Secret Memos Expose
Link Between Oil firms And Invasion of Iraq

By Paul Bignell

Plans to exploit Iraq's oil reserves were discussed by government ministers and the world's largest oil companies the year before Britain took a leading role in invading Iraq, government documents show. Continue

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West Exacerbates Libyans' Suffering

By Doug Bandow

The allies have joined the insurgents in a civil war against the previously recognized government. The path is war and all that entails: death, destruction, and chaos. Continue

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Congress Rewrites Goldstone's Op-ed

By Kate Gould

You would never know from any of the grandstanding in Congress that Justice Goldstone still stands by the report that bears his name. Continue

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US Tried To Hide Israeli War Crimes
US / Israel - Special Relationship

BY Colum Lynch

In the aftermath of Israel's 2008-2009 invasion into the Gaza Strip, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, led a vigorous campaign to stymie an independent U.N. investigation into possible Israeli war crimes. Continue

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Ignorance and Superstition
Bachmann: America ‘Cursed’ By God ‘If We Reject Israel’

By Andy Birkey

Rep. Michele Bachmann offered a candid view of her positions on Israel: Support for Israel is handed down by God and if the United States pulls back its support, America will cease to exist. Continue

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Waiting for the Spark

By Ralph Nader

What could start a popular resurgence in this country against the abuses of concentrated, avaricious corporatism? Continue

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Afghanistan should brace for more assassinations: U.S. envoy: Afghanistan's government and foreign troops should prepare for the Taliban to step up urban suicide attacks and assassinations as they shift tactics to "very focused" terrorism, the U.S. ambassador said.
Suicide blasts kill 11, hurt 19 in Iraq: Two cars packed with explosives simultaneously detonated at a security checkpoint crowded with Iraqi parliament staffers. Police said the suicide attacks appeared to be targeted at convoys carrying Iraqi defense and political leaders, including a military commander who survived.
Three women shot dead by gunmen in northern Iraq: Three women were shot dead in their house by gunmen on Tuesday in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, according to a security source.
British troops ‘revenge attack’ on Iraqi civilian : The attack allegedly left the victim badly hurt, covered in blood and with his jaw ‘literally hanging off’. It was apparently recorded by one of the soldiers wearing a camera attached to his helmet.
Patrick Cockburn: They denied it was about Iraq's resources. Iraqis used to ask ironically if the rest of the world would have been quite so interested in the fate of their country if its main export had been cabbages.
Syrian forces open fire on protesters, killing 3 and arresting many: At least three people were killed and a large number were arrested early Tuesday after Syrian security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters in Homs, the country's third-largest city, said a resident who participated in the demonstration.
Syria 'lifts emergency law': The government also abolished the state security court, which handled the trials of political prisoners, and approved a new law allowing the right to peaceful protests.
UNICEF says 26 children killed in Yemen protests: UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado said Tuesday that most of the children killed in clashes between security forces and anti-government demonstrators died of wounds from live ammunition.
One killed as Yemeni police open fire on protesters: The United Nations Security Council was scheduled to meet later Tuesday to discuss the deteriorating situation in Yemen, where rights groups say two months of protests calling for the president to step down have claimed 120 lives.
Britain to send military advisers to Libya: Britain will send a team of experienced military officers to Libya to help support and advise the country's opposition council, the UK foreign minister has said.
French want troops on ground in Libya: A senior French official says soldiers should be deployed on the ground in Libya to help guide NATO's air strikes in support of the Libyan opposition.
Libya: blood bonanza for contractors: Libya might soon turn into a goldmine for private security firms. Reports say that the UK is already hiring mercenaries to protect the interests of the big corporations there
Rolling out the propaganda? : Libya rebels say 10,000 killed in fighting : Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the Libya conflict has so far killed 10,000 people and wounded 55,000, citing figures compiled by the Benghazi-based rebel government.
Gaddafi Violence Against Libya Civilians Exaggerated, Says British Group: Delegation to Libya says it has found no evidence of dissent and accuses western media of bias towards Nato military action.
Bahrain escapes censure by West as crackdown on protesters intensifies: Bahraini government forces backed by Saudi Arabian troops are destroying mosques and places of worship of the Shia majority in the island kingdom in a move likely to exacerbate religious hatred across the Muslim world.
Saudi Troops To Remain In Bahrain: The states’s foreign minister, denied the Gulf force was “policing” the majority Shia nation and emphasised the foreign forces’ stated mission is to protect Bahrain’s “vital installations against a foreign threat”. Tehran has denounced the deployment of a Saudi-led force and condemned the crackdown.
Iranian Foreign Ministry urges action on Bahrain crackdown: Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has urged the international community to take action to stop violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters in the Middle East and North Africa.
Palestinian UN diplomat: Palestinians prefer peace treaty with Israel by September: Palestinians say if peace treaty not reached by September, they will go to UN Security Council with enough support that it would recommend admission of Palestine as new member of UN.
Report: Quartet may formally recognize Palestinian state if "peace talks" not renewed: U.S. blocked initiative earlier this month to restart stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks by proposing the outlines of a final settlement to the long conflict.
US helped Israel contain UN Gaza war probe: report: The United States worked behind the scenes to help Israel contain UN probes into possible war crimes committed during the 2008-2009 Gaza war, Foreign Policy reported Tuesday.
Egypt: At least 846 killed in protests: At least 846 Egyptians died in the nearly three-week-long popular uprising that toppled long-serving President Hosni Mubarak and electrified the region, a government fact-finding mission announced Tuesday.
Egypt questions former vice-president: Omar Suleiman questioned in connection with violence against protesters during uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
'Iran appoints first ambassador to Egypt in 30 years': Relations between the two countries became strained after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran when Iran cut ties with Egypt. Iran's move at the time was based on Egypt's participation in the 1978 Camp David Accords, and remained cold throughout the 1980s due to Egyptian support for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War.
Sri Lanka war-crimes claims 'credible': Leaked UN report finds "credible allegations" of war crimes and killing of civilians during country's civil conflict.
'Myth' that Pakistan gets billions in US aid: Finance minister: Pakistan's finance minister on Monday dismissed as "a myth" in the United States that his country is a major recipient of tens of billions of dollars in US aid.
U.S. Gov't Agency Plans $2.84 Billion Loan for Oil Refinery—In Colombia: The money would go to Reficar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ecopetrol, the Colombian national oil company.
US credit rating at risk: A downgrade would erode status as the world's most powerful economy and the dollar's role as dominant global currency.
China urges U.S. to protect creditors after S&P warning: China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the United Statesmust take "responsible" measures to protect investors in its debt after Standard & Poor's threatened to lower its credit rating on the United States due to a bulging budget deficit.
Shock employment figures: Fewer than 46% of Americans have jobs: The percentage of Americans who have jobs has fallen to the lowest point in three decades and now hovers just above 45 percent of the total population, according to an analysis of labor data published by USA Today.