"The struggle over the dimensions and direction for the Defense Clandestine Service has coincided with a turbulent time at the DIA, a sprawling espionage service that also has hundreds of analysts as well as defense attaches — embassy officials charged with gathering intelligence on foreign militaries — in more than 140 countries."
Monday, November 03, 2014
"Sunnis, who form the country's majority faith group, form Assad's chief power base": wait. I am confused now. I was told that all Sunnis oppose him, no?
"Areas once dominated by Assad-loyal minorities, like the Alawite-dominated coastal region of Tartous, have seen their communities change character as they host some 350,000 displaced people, mostly Sunni Muslims. That ultimately will have a longer-term effect: It will be difficult for Assad's government to carve out an Alawite bastion, as some critics suggest he is doing — and which government officials deny. It also highlights the fact that Sunnis, who form the country's majority faith group, form Assad's chief power base, even as the rebellion is dominated by Sunnis."
"How western media spread ignorance globally"
"Many of the questions she fields about Iran, she says, reveal a profound ignorance about Iranian society. "The questions are mostly based on very wrong information." For the most part, Motlaq finds this lack of knowledge astonishing. "We live in a time where accessing news and information is very easy," she says. "We should think about how there is this kind of ignorance despite ease of information." "She recognizes that women around the world face different challenges based on where they live, but she is passionate about portraying these women accurately, through projects such as the Islamic fashion and "I Want to Dance" series. "It's sad that when I talk to people, I have to start with very basic information: Yes, women in Iran drive, work, and study in universities." " (thanks Amir)
Le Point catches Bernard-Henri Lévy in a blatant lie
"Le Point.fr. : Vous rentrez de Tunisie. On a lu des choses folles dans la presse. Que s'est-il vraiment passé ?
BHL : Factuellement, pas grand-chose. Quelques dizaines d'islamistes ou, peut-être d'exilés kadhafistes, qui m'attendaient à l'aéroport et s'indignaient de voir un "sioniste" (sic) poser son sale pied sur le sol du pays...
Dans les réactions hostiles à votre venue, il y avait aussi l'extrême gauche...
Sans doute, oui. Mais l'extrême gauche a le même problème partout. En Tunisie, elle a eu son époque où elle soutenait les islamistes. Puis, celle où la dictature Kadhafi lui semblait un moindre mal. Puis, maintenant, elle a des indulgences pour Bachar el-Assad. Et quant au complotisme antisémite... " This guy is emerging as the Abe Foxman of France, only more buffoonish.
BHL : Factuellement, pas grand-chose. Quelques dizaines d'islamistes ou, peut-être d'exilés kadhafistes, qui m'attendaient à l'aéroport et s'indignaient de voir un "sioniste" (sic) poser son sale pied sur le sol du pays...
Dans les réactions hostiles à votre venue, il y avait aussi l'extrême gauche...
Sans doute, oui. Mais l'extrême gauche a le même problème partout. En Tunisie, elle a eu son époque où elle soutenait les islamistes. Puis, celle où la dictature Kadhafi lui semblait un moindre mal. Puis, maintenant, elle a des indulgences pour Bachar el-Assad. Et quant au complotisme antisémite... " This guy is emerging as the Abe Foxman of France, only more buffoonish.
Some Determinants of Iranian foreign policy in the Arab East
My latest blog post for Al-Akhbar English: "Some Determinants of Iranian foreign policy in the Arab East".
Sunday, November 02, 2014
This will not be in US media because it will bother Zionists: Bernard Henry Levy kicked out of Tunisia
"Tunisia expels Bernard Henry Levy only 24 hours after his arrival". Now that is Arab spring. Would the US allow Ayman Dhawhiri to visit and tour the country?
PS: A video of his arrival in Tunisia. Upon learning of this, Abe Foxman declared all the Tunisian people and their neighbors to be anti-Semitic.
PS: A video of his arrival in Tunisia. Upon learning of this, Abe Foxman declared all the Tunisian people and their neighbors to be anti-Semitic.
Former U.S. Envoy to Moscow: I don't want to hurt his feelings but
I really don't want to hurt his feelings but I really think that this guy has some loose screws up there. "told an audience here on Friday that he believed that Russian agents were tapping his telephone as well as that of his wife, Donna Norton. He said his suspicions were confirmed recently when Ms. Norton’s boss at her nonprofit advocacy group, MomsRising, tried to reach her. “She called my wife’s cellphone and a Russian answered it,” said Mr. McFaul, who has returned to Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., where he is a professor." He also added that found Russian dolls under his pillow. That really confirmed his suspicions. The New York Time and the Post are not below printing crazy stuff if it serves the propaganda efforts of the US government against its foes.
Presidential palace in Turkey
The New York Times and other US media are just appalled about the Turkish presidential palace and its extravagance. I mean, pro-US Arab potentates in the Gulf would never ever engage in such extravagance. Never.
PS Al-Walid bin Talal is not a king or president and his palace in Riyadh cost as much as this presidential palace but that did not raise the ire of the Times.
PS Al-Walid bin Talal is not a king or president and his palace in Riyadh cost as much as this presidential palace but that did not raise the ire of the Times.
Syrian Caesar
"Described as mild-mannered and not particularly political..Caesar said in a message earlier this month from an undisclosed location in Europe that was conveyed by the Coalition for Democratic Syria, a Syrian-American organization that sponsored his trip to Washington". Regarding Caesar (or Curveball in the case of Iraq), I will say this:
1. Why are the US media not asking questions about the matter?
2. Why was the regime that has been under attack not figure that this information could be damning in a court of law?
3. why were they taking pictures of tortured victims and storing them?
4. So according to yesterday's account in the Times, the government did not know that you can store data in a flash drive until Caesar defected?
5. According to Caesar the regime suspected him but left him alone?
6. Why was Qatar in connection with this guy from the start?
7. Did anyone else corroborate the story that the regime takes pictures of its victims?
8. Please ignore the question because when a regime opposes the US, questions are not be raised about whatever propaganda employed by the US government and media against the regime.
9. Case settled. Thanks for answering my questions to the satisfaction of reason.
1. Why are the US media not asking questions about the matter?
2. Why was the regime that has been under attack not figure that this information could be damning in a court of law?
3. why were they taking pictures of tortured victims and storing them?
4. So according to yesterday's account in the Times, the government did not know that you can store data in a flash drive until Caesar defected?
5. According to Caesar the regime suspected him but left him alone?
6. Why was Qatar in connection with this guy from the start?
7. Did anyone else corroborate the story that the regime takes pictures of its victims?
8. Please ignore the question because when a regime opposes the US, questions are not be raised about whatever propaganda employed by the US government and media against the regime.
9. Case settled. Thanks for answering my questions to the satisfaction of reason.
Burkina Faso
DO you notice that when a regime falls, the US government and media pretend that the regime was not as close as it was to the US government?
If you want to not learn about the world, turn to the New York Times
What a knowledgeable staff: "Correction: November 1, 2014
An earlier version of a map with this article mislabeled Liberia as Ivory Coast. (Liberia is west of Ghana and southwest of Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast is west of Liberia.)" Other than that, the article was accurate?
An earlier version of a map with this article mislabeled Liberia as Ivory Coast. (Liberia is west of Ghana and southwest of Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast is west of Liberia.)" Other than that, the article was accurate?
Iran versus Israel
Iran is a repressive regime (and I want an end to the mullah rule there at once--not that I command loyalty of Iranian masses) but this thought occurred to me: repressive Iran permits more freedom of worship for non-Shi`ites, and kills far less of non-Sh`ites, than Israel allows in terms of freedom of worship for non-Jews, and the number of non-Jews that it regularly kills. Think about it.
Freedom of worship for non-Jews in a Jewish state
"Israel allows Jews and other non-Muslims to visit the site at certain hours — not on Fridays — but they are prohibited from openly praying there. The authorities occasionally bar Muslims from the site during Jewish holidays, or close it to non-Muslim visitors, citing security concerns."
The foreign intelligence service of the past communist regime in Romania
"The foreign intelligence service has little of the sinister baggage associated with the domestic service". Of course, it was not sinister because it worked closely with the Mossad and CIA.
UN panel on Human Rights: are they kidding?
"A United Nations human rights panel urged Sri Lanka on Friday to repeal a constitutional amendment that critics say gives the country’s president too much power." Did they ever protest the absolute powers of Arab monarchs? Or is picking on a poor country without oil and gas much easier, and much more consistent with US-Israeli policies?
Jordan and Israel: two regimes in love
"“The Jerusalem issue is a big issue from the Jordanian point of view, but it’s not going to threaten” the peace treaty, Mr. Eran said. Noting that Israel and Jordan cooperate on security and share intelligence and are negotiating important deals on water and gas, he said of Jordan’s leaders: “They will lose a lot if something happens to the agreement. There are real daily existential needs, and Jordan cannot turn a blind eye to those.”"
Haim Saban and Brookings
Of course, for the Washington Post, the money and influence of Haim Saban--an Israeli citizen--is not an object of scrutiny. "The skepticism among some Israel supporters has grown as one of the other major funders of Brookings’s Middle East research, pro-Israel billionaire Haim Saban, reduces his support."
Ali Shamkhani and Iranian foreign policy in the Arab world
Regarding this article by David Ignatius Al Saud: it is true that Shamkhani's role has risen but it is a function of Iranian foreign policy orientation. He is relied on only when Iran wants to improve ties with the Gulf regimes--and Shamkhani enjoys good relations even with the Saudi royal who bestowed one of their highest medals on him. But if relations deteriorate, he can easily be shelved.
Bahrain and its royal lobby
"Unlike Libya and now Syria, Bahrain has not been the subject of Western government intervention. Barker said this was partly because Bahrain is a key Western ally – a US naval base is located on the north-eastern side of the island, as close to Iran as the US can get – and partly because there is a strong pro-Bahraini lobby in both Britain and the US. ‘There are a lot of powerful forces who don’t want this story to be told,’ he said."
Libya: Whatever Western intentions, the result has been a disaster
"Foreign governments and media alike have good reason to forget what they said and did in Libya in 2011, because the aftermath of the overthrow of Gaddafi has been so appalling." "The people whom that intervention propelled into power have reduced a country that had been peaceful for more than half a century to a level of violence that is beginning to approach that of Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Whatever Western intentions, the result has been a disaster. In Libya, as in Syria today, Western intervention was supposedly in support of democracy, but was conducted in alliance with the Sunni absolute monarchies of the Gulf who had no such aims."
The highly respected King of Jordan
People who watched it reported to me. The King of Jordan was giving the Throne's Speech today when the members of his silly parliament totally ignored him and started to chatting rather loudly. The King had to interrupt his speech to ask the audience to listen to him. But don't be troubled: while no one listen to the king in "his own country", all Western leaders listen to this autocrats in their own capitals. Even Jordanian media are admitting the fiasco but blaming the royal guards.
PS Mark my words: not a singe American newspaper will report this.
PS Mark my words: not a singe American newspaper will report this.
Feminist T-shirts made in sweatshops
"They are the T-shirts designed to make a political statement about women's rights – but the female workers making them are paid just 62p an hour in an Indian Ocean ‘sweatshop’. Between shifts women making garments emblazoned with the slogan ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ sleep in spartan dormitories, 16 to a room." (thanks Amir)
Gender Gap in the Arab world
For a contribution, the UN or any NGO can easily declare that Saudi Arabia is ahead of Lebanon (and even Sweden for a bigger contribution). (thanks Michele)
Walid Jumblat: hallicinates on Twitter
Did you know that Walid Jumblat helped defeat the Israeli army? (thanks "Ibn Rushd")
When the US government hired what it called "moderate" Nazis
From Karim: "Regarding the story of Nazis working for US intelligence which you posted about (). Democracy Now covered the story in more detail in an interview with the author of the book The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler’s Men (Part 1: Part2: Part 1 on YouTube: ).
They discuss how ‘CIA head, Allen Dulles, brother of John Foster Dulles, the secretary of state under Eisenhower[…] believed that there were, quote-unquote, “moderate Nazis”,’ and with J. Edgar Hoover developed the ‘strategy of recruiting ex-Nazis as cold warriors, as anti-Soviet assets who, they believe, could gather intelligence for the U.S.’ Although unsrprisingly later many of ‘the Nazis were found to be liars and cheats and embezzlers, and in a couple cases they were even found to be Soviet double agents.’
The US ‘brought over, under something called Program Paperclip, like 1,600 Nazi scientists. These were engineers, doctors, jet propulsion experts, things like that. The most famous among them was Wernher von Braun, who was one of the guiding hands in getting us to the moon in 1969. And officially, under the policies put in place by Truman and Eisenhower after the war, these were not supposed to be, quote-unquote, “ardent Nazis,” whatever that may mean. But, you know, in fact, these were people who were directly involved in, for instance, running slave labor factories, where thousands and thousands of people died in making Hitler’s rockets. These were doctors who were involved in medical atrocities. They then found homes in the United States as American scientists. Many of them became U.S. citizens. Many of them became honored for their work in the United States.’
Dulles also protected SS General Karl Wolff, one of Himmler’s deputies. ‘In fact, even when he was nominally a prisoner as a POW, he was allowed to wear a gun. He went boating on the weekends in Austria. He led sort of a charmed life after the war, thanks to the help of Allen Dulles, who went on to become the first director of the CIA.’
They go on to describe the disgusting anti-Semitism of US Army General Patton, who was partly responsible for continuing the incarceration of the survivors of the concentration camps and had a strange admiration for the Germans. In some cases he also put Nazi POWs back in charge of guarding the survivors of those camps, believing these Nazis to be the best qualified for the job!"
They discuss how ‘CIA head, Allen Dulles, brother of John Foster Dulles, the secretary of state under Eisenhower[…] believed that there were, quote-unquote, “moderate Nazis”,’ and with J. Edgar Hoover developed the ‘strategy of recruiting ex-Nazis as cold warriors, as anti-Soviet assets who, they believe, could gather intelligence for the U.S.’ Although unsrprisingly later many of ‘the Nazis were found to be liars and cheats and embezzlers, and in a couple cases they were even found to be Soviet double agents.’
The US ‘brought over, under something called Program Paperclip, like 1,600 Nazi scientists. These were engineers, doctors, jet propulsion experts, things like that. The most famous among them was Wernher von Braun, who was one of the guiding hands in getting us to the moon in 1969. And officially, under the policies put in place by Truman and Eisenhower after the war, these were not supposed to be, quote-unquote, “ardent Nazis,” whatever that may mean. But, you know, in fact, these were people who were directly involved in, for instance, running slave labor factories, where thousands and thousands of people died in making Hitler’s rockets. These were doctors who were involved in medical atrocities. They then found homes in the United States as American scientists. Many of them became U.S. citizens. Many of them became honored for their work in the United States.’
Dulles also protected SS General Karl Wolff, one of Himmler’s deputies. ‘In fact, even when he was nominally a prisoner as a POW, he was allowed to wear a gun. He went boating on the weekends in Austria. He led sort of a charmed life after the war, thanks to the help of Allen Dulles, who went on to become the first director of the CIA.’
They go on to describe the disgusting anti-Semitism of US Army General Patton, who was partly responsible for continuing the incarceration of the survivors of the concentration camps and had a strange admiration for the Germans. In some cases he also put Nazi POWs back in charge of guarding the survivors of those camps, believing these Nazis to be the best qualified for the job!"
Balfour
Today is another lousy anniversary of the Balfour Declaration by the Zionist anti-Semite, Balfour (Did Abe Foxman ever protest the anti-Semitism of Balfour, I wonder?). For me his statement after the release of the declaration says it all, when he said in an answer to a question: "numerical self-determination was excluded".
Saturday, November 01, 2014
To readers in Saudi Arabia: how to circumvent the censors of the internet
To readers in Saudi Arabia who complain that they can't read Al-Akhbar there because the site is banned among many other political sites. I explained it before: it is easy to circumvent the censor by just adding the letter "s" to "http" in the address of the site. Best.
Intercept and transparancy
Intercept should be saluted for the transparent and open way in which they told the story of Matt Taibbi's conflict. This in my estimation added to the credibility of the project.
PS I know that you will think that I am a conspiracy nut when it comes to the NSA, but today, whenever I go to Intercept to read an article, I am automatically moved back away from the site. Kid you not.
PS I know that you will think that I am a conspiracy nut when it comes to the NSA, but today, whenever I go to Intercept to read an article, I am automatically moved back away from the site. Kid you not.
Canadian ideals
"Canada, which has one of the largest mining sectors in the world, is estimated to have some 1,500 projects in Latin America – more than 40 percent of the mining companies operating in the region. According to the new report, and these overseas operations receive “a high degree” of active support from the Canadian government.
“We’re aware of a great deal of conflict,” Shin Imai, a lawyer with the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project, a Canadian civil society initiative, said Tuesday. “Our preliminary count shows that at least 50 people have been killed and some 300 wounded in connection with mining conflicts involving Canadian companies in recent years, for which there has been little to no accountability.”
These allegations include deaths, injuries, rapes and other abuses attributed to security personnel working for Canadian mining companies. They also include policy-related problems related to long-term environmental damage, illegal community displacement and subverting democratic processes." (thanks Regan)
“We’re aware of a great deal of conflict,” Shin Imai, a lawyer with the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project, a Canadian civil society initiative, said Tuesday. “Our preliminary count shows that at least 50 people have been killed and some 300 wounded in connection with mining conflicts involving Canadian companies in recent years, for which there has been little to no accountability.”
These allegations include deaths, injuries, rapes and other abuses attributed to security personnel working for Canadian mining companies. They also include policy-related problems related to long-term environmental damage, illegal community displacement and subverting democratic processes." (thanks Regan)
using Palestinian civilians as human shields is an Israeli policy
"Israeli authorities deny using Palestinian civilians as human shields. However, the testimonies documented by Euro-Mid prove the lie. Moreover, it seems that using Palestinian civilians as human shields is an Israeli policy, since other, similar cases have been documented in the West Bank. In contrast, the Euro-Mid team did not find any evidence of Palestinians who were forced to stay in their homes or to use their bodies for the protection for Palestinian resistance factions." "The use of human shields is a form of cruel and inhumane treatment, and constitutes a flagrant violation of the international humanitarian law and a war crime according to the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court."
protest action against Zim
"The successful protest action against Zim is part of a global movement for an economic boycott of Israel. Modeled after similar efforts conducted in the past against apartheid South Africa, the BDS movement seeks to put pressure on the Israeli government to end its occupation of Palestinian lands."
Pashtun Papa as a Muslim symbol
""The giant American retailer Walmart has been forced to withdraw its "Pashtun Papa" Halloween costume after being accused of peddling racist stereotypes.""
Turkey and the death of an Arab-American who was ignored by all US media
"Before Press TV Correspondent Serena Shim died, she called Dearborn resident Kathy Bazzi, telling her she was scared that Turkish officials were going door to door looking for her after she gained access to images showing militants crossing the Turkish border into Syria in trucks belonging to the World Food Organization and non governmental organizations (NGOs).
According to a report, days leading up to her death, Shim, a former Dearborn resident, told Press TV that the Turkish intelligence had accused her of spying because of the stories she covered about Turkey’s stance on the ISIS terrorists in Kobani and its surroundings. Shim also said she feared being arrested.
Two days later, on Sunday, Oct. 19, Shim’s car collided with a heavy vehicle after returning from a reporting scene in Suruc, Turkey. The identity and the whereabouts of the truck driver remain unknown." (thanks Basim)
According to a report, days leading up to her death, Shim, a former Dearborn resident, told Press TV that the Turkish intelligence had accused her of spying because of the stories she covered about Turkey’s stance on the ISIS terrorists in Kobani and its surroundings. Shim also said she feared being arrested.
Two days later, on Sunday, Oct. 19, Shim’s car collided with a heavy vehicle after returning from a reporting scene in Suruc, Turkey. The identity and the whereabouts of the truck driver remain unknown." (thanks Basim)
Sa`d Id-Din Ibrahim
This is the usual typical pattern of Ibrahim: he always supports regimes and groups, before turning against them (for whatever reason). He supported Nasser, but turned against him in the Sadat era. He supported Sadat, but turned against him in the Mubarak era. He then supported Mubarak but turned against him in his last year. He them championed the Muslim Brotherhood from his jail cell and called for understanding with them. He supported the rise of Ikhwan after Mubarak but now he has just noticed that the Ikhwan had not produced creativity and geniuses (unlike, say, the ruling party of Mubarak, with which he was aligned at some point).
Iraqi Shi`ite Communist Party
The Iraqi Communist Party (by far one of the worst Arab communist parties these days especially after sponsoring the American invasion of Iraq in 2003) posts a banner in which it offers condolences over the death of "the father of martyrs, Imam Husayn".
New York Times and Bill Maher
So the New York Times defended the right of UC, Berkeley to invite the anti-Islam bigot, Bill Maher, in the name of freedom of speech. When was the last time the Times defended the right of any institution to invite an anti-Semite, in the name of freedom of speech? Do those Zionists who defend anti-Islam bigotry think that we forget that they don't invoke "Freedom of speech" to defend anti-Semites?
This will not be a famous case, and there will not be Western condemnations
"Saudi Arabia has arrested a prominent campaigner for women's rights for insulting Islam, activists said on Saturday, accusing authorities of trying to crush all dissent."
Lebanese Communist Party
My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "The Lebanese Communist Party on its 90th anniversary: Accountability".
Why Bill Maher is not a bigot
Bill Maher said that he is not a bigot because Reza Aslan said that he is not. Kid you not. This is like those right-wing nuts in the US who assert that they are not a racist because they are able to roll out a token black who will say that. You cant make this stuff up.
Why Bill Maher is not comparable to an anti-Semite
When challenged by Rula Jibreil, Bill Maher said that he can't be compared to an anti-Semite because Judaism is not evil and bad--I am paraphrasing here--like Islam. I am not making this up. I have never seen a person confirming his bigotry like this guy.
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