News For October 26, 2010

US Puppet Outlives Usefulness
Karzai Rails Against America in Diatribe

By ALISSA J. RUBIN

It was the latest chapter of a bitter battle between the president and his allies in the war against the Taliban that has taken on an increasingly anti-Western tone. Continue

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Karzai Presidency Approaching Expiration Date?
Afghan President Confirms Large Cash Payments by Iran and US

By Laura King

Hamid Karzai says his office receives about $2 million annually from Iran, but that the cash is a donation and covers governmental operating costs. The U.S. also makes such payments, he says.Continue

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WikiLeaks Exposes Rumsfeld's Lies

By Ellen Knickmeye

Recent revelations by WikiLeaks show how top American leaders lied, knowingly, to the American public, to American troops, and to the world. Ellen Knickmeyer on the carnage she saw as Baghdad bureau chief. Continue

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A Worse Record Than Saddam's

By Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Fewer and fewer global citizens now believe the rapturous anthems and sombre panegyrics of God's own America. Continue

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Israel is Relieved Not to be The Only War Criminal

By Gideon Levy

The voice of joy, the voice of rejoicing is heard in Israel: The Americans and British have also committed for war crimes, not only us. Continue

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Believe It Or Not?
Pentagon in Charge of Aid to Israel?

By Yitzhak Benhorin

Republicans considering transferring Israeli security aid budget from State Department to Pentagon, in order to ensure it continues while enabling them to stop money flow to other countries. Continue

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Israel Ranks Among Western World's Most Corrupt Countries:

By Lior Dattel and Reuters

Receiving a score of 6.1 out of 10 Israel is in 22nd place out of 33 OECD members; meanwhile, U.S. drops out of top 20 least corrupt countries. Continue

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Tea Party backing Candidate Who Allegedly Shot Unarmed Iraqis 60 Times

By Eric W. Dolan

A Tea Party-backed candidate who allegedly murdered two unarmed Iraqis could win a seat in the House of Representatives. Continue

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Algorithms and Red Wine
Is the 'digital hive' a soft totalitarian state?

By Joe Bageant

I ask myself, what chance does America’s far less informed, and purposefully misled public stand against all this? One shudders. Continue

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Legalized Bribery.
The Real Reason Obama Has Let Us All Down

By Johann Hari

On the night he won, I too shed a little tear; but the people weeping today are those having their homes repossessed. Continue

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Coming Soon to America: Big Push for Austerity

By Roger Bybee

While big crusades for austerity—reserved for workers only, of course—are being waged in France and Great Britain, working people in the United States can also look forward to a major push for cutbacks in social spending and a longer wait before retirement. Continue

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Socialism? What a Joke!

By Bill Quigley

The rich and their paid false prophets are doing a bang up job deceiving the poor and middle class. They have convinced many that an evil socialism is alive in the land and it is taking their fair share. But the deception cannot last - facts say otherwise. Continue

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Four police officers killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan: A district police chief and three officers were killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan, a provincial government spokesman said.

Taliban shadow district governor among 3 killed in NE. Afghanistan: "Troops raided Taliban hideout in Kohna Shakh village of Khaja Bahawdin district on Monday afternoon, killing three Taliban rebels, including Qari Omar the shadowy district governor," Tawhidi told Xinhua.

Stryker unit sought to defend killing at heart of Afghan murder probe: Three days after they killed an Afghan cleric named Mullah Adahdad, members of a U.S. Army platoon returned to his village. Tribal elders had complained to Army officers that the cleric had been unarmed and that the May 2 shooting was a setup.

Karzai confirms report of cash payments from Iran: He said his chief of staff, Umar Daudzai, "is receiving the money on my instructions".

11 Taliban, One soldier killed in Pak clashes: A soldier and 11 Taliban fighters were killed during operations by security forces in the volatile tribal belt in northwest Pakistan today, security officials said.

Deaths in Pakistan shrine attack: At least five people killed in a bomb blast after dawn prayers at famous Sufi shrine in eastern Punjab province.

Seven killed in Iraq blasts: An Iraqi officer with the rank of captain and five soldiers were killed in a blast that targeted their patrol to the north of Baghdad in Diyala province, police sources told the Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Tariq Aziz sentenced to death: "Aziz's lawyers have 30 days to present an appeal. The court then has another 30 days to look into that appeal," Rageh said. "Assuming his appeal is turned down there are 30 more days before the death penalty would be carried out."

'US troops beheaded Iraqi detainee',: American forces decapitated an Iraqi last year on the order of their higher-up, show recently-exposed US military documents.

UN rights chief urges US, Iraq to probe WikiLeaks evidence: "The US and Iraqi authorities should take necessary measures to investigate all allegations made in these reports and to bring to justice those responsible for unlawful killings, summary executions, torture and other serious human rights abuses," her office said in a statement.

Baghdad Will Ask United States to Extend Its Military Role: Former ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker (2007-2009) says that in spite of Iran's clout in Iraq, the next Iraqi government -- led once again by Prime Minister Maliki -- will ask the US to stay on past 2011, says Robert Dreyfuss

Anti-war protester hurls shoes at ex-Australian prime minister John Howard on live TV: 'That's for the Iraqi dead!' Mr Gray shouted as he flung the shoes during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's live Q&A programme. The shoes missed their target and Mr Gray was escorted from the studio.

Tony Blair 'to be called back' to Iraq war inquiry to answer questions about 'gaps' in his evidence: The former Prime Minister is likely to be asked to clarify the political build-up to the 2003 American-led invasion. He is also expected to further explain the legality of Britain's participation in the controversial war.

Israel hails commandoes killing activists: Israeli leaders have praised soldiers who killed pro-Palestinian activists on board an international aid ship bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip.

UN envoy demands Israel act against "settler" attacks: UN Mieast peace coordinator 'appalled at acts of destruction of olive trees and farmlands, desecration of mosques and violence against civilians'.

Israel: Shin Bet supports revoking citizenship of Israelis convicted of terror: Interior Minister Eli Yishai's proposal has been presented as a method of deterring potential criminals from embarking on terrorist activities, seen as targeting Israeli Arabs in particular
Iran begins fueling nuclear plant: Nearly 160 fuel rods loaded into core of the country's first nuclear reactor in a "key stage" towards producing energy.
Report: Israel planned explosion at Iranian missile site: An explosion that killed 18 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on October 12 was ordered by the Mossad, French newspaper Le Figaro suggested on Monday.
Sixty thousand Somalis flee battle by Kenya border: UNHCR: About 60,000 Somalis have fled heavy fighting close to Somalia's border with Kenya over the past week, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.
Sedition charges: Arundhati Roy speaks on justice: Pity the nation that has to silence its writers for speaking their minds. Pity the nation that needs to jail those who ask for justice, while communal killers,
UK army 'defied Geneva conventions': British newspaper says military has been training interrogators in techniques that appear to breach Geneva rules.
A Child Soldier Makes a Deal: It is hard to see how the Khadr saga has served anyone well. It has certainly not done much for America’s moral standing. Khadr has said that he was physically abused in our custody, particularly at Bagram; one of his interrogators admitted telling him he might be gang-raped by “a bunch of big black guys and big Nazis” if his answers were disappointing
Steven Emerson has 3,390,000 reasons to fear Muslims.: That's how many dollars Emerson's for-profit company — Washington-based SAE Productions — collected in 2008. - The payment came from the Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation, which solicits money by telling donors they're in imminent danger from Muslims.
Dollar at Risk of Becoming 'Toxic Waste': Charts: The dollar's slump could get far worse if the dollar index takes out last year's low, Robin Griffiths, technical strategist at Cazenove Capital, told CNBC.
Bankrupt banks: Regulators Shut Seven Banks : Regulators closed seven small lenders on Friday, raising the total number of bank failures this year to 139, nearly as many as in all of 2009.
What? Treasury Hid A.I.G. Loss, Report Says: The United States Treasury concealed $40 billion in likely taxpayer losses on the bailout of the American International Group earlier this month, when it abandoned its usual method for valuing investments, according to a report by the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Home prices are weakening around U.S.: The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday fell 0.2 percent in August from July. Fifteen of the cities showed monthly price declines. Prices are expected to drop further in the coming months.
Owners Seek to Sell at Loss as Banks Push Foreclosure: In Arizona, thousands of homeowners have turned to short sales to avoid foreclosures, and many end up running a daunting procedural gantlet.