News For October 15, 2010

Israel Raid on Gaza Flotilla: US Failure to Condemn Despite UN Findings

By Marjorie Cohn

If Iran had attacked a humanitarian flotilla in international waters and killed 9 people, there would be certain retaliation from Washington. Until our government stands up to the powerful Israel lobby in the United States, the Palestinian people, and our own humanity, will continue to be held hostage. Continue

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Israeli Policies are Manifestly Evil: Philip Giraldi

Interview by Kourosh Ziabari

Philip Giraldi joined me in an exclusive interview to discuss the latest developments of the Middle East, the prospect of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the possibility of a peaceful compromise between Iran and the United States and the impact of Israeli lobby on the long-term policies of the White House. Continue

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Chile's Ghosts Are Not Being Rescued

By John Pilger

The rescue of 33 miners in Chile is an extraordinary drama filled with pathos and heroism. It is also a media windfall for the Chilean government, whose every beneficence is recorded by a forest of cameras. One cannot fail to be impressed. However, like all great media events, it is a façade. Continue

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I Don't Like Dedging My Words
Piedad Córdoba and Her Fight for Peace

By Fidel Castro

I would think that quite a few Colombian military are embarrassed by the grotesque versions of the supposed battle where Commander Jorge Briceño Suárez died. In the first place, there was no battle at all. It was a gross and embarrassing murder. Continue

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U.S. is Currency War's "Tomb Maker": China Economist

By Simon Rabinovitch

The United States fired the first shot in the currency war and the rest of the world must be on guard for its deliberate strategy to devalue the dollar, a Chinese economist said in an official newspaper on Thursday. Continue

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Bernanke Ponders The "Nuclear Option"

By Mike Whitney

Ben Bernanke's speech on Friday in Boston could turn out to be a real barnburner. In fact, there's a good chance the Fed chairman will announce changes in policy that will stun Wall Street and send tremors through Capital Hill. Continue

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Robo-signing Eviction Scandal Rattles Wall Street

By Jill Treanor and Julia Kollewe

Bank shares fall over concerns US watchdogs will decide thousands of Americans have been evicted unfairly by employees rubber-stamping repossession documents. Continue

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Take Action: Demand To see Your Mortgage Note.

By Wheres The Note

Whether you are facing foreclosure, have an underwater mortgage, or are just a concerned homeowner, it’s important that you contact your bank and demand to see the original note on your mortgage. It only takes a few minutes using our free online tool. Continue

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Why Is the White House Against Freezing Foreclosures in the Face of Rampant Fraud?

By Nomi Prins

The government owns or is backing trillions of dollars worth of assets predicated on the same or similar suspicious loans that defaulted during the 2008 crisis period, which they did nothing to stop (or force banks to restructure). Continue

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Why Germany Has It So Good -- and Why America Is Going Down the Drain

By Terrence McNally

Germans have six weeks of federally mandated vacation, free university tuition, and nursing care. Why the US pales in comparison. Continue

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Death and Profits: The Utility Protection Racket

By Michael Parenti

The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) permits PG&E to charge rates that are 30 percent higher than the national average. PG&E’s shareholders enjoy a guaranteed 11.35 percent yearly return on equity. That’s slightly higher than the 11 percent that swindler Bernard Madoff pretended to offer his investment victims. Continue

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Covert Operations
The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama.

By Jane Mayer

The Kochs have long depended on the public’s not knowing all the details about them. They have been content to operate what David Koch has called “the largest company that you’ve never heard of.” Continue

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Rule of Law Alive and Well Abroad

By David Swanson

The United States finished last or close to it in almost every category among those nations in its region and among the larger group of nations considered to have a high income level. Continue

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Bill O'Reilly: 'Pinheads and Patriots'

2 Minute Video

The View: Whoopi & Joy Behar Walk Off Stage During O'Reilly Interview. Continue

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Eight NATO occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: Eight NATO soldiers were killed in a spate of attacks in Afghanistan on Thursday, the alliance announced, bringing to 589 the total number of personnel killed so far this year.
Taliban senior leader, 2 others killed in S. Afghanistan: NATO: Afghan security forces backed by international coalition troops killed a Taliban senior leader along with two other militants in Afghanistan's southern Ghazni province, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF) said in a press release Thursday.
Petraeus Launches Afghan Air Assault; Strikes Up 172 Percent: Last month, NATO attack planes dropped their bombs and fired their guns on 700 separate missions, according to U.S. Air Force statistics. That’s more than double the 257 attack sorties they flew in September 2009, and one of the highest single-month totals of the entire nine-year Afghan campaign.
Russia refuses route for NATO supplies: Russia has formally conveyed to NATO that it would not allow its soil to be used for transporting NATO military supplies to Afghanistan while it (Russia) can only allow transportation of the non-military consignments across the border.
Three militant commanders killed in NW Pakistan: Three militant commanders were killed in an alleged encounter with Pakistani security forces Thursday in the country's northwest, local media reported citing official sources.
Strong Anti-American Sentiment Persists In Pakistan: Zaidi says the U.S. cannot use aid to overcome negative perceptions of the U.S. generated by U.S. military actions such as drone strikes.
Six killed in Bagdad bomb attacks: Six people were killed on Thursday in separate bomb attacks in Iraq, one of which targeted an official from the secular Iraqiya bloc of former premier Iyad Allawi, an interior ministry official said.
Civilian killed, 2 cops wounded in Mosul: A civilian man was killed and two policemen wounded in two separate incidents in Mosul city on Thursday, according to a police source in Ninewa.
Lies, damned lies, and US statistics: 77,000 Iraqis killed over 5 years: A new US military tally puts the death toll of Iraqi civilians and security forces in the bloodiest years of the war thousands below Iraqi government figures.
Police chief killed during south Yemen protest: A top policeman was shot dead on Thursday and three other people including two soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, security officials said.
Yemen: Provincial governor escapes militant attack: The governor of southern Yemen's southern Abyen province escaped unharmed from a suspect assault by Al-Qaeda militants, Al-Jazeera television reported.
Somali-American appointed as new Somalia premier: Abdullahi, a 48-year-old educator with a masters degree in political science, takes over from Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, who resigned in September after a long-running power struggle with the president.
Israeli army shoots teenage boy in Gaza: Israeli forces have shot a 16-year-old boy in the Gaza Strip amid a furor over Tel Aviv's carte blanche for the army to target stone throwing children in the occupied West Bank.
Families of Gaza flotilla victims accuse Israel of war crimes in The Hague: Turkish lawyers representing pro-Palestinian activists filed a complaint Thursday with the International Criminal Court in The Hague, accusing Israel of committing war crimes in May when its troops raided a boat trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza
US backs Palestinian demand to see borders: The US on Wednesday supported the PLO's request to see a map of Israel's borders, but said such demands must be made face-to-face, not through the media. - Israel is an unknown entity in terms of borders [so] how does it suggest to recognize it as a Jewish state? Israel and the US should first set out Israel's borders," he explained.
Lieberman willing to adopt American pledge of allegiance: Foreign minister addresses loyalty oath bill during visit to Berlin, stresses 'we didn't invent concept of pledging allegiance to state. Lieberman pointed to the American pledge of allegiance. He noted that the Yisrael Beiteinu party is "willing to adopt the American law word for word."
In Lebanon, Ahmadinejad foresees Israel's demise: "The whole world knows that the Zionists are going to disappear," he said to thunderous applause before a frenzied crowd in Hezbollah's bastion of Bint Jbeil, some four kilometres (two miles) from the Israeli border. "The occupying Zionists today have no choice but to accept reality and go back to their countries of origin," he added.
Ahmadinejad: Zionist enemy humiliated, defeated: "You are the victorious ones and your enemies - the enemies of humanity are on the verge of collapse."
U.S. lawmakers: Lebanon's embrace of Ahmadinejad may affect military aid: In August, two key Democrats, Representatives Nita Lowey and Howard Berman, announced they were holding up $100 million that had been approved for Lebanon's army but not yet spent.
Chavez set to sign deals in Russia: The Venezuelan president, has begun a tour of seven nations including Russia, Iran and Libya to discuss issues ranging from nuclear power and tanks to olive oil. The first stop in the 10-day tour is Moscow, where an agreement to develop nuclear energy, the purchase of Russian tanks and a bi-national bank are on the agenda.
WikiLeaks says funding has been blocked after government blacklisting: Founder Julian Assange hits out at decision by Moneybookers, which collects the whistleblowing website's donations
"War on terror" psychologist gets giant no-bid contract: The Army earlier this year steered a $31 million contract to a psychologist whose work formed the psychological underpinnings of the Bush administration's torture program.
Justice Department clears FBI in imam shooting: No federal crimes were broken when four FBI agents killed a Detroit mosque leader during a raid last year, according to a U.S. Justice Department report released Wednesday.
US To Let Insurers Raise Premiums For Sick Kids: President Barack Obama's administration said health insurance companies can charge higher premiums to cover children with serious medical problems if state law permits it, the New York Times reports Thursday.
Regence Blue Shield customers notified of skyrocketing rates: Kreidler says the letter makes it appear that healthcare reform is to blame, when in truth Regence has made a huge policy change that makes premiums for children much more expensive.
Dollar tanks, stocks drop as Bernanke speech looms: European and U.S. stock markets mostly fell Thursday as investors awaited a speech from the Federal Reserve chairman that is expected to give more clarity on what the central bank is planning to do to prop up the ailing U.S. economy.
Russia's Currency Reserves Exceed $500 Billion for First Time Since 2008: . It’s the first time the reserves have broken $500 billion since mid- October 2008, a month after the collapse of U.S. brokerage Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. triggered the global credit crisis.
US trade deficit widens sharply to $46.3 billion: The politically sensitive deficit with China climbed to an all-time high, a development that was certain to increase pressure on the Obama administration to take a tougher line on trade issues including China's tightly controlled currency.
U.S. Home Seizures Reach Record Amid Foreclosure Review: Lenders took over 102,134 properties last month, RealtyTrac Inc. said in a report today. That was the highest monthly tally since the company began tracking the data in 2005, surpassing the August record of 95,364.
Applications for jobless benefits rise to 462K: More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the first rise in three weeks and evidence that companies are reluctant to hire in a slow economy.
Boomerang kids: 85% of college grads move home: Stubbornly high unemployment -- nearly 15% for those ages 20-24 -- has made finding a job nearly impossible. And without a job, there's nowhere for these young adults to go but back to their old bedrooms, curfews and chore charts. Meet the boomerangers.