It wasn’t supposed to be like this, the Neocons assured us. Iran would soon be on its knees because of ever more stringent US sanctions on Iran. But Iran just cheekily sent two warships through the Suez Canal to dock at the Syrian port of Tartous. The old Mubarak government in Egypt might not have […]
Archives for February 2012
US Interventions in the World since WW II
US military and CIA interventions in the world since World War II.
Tomgram: Andrew Bacevich, Uncle Sam, Global Gangster
With the United States now well into the second decade of what the Pentagon has styled an “era of persistent conflict,” the war formerly known as the global war on terrorism (unofficial acronym WFKATGWOT) appears increasingly fragmented and…
Omar Khayyam (33)
Night and day preceded you and me. The vault of the sky revolved upon some work. Be careful to tread lightly on the earth– you’re walking on people who used to be someone’s lover. Translated by Juan Cole from Whinfield 33.
Ayatollah Santorum Excommunicates Obama, Mainstream Protestants
Rick Santorum attacked President Obama on Saturday for his theology. Although people assumed that Santorum was, like other conservatives, hinting around that Obama is not a Christian but rather a secret Muslim, Santorum denied this allegation. And, likely he meant instead to lump Obama with the 45 million members of mainline Protestant churches in the […]
History Lesson on US-Iran Relations
A history lesson on American relations with Iran:
Ring of Iranian Bases Threatens US
I had grabbed an earlier version of this graphic off a Democratic Underground bulletin board from 2005. It made the point that the United States, which professes itself menaced by Iran, rather has Iran encircled by military bases. I have tried to update the map a bit, though this area is a moving target and […]
Omar Khayyam (31)
Don’t try every door because of some bauble; you just have to accept the good and bad of your time; a shake of the cup and a toss of the dice– whatever comes up, you’ll just have to play it. Translated by Juan Cole from Whinfield 31 .
General Assembly Condemns Syria as Regime Bombards Homs Again
The world condemned the Syria regime’s brutal crackdown on its own people at the UN General Assembly on Thursday. What would be the response of the ruling Baath Party? We didn’t have to wait long to find out. On Friday morning, the Syrian armed forces subjected Baba Amr in Homs to one of the fiercest […]