News For June 21, 2010

Millions Face Starvation in West Africa, Warn Aid Agencies

By Henry Foy

Starving people in drought-stricken west Africa are being forced to eat leaves and collect grain from ant hills, say aid agencies, warning that 10 million people face starvation across the region. Continue

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Presstitute alert:
Ex-spy Calls for Strike on Iran

By AFP

ISRAEL should launch a pre-emptive strike to prevent arch-foe Iran from going nuclear, a former head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency said on Monday. Continue

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Are U.S. Warships Gearing Up for a Confrontation With an Iranian Aid Flotilla?

By Ira Chernus

Why spend a fortune (and it does cost a fortune) to move a whole war fleet including an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea and perhaps further, to the Persian Gulf -- where Israeli nuclear submarines are also headed? Continue

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Iran Sanctions a Farce as Nuclear Threat Unproven

By Gwynne Dyer

Iran's enrichment facilities are legal, and it has also signed the treaty. However, the US Government does not trust the Iranians. Even more to the point, Israel does not trust them, and Israel can cause trouble for Obama's Administration, both in Congress and abroad. Continue

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Fighting Talk: The New Propaganda

By Robert Fisk

Power and terror have become interchangeable. We journalists have let this happen. Our language has become not just a debased ally, but a full verbal partner in the language of governments and armies and generals and weapons. Continue

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Barack Obama "Devious, Evasive and Serpentine"
Al Qaeda's American-born Spokesman New Video

Full Video

"As you slither snakelike into the second year of your reign as a purported President of change, you are fighting, your hands full, with running the affairs of a declining and besieged empire." Continue

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They Get Rich, We Get Ho-Hum Gadgets

By Sam Pizzigati

Our economy would become the world’s most innovative, our elites assured us, if we gave our rich enough incentives to innovate. We kept to our end of the bargain. So where’s the innovation? Continue

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Conditioned For Slavery
A New Period Of Financial Terrorism

Video

Max Keiser interview with Loren Howe, author of The Real Story of Money Health and Religion. Continue

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70 militants killed in NW Pakistan: At least 70 militants were killed and another 30 injured in a fresh offensive launched on Sunday by the Pakistani army in the country's northwest trial area

Three soldiers, 13 rebels killed in Pakistan clash: At least three soldiers and 13 rebels were killed in combat Monday in Pakistan's north-western tribal region, security officials said.

US support bribes for Pakistan questioned: The US should restrict "military assistance" to Pakistan until Islamabad ends its support for armed groups operating on its territory, US researchers have said.

China angers US with plan to build nuclear reactors in Pakistan: The US argues that because Pakistan has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it could use some of the technology provided by China to make nuclear weapons or pass the information on to another country.

Unrest in Pakistan: Moving Beyond U.S. National Interest: A snapshot of unrest in Pakistan offers a framework for outsiders to understand why it is unfair to insist that Pakistan "do more" to fulfill the United States' vision for fighting extremism.

Kashmir Police Open Fire On Protesters (VIDEO): A protest in Kashmir turned deadly when troops open fired on hundreds of demonstrators on Sunday, killing one person and wounding at least five, the Associated Press reported.

Australians among 12 soldiers killed in Afghanista: Six Western occupation force troops including three Australians were killed in a helicopter crash and roadside bombings in Afghanistan, officials said Monday.

300th British soldier killed in Afghanistan occupation: A royal marine has been confirmed as the 300th British fatality in the Afghanistan conflict. The marine died in Birmingham hospital yesterday after being caught in an explosion in Sangin last month.

Kabul releases first Taliban suspects after jirga deal: - Fourteen suspected Taliban prisoners have been released from Afghan jails since having their cases re-examined as part of a peace deal that seeks to win over insurgent foot soldiers, an official said on Monday.

Afghan drug addiction twice global average: UN: The report found around one million people in the country aged 15 to 64 had drug addictions, often to opium and heroin.

Japan Has 'Priority' On Rights To Mine Afghanistan Mineral Deposits, Says Hamid Karzai: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said this week that Japan -- not the U.S. -- takes priority over other nations when it comes to mining his country's vast mineral deposits.

33 killed in suicide bombings in Iraq: Suicide bombers in a crowded Baghdad commercial district and Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit killed as many as 33 people yesterday as insurgents tried to turn a months-long deadlock over forming a new Iraqi government to their advantage.

Islamic State of Iraq claims killing 25 US soldiers in two attacks: Islamist insurgent group The Islamic State of Iraq said it killed 25 US soldiers in two attacks in Diyala province, some 60 kilometres north-east of Baghdad, according to a statement published on Islamist websites Monday.

Former Iraqi prime minister accuses government figures of plotting to kill him: Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who is vying to once again lead his nation, on Sunday accused unnamed figures in the current government of being involved in a plot to kill him.

Turkey vows to 'end' Kurd rebels: Erdogan's comments came after the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for killing 10 Turkish soldiers in clashes in Hakkari province, near the Iraqi border, on Saturday.

US ready to help Turkey against Kurd rebels: ambassador: "We stand ready to review urgently any new requests from the Turkish military or government regarding the PKK," Ambassador James Jeffrey said in a written statement.

2 killed as Kyrgyz forces clash with Uzbeks: Human Rights Watch "The military have been going around doing checks ... and looking for weapons. A lot of people have been beaten up," Solvang said by telephone from a hospital in Osh.

Iran Executes Insurgent Leader, Accused of Ties With American Intelligence: Iran hanged a captured Sunni militant Sunday, and officials used the opportunity to repeat allegations that Iran’s enemies, led by the United States, are supporting terrorism against the Islamic republic.

US, Israel Warships in Suez May Be Prelude to Faceoff with Iran: One day prior to the report on Saturday, Voice of Israel government radio reported that the Egyptian government denied an Israeli request not to allow the Iranian flotilla to use the Suez Canal to reach Gaza, in violation of the Israeli sea embargo on the Hamas-controlled area.

Gates rules out idea of 'containing' nuclear-armed Iran: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday refused to address the notion of having to contain a nuclear armed Iran, saying US efforts were aimed at preventing it from acquiring atomic weapons.

Saudi Arabia backs US campaign against Iran: Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority is concentrated in the “Eastern Province,” across the Persian Gulf from Iran. This province contains most of Saudi Arabia’s oil resources. Shiite opposition thus potentially threatens to disrupt Saudi Arabia’s crucial oil production. Saudi Shiites are socially oppressed, facing restrictions on their religious practices and, since the 1980s, on their employment in the oil industry.

Saudi King to Visit Obama Before Netanyahu: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah will visit U.S. President Barack Obama on June 29, setting the stage for the July 6th visit of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the White House.

Iran bars UN nuclear inspectors: "These two inspectors do not have the right to come to Iran because they leaked information before it was to be officially announced and they also filed a false report," Salehi was quoted by the state broadcaster ISNA as saying on Monday.

Korea Radiation Surge Detected Days After Hydrogen Bomb Claims: Abnormally high radiation levels were detected near the border between the two Koreas days after North Korea claimed to have mastered a complex technology key to manufacturing a hydrogen bomb, Seoul said Monday.

Lebanese aid ship to set sail for Gaza: Lebanese Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi said authorities granted permission Monday for the ship to sail to Cyprus and then to Gaza.

Mayor backs Jerusalem eviction plan: The mayor of Jerusalem is pressing ahead with a plan to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem's Silwan neighbourhood to make room for a tourist centre.

PA: East Jerusalem home demolitions a dangerous move requiring world intervention: The Palestinian Authority on Monday slammed Israel's decision to raze 22 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, saying the dangerous move requires both American and international intervention.

Netanyahu is dooming Israel to a one-state solution: An Israeli leader who gives up on progress in the negotiations toward a two-state solution is dooming his grandchildren, and perhaps his children too, to a binational, one-state solution.

Saudi executes, displays Yemeni killer as deterrent: "The order for beheading was completed and the body of the aggressor Shaaban al-Nushairi, a Yemeni national, was displayed on a cross on Monday in the city of al-Areda in Jazan province," it said.

Somalia: Furious Soldiers Storm Villa Somalia: Armed soldiers stormed Somalia's presidential palace in a protest against non-payment, a lawmaker said.

Supreme Court Affirms Ban on Aiding Groups Tied to Terror: The court ruled 6-3 Monday that the government may prohibit all forms of aid to designated terrorist groups, even if the support consists of training and advice about entirely peaceful and legal activities.

US Supreme Court lifts ban on sale of GM crop: The Supreme Court lifted Monday a four-year ban on the sale in the United States of genetically modified alfalfa, which farmers fear contaminates others crops.

Internal BP document claims Gulf oil gusher jetting up to 100,000 barrels per day: US outrage mounted against BP as the oil spill reached its two-month mark and an internal BP document showed as many as 100,000 barrels of oil could be gushing daily into the Gulf of Mexico.

Say it ain't so ma : BP accused of lying to Congress: US congressman says company's worst-case assessment of leak was 20 times higher than public estimate

BP says oil spill costs reach $2bn: The amount spent includes $105m for 32,000 damage claims, the company said.

BP was told of oil safety fault 'weeks before blast': A Deepwater Horizon rig worker has told the BBC that he identified a leak in the oil rig's safety equipment weeks before the explosion.

Gulf of Mexico oil spill claims to be 'paid quickly': He also said he would "err on the side of the claimant" in assessing emergency claims from fishermen and businesses.

US city placed under a state of emergency: According to the proclamation, no person without a “legitimate reason” will be allowed on any public street or in any other public place in those areas at night, and there will be no gathering of three or more people allowed without obtaining a permit.

Germany and France examine 'two-tier' euro: Germany and France are examining ways of creating a "two-tier" euro system to separate stronger northern European countries from weaker southern states.

Canada's economy is suddenly the envy of the world: The 20 world leaders at an economic summit in Toronto next weekend will find themselves in a country that has avoided a banking crisis where others have floundered, and whose economy grew at a 6.1 percent annual rate in the first three months of this year. The housing market is hot and three-quarters of the 400,000 jobs lost during the recession have been recovered.

Regulators close Nev. bank for 83rd failure in '10: Regulators on Friday shut down a Nevada bank, raising to 83 the number of U.S. bank failures this year.

Main Street Needs a Doctor: Small banks' delinquencies cast doubt on Main Street's recovery.: The latest evidence of Main Street's funk comes from a Treasury report listing banks that are unable to pay dividends on money extended to them under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. These are banks that the regulators handpicked as probable survivors of the financial meltdown, which has claimed 260 institutions since 2008.

Middle Class--Not the Rich or the Poor--Pay Majority of Federal Taxes, Says CBO Data: Middle-class households that earned between $34,300 and $141,900 paid 50.5 percent of all federal tax revenues in 2007 (the most recent year analyzed), according to the CBO study released Thursday, and households that earned between $34,300 and $352,900 paid 66.7 percent of all federal taxes
Peddling Relief, Firms Put Debtors in Deeper Hole: The long recession has delivered an abundance of customers — debt-saturated Americans, suffering lost jobs and income, sliding toward bankruptcy. The settlement companies typically harvest fees reaching 15 to 20 percent of the credit card balances carried by their customers, and they tend to collect upfront, regardless of whether a customer’s debt is actually reduced.