Posted in bush, doomsterism, geopolitics, iraq, politics, war on May 29, 2008 | No Comments »
As noted here time and again, Iran has nothing to lose by waiting out the end of George Bush’s term.
May 29, 2008 | 1944 GMT
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said May 29 that Iran thinks U.S. voters want to change the foreign policies of President George W. Bush, and he said that the present U.S. [...]
Posted in dawn to decadence, geopolitics, politics, war on May 27, 2008 | 1 Comment »
During a somewhat heated argument with some Jewish friends over Israel’s recent backstabbing of the US, a national security hobbyist recommended the following article as a defense of recent Israeli policy. Phrases which jumped out at me are highlighted in bold.
Hizbollah’s Increased Strength: Risks and Opportunities for Israel, INSS Insight No. 57, May 26, [...]
Posted in geopolitics, war on May 25, 2008 | No Comments »
Hezbollah’s coup was formalized with Gen. Michel Suleiman’s election today as president of Lebanon. Suleiman directly disobeyed Fouad Siniora’s orders to put down the Hezbollah coup. Siniora and Hariri are finished politically. Druzes and Maronites associated with the pro-Western majority leaders of their factions face dhimmitude and gradual tribal exile.
Western media may, for a time, [...]
Posted in dawn to decadence, geopolitics, iraq, politics, war on May 18, 2008 | 3 Comments »
via
Sunday night, May 11, the Israeli army was poised to strike Hizballah. The Shiite militia was winding up its takeover of West Beirut and battling pro-government forces in the North. When he opened the regular cabinet meeting Sunday, May 11, prime minister Ehud Olmert had already received the go-ahead from Washington for a military strike [...]
Posted in geopolitics, politics, war on May 15, 2008 | 7 Comments »
Was just reading Drudge’s OBAMA REAX, where Obama interpreted Bush’s “those who talk, appease” comment as a gutshot at Obama.
My initial reaction, having spent way too much time studying that part of the world, was that Bush’s comment was almost certainly aimed at Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni and Shimon Peres — not Obama. General election [...]
Posted in geopolitics, inflation, politics, war on May 13, 2008 | No Comments »
12:03 US Senate OKs amendment to halt strategic petroleum reserve fill;
amendment passes by veto-proof margin - DJ [Dow Jones]
This is part of larger choreography. … If the Democrats are attempting to freelance, the CIA could easily bust an attempted Senate veto override given how ‘dirty’ so many senators are.
The end result of this will be [...]
Posted in geopolitics, war on May 11, 2008 | 2 Comments »
The Olmert government cannot do anything other than spin. This is beyond pathetic.
… Yadlin said Israel must be prepared for a new state of affairs. “Hizbullah’s use of arms inside Lebanon is a different sort of message. We need to be realistic, but there is no need for hysteria.”
He said Hizbullah had exposed a weakness [...]
Posted in geopolitics, war on May 10, 2008 | No Comments »
Hezbollah’s Beirut victory has inflicted a major black eye upon the credibility of the West. Once again, Hassan Nasrallah went all-in, and won, a showdown with the US/ Saudi/ Israeli/ Egyptian axis.
The latest strife began when the Sunni-led government found cameras in trash cans at the end of Beirut International Airport’s main runway, to film [...]
Posted in geopolitics, iraq, war on May 9, 2008 | No Comments »
Oil hopped past $126 today, which is all the more remarkable considering that if you measure oil in terms of the weaker USD from 3-5 weeks ago, oil would be over $130/barrel.
Israel appears to have given Syria the warning that if so much as a single truck crosses Syria into Lebanon, Israel and Syria will [...]
Posted in geopolitics, war on May 7, 2008 | No Comments »
Iraq’s Sunnis ask the Egyptians and Arabs to help them “save the Iraqi people from the Iranian occupation of Iraq.”
Drumroll.
Iraq, Egypt: Iraqi Sunni Delegation Asks Egypt, Arab Countries To Help Fight ‘Iranian Occupation’
May 7, 2008 1740 GMT
An Iraqi Sunni delegation met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit in Cairo on May 7 in an [...]
Posted in geopolitics, iraq, politics, war on May 7, 2008 | No Comments »
It seems like the latest (American-triggered?) Olmert scandal will be fatal to Olmert. Which is fortunate, because the US has some serious Iran escalations to do, if it hopes to retain a meaningful stake in Iraq’s future.
Faster, please.
After another day of rampant rumors concerning the latest criminal investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, members of [...]
Posted in geopolitics, war on May 5, 2008 | No Comments »
Oil popped 3 percent and is making new highs, even as the tactical asset managers dumped commodities en masse in the past 2 weeks.
Judging from the pattern of leaks, it seems that the entire US security establishment to the right of State (from the very moderate CIA all the way to Petraeus) has agreed upon [...]
Posted in doomsterism, geopolitics, inflation on May 5, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I can barely find anything about the Muslim Brotherhood’s May 4 strike in Egypt so I assume that Mubarak’s measures to jack up wages 30 percent fizzled the strike.
And what do you know, the *next day* Mubarak proposes a 35 percent increase in fuel prices.
May 5, 2008 | 1515 GMT
The Egyptian parliament’s ruling party proposed [...]
Posted in geopolitics, politics, war on May 5, 2008 | No Comments »
I love this guy: A Jewish MK who has self-respect! Surely I am hallucinating?
“The Arab Mks are the representatives of terror organizations in the Knesset,” Lieberman accused. “Today in the Knesset there is a coalition of defeatists and fifth columnists. Those sitting here (the Arab MKs) are representatives of terror organizations.”
“The fact that an Israeli [...]
Posted in bush, geopolitics, iraq, politics, volatility, war on May 3, 2008 | No Comments »
The Times of London is known to be the sieve of choice for neoconservative news leaks. Given all the concentration of firepower in the Persian Gulf recently, as well as the crackdowns on al-Sadr, and the fact that Bush wants to scare Iran off to some extent before he leaves office, some kind of surgical [...]
Posted in dawn to decadence, geopolitics on May 2, 2008 | 3 Comments »
via
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s situation is serious and problematic, and it is doubtful that he will be able to continue to serve as prime minister, a senior law enforcement official was quoted by Channel 1 as saying on Friday, after Olmert was questioned under caution by police over what are believed to be new suspicions [...]
Posted in geopolitics, volatility on April 27, 2008 | No Comments »
via
… In Washington, nuclear experts were puzzled by the timing and quality of the evidence released by the Bush administration. Democrats suggested hardliners around Dick Cheney, the vice-president, had forced the issue to try to wreck the talks with Kim.
However, there is a more persuasive argument. Analysts in Seoul see the American disclosures as a [...]
Posted in geopolitics, volatility, war on April 25, 2008 | 4 Comments »
U.S., Iran: U.S.-Contracted Ship Fires On An Iranian Vessel
April 25, 2008 1511 GMT
At least one shot has been fired at an Iranian vessel from a ship contracted by the U.S Military Sealift Command, Reuters reported April 25, citing a U.S. military official. No other details were immediately available.
Additionally, Debkafile (yes yes, I know) reports that [...]
Posted in geopolitics, iraq, politics on April 25, 2008 | 7 Comments »
I generally agree with Stratfor’s take on the issue.
… it would appear that the United States briefed deliberately against Israeli wishes. Certainly, the Israelis didn’t participate in the process. One answer could be that the United States is unhappy about Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s moves on Syria and wants to derail them.
… there are [...]
Posted in geopolitics, war on April 23, 2008 | 2 Comments »
of measuring Mideastern tensions is the average distance of all US carrier battle groups from the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea).
That number is at its lowest in years, fwiw (and plunged very steeply over the past 7 days). This will coincide with Congressional hearings on Syria’s [...]
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