Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Sunday 8 March 2015

Op-Ed Articles
   
The Real Enemy is Hypocrisy
The Enemy is Not Russia or Putin

By John Wight

Vladimir Putin and Russia's crime is to dare resist this US Empire, taking a stand against the hypocrisy, double standards, and complete lack of respect for other countries, cultures, and values it represents.


An Open Letter to Petro Poroshenko

By Michael Pesek

This is a little history lesson to remind you that the weather in Washington is much more capricious than the continental climate of Eurasia.


Washington and ISIS: The Evidence

By Tim Anderson

What is the broader evidence on Washington's covert links with ISIS?


Iraqi Women: 'Things Were So Much Better Before'

By Hadani Ditmars

Iraqi women benefited from state subsidised childcare and education; they once formed about half the public sector workforce and 50 percent of the country's doctors.


Know the Enemy

By Jon Taylor

A terrorist is someone
who opposes the dictates of imperialism;
an extremist is someone who defends
his country against foreign invasion.


"Who Are We? What Do We Americans Truly Value?"

By Marian Wright Edelman

The United States ranks first in Gross Domestic Product and first in the number of billionaires, and second worst in child poverty rates - ahead only of Romania.


This Changes Everything

By Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein, calls the climate crisis a civilisational wake-up call to alter our economy, our lifestyles, now - before they get changed for us.

   


Hard News
    



40 killed as Kurds battle ISIL over Syria town:
The clashes broke out on Saturday after the ISIL militants launched an offensive to take over the strategic town in Hasakah Province from Kurdish forces, leaving 40 casualties on both sides, said the UK-based group, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in a Sunday statement.


Gunmen kill more than 12 Islamic State militants in eastern Syria; -
Unidentified gunmen attacked Islamic State militants in the eastern Syrian town of al-Mayadin overnight, killing more than 12, the latest in a series of guerrilla attacks on the ultra-hardline group in areas it controls near the Iraqi border.


US-led strikes kill nine at headquarters of al-Qaida's Syria branch, activists say:
Coalition warplanes said to target Nusra Front headquarters in country's northwest as separate strikes hit Isis in Iraq and Syria


Syrian rebels unveil latest weapon:
With a range of almost two miles and four tubes attached to a loader, these are the homemade cannon being built by rebel fighters in Syria.


Sisi to Hariri: political solution is key in Syrian crisis:
Both parties shared the same view in regards to the solution of the Syrian crisis, advocating for a political solution. Sisi stressed that the top priority now is to protect the Syrian state without aligning with any party, the presidency said.


Bombings kill 11 people in Iraq:
Police officials said the first of Sunday's attacks happened when a car bomb exploded in a parking lot in the town of Mahmoudiya, 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 15 others.


Iraqi Kurds say Canadian soldier killed after order ignored:
A Canadian special forces soldier was killed in a friendly fire incident after he and others ignored an order to stay in their car and showed up to the front line unannounced, a spokesman for Iraq's Kurdish forces said Sunday.


A Bloody Disaster: The Iraqi Army's Fight Against ISIS:
Take it from a man who knows: The Iraqi army's first big attempt to roll back the Islamic State is going to be a violent mess.


DoD: Operations against Islamic State may last years;
Top U.S. officials warned that military operations against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria may last more than three more years and the mission on the Syrian side of the border could eventually expand to involve a no-fly zone or even some American boots on the ground.


Britain to send more troops to Iraq on training mission:
Prime Minister David Cameron authorized the deployment of nearly 60 extra army personnel who will train Kursdish forces.


Iraqis living under IS rule fear liberation means reprisals:
Mosul resident Mohammed Younis says he had nothing to do with the Islamic State group's capture of his city or its mass killings, beheadings and other atrocities -- but that may not be enough to spare him if the extremists are driven out.


17 people killed in Yemen clashes:
Security and local officials say at least 12 people have been killed in violent clashes between al-Qaida militants and Shiite Houthi rebels in the central province of Bayda.


Houthis kill 6 guards of Yemen defense minister:
Six guards of resigned Defense Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi were killed in an ambush by Houthi militants on Sunday as he fled the group's grip in Sana'a and fled to southern Aden city, reliable sources said.


Saudi Arabia becomes world's biggest arms importer amid regional concerns:
 Saudi Arabia has become the world's largest arms importer. Spending on arms by Saudi Arabia rose to $6.5 billion, rising 54 percent as compared to last year. The biggest beneficiary of the strong Middle Eastern market continues to be the United States, with $8.4 billion in arms exports in 2014.


Saudi court hands gang-raped woman 200 lashes, 6-month jail term:
A Saudi woman who had fallen victim to a violent gang-rape has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail after being found guilty of speaking to the media about the crime and indecency.


Netanyahu: Creation of Palestinian state 'irrelevant':
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the creation of a Palestinian state, a move that he supported in a famous speech at Bar-Ilan University in 2009, was no longer relevant in the current reality in the Middle East.


McConnell postpones Iran vote:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday postponed a vote that had been expected next week on legislation allowing Congress to weigh in on any Iran nuclear deal.


Ex-Mossad chief pans Netanyahu's 'bulls---' speech to Congress:
Meir Dagan ridiculed Netanyahu's assertion that Iran posed a threat to the United States.


Netanyahu govt more 'frightening' than all Israel enemies, ex-Mossad:
"I am frightened by our leadership. I am afraid because of the lack of vision and a loss of direction. I am frightened by the hesitation and the stagnation [of Israel's government]. And I am frightened, above all else, from a crisis in leadership. It is the worst crisis that Israel has seen to this day," Maj. Gen Dagan told a receptive crowd in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv


Blair accused of seeking $45mn UAE contract while working as peace envoy:
Tony Blair is accused of 'relentlessly cashing in on contacts,' earning up $90m from consultancy while working on Israel-Palestine talks


70 suspected militants killed in Sinai over past week: Egypt army:
The Egyptian army has killed 70 suspected militants in the Sinai Peninsula over the past week, some of whom were linked to Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, a military spokesperson announced on Sunday.


Rocket attack kills 3 UN base in northern Mali:
A peacekeeper died when about 30 rockets struck the base in the desert town of Kidal, said the UN mission. Some rockets missed their target, killing two civilians. It is not clear who carried out the attack. Islamist militants are active in the area.


Nigerian allies launch offensive:
 Forces from Niger and Chad have launched a ground and air offensive against militant group Boko Haram in north-eastern Nigeria, officials say. It came as Nigerian officials dismissed Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to Islamic State as a reaction to military pressure from Nigeria and its allies.


Afghanistan officials sanctioned murder, torture and rape, says report:
Top Afghan officials have presided over murders, abduction, and other abuses with the tacit backing of their government and its western allies, Human Rights Watch says in a new report.


Flight MH370: Angry families reject report:
The interim report gives no new clues as to what happened to the plane. One relative described it as useless.


EU chief speaks out against arms supplies for Kiev:
The European Union's foreign policy chief on Friday came out against a bipartisan call in the United States to provide lethal, defensive weapons to Ukraine in its fight against Russian-backed separatists.


China Vows to Deepen Cooperation with Russia:
"The practical cooperation between China and Russia is based on mutual need, it seeks win-win results and has enormous internal impetus and room for expansion," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Wang added that the two countries expect to increase trade volume to an annual US$100 billion a year in 2015.


Nemtsov murder suspect 'confessed' involvement:
Zaur Dadayev signed confession says judge in Moscow court, as four other suspects plead innocent.


Important developments in the Nemtsov murder case: News Analysis -
It took the combined efforts of the FSB/SKR/MVD one week to make the first arrests in the case of the murder of Nemtsov: a group of 7 men, all from the North Caucasus were arrested. A sixth man killed himself with a hand grenade in Grozny when he was about to be arrested.


European Commission chief urges 'joint EU army,' Germany backs decision:
The European Commission chief has called for the creation of an "EU joint army" that would "react credibly" to any external threat and defend the bloc's "values." While the UK and France are wary it could undermine NATO, Germany has backed the idea.


Europe to reject Greeks' 'tourist taxman' plan:
Athens risks running out of cash this month as troika threatens to withhold vital €7bn lifeline


UN: Torture by Mexican State is Widespread:
A report by the U.N. Human Rights Council, set to be released on Monday, states that torture by the Mexican state has become a regular occurrence. The 22-page report by the U.N. Special Rapporteur Juan Mendez was leaked to Mexican weekly magazine, Proceso.


In campaign against terrorism, U.S. enters period of pessimism and gloom:
In congressional testimony recently, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. went beyond the usual litany of threats to say that terrorism trend lines were worse "than at any other point in history."


Former Fox News Host Offers Insider Perspective On O'Reilly's Fabrications:
 Eric Burns: "No One Expects Much Out Of O'Reilly As A Fox News Host. No One Expects The Truth"


Christian chaplain fired for preaching compassion and love over violence of American Sniper:
What was this controversial sermon that Beckum gave? Here's the full text and below you'll find an embedded video of the sermon:


US orders 7,700 children deported without court hearings:
More than 7,700 immigrant children have been ordered deported over the past 18 months without ever appearing in court, according to statistics released by the federal government recently and reported by the Los Angeles Times Friday.


10 Numbers That Should Probably Scare You!:
48 percent of americans can't immediately scrounge together a measly $400 without borrowing directly or selling something.


International Women's Day: Not convinced we need it? This will change your mind:
A glance at the last seven days of news in the UK sadly proves the case for this annual celebration, argues Radhika Sanghani