3 March, 2011 — Information Clearing House

Intervention in Libya Would Poison the Arab Revolution
By Seumas Milne
In Iraq, 50,000 US occupation troops protect a government which last Friday killed 29 peaceful demonstrators demanding reform. In Bahrain, home of the US fifth fleet, the regime has been shooting and gassing protesters with British-supplied equipment for weeks.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27603.htm

Is Pakistan Next In Line?
By James Carroll
In 1989, when people power dismantled the Soviet empire, Washington declared its own empire, and replaced the Communist devil with an Islamic one. But what if the devil has a point?
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27606.htm

The Consummate Windsock
How to Read Gates’s Shift on the Wars
By Ray McGovern
Having overseen the two wars for more than four years now, was Gates signaling that he knew the conflicts would come to no good end and thus was he creating a public record for himself as something of a war skeptic? www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27607.htm

Mubarak Regime ‘Provoked’ Attacks on Christians
By Cam McGrath
Analysts say there is growing evidence that Egyptian security forces planned attacks on Christian churches and clergy, or allowed them to happen.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27608.htm

Bradley Manning Could Face Death: For What?
By Glenn Greenwald
The U.S. Army yesterday announced that it has filed 22 additional charges against Bradley Manning.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27604.htm

Is It Time For Revolution?
Video
Click to view
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27610.htm

Facing up to Jewish Nationalism and Racist Violence
By Max Blumenthal and Joseph Dana
Because Jewish nationalism is an exclusivist project that defines everyone who exists outside the Zionist spectrum as a potential threat and an obstacle to the ultimate ambitions of Israel, racism directed against Obama and anti-Palestinian racism form a seamless thread.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27605.htm

Why the Dollar’s Reign Is Near an End
By BARRY EICHENGREEN
How could this be? How could the dollar’s longtime most-favored-currency status be in jeopardy?
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27609.htm

Nine Afghan Boys Collecting Firewood Killed by NATO occupation forces:
It was the third instance in two weeks in which the Afghan government has accused NATO of killing civilians
www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?_r=1&=

Afghan president warns Obama about civilian deaths:
Afghanistan’s president has warned President Barack Obama that civilian casualties like the nine Afghan boys killed by coalition helicopters this week are a serious problem that needs to be better addressed by the U.S.-led forces.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41886495/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

NATO occupation force kills four Afghan security guards, officials say:
NATO airstrike killed four guards working for a private security company in southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials said Wednesday.
bit.ly/h549aK

9 killed, 30 injured in suicide blast in Pakistan:
A suicide bomb blast, targeting a police center, killed at least nine people including four policemen, and injured more than 30 others in northwest Pakistan, police and local media reports said.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27605.htm

Militants attack forces vehicle in Pakistan, 6 personnel killed:
At least six security personnel were killed in a militants’ attack on Thursday in a Pakistani tribal agency, along Afghan border, said officials.
www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2149486&Language=en

Pakistan: CIA man has no immunity:
Court in Lahore rules that Raymond Davis, held on charges of killing two men, should stand trial.
english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/03/2011338825200889.html

US holding back economic aid to Pakistan :
Most of America’s economic aid to Pakistan allocated for last year is still in US government coffers, according to an official report.
www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-159995.html

At least 8 killed in suicide bombing in western Iraq:
At least eight people were killed and more than 10 wounded in a suicide bomb attack on a government bank in the town of Haditha in Iraq’s western province of Anbar on Thursday
en.trend.az/regions/met/iraq/1839508.html

Kurdish leader calls for new local elections in northern Iraq following protests:
In a televised address Thursday, Massoud Barzani asked the Kurdish parliament to study the possibility of early general elections in the Kurdish region. The Kurds control three provinces in northern Iraq, and have their own president and parliament.
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-ml-iraq,0,3192017.story

US defence secretary Robert Gates slams ‘loose talk’ about no-fly zones:
David Cameron appears to be on a collision course with Washington after the US defence secretary warned of the dangers of “loose talk” about imposing a no-fly zone on Libya.
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/03/robert-gates-dismisses-no-fly-zone

Germany says action against Libya counterproductive:
“We do not participate, and we do not share a discussion of military intervention, because we think this would be very counterproductive,” Westerwelle said at a meeting of central European foreign ministers in Slovakia.
af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7221VP20110303

Pentagon cites evidence of Libya using air power:
“We have seen very clearly broadcast reports showing effects of air power being used. Whether or not those were used on rebels, I can’t say but … there is evidence they have used air assets and drop coordinates,”
news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110303/pl_nm/us_libya_usa_pentagon

Gaddafi accepts Chavez talks offer:
Venezuelan’s foreign minister, discussed the offer with Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League, and that details of the plan could be announced by the Arab League in Cairo on Thursday.
english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/20113365739369754.html

Libyan rebels reject Hugo Chávez mediation offer:
Leaders of anti-Gaddafi fighters say talk of peace is too late and they would never negotiate with Venezuelan president
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/03/libyan-rebels-reject-hugo-chavez?CMP=twt_gu

Chavez: I won’t condemn ‘my friend’ Gadhafi:
We don’t support invasions, or massacres, or anything like that no matter who does it. A campaign of lies is being spun together regarding Libya,” said Chavez, in a televised speech to a crowd of graduates who had just received diplomas from state universities. “I’m not going to condemn him (Gadhafi),” he said. “I’d be a coward to condemn someone who has been my friend.”
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41843862/ns/world_news-americas/

Three Dutch marines captured during rescue in Libya :
The three marines landed their Lynx near the port of Sirte on Sunday, flying in from the Dutch warship Tromp, which is anchored off the Libyan coast.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12633415

Gaddafi in crimes against humanity probe:
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said he will investigate Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his sons and senior aides for crimes against humanity.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12636798

Two killed during clashes in Yemen:
Security forces fired teargas at hundreds of anti-government protesters in south Yemen on Wednesday, killing two demonstrators, a medical official and witnesses said.
www.iol.co.za/news/world/two-killed-during-clashes-in-yemen-1.1035227

Yemeni president to resign:
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has tentatively agreed to a five-point plan from opposition leaders that includes the demand that he step down by the end of the year, according the president’s office.
bit.ly/dGGS9A

Report: Saudi Facebook activist planning protest shot dead:
Saudi activists alleged Wednesday that state security shot dead a leading online activist, who was calling for a ‘Day of Rage’ on March 11 in the oil-rich kingdom.
bit.ly/hrCQEM

Army appoints new Egyptian PM:
Former transport minister Essam Sharaf appointed premier by country’s military rulers, replacing Ahmed Shafiq.
english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/20113393825273567.html

Egyptian military jails activist:
Activist sentenced to five years in prison as rights organisations condemn trials of civilians in military courts.
english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/20113301027809803.html

Rich Gulf states may roll out their own Marshall Plan to help Bahrain, Oman:
The would-be economic package calls for Bahraini and Omani workers to be given priority for employment priority by other GCC states.
latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/03/arab-world-gulf-.html

Ivorian women fatally shot at rally:
At least five women killed by forces loyal to country’s disputed president in commercial capital, Abidjan.
english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2011/03/201133135346891629.html

Côte d’Ivoire: Crisis Fact:
This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains an open letter from scholars on the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, an article by Human Rights Watch South Africa director criticizing the role of South African diplomacy in undermining international pressure, and a wide range of annotated links to other sources on the election, different views of the crisis, and background analyses.
allafrica.com/stories/201103030496.html

Bahrain Opposition Officially Submit Demands To Government:
Bahrain’s formal opposition groups officially submitted demands to the ruling Al-Khalifa family that included the introduction of a constitutional monarchy and the dissolution of the government.
bit.ly/dZdvfp

If Stuxnet was act of cyberwar, is U.S. ready for a response?:
With Stuxnet setting back Iran’s disputed nuclear program, that country has vowed to take “pre-emptive” strikes against the powers it believes launched the attack, a recent news story in the Tehran Times reported.
bit.ly/hALfEL

Israel to ‘finally’ impose sanctions on Iran:
After years of calling for tough action against arch-foe Iran, Israel is finally getting around to joining international sanctions against Tehran, officials said on Thursday.
news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110303/wl_mideast_afp/irannuclearpoliticsisraelsanctions

Diplomat: I can no longer represent Israel:
Veteran diplomat Ilan Baruch quits, says he can no longer represent government; Israel’s foreign policy is ‘wrong,’ he says, adds that blaming global anti-occupation views on anti-Semitism is ‘simplistic, artificial’
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4036889,00.html

China “Attacks The Dollar” – Moves To Further Cement Renminbi Reserve Currency Status:
In a surprising turn of events, today’s biggest piece of news received a mere two paragraph blurb on Reuters, and was thoroughly ignored by the broader media. An announcement appeared shortly after midnight on the website of the People’s Bank of China.
www.zerohedge.com/article/china-moves-making-renminbi-reserve-currency

Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq “1,421,933″
www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America’s War On Iraq: 4,757
icasualties.org/oif/

Number Of International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 2,352

Cost of War in Iraq & Afghanistan
$1,160,190,496,638
www.costofwar.com/