Though I hate to say I told you so, this Thus post from August 2009 “Where’s Gordon Brown in the Libyan Desert Storm?” deals at length in customary erudite fashion with the extraordinary rehabilitation of Whacko Jacko Gadaffi, his socialite son Saif, erstwhile cocktail guest of both Mandelson and Osborne and the strange silence surrounding the [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Development, Economics, Energy, Global security, Intifada, Middle East, War on Terror, democracy
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Tagged Al Megrahi, Bahrain, BP, Colonel Gaddafi, George Osborne, Gordon Brown, liberal intervention, Libya, Peter Mandelson, Saif Gaddafi, Sarkozy, Saudi incursions into Bahrain, SNAFU, Tony Blair, Whacko Jacko Gaddafi
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November 3, 2009 – 1:43 pm
Thus predicted this outcome so long ago and so many times that I can scarcely be bothered to highlight our previous posts. Yet the grotesque reality of the US, Britain, NATO and especially the UN rewarding endemic fraud, corruption and weak government by a second term, all enacted under the banner of democracy, surpasses all [...]
September 14, 2009 – 1:57 pm
A credible, inclusive and secure election was intended to deliver a government with sufficient legitimacy to win back the trust of the population and to work with the US and NATO to restore Afghan Sovereignty. Instead, the Afghan population in general, and the youth and political activists in particular, now believe that a deeply flawed [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Culture, Global security, democracy
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Tagged Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan election fraud, Ashraf Ghani, Bank of Ghazanhar, Bashardost, Clare Lockhart, Dostum, government of national unity, Hamid Karzai transitiona government, Institute of State Effectiveness, Insurgency, interest free loan of $2 million to Karzai, Karzai declares assets of $1000, Karzai-Abdullah coalition, popular Afghan insurgency, Richard Holbrooke, Taliban
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August 25, 2009 – 9:08 pm
“If Karzai’s warlord cronies have over-egged the firnee and their boy romps home with an incredible margin, Iran-style riots are almost inevitable. On the other hand, if he narrowly wins, it will be more difficult for the opposition forces to cry foul. Given that he achieved only 54 per cent in 2004, the ‘ideal’ result [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Asia, Global security, Human rights, Law and order, United Nations, War on Terror, citizens' rights, civil rights, democracy
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Tagged Abdullah Abdullah, afghanistan elections karzai lead narrows, Hamid Karzai, Karzai and abdullah to settle election with a pro wrestling bout, karzai campaign financed with 2 million dollar interest free loan, thus magazine proposes jeb bush as afghan election monitor
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August 24, 2009 – 4:18 pm
It is rumoured in Kabul that the Independent Election Commission is under pressure to rush out election results in an effort to accustom public opinion to the legitimacy of a Karzai victory which some are already claiming could be greater than 70 percent. Unofficial reports (Press TV) claim that Karzai has won with 3,244,196 votes [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Development, Global security, Intifada, Law and order, Middle East, Palestine, United Nations, War on Terror, democracy, gaza
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Tagged Abdullah, Afghan elections, Afghan government of national unity, AIPAC, anti-semitism, by John J Kelly, Fatah, fundamentalists, Ghani, Hamas, Independent Election Commission is under pressure to rush out election results, Jews, Karzai, Karzai rumoured to declare victory by more than 60%, Palestine, taliban intimidation caught on camera
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August 23, 2009 – 11:54 am
While resisting the temptation to say ‘we told you so’ (Thus passim) – it is glaringly evident that, as predicted, the Afghan elections were neither free nor fair. Except that by an extraordinary contortion of logic and semantics, the EU monitors have declared that they were ‘generally fair but not free.’ Well, thanks for putting [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Global security, Intifada, Policy, Political spin, US Politics, United Nations, War on Terror, citizens' rights, civil rights, democracy, miscarriage of justice
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Tagged Abdul Rashid Dostum, Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan elections neither free nor fair says Thus Magazine, EU election monitors, Hamid Karzai, John J Kelly, Muhammad Qasim Fahim, neither warlord will secure more than 50% of a turnout well below 50% of the population in the first place, Pashtun, Takik, UNAMA, warlords
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August 20, 2009 – 1:11 pm
Fuck yeah – if it’s fucking hearts and fucking minds you want to fucking win over, walk this way with the fucking US Marines. We’ll capture those fucking hearts and minds or tear the bastards out and shove them up their sorry goddam asses. By John J Kelly. Last night, BBC Newsnight aired a warning [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Global security, Law and order, War on Terror, democracy, human rights abuse
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Tagged 9/11, Afghanistan, BBC film of US marines patrolling Helmand, BBC Newsnight Helmand US marine patrol, by John J Kelly, counter insurgency, Douglas Alexander, hearts and minds, Helmand, Jeremy paxman, President Karzai passes Status Law legalising rape within marriage, Status law, Taliban, UK Development Secretary and jackass, Us marines, War on Terror
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August 18, 2009 – 2:23 pm
This morning, with two days to go, the BBC uncovered evidence of massive Afghan election fraud. Why are we not surprised? Leaving aside the fact that Thus reported this ‘possibility’ back in April, and again yesterday (see previous post) there have been several telltale signs that the promoters of Democracy Inc. are prepared to turn [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Global security, Law and order, Politics, US Politics, United Nations, War on Terror, democracy
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Tagged Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan election, Afghan insurgency, Ashar Ghani, by John J Kelly, Dostum, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, Iran election fraud, John J Kelly, massive election fraud uncovered by BBC, Obama, Obama's war of necessity, Taliban, UNAMA
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In the interests of transparency, I have made no secret of my support for Dr. Ashraf Ghani’s Presidential candidacy (Thus passim). I don’t know much about the other candidates (and should do) but it appears crazy to endorse the Karzai regime, which has presided over a culture of warlord cronyism and corruption which has increased [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Development, International Affairs, US Politics, War on Terror, democracy, human rights abuse
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Tagged Afghanistan elections, apathy abroad may assure Karzai victory in one-horse race, Ashraf Ghani, Chechnya, Georgia, John J Kelly, Karzai, media coverage of afghan elections, Russia, US, US opium wars in Afghanistan, War on Terror
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Afghanistan could become Obama’s Vietnam, if it isn’t already. Al Qaida, the Taliban and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalyse have never been in ruder health. By John J Kelly. Drone bombing insurgents, much less civilians, will not win the ‘war on terror’ in Afghanistan, which has now spread to Pakistan, enabling the possibility of [...]
By John Kelly
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Also posted in Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Development, Global security, Law and order, Middle East, US Politics, United Nations, War on Terror, carpet bombing, democracy, human rights abuse
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Tagged Afghan elections August 2009, Afghanistan, Afghanistan could become Obama's Vietnam, Ahmed Wali Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, Former Pakistani SIS head, fundamentalism, Hameed karzai, Iraq, Lt-Gen (rtd) Hameed Gul, Mahdi Army, Obama, Osama Bin laden, Pakistan, Pashtun, Russians in Afghanistan, Taleban, US Middle East policy, War on Terror
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