…from beneath the crooked bough, witness 230 years of brutal tyranny by the al Khalifas come to an end

Secret Wars, Secret Bases, and the Pentagon’s “New Spice Route” in Africa

Obama’s Scramble for Africa
By Nick Turse – Tom Dispatch – 12 July, 2012

They call it the New Spice Route, an homage to the medieval trade network that connected Europe, Africa, and Asia, even if today’s “spice road” has nothing to do with cinnamon, cloves, or silks. Instead, it’s a superpower’s superhighway, on which trucks and ships shuttle fuel, food, and military equipment through a growing maritime and ground transportation infrastructure to a network of supply depots, tiny camps, and airfields meant to service a fast-growing U.S. military presence in Africa.

Few in the U.S. know about this superhighway, or about the dozens of training missions and joint military exercises being carried out in nations that most Americans couldn’t locate on a map. Even fewer have any idea that military officials are invoking the names of Marco Polo and the Queen of Sheba as they build a bigger military footprint in Africa. It’s all happening in the shadows of what in a previous imperial age was known as “the Dark Continent.”

In East African ports, huge metal shipping containers arrive with the everyday necessities for a military on the make. They’re then loaded onto trucks that set off down rutted roads toward dusty bases and distant outposts.

On the highway from Djibouti to Ethiopia, for example, one can see the bare outlines of this shadow war at the truck stops where local drivers take a break from their long-haul routes. The same is true in other African countries. The nodes of the network tell part of the story: Manda Bay, Garissa, and Mombasa in Kenya; Kampala and Entebbe in Uganda; Bangui and Djema in the Central African Republic; Nzara in South Sudan; Dire Dawa in Ethiopia; and the Pentagon’s showpiece African base, Camp Lemonnier, in Djibouti on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, among others.

According to Pat Barnes, a spokesman for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Camp Lemonnier serves as the only official U.S. base on the continent. “There are more than 2,000 U.S. personnel stationed there,” he told TomDispatch recently by email. “The primary AFRICOM organization at Camp Lemonnier is Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). CJTF-HOA’s efforts are focused in East Africa and they work with partner nations to assist them in strengthening their defense capabilities.”

Barnes also noted that Department of Defense personnel are assigned to U.S. embassies across Africa, including 21 individual Offices of Security Cooperation responsible for facilitating military-to-military activities with “partner nations.” He characterized the forces involved as small teams carrying out pinpoint missions. Barnes did admit that in “several locations in Africa, AFRICOM has a small and temporary presence of personnel. In all cases, these military personnel are guests within host-nation facilities, and work alongside or coordinate with host-nation personnel.”

Shadow Wars

In 2003, when CJTF-HOA was first set up there, it was indeed true that the only major U.S. outpost in Africa was Camp Lemonnier. In the ensuing years, in quiet and largely unnoticed ways, the Pentagon and the CIA have been spreading their forces across the continent. Today — official designations aside — the U.S. maintains a surprising number of bases in Africa. And “strengthening” African armies turns out to be a truly elastic rubric for what’s going on.

Under President Obama, in fact, operations in Africa have accelerated far beyond the more limited interventions of the Bush years: last year’s war in Libya; a regional drone campaign with missions run out of airports and bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and the Indian Ocean archipelago nation of Seychelles; a flotilla of 30 ships in that ocean supporting regional operations; a multi-pronged military and CIA campaign against militants in Somalia, including intelligence operations, training for Somali agents, a secret prison, helicopter attacks, and U.S. commando raids; a massive influx of cash for counterterrorism operations across East Africa; a possible old-fashioned air war, carried out on the sly in the region using manned aircraft; tens of millions of dollars in arms for allied mercenaries and African troops; and a special ops expeditionary force (bolstered by State Department experts) dispatched to help capture or kill Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and his senior commanders. And this only begins to scratch the surface of Washington’s fast-expanding plans and activities in the region. …more

In the Orwellian world drawn up by NATO, wars are processes that allow the wealth of the people to flow to the cash registers of multinationals engaged in the manufacture of weapons. That same money will buy the media of the “free world”, ensuring the promotion of wars invented for “humanitarian” reasons and hidden economic objectives. Strange these democracies in which people are informed about conflicts precisely by firms having the greatest interest in propagating war.

THE ART OF WAR – The Afghan bottomless pit
by Manlio Dinucci – Voltaire Network – 17 July 2012

“It is wonderful to hear the birds, who are singing about the beautiful day here in Kabul.” With these romantic words Hillary Clinton opened the official ceremony among the trees of the uber-armored presidential palace in the Afghan capital.

As she spoke, other birds with stars and stripes on their tails plied the Afghan sky: F/A18s taking off from aircraft carrier Stennis in the Arabian Sea. After selecting their prey, these devices attack with missiles, laser-guided bombs and 20 mm cannons capable of firing bursts of 200 rounds of depleted uranium. These aircraft, and others, are each worth more than $ 100 million and cost $ 20 000 per flight hour. As each mission lasts about 8 hours, spending rises to more than $ 150 000 plus the price of arms and ammunition used.

Last year, according to official figures, the U.S. and NATO conducted 35 000 strike missions in Afghanistan. It is therefore not surprising that the U.S. alone has so far spent 550 billion in that war. A true bottomless pit, which will continue swallowing billions of dollars and euros.

In Kabul, Hillary Clinton announced the good news: “I have the pleasure to announce that President Obama has officially designated Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally.” That means that Afghanistan falls in the same category as Israel and according to the “Strategic Partnership Agreement,” the United States is committed to ensuring the “security” of that country. According to Administration officials, the U.S. will keep 10 000 to 30 000 men in Afghanistan, mainly special forces, backed by private military companies. And in Afghanistan the U.S. will continue using its own air force, including attack drones (pilotless aircraft).

The “largest non-NATO ally” will receive NATO military aid amounting to over 4 billion a year. Italy, which is committed to deliver 120 million a year, will continue to provide, in the words of Defense Minister Di Paola, “aid and support for Afghan security forces.” The Afghan government will also receive, as decided at the ’donors’ conference meeting in Tokyo, some 4 billion for “civil requirements.” Also in this context, said Foreign Minister Terzi, “Italy will do its part.” According to the official explanation, this will aid “Afghan civil society.” Which really means that every dollar and euro, officially spent for civilian purposes, will be used to strengthen U.S. / NATO rule in Afghanistan. …more

Iran says West supplying chemical agents to Bahrain
17 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Iran accused the West of providing chemical warfare agents to the Bahraini government on Tuesday, and that authorities there have used them to quash anti-regime protests.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for African and Arab affairs, told the official Iranian News Agency IRNA, “I am expressing Tehran’s concern over the use of lethal chemical gases by Bahraini authorities against the Bahraini people.”

The Iranian official said unspecified Western nations were providing Manama with chemical choking agents, which has led to the death or injury of tens of citizens.

The allegations come on the heels of a report by a British parliamentary committee on Friday that questioned whether British military exports to the island kingdom were being used for internal repression.

The report did not mention exports of chemical choking agents, which are forbidden under international arms control agreements.

Bahrain has witnessed mass pro-democracy protests since February 2011, with the regime resorting to brute force in a so far failed attempt to crush the uprising. …source

New supervirus hits Iran
17 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Security experts have uncovered an ongoing cyber espionage campaign targeting Iran and other Middle Eastern countries that they say stands out because it is the first such operation using communications tools written in Farsi.

The cyberwarfare tool is the fourth discovered targeting Iran in as many years, following Stuxnet, Duqu, and Flame, which security analysts agree were almost certainly built and unleashed by national governments.

Israel and the United States were largely suspected of being behind the Flame supervirus that targeted Iran’s nuclear program.

Israeli security company Seculert and Russia’s Kaspersky Lab said on Tuesday that they identified more than 800 victims of the operation.

The targets include critical infrastructure companies, engineering students, financial services firms and government embassies located in five Middle Eastern countries, with the majority of the infections in Iran.

Seculert and Kaspersky declined to identify specific targets of the campaign, which they believe began at least eight months ago. They said they did not know who was behind the attacks or if was a nation state.

“It’s for sure somebody who is fluent in Persian, but we don’t know the origin of those guys,” said Seculert Chief Technology Officer Aviv Raff.

The Mahdi Trojan lets remote attackers steal files from infected PCs and monitor emails and instant messages, Seculert and Kaspersky said. It can also record audio, log keystrokes and take screen shots of activity on those computers.

The firms said they believed multiple gigabytes of data have been uploaded from targeted machines.

“Somebody is trying to build a dossier of a larger scale on something,” Raff said. “We don’t know what they are going to do at the end.”

Seculert and Kaspersky dubbed the campaign Mahdi, a term referring to the prophesied redeemer of Islam, because evidence suggests the attackers used a folder with that name as they developed the software to run the project.

They also included a text file named mahdi.txt in the malicious software that infected target computers. …source

Israel takes over 2 offshore Egyptian gas wells, geologist says
17 July, 2012 – PressTV

Egyptian geologist Khaled Odeh says Israel has taken over two natural gas wells located in Egypt’s territorial waters.

Odeh said in Cairo on Monday that the wells are located in the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Cyprus, IRNA reported.

He added that Israel took advantage of Egyptian officials’ inaction and started drilling operations in the area in April 2012.

Odeh also stated that the wells are over gas fields containing about $100 billion worth of gas reserves.

One of the wells is 19 kilometers north of the Egyptian city of Damietta and 235 kilometers west of Haifa in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the other well is 114 kilometers north of Damietta and 237 kilometers from the shores of Palestine.

The issue of supplying gas to Israel has always been a contentious topic for Egyptians, who view Israel as an enemy and oppose engaging in any form of business with it.

According to a $2.5 billion export deal with Tel Aviv, signed in 2005, Israel receives around 40 percent of its gas supply from Egypt at an extremely low price.

Relations between Cairo and Tel Aviv have deteriorated since last year’s revolution that overthrew former dictator Hosni Mubarak, a long-time and staunch ally of Israel. …source

Human Rights Worse After Gaddafi
By Mel Frykberg – 17 July, 2012 – IPS

TRIPOLI, Jul 14 2012 (IPS) – “The human rights situation in Libya now is far worse than under the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi,” Nasser al-Hawary, researcher with the Libyan Observatory for Human Rights tells IPS.

Hawary showed IPS testimonies from families whose loved ones have been beaten to death in the custody of the many militias that continue to control vast swathes of Libya.

“At least 20 people have been beaten to death in militia custody since the revolution, and this is a conservative figure. The real figure is probably far higher,” says Hawary, pointing to photos of bloodied bodies accompanying the testimonies.

Hawary is no fan of the Gaddafi regime. The former Salafist and political oponent of Gaddafi was imprisoned numerous times as a poitical dissident by Gaddafi’s secret police.

Hawary emerged from his periods of incarceration beaten and bloodied, but not broken. Far worse happened to his Islamist friends under the Gaddafi regime which was fiercely opposed to Islamic fundamentalism.

Hawary eventually escaped to Egypt where he remained until Libya’s February 17 revolution in 2011 made it safe for him and other Islamists to return.

Revenge attacks, killings and abductions against former Gaddafi supporters and against black men, who the rebels perceive as having worked as mercenaries for Gaddafi during the war, continue well after the “liberation” of the country.

Several months ago Muhammad Dossah, 28, was abducted by armed militia men at a checkpoint in the northern city Misrata as he was driving his employer Forrestor Oil Company’s car from the city Ras al Amoud to capital Tripoli.

“I don’t know if he is dead or alive. We haven’t heard from him since he disappeared from the militia checkpoint and the police investigating his disappearance say the trail has gone cold,” his brother Hussam Dossah, 25, tells IPS.

The police managed to trace the car through several cities down the eastern side of Libya but there the trail ended. There has been no sighting of Muhammad since then, and his family have no idea what has happened to him.

“He could have been abducted because he is black or because the gunmen wanted the car he was driving. We are Libyan but my father is from Chad,” says Hussam.

Hussam’s story is one of many of abductions, random killings, torture and robbery as militia men continue to take the law into their hands.

Despite the interim National Transitional Council’s (NTC) pledge to bring the more than 6,000 detainees currently in detention to trial or to release them, only some have been freed while the atrocities committed by pro-revolutionary rebels have been overlooked.

Armed militias controlling the streets and enforcing their version of law and order is a problem even in the major cities where the NTC has supposedly retaken control.

Gunfire punctuates the night regularly in Tripoli, and sometimes the day. “All the young men here have guns,” former rebel fighter Suheil al Lagi tells IPS. “They are accustomed to sorting out political differences and petty squabbles this way, or they rob people using weapons. The high unemployment and financial hardship is aggravating the situation.” …more

Bahrainis’ new demand: USA stop arming killers
16 July, 2012 – by Yusuf Fernandez, Al Manar – The Archers of Okcular

On July 7, Bahraini people took to the streets in several towns and villages to stage anti-government rallies and express their anger at US for meddling with their country´s internal affairs. Bahrain hosts the US Fifth Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, and is among the Persian Gulf countries that receive weapons and military systems from the United States.

For more than one year now, demonstrations have been taking place day after day across Bahrain against the brutal regime of King Hamad Al-Khalifa. Dozens of protesters have been killed since the revolution started. Bahraini police and army killed at least thirty people during the mass demonstrations of this year to demand political and social rights.

Over 1,000 people have been detained and many of them have been tortured. Thousands of public sector workers have been fired for allegedly taking part in protests against the regime.

Recently, a military tribunal in Manama sentenced twenty doctors to prison terms of up to 15 years. The doctors faced shameful charges, including hiding weapons in hospitals, “occupying a hospital,” and acting to overthrow the regime. No credible evidence against the doctors was presented in the court and they suffered abuse and torture in prison and were denied full access to their lawyers.

US weapons for Bahrain

The US has been for a long time the major supplier of weapons to the Bahraini regime. A TomDispatch analysis of the Pentagon documents showed that “since the 1990s, the United States has transferred large quantities of military material, ranging from trucks and aircraft to machine-gun parts and millions of rounds of live ammunition, to Bahrain´s security forces”.

According to data from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the US has sent Bahrain dozens of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and helicopter gunships. The US has also supplied the Bahrain Army with thousands of .38 caliber pistols and millions of rounds of ammunition, including .50 caliber ammunition for sniper rifles, machine guns etc. In 2010, Washington sold over $200 million worth of weapons to Bahrain, up from $88 million in 2009.

Despite all above-mentioned violations of the human rights, US Defense Department recently agreed to provide the Bahraini government with another $53 million worth of weapons, the first one since the revolution began. The resumption of military sales took place shortly after a visit to Washington by Bahrain Crown Prince Salman Hamid al-Khalifa. There, he met Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

According to ForeignPolicy.com’s The Cable Blog, the US-Bahraini arms deal includes six harbor patrol boats, communications equipment for Bahrain’s US-made air-defense system, ground-based radars, air-to-air-missile systems, Seahawk helicopters, parts for F-16 fighter engines, Cobra helicopters, and night-vision equipment.

The agreement also includes 44 armored vehicles -of the type used to crush the demonstrations-. Igt is noteworthy to point out that US weapons have been used by Bahraini security forces for cracking down on pro-democracy protesters since last year.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D – VT) has criticized the resumption of arms to Bahrain. Although he claimed to be pleased because no tear gas will be included in this sale, Leahy thinks that the deal still sends “the wrong message.” Brian Dooley, director of the Washington-based charity Human Rights First, also condemned the arms sale as a “reward” for the Bahraini dictatorial regime.

No matter how the US Administration tries to sell its decision, it will be seen as a clear support for the Al-Khalifa dictatorship. ““You really should be nicer to the people you are oppressing; oh, by the way, here are the weapons you were expecting” is what Manama will hear from Washington”, complained Mohammed al-Maskati, a Bahraini human rights activist: “It is a direct message that we support the authorities and we don’t support democracy in Bahrain, we don’t support protestors in Bahrain.” …more

Russian rights envoy expresses “great concern” about the situation in east Saudi, comments the kingdom calls “hostile”.

Saudi hits out at Russia over rights comments
15 July, 2012 – AlJazeera

Saudi Arabia has condemned comments by Russia’s human rights envoy on the situation in the kingdom as “hostile” and an unjustified interference in the kingdom’s internal affairs, Saudi state media reported.

Russian Human Rights envoy Konstantin Dolgov expressed “great concern” about the situation in eastern Saudi Arabia following what he described as clashes between law enforcement and peaceful demonstrators in which two people were killed and more than 20 were wounded, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry website.

The Saudi interior ministry has said there were no clashes but that two people were killed by unknown assailants last Sunday in the east, where the country’s minority Muslim Shia population is concentrated.

“The Kingdom learned with strong astonishment and surprise about the comment by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s representative on human rights which represents a blatant and unjustified intervention… in the internal affairs of the kingdom,” the Saudi news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry statement, attributed to an “official source”, as saying on Saturday.

The agency said the government of Saudi Arabia condemned such comments as “hostile”.

Dolgov had said that people in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia were protesting “against the existing, according to their opinion, impairment of the rights of the Shi’ite community on the part of the authorities of the Kingdom”.

Saudi Arabia said that minor protests took place after the arrest of a cleric on charges of sedition, and after he and a group with him opened fire on police.

It said that two men who were killed had been shot by unknown assailants and an investigation into who killed them was underway.

The rare public exchange appeared to reflect tensions over the 16-month-old uprising in Syria where Russia has resisted introduction of Western- and Arab-backed sanction against President Bashar al-Assad.

“The kingdom hopes that this strange comment was not intended to divert attention from the savage and ugly massacres that the Syrian regime is practising against its own people with support and backing from known parties that are obstructing any honest effort to end the bloodshed of the Syrian people.”

Russia has blocked two UN Security Council moves to press Assad to end his crackdown. Saudi Arabia has been in the forefront of Arab countries backing the rebels. …more

Libya Bans Unauthorized Protests
16 July, 2012 – POMED

The Libyan Ministry of the Interior announced Saturday a ban on all unlicensed protests, which some believe will include strikes as well. All future protests will require the permission of the Interior Ministry, and all unauthorized protesters will be held responsible for any injury or property damage resulting from the illegal protests. Libyan human rights groups condemned the ban, with some calling it a return to Gaddafi-era bans on protesting.

Also, armed gunmen kidnapped Ahmed Nabil al-Taher al-Alam, the chief of Libya’s Olympic Committee, in Tripoli Sunday. Between eight and nine armed men stopped Alam’s car only blocks from the Tripoli Olympic headquarters, taking him in their car and driving away but leaving a friend of Alam behind. Additionally, two journalists captured while reporting on Libya’s historic election have been freed in exchange for the release of several Gaddafi loyalists. Yusuf Baadi and Abdul Qader Fusuq were in Bani Walid last Sunday on their way back from covering the election for a Misrata TV station when they were detained. Successive negotiation attempts failed throughout the week until Mistrata authorities offered the release of several Gaddafi loyalists detained since the revolution, none of whom are charged with criminal activity.

Umar Khan argues that the biggest surprise of the incoming election results is not how poorly the Muslim Brotherhood seems to be doing, but rather that a National Forces Alliance (NFA) majority is by no means certain given that genuine independents will have the majority. The NFA will likely take around 40 of the 200 seats, while independents will have 120, and the results coming in show independents with no clear leanings towards the NFA. …more

US Navy attack “threatens regional security”: Iran foreign ministry
17 July, 2012 – Reuters

(Reuters) – Iran on Tuesday criticised the actions of a U.S. navy ship that shot at an approaching fishing boat off the United Arab Emirates, saying the incident showed foreign forces threatened regional security.

One Indian national was killed and three others injured on Monday when the U.S. refuelling ship, the USNS Rappahannock, opened fire on a small motor boat which U.S. officials said ignored repeated warnings to halt its approach.

The United States has been building up its presence in the Gulf as Washington seeks to ramp up pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme which it suspects is aimed at producing nuclear bombs. Tehran denies the accusation.

“We have announced time and again that the presence of foreign forces can be a threat to regional security,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said during a news conference broadcast on state television.

“Certainly regional countries with the help of one another can provide security in the best possible way. If they join hands, with their defensive capabilities, they don’t need the presence of foreign forces. Anywhere where you see insecurity we have always seen the hand of foreign forces there.”

The shooting took place in waters near the UAE port of Jebel Ali, across the Gulf from Iran, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement. The UAE state news agency, quoting a government official, identified all of the dead and wounded as Indian nationals.

U.S. officials have not blamed terrorism or claimed any link between Iran and Monday’s incident, and it appears the incident may have been due to a misunderstanding. An investigation is underway, the U.S. navy said.

Iran’s repeated threats to close the Strait of Hormuz – through which 40 percent of the world’s sea-borne oil exports are carried – have alarmed Western capitals over the impact such an action could have on the price of oil. …more

Clinton warns Iran after talks in Jerusalem
17 July, 2012 – By Jo Biddle – Agence France Presse

JERUSALEM: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday said Washington would use “all elements of its power” to prevent Iran going nuclear and was working in “close consultation” with Israel over how to do so.

And she said a resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians would only come about if the parties “do the hard work for peace.”

Speaking to reporters at the end of a whirlwind 24-hour visit to Jerusalem, Clinton said that Iran not yet decided to curb its nuclear ambitions, and warned that Washington would stop at nothing to prevent it from getting a nuclear bomb.

“We will use all elements of American power to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon,” she said in remarks which carried an implied threat of military action — a course of action never ruled out by Washington.

Thanks to US efforts to rally the international community to tackle the Iranian nuclear threat, Tehran was “under greater pressure than ever before,” Clinton said, indicating that the Obama administration was “pressing forward in close consultation with Israel.”

“I think it is fair to say we are on the same page at this moment, trying to figure our way forward to have the maximum impact on affecting the decisions that Iran makes,” Clinton said.

Clinton arrived in Israel late on Sunday at the tail end of a nine-nation tour, holding talks with top officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Although Israel has warned a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to the Jewish state and has refused to rule out a military strike on its nuclear facilities, Peres expressed confidence in Washington’s tough stance on Tehran.

“I think the coalition we have built, and the measures you have taken are beginning to have their impact… they are the right start,” he told Clinton.
…more

Will Israel Do It?
By: Ibrahim al-Amin – 16 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Israel and its backers have been hinting at possible military intervention in Syria on the pretext of preventing the transfer of its chemical weapons stockpiles to the Lebanese resistance. Such a step would set the region ablaze. Iran and Hezbollah have let it be known to all concerned that they would not stand idly by.

Putting aside all theoretical commentary about what is happening in Syria and the region, it would seem that we face a very high risk of a major explosion in the coming weeks.

By explosion, we are talking about a confrontation that could erupt with Israel. This would be liable to reshuffle the cards in every country in the region, and extend the tension and bloodshed to many of them.

Yet it is the countries meddling in Syria who hold the key to such a crisis.

At the heart of the matter is the reason why “the West” opted to revive Kofi Annan’s mission despite having announced its failure, and that is the absence of an alternative. In other words, the inability of the armed Syrian opposition – with Arab, regional and Western backing – to create facts on the ground that could decisively tip the balance of power.

Stalemates and Setbacks

In addition to the farcical spectacle of the opposition meetings held in Cairo, Western intelligence circles began speaking of a dangerous disintegration within the ranks of the opposition.
Robert Mood, the head of the UN inspectors in Syria, paid a brief visit to Lebanon a few days ago. He spent a quiet evening with friends in Beirut, who quizzed him about what was really happening and his assessment of the situation.

Mood spoke of how the regime exaggerates the extent to which the violence is the work of Islamists. But he said peaceful popular protests have virtually ceased, and armed opposition is spreading, albeit highly chaotically, and without the resources to make serious changes on the ground likely.

Mood also said that the regime remains intact and in control of large parts of the country, while the armed groups control some rural areas, and that at the current rate, President Bashar al-Assad and his army could sustain the confrontation for years, barring a surprise development.

Sources say that prior to Mood’s visit, Turkish envoys were dispatched to some of the capitals that support Syria, and also to Beirut. They sought to hold discussions on how a solution could be devised, “if only hypothetically,” based on Assad leaving office, but were rebuffed.

When Turkey and some European governments got the impression that Russia was prepared to discuss the idea, “if only hypothetically,” Damascus and Tehran swiftly informed the Russian leadership of their categorical opposition on principle, the Iranians warning it was a trap to be avoided.

This was subsequently reaffirmed in “an official message to the West that if there is any solution based on the idea of Assad’s departure, there will be nobody around the table capable of discussing it”.

Meanwhile, signs surfaced of serious trouble in the condition, both political and military, of the Syrian opposition. In addition to the farcical spectacle of the opposition meetings held in Cairo, Western intelligence circles began speaking of a dangerous disintegration within the ranks of the opposition. …more

US warship fires on vessel in Gulf
16 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

A US navy ship fired on a boat off the United Arab Emirates on Monday in the southern Gulf where tension has been rising after it ignored warnings, the navy said.

It gave no details on the outcome of the incident, which was being investigated, but US media reports said one person was killed and three were wounded.

“An embarked security team aboard a US navy vessel fired upon a small motor vessel after it disregarded warnings and rapidly approached the US ship near Jebel Ali,” an Emirati port city, the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

“The USNS Rappahannock used a series of non-lethal, preplanned responses to warn the vessel before resorting to lethal force,” it said.

“The US crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel’s operators to turn away from their deliberate approach. When those efforts failed to deter the approaching vessel, the security team on the Rappahannock fired rounds from a .50-calibre machine gun.”

The US navy has been building up its forces in the oil-rich region since tensions spiked with Iran in December over its nuclear program, with Tehran threatening to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the southern Gulf.

It has deployed two aircraft carriers to the region – the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Enterprise – and doubled its minesweeper fleet in the area from four to eight ships on June 23.

Tehran has said the deployment is deliberately provocative and aims to force the Islamic Republic to abandon its disputed nuclear program.

Iran has threatened to mine the narrow Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes. …source

Clinton to Israel: Arab Spring an opportunity
July 17, 2012 – Reuters – The Daily Star

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, arriving in Jerusalem from Egypt, told a wary Israel Monday to treat the Arab Spring as an opportunity as well as a source of uncertainty convulsing the Middle East.

It was Clinton’s first visit to the Jewish state since U.S.-brokered peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis broke down in 2010 over Israel’s refusal to halt the building of settlements on land where Palestinians hope to found a state.

Since then, popular revolts across the Arab world have swept away the rulers of Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Israel’s biggest neighbor Egypt, and unleashed a violent conflict in Syria.

The Jewish state is particularly worried about the rise of Islamists in place of ousted Arab autocrats, especially Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, who had guaranteed his country’s 1979 treaty with Israel, the first between Israel and an Arab country.

Clinton met Israeli leaders in occupied Jerusalem, fresh from a visit to Egypt where she became the most senior U.S. official to meet newly elected President Mohammad Mursi, from the long-banned Muslim Brotherhood.

Mursi told her Egypt would abide by its treaties.

At Clinton’s side, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Egypt “has been an anchor of peace and maintaining the peace treaty between us, I think, is something that is uppermost in both our minds.”

Clinton said before her talks with Netanyahu: “We are living in a time of unprecedented change with a lot of challenges for us both, and we will continue to consult closely, as we have on an almost daily basis, between our two governments, to chart the best way forward for peace and stability for Israel, the United States, the region and the world.”

Earlier she told President Shimon Peres that “it is in moments like these that friends like us have to think together, act together. We are called to be smart, creative and courageous.”

“It is a time of uncertainty but also of opportunity. It is a chance to advance our shared goal of security, stability, peace and democracy along with prosperity for the millions of people in this region who have yet to see a better future,” Clinton said after meeting Peres.

…more

Turning point as war comes to Damascus
17 July, 2012 – The Daily Star

DAMASCUS/MOSCOW: Syria’s military deployed armored vehicles near central Damascus Monday as troops battled rebels around the capital in what activists said could be a turning point in the 16-month uprising.

Russia, meanwhile, slammed as “blackmail” Western pressure to push for a U.N. Security Council resolution against Syria’s regime and said it would be “unrealistic” for its ally President Bashar Assad to quit.

“Al-Midan and Tadamon are out of the army’s control,” said Ahmad al-Khatib, spokesman for the Free Syrian Army’s military council in Damascus.

“The army has no presence inside either of these neighborhoods any more, though they are shelling from the outside, and clashes on the edges of the neighborhoods continue.”

As battles raged around Damascus for a second straight day, troops deployed armored vehicles near the historic neighborhood of Al-Midan.

“When there is fighting in the capital for several hours, even days, and troops are unable to control the situation, that proves the regime’s weakness,” said Rami Abdul-Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

An activist on the ground, identifying himself as Abu Musab, said the army was trying to overrun Al-Midan and called the fighting a “turning point” in the revolt against Assad’s regime.

Activists said that the army and FSA rebels had also been locked in fierce clashes since Sunday in the southern Damascus neighborhood of Tadamon, Kfar Sousa in the west and Jobar in the east.

They said the clashes were the heaviest in the capital since the March 2011 start of the uprising.

The authorities vowed Monday they would not surrender the capital. “You will never get Damascus,” read the headline in Al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the regime.

“Security forces, backed by the army, have for the past 48 hours been attacking the terrorist groups as they try to pull back to districts on the outskirts,” the paper said.

A resident of nearby Jaramana said the area was like a “war zone.”

Activists said residents were fleeing Tadamon, with many seeking shelter in the nearby Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, as the opposition Syrian National Council accused the regime of transforming Damascus into “battlefields.”

Rebel-held districts of the central city of Homs, which has been under siege for months, were bombarded Monday, according to the Observatory. It said a total of at least 67 people were killed in violence across the country – 32 civilians, 21 soldiers and 14 rebel fighters. The latest violence comes as diplomatic pressure builds up ahead of a key Security Council vote Friday to decide whether the 300-strong U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria would be renewed.

The unarmed observers are tasked with overseeing implementation of a six-point peace plan brokered by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan which has been flouted daily since mid-April when it was to have gone into effect.

Speaking ahead of talks with Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of trying to “blackmail” Moscow to get its backing for possible sanctions against Syria.

“To our great regret, we are witnessing elements of blackmail,” said Lavrov, adding that it was “unrealistic” for Moscow to back calls for Assad to step down as the population supports him.
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Russia blocks UN Council statement on Syria
16 July, 2012 – Agence France Presse – The Dialy Star

UNITED NATIONS: Russia on Monday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement on mass killings in the Syrian village of Treimsa, diplomats said amid worsening deadlock over international action on the conflict.

Russian envoys opposed the statement saying it was not clear what had happened, council diplomats told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A draft statement had been proposed saying that the attack on the village on Thursday was a Syrian government “violation” of its commitments to UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan not to use heavy weapons. But Russia put a hold on its release.

Dozens of people were killed in Treimsa by President Bashar al-Assad’s troops and pro-government militias, according to Syrian activists. The government has denied involvement.

Russia has called for Major General Robert Mood, the head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) to brief the council on the killings.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said UNSMIS was still trying to check the facts of what happened in Treimsa, but added that it was “quite apparent that something terrible happened there and that heavy weaponry was used.”

Western diplomats said they would now probably stop pressing for the statement so the 15-nation council can concentrate on negotiating a formal resolution on the future of the UN mission in Syria which has to be agreed by Friday.

Britain, France, United States, Germany and Portugal want a resolution that includes the threat of sanctions if Assad does not halt the use of heavy weapons. Russia rejects the threat of sanctions.

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Russia Says West Using “Blackmail” over Syria
By AJ Correspondents – 16 July, 2012 – IPS

DOHA, Qatar, Jul 16 2012 (Al Jazeera) – Russia has said it would block moves at the U.N. Security Council to extend a U.N. monitoring mission in Syria if Western powers did not stop resorting to “blackmail” by threatening sanctions against Damascus.

Special Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan holds a press conference on Jul. 11. Credit: UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, staked out a tough position on Monday before talks in Moscow with U.N. envoy Kofi Annan, dismissing international pressure on Russia and China to stop propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

His comments are likely to dim Western diplomats’ hopes that Moscow is trying to find a face-saving way to drop its support for Assad and accept that he should have no role in a transition.

“To our great regret, we are seeing elements of blackmail,” Lavrov told a news conference before Annan started a two-day visit that will include talks on Tuesday with President Vladimir Putin. “This is a counter-productive and a dangerous approach.”

Meanwhile, Morocco has asked Syria’s ambassador to Rabat to leave the country, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

The Syrian government in a tit-for-tat response declared the Moroccan envoy to Damascus as persona non grata and asked him to leave.

Violence in capital

There has been no let up in violence in Syria with parts of the capital, Damascus, under fire for a second day, activists have said, with government forces blocking roads in and out of the city.

“Mortar shelling resumed in the early morning,” the Local Coordination Committees (LCC), a grass roots network of activists, said on Monday.

Reuters news agency reports that the crackle of small arms fire echoes through the streets of Damascus.

Syrian troops backed by armoured vehicles were said to have advanced through the city centre, driving out rebels who had secured a foothold within striking distance of major state installations.

The military offensive on Monday reportedly continued to batter several neighbourhoods in the capital, including Midan, Tadamon – where snipers are reported to be positioned on rooftops – Kfar Souseh, Nahr Aisha and Sidi Qadad.

The LCC added that government troops and rebel fighters of the Free Syrian Army also clashed in the western Damascus district of Kfar Souseh.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported “dawn battles on the road south of Kfar Souseh, between rebel fighters and soldiers who were in a convoy passing through the area”. …more

Between reform and revolution: Sheikh Qassim, the Bahraini Shi’a, and Iran
16 July, 2012 – by .@Alfoneh of .@AEI – Dr. @saqeralkhalifa

The political stability of the small island state of Bahrain—home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet—matters to the United States. And Sheikh Qassim, who simultaneously leads the Bahraini Shi’a majority’s just struggle for a more democratic society and acts as an agent of the Islamic Republic of Iran, matters to the future of Bahrain.

A survey of the history of Shi’a activism in Bahrain, including Sheikh Qassim’s political life, shows two tendencies: reform and revolution. Regardless of Sheikh Qassim’s dual roles and the Shi’a protest movement’s periodic ties to the regime in Tehran, the United States should do its utmost to reconcile the rulers and the ruled in Bahrain by defending the civil rights of the Bahraini Shi’a. This action would not only conform to the United States’ principle of promoting democracy and human rights abroad, but also help stabilize Bahrain and the broader Persian Gulf region. It would also undermine the ability of the regime in Tehran to continue to exploit the sectarian conflict in Bahrain in a way that broadens its sphere of influence and foments anti-Americanism.

Key points in this Outlook:

Bahrain’s history is fraught with Shi’a marginalization, which, as the nation’s ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran grow stronger, has fomented a radical strain in the nation’s politics.

Political and clerical leader Sheikh Qassim’s transition from moderate reformist to zealous revolutionary serves as a broader warning to the United States of the shifting tides in Bahrain.

To ensure stability in the Persian Gulf, which is critical for oil transportation, the United States must work with the current government in Bahrain to encourage gradual reforms and civil rights for the Shi’a majority.

Every Friday, the elderly Ayatollah Isa Ahmad Qassim al-Dirazi al-Bahrani, more commonly known as Sheikh Qassim, climbs the stairs to the pulpit at the Imam al-Sadiq mosque in Diraz, Bahrain, to deliver his sermon. Wearing a white turban and cloak matching his white beard and reading his handwritten sermon on ethics aloud in a monotonous voice, the spectacled sheikh resembles the scholarly imam after whom the mosque is named rather than a revolutionary leader. However, every week, hundreds of Bahraini Shi’a line up to pray behind Sheikh Qassim in Diraz, and thousands find political inspiration in his sermons, which they follow on the Internet or radio and television broadcasts sponsored by the regime in Tehran and the Lebanese Hezbollah. Sheikh Qassim’s persistent demand for political reforms and his call for active resistance to the Sunni ruling elites of Bahrain have made him the preeminent Shi’a leader in Bahrain.

The Sunni ruling elites of Bahrain, however, see Sheikh Qassim not as a reformer but as a zealot revolutionary serving the Islamic Republic of Iran. They accuse him of trying to overthrow rather than reform the political order in Bahrain. Instead of bridging the gap between the Shi’a and Sunni, they claim, Sheikh Qassim widens the sectarian divide in society.

There is some truth to both perceptions of Sheikh Qassim. The history of the struggle of the Bahraini Shi’a, with which Sheikh Qassim’s political life is intertwined, illustrates his dual role. Sheikh Qassim expresses the just grievances of the Shi’a protest movement and demands civil rights for the Shi’a majority.[1] but increasingly he—and the Shi’a protest movement— act like revolutionaries rather than reformists. There is also unquestionably a relationship between Sheikh Qassim and the regime in Tehran, which he denies, but whose propaganda machinery he skillfully employs to spread his message.

Early Youth in Diraz

Tracing Sheikh Qassim’s early influences helps us understand his current beliefs and political alliances. According to a short biographic note on Sheikh Qassim released by Al-Wasat, he was born in the village of Diraz, west of the capital (Manama) along Bahrain’s northern coastline, around 1940.[2] However, the exact year of his birth is disputed.[3] His father, Ahmad al-Bahrani,[4] was a modest fisherman and did not belong to the prominent families in the village.[5] Sheikh Qassim was born into a rural Arab Shi’a family[6] who, as their family name (Bahrani) suggests, consider themselves the original inhabitants of the country.[7] This identity distinguishes them from the Khalifa ruling family, whom the Baharna consider to be foreign invaders,[8] but also from Ajam, or ethnically Iranian and Persian-speaking Shi’a of Bahrain. …more

Bahraini Revolutionaries Praise Iran’s Supreme Leader for Supportive Positions

16 July, 2012 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- A group of Bahraini revolutionaries in a statement lauded the brave and historical positions taken by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in support of the fair and legitimate demands of the Bahraini nation.

“Imam Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution and the religious leader of the world Muslims, in a brave and historic move has repeatedly stood beside the Bahraini nation and has defended their fair and legitimate demands,” the statement by a group named February 14 Revolution’s Companions Coalition said on Monday.

The Coalition praised Ayatollah Khamenei’s positions, and expressed the hope that his revolutionary positions will heal the wounds of the martyrs’ families, the injured people, the detainees and others harmed due to their protests against the al-Khalifa regime.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, more than 69 people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Police clampdown on protesters continues daily. Authorities have tried to stop organized protests by opposition parties over the past month by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up. …more

Pictures from the crackdown on today’s demonstrations around Bahrain
13 July, 2012 – by Bahrain Coordinating Committee Administrator

Opposition groups called for protests in ten areas around Bahrain to take place today, Friday, July 13th. The protests were set to start at 5pm Bahrain time. The Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that all demonstrations would be considered illegal, and anyone participating in today’s events would be breaking the law.

Today, riot police were on the scene early. Many streets were closed, and some towns were party sealed off, preventing people from getting in. Checkpoints were installed in other areas.

Despite the intense security measures and attempts to prevent protesters from joining the demonstrations, people went out anyway. The crackdown started even before even the demonstrations commenced. Tear gas and flashbang grenades were fired in every town that attempted to protest.

Riot police raided many private homes, in some cases firing at the occupants. In Karzakan, a 16 year old girl was shot with a flashbang grenade, and at the same house a 40 year old woman was forced out of the shower naked. Police also directly targeted protesters. A 13 year old from Al Dair was shot in her ankle with a tear gas canister.

SEE PHOTO GALLERY HERE

Bahrain’s Propaganda Machine is Turned up to Eleven
13 July, 2012 – Marc Owen Jones Blog

Lethal Shrouds, Weaponised Loudspeakers, and Freedom of Expression Events. These are just some of things you ought to be concerned about over the coming weeks. That’s right, the Bahrain government’s propaganda machine has kicked into overdrive, and it is now making even the most banal household objects seem like a potential Weapon of Mass Destruction. I don’t mean to trivialize matters, but after watching the weekly security report issued by the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), I am entitled to be a little sarcastic. For those who haven’t seen it yet, you can watch it here. Read on for highlights.

Firstly, the report begins with this introduction,

‘The security report brings you a summary of what happened during the week from rioting, vandalism and law-breaking which SOME still call it a peaceful protest. And through this week’s report once again we will show you by footage what has been labelled as peaceful as an act of terrorism, so let’s start this week’s report’.

So the BNA propaganda term are still keen to conflate any act of deviance as somehow an act of deceit, perpetrated by people who claim it is peaceful. In short, they wish to blur the lines between those who actually DO believe in peaceful protest, with those who use violence or other methods. In other words, anyone who wants political change, regardless of the methods they espouse, is a security threat. Figure 1 illustrates the general trend of government propaganda (I know it’s another flowchart – I couldn’t help myself).

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Despite the security preparations, hashish growers in the Bekaa are optimistic about the season.

Lebanon: Hashish Growers and the Government Face Off
By: Rameh Hamieh – 13 July, 2012 – Al Akhbar

(Photo: Alia Haju)

It is hard to predict how this year’s planned destruction of the hashish crop in the Bekaa will play out.

The farmers insist on confronting any such attempt, and the security forces are “determined” to destroy the cannabis crop.

While the security forces continue with their preparations – which include communicating with the owners of agricultural tractors as well as coordinating with the leadership of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) – hashish growers are adamant that they will “protect their livelihood.”

Fighting the coming invasion is the farmers’ last resort after the state deserted them by “abandoning any attempt to address agricultural problems, support traditional crops, and compensate losses resulting from natural disasters or any downturn in agricultural production in light of the Syrian crisis,” according to one farmer.

Despite the security preparations, hashish growers in the Bekaa are optimistic that the season “will pan out just like I see you and you see me,” says Abu Ali, as he checks the irrigation of his cannabis field and the stems which have grown over 70cm.

A written statement warned that the farmers “will deal with the hired workers as enemies, because they are conspiring against people from their area for a little bit of money.”
As he rubs the green leaf in his hand and smells its strong scent, this 50-something-year old man says that he bases his conclusion on the overall security situation in the country.

“Lawlessness is everywhere and they don’t dare confront anyone, so why should we be any different? Are we lesser mortals?” he asks, adding: “They should feel for us a little bit.”

Abu Ali does not hide the fact that many farmers “sowed their land – no matter how small – with cannabis seeds, because they are convinced the season will pan out,” pointing out that large areas “for as far as your eyes can see have been planted in Baalbek-Hermel.”

Hanna, a resident of a village in west Baalbek, says the responsibility “falls on the shoulders of the Lebanese state and some of its security agencies.”

He accuses these agencies of intimating to farmers that “no one will touch the hashish. Then they scouted the planted areas, took pictures of them from airplanes, and sent them to international institutions to collect funds in order to destroy them.”

Hanna asks political and party leaders to intervene to prevent the destruction operation this year. He refuses to believe that “the decision to destroy the hashish crop was taken by the security forces alone.”

Tractor owners, who are brought in to uproot the cannabis fields, have not been spared from the threats made by farmers. …more