Amir Hekmati – CIA? The Truth?

  Iran ends 2011 with a blaze of intelligence By Mahan Abedin The appearance on Iranian state TV on Sunday of alleged Central Intelligence Agency spy Amir Hekmati is yet another twist in a string of apparent Iranian counter-intelligence successes at the expense of US espionage. The 28-year old Arizona-born man of Iranian origin has been accused by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) of trying to feed disinformation to the ministry with a view to gaining a foothold on the outer reaches of the MOIS. A former member of the United States Marines Corps, Hekmati was apparently detained … Continue reading Amir Hekmati – CIA? The Truth?

American drones

  The life and death of American drones By Nick Turse The drone had been in the air for close to five hours before its mission crew realized that something was wrong. The oil temperature in the plane’s turbocharger, they noticed, had risen into the “cautionary” range. An hour later, it was worse, and it just kept rising as the minutes wore on. While the crew desperately ran through its “engine overheat” checklist trying to figure out the problem, the engine oil temperature, too, began skyrocketing. By now, they had a full-blown in-flight emergency on their hands. “We still have … Continue reading American drones

US and Iran: From enemies to partners

By Kaveh L Afrasiabi At the closure of 2011, with the US Congress declaring economic warfare against Iran through tough new sanctions targeting the country’s central bank, 2012 could easily be predicted as a decisive year for Washington and Tehran locking horns in escalating tensions. But an important question is: can policymakers in Iran and the US chart a different path, whereby they could become partners for peace in the Middle East, instead of warring parties? As much as this question appears cut off from reality by the sheer weight of animosities piling up at the gate of US-Iran (non) … Continue reading US and Iran: From enemies to partners

Khalid bin Walid

Khālid ibn al-Walīd (Arabic: خالد بن الوليد‎; 592–642) also known as Sayf Allāh al-Maslūl (the Drawn Sword of God), was a companion of theIslamic prophet Muhammad. He is noted for his military tactics and prowess, commanding the forces of Medina and those of his immediate successors of the Rashidun Caliphate; Abu Bakr and Umar.[1] It was under his military leadership that Arabia, for the first time in history, was united under a single political entity, the Caliphate. He was victorious in over a hundred battles, against the numerically superior forces of theByzantine-Roman Empire, Sassanid-Persian Empire, and their allies, in addition to other Arab tribes. His strategic achievements include the conquest of Arabia, Persian Mesopotamia and Roman Syria within several years … Continue reading Khalid bin Walid

Mumtaz Qadri – Blessed Pir of Jahil Pakistani Mullahs!

Taseer murder case: Qadri sentenced to death Killing Mumtaz Qadris will put more Pakistanis out of the fold of Islam as they will ‘worship’ his grave! By Reuters / Sohail Chaudhry Supporters of convicted killer Mumtaz Qadri chant slogans alongside hundreds of others who had gathered to protest against his sentence outside the jail he is being held in, October 1, 2011. PHOTO: REUTERS RAWALPINDI: Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, has been sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court today (Saturday). Qadri, one of Taseer’s elite force guards, shot and killed the governorfor his views on the blasphemy … Continue reading Mumtaz Qadri – Blessed Pir of Jahil Pakistani Mullahs!

Tony Blair: A Dangerous Liability for All?

Tony Blair: a liability in Britain and the Middle East? Disparaged by Palestinians and booed by Labour Party conference delegates, the former prime minister is losing his appeal. Tony Blair leaves The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre after giving evidence for the second time to the Iraq Inquiry in London in January, 2011 Photo: REUTERS By Peter Oborne It has been Tony Blair’s unhappiest week since he stepped down as prime minister more than four years ago. When Ed Miliband raised his name during his Labour Party conference speech on Tuesday, it was greeted by boos in the hall – while Miliband … Continue reading Tony Blair: A Dangerous Liability for All?

2012 – Justice Without Borders!

Transnational Peoples Movements Form to Respond to Transnational Injustice by: Matthew Cappiello and Kevin Zeese, Truthout | Op-Ed An anti-government protester defaces a picture of Hosni Mubarak. (Photo:Antonello Mangano / Flickr) In an era where multinational corporations and linked international security networks exert increasing control over our daily lives, we have to fight their attempts to profit off our divided and balkanized communities by establishing independent connections with one another. Even though the United States has caused many horrible things around the world, there is still a powerful movement of people in this country that will stand up for justice … Continue reading 2012 – Justice Without Borders!

Drone Sex?

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA Sex and the single drone By Tom Engelhardt In the world of weaponry, they are the sexiest things around. Others countries are desperate to have them. Almost anyone who writes about them becomes a groupie. Reporters exploring their onrushing future swoon at their potentially wondrous techno-talents. They are the pilotless drones, our grimly named Predators and Reapers. As Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director, Leon Panetta called them “the only game in town”. As secretary of defense Robert Gates pushed hard to up their numbers and increase their funding drastically. The US Air Force is already training more … Continue reading Drone Sex?

Is Karzai trapped?

Karzai trapped in no-man’s land By M K Bhadrakumar Afghan President Hamid Karzai has made his first political move a week after the assassination of the head of the Afghan High Peace Council and former president, Burhanuddin Rabbani. Following a meeting in Kabul that included tribal elders, legislative chairmen, cabinet ministers, former mujahideen commanders and his two vice presidents, Karzai’s office issued a statement on Wednesday admitting that a question mark should be on the Taliban’s capacity to take independent decisions, implying they were merely a Pakistani proxy. The statement suggested that Karzai no more regards the Taliban as his … Continue reading Is Karzai trapped?

Heil Cheney! – Der Fuhrer of The Tea Party?

Dick Cheney, the Ultimate American Terrorist by: William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed Vice President Dick Cheney in a June 20, 2007 file photo. (Photo: Doug Mills / The New York Times) Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. – Dick Cheney It is axiomatic by now: when someone leaves government service, especially from a high-profile position, they write a book. They all do it, sometimes more than once. Richard Nixon is the main example of one who produced a multi-volume apologia; by the time he went into the ground, he’d penned … Continue reading Heil Cheney! – Der Fuhrer of The Tea Party?