Don’t discount Israel pre-emptive strike, Hillary Clinton warns Iran 08 Jun 2009 Hillary Clinton refused yesterday to rule out a pre-emptive Israeli military strike on Iran. It was the first time that a senior member of the Obama Administration had openly discussed such a possibility. The US Secretary Of State, speaking a few days before elections in Iran that will determine the fate of President Ahmadinejad, also warned that the country would face retaliation if it launched a nuclear attack on Israel.
Clinton vows to protect Israel in Iranian attack 07 Jun 2009 Hillary Clinton has told an interviewer that the US would view an Iranian nuclear attack on Israel as an attack on the US. The US Secretary of State said her country would immediately retaliate if there were such an attack.
Bound, blindfolded and beaten — by Israeli troops –Children among Palestinian detainees abused during West Bank operation, according to soldiers’ confessions09 Jun 2009 Two Israeli officers have testified that troops in the West Bank beat, bound and blindfolded Palestinian civilians as young as 14. The damaging disclosures by two sergeants of the Kfir Brigade include descriptions of abuses they say they witnessed during a search-and-detain operation involving hundreds of troops in Hares village on 26 March. The testimonies have been seen by The Independent and are expected to add fuel to the controversy over recent remarks by Colonel Itai Virob, commander of Kfir Brigade, in which he said violence against detained Palestinians was justified in order to accomplish missions.
US sending 1,000 commandos to Afghanistan –United States Special Operations Command is quietly increasing its covert warriors 07 Jun 2009 The Pentagon is sending additional 1,000 special operations forces and support staff to Afghanistan and changing the way commandoes fight the Taliban, Fox News reported on Saturday. While much of the public focus has been on the 24,000 additional American troops moving into the country this year, United States Special Operations Command is quietly increasing its covert warriors in what could be a pivotal role.
‘Allied forces would not be able to overpower their enemies in Afghanistan.’Taliban will never be defeated, says Mullah Omar’s mentor 07 Jun 2009 The United States is planning to send an additional 21,000 troops to Afghanistan to neutralize the Taliban, but would never achieve its goals, claims a mentor of Taliban chief Mullah Omar. Amir Sultan Tarar alias Colonel Imam said allied forces would not be able to overpower their enemies in Afghanistan. He said the military offensive would only aggravate the situation, and therefore the allied forces should initiate talks with the Taliban to resolve the issues.
Global weapons spending hits record levels –US accounts for more than half total increase to $1.4tn 08 Jun 2009 Worldwide spending on weapons has reached record levels amounting to well over $1tn last year, a leading research organisation reported today. Global military expenditure has risen by 45% over the past decade to $1.46tn, according to the latest annual Yearbook on Armaments, Disarmament, and International Security published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).
U.S. war funding bill brims with unrelated extras 08 Jun 2009 A $100 billion bill to fund U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is rapidly accumulating extra items such as money for military aircraft the Pentagon doesn’t want and possibly a scheme to jump-start sagging auto sales. President Barack Obama originally sought $83.4 billion for the two wars and more foreign aid for countries like Pakistan. But then he too sought more – $4 billion extra to combat foment H1N1 swine flu and $5 billion to back credit lines to the International Monetary Fund.
Oregon soldiers sue KBR for exposure to cancer-causing chemical in Iraq 08 Jun 2009 Five current and former Oregon Army National Guard soldiers filed suit Monday against a war contractor that they say knowingly exposed them to a cancer-causing chemical in Iraq. The suit alleges that managers from Kellogg, Brown & Root, or KBR, of Houston, knew before the Oregon Guard arrived at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in May, 2003, that the site was contaminated by hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic and long identified carcinogen.
