Clipmarks | invictus's 'middle east' clips

Israel 'has 150 nuclear weapons'

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:24:52 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks:

Most experts estimate that Israel has between 100 and 200 nuclear warheads, largely based on information leaked to the Sunday Times newspaper in the 1980s by Mordechai Vanunu, a former worker at the country's Dimona nuclear reactor.

The US, a key ally of Israel, has in general followed the country's policy of "nuclear ambiguity", neither confirming or denying the existence of its assumed arsenal.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Ex-US President Jimmy Carter has said Israel has at least 150 atomic weapons in its arsenal.

The Israelis have never confirmed they have nuclear weapons, but this has been widely assumed since a scientist leaked details in the 1980s.

Mr Carter made his comments on Israel's weapons at a press conference at the annual literary Hay Festival in Wales.

He also described Israeli treatment of Palestinians as "one of the greatest human rights crimes on earth".

Mr Carter gave the figure for the Israeli nuclear arsenal in response to a question on US policy on a possible nuclear-armed Iran, arguing that any country newly armed with atomic weapons faced overwhelming odds.

"The US has more than 12,000 nuclear weapons; the Soviet Union (sic) has about the same; Great Britain and France have several hundred, and Israel has 150 or more," he said.

Tags: israel, nuclear weapons, middle east, jimmy carter

The ‘Great Satan’ Strikes Out

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:03:38 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Interesting points by Robert Scheer.

Clip Source: www.truthdig.com

How interesting that Ahmadinejad, unlike a U.S. president who has to be airlifted unannounced into ultra-secure bases, was able to convoy in from the airport in broad daylight on a road that U.S. dignitaries fear to travel. His love fest with Iraq President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who fought on Iran’s side against Iraq and who speaks Farsi, even took place outside of the safety of the Green Zone, adding emphasis to Ahmadinejad’s claim that while he is welcome in Iraq, the Americans are not.

Saddam Hussein went to war with Iran, but George W. Bush has given his Iranian foes a Shiite-run ally. Iran is now a major trading partner of Iraq that has offered a $1 billion loan

Instead of isolating the “rogue regime” of Iran, the Bush administration has catapulted the theocrats of Tehran into the center of Mideast political power. There can be no peace, whether in Lebanon, Gaza or Iraq, without the cooperation of the ayatollahs of Iran.

Tags: iran, iraq, ahmedinejad, united states, bush doctrine, middle east

"What We Are Seeing Is the Fall of America"

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:40:20 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Harold Bloom speaks...

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Harold Bloom, Yale literature professor and cultural critic, is one of America's most prominent and provocative intellectuals.

Speaking at his home in New Haven where he is recovering from a recent health scare, a pale and weak Bloom seems to have symbolically embodied what he calls the "poor state of the nation."

"I am 77 years old and I have never seen this country in such a bad state. It is madness. What we are seeing is the fall of the Roman Empire, only now it is the fall of America, the glory of our Empire. This war is what Parthia was to Rome.

"We have caused a monstrous mess. We don't even count killed Iraqis. God knows how many Iraqi women, children and men have been killed by our accidental shootings, which we are such experts at, or by other Iraqis. No, 'Benito Bush' (Bloom's pet name for President George Bush) deserves, if we had a functioning civil law in the world, to be condemned for crimes against humanity. Bush is ultimately responsible for this war," Bloom says

Tags: iraq war, united states, middle east, chaos, war

Iraq's Kurdish leader snubs Rice

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:16:31 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Turkish troops have been massed on the Iraqi border

The head of Iraq's Kurdish regional government has refused to meet the US secretary of state because of the US position on Turkish cross-border raids.

Massoud Barzani had been scheduled to meet Condoleezza Rice in Baghdad, but withdrew "as a sign of protest" after several villages were bombed on Sunday.

The air strikes on alleged positions of PKK separatist rebels were followed by an incursion by 300 troops on Tuesday.

They moved 3km (1.9 miles) over Iraq's border, but later reportedly withdrew.

The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, has said almost 2,000 people in northern Iraq have fled their homes in recent days as a result of the Turkish operations.

Speaking to reporters in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, said its president had refused to meet Ms Rice because of Washington's tolerance of the recent Turkish raids.

Tags: iraq, turkey, kurds, pkk, united states, war, condoleezza rice, middle east

Experts warn major Israel quakes fast approaching

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:39:06 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

LOD, Israel (AFP) - As if political instability and rampant insecurity in the Middle East are not worrying enough, Israeli experts are warning that a major earthquake could strike the region at any time.

Three minor quakes over the past month have served as a reminder that Israel and the West Bank sit atop one of the most sensitive fault lines in the world, where earthquakes have a history of causing havoc.

"We can say with certainty that an earthquake of a magnitude of six on the Richter scale could take place in the coming years," said Yefim Gitterman from the seismology department at the geophysical institute of Lod, near Tel Aviv.

"It can happen tomorrow or in years to come," he said. "Statistically, there is a major quake every 80 years."

Tags: earthquake, israel, middle east

Rice promises Turkey more action against PKK

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:10:47 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States promised on Friday to redouble efforts against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq in an attempt to stave off Turkish military intervention that could destabilize the region.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the militants a "common enemy." But she did not spell out what Washington might do to stop them using Iraq as a base for attacks on Turkey, where they seek an independent Kurdish state.

"We all need to redouble our efforts and the United States is committed to redoubling our efforts," Rice told a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.

Tags: turkey, pkk, united states, northern iraq, condoleezza rice, middle east

Iraq warns Turkey over incursion

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:34:50 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks:

"This would be a unilateral decision and that's why people are resisting that.

"That's why the whole government of Iraq and the whole people of Iraq are united really not to see their sovereignty, their territorial integrity undermined by a friendly neighbouring country."

The BBC's Jim Muir, in Baghdad, says there are fears of a collision between Turkish troops and the Iraqi Kurdish forces which control the area.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Mr Zebari said any incursion would be a violation

Mr Zebari interview

Iraq's foreign minister has warned of serious consequences if Turkey launches a ground assault against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.

Hoshyar Zebari told the BBC that the current crisis was "dead serious" and accused Turkey of not seeking a peaceful solution.

He said Turkey had shown no interest in Iraqi proposals to calm the situation.

He said there was nothing to stop Turkey taking action against PKK bases in the remote and rugged border mountains.

But the massing of an estimated 100,000 Turkish troops - with tanks and other heavy weaponry - raised fears that the Turks were planning something bigger and deeper into northern Iraq, Mr Zebari said.

Such a step would have "disastrous consequences" for stability in both countries and in the wider region, he added.

The Kurdish north of Iraq is a semi-autonomous area run by the Kurdish Regional Government, led by Masoud Barzani.

Tags: turkey, iraq, pkk, northern iraq, kurds, barzani, middle east

Wordpress.com blocked in Turkey - yes, again

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 03:41:13 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: omega.wordpress.com

Here we go again. Monday evening, Turkey blocked access to Wordpress blogs. As usual, bloggers and blog readers don’t have any clue about why the site has been censored. Like the last time, there are only “rumours” flying in the air: “Armenian blogs, insulting Turkey”… “PKK supporters’ blogs making propaganda”… “Somebody said ‘unwanted’ things about Turkey’s likely military operation at Northern Iraq”… Blah blah blah.

Turkey is becoming a “tough rival” for China and Myanmar at Internet censorship. A very short time ago, YouTube and Wordpress was blocked once again. With the new situation in the Middle East and Iraq, Turkey began losing its temper and “free speech” has been slowly becoming a “good old story”.

As soon as the “reason” is declared by the authorities, I’ll update the entry here. For now, it is still very uncertain. (And we are fed up with this censorship strategy. Enough is enough.)

Tags: turkey, wordpress, censorship, free speech, blogging

Volcano erupts on Red Sea island

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:52:47 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Lava spewed hundreds of metres into the air, witnesses said

Volcano erupting

A search for survivors is under way after a volcano erupted on a Yemeni island in the Red Sea, killing at least two people.

The western part of the tiny al-Tair island, used as a military base, collapsed following the eruption, the defence ministry said.

Two bodies were recovered from the sea and other soldiers are missing.

Yemeni coastguards requested the help of nearby Nato ships in the search and rescue operation.

"The lava is spewing hundreds of feet into the air, with the volcanic ash also 1,000 feet in the air."

Geologists say al-Tair, which lies on a major fault line, last saw a volcanic eruption in the late 19th Century.

Yemeni officials are linking the eruption to several small earthquakes which they say hit the island on Sunday morning.

Tags: volcanoes, yemeni, middle east

Sunni bloc quits Iraq government

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:51:09 GMT

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Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Sunni bloc quits Iraq govt, truck bomb kills 50

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The main Sunni Arab political bloc quit the Iraqi government on Wednesday in a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, while a suicide bomber driving a fuel truck killed 50 people in one of several car bombs in Baghdad.

The Sunni Accordance Front announced its pull-out from Maliki's Shi'ite-led coalition over his failure to meet a list of about a dozen demands, including a greater say in security matters.

The front's 44 members will remain in the 275-seat parliament. Its withdrawal will have little practical effect on the 15-month-old government, which is virtually paralyzed by infighting but needs only a simple majority to keep functioning.

But the shaky coalition is under pressure from the United States and its allies to end sectarian strife between Shi'ites and Sunnis through national reconciliation.

Tags: iraq, nuri al-maliki, sunnis, shiites, sectarianism, civil war, middle east

U.S. Set to Offer Huge Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 12:53:56 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

U.S. Set to Offer Huge Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON, July 27 — The Bush administration is preparing to ask Congress to approve an arms sale package for Saudi Arabia and its neighbors that is expected to eventually total $20 billion at a time when some United States officials contend that the Saudis are playing a counterproductive role in Iraq.

The proposed package of advanced weaponry for Saudi Arabia, which includes advanced satellite-guided bombs, upgrades to its fighters and new naval vessels, has made Israel and some of its supporters in Congress nervous. Senior officials who described the package on Friday said they believed that the administration had resolved those concerns, in part by promising Israel $30.4 billion in military aid over the next decade, a significant increase over what Israel has received in the past 10 years.

Tags: united states, saudi arabia, arms deal, middle east, weapons

Secrets of Assassins' fort unearthed in Syria

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:48:03 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Secrets of Assassins' fort unearthed in Syria

MASYAF, Syria (Reuters) - Nestled at the foot of Syria's coastal mountains, an ancient citadel has been put on the tourist map by restoration and excavation that revealed mysteries of the medieval Assassins sect, once based here.

Saladin, the great Muslim leader, laid siege to Masyaf castle in the 12th century. But he thought twice before launching an assault on the Assassins, who had a reputation for mounting daring operations to slay their foes.

"Anyone who tried to take the Assassins' castle would be dead the next day," said Haytham Ali Hasan, an archaeologist involved in the restoration project.

Tons of debris have been cleared from the site since 2000, allowing researchers to learn more about the citadel's secretive occupants.

The Assassins were led by Rashid Al-Din Sinan, also known as "The Old Man of the Mountain." He used Masyaf as a base for spreading the beliefs of the Nizari Ismaili sect of Islam

Tags: archaeology, assasins, masyaf, middle east, syria

Dead Sea Warriors: Ancient Fortress of Qumran

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:02:14 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks:

Fierce warriors once occupied the famous complex where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written, new research suggests.

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

Warriors Once Occupied Dead Sea Scrolls Site

Fierce warriors once occupied the famous complex where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written, new research suggests.

Ruins of the Qumran site—in the present-day West Bank—resemble a monastery, but scholars have argued over its uses before the religious sect who penned the scrolls moved in somewhere between 130 and 100 B.C.

Using the world's first virtual 3-D reconstruction of the site, historians recently found evidence of a fortress that was later converted into its more peaceful, pious function.

The Qumran gained legendary status in the archaeological world when a shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in nearby caves in 1947.

Tags: archaeology, qumran, dead sea scrolls, middle east

Abbas appoints new Palestinian PM

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:20:20 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: The new chaos deepens in the Middle East...

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Abbas appoints new Palestinian PM

Hamas fighters have taken over many Fatah strongholds

Enlarge Image

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has appointed a new prime minister, a day after dissolving the Hamas-led unity coalition, officials say.

Former Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, an independent, has been asked to take over and form an emergency government.

The move comes amid political upheaval in Gaza, where Hamas has taken control after routing Fatah rivals.

But Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, says he is still prime minister and has vowed to disregard Mr Abbas's decisions.

A former World Bank executive, Mr Fayyad is a well-respected figure internationally.

In recent months, foreign governments have chosen to deal with him directly as a means of bypassing Hamas, but Hamas has already rejected the appointment, saying it views the entire interim administration as illegal.

Tags: palestine, hamas, fatah, mahmoud abbas, middle east

Iran Continues to Hold 15 Captured British Sailors

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:29:02 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Iran said Monday it was questioning 15 British sailors and marines to determine if their alleged entry into Iranian waters was "intentional or unintentional" before deciding what to do with them.

The 14 men and one woman were captured at gunpoint on Friday after searching a civilian cargo vessel in the Shatt al-Arab, the thin waterway in the Persian Gulf that marks the border between Iran and Iraq.

Iran maintains the sailors and marines crossed over into Iranian waters while Britain insists they stayed in Iraqi territory. Iran has refused to say where the captured personnel were being held or to allow British officials to speak with them. Calls for the British soldiers release came from the European Union, Iraq and the United States, under whose command they were serving when they were seized.

Tags: iran, persian gulf, british marines, middle east, united kingdom