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Showing posts with label War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War. Show all posts
Friday, November 15, 2019
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
The Only Jewish Ghetto in the Middle East
The results from Tuesday’s Israeli elections have confirmed what many of us have known for a long while. The Jewish state is an ultra nationalist right wing swamp. Israel is more hawkish than more hawkish than ever. There is not a single Jewish Israeli Left wing party. The Democratic Party is led and mentored by a war criminal. What is left of Israel’s Labour Party has very little to do with peace, harmony and reconciliation. In fact, that Party is also led by a person wanted for war crimes.
As things now stand, although Bibi’s right/religious block has shrunk, Israel is more right wing than ever. The longest serving Israeli PM cannot form his natural right/religious coalition. Most Israeli commentators agree that the only way out of the current political stalemate is with a wide ultranationalist government led by Likud, Blue and White and others. Such a coalition will be brokered in the coming days by the rabid nationalist zealot Avigdor Lieberman who has skillfully made himself into Israel’s king maker.
While Netanyahu has proven to be pretty cautious in his deployment of Israel’s vast military forces, we have good reason to believe that a coalition led by Blue and White and its IDF generals, Lieberman and Netanyahu, may be less adept at such maneuvers. The components of Israel’s next government are destined to compete among themselves for the ‘Mr. Security’ title. They will be determined to reinstate the long faded Israeli ‘power of deterrence,’ and presumably, they will push for questionable measures that will likely pull the region into carnage.
This was written on the wall some time ago. Israel, that was born to emancipate the Jews from diaspora conditions, to replace the Jewish ghetto and to eradicate the ghetto mentality, didn’t just fail in its mission: it has matured into the epitome of a ghetto. It has surrounded itself with humongous ghetto walls. It hates its neighbours and not surprisingly, it is not loved in return.
Read the entire article
As things now stand, although Bibi’s right/religious block has shrunk, Israel is more right wing than ever. The longest serving Israeli PM cannot form his natural right/religious coalition. Most Israeli commentators agree that the only way out of the current political stalemate is with a wide ultranationalist government led by Likud, Blue and White and others. Such a coalition will be brokered in the coming days by the rabid nationalist zealot Avigdor Lieberman who has skillfully made himself into Israel’s king maker.
While Netanyahu has proven to be pretty cautious in his deployment of Israel’s vast military forces, we have good reason to believe that a coalition led by Blue and White and its IDF generals, Lieberman and Netanyahu, may be less adept at such maneuvers. The components of Israel’s next government are destined to compete among themselves for the ‘Mr. Security’ title. They will be determined to reinstate the long faded Israeli ‘power of deterrence,’ and presumably, they will push for questionable measures that will likely pull the region into carnage.
This was written on the wall some time ago. Israel, that was born to emancipate the Jews from diaspora conditions, to replace the Jewish ghetto and to eradicate the ghetto mentality, didn’t just fail in its mission: it has matured into the epitome of a ghetto. It has surrounded itself with humongous ghetto walls. It hates its neighbours and not surprisingly, it is not loved in return.
Read the entire article
Monday, September 23, 2019
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Monday, September 02, 2019
‘We are waiting for war’: Lebanese say Israel has gone too far
Almost everyone in Lebanon appears to agree. “This time Israel went too far. In just two days, it bombed three countries,” I am told by a local UN staffer based in Beirut.
The same day, my local barber was talking like he saw it all, his voice full of sarcasm and determination:
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing tough elections at home, while his wife is on trial for fraud. A bit of excitement during the evening news can only help his chances of regaining attention from his electorate. But we here have had enough; we are ready to fight for our countries.”
But ‘fighting for their countries’ could prove lethal, as Netanyahu threatened to attack Lebanon as a whole, if Hezbollah decides to retaliate.
My barber is not just a barber. He is a Syrian engineer, exiled in Lebanon. The entire region is dispersed, derailed and intertwined, after NATO and Israeli attacks, occupations and destabilization campaigns.
Read the entire article
The same day, my local barber was talking like he saw it all, his voice full of sarcasm and determination:
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing tough elections at home, while his wife is on trial for fraud. A bit of excitement during the evening news can only help his chances of regaining attention from his electorate. But we here have had enough; we are ready to fight for our countries.”
But ‘fighting for their countries’ could prove lethal, as Netanyahu threatened to attack Lebanon as a whole, if Hezbollah decides to retaliate.
My barber is not just a barber. He is a Syrian engineer, exiled in Lebanon. The entire region is dispersed, derailed and intertwined, after NATO and Israeli attacks, occupations and destabilization campaigns.
Read the entire article
Thursday, August 29, 2019
TRUMP FOOLS THE ISRAELI WARMONGERS
So, Trump and President Rouhani of Iran are now openly talking about having a friendly tete-a-tete (a $10 French term for a sit-down), eh? This may have come as a surprise to many, but not to us. Time for a bit of horn-tootin', boys and girls.
Though initially disappointed with the seeming foreign policy aggressiveness of the man whom we used to mock as "Trumpstein" in early 2017; by the middle that first year in office, "The Editorial Board" of The Anti New York-Times became, as far as we know, the first and only to figure out the method behind Trump's fake madness and boldly predict that Trump -- while faking out the warmongers by threatening to start a war -- would actually lead the world to peace. Many of "youse guys" expressed doubt over our Trump-the-Pacifist theory, and a handful even insulted us!
Though Iran is insisting that there will be no talks until Trump lifts the sanctions which he had imposed; that's just posturing on their own part. The talks will eventually happen and -- through back-channel proxies such as Senator Rand Paul, they already are. Trump wants a deal and so does Iran. The purpose of the drama is to keep the Zionist crazies off off-balance.
Read the entire article
Though initially disappointed with the seeming foreign policy aggressiveness of the man whom we used to mock as "Trumpstein" in early 2017; by the middle that first year in office, "The Editorial Board" of The Anti New York-Times became, as far as we know, the first and only to figure out the method behind Trump's fake madness and boldly predict that Trump -- while faking out the warmongers by threatening to start a war -- would actually lead the world to peace. Many of "youse guys" expressed doubt over our Trump-the-Pacifist theory, and a handful even insulted us!
Though Iran is insisting that there will be no talks until Trump lifts the sanctions which he had imposed; that's just posturing on their own part. The talks will eventually happen and -- through back-channel proxies such as Senator Rand Paul, they already are. Trump wants a deal and so does Iran. The purpose of the drama is to keep the Zionist crazies off off-balance.
Read the entire article
Monday, August 19, 2019
Two Formerly Independent Nations Struggle for Re-emergence
Two re-emergent states on opposite shores of the Gulf of Aden are attempting to rise above the ashes of genocidal civil wars to establish themselves among the ranks of nations. On the northern coast of the Gulf of Aden are forces that have been fighting for the restoral of the independence of South Yemen. These secessionists recently succeeded in taking over key government posts in the city of Aden from forces loyal to the Saudi puppet government of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who ostensibly rules over Yemen from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, Hadi is a puppet leader without territory. If it were not for Saudi control over Hadi and his exiled regime, the so-called president and government of Yemen would not enjoy its current international recognition by the United Nations and major countries.
Even the most seasoned Middle East expert could be forgiven if the situation in Yemen seems confusing and bewildering. There are almost a dozen competing parties all jockeying for all or part of a post-civil way Yemen.
Houthi rebels currently rule over much of North Yemen, which unified with South Yemen in 1990 in what most South Yemenis later viewed as an uneven shotgun marriage that gave greater powers to the North. A civil war between the North and South broke out in 1994, which resulted in a rather quick victory for the North. The Saudis do not recognize the Houthi-led government that rules from Sana’a, the capital of North Yemen, because they see it as aligned with Iran. It is true that the Houthis’ Zaidi sect of Islam has much in common with the dominant Shi’a sect of Iran. However, a series of Zaidi Imams ruled the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen from 1911 until 1968, when pro-Egyptian army officers seized power and declared the Yemen Arab Republic. The attempt by certain quarters to describe the Houthi government as an inextricable Iranian proxy belies ignorance about the history of North Yemen.
Read the entire article
Even the most seasoned Middle East expert could be forgiven if the situation in Yemen seems confusing and bewildering. There are almost a dozen competing parties all jockeying for all or part of a post-civil way Yemen.
Houthi rebels currently rule over much of North Yemen, which unified with South Yemen in 1990 in what most South Yemenis later viewed as an uneven shotgun marriage that gave greater powers to the North. A civil war between the North and South broke out in 1994, which resulted in a rather quick victory for the North. The Saudis do not recognize the Houthi-led government that rules from Sana’a, the capital of North Yemen, because they see it as aligned with Iran. It is true that the Houthis’ Zaidi sect of Islam has much in common with the dominant Shi’a sect of Iran. However, a series of Zaidi Imams ruled the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen from 1911 until 1968, when pro-Egyptian army officers seized power and declared the Yemen Arab Republic. The attempt by certain quarters to describe the Houthi government as an inextricable Iranian proxy belies ignorance about the history of North Yemen.
Read the entire article
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Putin Is Warning the USA About Attacking Iran
Many reports have indicated that the U.S. and Israel have been attempting to persuade Russia to alter its stance on Iran, particularly when it comes to Syria. Just last month, national security officials from Russia, Israel and the U.S. met for a rare summit which focused solely on Iran.
While this may have been a tense situation for Iran to watch from the background, it appeared that Russia was never really on board with the proposal directly from the outset.
For example, Russia decided to reframe the talks with a focus of “stabilizing Syria” as opposed to making the entire situation about Iran. Russia’s Security Council head, Nikolai Patrushev, openly said it would push for Iran’s interests to be respected, stating that “Iran is in Syria at the invitation of the legitimate government and is actively involved in fighting terrorism.”
For various reasons, Russia is unlikely to concede to the U.S. and most media outlets are likely not to venture into why, even when it comes to the question of Syria. As one analyst has summarized this issue, the US-Israel position on Iran is “wishful thinking.”
Amid recent tensions and a potential standoff between the U.S. and Iran, it should be clear that the U.S. and Israel have unsuccessfully swayed Russia from changing its tack with regard to Iran at all—at least as far as the international public should be concerned.
Read the entire article
While this may have been a tense situation for Iran to watch from the background, it appeared that Russia was never really on board with the proposal directly from the outset.
For example, Russia decided to reframe the talks with a focus of “stabilizing Syria” as opposed to making the entire situation about Iran. Russia’s Security Council head, Nikolai Patrushev, openly said it would push for Iran’s interests to be respected, stating that “Iran is in Syria at the invitation of the legitimate government and is actively involved in fighting terrorism.”
For various reasons, Russia is unlikely to concede to the U.S. and most media outlets are likely not to venture into why, even when it comes to the question of Syria. As one analyst has summarized this issue, the US-Israel position on Iran is “wishful thinking.”
Amid recent tensions and a potential standoff between the U.S. and Iran, it should be clear that the U.S. and Israel have unsuccessfully swayed Russia from changing its tack with regard to Iran at all—at least as far as the international public should be concerned.
Read the entire article
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF): Rep. McCaul Struggles to Keep “War On Terror” Alive
"The repeal of any AUMF does not belong in the NDAA. HFAC has a longstanding, sole jurisdiction over war declarations & intervention abroad... any change to these authorities must be the result of deliberations & votes by committee of jurisdiction." - @RepMcCaul on #NDAA AMD #424
In other words, a single committee, not a majority of Congress, will decide what country to invade and under what false pretext, never mind the presence on the committee of that troublesome freshwoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Somali woman Trump told to get the hell out of his version of a MAGA-ified America.
If we follow the logic here, the power to declare war is reserved for the majority leader, Rep. Eliot Engel, your standard liberal on social issues and a “hawk” (read: neocon) on foreign policy. Engel is one of Israel’s boldest advocates of theft and human rights abuse.
Back in January during a fundraiser hosted by Helene and Robert Rothenberg in Woodmere, New York, Engel “reassured the some 40 attendees that bipartisan support for Israel would be maintained in the 116th Congress” and said the “Golan Heights is part of Israel and should remain part of Israel for strategic purposes,” according to The Times of Israel.
Read the entire article
In other words, a single committee, not a majority of Congress, will decide what country to invade and under what false pretext, never mind the presence on the committee of that troublesome freshwoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Somali woman Trump told to get the hell out of his version of a MAGA-ified America.
If we follow the logic here, the power to declare war is reserved for the majority leader, Rep. Eliot Engel, your standard liberal on social issues and a “hawk” (read: neocon) on foreign policy. Engel is one of Israel’s boldest advocates of theft and human rights abuse.
Back in January during a fundraiser hosted by Helene and Robert Rothenberg in Woodmere, New York, Engel “reassured the some 40 attendees that bipartisan support for Israel would be maintained in the 116th Congress” and said the “Golan Heights is part of Israel and should remain part of Israel for strategic purposes,” according to The Times of Israel.
Read the entire article
Tuesday, July 09, 2019
Netanyahu Compares Iranian Uranium Enrichment to Nazi Invasion of the Rhineland
Bibi Netanyahu would have us believe Iran’s decision to violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action following Donald Trump’s decision to remove the US from the agreement and impose sanctions is somehow akin to Hitler violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties. In short, Netanyahu is saying Iran’s decision will result in a crisis on par with the Second World War.
This latest bit of hyperbole is certainly not as theatrical as the prime minister’s previous presentations, namely his “Iran Lied” show-and-tell last April, which included a shelf of binders and CDs supposedly containing a wealth of data on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and also his 2012 presentation before the United Nations with a lit fuse bomb diagram predicting nuclear Armageddon.
Thus, we have come to expect over-the-top exaggeration by Netanyahu on Iran and its purported nuclear weapons program that has yet to be confirmed. His remark about the Iranians and Nazi Germany is intended to move the Europeans to impose strict sanctions. it was specifically crafted to exploit their history.
“I call on my friends, the heads of France, Britain, and Germany—you signed this deal and you said that as soon as they take this step, severe sanctions will be imposed—that was the Security Council resolution. Where are you?” Netanyahu said.
Read the entire article
This latest bit of hyperbole is certainly not as theatrical as the prime minister’s previous presentations, namely his “Iran Lied” show-and-tell last April, which included a shelf of binders and CDs supposedly containing a wealth of data on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and also his 2012 presentation before the United Nations with a lit fuse bomb diagram predicting nuclear Armageddon.
Thus, we have come to expect over-the-top exaggeration by Netanyahu on Iran and its purported nuclear weapons program that has yet to be confirmed. His remark about the Iranians and Nazi Germany is intended to move the Europeans to impose strict sanctions. it was specifically crafted to exploit their history.
“I call on my friends, the heads of France, Britain, and Germany—you signed this deal and you said that as soon as they take this step, severe sanctions will be imposed—that was the Security Council resolution. Where are you?” Netanyahu said.
Read the entire article
Friday, June 28, 2019
Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951-2019)
Justin Raimondo, former editorial director and co-founder of Antiwar.com, is dead at 67.
Justin CO-founded the Libertarian Party Radical Caucus (LPRC) in late 1978. Economist Murray Rothbard joined a few months later. Around the same time, Justin became one of the first employees of the newly formed Students for a Libertarian Society. Shortly after Democratic US Senator Sam Nunn and other members of Congress moved to reinstate the military draft and draft registration, Justin helped organize a number of anti-draft rallies that were held around the country on May 1, 1979. The LPRC disbanded in 1983.
He found more intellectual inspiration in the Old Right, people like John T. Flynn, Albert J. Nock, Frank Chodorov, Isabel Paterson, and other mid-20th century figures who defended the vision of a constitutional republic and protested the progressive leviathan’s despotic powers at home and abroad. Justin was especially influenced by novelist Garet Garrett, who saw Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency as a revolutionary development that gutted American freedom while leaving the superficial form of the Constitution intact, and who was perhaps "even harsher" in opposing Truman’s Cold War imperialism. Justin regarded the irreconcilable conflict between interventionists and traditionalists as the defining struggle over the heart and soul of American conservatism.
Because of his strong antiwar views, Justin also supported Pat Buchanan three times in his run for President of the United States: 1992, 1996, and 2000. In 2000, Justin gave the nominating speech for Pat Buchanan at the Reform Party convention in Long Beach. It can be seen here from 1:19:00 to 1:32:02.
Read the entire account
Justin CO-founded the Libertarian Party Radical Caucus (LPRC) in late 1978. Economist Murray Rothbard joined a few months later. Around the same time, Justin became one of the first employees of the newly formed Students for a Libertarian Society. Shortly after Democratic US Senator Sam Nunn and other members of Congress moved to reinstate the military draft and draft registration, Justin helped organize a number of anti-draft rallies that were held around the country on May 1, 1979. The LPRC disbanded in 1983.
He found more intellectual inspiration in the Old Right, people like John T. Flynn, Albert J. Nock, Frank Chodorov, Isabel Paterson, and other mid-20th century figures who defended the vision of a constitutional republic and protested the progressive leviathan’s despotic powers at home and abroad. Justin was especially influenced by novelist Garet Garrett, who saw Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency as a revolutionary development that gutted American freedom while leaving the superficial form of the Constitution intact, and who was perhaps "even harsher" in opposing Truman’s Cold War imperialism. Justin regarded the irreconcilable conflict between interventionists and traditionalists as the defining struggle over the heart and soul of American conservatism.
Because of his strong antiwar views, Justin also supported Pat Buchanan three times in his run for President of the United States: 1992, 1996, and 2000. In 2000, Justin gave the nominating speech for Pat Buchanan at the Reform Party convention in Long Beach. It can be seen here from 1:19:00 to 1:32:02.
Read the entire account
Monday, June 24, 2019
White House Pushes 'Trump Pulled Back' Story - He Likely Never Approved To Strike Iran
Trump wages an economic war on Iran through sanctions on everything Iran exports or imports. Iran is doing its best to to push back against this by creating incidents that are plausibly deniable but put Trump under maximum pressure. But there are now signs that Trump is finally getting that.
Yesterday evening Tucker Carlson, a FOX News host with a direct line to the White House, had two strong anti-war segments on his show (vid). In the second segment Carlson talks with retired army Colonel Douglas McGregor. Both argue for pulling back on sanctions. This was likely a preplanned exchange (at 9:56 min) designed to give Trump cover for his decision:
Carlson: Is there some good reason to maintain this level of sanctions against Iran? Are we getting something out of that?
McGregor: Well, I think the idea was to destroy the Iranian economy to bring the nation to its knees. That is really not what we should be trying to do at this point. I think the president senses that there is now an opportunity for diplomacy, for a new approach to Iran that could deescalate this set of conditions and produce a positive outcome.
Look, this will ruin our economy if we engage Iran in a war. Iran will have instantly have support from around the world. They will be the victim of this "limited strike" that is being discussed. The limited strike idea is sheer insanity. It will provoke a war. Everyone, China, Russia, India, many European states will come to the aid of Iran. We will end up with a larger coalition of the willing against us, than we have seen in decades.
I think the president has figured this out. He's got good instincts. But he needs to get rid of the warmongers. He needs to throw these geniuses and their limited strikes out of the Oval Office. The last thing the America First agenda needs is a stupid pointless unnecessary war with Iran and he knows that and he needs to act.
Read the entire article
Yesterday evening Tucker Carlson, a FOX News host with a direct line to the White House, had two strong anti-war segments on his show (vid). In the second segment Carlson talks with retired army Colonel Douglas McGregor. Both argue for pulling back on sanctions. This was likely a preplanned exchange (at 9:56 min) designed to give Trump cover for his decision:
Carlson: Is there some good reason to maintain this level of sanctions against Iran? Are we getting something out of that?
McGregor: Well, I think the idea was to destroy the Iranian economy to bring the nation to its knees. That is really not what we should be trying to do at this point. I think the president senses that there is now an opportunity for diplomacy, for a new approach to Iran that could deescalate this set of conditions and produce a positive outcome.
Look, this will ruin our economy if we engage Iran in a war. Iran will have instantly have support from around the world. They will be the victim of this "limited strike" that is being discussed. The limited strike idea is sheer insanity. It will provoke a war. Everyone, China, Russia, India, many European states will come to the aid of Iran. We will end up with a larger coalition of the willing against us, than we have seen in decades.
I think the president has figured this out. He's got good instincts. But he needs to get rid of the warmongers. He needs to throw these geniuses and their limited strikes out of the Oval Office. The last thing the America First agenda needs is a stupid pointless unnecessary war with Iran and he knows that and he needs to act.
Read the entire article
Friday, June 21, 2019
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Gulf Of Oman False Flag Attack: Israel Did It Using Popeye Submarine Launched Cruise Missiles
I continue to see a lot of reports today where not only is the US absolutely continuing with the blatant lie that it was the "big bad Iranians" that attacked those two Japanese tankers off the coast of Oman last week, but they are supposedly well into the planning (which they had ready to go for months now) for what apparently will be a "retaliatory" tactical "strike" against Iranian targets inside Iran..... All this is being done while the entire world is now very skeptical of exactly what happened in the Gulf of Oman, and exactly WHO did the deed.... I for one have the answer and I will present the evidence here...
The facts are that the captain of the Japanese tanker, "Kokuka Courageous" that endured the brunt of the "attack" in the Gulf of Oman last week has stated clearly that it was NOT done by mines at all as the criminals in the US government continue to harp, but that he and others on that very ship witnessed an "aerial object" coming towards their vessel and witnessed it make full contact with the hull of the ship... Here in fact is the link to an article from the Washington Post itself covering this fact:
OK, WHY is the US government contradicting these eyewitnesses on the ship itself that most definitely saw missiles coming in to strike their vessel? The answer is obvious, as the US is part of the criminal act themselves as they wanted this false flag to take place so that they could have their fraudulent excuse to go to war against Iran!
So... WHO did the attack and HOW? I will state the obvious here: The criminal state of Israel attacked these tankers using "popeye" class submarine launched cruise missiles fired from their German "donated" Dolphin class submarines....
Read the entire article
The facts are that the captain of the Japanese tanker, "Kokuka Courageous" that endured the brunt of the "attack" in the Gulf of Oman last week has stated clearly that it was NOT done by mines at all as the criminals in the US government continue to harp, but that he and others on that very ship witnessed an "aerial object" coming towards their vessel and witnessed it make full contact with the hull of the ship... Here in fact is the link to an article from the Washington Post itself covering this fact:
OK, WHY is the US government contradicting these eyewitnesses on the ship itself that most definitely saw missiles coming in to strike their vessel? The answer is obvious, as the US is part of the criminal act themselves as they wanted this false flag to take place so that they could have their fraudulent excuse to go to war against Iran!
So... WHO did the attack and HOW? I will state the obvious here: The criminal state of Israel attacked these tankers using "popeye" class submarine launched cruise missiles fired from their German "donated" Dolphin class submarines....
Read the entire article
Monday, June 17, 2019
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
While the world watches Donald Trump, it’s missing what’s really going on with US foreign policy
Our leaders know how to bang the war drums and, by and large, we go along with them. The US threatens Iran with war – so will Iran close the Strait of Hormuz and attack American warships in the Gulf? Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria after rockets fall on Golan – so does an Arab-Israeli conflict loom closer than at any time since the 1973 conflict? Jared Kushner plans to reveal Trump’s “deal of the century” for peace in the Middle East – but is it dead in the water?
Meanwhile the real stories get pushed down the page – or “to the back of the book”, as we journalists used to say.
Take Donald Trump’s desire to furnish Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with billions of dollars of extra weapons so that they can increase the ferocity of their war in Yemen against the Houthis – whose support from Iran, such as it is, prompts much of the international abuse against the Islamic Republic. French intelligence officers in Washington have apparently discovered that this is no routine request from Riyadh but a desperate appeal to Washington, because so promiscuous has been the Saudis’ use of US munitions against Houthi rebels (and civilians, hospitals, aid centres, schools and wedding parties) that they are running out of bombs, guided and unguided missiles, drone parts and other “precision” arms to be used on one of the poorest countries in the world.
Thus when Trump found himself confronted by congress, which wanted to halt the supplies – not least because its members are still very angry about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi – the destination of the weapons supplies was broadened to include America’s plucky little ally, King Abdullah II of Jordan. Yes, we all missed that bit, didn’t we? We added the words “and Jordan” to the headline, but didn’t ask why. And the munitions will come not from direct sales to the Gulf, with a possible congressional cap of $25m (£19.7m), but from US government military stocks and – so the French suggest – a very large part of these weapons will go to Jordan.
Read the entire article
Meanwhile the real stories get pushed down the page – or “to the back of the book”, as we journalists used to say.
Take Donald Trump’s desire to furnish Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with billions of dollars of extra weapons so that they can increase the ferocity of their war in Yemen against the Houthis – whose support from Iran, such as it is, prompts much of the international abuse against the Islamic Republic. French intelligence officers in Washington have apparently discovered that this is no routine request from Riyadh but a desperate appeal to Washington, because so promiscuous has been the Saudis’ use of US munitions against Houthi rebels (and civilians, hospitals, aid centres, schools and wedding parties) that they are running out of bombs, guided and unguided missiles, drone parts and other “precision” arms to be used on one of the poorest countries in the world.
Thus when Trump found himself confronted by congress, which wanted to halt the supplies – not least because its members are still very angry about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi – the destination of the weapons supplies was broadened to include America’s plucky little ally, King Abdullah II of Jordan. Yes, we all missed that bit, didn’t we? We added the words “and Jordan” to the headline, but didn’t ask why. And the munitions will come not from direct sales to the Gulf, with a possible congressional cap of $25m (£19.7m), but from US government military stocks and – so the French suggest – a very large part of these weapons will go to Jordan.
Read the entire article
Monday, June 10, 2019
NY SLIMES PRETENDS USS LIBERTY ATTACK NEVER HAPPENED
Not content with the territory that it had already stolen back in 1947, Israel, ever playing the role of victim, initiated what became known as The Six Day War on June 7, 1967. The one-sided fight pitted US-armed Israel against the Arab states of Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Hoping to bring the US into the war so that the Arab states could be annihilated in one fell swoop, Israeli jets and torpedo boats deliberately attacked the USS Liberty, a helpless communications ship on patrol in the Mediterranean Sea, near Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
The sustained daytime attack, which took place as the US flag flew visibly, killed 34 Americans, wounded 170, and badly damaged the vessel. Many of the dead and wounded lost their lives due to fighter jets firing upon their life boats. The Israelis finally called off the slaughter when they thought that help may have been on the way (a Russian vessel was also in the area). Our noble allies then claimed that the assault on the USS Liberty was a case of "mistaken identity." Of course, the government of Zion's wholly-owned US President, the utterly contemptible Lyndon Baines Johnson, with the complicity of Offense Secretary Robert McNamara and Admiral John McCain Sr. (father of Senator McCain the Insane), accepted Zion's ridiculous claim and closed the book. And Congress didn't dare to investigate the matter either.
But the detailed accounts of this dastardly war crime, given by American survivors, clearly contradict the Zionist lie. Their testimonies haven't wavered to this day. The object of the false-flag attack was to sink the Liberty, machine-gun any survivors, blame Egypt, and thus draw the US into a war on Israel's side. In spite of the US government's complicit cover-up after the fact, more than a few high-powered men rejected the "mistaken identity" narrative.
Read the entire article
The sustained daytime attack, which took place as the US flag flew visibly, killed 34 Americans, wounded 170, and badly damaged the vessel. Many of the dead and wounded lost their lives due to fighter jets firing upon their life boats. The Israelis finally called off the slaughter when they thought that help may have been on the way (a Russian vessel was also in the area). Our noble allies then claimed that the assault on the USS Liberty was a case of "mistaken identity." Of course, the government of Zion's wholly-owned US President, the utterly contemptible Lyndon Baines Johnson, with the complicity of Offense Secretary Robert McNamara and Admiral John McCain Sr. (father of Senator McCain the Insane), accepted Zion's ridiculous claim and closed the book. And Congress didn't dare to investigate the matter either.
But the detailed accounts of this dastardly war crime, given by American survivors, clearly contradict the Zionist lie. Their testimonies haven't wavered to this day. The object of the false-flag attack was to sink the Liberty, machine-gun any survivors, blame Egypt, and thus draw the US into a war on Israel's side. In spite of the US government's complicit cover-up after the fact, more than a few high-powered men rejected the "mistaken identity" narrative.
Read the entire article
Wednesday, June 05, 2019
Friday, May 31, 2019
How the War Party Broke Trump
Only rarely have I agreed with Trump on anything. His frequent and apparently sincere denunciations of our various wars in the Greater Middle East stand as the principal exception to that statement. As both candidate and president, Trump has repeatedly made clear his intention to extricate the United States from the vast military quagmire that his several predecessors, both Republicans and Democrats, have created in that region.
Consistency has not been a strong suit of Trump’s administration. Yet terminating our interminable wars while lowering the U.S. military profile in the Islamic world does seem to be something to which the president is actually committed.
Yet the national security apparatus and members of his own administration have opposed him every step of the way. Trump wanted U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. They are still there. He wanted U.S. troops out of Syria. They are still there. So, too, are 5,000 more in neighboring Iraq—more than 16 years after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
The nominal rationale for the U.S. military presence and combat actions in the Greater Middle East changes with dizzying frequency. It once had something to do with overthrowing dictators, spreading democracy, and promoting human rights. Then, for a time, the mission was to eliminate terrorism. Somewhere along the line, it changed to promoting stability. Now, the focus has shifted to Iran, assigned a place in the pecking order of official U.S. adversaries that once belonged to Saddam, then to al-Qaeda, and then to ISIS.
Read the entire article
Consistency has not been a strong suit of Trump’s administration. Yet terminating our interminable wars while lowering the U.S. military profile in the Islamic world does seem to be something to which the president is actually committed.
Yet the national security apparatus and members of his own administration have opposed him every step of the way. Trump wanted U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. They are still there. He wanted U.S. troops out of Syria. They are still there. So, too, are 5,000 more in neighboring Iraq—more than 16 years after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
The nominal rationale for the U.S. military presence and combat actions in the Greater Middle East changes with dizzying frequency. It once had something to do with overthrowing dictators, spreading democracy, and promoting human rights. Then, for a time, the mission was to eliminate terrorism. Somewhere along the line, it changed to promoting stability. Now, the focus has shifted to Iran, assigned a place in the pecking order of official U.S. adversaries that once belonged to Saddam, then to al-Qaeda, and then to ISIS.
Read the entire article
Thursday, May 23, 2019
62 Organizations to U.S. Congress: Pass Legislation to Halt a “March to War” with Iran
In light of President Trump and John Bolton’s dangerous escalations against Iran and a forthcoming intelligence briefing on Capitol Hill this afternoon, 62 organizations – including J Street, Indivisible, NIAC Action and Win Without War – sent a letter calling on Congress to pass legislation to halt a march to war with Iran.
The combined groups, representing millions of Americans concerned about renewed threats of war with Iran, signals a strong desire for Congress to step up and block Trump from leading America into yet another war of choice.
“Last Fall, Americans voted for a new Congress to act as a co-equal branch of government that would finally serve as a check on this president and his reckless impulses,” said NIAC President Jamal Abdi. “Now Trump and his National Security Advisor John Bolton are taking this country to the brink of a completely avoidable military confrontation. It’s time for Congress to turn its words into action by passing legislation to stop Trump and Bolton from starting an illegal war.”
“President Trump’s chaos-first foreign policy centers around his penchant for turning challenges into crises,” said Win Without War Advocacy Director Erica Fein. “His Iran policy is no different: President Obama took us off the path to war, but now Trump and Bolton have put us back on it. It’s time for Congress to put the brakes on a Trump-Bolton war with Iran.”
Read the entire article
The combined groups, representing millions of Americans concerned about renewed threats of war with Iran, signals a strong desire for Congress to step up and block Trump from leading America into yet another war of choice.
“Last Fall, Americans voted for a new Congress to act as a co-equal branch of government that would finally serve as a check on this president and his reckless impulses,” said NIAC President Jamal Abdi. “Now Trump and his National Security Advisor John Bolton are taking this country to the brink of a completely avoidable military confrontation. It’s time for Congress to turn its words into action by passing legislation to stop Trump and Bolton from starting an illegal war.”
“President Trump’s chaos-first foreign policy centers around his penchant for turning challenges into crises,” said Win Without War Advocacy Director Erica Fein. “His Iran policy is no different: President Obama took us off the path to war, but now Trump and Bolton have put us back on it. It’s time for Congress to put the brakes on a Trump-Bolton war with Iran.”
Read the entire article
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