THE SITUATION on the Korean peninsula has taken a belligerent new turn--and as usual, the mainstream media have presented a story that could have come straight out of the U.S. State Department news releases. The simple message is: "North Korea has (once again) taken the region to the brink of war."

The latest installment in this melodrama begins in December of last year with North Korea's successful launch of a three-stage rocket. That rocket deploys a satellite, but it proves that North Korea has the capacity to fire others that could power a long-range ballistic missile.

BRADLEY MANNING spent his 1,000th day in prison on February 23.

Manning is the U.S. soldier who blew the whistle on torture and murder in Iraq and Afghanistan and who, as a result, has been hailed by U.S. politicians and media, not as a hero who took a stand against atrocity, but as a traitor who aided the enemy.

Held since May 29, 2010, Manning spent 10 months in solitary confinement in conditions described by the UN Rapporteur on Torture as "cruel, inhuman and degrading." This included being made to stand at attention naked for roll call.

The civilian death toll in Mali continues to rise after relentless airstrikes by the French Army as well as a ground invasion with support from the armies of Niger, Chad and the Malian state.

To add to the dire situation the medical aid group “Doctors Without Borders” have professed their difficulty in helping those in need. So far the invading forces have been successful in pushing the Malian rebels out of secured villages and into less populated areas. It is important to note that the militant are not a homogenous force but three separate militias with separate agendas.

Many people in Ireland expressed relief when the Irish hostage, Stephen McFaul was escaped from captivity after he was kidnapped at an oil refinery in Algeria. Those who kidnapped him were involved in a brutal war occurring in Mali.

Few people are aware of the background to this war. But Eamonn Gilmore used the kidnapping to give full support to French intervention. The West must send its troops in, he asserts, because otherwise we will have ‘terrorist base camp’ on the edge of Europe.

A few years ago, in Iran, a university student told me that "Each time the US and the West threatens Iran with military attacks, the regime tightens its grip on various social/political elements of life. They use the "being under attack" argument and call for national unity and support for the regime. There are various political elements challenging the government in Iran and the government uses every excuse to disable these, including the sentiment of unity of the nation under attack"

Interview by Tariq Ali, February 2012

Sarah Ensor and Mark L Thomas spoke to Tariq Ali who gives his take on the revolutions and rebellions in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, the threat of war with Iran and US imperialism after Iraq

What is the balance sheet on Iraq for US imperialism? How far has US dominance
been damaged?

Defence & Security Equipment International - London Exhibition

The Dublin City Council passed the following resolution:

http://www.warstartshere.com
On Tuesday afternoon about 200 protesters entered the North European Aerospace Test area