Are we supposed to thank the US administration for stopping Israel bombing Iran? Some Israeli officials say the country’s fingers are off the hair-trigger that would launch a strike on the Iranian nuclear program, but that convincing the United States to take a harder line on Iran remains a top national priority. The apparent willingness…
Inside the Serco British test-case
Just what is Serco doing at Britain’s Yarl’s Wood detention centre? The BBC investigates though does a pretty average job, only speaking to the Serco manager of the place. Maybe under-cover work would have brought far better results.
Why is war backer Peter Cosgrove given a pass over Iraq?
The following guest post is written by reader Jim Dodrill: It was announced today that Iraq war apologist General Peter Cosgrove has been appointed the new chancellor of Australian Catholic University. This is an interesting development considering that Cosgrove, former head of the ADF during the Howard era, would have been well aware of warnings…
Wikileaks may embarass the Pentagon and no tears are shed
A reminder, in case it was needed, that the actions of the US need to be exposed rather than hidden. Our job, as citizens, is to demand transparency from governments, not meekly accept “top secret” because officials say so: The Pentagon warned the U.S. Senate and House Armed Services Committees that the website WikiLeaks.org “intends…
The greatest irony of Western policy
My following article appears today on the wonderful literary journal Overland’s website during its Subscriberthon: After the US mid-term elections, President Barack Obama is severely weakened by the rise of the Republicans. His unwillingness or inability to pursue true justice and peace in the Middle East will only be worsened. Indeed, GOP House Majority Leader…
Scahill on poor Western intelligence screwing up Afghanistan
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Private sector muscles its way into managing Zionist occupation
Great letter from the UK Guardian on 20 November: So Israel vows to keep building homes in illegally occupied East Jerusalem (Report, 19 November). Today the British security corporation G4S and the French company Veolia, which collects waste for UK local authorities and universities, will stand accused of complicity in Israeli human rights violations. Israeli…
The very murky legal world when Australia wants to kill the “enemy”
My story in Crikey this week that alleged Australian soldiers are involved in the targeted killings of “terrorists” in Afghanistan and beyond has already drawn predictable hysteria from men who can’t think of anything better than a long and glorious “war on terror” against “them”. A more mature response has appeared by Ben Saul, Sydney…
Israel press take marching orders from Bibi’s office
A very interesting report in Israeli online magazine +972 on the terrible state of the Israeli media and its slavish following of the government line. Remind you of anywhere else? (here’s a clue; most Western countries): “Netanyahu’s office has an original technique for marketing its messages,” senior Yedioth Ahronoth columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in his…