Islamic Crescent

Iraq demands U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil end deal with Kurdistan

"Nuri al-Maliki also appeared to once again rule out production-sharing deals that Exxon has signed with Kurdistan, arguing that Iraq’s substantial oil reserves 'belong to all Iraqis,' an oft-cited phrase in Iraq’s constitution that central government officials see as justifying per-barrel service fees. The meeting was the first between Maliki and Exxon chief Rex Tillerson since the firm signed an agreement in October 2011 for oil exploration with Kurdistan, angering the central government in Baghdad, which regards deals signed without the expressed approval of the federal oil ministry as illegal." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq demands U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil end deal with Kurdistan

Iraq back at the brink

"It was Britain that triggered Iraq's modern tragedy, starting with its seizure of Baghdad in 1917 and the haphazard reshaping of a country to fit the colonial needs and economic interests of London. One could argue that the early and unequalled mess created by the British invaders continued to wreak havoc, manifesting itself in various ways until this very day. But of course, the US now deserves most of the credit of reversing whatever has been achieved by the Iraqi people. It was US secretary of state James Baker who reportedly threatened Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz in a Geneva meeting in 1991 by saying that the US would destroy Iraq and 'bring it back to the stone age'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq back at the brink

Britain pushing to provide weapons to Syrian rebels

"Britain, apparently backed by a handful of European Union allies, is fighting to lift an EU arms embargo barring the supply of weapons to the Syrian rebel coalition battling President Bashar al-Assad. Britain and France had seen the March 1 deadline as an opportunity to respond to requests for weaponry by the opposition. But France appears to have cooled, leaving Britain facing opposition from Germany, Sweden and even the EU’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, a British baroness who represents London on the European Commission." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritain pushing to provide weapons to Syrian rebels

Tear gas, water cannons as Egyptians throw stones at presidential palace

"The clashes broke out after several hundred demonstrators marched to the palace on a day of marches against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Thousands of other protesters took part in separate demonstrations across the country. Protesters are demanding that Morsi fulfill the goals of the revolution which brought him and his Muslim Brotherhood party to power. Those demands include a new unity government, amendments to an Islamist-drafted constitution, and the sacking of Egypt's prosecutor general. The demonstrators are also angry that no one has been held accountable for the deaths of dozens of protesters in clashes with police during recent months." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTear gas, water cannons as Egyptians throw stones at presidential palace

Obama administration wants to put Algerian militant on secret ‘kill’ list

"Senior members of President Barack Obama’s administration want to put the mastermind of last month’s attack on an Algerian natural-gas facility on a secret 'kill' list, The Wall Street Journal reported. Adding Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar to a US list for targeted killing would entail a significant US military expansion into northwestern Africa, the newspaper said, citing unnamed US officials. It would mean extending drone strikes and other lethal counterterrorism operations to the region, the paper added." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama administration wants to put Algerian militant on secret ‘kill’ list

Defense Secretary Panetta admits the Pentagon and Clinton supported arming Syrian rebels

"Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Thursday admitted for the first time that the Pentagon had backed proposals to arm the Syrian opposition battling to oust President Bashar al-Assad. The idea was first floated by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who met privately with David Petraeus, then CIA chief, in the summer of 2012 as the fighting raged in Syria. They proposed vetting rebel groups and training fighters in a plan which they presented to the White House, according to the New York Times, citing administration officials." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDefense Secretary Panetta admits the Pentagon and Clinton supported arming Syrian rebels

Pepe Escobar: War on terror forever

"It's now official - coming from the mouth of the lion, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, and duly posted at the AFRICOM site, the Pentagon's weaponized African branch. Exit 'historical' al-Qaeda, holed up somewhere in the Waziristans, in the Pakistani tribal areas; enter al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). In Dempsey's words, AQIM 'is a threat not only to the country of Mali, but the region, and if... left unaddressed, could in fact become a global threat.' With Mali now elevated to the status of a 'threat' to the whole world, GWOT is proven to be really open-ended." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPepe Escobar: War on terror forever

Iraq says 3,000 inmates freed amid demonstrations

"A top Iraqi minister said on Sunday that the authorities had released 3,000 prisoners over the past month in a bid to appease weeks of angry demonstrations in Sunni-majority areas of the country. Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani’s announcement is the latest in a series of government steps to curb the protests against the alleged mistreatment of the Sunni minority at the hands of the Shiite-led authorities. According to Shahristani, around 30,000 people are in Iraqi prisons, including those convicted of a range of offences and those being held without charge." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq says 3,000 inmates freed amid demonstrations

Eric Margolis: Just Back From The Mideast – And I’m Really Worried

"The Mideast is stumbling into one of its most dangerous crisis in decades. This region is always tense, but right now a series of separate conflicts are rapidly beginning to intersect. We see the Mideast, North Africa and the Sahara buffeted by revolutions and counter-revolutions. Old colonial powers France and Britain, and the US, are trying to reassert their domination in the region. The jihadist are back. In a brazen act of war, Israel launched airstrikes on Syria last Wednesday in a clear attempt to worsen the crisis in that war-torn nation and challenge Syria’s ally, Iran." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEric Margolis: Just Back From The Mideast – And I’m Really Worried

Egypt protests galvanized by video of police beating naked man

"Hamada Saber, a middle-aged man, remained in a police hospital on Saturday, the morning after he was shown on television, dragged over naked tarmac and beaten by half a dozen policemen who had pulled him to an armoured vehicle near the presidential palace. Another protester was shot dead on Friday and more than 100 were injured, many seriously, after running battles between police and demonstrators who attacked the palace with petrol bombs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEgypt protests galvanized by video of police beating naked man