The fundamental reason the Middle East is destabilized is because of the West's--primarilly the US Empire's--desire to control the region utilizing the neo-Colonial methods it devised for the purpose. The region's people are unwilling to suffer through a fourth generation of having their possibilities strangled by the West's tyranny meted out though its compradores. They understand very well they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so their efforts will not cease until they gain the freedom they seek. The Saudi-US counter-revolution will kill innocents and slow the process, but is incapable of stopping the movement because the masses have reached a tipping-point in awareness regarding the loss/gain mentioned above. For example, the Viet Minh fought the French, Japanese, and the US Empire for 50+ years to gain the freedoms they sought from Wilson and the West in 1919 at Versailles, but to do so they had to become more ruthless than their Colonial enemies. Ultimately, it's all about control: Will there be democracy or oligarcy--Enlightenment and Freedom or tyranny. This is the current world-wide question. Icelanders have just voted for Freedom and democracy, telling the European bankers who would enslave them to piss-off. The Arab Revolt is trying to send the same message.
There are almost no "civilian" Israelis older than 18, as most remain in the military as reservists. It's very interesting to note the coordination between the US, Saudis and Israelis in executing the Arab Counter-Revolution. Arabs gaining universal freedom will mark the demise of the Sauds and the end of the US and Israeli Empires--a development that can't happen too soon.
It is quite profound to compare the response to UNSC resolution 1860 with its latest, 1970 & 1973, and of course the massive double-standard regarding the Saudi invasion of Bahrain and the exactly similar treatment being meted out to Yemeni and Bahrani civilians. I'm sure that if the UN had existed in 1918 and had issued a UNSC Resolution regarding the Russian Revolution and Civil War that Prof. Cole would support intervention on the White side too. Obviously, the Neoliberal Global Empire didn't want the Arab Revolt's quest for Freedomn to continue with the Libya intervention a part of its orchestrated Counter-Revolution. Real Democracy is to be thwarted wherever it arises, a fact proven by objective history. The Empire's goal is to insure the great mass of people have no control over how they're governed. As the Angry Arab has discovered, the Libyan "Rebels" will merely become another Western-backed tyranny that will need to be overthrown, which is to say the Intervention is about Power, not Humanitarianism.
It's WW2 all over again, but with more advanced weaponry, except NATO airpower will see no Libyan version of the Luftwaffe to challenge for local air superiority.
As for taking sides, the UN intervention IS taking sides, unlike what is occcuring in Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and of course Israel on so many previous occasions. If the Arab People are to be supported by the world in their drive to gain freedom from tyrany, then they should ALL be supported.
Theoildrum.com's lead article is about the oil production problem, http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7550 It appears the Irish are going to suffer more than most: "Ireland, for example, which has had other problems with the banks in the recent past, is now faced with the loss of perhaps 23% of its fuel supply, which while only 14 kbd is, for that country, likely to be very significant."
Reuters has an item addressing the issue: "Rebels in eastern Libya said on Friday they now controlled most of the oil fields east of the town of Ras Lanuf, and said they would honour oil deals as long as they were in the interest of the people." http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/25/libya-oil-idUSLDE71O1CA20110225?rpc=401
Given the outlook of the Revolutionaries, I very much doubt Libya will leave OPEC or provide better terms than Qaddafi as they want to utilize petro income to improve the condition of the masses--a major motivation for the Revolt. Current net exports are about 1.8MBPD and flow mostly to the EU. EIA data shows the US imported from Libya:
2009: 22.35 million barrels. At $90/bbl, $2 billion/yr.
2010: 14.7 million barrels. At $90/bbl, $1.3 billion/yr.
Theoildrum republished its article on Libya, http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7528 with most data indicating Libya has peaked; and with its rapidly rising consumption rate, its net exports will continue to decrease, especially if income distribution improves once the Revolution's upheaval ends.
Related to all the revolutionary North African action is this republished article discussing the EU NatGas market and NatGas exports to Europe from North Africa, http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7543
The upshot is with the dictators who provided favors to the USA and EU gone, we should expect diminishing energy exports as internal consumption rises and increased husbanding of the resource base is imposed. In a sense, the West had "invaded" North Africa through its compradore dictators and IMF privitization mandates. For the latter, I expect to see repudiation of "loan" repayments as neoliberalism is the second aspect driving the Revolutions. This will also have consequenses for the European revolt against the neoliberal "austerity" program, which will likely spread to sub-Sahara Africa too.
With the Standing-Up of some of the worlds most downtrodden people and the immense couage they displayed as an example, I expect 2011 to be a year even more full of surprises than we've already seen. At some point I expect to see a muscular backlash by the forces of Neoliberal Imperialism because such an act has always occured historically. But it seems the planet's people have finally grasped the fact that while "they've got the guns; we've got the numbers" to establish real democracies that will finally checkmate the global oligarchy.
Our current condition was forseen by the late social historian Christopher Lasch, in his Revolt of the Elites and echoed by David Korten"s When Corporations Rule the World and is following the axioms laid out by Kennedy in The Rise and Fall of Great Powers. As Hudson has noted for the past several years, the USA is now just a franchise in the eyes of Global Finance and is being exploited just like the IMF exploits nations through its imposed policy of Structural Adjustment Programs, which is essentially Dollar Diplomacy on steroids; and the same is happening to EU nations. The essence of the USA's current problem is providing for the Pentagon and its utterly useless destruction and waste of vital resources or providing for the polity and the basic infrastructure that provdes its support--one must be starved for the other to live. It is that missing reality Englehardt emphasises.
Balbo was just following the lead of Churchill, who was all for bombing and gassing rebellious populations within British colonies. It should also be recalled that elites in both the US and British Empires were great admirers of the rise of Fascism and its champions Mussolini and Hitler. Too few know these words of Hannah Arendt: "Empire abroad means tyranny at home," which ought to be modified in the cases of China and Russia whose Empires are within their borders, not overseas, and in the US Empire's case where its both at home and overseas.
"BENGHAZI HAD 1 PAVED MAIN ROAD. THE REST WERE DIRT.
"LIBYA IS A COMPLETELY UNDEVELOPED COUNTRY."
Why the baldfaced lies? Libya has a massive petroleum extraction, refinery, port, and related infrastructure system that exports almost 2 million barrels of oil per day. Click onto google images, type in bengazi and you can see that there are many more than "1 paved main road"--asphalt is made from oil you know. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, http://www.citypictures.org/r-africa-143-libya-320-libya-benghazi-libyayana-5737.htm
"I assume that America’s “aspirational values” concerning self-determination, liberty, etc. are the core values that guide our foreign policy. Maybe I’m wrong ?"
US Imperial Trade Policy is similar and is still essentially as ennunciated over 110 years ago--The Open Door Policy, which was followed by the still practiced Dollar Diplomacy. You won't like it, but if you really want to know about the US Empire in one volume then Super Imperialism by Micheal Hudson is for you. And you would certainly benefit from reading Animal Farm and 1984. Understanding the basic rationale for the US Empire's behavior requires a little more work, but is easy to track since it's been around for almost 120 years, starting with Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis and The Law of Civilization and Decay by Brook Adams. And yes, there's oh so much more: Hundreds of thousands of pages and years of scholarship, but you can get the gist from just those works listed above, and you won't even have to spend a cent as any college library ought to have them.
As to why al-Jazerra's Arabic coverage of Bahrain is so poor, and the reasons for the Gulf Cooperation Council's support for Bahrian's repression, there is this small scoop provided by Angry Arab:
"Aljazeera Arabic: why the cover up of the massacre in Bahrain (why democracy is not permitted in the Gulf)
The meeting of the GCC today to support Bahraini repression and oppression was clear. The GCC (a tool created by the US) intended to prevent democracy from arriving to an Arab gulf country. I do believe that the Qatari government deliberately protected the Bahraini monarchy through its lousy coverage of the repression in Bahrain. I just remembered the last conversation I had with the Emir of Qatar back in July: I asked him for the reasons why political parties can't be formed in Qatar, and why societies dedicated to combating normalization between Qatar and Israel are not permitted in Qatar. I remember his words today (and now I know what he meant): he said that he can't. That political development and progress in Qatar can't be ahead of other political levels of developments in other Gulf countries. I asked why: and he said that they just can't be ahead, in political development. I guess that GCC countries disagree on many things but that they all agree on preventing democracy in their region. But: make no mistake about it. There is so much at stake--physically in terms of military and intelligence bases--to to allow for democracy in that part of the world. I think that the US was prepared to deploy troops to support the Bahraini monarchy." [Emphasis mine] http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/aljazeera-arabic-why-cover-up-of.html
This is a clear case of Colonialism, and a very good indicator of why the US Empire has a fiscal crisis. Imperial Stromtroopers are not required to ensure hydrocarbons are exported as it's in the interest of the nations producing them to sell them. Hundreds of Billions of dollars could be redirected to far more productive uses by liquidating the whole rationale for the Carter Doctrine, and the peoples of the Middle East could enjoy the fruits of self-determination and struggle of self-government.
I appologize for referencing him a lot, but Angry Arab gets lots of info and rapidly posts very important details like:
Live update from Bahrain
A comrade who should remain anonymous: "The following numbers are straight from the hospital in Bahrain
• 5 dead, 2000 young adults injured, 400 elderly injured, 250 women injured, 70 children injured... 300 of the mentioned in critical condition
•Police have attacked ambulance crews
•blood donars heading to the hospital attacked. Only people that can safely go to the hospital are doctors and nurses with IDS http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/live-update-from-bahrain.html
and
Split in the royal family in Bahrain?
Again: I can't reveal the source: "From people connected to high people in the government and wish to remain absolutely anonymous. Please spread the word:
- There is a split within the royal family. Khalid bin Ahmed and Khalifa bin Ahmed are on one side and the King and Shaikh Salman on the other. The extreme violence are Khalid Bin Ahmed (head of the royal court - sectarian and racist responsible for political naturalization scheme) and Khalifa Bin Ahmed (minister of defense). Sources are saying that the King no longer has full control. There are outside forces (I'm guessing Saudi Arabia) pushing for these two to take over and for Nasir Bin Hamed (one of kings sons) to take over position of crown prince
(again please I need to be completely anonymous if you post - sorry I keep repeating this - we now feel we are in a war)
Thank you so much for your help" http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/split-in-royal-family-in-bahrain.html
I can see the Saudis not wanting Shiites in charge of Bahrain, or the USA for that matter. I still feel the key is Egypt. If the Egyptiasn people can wrest total control of the country from the military and subordinate the officer corps to rule by the people, then the whole Middle East equation will greatly change.
Angry Arab provides us with an important aspect of the Iranian demonstrations not being mentioned that deserves much wider notice:
"No to Gaza? Are you kidding me?
"I have more reasons to be fiercely opposed to the Green Movement than ever. I received confirmation that signs and chants by Iranian Green protesters included the slogan "No to Gaza" (I don't care about Lebanon [They are also chanting No to Lebanon.]). Are you kidding me? First, the leader of the Green Movement wants to return to "the purity" of Khumayni's revolution and you wonder why I would not lend support? I am for the overthrow of the Iranian regime of course, and the Supreme Guide has to be toppled and the position canceled but the Green Movement won't do it. The Green Movement is like March 14 Movement in Lebanon: worthy only of my scorn. Of course, there are Iranian leftist protesters who don't support the Green Movement: those get my vote. And what has Gaza done to you? Gaza is not Hamas (Hamas has installed a lousy government in Gaza but the Abu Mazen government in the West Bank is ever far lousier because, as Sa'ib `Urayqat admitted in the Palestine Papers, they lie and "kill Palestinians" for Israel.) Gaza is an impoverished community of uprooted and occupied Palestinians who live under siege. No to Gaza? Oh, no: NO to the Green Revolution and its pro- Khumayni leaders. Between Khamenei and Khumayni: I choose neither. Between Ahdmadinajad and Musavi, I choose neither."
Egypt's military dictatorship has merely succeded itself, so it is a great mistake for the Revolutionaries to demobilize. Mubarak was merely the most visible head of a Hydra feeding on the vitality of Egyptian society, the Hydra being Egypt's Military Industrial Complex. For Egypt to prosper as a democracy, the Hyrda must be destroyed.
A high priority for Egyptian revolutionaries ought to be enactment of a law making elections 100% publicly funded and outlawing all foreign monies attempting to influence/finance political parties/elections. Angry Arab points out the billions Saudi, US and Israeli interests will spend in their attempts, the last part of his comment driven by a NY Times disclosure of US plans to do so:
"FLASH; MOST IMPORTANT. US ALREADY PLANS TO INTERFERE IN THE EGYPTIAN FREE ELECTION THIS HAS NOT CAUGHT ANYONE'S ATTENTION. US BRIBES ARE ON THEIR WAY TO EGYPT TO MANIPULATE THE FREE CHOICES OF THE EGYPTIAN PUBLIC. "and the White House and the State Department were already discussing setting aside new funds to bolster the rise of secular political parties." http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/flash-most-important-us-already-plans.html
As you point out, there's much to do before Egypt's Revolution can be said to have accomplished its overall goals. We can be certain that counter-revolutionary forces will continue their attack.
The root of US IMperial policy in the Middle East is access to fossil fuels. A series of US cables provided to Wikileaks emanating from Riyadh detail a series of discussions related to Saudi ability to extract enough oil to keep a lid on prices and the overstating of Saudi reserves by as much as 40%--300 Billion barrels. The cables confirm what many analysts have predicted regarding the veracity of Saudi's stated reserves and its spare capacity--that neither are what was announced and reiterated, while scoffing at those who were correct the whole time. Saudi net exports are already declining. The last two centuries of human existence have seen its greatest volitility and barbarism. I suspect our current century will surpass them both. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/feb/08/saudi-oil-reserves-overstated-wikileaks
Angryarab points to an item in the New York Review of Books discussing the longstanding secret relationship between the US Empire and the Muslim Brotherhood, http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2011/feb/05/washingtons-secret-history-muslim-brotherhood/ The author announces: "Since the 1950s, the United States has secretly struck up alliances with the Brotherhood or its offshoots on issues as diverse as fighting communism and calming tensions among European Muslims. And if we look to history, we can see a familiar pattern: each time, US leaders have decided that the Brotherhood could be useful and tried to bend it to America’s goals, and each time, maybe not surprisingly, the only party that clearly has benefited has been the Brotherhood." He then asks and answers: "How can Americans be unaware of this history? Credit a mixture of wishful thinking and a national obsession with secrecy, which has shrouded the US government’s extensive dealings with the Brotherhood," which sounds a lot like Fisk's infantilizing.
And today we have one of the biggest disrtactions for Proles of the US Empire.
Fisk's Friday report is worthy for several reasons, but I found this to be #1 for me: The symbolism/importance of Tahrir Square.
'Behind them, in the square called Tahrir, men slept beneath the disused concrete Metro vents or on the mouldy grass or in the stairwells of shuttered shops. Many wore bandages round their heads and arms. These wounds would be their badges of heroism in the years to come, proof they fought in the "resistance", that they struggled against dictatorship. Yet not one could I find who knew why this square was so precious to them.
'The truth is as symbolic as it is important. It was Haussmann, brought to Egypt by Ismail under notional Ottoman rule, who built the square as an Etoile modelled on its French equivalent, laid over the swamps of the regularly flooded Nile plain. Each road radiated like a star (much to the chagrin, of course, of the present-day Egyptian army). And it was on the Nile side of "Ismailia" square – where the old Hilton is currently under repair – that the British later built their vast military Qasr el-Nil barracks. Across the road still stands the pseudo-Baroque pile in which King Farouk maintained his foreign ministry – an institution which faithfully followed British orders.
'And the entire square in front of them, from the garden of the Egyptian Museum to the Nile-side residence of the British ambassador, was banned to all Egyptians. This great space – the area of Tahrir Square today – constituted the forbidden zone, the land of the occupier, the centre of Cairo upon which its people could never set foot. And thus after independence, it became "Freedom" – "Tahrir" – Square; and that is why Mubarak tried to preserve it and that is why those who want to overthrow him must stay there – even if they do not know the reason.' http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-mubarak-will-go-tomorrow-they-cried-as-rocks-and-firebombs-flew-2203896.html
Commondreams user junebug offers this message as an answer to Al and others asking the same/similar question:
"My daughter is married to an Egyptian and they are on the ground in Cairo now, delivering medical supplies to the pro-democracy people at Tahrir Square.
"I was asked to send this message to US citizens:
"When calling for support from the U.S, Egyptians do NOT want outside interference in choosing a leader, or ousting Mubarak. It's not the U.S's role or responsibility. Democracy is rule by the people, and this revolution must come from the people. The U.S cannot demand that Mubarak step down. Who are they to determine the fate of Egypt? They can, however, decide to STOP SENDING AID TO EGYPT AND THE EGYPTIAN MILITARY, money that is not seen by the people. The U.S can pull away from Egypt. It actually hurts our cause when it is reported that the U.S is pressuring Mubarak to step down. People are very suspicious of the U.S and any of their intervening tendencies."
What happens Friday after prayers will be the determinator, IMO. The opposition now knows well the Army is not on their side as an institution. I know a number of oppositional organizations are pledged to the non-violent approach, but they will not win with that method because their foes are ruthless killers having no conscience, and that includes their US and Israeli allies--and the latter will double-down as they have nothing to lose. We all should recall Obama's behavior during the Hondoran coup; if he backed that action in a meaningless country, he will certainly back Mubarak in a country that's of far greater consequence.
Today, Pepe Escobar cites Mr Cole in his detailed piece about the Muslimm Brotherhood that ought to shut the traps of those saying Egypt will become the new Iran, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MB02Ak03.html
His conclusion is noteworthy:
"There's no question - with the MB as part of an Egyptian government, a really sovereign Egyptian government, the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt will be renegotiated (the MB favors a referendum). **And so we reach the heart of the matter. After this revolution, US and Israeli interests cannot possibly converge - even as optical illusion.**
"This is not an anti-American revolution; it's a revolution against an American-supported regime. A legitimate, sovereign, post-Mubarak government cannot possibly be a Washington puppet - with all the regional implications that entails. And that goes way beyond the MB. This is about the millenarian heart of the Arab world possibly on the verge of a dramatic seismic shift."
I think "leader" is the wrong descriptive term; spokesperson or lead negotiator would be more apt. Mubarak's Imperial managers are demanding he not be ousted, but the great mass of Egyptians want him and his associates gone and are promising not to rest until that goal is accomplished. The US Empire's position is thus hypocritical as usual; it demands Murbarak listen to the people, who are demanding his ouster, while telling the Egyptian people to change their tune, to demand something other than his ouster. There're reports of a split in the military with the plebian army supporting the people while the elitist air force backs Mubarak. And various neocons are suggesting direct US intervention of the sort not attempted in 1979. Much of this info comes from the many articles wharehoused at antiwar.com
Mr Cole, I must admit I almost dropped my jaw at the most profound piece of writing I've seen beyond the comments. It's too bad the people that really need to read Kolin's book won't because mostly they don't read and are instead hypnotized by the radio and TV--depicted as Evil Eye Fleegle and his consort Stupefyin' Jones in Lil' Abner.
I see the interconnection between all the protest events being rooted in the incompletion of the anti-Colonial transition made impossible by US policy and enforced by its Cold War, and I see such protests spreading within Africa. The Class War aspect you note is present in the Albanian protests as well as others within Europe, the common thread being the neoliberal policies employed by elites at the behest of the US and EU meant to immiserate the many and transfer yet more wealth to those not needing another farthing. Events are proving unmanagable by the Metropole, which thanks to Wikileaks has lost what little legitimacy it retained. Thankfully, the policy goal of Full Spectrum Domination looks like it will be shredded by the planet's people instead of being fought against by their governments.
US Imperial policy in the Middle East is an ongoing failure since the ennunciation of the Carter Doctrine and has cost millions of lives. If the US Empire behaved like Japan in the Middle East, there would be no War OF Terror today and millions would have their lives.
Yes, a rude shock to discover those you trusted were busily stabbing you in the back. Now the Israelis will get what they deserve--nothing--and the Palistinians will get what they deserve--new leadership. Hamas is vindicated.
Now, tie these revelations together with those regarding Lebanon and a new situation is born with the USA absolutely discredited, with Erdogan and Turkey emerging as the new honest broker.
If Beck changed the scenario somewhat by replacing communists with corporatists and admitting that the US military is the largest terrorist organization on the planet, then he might have something much closer to reality.
The foundation for both Iranian and Iraqi interets is the same--design development so the country will continue to prosper long after the hydrocarbon resouces are drilled away. This is the proper task of responsible leadership, especially of leadership supposedly influenced by a religion that stipulates care be given to the masses--a pan-Islamic tenet. More enlightened Islamic politicians like Erdogan understand the potential power of a Turkey-Iraq-Iran bloc resembling previous Persian Empires. and the broader Turkic possibilities that would include Armenia and Azerbaijan. I think Russia is encouraging the formation of such a bloc as it would isolate the NATO beachhead in Georgia.
What we ought to be predicting are the routes the US Empire will use in its retreat and how long NATO will continue in its current configuration.
The Zionists even lie to themselves about the nature of their state. In other words, they are delusional. Ever try to negotiate anything with a delusional opposite? It is a total waste of time as whatever is agreed to will be refuted or worse by the deluded actor. This sort of delusion leads to a schizophrenia embodied by the exceptionalism deployed to maintain the delusion, which is what the US Empire hase done for decades. The state thus enters the realm of dystopia, which will eventually cause its destruction.
They are not allegations made by Wikileaks; they are present within the many documents it revealed, so the allegations are made by the various authors of those documents, not Wikileaks.
Since many of the trucks being torched are contracted, there is no guarantee the insurace monies will be used to puchase a replacement. It would also be of interest to know the percentage of trucks that return to Pakistan after delivering their cargo. I think it quite probable that a significant reduction in tonnage shipped is/will occur as the rolling stock is depleated. And if Karachi dock workers strike, then NATO will suffer a very debilitating blow to its efforts. Nor can sabotage of the Karachi dockworks be ruled out. If I were a Tehrik-i Taliban commander, I'd be planning several tries at denying Karachi's use to NATO.
I'm rather surprised it took so long for concerted attacks against NATO's supply trains through Pakistan to occur, and I expect them to escalate even if the Khyber crossing is reopened: War material transiting Pakistan is used against Pakistan once it reaches Afhgnaistan, as any Pakistani can see. The material casualties suffered by key components of the supply train's rolling stock is also a serious matter; the loss of several hundred lorry tractors and tanker trailers in the space of a month would create havoc, not just at the front, but at supply bases as they become chocked by material that can't be moved out quickly enough due to the lack of vehicles. This causes overwhelmed supply bases to become jucier targets as they cannot be defended as well. NATO thus made a grave error when it spread the war to Pakistan--it created an insurgency in its rear where none had existed. If NATO tries to clear the insurgency from its rear alone, it will just act to increase it as doing so means escalating its war against Pakistan.
Ike waged war on Iran and Guatemala by overthrowing their governments. He then waged a clandestine/proxy war on Indonesia. He kept the Vietnamese from voting on a referendum that would likely have unified the country and avoided the genocide visited on the peoples of Southeast Asia by the USA. All of those are very gross crimes against humanity, the first two being aggressive war crimes. The UN failed absolutely by doing nothing, and remains a failure. If Ike and his crew had gotten the German Treatment, the terrible Terror waged by successive US administrations almost continuously since 1953 against hundreds of millions of innocents likley would not have occurred. And I've only mentioned the outright War Crimes without touching the even more vicious economic war crimes launched against well over half the planet's population that stretch back almost 100 years. A big part of our dilemma today is historians haven't delivered a true accounting of the past, but have instead helped to cover up the very gross crimes of the past so they can continue unabated.
You illuminate a very important point: US Imperial behavior has not changed one iota since such behavior was initiated by Truman. When I was born in 1955, the US Empire was just as brutal and Barbaric as it is today, and the lies it produces to justify its behavior are no different either, as are the methods used to manufacture consent for its Barbarism.
Juan said: "What is going on is that Israeli officials are half-starving Gaza children as a political move, to turn Palestinians away from Hamas and to weaken the party."
Isn't the goal of terrorists to change the politics of the people being terrorized? Surely, deliberately starving children to get their parents to change their politics qualifies as terrorism. Some would call it Genocidal, akin to the sanctions applied to Iraq.
Gee, imagine that, members of the US government promoting State Terrorism and War Crimes. Now, just who are the terrorists we are supposed to be fighting? Looks to me that most reside in Washington, DC.
"Giving credence to Nasrallah and Aoun’s assertions, Commander in Chief of the Israel Defense Forces Gabi Ashkenazi, predicted “with lots of wishes” that the situation in Lebanon would deteriorate in September after the STL indicts Hezbollah for Hariri’s assassination.
"Ashkenazi’s gleeful, prescient testimony to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs Committee betrays what Israel hopes the fallout from the STL’s report will be: fomentation of civil strife and discord among Lebanon’s sectarian groups, generally divided into pro- and anti-Syria factions. Ashkenazi anticipates this to happen, of course, because he knows Israel’s unfettered access to critical phone records will have framed Hezbollah for the crime.
"Israel’s agents and operatives in Lebanon and its infiltration of a telecom network have been exposed. At the very least, the STL must recognize that evidence of alleged Hezbollah involvement in Hariri’s death (a group that historically enjoyed good ties with the late premier) is wholly tainted and likely doctored."
"Having followed the media coverage of the Israeli action very carefully, have you noticed what seems a complete absence on TV of bona fide experts in maritime law?
Normally live news brings in "experts" at the drop of a hat to fill in the 24/7 broadcasting, but despite the fact that professors of international law specialising in the law of the sea are not exactly hard to find, no TV station has asked one about the legality of the Israeli action.
"That is because the martime law community is unanimous that the Israeli action is illegal."
Now imagine what sort of impact on viewers these facts--UNSC 1860 and gross violation of law--would have when provided the same megaphone allowed Zionist Propaganda.
Apparantly, UNSC Resolution 1860 is Top Secret. A Google News search gets only 93 results. Clearly, members of the US congress and VP Biden are ignorant of it. Since it represents the legal force behind efforts to break the blockade, it might be wise to publicize it. Here is its text and summary of the staements made before and after the vote. The 3 major points germane to the flotillas are:
“2. Calls for the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance, including of food, fuel and medical treatment;
3. Welcomes the initiatives aimed at creating and opening humanitarian corridors and other mechanisms for the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid;
4. Calls on Member States to support international efforts to alleviate the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza,"
Perhaps Dr Cole, you might weave these three points into your narrative on the front page of your blog since many don't take the effort to read the comments, particularly point #4, which it seems only Turkey takes seriously.
I had read Craig Murray's blog post at another site and spread it around because it's rather important. Just as important, IMO, is this comment to Craig from another ex-insider--writerman:
"Excellent piece. The atmosphere you describe is precisely the one I 'gleen' from people I talk to who move in more rarified circles than I've chosen to. Whilst you were pushed out, I went into exile freely.
"Underneath the surface there are massive misgivings about the US leadership of NATO, and that US methods and interests simply don't fit with Europe's anymore. It was hoped that with the election of Obama things would change substantively, not cosmetically, from the Bush era. That, possibly, naive hope/delusion has been undergoing radical reappraisal over the last year or so.
"It's now quite clear that Obama does not represent a clean break with the past, but merely a continuation, with an emphasis on continuity, especially in relation to the Middle East and the conflicts in Asia. This continuity worries many people in Europe, who are uneasy about where this may lead, witness the sudden resignation of the German president who made a 'gaffe' about the connection between German economic interests and the war in Afghanistan.
"Anyway, my fear is that the US is actually becoming more, not less, integrated with Israel, and that the relationship deeply harmful to the interests of the United States, which arguably cannot be the same as those of Israel.
"My biggest fear is that the United States is coming to resemble Israel more and more in the way it conducts its foreign policy, in relation to the rest of the world. The die hasn't been cast definitively, but that seems to be the way things are moving.
"It's startling; that even when the American people reject the policies of the Bush era and elect a president who they think represents the hope of change and peace and renewal, how much in practice, remains the same, almost as if the election had never taken place and didn't matter. Ufortunately, from my 'champange anarchist' perspective, I suspect it didn't, not really."
Fundamental International law and UNSC resolution 1860 demand the blockade be lifted and that all "member states" assist in this undertaking. Biden has said this Law is to be ignored, just as Bush and Cheney did before him, which confirms International Lawyer Phiippe Sands central thesis in his Lawless World. I would argue that advocating breaking the law that results in capital crimes fits the definition of a High Crime, as does the continuation od BushCo's High Crimes by ObamaInc.
Elsewhere, it's being argued that Obama knew what would happen beforehand, that he lied when he said he needed to review the facts. I agree with this thesis. There will be no lasting peace on this planet until everyone is equally subjected to the law and held accountible for their actions. I believe the definition of a Rouge State turns on its obeying International Law and behaving in a civilized manner. As such, the USA and Israel are Rogue States, and peace will not come until they become civilized.
Good thing BushCo abstained on the vote for UNSC Resolution 1860 that provides the legal force for the FreeGaza flotillas as it appears clear that ObamaInc, led by Biden, would have vetoed it. But 1860 is now International Law, which Biden and most of Congress advocate breaking. I think they are more barbaric than Tea Party folk; and whoever thought so many were Januses?
The Turks are really pissed and have started legal action. In fact, the Turkish government is helping individuals take court action! Now, imagine Obama's Justice Department doing that. Seems the Turks are more civilized than US politicos; but then, that's a pretty low bar, isn't it.
Again, no mention of UNSC Resolution 1696--the act that governs the current crisis. In 2006, it was put in force by a vote of 14-1, the lone dissenter being Qatar. Iran made mistakes, which caused it to repeatedly violate its responsibilities under the NPT. Iran should have known it had no room for any mistakes given the context of the times and the longstanding desire of US Imperial policy to overthrow the Iranian government. In effect, Iran dug its own hole.
To be fair, the US Empire is far worse that Iran when it comes to violating UNSC Resolutions, committing War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, and for those reasons should be ejected from the UNSC and contained by the planet's countries. Unfortunately, that isn't reality despite its necessity. And thus Iran is in a pickle because it forgot it needed to be squeeky clean to the nth degree with its nuclear program. It should also be noted--and you should note it whenever you write about it--that ANY attack on Iran by either the US Empire or the Zionist Regime would constitute an act of Terrorism and a massive crime against humanity every bit as gross as 9/11. There is also the unfortunate fact that Bush, Blair, Cheney and other US and UK officials are still at large for their escalation of the Iraqi Holocaust and enjoy an unwarranted freedom that mocks any sense of justice and destroys the rule of law. And there are the crimes by the Zionists, too.
So, Iran's in a pickle, and Brazil and Turkey are trying to help it escape from the hole it's dug for itself. UNSC 1696 "demands" Iran halt enrichment and correct the mistakes it made which provided the rationale for 1696. Iran agreed to correct its mistakes, but restarted its enrichment program, which it had previously halted due to an IAEA resolution in 2003. According to the IAEA, Iran still hasn't rectified all its mistakes as since 2003 and 2006 others were discovered. I want to see the War Lobby drowned by the solving of this crisis. Obama is no help, so we shouldn't even look to him for anything. Somehow, the overall dynamic must change in order to get 1696 lifted. This is how Brazil and Turkey see the situation. I believe Iran must become as squeeky clean and transparent to the IAEA as possible, cease its enrichment while the IAEA determines Iran is indeed squeeky clean and in compliance with 1696, at which point 1696 must be lifted allowing Iran to resume its program. The problem with that scenario is the US Empire and its longstanding desire for regime change in Iran as it has the power to keep 1696 in force forever as it can veto any attempt to get it lifted. But what else can be done; is there another peaceful road I cannot see?
The SOFA doesn't "imagine;" it requires. Obama's about as Christian as the Popes who drummed up the Crusades. Can you provide one logical and legal reason why the USA needs to have troops stationed outside its borders, or a Navy and Air Force as large as they are?
The Indigenous want their lands back too. The "Doctrine of Discovery" took them away and is currently being very closely examined by the UN's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This forum has released its preliminary study (DOC format), which is a very good historical review that would make any professor smile as it expands his/her historical understanding and is adaptible it for use in classes other than US History.
It appears that Halliburton is at fault for the blow-out:
"Giant oil-services provider Halliburton may be a primary suspect in the investigation into the oil rig explosion that has devastated the Gulf Coast, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though the investigation into the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon site is still in its early stages, drilling experts agree that blame probably lies with flaws in the ‘cementing' process -- that is, plugging holes in the pipeline seal by pumping cement into it from the rig. Halliburton was in charge of cementing for Deepwater Horizon."
My analysis of the historical background that has led us to this point in US History exposes the very deep flaws in the 1787 constitution and suggests we will not "get our country back" without its being drastically changed--as much of a change as the 1787 constitution was compared to the first constitution, The Articles of Confederation.
That quiz ought to become a part of college entrance exams and as a qualifier for those running for public office. Given behavior by congress and the executive branch for decades comprising both political parties, they would mostly fail the quiz, which qualifies USA policy regarding Iran as insane.
The fundamental reason the Middle East is destabilized is because of the West's--primarilly the US Empire's--desire to control the region utilizing the neo-Colonial methods it devised for the purpose. The region's people are unwilling to suffer through a fourth generation of having their possibilities strangled by the West's tyranny meted out though its compradores. They understand very well they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so their efforts will not cease until they gain the freedom they seek. The Saudi-US counter-revolution will kill innocents and slow the process, but is incapable of stopping the movement because the masses have reached a tipping-point in awareness regarding the loss/gain mentioned above. For example, the Viet Minh fought the French, Japanese, and the US Empire for 50+ years to gain the freedoms they sought from Wilson and the West in 1919 at Versailles, but to do so they had to become more ruthless than their Colonial enemies. Ultimately, it's all about control: Will there be democracy or oligarcy--Enlightenment and Freedom or tyranny. This is the current world-wide question. Icelanders have just voted for Freedom and democracy, telling the European bankers who would enslave them to piss-off. The Arab Revolt is trying to send the same message.
There are almost no "civilian" Israelis older than 18, as most remain in the military as reservists. It's very interesting to note the coordination between the US, Saudis and Israelis in executing the Arab Counter-Revolution. Arabs gaining universal freedom will mark the demise of the Sauds and the end of the US and Israeli Empires--a development that can't happen too soon.
Bravo!! Don.
It is quite profound to compare the response to UNSC resolution 1860 with its latest, 1970 & 1973, and of course the massive double-standard regarding the Saudi invasion of Bahrain and the exactly similar treatment being meted out to Yemeni and Bahrani civilians. I'm sure that if the UN had existed in 1918 and had issued a UNSC Resolution regarding the Russian Revolution and Civil War that Prof. Cole would support intervention on the White side too. Obviously, the Neoliberal Global Empire didn't want the Arab Revolt's quest for Freedomn to continue with the Libya intervention a part of its orchestrated Counter-Revolution. Real Democracy is to be thwarted wherever it arises, a fact proven by objective history. The Empire's goal is to insure the great mass of people have no control over how they're governed. As the Angry Arab has discovered, the Libyan "Rebels" will merely become another Western-backed tyranny that will need to be overthrown, which is to say the Intervention is about Power, not Humanitarianism.
It's WW2 all over again, but with more advanced weaponry, except NATO airpower will see no Libyan version of the Luftwaffe to challenge for local air superiority.
As for taking sides, the UN intervention IS taking sides, unlike what is occcuring in Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and of course Israel on so many previous occasions. If the Arab People are to be supported by the world in their drive to gain freedom from tyrany, then they should ALL be supported.
Theoildrum.com's lead article is about the oil production problem, http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7550 It appears the Irish are going to suffer more than most: "Ireland, for example, which has had other problems with the banks in the recent past, is now faced with the loss of perhaps 23% of its fuel supply, which while only 14 kbd is, for that country, likely to be very significant."
Reuters has an item addressing the issue: "Rebels in eastern Libya said on Friday they now controlled most of the oil fields east of the town of Ras Lanuf, and said they would honour oil deals as long as they were in the interest of the people." http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/25/libya-oil-idUSLDE71O1CA20110225?rpc=401
Given the outlook of the Revolutionaries, I very much doubt Libya will leave OPEC or provide better terms than Qaddafi as they want to utilize petro income to improve the condition of the masses--a major motivation for the Revolt. Current net exports are about 1.8MBPD and flow mostly to the EU. EIA data shows the US imported from Libya:
2009: 22.35 million barrels. At $90/bbl, $2 billion/yr.
2010: 14.7 million barrels. At $90/bbl, $1.3 billion/yr.
Theoildrum republished its article on Libya, http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7528 with most data indicating Libya has peaked; and with its rapidly rising consumption rate, its net exports will continue to decrease, especially if income distribution improves once the Revolution's upheaval ends.
Related to all the revolutionary North African action is this republished article discussing the EU NatGas market and NatGas exports to Europe from North Africa, http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7543
The upshot is with the dictators who provided favors to the USA and EU gone, we should expect diminishing energy exports as internal consumption rises and increased husbanding of the resource base is imposed. In a sense, the West had "invaded" North Africa through its compradore dictators and IMF privitization mandates. For the latter, I expect to see repudiation of "loan" repayments as neoliberalism is the second aspect driving the Revolutions. This will also have consequenses for the European revolt against the neoliberal "austerity" program, which will likely spread to sub-Sahara Africa too.
With the Standing-Up of some of the worlds most downtrodden people and the immense couage they displayed as an example, I expect 2011 to be a year even more full of surprises than we've already seen. At some point I expect to see a muscular backlash by the forces of Neoliberal Imperialism because such an act has always occured historically. But it seems the planet's people have finally grasped the fact that while "they've got the guns; we've got the numbers" to establish real democracies that will finally checkmate the global oligarchy.
This article frames the North African revolts as "The Revolution Against Neoliberalism," http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/717/the-revolution-against-neoliberalism
The same publication has a first hand report regarding female participation in the Revolt by an Egyptian woman, http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/694/how-egyptian-women-took-back-the-street-between-two-%E2%80%9Cblack-wednesdays%E2%80%9D_a-first-person-account
Our current condition was forseen by the late social historian Christopher Lasch, in his Revolt of the Elites and echoed by David Korten"s When Corporations Rule the World and is following the axioms laid out by Kennedy in The Rise and Fall of Great Powers. As Hudson has noted for the past several years, the USA is now just a franchise in the eyes of Global Finance and is being exploited just like the IMF exploits nations through its imposed policy of Structural Adjustment Programs, which is essentially Dollar Diplomacy on steroids; and the same is happening to EU nations. The essence of the USA's current problem is providing for the Pentagon and its utterly useless destruction and waste of vital resources or providing for the polity and the basic infrastructure that provdes its support--one must be starved for the other to live. It is that missing reality Englehardt emphasises.
Balbo was just following the lead of Churchill, who was all for bombing and gassing rebellious populations within British colonies. It should also be recalled that elites in both the US and British Empires were great admirers of the rise of Fascism and its champions Mussolini and Hitler. Too few know these words of Hannah Arendt: "Empire abroad means tyranny at home," which ought to be modified in the cases of China and Russia whose Empires are within their borders, not overseas, and in the US Empire's case where its both at home and overseas.
"I HAVE BEEN TO LIBYA.
"THERE IS NOTHING THERE.
"BENGHAZI HAD 1 PAVED MAIN ROAD. THE REST WERE DIRT.
"LIBYA IS A COMPLETELY UNDEVELOPED COUNTRY."
Why the baldfaced lies? Libya has a massive petroleum extraction, refinery, port, and related infrastructure system that exports almost 2 million barrels of oil per day. Click onto google images, type in bengazi and you can see that there are many more than "1 paved main road"--asphalt is made from oil you know. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, http://www.citypictures.org/r-africa-143-libya-320-libya-benghazi-libyayana-5737.htm
"I assume that America’s “aspirational values” concerning self-determination, liberty, etc. are the core values that guide our foreign policy. Maybe I’m wrong ?"
You are more than 100% incorrect. The current goal of US Imperial Policy is Full Spectrum Dominance, which you can read at the War Department, http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=45289
US Imperial Trade Policy is similar and is still essentially as ennunciated over 110 years ago--The Open Door Policy, which was followed by the still practiced Dollar Diplomacy. You won't like it, but if you really want to know about the US Empire in one volume then Super Imperialism by Micheal Hudson is for you. And you would certainly benefit from reading Animal Farm and 1984. Understanding the basic rationale for the US Empire's behavior requires a little more work, but is easy to track since it's been around for almost 120 years, starting with Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis and The Law of Civilization and Decay by Brook Adams. And yes, there's oh so much more: Hundreds of thousands of pages and years of scholarship, but you can get the gist from just those works listed above, and you won't even have to spend a cent as any college library ought to have them.
As to why al-Jazerra's Arabic coverage of Bahrain is so poor, and the reasons for the Gulf Cooperation Council's support for Bahrian's repression, there is this small scoop provided by Angry Arab:
"Aljazeera Arabic: why the cover up of the massacre in Bahrain (why democracy is not permitted in the Gulf)
The meeting of the GCC today to support Bahraini repression and oppression was clear. The GCC (a tool created by the US) intended to prevent democracy from arriving to an Arab gulf country. I do believe that the Qatari government deliberately protected the Bahraini monarchy through its lousy coverage of the repression in Bahrain. I just remembered the last conversation I had with the Emir of Qatar back in July: I asked him for the reasons why political parties can't be formed in Qatar, and why societies dedicated to combating normalization between Qatar and Israel are not permitted in Qatar. I remember his words today (and now I know what he meant): he said that he can't. That political development and progress in Qatar can't be ahead of other political levels of developments in other Gulf countries. I asked why: and he said that they just can't be ahead, in political development. I guess that GCC countries disagree on many things but that they all agree on preventing democracy in their region. But: make no mistake about it. There is so much at stake--physically in terms of military and intelligence bases--to to allow for democracy in that part of the world. I think that the US was prepared to deploy troops to support the Bahraini monarchy." [Emphasis mine]
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/aljazeera-arabic-why-cover-up-of.html
This is a clear case of Colonialism, and a very good indicator of why the US Empire has a fiscal crisis. Imperial Stromtroopers are not required to ensure hydrocarbons are exported as it's in the interest of the nations producing them to sell them. Hundreds of Billions of dollars could be redirected to far more productive uses by liquidating the whole rationale for the Carter Doctrine, and the peoples of the Middle East could enjoy the fruits of self-determination and struggle of self-government.
I appologize for referencing him a lot, but Angry Arab gets lots of info and rapidly posts very important details like:
Live update from Bahrain
A comrade who should remain anonymous: "The following numbers are straight from the hospital in Bahrain
• 5 dead, 2000 young adults injured, 400 elderly injured, 250 women injured, 70 children injured... 300 of the mentioned in critical condition
•Police have attacked ambulance crews
•blood donars heading to the hospital attacked. Only people that can safely go to the hospital are doctors and nurses with IDS
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/live-update-from-bahrain.html
and
Split in the royal family in Bahrain?
Again: I can't reveal the source: "From people connected to high people in the government and wish to remain absolutely anonymous. Please spread the word:
- There is a split within the royal family. Khalid bin Ahmed and Khalifa bin Ahmed are on one side and the King and Shaikh Salman on the other. The extreme violence are Khalid Bin Ahmed (head of the royal court - sectarian and racist responsible for political naturalization scheme) and Khalifa Bin Ahmed (minister of defense). Sources are saying that the King no longer has full control. There are outside forces (I'm guessing Saudi Arabia) pushing for these two to take over and for Nasir Bin Hamed (one of kings sons) to take over position of crown prince
(again please I need to be completely anonymous if you post - sorry I keep repeating this - we now feel we are in a war)
Thank you so much for your help"
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/split-in-royal-family-in-bahrain.html
I can see the Saudis not wanting Shiites in charge of Bahrain, or the USA for that matter. I still feel the key is Egypt. If the Egyptiasn people can wrest total control of the country from the military and subordinate the officer corps to rule by the people, then the whole Middle East equation will greatly change.
Angry Arab provides us with an important aspect of the Iranian demonstrations not being mentioned that deserves much wider notice:
"No to Gaza? Are you kidding me?
"I have more reasons to be fiercely opposed to the Green Movement than ever. I received confirmation that signs and chants by Iranian Green protesters included the slogan "No to Gaza" (I don't care about Lebanon [They are also chanting No to Lebanon.]). Are you kidding me? First, the leader of the Green Movement wants to return to "the purity" of Khumayni's revolution and you wonder why I would not lend support? I am for the overthrow of the Iranian regime of course, and the Supreme Guide has to be toppled and the position canceled but the Green Movement won't do it. The Green Movement is like March 14 Movement in Lebanon: worthy only of my scorn. Of course, there are Iranian leftist protesters who don't support the Green Movement: those get my vote. And what has Gaza done to you? Gaza is not Hamas (Hamas has installed a lousy government in Gaza but the Abu Mazen government in the West Bank is ever far lousier because, as Sa'ib `Urayqat admitted in the Palestine Papers, they lie and "kill Palestinians" for Israel.) Gaza is an impoverished community of uprooted and occupied Palestinians who live under siege. No to Gaza? Oh, no: NO to the Green Revolution and its pro- Khumayni leaders. Between Khamenei and Khumayni: I choose neither. Between Ahdmadinajad and Musavi, I choose neither."
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/no-to-gaza-are-you-kidding-me.html
Egypt's military dictatorship has merely succeded itself, so it is a great mistake for the Revolutionaries to demobilize. Mubarak was merely the most visible head of a Hydra feeding on the vitality of Egyptian society, the Hydra being Egypt's Military Industrial Complex. For Egypt to prosper as a democracy, the Hyrda must be destroyed.
A high priority for Egyptian revolutionaries ought to be enactment of a law making elections 100% publicly funded and outlawing all foreign monies attempting to influence/finance political parties/elections. Angry Arab points out the billions Saudi, US and Israeli interests will spend in their attempts, the last part of his comment driven by a NY Times disclosure of US plans to do so:
"FLASH; MOST IMPORTANT. US ALREADY PLANS TO INTERFERE IN THE EGYPTIAN FREE ELECTION THIS HAS NOT CAUGHT ANYONE'S ATTENTION. US BRIBES ARE ON THEIR WAY TO EGYPT TO MANIPULATE THE FREE CHOICES OF THE EGYPTIAN PUBLIC. "and the White House and the State Department were already discussing setting aside new funds to bolster the rise of secular political parties." http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/flash-most-important-us-already-plans.html
As you point out, there's much to do before Egypt's Revolution can be said to have accomplished its overall goals. We can be certain that counter-revolutionary forces will continue their attack.
The root of US IMperial policy in the Middle East is access to fossil fuels. A series of US cables provided to Wikileaks emanating from Riyadh detail a series of discussions related to Saudi ability to extract enough oil to keep a lid on prices and the overstating of Saudi reserves by as much as 40%--300 Billion barrels. The cables confirm what many analysts have predicted regarding the veracity of Saudi's stated reserves and its spare capacity--that neither are what was announced and reiterated, while scoffing at those who were correct the whole time. Saudi net exports are already declining. The last two centuries of human existence have seen its greatest volitility and barbarism. I suspect our current century will surpass them both. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/feb/08/saudi-oil-reserves-overstated-wikileaks
I think today's Fisk reportage reveals something many would not like to confront, as he's not just describing Egypt: 'For the first essential task of a dictator is to "infantilise" his people, to transform them into political six-year-olds, obedient to a patriarchal headmaster. They will be given fake newspapers, fake elections, fake ministers and lots of false promises.' http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-wrong-mubarak-quits-soon-the-right-one-will-go-2205852.html
Angryarab points to an item in the New York Review of Books discussing the longstanding secret relationship between the US Empire and the Muslim Brotherhood, http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2011/feb/05/washingtons-secret-history-muslim-brotherhood/ The author announces: "Since the 1950s, the United States has secretly struck up alliances with the Brotherhood or its offshoots on issues as diverse as fighting communism and calming tensions among European Muslims. And if we look to history, we can see a familiar pattern: each time, US leaders have decided that the Brotherhood could be useful and tried to bend it to America’s goals, and each time, maybe not surprisingly, the only party that clearly has benefited has been the Brotherhood." He then asks and answers: "How can Americans be unaware of this history? Credit a mixture of wishful thinking and a national obsession with secrecy, which has shrouded the US government’s extensive dealings with the Brotherhood," which sounds a lot like Fisk's infantilizing.
And today we have one of the biggest disrtactions for Proles of the US Empire.
Fisk's Friday report is worthy for several reasons, but I found this to be #1 for me: The symbolism/importance of Tahrir Square.
'Behind them, in the square called Tahrir, men slept beneath the disused concrete Metro vents or on the mouldy grass or in the stairwells of shuttered shops. Many wore bandages round their heads and arms. These wounds would be their badges of heroism in the years to come, proof they fought in the "resistance", that they struggled against dictatorship. Yet not one could I find who knew why this square was so precious to them.
'The truth is as symbolic as it is important. It was Haussmann, brought to Egypt by Ismail under notional Ottoman rule, who built the square as an Etoile modelled on its French equivalent, laid over the swamps of the regularly flooded Nile plain. Each road radiated like a star (much to the chagrin, of course, of the present-day Egyptian army). And it was on the Nile side of "Ismailia" square – where the old Hilton is currently under repair – that the British later built their vast military Qasr el-Nil barracks. Across the road still stands the pseudo-Baroque pile in which King Farouk maintained his foreign ministry – an institution which faithfully followed British orders.
'And the entire square in front of them, from the garden of the Egyptian Museum to the Nile-side residence of the British ambassador, was banned to all Egyptians. This great space – the area of Tahrir Square today – constituted the forbidden zone, the land of the occupier, the centre of Cairo upon which its people could never set foot. And thus after independence, it became "Freedom" – "Tahrir" – Square; and that is why Mubarak tried to preserve it and that is why those who want to overthrow him must stay there – even if they do not know the reason.'
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-mubarak-will-go-tomorrow-they-cried-as-rocks-and-firebombs-flew-2203896.html
Commondreams user junebug offers this message as an answer to Al and others asking the same/similar question:
"My daughter is married to an Egyptian and they are on the ground in Cairo now, delivering medical supplies to the pro-democracy people at Tahrir Square.
"I was asked to send this message to US citizens:
"When calling for support from the U.S, Egyptians do NOT want outside interference in choosing a leader, or ousting Mubarak. It's not the U.S's role or responsibility. Democracy is rule by the people, and this revolution must come from the people. The U.S cannot demand that Mubarak step down. Who are they to determine the fate of Egypt? They can, however, decide to STOP SENDING AID TO EGYPT AND THE EGYPTIAN MILITARY, money that is not seen by the people. The U.S can pull away from Egypt. It actually hurts our cause when it is reported that the U.S is pressuring Mubarak to step down. People are very suspicious of the U.S and any of their intervening tendencies."
The emphasis is added.
Thanks to angryarab.blogspot, I was informed about Asma' Mahfuz's great efforts: "hailed by many as one of the pioneers of the Egyptian uprising through her tireless work and organizing on Facebook," http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/meet-asma-mahfuz.html particulaly the very moving appeal she made on YouTube, which you might like to comment upon, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgjIgMdsEuk
What happens Friday after prayers will be the determinator, IMO. The opposition now knows well the Army is not on their side as an institution. I know a number of oppositional organizations are pledged to the non-violent approach, but they will not win with that method because their foes are ruthless killers having no conscience, and that includes their US and Israeli allies--and the latter will double-down as they have nothing to lose. We all should recall Obama's behavior during the Hondoran coup; if he backed that action in a meaningless country, he will certainly back Mubarak in a country that's of far greater consequence.
Today, Pepe Escobar cites Mr Cole in his detailed piece about the Muslimm Brotherhood that ought to shut the traps of those saying Egypt will become the new Iran, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MB02Ak03.html
His conclusion is noteworthy:
"There's no question - with the MB as part of an Egyptian government, a really sovereign Egyptian government, the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt will be renegotiated (the MB favors a referendum). **And so we reach the heart of the matter. After this revolution, US and Israeli interests cannot possibly converge - even as optical illusion.**
"This is not an anti-American revolution; it's a revolution against an American-supported regime. A legitimate, sovereign, post-Mubarak government cannot possibly be a Washington puppet - with all the regional implications that entails. And that goes way beyond the MB. This is about the millenarian heart of the Arab world possibly on the verge of a dramatic seismic shift."
I think "leader" is the wrong descriptive term; spokesperson or lead negotiator would be more apt. Mubarak's Imperial managers are demanding he not be ousted, but the great mass of Egyptians want him and his associates gone and are promising not to rest until that goal is accomplished. The US Empire's position is thus hypocritical as usual; it demands Murbarak listen to the people, who are demanding his ouster, while telling the Egyptian people to change their tune, to demand something other than his ouster. There're reports of a split in the military with the plebian army supporting the people while the elitist air force backs Mubarak. And various neocons are suggesting direct US intervention of the sort not attempted in 1979. Much of this info comes from the many articles wharehoused at antiwar.com
Mr Cole, I must admit I almost dropped my jaw at the most profound piece of writing I've seen beyond the comments. It's too bad the people that really need to read Kolin's book won't because mostly they don't read and are instead hypnotized by the radio and TV--depicted as Evil Eye Fleegle and his consort Stupefyin' Jones in Lil' Abner.
Fisk reports from atop a US-provided Egyptian tank that the military and protesters are one, http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-egypt-death-throes-of-a-dictatorship-2198444.html
The two photos linked at the article prove it beyond doubt, http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-egypt-death-throes-of-a-dictatorship-2198444.html?action=Gallery&ino=2
And yesterday's lead by _The Independent_ provided a terse yet accurate description of why, http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-western-hypocrisy-towards-the-arab-world-stands-exposed-2197801.html
I see the interconnection between all the protest events being rooted in the incompletion of the anti-Colonial transition made impossible by US policy and enforced by its Cold War, and I see such protests spreading within Africa. The Class War aspect you note is present in the Albanian protests as well as others within Europe, the common thread being the neoliberal policies employed by elites at the behest of the US and EU meant to immiserate the many and transfer yet more wealth to those not needing another farthing. Events are proving unmanagable by the Metropole, which thanks to Wikileaks has lost what little legitimacy it retained. Thankfully, the policy goal of Full Spectrum Domination looks like it will be shredded by the planet's people instead of being fought against by their governments.
US Imperial policy in the Middle East is an ongoing failure since the ennunciation of the Carter Doctrine and has cost millions of lives. If the US Empire behaved like Japan in the Middle East, there would be no War OF Terror today and millions would have their lives.
Yes, a rude shock to discover those you trusted were busily stabbing you in the back. Now the Israelis will get what they deserve--nothing--and the Palistinians will get what they deserve--new leadership. Hamas is vindicated.
Now, tie these revelations together with those regarding Lebanon and a new situation is born with the USA absolutely discredited, with Erdogan and Turkey emerging as the new honest broker.
If Beck changed the scenario somewhat by replacing communists with corporatists and admitting that the US military is the largest terrorist organization on the planet, then he might have something much closer to reality.
The foundation for both Iranian and Iraqi interets is the same--design development so the country will continue to prosper long after the hydrocarbon resouces are drilled away. This is the proper task of responsible leadership, especially of leadership supposedly influenced by a religion that stipulates care be given to the masses--a pan-Islamic tenet. More enlightened Islamic politicians like Erdogan understand the potential power of a Turkey-Iraq-Iran bloc resembling previous Persian Empires. and the broader Turkic possibilities that would include Armenia and Azerbaijan. I think Russia is encouraging the formation of such a bloc as it would isolate the NATO beachhead in Georgia.
What we ought to be predicting are the routes the US Empire will use in its retreat and how long NATO will continue in its current configuration.
"... a democratic Jewish state ..."
The Zionists even lie to themselves about the nature of their state. In other words, they are delusional. Ever try to negotiate anything with a delusional opposite? It is a total waste of time as whatever is agreed to will be refuted or worse by the deluded actor. This sort of delusion leads to a schizophrenia embodied by the exceptionalism deployed to maintain the delusion, which is what the US Empire hase done for decades. The state thus enters the realm of dystopia, which will eventually cause its destruction.
Juan writes: "... the Wikileak allegations ..."
They are not allegations made by Wikileaks; they are present within the many documents it revealed, so the allegations are made by the various authors of those documents, not Wikileaks.
Since many of the trucks being torched are contracted, there is no guarantee the insurace monies will be used to puchase a replacement. It would also be of interest to know the percentage of trucks that return to Pakistan after delivering their cargo. I think it quite probable that a significant reduction in tonnage shipped is/will occur as the rolling stock is depleated. And if Karachi dock workers strike, then NATO will suffer a very debilitating blow to its efforts. Nor can sabotage of the Karachi dockworks be ruled out. If I were a Tehrik-i Taliban commander, I'd be planning several tries at denying Karachi's use to NATO.
I'm rather surprised it took so long for concerted attacks against NATO's supply trains through Pakistan to occur, and I expect them to escalate even if the Khyber crossing is reopened: War material transiting Pakistan is used against Pakistan once it reaches Afhgnaistan, as any Pakistani can see. The material casualties suffered by key components of the supply train's rolling stock is also a serious matter; the loss of several hundred lorry tractors and tanker trailers in the space of a month would create havoc, not just at the front, but at supply bases as they become chocked by material that can't be moved out quickly enough due to the lack of vehicles. This causes overwhelmed supply bases to become jucier targets as they cannot be defended as well. NATO thus made a grave error when it spread the war to Pakistan--it created an insurgency in its rear where none had existed. If NATO tries to clear the insurgency from its rear alone, it will just act to increase it as doing so means escalating its war against Pakistan.
Ike waged war on Iran and Guatemala by overthrowing their governments. He then waged a clandestine/proxy war on Indonesia. He kept the Vietnamese from voting on a referendum that would likely have unified the country and avoided the genocide visited on the peoples of Southeast Asia by the USA. All of those are very gross crimes against humanity, the first two being aggressive war crimes. The UN failed absolutely by doing nothing, and remains a failure. If Ike and his crew had gotten the German Treatment, the terrible Terror waged by successive US administrations almost continuously since 1953 against hundreds of millions of innocents likley would not have occurred. And I've only mentioned the outright War Crimes without touching the even more vicious economic war crimes launched against well over half the planet's population that stretch back almost 100 years. A big part of our dilemma today is historians haven't delivered a true accounting of the past, but have instead helped to cover up the very gross crimes of the past so they can continue unabated.
You illuminate a very important point: US Imperial behavior has not changed one iota since such behavior was initiated by Truman. When I was born in 1955, the US Empire was just as brutal and Barbaric as it is today, and the lies it produces to justify its behavior are no different either, as are the methods used to manufacture consent for its Barbarism.
Juan said: "What is going on is that Israeli officials are half-starving Gaza children as a political move, to turn Palestinians away from Hamas and to weaken the party."
Isn't the goal of terrorists to change the politics of the people being terrorized? Surely, deliberately starving children to get their parents to change their politics qualifies as terrorism. Some would call it Genocidal, akin to the sanctions applied to Iraq.
Gee, imagine that, members of the US government promoting State Terrorism and War Crimes. Now, just who are the terrorists we are supposed to be fighting? Looks to me that most reside in Washington, DC.
Propaganda and the related manipulation of media often relies on espionage and infiltration by agents working for Mossad. The recent rolling-up of Israeli spys in Lebanon and their wholesale compromising of the ALFA moblie communications network is a part of the effort that includes CAMERA and AIPAC. In a very important item, Rannie Amiri connects the uncovered Mossad spy network in Lebanon with Israel's attempt to manipulate the evidence of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), and how the Israeli's have tipped their hand regarding the expectation that the outcome will provide it an opportunity to atttack Lebanon again. Here is the relavent excerpt from a very useful news item:
"Giving credence to Nasrallah and Aoun’s assertions, Commander in Chief of the Israel Defense Forces Gabi Ashkenazi, predicted “with lots of wishes” that the situation in Lebanon would deteriorate in September after the STL indicts Hezbollah for Hariri’s assassination.
"Ashkenazi’s gleeful, prescient testimony to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs Committee betrays what Israel hopes the fallout from the STL’s report will be: fomentation of civil strife and discord among Lebanon’s sectarian groups, generally divided into pro- and anti-Syria factions. Ashkenazi anticipates this to happen, of course, because he knows Israel’s unfettered access to critical phone records will have framed Hezbollah for the crime.
"Israel’s agents and operatives in Lebanon and its infiltration of a telecom network have been exposed. At the very least, the STL must recognize that evidence of alleged Hezbollah involvement in Hariri’s death (a group that historically enjoyed good ties with the late premier) is wholly tainted and likely doctored."
Somewhat related to my previous comment is this June 6 "The 4.45pm Link" observation by Craig Murray:
"Having followed the media coverage of the Israeli action very carefully, have you noticed what seems a complete absence on TV of bona fide experts in maritime law?
Normally live news brings in "experts" at the drop of a hat to fill in the 24/7 broadcasting, but despite the fact that professors of international law specialising in the law of the sea are not exactly hard to find, no TV station has asked one about the legality of the Israeli action.
"That is because the martime law community is unanimous that the Israeli action is illegal."
Now imagine what sort of impact on viewers these facts--UNSC 1860 and gross violation of law--would have when provided the same megaphone allowed Zionist Propaganda.
Apparantly, UNSC Resolution 1860 is Top Secret. A Google News search gets only 93 results. Clearly, members of the US congress and VP Biden are ignorant of it. Since it represents the legal force behind efforts to break the blockade, it might be wise to publicize it. Here is its text and summary of the staements made before and after the vote. The 3 major points germane to the flotillas are:
“2. Calls for the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance, including of food, fuel and medical treatment;
3. Welcomes the initiatives aimed at creating and opening humanitarian corridors and other mechanisms for the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid;
4. Calls on Member States to support international efforts to alleviate the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza,"
Perhaps Dr Cole, you might weave these three points into your narrative on the front page of your blog since many don't take the effort to read the comments, particularly point #4, which it seems only Turkey takes seriously.
NATO HQ Seething
I had read Craig Murray's blog post at another site and spread it around because it's rather important. Just as important, IMO, is this comment to Craig from another ex-insider--writerman:
"Excellent piece. The atmosphere you describe is precisely the one I 'gleen' from people I talk to who move in more rarified circles than I've chosen to. Whilst you were pushed out, I went into exile freely.
"Underneath the surface there are massive misgivings about the US leadership of NATO, and that US methods and interests simply don't fit with Europe's anymore. It was hoped that with the election of Obama things would change substantively, not cosmetically, from the Bush era. That, possibly, naive hope/delusion has been undergoing radical reappraisal over the last year or so.
"It's now quite clear that Obama does not represent a clean break with the past, but merely a continuation, with an emphasis on continuity, especially in relation to the Middle East and the conflicts in Asia. This continuity worries many people in Europe, who are uneasy about where this may lead, witness the sudden resignation of the German president who made a 'gaffe' about the connection between German economic interests and the war in Afghanistan.
"Anyway, my fear is that the US is actually becoming more, not less, integrated with Israel, and that the relationship deeply harmful to the interests of the United States, which arguably cannot be the same as those of Israel.
"My biggest fear is that the United States is coming to resemble Israel more and more in the way it conducts its foreign policy, in relation to the rest of the world. The die hasn't been cast definitively, but that seems to be the way things are moving.
"It's startling; that even when the American people reject the policies of the Bush era and elect a president who they think represents the hope of change and peace and renewal, how much in practice, remains the same, almost as if the election had never taken place and didn't matter. Ufortunately, from my 'champange anarchist' perspective, I suspect it didn't, not really."
Fundamental International law and UNSC resolution 1860 demand the blockade be lifted and that all "member states" assist in this undertaking. Biden has said this Law is to be ignored, just as Bush and Cheney did before him, which confirms International Lawyer Phiippe Sands central thesis in his Lawless World. I would argue that advocating breaking the law that results in capital crimes fits the definition of a High Crime, as does the continuation od BushCo's High Crimes by ObamaInc.
Elsewhere, it's being argued that Obama knew what would happen beforehand, that he lied when he said he needed to review the facts. I agree with this thesis. There will be no lasting peace on this planet until everyone is equally subjected to the law and held accountible for their actions. I believe the definition of a Rouge State turns on its obeying International Law and behaving in a civilized manner. As such, the USA and Israel are Rogue States, and peace will not come until they become civilized.
Good thing BushCo abstained on the vote for UNSC Resolution 1860 that provides the legal force for the FreeGaza flotillas as it appears clear that ObamaInc, led by Biden, would have vetoed it. But 1860 is now International Law, which Biden and most of Congress advocate breaking. I think they are more barbaric than Tea Party folk; and whoever thought so many were Januses?
The Turks are really pissed and have started legal action. In fact, the Turkish government is helping individuals take court action! Now, imagine Obama's Justice Department doing that. Seems the Turks are more civilized than US politicos; but then, that's a pretty low bar, isn't it.
The same "shared response" the US Empire demanded regarding Afghanistan. By that logic, Israel ought to be visited by immediate "shock and awe."
Again, no mention of UNSC Resolution 1696--the act that governs the current crisis. In 2006, it was put in force by a vote of 14-1, the lone dissenter being Qatar. Iran made mistakes, which caused it to repeatedly violate its responsibilities under the NPT. Iran should have known it had no room for any mistakes given the context of the times and the longstanding desire of US Imperial policy to overthrow the Iranian government. In effect, Iran dug its own hole.
To be fair, the US Empire is far worse that Iran when it comes to violating UNSC Resolutions, committing War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, and for those reasons should be ejected from the UNSC and contained by the planet's countries. Unfortunately, that isn't reality despite its necessity. And thus Iran is in a pickle because it forgot it needed to be squeeky clean to the nth degree with its nuclear program. It should also be noted--and you should note it whenever you write about it--that ANY attack on Iran by either the US Empire or the Zionist Regime would constitute an act of Terrorism and a massive crime against humanity every bit as gross as 9/11. There is also the unfortunate fact that Bush, Blair, Cheney and other US and UK officials are still at large for their escalation of the Iraqi Holocaust and enjoy an unwarranted freedom that mocks any sense of justice and destroys the rule of law. And there are the crimes by the Zionists, too.
So, Iran's in a pickle, and Brazil and Turkey are trying to help it escape from the hole it's dug for itself. UNSC 1696 "demands" Iran halt enrichment and correct the mistakes it made which provided the rationale for 1696. Iran agreed to correct its mistakes, but restarted its enrichment program, which it had previously halted due to an IAEA resolution in 2003. According to the IAEA, Iran still hasn't rectified all its mistakes as since 2003 and 2006 others were discovered. I want to see the War Lobby drowned by the solving of this crisis. Obama is no help, so we shouldn't even look to him for anything. Somehow, the overall dynamic must change in order to get 1696 lifted. This is how Brazil and Turkey see the situation. I believe Iran must become as squeeky clean and transparent to the IAEA as possible, cease its enrichment while the IAEA determines Iran is indeed squeeky clean and in compliance with 1696, at which point 1696 must be lifted allowing Iran to resume its program. The problem with that scenario is the US Empire and its longstanding desire for regime change in Iran as it has the power to keep 1696 in force forever as it can veto any attempt to get it lifted. But what else can be done; is there another peaceful road I cannot see?
The SOFA doesn't "imagine;" it requires. Obama's about as Christian as the Popes who drummed up the Crusades. Can you provide one logical and legal reason why the USA needs to have troops stationed outside its borders, or a Navy and Air Force as large as they are?
The Indigenous want their lands back too. The "Doctrine of Discovery" took them away and is currently being very closely examined by the UN's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This forum has released its preliminary study (DOC format), which is a very good historical review that would make any professor smile as it expands his/her historical understanding and is adaptible it for use in classes other than US History.
It appears that Halliburton is at fault for the blow-out:
"Giant oil-services provider Halliburton may be a primary suspect in the investigation into the oil rig explosion that has devastated the Gulf Coast, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though the investigation into the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon site is still in its early stages, drilling experts agree that blame probably lies with flaws in the ‘cementing' process -- that is, plugging holes in the pipeline seal by pumping cement into it from the rig. Halliburton was in charge of cementing for Deepwater Horizon."
My analysis of the historical background that has led us to this point in US History exposes the very deep flaws in the 1787 constitution and suggests we will not "get our country back" without its being drastically changed--as much of a change as the 1787 constitution was compared to the first constitution, The Articles of Confederation.
That quiz ought to become a part of college entrance exams and as a qualifier for those running for public office. Given behavior by congress and the executive branch for decades comprising both political parties, they would mostly fail the quiz, which qualifies USA policy regarding Iran as insane.