War zone: Ride to Armenia

 

 

The Nagorno-Karabakh region which had been quiet for the last decade recently boiled over again when Azerbaijan mounted an attack which led to it conquering much of the territory it had lost in the previous war. 

I flew into a bitterly cold Yerevan in early January with the intention of heading down to the capital Stepanakert to see what was happening there since the war. 

Would I make it or not?

By Bald & Bankrupt

Who is the aggressor?

 

Air Force moves drones, airmen to base in Romania
 

By Stars & Stripes

STUTTGART, Germany — The Air Force has moved 90 airmen and an unspecified number of MQ-9 Reaper drones to Campia Turzii Air Base in Romania, boosting military capabilities in a region where allies have expressed concern about Russia’s military might.

“The forward and ready positioning of our MQ-9s at this key strategic location reassures our allies and partners, while also sending a message to our adversaries, that we can quickly respond to any emergent threat,” Gen. Jeff Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander, said in a statement Monday.

The MQ-9s will operate under the 31st Expeditionary Operations Group, Detachment 1, until the squadron is fully operational, the statement said.

The units are subordinate to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base in Italy.

The Reapers will boost surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in the Black Sea region, where the U.S. has regularly accused Russia of dangerous intercepts of aircraft, and other incidents have caused tensions to flare.

In 2008, Russia fought a brief war in the region with the Republic of Georgia, and still has troops in that country’s breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In 2018, Russia opened fire on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea’s Kerch Strait and took Ukrainian sailors captive.

In addition to surveillance missions, the MQ-9s will “fly freedom of maneuver missions and integrate with joint and coalition forces in the region,” USAFE said.

Former Defense secretary Mark Esper in August said he envisioned a larger force in Romania and that more deployments there were likely. Last year, USAFE sent MQ-9 Reaper drones based in Poland on a temporary rotation to the Turzii site. Air Force fighter jets also have made rotations to Campia Turzii.

The Pentagon has spent millions of dollars in recent years to upgrade the Cold War-era base in central Romania and enable larger missions, and the National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 includes $130.5 million to renovate Campia Turzii, in what would be the biggest overseas military construction project under the Pentagon’s European Deterrence Initiative.

That initiative was launched shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimea region and instigated conflict eastern Ukraine in 2014, to reassure allies of a continued U.S. commitment to their security.

The funds are intended for upgrades including dangerous cargo landing pads, more parking aprons for tactical fighter aircraft rotations, fuel storage and a depot to support a deployable air base system.

Campia Turzii currently hosts two squadrons of Romanian-built LanceR-C interceptors, a modernized version of the MiG-21, and two Puma helicopter squadrons.

Truth hurts....

 

Chaos inside the capitol: Trump blows whistle and fascists take control

 

After years of US orchestrated coups and regime change operations, the chickens have come home to roost in Washington.  Yesterday Trump egged his followers on in an attempt to grab the world's attention one last time. Trump, always marketing his 'brand', made sure to let his racist, fascist base know that he 'loved them' and urged them to storm the capital.

What was the result?  Five dead and amazingly, only 68 arrested. [Adjusted figures.]

Now please imagine if thousands of peaceniks or Black Lives Matter protesters were to invade the capital and occupy the House and Senate chambers.  How many would have been killed?  How many thousands would have been arrested and/or beaten to a pulp?

One reporter stated that he saw capitol security getting selfies taken with Trump's legions.  I saw a video clip of the cops opening the fence line and letting Trump's supporters into the capital. What does that tell us?

 

 

The politicians and their staffs cowered inside the capital while waiting to be rushed to safety. The mayor of DC enacted a 6:00 pm citywide curfew but at 9:00 pm the Trump army was still taunting the nation outside the capital while police stood frozen behind their plastic shields.

I saw one remarkable headline in the Washington Post: 'International leaders call for calm in the United States'. The ultimate lesson from yesterday?  The world should immediately end its brainwashed notion that the US is an 'exceptional' nation.  People around the globe should stop believing that America is the 'shining democracy on the hill'.  It is not.

We don't have democracy in America.  What we have is rule by regional oligarchs that compete with one another for the nation's spoils. They agree on a massive global military presence and tax cuts for the rich.  Beyond that they are practically cutting each other's throats like in a Mafia-style war.

I was living in Florida during the now infamous 2000 presidential election when Republican George W. Bush cheated his way into office. I've watched the last two presidential cycles when the Democrats repeatedly cheated during the primaries to deny Sen. Bernie Sanders the nomination.  The fact is both parties cheat whenever they can get away with it. There are no good (clean) guys in this dirty game in the US.

No self-respecting American should ever again rooster-strut their way around the world telling other nations how to run their affairs. 

 

While watching this scene live on TV my mind flashed back to Kiev, Ukraine in 2014 when the US orchestrated 'Maidan' overthrew the elected president of the country. (Don't forget that Obama's V-P Joe Biden was largely in charge of that operation.) Except in that 'color revolution' lots of people got killed and disappeared as the neo-Nazis that led that coup were cold-blooded in their efforts to destroy and murder.

 

During my time as a peace activist (since the early 1980's) I've been to many protests in Washington at the White House and the capitol.  I've been arrested several times for non-violent civil disobedience (quite tame actually compared to what we witnessed yesterday).  Always there were hoards of cops, in full combat dress, who controlled our movements every step of the way.

How did these marauders yesterday get into various buildings in the capitol, going through the underground tunnels into the House and Senate chambers?  Did they have inside help?  Or because they were white right-wingers, who often get a pass from cops, were they initially allowed to do what they wished without 'security forces' appropriately responding?  Don't forget these fascists always are the ones calling for 'law and order'!

 

In the end I have to join the many others who are calling this 'white entitlement'. Even when these Trumpites were destroying media equipment they were not interrupted by the cops.  They basically had free reign over the capitol for many hours.

 

So what comes next?  I'd bet that new calls for Congress to restrict civil liberties across the nation will result.  Punish the peaceful citizenry for the unpunished crimes of fascists.  That's usually the way things swing in Washington.

Stay tuned for more.

Bruce 

(Click on any of the photos for a better view.)

What war in Western Sahara?

 

 

By Cultures of Resistance

Occupied Western Sahara is under assault! On November 13, Morocco broke a three-decades-long ceasefire by launching a military operation in a United Nations-patrolled buffer strip in response to a peaceful protest by Sahrawis. 

Donald Trump’s outrageous move to recognize Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara has only inflamed tensions further. The people of Western Sahara have waited for a referendum on independence since 1991. With freedom denied, Sahrawis have continued to live in Africa’s last colony, unable to exercise sovereignty or determine their own future.

In 2015, we released LIFE IS WAITING: referendum and resistance in Western Sahara, a film documenting the Sahrawi struggle for self-determination. In light of recent events, we wanted to invite you to learn more about the ongoing conflict and the incredible artists and activists working to achieve freedom. 

The film is now available with Arabic, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish subtitles. (To pick your language subtitle click on the 'Settings' wheel in lower right hand corner of the video.)

 

 

Interview by Regis Tremblay.

Bruce Gagnon is Cofounder and Coordinator of the Global Network Against Nuclear Power and Weapons in Space. 

He shares his views on NATO going global, Full Spectrum Dominance, US reckless provocations of both Russia and China, Covid as a Bioweapon, and Julian Assange. 

Sadness

 

 

I’m sad that the virus
was likely created  
as a Bio-weapon,
first at
Ft. Mead, Maryland
bio-warfare lab
then sold to China,
where it probably escaped
in an accident.

I’m sad for all those who have died,
and all those around the globe
whose lives are so disrupted.

I’m sad how many are
living in poverty, fear, depression
and are
manipulated,
by the ruling oligarchs.

I’m sad
that capitalism
rules much of
the roost
and continues to destroy
our planetary home
with its greed, ego,
manipulation and devilry.

I’m sad that the future
generations live in fear
as they ponder a world
unimaginable just a
short time ago.

I’m sad the people
are divided against
each other
by the ruling elites.

Our humanity
is slipping thru
our frozen hearts & fingers.

Time to embrace our spirits - more than ever.

Bruce 

Sunday song