New Year Bombs in Bangkok
Sun Dec 31, 2006 at 09:16:10 PM PDT
Most New Year celebrations in Bangkok were cancelled after a series of bomb explosions that left at least three dead and more injured. Most speculation seems to be on supporters of the ousted Prime Minister.
Foreign embassies are issuing travel wranings and the governor of Bangkok is advising people to stay at home today.
Israel breaks the ceasefire?
Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 01:09:02 AM PDT
In a slowly breaking story it seems that Israeli commandos and warplanes have been in a joint offensive operation in the Bekaa Valley according to Al Jazeera:
Media reports quoted Lebanese security sources as saying on Saturday that Israeli aircraft and commandos raided the village of Bodai, west of the ancient city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, at dawn.
and:
A Lebanese military spokesman confirmed that Israeli forces had staged the commando operation and that there had been clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
There were no comments from Israel on the reports.
Such an assault, if proved to be true, would be the first serious attack since a UN truce ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Full story from Al Jazeera:
http://tinyurl.com/...
If this attack is confirmed , what does it mean for the ceasefire process? Will Israel be condemned for breaking a UN resolution and ceasefire? It is difficult to impossible to argue this action was defensive. Will Condi condemn the action?
Also now reported on BBC
Why no Israel on the Front Page?
Thu Jul 13, 2006 at 08:33:28 PM PDT
Probably the biggest event in the world at the moment is the what is happening in the Middle East. There have been several popular diaries discussing events on here athough they quickly move off of the list. Couldnt one of these diaries have been promoted to the front page to give people a reference point for discussion? Also it would be interesting to see one of the front pagers take a line on the front page on what is going on. I am sure there is enough interest in this from what I have seen in the diaries.
To be honest I am quite surprised this hasnt happened here. The right blogs are certainly posting it up ad infinitum while we leave it seemingly unaddressed on the main page.
Just a suggestion.
US troops seize award-winning Iraqi journalist
Sun Jan 08, 2006 at 10:54:32 PM PDT
From the Guardian:
American troops in Baghdad yesterday blasted their way into the home of an Iraqi journalist working for the Guardian and Channel 4, firing bullets into the bedroom where he was sleeping with his wife and children.
The rest of the article is at: http://tinyurl.com/...
I guess it had nothing to do with his investigation into the misuse and misappropriation of funds by the US and UK in Iraq.
Quite how his 3 year old daughter and seven month son reacted to having the bedroom sprayed with bullets is not made clear by the article.
"Truth about Iraqis" - blog by an Iraqi
Tue Sep 27, 2005 at 10:50:14 PM PDT
An interesting newish blog by an Iraqi in Iraq who grew up in the US.
http://truth-about-iraqis.blogspot.com/
The article "American foreign policy - mass murder in Iraq" dated Sept 27 although very long and very detailed is worth a read for anyone interested in Iraqi views on what is happening. I'll be checking this one regularly along with riverbend.
True Face of Israeli Army
Mon Jun 27, 2005 at 10:45:40 PM PDT
From the Guardian:
http://tinyurl.com/coya5
An Israeli soldier was convicted yesterday of the manslaughter of a British pro-Palestinian activist, Tom Hurndall, in the Gaza strip after a two-year battle for justice by his parents.
Sergeant Idier Wahid Taysir faces up to 20 years in prison for shooting Mr Hurndall as he shepherded children to safety from gunfire in Rafah refugee camp in April 2003 and for lying to army investigators about the circumstances. Mr Hurndall died in London nine months after the shooting.
It is a shame that it takes the death of a westerner to expose the murderous policies of the IDF. Take a read of the whole article. Tom Hurndall's father makes a number of very real and clear points.
"they forged the case against Galloway"
Tue May 17, 2005 at 09:22:21 PM PDT
Left wing British paper Socialist Worker is alleging that the documents linking Galloway to Oil for Food are forged.
Ironically the arguement used is very similar to that in Rathergate.
Take a look:
http://tinyurl.com/cj9s4
At the bottom the article links to several other stories that should be read in conjunction.
US uses George's man to trade oil
Mon May 16, 2005 at 08:39:15 PM PDT
From the Uks Indeopendent:
http://tinyurl.com/bz7fl
The Jordanian businessman accused of passing oil money from Saddam Hussein to George Galloway has revealed that he is once again trading in Iraq and making trips to America with the approval of the US authorities.
Fawaz Zureikat was speaking publicly for the first time since he was named by a US Senate investigative committee examining the United Nations oil-for-food programme. He told The Independent that neither the new government in Baghdad nor US officials had raised any objections to him renewing his trade with Iraq.
US 'backed illegal Iraqi oil deals'
Mon May 16, 2005 at 08:15:04 PM PDT
From the UKs Guardian:
http://tinyurl.com/c2cht
The United States administration turned a blind eye to extensive sanctions-busting in the prewar sale of Iraqi oil, according to a new Senate investigation.
A report released last night by Democratic staff on a Senate investigations committee presents documentary evidence that the Bush administration was made aware of illegal oil sales and kickbacks paid to the Saddam Hussein regime but did nothing to stop them.
Oh the hypocrisy.
Awol crisis hits US forces
Sun May 15, 2005 at 09:05:23 PM PDT
It seems the military are not only having trouble recuiting but also in retaining.
Reported in the UKs Independent:
http://tinyurl.com/d3m3v
Sergeant Kevin Benderman cannot shake the images from his head. There are bombed villages and desperate people. There are dogs eating corpses thrown into a mass grave. And most unremitting of all, there is the image of a young Iraqi girl, no more than eight or nine, one arm severely burnt and blistered, and the sound of her screams.
Last January, these memories became too much for this veteran of the war in Iraq. Informed his unit was about to return, he told his commanders he wanted out and applied to be considered a conscientious objector. The Army refused and charged him with desertion. Last week, his case - which carries a penalty of up to seven years' imprisonment - started before a military judge at Fort Stewart in Georgia.
More below:
US Military Kills Civilians with Impunity
Mon Apr 25, 2005 at 08:21:41 PM PDT
As reported In the UK's Independent the unpunished killing of innocent civilians by our troops fuels the Iraqi resistance:
An American patrol roared past us with the soldiers gesturing furiously with their guns for traffic to keep back on an overpass in central Baghdad. A black car with three young men in it did not stop in time and a soldier fired several shots from his machine gun into its engine.
The driver and his friends were not hit, but many Iraqis do not survive casual encounters with US soldiers. It is very easy to be accidentally killed in Iraq. US soldiers treat everybody as a potential suicide bomber. If they are right they have saved their lives and if they are wrong they face no penalty.
I am an Atheist.
Mon Apr 18, 2005 at 04:03:57 AM PDT
This is my moral code:
I will not harm others in any way.
I do not begrudge the beliefs of others.
I try to not do unto others what I would not want done unto me.
I will not force my beliefs or values on others.
I do not expect respect unless I earn it.
I believe in live and let live.
Recently I have seen a lot of people professing or reaffirming their faith on this site. Sometimes it is easier to hide atheism which doesnt seem to be in vogue these days, but it doesnt seem to be the right thing to do.
Reverse Rendition with no legal Process
Wed Mar 30, 2005 at 01:24:51 AM PDT
A Yemeni man kidknapped by the Egyptian authorities was rendered to the US for indefinite detention at Guantanamo. All of this of course avoided the rule of law, and this is one of ten cases.
Full story: Al Jazeera: http://tinyurl.com/3qhjm
Details below the fold:
Also reported on ABC (Australia): http://tinyurl.com/3ttz8
Oil for Food. Now time for Halliburton Probe.
Tue Mar 29, 2005 at 09:20:05 PM PDT
Ok, so now we have the result of the oil for food probe on Annan, and Kofi Annan is cleared, but is also clearly damaged. The probe into the program continues.
Reports typically as in The Guardian:
http://tinyurl.com/6wjhd
And still the Republicans want accountability:
Norm Coleman,a Republican senator, said yesterday: "His lack of leadership, combined with conflicts of interest and a lack of responsibility and accountability point to one, and only one, outcome: his resignation."
Surely in the interests of even handedness, now is the time for investigation of and accountability in the case of Halliburton's rape of the US tax payer and Iraqi citizen.
Huge New Asian Earthquake
Tue Mar 29, 2005 at 12:28:55 AM PDT
Three months after the devastating Asian Tsunami killed hundreds of thousands another tragedy has hit the region.
This time an earthquake hit just off the coast of Sumatra near the island of Nias( details from various TV reports here in Thailand) The quake was initially measured at 8.2 but that was soon reappraised up to 8.7 making it one of the ten biggest in the world since 1900.
This time no tsunami resulted although tsunami alerts were given in nearby countries resulting in panic, but at least the warning system worked.
However, there was a lot of structural dmage and intially a death toll of 300 was announced on the island of Nias although the Indonesian vice-president said that this could rise to 2000.
Governments Renege on Aid Promises
Fri Mar 25, 2005 at 09:47:23 PM PDT
BBC World had an interesting little feature on the news today.
In 1998 Honduras was devestated by hurricane Mitch. The world promised a fortune. To date less than 1/3 of what was promised by governments as opposed to individuals has materialized.
Even the aid that has arrived has been underutilized. A bridge was built with the Japanese donation, but the money was used to bring in expensive Japanese workers to do the job. Much needed unemployment was not found by the Hondurans. The feature concluded with an example of a mountaintop village where all reconstruction had been done by the local people using their own meagre resources.
Three months on from the Asian tsunami this story is a stark reminder of the reality of governmental aid pledges.
Top UK spy says Iraq war based on lies
Mon Mar 21, 2005 at 06:56:25 PM PDT
From the Guardian re BBC's Panorama:
http://tinyurl.com/3rr77
In the programme, Sir Richard Dearlove, the head of MI6, was reported as having told Mr Blair that Washington had fixed policy on a war against Iraq and was going to fit the intelligence around that policy.
And:
The claim was based on several reliable sources, Panorama said.
666
Wed Mar 16, 2005 at 09:56:25 PM PDT
From The New York Times:
http://tinyurl.com/5c3ep
WASHINGTON, March 16 - The United States' indebtedness to the rest of the world climbed sharply from October through December, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday, as the broadest measure of the nation's international economic transactions hit a record deficit of nearly $666 billion for all of 2004.
Although the level of indebtedness climbs as we rely on foreign money to service our debt, it was not this that intersted me.
666
What a number to use against Bush.
