Wolves In The City

Plight of Kurdish Refugees In Iraq

2012-02-02T03:10:00.000-08:00

Thousands of Kurds who fled when Assad's forces crushed uprising in Qamishli eight years ago, still live in camps. Clip HERE.

James Joyce Was Born 130 Years Ago Today

2012-02-02T03:07:00.000-08:00

Taliban Momentum Not Broken

2012-02-02T02:31:00.000-08:00

"You'd kill 15 or 20 of them, and then five minutes later, there was another 15 or 20 of them trying to attack you again. I mean, we'd kill so many that we went black on ammo, pretty much, and we just had to stop and wait," said Goodell. "They're motivated. I tell my soldiers this exact same thing: If they were to come into our country, into the United States of America, and they were walking in your front yard, what would you do? Damn right I would fight you, and then I'd find all my friends and we'd fight you, and then I'd find their friends, and then we'd come and fight you. And after I died, my son and their sons and their friends' sons would all come fight you. Of course. We're in their backyard." More.

Iraq-Style Ramp-Up Of Stories On Iran

2012-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Some observers believe the planned European and US oil embargoes, due to come into effect five months from now with potentially severe implications for the Iranian economy, along with a military build-up in the region, could themselves raise the risk of miscalculation on all sides.
"I don't think they are playing Iran anything like as well as they think they are," said Richard Dalton, a former British ambassador to Tehran. "The oil embargo tends to give those elements in Iran who want to have maximal defences, including nuclear defences, added weight to their arguments. Also they are poking Iran with a sharp stick but this is not accompanied by a new negotiating incentives." More here.

Gingrich and Romney Growing Closer

2012-02-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

Newt Thinking What A Cute Ass Mitt Had All Along

Le Pakistan Et Les Talibans Afghans

2012-02-01T03:36:00.000-08:00

Le rapport sur "l'état des talibans", auquel ont eu accès la BBC et le quotidien The Times, a été rédigé sur la base d'informations obtenues auprès des insurgés détenus et a été remis aux commandants de l'OTAN en Afghanistan le mois dernier, affirment ces médias mercredi.Il révèle notamment que le Pakistan et son agence du renseignement, l'ISI (InterServices Intelligence), connaissent les lieux de résidence des plus hauts dirigeants talibans. La BBC précise que le document est le fruit de vingt-sept mille interrogatoires de plus de quatre mille prisonniers talibans et membres d'Al-Qaida et de combattants et civils étrangers. "Les officiers de l'ISI soutiennent la nécessité de poursuivre le djihad et l'expulsion des envahisseurs étrangers d'Afghanistan", affirme le rapport. Une tactique habituelle des talibans est de se retirer de certaines zones, d'attendre que les forces de l'OTAN les quittent et de retourner alors aux endroits où ils sont plus populaires que le gouvernement de Kaboul, considéré comme corrompu par beaucoup d'Afghans, explique-t-il. Video ici

Voice of Otto Von Bismarck

2012-02-01T03:23:00.000-08:00

A wax cylinder recording of German statesman Otto von Bismarck has been released. It's the first time his voice has been heard for more than 100 years.

The recording was made in 1889 by a technician working for the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. Clip here .

Chomsky On Wikileaks

2012-01-31T03:57:00.001-08:00

CHOMSKY on WIKILEAKS from CaTV on Vimeo.

Scottish Referendum Question

2012-01-31T02:27:00.000-08:00

Freedom In Fourteen Rose

The referendum choice should consist of only one question worded as follows :

''As you know, Nu£abour, Bankers, News International and the Westminster Coalition have turned Britain into a neocon shitpit. Do you want to leave?'' Yes/No (Delete as preferred).

Iran And Iraq

2012-01-31T02:23:00.000-08:00

Iranian products account for a significant chunk of Iraq’s imports, but Iran’s presence in Iraq is most pronounced through growing commodity exports and the numerous Iranian pilgrims who regularly visit holy shrines in Karbala and Najaf. Iranian commodities, from vegetables to electronic products, construction materials, machinery, and automobiles, have flooded Iraqi markets. Iran has also been active in health, education, and major infrastructural projects in Iraq. The relationship is friendly and comprehensive.
Prior to the fall of Saddam Husain, Iran had to contend with decades of hostile, expansionist pan-Arabist ideology, espoused by Sunni-dominated Iraq. Both the monarchical and revolutionary Iran had to grapple with a hostile Arab neighbor to the west. While the pro-American Shah of Iran was bent on reining in the intransigence of Soviet-backed Baghdad – a state which engaged in territorial disputes and sponsored separatist movements within Southern Iran – a nascent post-revolutionary Iran greatly suffered as a result of the 1980 Iraqi invasion. From here.

Iraqis Outraged By Drone Infestation

2012-01-30T12:32:00.000-08:00

The drones are the latest example of the State Department’s efforts to take over functions in Iraq that the military used to perform. Some 5,000 private security contractors now protect the embassy’s 11,000-person staff, for example, and typically drive around in heavily armored military vehicles.

When embassy personnel move throughout the country, small helicopters buzz over the convoys to provide support in case of an attack. Often, two contractors armed with machine guns are tethered to the outside of the helicopters. The State Department began operating some drones in Iraq last year on a trial basis, and stepped up their use after the last American troops left Iraq in December, taking the military drones with them. More.

100,000 In Anti-Drone Protest

2012-01-30T02:02:00.000-08:00

“We are not the enemies of the people of the West and the United States, but we reject the Americans’ attitude by which they always demand of a servile obedience from us,” JUI leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman told the crowd in Pakistan’s financial capital.
… “Movements like Occupy Wall Street are just the beginning of the end of the imperialism of America and its Western allies,” he [Rehman] said.
“We are being forced to become extremists. When you and your religion are humiliated in Guantanamo Bay detention centre and your children are being crushed under tanks, then what the victims will ultimately do? They’ll counter your extremism with extremism.” Link.

France's Armenian Genocide Bill

2012-01-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

Although it has been passed by both the lower house of the French parliament, controlled by the UMP and its allies, and the Senate, recently won by the Socialists and their allies, the proposed law has divided both the major parties.
A Senate committee even tried to prevent it being debated, leading the leaders of both parties’ Senate groups to hack a deal to persuade dissidents in their own ranks to abstain.
When it came to the vote only 57 out 132 UMP senators and 56 out of 130 Socialists backed it. Nine Socialists and 19 UMP members went so far as to vote against.
The Communists and their allies and the centrists were also split, although they officially supported the bill.
A number of senators either abstained or refused to take part in the vote.
Only the Greens and a cross-party group called the Rassemblement démocratique et social européen managed to maintain unity. They all voted against. From here.

Crony Capitalism

2012-01-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

The fuss over the bonus awarded to Stephen Hester, boss of RBS, a nationalised bank, has been running all week on the basis that it was conveniently just under a round £1m. David Cameron, one moment has been saying it was nothing to do with him, the next moment claiming credit for having cut it to 60 per cent of what it could have been. As we report today, Mr Hester's bonus turns out to have been a highly coloured decoy designed to draw outrage away from the main story, which is that the total sum he can hope to collect from his three years in charge of the bank, already heading towards £39m, could reach £50m in a couple of years more if the share price performs well. Read more.

Billions of Dollars Unaccounted For In Iraq

2012-01-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

"Without more comprehensive knowledge about reconstruction projects the (Iraqi government) will not be in a position to maximize the use of its resources," the report says.
Billions of dollars in spending are not reported to Iraq under the current system, the report says.
In a response letter, Peter Bodde, assistant chief of mission for the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, says that while the current system is incomplete, "it does capture the vast majority of reconstruction projects and there is no other alternative that captures more." LINK.

Sanctions Biting On Ordinary Iranians

2012-01-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

"The cost of foreign products, whose value is linked to the dollar, has risen by 20 and 50 percent in recent months," says Ali, who runs a grocery in north Tehran.
"On the other hand, the government closely controls the price of products made in Iran," which represent 90 percent of consumed products. "Dairy products for example have not risen by more than five to 10 percent."
But with inflation officially now pegged at around 21 percent, the real cost of numerous consumer goods is significantly higher, aggravated by the weaker rial.
Iran's long overvalued currency, which the central bank allowed to weaken in recent months to shore up its foreign currency reserves, has almost halved in value over the past year.
The rial tumbled in black market trading to a new record low against the dollar, news agencies said earlier this week, with the unofficial rate in central Tehran at around 20,500 for one greenback.
All imports, notably electronic equipment such as computers, mobile phones, televisions and fridges, have shot up in price by more than 50 percent. More here.

Responsible Capitalism

2012-01-28T11:21:00.001-08:00

Filipinos Protest Use Of Country As US Base

2012-01-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

Computer Games Or Real Carnage?

2012-01-28T04:11:00.000-08:00

'But it reminded me uncannily of a long, bloody day in Libya on 24 September 2011.
I was alongside a rebel battalion photographing for The Sunday Times as they pushed headlong into Sirte, the last pro-Gaddafi stronghold in the country. It was a nasty day, Gaddafi's forces amassed and stopped the rebel advance dead in its tracks, killing 24 and wounding over 70 by the time it got dark.
But the noises, the hellish cacophony, the crashes of the RPGs and the complete chaos - all of it had been eerily similar to that hour-long session of digitised warfare on my computer.' Link.

Even Mossad Don't Believe Iran Warmongering

2012-01-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

Excellent post and resource feed from Calgacus Here.

Newt Gingrich Testimonial

2012-01-27T03:06:00.000-08:00

So what if Ol' Newt did quit his wife on her deathbed or whatever. He's still the King of the Porky Faces for me and the Washington Elite. Newt Gingrich has approved this message. (Not really).

Barhrain Human Rights Demonstrations 25th January

2012-01-26T10:03:00.001-08:00

Some Stats From The 'New Iraq'

2012-01-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

Statistics as at December, 2011.

Judicial killings are running at over 600 people a year.
Extra-judicial killings by state sponsored actors are much higher, and still higher are killings by various violent factions.
There are fewer than a third as many operational hospital beds as before the invasion.
There are fewer than 20% of the doctors.
The previous two figures are against a background of three million maimed people in Iraq.
Available electricity in MW/h is about 30% of pre-invasion levels.

Obama's SOTU speech on Tuesday omitted to mention any of this.

Paula Broadwell - Petraeus Whitewashed

2012-01-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

If you think the US-led debacles and bloodbaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are a 'great success' (copyright NATO, ISAF and Obamya's speechwriters), Paula Broadwell's book about General Petraeus is for you. She is not so much an embed-journalist as an embed-author. With a US special ops background she was given an ~~undiluted propaganda~~ 'unlimited access' pass by Petraeus' assistants and PR team. Guess what the written results were. Yes, it's thumbs up for Diamond Dave, surges, COIN, nation-building and regime change across the board. No time for those pesky 'terrorists'. The 'bad guys' get the written equivalent of a ~~botched~~ 'precision guided' drone attack. I hope nobody in Iran is reading Paulyanna's stuff. I doubt it to be honest and would be embarrassed to even put up a link to it.

More Blasts Rock Iraq

2012-01-26T08:19:00.001-08:00

Last Days Of The Union

2012-01-26T03:29:00.000-08:00

Political Map of Scotland December, 2011

Salmond operates with the freedom of one who knows that there is no one commanding opponent to challenge him - at least not yet. David Cameron, so nimble in a crisis and so fluent, is the only politician in Britain who could be his match but he has larger problems: in spite of his Scottish surname, he knows that as an upper-middle-class English Conservative - Eton-educated and plummily poised - he would in all likelihood be received with derision in Scotland as and when the time came for him to go up against Salmond in the pulpit.
Then there is Gordon Brown, who keeps his silence at home in Fife. "He's lost confidence," I was told by one of his former aides. "He keeps asking himself - 'What was that all about?' He can't quite believe what has happened to him and to Labour." (not quite the) Full story.

Julia Gillard Targetted By Anti-Racist, Aboriginal Demonstrators

2012-01-26T03:03:00.000-08:00

Indigenous Australians regard Australia Day celebrations on January 26 – which marks the arrival of the First Fleet from Britain in 1788 – as "invasion day". Relations between the Aboriginal community and Canberra's politicians have often been strained as governments failed to overcome high rates of indigenous crime, poverty and poor health. More.

François Hollande - 60 Engagements Pour La France

2012-01-26T02:56:00.000-08:00

François Hollande prévoit le retour à l’équilibre budgétaire en 2017 et entend réduire la dette publique à 80,2% du PIB à cette date contre 88,7% en 2012. Il a construit son projet sur une hypothèse de croissance à 2 à 2,5% à partir de 2015.
Quatre jours après son premier grand discours de campagne, dimanche au Bourget, le candidat socialiste tient ce jeudi une conférence de presse matinale à la Maison des Métallos, à Paris.Il sera le soir l’invité principal de l’émission de France 2 'Des paroles et des actes', où il débattra avec le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Alain Juppé.

Wuterich Verdict 'Assault On Iraqi Blood'

2012-01-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

The victims included 10 women or children killed at point-blank range. Six people were killed in one house, most shot in the head, including women and children huddled in a bedroom. In Haditha itself, residents of those killed reacted with shock and disgust.
“This is an assault on the blood of Iraqis,” lamented Khalid Salman, a Haditha councillor and lawyer for the victims.
“That is only a punishment for... small crimes. But killing 24 innocent people, and only receiving a punishment of three months? This is an assault on humanity.” More here.

Anniversary of Egyptian Revolution

2012-01-25T08:28:00.001-08:00

Happy Burns Day

2012-01-25T02:27:00.000-08:00

“Ye Hypocrites, are these your pranks
To murder men and gie God thanks
Desist for shame, proceed no further
God won't accept your thanks for murder.”
― Robert Burns

34 Executed In One Day In 'New' Iraq

2012-01-25T02:18:00.000-08:00

The total number of individuals sentenced to death in Iraq since 2004 is believed to stand at more than 1,200. The total number actually executed since then is not known, although at least 63 individuals are thought to have been executed in the past two months alone. Read more.

France Passes Armenian Genocide Bill

2012-01-25T02:12:00.001-08:00

Haditha Families Outraged By Verdict Farce

2012-01-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

"This sentence gives us the proof, the solid proof that the Americans don't respect human rights," Ali Badr, a Haditha resident and relative of one of those killed, told Reuters. "This is an insult to the victims and an insult to all Iraqis."

One of the survivors, Awis Fahmi Hussein, told The Associated Press in Haditha: "I was expecting that the American judiciary would sentence this person to life in prison and that he would appear and confess in front of the whole world that he committed this crime, so that America could show itself as democratic and fair."

Military judge Lt. Col. David Jones began hearing arguments from both sides Tuesday at Camp Pendleton, Calif., before making a sentencing recommendation to be considered by the commander of Marine Corps Forces Central Command.

Legal experts said the case was fraught with errors made by investigators and the prosecution that let it drag on for years. The prosecution was also hampered by squad mates who acknowledged they had lied to investigators initially and later testified in exchange for having their cases dropped, bringing nto question their credibility.

In addition, Wuterich was seen as taking the fall for senior leaders and more seasoned combat veterans, analysts said. It was his first time in combat when he led the squad on Nov. 19, 2005.

Brian Rooney, an attorney for another former defendant, said cases like Haditha are difficult to prosecute because a military jury is unlikely to question decisions made in combat unless wrongdoing is clear-cut and egregious, like rape.

"If it's a gray area, fog-of-war, you can't put yourself in a Marine's situation where he's legitimately trying to do the best he can," said Rooney, who represented Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the highest-ranking Marine charged in the case. "When you're in a town like Haditha or Fallujah, you've got bad guys trying to kill you and trying to do it in very surreptitious ways."

The Haditha attack is considered among the war's defining moments, further tainting America's reputation when it was already at a low point after the release of photos of prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison. It still fuels anger in Iraq today.

"We wonder about such a sentence issued against the defendant. We called upon U.S. to be fair in passing sentences. Regrettably, we are disappointed about the issuance of such sentences," said Khalid Salman Rasif, a member of the Provincial Council in Haditha, adding he would contact the lawyer for victims' families for an explanation.

Kamil al-Dulaimi, a Sunni lawmaker from the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi, called the plea agreement proof that "Americans still deal with Iraqis with no respect."

"It's just another barbaric act of Americans against Iraqis," al-Dulaimi told The Associated Press. "They spill the blood of Iraqis and get this worthless sentence for the savage crime against innocent civilians."

Wuterich, the father of three children, had faced the possibility of life behind bars when he was charged with nine counts of manslaughter, which will be dropped. Along with facing a maximum of three months in confinement, he could also lose two-thirds of his pay and see his rank demoted to private when he's sentenced.

Khalid Salman, a lawyer for the Haditha victims' relatives, told Reuters he could not believe the sentence and had to check that it was true.

"This is not a traffic felony," said Salman, who had a cousin killed in the massacre.

Wuterich, his family and his attorneys declined to comment Monday after he entered the plea. Prosecutors also declined to comment on the plea deal.

During the trial before a jury of combat Marines who served in Iraq, prosecutors argued he lost control after seeing the body of his friend blown apart by the bomb and led his men on a rampage in which they stormed two nearby homes, blasting their way in with gunfire and grenades. Among the dead was a man in a wheelchair. In the deal, Wuterich acknowledged that his orders misled his men to believe they could shoot without hesitation and not follow the rules of engagement that required troops to positively identify their targets before they raided the homes.

He told the judge that caused "tragic events."

"I think we all understood what we were doing so I probably just should have said nothing," Wuterich told the judge. He said his orders were based on the guidance of his platoon commander at the time, and that the squad did not take any gunfire during the 45-minute raid.

Former Navy officer David Glazier said the case shows such rules are essential to helping the United States prevail in an armed conflict. "The reality is that this incident has had significant consequences for the U.S. in Iraq," said Glazier, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "It probably fueled the resistance and so it probably ended up costing additional soldiers and Marines their lives.''

Butcher Of Haditha Walks Away

2012-01-24T02:53:00.000-08:00

One of the Haditha victims is carried away from the massacre scene

3 months 'confinement' isn't bad for a mass-murderer. 'Shoot first, ask questions later' were Frank Wuterich's instructions to the other killers. They all walked away. The victims were:
House 1—7 killed, 2 injured (but survived), 2 escaped
1. Abdul Hamid Hassan Ali, 76—grandfather, father and husband. Died with nine rounds in the chest and abdomen.
2. Khamisa Tuma Ali, 66—wife of Abdul Hamid Hassan Ali
3. Rashid Abdul Hamid, 30.
4. Walid Abdul Hamid Hassan, 35.
5. Jahid Abdul Hamid Hassan, middle-aged man.
6. Asma Salman Rasif, 32.
7. Abdullah Walid, 4.
Injured: Iman, 8, and Abdul Rahman, 5.
Escaped: Daughter-in-law, Hiba, escaped with 2-month-old Asia
House 2—8 killed, 1 survivor: Shot at close range and attacked with grenades
8. Younis Salim Khafif, 43—husband of Aida Yasin Ahmed, father.
9. Aida Yasin Ahmed, 41—wife of Younis Salim Khafif, killed trying to shield her youngest daughter Aisha.
10. Muhammad Younis Salim, 8—son.
11. Noor Younis Salim, 14—daughter.
12. Sabaa Younis Salim, 10—daughter.
13. Zainab Younis Salim, 5—daughter.
14. Aisha Younis Salim, 3—daughter.
15. A 1-year-old girl staying with the family.
Survived: Safa Younis Salim, 13.
House 3—4 brothers killed
16. Jamal Ahmed, 41.
17. Marwan Ahmed, 28.
18. Qahtan Ahmed, 24.
19. Chasib Ahmed, 27.
Taxi—5 killed: Passengers were students at the Technical Institute in Saqlawiyah
20. Ahmed Khidher, taxi driver.
21. Akram Hamid Flayeh.
22. Khalid Ayada al-Zawi.
23. Wajdi Ayada al-Zawi.
24. Mohammed Battal Mahmoud.

As I Walked Out One Evening - W.H.Auden

2012-01-23T12:13:00.001-08:00

Wuterich, Butcher of Haditha, To Get Slap On Wrist

2012-01-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

AP
A Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi women and children pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty on Monday, reaching a plea deal and ending the largest and longest-running criminal case against U.S. troops to emerge from the Iraq War.
Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, of Meriden, Conn., led the Marine squad in 2005 that killed 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha.

Wuterich's plea Monday interrupted his trial at Camp Pendleton before a jury of all combat Marines who served in Iraq. Wuterich faces a maximum of three months confinement, two-thirds forfeiture of pay and a rank demotion to private when he's sentenced, likely on Tuesday. The issue at the court martial was whether Wuterich reacted appropriately as a Marine squad leader in protecting his troops in the midst of a chaotic war or disregarded combat rules and ordered his men to shoot and blast indiscriminately at Iraqi civilians. Wuterich was charged with nine counts of manslaughter, among other charges, and is one of eight Marines initially charged. None has been convicted. Prosecutors said he lost control after seeing the body of his friend blown apart by the bomb and led his men on a rampage in which they stormed two nearby homes, blasting their way in with gunfire and grenades. Among the dead were women, children and elderly, including a man in a wheelchair.
Wuterich's former squad members testified that they did not take any gunfire during the 45-minute raid on the homes nor find any weapons, but several squad members testified that they do not believe they did anything wrong, fearing insurgents were inside hiding. The prosecution was further hurt by the testimony of Wuterich's former platoon commander who said the squad was justified in its actions because house was declared "hostile," and from what he understood of the rules of combat at the time that meant any use of force could be used and Marines did not need to positively identify their targets.
Wuterich has said he regretted the loss of civilian lives but believed he was operating within military combat rules.
After Haditha, Marines commanders ordered troops to try and distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The killings in Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005, still fuel anger in Iraq and was the primary reason behind demands that U.S. troops not be given immunity from their court system. It is considered among the war's defining moments, further tainting America's reputation when it was already at a low point after the release of photos of prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison.
The trial was delayed for years by pre-trial wrangling between the defense and prosecution, including over whether the military could use unaired outtakes from an interview Wuterich gave in 2007 to CBS "60 Minutes." Prosecutors eventually won the right to view the footage
Six squad members have had charges dropped or dismissed, including some in exchange for testifying at the trial. One was acquitted.

Israel And The Mistreatment Of Child Prisoners

2012-01-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

These claims and descriptions come from affidavits given by minors to an international human rights organisation and from interviews conducted by the Guardian. Other cells in Al Jalame and Petah Tikva prisons are also used for solitary confinement, but Cell 36 is the one cited most often in these testimonies.
Between 500 and 700 Palestinian children are arrested by Israeli soldiers each year, mostly accused of throwing stones. Since 2008, Defence for Children International (DCI) has collected sworn testimonies from 426 minors detained in Israel's military justice system.
Their statements show a pattern of night-time arrests, hands bound with plastic ties, blindfolding, physical and verbal abuse, and threats. About 9% of all those giving affidavits say they were kept in solitary confinement, although there has been a marked increase to 22% in the past six months. More here.

Kazimiyah, 'The New Iraq' January 19th, 2012

2012-01-22T06:18:00.001-08:00

Anti Scottish Propaganda - Craig Murray

2012-01-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

I guess we are in for a full three years of anti-Scottish lies from the mainstream media. One of the most common unionist lies is that Spain would veto Scottish independence, as claimed in today’s Independent. This canard has been about for years and is assiduously spread by unioinists. I have discussed it in the past with senior Spanish diplomats, and they have been unanimous that it is impossible that Spain would seek to veto Scottish membership.
Firstly, nobody in the EU has ever left the EU voluntarily, let alone been expelled, and the idea that 5 million EU citizens in a stongly pro-EU country would be thrown out against their will is not in the realm of practical politics. The whole dynamic of the EU is expansive, with countries continually accepted into membership who technically should not be. Everybody knows, for example, that Romania and Bulgaria were not remotely close to compliance with the acquis communitaire when they were admitted. There is no appetite anywhere in the EU to argue that an EU member successor state would have to re-apply.
Secondly, Scots are much liked internationally. There is a strong popular understanding throughout Europe of Scottish desire for independence – bagpipes, Braveheart and a separate football team are an intrinsic part of this strong Scottish popular recognition. There are no votes in Europe in being beastly to the Scots, and that includes Spain. The Spanish government are not stupid. It would be very unpopular in Spain to act against the Scots, and would infuriate the Catalans and actually boost the independence movement there. Tactically, there are times when it is best to pretrend to be relaxed about self-determination, as Cameron is doing.
Thirdly, there is a real difference here with the Kossovans. Spain does not oppose Slovenia, Croatia or other parts of the former Yugoslavia from EU membership. It did not oppose the Czech Republic or Slovakia. Spain does not automatically argue against EU membership for splitting states – that is a lie spread by English unionists. Unlike Kossovo, the Scottish state is not inextricably linkes with organised crime, and is not outside the EU.
Finally, as an example of Unionist lies and tricks, read the Independent article very carefully. You will see that the anaonymous “source” of the claim that Spain will veto Scottish EU membership is not anything to do with the Spanish government, but a Whitehall official.
The actual headline of the article should be:
Whitehall Official Lies that Spain Would Veto Scottish EU Membership”.

Hamas Leader Stepping Down

2012-01-22T04:16:00.001-08:00

Police State - That's Obama's 'New Iraq'

2012-01-22T04:13:00.000-08:00

"Iraqis are quickly losing ground on the most basic of rights, including the right to free speech and assembly," said Samer Muscati, an Iraq researcher for the group. "Nowadays, every time someone attends a peaceful protest, they put themselves at risk of attack and abuse by security forces or their proxies," he said. Read More.

Tensions In Iraq

2012-01-21T05:25:00.000-08:00

There are already signs that Asaib's move has sparked tension within the government. Members of the Sadrists' party, whose support is critical to the Maliki government, have made it clear they oppose Asaib's entry into politics.
Hussein Talib, a member of parliament from the Sadrist bloc, said they would oppose Asaib's inclusion in the political process.
"We will not allow their participation; it threatens Iraq's unity," he said.
Muqtada al-Sadr issued a statement accusing Asaib of being "killers with no religion - all they care about is position." From Here.

Colbert (Herman Cain) In South Carolina

2012-01-21T02:59:00.001-08:00

Warmongers' Groundhog Day

2012-01-21T02:23:00.000-08:00

Ten Classic Clips From Etta

2012-01-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

Link here. Scroll down the page.

US Still Drowning In Iraq Bloodbath

2012-01-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

'Having ignored multiple advisories from Iraqiya chief Ayad Allawi, who warned in early December that “Iraq is not a democracy,” Obama greeted al-Maliki shortly afterward with the hope of turning Iraq’s page into history. The President’s approval of al-Malikitriggered a landslide of criticism from the Sunni opposition, starting with Deputy premier Saleh al-Mutlaq’s assertion that al-Maliki is ruling like “a dictator.” Allawi subsequently urged the administration to act in an ominous op-ed to The New York Times; amid U.S. silence, one of its authors hit an IED outside Samarra. Finance Minster Rafe al-Essawi, a vocal opponent of the Premier, held al-Maliki's forces accountable for security lapses as officials denied the incident.' More here.

Sunday Kind Of Love - Love You, Etta.

2012-01-20T12:05:00.001-08:00

Not enough will be written about Etta this weekend in the light of the sad news. One thing is for sure to me - Etta James will never die.

Two Poems On Current Politics

2012-01-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

One, By Hugh Macdiarmid, from here in Scotland, the other, like all Edith Sitwell's poetry, applies to the wider world (maybe the universe). I hope Macdiarmid's poem doesn't come true for us in 2014.

The Little White Rose - Hugh Macdiarmid

The rose of all the world is not for me.

I want for my part

Only the little white rose of Scotland

That smells sharp and sweet—and breaks the heart.

Excerpt From Sleeping Beauty - Edith Sitwell

And there are terrible and quick drum-taps

That seem the anguished beat of our own heart

Making an endless battle without hope

Against materialism and the world.

And sometimes terrible lumbering Darkness comes

Breaking the trivial matchboard floors that hide

From us the Dead we dare not look upon:

O childish eyes, O cold and murdered face—

Dead innocence and youth that were our own!

Obama Outmanoeuvred By Israelis

2012-01-20T07:50:00.000-08:00

In a telephone interview from his office at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Brzezinski has both praise and criticism for the president: “He was an improvement by a very large score over his predecessor, but he could have been better.” He thinks the Obama administration “should have stuck to its guns in promoting a fair settlement” in the Middle East. A longtime foe of Israel’s partisans in the United States, he says the Obama team “fumbled by getting outmaneuvered by the Israelis.” Then he gets blunter: “Domestic politics interceded: The Israelis have a lot of influence with Congress, and in some cases they are able to buy influence.” Read More.

Civilian War Casualties

2012-01-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

Together, these leaks and many others offered a composite portrait of military and political debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan whose grinding theme has been civilian casualties, a fact not much noted here in the U.S. A tiny number of low-ranking American soldiers have been held to account for rare instances of premeditated murder of civilians, but most of the troops who kill civilians in the midst of the chaos of war are not tried, much less convicted. We don’t talk about these cases a lot either. On the other hand, officials of all types make free with lusty condemnations of Bradley Manning, whose leaks are luridly credited with potential (though not actual) deaths. Link.

Support The BDS Movement

2012-01-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

In 2005, Palestinian civil society issued a call for a campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights. A truly global movement against Israeli Apartheid is rapidly emerging in response to this call. BDS Site HERE.

NATO Accused Of War Crimes In Libya

2012-01-19T02:50:00.000-08:00

"We are asking questions, especially about what happened in Sirte," referring to Nato strikes in that city last September, when 47 civilians were killed. Eye-witnesses in the city told report investigators that civilians converged at the site of Nato strikes on two trucks, and were subsequently killed by a third missile. Link.

Massacre In Korea By Picasso

2012-01-19T02:33:00.000-08:00

In case you think this is a thing of the past, read this and this. H/t Reality Zone.

UK Complicity In Torture

2012-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

It is now more than six years since the Guardian first reported indications of complicity, when it found that CIA flights were refuelling at British airports as they flew prisoners across the world to countries where torture was used. The reports marked the beginning of a prolonged confrontation between the rule of law and the war on terror, one that remains unresolved. After the supreme court ruled last July that closed hearings, where defendants would not be entitled to know the evidence against them, were a breach of a fundamental common law right, it seems in the courts the rule of law has triumphed. But in the murky politics of the war on terror, a sustained rearguard action by the security and intelligence services, in alliance with civilian Whitehall itself, is perilously close to gaining the upper hand. The two questions Gibson's inquiry had to answer were whether British agencies knowingly and therefore illegally returned suspects to countries where they might be tortured, and whether politicians – expressly, the foreign secretaries at the time, Jack Straw and David Miliband – knew about it, the enormity of which could destroy a career. Full details.

Iraq Veteran Latest US Iraq War Victim

2012-01-18T02:23:00.000-08:00

Long returned in 2008 from a six-month deployment struggling with bouts of depression, according to the statement.
“Friends have relayed moments when Rob would try to share his haunting memories from the war, but even the memories were overwhelming and difficult to express.”
Long, 26, was shot while threatening officers with a rifle. Full story.

Four Days In Guantanamo

2012-01-17T14:06:00.001-08:00

Yemeni Town Taken By AQ

2012-01-17T08:30:00.001-08:00

Detention Of Foreign Contractors In Iraq

2012-01-17T08:29:00.001-08:00

Remembering Fallujah

2012-01-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

14-year-old Suad Abdullah, is mourned by her father at a clinic in Falluja where she was killed by the US Army assault on the town in April 2004.

Freedom In '14 Sabotaged By Daily Telegraph

2012-01-17T03:52:00.000-08:00

SCOTLAND was last night fleeing in terror after a surprise attack from the first battalion of Her Majesty's Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper launched an all-out assault on the tiny northern country with repeated salvos of debt-ridden commentary and a devastating air strike about the Euro or something. Communities across Scotland dived into Telegraph shelters, huddling together as the newspaper's air force bombarded them with made-up facts about oil revenues and why Alex Salmond wants to pelt the Duchess of Cambridge with 'neeps'. Bill McKay, a rebel from Carnoustie, said: "Ah hud a squatch at the Telegraph websitey aroon ten o' the clack.
"Within meenits the sirens were blairin' like a hoolie.
"Even inside the shelter ah could hear the terrifyin' soond o' some fat, baldin' English journalist sayin', 'you'll be exactly the same as Zimbabwe!'.
"Ah don't mind tellin' ye, ah fair shat mahsel."
Meanwhile, as at least seven heavily kilted weirdos launched a counter-attack near a 'burn', Captain Peter Oborne of the Queen's Light Telegraph shouted 'Princess Anne!' before collapsing into a hedge and urinating involuntarily.
Under the Geneva Convention any Scottish person that captures him will have to call him a taxi.

Hell Of Obama's 'New Iraq'

2012-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

During two trips to the country before and after the US withdrawal from the country on 18 December, the Guardian interviewed 14 detainees and five officers in different branches of the security service in Baghdad. All the detainees said they had had to pay money to be freed, even though most had been acquitted in the courts. Some had been jailed for three days and some, like Yassir, for five years. In three cases, officers changed a detainee's "confession" – often extracted under torture – in return for money. In one case, an officer lost the detainee's documents in return for a bribe and he was released due to lack of evidence. One prisoner we interviewed is still in jail and in the middle of negotiations with officers. Story link.

Denmark To Close Iraq Embassy

2012-01-16T06:18:00.000-08:00

Søvndal Compliments Clinton On Looking So Well

The embassy in Baghdad will be shut down by the end of July. Denmark, a toady state to the US, was one of the first countries to establish an embassy in the Iraqi capital in 2004 amid many plaudits from George Bush.
Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal said that the closing of the Baghdad embassy is part of a 'change in priorities' i.e they are broke.
“A modern Foreign Services must ensure that Denmark has the right presence to ensure proper safeguarding of Denmark’s global interests,” Søvndal said.
He also added that the embassy closings were also in part due to the savings efforts the Foreign Ministry has been forced to undertake. It is a testimony to the dire economic straits of the US that they can't even subsidise one or two Danish Embassies as a reward for years of sycophancy.

Assange on NYT and Journalistic Corruption

2012-01-16T05:01:00.001-08:00

Julian Assange on The New York Times: Part 1 from NYT eXaminer on Vimeo.

'Freedom' And The New Right

2012-01-16T01:26:00.001-08:00

The conflicts of negative freedom were summarised in one of the greatest poems of the 19th Century, which could be seen as the founding document of British environmentalism. In The Fallen Elm, John Clare describes the felling of the tree he loved, presumably by his landlord, that grew beside his home).

“Self-interest saw thee stand in freedom’s ways
So thy old shadow must a tyrant be.
Thou’st heard the knave, abusing those in power,
Bawl freedom loud and then oppress the free.”

The landlord was exercising his freedom to cut the tree down. In doing so, he was intruding upon Clare’s freedom to delight in the tree, whose existence enhanced his life. The landlord justifies this destruction by characterising the tree as an impediment to freedom: his freedom, which he conflates with the general liberty of humankind. Without the involvement of the state (which today might take the form of a tree preservation order) the powerful man could trample the pleasures of the powerless man. Clare then compares the felling of the tree with further intrusions on his liberty.

Read More

Guantanamo - Interview With Lakhdar Boumedienne

2012-01-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

More Victims of Iraq Bloodbath

2012-01-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

None of these victims, including the killer, will appear in the statistics or the history books. But they are all victims of the Iraq debacle.

US Soldier Told To Lie About Iraqi Killings

2012-01-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

He testified that the Iraqis did not appear to have any weapons and were not making any quick moves toward the car. He said he then saw a man drop to the ground.”That’s when I saw Staff Sergeant Wuterich kneeling with his gun aimed at the Iraqi. He was by the road holding the weapon in a firing position,” said Dela Cruz, demonstrating that position in the courtroom.
He said he could not recall how many gunshots he had heard. Dela Cruz also said that when he looked back in the direction of the car he did not see any of the men anymore.
“I run through there and crouched on the side of the vehicle. I saw four to five Iraqis dead near the trunk area of the car,” he said.
“I saw Sergeant Wuterich approach the bodies, he shot at them,” said Dela Cruz, adding that Wuterich went around to each corpse and shot it in the upper body from close range. More here.

Iran - William Hague Reads Speech From White House

2012-01-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

Western governments, including Britain, have moved to step up sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme, threatening an embargo on vital oil exports. Tehran has threatened to block the Straits of Hormuz oil shipment route in response.
The prime minister, David Cameron, warned Iran during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday that the world would "come together" to ensure the straits remained open. Link

La Tunisie Apres Ben Ali

2012-01-15T04:40:00.001-08:00

Iran Blames CIA, MI6 For Political Assassination of Scientist

2012-01-15T04:38:00.001-08:00

The Light Brigade And The 'Fog Of War'

2012-01-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

The madness of war goes back to the Crimea and long, long before. A great poem by ALT, meant to reflect glorious warfare but only succeeding, despite it's majestic rhythms, in spotlighting the waste and futility. I wonder how many of their families even found out what happened to them.

Barhrain's Very Own Hasbara

2012-01-14T04:24:00.000-08:00

Following the news that the Countess of Wessex had accepted lavish gifts of jewellery from Bahrain's royal family, the Guardian published an article on its website looking at the long and cosy relationship between the UK and the despots in Bahrain.
Cracknell then contacted the Guardian, describing himself as "an adviser" to the government of Bahrain and saying that it had asked him to request a right of reply.
Cracknell offered an article presenting "the counterview" of Bahrain. But the "counterview" he proposed would not come from some Bahraini spokesperson; it would come from Sir Harold "Hooky" Walker, a former British ambassador. This unwittingly reaffirmed the point made in the original article – that relations between Britain and the Bahrain regime are too close for comfort. More here.

Gitmo Through Cuban Eyes

2012-01-14T04:14:00.001-08:00

General James Mattis

2012-01-14T03:27:00.000-08:00

Wonder where the urinating US Marines get their core values? "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet." Yes, General Mattis is a bonehead's bonehead.

US General And Potential Bond Villain James Mattis

Trouble At Blair's Country Estate

2012-01-14T02:51:00.000-08:00

The former Labour prime minister and his wife, Cherie, have been accused of damaging the character of their neighbourhood with their plans to construct a 300ft fence at South Pavilion, the 18th-century house that they bought for £5.75million in 2008.
“We are concerned that the severly utlitarian modern style of the proposed fence damages the historic character of this area of designed landscape,” the Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust complains in a letter that it has written to Aylesbury Vale district council to object to the Blairs’ planning application.
A different organisation, the Georgian Group, also objects to the proposals. “A condition of consent should be that the railings will be removed when the current occupants of the South Pavilion no longer occupy the building,” it says in a letter to the council.
Tony Blair and his wife hope to install fence, which is expected to be 6ft high, along the north-west boundary of their estate, which once belonged to Sir John Gielgud, the celebrated actor. The steel railings, which are due to be painted black, would replace ad hoc fencing already in place. Link.

Hillary Clinton Sur L'Iran

2012-01-13T13:51:00.001-08:00

Sacre Bleu Et Zut Alors, Monsieur Mitt

2012-01-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

"Massachusetts moderate Mitt Romney - he'll say anything to win. Anything," warns the narrator. "And just like John Kerry he speaks French, too."
It is followed by a clip of Democratic Senator Kerry saying, "Laissez les bon temps rouler", juxtaposed with another of Mr Romney saying, "Bonjour, je m'appelle Mitt Romney."
This is hilarious.

David Cameron In Saudi Arabia. Why?

2012-01-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

MPs questioned why, given the unrest in Saudi Arabia early last year, licences had not been revoked as part of the Government's review of arms sales to the Middle East and North Africa. They asked: "Why does the UK believe that the assurances relating to end-use will not be breached?"
The Government sees strong relations with the Saudis as vital to advancing Britain's 'interests' in the region on a range of issues including 'energy security, counter-terrorism and political reform'.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary William Hague has warned that Britain "must respect" the choices made by voters in countries that have ousted repressive regimes, even if they are considered extremist by the West.

WITC say: If Britain 'must respect' the Arab Spring protesters why is Cameron in SA to sell arms, and let's face it, that is his only reason, to a country with an appalling human rights record. SA has directly collaborated in the repression in Bahrein. The CS gas canisters (one in pic above) used against protestors in Egypt last year were traced back to Britain. We are essentially selling the tools of repression to dictatorships while giving verbal support to the protestors. Cameron is lucky so few people in the country take an interest in foreign affairs. The press and 'opposition' (Blair and Brown were no better) have no excuse.

Haditha Marine 'Would Have Levelled The House'

2012-01-13T03:52:00.000-08:00

Murdered Haditha Victims

Former Sgt. Hector Salinas' testimony came Thursday at Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich's court-martial, one of the biggest criminal cases against U.S. troops to emerge from the Iraq War.
Salinas said that he believed small arms fire had come from the direction of the home shortly after a roadside bomb hit a convoy, killing a Marine. But he conceded that he did not know at the time that there were women and children in the dwelling.
Wuterich, the squad leader, faces nine counts of manslaughter and other charges stemming from Marine actions that day that killed 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha in 2005. The Marines stormed two homes for 45 minutes, killing unarmed men, women and children. They found no weapons or insurgents, squad members testified.
Salinas testified that he was the first Marine to enter the house after the roadside bomb exploded. He said he shot a figure he saw near the stairs and later learned he had killed an elderly woman.
He said he saw the man in a wheelchair after he went back to the home later. Four other unarmed civilians were killed there. Asked by a defense attorney if he would have done anything differently that day if he had the chance, Salinas said, "I would have just utilized my air to just level the house."

'Victory' In Iraq - Milan Rai

2012-01-13T03:45:00.000-08:00

Stability has been weakened by the undoing of the tight controls imposed by the Saddam Hussein regime, leading to a considerable breakdown in social order, among other things. Having walked the streets of Baghdad at 2am, in complete security, during visits before 2003, I'm keenly aware of the dramatic loss of personal security that Iraqis have suffered. The International Committee of the Red Cross reported in August 2009 that around 500 people (mostly civilians) were still being killed every month, and 2,000 wounded every month in mass explosions and indiscriminate attacks. Fallen off the Agenda? More and Better Aid Needed for Iraq Recovery, a report on Iraq published in July 2010 by the major NGOs working in Iraq, listed ‘insecurity’ first among the major challenges facing Iraqis today. There has been a rash of sectarian attacks recently. 44 Shia pilgrims were killed near Nasiriyah and 23 people died in four bomb attacks in two Shia neighbourhoods in Baghdad, all in one day of bombing on 5 January 2012. This follows the 22 December 2011 attacks in Shia areas of Baghdad that killed 72 people. These are merely the most ferocious of the recent attacks (one suicide bomber killed seven people on 26 December, at the Ministry of the Interior in Baghdad). Read More

Obama's Foreign Policy Shambles - Looking Good For 2012

2012-01-13T03:18:00.000-08:00

Ironically Obama will go into Presidential debates claiming to have 'destroyed the AQ leadership' and be believed by the US electorate. 'Ending' the war in Iraq and helping the Afghan 'democrats' will be thrown into the mix. But he won't mention the real picture, which is one of devastating failure:

The Failed Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Obama arrived in office with the ambition to create a Palestinian state within two years. But his diplomacy was based on a twofold misunderstanding: that the key to successful negotiations was forcing Israel to stop all settlement construction – and that the United States had the leverage to make that happen. Observers of the Mideast “peace process” shook their heads in wonderment as what at first appeared to be a beginners error evolved into a two-year standoff between Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu. There was only one possible explanation for this persistence in futility: The president himself was fixed on it.

Obama’s next big project was global nuclear arms control – an initiative so impressive to Swedes that it won him the Nobel Peace Prize before he could act on it. The results are paltry.

The New Start nuclear arms agreement with Russia merely ratifies warhead reductions already under way in Russia, while imposing a modest cut on the U.S. arsenal. More ambitious multilateral initiatives by Obama – to control nuclear materials, for example – have made little progress, despite an elaborate summit the president hosted in 2010.

But the most dangerous proliferation threats emanate from countries that don’t attend summits or sign international treaties, such as North Korea and Iran. In terms of nuclear capability, both are ahead of where they were in 2009.

This brings us to Obama’s most distinctive – and most ill-fated – idea, and the one most identified with his 2008 campaign: the determination to 'engage' with U.S. adversaries such as Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela. Obama promised 'direct diplomacy' – even one-to-one meetings – with the likes of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Kim Jong Il. More broadly, he made the case that the United States could benefit by reaching out to autocratic regimes, while dropping the George W. Bush administration’s moralizing 'freedom agenda.'

In his first year Obama dispatched two letters to Khamenei while keeping his distance from the revolutionary Green movement. He shook hands with Hugo Chavez. He launched a 'reset' of relations with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and dispatched envoys to reason with Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. He delivered a sweeping address to the Muslim world from Cairo. Meanwhile he is drone-bombing Muslims again in Pakistan. As far as the Pentagon and the media in the US are concerned all this has distilled down into no more than sabre-rattling at Iran in 2012. Oh, and supporting by excuses and prevarications political assassinations by Israel.

Shield Of Achilles - W.H. Auden

2012-01-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Excerpt:

Out of the air a voice without a face

Proved by statistics that some cause was just

In tones as dry and level as the place:

No one was cheered and nothing was discussed;

Column by column in a cloud of dust

They marched away enduring a belief

Whose logic brought them, somewhere else, to grief.

Haditha Killers Urinated On The Dead Too

2012-01-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2012 file photo, United States Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich arrives at a court room at Camp Pendleton with lead defense attorney Neal Puckett in Camp Pendeton, Calif. Opening arguments in Wuterich's will be Monday, Jan. 9, 2012 _ more than six years after his Marine squad in 2005 killed 24 Iraqis, including unarmed women and children in the town of Haditha. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi, File) — AP
Marine: Sgt. called for bloodshed in Haditha
Marine says sergeant ordered bloodshed in Haditha
Wuterich court-martial will proceed
Last Haditha defendant seeks to dismiss charges
Court: Marine can't sue lawmaker for defamation

CAMP PENDLETON — Sgt. Frank Wuterich and a couple Marines in his squad were gathered around the smoke pit at the Haditha dam in 2005, in Al Anbar province of Iraq where a violent insurgency was on the rise.
A Marine from another unit had been blasted outside their base by a roadside bomb. “If we ever get hit again, we should kill everyone in that vicinity,” Sgt. Frank Wuterich allegedly told his men, according to testimony Wednesday by one of his former squad mates, Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz, who was a corporal at the time.
Whether or not Wuterich spoke those words, he had the chance to put them into action when their supply convoy was attacked by a roadside bomb. Dela Cruz and Wuterich were among the first to jump out of the trucks on Nov. 19, 2005.
When Dela Cruz exited his vehicle he saw a group of Iraqi men standing in front of a white car parked on the road. A couple had their hands up in the air or locked behind their heads, he told the court. Then one dropped to the ground.
Wuterich had taken a knee and was pointing his gun at the men, Dela Cruz said. He assumed his squad leader had seen something threatening and was shooting, so Dela Cruz opened fire.
Wuterich, who is now a staff sergeant, has said the Iraqi men started to run and he thought they might have triggered the bomb.
“I didn’t want to get blasted again,” Dela Cruz told the court, so he performed a “dead check” and sprayed bullets at the bodies. He was so close he couldn’t miss, he said.
Later, he urinated on the skull of one of the Iraqis who had been shot in the head. He regrets it now, Dela Cruz said. “The emotion took over, sir. We had just had one Marine (who) died,” and at the time he thought those men were the enemy, Dela Cruz told the court. Wuterich was promoted after the incident.

Michael Hastings On 'Why The Wars?'

2012-01-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Israel Pushing US To War With Iran

2012-01-12T04:29:00.000-08:00

From RT.

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has said the threat of a US military attack against Iran, heavily supported by the US Israeli lobby, is escalating.
Patrushev, who served as Director of Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB from 1999 to 2008, believes the United States may get itself involved in yet another war, at least partially due to Israeli influence.
"There is a likelihood of a military conflict escalation, to which the Americans are being pushed by Israel," he said in an interview with Interfax.

Americans who identify themselves as Jewish (but not necessarily religiously) are estimated at 6,489,000 (2.2% of the population) according to the US Census Bureau. Yet despite these modest numbers, Israel enjoys what could be described as disproportionate influence in US politics due to lobbying groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Some researchers argue that the US decision to invade Iraq, for example, was largely motivated by pressure from these pro-Israeli groups.
“There is little doubt that Israel and the Lobby were key factors in shaping the decision for war,” argue John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt in a working paper published by the London Review of Books. “Without the Lobby’s efforts, the United States would have been far less likely to have gone to war in March 2003.”

More recently, the Republican Jewish Coalition declined to invite Texas Congressman Ron Paul – a top Republican contender to run against US President Barack Obama in November – to its presidential candidates’ forum, citing his"misguided and extreme views."
Paul is a strong advocate for auditing the Federal Reserve, as well as ending America’s preoccupation with occupying foreign countries.
Paul told Iowa voters that he was against launching a preemptive strike on Iran because “they don’t threaten our national security.”
“If some other country thought they had to go to war with (Iran), that is their business,” he said, adding there is no proof Iran is building a nuclear weapon.
Despite the US mainstream media’s tendency to ignore Ron Paul, his “bring home the troops” message has found a receptive audience in the US, as many Americans are tired of watching their tax dollars fly out the window to fight foreign wars. But the US military juggernaut continues.
Just as the Bush administration's “democracy-building” rhetoric got Washington deeply involved in Iraq, Patrushev says new occupants of the White House are looking to turn Iran into a “loyal partner.”
"At the moment, the US views Iran as its main problem,” he said. “They are seeking to turn Tehran, their enemy, into a loyal partner, and for that purpose to change the ruling regime there by any means.”
Russia, China, India and a number of other countries are making efforts to resolve the Iranian problem peacefully and amicably.
“The result of these efforts has so far been insignificant because neither the US, nor Iran, seem very keen on it, albeit for various reasons," the SC secretary says.
Various strategies – some obvious, others not – are being employed to end the showdown without resorting to violence.
“Economic sanctions are being applied, as is massive support for opposition forces, which can conduct a colored revolution there," noted the Russian SC secretary.
"Unfortunately, tensions around Iran are not easing," Patrushev concluded.

How To Start A War, US Style

2012-01-12T03:49:00.000-08:00

VIETNAM
PRETEXT On July 30, 1964, enemy torpedo boats supposedly attacked a US destroyer, the USS Maddox, in North Vietnam’s Gulf of Tonkin. This lie of an “unprovoked attack” against a “routine patrol” threw the U.S. headlong into war.
The Maddox was actually involved in “aggressive intelligence gathering in coordination with actual attacks by South Vietnam and the Laotian Air Force against targets in North Vietnam.”60 They wanted to provoke a response “but the North Vietnamese wouldn't bite. So, Johnson invented the attack.”61
The US task force commander for the Gulf of Tonkin “cabled Washington that the report was the result of an ‘over-eager’ sonarman who picked up the sounds of his own ship's screws and panicked.”62
RESPONSE On August 5, 1964, although he knew the attack had not occurred, Johnson couldn’t resist this opportunity for a full-scale war. History of US war pretexts here.

Taliban Bodies Desecration - Outrage Spreads

2012-01-12T02:20:00.000-08:00

The footage shows four men in military fatigues appearing to urinate on three apparently lifeless men. They have brown skin, bare feet and are dressed in loose-fitting outfits. One appears to be covered in blood.
A man's voice is heard saying: "Have a great day, buddy."
The origin of the video is not known, nor is it clear who posted it online.
The men in military fatigues seem to be aware they are being filmed. From BBC News here. This is not the first instance of desecration by US military in Afghanistan.

The Not So Secret US/Israeli War on Iran

2012-01-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Iran has blamed Israel for the death of a scientist killed Wednesday morning when a magnetic bomb that had been attached to his car exploded in the capital Tehran, Agence France Pressereported.
More on GlobalPost: Apocalypse could be minutes nearer if Doomsday Clock goes forward
The dead man has been identified by local media as Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, 32, a scientist and lecturer at Tehran University.
Two passengers were injured in attack, and have been taken to hospital.

The Faces Of Guantanamo

2012-01-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

Omar Ahmed Khadr is the first person to be convicted of war crimes committed as a child since the second world war. A Canadian citizen, he was 15 when he was captured by US forces in Afghanistan and taken to Bagram air base where he later claimed that he had been forced to confess to terrorist crimes through coercive interrogation. In October 2002 he was transferred to Guantánamo and in October 2010 he pleaded guilty and was given an eight year sentence without any reduction for time served. Khadr is one of 21 detainees who were children when they were imprisoned at Guantanamo, the youngest having been 13. From here.

Freedom In '14

2012-01-10T13:50:00.001-08:00

ON TO FREEDOM IN FOURTEEN, BROTHERS AND SISTERS. SAORSA AIRSON ALBA!

Call For Michael Moore To Be Clarified

2012-01-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Breaking - Michael Moore Calls For Clarity Over Scottish Referendum.
Other News - not a fuck was given.

Iraq War - A Deathscape

2012-01-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

Some interesting footage from 2 years ago but contaminated, as ever, by the 'embed'/army perspective. The commentator could get a job an army Press Officer. Maybe he is one.

Scottish Referendum Question - Cameron Drowning

2012-01-10T02:35:00.000-08:00

Brilliant Analysis of Referendum Question By John Curtice of Stathclyde University HERE.

Wuterich - 'Shoot First, Ask Questions Later'

2012-01-10T02:13:00.000-08:00

Gannon played excerpts from a 2007 CBS "60 Minutes" interview in which Wuterich told reporter Scott Pelley that he ordered his men to "shoot first and ask questions later" when they entered the first house November 19, 2005.
Wuterich said he had heard gunshots coming from the area of the houses.
"I didn't want my Marines to check for weapons first; I told them what to do and they did a good job," Wuterich said, adding: "I had to make sure than none of the rest of my guys died or got killed."
Six people were killed in that house, most of them shot in the head, including women and children huddled in a bedroom.

Clip of dead-eyed maniac Wuterich making his excuses here. He was not alone in this type of incident or this type of mentality. He was just an unlucky one that got caught. He may still walk away if they come out with another 'fog of war' routine.

For Christ's Sake Just Buy Some Helicopters

2012-01-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

Emma Bradford, from Stevenage, said: "The problem seems to be bombs at the side of the road. I would suggest we build a huge network of canals, but unfortunately all the Irish are now working in call centres.

"I'm no scientist, but it would appear that the only available option would therefore be some sort of flying machine."
She added: "I know, why don't we get the MPs to hand over the profits they made from all the houses they bought with my money? That's got to be at least three helicopters. Probably quite good ones as well." Read More.

W.H.Auden - If I Could Tell You

2012-01-09T07:05:00.001-08:00

45% Of World Refugees From Iraq/Afghanistan - Thanks For The Freedom

2012-01-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

Remember Operation Iraqi Freedom? Thanks for that one, America. Of the world's 10.5Million refugees, 45% are from Iraq(1.68M) or Afghanistan(3.05M). New report from UNHCR HERE.

The Shambles Of Iraq

2012-01-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

Baghdad Woman Ponders Benefits of 'Iraqi Freedom'

Ahmed al-Ani who works with a major Iraqi construction contracting company told Al Jazeera the model Bechtel adopted was certain to fail.
"They charged huge sums of money for the contracts they signed, then they sold them to smaller companies who resold them again to small inexperienced Iraqi contractors," Ani said. "These inexperienced contractors then had to execute the works badly because of the very low prices they get, and the lack of experience."
According to a March 2011 report by the UN's Inter-Agency Information and Analysis Unit, one in five Iraqi households use an unsafe source of drinking water, and another 16 per cent report daily supply problems.
The situation is even worse in rural areas, where only 43 per cent have access to safe drinking water, and water available for agriculture is usually scarce and of very poor quality. These facts have led more Iraqis than ever to leave rural communities in search of water and work in the cities, further compounding already existing problems there. LINK.

Back To Iraq By Rick Perry

2012-01-08T04:07:00.000-08:00

Best comedy on US TV. The GOP Debates.