Monthly Archives: March 2014

“Pro-regime Sunni fighters in Aleppo ” Al-Monitor

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Pat Lang

"… how can we account for the very real fact that the powerful pro-regime militias that have made such significant gains were drawn from the less privileged Sunni classes? What could explain certain Sunni towns and villages in the Aleppo … Continue reading →

Posted in Syria | 22 Comments

Feinstein vs the CIA

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Pat Lang

"During a fiery speech Tuesday that stunned lawmakers and members of the intelligence community, Feinstein, a California Democrat, accused the CIA of secretly taking classified documents from her staff's computers during an oversight investigation. Her comments made public a private … Continue reading →

Posted in government, Intelligence, Politics | 41 Comments

An “Off Ramp”

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Pat Lang

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry agreed on Sunday to seek a solution to crisis in Ukraine by pushing for constitutional reforms there, the Russian foreign ministry said. It did not go into details … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Russia | 129 Comments

“Ukraine Crisis: Six Reasons Why U.S. Use Of Military Forces Is Unthinkable” Loren Thompson

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Pat Lang

"Russia has the ability to utterly destroy America. Local conflicts have a way of getting out of control when foreign powers intervene. In any military confrontation between U.S. and Russian forces, there is a danger of escalation not only to … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Russia | 88 Comments

“Who Cares Anyway?” A Short Story by Richard Sale

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Pat Lang

   Jack   “I don’t like other people.  And they don’t like me either. “I’ll live. “My mom says it’s because I’m selfish. But if she improved herself instead of criticizing me all the time, maybe I would have had … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

“U.S. Army Gets Big-Ass Old-School Gun”

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Pat Lang

"In early 2011, the Army responded to these demands and sent some Vietnam-era recoilless rifles to Afghanistan. The troops were thrilled with the variety of ammunition available for these weapons, including a shell that scatters thousands of little metal darts … Continue reading →

Posted in The Military Art | 32 Comments

Saudi Arabia turns away from the jihadis in Syria.

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Pat Lang

"Saudi Arabia has formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. An interior ministry statement also classified two jihadist groups fighting with the Syrian rebels – the Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – as … Continue reading →

Posted in Saudi Arabia, Syria | 47 Comments

Dempsey pushes back against war fever – Harper

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Pat Lang

General Martin Dempsey, U.S. Chairman of the  Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave a lengthy interview to Judy Woodruff  on Friday night's PBS News Hour and delivered a carefully balanced  picture of how the U.S. military is managing the unfolding  Ukraine … Continue reading →

Posted in Harper | 48 Comments

McCauliffe vs the House of Delegates, So far, he has lost.

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Pat Lang

"In a state that was cautious about expanding Medicaid long before President Obama’s 2010 health-care law offered billions of dollars in new enticements, the Republican-controlled House of Delegates and Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe are locked in a dispute over what … Continue reading →

Posted in government, Politics | 9 Comments

Escalation possibilities in Ukraine… Habakkuk

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Pat Lang

"In relation to the escalatory potentials of this situation, the passions liable to be aroused by the readiness of the U.S. and E.U. to identify themselves with West Ukrainian nationalists should not be underestimated. An article by Patrick Cockburn which … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Russia | 73 Comments