APRIL 2013
From David Swanson (first appeared in a FireDogLake article,
now posted at Information Clearing House):
He quotes: “Our intelligence community does assess with
varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons
on a small scale in Syria,
specifically the chemical agent sarin.”
His response: I do
assess with varying degrees of horror (some of the varying degrees rather high
even) that a lot of people are going to die. And how dare they die from
chemical weapons when they should be dying from hellfire missiles and cluster
bombs and napalm and depleted uranium and white phosphorous. We have a
responsibility to protect these people from dying of the wrong type of weapon
and in too small numbers."
Below is a list of some news items about events around the
world, many of which the US
government is involved with, or has been involved with in the recent past.
Things are going very badly in Iraq
and Syria, and going
downhill fast in Libya and
other areas in Africa.
USA – Ran
a secret prison at a US base
in Baghdad.
Horrible human rights abuses reported. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/01/camp-nama-iraq-human-rights-abuses
USA
– Obama’s drone wars kill who-knows-who. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/09/188062/obamas-drone-war-kills-others.html
USA – “It seems pretty obvious to the average viewer that
there is something going on in our oceans or environments that is driving such
extraordinary changes in marine mammal behavior” [And it is only going to get
more obvious in the near future.] http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2013/0410/What-is-killing-California-sea-lion-pups-Why-unusual-event-is-a-concern?nav=87-frontpage-entryInsideMonitor
USA – Not
one mass shooting in the USA
since 1982 has been stopped by a civilian with a gun. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/mass-shootings-rampages-rising-data
USA
– Obama administration lies about drone killings. They have no idea who they
are killing, and are the least transparent and accountable US government
in ages. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/11/three-lessons-obama-drone-lies
USA – Red
Cross expressed opposition to force feeding Guantanamo prisoners. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/11/us-usa-guantanamo-redcross-idUSBRE93A10J20130411
USA – Guantanamo prisoners put
into single cells. The prisoners are watched all the time. [This is such a
violation of human rights!] http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=119772
USA – The sweeping, 577-page report says that while
brutality has occurred in every American war, there never before had been “the
kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after 9/11 directly
involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and
legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/world/us-practiced-torture-after-9-11-nonpartisan-review-concludes.html
USA – The
Boston bombing
produces familiar and revealing reactions. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/16/boston-marathon-explosions-notes-reactions
USA – It
is the fullest independent effort so far to assess the treatment of detainees
at Guantánamo Bay,
in Afghanistan and Iraq, and at
the C.I.A.’s secret prisons. Those who sanctioned the use of brutal methods,
like former Vice President Dick Cheney, will continue to defend their use. But
the report’s authoritative conclusion that “the United States engaged in the
practice of torture” is impossible to dismiss by a public that needs to know
what was committed in the nation’s name.
[Torturers R Us.] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/opinion/indisputable-torture-of-prisoners.html
USA –
Nearly half of all prisoners in Guantanamo
are now on hunger strike. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/21/189253/nearly-half-of-guantanamo-prisoners.html
USA
– Fracking truck sets off radiation alarm at landfill. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2013/04/24/fracking-truck-sets-off-radiation-alarm-at-landfill/
DR Congo – The main rebel group in eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo, M23, has rejected the UN's decision to deploy a special
attack force to the area. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21993655
DR Congo - Two militia groups have attacked DR Congo Armed
Forces (FARDC) in Chishadu, South-Kivu
Province, civil society
groups said. Civil society sources said the militia groups attacking the army
positions are suspected allies of Colonel Albert Kahasha, alias Foka Mike and
Maheshe, known for leading one of the most dangerous militia in the region. http://is.gd/96t2an
WORLD – UN passes historic arms trade treaty by huge
majority. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21998394
Burma –
The Burmese government should thoroughly investigate and hold accountable those
who incited and committed deadly violence in Meiktila in central Burma from March 20 to 22,
2013. Decisive government action to combat impunity, end discrimination,
and promote tolerance among religious groups is needed to end the tide of
attacks against Muslim communities. An estimated 40 people were killed and 61
wounded in the clashes between Muslims and majority Buddhists in Meiktila in
the Mandalay Region. http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/01/burma-satellite-images-detail-destruction-meiktila
Afghanistan
– In deadliest attack this year, Taliban storm Afghan courthouse and kill at
least 44. They were wearing Afghan army uniforms. [Other reports say more than
50 dead. April 3]
Afghanistan
– Six Afghans (four police and two civilians) killed by NATO airstrike in
Ghazni province. [April 4] http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/04/187741/6-afghans-killed-in-nato-airstrike.html
Afghanistan
– A car bomb killed five Americans, including three US soldiers and a diplomat. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/us-afghanistan-attack-zabul-idUSBRE93506820130407
Afghanistan
– Eleven children killed by NATO airstrike. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/us-afghanistan-civilians-idUSBRE93605920130407
Afghanistan
– Roadside bombs and insurgent attacks have killed 24 people. [April 17]
According to an Associated Press tally, 182 people have been killed in violence
around the nation this month. http://is.gd/kiplIN
Afghanistan
– Taliban attacks kill at least 24. [April 18] http://news.antiwar.com/2013/04/17/taliban-attacks-kill-at-least-24-in-afghanistan/
Afghanistan
– Thirty schoolgirls hit by suspected gas poisoning. [April 21] http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9107163068
Afghanistan
– Karzai attempts to curb CIA operations in his country. http://is.gd/yXeqFA
Afghanistan
– Civilian casualties on the rise. http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbint/342573440-civilian-casualties-in-afghanistan-on-the-rise
Syria
– March was deadliest month of Syrian war, as rebel deaths surged. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/01/187443/march-was-deadliest-month-of-syrian.html
Syria –
Six hundred individuals from 14 countries including the UK, Austria,
Spain, Sweden and Germany had taken part in the
conflict. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/03/syria-hundreds-jihadists-europe
Syria – Damascus rocked by suicide
bomber, killing 15 people. Another 53 people were wounded. [April 8] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/08/damascus-suicide-bomb
Syria –
Powerful Syrian rebel group merges with al Qaeda in Iraq to form new alliance. http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/10/powerful-syrian-rebel-group-merges-with-al-qaeda-in-iraq-to-form-new-alliance/
Syria
– Syrian Air Force is carrying out deliberate air strikes against civilians and
indiscriminate attack, says Human Rights Watch. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22098794
Syria – Israel fires shells into Golan
Heights in response to Syrian fire. [April 12]
Iraq and Syria – Al Qaeda in Iraq
is involved with the fighting in Syria,
and claims are made that Jabhat al Nusra is an extension of al Qaeda in Iraq. [April 10]
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/10/al-qaeda-s-syria-play.html
Syria
– More than 80 corpses found in Jdeydet al-Fadel after days of fighting. [April
21] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/04/2013421152010175448.html
Syria –
Assad forces retake town near Damascus,
and opposition group unveils new leader. [April 22. On April 24, other reports
say that Assad forces retake another town near Damascus.] http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/22/189358/assad-forces-retake-towns-near.html
Syria
– None of the rebels are a secular fighting force. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/world/middleeast/islamist-rebels-gains-in-syria-create-dilemma-for-us.html
Syria –
Car bomb goes off in Damascus
for the second day in a row. At least 13 have been killed. [And ten more were
killed yesterday. April 30] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22351172
Syria –
Hezbollah is helping Assad fight Syria uprising. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/30/hezbollah-syria-uprising-nasrallah
Palestine – Two teens shot
dead by Israel in occupied West Bank. [One was shot in the back. April 4] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22020736
Japan – Fukushima nuclear plant
leaking contaminated water. [And if the contaminated water is not going into
the sea, then it is going into the ground water.] http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/05/17622912-japans-fukushima-nuclear-plant-leaking-contaminated-water
Japan -
Reports of Fukushima
fallout harming US infants. http://enenews.com/abc-san-diego-alarming-report-of-u-s-infants-affected-by-fukushima-contamination-video
Iraq
– Deadly blast at Baquba political rally killed at least 22 people. [Other
reports say at least 29 killed. April 6] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22051123
Iraq –
British soldiers and airmen who helped to operate a secretive US detention facility in Baghdad
that was at the centre of some of the most serious human rights abuses to occur
in Iraq
after the invasion have, for the first time, spoken about abuses they witnessed
there. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/01/camp-nama-iraq-human-rights-abuses
Iraq
– Bomb attacks on mosques kill at least eleven. [April 12] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22128070
Iraq
– Another candidate for provincial elections killed, bringing the total number
of candidates killed to 14. http://dawn.com/2013/04/14/another-iraqi-polls-candidate-killed/
Iraq- Series of bomb blasts killed at least 42 people and
wounded more than 257. [April 15] http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/15/world/meast/iraq-violence
Iraq
– Bombings and attacks kill nine. Iraqi Government executes another 21 people.
[April 17] http://is.gd/FxvdlX
Iraq –
Suicide bomber kills 27 in Baghdad
café. [April 18] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22209841
Iraq
– Mosque blasts kill nine worshippers and wounded 29 more. [Other reports say
more than 35 killed. April 20] http://is.gd/onN87r
Iraq
– More than 20 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and
Sunni protesters. [Other reports put the number of dead at 44, and NYT was reporting
that there were several gun battles across Iraq in Sunni majority areas. April
23] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22261422
Iraq
– Iraqi soldiers opened fire from helicopters on Sunni gunmen hiding in a
northern village. [This keeps getting worse and worse. April 24] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/middleeast/with-air-attacks-sectarian-strife-intensifies-in-iraq.html
Iraq -
Police say 41 killed in clashes between "gunmen" and police in
northern city of Mosul.
Iraq's
prime minister appealed for calm following three days of violence that has left
more than 150 dead. [Gunman took over the town of Suleiman Beg, according to other news
reports. There were clashes in other Sunni areas in Iraq. One report says that 128 were
killed in the past two days. April 25] http://is.gd/kFl8Nn
Iraq – Soldiers backed by tanks retook control of a Sunni
town north of Baghdad after gunmen withdrew without a fight, although violence
erupted at three Sunni mosques and clerics called for the formation of a tribal
army to protect Sunni cities. [April 26] http://is.gd/BhIF94
Iraq –
Gunmen killed five army intelligence soldiers in two attacks west of Baghdad while others shot
dead five anti-Qaida militiamen north of the Iraqi capital. [April 27] http://is.gd/UxS9hE
Iraq
– Al Jazeera Banned over ‘sectarian bias’ in coverage. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/28/al-jazeera-banned-iraq-sectarian
Iraq
– Bombings in Shi’ite areas, killing at least 36. [April 29] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraq-officials-3-car-bombs-rock-shiite-cities-in-southern-iraq-killing-at-least-16/2013/04/29/72dd49ae-b0a0-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946_print.html
Iraq
– Bombing near Sunni mosque kills four. [April 30] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqi-officials-bombing-near-sunni-worshipers-near-mosque-in-baghdad-kills-4-wounds-20/2013/04/30/6785b982-b1c8-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946_story.html
Pakistan
– US drones kill four people
in North Waziristan. [April 14] http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/14/world/asia/pakistan-drone-strike/
Pakistan
– US drones kill five in South Waziristan. [April 18] http://news.antiwar.com/2013/04/17/us-drone-strike-kills-five-in-south-waziristan/
Pakistan
– Bomber on motorcycle kills 9. [April 30] http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/world/bomber-on-motorcycle-kills-9-during-rush-hour-in-pakistan-685683/
Egypt
– Five die in Christian-Muslim clashes. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/06/us-egypt-clashes-idUSBRE93503A20130406
Libya
– The second anniversary of NATO's intervention on the side of the Libyan
rebels and against Muammar Gaddafi passed with scarcely a mention by foreign
governments and media who were so concerned about the security and human rights
of the Libyan people in 2011. This should be no surprise, since Libya today is
visibly falling apart as a country and Libyans are at the mercy of militiamen
who prey on those whom they formerly claimed to protect.
Libya
– UN says that Libyan weapons are spread to more than 12 countries, fueling
conflicts and violence. [April 9] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/un-panel-libyan-weapons-are-spreading-at-an-alarming-rate-to-new-areas-and-fueling-conflicts/2013/04/09/23166e90-a174-11e2-bd52-614156372695_story.html
Libya –
French embassy hit by car bomb in Tripoli.
[April 23] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22260856
Libya - Armed
men in trucks with anti-aircraft guns mounted on them occupied the Libyan
Justice Ministry in Tripoli
forcing ministry staff to leave. This comes as the nation's Foreign Ministry
remains under siege for a third straight day. [April 30] http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/30/world/africa/libya-unrest/index.html
South Sudan – Five UN
troops and seven civilians killed by an ambush by rebels. [April 9] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22080224
Mali –
Refugees in Mauritania
are living in appalling conditions. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22117712
Jordan –
US deploys 200 troops to Jordan
over Syria
war. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gDsDW2CbfeUxP9Krh30Ym6I34FJA
Venezuela
– Protests turn deadly, as Maduro accuses opposition of coup plot. Seven killed
so far. [Election results recognized by all countries in North and South
America except the USA.
April 16] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/16/nicolas-maduro-accuses-opposition-coup-protest
Yemen – US drones kill
five al Qaeda suspects. [April 19] http://news.antiwar.com/2013/04/17/us-drone-strike-kills-five-aqap-suspects-in-yemen/
Yemen
– Five killed and others injured in clashes between pro-government armed
popular committees and armed tribesmen in southern Abyan governorate. [April
20] http://is.gd/Iaeqj6
Yeman – Effects of a drone strike on a remote village. [This
writer also spoke to a US Senate committee on April 22. He is a very
compelling. Drone strike on April 17] http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/yemen-village-drone-attack-wessab.html
Yemen – US drone kills
two suspected al Qaeda militants. It is the third suspected US drone strike in less than a week in Yemen. [April
21] http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/21/us-yemen-violence-idUSBRE93K03420130421
Bahrain
– Protest draws tens of thousands out to the streets ahead of Grand Prix. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22212896
Israel
– Bulldozers flatten Bedouin village 49 times. http://is.gd/z4vKOk
Nigeria –
At least 187 people killed in Nigeria
violence, per the Red Cross. [Fighting is between soldiers and Islamic militants.
Civilians are the victims. April 23] http://is.gd/hjqDNF
Nigeria –
An attack Thursday in restive northern Nigeria where suspected Islamists
stormed a police station and stole nearly $60,000 from a bank killed 20
insurgents and five officers. [April 26] http://is.gd/kNdSKu
Nigeria
– Fighting leaves at least 17 dead. [April 30] http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000179915
Turkey –
Kurdish rebels to withdraw form Turkey.
There is a peace drive between Ankara
and the rebel movement. http://is.gd/ZuPk12
CAR – Twenty killed, 480 houses razed in Central African Republic
attack by militants of Seleka, which seized power on March 24. [April 24] http://is.gd/cFCcto
No comments:
Post a Comment