Turkey deploy patriot missiles on Syrian border with 1,260 foreign soldiers!

Published on Dec 15, 2012 : US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta made an un-announced visit to Turkey to visit the American Airbase Incirlik.

The US Defense Secretary made this visit while on a mini tour of the region as he payed a stop to Kuwait and Afghanistan as well.

While addressing American troops Panetta said he would deploy 2 batteries of patriot missiles to Turkey along with 400 personnel to operate them. This comes as the Netherlands agreed to send in 360 of their own troops and Germany has agreed to send in 400, bringing the total of foreign troops scheduled to operate inside Turkey to 1,260.

Afghans will never surrender to US occupation: Daoud Abedi

Published on Dec 16, 2012 : A political analyst tells Press TV that the will of the Afghan people is that they do not want their land to be occupied by anybody and that is why there is resistant against this occupation. The comments came after Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on US and NATO troops to immediately leave the country, saying security transition to local forces should take place as soon as possible. Press TV has conducted an interview with Mohammad Daoud Abedi, chair of Afghan Nation Peace Council, to further discuss the issue.

UN against militarization in Syria

Published on Dec 7, 2012 : Qatar handed out weapons in Libya like candy -- according to a Wednesday New York Times report -- which adds that the US not only knew about the ploy -- but blessed it with a stamp of approval.

Many of those weapons found their way into the wrong hands - however -- and according to the report -- the "United States has growing concerns that, just as in Libya, the Qataris are equipping some of the wrong militants."

Qatar is currently -- and admittedly -- arming militant groups in Syria as well -- a ploy that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has frowned upon.

UK Orthodox Jews protest Zionism

Published on Dec 7, 2012 : An outcry of British Jews against Israeli tyranny. That was the title of the protest held by dozens of anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews outside the Israeli embassy in London.

They got together in a unified stand to condemn the Zionist regime and its mistreatment of Judaism and religious Jews.

Blackwater new landlord in Afghanistan

Published on Dec 5, 2012 by RussiaToday : US Special Operations forces have found a new landlord in Afghanistan - and a rather unusual one. They've made home in a facility operated by the 'Academi' mercenary group, formerly known as the notorious Blackwater, following a non-bid deal. Such deals are usually vice versa - as former Bush administration official Michael O'Brien puts it, now it's the tail wagging the dog.

NATO To Deploy Defensive Missiles on Turkey-Syria Border

Published on 4 Dec 2012 by VOAvideo : Analysts say the West appears to be moving towards a new phase in its coordinated response to the Syrian conflict, with NATO's decision to deploy a Patriot missile shield along Turkey's border with Syria, and warnings to Syria against any use of chemical weapons. Henry Ridgwell reports for VOA from London.

Pakistan : Those with dual nationalities cannot contest as MPs.

Pakistani dual national MPs in 'trouble'

Published on Dec 1, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : The dead line for Pakistani MPs to make a legal declaration that they are not dual nationals, has expired. Now the Election Commission is left with no option but to undertake a legal process to disqualify at least 18 MPs who have failed to make legal declaration. Many other MPs are suspected to have made wrong declaration concealing their dual nationalities ----mostly of Britain and the US.

Analysts say, that no one is going to suffer more than that of a British backed ---Karachi based ethnic political party as the Supreme Court and the Election Commission seem determined to disallow the reelection of dual citizens in upcoming national polls.

tightening the screws of occupation!

Published on Dec 2, 2012 by aston79suara : After much fanfare, who are the ones at the receiving end? The Occupation recent victim were first Gaza then West Bank, the cycle goes on - with American politicians forked tongue and white lies  without switching off.

Israel eases restrictions on Gaza fishing (note : still not according to Oslo agreement)

Published on Nov 25, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Israel has eased restrictions on Gaza fishermen, further implementing a three-day-old truce brokered by Egypt after a week of fierce fighting, Palestinian officials said.

Israel to test-fire new missile system after Iron Dome failure.

The Israeli regime is set to test-fire a new missile shield developed by US company Raytheon after its Iron Dome missile system failed to intercept hundreds of rockets and missiles fired from Gaza.

Israel has turned to engineers from the American company to help the regime develop the next-generation missile shield called the Stunner.

According to Boston Globe newspaper, the new missile interceptor is scheduled to be test-fired in “Negev Desert in coming days.”

If the system proves viable, Tel Aviv will add the system to its missile shield, known as David’s Sling, which is designed to complement Iron Dome.

“They are working hard to get David’s Sling operational. The hope is it will be able to knock out a variety of targets,” said Theodore A. Postol, professor of science, technology, and national security policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and former adviser to the US Navy.

Israel developed the Iron Dome with a 200-million-dollar fund from the United States. The US plans to give Tel Aviv another $600 million for additional batteries and replacement missiles.

The US will also help finance the Stunner project if it proves viable. The Israeli firm Rafael has spent a total of $130 million over the past three years to complete the system.

The new interceptor missile system “is designed to intercept a variety of short-range ballistic missiles, large caliber rockets and cruise missiles,” Raytheon said in a statement.

The report added that Tel Aviv is also working with the giant American aerospace corporation, Boeing, on another missile shield known as Arrow 3, designed to intercept missiles that can travel hundreds, even thousands of miles.

The landing of Hamas rockets in Israeli cities has raised serious questions on how the Israeli regime would protect itself in case of other retaliatory strikes.

An Egypt-mediated ceasefire agreement on Wednesday ended eight days of Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip that killed more than 160 Palestinians and injured about 1,200 others.

The Iron Dome missile shield intercepted about 420 out of some 1,500 rockets fired by the Palestinian resistance fighters into the Israeli cities.

The resistance fighters incessantly fired rockets and missiles into the occupied lands during the eight-day Israeli war on Gaza, killing at least five Israelis, in retaliation for the fatal attacks on the besieged Palestinian territory. 

original news here  >>>

Iron Dome interceptor missile deviates, lands in Ashdod: Israeli media

Israeli missile being launched from the Iron Dome missile shield.

Israeli media say an Iron Dome missile fired to intercept Palestinian Grad rockets missed its target and landed near one of the busiest highways in the Israeli city of Ashdod on November 21.

The Iron Dome missile shield marked another failure as its missile went in a wrong direction toward a busy highway instead of heading upwards to the Palestinian rockets, and caused an explosion only 30 meters from the road, the media stated.

An Egypt-mediated ceasefire agreement on Wednesday ended eight days of Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip that killed more than 160 Palestinians and injured about 1,200 others.

However, Israeli Minister for Military Affairs Ehud Barak threatened on Thursday that the Tel Aviv regime was prepared to resume deadly attacks on Gaza if the ceasefire failed to hold.

The Iron Dome missile shield intercepted about 420 out of some 1,500 rockets fired by the Palestinian resistance fighters into the Israeli cities.

The resistance fighters incessantly fired rockets and missiles into the occupied lands during the eight-day Israeli war on Gaza, killing at least five Israelis, in retaliation for the fatal attacks on the besieged Palestinian territory.

original news here   >>>

Israeli Activist Maya Yechieli Wind Speaks Out.

Published on Nov 21, 2012 by breakingtheset : Abby Martin interviewed Maya Yechieli Wind, an Israeli activist and dissenter, who advocates against Israeli aggression toward occupied Palestine.

Netanyahu agreed to ceasefire after Obama promised US troops in Sinai next week?

Israel and Palestine are momentarily at a ceasefire, but the potential reasoning behind the recess could have some real international implications. Israel’s Debka reports that the pause in fighting comes after the US promised to send troops to Sinai.

According to Debka, US troops will soon be en route to the Sinai peninsula, Egyptian territory in North Africa that’s framed by the Suez Canal on the West and Israel on the East. In its northeast most point, Sinai is but a stone’s throw from Palestinian-controlled Gaza, and according to Debka, Hamas fighters there have been relying on Iranian arms smugglers to supply them with weaponry by way of Egypt.

Debka reports this week that Sinai will soon be occupied by US troops, who were promised by President Barack Obama (pic above) to Israel’s leaders as a condition that a ceasefire be called. Once deployed, the Americans will intervene with the rumored arms trade orchestrated by Iranians, ideally cutting off supplies for Hamas while at the same time serving as a thorn in the side of Iran.

“Once the missile and arms consignments depart Iranian ports or Libyan arms bazaars, Tehran has no direct control of their transit from point to point through Egypt until they reach Sinai and their Gaza destination,” Debka reports. “All the same, a US special forces operation against the Sinai segment of the Iranian smuggling route would count as the first overt American military strike against an Iranian military interest.”

The decision to send US troops to Sinai in exchange for a ceasefire was reportedly arranged early Wednesday morning after Pres. Obama  made a deal over the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the days prior, Israel was relentless in targeting Gaza, killing more than 100 persons — including civilians — during a renewed assault on Hamas. A ceasefire has since been called after a week of fight, but more military action could soon occur, claims Israel, if the flow of weapons to Gaza is not stopped. Netanyahu has been adamant with his pleas for the United States to strike Iran in an effort to disrupt its nuclear enrichment facilities, a demand which up until now has been brushed aside by Pres. Obama. The White House has up until now insisted on diplomatic measures in order to make an impact on any Iranian output, but Debka’s sources suggest that US troops may now have to intervene in Sinai if any smugglers should attempt to move weapons into Gaza.

“By opening the Sinai door to an American troop deployment for Israel’s defense, recognizes that the US force also insures Israel against Cairo revoking or failing to honor the peace treaty Egypt signed with Israel in 1979,” adds Debka.

According to their sources, US troops are expected in Egypt early next week. Meanwhile, American forces have all but surrounded Iran and are stationed in countless bases across the Middle East.

original news here >>

Russia urges united action against Israeli aggression.

Moscow has called on the Arab League and the Middle East Quartet comprising Russia, the European Union (EU), UN, and US, to work together to end frequent Israeli aggressions against the Palestinians.

"The Quartet needs...to work together with the Arab League representatives and work out solutions together...to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (pic above) said on Friday.

Lavrov made the remarks after at least one Palestinian was killed and seven others were injured by Israeli fire in the southern Gaza Strip despite an Egypt-mediated ceasefire agreement between the two sides on Wednesday.

Over 160 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and about 1,200 others were injured in the Israeli attacks on Gaza that were carried out during the eight-day period starting November 14.

In retaliation, the Palestinian resistance fighters fired rockets and missiles into Israeli cities, killing at least five Israelis.

The Russian minister had also on November 15 lashed out at the Middle East Quartet for its failure to establish peace in the region.

Israel frequently carries out airstrikes and other attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying the acts of aggression are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, in violation of international law, disproportionate force is always used and civilians are often killed and injured.

The attacks rage on while Israel keeps up its crippling blockade on Gaza, which it imposed on the enclave in 2007.

Original news here >>>

WMD-free Middle East conference cancelled for Israeli worries

Nuclear warheads (file photo)

A major conference aimed at banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East has been cancelled over concerns that criticism at Israel would further isolate the Tel Aviv regime.

The major event has reportedly been scrubbed on US worries that its long-time ally in the region, the Israeli regime, would come under fire as the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

"We would not support a conference in which any regional state would be subject to pressure or isolation," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, alluding to the Israeli regime.

Israel is widely known to possess between 200 and 400 nuclear warheads.

Nuland, however, mentioned on Friday the current conditions in the Middle East as the reason why the conference, slated to be held in Helsinki, Finland, probably in mid-December, has been cancelled.

"As a co-sponsor of the proposed conference ... the United States regrets to announce that the conference cannot be convened because of present conditions in the Middle East and the fact that states in the region have not reached agreement on acceptable conditions for a conference," Nuland said in a statement.

She added, "The United States believes that a deep conceptual gap persists in the region on approaches toward regional security and arms control arrangements.

"These differences can only be bridged through direct engagement and agreement among the states in the region. Outside states cannot impose a process on the region any more than they can dictate an outcome.”

Britain and Russia, as other sponsors of the major conference, had insisted that all regional countries, in particular Israel, attend the meeting and it appears that Tel Aviv’s refusal has, according to reports, led to the cancellation of the major event.

The Israeli regime rejects all the regulatory international nuclear agreements - the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in particular - and refuses to allow its nuclear facilities to come under international regulatory inspections.

Original here  >>>

Syria : Kurds take up arms against rebels.

Turkey’s support for rebels is also viewed with suspicion by Syria's Kurdish population, the majority of which lives in the northern border region. On Friday, two of the main Kurdish groups in Syria agreed to join forces to fight against anti-Assad Islamist militants, which attacked Kurdish areas this month.

The Democratic Union Party, known by its Kurdish initials PYD, and the Kurdish National Council (KNC) came to an agreement after a meeting in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region. The two factions vowed to jointly defend the predominantly Kurdish towns in Syria and administer them together until an election can be held to form a local government.

An officer of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) stands guard near 

the Syrian-Iraq border October 31, 2012.(Reuters / Thaier Al-Sudani)

More here  >>>

Karbala & current war against Islam.

Published on Nov 23, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : The battle of Karbala took place over 1400 years ago and is still commemorated on a yearly basis.The battle took place between the tyrannical army of Yazid and the Grandson of the Prophet and Imam of that time, Imam Hussain, along with 72 members of his family.

This historical event can be compared to tragedies around the world today and should be taken as a precedent to overcome injustice. Lines can be drawn between the state of today's Muslims; a minority in the world who are being oppressed on different levels by a larger majority.

This week's Islam and Life asks: What parallels can be drawn from the battle of Karbala and the current war against Islam?

How Long will the siege on Gaza goes on before America says NO!?

US Money and Policy Makes Israeli Attack on Gaza Possible

Published on Nov 21, 2012 by TheRealNews - Phylis Bennis: President Obama's unconditional support for Israeli campaign emboldens PM Netanyahu

The Roots of Israeli Attack on Gaza.

Published on Nov 17, 2012 by TheRealNews : Phyllis Bennis: The current conflict did not begin with rockets fired at Israel.

Netanyahu : Kill the messengers & Occupy the grounds

Despite pounding from the air using fighters ,drones & from the sea Bibi Netanyahu fails to soften Hamas and Gazans!

Published on Nov 18, 2012 by aston79suara : Hamas stick to their demands although Bibi Netanyahu threatened to send in ground troops and invade Gaza after attacking the 'Israeli non-friendly' reporters.

Thousands in London occupy outside Israeli Embassy against war on Gaza

Published on Nov 17, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : In the UK, Londoners hold a fourth day of protests against Israel's latest military offensive against the Gaza Strip. Thousands have gathered outside the Israeli embassy in support of Palestinians.

Among the speakers was Palestinian ambassador to London Manuel Hassassian who gave an impassioned speech.

The government in Britain has backed israel's violence saying it has a right to defend itself But even the foreign minister has admitted a ground invasion would lose Israel international support.

Protesters say that whatever changes or stays the same they will be here day after day attack after attack standing with the Palestinians and making their voices heard.

SNC a new & different acronym SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION.

The SNC, dominated by the Qatar-backed Brotherhood, agreed under intense U.S. and Qatari pressure on Sunday to become a minority player in a wider body, the Syrian National Coalition.

Opp

osition to the SNC being subsumed in the new coalition appeared to come largely from secular figures such as its new leader, Christian activist George Sabra.

The coalition's first elected head is Mouaz Alkhatib, a popular Islamist preacher from Damascus. Khatib, 50, has been a regular guest on Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite channel...

[Malaysian may have this question Ulama' TV or Selebriti?]

original : http://goo.gl/Viys4

Mali Crisis: UN expected to approve military plan before 2013.

Published on Nov 12, 2012 by france24english : Mali Crisis: West African bloc pledges 3.300 troops to help recapture north; UN expected to approve military plan before 2013. West African troops will back 5.000 Mali military forces.

The meaning of Democratic & Jewish state

Published on Nov 11, 2012 by aston79suara : An attempt to highlight apartheid policies and practices in Israel.

Iran issues warning after targeting U.S. drone

DUBAI | Fri Nov 9, 2012 8:05am EST

(Reuters) - Iran said it would deal decisively with any foreign encroachment into its airspace, an apparent warning to the United States after one of its surveillance drones was targeted by Iranian warplanes last week.

On Thursday U.S. officials said the unarmed Predator drone was in international airspace when Iranian warplanes opened fire on it on November 1. The aircraft was not hit.

The intercept was the first time Tehran had fired at an unmanned U.S. aircraft in their 33 year stand-off.

"The defenders of the Islamic Republic will respond decisively to any form of encroachment by air, sea or on the ground," Fars news agency quoted General Massoud Jazayeri, a senior armed forces commander, as saying on Friday.

"If any foreign aircraft attempts to enter our airspace our armed forces will deal with them," he said. Jazayeri did not mention the drone incident specifically.

more from original report here >>>

WHY? WEST RELUCTANCE TO ATTACK IRAN:

The Islamic Republic of Iran has two types of armed forces: the regular forces Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), totaling about 545,000 active troops.

Iran also has around 350,000 Reserve Force totaling around 900,000 trained troops.Iran has a paramilitary, volunteer militia force within the IRGC, called the Basij, which includes about 90,000 full-time, active-duty uniformed members. Up to 11 million men and women are members of the Basij who could potentially be called up for service; GlobalSecurity.org estimates Iran could mobilize "up to one million men".

This would be among the largest troop mobilizations in the world.In 2007, Iran's military spending represented 2.6% of the GDP or $102 per capita, the lowest figure of the Persian Gulf nations.Iran's military doctrine is based on deterrence.

Since the Iranian Revolution, to overcome foreign embargo, Iran has developed its own military industry, produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, guided missiles, submarines, military vessels, guided missile destroyer, radar systems, helicopters and fighter planes. In recent years, official announcements have highlighted the development of weapons such as the Hoot, Kowsar, Zelzal, Fateh-110, Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles, and a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Fajr-3 (MIRV) is currently Iran's most advanced ballistic missile, it is a liquid fuel missile with an undisclosed range which was developed and produced domestically.

An MI5 Whistle Blower's Stories

From MI6 Al Qaeda Plot to Kill Gaddafi to Spying on Domestic Dissent:

Published on Oct 30, 2012 by TheRealNews : Annie Machon: British intelligence agencies considered themselves above the law.

Spies, Lies and Whistle Blowers

Published on Oct 31, 2012 by TheRealNews : Annie Machon (MI5 whistle blower): The culture of MI5 and MI6 is even worse since 9/11

The testimony was ridiculous?

Rally Calls for Release of "Holy Land Five"

Published on Oct 28, 2012 by TheRealNews : Michael Ratner : Government incarceration of five leaders of a Muslim foundation that supported Palestinians is an affront to human rights.

PA will seek UN recognition next month despite US pressure

Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas leaves the podium after speaking
during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly
at UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 27, 2012.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has declared that despite pressure from the US and Israel, Palestinians will move ahead with a plan to become a "non-member observer state" at the UN General Assembly next month.

Last year, the PA attempted to seek status as a full member state at the world body but the Palestinian drive for full membership of the United Nations failed because of a lack of support in the UN Security Council.

"We will go to the UN regardless of any threats," said Tawfik Tirawi, a senior member of PA chief Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in Ramallah on Sunday.

"I expect the Israelis to take punitive measures against us, if we win this status, but this is our choice and we will not retract it," he added.

The Palestinians are seeking "non-member observer state" status in the UN General Assembly, where success is highly likely since most of the members at the 193-member body are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

The move has prompted a furious response from the Tel Aviv regime. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor warned that UN recognition would "irreversibly poison the atmosphere" and make it impossible to recommence “peace talks”.

"The Palestinians are openly declaring their intention to use this recognition as a weapon in an ever continuing diplomatic war they intend to wage against Israel," he said. "If they are going to wage a legal and diplomatic war against Israel, what are the odds of returning to the negotiating table?"

In November 2011, the Israeli regime accelerated illegal construction work in the occupied territories and froze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) agreed to admit the PA as a member in September 2011.

source  >>>

Both Candidates Misleading on Iran and Afghanistan

Published on Oct 27, 2012 by TheRealNews : Gareth Porter: Obama and Romney debate a false narrative about US foreign policy

Saudi Arabia: Stop Prosecuting Peaceful Protesters

Rights Activists Among Those Charged in New Case | OCTOBER 28, 2012

(Beirut) – Saudi authorities should stop using the courts to prosecute and punish people for peaceful protest.

On October 17, 2012, the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution charged 19 men with “instigating chaos and sedition” and “gathering illegally” after they participated in a peaceful protest on September 23 outside Turfiya prison, in Qassim province in central Saudi Arabia. They were seeking the release of family members, some of whom have been held for years without charge. On October 18, a criminal court sentenced 15 of the men to between 3 and 15 days in prison, along with suspended sentences of between 50 and 90 lashes and suspended jail terms of between two and five months. The trial of the remaining four is scheduled for November 4.

“Instead of addressing the protesters’ concerns, the Saudi government has used the judicial system to punish them,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The sentences handed to these men are part of a wider effort to target and harass activists across the country.”

Authorities have not alleged that the protesters engaged in or called for violence. Witnesses who participated in the protest told Human Rights Watch that security forces blocked off protesters’ access to food and water. Human Rights Watch examined video footage that protesters said was of the September 23 incident, which showed police beating demonstrators.

more from original report  >>>

Syria: tentative agreement for ceasefire during Eid

Published on Oct 24, 2012 by IBTimesUK : There's been a tentative agreement for a ceasefire in Syria, the first of its kind brokered by United Nations Peace Envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi since he took over from his predecessor Kofi Annan. Human rights activists say the 19-month long conflict in the country has now claimed the lives of more than 34,000 people. And now apparently President Bashar al-Assad has 'positively' received the proposal of a 'laying down of arms' ahead of the upcoming Muslim holiday, Eid. Brahimi is reported to have said he pushed "extremely hard" for the agreement.

Mr Brahimi who met with Assad in Damascus, said the truce between the Syrian government and some rebel forces will begin on Friday, lasting the whole four days of the festival. Last week, Brahimi held talks between opposition groups - inside and outside Syria - receiving "promises" but not a "commitment" from them to honour the cease-fire.

He said '...If this humble initiative is successful, we hope to use it as a building block for talks on a longer ceasefire and a ceasefire must be a part of a well-rounded political process."

As unverified footage emerged today of more attacks, this time on the Syrian border town of Haram, the Head of the Syrian National Council - the main opposition group in exile - claimed he had little hope the truce will hold. And despite this peace contract being more modest than the one Kofi Annan proposed, one which didn't sustain, world leaders will be holding their breath to see what happens here.

Security Council Statement: on Somalia

Published on Oct 23, 2012 by GermanyUN - Security Council Statement: Ambassador Wittig on Somalia, 16 October 2012

Chomsky in Gaza, on Estelle

Published on Oct 23, 2012 by CanadaBoatGaza : I'm here in Gaza, I've been here for several days. I was here hoping to greet the latest boat from the Flotilla, the Estelle. We were waiting at the Gaza port. The boat, like earlier ones, was hijacked by the Israeli navy. They call it Israeli territorial waters, it's actually Gazan waters or international waters, Israel has no right to those waters. The Estelle was another effort to break the siege, as in some way is our visit. The siege is a criminal act that has no justification. It should be broken and it should be strongly opposed by the outside world. It's simply an effort to intimidate the Gazans into self-destruction, to try to get rid of them and destroy the society. There is absolutely no justification for it -- military justifications are claimed but they have no credibility. The people on the boat should be honoured and respected for their courage and commitment and for undertaking a brave and important effort to break the siege, the criminal siege, and bring hope to the people of Gaza who are imprisoned, literally imprisoned in the biggest prison in the world.

The Next War: Destination “Lebanon.”

The New York times reported that a powerful bomb devastated a Christian neighborhood of Lebanon’s capital on Friday October 19, 2012, killing an intelligence official long viewed as an enemy by neighboring Syria and unnerving as Syria’s sectarian-fueled civil war threatened to engulf the region.

The blast which sheared off the face of buildings, killed at least eight people, wounded 80 and transformed a quiet tree-lined street in to a scene reminiscent of Lebanon’s long civil war. Within hours of the attack the Lebanese authorities said the dead included the intelligence chief of the country’s internal security service, Brig. Gen. Wissam Al-Hassan 47, spurring accusations that the Syrian government had assassinated him for recently uncovering what the authorities said was a Syrian plot to provoke unrest in Lebanon. They wanted to get him, and they got him, “said Paul Salem a regional analyst with the Carnegie Middle East Center.” [1]

The Associated Press reported that the Friday blast was a reminder of Lebanon’s grim history, when the 1975-1990 Civil War made the country notorious for kidnappings, car bombs, and political assassinations. The associated Press went on to say that even the war’s end, Lebanon has been a proxy battleground for the regional conflicts, and the seaside capital has been a prey to sudden and often unexplained violence shattering periods of calm. As usual State Department spokes-woman Victoria Nuland condemned the bombing. She said the U.S. had no information about the perpetrators. Meanwhile, Syrian information minister Omran Al-Zouebi denounced the bombing, calling it a “terrorist and cowardly” attack. At the same time, Syria’s top ally in Lebanon the Shiite Hezbollah movement also condemned the attack expressing its “state of great shock over this terrible crime.” [2]

Analysis

As in every crime scene we need to first assess who the instigators might be, and who would benefit from these acts of violence. Should we just gather the usual suspects and bury the truth? Or should we expand our horizon and explore other possible suspects.

Ironically and for decades, most of the sudden acts of violence in Lebanon have been committed by unknown hands and have gone unclaimed, leaving room for speculation and accusations, which is a convenient way to lay the blame on a specific person, group, party, sect, or country, resulting in the creation of a mistrustful and paranoid atmosphere that reinforces divisiveness.

It is no secret that Lebanon’s relationship with Syria has been toxic for many years despite the proximity between the two countries and the political declarations by their politicians who pronounce them as two closely-knitted nations.

Syria has been engulfed for the past year in an alleged civil unrest aiming at regime change just like in Egypt, Iraq, Libya and other neighboring Arab Countries under the guise of a revolutionary Arab spring financed by Western and Saudi money. These sham revolutions have been instigated, fueled, and staged by western powers and their proxies in the Middle East like the Israelis and the Saudis.

Lebanon bombings linked to civil war in Syria.

By Niall Green  | 22 October 2012

Two bombings in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, have thrown the country into crisis, further exposing the danger that the civil war in Syria could spark a far wider conflagration throughout the region.

On Friday, a massive explosion in Beirut killed eight people, including a top Internal Security Forces officer, Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan. An estimated 78 people were injured in the blast, which hit a motorcade passing through a historic Christian neighborhood of the city.

A Lebanese security official told reporters that immediately prior to his killing, Hassan had returned from a visit to France and Germany. The car in which he was riding at the time of the attack was reportedly not armored, despite the obvious dangers associated with his position and the volatile state of Lebanese politics.

General al-Hassan headed an investigation this year that implicated a former minister in the Hezbollah-led government of Lebanon in an alleged plot with Syrian officials to carry out terrorist attacks inside the country. The minister implicated in al-Hassan’s investigation, Michel Samaha, is reported to have longstanding links with US, French and Syrian intelligence agencies. A former member of the fascist Phalangist movement during the Lebanese civil war, Samaha had in recent years formed an alliance with Hezbollah.

Several leading Lebanese politicians jumped to blame the government in neighboring Syria for the assassination. Saad al-Hariri, the leader of Lebanon’s main opposition bloc, accused the government in Damascus of being behind the killing of al-Hassan.

full from source here >>>

US Justice for British Citizens?

Published on Oct 18, 2012 by TheRealNews : Families of British men extradited to US feel betrayed by their government and judicial system.

If McKinnon's name is Ali or Abdul, he would have been handed to the yanks on a silver plate, too?

UN-AL envoy calls for Iran help for temporary ceasefire in Syria.

UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi

The UN and Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has called on Iran to help achieve a ceasefire in Syria during the four-day Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).

"Lakhdar Brahimi has appealed to the Iranian authorities to assist in achieving a ceasefire in Syria during the forthcoming Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest holidays celebrated by the Muslims around the world," AFP reported on Tuesday.

Brahimi "underlined that the crisis in Syria was getting worse every day and stressed the urgent need to stop the bloodshed," the report said.

Brahimi said a ceasefire, timed to coincide with the Eid al-Adha starting October 25, “would help create an environment that would allow a political process to develop."

On the second leg of his second regional tour aimed at finding a solution to the 19-month conflict in Syria, Brahimi visited Iran following a trip to Turkey. The international envoy is currently in Iraq.

During his visit to Tehran, Brahimi held talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili.

Western states have been calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, but Iran, Russia, and China are strongly opposed to the Western drive to oust Assad.

The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the armed militants are foreign nationals, mostly from Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan.

original source  >>>

History of Iran & USA in 10 min!

Published on Feb 5, 2012 by realpress : A brief history of Iran and America's relations and the facts that have led to this political gridlock.

UN briefs on Middle East situation ‎

By Undersecretary General for Political Affairs.

Published on Oct 16, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Monday's UN Security Council meeting came to order and the ball was immediately passed to Jeffrey Feltman -- the UN's Undersecretary General for Political Affairs -- for his briefing on the situation in the Middle East.

Viva Scotland!

Scottish referendum to hit hard Britain:

Published on Oct 15, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Scotland gained its own government in 1999 and is expected to sign a document that will allow for a referendum in 2014 to vote for its independence from Britain.

Press TV has interviewed Mr. Chris Bambery, a Scot and political analyst in London about Scotland's dream of escaping the imperial legacy of the United Kingdom and the impact a separation will have in Britain.

MALAYSIA - FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE?

Uploaded by on Oct 15, 2012 : Thumbs up for Malaysia, will there be a lasting peace?

'Nobel Committee making another mistake'

Published on Oct 13, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Although European nations support Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians, the Nobel committee has awarded its Peace Prize to the European Union, an analyst tells Press TV.

The EU has won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize at a time that social unrest and financial problems are shaking the very pillars of the 27-nation bloc.

Announcing the award on Friday, the Nobel Committee President Thorbjoern Jagland acknowledged the EU's current financial woes and social unrest as many analysts also questioned the timing of the event coinciding with a wave of unrest in the bloc.

“Day of Rage”

On the behalf of ISI : would like to express our support on and urge all peace loving Americans to join you on this "Day of Rage".

We have selected November 6, 2012 for the date of this event since that is the date for our general Federal election. Given the proclivity of the US government to waive the requirement for some signatories to abide by the provisions of the 4th Geneva Convention I suspect our “Day of Rage” will continue through the next millennia and beyond.

ARE YOU REFERRING TO ISRAEL? https://www.facebook.com/events/388587067879005/

The suggested text of the message as well as the email address of his Public Information Officer and mailing address for Secretary Mabus is available for download at:

http://www.usslibertyveterans.org/files/DayOfRageforUSSLibertySurvivors.zip

or

http://www.usslibertyveterans.org/files/DayOfRageforUSSLibertySurvivors.exe

If you receive a response, please email it to us at joe@ussliberty.com or fax it to us at (747)333-2123. 

US military taskforce operating near Syria

US troopers prepare their gear during the Eager Lion joint 

military exercise near the Jordanian–Saudi border, 

260 kilometers (less than 162 miles) 

south of Amman, on May 24, 2012.

The US military has secretly deployed a force of ‘planners and specialists’ to Jordan in an apparent bid to protect the Amman regime from the spread of Syrian crisis and set the stage for creating of a “buffer zone” inside Syria.

The clandestine effort by the US military to dispatch “a task force of more than 150 planners and other specialists” marks the first reported bid by Washington to prepare for a military intervention in Syria and is being led by “a senior American officer” at a “Jordanian military training center in northern Amman,” influential US daily The New York Times reports Wednesday.

According to the report, quoting “American officials familiar with the operation,” the mission includes setting up plans to “insulate” the US-backed Jordanian dictatorship in Amman from the potential outbreak of the foreign-sponsored turmoil in Syria, a key base for anti-Israeli resistance in the region.

“The idea of establishing a buffer zone between Syria and Jordan - which would be enforced by Jordanian forces on the Syrian side of the border and supported politically and perhaps logistically by the United States - had been discussed,” the Times article reports, quoting unnamed US officials.

read more

Panetta: US sends forces to Jordan

Syria war is spreading?

Turkey Authorizes Military Operations in Syria

Published on Oct 4, 2012 by AssociatedPress : Turkey's Parliament authorized military operations against Syria on Thursday and its military fired on targets there for a second day after deadly shelling from Syria killed five civilians in a Turkish border town.

95% of 'Syrian rebels' not Syrians - report

Published on Oct 2, 2012 by RussiaToday : The Syrian crisis is a result of a coherent collective effort by a gang of foreign states - that's the message Syria's foreign minister laid out for the UN General Assembly.

International law professor Daoud Khairallah says that Syrians would never inflict such vicious destruction on their homeland and the fact that foreign fighters are involved in the war runs against the UN charter.

Syria: The men who would replace Assad

Analysis: Who are the Syrian opposition, and why do they seem to be fighting each other more than the regime?

LONDON — From the perspective of many outsiders, it appears the Syrian regime has been bent on self-destruction for 10 months.

More than 5,000 people are now thought to have been killed since the uprising began last year. Western leaders, most of the Arab League, and even one-time ally Turkey have turned against President Bashar Al-Assad, imposing sanctions and calling for him to step down. But in a defiant speech Tuesday, he insisted he would not be going anywhere.

On Wednesday, he made another rare public appearance. He addressed a rally in Damascus' Umayad Square, thanking the crowd for its support and pledging to defeat the opposition.

His position seems strong. There have been no major political or diplomatic defections, and despite some well-publicized army rebellions, the military is largely intact.

But despite almost a year of repression, the protest movement refuses to die down. So who are the men (and they are almost all men) who would replace Bashar Al-Assad?

Afghanistan : US has no exit strategy?

Published on Oct 2, 2012 by aston79suara : Gareth Porter - There is little debate in Election Campaign, Afghan war a failure : about why and what to do next. American not in the know, about recent major US military defeats, worst than Vietnam!

From original source  : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCvZ09q_Y_E

Pentagon Declares Failed Afghanistan Surge a Success…by Redefining its Goal after the Fact

After eleven years of war in Afghanistan, which have left 15,322 Americans wounded and 2,126 dead, the Pentagon appears ready to take the advice given by Senator George Aiken (R-Vermont) in 1966 regarding the failing war in Vietnam: unilaterally declare victory and go home. To make such a declaration even marginally credible, however, the military has first determined to “move the goalposts” by redefining the goals of the war after the fact.

 

That the war in Afghanistan, including the “troop surge” ordered by President Obama in 2009, has been a failure is clear from a recent report released by the NATO Afghanistan military command. For example, in July 2009, just a few months before the surge, insurgent attacks totaled about 2,000, while in July 2012 they attacked about 3,000 times, an increase of about 33%. (Because the precise number of attacks remains classified, precise statistical analysis is impossible.) The same is true for every month in 2009 compared to every month in 2012 for which data exists: The insurgency launched more attacks in 2012 than it did in 2009. The conclusion is inescapable: the troop surge has done nothing to degrade the insurgents’ military strength or capabilities.

And that was the purpose of the troop surge, as President Obama explained in a speech at West Point in December 2009 announcing his decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan: “We must reverse the Taliban’s momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government.”

Because that goal has not been met, as the surge winds down the military has discovered another, more limited goal that it believes it can claim to have achieved. Two weeks ago, General Martin E. Dempsey, who is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,contended that the intended purpose of the surge was “to buy us some time to push back on some Taliban initiatives—particularly in the south and southwest—and to buy us some space to grow the Afghan security forces.”

While it is true that Afghan security forces have grown by about 50,000 during the surge period, it is also true that attacks by members of those forces on American and allied forces have also grown. With the troop surge ending October 1, and the U.S. committed to withdrawing all forces by the end of 2014, declaring victory and going home seems the most rational course of action, particularly as two-thirds of Americans want U.S. troops to return as soon as possible.

- Matt Bewig  |  1st Oct 2012 - original here    >>

Somalia - the reality on the ground?

Somalia's  elusive peace?..

For example, in the north, the unrecognized separatist “Republic of Somaliland” in northwestern Somalia claims to be an independent nation, and Puntla

nd State of Somalia in northeastern Somalia claims to be the first established state in the new Federal Republic of Somalia. In the south-central regions, the situation is generally more fluid and volatile: Galmudug State of Somalia controls a number of districts in southern Mudug region, while Ahlu Sunna Sufi militia group controls most districts of Galgadud region, although Al Shabaab group maintains a heavy presence in El Bur district of Galgadud region.

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

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

Key towns such as Beledweyne and Baidoa remain under the control of Ethiopian armed forces, while Mogadishu and Merka are dominated by African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) from Uganda and Burundi. In the deep south Jubba regions, Kenyan troops under AMISOM mandate are joined by Somali local fighters aiming to re-take the key port of Kismayo from the grip of Al Shabaab, a key source of revenue for the group's guerrilla and terrorist attacks against the country's internationally-backed government. In this land of complexities and intricate dynamics, any wrong move could shift things completely in an unintended direction, and if every step is not carefully planned and actions are undertaken in harmony between the center and the peripheral powers, the outcome could have devastating consequences for Somalia and the wider region.

Above are extracted from Garowe online (operating from Puntland?) http://goo.gl/z1fZ3

Maps on Youtube, (see below) showed 1Somalia = Somaliland + Puntland + the South of Somalia (3).

Al-Shabab rebels pull out of key Somali town 
  ..out of the southern port city of Kismayo, their last stronghold in the  country, after a military assault by Kenyan and Somali troops,  the rebels have said.

The Ogaden national Liberation Front (ONLF) fighting Ethiopia and their agenda is about joining Somalia is still very much kicking & alive - in the equation, see http://goo.gl/9K0G5