News For May 26, 2010

US Special Forces Pave the Way for a Military Strike on Iran

By Giles Whittell and Michael Evans

Such plans “are always going to be under serious consideration,” Anthony Cordesman, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said, “because you are dealing with a serious threat” Continue

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General Petraeus's Secret Ops

By Robert Dreyfuss

If President Obama knew about this, authorized it and still supports it, then Obama has crossed a red line, and the president will stand revealed as an aggressive, militaristic liberal interventionist who bears a closer resemblance to the president he succeeded than to the ephemeral reformer that he pretended to be in 2008, when he ran for office. Continue

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Iran, Brazil, Turkey and the Ghost of Lord Palmerston

By Conn Hallinan

If the U.S. thinks the Russians are going to have a falling out with the Turks over the Iran sanctions, then delusion is the order of the day in Washington. Continue

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$1 Trillion for Wars Makes No Sense By Any Measure

By Mary Zerkel

What is $1 trillion really worth? - What is $1 trillion worth? NPP explains it this way: if you made a million dollars a year, it would take you a million years to earn $1 trillion. Continue

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Nuremberg: It's Lessons For Today!
The Film The Pentagon Doesn't Want You To See!

CBC Video Report

Warning - These videos may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience. Continue

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Why Did North Korea Do It?

By Kevin Drum

May. 26, 2010 "Mother Jones" - -I haven't been posting about the North Korean situation, but I've been following it with considerable interest ever since the start. And the biggest question all along has been: Why? Even by North Korean standards, torpedoing a South Korean ship is nuts. What on earth were they thinking? Continue

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How The Global Oil Watchdog Failed Its Mission
The IEA was silenced about the future of global oil production.

By Lionel Badal

12 years ago, the International Energy Agency (IEA) discovered that Peak Oil would threaten the prosperity and stability of our societies. Yes, they knew it. While some IEA officials tried to inform the world about this game-changing event, it appears that others had different priorities. Continue

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Marc Faber: "The Banks Are Gone"

Video

"The banks are gone," according to Marc Faber, and are only being kept alive by European Central Bank and government aid programs. Continue

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Are You Unemployed Because You Are Lazy?

By Dave Johnson

Are you still unemployed? Obviously it is because you are lazy. At least, many members of Congress think so, anyway. Continue

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9 killed as Pakistan Taliban 'attack eastern Afghan district': Police in the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan have called for help after fierce clashes with hundreds of Taliban fighters they say are from Pakistan.

British soldier killed in southern Afghanistan: Ministry of Defence says serviceman from 4th Regiment the Royal Artillery was shot as he conducted joint foot patrol

'Pak intelligence backs attacks in Afghanistan'?: Afghanistan has accused Pakistan's ISI of plotting all explosions and terror attacks on its soil, including a recent suicide bombing that killed 18 people, six of them NATO soldiers.

16 Taliban militants killed in Pak: Sixteen Taliban militants, including a top commander, were killed by Pakistani security forces during operations in the restive Swat valley and the Orakzai tribal region yesterday, officials said.

Three killed in shootout in Pakistan's Lahore: A gang of five gunmen Wednesday attacked the police near a district court in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least three including a lawyer, police said

Pak intelligence warns of 'major terror attack' on US mission: Two stolen vehicles, one belonging to an army officer and another owned by the Pakistan Navy, could be used in the potential attack against the US embassy, Urdu daily Aaj Kal quoted unnamed sources as saying.

Pakistan says 'no evidence' president took Swiss kickbacks: Babar Awan said there was no proof the president had deposited millions of dollars in Swiss banks he allegedly received as kickbacks for contracts.

Red Cross in Afghanistan gives Taliban first aid help: An ICRC statement said the organisation had provided basic training and first aid kits to about 70 members of the "armed opposition" last month.

Six dead, 23 arrested in string of attacks in Iraq: Three policemen were killed in clashes with militants in the area of Sinjar, just outside of Mosul. Police arrested eight of the militants.

Airstrike kills ‘mediator’ in Yemen, tribes hit pipeline US diplomat declines to say if US involved: An airstrike in Yemen targeting al-Qaeda missed its mark on Tuesday and killed a mediator by mistake, prompting members of his tribe to blow up a crude oil pipeline in clashes that followed, a provincial official said.

US Using Surveillance Aircraft to Fight Yemeni Al-Qaeda: The United States military and spy agencies have reportedly stepped up intelligence gathering efforts using surveillance aircraft, satellites and signal intercepts to track al-Qaeda targets in and around their base in Yemen.

American hostages freed after prisoner released: Two American tourists taken hostage this week were released by tribal kidnappers yesterday after Yemen’s president agreed to free a prisoner held by the state, security and tribal officials said.

Jamaica shoot-out death toll 'rises to 44': Correspondents say the high casualty figure does raise questions about the heavy-handedness of the operation, which has involved thousands of security officials.

Israelis open fire on Palestinians Gaza: Hours after 16 people were wounded by Israeli warplanes; Israeli soldiers have opened fire on Palestinians, wounding three workers in the Gaza Strip.

Visiting MEPs decide to visit Gaza and ignore Israelis: Israeli government officials canceled meetings with a group of 15 members of the European parliament visiting Israel, after the MEPs canceled meetings with Israeli NGOs and decided to focus on visiting Gaza, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday

Large aid flotilla to test Israeli blockade of Gaza: Eight ships are sailing toward Gaza with 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to challenge Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory. In a legal challenge, an Israeli group wonders why chocolate and other foods bound for Gaza are a security risk.

What is Gaza's legal status?: The United Nations and the international community continue to consider the strip to be occupied by Israel, along with the West Bank and occupied Arab East Jerusalem. Why then does Israel insist that the occupation of Gaza has ended?

Settlement Policy Wrong Say European Jews: Prominent Jewish intellectuals living in Europe have begun denouncing the Israeli policy of allowing settlements to come up on Palestinian territories as "morally and politically wrong.’’

Hamas' Turn to Demolish Palestinian Homes: On Sunday approximately 150 Palestinians from 20 families were driven out of their homes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza strip, by heavily armed police and soldiers who menaced them with clubs.

PA's Abbas slams Iran: "We, the Palestinian people, are like a hijacked airplane," he said. "The decision-making power is not in our hands, but rather, in the hands of the Iranians. For that reason, the Palestinian people's unity, just like the plane, is also hijacked."

Ahmadinejad: Obama must seize 'historic opportunity' for improved Iran cooperation: Mahmoud Ahamdinejad also issued a stern warning to Russia, saying Moscow's support for the U.S.-led push for a new round of United Nations sanctions against Iran was contrary to the two countries' neighborly and friendly relations.

Chomsky: Iran 'not to bow to US oppression': Prominent American scholar Noam Chomsky says Washington cannot apply its policy of oppression to Tehran, saying it is not in Iran's nature to follow orders.

John Bolton's North Korea plan: Bomb Iran!: John Bolton, among other neocon psychos, has long been obsessed with the idea that the single biggest mistake the Bush administration ever made was taking North Korea off the "state sponsors of terrorism" list.

In S. Korea, Clinton Denounces North's "Provocations": U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited South Korea on Wednesday amid rising tensions with the North, calling on Pyongyang to halt its provocations and announcing plans for joint military exercises with the South "to ensure readiness and to deter future attacks."

Inter-Korean crisis: Propaganda fight: South Korea has resumed propaganda operations against North Korea, amid a crisis in relations. Seoul has blamed its communist neighbour for the sinking of a warship in March, but Pyongyang denies this.

Poland hails US missile battery amid Russian criticism: The battery will be rotated in and out of Poland for the next two years, along with dozens of US troops who will train Polish counterparts to operate it.

Alarm over Apple factory suicides: The Chinese government has expressed concern over a series of employee suicides at a factory which makes electronic products including Apple's iPod and iPad. - Critics have said employees at the factory are forced to work extended hours for low pay in sweatshop conditions.

Obama orders 1,200 Guard troops to border: Obama will also request $500 million for border protection and law enforcement activities, according to lawmakers and administration officials.
Arizona immigration law blamed for death of Hispanic man: Tension surrounding the passage of Arizona's tough new law cracking down on illegal immigration contributed to the slaying of an Hispanic man, allegedly shot by a white neighbor, a representative of the dead man's family said Friday.
US Citizen Born In Puerto Rico, Detained As Illegal Immigrant: Despite presenting identifying documents and even his birth certificate, Caraballo was held by federal immigration authorities over the weekend and threatened with deportation, according to an NBC Chicago report
What BP Does Not Want You To See: Oil Spill Cam From Gulf Seabed: Cousteau Jr.: 'This Is a Nightmare... a Nightmare': Video: Philippe Cousteau Jr. and Sam Champion take hazmat dive into Gulf's oily waters.
Oil reaches Louisiana shores: Over one month after the initial explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, crude oil continues to flow into the Gulf of Mexico, and oil slicks have slowly reached as far as 12 miles into Louisiana's marshes.
White House admits BP disaster worst spill in US history: The admission from the Obama administration came after Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced on Monday that 70 miles of coastline had been contaminated by heavy crude oil. “That is more than the seashore line of Maryland and Delaware combined,” he said.
Deepwater Horizon survivors allege they were kept in seclusion after rig explosion, coerced into signing legal waivers: According to two surviving crew members of the Deepwater Horizon, oil workers from the rig were held in seclusion on the open water for up to two days after the April 20 explosion, while attorneys attempted to convince them to sign legal documents stating that they were unharmed by the incident.
Libor Spike Is Rekindling Fears Of Another Financial Crisis: A recent spike in the rate banks charge each other for short-term borrowing is reviving investor fears that the market is returning to the abyss of the credit crisis.
Falling home prices stir fears of new bottom: "It looks a little like a double-dip already," economist Robert Shiller said in an interview. "There is a very real possibility of some more decline."
Food stamp fraud fight heats up in Michigan: Critics fear some of the reforms, like drug testing food stamp recipients and putting their photo IDs on the state-issued Bridge Cards used to receive those benefits, would run counter to federal regulations, stigmatize welfare recipients and cost the state more than what would be recovered.
Stranger than fiction? RFID chip implanted into man gets computer virus: Researchers have found that implanted identity chips can pick up computer viruses.