Yearly Archives: 2013

Lieberman, Rove, Kristol Urge Obama to Attack Syria

"In an open letter to President Obama a group of warmongers have urged President Obama to impose 'meaningful consequences on the Assad regime.' 'At a minimum, the United States, along with willing allies and partners, should use standoff weapons and airpower to target the Syrian dictatorship’s military units that were involved in the recent large-scale use of chemical weapons. It should also provide vetted moderate elements of Syria’s armed opposition with the military support required to identify and strike regime units armed with chemical weapons,' says the letter." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLieberman, Rove, Kristol Urge Obama to Attack Syria

Should We Celebrate the American Revolution?

"Conservatives who cherish the Fourth of July while cheering today’s wars have a high tolerance for cognitive dissonance. The American Revolution was, at best, a revolt against empire. The taxes at issue were being used to finance Britain’s national security state. The colonial rebels didn’t 'support the troops' – they resented them. And they resented Britain’s status as the hypocritical world power, which closely resembled the modern United States – an empire claiming the mantle of liberty while smashing its colonial subjects. Today’s conservatives would have likely been partisans of King George. Independence would mean Washington, DC, releasing control of its colonies worldwide." Continue reading →

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Britain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world

"A new study has found that at various times the British have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe. The analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the British. Among this select group of nations are far-off destinations such as Guatemala, Tajikistan and the Marshall Islands, as well some slightly closer to home, such as Luxembourg. Stuart Laycock, the author, has worked his way around the globe, through each country alphabetically, researching its history to establish whether, at any point, they have experienced an incursion by Britain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world

Afghan government says NATO-led military operation ‘aimless and unwise’

"Kabul’s angry response deepens a war of words that threatens to derail NATO attempts to ensure a smooth security transition as international troops head home and fears grow that Afghanistan could tip into further instability. The United States, which provides 66,000 of the 100,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, was stunned by the accusations earlier this month from Karzai, who accused the US of colluding with the Taliban to justify its presence in the country. The United States on Tuesday warned Afghanistan that ensuring a credible presidential election next year would be 'critical' to maintaining international support after 2014." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfghan government says NATO-led military operation ‘aimless and unwise’

Two U.S. sailors admit to Okinawa rape charges

"Okinawa is the reluctant host of more than half of the 47,000 US military personnel in Japan. The rape provoked outrage and led to a nationwide curfew on all American military personnel in Japan. Despite the curfew, misconduct involving US servicemen, much of it drunken, has continued to fuel anti-US sentiment in communities with bases. The attack came amid already high tensions in Okinawa, which saw demonstrations last year against the US deployment to the island of Osprey aircraft. Local activists charge they have a poor safety record. Washington sees the island as a vital strategic base in a region that is increasingly wary of the power of China’s rising military." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTwo U.S. sailors admit to Okinawa rape charges

No, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”

"To support the troops is to accept a particular idea of the American role in the world. It also forces us to pretend that it is a country legitimately interested in equality for all its citizens. In reality, the troops are not actually recipients of any meaningful support. That honor is reserved for the government and its elite constituencies. 'Support our troops' entails a tacit injunction that we also support whatever politicians in any given moment deem the national interest. If we understand that 'the national interest' is but a metonym for the aspirations of the ruling class, then supporting the troops becomes a counterintuitive, even harmful, gesture." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNo, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”

Sanctions on Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan?

"The New York Times has confirmed that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Quatar and Jordan are arming anti-Assad factions in Syria. The CIA is participating too. U.S. air bases are also implicated. These actions violate the U.N. charter. So, will anyone in the U.S. government raise the issue of sanctions against Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Quatar and Jordan? Don't hold your breath." Continue reading →

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Qatar: Rich and Dangerous

"Why would Qatar want to become involved in Syria where they have little invested? A map reveals that the kingdom is a geographic prisoner in a small enclave on the Persian Gulf coast. It relies upon the export of LNG, because it is restricted by Saudi Arabia from building pipelines to distant markets. A saturated North American gas market and a far more competitive Asian market leaves only Europe. The discovery in 2009 of a new gas field near Israel, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Syria opened new possibilities to bypass the Saudi Barrier and to secure a new source of income. Pipelines are in place already in Turkey to receive the gas. Only Al-Assad is in the way." Continue reading →

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Mystery Sponsor Of Weapons And Money To Syrian Mercenary “Rebels” Revealed

"The tiny gas-rich state of Qatar has spent as much as $3bn over the past two years supporting the rebellion in Syria, far exceeding any other government, but is now being nudged aside by Saudi Arabia as the prime source of arms to rebels. The cost of Qatar’s intervention, its latest push to back an Arab revolt, amounts to a fraction of its international investment portfolio. But its financial support for the revolution that has turned into a vicious civil war dramatically overshadows western backing for the opposition. For Qatar, owner of the world’s third-largest gas reserves, its intervention in Syria is part of an aggressive quest for global recognition, following its backing of Libya’s rebels." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMystery Sponsor Of Weapons And Money To Syrian Mercenary “Rebels” Revealed

US Refines “Military Options” Ahead Of Syrian Strikes

"Over the next week, we fully expect to wake up to news that a US and Israeli-led fly-by has crippled several key Syrian military installations in 'punishment' for a chemical attack that with virtual certainty was conducted not by the regime which knows it every action is observed by spy satellites, but by the Qatari mercenaries whose only job is precisely to topple the Assad regime so the much-delayed LNG pipeline can finally pass underneath Syria. Because if it wasn't for that, why on earth would Saudi Arabia grovel before Putin demanding just that?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS Refines “Military Options” Ahead Of Syrian Strikes