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jdubow on "Suicide bomb in Iran kills 42"

jdubow — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:47:41 +0000

It is somewhat disappointing to note that no mention is made of George Bush or Israel as blame objects. Bush is still actively cited in the US as a cause of most negative events. Israel is moving up the charts as a popular blame object, but Bush blame was so universal it will take a while before Israel can catch up.

Iran and Pakistan seem to be losing energy and focus in their assignment of blame to various outsiders for any problems that may occur in their countries. They should be encouraged to renew their enthusiasm for blaming people and take the time and energy to include Bush and Israel as blame objects for future problems.

Josh Fulton on "US considers Afghan strategy on eighth anniversary of conflict"

Josh Fulton — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:11:30 +0000

50 reasons why Obama should NOT have won the Nobel:

http://joshfulton.blogspot.com/2009/10/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-hell_10.html

Larry Taub on "Israeli Foreign Minister says ‘no chance’ of peace deal"

Larry Taub — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:12:57 +0000

Mr. Scanlan seems to be promoting the popular misconception that Israel's not stopping settlement construction in the West Bank has something to do with preventing peace. He slips that assertion past us in the article as if it were a truism, but offers no proof or convincing argument for such an assumption.

On the contrary, the proof goes the other way.

(1) Before 1967 there were no settlements, yet there was still no peace. Why then should the settlements make a difference now?

(2) The existence of settlements did not prevent the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations from proceeding from Oslo until 2000, and was not an issue that prevented further negotiations. Why all of a sudden are they the key issue now?

(3) Israel abandoned all the settlements in Gaza in 2006, but that didn't produce any peace negotiations. Why should stopping settlement construction now suddenly lead to negotiations?

In the light of these previous examples, Mr. Scanlan's assumption that Israel's not stopping settlement activity has any bearing on peace negotiations isn't borne out. Does Mr. Scanlan seriously think that if Israel stops settlement construction, that will lead to negotiations and peace? What makes him so certain of that?

What stands in the way of negotiations is the fact that the Palestinian leadership's problems, as amply and well described by Mr. Scanlan, do not enable them to meet and negotiate without preconditions, which despite what Mr. Liebermann says, Mr. Netanyahu, Barak, Liebermann, etc. have said they are willing to do. I sympathise with the difficult position of the Palestinian leadership, but Israel's stopping settlement construction isn't going to help it and/or lead to peace.

Let's get the facts straight and use logic, please.

Larry Taub

tosh007 on "US considers Afghan strategy on eighth anniversary of conflict"

tosh007 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:37:44 +0000

Obama has no options as this would require standing up to the military which he is afraid to do. Yes, this is "Obama'sVietnam." Yes, he is washed up as president and he will be serving only one term . Yes, his presidency is suffering a terminal political paralysis.

I would like to be more positive, but that's the way I see it.

John Rodenbeck on "PLO supports deferral of UN Gaza resolution"

John Rodenbeck — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:43:30 +0000

Depressing news all round,well and clearly summarized.

precycled on "At least sixty dead in Afghanistan air strike"

precycled — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:23:37 +0000

Phew, lucky all this mayhem can't affect us over here in the safe West. Oops I forgot, the world is all joined up and global. OK, at least everyone can sort out the root causes? Oops I forgot, the world is only interested in symptoms and 'solutions' for symptoms. 'Root causes' are outside the scope of what people believe might still be achievable in a world with fast-spreading fault lines. Or am I wrong? Can the necessary radical policy-switches suddenly become obvious? See http://www.wiserearth.org/resource/view/2f007297ce994215d709c47f4c9230a1

rcshreeyan on "Rafsanjani: "Iran is in crisis""

rcshreeyan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:03:16 +0000

rcshreeya

The world needs the people's democracy not the capitalist democracy in which political parties are register themselves with the constitutional provision of The Election commission. The constitutions should be make free from any out side presure and the political parties. The world constitutions are yet to be committed to work for the common people. The voting system is completely supporting the capitalist world to control & direct the ununited society.

That is why world are chanting democracy, people's government, voting right but unable to think where the democracy is gone wrong to fulfill the common people's agenda of peace, security and prosperity.

What we need is to change the capitalist look of democracy and turned it towards the common people.

The social system is the need of the present world and if it is ignored by the present capitalist lobby or the political parties then there is no chance to come back from the violence, hatred, poverty, hunger & terrorism all would be increasing to make the mother earth in more dangerous stituation to live.

The political system is very small system and at present it has taken all the social works to burden itself and generating the complicated situation for the world society.

Socialism would come to people but not from the state but from the social system & social administration. The political system work to see & guard the social syste.

rcshreeyan

Scott McNealy on "Uyghur unrest threatens China's relations with Muslim world "

Scott McNealy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:49:49 +0000

Chinese are genociding Uyghur College students: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-297840 The two lying are arrested two Uyghur college students and the people stoning to death are the Chinese Paramilitary forces. Chinese are genociding Uyghur factory workers: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-297193 They are chasind them and clubbing them to death. Chinese destruction of Uyghur culture: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/world/asia/28kashgar.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=kashgar&st=cse They are destroying the oldest mosques in Central Asia, oldest buildings. We must stop this bloodshed and help our Moslem Uyghur brothers in East Turkistan....

Scott McNealy on "Uyghur unrest threatens China's relations with Muslim world "

Scott McNealy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:49:22 +0000

Jack Kovartz on "Uyghur unrest threatens China's relations with Muslim world "

Jack Kovartz — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:12:36 +0000

I have attached the link and video and pictures of a horrible genocide that is going on toward Muslim Uyghurs in China! The video is shot on July 7th, 2009 as shown on the video time. This is only tip of the iceberg as such genocide is going on everday, every hour behind the closed doors since the Chinese occupation of East Turkistan!!!

The two lying are arrested two Uyghur college students and the people killing them are Chinese Paramilitary forces.
It was leaked out to Chinese media at first and I came across to it on youtube, but it is no longer there anymore.
This is all related to the July 5th demonstration in Urumqi and as reported by the Chinese Media, there are thousands of Uyghur students were arrested.(Probably much, much more as Chinese Media is not reliable at all).

This is going on for a very long time as hundreds of thousands of Uyghur College kids were brutally murdered in the similar way for the 1997 Yili Uprising and Chinese is doing it behind the screen for many, many years. This is a total genocide against the Uyghurs and you will be shocked by the extent. Western Media will never know as most things are kept behind the door. Go and visit any Uyghur family in Ghulja(Yining) or any other town where the Uyghurs live and ask them about their sons, daughters. You will be shocked that most families children at the age 14-35 were absent as they are rounded up by the police and brutally murdered.

I also sent another link where the Chinese Mob killing the Uyghur factory workers in Guangdong!
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-297193

We must stop this atrocity and crimes against humanity as Uyghurs nowhere to turn and Chinese are truly genociding them in their own homeland in order to make sure that East Turkistan is theirs forever and get rid of all the Uyghurs. They have already destroyed the Uyghurs culture and the ancient cities like Kashgar in order to wipe them out from earth...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/world/asia/28kashgar.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=kashgar&st=cse

We must do something to stop them...

May be UN intervention as needed as there are total genocide and crimes against humanity are happening everyday and night...

NYCartist on "Torture revelations provoke controversy in US"

NYCartist — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:49:52 +0000

Center for Constitutional Rights launches a website on US psychologists who were involved in torture and abuse of "detainees"/prisoners. It is announced on the website,
AfterDowningStreet www.afterdowningstreet.org

The CCR's new website is called WhenHealersHarm
http://whenhealersharm.org

A controversy raged a long time in the American Psychological Association over whether or not to say their members should not participate in interrogations at Guantanamo and other places, where US military was
interrogating detainees. It had been done awhile ago by the American Psychiatric Association, but the debate
went a very long time,in the American Psychological Association, which recently ended with "members can't participate" vote. It was covered extensively on the radio/tv show DemocracyNow, which archives shows and transcripts. www.democracynow.org Of particular interest
are the two individuals, men, who designed the "enhanced interrogation techniques", reverse engineering the US program based on the 1950s (I think is date) that was used to train US military on resisting torture,as alleged to have been used on captured US soldiers in Korea, and methods alleged to have been used by the Soviets. The men then sold their program
to the military. One of the men is or was, on the board of the American Psychological Association. It has recently been stated on DemocracyNow, that the US military did not evaluate the program of "enhanced interrogation techniques" these two guys designed and sold them, before using. Jane Mayer covered it extensively and was on DemocracyNow recently with Philippe Sands discussing the torture memos of the Bush Administration. Each author has a book on their perspective of the issues: Mayer on the torture and Sands on the memos.

SamSam on "UN Human Rights chief calls for Sri Lanka inquiry"

SamSam — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:24:53 +0000

Some of the LTTE Killings for the last 30 years

Heads of States killed by LTTE

1 Ranasinghe Premadasa President of Sri Lanka; killed on May 1, 1993 by a suicide bomber
2 Rajiv Gandhi - former Prime Minister of India; killed on May 21, 1991 by suicide bomber Thenmuli Rajaratnam

Members of Sri Lankan parliament killed by LTTE

1 K. Sivanesan TNA MP (Jaffna); killed in a roadside bombing in LTTE -held territory, on March 6, 2008
2 T. Maheshwaran UNP MP; killed in a Hindu temple on January 1, 2008
3 Nadarajah Raviraj TNA MP (Jaffna); killed on November 10, 2006 by unidentified gunmen
4 Joseph Pararajasingham Member of the TNA; December 25, 2005
5 Dr Neelan Thiruchelvam TULF MP killed on July 29, 1999 in Colombo by a suicide bomber
6 Mohammed Maharoof MP killed on July 20, 1997 in Trincomalee
7 Saranabawan Shanmuganathan MP killed on July 15, 1997 in Wanni
8 A Thangadurai MP killed on July 5, 1997 in Trincomalee
9 Dr Gamini Wijesekara UNP MP and Party Secretary; killed on October 24, 1994 by a suicide bomber in campaign rally in Grandpass, Colombo
10 Ossie Abeygunasekara UNP MP; killed on October 24,1994 by a suicide bomber in campaign rally in Grandpass, Colombo
11 P. Kirubakaran MP killed on July 15, 1990 in Pottuvil
12 V.YogasangariEPRLF MP; 19 June 1990
13 Sam ThambimuthuEPRLF MP; 7 May 1990
14 Appapillai Amirthalingam leader of the TULF; killed on July 13, 1989 in Colombo
15 Anura Daniel UNP MP for Kandy shot dead on June 25, 1989 in Thalatuoya
16 V.Yogeswaran TULF MP (Jaffna); July 13, 1989
17 Lionel Jayatilake Minister & UNP MP shot dead on September 26, 1988 in Kuliyapitiya
18 G.V.S. de Silva District Minister & UNP MP for Habaraduwa killed on May 1, 1988 in Galle
19 Keerthi Abeywickrema UNP MP killed on August 18, 1987 in bomb attack on parliament in Jayawardenapura-kotte
20 Jinadasa Weerasinghe UNP MP shot dead on July 20, 1987 in Angunakolapelessa
21 K Alalasundaram MP ; Manipai September 2, 1985
22 Dharmalingam MP; Kopai September 2, 1985

For a complete list please visit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notable_assassinations_of_the_Sri_Lankan_Civil_War

Check this for Canadian Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff’s Tamil friend who was killed by LTTE

http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2009/0514/columns/021.html

Jean-François Lassalle on "Iraq slams “criminal” American raid"

Jean-François Lassalle — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:45:11 +0000

Dear Ms Cooper;

In response to your comments about Total’s activities in Sudan, we wish to inform you that Total is inactive in Sudan. Our company holds a 32.5% interest in Block B in Southern Sudan through a 1980 Agreement (the “EPSA”). Exploration operations were suspended in 1985 because of escalating security concerns. The EPSA was revised, effective December 21, 2004, and provided that the parties (the Government of Sudan and the Oil partners) would mutually agree upon a resumption date when the exploration operations could be undertaken. A joint decision on the resumption date has not occurred yet.

Before oil operations can resume on the ground, we feel that it is necessary to reach agreements concerning the oil consortium reorganization and security conditions. We also want to ensure that our potential future exploration operations and possible development operations in Southern Sudan meet our environmental, ethical, community, transparency and, above all, security standards. In the mean time, we supervise and finance socio-eco programs lead by 2 NGOs in favour of local populations in the region of Jonglei.

Regards,

Jean-François Lassalle
Total – E&P Vice President Public Affairs

Iron Mike on "Torture revelations provoke controversy in US"

Iron Mike — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:27:00 +0000

Republicans meanwhile seem likely to continue playing the patriot card. The claim that Democrats and other left-leaning Americans are unpatriotic and do not stand behind the country's armed forces and intelligence services is age-old.

The only thing age old here is the canard of patriotism or lack thereof. Republicans are making a reasonable request for the "transparency" promised by the Obama administration. Dems consistently beat their chest against a strawman critique that exists only in their own minds as a deflection from the truth.

Releasing half the story of enhanced interrogation may be good to advance a political agenda, but does little for evaluating the truth. If, as Cheney claims, the additional memos correlate actionable intelligence that resulted in aborted terrorist operations, doesn't the public have a right to know in order to weigh the relative value of enhanced interrogation? Isn't the truth required in order to make an informed decision? Or is truth the first casualty of politics?

Anthony Barnett on "Pressure mounts on Israel as it rejects NPT"

Anthony Barnett — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:20:39 +0000

Great security alert. I didn't know about the Biden speech. But the video clip does not include the passage you refer to, and I wanted to hear the audience response!