News For April 03, 2010

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran
Obama: Evidence Shows Iran is Developing Nukes

By Amir Oren

Evidence shows Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons, U.S. President Barack Obama told CBS on Friday, adding that he felt his administration should continue the pressure on Tehran to cooperate with the international community over its "contentious" nuclear program. Continue

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Former IAEA Chief: Iraq War Killed “A Million Innocent Civilians”

By Patrick Martin

Mohammed ElBaradei, said that those who launched the war in Iraq were responsible for killing a million innocent people and could be held accountable under international law. He was clearly referring to US President George Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and their top military and security aides. Continue

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Not Just Guantanamo
U.S. Torturing Muslim Pre-trial Detainee in New York City

By Bill Quigley

Today in New York City, the U.S. is torturing a Muslim detainee with no prior criminal record who has not even gone to trial. Continue

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U.S. and Colombia Cover Up Atrocities Through Mass Graves

By Dan Kovalik

The biggest human rights scandal in years is developing in Colombia, though you wouldn't notice it from the total lack of media coverage here. Continue

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“The Evil Scourge of Terrorism”: Reality, Construction, Remedy

By Noam Chomsky

The reasons why Reagan’s war on terror has been dispatched to the repository of unwelcome facts are understandable and informative – about ourselves. Instantly, Reagan’s war on terror became a savage terrorist war, leaving hundreds of thousands of tortured and mutilated corpses in the wreckage of Central America, tens of thousands more in the Middle East. Continue

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The Next Civil War

By Bob Burnett

The Civil War ranks as the most costly of US wars, with 625,000 deaths and a comparable number of injuries. Now the Republican Party is stoking the fires of insurrection and for thousands of right-wing zealots a new civil war seems a political necessity. As increasing numbers of Democratic politicians are threatened, how long will it be before domestic terrorists use their weapons? Continue

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Is Racism Still Alive in America?

By Cesar Chelala

Violence is an inescapable companion to racism. And violence, or violent outbursts racially motivated, are certainly on the increase in the U.S. Threats against President Obama have increased by 400% since President George W. Bush left office, the highest numbers on record. Continue

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36 killed in Pakistan: Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships on Saturday killed 30 militants and captured key heights in a tribal area after facing tough resistance in which six soldiers were killed, officials said.

Uniformed gunmen kill 24 Iraqis: An army official said many of the victims, who included five women, were brutalized "beyond recognition."

Sadr bloc holds vote on Iraq prime minister: The Shiite faction, whose support may be crucial for Maliki and Allawi as they each try to cobble together a coalition, says it wants the people to choose the next premier.

Sdar office in Najaf reports “very good” participation in referendum: “The participation has been very good throughout Iraq,” Mohammed al-Bahadli of the Najaf Sadr office told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Iraq Shi'ite party open to alliance with Allawi: A leading Shi'ite Muslim party said on Thursday it will not join any Iraqi government without Iyad Allawi, a move that could boost the chances of the election winner of becoming a prime minister.
U.S. Special Forces staying in Iraq: Olson said the 4,500 Special Forces personnel, would stay.
Twenty civilians killed in Mogadishu: At least 20 people have been killed in an intense battle between government forces and Islamic insurgents in the Somali capital, medical officials said.
German occupation troops kill at least 5 Afghan soldiers: German forces opened fire on the Afghans as they were attempting to support other troops involved in heavy fighting with suspected Taliban late on Friday, a statement released by the German central command on Saturday said.
Three German occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan : The soldiers were on a mine clearing operation near the town of Kunduz when they came under attack from around 100 Taliban, military sources told the German Press Agency dpa.
US Marines offer war or peace to Afghan elders: Nearly two months after US Marines led what was billed the biggest offensive against the Taliban in more than eight years of war, troops still come under daily fire from insurgents and bombs are still exploding.
Karzai tries to smooth spat with U.S. over speech: The U.S. ambassador in Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, wrote in a classified cable last November, later leaked, that Karzai was "not an adequate strategic partner".
The Kandahar warlord who has presidential protection: In the words of some residents, the half-brother of Afghanistan's president is accused of being a "warlord, a terrorist", a narcotics trafficker, and a contract monopolist. Others won't even mention his name. "I can't tell you anything about this. I'm too scared. Someone might kill me," one resident said.
Iran says China agrees on sanctions 1:43 Video Report: Iran's top nuclear negotiator says his country and China have agreed that sanctions have lost their effectiveness.
India snubs US over Iran pipeline: The external affairs ministry on Friday stressed that energy security was of prime concern to the Centre and the India-Pakistan Iran pipeline was an important part of its plans.This followed remarks by US officials making it clear that that they disapproved of any such project.
Israeli attack on Gaza wounds children: : Three Palestinian children have been wounded after Israeli planes and helicopters launched a string of air attacks on the Gaza Strip overnight.
Ahmadinejad warns Israel against second Gaza war: They are looking for an excuse to attack Gaza. What I want to say to Zionists and their supporters is 'enough with the crimes. Do not make your load [of sin] even heavier than it is'.
Ahmadinejad: Israel will pay 'too much' for Gaza attacks: Ahmadinejad also referred to U.S. President Barack Obama and said that the West has not extended a hand to Iran. ""What hand did you extend toward us?" Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech. "What changed? Your sanctions were lifted? The adverse propaganda was stopped? The pressure was alleviated? Did you change your attitude in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine?"
White House in calming message to U.S. Jews: Obama is Israel's friend: National Security Council Middle East Senior Director Dan Shapiro stressed to American Jews that that the U.S. did not intend to insist that Israel halt construction in East Jerusalem, and that the recent bout of tension was a matter of bad timing which was overblown by the media.
Israel Gags News on Extra-Judicial Killings: An Israeli journalist remains under house arrest and another lives abroad, after they broke news on Israeli undercover units carrying out assassinations or "targeted killings" of non-combatant Palestinian political opponents.
Moscow metro bomber ‘was rebel’s widow’: ONE of the Moscow metro suicide bombers was the 17-year-old widow of a slain Islamist rebel from the North Caucasus, a leading Russian newspaper reported.
Forest massacre may be linked to Moscow bombings: The two mysterious young widows who brought terror to Moscow by targeting its famed subway system might have been motivated by a forest massacre in which garlic-picking villagers were slain by government forces.
Russia and Venezuela boost ties: The Russian prime minister, assured Hugo Chavez, that his country would continue to sell arms to Caracas after arriving on Friday with a delivery of four military helicopters. - "The Yankee empire doesn't want us to have one single little plane,' Chavez said at a news conference with Putin on Friday.
Putin will help us get nuclear power, says Chávez: Russia has said that it will help Venezuela to set up its own space industry and develop nuclear energy, the Latin American country’s President announced yesterday.
What the Catholic bishop knew: Eamonn O'Neill talks to F Ray Mouton, one of the authors of 'The Manual', a 1985 report into child abuse in the clergy which he claims the church suppressed
Put the pope in the dock: Legal immunity cannot hold. The Vatican should feel the full weight of international law
US to adopt new air security policy: The new policy affects US citizens, as well as travellers coming into the United States from abroad.
Governors Receive Threats From Extremist Group: Governors around the country said Friday that they had received letters from an extremist group warning that they might be forcibly removed from office if they did not step down within three days.
French workers threaten to blow up factory facing closure: The French industry minister has condemned the move and urged the workers to settle the row through talks. France is suffering a 10 percent unemployment rate — highest in a decade.
More than 200,000 to lose jobless benefits Monday with Congress out: Starting Monday, more than 200,000 unemployed Americans won't see jobless benefits they're expecting because Congress failed to act.
Gallup: Underemployment In The U.S. Rises To 20.3% In March: The number of long-term unemployed (more than 27 weeks) in March rose to more than 6.5 million. The percentage of people unemployed for 27 weeks or more also rose to a record 44.1% of all jobless.
Number Of Long-Term Unemployed Continues To Rise, Sets Another All-Time High: As of last month, more than 6.5 million Americans have been without a job for at least six months, an all-time high, according to Labor Department data. That's more than double the amount this time last year.
Flat Unemployment Rate Masks the Race Gap: The unemployment rate for whites held steady at 8.8 percent compared to February and went down for Asians from 8.4 percent to 7.5 percent. But it rose to 16.5 percent for blacks from 15.8 percent. Hispanics showed a slight increase as well from 12.4 percent to 12.6 percent.
FDA pressured to combat rising 'food fraud': "Food fraud" has been documented in fruit juice, olive oil, spices, vinegar, wine, spirits and maple syrup, and appears to pose a significant problem in the seafood industry. Victims range from the shopper at the local supermarket to multimillion companies, including E&J Gallo and Heinz USA.