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Archives: November 2009
Solar Power Costs Falling
Solar Power Costs 50% Lower than Last Year : CleanTechnicaThin-film solar is leading the way down to greater affordability. Higher finance costs have hurt recently, but those are expected to ease, while…Border Police Kill 27 Taliban in Afghanistan; US Mil. concludes Afghanistan is not Like Iraq
Afghan border police say they killed 27 Taliban fighters in Khost Province.If the Afghan security forces were that good, however, then they wouldn't have allowed several captives in a prison, including several…Zardari Turns Nuclear Arsenal over to PM Gilani
By far the most important news coming out of Pakistan has nothing to do with al-Qaeda or the Taliban. It is a tale of the maneuvering of a wounded, corrupt presidency to…
Interview with Maz Jobrani: They’ve never seen us laugh.
Irony of the decade: How the War on Terror spawned a whole troupe of Middle Eastern-American standup comedians. Q TV's interview with comedian and actor Maz JobraniEnd/ (Not Continued)IAEA Condemnation of Iran: An Omen of New Sanctions or a Symbolic Slap on the Wrist?
The board of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday condemned Iran for secretly building a new nuclear enrichment facility at Fordo near Qom, and called on it to mothball…IAEA Resolution on Iran
Text of the International Atomic Energy Agency resolution on Iran from the IAEA website. Derestricted 27 November 2009 (This document has been derestricted at the meeting of the Board on 27 November…IRAN: Authorities confiscate lawyer Shirin Ebadi’s Nobel Peace Prize
IRAN: Authorities confiscate lawyer Shirin Ebadi's Nobel Peace Prize | Babylon & Beyond | Los Angeles TimesI was privileged to be at a conference with Shirin Ebadi in early September in Atlanta,…
Taliban Talks Collapse; RIC Pressure on Obama to Stay Course; German Military Head Resigns over Qunduz Bombing
Proposed talks between the US and the Taliban, to be brokered by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, have broken down because the Taliban are unwilling to talk to what they consider the foreign,…Mullah Omar Rejects Talks with US, Demands Western Departure
The USG Open Source Center translates the statement of Mullah Omar, leader of the "Old Taliban" in Afghanistan, on the occasion of the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha). Mullah Omar demands…‘The Geographic Gap’
'The Geographic Gap' | HUMNewsOf 237 countries and territories in the world, the 4 largest newsgathering and distribution companies that supply the world with 90% of news do not cover 116 of…The Thanksgiving of the Fantasticals A Day of Rule breaking, and Spontaneous Mirth
When we used to do Thanksgiving as cross-dressing and insulting authority: Thanksgiving was a Northeastern regional commemoration until Abraham Lincoln promulgated it as a national holiday in 1863, and it was celebrated…Town under Camel siege
Town under siege: 6,000 camels to be shot - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)There are a million camels in Australia's outback, and the camels were key to developing it.And the camels and…Training the Afghan army
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - opinion: Training the Afghan army —Brian CloughleyBrian Cloughley warned last September:'In Kabul last week, “an American service member and an Afghan police officer…Tony Blair told ‘days before Iraq invasion’ WMD had been dismantled
Iraq inquiry: Tony Blair told ‘days before invasion’ WMD had been dismantled - TelegraphWhat I remember is that knowledgeable inspectors and expatriate Iraq scientists were saying this all through 2002 and into…Obama Vows to Finish Job; Heroin Trade Thrives; Afghanistan, Inc.?
In the midst of the state visit to Washington of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Barack Obama at a brief news conference announced that he was going to "finish the job"…
4 US Troops Killed by Taliban; India Pressures US to Stay in Afghanistan
Four US troops were killed Sunday and Monday in Afghanistan in bombings or attacks. On Sunday, about 9 Afghan civilians were killed by bombings or shootings.During his state visit to Washington, D.C.,…Nuclear Plants Climate Change Dead End: California Report
US should focus on energy efficiency and renewables not nuclear, says report | Energy Efficiency NewsMoney para.: 'Starting from scratch, it could take ten years or more to construct a new reactor,…US pours millions into anti-Taliban militias in Afghanistan
US pours millions into anti-Taliban militias in Afghanistan | World news | The GuardianDidn't Reagan already try this in the 1980s?End/ (Not Continued)Iraq Accuses Baathists; Election Law Still in Limbo; Blair Misled Parliament, Interfered with Military Preparedness
The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday aired the confessions of three men, members of the Baath Party, that it captured after the October 25 bombings that killed 125 persons…Pirio: Stopping Piracy and Terrorism in Somalia
Reuters reports that the UN Security Council is considering sanctions against the Horn of Africa nation, Eritrea, for its financial, arms and logistic support of the Al Qaeda-allied Al Shabab movement in…Polk: Let America be America, and Depart Afghanistan
William R. Polk writes in a guest editorial for IC, which he wishes someone would pass on to President Obama, quickly:In its war in Afghanistan, the United States has come to a…Iraqi Parliament Fails to Resolve Electoral Crisis
Reuters reports that Iraq's parliament failed on Saturday to resolve the crisis produced by the veto of the election bill it had passed by vice president Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab who…
23 Dead in Afghanistan Bombings; Most Bagram Detainees Mercenaries
Afghan insurgents greeted the inauguration of Hamid Karzai as president for another 5 years with a string of attacks and bombings that left 23 dead and dozens wounded on Friday.A motorcycle-driving suicide…2 Bombings Rock Peshawar: Karzai Inaugurated
Two bombs rocked the northern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Thursday. The first, in the morning, targeted the city's courthouse. The suicide bomber, wearing a vest, was stopped by security before he…Cloughley: Defeating the Taliban in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas
Brian Cloughley writes in a guest editorial for ICWhen the Taliban insurrection in Pakistan began in earnest, in 2005, the Pakistan army did not have enough troops in North-West Frontier Province to…Al-Hashimi Vetoes Voter Bill; US military Suicides Spke
Al-Hayat reports in Arabic that Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is a Sunni Arab, has vetoed the election law recently passed by parliament. Iraq has a president (currently a Kurd, Jalal…India decries joint US-China statement on Indo-Pak Relations
Since both the US and China have traditionally been allies of Pakistan, any joint US-China call for better relations between the two major countries in South Asia would likely irk New Delhi.…BBC: Africa population tops a billion
** Africa population tops a billion **The number of people in Africa has passed the one billion mark, the UN Population Fund says in a report.< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8366591.stm >
Pakistani Military Takes Taliban Strongholds; Maulana Fazlullah Surfaces in Afghanistan
David Kilcullen's bizarre prediction last spring that the Pakistani government could fall to the Taliban or al-Qaeda within six months was always downright looney, but recent events have underlined the extent of…
Palin and the Muslim Fundamentalists (Reprint Edn.)
Since she's back, so am I. Below is a reprint edition of my essay from September 2008 comparing Sarah Palin to Muslim fundamentalists on select issues.Also check out Going Rouge: An American…
20-Year-Old Letterhead points to Israeli Forgery in Francop Affair
Iran's PressTV says it has caught Israel forging documents in an attempt to implicate Iran in arms smuggling.The Israelis have been maintaining that a ship, the Francop, that their forces boarded near…Bombings, Corruption Plague Afghanistan; French Commander Targeted
The Times of London reports that French commanders meeting with local Afghan leaders northeast of Kabul were targeted by insurgents with rockets, which killed 12 Afghan civilians and wounded about 38. No…Neocons, Islamist Marxists attack Iranian-Americans as way of Getting at Obama
Daniel Luban shows that the assault on the National Iranian-American Council by the rightwing Israel lobbies and their allies in the People's Jihadi Organization [Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO)], a Marxist-Islamist…Palestinians Consider Going to the UNO for a State; Israeli Right threatens to Recognize its own Colonies in Retaliation
The Palestinian leadership is making medium-term preparations to go to the United Nations to ask for a declaration of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders (i.e. in the West Bank and Gaza).The…Peshawar Bombing Kills 12; Tablighi Turn against Taliban
The Taliban Movement of Pakistan launched another bombing in Peshawar on Saturday, killing 12 and wounding 30. The bomb-laden vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint by a vigilant policeman intent on stopping…The Only Anchor
Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday that some top al-Qaeda 9/11 conspirators will be tried by jury in New York not far from the scenes of devastation that they had wrought.This decision…Taliban Bomb ISI HQ in Peshawar
AfPak continued to generate headlines and concerns on Friday morning.In Peshawar, insurgents set off a huge bomb near the regional HQ of Inter-Services Intelligence. Early reports say that the death toll was…Tripathi: Afghanistan and Presidential Dilemmas
Deepak Tripathi writes in a guest editorial for ICNews that the US ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, has sent classified messages to Washington in the last few days, advising President Obama not…Obama Demands an End-Game before Committing Troops to Afghanistan
AP is reporting that President Barack Obama is declining to be rushed into committing to the Afghanistan War as an open-ended project, and wants a timetable for turning security duties over to…Veterans Day
The most patriotic way to honor future veterans of foreign wars is not to create any unnecessarily.Veterans Day
The most patriotic way to honor future veterans of foreign wars is not to create any unnecessarily.Bombing in Charsadda Kills 34
A suicide bomber detonated his payload in a market in Charsadda, a half hour drive northeast of Peshawar in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province. LAT quotes PM Yousuf Reza Gilani saying that the…Bombing in Charsadda Kills 34
A suicide bomber detonated his payload in a market in Charsadda, a half hour drive northeast of Peshawar in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province. LAT quotes PM Yousuf Reza Gilani saying that the…Hikmatyar: Bin Laden Alive; Suggests Taliban/al-Qaeda Split
Afghan insurgent and former prime minister Gulbadin Hikmatyar has told Aljazeera that Usama Bin Laden is alive and well. Hikmatyar, once the recipient of 20 percent of all the funds disbursed by…Hikmatyar: Bin Laden Alive; Suggests Taliban/al-Qaeda Split
Afghan insurgent and former prime minister Gulbadin Hikmatyar has told Aljazeera that Usama Bin Laden is alive and well. Hikmatyar, once the recipient of 20 percent of all the funds disbursed by…Iraqi Parliament Passes Electoral Law; Obama hails move toward Indpendence; Kurdistan wins on Kirkuk
Al-Zaman reports in Arabic that the Iraqi parliament approved the electoral law to govern the elections scheduled for early next year. The vote was 141 in favor out of what Al-Zaman said…Iraqi Parliament Passes Electoral Law; Obama hails move toward Indpendence; Kurdistan wins on Kirkuk
Al-Zaman reports in Arabic that the Iraqi parliament approved the electoral law to govern the elections scheduled for early next year. The vote was 141 in favor out of what Al-Zaman said…Ibish: "Against a One-State Solution"
Hussein Ibish writes in a guest commentary for Informed CommentLast Thursday on Informed Comment, Juan Cole uttered a powerful cris de coeur about prospects for a two-state agreement between Israel and the…Ibish: "Against a One-State Solution"
Hussein Ibish writes in a guest commentary for Informed CommentLast Thursday on Informed Comment, Juan Cole uttered a powerful cris de coeur about prospects for a two-state agreement between Israel and the…Baradei says Inspectors found ‘Nothing;’ But Israeli Attack Plans not Tabled
Outgoing head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Muhammad Elbaradei, said that UN inspectors this week discovered "nothing to be worried about" at a new nuclear enrichment facility that is being built…Baradei says Inspectors found ‘Nothing;’ But Israeli Attack Plans not Tabled
Outgoing head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Muhammad Elbaradei, said that UN inspectors this week discovered "nothing to be worried about" at a new nuclear enrichment facility that is being built…Mahmoud Abbas Threatens to Step Down in Light of Ongoing Israeli Colonization of West Bank
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he wants to stand down and he declines to run in the upcoming Palestine Authority elections. The decision came in the wake of the US failure…Mahmoud Abbas Threatens to Step Down in Light of Ongoing Israeli Colonization of West Bank
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he wants to stand down and he declines to run in the upcoming Palestine Authority elections. The decision came in the wake of the US failure…Right Wing & Settler Press in Israel Denounce Peace Process, Goldstone
The USG Open Source Center translates or paraphrases statements from the right wing and settler Israeli pressHighlights: Review of Israeli Right-Wing, Settlement Commentaries 16 Oct-3 Nov 09The following are highlights of reports…Right Wing & Settler Press in Israel Denounce Peace Process, Goldstone
The USG Open Source Center translates or paraphrases statements from the right wing and settler Israeli pressHighlights: Review of Israeli Right-Wing, Settlement Commentaries 16 Oct-3 Nov 09The following are highlights of reports…Erekat Sees One-State Solution if Settlements are not Halted
Saeb Erekat, chief of the Palestine Liberation Organization Steering Committee, said Wednesday that Palestine Authority president Mahmoud Abbas should be frank with the Palestinian people and admit to them that there is…Erekat Sees One-State Solution if Settlements are not Halted
Saeb Erekat, chief of the Palestine Liberation Organization Steering Committee, said Wednesday that Palestine Authority president Mahmoud Abbas should be frank with the Palestinian people and admit to them that there is…Protests on Anniversary of Embassy Hostage-Taking; Khamenei Complains about Obama’s Negotiating Style
The Khamenei regime in Iran commemorated the taking of US embassy personnel hostage on Wednesday, with thousands of its supporters taking to the streets. But according tot he BBC, dissidents who dispute…Protests on Anniversary of Embassy Hostage-Taking; Khamenei Complains about Obama’s Negotiating Style
The Khamenei regime in Iran commemorated the taking of US embassy personnel hostage on Wednesday, with thousands of its supporters taking to the streets. But according tot he BBC, dissidents who dispute…Mueller on the Zazi Case: "This is It?"
John Mueller, Author of Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism from Hiroshima to Al-Qaeda, writes a guest op-ed for IC: "Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001," notes the New York Times with…Mueller on the Zazi Case: "This is It?"
John Mueller, Author of Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism from Hiroshima to Al-Qaeda, writes a guest op-ed for IC: "Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001," notes the New York Times with…
Karzai Declared President; Questions about Afghan Police Recruits; Bad Translations Land Innocents in Jail
Hamid Karzai has been declared the winner of the Afghanistan presidential contest by the misnamed Independent Electoral Commission, the local Afghan commission appointed by . . . Hamid Karzai. The commission ruled…