by Uri Avnery A DETECTIVE trying to solve a crime always asks “cui bono?” (who would profit?) When we try to solve the crime called the Second Lebanon War, this question must head the list. The day before yesterday, a full year after the war, the Israeli media devoted most of their time to the retrospective analysis of the war. Hour after hour of television time, page after page of
In occupied Palestine Israel differentiates between Christian and Muslim Palestinians, between Fatah and Hamas, between West Bank and Gaza Strip, and between citizens of one town and the other. Since the establishment of their terrorist state on usurped Palestinian land Israelis keep regurgitating their phobic mantra “Arabs want to wipe Israel off the map” in order to draw international sympathy, and to cover up their war crimes throughout the Arab
One of the most absurd accusations against Iran has been that Tehran is secretly arming (and even possibly training) the anti-Imperial resistance forces in Iraq. Why is this an utterly absurd accusation? Because as Robert Dreyfuss explains it in his many excellent articles (see here, here and here) the USA and Iran are supporting the same side in this war: the Maliki government. They are also the only ones to
Today I am publishing the second interview in my new series “Saker interviews” (which began with the Israeli peace activist Uri Avnery) with a Q&A email exchange with Jonathan Cook, a British journalist who lives in occupied Palestine and who recently wrote a book, entitled ‘Blood and Religion: The Unmasking of the Jewish and Democratic State‘, which was published by Pluto Press in Britain in April and in the United
Inter Press ServiceBy Ahmed Ali* BAQUBA, Jul 14 (IPS) – Air strikes have destroyed civilian homes rather than al-Qaeda targets under the U.S. military operation in Baquba, residents say. But signs have emerged of an al-Qaeda presence here earlier, and some residents speak of relief that al-Qaeda has been driven out of the city by U.S. forces. Located 50km northeast of Baghdad, the volatile capital city of Diyala province is
Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan supports the terrorist group Mujahedin Khalq Organization after he backs al-Qaeda and Fath al-Islam. In an MKO congress held recently in MKO’s Ashraf military camp in Iraq, Prince Bandar donated $750,000 to the exiled terrorist group in the presence of the former Iraqi Baath leaders, intelligence officers, several members of al-Qaeda and armed group Ansar al-Sunna, Baztab Internet site reported. The Iraqi daily ‘Al-Bayyinah al-Jadidah’
Aljazeera, 11-7-2007 By Rula Amin – Southern Lebanon In southern Lebanon, Hizbullah`s traditional stronghold, Lebanese soldiers now stand on the front line with “Israel”. They are supported by 13,000 United Nations troops after the UNIFIL deployment and mandate was extended at the end of the war. No Hizbullah fighters – or their weapons – are anywhere to be seen but everyone knows they are there and still have the upper
Stephen Koff Plain Dealer Washington Bureau Chief Dennis Kucinich, the colorful Cleveland congressman and longshot presidential candidate, has outraged Jewish leaders in Northeast Ohio by insisting that Iran’s anti-Zionist leader is not seeking to exterminate Israel. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is regarded by many in the western world as a menace with nuclear ambitions, who recently called for supporters of Israel to, among other things, “burn in the fire of the Islamic
by HarkavyIt always pays to be suspicious when a U.S. official ramps up fear, but Homeland Security czar Michael Chertoff‘s “gut feeling” remark about an Al Qaeda attack on the U.S. this summer sparks a different suspicion — and a similar sinking feeling: Israel is about to launch a unilateral strike on Iran. It’s not a cinch, but that queasy feeling is building. Seymour Hersh wrote long ago (in his
Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, Hezbollah’s leader in south Lebanon said on Tuesday that the Israeli occupation army does not have the ability to face his party another time. In an interview with IRNA Iranian news agency toward the anniversary of the Second Lebanon War, Kaouk said, “It will take the Israeli army a long time to rehabilitate its military and morale ability before it will be ready for another war with
“Hezbollah is as strong as it needs to be to withstand any Israeli aggression,” Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Kassem told al-Manar Channel Wednesday, in a political talkshow “Maza ba’ad”.“The latest aggression only made us stronger. We acquired forces, we’re still highly prepared,” he said, referring to the Second Lebanon War.Sheikh Kassem said that Hezbollah does not intend to attack, but that if Israel attacks, “we’ll show them some
by Philip Giraldi The naming of leading neoconservative Norman Podhoretz as one of Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani’s senior foreign policy advisers is disconcerting to those Americans who have hoped that the current disagreements with Iran might be resolved short of war. Giuliani—together with Mitt Romney and John McCain—has publicly advocated a military strike against Iran to keep it from acquiring nuclear weapons. He has also not ruled out the
Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:39:03 The dollar has sharply plummeted against the yen this afternoon on reports Iran has asked Japan to stop paying for its oil in dollars. The dollar was driven down against the Japanese yen this afternoon, hit by the news that Iran had asked Japan to pay for its oil purchases in the Japanese currency and not in dollars. Iran has sent a letter to Japanese
by Eran Shayson for The Jerusalem Post A month after its takeover of Gaza, it seems Hamas has begun to translate its military achievements into political dividends, while Fatah is wallowing in the mud and becoming even less relevant. Although Hamas’s victory in Gaza was decisive, leaving the movement with no serious rivals in the area, the victory also held the potential to work against it. First, following the collapse
by Jim Lobe Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani announced his foreign-policy advisory team Tuesday, and it looks from the membership as if he’s bidding for the Likud vote (for which he will no doubt receive tough competition from John McCain, Fred Thompson, and, eventually perhaps, Newt Gingrich). Heading the team is Charles Hill, a retired career foreign service officer who worked as former Secretary of State George Shultz’s executive officer during
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday he will send Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the Middle East in August. “They will meet with our allies, reemphasize our commitment to the international compact of Sharm el-Sheikh, reassure our friends that the Middle East remains a vital strategic priority for the United States,” the president said. Bush was speaking at a
Hizballah Has Missiles for Downing Israeli Warplanes One Year after Lebanon War One year ago to the day, the Lebanese Shiite terrorist Hizballah sent a unit across the border into Israel and ambushed an Israeli patrol, killing eight of its members and kidnapping two. The raid, followed by a Katyusha rocket attack on northern Israel sparked the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and a 34-day war. Today, DEBKAfile’s military sources report
Ahmed Rashid was interviewed by phone from Lahore, Pakistan, by Amy Goodman for DemocracyNow!. Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist based in Lahore. He is author of three books including “Taliban” and most recently “Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia.” He has covered Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia for the past 25 years and writes for the Far Eastern Economic Review, the Daily Telegraph, and The Wall
Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri has urged Pakistanis to revolt against President Musharraf following the storming of the Lal Mosque. “I call upon the ulama (Muslim clergy) in Pakistan… Musharraf and his hunting dogs have tarnished your honor in service of the crusaders and the Jews,” Zawahiri said in an audiotape posted Thursday on the Internet. Zawahiri said that he was speaking on the “occasion of the criminal aggression” on
by Philip Giraldi In spite of repeated Pentagon denials that a military option is imminent, the United States is again putting pressure on Iran that could easily lead to an armed conflict, a conflict that is desired neither by the American nor Iranian people. Nearly everyone agrees that it would be better if Iran were not to develop a nuclear weapon, if, indeed, that is Tehran’s intention. Though modern Iran
