Editing, re-reporting by Carolyn Bennett
 |
| Globe Britannica image |
U.S. Government-directed
energy focused on what “we perceive, what is played up in the United States
as attacks by ‘terrorists’ resentful of U.S. freedoms
and wealth — without examining original causes, real causes present in U.S.
foreign policy and imperialism and military bases,” Shetterly said, “[has done]
enormous damage to the United States and aided its decline.…”
Supporting his view,
Shetterly recounted facts on record. We are continuing to torture people. We
are continuing extraordinary rendition. We have the USA Patriot Act, which
makes expendable a lot of private security and freedom.
“… We have lost — because
the ‘war on terrorism’ has caused us to eradicate our values, our own freedoms.”
September 15, 2011
sites reporting (estimates only)
U.S.-led
WAR DEAD
Iraq Body Count
Documented civilian deaths from violence
102,417 – 111,938
Full analysis of the WikiLeaks' Iraq War
Logs may add 15,000 civilian deaths.
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/
Icasualties dot org
AFGHANISTAN
1769 U.S. • 2715 Coalition
http://icasualties.org/OEF/Index.aspx
IRAQ
4474 U.S. • 4792 Coalition
http://icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx
United States’ “911-pretext WARS”
AFRICA
 |
| Africa Britannica image |
Libya
Six months of aggression, their leader has gone to ground and most of
his family has fled the country, and Qaddafi forces hold out in a few Libyan
towns. Libya’s interim leadership also “has rejected the idea of deploying any
kind of international military force or observers.”
National Transitional Council (NTC) chair Mustafa Abdel Jalil told Reuters
that Libya did not need outside help to maintain security.
UN’s weapons’ concern
Hundreds of armed groups patrol the streets of Tripoli and United
Nations special adviser on Libya, Ian Martin, told Reuters the UN is concerned
about weapons proliferation.
A six-month war and with it the disintegration of the Qaddafi
government has left a security vacuum in Libya: no state security forces, rebel
fighters not part of any formal structure, and huge quantities of unsecured
weapons.
 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa Britannica image |
EU’s sub-Saharan concern
In light of an Amnesty report, European Union foreign policy chief
Catherine Ashton said, “The situation of non-combatant sub-Saharan populations
and black Libyans is especially worrying.” In a statement yesterday, the EU
expressed concern about reports of extra-judicial killings and arbitrary
detentions by both sides in the Libyan conflict, especially by the
victimization of sub-Saharan Africans.
 |
| Libya Britannica image |
The European Union has backed the NTC in the conflict.
The National Transitional Council of Libya (sometimes known as the
Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council or the Libyan
National Council) is a political body formed by anti-Qaddafi forces to
represent Libya during the 2011 Libyan civil war, which has pitted these forces
against the government of Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi.
The Council formed on February 27, 2011, in the city of Benghazi with
the intent of acting “as the ‘political face of the revolution.’” On March 5,
2011, the council issued a statement declaring itself “the ‘only legitimate
body representing the people of Libya and the Libyan state.’”
AFRICA
The Horn
More than 11.6 million people are suffering • more than 3.7 million in
Somalia • more than 4.56 million are Ethiopians • more than 2.4 million are Kenyans.
Close to 150,000 are in Djibouti and potentially many more in Eritrea.
Somalia
 |
| Horn of Africa UN image |
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has
said in an update last week that nearly a million more people are in need of
humanitarian aid across the Horn of Africa — bringing the total to 13.3
million.
“Tens of thousands of Somalis are estimated to have died and more than
3.2 million are facing severe food shortages following one of the most
devastating droughts in the Horn of Africa in six decades.” Relief agencies
say, “Conflict and high food prices exacerbated the plight of those affected.”
The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the
September-to-December wet spell constitutes an important rainy season after the
March-May rains in southern Somalia and other equatorial parts of the region,
including Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and northern Tanzania; but rainfall in
northern Somalia during this period is typically lower than in the south.
The risk of below-normal rainfall remains in northern Somalia and
adjoining regions.
Djibouti
After Somalia, Djibouti is the second most affected by the current
crisis in the Horn of Africa. One in
five Djiboutian children, UNICEF reports, suffers malnourishment.
With an average of just 150 millimeters of rainfall each year and
frequent droughts, Djibouti is one of the world’s most arid countries. A UNICEF
representative in Djibouti says needs this year have been particularly acute so
the agency has made providing safe drinking water for children and their
families in vulnerable communities among its top priorities.
Inhuman, selective punishment
 |
| Eritrea-Ethiopia-Saudi Arabia-Yemen-Somalia Britannica image |
All the while, over four years, United States officials and their
allies at the UN were charging Eritrea
with “supporting ‘Al Queda linked Al Shabab’ fighters in Somalia, the U.S.
Ambassador to Ethiopia was saying in documents stamped ‘Top Secret’ that ‘The
role Eritrea plays in Somalia, for instance, is probably insignificant.’”
Recent WikiLeaks releases on Ethiopia expose erroneous statements used
to justify UN Security Council Sanctions in force against Eritrea, a little
Horn of Africa country [WikiLeaks file ‘Ogaden: Counterinsurgency Operations
Hitting a Wall,’ part 2. sect. 7].
“From the voluminous charges made by the UN Eritrea-Somalia Monitoring
Group to the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa and including just
about every western funded think tank — ranging from the International Crisis
Group to Chatham House — it was all bunkum.”
As Colombia does for the United States in South America, Israel in the Middle
East, Nigeria in West Africa — Ethiopia has provided much muscle for what
passes as U.S. foreign policy in East Africa. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles
Zenawi, his army and paramilitary death squads do the dirty work so the U.S. and
its Western allies can hold up their hands before the world and proclaim them
clean.”
“Behind the scenes, U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto is the man in
charge, top gun on the ground in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa”; and the WikiLeaks
website releases expose, in secret testimony of the U.S. Ambassador to
Ethiopia, the inaccuracy of so-called ‘evidence’ claiming linkage between
Eritrea and terrorism in Somalia.”
EASTERN EUROPE/ASIA
 |
| Black Sea region Romania-Turkey-Russia Britannica image |
World dominion — U.S. missile defense deployment
What does the emergence of a
chain of objects of a U.S. missile defense system at the Russian borders mean? Pravda
asks this week and military expert and senior vice president of the Academy of
Geopolitical Issues Konstantin Sivkov answers in an interview with Pravda.ru.
“The U.S. and NATO continue the
policy of encirclement of Russia with their bases in the framework of the
project ‘Loop of Anaconda,’” he said. “Our country is still perceived by the Americans as
the main strategic adversary, and they do not even make any secret of it. Their
task is to neutralize our nuclear weapons and push us out of the major areas of
the world’s oceans. In this case — even from the Black Sea.
“Turkey, of course, has its own
views on the missile defense system but Romania is a pawn in the hands of the United
States, and its elite exist only because of U.S. support. The same can be said
about Poland. As a result, there is a chain of U.S. missile defense sites along
the Russian border, stretching from Turkey through Romania and Poland to
Norway.”
“The U.S. and Romania signed an
agreement on deployment of the elements of a U.S. missile defense system.” This
follows reports “that some elements of EUROPRO system will appear in Turkey.
“Everything indicates that the
U.S. military machine and NATO are inexorably approaching the Russian borders.
“The U.S.-Romanian agreement was
signed during Romanian President Traian Basescu’s September 13 visit to Washington.
The signers of the document were U.S. and Romanian foreign ministers Hillary
Clinton and Theodore Baconschi. President Barack Obama met with the
participants of the talks, although initially he had not planned to
meet with Basescu.”
EAST ASIA
U.S. Provocation — North Korea
 |
| Asia east to west Britannica image |
Senior U.S. intelligence officers reportedly are saying Washington is
talking with Seoul, South Korea, about the United States flying “a Global Hawk
drone near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)” that separates South and North Korea.
 |
| North Korea -South Korea Britannica image |
Quoting the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes, “The United
States is reportedly prepared to deploy an advanced unmanned spy plane over
South Korea that could provide in-depth intelligence on the military activities
of North Korea.”
The United States deploys an estimated 28,500 soldiers in South Korea
and South Korea’s military and defense procurement officials declined to
comment on the report.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Domestic neglect while at war abroad — Poverty
As top officials in Federal Washington this week continued to drive the
country more deeply into foreign aggression and distracted the public with
headlines criticizing China and Iran, Pravda highlighted U.S. domestic decline
evidenced in a new U.S. Census Bureau report.
46.2 million Americans now live in poverty.
In the past 12 months, the number living in poverty has grown by 2.6
million — the largest rise since 1959 when the U.S. government began
calculating poverty figures.
The median household income fell three times, consecutively, in three
years.
Personal incomes have fallen, and in 2010, record numbers slipped into poverty.
The economic pie shrinks commensurate with rising personal debt.
 |
| USA Britannica image |
Unemployment rises. Competition for the lowest paying jobs is brutal. Good
jobs have become unavailable. No longer
can a person wanting a job “go out and get one.” The inability to get a good
job pushes large numbers of Americans into poverty.
While the number of high-income jobs falls, low-income jobs rise; ‘the
working poor’ skyrockets.
Health care is one of the top causes of the push into poverty. Health
insurance companies lack care about human health and many people are one major medical problem away from financial ruin. Millions of American families
are financially crippled by health care costs.
USA
As seen from afar
Creating false images of Muslims then attacking Muslims
Reports are saying the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation “has been
teaching its ‘counter-terrorism’ agents that ‘mainstream’ Muslims are likely to
be terrorist sympathizers and the more devout a Muslim is, the more likely [this
person] is to be ‘violent.’”
An FBI whistleblower has reportedly released documents showing “agents
are instructed that the Islamic practice of giving charity is a ‘funding
mechanism for combat.’”
ASIA SOUTHWEST/CENTRAL —
Afghanistan, Pakistan
Afghanistan, Pakistan
The U.S invaded Afghanistan with the official objective of curbing
militancy and bringing peace and stability to the region but nine years later
the region remains unstable and militancy expands into Pakistan.
|
| :Asia west to east Britannica image |
“‘Militants’ have stepped up attacks on NATO supply convoys in
Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan over the past months.” Large numbers of
NATO trucks have been torched in Pakistan.
Afghanistan
DETERIORATING
The security situation has been deteriorating across Afghanistan over
the past few years. From Afghanistan’s volatile south, violence has spread to
relatively peaceful areas — despite the presence of some 150,000 foreign
troops.
Yesterday, Taliban ‘militants’ attacked 15 NATO supply vehicles
transporting fuel destined for U.S.-led forces and set the tankers alight in
Afghanistan’s western province of Farah. Two drivers and a security guard
escorting the convoy died and five others including security guards suffered
injuries.
 |
| Afghanistan - Pakistan Britannica image |
Close to the U.S.
Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday an attack
left 27 people dead. Among the injured
were six NATO troops of which three were U.S. soldiers. Among the dead were 11
Afghan civilians: more than half of them children, five were Afghan police
officers.
Pakistan
Plagued by air and ground bombings, slander, disease
This country has lost more than 35,000 people in militant attacks and
bomb explosions since 2007, according to the Associated Press. Millions more
have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy across the country.
Today, 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of the capital Islamabad, at least 27 people died and dozens suffered injuries (the death toll expected to
rise) when “a bomber targeted the funeral procession of a local tribal elder in
Pakistan’s troubled northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.”
Mourners had been “offering funeral prayers.”
Analysts say the United States
is looking for an excuse to expand its military operations in the troubled
South and Central Asian region to secure bases near Russia and China. This week
the unauthorized U.S. drone attacks have drawn strong criticism from the
Pakistani people and officials.
An pathological disregard of human life, land,
sovereignty, culture
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said yesterday that the United
States would do whatever it took to defend American forces in Afghanistan from
Pakistan-based militants — indicating that Washington could give a go-ahead to
a [deepening] military operation inside
Pakistan.
The Pakistani government responded by denouncing the U.S. warning to
retaliate against pro-Taliban militants based in Pakistan’s troubled tribal
region along the Afghan border.
Agence France Presse quoted Pakistani Foreign Ministry representative
Tehmina Janjua saying the remarks were “‘out of line with the kind of
cooperation that exists between the two countries.’”
The issue of “terrorism and militancy is a complex issue,” she said.
“It requires cooperation between all the countries concerned [and] Pakistan’s
cooperation in this regard has been persistent’” in identifying Pakistan’s
position on all these issues. “‘Pakistan and U.S. are strategic partners and
both sides need to discuss all issues in a cooperative manner.’”
Pakistan also suffers a health
crisis — dengue fever
The provincial capital of Lahore is facing an increasing public panic
and hundreds of people are visiting hospitals daily for medical tests for dengue
fever. The Punjab government says 4,118 out of 4,989 reported cases of dengue
fever are in Lahore. Pakistan’s Army has
set up medical camps (separate form those for hundreds of thousands of flood
victims) to help civilian hospitals deal with the crisis.
This week, Pakistani authorities closed educational institutions in
Punjab to control the outbreak of dengue fever, which has infected nearly 5,000
people. Following reports of suspected cases among the students, the Punjab
government on Wednesday announced that schools, colleges and universities
across the central Pakistani province would close for 10 days. Officials will
fumigate all educational institutes with anti-mosquitoes sprays during the
10-day period.
MIDDLE EAST – PERSIA - PALESTINE
September 15, 2011
Palestine
 |
| Jerusalem Britannica image |
Despite U.S. threats and a planned visit to the West Bank by a senior
U.S. diplomatic team, the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Minister Riyad
al-Maliki announced today that Palestine plans to proceed with its petition to
the UN Security Council for statehood recognition and acceptance of Palestine as a
full UN member.
 |
| Palestine Britannica image |
“Maliki said acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas will
submit the Palestinian request for membership to UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon after addressing the General Assembly on September 23, and that the
Palestinians would listen to suggested alternatives in the meantime.”
The last round of Israel- Palestinian Authority talks broke down in
2010 shortly after the U.S.-sponsored talks were launched in Washington over
Israel’s refusal to freeze its illegal settlement expansions on Palestinian
land in the occupied West Bank and the illegally annexed East al-Quds
(Jerusalem).
Palestinians say their decision to petition the United Nations comes in
frustration after years of failed negotiations with Israel.
Sources and notes
U.S. GLOBAL WAR N TERROR
“‘War on terror contributed to U.S. decline,’” September 13, 2011,
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/198878.html
Political analyst and
artist Robert Shetterly, founder of Americans Who Tell the Truth, said Monday
in interview with Press TV — The U.S. war on terror in the wake of the
September 11, 2001 attacks has been a major factor causing the decline of the
United States [Press TV's US Desk]
 |
| Europe-Africa-Asia Britannica image |
911 U.S. WARS
AFRICA — Libya
“Libya interim rulers don’t want U.N. forces - envoy (Source: Reuters),
August 30, 2011,
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/libya-interim-rulers-dont-want-un-forces-envoy/
“UN says Libya weapons a major concern” (By Christian Lowe, Reuters),
September 4, 2011,
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/un-says-libya-weapons-a-major-concern/
“EU worried by abuses by both sides in Libya” (Reuters) September 14,
2011,
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/eu-worried-by-abuses-by-both-sides-in-libya/
NTC NOTE
The National Transitional Council of Libya (sometimes known as the
Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council or the Libyan
National Council) is a political body formed by anti-Qaddafi forces to
represent Libya during the 2011 Libyan civil war, which has pitted these forces
against the government of Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi.
The Council formed on February 27, 2011, in the city of Benghazi with
the intent of acting “as the ‘political face of the revolution.’” On March 5,
2011, the council issued a statement declaring itself “the ‘only legitimate
body representing the people of Libya and the Libyan state.’”
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Transitional_Council]
AFRICA — Horn
 |
| Djibouti Britannica image |
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Remarks of the emergency relief coordinator and Under-secretary-general for
humanitarian affairs Drought emergency meeting in Rome, July 25, 2011 … OCHA
press releases are at www.unocha.org and www.reliefweb.int.
The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled
humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Further information: OCHA-New York: Amanda
Pitt, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 442 1810, pitta@un.org; Mark Turner,
+1-917-367-5707, mobile +1 917 628 4192, turner5@un.org
Somalia
“UNICEF pledges continued assistance to drought-affected Somalis,
September 14, 2011,
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39552&Cr=horn+of+africa&Cr1=
Djibouti
“Djibouti: UNICEF launches scheme to provide safe drinking water,”
September 7, 2011,
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39472&Cr=Horn+of+Africa&Cr1=
Eritrea
“WikiLeaks Exposes UN Eritrean sanction lies,” September 9, 2011, http://english.pravda.ru/world/africa/09-09-2011/119012-WikiLeaks_Exposes_UN_Eritrean_sanction_lies-0/
EASTERN EUROPE/ASIA
“USA and NATO tighten Anaconda loop around Russia” (Vadim Trukhachev,
Pravda.Ru)September 15, 2011,
http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/15-09-2011/119052-romania_usa_missile_defense-0/
EAST ASIA
“‘US to deploy drones near N Korea,’” September 15, 2011, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199237.html
“‘US to deploy drones near N Korea,’” September 15, 2011, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199237.html
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
As seen from afar
“Poverty in America: Special report” (Michael Snyder), September 15, 2011
http://english.pravda.ru/business/finance/15-09-2011/119059-america_poverty-0/#
“FBI prejudice against Islam unveiled” (Huffington Post), September 15,
2011, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199312.html
ASIA SOUTHWEST/CENTRAL — Afghanistan, Pakistan
“15 NATO tankers torched in Afghanistan,” September 15, 2011,
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199295.html
“Kabul clashes injure three U.S. soldiers,” September 14, 2011, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199119.html
“Bomb attack kills 27 in NW Pakistan,” September 15, 2011,
http://www.presstv.ir/section/3510204.html
“Pakistan hits back at US over war threat,” September 15, 2011,
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199322.html
“Pakistan closes schools to contain fever,” September 15, 2011, http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199287.html
MIDDLE EAST – PERSIA - PALESTINE
September 15, 2011
“Palestinians to push ahead with UN bid,” September 15, 2011,
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199328.html
Also:
“Turkey vows to control Israel at sea — Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan says the country’s navy will patrol the Mediterranean to prevent
Israel from assaulting ships in the international waters”
“Yemeni forces attack protesters in Taizz — Yemeni security forces open
fire on anti-government protesters in the southern city of Taizz as the nation
renew calls for an end to the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh” [Press TV]
“‘Israeli spy admits anti-Syria plots’ — Syrian security forces have
arrested an Israeli spy who has confessed to plots hatched by the Tel Aviv
regime against the country [Syrian media report]”
“Israeli ambassador flees Jordan — The Israeli ambassador to Jordan has
reportedly fled the Jordanian capital of Amman amid fears of massive
anti-Israel demonstrations near its embassy over the weekend”
“‘Israel, cluster munitions inseparable’ — Lebanese Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri says the Israeli regime and fatal cluster bombs cannot be separated
from one another [Press TV reports]”
“3 civilians killed in Yemeni violence — Three civilians have been
killed and five others injured in explosions and exchange of gunfire in the
Yemeni capital of Sana'a and the southern city of Aden [Press TV reports]”
http://www.presstv.ir/section/3510202.html
Bennett's books available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; The Book Den, Ltd.: BookDenLtd@frontiernet.net [Danville, NY]; Talking Leaves Books-Elmwood: talking.leaves.elmwood@gmail.com [Buffalo, NY]; Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza: http://www.bhny.com/ [Albany, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY]; LONGS’ Cards and Books: http://longscardsandbooks.com/ [Penn Yan, NY] • Articles also at World Pulse: Global Issues through the eyes of Women: http://www.worldpulse.com/ http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire
No comments:
Post a Comment