Who’s Behind the PKK? In a word: Washington
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN REMOVED UNDER THE THREAT OF A DMCA COMPLAINT MADE BY ANTIWAR.COM AGAINST THIS BLOG FOR ALLEGED COPYRIGHT VIOLATION THE SAKER
Blog
Barzani Defies Turkish Invasion Plans
The High Stakes in Iraqi Kurdistan By Patrick Cockburn in Iraqi Kurdistan Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurds of northern Iraq, expressed defiance yesterday in the face of a threatened invasion by 100,00 Turkish troops, and was scornful of Turkey’s claim that it wants only to pursue Turkish-Kurd rebels.“We are not a threat to Turkey and I do not accept the language of threatening and blackmailing from the government
ElBaradei: No Evidence That Iran is Building Nuclear Weapons
(DemocracyNow) UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Sunday the International Atomic Energy Agency has no evidence that Iran is building nuclear weapons. During an interview on CNN, ElBaradei urged the Bush administration to back away from its bellicose statements about Iran. Mohamed ElBaradei: “I very much have concern about confrontation, building confrontation, Wolf, because that would lead absolutely to a disaster. I see no military solution. The only durable
Rumsfeld flees France fearing arrest
(RINF) Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fled France today fearing arrest over charges of “ordering and authorizing” torture of detainees at both the American-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the US military’s detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unconfirmed reports coming from Paris suggest. US embassy officials whisked Rumsfeld away yesterday from a breakfast meeting in Paris organized by the Foreign Policy magazine after human rights groups filed
Iran says documents show U.S. backing “terrorists”
(Reuters) – Iran has access to evidence of U.S. support for terrorist groups in the Middle East, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying on Sunday. Iran’s new chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, made the allegation in comments to visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, whose country may soon send troops to hunt down Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq. Tehran says the rebels are operating in Iraq with U.S.
Secret move to upgrade air base for Iran attack plans
by Ian Bruce The US is secretly upgrading special stealth bomber hangars on the British island protectorate of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in preparation for strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to military sources. The improvement of the B1 Spirit jet infrastructure coincides with an “urgent operational need” request for £44m to fit racks to the long-range aircraft. That would allow them to carry experimental 15-ton Massive Ordnance
Donald Rumsfeld Hit with Lawsuit for Ordering, Authorizing Torture
Democracy Now! reports: On Visit to France, Donald Rumsfeld Hit with Lawsuit for Ordering, Authorizing Torture The complaint was filed with the Paris prosecutor’s office as Rumsfeld arrived in France for a visit. This is the fifth time Rumsfeld has been charged with direct involvement in torture since 9/11. We speak with two attorneys with the plaintiffs — Center for Constitutional Rights president Michael Ratner and Jeanne Sulzer of the
Israeli Foreign Minister and ex-Mossad Chief: “no existential threat”
Livni behind closed doors: Iran nukes pose little threat to Israel By Gidi Weitz and Na’ama Lanski, Haaretz Correspondents Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said a few months ago in a series of closed discussions that in her opinion that Iranian nuclear weapons do not pose an existential threat to Israel, Haaretz magazine reveals in an article on Livni to be published Friday. Livni also criticized the exaggerated use that Prime
Kurdish fighters defy the world from mountain fortress as bombing begins
By Patrick Cockburn in the Qandil mountains, Iraq Turkey used its helicopters and artillery to attack Kurdish guerrillas inside northern Iraq yesterday as the Turkish army massed just north of the border. The helicopter gunships penetrated three miles into Iraqi territory and warplanes targeted mountain paths used by rebels entering Turkey. Guerrilla commanders of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were defiant in the face of an impending invasion. In an
“Rendition” victim Maher Arar testifies before Congress via videolink
(Indymedia) A bi-partisan group of Congressmembers have personally apologized to Maher Arar, the Canadian citizen seized by U.S. officials secretly flown to Syria where he was tortured. Arar testified last week before a House panel, the first time he has had a chance to tell his story to U.S. lawmakers. But he couldn’t testify in person. Even though the Canadian government has cleared his name, Arar remains barred from the
Seymour Hersh – US intentions for Iran and the Middle East
Sy Hersh delivers the annual Amnesty International/Trinity College lecture. This is the third year, previous speakers were Noam Chomsky (2006) and Michael Ignatieff (2005). Recorded on 24th October 2007. Click here to listen to the lecture (file in mp3 format)
Big Brother’s paranoia goes berzerk : 755’000 “terrorists” threaten Imperial Homeland!
More Than 755,000 on US Terrorist Watch List (AFP) The US terrorist watch list includes more than 755,000 names and continues to grow, the US Government Accountability Office said Wednesday.The list exploded from fewer than 20 entries before the September 11, 2001 attacks to more than 150,000 just a few months later, after the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) was created in December 2003 to keep tabs on terrorist suspects, according
Neocon propaganda chief challenged in New York
Watch how Podhoretz is unable to answer his critics at a New York Barnes&Noble:
Fascism alive and well in Florida (are your surprised?)
Probe Finds Taser Use on Student Was OK University of Florida police were justified in using a Taser against a student who refused to stop questioning Sen. John Kerry on campus last month, according to a state investigation released Wednesday. Some had questioned the use of force in using the stun gun against Andrew Meyer, leading to the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A summary of the
Protester Waves Blood-Colored Hands in Rice’s Face
(Reuters) – An anti-war protester waved blood-colored hands in U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s face at a congressional hearing on Wednesday and shouted “war criminal!”, but was pushed away and detained by police. Rice, an architect of President George W. Bush’s Iraq policy, appeared unfazed by the incident, which occurred when she entered a House of Representatives meeting room to testify at a hearing on U.S. Middle East policy.
War Supplemental Makes Room for Iran
By Maya Schenwar The Bush administration’s $196.4 billion war supplemental spending request, released Monday, has Democrats reeling. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd called the supplemental “short-sighted at best,” while House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey remarked in a statement, “It’s amazing to me that the president expects to be taken seriously.” Yet beyond the request’s mind-boggling size, its open-ended aims point to the potentially vast scope of the “war
Bush offers to bomb Kurds
The Bush Administration is considering air strikes, including cruise missiles, against the Kurdish rebel group PKK in northern Iraq. The move would be an attempt to stave off a Turkish invasion of that country to fight the rebels. President George Bush spoke with Turkish President Abdullah Gul by phone yesterday in an effort to ease the crisis. And Prime Minister John Howard says the tensions on the Turkey-Iraq border will
Cheney threatens Iran with “serious consequences”
Cheney Lays the Foundation for War by Scott Horton This weekend the roll-out for the Next War continues. The most remarkable item is a speech delivered by the man who, by all accounts, has aggressively pushed for war against Iran for at least two years: Vice President Dick Cheney. Here are a few take-outs from his speech to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, up now at the White
Amy Goodman interviews Professor Juan Cole on Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Kurdistan
by Amy Goodman President Bush has asked Congress for another $46 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The request brings this year’s total to more than $196 billion — by the far the highest amount since the 9/11 attacks. If the trend continues, war funding could top $1 trillion by the time Bush leaves office. By some measures, that amount would exceed the cost of the Korean
Ha’aretz analysis of what an Israeli-Syrian war would look like
“If war breaks out“ By Reuven Pedatzur The next war with Syria, if there is one, will be different from every other war we have known. Granted, there might be tank battles on the Golan Heights, as in the past, but it is doubtful that the war will take place solely at the front, while the civilian rear stays out of it. If, as expected, the fighting expands to include
