Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Thursday 28 May 2015

Op-Ed Articles
  
Media's Deafening Silence Over West's and Israel's Alliance With al-Qaeda in Syria

By John Hilley

We can say with confidence that the mainstream press in the West supports Israel, and so does not find it convenient to report on this scandalous Israeli-al-Qaeda alliance in Syria.


To Beat ISIS, Kick Out US-led Coalition

By Sharmine Narwani

Washington has run fewer sorties over Syria and Iraq in the nine months since inception of its air campaign, than Israel ran in its entire three-week Gaza blitz in 2008-09.


Delusionary Thinking in Washington
The Desperate Plight of a Declining Superpower

By Michael T. Klare

Take a look around the world and it's hard not to conclude that the United States is a superpower in decline.


U.S. Power and the Godfather Principle

By Noam Chomsky, John Holder and Doug Morris

"International affairs" is very much like the mafia. A major principle of international affairs is the Godfather cannot brook disobedience.


The Iran Talks Game Changer: An Israeli-Hezbollah War?

By Trita Parsi and Paul Pillar

There are signs Israel may be at war again this summer.


Israel Is A Discredit To America
You Are Judged By The Company You Keep

By Paul Craig Roberts

These days the new members of congress arrived pre-conditioned to demonstrate their devotion to the Israeli cause.


Tony Blair Quits As Middle East Peace Envoy - Only Israel Will Miss Him

By Robert Fisk

Blair tendered his resignation and left one question: how come a war criminal ever became a "peace envoy" in the first place?


Ahead Of Israel Expulsion Vote U.S. Orders Raid On FIFA

By Moon Of Alabama

The U.S. ordered Swiss police to raid, incarcerate and extradite to the U.S. six FIFA officials for alleged corruption.


Anonymous Fear-Mongering About the Patriot Act from the White House and NYT

By Glenn Greenwald

It's just government propaganda masquerading as a news article, where anonymous officials warn the country that they will die if the Patriot Act isn't renewed immediately.


Washington's Two Track Policy to Latin America
Marines to Central America and Diplomats to Cuba

By James Petras

US policymakers are actively involved in promoting 'client' opposition parties, movements and personalities to destabilize independent governments and are intent on re-imposing US domination.


Washington Protects Its Lies With More Lies

By Paul Craig Roberts

My distrust has deepened of Seymour Hersh's retelling of the Obama regime's extra-judicial murder of Osama bin Laden.


Senior NATO Official Claims We'll Be at War by Summer

By Joshua Krause

"Said a senior NATO (non-US) GOFO to me today: "We'll probably be at war this summer. If we're lucky it won't be nuclear." Let that sink in." Former NSA intelligence analyst John Schindler.


Ukraine Labor Dares Operation Vulture

By Michael Hudson

Ukraine's collapse since the February 2014 coup has become an umbrella for grabitization.


Four US Cancer Charities Charged With Misusing Donations In Excess Of $187m

By Reuters

The Cancer Fund of America raised $86.8m for charity but gave just 1% of that to cancer patients.

 
 
Hard News    


Saudi attack kills 76 people in Yemen:
Saudi-led coalition warplanes have bombed a special forces camp in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, killing at least 36 people, officials and witnesses say. Residents of the Bakeel al-Meer area told the Reuters news agency that at least 40 people had been killed, mostly civilians.


Yemen border strikes kill two Saudis, Yemen death toll near 2,000: WHO: -
Two Saudi border guards were killed and five wounded by shells fired from Yemeni territories, an Interior Ministry spokesman said late on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the war's death toll was close to 2,000.


Turkey, Saudi Arabia Coordinating Plans to Send ISIL Terrorists to Yemen:
"Saudi Arabia has made the needed coordination with Turkey to dispatch terrorists and their commanders to Yemen to take part in the attacks against Ansarullah fighters and Yemeni soldiers," Hamid Hossein al-Hamdani told FNA on Thursday.


47 killed in clashes with IS militants in central Iraq:
A total of 47 people were killed on Thursday in separate clashes between the Islamic State (IS) militants and Iraqi security forces in the provinces of Salahudin and Anbar, security sources said.


12 ISIS militants killed in aerial bombing in Samarra District:
On Thursday, Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced, that 12 ISIS militants have been killed in an air strike by the Iraqi Air Force in the district of Samarra.


Iraq exhumed 470 bodies from Tikrit mass graves: minister:
"We have exhumed the bodies of 470 Speicher martyrs from burial sites in Tikrit," Adila Hammoud said at a press conference in Baghdad, referring to the nearby military base that the massacre was named after.


Pentagon plans to arm Sunni fighters vs. ISIS:
The Pentagon has plans to provide military equipment to Sunni tribal fighters, a defense spokeswoman said on Wednesday, a shift from its current policy to provide the equipment only through the central government in Baghdad.


Iraq army held 10-to-1 advantage during Ramadi defeat, sources say:
Iraqi forces in Ramadi had held a 10-to-1 numerical advantage over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant when the pro-government troops retreated in the face of an ISIL offensive over a week ago


US needs to rethink Iraq strategy, says Obama:
President Barack Obama said the US and its allies need to examine whether they are deploying military assets effectively against Islamic State militants as Iraq mounts a new offensive to recapture territory west of Baghdad.


Republicans' 'plans' for Isis would drag us into Iraq for another ground war: News Analysis -
 Do you hear that? It's the sound of the groundwork being laid for US ground troops to return to Iraq for another indefinite war with no end game.


Islamic State kills 20 in Palmyra amphitheatre: monitor:
 Islamic State militants shot dead around 20 men in an ancient amphitheatre in the Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday, accusing them of being government supporters, a group monitoring the conflict said.


Hezbollah uses drone to kill 3 alleged, members of Nusra Front:
A Hezbollah missile ambushed a group of at least three Islamist militants in Syria's Qalamoun region along the border with Lebanon Wednesday after being spotted by a drone, the party's Al-Manar TV reported.


Rebels storm last government-held city in Syria's Idlib: monitor:
The lightning offensive saw the Army of Conquest, or Jaish al-Fatah in Arabic, enter outer districts of Ariha within a matter of hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.


Nusra leader: Our mission is to defeat Syrian government:
The leader of the Nusra Front, one of Syria's most powerful rebel groups, has said that his group's main mission is to dislodge the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and that it has no agenda to target the West unless provoked.


US training of Syria mercenaries expands to Turkey: source:
The U.S. military has started training Syrian opposition fighters in Turkey to combat ISIS, an expected expansion of a program that first launched in Jordan weeks ago, a U.S. official told Reuters Thursday.


Russian, U.S. positions on Syria are getting closer, Lavrov says:
"Indeed, I think our positions with the United States are getting closer, first and foremost in regard to statements that there can be no alternative a political solution in Syria," Lavrov told a news conference.


U.S. "defense" aid to Israel to rise over Iran deal fears: sources:
A current package worth $3 billion a year expires in 2017. A U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said negotiators were close to a new deal that would bring annual payouts to $3.6-$3.7 billion on average.


War criminal:
Tony Blair Middle East envoy role:
No-one is going to consider Tony Blair's period as Quartet envoy a resounding success


Afghanistan: 37 Insurgents Killed in ANSF Operations:
At least 37 insurgents including five Pakistani Taliban have been killed in a series of coordinated operations by the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), in the eastern Paktia province of Afghanistan, a local official said Thursday


Six killed in US assassination drone strike in Afghanistan:
At least six people have been killed in the latest US drone strikes on Afghanistan's Nuristan and Kunar provinces. The first of the Wednesday raids in the northeastern province of Nuristan claimed the lives of five people.


U.S. hopes Chinese island-building will spur Asian response:
By releasing video of Beijing's island reclamation work and considering more assertive maritime actions, the United States is signaling a tougher stance over the South China Sea and trying to spur Asian partners to more action.


Egyptian police general killed in roadside bomb attack in Sinai :
An Egyptian police brigadier general was killed in a roadside bomb attack on Wednesday in North Sinai, the interior ministry said, one of the most high-profile police deaths in the Islamist insurgency raging in the region.


Libya on verge of economic collapse, U.N. envoy warns:
 "Libya is on the verge of economic and financial collapse. It is facing huge security threats because of the civil war but also...because of the Daesh threat," he said, referring to Islamic State militants who have gained a foothold in the oil-rich country.


Biden cracks door to lethal aid to Ukraine:
The debate over whether to provide lethal defensive aid, such as anti-tank missiles, to Ukraine is "worth having," Vice President Biden said Wednesday. Biden accused Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, of flouting international rules including "brutal" aggression in Ukraine. He called for strengthening NATO and energy independence for Europe


Putin backs FIFA's Blatter amid corruption scandal:
Russian president says US probe is "blatant attempt to extend its jurisdiction" as Russia prepares for 2018 World Cup.


Washington Wages War on International Soccer:
Is there more to what's going on than meets the eye? In January 2011, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Russian Sports minister Vitaly Mulko signed a declaration on Russia's official status as 2018 World Cup host nation.


Prostitution and Poverty in the UK:
In Britain, the recession has left many people struggling to make ends meet, but reports have shown that young people - young single mothers in particular, are feeling the worst of austerity, and many are turning to prostitution in pursuit of financial security.


First-of-its-kind Marine task force deploys to Central America:
About 180 Marines will remain in Soto Cano, Honduras, as the task force headquarters element, while the remaining 100 will be dispatched to locations throughout the region to work with local militaries, officials said in a news release.


Is Canada on the path to totalitarianism?
In Canada, it's almost impossible to hold citizens for what they may be thinking of doing - for now, anyway.


US Army begins training for the next war, which may be much different - and bigger:
Fort Riley is putting soldiers such as Staff Sgt. Gilbert Monroe back into big tanks and simulating wars on a scale grander than Iraq or Afghanistan.


WikiLeaks releases more than half a million US diplomatic cables from 1978:
1978 was an unusually important year in geopolitics. The year saw the start of a great many political conflicts and alliances which continue to define the present world order, as well as the rise of still-important personalities and political dynasties.


Edward Snowden leaks could bring down part of U.S. Patriot Act:
The section of the act used by the U.S. to justify phone surveillance could be thrown out by the Republican-controlled Congress.


Obama Calls on Senate to Act on Patriot Act During Recess:
President Obama called on the Senate Tuesday to work through their early summer vacation in order to keep the Patriot Act from expiring in a week.


VICTORY: Nebraska Becomes the 19th US State to Abolish the Death Penalty!:
Red-state Nebraska (with a few purple splotches) actually has repealed the death penalty by voting to override the Governor's veto! And who were the people responsible for finally pushing this through? A strong coalition of abolitionists, plus some unlikely suspects, that's who.


Live Anthrax Was Mistakenly Sent To 9 States And A U.S. Military Base:
Fears of exposure to the potentially deadly disease has prompted officials to advise four civilian workers to get preventive care; more than 20 military personnel are also being monitored.


Clinton Foundation Donors Got Weapons Deals From Hillary Clinton's State Department:
Even by the standards of arms deals between the United States and Saudi Arabia, this one was enormous. A consortium of American defense contractors led by Boeing would deliver $29 billion worth of advanced fighter jets to the United States' oil-rich ally in the Middle East.


Border Patrol Agents Tase an Unarmed Woman Inside the U.S.:
Video of the encounter suggests another instance of needless escalation and excessive force.