Friday 29 January 2010

ICH Weekend Edition January 29, 2010

Tony Blair Faces Iraq Inquiry

By Nick Robinson

Even before the attacks on New York, he told the inquiry, "force was always an option... if necessary, we were going to remove him." Continue
Blair at Chilcot: a Well-rehearsed Performance

By Michael Billington

What did we expect? That Tony Blair would break down in front of the Chilcot inquiry admitting he had taken Britain to war on the basis of flimsy intelligence? That he would beg God's forgiveness for the deaths of more than 100,000 Iraqis? That he would guiltily confess that at the famous meeting at Crawford, Texas, he had given George Bush unequivocal support for military action? Continue
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran
Senate OKs Sanctions on Iran's Fuel Suppliers

By Tom Doggett and Susan Cornwell

The measure also prohibits the U.S. government from purchasing goods from foreign companies that do business in Iran's energy sector. Continue
Secret Banking Cabal Emerges From AIG Shadows: David Reilly

By David Reilly

The idea of secret banking cabals that control the country and global economy are a given among conspiracy theorists who stockpile ammo, bottled water and peanut butter. After this week’s congressional hearing into the bailout of American International Group Inc., you have to wonder if those folks are crazy after all. Continue
This Corruption in Washington is Smothering America's Future

By Johann Hari

This week, a disaster hit the United States, and the after-tremors will be shaking and breaking global politics for years. Continue
Corporations are people too!Supreme Court Ruling Spurs Corporation Run for Congress

By ERIC HENSAL AND WILLIAM KLEIN

"It's our democracy. We bought it, we paid for it, and we're going to keep it." Murray Hill Inc. Continue
Your Disappointment In Obama Is Your Teaching Moment

By Carolyn Baker

Last week's Supreme Court ruling lifting limits on campaign financing by corporations was truly the last nail in the coffin of democracy and sealed the fundamental definition of fascism attributed to Mussolini which was simply, "the corporate state." Abramoff rules, and politicians no longer have any reason to function other than corporate whores. Continue
Our Addiction to Disaster Porn

By David Sirota

Like any X-rated content, this smut is all flesh and no substantive plot. The lens flits between body parts and journalists pulling perverse Cronkite-in-Vietnam impressions (at one point, CNN showed Cooper and his t-shirt saving a child). But there is little discussion of how western Hispaniola was a man-made disaster before an earthquake made it a natural one. Continue

Hezbollah's New Political Platform

By Fawwaz Traboulsi

Hezbollah reiterates its demand to Arab officialdom to desist from pursuing a negotiated settlement with Israel and offers its own experience of armed resistance as an example to follow and learn from. Continue


'Defamation'

What is anti-Semitism today?

Video

'Hashmatsa' ('Defamation') by Israeli director Yoav Shamir dares to attack one of the sacred cows of Israel and of the Jewish people thinking - how it reacts to antisemitism around the world, how it looks at the evil of the Holocaust, and how young generations are being educated in Israel with respect to these painful and fundamental issues. Continue


44 suspected militants killed in Pakistan: He said 21 militants were killed Friday, following 23 killed in the two preceding days.

14 killed in Mohmand, Bajaur: Security forces have killed 12 "terrorists" during operations in Mohmand and Bajaur Agencies on Friday. Meanwhile, 2 soldiers embraced Shahadat during the ongoing offensive.

20 insurgents killed in Afghan clash: NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Afghan troops were attacked by a large number of militants in northern Afghanistan, and had to call in air support, which resulted in the death of 20 insurgents

5 Killed as Taliban fighters attack Afghan city: The battle lasted eight hours after Taliban fighters launched the assault in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of the southern region, early on Friday.

3 Americans killed in eastern Afghanistan: Two U.S. occupation force service members and one U.S. employee were killed Friday in eastern Afghanistan, pushing the American death toll this month to 29.

One U.S.occupation force trooper killed by IED in southern Afghanistan: A United States serviceman with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed Thursday in an IED (improvised explosive device) attack in southern Afghanistan.

UN holds secret talks with Taliban commanders: A UN official says the UN representative in Afghanistan and members of a Taliban's leadership council have secretly met as the West has been trying to bring the militant group into Afghan government.

Afghan summit didn't achieve very much: Miliband is being very naive if he thinks the Taliban can simply be paid off

America's Secret Afghan Prisons : In its attempt to stamp out the growing Taliban insurgency and Al Qaeda, the US military has been arresting suspects and sending them to one of a number of secret detention areas on military bases, often on the slightest suspicion and without the knowledge of their families. These night raids have become even more feared and hated in Afghanistan than coalition airstrikes.

CIA black sites may amount to crime against humanity: UN human rights experts warned on Wednesday that "widespread and systematic" secret detention of terror suspects could pave the way for charges of crimes against humanity.

At least 9 civilians killed in Somalia attacks: Anti-government fighters clashed with African Union peacekeepers and government troops in southeastern Mogadishu in the early hours of Friday, resulting in the deaths.

Iraq: Civilian shot down by gunmen fire near Kirkuk: A civilian man was shot dead by gunmen fire northwest of Kirkuk on Friday, according to the Kirkuk Districts’ Police Department (KDPD) chief.

Iraq inquiry is being ‘gagged’ after secret documents withheld: Crucial evidence about the reasons Britain went to war against Saddam Hussein is being kept secret it has emerged – leading to accusations that the Iraq inquiry has been “gagged”.

'You're a liar and murderer': Blair booed after telling Iraq inquiry he has no regrets

Israel’s voice on Britain's Iraq Inquiry accuses critics of “anti-Semitism”: Britain inquiry into the Iraq war has been dealt a severe blow by a pro-Israel activist on the inquiry committee who has given an interview to a Jewish settlers’ radio accusing his critics of “anti-Semitism”.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Blair: Iran in 2010 more dangerous than Iraq in 2003: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that Iran in 2010 was more dangerous in terms of its nuclear program than Iraq was in 2003. He made the remarks to a public inquiry into the Iraq war in London.

US Senate votes to slap new sanctions on Iran: The US Senate voted Thursday to slap tough new sanctions on Iran, targeting its thirst for gasoline imports in a bid to force Tehran to bow to global pressure to freeze its suspect nuclear program.

Iran says petroleum sanction will be futile: “We have repeatedly said that the US sanctions imposed against our nation during the past 31 years … have resulted in nothing but our nations' stronger determination to assert independence and achieve self-reliance,” he said.

Clinton: China risks diplomatic isolation over Iran: Speaking in Paris, Clinton said she and others who support additional sanctions on Iran for refusing to prove it has peaceful nuclear intentions are lobbying China to back new UN penalties on the Iranian government.

UN nuclear chief says Iran fuel swap talks ongoing: The UN nuclear watchdog chief said Friday dialogue between Iran and the sides seeking to sell nuclear fuel to the country are still underway, as Iran advised the six major powers to use the opportunity to build trust.

Iran, IAEA say nuclear proposal still on table: Western diplomats have said Iran has effectively turned down the proposal and the United States and major European allies are pursuing broader U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Obama makes clear that Missile Shield is about Russia, not Iran: While the Bush administration claimed that the missile shield was about dealing with a threat from Iran, Obama has made it clear that it is about a threat from Russia, or at least a perceived threat.

Hamas blames Israel for Dubai death: Hamas has claimed that one of its commanders was assassinated by Israeli agents in Dubai.

Many Gazans remain homeless one year after attack: "A mud hut is still better than a tent. It's not a solution to the reconstruction of Gaza but it shows you how desperate the situation is, that a year later, people living in tents have the hopeful prospect of getting a temporary mud brick shelter," he added. "Sixty years ago we were living in tents because of Israel and now ... in 2010 we are living in mud houses and tents also because of Israel,"

Israel rejects war crimes claim in response to UN: It called the Goldstone report -- the UN investigation which accused both Israel and Palestinian armed groups of war crimes during the three weeks of fighting -- "distorted, biased and unbalanced."

Swedish mayor calls both Anti-Semitism and Zionism forms of 'unacceptable extremism': Swedish Jews are upset about comments made this week by the mayor of Malmo, who said anti-Semitism and Zionism were both forms of "unacceptable extremism," and urged local Jews to disassociate themselves from Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip.

Author David Grossman: Settlers abuse Palestinians: Renowned Israeli author and peace activist David Grossman accused settlers and the political right of abusing Palestinians and destroying the chance for a peace agreement while participating in a protest in East Jerusalem on Friday.

Humanitarian crisis deepens in Yemen as more flee: Fighting in northern Yemen is spreading and the five-year conflict has now driven 250,000 people from their homes, deepening the humanitarian crisis, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.

Yemen opposition slams outcome of London conference: Five major Yemeni opposition parties said in a joint statement that the conference 'tended to save the political regime in Yemen rather than the state

Haitian president says 170,000 bodies recovered: Estimates of the total number of dead range as high as 300,000.

Push to send FEMA trailers to Haiti stirs backlash: The trailer industry and lawmakers are pressing the government to send Haiti thousands of potentially formaldehyde-laced trailers left over from Hurricane Katrina — an idea denounced by some as a crass and self-serving attempt to dump inferior American products on the poor.

Haiti revival after quake could take generations says UN chief: Bleak outlook for decades to come and fears of health calamity when rainy season starts in May

Chavez condemns coup plot in Venezuela: Chavez challenged the opposition to call a referendum, saying his government has the support of most Venezuelans.

Jim Hightower: The Supreme Coup: Despite 234 years of progress toward the American ideal of equality for all, we still have to battle unfairness. How happy, then, to learn that a handful of our leaders in Washington took bold and forceful action last week to lift another group of downtrodden Americans from the pits of injustice, helping them gain more political and governmental power. I refer, of course, to corporations.

Daniel Ellsberg: A Memory of Howard: I just learned that my friend Howard Zinn died today. - The interviewer asked me who my own heroes were, and I had no hesitation in answering, first, “Howard Zinn.”

Plunging value of pound leaves £1.3bn black hole in Britain's defence budget: The warning is the latest, and most severe, indication of the damage that falling exchange rates have had on the Government’s ability to act abroad.

UK banks downgraded by credit rating agency: Standard & Poor's blames move on Britain's weak economic environment and banks' dependence on state support

Foreclosures new hot spots: The new foreclosure plague is tied more to the economy than bad mortgages. Here are 10 cities where defaults grew the fastest in 2009.

Thursday 28 January 2010

News For January 28, 2010

Obama Ignores Key Afghan Warning

By Ray McGovern

Although Obama is not as dumb as his predecessor, he is no less willing to sacrifice thousands of lives for political gain. Continue


CIA Man Retracts Claim on Waterboarding

A study in "enhanced reporting techniques."

By Jeff Stein

He claims that the disinformation he helped spread was a CIA dirty trick: "In retrospect, it was a valuable lesson in how the CIA uses the fine arts of deception even among its own." Continue


An Illegal War is State-Terrorism

By Yamin Zakaria

The war had no mandate from the UN Security Council; it was a unilateral and barbaric act of aggression by the Anglo-US regime. Without a legal backing – the invasion was state terrorism dispensed to the innocent civilians of Iraq. Continue


Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran

Senators Seek 'Crippling' Iran Sanctions

By Eric Zimmermann

We abhor the possibility that military action may be necessary to solve this problem. But we have no doubt that a nuclear-armed Iran will be catastrophic for our national security and the rule-based international order. Continue


Does Israel Use The Holocaust As A Blackmail Weapon?

Video

Norman Finkelstein and Israel W. Charny discuss the issue in a heated debate. Continue


You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train

Remembering Howard Zinn

By Alison Flood

Howard Zinn, US historian and activist, dies aged 87. Continue


Up to 20 "insurgents" killed in Afghan clash: NATO: Afghan and NATO occupation forces called in air support after coming under attack from a "large number" of militants in northern Afghanistan and killed up to 20 "insurgents", officials said Thursday.

US occupation troops shoot and kill Afghan cleric near Kabul: A U.S. soldiers shot and killed an Afghan cleric as he drove Thursday with his young son near an American base on the eastern edge of occupied Kabul.

Bomb kills US occupation force soldier in Afghanistan: A homemade bomb killed a US soldier in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, as Afghan leaders and Western backers met in London to map the future of the troubled nation.

Karzai seeks Afghan reconciliation: Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has said his country must reach out to its "disenchanted brothers" in an effort to stabilise the war ravaged nation.

Four killed, 10 injured in bomb blast in SW Pakistan: A bomb blast in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province killed at least four people and injured 10 others on Thursday, police said.

Filipino militant not killed in Waziristan strike: report: The Philippine military doubts reports that a Filipino terror suspect was killed in a US missile attack in Pakistan, with one senior officer telling The Associated Press Thursday that the militant was sighted last week in the Philippines’ volatile south.

At least four killed, 15 injured in north Iraq bombings: At least four people were killed and 15 injured on Thursday in bomb attacks across northern Iraq, police told the German Press Agency dpa.

UK: Met police 'hamper' planned protests against Tony Blair: Anti-war campaigners planning to protest when Tony Blair appears before the Iraq inquiry on Friday said today they had been barred from going near the building where he is giving evidence

Thousands will protest at Tony Blair’s Iraq inquiry appearance: Lindsey German, co-ordinator of the Stop the War Coalition, said: "We are calling on everyone who opposes Britain’s foreign wars to do their best to be there."

' Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Iran, Nazi Germany must be compared': Comparisons between contemporary Iran and Nazi Germany are not only appropriate, but pertinent and true, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said while on a visit to Hungary on the morning of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Netanyahu at Auschwitz: World must unite to confront new threats: In what was apparently a thinly veiled reference to Iran, Netanyahu called on the international community to come together to confront "impending dangers".

Russian reports: No obstacles over Iran arms deals: – Russian news agencies are quoting the head of Russia's state arms export monopoly as saying there are no obstacles to military cooperation with Iran, despite international tensions over its nuclear program.

US businesses urge Obama to resist Iran sanctions bill: US business groups warned the White House on Tuesday that congressional plans to expand US sanctions on Iran threaten to significantly undermine US economic and security interests.

Iran protesters unfairly convicted and unjustly killed, says Amnesty: Amnesty International has condemned the execution of two men arrested during protests that followed Iran's disputed presidential election last year.

Israeli vessels open heavy fire at Palestinian fishermen: Israeli military boats opened heavy machinegun fire against Palestinian fishermen sailing off the coasts of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

N Korea detains second US man: North Korea says it has arrested an American man for trespassing on its border with China, the second to be detained in two months.

Chavez writes off Haiti's oil debt to Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez has announced that he will write off the undisclosed sum Haiti owes Venezuela for oil as part of a regional bloc's plans to help the impoverished Caribbean nation after the devastating Jan 12 earthquake.

Honduran Zelaya flies into exile: Zelaya, ousted in a coup last June, boarded a plane that took off for the Dominican Republic shortly after opposition leader Porfirio Lobo, elected in November, was sworn in as president. Thousands of supporters at the airport cheered and shouted as the plane took off

Howard Zinn (1922-2010): A Tribute to the Legendary Historian with Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker, Naomi Klein and Anthony Arnove

Record foreclosure filings threaten housing recovery: The total of outstanding foreclosure auction notices on Orange County homes hit 10,513 at the end of December, the highest in this housing downturn, reports ForeclosureRadar.com.

Record number of young Americans jobless: The U.S. economic recession has taken a particularly heavy toll on young Americans, with a record one out five black men aged 20 to 24 neither working nor in school

Wednesday 27 January 2010

News For January 27, 2010

Presidential Assassinations of US Citizens

This is a must read: By Glenn Greenwald

American citizens are now being placed on a secret "hit list" of people whom the President has personally authorized to be killed: Continue


Pentagon Calls for ‘Office of Strategic Deception’

By Sahil Kapur


Remember the Pentagon Office of Special Plans that helped collect dubious intelligence that led to the war in Iraq? Or the program where the Pentagon secretly briefed military analysts to promote the Iraq war? Meet the would-be Office of Strategic Deception. Continue


Nothing More Dangerous Than a Recovering "Realist?"

By Stephen M. Walt

Back in 2002, the Council on Foreign Relations sponsored a book by Kenneth Pollack (subsequently director of research at the Saban Center for Middle East Studies at Brookings), entitled The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq. The book argued that Saddam Hussein was irrational and undeterrable and that the United States had no choice but to remove him from power. Continue


Indefinite Detention "Defies Common Sense"

By William Fisher

"By committing to hold suspected criminals indefinitely without charge, the Obama has embraced one of the most lawless and un-American policies of the Bush administration, one that turns the most fundamental principles of the Constitution on their head." Continue


In the West They Say It's Rain

By Amira Hass

January 27, 2010 "Haaretz" -- Israel, via the Interior Ministry, continues to spit in the face of friendly countries, and those countries continue to admire the falling raindrops. Continue


The Kidnapping of Haiti

By John Pilger

The theft of Haiti has been swift and crude. On 22 January, the United States secured “formal approval” from the United Nations to take over all air and sea ports in Haiti, and to “secure” roads. No Haitian signed the agreement, which has no basis in law. Power rules in an American naval blockade and the arrival of 13,000 marines, special forces, spooks and mercenaries, none with humanitarian relief training. Continue


Believe It or Not!

Haiti Gets a Penny of Each U.S. Aid Dollar

By The Associated Press

Of each U.S. taxpayer dollar, 40 cents is going to the U.S. military, paying for security, search and rescue teams, and the Navy's hospital ship USNS Comfort. Another 36 cents funds US AID's disaster assistance - Getting the food to Haitians - paying for freighters, trucks and distribution centers, and the people to staff them, took another 10.5 cents from each dollar. Continue


Focus on Haiti

The Politics of Rice

Video Report By Al Jazeera

How a fertile country became dependent on food aid. Continue


Slavery in US Prisons

Video Interview with Robert King & Terry Kupers

An 18,000-acre former slave plantation in rural Louisiana, the infamous Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola is the largest prison in the U.S. Today, with African Americans composing over 75% of Angola's 5,108 prisoners, prison guards known as "free men," a forced 40-hour workweek, and four cents an hour as minimum wage, the resemblance to antebellum U.S. slavery is striking. Continue


Police: 11 militants killed in NATO-Afghan strike: A joint NATO-Afghan air and ground assault in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday killed 11 suspected Taliban militants, including two senior commanders, police said.

Roadside bomb kills 5 police in S Afghanistan: Five police were killed as a roadside bomb struck their van in Zabul province south of Afghanistan early Wednesday, a senior police commander Abdul Razaq said.

Australian soldier sentenced to hang in Afghanistan: A former Australian soldier has been sentenced to death in Afghanistan for shooting dead an Afghan colleague then trying to blame the killling on the Taliban, Times Online reported.

When all else fails, try bribery: US, allies plan $500m fund to woo Taliban: The United States and its allies are expected to set up a $500 million integration fund at a conference in London this week to lure Taliban fighters to join the political mainstream. - The United States is offering $100 million to set up the fund.

Sarkozy: No More French Troops In Afghanistan: Germany has pledged an extra 500 troops to the conflict in Afghanistan - hours after French president Nicolas Sarkozy said he would send no more soldiers.

NGOs slam “militarised aid” in Afghanistan: In a joint report eight NGOs, including Oxfam and Care, claim militarised aid usually takes only a short-term approach. They argue that the military should concentrate on improving security, leaving reconstruction to local authorities and aid organisations.

Afghan warlord, accused of atrocities, is reinstated by Karzai : He is among Afghanistan's most notorious warlords, accused of widespread abuses including the massacre of thousands of Taliban prisoners. Now he's back, reinstated by President Hamid Karzai in a top army post despite Western demands for sweeping reform.. More on: Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum

Taliban buying guns from former warlords : "The 8th Army Corps of General Dostum and Atta Mohammad's 7th Corps had more than 35,000 weapons of various kinds," he told IWPR, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But they handed over only 7,000 to the commission and the rest are all in hidden depots belonging to commanders."

Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan tops $1 trillion: The cost to U.S. taxpayers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 has topped $1 trillion, and President Barack Obama is expected to request another $33 billion to fund more U.S. troops this year.

15 militants killed in northwest Pakistan clash: Pakistani security forces have killed 15 militants in a gunfight in a remote tribal district near North and South Waziristan, the military said yesterday.

3 Children killed while opening bomb: Peshawar, Pakistan - A bomb planted near a house in northwestern Pakistan exploded on Wednesday after children playing nearby tried to open it, killing three of them, said police.

Gunmen kill 2 in Baghdad drive-by shooting: Two people have been killed in a drive-by shooting targeting buses carrying Iranian Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad, according to Iraqi police.

Al-Qaeda group claims hotel blasts in Baghdad: The attacks on Monday hit three hotels favored by Western journalists and security contractors. At least 41 people were killed.

Iraq war was a crime of aggression: The damning verdict of top Whitehall lawyers which No.10 refused to accept

U.S. deeply involved in secret Yemeni strikes: U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops who in the past six weeks have killed scores of people

Pakistan joins war against Houthis in Yemen: Report: Pakistan has reportedly sent an army combat unit to Yemen to join the war against the Shia fighters in the country's north.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Iran a threat to the world - Peres: Israeli leaders called Iran a threat to the world today, on International Holocaust Memorial Day, and vowed the Jewish people would never again fall victim to a fanatical regime.

In case you missed it: Does Iran's President Want Israel Wiped Off The Map? - Does He Deny The Holocaust?

Sanctions on Iran may come in February, Merkel says: February will be a crucial month for United Nations in pushing toward sanctions on Iran for its controversial nuclear program, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, after talking with visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres.

Clinton to push for international support on Iran sanctions: International conferences here this week on Afghanistan and Yemen will also include behind-the-scenes talks on a third country -- Iran -- as the Obama administration continues to press for new sanctions against the government in Tehran over its nuclear program.

China calls for more diplomatic efforts on Iran nuclear issue: China on Tuesday reiterated that more diplomatic efforts were needed from all parties concerned in the Iran nuclear issue to resolve the issue.

China accuses US of online warfare in Iran: Iran election unrest an example of US 'naked political scheming' behind free speech facade, says Communist party editorial

Iran arrests Germans for anti-government riots: state TV: Iran said Wednesday it arrested two German diplomats for allegedly having a hand in deadly anti-government protests which erupted on a Shiite Muslim holy day in December.

Why is Russia comparing Obama to Ahmadinejad?: Russia Today, launched a controversial campaign comparing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to President Barack Obama.

German court pledges 500 million euros for Jewish ghetto workers: Over 30,000 Israeli Holocaust survivors forced to work by the Nazis set to benefit from backdated claims.

Settler rabbi arrested over West Bank mosque arson: The Shin Bet security service on Tuesday arrested the head of a West Bank religious seminary for his alleged involvement in the torching of a Palestinian mosque in the village of Yasuf last month.

Venezuela Cancels Haiti's Debt: The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez announced on Monday, January 25, that the Venezuelan government will forgive any Venezuelan debts held by Haiti.

Less than 1 cent of US quake aid dollar goes in cash to Haitian government: Graphic shows breakdown of U.S. aid to Haiti

Oregon voters pass tax increasing measures by big margin: Oregon voters bucked decades of anti-tax and anti-Salem sentiment Tuesday, raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy to prevent further erosion of public schools and other state services.

Almost one in five US families were unable to buy food they needed in 2009: The Food Research and Action Center in collaboration with Gallup have been tracking what they term "food hardship" over the last two years

America Increasingly Looks Like A Developing Nation : 30% Of Americans Rapidly Approach Poverty: Poverty grew at twice the rate of U.S. population growth from 2000 – 2008, and now encompasses 39.1 million Americans.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

News For January 26, 2010

British Invasion of Iraq Was Illegal: Ex-govt Lawyer

By Alice Ritchie

"I considered that the use of force against Iraq in March 2003 was contrary to international law," Michael Wood, chief legal advisor to the Foreign Office between 1999 and 2006, told the Chilcot inquiry in London. "In my opinion, that use of force had not been authorised by the Security Council, and had no other legal basis in international law." Continue


Wanted: Tony Blair for War Crimes.

Arrest Him and Claim your Reward

By George Monbiot

Chilcot and the courts won't do it, so it is up to us to show that we won't let an illegal act of mass murder go unpunished. Continue


Bush Pentagon Hired Conspiracy Theorist As Al Qaeda Specialist

By Justin Elliott

When the Pentagon's internal think tank decided in 2004 it needed a better understanding of Al Qaeda, it turned to an unlikely source: the terrorism analyst Laurie Mylroie, who was known as the chief purveyor of the discredited idea that Saddam Hussein was behind Sept. 11 and many other attacks carried out by Al Qaeda. Continue


The Sanctity of Military Spending

By Glenn Greenwald

Even as the U.S. sunk under increasingly crippling levels of debt over the last decade, defense spending rose steadily, sometimes precipitously. That explosion occurred even as overall military spending in the rest of the world decreased, thus expanding the already-vast gap between our expenditures and the world's. Continue


USA is Bankrupt, Quit Buying Bombs or We're Done

By Ron Paul:

Perpetual War, Perpetual Spending Continue


Is a U.S. Default Inevitable?

By Patrick J. Buchanan

What the looming fiscal crisis of this country portends is nothing less than a test of whether this democratic republic is sustainable. Continue


Rule By The Rich

By Paul Craig Roberts

Obama has reneged on every promise he made, from ending wars, to closing Gitmo, to providing health care for Americans, to curtailing the domestic police state, to putting the interests of dispossessed Americans ahead of the interests of the rich banksters who robbed Americans of their homes and pensions. Continue


Obama: Counterfeit Change and No-Excuse Lies

By Dr. Goldstein

Cheers and applause broke out as Obama assured us "I will never lie to you" while Oprah cried her puddle of tears. Little did we know that Obama was just another smooth-talking politician, telling "the folks" exactly what they wanted to hear. I'll admit it: I was one of the people he suckered. Obama's lies were awesome and they got me really pumped up. Continue


Extrajudicial Killing:

U.S. Mulls Legality of Killing American Citizen

By MATTHEW COLE, RICHARD ESPOSITO and BRIAN ROSS

While Awlaki has not been charged with any crimes under U.S. law, intelligence officials say recent intelligence reports and electronic intercepts show he played an important role in recruiting the accused "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Continue


Report Faults State Department, DynCorp for Missing $1 Billion

By Josh Rogin

The State Department cannot account for more than $1 billion it paid out to contractor DynCorp to train police during the first years of the Iraq war, in just one example of management shortcomings that have put at risk $2.5 billion worth of money spent on training policemen around the world, according to a damning new report. Continue


Forget the Deficit; People Need Jobs

By Jesse Jackson

Nearly one in five American workers is unemployed or underemployed. That means wages are losing ground. One in three homes with a mortgage is under water. Millions of Americans are headed to losing their homes. Continue


The Liebarak - Tinges OF Racism And Slick Medicine Salesmen

By Uri Avnery

Netanyahu has never been more than a slick patent medicine salesman. That is a type that appears frequently in American Westerns and sells an elixir that is good for everything: against the flu and against tuberculosis, against heart attacks and against lunacy. The main weapon of the vendor is his tongue: his stream of words builds castles in the air, blows up glistening bubbles and silences all doubt. Continue


Anti-Israelism: Why Zionism Doesn’t And Can’t Get It

By Alan Hart

There is no doubt it. More and more people all over the world, and probably many of their governments behind closed doors, are beginning to see the Zionist state of Israel for what it really is - not only the obstacle to peace but a monster apparently beyond control; and they, more and more so-called ordinary folk everywhere, are beginning to turn against it. Continue


Baghdad police crime lab bombed; 21 dead: A suicide car bomber struck a police crime lab in central Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens a day after suicide attacks hit several hotels favored by Western journalists, officials said.

UK lawyer: Iraq war was illegal: He also told the hearing in London that Jack Straw, the then foreign secretary, had dismissed his advice that the war was not legal without a UN resolution.

Jack Straw ignored advice the Iraq invasion would be illegal, Foreign Office law chief tells Chilcot inquiry: Top lawyer tells of his amazement at Foreign Secretary's refusal to accept advice : Every lawyer in the Foreign Office agreed that invading Iraq would be illegal

Pakistan: 21 "militants" killed : Eleven militants were killed and six soldiers, including two officers, sustained injuries in clashes and artillery and gunship helicopters’ shelling in the Tindo area of Kurram Agency, official sources said. Four hideouts of the militants were also destroyed during the action.

Pakistan's former spymaster: Taliban leader is ready to talk: The U.S. must negotiate a political settlement to the Afghanistan war directly with Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar because any bid to split the insurgency through defections will fail, said the Pakistani former intelligence office`r who trained the insurgent chief.

Four Afghanistan police killed in checkpoint attack: The attack happened at about 2am local time at a checkpoint near the Information and Cultural Affairs Ministry's directorate in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province.

Bombs kill 2 NATO troops in Afghanistan: Bomb strikes killed two NATO soldiers - a Briton and a Norwegian - while a rocket attack at the major international military base in southern Afghanistan wounded eight other international troops, officials said yesterday. Bulgaria’s defense minister was at the base but was not injured.

Obama wants $14.2 billion more to train Afghan forces: President Barack Obama plans to ask Congress for another $14.2 billion to train Afghanistan's army and police over the next two years, a move a key lawmaker welcomed on Monday as part of a long-term U.S. commitment to that country's military.

Nato says Afghanistan conference will raise millions to pay Taliban: The Nato Secretary General has said the London Conference on Afghanistan will be used to raise millions of pounds to pay off the Taliban leadership.

Puppeteer complains about puppet: : U.S. Envoy’s Cables Show Worries on Afghan Plans: The United States ambassador in Kabul warned his superiors here in November that President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan “is not an adequate strategic partner” and “continues to shun responsibility for any sovereign burden

Ambassador Eikenberry's Cables on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan: In November 2009, Karl W. Eikenberry, the United States ambassador to Afghanistan and retired Army lieutenant general, sent two classified cables to his superiors in which he offered his assessment of the proposed U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

Eight killed in battle for key western Somali town: Heavy clashes Tuesday between pro-government militias and Islamist insurgents fighting for control of the western Somali town of Beledweyn have left at least eight dead, officials and witnesses said, AFP informed.

SOMALIA: NEW FIGHTING IN MOGADISHU AND BELEDWEYN: Violent fighting is underway in Mogadishu between regular troops backed by forces of the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and insurgents. According to the local Radio Shabelle, the violence broke out near the Jalle Siad palace, where the AU troops are based, and later spread to various areas of the capital.

Yemeni troops killed in shooting: At least three Yemeni soldiers have been shot dead in an attack southeast of the capital, Sanaa, a government official has said.

Yemen Shiite fighters say withdrawal from Saudi soil completed: Houthi Yemeni Shiite fighters said on Tuesday they had withdrawn completely from the Saudi territory as part of their truce offer. However, Yemeni tribal sources alongside the Yemeni government denied the rebels had withdrawn, Reuters reported.

Saudis declare end to Yemen border conflict: The Saudi-Yemen border conflict is a closed chapter with agreements reached by both sides, a Saudi minister said yesterday.

Haiti PM begs for help as looting grips devastated Port-au-Prince: Haitian police shot two people in the head as people plundered the debris in the ruined heart of Port-au-Prince, while thousands more people joined a mass exodus from squalid tent camps in the capital.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran Pakistan: Intelligence from Tehran Elevates Concern in the West: The officials who have read the dossier conclude that the government in Tehran is serious about developing a bomb, and that its plans are well advanced.

Iran raps Obama's embrace of Bush's policies: Iran says the Obama administration has been pursuing his predecessor's foreign policy approaches, insisting the US policies have not "changed" whatsoever.

German firm cancels deal with Iran port due to Israeli pressure: After heavy diplomatic pressures from the Israeli government, a German construction company on Monday canceled its end of a contract to renovate the Bander Abbas Port in Iran.

Israeli Government plans land giveaway to combat troops: Land will be allocated in the Galilee, the Negev desert, the Jordan valley and the Golan Heights - with the result that the move is likely to be seen as a continuation of the government's controversial policy of encouraging Israeli Jews to reside in rural regions with large Arab populations.

Israel rejects UN call for Gaza war crimes probe: Tel Aviv refuses to conduct independent probe of Gaza war as demanded by UN report.

Israel calls UN Gaza report 'anti-Semitic': A UN report on Israel's 22-day offensive against Hamas-controlled Gaza is anti-Semitic, an Israeli government minister said, as the Jewish state prepares to formally respond to its allegations of war crimes.

Israel accuses Turkish PM of inciting anti-Semitism: Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's humiliation of the Turkish ambassador earlier this month seriously offended Turkey, but also made it clear to Ankara that it had crossed red lines in its relationship with Israel, according to a report on Israel-Turkey relations prepared by the Foreign Ministry.

Auschwitz survivor: 'Israel acts like Nazis': One of the last remaining Auschwitz survivors has launched a blistering attack on Israel over its occupation of Palestine as he began a lecture tour of Scotland.

U.S. lawmakers to Obama: Press Israel to ease Gaza siege: Fifty-four members of the U.S. Congress have signed a letter asking President Barack Obama to put pressure on Israel to ease the siege of the Gaza Strip.

Military-style spy planes 'to be used to target civilians in the UK': Unmanned drones similar to those used in Afghanistan are set to be used in Britain to spy on drivers, campaigners, agricultural thieves and fly-tippers, it was revealed today

A POLICE force is to employ Britain’s first full-time “web cop”.: The officer, to be employed in the West Midlands, will also search for criticism of the police and use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Bebo to promote the force.

Lieberman rips FBI on Miranda rights: “We write to urge the administration to immediately transfer Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, a foreign terrorist, to the Department of Defense to be held as an unprivileged enemy belligerent (UEB) and questioned and charged accordingly,” said Lieberman,

USA v Aafia Siddiqui: Cageprisoners Inside the Courtroom Coverage: This week the long awaited trial of Aafia Siddiqui began in a federal courtroom in Manhattan. Her case has been one of the most baffling in the annals of post-9/11 terrorism prosecutions.

Report says Al-Qaeda still aims to use weapons of mass destruction against U.S.: The report, by a former senior CIA official who led the agency's hunt for weapons of mass destruction, portrays al-Qaeda's leaders as determined and patient, willing to wait for years to acquire the kind of weapons that could inflict widespread casualties.

Blair's £200,000 hedge fund pay-day: Tony Blair is to be paid at least £200,000 by a City firm accused of profiteering from the financial crisis that brought Britain's banks to their knees.

Banks pull another $1 billion from small business lending: The nation's biggest banks cut their collective small business lending balance by another $1 billion in November, according to a Treasury report released late Friday. The drop marked the seventh straight month of declines.

Believe it or not: Calif. Governor Looks South of the Border for Prisons: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday that the state could save $1 billion by building and operating prisons in Mexico to house undocumented felons who are currently imprisoned in California.

Monday 25 January 2010

News For January 25, 2010

David Kelly Post Mortem to be Kept Secret for 70 Years

Doctors accuse Lord Hutton of concealing vital information

By Miles Goslett

The body of former United Nations weapons inspector Dr Kelly was found in July 2003 in woods close to his Oxfordshire home, shortly after he was exposed as the source of a BBC news report questioning the Government’s claims that Saddam Hussein had an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, which could be deployed within 45 minutes. Continue


'Christian' Crusaders and Failures of Intelligence in the US Military

By Eileen Fleming

The militarization of Christianity and all terrorism committed in the name of God must be challenged in a world desperate for Christians who actually follow what Jesus was all about. Continue


Nearly Half of Americans Admit to Anti-Muslim Bias

By Religion News Service

Fifty-three percent of respondents said their view of Islam was "not too favorable" or "not favorable at all," according to a 32-page "Religious Perceptions in America" report. Continue


Time for George Mitchell to Resign

By Stephen M. Walt

Why should Mitchell step down now? Because he is wasting his time. The administration's early commitment to an Israeli-Palestinian peace was either a naïve bit of bravado or a cynical charade, and if Mitchell continues to pile up frequent-flyer miles in a fruitless effort, he will be remembered as one of a long series of U.S. "mediators" who ended up complicit in Israel's self-destructive land grab on the West Bank. Continue


Democracy in America Is a Useful Fiction

By Chris Hedges

Corporate forces, long before the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, carried out a coup d'état in slow motion. The coup is over. We lost. Continue


Can the Human Race Outgrow War?

By James Carroll

The fantasy that Pentagon spending might be checked was obliterated by last week’s other news - the Supreme Court decision to allow unlimited corporate funding of political campaign ads. Defense contractors will spend billions reinforcing the natural law of war. Continue


Middle Eastern and Latin American Media
A Thorn in the Side of the U.S. Military in Haiti

By Nikolas Kozloff

Watch the U.S. media and its coverage of the crisis in Haiti, and you get the impression that Washington is a benevolent power doing its utmost to help with emergency relief in the Caribbean island nation. But tune into al-Jazeera English or South American news network Telesur and you come away with a very different view. Continue


How To Stop Foreclosures

By Danny Schechter

Compensating victims of predatory rip-offs is only fair. Human rights should come before property rights. Continue


"Quit Feeding Stray Animals"

By Amanda Terkel

SC Lt. Gov. compares people getting gov’t help to ‘Stray Animals’ who ‘breed’ because they don’t know better. Continue


Exodus as Haiti toll passes 150,000: More than 150,000 people have been confirmed dead in the Port-au-Prince area alone following Haiti's devastating earthquake, the country's communications minister says.

U.N. says 1 million Haitians need shelter: As many as 1 million people — one person in nine across the entire country — need to find new shelter, the United Nations estimates, and there are too few tents, let alone safe buildings, to put them in.

Italian official calls U.S. relief effort in Haiti 'pathetic': Italy's top disaster official called the Haiti quake-relief effort a "pathetic" failure Sunday, criticizing the militarized approach of the U.S. as ineffective and out of touch for the emergency at hand.

At least 36 dead as bombs target Baghdad hotels: At least 36 people were killed and 71 wounded in three massive apparently coordinated minibus-borne bombings that targeted hotels in Baghdad on Monday less than six weeks from a general election.

Air strikes kill 12 militants in NW Pakistan: PAKISTANI fighter jets and gunship helicopters shelled two Taliban strongholds killing 12 suspected militants today in the northwest tribal belt, security officials said.

11 "militants" killed in Pakistan: : Eleven militants were killed in fighting with the security forces in northwest Pakistan Monday, a TV report said.

Seven killed by Pakistani Taliban on espionage charges: Pakistani Taliban militants have killed seven men in the country's North Waziristan tribal region, suspecting them to be U.S. spies, locals said Sunday.

US Drone aircraft shot down in Pakistani tribal agency: Amid unabated missile strikes in the bordering tribal belt, a US unmanned surveillance drone was brought down by local tribesmen Sunday evening in Waziristan region, said reports.

Five US occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: Five US soldiers have been killed in bombings over the past 24 hours in Afghanistan, Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said Sunday. Two of the troopers were killed in a home-made bomb explosion in the south, where the insurgency is most intense, the force said in a statement

Norwegian occupation force soldier killed in Afghan explosion: A Norwegian soldier was killed and two others were injured Monday in an explosion in occupied northern Afghanistan, the Norwegian defence forces reported.

British occupation force soldier killed by blast on patrol in Afghanistan: A BRITISH soldier was killed by an explosion yesterday while on foot patrol in occupied Afghanistan.

Trial for Canadian soldier accused of Afghan insurgent's murder begins: It's alleged Semrau fired two shots into a "severely wounded" unarmed Taliban insurgent on Oct. 19, 2008, in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Soviet war veterans warn US on Afghan strategy: "The Americans are fighting a people and not a regular army. Napoleon never could win in Spain. They should understand that it is impossible to fight against a nation," Gareyev, now president of the Academy of Military Sciences in Moscow, told AFP.

UN welcomes Afghan move to delay parliament vote: Afghanistan postponed a parliamentary vote for four months in the face of a spiralling Taliban insurgency, a move welcomed by the UN which had raised concerns about graft and the slow pace of reform.

Bomb kills 4 policemen in breakaway Somaliland: A bomb hidden near a mosque killed four policemen in Somalia's northern breakaway enclave of Somaliland on Monday in the latest attack on security forces in the region, police sources said.

Blast at Somali hospital kills at least one: An explosion at the African Union (AU) outpatients' clinic near Mogadishu's airport on Monday has killed at least one person.

EU agrees to train Somali troops: The European Union agreed today to set up a military mission in Uganda to train Somali government forces who are fighting an "Islamist" insurgency.

3 Yemeni soldiers killed in checkpoint attack: Three Yemeni soldiers were killed in an attack at a Yemeni checkpoint by suspected southern separatists, a government official said on Sunday, in a province where the state is also hunting a resurgent Al Qaeda.

One killed and 14 wounded in Yemen separatist violence: A policeman was crushed to death in south Yemen on Monday, amid a strike and protests by secessionists in which 11 policemen and three schoolchildren were also wounded by gunfire, witnesses said.

Yemen rebels offer truce to Saudi Arabia: Yemen's Shi'ite rebels on Monday offered a ceasefire to Saudi Arabia and said they would withdraw from the kingdom's territory to avoid more civilian casualties, after three months of border fighting and Saudi air strikes.

US lends firepower to Yemen fight: GlobalPost witnesses a training session in which American commandos help Yemenis to combat Al Qaeda.

Iran Opposition Leader Recognizes Ahmadinejad: Karroubi's new position is a major retreat from his earlier fiery denunciations of Ahmadinejad's government as illegitimate. The move could signal an attempt to reach a settlement with the clerics within the ruling system.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Report: Iran capable of producing its first nuclear bomb: Iran is developing nuclear warheads, and will be able to produce its first nuclear bomb within the year, says a report published in the German newspaper Der Spiegel.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran:: Netanyahu says world must learn from Holocaust: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly questioned the Holocaust and called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." Israel also fears Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran:: Netanyahu Singles Out Iran, Venezuela for Anti-Semitism: "[There are] countries which allow anti-Semitism and even lead measured anti-Semitism. Of course, an outstanding example of this is Iran, which is headed by someone who denies the Holocaust and spreads antisemitism in every direction.

In case you missed it: Does Iran's President Want Israel Wiped Off The Map - Does He Deny The Holocaust? : An analysis of media rhetoric on its way to war against Iran - Commenting on the alleged statements of Iran's President Ahmadinejad .

Premier: Israel to keep parts of West bank forever : "Our message is clear: We are planting here, we will stay here, we will build here. This place will be an inseparable part of the state of Israel for eternity," Netanyahu proclaimed, just as envoy George Mitchell was trying to restart "peace talks" after a yearlong stalemate.

Hamas: Mubarak helping Israel starve Gaza Palestinians: "Mubarak's remarks defending the steel wall are an address on the blockade of 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri told reporters in Gaza City.

Bin Laden warns US of more attacks: "America will never dream of living in peace unless we live it in Palestine. It is unfair that you enjoy a safe life while our brothers in Gaza suffer greatly.

North Korea accuses South of declaring war: South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said last week that Seoul would have no choice but to strike first if there were clear signs of a planned nuclear attack by the North.

Saturday 23 January 2010

News For January 23, 2010

Dutch Inquiry Finds Iraq War Illegal

By Ann Talbot

The attempt to maintain the lie that the war was legal is becoming increasingly difficult. The Dutch report entirely rejects the central argument used to justify the actions of the British government and claim that there was a legal basis for the invasion. Continue


Wars Without Heroes

By Iftekhar A. Khan

Can a CIA operative who pushes the joystick button to launch hellfire missiles by a Predator or a Reaper drone to kill mostly innocent people in mud hamlets in FATA be called a war hero? Continue


American Gulag
Obama to Indefinitely Imprison Detainees Without Charges

By Glenn Greenwald

The administration is claiming the power to imprison whomever it wants without charges whenever it believes that -- even in the face of the horrendously broad "material support for terrorism" laws the Congress has enacted -- it cannot prove in any tribunal that the individual has actually done anything wrong. Continue


Israeli Minister Warns of New War With Hezbollah

By AFP

Israel is heading toward a new war with Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah, a cabinet minister warned Saturday in remarks carried by military radio and the popular Ynet news website. Continue


"Why is Nasrallah Demonized in the Western Media?"

An interview with Franklin Lamb, PhD

By Mike Whitney

He is demonized because he is a threat of US-Israeli plans to dominate the Middle East, obtain its oil resources and exercise hegemony. His appeal to too broad and it is growing across sectarian lines. Continue


Los Angeles Jews For Peace Rally

Video

LA Jews for Peace and friends make their voices heard in front of the Federal building on the 1 year anniversary of Israel's Operation "Castlead " Continue


Stranger Than Fiction?

Report: US Weapon Test Aimed at Iran Caused Haiti Quake

By Press TV

An unconfirmed report by the Russian Northern Fleets says the Haiti earthquake was caused by a flawed US Navy 'earthquake weapons' test before the weapons could be utilized against Iran. Continue


American Corporatocracy

By Paul A. Moore

The US government has been hollowed out during the rise to absolute power of the corporations. Elections have become an elaborate "reality show" that plays out on corporate television for viewers entertainment. Continue


My Country 'tis of thee--Corporatocracy! Of Thee I Sing

By Daniel Patrick Welch

I know, I know. I've seen the blogosphere screeching about the Death of Democracy now that the Supreme Court has rolled back restrictions on corporate donations to political campaigns. Whiners. Haven't you all stopped for even a moment to think how this might benefit humanity? Sure, sure, we're all aware of the downside, but would it kill us to think positive for a change? Continue


Reagan Brought Back From Grave

By David Sirota

Republicans aren't responsible for the revival of Reaganism. Democrats are. Continue


Satire
The Day ObamaCare Died

Sung by Barack Obama.

Click To Vew Video


29 killed in clashes, suicide attack in Pakistan: Militants ambushed Pakistani security forces at checkpoints in two regions close to the Afghan border Saturday, sparking gunbattles that left 22 insurgents and two troops dead, officials said.

8 Pakistani soldiers killed in Taliban ambush: The Taliban carried out ambushes on Pakistani forces near the Afghan border killing eight soldiers even as a suicide bomber hit a police station in nearby lawless South Waziristan.

C.I.A. Deaths Prompt Surge in U.S. Drone Attacks: Beginning the day after the attack on a C.I.A. base in Khost, Afghanistan, the agency has carried out 11 strikes that have killed about 90 people suspected of being militants, according to Pakistani news reports

Pakistan Govt stumped over Blackwater debate in Senate: The minister failed to address the issue after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Zafar Ali Shah, citing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates’ statement that the security agency was indeed operating in Pakistan, demanded that Interior Minister Rehman Malik tender his resignation.

26 killed in Afghanistan: 22 Taliban fighters were killed in a series of blasts and clashes in Afghanistan, officials said Saturday. Three women, who were traveling in a vehicle in the south-eastern province of Paktika, were killed when suspected Taliban insurgents opened fire on their passenger car on Saturday, a separate ISAF statement said.

Four Afghan soldiers killed: Four Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack on the convoy of an Afghan provincial governor, who escaped unhurt, his office said Saturday.

2 US occupation force3 troops killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan: A roadside bomb killed two U.S. service members in occupied southern Afghanistan on Saturday as the country's top NATO commander acknowledged an increased risk to foreign troops will accompany an influx of reinforcements aimed at routing the Taliban.

British occupation force soldier killed in Afghanistan, bringing death toll to 250: The soldier from A Company 4 Rifles, who was serving as part of 3 Rifles Battle Group, was on foot patrol when he was killed by the blast in Sangin, in central Helmand Province, on Friday afternoon.

Afghans protest occupation force killing of civilians for second day: "These people, these foreigners who attacked this house, showed how wild and cruel they are," said Hashim Nasiri, another protester.

Taliban kidnap Afghan district police chief: Taliban militants attacked a police patrol in eastern Afghanistan early Saturday, capturing a district police chief and two other officers, police said.

Taliban 'part of the fabric', Robert Gates concedes: Mr Karzai said the major powers would fund his new scheme to tempt Taliban fighters to lay their weapons aside and head home to their communities and integrate into "legitimate" society.

Buying the Taliban? Karzai wants to pay Taliban to lay down their arms: Afghan President Hamid Karzai unveiled an ambitious Western-funded plan Friday to offer money and jobs to tempt Taliban fighters to lay down their arms in an effort to quell a crippling insurgency.

Taliban not for sale: Taliban again spurn Karzai offer to lay down arms: He said the first thing Karzai and occupation forces should understand was that the Taliban were united. “They are neither rigid nor moderate but fighting to gain the willingness of Allah Almighty and independence of their country. They are fighting against foreign invaders,” Yousuf Ahmadi said.

Yemen: Saudi army find 20 bodies of soldiers killed in clashes with Houthis: Twenty bodies of Saudi soldiers were found near the borders with Yemen in southern Saudi Arabia, out of 26 still missing in hostilities with outlawed Houthis, a senior Saudi official said Saturday

Propaganda alert: Saudi claims Yemeni rebels linked to al Qaeda: Saudi Arabia said again on Saturday it believes Yemeni Shi'ite rebels have links to the Sunni militant group al Qaeda, even though it acknowledged it had found no such evidence in combat.

Yemen’s human rights atrocities fuel al Qaeda, rights group says: The rights group warned western nations about allying themselves too closely with the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a chronic violator of human rights noting, “Government repression has often targeted – and alienated – Yemenis who might otherwise be supportive of government efforts against AQAP.” The Saleh regime is widely reviled in Yemen due to its corruption as well as brutality.

Dead man talking: Head of Yemen's Hauthis denies death report: video "All these allegations are fabricated and baseless," the leader said in the video in response to reports that he was dead or had been wounded.

Iraqi killed, policeman injured in Mosul: An Iraqi civilian was killed and a policeman was injured in Mosul, while three bodies were bodies were found in the northern Iraqi city, a police source said Saturday.

Moqtada Sadr Defends Iraqi Resistance: Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr blasted Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim on Friday for tacitly supporting an extended stay for foreign troops in Iraq.

Chalabi back in action in Iraq: Ahmad Chalabi, the controversial, ubiquitous Iraqi politician and one-time Bush administration favorite, has re-emerged as a central figure in the latest U.S. strategy for Iraq.

Haiti quake toll tops 110,000: Meanwhile, authorities in Haiti have ended search and resuce operations, a day after two survivors were pulled alive from the rubble of collapsed buildings in the capital, Port-au-Prince, 10 days after they were buried.

Michael Parenti : The Myth Of Under Developement -

Horror of Nigeria clashes uncovered : Video: An estimated 300 people have died in violence between Muslims and Christians in northern Nigeria.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran Report: Sarkozy warns Israel may strike Iran over "nuke threat": French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that Israel will not sit idly by while Iran continues work on its nuclear program, Israel Radio reported Saturday quoting London-based newspaper Al-Hayat.

Canada's man in Tehran was a CIA spy: Ken Taylor, the Canadian diplomat celebrated 30 years ago for hiding U.S. embassy personnel during the Iranian revolution, actively spied for the Americans and helped them plan an armed incursion into the country.

Netanyahu: Israel has no plans to attack Lebanon: PM responds to minister's remark that Israel and Hezbollah are headed toward inevitable military conflict.

Meshaal: Hamas gives priority to resistance: "Hamas will keep rejecting the occupation and refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Priority will remain building and developing the resistance," Meshaal said.

Britain raises terror threat level to "severe": The decision to raise the level from 'substantial' means security services now consider an attack in Britain, a key US ally, to be "highly likely" but the government said it had no information to suggest an attack was imminent.

Bolivia, Morales starts 2nd term by declaring colonialism dead: Moraleswas sworn in wearing a sash on which traditional national figures were replaced by two 19th-century heroes of indigenous resistance.

Chávez replies to Chilean president-elect: Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez lambasted on January 20 the remarks made by Chilean president-elect Sebastián Piñera, who claimed that he did not share the practice of democracy in Venezuela.

Another Five Banks Fail; : Regulators seized five banks in Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington, lifting the total number of failures this year to nine as financial institutions struggle with loan defaults and a weak economy.

California Layoffs Database: See if your company is planning big layoffs in 2010: California's WARN law requires certain companies with more than 75 employees to provide 60 days advance notice of a plant closing or mass layoff involving 50 or more employees.