Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Pakistan and Haqqani
An article on Pakistan's dilemma in abiding by US wishes of going after the Haqqani network, which Pakistan could keep as an ally for the present and future.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Afghan refugees and IDPs
There are still about 2.5 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan or Iran, in addition to about 400,000 internally displaced people, for a total of about 3 million.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Avnery on Gaza blockade
Uri Avnery discusses the blockade on Gaza and why Egypt is collaborating. His main point is that because Egypt's government/Mubarak is weak today in the Arab world, it needs to abide by the wishes of the US and Israel. In other words, because the Mubarak regime is weak, it needs to hold on to on last remaining source of power: US and Israeli patronage.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Walden Bello on Gaz Freedom March
Arguing that we must leave behind the "all or nothing" approach that passes for progressive politics and sometimes be more pragmatic.
Fisk on Israel/Palestine comparison wiht Northern Ireland
Excerpt:
English rulers in the 17th century suspected – quite rightly – that Spain was lending spiritual and material support to Irish insurgents, just as Israel today believes, correctly, that Iran is giving spiritual and material support to Hamas and, outside "Palestine", to Hizballah. For the Pope of Rome, read Pope Khamenei of Tehran. On many occasions, acts of "terrorism" against the Protestants emerged from landless Catholic tenants who were allowed to work for those who had seized their property. So, later Protestant "settlements" were surrounded by vast defensive walls, angled with watch-towers and ramparts and gun positions. The city of Derry has walls above the Catholic Bogside every bit as ferocious as the Israeli wall that now cuts into yet more Arab land.
English rulers in the 17th century suspected – quite rightly – that Spain was lending spiritual and material support to Irish insurgents, just as Israel today believes, correctly, that Iran is giving spiritual and material support to Hamas and, outside "Palestine", to Hizballah. For the Pope of Rome, read Pope Khamenei of Tehran. On many occasions, acts of "terrorism" against the Protestants emerged from landless Catholic tenants who were allowed to work for those who had seized their property. So, later Protestant "settlements" were surrounded by vast defensive walls, angled with watch-towers and ramparts and gun positions. The city of Derry has walls above the Catholic Bogside every bit as ferocious as the Israeli wall that now cuts into yet more Arab land.
US/Obama kill 700 civilians with drones in 2009
700 civilians were killed by drones in Pakistan in 2009 alone according to the Pakistani authorities.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Iran nuclear
A propaganda article from the NYT on Iran nevertheless makes the important point that the US has been conducting covert operations against Iran's nuclear program:
Another possible problem for Iran is the Western sabotage efforts. In January, The New York Times reported that President Bush had ordered a broad covert program against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including efforts to undermine electrical and computer systems that keep the nuclear program running. The Obama administration has been silent about the progress of that program, one of the most heavily classified of the United States government.
Another possible problem for Iran is the Western sabotage efforts. In January, The New York Times reported that President Bush had ordered a broad covert program against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including efforts to undermine electrical and computer systems that keep the nuclear program running. The Obama administration has been silent about the progress of that program, one of the most heavily classified of the United States government.
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