News For June 29, 2010

Warning Of War
Discovering The Truth In Time

By Fidel Castro

I do not harbor the slightest doubt that as soon as the warships of the United States and Israel take up their positions – together with the rest of the U.S. military vessels located in the vicinity of the Iranian coasts – and attempt to inspect that country’s first merchant ship, a rain of missiles will be unleashed in both directions. That will be the precise moment when that terrible war will begin. Continue

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The Iranian Threat

By Noam Chomsky

“They are gearing up totally for the destruction of Iran,” according to Dan Plesch, director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London. “US bombers and long range missiles are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours,” he said. “The firepower of US forces has quadrupled since 2003,” accelerating under Obama. Continue

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John Pilger: There Is a War on Journalism

Decmocracy Now! Interview With John Pilger:

"The reason we don’t see the war on civilians, the war that has caused the most extraordinary devastation, human and cultural and structural devastation in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is because of what is almost laughingly called the mainstream media." Continue

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Lara Logan, You Suck

By Matt Taibbi

Anyone who wants to know why network television news hasn't mattered since the seventies just needs to check out this appearance by Logan. Here's CBS's chief foreign correspondent saying out loud on TV that when the man running a war that's killing thousands of young men and women every year steps on his own dick in front of a journalist, that journalist is supposed to eat the story so as not to embarrass the flag. Continue

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The Moral Burden of War
Holding America's Soldiers Accountable

By John Grant

Is it a good time to ask whether the antiwar movement should stop using the slogan: “Support the troops, not the war”? More to the point, if our current wars amount to misguided policy helping to bankrupt the country in economic hard times, at what point does a share of the moral burden of this fall on the volunteer soldiers doing the fighting? Continue

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In Case You Missed It
Iraq: The Hidden War

Video

Iraq: The Hidden Story shows the footage used by TV news broadcasts, and compares it with the devastatingly powerful uncensored footage of the aftermath of the carnage that is becoming a part of the fabric of life in Iraq. Continue

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In Case You Missed It
Sir! No Sir!

The Suppressed Story of The GI Movement to end the war in Viet Nam

Video

A "must-see" documentary which seeks to return to the historical record the pivotal story of the GI anti-war movement during the Vietnam War. Continue

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Leader of Death Squads Wins Colombian Election
A Great Victory For Democracy?

By Prof. James Petras

Juan Manuel Santos, notorious Defense Minister in the regime of outgoing President Alvaro Uribe and closely identified with high crimes against humanity “won” the recent Presidential elections in Colombia, June 2010. Continue

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Adapt and Survive:
A Final Warning

By Stephan Harding

Within decades billions of people will lose their lives. Continue

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As many as 150 "insurgents" killed as U.S. and Afghan forces launch major assault : A force of about 700 U.S. and Afghan troops launched a major assault along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan in an attempt to destroy a growing insurgent haven and blunt rising violence in the area, senior Army officials said Monday.
Ten US invaders killed in clash with Mujahideen in Kunar: In a bloody fight which started in the morning hours of Sunday and was still continuing till late afternoon hours of the day, killed about about 10 US invaders when the enemy's ground forces backed up by aerial support wanted to carry out operation in the Marwari district of Kunar.
23 killed in string of Afghan attacks: Sixteen people including civilians and policemen have been killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan blamed on the Taliban over the past 24 hours, police said on Tuesday. Seven Taliban fighters were also killed after ambushing a police convoy in western Afghanistan, provincial police said.
US attack kills three Afghan civilians: The civilians were killed in a US attack in the northeastern Afghan province of Kunar on Tuesday.
NATO's June death toll in Afghanistan nears 100: The death toll for foreign soldiers in Afghanistan neared the grim milestone of 100 for June alone Monday as the CIA chief warned the anti-Taliban war would be tougher and longer than expected.
Report: U.S. overestimates ability of Afghan military: The U.S. has often overestimated the ability of Afghan military and police units to fight on their own, according to an independent report released Monday that calls into question the strategy to win the war and bring troops home.
With Command Shift in Afghanistan, Talk Turns to Withdrawal: The July 2011 deadline he set was intended to “begin a process of transition,” he said, but “that doesn’t mean we suddenly turn off the lights and let the door close behind us.”
US begins scaling back ambitions for Afghan occupation: Nearly nine years into the Afghan war, the United States has begun scaling back its ambitions, searching for an acceptable way out that avoids defeat.
German Defence Minister questions role of Nato in Afghanistan war: Germany is arguing for the aims of Nato's operations in Afghanistan to be significantly scaled down and wants the alliance to adopt criteria to ensure that it never commits itself to a similarly open-ended mission in future.
Angry US House lawmaker cuts aid to Afghanistan: A key U.S. House of Representatives Democrat said on Monday she is cutting billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan from spending legislation because she is outraged over reports of corruption and donor aid being flown out the country.
US Kills 10 People In Pakistan: : US missiles hit a house today in a Pakistani tribal region along the Afghan border, killing at least 10 suspected militants including a possible al Qaida operative, intelligence officials said.
8 killed in Kashmir fight; India locks down cities: Violence continued to spiral in Indian Kashmir on Tuesday as five suspected insurgents and three Indian soldiers were killed in a fierce gunbattle and two people were killed as government troops fired on anti-India protesters, officials said.
'Fake killings' return to Kashmir: Police discovered that the men had been killed in a staged gun battle in a frontier area. The probe also revealed that a senior officer of the Indian army - a major - had the three men kidnapped by offering them jobs as porters.
Twelve killed in Iraq attacks, suicide bombing: A suicide bomber killed five people in northern Iraq on Tuesday as bombs in Baghdad and other deadly attacks raised the toll to 12 dead, including an Iraqi general, security officials told AFP.
Iraq's Maliki, Allawi to Meet in Effort to End Deadlock on Next Government: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived at the office of former premier Ayad Allawi at around 6:15 p.m. local time today, the state-sponsored al-Iraqiyah television reported.
Iraqi exiles plot fall of Maliki from Damascus: SEVEN YEARS after the fall of Iraq’s Baathist regime, Baathist, Arab nationalist and independent dissidents based here are plotting the downfall of the its replacement.
Iran to enrich fuel only on needs-basis: Mottaki reiterated Tuesday that the 20-precent enrichment will only take place based on fuel needs of the Tehran Research Reactor which produces radio medicine for cancer patients, IRNA reports.
If CIA has new info on Iran’s nuclear plans, Russia interested in details – Lavrov: “If the CIA has information proving that Iran has actually started to enrich its uranium to a weapon-grade level, this information is new and we are interested to look into it in detail.”
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: G8 condemns Iran, North Korea as "serious threats" to global security: The communique states that nations “cannot be complacent about the grave threat posed to the security of present and future generations by the proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
Israel and US allegedly preparing military strike on Iran: According to Egyptian sources, an American fleet made its way through the Suez Canal. Eyewitnesses say the fleet had eleven frigates and an air carrier. They add there was also an Israeli frigate among the ships.
Military strike on Iran will destabilize region: Mullen: The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said it would be "incredibly dangerous" for Iran to achieve nuclear weapons, and that there's "no reason to trust" Iran's assurances that it is only pursuing a peaceful nuclear program, especially after the discovery of the secret nuclear facility in Qum
US Military Chief: Doesn’t Trust Iran but Israel, US “in Synch”: He shot down the idea that Israel would stage a military strike to delay or destroy Iran’s nuclear development, saying that Israel is “in synch” with the American thinking. He acknowledged that the biggest problem for the United States is how much it does not know about Iran’s nuclear program.
7 Potential Economic Effects Of A War With Iran: Are you ready to pay 8 or 10 dollars for a gallon of gasoline? What do you think that would do to the U.S. economy?
Leader promises Iran is ready to retaliate: Iran is ready to retaliate if its vessels are searched and will postpone nuclear talks with major powers until the end of August in response to new international sanctions, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday.
Western oil firms stop business with Iran: Iran faced growing economic pressure on Monday after two Western oil firms halted business with it, and the UAE, seen as a trade lifeline for Tehran, moved to freeze some Iranian-linked bank accounts.
Total halts petrol sales to Iran: In taking the decision, Total was following action by BP, Royal Dutch Shell and all the major global oil traders, it said.
Russia complains about German seizure of Iran items: Russia had previously told members of the council's Iran sanctions committee it was furious about Germany's seizure of technology bound for the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear reactor in Iran and the questioning of several men connected with the deal, U.N. diplomats told Reuters.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry Urges Moving Away From Russia: He said lawmakers favor reducing ties with Russia as well as China because of their support for the June 9 UN resolution that imposed new sanctions on the Islamic Republic over its sensitive nuclear activities
Obama to meet Saudi King Abdullah at White House: Abdullah, 86, will be at the White House just a week before Obama is due to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel Foreign Minister: 'No Chance' For Palestinian State By 2012: The comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman drew swift Palestinian condemnations and could put Israel at odds with the international community, which has set a 2012 target for brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
Gaza aid victims shot more than once - report: The examinations carried out in Turkey found five of the nine died from bullet wounds to the head and that the nine volunteers were shot a total of 31 times. One of the lawyers for the families of the victims, Yasin Divrak, says the findings make it clear the Israeli forces shot to kill the activists
Children in West Bank facing worse conditions than in Gaza: Areas of the West Bank under complete Israeli control have plummeted into a humanitarian crisis worse than Gaza, Save the Children warns.
UN summer camp in Gaza vandalised: A group of armed men has vandalised a UN summer camp in the Gaza Strip, the second such attack in just over one month
Russia sending armored vehicles to West Bank: "We have sent the Palestinians 50 armored vehicles, they have arrived in Jordan, and we hope that they will arrive here in the next few days," Lavrov told reporters in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.
U.S. Charges 11 in Russian Spy Case: Federal prosecutors alleged 11 people were spies living secret lives in American communities, from Seattle to Washington D.C., sent years ago to infiltrate U.S. society and glean its secrets.
Russian spy ring: 11th suspect arrested in Cyprus; Moscow calls spy claims 'baseless and improper': Ten suspects were recently arrested and held without bail, five of them in New York.
Russian spy case reveals old espionage tricks: Bureau agents put “microphone-type listening devices in certain of the defendants' residences.” They “surreptitiously entered certain of the defendants' residences; photographed evidence and copied electronic media while inside; and then left the residence in question,” its affidavit said.
Russian Spy Ring: Son of Yonkers Couple Says Charges ‘Preposterous’: In an interview Tuesday outside the Yonkers home of Vicky Pelaez and Juan Lazaro, Waldo Mariscal said his mother and stepfather are being unfairly accused of espionage. They have no ties to Russia and have never visited the country, he said.
EU states 'use outsourced torture': Britain, France and Germany must stop using intelligence obtained through torture in third-party countries, a report from Human Rights Watch has said.
EU, US to share banking data in terror probes: The five-year agreement is due to take effect within weeks. It allows U.S. officials to request financial data from European banks if they suspect accounts are being used by individuals with terrorist links. The U.S. can keep that information for five years.
Court's Chicago Ruling Challenges Gun Restrictions Across U.S.: The justices, voting 5-4 in a challenge to Chicago’s handgun ban, ruled that the city went too far in prohibiting guns even for self-defense in a home, though the court left room for some restrictions.
Ex-Chicago policeman guilty of lying about torture: A retired Chicago police commander suspected of using electric shocks, suffocation and mock executions to force suspects to confess was found guilty on Monday of lying about the brutality.
BP oil spill costs hit $100 million/day: The figures, which BP released in a statement on Monday, include the cost of trying to cap the well, clean up the environmental damage caused by the leaking crude and pay compensation to those affected by the spill.
70 percent of Louisiana businesses applying for oil spill loans, state complains: In an eerie repeat of difficulties after Hurricane Katrina, the Small Business Administration is turning down more than two-thirds of Louisiana companies seeking Gulf oil spill relief loans, according to a top state official's complaint to the federal agency Thursday.
Clashes break out at Greek protest: Riot police fired tear gas at activists chanting "burn parliament" on Tuesday, just hours before politicians were to begin debating a pension reform to tackle the nation's debt crisis.
RBS tells clients to prepare for 'monster' money-printing by the Federal Reserve: As recovery starts to stall in the US and Europe with echoes of mid-1931, bond experts are once again dusting off a speech by Ben Bernanke given eight years ago as a freshman governor at the Federal Reserve.
States of Crisis for 46 Governments Facing Greek-Style Deficits: The Golden State, with a $1.8 trillion economy that’s larger than Russia’s, is sinking deeper into its financial funk. And it’s not alone.