From Press TV..."Saudi police have fired live bullets at anti-government demonstrators protesting the death of a teenage boy in the city of Qatif, killing several mourners inclucing a nine-year-old girl.
Activists say regime forces attacked protesters with artillery fire and machineguns in the city on Monday, adding that soldiers are conducting house to house searches .
Thousands of Saudi demonstrators were mourning the 19-year-old Nasser al-Mahishi, who was killed by regime forces, when they were attacked. Mourners also chanted slogans against the US-backed Al Saud royal family.
Mahishi was shot by regime forces late on Sunday while walking down a street in Qatif with his friends. He succumbed to his wounds on Monday.
Similar anti-government protest also took place in the nearby town of Awamiyah, where protesters burned tires and blocked main roads. There were no reports of police violence there.
Tension has been high in the province after Riyadh decided to increase its troop presence in the region in a bid to quash anti-government protest there" (read)
Monday, 21 November 2011
Saudi demonsrations- Qatif
Death toll hits 33 on third day of Egypt clashes
Press TV is reporting (read) that the civilian cabinet of Egypt has tendered their resignation en mass. This doesn't look like it's getting any better, and with reports of civilian casualties in Saudi demonstrations it could get much, much worse.
Egypt: 22 killed as thousands continue Tahrir Square protest
So the people revolted, brought down Mubarak, got a load of visits from Western pols like the UK's David Cameron, and Hillary Clinton, and now the military junta attempts to scupper the people's revolution without a peep from the West. Coincidence?
As the Egyptian people fight for their freedom the UK, the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel will try to rob them of it. (read)
As the Egyptian people fight for their freedom the UK, the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel will try to rob them of it. (read)
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Updated...'China, Russia fail to back Iran N-rights'
It's good to see that someone important in Iran can clearly see the writing on the wall. in this case it's the Deputy Chairman of Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh. Speaking about the recent resolution passed by the IAEA Press TV reports his observations as...
via Haaretz,.... "In an address to the IAEA's Board of Governors in Vienna on Saturday, Russia's representative to the UN's nuclear watchdog Grigory Berdennikov said that it was "disappointing that in the context of the absence of convincing evidence there have begun assumptions and suspicions and juggling with information in order to produce an impression of some military component is present in Iran's nuclear program."
"Such an approach can hardly be called professional and impartial,” Berdennikov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Itar-Tass."(read)
"The resolution made clear that Russia and China do not defend the nuclear rights of the Islamic Republic, as they are bargaining with the Western countries, said Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the deputy chairman of Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee on Sunday.
Falahatpisheh also pointed out that the Russian and Chinese envoys voiced little protest during the informal negotiations of the IAEA's Board of Governors, which was merely intended to increase the price of Sino-Russian bargaining chip in their dealings with the West."(read)
This is the type of clear-eyed analysis that the Islamic Republic needs to depend on. China and Russia are not a defense against Western and Israeli aggression. The only way for Iran to stand strong against the treat of attack is by reforming its society in such a way as to keep it's distinctive qualities while allowing for freedom of expression. It has to carry all sectors of it's society along, and not alienate legitimate voices. Iran, of course, has to continue to develop its military capabilities, including developing a credible, latent, nuclear deterrence. To do this requires a willing, mobilized, and enthusiastic populace.
Falahatpisheh also pointed out that the Russian and Chinese envoys voiced little protest during the informal negotiations of the IAEA's Board of Governors, which was merely intended to increase the price of Sino-Russian bargaining chip in their dealings with the West."(read)
This is the type of clear-eyed analysis that the Islamic Republic needs to depend on. China and Russia are not a defense against Western and Israeli aggression. The only way for Iran to stand strong against the treat of attack is by reforming its society in such a way as to keep it's distinctive qualities while allowing for freedom of expression. It has to carry all sectors of it's society along, and not alienate legitimate voices. Iran, of course, has to continue to develop its military capabilities, including developing a credible, latent, nuclear deterrence. To do this requires a willing, mobilized, and enthusiastic populace.
The majority of the people of Iran are proud of their Persian and Islamic heritage, but that heritage must be a springboard for growth, instead of an excuse for repression, and stagnation.
UPDATE:
Russia: UN report on Iran nuclear program is biased, unprofessionalvia Haaretz,.... "In an address to the IAEA's Board of Governors in Vienna on Saturday, Russia's representative to the UN's nuclear watchdog Grigory Berdennikov said that it was "disappointing that in the context of the absence of convincing evidence there have begun assumptions and suspicions and juggling with information in order to produce an impression of some military component is present in Iran's nuclear program."
"Such an approach can hardly be called professional and impartial,” Berdennikov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Itar-Tass."(read)
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Things fall apart- UC Davis Protestors Pepper Sprayed
Police State America..Now they sit quietly and take the punishment, but they won't be victims for long. With each act of brutality their anger grows.
Press TV- UK retreats from war rhetoric on Iran
The Iranians should not cease to believe that the UK fully intends for them to be the next domino to fall among the so-called Axis of Resistance. All of their self-congratulatory headlines notwithstanding (read). This is the time for the Islamic Republic to simultaneously consolidate, and reform. Their socio-political structure is even more out of date and bankrupt than that of their most vociferous opponents, rest assured that sooner or later war is coming.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague to meet Syrian rebels
The idiotic regime in Syria is getting a one-to-one lesson in intrigue and duplicity from London. I can imagine them bemoaning this new development as William Hague meets with the representatives of the people blowing up Syrian soldiers (read), although the BBc, as usual, will never concede this point. The Syrian govt deserves this, maybe they should have spent more time shoring up their defences, and strengthening their society instead of being a willing lackey of the West's War on Terror and a favourite destination of Western intelligence agencies for extraordinary renditions, and the out-sourcing of torture (read).
Monday, 14 November 2011
News that doesn't fit the narrative
The corporate press has certainly tries to establish their narrative concerning Iran, all the usual nonsense...the sanctions are hurting the Iranian economy,..the Iranian political system is about to implode. These might provide some comfort to Western policy makers, and their consumer audience but oftentimes the truth is diametrically opposed to received opinion.
The latest case in point this headline from the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, "Iranian sanctions at dead-end says Moscow" Clear, and self explanatory.
The article expands further, "The option of sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program is exhausted and the issue should be solved by talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
“We consider the road of sanctions against Iran exhausted,” Lavrov said. “To threaten with sanctions and moreover with air strikes is to exclude the possibility of a negotiated solution.”
“Isolation or confrontation has no chance of success with regard to Iran,” Lavrov went on, adding that Russia was working actively with Iran. ""
“We consider the road of sanctions against Iran exhausted,” Lavrov said. “To threaten with sanctions and moreover with air strikes is to exclude the possibility of a negotiated solution.”
“Isolation or confrontation has no chance of success with regard to Iran,” Lavrov went on, adding that Russia was working actively with Iran. ""
But are you going to watch,read or hear this anywhere in Western corporate media? No, you aren't.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Words that come back to bite you in the butt.
"“There will not be 100,000 casualties, and not 50,000 casualties, not 5,000 casualties and not even 500,”"
Israeli Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, on the number of Israeli casualties in the event of an Iranian counter-attack on Israel.
Israeli Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, on the number of Israeli casualties in the event of an Iranian counter-attack on Israel.
Iran
All the hoopla about the imminent Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran appears to be easing this week, until at least the publication of the IAEA report on Iran's nuclear industry later on in the week. The information alleged to be contained in this report is already being referred to as "evidence" by the usual suspects, namely the entire mainstream media. Ultimately the PR war against Iran is being ramped up. Towards what goal? Nobody knows, and I suspect that even the main, and usual accusers, i.e, the US, the UK, France, and, of course, Israel, really do not understand what the end game is. Mostly because all their motives are different, but also because this issue is likely to take on a life of it's own and force the conspirators down paths they do not recognize.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
$1,200,000,000,000 cover up
The Federal Reserved reached into public funds — about $1.2 trillion — to help bail out banks during the 2008 financial crisis, a new report reveals.
The Federal Reserve has refrained from disclosing info on the loans, which began in August 2007, and as one economics professor told Bloomberg, “was supposed to be secret and never revealed.” The Fed argued in court for two years that revealing the names and terms of borrowers and their loans would damage stocks, and some of the biggest banks involved asked the US Supreme Court last year to withhold some of the information. The Fed attested that revealing the secretive loans to the public, or even being disclosed to the Government Accountability Office, would expose the weakness of the American economy. Nonetheless, their appeal was declined and data released, at nearly 30,000 pages, shows 21,000 transactions occurring over the course of three years.
Now, at least, the world knows that long-standing secret that the economy was in trouble.
“These are all whopping numbers,” Robert Litan, a former Justice Department official, tells Bloomberg. “You’re talking about the aristocracy of American finance going down the tubes without the federal money"
source: Russia Today
The Federal Reserve has refrained from disclosing info on the loans, which began in August 2007, and as one economics professor told Bloomberg, “was supposed to be secret and never revealed.” The Fed argued in court for two years that revealing the names and terms of borrowers and their loans would damage stocks, and some of the biggest banks involved asked the US Supreme Court last year to withhold some of the information. The Fed attested that revealing the secretive loans to the public, or even being disclosed to the Government Accountability Office, would expose the weakness of the American economy. Nonetheless, their appeal was declined and data released, at nearly 30,000 pages, shows 21,000 transactions occurring over the course of three years.
Now, at least, the world knows that long-standing secret that the economy was in trouble.
“These are all whopping numbers,” Robert Litan, a former Justice Department official, tells Bloomberg. “You’re talking about the aristocracy of American finance going down the tubes without the federal money"
source: Russia Today
Google's Libya revolution
Libya: How 'Green Square' Got Renamed 'Martyrs' Square' on Google Maps So Quickly: Courtesy Techland
"So how could such a change have occurred so quickly? Some bleary-eyed Google engineer up at all hours with his finger on the button?!!!
Not really.
Regular people have been able to edit Google Maps for a while now, so it's very possible that someone updated the map with the new (old) name and—boom—hello, Martyrs' Square."
Not really.
Regular people have been able to edit Google Maps for a while now, so it's very possible that someone updated the map with the new (old) name and—boom—hello, Martyrs' Square."
The promise of a liberated Libya
From the UK Independent: "Gaddafi called us rats, but he is the one hiding in a hole" shouted Osama Mohammed Sattar, a leader of the Shabab youth volunteers, letting off a volley of shots from his Kalashnikov. "We shall hang all of them together when we catch him." But capital punishment has been abolished in Libya, I pointed out. "There are men's laws and God's law," came the answer with grim relish."
Time to press manage this victory methinks into something mandelaesque
Time to press manage this victory methinks into something mandelaesque
Monday, 22 August 2011
Is violence driving America crazy?
An interesting article by Naomi Wolf titled, "Is Pornography Driving Men Crazy?" examines Pornography and the way in which it affects both natural sexual appetites, and mimics other addictions such as drugs and alcohol.
She asks, "Could the widespread availability and consumption of pornography in recent years actually be rewiring the male brain, affecting men’s judgment about sex and causing them to have more difficulty controlling their impulses?"
Substitute pornography for violence, and men/male for American society and this very interesting article unlocks a deeper, and even more chilling truth.
More opinion about UK riots.
From the UK Guardian: UK riots were product of consumerism and will hit economy, says City broker. Analyst's report points to 'deeply flawed social ethos' and calls for a shift of emphasis 'from material to non-material values'
Deeply flawed social ethos is spot on, but shift from material to non-material values? In the UK? Good luck with that buddy.
Deeply flawed social ethos is spot on, but shift from material to non-material values? In the UK? Good luck with that buddy.
Stephen M Walt on Libyan "victory", American decline.
Libya "mission accomplished"? Timely analysis from one of my favourite bloggers and academics Stephen M Walt of Harvard, and Foreign Policy mag. Also Scott Horton of AntiWar.com interviews Stephen Walt on his earlier FP article about the pinnacle and decline of the US empire.
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