Archives for December 2018

Continued US Occupation of the Middle East Does Not Suppress Terrorism, It Causes It

The secret to ending the strength of ISIS in Syria is not the continued presence of American troops. It is for America’s ever closer allies in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf to cut off the major artery of money and arms, which we should never forget in origin and for a long time had a strong US component.

Syria US soldier

Even the neo-con warmongers’ house journal The Guardian, furious at Trump’s attempts to pull US troops out of Syria, in producing a map to illustrate its point, could only produce one single, uncertain, very short pen stroke to describe the minute strip of territory it claims ISIS still controls on the Iraqi border. Of course, The Guardian

Turkey’s Erdogan Vows “All Measures” To Circumvent Sanctions On Iran

Hawks in Congress and in the president’s own administration will use Erdogan’s Thursday announcement to “stand by Iran” as fodder for arguing against bringing the troops home, and continuing Syria ground operations in order to counter Iranian expansion. 

Turkey Erdogan | Iran Rouhani

Following Wednesday's unexpected and dramatic full and "immediate" withdrawal of all US forces from Syria, Turkey has announced it will not play ball on Iran sanctions. According to a translation of the Turkish president's words on Thursday during a previously planned summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Ankara, journalist Abdullah

Donorbox Shutters BDS Fundraising After Complaint by Israeli-Government Linked Group

Far-right Israeli government-linked Shurat HaDin lobbied Donorbox to shutter the fundraising page of a Palestinian BDS organization.

BDS

JERUSALEM (AP) — A U.S. software company said Friday it blocked the fundraising account of the Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel following a complaint by a pro-Israel group that the campaign has links to militant organizations. Donorbox, which makes fundraising management software, confirmed that the BDS campaign's account was

With Water Scarce & UN Food Aid Cut, Israeli Bev Co SodaStream Opens New Gaza Plant

Israeli company SodaStream announced it will open a new factory in besieged Gaza, where residents face a water shortage and UN aid cuts.

Gaza Water

GAZA, PALESTINE -- Israeli company SodaStream announced today it will open a new factory in the besieged Gaza Strip. The announcement comes on the heels of a statement from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announcing it would cut food and general relief to Gaza, at a time when Palestinians living under an illegal blockade need it

What Will Happen If France’s Yellow Vest Protesters Win?

If the demands of the protesters are met, there will be someone else who will be forced to cover the bill. Most likely tens of millions, or hundreds of millions will be ‘taxed’. And they will not be living in France, or in the European Union, or even anywhere near it.

France | Yellow Vest | Protesters

What if protesters in Paris win, and the French government gives in to all their demands? What if taxes are reduced, wages increased, President Macron steps down? I am not talking only about the fuel tax; attempts to impose it have been already abandoned. I am not talking about an increase of the minimum wage – the government already agreed to

The Real Reason Trump Decided To Pullout of Syria

Trump decided that to prevent Turkey from leaving NATO, and from joining a deeper alliance with Russia, China and Iran, was more important than to further fool around at the margins of the Middle East.

President Donald Trump, left, talks with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, as they arrive together for a family photo at a summit of heads of state and government at NATO headquarters in Brussels on July 11, 2018. Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP

Last Friday President Trump had another long phone call with the Turkish President Erdogan. Thereafter he overruled all his advisors and decided to remove the U.S. boots from Syria and to also end the air war. This was the first time Trump took a decisive stand against the borg, the permanent neoconservative and interventionist establishment in