Middle East

CIA helping boost arms shipments to Syria rebels

"Arab nations and Turkey, helped by the CIA, have dramatically increased military aid to Syrian rebels in recent months, The New York Times reported Monday, citing air traffic data and interviews with unnamed officials and the rebel commanders. The airlift has grown to include more than 160 military cargo flights by Jordanian, Saudi and Qatari military-style cargo planes landing at Esenboga Airport near Ankara, and at other Turkish and Jordanian airports, the report said. US intelligence officers have helped the Arab governments shop for weapons and vetted rebel commanders and groups to determine who should receive the weapons as they arrive." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCIA helping boost arms shipments to Syria rebels

Iraq War Anniversary: Birth Defects And Cancer Rates At Devastating High In Basra And Fallujah

"Ten years after the start of the U.S. invasion in Iraq, doctors in some of the Middle Eastern nation's cities are witnessing an abnormally high number of cases of cancer and birth defects. Scientists suspect the rise is tied to the use of depleted uranium and white phosphorus in military assaults. Dr. Jamail says that the current rate of birth defects for the city of Fallujah has surpassed those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the nuclear attacks at the end of World War II. A September 2012 study recorded a devastating number of birth defects in the past decade. The study also indicated that childhood leukemia and other types of cancers are on the rise." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq War Anniversary: Birth Defects And Cancer Rates At Devastating High In Basra And Fallujah

Ron Paul: Neo-Con War Addiction Threatens Our Future

"The neo-con ideology promotes endless war, but neo-cons fight their battles with the blood of others. From the comfortable, subsidized offices of magazines like the Weekly Standard, the neo-conservatives urge endless war – to be fought by the victims of the 'poverty draft' from states where there are few jobs. Ironically, these young people cannot find more productive work because the Federal Reserve’s endless money printing to keep the war machine turning has destroyed our economy. The six trillion dollars that will be spent on the Iraq war are merely pieces of printed paper that further erode the dollar’s purchasing power now and well into the future." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul: Neo-Con War Addiction Threatens Our Future

Reports indicate CIA helping Syria rebels obtain arms and intelligence

"The US Central Intelligence Agency has been feeding information to select rebel fighters in Syria to try to make them more effective against government troops, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Citing unnamed current and former US officials, the newspaper said the new CIA effort reflected a change in the administration’s approach that aims to strengthen secular rebel fighters. The CIA has sent officers to Turkey to help vet rebels who receive arms shipments from Gulf allies, the report said. But administration officials cited concerns about some weapons going to Islamists, the paper noted." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReports indicate CIA helping Syria rebels obtain arms and intelligence

Gerald Celente: The Financial System Is Collapsing Before Our Eyes

"All Cyprus is, it’s (similar to) a division of the Grand Cayman Island, it’s just a different group of people washing and money laundering. But this is about much more than Cyprus, bank runs, and stealing money from the depositors. What we are looking at, Eric, on another level is an alliance, an alliance leading to wars. Look, they just appointed a new President in China, Xi. Where is the first place he went to visit? Moscow. Putin. Then there is Iran. So you can see the alliances already forming: It’s China, Russia, and Iran, against the United States, the Arab League, and Nato. And then you look at where the United States is now moving its military - Asia." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGerald Celente: The Financial System Is Collapsing Before Our Eyes

UN official tells US to stop drone strikes

"With America's drone capabilities expanding, the United Nations has stepped in and is demanding the US stop conducting unmanned airstrikes in Pakistan. The UN is calling the drone program a violation of the country's sovereignty and the attacks are being carried out without the consent of the people of Pakistan." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN official tells US to stop drone strikes

Ten years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

"Ten years after the invasion that smashed Iraq’s military, the country has become a major buyer of military equipment, spending billions to rebuild its armed forces. In doing so, Iraq has become a customer of some of the same companies that supplied the weapons used to attack Baghdad’s troops in 2003. Some 54 companies from 13 countries participated in the show, advertising equipment ranging from jet aircraft, drones, missiles and shells to gas masks, uniforms and boots. With a security and defence budget of about $16.4 billion for 2013 and a commitment to rebuilding its forces, Iraq offers significant opportunities for defence and security firms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTen years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

Ten years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

"Ten years after the invasion that smashed Iraq’s military, the country has become a major buyer of military equipment, spending billions to rebuild its armed forces. In doing so, Iraq has become a customer of some of the same companies that supplied the weapons used to attack Baghdad’s troops in 2003. Some 54 companies from 13 countries participated in the show, advertising equipment ranging from jet aircraft, drones, missiles and shells to gas masks, uniforms and boots. With a security and defence budget of about $16.4 billion for 2013 and a commitment to rebuilding its forces, Iraq offers significant opportunities for defence and security firms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTen years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

Costly Iraq war left U.S. no stronger in Middle East

"The US-led invasion of Iraq overthrew a dictator, but 10 years on the war is seen to have destabilized the Middle East, exposed the limits of military power and left America no stronger than before. With US forces having withdrawn after the deaths of almost 4,500 American troops and an estimated $1 trillion outlay, there is little soul-searching in Washington today about a war that has faded from public consciousness. And 10 years after the 'shock and awe' that launched Operation Iraqi Freedom, removing Saddam Hussein from power, most analysts and diplomats agree the Iraq war did nothing to improve the US position in the Middle East." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCostly Iraq war left U.S. no stronger in Middle East