Tag Archives: oil

Idaho, International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 04 June – 07 June. U.S. kills dozens of civilians, again! U.S. finally admits Mujahideen are more agressive this year! Idaho Guardsman shot. NATO signs exit deal.

7 June 2012

“There’s been an increase in the attacks.”-Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense

After threatening Pakistan, U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, arrived in Kabul to discuss the increased violence in Afghanistan (proving that recent reports that violence was down are wrong).  If you’ve been following my posts, it’s obvious the violence has increased.

Panetta admitted, in a round-a-bout way, that the U.S. is clueless in Afghanistan, by saying his impromptu visit to Afghanistan was “…to get a sense of just exactly what are the Taliban doing.”

In classic U.S. trickery, Panetta said that while attacks were up, they were still down, compared to other years of occupation!  Some regional news sources point out that the U.S. is also behind the increase in violence as more civilians have been killed by occupying forces.

Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, is condemning yet another U.S. led occupying force attack, that left at least 18 civilians dead.  Karzai was on a trip to China, but cut the trip short to return to Afghanistan.

The airstrike, possibly by UAV, took place in Logar Province on the morning of 6 June 2012.

In Maidan Wardak Province, a member of the Afghan Parliament was attacked.  Local reports say his convoy was ambushed as he headed to Kabul.  At least four of his body guards were wounded.

6 June 2012

Idaho National Guard reporting that one of their citizen soldiers was wounded while riding in a Black Hawk helicopter.  He was shot (on 3 June) by Mujahideen on the ground.  Sergeant Albert Vieth was flown to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State for further treatment.

Idaho Army National Guard’s 1-168 General Support Aviation Battalion was sent to Afghanistan on 19 May.

Another U.S. led occupying forces helicopter has gone down.  International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed: “Two International Security Assistance Force service members died following a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan today.”

In Logar Province, a U.S. occupying forces airstrike killed at least 18 civilians.  Afghan government officials, and occupying forces claim 25 Mujahideen killed, however, local security officials claim most of those killed were civilians.  A house belonging to a tribal elder was blown up by the airstrike.

It  was possibly a drone strike, as ISAF refers to it as a “precision airstrike”.

In Kandahar Province, a massive suicide bombing left as many as 23 people killed, and 50 wounded. The target of the bomber was the U.S. controlled Kandahar air port.  Some regional reports say occupying troops make up some of the dead.

In Faryab Province, another suicide bombing left as many as eight people dead.  It was reported by the Afghan government’s 303 Pamir Security Command.

In Kapisa Province, at least six cops were killed, and two wounded after Mujahideen attacked a checkpoint.

ISAF reports yet another “facilitator” captured, in Takhar Province.  Another “leader” captured in Kandahar Province.

5 June 2012

In Ghazni Province, two civilians were wounded, one killed after they drove over a mine.

In Nuristan Province, Afghan border police claim to have killed 12 Mujahideen in an ambush.

ISAF claims two “leaders” killed by a “precision airstrike” (drone strike?), in Ghazni Province.

NATO signs exit deal with Central Asian countries.  Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have agreed to allow NATO forces to get the hell out of Afghanistan through their territory: “These agreements will give us a range of new options and the robust and flexible transport network we need.”

4 June 2012

In Ghor Province, the local development council chief was assassinated. No one knows who did it.

In Parwan Province, a U.S./NATO occupying fuel convoy was ambushed and burned.

British Ministry of Defence says one of their soldiers was shot and killed in Helmand Province.  They say he was shot on 3 June, while on patrol.  MoD also confirmed that another Red Coat was killed in the same area on 1 June.

Afghan Interior Ministry claims 20 Mujahideen killed, six wounded and 13 captured, in battles in Nangarhar, Helmand and Maidan Wardak provinces.

In Paktiya Province, ISAF claims three Mujahideen killed by airstrike. Also, two students were killed by a mine (roadside bomb).

Afghan Defense Ministry says one of their soldiers was killed and 14 wounded in battles in Maidan Wardak, Logar, Paktia and Zabul provinces.

Afghan National Directorate for Security claim they killed a prominent Mujahideen “leader”, along with 25 Mujahideen, in Helmand Province.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Terror Drone update. Former CIA official says blowback coming for U.S., because drones kill mainly civilians!

“We have gone a long way down the road of creating a situation where we are creating more enemies than we are removing from the battlefield. We are already there with regards to Pakistan and Afghanistan.”-Robert Grenier, former CIA official

5 June 2012, Robert Grenier, head of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) counter terrorism center from 2004 to 2006, and was a CIA station chief in Pakistan, is warning of blowback from the use of assassination drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs).

This is because drone strikes kill more bystanders than actual terrorist targets!

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates as many as 830 civilians have been killed in Pakistan. 138 civilians in Yemen and 57 in Somalia. The problem, Grenier says, is that Obama’s drone policy is too vague; anyone, especially males, seen in an area suspected of having terrorists is considered a target: “It needs to be targeted much more finely. We have been seduced by them and the unintended consequences of our actions are going to outweigh the intended consequences.”

He says recent drone killings in Yemen will actually make that country the new safe haven for terrorists: “If you strike them indiscriminately you are running the risk of creating a terrific amount of popular anger. They have tribes and clans and large families. Now all of a sudden you have a big problem … I am very concerned about the creation of a larger terrorist safe haven in Yemen.”

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Terror Drone update, Canada. They like to crash UAVs. Arctic new battlefield for Canadian drones. Canadian military to help Canadian cops kill you from above. Teenagers being trained to operate drones!

Canadian news media reporting that there have been at least 42 drone crashes since 2000, and that they’ve been increasing every year.

It was also revealed that Canada will buy U.S. Air Force (USAF) unarmed Global Hawks for use over the Arctic.  A report said the USAF needed to sell them due to budget cuts.

“You must remember that, in Canada, within the domestic construct, I do not have the right to be able to apply lethal force in Canada. That is the responsibility of the police. The question would be perhaps in the future whether we could work with the police forces to assist them by providing UAVs.”– Lieutenant General Walter Semianiw,  Canadian domestic command, testimony to Canadian Senate committee

The Alberta Aviation Museum is hoping to send a team of 16-18 year old Air Cadets to United Kingdom, to attend a contest for UAV operators.  The contest, called Schools Aerospace Challenge, is based on Royal Air Force standards for drone operators.

Museum officials say they would like to create a similar contest in Canada: “Imagine being 16 years old and getting an opportunity like this. It’s a great way to get kids excited and give them an education unlike they’ll ever get anywhere else.”-Thomas Hinderks, Alberta Aviation Museum Association

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Terror Drone update, 23 May – 03 June. Mass Murder in Yemen on Obama’s orders! Drone strikes best recruiting tool for al-Qaeda ever!

“If you go to the village of Al-Majalah in Yemen, where I was, and you see the unexploded cluster bombs and you have the list and photographic evidence, as I do, of the women and children that represented the vast majority of the deaths in this first strike that Obama authorized on Yemen, those people were murdered by President Obama, on his orders, because there was believed to be someone from Al Qaeda in that area. There’s only one person that’s been identified that had any connection to al Qaeda there, and 21 women and 14 children were killed in that strike and the U.S. tried to cover it up, and say it was a Yemeni strike, and we know from the Wikileaks cables that David Petraeus conspired with the president of Yemen to lie to the world about who did that bombing!  It’s murder, it’s mass murder, when you say, ‘We are going to bomb this area’ because we believe a terrorist is there, and you know that women and children are in the area!!! The United States has an obligation to not bomb that area if they believe that women and children are there. I’m sorry, that’s murder!”-Jeremy Scahill, The Nation.com, interview with MSNBC

“Mistakes made by the U.S. killing innocent women and children has led to a significant recruiting boom, AQAP [al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] use the pictures of shattered women and kids to stir up anger.”-Gregory Johnsen, Princeton University

“Every time the American attacks increase, they increase the rage of the Yemeni people, especially in al-Qaeda controlled areas. The drones are killing al-Qaeda leaders, but they are also turning them into heroes.”-Mohammed al-Ahmadi, Karama human rights group

“These attacks are making people say, ‘We believe now that al-Qaeda is on the right side’. ”-Salim al-Barakani, his two brothers killed in a U.S. strike in March

“…America can’t seem to hit the people you claim to be fighting.  So if you’re gonna bomb us…because there’re some al-Qaeda people in our area, well we’re gonna join up with those fighting against you. The most dangerous thing, I think, the U.S. is doing, beside murdering innocent people in many cases, is giving people in Yemen or Somalia or Pakistan a non-ideological reason to hate the United States.”-Jeremy Scahill, The Nation.com, interview with MSNBC

“In 2009, when President Obama was first known to have authorized a missile strike on Yemen, U.S. officials said there were no more than 300 core AQAP members. That number has grown in recent years to 700 or more, Yemeni officials and tribal leaders say. In addition, hundreds of tribesmen have joined AQAP in the fight against the U.S. backed Yemeni government.”-Sudarsan Raghavan, The Washington Post

28 May 2012

Five people killed by U.S. drone (UAV) strike in Yemen.  The strike targeted three cars driving on a highway.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Terror Drone update, 23 May – 03 June. U.S. launches all out drone offensive in Pakistan! If you are a man you will be killed! Rescuers are now considered militants!

3 June 2012

U.S. drone (aka UAV) attack in Pakistan kills at least 10 people.  Of course the U.S. claims that they were all militants, but that’s only because official U.S. policy dictates that any male killed in the area of a drone strike (or any military attack) is assumed to be an “enemy”: “It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent.”-New York Times  (“posthumously” means after they kill you, you know, the old “shoot first ask questions later” policy)

The New York Times article went on to explain the extremely simple mindedness of the reasoning: “…people in an area of known terrorist activity, or found with a top Qaeda operative, are probably up to no good.”

I thought the simpleton George W. Bush wasn’t in charge anymore?

Reports of the drone strike vary; some reports say it was a “military compound”, while others say it was two houses.  Local officials say the drone fired four missiles at a village, where people had gathered to offer condolences for a person killed just the day before, by a U.S. drone strike!

At least two of the people killed were not Pakistanis.

2 June 2012

A U.S. drone strike kills two people in Pakistan.

28 May 2012

Pakistani TV news, Dunya News, reported a massive drone attack. A total of eight missiles were fired into a town, during two waves of drone attacks.  Residents fled in fear because at least five drones were spotted circling the town after the strike.

The town is called Hassokhel, and was targeted by drones on 24 May as well.  U.S. officials have been reporting that the drone strikes as targeting the town of Miranshah, however, Pakistani media says the attacks actually took place against the town of Hassokhel.  The two towns are separated by 25 kilometers (16 miles).  Are these attacks a case of CIA incompetence?

26 May 2012

BBC reports four people in Pakistan killed by U.S. drone strike. The missile hit a house. The U.S. NavyTimes claims the target was a bakery!

24 May 2012

U.S. drone strike hits a Mosque in Pakistan, killing ten people. Locals say the drone fired two missiles into the Mosque. Of course the U.S. government says the Mosque was really a “military compound”.  The Mosque was located in the town of Hassokhel.

Local officials said rescue efforts were delayed as five U.S. drones continued to circle the area afterwards!  Here’s how an evil unnamed U.S. official describes a rescue effort: “The house caught fire after missiles hit it and militants immediately cordoned off the area and were searching in the rubble.”

23 May 2012

A U.S. drone strike kills five people in Pakistan.  According to Fox News, the U.S. increase in drone strikes could be in retaliation for the Pakistani government not allowing U.S./NATO supply convoys through to Afghanistan.

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 31 May – 03 June. More girls poisoned. U.S. puppet government admits 70% of drugs sent into Iran! Farmers not profiting from Opium! Canada giving its taxpayers’ money to Afghanistan! India says “please don’t go!”

3 June 2012

Another Afghan school has been hit by poisoning, at least 65 girls hospitalized. It’s the 6th school poisoning this year.  This time suspects have been arrested.

In past poisonings “Taliban” reps denied any involvement, and accused the U.S. puppet government of the poisoning.  The four suspects arrested today include a  woman from Pakistan.  So far no indication that they are connected to any Afghan Mujahideen.

In Baghlan Province, the provincial education chief survived an attack, supposedly by Mujahideen. The education chief said he does not know who shot at his house.  Local police are investigating. The attack took place at 03:30 hours.

The Defense Ministry of Afghanistan claim their forces killed, or wounded, at least 20 Mujahideen in the past 24 hours.  They also report that four of their own troops were killed, and 16 wounded.  The battles took place in the provinces of Badakhshan, Maidan Wardak, Kandahar, Farah and Ghazni.

In Nangarhar Province a local police boss was assassinated by “unknown gunmen”, while he was on his way to work.

2 June 2012

Iran has hanged three drug smugglers from Afghanistan.  Iran has been claiming that illegal drugs from Afghanistan have increased since the U.S. invasion more than ten years ago.  Iran claims hundreds of their border police have been killed fighting what they believe is U.S. backed drug smuggling.

There are hundreds of Afghans in Iranian prisons, convicted of drug smuggling.  Afghans cry foul, but just the other day (2 June 2012) the U.S. puppet Afghan Counter-Narcotics Minister, Zerar Ahmad Muqbil, admitted that 70% of the illegal Afghan opium is being deliberately smuggled into Iran: “1/3 of the heroin produced in Afghanistan is smuggled to other countries through northern regions while 2/3 of the heroin produced is smuggled through Iran to other parts of the world.”

Muqbil also stated that more than 90% of the money made from illegal opium is going to the dealers, the farmers are only getting a pittance. This challenges the claim by international observers that farmers are doing it for the money!

A couple of years ago Iranian police captured several Afghan drug smugglers, who were using credit cards which the Iranian police traced back to the United States!

Also, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) reports another drug bust.  Approximately 1,364 kilograms (3,000 pounds) of hashish was captured in Kandahar Province.

The Defense Ministry of Afghanistan reports that five of their own troops were killed, and 4 wounded, after Mujahideen launched attacks in the provinces of Ghazni, Patkia, Kandahar and Badghis.

The Interior Ministry of Afghanistan claims that 30 Mujahideen were killed, 14 wounded and six captured in battles in the provinces of Helmand, Uruzgan, Logar and Ghazni.

In Farah Province, local officials claim to have killed a potential suicide bomber.

Canada has sent a new ambassador to Afghanistan. He stressed that Canada was there for the long run. On 21 May 2012, Canada announced it will give Afghanistan $110 million per year, over the next three years.

ISAF claims another “leader” was captured in Khost Province.  A “facilitator” was captured in Helmand Province.  ISAF also claims to have killed 22 Mujahideen in battles in Kunar and Khost (aka Khowst) provinces. No word on occupying troop casualties.

In Nangarhar Province, a U.S./NATO supply convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber.  Local officials say they don’t know how many people were killed or wounded.

In Parwan Province, an Afghan army General was assassinated, along with his wife, daughter and nephew.  Local officials say they don’t know who did it.   The General and his family were on their way to Kabul when they were killed.

1 June 2012

A U.S./NATO soldier was killed during a Mujahideen attack in southern Afghanistan. As is ISAF SOP no details were given.

At least 182 occupying personnel have been killed since the beginning of 2012.

A suicide bomber attacked U.S. FOB Salerno at Sara Bagh in Khost Province. Some reports say as many as 17 people were killed.  Other reports said several Mujahideen attacked the forward operating base, after the explosion, but were killed or driven off.  ISAF claimed 14 Mujahideen were killed, but local officials say only three Mujahideen were killed.  Many of those killed by U.S. forces were actually civilian bystanders!

In Kapisa Province, three Afghan soldiers were wounded by a roadside bomb (mine).

In Kandahar Province, local police claim they killed eight Mujahideen, and wounded four others.

ISAF claims to have captured a “leader” in Paktika province.

31 May 2012

In Helmand Province, local officials said a suicide bomber, wearing a police uniform, was shot and killed before he could blow himself up.

The Ministry of Labor reports that more than six million Afghan children are living in “critical conditions”, including being slave laborers, and sexually exploited.  The United Nations backs that up.  So what happened to all the taxpayer money coming from the occupying countries?

The United Nations has donated more vehicles to the U.S. puppet government of Afghanistan.  This time at least 50 cars and vans, making for a total of 59 vehicles given to the puppet government in the month of May.

ISAF reports that an U.S./NATO occupying troop was killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

In Nangarhar Province a suicide bomber killed two cops.  The attack took place near an army commander’s office.

In Kandahar Province a suicide bomber killed five cops. The bomber targeted a police station.

In Kunduz Province a anti-terrorism boss, and three others were killed when they drove over a mine.

ISAF claims the capture of a “leader” in Khost Province.

India is begging the United States to keep major military forces in Afghanistan, past the 2014 pullout date.  It’s all about money: “India has invested significant resources for Afghanistan’s development in areas identified by Afghanistan and our Strategic Partnership Agreement with Afghanistan is a reflection of this commitment.”-Nirupama Rao, Indian Ambassador to the United States

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: Japan & Iran avoiding U.S. & British controls, by developing their own insurance system for oil tankers!

2 June 2012, despite Japan just joining a trilateral military pact with the U.S. and Australia, getting oil from Iran is still of utmost importance to Japanese industries.

So much so that Iran and Japan are developing their own shipping insurance companies, to avoid the U.S./U.K. dominated shipping insurance business, and therefore get around U.S./European sanctions.

The European oil sanctions against Iran go into effect on 1 July.  Iran is considering laws that will allow their domestic shipping insurance industry to insure foreign ships.

Japan is now working to create an insurance system that will cover Japanese oil tanker ships carrying Iranian oil.  The system might be similar to one created to help Japanese airlines after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the U.S.  Prior to that Japanese airlines were insured through U.S. companies, but the U.S. companies drastically cut their coverage after the 11 September attacks.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Australia, Japan, United States agree to military pact! “Re-balancing region” against China!

“Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith joined Panetta and Watanabe in another trilateral meeting. The U.S., Japanese and Australian leaders agreed ‘to work through 2020 to refine and consolidate their trilateral defense relationship and support the network of existing alliances, forums and dialogues to meet a variety of common security challenges,'”-U.S. Department of Defense press release

2 June 2012, Australia, Japan and the U.S. have agreed to pursue a military pact that is in line with what an unnamed U.S. Defense official said was “…our rebalancing to the region.”

There are a lot of coded words and phrases in the Defense Department press release, all indicating that the U.S., along with dozens of countries in the Asia Pacific region, are falling in line against China!

But don’t blame Barack Obama, these Shangri-La Dialogue anti-China re-balancing meetings began under the George W. Bush administration.

According to Japanese news media reports, the new military pact between Australia, Japan and United States will include joint military industry developments.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Proof the coming global war will be against China, U.S. sending 60% of naval fleet to Asia-Pacific region! Blame South China Sea oil fields!

“…make no mistake, in a steady, deliberate and sustainable way, the United States military is re-balancing and brings enhanced capabilities to this vital region.”-Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense

2 June 2012, U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, announced that the United States is now sending most of its Navy to the Asia-Pacific region, with the goal of having 60% of U.S. naval forces in place by 2020!

Panetta made the announcement at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue conference, in Singapore.  He stressed that the bad economy, and U.S. government budget cuts will not affect the buildup of U.S. military forces near the South China Sea.

The coming full blown global war could be between China and the West, not between Christians and Muslims. It will be centered on controlling the immense oil fields at the bottom of the South China Sea.

The U.S. has been there before, it was called (unofficially) the Vietnam War.

Decades ago, while doing research in a community college library in California, I came a cross a little black book, published only once.  It was a chronicle of U.S. and European oil companies who were attempting to explore the South China Sea.  They concluded that there was massive oil reserves there, but the technology needed to get at it was not worth what oil was selling for. Believe it or not the average price per barrel of oil, from 1958 to 1970, was only $3.00 USD!!!

According to the book (of which I forget the title), the oil industry’s decision not to spend anymore money on South China Sea exploration was a key factor in U.S. President Richard Nixon’s decision to get out of Vietnam (the peaceful anti-war demonstrations had nothing to do with it).

Since the end of the Vietnam War, China has laid claim to the entire South China Sea.  In the past few years several other countries have as well, such as; Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Japan.  Why? Because the current price per barrel of oil makes drilling in the South China Sea worth it!

Already China has secretly built natural gas rigs in the Sea.  They were discovered by Japanese recon planes sent to investigate the sighting of huge fire balls shooting into the sky.

To enforce how important the South China Sea is to the Whore of Babylon oil industry of the United States, in November 2011 a U.S. Asian political analyst said: “If we are going to move out of this recession, Asia is going to be part of that equation. Asia is where we are going to grow.”-Ernest Bower, Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

This newly announced U.S. naval buildup in the Asian Pacific is on top of the U.S. military buildup in Australia.

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Fast oil money, and a big wind farm, brings Hyper Inflation to Kanasas

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”-Dorothy, MGM’s 1939 movie version of Wizard of Oz

Just as North Dakotans are dealing with hyperinflation thanks to their exploding economy, which in turn is no thanks to their oil boom, now Kansans are experiencing the same thing: “It’s like a gold rush. No one knew this little area was worth anything, and now all of a sudden there’s all kinds of business going on, and everyone wants a piece of it.”-Kathy Smith, motel owner who turns away 25 customers per day!

The oil industry has been busy in Kanasas, and the result is that in the past three years the cost of living there has tripled, at least.  Oh and don’t forget the new wind farm that was built.  The result is a population boom, caused by the wind farm and the oil industry, and that has caused prices, like rent and even food to skyrocket.

Sure there are lots of good paying oil jobs in Kansas now, but those oil workers are paying thousands of dollars in rent, for homes that were costing only hundreds to those living in them before the oil boom.

In fact, just as in North Dakota, the Kansans living in those rental homes were actually kicked out by the property owners, so that much much higher rents could be charged to the incoming oil workers: “We’re one of the ones forced out of our home. We lived in our home 11 years and four months, we received a certified letter in the mail saying we had one month to get out.  There was no where to go.  That month was a holy hell!”-Eileen Morris, Harper County resident

Here’s what a real estate “entrepreneur”, who caters to the oil industry, said about the housing situation: “My goal was to get housing available as quickly and efficiently as possible.”-Bobbie Oliver

To give you an idea just how high rents have gone, mobile homes (aka “modular” homes) that would normally rent for several hundreds of dollars per month, are renting for as much as $2,100 USD per month!

But what about those Kansans who aren’t working for the oil industry?  Here’s what a local county official in Kansas said about that: “…people are charging higher rent prices and so these guys that have jobs that are paying $12 to $15 an hour, it’s a hardship for them.”-Mike Lanie, Economic Development Harper County

Some of the oil companies, like Shell, are actually paying holding money on homes that were forcefully vacated, in order to ensure that their oil workers have a place to live when they get there.  So far no one’s said what’s happened to those Kansans who were kicked out of the homes they were living in.

And just like North Dakota, Kansas is seeing a skyrocketing crime rate.  According to Tracy Chance, Undersheriff of Harper County, the biggest increase so far has been car accidents and public intoxication.

Isn’t the promise of fast easy money wonderful?  Welcome to the false Christian run western Whore of Babylon oil industry!  Like Peter Voser, current CEO of Shell, who will be attending this year’s Bilderberg beast conference in Virginia!  Like Edward P. Cross, current president of the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association and a paid lobbyist for the oil industry!  Like Tom L. Ward, current CEO of Oklahoma based SandRidge Energy, which holds horizontal drilling rights in Kansas!