Category: 02 Diplomacy

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Chuck Spinney: Obama Implodes…the Story Continues

02 Diplomacy, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Justice, 11 Society, 12 Water, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, IO Deeds of War, IO Impotency
Chuck Spinney
President Obama in trouble at home and around the world.  The common denominator in his problems is a failure to follow through on expectations he recklessly excites … while this  mismatch is clear in the mounting alienation of his domestic political base in the United States, it is also evident his plummeting popularity abroad, particularly in the Arab World, as shown in the attached survey by Zogby International for the Arab American Institute Foundation.

ARAB ATTITUDES, 2011
Conducted by Zogby International, Analysis by James Zogby
Arab American Institute Foundation
The full report can be downloaded from this link.

Executive Summary   

  • After improving with the election of Barack Obama in 2008, U.S. favorable ratings across the Arab world have plummeted. In most countries they are lower than at the end of the Bush Administration, and lower than Iran's favorable ratings (except in Saudi Arabia).
  • The continuing occupation of Palestinian lands and U.S. interference in the Arab world are held to be the greatest obstacles to peace and stability in the Middle East.
  • While many Arabs were hopeful that the election of Barack Obama would improve U.S.-Arab relations, that hope has evaporated. Today, President Obama's favorable ratings across the Arab World are 10% or less.
  • Obama's performance ratings are lowest on the two issues to which he has devoted the most energy: Palestine and engagement with the Muslim world.
  • The U.S. role in establishing a no-fly zone over Libya receives a positive rating only in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, but, as an issue, it is the lowest priority.
  • The killing of bin Laden only worsened attitudes toward the U.S.
  • A plurality says it is too early to tell whether the Arab Spring will have a positive impact on the region. In Egypt, the mood is mixed. Only in the Gulf States are optimism and satisfaction levels high.
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Syria a Satellite of Iran? Nah….

02 Diplomacy, 04 Inter-State Conflict, 05 Civil War, 05 Iran, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Commerce, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, IO Impotency, Media, Military, Peace Intelligence
Click on Image to Enlarge

Edit of 23 Oct 2012.  Thank you, Mitt Romney.  See comment on Iran and the sea at the below link with map and regional RECAP:

Graphic: Map Syria Iran + Syria-Iran-Rergional RECAP

CNN has evidently become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US Department of Defense (which has militarized the wimpish Department of State), much like BBC is a largely-owned subsidiary of the CIA.  Today CNN is “selling,” with a straight face, absolute garbage to the effect that Iran considers Syria a satellite state and is “actively” engaged in advising and supplying the armed crack-down on dissidents. On the fringes there is no doubt slight evidence of Iranian concern, but this massive lie to the public leaves out several facts:

1)  85% or so of Syria is populated by Sunnis who hate Shi'ites and dictators–whether secular or theocratic–more than the hate the USA.

Click on Image to Enlarge

2)  Assad not only owns the guns, they were made in the USA and he has received strong support from the USA and Israel for decades, while also supporting with rendition and torture the fraudulent USA “war on terror.”

3)  This is a revolution for dignity and liberty, not necessarily for democracy, but most assuredly not in any way associated with nor justifying undermining in relation to the “war on terror. General Clark has told us the military-industrial complex, which is now out of control and unresponsive to White House or Congressional direction, plans to take out seven countries in five years.  The insane, costly, unconstitutional, and criminal plan was actually laid out in a book, Endgame–The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror.  What is being done “in our name” lacks intelligence and integrity and is well over the line toward crimes against humanity that should  be confronted and stopped.  War is not the solution; US troops out of Afghanistan and into Libya and Syria and Iran is not the solution.  It will make matters worse.

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Phi Beta Iota: Turkey, Iran, and Egypt are the center of gravity for a non-violent and mature campaign to stabilize and reconstruct the Middle East.  The US will not be part of the solution as long as it allows the military-industrial complex to jump in, and as long as the Department of State is as inept and uninformed as it is.  The US Government lacks intelligence and integrity.  It is time for the public to act on the wisdom of Norman Cousins:

Government is not built to perceive great truths; only people can perceive great truths.  Governments specialize in small and intermediate truths.  They have to be instructed by their people in great truths.  And the particular truth in which they need instruction today is that new means for meeting the largest problems of the world have to be created.

We reiterate our faith in the importance of the Assisi Inter-Faith Summit, and our coincident concern that the Catholic Church hierarchy is blowing off the importance of intelligence with integrity.  Our views and related context are at: Event: 26 Oct 2011 Assisi Italy Pope, Peace, & Prayer — 5th Inter-Faith Event Since 1986 — Terms of Reference….  The Sunni-Shi-ite schism is matched by the Hindu-Muslim conflict in India.  Secular corruption and a lack of intelligence with integrity among governments and corporations is in our view the “root” problem that the inter-faith summit must acknowledge and address.  A commitment by the faiths to non-violent truth & reoconciliation, with a global focus on transparency for truth and trust as an outcome, is the next “big step” for mankind.

See Also:

Continue reading “Syria a Satellite of Iran? Nah….”

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US IC In Search of Enemies & Unwitting of Change

02 Diplomacy, 04 Inter-State Conflict, 05 Civil War, 06 Genocide, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Civil Society, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Ethics, Government, IO Impotency, Military
DefDog Recommends....

Another misstep by the IC…..Zawahiri has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the same group that has brought you the “Arab Spring”, Washington's perception of a move toward democracy…..

Zawahiri's goal has always been to overtake AQ (hence the belief he was responsible for Azam's death) and make it a weapon of the Islamic Jihad.  If true, and the Arab Spring is tied to the Brotherhood, then giving up UBL is another step of the ladder.  He was no longer needed.

Al-Qaeda’s Zawahiri, Bigger Threat Than Osama?: Raymond Ibrahim

Now that Ayman Zawahiri has assumed leadership of al-Qaeda, it is important to end the widespread perception that he is a dour intellectual who is disconnected from young, would-be jihadists. The fact is, Zawahiri is a wily, dangerous and imposing leader who should be considered no less of a threat — and perhaps even more so — than his predecessor.

Read rest of article…

Continue reading “US IC In Search of Enemies & Unwitting of Change”

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Event: 26 Oct 2011 Assisi Italy Pope, Peace, & Prayer — 5th Inter-Faith Event Since 1986 — Terms of Reference…

01 Poverty, 02 Diplomacy, 06 Genocide, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Civil Society, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Ethics
His Holiness Benedict XVI

UPDATED 26 October 2011 (Vatican focus on global financial reform / authority, need for ethics – avoids addressing secular corruption as we suggested in below letter sent January 2011)

Penguin: Vatican Calls for World Government…Oopps

Vatican, Ethics, & Truth I (Full Text Online for Google Translate)

Vatican, Ethics, & Truth II (Full Text Online for Google Translate)

Occupy Wall Street’s Most Unlikely Ally: The Pope

Vatican Breaks Bread (Sort Of) With Occupiers

Cardinal Turkson: Beyond Wall Street

2011: Commercial Intelligence and Competitive Strategy in International Markets – Context and Challenge Inteligencia Empresarial y Estrategia Competitiva en Mercados Internacional – Contexto y Desafio

UPDATED 18 June 2011 (Turkey Rising, Truth, Convergence of Science & Religion)

Turkey Rising–21st Century an Ottoman Century?

Catholic Church Getting Serious About “Truth”

Review: God and Science–Coming Full Circle

Review: The Beginning of All Things–Science and Religion

Review: Questions of Truth–Fifty-one Responses to Questions About God, Science, and Belief

M4IS2

UPDATED 10 February 2011 (All Other Assisi Links)

Seven Answers–Robert Steele in Rome

Assisi-Rome 2nd Meeting

Egypt & Jordan: Muslim & Christian Side by Side

Revolution & Secession: The Game is ON!

Revolution Kickstarted by Facebook Generation

Assisi, Egypt, US Hypocrisy, Global Revolution

Reference: Correspondence on Assisi Intelligence

Reference: Intelligence for the Spirit of Assisi

ON INTELLIGENCE: Open Letter to the President

Continue reading “Event: 26 Oct 2011 Assisi Italy Pope, Peace, & Prayer — 5th Inter-Faith Event Since 1986 — Terms of Reference…”

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Turkey Rising–21st Century an Ottoman Century?

02 Diplomacy, 08 Immigration, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Civil Society, Corruption, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Cultural Intelligence, Ethics, Government, IO Impotency, Strategy
Chuck Spinney Recommends...

Turkey in Position to Lead Region Out of Tumultuous Century

By William Pfaff, Truthdig, Jun 14, 2011

Looking backward, there is a great deal to be said for leaving well enough alone, which is more difficult than one might think. Western Europe in the 19th century is now generally looked back upon as having constituted a pinnacle of Western civilization. Certainly in literature, music and the plastic arts this was so, the last-named in the century’s final decade, when painting ceased its period as domestic decoration and exploded into a myriad of ways to perceive not only the external world but the interior universe as well.

The modern Western intelligence was invented then, and the world has since played variations on 19th century political themes: nationalism, colonialism, imperialism, populism, class liberation, revolution, anarchism, class and racial warfare. The Napoleonic wars began the century and transformed its political institutions. The Franco-Prussian War ended the century, setting the scene for the hyper-destructive 20th century.

. . . . . . .

There is a Muslim community of peace for Turkey to inspire.

Read full article….

Phi Beta Iota: Science and religion and philosophy, when at their best, seek to establish “best truths.”  All three have been corrupted by politics, dogma, and laziness.  Peace costs one third of what is now spent on war, and infinite wealth for the many can only be achieved in the context of a universal peace.  If Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India come together on this point, Islam will be a global force in the 21st Century, not least because it will control secular corruption.

See Also:

Pfaff via Spinney at Phi Beta Iota

William Pfaff,  The Irony of Manifest Destiny: The Tragedy of America's Foreign Policy (Walker & Co, 2010)

Event: 26 Oct 2011 Assisi Italy Pope, Peace, & Prayer — 5th Inter-Faith Event Since 1986 — Terms of Reference…

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Long-Term Implications of Netanyahu Over Obama

02 Diplomacy, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Corruption, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Cultural Intelligence, Government, IO Impotency, Power Behind-the-Scenes/Special Interests
Chuck Spinney Recommends...

Attached herewith is an important essay on the long term implications of Netanyahu – Obama spectacle of late May. The Author, William R. Polk, has kindly given granted me permission to distribute it.

Read preliminary comment and full text of William Polk's

Obama and Palestine

What will make Obama willing to move on the issue?

Also by William Polk:

Journal: William Polk AF Trip Report August 2010

Journal: William Polk on Afghanistan Non-Strategy Plus Consolidated Journal, Review, and Reference Links for Afghanistan

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Mother Jones: How Not to Withdraw from Iraq

02 Diplomacy, 03 Economy, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, Budgets & Funding, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, IO Deeds of War, Military, Power Behind-the-Scenes/Special Interests

How Not to Withdraw from Iraq

Even as we withdraw troops, the enormity of the US embassy compound in Baghdad sends the wrong message.

— By Peter Van Buren

Mother Jones, 11 June 2011

EXTRACT:

Eight disastrous years after we invaded, it is sad but altogether true that Iraq does not matter much in the end.

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It is a terrible thing that we poured 4,459 American lives and trillions of dollars into the war, and without irony oversaw the deaths of at least a hundred thousand, and probably hundreds of thousands, of Iraqis in the name of freedom. Yet we are left with only one argument for transferring our occupation duties from the Department of Defense to the Department of State: something vague about our “investment in blood and treasure.”

Think of this as the Vegas model of foreign policy: keep the suckers at the table throwing good money after bad. Leaving aside the idea that “blood and treasure” sounds like a line from Pirates of the Caribbean, one must ask: What accomplishment are we protecting?

The war's initial aim was to stop those weapons of mass destruction from being used against us. There were none, so check that off the list. Then it was to get rid of Saddam. He was hanged in 2006, so cross off that one. A little late in the game we became preoccupied with ensuring an Iraq that was “free.” And we've had a bunch of elections and there is a government of sorts in place to prove it, so that one's gotta go, too.

What follows won't be “investment,” just more waste. The occupation of Iraq, centered around that engorged embassy, is now the equivalent of a self-licking ice cream cone, useful only to itself.

Read long article rich with details….