Category Archives: International

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.

International

Yemen declares State of Emergency snipes protesters

The government of Yemen has declared a State of Emergency.  This after weeks of protests against the government, and recently, the sniping and killing of at least 31 protesters by Yemeni government forces.

Protesters say hundreds were also wounded by the snipers.

Saudi Arabia has already invaded neighboring Bahrain to help that government against protesters there.  Will Saudi Arabia do the same with its neighbor to the south?

International

Iran may act to stop Sunni Arab invasion of Shia Bahrain

“The Saudi’s should know for a fact that Tehran will use all the power and potentials at its disposal to halt the oppression of the people of Bahrain.”said Iranian lawmaker Hossein Naqavi.

Majority Sunni Arab countries invaded majority Shia Arab Bahrain, in order to protect the Sunni rulers there from the Shia revolution.  Iran and Bahrain are majority Shia Muslim countries.

Iran has asked the UN to take action.  The United Nations, pushed by France, U.K. & U.S.,  has authorized military force against Libya, supposedly to protect the revolutionaries there.

A Bahraini women, who is Sunni, is supporting the Shia rebels; “The government is making this a sectarian issue. I see the way my [Shia] friends are treated and I came here to show solidarity.”

The headquarters of the U.S. 5th Fleet is in Bahrain.

International, Opinion, U.S.

Kuwait joins invasion of Bahrain

Kuwait is sending ships to patrol the water off Bahrain, in support of the recent invasion by Saudi Arabian troops, and by police units of United Arab Emirates.

Bahrain is ruled by a minority Sunni royal family, while the majority of the people are Shia.  They have been protesting for weeks, and the Bahraini government began cracking down.

Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

It’s interesting that we are about to attack Libya, supposedly for cracking down on revolutionaries, yet we do nothing to protect the revolutionaries in Bahrain.

International

Libya agrees to ceasefire, U.K. & France preping for military action

Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa announced that Libya will accept a ceasefire with rebels.

Libyan officials believe the UN Security Council resolution allows the Libyan government to use force in order to protect civilians.

France and United Kingdom say they are preparing for military action. Spain and Norway announced they are prepared to join the enforcement of a no fly zone.

President Obama will make an announcement this afternoon.  It is expect that two Arab nations will be named as taking part in the no fly zone operation, Qatar is expected to be one of those countries.

The United States, United  Kingdom, France are members of the UN Security Council, and voted for the no fly zone.  China, Russia, Germany, India and Brazil are also members, but abstained, they will not help with the no fly zone.