanon are sort of intertwined politically, but also religiously and socially. You understand, there are many different sects in Lebanon as there are also in Syria. So, and nearly all Syrian sects were hostile to the French mandate and the division it created, and there were numerous revolts in all of the Syrian state. Like, you look at the Maronite Christians of Mount Lebanon, on the other hand, were also a community with a dream of independence that was, uh, realized under the French. Therefore, Greater Lebanon was the exception to the newly formed states. Uh, it— this goes without saying, historically speaking, which there is a record for it, that uprising in the respective states, French had to face that. And this is why it gave the different ethnic and religious groups in the Levant— that's why we still use the term today, the Levant— their own lands in the hopes of prolonging their rule, which means France, that is. So during this time of the world decolonization, the French hoped to focus on fragmenting the various groups in the region, so the local population will not focus on larger nationalist movements to dispose of colonial rule. This is why it's very important, and I am going to be providing you a link to this historical record here, should you decide to read it yourself. So I will be happy to share this with you. All right, let me see where you add this one here. There we go. Now we need to understand the, uh the history or, or the geography of the greater Middle East or Western Asia. Once again, it's very important to understand this one here. So let me share one link with you on the geography part of it, then we'll move into the history. And I put the link between the two as far as, uh, the link between why France end up attacking Houthis or, uh, downing the, uh, the drone. So, so here's a map of the Middle East with all the countries. Of course, let me make this bigger. All right, I don't know why I— guys, I keep seeing this, uh on the screen here, but, but it's okay. Add to stage. There we go. All right, let's talk about Middle East. It include, of course, 18 countries. Now, there are some countries, whether you call them as sovereign states or not, it's your decision. Be at this point I'm just sharing with you the information. So Middle East includes 18 countries, you know, they include— I'm gonna go, uh, alphabetically here so it makes it easier. You're looking at Bahrain, as you see on the map there, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic or Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Now this is where comes tricky part. The wording of it depends again where you look. Sometimes the definition of the Middle East is extended to include the concept of the Greater Middle East that includes Afghanistan, Comoros, Djibouti, Maghreb, Pakistan, Sudan, and Somalia. Middle East, uh, uh, includes Middle East that is, include countries that share common factors like ethnic groups, geographic features, religious beliefs, and political history. It's very, very, very important to understand these dynamics. And of course, it goes without saying that the Middle East is also known as Western Asia. There are certain historical references where the term is used, you know. So far I've been aware of that. I have— I didn't use it much in all the books that I wrote about the Middle East. I referred as Middle East, but the term Western, uh, Asia, it, it's a part of it. It is part of that. So, so, so here's the interesting aspects of all this one here. And again, I will provide you, uh, uh, the whole, uh, analysis about a whole link— I'm sorry— about all this one here. So, so you think about the question: why is France and the Middle East have such a deep tie? They do, because remember, we entered World War II. As a matter of fact, history shows that if it weren't for the Soviet Union at that time, World War II, uh, would not be won. And even it was the Soviet Union that won World War II, not the US. We end up claiming, we end up taking credit fully. When I was in Poland, I went to a cemetery and I saw a section of it. I wish I would have kept that picture. Section of the cemetery, and it has just Russian Soviet soldiers with no names, with nothing except with their— with on the tombstone there's the Soviet flag. That's about it. So, because we all know who defeated those from Germany back in Poland, it was only because the Soviet Union entered the war that the United States went in. Otherwise, we would have not gone. So when you think about geographical proximity, you think about the historical ties, you think about the cultural and social exchanges that takes part between France, sort of, and the Middle East, you're going to end up with two key things that they are very, very crucial to France: economics and security. So, and this also has to do with two other things, or one main thing is the regional competition that is increasingly sort of putting or pushing France to do some calculations When I say calculations, I'm referring geopolitical one. Look no further than what just happened in Niger in Africa. France being kicked out, which means what? Strategic interest for France and now have to diminish. That means France will have to look elsewhere. So you look at what we did to France with Australia regarding the submarine contract. We stabbed France in the back and we took the contract away from them. It was about, what, I think about a billion dollar or so. So that tells you right there the involvements of France in downing those drones, which, by the way, I could go as far as testing the weapons with this new, uh, naval frigate Why not? Because here is what's going on right now in the conflicts in the Middle East. So many new weapons have been tested, like in any other conflict. And that's why I post for you in the community— I don't know if you saw it or not— that there is a debate right now in Washington as to expediting weapons to Israel. So, so what is driving the French policy? Because here's the question, as a geopolitical analyst, I have to ask. I know I asked you questions at the beginning, and as I said, I will have other questions. Those are much more deeper into really seeing the big picture, which I'm trying to share with you. That's the whole objective of all this. So, so it becomes, as an analyst, you ask, what is driving French policy? Why all of a sudden getting involved in downing Houthis? How do you think Houthis gonna think about it? How they gonna be looking at France? And even if France has a policy that is driven by whatever, how successful it has been in recent years? Have you ever heard about France doing something extraordinary on the global stage? None. France has to bow to the United States. You know, I don't shy away from saying it. As a matter of fact, all Europe— I, I take one exception to one guy so far. His name is Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, even though Hungary sided with the US in going against the ceasefire. But again, you can lump everything in— no, no, no, no, no, no. Everything has its own And, and I still stand by my conviction regarding Orbán pushing for the interest of his people first, not the EU. As a matter of fact, now he is challenging the €50 billion that the European Union wants to give to Ukraine, and he's saying no. Have you heard any other leader in Europe saying something like that? No, they all are wimps. They all are wimps, including Macron himself, despite what you hear. Oh, we got to support humanitarian then. Nonsense, nonsense. Is because the French Jews inside France will exert power, but also the fear is from the rising right, the far right, that if they took power, they're going to pull France out of NATO. If you only know the economic conditions inside France— I have family, I talk— it's very bad. So that's my question. Second thing is, what is France hoping to achieve through this, this, uh, engagements against the Houthis? What is the point? You want to show off your missiles? That's fine, okay. But do you know the consequences of your action? No. The third question, as an analyst, you're gonna have to think is, well, if there is this action on the, on, on, on, on the Red Sea, in the Red Sea, or some other parts of the world, what is the link between the domestic and foreign policy of France for it to engage? Because that's how you decide on policy. You have to calculate the risk. You have to understand the strategic interests. So in the case of France, where is, where is the link? And the other question that is remain also is what role defense diplomacy does play into all this. When I see defense policy, I'm referring also to the sale of weapons. Is France did this to show clients in the Middle East that it has some advanced missiles. Why? Because the Middle East buys mainly from the US. They do buy from France, they do buy from Italy, they do buy from Czechoslovakia, they do buy from China, they do buy from Germany, and they buy also from France. No, and this is where I'm gonna ask one last question, is how now France involvement in this will be perceived by European countries. They're gonna say, who cares for France? Because that is where the challenge is. So, and like I said, France has always had an active presence in the Middle East, and that's not only because of what happened with the JCPOA, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or regarding the Iran nuclear program, because France played a major role. They wanted it to succeed because Peugeot— you know Peugeot, the car Peugeot manufacturer— wanted to have plants in Iran. It's all about financial. That is the reason why. And when things went sour after we unilaterally withdrew from JCPOA, violating all international norms regarding business transactions, France start to feel like, okay, we're left with nothing. And of course, after what took place in Australia with the submarine deal, they said, okay, we can't, you know. But even with all this, France still can do squat. I'm gonna say it. Or Europe, for that matter. There is the reason why I asked you the first question: is the U.S. strategy to maintain Europe under its time. I mean, in US time. What do you guys think? So you look at the conflict in Libya. I'm gonna take you back a few years ago. Libya— who do you think was really pushing for that? It was NATO, was the US. France got involved, but France also got sucked in into that, because if you know that most of the jet fuel for Europe, entire Europe. Where was coming from? It was coming from Libya because of proximity. This is why you see in France pushing for some cooperation with Gulf States— United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and so forth. Usually for Kuwait and Bahrain, they're too small. You think about United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, you know, mainly especially in Saudi Arabia— in, I'm sorry, in, uh, United Arab Emirates. Why? Because the US— France, rather, went ahead and built the equivalency of Louvre Museum. You all know about Louvre, right? Uh, let me see if I can find a picture of Louvre Museum. Oh, I still have this picture. No, Louvre Museum, because, uh, let me see if there is one here. Louver. And I used to, anytime I go back home visit the family, I will go to Louver just to take a look, see what's new as far as art and all that. Uh, no, I don't have picture here, so let's, let's move on. Uh, and I'm gonna share story with you that happened to me in Louver, believe it or not. A few years ago, it was, if I'm not mistaken, it was 2006, I went over and to visit with the family, of course, and all that. And at that time, a brother who passed away, and I said, well, let's go to Louvre Museum because we always go. He always liked art and so forth. So, so we went in and, and I, I know we entered into this. I said, well, he told me, hey, I'm gonna step outside to smoke. He was a smoker. And I said, sure, you go smoke and I'll see you when you get back. So I was just waiting. In the meantime, I wanted to ask the receptionist because Louvre is so huge, big. And it was one new section, uh, called where the painting of Delacroix— if you know who Delacroix is, Delacroix is, uh, is a painter. As a matter of fact, I have a picture here, I'm gonna show it to you guys. This is my picture in Louvre, and this picture here, the back of women that was naked, this was was drawn by Delacroix. This one was back in the 18th century. That's how old that picture is. I mean, not me, it's the drawing of that. Anyway, I told that receptionist and I said, can you please tell me where the section Delacroix? She said, she said in French, she said, you go over there and make a left. Well, Louvre is so big, I spoke English, I'll admit it, at the first. Her colleague who was standing there, she told her in French, she said, "You told him the wrong direction." And guess what that receptionist answer her by saying, "Oh, he's like those damn stupid Americans. He'll find his way." And I got upset. I tell you, I lost it. I'm a very respectful guy. You brush me the wrong way, I'll let you have it. So I lost it with her, and I swore— I'll admit it, you know, usually I lost my temper— because what bothered me the most, not because I'm an American, whatever, how about if you look at me just as a human being regardless? And that's what I did not appreciate. And I said, listen, ma'am, I do not appreciate what you're saying, and I will speak French to you. And of course, her face became so red that she was shocked to find out that I understood what she said. I said, here's what we're gonna do. I give you two options. You either call the general manager of Louvre, or I'm gonna turn this into an international incident. You know why? Because France's economy, to a degree, depends on tourism. Can you imagine if you turn something like this to an international incident? I understood how the French system works. And at that time, it used to be Jacques Chirac, the former French president. He used to be the mayor of Paris. I know where la mairie, the city hall, is. My family lives in France, so I know Paris very well. So the general manager came in and I said, ma'am, I do not appreciate this. She said, what happened? And I said, well, All it was a question. No need for that kind of attitude and all that, because after all, if it weren't for us Americans, you would have been speaking German. Oh my gosh, that just sent everybody on the roof. Why am I sharing all this with you guys? Is to highlight to you the importance of why France had to collaborate with Germany over time. So, and of course, that general manager, she was dressed in blouse, well dressed. Spoke perfect English, and I did tell her, were you educated in England? Because I could hear the British accent there. She said, yes sir, and she escorted me all the way to where the Lakarwa is. And anything else, sir? I said, no thank you, man, I appreciate it. And that was it, you let it go. So, so anyway, that's my story for, uh, why I wanted to share with you. Of course, all this happened and my brother didn't know what was happening because he wasn't smoking. Now let's go back to the Middle East and France together. And because here's the thing, France is realizing it's losing grip on its influence on the global stage. And it is, it is. Like I always say, if you heard me this, you heard me saying this before, guys, the only three countries that matter in the world China, Russia, the US. End of story. You know, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, whatever, whatever— none. So straightforward. And of course, France is now concerned also with Iran's missile technology because it is upgraded. I mean, you all recall when the US shut— I'm sorry, when Iran shut down a US drone. Can anybody remember that story? Can you tell me what drone was that? I do have a picture of it, I'll share it with you. Yeah, I don't know if you will remember this story, guys, or not. So this one, this, this is an RQ-4. Known as Global Hawk and, uh, and mass surveillance. It's a recon, but it was shut down by Iran. So that was a few years ago. Okay, it was another one that the concern was about because Iran went ahead and reverse engineered one of the drones that they took down, and I have a picture of it. Here's the picture. Look in the back. Look here, guys, in the back. This one here is a US model. Iran took it and reverse engineered it. And by the way, which flag do you see here? Can you guys see? Can you tell me which flag is that? Which country? Because this one is not— let me, let me hear, let me see your answer first. Yeah, which flag is this? I don't know if the picture is clear enough for you to see or not. Uh, Syria? No. Iraq? No. India? No, it's not. No, it's not. Where's the flag? It's right here at the front. If you look at the front of this drone You got it, you got it, Chill. You got it, man. It's Yemen, because that is what the Houthis are using. So of course those are Iranian models, but this been transferred. You got it, Dr. Muhammad. Where, where are you, Doc? Dr. Muhammad K, you got it, it's Yemen. So my whole point in all this is to highlight to you the idea of Why France is now— it's not doing this because they care. They are concerned about, uh, left without a piece of the pie. This whole conflict in the Middle East, it's all about strategic interests, no more, no less. And this is where France is very, very concerned about all this one here. And that is why It's not going to bode well for France. So mind you that France has always been visiting Israel. When I say visiting, I am referring to military ships. They've been doing trips. I was aware of one, uh, to Haifa back in 2019. Yeah, it was a particular warship, France's warship. That docked in Haifa. It was in 2019, so— but it was a routine visit because it's not the first time. They always go there. Remember France's presence or involvements in Lebanon. This is why you have to understand, uh, uh, there's a whole link between France and, and the, and, and the Middle East writ large, even though the Western power in the Middle East now is, is going down. US dominance is going down. So the moment that era is closed, France will have— if France thinks that, well, now the US is out of the picture, we're gonna— no, no, the Middle Eastern countries cannot trust the West anymore after what they just saw now, the double standard and the hypocrisy. They can't. So, so, and this is why those visits by those French ships were very important for sort of the bilateral relations between Israel and, and France. This is why I shared with you that picture of Macron with, uh, uh, uh, Bibi and Netanyahu together. So, and that's also wanted to ensure that France has presence in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, France has, uh, some sort of a base, small base in, in the Gulf. And this, uh, if I recall, it was in, uh, not, uh, not Kuwait. I think it was Bahrain, if I'm not mistaken. So, so the French role in Middle East is sort of for security reasons because of their interest. There are a lot of French companies that doing business in, in, in, in the Middle East and all that. So, so the interception of these drones or the downing of those Houthi drones, the two of them, sort of in, in the Red Sea, highlights this importance. France is willing to take an extra step, but that extra step could backfire on it given that where the country is economically. So, you know, and this is where, uh, France is kind of Uh, what we're gonna do? We don't— they just reacting to event as they move forward. So, and this is why you have, uh, the French president saying, well, we're gonna have to provide some humanitarian assistance, uh, especially when the French president Emmanuel Macron dispatched the helicopter carrier Dixmude to serve as a hospital ship. Of the coast of Egypt because of the border, the Gaza, it's closer. Yeah. And even he's saying, and I quote, 'Thanks to our doctors, our military, our diplomats, and our partners together in solidarity,' end of quote. You all know, you and I know, it's nothing but hypes. The Western world won't be able to move an inch. For the right reasons, because they won't. So, and this is why France is going to find itself entangled in something— the last thing they need. I'm not saying that the Houthis is gonna go ahead and attack France. That would be, that would be stupid. You don't do that. Suffice it just to see and have clear read of where the landscape is. No, because Houthis are increasing their, their, their, their operations in the Red Sea. So despite what you hear, all the international community, you, you all heard what Secretary of State said, what Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor, saying, which is nothing but hypes. Speaking of national security and Secretary of State, be on a lookout for a video I'm going to release about a secret meeting that took place at State Department. I wouldn't want to say much till I release the video, you guys. Of course, the great platform of YouTube is gonna— whatever, shame on you. Anyway, so we all know now where it's gonna be, is that for the first time Western media now started to think in terms of how they perceive Houthis. Because remember, during the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthis, what did the West do? They were supporting Saudi Arabia. They were supporting United Arab Emirates. Nobody stood by the Yemeni people when they were starved because Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates put blockade on humanitarian aid. So to Houthis, they don't care whatever the Western saying. Even now, as I said, Western media now is using the term strategic danger. I put this in quote because that's their word. Yeah, Houthis won't care. They are fierce fighters and they're going to move forward. They don't care what the West is saying. That's just how it works. So, so the bottom line to all this, what I want you guys to get out of all this one here, is that for France, it just seeking opportunities to stay relevant on the global stage. That's all. There is nothing else to it. And of course, after what happened in, in Africa being kicked out. It's over. It is over for France. It has been over for a while. So that is the— that's where the difference is. All right guys, let me see your questions. I'm gonna take a question or two here. And by the way, be on a lookout for that video tomorrow, guys. Either tomorrow or next day. So, uh, oh, that's an interesting question. Uh, Francis Tango, that's an interesting question. Dr. O, where will the Middle East go in the future? I meant that peace is still possible there. Yeah, of course, but the problem is some in the West do not want to see peace in the Middle East because peace means less profit for this Western and more developments for the locals. They don't want that. They want to maintain— they, the West, want to maintain the balance. But you have to understand what's behind all this, behind the scenes. And behind the scenes are entities you will never hear about, you will never see, you will never, uh, come to, you know, to They, they won't appear. They're behind the scenes. That's the reason why. So where it's going to be now is the Middle East is coming to grip with the reality. And this reality is this, that the West has never been a good advocate for the well-being of the Middle Eastern people. You know, I wrote extensively on the Middle East. I've been there on the ground with the average people. I sat on the floor and ate with them. With my bare hands and, and, and just to understand the ins and outs of how people think in the Middle East. They're saying their lives for the last 50 years hasn't improved much. It was just for the elites over there, but those elites were in cahoots with the West. Now the dynamics are changing. Countries are shifting east, and with the shift comes like creation of other opportunities. Like I said last time, What would you take? Would you take $100 billion in investments and ventures, or will you— would you take $100 billion in conflict? The choice is clear. So, so for the peace, yes, is achievable in Middle East if we let it be, but we will always find a conflict or another to ensure that things are extended. Because what is the purpose of it? Is to extend conflicts beyond. It's not about winning a war. This is what you're seeing now, what's going on in, in, in, uh, in, in, in, in Gaza, what's going on right now. You know, of course the Israeli forces won't be able to fight on their own. They can't, they're too weak. They can't without the US. They won't move an inch. But also the US understands what it's getting itself into, and we have been for the last 50, 60, 70 years. So, so, and, and, and I believe the Middle East is going east, has been. And, and I've, I've, I've been watching this for years and came to the conviction that, that it is moving east for the better of its people. All right, let me go back to the top here and see if there are questions there. And by the way, guys, for those, uh, once again, those who wants to support the channel, uh, which I am very grateful to you, but again, it's because of you that I'm here. If there's no support from you, I'm gone. So I'm, I'm thinking about it long term, I'm thinking strategically. So, and if I am to move certain conversations to other places and so forth. I gotta figure out everything. Even, even Rumble itself has been hacked recently. I know you don't hear much about it, but it has. So it's back to normal, whatever. But to me, it was a message. That's what it was. So, but your support means a lot. I truly appreciate it, guys. All right, let me see a question from any of you. Oh, Dr. Muhammad, Dr. Muhammad, thank you, thank you so much, man. Truly appreciate it, truly, truly appreciate it. You wrote, thank you for the work you do, Professor. As a physician, I am deep in despair to see our governments are as incompetent as usual. When will Arab and Africans unite? Africa can be one of the most powerful and richest nation. I couldn't agree with you more. I couldn't agree with you more, Doc. It's because the natural resources. Africa has something the rest of the world— I'm not say it, I feel comfortable— the rest of the world doesn't have. You know what it is? Let me ask you guys, let me ask you, what does Africa has that the rest of the world does not have? And, and, and it becomes clear to me, and we look at Africa as a continent, let's not— let's compare it to other continents. What does Africa has that other continents don't. Little bit, uh, in, in Latin America, but not as much. So thank you so much, Dr. Muhammad, uh, uh, K, I truly appreciate your kind support. So, oh, Ali, Ali, Ali Salman, thank you so much for your kind support. I really, really appreciate it. To all of you guys, no exception. Julia, Julia, thank you so much for your Super Sticker. Julia, by the way, just became a channel, uh, uh, member, channel support, whatever. He became a channel member. So thank you so much, Julia. Truly appreciate you for your support. It means a lot, and it means a lot to see a female really interested in geopolitics and so forth. You know, usually you hear man, and so, so good to have you here. Thank you so much. Truly appreciate it. Yeah, let me, let me see the answer to that question, guys. What does Africa as a continent have that other continents don't, and it's to its advantage? And this ties to what Dr. Muhammad Kumay said. Let me see here. Uh, minerals, that's for sure. Gold, that's for sure. Natural resources, for sure. Uranium for sure, cobalt for sure. There is one key element, if you don't have it, you have nothing. Resources strong, black people, that's true. But what— yeah, uh, you guys got it. Diamonds, true. Rare minerals, true. Lions, true. Rare earth, true. Human power. The youth in Africa is vibrant. The manpower that Africa has, which with the resources, you can only imagine what the country will be. This is what I always give the example for India. India has a lot of people, right? But the massive poverty and the lack of infrastructure because the government is not utilizing the human capital. Africa has a human capital and natural resources of all sorts. Just imagine, just imagine what they can do once those are combined with the right infrastructure, which by the way China is building for them in return for access to some of that natural resources. It's a win-win. When Western countries go, they exploit. Look what France was doing in Niger. Getting uranium from there, selling it for $230 a pound. Why the, uh, people in Niger getting what, a dollar or two? How fair is that? That is my point, guys. Human capital. It's because it's a vibrant population, and if you give them the opportunity, if you create the infrastructure— and of course you have to get rid of that corruption that exists from the old mentality. It is my belief that African leaders who've been in power for a long time need to go. They need to go. Lead the young generation like the likes of Ibrahim Traoré. You know, he's doing it better for his country that his predecessor didn't. And now you saw— that's why I posted for you in the community what the US is saying. It's because we knew. That's why we never declared the coup. It was always strategic. But like I put in the, in the thumbnail, be careful. That was my hint to Ibrahim Traoré if he ever gets to see that. So, so that is what it is, guys. Uh, it's, it's— but all your answers are spot on from from mineral for batteries to cocoa to gold to you name it, you name it, to lions. Yes, you're absolutely correct. It's just the idea of understanding Africa can, can, and it should. There's always that saying that Africa has been forgotten. Well, of course, for us when it comes down to foreign policy, because we never care. We only care about having access to extract those natural resources and keep the population down. Because when a population becomes educated and thrives economically, that doesn't bode well for others who are thinking, uh, ill about or thinking bad about those countries, wanted to keep them down. This is where I see Europe making that big mistake by allowing itself to stay under the thumb of the US. Yeah, it's my country, I have to criticize my country. That's what a right citizen does. I will not say just, oh, my country is great when things are good, but when my country does wrong, I can't stay quiet. That's the duty of every citizen, not just me, anybody with conscience, because that's the right thing to do. And, and, and to me, it's kind of like I told you guys, I made a commitment to the whole community, meaning you, about this. This becomes part of what I do. It's because you realize, you ask yourself, what are you here for? What is your objective? If it is just about waking up, eating, sleep, and What kind of existence is that? Really, what kind of existence is that if you couldn't step outside and think about the greater good? Yeah, you're not going to change the world overnight. What it takes is ideas. We are right here in this community. Can you imagine? Just imagine this, guys. If we are now whatever, how many numbers there, can you imagine if this community become a million people? They all thinking in the right direction. They all understanding global affairs the right way, analyzing information succinctly for them to reach a conclusion that will benefit not just them, their families, but the whole community at large. Just imagine for that. Yeah, that is where That is where the difference is. So, all right. Oh, who wrote this one here? Oh, MJ, who the— no, I'm sorry, not this one here. It's right here. Uh, you wrote, somebody needs to get Ibrahim from Niger to see this video. Yeah, maybe Heck, I'll be happy to give him advice for free if, if, if he puts the welfare of his people first. Because power corrupts. You have to make sure of that for you guys in your daily life. Just look at people when they get a little bit of power, how they behave. Power corrupts. If you don't keep an eye on yourself, it becomes a problem. So All right, I'll see one last question and I'm gonna sign off here, guys. Uh, I'm scrolling up just to see if there is question. And once again, thank you all for your support, it means a lot. Speaking of support, I am gonna give a shout out to, uh, the people that I said I will, because that's my word and my word is my bond. So those who bought me coffee, I'm gonna give a shout out to Habib Saleh. And Digo, D-G-O-E-I, I don't know how to pronounce that one. Richard Drag 88 and Hong Wong, those the last people that they bought me coffee. So thank you so much for that, truly appreciate it. I also want to give a shout out to the Super Sticker, uh, individuals and start with Ranking T, KL, Osiris Great, Alessandra and Alan MCI, thank you all for your super sticker because you guys posted last time and after I signed off I didn't see it till, till it was after. So I kind of didn't see it at that time and I like to, uh, to say thanks to those who— to all of you. It just, it makes sense to, to do that because it's the right thing to do. Uh, the last individuals I want to say, uh, uh, thanks to, which by the way it was Heidi Gill who bought them the membership. So it was Jasmine Masovic, Virgil Jacob, and Liz Casperi, and Partha P, and then another member by the name E or letter E. And of course the last person here I mentioned earlier is Julia Gulya. Thank you so much. Oh, So you guys, those who got the membership from Hairy Lookout, make sure you send him a word of thanks because that's so generous of him to do this for you guys, really. And that's what it is, it's a community. I want you to know one thing, guys, and I mean it. You know, you know me, I don't just say words for the sake of saying them. If I don't deliver, I won't say it. I will pay it forward. Because that's how it works in life. So, all right guys, I wish you a good afternoon, a rest of your day, evening, whatever part of the world you are in, and I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys, bye-bye.