Wednesday 30 March 2011

Kill Teams in Afghanistan: The Truth

By Malalai Joya

These disgusting photos of murdered Afghans reveal the aggression and racism underpinning the occupation of my country. Continue

Libyan Rebel Leader Spent Much of Past 20 Years in Langley Virginia

By Chris Adams

Since coming to the United States in the early 1990s, Hifter lived in suburban Virginia outside Washington, D.C. Badr said he was unsure exactly what Hifter did to support himself, and that Hifter primarily focused on helping his large family. Continue

American Media Silent on CIA Ties to Libya Rebel Commander

By Patrick Martin

The selection of a longtime CIA collaborator as commander of the rebels makes nonsense of the official claim that the United States is intervening militarily in Libya to protect civilian lives. Continue

Arming Libya Rebels Not Allowed by UN Resolutions

By Robert Booth

The US is likely to be in breach of the UN security council's arms embargo on Libya if it sends weapons to the rebels, experts in international law have warned. Continued

The Euro-US War on Libya: Official Lies and Misconceptions of Critics

Must Read - By James Petras and Robin Eastman-Abaya

If not to prevent genocide, grab the oil or promote democracy (via Patriot missiles), what, then, is the driving force behind the Euro-US imperial intervention? Continue

How to Waste Money and Lives: The American Prison System

By Celia Chazelle

In 1970, fewer than 200,000 Americans were incarcerated. Today, with some 2.3 million in prison or jail, the US has more people and a higher percentage of its population locked up than any other country. Continue

Governor Cuomo to New York's Poor and Middle Class: Drop Dead

By James Ridgeway

Andrew Cuomo has turned out to be just another craven neoliberal. In his most meaningful action to date, he has embraced a budget that would make any Bushite salivate. Continue

This Is The U.S.A.?
Department of Transportation Removes Basketball Hoop:

Video:

Delaware Department of Transportation crews escorted by state police tore down basketball hoops? Continue

Iraq: 58 killed in Tikrit attack on Council: Security forces stormed the provincial council building in former dictator Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit on Tuesday after an hours-long shootout with gunmen that left 58 dead and 97 wounded, a police official said.
Libyan rebels retreat from key oil port after Gadhafi forces attack, NATO planes strike: Moammar Gadhafi’s ground forces recaptured a strategic oil town Wednesday and were close to taking a second, making new inroads in beating back a rebel advance toward the capital Tripoli.
Libyan rebels retreat to Brega:" Libyan rebels say their fighters are retreating from the key oil port of Ras Lanouf along the coastal road leading to the capital after they came under heavy shelling from ground forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Libya: al-Qaeda among Libya rebels, Nato chief fears: Libyan rebel forces may have been infiltrated by al-Qaeda fighters, a senior American military commander has warned.
Regime change: Allies Renew Demand for Qaddafi to Give Up Power: Mrs. Clinton met a second time with a senior leader of the opposition, Mahmoud Jibril, deepening the administration’s wary embrace of the provisional political council created to represent the rebels, both politically and militarily.
US and Britain may arm Libya rebels: Hillary Clinton and William Hague claim arming rebel groups may be legal under the recent UN resolution
The wisdom and legality of arming Libyan rebels: If the U.S. wants to arm the rebels, it will do so regardless of whether it violates any U.N. arms embargo, and few supporters of this war -- most of whom justify it by pointing to these U.N. Resolutions -- will care very much, if at all. Once wars begin, and positions harden, nothing matters less than legalities.
Russia: Coalition troops in Libya must stay within UN mandate: - Coalition forces involved in military action in Libya must operate strictly within the United Nations mandate, said Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, on Tuesday.
Russia: Libyan people, not foreign 'meddling', should bring about democracy: The foreign minister appealed to NATO to stick to its pledge to remain impartial, and called for an immediate ceasefire and the start of talks to resolve the conflict.
China tells France force will won't work in Libya: Chinese President Hu Jintao admonished French President Nicolas Sarkozy over the Western bombing campaign in Libya on Wednesday, saying force will not resolve the conflict in the North African country.
No military solution to Libya crisis--NATO chief: Declines to "guess" how long NATO's Libya mission will go
US Congressmen: Libya attack illegal: On Tuesday, Representatives Timothy Johnson of Illinois and Justin Amash of Michigan introduced the draft legislation that aims to suspend all fundings to measures involving US President Barack Obama's decision to intervene in Libya
Suicide bomber kills 13 in Pakistan: Blast at checkpoint comes minutes after prominent Islamist politician and Afghan Taliban supporter had passed through.
Pakistan's secret dirty war: In Balochistan, mutilated corpses bearing the signs of torture keep turning up, among them lawyers, students and farm workers. Why is no one investigating and what have they got to do with the bloody battle for Pakistan's largest province?
2 more NATO occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: Two more soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed Tuesday, bringing to five the number of military alliance casualties in a single day, ISAF said in a statement on Wednesday.
Investigation finds 4 Afghan civilians killed by occupation forces: A joint Afghan and NATO investigation team found NATO airstrikes, on Friday March 25 killed four civilians and injured three others in southern Helmand province, the military alliance said on Wednesday.
Karzai slams US soldiers' murder of Afghan teenager: "It is a tragic story and reading it hurts our feeling. This crime committed by those soldiers who are addicted with heroin and hashish," President Karzai said
Taliban seizes eastern Afghan district: Taliban fighters have seized the poorly armed eastern Afghanistan district of Waygal in a rare show of force.
Israeli air raid on Gaza kills one: Palestinian medics: A Palestinian was killed and another wounded in a dawn raid on Wednesday by Israeli warplanes near the southern town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said.
Israel considering annexing illegal West Bank "settlements": Israel is considering annexing major occupied West Bank settlement blocs if the Palestinians unilaterally seek world recognition of a state, an Israeli official said Tuesday
UN chief: Israel's occupation is 'morally, politically unsustainable': "the occupation that started in 1967 is morally and politically unsustainable, and must end. The Palestinians have a legitimate right to the establishment of an independent and viable State of their own.
Syria's Assad warns of 'conspiracy': Syrian president fails to lift emergency laws in his first speech since security forces curbed anti-government protests.
Yemen: Saleh makes new offer to protesters: Yemen's president has made a new offer to protesters demanding his ouster, proposing he stays in office until elections are held but transferring his powers to a caretaker government, an opposition source said on Wednesday.
AlJazeera news loses credibility in Yemen: Video footage of Iraqi prisoners being kicked, whipped and beaten were recently screened on Al Jazeera TV news channel that reported these scenes as being from Yemen.
Bahraini attacks on protesters persist: Bahraini police, backed by Saudi military forces, used force to disperse protesters in Manama, a the regime's forces were reportedly spotted using violence against the protesting public in the villages of Diraz, Nuwaidrat and Sanabis as well as the township of Belad Al Qadeem.
Bahrain downs Iran's Press TV channel: Bahrain's illegal measure comes following the extensive coverage by Press TV of its brutal suppression of Bahraini protesters, backed by military forces of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that were deployed to the country.
Pro-Ouattara Forces Enter Ivory Coast Capital: Spokeswoman for New Forces rebels says fighters entered Yamoussoukro Wednesday, after making major advances across country
'Suicide squads' paid huge sums amid fresh fears for nuclear site: The radioactive core in one reactor at Fukushima's beleaguered nuclear power plant appeared to have melted through the bottom of its containment vessel, an expert warned yesterday, sparking fears that workers would not be able to save the reactor and that radioactive gases could soon be released into the atmosphere.
Radiation levels soar in Japan sea water: Search for quake and tsunami survivors goes on, as readings show radioactive iodine levels hit 3,355 times legal limit.
China economist blasts dollar dominance on eve of G20: - Dollar dominance is sowing the seeds of financial turmoil, and the solution is to promote new reserve currencies, a Chinese government economist said in a paper published on the eve of a G20 meeting about how to reform the global monetary system.
The Declining Purchasing Power of the Dollar: A dollar today would buy one less than a nickel’s worth of goods and services in Woodrow Wilson’s time.
2/3rds of US Corporations Pay Zero Federal Taxes: : From coast-to-coast, more than forty cities joined in a day of action protesting the tax-dodging of massive corporations that they see as the real source of the country's deficit.
Housing market: 13% of all U.S. homes are vacant: And it's only getting worse: The national vacancy rate crept up to just over 13% according to last week's decennial census report. That's up from 12.1% in 2007.
Home Prices Fall for 7th Straight Month: U.S. single family home prices fell for the seventh straight month in January, bringing prices to just above April 2009 lows, a closely watched survey said on Tuesday.

Tuesday 29 March 2011

Obama Raises American Hypocrisy To A Higher Level

By Paul Craig Roberts

There is no doubt whatsoever that the current US president and the predecessor Bush/Cheney regime have murdered many times more people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia than Gadhafi has murdered in Libya. Continue

Libya is Another Case of Selective Vigilantism by the West

By Tariq Ali

Washington will do everything necessary to keep the Saudi royal family in power. Continue

NATO Chief Opens The Door to Libya Ground Troops

By Spencer Ackerman

Welcome to a new possible “endgame” for Libya. Western troops patrolling Libya’s cities during a a shaky transition after Moammar Gadhafi’s regime has fallen, however that’s supposed to happen. Continue

Obama Lacks Clarity on Afghan War

By Ray McGovern

Afghan President Karzai said the Obama administration has been in secret talks with him to formalize a system of permanent military bases across the war-torn nation. Continue

America’s Growing Intolerance
How “Enemy Creep” Is Guantanamo-izing America

By Karen J. Greenberg

You only had to listen to the recent hearings convened by New York Republican Congressman Peter King on radicalization and the Muslim religion to know that, if the ascending right in Washington (and elsewhere) has its way, the age of tolerance in America is over.  Continue

Prison for Peacemakers in Tacoma, Washington

By Bill Quigley

Two grandmothers, two priests and a nun were sentenced in federal court in Tacoma, WA Monday March 28, 2011, for confronting hundreds of US nuclear weapons stockpiled for use by the deadly Trident submarines. Continue

Worse Than Chenobyl.
When the Fukushima Meltdown Hits Groundwater

By Dr. Tom Burnett

Fukushima is going to dwarf Chenobyl. The Japanese government has had a level 7 nuclear disaster going for almost a week but won’t admit it. Continue

Housing Market Blues
The bleeding continues

By Mike Whitney

It just goes to show that "free market" solutions are always jettisoned when they don't meet the needs of the rich and powerful. The free market is just a stick that's used to beat up on little guys. Continue

Tracking Our Downward Spiral
The Ways in Which America Still “Leads’ the World

By Richard Clark

Amongst 20 of the world’s wealthiest countries, America now has: the highest poverty rate, both generally and for children; Continue

R.I.P: Bageant Moves On
We don't last, and there's no warranty

By Fred Reed

Joe described himself as a redneck socialist, and he was. He was profoundly concerned with the fate of the people he wrote about, those who worked hard all their lives and ended up with nothing. Continue

Hostage siege kills 21 in Iraq: Gunmen wearing military uniforms and suicide bomb belts stormed a local government headquarters in northern Iraq on Tuesday in an attempt to take hostages that killed at least 21 people, officials said.
Two people killed, five wounded in Iraq's violence: Two people were killed and five others wounded in gunfire and bomb attacks in and near Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday, the police said.
Pakistan: Friendly fire killed 13 soldiers: Pakistan general: Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik told reporters on Tuesday that 13 soldiers died due to mortar fire called in by the commanding officer after his troops came under attack
Taliban overrun district, NATO soldier killed in Afghanistan: Taliban militants overran a district in the north-eastern Afghan province of Nuristan after overpowering local forces, while a NATO soldier died in an attack in the same region, officials said
Afghanistan: More children killed in US-NATO air attacks: A NATO helicopter strike in the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand last Friday killed seven civilians, including three children. The atrocity is the latest in a series of recent US-led bombing operations that have inflicted mass civilian casualties.
U.S. brigade murdered and mutilated innocent Afghan civilians: Military tried to pull pictures out of circulation to avoid another Abu Ghraib
MoD pays £1.3m compensation to Afghans for death, injury and damage: Ministry of Defence payouts include £542 for a girl killed in a fire and £4,700 for a shop destroyed by a flare
Afghan Elite Borrowed Freely From Kabul Bank: The terms were hard to beat: no collateral, little or no interest. And no repayment due date.
Scandal-tainted Kabul Bank to be sold off: Afghanistan responds to IMF pressure over financial institution at centre of corruption scandal.
Libyan rebels retreating after Gadhafi onslaught: Libyan government tanks and rockets pounded rebel forces into a panicked full retreat Tuesday after an hourslong, back-and-forth battle that highlighted the superior might of Moammar Gadhafi's forces, even hobbled by international airstrikes.
Gaddafi's troops halt rebel advance: Rebel fighters who drove west under protection of coalition air strikes driven out of Bin Jawad after approaching Sirte.
Regime change by any other name: U.S. Gives Its Air Power Expansive Role in Libya: The American military has been carrying out an expansive and increasingly potent air campaign to compel the Libyan Army to turn against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
Libya: Cameron and Sarkozy demand that 'Gaddafi must go': Britain and France have demanded that Muammar Gaddafi should stand down immediately and declared that the era of the Libyan leader is over.
Libya: Coalition bombing may be in breach of UN resolution's legal limits: Concern over the legality of the military action in Libya reignited on Monday as rebel forces surged into the space created by the international bombardment of Colonel Gaddafi's military.
More countries slam NATO action in Libya: President Obama used the prime time speech to answer his critics and explain his case. The speech came as Russia and Indonesia called for an immediate ceasefire and Turkey offered to act as mediator.
British officials 'working with rebels in East': David Cameron said British officials were liaising with rebel ground forces in eastern Libya. "We are actually now in proper contact with the rebels and a Foreign Office official is now having proper discussions with them, which I think is vital as we need to get to know and work with them
Qatar recognises Libyan rebels after oil deal: Qatar is first Arab nation to recognise Benghazi-based council after rebels announce oil marketing deal with Gulf state.
Libya: it wasn't supposed to be like this in free Benghazi: The young gunmen at the roadblock took no chances. They put a knife to the throat of the driver before hauling the three men and one woman from the car, dragging them through the street into a nearby mosque for a rough round of interrogation.
Gaddafi forces intimidate rebels : Al Jazeera has received video which appears to show soldiers loyal to Muammar Gaddafi beating pro-democracy fighters who they had detained.
Turkey to take over Benghazi airport: NATO member to distribute aid from rebel-held city as Erdogan suggests Ankara could mediate between rebels and Gaddafi.
Fact or propaganda? Diplomats discuss Libya's future as Italy plots Gaddafi's escape route: Efforts appear to be under way to offer Muammar Gaddafi a way of escape from Libya, with Italy saying it was trying to organise an African haven for him, and the US signalling it would not try to stop the dictator from fleeing.
Syrian cabinet resigns amid unrest: Government resigns as part of promised reforms after two weeks of protests, outgoing PM appointed caretaker premier.
Syrians rally to support Assad: Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Syria, rallying in support of President Bashar al-Assad after anti-government protests left many casualties.
'Abbas would give up US aid to reconcile with Hamas': Adviser to Abaas: "Palestinians need American money, but if they use it as a way of pressuring us, we are ready to relinquish that aid."
Israel cuts ties with PA if new unified government formed: Israel will cut ties with the Palestinian Authority (PA) if it brings Hamas into the formation of the new unified national government, the Jerusalem Post reported
Drafting Palestinian constitution prepares for establishment of independent state: A statement sent to reporters said Abbas requested the committee to finalize its work on drafting a constitution by this September "in accordance with the merit of finalizing the independent Palestinian state's establishment."
How Palestinians will use the UN General Assembly to advance statehood: Israel’s complacent assumption has been that even an overwhelming vote to establish ‘Palestine’ at the GA in September would have merely ‘declaratory’ impact. Wrong. Jerusalem had forgotten about UNGA Resolution 377.
Israel threatens unilateral steps if UN recognizes Palestinian state: Foreign Ministry instructs envoys in 30 countries to send 'diplomatic protest' to host nations over plan for September vote in General Assembly.
Facebook removes page calling for a 'Third Palestinian Intifada': In the original page, Palestinians are urged to take to the streets after Friday prayers on May 15 and begin an uprising in the vein of the first two popular uprisings.
Does Abbas support Bahrain's crackdown on protesters? Abbas briefed by Bahrain king: Abbas told the king he "is standing next to Bahrain," and desires a stable nation, saying he hoped grievances could be worked out soon.
Bahraini troops close in on protesters: Bahraini army troops have besieged mourning demonstrators in the northeastern village of Ma'ameer as the Persian Gulf state sees more violence against anti-government protests.
Yemen govt loses control of 6 of 18 provinces: Yemen's political crisis deepened today as President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to step down in the face of mounting desertions by his supporters and officials said the government had lost control of six of the country's 18 provinces.
'US, Saudis keep Saleh in power': Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been able to stay in power only by relying on foreign supports and funding, especially from the US and Saudi Arabia, Director of Institute for [Persian] Gulf Affairs (IGA) says.
Yemen's Saleh tried to get Saudis to kill rival: WikiLeaks: – Yemen President Ali Abdallah Saleh tried to get Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, now a leading dissident officer, killed last year by tricking Saudi forces into bombing his headquarters, a Norwegian daily said Monday, quoting a leaked US cable.
Ouattara claims capturing major city: In Ivory Coast, forces backing the internationally-recognized President Alassane Ouattara have launched an all-out attack, claiming to have seized a major city.
Ivory Coast braced for final battle as city falls: The area along the Liberian border has seen limited fighting for several weeks, but the latest push could open the way for troops loyal to Alassane Ouattara to march south to the strategic port of San Pedro, or east to the political capital of Yamoussoukro.
UN: Gbagbo forces behind Abidjan 'atrocity': World body says forces loyal to incumbent Ivorian president opened fire on civilians, killing about a dozen
Mohammed Jawad, A Child in Guantánamo, and the Lawyer Who Fought for Him: Every now and then, someone in the mainstream media cuts through the general — and shameful — indifference about Guantánamo, publishing a powerful story that should change hearts and minds.
Japan on 'alert' over radiation fears: Government acknowledges the situation is "grave" as it continues efforts to bring nuclear crisis under control.
Japan on ‘maximum alert’ over N-crisis: Addressing a lower house budget committee, Kan said that the situation “continues to be unpredictable” and that the government “will tackle the problem while in a state of maximum alert,” AFP reported.
Fukushima soil contains plutonium traces, according to Japanese officials: Earlier, the government confirmed that levels of radioactivity in water leaking from a reactor at the facility resulted from a partial meltdown of fuel rods, amid growing fears that radiation may also have seeped into seawater and soil.
Japan: Rainwater banned at water plants: The health ministry has instructed water purification plants nationwide to temporarily stop taking in rainwater to prevent tap water being contaminated from radiation leaking from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, ministry officials said Sunday.
EU to ban cars from cities by 2050: Cars will be banned from London and all other cities across Europe under a draconian EU masterplan to cut CO2 emissions by 60 per cent over the next 40 years.
Gold Replacing Dollar as World’s Reserve Currency?: $105 per barrel oil. Cotton prices at record levels. Food prices at 2008 highs. Typically, such commodity price increases would send central banks running to the U.S. Dollar to secure the value of their savings. After all, the dollar has been the reserve currency since World War I.

Monday 28 March 2011

The Kill Team

By Mark Boal

How U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan murdered innocent civilians and mutilated their corpses – and how their officers failed to stop them. Plus: An exclusive look at the war crime photos censored by the Pentagon. Continue

A CIA Commander For Libyan Rebels

By Patrick Martin

The US and European intervention in Libya is aimed not at bringing “democracy” and “freedom,” but at installing in power stooges of the CIA who will rule just as brutally as Gaddafi, while allowing the imperialist powers to loot the country’s oil resources and use Libya as a base of operations. Continue

"Bait and Switch"
Libya and The Holy Triumvirate

By William Blum

Will the state-dominated economy be privatized? Who will wind up owning Libya's oil? Will the new regime continue to invest Libyan oil revenues in sub-Saharan African development projects? Will they allow a US military base and NATO exercises? Continue

Who Are The Libyan Freedom Fighters And Their Patrons?

By Peter Dale Scott

"It may puzzle and perhaps dismay young protesters in Benghazi, Cairo and Tunisia that their democratic hopes are being manipulated by an ultra-conservative Arab elite which has underhandedly backed a surge of militant Islamist radicals across North Africa. " Continue

Joseph Beuys And Coyote Meet "Humanitarian" Bombing Campaigns

By Phil Rockstroh

Images of irradiated rains and bombing campaigns have left many riddled with dread, haunted by the uncertainty of it all…gripped by the feeling that events are hurtling at an exponential rate of speed towards some ill-defined but tragic reckoning. Continue

Is Fukushima About To Blow?

By Mike Whitney

Conditions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are deteriorating and the doomsday scenario is beginning to unfold. Continue

How The US Let Calderón Save Face

By Rodrigo Camarena

WikiLeaks was a handy excuse, but the US sacrificed its envoy to rescue Mexico's president – a vital ally in the 'war on drugs'. Continue

The Collapse of Globalization

By Chris Hedges

until we awake from our collective self-delusion, until we carry out sustained acts of civil disobedience against the corporate state and sever ourselves from the liberal institutions that serve the corporate juggernaut—especially the Democratic Party—we will continue to be rocketed toward a global catastrophe. Continue

Yemen: 40 killed in clashes in northern governorate of Al-Jawf: The anti-government uprising, backed by opposition parties, has sparked clashes between pro- and anti-government tribesmen in the northern Yemeni governorate of Al-Jawf where at least 40 people have been killed in the past few days
Yemen arms factory blasts kills at least 80 people: Local residents told Al Jazeera that more than 100 men, women and children were looting the left-overs in the factory when the first explosion occurred.
Yemen president scraps offer to step down as Islamic militants take advantage of unrest to seize towns: The militants moved in with no resistance because police had withdrawn weeks earlier - as they did in several other parts of the country - in the face of challenges by anti-government protesters.
Pentagon urged to find ‘Plan B’ for base as Yemeni crisis grows: The Pentagon is being urged to move its counterterrorism operations from Yemen across the Gulf of Aden to Djibouti should the government in Sanaa fall.
20 killed in Afghanistan suicide bombing: Three suicide bombers have killed 20 people in an attack on a construction firm in a restive province in southeastern Afghanistan.
Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan: The death toll among Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan rose to 155 Sunday when 24-year-old Corporal Yannick Scherrer of Victoriaville, Quebec, was killed by a roadside bomb.
"Let Me Check Off My Kill" - Graphic Video -
Taliban 'kidnap Afghan policemen': The Taliban gunmen have abducted around 50 off-duty policemen in an ambush in a volatile province in northeastern Afghanistan, the militant group and provincial officials have said.
New coalition airstrikes reportedly underway in Libya; strikes help rebels advance: Days of coalition airstrikes appeared Saturday to have pushed open the door to western Libya for anti-government rebel forces, which retook the strategic city of Ajdabiya as a weakened military loyal to Gaddafi fell back.
Libyan rebels facing tough fight for Sirte: Rebels are attempting to seize control of Muammar Gaddafi's hometown, but government forces are gathered to stop them.
US officials: Libyan operation could last months: U.S.-led military action in Libya has bolstered rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi's forces, but the international operation could continue for months, the Obama administration says.
Libyan Government: “NATO Terrorising, Killing Libyans”: "We believe the unnecessary continuation of the air strikes is a plan to put the Libyan government in a weak negotiating position. NATO is prepared to kill people, destroy army training camps and army checkpoints and other locations."
Defense Secretary: Libya Did Not Pose Threat to U.S., Was Not 'Vital National Interest' to Intervene: In December, 2007, Barack Obama told The Boston Globe that “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”
Libyan rebels to start oil exports soon: Oil fields in rebel-held territory in Libya are producing between 100,000 and 130,000 barrels a day, and the opposition plans to begin exporting oil "in less than a week", a rebel representative said on Sunday.
Al Qaeda snatched missiles in Libya: Chad president: "The Islamists of Al Qaeda took advantage of the pillaging of arsenals in the rebel zone to acquire arms, including surface-to-air missiles, which were then smuggled into their sanctuaries in Tenere," a desert region of the Sahara that stretches from northeast Niger to western Chad, Deby said in the interview.
Syria: Army on Latakia streets after 12 killed: Syrian troops have deployed in force in the northern city of Latakia, where at least 12 people have died in a wave of unrest that has shaken the regime. Twelve people were killed on Saturday during anti-government protests in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, the government has confirmed.
Syria arrests US national 'for spying for Israel': Syria arrested an American national for inciting protests against the regime and spying for the State of Israel, official media reported Sunday
18 killed in Iraq violence: Overnight, gunmen stormed into a notorious and poor district of the northern city of Mosul, killing six women and a man, police and medical sources said
Syrian troops fire teargas at protesters in Deraa: Security forces in Syria are reported to have fired teargas and fired shots in the air as anti-government protests flared again in the southern city of Deraa.
Lieberman: ‘Precedent’ for Syrian intervention: Lieberman, Connecticut independent, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “There is a precedent now … we’re not going to allow Assad to slaughter his own people.”
Assad pledges to scrap arrest law: The president’s spokeswoman, Bouthaina Shaaban, said the laws, in force since 1963, would be lifted but refused to give a timetable for the change. President Bashar al-Assad will address the people in the coming days, state television said.
Al Assad deserves benefit of doubt: Syrians can give president a chance to implement his promises of reform or risk taking the country down a path of chaos and economic misery
Bahrain shuns Kuwait's mediation offer: Bahrain's foreign minister says it is "completely untrue" that Kuwait could mediate to resolve its political crisis.
Israeli strike kills two in Gaza: An Israeli air strike killed two Gaza militants yesterday, threatening to prompt more tit-for-tat attacks a day after militants committed to calm if Israel reciprocated.
US casts only vote for Israel in UNHRC: Six motions condemn Israeli settlement activity and human rights violations in occupied Palestinian territories, Golan Heights. The US was the only country to vote against all six United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions on Israel, which were approved in Geneva this Thursday and Friday.
Mubarak under house arrest in Egypt: Former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and his family have been reportedly placed under house arrest by the country's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The council made the announcement through a statement posted on its website on Monday.
America 'must practise what it preaches': PJ Crowley: In an exclusive interview for HARDtalk Mr Crowley told Stephen Sackur he didn't regret expressing his views, but declined to say whether he had been asked to resign.
How the US let Calderón save face: WikiLeaks was a handy excuse, but the US sacrificed its envoy to rescue Mexico's president – a vital ally in the 'war on drugs'
Agent: I was ordered to let U.S. guns into Mexico: ATF agents job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.
Radiation in Japan seawater, soil may be spreading: - Workers at Japan's damaged nuclear plant raced to pump out contaminated water suspected of sending radioactivity levels soaring as officials warned Monday that radiation seeping from the complex was spreading to seawater and soil.
Low-level radiation found in Massachusetts rainwater: Trace amounts of radioactive iodine linked to Japan's crippled nuclear power station have turned up in rainwater samples as far away as Massachusetts during the past week, state officials said on Sunday.
Euro economists expect Greek default, BBC survey finds: Two-thirds of respondents predicted a default. However, most thought the euro would survive in its current form.
Irish banks heading for new bailout: The latest round of bank stress tests in Ireland is expected to show another black hole of between €18bn and €23bn and lead to the fifth bailout in two and half years.
Dems: Potential Cuts to Medicaid Outlined by Administration 'Cruel': The lawmakers are concerned the letter will encourage states to clip health coverage for some of the country's poorest people amid a poor economy when they could use the benefits most.
RIP - Joe Bageant, 1946-2011 -After a vibrant life, Joe Bageant died yesterday following a four-month struggle with cancer. He was 64. Joe is survived by his wife, Barbara, his three children, Timothy, Patrick and Elizabeth, and thousands of friends and admirers. He is also survived by his work and ideas.

Saturday 26 March 2011

Libyan Rebel Commander Admits his Fighters Have Al-Qaeda Links

By Praveen Swami, Nick Squires and Duncan Gardham

Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, the Libyan rebel leader, has said jihadists who fought against allied troops in Iraq are on the front lines of the battle against Muammar Gaddafi's regime. Continue

Libyan “Revolutionaries” Aren’t So Revolutionary..

By Against the Empire

I’m amazed at the police state that they have designed and who is in power in Benghazi. It was no doubt a complete error on the part of so-called “progressives” to take the side of these rebel forces (never mind those who hailed them as “revolutionaries”). Continue

81 Reasons Why Gaza Has The Right To Self-defense

By Julie Webb-Pullman

In the face of continuing military attacks against civilian targets and the absence of any meaningful and/or enforceable UN Security Council Resolution to protect them, they have every legitimate reason to resort to self-defense, under Article 52 of the UN Charter. Continue

Housing's Double Dip

By Mike Whitney

Prices are falling, home equity is drying up, foreclosures are at record highs, and the incentive to "walk away" and let the bank take the mortgage-loss has never been greater. Continue

US Finances Rank Near Worst in the World: Study

By: Jeff Cox

The US ranks near the bottom of developed global economies in terms of financial stability and will stay there unless it addresses its burgeoning debt problems. Continue

Coalition strikes kill 114 - Libya official: Mr Omar said 104 people were killed in Tripoli and the suburbs between Sunday and Wednesday, while 10 were killed in Sirte, the hometown of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, some 600 kilometres south of the capital.
Coalition airstrikes drive Khadafy troops from key city, bolster rebels: "Without the planes we couldn't have done this. Khadafy's weapons are at a different level than ours," said Ahmed Faraj, 38, a rebel fighter from Ajdabiya. "With the help of the planes we are going to push onward to Tripoli, God willing."
Libyan rebels advance on Brega: Rebels claim to have reached oil port just hours after taking Ajdabiya, but Misurata is "besieged" by Gaddafi forces.
Al-Qaeda's Air Force: NATO Considers Broader Role In Libya: Whether NATO will assume the role of "protecting civilians" on the ground -- as mandated by a U.N. Security Council resolution -- remains at issue. A decision on what NATO officials are calling "no-fly plus" could come as early as Sunday after a meeting of NATO ambassadors.
NATO Deal Leaves U.S. Still Commanding Libya Strikes: A NATO decision to take charge of a no-fly zone over Libya does not include conducting air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi's ground forces, a mission that will remain in U.S. hands until a new command deal is reached, Vice Admiral Bill Gortney said on Friday.
UK Has 350 Special Forces In Lybia Assisting Rebels : The Daily Mail can reveal there are an estimated 350 already mounting covert operations. The troops in Libya were drawn from a squadron of SAS and SBS personnel, some who have been in the country for a month and are being re-supplied with water, food and ammunition via airdrops from Cyprus.
Rebels thank France but want 'outside forces' to quit Libya: The insurgents have thanked Nicolas Sarkozy for his armed intervention in Libya, saying "foreign forces" must go.
Delegation: Libya Govt Ready to Discuss ‘Road Map’ to Reform: Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, the regime’s former prime minister and head of state, was among the members of the delegation, and said that the government was willing to negotiate with anyone, and that they were “willing to discuss” the possibility of a free election.
African Union: Libya needs transition period, democratic elections: A Libyan government delegation is meeting in Ethiopia with five African heads of state who are developing a road map to encourage political reform in the North African country.
Libyan woman tells of abuse: Government minders assault woman as she alleges to journalists that she has been raped by Gaddafi troops.
Libya's biggest tribe joins march of reconciliation to Benghazi: "If the west leaves us alone we can solve Libya's problems," said Dagil. "I will march peacefully. My own sister is in Benghazi. She has four children. I am not going to kill her."
John McCain Was In Favor Of Supplying Military Aid To Gaddafi : In August 2009 he led a delegation of senators, including fellow hawks Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman, on a trip to visit the Libyan leader in Tripoli. Discussed during the visit was delivery of -- get this -- American military equipment to Gadhafi (a man with American blood on his hands no less).
New Syrian protesters target Baath Party offices: Two reported dead as Baath Party buildings in two towns set on fire as protesters continue to defy security crackdown.
At least 20 killed as Syrian troops open fire on protesters: Rula Amin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Damascus, said Syrian forces apparently opened fire after protesters started setting fire to a statue of the late president Hafer al-Assad.
Seven Afghan civilians 'killed by NATO occupation forces: – Seven civilians, three of them children, were killed and five others wounded in a NATO airstrike targeting insurgents in restive southern Afghanistan, a local official said Saturday.
13 killed as gunmen target Shias in Pakistan: Thirteen people were killed and 16 others kidnapped in separate attacks by pro-Taliban militants on two convoys of vehicles carrying members of the minority Shia community in the tribal belt of northwest Pakistan today, officials said.
Pakistan to boycott trilateral Afghan talks over US drone attack civilian casualties: “Pakistan has always opposed US drone attacks, and killing of innocent people is totally unacceptable to us,”
Five suspected al Qaeda militants killed in Yemen: Five suspected al Qaeda members were killed in a clash with Yemeni forces when they attacked a security checkpoint in the south of the Arabian Peninsula country, a local official said on Saturday.
Yemeni president says "ready to step down with respect and dignity": Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years, said he could step down "even within a two hours notice," adding that he would not hand power to rebels fighting the government.
Risk of civil war looms as Yemen's soldiers defect from Saleh regime: A week ago Bassam Ali Qa'id, 26, was loyal to Yemen's hated President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and part of a state security machine which has shot at, tear-gassed and beaten democracy protesters.
Guess What? Report: Al-Qaeda branch in Yemen planning terror strikes, US says: The threat from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), as the affiliate is known, comes at a time when counter-terrorism operations in Yemen have reportedly been disrupted by mass demonstrations against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled for 32 years.
Al Jazeera shows Iraqi videos to fabricate news about Yemen: The Yemeni government said that among the many false and even fabricated reports that Al Jazeera broadcasts was a video that presented Iraqi torture scenes as official Yemeni security footage. The scenes were filmed in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule and was broadcast by al-Arabiya TV channel in 2007.
Five people killed in bomb attacks in Iraq: Five people were killed and four others were wounded in separate bomb attacks in Baghdad and Iraq's eastern province of Diyala on Saturday, the police said.
Iraq's Maliki says Bahrain may ignite sectarian war: Iraq's Shi'ite prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, said on Friday military intervention by Sunni Arab neighbors in Bahrain could spark a sectarian war in the region and must end.
Shiite protesters rally in two Saudi villages: Demand release of prisoners and withdrawal of troops from Bahrain
Has Bahrain's Opposition Thrown In the Towel?: By all accounts, Bahrain's protests have had the wind knocked out of their sails the past two weeks, as the government systematically shut down the opposition's operations.
Two dead, scores hurt in Jordanian clashes: Two killed and 100 injured in clashes in Amman as kingdom's prime minister warns of chaos and consequences.
Gaza militant groups agree Israel ceasefire, says Hamas: Militant groups in Gaza say they will agree to a ceasefire if Israel stops attacks on the Palestinian territory.
Palestinian rivals hold unity talks: The two-hour talks on Saturday focused on a long-elusive reconciliation between the two groups which have been split since Hamas expelled Abbas' forces from the Gaza Strip in 2007.
European countries want UN, not U.S., to advance Mideast "peace" talks: Britain, France and Germany would like the United Nations and European Union to co-author an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, say diplomats.
Dan Rather's crew 'humiliated by Israeli security': In a letter to Israeli officials, producer says legendary anchorman's crew held up for hours at security checks, strip-searched before interview with Deputy PM Meridor
Mercenaries 'loot, rape, kill' in Ivory Coast: HUNDREDS of Liberian "mercenaries" have gone on a rampage of rape, murder and looting in the western Ivory Coast region of Guiglo, a virtual lawless zone, the UN refugee agency says.
UN: One million flee Cote d'Ivoire violence: West African country "close to civil war", UN hears, while humanitarian officials warn of "massive displacement".
13 killed in clash with army in north Mexico: A clash between soldiers and armed men left 13 dead in the town of Rio Bravo, on Mexico's northeastern border with the United States, an army statement said Friday.
Mexico drug violence fuels exodus: About 230,000 people have been displaced and about half of them may have taken refuge in the US, says a new study.
Radiation Levels Soar In The Sea Off Japan: Radiation levels are about 1,250 times the legal limit in the ocean near Japan's stricken Fukushima 1 nuclear plant.
Estimated 500,000 march in London against public sector cuts: Police say protest was overwhelmingly peaceful: nine arrests
Stranger than fiction: Sheriff's Raid Valley Home In Tank: West Valley residents in the neighborhood are crying foul after armored vehicles, including a tank, rolled into their neighborhood to make the bust.
Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. debt: Some lawmakers and market analysts are expressing rising concerns that a demand for capital by earthquake-ravaged Japan could lead it to sell off some of its huge holdings of U.S.-issued debt, leaving the federal government in an even tighter financial pinch.
Household wealth down 23% in 2 years - Fed: The average American family's household net worth declined 23% between 2007 and 2009, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.

Thursday 24 March 2011

Libya Rebels: Gaddafi Could be Right About al-Qaeda

Two documents suggest northeast Libya, centre of rebellion, is an al-Qaeda hotspot

By Alexander Cockburn

The war on Libya now being waged by the US, Britain and France must surely rank as one of the stupidest martial enterprises, smaller in scale to be sure, since Napoleon took it into his head to invade Russia in 1812. Continue

The CIA’s Libya Rebels:
2007 West Point Study Shows Benghazi-Darnah-Tobruk Area was a World Leader in Al Qaeda Suicide Bomber Recruitment

By Webster G. Tarpley, Ph.D.

Many commentators have voiced anxiety because of the mystery which surrounds the anti-Qaddafi transitional government which emerged at the beginning of March in the city of Benghazi. Continue

Libyan Civilians Injured in US Pilot Rescue

Channel 4 Video Report

After hosting a party for a stricken US pilot, Libyan civilians are fired upon and injured by US rescue team. Continue

Obama and Libya

By Butler Shaffer

Does anyone not suspect that the total lack of impeachment talk from members of Congress might be due to ”our representatives” who, like Obama and the RCA Victor dog, are busy listening to their “masters’ voice”? Continue

Saudi Arabia Abandons Yemen’s Saleh, Calls for Transition

By: David Dayen

“The kingdom will not fight for Saleh … We have very bad experiences with him. The man’s survival makes no difference.” Continue

The Pentagon’s Pro-War Sock Puppets

By Anthony Gregory

In the next years, if you find someone online defending the warfare state, it just might be a government propagandist. The web persona might be a complete fake, even the product of a computer program concocted by the US military. Continue

Billionaires Flourish, Inequalities Deepen as Economies "Recover"

By James Petras

The enormous concentration of wealth in the hands of this tiny parasitical ruling class is one reason why the US has the worst inequalities of any advanced economy and among the worst in the entire world. Continue

Rights Are Curtailed for Terror Suspects

By EVAN PEREZ

New rules allow investigators to hold domestic-terror suspects longer than others without giving them a Miranda warning, significantly expanding exceptions to the instructions that have governed the handling of criminal suspects for more than four decades. Continue

Welcome To America
Power To Strip Search Passengers Claimed by Feds

By Bob Barr

In a breathtaking statement delivered in an official court proceeding, the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims authority to strip search every airline passenger; and to begin such a practice without even soliciting comment from the public. Continue

Syria: At least 25 killed: Around 20,000 people have lined the streets of Deraa for the funerals of protesters killed in clashes with security forces. A Syrian journalist tells Channel 4 News the situation "is out of control".
Syria: Protesters Killed and Scores Detained Including Children: At least 21 people went missing after Wednesday’s protest and another 33 people could face up to fifteen years in prison for taking part in the protests.
Pakistan: Eight militants killed in Orakzai: In a counter-attack, government forces killed eight militants, local officials said. There was no independent confirmation of the clash as the region is remote and out of bounds for journalists.
5 Killed as police targeted in Pakistan suicide attack: At least five people are killed and dozens injured in an attack on a police station in the northwest of the country.
331 US officials may leave Pak under secret deal over Davis: A total of 331 US officials in Pakistan, most of them suspected of engaging in espionage under diplomatic cover, have been "identified to leave the country" under a secret deal between the two sides for release of American national Raymond Davis, a media report said on Thursday.
NATO occupation force kills 2 civilians in Kabul: A NATO helicopter gunship inadvertently killed two civilians while attacking suspected insurgents in the northern Afghanistan province of Khost, NATO announced Thursday.
Two British occupation force troops killed in Afghan bombing: ministry: Two British soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan just six days before they were due to return home, the defence ministry said Thursday.
US Soldier Gets "24 Years" for Murders of 3 Afghans: Morlock, will receive 352 days off of his sentence for time served and could be eligible for parole in about seven years, said his lead attorney
Outrage over horrific racist taunts against locals by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan: According to the Herald Sun, soldiers have been warned that they could face military tribunal, censure, discharge or even jail for describing Afghans as “ragheads”, “dune coons”, “sand niggaz” and “smelly locals”.
Gadhafi forces hold on Misrata undeterred by Western air strikes: Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi seized control of Misrata's port on Wednesday, stranding thousands of Egyptian and sub-Saharan African migrant workers, who were seeking evacuation by sea, the resident said.
US and French act as rebel airforce? Libya rebels coordinating with West on air assault: Leaders of the opposition national council in rebel-controlled eastern Libya say they are making regular, secure contacts with allied military representatives in Europe to help commanders identify targets for the U.S.-led air assault.
Allies Move from Defense to Offense in Libya: “Everybody clearly has in mind the "secondary" aim of Colonel Gaddafi’s departure,” a top aide to President Nicholas Sarkozy said on Monday.
Libyan rebels appear to take leaf from Kadafi's playbook: For a month, gangs of young gunmen have roamed the city, rousting Libyan blacks and immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa from their homes and holding them for interrogation as suspected mercenaries or government spies.
Libya TV Airs Images of Tripoli Bombing Aftermath, Said-to-be Civilian Victims: Libyan broadcasters claimed that an unknown number of civilians were injured and killed in coalition air strikes in Tripoli late on Wednesday.
There's nothing moral about Nato's intervention in Libya: The attacks on Libya risk a bloody stalemate and are a threat to the region. The alternative has to be a negotiated settlement
Policeman killed in south Yemen capital, seven others wounded: A policeman was killed and seven others were wounded when their patrol was ambushed in southern Yemen's main city of Aden on Thursday, a security official told AFP.
Pro-Saleh forces clash with Yemen army units: Forces loyal to the Yemeni president have clashed with regular army troops in the eastern town of Mukalla.
Yemeni opposition says No to Saleh's new offer: Yemen's opposition stepped up efforts to remove President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday, dismissing his offer to stand down after a presidential election at the end of the year.
Saudis prepare to abandon troublesome Yemen: "The kingdom will not fight for Saleh. . . . We have very bad experiences with him. The man's survival makes no difference."
British citizens should leave Yemen 'without delay': Foreign secretary makes statement to House of Commons warning that security situation in country is deteriorating rapidly
Yemen shuts down Al-Jazeera: The Doha-based television, in a strapline on screen, said its offices in Sanaa were closed and press accreditation withdrawn of its staff in Yemen, which has heavily criticised the channel's coverage of the unrest.
Israeli air strikes draw Gaza rocket fire: Projectiles fired at Israel from Gaza Strip in apparent reprisal to air raids on the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli airstrikes across Gaza: Drones fired four missiles at the Palestinian Authority intelligence headquarters and an Al-Qassam Brigades site.
Egypt honors agreements, holds Israel responsible for Gaza - FM: Egyptian Foreign Minister reiterated the firm stance of his country that Israel should also shoulder its responsibilities in Gaza, "as an occupying force."
Russians still intend to go through with Syria missile sale: The Russian sale of Yakhnot anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria is a "done deal," and Moscow has no intention of scuttling it, the Kremlin told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday in Moscow Thursday, according to a senior Israeli diplomatic source.
Netanyahu plays up Iran threat in Russia: Netanyahu went into the talks vowing to show Israel's "iron will" to those who attack his country and he underscored the risk of Islamic regimes rising to power amid the turbulence now wracking North Africa and the Middle East.
UN creates human rights investigator on Iran: The vote marks the first time since it was formed five years ago that the U.N. Human Rights Council has created a new such investigative position for a U.N. member nation, rather than merely extend the mandate of a previously existing one.
More of the same? Egypt's military law criminalizes protests, strikes: Egyptians who risked their lives trying to depose a ruler who ran a police state and never lifted emergency for more than three decades, are fuming under the bizarre policy of the new dispensation.
EGYPT: Rights group alleges military forced captured female protesters into taking 'virginity tests': Salwa Hosseini, 20, who was taken by soldiers to a military prison on the outskirts of Cairo, told Amnesty International that she and fellow female detainees were strip searched, photographed while naked and subjected to electric shocks.
Former Mubarak minister charged over deaths: Habib al-Adly, former Egyptian interior minister, accused over alleged "premeditated killing" of protesters
Half a Million Bahrains to Hold 'Day of Rage' on Friday: - Hundreds of Thousands Bahraini people planned a huge demonstration across the country on Friday, March 25. - Bahraini People announced plans for another "Day of Rage" on Friday in defiance of the martial law imposed since last week.
Clashes in Algeria over housing row: Police disperse crowds who throw stones and petrol bombs to stop bulldozers demolishing dozens of illegally built homes
3 nuke workers hospitalized in Japan: Japan's nuclear safety agency said the workers of the Fukushima Daiichi plant were hospitalized after being exposed to radiation, AFP reported Thursday.
WikiLeaks: Colombia began using U.S. drones for counterterrorism in 2006: The Colombian military began using U.S.-supplied surveillance drones for counterterrorism and counter-narcotics operations in 2006, according to a classified State Department cable released Wednesday by WikiLeaks.
US military aid to Colombia serves to enrich defense companies: WikiLeaks founder: United States military aid to Colombia serves more to enrich private defense companies than to help the Andean nation, said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
Pentagon overpaid billionaire oil tycoon by up to $200million: The audit found that Harry Sargeant III was overpaid on several military contracts worth nearly $2.7billion.
Ex-White House economists issue debt warning: Ten former White House economists on Thursday called for US politicians of all stripes to get serious about tackling the country's spiraling debt, warning of a looming crisis "that could dwarf 2008."
Haley Barbour flew state plane to deliver cost cutting message to CPAC, Fox News: Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, his wife and three aides flew in a luxury jet to Washington for a weekend of politicking, including an appearance on Fox News Sunday and a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference. “Our problem is not that we tax too little,” Barbour told the gathering. “It’s that we spend too much.”
California’s Tax Hike Did Not Work: California’s tax collections grew at around half of what the state projected for 2010—indicating that the state’s fiscal situation may be even more dire than previously understood.