Bush 'palace' shielded from Iraqi stormTHE plans are a state secret, so just where the Starbucks and Krispy Kreme stores will be is a mystery. But as the concrete hulks of a huge 21-building complex rise from the ashes of Saddam's Baghdad, Washington is sending a clear message to Iraqis: "We're here to stay."
It's being built in the Middle East, but George W's palace, as the locals have dubbed the new US embassy, is designed as a suburb of Washington.
An army of more than 3500 diplomatic and support staf... (more)
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THE MIDEAST PR WAR: News on a PlatterPropaganda is part of every war, just like bombs and soldiers. Still, it's remarkable how professionally Israel deals with foreign journalists, catering conscientiously to all their needs. Lunch included.
The phone rings at 9 a.m. -- right on time. "Hello, this is the Government Press Office," pipes a woman's voice. "What are you planning to do today? Do you need an idea?" And then the suggestions just keep coming -- interview partners; a tour to the houses in Haifa that were stru... (more)
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25% of Palestinian MPs detained by IsraelIsrael has arrested almost one quarter of the members of the Palestinian parliament as part of its campaign to free an Israeli soldier captured on the Gaza border in June.
Mahmoud Ramahi became the 33rd member of the legislative council (PLC) to be taken in by the Israelis during an operation yesterday.
Amani Rahami, 36, said her husband had been avoiding home for fear the Israelis would arrest him, but did not realise he was important enough to warrant surveillance... (more)
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Reservists demand inquiry into war A mushrooming protest by hundreds of reserve soldiers against the government's handling of the war in Lebanon enters it second week on Sunday, with the government expected to announce the formation of a commission of inquiry in an effort to quash protesters' calls for the resignation of the country's wartime leaders.
Hundreds of Israelis, including a group of 70 cyclists, visited the tent headquarters of the protesters in Jerusalem's Rose Garden over the weekend, offering moral s... (more)
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Venezuela says US was smugglingThe authorities in Venezuela have accused the US embassy in Caracas of importing cargo illegally after halting lorries carrying diplomatic baggage.
Cargo found arriving at Caracas airport included parts for military aircraft ejector seats and chicken meat, said Interior Minister Jesse Chacon.
"Everything that doesn't pass through customs is contraband, we are talking about contraband here," he said.
Denying wrongdoing, the US demanded to know why dipl... (more)
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Chavez Slams Israel and USA During Beijing Visit Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, paying a visit to China, slammed Israel on Friday condemning Israel's strikes in Lebanon as comparable to the acts of Adolf Hitler.
Chavez, who cut diplomatic ties with Israel during its attacks on Lebanon, denounced the attacks that killed over a thousand civilians. Chavez compared the Israeli aggression to the acts of Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, and said Israeli leaders should be prosecuted for genocide before the International Co... (more)
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Bush and Saddam Should Both Stand Trial, Says Nuremberg Prosecutor SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 25 (OneWorld) - A chief prosecutor of Nazi war crimes at Nuremberg has said George W. Bush should be tried for war crimes along with Saddam Hussein. Benjamin Ferenccz, who secured convictions for 22 Nazi officers for their work in orchestrating the death squads that killed more than 1 million people, told OneWorld both Bush and Saddam should be tried for starting "aggressive" wars--Saddam for his 1990 attack on Kuwait and Bush for his 2003 invasion of Iraq.
"Nur... (more)
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Halutz names officer to prepare for possible war with IranIsrael Air Force Commander Major General Elyezer Shkedy.
In an effort to upgrade Israel's preparedness for a possible confrontation with Iran, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz has appointed Israel Air Force Commander Major General Elyezer Shkedy as the IDF's "campaign manager" against countries that do not border on Israel - primarily Iran.
The appointment was made before the war in Lebanon.
As part of his new responsibilities, S... (more)
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EU to commit biggest force in its history to "keep the peace"The European Union is to mount the biggest military operation in its history after agreeing yesterday to commit more than 7,000 ground troops for a United Nations mission policing the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.
The EU, at a meeting of its foreign ministers in Brussels, also agreed to send a further 2,000 specialist forces, mainly providing naval and air support.
Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, in Brussels to cajole hesitant countries, expressed his delight and said tha... (more)
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Chávez says China deal 'great wall' against US· Venezuela to supply a million barrels of oil a day
· Beijing scrambling to feed energy-hungry economy
China and Venezuela, two of the biggest nations on Washington's worry list, drew closer together yesterday with the signing of trade agreements that the Venezuelan president called a "Great Wall" against American hegemonism.
A million-barrel a day oil deal and a promise by China to back Venezuela's bid to join the United Nations security coun... (more)
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Amnesty: Israel deliberately hit civilian targetsRights group Amnesty International accused Israel on Wednesday of deliberately targeting civilians during its campaign against Hizbullah in Lebanon and said the Jewish state may be guilty of war crimes.
Not only were food shops purposely destroyed by shelling and air attacks, Amnesty said, but aid convoys were deliberately blocked and hospitals and public utilities like water and power plants put out of action to force people to flee.
"The evidence strongly suggests... (more)
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Israel may 'go it alone' against IranIsrael is carefully watching the world's reaction to Iran's continued refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, with some high-level officials arguing it is now clear that when it comes to stopping Iran, Israel "may have to go it alone," The Jerusalem Post has learned.
One senior source said on Tuesday that Iran "flipped the world the bird" by not responding positively to the Western incentive plan to stop uranium enrichment. He expressed frustration that the Russians and Chinese wer... (more)
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Big Cooperative Push in VenezuelaMARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela — For 20 years, Eustacio Aguilera's family owned the Hotel Residencia Guaiqueri in this tourist destination and free-trade zone.
He hired the cooks, the maintenance men and the cleaning women. But now when he asks them to prepare a meal or tidy a room, he is careful to treat them collegially. The staff may do menial work, but they are also co-owners.
"Before we had a boss. Now we are the bosses," said Hermogenes Garcia, a longtime m... (more)
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Israel accused over 'war crimes'Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Lebanon.
The human rights group says attacks on homes, bridges, roads and water and fuel plants were an "integral part" of Israel's strategy in the recent war.
The group also calls for a UN investigation into whether both Israel and Hezbollah broke humanitarian law.
Israel said it did not deliberately target Lebanon's civilian populat... (more)
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Eitan: Ready shelters for Iran attackPensioners Minister Rafi Eitan called for the readying of bomb shelters and reinforced rooms countrywide on Tuesday, in advance of a possible conflict with Iran.
The comments were made on the eve of an Iranian announcement regarding the country's nuclear program. The UN has given Iran until August 31 to comply with a Security Council resolution to cease nuclear development. Iran has indicated that on Tuesday they will reject such calls.
During a tour of the North ... (more)
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Senior IDF officers: Hezbollah hostilities liable to restart soonMembers of the Israel Defense Forces General Staff say that "round two" between Israel and Hezbollah could begin within months or even weeks, probably over the renewal of arms deliveries to the organization from Iran and Syria.
One senior officer told Haaretz on Sunday that throughout the month-long war with Hezbollah, Iran and Syria attempted to smuggle large quantities of weapons to Lebanon. He said that the efforts were stepped up over the past week, following the cease-fire an... (more)
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Bush's final gamble: giving Iraq a dictator?The news was buried in a New York Times story last week but it confirmed what others in the Washington chattering classes have been observing lately.
The context is that the White House has been inviting outsiders in to the Oval Office to discuss strategy in Iraq. The new chief of staff Josh Bolten has apparently been trying to pierce the intellectual cocoon in which the president comfortably resides. Bush family consigliere James Baker has already been asked to rescue the presid... (more)
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Bush Contemplates Rebirth of Dictatorship for IraqThere was a big clue planted at the bottom of the very long lead article in The New York Times of August 17.
That story noted the alarming rise in insurgent attacks against American and Iraqi forces.
The number of IEDs in July was 2,625, just about twice what it was back in January, when Zarqawi was still prowling around.
Clearly, his death did nothing to slow the pace down or snuff out the insurgency.
The shelf life of Bush propaganda ... (more)
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Israeli officer: No solution for Nasrallah, he must dieIn New York Times interview, senior IDF officer says, 'there is only one solution for Nasrallah. This man must die.' Officer talks about war's achievements, says 'Lebanese government took control of southern Lebanon. Now we can deal with them as a country and a government. This is the huge change this operation created'
In an interview with the New York Times, a senior Israeli soldier said that though there is a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah , Israel intends to ensure ... (more)
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Israel Strikes Deep in LebanonBEIRUT, Aug. 19 -- Helicopter-borne Israeli commandos raided a Hezbollah stronghold in the Bekaa Valley early Saturday, setting off a fierce gun battle. Lebanon called the attack a "flagrant violation" of a fragile six-day-old cease-fire and threatened to halt troop deployments in protest.
Hezbollah, which battled the Israeli military for 33 days until the truce took hold Monday, said its fighters encountered the Israeli commandos in a field near the town of Boudai, about 20 miles... (more)
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Israeli Incursion Strains Truce With HezbollahBOUDAI, Lebanon — Israeli commandos dropped deep into Lebanon on Saturday, clashing with Hezbollah fighters in a raid here that left one Israeli soldier dead and put the first serious strain on the region's 6-day-old cease-fire.
Israel and Lebanon swiftly accused each other of breaking the U.N. Security Council resolution that established the conditions for ending more than a month of cross-border bombing and rocket attacks that left hundreds of people dead.
L... (more)
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Tanks take stockOne-tenth of the Israeli tanks that took part in the Lebanon war were destroyed or disabled, a military study found.
According to Armored Corps data published Thursday, Hezbollah anti-armor missiles penetrated 20 Israeli tanks during the monthlong war, killing 17 crewmen. Another 13 crewmen were killed when land mines destroyed or disabled their tanks. The number of tank crewmen wounded was in the double digits.
The high toll of the war on Israel’s Armored Cor... (more)
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