Tag "Imperial Hubris"
I just saw this really interesting piece of news from Reuters. Reporting about the air and artillery strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan Reuters wrote: Dismissing reports the raids hit villages, Turkey’s General Staff said its targets were fixed “after it was established that they were definitely not civilian residential areas.” The three-hour offensive, reported to involve 50 fighter jets, also included ground forces shelling suspected positions of the Kurdistan Workers Party
by Ray McGovern Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is at her mushroom-cloud hyperbolic best, and this time Iran is the target. Her claim last week that “the policies of Iran constitute perhaps the single greatest challenge to American security interests in the Middle East and around the world” is simply too much of a stretch. To gauge someone’s reliability, one depends largely on prior experience. Sadly, Rice’s credibility suffers in
Rick Moran A new Zogby poll out today shows that 52% of likely voters would support a strike against Iran to prevent them from building nuclear weapons. Another 53% believe it “likely” that such an attack will take place before the next election: Democrats (63%) are most likely to believe a U.S. military strike against Iran could take place in the relatively near future, but independents (51%) and Republicans (44%)
More Than 755,000 on US Terrorist Watch List (AFP) The US terrorist watch list includes more than 755,000 names and continues to grow, the US Government Accountability Office said Wednesday.The list exploded from fewer than 20 entries before the September 11, 2001 attacks to more than 150,000 just a few months later, after the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) was created in December 2003 to keep tabs on terrorist suspects, according
(AP) – Hezbollah’s deputy leader warned the U.S. on Sunday against setting up a military base in Lebanon, saying the guerrilla group would consider such a move “a hostile act.” Sheik Naim Kassem’s warning came days after a senior Pentagon official said the U.S. military would like to see a “strategic partnership” with Lebanon’s army to strengthen the country’s forces so that Hezbollah would have no excuse to bear arms.
Mohamad Shmaysani The nervous expressions of US Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffery Feltman Thursday morning did not achieve its goals. On that day, Feltman was seen on television screens in a tense mood lashing out at the Assair daily, for asking the Lebanese government to officially deny any “involvement in an unbalanced relation with the enemy’s top ally, which will be suicidal”, Assafir said. The daily raised in its report the
(PRESS-TV) – The US plans to build an air base in northern Lebanon, in an area which borders Syria and is hardly 140 km from Damascus, sources say. The American air base will also be located 22 air miles (40 km) from Tartous, Syria’s main naval base and the Russian Mediterranean fleet’s command center. “According to US plan six military bases will be set up, three in Iraq, one in
To find out, simply watch this excellent video produced by Alternate Focus (and thanks to Curt for brining it to my attention!)——-
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US Senate Monday passed a mammoth 648 billion dollar defense policy bill, shorn of attempts by disappointed anti-war Democrats to dictate President George W. Bush’s Iraq strategy. The bill included around 128 billion dollars for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate. The legislation passed by 92 votes to three after Democrats lost several attempts to dictate US troop levels
Washington – US lawmakers voted Wednesday to split Iraq into a loose federation of sectarian-based regions and urged President George W Bush to press Iraqi leaders to agree. More than 20 Republicans joined Democrats to pass the non-binding measure in the Senate, 75-23, showing frustration in both parties about Bush’s war policy and lagging national reconciliation in Iraq. Supporters of Iraqi partition believe it would let Shia, Sunni and Kurdish
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US Senate is expected to vote as early as Tuesday on a Bosnia-style plan to subdivide Iraq on ethnic lines, touted by backers as the sole hope of forging a federal state out of sectarian strife. Though the measure is non-binding, and would not force a change in President George W. Bush’s war strategy even if it passes, the vote will provide a key test of
(taken from the blog Tangible Info) INTERPRETER: The president is reciting verses from the Holy Koran in Arabic. (Not translated.) PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: Oh, God, hasten the arrival of Imam al- Mahdi and grant him good health and victory, and make us his followers and those who attest to his (rightfulness ?).Distinguished Dean, dear professors and students, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, I would like to extend my greetings to
Below is the transcript of the introductory remarks to President Ahmadinejad (taken from the Tangible Info blog). I have added some short comments inside this text. MR. BOLLINGER: I would like to begin by thanking Dean John Coatsworth and Professor Richard Bulliet for their work in organizing this event and for their commitment to the School of International and Public Affairs and its role — (interrupted by cheers, applause) —
Did a non-member of the IAEA really attack an IAEA member in early September? The Times Online has published an interesting story which claims that the Israeli Air Force overflight of Syria in early September was part of a complex military operating aimed at seizing and destroying nuclear materials shipped from the DPRK to Syria: Israeli commandos from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit – almost certainly dressed in Syrian uniforms
by John Byrne President Bush’s former United Nations ambassador John Bolton said the United States would stand behind a pre-emptive strike by Israel against countries developing “WMD facilities.” In his remark, printed in Tuesday’s edition of the Israeli daily Yediot Achronot, Bolton directly referenced Iran. “The greatest concern is to prevent Iran and other countries in the region from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Bolton said, according to JTA.org, a Jewish news
WASHINGTON: The U.S. has a 14-ton super bomb more destructive than the vacuum bomb just tested by Russia, a U.S. general said Wednesday. The statement was made by retired Lt. General McInerney, chairman of the Iran Policy Committee, and former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. McInerney said the U.S. has “a new massive ordnance penetrator that’s 30,000 pounds, that really penetrates … Ahmadinejad has nothing in
By Paul Craig Roberts The US economy continues its slow death before our eyes, but economists, policymakers, and most of the public are blind to the tottering fabled land of opportunity. In August jobs in goods-producing industries declined by 64,000. The US economy lost 4,000 jobs overall. The private sector created a mere 24,000 jobs, all of which could be attributed to the 24,100 new jobs for waitresses and bartenders.
by Patrick Cockburn It was supposed to mark a decisive new phase in America’s military campaign, but six months after George Bush sent in 20,000 extra troops, Iraq is more chaotic and dangerous than ever. In a special despatch, Patrick Cockburn reports on the bloody failure of ‘the surge’ The war in Iraq passed a significant but little remarked anniversary this summer. The conflict that President George Bush announced was
Frankly, even I cannot imagine that the Imperial High Command could be that stupid. But then, considering the stage of high panic which the Neocons have obviously reached, maybe there is basis to this insane plan after all? FYI – here is the news item which caught my eye: US to deploy int’l force in Gaza The United States is to deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip so as
