Middle East

Life as a US drone operator: ‘It’s like playing a video game for four years’

"'It is a lot like playing a video game,' a former Predator drone operator matter-of-factly admits. 'But playing the same video game four years straight on the same level.' His bombs kill real people though and, he admits, often not the people he is aiming at. What Omer Fast's film does brilliantly is evoke the weirdness of people in Nevada endlessly trawling foreign countries for 'bad guys', whom they then get permission to fire on. A former US air force drone operator admits to making mistakes: 'You see a lot of death,' he says before pondering why he carries on – perhaps because if it was not him then it might be some 'new kid doing it badly'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLife as a US drone operator: ‘It’s like playing a video game for four years’

Crisis in Egypt: ‘We didn’t have space in the fridges for all the bodies’

"Tens of thousands of pro-Morsi supporters have camped outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque since late June, when Morsi’s overthrow began to seem likely. Egypt’s interior minister has made it clear that he intends to clear Rabaa as soon as possible, and Saturday’s nearby massacre was considered an attempt to intimidate the protesters into leaving. Hundreds of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters also turned out on Friday to support a call by Egypt’s army chief, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, for a crackdown on what he called terrorists – a move sceptics saw as a veiled threat to protesters at Rabaa." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCrisis in Egypt: ‘We didn’t have space in the fridges for all the bodies’

Gravy for U.S. Energy Producers

"In response to evident repudiation of a 'democratically elected' government (long story there…), the well-fed Egyptian military guys answered the call by removing the clerical fascists who were and are, by most metrics, utterly incompetent to govern. Here’s a look at just how this 'Middle East Effect' has played out. Each time the market heads lower toward the $85 threshold, a Middle East event spurs prices higher. I won’t get into conspiracy theory in this write-up, but OPEC has all the incentive in the world to keep the threat of volatility alive and well. After all, the $10-20 bump in prices since mid-April is nothing but money in the bank for OPEC producers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGravy for U.S. Energy Producers

Will Saudi Arabia Allow the U.S. Oil Boom?

"It’s important to remember that the Saudis not only have the largest proved reserves of oil, it’s also the largest repository—by far—of low-cost oil reserves. Much of Canada’s oil sands and US tight oil requires $75 per barrel or more to be economically viable. Saudi Arabia also needs $75 per barrel, but that’s to support its current domestic budget. The Kingdom’s lifting costs are somewhere around $5 at last report. So Saudi Arabia could easily flood the market, as it did in the early ‘80s, if it lost too much market share, dropping oil prices to $50 or less, and US drilling and production would collapse." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill Saudi Arabia Allow the U.S. Oil Boom?

VIDEO: Police Attacks on Protesters in Egypt

"Egyptian police have killed at least 72 people in an attack on pro-Morsi protesters early Saturday. An activist named Mohamed El-Zahaby recorded video Saturday that showed the pre-dawn street fighting, filmed from behind the pro-Morsi lines, reports NYT. Warning: the below video shows graphic images of wounded and dead protesters." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVIDEO: Police Attacks on Protesters in Egypt

US announces $23 million bounty for African group leaders

"In an unprecedented move, the US has posted up to $23m in rewards to help track down five leaders of armed groups active in West Africa. The highest reward of $7mn was offered on Monday for the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who last week called on those sympathetic in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to join the fight to create an Islamic-governed state in Nigeria. The State Department's Rewards for Justice programme also targeted al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), offering its first ever bounties for wanted fighters in West Africa." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS announces $23 million bounty for African group leaders

More than 1,000 escape in Libya prison break organized by area residents

"More than 1,000 inmates, mostly common law offenders, escaped during a prison riot and attack on Saturday in the restive Libyan city of Benghazi, a security official told AFP. 'There was a riot inside Al-Kuifiya prison, as well as an attack from outside. More then 1,000 prisoners escaped. Special forces called in as reinforcements were given orders not to fire at the prisoners,' he said, asking not to be named. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan confirmed the incident, without giving the number of fugitives. 'Residents of the area carried out the attack because they don’t want the prison near their homes,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore than 1,000 escape in Libya prison break organized by area residents

At least 70 supporters of Mohamed Morsi killed by security services in Cairo

"Egypt’s troubled transition reached a new nadir of bloodletting today when at least 70 supporters of toppled President Mohamed Morsi were gunned down during a sustained attack by the security services – three weeks after the army committed a similar massacre in nearly exactly the same spot. Doctors at the scene said they believed more than 100 people may have been killed. An exact tally has not yet been confirmed, but the massacre ranks as one of the worst single incidents of violence since the fall of Hosni Mubarak two and a half years ago. Clashes continued this morning as police squared off against thousands of protesters close to Nasr City." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAt least 70 supporters of Mohamed Morsi killed by security services in Cairo

Iran and Iraq, BFF (Best Friends Forever)?

"Why did Iraq invade Iran in 1980? A major reason was the fact that Iraq's majority is Shiite. Let's not forget that the majority of Iran's citizens associate themselves with the Shi'a branch of Islam. Remember Saddam Hussein? Well he was a Sunni, and the Sunnis were in control in Iraq. Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi military were backed by the US, Britain, and other Western countries. Saddam invaded Iran to establish Iraq as the dominant Gulf state, and to also suppress the Shi'a majority from revolting in Iraq. Now the government of Iraq is ruled by Shiites. The government of Iran is also Shi'a dominated, with the majority of the population being Shiite." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIran and Iraq, BFF (Best Friends Forever)?

Afghanistan Audits Reveal Billions in U.S. Taxpayer Waste

"As the U.S. prepares to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, the government watchdog charged with overseeing nearly $100 billion in contracts to reconstruct the country has found almost $2 billion in potential waste, fraud and abuse in the last three months alone — some of which has likely led to the deaths of American servicemen and women, according to the agency’s reports. The string of alleged violations includes phantom projects, improperly awarded contracts, aborted projects, deserted construction, a general lack of transparency to comprehensively oversee projects and, in one instance, building a $34 million military facility that will never be used." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfghanistan Audits Reveal Billions in U.S. Taxpayer Waste