Archives for February 2009

The US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) has issued a report on as much as $125 billion unaccounted-for reconstruction and military equipment money in Iraq. Patrick Cockburn at the Independent quotes a US businessman active in Iraq after the US invasion who observed that Iraq was looted alright, but the big looting did […]

The demonstrating crowds have gone home. The blog postings have tapered off. The pundits have moved on. Congress is back to its old tricks, ignoring public opinion in favor of the lobbyists and money men. The US public is worried about losing its job or getting back the one it lost. Gaza here is a […]

Blogs are not the best vehicles for narrow-casting, but for readers in my area, I wanted to bring to your attention The Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival, which begins March 11 at the Michigan Theater. End/ (Not Continued)

A US predator drone hit a guest house of supporters of Baitullah Mahsud in South Waziristan on Saturday, killing about 20 persons and wounding 15. Mahsud is the leader of the Movement of Pakistani Taliban Those killed were mostly foreign fighters, especially Arabs and Uzbeks. NATO and the Karzai government blame Pakistani tribal agencies like […]

A female suicide bomber detonated her payload in Musayyib on Friday in a tent of pilgrims taking a rest from their walk to the holy city of Karbala, killing 40 persons and wounding 80. The pilgrims were heading to the tomb of Imam Husayn, the martyred grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in honor of the […]

After attacks on Shiite pilgrims killed 20 on Wednesday, Thursday saw another violent day in Iraq, with bombings in Mosul, a gas cylinder explosion in Karbala and other violence that left 12 dead. McClatchy discerns a return of the Baath Party in new guises in Iraq, with Salih Mutlak’s National Iraqi Project, which did well […]

A coordinated attack in Kabul on two government offices that involved the detonation of two big bombs, killed 20 and wounded 57. The assault shook the Afghan capital Wednesday on the eve of the arrival of President Obama’s special envoy, Richard Holbrooke. The brazen attack was clearly intended to undermine confidence in the government of […]

The outcome of the Israeli election has sounded the death knell for the two-state solution. There are not 61 votes for it in the new Knesset of 120 seats. A good 64 of the just-elected and/or re-elected Members of Parliament favor accelerated Israeli colonization of the West Bank and oppose Palestinian statehood. Most militant of […]

The USG Open Source Center translates Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech offering talks with the United States. ‘Ahmadinezhad Tells US If You Truly Want To Fight Terrorism, Cooperate With IranA speech by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad to a rally of thousands at Tehran’s Freedom Square, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Revolution — liveVision […]