Essential Information
A compendium of articles, reports, essays and investigations into
the effects of militarism on the environment and human society.
Send additional documents to editor@envirosagainstwar.org.
FEATURED REPORTS
Panetta Warns Israel Plans Aggression Against Iran
(John Glaser / AntiWar.com)
"There is no evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, and the opinion of the US intelligence community, the Obama administration, and the latest IAEA report is that Iran's enrichment is so far civilian in nature."
Congress and Army Agreed: Drones Are Coming to the Skies Near You
(Secrecy News and Federation of American Scientists )
A House-Senate conference report this week called on the Administration to accelerate the use of civilian unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or "drones," in US airspace. The pending authorization bill for the FAA directs the Secretary of Transporation to develop within nine months "a comprehensive plan to safely accelerate the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system." Meanwhile, the Army has issued a directive to govern the growing use of drones for "domestic operations" inside the US.
US Plans for Perpetual War
(Renee Parsons / Information Clearing House )
As an attack on Iran remains temporarily on the backburner and Syria, home to "US-identified" terrorist group Hamas, moves up the queue as the next target for military intervention, both are part of a larger strategy proposed to newly-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 1996. "Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" suggests a "new approach to peace" -- one premised on a "clean break" with the Oslo peace process of the 1990's.
ACTION ALERT: An Appeal to US and Israeli Air, Missile and Drone Crews To Stand Down from Order to Attack Iran
(World Can't Wait & Midwest Antiwar Mobilization)
An attack on Iran will almost certainly bring retaliation that will result in severe human consequences around the world. An attack against Iran by Israel and/or the United States will violate morality, international and domestic law and the interests of humanity. "We urge all of you who may be called upon to attack Iran from the air, and indeed all military personnel who may be engaged in any kind of attack on Iran, to refuse to do so."
Israel Continues on Path of Aggression with Threat of Pre-emptive War
(John Glaser/ AntiWar.com & David Ignatius / Washington Post)
Israeli officials have apparently been engaged in an aggressive public relations offensive to broaden support for a military attack on Iran, with particular emphasis on American audiences. For months, Israeli officials have been feeling out the Obama administration's appetite for a war with Iran. Reports have revealed that US officials have tried to assure Israel that a military strike is in principle on the table, while simultaneously urging them not to attack unilaterally.
New York Times Hypes Israeli Attack on Iran
(Ira Chernus / Common Dreams )
Commentary: A cover story in the New York Times Magazine asks 'When' will Israel attack Iran. Not 'if,' but 'when,' as if it were inevitable. "It's almost a hymn of praise to what one Jewish Israeli scholar has called Iranophobia, an irrational fear promoted by the Jewish state because 'Israel needs an existential threat.' Why? To sustain the myth that shapes its national identity: the myth of Israel's insecurity."
Students Ask UC: Why Are There Armed Cops on Campus?
(Nanette Asimov / San Francisco Chronicle )
Why does the University of California employ an armed police force on its campuses? That question, and the anger implied in its wording, was asked repeatedly by UC Berkeley students and faculty angered by what is widely perceived as excessive, even brutal responses to students' nonviolent acts of civil disobedience against rising tuition and soarng executive pay at a time of deep cuts to higher education. UC employs about 300 police officers across its 10 campuses.
27 of 35 Bush Articles of Impeachment Apply to Obama
(David Swanson / War Is a Crime)
"When Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush on June 9, 2008. Sadly, President Obama has no only adopted many of Bush's criminal tactics, he has added his own list of high crimes and misdemeanors including a host of new crimes: openly murdering US citizens; launching massive drone wars; selectively and abusively prosecuting whistleblowers; attacking Libya without so much as bothering to lie to Congress."
Obama Downplays Civilian Casualties in Drone War: Investigations Present a Grimmer Picture
(AntiWar.com & The Bureau of Investigative Journalism)
CIA drone strikes have led to far more deaths in Pakistan than previously acknowledge. In June 2011, Washington officials stated that no civilians had died. However, an estimate released by a US counter-terrorism official listed 2,050 people as having been killed in drone strikes to mid-August 2011. Since then, credible reports have surfaced identifying at least 392 civilians among the dead. At least 2,347 people were reportedly killed in US attacks since 2004, 175 of them children.
With Drones Controlled by Pushbuttons, America Runs a 'Coward's War'
(George Monbiot / The Guardian)
The CIA insists there have been no recent civilian casualties in its undeclared drone war in Pakistan. President Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser, John Brennan, also claims that US drones spare civilians. It is a blatant whitewash. Without risk, there's less restraint. With these unmanned craft, governments can fight a coward's war, harming only the unnamed. The danger is likely to escalate as drone warfare becomes more automated and the lines of accountability less clear.
The Invisible War: New Film Exposes Rape, Sexual Assault Epidemic in US Military
(Amy Goodman / Democracy Now! )
"On the heels of a new military survey that the number of reported violent sex crimes jumped 30 percent in 2011, with active-duty female soldiers ages 18 to 21 accounting for more than half of the of the victims, we speak with Trina McDonald and Kori Cioca, two subjects of 'The Invisible War,' a new documentary that examines the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, which won the Audience Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. "
The Era of Falling Spacecraft
(Ian O'Neill / Al Jazeera)
On Sunday, January 15, the sorry tale of Phobos-Grunt came to a fiery end. After three months of floating helplessly in Earth's orbit after a botched launch, the Russian mission to the Martian moon Phobos re-entered the atmosphere, scattering its smouldering debris over the Pacific Ocean, somewhere off the coast of Chile. Who was to blame? Was the spacecraft's upper-stage rocket faulty? Or did something (or someone) intentional -- or unintentionally -- "kill" the probe's electronics?
US Spy Chief: Iran Is 'Not Building a Bomb'; Washington's Policies Are Endangering US
(The Associated Press)
Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper and CIA Director David Petraeus have both told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran "is not building nuclear weapons."Clapper also said that that Iran's leaders "seem prepared to attack US interests overseas," because the Iranians "feel threatened by possible US action." Clapper pointed out that Iran has made no moves to enrich uranium beyond the current level of 20 percent -- i.e., to a weapons-grade levels.
Threat to World Peace: Israeli Leadership Vows to Start War 'By Summer'
(AntiWar.com )
There is never really any discussion of whether or not an Israeli attack on Iran is justified on the basis of Iran's legal civilian nuclear program. Rather, the questions center around just how much damage Israel could accomplish with such an act of aggression. It is likely such and attack would start a massive regional (and potentially a global) war, one that is almost certain to involve the United States and, possibly, Russia. Retaliation against Israel would be significant.
Iran Nuclear Inspections 'Constructive': Israel Continues to Refuse IAEA Inspections
(Deutsche Presse-Agentur & Al Jazeera)
The three-day inspection visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency team with Iran was 'constructive,' the Fars news agency reports. Negotiations between the two sides were held in 'a positive and constructive atmosphere' and the two sides have agreed to hold further meetings in the future. Meanwhile, the Middle East's biggest nuclear power, Israel, refuses to allow IAEA inspections of its existing nuclear weapons arsenal and has refused to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
LA Police Department Conducts Joint Exercises with the Military
(Dan Bacher / AlterNet & TruthOut )
The LAPD, known for its brutality and corruption, has conducted high-profile joint "tactical exercises" with the US military in downtown LA. While the sight of weaponized military aircraft hovering in the skies raised fears of a "police state," the LAPD responds that the Pentagon's show of force was merely "routine training conducted by military personnel, designed to ensure the military's ability to operate in urban environments." Plus: EAW video on DOD Exercise in Bay Area.
Iran Welcomes IAEA Inspectors: 'Free to Inspect All Nuclear Sites'
(AntiWar.com & Deutsche Presse-Agentur)
The International Atomic Energy Agency has begun an intensive three-day inspection visit under growing threats of an Israeli attack against Iran's civilian nuclear sites. The visit was welcomed by top Iranian officials. Iran's nuclear chief said that the inspection would finally end allegations that the program was anything but a legal, civilian program. Iran has promised that IAEA inspectors would be given free and full access to any nuclear sites they requested.
Iraqi Slams US Over Plan for Drone Surveillance
(AntiWar.com & The New York Times & FedBizOps.Gov)
The US has quietly fielded a fleet of surveillance drones to fly over Iraq, ostensibly to protect the city-sized US Embassy on the outskirts of Baghdad. The State Department's Diplomatic Security branch has not trumpeted news of the existence of the drone armada. The drones were only mentioned in a single paragraph buried near the back of the Department's annual report. Senior Iraqi officials have expressed outrage at the program, saying the unarmed aircraft are an affront to Iraqi sovereignty.
What Really Happened at Occupy Oakland
(Occupy Oakland & Russia Today & Eyewitness Reports)
Commentary: "Please spread the fact that the mass arrest of 300+ was ILLEGAL -- no dispersal order was given, nor was an unlawful assembly declared at the arrest location. The media and OPD are flat-out lying about that detail. This is the most important point, in terms of our rights as citizens and OPD breaking their own protest policy. The 300+ were NOT arrested while attempting to occupy a building, they were arrested for marching on public streets a few hours later."
Iranian Aircraft Carriers in the Gulf of Mexico
(Satire by Tom Engelhardt / TomDispatch)
Imagine as well that an embattled US president has declared the Gulf of Mexico off-limits to Iranian aircraft carriers. In response, the Iranians send an aircraft carrier and its battle group of accompanying ships directly into Gulf waters not far from Florida -- and then stationed a second carrier and its task force in the nearby Caribbean as support. (Okay, the Iranians don't have aircraft carriers, but just for a moment, suspend disbelief.)
The Conundrum of Iran: Washington's War on Iran Has Already Begun
(Leonid Savin / The Strategic Culture Foundation )
Analysis: "The EU oil embargo recently slapped on Iran and the threats voiced by the US and other Western countries to come up with further sanctions against the country led watchers to conclude that an armed conflict between Iran and the West finally became imminent. The first potential scenario in the context is that the current standoff would eventually escalate into a war. The US forces in the Gulf area currently number 40,000."
Americans Oppose War: But Does Government Care?
(Russia Today )
With harsh US rhetoric around Iran's nuclear program snowballing by the hour, polls nonetheless show that most Americans think a war with Tehran would be a grave mistake. But do the leaders care? Despite Iran's recent consent to return to negotiations over its atomic work, the White House says war with Tehran is "still on the table." Even harsher statements come from some of Washington's hawks like Newt Gingrich, who spoke of "breaking" the Iranian regime within a year.
Filipinos Say No to More US Troops
(Reuters & Agence France-Press)
Dozens of activists marched outside the US embassy in Manila on January 28 to denounce ongoing talks with the United States on possibly expanding military cooperation between the two allies. Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin said on January 27 that the country was considering a US proposal to deploy surveillance aircraft on a "temporary, rotating basis" to enhance its ability to guard disputed areas in the South China Sea -- against China.
US Plans for Perpetual War
(Renee Parsons / Information Clearing House )
As an attack on Iran remains on the backburner and Syria moves up the queue as the next target for US intervention, both are part of a larger strategy proposed to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in 1996. "A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" called for a 'clean break' with the Oslo peace process, which would have withdrawn Israeli troops from the occupied territories. Instead of 'comprehensive peace,' the plan called for a pre-emptive US attack to topple Iraq's Saddam Hussein.
[view all featured report items] GENERAL IMPACTS
Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libyan Wars and the California Tradeoffs
(Ralph E. Stone / The Daily Planet)
The United States national debt exceeds $14 trillion and is climbing. Nearly 14 million Americans are unemployed, about 2.2 million in California. Americans continue to lose homes to foreclosure. Public health, education, social services, and police and fire departments are facing cutbacks. Yet, we can spend more than $1 trillion dollars in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.
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The Stench of American Hypocrisy
(Paul Craig Roberts / Op-ed News)
Commentary: "Ten years of rule by the Bush and Obama regimes have seen the collapse of the rule of law in the United States. Is the American media covering this ominous and extraordinary story? No.... the US claims to be a government of laws, not of men, but when the executive branch violates the laws that constrain it, those responsible are not held accountable."
/know/read.php?itemid=10189
Washington's Claim that a Nuclear Attack on Iran Would Be 'Harmless to Civilians' Ignores Reality
(Carl Sagan (January 1, 1983) / Global Research)
Commentary: "In the light of recent statements of both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that 'all options are on the table' with regard to the use of nuclear weapons against Iran and that these weapons are, 'harmless to civilians,' we are publishing Carl Sagan's in-depth analysis on the implications of a nuclear war."
/know/read.php?itemid=10152
EAW Covers Six of Top 25 Project Censored Stories
(Project Censored & Environmentalists Against War)
EAW salutes the winners of the latest Project Censored Awards. We are pleased to note that EAW covered six of the Top 25 Most Censored Stories.
/know/read.php?itemid=9917
PrivateCorporations Profit from the Occupation of Palestine
(Project Censored, et al.)
An extensive, on-going grassroots investigation, which exposes hundreds of international companies and corporations involved in the occupation, is being conducted and posted online. The project currently focuses on three main areas of corporate involvement in the occupation: the settlement industry, economic exploitation, and control of the population.
/know/read.php?itemid=9919
What You Will Not Hear About Iraq
(Prof. Adil E. Shamoo / Foreign Policy In Focus & Global Research)
Iraq has between 25 and 50 percent unemployment, a dysfunctional parliament, rampant disease, an epidemic of mental illness, and sprawling slums. The killing of innocent people has become part of daily life. What a havoc the United States has wreaked in Iraq.
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War and the Environment
(Peace Pledge Union)
Images of Devastated battlefields are all too familiar. The ploughs in Flanders fields still turn up human bones every year. But twentieth century technology, busily applied to the practice of war, has ensured a more lethal harvest. For example, landmines.
/know/read.php?itemid=9413
Osama bin Laden and Environmental Jihad
(Micah M. White / Adbusters Magazine)
In January 2010, as the war against terrorism dragged into its ninth year, Osama bin Laden, the ideological leader of the mujahideen issued a statement that could have been drafted by any Western environmentalist: "Talk of climate change isn't extravagant speculation: It is a tangible fact that is not diminished by its being muddled by some greedy heads of major corporations."
/know/read.php?itemid=9406
[view all general impact items] HUMAN IMPACTS
Obama Downplays Civilian Casualties in Drone War: Investigations Present a Grimmer Picture
(AntiWar.com & The Bureau of Investigative Journalism)
CIA drone strikes have led to far more deaths in Pakistan than previously acknowledge. In June 2011, Washington officials stated that no civilians had died. However, an estimate released by a US counter-terrorism official listed 2,050 people as having been killed in drone strikes to mid-August 2011. Since then, credible reports have surfaced identifying at least 392 civilians among the dead. At least 2,347 people were reportedly killed in US attacks since 2004, 175 of them children.
/know/read.php?itemid=11914
With Drones Controlled by Pushbuttons, America Runs a 'Coward's War'
(George Monbiot / The Guardian)
The CIA insists there have been no recent civilian casualties in its undeclared drone war in Pakistan. President Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser, John Brennan, also claims that US drones spare civilians. It is a blatant whitewash. Without risk, there's less restraint. With these unmanned craft, governments can fight a coward's war, harming only the unnamed. The danger is likely to escalate as drone warfare becomes more automated and the lines of accountability less clear.
/know/read.php?itemid=11915
The Invisible War: New Film Exposes Rape, Sexual Assault Epidemic in US Military
(Amy Goodman / Democracy Now! )
"On the heels of a new military survey that the number of reported violent sex crimes jumped 30 percent in 2011, with active-duty female soldiers ages 18 to 21 accounting for more than half of the of the victims, we speak with Trina McDonald and Kori Cioca, two subjects of 'The Invisible War,' a new documentary that examines the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, which won the Audience Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. "
/know/read.php?itemid=11916
Landmines in a Militarised Culture: Threat or Security?
(Preethi Nallu / Al Jazeera)
A protracted conflict on the Thai-Myanmar border has normalised the use of landmines. Even civilians feel landmines are the only way they can protect themselves from attacks by the military. Landmines have become physical and psychological weapons that render a sense of security. But the indiscriminate nature of the weapon has meant that the local Karen residnets often fall prey to landmines planted by people from their own communities.
/know/read.php?itemid=11899
US Military Presses to Return to Philippines Despite Extensive Human Rights Violations
(The Washington Post & Anti-War.com & WikiLeaks Central)
Twenty years after forcing the closure of major US military bases, the Philippines is being pressed to allow the US to return. In fact, the US military presence in the Philippines never went away. About 600 US Special Forces have remained in the country, targeting a militant group that presents no threat to the US. Meanwhile, with millions of dollars of US military aid, the Filipino government's security forces have engaged in systematic extrajudicial killings, abduction, and false arrests.
/know/read.php?itemid=11893
Is Coca-Cola Propping Up Swaziland's Dictator?
(Bill Berkowitz / Buzzflash & Truthout )
Since its inception in 1886, Coca-Cola has had more slogans than the US has had presidents. Back in the early 1960s, the catchphrase was, "Things go better with Coke." In Swaziland these days, the only person that the multibillion-dollar beverage company is making things "go better" for is King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch. For the rest of the Swazi people, the company has come to represent misery and abject poverty.
/know/read.php?itemid=11896
Japanese Delegation Wants the US Out of Okinawa
(David Swanson / War Is A Crime & Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post)
A 24-member delegation from Japan arrived in Washington, DC, this week to oppose new construction of US military bases in Okinawa and to protest the continued occupation by US troops. US tax money is being spent to pay billions of dollars to US corporations to maintain and expand some 90 military bases in Japan. Okinawa has been dominated by US military bases for 67 years -- ever since the US forcibly appropriated much of the best land. Okinawans have protested this US presence for decades.
/know/read.php?itemid=11885
Iraqis Condemn US Haditha Sentence as Insult
(Jason Ditz / Anti-War.com & Fadhel al-Badrani / Reuters)
To the dismay of many observers, the only US soldier to face conviction for the massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians -- including women and children -- will serve no jail time. "This is a disgraceful sentence for an inhuman crime that lines up with the Abu Ghraib scandal and Nisour Square massacre," said Hussein Ali, a 40-year-old Baghdad engineer. "History will mention this sentence and will show how the Americans have a black history that disrespects human blood."
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[view all human impact items] LAND IMPACTS
Japanese Delegation Wants the US Out of Okinawa
(David Swanson / War Is A Crime & Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post)
A 24-member delegation from Japan arrived in Washington, DC, this week to oppose new construction of US military bases in Okinawa and to protest the continued occupation by US troops. US tax money is being spent to pay billions of dollars to US corporations to maintain and expand some 90 military bases in Japan. Okinawa has been dominated by US military bases for 67 years -- ever since the US forcibly appropriated much of the best land. Okinawans have protested this US presence for decades.
/know/read.php?itemid=11885
Seven Years after Sieges, Fallujah Struggles
(Dahr Jamail / Al Jazeera)
It is estimated that 70 percent of the buildings and houses in Fallujah were damaged or destroyed, along with at least 100 mosques, 6,000 shops, and at least nine government offices. Fallujah residents are still angry about the on-going lack of adequate reconstruction, which causes many to remain without clean drinking water, electricity, and jobs
/know/read.php?itemid=11797
Action Alert: Say 'No' to Dow Chemical's Plan to Spray Agent Orange on GE Corn
(The Cornucopia Institute)
Dow Chemical is seeking USDA approval for a genetically engineered version of corn that is resistant to 2,4-D, an herbicide in the formulation of the highly toxic defoliant Agent Orange which was extensively used by the military to destroy forests and crops in Vietnam. The USDA posted the request in the December 27, 2011 edition of the Federal Register -- a well-established ploy to reduce media coverage and limit public response. The public now has less than60 days to comment.
/know/read.php?itemid=11785
Is a US Mining Company Funding a Violent Crackdown in Indonesia?
(Samantha Michaels / The Atlantic )
Freeport-McMoRan, the Phoenix-based American mining company, was been forced to halt mining the world's richest copper and gold deposits when 8,000 workers staged a strike for better wages. Independent investigations have revealed that Freeport has been paying millions of dollars directly to the local police officers who guard its mine, although this police force has a history of brutality and corruption.
/know/read.php?itemid=11696
Ghana Gold: Corruption and Environmental Destruction
(Africa Investigates / Al Jazeera )
As Ghana is experiencing a new gold rush, widespread corruption is allowing illegal mining to flourish. With the price of precious metals surging on the world market, Ghana is experiencing a new gold rush as more people try and get access to its most famous export. Unfortunately, much of that effort revolves around unlicensed -- and hence illegal -- mining operations.
/know/read.php?itemid=11683
Next Step After 'Withdrawal': Exploit Afghanistan's Natural Resources
( John Glaser / Anti-War.com)
Don't be fooled into believing the Obama administration's 2014 date of full withdrawal from Afghanistan. As one official notes: "2014 is not a withdrawal date -- it's an inflection point." The Pentagon's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations has already promised to provide training and equipment as part of the US's continuing efforts to help the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan identify and develop its vast deposits of oil and mineral resources.
/know/read.php?itemid=11674
ACTION ALERT: Shell Eyes Oil Reserves in Iraq; Turns a Blind Eye to Pollution in Nigeria
(Reuters & Shell & Amnesty International USA )
Royal Dutch Shell has pulled out of oil-development talks with the Kurdistan Regional Government in an effort to protect its lucrative investments in southern Iraq. Shell has won a 44% stake in three major oil fields -- part of a $17 billion gas deal with the Iraqi government. Meanwhile, Shell has failed to clean up its legacy of pollution in Nigeria where two major oil spills in 2008, disrupted the lives of the 69,000 people in the Niger Delta. Shell has yet to take full responsibility for the spills or the clean-up.
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Zimbabwe's 'Green Army' Protects Rhinos
(Haru Mutasa / Al Jazeera)
The illegal trafficking of wildlife and animal products is the third-largest criminal industry in the world where black rhinos are particularly prized by poachers. In Zimbabwe, a so-called 'Green army' is acquiring skills to track, intercept and capture poachers armed with AK-47s, axes and machetes.
/know/read.php?itemid=11599
[view all land impact items] MARINE AND WATER IMPACTS
Japanese Delegation Wants the US Out of Okinawa
(David Swanson / War Is A Crime & Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post)
A 24-member delegation from Japan arrived in Washington, DC, this week to oppose new construction of US military bases in Okinawa and to protest the continued occupation by US troops. US tax money is being spent to pay billions of dollars to US corporations to maintain and expand some 90 military bases in Japan. Okinawa has been dominated by US military bases for 67 years -- ever since the US forcibly appropriated much of the best land. Okinawans have protested this US presence for decades.
/know/read.php?itemid=11885
Life Without Water a Growing Threat in Gaza
(Eva Bartlett / Inter Press Service & CommonDreams )
"Taking our water is not like taking a toy. Water is life, they cannot play with our lives like this," says Maher Najjar, deputy general director of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) of the recent Israeli threat to cut electricity, water and infrastructure services to the occupied Gaza Strip.
/know/read.php?itemid=11756
Record Arctic Ice Melt Threatens Global Security
(Stephen Leahy / Inter Press Service & BBC News )
All the commentary about safety and security on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 ignored by far the biggest ongoing threat to global security: climate change. The Arctic ice melt is accelerating the rate of climate change beyond what humanity is doing with every barrel of oil, ton of coal or cubic meter of gas burned. The loss of Arctic ice will speed the heating of the planet, releasing vast amounts of Greenhouse Gases trapped in the permafrost -- a global threat much worse than "terrorism."
/know/read.php?itemid=11359
New Film Reveals Truth of Philippine-American War
(Gar Smith / The Berkeley Daily Planet )
The respected indie director John Sayles ("Return of the Secaucus 7," "Brother from Another Planet," "Matewan," "Lone Star") has written and directed a potent and poetic film about the personal struggles of people trapped on both sides of the all-but-forgotten Philippine-American war. As Sayles points out in his essay "In Search of the Philippine-American War Film," "no armed conflict in the modern era has received less cinematic treatment than the Philippine-American war."
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Resource Wars: Israel and Lebanon Draw a 'Line in the Sea'
(The Peace Times)
Lebanon has responded angrily to Israel's proposal for a maritime boundary, calling it an act of "aggression," as a dispute builds over huge natural gas and oil reserves beneath the sea. The two enemy countries are staking claims for a demarcation line in the Mediterranean Sea, where significant energy reserves have been found. Lebanon has submitted its sea boundary proposal to the UN and Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday approved a conflicting proposal to submit to the UN.
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Drought in East Africa the Result of Climate Change and Conflict
(Felicity Lawrence / The Guardian)
Prolonged drought has caused a severe food crisis now affecting around 10 million people in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. The weather has become more erratic and extreme in recent years. In 2006, the same area suffered both drought and flash floods. Drought and fighting in southern Somalia has driven refugees into the equally water-starved regions of Ethiopia. Fearing that funds could be diverted to terrorists, the US has cut food aid to Somalia.
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Russia Prepares for War in the Arctic over Oil
(BBC News)
Russia's defence minister has said he plans to create two specialist army brigades to be based in the Arctic. The announcement comes days after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia would strongly defend its interests -- to exploit the oil and mineral reserves of the polar region. The brigades could be based in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk or other areas, Russian news agencies reported.
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Oil and Trade Routes: The Battle for the South China Sea
(Al Jazeera & Agence France-Presse & Times of India & Oil Price.com / Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.)
Six countries -- China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia -- are scrambling to control the South China Sea. China estimates there could be up to 213 billion barrels of oil beneath the sea. Control of these waters would give China the world's second-largest proven oil reserves, just falling behind Saudi Arabia. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that clashes may erupt unless nations adopt a mechanism to settle disputes peacefully.
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[view all marine and water impact items] OIL AND ITS ALTERNATIVES
Big Oil, Not Green Energy, Is the Real Beneficiary of US Energy Subsidies
(David Sirota / Salon )
Commentary: "Listen to the typical conservative rhetoric about energy being thrown around on talk radio or in Republican presidential debates, and you're likely to hear that our government primarily uses its regulatory and financial power to create a destructive green energy boondoggle.... But the reality is something wholly different. Washington is aggressively favoring the fossil fuel industry in ways that give that industry a special economic advantage over clean energy."
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Hotspots of Potential Conflict in the Geo-energy Era
(Michael Klare / TomDispatch & Al Jazeera )
Welcome to an edgy world -- where a single incident at an energy "chokepoint" could set a region aflame, provoking bloody encounters, boosting oil prices, and putting the global economy at risk. With energy demand on the rise and sources of supply dwindling, we are, in fact, entering a new epoch -- the Geo-Energy Era -- in which disputes over vital resources will dominate world affairs.
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US, UK, Iran Threaten War over Access to Oil
(Russia Today & The Daily Mail & Associated Press & The Telegraph )
Following warnings from Washington, Britain's Defence Secretary has notified Tehran that the UK will not tolerate the 'very significant consequences' of a threat to block the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the US has threatened to challenge Iran's warning to keep US warships out of its territorial waters. Iran on Wednesday renewed its warning to America against keeping a US navy presence in the oil-rich Gulf, underlining a threat that Washington has dismissed as a sign of "weakness" from Tehran.
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Iran to 'Block' Gulf Oil if Sanctions Proceed
(Al Jazeera )
No oil will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if the West applies sanctions on Iran's oil exports, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi has warned. "We have no desire for hostilities or violence ... but the West doesn't want to go back on its plan" to impose sanctions, he said. "The enemies will only drop their plots when we put them back in their place."
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Iraq Throws Open Doors to US Firms as Army Exits
(Andrew Beatty / Agence France-Presse)
During a "goodwill" visit to Washington, Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki declared his war-scarred nation holds "limitless" opportunities for US corporations. "All sectors of the economy are there, open for business for American business," Maliki said. On the list of sectors open to business, oil is "first among equals." Many companies, including ExxonMobil, have piled into Iraq. Last month Exxon signed a deal with the authorities in Kurdistan -- against the wishes of Maliki's government.
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US Navy and American Airlines Experiment with Biofuels
(Noah Shachtman / DangerRoom, Wired Magazine & John Terrett / Al Jazeera)
The Navy just signed deals to buy 450,000 gallons of biofuels -- arguably the biggest purchase of its kind in US government history -- to transform the service into an energy-efficient fleet. At $15 per gallon, however, biofuel is nearly four times the price of traditional fuel. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines has begun fueling its passenger jets with biofuel. AA says if all its aircraft were powered this way for one year it'd be like taking 64,000 cars off the road.
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Is Oil the Future of Energy?
(Inside Story / Al Jazeera)
For the first time in its history, the Middle East is hosting the World Petroleum Congress. The 5,000 participants gathered in the Qatari capital will be talking about the most pressing issues facing the energy sector. With the region undergoing a wave of political upheaval, the emir of Qatar was quick to reassure the world's biggest consumers that energy supplies will continue to flow. So, are we stuck with high energy prices? Will there be enough to meet global demand years from now?
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Next Step After 'Withdrawal': Exploit Afghanistan's Natural Resources
( John Glaser / Anti-War.com)
Don't be fooled into believing the Obama administration's 2014 date of full withdrawal from Afghanistan. As one official notes: "2014 is not a withdrawal date -- it's an inflection point." The Pentagon's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations has already promised to provide training and equipment as part of the US's continuing efforts to help the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan identify and develop its vast deposits of oil and mineral resources.
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MILITARISM
AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
Panetta Warns Israel Plans Aggression Against Iran
(John Glaser / AntiWar.com)
"There is no evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, and the opinion of the US intelligence community, the Obama administration, and the latest IAEA report is that Iran's enrichment is so far civilian in nature."
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Congress and Army Agreed: Drones Are Coming to the Skies Near You
(Secrecy News and Federation of American Scientists )
A House-Senate conference report this week called on the Administration to accelerate the use of civilian unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or "drones," in US airspace. The pending authorization bill for the FAA directs the Secretary of Transporation to develop within nine months "a comprehensive plan to safely accelerate the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system." Meanwhile, the Army has issued a directive to govern the growing use of drones for "domestic operations" inside the US.
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US Plans for Perpetual War
(Renee Parsons / Information Clearing House )
As an attack on Iran remains temporarily on the backburner and Syria, home to "US-identified" terrorist group Hamas, moves up the queue as the next target for military intervention, both are part of a larger strategy proposed to newly-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 1996. "Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" suggests a "new approach to peace" -- one premised on a "clean break" with the Oslo peace process of the 1990's.
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Israel Continues on Path of Aggression with Threat of Pre-emptive War
(John Glaser/ AntiWar.com & David Ignatius / Washington Post)
Israeli officials have apparently been engaged in an aggressive public relations offensive to broaden support for a military attack on Iran, with particular emphasis on American audiences. For months, Israeli officials have been feeling out the Obama administration's appetite for a war with Iran. Reports have revealed that US officials have tried to assure Israel that a military strike is in principle on the table, while simultaneously urging them not to attack unilaterally.
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New York Times Hypes Israeli Attack on Iran
(Ira Chernus / Common Dreams )
Commentary: A cover story in the New York Times Magazine asks 'When' will Israel attack Iran. Not 'if,' but 'when,' as if it were inevitable. "It's almost a hymn of praise to what one Jewish Israeli scholar has called Iranophobia, an irrational fear promoted by the Jewish state because 'Israel needs an existential threat.' Why? To sustain the myth that shapes its national identity: the myth of Israel's insecurity."
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Students Ask UC: Why Are There Armed Cops on Campus?
(Nanette Asimov / San Francisco Chronicle )
Why does the University of California employ an armed police force on its campuses? That question, and the anger implied in its wording, was asked repeatedly by UC Berkeley students and faculty angered by what is widely perceived as excessive, even brutal responses to students' nonviolent acts of civil disobedience against rising tuition and soarng executive pay at a time of deep cuts to higher education. UC employs about 300 police officers across its 10 campuses.
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27 of 35 Bush Articles of Impeachment Apply to Obama
(David Swanson / War Is a Crime)
"When Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush on June 9, 2008. Sadly, President Obama has no only adopted many of Bush's criminal tactics, he has added his own list of high crimes and misdemeanors including a host of new crimes: openly murdering US citizens; launching massive drone wars; selectively and abusively prosecuting whistleblowers; attacking Libya without so much as bothering to lie to Congress."
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Threat to World Peace: Israeli Leadership Vows to Start War 'By Summer'
(AntiWar.com )
There is never really any discussion of whether or not an Israeli attack on Iran is justified on the basis of Iran's legal civilian nuclear program. Rather, the questions center around just how much damage Israel could accomplish with such an act of aggression. It is likely such and attack would start a massive regional (and potentially a global) war, one that is almost certain to involve the United States and, possibly, Russia. Retaliation against Israel would be significant.
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[view all militarism items] WEAPONS OF WAR
Iran Nuclear Inspections 'Constructive': Israel Continues to Refuse IAEA Inspections
(Deutsche Presse-Agentur & Al Jazeera)
The three-day inspection visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency team with Iran was 'constructive,' the Fars news agency reports. Negotiations between the two sides were held in 'a positive and constructive atmosphere' and the two sides have agreed to hold further meetings in the future. Meanwhile, the Middle East's biggest nuclear power, Israel, refuses to allow IAEA inspections of its existing nuclear weapons arsenal and has refused to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
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US Pays Boeing Millions for New 'Super Bomb' to Attack Iran
(AntiWar.com & The Wall Street Journal & Business Week )
The Pentagon has decided that its largest conventional bomb -- the 15-ton Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- needs to be made more powerful to destroy Iran's underground nuclear enrichment facilities. Boeing has received $330 million to build 20 MOPs and now the White House wants to give Boeing another $82 million to create an even deadlier bomb.
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Questions Persist as to US Arms Treaty Compliance
(Janet Phelan / Activist Post )
Questions concerning US compliance with the Biological Weapons Convention at the UN conference in Geneva have arisen after the original law was amended by the USA PATRIOT Act. The critical amendment literally removes US agents from liability for violating legal prohibitions for possessing and transporting biological weapons. The implications are serious and deserve careful scrutiny.
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Ethics of Drone Strikes Questioned
(Scott Heidler / Al Jazeera & Tom Engelhardt / TomDispatch)
The use of drones in modern warfare, where the person pulling the trigger spots their target on a video screen and is not even on the battlefield, has led some to question the ethics behind using such weapons. The business of drones is projected to be a $7 billion industry next year. While this is not much in the $1.6 trillion big picture of total US military spending, the world's biggest arms makers see drones as a growth industry. In harsh economic times, drones make sense.
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Iran Warns Further US Drone Invasions Will Trigger 'Frightful' Response Targeting US Bases Worldwide
(PressTV & Xinhua News)
A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that the next time the US violates Iran's air sovereignty it would receive a "frightful" response. Deputy Chair of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Esmail Kowsari warned that future violations of Iran's sovereignty "will target every US military base anywhere in the world." Kowsari further noted the silence of the international community on the blatant US violation of Iran's territorial integrity highlighted a double standard was being applied.
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Iran Warns Further US Drone Invasions Will Trigger 'Frightful' Response Targeting US Bases Worldwide
(PressTV & Xinhua News)
A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that the next time the US violates Iran's air sovereignty it would receive a "frightful" response. Deputy Chair of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Esmail Kowsari warned that future violations of Iran's sovereignty "will target every US military base anywhere in the world." Kowsari further noted the silence of the international community on the blatant US violation of Iran's territorial integrity highlighted a double standard was being applied.
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Drones: A Deeply Unsettling Future
(Trevor Timm / Al Jazeera )
The rapid expansion of a drone arms race has emerged both domestically and abroad, leaving everyone vulnerable. The US, of course, leads the world in drone use for both surveillance and combat missions. Attacks are carried out in Pakistan every four days on average. Many times, the US isn't even sure exactly who they are killing. And now there is growing concern over "lost" drones, free-lance drone systems, and cyber-hacking that can take control of armed military drones.
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TV Crew Under Fire for Cannonball Attack on California Suburb
(Demian Bulwa and Henry K. Lee / San Francisco Chronicle )
One of the zany experiments staged by the "Mythbusters" television show nearly turned into a suburban tragedy when a cannonball fired at a private shooting range missed its target, tore through a cinder-block wall, skipped off a hillside, flew some 700 yards east, bounced off a sidewalk, ripped through the front door of a house, raced up the stairs, blasted through a bedroom wall, crossed a six-lane road, bounced off a nearby roof and slammed into a parked beige Toyota Sienna minivan.
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