Archive for the 'War' Category
UN Equipped Congolese Army That Carried Out Atrocities
December 11th, 2009Via: New York Times: United Nations peacekeeping officials were explicitly warned months ago by their legal advisers not to participate in combat operations with the Congolese Army if there were a risk that Congolese soldiers might abuse human rights, internal documents show. But the mission went forward — and the abuses took place as feared. […]
Blackwater Guards Tied to Secret Raids by the CIA
December 11th, 2009Via: New York Times: Private security guards from Blackwater Worldwide participated in some of the C.I.A.’s most sensitive activities — clandestine raids with agency officers against people suspected of being insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan and the transporting of detainees, according to former company employees and intelligence officials. The raids against suspects occurred on an […]
The Devil and Mr. Obama
December 10th, 2009My dismissive contempt for anyone who buys into the “political process” in the U.S. has drained my bile on this issue. I just can’t get worked up over it anymore. I try to huff and puff and grit my teeth, but then all that comes out is, “Forget it. Hell is dealing with true believers.” […]
Norway: The Mysterious Spiral Pattern in the Sky
December 10th, 2009I think I’ve figured it out: Via: CNN: President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway on Thursday but acknowledged the questions surrounding the award. Obama, along with first lady Michelle Obama, walked into Oslo City Hall at 1 p.m. to a trumpet fanfare and sustained applause. In other news: The Pentagon announced Monday […]
U.S. Air Force Confirms ‘Beast of Kandahar’ Drone
December 9th, 2009Via: AFP: The US Air Force on Tuesday confirmed for the first time that it is flying a stealth unmanned aircraft known as the “Beast of Kandahar,” a drone spotted in photos and shrouded in secrecy. The RQ-170 Sentinel is being developed by Lockheed Martin and is designed “to provide reconnaissance and surveillance support to […]
Coordinated Bombings in Baghdad Kill at Least 121
December 8th, 2009Via: New York Times: A series of devastating car bombings rocked Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 121 people and wounding hundreds more, according to preliminary accounts by witnesses, the police and hospital officials. Five bombs in all, including at least three suicide attacks, struck near a college, a court complex in western Baghdad, a […]
Discredited Claim that Saddam Hussein Could Unleash Weapons of Mass Destruction Within 45 Minutes Came from Taxi Driver
December 8th, 2009Via: Guardian: An Iraqi taxi driver was the source of the discredited claim that Saddam Hussein could unleash weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes, a Tory MP claimed today. Adam Holloway, a defence specialist, said MI6 obtained the information indirectly from a taxi driver who had overheard two Iraqi military commanders talking about Saddam’s […]
RAND: A Stability Police Force for the United States
December 7th, 2009Via: RAND Corporation: Establishing security is the sine qua non of stability operations, since it is a prerequisite for reconstruction and development. Security requires a mix of military and police forces to deal with a range of threats from insurgents to criminal organizations. This research examines the creation of a high-end police force, which the […]
Is the “Wonga” Running Out for Africa’s Mercenaries?
December 7th, 2009Via: Reuters: Africa’s infamous “dogs of war” may still be going strong, but it seems the rewards of the mercenary life aren’t quite what they used to be. Only this month, Britain’s Simon Mann won a pardon for his part in a foiled 2004 coup attempt on Equatorial Guinea, an old-style adventure whose glittering prize […]
