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War Zones for August 3rd 2009
Afghanistan
The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate leading up to the Aug. 20 elections. Amidst a rising civilian and military death toll, the election campaign is taking on farcical proportions. Assassinations of political elites have become a regular occurrence, and many of the people running in the election are former war criminals themselves, including Karzai’s vice-presidential candidate, Mohammad Qasim Fahim. Canadian brigadier general Jon Vance told Le Devoir last week that Canada has failed its mission. It remains unclear what role Canada will play after 2011.
NATO is an unwelcome wedding guest by Linda McQuaig — Toronto Star
Pundits putting spin on war by Scott Taylor — The Chronicle Herald
Israel-Palestine
As Obama presses to have “natural growth” settlements curbed, the New York Times reported this Monday that Palestinians are being illegally evicted from their homes. A member of the British Consulate is reported as being “appalled” by the evictions and the UN special Middle East coordinator described them as “totally unacceptable actions by Israel.”
On ZNet this week, Ali Abunimah suggests that a one-state solution is likely the best way forward. “As George Mitchell surely knows from his experience in Northern Ireland, when two national communities lay claim to the same land and one dominates the other by force, partition only changes the contours of the conflict.”
Why Obama’s peace process is still going nowhere Ali Abunimah — The Electronic Intifada
Web warfare team unveiled by Jonathan Cook — Information Clearing House (Originally published in The National — Abu Dhabi)
Honduras
Canadian defence minister Peter MacKay is pondering whether or not to cut funding for a handful of Honduran soldiers trained by the Canadian Forces while ousted president Manuel Zelaya has been refused the right to return to his country. Roberto Micheletti, the illegitimate and internationally unrecognized president who overthrew Zelaya in a coup, seems quite comfortable that Western powers will not be to stern on him, and a resolution to the situation seems highly unlikely in the near future. Meanwhile, the situation in Honduras itself continues to deteriorate.
Media crackdown in Honduras worsens by Anastasia Moloney — Reuters
Showdown in ‘Tegucigolpe by Stephen Zunes — Common Dreams
For some very informative context on the coup:
- Obama’s First Coup d’Etat: Honduran President has been Kidnapped: Updates 1-17 by Eva Golinger — Venezuela Analysis
Others
On other global war fronts, Obama appears to be abandoning his approach of mutual respect for Iran as details emerge of U.S. proposals to cut Iran’s gasoline imports if nuclear talks are rejected. As Noam Chomsky points out, the very discussion of Iran’s nuclear ambitions in the face of massive U.S. and Israeli armaments—not to mention the major military occupations led by these states—is a clear indication of the extent of American propaganda efforts. That is to say, how can the U.S. justify itself in deepening sanctions against Iran while it busily occupies Iraq and pursues an agenda in the Israel-Palestine conflict in clear violation of international law?
Other developments merit attention, including the Venezuela-Colombia stand-off, military operations in Pakistan’s Swat valley and the country’s Supreme Court decision to charge Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule in 2007 as unconstitutional. Developments in Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe also merit attention.
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War Zones for July 8, 2009
The bastard child of U.S./NATO forces, looked at with awe and confusion, Afghanistan is the war no one talks about. Canada played a leading role from the start. United States general David Petraeus, who coordinated the “surge” in Iraq and is now leading the war in Afghanistan, attended the Calgary Stampede this past Friday in a sign of allegiance with his northern partner. Petraeus was invited by Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada’s chief of defence — a position he was awarded for coordinating 35,000 American soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom. With the Obama “surge” in Afghanistan and Pakistan, there is a pressing need to understand precisely what is going on in the region.
“Obama would do well to reflect upon the recent interview in Le Monde given by Gérard Chaliand,” writes Immanuel Wallerstein on the MRZine website. “Chaliand is a leading geostrategist, specializing in so-called irregular wars […] He is very clear on the military situation. ‘Victory is impossible in Afghanistan… . Today, one must try to negotiate. There is no other solution.’”
Afghanistan: Shoals Ahead for President Obama by Immanuel Wallerstein — MRZine
Canadians ready to elbow out other nations; Global role rising in importance by Randy Boswell — CanWest News Service
Detainees should have rights; It is an embarrassment that Canada’s Supreme Court won’t recognize that the Charter should apply to prisoners of Canadian Forces by Amir Attaran — The Ottawa Citizen.
The controversial views of Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid must confronted as well. “The US failure to destroy the al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban leadership in the 2001 war that liberated Afghanistan allowed both groups to take up safe residence in the tribal badlands of the Federal Administered Tribal Areas that form a buffer zone between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Rashid writes in the New York Review of Books. “The insurgency in Pakistan is perhaps even more deadly than the one in Afghanistan.”
Pakistan on the Brink by Ahmed Rashid — The New York Review of Books
Obama’s bulldozer risks turning the Taliban into Pakistan’s Khmer Rouge: Unless the US president can break his hardline posture, the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan could prove his Vietnam by Pankaj Mishra — The Guardian
With another volley of missiles from North Korea, some context is necessary. “The Pyongyang leadership seems to know something about US global policy that our own policymakers and pundits have overlooked,” writes author Michael Parenti. “In a word, the United States has never attacked or invaded any nation that has a nuclear arsenal.”
- North Korea: “Sanity” at the Brink by Michael Parenti — Michaelparenti.org
The partial U.S. withdraw from Iraq also merits close attention. Despite president Obama’s claim that, “Nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past,” New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes that “the only way we can regain our moral compass, not just for the sake of our position in the world, but for the sake of our own national conscience, is to investigate how that happened, and, if necessary, to prosecute those responsible.”
- Reclaiming America’s Soul by Paul Krugman — The New York Times
“Ottawa’s hostility towards Zelaya is likely motivated by particular corporate interests and his support for the social transformation taking place across Latin America.” Yves Englar on Harper’s position on the military coup in Honduras.
- Canada Alone In Opposing the Return of Zelaya In Honduras by Yves Englar — Canadian Dimension
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War Zones for May 25th 2009
Canada continues to stand out as a more extreme and hawkish country than its southern counterpart, with Foreign Affairs minister Lawrence Cannon uncertain of where Canada stood on the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, and Defence minister Peter MacKay stepping out of rigid party lines to call for a lift of Canada’s arms embargo to Pakistan so the army can continue to bomb its civilian population, regally following Obama’s orders.
We begin this week’s War Zones, like the last, with another call to charge George W. Bush with war crimes and crimes against humanity:
Prof. Michael Mandel: Why Bush should be charged with war crimes
Sri Lanka
[Some incredibly rich and critical debate has stemmed from the ongoing tragedy in Sri Lanka. Some of the most enlightened opinion has, in the midst of international fury, stressed the negative influence that the “Left” and the Tamil diaspora has had on the situation. That said, it would be unreasonable not to lend some form of support to those who suffer.
The War in Sri Lanka and the Left by Noaman Ali and Fathima Cader — The Socialist Project
The Tamil Protests: Resistance in the Face of Genocide by S.K. Hussan — The Socialist Project
Freedom Denied! Are We Happy Now: The Crushing of Sri Lanka’s Tamils by Mike Cowie — Straight.com (The Georgia Straight online)
Middle East
This post, we focus on Afghanistan rather than Israel, for a change. “Obama’s war” has committed it’s first large-scale massacre as the administration presses NATO partners, Canada included, to extend their mission despite clear unwillingness for continued occupation from a majority of NATO-member country citizens.
Changing generals midstream by Gwynne Dyer — The Winnipeg Free Press
MP for Farah Province Condemns NATO Bombings — The Socialist Project
Economic Peace in the Middle East by Sam Bahour and Bernard Avishai — Bloggingheads.tv
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War Zones for May 11th, 2009
The situation in Sri Lanka is critical. Canadian-Tamils rightfully feel that their cause is not receiving the urgent attention it deserves, while UN civilian death tolls continue to mount. The mass exodus from the Swat valley in Pakistan must be looked at as a U.S. funded and enforced campaign. Such a massive civilian displacement is bound to impact the political climate for the worse. And in Palestine, Israelis continue to enforce some of the most thuggish and brute policies permissible by their U.S. benefactor. All of the above requires condemnation and some form of immediate resistance.
Sri Lanka
Imperialism and South Asia from Left Streamed- SAPF: Special Session on Sri Lanka — The Socialist Project
The South Asian People’s Unity Forum: Special Session on Sri Lanka
Israel-Palestine
Israel continues its process of annexation, trade blockades and illegal settlements, while Palestinians in Gaza use what little resources they have to rebuild their shattered homes, with the help of the democratically elected Hamas government.
Ahmadinejad and Mossad: Can two walk together? by Uri Avnery — The Daily Times
The Israel Boycott is Biting from Middle East Online by Nadia Hijab — The Middle East Online
For sale: Great location by Daphna Golan — Haaretz
U.N. Seeks End to Razing of Homes in East Jerusalem by Isabel Kershner — New York Times
The Gaza Strip: Not nearly back to normal — The Economist
On Israeli Fascism: A Little Red Light by Uri Avnery — Counterpunch.org
Afghanistan-Pakistan
Notice, as Robert Fisk recently wrote, how war has suddenly shifted eastward from Iraq to Afghanistan, and now Pakistan. It’s a wretched situation, with civilians bearing the brunt of this military adventurism.
Killing them softly with air strikes by Pepe Escobar — The Real News
Obama runs the risk of hobbling his domestic goals if he continues to send troops into Afghanistan — The Real News
Killing Civilians: How Safe Do You Actually Want to Be? by Tom Engelhardt — Tom Dispatch
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Global Conflicts for April 24, 2009
This week’s selection of articles really reflects the scope and nuance of conflict taking place across the globe. Sri Lanka is a major concern, with recent UN estimates suggesting 6,500 ethnic Tamil civilians have been slaughtered in just over three weeks. In the Middle East, we must be clear that any discussion of conflict should first reconcile with the fact that outside powers are there to control oil resources. The UN conference against racism will remain a centrepiece of discussion for some time, with Ahmadinejad’s opening speech serving as a chilling reminder of how volatile the region is. There is a growing push to arrest Conni Rice and George Bush when they visit Canada in the coming weeks, so with all of the above in mind, we begin with the call to arrest two known war criminals:
- Condi, Clinton, Bush: 3 War Criminals in 1 Week - Urgent Action! — Mostlywater.org
Sri Lanka
Tough search for Sri Lanka truths by Chris Brown — BBC
UN says nearly 6,500 civilians dead in Sri Lanka by Ravi Nessman — The Associated Press
Afghanistan and Iraq
The Soils of War: The Real Agenda behind Agricultural Reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq — Monthly Review
George McGovern urges pullout from Iraq this year —By George McGovern — The LA Times
Taliban Exploit Class Rifts to Gain Ground in Pakistan by Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah — The NY Times
Robert Fisk’s World: The wars come and go but the enemy remains the same by Robert Fisk —- The Independent
Durban II conference
Independent Jewish Voices statement at Durban II — Independent Jewish Voices blog
President Ahmadinejad’s speech at the Durban Review Conference on racism — Presstv
Ahmadinejad Gives Another Victory to the Israeli Right: It’s Time for Muslims and Arabs to Join Us in Denouncing His Racism and Holocaust Denial by Rabbi Michael Lerner — Tikkun Magazine
Somalia & Pirates
Although published in January 2009, this interesting story serves as a reminder that you can’t judge every pirate by their actions.
- You Are Being lied to about pirates by Johann Hari — The Independent
Haiti
- What is Canada doing in Haiti? by Jean Saint-Vil — Globalresearch.ca
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