News For March 10, 2010

'US Determined to Prevent Nuclear Iran'

By HERB KEINON

US Vice President Joe Biden expressed America's "absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israel' security" at a press conference in Jerusalem following a meeting with Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu Monday morning. Continue

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Two Humiliations - Can Obama Live With A Third?

By Alan Hart

Amazing! While in Israel, an American vice president explicitly condemns an Israeli decision to build yet more homes, 1,600 apartments, in occupied Arab East Jerusalem. "I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem,” Joe Biden said. “It’s the kind of step that undermines the trust we need". Yes, but... Continue

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Rachel Corrie Family Finally Puts Israel in Dock

Court hears how Israeli army bulldozer killed US peace activist

By Jonathan Cook in Nazareth

“My family and I are still searching for justice. The brutal death of my daughter should never have happened. We believe the Israeli army must be held accountable for her unlawful killing.” Continue

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US Forces Hold Afghans Back to ‘Prove’ Town Safe for Gates Visit

By Ron Brynaert

The picture of Marja presented by military officials and obediently reported by major news media is one of the clearest and most dramatic pieces of misinformation of the entire war, apparently aimed at hyping the offensive as a historic turning point in the conflict. Continue

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Welcome To The World’s First Murdochracy

By John Pilger

What is a murdochracy? It is where the fealty and augmentation of Murdoch’s editors and managers are undisguised, an inspiration to his choir on seven continents, where even his competitors sing along and wise politicians heed the Murdochism: “What’ll it be? A headline a day or a bucket of shit a day?” Continue

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The 9/11 Hijackers are Alive?

Video Interview With Dr. David Ray Griffin

According to the chief of Japans Democratic Party who says that the 9/11 hijackers are alive and that 9/11 was a complete hoax. Dr. David Ray Griffin is a professor and author who wrote The New Pearl Harbor Revisited and he says that he agrees; the World Trade Center was a hoax. Continue

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Normalizing The Police State

By Allison Kilkenny

Not only are people unsurprised by tasering these days, but they watch it for entertainment on Youtube. This normalizing goes beyond tasering, however. It’s now normal for the state to monitor citizens, and for any kind of mass protest to be immediately restricted by the government. Continue

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US kills 12 people in Pakistan: Two suspected US drone attacks on Wednesday in Pakistan's restive tribal region near the Afghan border killed at least 12 people, intelligence officials said.
US aid group attacked in NW Pakistan; 6 dead: Suspected militants armed with assault rifles and a homemade bomb attacked the offices of a U.S.-based Christian aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six Pakistani employees, police and the organization said
Pakistanis who refused airport screening in D.C. are hailed at home: A tour of the United States arranged by the State Department to improve ties to Pakistani legislators ended in a public relations fiasco when the members of the group refused to submit to extra airport screening in Washington, and they are now being hailed as heroes on their return home.
Five Afghan civilians killed in roadside attacks : Five Afghan civilians were killed in two explosions in southern and northern Afghanistan, while two suicide bombers attacked military bases in the country's eastern region, killing Afghan and NATO forces, officials said Wednesday.
Two occupation force soldiers killed as Taliban claim responsibility for suicide bombing inside U.S.-Afghan base: A Taliban operative wearing an Afghan police uniform infiltrated the base Tuesday night and detonated his explosive vest next to a group of soldiers who were warming their hands beside a fire, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press
Internal report issues black eye for U.S. Embassy in Kabul: The State Department is failing to properly oversee nearly $2 billion in contracts to battle the drug trade, build infrastructure and train police in Afghanistan, according to a bluntly worded internal assessment.
NATO falling short on Afghan training: US commander: NATO countries are failing to live up to promises to provide hundreds of personnel to train Afghanistan's fledging security forces, the head of the US military's European Command said Tuesday.
House to vote on pullout from Afghanistan: In a test of congressional support for President Barack Obama's new Afghanistan strategy, lawmakers are set to vote on Wednesday on a resolution that would direct him to pull U.S. forces out of the war.
Take action: A Petition Requesting the U.S. Congress to Stop Funding Additional Troops:
Iran attacks US Afghan role: "The fight against terrorism is not a military one it requires the work of intelligence, through respecting nations and to separate people from terrorists."
US defence chief Gates in Saudi for talks on Iran: Gates was due to meet King Abdullah as the Obama administration kept up a concerted effort to rally international support for punitive sanctions against Iran, despite misgivings by China and other countries.
Iranian missiles pose no threat to U.S. and Europe - Lavrov: "It is evident that Iran currently poses no threat to the U.S. and European countries... At the moment, Iran has no missiles capable of striking Europe, let alone the U.S., and is unlikely to develop [such missiles] in the foreseeable future," Lavrov said.
Brazilian president warns sanctions against Iran could lead to war: "We don't want to repeat in Iran what happened in Iraq. It's not prudent for the world, it's not prudent for Iran," Silva said, a week after rebuffing U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton's appeal for Brazilian support for a new round of tough sanctions.
AIPAC calls for swift action to block U.S. companies supporting Iran: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is calling on the U.S. Congress to take several immediate steps in response to a New York Times report revealing that the federal government has awarded more than $107 billion in grants, contracts and other benefits to foreign and multinational U.S. companies conducting business in Iran.
Shell No Longer Selling Gasoline to Iran: Shell said on March 10 it had stopped selling petrol to Iran, becoming the latest major oil company to stop trading with the Islamic Republic
European Parliament endorses Goldstone Gaza report: The parliamentary move, which would give the EU an unprecedented role in evaluating the progress of Israel's war crimes probe, was sharply criticized by Israel.
New FBI Files Alleging AIPAC Theft of Government Property and Israeli Espionage Released: AIPAC was investigated after it acquired and circulated classified government information provided in strict confidence by US industry and worker groups opposed to AIPAC sponsored economic legislation.
Africom commander says U.S. supports Somali government to retake Mogadishu: A senior U.S. military commander said on Tuesday the United States would support the Somali transitional government to retake the national capital Mogadishu.
Somali Shabab 'ready to fight' US: Ali Mahmoud Rajhi, a spokesman for Somalia's al-Shabab group, has told Al Jazeera that the group is not afraid of United States involvement in the battle against them.
Folly in Somalia: We and the rest of the world ought to leave the Somalis to their own devices
Massacre leaves Nigerians on edge: Tensions remain high in the central Nigerian city of Jos after gunfire erupted in an area near villages where hundreds were killed two days ago.
Ex-MI5 head: US hid torture tactics from UK: "I said to my staff, 'Why is he talking?' because our experience of Irish prisoners, Irish terrorists, was that they never said anything," she said. "They said, well, the Americans say he is very proud of his achievements when questioned about it. It wasn't actually until after I retired that I read that, in fact, he had been waterboarded 160 times."
Irish arrest "Al-Qaida suspects" in murder conspiracy: The suspects are originally from Morocco and Yemen, but are all living legally as refugees in Ireland. Irish police said they worked with counterparts in the United States and "a number of European countries."
Law officers may be less patient, quicker to use force after combat deployment, study finds: Many law enforcement officers called up to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are finding it difficult to readjust to their jobs once home, bringing back heightened survival instincts that may make them quicker to use force and showing less patience toward the people they serve.
ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan : Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.
UK banks see surge in bad debts: The level of debts written off because defaulting borrowers will never repay them shot up in 2009, Bank of England figures have shown.
Stranger than fiction: UK: North Tyneside high street 'revived' by fake shop front: Fake businesses are to be used to lessen the impact of the recession on high streets in North Tynesid
Europe bars Wall Street banks from government bond sales: Leading US banks blamed for triggering financial crisis - Policymakers propose a rival European monetary fund
Unemployment rises in 30 states in January: Five states reported record-high joblessness in January: California, at 12.5 percent; South Carolina, 12.6 percent; Florida, 11.9 percent; North Carolina, 11.1 percent; and Georgia, 10.4 percent.
U.S. Monthly Budget Deficit Balloons to a Record: Even as government receipts posted a rare increase in February, soaring outlays pushed the country's year-to-date deficit up to a record $651.60 billion. The government's fiscal 2010 year-to-date deficit is up 10.5% from fiscal year 2009.
J.P. Morgan: Foreclosure Sales Could Be Higher in Three Years: Efforts to modify loans and delay foreclosures may have helped hold down the stock of foreclosures for sale in the second half of 2009, fostering home-price stabilization. But that cure could require different medicine: an elevated level of foreclosures for sale over the next three years.
U.S. Taxpayers on Hook for $5 Trillion of Fannie, Freddie Debt ... No Matter What Barney Frank Says
Holland proposes giving over-70s the right to die if they 'consider their lives complete': Assisted suicide for anyone over 70 who has simply had enough of life is being considered in Holland. Non-doctors would be trained to administer a lethal potion to elderly people who 'consider their lives complete'.