The Looting Of Ukraine Has Begun

By Paul Craig Roberts

Washington’s stooges in Kiev have prepared an economic austerity plan that will cut Ukrainian pensions from $160 to $80 so that Western bankers who lent money to Ukraine can be repaid. Continue

Crimea Now Part of Russia, Local Parliament Declares

By Shaun Walker in Simferopol

The de facto authorities of Crimea have announced that they consider the territory to be part of Russia after a swift vote in the local parliament. Continue

US Policy of Isolating Russia and Expanding NATO Is a Dismal Failure

By Rodrigue Tremblay

What would the United States do if a hypothetical Russian Empire were to incorporate Mexico or Canada into a military alliance? Continue

Ukraine and the Presstitute media

By Peter Koenig

Obama, the naked, shameless emperor dares warn Russia not to intervene in Ukraine, or else… and the spineless European puppets with the mighty NATO in their back are aping similar threats. – Hilarious! Continue

“Journalists” Follow Obama on Ukraine

By Margaret Kimberley

The corporate media are a key component of the U.S. imperial machine. Although styling themselves as watchdogs, they are in fact the dogs of war, whose mission is to hide Washington’s aggressions behind a fog of lies. Continue

Russian TV Anchor Resigns On-air Over Government’s Actions In Ukraine

Video

I Can't Be Part of Network 'That Whitewashes the Actions of Putin'. Continue

Hillary and Other Assorted Barbarians at Russia’s Gate

By Glen Ford

Hillary Clinton is a walking profanity – and, thereby, a prime candidate to be the next president of the United States. Continue

Iraq: 935 lies, A Tyrant and Weapons of Mass Destruction

By Felicity Arbuthnot

Iraq's new dictator is being supported by massive shipments of horrific weapons, while the country remains poor and devastated country, and a covert US re-invasion is under way. Continue

Deep State
CIA Accused Of Spying On Senate Intelligence Committee

By Jeremy Herb

Senators on Wednesday expressed alarm at explosive allegations that the CIA might have spied on their computers. Continue

The Pentagon’s Phony Budget War

By Mattea Kramer

How the U.S. Military Avoided Budget Cuts, Lied About Doing So, Then Asked for Billions More. Continue

Bernie Sanders: “I Am Prepared to Run for President of the United States”

By John Nichols

What's most important is this idea of a political revolution -- rallying the working families of this country around a vision that speaks to their needs. Continue

In Case You Missed It
How a Brutal Strain of American Aristocrats Have Come to Rule America

By Sara Robinson

America didn't used to be run like an old Southern slave plantation, but we're headed that way now. How did that happen? Continue

The Facts About Abraham Lincoln

Video

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was abandoned by his father and was suicidal for many years? Do you know the hidden story behind how Lincoln became president? Continue

Let’s Unite For A #WaveOfAction

2 Minute Video

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate. Continue

What If Money Was No Object?

Video

"Consider this question, What Do I Desire?" Continue

==

17 people killed as car bombs hit Homs and Hama, fighting rages near Yabroud:, Car bombs in government-held districts of central Syria killed at least 17 people and wounded many others Thursday, state media and a government official reported, as fierce fighting raged around the rebel stronghold of Yabroud.

15 killed in Syria blast: Activists say: “At least 15 people were killed and 12 others injured in the Armenian district, which is home to mostly Christians and Alawites,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Scores of Militants Killed in Daraa: Government source: - Syrian army units destroyed several cars with all the militants inside in the village of al-Zabayer in al-Lajat area in Daraa province, a military source said, adding that another unit destroyed a heavy machinegun, killed dozens of militants and injured others in Ayd village.

Battle for Syrian rebel town erases border: Sunnis and Shiites from Lebanon are streaming into Syria to take up arms on opposite sides of a fierce battle over a rebel stronghold — a fight that has effectively erased the border between the two countries and underlined how Lebanon is being sucked into the civil war next door.

Bleak future for Lebanon as Syria war enters fourth year: The future outlook for Lebanon is gloomy in terms of its stability, economy and national unity as the war in Syria enters its fourth year next week with no end in sight, political analysts said.

Sarin used in two Syria chemical attacks point to military stockpiles - UN: "The evidence available concerning the agents used on 21 August indicated that the perpetrators likely had access to the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian military, as well as the expertise and equipment necessary to manipulate safely large amount of chemical agents,"

US imposes restrictions on travel by Syrian ambassador to UN: The department says it's told the diplomat that he no longer can travel within the United States outside of the five boroughs of New York City.

Bush- Blair Legacy Continues As - Separate Bombings in Iraq Kill at Least 37: A series of bombings Thursday struck commercial areas in central Iraq, killing at least 37 civilians, authorities said. Most of the blasts came from explosives-rigged parked cars and one by a bomb that ripped through an outdoor market, police said.

Qaeda in Yemen executes alleged US informer Body displayed at football stadium: Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen executed one of their own Thursday after accusing him of spying for the United States, a security official said. The man was executed by firing squad and his body was displayed at a football stadium near Shehr in the southeastern Hadramawt province,

After Latest Incident, Israel’s Future in FIFA Is Uncertain: Jawhar Nasser Jawhar, and Adam Abd al-Raouf Halabiya. They were once soccer players in the West Bank. They are never going to play sports again. Jawhar and Adam were on their way home from a training session in the Faisal al-Husseini Stadium on January 31 when Israeli forces fired upon them as they approached a checkpoint.

20 "insurgents" killed in Nigerian military raid: Twenty suspected Boko Haram fighters were killed in a military operation by troops in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, where the headquarters of the outlawed sect is located, local authorities said in Abuja on Thursday.

‘Cairo to strip thousands of Palestinians of citizenship’: Two days after a Cairo court banned Hamas’s activities in Egypt, the country’s security establishment intends to revoke the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians obtained during the one-year term of deposed Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi, an Egyptian daily reported on Thursday.

Egypt bars Gaza-bound Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Maguire: - Egypt detained and deported Northern Irish Nobel Laureate and peace activist Mairead Maguire on Wednesday and held up others who had been planning to go to neighboring Gaza, the activists and officials said.

Egypt calls for setting up international fund to collect arms in Libya: Egypt's Foreign Minister called on Thursday for founding an international fund to collect arms in Libya in coordination with both Libya and the United Nations. Seven Coptic Egyptians were shot dead in Libya in February near Benghazi, where assassinations and kidnaps are common.

Western countries alarmed as Libya slides towards chaos: Western countries voiced concern on Thursday that tensions in Libya could slip out of control in the absence of a functioning political system, and they urged the government and rival factions to start talking.

U.N. says west of Central African Republic 'cleansed' of Muslims: Most Muslims have been expelled from the west of conflict-ravaged Central African Republic, where thousands of civilians are at risk of being killed "right before our eyes," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.

UN chief calls for more troops in CAR: Ban Ki-moon asks UN Security Council for 10,000 reinforcements as violence between Christians and Muslims continues.

Nigeria shuts schools to stem Islamist attacks: Nigeria has shut five government colleges in the country's restive northeast in the wake of a deadly series of attacks targeting schools.

Barbaric: Nigeria court orders men whipped for gay sex: Four young men were convicted of gay sex and whipped publicly as punishment in an Islamic court in northern Nigeria, a human rights activist said.

NATO airstrike kills 5 Afghan soldiers: The troops were killed at an outpost in volatile Logar province, about 50 miles outside Kabul, according to both U.S. and Afghan officials.

Report finds opium production trebled in a decade: Overall opium production in Afghanistan has trebled in the last decade to over 500,000 acres.

Afghan president's brother withdraws from election race: Qayoum Karzai ends campaign and throws political weight behind candidate believed to be current president's favourite

Pakistan reopens Afghan supply line for NATO: Trucks are travelling once again through Pakistan to bring supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan

Pakistan's madrassas reined in by government: Religious schools to be brought under national framework within a year in policy aimed at combating extremism.

Two dead in Venezuela opposition protest: official: - A Venezuelan soldier and a motor cyclist were killed in a standoff with opposition demonstrators who had set up a barricade along an avenue of Caracas, the vice president of the ruling Socialist Party said on Thursday.

Crimean parliament votes to join Russia: Obama says Crimea referendum would 'violate international law:

Masked Men in Crimea Not Russian Military, Russian Officials Tell Pentagon: The masked men in military uniform spotted all over Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula are not Russian military forces but “well-trained militia forces,” Russian officials have claimed to America’s top military officer.

'We Don't Want War Here': Pro-Russia Militias Patrol Crimea: Pro-Russia militias have taken root on the streets of Crimea’s capital city of Simferopol since the dramatic events in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, nearly two weeks ago.

Obama orders sanctions over Russian move in Ukraine: President Barack Obama Thursday ordered sanctions on people (allegedly) responsible for Russia’s "military intervention" in Ukraine, including travel bans and freezing of their U.S. assets, and said that a referendum by the Crimea region to join Russia would violate international law.

US sends six fighters for NATO Baltics patrols: Lithuania: The United States on Thursday sent six additional F-15 fighter jets to step up NATO's air patrols over the Baltic states, mission host Lithuania said as West-Russia tensions simmered over Ukraine.

US in tenuous sabre rattling over Ukraine: The US Defense Department has announced plans to add several fighter jets to US aircraft squadrons based near Russian borders

The clash in Crimea is the fruit of western expansion: The external struggle to dominate Ukraine has put fascists in power and brought the country to the brink of conflict

Russia moves to cement renewed global role: For Washington, the response to “Russian resistance” in Syria should take place in one of Moscow’s vulnerable spots, hence the U.S. intelligence intervention in Ukraine’s crisis and American attempts to push the international community to take a stance against Russia under the pretext that it is planning to invade a neighboring country.

Ukraine issues arrest warrants for Crimea's PM, parliament speaker: - A court in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev has issued arrest warrants for the prime minister and parliament speaker of the country's autonomous republic of Crimea, the Prosecutor General's office said Wednesday.

Russia to make citizenship easier for native Russian speakers: - Russia is making it easier for native Russian speakers who have lived in Russia or the former Soviet Union to get citizenship, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday, a signal to the West that Moscow is not backing down over Ukraine.

Ukraine: EU freezes assets of Yanukovych's former hierarchy: The 28-nation bloc early on Thursday revealed the names of those targeted by its sanctions. The list appears to include Yanukovych’s closest aides, including a former interior minister, justice minister, the prosecutor general, the head of the security services and Yanukovych’s son.

Ukraine crisis: bugged call reveals "theory" Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet tells EU's Cathy Ashton about claim that provocateurs were behind Maidan killings about Kiev snipers:

Ukraine crisis: CIA, not Pentagon, forecast Russian move - sources: Two national security sources said the CIA had specifically warned policymakers, shortly before the Russian military moved into the Crimean peninsula, that such a move could be imminent.

War criminal: Hillary Clinton likens Russia, Putin in Ukraine to Hitler, Germany in 1930s: The ex-US Secretary of State says that 'claims by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that they had to go into Crimea, because they had to protect Russian minorities, is reminiscent of claims that were made back in the 1930’s ... Germany, under the Nazis claimed they had to protect German minorities in Czechoslovakia

Ron Paul: US has no right to lecture on Ukraine : Video: Ron Paul thinks the US is hypocritical for lecturing Russia for a violation of sovereignty. Take a listen to what else the libertarian-leaning politician has to say about US involvement in Ukraine.

Pensions in Ukraine to be halved - sequestration draft: The self-proclaimed government in Kiev is reportedly planning to cut pensions by 50 percent as part of unprecedented austerity measures to save Ukraine from default. With an “empty treasury”, reduction of payments might take place in March.

CIA Accused Of Spying On Senate Intelligence Committee Staffers: In many ways, the idea that the CIA is directly spying on the Senate Committee charged with its own oversight is a bigger potential scandal than many of the Snowden NSA revelations so far.

A New Turn in the Story on CIA Monitoring of Senate Intelligence Committee Computers: The CIA may have been monitoring the unauthorized retrieval of information from their own computers! That said, we do not know when exactly the monitoring began, its scope or purpose.

Obama knew CIA secretly monitored intelligence committee, senator claims: White House declines to comment after Mark Udall says agency spied on staffers preparing scathing report into CIA torture after 9/11

It's WWIII between CIA and Senate: Senators on Wednesday expressed alarm at explosive allegations that the CIA might have spied on their computers to keep tabs on their controversial review of Bush-era “enhanced interrogation” techniques.

Government moves to drop troubling charges facing Barrett Brown : The government moved to dismiss 11 of the 17 charges facing Brown — the Texas-based onetime self-appointed Anonymous spokesman — significantly reducing a potential 105-year-sentence.

Our Rights Shouldn't Come with an Expiration Date: The proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger is all about the future of the Internet. The stakes are high, especially in light of the court decision that struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s Net Neutrality rules.

Private license plate scanners amassing vast databases open to highest bidders: Automated license plate readers used by car repo companies, for example, collect billions of personal records per year, which contribute to vast databases that can be used by law enforcement, insurance companies, banks, and the like, with few limits.

Apple sent billions offshore to avoid Australia tax: Report: Apple shifted billions in untaxed profits from its Australian operations to Ireland over the past decade, a report said Thursday, as the government vowed to stop global companies from dodging their fair share of tax.

Obama administration told to stop expanding "corporate rights" in trade agreements: It’s a pretty outrageous assault on democratic structures. In fact, when I tell people new to the trade debate about it, at first they often don’t believe me.

US judge rejects $9bn ruling against Chevron: A US judge has upheld oil company Chevron's allegations that an Ecuadorian court decision ordering it to pay $9.5bn for oil pollution in the Amazon jungle was fraudulently obtained.

Carlyle Co-founders Private Jets: Amendments to The Carlyle Group's 2013 10-k reveal three leases for private planes, one for each Carlyle co-founder.
 

Number of US long-term jobless who lost benefits hits 2 million: Some 1.3 million people lost their unemployment benefits on December 28, and the ranks of those affected by the cutoff have been growing by 73,000 every week.

Would my blood test still cost $1,132 if the US had a public health option?: Democrats should admit Obamacare's failures and campaign instead for a public option. It's the only way to bring costs down

Pentagon Calls Climate Change Impacts "Threat Multipliers," Could Enable Terrorism: The U.S. Department of Defense released the 2014 version of its Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) yesterday, declaring the threat of climate change impacts a very serious national security vulnerability that, among other things, could enable further terrorist activity.

March 05, 2014

Kiev Snipers Hired by Maidan Leaders - Leaked EU's Ashton Phone Tape

By RT

The snipers who shot at protesters and police in Kiev were allegedly hired by Maidan leaders, according to a leaked phone conversation. Continue

Has Russia Invaded Ukraine?
Propaganda Rules The News

By Paul Craig Roberts

Even Abby Martin and Greenwald, both of whom bring us much light, cannot fully escape Western propaganda. Continue

US Imperialism, Ukraine and the Danger of World War III

By Barry Grey and David North

Are we standing on the brink of a nuclear war? That is the question that everyone should be asking. Continue

U.S. Hawks Take Flight over Ukraine

By Jim Lobe

Neo-conservatives and other interventionists claim that President Barack Obama's preference for diplomacy over military action  invited Russian aggression. Continue

Spring Fails in Ukrainian Plunderland

By Pepe Escobar

"Russia will abandon the US dollar as a reserve currency if the United States initiates sanctions against the Russian Federation." Continue

America’s Staggering Hypocrisy

By Robert Parry

Since World War II – the United States has invaded or otherwise intervened in so many countries that it would be challenging to compile a complete list. Continue

Venezuela’s Struggle, Widely Misrepresented,
Remains a Classic Conflict Between Right and Left

By Mark Weisbrot

Venezuela is not Ukraine, where opposition leaders could be seen publicly collaborating with U.S. officials in their efforts to topple the government, and pay no obvious price for it. Continue

The Final Nail in the Coffin of the US-led "Peace" Talks
Netanyahu Demands Palestinians Recognize Israel as 'Jewish State'

By Ma'an News

Netanyahu urged Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state" and to "abandon the fantasy" of "flooding" Israel with refugees. Continue

The Stone that Brings Down Goliath?
Richmond and Eminent Domain

By Ellen Brown

JPMorganChase admitted that it, along with every other large US bank, had engaged in mortgage fraud as a routine business practice. Continue

The Real You
Are You A Poor Little Me?

Video

When you're ready to wake up, you're going to wake up, and if you're not ready you're going to stay pretending that you're just a 'poor little me.' Continue

Bush- Blair Legacy Continues As - - 26 killed in fresh wave of violence in Iraq: Up to 26 people were killed and 87 others wounded in violent attacks across Iraq on Wednesday, including a series of car bombs in Baghdad, police said.

Checkpoint attacks kill seven Iraq security personnel: Apparently-coordinated attacks on army and police checkpoints in the Baghdad area killed at least seven members of Iraq's security forces on Wednesday, officials said.

U.S. Murders Another 4 People In Yemen: : A US drone strike in northern Yemen on Wednesday killed four alledged Al Qaeda members, including an Iraq veteran, a military official said.

World powers responsible for failing to stop Syria war crimes: U.N.: "The Security Council bears responsibility for not addressing accountability and allowing the warring parties to violate these rules with total impunity," Paulo Pinheiro, who leads the U.N. commission of inquiry, told a news conference.

Syria government forces intensify Yabrud campaign, retake Qalamoun area: The Syrian army has intensified its operations against foreign-backed opposition groups, retaking a strategic hill in Qalamoun region.

Israel fires on Hezbollah on Syrian border: Israel fired on Hezbollah militants who were attempting to plant a bomb on Syria’s border with the occupied Golan Heights, the Israeli army said Wednesday, as frictions with the Lebanese Shiite movement rise.

'End to negotiations?' Netanyahu's speech sparks furious reaction from Palestinians: Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday implored Palestinian leader, Mahmud Abbas, to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and to "abandon the fantasy" of refugees returning to Israel, fueling anger from the Palestinians.

Barf alert: PM Netanyahu at the AIPAC Policy Conference 2014 : Video - Thank you. - I bring you greetings from Jerusalem — (cheers, applause) — the eternal, undivided capital of Israel and the Jewish people. (Cheers, applause.)

Obama promises Netanyahu to put pressure on Abbas: U.S. president to ask Abbas to accept framework agreement, and to agree to extend deadline for talks.

Kerry to AIPAC: America will not fail Israel: US secretary of state reiterates US' unequivocal support of Israel, rebuffs allegations about his 'obsession' with peace process: 'This is about the dreams of Israelis and the dignity of Palestinians.'

Michele Bachmann: American Jewish Community 'Sold Out Israel': U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has very strong feelings about Israel, and she's disappointed that American Jews don't have the same feelings she does.

Iran says Revolutionary Guard has acquired multiple-warhead missiles: "These missiles are able to hit and destroy enemy targets with precision, and they meet a variety of the armed forces' needs," Dehghan said. "The weapons have strengthened Iran's deterrence power and military might," he added, in comments were posted on the Guard's website.

Iran denies sending intercepted weapons to Gaza: Israel says, the Syrian-made weapons were shipped overland to Iran and then loaded onto the ship, meant to dock in Port Sudan, after which the weapons would have been smuggled into the Gaza Strip through the Sinai Peninsula.

6 people killed as Pakistan resumes Taliban talks despite deadly blast: Pakistani government and Taliban negotiators resumed peace talks Wednesday and said they were ready to move to a decisive "second phase" even as a militant attack killed six military personnel.

Roadside Bombing Kills Two Policemen in Afghanistan: A roadside bomb explosion Wednesday struck a police van in Afghanistan, killing two policemen and leaving one injured.

Five soldiers killed as fighting breaks out in South Sudan’s army barracks: Five soldiers died when heavy fighting broke out in the main military barracks in war-torn South Sudan’s capital Juba on Wednesday, underscoring serious tensions within the national army as it battles a rebel uprising.

Three killed in Somalia for being ‘spies’: Somalia's al-Qaeda-linked militant group says it has killed three men it accused of being spies.

Leaked audio raises Kiev sniper questions: A leaked audio file suggests pro-Western leaders may be responsible for Kiev's sniper shootings on February 20-21.

Putin Says Those Aren't Russian Forces In Crimea: Russian soldiers have not occupied government buildings and surrounded Ukrainian military bases on the Crimean Peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Tuesday during a news conference near Moscow at which he gave an account of recent events that contradicts reports from the ground. Instead, he told reporters that the heavily armed men are "local self-defense forces."

Those who seized power in Kiev want to sour relations between West & Russia - Lavrov: The suggestion of Kiev's new self-proclaimed government to swap economic aid for the placement of US missile defense shield looks too much like an attempt to sour relations between the West and Russia, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russia rebuffs West on Crimea amid Paris talks: The European Union offered Ukraine's new pro-Western government 11 billion euros in financial aid in the next couple of years provided Kiev reaches a deal with the International Monetary Fund. Germany, the EU's biggest economy, also promised bilateral financial help.

Kremlin aide warns U.S. of response if sanctions imposed - RIA: A Kremlin aide was quoted on Tuesday as saying that if the United States were to impose sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, Moscow might be forced to drop the dollar as a reserve currency and refuse to pay off any loans to U.S. banks.

Ukraine can't pay for Russia's February gas supplies in full - Gazprom CEO: "Our Ukrainian partners informed us yesterday that they will not be able to pay for February gas supplies in full," Miller said. Miller said Ukraine owed the company $1.529 billion for gas in total and described what measures the company intended to take. .

Former Ohio congressman accuses US of provoking Ukrainian crisis: Diverting from the typical Western line against "Russia’s invasion of Crimea," former Ohio congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said it was driven by covert action by the United States.

U.S., Russia hold talks on Ukraine tensions: Russia drafts law to seize EU, U.S. assets in case of sanctions, rebuffs Western demands to withdraw forces; Kerry brings moral support and a $1 billion aid package to a Ukraine fighting to fend off bankruptcy.

The Ukraine crisis through the whimsy of international law: This is the commander-in-chief of a military that operates a prison camp on Cuban soil, against the explicit wishes of the Cuban government, and which regularly fires drone missiles into other countries, often killing innocent bystanders.

Kerry visit to Kiev: The USA has no moral right to lecture anyone on anything: Let us see the real issues behind the scenes, let us cut the hype and hysteria and let us start from a clear standpoint that the United States of America has not one iota of moral credibility to lecture anyone on anything.

Abby Martin: Video - I Stand by Everything I Said and the Corporate Media Missed the Point : Abby Martin remarks on the media circus resulting from her comments condemning Russia's military response to the unrest in Ukraine

War criminal -Hillary Clinton Compares Russia Moves To Nazi Aggression: Clinton made the remarks at a $1,500-per-plate fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach at a law firm downtown, Keesal, Young & Logan.

NSA chief criticises media and suggests UK was right to detain David Miranda: Keith Alexander says revelations have caused ‘grave damage’ and claims officials are making ‘headway’ on ‘media leaks’

Did the CIA spy on the U.S. Senate?: The CIA Inspector General’s Office has asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations of malfeasance at the spy agency in connection with a yet-to-be released Senate Intelligence Committee report into the CIA’s secret detention and interrogation program, McClatchy has learned.

UK: NHS records 'sold to insurers': The medical records of almost 50 million NHS hospital patients have been sold for insurance purposes, it has been reported. The revelation comes less than a week after controversial plans to share medical records were delayed until later this year.

==

March 04, 2014

Bush- Blair Legacy Continues As
Iraqi Gov’t Accused of Killing Over 100 Civilians

By Dahr Jamail

Doctors, residents and non-governmental organization workers in the city of Fallujah are accusing the Iraqi government of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Continue

Why Russians Are ‘Paranoid’

By Peter Hitchens

Russia is portrayed as a bogeyman, and its people as either oppressed or as tools of a new Hitler. Continue

Resist the War Party on Crimea

By Patrick J. Buchanan

Our war hawks are breathing fire. Russophobia is rampant and the op-ed pages are ablaze here. Continue

"What Russia Did Is Wrong"
RT Host Abby Martin Condemns Russian Incursion Into Crimea

By Glenn Greenwald

Abby Martin, remarkably demonstrated last night what “journalistic independence” means by ending her Breaking the Set program with a clear and unapologetic denunciation of the Russian action in Ukraine: Continue

Democracy On The Retreat In Europe

By Neil Clark

The hailing of a foreign-backed coup d’état in a country where fresh elections were only 12 months away as a “victory for democracy” was truly Orwellian. Continue

The Nature of War has Changed, Which is Bleak News for Syria’s Minorities

By Patrick Cockburn

Wars these days are proxy wars to a greater or lesser degree, and this trend may increase if only because it is more saleable to voters back home. Continue

Borders Are Becoming A Bit Odd In The Middle East

By Robert Fisk

And you, Readers, thought the Middle East was a difficult place to understand. Try living here. Continue

Washington Post Uses Biased Experts to Promote Propaganda on Venezuela

By Murtaza Hussain

They also appear to have serious, unstated conflicts of interest that cast doubt on the integrity of the Washington Post‘s entire reportage on this issue. Continue

Invisible Government
Anatomy of the Deep State

Must Read - By Mike Lofgren

There is another, more shadowy, more indefinable government that is not explained in Civics 101 or observable to tourists at the White House or the Capitol. Continue

In Case You Missed it
Propaganda as Journalism

By John Pilger Video

War by journalism, US military's quest for domination/hegemony in the post 9/11 era, false history in the guise of 'objective' journalism. Continue

Postcard from the End of America: Joliet

By Linh Dinh

We live in a culture where the media can suppress (or inflate) anything, where a Honey Boo Boo’s fart resonates much more loudly than the bomb that killed Michael Hastings. Continue

Action Into The Light

2 Minute Video

We are coming into a new world, a kindlier world, where men will rise above their hate, their greed and brutality. Continue

Nigeria: Another 40 killed in Flesh Boko Haram Attack: In the fourth attack in the last three days in troubled Borno State, no less than 40 persons have been killed in Jakana, 35 kilometres away from Maiduguri.

Mozambique: 4 police killed by suspected ex-rebels: Suspected members of Mozambique's ex-rebel movement turned opposition Renamo killed four policemen and wounded five others at the weekend, local media reported on Tuesday.

Officer among 3 killed in Libya's Benghazi: Two separate attacks in the restive eastern Libyan city of Benghazi left three people dead, including an air force officer, a security official said Tuesday.

Egypt military chief Sisi hints at presidential bid: Egypt's armed forces chief, Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, has said he cannot ignore calls by the majority for him to run for president. He was quoted by the state news agency Mena as revealing that "official procedures" regarding his candidacy were expected in the coming days.

Court in Egypt bans Palestinian group Hamas: A court in Egypt has banned all activities by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and ordered the seizure of its offices and assets. A lawsuit filed by an Egyptian lawyer had demanded the move because of its links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

U.S. Code Pink Co-Founder Held at Egypt Airport Deported: Benjamin has been deported to Turkey, Code Pink said in a Twitter posting. The activist was on her way to Gaza as part of an International Women’s Day delegation.

"Help. They Broke My Arm. Egypt Police": Peace Activist Medea Benjamin Detained en Route to Gaza: U.S. peace activist Medea Benjamin was detained Monday at Cairo’s airport by Egyptian police without explanation. She says she was questioned, held overnight in an airport prison cell and then violently handcuffed by Egyptian officials, who dislocated her shoulder and broke her arm.

Gaza public workers say Hamas not paying salaries: Palestinian civil servants called on the Gaza Strip's Hamas government Monday to pay them full salaries, the clearest sign yet that Egypt's blockade of the territory is making it increasingly difficult for the Islamic militants to govern.

26 killed in fresh bout of violence across Iraq: At least 26 Iraqis, including 15 policemen, were killed and 60 others injured in acts of violence across the country within the past 24 hours, according to security and medical sources.

Gunmen Kill 7 in Attack on Iraqi Government Building: Gunmen wearing suicide belts raided a local government building in Samarra on Tuesday, killing four government employees and three police officers in a two-hour battle with security forces, Iraqi officials said

Over 6,500 citizens fled Syria in last three days: Activists say: London-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) "watchdog" said that 15 people were killed in the suburbs of Damascus, nine in Dara’a, five in Idlib, four in Hama and seven in Homs and Aleppo together.

EU launches probe into corruption claims at Turkey's EU Ministry: The European Commission has launched a probe into claims of tender-rigging and illegal recruitment at an agency linked to Turkey's EU Affairs Ministry while former EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis -- who was implicated in a corruption scandal that became public on Dec. 17, 2013 -- was in the post.

Yemen: Eight killed in Sana’a, Al-Jawf clashes: Fighting between security forces and armed Houthis and tribesmen in three separate instances left eight dead and 11 others injured over the weekend in Al-Jawf and Sana’a, according to local security sources. Two people have been arrested in connection with the fighting.

US kills three people in Yemen: A US drone strike targeting an (alledged) al-Qaida vehicle killed at least three terrorist suspects and wounded two in Yemen on Monday evening, a security official said.

UN report identifies 30 drone strikes that require ‘public explanation’: The report, by British lawyer Ben Emmerson QC, identifies 30 attacks between 2006 and 2013 that show sufficient indications of civilian deaths to demand a ‘public explanation of the circumstances and the justification for the use of deadly force’ under international law.

Yemen navy admiral escapes Qaeda attack, guards killed: A Yemeni navy admiral escaped an assassination attempt Tuesday in the south of the country blamed on Al-Qaeda, but two of his guards were killed, a military source said.

Afghan security forces kill 7 militants: ministry: The Afghan Interior Ministry on Tuesday said that the country's security forces have eliminated seven Taliban militants during a series of military operations since early Monday.

What a waste of life: 13,700 Afghan troops killed in 10 years: The OAA said that 13,729 families of security force personnel had been awarded financial support after suffering a fatality, while another 16,511 families were compensated after a relative was wounded.

Karzai brother to withdraw from Afghan presidential race - rival: The Afghan president's brother is preparing to withdraw from the presidential elections according to a rival candidate, former Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul, who said late on Tuesday the two were planning an alliance and would join forces soon.

Pentagon plans $80 billion war budget despite Afghan withdrawal: The Defense Department’s proposed budget released Tuesday calls for keeping war funding at nearly the same level in fiscal year 2015 as in the current year.

Pakistan: Two killed in attack on Nato convoy: Two truck drivers were killed and another injured when gunmen opened fire on a Nato supply convoy in north-west Pakistan, an official said today.

Putin: Deploying military force is last resort, but we reserve right: Russia will not go to war with the people of Ukraine, but will use its troops to protect citizens, if radicals with clout in Kiev now try to use violence against Ukrainian civilians, particularly ethnic Russians, Putin told the media.

Crimean self-defense squads in stand off with Ukrainian soldiers at Belbek airport: The autonomous republic’s self-defense forces have met with Ukrainian soldiers who wanted to return to Belbek Sevastopol International Airport. The sides entered into long negotiations, which ended with a peaceful agreement.

Obama: Russia 'not fooling anybody' over Ukraine – live: Barack Obama says Vladimir Putin's rationale for his incursion into Crimea was not "fooling anybody" and that Russian "meddling" in Ukraine would isolate Moscow

Washington warns Moscow to change course on Ukraine or face economic consequences: Following talks with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, Obama warned Moscow the US would turn the economic and diplomatic screw if it did not change course.

Gazprom to Cancel Gas Discount for Ukraine: The head of Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom said Tuesday that it will annul its discount on natural gas sales to Ukraine from April, a move that will further stretch Kiev’s teetering finances.

Russian troops ordered home from surprise war games: President Putin has ordered troops sent last week to a surprise military exercise in western and central Russia to return to their bases. Putin ordered the return after a Defense Ministry report, which said the exercises have been conducted successfully, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media.

Russian Navy conducts training exercises: More than 3,500 Russian naval infantry and coastal forces from the Western and Central Military Districts took part in unscheduled tactical exercises Monday in the Russian Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.

Russia is allowed to have 25,000 troops in Crimea...and other facts you didn’t know: Ukraine’s statement at the UN that 16,000 Russian soldiers have been deployed to Crimea has caused a frenzy among Western media which chooses to ignore that those troops have been there since the late 1990s in accordance with a Kiev-Moscow agreement.

Lavrov slams threats of 'sanctions and boycotts' over Ukraine: "Those who try to interpret the situation as a type of aggression and threaten sanctions and boycotts, are the same who consistently have encouraged (Ukrainians to) refuse dialogue and have ultimately polarised Ukrainian society," he told the opening of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Ukraine Nationalist Leader Faces Terrorism Charges: Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on terrorism-related charges against the leader of a Ukrainian nationalist group widely seen as the driving force behind former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's ouster.

U.S. halts military engagements with Russia in rebuke over Ukraine: The United States on Monday suspended all military engagements with Russia, including military exercises and port visits, as Washington sought ways to punish Moscow over its military intervention in Ukraine without escalating the crisis.

UK seeking to ensure Russia sanctions do not harm City of London: Government document photographed outside No 10 states that 'London's financial centre' should not be closed to Russians

Israeli company to build surveillance towers on Arizona's border with Mexico: Israeli defense firm wins $145 million contract from US Department of Homeland Security.

Mexico: 2 Pregnant Indigenous Women Denied Help: In another case, the commission says an 18-year-old indigenous woman gave birth in the bathroom of a shelter next to a hospital in Oaxaca's southern Sierra because she was refused medical care.

Aboriginal rights a threat to Canada's resource agenda, documents reveal: Canadian government closely monitoring how legal rulings and aboriginal protest pose an increasing ‘risk’ for multi-billion dollar oil and mining plans

Pigs at the trough: Bernanke Starts to Cash In (Gets $250K to Speak in the United Arab Emirates): Bernanke received at least $250,000 for his appearance at the financial conference staged by National Bank of Abu Dhab, the UAE's largest bank, according to sources familiar the matter, reports Reuters.

US sues Sprint for allegedly overcharging on wiretaps: The government claims Sprint "inflated its charges by approximately 58 percent," which amounts to more than $21 million in overpayment.

How U.S. Law Enforcement Uses 50,000 Volts Of Electricity To Keep Defendants In Line: When Jonathan Keith Jackson was sentenced to death, he testified and stood before the jury wearing an electronic shock device around his waist that could have thrown him writhing to the floor at any moment.

Police Hide Use of Cell Phone Tracker From Courts Because Manufacturer Asked: The devices, are called “stingrays,” and unfortunately this is not the first time the government has tried to hide their use.

March 03, 2014

==

Washington’s Arrogance, Hubris, and Evil Have Set the Stage for War

By Paul Craig Roberts

The ignorance, absence of integrity, and lack of independence of the US media greatly enhances the prospect for war. Continue

Ukraine: This Isn’t A Revolution – It’s Regime Change

By Brendan O’Neill

The word ‘meddling’ is used to describe Vladimir Putin’s interventions in Ukraine, but never to describe Angela Merkel’s or John Kerry’s cultivation of the oppositional forces – that is ‘mediation’. Continue

An Important Second Listen to the "F--k the EU" Ukraine Recording

By By Robert Wenzel

3 weeks have passed since the leak and events have developed, it is instructive to listen to the recording once again. Continue

The Ukraine Crisis: John Kerry and Nato Must Calm Down and Back Off

By Jonathan Steele

At the back of Pentagon minds, no doubt, is the dream that a US navy will one day replace the Russian Black Sea fleet in the Crimean ports of Sevastopol and Balaclava. Continue

Heard the One About Obama Denouncing a Breach of International Law?

By Norman Solomon

No world leader has done more to undermine international law than Barack Obama. Continue

Pres. Obama's One Option: Put Up or Shut Up

By Pat LaMarche

While President Obama believes President Putin should be sanctioned for his and his Federation's actions, he sees no need to demand payment from Vice President Cheney or Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. Continue

Obama's Far Right Foreign Policy

By Shamus Cooke

There has been a virtual U.S. media blackout as to the leadership of the movements in Ukraine, Syria, and Venezuela, and for good reason. Continue

The Fashion for Hypocrisy On The Left

By Craig Murray

Russian military invasion of Ukraine is approved by the left, because it is an invasion by Russia, and not an invasion by the West. Continue

The Crisis in Ukraine

By Stop the War Coalition

The United States and NATO broke their word to Russia, by adding most of Eastern Europe and the Balkan states to their own military alliance, and by building military bases along Russia's southern border. Continue

Is ‘Big Nasty Putin’ Really As Bad As He’s Made Out To Be?

By Alex Thomson

Is demonising Mr Putin in silly cold war imagery really accurate or reasonable? Continue

Israel Lobby Down But Not Out
8 Ways AIPAC Flexes Its Muscle For War and Occupation

By Medea Benjamin

One sign of the Israel lobby's waning influence is the fact that President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are not speaking at their conference. Continue

How a British Citizen Was Stripped of His Citizenship, Then Sent to a Manhattan Prison

By Aviva Stahl

Britain’s citizenship deprivation processes may help obscure the Obama administration’s willingness to kill and kidnap Britons. Continue

The Moazzam Begg Arrest: Part of the Effort to Criminalize Muslim Political Dissent

By Glenn Greenwald and Murtaza Hussain

Utilizing extremely dubious terrorism charges against domestic dissidents has been a hallmark of the national security state in the post-9/11 era. Continue

Glenn Greenwald and the Myth of Income Inequality

By Douglas Valentine 

Greenwald, quire properly, portrays his big time benefactor as “altruistic,” while Scahill characterizes Omidyar as a “visionary.” Continue

Suffering? Well, You Deserve It

By Chris Hedges

If we cling to our current economic model—which Offer labels “every man for himself”—then, he said, “it will require serious repression.” Continue

Wanted: Modestly Enlightened Very Rich People (MERPs) for 2016

By Ralph Nader

Just hold your nose and cast your vote and don't disturb the status quo. Continue

Vigilantes with a Badge: The War Against the American People

By John W. Whitehead

I have no respect for the police. I feel threatened and fearful of them. They are aggressive and intimidating. " Letter from a 60-year-old grandmother. Continue

For Their Own Protection": Children in Long-Term Solitary Confinement

Must Watch - Video

"Why lock somebody up while you're locked up? You're trying to kill their spirit even more," says Michael Kemp, describing his six-month stay in solitary confinement at age 17. Continue

Iraqi police kill 84 people in Mosul, Fallujah: Iraqi police said Monday 84 armed men, including 74 of the Islamic State in Iraq and Lavent (ISIL), were killed in operations in the Mosul and Fallujah.

Over 50 people killed in fierce battles, heavy shelling in Syria: Violent confrontations took place between opposition forces and forces of the Syrian regime, the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) announced on Monday.

Syrian army captures village near Yabroud: state TV: Syrian troops seized control Monday of a village near the strategic rebel bastion of Yabroud as they pushed closer to the town near the border with Lebanon, state television said.

In propaganda exercise? Saudi Arabia calls on all foreign fighters to leave Syria: Saudi Arabia's Cabinet has called for the withdrawal of all foreign fighters from Syria and is demanding they face international justice if they committed war crimes there. Riyadh is concerned that Saudi militants in Syria could turn their weapons on the kingdom.

Bahrain explosion kills 3 police officers: Interior Ministry: An explosion that went off while policemen were dispersing demonstrators in Bahrain killed three police personnel on Monday, the Interior Ministry said on its Twitter account.

Three killed in US drone attack in east Yemen: The attack took place on Monday when the US’s unmanned aircraft fired a missile, which hit a car and killed all the three people on board, local media reported.

AIPAC Jewish Protestors Talk to Voice of a Moderate : Video -

Obama: US won’t be able to defend Israel if peace talks fail: Ahead of meeting with Netanyahu, president says unprecedented ‘aggressive settlement construction’ detrimental to peace process

Israel doubles West Bank outpost construction: Israel central bureau of statistics says work began on 2,534 new housing units in 2013, compared to 1,133 in 2012.

AIPAC presses Obama: Stay firm on Iran: Pro-Israel lobby circulates letter calling on Obama to adopt approach to Islamic republic that, as described, echoes that of Netanyahu.

IAEA: Iran nuclear deal 'implemented as planned': Rowhani confirmed that despite "thousands of hours" of inspection, the U.N.’s atomic watchdog failed to find evidence of military objectives in Iran's nuclear drive.

MP: Iran to Start Building 2nd N. Power Plant in Bushehr on April 9: Russia’s Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation announced that Tehran and Moscow are negotiating on the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Iran’s Southern province of Bushehr.

Turkey: Recordings seem to confirm bribe to Bilal Erdogan's TÜRGEV: New audio recordings posted on YouTube over the weekend seem to confirm bribery involving Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son and other businesspeople, adding to suspicions that Bilal Erdogan was involved in corrupt business dealings

Turkish intel in ‘damage control’ after tapping crisis: “One government department,” says a Turkish intelligence source, asking not to be named, “Was suspicious that some of its confidential information was leaked. It thought the new software it was using could be the source of the problem.

24 Taliban members killed in Afghanistan: Afghan security forces killed 24 Taliban members and wounded three others during a series of operations in several provinces across Afghanistan on Sunday, stated Afghanistan's Interior Ministry

Karzai, soon to step down, rages against US: “There is no war to be fought in Afghanistan. I believe that much of the conflict is a creation in which the Afghans suffer,” he said.

Gunmen, suicide bombers attack court complex in Pakistani capital, killing 11: A group of armed men, including two suicide attackers, stormed a court complex in the Pakistani capital on Monday in a rare terror attack in the heart of Islamabad that killed 11 people and wounded dozens.

Ukraine news reports that Russian military issues ultimatums to Ukraine : Russian military commanders have reportedly given the Ukrainian navy until 7 p.m. today to surrender and Ukrainian troops stationed on Crimea's mainland until 5 a.m. tomorrow -- or else they face attack. But the threats could be part of the war of nerves designed to rattle Ukraine.

Russia Denies It Has Given Ukraine An Ultimatum, Calls It "Utter Nonsense": The official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry called Message agency " utter nonsense " and said that any ultimatums Ukrainian military in the Crimea was not put.

Kiev Accuses Russia of Violating Ukrainian Airspace: The Ukrainian air force scrambled a lone SU-27 interceptor aircraft to intercept Russian fighter jets that violated Ukrainian airspace twice early Monday morning.

Obama readies sanctions against Russia: President Barack Obama said the Russian president faces diplomatic and economic isolation unless he ceases his his violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, and vowed to make Russia’s military incursion into the Crimea “a costly proposition for Russia” through sanctions.

Yanukovich sent letter to Putin asking for Russian military presence in Ukraine: Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin says ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has sent a letter to Putin asking him to use military force in Ukraine to restore law and order.

Kerry's threats vs Russia unacceptable, West sides with neo-Nazis - Russian FM: In the statement released Monday, the ministry said Kerry’s “Cold War” rhetoric would do nothing to punish “radical extremists” who carried out the coup, but rather sought to put the focus on Russia.

Billionaires To The Rescue: The office of President Oleksandr V. Turchynov announced the two appointments on Sunday of two billionaires — Sergei Taruta in Donetsk and Ihor Kolomoysky in Dnipropetrovsk — and more were reportedly under consideration for positions in the eastern regions.

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to AIPAC: US monitoring Ukraine with ‘grave concern’: US monitoring Ukraine with ‘grave concern’: He added that the White House is prepared to provide the new officials in Kiev with as much financial support they need to fix their crisis-hit economy.

Western attempts to isolate Russia are doomed – Russian MP: "And we have not heard that any statements were made by the overwhelming majority of countries, including the big ones – the leading countries – such as China, India and some others, over the decisions taken by Russia yesterday," Pushkov said.

Emerging Stocks Sink on Ukraine as Russia Slumps Most in 5 Years: Emerging-market stocks fell the most in a month, spurred the worst selloff in the Micex Index (INDEXCF) since 2008 and sent the ruble tumbling even as the central bank raised interest rates.

Police: Suspected Islamic militants kill 3 policemen in northern Nigeria: Police spokesman Aminu Abubakar says they were killed Monday while pursuing four gunmen on motorcycles who attacked a checkpoint on a road from Katsina to Kano, Nigeria's second-largest city.

Libya moves parliament to five-star Tripoli hotel after attack: Libya's parliament moved into a five-star Tripoli hotel Monday, a day after rioters armed with knives and guns stormed the legislature building, torching furniture, killing a guard and wounding six lawmakers in the latest episode of turmoil in the country.

Obama Violating the ideals he pledged to uphold: The White House is once again weighing whether to kill an American citizen overseas as part of its "targeted killing" program.