President Bush refuses to rule out military action in response to Iran’s renewed nuclear operations. “As I say, all options are on the table. The use of force is the last option for any president and you know, we’ve used… Read moreUS, EU at odds on Iran military option; Caspian oil route in background
World oil prices briefly fell in response to the 7-7 attacks in London, but now they are once again soaring to unprecedented heights. Reports Reuters Friday Aug 12: Crude oil prices raced to record highs, touching $67 a barrel Friday… Read moreOil at record high; mullahs mull embargo
Bush’s recess appointment of John Bolton may put an end to controversy concerning a frightening revelation to emerge from his confirmation hearings—the extent of warrantless eavesdropping on US citizens by the government. Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Chatter: Dispatches from… Read moreBolton appointment reveals NSA snooping
The apparent reality that a mock bombing drill on the London Underground was scheduled for the morning of 7-7 has got the conspiranoids seeing patterns. They also point to Pentagon terror drills on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 (see… Read moreConspiranoids: nuclear attack imminent
It has gone largely unnoticed in all the coverage of Iran’s resumed nuclear fuel enrichment operations, but an official statement issued by the Islamic republic at the emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna Aug. 9… Read moreIran issues anti-nuke fatwa
Recent optimism on reducing tensions between India and Pakistan is tempered by Pakistan’s Aug. 10 test-firing of its first ground-launched nuclear-capable Cruise Missile Hatf VII Babur, with a range of 500 kilometers. The military said that with the “successful test,… Read morePakistan test-fires cruise missile; strategic re-alignment on subcontinent?
In a London Times opinion piece Aug. 11, “Muslims unite! A new Reformation will bring your faith into the modern era,” author Salman Rushdie begins by applauding Sir Iqbal Sacranie, head of the Muslim Council of Britain, for admitting that… Read moreSalman Rushdie calls for “Islamic Reformation”
Kosovo’s Albanian-led interim regime has issued a “Plan B” for administrative decentralization following the recent rejection of the original pilot project by local Serb leaders. Kosovo’s minister for local self-government, Lutfi Haziri, said Serb objections had been taken into account,… Read moreKosovo still divided; more bodies unearthed
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Newsline reports Aug. 10 that three opposition parties—the Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, and a wing of the Socialist Party—issued a statement protesting limitations on freedom of the press in Tajikistan. The statement said that “political… Read morePress crackdown in Tajikistan
The Washington Post reports Aug. 8 that the Pentagon “has devised its first-ever war plans for guarding against and responding to terrorist attacks in the United States, envisioning 15 potential crisis scenarios and anticipating several simultaneous strikes around the country,… Read moreWashington Post: Northern Command to lead domestic terror response
Cindy Sheehan of California, mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan, killed in action in Baghdad, April 4, 2004, has written an open letter to George Bush, and is currently maintaining a vigil at the gates of Bush’s ranch in Crawford, TX,… Read moreBush snubs mom of slain soldier
Iran has resumed operations at its Isfahan plant to enrich uranium ore for reactor fuel. The plant will convert yellowcake, or uranium ore, into uranium hexafluoride gas to be fed into centrifuges for uranium enrichment in the still-closed neighboring Natanz… Read moreHalliburton tied to Iran nuke program?
