War & Peace

Afghan customs fines hike cost of U.S. military pullout

"A customs dispute between the Afghan and US governments has disrupted the withdrawal of American military equipment, dramatically inflating the cost of the drawdown, defense officials said. With Afghan authorities insisting the United States owes millions of dollars in customs fines and trucks carrying hardware being blocked at border crossings, the Americans have started flying out most equipment by air at great cost. The Afghan government is insisting that US forces pay $1,000 for each shipping container leaving the country that lacks what it calls a valid customs form. And authorities now claim the Americans owe $70 million in fines." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfghan customs fines hike cost of U.S. military pullout

Al Qaeda militants flee Iraq’s Abu Ghraib in violent mass break-out

"Hundreds of convicts, including senior members of al Qaeda, broke out of Iraq's Abu Ghraib jail as comrades launched a military-style assault to free them, authorities said on Monday. The deadly raid on the high-security jail happened as Sunni Muslim militants are gaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government that came to power after the U.S. invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. Suicide bombers drove cars packed with explosives to the gates of the prison on the outskirts of Baghdad on Sunday night and blasted their way into the compound, while gunmen attacked guards with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAl Qaeda militants flee Iraq’s Abu Ghraib in violent mass break-out

Dutch woman arrested for ‘recruiting Syrian jihadists’ to fight alongside rebels

"Dutch authorities have arrested a 19-year-old woman suspected of recruiting jihadists to fight alongside radical Muslim rebels in Syria, a prosecution spokeswoman said on Monday. There is growing concern in the Netherlands about young Dutch Muslims being enlisted to fight in Syria, with a British study in April saying at least 107 Dutch citizens were fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the war-torn country. Police arrested the woman in Zoetermeer, a small city just east of The Hague, on Wednesday after families filed complaints with the authorities that their relatives had gone to fight in Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDutch woman arrested for ‘recruiting Syrian jihadists’ to fight alongside rebels

Chemicals found in Syrian rebel facility were from Saudi Arabia

"Al-Alam reporter who accompanied the Syrian army on their mission in Jobar’s al-Manashir district, located in Rif Dimashq governorate, said there were packs of poisonous materials and deadly chemicals in the storage. A video filmed by our reporter showed packs of chemical materials labeled 'Made in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia'. The Russian envoy to the United Nations (UN) said baseless allegations blaming Syrian government for applying chemical weapons are aimed at blocking efforts by the UN to probe into militants’ use of chemical weapons in Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChemicals found in Syrian rebel facility were from Saudi Arabia

Neutrality Toward Syria Is a Non-Aggressive Policy, But Obama Wants Assad Out

"Obama is acting out several parts. He plays the part of a reluctant war-maker. [..] He plays the part of president of the world and all its refugees and disadvantaged. He plays the part of the moral man who is upholding the international provisions against chemical weapons. However, what matters most in understanding Obama and his Syrian policies is that two years ago, Obama called for Assad to resign and he imposed sanctions on Syria. He called for the Syrian people to determine their future. They did, in the usual political ways of this era, by an election in 2012 and by voting in a new constitution. Obama ignored these." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNeutrality Toward Syria Is a Non-Aggressive Policy, But Obama Wants Assad Out

Tear Gas, A Deadly Chemical Weapon, in Bahrain

"This week we read from Britain’s Foreign Secretary that Britain is shipping gas masks to the Syrian rebels. I believe that this is so that the rebels can more freely use chemical weapons against the Syrian government forces. To understand why I say this, we need to connect a few dots. We know that Bahrain has made intensive use of tear gas, enough to kill many civilians and protesters. The United States and Great Britain have supported Bahrain’s government for decades, and they supported the most recent suppression of protests. Britain has supplied Saudi Arabia with many weapons, including tear gas, which were weaponized and used in Bahrain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTear Gas, A Deadly Chemical Weapon, in Bahrain

Adam Kokesh Interviewed from Jail: “I’ll Run For President To Abolish The U.S. Government”

"Anti-government activist Adam Kokesh, who is currently jailed on drug charges and is facing a firearms charge in D.C., says he will someday run for President on a platform of abolishing the federal government. Since July 9th, 31-year old Adam Kokesh has been incarcerated in a cell in the Fairfax County jail which measures seven by seven-and-a-half feet. Adam Kokesh believes the U.S. military is more harmful than helpful to American security, and the government -- as a whole -- has burdened its citizenry with debt." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAdam Kokesh Interviewed from Jail: “I’ll Run For President To Abolish The U.S. Government”

Amendments To Block Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Syria And Egypt Introduced

"Representative Massie offered two amendments to the House Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 2397) requiring congressional authorization to use taxpayer funds for military or paramilitary purposes in Syria and Egypt. 'Since our national security interests in Syria and Egypt are unclear, we risk giving money and military assistance to our enemies,' said Rep. Massie. 'The Constitution prohibits the President from unilaterally spending American taxpayer dollars on military operations without congressional approval. The American people deserve an open debate and an up-or-down vote by their elected officials on these important issues.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmendments To Block Unauthorized U.S. Military Involvement In Syria And Egypt Introduced

US preparing for military action in Syria, top US general says

"Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Obama administration is deliberating whether or not it should use the brute of the US military in Syria during a Thursday morning Senate hearing. Gen. Dempsey said the administration was considering using 'kinetic strikes' in Syria and said 'issue is under deliberation inside of our agencies of government.' US officials have previously said Washington is considering implementing a no-fly zone above Syria, and last month the Pentagon left a fleet of F-16 fighter planes and its Patriot anti-missile system on the border of neighboring Jordan." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS preparing for military action in Syria, top US general says