Middle East

Chaos and War

"Iraq and Afghanistan were the only hot spots and Iran was the only major country where long-term stability could be seriously questioned. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict was raging, as always. But in contrast to the new wars elsewhere, that six-decades-old conflict was such a known quantity one would be hard pressed to argue that it was a significant destabilizing factor for the region. Bottom line: Two, maybe three, conflicts to seriously worry about. Moderate impact on the major world powers. No broad threat to the global economy. High hopes for future long-term stability. Now, fast-forward to the last day of August, 2013, and look how dramatically the picture has changed." Continue reading →

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25 Quotes About The Coming War With Syria That Every American Should See

"What good would 'a shot across Syria's bow' actually do? A 'limited strike' is not going to bring down the Assad regime and it is certainly not going to end the bloody civil war that has been raging inside Syria. The al-Qaeda affiliated rebels that would take power would almost certainly be even worse than Assad. Even in the midst of this bloody civil war, the rebels have taken the time and the effort to massacre entire Christian villages. Why is Barack Obama so obsessed with helping such monsters? There is no good outcome in Syria. The Assad regime is absolutely horrible and the rebels are even worse. Why would we want the U.S. military to get involved in such a mess?" Continue reading →

Continue Reading25 Quotes About The Coming War With Syria That Every American Should See

Gary Johnson Issues Statement on Syria

"No one disagrees that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is despicable, and the results tragic. However, those facts alone do not make going to war either justified or even a good idea. And while the Administration can parse words all day long, launching missiles or dropping bombs constitutes going to war. There is no clear U.S. interest in what is, in reality, a civil war on the other side of the globe. Likewise, there is nothing to indicate at this time that intervening in that civil war will benefit anyone -- either here in America or in Syria. The consequences of our military actions in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan should be a lesson to President Obama and others who appear determined to act." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGary Johnson Issues Statement on Syria

Will Boehner Stop Our Rogue President?

"Why this rush to war? Why the hysteria? Why the panic? Syria and Assad will still be there two weeks from now or a month from now, and we will know far more then about what happened last week. Understandably, Obama wants to get the egg off his face from having foolishly drawn his 'red line' against chemical weapons, and then watching Syria, allegedly, defy His Majesty. But saving Obama’s face does not justify plunging his country into another Mideast war. Does Obama realize what a fool history will make of him if he is stampeded into a new war by propaganda that turns out to be yet another stew of ideological zealotry and mendacity?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill Boehner Stop Our Rogue President?

Eric Margolis: Another Jolly Little War

"The US, Britain, Italy and Germany exported chemical weapons plants and raw material to Iraq that produced Sarin nerve gas and burning mustard gas. Many thousands of Iranian soldiers were killed, horribly burned or blinded by these western-supplied weapons. So a little less western moral outrage, please, particularly from the Brits whose own sainted Winston Churchill authorized the use of poison gas against rebellious Iraqi and Afghan tribesmen. North Vietnam was drenched with the toxic Agent Orange, the resisting Iraq city of Falluja was showered by white phosphorous, Iraq was permanently contaminated by radioactive depleted uranium. These foul weapons also kill babies." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEric Margolis: Another Jolly Little War

Syrian Electronic Army: If U.S. Attacks ‘We Will Target All of It’

"I contacted the group — or at least the people claiming to be part of the group — to ask a few questions and exchanged a series of emails with them. In response, the group followed me on Twitter and responded to one of my direct messages. This only proves the same people that control the Twitter account also control syrian.es.sy@gmail.com. Below, I pasted my full email correspondence with the group. My questions are printed in bold text. The answers from the alleged Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) representatives are completely unedited." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSyrian Electronic Army: If U.S. Attacks ‘We Will Target All of It’

Syrian rebels used Sarin nerve gas, not Assad’s regime: U.N. official

[May 2013] "Testimony from victims strongly suggests it was the rebels, not theSyrian government, that used Sarin nerve gas during a recent incident in the revolution-wracked nation, a senior U.N. diplomat said Monday. Carla del Ponte, a member of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told Swiss TV there were 'strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof,' that rebels seeking to oust Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad had used the nerve agent. But she said her panel had not yet seen any evidence of Syrian government forces using chemical weapons, according to the BBC, but she added that more investigation was needed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSyrian rebels used Sarin nerve gas, not Assad’s regime: U.N. official

David Galland: Mexico Invades Syria!

"Could the attack trigger a quick and violent sympathetic public uprising in Saudi Arabia, sending the Saud family on the run and oil prices to $200 or more? In terms of consequences of a less violent nature, what if the Russians and the Chinese, the latter being Syria's largest trading partner, decided to protest by dumping some of the massive amount of US dollars they hold? I could go on, but won't. Instead, I'll leave off by saying that, given the risks vs. the rewards of yet another Western attack on the Middle East, I personally couldn't be more opposed to it. Hopefully there are enough people in what's left of the degraded Western democracies who feel the same way." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDavid Galland: Mexico Invades Syria!

Turkey becomes partner of China, Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

[April 2013] "China, Russia and four Central Asian nations - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - formed the SCO in 2001 as a regional security bloc to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighboring Afghanistan. Ankara began talks on joining the EU in 2005 but has only completed one of the 35 policy areas, or 'chapters', every candidate must conclude to be allowed entry due to disagreements largely over the divided island of Cyprus. While China vies with Russia and the West for access to Central Asia's vast natural resources, some analysts view the SCO as a potential counter-balance to NATO." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTurkey becomes partner of China, Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The Syria Endgame: Strategic Stage in the Pentagon’s Covert War on Iran

"Regime change in Damascus is not the only or main way for the US and its allies to prevent Syria from standing with Iran. Destabilizing Syria and neutralizing it as a failed and divided state is the key. Sectarian fighting is not a haphazard outcome of the instability in Syria, but an assisted project that the US and its allies have steadily fomented with a clear intent to balkanize the Syrian Arab Republic. Regionally, Israel above all other states has a major stake in securing this outcome. The Israelis actually have several publicly available documents, including the Yinon Plan, which outline that the destruction of Syria into a series of smaller sectarian states is one of their strategic objectives." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Syria Endgame: Strategic Stage in the Pentagon’s Covert War on Iran