Protesters’ objections to the Bahrain’s government have grown to include the presence of the U.S., which bases a naval fleet on the island nation. Pulitzer Center grantee Reese Erlich writes about the tensions here.
“We want them to leave because the U.S. supports the dictatorship,” [a…
Should the US continue its trade agreement with Bahrain?
Allegations of labor and human rights abuses since the 2011 uprising continue. Read more from Pulitzer Center grantee Reese Erlich here, and comment below.
Imagine, for a moment, a world in which the United States is a regional power, not a superpower. A world in which the globe’s mightiest nation, China, invades Mexico and Canada, deposing the leaders of both countries. A world in which China has also ringed the Americas, from Canada to Central America, with military bases. A world in which Chinese officials openly brag about conducting covert operations against and within the United States. A world in which the Chinese launch a sophisticated and crippling cyber attack on America’s nuclear facilities. A world in which the Chinese send spy drones soaring over the United States and position aircraft carrier battle groups off its shores. What would Americans think? How would Washington react? Perhaps something like Iran’s theocratic leadership today. After all, Iran has seen the United States invade its neighbors Iraq and Afghanistan, announce covert operations against it, surround it with military bases, fly drones over it, carry out naval operations off its coast, conduct a gigantic build-up of military forces all around it, and launch a cyberwar against it.
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| — | Nick Turse from an introduction to the latest article, “Obama in Tehran?” by Asia Times’ reporter Pepe Escobar |
“All of a sudden, the Strait of Hormuz has become the most combustible spot on the planet, the most likely place to witness a major conflict between well-armed adversaries. Why, of all locales, has it become so explosive?”
Michael Klare, author of the upcoming book The Race for What’s Left: The Global Scramble for the World’s Last Resources explains why.
photo: An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft launches off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis while in the Arabian Sea. DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Abbate, U.S. Navy.
“All of a sudden, the Strait of Hormuz has become the most combustible spot on the planet, the most likely place to witness a major conflict between well-armed adversaries. Why, of all locales, has it become so explosive?”
Michael Klare, author of the upcoming book The Race for What’s Left: The Global Scramble for the World’s Last Resources explains why.
photo: An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft launches off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis while in the Arabian Sea. DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Abbate, U.S. Navy.
When I was interning at a Catholic hospital (while wearing Hijab), this:
Some guy: Are you a nun?
Me: No, I'm Muslim, sir.
Him: Oh so are you Arab?
Me: No, sir, my family is from Afghanistan.
Him: Oh so you're causing all the trouble!
Me: I'd hope that I'm not causing any trouble, sir. What trouble are you referring to?
Him: You know, all the wars and the raised taxes..
Me: I'm not asking anyone to bomb my country, sir.
THE BIG PICTURE
Afghanistan, December 2011
- As the transition in Afghanistan draws closer, problems with security, the economy, and cultural mores are growing even more apparent. Included in this monthly look at Afghanistan are images that highlight these issues.
(37 photos total)
President Obama announced yesterday that defense cuts mandate a “leaner,” more “flexible” military. Here are a few likely targets for cost-cutting.
A good chart of some possible cuts, but it still leaves out the elephant in the room: defense service contractors.
Local cops use Homeland Security-funded military weapons, including armored cars w/turrets, drones, assault rifles.
North Dakota’s largest city has averaged fewer than two homicides a year since 2005, and there’s not been a single international terrorism prosecution in the last decade.
But that hasn’t stopped authorities in Fargo and its surrounding county from going on an $8 million buying spree to arm police officers with the sort of gear once reserved only for soldiers fighting foreign wars.
Every city squad car is equipped today with a military-style assault rifle, and officers can don Kevlar helmets able to withstand incoming fire from battlefield-grade ammunition. And for that epic confrontation—if it ever occurs—officers can now summon a new $256,643 armored truck, complete with a rotating turret. For now, though, the menacing truck is used mostly for training and appearances at the annual city picnic, where it’s been parked near the children’s bounce house.
