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UNSC Introduces No-Fly Zone Draft Resolution
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
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Arabia
Why has Bahrain decided to call in the troops?
The Bahrain monarchy's reflexive fear of Iran drove its decision to call out Saudi Arabian troops
Posted by: tipper || 03/16/2011 01:19 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Sunni control the country. The country is largely Shia. Iran is stirring the pot and creating uncertainty and unrest in the M.E. A growing nuclear threat exists from Iran.

We have strategic interests in the area; the 5th Fleet is there. Some 20% of oil to the U.S. flows through the Persian Gulf.

Good reasons for Obama to quit screwing around with basketball picks and golf and implements an energy independence policy. That said, it isn't going to happen until we get a President who doesn't vote "Present" and does nothing.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/16/2011 7:53 Comments || Top||

#2  implements an energy independence policy. BHO does have an energy independence policy, it consists of carbon credits, suppression of electricity production, and jacking the price of domestic energy to the moon. Obama want the US to institute rolling blackouts, go hungry & freeze in the dark, and be sure vote Democrat. This is basically the Amish energy independence model, without the Christianity part. In addition I kind of doubt the Amish vote for Democrats, if they vote at all.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/16/2011 17:38 Comments || Top||


Iran is sectarian-but the Joint Peninsula Shield Force is not
[Asharq al-Aswat] Once it was announced that the first deployment of the Joint Peninsula Shield Force (JPSF) had arrived in Manama, in response to the request of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to contribute to the re-establishment of security and stability in the country, several critical statements were issued from the Shiite opposition, and others, in Bahrain. However,
The all-purpose However...
what was most serious was the subsequent Iranian statement.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi,
... current Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs since 13 December 2010. Previous to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran from 16 July 2009 to 23 January 2011. He was also Iranian Representative in the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency from 1997 to 2005...
said: "Iran will not stand by idly, in the event of any Saudi intervention to eradicate the Shiites of Bahrain". This statement alone, from the mouth of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is stark evidence of Iran's sectarian mentality.

The JPSF did not go to Manama to support a particular sect, but rather it went in response to an official request from Bahrain. To say that this is an illegal act, as the Bahraini opposition are suggesting, along with a Shiite MP in Kuwait, is a claim that can be refuted: The JPSF went to Bahrain in accordance with the agreements and covenants of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and these were the same forces that came to Kuwait's rescue during the Iraqi invasion, something that the Kuwaiti MP ought to have remembered.

Furthermore, the JPSF arrived in Bahrain not as a military power, but rather as a security force, according to what I was told by a senior Gulf official. There were several reasons for sending this force, firstly: to respond to the request of Bahrain, as this is a commitment stipulated by the Gulf agreements. Secondly, the JPSF serves as a symbolic force, indicating that the GCC states will not allow Bahrain to deteriorate into a sectarian civil war, especially as sectarian tension has now reached its peak there. Thirdly, the GCC states want to send a clear message that they are committed to the security of Bahrain.

Of course, none of this implies a sectarian mentality. Sectarianism occurs when a particular section of society seeks to impose its political vision alone upon the state, without achieving such demands through national consensus. The Shiites on their own do not constitute the population of Bahrain, there are Sunnis as well. Democracy cannot take place with one sect being compared to another, but rather it must be conducted on the basis of participation and citizenship. Therefore, the Iranian Foreign Minister's statement shows the extent of the abhorrent sectarianism that exists in the Tehran government. Iran does not care for the security of Bahrain, or its civil peace, but rather it is interested in certain sects. Salehi's words about Soddy Arabia seeking to exterminate the Shiites is glaring evidence of the gravity of what Iran is doing in our region, and this is something we have been warned of at length.

The question is what are the implications of Iran's statement? The answer quite simply is as follows: The Gulf has dealt with Iran for a long time, in accordance with the famous saying uttered by the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, as reported by 'Wikileaks'. He said that relations with Iran were conducted on the principle of "they lie to us, and we lie to them". The game today with Iran has become widely exposed. Tehran wants to intervene in the affairs of the GCC, in accordance with its sectarian logic, whilst the GCC member states seek security and stability, and do not interfere in the internal affairs of Iran. Therefore, sending the JPSF to Bahrain is a sound, legal act, without sectarian motives, whilst the Iranian Foreign Minister's statement is explicitly sectarian.
This article starring:
Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam
Maulana Mohammed Khan SheeraniJamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam
Posted by: Fred || 03/16/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Cook it for another three minutes and maybe, just maybe, there is another really good opportunity for Moslems to kill more Moslems.

I heard most of the shittites( unlike the Sunnis) in Bahrain live in shacks and dont stay in any of the big hotels. I heard they raised chickens and didnt have access to govt. jobs. It was terrible, my heart really went out to them.

And all the Ukrainian girls on about the next six floors were sad about it too. HeLLO, Sailor!
Posted by: Dribble2716 || 03/16/2011 2:16 Comments || Top||


Economy
Germany's new boom: making money by making stuff - Who knew?
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/16/2011 09:15 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  They send us finished goods and we send them paper straight off the photocopier...

Who's being suckered here?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/16/2011 16:00 Comments || Top||

#2  Making money by making stuff - not PC at all!
Prosperity is far more widely spread across the country, with none of the excessive concentration of wealth in one region found in Britain. There is an emphasis on long-term growth rather than flipping assets, and boom-busts in the housing market are unknown.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/16/2011 16:21 Comments || Top||

#3  They may be on to something. We should form a blue-ribbon committee to study and report on the feasibility of making stuff. With the understanding, of course, that the making process would be sustainable, renewable, and carbon neutral. and would not impinge on the ancestral territory of the left-handed sea slug. And would be fully compliant with OSHA, ADEA, EPA, OFCCP, ADA, FMLA, NLRA, ERISA and the IRC. We'll be making stuff in 20 years, tops.
Posted by: Matt || 03/16/2011 16:41 Comments || Top||

#4  Do we have enough Mexicans to actually ... make stuff?
Posted by: Fester Javith5393 || 03/16/2011 20:38 Comments || Top||


Twin threats of Japan and Gulf stalk global recovery
As catastrophe at home prompts Japan to repatriate chunks of its vast wealth, it is pulling the rug from under stock and bond markets thousands of miles away.
Posted by: tipper || 03/16/2011 00:12 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Japan holds $0.9 trillion is US bonds, China holds $1.1 trillion. Wonder what the Bernank could do if Japan cashed in their bonds for $?
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/16/2011 1:03 Comments || Top||

#2  The same Teh Bernank and Teh 0 are doing now: print more dollars.
Posted by: Fester Javith5393 || 03/16/2011 6:26 Comments || Top||


Europe
Europe's largest army, that was never really intended to fight a battle
Posted by: tipper || 03/16/2011 03:59 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Workfare - to give the appearance of work in order to avoid loss of welfare benefits [ie American military welfare protection]
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/16/2011 7:04 Comments || Top||


Europe's Leaders Fear Libya Could Become Next Afghanistan
The Europeans and Americans would like to help the rebels in Libya, but the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan have spurred fears of a military intervention. So far, the only thing the EU has been able to agree on are financial sanctions. In Germany, leaders fear getting sucked in to the civil war
Posted by: tipper || 03/16/2011 01:53 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  A high-ranking US government official said in Brussels last Wednesday: "The US believes that NATO is the natural choice for a military operation."

Really? Perhaps this "government official" can cite charter language that authorizes NATO to intervene in an African civil war that poses no direct threat to its members.
Posted by: DepotGuy || 03/16/2011 10:27 Comments || Top||

#2  excuses, excuses, excuses

There would be absolutely no correlation between Afghanistan and Libya. For one, the locals are relatively civilized and they hate Quaddaffi. For another, there is only marginal support for Daffy amoung his own army and there is almost no political organization.
There would be a short insurgency, similar to what went on in Germany after WWII but Afghanistan? Not hardly, just another excuse to treat Africa and Arabs like the unterminche.
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 03/16/2011 11:37 Comments || Top||

#3  If Gaddafi wins, it is far more likely to the next Post-Desert-Storm Iraq, where a wounded and bitter Gaddafi lashes out against his betrayers.

Gaddafi has specifically mentioned the European countries as betrayers. Guess what Europe? you're already in his crosshairs.
Posted by: Frozen Al || 03/16/2011 11:48 Comments || Top||

#4  There would be a short insurgency, similar to what went on in Germany after WWII This US, having been burned a few times since WWII, is not likely to believe this. I sure don't. The reason why the post-Hitler insurgency went no where is the lakhs of US boots on German soil back then. Shortly after V-E day, a GI got shot by a sniper, and 50,000 GIs went door-to-door in Germany to search & confiscate firearms. That won't happen anymore, anywhere (except maybe domestically but that's another issue).
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/16/2011 16:17 Comments || Top||

#5  A worse case scenario would be if Afghanistan were to become another Libya. It could happen.
Posted by: jpal || 03/16/2011 16:24 Comments || Top||

#6  Afghanistan becoming another Libya? Too backward. Too poor. Too Islamic. Afghanistan's main risk to the rest of the world is its reversion to Talibanistan.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/16/2011 16:40 Comments || Top||


'47% of Germans think Israel exterminating Palestinians'
Study shows a strong presence of “anti-Semitism that is linked with Israel and is hidden behind criticism of Israel" in Europe.
BERLIN – A think-tank affiliated with Germany’s Social Democratic Party issued a new report last week that revealed high levels of anti-Semitism in Germany, Poland and Hungary, as well as varying manifestations of racism, homophobia and prejudice in eight European countries.

Dr. Beate Küpper, a researcher from the University of Bielefeld who co-authored the Friedrich Ebert Foundation’s study along with her colleagues Andreas Zick and Andreas Hoevermann, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that the study showed a strong presence of “anti-Semitism that is linked with Israel and is hidden behind criticism of Israel, and is not neutral.”
Posted by: tipper || 03/16/2011 00:32 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I wonder what % of them think Hitler was right?
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/16/2011 0:59 Comments || Top||

#2  If Israel wanted them dead, they'd all be dead by now.
Posted by: gorb || 03/16/2011 1:05 Comments || Top||

#3  If the settlements all over "Palestine" continue apace for another decade or two on a steady methodical basis the Palestinians can all expect to lead prosperous and happy lives in...Brazil.

The settlements seem to be the answer. Hum while you work.

Sure as all hell the other Moslem countries dont want to take any "Palestinians". Would you want Palestinians living in YOUR country? I mean seriously. But Brazil....now...Brazil NEEDS population. PLUS there are all those Agouti to hunt and roads to be built upriver. Hand a "Palestinian" his ticket and ask if he remembered to pack his camera.
Posted by: Dribble2716 || 03/16/2011 2:04 Comments || Top||

#4  Statements from the Friedrich Ebert should be taken with a grain of salt.

They're palling around with Hezbollah on occasion:
"... FES funded the 2004 Beirut International Conference on The Islamic World and Europe, jointly organized with Hezbollah's "Research Department."

In the same report an affirmative answer to the question 'Is Islam a religion of intolerance?' is classified as evidence of 'prejudice.'
(Don't pay attention to the death penalty for apostasy behind the curtain!)

In the case of German attitudes vs Israel they might be right for once, but they're a biased institution (not biased in Israel's favor.)
Posted by: Flarong Peacock1183 || 03/16/2011 4:06 Comments || Top||

#5  '47% of Germans think Israel exterminating Palestinians'

No reported usage of Zyklon-B or ovens however.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/16/2011 4:14 Comments || Top||

#6  Dribble wrote:

"PLUS there are all those Agouti to hunt"

Are agouti halal?
Posted by: no mo uro || 03/16/2011 6:10 Comments || Top||

#7  In that case it's the duty of those Gutmencsh to accept the few (million) surviving refugees.
Posted by: Fester Javith5393 || 03/16/2011 6:33 Comments || Top||

#8  As Dribble said, the muslims use the Paleos as pawns but have little interest in them. The Paleos provide poltical fodder for the Iranians and Syrians. The Paleos were kicked out of Jordan some years ago (1970-1971) because they were stirring up trouble for the Jordanians. This was referred to as the "era of regrettable events."
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/16/2011 8:04 Comments || Top||

#9  Paleos have been kicked out of just about everywhere they've been. Jordan. Syria. Lebanon. Egypt. Tunisia. Kuwait. Iraq. Mauritania.

Mauritania, fergawdsake!

An introspective people would begin to wonder if it was something they said.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/16/2011 8:19 Comments || Top||

#10  This was referred to as the "era of regrettable events."

Probably not regrettable on the part of the Jordanians.

An introspective people would begin to wonder if it was something they said.

Steve, An introspective people would--not sure the Paleos are introspective about things they say or do.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/16/2011 8:57 Comments || Top||

#11  The Palieos still haven't grasp that whole cause -> effect thingy. Something most infants get before they reach 6 months. They just don't get it.

The Palieos haven't really been kicked out of Lebanon unfortunately - which is why Lebanon is Syria's and Iran's bitch these days. Beirut used to called the 'Paris of the middle east' until the Palieos showed up.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 03/16/2011 10:22 Comments || Top||

#12  A strong contender for the "Meaningless Statistic of the Day" award, Fred.
Posted by: mojo || 03/16/2011 13:56 Comments || Top||


Fifth Column
Obama the anti-leader
Posted by: Frozen Al || 03/16/2011 11:56 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Politix
U.S. stunned by latest undercover sting
Not The Onion, but still worth a tumble....
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 03/16/2011 12:27 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


Olde Tyme Religion
Koranic directive to “strike terror into the hearts of the unbelievers.”
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 03/16/2011 15:44 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Muslims, in fact, are more often exhorted by their scriptures to brutalize non-Muslims than Christians are urged by the gospels to love their enemies and turn the other cheek. Yet, though we assume the latter are meant to take the message to heart, we are somehow sure Islam doesn’t really mean what it says
I agree with that idea, but I would have phrased it much more harshly: Terrorising and killing infidels and apostates is a True Pillar of Islam.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/16/2011 16:23 Comments || Top||

#2  "Koranic directive to 'strike terror into the hearts of the unbelievers.'"

I'll try to be terrified as soon as I quit pointing and laughing at you clowns.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 03/16/2011 19:50 Comments || Top||



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Two weeks of WOT
Wed 2011-03-16
  UNSC Introduces No-Fly Zone Draft Resolution
Tue 2011-03-15
  Gaddafi army penetrates rebel areas
Mon 2011-03-14
  Libya: the rebels ready to defend Ajdabiya
Sun 2011-03-13
  Libyan troops 'force rebels out of Brega'
Sat 2011-03-12
  5 family members murdered by terrorist in Itamar settlement
Fri 2011-03-11
  Rebel forces retreat from Ras Lanuf
Thu 2011-03-10
  Libya no-fly zone a UN decision, "not US": Clinton
Wed 2011-03-09
  OIC rejects military action on Libya
Tue 2011-03-08
  Gaddafi sends negotiators to Benghazi
Mon 2011-03-07
  National Libyan Council to seek recognition
Sun 2011-03-06
  Gaddafi forces fight to seize Zawiyah, dozens killed
Sat 2011-03-05
  Qadaffy forces try, fail to retake Zawiyah
Fri 2011-03-04
  Libyan rebels push west
Thu 2011-03-03
  Gaddafi strikes at Brega, rebels eye foreign help
Wed 2011-03-02
  National Libyan Council outlines strategy
Tue 2011-03-01
  Yemen Opposition Rejects Plan for Govt of National Unity


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