The famous French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) wrote in his book on the origins of government, The Social Contract (1762), that no laws are binding unless agreed upon by the people. The idea became one of the chief influences that brought about the French Revolution in 1789. During the revolution some small groups of radical factions supported rule by violence and terror.
“The word “terrorism” first became popular during the French Revolution, when the régime de la terreur was initially viewed as a positive political system that used fear to remind citizens of the necessity of virtue, ” wrote Raymond Bonner [more...]
Chemical and biological warfare has been used long before World War One. During the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BC, Spartans used bombs made of sulphur and pitch to overcome the enemy. During ancient and medieval times, soldiers sometimes threw bodies of plague victims over the walls of besieged cities, or into water wells. During the French and Indian wars in North America (1689-1763), blankets used by smallpox victims were given to American Indians in the hope they would carry the disease.
The first deadly gas attack came in April 1915 when the German Army dropped chlorine gas over the [more...]
According to David McClintick (“Swordfish: A True Story of Ambition, Savagery, and Betrayal”), in the late 1980’s, the FBI and DEA set up dummy corporations to deal in drugs. They funneled into these corporate fronts money from drug-related asset seizures.
The idea was to infiltrate global crime networks but a lot of the money in “Operation Swordfish” may have ended up in the wrong pockets. Government agents and sheriffs got mysteriously and filthily rich and the whole sorry affair was wound down. The GAO reported more than $3.6 billion missing. This bit of history gave rise to at least one blockbuster [more...]
Modern Afghanistan dates from 1747, when Ahmad Shah Durrani freed the country from Persian domination. Afghanistan gained independence from Britain in 1919 after the Third Afghan War. In 1973 the government of Zahir Shah was overthrown in a military coup led by Daoud Khan and the PDPA (Afghan Communist Party). Khan abolishes the monarchy, declares himself President, and the Republic of Afghanistan is established. In 1978, when Khan ousts suspected opponents from his government it leads to a bloody Communist coup in which Khan is killed. Taraki is named President and signs a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union. [more...]
LIBYA | NIGER | ALGERIA | TUNISIA
LIBYA claims about 19,400 sq km in northern NIGER and part of south-eastern ALGERIA, and also has a maritime boundary dispute with TUNISIA.
BAHRAIN | QATAR | KUWAIT | SAUDI ARABIA | IRAN | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | IRAQ
BAHRAIN and QATAR: Territorial dispute over the Hawar Islands and maritime boundary between BAHRAIN and QATAR. KUWAIT ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia. IRAN occupies two islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by the United Arab Emirates: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e [more...]
