New Law Makes ‘Offending’ Bahrain King Punishable By Up to 7 Years in Prison

Image by malyousif via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

RT on Feb 4, 2014

If you don’t think much of the King of Bahrain, maybe it’s better to keep it to yourself – or else you could face 7 years in prison, thanks to some new laws to defend the monarchy. Previously, the punishment was a few days in jail, but now, any Twitter post, Facebook comment or casual disparaging word could land you a hefty term. For more RT talks to Rodney Shakespeare, Chair of the Committee Against Torture in Bahrain. READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/xweqti

Misread Telexes Led Analysts to See Iran Nuclear Arms Programme by Gareth Porter

by Gareth Porter
Writer, Dandelion Salad
crossposted at ISP
Washington
February 5, 2014

When Western intelligence agencies began in the early 1990s to intercept telexes from an Iranian university to foreign high technology firms, intelligence analysts believed they saw the first signs of military involvement in Iran’s nuclear programme. That suspicion led to U.S. intelligence assessments over the next decade that Iran was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons.

Howard Zinn: Historical Interpretation + Q&A (1997; must-see)

Image by Truthout.org via Flickr

with Howard Zinn
Writer, Dandelion Salad
February 5, 2014

“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” — George Orwell, 1984

US, Allies ‘Arming Al-Qaeda’ in Syria by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from PressTV, Feb. 4, 2014
February 5, 2014

Image by The Weekly Bull via Flickr

The titular head of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has reportedly disavowed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Videos emerged over the weekend of the Egyptian-born leader denying any organizational links with the ISIS.

The British Guardian reported that the move by the top al-Qaeda commander was an attempt to “reassert control” over the disparate militant groups fighting in Syria.