He makes us so proud

Australia’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, reveals his brilliant analytical skills during a recent interview with Haaretz: “In another 20 years, the historians will ask how another president would have reacted to September 11 and if he had alternatives. Bush did not have to go into Iraq, but what would have happened if Saddam Hussein had…

Kafka would be proud

The prosecutors trying Jose Padilla want to present “evidence” that is completely unrelated to anything Padilla is charged with. What’s worse is that the judge has approved it. Judge Cooke agreed to a prosecution request to play for the jury a 1997 CNN taped interview with Osama bin Laden. Judge Cooke excised what she said…

This is what US aid to Israel looks like

Much is made of Hamas’ desire to kill Israelis, yet so often the media takes it for granted that Israel has been killing Palestinians for decades. Reuters reported that 10 Palestinians had been killed, while Al Jazeera put the number at 12. As with reports coming from Iraq, news reports usually insist those who were…

Wingnut freaks on display

The right wing’s favourite psychopath is worried about Israel, and inhabiting his make believe world of urgency that requires the destruction of Iran. Sanctions and diplomacy have failed and it may be too late for internal opposition to oust the Islamist regime, leaving only military intervention to stop Iran’s drive to nuclear weapons, the US’s…

Baquba gets the Fallujah treatment

Even with the so called ‘Al Qaeda’ members having fled the scene, US forces proceeded to destroy yet another Iraqi village regardless. One week after American forces mounted their assault on insurgent strongholds in western Baquba, at least half of the estimated 300 to 500 fighters who were there have escaped or are still at…

BAE facing anti-corruption probe

It looks as though the investigation into corruption surrounding the dealings of BAE Systems is about to proceed. The US Department of Justice has launched an inquiry into British arms manufacturer BAE Systems’ compliance with anti-corruption laws, including those regarding lucrative Saudi contracts, BAE revealed on Tuesday. The question remains, will the ties to Cheney…

Is the anti-Hamas policy sustainable?

Much is being made of the support Israel, the West and pliant Arab regimes are giving to Fatah and Abbas. The problem with this arrangement is that it is totally unsustainable. The Arab regimes are not so naive as to buy into the notion that Hamas can be excluded from Palestinian political life — it…

CNN lets the cat out of the bag about Gaza

Surprise surprise. Nir Rosen (Angry journalist) on CNN (thanks Nir): “NIR ROSEN, JOURNALIST: Well, it already did. We created a civil war. This is actually outrageous. Outgoing U.N. envoy to the Middle East peace process, Alvaro De Soto, himself accused the U.S. of fomenting a civil war by training, funding and arming Fatah thugs and…

Fluent Arabic is required

What do you get when you have an Australian Murdoch newspaper trying to report on Shia attitudes towards Israel and Hizbollah? Woeful inaccuracy and gross generalisation.

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