Tuesday 5 January 2010

News For Jan 05, 2010

Murder For Hire
CIA Reportedly Ordered Blackwater To Murder 9/11 Suspect

By Diana Sweet

In 2004, the CIA sent a team from the private security firm Blackwater, now Xe, to Hamburg to kill an alleged al Qaeda financier who was investigated for years by German authorities on suspicion of links to al Qaeda, according to a little-highlighted element in a Vanity Fair article to be published this month. Continue


The "War on Terror" Has Been About Scaring People, Not Protecting Them

By Gary Younge

The ease with which the plane bomber could operate exposes the vacuity and recklessness at the heart of the US response to 9/11. Continue


2010 The Year Of Resistance

Actions You Can Be Involved In

By Cindy Sheehan

How do we stop this constant cycle of violence that is perpetrated, fomented and encouraged by the U.S. Empire? We have to realize that the people of Yemen have the same existential imperative as do the 300 travlers aboard the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit! Continue


Alarmingly Close in Gaza

When Does It Become Genocide?

By NADIA HIJAB


"genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation.... It is intended rather to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves. " Continue


Witness
A Girl Called Jewel

By Al Jazeera

The extended Al Samouni family, some 48 men, women and children, was attacked in the homes they occupied together in the south of Gaza - and almost all of them were killed. Thirteen-year-old Almaza - 'jewel' - is one of the very few who survived the attack in which 30 members of her family died, many before her own eyes. A Girl Called Jewel is Almaza's story, a heart-breaking eye-witness account of the war in Gaza. Continue


Occupation 101

Award-winning documentary film

A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike any other film ever produced on the conflict -- 'Occupation 101' presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions. Continue


Message to Obama and Brown

How about asking WHY?

By Alan Hart

When George “Dubya” Bush and Tony Blair ruled the world and were pressing ahead with their “war on terrorism”, I used to ask this question: Are they ignorant of history and don’t know what they are doing and therefore stupid, or do they and/or some of the powerful vested interests which pull their strings want a Clash of Civilizations, Judeo-Christian v Islamic? Continue


The Airport Scanner Scam

By James Ridgeway

The body scanner is sure to get a go-ahead because of the illustrious personages hawking them. Chief among them is former DHS secretary Michael Chertoff, who now heads the Chertoff Group, which represents one of the leading manufacturers of whole-body-imaging machines, Rapiscan Systems. Continue


Explosion kills 14 Taliban in N Afghanistan: Fourteen Taliban insurgents were killed as their explosive device exploded prematurely in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, Abdul Rizaq Yaqubi, the provincial police chief, said on Tuesday.

British occupation force soldier killed in Afghanistan: The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) here on Tuesday confirmed the death of a British soldier in restive southern Afghanistan.

Yankee go home: Hundreds of Afghans rally against NATO occupation forces: Hundreds of people, mostly students rallied in central Kabul and eastern Nangarhar provinces against the killing of civilians in foreign forces operations.

CIA bomber was al-Qaeda double agent, US media say: He was then reportedly recruited by the Jordanians and CIA, who wrongly thought they had turned him, and given a mission to find al-Qaeda leaders.

CIA Blast Blamed On Double Agent: The bomber appears to have been invited to an operational planning meeting on al Qaeda, a former senior U.S. intelligence official said. "It looks like an al Qaeda double agent," the former official said. "It's very sophisticated for a terrorist group that's supposedly on the run."

US spy effort in Afghanistan 'ignorant'- US report: The U.S. military's intelligence chief in Afghanistan sharply criticized the work of U.S. spy agencies there on Monday, calling them ignorant and out of touch with the Afghan people.

German soldiers 'trained to kill' in Afghanistan: expert: "Soldiers are trained to kill others, or at least to threaten people in a way that they consider it plausible that they will be killed if they don't do what is expected of them," Ischinger said in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa.

Sixteen Yemeni civilians killed in Saudi air raids: rebels: audi Arabia has carried out a series of lethal air raids across the border with Yemen, killing 16 civilians and wounding 19 others, Yemen's Shiite rebels said on Monday.

Clinton says Yemen situation is global threat: "We see global implications from the war in Yemen and the ongoing efforts by al Qaeda in Yemen to use it as a base for terrorist attacks far beyond the region," Clinton said after a meeting with the visiting prime minister of Qatar.

In case you missed it: The Power of Nightmares - The Shadows In The Cave: The Power of Nightmares assesses whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. The programme explains how the illusion was created and who benefits from it.

British intelligence warned US about Abdulmutallab in 2008: British government on Monday claimed the country’s intelligence agencies had given the United States information about the failed Nigerian plane bomber long before his attempted attack on Christmas day.

Iraq war inquiry sets date for Blair appearance: Blair, now "Middle East peace envoy", will spend an entire day answering questions. In his recent interview, he said he understood the opposition to the Iraq war and the anger of some of families of those who were killed.

MI5 'still using threats to recruit Muslim spies': MI5 faces accusations that its officers have blackmailed and harassed vulnerable immigrants living in Britain as part of a campaign to recruit spies to report on Muslim communities.

Iraq to file US lawsuits over oil-for-food: minister: Iraq will file lawsuits in the United States against foreign firms for alleged fraud in a UN oil-for-food scheme under Saddam Hussein's regime, the country's commerce minister told AFP Tuesday.

'Israel must compensate Iraq for Osirak': Iraq will demand that Israel pay compensation for bombing the unfinished nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981, an Iraqi member of parliament told the Iraqi al-Sabah newspaper in an article published on Tuesday.

China: Not the right time for new UN sanctions on Iran: China's U.N. ambassador on Tuesday made clear that Beijing was not ready to immediately support new sanctions against Iran, as called for by Western powers, saying the issue needed "more time and patience."

Is Israel spreading misinformation about Iran?: Recently reports were circulated that Kazakhstan could be selling uranium ore to Iran for enrichment. Are these stories true or is someone behind them?

US to exploit Iran unrest for sanctions: The United States is planning to take advantage of domestic unrest in Iran and a slowing of the country’s nuclear programme to introduce tough new sanctions on Tehran.

Iran bans contact with groups involved in soft war: He went on to say that institutions and media outlets like BBC and VOA are trying to help efforts to overthrow the Islamic Republic.

Mossad chief: Time to overthrow Abbas: Israeli spy chief Efraim Halevy berated the Palestinian Authority (PA) and President Mahmoud Abbas during an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday.

Israeli officials delay UK visit over fears of arrest: Israeli officials complained that the UK government has failed to give it a complete guarantee that its officials will not be arrested on British soil.

Viva Palestina: Galloway convoy plans Gaza entry: A long-delayed British-led aid convoy expects to enter the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing from Egypt at 2pm local time on Tuesday, the convoy's spokeswoman Alice Howard told Ma'an.

Viva Palestina: Gaza activists in passport protest: Humanitarian activists trying to take aid to Gaza staged noisy protests after Egyptian officials took away their passports and there was a lengthy delay in giving them back.

Viva Palestina: Activists leave Egypt after Gaza entry denied: More than 1,000 international activists have headed home after Egypt denied them passage to Gaza for a solidarity march with the besieged enclave’s Palestinians, organizers said Monday. “Most participants of the Gaza Freedom March have gone home.

UPDATE VIVA PALESTINA TROUBLE AT AL ARISH: Ok I wanted to get confirmation a 2nd time before posting this. Here’s the story I got. The convoy vehicles are in a fenced, locked and gated compound at Al Arish. The convoy members are WITH the vehicles inside this locked gated compound and are currently locked inside the compound.

Gaza's suffering is Israel's shame: Epstein launched a hunger strike alongside about 50 others to highlight the human rights abuses in Palestine and Israeli and Egyptian collusion in the humanitarian crisis for the Strip's 1.5 million population.

UN suspends food aid to one million in Somalia: The World Food Program (WFP) cited "rising threats and attacks on humanitarian operations", as well as "a string of unacceptable demands from armed groups" as the reasons behind the suspension.

Bolivia refuses to be U.S. slave: VP: "We do not want a market in exchange for them (Americans) telling us who must be the master. We do not want tax preference in exchange for them telling us what must be our economic policy, because that will make us become a slave and a colony again," Garcia said.

Explosive reached Ireland after failed test: The explosive was one of eight pieces of contraband planted by the authorities in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at Bratislava Airport in Slovakia last weekend as part of a test of security procedures.

Air Force Completes Killer Micro-Drone Project: The Air Force Research Laboratory set out in 2008 to build the ultimate assassination robot: a tiny, armed drone for U.S. special forces to employ in terminating “high-value targets.”

Iceland leader vetoes bank repayments bill: Iceland's president has refused to sign a controversial bill to repay $5bn (£3.1bn) to the UK and the Netherlands. President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said he would instead hold a referendum on the bill, following public protests.

Robert Rubin: All Hell Could Break Loose Because of the Huge Government Debt: The ultimate insider, Robert Rubin, who is a former secretary of the Treasury (1995–99) and now serves as co-chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a fellow of the Harvard Corporation, in a Newseek opinion piece had this to say:

US Pending Home Sales Plunge the Most on Record: Looking into the initial breakdown, the regional readings all reported declines. The Northwest and Midwest paced the slump with matching 25.7 percent plunges for the month; the Southern sector of the United States saw a 15 percent drop in sales

Schwarzenegger Girds for Deficit Fight as Borrowing Costs Soar: With a $21 billion deficit forecast over the next 18 months, the governor of the most populous U.S. state has said he won’t boost taxes again, leaving him reliant on spending cuts and federal help to balance the books next fiscal year, which starts July 1.

US job satisfaction has hit 22-year low, survey says: An annual survey suggets that Americans who still have a job are less satisfied with their work than at any time in the last two decades.

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