Tuesday 31 May 2011

Peace on Zionism’s Terms

By Alan Hart

Some members of Congress who applauded Netanyahu in a scene that reminded me of the enthusiasm for Hitler at Nazi rallies accused Obama of betraying Israel. Continue

Al-Jazeera Footage Captures 'Western Troops on the Ground' in Libya

By Julian Borger and Martin Chulov

Report claims soldiers may be British, possibly SAS – which would break UN resolution over any 'occupation force'. Continue


Afghanistan "Sovereignty"

By Glen Greenwald

A spate of horrific civilian killings by NATO in Afghanistan has led Afghan President Hamid Karzai to demand that NATO cease all air attacks on homes. Continue

After Years of War, House Holds Votes to Check Military Action

By Russell Berman

An increasingly war-weary House will vote this week on legislation that would halt the U.S. military intervention in Libya. Continue

What Must America Defend?

Patrick J. Buchanan

“The tough choices ahead,” said Gates, are “about the kind of role the American people — accustomed to unquestioned military dominance for the past two decades — want their country to play in the world.” Continue

We Are Terrorists

By Dahlia Wasfi

Our soldiers don't sacrifice for duty-honor-country, they sacrifice for Kellogg Brown & Root. Continue

Coming to America
The Pain In Spain

By Eric Margolis

Viva la revolution! Spain’s youth are staging boisterous but peaceful protests across the country that many call the Iberian version of the popular revolutions sweeping the Arab world. Continue

Offshoring Has Destroyed the Economy
A Nobel Economist Says Globalism Is Costly For Americans

By Paul Craig Roberts

The IMF report said that the US economy has been seriously eroded and that the age of America is over. Continue

Look Out Below

By Mike Whitney

The slowdown has begun. The economy has started to sputter and unemployment claims have tipped 400,000 for the last seven weeks. Continue

The Breakup of the Euro?

By Prof. Michael Hudson

Is Iceland’s rejection of financial bullying a model for Greece and Ireland? Continue

63 killed in police raids on anti-gov't protesters in S Yemen: The death toll of clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces overnight Monday in Yemen's southern province of Taiz rose to at least 63, doctors told Xinhua. Up to 800 others were injured and dozens of them with gunshot injuries were still in critical conditions, doctors said.
Eight Yemen soldiers dead from 'Qaeda' clashes: Suspected Al-Qaeda fighters killed six Yemeni soldiers on Tuesday in an attack near the southern city Zinjibar, a security official said, while a medic said two others had died of their wounds.
Pakistani jets kill 18 in attacks on suspected militants: A Pakistani government official says fighter jets have attacked militant positions in a tribal region close to the Afghan border, killing at least 18 suspected insurgents.
Pakistani military 'bows to US pressure' on Taliban: The News quoted unidentified "highly placed sources" as saying Pakistan's air force would soften up militant targets in North Waziristan under the "targeted military offensive" before ground operations were launched.
Haqqani: From White House guest to staunch U.S. enemy: Former U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson, who fund-raised for the Afghan resistance, once called Jalaluddin "goodness personified". The warrior was held in such high esteem he visited the White House when Ronald Reagan was President.
5 Pakistan Taliban leaders kidnapped by NATO forces in Pakistan: Unconfirmed news from intelligence sources said on Monday that five Pakistan Taliban ( TTP) leaders were arrested Monday morning in the Gorvait area of North Waziristan by NATO forces and later taken away by two NATO helicopters to Afghanistan.
Nato choppers again violate Pakistani airspace in North Waziristan: NATO continues to violate Pakistani airspace as two helicopters again intruded into the Pakistani territory on Monday.
China is adamant that the West “must respect” Pakistan's sovereignty.: The message was delivered during Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani's recent four-day visit to Beijing, which celebrated no less than six decades of strategic relations --involving, among other issues, nuclear collaboration and support over the ultra-sensitive Kashmir question.
10 killed, 45 wounded in multiple attack in west Afghanistan: Multiple attacks carried out by anti-government militants killed at least 10 people including 5 suicide bombers and wounded 45 other with majority of them civilians in Herat city
Australian soldier killed by Afghan rogue ally: An Australian Army soldier, a member of the Mentoring Task Force, was shot by an Afghan National Army soldier yesterday while undertaking guard duty at a patrol base north of Tarin Kot.
Karzai bans NATO strikes on Afghan homes: On Tuesday, Karzai told reporters in Kabul that "from this moment, air strikes on the houses of people are not allowed. "The people of Afghanistan so far have endured casualties and have given sacrifices. So these operations should not be used against Afghan people and their houses.
Violence in Iraq claims four lives: Bombings in Baghdad and Mosul killed at least four people and wounded at least five others, officials said Tuesday.
Libyan rebels reject Gaddafi truce offer: Libyan rebels are rejecting a reported truce offer from Moammar Gaddafi. Word of the offer comes from South African President Jacob Zuma, who met with Gaddafi on Monday.
NATO risks spilling own blood while mounting pressure on Gaddafi: “They seem to think if they quote the UN resolution at the same time as they call for Gaddafi to go and for regime change, it’s a sort of guarantee, or as a laissez-passer. Frankly they’re involved in a civil war in Libya. The deployment of helicopters, the intensive bombing of Tripoli that’s going on – this is a war about regime change,” British MP Jeremy Corbyn believes.
'US dropped cluster bombs on Misratah': A Human rights investigation in Libya has found that it was the US and its Western allies who cluster bombed the troubled city of Misratah back in April.
Are these men SAS helping Libyan rebels? News crew films Western troops liaising with gunmen: Footage by the Al Jazeera television channel shows a group of six Western-looking men – described as ‘possibly British’ – talking to rebel fighters near the besieged port city of Misrata.
Syria's once-peaceful protesters turn to guns: Residents used automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades to repel advancing government troops in central Syria on Monday
China says UN resolution on Syria unhelpful: China voiced support on Tuesday for Syria's crackdown on pro-democracy protests and said a UN Security Council resolution on the nation was unlikely to ease tensions there.
Video of Tortured Boy’s Corpse Deepens Anger in Syria: Video posted online shows his battered, purple face. His skin is scrawled with cuts, gashes, deep burns and bullet wounds that would probably have injured but not killed. His jaw and kneecaps are shattered, according to an unidentified narrator, and his penis chopped off.
Israeli: Vice PM: Strike on Iran could be necessary: Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon says the civilized world must take joint action to avert the Iranian nuclear threat.
'Spain will recognize Palestinian state on 1967 lines': Shaath says Spain wants Palestine recognized in UN; announcement comes as Abbas meets with Islamic Jihad officials, Gen. Tantawi in Cairo to discuss Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Mideast peace process.
CIA prisons in Poland 'illegal': Secret prisons operated by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Polish territory violated international law and the Polish constitution according to legal experts, reported the daily Gazeta Wyborcza on Monday, citing sources close to an investigation.
What Manuel Zelaya's return means for Honduras: The former president's return is welcome, but human rights remain at risk in Honduras after the coup that deposed him
U.S. to view major cyber attacks as acts of war: report: The Pentagon has adopted a new strategy that will classify major cyber attacks as acts of war, paving the way for possible military retaliation, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday
Banks demand savage austerity measures in Greece: Officials with the European Central Bank (ECB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the European Commission (EC) have been deployed to Athens this week to finalise plans with the Greek government for another round of savage austerity measures.
Food prices set to double by 2030, aid group says: Food prices could double in the next 20 years and demand in 2050 will be 70 percent higher than now, U.K. charity Oxfam said on Tuesday, warning of worsening hunger as the global food economy stumbles close to breakdown.
Cuts in US welfare programs hit hundreds of thousands of poor families: US states are implementing drastic cuts to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, creating further hardships for 700,000 families that include 1.3 million children.
Comin' this summer... $5 gas: Goldman Sachs' crystal ball is proclaiming that oil will soon soar to $135 a barrel, and likely have service stations jacking up fuel prices to $5 a gallon in New York just like the summer of 2008 that preceded the recession.

Monday 30 May 2011

Remember
An alternative view of Memorial Day

Video

Remember the Lies and Liars that Killed Them. Continue

Who Cares in the Middle East What Obama Says?

By Robert Fisk

This month, in the Middle East, has seen the unmaking of the President of the United States. More than that, it has witnessed the lowest prestige of America in the region since Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz on the USS Quincy in the Great Bitter Lake in 1945. Continue

Donor Bread (Money) and Congressional Circuses

By Lawrence Davidson

American Zionists are starting to turn the screws on President Obama and the Democratic Party. Continue

Hands off Venezuela!

By Cindy Sheehan

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the United States Department of State unilaterally imposed sanctions against Venezuela's state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), for its alleged relations with the government of Iran. Continue

The American War Machine

Must Watch 9 Minute Video

-WARNING - This video contain language that some people may find offensive. Continue

From Bush to Obama, the Snooping Goes On

By Dan Kennedy

The Patriot Act's section 215 – just renewed by Congress – permits almost unlimited powers of surveillance of US citizens. Continue

This is America!
Arrested For Dancing?

Video

On May28, 2011 Television host Adam Kokesh and several other activists participating in a flash-mob were arrested at the publicly-funded Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Their crime? Silently dancing, in celebration of the first amendment's champion; a clear violation of their right to free-expression. Continue

The War Prayer Video

By Mark Twain

O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead. Continue

The Fed Is Not Printing Money

By Mike Whitney

I know what you've heard from "reliable sources" on the Internet, but it's hogwash. Continue

The Sky Really Is Falling

By Chris Hedges

The rapid and terrifying acceleration of global warming, which is disfiguring the ecosystem at a swifter pace than even the gloomiest scientific studies predicted a few years ago, has been confronted by the power elite with equal parts of self-delusion. Continue

Yemen army killed 20 protesters: Yemeni security forces killed 20 demonstrators when they broke up a four-month-old sit-in in the second-largest city Taez during the night, protest organisers said today.
6 Yemen soldiers killed in restive city: At least six Yemeni soldiers have been killed and dozens injured in an apparent ambush as they travelled to Zinjibar, a southern city reportedly under the control of al-Qaeda fighters, a security official has said.
Islamist militants control 2nd Yemeni town: -- Islamist militants controlled a second southern Yemeni town Monday amid claims President Ali Abdullah Saleh let the town go to prove he needed to stay in power.
S Arabia protects Saleh: Yemen opp.: , Ali al-Mamari, spokesman for the Yemeni's opposition Coalition for Youth Revolution, said Saudis intend to save Saleh's regime from collapse, because they fear if the still-unfolding revolution succeeds in Yemen, the tide of awakening would ultimately engulf Saudi Arabia itself.
Twelve children killed in another US massacre in Afghanistan: American forces in Afghanistan killed twelve children and two women in a night-time bombing of two houses in Nawzad district of Helmand province Saturday.
Four Afghan civilians killed as bombers target NATO base: Four civilians were killed and more than 30 people including foreign soldiers were injured Monday in at least two explosions and small arms fire from insurgents in the western city of Herat, officials said.
Afghan soldier kills US-led soldier: NATO says an Afghan man wearing an army uniform has shot and killed a US-led foreign soldier and injured a number of others in the country's troubled south.
Taliban's new tactic: High-profile inside jobs: A car with the license plate of a high-ranking Afghan general approached the gates of the Defense Ministry in Kabul last month. A special "A" pass also was on its windshield, so guards quickly waved it through.
Pakistan 'plans' North Waziristan offensive: Reports suggest that Pakistan has given in to US pressure to crack down on the Haqqani network in the region.
Behind the Pakistan F-16 deal, a tale of many wheels: Leaked U.S. diplomatic cables suggest that the sale was used only to further America's broad strategic interests, with Pakistan standing to gain little from the deal.
Libya says 11 killed in NATO strikes south of Tripoli: The Libyan government said that 11 people were killed by NATO airstrikes Monday against civilian and military sites south of the capital Tripoli, a military source said.
NATO Pushes Regime Change: Gaddafi to be told to stand down or face Apache attack: If South African president Jacob Zuma's peace mission fails, Nato will deliver its heaviest blow to Libyan leader's forces
Killing of 40 Algerian soldiers has direct connection with chaos in Libya: PM: Ouyahia told a news conference here that the unrest in Libya has led to the spread of weapons among "terrorist groups," adding that the killing of 40 Algerian soldiers in the past few weeks has a direct connection with the spread of arms in the region.
11 Syrians killed as UN blasts 'shocking' crackdown: – Eleven people were killed in a Syrian crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, activists said Monday, as the UN condemned the "shocking" brutality of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Bahrain parliamentarians demand treason charges after WikiLeaks: Sunni Salafist parliamentarians in Bharain Sunday called on the authorities to prosecute their former Shiite lawmaker colleagues for treason, in the wake of WikiLeaks documents suggesting the al-Wefaq opposition group met US embassy officials in Manama.
Hamas: Russia pledges to back Palestinian bid for state recognition: Russian FM Lavrov hosts representatives of recently reconciled rival Palestinian factions, praises unity deal, does not comment directly on Hamas official's claim to have secured support ahead of planned September move at UN.
David Cameron resigns as patron of the Jewish National Fund: Pro-Palestinian campaigners claim their lobbying forced the prime minister to withdraw support
Report: Military coup possible in Greece: The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency warned in a report that the tough austerity measures and the dire situation could escalate and even lead to a military coup, according to a report by Germany’s popular daily Bild.
Cindy Sheehan : "Yankees, Go Home!" : Nine of us came from the US to support the people of Venezuela in rejecting the US economic sanctions that were imposed by the State Departments because, apparently, Venezuela sent two shipments of oil product to Iran.
U.S. Seeks to Withhold Secret Data From Judge: The Obama administration sought Thursday to prevent a lawyer for a former C.I.A. officer convicted in Italy in the kidnapping of a radical Muslim cleric from privately sharing classified information about the case with a Federal District Court judge.

May 29, 2011
US Kills 18 Women, Children and 20 Police in Afghanistan: The firefight and airstrikes also left at least 85 "Taliban" fighters dead and dozens others injured, said Jamaluddin Badr, the provincial governor for Nuristan, where the week-long clash took place.
Karzai gives US 'last warning' over civilian deaths: Reacting to the alleged deaths of 10 children, two women and two men in an air strike on Saturday in the southern province of Helmand, Karzai said such incidents were "murdering of Afghanistan's children and women."
Suicide bomber kills six at Afghan governor's compound: The dead include two senior Afghan police commanders and two German soldiers; among the injured are the provincial governor and the NATO commander in northern Afghanistan.
Two Royal Marines killed in bomb blast in Afghanistan : The pair from 42 Commando Royal Marines were killed by an improvised explosive device
Pakistan: 8 tribal elders killed in blast: A suicide bomber targeted pro-government tribal elders in northwestern frontier on Saturday, killing eight men, officials said, a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a visit here implored Pakistanis to take decisive steps to fight terrorism.
Eric Margolis: US keeping close watch on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons Suspicions that a confiscatory raid is being planned:
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Pakistan? WikiLeaks: France, UK voiced concern about Pakistan nuclear security: Levitte said the government “not sure that the Pakistani nuclear deterrent is secure,” showing specific concern about the movement of nuclear weapons by the Pakistani military.
Wikileaks: US Embassy Cables: What friends say about Pakistan in private: Pakistan remains “an army in search of a country,” according to French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s Diplomatic Adviser
Venezuela Rejects US Sanctions, Evaluates Oil Supply to US: “Sanctions against the homeland of Bolivar? Imposed by the US imperialist government”, declared Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Twitter this Tuesday, “Bring it on, Mr. Obama.
Twitter reveals secrets: Details of British users handed over in landmark case: For the first time, the American social networking site has bowed to a court action brought by a British group complaining that they were libelled in messages.
Terrorist 'pre-crime' detector field tested in United States: Screening system aims to pinpoint passengers with malicious intentions.

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Syria – What’s Behind Protests?

By Joyce Chediac

Both the U.S. and the Economic Union have imposed sanctions on Syrian government officials. Why? Continue

One of the main headlines on the BBC read, 'Violence erupts at Israel borders'. Israeli soldiers had shot dead at least 12 protesters and injured dozens more. BBC 'impartiality' decreed that the brutal killings were presented almost as an act of nature, a volcanic eruption that simply happened. Continue

Jewistan: Finally Recognizing Israel as the Jewish State

By Francis A. Boyle

Netanyahu’s racist ultimatum would lead to the denationalization of the 1.5 million Palestinians who are already less than third-class citizens of Israel and set the stage for their mass expulsion to the Palestinian Bantustan envisioned by Netanyahu as the “final solution” to Zionism’s “demographic problem” Continue

"What Israel is Doing is not in the Best Interest of Judaism"

By Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! Interviews CodePink Activist Who Disrupted Israeli PM Speech to Congress: Continue

The IMF Versus the Arab Spring

By Austin Mackell

The IMF is depicted as the rich uncle saving wayward children, but proposed loans for Egypt and Tunisia could be devastating. Continue

Replacing Strauss-Kahn; "Pro-bank bailout" Lagarde is a shoo in


By Mike Whitney

French Finance Minster Christine Lagarde is a US Trojan Horse who will ferociously defend the interests of Wall Street and the multinationals. Continue

Inside Job

Video - Full Movie

The global economic crisis of 2008 cost tens of millions of people their savings, their jobs, and their homes. This is how it happened. Continue

There’s a Secret Patriot Act, Senator Says

By Spencer Ackerman

You may think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spy on its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) says it’s worse than you’ve heard. Continue

Over 70 killed in Yemeni clashes: At least 49 anti-government armed tribesmen of Yemeni opposition leader Sadiq al-Ahmar and 15 government troops were killed in intensified clashes on Tuesday in the capital Sanaa as smoke poured out from buildings of the Interior Ministry, officials from both sides said.
Yemeni president adamant he 'will not leave power: Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has issued messages of defiance, saying he will not step down or allow the country to become a "failed state", as clashes continued in the heart of the capital for a third day.
US order nonessential diplomats to leave Yemen: The State Department on Wednesday ordered nonessential U.S. diplomats to depart Yemen and urged all Americans there to leave as security conditions deteriorated with the country's embattled leader refusing to step down.
Troops reclaim Afghan district, 28 "rebels" dead: Coalition and Afghan troops on Wednesday retook control of a remote Afghan district in the northeast after fierce fighting that left 28 Taliban rebels dead, officials said.
Two NATO occupation force soldiers killed by Afghan roadside bombs: One soldier died from a roadside bomb in the northern region Wednesday. The other was killed in a similar attack in the southern region on Tuesday, ISAF said.
Norwegian occupation force soldier kills civilian: : Norway’s armed forces says that one of its soldiers accidentally fired a grenade into a police building in northwestern Afghanistan, killing an Afghan civilian and wounding another.
Car bomb hits Pakistani police station, 6 killed : A suicide blast against a Pakistani police station killed at least six police officers in the northern region of the country, officials said Wednesday.
How did six Pakistan Taliban hold off 100 security forces for 16 hours?: A Pakistani Navy commando was the first to detect Taliban militants attacking a naval aviation base in the city of Karachi on Sunday night. He was dead within seconds.
Osama raid an 'act of war': Musharraf: The US raid to take out Osama bin Laden was technically "an act of war", said former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, who described as "arrogance" US President Barack Obama's statement that he would order another raid if required.
Karachi attack 'a US operation', claims ex Pakistan general: The former head of Pakistan's ISI, Hamid Gul, tells Channel 4 News that he is "100 per cent sure" a Taliban attack on a major naval air base in Karachi was an "American operation".
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Pakistan: Anti-Americanism rife in Pakistan army institution: Wikileaks: A U.S. diplomatic cable said the former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson, found officers at the National Defense University (NDU) were "naive and biased" against the United States, a key ally which gives Pakistan billions of dollars of aid to help fight Islamist militants.
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Pakistan:: NATO concern over Pakistan nuclear arsenal: NATO chief admits concern over security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons following Taliban attack on Karachi naval base.
Presstitute alert: ...: Fighters massing on Pakistan border to launch assaults on NATO forces in Afghanistan: report: Foreign militants are assembling in Pakistan’s wild western tribal areas preparing to assault international soldiers across the border in Afghanistan, according to a former al-Qaeda operative recently captured by NATO forces.
3 Killed as car bomb rips through Baghdad : Three killed, 16 injured after explosion tears through Iraqi capital. Andrew Raven reports.
Three Syrian Soldiers Killed: Three Syrian soldiers have died in an ambush near Homs, in central Syria according to military sources quoted by the state Sanaa news agency. The ambush was allegedly set up by an "alleged terrorist group."
Lebanon's Hezbollah says most Syrians back Assad: - Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday most Syrians still backed President Bashar al-Assad and the removal of his regime on the back of mass unrest would serve U.S. and Israeli interests.
At least 3 killed in NATO raid, says Libya: Mr Ibrahim says NATO had carried out "between 12 and 18 raids on a barracks of the people's guard", volunteer units who back up the army. He claims most of the victims were civilians living nearby.
Russia condemns NATO strikes on Libya: Russia's Foreign Ministry has slammed NATO's recent fatal airstrikes on Libya, calling the raids on the capital of Tripoli a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.
"Rebels" rob Libyan bank: In the days after Libya's rebels rose up against Moammar Gadhafi, they faced a vexing challenge: How do you pay for a revolution?
Obama Protests at Buckingham Palace
Saudi Arabia: Calls for political reform muted: The only man to protest on Saudi Arabia's day of rage has suffered in prison, his family say.
Good news for the people of Gaza: Egypt to open Rafah crossing permanently: Egypt's decision Wednesday to end its blockade of Gaza by opening the only crossing to the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory this weekend could ease the isolation of 1.4 million Palestinians there. It also puts the new Egyptian regime at odds with Israel, which insists on careful monitoring of people and goods entering Gaza for security reasons.
UN: Israel should end eviction of Palestinians from their homes: Israel should end the forced eviction of Palestinians from their homes in the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN humanitarian emergency coordinator said Tuesday.
Arabeh Mayor Omar Nasser, do you agree with Netanyahu that Arabs live better here than elsewhere? : It was unbearable hypocrisy. The prime minister is mistaken and misleading, and it's a disgrace that members of Congress applauded him.
Glenn Greenwald: Great American Patriots:" Here is how the super-patriots of the American Right -- largely joined by their Democratic colleagues -- reacted to the speech given today by this foreign leader: with multiple standing ovations, including for ludicrous and absurd proclamations such as equating Hamas with Al Qaeda and claiming that Israel is "not a foreign occupier" in the West Bank:
Presstitute alert: ..Watchdog Finds Evidence That Iran Worked on Nuclear Triggers: The world’s global nuclear inspection agency, frustrated by Iran’s refusal to answer questions, revealed for the first time on Tuesday that it possesses evidence that Tehran has conducted work on a highly sophisticated nuclear triggering technology that experts said could be used for only one purpose: setting off a nuclear weapon.
In case you missed it: Barak: Nuclear Iran No Existential Threat to Israel: A nuclear-armed Iran would not be capable of destroying Israel, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday.”Right now, Iran does not have a bomb. Even if it did, this would not make it a threat to Israel’s existence. Israel can lay waste to Iran,” Barak said
Ashkenazi: Israel Cannot Accept Nuclear Iran: “The Iranian regime with nuclear weapons is something that Israel cannot accept,” former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi warned Wednesday, while accepting an honorary doctorate from Bar Ilan University. “We must continue to prepare for the military option.”
Iran to 'impose sanction' on US 'human rights violators': The Iranian parliament has compiled a blacklist of more than 20 US officials who have, in the state's opinion, violated human rights and are to be sanctioned.
Venezuelan oil workers rally against US sanctions: Oil workers rallied in Venezuela yesterday to denounce “imperialist” US sanctions imposed for ties with Iran but the anger seemed unlikely to seriously jeopardise huge energy trade with the United States.
South Sudan asks for help over Abyei seizure: Southern Sudanese officials appealed for international help Sunday after northern Sudanese troops seized a disputed border town, and the U.N. Security Council and secretary-general demanded an immediate end to military action and withdrawal.
Japanese nuclear company confirms meltdowns in three reactors: The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) admitted yesterday that there had been meltdowns of fuel rods inside three reactors at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant soon after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that crippled the plant.
Sen. Rand Paul responds to accusation of supporting terrorists: Republican Senator Rand Paul (KY) said in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday that questioning the constitutionality of the PATRIOT Act was not equivalent to supporting terrorists.

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Dispatch From Tripoli
NATO's Feast of Blood

By Cynthia McKinney

NATO only attacks (as does the US and its allies) the poor and underprivileged of the 3rd world. Continue

US Politicians Kowtow to a Foreign Leader
The Lobby Takes the Offensive

By Justin Raimondo

We have the Israelis in a complete state of military and economic dependency – and yet they are calling the tune, and not Washington. What’s up with that? Continue

Protester Who Heckled Netanyahu Beaten, Arrested at hospital

By Eric W. Dolan

The 28-year-old Jewish American woman was allegedly tackled by members of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during Netanyahu's speech to Congress after she yelled, "stop Israeli war crimes." Continue

AIPAC Denial and Ignorance

Video By Max Blumenthal

Interviews with several AIPAC delegates in the streets outside the conference reveals widespread ignorance by attendees of the controversial annual DC meeting. Continue

Does ‘merika have a culture?

By Paul Craig Roberts

Independent thought is not a concept with which very many Americans are familiar or comfortable. Continue

There's no way out for Greece

By Mike Whitney


If Greece goes under, then it could take Portugal, Ireland and (perhaps) Spain along with it. Continue

Global Financial Crisis

Video

Max Keiser interviews Dr, Paul Craig Roberts. Continue

US Healthcare: Profits Before Patients

By Rose Aguilar

What is the point of having the world's best medical facilities if citizens don't have the money to access healthcare? Continue

Yemen officials: 38 killed in Sanaa fighting: Medical officials said 24 tribesmen were killed in the fiercest fighting on Sanaa's streets in years. Government officials said 14 soldiers were killed and 20 were missing.
Yemen's Shia dilemma: Shia Muslims say they are facing persecution from the authorities, including raids on homes and torture.
Powerful Yemeni tribe turns guns against leader Saleh: Fighters for a powerful Yemeni tribe sealed off key government buildings -- including headquarters of the ruling party -- as the revolt against President Ali Abdullah Saleh spilled into the heart of the capital on Tuesday amid fierce clashes with government forces.
NATO kills 19 people in fresh air strikes on Tripoli late on Tuesday: Libyan officials said at least 19 people were killed in the six loud explosions within a duration of 10 minutes, following powerful strikes 24 hours earlier, including one on Gaddafi's compound. The state television blamed the attack on "colonialist crusaders".
Libya: NATO attack kills 3 people in Tripoli: At least three people were killed with some 150 others injured in NATO airstrikes in Tripoli early Tuesday near the area around leader Moamer Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya residence, local TV reported.
Apache helicopters to be sent into Libya by Britain: Use of helicopters, which can attack small targets, represents significant escalation of conflict
Presstitute alert: ... : Libyan combat stymies moves on antiaircraft threat: The fierce combat in Libya has unleashed a once-hidden arsenal of portable anti-aircraft missiles that the government fears could easily be siphoned off to terror groups, giving rise to a potential threat to commercial aviation that the U.S. is only beginning to confront, government officials and arms experts said.
Lying About Libya?: President Barack Obama has gone to war in Libya without requesting a declaration of war from Congress. But he said he would abide by the War Powers Resolution. However, his 60 day grace period for bombing ended on Friday.
Eleven Afghan construction workers killed in bombing: The blast took place in Panjhwayee district as the construction crew were on their way to work, said Sher Shah Yousifzai, a senior police official in the province.
British Occupation Force Soldier Killed In Afghan Bomb Blast: "The patrol had left their base and was moving to rendezvous with another patrol when the soldier was fatally struck by an improvised explosive device.
Mullah Omar 'disappears' from hideout: Afghan official: Afghanistan's intelligence services said on Monday that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had "disappeared from his hideout" in Quetta, Pakistan, up to five days ago but could not confirm his death.
10 troops killed as Taliban attack Pakistan base: Troops recaptured a Pakistani naval air force base yesterday after a 16-hour battle with as few as six Taliban gunmen
Karachi attack a US operation claims ex Pakistan general: The former head of Pakistan's ISI, Hamid Gul, tells Channel 4 News that he is "100 per cent sure" a Taliban attack on a major naval air base in Karachi was an "American operation".
Three Pakistan nuclear sites attacked in last five years, says expert: It's a subject Americans can't stop discussing and one Pakistan hates talking about. The Mehran attack has once again focused world attention on the security of the country's fast-growing nuclear arsenal
Has America miscalculated in Pakistan?: Washington often acts as if Pakistan were its client state, with no other possible patron but the United States.
Pakistan returns US helicopter from Osama bin Laden raid: The delivery of the wreckage meets a key US demand of Pakistan in the wake the May 2 mission to kill the al-Qaeda leader who was the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
6 killed, 27 wounded in Iraq's violence: A total of six people were killed and 27 others wounded in separate bomb and gunfire attacks in central and northern Iraq
Netanyahu tells Congress no return to 1967 borders: And he further warned: "Jerusalem must never again be divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel."
Full Text Of Speech By Netanyahu To A Joint Meeting Of The U.S. Congress
Netanyahu Speech to AIPAC Conference 2011: Video and Text
Report: Syria death toll 'surpasses 1,000': Rights groups say they have documented names of civilians allegedly killed by security forces since protests erupted.
USA had illegal intelligence in Sweden: CIA has for a long time done things on its own way without informing other countries. This behaviour is in their culture. This is a clear crime against international law and a violation of our sovereignty, says Ove Bring, professor in international law to SvD.se.
New York Times reporter James Rise subpoenaed in CIA leak case: The U.S. Justice Department subpoenaed New York Times reporter James Risen on Monday to testify at the criminal trial of a former CIA operative cited in Risen's 2006 book.
New York City's Topsy-Turvy Terrorism War: The spectacle of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly declaring publicly last week that the FBI was not interested in pursuing a major terrorism case developed by the NYPD suggests that the relationship between the two law enforcement agencies has sunk to an all-time low.
Report Documents Fake Terror Threats Concocted by FBI and NYPD: The government’s use of paid, untrained informants, concocted plots and racial profiling of Muslim communities in its frantic effort to stop so-called homegrown terrorism has raised serious human and civil rights concerns.
In pictures: California's Jam-Packed Prisons: "Ugly beds" stacked in gyms, tiny cages for suicidal prisoners—the photos that helped convince Supreme Court justices to downsize California's overcrowded lockups.

Sunday 22 May 2011

Obama's Speech to AIPAC

Text & Video

America’s commitment to Israel’s security also flows from a deeper place —and that’s the values we share. Continue

Israel Harms Palestinians (And Itself)
My Political Rupture With AIPAC

By MIKE GRAVEL

The dangerous political leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his oppressive domination of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank must be opposed. He does not want peace. Continue
US Troops Operating In Pakistan Since 2009: Leak

By Times Of India
US special forces were embedded with Pakistani troops for intelligence gathering and were also deployed on joint operations in their territory, according to secret US diplomatic cables. Continue

How Many SEALs Died?

By Paul Craig Roberts

As trends forecaster Gerald Celente and I have warned, the warmongers in Washington are driving the world toward World War III. Once a country is captured by its military/security complex, the demand for profit drives the country deeper into war.
Continue

Osama bin Laden's Death: There Is Much More To Say

By Noam Chomsky

We are left with two choices: either Bush and associates are guilty of the "supreme international crime" including all the evils that follow, crimes that go vastly beyond anything attributed to bin Laden; or else we declare that the Nuremberg proceedings were a farce and that the allies were guilty of judicial murder. Continue

Porn in the USA

By Yvonne Ridley

The gullible truly want to believe their government and so they do, but cynics – and they are growing in number even in America these days - recognise weak, transparent propaganda when they see it. Continue

This Is What A Police State Looks Like

By Rania Khalek

The failure of society at large to secure the rights of all segments of the population, has resulted in what can only be described as a nail in the coffin of our right to privacy, at least for those who can afford it. Continue

Rainbow Pie

By Morris Berman

Because he realized that the U.S. was the greatest snow job of all time. He likened the place to a hologram, in which everyone in the country was trapped inside, with no knowledge that the world (U.S. included) was not what U.S. government propaganda, or just everyday cultural propaganda, said it was. Continue

Desperately Needed: A New Political Party

By James Clay Fuller

Count me among the growing number of people who believe support of the Democratic Party, as such, is not merely a waste of time but, worse, a deeply negative activity. Continue

Bank-Ally Lagarde is a "shoo in" to replace Strauss-Kahn at IMF

By Mike Whitney

Lagarde is a perfect-fit for the job. She's a trusted US-ally and a friend of Wall Street. She won't go off the reservation, consort with "commies" like Joseph Stiglitz, or veer from her script. Continue

Dozen bomb attacks rock Baghdad, kill at least 18: More than a dozen bomb attacks in and around Baghdad on Sunday left at least 18 people dead, including 10 people killed in a suicide attack, and 80 wounded.
Oil tanker truck hit in Pakistan, 15 killed: Militants blew up an oil tanker truck carrying fuel for NATO forces in Afghanistan yesterday and a secondary explosion killed 15 people who gathered to siphon fuel from it, government officials said.
Pakistan spy chief asks U.S. to end drone strikes: report: "We will be forced to respond if you do not come up with a strategy that stops the drone strikes," Pasha is reported to have told Morell, the newspaper said on its website.
Thousands protest against US drone attacks in Pakistan: Thousands demonstrated in Karachi on Sunday to demand an immediate end to US missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas and urge the blocking of NATO supplies passing through the country.
Saudi Arabia, UAE funded jihadi networks in Pakistan: Islamic charities from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates financed a network in U.S. ally Pakistan that recruited children as young as eight to wage holy war, a local newspaper reported on Sunday, citing Wikileaks.
Pakistan army denies US troops were in northwest: The local Dawn newspaper said on Saturday it obtained secret dispatches from WikiLeaks that revealed that US Special Forces were deployed with Pakistani troops in joint operations in Pakistan by September of 2009.
US ignored Bhutto's plea for evaluation of security: WikiLeaks: Just two months before she was killed in a terror attack, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had approached then US Ambassador in Islamabad asking for help to evaluate her personal security but it was ignored, latest WikiLeaks cables have revealed
10 killed after suicide bombers storm police station in southeastern Afghanistan: Three suicide bombers were killed while a fourth was still putting up resistance, said the provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai.
Syrian forces fire on mourners; 3 killed: Syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral procession for slain anti-government protesters Saturday, pushing the number of people reported killed in a two-month uprising to more than 900 and making it one of the deadliest of the Arab Spring.
Libyan rebels accused of reprisal attacks: The men were armed and wore black ski masks. In broad daylight, they grabbed Adil Ali el-Aghouri from in front of his house last month, beat him, took him to a rebel military base and threw him in a prison cell.
Yemen's Saleh says Gulf-brokered deal is a "coup": Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh described a Gulf-brokered deal he was expected to sign later on Saturday as a 'coup' dictated by foreign agendas.
Yemen transition deal falls through, says diplomat: Witnesses say army helicopters remove US, other ambassadors from besieged embassy
House lawmakers push back against Obama's stand on 1967 borders: Echoing the concerns of Israeli leaders, the critics maintain that reverting to those boundaries – which existed prior to the Six Day War of 1967 – would endanger Israel and empower its enemies.
Ron Paul to Obama: Stop Dictating to Israel: In a statement released after the president's speech, Thursday, May 19, 2011, Congressman Ron Paul took Barack Obama to task. “Unlike this president, I do not believe it is our place to dictate how Israel runs her affairs."
Imperial History of the Middle East: 5,000 years of history in 90 seconds
Another Stealth Chopper in the Osama Raid?: There’s a growing belief that other stealthy choppers might have been present, as well. It’s the latest in a series of revelations regarding the sophisticated tactics and techs behind the high-stakes raid.
Worrying gap between US military, civilians: Mullen: The US military's top officer warned Saturday about a worrisome disconnect between civilians and troops, saying soldiers are becoming isolated from the rest of American society.
George W Bush rakes in staggering $15million on speaking circuit: Despite insisting he wanted to keep a low profile, Mr Bush has padded his bank account by making scores of speeches paying between $100,000 and $150,000 a time.
Spanish protesters cheer for ‘world revolution’ as ban on demonstration takes effect: Thousands of protesters in Madrid furious over soaring unemployment staged a silent protest and then erupted in cheers of joy as a 48-hour ban on their demonstration took effect on Saturday.
Mexico’s silent March for Peace falls on deaf ears: Calderón stands firm as thousands take to the streets to demand an end to drug gang violence.

Friday 20 May 2011

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Russia Sabotaged Iran Nuclear Programme: Report

By AFP

Then Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the sabotage of Iran's nuclear programme in 2006, according to WikiLeaks documents. Continue

Bomb Everything in Libya
Pirates of the Mediterranean

By William Bowles

The outrageous call by Gen. Sir Richard Davis the other day to bomb everything in Libya illustrates what lurks beneath the veneer of civilization. Continue

WikiLeaks Reveals US Wanted to Keep Russia out of Libyan Oil

By Paul Jay

The Cold War is alive and well in terms of trying to contain Russia's energy power. Continue

Details Emerge of America's Secret Oil War with Russia

By Adam Clark Estes

Officials have downplayed the idea of calling the Nato allies' quiet conflict with Russia and others over oil a "new cold war," Continue

Mitt Romney Accuses Obama of Betraying Israel

By Agence France-Presse

"President Obama has thrown Israel under the bus," thundered former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, generally viewed as the frontrunner in the race for the party's presidential nomination. Continue

Lots of Rhetoric – But Very Little Help

By Robert Fisk:

Well, this weekend is Netanyahu's weekend - and by the time Obama ends up swearing eternal loyalty to the Israelis, the Arabs will forget yesterday's posturing. Continue

Norman Finkelstein On Obama's Mideast Speech

By Democracy Now!

Roundtable with author Norman Finkelstein, Palestinian human rights lawyer Noura Erakat, and Jeremy Ben-Ami, head of the lobby group J Street. Continue

Wikileaks: Military Top Brass Welcomed US Troops in Pakistan

By The Express Tribune

A 2009 cable released by Wikileaks confirms that the Pakistani army for the second time approved deployment of US special operation elements to support Pakistani military operations. Continue

Bin Laden Death Script & the Needed Trigger for Next Step-Pakistan

By Sibel Edmonds

I decided to go ahead and write a fairly quick commentary on why the question of ‘why and why now’ keeps pointing to Pakistan as the next probable occupation target for our never-dying neocon objective-makers. Continue

"Pink Crime"
Criminal Criminology

By Lawrence Davidson

Enough with the double standards already! Go after the big time crooks, at home and abroad, who have the capacity to intimidate and manipulate our own governments. When it comes to that category of criminals one place to look is Israel. Continue

Where Are the Christian Churches When We Need Them Most?

By Mark R. Crovelli

The Christian churches must do their best to stop Christians from killing and robbing other people. One shudders to think that the Christian Churches even need to be reminded of something as fundamental as this. Continue

The Establishment Eliminates A Threat

By Paul Craig Roberts

Whether innocent or guilty, Strauss-Kahn has been framed in advance of his trial. Continue

We're Not Broke, Just Twisted:
Unnecessary Austerity, Unnecessary Shutdown

By Chuck Collins, Alison Goldberg, Scott Klinger, Sam Pizzigati

Reversing tax giveaways to the super-rich and the nation's largest corporations could raise $4 trillion within a decade and avert possible government closures. Continue

At least 27 killed in protests across Syria: The child and 10 others were killed in the central city of Homs while another 10 died in the town of Maaret al-Naaman, located near the western city of Idlib, the activists said.
US Kills 6 People In Pakistan: An unmanned U.S. drone missile strike in the Taliban-controlled North Waziristan province of Pakistan has killed at least six "suspected" militants on Friday, according to local officials.
One killed as US consulate cars attacked in Pakistan: US Embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez announced Friday morning that the bomb exploded near two US consulate cars that were travelling on University Road in Peshawar, the Associated Press reported.
Pakistan: Military denies Wikileaks report of army chief's support of drone use: The published US state department cables saying Kayani supported the use of drones operated by the CIA where Pakistan was battling Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in the tribal areas.
WikiLeaks Pakistan Papers: Today Dawn is carrying the first set from a huge cache of cables, and will continue to publish them in the following days. Dawn’s extensive coverage will include publication of the actual cables as well as specially commissioned stories around them. All cables referenced are available for viewing in their original form on Dawn.com.
Pakistan province rejects US aid: Official: Pakistan's biggest province has cancelled six aid agreements with the United States in protest over the secret US raid that killed Osama bin Laden, its law minister said on Friday
China Gives Pakistan 50 Fighter Jets: Mr. Gilani’s visit to Beijing served as a pointed reminder of Pakistani suggestions that the government might seek to recalibrate relations with the United States, using China to offset what many here view as an overdependence on Washington.
Pakistani PM: Pak-China trade to hit US$15 billion in 2 years: “Our trade at the moment is nine billion U.S. dollars, we want to enhance it to 15 billion U.S. dollars with the expansion of two years, and this is doable. We are moving in the right direction," said Gilani
RAF bombs Libyan warships - video: Ministry of Defence footage shows British planes, as part of a Nato-led campaign, sinking Gaddafi's ships in Libya
Anybody listening? Libya Offers To Pull Troops From Cities: The government of Col. Moammar Gadhafi will pull its forces out of Libyan cities if NATO ends airstrikes and rebels also pull back, a spokesman said Thursday.
Russia calls for international peace-making in Libya: - Russia called on Friday for U.N. and African Union peace-making to stem violence in war-torn Libya, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
African migrants fleeing Libya in distress: Thousands of migrant workers who fled fighting in Libya are stranded in a remote desert town in northern Chad, in what an international aid group warned Friday could become a humanitarian catastrophe.
'US strategy centers on stealing Mideast oil, gas': "9/11 was the pretext for them to go out and steal as much gas as you want. If you look at where they are using military force, it's where there is oil and gas," Francis A. Boyle told Press TV's U.S. Desk on Thursday.
Battle for Arctic oil intensifies as US sends Clinton to polar summit: WikiLeak cables show fears that Arctic resources rivalry could lead to military conflict between Nato and Russia
Violence 'used to force Shia out' of Sunni kingdom: Island state's ruling elite are set on a campaign of persecution, say religious leaders. Our writer on a nation divided
Bahrain visit: Cameron embraces tyranny: As President Obama tells the Middle East to embrace democracy, the Prime Minister welcomes Bahrain's Crown Prince to Britain
Israeli troops shoot Gazan protesters: Hundreds of Palestinians and pro-Palestinian activists were holding an anti-Israeli march near the border fence when the shooting occurred.
Obama granted Netanyahu a major diplomatic victory: After Obama accepted Netanyahu's demands, the PM now cannot be apathetic to the U.S. president's proposal for 1967 borders.
Netanyahu: 1967 borders can't be defended: Netanyahu said such a withdrawal would jeopardize Israel's security and leave major West Bank settlements outside Israeli borders.
Obama to aides: Netanyahu will never do what it takes to achieve Mideast peace: Comment reported in New York Times comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem over the U.S. President's backing of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders.
Israel approves 1,500 illegal squater homes in occupied east Jerusalem: NGO: President Mahmud Abbas's spokesman, "The decision of the Israeli government... is the immediate Israeli response to President Obama's speech," Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.
Former Netanyahu Aide Leaked Secret Nuclear Project with U.S.: PM leaves for Washington in shadow of two diplomatic crises – one with the United States that revolves around Netanyahu's former national security adviser Uzi Arad, the other with Russia
Yemeni president calls for early elections: Yemen's embattled president snubbed a U.S.-backed Gulf Arab plan to remove him from power and instead called Friday for new elections — a move unlikely to end the months of mass street protests demanding his ouster.
Inspired by Arab Protests, Spain's Unemployed Rally for Change: Thousands of demonstrators are occupying squares in major cities across Spain, protesting high unemployment and lack of opportunities for youth, ahead of municipal elections on Sunday. Many of them say they've been inspired by similar protests across the Arab world.
Live Video- Protest In Spain
Patriot Act Extension Agreement Reached By Congressional Leaders: From its inception, the law's increased surveillance powers have been criticized by liberals and conservatives alike as infringements on free speech rights and protections against unwarranted searches and seizures.
Gerald Celente -- 'Gold standard won't save US' : Steve Forbes is championing a return to a gold standard in five years time. Will that help the slumping American economy though? Gerlad Celente of the Trends Research Institute says no.