Above: Cluster Mine
There are already more than 100 nations who signed a treaty banning the use of cluster mines. Britain, after supporting the United States for many years on its stand on the use of these weapons, has also jumped ship.
The Bush administration, however, remains adamant on the use of these deadly bombs.
Above: Abu Hamza al-Muhajir
An al-Qaeda member was arrested in northern Iraq – and the arrested man says he is the head of the organization for the entire country.
Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf told Iraqi television network al-Iraqiya that the detained man claimed that he was Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. His captors are still investigating on his true identity as these matters need factual proof. The picture above is a file photo of al-Muhajir.
Above: CIA torture
The Pentagon has recently made public a five year old Justice Department memo that approves of harsh interrogation of suspected terrorists.
The memo is dated March 14, 2003. It was written by John Yoo (pictured below), who was at the time deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel.
Below: John Yoo
The memo legally justifies the military’s use of torture tactics against al-Qaeda and Taliban detainees overseas. The catch is that the torture is not supposed to be directly intended – which is stupid since torture techniques are all pre-empted as it uses different tools to inflict pain.
Above: Lee Myung Bak
North and South Korea ties are thinning anew.
North Korea unleashed propaganda against the South’s recently elected president, Lee Myung-bak (pictured above), calling him a “traitor” and a “US sycophant.” Sycophant, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, is the same as a back scratcher, or a boot licker, or, how do we put this politely… um, a “behind” kisser.
After nearly a decade of peace and reconciliation, the North is suddenly on the attack.
Above: The Mahdi Army has taken control of Basra.
Crude oil prices rose to $107.58 a barrel (up 1.68) in New York, after a pipeline explosion in Iraq cut one of the main supplies to the country’s main oil export terminal. The Zubair-1 pipeline is one of two that transport oil to the Basra terminal.
Although the Iraqi oil ministry is still not certain as to what caused the explosion, they pretty much have a concrete idea. The ongoing clashes in the area between Iraqi forces and Muqtada al-Sadr militants (shown in picture above) are now on its third straight day. Muqtada al-Sadr is one of the most influential Shiite clerics and political figures in Iraq. He is known to be anti-US. His Mahdi Army has just taken Basra hostage; possibly smuggling oil themselves to fund their cause.
