IRAQ - ISLAMIC STATE - ISIS - KURDS - SINJAR

TWITTER New Yorker link - here.

Noticed this appears to be Carnegie Endowment retweeted.

Imagine Carnegie Endowment aren't friends of Palestine.

Carnegie Endowment is a foreign policy 'think tank'.  Would you believe they've got a Moscow centre?

Don't know about these NGOs (or is it a GO ... haven't checked funding).  Who would want foreign influence in their countries?

Sinjar is a town on the Iraq-Syria border.

Like what's happening anywhere else in the world changes what's happened in Gaza!

Gaza's like shooting fish in a bucket.

Sinjar's either Iraq or Kurd.

ISIS has a fair bit of weaponry by the sound of it.  Hey, they've also changed their name, I think.  Now they're the Isamic State, as far as I know.

The New Yorker writes:

Yesterday, a senior U.S. official told me that the Obama Administration is contemplating an airlift, coördinated with the United Nations, of humanitarian supplies by C-130 transport planes to the Yazidis hiding in the Sinjar mountains. There are at least twenty thousand and perhaps as many as a hundred thousand of them, including some peshmerga militiamen providing a thin cover of protection.  The U.N. has reported that dozens of children have died of thirst in the heat. ISIS controls the entrance to the mountains. Iraqi helicopters have dropped some supplies, including food and water, but the refugees are hard to find and hard to reach.

ISIS rolls over local forces and consolidates power. ISIS is not Al Qaeda. It operates like an army, taking territory, creating a state. The aim of the Sinjar operation seems to be control of the Mosul Dam, the largest dam in Iraq, which provides electricity to Mosul, Baghdad, and much of the country. According to one expert, if ISIS takes the dam, which is located on the Tigris River, it would have the means to put Mosul under thirty metres of water, and Baghdad under five.

One way to protect the innocent and hurt those who are terrorizing them would be for the U.S. to launch air strikes on ISIS positions. That option has been discussed within the administration since the fall of Mosul, in June, but it runs against President Obama’s foreign-policy tendencies. “The President’s first instinct is, ‘Let’s help them to do it,’ ” the official told me. “The minute we do something, it changes the game.” This time, unlike in Syria, it isn’t hard to figure out how to “help them to do it”: send arms to the Kurds, America’s only secular-minded, pluralistic Muslim allies in the region, and the only force in the area with the means and the will to protect thousands of lives.  

It seems delusional to imagine that there is such a thing as an Iraqi central government that should be given priority over stopping ISIS and preventing a massacre. That dream of the American project in Iraq is gone. But perhaps the Obama Administration is being more realistic. Yesterday, I also learned that the U.S. is, in fact, sending arms to the Kurds—just not openly. This was even more welcome news, though it’s too bad that the weapons didn’t reach the peshmerga in time to defend Sinjar. The U.S. Joint Operation Center in Erbil is helping peshmerga ground troops and the Iraqi air force to coordinate attacks on ISIS, providing intelligence from the sky. It’s a breakthrough that the Kurds and the Iraqis are cooperating at all. “For the moment,” the senior official said. “And it could all fall apart, because it’s lightning in a bottle.”

*Yazidi is Kurdish people linked to Zoroastrianism.  I think Zoroastrianism was the original faith in Iran (Persia).  How cool's that!  Didn't think there were any beyond India, where they fled to centuries ago, I think it was.  Find them interesting.

That sounds pretty full on.

If ISIS/IS operate as an army, what do al-Qaeda do?

It would seem odd to overtake territory and then to just leave it, which I'm guessing is what happens.

CIA CHIEF JOHN BRENNAN

Under fire, CIA chief has key ally By Julian Hattem and Amie Parnes - 08/06/14 06:00 AM EDT ... Brennan was considered Obama’s first choice to lead the CIA in late 2008. But soon after winning the presidency, the left revolted over comments from Brennan that seemed to show his support for “enhanced interrogation” practices, such as waterboarding. The 25-year CIA veteran was subsequently named the president’s counterterrorism adviser, a position that did not need Senate confirmation and had him working out of a windowless office in the White House basement. While it might not have come with the prestige of leading the country’s most recognizable spy agency, being able to work feet from the Oval Office helped cement his relationship with Obama, Lowenthal said. “People used to say he had more access to the president than the [director of national intelligence] or the head of the CIA did,” he said. “They worked very closely together for all those years before the president sent John to Langley.” In addition to Obama, multiple former officials told The Hill that Brennan has another close ally in Denis McDonough, who is now Obama’s chief of staff. The second senior administration official said it was always clear how much McDonough “really, really loved Brennan.” “They’re cut from the same cloth, in terms of no drama and no theatrics,” the source added. “There’s a lot of mutual respect in the abilities of the other … which is why last week was so shocking.” Obama reportedly used to refer to the trio of Brennan, McDonough and Tom Donilon — who served as national security adviser when McDonough was his deputy — as the “grim Irishmen.” Brennan has often come across as a brusque, dour, no-nonsense figure, yet he has gained a number of acolytes in the intelligence community and the White House. In a 2012 interview with The Washington Post, Brennan said he was rejected by the Bush administration — which he left in 2005 to work for a private contractor before joining Obama’s campaign — “because I was not seen as someone who was a team player.” “I’m probably not a team player here, either,” he added, referring to the Obama administration. “I tend to do what I think is right. But I find much more comfort, I guess, in the views and values of this president.” Brennan finally got his shot at the CIA last year, after a sex scandal led to former director, Gen. David Petraeus’s resignation. While announcing the nomination in January 2013, Obama called Brennan “one of my closest advisers” and “a great friend.” http://thehill.com/policy/technology/214433-under-fire-cia-chief-has-key-ally

CIA Chief, John Brennan:

Looks kinda mean.

Raised North Bergen, New Jersey.

A former FBI director (Louis Freeh) came out of  North Bergen ... as did Ice-T! 

I'm more familiar with Cocoa and Ice-T than I am with Freeh.
Freeh sounds like he had an interesting FBI time (long list dealings) before bowing out to practice law.

Likely favours 'enhanced interrogation' techniques (see snowboarding waterboarding).

Brusque (abrupt).
Dour (severe; stern), no nonsense (no fun).
Does his own thing.  Not a team player.

On the plus side:

No drama.
No theatrics.

I'm not much of a team player either, so maybe that should go in the 'plus' section. :)

Torture's probably part of the job, so you can't hold that against him.  Or can you?  What if the subject has no information?  That's really mean.  Real torture, as opposed to a bit of kinky fun, isn't nice.

If torture's part of the job, maybe they should just run a PR campaign to improve the image of torturing suspects?

No way do I believe that he's there simply because of Obama, because I don't believe that any head of government calls the shots alone.

*Brennan was first to acknowledge CIA drone attacks:    "... in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan, and elsewhere."

What?  I thought that was in the military sphere rather than the spy/security domain.

He made a case for the morality, effectiveness and legality of the drone attacks.  But of course.  Like he was going to argue the opposite.

Bystanders killed by drones are 'collateral deaths'.

Brennan said 2011 there had been a single 'collateral death ' ... Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) called him out on that claim.  BIJ research indicates otherwise (76 deaths).  [*HEY, IT'S THE 'FOURTH COLUMN'! -- the Chris Woods, Bureau of Investigative Journalism article - here]

Wikipedia:

The Atlantic has been harsher in its criticism, saying that "Brennan has been willing to lie about those drone strikes to hide ugly realities."

And the Wikipedia on this dude gets more interesting:

Morris Davis, a former Chief Prosecutor for the Guantanamo Military Commissions compared Brennan to Canadian Omar Khadr, who was convicted of "committing murder in violation of the law of war".  He suggested that Brennan's role in targeting individuals for CIA missile strikes was no more authorized than the throwing of the grenade Khadr was accused of.

Hey, I'm glad I looked.  Wasn't going to bother because I didn't even think the head of CIA would have a listing online.  LOL.

Hey, if this stuff is the stuff online, imagine the stuff we don't even know about!!!

Looks like the only one who had anything to say about the Brennan appointment was Kentucky senator Rand Paul:

... citing President Barack Obama and his administration's use of combat drones, stating “No one politician should be allowed to judge the guilt, to charge an individual, to judge the guilt of an individual and to execute an individual. It goes against everything that we fundamentally believe in our country."

 Needless to say, Rand Paul got overruled.  Got in by senate vote @ 63-34.


Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough:

Looks friendly.

Most likely a team player (one of 11 children!).

McDonough was pushing for Brennan and Chuck Hagel to get onboard the security.

Republicans seem to like him because he consults with them.

*** Could this guy be a mover and shaker?



US Secretary of Defence, Chuck Hagel:

Looks really friendly.

Vietnam vet.

A professor at Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service(SFS) - Catholic affiliation + Georgetown Uni, Washington  - a US and international diplomat school and 'global affairs' school.

• Madeline Albright did a stint there, as did a former CIA director and some foreigners.
• School went from 'diplomacy and law' aims to 'research and teaching of global affairs'.
• Faculty members include Albright and Chuck Hagel.
• Supposedly one of the best in world surveys (surveys are just tools for manipulating ppl or taking a punt in business and marketing)
• Qatar financed the opening of branch of SFS in Qatar.

 So is this like a US brainwashing on foreign affairs school?

Tom Donilon

Tom Donilon, former National Security Adviser Obama administration.

"Former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group".
 Isn't Bilderberg some kinda 'cult'? LOL

Worked under Clinton Administration and was involved in "negotiating the Bosnian peace agreement and the expansion of NATO".

Negotiations probably went something like this:  do as we say or we bomb you.

Donilon's the Afghan Man ... he worked out the 'strategy' for Afghanistan, whatever that might be (see Obama wars).

Might have rubbed up the National Security Council people the wrong way.  Looks like he didn't appreciate their hard work or something.

Wanted China to do something about hacking (cyber attack and commercial espionage?).

Donilon was also the Bin Laden Man -- he was National Security advisor when Bin Laden was killed.

Donilon is a fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations.

His brother's a lawyer of Joe Biden.  His (lawyer) wife was chief of staff to Biden's missus (the 'second lady' (Biden being the vice pres).

Sounds all cosy in Washington.

After all checking, I've lost track of the point of the article that got me interested in this stuff.

Actually, I don't think there was a point.  Obama likes him.  ... So what?


................................................................................
 Sources:

Unless otherwise indicated, data sourced from Wikipedia.

Propaganda - Goebbel's Principles

PROPAGANDA GOEBBEL'S PRINCIPLES Hitler's Basic Principles These principles are abstracted from Jowett & O'Donnell.     Avoid abstract ideas - appeal to the emotions.     Constantly repeat just a few ideas. Use stereotyped phrases.     Give only one side of the argument.     Continuously criticize your opponents.     Pick out one special "enemy" for special vilification. Propaganda must label events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans.     They must evoke responses which the audience previously possesses.     They must be capable of being easily learned.     They must be utilized again and again, but only in appropriate situations.     They must be boomerang-proof. SOURCE - http://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo/Propaganda/goebbels.html ................................................................. Should be a fun game picking off phrases and slogans. 'Boomerang proof' must be the final step, when everyone's sucked up the smear campaign, and they're ready to believe anything by virtue of the subject being the personification of 'evil'. Hey, check this out: Bush Copied Hitler’s Propaganda Technique The “preventive war” propaganda used by President Bush to justify his attack on Iraq in 2003 copied that used by Hitler when he invaded Russia in 1941. Starting a preventive war was a foundation of the “Bush Doctrine.” David Walsh, a contributor to the World Socialist Web Site, writes in a new book that the Nazi regime asked the German press to portray Hitler’s invasion of Soviet Russia as a “preventive war” that was “forced” on Germany. Walsh adds this propaganda tactic “did not originate with (George W.) Bush, (Dick) Cheney, or (Donald) Rumsfeld.” It was used by Hitler. ... [the media] long ago abandoned any sense of responsibility for educating and informing the public or carrying out the critical democratic function traditionally assigned to the ‘Fourth Estate’, i.e., serving as a watchdog and check on government abuses and falsifications.” Walsh goes on to say that, “Instead it (the media) slavishly carries out the function assigned it by the ruling elite: to confuse, terrorize and intimidate the American public.” He explains how the TV networks and major dailies “are the prime source of news and information for tens of millions of people in the U.S” and are “in the hands of giant firms, controlled by fabulously wealthy individuals who will stop at nothing to defend their profits and property. The corpses of thousands, or, if necessary, millions of Iraqis, Syrians, Iranians and others are a small price to pay, as far as the media billionaires are concerned, for achieving American military and economic domination of the globe.” [Source - VeteransToday - here] ................................................................. So are Obama's bosses planning on using the Hitler-GWBush technique on Russia? Check out what David Walsh has to say about media ownership and how the media's used by the elite. Think he might have a point. edit:  oops.   Looks like I forgot link the VeteransToday article those extracts are from.  Linked to article today (Sept 2015).

US - CORPORATE IMPERIALISM - AFRICA

Getty Images Blurb & Pic President And Mrs. Obama Host White House Dinner For US-Africa Leaders Summit By Chip Somodevilla (GETTY) – 5 minutes ago WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 05: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) talks with former President Jimmy Carter during a dinner on the occassion of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on the South Lawn of the White House August 5, 2014 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama is promoting business relationships between the United States and African countries during the three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, where 49 heads of state are meeting in Washington http://www.google.com/hostednews/getty/article/ALeqM5gdC9kehjCB6lopysJOLS7JIPFnYQ?docId=453229576

Awkward.
Wonder if Kerry and Jimmy Carter had a chat about Palestine?

The only thing Obama's promoting is US enrichment and advantage from Africa.  LOL

At US-Africa summit, Obama announces $33 billion in new commitments to Africa By Julie Pace Associated Press Tuesday, Aug 5, 2014 The bulk of the commitments came from private-sector companies, including Coca-Cola and General Electric, underscoring Africa’s growing appeal to businesses. The continent is home to six of the world’s fastest-growing economies and a rapidly expanding middle class with increased spending power. Yet Obama noted that U.S. trade with the African continent is about the same as its trade ties with Brazil and that just about one percent of U.S. exports go to sub-Saharan Africa. “We’ve got to do better, much better,” he said during closing remarks at a daylong session that brought together U.S. and African politicians and business leaders. “I want Africans buying more American products and I want Americans buying more African products. The U.S. is hardly alone in seeing economic potential in Africa, with China, Europe and India moving aggressively to tap into Africa’s growing markets. China in particular is hungry for oil, coal and other resources and is eager to develop the roads, bridges and ports needed to pull them out of Africa. “We also realize we have some catching up to do,” said Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and billionaire businessman who opened the summit Tuesday. “We are letting Europe and China go faster than the U.S.” Obama has sought to cast the U.S. as a better partner for African nations than China, arguing that his administration has a long-term interest in the continent’s success and is not simply seeking to extract resources for its own purposes.  [Aaww, he's wooing Africa's potential for the US.] ... About 100 U.S. companies were represented at Tuesday’s conference. Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry also addressed the attendees, as did former President Bill Clinton, who declared that the U.S. has “only barely scratched the surface” of Africa’s economic potential.   [More.  Gimme more.] In conjunction with the meeting, U.S. companies announced $14 billion in investments for Africa. Among them: a $5 billion investment from Coca-Cola to fund manufacturing lines and production equipment; $2 billion investment from GE by 2018; $200 million in investments across Africa by Marriott, and a $66 million commitment by IBM to provide technology services to Ghana’s Fidelity Bank. The White House also touted another $12 billion in new commitments for Obama’s Power Africa initiative from the private sector, World Bank and the government of Sweden. Obama announced the Power Africa initiative last summer, setting a goal of expanding electricity access to at least 20 million new households and commercial entities. The president said that with the new financial commitments, he was boosting that goal to 60 million homes and businesses. Obama also announced $7 billion in new government financing to promote U.S. exports to and investments in Africa. That includes $3 billion in financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank aimed at supporting American exports to Africa over the next two years. The Ex-Im Bank is at the center of a political controversy in Washington, with some Republicans seeking to shutter the bank and threatening to block its reauthorization when Congress returns from recess this fall. The GOP lawmakers seeking to shut down the bank argue that its spending is politically motivated and unnecessary. GE CEO Jeff Immelt, who was among the business leaders participating in Tuesday’s summit, appealed to Congress to renew the bank’s charter, saying its existence signals to other countries that the U.S. government believes in investing overseas. “The fact that we have to sit here and argue for it is just wrong,” Immelt said. Obama also signed an executive order Tuesday creating an advisory committee comprised of private sector representatives who will advise the White House on ways to boost economic ties with Africa. http://beta.mirror.augusta.com/news/business/2014-08-05/us-africa-summit-obama-announces-33-billion-new-commitments-africa?v=1407275383

$14 billion in investments for Africa

• $5 billion investment from Coca-Cola to fund manufacturing lines and production equipment
• $2 billion investment from GE by 2018

• $200 million in investments across Africa by Marriot
• $66 million commitment by IBM (technology services) to Ghana’s Fidelity Bank
• $12 billion extra for Obama’s Power Africa initiative*

  (*from the private sector, World Bank and the government of Sweden [Sweden's corporate fat cats have got drilling licenses in Africa.])

• $7 billion new govt financing (promo U.S. exports + investments in Africa.)

(includes $3 billion in financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank aimed at supporting American exports to Africa over the next two years)

Look how tight the US is with Sweden.  They're raiding Africa together.  LOL.

All these big corporations aren't putting money into Africa because they're wanna-help-nice-guys; Africa has what they want -- and they don't want China, India and Europe getting ahead of them in the moolah (+ resources, strategic advantage etc) stakes in Africa and it's all about ... erm, ... tapping into Africa's markets. 

'Power Africa' initiative is just another way to exert influence in Africa and keep a hold on investments.

Lenin would probably call this imperialism. 

So this is a corporate imperialist race to grab resources, markets and to wield influence in Africa, for the enrichment of the corporate elite.

Don't know why the Republican's are whining about the Export-Import Bank; they'd be first to finance export/import etc - it's right down their alley.

Get a load of the 'advisory committee comprised of private sector representatives' that Obama's signed off on.  LOL  That's who runs the White House then.  

US - JEN PSAKI - GAZA - US JUSTIFIES ISRAEL KILLING OF PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS

NEW YORK POST ARTICLE Egging Hamas on By Post Editorial Board August 5, 2014 Note to John Kerry: If America is serious about protecting innocent Palestinians, get your State Department to stop encouraging Hamas to use them as human shields. This was the inadvertent effect of spokeswoman Jan Psaki’s remarks Sunday. ... FULL @ SOURCE http://nypost.com/2014/08/05/egging-hamas-on/

COMMENT

So what happened to the Israeli 'Iron Dome' ... is it on the blink?

Psaki is just providing the Israelis with the same 'excuse' for kill Palestinian civilians.

Don't know that I'd take anything Jen Psaki's got to say about Hamas as gospel.

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Here's Jen Psaki briefing the press on behalf of the US State Department -- but the brief is full of holes and based on 'evidence' that does not stand up to examination of the FACTS:

YouTube

Psaki: “Masters of saying one thing & doing another.” 28 July 2014 (Ukraine)

Published on 28 Jul 2014

Jen Psaki, State Department Spokesperson.
U.S. Department of State - Daily Briefing: July.28.2014
... 28 July - The US government has been desperate to produce information to back up its claims, but it would not release important information in such an unprofessional way if it was true, the head of the Institute for Political Economy Paul Craig Roberts told RT.

On July 27 the US State Department released satellite images via email “proving” that Russia was firing rockets at Ukrainian troops across the border. The images were posted on Twitter by the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt. The four-page document, titled 'Evidence of Russian Shelling into Ukraine,' contains four satellite images, all dating between July 21 and July 25/26. The slides were prepared by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and have a short description.
Read more: http://rt.com/op-edge/176072-us-image...

Source - ARKANAR (YouTube) - here.

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RT NEWS ARTICLE

‘Wrong time, altered images’: Moscow slams Kiev’s MH17 satellite data

Published time: August 01, 2014 10:27
Edited time: August 03, 2014 16:11 

Satellite images Kiev published as ‘proof’ it didn’t deploy anti-aircraft batteries around the MH17 crash site carry altered time-stamps and are from days after the MH17 tragedy, the Russian Defense Ministry has revealed.

The images, which Kiev claims were taken by its satellites at the same time as those taken by Russian satellites, are neither Ukrainian nor authentic, according to Moscow's statement.

The Defense Ministry said the images were apparently made by an American KeyHole reconnaissance satellite, because the two Ukrainian satellites currently in orbit, Sich-1 and Sich-2, were not positioned over the part of Ukraine’s Donetsk Region shown in the pictures.

Moscow claims weather and lighting conditions in the images were not possible at the dates and times Ukraine claims they were made, the Russian ministry said.

At least one of the images published by Ukraine shows signs of being altered by an image editor, the statement added. 

...

FULL @ SOURCE

SOURCE - RT NEWS - HERE.

 RT NEWS VIDEO

SOURCE - RT NEWS - HERE.

Kiev's (SBU secret services) evidence does not hold up to examination of FACTS. 

So it's fake.  LOL

I'm inclined to believe everything coming out of the US is FAKE.

 ......................................................................................

SBU - The Security Service of Ukraine (Sluzhba Bezpeky Ukrayiny), or SBU, is Ukraine's special purpose law enforcement agency and main government security agency in a sphere of counter-intelligence activity and combating terrorism. [wikipedia]

Sounds like the Ukraine SBU should be renamed 'The Propaganda Ministry'.

LITHUANIA - Who's Running Russia?

Vladimir Putin’s pyramid of rule: Who really governs Russia? Dr. Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Marius Laurinavičius, Vytautas Keršanskas Monday, August 4, 2014 In Lithuania and in the West, Putin's system of rule is still often described as a monolith pyramid. In the eyes of society, Putin manages to present himself as an irreplaceable leader-statesman (‘tsar’, according to the West), solely making key decisions. But such an understanding of ruling processes in Russia is one of the main mistakes which prevents from obtaining a deeper insight into the regime's origins and foundations. What is a ‘collective Putin’? “The Russian authorities do not comprise a strict vertical structure, ruled by one person. The vertical image is nothing more than a propaganda cliché. The Russian authorities are a conglomerate of clans and groups which compete with one another for resources and power. Putin's role in this system remains the same – that of an arbiter and moderator. And it is an influential one – he, at least during conflicts, has the final say. Since 2000, the style of making political decisions (its formation was influenced by various factors) has been shifting towards that of the USSR's Politburo (political bureau). The creation of national corporations in politics and economy had a huge influence on using this model. ... [Article Headings] Insights – not very fresh Viktor Cherkesov – the system’s example Actual and alleged opposites Main clans Medvedev – the pocket supervisor of Putin’s system Current system's roots Features of state capitalism Corruption is the basis of the regime Examples of elite control SOURCE http://en.delfi.lt/central-eastern-europe/vladimir-putins-pyramid-of-rule-who-really-governs-russia.d?id=65432116

Above is an article from a Lithuanian source.

Taking a stab, the article's most likely got an anti-Russian agenda.  

But I've only briefly eyed the article (and tend to make up my mind about stuff very quickly. LOL).

It appears the gist is that there's cliques behind the scenes, and that Putin's the middle-man.

Anyone that's interested in a read can link above.  I might have to run it off and read it at leisure.

The guys who wrote the article are:

Dr. Laurynas Kasčiūnas

A chubby, youngish looking academic/lecturer at Vilnius uni (ie capital of Lithuania), foreign policy guru ... yadda, yadda, yadda ...who is also speaker in the Lithuanian parliament.

Marius Laurinavičius

Mono-browed and greying, Lithuanian journalist and political commentator. 

Vytautas Keršanskas

A baby-faced pretty boy, who is an intern/assistant to an MP in Lithuania's unicameral (one house) parliament.

Baby-face is also a journalist and political commentator, among other achievements.

Lithuania

Lithuania is a member of:

• United Nations (1991)
• Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
• NATO and its companion North Atlantic Coordinating Council
• Council of Europe
• European Union
• World Trade Organization (2001)

So it would be fair to say that Lithuania is pretty much bound up with the US and with US allies, and that it is bound both militarily and commercially.

It also appears to have a grudge against being a member of the former soviet union.  LOL

Lithuania has this issue to contend with:

Human trafficking

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that about 1,000 citizens of Lithuania fall victim to trafficking annually. Most are women between the ages of 21 and 30 who are sold into prostitution. [wikipedia]

Reference document is - here.  It is a 2010 PDF document, judging by its address.

Here's a little on human trafficking in Lithuania:

Factors That Contribute to Human Trafficking Infrastructure 

There is a high level of unemployment and a lack of education among Lithuanian women and minors in prostitution and those who are trafficked in Lithuania. Poverty causes trafficking victims to look for any form of income and can leave them vulnerable to promises of high - paying jobs in Western Europe. Even those with jobs are paid very little, and women earn less than men. There is a strong organized criminal presence in Lithuania, as well as a deeply entrenched patriarchal culture that may facilitate the trafficking of women as commodities. [here]

Anyway, that's a bit of interesting background to the article.

Look forward to finding out who's running Russia - or who Lithuania thinks is running Russia.  LOL.

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Excuse any typos; I'm in a hurry.

LEBANON, SYRIA - MILITANTS IN ARSAL, LEBANON

Militants set Lebanese policemen free to solicit cease-fire talks  August 05, 2014, Tuesday/ 14:54:20/ AP / REUTERS / / BEIRUT  Hard-line militants, who seized the Lebanese town of Arsal at the weekend, released three policemen on Tuesday as a “goodwill gesture” to allow Sunni Muslim clerics to broker a deal to end four days of fighting near the Syrian border.  At least 16 Lebanese soldiers and dozens of civilians and militants have been killed in the fighting in Arsal in the most serious spillover yet in three years of civil war in Syria.  The militants are still believed to be holding about 40 members of the security forces - both soldiers and policemen.   ...  Lebanese security officials say the fighters include members of al-Qaeda's Syria branch, the Nusra Front, and an al-Qaeda splinter group, the Islamic State, which has seized swathes of land in Syria and Iraq.  Although Lebanon - a country of about 4 million, bordering Israel - has avoided the full-scale war afflicting Syria and Iraq, regional conflicts have rekindled decades-old tensions. Tripoli [Libya] has seen frequent clashes between local Sunni Muslims and members of the Shiite-derived Alawite minority, and on Monday night fighting broke out after news that several Sunni clerics had been wounded as they entered Arsal to try to broker a ceasefire between the army and the militants.  Men blocked several Tripoli roads on Tuesday, and most shops were closed and streets empty after militants opened fire on a bus carrying soldiers, wounding at least six. ...  While Lebanon has officially tried to distance itself from Syria's conflict, its powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah has sent fighters to aid President Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite. Assad, like Hezbollah, is backed by Shiite power Iran.  The rebels fighting to overthrow Assad are overwhelmingly Sunni and have received support from regional Sunni powers including Saudi Arabia. Rocket fire, suicide attacks and gun battles connected to Syria's war have plagued Lebanon and the conflict has worsened Lebanon's perennial political deadlock between officials divided largely along sectarian lines.  More than 170,000 people have been killed in Syria's war, which started in 2011 as a peaceful protest movement, then degenerated into civil war after a government crackdown.  Violence went on unabated in Syria, where air strikes at the weekend in Damascus killed at least 64 people, a monitoring group said. Fighting regularly claims more than 150 lives a day.  EXTRACTS ONLY - FULL @ TODAY'S ZAMAN  - HERE

* Fighters challenging the Lebanese security forces include:

1. al-Qaeda (Syria branch)
2. al-Nusra Front (aka al-Jabhat an Nusra); and
3. Islamic State (al-Qaeda splinter group)

which have been seizing territory in both Syria and Iraq.

[ Tripoli, Libya - Sunni vs Shiite-derived  (Alawite) minority ]

Arsal, Lebanon (border town):


* Militants holding 40 - soldiers and police.
* 16 Lebanese soldiers killed
* Dozens civilians and militants killed

* Militants release x3 policemen (Sunni clerics to mediate between parties)



Lebanon -  powerful Shiite movement (Hezbollah)

President Assad (Syria) is also Shiite (Alawite)

Rebels in Syria seeking to overthrow Assad are mainly Sunni
(and rebels are backed by other countries, including Saudi Arabia).

Hezbollah have sent fighters to help Assad in Syria

Hezbollah and Assad (both Shiite) are helped by IRAN.

Iran official religion is:  Shia Islam.

170,000 killed in Syria since 2011