See also US Politics Special: The "Elite Eight" States That Will Decide The Presidential Election
In 3 1/2 minutes and some drawings, EA puts you on the path to becoming a water-cooler expert on the US Presidential Election, complete with an understanding of the Electoral College and "It's Not the Big States but the Swing States That Make the Difference".
Iran Special: The US Nuclear "Experts" at ISIS --- When Propaganda Replaces Analysis
The Latest from Iran (9 October): Triple-Digit Inflation?
1815 GMT: Currency Watch. It looks like the Central Bank, trying to preserve foreign reserves, is restricting trade in the Iranian Rial. Reports indicate the Bank has declared that foreign currency accounts cannot be opened with Rials, but interest on the accounts will be paid in the local currency.
Meanwhile, an indication of the "real" price of gold, amidst the blackout on information. Khabar Online claims that advance sales of gold coins are trading at 14.44 million Rials (about $1200 at official rate).
That is an increase of about 11% on the "current" price, last posted on Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at 10:56 | James Miller in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2008 GMT: Turkey/Syria. According to Turkish reports, weapons equipment was also found on the planes (updates below):
Turkish inspectors also found parts that could be used in missiles in the Syria-bound plane intercepted by Turkey.
— Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) October 10, 2012
2003 GMT: Turkey/Syria. No weapons, but military communications equipment, we found on the plane detained by Turkey (see updates below), according to a Turkish journalist:
Turkey seizes military communication equipments in Syria-bound civilian plane and sends the plane to Damascus with passengers.
— Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) October 10, 2012
1910 GMT: Syria. 164 people have been killed by the Assad regime so far today, according to the Local Coordination Committees:
EA Video Analysis: How to Become An Expert on the Iranian Nuclear Programme
ISIS Founder David AlbrightIf the ISIS was to admit any evidence that Iran is not on the verge of weapons-grade uranium --- indeed that Iran has been converting a good part of its uranium to non-military uses --- then it would undermine the demand of the US and European powers that Tehran has to shut down its enrichment, close down its plant, and ship out the 20% stock.
That cannot be entertained, because ISIS's analysts are committed to "Stop, Shut, and Ship". Thus the report is not just an error in analysis. With its assumptions, its speculations, and its ignorance of vital evidence, it is propaganda in support of a political quest.
German protesters demonstrate against proposed shooting and stabbing of pigs for US "battlefield training"
And now the latest news on Pigs, Medical Practice, and the US Military...
The US company Deployment Medicine International (DMI), which has branches across Europe, wants changes in Germany's animal rights laws so it can conduct medical training with live pigs as subjects.
DMI is a contractor for the US military, training the majority of army medics in Operational Medicine courses. These include “live tissue training” which requires pigs --- selected for their closeness to human flesh --- to be deliberately wounded to recreate battlefield trauma on which the medics gain "real-life" experience.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at 7:51 | Matt Sienkiewicz in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Human Rights Watch on the abuse in Gaza's prisons
Zero-sum logic ignores the fact that, like it or not, we are all in this together. Each act of political violence that occurs in Israel and Palestine these days is deeply intertwined with the failure to make peace and the cycle of violence that has arisen in its stead. Torture on either side of the Gaza border will never enhance security on the other.
There are only 106 Electoral College votes in eight states that are up for grabs in this election. The importance of each state corresponds to how many votes they award, if only because President Obama --- with his Blue Wall --- needs to win far fewer of these states than Mitt Romney to triumph in the election. It is a harsh fact for Mitt Romney's campaign that if Obama secures the 29 votes of Florida, this Presidential election is all but over.
The Elite Eight:
Florida - 29
Ohio – 18
North Carolina – 15
Virginia – 13
Missouri – 10
Colorado – 9
Nevada – 6
Iowa – 6
Barack Obama, Mitt Romney Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 12:23 | James Miller in EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, US Foreign Policy, US Politics National Public Radio recaps the key points from Mitt Romney's foreign policy speech at the Virginia Military Institute
A real criticism of Barack Obama might be that he did not change enough. He has continued and escalated the drone war, has surged in Afghanistan, has not reset the diplomatic situation with Iran or North Korea, and has not closed Guantanamo Bay.
But Romney is not challenging any of this, because he is likely to support these measures, albeit in private rather in public statements. Instead, he is pursuing the verbal trickery of turning a "hawkish" Obama into a dove.
Whether that is effective politics, time will tell. But no one should mistake it for a realistic view of US politics.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 6:09 | James Miller in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2104 GMT: Syria. Parallel to the fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the regime is the relentless campaign of gunfire, shelling, and bombing that the citizens of Syria are subjected to on a daily basis by Assad forces. 140 people were killed today, according to the latest tally by the LCC, but that number will almost assuredly rise, as intense violence is reported in southern Damascus, and elsewhere across the country:
61 martyrs in Damascus and its suburbs, including 25 unidentified martyrs found between Daraya and Qadam and 10 martyrs slaughtered by knives in Deir Asafeer; 24 in Aleppo; 14 in Deir Ezzor; 13 in Homs, 11 in Idlib; 10 martyrs in Hama; 5 martyrs in Daraa; and 2 martyrs in Lattakia.
But it's not all death in Syria. This video reportedly shows a large anti-government protest tonight in Almouda, Hasakeh governorate:
2056 GMT: Syria. How significant was the FSA victory in Ma'arrat al Nouman? Significant enough that they held a victory parade with their newly captured Syrian Army vehicles:
1826 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Detained activist Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, a detained Iranian human rights activist, has asked the head of the judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, to prosecute the officials who beat him and other aid workers in August at a relief camp for earthquake victims in northwestern Iran.
Thirty volunteer aid workers were arrested after they set up a camp in Eastern Azerbaijan. Some were released on bail, but others, including Ronaghi Maleki, remain in custody.
The activist wrote, "I believe that our efforts were humane and right and I continue to defend aiding people for which I am ready to lay down my life. I refuse to remain silent in the face of the injustice the aid workers have been subjected to until a fair judge stands up for our rights."
Ronaghi Maleki was arrested during the protests after the disputed 2009 Presidential election for publishing a critique of the Government on his blog. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and was released on bail shortly before his arrest in August.
