The Government’s Winning the Drug War

Kevin Carson on the objective of the ‘War on Drugs’ having little to do with lifestyle and all to do with perpetual war.

‘Militants’ Today, Cops Tomorrow in Afghanistan

Kabul today announced it plans to replace U.S. militant contractors with Afghan militants. Jack Rice—criminal defense attorney, journalist and former C.I.A. analyst—discussed why he doesn’t expect U.S. military contractors out of Afghanistan soon. He stressed that Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s puppet status, the size of the corporate force machine occupying the country and political motivations igniting recent Newspeak at RT, yesterday evening (6:13):

‘Dozens’ of American Citizens Maybe Targeted for Assassination by Obama Administration

Glenn Greenwald was on “The Dylan Ratigan Show” at MSNBC discussing the Obama Administration’s extension of the previous administration’s extrajudicial assassination program to include citizens of the U.S. (h/t: Scott Horton – 3:28):

Stephen Walt on the Israel Lobby (Video)

Harvard University Professor Stephen Walt, co-writer of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy with Professor John Mearsheimer, was recently on the Pakistani program ‘Washington Report”. The episode was posted in four parts, but the first is an introduction completely in Urdu, so we’re just posting the last three parts—the interview itself.

He discusses the impact of The Lobby, which “ties one hand behind America’s back”, on its role in “how American foreign policy works”—ignorant of “the fact is that unconditional support for Israel isn’t good for the United States” and “probably not even good for Israel”. He also discusses the  “foolish” self-defeating nature of the Obama Adminsitration’s motivation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Prof. Walt is a truly independent amoral Realpolitik theorist, one of the most compelling and informative political scientists of our time.

Part One (7:27):

Obama Administration Escalates International Terrorism Ahead of Offensive to ‘Prevent International Terrorism’

Leading into a massive assault on the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, the Obama Administration is ‘winning hearts and minds’ in Afghanistan and Pakistan with increased drone strikes and night raids.

U.S.-Backed Kyrgyzstan Government Steps Down Following Massive Disobedience

The opposition movement claims the Parliament has been dissolved and over 100 are dead at the hands of Kyrgyz police. The government claims the amount is around 40. Reportedly, the main cause for the opposition is the corrupt, dictatorial government’s high taxation blocking the marketplace and skyrocketing utility bills. Al Jazeera’s Robin Forestier-Walker, reporting from Bishkek, said Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the country’s president, has now fled the capital and relocated to the country’s south (5:43):

Prisoner Abuse Continues in Afganistan at U.S. Military ‘Black Jail’

The U.S. Special Operation Forces continues to detain prisoners in torture centers in Afghanistan and disallowing them access to the Red Cross. Rachel Maddow’s summary at msnbc – 30 Nov 09 (1:30):

Kucinich: Afghanistan is Also War Against the American People Through Tax Theft (Video)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Fmr. Sen. Rick Santorum on “On the Record” at FOX News discussing the prolonged Afghan occupation, which will be announced by President Barack Obama tonight. Mr. Kucinich does a good job of smashing down the ‘those on the left-those on the right’ stupid-people rhetoric – 27 Nov 09 (6:28):

Joya: Surge Only Magnifies Crime Against Afghanistan

Malalai Joya on the Obama Administration’s coming Afghan Surge to escalate the U.S.-led occupation.

Jeramy Scahill on Blackwater’s Covert War in Pakistan (Video)

Jeremy Scahill, leading journalist on Blackwater/Xe, broke the story at The Nation. He discussed it at Democracy Now! and on “Morning Joe” at msnbc this morning (8:05):

Obama Passes on the ‘Four Options’ to Increase Troops in Afghanistan

The options on the table before the Obama Administration War Cabinet all involved escalating the occupation by as many as 80,000 troops. The president wants other options as he continues dithering.

‘Taliban’ Using U.S. Weapons ‘Fallen Behind’

“Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive footage showing the Taliban in Afghanistan displaying what appears to be U.S. weapons. The fighters say they seized the arms cache from two U.S. outposts in eastern Nuristan province. Days after the alleged assault, the U.S. military pulled out its troops from the area,” Jonah Hull reports (1:50):

Pak President on Refugees: ‘Fault Lays’ With Them, ‘Suffering Could Serve Useful Purpose’

Seymour Hersh’s most recent article features a sick peek into the mind of a relatively honest president and explores the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

U.K. Ambassador: Renditioned Detainees ‘Raped With Broken Bottles’ in ‘Soviet-Style Gulags’

The U.S. and U.K made extensive use of Uzbekistan’s the torture regime in its extraordinary rendition program, Craig Murray says, exporting interrogations to a country that “left the Soviet Union in order to maintain the Soviet system” of Gulag oppression.

‘Mafialike’ C.I.A. Asset: Hamid Wali Noriega

The New York Times reports the opium-profiteering brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai is on the C.I.A. payroll.