Wednesday 3 February 2010

News For February 03, 2010

Amid Media Blackout
Congressional hearing reveals US intelligence agencies shielded Flight 253 bomber

By Alex Lantier

The revelation that US intelligence agencies made a deliberate decision to allow Abdulmutallab to board the commercial flight, without any special airport screening, has been buried in the media. As of this writing, nearly a week after the hearing, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times have published no articles on the subject. Nor have the broadcast or cable media reported on it. Continue


Clare Short: Goldsmith ‘Misled’ Cabinet Over Iraq

By Real News Network

Clare Short accuses Lord Goldsmith, the former attorney general, of misleading the Cabinet over the legality of the Iraq war. Continue


Israeli Commander: 'We Rewrote the Rules of War for Gaza'

By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem

Civilians 'put at greater risk to save military lives' in winter attack - revelations that will pile pressure on Netanyahu to set up full inquiry. Continue


This Time We Went Too Far

By Norman Finkelstein

"Better than any other book, This Time We Went Too Far shows how the massive destruction visited on Gaza was not an accidental byproduct of the Israeli invasion but its barely concealed objective." Continue


Mossadegh and Ahmadinejad

Iran faces almost the same dilemma as 1953

By Ardeshir Ommani

There is a stark similarity between some aspects of the political atmosphere dominant over Iran today and those under Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh right before the U.S.-led coup of 1953 that resulted in the overthrow of the legitimate government of Iran and the establishment of a U.S.-puppet government of the Shah. Continue


Howard Zinn: Myths of the Good Wars

Three ‘Holy’ Wars

Must Watch Video


America, Inc. Is Here. Get With The Program!

Let's abolish elections and instead, select our politicians by auction.

By Ernest Partridge

So let's get real! Let's simply acknowledge the obvious facts: that public offices serve private corporate interests, and that legislators' votes are bought and sold by bidders, politely referred to as "contributors." If this is the way things are let's bring the practice out into the open. Continue


The Corporate Takeover of U.S. Democracy

By Noam Chomsky

Now corporate managers can in effect buy elections directly, bypassing more complex indirect means. Continue


The Vultures Circle Haiti at Every Opportunity,Natural or Man-made

By Regan Boychuk

Despite the impression you might have been left with from the media, Haitians are perfectly capable of managing their own affairs and know what they need a hell of a lot better than we do. Now, more than ever, Haitians deserve better from us and it is up to us to ensure our government does the right thing, not the profitable thing. Continue


The Pentagon Runs Amok

Obama is letting the generals and contractors roll over him

By Dan Simpson

The budget line for defense stands at $708 billion, 53 percent of discretionary spending, eight times more than the next largest item, health and human services. Does that reflect America's priorities? Is that who we are? Continue


Global Insolvency, How will the U.S. Service its Debt?

By: Bob Chapman

How can the US conceivably extricate itself from debt? That is $1 to $2 trillion deficits annually as far as the eye can see. It is already bogged down in an occupation in Iraq and a war in Afghanistan that stretches into Pakistan. That is all off budget, but it stretches already to more than $1 trillion. Then there is the phony, phantom war on terror the cost of which is unknown. Continue


The Crisis Is Not Over

By Paul Craig Roberts

Readers ask if the financial crisis is over, if the recovery is for real and, if not, what are Americans’ prospects. The short answer is that the financial crisis is not over, the recovery is not real, and the U.S. faces a far worse crisis than the financial one. Here is the situation as I understand it: Continue


Exposed: Bernanke's "Skimming Operation"

By Mike Whitney

The banks didn't care if the loans were repaid because they got their money "up front" on volume originations. That's why they were so eager to issue mortgages to people with no income, no collateral, no job, and a bad credit history. It was all a gigantic skimming operation, where banks and brokers got their cut and then bailed out before the whole thing blew up. Continue


FHA Defaults Foreshadow A Crush Of Foreclosures

By Dina ElBoghdady and Dan Keating

February 02, 2010 "Washington Post" -- The share of borrowers who are falling seriously behind on loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration jumped by more than a third in the past year, foreshadowing a crush of foreclosures that could further buffet an agency vital to the housing market's recovery. Continue


Study: Hunger in America Jumps ‘Unprecedented’ 46 Percent

By Daniel Tencer

The study, Hunger in America 2010, found that 37 million people, or roughly one in eight US residents, received food aid in 2009. That's a 46 percent jump from a similar survey carried out in 2006. Continue


Iraq: Suicide attack kills 24, wounds 117 pilgrims in Karbala: A suicide bomber detonated a KIA minibus among Shia pilgrims at the eastern entrance of Karbala, 100 km southwest Baghdad, on Wednesday killing at least 24 people and wounding 117 others, a local security source said.

Iraqi Court Lifts Election Ban: An Iraqi appeals court overturned a ban on hundreds of candidates for alleged ties to Saddam Hussein's former party, allowing them to stand in March 7 parliamentary polls and easing sectarian tension ahead of the closely watched vote.

China cancels 80% of Iraq debt: China has agreed to cancel 80 percent of the 8.5-billion-dollar debt it is owed by Iraq, the finance ministry in Baghdad said in an official statement on Tuesday.

Three US soldiers among 7 killed in Pakistan: A roadside bomb killed 3 U.S. soldiers and flattened a girls' school in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday in an attack that drew attention to a little-publicized American military training mission in the al-Qaida and Taliban heartland.

Afghan bomb attack kill US 2 occupation force soldiers: Two US soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan, a Nato statement said.

Yemen kills at least 17 rebels in Saada: report: Yemeni security forces have killed at least 17 Shiite rebels in clashes across the northern province of Saada, a military-run website reported Wednesday.

Bahrain official wary of claims about Al Qaida threats in Yemen: A leading Bahraini lawmaker has expressed "tremendous concerns" that claims about Al Qaida in Yemen threats to world security would turn out to be as baseless as the ones made about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

Iran President Says Nuclear Deal Acceptable: In an interview broadcast live on state television, President Ahmadinejad said Iran would have "no problem" sending out its stock of low enriched uranium (LEU) to be further refined into nuclear fuel for a research reactor in Tehran.

US sceptical on Iran nuclear move: The United States has reacted cautiously over a statement from Iran's president saying he accepts a UN-proposed deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

Iran Launches Rocket With Animals Into Space: Iran said it successfully fired a new, domestically produced research rocket into space Wednesday, with several live animals aboard-a feat that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said illustrated his country's technological prowess.

Assad: Israel leading the Middle East to war: Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Wednesday that Israel is not serious about its intentions to make peace with Damascus as evidenced by "its conduct which is leading the region to war."

Israeli officer says rules of engagement ignored: Israel flouted its stated rules of engagement during the war in Gaza last year by seeking to minimise military casualties at the expense of civilian lives, a senior Israeli officer has acknowledged.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister: Goldstone report to find its propoer place in dustbin of history: Ayalon stressed that all the civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip during the "Operation Cast Lead" resulted from Hamas' of residents of Gaza as human shields.

al Qaeda 'Certain' to Try Attack US Within Next 6 Months: The U.S.'s top intelligence officials said Tuesday that an attempted al Qaeda attack on the U.S. in the next three to six months was "certain."

Officials: Accused Christmas Day bomber cooperating: The Nigerian man accused of trying to use a bomb hidden in his underwear to bring down a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas has been cooperating with investigators since last week and has provided fresh intelligence in multiple terrorism investigations, officials said Tuesday.

In case you missed it: CIA Man Retracts Claim on Waterboarding: "I suggested that Abu Zubaydah had lasted only thirty or thirty-five seconds during his waterboarding before he begged his interrogators to stop; after that, I said he opened up and gave the agency actionable intelligence."

UK: Air passengers who refuse a full body scan to be barred from their flights: The move - strongly criticised by civil liberties campaigners who say the scanners are an invasion of privacy - follows the attempted Detroit bomb attack on Christmas Day.

Did Navy poison Americans?: Could Navy tests on a small caribbean island have made more than 7,000 people sick? CNN'x Abbie Boudreau investigates

Water Heist: Corporations Are Targeting Cash-Strapped Cities for Control of Their Public Water: From wastewater to drinking water, big business is looking to cash in on public water systems and they've got a new tactic.

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