Category Archives: International

International, Opinion, U.S.

United States ignores Iraqi officials, Obama pushing to have U.S. troops stay in Iraq

Time and time again, Iraqi officials have told the leadership of the United States to get its troops out of Iraq, yet, U.S. leadership acts as if the Iraqis want the U.S. to stay.

“If Iraq wants to keep some American troops in the country to offset its military vulnerabilities, I’m sure the U.S. government would welcome the discussions, but it needs to start very soon.”-U.S. Admiral Michael Mullen

About a week before Admiral Mullen made that statement, Defense Secretary Gates said the same thing.

“If folks here (Iraqis) are going to want us to have a presence, we’re going to need to get on with it pretty quickly in terms of our planning.”-Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense

Gates made that public statement after Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki told him no: “The Iraqi government is against of any presence of U.S. troops or other foreign troops on the Iraqi territory since they cause internal problems and problems in the region for Iraq.”-Nuri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister

Obviously the leadership of the United States doesn’t understand what ‘NO’ means. That wasn’t the only time (so far since January 2011) the United States was told by Iraqi leaders to get out.

“All Iraqi officials want a U.S. pullout from their country, and based on the Baghdad Security Pact signed by the two sides, all U.S. forces should withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011.”-Bahr al-Uloum, former Iraqi Oil Minister

“Mr. Maliki rejected Gates’ demand, saying that Iraq will deal with the issue based on the security pact (signed between Washington and Baghdad).”-Ali al-Dabbaq, Iraqi Government Spokesman

“I don’t believe there is any need for them to stay after 2011. Because we are ready right now, we are fully qualified, competent. And we don’t have any will or wish for them to stay here, and there won’t be any American forces after 2011.”-Mohammad al-Askari, Iraqi Ministry of Defense spokesman

“They are not going to leave Iraq, and if they don’t leave Iraq by the end of 2011, then there will be no peaceful demonstrations, there will be something else.”-Iraqi protester

“We want them to get out of the country. It’s the last year for them.”-Sheik Ahmed al-Hasnawi

Get the point?  Then what’s the motivation behind Robert Gates and Michael Mullen acting like the Iraqis are asking the U.S. to stay?  So far, the only political group asking the U.S. to stay is the semi-autonomous Kudrish parliament. But their region, the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, is not covered under the current agreement for U.S. troop withdrawal.  And Kurdish officials point out they have no say in it: “It is not related to Iraq’s Kurdish officials and they have no role in the U.S. forces’ stay or exit. It is up to the central government to decide on the issue.”-Sabah Barzandi, member of the parliament of Iraq’s Kurdistan region

For some reason the United States leadership is trying to use the Kurdish card as the reason for NOT leaving Iraq.  Is it because of the strong ties, that Kurds have, to Iran?  Is it because the U.S. is very close to invading Syria (just to the west of Iraqi Kurdistan), and then invading Iran (just to the east of Iraq)?


International, U.S.

Anti Musilm Terry Jones in Jail

Terry Jones spent time in a Michigan jail after refusing to pay a ridiculous $1 bond (yes, one dollar).

A jury ruled that Jones’ protest was intended to incite violence.  Jones refused to pay the symbolic bond, and said his church would hold the protest anyway.

Jones, and a supporter, finally paid the bond, and were released from jail.  They still plan to protest in front of the largest Mosque in the U.S.: “We will be in contact with legal representation and plan to protest next week in front of the Islamic Center.”

International

Subaru says Israeli ad, of Israeli settler running over Palestinians, is a fake but the video is real

23 April 2011

Recently Subaru of America responded to complaints about an Israeli advertisement, in which the head of a property development company runs over Palestinian kids, who’re protesting their land being taken, with his new Subaru.

Subaru of America said they think the ad “…is fake”.  Even if the ad is fake,  the video of the actual incident is all over the internet.

The incident took place in 2010, you can clearly see the Zionist is driving a Subaru (outside the U.S. Subaru is known as Fuji Heavy Industries):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynCe9z7qO38&feature=player_detailpage

SUBARU DISOWNS ISRAELI ADVERTISMENT SHOWING PALESTINIANS BEING RUN OVER BY SUBARU CAR

International, Opinion, U.S.

Pakistan says U.S. drone operators have quietly left their country

A senior Pakistani intelligence official says U.S. personnel operating drones from a Pakistan base, have quietly left the country.

Officially the U.S. is not operating drones out of Pakistani bases,  but Pakistani intelligence has been saying, for a while now, they the U.S. is indeed using Pakistani bases for drone attacks.

Supposedly U.S. drones use Pakistan’s Shamsi Air Base.

Carl Forsberg, research analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, says it’s possible the Pakistanis are using pressure on the United States.

Drone attacks kill more civilians than terrorists. The latest attack, last Friday, killed 25 people, including five women and three children: “Drone attacks have become a core irritant in the counter terror campaign. We have repeatedly said that such attacks are counterproductive and only contribute to strengthen the hands of the terrorists.”-Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Perhaps the U.S. drone operators left, because they are now needed in Libya?

International

Subaru disowns Israeli advertisment showing Palestinians being run over by Subaru car

22 April 2011

“Nobody will stand against you! Subaru!”

In a response to complaints about an Israeli ad that shows Palestinian teens being hit by an Israeli driving a Subaru (made by Fuji Heavy Industries),  U.S. Subaru officials claim Subaru had nothing to do with the ad.

“Thank you for taking the time to contact Subaru of America.  We appreciate you bringing your concern to our attention.

We are the distributor of new Subaru products for the United States only.  We believe that this to be a fake advertisement.  This posting has been brought to the attention of the manufacturer of Subaru vehicles.  Please bear with Subaru while we attempt to locate the source and to have it removed.

Thank you for bringing this to Subaru’s attention.

Sincerely,

John J. Mergen
Subaru of America, Inc.”

It was China’s Xinhua News that first reported the advertisement.  It’s intersting that even though Subaru is a Japanese brand, made by Fuji Heavy Industries, people upset by the advertisment complained to the Subaru of America office!

International, U.S.

Chinese dumping wheels on the U.S. Market

The U.S. International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce are investigating claims by U.S. companies, that China is dumping steel wheels on the U.S. market.

The claim was filed by the U.S. wheel makers, Accuride Corp and Hayes Lemmerz International Inc.

16 Chinese companies are being investigated for selling their wheels in the United States, for far less than what it cost to make them.  Dumping is a way a company can gain a foot hold in a specific market, by selling their products at huge loses, to push out their competitors. Once that is done the dumping company will increase their prices to make up the difference.

International, U.S.

‘Christians’ say they will protest largest Mosque in United States

Terry Jones now has a $1 million bounty for his arrest.  He’s one of the ‘christians’ that burned the Quran in March.  He, and his followers (doesn’t that make it a cult?) are in Dearborn, Michigan, to launch a Good Friday protest in front of the largest mosque in the U.S.

The problem is that Terry Jones has stated, recently, that he and his followers will use guns at the protest.  In a morning interview (April 22) with a Michigan TV station, Jones said they will protest, even though a judge denied their permit to do so.  The judge did suggest other sites for holding the protest, but Jones refused.

International, Opinion

Chocolate Kinder Eggs Illegal in the United States, could cost you $300.00

If you’re coming back from Canada with a handful, or even just one, Kinder Egg, you’re breaking the law.  It’s against U.S. law to bring chocolate Kinder Eggs into the U.S., and can result in a $300.00 fine, per egg.

Several people have already had their collectible eggs, with a toy inside, taken by U.S. Customs officials after a random inspection at the border.  U.S. law banned the eggs precisely because they have a toy inside.  They are considered a health risk to children.  Last year (2010) U.S. Customs seized 25,000 Kinder Eggs at the U.S./Canadian border.

That’s pretty lame.  I used to get these Italian creations whenever I had the chance. My kids loved them when they were young.  Now I find out why it’s so hard to get them in the U.S.

The company that makes them is the Italian based Ferrero. Originally called Kinder Surprise, they’ve been making them since 1972, yet the United States government thinks they are some kinda terrorist threat to our children (maybe there’s WMDs in there?).  Actually, there is a U.S. law that says a food product cannot contain a non-edible object inside it.  Since 1991 seven kids, in the entire world, died choking on the Kinder Egg toy surprise.  There are legal toys/candies in the U.S. that have caused more deaths than that!

Another surprise is that even though they are illegal in the U.S., Canadian companies are selling them to people in the U.S., through the mail.  There used to be a small European food store where I live, in Idaho, and they sold Kinder Eggs all the time.  In fact they were their best selling item.  Where did they get the Kinder Eggs?  From a Canadian food supplier, though the mail.

Kinder Eggs have become so popular in the world that there are special eggs made for several countries, and holidays.  Wouldn’t it suck to go to jail for trafficking illegal chocolate eggs?   Sounds like some kinda Willy Wonka gone-bad movie.

Business/Economics, International, Opinion

Subaru promotes killing of Palestinians

An advertisement by Subaru, in Israel, promotes running over Palestinians with your new Subaru car.  The tag line, in Hebrew, is: “We’ll see who can stand against you”

What makes it worse, is that the scene in the add is real.  The photo was taken last year, when an Israeli settler ran over Palestinian teens who were protesting the settlements.  The driver of the car, David Be’eri, is the director general of Elad, a hard-line property development company.

The advertisement was revealed to the world by Chinese news agency Xinhua.

International, U.S.

Bahraini Shia claim government, and Saudis, have destroyed 28 Mosques

“We will not keep silent on destruction of mosques.”-joint statement by clerics

Bahrain Center for Human Rights said that 28 Mosques, and 50 mourning halls, have been destroyed by government forces, and Saudi forces.  Muslim clerics have accused Bahraini and Saudi forces of sacrilege.

The Shia majority have been protesting since February 14, they want an end to the royal family rule.  Some of the destroyed mosques were located in Karzakan, Salmabad, Bu Quwah, and A’ali.

Protesters plan a big rally for Friday.  Husain Abdulla, human rights activist, says the United States does not want democracy in Bahrain, because the U.S. fears the people will vote the U.S. Navy out.  Bahrain is the head quarters of the USN Fifth Fleet.