News For April 13, 2010

War Crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan

By Robert Dreyfuss

Real people, flesh and blood, gunned down from above in a hellish rain of fire. Continue

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Planning the Peace and Enforcing the Surrender:
Deterrence in the Allied Occupations of Germany and Japan

By Melissa Willard-Foster

What exactly did the United States plan to do in the case of resistance? This study seeks to address the gap in both the historical and political-science literature by examining policy designed for the initial period of occupation in Germany and Japan. Continue

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The Only Good Terrorist . . .
Hit Squads To Believe In

By Robert S. Becker 

Aligning himself with presidents Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan, and at least one Bushwhacker, President Obama joined an American pantheon that has sanctioned all sorts of overseas shenanigans in the name of national security.  Now that’s legacy bipartisanship with a vengeance.  Literally. Continue

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Your Tax Dollars at War:
More Than 53% of Your Tax Payment Goes to the Military

By Dave Lindorff'

The 2011 military budget, by the way, is the largest in history, not just in actual dollars, but in inflation-adjusted dollars, exceeding even the spending in World War II, when the nation was on an all-out war footing. Continue

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Deport the Palestinians to Where They Came From

By Ahmed Amr

It was bound to happen. The Israelis have decided to opt for outright ethnic cleansing. As of April 13, 2010 - the Israelis military will be accorded the power to deport any Palestinian or any foreigner in the West Bank if their papers ‘aren’t in order.’ Continue

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Mossad Operation Threatened Against Reporter
Whistleblowing Israeli journalist treated as 'fugitive felon'

By Jonathan Cook

In Israeli journalist who went into hiding after writing a series of reports showing lawbreaking approved by Israeli army commanders faces a lengthy jail term for espionage if caught, as Israeli security services warned at the weekend they would “remove the gloves” to track him down. Continue

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How Bush Tried to Stop Predatory Lending
                    
By Mike Whitney  

Bush acted as a pitchman for the financial industry to attract a larger pool of applicants to keep the securitization flywheel running at full-throttle. It didn't matter to him that the wave of foreclosures would end up devastating black and Latino communities across the country. Continue

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'The System Is Built To Be Gamed'

By Ryan McCarthy

These are the words of an anonymous executive at one of America's 10 largest banks, who after many years of watching the worst of Wall Street's ethics transform his company, has decided to speak out. Continue

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After Peak Oil,
Are We Heading Towards Social Collapse?

By Emily Spence

If we do not face up to the truth, the repercussions are clear. Continue

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Noam Chomsky
A World Of Freedom And Justice

Video Of Lecture

Havens Center, Orpheum Theater, Madison - Thursday, April 8, 2010. Continue

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71 civilians killed in weekend strike by Pakistani jets: An editorial Tuesday in Dawn, a respected English-language daily, said it was clear that the dead had no links to the militants and that the incident “strengthens the hands of the Taliban.”

US missile strike in Pakistani tribal agency kills 5: At least five "militants" were reportedly killed in a US missile strike Monday evening in Pakistan tribal agency, bordering Afghanistan, security sources said.

4 killed, 2 injured in US attack in NW Pakistan: At least four people were killed and two others were injured Monday evening in a U.S. drone attack in northwest Pakistan's tribal area, Xinhua informed.

Drone strikes: a violation of law by Aaleem Gardezi: The drone attacks by the US violate both the United Nations Charter and the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which prohibit wilful killing. Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”

Pakistan: 200,000 flee offensive: The exodus of civilians from Orakzai adds to the more than 1.3 million people driven from their homes by fighting in the north-west and unable to return.

Mogadishu shelling kills 21 civilians: Militants fired mortars at the presidential palace and the airport. Government troops, backed by African Union peacekeepers, responded by "indiscriminately" firing artillery shells toward civilian areas. The shells landed on several densely populated civilian neighborhoods.

4 Afghan policemen killed in roadside bombing: Four Afghan policemen were killed when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in the country's northwest region, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
Rocket attacks kill three Afghan women, injure four: Three women were killed and four others were injured when rockets fired by suspected Taliban militants hit their homes in north-east Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
Nato killings spark Afghan protests: Nato troops opened fire on the bus in the Zhari district of Kandahar province before dawn on Monday, killing four people and injuring 18, Afghan officials said.
Three killed, five injured in clashes in northern Iraq: Security sources told the German Press Agency dpa that two civilians were killed and four injured in tribal clashes west of the city of Mosul, about 400 kilometers north of Baghdad.
Chances of Maliki’s reappointment slim: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s chances of being reappointed appear to be fading as potential coalition partners turn against him a month after a general election that produced no clear winner.
Israel army: 4 killed in Gaza were heavily armed: Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, said its fighters were involved in fierce clashes with an Israeli military force that had attempted to cross the border. The group said its combatants hit their targets directly, while Israel denied that its forces were injured.
Israel to construct new illegal building in West Bank: The Hebrew daily Maariv said the municipality would build a synagogue and a school in Gilo on occupied Palestinian lands between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Israel tells its citizens to get out of Egypt now: Israel issued an "urgent" warning Tuesday to its citizens to leave Egypt's Sinai Peninsula immediately citing "concrete evidence of an expected terrorist attempt to kidnap Israelis in Sinai."
Iran: We will join 'world nuclear club' within a month: Soltani added that the construction of a 360 megawatt nuclear power plant and a 40 megawatt research reactor in Iran's central city of Arak are 70 percent finished. He also said that the developments will help treat 850,000 cancer patients.
Iran to West: Fuel swap can build trust: The proposal, although still on the table, is facing many obstacles as the West has failed to provide Iran with guarantees that the fuel will be actually delivered.
Iran is Obama's 'only chance' of success: Ahmadinejad: "The best way for him is to accept and respect Iran and enter into cooperation. Many new opportunities will be created for him."
'West has no evidence against Iran': Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says there is no evidence indicating that Iran's nuclear activities include efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon.
China says sanction cannot resolve Iran nuclear issue: China said here Tuesday sanctions and pressure cannot fundamentally resolve the Iran nuclear issue while reiterating its adherence to a dual-track strategy.
Brazil rejects new Iran sanctions: Brazilian Defense Minister : He urged the international community to give Tehran "guarantees that it will not be attacked" by the US and its staunch ally Israel.
Lieberman: U.S. Should Attack Iran's Nuclear Program If All Else Fails: Sen. Joe Lieberman says the world is at a "turning point in history," and the United States should begin preparing plans to attack Iran's nuclear program — and use that option if all diplomatic and other means fail.
'US nuke threat is state terrorism': Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee describes the US threat of using nuclear weapons against other countries as state terrorism.
Red Cross staff seized in DR Congo: Eight aid workers have been abducted by armed men in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the International Committe of the Red Cross has said.
Pope's No.2 claims sex scandal in the church is linked to homosexuality not priestly celibacy: : 'This is a perverse strategy by the Vatican to shirk its own ethical and legal responsibility by making a spurious and disgusting connection,' he said.
A Banana Republic With No Bananas: Experts on third world banana republics from the IMF and the Federal Reserve have said the U.S. has become a third world banana republic
Republicans working to filibuster bill to extend unemployment insurance