Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

11 Sep 2011 21:11

tags

World: General: Afghan attack near 9/11 anniversary shows Taliban weakness

  • two Afghan citizens were killed in an attack on a coalition base on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary
  • 25 Afghan citizens were wounded in the attack, which the Taliban took credit for
  • 77 NATO forces were wounded; all of them were Americans, officials say source
  • » “A high-profile attack”: That’s how U.S. coalition leader Gen. John R. Allen described the vehicle bomb attack that injured over 100 people. But Allen sees the silver lining from a logistical perspective: “They have been ejected from the population in so many places around the country that their only ability to influence the battlefield on many occasions is simply to go for a high-profile attack,” he explained, “And that’s how we view this particular attack.”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Sep 2011 10:12

tags

World: Bloomberg, Obama, Bush reflect during September 11 memorial

  • Ten years have passed since a perfect blue sky morning turned into the blackest of nights. Since then, we have lived in sunshine, and in shadow. And although we can never ‘unsee’ what happened here … we can also see that children who lost their parents have grown into young adults, grandchildren have been born, and good works and public service have taken root to honor those we loved and lost.
  • New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg • Reflecting on the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001 during this morning’s memorial at Ground Zero. Obama and George W. Bush — the two presidents whose legacies were most affected by the events of the day — also reflected on the moment in their own ways. Obama read Psalm 46 from the Bible, while Bush read a letter that Abraham Lincoln sent to a mother who lost five sons in the Civil War. A reflective morning, with equally reflective words.  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Sep 2011 14:40

tags

U.S., World: Rwanda: Ex-presidential hopeful, “Hotel Rwanda” inspiration face scrutiny

  • She was aiming at inciting the people she calls the Hutus, to make them get conscious that there is something going against them.
  • A Rwandan prosecutor • Speaking during the trial of Victoire Ingabire, a Hutu woman who attempted to run for president in the country last year, only to get arrested on charges of attempting to incite terrorism and denying the infamous genocide (along ethnic lines) that destabilized the country nearly two decades ago. Ingabire’s trial began Friday, and prosecutors — surprisingly — have claimed that there is evidence that links her and Paul Rusesabagina, the man who was the inspiration for Don Cheadle’s character in “Hotel Rwanda,” to a terrorist group. And they’re considering bringing charges against Rusesabagina, now considered a international hero (albeit one who has feuded with the current Tutsi government), as well. Two decades after the fact, politics in Rwanda remain complicated and emotionally charged. (h/t @JohnNess) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Sep 2011 14:01

tags

World: Tanzania ferry accident kills hundreds off coast of Zanzibar

  • 240+ people killed in last night’s ferry sinking off Zanzibar
  • 607+ people rescued; overcrowding was blamed for the disaster source
  • » A depressingly common occurrence: Accidents like these happen in the region every few years, most recently in 2009. And while this incident was certainly a tragic event, it wasn’t the worst maritime accident Tanzania’s ever experienced. That happened in 1996, when at least 443 people died on a sinking vessel, but as many as 800 could’ve been on board.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Sep 2011 13:15

tags

World: Egypt enacts security measures after violence around Israeli embassy

  • three people killed in the attack on the Israeli Embassy in the Cairo suburb of Giza
  • 1,000+ people injured in the incident — a level so high it made us do a double-take
  • 19 people arrested for their alleged roles in the attack, which hurt Egypt-Israeli relations source
  • » Emergency measures in place: In the wake of the attack, Egypt has enacted measures to speed up the response to the incident — including pushing those arrested through an emergency state security court. The country seems to be doing everything it can to prevent an international crisis over this. “About 95 percent of the Egyptians are disgusted at the attack on the embassy and any other violence that took place,” noted Hisham Kassem, a veteran editor and publisher in the region. “Even commentators who appeared on channels like Jazeera … who normally have a very anti-Israeli position, were saying, ‘This is wrong. We can’t attack an embassy.'”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Sep 2011 11:05

tags

World: Ex-Japan PM Naoto Kan imagined uninhabitable Tokyo post-Fukushima

  • Deserted scenes of Tokyo without a single man around came across my mind. It really was a spine-chilling thought.
  • Former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan • Offering a truly harrowing vision of a post-Fukushima future for Tokyo. The vision for the 20-million-strong city helped push Kan towards encouraging renewable energy during his final months as Prime Minister, when he was dealing with the march earthquake. We’re with him. That’s a scary thought and it’s understandable why he changed his track as a result. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Sep 2011 10:22

tags

World: Angela Merkel sticks to her fiscal guns amidst hostile political environment

  • We must make it very clear to people that the current problem, namely of excessive debt built up over decades, cannot be solved in one blow, with things like euro bonds or debt restructurings that will suddenly make everything okay. No, this will be a long, hard path, but one that is right for the future of Europe.
  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel • Arguing, amidst much jeering from leftist opposition parties, that Europe needs to change the way it approaches its growing debt crisis. Merkel argues for long-term fundamental change. “I’m convinced that this crisis, if a great crisis of the western world is to be avoided,” she said, “cannot be fought with a ‘carry on’ attitude. We need a fundamental rethink.” Merkel is facing a parliamentary vote later this month that could prove a great threat to her power, and her party is sinking in the polls right now. She suffered a setback earlier in the day after a court put strict limitations requiring her to get approval from lawmakers to grant future bailout aid to other European countries. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Sep 2011 17:47

tags

World: Documents show CIA, MI6 supported Gaddafi with renditions

  • MI6 and the CIA knew absolutely how much torture was taking place. They knew that these people would be abused in custody when they were sent back to Libya. Why else would you hand them over to the Libyans? You captured him, you have all of your black sites anyway, but you offered him to the Libyans. Of course the [CIA] letters say, ‘Please commit to us that you will respect their human rights.’ But that’s just talk.
  • Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director for Human Rights Watch • Speaking on the trove of documents he himself copied in Tripoli and released to various media. They show that following Gaddafi’s 2003 vow to give up his weapons of mass destruction, the CIA and MI6 both engaged in renditions to send political opponents of Gaddafi’s regime into Libya, presumably knowing the sort of inhumane treatment and torture would await them. One example: A current commander of rebel forces in Tripoli, Abdulhakim Belhadj, was rendered into Libya by the CIA, where he claims he was isolated and tortured.  (h/t ZeitVox) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Sep 2011 17:04

tags

World: Failing negotiations spark fear of more bloodshed in Libya

  • Bad times in Bani Walid: Above is a video showing the very delicate process the Libyan rebellion has been engaged in, seeking to peacefully end the standoff between Gaddafi loyalists and their forces in Bani Walid. Sad to say this video highlights a process that has reportedly fallen apart, bringing very real concerns of a violent military resolution. The rebel leadership has insisted about 90% of Bani Walid’s residents want a peaceful surrender, and they accuse the remaining group of Gaddafi loyalists of holding the town hostage. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Sep 2011 13:53

tags

U.S., World: Report: Iraq War U.S. troop levels may fall to historic lows

  • 3,000 total number of troops in Iraq at end of 2011 source
  • » A steep drop: Currently, between 46,000 and 50,000 troops are in the region as of 2011 (though combat operations ended last year), so this would be a massive drop if the number is accurate. And the decision would be controversial. One Pentagon source puts it as such: “We can’t secure everybody with only 3,000 on the ground nor can we do what we need to with the Iraqis.” Is this the right move, guys?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>