The present problems of Iraq are 100% down to our murderous invasion and occupation. The idea that further western bombing will make things better is so deluded as to beggar belief.
I was surprised to find during my Burnes research that the imperialist powers of Britain and Russia were explicitly exploiting Sunni and Shia divisions to further their conquests of Islamic lands as early as the 1830’s. This has been the major tool of the neo-con Middle Eastern gameplan for some time, spreading disunity and crippling war throughout the Middle East, with the hope that this will benefit the interests of Israel.
The peculiar result has been that in general the West is very actively supporting Sunni armies and miscellaneous forces, but in Iraq is supporting the Shia. ISIS – which is heavily backed by the Saudis, who hate al-Maliki – brings this paradox into sharp relief. The current US and UK strategy is to persuade Saudi Arabia to get ISIS to reconcentrate their efforts against Assad, on the understanding they will be allowed to keep the Sunni areas of Iraq (the old neo-con plan of dividing Iraq is firmly back on the agenda).
The BBC News this morning said that ISIS would not be capable of using the billions of dollars of sophisticated western armaments they have captured. I think you will find the Saudis remedy that one quite quickly. It is quite possible we will see some token airstrikes to kill civilians in Mosul, in order to appease Obama’s domestic backers who are never happy if Americans aren’t killing enough people, but only after agreement has been reached with the Saudis that no serious harm will be done – except to the ordinary people neither Obama, the Saudis or al-Maliki care in the least about.
“While American drones fly overhead and American aircraft carriers stream into the Persian Gulf, Al Qaeda forces – really American backed Takfiris sick of being pounded by the Syrian army – are moving on Baghdad.”
Is it a form of racism to assume that some people in some parts of the world are not capable of doing bad things independently of “US imperialists” issuing the instructions?
@ California Ben
“Habbafook can’t do anything except attack the messenger. Even so inclined, he brandishes only a flaccid member.”
_______________________
Ben, Ben! Have you moved on from your turd metaphor to embrace the cock image?
Honest Injun’, I suggest you embrace your own (in private, of course) and work towards preventing reflux of digestive waste from large intestine to mouth.
You know it’s the right thing to do, Ben.
Frist Alleppo, then Baghdad….natch! for the hopeful and engineered thinking.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/
“Yossi Melman is “an Israeli writer and journalist. He was an intelligence and strategic affairs correspondent for the Haaretz newspaper, and in 2012 he joined the Israeli news portal Walla! in a similar, more analytical role.”
Melman just tweeted:
#Baghdad collapses. Shells on US & Iran Embassies Premier Maliki left. Chief of Staff escaped yo Germany. Heavy casualties to Iran forces
What?!?”
This from last week’s Herzliya Conference.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181501
Summary: steal the lot, and make the bantustans look nicer.
Ends.
ESLO
“I suggest Ba’al Zevul inform himself….”
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You’ll have to shout bloody loud for Ba’an al Zevul to hear you, sitting up there on Mt Olympus…..
moonofalabama is a nutjob, Ben.
Morals? Who’s talking about morals, ESLO? The US did nothing about Saddam’s breach of the Geneva Convention when he was their stooge, and then claimed they had the right to lay waste to Iraq on the basis that he might be in a position to breach the Geneva Convention when he wasn’t thweir proxy. Don’t drag morals into it.
No, Saddam wasn’t nice. Neither are the neocons. I wouldn’t try to make a case for either.
I must be getting jaded. My jaw has not dropped even once since the former players, now wizened by their experiences and conscience, have been trotted out again by the Watchdogs who need close watching,
http://skydancingblog.com/
“It’s hard to believe that the press has turned to the architects of the disaster in Iraq and their enablers. Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen and heard from folks that should be up for war crimes not TV spots. Why aren’t these folks being held accountable and why is the press returning to the same folks that were responsible for the worst foreign policy mistake in US History. Well, not only are they all over TV but they’re being hired to teach.”
Oy vey, you should bomb Iran already, department…
http://www.jpost.com/International/Analysis-Baghdad-too-big-to-fall-for-Tehran-359584
No-one else in Iraq is working to increase their influence, are they?
I’m not sure what measuring device you’re using Ba’al. Moon is consistently readable.
Perhaps the slightly smarter here should reflect how much easier it might be to make IDF soldiers, UK and US politicians et al to take some responsibility for their own actions if they were to apply the same standards to Saddam, Assad, Al-Quada, Putin, Hamas, ISIS, suicide bombers, kidnappers of Israeli children et al.
Mr Scorgie
“PS. Civilians, including women and children, are being blown to pieces almost daily e.g. at wedding parties and funerals in attacks by US drones in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
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Almost daily, eh.
On a point of information, can you let us know how many drone strikes have been authorised on targets in Pakistan and Afghanistan since the beginning of this year?
The information is available to the public, but in the light of your comment (above)I would like you to have the pleasure of telling us.
Thanks Doug.
“Perhaps the slightly smarter here should reflect how much easier it might be to make IDF soldiers, UK and US politicians et al to take some responsibility for their own actions if they were to apply the same standards…”
I guess it’s like the hypocrisy of a parent telling a child; “Do what I say, not what I do”. It takes all the air out of the putative notion that they are the leaders of the free world. If so, who needs freedom?
The Midwives of Democracy are more like abortionists.
I’m not sure what measuring device you’re using Ba’al. Moon is consistently readable.
Oh yes. But not accurate. If her Israeli exists, he may be trying to hurry along some US intervention.
ESLO – It would seem both logical and feasible to insist that our allies conform to standards similar to our own. ‘Our’ side is pushing civilisation, remember? We’re trying to sell something desirable? As to all those uncivilised villains, we have two options – peaceful persuasion, and bombing them back to the Stone Age. Morality, anyone? Neither approach works. Let’s get our shit together at any rate.
Ben
One thing children do is only listen to the part of the sentence they want to hear – I’ll get you an ice cream if you clean your bedroom. Thanks for demonstrating my point.
“As to all those uncivilised villains, we have two options”
Grown ups can think of a lot more options.
” If her Israeli exists, he may be trying to hurry along some US intervention.”
Bu that’s exactly the point.
ESLO; You think the West is the model emerging democracies should follow? I think they have it down.
TEACHERS, we are.
Couple more for you here, Ben:
https://anticap.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/2013-03-22.jpg?w=614&h=480
We put our maniacs in the House of Lords. Better system.
But that’s exactly the point.
Ah. Sorry. I’m in ESLO literalist mode. *changes gear*
“As to all those uncivilised villains, we have two options”
Grown ups can think of a lot more options.
Please ask your Daddy to list some.
“ESLO; You think the West is the model emerging democracies should follow?”
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Certainly. Can you think of another one, Ben? If so, spill it out.
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Habbabkuk says : criticism is easy, being constructive more difficult.
Becoming deadlier.
Iraqi forces have hit back with air strikes near Tal Afar as the BBC’s John Simpson reports
Continue reading the main story
Struggle for IraqThe end of Iraq?
US strike would be turning point
Maps illustrate conflict
Who are ISIS?
Iraqi government forces are engaged in heavy clashes with Sunni insurgents who have made major advances in the past week.
Parts of the city of Baquba – just 60km (37 miles) from Baghdad – were briefly taken over by the rebels.
Reports say 44 prisoners were killed during fighting at a police station in the city.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27881995
________________________________________________________________
Israel detains dozens more in search for missing teens
Israel’s military has arrested 41 more Palestinians as it expands the search for three Israeli teenagers believed kidnapped in the West Bank.
The total number of people detained since the Jewish seminary students went missing last Thursday now exceeds 200.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27883155
Imagine their treatment. Torture. The lot.
________________________________________________________________
Here everything’s wonderful. Hague is busy getting the decorators into the British Embassy in Tehran. Cameron is meeting the Chinese boss man. The sun is shining. House prices up 9.9% (lovely for those selling their desres to the Chinese).
But not if you’re one of the 2,600 Morrisons workers told today that they are losing their jobs.
Cameron gushes drivel about British values and Magna Carta as the inexorable rise of secret trials continues.
You couldnt make it up.
“Can you think of one, Ben”
Sure. How about a constitutional republic, as originally conceived by the founding fathers.
Is the International Red Cross showing its partiality by refusing to ask Israel to release Palestinian child prisoners although they have asked for the three Israeli teenagers to be released pf course.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is refusing to call on Israel to immediately and unconditionally release almost two hundred Palestinian children held by the Israeli army.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/red-cross-refuses-call-israel-release-palestinian-children-held-army
The person quoted worked for MDM France before ICRC which has its HQ in Switzerland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9decins_du_Monde connected to Kouchner.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nadia-dibsy/23/441/84b
Craig wrote about the disgraceful way in which the UK has treated the Chagos Islanders.
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/04/a-key-test-for-international-law/
In looking for news on the useless D. Miliband and what he is doing about these international crises, I came across this latest report on the law case in which Grieve himself is representing the UK.
Did David Miliband ignore Gordon Brown on Chagos?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27371670
Miliband pushed off to NY to the International Rescue Centre (always makes me think of Lady Penelope!) for his £280k pa. He seems to do b. all except drift around the planet and send weedy tweets.
https://twitter.com/DMiliband
5 mins ago, he has put up this link. Presumably he approves of it?
‘Important step: “Obama will propose vast expansion of Pacific Ocean marine sanctuary” http://wapo.st/1slZ2P7
Troll feeding frenzy:
ESLO 3:00pm
Habb 3:03pm
ESLO 3:04pm
Habb 3:09pm
Habb 3:12pm
ESLO 3:19pm
Habb 3:19pm
Etc…
They weren’t expecting this 🙂
British journalist tells the truth on Ukranian TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq8kc4izDrQ&feature=youtu.be
‘I recommend readers to check out “Voltaire Net” for themselves, and I wish them better luck than I had in finding out very much about it.’
Habbabkuk! Delighted to see you inveigh against those dickheads who post online without revealing their identities.