Category Archives: International

International, U.S.

Russia warns U.S. it will be held accountable in Libya

Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, warned that any “humanitarian consequences” following any military action to enforce a no fly zone, will be on those enforcing the no fly zone: “Responsibility for inevitable humanitarian consequences caused by excessive use of outside force in the Libyan situation would be fully born by those who resorted to such actions.”

Russia abstained from voting on the no fly resolution, because there were no plans presented to actually protect peaceful Libyans.

International

Japan’s Prime Minister’s Grand Coalition attempt fails

Japan’s Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, says the situation in Japan is as worse as at the end of World War 2, after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Japan.  Because of that Kan tried to unite the main political parties, starting with the main opposition party.

Officials with the Liberal Democratic Party (right wing conservatives), the main opposition party, said no.  They pointed out that their party was already helping with the recover efforts, so they see no reason to unite under the PM’s office.

International, Opinion, U.S.

Ivory Coast, more proof of U.S. & French Hypocrisy

The UN is expressing shock at the violence in Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire). Yet, where’s the U.S. pushing for no fly zones and military action? Hypocrisy!

If the violence in Libya warrants military action by the UN, then why not in Ivory Coast?  Where’s war mongering French President Sarkozy?  Ivory Coast used to be a colony of France, yet Sarkozy has been salivating at the prospect of military action against Libya (a former Italian colony).  He’s been working hard to get support for war against Libya, he even convinced the Arab League to join in.

2010 election results, in Ivory Coast, were basically thrown out by the ruling party, and that started what now looks like a second civil war.   Hello, President Obama, what about the rights of the “people”?  Obama is quick to use such reasoning in regards to attacking Libya, but not Ivory Coast.

The United States Department of State estimates that at least 75,000 people have fled Ivory Coast into Liberia (a former U.S. colony).  Recent reports say dead bodies lie in the streets of the capitol.  An attack by government forces, on March 17, is being called a crime against humanity by the UN, but where’s the U.S. and France on this one.  Oh yeah they’re getting ready to bomb Libya.

International, Opinion, U.S.

Obama & Libya, Lies, Lies & more Lies

President Barak Obama spoke at a news conference, where he explained the reasoning behind the push for a no fly zone.

He stated that NATO, and Arab countries, will take the lead in enforcing the military option, while the U.S. will supply various support for the military action, and humanitarian aid.

Obama said this came after Gaddafi refused to back off of attacking “peaceful” protesters, and that he made threats of “no mercy” against the rebels.

Point 1: The Libyan protesters are NOT peaceful.  Look at how the protesters in Egypt and Tunis behaved.  Early on Libyan protesters attacked government forces, and police, then captured military weapons which they have been using since. The Egyptians & Tunisians did not do that.

It has become clear that Libyan rebels have also been supplied from outside Libya with weapons and ammo.  A Libyan arms dealer in Egypt has admitted that this is happening.  Libyan rebels have admitted the same.  We now know that some how the rebels have developed their own air force, seemingly overnight.

In the eastern half of Libya, where the majority of oil fields are by the way,  Libyan police and government forces joined the rebels, and it seems they were paid off.

This is not a case of peaceful protest, and certainly not on the same level as the events in Egypt and Tunis.  This is a full blown civil war.

Point 2: Many of the Arab League (League of Arab States), who are supporting the no fly zone, are at this very moment suppressing the peaceful protest going on in their countries.  Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Yemen, etc.  In fact Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirate are currently helping Bahrain suppress a truly peaceful protest by the majority of the population.

Point 3: The push for a no fly zone and military action against Libya started before Gaddafi made threats of “no mercy”.  In fact, very early on Obama demanded that Gaddafi step down.  Obama did not do this with Mubarak in Egypt!  The Obama administration actually made supporting statements for Mubarak for at least a week, before asking Mubarak to implement changes, and then finally asking Mubarak to step down. Very different treatment when compared to Gaddafi.

Point 4: If a similar situation happened in the United States; violent protests, attacking government forces, capturing military weapons, defections of military and police to the rebels side, you can be sure that President Obama, or any President, would not hesitate to do exactly what Gaddafi is doing.  This policy even has an official name: National Security.

Yes Gaddafi is bad, but so are the governments of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, etc.  Hey, don’t forget that President Bush Jr took Gaddafi off the terrorist list, in 2006.  And the UN lifted sanctions in 2003.

So President Obama, why are we helping “peaceful” heavily armed rebels in Libya, while ignoring the murders of truly peaceful protesters in other countries?  All I can hear is lies, lies and more lies.

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

Donations to Japan piddly compared to Haiti quake and Hurricane Katrina

A philanthropy newspaper reports that international non-profit donations to help Japan, one week after the 9.0 quake, total $87 million.

Compared to the number of donations, within the same time period, to Haiti and survivors of Hurricane Katrina, it is piddly.

Haiti received $275 million in donations to non-profits one week after their big quake.  Areas hit by Hurricane Katrina saw $522 million one week after that disaster.

This could be due to the bad economic situation, but I have seen plenty of comments on the web, many made by people in the United States, that show that a lot of people think Japan “deserves” this situation.  Xenophobia continues to build.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Gaddafi right, Rebelion came from outside

A Wall Street Journal article suggests that Libyan rebels getting help from Egypt, Qatar and other Arab countries, all with U.S. approval.

Libyan rebels have praised Qatar from day one for their help.

Egypt is supposedly sending the rebels weapons (I wondered where the rebels got all those new looking heavy guns and missiles).  Hani Souflakis, a Libyan businessman in Cairo said “We know the Egyptian military council is helping us, but they can’t be so visible.”  Souflakis is a Libyan rebel liaison with the Egyptian government since the uprising began.

Libyan rebels admit they have been armed from the outside, but will not say who is arming them.  Also, the Wall Street journal reports that, all of a sudden, the rebels are using aircraft to launch air strikes against Libyan government troops (when the hell did they get aircraft?).  Some sources say the rebels are using captured Libyan aircraft, but that the rebels had to get spare parts, and trained air & ground crews from out side the country.

The Arab League actually drafted the UN Security Council’s declaration of  a no fly zone.

All this is proving that crazy sounding Gaddafi (Gadhafi, Kaddafi, Qaddafi, they all work) might be right when he claims that this whole “revolution” is a foreign act of war to get total control of Libya’s oil.

International

Concerns over volcano may unite North & South Korea

The 9.0 quake/tsunami has officials in North and South Korea concerned over possible eruption of the Baekdu volcano in North Korea.

The last time it erupted was in 1903.

The increase seismic activity in the area, including volcanic activity in Japan and Eastern Russia, has Korean officials worried so much that it has become part of their unification discussions.  However, both sides are downplaying it.

Korea is directly due west of the Japanese state of Honshu.