News For May 12, 2010

US Troops Executing Prisoners in Afghanistan: Seymour Hersh

By David Edwards

"I'll tell you right now, one of the great tragedies of my country is that Mr. Obama is looking the other way, because equally horrible things are happening to prisoners, to those we capture in Afghanistan," Hersh said. "They're being executed on the battlefield. It's unbelievable stuff going on". Continue

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Training That Makes Killing Civilians Acceptable

By Real News

Josh Stieber: In boot camp we trained with songs that joked about killing women and children. Continue

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The Birth of Israel
A Tale of Lies, Deceit, and Terrorism

By William A. Cook

Based on classified documents from the Jewish Agency and its affiliated organizations seized by the British Mandate Police, materials that confirm that the Zionist controlled Jewish community intended to remove the Arab inhabitants of Palestine from their land and make the whole of Mandate Palestine a Jewish State, an intent that continues to the present day. Continue

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How to Turn Congress Inc. Back to Just Congress

By Katrina vanden Heuvel

In just the first quarter of 2010, the finance, insurance and real estate sectors spent more than $123 million on 2,057 lobbyists. Any bets on whether the final financial reform bill will create the kind of robust, independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency that would serve as a watchdog with teeth? Continue

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Capitalism Without Capital

By Mike Whitney

This is a point that bears repeating:  "...nearly $14 trillion worth of complex-securitized products were created" on top of just "$1.4 trillion" of subprime loans." No doubt, the investment bankers and hedge fund managers who inflated  these monster balloons, knew that they were doomed from the get-go, but then, they must have also known that  "I.B.G.-Y.B.G.", which in Wall Street parlance means, "I'll Be Gone and You'll Be Gone." Continue

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Taking Back Homes from the Banks:

By Bill Quigley

Organizations across the US are engaging in "housing liberation" and "housing defense" to exercise their human rights to housing.   Here are a few examples. Continue

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Finance 101: Blame the Poor
(While Taking Their Money)

By Gordon Arnaut

Did you know that the poor (and mostly black) people in the US caused the global financial crisis that threw the world economy into its worst slump since the Great Depression of the 1930’s Continue

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Arizona Immigration Law Violates Human Rights, Say UN Experts

By Eliane Engeler

"A disturbing pattern of legislative activity hostile to ethnic minorities and immigrants has been established with the adoption of an immigration law that may allow for police action targeting individuals on the basis of their perceived ethnic origin," the experts said. Continue

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Iraq: Five policemen killed in Baghdad blasts near church: The first explosion struck near the Athureen church in the south Baghdad neighbourhood of Dora at about 9:30 pm (1830 GMT), but did not result in any casualties. A few minutes later, when police reached the scene to investigate, a second bomb detonated, killing five officers and wounding 14 others.

Bomb kills three, injures 25 in Shula: Three Iraqis were killed and 25 others injured when a bomb planted inside a grocery store went off on Wednesday in Baghdad, police sources said.

2 killed, 23 injured in Baghdad bombing: Two people were killed and 23 others injured when booby-trapped shop exploded in a Shiite neighborhood in northern Baghdad on Wednesday, an Interior Ministry source said.

Iraq killing spree targets tribal chiefs, govt workers: Dozens of Iraqis have died in a campaign of killings by gunmen using silenced guns and sticky bombs, raising fears that insurgents are moving beyond a reliance on large-scale bombings to wreak havoc in the political vacuum left by an inconclusive election.

Iraq advises US against meddling: Iraq's government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh has called on the United States to avoid any intervention in the issue of forming the country's new government.

Two killed in Nato tanker blast in Pakistan: “The bomb was planted in the oil tanker,” he said. A Pakistani trader heading towards Afghanistan was burnt alive while a pedestrian died of burns in hospital.

Taliban claim to have killed two U.S. spies in Northwestern Pakistan: Pakistani intelligence officers confirm the deaths, notes found with bodies

Afghan prison official among 3 killed: : An American and a Romanian soldier were killed, the Taliban claimed responsibility for assassinating a prisons official and an explosion injured at least three people, officials said.

Afghan secret police chief fired over torture of detainee, top soldier testifies: The firing of the "head honcho" of the Afghan secret police at a prison in Kandahar confirmed the allegations of torture that a Canadian-transferred detainee made on Nov. 5, 2007, to Foreign Affairs monitors, Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche testified Tuesday.

Ahmadinejad advises US to leave region: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the era of occupation and plundering other nation's national resources is over. "You'd better listen to the Iranian nations' advice: Abandon your stubbornness; live with other nations based on justice and friendship, like human beings; leave the region; leave Afghanistan; leave Iraq; withdraw to your borders and mind your own business," the president said.

Demonizing Syria: Israel says N.Korea shipping WMDs to Syria: Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday accused nuclear power North Korea of supplying Syria with weapons of mass destruction.

Syria and Russia in talks on nuclear power: Energy deal discussed as Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warns of deteriorating Middle East peace process

Russia praises Turkish-Brazilian proposal on Iran: Medvedev said a fuel exchange proposal to Iran that Turkey and Brazil are trying to revive was a possible way out of the impasse over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.

Russian Rebuffs U.S. Warning on Iran Missile Sale: Russia Wednesday rebuffed a warning from the United States over a plan to sell surface-to-air missiles to Iran, saying Moscow needed no advice from Washington on its weapons sales.

Turkey, Russia see Hamas role in Mideast peace process: Russian President Medvedev said that Israeli-Arab tensions threaten to draw the Middle East into a new catastrophe.

Israel sees no discord with U.S. on nuclear issue: Israel voiced confidence on Tuesday that U.S. President Barack Obama would not challenge its long-standing policy of neither confirming nor denying it has nuclear weapons.
Oil spill swells to 4 Million gallons with fixes days off: A remote-controlled submarine shot chemicals into the maw of the massive leak to dilute the flow, further evidence that BP expects the gusher to keep erupting into the Gulf for weeks or more.
Third of plants and animals 'at risk of extinction': The latest report – the third edition of the UN's Global Biodiversity Outlook – is based on data obtained from studies in more than 120 countries across the world.
Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth: Speech by Evo Morales Ayma, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, before the G77 + China at the United Nations

Elena Kagan’s shaky record: What a Kagan appointment to the Supreme Court could mean for civil liberties
Misplaced Burrito Triggers SF Bomb Squad Response: A suspicious package containing a burrito disrupted San Francisco Municipal Railway Service in the city's Sunset District early Tuesday and prompted a response by the bomb squad.
Clegg: Coalition 'will work': Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has promised a coalition government "that will work", at his first joint press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron.
British govt says will introduce bank levy: Britain's new coalition government will introduce a levy on banks under a major overhaul aimed at preventing another global financial crisis, according to a joint accord published Wednesday.
Bernanke Said to Tell Senators Euro Aid No Panacea : Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told U.S. senators today that the euro region’s almost $1 trillion aid package to stem its debt crisis isn’t a cure- all, according to a participant.
Record-High Gold Tells of "Inflation & Sovereign Debt" Threat: The price of Gold jumped to new all-time highs against all-but-three of the world's major currencies on Wednesday morning, breaking US$1245 an ounce in London trade.
U.S. home prices drop by $25 billion: A report by San Francisco’s Trulia Inc. says home prices around the United States were cut by 10 percent in April. In total, some $25 billion has been slashed from the list prices of for-sale homes.
Home Buyer Tax Credit Takes its Toll: One full week after the tax credit's expiration, mortgage applications fell 9.5 percent; this as mortgage interest rates dropped below 5 percent.
Senate votes to bar mortgage kickbacks, liar loans: The Senate adopted a measure that would prohibit mortgage lenders from offering incentives to brokers who steer customers into more-expensive loans. The amendment, would end "liar loans" by requiring lenders to verify that borrowers have enough income to repay their mortgages.
Chase's Foreclosure Disgrace: Here’s the problem with the Obama Administration’s approach to foreclosure prevention: it depends entirely on the banks voluntarily doing the right thing, even when homeowners have held up their end of the bargain to prevent a foreclosure.
Wall Street: Land of the Million Dollar Babies: Wall Street is know around the world as the land of the million dollar babies since is chock full of people who have gotten incredibly rich as a result of handouts from the government
Morgan Stanley Shares Decline On Reports Of Federal Probe: -Morgan Stanley (MS) shares fell Wednesday on reports federal prosecutors are investigating whether the bank misled investors about mortgage-derivatives deals it helped design and sometimes bet against.
Don't Touch US Banks with a 'Bargepole': Investor: U.S. banking stocks aren't clear of the financial crisis and investors should avoid them at all costs, Julian Pendock, partner at Senhouse Capital, told CNBC Wednesday.
California: $18.6 Billion Budget Deficit: The governor said California may have to eliminate entire welfare programs, including the main one that provides cash and job assistance to families below the poverty line, without an influx of cash from the federal government.
Hungry By the Numbers : How the government defines hunger — and what it looks like up close.
Need a Laugh? Watch this delightful two-minute clip and you can't help but smile.