The brutal Saudi execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr has led to protests around the globe, as well as the burning of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, followed by the Saudi severing of relations with Iran. This exacerbation of Sunni-Shia tensions is the result of the reckless Saudi action against a popular, nonviolent Shia leader. Also reckless is the …
Eric Zuesse – America’s Vampire Aristocracy
On January 2nd, America’s NBC News bannered “Arab Spring Cleric Nimr al-Nimr Among 47 Executed by Saudi Arabia,” and, one-third of the way into their report, showed this tweet: “Saudi execution of Nimr al-Nimr along w/ al Qaeda members is straight from Assad’s playbook – lumping nonviolent activists with terrorists. — DavidKenner (@DavidKenner) January 2, 2016” Even when Sunni-Islamic extremists, …
Ben Moshi – Saudi Arabia spends 25% of its budget on its military — here’s what it has for the money
Saudi Arabia has one of the best-funded defence forces in the Middle East. The kingdom spends 25% of its budget, or about $80 billion, on its military. That is about double what it spends on health and social development. It has been throwing its weight around recently, engaging in a war in Yemen and joining forces with Turkey against Syrian …
Gilbert Doctorow – Hearing the Russian Perspective
Without mincing words, the new Russian documentary World Order is a devastating critique of U.S. global hegemony justified in the name of “democracy promotion” and “human rights” ever since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1992. It is directly in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first repudiation of the American unipolar world issued in his speech to the Munich Security …
Stephen Lendman – Coming to the Rescue of “Our Terrorists”: US Evacuated Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) Fighters from Ramadi
Before Iraqi forces retook Ramadi last week, Washington was accused of evacuating around 2,000 ISIS terrorists from the city. Iraqi People’s Mobilization Shiite militia umbrella group commander Hashd al-Shaabi said America delayed the liberation of Ramadi and Fallujah to enable “evacuat(ion) of (ISIS) ringleaders (and fighters) secretly to unknown places” by helicopter. Fort Russ reported an unnamed high-ranking Iraqi official, saying …
Sharmine Narwani – The Syrian opposition circus comes to town
In January, the Syrian government will – ostensibly – sit across the negotiating table from ‘the Syrian opposition’ to decide on the structure and make-up of a transitional government that promises to end the 5-year Syrian conflict. The ‘Syrian opposition,’ we are told by US Secretary of State John Kerry, will be selected by ‘Syrians’ and will therefore be ‘representative.’ …
Ramzy Baroud – Beware ‘Sunni-Stan’: Neocons are Back and Their ‘Vision’ is Darker than Ever
Considering the damage that the neocons have already done, surely no good can come from the policy recommendations of John Bolton and his clique. John Bolton is a tarnished character. The once United States Ambassador to the United Nations is now promoted as a ‘scholar’ in the pro-Israel lobby group, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Bolton is not a peacemaker, …
‘Thanks for destroying our country’: Angry Libyans lash out at Obama’s independence congratulations
In a message to the Libyan people, the US President said the 2011 Libyan revolution liberated them from “42 years of dictatorship.” Now there are “profound challenges,” which the Libyan people “have demonstrated the commitment to resolve.” Barack Obama welcomed the endorsement of the Libyan Political Agreement signed on December 17 and expressed confidence that with political dialogue and the …
DANIEL DENVIR – Bernie Sanders vs. the world: How the political & media elite are trying to set him up to fail
David Muir, setting up the first in an endless stream of questions about terrorism in Saturday evening’s Democratic primary debate, of which he was moderator, reminded Americans that it was “just six days before Christmas, as we all know in this country. It’s typically a joyful time, as it is this year, as well. But it’s also an anxious time.” The …
BINOY KAMPMARK – The Permanent War State
“The funding to continue the war against ISIL is an authorization of force against ISIL, albeit a quiet one, designed not to attract public attention.” Jack Goldsmith, Lawfare, Dec 17, 2015 Money is raining down on the US military complex in the $1.15 trillionspending bill that was unveiled on Wednesday by various leaders of Congress. Of that portion, a good $572.7 billion is …