Any illusions that the US and its NATO allies are backing “democracy” in Libya against the reign of Moammar Gadhafi evaporated last week as the rebel chief of staff, Abdel Fatah Younes, was murdered – not by Gadhafi’s troops, but by his own “Free Libya” forces. A former Interior Minister and once quite close to …
Continue reading “The Assassination of Abdel Fatah Younes”
Light violence left two Iraqis dead and four wounded. Hinting at a possible loophole in the 2008 U.S.-Iraq agreement that forces U.S. troops out at the end of this year, the prime minister suggested a new way to keep U.S. soldiers in Iraq without a formal agreement.
Although violence was light today, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, Stuart Bowen reported that Iraq has become more dangerous in the last 12 months. Coincidentally, U.S. forces were involved in a fatal shootout with civilians in northern Iraq early this morning. Overall, at least seven Iraqis were killed and 20 more were wounded across Iraq. Meanwhile, parliament approved a cabinet-reducing measure.
BEIT UMMAR, West Bank – Leading members of the Palestinian Popular Committees in the West Bank plan massive civil unrest and disobedience against the Israeli occupation authorities come September when the Palestinians take their case for statehood to the UN. "We plan to take to the streets en masse," Musa Abu Maria, a leading member …
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Among the many half-successes, pretend-successes and outright failures, until this week the Empire could still plausibly claim that it had scored a victory in the Balkans. Nearly two decades of efforts to dismantle Yugoslavia just so, and install pliant governments in its arbitrarily arranged shards, seemed to have been crowned with a triumph last fall, …
Continue reading “Law and Disorder”
At least seven Iraqis were killed and 16 more were wounded in the latest violence. Two of the fatalities occurred in Iraqi Kurdistan where tensions between Iran and Kurdish rebels reheated in the last two weeks.
Before exiting the stage as secretary of defense, Robert Gates took a parting shot at NATO. During his last visit to Europe, Gates delivered a scathing speech that included these criticisms: “too many allies have been unwilling to fundamentally change how they set priorities and allocate resources” “the very real possibility of collective military irrelevance” …
Continue reading “Gates’ NATO Gripes Ignore Biggest Failing”
Justin Raimondo follows the money trail
Post-9/11, doesn’t it seem as though all American experience is blending into a single experience whose label is "your safety"? Which means, in practical terms, you get poked, prodded, searched, and surveilled wherever you go. The other day, I went to the ballpark to see my team, the Mets, play the Florida Marlins. It’s always …
Continue reading “Ballpark Liturgy: America’s New Civic Religion”
KABUL – The Taliban leadership is ready to negotiate peace with the United States right now if Washington indicates its willingness to provide a timetable for complete withdrawal, according to a former Afghan prime minister who set up a secret meeting between a senior Taliban official and a U.S. general two years ago. They also …
Continue reading “Ex-PM Says Taliban Offer Talks For Pullout Date” 
