Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)
Showing posts with label weapons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weapons. Show all posts
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Today's quote is in response to the missile launch by North Korea
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)
Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Israeli forces leave behind unexploded landmines
By Julian Rake
ABED RABBO, Gaza Strip, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Standing on the ruins of his family home, 75-year-old Majdi al-Athamna waves an unexploded landmine in the direction of a camera crew.
Alarmed, they urge him to put it down.
"Don't worry -- if I die it would be no more than what has already been destroyed," he shouts before finally relenting and climbing down from the rubble left after this month's Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The mine, he says, was one of many placed by Israeli soldiers to demolish the apartment building that once housed dozens of members of his extended family.
"Fifty years I've been building this and it's all gone in the blink of an eye," he said in a quavering voice.
read more | digg story
ABED RABBO, Gaza Strip, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Standing on the ruins of his family home, 75-year-old Majdi al-Athamna waves an unexploded landmine in the direction of a camera crew.
Alarmed, they urge him to put it down.
"Don't worry -- if I die it would be no more than what has already been destroyed," he shouts before finally relenting and climbing down from the rubble left after this month's Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The mine, he says, was one of many placed by Israeli soldiers to demolish the apartment building that once housed dozens of members of his extended family.
"Fifty years I've been building this and it's all gone in the blink of an eye," he said in a quavering voice.
read more | digg story
US to have 'vigorous' Iran talks
The new US envoy to the United Nations says Barack Obama's administration will make Iran's nuclear plans a diplomatic priority and pursue direct talks.
Susan Rice told reporters she looked forward to "vigorous diplomacy that includes direct diplomacy with Iran".
Under George W Bush, there were no direct US nuclear talks with Iran.
The UN has urged Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, amid fears it could be used for military purposes. Iran says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
In the run-up to his inauguration last week, Mr Obama promised a "new approach" in the dispute.
Last month he called for "tough but direct diplomacy", offering Iran economic incentives to end its nuclear programme or face tougher sanctions.
Iran dismissed the move as "unacceptable".
read more digg story
Susan Rice told reporters she looked forward to "vigorous diplomacy that includes direct diplomacy with Iran".
Under George W Bush, there were no direct US nuclear talks with Iran.
The UN has urged Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, amid fears it could be used for military purposes. Iran says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
In the run-up to his inauguration last week, Mr Obama promised a "new approach" in the dispute.
Last month he called for "tough but direct diplomacy", offering Iran economic incentives to end its nuclear programme or face tougher sanctions.
Iran dismissed the move as "unacceptable".
read more digg story
Thursday, January 22, 2009
US DIME Bombs to Israel via UK Last October?
By: Alex Thomson
Were some of the weapons used in Gaza shipped to Israel from the Lakenheath US Air force base?
We know that was the case with the cluster bombs used in Lebanon in 2006 and it's something the British government has no control over.
Alex Thomson goes to Suffolk to investigate.
read more digg story
Saturday, January 17, 2009
CNN: Israel Uses White Phosphorous Against Palestinian Civil
CNN's Ben Wedeman reports that Israel is hesitant to answer questions about its use of white phosphorous weapons.
read more | digg story
SEE: 10 Steps You Can Take to Help Gaza
http://tinyurl.com/977zqd
http://tinyurl.com/977zqd
read more | digg story
Friday, January 16, 2009
Is Gaza a testing ground for experimental weapons?
By Jonathan Cook - "create as much mutilation as possible to terrorise the civilian population"“We have seen Gaza used as a laboratory for testing what I call weapons from hell,” said David Halpin, a retired British surgeon and trauma specialist who has visited Gaza on several occasions to investigate unusual injuries suffered by Gazans.
Concerns about Israel’s use of non-conventional and experimental weapons in the Gaza Strip are growing, with evasive comments from spokesmen and reluctance to allow independent journalists inside the tiny enclave only fuelling speculation.
The most prominent controversy is over the use of shells containing white phosphorus, which causes horrific burns when it comes into contact with skin. Under international law, phosphorus is allowed as a smokescreen to protect soldiers but treated as a chemical weapon when used against civilians.
The Israeli army maintains that it is using only weapons authorised in international law, though human rights groups have severely criticised Israel for firing phosphorus shells over densely populated areas of Gaza.
But there might be other unconventional weapons Israel is using out of sight of the watching world.
One such munition may be Dime, or dense inert metal explosive, a weapon recently developed by the US army to create a powerful and lethal blast over a small area.
The munition is supposed to still be in the development stage and is not yet regulated. There are fears, however, that Israel may have received a green light from the US military to treat Gaza as a testing ground.
“We have seen Gaza used as a laboratory for testing what I call weapons from hell,” said David Halpin, a retired British surgeon and trauma specialist who has visited Gaza on several occasions to investigate unusual injuries suffered by Gazans.
read more digg story
Concerns about Israel’s use of non-conventional and experimental weapons in the Gaza Strip are growing, with evasive comments from spokesmen and reluctance to allow independent journalists inside the tiny enclave only fuelling speculation.
The most prominent controversy is over the use of shells containing white phosphorus, which causes horrific burns when it comes into contact with skin. Under international law, phosphorus is allowed as a smokescreen to protect soldiers but treated as a chemical weapon when used against civilians.
The Israeli army maintains that it is using only weapons authorised in international law, though human rights groups have severely criticised Israel for firing phosphorus shells over densely populated areas of Gaza.
But there might be other unconventional weapons Israel is using out of sight of the watching world.
One such munition may be Dime, or dense inert metal explosive, a weapon recently developed by the US army to create a powerful and lethal blast over a small area.
The munition is supposed to still be in the development stage and is not yet regulated. There are fears, however, that Israel may have received a green light from the US military to treat Gaza as a testing ground.
“We have seen Gaza used as a laboratory for testing what I call weapons from hell,” said David Halpin, a retired British surgeon and trauma specialist who has visited Gaza on several occasions to investigate unusual injuries suffered by Gazans.
“I fear the thinking in Israel is that it is in its interests to create as much mutilation as possible to terrorise the civilian population in the hope they will turn against Hamas.”
read more digg story
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Video: SF cop shoots helpless, cooperating man in the back
"They just shot him! They just shot him!" yelled 19-year-old Vargas, whose camera-phone had just captured the slaying of Grant by a San Francisco Transit officer. "... I got you, mothaf--kers!" she exclaimed.
Two videos showing a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer fatally shooting an unarmed, cooperating 22-year-old man have surfaced, thanks to a vigilant teen and an anonymous cameraman.
According to officials, five officers arrived at a subway station around 2 a.m. in response to reports of fighting on a train. Officers handcuffed a group of suspects, and detained the soon-to-be victim, Oscar Grant III.
In both videos, though detained, Grant had clearly not been cuffed.
Mario Pangelina Jr., aunt to Grant's four-year-old daughter, witnessed the events leading up to the shooting.
"First, an officer grabbed Oscar by the neck and pushed him against the wall," the Oakland Tribune quoted her as saying. "Oscar didn't fight him, but he didn't go down either. He was like, 'What did I do?' Then another officer came up with his Taser and held it right in his face. Oscar said, 'Please don't shoot me, please don't Taser me, I have a daughter,' over and over again, real fast, and he sat down."
Footage captured by camera-phone-wielding Karina Vargas, 19, shows officers had detained several men. Over the proceeding minutes, officers become defensive as groups of yelling youths stand on the periphery and meander past.
At one point, a male shouts, "Yo, f--k the police!
"Vargas several times makes attempts to get closer. When her camera focuses on Grant, he is sitting with his back against a wall, surrounded by others in handcuffs. He holds up his hands, apparently speaking with the officers, when they force him to the ground.
Two officers struggle to turn him over, even as he appears to be strewn across another man's legs, when suddenly one of the men retrieves his gun from its holster.
At this point in Vargas' video, she turns to her immediate left and focuses on an officer wrestling another man to the ground. Then, the shot rings out.
read more digg story
The following footage was taken by the Oakland Tribune, published Jan. 4, 2008.
EXCLUSIVE: Raw Cell Phone Video Of Fatal BART Police Shooting:
Two videos showing a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer fatally shooting an unarmed, cooperating 22-year-old man have surfaced, thanks to a vigilant teen and an anonymous cameraman.
According to officials, five officers arrived at a subway station around 2 a.m. in response to reports of fighting on a train. Officers handcuffed a group of suspects, and detained the soon-to-be victim, Oscar Grant III.
In both videos, though detained, Grant had clearly not been cuffed.
Mario Pangelina Jr., aunt to Grant's four-year-old daughter, witnessed the events leading up to the shooting.
"First, an officer grabbed Oscar by the neck and pushed him against the wall," the Oakland Tribune quoted her as saying. "Oscar didn't fight him, but he didn't go down either. He was like, 'What did I do?' Then another officer came up with his Taser and held it right in his face. Oscar said, 'Please don't shoot me, please don't Taser me, I have a daughter,' over and over again, real fast, and he sat down."
Footage captured by camera-phone-wielding Karina Vargas, 19, shows officers had detained several men. Over the proceeding minutes, officers become defensive as groups of yelling youths stand on the periphery and meander past.
At one point, a male shouts, "Yo, f--k the police!
"Vargas several times makes attempts to get closer. When her camera focuses on Grant, he is sitting with his back against a wall, surrounded by others in handcuffs. He holds up his hands, apparently speaking with the officers, when they force him to the ground.
Two officers struggle to turn him over, even as he appears to be strewn across another man's legs, when suddenly one of the men retrieves his gun from its holster.
At this point in Vargas' video, she turns to her immediate left and focuses on an officer wrestling another man to the ground. Then, the shot rings out.
read more digg story
The following footage was taken by the Oakland Tribune, published Jan. 4, 2008.
EXCLUSIVE: Raw Cell Phone Video Of Fatal BART Police Shooting:
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
YouTube, Twitter: Weapons in Israel's Info War
Days after sending aircraft to strike Hamas militants in Gaza, the Israeli government is launching a campaign to dominate the blogosphere.
Among other things, the Israeli military has started its own YouTube channel to distribute footage of precision airstrikes. And as I type, the Israeli consulate in New York is hosting a press conference on microblogging site Twitter. It's pretty interesting to see the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reduced to tweets of 140 characters or less ("We hav 2 prtct R ctzens 2, only way fwd through neogtiations, & left Gaza in 05. y Hamas launch missiles not peace?"; "we're not at war with the PAL people. we're at war with a group declared by the EU& US a terrorist org").
The Jerusalem Post quotes Maj. Avital Leibovich, the head of the Israeli Defense Forces' foreign press branch on the digital media campaign. "The blogosphere and new media are another war zone," she says. "We have to be relevant there."
read more digg story
Monday, December 22, 2008
US warns Russia against selling missiles to Iran
WASHINGTON December 22, 2008, 09:24 pm ET · U.S. officials said Monday that they want answers from Russia on whether it is selling advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, a move the U.S. insists could threaten American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. A senior military intelligence official said that while Moscow has sent out conflicting responses to reports on the sale of long-range S-300 missiles, the U.S. believes it is taking place. However, it appears that no equipment has yet been delivered to Iran, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Russia's state arms export agency said Monday it is supplying Iran with defensive weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, but did not say whether they include sophisticated long-range S-300 missiles.
State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. is seeking clarification from Russia."We have repeatedly made clear at senior levels of the Russian government that we would strongly oppose the sale of the S-300," Wood said. "As the U.S. government has said before, this is not the time for business as usual with the Iranian government."
read more digg story
Russia's state arms export agency said Monday it is supplying Iran with defensive weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, but did not say whether they include sophisticated long-range S-300 missiles.
State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. is seeking clarification from Russia."We have repeatedly made clear at senior levels of the Russian government that we would strongly oppose the sale of the S-300," Wood said. "As the U.S. government has said before, this is not the time for business as usual with the Iranian government."
read more digg story
Friday, November 21, 2008
Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon
Experts said that the milestone was mostly symbolic, and that Iran was not likely to risk a “nuclear breakout” yet.
Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors. The figures detailing Iran’s progress were contained in a routine update on Wednesday from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been conducting inspections of the country’s main nuclear plant at Natanz. The report concluded that as of early this month, Iran had made 630 kilograms, or about 1,390 pounds, of low-enriched uranium.
read more digg story
Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors. The figures detailing Iran’s progress were contained in a routine update on Wednesday from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been conducting inspections of the country’s main nuclear plant at Natanz. The report concluded that as of early this month, Iran had made 630 kilograms, or about 1,390 pounds, of low-enriched uranium.
read more digg story
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Blackwater To Be Fined For Illegal Weapons Shipments to Iraq
by Bruce Falconer - Blackwater Worldwide is facing a "multimillion-dollar" fine from the State Department for allegedly shipping over 900 illegal weapons to Iraq without the required paperwork. The arms were shipped directly from Blackwater's North Carolina headquarters, hidden in shrink-wrapped pallets. Some wound up on the Iraqi black market.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)