Wednesday 16 December 2009

News For December 17, 2009

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Another Significant Step Toward A US War On Iran

Statement Opposing the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act

By Ron Paul

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that many of my colleagues opposing war on Iran will vote in favor of this legislation, seeing it as a step short of war to bring Iran into line with US demands. I would remind them that sanctions and the blockades that are required to enforce them are themselves acts of war according to international law. Continue


U.S. Silent About Taliban Guarantee Offer on al Qaeda

By Gareth Porter

"Washington turns down the constructive proposal of the leadership of Mujahideen," and repeated its pledge to "ensure that the next government of the Muhajideen will not meddle in the internal affairs of other countries including the neighbours if the foreign troops pull out of Afghanistan." Continue


The Baggage Of American Extremism
No Enemy, No Negotiations: Only The Dead Are Real

By Gordon Duff

Eight years of bizarre "Christian Zionism," a military run by religious fanatics and a government of drugstore cowboys and phony evangelists was unprepared to guide a superpower toward policies of responsible world leadership. Continue


Afghan Children Are Neglected Casualties Of War

By Cesar Chelala

More than one out of every five children are dead by the time they are five. Continue


Father of Soldier Killed in Iraq Responds to Blair's BBC Interview

This is a must-see interview.

There is no one more qualified than Reg Keys -- whose son Tom was killed in Iraq -- to comment on Tony Blair's admission to the BBC that, if he hadn't used the non-existent weapons of mass destruction to justify a war crime, he would have found another "argument" -- that is, another lie. Continue


War Crime Case Against Tony Blair Now Rock-solid

A trial would be warmly welcomed by millions – so what happens next?

By Neil Clark

Going to war to change another country's regime is prohibited by international law, while the Nuremburg judgment of 1946 laid down that "to initiate a war of aggression", as Blair and Bush clearly did against Iraq, "is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole". Continue


Copenhagen Climate Conference

This is Bigger than Climate Change. It is a Battle to Redefine Humanity

By George Monbiot

The meeting at Copenhagen confronts us with our primal tragedy. We are the universal ape, equipped with the ingenuity and aggression to bring down prey much larger than itself, break into new lands, roar its defiance of natural constraints. Now we find ourselves hedged in by the consequences of our nature, living meekly on this crowded planet for fear of provoking or damaging others. We have the hearts of lions and live the lives of clerks. Continue


Senate Rejects Plan to Import Low-cost Drugs

By ALAN FRAM

The Senate rejected a plan Tuesday to allow Americans to import low-cost prescriptions from abroad, handing drug makers a victory that may help secure passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Continue


White House as Helpless Victim on Healthcare

By Glenn Greenwald

From the start, assuaging the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries was a central preoccupation of the White House -- hence the deal negotiated in strict secrecy with Pharma to ban bulk price negotiations and drug reimportation, a blatant violation of both Obama's campaign positions on those issues and his promise to conduct all negotiations out in the open (on C-SPAN). Continue


US Needs Plan to Tame Debt Soon, Experts Say

By Andy Sullivan

The U.S. government must craft a plan next year to get its ballooning debt under control or face possible panic in financial markets, a bipartisan panel of budget experts said. Continue


How Banks Fleece the Unemployed

By Barbara Koeppel

December 16, 2009 "Consortiumnews" -- While posting breathtaking profits in the last two quarters – Wells Fargo’s $3.2 billion, Citigroup’s $3 billion and Chase’s $2.7 billion – U.S. banks have figured out a way to squeeze some extra dollars from those who can least afford it, the unemployed. Continue


US House Passes Pro-Wall Street Banking Bill

By Barry Grey

Wall Street lawyers have helped draft the details of the House bill in closed-door meetings, while Obama and his top economic advisers have conferred repeatedly with the CEOs of the most powerful firms. Continue


Bank Aid - Bleed The World
Do They Loan This Christmas

Humor 3 Minute Video

Click here to view


Stupidity, Obama & ICH

By Joel Miller

President Obama's silence during the massacre in Gaza convinced everyone but the stupid that the president was a stooge. If you can't say anything about a massacre of innocents, what can you say? His silence rang louder than the cries of pain, anguish and despair caused by the made-in-USA white phosphorous hurled by Israeli aggressors. Continue


Three occupation force soldiers among 14 killed in Afghan attacks: Three occupation force soldiers, five Afghan policemen and six civilians have been killed in separate incidents of violence in Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday.

Pakistan holds up visas of envoys: Pakistan has held up visas for U.S. diplomats, military service members and others, apparently because of hostility within the country toward the expansion of U.S. operations in Pakistan, a senior U.S. diplomat said Wednesday.

CIA hid Headley terror connection from India: Premier US investigating agencies knew about David Coleman Headley's link with a Pakistan-based terror outfit one year before 26/ 11, a Union government source claimed on Tuesday.

Pakistan court annuls amnesty deal: Pakistan's supreme court has declared that an amnesty deal that had protected President Asif Ali Zardari and other politicians from corruption charges is illegal.

At least 10 killed in fresh Iraq violence: At least 10 people were killed and 74 injured in fresh violence across Iraq on Tuesday, police told the German Press Agency dpa.

Government-allied militia leader assassinated near Baghdad: Sheikh Latif al-Batawi, the leader of the local Sawha, or 'awakening,' militia in the village of al-Midain, died in a bomb blast close to his home roughly 15 kilometres south of Baghdad, police said. Two of his bodyguards were injured in the explosion.

US House approves USD 636 bln spending bill for wars in Iraq, Afghanistan: The defense spending bill covers Pentagon operations through September 2010 for the passed by a vote of 395 to 34. It allots USD 128.3 billion directly to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Roll Call: How the House voted on a $636 billion defense bill: The 395-34 roll call Wednesday by which the House passed a $636 billion defense bill that includes funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and provides a 3.4 percent pay hike for military personnel.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: U.S. warns Iran: Meet nuclear obligations or face 'next step': The White House warned on Wednesday that Iran was running out of time to head off international sanctions for not complying with the West's demands over its nuclear program.

Gordon Brown issues sanctions threat after Iran tests new 1,200-mile missile: IRAN has test-fired an upgraded version of its most advanced missile, which is capable of hitting Israel and parts of Europe, in a new show of strength aimed at preventing any military strike against it.

China unlikely to support anti-nuclear sanctions against oil ally Iran: China will seek to stave off new UN sanctions against Tehran even as Iran ups the ante, experts on the relationship between the two countries say.

Austria: Genocide Charges against Ehud Barak: Yesterday, at almost the same time when Ehud Barak was being given military honors at Ehud Barakthe defense ministry, genocide charges against him were being presented at the office of the Austrian prosecutor, only about 15 minutes walking away.

Gilad Atzmon: Israel's Leaders on the Run: As many of us predicted for more than a while the tide is changing. Now Israeli political and military leaders are finally being chased.

Abbas to Haaretz: Peace possible in 6 months if Israel freezes all settlements: If Israel completely halts construction in the settlements, negotiations with the Palestinians on a final-status agreement can be completed within six months, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Haaretz Tuesday, adding that Israel needn't declare the freeze, just carry it out.

‘US helped kill 120 in Yemen air raid’: Yemeni rebels accused the US air force on Tuesday of joining attacks against them, and killing at least 120 people in a raid in the north of the poor Arab state.

We Can Now Add Yemen to Our Nobel Peace Prize President’s War Agenda: “The US air force perpetrated an appalling massacre against citizens in the north of Yemen as it launched air raids on various populated areas, markets, refugee camps and villages along with Saudi warplanes,” the northern Yemen-based Houthi Shia fighters said.

Russian Federation Council gives president green light to deploy troops abroad: “The law gives a very detailed list of causes for the use of Russian military force abroad" Pikaev says, “It includes attacks on Russian armed forces, Russian borders, protection of Russian citizens, fighting against piracy and defending countries which have asked Russia for help.”

The Green Hypocrites: Prince Charles and Gordon Brown take separate jets... to lecture the world on global warming

Creating a 'Gitmo North' an Alarming Step, Says ACLU: "The creation of a 'Gitmo North' in Illinois is hardly a meaningful step forward. Shutting down Guantánamo will be nothing more than a symbolic gesture if we continue its lawless policies onshore.

Torture suit too hot to be heard, U.S. says: A lawsuit accusing a Bay Area flight-planning company of aiding an alleged CIA program of kidnapping and torturing terror suspects threatens national security and is too sensitive to discuss fully in a public courtroom, an Obama administration attorney argued Tuesday.

Congress set to raise borrowing limit by $2 trillion to $14 trillion: With the economy growing only sluggishly and Congress spending heavily on economic stimulus, two wars and extended unemployment benefits, the nation is running a deficit that hit a record $1.4 trillion in the latest fiscal year, adding to the national debt.

U.S. gave up billions in tax money in deal for Citigroup's bailout repayment: The federal government quietly agreed to forgo billions of dollars in potential tax payments from Citigroup as part of the deal announced this week to wean the company from the massive taxpayer bailout that helped it survive the financial crisis.

Obama holds stage-managed meeting with Wall Street bankers: The true nature of the event was not lost on its attendees. “It's a PR [public relations] stunt,” an unnamed CEO flatly told Time magazine prior to the meeting.

Rewriting History: Bernanke named 'Person of the Year': Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, has been named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2009.

Growing Up Empty: The Hunger Epidemic in America: Most Americans may find it hard to accept that millions in this nation are suffering from hunger -- an affliction most often associated with war-torn Africa or flood-ravaged Bengal.

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