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July 11, 2013
Open Thread 2013-14
Comments
New World Order kills democracy in Egypt
http://presstv.com/detail/2013/07/09/312936/new-world-order-kills-democracy-in-egypt/
Some nice snippets from the odious mouthpieces of Empire in the piece including Friedman.
I also especially liked the citation of last year’s WaPo anti-truther screed against Morsi written by two guys from the rabidly pro-Zionist WINEP.
“Getting Egypt’s Morsi to give up his 9/11 ‘truther’ talk”
By Robert Satloff and Eric Trager
Some snippets from the piece:
“Although al-Qaeda routinely brags about its “achievement,” 75 percent of Egyptians, for example, still deny that Arabs carried out the attacks, as a Pew study reported in July 2011.
But Morsi, a longtime leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, has not only evinced sympathy for the embassy attackers, he has also embraced some of the most vile conspiracy theories about 9/11.
Morsi has not been shy about airing his odious views.
In 2008, he called for a “huge scientific conference” to analyze “what caused the attack against a massive structure like the two towers.
While Morsi has been silent about 9/11 since becoming president, the Brotherhood’s emergence over the past year as Egypt’s leading political force hasn’t moderated its “truther” rhetoric.
In a series of interviews in July, top Brotherhood leaders repeatedly denied al-Qaeda’s responsibility for the attacks. Mustafa Ghoneimy, leader of the Brotherhood’s Guidance Office, said “the Jews” had executed the attacks. “So many Jews worked in these two towers,” he said. “And on that day, they were off.” Meanwhile, Brotherhood secretary general Mahmoud Hussein pinned the attacks on “one of the intelligence services in America, or the Jews.” Spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan speculated that “intelligence services” were behind the attacks, since “it is impossible for immature pilots to execute their ideas. It needs some professionalism to do it.”
To be sure, Morsi is not the first Egyptian ruler to trade in bigoted conspiracy theories.
Posted by: and on it goes | Jul 11 2013 17:17 utc | 1
This a very curious and profound display of art. It takes into consideration the issue of the denial of the Palestinian identity:
http://electronicintifada.net/content/denial-palestine-confronted-london-art-show/12602
And in other news
– “Annie”, plays in Palestine.
– FIFA begs Israel to allow Palestinian players to come the tournaments.
– Plus a tourism campaign in order to drum up more visitors.
As former and future visitor unless customs locks me up again at the airport for another 4 hours.
I can say that this trip was one of the best I’ve ever had. Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nazareth. These places were made for walking. Very safe and affordable.
Sorry b, I didn’t mean to turn this into TripAdvisor.
Posted by: Fernando | Jul 11 2013 17:26 utc | 2
some grist for the mill:
The Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research (Baseera) Recent polls:
http://www.baseera.com.eg/recentpolls_en.aspx
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/152/75491/Egypt/Morsi,-one-year-on/Egypt-opinion-polls-reveal-dissatisfaction-with-Mo.aspx
“An opinion poll has revealed that 73% of Egyptians believe President Morsi did not make a single good decision during his first year in office, while 63% believe their standard of living has worsened.”
Gallup polls, Egypt:
http://www.gallup.com/Search/Default.aspx?q=Egypt&s=&p=1&b=Search
Egypt opinion polls, 2012 (brookings):
http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2012/05/21-egyptian-election-poll-telhami
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 11 2013 17:27 utc | 3
“In 2008, he called for a ‘huge scientific conference’ to analyze ‘what caused the attack against a massive structure like the two towers.'”
And the findings were…
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 11 2013 17:30 utc | 4
1/ “But Morsi, a longtime leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, has not only evinced sympathy for the embassy attackers, he has also embraced some of the most vile conspiracy theories about 9/11.”
Which “vile” theory, would that be? It is hardly surprising that the representative of a sectarian political party, named after a religion, would used the religious affiliations of others as a primary reference. That is hardly “vile.”
So what, bearing in mind that the official Commission of Enquiry blamed the events on a conspiracy, is his theory? And what makes it particularly vile?
2/The most important story currently being ignored is that of the NSA spying activities. The assumption has been that the comprehensive collection of data is post 9/11.
No doubt, given the rapidly evolving technology much of it is new. But why do we assume that the programme itself has not been in effect for a very long time?
We know that this programme has nothing to do with terrorism, beyond its role in selecting targets for the state and its agents, and we know that it has nothing to do with the identity of the White House tenant, so why should we not assume that this intelligence operation goes back a very long time, and that the efforts of the Stasi and the KGB to mimic it were, contra Ms Merkel’s remarks yesterday, small beer in comparison?
Posted by: bevin | Jul 11 2013 17:52 utc | 5
Some articles which highlight Israeli jockeying for Nile water and more on how this came to a head before the coup.
http://presstv.com/detail/2013/07/11/313274/egypt-democratic-military-coup/ – last couple of paragraphs
http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/16115
From an arabic blog quoting Morsi’s environmental advisor previous to the coup:
http://danielberhane.com/2013/06/01/egypt-papers-about-ethiopia-nile-dam/
“Israel is professional in the theft of water”
Dr. Khaled Alameddine, adviser to President Mohamed Morsi for Environmental Affairs article, on Tuesday evening: “enviable Israel and Egypt on the Nile River and its role in Africa and Ethiopia, Zionist hands mess there strongly”.
He commented, in an interview with channel «cbc», that the decision of Ethiopia to transfer the course of the Blue Nile, which flows to the main Nile River, marking the start the actual process of building the dam Renaissance, saying: « Israel’s policy and play all the tendons and know they are running Egypt national security in another direction and invisibly».
He also noted that “Israel is professional in the theft of water, they steal water from Jordan and Syria and also secretly takes from the tanks in Sinai, Egypt”.
He said that the Nile water file failed in his administration under the previous regime, pointing out that there was a kind of ‘chaos and misjudgments after the revolution, which led to the weakness of the Egyptian position in dealing with this matter.
[Moataz (arabic)]
http://danielberhane.com/2013/05/30/egyptian-press-highlights-anger-at-ethiopias-renaissance-dam-bbc-media-monitoring/
In the privately-owned daily Al-Misri al-Yawm, Muhammad Salmawi says: “It is no longer a secret that the Renaissance Dam that exceeds Ethiopia’s financial and technical capabilities will be implemented via support from Israel and under US sponsorship.” “In addition to the great harm that will be done to Egypt by the Ethiopian dam, it is really regrettable that [one of] the founding state of the African unity, which was established by Egypt under Abd-al-Nassir’s rule with the aim of supporting the independence of the continent’s countries, comes after half a century to follow the orders of one of the world powers, i.e. the USA, and subdue to the influence of one of the small countries, which is Israel,” he says.
Posted by: and on it goes | Jul 11 2013 17:56 utc | 6
Rumsfeld is directly implicated in selling chemical and biological weapons to Saddam. Rumsfeld, the quintessential psychopath, an icon for the governing elite.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-153210/Rumsfeld-helped-Iraq-chemical-weapons.html
Posted by: JohnH | Jul 11 2013 18:07 utc | 7
To be sure, Morsi is not the first Egyptian ruler to trade in bigoted conspiracy theories.
Posted by: and on it goes | Jul 11, 2013 1:17:55 PM | 1
It’s neither interesting or stimulating; nor is it amusing or enlightening, when the You Know Whos toss the word “bigoted” around.
Had Morsi omitted “Jews” from his long list of 911 suspects he wouldn’t be a bigot, he’d just be another conspiracy theorist.
911 was several shades too cute, ‘and on it goes’.
The M-I complex’s pseudo-military buffoons had all their (pissy, defenseless, Muslim) targets selected & NOMINATED, their tanks full and their motors running before the dust of 911 had settled.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jul 11 2013 18:07 utc | 8
Nastiest possible evidence that the rooftop snipers we discussed yesterday & the day before (a) were army and (b) were not shooting at hypothetical motorcycle-borne provocateurs behind the crowd, but at the crowd itself. Photojournalist Ahmad Samir Assem managed to film himself being fatally shot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo4SNhNepi8
Posted by: Rowan Berkeley | Jul 11 2013 18:13 utc | 9
@bevin(4.2)
Sure. We know that the FBI has always keep enormous files – often secret ones – on all kinds of people for all manner of different reasons. For everything from political activism to simply being a popular personality.
The technology has made it possible to move from focused gathering to a dragnet approach. The world truly is different in terms of how we access and share information. I mean, its quaint now, the idea of a battle over getting someone’s library records, isn’t it? Ridiculous, really, when the state can collect enough personal information to likely create a map of your thinking over time.
Certainly the Soviet Union was a repressive society but probably the efforts of the Stasi and the KGB were amateurish by comparison to what the FBI and CIA were up to. You probably know even more than me stories about the political repression in the US that (re)started in the 1950’s which was incredibly harsh. From the murder of dissidents to the creation of a prison system larger than the Gulags. Not surprising that the repression grew in parallel with the concept of the United States being “the freest nation on earth”.
But certainly there is a difference between how they used to operate – largely reliant on the accusations between members of the public – and this new, tech-heavy approach of peering into every aspect of people’s behavior. Infinitely more powerful. My fear is that they can manipulate society in ways that we can’t even imagine – not without more Edward Snowdens coming forward to tell us about it, anyway.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 11 2013 18:33 utc | 10
For the record that last comment about Morsi being a bigot comes from the WaPo screed I just forgot to extend the quotes.
Kind of interesting that AIPAC/WINEP thought it so important to bring up 9/11 vis a vis the new Morsi presidency that they penned a WaPo column, huh?
Anyhoo, was wondering if anyone has really looked with some depth into the Ethiopian Grand Millennium Dam and exactly how that would effect the ME as many Egyptians seem to think that this is a plot fully supported by the US/Israel to cripple Egypt permanently and provide Israel with much needed water.
The last couple of paragraph’s speculate about this:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/11/313274/egypt-democratic-military-coup/
Yes, yes, I understand that some hardliners will always say certain things but the dam issue was really all the rage right before the coup.
More here from an Ethiopian blog citing other blogs:
http://danielberhane.com/2013/06/01/egypt-papers-about-ethiopia-nile-dam/
Posted by: and on it goes | Jul 11 2013 18:35 utc | 11
@9
Certainly the Egyptian Military would be as concerned about the continued flow of water into the Nile as anyone else? Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t see how this water issue could be seen as a pet issue of the MB. After all, even if the MB wanted to take action, it would have to be with the Egyptian Military anyway. This seems like an issue that no Egyptian can afford to not be interested in. Egypt without the Nile is at best Libya. Libya can sustain 6 million lives. That’s 74 million people with no where to go.
Issues like this are coming to a head all around the world. There is no way to solve them without cooperation, and there will be no cooperation as long as the world revolves around capitalism and competition. The only solution in this case is war. I don’t see how it can be avoided other than Ethiopia stopping the project or insuring that it doesn’t disrupt the Egyptian water supply.
80 million people cannot live without water. Losing a million to war looks a hell of a lot better than having 80 million people die of thirst.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 11 2013 18:56 utc | 12
“My fear is that they can manipulate society in ways that we can’t even imagine…”
It is this that makes the matter of such importance. It fundamentally changes the nature of society by putting an end to privacy. Ants and bees come to mind.
This may be one of the final contradictions of a system celebrating individualism over that co-operation which capitalism’s ideologists, such as Herbert Spencer, have always warned leads to regimentation and the loss of personal liberty. Just as competition leads to monopoly so does individualism lead to totalitarian loss of identity.
The only good thing is that this sort of society cannot survive since it suppresses intellectual activity to the point that nothing novel is possible.
As to @10. The matter of the Nile is clearly a matter of crucial importance to everyone from the Great Lakes to the delta. As is generally the case when something like this crops up the British Empire’s refusal to allow Sudan and Egypt to become independent together is a part of the problem. Another part is the influence that the US and, mini-me, Israel exert over Ethiopia, Southern Sudan and Great Lakes countries such as Uganda.
Rationally managed the Nile can enable the hundreds of millions within its basin to live rich lives.
The promise of the US Declaration of Independence has come to this: where happiness seems possible it is pursued, hunted down and stamped out, in order that the ersatz, Hollywood version can be marketed at a good profit.
Posted by: bevin | Jul 11 2013 19:46 utc | 13
Posted by: bevin | Jul 11 2013 19:53 utc | 15
May be and may be not.
http://rt.com/news/snowden-plane-route-cuba-965/
http://flightaware.com/live/fleet/AFL
Posted by: jo6pac | Jul 11 2013 20:10 utc | 16
Assad realizes he has made a mistake :-))
In an interview published by Syrian daily, al-Baath, Assad said what he had meant by the term of “Political Islam” are those parties which take advantage of religion.
The Brotherhood “takes advantage of religion and uses it as a mask… and it thinks that if you don’t agree with it politically, that means you don’t stand by God”, said Assad.
He pointed out that “this is not the case with Iran and Hezbollah,” he added.
Hezbollah “does not judge people based on religion or sect, but rather on patriotism and politics,” said Assad.
One must “distinguish between those who use religion for the benefit of a few, and those who use religion to defend causes that are just and right,” the Syrian leader said.
He probably just made it worse …
Posted by: somebody | Jul 11 2013 20:34 utc | 17
NYT has an unusually good article (for them) on the events leading up to the coup. They show that the energy crisis in the last few months was likely engineered by the business-bureaucracy cabal left over from the Mubarak era and that tamarrod was bankrolled by Egypt’s wealthiest man. The gasoline and electricity shortage disappeared within days after the coup.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/world/middleeast/improvements-in-egypt-suggest-a-campaign-that-undermined-morsi.html?hpw&_r=0
Posted by: ToivoS | Jul 11 2013 21:38 utc | 18
Two items of interest, well worth watching or reading – both thoroughly done
– story about a US reporter in jail – from Democracy Now broadcast, concerning private intelligence companies and their big corporate customers
Barrett Brown investigative reporter
– Salon has a long excerpt from a book about the various US police entrapments, use of SWAT teams to arrest small time friendly gambling, shooting of dogs, etc.
Warrior cops, SWAT and ways to get around 4th Amendment
Posted by: Northern Night Owl | Jul 11 2013 21:58 utc | 19
@16 You think the NYT could have done a single investigation into who caused all the shortages in Venezuela?
“Mr. Morsi struggled to appease the police, even alienating his own supporters rather than trying to overhaul the Interior Ministry. But as crime increased and traffic clogged roads — undermining not only the quality of life, but the economy — the police refused to deploy fully.”
Gas shortage, traffic clogged roads. Interesting. But of course the protests were spurred by far more than simple gas shortage. As mentioned crime is a problem. But the authors fail to mention anger over foreign policy. They fail to mention of religious policy. They fail to mention social policy.
As for the fat rich rat taking credit for the whole revolution, where is the surprise in that? He’s probably a “self-made man” too! “Tamarrod did not even know it was me!” he said. “I am not ashamed of it.”
So he provided some offices and let a music video play on “his” (note the corrections below) station. Of course he caused the whole thing himself. Just like some fat rich man would assume.
And of course a bevy of corrections – and not minor ones. Pity the poor souls who read its first printing. You can be sure that this is all part of the negotiations. The United States will point to such articles and say “but public opinion in the US is saying…you should do a) b) and c)”:
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: July 11, 2013
Because of editing errors, an earlier version of this article misquoted Tahani el-Gebali in discussing the military’s transition plan for Egypt, misidentified the interim president, and misstated his position before being appointed. Ms. Gebali discussed the plan only in broad terms; she did not name any individuals who would hold particular offices. The interim president is Adli Mansour, not Hazem el-Beblawi, and when he was named he was chief of the Supreme Constitutional Court, not former chief. (Mr. Beblawi is the interim prime minister.)
The article also included an outdated reference to a television network that publicized the drive to oust Mr. Morsi. Naguib Sawiris founded it, but he no longer owns it, so it is not “his” network anymore.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 12 2013 0:31 utc | 20
@Rowan Berkeley | Jul 11, 2013 2:13:58 PM | 7, I dont know why you keep playing that tune dude? Re: Ahmed Assem El-Senousy. An Egyptian photographer working for a newspaper affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
I am not giving this credit. This vid was cuts from 20 min of film, the original footage will not be given out, this footage was used in a meeting by the MB to push an agenda only. The AK in the footage is a 7.26mm (Not Nato 5.56mm version) round,(Clear as day from the barrel, thus a head shot would more or less make his head explode, more so since he was reportedly shot in the forehead, you can take out a brick wall with this. ‘IF’ we use the infamous term ‘Apparently’, then if he was shot in the head, and reported ‘one hour later’ at a local police station (What go to the PoPO?) and by a journalistic group Pro-Misery, but the cal he (The supposed ‘Him’) was killed with was from a small arms round (Hand gun), and not a 7.26mm or a 5.56mm (Long arm) and at near blank point range (Executed by a person standing near ‘this’ person (still unidentified) without any identity or disclosure of the ‘Dead person’ being used.
Then no body (Corpse) of El-Senousy has been produced, no funeral (Outside a memorial of sorts) no photos (Forensic and post mortem autopsy) in fact nothing in the way of tangible evidence. We know in the Islamic tradition, burial rituals should normally take place as soon as possible and include -Bathing the dead body, Enshrouding dead body in a white cotton or linen cloth, Funeral prayer , burial of the dead body in a grave, etc. All that has been done is use his death (Circumstanced still to be validated) and phone kept as evidence, not him, his wound, not his funeral, or grieving family etc; all a bit tragic, and just a tool for propaganda.
Back to muzzle flash, twice he shot with no pull or recoil, one time it looked like the bobbing man had a misfire or jam, in the last segment The camera would have recorded the flash of the gun light travelling significantly faster than a bullet and sound being hit would not stop the filming and we know the cam was functional as it was handed in the Police because that is who the Misery supporter trust the most in this incident – It’s all a staged event.
Roll back – Salah al-Din Hassan, a 37-year-old reporter with independent news website Shaab Masr (Egyptian People), died after picking up a homemade bomb hurled at protesters by Pro –Morsi supporters, it exploded in his hands.
Now then, NEWS. It is said many media workers are into ‘Making’ the big story, inciting, fabrication, payments for deeds, it’s all money. Salah al-Din Hassan picked up a fucking bomb, who does that? Or did he have a bomb and fucked-up!
Finally – Why would a photographer like Ahmed Assem El-Senousy who always has his gear be filming for 20 mins with a shitty phone cam, 20 min’s, and not commenting, not taking stills, no one else is filming (He was with a crew), just him?
Don’t you smell the sulfur, its burning the truth?
Just some thoughts on the matter…
Posted by: kev | Jul 12 2013 0:57 utc | 21
Posted by: JohnH | Jul 11, 2013 2:07:02 PM | 5
compared to any american candidate, saddam was a model statesman
Posted by: brian | Jul 12 2013 4:28 utc | 22
He probably just made it worse …
Posted by: somebody | Jul 11, 2013 4:34:25 PM | 15
no
Posted by: brian | Jul 12 2013 4:29 utc | 23
@7 and 18
America and the generals in Egypt moved against Morsi to prevent a popular revolution
http://rt.com/op-edge/america-egypt-prevent-civil-war-838/
Unknown Snipers and Western backed “Regime Change”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/unknown-snipers-and-western-backed-regime-change/27904
Posted by: brian | Jul 12 2013 4:32 utc | 24
12
Of course it wasn’t weapons, it was cotton candy!!!
I mean, to be fair!!
Posted by: Fernando | Jul 12 2013 5:29 utc | 25
kev 18)
Zeynhom morgue
Still no movement from inside, so men hoist each other up to look through a space above the door. One man delivers an uninterrupted stream of the bluest obscenities imaginable at the doctors inside, who he accuses of refusing to work. People shift around uncomfortably as the words bounce off the walls and reverberate. Still nothing. A man walks in and shouts that people must check the forensic reports before they leave; the morgue is saying people were shot in the stomach when they were shot in the back.
I would not trust the Egyptian state nor army. I hear the US does not make any noises about the President of Egypt and a group of his advisers having been disappeared. They are not charged with anything except having failed as politicians and being stubborn.
Posted by: somebody | Jul 12 2013 5:33 utc | 26
5
Saddam didn’t fuck around. If he said, “I’m building a city here” he did it.
If he said he was gonna kill you, he did it.
The Iraqis themselves say times were better under Saddam.
Americans have to say that about which president?
Roosvelt?
Truman?
Eisenhower?
Kennedy?
Johnson?
Nixon?
Carter?
Ray-gun?
BS1?
Clinton?
BS2?
Odummy?
To be fair, I’m not even saying they were all bad. Some of these guys were actually ok.
Now my mind is spinning, I need to mull over this with some hot tea.
Be back, later.
Posted by: Fernando | Jul 12 2013 5:37 utc | 27
from the outset, i called fukus hullaballoo about *pla hackers * as ROBBER
CRYING ROBBERY.
i dont have a mole in nsa/cia , but i’d be damned if the world’s top terrorist outfit,
with its decades long record of targeting china for destabilisation, with its vastly
superior it technology, has NOT been doing to china what it accuse the chinese of
doing , multiplied by 1000 !
cant say im shocked by snowden’s revelation, fact is, it could just be the tip of an iceberg. !
are we sure cia/nsa n its gchq partner are only indulged in some benign eavesdropping ?
was nsa up to its eyeballs in the kenyan regime change caper ? [1]
didnt gchq participate in the smear campaign against china in 2008 when it fabricated *evidence* on ccp ff in tibet ? [2]
what about stuxnet ?
or the chinese claim that they have mountains of evidence of hacking, sabotages
from fukus..[psss, i believe them ! ]
there are netizens who believe cia was responsible for many major disasters in
china , including the bullet train tragedy, cant say i blame them.
with the saturation bombing from western msm about chinese cyber attacks how
often do we get to hear from the other side’ ? [3]
aint this wiki/anon joint venture [4] another destabilisation campaign, are
wiki/anon psyops, is the pope a christian ?
after the snowden fiasco, one would have thought that fukusans would feel a bit
more humble, sigh, i guess u just cant put a good man down for long eh ?
*US Vice President Joe Biden urged China on Wednesday to end its “outright”
theft through hacking and to improve human rights as the world’s two largest
economies waded into some of their thorniest disputes.*
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/359274/biden-china-is-outright-thief
fukus just got caught with its pant down for massive spying on china, here it is, a
confirmed war criminal [5] berating china for unsubstantiated *theft on us secrets*
, oh wait, the chinese also suffer from a deficit of *human rights* [sic]
how does anyone get away with such hubris ?
par for the course, if u happens to be the biggest n meanest mofo !
[1]
http://web.archive.org/web/20130122030032/http://www.voltairenet.org/article162559.html
[2]
http://web.archive.org/web/20120208144844/http://viewonbuddhism.org/chinese
-orchestrating-riots-tibet.htm
*2003 photograph used by the media to accuse China of having deliberately
instigated the riots.
“This [2003] photo was apparently made when soldiers were ordered to put on
robes to play as actors in a movie.”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/china-and-america-the-tibet-human-rights-psyop/8673
[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/world/asia/12cyberchina.html?pagewanted=all
[4] http://www.businessinsider.com/anonymous-has-declared-war-on-china-2012-4
[5] http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33348.htm
Posted by: denk | Jul 12 2013 5:51 utc | 28
Re: Posted by: kev | Jul 11, 2013 8:57:29 PM | 18
@Rowan Berkeley | Jul 11, 2013 2:13:58 PM | 7, I dont know why you keep playing that tune dude?
It’s not a tune, and I am not the Mighty Wurlitzer, regurgitating CIA theme songs, or whatever you’re insinuating. If you think that video clip was faked, kindly provide some sources, links, documentary evidence, or corroboration, rather than trying to blind me with military savvy, which i don’t pretend to be able to evaluate. To say that that video clip was faked requires external corroboration, not just your theories. I shall regard it as real until I see something other than your ‘expert opinion’ refuting it. But I shall add your ‘expert opinion’ to my own blog post of the video, for whatever it may eventually turn out to be worth.
Posted by: Rowan Berkeley | Jul 12 2013 6:23 utc | 29
@denk #25:
Can’t remember where I read it (Bruce Schneier’s blog? Here, maybe?), but word is that the NSA is going to try to force US net hardware manufacturers to build backdoors in everything. Guess what this will do for sales of such hardware outside the US?
The world will build another internet, because it’s become a necessary utility. So what’s the US gonna do? Bomb every fookin’ country on the planet who doesn’t use ‘our’ cables?
Posted by: Dr. Wellington Yueh | Jul 12 2013 7:01 utc | 31
@somebody | Jul 12, 2013 1:33:57 AM | 23, A nice blog actually, thanks for that, makes a change; enjoyed the reading and insight. Seen a few morgues equal or worse, once went in for malaria (Again) my window faced the morgue (Private room luxury). The morgue was basically a outside area no walling and tin roof without walls and rows of battered trolleys, all with corpses, some swelling out looking as if they would burst at any second, my mind could smell the stench although there was none other than Detol. It looked chaotic, no order, the rear had an incinerator, never asked on it’s propose, or did I want to ask. I checked out, did the Gator Aid home treatment, and the local Papaya and potato leaves soup, not sure which one worked, could even be ‘mind over matter’ from seeing the morgue?
One week later a Heli pilot (South African fella, generally only Russian, Ukrainians do stints as Pilots in places like this) went for a swim, came back with a hand waving it (Beach Bar was full, it was an amputated hand) “Hey, that hospital need to get a better grip of medical waste, this is not very handy”, he seemed happy with his joke and unfazed that he was clutching a dead person hand as his comedy prop, others laughed, mostly Mil/Pol and miners, most were shocked; I just felt a bit number than before.
It’s times like that you know something needs to change, but it never seems that change will come -When back home you know the chance of hands and other body parts will not be dumped into the sea, or someone bringing it to the Bar as a trophy of sorts, light switches work, you don’t need a filled bucket in the shower in case today will be dry and the water delivery may or may not come, check the generator has fuel and reserve fuel because the power will be cut, for how long this time is always the question, and not consider the fact you are lucky to have a generator, most don’t. Back home the shops are full, even have sales 2 for the price of one, your diet is not 100 ways to eat chicken, you don’t have a bug-out-bag at the ready as shit may hit the fan, you no longer need to read/see the signs of possible unrest; a makeshift roadblock, shops closing early or not opening at all, worn tires stockpiling on certain corners, kids not in the streets, local workers not coming in to work, all seem to have the flu – Where everything is a sign and everything needs read, it’s a way of life and you are not in the loop. The only difference; we ‘experience’ it, have good pay, R&R, and end our tour of duty; Or we ‘experience’ it 3-5 star, have the photos, all happy but see nothing of the reality while fueled on ‘All inclusive’ and can leave it all behind while they ‘Loved it, will be back’ – they can, but the population cant…
Posted by: kev | Jul 12 2013 7:18 utc | 32
Dr. Wellington Yueh 28
hello dr yueh
u might have read it here
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2013/06/us-successful-with-cyber-defense-protection-racket.html#c6a00d8341c640e53ef0192aaf2536e970d
Posted by: denk | Jul 12 2013 7:28 utc | 33
http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2013/07/10/m-juncker-mis-en-difficulte-par-un-scandale-touchant-les-services-de-renseignement-du-grand-duche_3445454_3214.html
State terrorism IS the norm.
Posted by: Mina | Jul 12 2013 8:55 utc | 35
Big boom in canal coming
little bang then biiiig boom,right on bridge over troubled water
A wave of water a wall of stone undone
the sound of the horn will blow,magog has risen
Posted by: jub | Jul 12 2013 9:19 utc | 36
Edward Snowden ‘requests human rights groups meeting’
Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has requested a meeting with human rights groups in Moscow, Russian officials say.
Mr Snowden wants to meet them later on Friday at Sheremetyevo airport, where he is thought to be staying.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23283684
Posted by: johnf | Jul 12 2013 9:29 utc | 37
I can’t find the full text of Snowden’s letter anywhere but I know it is on facebook, here:
http://www.facebook.com/tanya.lokshina/posts/515881045133478
Now personally I refuse to register with facebook, for reasons I’m sure are obvious. But if anyone is already registered with it and can access the letter I would appreciate if they would cut and paste the whole text.
Posted by: Rowan Berkeley | Jul 12 2013 11:51 utc | 38
Apparently “the rebels” are “giving up” Homs to the syrian army.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/middleeast/article3814417.ece
Whatever that is worth.
Posted by: peter radiator | Jul 12 2013 11:58 utc | 39
Ever wonder why the enemies of the Muslim brotherhood seem to coincide with the enemies of Israel?
Posted by: Hilmi Hakim | Jul 12 2013 12:19 utc | 40
@Rowan Berkeley | Jul 12, 2013 2:23:43 AM | 26, I was not beating you up on the subject (Much, I was a bit frontal), just you pushing this more than once when it is clear it’s ‘fishy’ at least in my view. The video is real, the situation is staged, that being said, someone I know swears he has seen that same footage before, so wait out on that (Forage cap guy) – the media has so many varied accounts, the times states he was brought into the morgue 1 day later with a hole in his chest, one day later. Dr. Assem (His Father) said the Brotherhood had “brainwashed” his son and was responsible for his death. Some PSS folks are saying he was set-up, he was an expendable tool, or for a better word ‘A Martyr’ for the cause.
In many media reports ‘Shot in the head’ Or ‘Ahmed Samir Assem captures the seconds leading up to his own death before a soldier shot him in the head’. Other reports of a body as evidence with a head shot – One day later, a hole in his chest.
The whole story is just out there, and in such a way it just does not gel, adding to that is the ‘We cannot verify’ etc. In time if we keep track the story will unfold. As it stands, too many things don’t add up, the bobbing man more so, where was he trained – not by the Army, If I am wrong, so be it, but in retort, and like you ask, where is the evidence that this was the Egyptian Army?
Another thing, this was 8 am, the location is as stated, but the Sun position and timing look out of sync, likewise still researching that element to be time specific – The cam had no time date setting, also odd for a reporter.
I guess so many little oddities make it out of place for me, more so the Egyptian Army would not gain from this very obvious action. Let’s see how this plays out. My guess it will die in the mire of confusion, in other words, a set-up that went wrong and those who did it have sufficient power to cover it up. End of the day, if it was the Mil, they would know who was posted there, have accountable ammo records, and it would have a record in turn need to issue a report.
Posted by: kev | Jul 12 2013 12:38 utc | 41
Ever wonder why the enemies of the Muslim Brotherhood seem to coincide with the enemies of Israel? Posted by: Hilmi Hakim | Jul 12, 2013 8:19:49 AM | 37
It isn’t just the MBs, it’s Sunni Jihadis generally. They put out the requisite condemnations of the Zionist entity, they flirt with the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, they say the Jews did 9/11, they even accuse Assad and Hezbollah of protecting Israel — but how often do any of them attack Jewish targets? The Mumbai Massacre, which murdered a Lubavitcher family; that guy in France murdered some Jewish religious schoolchidren & a teacher; those aren’t typical Sunni Jihadi operations at all, but rather they are double or triple agents, with extensive backgrounds of working for the security services, who go off the rails. Generally, it doesn’t happen.
Posted by: Rowan Berkeley | Jul 12 2013 12:40 utc | 42
Turkey is now the wild card and if Erdogan is convinced that the ultimate goal of other actors in the ME is to topple him, we can expect a 180 degrees change in Turkey’s external Policy. http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/islamist-allies-ousted-egypt-what-will-erdogan-do
Posted by: Greggg | Jul 12 2013 12:58 utc | 43
36
You gotta love these criminals. It’s like a car thief returning your car back to you.
Posted by: Fernando | Jul 12 2013 14:34 utc | 44
31
No, he’s putting down Cheap American salesmen, er..I mean statesmen. Nunca comprendes nada!
Posted by: Fernando | Jul 12 2013 14:38 utc | 45
@TovioS – re shortages in Egypt – the NYT is wrong on this
The shortages temporary lifted because people stopped to drive during the protests and a lot of factories were shut down.
Since then shortages have returned. People in Cairo and elsewhere reported lots of gasoline queues and regular electricity outages.
—
The Nile water project. There was an Israeli plan in the 1970s to get Nile water to Israel.
Mentioned here: Will Nile Water Go To Israel?:
North Sinai Pipelines And The Politics Of Scarcity
Kahhalen explained how Egypt and Israel intend to overcome the political repercussions of sending Nile water to Israel. To guarantee that Egypt would not simply turn off the faucet, Israeli engineers suggested that the diverted Nile waters also supply the Arabs of Gaza, the Negev and the West Bank, making them, in effect, Israeli hostages, since Egypt would be disinclined to cut their water off.
The Israelis had termed this the “Yeor plan” and had already prepared its cost estimates and technical details and studied its political implications many years before Sadat’s visit to Israel. Was Sadat in fact announcing the beginning of this Israeli scheme when he declared, on December 17, 1979, that work has begun on the “Peace Canal,” which was to pass under the Suez Canal to Sinai and then to the Negev?”(4)
The Trayvon Martin case in the US is about to finish up.
An armed man began following a Black teenager through the neighborhood for no reason – and in spite of 911 telling him to back off. The teenager was either frightened or took offense (probably some of both) and a fight ensued, in which case the neighborhood man (part of “neighborhood watch”) ended up shooting the unarmed Black teen.
It’s disgusting. I’ve heard so many excuses for this chump Zimmerman, but the original sin is in the fact that the neighborhood watch guy began to follow him out of pure racism and racial profiling. And not a single Black on the jury carries on the US tradition of injustice.
The US is due for an explosion similar to the recent Paris/London riots. It’s been a hot summer. I wouldn’t be surprised if this set something off if this murdering asshole walks.
As well it should. Racism is alive and well in the US, even if it has become less of an official policy.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 12 2013 17:28 utc | 47
President Assad rubs his hands at news of rebel split. The President would be the FSA’s best ally in war against Islamists, says Robert Fisk. – Independent
Posted by: Rowan Berkeley | Jul 12 2013 18:50 utc | 48
“Ridiculous, really, when the state can collect enough personal information to likely create a map of your thinking over time.”
My dear sir, you badly misunderestimate the enterprise, wide-awakeness and general in-the-knowness of the average American. We have found a sure-fire defense against exactly the process you describe. After all, no one can construct a topographical representation, or “map” as you call it, of your thinking if you simply stop doing that. Besides, it hurts when we do that. So they may be able to figure out who is going to win “American Idol” in advance of the voting, but very little else will be gleaned.
Posted by: Mooser | Jul 12 2013 19:11 utc | 49
“Racism is alive and well in the US, even if it has become less of an official policy.”
Another US misunderestimater! Site seems to be full of them!
For your information, the Supreme Court has just cleared the way for racism to become the official policy of any state which desires it. Now, that’s demonocracy, don’t you think? Or maybe it’s dementocracy?
Posted by: Mooser | Jul 12 2013 19:15 utc | 50
35 no, it isn’t otherwise Juncker would not have to go.
Actually the Le Monde article you quote is interesting, as the German main stream media like Die Zeit – pretend it is about spying on private citizens – an exception I found is Heise – which is not really main stream media but specialises on IT issues.
This here is Die Zeit
Ein parlamentarischer Untersuchungsausschuss hatte dem seit 18 Jahren regierenden Juncker mangelnde Aufsicht über den Nachrichtendienst vorgeworfen, dem illegale Abhöraktionen gegen Politiker, Missbrauch von Dienstwagen und Schmiergeldzahlungen zur Last gelegt werden.
Same applies to the British press like the Independent.
This is the Independent
A parliamentary commission set up in December has found that the agency engaged in a host of questionable activities ranging from tapping politicians’ phones to buying luxury cars for private use – and that the Prime Minister failed to inform lawmakers of any irregularities. In one case, the head of SREL recorded a conversation with Mr Juncker using a microphone hidden in his watch.
Somehow this tells me that German and British secret services should have a lot to answer for.
Posted by: somebody | Jul 12 2013 20:29 utc | 52
more on state terrorism – Gladio – in German
Of course – there is a German trail to Luxemburg – to the Oktoberfest explosion and to Bologna.
Now what did the German government know – the guy involved was a BND officer.
Posted by: somebody | Jul 12 2013 20:50 utc | 53
I haven’t read much Dickens. I avoided it in school, I dreaded the thought of it.
But the other day I picked up a copy of “Hard Times” from a street vendor. It’s remarkable in it’s portrayal of the capitalism of his times – and ours. It’s humorous, thoughtful, and has really biting portrayals of capitalism that ring incredibly true today. Two favorites:
A young girl from the lower classes talking with a friend about what transpired during the school day:
‘I am almost ashamed,’ said Sissy, with reluctance. ‘But to-day, for instance, Mr. M’Choakumchild was explaining to us about Natural Prosperity.’
‘National, I think it must have been,’ observed Louisa.
‘Yes, it was.—But isn’t it the same?’ she timidly asked.
‘You had better say, National, as he said so,’ returned Louisa, with her dry reserve.
‘National Prosperity. And he said, Now, this schoolroom is a Nation. And in this nation, there are fifty millions of money. Isn’t this a prosperous nation? Girl number twenty, isn’t this a prosperous nation, and a’n’t you in a thriving state?’
‘What did you say?’ asked Louisa.
‘Miss Louisa, I said I didn’t know. I thought I couldn’t know whether it was a prosperous nation or not, and whether I was in a thriving state or not, unless I knew who had got the money, and whether any of it was mine. But that had nothing to do with it. It was not in the figures at all,’ said Sissy, wiping her eyes.
About the capitalists of the day – it will sound shockingly familiar. (The word “millers” means the capitalist business owners, I didn’t understand this definition at first):
The wonder was, [the industrial town described, named Coketown] was there at all. It had been ruined so often, that it was amazing how it had borne so many shocks. Surely there never was such fragile china-ware as that of which the millers of Coketown were made. Handle them never so lightly, and they fell to pieces with such ease that you might suspect them of having been flawed before. They were ruined, when they were required to send labouring children to school; they were ruined when inspectors were appointed to look into their works; they were ruined, when such inspectors considered it doubtful whether they were quite justified in chopping people up with their machinery; they were utterly undone, when it was hinted that perhaps they need not always make quite so much smoke. Besides Mr. Bounderby’s gold spoon which was generally received in Coketown, another prevalent fiction was very popular there. It took the form of a threat. Whenever a Coketowner felt he was ill-used—that is to say, whenever he was not left entirely alone, and it was proposed to hold him accountable for the consequences of any of his acts—he was sure to come out with the awful menace, that he would ‘sooner pitch his property into the Atlantic.’ This had terrified the Home Secretary within an inch of his life, on several occasions.
However, the Coketowners were so patriotic after all, that they never had pitched their property into the Atlantic yet, but, on the contrary, had been kind enough to take mighty good care of it.
Anyway, I’m not through it yet but I am glad to have started it. I recommend it highly. I’d like to try “Tale of Two Cities” next.
Anyone have any other recommendations for Dickens? I have heard the later stuff is more political and a little darker in tone.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 13 2013 1:38 utc | 55
Okay, this may be the most ridiculous journalism fail I have ever seen in my fucking LIFE. And I’m something of a connoisseur of news bloopers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqjlhtKIToo
How can this happen? This is “journalism” now?
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 13 2013 1:47 utc | 56
guest77 | Jul 12, 2013 9:47:07 PM | 56, That does take the biscuit (Fortune Cookie), that is so fucked. The station issued a statement Friday afternoon acknowledging it had “misidentified the pilots involved.” LOL – understatement! Then “Nothing is more important to us than having the highest level of accuracy and integrity, and we are reviewing our procedures to ensure this type of error does not happen again.” – Ho Ree Chit & Fuk U are fired!
Posted by: kev | Jul 13 2013 2:27 utc | 57
guest77 | Jul 12, 2013 9:38:17 PM | 55, The Old Curiosity Shop, darker than most of his stuff but also his humor and the classic good vs. evil, been years (Decades) since I read Dickens. Read a piece how Dickens inspired the movie ‘Dark Knight Rising’ – director Christopher Nolan was inspired by A Tale of Two Cities.
Posted by: kev | Jul 13 2013 3:09 utc | 59
Knew it. Alliances have been reshuffled by events in Egypt. Iran is really good at inheriting US policy.
Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers call for cease fire in Syria
“Ramadan is a good pretext for the cease-fire. We are officially calling on both parties. We hope that it becomes a start for a solution,” he said.
Davutoğlu also urged all “foreigners” fighting in Syria to immediately leave the country. “The same has to be said for Hezbollah, which entered Qusayr and other Syrian towns in the past three months,” he added in reference to the Lebanese Shiite militia group.
Both foreign ministers also said the Egyptian military takeover had been on the top of their agenda during the talks. While Davutoğlu repeated his call to the new rulers to “respect the Egyptian people’s will,” Salehi said Iran was hoping that control would not be lost. “[The only people] who can determine Egypt’s future are the Egyptian people,” Salehi said.
Although stressing that it was not the main topic during the meeting, Davutoğlu and Salehi also said the bilateral relations were very healthy.
“The relations are unique in the world as we have a lot of common points,” Salehi said.
The meeting is the first since moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani was elected president last month.
The visit came as Ankara stated that it saw Rouhani’s election positively and said it hoped for changes in Iran’s policy toward Syria with the new presidency. The countries have adopted diametrically opposed stances vis-à-vis Syria; Tehran continues to be the closest ally of the Bashar al-Assad government while Turkey openly supports the opposition.
Posted by: somebody | Jul 13 2013 6:24 utc | 60
Time for Syria to do something against israeli attacks.
http://presstv.com/detail/2013/07/13/313564/israel-behind-latakia-explosions-media/
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 13 2013 9:32 utc | 61
Time for Syria to do something against israeli attacks.
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 13, 2013 5:32:49 AM | 61
That’s exactly what DEBKAfile are saying: they’re taunting Syria, saying, “what are you, chicken? You talked the talk, now it’s time for you to walk the walk,” etc etc, which will force Assad & Co to say exactly what they said last time, viz: “If we attacked israel that would be exactly the pretext they need to bomb the living daylights out of us.” Incidentally, this is a good example of the fact that DEBKAfile are independent of Israeli military censorship, since DEBKAfile and the military censorship are actually run by one and the same organisation, AMAN, or Israeli military intelligence (not Mossad, which is civilian).
Posted by: Rowan Berkeley | Jul 13 2013 10:14 utc | 62
Exactly right Rowan. The pedophile jihadists cheering on Israel yet again.
Posted by: hilmi hakim | Jul 13 2013 10:40 utc | 63
Rowan
Yes and unfortunately Syria lack capabilities to respond to these israeli attacks.
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 13 2013 10:49 utc | 64
Quite funny how the ‘syrian Peace Conference’ that were supposed to be held this summer simply vanished, reason is of course rebels arent interested in a peaceful solution just like their western backers.
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 13 2013 11:21 utc | 65
As I said before, Anon just does not have a clue @Anon, what guy would say ‘Get off my nuts’ little squirrel – unless of course you are American or US based, or a ‘wanabe’, obliviously young, if not ‘mutton acting as a lamb’, still studying, as you are, and thus fan of Eminem (Also suffered addiction, depression in turn rants, are you using Vicodin? Only ‘House does it well, and that is a TV show)) or a fan of B-Boyz/ DJ Khaled –Say no more… But I will;
BTY, you should stop living your life via PressTV and explore a little more since you have no experience in the field or in general; then again Galloway does look like a ‘white’ Morsi, strange that! -You are infatuated. Poor thing; it must be that ‘Papa’ trauma thing as I suspected. In that you did say negative connotations about the Scots, yet Mr. Galloway is a Jock! Moreover he liked and supported Saddam, something you like to push out in an argument even if not related several times – Wake up you’re an absolute tit and can’t tie your shoe laces from all that tripping! Galloway does not like ‘Islamist extremists’, he made that very clear in his The 7/7 suicide bombings speech. In addition, George Galloway scorned Morsi for handling Syrian crisis.
Nothing wrong with Google, and ‘all’ your links are via the web, just to point out that fact, and you have written FA ‘original’; at all! Google a great resource, yet does have the negative side, like – allowing the cheeky ‘Anons’ to be disruptive annoying little imps. But having had children and all grown up, working and independent and balanced – I can understand where you are, my kid’s had friends like you, shame your parents were not there for you when needed, and overly when not needed; child abuse is a horrific thing -Did you make that therapy appointment yet? Let’s hope you come to terms and find solace.
Posted by: kev | Jul 13 2013 11:22 utc | 66
kev
Thats the issue. You dont know much about anything and get mad when I call you out, or perhaps you are mad because I am hetereosexual and thus not interested in you, or because you lack a statehood?
This is offtopic and I respectfully depart from this dicussion with you. 🙂
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 13 2013 11:54 utc | 67
A few articles on Syria that I’ve read in the last 24 hours paint a picture of continuing collapse of the FSA. Assad must be very pleased with developments.
– Syrian Rebels Prepare to abandon Homs (Times.uk Paywalled):
The last opposition-held areas of Homs are set to fall within days to the Syrian army after rebel forces decided to “sacrifice” the country’s third-largest city to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, according to diplomats and opposition sources.
Homs, the third largest city in Syria, being “abandoned” by the rebels will be a massive defeat. Certainly bigger than the Qusayr offensive and also a psychological blow because Homs was the stronghold of the revolution. What’s better than the FSA losing Homs? This:
– Rebel FSA declares War on Syrian Al Qaeda Antiwar.com:
Skirmishes between Syrian rebel factions are nothing new, but seem to be reaching a whole new level today, with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the largest secular rebel group, declaring “war” on Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda linked Islamist faction that is seen as the frontline fighters for most of the war’s major battles.
The two factions have clashed, but have also fought side-by-side in the past. The FSA accused al-Qaeda fighters of killing one of their top commanders yesterday when they met for what was supposed to be a coordination talk.
According to FSA spokesman Qassem Saadeddine, Hamami was meeting with fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (a faction of Jabhat al-Nusra) in Latakia to coordinate battle plans. They killed Hamami and reportedly threatened to kill the rest of the FSA’s leadership council.
I reckon this will be most felt in Aleppo where the FSA and Al Nusra are coordinating on their offensive. Meanwhile progress is also continuing in the outskirts of Damascus.
Posted by: Colm O’ Toole | Jul 13 2013 13:54 utc | 68
Wow Anon, there’s a whole lot of this “I respectfully leave this convo…” after having done nothing but harass people here for a few weeks. With all due respect (meaning…none at all) I doubt you’re going to get away with a cheap trick like that. This is an open thread after all. Nothing’s off topic.
Kev, you call Anon a fan of Eminem. I think a fan of that liberal waste of breath Jon Stewart is more like it. The “above it all” the “both are equal” the “objectivity” when comparing cannibals to conscripts.
Glad to see that you’re realizing the cannibal corps is beholden to the West. Though I’m disappointed you would be on the DEBKAfile “bring it on Syria” team. The SAA knows what they’re doing. They’re certainly not going to flail around fighting Israel when they have al Qaeda in their sights. I’m sure they’re glad to have your advice though.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 13 2013 14:12 utc | 69
From a German War Primer
by Bertold Brecht
http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/bertolt-brecht/from-a-german-war-primer/
THOSE WHO TAKE THE MEAT FROM THE TABLE
Teach contentment.
Those for whom the contribution is destined
Demand sacrifice.
Those who eat their fill speak to the hungry
Of wonderful times to come.
Those who lead the country into the abyss
Call ruling too difficult
For ordinary men.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 13 2013 15:36 utc | 70
In case people think that religious organizations pissing on protest and telling people to wait for a “better life” in the “next world” had gone out of fashion:
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201307/is-protest-the-answer/
Is Protest the Answer?
The Bible offers a solution to injustice, corruption, and oppression. It describes a government that God has set up in heaven that will replace the failed political and economic systems that lead to protest… Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s Kingdom is mankind’s only true hope for a peaceful world. (Matthew 6:9, 10) Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not engage in protests.
There’ll be pie in the sky when you die, don’t you know!
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 13 2013 17:28 utc | 71
My sister-in-law just escaped from Aleppo with her children. They are on a bus near Homs. 12 more hours until they reach Beirut airport. She couldn’t speak of what she saw on her trip.
Posted by: hilmi hakim | Jul 13 2013 18:07 utc | 72
The charade in Egypt continue, US ambassador rumored to become foreign minister. And the crackdown against MB as a whole, continue, now with bogus accusations!
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 13 2013 19:31 utc | 73
hilmi hikim @ 72 — Best wishes for your sister-in-law’s safe journey.
Has she been in Aleppo during the entire strife there? Must be traumatizing for her and your entire family.
Posted by: jawbone | Jul 13 2013 20:19 utc | 74
oldie but goodie
But Mr. Castro’s air force sank two escort ships and knocked out half of the exiles’ air support. The outnumbered band took heavy fire, and within three days, more than 100 members of what was known as Brigade 2506 had been killed. Nearly 1,200 were taken prisoner.
Posted by: ruralito | Jul 14 2013 0:49 utc | 75
Escobar on RT: “What we see now is nothing compared to what we’ll see in six months… This new administration will be neo-liberal as well. You have to completely reorganize the Egyptian system upside down.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmWNdanT66w
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 14 2013 16:20 utc | 76
http://presstv.com/detail/2013/07/15/313933/egypt-army-plans-sinai-operation/
Maybe Egypt could get assistance by Israel to attack Gaza too?
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 15 2013 16:44 utc | 77
Funny
US outraged after Israel backs out of terror suit
Congress, White House angry at Israel for decision to back out of trial against Bank of China for involvement in laundering of money for Hamas, Islamic Jihad. The reason: China conditioned Netanyahu’s state visit on Israeli promise not to testify in trial. Now, US threatening to subpoena Ambassador Oren
EU Bans Member Countries From Cooperation With Israelis In Post-1967 Territories
“These are guidelines that reinforce already existing policy,” the EU official said. “All agreements with the EU apply to Israel proper and not to the occupied territories. We believe that ‘settlements’ are illegal under international law despite Israel’s claim of sovereignty there.”
“This is a decision marked with racism and discrimination against the Jewish people that is reminiscent of boycotts against Jews from over 66 years ago,” Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/16/eu-bans-cooperation-with-israeli-territories_n_3604844.html
Posted by: kev | Jul 17 2013 10:19 utc | 79
israel comes with new threat against Iran, trying to sabotage possible better relations between US/Iran. What the hell are netanyahu doing on american television anyway?!
This man will commit false-flag attacks just to get his fix (war).
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article35558.htm
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 17 2013 11:00 utc | 80
Re: The Train In Spain … crash.
Found this 60 sec vid while looking for something unrelated.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-25/video-shows-moment-of-deadly-train-derailment-in-spain/4844594
It’s interesting that this accident happened in a country trying to save money. It’s pretty fast – I’d guess circa 100mph. The loco and the first and second coach make it through the bend with no fuss. The third coach however doesn’t even try to follow the rails, which suggests a massive failure of the front bogie of the offending coach.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jul 25 2013 14:52 utc | 81
[28]
link 2 was messed up, here’s an excerpt from the original article
*Canada Free Press [Friday, March 21, 2008 10:20] Brit spies confirm Dalai Lama’s report of staged violence
By Gordon Thomas
G2 Bulletin
London, March 20 – Britain’s GCHQ, the government communications agency that electronically monitors half the world from space, has confirmed the claim by the Dalai Lama that agents of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the PLA, posing as monks, triggered the riots that have left hundreds of Tibetans dead or injured.
GCHQ analysts believe the decision was deliberately calculated by the Beijing leadership to provide an excuse to stamp out the simmering unrest in the region, which is already attracting unwelcome world attention in the run-up to the Olympic Games this summer.*
from the outset fukus spun the usual *brutal crack down on unarmed protestors* bs, after their lies were shattered by eye witness accounts from foreign tourists, the assholes changed the script without missing a beat, to *violence instigated by pla agent provocateurs* [sic]…..the sobs must be talking from their own wealth of experience in FF !
Posted by: denk | Jul 25 2013 16:32 utc | 82
Black activist, Cornel West, comments on Obama’s response to verdict on killing of Martin
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/7/22/cornel_west_obamas_response_to_trayvon
Posted by: Crone | Jul 25 2013 19:13 utc | 83
kosovo, afpak, iraq, somali, yemen, mali, myanmar, philippines, africa…..xinjiang.
terrorism made in murikka, the world’s no 1 terrorist .
**Pick any ongoing conflict in the world and see if you do not see the secret hands of the cia/mossad/mi5/raw busily at work fanning the flames. These flames are the legends *.
http://www.countercurrents.org/chamberlin110908.htm
Posted by: denk | Jul 27 2013 4:53 utc | 84
From the “whatever-happened-to” files, we now must invent a new word for whatever comes after “sheer chutzpah.”
Posted by: Monolycus | Jul 27 2013 5:45 utc | 85