Although it is hard to know what is going on in Syria on the ground, it does seem clear that the momentum is with the regime now, and no longer with the rebels. The Syrian army has made important gains since last March. Regional non-state actors have emerged as important to Syria, whether Hizbullah on […]
CIA drone strikes Militant Seminary in Pakistan Proper, Killing 6 (Ross)
Alice K. Ross writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism A CIA drone strike hit a religious school in Hangu, Pakistan [on Thursday], killing at least six and injuring several more. It is believed to be the first time a strike has taken place in the ‘settled’ areas beyond Pakistan’s tribal regions. The Bureau has […]
How We the People can Stop Climate Change through Disinvestment (Gitlin)
Todd Gitlin writes at Tomdispatch.com: Apocalyptic climate change is upon us. For shorthand, let’s call it a slow-motion apocalypse to distinguish it from an intergalactic attack out of the blue or a suddenly surging Genesis-style flood. Slow-motion, however, is not no-motion. In fits and starts, speeding up and slowing down, turning risks into clumps of […]
Tony Blair let the American NSA Spy on Millions of Britons and Store their Private Data
The Guardian and Channel 4 News report that Tony Blair allowed the US National Security Agency to spy on millions of Britons, and to record and store their browser history and email. In 2005, the US had gone ahead and initiated the spying without British permission. Subsequent Prime Ministers, including the current one, David Cameron, […]
US seeks Broad Powers, Immunity for post-2014 Troops in Afghanistan (Lazare)
Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Wednesday that a text had been agreed on between the US and the government of President Hamid Karzai concerning a post-2014 role for US troops in the country. It still has to be approved by a Loya Jirga, a gathering of 2000 notables and clan leaders. The details […]
Syrian Civil War Spreads to Lebanon: Beirut Shaken by Iran Embassy Blast, kills 23, wounds 150
Al-Hayat [Life] reports on the targeting by two suicide bombers of the Iranian embassy in south Beirut on Tuesday, which killed 23, including the Iranian cultural attache and embassy guards, and wounded 150. It was the first attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut since the outbreak of the civil war in neighboring Syria. Since […]
Egypt: Youth Remember Martyrs, Reject both Army and Muslim Brotherhood
A couple of thousand demonstrators came into Tahrir Square on Monday evening to commemorate the massacre of protestors at Muhammad Mahmoud St. off Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo on November 19, 2011. The commemoration continued Tuesday morning. One of their signs said “Revolutionaries only: No entry for Muslim Brothers, the Military, or remnants of the […]
Kenya’s KTN outshines American Media in Climate Change Coverage: 2013 among 10 Hottest Years since 1850
Kenya’s KTN television news reports on the Warsaw Climate Conference and on a new report by the World Meteorological Organization showing that 2013 is one of the 10 hottest years since 1850. What struck me is how professional and straightforward the KTN report is. It accurately represents the WMO report and shows its representatives presenting […]
The Coming Drone Wars: Iran Unveils its own Drone, with a 1200-mile Range
It was foreseeable that when the United States began deploying drones wherever it likes, its rivals would also develop that capability. In fact, you wonder if sending the drones around doesn’t create an opportunity for others to capture them and reverse-engineer them. Iran captured a US Predator drone last winter and claimed to have gotten […]
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