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Since 9/11, The U.S. Has Been Involved In More Than 5 Wars … And They’ve All Been Disasters
Since 9/11, The U.S. Has Been Involved In More Than 5 Wars … And They’ve All Been Disasters
Why Does America Keep “Losing” Its Wars?
Below, we demonstrate that the U.S. keeps “losing” war after war.
There are 3 potential reasons this might be happening:
- Is this chaos an intentional way to implement regime change and grab resources?
- Or is this a sign of the decline of the American empire … and we just can’t win a war anymore?
- Or do those in charge just not really give a damn about winning … and are they just focusing on one short-term goal after another?
We’ll let you decide why you think this keeps happening. But if you don’t believe that the U.S. has been losing its recent wars, read on …
U.S. Keeps Messing Up
We noted last year:
Since 2001, the U.S. has undertaken regime change in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
All 3 countries are now in chaos … and extremists are more in control than ever.
Iraq
In Iraq, hardcore Islamic jihadis known as ISIS have taken over much of the country – shown in red as the new “Islamic State” or self-described caliphate – using captured American weapons:
USA Today notes: “Iraq is already splitting into three states“.
Christians are being rounded up and killed, and Christian leaders in Iraq say the end of Christianity in Iraq is “very near”. But as we documented in 2012, Saddam Hussein – for all his faults – was a secular leader who tolerated Christians.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Welcome to World War Three
Welcome to World War Three
In case anyone didn’t get ISIL’s message from their latest video in which 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians have their heads sawn off, here it is: “We’re executioners, not warriors.” Those gouts of blood spilled on a Libyan beach amount to ISIL’s welcome mat to the mass execution of the Euro-American west. The dignity of a funeral is not even on the program.
What we’ve got now with apocalyptic Jihadism spreading clear across the region from Pakistan to Morocco, and Europe blandly ignoring it across the Mediterranean, is an epochal face-off that will change the world. It comes at an odd moment in history, namely as the massive oil wealth of the Middle East and North Africa enters decline. It was that oil wealth that provoked a population spike in a desolate corner of the planet the past century. Now there is a huge over-supply of young men there with nothing to do but act out their angry psychodrama over having no future. When a whole peoples’ prospects for a decent life on Earth dwindle to zero, is it any wonder that they become preoccupied with end-times visions of feasts and virgins awaiting in an after-life?
Partly what you’re seeing over there is an internal fight to control what’s left of the treasure. That battle has already had the strange consequence of disabling the oil production capacity in places like Iraq and Libya, where there is still a lot of oil, but not enough political stability to allow the complicated business of extraction and transport to take place. What’s more there has also been tremendous damage to the oil infrastructure in these places, some from deliberate sabotage, some from shelling and bombing, and a lot from sheer neglect and deferred maintenance. Oil refineries and transport terminals are very delicate machines that require constant loving care.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Libya Warns of Oil Shutdown as Attacks Escalate
Libya Warns of Oil Shutdown as Attacks Escalate
(Bloomberg) — Libya’s state-run oil company warned that it would shut production at all fields if authorities in the divided nation fail to contain an escalation of attacks on facilities that cut crude output to a year-low.
“If these incidents continue, National Oil Corp. will regrettably be forced to stop all operations at all fields in order to preserve the lives” of employees, the company said in a statement on its website. “National Oil Corp. urges the Ministry of Defense and the Petroleum Facilities Guard to take the appropriate measures to protect oil sites.”
The North African nation’s oil production was reduced by 180,000 barrels a day after a fire at a pipeline that carries crude to the eastern Hariga port, National Oil spokesman Mohamed Elharari said by phone in Tripoli. Hariga, near Tobruk, has oil left in storage for exports and the last ship to load there was the Greek-flagged Minerva Zoe, he said.
Libya, holder of Africa’s largest oil reserves, was producing 350,000 barrels a day in January, Elharari said at the time. The nation may be producing less than 200,000 barrels a day after the pipeline fire. The previous lowest daily average was in March 2014, at 150,000 barrels. A member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Libya was producing 1.6 million barrels a day before the 2011 rebellion that ended Muammar Qaddafi’s 42-year rule.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Crude Conspiracies? Data Suggest Nations Do Go to War Over Oil
Crude Conspiracies? Data Suggest Nations Do Go to War Over Oil
The “thirst for oil” is often put forward as a near self-evident explanation behind military interventions in Libya, for instance, or Sudan. Oil, or the lack of oil, is also said to be behind the absence of intervention in Syria now and in Rwanda in 1994.
This of course clashes with the rhetoric around intervention, or its stated goal. No world leader stands before the UN and says they’re sending in the tanks because their country needs more oil. Such interventions are usually portrayed as serving directly non-economic goals such as preserving security
, supporting democratic values, or more generally promoting human rights.
But this is often met with scepticism and media claims that economicincentives played a key role. Was Iraq really “all about oil”? It’s worth asking whether this viewpoint has some mileage, or if it is instead purely conspiracy theory.
It’s a question we’ve addressed in our research on the importance of oil production in attracting third party military interventions. In a new paper co-authored with Kristian Gleditsch in the Journal of Conflict Resolution we model the decision-making process of third-party countries in interfering in civil wars and examine their economic motives.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Ron Paul Decries “Obscene” Paris Attack: Blames Bad Foreign Policy
Ron Paul Decries “Obscene” Paris Attack: Blames Bad Foreign Policy
“This is pretty obscene,” exclaims Ron Paul with regard the massacre in Paris, “libertarians are pretty annoyed by anybody who initiates violence.” But, he adds, “I put blame on bad policy that we don’t fully understand,” pointing out Western inability to see foreign policy from the attackers’ perspective, as “they see us killing innocent people… that doesn’t justify it… but it does explain it.”
As Breitbart notes, on Wednesday’s “The Steve Malzberg Show” on NewsMax TV, former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) tied the Paris shooting, along with other Western domestic terrorist attacks to the bad foreign policies of those countries.
“Partially what the Secretary of State said is true,” Paul said. “This is pretty obscene, when it comes to violence, and libertarians are pretty annoyed by anybody who initiates violence.
“The context of things, France has been a target for many, many years, because they’ve been involved in foreign affairs in Libya, and they really prodded us along in — recently in Libya, but they’ve been involved in Algeria, so they’ve had attacks like this, you know, not infrequently,” he added.…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Did The United Arab Emirates Just Declare War On Greece?
Did The United Arab Emirates Just Declare War On Greece?
Just over 4 months ago, the US was furious as the “mysterious” bloc launching bombing raids on Libya was identified as consisting of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt. This weekend saw another “mysterious” bombing raid, but as AP reports, this time it was not on Libya directly but on a Greek-owned tanker ship at the eastern Libyan port of Darna (killing 2 sailors). The Greeks have strongly condemned this “unprovoked and cowardly” act and are taking all necessary steps to identify and punish the perpetrators.
In August, the “mysterious” Libyan bombers were identified…
That party, or rather, parties has been revealed as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which as the NYT reports, “have secretly teamed up to launch airstrikes against Islamist-allied militias battling for control of Tripoli, Libya, four senior American officials said, in a major escalation between the supporters and opponents of political Islam.”…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Oil rises to $60 per barrel, Libya fire supports | Reuters
Oil rises to $60 per barrel, Libya fire supports | Reuters.
(Reuters) – Brent crude oil rose to $60 per barrel on Monday, supported by concerns about disruption to exports from Libya, but a global supply glut kept prices nearly 50 percent off their peak for the year.
A fire at one of Libya’s main export terminals has destroyed 800,000 barrels of crude – more than two days of the country’s output – officials said, as clashes escalated between factions battling for control of the nation.
Libya currently produces around 385,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil – down from peak production of over 1 million bpd – but this is a small fraction of the global supply glut, analysts said.
“There’s tension in Libya, but liquidity is very thin so not much is needed to move oil prices,” said Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at ABN Amro in Amsterdam.
Trade was sparse, with many investors away for the festive period.
Fires Spread to Five Crude Tanks at Libya’s Oil Terminal – Bloomberg
Fires Spread to Five Crude Tanks at Libya’s Oil Terminal – Bloomberg.
Libyan storage tanks capable of storing 6.2 million barrels of oil, or four times the country’s daily oil production capacity, are at risk of catching fire with southerly winds threatening to spread the blaze.
Five tanks are on fire at the Es Sider port, Libya’s largest oil terminal, Ali al-Hasy, a spokesman for the Petroleum Facilities Guard, said by phone. The wind is strong enough that the blazes may spread, he said. Es Sider tanks have capacity to hold 6.2 million barrels, according to Mohamed Elharari, a spokesman for Libya’s National Oil Co.
“It is a disaster threatening the lives of thousands of people,” Libya’s Ministry of Oil & Gas said on its website. “The fire smoke covers the city’s residential area in Ras Lanuf.” International assistance is being sought because the fires may lead to environmental damages in the Mediterranean Sea, al-Hasy said.
Oil declines amid stronger dollar, crude oversupply in U.S. | Reuters
Oil declines amid stronger dollar, crude oversupply in U.S. | Reuters.
(Reuters) – Oil prices fell Friday, tumbling as the dollar strengthened and as a supply glut in top consumer, the United States, trumped worries about falling production from Libya.
The market had come under pressure from Wednesday’s Energy Department report, which showed a 7.3 million-barrel rise in crude inventories to their highest December level on record. Analysts had expected a seasonal decline.
The slide was exacerbated as oil prices reacted to a strengthening dollar index.
“There’s still significant weakness in confidence, and that means that we’re going to have occasional retests to the downside,” said Richard Hastings of Global Hunter Securities. The strengthening dollar index triggered the slide on Friday, he said.
Additionally, the market continued to reel from bearish storage data just before the Christmas holiday.
Peak Oil Review – 25 December 2014
Peak Oil Review – 25 December 2014.
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Libya Oil Output Drops as Fighting Spreads to Third Oil Port – Bloomberg
Libya Oil Output Drops as Fighting Spreads to Third Oil Port – Bloomberg.
Libya’s oil output fell below its own consumption as fighting spread to Mellitah, a region that hosts the country’s fourth largest oil port.
National Oil Corp. already this month declared force majeure at two export terminals, Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, after an attempt by Islamist militias to capture them. Force majeure is a legal status that protects a company from liability when it can’t fulfill a contract for reasons beyond its control.
National Oil yesterday reported clashes in the Mellitah area, Libya’s westernmost oil port, without indicating whether loadings were stopped. Sitting on Africa’s largest oil reserves, the North African country produced about 1.6 million barrels a day before the 2011 rebellion that ended Muammar Qaddafi’s 42-year rule.
“National Oil Corp. is following with deep concern the events that happened over past two days in the region of Mellitah and their implications for the oil and gas complex,” the NOC said in a statement on its website yesterday. It also said it’s unable to fulfill natural gas exports contracts to Italy.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates Libya’s consumption was 239,000 barrels of oil a day in 2013. The last estimate of the country’s production, on Dec. 15, was 350,000 barrels a day, according to two people with direct knowledge of upstream operations.
Libya’s official government targets rival forces trying to seize ports | Reuters
Libya’s official government targets rival forces trying to seize ports | Reuters.
(Reuters) – Military planes loyal to Libya’s recognized government attacked on Sunday an opposing force that is seeking to seize the country’s two biggest oil ports, officials said.
The advancing force, which is allied to a rival government based in Tripoli, moved east a week ago to try take the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf ports. The adjacent terminals have since closed, halting exports of an estimated 300,000 barrels a day of oil.
The recognized government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni was forced to relocate to the east after losing control of Tripoli in August to a group called Libya Dawn, which installed a new administration in the capital city.
On Sunday, pro-Thinni forces sent aircraft to bomb the advancing fighters some 40 km (25 miles) west of Es Sider and also inside Sirte, a large city further along the coast, said a military spokesman in Es Sider.
Oil Jumps Most in Two Weeks as Fighting, Strike Curb OPEC Output – Bloomberg
Oil Jumps Most in Two Weeks as Fighting, Strike Curb OPEC Output – Bloomberg.
Crude oil jumped the most in two weeks on signs output may contract from two nations accounting for about 9 percent of OPEC production. Prices remain near a five-year low, and the United Arab Emirates said the 12-nation group won’t rein in production in response to the slump.
Fighting disrupted exports from Libya’s largest and third-largest crude ports and halted output from some fields, state-run National Oil Corp said. Workers at Nigerian oil platforms and shipping terminals began an indefinite strike over industry reforms, according to a union spokesman. OPEC won’t cut output even if prices fall as low as $40 a barrel, U.A.E. Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei said.
Oil fell into a bear market this year amid the highest U.S. production in three decades and slowing growth in global consumption. Prices have fallen about 20 percent to the lowest in five years since the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries decided not to cut production to tackle the glut at a Nov. 27 meeting. The group has pumped more than its output target of 30 million barrels a day for the last six months.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Operation AURORAGOLD: How the NSA Hacks Cellphone Networks Worldwide
Operation AURORAGOLD: How the NSA Hacks Cellphone Networks Worldwide.
In March 2011, two weeks before the Western intervention in Libya, a secret message was delivered to the National Security Agency. An intelligence unit within the U.S. military’s Africa Command needed help to hack into Libya’s cellphone networks and monitor text messages.
For the NSA, the task was easy. The agency had already obtained technical information about the cellphone carriers’ internal systems by spying on documents sent among company employees, and these details would provide the perfect blueprint to help the military break into the networks.
The NSA’s assistance in the Libya operation, however, was not an isolated case. It was part of a much larger surveillance program—global in its scope and ramifications—targeted not just at hostile countries.
According to documents contained in the archive of material provided toThe Intercept by whistleblower Edward Snowden, the NSA has spied on hundreds of companies and organizations internationally, including in countries closely allied to the United States, in an effort to find security weaknesses in cellphone technology that it can exploit for surveillance.
The documents also reveal how the NSA plans to secretly introduce new flaws into communication systems so that they can be tapped into—a controversial tactic that security experts say could be exposing the general population to criminal hackers.
Codenamed AURORAGOLD, the covert operation has monitored the content of messages sent and received by more than 1,200 email accounts associated with major cellphone network operators, intercepting confidential company planning papers that help the NSA hack into phone networks.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
West’s action in Libya in 2011 was a ‘mistake’ – Italy’s foreign ministry — RT News
West’s action in Libya in 2011 was a ‘mistake’ – Italy’s foreign ministry — RT News.
Western countries made a ‘mistake’ three years ago, when they intervened in Libya to overthrow the Gaddafi regime, according to Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. The statement came amid reports of the US discussing airstrikes on Libya’s territory.
“Three years ago we might have made a mistake, when international forces interfered without thinking through the scenario, what will happen afterwards. Italian voice was too weak,” Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni said in a TV interview with national broadcaster RAI, as quoted by Tass news agency.
While meeting international journalists on Friday, the minister said that stabilizing the situation in Libya – which at the moment is an uncontrollable land of “chaos” – and in the whole Mediterranean region was a key priority of Italy’s foreign policy.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
