Chris Woods writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: CIA drones are reportedly reviving the use of highly-controversial tactics that target rescuers and funeral-goers. On Monday US drones attacked rescuers in Waziristan in western Pakistan minutes after an initial strike, killing 16 people in total according to the BBC. On May 28, drones were also […]
“Surgeon of Damascus” Promises more Blood, Blames West for Syria Violence
Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the 14-month-old attempted revolution in his country is being instigated by outside forces. He defended the bloody crackdown on the rebellion by the regime, saying that when a doctor operates on an eye, we don’t complain about all the blood but rather thank him for saving the victim’s […]
Heartland Climate Scam Sinking, but so is Planet (McKibben)
Bill McKibben writes at Tomdispatch.com: A hard-hitting campaign from a new group called Forecast the Facts persuaded many of the corporations backing Heartland to withdraw $825,000 in funding; an entire wing of the Institute, devoted to helping the insurance industry, calved off to form its own nonprofit. Normally friendly politicians like Wisconsin Republican Congressman Jim […]
Protests, Politicking around Mubarak Verdict Continue in Egypt
Scattered protests took place around Egypt for a second day on Sunday, in reaction to a court judgment against deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak. On Saturday, over 10,000 protesters had gathered in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, while other, smaller rallies were held in a number of cities, including Alexandria. The verdict delivered by the Cairo […]
Thousands Demonstrate in Alexandria Against Shafiq as Egypt Faces Election Turmoil
Some 7,000 Egyptians demonstrated on Friday, demanding that Gen. Ahmad Shafiq be disqualified as a candidate for president of Egypt in the run-off elections scheduled for later this month. Smaller demonstrations were held in other cities, including in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Alexandrians seem upset, but thec capital was more jaded. The turnout in Cairo was […]
Top Ten Reasons Romney Shouldn’t Arm Syrian Rebels
GOP presidential hopeful Willard “Mitt” Romney has called on President Barack Obama to arm the Syrian opposition, accusing the president of lacking leadership for declining to do so. Romney can’t decide whether he is afraid of Muslims or wants to give them sophisticated weapons. He once explained that he did not want to focus on […]
Hot Drone on Drone Action (Turse)
Nick Turse writes at Tomdispatch.com: Introduction by Tom Engelhardt [Note for TomDispatch Readers: Today, you are witnessing the birth of a TomDispatch experiment. Nick Turse and I are launching Dispatch Books, our own little publishing venture (and adventure), with our initial e-book, Terminator Planet: The First History of Drone Warfare, 2001-2050. We’ve carefully reworked the […]
Satellite Images Show Syrian Army Siege of Houla (BBC)
The UN is debating whether to withdraw its observers from Syria, given that there is no point in deploying observers if they are just going to witness the violence. The point of the observers was to enforce a cease-fire by moral suasion, but there is no ceasefire. Meanwhile, the UN has found evidence of a […]
The Great Landgrab (Oldroyd)
Rachel Oldroyd writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism The latest book by science and environment author Fred Pearce is a breezy waltz through a key global problem that has yet to register with most people. In 2008, food prices around the world spiked, tipping many on the edges of poverty into crisis. But the […]