Monday 28 November 2011

Pakistan Has Had Enough

By Simon Tisdall

The belief that weak, impoverished, divided Pakistan has no alternative but to slavishly obey its master's voice could turn out to be one of the seminal strategic miscalculations of the 21st century. Continue

Libya’s New Rulers Offer Weapons to Syrian Rebels
Syrian rebels held secret talks with Libya's new authorities on Friday

By Ruth Sherlock, in Misurata

"There is something being planned to send weapons and even Libyan fighters to Syria," - "There is a military intervention on the way. Within a few weeks you will see." Continue


Prepare for Riots in Euro Collapse, Foreign Office Warns

By James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor

British embassies in the eurozone have been told to draw up plans to help British expats through the collapse of the single currency, amid new fears for Italy and Spain. Continue

Unelected Puppets of a German-dominated EU

Video

Neil Cavuto talks to Nigel Farage MEP, UKIP, Co-President of the EFD Group in the European Parliament. Continue
Bankers Have Seized Europe
Goldman Sachs Has Taken Over


By Paul Craig Roberts

The European Union, just like everything else, is merely another scheme to concentrate wealth in a few hands at the expense of European citizens, who are destined, like Americans, to be the serfs of the 21st century. Continue

Satire
Goldman Sachs Announces Presidential Run

By K.M. Breay

The conglomerate will forgo donations altogether and instead finance the campaign with a portion of the $10 billion in taxpayer-funded bailout money the investment bank received in 2009. Continue

Thought Crime in Washington

By Peter Van Buren

In twenty-first-century America, “rights” are increasingly meant for those who behave themselves and don’t exercise them. Continue

Senators Demand the Military Lock Up American Citizens
By ACLU

The Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. Continue

Stranger Than Fiction
5-Year-Old Handcuffed, Charged With Battery On Officer

By Dave Manoucheri/KCRA

A Stockton student was handcuffed with zip ties on his hands and feet, forced to go to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and was charged with battery on a police officer. That student was 5 years old. Continue

Syria: 47 soldiers killed over weekend: Syrian army suffers major blow as deserters mount deadly attacks against Assad's combatants. Arab League discusses further sanctions on Damascus
15 civilians killed in Syria: Syrian forces killed at least 15 civilians on Sunday, six of them in the flashpoint region of Homs that has been under siege for several weeks in an operation to crush dissent, a rights group said.
Engineering Consent For Attack On Syria: Arab League approved “Unprecedented” Sanctions on Syria: Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim said 19 of the League's 22 member nations approved the sanctions, which include cutting off transactions with the Syrian central bank and halting Arab government funding for projects in Syria. Iraq and Lebanon abstained.
Engineering Consent For Attack On Syria: Arab states cut commercial ties with Syria: "The indications are not positive ... the sanctions are still economic but if there is no movement on the part of Syria then we have a responsibility as human beings to stop the killings," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, told reporters.
French forces said to be training Syria rebels: According to Milliyet, France has sent its military training forces to Turkey and Lebanon to coach the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) — a group of defectors operating out of Turkey and Lebanon — in an effort to wage war against Syria's military.
Leading Libyan Islamist met Free Syrian Army opposition group: Libyan authorities this week dispatched the country's most renowned Islamist militia leader to meet senior figures of the Free Syrian Army. The Daily Telegraph on Saturday revealed that the new Libyan authorities had offered money and weapons to the growing insurgency against Bashar al-Assad.
Angry Libyans stage ‘plane protest’ at Tripoli airport: A passsenger aircraft was surrounded and its take-off delayed for hours in the latest sign of lawlessness threatening Libya’s stability.
At least 21 killed, dozens hurt in Yemen fighting Monday,: At least 21 people have been killed and dozens wounded in northern Yemen, where Shia rebels are attacking positions held by Sunni Islamist Salafi fighters with bursts of shelling, a spokesman for the Salafis said yesterday.
Yemen's Saleh decrees 'general amnesty': The announcement on Sunday immediately angered groups who say Saleh can no longer take such decisions, having transferred his presidential powers to his deputy under a Gulf Co-operation Council deal to step down in return for immunity from prosecution.
Pakistan says NATO ignored pleas during raids that killed 24: The NATO air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers went on for almost two hours and continued even after Pakistani commanders had pleaded with coalition forces to stop, the army claimed on Monday in charges that could further inflame anger in Pakistan.
Rage grips Pakistan over NATO attack: Fury spread in Pakistan on Sunday over a NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and could undermine the US effort to wind up the war in Afghanistan. Sunday night in Pakistan, more than 40 hours after the incident, many questions remained.
NATO chief ‘regrets’ killing Pakistani soldiers: NATO expressed regret on Sunday over air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers as the United States sought to repair relations with Islamabad that plunged into crisis over the lethal attack.
Pakistanis protest state corruption: Tens of thousands of Pakistanis have staged a massive rally in Peshawar to protest government corruption and its alliance with the United States. The rally was organized at the request of the opposition politician and Chief of Tehreek-e-Insaf Political Party, Imran Khan.
Former Pakistan FM joins up with Imran Khan: Pakistan's ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi joined forces with cricketer-politician Imran Khan Sunday, becoming the most high-profile defector to his growing campaign to win the next general election.
NATO says 2 service members killed in eastern and southern Afghanistan: NATO says two of its service members have been killed in Afghanistan, one in combat operations in the east and the other by a roadside bomb in the south.
150,000 Iran missiles awaiting Israel: Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, advised the US and its allies to realize Iran's incredible might and know that in the event of a war the Islamic Republic will teach the Americans what war really is and what soldiers are supposed to be like.
Iran's parliament votes to expel British ambassador: MPs pass bill to downgrade diplomatic ties in response to economic sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear programme
US mulls harboring anti-Iran terrorists: The United States is mulling over removing the anti-Iranian Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) from its terrorist watch list and giving refuge to its members, a move which indicates Washington's support for terrorism.
Four killed, nine wounded in Iraq attacks: Bomb and gun attacks killed four people and wounded nine others across Iraq on Sunday, security officials said.
Army issues warning as Egyptians go to polls: Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who heads a council of generals who took power after Mubarak’s fall, called on voters to turn out and said he would not buckle in the face of demands for the army to hand control to civilian leaders.
MK: Prepare for War If Egypt Deploys in Sinai: MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) warned Sunday that Israel must prepare for the possibility that Egypt will deploy its military in the Sinai peninsula – and respond to that act as a declaration of war.
Palestinians to skip interim government: The Hamas statements suggested that a solution was being finessed to get around the disagreement over keeping Salam Fayyad, prime minister of the West Bank government, who is popular with Western donors but strongly opposed by Hamas. By retaining the separate governments until the elections and perhaps enabling them to work closer together, both sides could save face.
Seriously? Senate Considering Repeal of Anti-Torture Measures: Yesterday, the ACLU and over 30 other organizations sent a letter to the Senate asking them to oppose an effort in Congress that threatens to revive the use of torture and other inhumane interrogation techniques.
International banks have aided Mexican drug gangs: Banking powerhouse Wachovia Corp. last year agreed to pay $160 million in forfeitures and fines after U.S. federal prosecutors accused it of "willfully" overlooking the suspicious character of more than $420 billion in transactions between the bank and Mexican currency-exchange houses — much of it probably drug money, investigators say.

November 26, 2011
NATO Kills 28 Pakistani Troops, Outrage in Islamabad

By PTI

NATO helicopters and combat jets fired on two border posts in the country's northwest, prompting army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to direct his troops to prepare for ''an effective response'' even as authorities cut off all supplies for US forces in Afghanistan. Continue

Pakistan: US Must Vacate Suspected Drone Base
Pakistan stops NATO supplies after deadly raid


By SEBASTIAN ABBOT

The government issued the demand Saturday after NATO helicopters and jet fighters attacked two Pakistan army posts. Continue

Unelected Puppets of a German-dominated EU

Video Interview

Neil Cavuto talks to Nigel Farage MEP, UKIP, Co-President of the EFD Group in the European Parliament. Continue

Bankers Have Seized Europe

By Paul Craig Roberts

The European Union, just like everything else, is merely another scheme to concentrate wealth in a few hands at the expense of European citizens, who are destined, like Americans, to be the serfs of the 21st century. Continue

Ask the Candidates Real Questions – Like These

By Ray McGovern

Pity the pundits. It must be hard to pretend to be a journalist and live in constant fear of being one question or comment away from joining the jobless. Continue

The Shocking Truth About the Crackdown on Occupy

By Naomi Wolf

The violent police assaults across the US are no coincidence. Occupy has touched the third rail of our political class's venality. Continue

Bush, Blair Found Guilty of War Crimes

By Press TV

A War Crimes Tribunal in Malaysia has found former US President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair guilty of war crimes for their roles in the Iraq war. Continue

U.S. And French Air Strikes Raise Human Toll in Somalia

By Abayomi Azikiwe

United States and French military involvement in Africa is taking a deadly toll in Somalia. Despite Washington's denials, the people of this nation are suffering under the impact of yet another imperialist-driven war. Continue

Libya Leaders Supported by "Money, Arms, PR"- Ex-premier
By Reuters

One of the most senior figures in Libya's outgoing government has denounced its leaders as an unelected elite, supported by "money, arms and PR," and warned that 90 percent of Libya is politically voiceless. Continue

This Was Always a Civil War, and the Victors are not Merciful

By Patrick Cockburn

The National Transitional Council, whose control is largely theoretical, is not in a position to stop this purge because many of its members are themselves frightened of being accused of links with the old regime. Continue

It’s Not About Freedom, It’s All About Iran

By Marwan Al Kabalan

Syria's foes have seized the opportunity provided by the crisis to try to change regional balance of power in their favour. Continue

Is Britain Plotting With Israel to Attack Iran?
Ex-ambassador exposes government cover-up


By Jonathan Cook in Nazareth

Last February Britain’s then defense minister Liam Fox attended a dinner in Tel Aviv with a group described as senior Israelis. Alongside him sat Adam Werritty, a lobbyist whose “improper relations” with the minister would lead eight months later to Fox’s hurried resignation. Continue
Bachmann Endangers the World with Her Lies

By Naji Al Ali

It’s way past time for Michele Bachmann to be ridiculed into the obscurity she so richly deserves. Continue

Today in history: The Iran-Contra affair erupted
Coverup: Behind the Iran Contra Affair (1988)

Video Documentary

Coverup exposes a tale of politics, drugs, hostages, weapons, assassinations, covert operations and the ultimate plan to suspend the US Constitution. Continue

The Roads To War And Economic Collapse

By Paul Craig Roberts

The day before the Thanksgiving holiday brought three extraordinary news items. Continue

An Open Letter to the Winter Patriot

By Mitch Green

As the occupy movement continues to grow in defiance of the heavy-handed police action determined to squelch it, a natural question emerges: What point will the military be summoned to contain the cascade of popular dissent?  Continue

The First Amendment Upside Down.
Why We Must Occupy Democracy

By Robert Reich

Millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street and in executive suites aren’t contributing all this money out of sheer love of country. Continue

Budget cuts may hit needy Americans

By Al Jazeera

Advocates for the poor and often hungry in the US say that problems for the nation's needy could intensify if the agriculture department bows to pressure from congress to reduce food-assistance schemes. Continue

Pakistan: Thirty-nine "insurgents" killed: Four soldiers were also killed in the firefight, which lasted several hours. Militant sources confirmed the clashes and casualties but disputed the government’s death toll, reported the Express Tribune daily.
10 Afghans die in Taliban ambush on Nato convoy: - At least 10 Afghan security guards were killed Thursday when Taliban militants ambushed a logistics convoy destined for US-led Nato forces in western Afghanistan, a local official said.
Karzai says NATO strike killed seven Afghan civilians: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday accused NATO-led international forces of killing up to seven civilians, most of them children, in an air strike in the south.
At least 23 Syrian security forces killed in latest clashes: - At least 23 members of Syria's security forces and 15 deserters have been killed in clashes, mainly in the flashpoint province of Homs, where 13 civilians also died, activists said.“Most importantly, we believe that the full transfer of power to a civilian government must take place in a just and inclusive manner that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people, as soon as possible.”
'10 Syrian army members killed in attack on base': "An armed terrorist group undertook an evil assassination plot that martyred six pilots, a technical officer and three other personnel on an air force base between Homs and Palmyra," a military spokesman said on state television.
Arab League extends Syria deadline: President Bashar al-Assad had been given until 1pm Cairo time today to agree to admit a team of 500 monitors. By this time, no reply from Syria had been received. But the Arab League is understood to be prepared to wait for the rest of Friday.
Pressure grows on Syria but foreign powers divided: - Turkey and Arab powers kept up pressure on Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to end the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators on Friday but longtime ally Russia warned against any foreign intervention.
Pro-Assad rallies in Syria denouncing the Arab League: - Demonstrations were taking place Friday across Syria to denounce the Arab League's deadline to Damascus and expressed rejection to any foreign interference in Syria's affairs.
Embedded with Syrian army deserters: : BBC Video - The Free Syrian Army is made up of "pro-democracy protesters" and soldiers who have deserted from the Syrian Army.
BRICS countries against external interference into Syria’s affairs: BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have also stressed that additional and unilateral sanctions against Iran would be counterproductive and would lead only to aggravation of the situation.
Turkey says ready to act with Arab League to stop Syria violence: Davutoglu said Syria "must open its doors to observers," and that the patience of Turkey and Arab countries is "running out over the bloodshed in Syria."
19 killed in Basra blasts: A roadside bomb and a motorcycle exploded in quick succession in a busy commercial district that includes shops and restaurants, the officials said.
U.S. Blocks Iranian Gas Exports To The East, Russian To The West: “The Pak-Iran gas pipeline is not a good idea, as Iran is unreliable,” said US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter on Friday, according to Pakistani news sources.
Iran 'Arrests 12 CIA Agents': Influential politician says US spies had been gathering intelligence on military units and nuclear activities
'Iran CIA agent arrests linked to missile testing': Senior Iran analyst tells 'Post' that Tehran moving missiles "that would form first response" to Israeli strike on nuclear sites.
Mysterious explosions pose dilemma for Iranian leaders: Despite the official denial of foreign involvement in the latest blast, suspicions have been raised in Iran by what industry experts say is a fivefold increase in explosions at refineries and gas pipelines since 2010.
Protester killed near Cairo's Tahrir Square: Activist killed in front of government buildings, as death toll rises to 42 following eight days of clashes in Egypt.
Egypt new PM claims more powers than predecessor: Egypt's military rulers picked a prime minister from ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's era to head the next government, according to state television, a choice that will almost certainly intensify criticism by tens of thousands of protesters accusing the generals of trying to extend the old guard and demanding they step down immediately.
Egyptians Angry Over Military's Choice of Prime Minister: Kamal el-Ganzouri, who was Egypt's prime minister from 1996-1999 and deputy prime minister and planning minister before that, was picked by the country's military leaders to govern the country, according to state television. He served as prime minister under President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in February.
Health Ministry - 30 Killed in Local Unrest: A total of 30 people have been killed in three days of deadly clashes in several Egyptian cities.
Egypt's Tahrir filling for anti-military protest: Tens of thousands of protesters chanting, "Leave, leave!" are rapidly filling up Cairo's Tahrir Square in what promises to be a massive demonstration to force Egypt's ruling military council to yield power.
Egypt protesters killed by live ammunition during Tahrir clashes: Egypt's ruling generals have been accused by a human rights organisation of having blood on their hands after medical workers confirmed that live ammunition had been used against anti-junta demonstrators in Tahrir Square.
EU calls for civilian government in Egypt: The European Union condemned "excessive violence" in Egypt's handling of protesters seeking an end to military rule and urged Cairo to move quickly towards a civilian government.
Saudi officials: 4 killed in Shiite protests: Saudi Arabia's minority Shiite Muslims have staged protests in an eastern city, and four were shot dead, the Interior Ministry said today.
4 Killed as blast follows Kenyan air raid in Somalia: Two grenade attacks in the eastern Kenyan town of Garissa, close to the border to Somalia, have killed three people and injured 27, police said.
U.S. intensifies its proxy fight against al-Shabab in Somalia: The Obama administration is intensifying its campaign against an al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia by boosting the number of proxy forces in the war-torn country, expanding drone operations and strengthening military partnerships throughout the region.
US Senator asks US and NATO to support Kenya's Somalia incursion: Addressing his colleagues in the Senate in Washington, DC, Senator Mark Kirk (IL) thanked the Government of Kenya and President Mwai Kibaki in particular for the difficult and bold decision made to invade Somalia to get rid of Al Shabaab.
Yemen's vice-president calls snap elections: Ballot will be held on February 21, a year ahead of schedule, to comply with power-sharing deal signed this week.
2 dead as military, defectors clash in Yemen: Yemeni officials say heavy fighting has broken out in the capital Sanaa between security forces and an army unit that joined the popular uprising against autocratic President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Protesters Reject Yemen Power Transfer: - A U.S.-backed deal for Yemen's authoritarian president to step down fell far short of the demands of protesters who fought regime supporters on the streets of Sanaa Thursday in clashes that left five dead.
Fighting erupts in Yemen amid protests: Security forces and army defectors clash in Sanaa after protesters reject deal signed by Saleh to transfer power.
Clashes with police follow Bahrain funeral: Police use tear gas against protesters after the funeral for a man allegedly killed by police on Wednesday.
Binyamin Netanyahu attacks Arab spring uprisings: Israeli PM claims 'Islamic, anti-western, anti-liberal, anti-Israeli, undemocratic wave' vindicates tough stance with Palestinians
Fayyad: Palestinian Authority will soon become completely incapacitated by Israel: Palestinian PM meets with Norway FM, who says Israel's withholding of tax funds from PA amounts to 'waterboarding an economy'; Fayyad: This is our money.
Congressmen seek probe into PA use of US funds: Florida Democratic Congressman Ted Deutsch and New York Democratic Congressman Steve Israel have asked US Comptroller-General Gene Dodaro to investigate the Palestinian Authority’s use of American funding.
21 Nato soldiers hurt in clashes with Serbs: Twenty-one Nato soldiers were wounded overnight, one seriously, when Serbs in Kosovo fought with peacekeepers trying to remove barricades erected against the country`s ethnic Albanian authorities, the alliance said on Thursday.
More questions than answers about NATO's Libya role: The reasons and the consequences behind NATO's bombing on the Libyan town of Majer still remain unclear three months on. Deutsche Welle visited the scene of one of the darkest episodes in Libya's war.
Indian forces claim Maoist leader killed: Koteshwar Rao, known as Kishenji, had fought 30-year resistance war against state governments in eastern India.
Mexico police find 26 dead in gang killing: Bodies found in abandoned cars in Guadalajara, one day after 16 burned bodies found in Culiacan.
Mexico: Activists Want President and Drug Lords Tried for War Crimes: - Activists are hoping that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will take up a case against Mexican President Felipe Calderón, government officials and drug traffickers and indict those responsible for the violence wracking the country. But this is likely to be a complex and lengthy process.
Confirmed – Los Zetas Use ‘Straw Purchasers’ to Buy South Texas Ranches: Last year, several reports surfaced about how Los Zetas were driving South Texas farmers out of their properties in order to purchase them for their drug running operations. But none of these reports were actually confirmed. The property owners were afraid to speak because they had been threatened by Los Zetas.
Bush, Blair found guilty of war crimes: A War Crimes Tribunal in Malaysia has found former US President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair guilty of war crimes for their roles in the Iraq war, Press TV reports.
Feelings of guilt may be a top factor in PTSD: Marine Corps study: A leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder is guilt that troops experience because of moral dilemmas faced in combat, according to preliminary findings of a study of active-duty Marines.
Drones to patrol the skies above Olympic Stadium: Unmanned drones equipped with surveillance cameras will be flown across the skies of London during next year's Olympic Games,
GPS tracking: Supreme Court must protect Americans from Orwellian control: This term the Supreme Court will decide whether the warrantless GPS monitoring of an individual’s car violates the Fourth Amendment. The court’s answer must be a resounding yes.
Budget cuts may hit needy Americans: Problems for poor to intensify if food-stamps programme that assists 45 million people gets reduced.

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