Updated: June 29, 2009
Updated: June 25, 2009
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
23 June 2009
Return of Shah from Rome, after Coup of 1953
Ertür-Cem
US Ambassador: Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is a great danger to Turkey
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
23 June 2009
1) Interview with US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey (June 2009)
2) US President Barack Obama’s speech to Turkey’s parliament (April 2009)
3) CSIS report: Turkey would be the optimum route for a possible Israeli attack on Iran (March 2009)
4) Petition by the European Mayors on whose territory US nuclear weapons are deployed (December 2007)
5) Percentage of population desiring Europe to be nuclear free (May 2006)
6) US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey’s background (June 2008)
________________
| Quote: |
| NTV: Mr. Ahmedinejad won the elections for the second time in Iran. Do you think that it will affect the general approach of USA to Iran in region?
US Ambassador Jeffrey: […] What we’re very concerned about are, first of all, it’s pursuit of what we believe is a nuclear weapon system which is a great danger to everybody in this region not least Turkey. […] |
[US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, interview with Turkey’s NTV channel, Ankara, 19 June 2009] [1]
note: for information on the background of US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, see item 6 of this compilation.
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| Quote: |
| “The peace of the region will also be advanced if Iran forgoes any nuclear weapons ambitions. Now, as I made clear in Prague yesterday, no one is served by the spread of nuclear weapons, least of all Turkey.” |
[US President Barack Obama, speech to Turkey’s parliament, Ankara, 6 April 2009] [2]
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CSIS report: Turkey would be the optimum route for a possible Israeli attack on Iran (March 2009) [3]
| Quote: |
| A military strike by Israel against Iranian Nuclear Facilities is possible and the optimum route would be along the Syrian-Turkish border then over a small portion of Iraq then into Iran, and back the same route. […]
If the Israeli aircraft do actually fly over Turkey that would constitute a clear Turkish – Israel and even U.S. conspiracy to attack Iran, so the Political risks could be high with Turkey. Operationally, […] the risk from Turkey could be of medium level if Turkey deems it necessary to react militarily. […] |
_________________
| Quote: |
| “While our public is regularly provided alarming media reports of nuclear dangers in Iraq, North Korea or Iran, what is supposed to be a well-informed western audience is living in ignorance of the destructive power of thousands of potential Hiroshimas stored in their backyards.” |
[Mayors for Peace petition launched on 6 December 2007 by the European Mayors on whose territory US nuclear weapons are deployed, namely:
Vedat Karadag (Incirlik, TURKEY), Stefano Del Cont (Aviano, ITALY), Anna Giulia Guarneri (Ghedi, ITALY), Theo Kelchtermans (Peer, BELGIUM), Dr. Joke W. Kersten (Uden, NETHERLANDS), Heinz Onnertz (Buechel, GERMANY) ] [4]
_________________
Percentage of population desiring Europe to be nuclear free
(results of an opinion poll conducted in April-May 2006) [5] :
Yes No
Turkey 88.1% 2.5%
Italy 71.5% 9.3%
Germany 70.5% 26.8%
Belgium 64.6% 31.2%
Netherlands63.3% 26.0%
UK 55.7% 39.5%
_________________
US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey’s background:
On June 5, [2008], The White House announced the nomination of the Deputy National Security Advisor James Franklin Jeffrey as US Ambassador to Turkey. In his earlier capacity as the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, Mr Jeffrey had a prominent role on Iraq policy and was co-chairing the now defunct Iran-Syria Policy and Operations Group:
“The infamous Iran-Syria Policy and Operations Group (ISOG) created in early 2006, integrated by officials from the White House, the [US] State Department, the CIA and the Treasury Department, had a mandate to destabilize Syria and Iran, and bring about ‘Regime Change’. ” [6]
_________________
notes:
[1] Ambassador James Jeffrey’s Interview with Murat Akgun, NTV
website of the US Embassy in Ankara, 19 June 2009
http://turkey.usembassy.gov/amb_jeffrey_061909.html
[2] Remarks by President Barack Obama to the Turkish Parliament
The White House website, 6 April 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-By-President-Obama-To-The-Turkish-Parliament/
[3] Study on a possible Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear development facilities
by Abdullah Toukan et al., Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 16 March 2009
http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_pubs/task,view/id,5337/t ype,1/
[4] European mayors want withdrawal of US nukes from their territory marking INF [i.e. the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty] 20th anniversary
2020 Vision Campaign website, 6 December 2007
http://www.2020visioncampaign.org/pages/319
[5] Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Survey Results in Six European Countries
public opinion survey by Strategic Communications, Greenpeace International website, 25 May 2006
[6] Coming war against Iran: Increasing Anglo-American pressure on Turkey
by Cem Ertür, Dandelion Salad, 21 June 2008
_________________
related links:
Obama: Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat to its neighbors (April 2009)
CSIS report: Turkey would be the optimum route for a possible Israeli attack on Iran (March 2009)
_________________
see:
The great, international, demonic, truly frightening Iranian threat by William Blum
Gustavo Zlauvinen: Nuclear threats and double standards (updated)
Obama orders Gates to update plan for Iran strike
War, Oil and Gas Pipelines: Turkey is Washington’s Geopolitical Pivot by F. William Engdahl
UK Foreign Minister Miliband: The long thesis of the conspiracy by foreign powers against Iran is peddled vociferously by the regime
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
19 June 2009
| Quote: |
| “Obviously the long thesis of the conspiracy by foreign powers against Iran is one that is deeply ingrained in the popular imagination and peddled vociferously by the regime. The demonisation of the West, the United States, the UK to some extent, has been a feature of the last 30 years.” |
[UK Foreign Minister David Miliband, BBC Radio 4 interview, 16 June 2009] [1] Continue reading
Clinton: We hope the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people
Updated: June 30, 2009
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
15 June 2009
1) Clinton: We hope the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people(13 June 2009)
2) Clinton Threatens to Attack Iran ‘The Way That We Did’ Iraq (7 June 2009)
3) Biden: We are not going to allow Iran to go nuclear (14 June 2009)
4) US President Obama: The clock is ticking (26 June 2009)
_________________
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/06/124717.htm
excerpt from: Remarks With Canadian Foreign Minister Cannon
Joint press conference by US Foreign Minister Clinton and her Canadian counterpart Cannon, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 13 June 2009
| Quote: |
| SECRETARY CLINTON: We watched closely the enthusiasm and the very vigorous debate and dialogue that occurred in the lead-up to the Iranian elections. We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran.
But we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide. The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran. We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people. FOREIGN MINISTER CANNON: For Canada, on behalf of Canada, Canada is deeply concerned by reports of voting irregularities in the Iranian election. We’re troubled by reports of intimidation of opposition candidate’s offices by security forces. We’ve tasked our embassy officials to – in Tehran to closely monitor the situation, and Canada is calling on Iranian authorities to conduct fair and transparent counting of all ballots. […] |
_________________ Continue reading
Presidential election in Iran: selected items from the British press
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
14 June 2009
Times, 13 June 2009
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article648934 1.ece
Lifting the veil
A generation of young women voters is rejecting Iran’s repressive regime and challenging the patriarchal orthodoxy of the Muslim world
leading article, Times, 13 June 2009
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Iran’s old guard are poised to crush any hope of revolution
by Robert Fisk, Independent, 12 June 2009
_________________ Continue reading
Obama & Merkel visit Buchenwald concentration camp: We will do everything we can so that something like this never happens again
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
7 June 2009
1) Transcript of the Interview of US President Obama with Justin Webb of the BBC (2 June 2009)
2) Transcript of Foreign Minister Hillary Clinton’s interview on ABC’s ‘This Week’ (7 June 2009)
3) Obama and Merkel visit Buchenwald concentration camp (5 June 2009)
4) UK Prime Minister Brown’s words at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp (28 April 2009) Continue reading
Israeli diplomats told to take offensive in PR war against Iran
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
3 June 2009
1) Israeli diplomats told to take offensive in PR war against Iran (1 June 2009)
2) Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon visits US and Latin America (1 June 2009)
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=1089463&contrass ID=2&subContrassID=1
excerpt from: Israeli diplomats told to take offensive in PR war against Iran
by Barak Ravid, Haaretz, 1 June 2009
| Quote: |
| Organizing demonstrations in front of Iranian consulates worldwide, staging mock stonings and hangings in public, and launching a massive media campaign against Iran – these are just some of the steps Israeli diplomats have been told to take in the coming weeks. The goal, according to a senior Foreign Ministry official, is “to show the world that Iran is not a Western democracy” in the run-up to the country’s presidential election on June 12.
About a week ago, the head of the ministry’s Task Force on Isolating Iran sent a classified telegram to all Israeli embassies and consulates, titled “Activities in the Run-up to Iran’s Presidential Election.” It detailed things Israeli representatives should do before, during and after the election. The telegram noted that hundreds of journalists from around the world will go to Iran to cover the election. Therefore, Israeli representatives must try to give background briefings to various media outlets before the journalists depart, and to the host country’s foreign ministry officials. In addition, diplomats should try to promote press coverage of stories that reveal the Iranian regime’s true face, especially its violations of human rights and suppression of individual liberty. The main message Israeli diplomats should try to send is that “despite the democratic game of a presidential election, this is still a terrible regime that infringes on human rights and imposes many restrictions on its citizens,” the telegram said. In a nutshell, the goal is to “blacken Iran’s international reputation.” |
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excerpts from: Deputy FM Ayalon visits US and Latin America
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, 1 June 2009
| Quote: |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Ayalon arrived Sunday morning in New York to begin a visit to the United States and, afterwards, to Latin America. He took part in the annual Salute to Israel parade that was held on Sunday, 31 May, in New York, under the auspices of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. […]
In an interview to Fox News, Deputy FM Ayalon talked about the Iranian threat: “Iran is working on expanding its influence throughout the world – Latin America, the Gulf States and the Middle East. Iranian capability to launch long-range missiles is a threat to world peace and is liable, within a short time, to extend to the eastern shores of the United States of America.” |
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related link:
https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/israel-holds-drill-simulating-all-out-war/
Israel holds drill simulating all-out war (21 May 2009)
________________
Azerbaijan seen as new front in Mideast conflict
Updated: June 2, 2009
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
31 May, 2009
1) Azerbaijan seen as new front in Mideast conflict (30 May 2009)
2) A welcome new stage in Azerbaijani-Israeli ties (1 June 2009)
__________________
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-shadow30-2009may30 ,0,2242157.story
excerpts from: Azerbaijan seen as new front in Mideast conflict
by Sebastian Rotella, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2009
| Quote: |
| Officials say they foiled a plot by Hezbollah and Iran to bomb the Israeli Embassy in revenge for the 2008 slaying of Imad Mughniyah. Anti-terrorism officials fear a new militant hub. It happened in Baku, transforming the capital of Azerbaijan into a battleground in a global shadow war.The prosecution remained largely a secret until this week, when closed court proceedings began for two Lebanese and four Azeris charged with terrorism, espionage and other crimes. […]
The choice of Baku last year reflects Iran’s influence, said Matthew Levitt, a former intelligence chief at the U.S. Treasury Department. […] “The Iranians have a history of a presence there. And they wouldn’t mind undermining the country, given Azerbaijan’s Western leanings.” |
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFu ll&cid=1243872307395
excerpts from: A welcome new stage in Azerbaijani-Israeli ties
by Alexander Murinson, Jerusalem Post, 1 June 2009
| Quote: |
| Relations between Israel, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan serve as a model for cooperation between the Jewish state and Muslim nations. […]
Peres is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan near the end of June as a part of his tour of the Muslim republics of the CIS. The visit to Baku will take place “at the highest level and with all honors.” […] [T]he invitation for Peres to visit secular Muslim Azerbaijan, Iran’s northern neighbor, reaffirms the strategic relationship between the two countries. […] The Azerbaijani media […] [quoted] the Iranian Chief of Staff Hasan Firudabadi […] [saying,] “The Shimon Peres visit does not seem like a friendly step in Azerbaijani relations with Iran.” |
____________
related link:
Israel holds drill simulating all-out war
Israel holds drill simulating all-out war (23 May 2009)
Israeli President Peres’ statements on Turkey and Iran (February 2009)
US Vice President to Lebanese voters: I urge you to walk away from the spoilers of peace
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
23 May, 2009
1) Remarks by US Vice President Biden after meeting with Lebanese President Sleiman (22 May 2009)
2) Remarks by US Vice President Biden at the announcement of the U.S. shipment of equipment to the Lebanese Armed Forces (22 May 2009)
_________________
| Quote: |
| “We support your sovereignty, Mr. President. We support — admire your democratic process, and will do all in our power to help you enforce your democratic institutions. […]
That’s why it’s so important that the people of Lebanon participate in your democratic elections in June, Mr. President. […] So I urge those who would think about standing with the spoilers of peace not to miss this opportunity to walk away from the spoilers.” |
[US Vice President Joseph Biden, remarks after meeting with Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman, 22 May 2009] [1]
_________________
| Quote: |
| “[S]ince 2005, the United States has committed more than a half a billion dollars to provide [military] training and equipment […] [The] training programs, including the United States Special Forces, are part of a comprehensive U.S. military assistance effort with Lebanon. […]
The United States is committed to Lebanon. The United States is committed to Lebanon’s armed forces. The United States […] is absolutely committed to the sovereignty of the people of Lebanon and the government of Lebanon. And we are committed to playing a central role, to the extent you wish us to do so, in guaranteeing that sovereignty for a democratic Lebanon.” |
[US Vice President Joseph Biden, remarks at the announcement of the U.S. shipment of equipment to the Lebanese Armed Forces, 22 May 2009] [2]
_________________
NOTES:
[1] Remarks by the US Vice President Biden after meeting with President Sleiman
White House website, 22 May 2009
[2] Remarks by the US Vice President Biden at the announcement of the U.S. shipment of equipment to the Lebanese Armed Forces
White House website, 22 May 2009
Israel holds drill simulating all-out war (updated)
Updated: May 31, 2009
Updated: May 23, 2009
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
21 May, 2009
1) Israeli Air Force (IAF) holds drill simulating all-out war (21 May 2009)
2) FBI foils New York synagogue bombing (21 May 2009)
3) US army chief: Iran getting a nuclear weapon would be calamitous for the world (21 May 2009)
updated
4) Azerbaijan seen as new front in Mideast conflict (30 May 2009)
5) Israeli Deputy Defence Minister: Israel is facing a real live missile threat from surrounding Arab countries (30 May 2009)
from the archives:
1) Obama: I understand why Israel considers Iran an existential threat (May 2009)
2) Netanyahu: We will not allow Holocaust deniers to carry out another Jewish Holocaust (April 2009)
3) New York City Police Department (NYPD) commando unit preparing to protect Jewish sites (April 2009)
4) Poll: U.S. Jews split on waging war against nuclear Iran (March 2009)
5) US Jewish communities test emergency system (March 2009)
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1242212438933&pagename=JPos t%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
excerpts from: IAF holds drill simulating all-out war
Jerusalem Post, 21 May 2009
| Quote: |
| Israel Air Force squadrons took part in a large scale drill simulating war on all fronts over the past four days, Channel 10 reported Thursday. […]
Unlike previous drills, the air force did not train on long-range sorties, such as those that would be carried out during an offensive targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities; the drill this past week focused on defending the country. During the exercise, the scenario included war against Hamas in the South and war against both Hizbullah and Syria in the North. In early June, the Israeli home front will be practiced in the most far-reaching rehearsal for an emergency rocket attack ever carried out. All Israelis will be instructed to enter secure spaces and sirens will sound out throughout the country. |
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3719190,00.html
excerpt from: FBI foils NY synagogue bombing
Yitzhak Benhorin, Ynetnews, 21 May 2009
| Quote: |
| Federal law enforcement officials say four men arrested in suspected plot to bomb car near temple and Jewish community center in Bronx borough [of New York City], shoot at military planes with stinger missiles. |
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http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE54K5LI20090521
Iran nuclear bomb would be calamitous: U.S. military
Reuters, 21 May 2009
| Quote: |
| “I’m one who believes that Iran getting a nuclear weapon is calamitous for the region and for the world.” |
[Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting, 21 May 2009]
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updated
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-shadow30-2009may30 ,0,2242157.story
excerpts from:Azerbaijan seen as new front in Mideast conflict
by Sebastian Rotella, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2009
| Quote: |
| Officials say they foiled a plot by Hezbollah and Iran to bomb the Israeli Embassy in revenge for the 2008 slaying of Imad Mughniyah. Anti-terrorism officials fear a new militant hub. It happened in Baku, transforming the capital of Azerbaijan into a battleground in a global shadow war.
The prosecution remained largely a secret until this week, when closed court proceedings began for two Lebanese and four Azeris charged with terrorism, espionage and other crimes. […] The choice of Baku last year reflects Iran’s influence, said Matthew Levitt, a former intelligence chief at the U.S. Treasury Department. […] “The Iranians have a history of a presence there. And they wouldn’t mind undermining the country, given Azerbaijan’s Western leanings.” |
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346506725&pagename=JPos t%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
‘Israelis must ready for missile attack’
by Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post, 30 May 2009
| Quote: |
| Israel is facing a “real live missile threat” from surrounding Arab countries and needs to be prepared for possible missile attacks at a moment’s notice, [Israeli] Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna’i told The Jerusalem Post Saturday, ahead of the nationwide emergency drill that begins on Sunday. |
___________________
from the archives:
Obama: I understand why Israel considers Iran an existential threat
| Quote: |
| “I’ve been very clear that I don’t take any options off the table with respect to Iran. I don’t take options off the table when it comes to U.S. security, period. […]
I understand very clearly that Israel considers Iran an existential threat, and given some of the statements that have been made by President Ahmadinejad, you can understand why. […] They’re right there in range and I don’t think it’s my place to determine for the Israelis what their security needs are.” |
[US President Barack Obama, Newsweek interview, 17 May 2009]
___________________
Netanyahu: We will not allow Holocaust deniers to carry out another Jewish Holocaust
| Quote: |
| “We will not allow Holocaust deniers to carry out another Jewish Holocaust. This is the supreme commitment of the State of Israel, and it is my supreme commitment as Prime Minister of Israel.” |
[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Holocaust Remembrance Day speech in Jerusalem, 20 April 2009] [3]
___________________
http://www.911forum.org.uk/board/viewtopic.php?t=17087&highlight=jews
excerpt from: NYPD commando unit preparing to protect Jewish sites
by Allison Hoffman, Jerusalem Post, 9 April 2009
| Quote: |
| Last week, during a regular pre-Pessah security briefing with Jewish community leaders, the New York Police Department confirmed that it has counterterrorism plans ready to go in case Israel decides to bomb Iran.
Any escalation in tension between the two countries would trigger the immediate deployment of the NYPD’s elite Hercules commando units to Israel’s consulate, as well as to synagogues and institutional headquarters throughout the city, Mitch Silber, a top intelligence analyst, told the crowd. Silber said that he believed it was his duty to “prepare for any retaliation that might happen with the region, but more specifically in the West, and more specifically New York City.” |
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1073257.html
excerpt from: Poll: U.S. Jews split on waging war against nuclear Iran
by Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz, 23 March 2009
| Quote: |
| American Jews are evenly divided over whether the United States should launch a military offensive against Iran if it acquires nuclear weapons.
J Street, the dovish pro-Israel lobby in Washington, commissioned a poll which revealed on Monday that 41 percent of American Jews favor an attack, 40 percent oppose, and 16 percent chose neither. |
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http://www.911forum.org.uk/board/viewtopic.php?t=16911&highlight=
excerpt from: US Jewish communities test emergency system
by Yaakov Lappin, Jerusalem Post, 9 March 2009
| Quote: |
| In the wake of ongoing terror threats to Jewish targets around the world, representatives of American Jewish communities are now testing an integrated rapid-response system designed to allow communications during times of emergency and to share security information on an ongoing basis. |
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N.Y. Bomb Suspects Said to Have No Terror Group Link Update1 – Bloomberg.com h/t: CLG
Obama: I understand why Israel considers Iran an existential threat
Updated: May 22, 2009
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
18 May, 2009
1) President Obama’s Newsweek interview: “A Highly Logical Approach” (17 May 2009)
2) Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel in press availability (18 May 2009)
3) Hearing of the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
[witness: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton] (20 May 2009) Continue reading
Taleban using British white phosphorus (updated)
Updated: May 18, 2009
Updated: May 16, 2009
Updated: May 15, 2009
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Continue reading
Thousands join [UK] Army to escape recession
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
May 10, 2009
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6251988.ece
excerpts from:
Thousands join Army to escape recession
Continuation of the National Emergency with respect to the actions of the government of Syria
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
May 10, 2009
1) Continuation of the National Emergency with respect to the action of the government of Syria
2) U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing (8 May 2009)
_________________
Continuation of the National Emergency with respect to the action of the government of Syria
The White House website, 8 May 2009
On May 11, 2004, pursuant to his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701-1706, and the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Public Law 108-175, the President issued Executive Order 13338, in which he declared a national emergency with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria. To deal with this national emergency, Executive Order 13338 authorized the blocking of property of certain persons and prohibited the exportation or re-exportation of certain goods to Syria. On April 25, 2006, and February 13, 2008, the President issued Executive Order 13399 and Executive Order 13460, respectively, to take additional steps with respect to this national emergency.
The President took these actions to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions of the Government of Syria in supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining U.S. and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.
Because the actions and policies of the Government of Syria continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, the national emergency declared on May 11, 2004, and the measures adopted on that date, on April 25, 2006, in Executive Order 13399, and on February 13, 2008, in Executive Order 13460, to deal with that emergency must continue in effect beyond May 11, 2009. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared with respect to certain actions of the Government of Syria.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 7, 2009.
____________________
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2009/05/123184.htm
excerpt from: [U.S. Department of State] Daily Press Briefing
by Robert Wood, Acting U.S. Department of State spokesman
U.S. Department of State website, 8 May 2009
| Quote: |
| QUESTION: If we can go to Syria, President Obama, I believe yesterday, signed an executive order renewing sanctions that were imposed on Syria, I believe in 2004. Obviously, he does this just as Ambassador Feltman is in – has been in Syria. What does the – and I realize it’s a White House decision to renew the sanctions, but I remember when they were first imposed it was briefed out here. What does the renewal of the sanctions mean for your effort to improve and – improve your relationship with Syria and engage with them more?
MR. WOOD: Well, look, the President felt it was necessary to take these measures. These are not new sanctions, and there is still – I think this shows you that we still have some very serious concerns about Syrian behavior and activity in the world. We’ve said to you before our concerns about what Syria is doing in Iraq, its support for terrorist groups. We have encouraged the Syrians to play a positive role in the Middle East. We’re willing to engage them in a dialogue to try to address not only our concerns, but concerns that they may have. But there’s – it’s – there’s no secret we have some very serious problems with the government in Syria. And we hope to be able to try to work out those differences, but a lot of it is going to be up to Syria. […] |
____________________
UK policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan: the way forward
Propaganda Alert
compiled by Cem Ertür
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
21 April, 2009
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/204173/afghanistan_pakistan.pdf
excerpts from:
HM Government
UK policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan: the way forward
Cabinet Office website, 29 April 2009
(Note: The full text of this report is posted further below)
| Quote: |
| The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy – CONTEST – sets out our overall approach to counterterrorism, covering activity overseas, including cooperation and capacity-building with security forces in Pakistan. […]Our cooperation is designed to help the Pakistani government deal with the challenge it faces from local terrorist and insurgent groups, and the international terrorist networks that are linked with, and supported by, those groups. […] The UK and Pakistan have worked together in tackling numerous important terrorist plots which could affect either of our countries, or both, or third countries as well. […]
In December 2008, we announced our largest bilateral programme of counter-terrorism support and capacity-building, worth £10m. […] We are working to build increasingly close connections between police forces in the UK with specialist expertise on counter-terrorism, and the Federal Investigation Agency and police forces in Pakistan. […] We are also working with the Pakistani government, media, civil society and others to build resilience to violent extremism and tackle the grievances that drive radicalisation; and we are deepening our understanding of the links between counter-radicalisation in Pakistan and in Pakistani communities in the UK. |
___________________
related links:
[1] SAS and other special forces to be expanded to defeat al-Qaeda
by Sean Rayment, Daily Telegraph, 25 April 2009
[2] UK “Terror Plot”: Gordon Brown points finger at Pakistan
Dandelion Salad, 11 April, 2009
[3] The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering International Terrorism
Home Office website, 24 March 2009
=============================================
full text:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/204173/afghanistan_pakistan.pdf
Or at this link: http://www.911forum.org.uk/board/viewtopic.php?p=134156#134156
Dandelion Salad 