Warning to the US: beware treating Afghanistan like Iraq by Patrick Cockburn

Dandelion Salad

by Patrick Cockburn
The Independent
2.26.09

President Obama is likely to announce in the coming days that he will withdraw all US combat troops from Iraq by August 2010. Many of these soldiers will end up in Afghanistan where the Taliban is getting stronger and the US-backed government weaker by the day. How much has the US learnt from its debacle in Iraq?

One lesson not learnt in Washington is that it is a bad idea to become involved in a war in any so-called “failed state”. This patronising term suggests that if a state has failed, foreign intervention is justified and will face limited resistance. But the greatest US foreign policy disasters over the last generation have all been in places where organised government had largely collapsed.

There was Lebanon in 1983, when 242 US marines were blown up in Beirut, Somalia 10 years later, and Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. The lesson, which applies to nowhere more than Afghanistan, is that societies with weak state structures devise lethally effective ways of defending themselves.

[…]

via Patrick Cockburn: Warning to the US: beware treating Afghanistan like Iraq – Commentators, Opinion – The Independent

h/t: ICH

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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Kucinich on Iraq withdrawal + Paul: We Killed A Million Of Their People! + Obama Announces Iraq Troop Withdrawal

Dennis Kucinich: Can’t leave 50,000 troops in Iraq and call it a withdrawal + Pentagon Lifts Ban On Coffin Images

Iraq on Dandelion Salad

Afghanistan on Dandelion Salad

Kucinich on Iraq withdrawal + Paul: We Killed A Million Of Their People! + Obama Announces Iraq Troop Withdrawal

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Kucinich on Iraq withdrawal: You can’t be in and out at the same time

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Mosaic News – 2/26/09: World News From The Middle East

Dandelion Salad

Warning

This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

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Headlines coming soon. Produced for Link TV by Jamal Dajani.

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Baltic Sea: Flash Point For NATO-Russia Conflict by Rick Rozoff

by Rick Rozoff
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Stop NATO
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/message/37592
February 27, 2009

Since the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003, the third war by major Western powers against defenseless nations that had not threatened any other country (Yugoslavia in 1999 and Afghanistan in 2001 being the previous examples) in a four year span, speculation has been rife as to which country would be the next target of military attack and where the next war would ensue.

So accustomed has the world become to expecting if not accepting wars, serial and gratuitous, to occur in the natural order of things, the discussion has centered not so much on whether war should be waged or whether it will be but solely on which nation or nations will be the next victim or victims of an unprovoked military onslaught.

In such an environment of international lawlessness and heightened alarm over military threats, otherwise minor contretemps and even fears of a neighbor’s and potential adversary’s intents can spark a conflict – and a conflagration.

The world has been on edge for a decade now and a form of numbing has set in with many of its inhabitants; a permanent condition of war apprehension and alert has settled over others, particularly those in areas likely to be directly affected. Over the past six years the worst and most immediate fears have centered on the prospects of three major regional conflicts, all of which are fraught with the danger of eventual escalation into nuclear exchanges.

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Chip Ward: The Department of Homegrown Security

Dandelion Salad

TomDispatch (Tom Engelhardt)
2.26.09

After the Green Economy, Green Security

How to Build Resilient Communities in a Chaotic World

Big Green Tomatoes

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

By Chip Ward

Now that we’ve decided to “green” the economy, why not green homeland security, too? I’m not talking about interrogators questioning suspects under the glow of compact fluorescent light bulbs, or cops wearing recycled Kevlar recharging their Tasers via solar panels. What I mean is: Shouldn’t we finally start rethinking the very notion of homeland security on a sinking planet?

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Bailing Out With No Objections By Raymond G. Wilson

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By Raymond G. Wilson
February 25, 2009 “Information Clearing House

There is a better bailout proposal that would solve most of the problems we face. It utilizes the concept that if everyone is employed in making life better for all, that we shall all succeed. This plan could have been adopted about 19 years ago but it was not. It has some very unique aspects.

The United States announces to the United Nations and to the World that it will provide the U.N. with “credit chits” for less developed nations in amount 150 billion dollars per year. The other developed nations of the world are also invited to contribute in total 150 billion dollars in “credit chits” to the U.N. So far no actual money leaves any nation. This offer is made regardless of cooperation from other developed nations, but with cooperation it means 300 billion per year, very roughly 10 times what is provided now, a great deal of which we know is wasted.

The U.N. makes these credit chits available to democratic nations of the developing world and to those nations which are verifiably evolving toward democratic rule by non-discriminatory consensus; everyone participates. The chits are made available to developing nations on the basis of solicited application of: development proposals from them, verifiable need, and guarantees against misuse or corruption.

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The “Great Financial Crisis”: A whole new kind of struggle is emerging by Mike Whitney

Dandelion Salad

by Mike Whitney
Global Research, February 27, 2009
– 2009-02-26

Interview with John Bellamy Foster

MW: The financial crisis is quickly turning into a political crisis. Already governments in Iceland and Latvia have collapsed and the global slump is just beginning to accelerate. Riots and street violence have broken out in Greece, Latvia and Lithuania and worker-led protests have become commonplace throughout the EU. As unemployment skyrockets and economic activity stalls, countries are likely to experience greater social instability. How does one take deep-seated discontent and rage and shape it into a political movement for structural change?

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Taliban mediators, Afghan and Western officials in secret talks

Dandelion Salad

AlJazeeraEnglish

As the Afghan foreign minister meets his US counterpart in Washington, Al Jazeera has learnt of secret talks between Taliban-linked mediators and Afghan officials, which could lead to wider negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

The deal involves the return to Afghanistan of Gulbbaldin Hekmatyar, the former prime minister, whose forces fight alongside the Taliban.

It involves a complex and delicate round of meetings from the heart of Afghanistan to Dubai, London and Saudi Arabia.

From Kabul James Bays has this exclusive report.

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Afghanistan + More Troops = Catastrophe (Full Video)

Obama’s Afghan “surge” sows seeds of new wars by Keith Jones

Afghanistan

Noam Chomsky: Giving Up Hegemony for Lent

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Dissidentheart

How should Americans, as a whole, consider the season of Lent? Using Noam Chomsky as a lens, it would be good to start with our misuse of the planet, our militarization of space, and ultimately our irrational commitment to global hegemony….all of which threaten our own survival and the future lives of our grandchildren.

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Mosaic News – 2/25/2009: World News From The Middle East

Dandelion Salad

Warning

This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

linktv

Mosaic needs your help! Donate here: http://linktv.org/contribute

“Pakistan’s supreme court disqualifies former PM Nawaz Sharif from elections,” Al Jazeera TV, Qatar
“Renewed fighting in Somalia undermines new government,” Al Arabiya TV, UAE
“Israel bombs Hamas tunnels,” Al Jazeera English, Qatar
“Netanyahu turns right in search for Israel coalition,” IBA TV, Israel
“Najaf Suffers from Neglect,” Baghdad TV, Iraq
“300,000 Widows in Baghdad,” Nile TV, Egypt
“Iraqi Doctors Peform Stem Cell Surgeries,” Al-Iraqiya TV, Iraq
“Dubai’s Financial Crisis on the Mend,” Dubai TV, UAE
“Syrian Writer Wins Prize for Arabic Fiction,” Al Arabiya TV, UAE
Produced for Link TV by Jamal Dajani.

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Israel lobbies for war on Iran

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Press TV
Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:42:10 GMT

Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak urges Washington to consider “other alternatives” vis-a-vis Iran’s nuclear issue.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says he advocates a war on Iran, following the country’s successful test-runs at the Bushehr power plant.

Tehran edged closer towards the final launch of a light-water reactor in the southern port of Bushehr on Wednesday, after it staged pre-commission operations at the 1000-megawatt reactor.

[…]

via Press TV – Israel lobbies for war on Iran

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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Israel launches campaign against ElBaradei

Empire: Israel and the US

Iran on Dandelion Salad

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

Iran Israel US Nukes

Israel launches campaign against ElBaradei

Propaganda Alert

compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
27 February, 2009

1) Olmert warns Iran over nuclear plant
2) Barak: Time needed to deal with Iran slipping through our fingers
3) Livni: The weapon smuggling organized by Iran is one of the central problems
4) Israel launches campaign against UN nuke watchdog chief
5) Israeli Atomic Energy Commission: IAEA is ineffective
6) Israeli response to Amnesty International report
7) Jerusalem Post: The Iran-Israel nuclear endgame is now much closer

_________________

“We are a strong country, a very strong country, and we have at our disposal (military) capacities the intensity of which are difficult to imagine. We have deployed enormous efforts to reinforce our deterrence capacity. Israel will be able to defend itself in all situations, against all threats, against all enemies. I cannot say more but believe me, I know what I’m talking about.”

[Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, public radio, 26 February 2009] [1]

“Time is slipping through our fingers, and what is needed is a two-pronged course of action which includes ironclad, strenuous sanctions against the Iranian regime and a readiness to consider options in the event that these sanctions do not succeed.”

[Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, 25 February 2009] [2]

“The weapon smuggling organized by Iran is one of the central problems in the region. If the weapon smuggling to Gaza continues – Israel will have no other option than to initiate another defensive operation. That is why the international community must exhaust all the legal and operative means at its disposal to put an end to the arms smuggling”

[Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, meeting with the Cypriot Foreign Minister Kypriano, 25 February 2009] [3]

__________________

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1067072.html

excerpts from: Israel launches campaign against UN nuke watchdog chief

by Yossi Melman, Haaretz, 26 February 2009

Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) recently intensified its attacks on the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei. […] The AEC now hurries to respond to ElBaradei’s interviews, in which he often speaks of Israeli in critical tones. The latest expression of this new policy is a letter to be published this week in the latest issue of the American weekly magazine, Newsweek, written by the AEC spokeswoman Nili Lifshitz.

_________________

http://www.newsweek.com/id/184754/output/print

Israel on the IAEA’s Ineffectiveness

Newsweek, 23 February 2009

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei (“On Nukes, Tread Softly,” Feb. 9), has failed to persuade Syria to allow a visit by the IAEA’s inspectors to three sites suspected to be part of Syria’s covert nuclear program. He has also failed in his feeble demand for a proper investigation of Syria’s bulldozing the wreckage and the cleanup operation at the Dair Alzour site, where Syria is suspected of constructing a North Korean nuclear reactor in clear violation of its Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement with the agency. Instead, ElBaradei lashes out at the state of Israel. Unfortunately, this has become a common practice by the director of the IAEA in his efforts to divert attention from his failure to conduct a vigorous and conclusive investigation amid mounting evidence of gross violations of international obligations under the NPT by some of its Middle Eastern members.

Nili Lifshitz, Spokeswoman
Israeli Atomic Energy Commission
Tel Aviv, Israel

______________________

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/MFA+Spokesman/2009/Spokesman+statements/Israel_response_Amnesty_International_report_23-Feb-2009.htm

excerpt from: Israeli response to Amnesty International report

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, 23 February 2009

(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson)

In response to questions by the media, following is the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs response to Amnesty International’s report on use of weapons in Operation Cast Lead:

Initial study of the report indicates that it presents a biased version of the events, and does not adhere to professional criteria and objectivity.

__________________

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1235410719930&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

excerpt from: The Iran-Israel nuclear endgame is now much closer

by Edwin Black, Jerusalem Post, 26 February 2009

In recent days, four key developments have clicked in to edge Iran and Israel much closer to a military denouement with profound consequences for American oil that the nation is not prepared to meet.

__________________

Notes:

[1] AFP: Olmert warns Iran over nuclear plant
AFP, 26 February 2009

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iCpL1iCM2OCmOC-4dvsx5nrBog2A

[2] Barak: Time needed to deal with Iran slipping through our fingers
by Ofri Ilani, Haaretz, 25 February 2009

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=1066855

[3] FM Livni meets with Cypriot FM Kypriano
Israeli Foreign Ministry website, 25 February 2009

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/MFA+Spokesman/2009/Press+releases/FM-Livni-meets-with-Cypriot-FM-Kypriano-25-Feb-2009.htm

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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Empire: Israel and the US

Iran on Dandelion Salad

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

Iran Israel US Nukes

Dennis Kucinich: Can’t leave 50,000 troops in Iraq and call it a withdrawal + Pentagon Lifts Ban On Coffin Images

Dandelion Salad

Kucinich2008

Hardball 02/26/09

Topic: troops leaving Iraq, troops going to Afghanistan, Obama’s reversal of Bush policy to ban photos of caskets returning

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Pentagon Lifts Ban On Coffin Images

Coffins

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