IRAQ - Ezzat al-Douri Killing

Why It Doesn’t Matter if Iraq’s Ezzat al-Douri Was Killed (Video) Posted on Apr 18, 2015 By Juan Cole http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_it_doesnt_matter_if_iraqs_ezzat_al-douri_was_killed_video_20150418 SUMMARY Ezzat al-Douri = first high Baath Party official to turn to a religious group as a power base strategy common after 2003 US invasion Baath Party was founded by Christians & was militantly secular often persecuting religious groups & parties al-Douri = patron of Naqshbandi Sufi order in Mosul Sufism = mystical part Sunni tradition diff to Wahhabi-influenced Salafi al-Douri said to be behind “Men of the Naqshbandi” effective fighters against US + Shia in North Iraq Mosul Iraq Naqshbandis = one of groups that allied itself w. ISIL vs Shiite army ISIL stabbed Naqshbandis in the back Iraq Mosul ISIL Salafism offshoot screwed over new allies by arresting leading Naqshbandi figures & ex-Baathist ones USA method of eliminating heads of militant orgs has not worked on Taliban or in Iraq; partly b/c clan-led republics Iraq Taliban Leader elimination ineffective b/c when one leader is killed, his cousin just steps in Iraq Taliban Other reason eliminating leaders not effective: religion Religious charisma transferable (according to article) That Ezzat al-Douri may have been killed is not important He was old [& interchangeable {by sound of article}] Iraq by destroying the Baath govt of Iraq, Bush admin made vacuum of power & culture filld by religious forms of resistance Iraq Iraqi Sunnis were among more secular people in Middle East author says: desperation drove them to religious revolt. Really enjoyed this article. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ba'ath Party The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party political party founded in Syria Al-Ba'ath or Ba'ath meaning "renaissance" or "resurrection" ideology mixing Arab nationalist, pan-Arabism, Arab socialist and anti-imperialist interests. Ba'athism calls for unification of the Arab world into a single state. [Wikipedia]

Ukraine - Roger Annis Articles - Socialist & Russian Perspectives

UKRAINE ROGER ANNIS - http://links.org.au/node/4057 Source for blogger remarks/tweets below is the above writer & article. #Ukraine govt is same group of representatives of Ukraine’s economic elite that in power when the previous *elected* President unseated! >> "only change has been the banning of the large Communist Party contingent" [Annis] ... and now PURGE civil servants Fascism & Ukraine Economic Elite The president of the country was elected in May, but the country’s parliament is the same group of representatives of Ukraine’s economic elite that was in power when the previous, elected president was overthrown in February of this year. The only change has been the banning of the large Communist Party contingent. This is one of the many, new measures against freedom of expression (inspired by Europe!) that have accompanied the war in the east, including the new law which authorises police to shoot on sight anyone suspected of conducting “separatist” activity, killings of journalists and harassment of news outlets. Above extract from:  http://links.org.au/node/4057 Amazing article by Roger Annis -- check it out! #Ukraine ................................   ................................ ROGER ANNIS - BORIS KAGARLITSKY   http://www.rogerannis.com/ukraines-uprising-against-nato-neoliberals-and-oligarchs-an-interview-with-boris-kagarlitsky/ Boris Kagarlitsky on #Ukraine >> http://goo.gl/56pLJo  >> #EU Assoc Agreementt "crux of it is about closing down most of Ukrainian industry" Even under Yanukovych >> "Nato had already announced a tender for building its headquarters in Sevastopol" [Kagarlitsky] - !! Oligarchic rule, like a feudal country: #Poroshenko got the majority in the elections b/c those who opposed coup were not allowed to run!! #EU / West capitalists eye #Ukraine cheap labour (10,000 mobile unemployed) to undermine welfare states in the West!! #Ukraine - West supported Yanukovych but switched to supporting his adversaries!! .. once system collapsed, millions of ppl out of control #Poroshenko "spent x3 more money than everyone else put together, & it seems that he also bought the electoral committees." Kagarlitsky So the #EU open borders is designed for West / capitalists to exploit a mobile labour force & to undermine the welfare state. Narodnoe Opolcheniye or Opolchenie = people's (volunteer) militia >> First Narodnoe Opolcheniye, formed 1611 during Russo-Polish War 1605–18 >> Nothing's changed since 1600s .. Polish–Lith C'wealth, private armies & mercenaries led by the magnates (aristocracy) !!! >Hey, Carl was there, too >> "#Sweden also participated in the conflict during the course of the Ingrian War (1610–1617)" wikipedia ................................   ................................ COMMENT This guy is amazing.   Loved his article about Ukraine.