Tag Archives: oil

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Japan demands exemption from U.S. oil embargo against Iran, prepares for short U.S. war with Iran

“…officials are working hard in order to win a waiver from the sanctions by the end of this month.”-Osamu Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary for Japan’s Prime Minister

Since January, 2012, Japan has been trying to get an exemption from the U.S. oil sanctions against Iran.  Japan’s economy depends on it.

“We have not yet reached an agreement in principle, although we have deepened mutual understanding.”-Koichiro Gemba, Foreign Minister of Japan

Since there is no progress in getting the exemption, Japan is now preping for a possible war in the Persian Gulf, which would cut off 10% of their oil supplies.

Foreign Minister Gemba claims Japan is making preparations that would make any cut off of oil, due to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, have little affect on Japan’s industries. But that’s because Gemba believes any war with Iran would be short.  Does he know something we don’t?

Gemba explained that Japan has 200 days of oil reserves and 70 days worth of liquid natural gas.  Apparently Japan was told (during their negotiations to get exempted from the U.S. oil sanctions?) by U.S. officials not to worry about a long war.

Gemba added that the Japanese government is going over various scenarios to reduce the impact the war will have on people’s daily lives.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Gaddafi is gone, yet Obama continues sanctions against Libya. It’s a personal vendetta

Nobel prize winner, U.S. President Barack Obama, is extending sanctions against Libya, even though the person supposedly responsible for the sanctions is dead!

In February 2011, Obama placed “emergency” sanctions against Gaddafi.  But Gaddafi was beaten and finally shot to death towards the end of last year.

On February 23, 2012, Obama claimed: “The situation in Libya continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

Those “extraordinary” threats are the surviving members of Gaddafi’s family.  So this sounds personal, as if the leadership of the United States wants all the male members of the Gaddafi family dead, just like what happened to the Hussein family in Iraq.

International, U.S.

White Horse & World War 3: “Friends of Syria” meeting to determine U.S. military action, it’s all about Iran. China & Russia refuse to attend

On February 24, 2012, between 50 and 80 countries will meet in Tunis for the Friends of Syria conference.  The results of the conference could bypass the United Nations regarding overt foreign intervention in Syria.

China has refused to attend the conference, saying they are true friends of Syria.  Chinese officials also say they were given little notice of the conference, so they are not sure of the true purpose of the meeting.

Russia has refused to attend because: “The opposition is invited, the legal authorities are not. This means we have here what we had in Libya: a contact group was created. There is a feeling that it all aims at supporting ONE part in the country’s internal conflict.”-Aleksandr Lukashevich, Russian Foreign Ministry

According to the Israeli private intelligence agency DEBKA, sources inside the Pentagon say plans have been drawn up for military action.  Which plan is chosen will depend on the news Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, will bring back from the Friends of Syria conference.

DEBKA says the U.K., France, Italy and even Turkey are preparing for military action as well.

A whistleblower inside the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says the United States has been covertly training the Syrian rebels since May 2011.  Also, as many as 10,000 pro-U.S. Libyans are in Jordan waiting for the invasion.

A political scientist, in Syria, said this was about future war with Iran and Lebanon: “They want a political uprising here in Syria to make the country weak and then go to Iran and Hezbollah.”-Balsam Abu Bulla, political scientist

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham admitted this is all about Iran: “If the Syrian regime is replaced with another form of government, that doesn’t tie its future to the Iranians, the world is a better place.”

I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

 

 

Idaho, International, U.S.

Lessons for the Occupy Movement from the Egyptian January 2011 Revolution: #2 Cyberspace does not win Revolutions! Occupy the land! Keep Lines of Communication open!

I watched the January 2011 Egyptian Revolution from day one.  It did not start with cyberspace, and it did not end with cyberspace.  Rather cyberspace was only a briefly used tool of the Revolutionaries.

“I don’t think the Revolution ever happened in cyberspace…They need physical space, they need public space. Tahrir Square provided that.”-Nezar AlSayyad, Center of Middle East Studies, University of California at Berkeley

The fact that Revolutions need public space is the true reason why local and state governments, in the United Police States of America, are now passing laws that’re making it illegal to gather in public spaces!

On December 9, 2011, the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, created a law that is not only aimed at preventing public gatherings, but is being called “a particularly egregious attack on the homeless”.

On January 24, 2012, Charlotte, North Carolina, passed a “no camping” on city property law.  Even if you’re not camping the law includes things that allow police to have you removed, or arrested, anyway.

On February 21, 2012, the state of Idaho created a law that specifically targets the Occupy movement.  It has extended anti-gathering laws (no demonstrations can last longer than four hours, which only proves what I said in part one) to the state property the Occupy Boise movement is currently using.

The small, and ignorant, Occupy Boise movement has until 17:00 February 27 to clear out.

I say the Occupy Idaho movement is ignorant, because of what they said in a PBS Newshour interview: “I will take it elsewhere. There are a lot of us who recognize that this movement is more important than the place we’re staying.”-Daniel Grad, Occupy Boise, December 8, 2011

In fact, the Occupy Boise movement told local Idaho PBS reporters that they specifically chose the land (land that until now was exempt from the four hour limit law) so as to not cause legal problems!

FAIL!  There’s a saying in the world of business, “location, location, location”!   If there is no need to Occupy land, then what was the point of Egyptian Revolutionaries fighting so hard to control Tahrir Square?

Back to cyberspace.  In Egypt twitter and facebook and other social media tools were not the instigators of the Revolution.  Those tools only became important as Egyptians in one city realized, through their communications, that they were not alone, that Egyptians in other cities were also rebelling.  So cyberspace became a way of communication after the fact.

Even so, as I was watching the live broadcasts, the Egyptian government shut down many cell phone towers, and internet providers (with the help of a U.S. telecommunications company).   Did that stop the Revolution?  Hell no!

Revolutionaries turned to old fashioned land line phones, short wave radios, even the ancient task of running messages by foot.  Some reports said they had taken over radio stations, even broke into police stations to steal the police radios.

But while this proves that cyberspace is not critical, it does prove that communications are critical.

In the military, communications does not refer to just being able to talk or relay messages.  It refers to the ability to keep your forces fed and armed.  (specifically its called: Lines of Communication, called such because supplies tended to follow the same route that hand carried messages, and telegraph lines, did)

The Egyptian Revolutionaries not only took and held land (sometimes losing it, but retaking it later), they kept their Occupiers fed, and they rotated fresh Occupiers in, while the tired Occupiers went out to get rest.  They, without really thinking about it, kept “lines of communication” open to the land they were Occupying.

This is important, because one of the riot control maneuvers used nowadays is called “Kettling”.  This is a way of hemming in protestors, to cut them off from their lines of communication (even though most protestors don’t even know about such things as lines of communication).

The lesson is that you must not rely on high technology, you must Occupy the land, and you must keep your “lines of communication” open!

By the Way, Occupy Boise is appealing to the Federal Court, on the grounds the new Idaho law violates the rights to freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

LESSONS FOR THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT FROM THE EGYPTIAN JANUARY 2011 REVOLUTION: #1; PEACEFUL PROTEST DOES NOT WORK!!!

International, U.S.

World War 3: New phase of Afghan War; Genocide in the Name of Fighting Terrorism. Hundreds of families displaced everyday, hundreds of children frozen to death! National ID cards new weapon for Ethnic Cleansing!

“We saw letters issued by the provincial government of Herat that said, effectively, don’t direct any assistance specifically to displaced people. The theory is that since they don’t want to either encourage them to stay or even acknowledge that displacement is a problem they’re going to pretend that it doesn’t exist.”-Michael Bochenek, Amnesty International

Not being reported by most of the main stream U.S. media is what looks like a new phase in the so called U.S. war on terror in Afghanistan: Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing, specifically by targeting children.

The New York Times has published a report, concerning the growing number of cases of children freezing to death, and being targeted by U.S. led forces.

The Washington Post has also written about the increased forced displacement, and articles about the increased killing of children by U.S. led forces.

For years the Brookings Institution has been reporting on the increasing number of people being forcibly displaced in Afghanistan.

Also, Amnesty International has recently reported that as many as 400 people, per day, are being forced from their homes into refugee (concentration?) camps.  As of the middle of February, 2012, there were an estimated 500,000 people in these camps.

It’s in those camps that children are freezing to death. The camps do not have any basic necessities.  The U.S. backed Afghan government says it’s necessary because of the continued U.S. led war with “Taliban”, and natural disasters.

Amnesty says many of the Afghans being affected include those who returned to Afghanistan after the U.S. “liberated” the country from the Taliban.  Ten years later, those who returned say they were better off in Pakistani refugee camps!

The U.S. supported Afghan government officials deny there is a problem. They label returning refugees as “economic migrants”.

The camps for economic migrants are where hundreds of children have frozen to death this winter.  According to the British Telegraph, at least 40 people, mostly children, froze to death just in the past four weeks!

“They may be refused enrollment or threatened with expulsion if they can not produce a national identification card, a document that most Afghans do not have…”-Amnesty International

One program started by the U.S. supported Afghan government, is a national identification (ID) card (similar to what some lawmakers in the U.S. want for Americans).  If you don’t have the ID card you don’t get any help, your children are not even allowed to attend school (wasn’t that one of the reasons for getting rid of the Taliban, so that kids could go to school?).

“Economic migrants” are not issued ID cards, unless they have other forms of documentation.  Now realize that most Afghans who live outside major cites, as well as those people who fled the civil wars in the 1990s, have no “documentation”.

“In the typical scenario, a group of men arrives, claiming to own the land and telling the families they must leave.”-Amnesty International

If you don’t have this Afghan national ID, you can be kicked out of your home (similar to what Israelis have been doing to Palestinians) and placed in the so called refugee camps. In these camps people are even being denied food because they can not “prove” they are Afghans!

A New York Times article said that U.S. supported Afghan government officials refuse to recognize the increasing number of deaths because those who died did not have proper ID!!!

Where’s all the international aid? Most of the supplies coming into the camps are coming from locals! But, they are not enough.  Nader Nafey, a local businessman, brought food for 200 people at the Charahi Qambar camp.  The problem is that there is more than 900 people in the camp!

“Private Afghan businessmen, as well as companies like Roshan, a mobile telephone carrier, and Ariana Television, through their charitable arms, have visited both of the worst-hit camps in recent days, handing out aid, including food, firewood and cash payments.”-New York Times

Amnesty International says the billions of dollars in international aid, is deliberately being blocked from the camps, by the U.S. supported Afghan government. 

New York Times investigators have interviewed U.S. supported Afghan officials, who blame it all on the refugees.  They make the outrageous claim that the undocumented economic migrants sold off all their food, and even rented out their government supplied apartments, to risk death living in the unheated tents of the refugee camps!!!

This is taking place while killings of Afghan children, by U.S. led forces, is also increasing.

“Seven boys under 14 and an 18-year-old were killed in the attack….They were herding sheep less than half a mile from their homes when the bombing happened.”-New York Times

U.S./NATO/ISAF officials consider herding sheep suspicious: “We were engaging a group of armed men that we observed engaging in unusual behavior.”-Lieutenant Colonial Jimmie E. Cummings

“Suddenly some airplanes came and dropped bombs on the children and killed my son, my two nephews and some other children from our village. When we went there we saw the children in pieces, some missing legs, some missing arms, only the heads and face could be recognized, nothing else.”-Abdul Zahid, local police officer

Recently French NATO/ISAF forces admitted killing the seven boys, and the 18 year old. The French say they had information that the boys were Taliban gun smugglers! (an excuse used thousands of times by U.S. led forces)

Here’s another typical explanation given by U.S. led forces: “These were young Afghans. They were adult-sized, athletic, strong, walking perfectly in the valley. I have no doubt that they were carrying weapons.”

Locals basically say ‘no shit sherlock, we all carry guns, this is Afghanistan where we all have the right bear arms!’  That’s right all you right wingers in the U.S., the right to have weapons is more respected in Afghanistan (even if the U.S. supported government is against it) than in the hypocritical United States!  The problem is that U.S. led forces in Afghanistan target anyone seen carrying a weapon, no mater how young.

“Afghan children, women and men continue to be killed in this war in ever-increasing numbers. For much too long Afghan civilians have paid the highest price of war.”-Ján Kubiš, United Nations Special Representative for the Secretary-General

On February 4, 2012, the United Nations published a report, which said there was a 192% increase in the number of civilians killed, in the last six months of 2011!  The report also said civilian deaths have been increasing every year!

The report blames the yearly increases not only on freedom fighters, but on U.S. supported pro-government forces: “Among the tactics of Pro-Government Forces, aerial attacks caused the greatest number of Afghan civilian deaths in 2011…”

The fact that year after year civilians are increasingly killed or driven into death camps, implies only one thing; an official policy of Genocide.

While many ethnic groups are targeted, the majority are Pashtuns.  The Pashtuns just happen to be the majority of Afghans, and make up the majority of “Taliban”.

This looks more and more like an official U.S. policy to eradicate the dominant Pashtuns, through genocidal ethnic cleansing.  Don’t forget, not one Afghan has ever been directly linked to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States!!!

 

 

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Riots continue in Afghanistan, Taliban take advantage and go on Offensive, 20 Afghans killed, 2 U.S. troops killed, Obama makes empty apology

U.S. media reporting that an Afghan soldier has killed two U.S. troops, vengeance for the burning of dozens of Qur’ans.  It’s not the first, second or third time U.S. led forces have committed acts of desecration (in violation of the UCMJ) in Afghanistan.

At least 20 Afghans have been killed, as a direct result of the riots.  One of those killed was an Afghan government solider. It’s not clear if the soldier was taking part in suppressing the riots, or take part in the riots.

A militia/freedom fighter group (U.S. media calls all Afghan freedom fighters “Taliban”) issued a statement calling for all out attacks on all foreign troops and bases.  At one base U.S. forces were shot at, resulting in two U.S. troops injured.

U.S. President Barack Obama sent a written apology to Afghan President Karzai.  When you realize how many times the U.S. has apologized to Afghanistan, for killing civilians and acts of desecration, it becomes clear those apologies are hollow.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Afghans killed, anti-U.S. protests spreading, U.S. bomb girls religious school, U.S. targeting children, U.S. Embassy in lockdown

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul is in lockdown: “The Embassy is on lockdown; all travel suspended. Please, everyone, be safe out there.”-Embassy Twitter announcement

For a second day, anti-U.S. riots continue in Afghanistan, over the burning of dozens of Qur’ans. A hospital in Kabul says more than 19 Afghans have been shot by U.S. led forces, nine have been killed.

Reports say the number of Afghans rioting outside Bagram are in the thousands.

Hundreds of Afghans are converging on Camp Phoenix, a U.S. base on the main highway linking Kabul with Jalalabad.  Thousands of people are rioting in Jalalabad.

“This morning a school was attacked by a NATO helicopter. Nine children, all girls, and the school’s janitor have been injured. Some of the girls were discharged after receiving treatment but about five of them are still in the hospital.”-Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, Nangarhar provincial government

Also, the U.S. has bombed a religious school for girls in eastern Afghanistan.  At least nine students are wounded, along with the school janitor.  Local Afghan officials say the girls school was targeted by NATO helicopters.  ISAF officials say they are investigating, but do not know of any officially sanctioned military action in that area.

This makes the second time, in February, that Afghan children were targeted by U.S. led forces.  On February 8, eight children were killed by U.S. led airstrikes as they were herding sheep!

International, U.S.

World War 3: Israel threatens Al Aqsa Mosque, Hamas issues warning, Al Jazeerah says it will be war ended only by Jewish Messiah

“Attacking or destroying or burning the Islamic house of worship of 1400 years would spark off religious wars between Muslims and Jews, wars that would only end when the redeemer or Jewish Messiah appears.”-Khalid Amayreh, Al-Jazeerah

February 21, 2012, Israeli police have been attacked with stones, by Palestinians who say they are defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque (aka Dome of the Rock), which is located on the ruins of the ancient Hebrew temple.  The stoning of Israeli police comes one day after police attacked Palestinian protestors.

Tensions have been building after internet rumors began, saying that Israel was planning on taking down the Mosque.  Since the weekend Israeli riot police have been on stand by, and Jews and Christians have been escorted by the military.

This is not the first time Israel has made moves against the Mosque: “Today, the Zionist regime is making the same foolish moves that the former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon did in 2000, and there is a possibility for sparking another Intifada.”-Salah Bardewil, Hamas

Israel has also been accused of digging under the Mosque, officially for archaeological reasons, in the hopes it would collapse. Those digs have been escalating in size recently.

Officially Israeli police say they do not know why Palestinians are suddenly up in arms (rocks) about the Mosque.  Muslim officials connected to the Al-Aqsa Mosque say they have evidence that Israeli officials are going to divide the Mosque into Jewish and Muslim sections.

While Israeli media denies such plans by the Israeli government, an Israeli  Likud political party member, Moshe Feiglin, announced such plans two weeks ago: “We call upon everyone to go up the Temple Mound, the Haram Ash-Sharif, one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, to declare a proper leadership which insures our full control of the mount in order to build the temple on the ruins of al-Aqsa Mosque.”

 

Business/Economics, International

World War 3: Iran makes Oil offer to European countries. But still; France, Britain No Oil For You!

Iran has made a new oil deal offer to European countries, except the countries of Britain and France: “They must know that our country is in a position which must be talked to and treated on equal standing and through mutual respect, and they must forget about their past empires and exploiting other countries.”-Ramin Mehmanparast, Foreign Ministry of Iran

For all other European countries Iran is willing to continue shipping oil to them if: “They…must sign medium, or long term contracts covering periods of three to five years….and ban….oil customers from unilaterally canceling their contracts.”-Ramin Mehmanparast, Foreign Ministry of Iran

Iranian officials say that by signing the long term contracts European countries could get a fixed price for Iranian oil.  If they don’t sign contracts, then no more oil for you: “We make decisions in our own country and we have sanctioned hostile states; if other countries do not specify their decision about long term oil contracts, Tehran will make a decision about them as well.”-Rostam Qassemi, Oil Minister of Iran

Iranian officials claim they don’t really need the European market, saying only 18% of all of Iran’s oil production goes to Europe.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Proof War on Terror is a religious war; U.S. led force commit yet more acts of desecration, and say Oooops We Didn’t Know

“We are deeply concerned about the report of Qur’an or religious materials being damaged, and will get to the bottom of what actually happened.”-Lieutenant Lauren Rago, ISAF

Yet again, U.S. led forces have committed acts of desecration in Afghanistan, this time burning unknown numbers of Qur’ans.  A French photographer reported it, after Afghans working at the Bagram Airfield showed him evidence of the desecration.  Local officials also reported it to the Associated Press.

The sorry ass lying U.S. Marine Corps General, John Allen, gave the now typical response: “These are very, very isolated incidents. We’ve been here a long time. We’ve been shoulder to shoulder with the Afghans for a long time. We’ve been dying alongside the Afghans for a long time because we believe in them. We believe in their country. We want to have every opportunity to give them a bright future.”

Isolated case my ass!!! These “isolated” cases of desecration have been taking place every year since the damn war on terror started in 2001!  Not just in Afghanistan, but in Iraq, and even here in the United States!

In Afghanistan alone, there have been several cases of U.S. forces desecrating bodies of Afghans (which, if I remember my Army FMs correctly, is a violation of UCMJ), including the recent case in which the video was actually posted on the internet.  Then there’s the 2009 case of Qur’ans being burned in Afghanistan. Then the 2010 Afghan riots caused by the false christian pastor in Florida, who wanted to burn Qur’ans.

In 2011, the same false christian carried out his threat, causing widespread protests in Afghanistan leading to the deaths of 30 people, including some UN workers.

Bagram Airfield has been a sore spot for both Afghans and U.S. forces. I suspect that things are going to really heat up now!  Reports say more than 500 Afghans are protesting around the base, throwing fire bombs and chanting “Death to America” and “We don’t want you anymore”.

See pics of Afghans attacking Bagram with rocks and sling shots, while U.S. troops shoot back with guns, here.

The ignoramus USMC General John Allen, said: “Something like this just cannot happen again.”

Yeah, we’ve been telling the Afghans that for more than tens years now!