Niger Turns Against Washington and Yellow Cake 2.0

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68590531

Niger it seems has grown weary of Washington's presence in West Africa. Having ousted the French in 2023, the situation with both Paris and Washington remains tenuous. Tchiani remains in control and yet he faces hard questions concerning the economy of his country. From Niger's ties to the franc to its close uranium-related trade ties with France, it's hard to imagine that Paris will simply let Niger go. The junta leaders will be looking over the shoulder to say the least.

Random Thoughts on the Dead Americans in Jordan

When the story broke over the weekend I immediately thought of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and how happy he must be at this news. He wants to widen the war and there are plenty within the US Congress, Pentagon, and even White House that want the same. The Iran Hawks are already squawking – demanding some kind of massive bombing campaign – even if it leads to a massive war. As one commentator pointed out the Middle East is in the cusp of the biggest regional war since 1973. These people couldn't care less. Men like Lindsey Graham are literally just vampires – they live for blood.

Another French Defeat and Growing Uncertainty in North Africa

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66907517

This story is already falling out of the news cycle especially with all the other things happening in the Middle East.

After the July coup in Niger there was a great deal of focus on the country and the new ruling junta. The signs were bad (from a Western perspective) when Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland made a trip to Niger and was effectively rebuffed.

The Context of the Niger Coup

Coups in Africa are by some estimates far from unusual. There have been many in recent years and while often mentioned, the news coverage in the West is minimal. Africa does not generate a great deal of interest to Western audiences and for many it's impossibly complicated and they are unable to follow the stories or contextualize them.

The Drone Wars are Here

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/u-s-conducts-exercise-preparing-for-first-unmanned-surface-fleet

It seems that about every other military and weapons story is related to drone development. As many things in the world are changing, so is the way of waging war.

The Drums of War in the Asia-Pacific

https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/report-china-is-on-course-to-overtake-america-s-naval-capabilities

If you read the article carefully, the argument can be made that the headline is guilty of sensationalism. America is clearly in the position of supremacy but that margin of domination is not what it was thirty years ago. This I think is probably self-evident and hardly surprising to anyone.

A Ukraine Miscellany XIII: War and the Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure

In light of battlefield defeats, the Putin regime has turned to punitive attacks, and a form of total warfare. Using airstrikes and drones, he's now targeting Ukrainian infrastructure, primarily hitting water and power stations. The goal is to generate suffering, break morale, and degrade Ukrainian society's will and ability to continue the war. He wants to force them to the negotiating table – all the more as Putin is desperate for a way out of the conflict. NATO can keep pouring weapons into the country but if Ukrainian society is falling apart the will to continue will fail.

Khan and US Drones in Pakistani Airspace

https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/dont-expect-pakistan-to-host-us-military-bases/

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-accuses-pakistan-allowing-us-drones-use-its-airspace-2022-08-28/

In some respects this is a small story and received little attention but it deserves a second look. The Taliban has protested regarding US drone strikes in Afghanistan and particularly the targeted killing of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. They are of course upset with Washington but the real target of their accusations and perhaps their ire is Pakistan. The Taliban accuses Islamabad of hosting US drones or at the very least allowing them to strike from its airspace.

Turkish Weapons to Ukraine: A Dangerous Game

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/11/16/turkey-baykar-drones-ukraine/

Once again it must be emphasized that the Turco-Russian alliance rests on a very flimsy foundation. Historically the Turks and Russians have been enemies and one of the areas of confrontation (among many) centres on the arc stretching from Southern Ukraine, across the Crimea, to the North Caucasus. The Muslim populations (such as the Circassians) and in particular the Tatar ethnic groups have long found affiliation and identity with the powerful Ottoman state to the South.

The Afghan Legacies of George W Bush and Tony Blair

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/7/31/george-w-bush-should-shut-up-and-go-away

The author of the editorial is correct in exposing a rather startling truth - men like George Bush have no conscience. A man who should be in sackcloth and ashes is instead living the good life and has been largely rehabilitated in the eyes of the American public. 

Somali Civilian Deaths: Yet Another Cover-Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgu3OUZ8_4U

The US war in Africa is a poorly kept secret. It isn't too hard to piece together the various theatres, actions and agendas. This is despite the fact that the US mainstream media continues to largely ignore it and is content to keep the public in a state of ignorance.

That said, with no front line and given the fact that the war is being fought in the dark with intelligence agencies, drones, special ops and through proxy forces... it's hard to suss out just what is happening on a day-to-day basis.

The Empire in East Africa

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/13/nsa-ethiopia-surveillance-human-rights/

The Intercept ran this story on Ethiopia and its relationship with the NSA. While it fails to expand on the wider context of the US-Ethiopian relationship it nevertheless provides some useful information in understanding the nature of the US footprint with the Horn of Africa. There is a great game afoot as the US seeks to control the region and do what it can to check Chinese economic influence.

Peeling Back the Curtain on Recent Israeli Machinations

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/26/inquiry-launched-palestinian-fugitive-omar-zayed-death-embassy-bulgaria

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4771252,00.html

This story is from earlier this year and involves a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) fugitive who was murdered while hiding out in the Palestinian embassy in Bulgaria.

False Moderation as a Tool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRefP0N8Dy4

Media favourite and Establishment mouthpiece Michael Hayden is critical of Cruz's rhetoric regarding the patrolling of Muslim neighbourhoods.

PBS/Frontline: Obama, Syria and ISIS

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obama-at-war/

PBS's Frontline is a good programme when it comes to covering topics like the prison system, banking and domestic politics. But it is all but worthless when it comes to covering the foreign policy of the United States or any international event that touches on American interests. It's hard to find one that doesn't concern the empire thus severely limiting the scope of a show like Frontline.

This was abundantly clear in the recent documentary 'Obama at War' which dealt with American policy regarding Syria and the rise of ISIS.

Unitary Power and the Praetorians

 

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/10/the-nsas-secret-role/

This is an interesting story regarding the way the government is integrating meta-data and using it to target people. Obama has in every way continued the general trajectory of Bush administration policies with regard to the Terror-War... a permanent war which is fundamentally changing the way the American government functions.