Imperial Hubris

Pepe Escobar: Bandar Bush, ‘liberator’ of Syria

"Bandar Bush's visit to Moscow simply could not have happened without a green light from Washington. So what's the (muddled) master plan? The Obama administration seems to believe in a remixed Sykes-Picot - almost a century after the original. The problem is they are clueless on how to configure the new zones of influence. Meanwhile, they're letting the Saudis do the heavy lifting. The first step was to eliminate Qatar from the picture. It's astonishing how fast the emirate, up to two months ago a prospective mini-superpower, now has been reduced to less than an afterthought." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPepe Escobar: Bandar Bush, ‘liberator’ of Syria

Saudi prince defects: ‘Brutality, oppression as govt scared of Arab revolts’

"Saudi Arabia, a major supporter of opposition forces in Syria, has increased crackdown on its own dissenters, with 30,000 activists reportedly in jail. Political parties are banned in Saudi Arabia and human rights groups willing to function legally have to go no further than investigating things like corruption or inadequate services. Saudi Prince Khaled Bin Farhan Al-Saud confirmed reports of increased prosecution of anti-government activists and said that it’s exactly what forced him to defect from his family. He accused the monarchy of corruption and silencing all voices of dissent and explained how the Saudi mechanism for suppression functioned." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSaudi prince defects: ‘Brutality, oppression as govt scared of Arab revolts’

Saudi government smashes ‘sinful’ statues of horses

"Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has smashed sculptures of horses erected on a roundabout in the southwest after the kingdom’s top cleric denounced them as sinful, local media reported on Wednesday. The decision came after Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Shaikh sent a letter to the governor of Jazan demanding that 'the sculptures be removed because they are a great sin and are prohibited under sharia (Islamic law),' said another news webitse, sabq.org. Statues of people and animals are prohibited under Islam as they represent a form of idolatry. However, the religion does allow artworks depicting plants and landscapes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSaudi government smashes ‘sinful’ statues of horses

Rand Paul: The President Doesn’t Get To Write Legislation, It’s Illegal And Unconstitutional

"Paul said, 'I think we all want more people to have insurance. What my fear is is that he's going to make insurance so expensive that the people who currently have insurance may lose their insurance.' The senator sounded off on reports that another provision of ObamaCare would be delayed, blasting the president for changes laws without Congress' approval. 'The president doesn't get to write legislation, and it's illegal and unconstitutional for him to try and change legislation by himself,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRand Paul: The President Doesn’t Get To Write Legislation, It’s Illegal And Unconstitutional

Attorney for Whistleblower: 400 U.S. Missiles Stolen in Benghazi

"On August 12, Joe DiGenova, attorney for one of the Benghazi whistleblowers, told Washington D.C.'s WMAL that one of the reasons people have remained tight-lipped about Benghazi is because 400 U.S. missiles were 'diverted to Libya' and ended up being stolen and falling into 'the hands of some very ugly people.' DiGenova represents Benghazi whistleblower Mark Thompson. He told WMAL that he 'does not know whether [the missiles] were at the annex, but it is clear the annex was somehow involved in the distribution of those missiles.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAttorney for Whistleblower: 400 U.S. Missiles Stolen in Benghazi

Son of ex-American abroad: ‘It’s like watching a house on fire’

"In the midst of all the frenetic, shallow coverage about 'tax dodgers fleeing the country', it’s nice to see that at least one newspaper ran a front-page story which honestly portrays the various motivations that Americans abroad had for leaving the country and the reasons that they ultimately cite when they take the big step of giving up citizenship. It covers all the various reasons: tax savings, flight from U.S. militarism, government harassment of political activists abroad, and the desire to become a full member of another society. Surprised you didn’t catch this one on Twitter or Google News? This article is from four decades ago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSon of ex-American abroad: ‘It’s like watching a house on fire’

How Goes the Global War on Terror?

"The U.S. military and the CIA are good at deposing dictators and wrecking countries. They are bad at defeating an operation like al Qaeda. Their incompetence is matched only by that of the government that has set the war policies and determined grand strategy. How’s the GWOT going in America? Americans are the losers. The cost of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan is anywhere from $2.4 trillion to $4 trillion. Civil liberties have been curtailed. Police have been militarized. Privacy has deteriorated. A police state apparatus has been installed. Economic progress has vanished." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow Goes the Global War on Terror?

Ron Paul: Why Are We At War In Yemen?

"The US government is clearly at war in Yemen. It is claimed they are fighting al-Qaeda, but the drone strikes are creating as many or more al-Qaeda members as they are eliminating. Resentment over civilian casualties is building up the danger of blowback, which is a legitimate threat to us that is unfortunately largely ignored. Also, the US is sending mixed signals by attacking al-Qaeda in Yemen while supporting al-Qaeda linked rebels fighting in Syria. This cycle of intervention producing problems that require more intervention to 'solve' impoverishes us and makes us more, not less, vulnerable. Can anyone claim this old approach is successful?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul: Why Are We At War In Yemen?

Julian Assange: Obama ‘validated’ Snowden as a whistleblower

"WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has called President Barack Obama’s announcement of plans to limit sweeping U.S. government surveillance programs a victory of sorts for fugitive former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. 'Today was a victory of sorts for Edward Snowden and his many supporters,' Assange said in the statement, which was posted on the WikiLeaks website on Saturday. Assange accused the U.S. government of 'stunning' hypocrisy in its treatment of Snowden while it gave asylum to thousands of dissidents, whistleblowers and political refugees from countries like Russia and Venezuela." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJulian Assange: Obama ‘validated’ Snowden as a whistleblower

Sputtering War on Drugs In Afghanistan

"By the Pentagon’s own definition, the U.S. and its allies have failed to curb the drug trade in Afghanistan that provides 90 percent of the world’s heroin and is the main source of funding for the Taliban. The United Nations has pledged to fill the counter-narcotics vacuum left by the withdrawing allies, but that effort will be dependent on continuing contributions from donor states. To continue anti-drug efforts past 2014, the U.S. must include DEA agents with the long-term residual force that President Obama plans to leave behind post-2014, according to the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSputtering War on Drugs In Afghanistan