January Fundraiser Update

A Note from Tom

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US Marine Kills Women Children Gets 3 Months

By CBS/AP

A Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi women and children pleaded guilty Monday to dereliction of duty in a deal that will mean a maximum of three months confinement. Continue

Critics Say Haditha Sends Message That U.S. Won’t Punish War Crimes

By Scott Gold and Carol J. Williams

“It’s going to be hard to explain to the world that at the end of the day this fellow will serve three months and that the charges have been so significantly reduced,” Continue

Iran 'Definitely' Closing Strait of Hormuz Over EU Oil Embargo

By RT

Tensions in the Gulf could reach a breaking point as a senior Iranian official said Iran would “definitely” close the Strait of Hormuz if an EU oil embargo disrupted the export of crude oil. Continue

The Eurasian Triple Entente:
Touch Iran in a War, You Will Hear Russia and China

By Mahdi Darius NAZEMROAYA

Iran can be characterized as a geo-strategic pivot. The entire geo-political equation in Eurasia will change on the basis of Iran’s political orbit. Continue

So Who is Iran Threatening?

By Jasdev Singh Rai

Assuming the worse that Iran is building a nuclear 'Bomb'. Is it really aimed at Washington 7000 miles away, London 3000 miles away or closer at Tel Aviv only 1000 miles away? And why? World Domination? Convert Mr Smith, Mrs Queen and Mr Levy into Shia Islam? Continue

‘Israel to Give Obama 12 Hours Notice on Attacking Iran’
US and Israel on 'Collision Course'

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

The Netanyahu government also will not coordinate with the United States an attack on the Islamic Republic. Continue

UK Silences Iran’s Press TV

By Danny Schechter

The British media regulator OFCOM has pulled Press TV’s license to be seen in the United Kingdom, the same regulator that has done so little to police the methods of Rupert Murdoch’s media practices or BBC’s tilted coverage of the war in Iraq. Continue

Arab League Mission: Syria Violence Decreased

By Press TV

Sudanese General Mustafa al-Dabi on Monday criticized foreign media for exaggerating the violence in Syria, stressing that the situation has improved in the country since the monitoring mission began in December. Continue

In Case You Missed It
Washington’s Enemy ‘Doesn’t Exist’ : Former CIA Officer

RT Interview with Michael Scheuer

The real problem is the leaders of the Jewish American community in the US, who influence and corrupt our Congress to support Israel when we have no interest there,” he states. Continue

The On-Going War Against Truth

By Lawrence Davidson

Disenchanting the public of official lies is what really rattles those in power. Of course, it is quite possible that most of the public, in the U.S. and elsewhere, doesn’t care about the truth either, however Power is not taking any chances in this regard. Continue

Taliban Video Shows Execution of Pakistani Soldiers

Video

Taliban militants have released a video showing the execution of 15 Pakistani soldiers whose bodies were found earlier this month after they were kidnapped in northwestern Pakistan. Continue

My Plan To Solve Middle East Crisis

Video

Mark McGowan - The Artist Taxi Driver. Continue

The Next Housing Bailout

By Mike Whitney

The Banks Need to Offload Millions of Unwanted Homes. Guess Who's Going to Buy Them? Continue

Obama to Use Pension Funds to Pay for Bank Mortgage “Settlement”

By Yves Smith

Obama is apparently going to present his belated Christmas present to the banking industry as a boon to ordinary citizens. Continue

10 Steps Toward Radical Revolution in the USA

By Bill Quigley

We respect the human rights and human dignity of others and work for a world where love and wisdom and solidarity and respect prevail. Continue

More On Ron Paul

By Paul Craig Roberts

If Ron Paul’s libertarian handlers and support base could escape their ideology, Ron Paul could be much better positioned to win the Republican nomination. Continue

The Age of Stupid

Video

A 90-minute film about climate change, set in the future. Continue

15 killed in Syria: Activists say:: At least 10 civilians and five Syrian soldiers were killed in fresh violence across the country on Monday, activists said, also reporting a string of clashes between deserters and the army.

Syria Rejects Arab League Council's Decision: Syria considers these decisions a violation of its national sovereignty, a blatant interference in its internal affairs and a flagrant violation of the objectives for which the AL was established and a breach of Article VIII of its Charter.

Report: Russia to deliver combat jets to Syria: Russia has signed a contract to sell combat jets to Syria in a show of support for President Bashar Assad's regime, a newspaper reported Monday.

Saudi Arabia: the Middle East's most under-reported conflict: Shia protesters, demanding long overdue and promised reforms, are bearing the brunt of a security crackdown

US kills 5 people in Pakistan: A drone attack in a volatile tribal region of north-west Pakistan has killed at least five suspected militants, officials say.

Pakistan rejects NATO border-attack account: Military releases report rejecting US claim that its forces fired on Pakistani troops "in self-defence"

Pakistan: Senate adopts resolution against Pervez Musharraf: The Senate on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution against former President Pervez Musharraf demanding his arrest upon arrival to Pakistan and registration of a case under article 6 of the Constitution.

Afghanistan: Two Children Killed, Four Wounded in Kapisa Blast: At least two children were killed and four others were wounded in eastern Kapisa province on Sunday, Kapisa police said.

'Pro-Kadhafi' attack kills four in Libya: "There are around 100 and 150 men armed with heavy weapons who are attacking. We have asked for the army to intervene, but the defence ministry and NTC (National Transitional Council) have let us down," he said.

"Gaddafi diehards" control Bani Walid: official: Diehard supporters of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi seized control on Monday of "the entire city of Bani Walid", his one-time bastion, after launching a brazen attack on a base there, a local official told AFP.

Libya suspends transitional government members: The head of Libya's transitional government on Sunday suspended delegates from Benghazi, the city that kicked off the movement that toppled ruler Moammar Gadhafi last year.

‘NTC head may resign – if he makes it out alive’: The deputy head of Libya’s National Transitional Council is resigning in light of continuing protests. Sukant Chandan, a spokesman for British Civilians for Peace in Libya, says the Council’s head may resign as well – if he doesn’t get killed first.

US-NATO war crimes in Libya: A report released last week by Middle East human rights groups presents extensive evidence of war crimes carried out in Libya by the United States, NATO and their proxy “rebel” forces during last year’s war, which brought down the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

4 killed in deadly battles between Kenya and Shebab Militants in Southern Somalia: Two Kenyan and one Somali soldiers were killed during an attack late Sunday on hardline Shehab positions at Delbio and Hosingo

Act of war: EU agrees Iranian oil embargo: Foreign ministers' deal in Brussels could lead to soaring fuel prices and Iran closing the strait of Hormuz

Russia critical of EU sanctions against Iran: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was critical on Monday of planned new European Union sanctions against Iran, saying they would push Tehran away from the negotiating table and do little to increase regional security.

Engineering Consent For An Attack On Iran : Israel: EU oil embargo on Iran 'step in right direction': "It is necessary to pressure Iran very hard and very quickly and we must examine these sanctions in the light of their results. Until today, Iran continues to create nuclear weapons unhindered."

'Iran can shut Hormuz if threatened': A senior member of Iran's Majlis says it is the right of the Iranian nation to close the Strait of Hormuz if US-led Western states proceed with threats to impose an oil embargo on Iran.

Strait of Hormuz Will Stay Open, U.S. NATO Ambassador Says: U.S., British and French warships sailed as a group through the strait “to underline the unwavering international commitment to maintaining rights of passage under international law,” the U.K. defense ministry said

'Iran will make world unsafe for US': An Iranian lawmaker says in the event of US “military adventurism” in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will respond in the shortest possible time by making the entire world unsafe for Americans.

Murder in Tehran: How the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist has exposed the double standards of the international news media.

Human Rights Watch: Iraq becoming 'police state' : Iraq's Shiite-led government cracked down harshly on dissent during the past year of Arab Spring uprisings, turning the country into a "budding police state" as autocratic regimes crumbled elsewhere in the region, an international rights groups said Sunday.

Ex-Iraq PM accuses Maliki of 'detaining, torturing' political opponents : Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has accused Nouri al-Maliki of jailing over 1,000 members of opposition political parties, detaining many of them in secret locations with no access to legal counsel and using 'brutal torture' to extract confessions.

Iraq’s warning for neighbours: - Iraq on Sunday criticised neighbouring Turkey, Iran and unnamed Arab countries for trying to “intervene” in Baghdad’s month-long political crisis and not respecting its sovereignty.

HRW accuses Israel of rights violations: In annual report on rights abuses, group charges Israel with using unnecessary lethal force.

ICC charges four over Kenyan vote violence; International Criminal Court judges ordered four prominent Kenyans, including two potential presidential candidates, to stand trial for allegedly orchestrating a deadly wave of violence after their country's disputed 2007 presidential election.
UN rights chief urges US close Guantanamo: "It is 10 years since the US government opened the prison at Guantanamo, and now three years since January 22, 2009, when the president ordered its closure within 12 months," the High Commissioner for Human Rights said. "Yet the facility continues to exist and individuals remain arbitrarily detained – indefinitely – in clear breach of international law," she said in a statement.
We Need Your Help To Close Guantanamo: We need your help to secure 25,000 signatures on the Close Guantánamo Now! petition
Sen. Rand Paul stopped by airport security: He said he was "detained" at a small cubicle and couldn't make his flight to Washington for a Senate vote scheduled later in the day.

January 22, 2012

Afghan, Nato Forces Kill 20 "Insurgents": Sixteen insurgents were killed and ten others were captured by Afghan and Nato led troops over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said on Sunday.
Afghan soldier 'killed French troops over US video': An Afghan soldier who shot dead four French troops has said he did it because of a recent video showing US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents, security sources told AFP.
How Pakistan continues to help US drone campaign despite political tensions: The Jan 10 strike -- and its follow-up two days later -- were joint operations, a Pakistani security source based in the tribal areas told Reuters.
12 killed in south Yemen clashes: - Eight "militants" and four Yemeni soldiers were killed in clashes on Thursday, local officials and medics said, near a southern provincial capital seized by Islamist dissidents in May.
Yemen's president leaves for US: Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Sunday left for the United States after asking his people for forgiveness for "any shortcomings" during his 33-year rule, reported the Yemeni news website Mareb Press.
Nine killed in Iraq attacks: At least nine people were killed Sunday in three areas across Iraq, security and medical sources said, DPA reported.
Report: US kills Somali Al Qaeda "insurgent": A U.S. drone strike killed a British Al Qaeda official fighting alongside insurgents in Somalia, officials said.
Arab League extends Syria mission 1 more month: The League decided to add more observers and provide them with additional resources, the officials said.
Saudi withdraws Syria monitors: Saudi Arabia will withdraw its observers from Syria because the mission has failed to end 10 months of bloodshed and will call on the international community to apply "all possible pressure" on Damascus to end the violence, its foreign minister said.
Syrian deserters take suburb near Damascus, activists say: Syrian activists say insurgents now fighting army at the entrances to the suburb of Douma, which has been a center of protests in the 10-month revolt against President Bashar Assad.
Syria deserters retreat after seizing area near capital: "No one can get in or out of Douma right now. This is the first time the rebels do anything more than hit-and-run attacks. Tonight they started making barriers in the streets," an activist living in Douma told Reuters by Skype.
Syrian exiles smuggling weapons, goods to "revolutionaries": Syrian dissidents based in Lebanon have stepped up efforts to help the opposition in their country by smuggling medicine, satellite phones, cameras and weapons into Syria — and refugees and injured fighters out.
2 US Senators Seek Sanctions On Syria: The bill, to be released Sunday by Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, would require President Barack Obama to identify violators of human rights and call for reform and protection of pro-democracy demonstrators.
US aircraft carriers to deliver 'direct message to Iran': Panetta added that the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is on course for the Persian Gulf – and will steam through the Strait of Hormuz in a direct message to Iran, AP reports.
Report: Iranian Officer Killed in Shooting Attack: Two motorcyclists fired shots at a group of soldiers who were on their way to an air force base located near the city.
Greece presses EU to ease Iran oil sanctions: European diplomats are confident that EU foreign ministers will agree plans on Monday to impose a phased ban on the import of crude oil from Iran over the next few months.
Deputy head of Libya's NTC quits after protests: The deputy head of Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) said on Sunday he was resigning after a series of protests against the new government which the country's leader warned could drag Libya into a "bottomless pit."
‘Libya’s like Somalia’: “Africans are being beaten and killed in Libya and no one there cares,”
Online companies win piracy fight: Outspent but hardly outgunned, online and high-tech companies triggered an avalanche of Internet clicks to force Congress to shelve legislation that would curb online piracy. They outmaneuvered the entertainment industry and other old guard business interests, leaving them bitter and befuddled.

I Spit on Your Grave
Video : Marines Urinating On Corpses

Video

And Americans wonder why many in the Muslim world hate us? Continue

Iran: The Neocons Are At It Again

By Ralph Nader

It is past time for the American citizenry to wake up and declare: Iran will not be an Iraq Redux!. Continue

Iran and the Terrorism Game

By Glenn Greenwald

In the few venues which yesterday denounced as “Terrorism” the ongoing assassinations of Iranian scientists, there was intense backlash against the invocation of that term. Continue

Advice to a Generic Candidate

By Fred Reed

Reflect that the Pentagon hasn't won a war since 1945, unless you count titanic eruptions like Grenada. Continue

Fools and Fanatics and Bull Feather Merchants

By Jeff Huber

Deconstructing the flock of war hawkers who comprise the Pentarchy’s propaganda pantheon. Continue

West Planning No-fly Zone to Aid Syrian Rebels

By Bloomberg

Russia received information that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and some Persian Gulf countries are preparing military intervention in Syria, the head of the Russian Security Council said. Continue

Three Years after the Bombs Fell

By Ahmad Barqawi

It's exactly three years ago that 1,417 innocent Palestinians lost their lives in Gaza while the whole world kept silent. And it's three years ago -to the day- that humanity and everything about it was squashed down to invisibility. Continue

States Attempt to Instill 'Work Ethic' by Rolling Back Child Labor Protections

By Michelle Chen

When US politicians grumble at basic protections for the youngest, most vulnerable workers, they reveal that the Industrial Revolution’s legacy of unbridled capitalism still haunts the country’s political arena. Continue

Republican Socialists, Democratic Capitalists

By Ted Rall

Why don’t the Democrats see it? Don’t they understand that capitalism is discredited? Newt Gingrich does. So do most Republicans. Continue

20 die in Sunni‚ Shiite clashes in Yemen: : Twenty gunmen were killed Thursday in clashes between Zaidi Shiite rebels and Sunni Salafist gunmen in northern Yemen, a security official said.
Yemen's rival forces given two-day deadline to demilitarize: A Yemeni committee of security and military agencies has given rival forces two days to remove military barricades and gunmen from the capital Sana'a as part of an effort to "re-establish security" in the country, reported state news agency SABA Thursday.
14 Pak troopers killed in ambush in Balochistan: Fourteen paramilitary troopers were killed in an ambush by militants in Balochistan, one of the deadliest attacks in the restive province of southwest Pakistan in recent months. The banned Baloch Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the attack
Murder, Inc: U.S. Kills Six People In Pakistan: A second drone strike in two days killed six militants in North Waziristan in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border on Thursday.
Pakistan: New Price Tags on Stranded NATO Supplies : At a meeting last week in the eastern city Lahore in the Punjab province, it urged the government to quit the "war on terror" and threatened a countrywide movement against "U.S. terrorism in Pakistan."
Pakistan's top soldiers in crisis talks: Army chiefs hold discussions behind closed doors, as memo scandal deepens divide between military and civil government.
Situation explosive: PM, allies on trial: At a time when Pakistan economy is in oxygen tent, and domestic situation is filled with divisive tendencies, the latest decision of the prime minister to sack the defence secretary and accuse the army and the ISI chiefs of violating the constitution, has driven the country to a critical and dangerous point. The situation is now explosive
Afghan district chief, four others killed in blast: A suicide car-bomber killed five people including a district governor and wounded 10 others near Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, officials said.
Taliban set terms as US pushes for talks: Group says it will step up "political efforts" but not give up armed struggle as US prepares way for Afghan peace talks.
Assessing the Afghan war: Guess what? We aren't winning: So, America, remember the Vietnam War? Because the war in Afghanistan just gave me a bad case of deja vu.
Iraq attacks kill five policemen, town mayor: Gun attacks in Baghdad and predominantly Sunni west Iraq on Wednesday left five policemen and a town mayor dead, security and medical officials said.
Marine Says Sergeant Ordered Massacre In Haditha: A Camp Pendleton Marine says his commanding officer ordered bloodshed before his squad killed 24 Iraqis, including women and children, in 2005.
US troops 'told to lie' about Iraqi killings: A US soldier has told a military jury in California how his commander killed five Iraqi civilians in the western al-Anbar province in 2005 and then asked him to lie about it.
Four US suspects nabbed in Baghdad: The US nationals were wearing flak jackets and were armed with pistols -- equipped with silencers -- and automatic weapons when they were arrested in a Shia neighborhood in central Baghdad.
Syria: Camera crew captures attack that killed journalist : The French journalist, had been in a government-escorted media group visiting a pro-Assad neighbourhood of the divided city of Homs
Russian weapons ship arrives in Syria - paper: The Russian Foreign Ministry said the ship carried a “dangerous cargo,” but did not elaborate. According to the documents, the cargo sender was the Russian state arms trader Rosoboronexport.
Syria to form new government in early February: A new government to include opposition members will be formed in Syria early next month, the Al-Watan newspaper close to Syrian authorities reported on Thursday.
No proof of nuclear bomb development by Iran - Patrushev: "All this talk about Iranians being almost a week away from creating a nuclear bomb, we have been hearing it for many years now. The presence of a military aspect in Tehran's nuclear program has never been proved by anyone," Patrushev said in an interview with Interfax.
Iran: 'Nuclear assassinations disgrace IAEA': Marandi said all of Iranian scientists who had been targeted by terrorist attacks “have had their names given by the IAEA to third parties.”
Iran lacks avenues for condemning hits on scientists; Iran may be outraged at the killing of another nuclear scientist in broad daylight, but it lacks viable avenues for international condemnation or prosecution of what could be an attempt to sabotage its nuclear program.
Iran newspaper calls for retaliation against Israel over killing of nuclear scientist: A column by the chief editor of an influential Iranian paper says Iran should respond in kind to Israel's alleged clandestine war on Iran by assassinating Israeli officers.
The Signs Pointing to Israel's Role in the Assassination of an Iranian Nuclear Scientist: When 32-year-old Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan was assassinated in a car bomb attack Wednesday, Iran immediately accused Israel of carrying out the attack. At this point, it's increasingly difficult to argue to the contrary.
Israel is pushing U.S. toward Iran war, Russian official says: Russia fears Israel will push the United States into a military conflict with Iran which could retaliate by blocking oil shipments from the Gulf, a confidant of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
Real danger of US military strike on Iran: Russia: Russian Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev warned that military escalation is likely in Iran, with "real danger" of a US strike, in an interview published Thursday.
US aircraft carrier sets course for Gulf: US’ “Abraham Lincoln” aircraft carrier with a group of combat ships has set a course for the Persian Gulf, an official with the US’ 7th fleet based at the Japanese port of Yokosuka said Wednesday.
Russia warns EU over Iran oil sanctions: “If the EU follows the Americans and imposes an embargo on purchases of Iranian oil…then the Europeans will suffer first and foremost, and not the US, it has plenty of its own reserves,” Secretary of Russia's National Security Council Nikolai Patrushev told Interfax.
EU prepares contingency plan for Iran oil sanctions: EU President Villy Soevndal announced today that the new Libyan regime and Gulf kingdoms are ready to fill shortages in Europe's oil supplies if Brussels imposes an embargo on Iran.
Japan joins US, EU in Iranian oil embargo: As the EU finalises sanctions against Iran, Japan has become the latest country to impose measures against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme. After talks with US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner the Japanese finance minister said Tokyo would begin reducing its imports of Iranian oil.
Lieberman, Graham warn of a nuclear Iran: Two Senate defense hawks plan to introduce a resolution opposing any strategy that accepts and tries to contain a nuclear-armed Iran, calling such an approach “a catastrophic mistake.”
EU report: Israel policy in West Bank endangers" two-state solution" : Survey by European Heads of Mission in Jerusalem, Ramallah criticizes Israel for the ‘forced transfer’ Palestinians from Area C, defined by the Oslo Accords as those parts of the West Bank under full Israeli control.
Supreme Court upholds ban on Palestinians living with Israeli spouses : The decision to refuse to allow couples to live together in Israel was initially taken by the government in May 2002.
Professor of Hate: Israeli "scholar" urges ethnic cleansing of Bedouins: A prominent Israeli professor at the University of Haifa, Arnon Sofer, is urging the government to act fast to ethnically cleanse Palestinian Bedouins lest Israel be “destroyed” by them.
Nigeria: Boko Haram Defends Killings of Christians: Alleged Boko Haram Leader, Abubkar Shekau, has posted a video on the Internet declaring that recent attacks on Christians were reprisals for the deaths of Muslims in the northern parts of the country.
Nigerian oil union issues shutdown deadline: Largest union says it will shut down oil and gas production from Sunday over government's ending of fuel subsidies.
Nigeria 'Heading Towards Anarchy'? There are fears that unrest over fuel prices and and the violent activities of the Boko Haram sect could drive the country into civil war.
US Marine Corps’ Africa mission may be growing: A select group of Marines is quietly battling terrorism across a wide swath of Africa as part of the first wave of what could become a long-term mission for the Corps.
Brotherhood dominates Egypt polls: Previously banned Muslim Brotherhood on course to most seats in new parliament.
U.S., Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in High-Level Talks: US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will meet with Muslim Brotherhood party leaders as the country prepares to conclude marathon elections.
Too many victims of the war on terror remain imprisoned across the world: Hamidullah Khan was 13 when he disappeared from Pakistan in 2008. He is still locked up in an Afghan jail
UK spies won't face criminal charges for torture:Human Rights Watch found a cache of documents in the abandoned office of Gadhafi's former intelligence chief, Moussa Koussa, after the fall of the regime. Among them was a fax the CIA sent to Koussa in March 2004, which purportedly showed that the agency would support MI6 and Gadhafi in seeking Saadi's rendition.
Gulag USA: A Decade in the Purgatory Called Guantanamo: Hundreds of protesters, dozens outfitted in orange jumpsuits and black hoods, took to the streets outside the White House on Wednesday to demonstrate against torture and indefinite detention on the 10th anniversary of the opening of the U.S. prison facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Gulag USA: Guantanamo Bay lawyers to halt written communication: Military attorneys representing detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will stop communicating in writing with their clients because the commander of the military detention center has authorized officials to review mail coming from detainees’ lawyers.
Chart of the Day: Greek workers work 48% more hours than Germans: The conventional narrative about the European debt crisis largely accepts the contention that the periphery of Europe have different work habits and these account to a large extent the economic and financial problems.
Greek youngsters abandoned as parents struggle: 4-year-old found clutching note: 'I can't afford her' - Country also running out of medicine - Aspirin stocks low as austerity measures bite
White-Collar Workers Join Crowd Straining Food Banks: After losing her job as a consultant for nonprofits, Martha Heassler and her husband, a graphic artist, no longer had money for their daughter’s college education, new clothing or groceries.

'Mossad, MKO Killed Iranian Scientist'

By Richard Silverstein

These are shameful acts by a shameful Israeli government exploiting Iranian terrorists for their own ends. Continue

More Murder of Iranian Scientists: Still Terrorism?

By Glenn Greenwald

Even for people who don’t believe the US has anything to do with the assassination of Iranian scientists, just flip the scenario: how would they react to news that Israeli scientists were being systematically murdered, and Iranian officials just smiled and acted coy when asked about it? Continue

US in No Position to Issue Credible Spying Denials

By Dave Lindorff

I wouldn’t want to be Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, the 28-year-old former US Marine just recently sentenced to death by a court in Iran after being convicted of being an American spy. Continue

War Plan Iran:
The US Finally Admits Its Criminal Bankruptcy

By Finian Cunningham

“Are they trying to develop a nuclear weapon? No.” Continue

Energy Wars 2012

By Michael T. Klare

Welcome to an edgy world where a single incident at an energy “chokepoint” could set a region aflame, provoking bloody encounters, boosting oil prices, and putting the global economy at risk. Continue

Boom And Doom:
Revisiting Prophecies Of Collapse

By Debora MacKenzie

At the beginning of the 1970s, a group of young scientists set out to explore our future. Their findings shook a generation and may be even more relevant than ever today. Continue

The European Problem
The intrigue is at its height

By: Bob Chapman

The European problem is going to spread from the original six that includes Italy and Spain to Austria and then to France. That $1 trillion swap was the temporary fix, but what do you do for an encore? Use fractional banking of course. Continue

Obama, Sarkozy and Taxing Wall Street

By Jeff Cohen

With U.S. media obsessing on the fight here at home among conservatives vying to become president, most of them missed some big news about France, which already has a conservative president. Continue

Obama's 'New' Bank Fraud Deal:
Still Unfair, Still Unjust, Still Unbalanced

By Richard RJ Eskow

The Obama White House continues to push for a settlement that would let bankers avoid being punished - or even investigated - for a wave of mortgage-related crimes that includes perjury, tax evasion, and several types of fraud. Continue

Are Drones Watching You?

By Jennifer Lynch

Predator drones can eavesdrop on electronic transmissions, and one drone unveiled at DEFCON last year can crack Wi-Fi networks and intercept text messages and cell phone conversations—without the knowledge or help of either the communications provider or the customer. Continue

Unplug Yourself
How Advertising and Entertainment Shapes Your Subconscious

By Andre Evans

People are taught to live in a simulated reality, with pre determined goals, aspirations, and false expectations. Continue

8 killed in Nigeria as tensions sharpen: Eight people killed in the north and an Islamic school burnt down in the south, as a fuel strike rattles the country.

Report: Eight killed in attack on pro-regime rally in Syria: - At least eight people, including a Belgian reporter, were killed Wednesday when shells hit a pro-regime rally in the central Syrian province of Homs, Syrian Al Dunia Television reported.

Assad joins pro-Syria rally in Damascus: Addressing thousands of government supporters in the Syrian capital, Damascus, Assad said on Wednesday that the support of Syrians for his government gives him power to fight hard against the external conspiracy trying to destabilize the country.

Russia sends warship to Syria to prevent Libyan scenario: Yevgeny Satanovsky, President of the Institute of Israeli and Middle East Studies, underscores that Russia’s actions can be explained by its concerns that if the current regime in the country is replaced it will entail rivers of blood, millions of refuges and hundreds of thousands of victims among Syria’s Christian community.
Three Iraq policemen killed in Anbar province: Insurgents attacked an Iraqi police station near the Syrian border early Wednesday morning and killed three policemen, including a captain, security and medical officials said.
Iraq's Kurds unwilling to hand Hashemi to Baghdad: While not refusing outright to arrest the Sunni leader and send him to face trial, Iraqi Kurdish officials said the Baghdad government should accept Hashemi's demand to be tried outside the capital.
U.S. drone initiated strike on Kurds: The drone, was one of four based at Incirlik Airbase in southern Turkey, launched the airstrike in December on the village of Ortasu, sources told Turkey's Aydinlik.
Iranian nuclear scientist killed in car bomb blast: Two assailants on a motorcycle attached magnetic bombs to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and another person Wednesday, state TV reported. The slayings suggest a widening covert effort to set back Iran's atomic program
Le Figaro: Israel's Mossad Recruiting Iranian Dissidents to Work Against Tehran Regime: French report quotes security sources in Baghdad as saying that Israel is training Iranians in Iraq's Kurdish region to operate against Ayatollah regime.
'IAEA leaked secret info to Iran enemy': A senior lawmaker says assassination of Iranian scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan proves that the confidential information provided to international bodies by Iran has been leaked to the country's enemies.
Iran says Fordo uranium enrichment site runs under IAEA watch: TV: Iran's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali-Asghar Soltanieh said all of the country's nuclear activities, including those at Fordo enrichment site, are under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog
Obama Ready to Use Military Force to Stop Nuclear Iran, Ex-Adviser Says: The administration considers the risks of permitting a nuclear-armed Iran to be greater than the risks of military action, said Ross, who last month rejoined the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a research group.
Iran Interest Rates Raised To 20% To Fight Hyperinflation: As a result of a financial embargo enacted on by the US on New Year's Day, Iran's economy had promptly entered freefall mode and is now experiencing hyperinflation as the currency implodes.
Public ire one goal of Iran sanctions, U.S. official says: The Obama administration sees economic sanctions against Iran as building public discontent that will help compel the government to abandon an alleged nuclear weapons program, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official.
China unbowed by US pressure over Iranian oil: US Treasury Secretary fails to persuade China to back sanctions against Iranian oil industry during talks in Beijing.
Thousands Of USTroops To Arrive In Israel This Week: Accompanied by a US aircraft carrier, 9,000 US troops including airmen, missile interceptor teams, marines, technicians and intelligence officers are scheduled to land in Israel in the coming weeks. Many will stay up to the end of the year as part of the US-Israeli Army deployment in readiness for a military engagement with Iran, aiming at a synchronized military front against Iran.
Israel subsidizes West Bank housing, breaking promise to U.S.: Revelation comes as PM Netanyahu announces plan to build 277 housing units in Efrat settlement as part of series of reprisals for the PA's admission to UNESCO in October.

Pakistan fires defense secretary in growing crisis: Pakistan's prime minister fired the defense secretary Wednesday in a dispute over a memo sent to Washington that has enraged the army, escalating a crisis pitting the civilian government against the powerful military leadership.

US gave grant to Pakistani Muslim group which demonstrated in favor of governor’s killer: The U.S. gave money to a Pakistani Muslim group that organized anti-Taliban rallies, but which later demonstrated in support of an extremist who killed a leading liberal politician, the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said Wednesday.

One Third of the Military's Aircraft Are Now Drones: Nearly one in three American military aircraft is a drone, according to a congressional report, a 40-fold increase in the drone army from just a few years ago. From tiny man-portable flying wings to behemoth strike planes, unmanned aircraft now make up 31 percent of the military’s air power.
Sudan blocks S. Sudan crude oil exportation: The minister said that the government of Khartoum has decided to once again to steal crude oil from the republic of South Sudan, rather than view a new year as an opportunity for renewed cooperation.
Obama sending 5 US military officers to S. Sudan: The White House said the U.S. forces will join the United Nations mission in the capital of Juba and focus on strategic planning and operations. They are not expected to engage in combat operations, but will be armed for personal protection.
Doomsday Clock a minute closer to midnight: As well, the major global challenge now was a warmer climate that threatens to bring droughts, famine, water scarcity and rising seas, said Allison Macfarlane, an associated professor at George Mason University near Washington, who chairs the group's committee that helps set the clock.
Federal court blocks Oklahoma ban on Sharia: - A federal appeals court has blocked an Oklahoma voter-approved measure barring state judges from considering Islamic and international law in their decisions.
Frontrunner Romney wins New Hampshire: Final results showed the former Massachusetts governor with 39 per cent of the vote, followed by Texas congressman Ron Paul with 23 per cent and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman with 17 per cent.
I Was Kicked Out of a Mitt Romney Event and Arrested : “Sir, the campaign has identified you as someone who was at a protest at Romney’s office in Manchester.”
Sh*t Republican candidates say: I thought I had a potty mouth, but you should hear the way this GOP field talks. For starters, they're obsessed with sex …
Occupy protesters return to New York park: Anti-Wall Street demonstrators return to Manhattan square for first time in two months after barricades are torn down.

January 10, 2012

The US-Iran Economic War

By Pepe Escobar

Here's a crash course on how to further wreck the global economy. Continue

Presstitute Alert - Demonizing Iran/Venezuela
Ahmadinejad, Chavez "Taunt" US from Caracas

By Whitney Eulich, Correspondent

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, joked yesterday about having a nuclear weapon at their disposal. Continue

After Iran, Venezuela?

By Mike Whitney

As soon as Obama is finished “liberating” Tehran, it’ll be on to Venezuela. You can bet on it. Continue

Al-Assad Speech
Foreign Powers, Terrorists Want Syrian Uprising

Video

Speech by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad -January 10th 2012, speaking on uprising, civilian deaths, humanitarian monitoring of violence, the Arab League and foreign powers that he claims are seeking control of Syria for economic or political gain. Continue

Neocon Israel Mouthpiece Writes Syrian Opposition Intervention Paper

By Moon Of Alabama

Bashar al-Asad is right. There are international conspiracies to take him down. Continue

Puppets & Dictators

By RT

Author and scholar Gene Sharp told RT in exclusive interview that non-violence is the only way for people to bring about a democratic change. Continue

Humanitarian Bombing
"Shame On You Americans"

Video

Looking into the faces of those we kill. Continue

Why Do We Ignore the Civilians We Kill in US Wars?

By John Tirman

Why the American silence on our wars’ main victims? Our self-image, based on what cultural historian Richard Slotkin calls “the frontier myth” — in which righteous violence is used to subdue or annihilate the savages of whatever land we’re trying to conquer. Continue

My Guantánamo Nightmare

By LAKHDAR BOUMEDIENE

I went on a hunger strike for two years because no one would tell me why I was being imprisoned. Twice each day my captors would shove a tube up my nose, down my throat and into my stomach so they could pour food into me. It was excruciating. Continue

Why Washington Wants ‘Finito’ with Putin

By F. William Engdahl

The Shady National Endowment for Democracy &The Prime Agenda of ‘Whoever’ is Next US President. Continue

US Agents Helped Launder Millions in Drug Proceeds

By Olga Rodriguez

Mexico's government allowed a group of undercover U.S. anti-drug agents and their Colombian informant to launder millions in cash for a powerful Mexican drug trafficker and his Colombian cocaine supplier, according to documents made public Monday. Continue

No Longer a Party of Lincoln
The Racial Politics of the New GOP

By John Nichols

On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum told a crowd of supporters: “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.” Continue

Grow up, Ron Paul

By Carl Gibson

Ron Paul's every-individual-for-themselves rhetoric appeals to young, radical libertarians with simplistic viewpoints of authority, and an ignorance of why government exists in the first place. Continue

If Corporations Are People, Then ...

By Don Cavallaro

Would mergers between a male and female corporation be considered marriage? If you sue a corporation into bankruptcy, should that now be considered murder? Continue

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

By Gil Scott-Heron

You will not be able to stay home, brother. You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out. You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip, Skip out for beer during commercials, Because the revolution will not be televised. Continue

Blast kills 29 in northwest Pakistan: At least 29 people were killed and over 40 others injured when a powerful bomb blast ripped through a crowded market in the restive Khyber tribal region of northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, officials and witnesses said.

US kills four people in Pakistan: Officials: Two missiles destroyed a "militant" compound in Pakistan’s tribal area near the Afghan border, killing four "militants" late on Tuesday, security officials said.

Pakistan high court warns PM to comply with order to investigate president: The court said that Gilani has failed to follow court orders to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. The court also accused the government of violating the constitution and threatening the balance of power in the country:

Afghan-NATO operation kills 10 "Taliban", police say: Ten Taliban insurgents were killed in an operation by Afghan and foreign forces in northern Afghanistan, Afghan police said Tuesday.

Suicide attackers storm office in Afghan east, 7 killed - Three suicide attackers stormed a government building in Afghanistan's volatile east on Tuesday, sparking a six-hour gun battle with security forces in which four government employees and three policemen were killed, authorities said.
Probe accuses US of Afghan detainee abuse: Inmates at facility in Bagram tell investigating commission they were tortured and held without evidence by authorities.
Afghan government accuses US of torture and false imprisonment: The crisis besetting the US/NATO occupation of Afghanistan has been deepened over recent days. Its own puppet government, headed by President Hamid Karzai, has publicly accused the American military of torture and arbitrary detention at the largest US-run prison in the country.
Four Russian Troops Killed In Fighting With Chechen Rebels: Four Russian security personnel, including three policemen and a member of the interior army, have been killed in fighting with rebels in the troubled North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, Russia's interior ministry said Monday.
Schoolboys among eight killed in Iraq: Gun and bomb attacks in Baghdad and north Iraq have killed eight people, including an army colonel and three schoolboys, security officials said, a day after a spate of violence left 17 dead.
Squad mate testifies in Marine's Iraq massacre trial: A former squad mate of a Marine implicated in the deaths of 19 Iraqis in 2005 has told a court-martial that after a roadside bombing the group raced to nearby homes, firing rounds and tossing grenades, even though he heard no gunfire and saw no weapons or Iraqis fleeing.
In case you missed it: Iraqi Girl tells of US Attack in Haditha: Ten-year-old Iman Walid witnessed the killing of seven members of her family in an attack by American marines last November. The interview with Iman was filmed exclusively for ITV News by Ali Hamdani,our Iraqi video diarist.
Report: Saudi King Abdullah ordered to assassinate Iraqi VP 'Tariq al-Hashemi': Saudi King Abdullah ordered to assassinate Iraqi VP (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Saudi regime is reportedly planning to assassinate fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi over fears that he might disclose Saudi Arabia's role in the bloody events in Iraq.
Syria's Assad vows 'iron hand' against opponents: "Our priority now is to regain security in which we basked for decades, and this can only be achieved by hitting the terrorists with an iron hand," Assad said in a nearly two-hour speech to a cheering crowd packed with well-dressed supporters at Damascus University. "We will not be lenient with those who work with outsiders against the country."
Arab League anger as monitors attacked: Arabi said "some members of the mission were victim of violent attacks carried out by pro-regime elements in Latakia and Deir Ezzor, and from elements considered to be members of the opposition in other areas".
Erdogan warns of ‘civil war’ in Syria as daily bloodshed continues: “The situation that has emerged there is right now heading towards a religious, sectarian and racial civil war. This must be stopped,” Erdogan said at a televised press conference.
Iran nuke work at bunker is confirmed: "The IAEA can confirm that Iran has started the production of uranium enriched up to 20 percent ... in the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant,"
'Iran war to deteriorate world economy': A senior Chinese diplomat says, "Everyone knows that 40 percent of the oil shipped daily to every part of the world goes through the Strait of Hormuz, so once war starts in this region not only will the relevant nations be affected and attacked, it would also ... bring disaster to a world economy deep in crisis," Chen Xiaodong warned on Tuesday
‘US builds hospitals in Georgia, readies for war with Iran’: A big war between the US and Iran is beginning in the Persian Gulf. $5 billion was allocated for the construction of these 20-bed military hospitals,” Javelidze said in an interview with Georgian paper Kviris Kronika (News of the Week), as cited by Newsgeorgia website.
Sanctions begin taking a bigger toll on Iran: The West's strategy has sent the currency, the rial, into a tailspin and pushed inflation higher. But the risks are high.
Cuban Missile Crisis, the Sequel; $3,000 Gold Possible: In what appears as swift retaliation by Iran against U.S.-led economic sanctions imposed on the Persian Gulf state, suddenly Iran says it will no longer accept the U.S. dollar as payment for its oil shipments to India, Japan and China.
2 killed as US defends immunity for Yemeni Saleh: Amnesty International said on Monday that the draft law is “a smack in the face for justice, made all the more glaring by the fact that protesters have been calling for an end to impunity since mass protests began in early 2011.”
U.S. conveys to Libya its dissatisfaction over Sudanese president visit: Bashir has disclosed following Gaddafi’s downfall that his country provided military help to the NTC during the course of the battles in Libya throughout most of this year.
No Evidence' of Mass Killings - UN: It was still not clear on Saturday how many people had died but with as many as a third of all thatch huts set on fire in targeted areas, some 60,000 people were in desperate need of help, Johnson added.
Al-Shabab dismisses Kenya air raid toll claim: Somali group confirms attack took place in Garbaharey but denies 60 of its fighters were killed.
Nigeria: Rage amid poverty: Anger over corruption emerges in Nigeria strike, fueling fears of unrest.
US millionaire Kenneth Abramowitz funds settlers linked to attacks on IDF: The narrative that Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition is "cracking down" on those wild West Bank settlers is falling apart with Haaretz's revelation that the leader of Netanyahu's political party passed on information about Israeli military movements to settlers seeking to block moves against outposts.
Israel buy Gingrich - Sheldon Adelson gives $5 million to pro-Gingrich group: American billionaire and close ally of Israeli PM Netanyahu makes contribution to super PAC named 'Winning Our Future'; has previously supported Gingrich's claim that Palestinians are 'invented people.'
Sabbath-observant Jew named Obama's new White House chief of staff: Over the past three years, Lew, whose son studied in a yeshiva in Israel, has developed a close working relationship with Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, and has met several times with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz.
CAIR Disavows Tampa Terror Suspect; Was There Entrapment?: Shibly characterized Osmakac as a "self-radicalized lone wolf" and said the local community played "a vital role" in bringing him to the attention of the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office.
Freedom In USA: Grand Central Terminal Arrests : Two protesters mic check about the loss of freedom brought about by the passage of the NDAA and both are promptly arrested and whisked out of public sight
Trained snipers will be watching Chicago NATO/G8 dignitaries, protesters: When the world's most important leaders converge on Chicago for the G8 and NATO summits, so will the most elite marksmen.
Investors pay to lend to Germany, want more from France: - Investors paid to lend Germany a combined 3.9 billion euros for six months on Monday, accepting a loss in a renewed flight to safety from the euro zone debt crisis.
Europe's Crisis Is Germany's Blessing: Its neighbors may be suffering, but the euro crisis has created conditions that actually benefit the German economy. Not only is the government enjoying the windfall of negative interest rates on bonds, but unemployment is down and exports are booming.
Greece should quit euro unless "massive" funding given: Czech: Greece should leave the euro zone and devalue its new currency unless Europe is willing to provide "massive" funding for the indebted country, Czech central bank Governor Miroslav Singer said in a newspaper interview.
For Many Americans, Jobs Crisis to Last Many Years: The amount of jobs in the economy is still about 6.1 million lower than before the brutal 2007-2009 recession. At December's pace of gains, it would take about 2 1/2 years just to get back to pre-recession levels of employment.
Pennsylvania to impose asset test for food stamps: Pennsylvania plans to make the amount of food stamps that people receive contingent on the assets they possess - an unexpected move that bucks national trends and places the commonwealth among a minority of states.

January 09, 2

The New York Times is Misleading the Public on Iran

By Robert Naiman

AIPAC is trying to trick the United States into another catastrophic war with a Middle Eastern country on behalf of the Likud Party's colonial ambitions, and the New York Times is misleading the public with allegations that say that the country is developing "weapons of mass destruction". Continue

Santorum: Iranians’ ‘Principle Virtue’ To Die For God
‘Is An Encouragement For Them To Use’ Nukes

By Eli Clifton

Santorum’s Iran policy appears to be framed, in no small part, by his extremist views on Islam and a belief that the Islamic Republic’s leadership is inherently irrational and suicidal. Continue

Demonizing Iran/Venezuela
US orders expulsion of Venezuelan consul

By Jim Mannion

The United States has ordered the expulsion of Venezuela's consul general in Miami amid reports linking the diplomat to an alleged Iranian plot to target sensitive US facilities with cyber attacks, the US State Department said Sunday. Continue

A New Reserve Currency to Challenge the Dollar?
What’s Really Going on in The Straits of Hormuz.

By David Malone

The stand off is as much with China and its allies as it is specifically with Iran. Continue

Obama's New Military Strategy Doesn't Add Up
What happened to the idea of saving money?

By Miriam Pemberton

The job description for our self-appointed role as world policeman will be trimmed a bit. We won't be patrolling everywhere all the time, but we'll be doing something more like check-ins in places like Latin America and Africa. Continue

Stone Age Logic
Preserving US Global Leadership

By Gwynne Dyer

If you’re not allowed to enslave people any more, or even loot their resources, then what is the point of being a traditional great power? Continue

Iraq: A Country in Shambles

By Dahr Jamail

The state of the economy in Iraq is a disaster. Yet this irony is highlighted by the fact that Iraq has proven oil reserves third only behind Saudi Arabia and Iran - hence one would expect it to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Continue

Homeland Security Monitors Journalists

By RT

The Office of Operations Coordination and Planning (OPS) can collect personal information from news anchors, journalists, reporters or anyone who may use “traditional and/or social media in real time to keep their audience situationally aware and informed.” Continue

The Gospel of the Penniless, Jobless, Marginalized and Despised

By Chris Hedges

African-Americans used faith to survive and resist, and fight, while whites used faith in order to terrorize black people. Continue

Renewed South Sudan clashes kill at least 24: “In Akobo East County, the town of Deng Jok was attacked and 22 people were killed,” Jonglei Governor Kuol Manyang told AFP, adding that 20 more were seriously wounded and had been taken to hospital.
Obama To Sell Arms to South Sudan : The United States President Barack Obama issued a memorandum on Friday notifying the Secretary of State and Congress that he is adding South Sudan to the list of countries eligible to buy weapons from the US
One killed as Nigerian fuel protests turn deadly: Nigerian police have killed a man and wounded three others at a demonstration in Nigeria's largest commercial city amid a nationwide strike against cuts in fuel subsidies, witnesses and hospital staff say.
Nigeria's oil disasters are met by silence: The global media have had little to say on Nigeria's latest oil spill and the hundreds of others that have destroyed so many lives.
A least 10 abducted Pakistan paramilitary troops found shot dead: Local officials say the bullet-riddled bodies of the men were found in a ravine close to the town of Dabori. It is unclear when they were killed. Last week the Taliban killed 15 tribal police they had abducted last month.
China planning military base in Pakistan, Indian report says: “China and Pakistan pledged to strengthen military ties and bring existing cooperation to a new level," Xinhua quoted China's Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie as saying.
Why Musharraf is risking a return to Pakistan: Pakistani prosecutors say former President Gen. Pervez Musharraf will be arrested the moment he returns, but the Army might prevent his arrest.
Musharraf hints at Army backing - Video report
Eight Taliban killed, 13 held in Afghanistan : At least eight Taliban militants were killed and 13 arrested in a series of military operations in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, the country's interior ministry said Monday.
Nato, Afghan soldiers killed in Zabul shootout: An Afghan soldier gunned down a Nato occupation force soldier and was himself killed when a dispute ended in a shoot-out on Sunday, an Afghan security source and the Nato force said.
Afghanistan: 'Slave-like' conditions at Swedish army base revealed: Kitchen staff at Sweden's military base in Afghanistan have been working in "slave-like conditions," a Swedish newspaper has revealed.
Attacks kill six in Iraq, wound 15 Afghan pilgrims: In Baghdad, gunmen burst into the home of Fatma Tayyiq, a branch manager for the Commercial Bank of Iraq, and shot her and husband dead in the capital's central Karrada district
Iraqi Interior Ministry demands Kurds hand over vice president: Iraq's Interior Ministry on Monday confirmed it has ordered the semi-autonomous northern Kurdistan region to hand over Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who faces charges of terrorism.
General: US planning for military strike on Iran: "My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning [for if Iran tries to build a nuclear bomb], to understand the risks associated with any kind of military option -- in some cases to position assets, to provide those options in a timely fashion," General Martin Dempsey said on Face the Nation today. "And all those activities are going on," he added.
Iran sentences 'CIA agent' to death: Iran says that Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, a former US marine, received special training and served at US military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan before heading to Iran for his alleged intelligence mission.
Iran arrests 'several US spies' trying to disrupt elections: Iran's secret services claim to have arrested several people on charges of spying for the US and seeking to disrupt the country's parliamentary elections.
Beijing rejects sanctions on Iranian oil: “The normal trade relations and energy cooperation between China and Iran have nothing to do with the nuclear issue,” Cui said. “We should not mix issues of different natures, and China’s legitimate concerns and demands should be respected.”
Syria opposition split raises calls for foreign intervention: The collapse of a deal between Syria's two main opposition factions shows that voices calling for foreign intervention to topple President Bashar Assad have gained the upper hand over those opposing it.
Obama signs bill that includes added U.S. military assistance to Israel: The bill, which was introduced in May and approved by Congress this week, would have the U.S. provide additional support to the annual $3 billion for ten years that the U.S. is already committed to under the Memorandum of Understanding.
Second Israeli MK admits to having given settlers information on IDF movements: National Union's Uri Ariel says 'if a person who transfers information about IDF movements is a spy, then I am a spy'; Likud MK Ze'ev Elkin was found to having given right-wing activists information on IDF earlier Sunday.
Saleh granted amnesty despite U.N. warning: -- All members of the administration of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh are shielded from the law, a draft measure submitted by the vice president said.
China slams US military adventurism: China says the accusations leveled against the country in the new United States defense strategy are “groundless” and aim to counter the Asian country's growing power.
Unemployment Drop Masks Ongoing Decline: Economist John Williams of Shadowstats.com says the government reported more than 40,000 jobs that didn’t exist. If unemployment was calculated the way BLS did it in 1994 and earlier, it would be 22.4% according to Williams.