By SHAMUS COOKE - December 17, 2012

The Obama administration has already declared war on Syria, even if it isn’t “official” yet. Consider the facts...The U.S. now recognizes a group of Syrian exiles to be the official government of Syria; the U.S. is providing direct support for rebels attacking the government; the U.S. has coordinated with NATO to place advanced missile systems...on Syria’s border with Turkey; Obama has drawn a “red line” that, if Syria crosses, would result in U.S. direct military intervention. If any other country made similar moves toward the U.S., there would be no question that war had been declared.

By Eric Walberg - Dissident Voice

As a former colony of both France and Britain, the loyal ‘white dominion’ of yesteryear, Canada may look like the perfect intermediary today: ‘Be nice and you too can graduate from colony to dominion.’ However, the flip side of white dominion status is that, like Israel or South Africa, you have built your society on the bones of the ‘brown’ natives. So it is not surprising that this week...[Prime Minister Stephen] Harper...faces ongoing protests over government neglect of Canada’s First Nations.

By Claudia Cinatti - Thursday, December 6, 2012

The old slogan, that hundreds of thousands were shouting against the Mubarak dictatorship at the beginning of 2011, is again resounding with all its force in the streets of Cairo and the main cities of Egypt, this time directed against the government of M. Morsi and the Freedom and Justice Party (linked to the Muslim Brotherhood) and the Constituent Assembly with a majority from Islamist parties.

By JAMES RISEN, MARK MAZZETTI and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT - New York Times

The Obama administration secretly gave its blessing to arms shipments to Libyan rebels from Qatar last year, but American officials later grew alarmed as evidence grew that Qatar was turning some of the weapons over to Islamic militants, according to United States officials and foreign diplomats...The weapons and money from Qatar strengthened militant groups in Libya, allowing them to become a destabilizing force since the fall of the Qaddafi government.

Reports suggest the worst ahead. Iran remains a longtime US/ Israeli target. Syria's very much on the boil. Washington's proxy war rages. It's been ongoing since early last year.

By Claudia Cinatti
Thursday, November 29, 2012

These days, Egypt is going through one of the biggest political crises since the fall of former dictator Mubarak in February, 2011. The crisis erupted on November 22, when the Egyptian President, M. Morsi, announced that, because of a “constitutional declaration,” his acts, those of Parliament, and of the Constituent Assembly, were not subject to appeal and were outside of any judicial challenge.

NNC's Iman Soleimani conducted the interview. He did another last October. US foreign policy, its phony war on terror, its human rights record, imperial wars, belligerent diplomacy, and anti-Iranian agenda were discussed.

By Norman Finkelstein - November 29, 2012

In one sense, Israel was straightforward about its motive. It kept saying...that it wanted to restore its “deterrence capacity” — i.e., the Arab/Muslim world’s fear of it...The latest assault on Gaza unfolded in the broader context of successive Israeli foreign policy failures...The natives were getting restless. It was time to take out the big club again and remind the locals who was in charge.

Observers thinking Palestinians gained from Pillar of Cloud might think again. Nothing changed. Hardline Netanyahu policies continue. Expect worse ahead. Palestinian peace, reconciliation and unity advocates are murdered or arrested.

He admitted it. He's not finished. He has lots more killing and destruction to do. He "will not hesitate to do what is necessary to defend our people..."

By Shamus Cooke - November 23, 2012

A region of the world that was already on fire is now being doused in kerosene. Amidst the flames, Israel and the U.S. are striving to re-build the region in their image, with more territory and oil and fewer enemies. The war against the Palestinians is the first act in a regional war. The U.S. and Israel are planning to spread the inferno across the Middle East and beyond.

By Jean Shaoul and Chris Marsden - 24 November 2012

The ceasefire that brought to an end Israel’s eight-day blitzkrieg against Gaza is already under strain, after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man on the border. Anwar Qdeih, 23, was shot through the head as he tried to place a Hamas flag on the fence near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Around 20 other Palestinians were wounded.

By Chris Marsden - WSWS

Israel’s ability to lay siege to Gaza depended upon the backing of Washington. The belated insistence of the Obama administration on a ceasefire focused on preventing a threatened ground invasion. Its stance was motivated by the strategic goal of securing regime change in Syria and isolating Iran in order to establish undisputed hegemony over the oil-rich Middle East.

The ruling Al Khalifa monarchy is one of the world's most brutal dictatorships. It's also a valued US ally. Bahrain is home to America's Fifth Fleet.

By Bill Van Auken - WSWS

One week after the reelection of President Barack Obama, the drumbeat for war against Syria has escalated sharply...Over the past two days, military threats have escalated on both Syria’s northern and southwestern borders, with Turkey threatening intervention and Israel repeatedly firing on Syrian forces...Simultaneously, Washington has plowed ahead with the sordid business of fabricating a new “sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.”