News For August 10, 2010

Eyes on the Skies Over Bushehr Nuclear Reactor

By Marsha B. Cohen

Once Bushehr's nuclear fuel arrives from Russia, whatever military options against Iran that may be "on the table" that include Bushehr will have to come off. Israel and the U.S. have only a few weeks to launch an attack on Iran before Bushehr has the means to begin generating electricity. Continue

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'Torture' Confessions Allowed

By Al Jazeera

The confessions of Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen charged with terrorism, can be used as evidence in his trial, even though they may have been obtained through torture, a US military judge has ruled. Continue

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Gitmo Trial Puts White House In Tight Spot

By Michael Isikoff National investigative correspondent

Top U.N. official calls defendant a 'child soldier,' says proceedings violate international legal norms. Continue

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Political Prisoners in America

By Stephen Lendman

How do you go into Iraq (and) Afghanistan telling people about their democracy when (you've got innocent people) locked down in prison for 30 - 40 years as political prisoners....(activists) against social injustice, colonialism, and/or imperialism, (incarcerated for) their political commitments." Continue

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Extremism at Ground Zero (Again)

By Stephan Salisbury

There is a distinct creepiness to the controversy now raging around a proposed Islamic cultural center in Lower Manhattan.  The angry "debate" over whether the building should exist has a kind of glitch-in-the-Matrix feel to it, leaving in its wake an aura of something-very-bad-about-to-happen. Continue

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Imagine if We Never Ended the War on Alcohol

By Cenk Uygur

These days it doesn't seem politically possible to ever change course. If you start a war, the only acceptable answer is to escalate it. We can never surrender, even if we should. Continue

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Google-Verizon Pact: It Gets Worse

By Craig Aaron

The proposal is one massive loophole that sets the stage for the corporate takeover of the Internet. Continue

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Israel Cannot be Both Jewish and Democratic

By Ahmed Moor

Israel continues to lurch and stagger in the darkened bog of tribal chauvinism. The Jewish state's further descent into the bellicose murk is being felt by the country's minorities. Home destructions and deportations are portentous of a bleaker future for non-Jews in Israel. Continue

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Five killed in Kabul suicide attack: police: Two suicide bombers killed up to five Afghans in an attack on a residential area of central Kabul on Tuesday, Afghan police and security sources said, only hours after a U.N. report detailed a sharp rise in civilian casualties.

Afghan civilians dying at a faster pace, U.N. says: For ordinary Afghans, going about one's daily business — commuting to school or work, shopping, riding the bus — is getting more dangerous all the time.

Aid group doubts Afghan Taliban killed medical team: An international Christian aid group on Monday played down claims by the Taliban they had killed 10 members from one of the group's medical teams, saying it was still unclear who was responsible.

Afghan driver for slain medical volunteers being held by authorities: An Afghan driver for the humanitarian team that fell into a lethal ambush last week in northeastern Afghanistan is being held and questioned by Afghan authorities, who on Monday declined to say whether he was formally under arrest or suspected of colluding in the attack.

Hamid Karzai to dissolve all private security: "Dissolving the private security companies is a serious program that the government of Afghanistan will execute," Mr Karzai's spokesman Waheed Omer told reporters, adding that "very soon the president of Afghanistan will set a deadline".

Five killed, 17 injured in Iraq attacks : Three people were killed and seven injured in three consecutive blasts in the al-Bayaa district of western Baghdad, security sources and eyewitnesses told the German Press Agency dpa.

IAEA: Iran activates enrichment equipment: The Vienna-based nuclear watchdog said Iran has started using a second set of 164 centrifuges linked in a cascade, or string of machines, to enrich uranium to up to 20 percent at its Natanz pilot fuel enrichment plant. Another cascade there has been producing uranium enriched to near 20 percent since February.

U.S. and EU fail to isolate Iran: China, Russia, India and Turkey move into the lucrative void left by U.S. and EU sanctions that aim to halt Iran's nuclear program.

Iran to dump dollar and euro reserves: Iran has announced plans to get rid of its US dollar and euro reserves in response to the latest UN sanctions over its contested nuclear program.

Iran: US will be driven out of Mideast: "This means that America's military dominance is over," he added.
Iran website shows video of "graves" dug for invading troops: The website said the Institute for Defending Values of the Holy War -- which usually publishes books and films about the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war -- had posted the video "to symbolically show Iran's readiness to bury invaders of Iran's soil."
Hezbollah exposes Israeli hit men: Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has presented evidence proving that Israel masterminded the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Iran offers support to Lebanese army: The offer from Iran, which supports Lebanon's militant Shiite group Hezbollah, could fuel Western concern that Tehran is increasing its influence near Israel's northern border.
Israel's useful idiots: Congress halts aid to Lebanese army: Key members of US House block military assistance to LAF.
Homeless Take On Israeli Forces: A bruising battle of will is taking place between Israeli security forces and Palestinians recently made homeless after two Palestinian villages were razed and hundreds left homeless.
Russia firefight for nuclear site ongoing: Two soldiers lost their lives on Monday as they were fighting to prevent fires from reaching the atomic research center in Sarov, a secret town near Moscow which is surrounded by forests, reports said on Tuesday.
Study: Age that girls hit puberty keeps dropping: Researchers led by Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children's, found that the number of 7- and 8-year-old girls with breast development was higher than found in studies conducted 10 to 30 years earlier.
Tainted Chinese baby milk powder 'causes baby girls to grow breasts': Health authorities in China have ordered an investigation into claims that a batch of powdered baby milk has caused children as young as four months old to grow breasts.
Chavez urges Colombia rebels to put down arms: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged rebels in neighboring Colombia to lay down arms on Sunday and warned the new government of President Juan Manuel Santos to avoid accusations Venezuela helps the leftist guerrillas.
Hugo Chavez to meet with Colombia’s new president: Chavez and Colombia’s new president, Juan Manuel Santos, plan to take the first step toward restoring relations between the South American neighbors Tuesday when they sit down together in Colombia
The Quiet Revolution: Venezuelans experiment with participatory democracy.
Opponents fight new mosques in U.S. heartland: Muslims trying to build houses of worship in the nation's heartland, far from the heated fight in New York over plans for a mosque near the World Trade Center site, are running into opponents even more hostile and aggressive.
Caught in America's legal black hole: Guantanamo still holds 176 detainees, and one of them is about to stand trial – in a test of Barack Obama's resolve to embrace the rule of law
Khadr’s torture confessions admissible, military judge rules: Decision to admit statements despite threats of torture dramatically strengthens prosecution’s case against Canadian held at Guantanamo Bay
Video: 'Child soldier' Gitmo trial draws criticism
Russian drought could push up food prices: Russia is the world's second largest producer of barley after the EU and the cereal crop is used by many farmers as animal feed
The Great Grain Robbery: On Thursday, wheat prices hit $7.25 a bushel, a 71% increase since the June low. It’s the biggest one-month jump in three decades.
Wheat Prices go up 50 Percent-Repercussion for Ghana: A food price crisis is now looming in emerging economies like Ghana. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced a cut in its 2010 global wheat forecast by about 4 percent and said world wheat supplies may shrink next year if severe drought continues in Russia, the World’s leading wheat producer.
Peter Schiff: "We're in the Early Stages of a Depression": Schiff recommends divesting U.S. assets and dollar-denominated debt in favor of emerging markets. He likes natural resources economies like Australia, Norway, and Canada.