Monday 31 January 2011

The Torture Career of Egypt’s New Vice President:
Omar Suleiman and the Rendition to Torture Program

By Stephen Soldz

Suleiman wasn’t just the go-to bureaucrat for when the Americans wanted to arrange a little torture. This “urbane and sophisticated man” apparently enjoyed a little rough stuff himself. Continue

How Did The U.S. Get In Bed With Mubarak?

By Justin Elliott

His being a steadfast ally -- what has that done for the U.S. beyond the Israeli question?
Continue

Things Have To Change In Order To Remain The Same

By Paul Craig Roberts

After days of Egyptians in the streets demanding “Mubarak must go,” the US government remains aligned with its puppet Egyptian ruler, even suggesting that Mubarak, after running a police state for three decades, is the appropriate person to implement democracy in Egypt. Continue

What Corruption and Force Have Wrought in Egypt

By Chris Hedges

The Muslim world does not see us as we see ourselves. Muslims are aware, while we are not, that we have murdered tens of thousands of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. We have terrorized families, villages and nations. Continue

Can the Palestinian Authority survive?

By Jonathan Cook in Nazareth

"The fight for national independence is over and, if it is to survive, the PA must quickly reinvent its role. Palestinians are now in for the long haul: a struggle for their civil and political rights in a single state," Continue

US Troops Die Because of Their Country, Not For It

By Gary Younge


US admiration for its soldiers may be deep and widespread, but interest in what they are doing is shallow and fleeting. Continue

Where's the Protest at Home?

By Robert Kuttner

Where is the leadership connecting the dots... between the financial meltdown, the record profits and bonuses on Wall Street, the continuing collapse of home equity, the joblessness, and the assault on public services in the name of budgetary prudence? Continue

Another "Whitewash" for Wall Street

By Mike Whitney

The banks can continue to deceive shareholders and investors just like before, and anyone who opposes them, like ex-FASB Chairman Robert Herz, will get the boot. This is a system that no longer has the capacity for course-correction, which is why another crisis cannot be far off. Continue

Floods Australia‘s ‘Katrina’ moment

By John Pilger

The victims of the great flood have been mostly poor people, including timber workers and their families. Most could not afford insurance or discovered their policy did not include “types of flood”. Continue

Somali police battle troops, leaving 16 dead: At least 16 people have been killed and 56 injured in the Somali capital Mogadishu, during a shoot-out between troops and police.
Sudan student 'dies in clashes': Protesters say he was beaten by police amid anti-government demonstrations in Khartoum and died of his wounds.
One dead, seven injured in Iraq: Gunmen have killed an Iraqi electricity ministry employee and seven people have been wounded in a string of attacks in Baghdad.
Six killed in two Pakistan blasts: officials: Six people including four police officers were killed and 14 people wounded in two bomb blasts in Pakistan's northwest on Monday, the first detonated by a teenage suicide bomber.
Double murder-accused US diplomat was on a 'task' in Pakistan: "I told you that I was going to fulfil the task, assigned to me in my capacity. That's all," a highly placed source quoted the accused as having told the investigators.
NATO occupation force soldier killed IED blast in Afghanistan: "An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today," the statement said.
Afghan bank’s losses could reach $900m: Fraud and mismanagement at Afghanistan’s largest bank have resulted in potential losses of as much as $900 million — three times previous estimates — heightening concerns that the bank could collapse and trigger a broad financial panic in Afghanistan
Kabul Bank employees flee amid investigation into lending: The acting chief financial officer and other Pakistani employees of Kabul Bank have fled Afghanistan amid an investigation into the scope of the bank's reckless lending and allegations that its shareholders paid large bribes to many senior Afghan officials, according to Afghan officials and others familiar with the issue.
Egypt army: will not use violence against citizens: The army said on Monday it would not use force against Egyptians staging protests demanding President Hosni Mubarak step down, a statement said.
Egypt: Log on to the Revolution: Egyptians can continue to connect to the internet for free (I've heard) via traditional phone lines using the following instructions: FDN (Free World Dial up) to access the Internet anonymously at the following number: 33172890150 with login: toto and password: toto.
Mubarak swears in new cabinet: Egypt's president appoints new cabinet in an attempt to quell ongoing mass street protests against his rule.
US envoy in Cairo for talks: Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, dismissed Monday's move by Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to appoint a new government, saying the situation in the country called for action, not appointments.
Former President Carter guesses Egypt's Mubarak 'will have to leave': - Former President Jimmy Carter called the weeklong political unrest and rioting in Egypt an “earth shaking event” and said that the country’s president, Hosni Mubarak, “will have to leave.”
Egyptian financial crisis looms: Investors transferred hundreds of millions of dollars out of the country since the start of the protests a week ago.
Egypt turmoil pushes crude oil price over $100 a barrel: Opec secretary general expresses concern with tension throughout region and armed guards at Suez canal
Israel urging Canada, U.S. to curb criticism of Mubarak: Ambassadors in those countries as well as in Russia and China were ordered Saturday “to stress to their host countries the importance of Egypt’s stability,” according to Haaretz, considered by many observers to be Israel’s most influential daily newspaper
U.S. presidential hopefuls hit the campaign trail in Israel : One of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination for president in 2012, Mike Huckabee leaves no stones unturned when it comes to his backing for Israel.
Officials lay cornerstone for new Jewish East Jerusalem neighborhood : The cornerstone for a new East Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood was placed on Monday, in a ceremony attended by Knesset members, Jerusalem councilmen, as well as former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.
EU freezes assets of Tunisia's ousted President Ben Ali: The sanctions were approved by EU foreign ministers, after a request from Tunisia's new interim government.
Muslims Grow Disillusioned About Obama: In Egypt the percentage of Muslims expressing confidence in Obama fell from 41% to 31% and in Turkey from 33% to 23%.:
California man arrested with explosives outside Dearborn Islamic center: : A man has been charged with making a terrorist threat and carrying explosives after targeting one of the biggest mosques in the U.S.
As Egypt goes offline US gets internet 'kill switch' bill ready: As Egypt's government attempts to crackdown on street protests by shutting down internet and mobile phone services, the US is preparing to reintroduce a bill that could be used to shut down the internet.
EFF Uncovers Widespread FBI Intelligence Violations: EFF documents alarming trends in the Bureau’s intelligence investigation practices, suggesting that FBI intelligence investigations have compromised the civil liberties of American citizens far more frequently, and to a greater extent, than was previously assumed.
AAA Rating Is Tough to Defend as U.S. Debt Soars: Kevin Hassett: Last week, Standard & Poor’s lowered Japan’s bond rating to AA-, the fourth-highest level. By that standard, the U.S. got away with a slap on the wrist from Moody’s Investors Service, which warned merely that “the probability of assigning a negative outlook in the coming two years is rising.”
Nearly 11 Percent of US Houses Empty: Homeownership is falling at an alarming pace, despite the fact that home prices have fallen, affordability is much improved and inventories of new and existing homes are still running quite high.
Low-wage jobs dominated hiring so far in job market recovery: Growth has been concentrated in mid-wage and lower-wage industries. High-wage sectors -- made up of jobs that pay between $17.43 and $31 an hour -- accounted for nearly half the jobs lost during the recession, but have produced only 5% of the new jobs since hiring resumed
Florida Judge strikes down Obama's healthcare law: A federal judge in Florida has declared the US healthcare reform bill passed in 2010 unconstitutional, ruling in a suit brought by 26 states.

Sunday 30 January 2011

Egypt: Death Throes of a Dictatorship

By Robert Fisk

Robert Fisk joins protesters atop a Cairo tank as the army shows signs of backing the people against Mubarak's regime. Continue

Uprising in Egypt: 'This Is How Regimes Fall'

By Gywnne Dyer

The likely winner of a genuinely free Egyptian election, according to most opinion polls, would be the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brothers are not particularly radical as Islamists go, but the first thing they have promised to do if they win power is to hold a referendum on Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. Continue

The Egyptian Intifada; Mubarak's Time Is Up

By Mike Whitney

The Israeli embassy has been shut down in Egypt's capital and it's diplomatic staff has been flown to Tel Aviv (allegedly) disguised as tourists.. The Star of David has been lowered and is no longer visible anywhere in Cairo.
Continue

Who's Behind The Uprising In Egypt?
Rude Awakening!

By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich

Mubarak is dying.  Fearful of losing an important ally in Egypt's Mubarak, the political elite in America have undertaken a calculated risk: siding with the Egyptians to promote 'democracy' - hoping to help put in place one of their own. Continue

The Egyptian Masses Won't Play Ally to Israel

By Gideon Levy


As long as the masses in Egypt and in the entire Arab world continue seeing the images of tyranny and violence from the occupied territories, Israel will not be able to be accepted, even it is acceptable to a few regimes. Continue

George Galloway : Mubarak - "An International Outlaw"

2 Minute Video

Galloway call on Egypt's army to rise up and sweep away Mubarak. Continue

Al Jazeera English Live From Egypt

Video Live Stream

Video Reports From Egypt. Continue

Chomsky: Elections Today "Public Relations Extravaganzas."

Video - Noam Chomsky Lecture University Of Tennessee

Chomsky discussed the United States' support of dictatorships in Egypt, Tunisia, Georgia, Jordan and Colombia.
Continue

George Carlin - Who Really Controls America

5 Minute Video

Warning - Some viewers may be offended by adult language. Continue

8 killed in northwest Pakistan: Six pro-Taliban militants were killed as security forces repulsed an attack on a check post while two children died when a landmine went off in the restive tribal belt of northwest Pakistan
4 German occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: Four German soldiers have reportedly been killed when a bomb struck their military vehicle in northern Afghanistan
Egypt death toll touches 150; thousands of prisoners flee: Gangs of armed men helped free thousands of prisoners and looters rampaged malls, banks and jewellery stores, even as many armymen doffed uniforms to join the uprising
Egypt defense min. threatens people: Egyptian Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi has warned the anti-government protesters against defying curfew as people continue to stay out.
Report: Mubarak gives army shoot-to-kill order: Embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has reportedly given his armed forces the authority to shoot-to-kill as anti-government protests gain momentum.
Mubarak visits military oper. center: Mubarak has visited an army military operations cente, reports say. Mubarak's newly-appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman, Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and Chief of Staff Sami al-Anan attended the meeting.
Egyptian military boosts presence in chaotic Cairo: Egypt's most prominent reform advocate called for President Hosni Mubarak to resign after the military stepped up its presence Sunday across the anarchic capital, closing roads with tanks and sending fighter jets streaking over downtown.
Mubarak tells new PM to cut prices, blames rioting on Islamists: In a letter read aloud on television, Mubarak tells his newly appointed Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq to ease the country's economic crisis but ignores widespread calls to step down.
Egypt's Minister of Defense joins protesters in Tahrir Square: Mohamed Tantawi, Egypt's Minister of Defense, has been seen with the protesters in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Tantawi in also Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
ElBaradei urges US to abandon Mubarak: "The American government cannot ask the Egyptian people to believe that a dictator who has been in power for 30 years would be the one to implement democracy. This is a farce," ElBaradei told the CBS program 'Face the Nation.'
Elbaradei: No going back in Egypt: Mohamed Elbaradei, a leading opposition figure, has joined thousands of protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, in continued demonstrations demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Mubarak Said Hiding in Sharm el-Sheikh: Rumors were sweeping Cairo Saturday night that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was hiding in his palace in Sharm el-Sheikh, fearing to leave in order not to set off riots in the Sinai city, which so far has been calm.
Live blog - Egypt protests: From our headquarters in Doha, we keep you updated on all things Egypt, with reporting from Al Jazeera staff in Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez.
Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau: In a statement, Al Jazeera said it strongly denounces and condemns the closure of its bureau in Cairo by the Egyptian government. The network received notification from the Egyptian authorities on Sunday morning.
Obama will go down in history as the president who lost Egypt: Jimmy Carter will go down in American history as "the president who lost Iran," - Barack Obama will be remembered as the president who "lost" Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt, and during whose tenure America's alliances in the Middle East crumbled.
New IDF intelligence chief failed to predict Egypt uprising: Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said Mubarak's government was not under threat and that Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood was not sufficiently organized to take power.
Israel mulling Sinai attack?: Besides dictatorship and the prevention of general freedoms, one of the things the Egyptian people had always censured Hosni Mubarak for had been his insistence on continuing peace with Israel and even allowing it to rule over part of the country.
Gaza-Egypt border sealed indefinitely: - Egyptian authorities have closed the crossing with the Gaza Strip indefinitely as its army deploys in the northern Sinai, a Ma'an correspondent said Sunday. added.
US National Guard detachment is heading to Egypt: Connecticut National Guard Detachment 2, Company I, 185th Aviation Regiment of Groton has mobilized and will deploy to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, to support the Multinational Force and Observers.
Palestinians: Fall of Egyptian regime will accelerate end to Abbas: "The siege, hunger and death brought to the Gaza Strip by the regime is being recompensed at the hands of the Egyptians," he
Report: Cyprus recognizes Palestinian states within 1967 borders: Palestinian news agency WAFA says Cyprus President Christofias sent letter to PA leader Abbas, stating his hope that a Palestinian state will be formed with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Huckabee Arriving in Israel Sunday, Tops Two Primary Polls: Unofficial Republican party presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a solid supporter of Israel, is en route for his 15th visit.
Assad: Mideast leaders must accommodate people's desire for change: Syrian President Bashar Assad says he will promote political reform in his country in the wake of popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Thousands to protest in Sudan: As street protests sweep Egypt, neighbouring Sudan watches nervously, faced with its own political and economic malaise, opposition calls for popular uprisings and the likely secession of the south.
Turkish Cypriots protest austerity measures: Tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots joined a protest Friday (January 28th) against austerity measures imposed by Turkey, which controls the northern part of the divided island.
Tunisian Islamist leader Rachid Ghannouchi returns home: The leader of Tunisia's main Islamist movement has returned home after 22 years in exile following the ousting of President Ben Ali earlier this month.
Authoritarian governments start stockpiling food to fight public anger: Authoritarian governments across the world are aggressively stockpiling food as a buffer against soaring food costs which they fear may stoke popular discontent.
UK: Police use CS spray on tax protesters: UK Uncut activists hospitalised after targeting Boots in Oxford Street as part of latest day of action
FBI involved in hundreds of violations in national-security investigations: The FBI disclosed to a presidential board that it was involved in nearly 800 violations of laws, regulations or policies governing national-security investigations from 2001 to 2008, but the government won't provide details or say whether anyone was disciplined, according to a report by a privacy-watchdog group.
Religious clashes have killed 35 in Nigeria: police: Clashes between Christians and Muslims in central Nigeria last week have left 35 people dead, police said on Sunday, as fresh violence flared up in the flashpoint city of Jos.
Dutch ends Iran ties over hanging: Government's move came in response to the hanging of a Dutch-Iranian woman on Saturday
Chile to probe Allende's death: The investigation is part of an investigation into hundreds of complaints of human rights abuses during Pinochet's 1973-1990 rule. Beatriz Pedrals, a prosecutor in the appellate court in Santiago, said on Thursday that she had decided to investigate 726 deaths that had never previously been explored, including Allende's.

Saturday 29 January 2011

A People Defies Its Dictator
A Nation's Future In The Balance

By Robert Fisk

A brutal regime is fighting, bloodily, for its life. Robert Fisk reports from the streets of Cairo. Continue

In Case You Missed It
Egypt's Next Strongman

BY ISSANDR AMRANI

When Cairo switched its strategic alliance from Moscow to Washington, he received training at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School and Center at Fort Bragg, N.C., in the 1980s. Suleiman continues to have privileged contacts with U.S. intelligence and military officials, with whom he has now been dealing for at least a quarter-century. Continue

Egypt Protests Show American Foreign-Policy Folly

By Stephen Kinze

Accepting that Arabs have the right to elect their own leaders means accepting the rise of governments that do not share America’s pro-Israel militancy. This is the dilemma Washington now faces. Continue

Fear Extreme Islamists in the Arab World? Blame Washington

By Jeff Cohen

In the last year of his life, Martin Luther King Jr. questioned U.S. military interventions against progressive movements in the Third World by invoking a JFK quote: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." Continue


Inequality In America Is Worse Than In Egypt, Tunisia Or Yemen

By Washington's Blog

So why are Egyptians rioting, while the Americans are complacent? Continue

At least 95 killed in Egypt unrest since Friday: - At least 95 people have been killed in nationwide protests in Egypt since Friday, Al Jazeera television reported Saturday, citing a tally by its own correspondents.
Egypt Mubarak picks vice-president for first time: Omar Suleiman, 74, has long taken a close role in key policy areas, including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, an issue seen as vital to Egypt's relationship with its key ally and aid donor the United States.
Background: Key players in Egypt : Since al- Sadat's murder the country has been in a state of emergency, which has enabled the regime to limit political freedoms and crack down on opposition.
Wikileaks cables: Mubarak skeptical of U.S. reform push: Leaked cables show U.S. pressure viewed skeptically by Mubarak, who believes ill-advised U.S. pushes for Mideast reform have produced colossal mistakes.
US foreign aid to Egypt: Since the Israel-Egypt peace accord in 1979, these two countries have been the number one and two recipients of US foreign aid. (Excluding money spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.) This amounts to around one-third of total US foreign aid.
The Guardian: Egypt protests - live updates: After the fourth and most deadly day of protest against Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, the Egyptian president is set to appoint a new government today. Follow all the latest developments and reaction here
Al Jazeera: Live blog 29/1 - Egypt protests: Minute to minute reports from Egypt
BBC Live updates: Egypt unrest day five : Live coverage of the fifth day of anti-government protests in Egypt, as hundreds of demonstrators return to the streets of central Cairo
Did Someone Recycle the Shah of Iran's Last Speech for Hosni Mubarak?: It was just weeks before he left Iran forever amidst a massive nationwide demonstration against him that the Shah of Iran broadcast his last speech to the people, apologizing for his past mistakes. On November 5, 1978, he pleaded:
Egyptian Police Using U.S.-Made Tear Gas Against Demonstrators: Egyptian riot police are firing tear gas canisters bearing the label "Made in U.S.A" against street demonstrations in Cairo, according to protesters who provided ABC News with pictures of the canisters.
US gave material support to pro-democracy groups in Egypt: Wikileaks: The United States has pumped tens of millions of dollars into pro-democracy organisations in Egypt to the dismay of beleaguered President Hosni Mubarak, according to diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and published by a Norwegian paper Friday.
Egypt protests: America's secret backing for rebel leaders : The American government secretly backed leading figures behind the Egyptian uprising who have been planning “regime change” for the past three years, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
Al Jazeera: Mubarak's wife leaves for London: Al Jazeera reported earlier that Mubarak's two sons, Gamal and Ala, have arrived in London with their families, escaping Egypt as result of the unrest
Dozens of Israelis flee Egypt on emergency flight : Israel's national airline El AL has whisked some 200 Israelis, including families of Israeli diplomats, out of Egypt on board an emergency flight to escape the chaos engulfing the Arab country.
Without Egypt, Israel will be left with no friends in Mideast: Without Egypt's Mubarak and with relations with Turkey in shambles, Israel will be forced to court new potential allies.
Paraguay joins Latin American neighbors in recognizing Palestinian state: Paraguay FM: Israel-Palestinian negotiations essential for peace and security; summit to be held next month between Latin America and Arab countries.
New protests erupt in Yemen: Activists calling for the ouster of president clash with government supporters in Sanaa.
How we know Bradley Manning is a UK citizen: Bradley Manning is a UK citizen by virtue of his mother’s nationality. He holds both US and UK citizenship.
9 Taliban militants killed in northwest Pakistan: Security forces targeted rebel positions in the restive Mohmand tribal region of northwest Pakistan on Saturday, killing nine Taliban militants, security officials said.
Two killed as militants ambush security forces convoy in Khyber: A gun-battle ensued the mortar attack on the forces’ convoy and left two people dead and six injured in the tribal region’s Shalobar area. Militants fired three rockets at the forces’ convoy during routine patrolling.
Lahore deaths accused 'is diplomat, must be freed' - US: Lahore police chief Aslam Tareen told the BBC Mr Davis was employed on "security duties" in the consulate. He did not have diplomatic immunity and was not one of the foreign security personnel allowed to carry firearms, according to the Pakistani authorities.
Prominent Afghan family killed in Kabul attack: A prominent Afghan doctor, his rights activist wife and four of their children were all killed in Friday's suicide attack on a Kabul supermarket, president Hamid Karzai said.
Deputy governor killed in Afghan suicide attack in Kandahar : The deputy governor of Afghanistan‘s southern Kandahar province has been killed in a suicide attack, officials have said.
Israel agent details Iran assassination: An Israeli agent arrested in Iran over the assassination of Iranian nuclear physicist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi says Tel Aviv places high importance on the elimination of Iranian nuclear scientists.
Anonymous: UK arrests are a 'declaration of war': "Our advice to you, the UK government, is to take this statement as a serious warning from the citizens of the world," it added.
US financial crisis was 'avoidable': Congressionally appointed panel investigating financial meltdown in 2008 says crisis could have been avoided.
UK: Students and unions staging fees and cuts protests: Protests have been held in London and Manchester against higher tuition fees and public spending cuts.
End of cheap food era as grain prices stay high: Reuters poll: U.S. grain prices should stay unrelentingly high this year, according to a Reuters poll, the latest sign that the era of cheap food has come to an end.
The Unseen Taxes That You Pay Every Day: Nobody enjoys paying taxes, most people probably do not realize how they permeate our daily lives. Simply put, one way or another, we pay taxes on almost anything and everything we do.

Friday 28 January 2011

Al Jazeera English Live From Egypt

Video Live Stream

Video Reports From Egypt. Continue

Joe Biden says Egypt's Mubarak No Dictator

By Dan Murphy


Mr. Biden's comments are unlikely to be well-received by regime opponents, as they fit a narrative of steadfast US support for a government they want to bring down. Continue

A Manifesto for Change in Egypt

By Mohamed ElBaradei

When Egypt had parliamentary elections only two months ago, they were completely rigged. The party of President Hosni Mubarak left the opposition with only 3 percent of the seats. Imagine that. And the American government said that it was “dismayed.” Continue

Egypt's Battle Is On
Police Alone Can't Keep Rulers in Power

By Alaa Al Aswany

I am in awe of the young protesters I addressed: Egyptians united by injustice and an anger that won't be tamed. Continue

Noam Chomsky : As Long As The Public is Under Control, Everything is Fine

By Kristian Smith

"The guiding principle (for American government) is that as long as the public is under control, everything is fine," he said. "(The traditional argument is) the powerful should gain ends by any possible means. As long as the public is kept under control, public will doesn't matter." Continue

The Enumerated Rights Are Hanging By A Thread

By Paul Craig Roberts

While people in Tunisia and Egypt have taken to the streets in attempts to gain their liberty, Americans are losing their liberty with minimal protest. Continue

Justice for Sale
Corruption at the Supreme Court

By Don Monkerud

Tea Partiers, Republicans, and protectors of public morality are right about corruption in government. The only problem is they are looking in the wrong place. Continue

Protesters across Egypt defy curfew: Buildings and vehicles set alight across the country as anti-government protests continue.
Protests in Egypt - live updates: Read a full summary of the latest developments
Live Video From Press TV - Video
In pictures: Anger in Egypt
Egypt: Arrests of foreign journalists, Internet blocked: Reporters Without Borders firmly condemns the arrests of four French journalists as they were preparing to cover protests in Cairo today. All the different methods being used by the Egyptian authorities to obstruct the right to impart news and information are completely unacceptable, the press freedom organization said.
Egypt arrests Nobel Prize winner amid violent clashes : Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was under house arrest in Cairo Friday, Egyptian security officials said, as violent anti-government demonstrations swept the country.
Officials say US is reviewing $1.5bn aid to Egypt: An Obama administration official says the US will review its $1.5bn in aid to Egypt based on events unfolding in the country, where the authoritarian government is struggling to extinguish huge and growing street protests.
Egyptian Riot Police Using Tear Gas “Made In The U.S.A.”: One has to wonder what the average Egyptian out in the streets over the past several days protesting an authoritarian and corrupt regime thinks when they look down at the tear gas canister that was just fired at them, and see this:
WikiLeaks cables show close US relationship with Egyptian president: US embassy cable predicted Hosni Mubarak, if still alive in 2011, would run again for presidency 'and, inevitably, win'
US reported 'routine' police brutality in Egypt, WikiLeaks cables show: Torture widely used against criminals, Islamist detainees, opposition activists and bloggers, embassy cables suggest
CNBC anchor implies US must support dictators to keep cheap oil flowing: CNBC anchor implies US must support dictators to keep cheap oil flowingCNBC contributor Erin Burnett said Friday that oil prices would skyrocket if countries in the Middle East broke out from under the rule of brutal dictators.
Israel Fears Regime Change in Egypt: Israel is watching developments in Egypt with concern. The government is standing by autocratic Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, out of fear that the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood could take power and start supplying arms to the Hamas government in Gaza.
Syria Internet Disrupted As Egypt Blackout : Reports: Al Arabiya is reporting that internet services have gone down completely in the country. Previously, Syria had blocked programs that "allow access to Facebook Chat from cellphones," according to Reuters.
Thousands protest in Jordan: Protesters gather across the country, demanding the prime minister step down.
Yemen: Tens of thousands call on president to leave: Tens of thousands of Yemenis have demonstrated in the capital Sanaa, calling on Ali Abdullah Saleh, president for 30 years, to step down.
3 killed as thousands of Albanian protest despite warnings: Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the Albanian capital Tirana Friday for a silent protest closely monitored by police, a week after another demonstration turned deadly.
Pakistan: Nine militants, soldier killed in Mohmand: Nine militants and a Levies soldier were killed and many others injured in artillery and gunship helicopters’ shelling and clashes in different areas of the troubled Mohmand Agency on Thursday, official and tribal sources said
U.S. citizen who killed 2 Pakistanis is spy: media: Pakistani media reported Friday that a U.S. official, who shot dead two Pakistani citizens in the city of Lahore on Thursday, is a spy or working for the Blackwater.
Eight killed in suicide attack on Kabul supermarket: Eight people, including three foreign women and a child, were killed on Friday in a suicide bombing at a central Kabul supermarket popular with Westerners, police and witnesses said.
Did Congress approve America's longest war?: Congress did empower the president in 2001 to pursue al-Qaida in Afghanistan. But a decade later, where's the oversight?
Another Palestinian killed after settlers squatters open fire in West Bank village: Incident comes only a day after police confirmed Palestinian reports saying that a Palestinian youth was shot to death by an unidentified Israeli citizen.
Rand Paul: End Aid to Israel: Pressed on CNN's Situation Room about details on his budget cut plans, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says end all foreign aid--and when pressed further says that includes to Israel.
U.S. Democrats and pro-Israel lobbies slam Republican Senator's call to halt Israel aid: Tea Party representative Rand Paul tells CNN’s Wolf Blitzer he has a lot of respect for Israel but he doesn't believe the U.S. should be funding the Mideast arms race during financial crisis.
Armed men rape 60 in Congo, in new wave of sexual attacks: Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the international humanitarian organisation, treated 60 people, including men, women and children, who said they had been raped in the attacks.
UK consumer confidence suffers 'astonishing collapse': Britons' confidence in the economy and their finances has suffered its biggest drop in close to 20 years, raising fears that the Government's austerity onslaught will set off a self-feeding downward spiral
IMF warns U.S., Japan on debt: The United States and Japan received sharp warnings from the IMF and ratings agencies Thursday that they must tackle their huge budget deficits to avoid investors dumping their bonds, which would create a sovereign debt crisis and push up their borrowing costs.
New-home sales in 2010 fall to lowest in 47 years: Sales for all of 2010 totaled 321,000, a drop of 14.4 percent from the 375,000 homes sold in 2009, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

Thursday 27 January 2011

There is no Proof Iran is Building Nuclear Weapons: Medvedev

By The Associated Press

Medvedev said, "the international community so far has no information that Iran is building nuclear weapons." Continue

America's/Israel's Useful Idiots.
Palestinian Distrust of Iran Revealed in Leaked Papers

By Ian Black and Seumas Milne

Mahmoud Abbas asked businessman to donate $50m to Mahmoud Ahamdinejad opponents, according to the documents - Continue

The US Role as Israel's Enabler

By Mark Perry and Ali Abunimah

The series of six documents that provide a core element to understanding the debates that raged over Israeli settlements show just how willing the U.S. is to acquiesce to Israeli demands. Continue

PA Stonewalled the Goldstone Vote

By S. Farhan Mustafa

PA, with US encouragement, delayed a UN vote on the Goldstone Report into war crimes committed during Israel's Gaza war. Continue

Final Stage Of The Struggle
The Stuttgart Declaration for a One-State Solution in Palestine

By Lawrence Davidson

When Yasir Arafat took over the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1969 he changed it from a tool of the Egyptian government to a dynamic united front seeking national liberation for the Palestinian people. Continue

Sleeping Giant Wakes Up

By Yvonne Ridley

The pharaoh’s police state is now teetering after a second day of protests. Continue

Hypocrisy - Democracy?
US Urges Reform in Egypt

Must Watch Al Jazeera Video Interview

PJ Crowley, the spokesman for the US state department, describes Egypt as "an ally and friend of the United States, an anchor of stability in the Middle East which is helping us pursue a comprehensive peace in the Middle East". Continue

Cow Most Sacred
Why Military Spending Remains Untouchable

By Andrew J. Bacevich

These four factors -- institutional self-interest, strategic inertia, cultural dissonance, and misremembered history -- insulate the military budget from serious scrutiny. Continue

Could Bernanke Spark a Run on the Dollar?   

By Mike Whitney

The Fed is planning to give every working man and woman in the US a big pay-cut so they can go nose-to-nose with foreign labor. Continue

We Can't Let the Banksters Walk Away from Their Crimes

By Danny Schechter

"It boggles the mind that $150 billion is vaporized…there haven’t been any arrests, any indictments, nor any convictions at any major bank or at any of the government-owned financial institutions Fannie, Freddie and AIG.” Continue

Justice Department Seeks to Have all Web Surfing Tracked

By Agence France-Presse

The US Justice Department wants Internet service providers and cell phone companies to be required to hold on to records for longer to help with criminal prosecutions. Continue

Car bomb at Iraq funeral kills 80 & triggers clashes: "People were angry after the explosion. They charged out into the streets to protest against the security forces," said Nasser al-Sadi, the manager of Sadr's office in Shula.
Six killed in a mortar attack in Pakistani agency: - At least six people including women and children were killed Thursday night in a mortar attack in Pakistani tribal agency, close to Afghan border.
US diplomat kills two Pakistanis in Lahore: An American diplomat in the Pakistani city of Lahore has shot and killed a Pakistani motorcycle rider and his pillion passenger, police say.
US Killed Over 2,000, Mostly Civilians in Pakistan Since 2006: A new report from the Conflict Monitoring Centre (CMC) has reported that 2,043 Pakistanis have been slain in CIA drone strikes in the past 5 years, with the vast majority of them innocent civilians.
2 killed, 12 detained in Afghanistan's Takhar province: Security forces during an ongoing military operation in Khwaja Ghar district of Afghanistan's Takhar province, 245 km north of capital city Kabul, have killed two militants and captured a dozen others, district governor said Thursday.
Afghanistan needs 30-year commitment, EU envoy says: The international community - including increasingly hostile public opinion in the European Union - needs to face the fact that Afghanistan will need support 'for the next 30 years rather than 30 months,' the bloc's envoy to Kabul has said.
Palestinian teen shot dead by West Bank "settlers" : Settlers reportedly shot a Palestinian to death in clashes that erupted near the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, Palestinian eyewitnesses said.
The Palestine Papers: "The region is slipping away": There is little Arab unity on display in The Palestine Papers: The documents reveal a Palestinian Authority that is often critical and mistrusting of its "Arab brothers".
Palestine papers: Erekat asks US, UK and France for help to find leaker: Chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said the three include a former British intelligence officer, a US employee of al-Jazeera TV and a French citizen. He said he is not accusing them of wrongdoing, but would like them to appear before an investigative committee.
Israeli Minister: Mubarak regime will prevail in Egypt, despite protests: Egyptian security apparatus will use required force to retain control, says a minister in the Netanyahu government who insists on maintaining anonymity.
Protesters torch Egypt police post: Police post in city of Suez burnt down as angry protests continue to erupt despite security crackdown.
Egypt’s ElBaradei Returns to Cairo Following Protests: The former head of the United Nations nuclear agency and possible presidential candidate has called for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office.
Anti-government rallies hit Yemen: Tens of thousands of people, inspired by events in Tunisia, protest in Sanaa to demand President Saleh's resignation.
Russia says awaiting Iranian response on fuel swap : Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said a revised fuel swap proposal, presented to Iran in Istanbul, could "create the atmosphere of trust needed for more productive dialogue."
'NATO must probe cyber attack on Iran': Russia's Ambassador to NATO has urged the organization to investigate the malicious malware that targeted some of the computer systems in Iran's nuclear sites.
Hariri bloc not to join new Lebanon govt.: Hariri's al-Mustaqbal (Future) Movement said on Thursday that it would not be part of the new government unless Prime Minister designate Najib Mikati, backed by the Hezbollah resistance movement, clarifies his position on US-sponsored Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Unmanned plane patrolling stretch of Canada-U.S. border: An unmanned plane the U.S. government has been using to patrol North Dakota's northern border since 2009 is now flying along a greater section of America's northern frontier, stretching from Spokane, Washington, to the Lake of the Woods region in Minnesota.
Modern-day slaves' story repeats daily in plain sight: They worked at posh country clubs across South Florida, then returned to deceptively quiet houses in Boca Raton where they were captives -- and in the most dreadful cases, fed rotten chicken and vegetables, forced to drink muriatic acid and repeatedly denied medical help.
Japan downgraded over debt: Standard & Poor's downgraded Japan Thursday because it expects the country's "fiscal deficits to remain high in the next few years" as it continues to deal with problems like debt, deflation and an aging population.
U.S. budget deficit to hit $1.5 trillion: A continuing weak economy and last month's bipartisan tax cut legislation will drive the government's deficit to a record $1.5 trillion this year, a new government estimates predicts.
Watchdog Says Bank Bailouts Made 'Too-Big-to-Fail' Even Bigger: Neil Barofsky, head of the group charged with overseeing the government’s handling of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) says the “too-big-to-fail” problem has not been solved; in fact, it’s gotten worse.
Mortgage applications tumble 12.9% as refinancing activity falls 15.3%: The number of refinancing applications fell 15.3% last week to the lowest point in 12 months, according to the MBA. And purchase applications didn't fare any better dropping 8.7% to the lowest point since October.
U.S. Home Prices Keep Weakening as Eight Cities Reach New Lows in November: Prices are now falling - and falling just about everywhere. As S&P noted "eight markets – Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami, Portland (OR), Seattle and Tampa – hit their lowest levels since home prices peaked in 2006 and 2007".

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Hamas:
“Abbas No Longer Authorized To Negotiate On Behalf Of the Palestinians”

By Saed Bannoura
“The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is in coalition with the occupation”, Abu Zuhri said, “We call on our people to hold massive protests against those who sold out to the occupation” Continue

Leaked Documents Reveal How
PA and Israel Planed to Kill Palestinian Fighter in Gaza.

By David Poort
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has shown operational willingness to co-operate with Israel to kill its own people, the Palestine Papers indicate. Continue

A New Truth Dawns on the Arab World

By Robert Fisk

The Palestinian "Authority" - one has to put this word in quotation marks - was prepared, and is prepared to give up the "right of return" of perhaps seven million refugees to what is now Israel for a "state" that may be only 10 per cent (at most) of British mandate Palestine. Continue

The Palestine Papers and the Dead-end of Nationalism

By Bill Van Auken
These documents provide a graphic account of the “peace process”—a two-decade-long fraud perpetrated by Washington upon not only the Palestinians, but the entire world. Continue

Palestine Does Not Have to be a Lost Cause

By Alan Hart
The most sickening (I mean truly vomit inducing) thing about the Al Jazeera revelations, the so-called Palestine Papers, is not what they confirm about the quisling status of the impotent and corrupt Palestine Authority. Continue

The View on the Ground of the Palestine Papers

"It's not breaking news that the PA heads are traitors"

By Laila El-Haddad

How Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have responded to this week's revelations. Continue

Excusing Torture at ‘Justice’

By Ray McGovern
Catholics are more likely than the general U.S. population to favor the use of torture against suspected terrorists. More than half the Catholics surveyed said that torture could be often or sometimes justified, while another 27 percent said the practice could rarely be justified. Only 20 percent said it could never be justified. Continue

Onward Christian Soldiers ... To Hypocrisy

By William Rivers Pitt

make no mistake: this movement to turn the Armed Forces into a bastion of hard-core fundamentalist Christianity is as dangerous as any threat posed to the country by any outside force or enemy. Continue

Davos: Where The (Big) Money Is

By Luisa Kroll
By Forbes’ count, 69 billionaires from 20 countries are expected to attend the annual World Economic Forum confab, which starts tomorrow in the Swiss Alps town of Davos. Continue

NGOs in Haiti
"The Handmaidens of Imperial Domination"

By Mike Whitney
They are part and parcel of what Naomi Klein has called disaster capitalism. International NGOs are really businesses and big ones at that. There are about 50,000 international NGOs that compete for about $10 billion in funding from the International Financial Institutions, the imperial powers, and local governments. Continue

Hogwash, Mr. President

By Robert Scheer

What is the state of the union? You certainly couldn't tell from that platitudinous hogwash that the president dished out Tuesday evening. Continue

8 "insurgents" killed in northern Afghan province: Official: Security forces raided "Taliban hideout" in Takhar province, 245 km north of capital Kabul, killing eight "insurgents" on Wednesday, deputy to provincial police chief Abdul Salam said.
Number of US troops killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan rose 60 percent last year: Roadside bombs killed 268 American troops in Afghanistan last year, a 60 percent increase over the year before, even as the Pentagon works to counter the Taliban's makeshift weapon of choice, according to figures obtained Wednesday from the Pentagon.
Police officer and retired colonel among three killed in Iraq: Three people were killed, including a police officer and a retired Iraqi Army colonel, on Wednesday in the restive northern Iraqi city of Mosul, security sources confirmed.
Israel asked Palestinian Authority to kill al-Aqsa commander: Leaked papers reveal close intelligence and security co-operation between two sides in Middle East conflict
MI6 offered to detain Hamas figures: The UK’s MI-6 intelligence service proposed detaining members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an extraordinary –and illegal – scheme in which the European Union would have paid for their detention.
Erekat: "I can't stand Hamas": The Palestine Papers reveal that Fatah was obsessed with maintaining political supremacy over Hamas. Documents obtained by Al Jazeera also show the extent to which the Palestinian Authority cracked down on Hamas institutions to weaken the group and strengthen its own relationship with Israel.
Erekat says: Leaks threaten my life: In an interview with the BBC, Mr Erekat admitted that some of the material was true. He had initially dismissed it as a "pack of lies".
Need a laugh? US calls Israeli probe of flotilla raid ‘impartial': The United States has described as “credible and impartial and transparent” an Israeli inquiry that cleared the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and government of any wrongdoing in a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound international flotilla.
Phoney Tony: Tony Blair criticised for 'Israeli bias': Leaked papers show Palestinians feel quartet envoy is paternalistic and that the Israelis don't take him too seriously
International gains for Palestinian sovereignty; Zionists aghast: The Irish ambassador to Israel, Breifne O’Reilly, was summoned to the foreign ministry in Jerusalem Jan. 25 to be dressed down by Israeli officials over Dublin's move to upgrade the status of the Palestinian delegation to Ireland to a mission.
Fact or fiction? Mubarak’s Wife and Son Flee to London amid Protests: The wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and their son Gamal, considered the successor to his father as president, have fled to London with 97 suitcases after unprecedented massive protests in Egypt, an Arab website reported.
860 Arrested as Egyptian police crack down on new protests: Egyptian anti-government activists clashed with police for a second day Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on any protests. Beefed up police forces on the streets quickly moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse any demonstrations.
Top US senator mum on Mubarak support: "All I could say this morning is that Egypt has been an extremely important ally of ours since Anwar Sadat, and we're all watching these developments in Cairo very carefully," said Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Dutch police stop Egyptian man burning himself: Police said the 52-year-old was carrying a banner, had soaked himself in flammable liquid and was trying to spark a lighter when they blinded him with pepper spray and wrestled him to the ground.
Tunisia: Arrest warrant issued for ex-president Ben Ali: Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said the interim government had asked Interpol to detain Mr Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia on 14 January amid mass street protests.
WikiLeaks Cables Help Uncover What Made Tunisians Revolt: A set of 10 diplomatic cables released by whistleblower website WikiLeaks offers some insight into the recent upheaval in Tunisia and starts to answer the question of why so many Tunisians took to the streets to topple their leader.
Visa-ordered inquiry finds no proof WikiLeaks breaking law: A firm asked by Visa to investigate WikiLeaks' finances has found no proof the group's fundraising arm is breaking the law. - But Visa Europe Ltd. said Wednesday it would continue blocking donations to the secret-spilling site until it completes its own investigation.
Bangladesh 'death squad' trained by UK police resumes extrajudicial killing: A Bangladeshi paramilitary unit that receives training from British police has resumed killing people in so-called "crossfire" incidents that human rights groups say are extrajudicial killings.
Bush White House Broke Elections Law, Report Says: The Bush White House, particularly before the 2006 midterm elections, routinely violated a federal law that prohibits use of federal tax dollars to pay for political activities by creating a “political boiler room” that coordinated Republican campaign activities nationwide, a report issued Monday by an independent federal agency concludes.
Marines to train in mock city as big as San Diego: A 1,560-building mock city that's roughly the size of San Diego has risen in the Southern California desert.
Rand Paul unveils $500B in cuts: Republican freshman Sen. Rand Paul introduced legislation Tuesday that seeks to cut $500 billion from government spending in one year alone, wiping out three cabinet departments and the entire foreign aid budget while sparing neither the Pentagon nor 2011 war-related funding for overseas military operations.
E-mails Suggest Bear Stearns Cheated Clients Out of Billions: Lawsuit alleges the bank took extreme measures to defraud investors, and now JPMorgan may be on the hook
Bank Failures Rise to 7 in 2011: Last Friday, U.S. regulators shuttered four more banks in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Colorado, pushing up the failed U.S. banks figure to 7 so far in 2011. These were preceded by 157 bank failures in 2010, 140 in 2009 and 25 in 2008.
US house prices 'hitting new lows': Some of the other worst-hit cities include Detroit (down 48% since its peak) and Miami (down 49%)