Archive 329 : Information Clearing House

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January 06, 2014

Rebuilding the Obama-Putin Trust

By Ray McGovern

Barack Obama must decide whether he will let the neocons keep pulling his strings or finally break loose and pursue a realistic foreign policy seeking practical solutions to world problems. Continue

A Conservative Analysis
Examining the Hatred of Vladimir Putin and Russia

By Boyd D. Cathey

In the halls of Congress and in the mainstream press—almost every night on Fox News—serious charges are proffered against Russia’s president and his latest outrages. Continue

I Love Israel - And I Apologize

By Gideon Levy

We should apologize for the innumerable dead killed for no reason, for the endless lies and deception. For tyranny in the territories and for apartheid. Continue

Were NATO Dogs Used to Rape Afghan Prisoners at Bagram Air Base?

By Emran Feroz

Afghan prisoners were tied face down on small chairs, Jack said. Then fighting dogs entered the torture chamber. Continue

The Torture Debate in the USA

By Bill Fletcher Jr.

For the U.S. public, to recognize the futility of torture is to call into question their own silence during the 2000s. Continue

Who Are The Real Human Traffickers?

By Finian Cunningham

Why have the numbers of desperate refugees willing to risk their lives trying to reach Europe suddenly exploded? Continue

Humanity at the Crossroads
The Crisis in Spiritual Consciousness

By Sage Evans

We are one humanity, one consciousness, connected to a higher principle, and as such, the pain of another is the pain of me. We are the world and the world is us. Continue

Islamist group seizes Damascus suburb from rivals: monitor: Islamist fighters seized a suburb east of Damascus on Sunday after driving out a smaller rival insurgent group in deadly clashes, a monitoring group said, the latest example of rebel infighting in Syria’s nearly four-year conflict.

US rescue mission for Jordanian pilot twice failed: The Turkish news agency Anatolia reported that witnesses said “a number of American soldiers were killed in an exchange of gunfire with ISIS gunmen.” Thus far there has been no official confirmation of this claim.

ISIS hostage John Cantlie appears in new video: The Islamic State has released a new propaganda video featuring British hostage John Cantlie, in which he gives a tour inside the city of Mosul in Iraq.

Over 1,000 ISIS fighters hide in Lebanese mountains on Syrian border - security chief: Islamic State militants are attempting to infiltrate Lebanon from Syria, Beirut's security chief has warned. Forces have been put on high alert to prevent the civil war in Syria spilling across the border.

First Palestinian ICC case to focus on Gaza war: Top official and legal experts confirm Palestinians plan to try and take Israel to International Criminal Court over summer's Operation Protective Edge.

Netanyahu: Israel 'won't let its soldiers be dragged' to ICC: "The Palestinian Authority has chosen to take a path of confrontation with Israel, and we will not sit idly by," Netanyahu said. "IDF soldiers will continue to defend Israel with determination and strength – and as they defend us, we will defend them, with the same determination and the same strength."

Netanyahu, Ya'alon agree to divert $18m from defense budget to expand illegal, Beit El settlement: The deal included the transfer of government funds to expand the population of Beit El, which included the creation of temporary housing for the settlement's evacuees and the Defense Ministry's construction – which is taking place now – of 90 homes for settlers connected to Yeshivat Beit El.

Increasing number of Israelis renouncing their citizenship: Percentage of citizens giving up their passports rose by 65 percent in past year; most live in Germany, US, Austria; reasons include desire to hold other citizenship, work in security-sensitive job

Israel to Punish Palestinians by Suspending Tax Transfer: The move, which is being called illegal by Palestinian leaders is in retaliation for the Palestine’s application to become part of the International Criminal Court.

Iran says no deal with U.S. to ship enriched uranium to Russia: Iran denied on Saturday that it had reached an agreement with the United States to ship its surplus enriched uranium to Russia under new concessions aimed at clinching a comprehensive nuclear deal with six world powers.

Iran’s president proposes direct referendums as a way to bypass rivals: Iran’s president said Sunday that he might invoke a powerful but neglected tool in his fight with hard-liners, suggesting the possibility of organizing direct referendums that would bypass the institutions the conservatives control and give more of a voice to Iranian voters.

Al-Shabab claims Mogadishu suicide bombing: A large explosion has rocked the Waaberi district in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, killing five people including the bomber and with the armed group al-Shabab quickly claiming responsibility.

Boko Haram seizes army base in Nigeria town of Baga: Residents of Baga, who fled by boat to neighbouring Chad, said many people had been killed and the town set ablaze.

Six North Caucasus Insurgency Commanders Transfer Allegiance To Islamic State: Over the past six weeks, at least three Chechen and three Daghestani commanders have retracted their oath of obedience (bayat) to Umarov’s successor as Caucasus Emirate leader, the Avar theologian Sheikh Ali Abu-Muhammad (Aliaskhab Kebekov), and pledged loyalty to Islamic State leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Euro Crisis Is Entering A New, Highly Dangerous Phase: It is hard to believe that a Greek crisis will not unleash fresh ructions elsewhere in the euro zone--not least because some of Mrs Merkel's medicine is patently doing more harm than good.

2015 Might Be a Big Peak Year for Climate Change: Here are five big things to watch in 2015:

Bernie Sanders Flexes His Muscles By Introducing Bill To Create 13 Million New Jobs: Sen. Bernie Sanders is using his new position as the top Democratic caucus member on the Senate Budget Committee to push a new bill that he will introduce to the new Congress that will create 13 million jobs by rebuilding the nation’s bridges and roads.

US Home Prices Slide for 11th Consecutive Month: US home prices grew at a slower rate in October as real estate sales slowed down and affordability has increasing become a challenge for potential buyers.

WATCH: Man holds up hands and lies down — and cops still kick him in the face and Taser him: In the video, the first detective to arrive immediately kicked Whittle in the face, while the second — identified as Chinn — handcuffed him. The first detective held a Taser to Whittle’s back and used it to subdue him. When Whittle lifted his face, blood can be seen streaming down it from a gash above his eyes.

December 03 2014

The Real Politics Behind the US War on IS

By Gareth Porter

Obama had powerful incentives to adopt a military campaign that it could sell to key political constituencies. Continue

Ukraine; ‘Regime Change 101.’
America’s Soft Power Technique

By Oliver Stone

The West has maintained the dominant narrative of “Russia in Crimea” whereas the true narrative is “USA in Ukraine.” Continue

Washington Propaganda Over North Korea Exploits Fear

By Michael S. Rozeff

The prime emotional purpose of Washington’s propaganda is to KEEP FEAR ALIVE in Americans, so that they will accept the role of the state as their ardent defender. Continue

Leaked ‘Kill List’ Shows
US Military Knew It Was Killing Children

Video

The “kill list” used by NATO forces in Afghanistan included low-ranking members of the Taliban along with drug dealers suspected of supporting them. Continue

Palestinians Need Less Negotiations, Not More

By Matt Peppe

Once this two-state scam is exposed for what it is, the only possibility left is a binational state where Palestinians enjoy equal rights with Jews. Continue

Israeli Founder Contests Founding Myths

By William R. Polk

The Torah (or Old Testament) is a master work of literature and faith, but it tells many mythological tales that have little or no basis in real history, as Uri Avnery, one of Israel’s founders, has had the courage to declare. Continue

Fascism Will be Fought
2015: Defending Humanity by Reason or Force

By Andre Vltchek

The Empire broke many; it bought many, or scared them into submission. But others are standing up. Not everyone is for sale, neither is everyone ready to serve. Continue

And the Winner of the ‘War On Terror’ Financed Dream Home 2014 Giveaway Is…

By Ken Silverstein

In any fair world Tenet would be tried for criminal incompetence. Instead, he got the Presidential Medal of Freedom and after resigning in 2004 (at which point his agency salary was south of $200,000), he received a $4 million advance to write a memoir. Continue

Bush Blair Legacy Continues As Iraqi warplanes kill 16 ISIS members in southern Tikrit: “This afternoon, Iraqi warplanes conducted an air strike against an ISIS gathering point near the outskirts of Sayed-Gharib village, located in northwest of al-Dajil district,” pointing out that, “The air strike resulted in killing 16 ISIS elements and destroying 2 vehicles that belonged to the group.”

Unknown aircrafts drop weapons to ISIS southeast of Tikrit: “This is not the first time ; an unknown aircraft dropped weapons and munitions to ISIS in Yathrib area south of Tikrit, several areas in Salahuddin, and in Mosul,” adding that, “We do not know to which source those aircrafts belong yet.”

SIL executes 15 civilians in E. Fallujah: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants have executed 15 civilians in east of the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Saturday, due to their cooperation with Iraqi security forces.

3 Sunni clerics killed in Basra: Gunmen killed three Sunni clerics near the mostly Shiite city of Basra in southern Iraq, a government spokesman said Friday, an apparent sectarian attack that drew immediate calls for calm.

ISIS reportedly kidnaps 170 men in Iraq after local residents burn flags: Islamic State militants kidnapped 170 men from two villages in Iraq's Kirkuk province on Friday after two of the group's flags were burned in the area, AFP reported.

19 killed in rebel fire on Syria's Aleppo: monitor: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included at least five children, three of whom were killed with their mother when a rocket hit the car they were in.

Car bomb kills 5 al-Qaida members in Syria's Idlib B: At least five al-Qaida fighters were killed and 10 others wounded on Saturday when a booby-trapped car went off in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, the pro-government Sham FM radio reported.

Saudi IS Cleric Killed in Northern Syria; A Saudi cleric with the Islamic state group has been killed in the northern Syrian town of Kobani that has been witnessing intense clashes for months between jihadis and Kurdish gunmen, activists said Friday.

Syria's Qaeda wing fights Hezbollah near Lebanon border: Al Qaeda-linked fighters battled with members of Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Syrian army in a mountainous area on the Syria-Lebanon border on Saturday, leading to deaths on both sides, security sources said.

ISIS : Is Lebanon next?: Islamic State militants in Qalamoun on the Syrian-Lebanese border seek control of nearby Lebanese villages to support their fighting positions, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said, Reuters reported.

Lebanon imposes visas on war-fleeing Syrians: Some Syrian applicants will be asked to provide evidence of a hotel reservation and $1,000 as well as a valid Syrian passport or ID card

Eight killed in Yemeni clash: According to Yemeni security sources on Saturday, six soldiers and two militants lost their lives after the armed tribesmen attacked a military base in Ma’rib, seizing several armored vehicles and tanks.

Israel freezes Palestinian funds in response to ICC bid: Jerusalem withholds transfer of NIS 500 million in taxes in retaliation for Abbas moving to join int’l court, press war crimes suits

Palestinians mull resubmitting statehood bid to UN: New non-permanent Security Council members may tip the scales if another vote is held, PA believes

Palestinian move to join ICC will have implications for US aid, State Department says : “Congress must do everything in its power to block funds to the PA” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.)

Israel 'mulls war crimes suits against top Palestinians': Israel is considering filing war crimes suits overseas against Palestinian leaders in response to their application to join the International Criminal Court and press such charges against Israel, an official source said Saturday.

Israeli settlers stone two cars belonging to US consulate staff: US security staff reportedly unholster weapons during standoff in Jerusalem between US consular party and far-right settlers from illegal West Bank outpost

The second most powerful banker in America: Fischer, is a native of Zambia and a dual citizen of the United States and Israel

Islamic State kills 14 Libyan soldiers, official government says: Supporters of Islamic State, the militant group that has overrun parts of Iraq and Syria, have killed 14 Libyan soldiers in the south of the country, the official government said on Saturday.

Egyptian Christians kidnapped in Libya: Masked kidnappers handcuff and seize 13 Copts after separating them from Muslim workers in central city of Sirte.

French military intervention in Libya 'within 3 months': sources: French Defence Minister says 'the moment has come' to tackle unrest in Libya, on visit to French troops in Libya's northern neighbour Niger

At least 15 killed in 'Boko Haram' attack on Cameroon bus: At least 15 people have been killed in an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants on a bus in northern Cameroon, a senior local security official and a businessman said on Saturday.

Boko Haram kidnaps 40 boys and young men in northeastern Nigeria: Suspected Boko Haram gunmen have kidnapped 40 boys and young men aged between 10 and 23 in the northeastern Nigerian state Borno. In 2014, the militants abducted about 200 girls from a boarding school in the same state.

Two Egyptian protesters killed in Cairo: Two protesters were killed in Cairo on Friday when security forces dispersed a protest staged by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, a source with Morsi's main support bloc has said.

31 suspected militants killed in NW Pakistan; At least 31 suspected militants were killed in renewed Pakistani army airstrikes on militant hideouts in northwestern Pakistan near border of war-stricken Afghanistan on Saturday, army officials said.

Four killed in renewed Indo-Pak border clash: Indian and Pakistani troops traded fire along their tense border on Saturday, killing four people including a teenaged girl and forcing hundreds to flee their homes in the latest round of deadly clashes.

Pakistani teen 'shot dead by Indian forces': Pakistani military says 13-year-old girl in Sialkot killed during skirmish between security forces near Kashmir.

Afghanistan: NATO airstrike killed 18 alleged militants in Paktika: Spokesman for the provincial governor office, Mukhlis Afghan, told Afghanistan Times that the airstrike was conducted by NATO forces in Gayan district of the province early on Saturday morning

White House okays sanctions against North Korea for Sony hack; U.S. President Barack Obama has authorized new economic sanctions against North Korea, in part for the country's alleged hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment in November, the White House said.

Sony insider - not North Korea - likely involved in hack, experts say: From the time the hack became public November 24, many of these experts have voiced their suspicions that a disgruntled Sony Pictures insider was involved.

New Clues In Sony Hack Point To Insiders, Away from DPRK: A strong counter-narrative to the official account of the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment has emerged in recent days, with the visage of the petulant North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, replaced by another, more familiar face: former Sony Pictures employees angry over their firing during a recent reorganization at the company.

Putin saved Russia from disintegration - Gorbachev: He added that saving Russia during that crucial period was a "historical deed."

Moscow warns Ukraine 'on Nazi path': A torch-lit march held in Kiev to honor a controversial anti-Soviet resistance leader shows Ukraine is following in the footsteps of the Nazis, a senior Russian foreign ministry official said Friday.

Fears over growing ‘hatred’ of Islam in Germany: Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Germany in recent weeks to protest the “Islamisation of the West”, shocking the country and drawing condemnation from Chancellor Angela Merkel.

British Ebola nurse in critical condition, hospital says: Pauline Cafferkey’s condition deteriorates as another person with symptoms of disease after travel to west Africa is tested

Affairs of state? Tony Blair ‘breaks into sweat’ over alleged relationship with Murdoch’s wife: Deng described her passion for Blair in a private note which was revealed by Vanity Fair

Another 10 Police Arrested in Case of Missing Mexican Students: The police officers are from the Iguala, the same municipal police force that attacked the busload of Ayotzinapa students before they disappeared.

Cuban Province Records World's Lowest Infant Mortality Rate: The central province of Cienfuegos, Cuba, ended 2014 with a rate of infant mortality of three deaths per thousand live births, the lowest in the country and in the world, local health authorities reported Friday.

Thousands of Undocumented Line up for US Driver's Licenses: California becomes the latest state to issue licenses to residents regardless of their immigration status.

Miami Cops Misuse Tasers, With Deadly Results: In one instance, Miami-Dade Police shocked a 6-year-old boy. In another, a 12-year-old girl was tasered.

December 03 2014

The Real Politics Behind the US War on IS

By Gareth Porter

Obama had powerful incentives to adopt a military campaign that it could sell to key political constituencies. Continue

Lebanon imposes visas on war-fleeing Syrians: Some Syrian applicants will be asked to provide evidence of a hotel reservation and $1,000 as well as a valid Syrian passport or ID card

Israel freezes Palestinian funds in response to ICC bid: Jerusalem withholds transfer of NIS 500 million in taxes in retaliation for Abbas moving to join int’l court, press war crimes suits

Palestinians mull resubmitting statehood bid to UN: New non-permanent Security Council members may tip the scales if another vote is held, PA believes

Palestinian move to join ICC will have implications for US aid, State Department says : “Congress must do everything in its power to block funds to the PA” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.)

The second most powerful banker in America: Fischer, is a native of Zambia and a dual citizen of the United States and Israel

Egyptian Christians kidnapped in Libya: Masked kidnappers handcuff and seize 13 Copts after separating them from Muslim workers in central city of Sirte.

Pakistani teen 'shot dead by Indian forces': Pakistani military says 13-year-old girl in Sialkot killed during skirmish between security forces near Kashmir.

Putin saved Russia from disintegration - Gorbachev: He added that saving Russia during that crucial period was a "historical deed."

British Ebola nurse in critical condition, hospital says: Pauline Cafferkey’s condition deteriorates as another person with symptoms of disease after travel to west Africa is tested

Affairs of state? Tony Blair ‘breaks into sweat’ over alleged relationship with Murdoch’s wife: Deng described her passion for Blair in a private note which was revealed by Vanity Fair

Thousands of Undocumented Line up for US Driver's Licenses: California becomes the latest state to issue licenses to residents regardless of their immigration status.

Miami Cops Misuse Tasers, With Deadly Results: In one instance, Miami-Dade Police shocked a 6-year-old boy. In another, a 12-year-old girl was tasered.

January 02, 2014

Is War in the Cards for 2015?

By Patrick J. Buchanan

Before going home, Congress voted to levy new sanctions on Russia and authorized U.S. lethal weapons to be sent to Kiev to enable Ukraine to retake Luhansk and Donetsk and perhaps Crimea. Continue

2015 Will Be All About Iran, China and Russia

By Pepe Escobar

The Masters of the Universe/Washington combo won’t give up their strategy to make Russia a pariah state cut off from trade, the transfer of funds, banking and Western credit markets and thus prone to regime change. Continue

Ukraine: "From the spirits that I called ..."

By Moon Of Alabama

The coup government in Kiev will likely falter and Ukrainian state will be declared bankrupt. Continue

The Incredible US "Peace Plan" For Syria

By Thierry Meyssan

The "peace" plan of the "liberal hawks" consists therefore in achieving the original goals by dividing Syria in two: an area governed by Damascus and another by "moderate rebels" (read: the Pentagon). Continue

North Korea/Sony Story Shows How Eagerly U.S. Media Still Regurgitate Government Claims

By Glenn Greenwald

The U.S. media should have learned by now not to uncritically disseminate government claims, particularly when those claims can serve as a pretext for U.S. aggression. Continue

What Would Happen if the Int’l Criminal Court Indicted Israel’s Netanyahu?

By Juan Cole

Getting a conviction on Article VII should be child’s play for the prosecutor. Continue

History Lesson
America Is the Same Oligarchy It Was over a Century Ago

By Aaron Dykes and Melissa Melton

When Americans see charts like this one which illustrate that virtually all the food on grocery store shelves basically comes from no more than 10 megacompanies, it’s kinda hard to believe we aren’t an oligarchy (because we are). Continue

Postcard from the End of America: Passyunk Square, Philadephia

By Linh Dinh

Anwar’s eyes are red as he babbles about suicide, “And I wouldn’t want my wife and children to suffer either.” Continue

Syria's war 'killed 76,021' people in 2014: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday 33,278 civilians were killed last year in the conflic. The majority of the deaths were combatants, including nearly 32,747 anti-government fighters and 22,627 government soldiers and militiamen, it said.

50 ISIS militants reported dead in Kobani assault: At least 50 so-called Islamic State (IS) militants were reported dead in an intense day of clashes and US-led airstrikes in the Syrian border town of Kobani, a monitoring group has said.

At least 19 killed in rebel fire on Syria’s Aleppo: At least 19 people were killed overnight by Syrian rebel fire on government-controlled parts of the northern city of Aleppo, a monitor said on Friday.

Bush Blair Legacy Continues : Iraq 2014: Civilian deaths almost doubling year on year: 17,049 civilians have been recorded killed in Iraq during 2014 (up to Dec 30). This is roughly double the number recorded in 2013 (9,743), which in turn was roughly double the number in 2012 (4,622).

Iraq: At least 100 ISIL militants killed: At least 100 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants were killed in the southern part of Baghdad on Wednesday, Iraq’s defense ministry said.

15 Killed as air strikes target top ISIS meeting in Mosul: Air strikes launched by the U.S.-led coalition has targeted a high-level meeting of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) south of the Iraqi province of Mosul Thursday night, killing 15 members of the group including senior leaders, a security source told Al Arabiya News Channel.

Iraqi Kurds recapture key village from ISIL: Peshmerga forces take control of village 80km away from Erbil after engaging in fierce house-to-house battles.

Seven killed in clashes between Yemen’s army and tribesmen: Clashes between the Yemeni army and tribesmen in Marib province left seven dead and more than 15 injured late on Thursday, tribal sources said.

Palestine seeks ICC probe into ‘Israeli war crimes’: The Palestinian Authority has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes committed in the Palestinian territories since June 13, 2014, ICC sources have said.

Netanyahu expects ICC to reject Palestinian bid: “We expect the ICC to reject the hypocritical request by the Palestinian Authority, which is not a state but an entity linked to a terrorist organization,” he said in a statement, referring to the Islamist movement Hamas.

US ‘strongly opposes’ Palestinian bid to join ICC: State Department says Abbas signing documents applying for court was ‘counter-productive,’ will ‘damage atmosphere’ with Israel

'US an enemy': Palestinian official blasts Washington over UNSC statehood veto: Palestine will start an international campaign showcasing the US as “an enemy,” pushing Israeli extremists to carry on with their actions and supporting Israel in everything, Fatah central committee member Abbas Zaki said.

Gaza's children struggle to overcome nightmares of war: Muntasser survived an Israeli strike on Gaza this summer which killed his young brother and three cousins. Five months and a suicide attempt later the Palestinian boy remains haunted by the memory.

Settlers throw stones at US Consulate staff in West Bank: American security guards draw weapons in defense in rare clash near illegal outpost; incident ends without injuries

Afghan authorities investigate army attack that killed 28 at wedding: Afghan soldiers fired artillery toward a house from two directions, officials say; most victims were women and children.

The True Cost of the Afghanistan War May Surprise You: The CRS report says the cost of keeping a single American soldier there this year is an eye-watering $3.9 million.

90 killed in clashes in Democratic Congo: Ninety people have been killed so far in clashes that erupted Monday – and remain ongoing. "The clashes have left 20 Burundian troops and 70 DRC militants dead," a Burundian security source, requesting anonymity, told The Anadolu Agency.

At least 7 soldiers killed in attack at Somali military base: Somalian al Shabaab militants attacked a military base in the outskirts of the town of Baidoa on Friday morning, killing at least seven soldiers, a Somali military official said.

Libyan forces shoot down militia helicopter: A Libyan jet shot down a militia helicopter on Tuesday after militia fighters launched air strikes on a key oil terminal in the east of the country, a military spokesman said.

Parts of Libya in the dark: Two power plants that combine to produce about 500 megawatts of power are down because of fighting in the region, the General Electric Company of Libya said.

US denies any role in Gambia coup attempt: THE US has been forced to issue an official denial that it played any role in an apparent coup attempt in The Gambia after the country’s leader Yahya Jammeh blamed the attack on foreign powers.

Ukraine reports first military death of 2015: "In the past 24 hours one Ukrainian serviceman has been killed and another five have been injured because of provocative actions (by separatists)," military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told a news briefing.

Kiev's brutal strategy in eastern Ukraine: The main cities in the Donbas region — has been destroyed, coal and food supplies are disrupted, and Kiev froze government pension and other payments to the region in November. With brutal winter conditions approaching, risks of starvation and death are becoming too real. As the United Nations and Amnesty International put it, a humanitarian crisis is looming.

Ukraine nationalists march in Kiev to honour Bandera: Many Russians revile Bandera, born on 1 January 1909. President Vladimir Putin has called him "Hitler's accomplice".

Turkmenistan Devalues its Currency by 18% – Start of the Deflationary Contagion: We are in a major economic collapse on a global scale. Most people do not understand that this is the real threat we face.

Draghi comments send euro lower: The value of the euro has fallen to its lowest level since the middle of 2010, following comments from Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank.

UNASUR Condemns US Sanctions on Venezuela: Regional bloc calls on the U.S. to respect Venezuelan sovereignty

US Military’s Training of Mexican Security Forces Continues As Human-Rights Abuses Mount In Mexico: The spending has continued even as Mexico’s military and police forces continue to face accusations of pervasive human-rights abuses committed against Mexican citizens

Computer glitch prevents US’ most advanced F-35 fighter jet from firing until 2019 – report: The Pentagon’s fighter jet F-35 may not be fully operational until 2019 due to a newly discovered computer glitch. The $400 billion ultra-sophisticated jet, the most expensive in US history, was expected to enter service in 2015.

Should Obama Release Several Thousand Secret Photos of America's Horrific Torture Program?: Should our government be allowed to hide its *uckups just because our enemies might use them against us?

Tell no-one: A century of secret deals between the NSA and the telecom industry: Video - James Bamford : For nearly one hundred years, the NSA and its predecessors have been engaging in secret, illegal deals with the American telecom industry, with both virtually immune from prosecution.

Fatal Police Shooting of Black Man in New Jersey: "He had nothing in his hands. He had his hands up trying to get out of the car, one on the door was getting out like this and he just started shooting him," said Tahli Dawkins, who was taking out her garbage when the deadly incident occurred.

Alabama Man Shot, Killed by Police While Turning in Stray Cat.: These are the sorts of stories that drip, drip, drip across newspapers and websites and underscore fears that something is very wrong with law enforcement in today's America.

The school to prison pipeline : Video - Wab Kinew travelled to Texas, where being late for class can get you sent to jail

January 01, 2014

The New Iraq War is Doomed

By Reese Erlich

After years of lies and senseless military conflict, we must oppose US escalation in Iraq. Continue

As Aleppo Goes, So Goes Syria?

By Franklin Lamb

“Change is coming. Deep change. The corrupt incompetents and religious fanatics on all both sides will be swept away. Continue

It’s Not the Koran, It’s Us

By Leonard C. Goodman

The corporate media chorus willfully ignores that U.S. actions, not Islam, fuel jihadism. Continue

UN Security Council Rejects Palestinian Statehood Resolution

By Elior Levy

Resolution fails to achieve required 9-vote majority; 8 countries vote in favor, 2 oppose, 5 abstain; no US veto needed. Continue

Ashrawi: UN Vote Against Palestine Bid 'Outrageously Shameful'

By Maan News

"Those countries (Lithuania, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Korea, and the UK) that abstained demonstrated a lack of political will to hold Israel accountable and to act in accordance with the global rule of law" Continue

Abbas Signs Bid to Join ICC

By Maan News

President Mahmoud Abbas signs Rome Statute to join International Criminal Court after UNSC resolution fails to pass. Continue

Hyperempire:
Spreading Chaos and Trivia Everywhere in Its Path

By John Chuckman

The Middle East provides the strongest possible evidence of the complete unsuitability of the United States to play a dominant role in international affairs. Continue

Obama Says He Is Improving the World

By Eric Zuesse

He asserts: “wherever we have been involved over the last several years, I think the outcome has been better because of American leadership.” Continue

The Imperial Presidency Comes to Kaneohe Klipper’s 16th Hole

By Gary Chartier

The president is treated, not like an ordinary citizen but instead like a demigod. Continue

Cuba in the American Imagination

By Margaret Kimberley

Americans are celebrating what they hope is a return to Cuba’s status as a de facto American colony. Continue

Murdoch, Scaife and CIA Propaganda

By Robert Parry

The Reagan administration pulled right-wing media executives Rupert Murdoch and Richard Mellon Scaife into a CIA-organized “perception management” operation which aimed Cold War-style propaganda at the American people in the 1980s. Continue

Stop Kidding Yourself
The Police Were Created to Control Working Class and Poor People

By Sam Mitrani

The police were not created to protect and serve the population. Continue

Bomb blast targeting Houthis kills 33 in Yemen: The attack took place on Wednesday in the city of Ibb when an assailant blew his explosives in a cultural center, where a group of Shia Houthi militants were preparing to celebrate the birth anniversary of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad.

Bush Blair Legacy Continues Iraq: 31, including 28 ISIL militants killed: At least 31 people, including 28 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants were killed in four separate incidents across Iraq Wednesday, security sources said.

Eight, including two policemen killed in Baghdad: Eight people, including two policemen were killed and 16 others were wounded in five separate incidents Tuesday in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, police said.

Kurds begin new ground offensive against ISIS in Mosul: A statement issued on Wednesday by the northern Kurdish authorities says the operation aims at pushing the ISIS from an area of about 120 square kilometres outside the militant-held city of Mosul.

Rebels: U.S. ignored early plan to stop Islamic State: Two months before Mosul and other cities in northern Iraq fell to the Islamic State last June, representatives of a Syrian rebel group called on the new U.S. special envoy for Syria with an outline of a plan to stop the extremists.

Author of the infamous Iraq memo knighted: Sir David Manning, who was foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair and was in a meeting where the then prime minister allegedly made a secret pact with George W. Bush to go to war in Iraq, has been honoured by the Queen.

Syria Kurds control 70 percent of besieged Kobani: monitor: Kurdish forces have regained control of around 70 percent of the Syrian town of Kobani near the Turkish border after pushing back ISIS fighters that have spent months besieging it, a group monitoring the war said on Wednesday.

Israel’s Mossad anticipates “Small Syria” in 2015: On Tuesday, Saudi newspaper ‘al-Hayat’ reported, that Israel’s Mossad anticipates that the year 2015 is likely to witness the emergence of a “Small Syria” led by Assad’s regime.

Syria vows government posts to relatives of killed fighters: The law, decreed by President Bashar Assad after passing parliament earlier in the week, comes as the death toll among Syrian government troops grows.

Behind the UN vote: How the Palestinian bid was defeated: Analysis: How US helped lead blitz to torpedo unilateral Palestinian resolution in UN Security Council, and how a phone call helped Nigeria's surprising change of heart.

Russia threatens to change Iran stance over US sanctions: Moscow warns it will respond to Washington’s ‘unfriendly gestures'; US Treasury enforces financial sanctions

35 killed in Burundi clashes with rebel group: army: At least 35 people are now confirmed to have been killed in clashes between Burundi's army and members of an unidentified rebel group near the DR of Congo border, an official said Wednesday.

US envoy calls for military action against Congo rebel group: The Democratic Republic of Congo and U.N. peacekeepers should take military action against a Rwandan Hutu militia if it fails to meet a Jan. 2 deadline for disarmament, the U.S. envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes region said on Tuesday.

Nigerian Villagers: 15 killed in Boko Haram Raid; At least 15 people were killed by Boko Haram fighters during a raid on a village in Northern Nigeria, local residents said.

At least six killed by suicide bomb in bus in Nigeria's Yobe state - witness: "A suicide bomber, I think he was on his way to bomb the market in Fika ... but unfortunately while he was still in the bus to the market the bomb strap on him exploded and killed six people. This happened early this afternoon at about 1 p.m. (1200 GMT)," the man said in hospital.

US drone strike against Somalia: The attempted assassination of a Somali Islamist militia leader is part of a global escalation of the Obama administration’s illegal drone killing program.

France says world must stop Libya from becoming terrorist haven: French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that the situation in Libya was "no more and no less... the resurgence of a terrorist sanctuary" that was dangerously close to Europe.

Gaddafi former aide accuses the West over Libya’s unrest: "The West offered financial and military assistance to militants during their war to oust the Gaddafi regime. They later used this assistance to turn whole towns in Libya into strongholds of terrorists," Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam, a cousin of Gaddafi, told dpa in Cairo.

23 suspected militants killed in Pakistan: At least 23 suspected terrorists were killed when Pakistani fighter jets targeted militant hideouts in North Waziristan Agency on Wednesday evening, military officials said.

Pakistani and Indian soldiers again exchange fire, 3 killed: One soldier from India and two from Pakistan were killed after the two sides exchanged fire with each other on the joint border on Wednesday.

Rocket hits Afghan wedding, at least 15 killed: officials: A rocket fired during fighting between Afghan forces and insurgents killed at least 15 wedding guests late Wednesday in the southern province of Helmand, officials said, highlighting the continuing conflict after NATO's combat mission ended.

2014 - The deadliest year for Afghan civilians on record: The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan is to exceed 10,000 in 2014 - the highest since records began. UNAMA's Georgette Gagnon tells DW the figures reflect how civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence.

German Bundeswehr's role in targeted Taliban killings in Afghanistan: Secret documents reveal that it supplied information for NATO death lists.

Putin's Approval Spikes as US Admits Attack on Russian Economy: Gallup attributed recent nationalism following Crimea's incorporation into Russia and the Sochi Winter Olympic Games to explain the rise in Putin’s popularity to 83 percent, despite the economic trouble that his nation currently faces due to the drop in oil prices.

Russia buys 40bn roubles of shares in Gazprombank: Move is latest support for banking sector suffering from western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and economic slowdown

Ukraine police watch as pro-Russian politician thrown in dumpster: On Christmas Eve, a group of masked men picked up a municipal council member and tossed him into a dumpster in the city of Kharkov. Despite bearing witness to the surreal chain of events, the police failed to react, raising questions about the impunity afforded to certain ultra-nationalist groups in Ukraine.

Ukraine Massacre has CIA Fingerprints Says Oliver Stone: The director drew comparisons between the Ukrainian and Venezuelan coups, which, he argued, both involved third-party agitators.

China and Russia Planning $230bn Moscow-Beijing High Speed Rail Link: The Beijing Times said that the line, which would be over 7,000 kilometres but cutting the Trans-Siberian railway journey from six days to two, would cost in excess of $230bn (£142.9bn, €179.5bn) if it is to connect Moscow and Beijing via a high-speed railway line.

US spyware 'on USB stick of Merkel aide': Regin, an advanced spyware program widely believed to have been developed by US and British intelligence agencies, was found on a USB stick belonging to an official in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office, Berlin sources say.

Italy saves 970 migrants abandoned by smugglers: The Italian Coast Guard rescued 970 migrants Wednesday after smugglers put their cargo ship on automatic pilot heading straight for a crash into the Italian coast and abandoned the command.

US releases 5 innocent men from Guantanamo gulag, sends them to Kazakhstan: Five men who were held for a dozen years without charge at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been sent to the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan for resettlement, the U.S. government announced.

Venezuela recession confirmed as Maduro attacks US 'oil war': The Venezuelan economy is now officially in recession after the central bank released figures showing that it has been shrinking all year. The bank said the economy had declined by 2.3% in the third quarter of 2014.

The numbers of unauthorized Mexican immigrants have declined since 2007: “Despite the decline, the estimated 5.9 million unauthorized immigrants from Mexico still account for a majority (52 percent) of the nation’s unauthorized immigrant population,” Pew reported.

Gov. O’Malley to commute sentences of Maryland’s remaining death-row inmates: Maryland’s repeal of capital punishment did not apply to prisoners already on death row. There were five such prisoners when the legislation took effect; one has since died of natural causes.

Drone Video Exposes ‘Feces Lake’ Inside Mega US Factory Farm: You’ve seen disturbing images and videos of factory farm animals being forced to live in the absolute worst of conditions, but a new overhead video captured by a spy drone reveals a whole new sector of disturbing factory farm activity.

December 30, 2014

‘A Ground Invasion of the Capital Is Imminent’

By Bel Trew

All-out war is coming to Libya, as rebel militias and a government-in-hiding begin a battle for control of the country. Continue

The Outlook for the New Year

By Paul Craig Roberts

Russia and China have every right to the following defensive measures. Continue

The Imperial Collapse Playbook

By Dmitry Orlov

Some people enjoy having the Big Picture laid out in front of them—the biggest possible—on what is happening in the world at large, and I am happy to oblige. Continue

The Continuing US War in Afghanistan

By Bill Van Auken

The shabby little ceremony Sunday in which a US commander hauled down one battle flag and ran up another only confirmed that the US war in Afghanistan continues. Continue

Bolivia´s Morales: US 'Backs Drug Trafficking'

By TeleSur

According to the Bolivian President, Washington “uses its War on Drugs to pursue its own geo-political agenda.”Continue

For The Occupied And Oppressed Palestinians UN Means Useless Nations

By Alan Hart

Those who are entertaining hope that the cause of justice for the Palestinians will be advanced by another Security Council resolution are guilty of wishful thinking. Continue

The Dead End of the Post-Oslo Diplomacy: What Next?

By Richard Falk

There needs to be a clear recognition by the PA that direct negotiations are pointless under present conditions, and a general understanding that unless Israel changes behavior and outlook there is no hope to resolve the conflict by a reliance on diplomacy. Continue

Stopping Torture
Udall Urged to Disclose Full Torture Report

By Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

Your rhetoric against torture and in defense of the Constitution has been strong, but we now sense a white flag beneath it. Continue

How The Elite Stay In Power

Video

In this video we break down in simple terms the only way "those in power" can stay in power. It's not as complex at it may seem. They need us more than we need them. Continue

300 IS fighters killed as Iraqi forces 'recapture Dhuluiya: Iraqi government forces and allied Shia militia have recaptured the town of Dhuluiya, north of Baghdad, from Islamic State, security sources say.

Syria: 15 government soldiers killed in Aleppo: "The Sham Front dug tunnels that reached the government base located near Aleppo’s historical castle, and planted several mines and explosives in four buildings, which killed 15 of the Syrian regime’s soldiers," Sham Front spokesman Saleh Anadani said.

Jordanian pilot says jet hit by missile as concerns over ISIS' armament grow: In the comments attributed to the pilot, he said his plane was hit by a heat-seeking missile, endorsing the militants group's version of events, which has been refuted by both Jordan and the United States.

US Armed Rebels Gave TOW missiles to Al Qaeda: US supplied TOW anti-tank missiles have ended up in the hands of Jabhat Al Nusra, Syria’s branch of Al Qaeda. The US provided the missiles to CIA vetted Syrian rebel faction Harakat Hazm in May. A video posted by Al Nusra shows the weapons being used to take over Syrian military bases, Wadi Deif and Hamidiyeh in Idlib province.

Syria opposition dismissive of Russia peace talks: Syria said on Saturday it was willing to participate in “preliminary consultations” in Moscow aimed at restarting talks next year to end its civil war but the Western-backed opposition dismissed the initiative.

Russia invites U.N. envoy to Syria peace talks: “The Office of the Special Envoy will be present at these talks. The Office of the Special Envoy welcomes any initiative that would push forward reaching a peaceful and diplomatic end to the crisis in Syria.”

Two soldiers killed, 11 injured by Al Qaeda in Yemen: According to army officials, "Members of Al Qaeda" set a surprise attack for the convoy of General Abdul Rahman al-Hulaili, the head of the First Military Region, who eventually escaped unharmed.

US rejects revised Palestinian draft of UN statehood resolution: Palestinian envoys presented Monday a more toughly-worded UN draft resolution on statehood that could come up for a vote at the Security Council this week, despite US opposition.

End of 'Israeli occupation'? Arabs support Palestinian draft UN resolution: Arab delegations in the UN have thrown their weight behind a Palestinian proposal to reach a final peace deal with Israel within a year and cut off Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by late 2017. The draft drew fire from the US and Israel.

Israel's oil drilling in occupied Golan criticised: Heavily subsidised Jewish-only settlements, large Israeli military areas and tanks dot the rolling green hills in this part of the Golan Heights; Syrian territory occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. Drilling for oil in occupied Golan is part of a larger plan to increase Israeli settlement activity, rights groups say.

Eight killed on Burundi border: At least eight fighters were killed on Tuesday in clashes between Burundian security forces and members of an unidentified armed group which crossed into the central African nation from the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said.

Three alleged Gambia coup plotters killed: military: Forces loyal to Gambian President Yahya Jammeh killed three alleged suspects behind a failed coup bid Tuesday, including the ringleader said to be an army deserter, a military officer told AFP.

U.S.kills 3 people in Somalia : A U.S. airstrike killed the intelligence chief of Somali terror group al-Shabab, Somalia’s intelligence service said Tuesday. Abdishakur is the name of the slain leader, who is also known as Tahlil, a statement from the spy agency said, adding that the operation also killed two other al-Shabab militants.

Peace Activist Kathy Kelly Heads to Prison for Protesting U.S. Drone War: Peace activist Kathy Kelly is about to begin a three-month prison sentence for protesting the U.S. drone war at a military base in Missouri earlier this year.

Suicide bombing outside Libyan parliament in Tobruk wounds three - spokesman: A suicide bomber detonated a car laden with explosives in front of a hotel where Libya's elected parliament was in session in the eastern city of Tobruk on Tuesday, wounding three deputies, the assembly's spokesman said.

Eight Afghan soldiers killed in separate bombings: At least eight Afghan soldiers were killed in separate bomb blasts over the past 48 hours, the Defence Ministry in Kabul said Tuesday.

Bangladesh sentences Islamist leader to death: Jamaat-e-Islami leader Azharul Islam found guilty of war crimes committed during 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

AirAsia plane wreckage found, bodies being recovered (VIDEO): Over 40 bodies have been recovered from the missing AirAsia flight, the Indonesian Navy said. Objects resembling parts of the plane, as well as what was thought to be the plane’s outline underwater, were seen in the search area.

Mexican Government Triples Phone Surveillance on Citizens: Since Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto took office two years ago, the national intelligence body has carried out three times more legal phone tappings than in the whole of the past administration, reported the Mexican newspaper Milenio on Monday.

No military solution to Ukraine conflict, country's president concedes: Though Poroshenko's tone at a news conference in Kiev, the capital, sounded conciliatory, he reiterated that his government demands recovery of all Ukrainian territory occupied by the separatists as well as the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in March.

Ukraine in ‘full-blown financial crisis’ – National Bank head: “There is a full-blown financial crisis,” Gontareva told reporters Tuesday. “We can only overcome it if we implement quick and even extreme reforms.”

Russia Slams Kiev for Switching to US Supplies of Nuclear Fuel: Russian Foreign Ministry stated that by replacing Russia with a US company as supplier of nuclear fuel, Ukraine endangers the health of its citizens and other peoples in Europe.

Navalny says Putin's regime must be destroyed: Russian opposition leader calls for mass protests after he is given a suspended sentence and his brother is jailed.

Russia, Japan likely to cooperate in creating Eurasian Economic Corridor;' Russia and Japan have perfect chances to take their cooperation in eastern Siberia and the Far East to a new level in 2015 if they set up the so-called Eurasian corridor

Russia says U.S. sanctions could thwart progress on Iran nukes, Syria war: U.S. actions harm 'bilateral cooperation on solving the situation around the Iranian nuclear program, the Syrian crisis,' Foreign Ministry says.

New NSA leak reveals scope of agency's war against crypto: The NSA – along with its Five Eyes partners in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK – spends millions of dollars annually to break encryption standards used to keep the web secure, Spiegel reported over the weekend.

North Korea was NOT behind the Sony hack according to multiple security experts: Almost every expert stated that they believe the hack had to have been an inside job

FBI briefed on alternate Sony hack theory: FBI agents investigating the Sony Pictures hack were briefed Monday by a security firm that says its research points to laid-off Sony staff, not North Korea, as the perpetrator

December 29, 2014

Irreversible Decline?
Did the U.S. and the Saudis Conspire to Push Down Oil Prices?

By Mike Whitney

Why would the Saudis suddenly abandon a strategy that allowed them to rake in twice as much dough as they are today? Don’t they like money anymore? Continue

US/Saudi Oil Play is Economic Warfare

Video

Lawrence Wilkerson says the target of low oil prices is Russia and Iran whose economies are being thrown into turmoil and opens the doors to sovereign raiders Continue

Non-Dollar Trading Is Killing the Petrodollar
And the Foundation of U.S.-Saudi Policy in the Middle East

By Alastair Crooke

It would be ironic, indeed, were the tensions with Russia inadvertently to become the driver of America finally losing its petrodollar card. Continue

Europe Beware!
WWIII Could Destroy Europe for the Third Time in a Century

By Peter Koenig

A dying beast knows no mercy. It rather destroys the universe and itself than leaving survivors behind. Continue

The Victory of ‘Perception Management’

By Robert Parry

To confront the hard truth is not easy. Indeed, in this case, it can cause despair because there are so few voices to trust. Continue

US Looks to Israel to Justify Torture

By Vijay Prashad

Israel has its own Guantánamo: Camp 1391. Continue

How American Corporations and the Super Rich Steal From the Rest of Us

By Paul Buchheit

Main Street is going broke. Wall Street is cashing in. Continue

The Prison State of America

By Chris Hedges

The incarcerated poor have become the nation’s most exploited workers. They are the prototype drones for the corporate totalitarian state. Continue

Broken Countries Policing
Impossible to Preach Respect for the Rule of Law

By Matt Peppe

Besides exploitation for profit, criminalization of African American enables many of same types of discrimination as previously existed under Jim Crow. Continue

Cameroon says kills 41 militants: Cameroon's army killed at least 41 Islamist militants as it fought off a wave of attacks along its border with Nigeria over the weekend in an escalation in the conflict, the government said.

23 killed in Boko Haram attack in Cameroon: At least 23 people were killed in a Boko Haram attack in the Mozogo district in Cameroon’s Far North Region, an official said.

At least 22 Iraqis killed, 60 wounded in two separate attacks: At least 22 killed and 60 others were wounded in two separate attacks north of Iraq, Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced Monday. A source at the Ministry told KUNA that a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a funeral tent, killing 19 mourners and wounding 52 others.

ISIS Has Killed An Iranian General In Iraq: A sniper killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander who was training Iraqi troops and Shi'ite militia fighting Islamic State (ISIS, IS, or ISIL) militants in the Iraqi city of Samarra, official Iranian media reported Sunday.

IS claims another jet shot down over northern Iraq: The nationality of the alleged prisoner is unknown and the reports have yet to be confirmed, coming on the heels of unverified claims that IS had killed seven US soldiers and downed two helicopters.

Iraqi security forces recapture large sections of Dhuluiya town: Iraqi security forces and pro-government militias took control of large parts of the Tigris River town of Dhuluiya north of Baghdad on Monday from Islamic State fighters, police and army sources said.

Car bomb near Syria gas plant kills 9: activists: A car bomb explosion near a gas plant in Syria's Homs province Monday killed nine people including four soldiers, activists said, updating an earlier toll.

Palestinian youth shot dead by Israeli forces south of Nablus: Youth named as Imam Jamil Dweikat killed in Beita village near Tappuah checkpoint after being shot by Israeli forces.

Afghanistan official says 4 soldiers killed in south: An Afghan official says four soldiers have been killed while repelling a Taliban attack on an army checkpoint in a volatile region of the southern Helmand province.

Leaked ‘kill list’ shows NATO killed Afghan children, civilians in pursuit of low-level Taliban fighters: Drawing information from top secret documents spirited away by former NSA analyst Edward Snowden, Der Spiegel reports that the “kill list” used by NATO forces in Afghanistan included low-ranking members of the Taliban along with drug dealers suspected of supporting them.

Afghanistan: Taliban declares 'defeat' of Nato: A Taliban statement said the US-led force had "rolled up its flag" without having achieved "anything substantial".

Ukraine’s 2015 budget proposal stirs fresh protests: Activists warned that tax hikes on business and a high rate of income tax risk stoking further social unrest at a time when the country’s currency is rapidly losing value.

West wants to end confrontation with Russia over Ukraine – EU foreign policy chief: Western powers want to find common ground with Russia and end their confrontational approach over Ukraine, the EU's foreign policy chief told Italian media

UK: Falklands defence review after military deal between Russia and Argentina: DEFENCES on the Falklands are being reviewed after it emerged Russia plans to offer Argentina long-range bombers.

Greece faces early election after PM loses vote on president: Greece heads to an early general election next month after parliament rejected Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's nominee for president on Monday, throwing the country into a new period of political turmoil just as it emerges from economic crisis.

Shots fired on Los Angeles police car; no one hurt: A man fired a rifle at two Los Angeles officers in a patrol car, but no one was injured in the attack that comes amid tension nationwide between police and protesters rallying against their tactics.

‘Wake Up!’ 1000s take to streets across US protesting police brutality: A wave of peaceful protests, aimed at denouncing police violence, swept across the US on Saturday, with the number of protesters peaking in Los Angeles, where there were over 5,000 in the “Millions March for First Amendment Rights.”

2014’s “Biggest Moron” is revealed. : There so many morons that, through their acts of idiocy and overall stupidity, make themselves all worth contenders. I have profiled the winner below, runner up and a few notable mentions.

December 28, 2014

Putin: It Is Time to Play Your Ace in the Hole

By Ron Holland

Russia has an ace in the hole that can win the financial and economic battle going on today. Continue

NATO in Ukraine Means Asking for War with Russia

By Michael Levitis

Ukraine joining NATO would be a threat not just to the region but to the very existence of life on Earth. Continue

China to Start Payments With Russia in National Currencies on December 29

By Sputnik

From December 29, China, Russia, Malaysia and New Zealand will start the usage of national currencies in mutual transactions. Beijing hopes to make the yuan an alternative to the US dollar in global trade. Continue

We Can Conclusively Confirm North Korea Was Not Behind Sony Hack

By Charles C. Johnson

Sony hack was an inside job. Continue

The CIA Weaponizes Hollywood
False Flagging The World Towards War.

By Larry Chin

Almost all wars begin with false flag operations. The coming conflicts in North Korea and Russia are no exception. Continue

An Unstoppable Avalanche Toward Palestinian Statehood?

By Raphael Ahren

Saeb Erekat said Friday that the Palestinians will submit their UN Security Council statehood resolution to a vote by Monday at latest. Continue

Another Torture Report and Still No Prosecutions

By John LaForge

In the case of Cheney’s torture program, we have all the suspects, evidence, witnesses, motives and victims—other than the murdered ones—that a prosecutor could want. Continue

Magic Growth Numbers From The Government

By Paul Craig Roberts

Everyone wants good news, so the government makes it up. The latest fiction is that US real GDP grew 4.6% in the second quarter and 5% in the third. Continue

2014: The Year Propaganda Came Of Age

By Raúl Ilargi Meijer

I don’t think Joseph Goebbels had anything on US and European media today. Continue

Coalition airstrikes kill 86 ISIL militants in north Iraq: U.S.-led international coalition airstrikes on Saturday killed 86 ISIL militants in the Hawija district of Kirkuk city, northern Iraq, according to a police source.

Months of Bombing Makes Small Impact on ISIS' Military Capabilities: After more than three months of air attacks against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria, U.S. intelligence and defense officials say minimal progress has been made toward President Barack Obama’s stated goal to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic terror group.

U.S. Stockpiling Fighting Vehicles Near Iraq Ahead of Anti-ISIS Offensive: Since June, the U.S. military has been slowly stockpiling massive amounts of its gear coming out of Afghanistan at a depot in Kuwait adjacent to a bustling commercial port, in preparation for ultimately shipping it across the border into Iraq for an allied offensive against the Islamic State group.

17 opposition fighters killed in clashes south of Syria: Up to 17 fighters of the Syrian opposition have been killed in clashes with the regime's forces and allied militias in Quneitra city south of the country, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.

Syria says, ready to discuss Russia peace plan talks, opposition rejects: Syria said on Saturday it is willing to participate in "preliminary consultations" in Moscow aimed at restarting peace talks next year to end its civil war. But members of the Western-backed Syrian opposition dismissed the Russian plan on Saturday, saying there was "no initiative."

Erekat: UN vote on Palestinian statehood by Monday: Top PA official, in interview with Arab media, makes extreme comparison between Islamic State’s al-Baghdadi and Netanyahu

PM: Israel to stand firm against Palestinian statehood bid: Netanyahu meets powerful Republican senator who warns of ‘violent backlash’ that may include suspending funds if UN ‘takes over’ peace process

Graham: Senate will vote on Iran sanctions legislation in January: During an appearance alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Graham said there will be a vote on legislation drafted by Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in January.

Afghanistan: 44 insurgents killed in raids: At least 44 armed Taliban were killed and eight others wounded in different crackdowns within past 48 hours.

Pakistani forces say 39 "militants" killed in airstrikes: The Pakistani military says airstrikes carried out Friday evening in the North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border killed 39 militants. The military said several important militant commanders were killed.

US steps up Pakistan drone murders amid crackdown over school attack: US officials are increasingly reluctant to discuss Washington’s barbaric drone murder program, as it has been condemned by the UN for violating international law and is seen as deeply sinister by masses of people worldwide.

North Korean Internet, 3G mobile network 'paralyzed:' Xinhua: North Korea's Internet and 3G mobile networks were paralyzed again on Saturday evening, China's official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday, with the North Korean government blaming the United States for systemic instability in the country's networks.

AirAsia Flight QZ8501 with 162 on board goes missing on way to Singapore: The aircraft, flying from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, went missing as it flew at 38,000 feet over the Java Sea between the islands of Belitung and Borneo -- a heavily traveled shipping channel with shallow waters, according to Indonesian authorities, who are leading the search and rescue operations.

Australia: Were injured hostages shot by police bullets: Police are investigating whether the hostages who suffered gunshot wounds were shot by police when the Sydney siege ended in gunfire

20 soldiers killed in clash between rival rebels as fire spreads across largest oil reserve in Libya: The tanks in the al-Sidra export terminal were attacked by rockets launched from speedboats by Fajr Libya – or Libya Dawn – which killed four petrol guard soldiers until three of the group's vessels were damaged in air counter-attacks.

Policeman, two militants killed in Egypt: Gunmen on a motorbike killed a policeman and wounded another in a drive-by shooting in the Egyptian capital Saturday, the Interior Ministry said, a day after police killed two militants from the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis militant group in the capital’s region.

Pakistan airstrikes, gun battle kill 55 alleged militants: At least 55 "militants" were killed in airstrikes and a gun battle with ground forces in Pakistan's troubled northwest where the military launched a major offensive this year, officials said Saturday.

Afghanistan against US plans to transfer military equipment to Ukraine - Kabul official: American specialists in Afghanistan are currently preparing US army MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles to be transferred to Ukraine, according to the information obtained by the Afghan presidential administration

Ukraine and Rebels Exchange Hundreds of Prisoners: Ukrainian authorities and separatists exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war on Friday, a spokesman for President Petro Poroshenko said, part of a 12-point plan aimed at ending the pro-Russian uprising in the east of the country.

Ukraine Faces Stone Age. Russia Electricity to the Rescue; Russia will supply electricity to Ukraine at discount prices

Gorbachev: Putin saved Russia from disintegration: He added that saving Russia during that crucial period was a “historical deed.”

Crude price drop triggers major layoffs in US oil industry: Thousands of recently highly paid workers have been laid off after the oil price plummeted 50 percent in 2014. At least four American oil-producing states are already facing budget problems due to decreasing oil revenues.

NSA Drops Christmas Eve Surprise: The National Security Agency on Christmas Eve day released twelve years of internal oversight reports documenting abusive and improper practices by agency employees.

ACLU accuses NSA of using holiday lull to ‘minimise impact’ of documents: Released on Christmas Eve, the documents are heavily redacted versions of reports by the NSA to the President’s Intelligence Oversight Board

Hundreds Turn Their Back on de Blasio at NYPD Officer's Funeral: Hundreds of police officers turned their backs on a screen showing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as he spoke at the funeral of one of two officers killed last week in what has been called an "assassination."

December 26, 2014

Russia, China Mock Divide and Rule

By Pepe Escobar

2015 will be a hair-raising year in myriad aspects. Continue

2015 Will See Decisive Battles
The Empire is Crumbling, That is Why it Needs War

By Andre Vltchek

The Empire is decomposing; it is sick, unsustainable. Continue

U.S. War Against Russia Is Now Against Hungary Too

By Eric Zuesse

Hungary has decided to align itself with Russia against the United States. Continue

Selling ‘Peace Groups’ on US-Led Wars

By Margaret Sarfehjooy and Coleen Rowley

The U.S. government has made “perception management” of the American people a high priority, feeding them a steady diet of propaganda about foreign crises, even getting “peace groups” to buy into “pro-democracy” wars. Continue

The Christmas Hope:
A To-Do List for a Better World

By John W. Whitehead

America cannot continue to lambast terrorist groups for their contempt for human life and dignity when our own nation violates these same principles time and again. Continue

If Hope Remains Dormant, Freedom Remains Elusive

By ashiftinconsciousness

Look at the things we teach our children: that it’s OK to do horrible things – just don’t get caught. Continue

Syrian government air strikes kill 37 civilians in Aleppo, says monitor: Syrian air strikes killed at least 37 civilians, including seven children, in strongholds of the Islamic State jihadist group, a monitoring group said Friday in a new toll.

Syrian rebel groups in Aleppo enter alliance: monitoring group: The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a number of armed groups in Aleppo had agreed to the alliance, including factions from the Islamic Front, which was a merger of rebel groups announced last year.

Syrian peace talks set to take place in Moscow next month: Peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition could be held in Moscow next month, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Related Stories. The talks are set to take place sometime after Jan. 20, ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a briefing.

Jordan pilot ejected over Syria after 'technical failure': Technical failure caused a Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS jihadis in Syria to eject after flying at low altitude, activists told AFP on Friday.

Islamic State Group Governor Killed in Airstrikes: The strikes come as U.S. and Iraqi forces prepare an offensive to retake the city of Mosul, located about 400 kilometers north of Baghdad.

Iraq, Turkey pledge to fight 'all terrorist organisations' in region: Iraq and Turkey on Thursday pledged to join forces to fight Islamic State (IS) insurgents who are holding swathes of Iraq and Syria.

As U.S. troops return to Iraq, more private contractors follow: The U.S. government is preparing to boost the number of private contractors in Iraq as part of President Barack Obama's growing effort to beat back Islamic State militants threatening the Baghdad government, a senior U.S. official said.

Lebanese Army kills 3 gunmen on Syria border: A source in the town told The Daily Star that a group of gunmen tried to sneak into Lebanon from Syria near an Army checkpoint in Wadi Hmeid on the outskirts of Arsal, prompting troops to open fire.

Saudi Arabia braces for $39bn deficit, to cut wages due to low oil prices: The Finance Ministry said the government will try to save some money by cutting salaries, wages, and allowances that represent around “50 percent of total budgeted expenditures.” But the move could anger Saudi youth, who are already struggling to cover the costs of living in the country.

Saudi terrorism court 'to try women drivers': The women's cases had reportedly been transferred over comments they had made on social media - rather than for their driving, according to activists.

22 Libya soldiers killed in speedboat attack on oil ports: Islamists killed at least 22 soldiers on Thursday after a surprise attack in which they used speedboats in a failed bid to seize some of Libya's main oil terminals, officials said.

Gunmen kill 14 Libya soldiers at power plant: The official Libyan news agency says the military chief of the self-proclaimed government in the capital Tripoli has ordered an investigation into the slaying in Sirte, which is controlled by Islamist militias allied with the Tripoli government.

Somalia: 3 African Union troops killed in al-Shabab attack: The African Union (AU) force in Somalia says three of its peacekeepers and a civilian contractor have been killed in an attack on its headquarters in the capital, Mogadishu.

Two Egyptian troops killed in Sinai explosion: An officer and a soldier were killed when an explosive device was detonated near their vehicle during a patrol near the airport of northern Sinai's Arish city, army spokesman Ahmed Samir said on Facebook.

US kills 7 people in Pakistan: : Two suspected US drones fired missiles at alledged militant hideouts in northwest Pakistan on Friday killing at least seven "fighters", Pakistani intelligence officials said.

US kills three civilians in Afghanistan: Governor of Logar province details ‘mistake by the coalition forces’

Game Over Japan: Real Wages Crash Most In 21st Century, Savings Rate Turns Negative: When about a month ago it was revealed that Japan's shadow economic advisor is none other than Paul Krugman, we said it was only a matter of time before the Japanese economy implodes. Terminally.

China Steps In as World's New Bank: Beijing's move to bail out Russia, on top of its recent aid for Venezuela and Argentina, signals the death of the post-war Bretton Woods world

China Offers Russia Help With Currency Swap Suggestion: Two Chinese ministers offered support for Russia as President Vladimir Putin seeks to shore up the ruble without depleting foreign-exchange reserves.

Ruble Rallies 34% After Biggest Russian Intervention In 5 Years: Since the Russian Ruble troughed at almost 80 RUB/USD, it has rallied an impressive 34% erasing most of the dramatic devaluation of December. However, as The CBR just announced, this 'strength' came at a price.

Russia’s international reserves fall below $400 billion to 5-year low: Russia’s international reserves fell by $15.7 billion in the week of December 13-19 to $398.9 billion, the Central Bank of Russia reported on Thursday.

MH17 witness passes lie detector test, Ukraine denies jet in crash area: Video - Russia’s Investigative Committee has confirmed the claims by a Ukrainian, who said he witnessed the deployment of a Ukrainian warplane armed with air-to-air missiles on the day the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down.

Ukraine : Key peace talks in Minsk called off: A key round of peace talks between Ukraine's government and pro-Russian rebels, due to take place in Minsk on Friday, has been called off, Belarusian officials say.

Kiev to Pull Back Heavy Arms in 48 Hours After Complete Ceasefire: Official: On Thursday, the Ukrainian military said that on December 26 the sides of the Ukrainian conflict would begin the withdrawal of heavy artillery from the separation line to create a 30-km security buffer zone as part of the ceasefire agreement. This withdrawal was brokered during the latest talks held on Wednesday in Minsk.

Ukraine And Pro-Russia Rebels Arrange Big Prisoner Exchange: Kiev and pro-Russian separatists will exchange hundreds of prisoners soon, an aide to the head of Ukraine's SBU state security service said on Friday, as the military reported a slight increase in rebel attacks.

Ukraine cuts off power supplies to Crimea again — Crimea’s energy ministry: Without warning, Ukraine cut off power supplies to Crimea on Friday for the second time in a row this week, Crimea’s Fuel and Energy Minister Sergey Yegorov told TASS.

Russia to take retaliatory measures to NATO's eastward expansion; Russia would take appropriate retaliatory measures against NATO's possible eastward expansion, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Thursday.

Russia’s new military doctrine lists NATO, US as major foreign threats: The new sections of the doctrine outline the threat Russia sees in NATO’s expansion and military buildup and the fact that the alliance is taking upon itself “global functions realized with violation of international law.”

‘Nuke trains’ with up to 30 Yars missiles rolling out from 2018 – Russian defense source: Similarly to nuclear submarines, such trains are hard to wipe out in a preemptive strike because of their mobility and ability to be disguised as regular freight trains.

Arctic Should Remain Zone Free of Military Activity: NATO Envoy; There are no direct military risks today in the Arctic and the region should remain a zone with a minimum of military activity, Russia’s permanent representative to NATO said.

NSA Reports It May Have Broken Laws With Decade of Spying on U.S. Citizens: The National Security Agency today released reports on intelligence collection that may have violated the law or U.S. policy over more than a decade, including unauthorized surveillance of Americans’ overseas communications.

Being a cop showed me just how racist and violent the police are. There’s only one fix.: The problem is that cops aren’t held accountable for their actions, and they know it. These officers violate rights with impunity. They know there’s a different criminal justice system for civilians and police.

December 25, 2014

The Bear Squeezes Back
Ruble Rises Against Dollar:

By Duncan Cameron

By defeating attempts to drive its currency down, the Russian Central Bank had executed a procedure known as a "bear squeeze," Continue

The Road to Torture - It's All-American

By Philip Giraldi

The United States is now regarded by most of the world as a hypocritical rogue regime where torture is allowed and then covered up. Continue

Bush & Cheney Should Be Charged with War Crimes: Col. Wilkerson

By Democracy Now!

39 people were killed in the interrogation process. Why does no one ever mention that?" Continue

When Soldiers Say No to War

By Camillo Mac Bica

I remain hopeful, therefore, that as soldiers recognize the deception and our shared humanity and victimization, like the soldiers at the Western Front, they will lay down their weapons and just say no to war. Continue

Why 2014 was a Game Changer in Palestine

By Ramzy Baroud

The Jewish and democratic paradigm is dying for good, exposing Israel’s reality the way it is. Continue

Why Millions of Christians Will Mourn This Christmas

By Daniel McAdams

It will be a miserable Christmas for the overseas victims of US interventions this year. Continue

Christmas Versus Xmas: A Political Reading

By James Petras

Xmas’ is a time to celebrate massive profiteering, based on the indebtedness of the ‘masses’. Continue

In Alabama, A Public Hospital Serves the Poor — with Lawsuits

By Paul Kiel

Public hospitals can be among the most aggressive in collecting debts from poor patients, not only garnishing their wages, but cleaning out their bank accounts. Continue

Military troops kill over 80 IS fighters across Syria: - Syrian troops on Wednesday killed as many as 81 fighters of the Islamic State (IS) militants in the country's northern province of al-Hasakah and the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, the state news agency SANA reported.

44 Islamic State jihadists killed fighting Syrian Kurds: monitor: At least 30 members of the Islamic State group were killed in clashes with Kurdish troops in Syrian Kurdistan (northeastern Syria) on Thursday, a monitoring group said.

IS shoots down warplane in Syria, captures Jordanian pilot: The Islamic State group captured a Jordanian pilot after shooting down his warplane over Syria, Jordan said Wednesday, in the extremists' first successful downing of an aircraft from the international coalition waging an air campaign against the extremists.

Father of captured Jordanian pilot begs ISIS to release him: “I direct a message to our generous brothers of the Islamic State in Syria: to host my son, the pilot Mu’ath, with generous hospitality,” he said. “I ask God that their hearts are gathered together with love, and that he is returned to his family, wife and mother.”

Iraq: Suicide bomber kills 33 people south of Baghdad: A suicide bomber killed 33 people and wounded 55 others in Madaen, about 25 km (15 miles) south of Baghdad, on Wednesday, Iraqi police and medical officials said. The bomber blew himself up near a line of Sunni pro-government fighters waiting for their salaries

ISIS ‘launches new chlorine gas attack’ in Iraq’s Anbar – report: Islamic State militants have reportedly shelled a city in the western Iraqi province of Anbar with chlorine gas-imbued missiles, media reports citing security sources say. The attack is said to have targeted a district with trapped and starving civilians.

U.S. to send more private contractors to Iraq: The U.S. government is preparing to boost the number of private contractors in Iraq as part of President Barack Obama's growing effort to beat back Islamic State militants threatening the Baghdad government, a senior U.S. official said, AKI Press reports.

US Taxpayers Spent US$1.6 Trillion on War Since 9/11: The United States government has spent US$1.6 trillion dollars on war since the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service (CRhttp://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/12/syriakurd1767.htmS). This means U.S. taxpayers have shelled out roughly $337 million a day for the last 13 years.

Palestinian killed, Israeli soldier injured in Gaza gunfight: A Palestinian man was killed and an Israeli soldier seriously injured during a gun battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

Israel approves over 350 new illegal, settlements in occupied Jerusalem: Jerusalem City Council has approved the construction of almost 400 new illegal, settlements in two districts of the city and its southern part, including annexed areas situated beyond the Green Line.

Israel issues demolition orders to occupied East Jerusalem homes: Israeli forces on Monday issued five demolitions orders to Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, the owners said.

Likud comptroller disqualifies Netanyahu from Likud leadership race; PM likely to appeal: Party comptroller accuses PM of using party resources for his primary campaign.

Netanyahu recieves hefty donations from US patrons: Despite criticism that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has harmed Israeli relations with the US, the Likud leader received almost half a million dollars in donations for the faction's primary from American benefactors.

Major corruption scandal involving over 30 public officials, politicians uncovered in Israeli: The group, which the police said numbered more than 30, is suspected of cronyism and illicitly transferring funds to NGO and includes a senior politician and director-general of a governmental office. Some of the investigation's details are still under gag order.

Rebel attack kills 72 in northeast India: Rina Vor was putting her four young children to sleep in her village in India's remote northeast when she heard the gunfire. She gathered them and ran for safety.

Afghanistan: 22 militants killed, seven injured in military operations: As many as 22 militants were killed in military offensives launched by security forces over the past 24 hours across the country.

No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony: The FBI and the President may claim that the Hermit Kingdom is to blame for the most high-profile network breach in forever. But almost all signs point in another direction.

Security firm says Sony hack might have been an inside job: Despite claims by the FBI that North Korea was behind the massive hack against Sony, several cybersecurity experts have come forward to raise questions about the allegation, with some suggesting that insiders at the company could be to blame.

MH370 was 'shot down by US military', claims former French airline boss: A former French airline CEO Marc Dugain claims that the US may have shot down Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 and then covered it up, adding to a rash of conflicting theories about the missing plane.

Ukrainian government prepares extreme austerity measures: According to the Prime Minister, in 2014 Ukraine “received a total of $9 billion in financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, and other financial institutions,” but overall spent $14 billion servicing its debts. “We will need $15 billion more next year,” he noted.

Ruble Gains 4th Day as Russia Exporter Demand Outweighs S&P Risk: The ruble gained for a fourth day as tax payments and speculation Russian exporters are being pushed to sell foreign currency outweighed concern that the sovereign’s credit rating will be cut to junk.

Informal capital controls arrest Russian ruble's slide: The rouble hit its highest levels in two weeks on Tuesday, shored up by informal capital control measures designed to head off a repeat of the inflation and protests that marked Russia's 1998 financial crisis.

Russia Offers Dollar Loans to Aid Banks Before Debt Payments: The Bank of Russia will offer banks four-week and one-year funding in dollars and euros, backed by foreign-currency loans to large exporters, according to a statement today. The instrument will be available to banks with equity of at least 100 billion rubles ($1.8 billion) until 2018.

Russia Crisis Hits Pimco Fund, Wipes Out Options: Pacific Investment Management Co. (PEBIX) is facing mounting losses on its Russian bond holdings; almost every bullish ruble option contract registered in the U.S. has been made worthless;

It’s Official: The Worldwide Bail-ins Are Coming: On November 16, leaders of the G20 Group of Nations – the 20 largest economies – made an important decision. The world’s megabanks now have official permission to pledge depositor accounts as collateral to make leveraged derivative bets. And if they lose a bet, the counterparty to the contract has first dibs on your money.

War criminal rushed to the hospital: Former President George H.W. Bush remained in the hospital on Wednesday after he was admitted to the facility the night before for what a spokesman called a "shortness of breath."

US Pays Spy Alan Gross US$3.2 Mn in Compensation: Alan Gross, the U.S. spy freed last week after five years in a Cuban prison, will receive US$3.2million from the government as part of a compensation package, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Pentagon cites ISIL threat for withholding prisoner abuse photos: The Pentagon has said it is not releasing decade-old photos showing abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq because they could be used by ISIL to incite “lone wolf” attacks in the west and endanger US military personnel.

The Torture Report: Latin America’s Lessons for the United States: News Analysis - The Senate report on torture obligates the United States to prosecute those who sanctioned its use. Latin America’s efforts can help show us how.

FBI keeps lid on sniper plot to kill ‘Occupy Wall Street’ organizers: Heavily redacted FBI memos confirm that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was aware of a plot to assassinate the Houston organizers of “Occupy Wall Street,” but the agency has managed to withhold the details from the American public using the worn-out excuse that transparency compromises national security.

Fatal Cop Shooting of Teen in Berkeley, Missouri Sparks Clashes: A white police officer shot a black teenager to death at a gas station in the city next door to Ferguson, Missouri, touching off clashes early Wednesday between demonstrators and law enforcement.

Off duty, black cops in New York feel threat from fellow police: - From the dingy donut shops of Manhattan to the cloistered police watering holes in Brooklyn, a number of black NYPD officers say they have experienced the same racial profiling that cost Eric Garner his life.

New York City mayor calls for a halt to protests against police violence: In a move unprecedented in recent memory, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called Monday for a nearly week-long halt to demonstrations against police violence following the shooting of two New York City police officers.

Cops Handcuff & Shackle 4-Year-Old Boy, Haul Him Off to Jail for a Temper Tantrum; Unable to gain control of a 4-year-old, the school made the ridiculous decision to call a sheriff’s deputy who is assigned to the schools.

December 23, 2014

Forget 'Evil' Putin - We Are The Bloodthirsty Warmongers

By Peter Hitchens

Since 1989, Moscow, the supposed aggressor, has – without fighting or losing a war – peacefully ceded control over roughly 180 million people, and roughly 700,000 square miles of valuable territory. Continue

The China-Russia Double Helix

By The Saker and Larchmonter 445

Make no mistake, what we are seeing is something unprecedented in history and it is much more than just an "alliance". Continue

Are Americans Prepared For A Soviet Style Collapse

Dmitry Orlov – Interview

Dmitry is convinced that what Russia suffered in the Soviet collapse was a soft crash and what America is headed for can only be a catastrophic hard collapse. Continue

Abbas: I’ll Cut Ties With Israel If UN Move Fails

By AFP

“If it fails, we will no longer deal with the Israeli government, which will then be forced to assume its responsibilities as an occupier,” he added. Continue

Mads Gilbert: 'People Are Questioning Israel'

Video

A Norwegian surgeon who worked in Gaza shares his experiences during the latest Israeli offensive on the besieged Strip. Continue

US Embassy in Havana – The Cuba Caper

By Peter Koenig

What would Cuba gain? – Zilch, zero, nothing. Not even a gradual lifting of the embargo had been announced. Continue

The War to Start All Wars
The 25th Anniversary of the Forgotten Invasion of Panama

By Greg Grandin

The road to Baghdad, ran through Panama City. Continue

War Crimes Case Filed in Germany

By Democracy Now!

A human rights group in Berlin, Germany, has filed a criminal complaint against the architects of the George W. Bush administration’s torture program. Continue

The Forgotten Futility of Torture

By Lawrence Davidson

Half of the American public even now believes that the use of torture was both justified and provided worthwhile intelligence. It is probable that the opinion of most elected officials is no different. Continue

Ethics Training for Congress? Dream On

By Jim Hightower

They rode to victory on a tsunami of inherently corrupting corporate cash. Now they’re being instructed in a crash course on Capitol Hill ethics. Continue

The Lawless Manipulation of Bullion Markets by Public Authorities

By Paul Craig Roberts and Dave Kranzler

The foul stench of corruption and hypocrisy that emanates from Washington is the smell of a dying country. Country

The Predictable Start Of Vigilantism
Reverse Course on Police Militarization or Reap the Whirlwind

By Dave Lindorff

Police should not and cannot be armed troops who come in from the suburbs to act as an occupying army. Continue

Americans Are Sick to Death of Both Parties

By Walter Dean Burnham, Thomas Ferguson

Increasing numbers of average Americans can no longer stomach voting for parties that only pretend to represent their interests. Continue

Cameroon army kills 116 alleged Boko Haram insurgents, dismantles training camp: “The Rapid Intervention Battalion of our army immediately launched an attack, seized 84 children between seven and 15 who were undergoing training in the camp, arrested 45 of the trainers and killed many more,” he told Reuters. At press time, there was no independent confirmation.

Dozens killed in Nigeria bomb blasts: At least 27 killed and 60 wounded in bomb attacks at a market and bus station in northeast Nigeria.

Boko Haram Slaughters Mass Of Captives In Horrific New Video: A new video from Nigeria's home-grown Boko Haram extremists shows gunmen mowing down civilians lying face down in a dorm, and a leader saying they are being killed because they are "infidels" or non-believers.

UN warns of war crimes as hundreds killed in Libya: Recent fighting in Libya has killed hundreds of civilians and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, the UN said yesterday, demanding justice for serious rights violations and possible “war crimes”.

Algerian Army Kills Militant Behind Beheading Of French Hiker: In a late night operation, Algeria's army killed the leader of an Islamic State splinter group blamed for the kidnapping and beheading of a French hiker, the Ministry of Defense said Tuesday.

Report: Uprooted Muslims trapped in CAR: Human Rights Watch says hundreds are trapped and living in deplorable conditions in enclaves after fleeing violence.

10 Children killed in Syria air strikes: At least 10 children have been killed after two schools were hit in a series of air strikes carried out by the Syrian government in Damascus and villages in the Idlib province, sources say.

Islamic State Making Slow Gains in Syria Despite US Air Strikes: IS continues to take over more Syrian territory, with battles focused around the largest city of Aleppo in northern Syria near the Turkish border, and Deir Ezzour, an oil-rich area closer to Iraq.

Firebrand Shiite cleric opposed to Kurdish claims killed in ISIS fighting: – Wathiq al-Battat, a firebrand Shiite Iraqi cleric and militia leader known for his anti-Kurdish rhetoric and vehemently anti-Sunni diatribes, was killed in fighting with the Islamic State (ISIS) north of Baghdad on Sunday.

Rare Islamic State visit reveals 'brutal and strong' force: Mr Todenhoefer said he was struck by their brutal zeal, and the scale of their ambition to carry out "religious cleansing" and to expand their territory.

Two Shiite militiamen killed in Yemen unrest: Two Shiite militiamen were killed in the Yemeni capital on Tuesday in a series of small bomb attacks and a drive-by shooting, a medic and witnesses said.

Israel Destroys 1,000 Arab Homes in Negev Region: Demolition policy has long been used by Israel to intimidate Palestinians and their families.

Erekat: UN to vote on Palestine bid before end of year: The United Nations Security Council will vote on a draft UN resolution that sets terms for a final Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before the end of 2014, PLO official Saeb Erekat said Tuesday.

Jailed Fatah leader criticizes UN resolution on Palestine: Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi on Monday criticized the UN resolution submitted to the Security Council by the PLO, urging the Palestinian leadership to reword the proposal.

Armed Indian tribal group kills 34 villagers: At least 34 people have been killed by Bodo tribal fighters in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, private television channel NDTV is reporting. The attacks came after a joint team of Assam Police and the Indian army killed two Bodo fighters in the neighbouring Chiran district on Sunday.

Afghan police chief claims 151 Taliban fighters killed in 12-day battle: At least 151 Taliban fighters have been killed by Afghan government forces during 12 days of fighting in the volatile east, near the border with Pakistan, the police chief of Kunar province has said.

Garden-variety DDoS attack knocks North Korea off the Internet: The simplest explanation for North Korea's suddenly dropping off the Internet was a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that overwhelmed the isolated nation's tenuous connection to the rest of the world, experts said Monday.

Why the Sony hack is unlikely to be the work of North Korea.: Everyone seems to be eager to pin the blame for the Sony hack on North Korea. However, I think it’s unlikely. Here’s why:

Sony To Release The Interview On December 25 After All: The Marketing Campaign Is Now Complete:

Australian PM: Another terror attack considered ‘likely’: Abbott does not raise alert level but says security agencies see heightened ‘chatter’ in wake of Sydney cafe siege

Ukraine votes to scrap non-aligned status: A NATO spokesman in Brussels said: "Our door is open and Ukraine will become a member of NATO if it so requests and fulfils the standards and adheres to the necessary principles."

Russia to probe media reports that Ukraine military shot down MH17: Russia’s Investigative Committee is investigating a Russian newspaper report alleging that a Ukrainian military jet shot down Malaysian Airlines passenger plane MH17 over the rebel-held eastern part of the country last summer.

'U.S. military shot down MH370, claims former airline boss : A former airline boss and writer claims the U.S. downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 because the military feared it had been taken over by hackers and was about to be used in a 9/11-style attack.

Russia bails out bank following ruble slide: Russia has bailed out a mid-sized bank for about $500 million to save it from bankruptcy— a clear sign that the slide in the value of the ruble in the wake of falling oil prices is straining the banking system.

Ukraine Central Bank Conned Into Swapping Its Gold For Lead Bricks: Just when one thought the story of Ukraine and its (now non-existant) gold could not get any more surreal, it did.

China pledges to help Russia overcome economic hardships: China’s foreign minister has pledged support to Russia as it faces an economic downturn due to sanctions and a drop in oil prices. Boosting trade in yuan is a solution proposed by Beijing’s commerce minister.

China to 'Regulate' Foreign NGOs: On Monday, China announced that it would move to “regulate” foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to keep political checks on these organizations and to prevent them from fomenting political unrest.

France to deploy soldiers after spate of attacks: France is to step up police and military patrols in areas frequented by the public following recent attacks, Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said.

BBC chief: Anti-Semitism makes me question Jews’ future in UK: Danny Cohen: ‘I’ve never felt so uncomfortable being a Jew in the UK as in the last 12 months’

Is Danny Cohen fit to be director of BBC TV?: Might it be more appropriate for such a powerful job to be left in to a person who is primarily loyal to Britain and see this country as his home?

3 UK MPs named in Westminster paedophile ring: In what could be the biggest sexual scandal to hit Westminster, three British members of parliament (MPs) and three members of the House of Lords are believed to have been named in a dossier handed to police concerning investigations into the alleged Westminster paedophile ring.

Mexican Police Helped Cartel Massacre 193 Migrants, Documents Show: Local police in the city of San Fernando in northern Mexico were involved in the 2011 massacres of 193 mainly Central American migrants whose bodies were found in mass graves, according to federal prosecutors.

Deportation of Central Americans in Mexico Grows 53% in 2014: As several Mexican politicians continue to criticize the United States for deporting thousands of people each year, in 2014, Mexico’s deportations of Central Americans increased by 53.3 percent, according to Guatemalan officials.

Bowe Bergdahl court martial possible as US army refers case to general: Move leaves Bergdahl, who was released in May after five years in Taliban captivity, open to possible disciplinary action for abandoning his post

New York Times calls for Cheney, Bush officials to be investigated and prosecuted for torture: The editorial page editors are calling upon the Justice Department to open an investigation into the torture practices committed during the administration of President George W. Bush with an eye towards prosecuting those who “committed torture and other serious crimes,”

LAPD body camera footage won’t be released to the public: As the Los Angeles Police Department prepares to outfit its force with body cameras during interactions with the public, civil rights groups are concerned over the idea that footage won’t be made public outside of court proceedings.

December 22, 2014

Season of Goodwill… West Delivers Sanctions, Suffering and Conflict

By Finian Cunningham

Kiev is a runaway train wreck, an insatiable Frankenstein monster. Continue

John Pilger: 'Real Possibility of Nuclear War'
Ukraine Crisis Could Start World War 3

Video

With Russia, Pilger says he has never known the truth ‘so inverted’ over any one issue. Continue

Russia Will Be Able To Overcome Economic Problems - Chinese Foreign Minister

By TASS

"If the Russian side needs it, we shall offer all possible support we may have,” the foreign minister said. Continue

“10 days in the Islamic State”

By Adam Withnall

Inside Isis: The first Western journalist ever given access to the 'Islamic State' has just returned – and this is what he discovered. Continue

Ayatollah Khamenei's 6 Reasons to Prove ISIS Serves the U.S. and Israel

Video

Take a look at the condition of today's Libya, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and see against whom the forces and swords of Muslims are being used. Continue

Banning Dissent in the Name of Civility
Truth, Is the Last Thing the Israel Lobby and its Lackeys Seek

By Chris Hedges

Israeli Jews think —we are the chosen people of God, we are chosen to do anything we damn well please. To take people’s land. Take people’s lives.” Continue

Torture’s Time for Accountability

By Ray McGovern

The President still lives in fear of the shady characters at Langley. Continue

Abolishing the CIA

By Robert C. Koehler

One can no more ‘authorize’ torture than rape or slavery. Torture inhabits that same moral category, which ethicists label intrinsic evil, always wrong — whether it ‘works’ or not.” Continue

Tea Partiers Are Right: Jeb Is a RINO

By Matt Taibbi

Apparently, the American political establishment isn't just afraid of new ideas, it's afraid of new people. Continue

42 people killed' in central Yemen: Dozens of Houthi rebels have been killed in central Yemen in a suspected revenge attack after at least 40 people from a rival tribe were kidnapped by the Shia group, sources told Al Jazeera.

40 alleged ISIL militants killed in airstrikes in Iraq: At least 40 militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant were killed in airstrikes on Sunday by US-led international coalition forces in the western Iraqi province of Anbar.

Sinjar battle: Kurds 'take control' of large area from IS: Kurdish authorities say their Peshmerga forces have taken control of a "large area" of the Iraqi town of Sinjar from Islamic State militants.

Kurdish fighters move on ISIL's Mosul hub: Peshmerga forces expand a major offensive against ISIL while also delivering aid to Yazidi refugees on Mount Sinjar.

US soldiers engage ISIL in first Iraq combat since 2011: The clashes would mark the first time that US ground forces have engaged ISIL militants since President Barack Obama authorised air strikes on the group in August.

20 jihadists killed in failed east Syria airport attack: At least 20 Islamist State (IS) group members were killed in the second failed jihadist bid in a month to take over an air base in eastern Syria, a monitoring group said Sunday.

Assad tells Iran's Larijani he backs local truces: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad told a top official from key supporter Iran on Sunday that his government is working on "reconciliations" to end the brutal civil war, state news agency SANA said.

Wars’ Cost to U.S. Since the Sept. 11 2001: $1.6 Trillion : A June cost-of-war assessment by Neta Crawford, a political science professor at Boston University, put the potential total cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and assistance to Pakistan since 2001 at $4.4 trillion, including $316 billion in interest costs and $1 trillion through 2054 for veterans care.

Egypt Opens Border Crossing with Gaza: For the first time in nearly two months, Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing on Sunday for incoming travelers from the Gaza Strip, confirmed Palestinian and Egyptian officials. Rafah is the only crossing with Gaza that does not border Israel.

14 Militants Killed in Egypt Army Raids: Fourteen militants have been killed and 45 others arrested in army raids in Egypt's North Sinai region in the past three days, the military said today.

US delivers Apache helicopters to Egypt: Ten Apaches delivered to Cairo after part lifting of aid freeze to the country, according to senior US official.

Qatar announces full support for Egyptian leader: Qatar has ended more than a year of enmity toward Egypt, announcing its “full support” for the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Nigeria: 82 killed in Borno gun battle: No fewer than 80 Boko Haram insurgents and two soldiers lost their lives when suspected members of dreaded Boko Haram sect laid ambush along the troubled Maiduguri-Damboa road which was closed down for motorists since July this year.

Kenya security law: President Uhuru Kenyatta signs bill: The new anti-terror legislation gives the security and intelligence agencies the right to detain terror suspects for up to one year and requires journalists to obtain police permission before investigating or publishing stories on domestic terrorism and security issues.

Roadside bomb kills 7 Afghan civilians in Kunar: "Last evening a pickup truck, with women and children onboard, was blown up by a roadside bomb, that killed seven people including two little girls," Nari police chief Mohammad Yousuf told AFP news agency.

Taliban kill 7 Afghan policemen at checkpoint: An Afghan official says seven policemen were killed in a northern province after their checkpoint came under attack by insurgents.

At least 5 alleged militants killed by Pakistani security forces: At least five alleged militants have been killed by Pakistani security forces in the area of Bazargarai on the outskirts of Peshawar. The military said in a statement, a local militant commander was among those killed in the operation.

Pakistan: More executions after Peshawar school massacre: Pakistan has hanged four prisoners, the second set of executions since a death penalty moratorium was lifted after the Peshawar school massacre. On Friday, Pakistan executed two convicts. This followed the Taliban attack on the school that left 141 people - 132 of them children - dead.

Russia’s military doctrine remains ‘solely defensive’ – Putin: Russia is going to maintain its security “consistently and rigorously,” President Vladimir Putin has said. And despite NATO’s military buildup close to Russian borders, the national military doctrine will remain solely defensive, he said.

Slumping Russian ruble threatens German economy – top exec: “Thirty-six percent of companies assume that they have to cancel their projects,” he cited the results of the poll, recently carried out by the German Chamber of Commerce in Russia among almost 300 German companies.

Obama says Putin no 'chess master' as Russian rouble spirals: President Barack Obama hit back at foreign policy critics in an interview aired this morning, brushing off claims he had been naively outmaneuvered by Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine crisis.

EU asks Russia to go ahead with South Stream: Bulgaria is obliged to stand by its obligations to prepare for construction work and issue the required permissions, Bulgarian Prime Minister said after talks with the EU leaders

US “troubled” over slew of deals during Putin-Modi summit: The outcome of the recent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi gave an all-embracing boost to the strategic partnership between Russia and India

Russia to begin food imports from Iran in January 2015: First batches of food products from Iran will be supplies to Russia already in January 2015, a representative of the Russian veterinary and phytosanitary authority (Rosselkhoznadzor), Alexey Alexeyenko, who has just returned from a visit to Iran, told TASS on Sunday.

China and the United States: Who Is Number One?: A NYT article on China's growth seems to have gotten data from the International Monetary Fund backward. It told readers:

The FBI told their story about North Korea attacking Sony. Read what they didn’t tell you.: No matter how often they lie to us, Americans believe what the government tells us. They lie, we believe, their lies are exposed — rinse, repeat. It makes us easy to govern, incapable of self-government, and quite different than our skeptical unruly forebearers.

Leaked CIA docs teach operatives how to infiltrate EU: WikiLeaks' ?hief editor Julian Assange explains that these documents show that “under the Obama administration the CIA is still intent on infiltrating European Union borders and conducting clandestine operations in EU member states."

11 killed as Mexico troops sent to La Ruana after vigilante shoot-out: The two groups of vigilantes were set up to fight the local drug cartel, but have since become bitter rivals and have started fighting each other. Five members of a group led by Hipolito Mora and six followers of his rival, Luis Antonio Torres, were killed.

Raul Castro: US Must Respect That Cuba Will Remain Socialist; "In the same way that we have never demanded that the United States change its political system, we will demand respect for ours," Raul Castro told the National Assembly.

US seeks to overthrow Venezuela government: official: "This US interference is aimed at promoting violence... against our institutions" to oust staunch US critic Maduro, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino told Telesur television.

Cops' killer angry at chokehold death: A gunman who announced online that he was planning to shoot two "pigs" in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner ambushed two officers in a patrol car and shot them to death in broad daylight Saturday before running to a subway station and killing himself, authorities said.

Head of Police Union Declares War on Protesters After NYPD Cops ‘Assassinated’: Two NYPD officers were killed Saturday in what a tearful New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio described as “execution style” as they sat in a patrol car in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Rally against police violence forces partial Mall of America shutdown: A mass of demonstrators chanting, "Black lives matter," converged in the Mall of America rotunda Saturday as part of a protest against police brutality that caused part of the mall to shut down on a busy day for last-minute holiday shopping.

December 20, 2014

Putin is Right

By Gerald Celente

Putin insisted today: “It’s not payback for Crimea. It’s the cost of our natural desire to preserve Russia as a nation, a civilization and a state. Continue

"All The Cards Are In Putin's Hands"
Russia, India And China Will Takeover World Leadership

By Paul Craig Roberts

Will Russia’s Response to Washington’s Aggression Be to Release Black Swans? Continue

Russian Roulette:
Taxpayers Could Be on the Hook for Trillions in Oil Derivatives

By Ellen Brown

The preamble to the Dodd-Frank Act claims “to protect the American taxpayer by ending bailouts.” But it does this through “bail-in”: authorizing “systemically important” too-big-to-fail banks to expropriate the assets of their creditors, including depositors. Continue

The “Impending” Russian Maidan

By Tony Cartalucci

The use of armed elements to assist in US-engineered political subversion is not speculation. Continue

The Syrian "Regime" is Guarding the Borders of Israel?

By Linh Dinh

Talking to a Palestinian about Israel, American Dissent, Brainwashing and Hijacked Protests. Continue

American Exceptionalism and American Torture

By William Blum

If the torturers of the Bush and Obama administrations are not held accountable in the United States they must be pursued internationally under the principles of universal jurisdiction. Continue

The Queen of Torture
Meet Alfreda Bikowsky, the Senior Officer at the Center of the CIA’s Torture Scandals:

By Glenn Greenwald and Peter Maass

This officer, is the same one who “dropped the ball when the C.I.A. was given information that might very well have prevented the 9/11 attacks; she gleefully participated in torture sessions afterward; Continue

America, Nation of Torturers:
Stop Saying “This Isn’t Who We Are” — Here’s The Real Truth

By Charles Davis

Terrible findings in the torture report "are not who we are," John Kerry claims. Well, here's a U.S. history lesson. Continue

Sony Hack - NYT Editors Find New Iraq WMD

By Moon Of Alabama

Yeah - those folks never lie. Right? Continue

Fidel Castro’s Legacy

By Stephen Lendman

This article a snapshot of some of his achievements. Impressive by any standard. Continue

Fact or fiction? IS executed 100 foreign fighters who tried to quit: report: The Islamic State group has executed 100 of its own foreign fighters who tried to flee their headquarters in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

Kurdish militants kill 33 IS fighters in northern Syria: A total of 33 fighters of the Islamic State (IS) were killed Friday during clashes with Kurdish militants in Syria's northern city of Ayn al-Arab, or Kobane, bordering Turkey, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

ISIL 'publicly executes' Syrian in Aleppo: SITE has obtained footage showing the crucifixion of an alleged government spy in Aleppo

Massive defense bill authorizing Syrian rebel training approved by Obama: President Barack Obama has signed the $585 billion defense policy bill for fiscal year 2015. It authorizes the training and sending of aid to Syrian rebels for two years, and provides $5 billion to train Iraqis battling ISIS

Bombings kill 12 in Iraq: Bombs targeting commercial streets and an army patrol killed 12 people in and around Baghdad Saturday, Iraqi authorities said.

1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne headed to Iraq: Approximately 1,000 paratroopers from the Army’s famed 82nd Airborne Division will deploy to Iraq early next year to help the Iraqi security forces take on the Islamic State, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Saudi security forces kill four militants in east: The interior ministry said the men were behind the killing of a soldier there last Sunday. The soldier was killed when his unit came under fire from fields near al-Awamiya last Sunday. His colleague was also injured.

Hamas asks Egypt to pressure Israel to abide by Gaza truce: Hamas says airstrikes a 'major violation' of Gaza ceasefire while Israel says they were in retaliation for a rocket attack

Secret Tapes: Olmert Calls Sheldon Adleson ‘Dog, Son Of A Dog’: Secret tapes of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, released in public on Thursday, reveal that Republican casino mogul Sheldon Adelson told President George W. Bush that Olmert was a “traitor.”

Guess who credits the Mossad with producing the Iran, 'laptop documents?': Evidence has continued to accumulate that the documents - sometimes called the “laptop documents” because they were said to have been on a laptop computer belonging to one of the participants in the program - were fabricated by Israel’s foreign intelligence agency (Mossad).

Ex-IAEA Chief Warns on Using Unverified Intel to Pressure Iran: Former IAEA Director General Han Blix has called for greater skepticism about the intelligence documents and reports alleging Iranian nuclear weapons work and warned that they may be used to put diplomatic pressure on Tehran.

35 Boko Haram militants killed in battle with Nigerian forces: “The Boko Haram attacks on Damboa began before Friday prayers and most of them died from the gun battle,” Haruna Ibrahim, a member of a vigilante militia, which fights alongside the military, said by phone Saturday.

Ebola death toll reaches 7,373, over 19,000 infections; The latest data, posted by the World Health Organization (WHO), showed an increase of 500 deaths compared to statistics published by the UN health agency two days ago on December 17.

U.S. drone strike, Pakistan forces kill at least 10 alledged Taliban fighters: Around 200 alledged Taliban fighters killed since Tuesday's school massacre in Peshawar, which left 148 people dead.

Civilian deaths in Afghanistan war reach new high in 2014: U.N.: - At least 3,188 Afghan civilians have been killed in the intensifying war with the Taliban in 2014, making it the deadliest year on record for non-combatants, the United Nations said on Friday.

Obama vows response to North Korea over attack: President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to respond to a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures that he blamed on North Korea, and scolded the Hollywood studio for caving in to what he described as a foreign dictator imposing censorship in America.

North Korea Hacked Sony? Don't Believe It, Experts Say: "The U.S. security-intelligence complex is running amok once again," Sean Sullivan, a security adviser at Finnish antivirus firm F-Secure, tweeted. "Washington, D.C., is incapable of saying 'we don't know.'"

North Korea probably not behind Sony Pictures hack, says cyber security expert - video : Caroline Baylon, a research associate in cyber security at Chatham House, discusses why the North Korean government was probably not behind the hack of Sony Pictures.

North Korea demands joint inquiry with US into Sony Pictures hack: Pyongyang denies responsibility for cyber-attack and threatens grave consequences if Washington continues to blame it

Putin says no one can 'intimidate or isolate' Russia: President Vladimir Putin said Saturday no country can “intimidate” or “isolate” Russia, after the West imposed new sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Obama authorizes ‘economic embargo’ on Russia’s Crimea: Obama has issued an executive order that “prohibits the export of goods, technology, or services to Crimea and prohibits the import of goods, technology, or services from Crimea, as well as new investments in Crimea,” according to the statement.

German Foreign Minister Warns Against More Russia Sanctions: Germany’s foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned against imposing more sanctions on Russia in an interview that was published on Friday, saying bringing Russia to its knees would not make Europe safer.

Italian PM urges revision of attitude to Russia, opposes sanctions: The Italian prime minister opposed the idea of more sanctions against Russia.

Hollande risks EU split with debate on Russian sanctions relief: Europe has stumbled into a debate over the end of sanctions on the economically distressed Russia after French President Francois Hollande became the first major leader to dangle the prospect of easing the curbs.

China stakes claim in Central and Southeast Europe: A Chinese agreement to finance a high-speed railway from Belgrade to Bucharest was one of around $10bn worth of investments, mainly in the energy and infrastructure sectors, signed during a China-Central and Eastern Europe summit this week. By funding the railway, Beijing hopes to establish a rapid connection from Greece’s Pireaus Port through the Balkans to the EU member states of Central Europe.

Dollar's Strength could be Global Economy's Weakness, Says BIS Report: These warnings came after China revealed some very disappointing trade figures last Monday. Further, the dollar rose to a seven-year high against the yen and a five-year high against the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a mixed basket of 10 currencies.

Skype Opens America’s Borders. Green Cards for All!: Beginning in 2015 and escalating from then on, skilled workers from all over the world will have the digital equivalent of green cards. They will be legal to hire. They will flood into America’s middle-class job markets.

Cuba 'will not change' communist system, despite thaw with US: Cuban President Raul Castro has hailed a recent US move to normalise bilateral relations, but stressed that Havana will not change its political system. He also warned that Cuba faced a "long and difficult struggle" before the US removed its economic embargo.

Torturing Democracy: None of us can any longer ‘Cover Our Eyes’ to CIA abuses: The torture chambers operated in the dark while Washington gave them cover. Torture was not the work of a few “bad apples” – in the CIA or the military – but the result of official policy set at the government’s highest levels.

Pentagon anti-bomb force 'improperly retained' information on Americans; The Pentagon’s taskforce charged with stopping insurgent bombs has - collected information on American companies and their executives, people inside the United States, US military personnel and Afghan farmers. Despite internal Pentagon criticism, it continues to carry out intelligence functions.

FBI evidence often mishandled, inquiry finds: FBI agents in every region of the country have mishandled, mislabeled, and lost evidence, according to a highly critical internal investigation that discovered errors with nearly half the pieces of evidence it reviewed.

13 Years In Prison For Two Marijuana Joints In Louisiana?: Bernard’s sentence is a prime example of the draconian nature of the marijuana laws in many states across the country.

Milwaukee protesters block interstate over police killings: At least 73 adults and one minor have been taken into custody by Milwaukee police for blocking interstate highway 43 while protesting the killing of an unarmed and mentally infirm black man by police officer earlier this year.

Your police raid outrage of the day: Generally speaking, unless you’re certain your local police agency provides good training for crisis intervention and has a track record of resolving these situations peacefully, you should be cautious about calling the police when a loved one is having emotional problems.

Hard Times in a Boom Town: Pennsylvanians Describe Costs of Fracking: Aikens pulls a tattered photocopy of a ten cent check from his wallet, emblazoned with the logo of a division of Chesapeake Energy. It's the royalty check for the gas produced on his 359 acre farm, after post-production expenses were deducted from the check.

Sea level rise threatening Kennedy Space Center in Florida: "There's reason to be nervous now because the problem is so obvious," Peter Adams, a geology professor at the University of Florida, told Reuters.

Headlines Continued

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