Libya: Murder and Plunder Masquerading as “Humanitarian Intervention”

By Orwellwasright

A largely fabricated case for humanitarian intervention based on violence stoked by special forces troops and covert operations, with the consistent demonisation of the leader recast as a mass murdering tyrant. Continued

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Libyan Rebel Stronghold
Frustration Mounts on the Streets of Benghazi

By Jonathan Stock in Benghazi

Recent days have already shown how the rebels are dealing with the enemies of the current revolution. Homes were raided, neighbors dragged off, suspects executed. Continue

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Note To Progressives Who Back a No Fly Zone on Libya

By Joe Emersberger

Iraq alone should have made any progressive support for Western military intervention in Libya negligible. It is very sad to see that didn't happen. The corporate media has, again, succeeded in getting many well intentioned progressives to think within its box. Continue

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Stop Arming Dictators

By Medea Benjamin and Charles Davis

Instead of forking over $150 million a day to the weapons industry to attack Libya or selling $67 billion in weapons to the Saudis so they can repress not just their own people, but those of Bahrain, we -- the ones being asked to forgo Social Security to help pay for empire -- should demand those who purport to represent us in Washington stop arming dictators in our name. Continue

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Be Consistent—Invade Saudi Arabia

By Robert Scheer

If Libya didn’t have more oil than any other nation in Africa would the West be unleashing high-tech military mayhem to contain what is essentially a tribal-based civil war? Continue

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Partnership of Equals

By Fidel Castro

Saturday evening, the 19th, after a sumptuous banquet, NATO leaders ordered the attack on Libya. Continue

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Is Another ‘Cast Lead’ in the Offing?

By Alex Kane

Israeli attacks on Gaza over the last few days have left eight people dead, including five civilians, and another twelve civilians have been wounded.  The air strikes came after Hamas offered a truce--events that bear a striking resemblance to what occurred in the run-up to “Operation Cast Lead.” Continue

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U.S. Court Validates Spying Fears of Journalists, Activists

By Colin Freeze

It is no longer just terrorists and spies who worry about being monitored – lawyers, journalists and activists fear they are fair game too. Continue

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Split on Libya averted as Nato given military control: International coalition including Qatar and United Arab Emirates to share oversight of UN-mandated anti-Gaddafi campaign
Its a joke right? Romania joins NATO naval blockade of Libya: - Romania will send a frigate and two naval officers to help NATO enforce the weapons embargo against Libya, President Traian Basescu said Tuesday.
Syria security forces kill 12 in attack on Daraa mosque, witnesses say: Syrian forces killed 12 people on Wednesday in an attack on a mosque in the southern city of Daraa, site of unprecedented protests challenging President Bashar Assad's Baathist rule, residents said.
Syria: protesters killed in mosque attack (VIDEO): The protesters were calling for political freedoms and an end to corruption and had said earlier that they were going to remain in the mosque until their demands were met. According to several reports, they were armed.
Israeli attack on Gaza kill eight people: Two of the dead were aged 11 and 16, and four were from the armed wing of the radical Islamic Jihad movement, medical and militant sources said.
One dead in new exchange between Gaza and Israel: The Islamic Jihad group said it fired rockets at four Israeli cities to avenge Israel's killing of eight of its fighters and civilians in Gaza the day before. The group said one of its fighters was killed Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike
Hamas threatens to retaliate for IDF killing of Gaza civilians: "The brutal crime of today will not pass without a response by the resistance," Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told The Associated Press. "Israel is escalating against our people and the whole world should show their responsibility to stop this escalation."
Explosion rocks Jerusalem bus stop; 1 dead, more than 30 hurt: A bomb exploded at a crowded bus stop Wednesday in central Jerusalem, wounding at least 25 people in what appeared to be the first militant attack in the city in several years
'Israel may have to launch fresh operation against Gaza': Minister Limor Livnat: Operation Cast Lead 2 may be in order.
Egypt warns Israel against military action in Gaza: - Israel should not rush into carrying out any military operations in Gaza, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby said in a statement on Wednesday.
Abbas to Russia: Pressure Israel to halt Gaza escalation: PA president slams Netanyahu's criticism of Hamas unity talks: "He's always wept to US that he can't negotiate with divided Palestinians."
Libya Condemns 'Civilian Deaths' In Strikes: "Last night, in the early morning attack... south of Tripoli a family house was destroyed, a little girl was killed," said Moussa Ibrahim.
No further need for "no fly zone"? as Libyan air forces destroyed: British commander: Allied forces have destroyed the Libyan air force and are flying with impunity across its airspace, attacking ground troops wherever they threaten the civilian population, a senior British commander said on Wednesday.
Airstrikes force Gadhafi retreat from key city: International airstrikes forced Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s tanks to roll back from the western city of Misrata on Wednesday, a local doctor said.
White House denies regime change is part of Libya mission: The White House strongly denied Tuesday that regime change is part of its mission in Libya, despite a statement earlier in the day that characterized the goal there as “installing a democratic system.”,
Libyan rebels form 'interim government': Rebels say they're striving to liberate entire country as battles rage and Gaddafi rails against "fascist assault".
Libyan rebels meet UN official as Gaddafi attacks anew: The United Nations envoy to Libya met Tuesday for the first time with leaders of rebel forces fighting Moamer Gaddafi's brigades, as a number of western rebel-held cities came under attack.
U.N. says wants to negotiate Libya aid "corridors": The United Nations wants to negotiate "humanitarian corridors" to let more aid into Libya where fighting in the east of the country has uprooted tens of thousands and hit food supplies, the U.N. said on Wednesday.
Muammar Gaddafi makes first appearance since air strikes began: "We will not surrender," he said. "We will defeat them by any means ... We are ready for the fight, whether it will be a short or a long one ... We will be victorious in the end," he said in comments carried live by state television.
Biden Demands Obama's Impeachment: Biden’s comments reflect growing Democrat anger at President Obama’s unilateral military action. In the House, where the impeachment process must begin, Representative Dennis Kucinich has already begun talking about removing Obama from office
Wikileaks: US Embassy Cables Highlighted Strong US-Libya Counter-terrorism Relationship: The American embassy classified cable, released by WikiLeaks, quotes Senator Lieberman, the Chairman of the US Senate’s highly important Homeland Security Committee as calling Libya “an important ally in the war on terrorism.”
McCain was for Gadhafi before he was against him: WikiLeaks shows John McCain was strikingly friendly to the Libyan regime on a trip to Tripoli in 2009
Yemen parliament imposes state of emergency: The move gives security forces far-reaching powers to detain suspects and prevent demonstrations.
Yemeni protesters call for march on palace: "Friday will be the 'Friday of the March Forward', with hundreds of thousands of people... We will arrive where you are and we will remove you," opposition spokesman Mohamed Qahtan told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
U.S. Gates says not planned for post-Saleh Yemen: The U.S. defense secretary said on Wednesday that it was too soon to determine the outcome of political turmoil in Yemen and said Washington had not planned for an era without President Ali Abdullah Saleh in office.
Pakistan: Six militants killed, two soldiers hurt in Swat: They said that security forces on a tip-off besieged militants in the mountains of Kabal tehsil on late Monday night when they were trying to sneak into Swat from the adjoining Dir district.
4 killed, 18 wounded in rocket attack in SW Pakistan: Four persons were killed and more than eighteen others including a senior police officer were wounded in a rocket attack Wednesday evening in Southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan, said police.
US in no mood to tender apology to Pakistan over 41 civilians killed: The United States is showing a cold response to Pakistan's efforts in seeking its apology over last week's drone attack that targeted a tribal peace congregation in North Waziristan Agency, in which at least 41 innocent people were killed.
US-led attack kills 4 Afghan civilians: At least four Afghan civilians, including a child, have been killed in US-led military operations in southeastern Afghanistan, police say.
US Soldier Charged In Thrill Kills Will Plead Guilty: An American soldier accused of being part of a "kill team" that murdered innocent Afghan civilians for fun will plead guilty to murder today in a military courtroom at Fort Lewis, Washington and then testify against his four co-defendants, according to his attorney.
Afghan strongman ‘raped, killed and tortured’: The head of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission has urged Hamid Karzai's government and Nato to investigate allegations that an Afghan strongman employed by United States Army Special Forces embarked on a spate of war crimes, including rape, the summary execution of children, and torture.
Two police officers killed in Baghdad: Earlier in the day, the police reported that an Iraqi army officer and a policeman were killed and 13 people wounded in separate bomb attacks in the morning.
Iraq ministry official attacked, killed: Gunmen using silencer-equipped weapons killed an Iraqi Interior Ministry official as he was driving his vehicle in Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, police said.
Egypt committee charges Mubarak with murders of protesters: Fact-finding committee submits murder charges for former president of Egypt to public prosecutor's office.
Bahrain cuts curfew, says security situation 'improved': Bahrain said on Wednesday that it was reducing further the curfew imposed on citizens, claiming the security situation was improving.
Five upper house members withdraw resignations: Several members of chamber, all Shiites, resigned last week reportedly to protest against the government's attitude towards the protests, but no official list was announced.
Radioactive Iodine In Tokyo Water Found Too High For Infants: -Local authorities in Tokyo said Wednesday that iodine exceeding permissible levels for infants has been detected in tap water in northern Tokyo, adding to concerns over contamination from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Fukushima Engineer Says He Helped Cover Up Flaw at Dai-Ichi Reactor No. 4: One of the reactors in the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant may have been relying on flawed steel to hold the radiation in its core, according to an engineer who helped build its containment vessel four decades ago.
What They're Covering Up at Fukushima: I’m speaking of the worst case, but the probability is not low.  This is the danger that the world is watching.
Google funds tools to expose government attempts to censor, shut down the Internet: Georgia Tech researchers devising tools to give end users visibility into government censorship, service provider bandwidth throttling, equipment issues
Portugal braces for govt collapse over debt vote: Portugal's government is on the verge of collapse after opposition parties withdrew their support for another round of austerity policies aimed at averting a financial bailout.
Warren Buffett: The U.S. is moving toward plutocracy : The rich have more influence in politics than they did 50 years ago."
US home sales slump to lowest level since 1960's: Sales tumbled nearly 17 percent in February, the Commerce Department said, to a seasonally adjusted total of 250,000 sales during the month. The biggest slowdown in turnover was seen in the country's populous northeast, with sales down 57 percent from January.