Middle East landscape rapidly changing

[Arthur_Friend]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075683/Egypt-violence-Female-protesters-brutally-beaten-metal-poles-vicious-soldiers.html

The video is brutal. Animals.

[Denn Forever]

The day after the Americans leave.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16256830

Arrest warrant for Iraq vice president Tariq al-Hashemi
Mr Hashemi's party has pulled out of Prime Minister Nuri Maliki's unity government An Iraqi judicial committee has issued an arrest warrant for the country's Sunni Arab Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashemi, security officials say.

The warrant was issued under anti-terror laws, officials said.

It came after Mr Hashemi's bodyguards accused him of links with terrorism, an interior ministry spokesman told Reuters news agency.

[Groucho]

Iraqis definitely better off now 


http://news.uk.msn.com/world/dozens-left-dead-in-baghdad-blasts

[seafoid]

http://rwac-egypt.blogspot.com/2011/12/when-women-are-undressed.html

And

The media consensus on Israel is collapsing
http://www.salon.com/2011/12/21/the_media_consensus_on_israel_is_collapsing/singleton/

[give her dixie]

This thread was started a year ago today as thousands of people assembled in Tahrir Square, Cairo, demanding the removal of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator who had ruled the country for decades with an iron fist.

In a matter of weeks, he was gone and now lies in a medical hospital awaiting trial for murder. He faces the death penalty if found guilty.

Since his downfall, the country has been ruled by the military. Elections took place recently and the Muslim Brotherhood as expected, took the most seats. However, the military are still in charge.

Recently, the protests have started up again with the people demanding that the military hand over power, and step aside. Given that the Muslim Brotherhood were not behind the original protests, it comes as no surprise that they are reluctant to take over from the military. There are fears that they will rule just like Mubarak, given time.

I think it's fair to say that the Middle East landscape has changed for good in many countries. Some for the good, others to the bad.

Along with Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria, have all seen major uprising and new leaders installed in most cases.

The situation in Palestine hasn't got any better, and the occupation just keeps spreading, and the killing goes on.

Last year Israel murdered 180 Palestinians, many of them children. Not content with murdering Palestinians, they murdered people in Iran, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Somalia. They demolished over 500 homes and confiscated hundreds of acres of land in the West Bank. And the world did nothing. No sanctions, no charges.

Today, as hundreds of thousands of people gather in Tahrir Square, the Middle East is faced with another potential mass war. The excuse of hitting Iran over the assumption of a nuclear bomb / weapon of mass destruction, is a smoke screen for the real purpose of cutting off their influence in the region and their supply of OIL to China and co. Another regime change on the way..........

Given the fact that Russia and China oppose any attack on Iran, it will be very very interesting to see how this one plays out.

There are decades when nothing happens, and their years when decades happen. I think the past year has certainly seen decades worth of changes.

[johnneycool]

Some interesting figures:

Egypt has been the second-largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid for decades, after Israel (not counting the funds expended on the wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan). Mubarak's regime has received roughly $2 billion per year since coming to power, overwhelmingly for the military.

Where has the money gone? A lot to U.S. corporations.

It's a form of corporate welfare for companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, because it goes to Egypt, then it comes back for F-16 aircraft, for M-1 tanks, for aircraft engines, for all kinds of missiles, for guns, for tear-gas canisters [from] a company called Combined Systems International, which actually has its name on the side of the canisters that have been found on the streets there.
Lockheed Martin has been the leader in deals worth $3.8 billion over that period of the last 10 years; General Dynamics, $2.5 billion for tanks; Boeing, $1.7 billion for missiles, for helicopters; Raytheon for all manner of missiles for the armed forces. So, basically, this is a key element in propping up the regime, but a lot of the money is basically recycled. US taxpayers could just as easily be giving it directly to Lockheed Martin or General Dynamics.

Likewise, Egypt's Internet and cell phone "kill switch" was enabled only through collaboration with corporations. U.K.-based Vodafone, a global cellular-phone giant (which owns 45 percent of Verizon Wireless in the U.S.) attempted to justify its actions in a press release: "It has been clear to us that there were no legal or practical options open to Vodafone ... but to comply with the demands of the authorities."

Narus, a U.S. subsidiary of Boeing Corp., sold Egypt equipment to allow "deep packet inspection,". Narus technology "allows the Egyptian telecommunications companies ... to look at texting via cell phones, and to identify the sort of dissident voices that are out there. ... It also gives them the technology to geographically locate them and track them down."

All of the above is in the public record.

Do you not think its still in the Military's interest to have a pro-US government?

I think they'll be the real obstacle to democracy as even if Mubarack does go by fair means or foul they'll still be behind the scenes protecting their interests.

The figurehead may change but the government will still be in power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebftIo_qu4

I posted this almost a year a go and its proving very true.

The Egyptian military are probably offering whatever government is elected 'support' providing their budgets (US aid) isn't affected and that'll mean doing the bidding of washington, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[trileacman]

Don't know where else to put this. How long will the UN stand in the background?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18221461

UN observers have counted at least 90 bodies, including 32 children, after a Syrian government attack on a town.

UN mission head Maj-Gen Robert Mood told the BBC the killing in Houla was "indiscriminate and unforgivable".

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he would seek a strong global response to the "appalling crime". UN chief Ban Ki-moon said it was a "flagrant violation of international law".

Syria's government has blamed the deaths on "armed terrorist gangs".

This is one of the bloodiest attacks in one area since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.

Activists say some of the victims died by shelling, while others were summarily executed, or butchered by the regime militia known as the "shabiha".

UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan, and the Arab League have also condemned Friday's assault.


France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was making immediate arrangements for a Paris meeting of the Friends of Syria group, which includes Western and Arab nations, but not Russia or China, who have blocked previous attempts to introduce UN sanctions.

Fighting in Syria has continued despite the deployment of some 250 UN observers monitoring a ceasefire brokered by Mr Annan - a ceasefire which the BBC's Jim Muir in neighbouring Lebanon says is now "pretty fictional".

The UN says at least 10,000 have been killed since the protests began.

[Saffrongael]

Yeah some pretty horrific photos of the dead children in tomorrows papers, Syria isn't one of the fashionable Middle East countries to take an interest in unfortunately. Assad should have been taken out long ago.

[Arthur_Friend]

Yeah some pretty horrific photos of the dead children in tomorrows papers, Syria isn't one of the fashionable Middle East countries to take an interest in unfortunately. Assad should have been taken out long ago.

The difference is that Syria is being rightly condemned by all and sundry as opposed to more 'fashionable' Middle East countries who get a free hand to bomb the f**k out of whoever they like.

[seafoid]

Invading syria would be pointless. Over 50000 libyans died after nato's intervention. the only thing the west can offer the region is hypocrisy.

[puskas]

Invading syria would be pointless. Over 50000 libyans died after nato's intervention. the only thing the west can offer the region is hypocrisy.

can you provide a source for this 50,000 number? it has the whiff of bullshit inflated for your own purposes.

"the only thing the west can offer the region is hypocrisy," right, and the only thing an outsider can ever do if another place is going up in smoke is invade it, right. well you'd better turn off your youtube stream so you don't see any of those daily videos of Assad's massacres getting through, might disturb your righteousness.   

[stew]

This thread was started a year ago today as thousands of people assembled in Tahrir Square, Cairo, demanding the removal of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator who had ruled the country for decades with an iron fist.

In a matter of weeks, he was gone and now lies in a medical hospital awaiting trial for murder. He faces the death penalty if found guilty.

Since his downfall, the country has been ruled by the military. Elections took place recently and the Muslim Brotherhood as expected, took the most seats. However, the military are still in charge.

Recently, the protests have started up again with the people demanding that the military hand over power, and step aside. Given that the Muslim Brotherhood were not behind the original protests, it comes as no surprise that they are reluctant to take over from the military. There are fears that they will rule just like Mubarak, given time.

I think it's fair to say that the Middle East landscape has changed for good in many countries. Some for the good, others to the bad.

Along with Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria, have all seen major uprising and new leaders installed in most cases.

The situation in Palestine hasn't got any better, and the occupation just keeps spreading, and the killing goes on.

Last year Israel murdered 180 Palestinians, many of them children. Not content with murdering Palestinians, they murdered people in Iran, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Somalia. They demolished over 500 homes and confiscated hundreds of acres of land in the West Bank. And the world did nothing. No sanctions, no charges.

Today, as hundreds of thousands of people gather in Tahrir Square, the Middle East is faced with another potential mass war. The excuse of hitting Iran over the assumption of a nuclear bomb / weapon of mass destruction, is a smoke screen for the real purpose of cutting off their influence in the region and their supply of OIL to China and co. Another regime change on the way..........

Given the fact that Russia and China oppose any attack on Iran, it will be very very interesting to see how this one plays out.

There are decades when nothing happens, and their years when decades happen. I think the past year has certainly seen decades worth of changes.

In your world do Israelis ever get killed by Palestinians or is it strictly one way traffic were you come from?

The Israeli's have a lot to answer for, but so do the yanks, the Syrians, the Egyptians, the Brits and everyone else in the region that commit acts of murder, you seem to fail to mention the killing of innocent Israeli's, why is that?

[seafoid]

Invading syria would be pointless. Over 50000 libyans died after nato's intervention. the only thing the west can offer the region is hypocrisy.

can you provide a source for this 50,000 number? it has the whiff of bullshit inflated for your own purposes.

"the only thing the west can offer the region is hypocrisy," right, and the only thing an outsider can ever do if another place is going up in smoke is invade it, right. well you'd better turn off your youtube stream so you don't see any of those daily videos of Assad's massacres getting through, might disturb your righteousness.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/08/30/libya.war/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Remember the excuse given for the carpet bombing  intervention in Libya was the protection of civilians.

The Middle East has been f**ked so many times for the sake of oil and Israel.
Say France and UK intervene in Syria. What would you expect them to achieve?   
And who are the good guys?

Did France invade Northern Ireland during its civil war ? Just wondering. Would it have been better to kill say 30,000 Nordies via a co-ordinated bombing campaign and then see what happened next? 

[puskas]

Invading syria would be pointless. Over 50000 libyans died after nato's intervention. the only thing the west can offer the region is hypocrisy.

can you provide a source for this 50,000 number? it has the whiff of bullshit inflated for your own purposes.

"the only thing the west can offer the region is hypocrisy," right, and the only thing an outsider can ever do if another place is going up in smoke is invade it, right. well you'd better turn off your youtube stream so you don't see any of those daily videos of Assad's massacres getting through, might disturb your righteousness.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/08/30/libya.war/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Remember the excuse given for the carpet bombing  intervention in Libya was the protection of civilians.

The Middle East has been f**ked so many times for the sake of oil and Israel.
Say France and UK intervene in Syria. What would you expect them to achieve?   
And who are the good guys?

Did France invade Northern Ireland during its civil war ? Just wondering. Would it have been better to kill say 30,000 Nordies via a co-ordinated bombing campaign and then see what happened next? 

i wish i could be so certain about things as you. must make life easier.

for a start, estimates of casualties in the Libyan War vary. the estimate you quote from the heat of battle in August is way above any later estimate. the Libyans themselves say 25-30,000 lost their lives, including fighters and civilians.   

carpet-bombing? this is david icke territory. did you see how sarkozy and cameron were received when they set foot in benghazi after the war? bet you hope things get worse and worse there after the elections.

i would try to argue why the UN cannot let Assad continuing butchering his own people, why every case in the Arab Uprisings is different, but I really think there is no point. Intervention is always, in every case evil, right, West is always bad.

France and Northern Ireland. Mmm. Good one.

[Mike Sheehy]

This thread was started a year ago today as thousands of people assembled in Tahrir Square, Cairo, demanding the removal of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator who had ruled the country for decades with an iron fist.

In a matter of weeks, he was gone and now lies in a medical hospital awaiting trial for murder. He faces the death penalty if found guilty.

Since his downfall, the country has been ruled by the military. Elections took place recently and the Muslim Brotherhood as expected, took the most seats. However, the military are still in charge.

Recently, the protests have started up again with the people demanding that the military hand over power, and step aside. Given that the Muslim Brotherhood were not behind the original protests, it comes as no surprise that they are reluctant to take over from the military. There are fears that they will rule just like Mubarak, given time.

I think it's fair to say that the Middle East landscape has changed for good in many countries. Some for the good, others to the bad.

Along with Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria, have all seen major uprising and new leaders installed in most cases.

The situation in Palestine hasn't got any better, and the occupation just keeps spreading, and the killing goes on.

Last year Israel murdered 180 Palestinians, many of them children. Not content with murdering Palestinians, they murdered people in Iran, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Somalia. They demolished over 500 homes and confiscated hundreds of acres of land in the West Bank. And the world did nothing. No sanctions, no charges.

Today, as hundreds of thousands of people gather in Tahrir Square, the Middle East is faced with another potential mass war. The excuse of hitting Iran over the assumption of a nuclear bomb / weapon of mass destruction, is a smoke screen for the real purpose of cutting off their influence in the region and their supply of OIL to China and co. Another regime change on the way..........

Given the fact that Russia and China oppose any attack on Iran, it will be very very interesting to see how this one plays out.

There are decades when nothing happens, and their years when decades happen. I think the past year has certainly seen decades worth of changes.

In your world do Israelis ever get killed by Palestinians or is it strictly one way traffic were you come from?

The Israeli's have a lot to answer for, but so do the yanks, the Syrians, the Egyptians, the Brits and everyone else in the region that commit acts of murder, you seem to fail to mention the killing of innocent Israeli's, why is that?

what he says on here is toned down compared to what he comes out with on here  http://mondoweiss.net/?s=seafoid.