The USG Open Source Center analyzes Russia’s renewed ties of patronage with Syria. The analysts look at arms sales, energy deals and port access for the Russian navy, among other dimensions of the relationship, and also trace the ways in which Russia has attempted to defend Syria in international forums. ‘OSC Analysis 15 Nov: Russia […]
3 US Soldiers Killed Blackwater Blues Dems Try Again to Bring Troops Home
An FBI investigation has found that the Blackwater Security guards who killed 17 Iraqis in mid-September had broken laws and regulations on the use of deadly force in 14 of the shootings. Fred McKay argues that Blackwater combines the two constituencies of Bush’s wing of the Republican Party, the privatization of Everything and Christian fundamentalism. […]
Jama’at Demands Restoration of the Pakistani Judiciary
The USG Open Source Center translates an interview given by the leader of Pakistan’s oldest and largest Muslim fundamentalist party, the Jama’at-i Islami [Islamic Society], Qazi Husain Ahmad. The Jama’at had been willing to be part of the government since 2002, and [the coalition to which it belongs] had held about a fifth of the […]
Sunni Party Joins Call for New Elections in Iraq
Turkish aircraft struck at targets inside Iraqi Kurdistan on Tuesday, seeking to inflict damage on the Kurdish Worker Party guerrillas who have crossed over into Iraq in search of safe haven. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars (mostly the Iraq War) have cost the US taxpayer $1.8 trillion, twice what Bush has alleged. Al-Hayat reports in […]
Like, Bad Vibes, Man, in Pakistan: Musharraf; Bhutto: Musharraf must Go
The Pakistani public is generally outraged at the repressive measures implemented by Gen. Musharraf, which now include forbidding the importation of satellite dishes to Pakistan. Musharraf seems to think he is dealing with Uzbekistan or something; Pakistanis are far more sophisticated than that, and Lahore can always get Indian t.v. stations– and the word spreads […]
US Drawdown Begins Sadrists call for New Parliamentary Elections
The US military has begun to reverse last year’s troop escalation, which brought the number of combat brigades in Iraq up to 20. It is now going back down to 19, and will stand at 15 in July of 2008 if things go according to plan. That is, the number of US troops in Iraq […]
Bhutto Calls for Musharraf to Step down Put under House Arrest
Opposition politician Benazir Bhutto has called for Gen. Pervez Musharraf to resign as president of Pakistan, and says she will never serve as prime minister under him. He put her back under house arrest on Tuesday. My guess is that Benazir Bhutto will now be deported by Musharraf. He only let her back into the […]
Poll: Turkish Kurds Would not Emigrate to a Kurdistan 72% say US soft on Terror
The Turkish Daily News reports the results of a poll of persons living in 14 cities in southeastern Turkey, which has a large Kurdish population. Only 1% of those polled said that they would prefer to live in an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq rather than in Turkey (where they presently live). Ominously, the […]
Shiite Preacher Praises Increased Security Calls for Timetable for US Withdrawal
The USG Open Source Center translates Friday prayer sermons from last week in Iraq. Of particular interest is the sermon of Shiite cleric Sadr al-Din al-Qabanji of Najaf, who preaches at the prestigious mosque attached to the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf. Al-Qabanji [al-Qabanchi] represents the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), the de […]
© 2025 All Rights Reserved