Category Archives: International

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 30 October – 01 November 2012. Cops attack each other, over a woman! Mujahideen allowed to run for President! UAE sues Afghanistan! Mujahideen rescue kidnapping victims! Cops kill Red Coats! Australia to increase troops after saying they were leaving! King Copper in Afghanistan!

01 November 2012

ISAF said: “A U.S. Forces-Afghanistan service member died following an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan today.”

More than 100 women applied to be the first females to attend the British style Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA).  Only 30 will be picked.

In Ghazni Province, two headless bodies were found.  Police say they have no clues as to who did it.

31 October 2012

In Uruzgan Province, cops (? not sure, source info not clear about this) manning two check points went to war with each other over a woman! Local officials report one group of cops at one check point became concerned when a woman was held up at another check point. A gun fight erupted, with one group running into the mountains.  “Foreign” troops were called in and they detained that group.

The Afghan presidential elections will be held 05 April 2014, the same year the U.S./NATO is supposed to withdraw.  It was also announced that former Taliban government/Mujahideen will be allowed to run for president: “We are even prepared to pave the ground for the armed opposition, be it the Taliban or Hezb-i-Islami, to participate in the election, either as voters or candidates. There will be no discrimination.”-Fazil Ahmad Manawi, Afghan Independent Election Commission

In Kandahar Province, six people, including children, were killed after the vehicle they were in ran over a landmine.

In Helmand Province, seven women and one man were killed by an explosion. Local police believe the bomb was meant for a U.S./NATO convoy that was using the same route.

United Arab Emirates sued Ariana Airlines of Afghanistan for $10 million USD.  UAE courts ruled on the lawsuit a month ago, only now are Afghan airlines officials hearing about it. The case involves the leasing of aircraft, which the UAE airlines says were never returned to them after the lease expired.  The Afghan airlines says the aircraft actually came from a airlines called Pamir Airways, and that the aircraft were returned to Pamir Airways.

In Ghor Province, Mujahideen rescued three kidnapping victims, through negotiation.  The deal involves the settling of a murder case where three students were killed.  However, there are still ten men being held.  The mass kidnapping took place after 13 men were sent to remove the bodies of victims of a massive suicide bombing.

Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, announced that more Diggers were needed in Afghanistan. Her explanation is that in order to withdraw Diggers from Afghanistan they first needed to increase their numbers: “As we begin detailed planning for its final phases, which of course remain some time off, it is likely that we will identify the need for some additional personnel and resources to complete those final phases of practical extraction and repatriation.”

30 October 2012

Afghan officials are accusing the Red Coat British military of covering up the murder of Afghan civilians by Red Coat personnel.  This comes as five Royal Marines are on trial for just such a case.

In Helmand Province, and Afghan cop got revenge for such Red Coat shenanigans by shooting and killing two British personnel.

In Kunar Province, local government officials are again claiming that Pakistan has launched more than 100 artillery rounds into their province. Amazingly no one was hurt.

In Sar-e-Pul Province, it was announced that large scale mining operations for copper are about to get underway. The Balkhab copper mine is one of the largest copper reserves in the world.  Bids from international mining companies are being reviewed: “The bidding process for Balkhab copper reserve is finalized and the international proposals are being assessed by Afghan mines ministry. Afghan government will announce its decision regarding the winner in the near future.”-Wahidullah Shahrani, Ministry of Mines

The winning bidder will begin mine operations in 2013.  Besides oil, minerals/metals like copper are a driving force behind western foreign policies.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government & Corporate Incompetence, World War 3 & What Economic Recovery? United States not even part the top ten most prosperous countries! War on Terror makes the U.S. insecure!

According to the Legatum Institute, the United States not only is not the most prosperous country anymore, it’s not even in the top ten!

The United States was considered the 10th most prosperous last year, but in 2012 the U.S. is now ranked 12th overall!

The Legatum Institute ranks 142 nations in eight sub-indexes: economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom and social capital.

According to their 2012 Prosperity Index, the U.S. now ranks 2nd in health, 5th in education, 10th in governance, 10th in social capital, 12th in entrepreneurship and opportunity, 14th in personal freedom, 20th in economy, and despite more than a decade of War on Terror 27th in safety and security (seems the war has actually made the U.S. more unsafe)!

The top 10 most prosperous countries are: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Ireland.  (notice that most of these are in Europe where the economy is supposed to be worse than the U.S., many of these countries have strong labor unions and more worker rights than the U.S.)

International, U.S.

U.K. High Court considers U.S. rendition and detaining of “enemy combatants” a War Crime!

“The, presumably forcible, transfer of Mr Rahmatullah from Iraq to Afghanistan is, at least prima facie, a breach of article 49. On that account alone, his continued detention post-transfer is unlawful…….Instead he has been imprisoned by the U.S.A., which takes a different view of the requirements of international law, and accepts no limitations on its right to detain in these circumstances….”-written statement from Supreme Court judges, Lord Carnwath and Lady Hale.

“The U.K. government has nowhere left to turn. The highest court in the country has expressed serious concerns that grave war crimes may have been committed as a result of which a police investigation must be initiated without delay.”-Kat Craig, a legal director of activist organization Reprieve

“The government’s attempts to row back on centuries of constitutional development and restrict the reach of habeas corpus has been rejected by the highest court in the land!”-Jamie Beagent, attorney representing a man who was renditioned out of Iraq in 2004, and is still under U.S. control at Bagram Prison, Afghanistan

On 31 October 2012, the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court ruled that the ongoing rendition of so called enemy combatants by the United States, is a war crime!

The court opinion came after a group trying to get a man freed from eight years of secret imprisonment failed.  The group called Reprieve, petitioned the British high court to force the United States to make the man available so they can challenge the legality of his imprisonment in court.

The man, from Pakistan, was detained by British troops in Iraq in 2004.  The Red Coats handed him over to U.S. forces, who then secretly sent him to Bagram Prison in Afghanistan.

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that no enemy combatant can be taken to another country while detained.  The group Reprieve wants the U.S. to explain why they violated the Geneva Convention, if the man was considered an enemy combatant.

If the man was not considered an enemy then they want to know on what grounds the U.S. continues to detain him (if he’s even still alive).

The U.K. court refused Reprieve’s request to force the British government to demand the United States explain itself, but did agree that the policy of rendition, carried out under a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and U.K., is illegal under international law: “This powerful [U.K.] Supreme Court decision has huge ramifications. Clearly there will now have to be a full criminal investigation. But if the U.S. has ‘dishonored’ its commitment to the U.K. in this case for the first time in 150 years, and continues to violate law as basic as the Geneva Conventions, this also throws other extradition agreements with the U.K. into doubt.”-Clive Stafford Smith, director & founder of Reprieve

International, Opinion, U.S.

What Democracy? United States banning international election observers!

“The threat of criminal sanctions against observers is unacceptable. The United States, like all countries in the OSCE, has an obligation to invite ODIHR observers to observe its elections.”–Janez Lenarcic,  Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Officials and organizations in the U.S. have always pushed for international election observers (which include election observers such as former President Jimmy Carter, and First Lady Rosalynn Carter) in countries they deem as undemocratic.  Now, several U.S. states are banning observers from witnessing their election process!

The United States is a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). As such, each member must allow international observers to witness each national election.  In fact, the U.S. has allowed such observations since 2002 (beginning under the Bush Jr administration).  OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) officials say this is the first time they have encountered opposition from state level officials!

On 31 October 2012, the state of Iowa announced they will arrest any OSCE ODIHR observer found in polling places. Iowa Secretary of State, Matt Schultz, a Republican, claims Iowa law prevents observation of the election process from closer than 300 feet of the polling place (how convenient, it makes election monitoring ineffective).

Recently Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, a Republican, made the same threat of arrest against observers.

This comes after Officials with the OSCE received letters from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP and the ACLU, claiming they had evidence of massive election fraud.

As an example: Some reports say an estimated 700,000 U.S. voters will not be allowed to vote because of new voter identification laws.

In the past, U.S. officials have always claimed that any country that has a problem with their elections being monitored must be undemocratic.  Well, now the shoe is on the other foot and it’s U.S. officials that are fighting the monitoring of U.S. elections. So what does that tell you?

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

What Economic Recovery? 3M says sales in the U.S. will continue to fall for years to come! Blames crashing solar power demand in U.S.!

“We will continue our Hefei project, which includes 12 big buildings. I believe, as a clean and stable energy, solar must be promising in the future. I don’t think the behavior of the EU and the U.S. is proper.”-Kenneth Yu, 3M China operations

31 October 2012, U.S. based 3M expects its U.S. sales to fall for the next five to ten years, and they expect China to become their number one market.

In their latest quarterly report, 3M showed a big jump in revenues from Canada and Latin America, up 10.5%.  The United States had increased sales of 2.3%. Sales in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia were flat.  However, 3M officials think that over the next decade their sales will boom in China.

They say they will streamline their operations, with their consumer and office supplies division looking like it will be drastically cut due to flat profits.  3M will continue investing in future markets.

3M has already invested $1.2 billion USD in China since 1984.  For the next five years the corporation, formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is investing $120 million in the solar power industry in China.

3M officials say global demand for solar power products are booming, and China is likely to become the center of the global solar power industry.

As an example of government incompetence, President Barack Obama, with support from the Republican controlled Congress, enacted outrageous tariffs on solar products from China.  It was the death blow to struggling Hoku Materials in Pocatello, Idaho.

The newly built polysilicon factory, in southeast Idaho, had locals hopeful that hundreds of desperately needed good paying jobs would be available.  Hoku’s contracts were with Chinese solar product companies that were directly affected by the tariffs.

Now it looks like U.S. based 3M is jumping ship for better shores in China.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

What Economic Recovery? Sharp projects record loss for 2012!

01 November 2012, yet another Japanese electronics maker announced they are losing money big time, and for the second year in a row.  Sharp predicts it will lose at least $5.6 billion USD by March 2013 (the end of the Japanese fiscal year)!

From April to September 2012 Sharp lost nearly $5 billion, 80% more than they originally predicted!  As other Japanese electronics makers, they blame crashing TV sales.

Sharp officials say they will now layoff 10,000 employees and sell assets.  They’ve also taken on a $4.6 billion bailout loan.

 

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

World War 3 & What Economic Recovery? Japan to suspend elections to avoid fiscal cliff? Part of IMF’s fiscal consolidation order? Growing regional disputes with China?

“We shouldn’t create at will a political vacuum that would cause policies to stall.”-Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, 29 October 2012

The “political vacuum” the Prime Minister is talking about concerns his loss of political power: “Noda wants to delay the day of reckoning as long as possible. Who would call an election now knowing that over 100 parliament seats would be lost, putting the party on the brink of collapse?”-Harumi Arima, political analyst

Noda is using the now catastrophic Japanese economy as an excuse not to dissolve the Lower House of Parliament: “If the situation is left as it is, administrative services could stall, which would seriously affect people’s livelihoods and thwart efforts to revive the economy.”-Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, 29 October 2012

Dissolving the Lower House is a necessary step in Japan, before elections can be held.

The above statements were made two days ago. Today, 31 October 2012, Noda confronted critics, saying he will decide when the time is right for elections, and the time will be right only when the economic situation is properly addressed: “I will make a decision on the dissolution after doing some necessary tasks and preparing responses to the economic situation.”-Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, 31 October 2012

Just how bad is the economy in Japan?  For one, the Japanese government has more debt than the Greek government.

For two, Japanese companies are experiencing huge drops in sales, so much so that tens of thousands of Japanese have lost their jobs in the past year alone.

For three: “The situation is worse than we had expected earlier, and we have a severe outlook for the second half. Digital consumer businesses such as TV, cameras, Blu-ray disc players and PCs worsened faster than we had expected three months ago.”-Hideaki Kawai, CFO Panasonic

For four: “We don’t see when bad news will stop coming out.”-Kazuyuki Terao, Allianz Global Investors Japan Co.

Prime Minister Noda stated today, that before elections could be held he wanted policies passed that would issue debt covering bonds, drastically change the retirement program for Japanese, and other additional economic austerity measures by the end of November.  These are inline with what the International Monetary Fund ordered just days ago.

Noda also admitted that he wanted the right environment to correct the disparity in Lower House, meaning he wanted to make sure his political party got most of the seats!

Delaying elections is also about maintaining regional power, with the backing of the United States.

Two days ago Noda mentioned growing disputes between China, Russia and Korea, South: “Achieving relationships of trust with surrounding countries such as China, South Korea and Russia, with a comprehensive view, strengthens the foundations on which Japan and the whole region enjoy peace and prosperity. It is one of the grave responsibilities a country has to fulfill.”

Business/Economics, International, Technology

What Economic Recovery? Panasonic predicts more massive losses! Suspends dividend payments for first time! Chairman cuts his own pay by 40%!

31 October 2012, one of Japan’s electronics giants, Panasonic, announced massive losses by the end of their fiscal year.

Panasonic officials say they expect to have suffered a net loss of more than $9 billion USD by March 2013!   They already lost $8.6 billion from April to September 2012!

For the first time in 62 years it is suspending dividend payments to stockholders!  Company officials say they are now forced to “restructure unprofitable operations”.  That’s industry code for shut factories down and lay people off (they already laid off 39,000 people in 2011!).  But unlike greedy unAmerican Corporate America leaders, the boss of Panasonic said he was cutting his own pay by 40%!

Just like other Japanese electronics makers, Panasonic blames the huge losses on crashing TV and camera sales.  Panasonic lost $9.7 billion in 2011!

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 26 – 29 October 2012. Mujahideen continue steady attacks across the country! ISAF says they will not protect Afghan borders! Bin Laden & Taliban supporters to mediate peace talks! U.S. agents detain Pakistani official in Canada!

29 October 2012

In Wardak Province, Mujahideen ambushed U.S. and Afghan National Army troops.  The U.S. and ANA personnel were conducting assessments of local police checkpoints.  They were attacked with assault rifles and RPGs.  U.S. officials claim they killed three Mujahideen.

In Helmand Province, at least two ANA soldiers were killed (some reports say four) when the vehicle they were in ran over a landmine.

Despite the fact that U.S. officials continue to claim we are there to provide security to Afghanistan, ISAF officials said they are not there to protect Afghanistan’s borders: “In the first Bonn conference in December 2001 there was a proposal of the Afghan delegation to include the protection of the border of Afghanistan in one of the annexes. Actually this annex was part of the Bonn proposal however, this annex never made it into our mandate that we received from the United Nations.”-Brigadier General Günter Katz, International Security Assistance Force

The Afghan High Peace Council revealed that Saudi Arabia will mediate peace talks between Mujahideen and the Afghan government.  It must be remembered that it was Saudi Arabia that supported Osama bin Laden and, along with Pakistan, eventually supported the creation of the Taliban (“Students”) political party.  Saudi Arabia also officially recognized the Taliban government.  Analysts say this time the Saudi’s are concerned about blowback: “Saudi Arabia is in a situation to support the Afghan peace talks not only because of the moral stance of Saudi in this regard but also they should consider the post 2014 situation in Afghanistan which will threaten the national security of Saudi Arabia if necessary steps have not been taken to eliminate insurgency in South Asia.”-Nasrullah Stanekzai

Saudi Arabia is also spending $100 million USD to build a huge Mosque/madrasa in Afghanistan.  They claim it will house 5,000 university aged students.

In Ghazni Province, five people were killed and four detained by U.S./ANA forces.  Officials claim they were all Mujahideen, but locals say at least one civilian man and one civilian woman were killed.  Officials say the U.S./ANA operation started Sunday night and continued until Monday morning.

Afghan elected official, Ramazan Bashar Doost, said that while the U.S. is offering a $25 million reward for the arrest of Mullah Omar, the U.S. has been in contact with Mulla Omar the whole time!   Doost also says the U.S. is actually funding not only Pakistan’s ISI, but Afghan Mujahideen groups as well.

28 October 2012

In Canada, Pakistani elected official, Imran Khan, was detained by U.S. agents: “I was taken off from plane and interrogated by U.S. Immigration in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop!”-Imran Khan

Imran Khan is also the Pakistani official who said war in Afghanistan was justified Jihad.  Khan was on his way to New York anyway, so why couldn’t the U.S. wait until he arrived there?

Afghan intelligence, aka National Directorate of Security (NDS), told Pakistani officials that the man they claim is behind the shooting of a teenaged Pakistani girl is not in Afghanistan.

27 October 2012

In Ghor Province, local government officials say 13 people were kidnapped.  However, police say they do not know who did the kidnapping, and they don’t know the identities of those kidnapped!

The British Red Coat Ministry of Defence said the deaths of one Royal Marine and one Royal Army medic was not the result of fratricide (Blue on Blue).  However, the two Red Coats died (as well as a Afghan National Policeman performing Muslim prayers) after two British patrols fired on each other.  The MoD stated: “…the deaths of Corporal O’Connor and Corporal Day were caused by a third party or parties whose identities have yet to be established but who are not U.K. personnel.”

An investigative reporter says Green on Blue attacks are not caused by insurgents, but by the way U.S./NATO personnel treat Afghans: “These attacks are motivated by grudges, by people who are unhappy with the people they are coming in contact with in the U.S. and NATO military forces, but also by the broader context of what they hear and see these forces are doing in Afghanistan specifically for example breaking into people’s homes and taking away the males in these homes and detaining them.”-Gareth Porter

26 October 2012

In Ghazni Province, the bodies of six people were found on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. They had been shot. Police believe the victims were traveling to see relatives for the Eid holiday.

The Wall Street Journal said Afghan sources claim Iran has infiltrated Afghanistan through charity organizations.  Sources claim Iran can now muster up to 20,000 Afghans at one time for militant activities, making Iran a greater threat than Pakistan.

In Farah Province, an NDS agent was attacked by Mujahideen. Several people were wounded and the a gunman was arrested. No info on what happened to the  NDS agent.

ISAF said:  “An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an insurgent attack in western Afghanistan today.”

In Faryab Province, a suicide bombing killed at least 40 people, and wounded 50.  It appears the Provincial governor and local police chief were the targets. It happened at a Mosque.  President Hamid Karzai said the attacks made against Muslims while they are praying in Mosques are not being made by Muslims, suggesting the attacks are really being instigated by non-Muslims (like non-Muslims from the United States or Europe).

Recently the grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia declared that suicide attacks by Muslims against Muslims was unforgivable.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Suddenly, Israeli leaders say Iran NOT trying to build nuclear weapon!

“There could be at least three explanations. One is the public discourse about a possible Israeli or American operation deterred them from trying to come closer. It could probably be a diplomatic gambit that they have launched in order to avoid this issue culminating before the American election, just to gain some time. It could be a way of telling the IAEA ‘oh we comply with our commitments’.”-Ehud Barak, Defense Minister of Israel

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, a top Israeli official said they believe Iran has at least delayed any attempts to build a nuclear weapon.

Israeli officials still say Iran will eventually build a nuclear weapon, so maybe this is actually a delaying tactic on the part of Israel, until after the U.S. Presidential elections (if they happen at all)?