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Syria Targeted for Imperialist Intrigue after Arab League Suspension

By Chris Marsden

Wednesday’s three-day deadline by the Arab League for Syria to meet its terms is a political provocation. It presents terms that the Syrian government cannot possibly accept, to allow other Middle Eastern regimes to continue an imperialist-backed intervention against Damascus. Continue

Cameron of Arabia, Sarkozy of Damascus
Guns Turn Towards Syria: End Violence or Else?

By RussiaToday on Nov 18, 2011

Russia has again warned foreign powers against intervening in Syria's internal unrest. It comes after Jordan reportedly asked the UK to take the lead in a war of words against president Assad, in an effort to oust him from power. Continue

U.S. Arms Persian Gulf Allies For Conflict With Iran

By Rick Rozoff

The withdrawal of American and allied troops from Iraq and the beginning of a drawdown of their counterparts in Afghanistan can also be seen in this context, as removing targets for possible retaliation should a large-scale attack be staged against Iran. Continue

Israel’s Secret Iran Attack Plan: Electronic Warfare

By Eli Lake

Any Israeli attack on hardened nuclear sites in Iran would go far beyond airstrikes from F-15 and F-16 fighter planes. Continue

In Case You Don’t Realise How Dangerous the Israeli Lobby Is

By Gilad Atzmon

Israeli paper Israel-Ayom reports today about a new ‘Congressional bill’ that would require the “American administration to support Israel in a move deemed necessary to defend itself against the Iranian nuclear threat.” Continue

Military Budget Cuts Will Get Us All Nuked, and 4 Other Lies

By Spencer Ackerman

If you haven't been following Washington's agonizing debate over the defense budget, let us summarize it for you: Cutting the Pentagon's allowance will kill your grandmother. Maybe the family dog, too. But definitely granny. Continue

World Largest GDP and
More Than 1 in 5 U.S. Children Poor, Census says

By Reuters

The number of children in the United States considered poor rose by 1 million in 2010, the U.S. Census said Thursday, with more than one in five of the youngest Americans now living in poverty. Continue

The Great Awakening
First Steps in Reforming the U.S. Financial and Tax System

By Michael Hudson

When debts reach today’s proportions, a basic economic principle is at work: Debts that can’t be paid; won’t be. The question is, just how are they not going to be paid? Continue

The Right To Dream
We Are Fighting For Justice

By Arundhati Roy

You have reintroduced the right to dream into a system that tried to turn everybody into zombies mesmerized into equating mindless consumerism with happiness and fulfillment. Continue

Over 30,000 People Rally in New York City :
November 17: Historic Day of Action for the 99%

By MOD

Tens of thousands took action Thursday, November 17 to demand that our political system serve all of us — not just the wealthy and powerful. Continue

Rebellion in the Air:
Quan's Quackery and Bloomberg's Bull*hit

By Dave Lindorff

The scripted excuses provided by mayors around the country to justify their police-state tactics in rousting peaceful occupation movement activists from their park-based demonstrations now stand exposed as utter nonsense. Continue

Pakistan: US kills 32 people in short span of three days: The predator planes killed as many as eighteen people when they targeted a house in Sararogha area, situated at the confluence of North and South Waziristan agencies, with a barrage of hell fire missiles.

Secret Pakistan-US memo: President promised to create a "new security team" favorable to Americans: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari was so scared of a military coup after Osama bin Laden's death that he was ready to create a "new security team" favorable to Americans and promised the US to hand over top al Qaeda and Taliban officials residing in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s army enraged: A secret memo indicated President Asif Ali Zardari’s government asked for U.S. help to prevent a military coup following the Navy SEAL raid in May that killed Osama bin Laden.

Two roadside explosions kill seven Afghan children: Seven children and an elderly man were killed in two separate roadside bombings on Friday in Afghanistan, officials said.

US wants news blackout on Afghan deal: A senior Afghan official says that Washington wants a complete media blackout over the conditions set in its strategic long-term deal with Kabul

Iraq bombs kill eight in worst violence in weeks: Bombings against a policeman's home and three mosques killed eight people and wounded 13 on Friday, security officials said, in the worst violence to hit Iraq in weeks.

Syria 'to accept' Arab League monitoring mission: Syria has conditionally accepted an Arab League plan to send a mission to observe the implementation of proposals aimed at ending violence, a Syrian diplomatic source has told the BBC.

Free Syrian Army "Deserters" Seeks No-Fly Zone, Vows to Reach Palace: The group wants a buffer zone in the north, on the Turkish- Syrian border, and another in the south near the border with Jordan to help them bring the fight closer to Assad, Riad al As’ad, a former Syrian colonel who leads the Free Syrian Army, said in a phone interview from Turkey today.

Turkey, Jordan to set up safe zones in Syria: diplomats: Turkey and Jordan, backed by Western and Arab powers, are preparing to set up two "safe zones" for civilians inside Syria, diplomats said Friday.

Free Syrian Army (deserters) video : The video appears to show the moment a Syrian tank is hit by what appears to be a rocket-propelled grenade as it drives through a residential neighborhood in the central city of Homs

Report: Russia warships to enter Syria waters in bid to stem foreign intervention: Russian warships are due to arrive at Syrian territorial waters, a Syrian news agency said on Thursday, indicating that the move represented a clear message to the West that Moscow would resist any foreign intervention in the country's civil unrest.

Israel may target Iran civilian infrastructure as part of military strike, report says: U.S. security sources quoted by The Daily Beast claim Israeli forces plan to use electronic warfare to shut down Iranian electrical grid, cellphone networks.

Settlers 'attempted to kill' Israeli soldiers: Donald Macintyre meets the reservist whose blog exposing the violence in the West Bank has shocked his country

The real cost of Israel's occupation of the Palestinians: Palestinians are losing out on some $6.9 billion a year, a study shows, as restrictions on water use, resources and imports exact their toll.

Reverend Allan Boesak calls Israeli apartheid "more terrifying" than South Africa ever was: The Reverend Allan Aubrey Boesak is a veteran of the South African anti-apartheid struggle. He is the former president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and is a signatory of the South African Christian response to the Kairos Palestine Document.

Nixon adviser Henry Kissinger branded Jewish as self-serving 'b*******', new documents reveal: According to transcripts released by the State Department, Mr Kissinger - deputy national security adviser at the time - said to Mr Garment: 'Is there a more self-serving group of people than the Jewish community?' Mr Garment replied: 'None in the world.' The exchange was all the more remarkable because both Mr Kissinger and Mr Garment were Jewish.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians protest army 'dictatorship': Tens of thousands of Egyptians rallied Friday in Cairo's Tahrir square with Islamists in the forefront to protest against what they say are attempts by the country's military rulers to designate themselves as the guardians of a new Egypt. It was one of the largest rallies in Egypt in recent months.

Libya UN envoy says Qatar arming Islamists: - Libya's U.N. envoy Mohammed Abdel Rahman Shalgam on Friday urged Qatar to stop meddling in his country's domestic affairs, accusing the fellow Arab nation of providing funds and weapons to Libyan Islamists.

Libyan militias march in capital to demand voice in forming new government: Several thousand fighters armed with automatic weapons and accompanied by trucks mounted with mortars and heavy machine guns rallied late Thursday at Tripoli’s horse track, many of them saying they must approve of the new government.

Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood holds their first congress in Benghazi after 25 years: Brotherhood officials said it was their first public meeting inside Libya in almost quarter of a century, although it met underground during Qaddafi’s rule for fear of reprisals or held their congress abroad.

U.S. defence chief calls China, India 'threats': "We face the threats from rising powers, China, India, others that we have to always be aware of," Panetta said.

Pentagon’s new bomb kills long before you hear it: The US Army has tested a hypersonic missile, which travels six times faster than the speed of sound. It is part of a larger plan to have the capability to strike any place on the planet within an hour.

US must safeguard military's industrial base: Panetta: "I need to be able in this country to produce our ships, to produce our submarines, to produce our planes, to produce our fighter planes, to produce our tanks, to produce what we need for the military.

White House shooting suspect Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez says he's Jesus: Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, the Idaho man charged with shooting the White House and trying to kill President Obama, claims in an internet video that he is the second coming of Jesus Christ.

US lawmakers eye rules for terrorism prisoners: A divided US Senate pressed ahead Friday with a sweeping military spending bill that has drawn a White House veto threat over new rules requiring suspected terrorists to be kept in military custody.

Spanish Banks Have $41B of ‘Unsellable’ Real Estate: Spanish banks, under pressure to cut property-backed debt, hold about 30 billion euros ($41 billion) of real estate that’s “unsellable,” according to a risk adviser to Banco Santander SA (SAN) and five other lenders.

Reforms spark riots in Italy, Greece: Student protesters took to the streets in Milan when he first unveiled the measures, clashing with riot police and throwing flares at police as they tried to reach Bocconi University, Mr Monti heads. - At least 50,000 people marched past shuttered shops in central Athens beating drums, waving red flags and chanting "EU, IMF out!".

UBS slashes jobs, cuts profit targets: UBS said its investment bank staff would be cut to 16,500 by the end of 2013 and 16,000 by the end of 2016 from 18,000 now, with most job losses achieved by attrition and restructuring rather than redundancies.

'Public Repossession': Occupy London protesters take over third space: Occupy London has announced that it has taken over an abandoned office block in east London belonging to the investment bank UBS.

San Francisco police arrest 100 in Bank of America protest: Protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement seized a Bank of America branch in the city's financial district Wednesday, a demonstration that forced jittery customers and employees to flee and ended in nearly 100 arrests.

Police cracking down on media at Occupy Wall Street : Not only are police cracking down on the Occupy movement protesters but also on journalist. According to some reporters police have denied them access to cover the Occupy movement. In New York reporters with NYPD press passes are being physically removed from the scene and some even arrested. RT producer Lucy Kafanov is back in NYC to give us the latest.

More on How Mayors and Police Chiefs Coordinated Crackdowns: Today, the AP has a few more details on how the mayors of 18 cities "informally" coordinated and swapped advice for clearing out those pesky Occupy tents, including warning each other that the presence of homeless, the addicted and the ill would be a "tipping point."

Detroit mayor: 1,000 job cuts amid budget crisis: Detroit plans to cut 1,000 jobs by early next year to help deal with the city's budget crisis and avoid the possibility of a state-appointed emergency financial manager, Mayor Dave Bing announced Friday.

November 17, 2011

An Act Of War?
Top US Senator Unveils Iran Central Bank Sanctions

By AFP

Looking to heap pressure on Iran over its suspect nuclear program, a top US senator on Thursday introduced legislation aimed at collapsing the country's central bank. Continue

"Nuclear Option" Against Iran's Economy Paves Way for War

By Kate Gould

Once sanctions fail—as they almost always do—proponents for war use the failure of sanctions to justify military confrontation. Continue

Why the West is Demonizing Iran

By Stuart Littlewood

Iran nationalised its oil to achieve economic and political independence and combat poverty. Continue

Sanctioning Syria: The Long Road to Damascus

By Maidhc Ó Cathail

It should be clear for which country regime change in Syria presents a “strategic opportunity.” Continue

Fact Or Fiction?
US Plot to Wage Syria War Revealed

By Press TV

Informed sources in Syria say they have discovered a pre-fabricated US scenario for the country's future, seeking to wage war against the nation from various fronts. Continue

Israeli Forces Drag Palestinian Freedom Riders From Settler Bus

Video

“It’s just because I’m Palestinian” shouts a young woman toward the Israeli soldiers dragging her from a bus that serves Israel’s settler population and travels its segregated roads. Continue

A New Israel in the Making

By Gideon Levy

The future is now. The revolution is in progress; just wait for what's to come. Continue

Fake Terror Plots, Paid Informants
The Tactics of FBI 'Entrapment' Questioned

By Paul Harris in New York

Critics say bureau is running a sting operation across America, targeting vulnerable people by luring them into fake terror plots. Continue

Somebody’s Got To Keep ’Em Awake

Video Interview - Keith Olbermann

84 Year Old Activist Dorli Rainey on being pepper-sprayed by Seattle police, importance of activism. Continue

US Millionaires Say 'Raise Our Taxes'

By Al- Jazeera

Nearly 140 millionaires have asked a divided US congress to increase their taxes for the sake of the nation. Continue

Top Favorite Stock Holdings of Congress

By Barry Ritholtz

How can elected officials do “the people’s business” when they are too busy running around trading on the votes they are about to cast? Continue

The 99% Deficit Proposal Published

By Kevin Zeese

Occupy Washington DC Shows How to Create Jobs, Reduce the Wealth Divide and Control Spending. Continue

Occupy USA
Day Of Action

Live Video Stream

Click to view

Two UK occupation force soldiers killed in Afghan blast : Their deaths, while on patrol in Helmand province, came as friends and relatives paid tribute to Lance Corporal Peter Eustace, 25, who was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) on Wednesday.

Kenyan troops kill 12 "al-Shabaab" in Somalia: : Kenyan Military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir denied insurgents' claims that three of the Kenyans soldiers were killed in the attacks

Thursday: US kills 7 people in NW Pakistan: The US unmanned aircraft fired four missiles at a house in the remote Padam Shah village of Razmak area in the troubled North Waziristan district on Thursday.

Wednesday: U.S. kills at least 16 "militants" in Pakistan: The U.S. drone fired six missiles at a compound in the area, killing 16 suspected militants

Pakistan's US ambassador 'offers to resign': Hussain Haqqani denies asking for US help on behalf of Pakistan president to stop possible coup by army.

Four killed in Iraq bomb blast: A police officer said the military patrol was travelling in the town of Mahmoudiya when a parked car bomb exploded near it, killing two soldiers and two civilians.

Iraq's Sadr backs embattled Syrian leader Assad: There is "a big difference" between what is happening in Syria and the "great revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen," Sadr said . " Bashar al-Assad is against the American and Israeli presence and his attitudes are clear, not like those who collapsed before him, or will collapse," said the statement released by his office in the city of Najaf

Syria conflict 'similar to civil war', Russia says: Russia's foreign minister has said the situation in Syria is beginning to resemble civil war, after renegade soldiers attacked a key army base

Syria says it is studying Arab League ultimatum: Arab League foreign ministers on Wednesday gave Syria three days to accept Arab monitors and halt its violent crackdown on critics.

Syrian opposition welcomes Arab League observers, opposes suspension: The Syrian opposition will welcome Arab League observers, but is opposed to the organization suspending Syria's membership and imposing sanctions on the Western Asian country, an opposition leader said on Thursday.

Syria rebels hit ruling party after raid on intelligence: "A group of dissident troops attacked regime youth offices, where security agents were meeting, with rocket-propelled grenades and clashes broke out," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Free Syrian Army grows in influence: The attack by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on an air force intelligence base in the suburbs of the capital Damascus on November 16 has raised the profile of the band of army deserters, who are seeking to end President Bashar al-Assad’s long rule. Depending on whom you believe, the group is believed to number between 1,000 and 25,000.

Russian military chief: War risks have grown: Russia's chief military officer says the nation is facing an increased threat of being drawn into conflicts at its borders that may grow into an all-out nuclear war.

Engineering Consent For Attack On Iran Powers pressure Iran, IAEA chief "alerts world" : Major powers closed ranks on Thursday to increase pressure on Iran to address fears about its atomic ambitions, and the UN nuclear chief said it was his duty to "alert the world" about suspected Iranian efforts to develop atom bombs.

Airstrike Against Iranian Nuclear Facilities Could Kill 100s of North Koreans and Russians: Any aerial strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities could result in significant numbers of dead Russian and North Korean specialists as “collateral damage,” with all the diplomatic uncertainties that might ensue from Moscow and Pyongyang as the body bags start arriving home.

Barak, Lieberman to skip U.S. forum to avoid public debate on Iran, sources say: Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman decided to cancel their participation in a Washington conference on Israeli-U.S. ties in order to avoid a public debate on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Will Congress Vote To Crash Iran's Civilian Aircraft?: The Republican candidates for president are not the only politicians who use Iran and its nuclear program as a magnet for campaign dollars. The same dynamic is at play in Los Angeles, where two Democratic House members, Howard Berman and Brad Sherman, are trying to out-hawk each other on Iran in preparation for a June 2012 primary.

Abbas calls on Palestinians to mount non-violent resistance against Israel: Palestinian president says his people ‘will not succumb to the occupation,’ says will meet Hamas leader next week to discuss implementation of unity agreement.

Insurgents kill senior Yemen security officer: Unidentified militants shot dead a senior Yemeni security police officer in Aden city on Wednesday, said a security source.

Reuters Reporter Also Works for Yemen’s President: The Reuters news agency on Thursday stood by its Yemen correspondent amid outrage from opposition activists over his employment by the government as a personal translator to President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The Killing of Blacks in Libya and the Rise of the African Mercenary: Since the revolutionaries defeated, and then killed, Muammar Gaddafi, "dark-skinned" Africans from outside traditional North Africa have seen hell.

Scotland Yard asked to investigate MI6 role in abduction of Gadaffi opponent: Libyan Sami al-Saadi says he was tortured after he and his family were bundled on to a plane and flown to Tripoli

Libya’s Islamists Ransack Mosque Graves: Libyan gunmen broke into the Saif al-Nasr mosque in Tripoli early on Nov. 8, smashed open a wooden sarcophagus and removed the remains of Saif al-Nasr, a scholar who died 155 years ago, and a former imam, Hammad Zwai.

This is Sin: Gaddafi and the Brave New World: U.S. policymakers weren’t likely planning on the mass release of a Gaddafi snuff film. In their jubilation and braggadocio, the Libyan “freedom-fighters” ruined the enjoyment of a private viewing session available only to a chosen few within the Beltway

US to stockpile cluster bombs in Australia?: A US military "base" in Darwin, Australia (spun as a "rotational deployment" for China, I suspect), will necessitate foreign weapons systems and armaments being stockpiled, retained and transited on and in Australian territory.

Citi Chief Economist Willem Buiter: A Spanish Or Italian Default Could Happen In A Few Short Days : " I think we have maybe a few months -- it could be weeks, it could be days -- before there is a material risk of a fundamentally unnecessary default by a country like Spain or Italy which would be a financial catastrophe dragging the European banking system and North America with it.

Greek protests as France, Spain face squeeze: — Greek police clashed with anti-austerity protesters and Italy announced sweeping reforms in response to a European debt crisis that on Thursday pushed borrowing costs for France and Spain sharply higher.

U.S. Banks Face Contagion Risk From Europe Debt: U.S. banks face a “serious risk” that their creditworthiness will deteriorate if Europe’s debt crisis deepens and spreads beyond the five most-troubled nations, Fitch Ratings said.

Occupy Wall Street’s ‘Day of Disruption’: Live Updates

Occupy Wall Street: "You Might Be People But You Act Like Machines" - Video - Teenage Girl Among Early Morning Arrests.