A new U.N. Human Rights Council official assigned to monitor Israel is calling for an official commission to study the role neoconservatives may have played in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
On March 26, Richard Falk, Milbank professor of international law emeritus at Princeton University, was named by unanimous vote to a newly created position to report on human rights in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. While Mr. Falk's specialty is human rights and international law, since the attacks in 2001, he has devoted some of his time to challenging what he calls the "9-11 official version."
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Did McCain avoid voting on a key 9/11 bill because he's afraid of the neocons?
Did McCain avoid voting on a key 9/11 bill because he's afraid of the neocons?
McCain's secret weapon
McCain did not rule out Rice as a possible running mate. When asked about Rice, he said only that she hadn't approached him yet. At the same time, he did his utmost to praise her, as a "great American" and as a "role model to millions of people in this country and around the world."
We are in the worst financial crisis since Depression, says IMF
The US mortgage crisis has spiralled into "the largest financial shock since the Great Depression" and there is a one-in-four chance that it will cause a full-blown global recession, the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday.
Afghans hold secret trials for men that U.S. detained
Dozens of Afghan men who were previously held by the United States at Bagram Air Base and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are now being tried here in secretive Afghan criminal proceedings based mainly on allegations forwarded by the American military.
Sources: Top Bush advisors approved 'enhanced interrogation'
In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and approved specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, sources tell ABC News. . . .
The high-level discussions about these "enhanced interrogation techniques" were so detailed, these sources said, some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed—down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic.
The advisers were members of the National Security Council's . . . Principals Committee [that] included Vice President Cheney, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft.
The high-level discussions about these "enhanced interrogation techniques" were so detailed, these sources said, some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed—down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic.
The advisers were members of the National Security Council's . . . Principals Committee [that] included Vice President Cheney, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
BOOK REVIEW: 'Who Speaks for Islam?'
John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed have done an excellent job of providing a factual basis for understanding the views of Muslims around the world, and of explaining Islam to those who have been misled by its enemies.
A book like this was sorely needed. It comes at a time when right-wing ideologues seek a "long war” with "Islamo-fascism"—an oxymoron to those who have studied Islam.
Esposito is well known for his many books on Islam, and is the founding director of Georgetown's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding. Mogahed is the executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.
"Who Speaks for Islam?" draws upon Gallup's “unprecedented global research initiative,” the Gallup World Poll and the Gallup Poll of the Muslim World, during which Gallup "conducted tens of thousands of interviews with residents of more than 35 nations".
The results of the poll show that Muslims don’t hate us for who we are or for our democracy, but for our policies. And Muslim women’s priorities are very different from those of the non-Muslims (and even some Muslims such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali) who seek to liberate them.
Esposito and Mogahed's findings are consistent with what informed Muslims believe. Hopefully, they will give the news media the foundation for more reasoned reporting, and debunk the “clash of civilizations” hypothesis.
Much as we like the book, we must say a few words about Esposito and Mogahed’s acceptance of the U.S. government's 9/11 theory—a theory that has been widely discredited. Their brief statements about 9/11 on pages 5, 19, and 78 could have been omitted without detracting from their presentation.
Buy the book. Ignore Esposito's and Mogahed's comments on 9/11.
If you’re interested in what’s wrong with the government's 9/11 theory, watch the iTV interview, conducted during my 3-week lecture tour of South Africa, at The Wisdom Fund website, or on Google Video.
Enver Masud
Founder, The Wisdom Fund
A book like this was sorely needed. It comes at a time when right-wing ideologues seek a "long war” with "Islamo-fascism"—an oxymoron to those who have studied Islam.
Esposito is well known for his many books on Islam, and is the founding director of Georgetown's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding. Mogahed is the executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.
"Who Speaks for Islam?" draws upon Gallup's “unprecedented global research initiative,” the Gallup World Poll and the Gallup Poll of the Muslim World, during which Gallup "conducted tens of thousands of interviews with residents of more than 35 nations".
The results of the poll show that Muslims don’t hate us for who we are or for our democracy, but for our policies. And Muslim women’s priorities are very different from those of the non-Muslims (and even some Muslims such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali) who seek to liberate them.
Esposito and Mogahed's findings are consistent with what informed Muslims believe. Hopefully, they will give the news media the foundation for more reasoned reporting, and debunk the “clash of civilizations” hypothesis.
Much as we like the book, we must say a few words about Esposito and Mogahed’s acceptance of the U.S. government's 9/11 theory—a theory that has been widely discredited. Their brief statements about 9/11 on pages 5, 19, and 78 could have been omitted without detracting from their presentation.
Buy the book. Ignore Esposito's and Mogahed's comments on 9/11.
If you’re interested in what’s wrong with the government's 9/11 theory, watch the iTV interview, conducted during my 3-week lecture tour of South Africa, at The Wisdom Fund website, or on Google Video.
Enver Masud
Founder, The Wisdom Fund
The Petraeus / Crocker hearings
The hearing left nothing to disappoint. It had all the panoply of a modern congressional hearing and what we have come to expect from senators confronting important witnesses.
Al Jazeera's American face
David Marash announced he was leaving Al-Jazeera English, citing anti-American bias and too much control exerted from Al-Jazeera headquarters in Doha. He said the editorial climate began to change last year after the American vice-president visited the region.
War and peace, Israeli style
The Israelis insist they are not seeking war with the Syrians, even as Israel began its biggest military maneuver in its history since 1948. This was on the border with Syria, which has been calm since the June war of 1967.
Democrats want Iraqis to use oil surplus
Democrats plan to push legislation this spring that would force the Iraqi government to spend its own surplus in oil revenues to rebuild the country, sparing U.S. dollars. [What about reparations for Iraq—like Iraq was forced to pay to Kuwait?]
Appeal court blocks deportation of terror suspects
The appeal court today blocked the deportation of Abu Qatada, accused of being al-Qaida's "spiritual ambassador to Europe", despite a "no torture" guarantee given to the British government by Jordan.
India follows China’s path in Africa
India will unveil on Wednesday a “blueprint” for its intensifying engagement with Africa, a symbolic step that reflects New Delhi’s anxiety over China’s growing influence on the continent and its desire to mimic the close economic and commercial ties forged by Beijing in recent years.
Deadly fighting in Baghdad as Iraq marks Saddam's fall
Iraq on Wednesday marked the fifth anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein's iron-fisted regime with the nation still in turmoil, the capital under curfew and a surge of deadly violence in the Shiite bastion of Sadr City.
Petraeus, tell us something we don't already know
General David Petraeus' testimony Tuesday and Wednesday of this week will be another chapter in U.S. foreign policy's long-running "is the surge working?" debate. The General and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will offer up some good news counterpoints to the not-so-good news out of Basra from the last weekend of March. But in the ways that matter, there's no need to debate in the present tense -- the surge isn't working, it's already worked, and the question is what the Democrats plan to do about it.
Iran condemns Iraq Green Zone attacks
Iran's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned for the first time rocket and mortar attacks against the U.S.-controlled Green Zone in Baghdad by supporters of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini also denounced raids by U.S. forces against Sadr City.
However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini also denounced raids by U.S. forces against Sadr City.
US ignores Iraqis' views
The Iraqi people are sick and tired of five years of death and destruction with no end in sight. They are also tired of the rampant corruption in their government and its security forces. Iraqis are suffering like no other nation in the Middle East. Four million refugees, hundreds of thousands dead, and many more wounded: this is the American legacy in Iraq.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Cyber risk 'equals 9/11 impact'
Speaking to a packed auditorium at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, Mr Chertoff pointed out that securing the nation's internet highways and byways was a job the federal government could not do alone.
'Body of War,' a turning point for Iraq documentaries
With Iraq documentaries having fared poorly at the box office, a new film, "Body of War," could mark a turning point because it brings to the big screen a subject that has yet to be broached by a major movie. "It's the voice of a soldier," said Ellen Spiro, co-director of the film. Spiro co-directs with long-time TV talk show host Phil Donahue, who said, "We are not saying we are better, but we are different," when asked about comparing "Body of War" with other Iraq documentaries.
Iraqi rogues and a false proxy war
The interest of the Bush administration in keeping the proxy war line alive has nothing to do with Iraqi realities, however. As a strategic weapon for justifying the administration's policies toward both Iraq and Iran, the theme of Iranian interference through "special groups" is bound to be a central thread in the testimony by both Petraeus and Crocker.
Credit crunch costs '$1 trillion'
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that potential losses from the credit crunch will reach $945bn (£472bn) and could be even higher.
The IMF says that losses are spreading from sub-prime mortgage assets to other sectors, such as commercial property, consumer credit, and company debt.
The IMF says that losses are spreading from sub-prime mortgage assets to other sectors, such as commercial property, consumer credit, and company debt.
Sadr will disband his militia if religious leaders ask
The Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will have talks with senior religious leaders and will disband his powerful Mehdi Army militia if they ask him to do so, one of his aides said yesterday.
Mr Sadr's surprise move is aimed at preventing an all-out assault on his militiamen by the Iraqi government, backed by US military forces in Iraq, as the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, criticised the Mehdi Army by name.
Mr Sadr's surprise move is aimed at preventing an all-out assault on his militiamen by the Iraqi government, backed by US military forces in Iraq, as the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, criticised the Mehdi Army by name.
Iraq’s Maliki threatens to bar Sadr from vote
Nouri al-Maliki on Monday warned Moqtada al-Sadr, a militant Shia cleric, to disband his militia or face being excluded from future Iraqi elections.
The ultimatum from Iraq’s prime minister was the first to single out Mr Sadr’s Mahdi army since a truce was agreed a week ago, and suggests a deepening divide within the country’s Shia community.
The ultimatum from Iraq’s prime minister was the first to single out Mr Sadr’s Mahdi army since a truce was agreed a week ago, and suggests a deepening divide within the country’s Shia community.
Iraq still a quagmire, say experts
Despite a reduction in violence over the past 15 months, "the U.S. risks getting bogged down in Iraq for a long time to come, with serious consequences for its interests in other parts of the world," according to a new assessment by the same group of experts who advised the bipartisan blue-ribbon Iraq Study Group (ISG) in 2006.
Secret US plan for military future in Iraq
A confidential draft agreement covering the future of US forces in Iraq, passed to the Guardian, shows that provision is being made for an open-ended military presence in the country.
The draft strategic framework agreement between the US and Iraqi governments, dated March 7 and marked "secret" and "sensitive", is intended to replace the existing UN mandate and authorises the US to "conduct military operations in Iraq and to detain individuals when necessary for imperative reasons of security" without time limit.
The draft strategic framework agreement between the US and Iraqi governments, dated March 7 and marked "secret" and "sensitive", is intended to replace the existing UN mandate and authorises the US to "conduct military operations in Iraq and to detain individuals when necessary for imperative reasons of security" without time limit.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Why did so many Muslims seem to celebrate 9/11?
Strongly rejecting this reading of the problem are the experts associated with the late Columbia literature Prof. Edward Said, author of the influential book Orientalism. The Palestinian-American scholar charged that Lewis is one of those western "orientalists" whose oversimplification of eastern civilizations has helped to justify European imperalism. Said insisted that Islam is no "monolithic whole" but a divided body of competing "interpretations." It should be treated the same way Christianity and Judaism are, Said urged, "as vast complexities that are neither all-inclusive nor completely deterministic in how they affect their adherents." On such disagreements turns an even larger question: Was September 11 the outgrowth of a "clash of civilizations," in the words of Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington? Or was it the product of a struggle within a civilization?
9/11: A breach of the peace, not an act of war
Many Americans believe they are at war, and most Europeans do not. The 9/11 attacks by al-Qaeda should not be seen as an act of war, but an egregious breach of the peace.
These two simple propositions are at the heart of the latest summary of world security by the historian—and leading strategic thinker—Prof Sir Michael Howard.
These two simple propositions are at the heart of the latest summary of world security by the historian—and leading strategic thinker—Prof Sir Michael Howard.
Ahmadinejad faces stormy new parliament
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can expect considerable opposition in the newly elected parliament—set to be installed on May 27—that has a considerable number of representatives from rival hardliners, conservatives and a stronger reformist minority.
Those who control oil and water will control the world
It was Rudyard Kipling who brought the idea of the Great Game into the public mind in Kim, his cloak-and-dagger novel of espionage and imperial geopolitics in the time of the Raj. Then, the main players were Britain and Russia and the object of the game was control of central Asia's oil. Now, Britain hardly matters and India and China, which were subjugated countries during the last round of the game, have emerged as key players. The struggle is no longer focused mainly on central Asian oil. It stretches from the Persian Gulf to Africa, Latin America, even the polar caps, and it is also a struggle for water and depleting supplies of vital minerals. Above all, global warming is increasing the scarcity of natural resources. The Great Game that is afoot today is more intractable and more dangerous than the last.
Carnegie to integrate focus on Islam into grantmaking
“There is a disconnection between many of our public conversations about Islam and our knowledge of it,” said Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian. “Carnegie Corporation has worked to help remedy this disconnect by contributing to a more fundamental comprehension about a religion of diverse expressions and cultures with 1.3 billion practitioners worldwide. We hope that our work will better equip Americans to make informed decisions about, and engage with, various Muslim communities in our midst as well as those abroad.”
Tibet and Palestine
LIKE EVERYBODY else, I support the right of the Tibetan people to independence, or at least autonomy. Like everybody else, I condemn the actions of the Chinese government there. But unlike everybody else, I am not ready to join in the demonstrations.
Why? Because I have an uneasy feeling that somebody is washing my brain, that what is going on is an exercise in hypocrisy.
Why? Because I have an uneasy feeling that somebody is washing my brain, that what is going on is an exercise in hypocrisy.
Does NATO want out of Afghanistan?
In public, NATO is demanding that all allies contribute their fair share to the ongoing effort in Afghanistan. But behind closed doors, a paper has been circulated that may provide the beginnings of an exit strategy. Germany is pushing the plan.
Iraqi leader warns Sadr movement
Nouri Maliki told CNN that the cleric's movement would not be allowed to take part in elections unless it disbanded its militia, the Mehdi Army.
Officials foresee no ebb in Iraq violence
BAGHDAD — When Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker brief Congress this week, they will be hard-pressed to depict Iraq as moving toward stability in the wake of recent violence that sent deaths soaring to their highest level in seven months.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's move against Shiite Muslim militias has revealed the gravity of the country's Shiite rivalries, just as U.S. forces are decreasing their presence.
The intense combat in southern Iraq that pitted Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr's Mahdi Army against Iraqi and American forces has largely wound down for the time being, but the enmity that fueled it remains.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's move against Shiite Muslim militias has revealed the gravity of the country's Shiite rivalries, just as U.S. forces are decreasing their presence.
The intense combat in southern Iraq that pitted Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr's Mahdi Army against Iraqi and American forces has largely wound down for the time being, but the enmity that fueled it remains.
Buddy, can you spare a billion?
As his firm collapsed, he was forced to forgo his entire 2007 bonus, leaving his compensation for the past five years at a paltry $141 million, according to Business Week. Things have become so bad that, the Wall Street Journal discovered, Schwartz has had to rent out his 7,850-square-foot home on the ninth green of a suburban New York golf course . . .
Fortunately for Schwartz, he had a sympathetic audience in the banking committee, whose members have received more than $20 million in campaign contributions from the securities and investment industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. "I want the witnesses to know, and others, that as a bottom-line consideration, I happen to believe that this was the right decision," Chairman Chris Dodd (D-$5,796,000) said before hearing a single word of testimony.
Fortunately for Schwartz, he had a sympathetic audience in the banking committee, whose members have received more than $20 million in campaign contributions from the securities and investment industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. "I want the witnesses to know, and others, that as a bottom-line consideration, I happen to believe that this was the right decision," Chairman Chris Dodd (D-$5,796,000) said before hearing a single word of testimony.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
War games prelude to something big?
"There is no doubt that these drills come in preparation for something huge. No one knows what the nature of this thing is but the Israeli army has been training around the clock to significantly improve its attack and defence techniques for the near future," Bin Ami told Gulf News.
Was WWII really 'the good war'?
When one declares a war that produced Hiroshima and the Holocaust a "Good War," it raises a question: good for whom?
Israel, U.S. plan to release details on Syria attack
Israel and the United States are coordinating the release of details on the air force strike in Syria last September, which foreign reports claim targeted a nuclear installation Syria was constructing with North Korean assistance. American officials may reveal details of the strike later this month during congressional hearings.
Iraq war estimate: $3 trillion may be too low
Spending so much on the war has economic consequences, even if you don't think there is any connection between the war and the economy's current woes.
In adding up the quantifiable costs of the war, it is hard not to come up with a number in excess of $3 trillion. In putting a $3 trillion price tag on the war, we believe we have been excessively conservative - a $4 or $5 trillion tag would be more reasonable. And remember - this is just the cost for America.
In adding up the quantifiable costs of the war, it is hard not to come up with a number in excess of $3 trillion. In putting a $3 trillion price tag on the war, we believe we have been excessively conservative - a $4 or $5 trillion tag would be more reasonable. And remember - this is just the cost for America.
Coming soon: Superfast internet
At speeds about 10,000 times faster than a typical broadband connection, “the grid” will be able to send the entire Rolling Stones back catalogue from Britain to Japan in less than two seconds.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Israel's Tehran connection
Israel, while supposedly observing an ironclad boycott of all things Iranian, is happily buying Iranian oil.
How the press let the White House craft the narrative about nukes
A new assessment made public by the U.S. intelligence community had concluded that while Iran was still enriching uranium, which can be used for both nuclear energy and nuclear bombs, it had frozen its weaponization-only program back in 2003. In other words, Iran did not seem dead set on building nukes.
'Closer than ever' to Israel, regardless
Israel has been described as "closer to the European Union than ever before" by a leading Brussels official, even though a new EU report laments the ongoing killing of Palestinians by Israeli forces.
India lays out a red carpet for Myanmar
India has come to realize that the main beneficiary of strained India-Myanmar relations will be China, whether for access to all-important hydrocarbon energy sources, transport corridors or strategic control of the maritime waters of the Indian Ocean.
NATO summit fails to heal deep divisions
The smiles in Bucharest were little more than show. Politically, the NATO summit was a fiasco. The Western alliance remains deeply divided and faces an identity crisis -- with Russian relations just one of the alliance's many points of dispute.
Blackwater Iraq contract renewed
Security firm Blackwater has had its contract to protect US diplomats in Iraq extended, as an FBI probe into the killing of 17 Iraqis continues.
Putin: Iran Should Be Helped, Not Threatened
"No one can seriously think that Iran would dare attack the U.S.," a source in the Russian delegation at the NATO-Russia summit in Bucharest quoted Putin as telling leaders. "Instead of pushing Iran into a corner, it would be far more sensible to think together how to help Iran become more predictable and transparent."
British fear Petraeus is beating the drum for Iran strikes
"Petraeus is going to go very hard on Iran as the source of attacks on the American effort in Iraq," a British official said. "Iran is waging a war in Iraq. The idea that America can't fight a war on two fronts is wrong, there can be airstrikes and other moves," he said.
"Petraeus has put emphasis on America having to fight the battle on behalf of Iraq. In his report he can frame it in terms of our soldiers killed and diplomats dead in attacks on the Green Zone."
"Petraeus has put emphasis on America having to fight the battle on behalf of Iraq. In his report he can frame it in terms of our soldiers killed and diplomats dead in attacks on the Green Zone."
Friday, April 4, 2008
Managing Iraq's econoccupation
As violence rises again in Iraq, negotiations to institutionalize US economic dominance continue unabated.
The other Guantanamo
On the small, remote island of Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean halfway between Africa and Indonesia, the United States has one of the most secretive military bases in the world. From its position almost 10,000 miles closer to the Persian Gulf than the east coast of the United States, this huge U.S. air and naval base has been a major, if little known, launch pad for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the past year, the Bush administration has made improvements that point toward its use in a possible attack on Iran. The administration recently admitted what it had long denied and what journalists, human rights investigators, and others had long suspected: The island has also been part of the CIA’s secret “rendition” program for captured terrorist suspects.
Jesse Ventura warns of Obama assassination attempt
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura caused shockwaves during a national radio interview today when he warned Barack Obama to be wary of a potential assassination attempt, saying that the government would target any independent politician who got close to the White House.
Rising leader for next phase of Al Qaeda’s war
Mr. Libi, a Libyan believed to be in his late 30s, is now considered to be a top strategist for Al Qaeda, as well as one of its most effective promoters of global jihad, appearing in a dozen videos on militant Web sites in the past year.
8 accused in transatlantic bomb plot go on trial
Seven transatlantic flights, all leaving Heathrow Airport within 2 1/2 hours of one another, were to be simultaneously blown up in midair with the goal of killing on "an almost unprecedented scale," jurors were told at the opening of the long-awaited trial of eight British Muslims. . . .
Hydrogen peroxide, dyed to resemble a sports drink and carried in plastic bottles, was allegedly to be combined with other ingredients in flight and triggered by the batteries of everyday devices such as disposable cameras, Wright alleged.
Hydrogen peroxide, dyed to resemble a sports drink and carried in plastic bottles, was allegedly to be combined with other ingredients in flight and triggered by the batteries of everyday devices such as disposable cameras, Wright alleged.
Iraq PM halts battle with militia
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has ordered a stop to all operations against "people who carry weapons" in the country.
This comes a day after he promised to continue to pursue criminals and outlaws in all provinces.
This comes a day after he promised to continue to pursue criminals and outlaws in all provinces.
US lawmakers have invested millions in defense companies
Members of the U.S.Congress have as much as $196 million (€126.2 million) collectively invested in companies doing business with the Defense Department.
More than 1,000 in Iraq’s forces quit Basra fight
More than 1,000 Iraqi soldiers and policemen either refused to fight or simply abandoned their posts during the inconclusive assault against Shiite militias in Basra last week, a senior Iraqi government official said Thursday. Iraqi military officials said the group included dozens of officers, including at least two senior field commanders in the battle.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
A third American war crime in the making
The US Congress, the US media, the American people, and the United Nations, are looking the other way as Cheney prepares his attack on Iran.
'The Saudi Arabian Money-laundering Affair'
Details behind the strategy I helped engineer—the Saudi Arabian Money—laundering Affair (SAMA)—are provided in Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. In summary, as far as the media was concerned, the House of Saud agreed to three important conditions; it would: I) invest a large portion of its petrodollars in U.S. government securities; 2) allow the U.S. Treasury Department to use the trillions of dollars in interest from these securities to hire U.S. corporations to westernize Saudi Arabia; and 3) maintain the price of oil within limits acceptable to the corporatocracy. For its part, the U.S. government promised to keep the Saud family in power.
There was an additional agreement, one that made few headlines but was crucial to the corporatocracy's need to maintain the dollar as the standard global currency. Saudi Arabia committed to trading oil exclusively in U.S. dollars. With the scratch of a pen the dollar’s sovereignty was reestablished. Oil replaced gold as the measure of a currency’s value.—”The Secret History of the American Empire,” p.171
There was an additional agreement, one that made few headlines but was crucial to the corporatocracy's need to maintain the dollar as the standard global currency. Saudi Arabia committed to trading oil exclusively in U.S. dollars. With the scratch of a pen the dollar’s sovereignty was reestablished. Oil replaced gold as the measure of a currency’s value.—”The Secret History of the American Empire,” p.171
Clinton on the sidelines of efforts to end the war
Since Democrats took control of Congress, Clinton has done relatively little to advance legislation to force the Bush administration to withdraw from Iraq, according to congressional records and lawmakers and staff members who have worked on the issue.
ACLU: Military skirting law to spy
The military is using the FBI to skirt legal restrictions on domestic surveillance to obtain private records of Americans' Internet service providers, financial institutions and telephone companies, the ACLU said Tuesday.
During crackdown in Tibet, Uighurs pursued own protest
Like the Tibetans, Xinjiang's approximately 16 million Uighur Muslims speak their own language, have their own customs and, at one point in history, set up their own government. They have long chafed under the Han Chinese-dominated government in Beijing and in the 1990s mounted a series of attacks against Chinese officials and institutions during which Beijing says more than 150 people died.
EU court annuls PKK terror ruling
A ruling to blacklist Kurdish rebel group the PKK as a terrorist organisation and freeze its assets has been overturned by an EU court.
Zimbabwe elections: Leader in waiting
One of the longest electoral teases in history finally delivered as Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission confirmed that the opposition had won control of the House of Assembly. Robert Mugabe's all-powerful Zanu-Patriotic Front was forced to concede defeat and the only question that remains is whether the 84-year-old will now follow suit and give up the presidency.
Key Pakistani official says U.S. must end attacks on militants
The new top official in Pakistan's terrorism-racked northwest frontier has demanded that the United States end missile strikes in the country and called for negotiations with militants—an approach that would dramatically alter the American-inspired war on terror there.
Top Bush administration officials pressured underlings to use torture tactics at Guantanamo
"Torture at Guantánamo was sanctioned by the most senior advisers to the president, the vice president, and the secretary of defense, according to the international lawyer and professor of law at University College London Philippe Sands, who has conducted a forensic examination of the chain of command leading from the top of the administration to the camp at Guantánamo," Vanity Fair will report on newstands today.
General William Odom tells senate rapid withdrawal is only solution
The surge is prolonging instability, not creating the conditions for unity as the president claims.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
'Iraq has really become Somalia…a collection of different militias'
Well, it’s been propagated by the right and accepted by the left in the US that the surge, which is really an escalation of troops—“surge” is just a euphemism—the escalation of troops by 30,000 soldiers, somehow brought peace to Iraq. And this is just an absolute lie. Violence has subsided somewhat in Baghdad, that’s true, but it’s not the result of the increase in American troops directly. . . .
We created a civil war in Iraq, or at least we caused it. Iraq, a country that had never experienced a civil war, we did that to them.
We created a civil war in Iraq, or at least we caused it. Iraq, a country that had never experienced a civil war, we did that to them.
Centers tap into personal databases
Intelligence centers run by states across the country have access to personal information about millions of Americans, including unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver's license photographs and credit reports, according to a document obtained by The Washington Post.
Colombia sitting on big oil reserves
Colombia’s heavy oil area could hold 20bn barrels of recoverable resources, giving the country greater reserves than leading producers such as Mexico and Algeria, said its natural resources agency.
Fooling ourselves about Israeli settlements
Had Peace Now not published reports from time to time, it is doubtful anyone would have been aware of the continuing construction in the settlements. . . .
The dynamic of deception is continuing. Deception of the Americans, deception of the voters for parties that etched peace on their standard, deception of the Palestinians and above all self-deception.
The dynamic of deception is continuing. Deception of the Americans, deception of the voters for parties that etched peace on their standard, deception of the Palestinians and above all self-deception.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Military charges accused embassy bomber despite civilian indictment
The Pentagon announced Monday that it will seek to try a Tanzanian man for war crimes in the 1998 East African embassy bombings — a decade after he was indicted in New York in the case and four years after he was taken into U.S. custody.
The decision to bring Ahmad Ghailani before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, rather than before a civilian federal court was immediately denounced by the Center for Constitutional Rights, whose lawyers represent dozens of the 280 or so detainees at Guantánamo.
The decision to bring Ahmad Ghailani before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, rather than before a civilian federal court was immediately denounced by the Center for Constitutional Rights, whose lawyers represent dozens of the 280 or so detainees at Guantánamo.
UBS chairman quits amid new £10bn writeoff
The bank revealed that it had lost a further $19 billion (£9.6 billion) in US real estate and related structured credit positions, bringing the total damage from the US sub-prime implosion to about $37 billion.
Muqtada's fight puts US to flight
The effort to disclaim US responsibility for the operation in which government forces battled with the Shi'ite - Mahdi Army - militias is an indication that it was viewed as a major embarrassment just as top commander General David Petraeus and ambassador Ryan Crocker are about to testify before Congress.
The Taliban will talk, but no 'sugar-coating'
While responding positively to the Pakistani government's offer of peace talks, the Pakistani Taliban have demanded the release of several key personalities in return for the Taliban freeing about 250 security personnel they are holding.
Mile-high tower: Saudi prince promises £5bn desert spire TWICE as tall as nearest rival being built
Plans for a mile-high tower in the Saudi Arabian desert have been unveiled by the billionaire owner of London's Savoy Hotel.
It is being planned for a new city near the Red Sea port of Jeddah. Behind the scheme is 51-year-old Prince al-Walid bin Talal, who bought the Savoy for £1.25billion in 2005.
It is being planned for a new city near the Red Sea port of Jeddah. Behind the scheme is 51-year-old Prince al-Walid bin Talal, who bought the Savoy for £1.25billion in 2005.
The Facebook tool which turns your mobile into a snoop
The Social Network Integrated Friend Finder (Sniff) is a new application, accessed via Facebook or mobile phone, . . .
Useful Networks, the American company behind Sniff, promised that only consumers who gave their permission could be electronically tracked by the service, which operates across all mobile carriers. Users can specify who can and can not sniff them, or whether they are open to be sniffed by anyone on the network.
Useful Networks, the American company behind Sniff, promised that only consumers who gave their permission could be electronically tracked by the service, which operates across all mobile carriers. Users can specify who can and can not sniff them, or whether they are open to be sniffed by anyone on the network.
Israel planning to build hundreds of new homes
Israel said Monday that it would build hundreds of new homes on occupied land it considers part of Jerusalem, just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrapped up a three-day visit to the region by saying the peace process is "moving in the right direction."
USA 2008: The Great Depression
Dismal projections by the Congressional Budget Office in Washington suggest that in the fiscal year starting in October, 28 million people in the US will be using government food stamps to buy essential groceries, the highest level since the food assistance programme was introduced in the 1960s.
Supreme court threatens Islamic party's government in Turkey
The 11-judge court, a bastion of the secularist establishment, decided unanimously to hear a case calling for the closure of Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) as well as banning the prime minister and president from politics for five years on the grounds that they are trying to impose Islamic law in the overwhelmingly Muslim country of 70 million.
Detainee is charged with capital murder in embassy bombing
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, who was held in secret CIA custody for more than two years before arriving at Guantanamo Bay in late 2006, was accused of plotting and carrying out the embassy bombing as part of his work for al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The attack, on Aug. 7, 1998, killed at least 11 people and injured nearly 100 more.
Iranian who brokered Iraqi peace is on U.S. terrorist watch list
Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, who helped U.S.-backed Iraqi leaders negotiate a deal with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr to stop the fighting in Iraq's largely Shiite south, is named on U.S. Treasury Department and U.N. Security Council watch lists for alleged involvement in terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear and missile technology.
His role as peacemaker, which McClatchy first reported Sunday, underscores Iran's entrenched political power and its alliances in Iraq, according to analysts.
His role as peacemaker, which McClatchy first reported Sunday, underscores Iran's entrenched political power and its alliances in Iraq, according to analysts.
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