NEWS YOU WON'T FIND ON CNN

Hillary, Will You Renounce Your Ties to Monsanto?

By Linn Cohen-Cole

By polling logic, I should be your supporter -- Democrat, woman, white, liberal. But this past summer I saw a News Hour show on farmers committing suicide in Maharastra, India, which affected me deeply. I started learning what was happening to farmers and to food and how the Clintons are connected. Continue

Car bomb kills at least 33 in occupied Iraq: A car bomb killed 33 people in northern Iraq on Sunday, security officials said, hours before U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Baghdad to assess recent security gains and discuss troop levels.

15 killed in north Iraq clashes, US military says: Fifteen people were killed, including 10 suspected al-Qaeda insurgents, in clashes with local security units in northern Iraq on Sunday, the US military said.

Another 7 killed as US occupation grinds on: Five people, including a woman, were killed in clashes when gunmen attacked villages manned by neighbourhood policemen in the northern province of Nineveh, police said.

Two Iraq roadside bombings kill 5 U.S. occupation force soldiers: Iraqi police arrested 15 Shiite activists Saturday in early morning raids south of Baghdad, and five American soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings, officials said.

US occupation force sniper convicted of killing unarmed Iraqi civilian: He testified that after he shot al-Janabi, he tried to shoot him again because "he was convulsing on the ground and I thought he might be suffering."

Death toll in bomb blast in NW Pakistan rises to 30 : The death toll in a bomb blast at the rally of a political party in northwest Pakistan on Saturday has risen to 30 on Sunday, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

US Chief: Pakistan Terror Threat Rising: The top U.S. military commander said Saturday that the threat of Islamic extremism was growing in Pakistan and that the country's leadership was keenly aware of the challenge facing the nation.

Pakistan nukes completely safe: Admiral Mullen : The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen Saturday said he is confidant about the security and safety of the nuclear assets in Pakistan and no extremist or terrorist can access them.

Bin Laden, Omar not operating in Pakistan-official: Pakistan rejected on Saturday a U.S. official's assertion that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar are operating from Pakistani territory.

Attack on Afghan jail leaves 1 attacker dead : Unknown armed men in their attempt to set free a comrade from a jail in western Herat province raided Shindand prison but fled away after facing police resistance, a local newspaper reported Sunday.

Norway Closes Kabul Embassy After Threat :Norway closed its embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul Sunday because of "terror threats," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

'Time running out' in Afghanistan: Afghanistan is a failed state and time is running out before a majority of people in the country want to see Nato troops leave, Lord Ashdown has warned

Nato should not be fighting this war in Afghanistan: What might have seemed a relatively straightforward military venture to overthrow a government and rid the country of al-Qa'ida and its protectors, the Taliban, has now taken on a quite different hue. Having forced regime change, Nato is now there as occupiers

Israeli minister urges murder of Hamas political leaders : Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction Zeev Boim called on the Israeli Defense Forces and security services Sunday to liquidate the political leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) including the sacked prime minister Ismail Haniya.

Lack of fuel causes 30% power shortfall in Gaza : - Israel's restriction policy over the fuel shipments to the Gaza Strip caused a power shortage of 30 percent in the poor enclave, a Palestinian official said Sunday

Palestine Matters: The suffering in Gaza specifically, and Palestine in general, has not been the subject of any substantive discussion in the 2008 Presidential campaign. There is a code of silence that surrounds this subject and an unspoken assumption that whatever steps Israel needs to take to “ensure its survival” will receive 100% support from the US political establishment.

Why did Israel bomb a target in Syria?: An Interview With Seymour Hersh

Jumblatt issues Hezbollah challenge : A leading figure in Lebanon's governing coalition has stepped up the rhetoric against the opposition Hezbollah movement, warning of anarchy and raising the spectre of another civil war.

Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran: US "deeply disturbed" by Iran nuclear reports : An Iranian rocket launch and reports that Iran is testing an advanced centrifuge are "deeply disturbing" and strengthen the case for a third UN sanctions resolution against Tehran, a top US official said on Friday, Reuters reported.

No need to wait for Russia or China: As in past years, the United States and the European Union do not see eye to eye with Russia and China, which are opposed to severe sanctions against Tehran.

General: Iran ready to teach U.S. lesson : "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always endangered the illegitimate accumulation of wealth by superpowers," he added.

5th cable cut fuels allegations of isolating Iran : Conspiracy theories of deliberately cutting communication lines to West Asia, primarily Iran, gained ground in the media and blogs as reports of another undersea cable cut — the fifth successive one in just a week's time — started emerging in cyberspace.

Using the Internet as a weapon: Commentary: Internet interruption in the Middle East looks fishy

Chinese cut off from internet: Damage to an undersea cable has cut millions of Chinese off from the internet, and the problem could take weeks to fix.

Serbia braces for Kosovo independence: Serbia's minister for Kosovo suggested Saturday that the government will seek to keep control over Serb-populated areas after the predominantly ethnic Albanian province declares independence.

Exxon 'seeking to damage' Venezuela : Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president has accused the oil giant Exxon Mobil of wanting to damage his country after it won a court order to freeze $12 billion of the nation's energy assets.

John Pilger:Who wants to be a millionaire? : This is the song Tony Blair hums every morning when he rises and tots up his latest windfall - a million for telling business groups in China nothing they didn't know, three or four million for buying JP Morgan influence in whatever corridors of power he imagines still welcome him.

Non to Blair!: Tony Blair reduced Britain to absolute diplomatic helotry to the Bush administration, he must not be allowed to hobble Europe as its president

CIA veteran calls for Bush's impeachment: Former CIA analyst rips into Bush over torture, Iraq and Iran

The Torture State's Domestic Face : This sort of thing isn't supposed to happen -- at least not to attractive, middle-class, middle-aged American women

Document Shows Army Blocked Help for Soldiers: A document from the Department of Veterans Affairs contradicts an assertion made by the Army surgeon general that his office did not tell VA officials to stop helping injured soldiers with their military disability paperwork at a New York Army post.

After the applause: No Funds in Bush Budget For Troop-Benefits Plan: President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative

U.S. economy's descent steepens: Job losses and a contraction in the business sector where more than 80 percent of Americans work show that the angle of descent for the U.S. economy is steepening.

Hillary Clinton's advisers 'in a state of panic': Hillary Clinton's most senior advisers are in a state of "panic" about her presidential prospects and are plotting to enlist Democrat leaders in Congress to thwart her rival Barack Obama's ambitions.

08/02/08

Top US Lawyer And UNICEF Data Reveal Afghan Genocide

By Dr Gideon Polya

Those Bush-ite and neo-Bush-ite politicians, military and Mainstream media executives complicit in the Afghan Genocide should be arraigned before the International Criminal Court. Continue

Does The Brownshirt Party Have Aces Up Its Sleeve?

By Paul Craig Roberts

In a McCain Regime, Cheney will be back in office with another stint as Secretary of War. Norman “Bomb-bomb-bomb-Iran” Podhoretz will be Undersecretary for Nuclear War with General John “Nuke them” Shalikashvili as his deputy. Rudy Giuliani will be the Minister of Interior in charge of Halliburton’s detention centers into which will be herded all critics of war and the police state. billy kristol will be chief White House spokesliar. Continue

U.S. Heading To War in Iran, Says Former Inspector

By Marilyn H. Karfeld

The White House is using outright fabrications and exaggerations to persuade the American public that Iran has an active nuclear weapons program, Ritter and Peck claimed. The ultimate goal, they said, is overthrow of Iran’s Islamic theocracy. Continue

The Armageddon Shuffle

By Douglas Johnson 

Nobody wants a madman at the helm of a nuclear armed country, right? I certainly don’t, yet I can’t understand how Americans tolerate the outrageous hypocrisy of George Bush calling Ahmadinijad a dangerous madman.  Continue

Behind Obama and Clinton

Who's whispering in their ears says a lot

By Stephen Zunes

What about Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton? Who have they picked to help them deal with Iraq war and the other immensely difficult foreign policy decisions that they’ll be likely to face as president? Continue

Will John McCain Have The Decency To Apologize?

By Mike Ghouse

I expect Senator McCain to drop the hate rhetoric and apologize to Muslims in America, or at least have the decency not to use the words "Islamic Terrorism" or "Muslims Terrorism". Call Terrorism for what it is, do not suffix or prefix or hang my religion to the evil acts; fear mongering is also evil. Continue

America’s Blinders

By Howard Zinn

A more honest estimate of ourselves as a nation would prepare us all for the next barrage of lies that will accompany the next proposal to inflict our power on some other part of the world. It might also inspire us to create a different history for ourselves, by taking our country away from the liars and killers who govern it. Continue

Particide In Six Easy Steps

Diligent Democrats Demonstrate Dumbness Daily 

By David Michael Green 

Suppose you had a political party you were trying to get rid of.  How would you do it? Continue

The Battle For America Has Begun
 
 Must watch - 4 Minute Video
 
 "We do the dirty work of democracy". Click to view

Guns And Butter

By Ron Paul

Ron Paul today speaking 07/02/08 at CPAC after Romney announces he is leaving the race. McCain also spoke but was booed by the conservatives. Continue

Advancing the Civilized State

Inch by Bloody Inch

William A. Cook, Ph.D.

Strange how the most civilized of the world in their time carry on experiments in extermination of their brothers and sisters, not as conquerors, but as victims of an evil they define. Stranger still how the most civilized find justice for their behavior in the words of the God they created, the only real and true God, whose beneficence to them justifies their indifference to their enemies even as it makes sacred the theft of that enemies’ land. Continue

Occupied Iraq: At least 27 killed in another bloody day of US occupation: Coalition occupation forces killed eight suspected al Qaeda militants and detained 12 others during operations in towns north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

Army sergeant says he ordered soldier to kill unarmed Iraqi civilian: When asked why he didn't kill al-Janabi himself, Hensley said: "Sgt. Vela happened to be the guy with the pistol. The Iraqi's head was at his (Vela's) feet. I would have gladly shot him myself."

U.S. allies go on strike in Iraq's Diyala province : A leader of the group said that brigade members, most of them Sunni Muslims, wouldn't resume working with U.S. and Iraqi government forces until the Shiite police chief resigns or is indicted.

Europe’s reluctant to fight in Afghanistan is linked to Iraq: Lingering anger in Europe over the U.S. invasion of Iraq explains why some allies are reluctant to heed U.S. calls for more combat troops in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today.

Iraq 'Shia militia leader' held : US troops in Iraq say they have arrested a suspected leader of a Shia militia group allegedly backed by Iran.

Standing on the bodies: McCain says Iraq will become the "major issue" in 2008 election: Campaigning in Virginia today, the GOP front-runner criticized his rival Democratic candidates for wanting to set a date for troop withdrawal from Iraq. He says the move could have `catastrophic" consequences.

Suicide car bomber kills three in Afghanistan: A suicide car bomber targeting an army convoy killed three people on Friday in Afghanistan, witnesses said.

Taliban chief, commanders hiding in Pakistan, says US official: Taliban supremo Mullah Mohammad Omar and the strategic command of the militant group fighting an insurgency in Afghanistan are hiding in Pakistan, a senior US administration official said Friday.

Germany Agrees to Expanded Military Role in Afghanistan: Germany will deploy around 200 combat soldiers in northern Afghanistan, but will not move its troops to the country's more violent south, German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said on Wednesday, Feb. 6.

Germany stays in northern Afghanistan despite pleas to join battle in south: German troops are staying in the calmer northern regions of Afghanistan, the defence minister said Friday, despite pleas from Canada and the United States for more military muscle to help fight insurgents in the south.

Mounting social distress among returning US troops: After serving tours in occupied Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of troops are returning wounded and psychologically traumatized from the experience.

US warns Iran over nuclear centrifuges : A top US envoy warned Iran Friday that its pursuit of more advanced uranium-enriching technology would intensify the long-running international standoff over its disputed atomic drive.

The arrogance of power: US Official: Iran Has No Need to Build More Nuclear Power Plants : Assistant Secretary of State Nicholas Burns made the remark in an interview Friday with the Reuters news service. He was responding to comments today by Iran's ambassador to Russia, Gholamreza Ansari, that Tehran has started building a second nuclear plant and is considering ways to fuel the facility.

US-Russia nuclear deal upstages Iran : There was a time when Iran might have believed that a multipolar world order would be just and fair from the point of view of the "suppressed nations". If that notion wasn't shattered long ago, it was surely was last Friday when the director of Rosatom, Russia's federal agency for nuclear power, Sergei Kiriyenko, urgently flew to Washington on a one-day "working visit".

The Cable-Cutter Mystery : Spies, lies, and "conspiracy theories" – what's behind the Middle East internet outage

Israeli Power Cuts to Gaza Violate Laws of War: HRW: Israel’s move to cut energy supplies to the Gaza Strip amounts to collective punishment of civilians and violates the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said in a report published yesterday.

In West Bank, Fatah Loses Favor: The popularity of the U.S.-backed Palestinian government here is eroding for the first time since it was established following the Islamist group Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip, according to a poll.

Not all Jews are Zionist: Regarding The Zionist Massacre in Gaza: Following is a letter that was sent from Neturei Karta USA and Canada to Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahar Co-Founder of Hamas:

Clinton wins tacit support of Israeli establishment: Although the race to succeed Mr Bush has narrowed to a choice between John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the Republican candidate is not the one the Israeli establishment would most like to see in the White House.

Putin cautious over 'new arms race' : Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has said that Russia will not allow itself to be drawn into what he called a new arms race while saying it is developing more sophisticated weapons.

Lawyers: Gitmo detainee breaking down: Confined alone in his Guantanamo cell nearly around the clock, a Yemeni prisoner and former driver for Osama bin Laden has begun to break down mentally and cannot focus on preparing for his upcoming war-crimes trial, his attorneys say.

UK: Terrorism bill opens way for secret inquests: The government was yesterday criticised over plans to hold inquests without juries, which campaigners fear could limit hearings into the deaths of British soldiers and people shot by police.

U.S. retail results are worst in four decades: U.S. retailers delivered more evidence of a stumbling economy today as merchants reported their weakest January performance in nearly four decades, extending a malaise that has deepened since the holiday shopping season.

07/02/08

Iraq’s Tragic Future

By Scott Ritter

Rather than offering a word-for-word renouncement of the president’s rosy assertions concerning Iraq, I will instead initiate a process of debunking the myth of American success by doing that which no politician, current or aspiring, would dare do: predict the failure of American policy in Iraq. Continue

McCain: Straight Talk and Militarist Madness

By Justin Logan

In the New Hampshire primary, exit polls revealed that 38 percent of those voting in the Republican primary who “strongly disapprove” of the war in Iraq cast their ballot for John McCain. Continue

In case you missed it

A Silly Pretext For War With Iran

By Democracy and Socialism

No Arab or Islamic country armed even with the smallest of atomic bombs will be ready to hit Israel. And that, is because Israel is a small country interwoven and surrounded by Palestinian and Arab nations. The explosion of an atomic bomb will kill the Palestinians and Arabs too. The radio-active fallout will reach the entire Middle-East including Iran itself. Continue

The Limits of Individual Morality

By James Rothenberg

To the extent that one’s patriotism manifests itself as allegiance to the state, such patriotism will involve a forfeiture of individual morality. This is less a statement about the merits of allegiance than it is about its limits. Continue

Gladio – Death Plan For Democracy

By: Peter Chamberlin

Anyone with a shred of human decency should feel compelled to fight this evil. Continue

The Bush Bust of '08

“It's All Downhill From Here, Folks”  

By Mike Whitney 

The FDIC has begun the “death watch” on the many banks which are currently drowning in their own red ink. Continue

The Demise of the American Middle Class

By Richard Backus

The high paying jobs created in Mexico under NAFTA, the whopping $3.50 per hour ones, are moving to China because even this princely wage level is much too generous according to U.S. businessmen. Continue

Occupied Iraq: At least 20 killed in as US occupation grinds on: Three neighborhood policemen were killed and seven wounded when a small bus exploded near a house in the town of Salman Pak, about 45 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.

Shia call on Mehdi Army to take up arms again in Iraq: It is this six-month ceasefire, declared on 29 August last year by Mr Sadr, which American commanders say is responsible for cutting much of the violence in Iraq. But the ceasefire will expire in the next few weeks and political and military leaders loyal to Mr Sadr are advising him not to renew it.

Sadr tells militia to maintain Iraq ceasefire: Shi'ite Sadr's spokesman Salah al-Ubaidi said the ceasefire, which expires later this month and has been vital to cutting violence in Iraq, should continue to be observed until militia members are told it is over or has been renewed.

Act Against Iraq Poverty : Please Sign the International Petition!

Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran: U.S. sees attacks by Iranian-backed groups up in Iraq: Attacks by Iranian-backed groups in Iraq have increased in recent months, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday, casting doubt on the view Iran might have reduced its support for violence in the war.

Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran: US spy chief retreats from Iran intel : The top US intelligence official is backing away from his agency's recent assessment that Iran halted its 'nuclear weapons program', PressTV reported.

Order given to fire on Iranian speedboat: One of the commanding officers "had literally given the order to fire and it turns out one of the fast boats turned about simultaneously," Mullen said.

American Jewish Leader Says Bush Committed To Firmly Dealing With Iranian Nuke Program : Wednesday, a senior American Jewish leader said US President George Bush is committed to firmly dealing with the controversial Iranian nuclear program even as he enters his last year of office.

Cable Cutting Mayhem: 5th Undersea Internet Cable Cut : It began with two undersea telecommunications cables that served as data links between Europe and the Middle East being cut, but it’s now escalated with a further three undersea internet cables being cut, with major disruptions to internet services.

Afghan Deputy Governor Among 6 Killed In Suicide bombing: A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing Helmand province's deputy governor and five other people, officials said.

Al-Qaeda 'will avenge US strike' : Al-Qaeda's leader in Afghanistan has vowed revenge for the killing of one of its top commanders in neighbouring Pakistan last week, saying Abu Laith al-Libi was killed by the weapon of "despicable cowards".

Row over Nato in Afghanistan worsens: A row over Nato in Afghanistan worsened as the military alliance chief denied US claims that members don't want troops to "die" for victory.

Taliban declares cease-fire in Pakistan: After weeks of escalating battles with government troops, Taliban militants yesterday declared a cease-fire - a move likely to frustrate US officials who have urged Pakistan to act decisively against Islamic radicals ensconced in the country's tribal belt.

Pakistani news channel goes off air: A private TV news station accused Pakistan's government Thursday of blocking its transmissions after it aired a program featuring a critic of President Pervez Musharraf.

Israeli Attack Kills 7 in Gaza: Witnesses said Israeli troops backed by tanks and aircraft launched an incursion near Jabaliya sparking clashes with resistance fighters

Paying for the bullets: US military aid to Israel for 2009: $2.55 billion: Israel may use up to 25% for military equipment and arms from local defense industries

EU envoy warns Gaza could become the next Somalia : Israel's policies in the Gaza Strip are likely to turn the territory into Somalia, European Union special envoy to the Middle East Marc Otte told Haaretz on Thursday in an interview.

Hamas rejects Abbas proposal to broker cease-fire with Israel : Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum described the proposal as "an extortion attempt" and said that Abbas allows Israel to continue its "massacre."

Olmert to hold emergency meeting on dollar rates: Slipping dollar rate, subsequent industry losses prompt PM to call emergency meeting with finance minister, trade and labor minister, governor of the Bank of Israel and head of National Economic Council to discuss possible countermeasures

Russia warns EU, NATO of "illegal" Kosovo moves: Russia warned the European Union and NATO on Wednesday that their presence in Kosovo would be illegal if they acted in support of a self-proclaimed independent state.

"Al-Qaeda" threatens wave of British attacks: Al-Qaeda has threatened a wave of suicide bombings in Britain unless all troops are withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan and Islamist prisoners are freed from Belmarsh jail by the end of March.

Mass Arrests Expose Operations of Turkey’s “Deep State”: The detention in Istanbul last week of alleged members of a shadowy Turkish ultranationalist group has revived charges that elements within the Turkish security apparatus have long tried to destabilize the country through a campaign of bombings and assassinations. These allegedly include false flag operations that have been attributed to Kurdish separatists and violent Islamists.

US 'may use' torture again : The US may use the controversial torture technique known as waterboarding in the future if a terrorist attack was thought to be imminent, the White House has said.

AP Confirms Secret Camp Inside Gitmo : Camp 7, where 15 ``high-value detainees'' are held, is so secret that its very existence was not publicly known until it was mentioned in December by attorneys for Majid Khan, a former Baltimore resident who allegedly plotted to bomb gas stations in the United States.

C.I.A. Destroyed Tapes as Judge Sought Interrogation Data : At the time that the Central Intelligence Agency destroyed videotapes of the interrogations of operatives of Al Qaeda, a federal judge was still seeking information from Bush administration lawyers about the interrogation of one of those operatives, Abu Zubaydah, according to court documents made public on Wednesday.

Moussaoui prosecutor kept CIA tapes secret : The lead prosecutor in the terror case against Zacarias Moussaoui likely knew the CIA destroyed tapes of its interrogations of al-Qaeda suspects more than a year before the government acknowledged it to the court, newly unsealed documents show.

Prosecutor sought for White House probe : An advocacy group on Monday sought a criminal probe of the White House over millions of possibly missing e-mails, saying someone may have deliberately deleted them to conceal involvement in a potential crime.

Freedom Of Information? : Government blocks access to secret military papers on Diego Garcia

Bush Goes After FOIA: The President's attack on the Freedom of Information Act is his latest attempt to preserve state secrecy

FBI's Sought Approval for Custom Spyware in FISA Court: The software, called a "computer and internet protocol address verifier," is designed to infiltrate a suspect's computer and collect various information, including the IP address, Ethernet MAC addresses, a list of open TCP and UDP ports, running programs, operating system type and serial number, default browser, the registered user of the operating system and the last visited URL, among other things.

Wal-Mart's distress signal: The world's largest retailer leads a parade of sales misses in January, indicating trouble in the U.S. economy.

"Euros Accepted" signs pop up in New York City: Trade with personal dealer service.NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the latest example that the U.S. dollar just ain't what it used to be, some shops in New York City have begun accepting euros and other foreign currency as payment for merchandise.

Romney quits U.S. presidential race, takes shot at Europe "In this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

Lieberman Stripped Of Superdelegate Status: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president, will be disqualified as a superdelegate at the Democratic convention "under what is informally known as the Zell Miller rule."

Mr. Lincoln The Racist : It is amazing to see how many black people today continue to revere the memory of Abraham Lincoln as though he had actually done something for them. Of course many whites do the same thing. In fact, there is an entire cottage industry operating nowadays, consisting of people, many of whom are academics, whose entire goal in life seems to be the attempted beatification of "Saint Abraham."

06/2/08

A Pre-election Attack on Iran Remains a Possibility

By Leon Hadar

President Bush still believes the Iranians are developing nuclear weapons – and so do the Israelis. So for journalists to assume that neither the U.S. nor Israel will attack Iran before the November election could constitute another failure of imagination. Cato’s Leon Hadar suggests questions the press should ask the presidential candidates about what they think the American response should be to various scenarios in the region – including a Gulf-of-Tonkin-like alleged provocation. Continue

The Machine Gun of Capitalism

Dead soldiers, peak oil and mind-boggling profits; praise Jesus, the machine's still working

By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist

A flurry of pink slips fluttered over the job sector as corporate payrolls were sliced like sour pie. Foreclosures are skyrocketing and new home sales across the nation are plummeting faster than Britney Spears' serotonin levels. A nasty recession is either creeping or flooding in, depending on your perspective and how recently you purchased your home and/or tried to dump your Google stock. Continue

Powell’s UN Fiasco: Fresh and Festering

By Ray McGovern

A handful of former CIA intelligence officers joined me in forming the VIPS movement in Jan. 2002, after we concluded that our profession had been corrupted to “justify” what was, pure and simple, a war of aggression. Little did we know at the time that a month later Colin Powell, with then-CIA Director George Tenet plumped down conspicuously behind him, would provide the world with a textbook example of careerism and cowardice in cooking intelligence to the recipe of his master. Continue

The Lights Have Been Turned Off

By Gideon Levy

If all the residents of the Gaza Strip deserve to be punished because of the Qassam rockets, then maybe all Israelis deserve to be punished because of the occupation? Continue

10 Myths About Canadian Health Care, Busted

By Sara Robinson

I'm both a health-care-card-carrying Canadian resident and an uninsured American citizen who regularly sees doctors on both sides of the border. As such, I'm in a unique position to address the pros and cons of both systems first-hand. Continue

Occupied Iraq: At least 31 killed in another bloody day of US occupation: Five headless bodies were found in a village near the town of Muqdadiya, 90 km (55 miles) northeast of Baghdad, the Iraqi army said.

U.S. occupation forces kill Sunni civilians, tensions rise : Iraqi police, relatives and neighbors said a couple and their 19-year-old son were shot to death in their beds. Iraqi police also said two girls were wounded and one later died. AP Television News video showed the doors pockmarked with bullet holes and pillows and other bedding on the floor and soaked with blood.

Iraq pushes ahead with oil plans: The Iraqi government is inviting major oil multinationals to participate for the first time in the development of the oil industry, without waiting for the passage of crucial but controversial hydrocarbons legislation.

US 'must remain in Iraq' : Republican White House hopeful John McCain yesterday insisted the US must maintain a long-term presence in Iraq and accused Democratic rivals of caving in to the forces of "evil".

McCain: 100 years in Iraq "would be fine with me" : The United States military could stay in Iraq for "maybe a hundred years" and that "would be fine with me," John McCain told two hundred or so people at a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire,

U.S. commander says Iran not involved in hostilities in Iraq: The U.S. commander in Iraq’s central province of Diyala has said he has witnessed no hostile act from the Iranian side in the region over the past 10 months, a French weekly reported on Monday.

NPR reporter says Iraq remains `in shambles': Amos said that many Iraqis capable of transforming the country have left. ``Two million people have fled Iraq,'' which she described as ``still in shambles.

8 killed in separate Afghan attacks: A coalition occupation force soldier was killed and two others wounded by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, while seven Taliban fighters were killed in a coalition airstrike, officials said Wednesday.

Military Balance report sees 'willpower gap' in NATO over conflicts : The current military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan will have long-term implications for US defence strategy as Washington will find it increasingly difficult to recruit allies for extended campaigns, a key defence analysis report said Tuesday

Pakistan Taliban declare ceasefire: Pakistani Taliban fighters announced a ceasefire on Wednesday after months of clashes with security forces and suicide attacks across the northwest of the country.

Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran:: U.S. says Iran may be able to make nukes by 2009 : The head of American intelligence said Tuesday that it is unclear whether Tehran has returned to its production of nuclear weapons in the past six months, and warned that Iran "would be technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon" by the end of next year.

Iran retains nuclear plans, says US intelligence chief: The senior US intelligence official yesterday stressed that a recent report on Iran had concluded that Tehran had halted only one part of its alleged nuclear weapons programme.

Iran General Staff fear U.S. attack while Bush in power : "While Bush is in power, that is throughout 2008, U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic is still likely," Gholamali Rashid said.

IAEA chief warns against military action to solve Iranian nuclear issue : ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said a military strike to settle the Iranian nuclear issue would complicate the situation and send the Middle East region into a vicious cycle of violence.

Ahmadinejad Withdrawing Nuclear Proposal: "But if others formulated it again, we would study it — under one condition: that the Iranian people's right to enrich uranium be preserved," the Iranian leader said.

S. Africa protests plan to sanction Iran: South Africa on Tuesday protested a "rush" by the five veto-wielding Security Council members to adopt new United Nations sanctions against Iran, saying it wants to wait for a report from the U.N. nuclear agency later this month.

Iran says Gulf shields its banks from U.S. pressure: U.S. allies such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are helping shield Iran's banking system from Washington's "financial terrorism", the governor of Iran's central bank said on Tuesday.

Connecting The Many Undersea Cut Cable Dots : The last week has seen a spate of unexplained, cut, undersea communications cables that has severely disrupted communications in many countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. As I shall show, the total numbers of cut cables remain in question, but likely number as many as eight, and maybe nine or more.

Gaza besieged as Israel and Hamas launch attacks: In Gaza, MPs of the Hamas-dominated parliament cancelled today's session, fearing an Israeli attack after the chairman of the Knesset's security and foreign affairs committee, Tzachi Hanegbi, hinted that Israel should target Hamas' political leaders.

Demand answers about the USS Liberty attack: If senators and representatives want to take up an issue that has insulted service members and their families, they can look at the Liberty, an American spy ship that was strafed, napalmed and torpedoed by Israeli air and naval forces on June 8, 1967

In case you missed it: Dead in the Water : Video: BBC Four investigative report regarding, Israels attack on the USS Liberty . Thirty-four American servicemen were killed in the two-hour assault by Israeli warplanes and torpedo boats.

15 killed when grenade is tossed into house: Ethiopia and Somalia have a long history of tense — and, at times, violent — relations. Ethiopian troops are currently propping up Somalia’s shaky U.N.-backed government in the southern part of the country.

Occupied Somalia: 5 Killed in Mogadishu Market Violence: At least five people were killed in the Somali capital Tuesday after suspected insurgents launched a sneak attack on police officers collecting tax revenue at the livestock market in northern Mogadishu's Huriwa district, witnesses said.

We control the country, Chad's president says - Summary : Chadian President Indriss Deby said Wednesday in the capital N'Djamena that his government's forces were now in total control of the country after a failed attempt to overthrow him.

French defence minister in Chad: He was also due to meet French forces stationed in Chad later in the day. There are more than 1,900 French soldiers with fighter jets in what is a former French colony.

Kenya opposition threatens protests : Negotiations between the rival factions continued on Tuesday, as fresh violence claimed 12 more lives.

Rebels in Chad warn France against intervention : Rebels in Chad warned France on Wednesday against intervening militarily to support President Idriss Deby Itno's regime, as French Defence Minister Herve Morin made an unannounced visit to Ndjamena.

Al Qaeda seen planning attack on U.S.: Senior al Qaeda leaders have diverted operatives from Iraq across the globe and are increasing preparations to strike the United States, senior intelligence officials told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday. They said the terrorists had plans to attack the White House as recently as 2006.

Cheney: Eavesdrop because terrorists don't fight by the rules of international law : “The terrorists waging war against this country don't fight according to the rules of warfare or international law or moral standards or basic humanity, and we have to be clear-eyed about the character and objective of these adversaries,”

CIA admits torture of at least 3 people: A senior intelligence official said after the hearing that it was unclear whether the CIA could legally use waterboarding in the future, given changes in U.S. law.

It's torture; it's illegal: The attorney general's evasions on waterboarding are repugnant, and set a dangerous global precedent

The New Crime of Thinking: It looks like the term “thought police” just might take on a whole new and real meaning. This depends on what happens in the U.S. Senate after receiving House bill H.R. 1955

Bush veto threatened for US surveillance bills that do not protect telecommunications companies: President George W. Bush issued a veto threat Tuesday in the debate to update terrorist surveillance laws, rebuking Democratic plans to deny retroactive legal protections for telecommunications providers that let the government spy on U.S. residents after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Scientists warn of looming water supply crisis: Climate change has already dramatically altered the water cycle and these changes signal a looming water supply crisis, according to a prominent group of hydrologists and climatologists writing Thursday in Science magazine.

In case you m issed it: The Blue Pill People : There are none so blind as those who will not look. If you are one of those who will look, take a look around.

05/02/08

Iraqi Scientist Gave CIA Information That Should Have Prevented War

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

When Saad Tawfiq watched then-US Secretary of state Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations on February 5, 2003, he shed bitter tears as he realized he had risked his life and those of his loved ones for nothing. Continue

Did Rumsfeld Authorize War Crimes?

The Secret Rules of Engagement in Iraq

By Stephen Soldz

Congress should demand access to these documents to determine the extent to which attacks resulting in civilian casualties were authorized, potentially providing insight into who was responsible for possible war crimes committed in the course of the occupation. Continue

How to create an Angry American

Must watch 6 Minute Video

So what are you going to do about it? Click to view

War By Accident?

By Karen Kwiatkowski

Cheney lives, and he wants more war. According to former CIA officer Phil Giraldi, Cheney remains hard at work fomenting some kind of attack or even war with Iran – and beyond that, he and George W. Bush don’t believe their own CIA’s latest intelligence assessment on Iran, indicating, in short that when it comes to Iran, we have little to fear but fear itself. Continue

Bush Admits He Plans to Attack Iran ?

2 Minute Video

Does This Video Confirm That Bush Intends To Attack Iran? You decide. Continue

A Middle East Free of WMD

Iran is a responsible nation and wants to see stability in the region. The West should support us.

By Manouchehr Mottaki

The democratic rhetoric of the west counts for nothing when foreign policy is dictated by self-interest, as witnessed by its brazen disregard of the outcomes of democratic elections in Algeria and Palestine. Attempts to demonise Iran are exposed as hollow when you consider that the accusers are those responsible for the outrages of Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay. Continue

A Strike in the Dark

What Did Israel Bomb in Syria?

By Seymour M. Hersh

“‘You are aware of the recent Israeli statements about Syria. The Israelis are extremely serious about Iran and its nuclear program, and I believe that, if the United States government is unsuccessful in its diplomatic dealings with Iran, the Israelis will take it out militarily.’ He then told the envoy that he wanted him to convey this to his government—that the Israelis were serious. Continue

The Year of Living Dangerously:

An Absence of Will

By Manuel Valenzuela

The Year of Living Dangerously is upon us. The sorrows of empire have arrived. In this struggle, America entire is Ground Zero. The clock is ticking, the time is wasting. Would we rather live in tyranny, or fight for freedom? Live in our America, or the corporatist Amerika? In this fight for our way of life, which citizenry will show up: yesterday’s version of the People, or today’s? The choice, as always, is ours. Continue

55 Bodies discovered in mass grave in northern Iraq: Iraqi forces found the bodies of 55 people allegedly killed and buried by al-Qaeda loyalists in a mass grave near the northern Iraqi city of Samarra, a police officer said Tuesday.

Eight killed in suicide bombing : Iraqi police said that eight of elements awakening killed on Tuesday when a suicide bomber blew himself near the house of tribal leader north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

At least 3 Iraqis civilians killed by US occupation forces: Iraqi police, relatives and neighbors said a couple and their 19-year-old son were shot to death in their beds late Monday.

9 Iraq civilians killed by US occupation forces: A farmer who lives near the site said the Americans retaliated after a mortar attack against a U.S. convoy as it passed a checkpoint manned by Awakening Council fighters.

Another 6 killed as US occupation grinds on: Iraqi security forces and U.S. troops killed three suspected al Qaeda gunmen during operations near Tal Afar, 420 km (260 miles) northwest of Baghdad

Internal pressure grows on Iraq's Sadr to end truce : Influential members within the movement loyal to Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have told him they do not want his Mehdi Army militia to extend a ceasefire when it expires this month, Sadr's spokesman said on Monday.

US occupation forces kill 10 civilians in Afghanistan: An airstrike by international forces against a suspected Taliban commander in southwestern Afghanistan killed 10 civilians, while nine suspected Taliban were killed in separate raids, officials said on Monday.

Five Afghan civilians killed by roadside bomb: Five civilians including woman and children were killed in a roadside attack in southern province of Helmand, police said on Tuesday.

2 police killed, 3 wounded in roadside blast in southern Afghanistan: A roadside blast hit a police patrol in southern Afghanistan, leaving two officers dead and three others wounded, an official said Tuesday.

Afghanistan may turn to failed state as insurgency spreads: Afghanistan risks becoming a failed state if NATO troops do not defeat the Taliban, boosting Islamist extremism worldwide, a study said Tuesday, also warning that the West lacked resources.

Full cost excluded on Iraq, Afghanistan: Bush asked for $70 billion as an "emergency allowance" for war costs for the first part of the budget year, which begins Oct. 1. The White House said it would request more — probably at least another $100 billion

US intel: al-Qaida may move outside Iraq: Top US Intelligence Chief Says al-Qaida in Iraq Establishing Cells in Other Countries

Israel kills 9 in Gaza: Seven of the Hamas men were killed by an Israeli air strike on a security compound in southern Gaza and two other armed members of the movement were shot dead by Israeli soldiers near the border with Egypt.

Senior MK demands murder of Hamas leaders : A senior member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's party Tuesday urged the government to order the assassination of Hamas political leaders in response to the Monday suicide bombing claimed by the Islamist group.

Hamas urges militants, leaders to be on guard : Hamas called Tuesday all Palestinian militants and leaders to be careful and warned them of assassination attempts planned by Israel.

Haredi sect brands Chief Rabbi Metzger 'Zionist stooge,' wicked : The strongly anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect of ultra-Orthodox Jews has attacked Ashkennazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger as a "very well paid Zionist stooge" and a "a wicked emissary of evil" who should be expelled from Israel, following Metzger's reported comments proposing that poor Gazans be moved to a Palestinian state established in the Sinai.

Bush budget launches new Israel aid : The Bush administration launched its new $30 billion defense aid to Israel in its proposed 2009 budget.

Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran: Iran will have nuclear weapon in three years: Mossad: Mossad director Meir Dagan, in an intelligence assessment presented to Israel's powerful foreign affairs and defence committee on Monday, said the Jewish state would face increased threats on all fronts, Maariv daily said.

Accept Iran's Regional Role, Says French Envoy: In a sharp departure from U.S. policy, a leading French diplomat has called on the international coalition sponsoring U.N. sanctions against Iran to support a larger Iranian role in the Middle East.

4th cable snaps, Qatar-UAE traffic disrupted: The fourth submarine cable was damaged between Haloul (Qatar) and Das (the UAE). Egypt’s ministry of maritime transportation, after reviewing the satellite pictures, said there were no ships (which led to the speculation and allegations) near the cable channel 12 hours before or after the damage near Alexandria, Egypt.

US service sector contracts in January: The Institute for Supply Management's report, released Tuesday, shook the stock market while bond prices surged. The Dow Jones industrial average, the Standard & Poor's 500 index and the Nasdaq composite index all fell.

Sometimes you just got to laugh: Lawmaker to introduce bill banning imported flags: A state lawmaker who served in Iraq wants to ban U.S. or Iowa flags that are made in other countries.

04/02/08

George Bush Delivers The Horse's Head

By Mike Whitney 

In the last two weeks, the Gulf leaders have watched nervously while the Federal Reserve has slashed rates by a whopping 125 basis points. The cuts are steadily eroding the $1 trillion of capital they have invested in US Treasuries and securities. Indeed, the price of friendship is quite high. Continue

Bankers Gone Bonkers

Global Finance and the Insanity Defense

By Pam Martens

With Wall Street capital disappearing as fast as foreclosures are climbing, one foreign head of state had an epiphany. French President Nicholas Sarkozy advanced the idea recently that the global financial system is "out of its mind." Continue

Disowned By The Ownership Society

By Naomi Klein

Washington think-tanker Grover Norquist predicted that the ownership society would be Bush's greatest legacy, remembered "long after people can no longer pronounce or spell Fallujah." Yet in Bush's final State of the Union address, the once-ubiquitous phrase was conspicuously absent. And little wonder: rather than its proud father, Bush has turned out to be the ownership society's undertaker. Continue

Leaked Classified Documents Show Bush Authorized US Troops In Iran And Syria

By ERIC SCHMITT and MICHAEL R. GORDON

American military forces in Iraq were authorized to pursue former members of Saddam Hussein’s government and terrorists across Iraq’s borders into Iran and Syria, according to a classified 2005 document that has been made public by an independent Web site. Continue

Torture Does Not Work, as History Shows

By Robert Fisk

“Torture works,” an American special forces major - now, needless to say, a colonel - boasted to a colleague of mine a couple of years ago. It seems that the CIA and its hired thugs in Afghanistan and Iraq still believe this. Continue

Why Were The Tapes Destroyed?

By Paul Craig Roberts

Many Americans are content with the 9/11 Commission Report, but the two chairmen of the commission, Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton are not. Neither was commission member Max Cleland, a US Senator who resigned from the 9/11 Commission, telling the Boston Globe (November 13, 2003): “This investigation is now compromised.” Continued

The Great Betrayal

By Patrick J. Buchanan

McCain says we may be in Iraq a hundred years and warns, “there’s going to be other wars.” Take the man at his word. Continue

When Morality Demands Winter Soldiers

By Camillo "Mac" Bica

In March of this year, the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will convene the Winter Soldier hearings in Washington, DC. "Winter Soldiers," according to Thomas Paine, are those who step up in behalf of their nation when things seem most bleak. Continue

Suharto: 'One Of The Greatest Mass Murderers Of The 20th Century'

By Chris Kline

The military and intelligence attachés in the US and British embassies were sending helpful death lists to the Indonesian high command when Suharto struck. In the midst of the mass executions, the British ambassador, Sir Andrew Gilchrist, sent a chilling telegram to London, saying: “I have never concealed from you my belief that a little shooting in Indonesia would be an essential preliminary to effective change.” Continue

Opinion: U.S. Must Atone For Aiding Suharto

By Joseph Nevins

The death of Suharto, the strongman who ruled Indonesia for more than three decades, is cause for reflection in the United States, particularly as Americans choose our next president and wrestle with the question of our nation's proper role in the world. Continue

The Year of Living Dangerously

By Manuel Valenzuela

If you are not angered, indeed enraged, by the current state of the United States, then you have not been paying attention, or you just do not care enough about the future your children will inherit, and have to live in. Continue

Tapped Out Nation

By Patrick J. Buchanan

It was to be the year of change, of new ideas, a new politics. Yet, as of today, it appears the Republican Party will be led into the future by a Beltway favorite of the media and Washington insider who has spent the last quarter of a century on Capitol Hill. Continue

Debunking The Health Care Bugaboo

By Mary Pitt

When one dares to broach the idea that "universal health care" is the only practical answer, all the politicians grab their own wallets and scream about "rationed care" and "socialism". True, it would require the demise of the current health care insurance industry so that the three hundred billion dollars in annual profit for those companies could be used instead for the care of ill and injured people. Continue

Iraq: At least 40 killed in another bloody day of US occupation: U.S. occupation forces killed 15 suspected militants

US Occupation Forces Kill 9 Iraq Civilians: Iraqi police said the victims, including two women, were in two houses in the village of Tal al-Samar, which was bombed by American warplanes late Saturday.

Mosul residents stock up ahead of 'decisive battle' : Residents of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul are hastily stocking up with supplies ahead of what Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says will be a "decisive battle" against Al-Qaeda, traders said on Sunday.

Turkish Planes Bomb Iraq: Hit 70 Suspected PKK Positions in Iraq : The planes struck targets in the northern Iraqi regions of Avasin-Basyan and Hakurk in a 12-hour operation that began today at 3 a.m. Turkish time, Turkey's military said on its Web site.

Pentagon won't detail war spending plan: When the Pentagon unveils its budget request Monday for the next fiscal year, it will back away from a commitment it made to Congress just a year ago -- to estimate how much the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to cost.

Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran: ? US claims rise in Iran-made bomb attacks in Iraq : Attacks using Iranian-made roadside bombs in a key part of Baghdad rose in January to the highest level in a year, the U.S. military said.

Progress towards resolving Iran inquiry--ElBaradei: The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Sunday he was making progress in finishing an inquiry into Iran's nuclear past ahead of his next report awaited by those powers mulling new sanctions.

U.S. labels Iran's rocket tests as "unfortunate" : The United States described on Monday Iran's launching a rocket into space as "unfortunate," which, the White House said, will isolate the Islamic republic from the international community.

Iran oil bourse scheduled: Iran was scheduled to inaugurate its Oil Bourse this coming week.That probably isn't going to happen because all internet access in Iran was cut over the weekend (the undersea cables were chopped).

Internet cable cut in Middle East – Should Iran be worried?: There has been some concern that the undersea internet cables, that have been cut recently, are perhaps no accident?

US anti-missile ship to dock in Haifa: An American missile ship set to dock at Haifa Port on Monday is equipped with an anti-missile defense system that could be deployed in the region in the event of an Iranian missile attack against Israel.

11 Killed As Taliban Clash With Police in Southern Afghanistan: A clash between police and the Taliban in a mountainous area of southern Afghanistan left eight militants dead and three officers wounded, a police chief said Monday.

Women and children among 10 people killed in raids occupation troops: Afghan and foreign occupation troops conducted separate raids on the homes of suspected Taliban militants on Monday, leaving 10 people dead, including women and children, police said.

6 Civilians Among 8 Killed By US Occupation Forces Air Attack: A Taliban commander who owned the house, Mullah Manan, managed to escape with four other fighters, but two other Taliban commanders in the compound were killed by a ground and air attack, Baloch said. Six civilians were also killed, he said.

Kabul furious at British plan to retrain Taliban: A secret British plan to build military training camps for former Taliban fighters in Helmand province has sent relations between Afghanistan and Britain to an all-time low, officials have revealed.

Suicide attacker kills five: . A suicide attacker rammed a bomb-laden motorbike into a Pakistan army bus taking medical staff to work yesterday in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, killing five people, police said.

Pakistani troops advance into militant stronghold, 1 soldier killed: Government forces advanced into a militant stronghold in northwestern Pakistan on Monday as fighting continued in other areas along the volatile border with Afghanistan, officials said.

600 suicide bombers present in Karachi: report - Six hundred would-be suicide bombers have been deployed to Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi to target security forces, a media report said on Monday.

2 Killed as Israeli PM vows 'relentless' war on "terror" : Shas Chairman Eli Yishai called on the government Monday to cease negotiations with the Palestinian Authority immediately, following the attack which left a woman dead and 11 more people wounded.

One Gazan killed in clashes with Egyptian troops at border: A Palestinian man was killed and at least 44 Gazans and Egyptians were wounded Monday in an exchange of fire that erupted between masked Palestinian gunmen and Egyptian forces at Gaza's border with Egypt, Palestinian medical officials said.

Fatah offshoot claims responsibility for suicide attack in Israel: A violent offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement claimed responsibility Monday for the suicide attack in the southern Israeli town of Dimona.

Israeli PM appoints panel on 2002 killing of Hamas chief : Committee to probe whether bombing which killed 14 Gazans, mostly children, was justified.

Hezbollah warns Israel after IDF kills Lebanese across border : A Hezbollah official warned Monday of retaliation for an incident Sunday evening in which Israel Defense Forces troops shot dead a man across the border in southern Lebanon.

US plans to settle Palestinians in Lebanon : The US is preparing a plan to settle the Palestinian refugees permanently in Lebanon in return for writing off 30% of its foreign debts.

Mufti condemns Israeli decision to demolish historic mosque: The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein has condemned a decision by Israeli authorities to demolish the Al-Omari mosque in the village of Umm Tuba near Jerusalem under the pretext that the building had been built without a license: The mosque was built more than 700 years go, and it was last restored in 1963. It is the only mosque in Umm Tuba.

Russia's ambassador to NATO warns of confrontation with Poland: Russia's ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Sunday warned of a new confrontation between Warsaw and Moscow in connection with plans by the United States to base a missile shield in Eastern Europe.

Wave of anarchy blamed on Kenya's 'General Coward': As the post-election death toll nears 1,000 and towns go up in flames, more Kenyans are saying the 'holy' President and his elite advisers are to blame

Kenya rejects S African mediator : A South African business tycoon chosen by Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary-general, to head long-term mediation efforts in Kenya, has pulled out of peace talks.

Agent Orange: Toxic Legacy of Vietnam Still Demands Remediation: Washington has rejected responsibility for the millions of people Vietnam says have suffered direct or second-generation disabilities due to Agent Orange, with US officials pointing to a lack of mutually agreed data.

Jim Lobe: McCain is Now the Neo-Con Candidate: McCain’s little ditty about “bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb-Iran” — not to mention his willingness to maintain U.S. troops in Iraq for decades, if not centuries — must also appeal to the neo-cons’ neo-imperial agenda .

Illusion of Choice: The illusion of choices in the US elections: Does it herald the dissolution of these United States of America?

UAE likely to revalue dollar-pegged currency: Since May, when Kuwait dropped its dollar peg and adopted a basket of currencies, there has been constant speculation that the UAE and Qatar would follow suit or revalue their currencies.

Bush proposes 3.1 trillion-dollar budget: Bush's spending plan, sent to Congress for the fiscal year starting October 1, forecasts heavy deficits for the government -- 410 billion dollars for the current year and 407 billion for the coming fiscal year.

'It's going to be much worse': Famed investor Jim Rogers sees hard times ahead for the United States - and a big opportunity looming in China.

House Of Cards : 60 Minutes Video Report: Steve Kroft reports on how the U.S. sub-prime mortgage meltdown, in which risky loans drove a housing boom that went bust, is now roiling capital markets worldwide.

03/02/08

War in Iraq
Defeat Without End

By Robert C. Koehler

We’ve already failed in Iraq, and throughout the Middle East and Central Asia — failed with consequences beyond reckoning. God knows someone will have to take a swig of political courage and acknowledge it one of these days, simply to stop the lie — the lies, a governmental cluster bomb of them — from doing further harm. Continue

Democracy Is a Beautiful Thing

By William Blum

Why was the primary vote for former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich so small when anti-Iraq war sentiment in the United States is supposedly so high? Continue

Another World is Necessary

By Serene Assir

The Palestinian people of Gaza moved the world by breaking out and materially reclaiming their stolen freedom of movement, rights to travel to and from their country, and right to resist the illegal status imposed on them through occupation since 1967 and economic and near-total physical blockade since the democratic election of Hamas in the legislative election of January 2006. Continue

Defending Israel to the “End Times”

By Bill Berkowitz

These are busy days for Christian Zionists.Continue

Israeli Soldiers Speak Out

Video

A searing interview with Avichai Sharon and Noam Chayut, both veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces and members of Breaking the Silence. - After thorough introspection, these young men have chosen to speak out about their experiences as self-described “brutal occupiers of a disputed land.” Continue

Hillary Clinton Again Lies about Iraq

By Stephen Zunes

In Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton lied again about Iraq. Continue

Mukasey's Radical Worldview Is Now The Norm

By Glenn Greenwald

Mukasey explicitly embraces the most extreme theories of presidential omnipotence and lawlessness and displays as much Cheney-ite contempt for the notion of Congressional oversight as the Vice President himself. He repeatedly endorsed patently illegal behavior -- including torture -- and refused even to pretend that he cared what the Senate thought about any of it. Continue

Stepford Republicans: All Caught on Tape!

By Jeff Cohen

Stepford Wives become robotically subservient only to their husbands; they pose no threat to the rest of us. But Stepford Republicans become subservient to right-wing forces of corporatism, war and prejudice. Once converted into mindless ideologues, Stepford Republicans are a threat to us all. Continue

The Madness of John McCain

By Justin Raimondo

A militarist suffering from acute narcissism and armed with the Bush Doctrine is not fit to be commander in chief. Continue

Hot Democratic Properties

By Alexander Cockburn

From Hillary's Whitewater Deal to Bill's Uranium Mine to Obama's Ba'athist Ties. Continue

Hacking Democracy
 
 Video
 
  This documentary exposes the vulnerability of computers - which count approximately 80% of America's votes in county, state and federal elections - suggesting that if our votes aren't safe, then our democracy isn't safe either. Click to view

Iraq: At least 14 killed in another bloody day of US occupation: Five bodies were found in different areas of Baghdad

Security forces kill 11 militants in Iraq: Iraqi troops killed eight suspects and arrested 28 overnight in Salman Pak, about 15 miles south of Baghdad, Iraqi police said.

Iraqi PM warns of imminent battle against Qaeda: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday held a war council and warned of an imminent battle against Al-Qaeda, a day after two mentally impaired women bombers killed 98 people in Baghdad.

Layla Anwar : Lethal Agreements in Baghdad.: Oh, please listen to this puppet with his three day unshaved beard and his silver ring from Qum. Listen to what the puppet has to say about "Al-Qaeda."

US Qaeda strategy fatally flawed: analysts: In its ideological struggle against Al-Qaeda, American anti-terrorist strategy too often overlooks the basic tenets of the infamous Chinese warlord Sun Tzu, namely: know your enemy.

US Mercenaries Outnumber Troops: There are 196,000 mercenaries working for the Defense Department in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are 182,000 U.S. forces in both countries.

In Iraq, Three Wars Engage U.S.: Three separate but related wars are being waged in this country now, and the third one, against Shiite extremists, is the most worrisome, according to the commander and senior staff of the U.S. Army division patrolling Baghdad.

Conway: 2-front war will overstretch Corps: The Marine Corps cannot endure a long-term presence in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the service’s top officer said.

Baghdad 'drowning in sewage': BAGHDAD is drowning in sewage, thirsty for water and largely powerless, an Iraqi official said today in a grim assessment of services in the capital five years after the US-led invasion.

Iran vows to defend Persian Gulf against all : "The powerful armed forces of Iran do not pose a threat to any force at the regional level," he said. "But, in case they confront any kind of threat, they will provide a strong and crushing response"

Incase you missed it: Iran Oil Bourse to deal blow to dollar : Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari told reporters the bourse will be inaugurated during the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution (February 1-11) at the latest.

Middle East Internet Blackouts Spur Geopolitical Suspicions : Unprecedented mass Internet outages throughout the Middle East and Asia after no less than four undersea Internet cables were cut without explanation are spurring suspicions that a major event of geopolitical proportions may be just around the corner.

Ships did not cause Internet cable damage: Damage to undersea Internet cables in the Mediterranean that hit business across the Middle East and South Asia was not caused by ships, Egypt’s communications ministry said on Sunday, ruling out earlier reports.

Attacks by Taleban soar, figures show: Attacks by the Taleban in Afghanistan surged last year, previously unpublished figures from allied military forces fighting insurgents show.

Fall back, men, Afghanistan is a nasty war we can never win: Kabul is like Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war. It swarms with refugees and corruption while an upper crust of well-heeled contractors, consultants and NGO groupies careers from party to party in bullet-proof Land Cruisers.

Afghan police lift siege of ex-warlord Dostum: Afghan police lifted a brief siege of the house of former ethnic Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum in Kabul on Sunday after he and a group of around 50 armed men beat up a former ally, a police chief said.

Pakistani minister says unable to confirm al-Qaida commander's killing: "We cannot confirm al-Libi's death because the militants had removed bodies from the site where the explosion happened and the security personnel did not find any corpse," he said.

Bhutto's book says bin Laden's teenage son targeted her: In an autobiography being published after her assassination, Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto says she was warned that four suicide bomber squads would try to kill her, one led by Osama bin Laden's 16-year-old son.

Israeli gunfire on Lebanese border kills 1: Israeli forces opened fire across the Lebanese border on Sunday, killing one person and wounding another, Lebanese security officials said, a rare shooting since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Hamas explodes a giant hole in Egypt's political cover: Hamas didn't just bulldoze the border wall. The extremist group's leaders also laid bare the hollow nature of Israel's collective-punishment policy, openly supported by the United States - and the hypocrisy of Egypt's historic support of the Palestinian cause. At the same time, they shored up their own support among Gaza's 1.5 million restive residents.

Egypt rejected an American-Israeli proposal to re-settle 800,000 Palestinians in Sinai: Sources told the newspaper that Egypt informed Israel its rejection to any re-settlement projects of the Palestinians in the Egypt saying that the refugees’ right to return to their homeland is decided by the United Nations.

Eight killed in Mogadishu landmine explosion : At least eight Somali civilians, mostly women, were killed on Sunday when their minibus was blown up by a landmine in the Somali capital, witnesses said.

Chad president cornered by rebels as foreigners flee: Chad's president was Sunday holed up in his palace cornered by rebels who seized most of the capital as foreigners fled the country, military and rebel sources said.

Chad rebels deny ceasefire report : A rebel spokesman, Henchi Ordjo, told Reuters news agency that rebel fighters were simply holding back an assault on the palace to allow Idriss Deby, the Chadian president, the opportunity to leave.

This Halftime Show is Brought to You By Child Labor in Africa; The "official tire sponsor" of Super Bowl XLII tries to scrub its image in the face of a major human rights lawsuit.

Climate Change: : Africa, South Asia Could Face Famines: Climate change will cause major disruptions in the global food system, and adaptation to those changes needs to begin immediately, experts say.

Chavez says Venezuela's military 'on alert' for possible threats from Colombia: President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela's military is on alert for possible threats from Colombia, warning the neighboring government not to try to stir up an armed conflict.

Serbs "desperate for change" : Many Serbs see this election for the largely ceremonial post of president as a referendum on whether the country opts for European Union membership or closer ties with Russia; multi-ethnic inclusiveness or nationalism.

I'll be president of Europe if you give me the power - Blair: Former PM consults old Downing Street allies on campaign for new EU role

Pentagon rejects report, says ready for WMD attack: The Pentagon on Friday insisted it is ready to respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear attack inside the United States, rejecting an independent panel's criticism of its preparations.

New Operation to Put Heavily Armed Officers in Subways : In the first counterterrorism strategy of its kind in the nation, roving teams of New York City police officers armed with automatic rifles and accompanied by bomb-sniffing dogs will patrol the city’s subway system daily, beginning next month, officials said on Friday.

American Justice - To the Dark Side

We are all torturers now

4 Minute Video

This is the America that our leaders want us to be proud of?  This is the America we have built. This is who we are. Continue

British Soldiers ‘Tortured and Killed’ 22 Iraqis

By DS

Out of the 31 people detained only nine survived and they claim they were subjected to torture. Continue

The Evolution of Evil
 
By Joel S. Hirschhorn
 
Activists and dissidents should understand that evil forces and tyrannical governments have evolved. Just as human knowledge and science expand, so do the strategies and instruments used by rulers, elites and plutocrats. By learning from history and using new technology they have smarter tools of tyranny. Continue

Iraqis Are People, Too

3 Minute Video

Arrogance, Racism Or American Exceptionalism ? You decide. Continue

Iniquities and Inequities of War

By Ray McGovern

I also thought of the two dozen Guantanamo detainees who tried to starve themselves to death two and a half years ago. They, too, were strapped onto gurneys, while thick plastic tubes were forced through their noses to force-feed enough nourishment to keep them alive, lest the Bush administration be embarrassed. Continue

John McCain is Dr. Strangelove

1 Minute Video By Robert Greenwald

"There will be other wars" Click to view

"I Have ... A Cunning Plan"

By Lawrence Of Cyberia

We want all this land, but we don't want those Arab people what live on it. These days, you can't simply bundle people onto wagons and cart them away, you have to have a more positive policy that will sort of ... encourage ... people to leave. So ... how about if we pretend we want to get along with them, and start having talks about how we're all going to share the land. We could call it ... a peace process. Continue

In Opposition To The Protect America Act

By Rep. Ron Paul, M.D.

The mis-named Protect America Act allows the US government to monitor telephone calls and other electronic communications of American citizens without a warrant. This clearly violates the Fourth Amendment the US Constitution. Continue

Clinton Reflux Syndrome

By David Michael Green

There’s one hell of a lot of clean-up that needs to be done in America, and that includes some serious payback to the criminals (read Republicans) and their enablers (read Democrats) who have looted the country blind. Continue

Sitting Out the Election

By Mary Pitt

It is reminiscent of the summer months in television entertainment. All that we have to anticipate is a choice among reruns. On the Republican side, we are left with a Southern Baptist preacher who would prefer that we return to the dark ages, with witch-burning and stocks in the public square. Then there is John McCain who has nothing more to offer than the old men on Memorial Day, stuffed into their uniforms and trying to look as if they are ready to take the next hill. Continue

Ralph Nader Launches Presidential Exploratory Committee

By Democracy Now!

The same day John Edwards exited the race, longtime consumer advocate Ralph Nader launched a presidential exploratory committee to decide whether to run as an independent candidate. Continue

Iraq: At least 76 Killed In Another Bloody Day Of US Occupation: Forty-five people were killed 82 others wounded when a female suicide bomber blew herself up in Ghazil pet market in central Baghdad, police said.

Iraq: Bombs kill at least 64 in bustling Baghdad markets: Powerful bombs, one set off by a female suicide attacker, ripped through two bustling Baghdad markets on Friday and killed at least 64 people, scattering crowds and leaving a trail of body parts, officials and witnesses said.

UK troops accused of "off-the-scale" abuse torture in Iraq : A lawyer representing nine Iraqi civilians accused British troops on Friday of "off the scale" torture and abuse in Iraq, and Britain's Ministry of Defence said it was re-investigating the case

US Envoy:Security Talks With Iran As Early As Next Week In Iraq : U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told The Associated Press Friday that Iran continues to play a negative role in training and supplying insurgents in Iraq with Iranian-produced weapons and explosives, but said a new meeting between the three sides could happen in "the next week or so."

Bush: Don't show Iran US is 'paper tiger': US President George W. Bush on Thursday warned that a hasty pull-out from Iraq would ruin fragile progress there and convince extremists and Iran that the United States is a "paper tiger."

Suicide bomber kills six in northwest Pakistan: A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a Pakistani security force checkpost in the North Waziristan tribal region on Friday, killing six men, a security official said

3 Pakistani troops killed near scene of US missile strike : A suicide bomber attacked a military checkpoint in North Waziristan, killing three government soldiers about two miles from the scene of a U.S. missile attack that had killed a top al-Qaida commander, officials said Friday.

U.S. officials: CIA kills top al Qaeda terrorist in Pakistan: Abu Laith al-Libi, a wanted al Qaeda terrorist, was killed in Pakistan by a CIA airstrike, three U.S. officials told CNN Thursday.

US accused of violating borders in al-Qaeda killing: Pakistan's armed forces public relations' chief refused to comment on the killing and Pakistan's interior minister Hamid Nawaz denied any knowledge of the attack. Former head of Pakistan's ISI intelligence service, retired Lt. General Hamid Gul condemned the attack saying the CIA had violated the "sanctity of Pakistan's borders' and Pakistan should protest.

Pakistani Opposition Leader Imran Khan on How the U.S. Has Undermined Pakistani Democracy: "Not many people in the U.S. know, that the Pakistan army has lost most soldiers then U.S. army in Iraq and Afghanistan put together. The sort of casualties the Pakistani Army is taking is unsustainable."

Afghan reports offer bleak assessments : Exactly two years ago, the Afghan government and its many international backers met in London to plot a plan for the future, but the progress reports do not make for pretty reading.

NATO winning battles, losing Afghanistan: "Make no mistake", begins a new issue brief from non-partisan think-tank the Atlantic Council of the United States, "NATO is not winning in Afghanistan".

Why the Afghan Taleban feel confident : They are able to operate freely even in Wardak Province, neighbouring the capital Kabul, as a BBC camera crew who filmed them recently found.

Berlin Rejects Washington Call for Troops on Taliban Front: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and senior members of her government are rejecting a call by US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to send Bundeswehr combat troops to Taliban hotspots in Afghanistan

U.S. Accused of Overlooking Rights Violations : The Bush administration is giving lip service to promoting democracy by endorsing suspect elections in Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan while allowing human rights violations in those countries to go unchecked, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

Hamas leader outlines conditions for peace and offers truce: "If Israel withdraws, recognises Jerusalem [as capital of a future Palestinian state] and the return of our people [refugees] and dismantles settlements that occupy our land, we are ready for at least a 10 year truce," said the leader of the Islamist movement.

All power to Hamas ...: By sharing all power with Hamas, Israel could force the group to share responsibility and probably keep it too busy with governance to lead a proper resistance. Israel could thereby tame one of its deadliest enemies by giving it the power its been asking for.

British Jewish group sparks new outrage with condemnation of Gaza blockade : The group was formed to provide an alternative to the Board of Deputies of British Jews - a cross communal Jewish organisation dating back to 1760 - who the IJV felt were inauthentically presenting themselves as the exclusive voice of Judaism in Britain.

Hamas says it wants to disconnect economically from Israel : The plan would push for an end to the enclave's 40 years of contact with, and dependency on, Israel, by tightening ties with 'Arab and Islamic countries', he said.

Orthodox Jews Condemn Zionist Atrocities in Gaza: There is a vile lie which stalks the Jewish people across the globe. - It is the lie which declares that Judaism and Zionism are identical. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Want the best president for Israel?: As Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama fight fiercely for the Democratic nomination, many pro-Israel voters are asking, "who is best for Israel"?

Secret CIA flights to Greenland reported: Denmark will investigate claims that the CIA secretly used an airport on the Nordic country's remote Arctic territory of Greenland to transport prisoners in the U.S. war on terror, the prime minister said Thursday.

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