http://www.sott.net Signs of the Times, featuring news and commentary on world events. Never wavering in our unending search for the light of truth in a pathocracy driven world! en-us Original content Copyright 2010 by Signs of the Times. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:14:09 -0500 http://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net http://www.sott.net http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202724-Video-Gaza-in-Plain-Language In articles acknowledging the one year anniversary of the assault on Gaza, blunt and unsparing language about what really happened is often avoided. Despite sympathy for and support of the Palestinian people in their struggle against dispossession and oppression, the description of what took place in January 2009 is sometimes buffered by a misguided sense of political correctness. Yes, it's terrible. Yes, it is unjust. But we don't want to be inflammatory or risk offending the sensitivities of those who through their own willful ignorance cling to the notion that Israel is a victim state, fighting for its very survival. The argument is that we should reach out to them and attempt to educate them and win them over. This video explains the situation in a more forthright manner. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202724-Video-Gaza-in-Plain-Language Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:13:45 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202696-Are-we-hiding-something- Assaf Gefen wonders whether Israel does hide something in respect to Gaza War http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202696-Are-we-hiding-something- Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:33:16 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202694-Burning-Conscience-Israeli-Soldiers-Speak-Out A searing interview with Avichai Sharon and Noam Chayut, both veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces and members of Breaking the Silence. Sharon and Chayut served during the second intifada, an on-going bloodbath that has claimed the lives of over three thousand Palestinians and nine-hundred-fifty Israelis. After thorough introspection, these young men have chosen to speak out about their experiences as self-described "brutal occupiers of a disputed land." Producer: Sat Gwin http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202694-Burning-Conscience-Israeli-Soldiers-Speak-Out Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:49:57 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202682-Israel-admits-detention-of-international-activists-illegal A state prosecutor admitted before the Supreme Court today that the Immigration Police illegally detained the two international activists arrested yesterday in a pre-dawn raid on the International Solidarity Movement's Ramallah offices. The two will be released on bail. Earlier today, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the release on bail of the two activists who were arrested on Sunday during a pre-dawn raid on the Ramallah media office of the International Solidarity Movement. During the hearing, the State Prosecutor admitted that it was illegal for the Immigration Police to receive custody of the two in the Occupied Territories, where it has no legal authority. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202682-Israel-admits-detention-of-international-activists-illegal Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:16:18 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202680-Video-Gazans-recycle-rubble-to-rebuild Palestinians have been forced to innovate ways to rebuild houses destroyed during last year's war on Gaza. That is because an Israeli blockade is preventing construction materials from getting into the Gaza Strip. Many therefore are collecting rubble from destroyed homes, smuggling in cement from Egypt, and using the two to make concrete blocks. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202680-Video-Gazans-recycle-rubble-to-rebuild Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:03:29 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202675-South-Lebanon-residents-brace-for-new-Israel-war More than three years after the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, south Lebanon residents are bracing for new conflict amid Israeli warnings against both Hezbollah and its backer Syria. "If you come back, we'll be waiting for you," the Shiite militant group warns Israel on a billboard near the southern village of Aita Shaab. It was across the border from Aita Shaab that Hezbollah fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid in July 2006, provoking a devastating month-long Israeli offensive against Hezbollah strongholds in south Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburub. The war killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers. "We are afraid, of course," said Hayat, a resident of the southern village of Qana, which came under deadly bombardment in the 2006 war. "Every day we hear news of a possible new war," she tells AFP from her terrace which overlooks the village cemetery. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202675-South-Lebanon-residents-brace-for-new-Israel-war Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:57:10 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202643-Did-you-know-Gaza On December 27, 2008, Israel launched an Assault on the Gaza Strip. The attack of Dec. 27 caused the deadliest one-day death toll in 60 years of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Over 3 weeks, 1,417 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202643-Did-you-know-Gaza Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:26:27 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202636-Video-Palestinians-battle-Israeli-wall Palestinians and Israeli dissenters are getting together to fight Israel's plan to build another section of the separation wall in the occupied West Bank. According to environmentalists, the wall will stop the flow of water to the natural springs and thus threatens to dry out much of the Palestinian land. They also see the wall - illegal under international law - as a part of long-term Israeli policy to grab more and more Palestinian land in the West Bank. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202636-Video-Palestinians-battle-Israeli-wall Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:07:29 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202608-Palestinian-artists-to-enter-Guinness-book-of-records-with-largest-ever-wall-painting http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202608-Palestinian-artists-to-enter-Guinness-book-of-records-with-largest-ever-wall-painting Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:56:55 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202570-Arab-media-2-Israeli-Navy-ships-passed-through-Suez-Canal Two Israeli missile boats pass through Egypt's Suez Canal en route to Red Sea, according to Arab media reports; Cairo adopts strict security measures to ensure ships' safety. Egyptian sources estimate vessels headed to Persian Gulf. Two Israeli missile boats reportedly passed through the Suez Canal Thursday morning, according to Arab media reports over the weekend. Egyptian authorities reportedly adopted strict security measures to ensure the ships' safety. According to the reports, the two Navy ships traveled through the canal en route to the Red Sea. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202570-Arab-media-2-Israeli-Navy-ships-passed-through-Suez-Canal Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:45:25 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202560-Ignoring-Houthi-pleas-for-ceasefire-Saudi-continues-air-strikes-on-Yemen-villages The Saudi Arabian Air Force has launched a new round of assaults on northern Yemen, causing devastation and more civilian casualties. The Houthi fighters said on Friday that the Saudi warplanes had launched more than 25 attacks on the areas, wounding two women and destroying four civilian residences. A number of soldiers stormed two houses in the Shia-populated Sa'ada Province, but were ejected by the locals. Eight servicemen were killed in the ensuing conflict, including a lieutenant identified as one Ahmad Nasser Saleh al-Jamili. The Saudi military released more than 174 rockets and mortars on the areas of al-Dhaher, Qamamat, Ghafereh, al-Rammadiat and Shada. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202560-Ignoring-Houthi-pleas-for-ceasefire-Saudi-continues-air-strikes-on-Yemen-villages Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:42:47 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202557-Blood-Lust-Israelis-back-new-strike-on-Gaza-amid-calls-to-prosecute-war-criminals- A recent poll has revealed more than half of Israelis approve of another attack on Gaza. That's despite widespread international condemnation of last year's offensive which killed more than 1300 Palestinians. It comes as recent Goldstone Gaza report said Israel committed war crimes, and there've been many claims of the use of banned weapons. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202557-Blood-Lust-Israelis-back-new-strike-on-Gaza-amid-calls-to-prosecute-war-criminals- Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:00:17 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202528-Gaza-is-the-Only-Gulag-in-the-Western-Hemisphere- "Gaza is the only gulag in the Western hemisphere; maintained by democracies; closed-off from food, water, air" says Colonel Desmond Travers, co-author of the Goldstone report, in an exclusive MEMO interview. One year after the horrendous Israeli military assault on Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, in which over 1400 men, women and children were viciously and brutally slaughtered by invading Israeli troops, MEMO sat down with Colonel Desmond Travers, one of the four co-authors of the Goldstone Report and the only military expert on the team, and discussed his views on Israel, Hamas and the incredibly mixed reception of his groundbreaking and now iconic report. The UN appointed fact-finding mission, of which Colonel Travers was an integral part, set out to investigate the claims that war crimes had been committed by both Israel and Hamas during the 22 day attack on the people of Gaza between 27th December 2008 and 18th January 2009. After the most extensive and rigorous investigation of its kind to ever be carried out on the region, the Goldstone Report concluded that war crimes and possible crimes against humanity had been committed by both sides but by far and away the most blame was apportioned to Israel whose military tactics included, according to Colonel Travers, "hostage taking, felling of houses, destruction of the judicial police infrastructure, destruction of hospitals and the medical infrastructure, destruction of the agricultural, water and sewage infrastructure." The mission investigated 36 separate incidents of alleged Israeli offences, (although there were countless more that Colonel Travers wishes they had time to investigate) and "in all of the 36 cases we found against the perpetrators" (Israel). This included such incidents as the Israeli F-16 missile strike of a home which resulted in the deaths of 22 members of the same family, the al-Daya family; a massacre Israel claims was an "error" but of which Travers says "we didn't accept their explanation." It also included a "horrific" missile attack on al-Maqadmah mosque while people were at prayer, killing 15 civilians and wounding 40. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202528-Gaza-is-the-Only-Gulag-in-the-Western-Hemisphere- Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:19:13 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202521-Moscow-cannot-agree-with-sanctions-against-Iran-says-Russian-Deputy-Foreign-Minister Russian Deputy Foreign Minister has said that the country cannot agree with sanctions against Iran because sanctions do not work as a rule. "We do hope very much that Tehran will consider the sextet's proposals in a constructive manner and respond to them positively," Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview today. "What worries us is what is happening in this field. This is an extremely complex problem of course. It is also quite politicised. Broad public attention, including that of mass media, political scientists and the public in many countries, has been drawn to it," he said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202521-Moscow-cannot-agree-with-sanctions-against-Iran-says-Russian-Deputy-Foreign-Minister Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:33:41 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202519-China-Renews-Opposition-to-Iran-Sanctions Reflecting a growing catalog of disputes between Washington and Beijing, a senior Chinese official said Thursday that pressure for tighter sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program could block chances of a diplomatic settlement on the issue. The latest Iranian moves in the nuclear dispute have puzzled some of the Western countries - the United States, Britain, France and Germany - that with China and Russia form a group of countries seeking to end the standoff. "I am perplexed and even a little pessimistic," the French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, said Wednesday, referring to Mr. Ahmadinejad's reported offer to meet the demand for low-enriched uranium to be exported for processing. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202519-China-Renews-Opposition-to-Iran-Sanctions Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:23:47 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202505-Analysis-of-Multiple-Polls-Finds-Majority-of-Iranian-Public-Including-Majority-of-Mousavi-Supporters-Sees-Government-as-Legitimate Full Report (PDF) Questionnaire with Findings, Methodology for All Three Surveys (PDF) WPO Dataset for Download (SPSS Format) GlobeScan Dataset for Download (SPSS Format) Indications of fraud in the June 12 Iranian presidential election, together with large-scale street demonstrations, have led to claims that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not actually win the election, and that the majority of Iranians perceive their government as illegitimate and favor regime change. An analysis of multiple polls of the Iranian public from three different sources finds little evidence to support such conclusions. The analysis conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland (PIPA), was based on: a series of 10 recently-released polls conducted by the University of Tehran; eight conducted in the month before the June 12 election and two conducted in the month after the election, based on telephone interviews conducted within Iran a poll by GlobeScan conducted shortly after the election, based on telephone interviews conducted within Iran a poll by WorldPublicOpinion.org (managed by PIPA) conducted August 27 - September 10, based on telephone interviews made by calling into Iran http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202505-Analysis-of-Multiple-Polls-Finds-Majority-of-Iranian-Public-Including-Majority-of-Mousavi-Supporters-Sees-Government-as-Legitimate Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:31:04 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202493-False-flag-terror-Second-Karbala-blast-leaves-31-killed-56-wounded At least 31 people have been killed and 150 others wounded after a bomb went off in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala amid tight security for a huge religious procession. Initial reports said explosion took place after a bomb planted in a civilian car went off in al-Shibanat area, four kilometers east of Karbala on Friday, also leaving three Iraqi army vehicles destroyed. Provincial governor Amalheddin al-Hir, however, said a mortar round had been launched from fields northeast of the shrine city while local Health Ministry officials put the death toll from the event at 31 people killed and 150 wounded. The blast ripped through pilgrims who were leaving the city, home to third Shia Imam Hussein's holy shrine, as millions of Muslims from across the world were marking the 40th day after Imam Hussein's martyrdom anniversary. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202493-False-flag-terror-Second-Karbala-blast-leaves-31-killed-56-wounded Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:31:32 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202481-China-cancels-80-of-Iraq-debt China has agreed to cancel 80 percent of the 8.5-billion-dollar debt it is owed by Iraq, the finance ministry in Baghdad said in an official statement on Tuesday. It said a bilateral agreement was signed in Beijing, without specifying the date, and that China's ambassador to Iraq had met officials in Baghdad to confirm the agreement. The statement added that the two countries entered into trade deals valued at 3.8 billion dollars in 2009. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202481-China-cancels-80-of-Iraq-debt Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:30:27 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202478-From-Gaza-to-Lebanon-Beware-the-Iron-Wall The Israeli military may be much less effective in winning wars than it was in the past, thanks to the stiffness of Arab resistance. But its military strategists are as shrewd and unpredictable as ever. The recent rhetoric that has escalated from Israel suggests that a future war in Lebanon will most likely target Syria as well. While this doesn't necessarily mean that Israel actually intends on targeting either of these countries in the near future, it is certainly the type or language that often precedes Israeli military maneuvers. Deciphering the available clues regarding the nature of Israel's immediate military objectives is not always easy, but it is possible. One indicator that could serve as a foundation for any serious prediction of Israel's actions is Israel's historical tendency to seek a perpetual state of war. Peace, real peace, has never been a long-term policy. "Unlike many others, I consider that peace is not a goal in itself but only a means to guarantee our existence," claimed Yossi Peled, a former army general and current Cabinet Minister in Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government. Israeli official policy - military or otherwise - is governed by the same Zionist diktats that long preceded the establishment of the state of Israel. If anything has changed since early Zionists outlined their vision, it was the interpretation of those directives. The substance has remained intact. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202478-From-Gaza-to-Lebanon-Beware-the-Iron-Wall Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:54:12 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202474-Israeli-report-claims-2bn-stolen-from-Palestinians Over the past four decades Israel has defrauded Palestinians working inside Israel of more than US$2 billion (Dh7.4bn) by deducting from their salaries contributions for welfare benefits to which they were never entitled, Israeli economists revealed this week. A new report, "State Robbery", says the "theft" continued even after the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 and part of the money was supposed to be transferred to a special fund on behalf of the workers. According to information supplied by Israeli officials, most of the deductions from the workers' pay were invested in infrastructure projects in the Palestinian territories - a presumed reference to the massive state subsidies accorded to the settlements. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202474-Israeli-report-claims-2bn-stolen-from-Palestinians Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:58:46 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202466-Such-a-Nice-Jewish-Girl- Female soldiers break their silence Six years after first collection of Breaking the Silence testimonies, organization releases booklet of testimonies from female soldiers who served in territories. Stories include systematic humiliation of Palestinians, reckless and cruel violence, theft, killing of innocent people and cover-up. Here are only some of testimonies: "A female combat soldier needs to prove more...a female soldier who beats up others is a serious fighter...when I arrived there was another female there with me, she was there before me...everyone spoke of how impressive she is because she humiliates Arabs without any problem. That was the indicator. You have to see her, the way she humiliates, the way she slaps them, wow, she really slapped that guy." The Breaking the Silence organization on Friday released a booklet of testimonies by female soldiers recounting various abuse cases involving Palestinians in the West Bank. In recent years, females have been increasingly involved in combat and field operations in the IDF and Border Guard. Among other things, these female soldiers engage in daily contact with the Palestinian population - at roadblocks and in Palestinian communities. According to the latest testimonies, many of these young women have trouble coping with the violent reality they are exposed to and find themselves facing situations that contradict their values. Some of them end up engaging in acts, or turning a blind eye to acts, that will burden them years later. Like their male counterparts, some of these females have a need to speak about what they saw. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202466-Such-a-Nice-Jewish-Girl- Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:51:53 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202456-Dubai-police-threatens-to-arrest-Netanyahu-over-murder-of-Hamas-man We will issue a warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrest if it turns out Israeli intelligence was behind last month's killing of a Hamas strongman, Army Radio quoted Dubai's police commissioner on Thursday. Dubai's police chief Dahi Halfan referred to the January 20 assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who was reportedly responsible for the smuggling of Iranian arms to Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will be the first to be wanted for justice as he would have been the one who signed the decision to assassinate [Mahmoud] al Mabhouh in Dubai. We will issue an arrest warrant against him," Halfan told the U.A.E. site The National. The Dubai police chief also said that the method used to kill al Mabhouh, was a Mossad method, but did not elaborate further. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202456-Dubai-police-threatens-to-arrest-Netanyahu-over-murder-of-Hamas-man Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:27:24 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202441-More-than-a-book-it-s-a-masterpiece-Gilad-Atmon-reviews-Ramzy-Baroud-s-My-Father-Was-A-Freedom-Fighter- Ramzy Baroud's My Father Was A Freedom Fighter is more than a book, it is actually a masterpiece. In an overwhelmingly evoking personal style Baroud manages to bring to light the history of the Palestinian people and their battle with Israel and Zionism. Through the story of the Baroud's family the book outlines every event in the history of the conflict and reflects on the way it transformed the Palestinian reality. The book is a heart breaking depressing story of the Baroud family's journey from paradise to hell. It is a flight that starts in Beit Daras, a small pictorial village in the south of Palestine. It ends in a Gaza refugee camp. It is a tragic journey of a rural self-sufficient population that is driven into total dispossession, humiliation and absolute poverty. And yet, there is a beam of light along the book, namely resistance: Ramzy's father Mohammed, was a freedom fighter. He didn't win a single war, not even a battle, yet, against all odds, in spite of his poverty and illness, he managed to educate his children and to plant hope in their young souls, to fuel Ramzy with fierceness, which along the years transformed the young man into a monumental inspirational writer and an icon of intellectual resistance. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202441-More-than-a-book-it-s-a-masterpiece-Gilad-Atmon-reviews-Ramzy-Baroud-s-My-Father-Was-A-Freedom-Fighter- Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:21:37 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202411-The-Message-is-Clear-Israel-must-not-Strike-Iran In the sea of brainwashing, intimidation and cliches surrounding us, it's sometimes worthwhile to listen to a voice from the outside, a voice no less proficient than the Israeli "experts" on security matters and Iran. The voice of reason. Such was the voice of the senior European diplomat who had served as an ambassador in Tehran for about five years and was visiting Israel this week. Over dinner in his country's ambassador's residence, the man outlined his views about Iran, with which his country maintains extensive, complex ties. This man, now about to be appointed ambassador to Germany, continues to visit Iran, although his tenure there ended in 2004. His message was clear and razor sharp - Israel must not attack Iran. This would only cause harm. If anything could bring Iran closer to the bomb, it would be an Israeli offensive, which seems imminent. The European diplomat is convinced that Iran does not intend to produce a nuclear bomb, only to walk on the edge and prepare for the option of developing it. This has become a matter of national honor for the Iranians. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202411-The-Message-is-Clear-Israel-must-not-Strike-Iran Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:04:09 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202402-Israeli-Occupation-Supportive-Companies-to-Boycott In July 2005, a coalition of 171 Palestinian Civil Society organizations created the global BDS movement for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights" for Occupied Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian diaspora refugees. Since 1948, hundreds of UN resolutions and civil society actions condemned Israel's lawlessness; its crimes of war and against humanity; occupation; discriminatory policies; illegal home demolitions, land seizures and settlements; oppression of a civilian population; the Separation Wall; the Gaza siege; and preemptive imperial wars. Nothing so far has worked. Palestine is still occupied. Its people continue to suffer. Their human rights are denied. World leaders ignore them. This no longer can be tolerated. In solidarity, people of conscience everywhere must pressure Israel with BDS initiatives that include boycotting Israeli companies, their products and services, and global ones supporting the occupation. They're numerous, many with familiar names. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202402-Israeli-Occupation-Supportive-Companies-to-Boycott Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:21:50 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202383-The-Iraqi-Oil-Conundrum-Energy-and-Power-in-the-Middle-East An Introduction by Tom Engelhardt: Americans have largely stopped thinking about Iraq, even though we still have approximately 110,000 troops there, as well as the largest "embassy" on the planet (and still growing). We've generally chalked up our war in Iraq to the failed past, and some Americans, after the surge of 2007, even think of it as, if not a success, at least no longer a debacle. Few care to spend much time considering the catastrophe we actually brought down on the Iraqis in "liberating" them. Remember when we used to talk about Saddam Hussein's "killing fields"? The world of mayhem and horror that followed the U.S. invasion and occupation delivered new, even larger "killing fields" that we don't care to discuss, or that we prefer to consider the responsibility of the Iraqis themselves. Even with violence far lower today, Baghdad certainly remains one of the more dangerous cities on the planet. The bombs continue to go off there regularly and devastatingly, while the killing, even if not of American troops who rarely patrol any longer and are largely confined to their mega-bases, has not ended, not by a long shot; nor has the anger, suspicion, and depression that go with all of this. A striking recent article in the British Guardian by reporter Martin Chulov seemed to catch something of what the U.S. actually accomplished in Iraq in a nutshell. It describes a country in "environmental ruin" (and, let's not forget, taxed with an ongoing drought of monumental proportions). The headline tells the story: "Iraq littered with high levels of nuclear and dioxin contamination, study finds." The contamination from depleted uranium weapons, bombed pipelines, and other disasters of the years of war, civil war, and chaos seems centered around Iraq's population centers and, perhaps not surprisingly, coincides with a massive rise in birth defects. Worse yet, in all those years of occupation, the U.S., despite billions of dollars spent (or rather squandered) on "reconstruction," never managed to deliver electricity, jobs, potable water, health care, or much else. And despite many attempts, as Michael Schwartz, returning TomDispatch regular and the author of War Without End, makes clear, Washington never even got the oil out of the ground in a country that is little short of a giant oil field waiting to be developed. A remarkable record when you think about it. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202383-The-Iraqi-Oil-Conundrum-Energy-and-Power-in-the-Middle-East Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:32:31 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202376-Major-blast-in-Karbala-kills-20-pilgrims-injures-120 A bomb blast has left at least 20 people killed and about 120 others wounded in Karbala as violence builds against Shia pilgrims en route to the holy city for a major religious rite. The deadly attack took place on Wednesday when an explosive-laden cart pulled by a motorcycle went off, Reuters reported quoting Iraqi police officials, who noted that the death toll could rise. The blast in Karbala came despite tightened security and large deployments of troops and security forces in and around the holy city, Press TV corresponded in Iraq Wisam al-Bayati said. Strong security measures have also been introduced on the routes leading to Karbala, banning the movement of vehicles on the roads and allowing pilgrims to travel only on foot, he added. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202376-Major-blast-in-Karbala-kills-20-pilgrims-injures-120 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:34:10 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202367-Iran-Thwarts-Israeli-and-U-S-Plans-for-Final-Confrontation To many observers in the West it may seem that Iran's decision to comply with the United Nations requirements for Iran to send its Uranium abroad for enrichment is a victory for Israel and the US who will no doubt claim that Iran's leaders have succumbed to US and Western pressure and threats of further sanctions. It is, however, not the outcome that the Israelis and the neocon-influenced Obama administration really want. Iran's compliance with UN requirements does two things which the Israelis and neoconservatives wished to avoid. Firstly, it deprives the West of an excuse to directly attack Iran in order to affect regime change. Secondly, and perhaps far more importantly, it also leaves Iran in a position to continue to support their allies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip and also Syria. With no excuse now to directly attack Iran using Iran's so-called 'nuclear weapons program' as an excuse, Israel will now have to confront Hezbollah and Hamas directly in an effort to flush out evidence of substantial Iranian support in order to use that as a casus belli to attack Iran. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202367-Iran-Thwarts-Israeli-and-U-S-Plans-for-Final-Confrontation Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:06:17 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202337-Iran-taking-steps-to-blunt-future-sanctions-US-spy-chief Iran has taken steps to blunt possible future global and US sanctions, notably seeking out new sources of gasoline in China and Venezuela, the top US intelligence official said Tuesday. US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told key lawmakers that Tehran was "keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons" but that existing sanctions had harmed the Islamic republic's struggling economy. And Blair said Iran's leaders weighed "Iran's security, prestige and influence" in deciding how to proceed on the country's nuclear program and said the world still had leverage in the standoff. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202337-Iran-taking-steps-to-blunt-future-sanctions-US-spy-chief Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:58:38 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202281-Fighting-for-an-education-in-Gaza Ayman Talal Quader is a blogger from the Nuseirat refugee camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip. He launched his blog "Voice From Gaza" during Israel's invasion of Gaza last winter. Aywan chronicled eyewitness accounts of the war and the continuing siege of the territory as well as his own attempts to leave Gaza in order to further his education in Spain. Although classes start on 8 February, he has yet to receive approval from the Egyptian government to travel to Cairo for his flight to Spain. The Electronic Intifada contributor Jody McIntyre recently spoke with Ayman in Gaza. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202281-Fighting-for-an-education-in-Gaza Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:23:54 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202273-False-flag-terror-alert-Suicide-bomber-kills-54-in-Baghdad A female suicide bomber walking among Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad detonated an explosives belt on Monday, killing at least 54 people and wounding more than 117, officials said. The bombing was the first major strike this year against pilgrims making their way to the southern city of Karbala to mark a Shiite holy day. It came as security official warned of a possible increase in attacks by insurgents using new tactics to bypass bomb-detection methods. The bombing raises fears of an escalation of attacks as hundreds of thousands of Shiites head by Friday to the southern holy city of Karbala to mark the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202273-False-flag-terror-alert-Suicide-bomber-kills-54-in-Baghdad Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:57:50 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202269-Gorbachev-Holds-Talks-with-Lebanon-s-Top-Three-Leaders-During-Beirut-Visit Beirut - Former President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Mikhail Gorbachev arrived in Beirut on Monday and met with Lebanon's three top officials. Speaking to reporters following a meeting with President Michel Sleiman at the Baabda Palace, Gorbachev saluted the current state of stability prevailing in the country. The former USSR president described Lebanon as a complicated country and praised measures taken to preserve Lebanon's stability. Gorbachev stressed "the importance of the role played by Russia in the new world order," adding that small nations "can also play a role and participate considerably in international politics." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202269-Gorbachev-Holds-Talks-with-Lebanon-s-Top-Three-Leaders-During-Beirut-Visit Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:20:35 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202251-Iraq-to-sue-US-Britain-over-depleted-uranium-bombs Iraq's Ministry for Human Rights will file a lawsuit against Britain and the US over their use of depleted uranium bombs in Iraq, an Iraqi minister says. Iraq's Minister of Human Rights, Wijdan Mikhail Salim, told Assabah newspaper that the lawsuit will be launched based on reports from the Iraqi ministries of science and the environment. According to the reports, during the first year of the US and British invasion of Iraq, both countries had repeatedly used bombs containing depleted uranium. According to Iraqi military experts, the US and Britain bombed the country with nearly 2,000 tonnes of depleted uranium bombs during the early years of the Iraq war. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202251-Iraq-to-sue-US-Britain-over-depleted-uranium-bombs Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:00:06 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202221-Lebanese-delegation-meets-Sarkozy-in-Paris-to-discuss-arms-deal Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri met French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace. Following their meeting Hariri said: The French president expressed his country's willingness to aid the army and Internal Security Forces with light and heavy equipment. Sarkozy expressed his full support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and for achieving justice. Credited France for the role it played in improving the Lebanese-Syrian relations, and said what concerns us is a state-to-state relation which benefits both people. France wants to hold a peace conference in Paris and that he encouraged Sarkozy about this "because we can't remain where we are now and because the whole region needs peace." France was reportedly worried that providing the Lebanese army with weapons, including missiles for the Gazelle helicopters, could end up in Hezbollah hands. This is exactly the same concern the US has and that is why the US has been very reluctant to provide the army with sophisticated weapons. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202221-Lebanese-delegation-meets-Sarkozy-in-Paris-to-discuss-arms-deal Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:28:50 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202220-Lebanon-and-France-signed-multiple-agreements-four-days-before-French-officials-died-in-sudden-plane-crash- Lebanon and France signed Thursday five cooperation agreements in presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his French counterpart François Fillon. At a joint press conference Fillon said :" France supports Lebanon which has an essential role in developing the region and in its peace process." He conveyed "France's support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and bringing the criminals to justice." Fillon urged full commitment to UNSCR 1701 by the Israeli and Lebanese sides. Fillon was elated when Hariri told him that "the agreements signed today are the first agreements he signs with a Western country as a PM." This proves the depth of our relationship with Lebanon", Fillon said. Commenting on Syrian Lebanese relations Fillon said, "Naturalizing the relations between Lebanon and Syria, is surely a stabilizing factor and especially when the issues of border demarcation and missing Lebanese (in Syria) are resolved." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202220-Lebanon-and-France-signed-multiple-agreements-four-days-before-French-officials-died-in-sudden-plane-crash- Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:07:36 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202199-US-empire-boosts-missile-presence-in-Gulf-as-warning-to-Iran The Obama administration is intensifying pressure on Iran by increasing its missile defences in the Middle East to defend against potential missile strikes in the region by Tehran, it emerged today. The US military has boosted the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Arab nations in the Gulf, and one official told the Associated Press the navy was also increasing the presence of ships capable of knocking out hostile missiles in flight. The move - reported in several US newspapers this morning - appears to be a deliberate attempt by the White House to ratchet up pressure on Iran ahead of attempts to increase sanctions against the country. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202199-US-empire-boosts-missile-presence-in-Gulf-as-warning-to-Iran Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:39:22 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202190-Israel-s-Long-History-of-Covert-Murder The Islamic movement Hamas claims that the death of one its senior commanders, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, is the latest in Israel's history of assassinating individuals it believes to have been behind attacks on its citizens. Israel's general policy is to neither confirm nor deny allegations about the activities of its intelligence agents but it is notable that many of its enemies meet suspicious and violent deaths. "We are witnessing an intense intelligence struggle, most of it is covert, some of it overt," said Ronen Bergman, author of By Any Means Necessary, and other books and articles on Israel's covert operations. Among the best documented of Israel's assassinations were a wave of killings of pro-Palestinian militants in Paris, Nicosia, Beirut and Athens, carried out in response to the hostage crisis at the Munich Olympics in 1972 which resulted in the deaths of 11 Israelis. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202190-Israel-s-Long-History-of-Covert-Murder Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:58:16 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202187-Israeli-Media-Mossad-Assassinated-Hamas-leader-Al-Mabhouh Bethlehem - A four-person squad of Israeli Shin Bet and Mossad operatives arrived in Dubai on European passports to assassinate Muhammad Al-Mabhouh, an alleged liaison between Iran and Hamas, Israeli media reported on Saturday. According to the Israeli news-site Inyan Merkazi, the assassination squad interrogated Al-Mabhouh in his hotel room before killing him. The squad returned with "precious information" attained following Al-Mabhouh's interrogation, which was focused on arms deals between Hamas and Iran, as well as how arms are smuggled into the West Bank, the news-site reported. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202187-Israeli-Media-Mossad-Assassinated-Hamas-leader-Al-Mabhouh Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:54:54 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202183-U-S-Steps-up-Arms-Sales-to-Persian-Gulf-Allies Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The Obama administration is quietly working with Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf allies to speed up arms sales and rapidly upgrade defenses for oil terminals and other key infrastructure in a bid to thwart future military attacks by Iran, according to former and current U.S. and Middle Eastern government officials. The initiatives, including a U.S.-backed plan to triple the size of a 10,000-man protection force in Saudi Arabia, are part of a broader push that includes unprecedented coordination of air defenses and expanded joint exercises between the U.S. and Arab militaries, the officials said. All appear to be aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran. The efforts build on commitments by the George W. Bush administration to sell warplanes and antimissile systems to friendly Arab states to counter Iran's growing conventional arsenal. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are leading a regionwide military buildup that has resulted in more than $25 billion in U.S. arms purchases in the past two years alone. Middle Eastern military and intelligence officials said Gulf states are embracing the expansion as Iran reacts increasingly defiantly to international censure over its nuclear program. Gulf states fear retaliatory strikes by Iran or allied groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah in the event of a preemptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States or Israel. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202183-U-S-Steps-up-Arms-Sales-to-Persian-Gulf-Allies Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:36:22 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202180-World-isn-t-buying-Israel-s-explanations-anymore "Your situation isn't good," said a high-ranking European diplomat recently. "No one believes Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and we don't want any connection with [Foreign Minister Avigdor] Lieberman. Only a dramatic and surprising diplomatic move, like [former prime minister] Ariel Sharon's disengagement, will change the impression." A few hours later, Time magazine published an interview with U.S. President Barack Obama, in which he expressed disappointment with Israel's unwillingness to make "bold gestures" toward the Palestinians http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202180-World-isn-t-buying-Israel-s-explanations-anymore Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:20:03 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202175-U-S-Beefing-Up-Missile-Defenses-in-Persian-Gulf Washington -- As the Obama administration edges toward imposing tougher sanctions on Iran, it has begun upgrading its approach to defending its Persian Gulf allies against potential Iranian missile strikes, officials said Saturday. The United States has quietly increased the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Gulf Arab nations, and one military official said the Navy is beefing up the presence of ships capable of knocking down hostile missiles in flight. The officials discussed aspects of the defensive strategy on condition of anonymity because some elements are classified. The moves have been in the works for months and are part of a broader adjustment in the U.S. approach to missile defense, including in Europe and Asia. Details have not been publicly announced, in part because of diplomatic sensitivities in Gulf countries which worry about Iranian military capabilities but are cautious about acknowledging U.S. protection. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202175-U-S-Beefing-Up-Missile-Defenses-in-Persian-Gulf Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:26:31 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202168-Tens-of-thousands-of-Palestinian-books-were-destroyed-after-Israel-s-establishment Tens of thousands of Palestinian books destroyed after Israel's establishment, Ben-Gurion University researcher says Israel plundered and destroyed tens of thousands of Palestinian books in the years after the State's establishment, according to a doctoral thesis to be submitted next month by a Ben-Gurion University researcher. In an interview with the researcher published on al-Jazeera's website Thursday, he claimed that Israel destroyed the Palestinian books in the framework of its plan to "Judaize the country" and cut off its Arab residents from their nation and culture. According to the doctoral dissertation, Israeli authorities collected tens of thousands of Arab books in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, Safed, and other towns that were home to Arabs. Israeli officials proceeded to hand out about half the books, while destroying the second half, characterizing them as a "security threat," the researcher said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202168-Tens-of-thousands-of-Palestinian-books-were-destroyed-after-Israel-s-establishment Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:29:41 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202162-Central-Iraq-blast-kills-two At least two people have died and 20 others have sustained injuries in an explosion, which took place in the central Iraqi city of Samarra. The incident occurred on Saturday outside a restaurant in the city which is located in the Salahuddin Province north of the capital Baghdad, Xinhua reported. The restaurant was reportedly frequented by the police and security forces. However, it is not clear whether the victims were civilians or military servicemen. Also on Saturday, a Shia pilgrim was killed in a grenade attack in Baghdad while traveling to the holy city of Karbala for a yearly religious ceremony. The attack left two other pilgrims wounded. Iraq is bracing for a potential increase in violence as it heads towards the eagerly-anticipated parliamentary polls on March 7. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202162-Central-Iraq-blast-kills-two Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:05:16 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202151-Israel-to-train-German-soldiers-to-operate-drones-in-Afghanistan Israel is to train German soldiers on operating Heron 1 drones in Afghanistan, a German defense ministry spokesman told journalists in Berlin on Friday. The six-week Israeli training package includes also the maintenance of the drones which are to be used in Afghanistan in March, Steffen Moritz said. The leased unmanned aircraft which is jointly built by Israel and Germany, will be used for aerial reconnaissance missions in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz where thousands of German soldiers are deployed as part of the NATO-led mission. The German spy drone can fly for up to 3.5 hours and has flying range of 100 kilometers. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202151-Israel-to-train-German-soldiers-to-operate-drones-in-Afghanistan Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:32:57 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202113-West-Bank-Village-childeren-gassed-while-taking-refuge-from-military-during-demonstration-five-taken-away-in-ambulances Over 20 village residents - including 14 children - were targeted by Israeli soldiers in a volley of tear gas and rubber coated bullets as they took refuge in the Tamimi family house in An Nabi Salih. The residents were not part of the weekly demonstration and children from surrounding houses had gathered there for safety. One boy was hit in the stomach with a gas canister. Five people, children and elderly women, were taken away in ambulances and treated for injuries including tear gas asphyxiation. Earlier, near 12:30PM, Israeli soldiers blocked the non-violent demonstration as they attempted to reach a spring recently taken by settlers from the near-by Jewish-only Hallamish settlement. Demonstrators slowly advanced a few meters and sat down. Israeli and international activists joined in solidarity. This tactic was repeated many times until soldiers began firing tear gas canisters directly at the demonstrators. As soldiers surrounded the village, shooting tear gas from three sides, a water cannon shooting foul smelling waste-water was deployed. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202113-West-Bank-Village-childeren-gassed-while-taking-refuge-from-military-during-demonstration-five-taken-away-in-ambulances Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:19:19 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202081-They-re-getting-desperate-Bin-Laden-aligns-with-US-liberals-deplores-climate-change-quotes-Noam-Chomsky Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, has condemned the US and other industrial economies, holding them responsible for the phenomenon of climate change. In an audio tape obtained by Al Jazeera, bin Laden criticised George Bush, the former US president, for rejecting the Kyoto pact and condemned global corporations. "This is a message to the whole world about those responsible for climate change and its repercussions - whether intentionally or unintentionally - and about the action we must take," bin Laden said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202081-They-re-getting-desperate-Bin-Laden-aligns-with-US-liberals-deplores-climate-change-quotes-Noam-Chomsky Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:45:15 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202070-Hamas-to-take-Israel-to-court-over-organ-thefts Hamas has started gathering evidence that Israel harvested body parts from dead Palestinians to support its future legal claims against Tel Aviv in international courts. The organ theft issue made headlines last summer, when the Swedish Aftonbladet newspaper published an article reporting that Israel had been stealing the organs of those Palestinians who were killed in fights with Israeli soldiers. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202070-Hamas-to-take-Israel-to-court-over-organ-thefts Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:42:23 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202063-Israel-Makes-Waves-by-Simulating-an-Earthquake The Seismologic Division of the Ministry of National Infrastructure's Geophysical Institute will attempt to simulate an earthquake in the southern Negev on Thursday. The experiment, financed by the U.S. Defense Department, is a joint project with the University of Hawaii and is part of a scientific project intended to improve seismological and acoustic readings in Israel and its environs, up to a 1,000 km/621 mile radius. The experiment intends to improve the understanding of sound waves in the atmosphere. Scientists will then be able to fine-tune Israel's seismological equipment to give advance warning of earthquakes. Measurements will also be taken in other countries, including Cyprus, Greece, France, and Germany. Israel will create a controlled explosion of 80 tons of explosive material, which will simulate the intensity of a tremor after an earthquake of Magnitude 3. Natural earthquakes of a similar intensity occur in the Middle East region about once a week, without the public feeling them. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202063-Israel-Makes-Waves-by-Simulating-an-Earthquake Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:53:07 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202045-Tinpot-tyrant-ain-t-seen-nothing-yet I have been in a few dangerous places in my life. In the mid 80s along with an ITN news crew I was bombed by the Ethiopian air force. My face pressing into the dirt, with no cover around, I saw the shrapnel tear and kill small children and watched others die on a wooden table in a grass hut after they bombers had gone. I have been bombed by Israel in Beirut and held with an Israeli machine gun at my chest in Nablus during the first Iraq war. Involuntarily, I put my hands up and the blue-eyed blonde "Israeli" said that if I didn't put my hands down he would kill me. I've never, however, been in a more dangerous situation than last week in the tiny Sinai port of Al Arish to which the Egyptian dictatorship had insisted we bring our convoy. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202045-Tinpot-tyrant-ain-t-seen-nothing-yet Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:38:10 -0500 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202038-Russia-Today-s-Crosstalk-on-Holocaust-Is-it-Being-Used-as-Blackmail-Weapon- Sixty-five years ago, Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet troops. Peter Lavelle asks his guests what the legacy of the Holocaust is today. Is its memory being abused? Does Israel use Holocaust as a blackmail weapon? Norman Finkelstein and Israel W. Charny discuss the issue in a heated debate. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/202038-Russia-Today-s-Crosstalk-on-Holocaust-Is-it-Being-Used-as-Blackmail-Weapon- Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:56:02 -0500