Category Archives: International

International

Obama wants troops to stay in Afghanistan until 2024, Russia says it doesn’t make sense

Afghan officials have told British media that the U.S. and Afghanistan have agreed to keep thousands of U.S. troops in country until 2024!

The deal would allow U.S. forces to use Afghan military bases, provide facilities to store massive numbers of U.S. military equipment, and allow thousands of military personnel to stay, including special forces.

Russian officials pointed out that the deal doesn’t make sense: “If the job is done, if terrorism is defeated and peace and stability is brought back, then why would you need bases?  If the job is not done, then several thousand troops, even special forces, will not be able to do the job that 150,000 troops couldn’t do.  It is not possible.”-Andrey Avetisyan, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan

The Russians should know, they got their butts kicked by the Afghans back when Russia was part of the Soviet Union.  They did exactly what the U.S. is doing now, trying to train up the Afghan government to take on the “terrorists”.  The Soviet Union left Afghanistan in 1989, but continued to supply weapons and trainers to the Afghan government.  The Afghan government lasted until 1992, brought down by a civil war that lasted until 1996.  The civil war ended in 1996 when the Taliban took control of the country.

International

Egypt recalls Ambassador to Israel, demands apology, Egyptians continue protesting Israeli Embassy

“Egypt has decided to withdraw its ambassador to Israel until there is an official apology.”-Egyptian government statement

Egyptian officials say Israel killed at least five of their military personnel, who patrol the Israeli/Egypt border on a regular bases.

Egyptians are still protesting outside the Israeli Embassy in Cairo: “This protest will not end as long as the Israeli embassy still has a place in Egypt.  We will not leave here until they do, and if that fails, we will go back to Tahrir.”-protester

Egyptians also said they wanted relations with Israel ended, permanently.  One protestor said Israel has killed Egyptian border troops before, and that the former Mubarak government always looked the other way.  The protestors say they will no longer look the other way when Israel goes on the war path.

Business/Economics, International

Europe shoots self in foot by imposing oil embargo on Syria

The European Union has banned the importation of oil from Syria.  This is supposed to hurt Syria, but it will only hurt Europe.

90% (some sources say 95%) of the oil that comes from Syria, goes to Europe, so you can see it will only hurt Europe.  Unless this is part of some conspiracy to drive oil prices back up to $100.00 per barrel?

The EU decision was not unanimous, several European countries, like Cyprus, Greece and Italy expressed concerns that the embargo would not hurt the Syrian government.

International, U.S.

U.S. officials say Iraq has agreed to let U.S. troops stay longer, Iraqi officials say Bull Shit!

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the Stars & Stripes newspaper that  Iraq has agreed to extend U.S. military presence beyond the 2011 deadline.

Iraqi officials responded with: “We have not yet agreed on the issue of keeping training forces, the negotiations are ongoing, and these negotiations have not been finalized.”-Ali Mussawi, advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

Another Iraqi official said this on Iraqi TV: “The Iraqi government denies what the American Defense Minister Leon Panetta said that Iraq agreed to extend the presence of U.S. troops in the country after 2011.”

Recently many Iraqi officials have promised that military action would be taken against U.S. troops if they stayed.

 

International, U.S.

Holy Back to the Future! Michele Bachmann says we’re still fighting the Soviet Union! Where have these female candidates been living, a Cold War bomb shelter?

“They see the rise of China, the rise of India, the rise of the Soviet Union and our loss militarily going forward.”-Michele Bachmann, presidential candidate

The rise of the Soviet Union!?!

In an interview by Christian radio host Jay Sekulow, Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann said the greatest enemy of the United States is still…the Soviet Union!?!

Bachmann isn’t the first female presidential candidate to say so.  Back in 2010 failed former candidate Christine O’Donnell, told an interviewer that we were in Afghanistan to “finish the job” of fighting the Soviets.  I guess the official reason that we’re fighting to prevent another 9/11 didn’t register with her.

Hello people, the Soviet Union disintegrated 20 years ago!  Many of the former Soviet republics are now independent countries (mainly in Eastern Europe, some in Central Asia).  The only remnants that could be possibly associated with the Soviet Union is the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).

The CIS is made up of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Here’s the problem with presidential hopefuls not understanding world history.  The primary job of the President of the United States is Foreign Policy, not domestic policy (that’s the U.S. Congress).

Do you really want a President that has the mind set that we’re still living in the Cold War (1946 to 1991), with all that Mutually Assured nuclear Destruction (MAD), and people building fall out shelters, and U.S. presidents engaged in drug running to pay for covert wars in Afghanistan while declaring a War on Drugs within the U.S., and stuff like that?

I wonder how many of you know what I’m talking about?

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. Foreign Exchange Student program really covert Slave Labor operation, no wonder Corporate America isn’t hiring

“Working hard, eight hours, we have no opportunity to speak at work.  If I speak, my supervisor comes to me and says, ‘Don’t speak anymore, or I’ll send you home.'”-Yana Brenzey, 19, of Ukraine, foreign exchange student

August 19, foreign college students are protesting in Palmyra, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, saying the U.S. State Department student exchange programs are really a form of slave labor for U.S. corporations.

Friday’s protests are focusing on the candy maker Hersey, but other companies across the United States are involved.

Foreign students say the work programs that are part of the student exchange programs, do not provide them with money to help them with money to help cover their expenses while in the U.S. going to college.  Instead the corporations deduct from their pay all kinds of expenses, which leave the students with little or no money left over.  Essentially companies like Hersey end up with free labor.

Exchange students had to kick back upwards of $6,000 to the California-based Council for Educational Travel USA (CETUSA).

An organization called National Guestworker Alliance is helping foreign students organize the protests, and has even got federal officials promising an investigation. This after students in New Orleans reported being “made captive” by their employers.  Protests in New Orleans started on August 17, where’s the main stream U.S. media?

Most of the media coverage of these protest are in local newspapers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: Venezuela to nationalize Gold industry, demands that their gold stored in European & U.S. banks be returned, creating gold back money

“Venezuela is the 13th largest holder of gold in the world. From a financial aspect, I think it is a very shrewd and intelligent move to protect his country’s gold assets.  There is, however, a political overtone in that he wants to pull out the other financial assets that Venezuela has in the U.K., in the U.S., and push it into what he calls ‘more likable allies’, Russia, China and Brazil.”-Adrian Salbuchi

President Hugo Chavez wants all of Venezuela’s gold now held in European and U.S. banks to be returned.

It would be the largest physical movement of gold in recent history.  Some reports say it would involve U.S.$11 billion in gold.

The demand for Venezuela’s gold to be returned, comes after Chavez announced that the government would nationalize all gold mines in Venezuela.

The intent of nationalizing their gold industry is a precursor to creating money backed by gold: “We are going to nationalize gold and turn it into foreign exchange reserves…”-Hugo Chavez