Naturally enough it takes two astute American academics, Steve Walt and John Mearsheimer, authors of The Israel Lobby, to explain in the Financial Times that Iran isn’t the real issue for Israel: On Iran, Mr Netanyahu is convinced it wants nuclear weapons, and that this goal threatens Israel’s existence. He does not think diplomacy can…
#Occupy deserves drone monitoring?
Welcome to 21st century America, a reality that helps private companies reap the financial rewards while acting in the “national interest”. Stephen Salisbury in TomDispatch on the latest example of disaster capitalism on crack: All told, the federal government… has appropriated… about $635 billion, accounting for inflation, for homeland security-related activities and equipment since the 9/11 attacks.…
Desperation of prostitution in Kabul
Fascinating yet disturbing insight into a hidden world inside Afghanistan (via Channel 4): In a Kabul suburb we have come to a woman’s house. We’ll call her Habiba. She’s playing with her daughter on the carpet, a toddler. There’s a small but modern flatscreen TV in the corner. A house of several bedrooms.… In her headscarf…
Not all young Jews embrace Israeli occupation
Bravo: On March 4, 2012, 22 year old member of Young Jewish and Proud (the youth wing of Jewish Voice for Peace) Liza Behrendt stood up at the 2012 AIPAC Policy Conference in a breakout session called “The Struggle to Secure Israel on Campus” to call attention to the silencing of Palestinians— and young Jews…
Remind me how CIA forces in Afghanistan will help the Afghan people
Sorry what? If true (via Associated Press) this is the kind of insane idea that simply reinforces the belief across the Muslim world that Washington is determined to occupy Afghanistan indefinitely: Top Pentagon officials are considering putting elite special operations troops under CIA control in Afghanistan after 2014, just as they were during last year’s…
How many ways can Israel dream of attacking Iran?
Interesting letter in yesterday’s London Independent: Your report concerning the possible strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities by Israel (29 February) might have alluded also to Israel’s apparent attempt to obtain “second strike” facility. Currently undergoing sea trials is a new Dolphin class submarine built for Israel by a subsidiary company of ThyssenKrupp in Kiel –…
Why can’t we just stay in Afghanistan forever?
The last decade has seen an explosion in private security and intelligence companies making a killing in the “war on terror”. And now, with growing anger towards both mercenaries and the Western occupying forces that use them, this suggestion seems both delusional and symptomatic of the rot that imperial thinking guarantees: The chairman of the…
Stop idealising the war journalist
Robert Fisk is typically provocative (and accurate) in today’s Independent column: It took a lot of courage to get into Homs; Sky News, then the BBC, then a few brave men and women who went to tell the world of the city’s anguish and, in at least two cases, suffered themselves. I could only reflect…
Be inspired by Obama’s soaring rhetoric about America’s “moral example”
Or not (seriously, is this emptiness what rusted-on Democrats need to hear to vote for The One in November this year?) And then this: A supporter at fundraiser urged President Barack Obama to avoid a war with Iran over its disputed nuclear program. “Nobody has announced a war,” Obama cautioned. “You’re jumping the gun a…