What would they do without US?

From FAIR and foreign news sources
Compiled with minor editing, comment by Carolyn Bennett
August notes from Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting Blog
Updates from U.S. war theaters

IRAQ

“It Would Be Violent if We Left Iraq” by Peter Hart August 17, 2011

A headline and subhead in the Los Angeles Times: “‘Iraq attacks raise new concerns about U.S. pullout— Suicide bombings, car explosions and gunfire that killed at least 70 in an apparently coordinated assault suggests Iraqi forces may be overwhelmed by insurgents after American troops withdraw.’”

FAIR notes:

“Of course, these attacks happened while U.S. troops are still in the country — making the point about the U.S. ‘pullout’ somewhat hard to follow.

“But this [the LA Times’ take] is a familiar argument. Remember the Time magazine cover photo of a disfigured Afghan woman last July? The magazine’s political point was summed up by the text on the cover: ‘What Happens If We Leave Afghanistan.’ The attack that left her disfigured happened with U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

“The implication in both cases is that violence will overcome these countries due to the absence of U.S. troops — which obviously obscures the fact that the U.S. presence is often the source of such violence, or the justification used by armed groups seeking to drive out U.S. troops.” http://www.fair.org/blog/

What would they do without us? They’d do very well indeed.

U.S. corporate media collude in lies from scene of crime

PAKISTAN

“Drones in Pakistan: Equal Time for Killers?” by Peter Hart August 12, 2011

In the New York Times’ long piece (8/12/11) looking at the question of how many civilians in Pakistan are killed by CIA drones, the agency does not even speak on the record about the drone program — except to make the fanciful claim that no civilians have died in the past year or so.

Written by Scott Shane, the article includes some useful criticism of the CIA, … but the real problem with the piece — using almost entirely anonymous claims as one side in a dispute — is that it gives much weight to the CIA’s defense at all:


The government’s assertion of zero collateral deaths which has met with deep skepticism from many independent experts; and the British Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s new report containing interviews it conducted in Pakistan’s tribal area concluded that at least 45 civilians were killed in 10 strikes during the last year.

The British press reported differently on the British Bureau of Investigative Journalism study

The Telegraph: “‘168 Children Killed in Drone Strikes in Pakistan since start of campaign — New research to send shockwaves through Pakistan’” by Rob Crilly in Islamabad:

In an extensive analysis of open-source documents, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that 2,292 people had been killed by U.S. missiles, including as many as 775 civilians.

Guardian (opinion): “‘The Civilian Victims of the CIA’s Drone War — a new study gives us the truest picture yet, in contrast to the CIA’s own account of drones’ grim toll of ‘collateral damage’” by Clive Stafford Smith:

This week, a new report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism gives the best picture so far of the impact of the CIA’s drone war in Pakistan.

The CIA claims no ‘noncombatant’[s] have been killed in Pakistan in the past year.

This claim always seemed to be biased advocacy rather than honest fact.

Indeed, the Guardian recently published some of the pictures we have obtained of the aftermath of drone strikes. There were photos of a child called Naeem Ullah killed in Datta Khel and two kids in Piranho, both within the timeframe of the CIA’s dubious declaration.

“‘Reporting by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism begins to fill in the actual numbers. It is a bleak view:

More people killed than previously thought, including an estimated 160 children overall. This study should help to create a greater sense of reality around what is going on in these remote regions of Pakistan.

This is precisely what has been lacking in the one-sided reporting of the issue — and it doesn’t take an intelligence analyst to realize that vague and one-sided is just the way the CIA wants to keep it.’”

“The U.S. LA Times’ account,” FAIR concludes, “obeys normal journalistic ‘rules’ about balance and giving official sources their say, which, in this case — amounts to giving space to anonymous killers to defend their actions.” http://www.fair.org/blog/

What would they do without us? They’d live a whole lot longer.

U.S. theaters of VIOLENCE update

Press TV reports http://www.presstv.ir/section/351020202.html

AFRICA

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Intercontinental sea stretching from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to Asia on the east, and separating Europe from Africa —

Ancient ‘sea between the lands’

Often called the incubator of Western civilization

From the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco (west-east extent) to the shores of the Gulf of Iskenderun [seaport/chief city Iskenderun in southern Turkey on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Iskenderun] on southwestern coast of Turkey—

Approx. 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers)

Between the shores of Yugoslavia and Libya (its average north-south extent)

About 500 miles

LIBYA

“‘Libyan fighters enter Tripoli by sea’ — Libyan opposition fighters say they have entered the capital Tripoli by sea in an operation launched from their western positions in Misratah,” August 21, 2011

“NATO bombs Gaddafi compound — NATO forces have bombed the compound of Libya's embattled ruler Muammar Gaddafi in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as opposition fighters are closing in on the city,” August 21, 2011

“31 regime troops killed in Tripoli clashes — At least 31 troops loyal to the embattled Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi have been killed and 42 others captured by opposition fighters during clashes around the capital, Tripoli,” August 21, 2011

SOMALIA

“2 suspected US drones crash in Somalia — Reports say that two suspected U.S. drones have crashed in Somalia, as the U.S. military uses the unmanned aircraft to carry out targeted killings in the African country,” August 21, 2011

  

PERSIAN GULF

GULF OF ADEN

GULF OF ADEN

A deepwater basin that forms a natural sea link between the

Red Sea and the Arabian Sea

Named after the seaport of Aden, in southern Yemen,

The gulf lies between the coasts of Arabia and the Horn of Africa

PERSIAN GULF (Arabian Gulf)

A shallow marginal sea of the Indian Ocean that

Lies between the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Iran

Bordered on the north, northeast and east by Iran;

On the southeast and south by part of Oman and by the United Arab Emirates;

On the southwest and west by Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia; and

On the northwest by Kuwait and Iraq

The term Persian Gulf sometimes refers not only to Persian Gulf proper but

Also to its outlets —

The Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, which open into the Arabian Sea

Yemen

“Suicide bombings strike Yemen’s south — At least 11 people killed in separate attacks targeting pro-government tribesmen in country's volatile southern region,” August 21, 2011

Iran

 “ Iran convicts U.S. ‘hikers’ as spies — Americans Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were sentenced to eight years in prison for illegal entry and espionage,” August 21, 2011  

Bahrain

“Bahrain stages ‘Popular Anger’ rally — Bahrainis have staged yet another demonstration, this time under the banner of 'Popular Anger,' against the Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime,” August 19, 2011

“Bahrain steps up crackdown on demos — The Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have intensified their brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-government protesters across the Persian Gulf sheikhdom, August 18, 2011

Saudi Arabia

“‘Protesters attacked in Saudi Arabia’— Government forces have attacked Saudi Arabian peaceful demonstrators in the east of the oil-rich kingdom,” August 18, 2011

MIDDLE EAST PALESTINE

“Fresh Israeli attacks wound 8 Gazans — Fresh Israeli attacks on two towns in the impoverished Gaza Strip have left at least eight Palestinians wounded, medics say,” August 21, 2011

“New Israeli raid injures 7 Gazans — At least 7 Palestinians, including one child, have been injured in the latest Israeli airstrike targeting the impoverished Gaza Strip,” August 21, 2011

“Arab League raps Israeli raids on Gaza — The Arab League (AL) has condemned the continuous Israeli air raids on the impoverished Gaza Strip that have killed at least 16 Palestinians and injured more than 47 others in the past three days,” August 21, 2011

“Israel arrests 120 Palestinians in WB — Israeli military forces have arrested at least 120 Palestinians, including members of the Islamic Hamas movement, in the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron),” August 21, 2011

“Casualties mount in Gaza-Israel violence — Arab League holds emergency talks as Israeli air strikes and rocket attacks from Gaza continue, killing at least 30,” August 21, 2011  [Al Jazeera]

 “Arab League blasts Israel for Egyptian deaths — Cairo meeting condemns Israel for killing five Egyptian policemen, saying expression of regret for deaths is not enough, August 21, 2011 [Al Jazeera]

Al Jazeera English reports http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/

SOUTHWEST/CENTRAL ASIA

AFGHANISTAN

“Deadly blasts rock Afghan capital — at least nine people killed in blasts targeting a British cultural centre followed by hours of shooting,” August 19, 2011

“Deadly blasts rock Afghan capital — At least nine people killed in blasts targeting a British cultural centre followed by hours of shooting,” August 19, 2011

“Afghan prosecutor killed in motorbike attack — Government prosecutor in Helmand province shot by gunmen on motorbikes as he went to work, officials say,” August 21, 2011

KASHMIR/India

“Deadly clash in Kashmir — Indian army officer and a dozen suspected fighters killed in battle along the de facto border that splits the territory,”  August 20, 2011

PAKISTAN

“Bomb attacks take toll on Peshawar — as the number of attacks increase, many victims find it difficult to cope with the aftermath,” August 18, 2011  

“ Scores killed in Pakistan mosque blast — At least 48 people killed after suicide bomber targets place of worship in main town of Khyber Agency, August 19, 2011

What would they do without US?

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