It sure looks like the Empire is trying to make the most from an otherwise unpredictable situation. In Egypt, the Empire is now allowing for a travel ban on Mubarak while in Libya the US-NATO forces seem to be gearing up for the imposition of a no-fly zone. I just head a British lawyer on al-Jazeera explaining that a no-fly zone can be imposed by the UNSC in case of
A friend just send me this: Egyptian Armed Forces Fire At Christian Monasteries, 19 Injured Does anybody know anything about this? Why would the Egyptian army fire at monastics? Why use RPGs? Does any of that makes sense to you? Thanks for any info! The Saker
I really like Peter Lavelle and his show “Cross Talk”. Check out these two. He invites some very toxic Zionist fanboys, and he opposes them to very articulate and intelligent anti-Imperialists (like Mark LeVine!): The Zioimperialists just sound so evil and so stupid :-) Also – check out Mark LeVine’s biography. This guy is amazing! Has anybody read his books? If yes, please let me know, as I “discovered” him
One mouth after the Egyptian revolution began, the Egyptians are STILL at it. I just was a report from al-Jazeera and Tahrir square is jam-packed, totally full, with a huge crowd demanding not puppet change, but regime change. These people are just amazing! I don’t think I have ever seen such a massive and spontaneous people movement in my life. And the people Yemen and Bahrain are still keeping up
by Rick Rozoff for Stop NATO Last week Kamitsuki Toyohisa, the Japanese Foreign Ministry counselor for European Affairs, said that the relationship between his country and Russia is “at its worst point in decades.” In fact the dramatic ratcheting up of rhetoric – and corresponding actions – on both sides over the Kuril Islands are more evocative of the situation preceding the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the two nations’
PayPal just froze the account of the Bradley Manning Support Network, a group raising funds for the legal defense of alleged Wikileaks source Pfc. Bradley Manning. The group can no longer accept donations through PayPal, or access the money in its account. The Bradley Manning Support Network didn’t do anything illegal. PayPal even admits there’s no legal reason to shut down the group’s account; it’s an “internal policy decision.” We
By David Nowak for AP Russia will spend $650 billion to equip its dilapidated military with 600 new warplanes, 100 ships and 1,000 helicopters by 2020, Defense Ministry officials were quoted as saying Thursday. The ambitious weapons procurement program also envisages eight new nuclear submarines and two Mistral aircraft carriers in addition to the two that Russia is buying from France, Russian news agencies quoted First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir
The US is finally giving up any pretense of being a fair broker in the Middle-East. Check out who, according to Haaretz, will be the next US ambassador to Israel: Obama expected to appoint Dan Shapiro Ambassador to Israel Shapiro, 40, has advised Obama on the Middle East since before he assumed the presidency, and coordinated his presidential election campaign to attract Jewish voters. U.S. President Barack Obama intends to
I just heard a joint press conference by Hillary Clinton and the Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota. During the Q&A Hillary was asked what the USA’s position on the situation in Libya was and I was quite amazed to see how lame, how vapid, how completely banal her response was. I think that this shows that US diplomats are both overwhelmed, clueless and quite frightened by these developments. They seem
According to the BBC: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has announced increased benefits for his citizens (…): there will be extra funds for housing, studying abroad and social security, according to state television. While Saudi television reported that Bahrain’s King Hamad was also flying into Riyadh on Wednesday. It looks like even the fattest of the fat cats is now getting fearful that the revolutionary tsunami might reach him: just imagine
Russian President Medvedev has just made an unannounced visit to the National Anti-Terrorist Committee meeting in the North Ossetian city of Vladikavkaz. He made a number of interesting, if very debatable comments. a) President Medvedev began by saying that what is now taking place in the Arab world is a “scenario which was first attempted in Russia but which was defeated”. b) He described the situation in the Arab world
— Note: I am in no way endorsing any of what Khaled Al Ga’aeem, under-secretary of Libya’s foreign ministry, says. Nor do I believe that he is sincere, or that his description of what is taking place in Libya is true. However, I do think that it is important to hear an articulate and intelligent defense of the regime’s position, if only because the leader – Gaddafi himself – is
It is kind of disgusting to see how Libyan apparachiks from the Libyan diplomatic corps in the USA going on al-Jazeera and calling for a UN imposed no-fly zone over their country because of the alleged ‘genocide’ taking place there. I have exactly zero love for that crazy buffoon Gadaffi, but his diplomats are even more spineless and hypocritical than him. Still, the worst liars and hypocrites are – who
President Medvedev has just fired the Deputy Commander of the Federal Security Service. Furthermore, a new law “On Police” has just been passed. Finally, President Medvedev has just held a conference with commanders of all the security services where he made a very strong speech about the need to bring order, discipline and ethics for all the security services. He threatened all the commanders with being immediately fired if they
There are plenty of reports about Gaddafi using his (notoriously incompetent) Air Force to bomb buildings controlled by the opposition. There are also rumors that he has left the country, possibly to Venezuela (which Venezuela is denying).
Voltairenet reports: The International Peace Institute recently released the results of a telephone survey of Iranians. According to the poll, Iranians are clearly split in a one third/two thirds ratio. The majority came out in favour of continuing the Islamic Revolution under President Ahmadinejad. On its part, the minority wishes to suspend financial support to Hamas and Hezbollah, hopes for closer ties with the United States, and backs opposition leader
The Alternative Information Center reports: The United States has vetoed a draft UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territory on Friday (18 February). The other 14 members of the United Nations Security Council all voted in favor of the resolution, which was sponsored by at least 130 countries. The resolution declared that Israeli settlements in Palestinian Territories are illegal and a “major obstacle to the achievement of
The BBC reports: At least 104 people have been killed in Libya since anti-government protests erupted on Wednesday, the campaign group Human Rights Watch says. It said the figure included at least 20 people who died when troops reportedly used heavy weapons in the second city, Benghazi, on Saturday. The group said its estimates were conservative. Good thing crazy old Gaddafi abandoned the camp of ‘terrorism’ and is now acting
Dear friends, I am spending this week-end at a major chess tournament in which all three of my children are playing. I will therefore be unable to reply to questions and comments until Monday afternoon. I apologize for the delay and I ask for your understanding. The Saker
I take refuge in Allah against the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the world. Peace be on the Seal of prophets – our Master and Prophet Abi Al Qassem Mohammad – and on his chaste and pure Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers. First we salute the souls of our martyrs – the chaste
