News For April 21, 2010

More Hype About Iran?

By Stephen M. Walt

One of the more remarkable features about the endless drumbeat of alarm about Iran is that it pays virtually no attention to Iran's actual capabilities, and rests on all sorts of worst case assumptions about Iranian behavior. Consider the following facts. Continue

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The Latest Scare Story About Iran: Missiles Targeting US by 2015

By Steve Hynd

What we have here is a scary story designed to keep the missile defense procurement budget topped up by telling scary stories and hyping possible war. Nothing more. Continue

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Why Iran Won’t Attack Israel

By Yousef Munayyer

No nuclear attack on Israel could happen without the deaths of countless Palestinians and Israelis, not to mention the likely destruction of Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam. Continue

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The Road to Total War

Must Watch Video

From Napoleon to Nagasaki, The Road to Total War charts how the social, economic and technological developments of the last two hundred years have made warfare so efficient that it can now destroy us all. Continue

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'I Listen as a Lost People Tell of Their Woes in a Kind of Trance'

By Robert Fisk

These people speak with great and terrifying and justifiable anger. Continue

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Polanski's Ghost Writer
A film review

By Gilad Atzmon

The film tackles the most devastating chapter in recent history, the transformation of Anglo American liberal democracy into a lethal killing machine, fueled by pathos and righteousness, a chapter British society is not yet mature enough to deal with. Continue

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"Lehman’s failure is a story in large part of fraud"
Black's Knockout Testimony

By Mike Whitney

On Tuesday, Former regulator William Black appeared before the House Committee on Financial Services and beat the living-tar out of Lehman CEO Dick Fuld for 8 full minutes. It was a moment of sheer, unalloyed pleasure that will be savored for a long time to come. Continue

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American Kleptocracy
How Fears of Socialism and Fascism Hide Naked Theft

By William J. Astore

If we were to take an honest look at America’s blasted landscape of “losers” and the far shinier, spiffier world of “winners,” we’d have to admit that it wasn’t signs of onrushing socialism or fascism that stood out, but of staggeringly self-aggrandizing greed and theft right in the here and now.  Continue

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McCain, Kyl Want Troops on U.S.-Mexico Border

By Stephen Dinan

Mr. McCain and Mr. Kyl called on the Justice Department to expand a program that guarantees illegal immigrants serve time in jail, rather than being immediately sent back across the border. Continue

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Borrowing While Poor

By Moshe Adler

Poor people are charged higher interest rates than rich people when they purchase homes, and this is perfectly legal. Continue

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An American Phenomenon:
The Widespread Psychiatric Drugging of Infants and Toddlers

By Evelyn Pringle

Federally funded research published online in December, 2009, revealed that children covered by Medicaid were prescribed antipsychotics at a rate four time higher than children with private insurance. Continue

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Why Sharks Should Not Own Sport

By John Pilger

The Corporate Distortion and Corruption of Sport. Continue

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Nine killed in renewed Nigerian violence: At least nine persons were killed as fresh clashes erupted in Nigeria's northern state of Plateau where hundreds have already died in recent sectarian conflict between the Muslims and Christians.
Eight militants killed in central Somalia battles: Hardline Shabab militia fought yesterday with a pro-government movement in central Somalia in battles that claimed the lives of at least eight fighters and wounded 14 others, the groups said.
DR Congo army 'killed civilians' in Mbandaka: The Democratic Republic of Congo army killed at least 11 civilians as it retook the airport in Mbandaka from rebels this month, a rights group says.
Rioters leave 5 dead in Kyrgyzstan: Video report: Groups of rioters loot and destroy homes on the outskirts of Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan authorizes deadly force on wave of riots, looting: Interim leader Roza Otunbayeva on Wednesday gave orders for security officers to use "deadly force" on a wave of rioting and looting that has threatened her fledgling government's grip on power. That followed an appeal from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who on Tuesday expressed "deep concern" for the safety of ethnic Russians, who have been the victims of targeted attacks.
Kremlin says it will protect Russians in Kyrgyzstan: Russia told its military to protect ethnic Russians in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday as the country's new interim leaders struggled to restore order after a violent uprising that ousted the president.
Bakiyev says he remains president of Kyrgyzstan: "There is no force that can stop me, and only death will stop me," Bakiyev said. He called on the international community "not to recognize the illegitimate gang's authority."
Could Kyrgyzstan Cease to Exist?: Deteriorating conditions in Kyrgyzstan and increasing evidence that the provisional government is not in control of the situation, especially in the wake of President Dmitry Medvedev’s observation that Bishkek must build a new state, are leading some Russians to ask whether Kyrgyzstan as a country could cease to exist.
NATO admits it killed 4 unarmed civilians in Afghanistan : Family members and local officials had insisted that the group, which included three teenage boys, was returning home from a sporting event.
Mine explosion kills 2 Afghan police, wounds 1 near Kabul: Two Afghan police officers were killed and another sustained injuries as a result of mine explosion in south of Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, Interior Ministry said Wednesday.
Roadside bomb kills four troops in NW Pakistan: A roadside bomb Tuesday killed four Pakistani troops and wounded three others in the northwestern tribal belt along the Afghan border, officials said.
At least three killed, 10 injured in Iraq violence: Two members of the Iraqi army were killed and a third was injured while trying to defuse a bomb just east of Baquba, in the north-eastern Iraqi province of Diyala.
Court-martial of U.S. Navy SEAL accused of abusing Iraqi prisoner : The SEALs' case has gained widespread sympathy in the U.S. as well as support from at least 20 lawmakers in Congress who have urged U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates to drop the charges.
Bull*hit!: 'UK would not have invaded Iraq if we knew what we know now': British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said that the UK would not have invaded Iraq in 2003, if it had been clear that the then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Three Iran revolutionary guards killed: agency: Three members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards were killed in clashes this week with unidentified "counter-revolutionary forces," an Iranian news agency said on Wednesday.
Netanyahu: Less Time to Act on Iran with Each Passing Day: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sounded an urgent note regarding the Iranian threat in a Monday interview on America's ABC network, saying that “we have a lot less time with each day that passes.”
False reporting: US official: Iran military strike 'off the table': "Military force is an option of last resort," Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy said during a press briefing in Singapore. "It's off the table in the near term."
Demonizing Iran: Iran exports 'revolutionary principles' to Venezuela, report claims: It also alleges that Iran is continuing to supply weapons and explosives to the Taliban to help them kill American and British troops in Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia Announces Nuclear Plant: The government of Saudi Arabia has announced a new section of its capital Riyadh is set to be powered solely by nuclear energy. This will be the first nuclear power plant in the Gulf states
Report: Assad due in Egypt to discuss fear of Israel-Syria war: Syrian President Bashar Assad was due Tuesday night to land in Egypt "within hours," his first visit in four years, several Arab media outlets reported. The urgency of the surprise trip stems from a fear of war between Israel and Syria.
World poll: Only 19% see Israel in positive light: Survey conducted in 28 countries on 29,000 respondents reveals that only Iran, Pakistan, North Korea have more negative perception than Israel. Most 'loved' country is Germany. 'Obama effect' has resulted in improvement in relations towards US for first time since 2005
U.S. officials slam pro-Israel Jerusalem ad: United States administration officials have voiced harsh criticism over advertisements in favor of Israel's position on Jerusalem that appeared in the U.S. press with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's encouragement.
Robert Fisk: Western mainstream media distorting realities: “Those journalists are frightened of being called anti-semetic for criticising Israel,” said Fisk. The western governments also remain so supportive of Israel due to the success of the pressure strategy being implemented by Israeli lobby groups in the West.
Not before time: Palestinians losing faith in Obama administration, poll finds: Palestinian hopes that U.S. President Barack Obama will bring an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory have significantly declined in recent months, a public opinion poll published Wednesday has found.
Anger at Egypt MPs' call for force: Protesters condemn ruling party politicians' call for police to open fire on activists.
Russia open for nuclear business in Asia: During 2007-2008 Moscow offered nuclear reactors to 13 Arab states that were obviously concerned (and clearly remain so) about Iran's nuclear program. The more recent sales combine both old clients, such as India, and new customers like Pakistan and Vietnam in interesting ways that reflect some of the driving forces in Russian foreign policy.
Confidential document reveals Obama's hardline US climate talk strategy: Document outlines key messages the Obama administration wants to convey in the run-up to UN climate talks in Mexico in November
Sarkozy backs Islamic veil ban: Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has spoken out in favour of a full ban on the Islamic veil as the government draws up a law to prohibit the garment in public spaces.
Argentina's 'last dictator' jailed: The last leader of Argentina's dictatorship has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his involvement in the kidnapping, torture and murder of 56 people in a concentration camp.
As Gitmo Detainees’ Legal Victories Mount, Obama Administration Resists Orders to Release: In 34 out of the 47 cases that have been decided so far -- over 70 percent -- detainees have won judgments that the United States is subjecting them to indefinite detention as al-Qaida or Taliban enemies without proof and that they must be released.
Google's New Transparency Tool: A Window Into Government Surveillance: So we're happy to see Google's just-released Government Requests tool, which is the company's attempt to shine some light on how often governments around the world request user information
Digital Photocopiers Loaded With Secrets: Nearly every digital copier built since 2002 contains a hard drive - like the one on your personal computer - storing an image of every document copied, scanned, or emailed by the machine.
Paying For War, Not For College: One in 5 Californians is out of work. Over three quarters of a million have lost their homes. Desperately needed social services have been cut to the bone. Yet residents of our state continue to pay for a senseless war in Afghanistan
IMF: Banks bailouts should in future be funded by two new taxes: The report from the IMF, which was sent to the G20 nations, urged that all banks should pay the levy, thereby making a "financial stability contribution".