Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The burka empowering women? You must be mad, minister | Mail Online
The burka empowering women? You must be mad, minister | Mail Online: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Friday, June 05, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Chavez and the US - Even now...
I refer you to my original post.....
CIA 'plot to kill Hugo Chavez'
Hugo Chavez has claimed that he avoided a US plot to kill him.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks during his weekly broadcast Alo Presidente in the western state of Zulia Photo: REUTERS
The Venezuelan president said on state television that he had eluded an assassination attempt in El Salvador where he was due to attend the swearing in of its new leader, a Left-wing ally.
"I am not accusing Obama. I think the American president has good intentions," Mr Chavez said. "But over and above Obama, there is the CIA, and all of its tentacles. I have no doubt US intelligence services are behind this."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/5437251/CIA-plot-to-kill-Hugo-Chavez.html
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
US vessel 'shoots at Suez boat'
AFP: Egyptian killed by US military shipA US container ship has opened fire on a small Egyptian boat in the Suez Canal, killing one man and wounding two others, Egyptian reports say.The ship, the Global Patriot, was passing through the canal when it was apparently approached by a motorboat selling local merchandise.
It fired after the boat failed to stop when asked, Egyptian sources say.
Some 100 other local vessels are said to have gathered at the scene, carrying hawkers demanding an inquiry.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk via deng
Tags: Suez | Global Patriot | World
Iran 'behind Green Zone Attack'
Interviewed by John Simpson on BBC, General Petraeus said violence in Iraq was being perpetuated by Iran's Quds Force. "The rockets that were launched at the Green Zone yesterday - were Iranian-provided, Iranian-made rockets".
Iran 'behind Green Zone attack'
Gen Petraeus said he was surprised how Sunnis turned against al-QaedaThe most senior US general in Iraq has said he has evidence that Iran was behind Sunday's bombardment of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.
Gen David Petraeus told the BBC he thought Tehran had trained, equipped and funded insurgents who fired the barrage of mortars and rockets.
He said Iran was adding what he described as "lethal accelerants" to a very combustible mix.
There has as yet been no response from Iran to the accusations.Source: news.bbc.co.uk via deng
US military says Iran Continues to Help Iraqi Insurgents
Tags: Iran | Iraq | Green Zone | Petreaus | Quds Force | World
Monday, March 24, 2008
Exposure.: The Woman behind the Camera at Abu Ghraib
Following up on Mardtech's and mtippet's reports, here is the article from the New Yorker.
"And you could inflict pain. “You also had stress positions, and you escalated the stress positions,” Davis said. “Hand-cuffs behind their backs, high up, in very uncomfortable positions, or chained down. Then you had the submersion. You put the people in garbage cans, and you’d put ice in it, and water. Or stick them underneath the shower spigot naked. They’d be freezing.” It was a routine, he said: “Open a window while it was, like, forty degrees outside and watch them disappear into themselves . . . before they go into shock.”'
No comments from me seem necessary on this one.
Or, to put it another way; I don't think anyone would like what I have to say...
Source: newyorker.com via deng
Tags: Iraq | Abu Ghraib | Crimes against Humanity | David Addington | Dick Cheney | Excellent Reporting | GENEVA CONVENTIONS | George W. Bush | Human Rights Abuses | John Yoo | Sabrina Harman | specialist | The New Yorker | torture | War Crimes | World
Hyper girls 'struggle as adults'
Little girls are suger and spice. Little Boys can be monsters at times and it may take years before parents eventually realise they might be hyperactive and seek help. But what happens to a troublesome little girl who is fidgety and excitable, who stamps her feet and has temper tantrums?
This report came out of the blue for me because it is the first time I have ever seen hyperactivity linked to girls behaviour.
One in ten girls were found to have hyperactivity problemsHyperactive young girls are more likely to have "serious" problems in adulthood, research suggests.
A study of more than 800 girls up to the age of 21 found hyperactivity was linked to poor job prospects, abusive relationships and teenage pregnancy.
Previous research on the lasting impact of childhood hyperactivity has focused on boys, who are more likely to be diagnosed and treated.Source: news.bbc.co.uk via deng
Tags: Culture | hyperactive | Hyperactive girls | hyperactivity
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Blasts Hit Green Zone
Smoke has been seen rising from the Iraqi capital's heavily fortified Green Zone after it was targeted by a series of rockets or mortars.
At least 10 blasts were heard in the area in central Baghdad, starting shortly before 6am on Sunday, and helicopters were immediately seen flying overhead.The US public address system in the Green Zone warned people to "duck and cover" and to stay away from windows.
Source: english.aljazeera.net via deng
US officials did not respond to a request for comment about the incident.
The 10sq km area on the west bank of the Tigris river houses the US and British embassies, the Iraqi government headquarters and thousands of American troops on the west bank of the Tigris River.
Fighters blamed
Last month, the US military blamed what it calls Iranian-backed armed Shia groups for a series of deadly rocket attacks in Baghdad.
NowPublic
Tags: Baghdad | American area | Green Zone | MORTARS | Rocket | World
An American Woman in Dubia Fights for Abused Women
An American by birth, Sharla Musabih argues that confrontation is essential in order to fight ingrained patriacal tradition, and points out that the Emirates needs to address human trafficking. “When a woman has three broken bones in her back, and the police don’t take it seriously, yes, I get angry,” Ms. Musabih said.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — For years, Sharla Musabih has fought a lonely battle to protect battered wives and victims of human trafficking here. She founded the Emirates’ first women’s shelter here and she became a familiar figure at police stations, relentlessly hounding officers to be tougher on abusive husbands.
Ms. Musabih with a shelter resident’s child. Her aggressiveness stands out, as does her habit of calling her charges “darlin’.”
Tamara Abdul Hadi for The New York Times
She has also earned many enemies. Emiratis do not often take kindly to rights advocates drawing attention to the dark side of their fast-growing city-state on the Persian Gulf, better known for its gleaming office towers and artificial islands.
Still, no one was quite prepared for the stories that started appearing in Dubai newspapers this month. Suddenly, unidentified female victims were coming forward to say that “Mama Sharla” herself had abused them, forced them to work as servants and sold their stories to foreign journalists for thousands of dollars, pocketing the proceeds. She even sold one woman’s baby, the articles said, hinting at criminal investigations.Source: nytimes.com via deng
Tags: dubai | United Arab Emirates | ABUSED | Culture | first | FOR | here | Musabih | office | Patriarchy | right | Sharla | shelter | Upsets | Voice | women
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Terrorist? "Unlawful Combatant"?
I can't remember why or how I first started reading al Jazeera on the net. It might have been because I was trying to find out about the airstrike during which Tariq
Ayoub, an al Jazeera reporter was killed and three other employees were wounded.
This happened during a deliberate direct missile attack on al Jazeera's Baghdad offices by the U.S. Or I started reading it to find out more about George Bush planning to bomb al Jazeera's TV station in Qatar. Whichever it was, I can only thank Washington
or the Pentagon for bringing this great organization to my attention.
al Jazeera is to News with a Big N; as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News (yeah, I know - fair-and-balanced-and-its-not-a-news-station but it has sure convinced its viewers it is), are to entertainment and biased opinion, - like cartoon programmes with an extremely small c. There is no comparison because Al Jazeera simply shows you, the viewer, the truth.
In the 8 April attack in 2003, I learnt that both Tariq Ayoub and a cameraman, Zuheir Iraqi, who received shrapnel wounds to his neck, were on the station’s roof preparing for a live broadcast when the U.S. bombs hit the building. Those missiles killed Tariq Ayoub and demolished Al-Jazeera’s bureau.
Of course, after the U.S. Administration had been kind enough to direct me to al Jazeera, I was also to learn of the U.S. 2001 attack on al Jazeera's Kabul office in Afghanistan as well.
Taking it all into consideration, with the continual rancid verbal attacks by Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush, and their respective Press spokespeople, it became obvious that a concerted campaign was in progress against al Jazeera. The proof of which, if any were needed, was Bush's famous outburst and determination to bomb al Jazeera's Qatar station - the first and only time I can think of when I can truly be glad to say almost out loud, Thank God For Tony Blair.
One of the only things I think the Bush Administration excels at is LOUD.
Fortunately, maybe history will show, the President and his mates appear to be incapable of doing anything and keeping it quiet afterwards; or they might try but they don't succeed very well. Behind the background noise of an illegal pre-emptive invasion of a foreign Country and Guantanamo there was Abu Ghraib, Torture, Rendition, Black Sites (ok - that was a little quiet, but it still came out - and there were certain signing statements that stayed quiet for a while).
Yep, every action - even the lawyer sackings, even Gonzales' quaint little statements, and Perle and Wolfowitz and that whole AIPAC thing - all them nice and loud so that a few good investigators were able to eventually see what was going on and spread the word.
Without them meaning to, I'm sure, prominent members of the Bush Administration have sometimes created so much noise between them that certain other acts were able to slide quietly by in the background - like the signing statements, the Justice Department debacle, millions of emails lost, and Valerie Plame and Scooter affair.
But all these still came out eventually, thanks to people with a conscience who wanted to do the right thing.
Slide isn't really the right word for what I'm thinking about. I think slither might be better. Then again, how about Machiavellian? Closer, and getting closer.
Actually, we are getting closer to what this article is all about. Because Machiavellian doesn't really cut it either, but Sinister does.
Sinister does it extremely well when it comes to the calculated deadly bullying of a small television company that spoke only the truth - which was its greatest sin as far as the Bush Administration was concerned - by one of the most corrupt superpowers the world has seen. And how Sinister can it get, when representatives of this so-called Superpower scoop up an employee of a small Media company and attempt to hide him among what they term terrorists and "unlawful combatants" in Camp Delta, Guantanamo. How Sinister that they try to turn him; by attempting to force him to state that al Jazeera is a front for al Qaeda.
Terrorist? Unlawful Combatant?
We are nearly at the end of the week that is the fifth anniversary of the Occupation of Iraq; funny that, 'anniversary' makes me think of happy times and celebrations.
Five years of War; five years of Occupation, five years and just about four thousand pointless American deaths, five years during which it is highly probable that over one
million Iraqis have died. Can you imagine how many were injured during that time; Americans and Iraqis?
But for Sami al Hajj it is far more than five years of illegal imprisonment. In fact, if you check on the site http://www.prisoner345.net/, there is a clock there that at this moment stands at 2109 Days and nearly Nine Hours, and the minutes and seconds continue to add up.
Arrested because of a passport problem - we are told - on 15 December 2001 while having a legitimate visa for Afghanistan in his possession, he has been in Guantanamo ever since.
For those who think that Five years of Invasion and the Occupation of Iraq is far too long; while you are still thinking that, please spare a thought for Prisoner 345, Sami al Hajj.
This is all this article is really all about. Remembering, as he thinks of others, keeping him in focus, and hoping that, when enough people speak up, Sami al Hajj and all the remaining “unlawful combatants” will be released.
Thoughts and hope too, please, for Bilal Hussein, and go here for more
info.
Tags: Bush | cheney | guantanamo | Al Jazeera | Bilal Hussein | Rumsfeld | Sami al Hajj | torture | World
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