Wednesday 4 November 2009

News For November 04, 2009

Italian Court Sentences 23 CIA Agents Over Rendition Flight

By Richard Owen in Rome

The Americans were all tried in absentia, but the verdicts were nevertheless hailed by human rights campaigners as an important victory that could open the way to further prosecutions. Two lower-ranking agents of the Italian military agency SISMI were sentenced to three years each. Continue


A Court Decision that Reflects What Type of Country the U.S. is

By Glenn Greenwald

Even when government officials purposely subject an innocent person to brutal torture, they enjoy full immunity. Continue


Who Are The Six Uighurs Released From Guantánamo To Palau?

By Andy Worthington

I have written at length about the plight of Guantánamo’s Uighurs, innocent men caught up in the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, who were mostly seized and sold to U.S. forces by Pakistani villagers after fleeing a settlement in Afghanistan’s Tora Bora mountains where they had been living a Spartan live for several months, free from Chinese oppression. Continue


America is Performing its Familiar Role of Propping Up a Dictator

By Robert Fisk

After Disneyworld elections, they are on the Karzai-government side against the Pashtun villagers of southern Afghanistan among whom the Taliban live. Where is the next My Lai? Journalists should avoid predictions. In this case I will not. Our Western mission in Afghanistan is going to end in utter disaster. Continue


President Obama's Deep Love Of Peace?

By William Blum

Question: How many countries do you have to be at war with to be disqualified from receiving the Nobel Peace Prize? Continue


Zionism's Jewish Enemy

Alan Hart Interviews Professor Ilan Pappe

Like all Israelis, Ilan Pappe was brought up, conditioned, to believe Zionism’s version of the history of the making and sustaining of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It wasn’t until he went to England to continue his academic studies that he had access to documentation which enabled him to understand that Zionism’s version is a propaganda lie. Continue


Plan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failure

Video Documentary - Narrated By Ed Asner

Plan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failure documents what many believe to be dangerous hypocrisy on the part of the American government. Continue


Thirty "militants" killed in South Waziristan street battles: A senior military official told AFP the army had ‘taken’ the strategic town of Sararogha in the third week of fighting, while 30 insurgents were reported killed in the last 24 hours.

Pakistan: Refugee camp raided, 2 children die in police firing: Pakistani security forces Tuesday raided an Afghan refugee camp near the northwestern city of Peshawar and killed two children when they opened fire on the refugees, a refugee said.

Eyewitness: Fleeing Waziristan's war: Life became very tough in the last few months in my home town of Jandola.The army sealed off the entire tribal agency [district] for more than three months and there were constant artillery shellings and bombings by Cobra helicopters and F-16 fighter jets.

5 British Occupation Force Troops Killed By Afghan Cop, Says UK Military: An Afghan policeman opened fire on British soldiers in the volatile southern province of Helmand, killing five before fleeing, British and Afghan authorities said Wednesday

Taliban takes blame for five British soldiers' deaths in Afghanistan: The Taliban claimed responsibility today for the killing of five British soldiers by a rogue Afghan policeman.

Afghan police infiltrated by Taliban ‘at every level’: Afghanistan’s police are poorly trained, plagued by drug addiction and infiltrated by the Taliban “at every level”, a former British soldier has claimed.

Abdullah: Karzai's re-election as Afghan leader 'illegal': Three days after pulling out of a run-off against the incumbent, Abdullah said a subsequent decision by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to hand Karzai another five years in power had no basis in law and underlined its bias.

Hamid Karzai reaches out to 'Taliban brothers' in Afghanistan : During his speech, Mr Karzai said: "Afghanistan has been defamed by corruption. Our government has been defamed by corruption." He said his regime would "strive, by any means possible," to eradicate it, but failed to spell out detailed proposals.

MP: US Base in Afghanistan Established to Collect Intelligence on Iran: The mission of the US base in Afghanistan is collecting intelligence and running espionage operations against Iran, Russia and China, a senior Afghan lawmaker said Wednesday.

Three killed in Iraq's violence: Three people were killed, including a senior police officer and his wife, and nine others wounded in bomb and gunfire attacks near Baghdad and the volatile province of Diyala on Wednesday, police said.

Senior Iraqi policeman killed by bomb outside his door: Explosions in and around Baghdad on Wednesday also wounded 20 people.

U.S. Occupation Force Troops in Iraq, Afghanistan Get Bibles on a Stick: The image of a disturbed troop, all crazied-up in battle, marching along with a gun and the story of the bible ringing in his ears and wreaking biblical vengeance is a pretty uncomfortable one.

Saudi soldier killed in Yemen border fighting: A clash between Saudi forces and Yemeni rebels left one Saudi and one rebel dead, the two sides said on Wednesday, as Yemen's five-year-old insurgency spilled over the frontier for the first time.

More than 360 dead as toll rises in Israeli siege on Gaza: The number of Palestinians who have died as a result of the Israeli siege on Gaza has passed 360, a statement released by the health ministry of the deposed Palestinian government in Gaza has said.

Israel's Worst Enemies Are Those Who Support its Policies: Chomsky: It was not possible to carry out the military occupation this required and at the same time maintain elementary moral values. “The worst enemies of Israel were those supporting it. What they were in fact supporting was its moral degeneration and ultimate destruction,” said Chomsky.

House of Representatives Condemn Israeli War Crimes Report: "This resolution is blatantly biased and it damages U.S. credibility," said Democratic Representative Betty McCollum

Jews to Israel: Stop villifying Goldstone:l "When it comes to Israel, hard-core censorship and intimidation by those claiming to speak in the name of the Jewish people have been the order of the day," the letter said regarding Israel's response to the Goldstone report findings.

United Nations Begins Debate on Gaza War Crimes Inquiry: The resolution’s calls for investigation are nonbinding, and no meaningful action is likely in the Security Council because the United States, which has opposed the report’s findings, has veto power on the panel.

Israel's UN ambassador: Goldstone report was born of hate, executed in sin: Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, spoke at the opening of a UN General Assembly debate on a report accusing Israel of having committed war crimes in Gaza, saying that the report was "born of hatred and executed in sin."

Jewish "Settlers" Squatters Force Way Into East Jerusalem Home, Evict Arab Family (PHOTOS): Jewish settlers squatters forced their way into a disputed house in east Jerusalem on Tuesday, using hired guards to evict an elderly Palestinian woman and tossing the other residents' belongings into the rain-swept yard.

Britain: Israeli settlements are 'illegal' and 'obstacle' to peace: "Settlements are illegal in our view and an obstacle" that impedes efforts which seek to work out a final settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians.

About time!: Erekat: Palestinian state may have to be abandoned: Chief Palestinian negotiator expresses concern over continued expansion of Jewish settlements, says goal of independent state will not be fulfilled if US does not interfere

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran : Yadlin: Qom facility has 'no possible civilian use': The recently-revealed Iranian nuclear facility in the Shi'ite holy city of Qom has "no possible civilian use," Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin said Tuesday, directly contradicting statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in September.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Gaza: Hamas Rocket 'Could Hit Tel Aviv From Gaza': Hamas has test-fired a new rocket capable of hitting Tel Aviv from the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli military intelligence.

Hamas denies owning long-range rockets: The Islamist Hamas movement denied Wednesday that it has test-fired a long-range rocket capable of striking deep into Israel, saying the claim, made by the head of Israeli military intelligence, was 'propaganda.'

Hamas says ready to confront possible Israeli operation in Gaza: Islamic Hamas movement on Wednesday said its fighters are ready to confront Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip if Israel carried out its threats to attack.

Israel says commandos intercept arms shipment: The pre-dawn seizure near Cyprus was a rare interception of a suspected arms shipment by Israel, which has long accused Iran of arming its enemies. Israel offered no evidence to support its claim that the weapons came from Iran and were meant for Hezbollah.

Iran, Syria reject Israeli claims over arms cargo: Contrary to Israeli claims, "the ship was not carrying Iranian-made weaponry for Syria or Lebanon," but was in fact carrying Syrian-made items for consumption in Iran.

Protests flare in Iran's capital as demonstrators, security forces clash: Large areas of Tehran are in chaos as troops fire tear gas and beat antigovernment protesters on the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy's seizure. Demonstrations erupt in other cities as well.

Italian court sentences 23 CIA agents over kidnap flight: An Italian court sentenced 23 former CIA agents to up to eight years in prison today for their role in the abduction of an Egyptian terrorist suspect in the first trial over “extraordinary renditions”.

2 Killed: Venezuela blocks Colombia border: Venezuela blocks border with Colombia after two Venezuelan soldiers were shot dead in an attack the Chavez government claims was carried out by Colombian paramilitary groups.

Zelaya seeks US clarity on return: Honduras' deposed president has sent a letter to the US secretary of state asking why US officials have said that they will recognise forthcoming Honduran elections even if he is not reinstated beforehand.

Suspect surrenders, puts hands on squad car — then gets Tased in neck: Video: Rolando Ruiz's lawyer released dashcam video of an April 30 incident in which Ruiz can be seen with his hands on the hood of a car when a police officer approaches him and Tases him in the neck.

Inequality: The Root Source of Sickness in America: The United States spends more on health care than any other industrial nation, yet it has the highest infant death rates and the lowest life expectancy.

Fannie, Freddie Single-Family Home Delinquencies Continue to Rise: Fannie Mae said the delinquency rate on loans in its single-family guarantee business rose 0.28 percentage points to 4.45 percent in August, the latest month Fannie has data for, well above 1.57 percent in August 2008.

Delinquencies in credit cards may lead to more defaults: According to Fitch Ratings, the number of credit cards that were 60 days or more late increased to 4.22 percent in October after seeing a drop the month before.

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