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May 29/30 2015

Patrolling The Hood From (China) Sea To Shining Sea

By Pepe Escobar

This South China Sea exceptionalist adventurism could alarmingly get out of hand.
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Pivot Insanity
Why is Obama Goading China?

Mike Whitney


US powerbrokers know that bullying China involves significant risks for themselves and the world.
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The US And China Can Avoid A Collision – if the US Gives Up Its Empire

By John Glaser

The problem isn’t China’s rise, but rather America’s insistence on maintaining military and economic dominance right in China’s backyard.
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US Cries FIFA Foul to Penalise Russia

By Finian Cunningham

The real motive, - has little to do with American authorities stamping out corruption in sporting finances.
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‘Now, We Have a Democratically Elected Totalitarian Government’

By Arundhati Roy

“How have the other ‘developed’ countries progressed? Through wars and by colonising and usurping the resources of other countries and societies,” she says. “India has no option but to colonise itself.”
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US Sending Weapons To Iraq To Use Against Weapons US Previously Sent To Iraq

By DS Wright

It’s almost like war is a business.
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Secularists vs. Suicide Bombers

By Patrick J. Buchanan

Why do all the martyrs seem to be on their side? And why is it our side that, all too often, shows "no will to fight"?
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Resurgence of the ‘Surge’ Myth

By Ray McGovern

Official Washington loves the story – the Iraq War was failing until President George W. Bush bravely ordered a “surge” in 2007 that won the war, but President Obama squandered the victory, requiring a new “surge” now.
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The Biggest Crime You’ve Never Heard Of

By Ian Sinclair

What if our own government has been responsible for genocide-level suffering, without the media raising the alarm and therefore leaving the general public in a state of ignorance?
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How NATO Deliberately Destroyed Libya's Water Infrastructure

By Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed


Critical water installations bombed - then blamed on Gaddafi.
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US Rebukes Israel While Showering it with Arms and Favors

By Jonathan Cook

Just as the White House gears up for another 18 months of humiliation and sabotage from Netanyahu and his government, Obama is showering Israel with gifts, as part of its long-standing “security” doctrine.
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GOP Presidential Candidates Go to Israel and Return With Fairy Tales

By Zaid Jilani

Israel is playing a greater role in the Republican presidential race than perhaps ever before.
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A New Age Of Revolt And Rebellion
The Implosion of Global Capitalism


By Chris Hedges

Chris Hedges delivers a stark and urgent apprisal of the worldwide catastrophe that’s sure to come if the current system isn’t confronted and forced to change.
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The Coming Crash & The Recession That Never Ended

By Richard Wolff and Thom Hartmann

How the Crash Will Come About.
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Over 32 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraqi Army Operations in Samarra: Iraqi ArmyThe Iraqi Army raided ISIL's positions in Samarra, in Salahuddin province, which resulted in the killing of at least 32 fighters, the Iraqi Defense Ministry announced.

15 killed in Baghdad hotel bombings: The double bombing occurred late on Thursday when the bombs went off in the car parks of the Cristal, formerly Sheraton, and Babil hotels. Initial reports said 10 people were killed and 27 wounded, but the casualty figures rose overnight.

Pentagon looking at ways to train and equip Sunni forces faster: "I think one particular way that's extremely important is to involve the Sunni tribes in the fight. That means training and equipping them. So those are the kinds of things that the team back home is looking at," he during a press briefing en route to Singapore.

Let them eat bombs: 'Chaotic picture' as funding gap threatens WHO operations in Iraq: More than 3 million refugees and displaced Iraqis could be denied life-saving healthcare as the World Health Organization (WHO) scrambles to secure $60 million to fund their operations in the country to the end of the year.

Extremist militants kill 31 Syrian forces in captured town: The extremist militant groups killed as many as 31 Syrian forces in the northwestern town of Ariha, which fell in the hands of the militants on Thursday, a monitor group said Friday.

Syrian insurgents advance in areas around captured town: activists: The "Army of Fatah" alliance which includes al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front, the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group and other factions, captured Ariha town Thursday night as the Syrian military pulled back.

Syria's Al-Nusra plans for Damascus take over, removal of Assad: "The orders from Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri (current al-Qaida leader) are we should not attack the West from Syria, because it won't help us, and it may complicate the situation," Abu Mohammad al-Golani said Wednesday in a rare interview.

Video purports to show Turkish intelligence shipping arms to Syria: A Turkish newspaper published video footage on Friday which it said showed security forces discovering weapons parts being sent to Syria on trucks belonging to the MIT state intelligence agency.

Coalition strikes, fighting kill 40 rebels in Yemen's Aden: Saudi-led coalition strikes against Iran-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen's second city Aden Thursday and ground clashes killed at least 40 Houthis and their allies, the city's deputy governor said.

Houthi rebels kill Sanaa's governor, claim relatives: Yemen's Houthi rebels, under fire from a Saudi-led coalition, have killed the capital's governor in clashes that erupted during an attempt to detain him, his relatives said on Friday.

Yemen strikes target border, kill two Saudis: Two Saudi border guards were killed and five wounded by shells fired from Yemeni territories, an Interior Ministry spokesman said yesterday, as the United Nations said the war’s death toll was close to 2,000.

Islamic State claims blast killing four at Saudi mosque: - Islamic State claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed four people at a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia on Friday, the second attack claimed by the Sunni militant group in a week in the world's top oil-exporting country.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham vows ‘violent pushback’ to protect Israel in UN: As the United States awaits his official declaration that he plans to contend for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, Sen. Lindsey Graham came to Israel to reinforce his relations with the new government.

UN considers leaving Israel off child's rights violators list, would compare IDF to Boko Haram : At issue is an annex to the report, which would place Israel on a list with terror organizations and states that are considered to be among the world’s worst human rights abusers.

Netanyahu: Effort to hurt Israel will destroy FIFA: Prime minister warns global soccer organization and Blatter that Israel would resist Palestinians' suspension proposal 'unequivocally'.

Palestine drops motion to suspend Israel from FIFA: The motion had been included on the agenda at the FIFA Congress but PFA president Jibril Rajoub said he had been persuaded to back down. "I decided to drop the suspension but it does not mean that I give up the resistance," he said.

Who the Jewish Billionaires Are Backing for 2016: A quick look at the list of top political donors for 2014 reveals a striking fact: At least a third of the most generous 50 mega-givers were Jewish. In fact, contributions from Jewish billionaires and multi-millionaires dominated the top 10 spots on the list.

Boko Haram clash kills 37: army: A clash between Chad's army and Boko Haram on a Lake Chad island has killed four soldiers and 33 Islamists, a military spokesman said Friday.

Borno: 10 killed, several others injured after suicide bomber blows herself up: A wedding at Tashan Alade in Hawul local government area of Borno state on Friday turned bloody when a female suicide bomber was detonated a bomb, killing herself and 10 other guests.

U.S. ready to send military trainers to Nigeria in Boko Haram fight: The United States is prepared to send military trainers to Nigeria to help new President Muhammadu Buhari's armed forces improve their intelligence gathering and logistics, a senior State Department official said on Friday.

IS seizes control of airport in Libya`s Sirte: Tripoli govt: The Islamic State jihadist group has seized control of the airport in the city of Sirte after forces of a Tripoli-based Libyan government withdrew, a spokesman said Friday.

Libya PM Thinni escapes assassination attempt: Spokesman: "The prime minister's car was hit by bullets when armed men opened fire as it was leaving an area where a session of parliament was held" in the eastern city of Tobruk, Hatem El Ouraybi told AFP.

Pakistan: 7 Killed in Gun Battle: At least two soldiers and five militants were killed today in a gun battle in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border, an official said.

Majority of US Citizens Support Drone Murders Conducted Abroad - Poll: Close to 60 percent of US citizens are in favor of Washington conducting drone strikes against terrorists in foreign countries such as Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia, a poll from Pew Research Center found.

US takes dangerous gamble in S.China Sea : Some Chinese scholars hold that the US is merely flying a kite. It's testing China's determination and strategy to counterstrike US provocation. It's probable that the US military and diplomatic circles haven't yet reached a consensus. Washington will make the decision after assessing China's reaction.

U.S. says China has placed mobile artillery on reclaimed island: The United States said on Friday that China had placed mobile artillery weapons systems on a reclaimed island in the disputed South China Sea, a development that Republican Sen. John McCain called "disturbing and escalatory."

China castigates Abe over latest military comments: Japanese leaders should act in a way that is more conducive to regional peace and stability, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday, after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated possible support for foreign forces in the South China Sea.

Putin concerned over shelling of civilian facilities by Ukrainian servicemen: "The Russian side stressed its concern in connection with more frequent incidents of shelling by the Ukrainian army of civilian facilities that resulted in deaths of civilians," Kremlin reported

NATO Breaks Treaty to Establish Permanent Forces in Baltic: NATO is set to break a 1997 treaty it signed with Russia by establishing permanent forces in Latvia, as it piles in more troops to the Baltic States.

US embassy in Estonia spying on locals with consent from Tallinn – report: The Estonian Postimees media outlet reported on Friday that a team of five spooks have been tracking ordinary people passing by within several hundred meters from the American embassy in Tallinn.

Belgium launches investigation into German and US spying: Belgian media said Friday Germany's BND intelligence agency and the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had intercepted communications from Belgium and other countries.

UN report: Encryption crucial for human rights: “Encryption and anonymity enable individuals to exercise their rights to freedom of opinion and expression in the digital age and, as such, deserve strong protection,” says the report, from the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

NSA’s Mass Surveillance Started By 1999 Or Earlier: Diane Roark – the congressional staffer in charge of overseeing the NSA for the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee – says that NSA’s mass surveillance started by 1999 or earlier … but NSA hid it from Congress:

Assange on the Untold Story of the Grounding of Evo Morales’ Plane During Edward Snowden Manhunt: During the U.S. hunt for Snowden, Bolivian President Evo Morales’s plan was forced to land in Austria for 14 hours after Spain, France, Portugal and Italy closed their airspace under pressure from the United States over false rumors Snowden was on board

New Evidence Shows Police Did Massacre 42 in Michoacan, Mexico: Cuevas accounts suggest there were no illegal activities going on at the ranch and that the people working there were executed and not killed during a shootout as federal police had reported.

A drug war made in Mexico? US drug policy has spelt nothing but trouble for Mexico.

Planned new U.S. Embassy in Mexico a "fiasco": Cost overruns in Afghanistan are over $150 million, and the new embassy in London could top $1 billion. It is an embassy that was supposed to cost $577 million to build, but the construction estimate has gone up by one third -- and the State Department hasn't even broken ground yet.

Corruption is leading indicator for political unrest, study finds: Corruption is a leading indicator for political instability and 64 countries where fraud and bribery are widespread risk falling into violent upheaval, a global think tank said in a new report.

Former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert indicted on federal charges: The Illinois Republican, who left office in 2007, was charged with structuring the withdrawal of $952,000 in cash in order to evade the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000, and lying to the FBI about his withdrawals, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

U.S. Households Under Pressure: Stagnant Incomes, Rising Basic Expenses: News Analysis - How do you support a consumer economy with stagnant incomes for the bottom 90%, rising basic expenses and crashing employment for males ages 25-54? Answer: you don't.

Privacy concerns over facial recognition test program: For the next three months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents will test facial recognition technology, but CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave says the trial has some people worried that anonymity could become a thing of the past.

Why did the US Army ship live anthrax?: Live samples of one of the deadliest biological warfare agents were sent in FedEx packages all over the United States.

May 28, 2015

Media's Deafening Silence Over West's and Israel's Alliance With al-Qaeda in Syria

By John Hilley

We can say with confidence that the mainstream press in the West supports Israel, and so does not find it convenient to report on this scandalous Israeli-al-Qaeda alliance in Syria.
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To Beat ISIS, Kick Out US-led Coalition

By Sharmine Narwani


Washington has run fewer sorties over Syria and Iraq in the nine months since inception of its air campaign, than Israel ran in its entire three-week Gaza blitz in 2008-09.
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Delusionary Thinking in Washington
The Desperate Plight of a Declining Superpower


By Michael T. Klare

Take a look around the world and it’s hard not to conclude that the United States is a superpower in decline.
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U.S. Power and the Godfather Principle

By Noam Chomsky, John Holder and Doug Morris

“International affairs” is very much like the mafia. A major principle of international affairs is the Godfather cannot brook disobedience.
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The Iran Talks Game Changer: An Israeli-Hezbollah War?

By Trita Parsi and Paul Pillar

There are signs Israel may be at war again this summer.
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Israel Is A Discredit To America
You Are Judged By The Company You Keep


By Paul Craig Roberts

These days the new members of congress arrived pre-conditioned to demonstrate their devotion to the Israeli cause.
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Tony Blair Quits As Middle East Peace Envoy – Only Israel Will Miss Him

By Robert Fisk

Blair tendered his resignation and left one question: how come a war criminal ever became a “peace envoy” in the first place?
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Ahead Of Israel Expulsion Vote U.S. Orders Raid On FIFA

By Moon Of Alabama

The U.S. ordered Swiss police to raid, incarcerate and extradite to the U.S. six FIFA officials for alleged corruption.
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Anonymous Fear-Mongering About the Patriot Act from the White House and NYT

By Glenn Greenwald

It’s just government propaganda masquerading as a news article, where anonymous officials warn the country that they will die if the Patriot Act isn’t renewed immediately.
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Washington’s Two Track Policy to Latin America
Marines to Central America and Diplomats to Cuba

By James Petras


US policymakers are actively involved in promoting ‘client’ opposition parties, movements and personalities to destabilize independent governments and are intent on re-imposing US domination.
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Washington Protects Its Lies With More Lies

By Paul Craig Roberts

My distrust has deepened of Seymour Hersh’s retelling of the Obama regime’s extra-judicial murder of Osama bin Laden.
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Senior NATO Official Claims We’ll Be at War by Summer

By Joshua Krause

“Said a senior NATO (non-US) GOFO to me today: “We’ll probably be at war this summer. If we’re lucky it won’t be nuclear.” Let that sink in.” Former NSA intelligence analyst John Schindler.
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Ukraine Labor Dares Operation Vulture

By Michael Hudson

Ukraine’s collapse since the February 2014 coup has become an umbrella for grabitization.
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Four US Cancer Charities Charged With Misusing Donations In Excess Of $187m

By Reuters

The Cancer Fund of America raised $86.8m for charity but gave just 1% of that to cancer patients.
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Saudi attack kills 76 people in Yemen: Saudi-led coalition warplanes have bombed a special forces camp in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, killing at least 36 people, officials and witnesses say. Residents of the Bakeel al-Meer area told the Reuters news agency that at least 40 people had been killed, mostly civilians.

Yemen border strikes kill two Saudis, Yemen death toll near 2,000: WHO: - Two Saudi border guards were killed and five wounded by shells fired from Yemeni territories, an Interior Ministry spokesman said late on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the war's death toll was close to 2,000.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia Coordinating Plans to Send ISIL Terrorists to Yemen: "Saudi Arabia has made the needed coordination with Turkey to dispatch terrorists and their commanders to Yemen to take part in the attacks against Ansarullah fighters and Yemeni soldiers," Hamid Hossein al-Hamdani told FNA on Thursday.

47 killed in clashes with IS militants in central Iraq: A total of 47 people were killed on Thursday in separate clashes between the Islamic State (IS) militants and Iraqi security forces in the provinces of Salahudin and Anbar, security sources said.

12 ISIS militants killed in aerial bombing in Samarra District: On Thursday, Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced, that 12 ISIS militants have been killed in an air strike by the Iraqi Air Force in the district of Samarra.

Iraq exhumed 470 bodies from Tikrit mass graves: minister: "We have exhumed the bodies of 470 Speicher martyrs from burial sites in Tikrit," Adila Hammoud said at a press conference in Baghdad, referring to the nearby military base that the massacre was named after.

Pentagon plans to arm Sunni fighters vs. ISIS: The Pentagon has plans to provide military equipment to Sunni tribal fighters, a defense spokeswoman said on Wednesday, a shift from its current policy to provide the equipment only through the central government in Baghdad.

Iraq army held 10-to-1 advantage during Ramadi defeat, sources say: Iraqi forces in Ramadi had held a 10-to-1 numerical advantage over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant when the pro-government troops retreated in the face of an ISIL offensive over a week ago

US needs to rethink Iraq strategy, says Obama: President Barack Obama said the US and its allies need to examine whether they are deploying military assets effectively against Islamic State militants as Iraq mounts a new offensive to recapture territory west of Baghdad.

Republicans' 'plans' for Isis would drag us into Iraq for another ground war: News Analysis - Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the groundwork being laid for US ground troops to return to Iraq for another indefinite war with no end game.

Islamic State kills 20 in Palmyra amphitheatre: monitor: Islamic State militants shot dead around 20 men in an ancient amphitheatre in the Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday, accusing them of being government supporters, a group monitoring the conflict said.

Hezbollah uses drone to kill 3 alleged, members of Nusra Front: A Hezbollah missile ambushed a group of at least three Islamist militants in Syria’s Qalamoun region along the border with Lebanon Wednesday after being spotted by a drone, the party’s Al-Manar TV reported.

Rebels storm last government-held city in Syria's Idlib: monitor: The lightning offensive saw the Army of Conquest, or Jaish al-Fatah in Arabic, enter outer districts of Ariha within a matter of hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.

Nusra leader: Our mission is to defeat Syrian government: The leader of the Nusra Front, one of Syria's most powerful rebel groups, has said that his group's main mission is to dislodge the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and that it has no agenda to target the West unless provoked.

US training of Syria mercenaries expands to Turkey: source: The U.S. military has started training Syrian opposition fighters in Turkey to combat ISIS, an expected expansion of a program that first launched in Jordan weeks ago, a U.S. official told Reuters Thursday.

Russian, U.S. positions on Syria are getting closer, Lavrov says: "Indeed, I think our positions with the United States are getting closer, first and foremost in regard to statements that there can be no alternative to a political solution in Syria," Lavrov told a news conference.

U.S. "defense" aid to Israel to rise over Iran deal fears: sources: A current package worth $3 billion a year expires in 2017. A U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said negotiators were close to a new deal that would bring annual payouts to $3.6-$3.7 billion on average.

War criminal: Tony Blair quits Middle East envoy role: No-one is going to consider Tony Blair's period as Quartet envoy a resounding success

Afghanistan: 37 Insurgents Killed in ANSF Operations: At least 37 insurgents including five Pakistani Taliban have been killed in a series of coordinated operations by the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), in the eastern Paktia province of Afghanistan, a local official said Thursday

Six killed in US assassination drone strike in Afghanistan: At least six people have been killed in the latest US drone strikes on Afghanistan’s Nuristan and Kunar provinces. The first of the Wednesday raids in the northeastern province of Nuristan claimed the lives of five people.

U.S. hopes Chinese island-building will spur Asian response: By releasing video of Beijing’s island reclamation work and considering more assertive maritime actions, the United States is signaling a tougher stance over the South China Sea and trying to spur Asian partners to more action.

Egyptian police general killed in roadside bomb attack in Sinai : An Egyptian police brigadier general was killed in a roadside bomb attack on Wednesday in North Sinai, the interior ministry said, one of the most high-profile police deaths in the Islamist insurgency raging in the region.

Libya on verge of economic collapse, U.N. envoy warns: "Libya is on the verge of economic and financial collapse. It is facing huge security threats because of the civil war but also...because of the Daesh threat," he said, referring to Islamic State militants who have gained a foothold in the oil-rich country.

Biden cracks door to lethal aid to Ukraine: The debate over whether to provide lethal defensive aid, such as anti-tank missiles, to Ukraine is "worth having," Vice President Biden said Wednesday. Biden accused Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, of flouting international rules including "brutal" aggression in Ukraine. He called for strengthening NATO and energy independence for Europe

Putin backs FIFA's Blatter amid corruption scandal: Russian president says US probe is "blatant attempt to extend its jurisdiction" as Russia prepares for 2018 World Cup.

Washington Wages War on International Soccer: Is there more to what's going on than meets the eye? In January 2011, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Russian Sports minister Vitaly Mulko signed a declaration on Russia's official status as 2018 World Cup host nation.

Prostitution and Poverty in the UK: In Britain, the recession has left many people struggling to make ends meet, but reports have shown that young people – young single mothers in particular, are feeling the worst of austerity, and many are turning to prostitution in pursuit of financial security.

First-of-its-kind Marine task force deploys to Central America: About 180 Marines will remain in Soto Cano, Honduras, as the task force headquarters element, while the remaining 100 will be dispatched to locations throughout the region to work with local militaries, officials said in a news release.

Is Canada on the path to totalitarianism? In Canada, it's almost impossible to hold citizens for what they may be thinking of doing - for now, anyway.

US Army begins training for the next war, which may be much different — and bigger: Fort Riley is putting soldiers such as Staff Sgt. Gilbert Monroe back into big tanks and simulating wars on a scale grander than Iraq or Afghanistan.

WikiLeaks releases more than half a million US diplomatic cables from 1978: 1978 was an unusually important year in geopolitics. The year saw the start of a great many political conflicts and alliances which continue to define the present world order, as well as the rise of still-important personalities and political dynasties.

Edward Snowden leaks could bring down part of U.S. Patriot Act: The section of the act used by the U.S. to justify phone surveillance could be thrown out by the Republican-controlled Congress.

Obama Calls on Senate to Act on Patriot Act During Recess: President Obama called on the Senate Tuesday to work through their early summer vacation in order to keep the Patriot Act from expiring in a week.

VICTORY: Nebraska Becomes the 19th US State to Abolish the Death Penalty!: Red-state Nebraska (with a few purple splotches) actually has repealed the death penalty by voting to override the Governor’s veto! And who were the people responsible for finally pushing this through? A strong coalition of abolitionists, plus some unlikely suspects, that’s who.

Live Anthrax Was Mistakenly Sent To 9 States And A U.S. Military Base: Fears of exposure to the potentially deadly disease has prompted officials to advise four civilian workers to get preventive care; more than 20 military personnel are also being monitored.

Clinton Foundation Donors Got Weapons Deals From Hillary Clinton's State Department: Even by the standards of arms deals between the United States and Saudi Arabia, this one was enormous. A consortium of American defense contractors led by Boeing would deliver $29 billion worth of advanced fighter jets to the United States' oil-rich ally in the Middle East.

Border Patrol Agents Tase an Unarmed Woman Inside the U.S.: Video of the encounter suggests another instance of needless escalation and excessive force.

May 26, 2015

Failure of the US coup d’État in Macedonia

By Thierry Meyssan

Macedonia has just neutralised an armed group whose sponsors had been under surveillance for at least eight months. By doing so, it has prevented a new attempt at a coup d’État, planned by Washington for the 17th of May.
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Washington Blows Itself Up With Its Own Bomb

By F. William Engdahl

This is the real background to the surprise visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Sochi to meet with “Satan” himself, Putin.
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Will Aleppo Become the Capital of a New Caliphate?

By Edward Dark

The plan, drawn up by the insurgency’s three most powerful regional backers - Turkey, Saudi and Qatar - is to overrun the entire northwest of Syria and create a rebel controlled “safe zone,”
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Lack Of U.S. Air Support In Ramadi Points To Disguised Darker Aim:

By Moon Of Alabama

Why were there so few U.S. air attacks on the Islamic State attackers when they took Ramadi?
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NYT Trumpets U.S. Restraint against ISIS, Ignores Hundreds of Civilian Deaths

By Glenn Greenwald

Anonymous officials complain that the U.S. cares too deeply about protecting civilians to do what it should do against ISIS.
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Is US Foreign Policy As Barbaric As The Islamic State?

By William Blum

The Islamic State has done nothing compared to what the United States did to the people of Fallujah.
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The Concept of WMD, and its Use against Syria, in the Propaganda Systems of Western States

By Stephen Gowans

WMD, applied to chemical, biological, and radiological weapons, is by design, a term of deception, whose purpose is the manipulation of public opinion to soften up attitudes to war.
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Far from Facing the Truth, the US Is Telling New Lies about Iraq

By Gary Younge

Extracting a moral from this disaster would demand “unravelling the deeper meaning” of America’s military impulses, the popular consent it enjoys and the craven political assent it is accorded.
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U.S. Soldiers Died for Empire and Hegemony

By Jacob G. Hornberger

On Memorial Day, Americans honor the soldiers who have died in the defense of our country. There is one big problem though: Those soldiers didn’t die in the defense of our country.
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War Is A Racket

By Major General Smedley Butler, USMC

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people.
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Austerity Is the Only Deal-Breaker

By Yanis Varoufakis

A common fallacy pervades coverage by the world’s media of the negotiations between the Greek government and its creditors.
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The NSA’s Technotyranny: One Nation Under Surveillance

By John W. Whitehead

“The ultimate goal of the NSA is total population control.”—William Binney, NSA whistleblower.
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Syrian army raid kills 140 Islamic State fighters – agency: The Syrian air force killed at least 140 members of Islamic State in an air raid on a military base held by the group in the north of the country, state news agency SANA said on Tuesday.

Six Hezbollah fighters, 30 militants killed in Qalamoun clash: source: Monday's clashes ended with Hezbollah fighters seizing two new hilltops in Qalamoun, three weeks into an offensive to oust jihadis from the rugged border region, according to Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV.

Syria says air support to rebels would be 'aggression': Faisal Mekdad's comments on Tuesday were in response to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who said Turkey and the U.S. have agreed in "principle" to provide air protection to rebels being trained and equipped to fight ISIS militants, once they enter Syrian territory for battle.

Turkey says training of moderate Syrian rebels "begins" with US: Turkey and the United States have started training moderate Syrian rebels on Turkish territory to prepare them to fight Islamic State (IS) militants, the Turkish foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Mikdad: Turkish FM’s statements proof of Turkey’s direct support for terrorists: In response to statements by the Turkish Foreign Minister on providing air support to terrorists in Syria, Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad said that any country that considers providing support to terrorist organizations are committing aggression against Syria.

'Ditch double standards!' Russia seeks united anti-ISIS front after Palmyra massacre: Moscow has condemned the massacre of civilians in the ancient city of Palmyra, urging the international community to denounce double standards in its approach to fighting terrorists, and unite against IS (Islamic State, formerly ISIS/ISIL) aggression.

ISIS leader al-Baghdadi arrives in Nineveh coming from Syria, along with a number of his assistants: Report: On Monday, a local source in Nineveh province said, that the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has entered Nineveh province coming from the Syrian city of al-Raqqa after he secretly crossed the Iraqi-Syrian borders alongside a number of his aides.

Iraq forces kill 70 ISIL militants in west Samarra: Iraqi forces, backed by Shia volunteer forces, have killed at least 70 militants belonging to the ISIL Takfiri gro

Iraq's army launches offensive to retake Anbar: Officials in Anbar told Associated Press news agency on Tuesday of air strikes and fighting on the ground west and south of the provincial capital, Ramadi.

Iraqi Shi'ite militia claim leadership of campaign against Islamic State: The militia fighters have performed better on the battlefield than Iraq's own army, but their presence risks alienating the Sunni residents of the area, especially if they emphasize sectarian aims.

Iraqi lack of will to fight ISIS has been 'a problem': White House: The White House said on Tuesday that Iraqi troops' lack of will to fight ISIS militants, an issue cited by the Pentagon chief over the weekend, has been a concern.

Lack Of U.S. Air Support In Ramadi Points To Disguised Darker Aim: Why were there so few U.S. air attacks on the Islamic State attackers when they took Ramadi? The first excuse put out by the U.S. military was "a sandstorm ate my lunch". That excuse was placed as news in the NYT:

Seven members of Yemeni family killed in Saudi-led strike -residents: Seven members of a family were killed in an overnight strike by Saudi-led warplanes on a border village in northern Yemen, residents said, as heavy clashes erupted across the frontier after Houthi fire killed one Saudi citizen.

Yemen shelling kills 2 in Saudi border region: Shellfire from Yemen killed one civilian and a member of the security forces in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, officials said.

Houthis suffer first serious setback in south Yemen fighting: residents: Local Sunni Muslim militia ejected Shi'ite Houthi rebels from much of the southern Yemeni city of Dalea on Monday, residents and combatants said, inflicting the first significant setback on the Iranian-backed rebels in two months of civil war.

Two thirds of Yemen without clean water, as outbreak of disease looms: Oxfam: Oxfam has called for a ceasefire to allow for medical supplies and clean water to be brought in to alleviate a desperate humanitarian situation

Bangladeshi UN peacekeeper shot dead in Mali's capital: A Bangladeshi peacekeeper was shot dead and another wounded, the United Nations said Tuesday, in the second attack in days in Mali's capital on what is considered the world's most dangerous UN mission.

Libya’s parliament halts session as car burns outside: Libya’s elected parliament halted a session attended by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni on Tuesday after protesters set fire to a car outside its base in the eastern city of Tobruk, lawmakers said.

Pay strikes halt flights at Libya’s main airports: Libya’s three main airports cancelled flights on Tuesday morning because of strikes by ground staff complaining they have not been paid for two months, airport officials said.

EU plan for military intervention against "refugee boats" in Libya and the Mediterranean: Today, WikiLeaks is releasing two classified EU documents, outlining the planned military intervention against boats travelling from Libya to Italy. The more significant of the two documents was written by the combined military defence chiefs of the EU member states.

20 killed as deadly Taliban raids hit Afghan security forces: "In Nawzad, the standoff has been particularly difficult and has been going on for hours with the Taliban taking three army checkpoints and surrounding the district's headquarters,"

Taliban suicide bombers attack Afghan court killing two: Taliban suicide bombers attacked a court in Wardak province on Tuesday, killing two police officers before being shot dead as they entered the compound, the police chief said.

China plans blunt move into 'open seas,' warns foreign powers not to meddle: In a new strategy unveiled today, the South China Sea continues to be a potential flashpoint for China and its neighbors, and between Washington and Beijing.

Japan will join a major US-Australian military exercise for the first time: Japan will join a major US-Australian military exercise for the first time in a sign of growing security links between the three countries as tensions fester over China's island building in the South China Sea.

Six killed in east Ukraine fighting: officials: Four separatists rebels, a Ukrainian soldier and one civilian were killed in clashes that broke out over the past 24 hours in violation of a February truce deal, officials said Tuesday.

Thousands of Ukrainians protest Kiev regime’s draconian utility price hikes: Protests are mounting against decisions by the NATO-backed regime in Kiev to drastically increase prices for energy, water, and other basic necessities.

Russia Adopting 'Increasingly Aggressive Posture' Says Obama: US President Barack Obama accused Russia of toughening its battlefield stance today, as he met with the NATO secretary general to discuss the rolling crisis in Ukraine.

Russia's Landmark $2Bln Deal With Egypt for MiG Fighter Jets: Russia has agreed to deliver 46 MiG-29 air superiority fighters to Egypt and is soon expected to sign a deal worth approximately $2 billion, what might become the largest order since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s business daily Vedomosti reports, quoting a source close to the aviation industry.

Interview with Podemos Founder: Spain’s 2-Party System Is Dying : Spain's two-party system is dead after Sunday’s elections, but the old forces will use their power to try to stop left-wing Podemos winning November's Spanish general election, Podemos’ founder, Juan Carlos Monedero told teleSUR in an exclusive interview.

FARC Leader Killed In New Military Attack: Commander Roman Ruiz was killed alongside four other militants after government forces bombed their position in the Choco region.

New Recording Uncovers Another Opposition Plot in Venezuel: The audio shows a conversation between two jailed opposition leaders describing upcoming destabilization plans.

Cuban Life Expectancy Among the Highest in World at 78.45 Years : Life expectancy for women was slightly higher at 80.45 years, with the life span for men at 76.50 years. Cuba is in the top 25 countries in the world for life expectancy, which is considered an important indicator of human development and quality of healthcare.

List of countries by life expectancy: The life expectancy is shown separately for males and females, as well as a combined figure.

Chicago : 12 Killed, 43 Wounded In Memorial Day Weekend Shootings: Twelve people were killed and at least 43 — including a 4-year-old girl — were wounded in shootings across Chicago this Memorial Day weekend, police said.

Baltimore Bloodshed Continues; 29 Shot, 9 killed Over Holiday Weekend: It’s the deadliest month Baltimore has seen in more than 15 years. More than two dozen shootings over the holiday weekend alone have city police working around the clock.

May 25, 2015

China State Paper Warns of War Unless US Backs Down

By GMA News

A Chinese state-owned newspaper said on Monday that "war is inevitable" between China and the United States over the South China Sea.
Continue

China's Plan to Lead the Globe

By Eric Margolis

Will Washington back off and allow China to be the master of Asia? It seems highly doubtful.
Continue

Japanese Nationalism: Decoy for American Imperialism?

By Andre Vltchek


Japan is ready to change its post-war pacifist constitution; it is rapidly arming itself to the teeth, building battleships and purchasing fighter jets.
Continue

A Color Revolution for Macedonia

By Paul Craig Roberts


War is in the making. War with Russia means war also with China. This is not a war that Washington and its vassals or human life can win.
Continue

The Head of the GRU Accuses US and Allies of Creating the Transnational “Islamist” Terrorist Network

By The Saker

A speech by Colonel-General Igor Sergun, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia.
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Israeli Gears

By Jeffrey St. Clair

Meet the Real Israeli Defense Force: the US Congress.
Continue

Our Mania for Hope Is a Curse

By Chris Hedges

As global capitalism disintegrates, the heresy our corporate masters fear is gaining currency.
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Hillary Clinton and the Manipulation of Populism

By Paul Street

“The Choice is Clear: There is None”
Continue

Memorial Day: Praying for Peace While Waging Permanent War?

By Bill Quigley


We must learn the facts and face the truth that the U.S. is the biggest war maker in the world.
Continue

How to Honor Memorial Day

By Ray McGovern


Avoid euphemisms like “the fallen” and expose the lies about what a great idea it was to start those wars.
Continue

28 IS militants killed in airstrikes, clashes in western Iraq: A total of 28 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Monday in the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and clashes with the Iraqi security forces in the province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

Islamic State faces battle in Iraq, bombs in Syria: Islamic State poured more fighters into Ramadi as security forces and Shi'ite paramilitaries prepared to retake the Iraqi city that fell to the Islamists a week ago in a major setback for the government.

ISIL fighters set Iraq's Beiji oil refinery ablaze: Black plumes of smoke billow over Iraq's largest oil refinery as Iraqi forces advance on the sprawling complex.

US has 'no will' to fight ISIS: Iran military official: The chief of the elite Quds unit in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Major General Qassem Soleimani told the newspaper Javan the US didn’t do a “damn thing” to stop ­the advance by Islamic State on Ramadi.

Syria Says Islamic State Killed Hundreds, Including Children, In Palmyra: - Islamic State fighters have killed at least 400 people, including women and children, in Palmyra since capturing the ancient Syrian city four days ago, Syrian state media said on Sunday.

Turkey says deal with US on air support for Syria rebels: The United States and Turkey have agreed "in principle" to give air support to some forces from Syria's Western-allied opposition, Turkey's foreign minister said, in what if confirmed could mark an expansion of U.S. involvement in the conflict.

Hezbollah Says It Will Increase Presence in Syria : The leader of the Lebanese Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement said on Sunday that his movement's fighters were to increase presence in Syria to aid the country’s government in fighting off the Islamic State group and other radical rebels operating in their territory.

Sayyed Nasrallah: Resistance at Its Utmost Readiness on All Fronts: Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stresses that the resistance is at its utmost readiness on all fronts, noting that although Hezbollah is fighting in Syria, its eyes are still on Israel.

Black flag's shadow looms large: Islamic State: After capturing Ramadi in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria, the Islamic State group has laid the foundations for 'becoming what it claims to be'

Fact or fiction: Syria government to accept de facto partition of country: “It is quite understandable that the Syrian army withdraws to protect large cities where much of the population is located,” said Waddah Abded Rabbo, director of Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper.

Dozens killed as Yemen clashes rage in south as peace talks postponed: There have been fierce clashes in southern Yemen, reportedly leaving dozens of people dead and wounded. In the city of Dhalea, militiamen allied to the exiled government have retaken positions from Houthi rebels. But in Taiz, to the west, the rebels are reported to have pushed back their opponents in heavy street fighting.

Houthis suffer first serious setback in south Yemen fighting: residents: Local Sunni Muslim militia ejected Shi'ite Houthi rebels from much of the southern Yemeni city of Dalea on Monday, residents and combatants said, inflicting the first significant setback on the Iranian-backed rebels in two months of civil war.

Saudi airstrikes in Yemen killed 135 children since March: UN: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says the Saudi action against Yemen has claimed the lives of more than 130 children over the past two months.

Saudis Eye Human Rights Chair: News Analysis - Despite an abysmal human rights record, Saudi Arabia reportedly hopes to chair the UN’s Human Rights Council, a test of how far money can go in buying the world’s silence and acquiescence

Ex-Israeli Premier Olmert sentenced to 8 months in prison: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to eight months in prison for unlawfully accepting money from a U.S. supporter.

Nigeria Army Says It Killed 30 Islamist Militants in Borno Clash: Troops destroyed two armored vehicles and captured a grenade launcher and other weapons during the battle in Mafa, about 53 kilometers (33 miles) east of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, he said.

Boko Haram hacks to death 10 in NE Nigeria: local official: "The attackers went into the village around 4:00 am (0300 GMT) while residents were still asleep and used machetes to attack their victims," he added.

Eight killed as soldier opens fire in Tunisia barracks: The shooter, who had been moved to “a non-sensitive institution”, was banned from carrying weapons following his “unstable condition”, but he managed to take a weapon from a fellow soldier and opened fire on his colleagues during a flag-raising ceremony.

5 African migrants drown in Egypt boat raid: Five African migrants drowned on Monday after jumping into the Mediterranean as Egyptian coastguards raided a boat heading towards Italy, security officials said.

Demonstrator shot dead as protest erupts outside Burundi capital: A demonstrator was shot dead in southern Burundi on Monday, a local official and witness said, in one of the first confirmed reports of civil unrest erupting outside the capital Bujumbura.

Libyan government warplanes attack oil tanker docked at Sirte: Warplanes from Libya's official government attacked an oil tanker docked outside the city of Sirte on Sunday, wounding three people and setting the ship on fire, officials said. "We gave it a chance to evaluate the situation, then our fighting jets attacked the ship because it was unloading fighters and weapons," he added.

19 police, 7 soldiers killed in Afghan siege: Taliban gunmen have surrounded a police compound in the volatile southern province of Helmand after killing 19 police officers and seven soldiers in an ongoing siege, a senior police officer said on Monday from inside the compound.

Bombs kill 11 in Afghanistan as Taliban, IS supporters clash: A suicide truck bomb attack and a separate roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan killed 11 people and wounded dozens more on Monday, as the Taliban clashed with supporters of the Islamic State group in the west, officials said

Top general predicts longer international presence in Afghanistan: - The top coalition commander has been meeting with NATO leaders to hammer out details of a plan that could keep thousands of international "advisers" in the country for years to come. Campbell said as many as 1,000 troops supported by contractors and other civilians could remain in Afghanistan past 2016

Massive India heatwave 'kills 500': At least 500 people are reported to have died in a heatwave sweeping India, with temperatures reaching 48C (118F) in some areas. Most deaths have taken place in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where more than 140 people have died since Saturday

In Myanmar, Muslims Arrested for Joining Terror Group That Doesn’t Exist: The government of Myanmar, cracking down on the country’s minority Muslims, has arrested at least a dozen people on charges of belonging to a terrorist group that defense lawyers and security experts say does not exist.

Philippines seeks stronger commitment from U.S. in South China Sea dispute: The Philippines is seeking a "stronger commitment" from the United States to help its ally, the defense minister said on Monday, as China asserts its sovereignty over disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Leaking Fukushima containers could lead to hydrogen explosions: Containers holding contaminated water at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant are at risk of hydrogen explosions, with 10 percent of them found to be leaking. As many as 333 containers may be defective, according to TEPCO.

Putin signs “undesirable NGOs” Bill into Law : Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill, enabling the designation of foreign and foreign-funded NGOs as undesirables after the bill passed both the Lower and Upper House of Parliament.

Interior minister warns Greece will default on June IMF repayment: Greece cannot make a repayment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due on 5 June as it does not have the money, the interior minister says. "The four instalments for the IMF in June are €1.6bn, this money will not be given and is not there to be given," Nikos Voutsis told Greek TV.

The truth about Riga: Yanis Varoufakis: To fellow Europeans I add this: Perhaps it is time we became a little more sceptical about the journalism we rely upon as citizens. And perhaps we should query European institutions in which decisions of monumental importance are made, on behalf of Europe’s citizenry, but in which minutes are neither taken nor published.

VIDEO: Glenn Greenwald Explains How to Keep Your Data Away From the NSA: Glenn Greenwald explains how tech giants such as Facebook and Google were “eager” to cooperate with the National Security Agency and offers important advice that individuals can follow to make it harder for the NSA to collect private data.

Did the Mexican Army Just Massacre 42 People?: After a shootout in western Mexico, 42 alleged criminals are dead. The army said they died in a shootout, but it looks like they were executed.

One-sided death toll in Mexico gunfight raises questions: "It was a very uneven fight. A battle where 42 die on one side and only one on the other is not a battle," said Raul Benitez Manaut, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He said the gang apparently offered no resistance.

Police detonate pressure cooker outside US Capitol: Police said the vehicle had "odour of gasoline" and found other "items of concern", but they would not say what those items were. The owner of the car, Israel Shimeles of Virginia, was later arrested.

May 23, 2015

Obama’s Fail on Saudi-Qatari Aid to al-Qaeda Affiliate

By Gareth Porter

The Saudi and Qatari governments are aiding the al-Nusra Front and its fellow al-Qaeda front Ahrar al Sham quite deliberately.
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Why Islamic State Is Winning

By Daniel Lazare

Saudi Arabia is a growing political liability. Its policies have become so toxic that even old allies are abandoning it.
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Three Years of Confronting Western Propaganda

By Andre Vltchek

How the Empire tries to destroy Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, Eritrea, China, South Africa, and Iran – through outrageous propaganda and through manufacturing of the “opposition movements”.
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Prosecuting Crimes against Humanity

By Lawrence Davidson

Israel is attempting to do away with the laws protecting us all from crimes against humanity.
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BRICS trample US in South America

By Pepe Escobar

BRICS members China – and in a smaller measure, Russia - have been no less than restructuring commerce and infrastructure all across Latin America.
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61 IS militants killed in air strikes, clashes in Iraq: At least 61 members of the Islamic State (IS) militant group were killed in U.S.-led airstrikes and clashes with Iraqi security forces in northern and central Iraq on Saturday, while security forces freed a small town

Iraq militias start fightback against IS in Ramadi: About 3,000 militia members in Iraq have begun moving against Islamic State militants after the fall of the city of Ramadi last week, officials say. The pro-government forces say they have retaken Husayba, east of Ramadi.

Syrian dissidents to form new coalition at Cairo meet: A number of Syrian opposition factions will gather in Cairo next month to form a new coalition as an alternative to an exiled West-backed alliance, officials said Saturday.

Arab Airstrikes Hit Military Bases In Yemen: Saudi-led airstrikes hit three military bases in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday and the Yemeni government in exile expressed reservations about United Nations-led talks aimed at ending the eight-week war.

Saudi clerics urge calm as village hit by ISIS seethes: Saudi Arabia's top Sunni cleric on Saturday branded a deadly attack on Shiite Muslims a bid to sow chaos, after villagers targeted in the bombing vented their anger at what they saw as the Sunni-dominated government's indifference to their safety.

US blocks nuclear disarmament document over Israel, Moscow fumes: Moscow has slammed the US for rendering the four-week meeting futile.

Israel thanks U.S. for stand on Mideast nuclear arms ban at U.N.: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the United States for blocking an Egyptian-led drive on a possible Middle East nuclear weapons ban at a major United Nations conference, an Israeli official said on Saturday.

18 killed as al-Shabab fighters attack two Somali towns: Dozens of fighters from the armed group al-Shabab have attacked two towns in southern Somalia, sparking clashes with government troops that left at least 18 dead, according to a Somali military official.

Afghanistan: Two soldiers kidnapped in Herat: Two soldiers have been kidnapped in Guzara District of western Herat province, an official said on Saturday.

Pakistan: Three soldiers killed in NWA IED blast: Security officials said that troops were on a routine patrol when a roadside IED hit their vehicle resulting in the demise of three personnel and injuries to three others.

ISIS claims they are close to buy nuclear weapon from Pakistan: It claims ISIS has billions of dollars in the bank and describes a ‘hypothetical operation’ which involves it buying a nuclear bomb ‘through weapons dealers with links to corrupt officials’ in Pakistan.

Rebel commander reported killed in east Ukraine car bombing: - Russian news agencies have reported the killing of a prominent separatist commander in eastern Ukraine when his vehicle was ripped apart by a bomb and then strafed by gunfire.

Russia: If Ukraine defaults, expect a hard line from us: Russia would adopt a tough position if Ukraine decided not to pay off debts owed to Moscow by its previous government, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview broadcast by Russian TV on Saturday.

Ireland backs gay marriage in 'landslide' victory: Ireland's government ministers said voters overwhelmingly approved a measure to allow civil same-sex marriage, making it the first nation in the world to legalize gay unions through a popular vote.

Mexico gunfight kills 43 as government hits gang hard: Government security forces killed 42 suspected drug cartel henchmen and suffered one fatality in a firefight in western Mexico on Friday, an official said, one of the bloodiest shootouts in a decade of gang violence wracking the country.

Peru Declares State of Emergency after Mine Protest Bloodshed At least four civilians have been killed in clashes at protests against the Tia Maria copper mining project. The chief of the Ministerial Cabinet, Pedro Cateriano, told reporters that the right to mobilization, transport, and meetings were suspended for 60 days after attacks by police left another citizen dead, bringing the number up to four

FBI admits no major cases cracked with Patriot Act snooping powers: FBI admits no major cases cracked with Patriot Act snooping powers

Cleveland policeman cleared over car shooting deaths: A US policeman who climbed on to a car bonnet and fired repeatedly through the windscreen at unarmed black occupants has been cleared of all charges.

Cleveland Protests Not Guilty Verdict In Police Shooting Case: Demonstrators are gathering in Cleveland Saturday to protest the acquittal of a white police officer who was charged in the shooting deaths of two unarmed black suspects. Officials have urged calm in the aftermath of the controversial decision

WATCH: Virginia cop uses pepper-spray, Taser on unresisting black man having stroke: A Virginia police officer resigned from the Fredricksburg Police Department after body-cam video showed him using his Taser, and then pepper-spray, on an unresponsive black man sitting in his car.

Kansas Republicans Have Come Up with a Disgraceful New Way to Screw the Poor : Starting in July, a new law in Kansas will restrict the amount of cash a welfare recipient can take out of ATM's to just $25 a day—a move that critics say introduces a whole new host of financial burdens—including high ATM fees and travel costs—when they access cash.

Suicide rates on the rise for black children 5 to 11 years old: While the rate of suicide for white children is declining, the number among young blacks aged 5 to 11 is on the rise. Though no clear reason behind this trend is evident, some feel that a declining socio-economic status may be the root cause. Dr. Lauren Patton explains

Sexual Violence an 'Epidemic' on US Campuses, Study Confirms: A staggering 37 percent of women have been raped, or subjected to an attempted rape, by the time they start their second year of college.

Clintons’ foundation has raised nearly $2 billion: Since its creation in 2001, the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation has raised close to $2 billion from a vast global network that includes corporate titans, political donors, foreign governments and other wealthy interests, according to a Washington Post review of public records and newly released contribution data.

May 22, 2015

2012 Defense Intelligence Agency Document:
West Will Facilitate Rise of Islamic State “in Order to Isolate the Syrian Regime”


By Brad Hoff

The document shows that as early as 2012, U.S. intelligence predicted the rise of the Islamic State, - the report envisions the terror group as a U.S. strategic asset. Continue

Wahhabis Go Nuclear — Literally

By Pepe Escobar

The House of Saud, for its part, may — and the operative concept is “may” — already have a bomb, for a long time now, to offset Israel.
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They Say "Peace" But It Is Really War

By Andre Vltchek


It seems like, these days, whoever murders, bombs, mutilates and robs is obsessed with, peace.
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The MH-17 Propaganda War

By Greg Maybury


As with all incidents useful to Western governments, the MH-17 tragedy had served its purpose.
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My Big Fat Israeli Arsenal

By Uri Misgav

These deals reflect mainly the American commitment to the American arms industries. One suspects that Israel is indeed “the American aircraft carrier in the Middle East.
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US Media and Pro-Israel Antics in Congress

By James Zogby

The United States is on the verge of institutionally supporting Israel’s illegal settlement profiteering, and the mainstream media are saying nothing.
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Is Being a Critic of Israeli State Policies the Same as Being an Anti-Semite?

By David Palumbo-Liu

If every time one voices a criticism of Israel one is acting as an anti-Semite, - then ardent supporters of Israeli state policies have won a huge victory.
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A Plot to Level a Village Isn’t News–When Targets Are Muslim and Plotter Is Christian

By Jim Naureckas

No crime fascinates US media like terrorism–provided it’s the right sort of terrorism, that is.
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Why Does Greece Not Simply Default?

By Jerome Roos

History has shown that countries that refuse to pay their debts fall harder but recover faster than those that do not. So why does Greece’s left-led government not simply get it over with?
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Obama, Master of Diversion, Proposes Bogus Reforms of Militarized Police

By Glen Ford

President Obama’s “ban” on certain military hardware and gear is both fraudulent and a diversion from the real issue: the oppressive mission of the police in Black America.
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Nearly 300 pro-government soldiers are rounded up and executed in the streets of Palmyra: The jihadis have been stalking homes and shops looking for survivors, using loudspeakers to warn residents not to shelter any troops. Many locals have come forward to give information about any soldiers who had melted into the civilian population.

Syrian Rebels Seize Hospital Holding 150 Soldiers: Monitor: Islamist rebels today overran a hospital in northwest Syria where at least 150 regime forces and dozens of civilians were trapped for nearly a month, a monitor said.

Islamic State 'seizes key Syria-Iraq border crossing': Islamic State militants have seized the last Syrian government-controlled border crossing between Syria and Iraq, a Syria monitoring group says.

Islamic State fighters press advance east of Iraqi town: Islamic state fighters pressed an advance east of Ramadi on Friday after breaching Iraqi defenses outside the city the insurgents overran last weekend in a major defeat for the Baghdad government.

Islamic State expands its 'state': Although many leaders dismissed IS as vainglorious when it declared its cross-border caliphate in eastern Syria and western Iraq last summer, in its cohesion and purpose it is now seen by some – particularly Iraq’s minority Sunnis – as more of a state than the Iraqi government it is fighting.

23 ISIS elements killed in aerial bombing western Anbar, says Interior Ministry: Hawks intelligence cell of the Interior Ministry said in a press statement, “Iraqi Air Force Aviation carried out a powerful blow after monitoring a meeting of ISIS leaders in Qaim, western Anbar province, killing 24 militants and injuring 19 others in a preliminary count. ”

Report: ISIL takes Iraq town, kills Syria forces: Islamic State militants seized another town in western Iraq's Anbar province. Meanwhile, in neighboring Syria, activists said Friday that the militants have killed dozens of pro-government forces since taking full control of the ancient town of Palmyra earlier this week and seizing more than half the nation.

Exclusive: Turkish intelligence helped ship arms to Syrian Islamist rebel areas: Turkey's state intelligence agency helped deliver arms to parts of Syria under Islamist rebel control during late 2013 and early 2014, according to a prosecutor and court testimony from gendarmerie officers seen by Reuters.

Turkish police swoop on Erdogan foes, dozens detained: Turkish police launched an operation on Friday to detain dozens of people including businessmen seen as supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, President Tayyip Erdogan's ally-turned-foe, a provincial governor's office said.

Suicide bomber kills 21 at Saudi Shi'ite mosque, Islamic State claims attack: A video posted online showed a hall filled with smoke and dust, with bloodied people moaning with pain as they lay on the floor littered with concrete and glass. More than 90 people were wounded, the Saudi health minister told state television.

Two Saudis killed in rocket attacks launched from Yemen: Cross border rocket attacks launched from inside Yemen have killed two people and wounded five others in southern Saudi Arabia over the last 24 hours, Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA reported on Friday.

Saudi-led coalition pounds Yemen "rebels" in three cities: Huge explosions rocked the outskirts of the capital Sanaa after Friday's air strikes. There were also raids on second city Aden in the south and Marib province east of the capital, residents said.

Yemen: Daesh claims Sanaa mosque attack, 13 injured: of the caliphate in Sanaa have detonated an explosive device in a Houthi mosque in the people’s district…which led to the death and injury of many of them,” read a Daesh statement on Twitter.

How UK taxpayers help pay for Saudi Arabia's incineration of children in Yemen: The Saudi Arabia-led coalition is using US-supplied cluster munitions in its airstrikes on Houthi forces in Yemen, Human Rights Watch reported. Targets include those close to villages, posing a threat from undetonated submunitions to civilians.

Obama gives $1.9 billion in weapons as welcome gift to Israel’s racist government: Among the tens of thousands of bombs included in the weapons package are 3,000 Hellfire missiles, 12,000 general purpose bombs and 750 bunker buster bombs that can penetrate up to twenty feet, or six meters, of reinforced concrete.

 

Gaza Economy on the Verge of Collapse: World Bank: Youth unemployment rate is now the highest in the world according to the latest World Bank economic update.

Pro-Israel bias: BBC admits editorial breach in interview with Israeli defense chief: Complaints focused on BBC journalist Sarah Montague’s alleged failure to challenge controversial claims made by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon.

Mali separatists say soldiers publicly killed 9 Tuaregs: The nine civilians were first arrested by an armed group allied with the army in the village of Tin Hama, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Menaka, said a statement from the Coordination of Azawad Movements.

Civilians killed as armed groups clash in northern Mali: Up to nine civilians, including an aid worker for a European charity, were killed after rebels attacked a village in northern Mali, armed loyalist and anti-government groups said on Friday.

Militants attack police official house in Afghanistan, 3 attackers killed: - Some three attackers were killed and two persons wounded after militants attacked a police official's house in eastern Afghanistan's Laghman province overnight Thursday, said the provincial government on Friday.

China calls US actions in South China Sea irresponsible and dangerous: China said on Friday that it was “strongly dissatisfied” after a US military plane flew over part of the South China Sea near where China is building artificial islands, and called on the United States to stop such action or risk causing an accident.

George Soros Warns "No Exaggeration" That China-US On "Threshold Of World War 3": George Soros - warned that unless the U.S. makes 'major concessions' and allows China's currency to join the IMF's basket of currencies, "there is a real danger China will align itself with Russia politically and militarily, and then the threat of world war becomes real."

Amnesty says torture of Ukraine war prisoners is rife: Concern about the treatment of prisoners comes as Ukrainian authorities face scrutiny this week for publicly parading two men they say were Russian soldiers captured while fighting alongside separatists.

‘No promises’ on EU membership for Eastern states at Riga summit: The EU is not ready to welcome its eastern non-member partners, including Ukraine, according to a leaked draft resolution ahead of the Eastern Partnership Summit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned EU leaders not to make false promises.

UK: Intelligence officers given immunity from hacking laws, tribunal told: Legislative changes exempting law enforcement officers from ban on breaking into people’s digital devices were never debated by parliament, tribunal hears.

26 "Rebels" Killed in Colombian Raid on Guerrilla Camp: At least 26 leftist rebels have been killed in a military raid in western Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Friday, an attack that's likely to further strain efforts to end the country's half-century conflict.

Colombia rebels cancel unilateral cease-fire after army raid: Colombia's largest rebel group on Friday called off a unilateral cease-fire in reaction to a military raid on a guerrilla camp that killed 26 of its fighters, further straining negotiations to end the country's half-century-old conflict.

Stephen Harper probably wishes the month of May had never happened: May has been a splendid month for foes of the Harper government. It's been one humiliation after another, with only two exceptions all of its own making. Stephen Harper's rancid chickens are coming home to roost.

All six Baltimore police officers in Freddie Gray case indicted by grand jury : Baltimore state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby announces indictments on multiple charges, including one of second-degree murder, in the death of Freddie Gray

Olympia cop shoots 2 unarmed men suspected of stealing beer: Two stepbrothers suspected of trying to steal beer from a grocery store were not armed with guns when they were later shot Thursday by a police officer who confronted them in Washington state's capital city.

May 21, 2015

Russia Wins

By Margaret Kimberley

Putin and Xi prove that it is possible to stand up to the United States.
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Putin's 15 years in Power

By RSTV

Must-See Putin Documentary.
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The Suffering Is Too Great to Endure
Hope – versus Neoliberalism – an Ode to Solidarity


By Peter Koenig

This is the doctrine of neoliberalism – destruction, hardship and misery for entire peoples so that a few may live in abject luxury.
Continue

In Case You Missed It
Blueprint of the PNAC Plan for U.S. Global Hegemony


By Bette Stockbauer

Some people have compared it to Hitler's publication of Mein Kampf, which was ignored until after the war was over.
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Memorial Day Is A Hoax

By Paul Craig Roberts


We need a memorial day to commemorate the victims of neoliberal globalization.
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How Was Bin Laden Killed?

By Philip Giraldi

Seymour Hersh's sources tell a more believable story than the self-serving official White House narrative.
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The CIA and the Myths of the Bin Laden Raid

By Peter Maass

Much that the Pentagon said about the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch during the invasion of Iraq turned out to be fictitious.
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The U.S. and U.K. Hide Their War Crimes by Invoking “National Security”

By Glenn Greenwald

A government that is able to hide its own atrocities on “national security” grounds will be one whose public endlessly focuses on the crimes of others while remaining blissfully unaware of one’s own nation.
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Secrets, Politics and Torture

Video Documentary - Frontline - PBS

The secret history of the fight over the CIA's controversial interrogation methods, widely criticized as torture.
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GOP Lawmakers Rip Obama for not Being Faithful Enough to Saudi Arabia

By Lee Fang

A growing chorus of Republican politicians are demanding that President Barack Obama respect and follow the agenda of Saudi Arabia.
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‘Nagasaki and Hiroshima’ Model for Dealing with Iran: Israeli defense minister

By Philip Weiss


This is a story about the media blackout of important information about Israel.
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Washington, Jerusalem Discussing Massive Compensation for Iranian Nuclear Deal

By Amos Harel

The United States is likely to provide Israel with, among other things, more F-35 combat aircraft and another battery of a missile interception system.
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Reassessing U.S. aid to Israel

By Allan C. Brownfeld

All Americans, regardless of their religion, are implicated in Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. America is, after all, helping to finance it.
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U.S. and Israel Have Worst Inequality in the Developed World

By Times Of Israel

When it comes to inequality, Israel is second only to the United States among developed nations, an OECD report says.
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No Respect for the Poor, Working or Not

By Paul Street

The U.S. working class struggle for a Living Wage is also a political and moral struggle for basic decency, for self-respect, and for dignity.
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World’s Largest Banks Admit to Massive Global Financial Crimes, But Escape Jail (Again)

By Matt Taibbi

They were monkeying around with the prices of every currency on Earth, all of those people were affected by this activity.
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Syria: 40 Syria rebels killed in Aleppo air raid: activists: "At least 40 rebels from Islamist factions, including three leaders, were killed when Syria's army dropped a "barrel bomb" and fired a rocket on their base in Al-Shaar neighborhood of Aleppo city," the Britain-based Syrian, pro-rebel Observatory for Human Rights said.

IS executes 17 people in Syria's Palmyra: Fighters from the Islamic State group executed at least 17 people, including civilians, after the jihadists seized Syria's ancient city of Palmyra on Thursday, a monitor said.

One killed in mortar attack near Russian embassy in Damascus: Mortar rounds fell near the Russian embassy in the Syrian capital on Thursday, killing one person, in the second such attack this week, a monitor said.

ISIL captures strategic Syrian city of Palmyra: Fall of ancient city, also known as Tadmur, opens way for armed group to advance towards key government-held areas.

Syria antiquities chief urges world to save Palmyra: "I call on the international community to stop standing with arms crossed. The world must mobilise to prevent the (looting and) smuggling and destruction of this precious Syrian heritage," he added.

Turkish intelligence helped ship arms to Syrian Islamist rebel areas: court documents: Turkey's state intelligence agency helped deliver arms to parts of Syria under Islamist rebel control during late 2013 and early 2014, according to a prosecutor and court testimony from gendarmerie officers seen by Reuters.

Congress must not abdicate its duty to authorize or declare war : News Analysis - Key members in the House and Senate have resigned themselves to the fact that there’s virtually no chance of Congress agreeing on any sort of bill to constrain or legalize the Obama administration’s bombing campaign in the Middle East.

Fresh Saudi air raids leave 14 people dead in Yemen: The Saudi warplanes' bombing of the Hamoud al-Fatimi district in the southeastern Yemeni province of Dhamar on Thursday claimed the lives of eight members of a family, including five women, two children and a man, according to reports released by Yemeni media.

Saudi bombs Yemen aid office, kills 5 refugees: local official: Saudi shells hit an international humanitarian aid office in northern Yemen Thursday, killing five Ethiopian refugees and wounding ten, a local official said.

Iran backs Yemen talks but no foreign interference: FM: Iran voiced support Thursday for efforts to relaunch political talks on the Yemen crisis but said it opposed foreign interference in the conflict in which it backs the Houthi rebels.

Djibouti Denies Entry to Iranian Ship Carrying Humanitarian Aid for Yemen: Djibouti authorities have refused an Iranian ship, the Iran Shahed, carrying humanitarian aid for conflict-torn Yemen, entry into the country’s territorial waters for a cargo inspection, a source on the vessel told Sputnik Wednesday.

US sends Iraq missiles for Ramadi battle: The US military says it is sending 1,000 anti-tank missiles to the Iraqi government following the fall of Ramadi to Islamic State (IS) forces.

Which cities are most at risk of a terror attack?: Baghdad, according to a new report that has ranked world cities according to their attack risk. Over the last six years, Iraq's capital suffered a stunning 380 terrorist attacks which claimed 1,141 lives, making it the deadliest city in the world, by terror attacks, according to global risk analysis firm Verisk Maplecroft.

US to resupply Israel’s bombs & missiles arsenal, sell attack choppers to S. Arabia: The $1.9 billion deal with Israel implies supply of some 3,000 Hellfire precision missiles, 250 AIM-120C advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, 4,100 GBU-39 small diameter bombs and 50 BLU-113 bunker buster bombs. The order also includes 14,500 tail kits for Joint Direct Attack Munitions for 220kg and 900kg bombs and a variety of Paveway laser-guided bomb kits.

Israeli Exceptionalism: Senior Israeli diplomat: 'This land is ours': Israel's new deputy foreign minister on Thursday delivered a defiant message to the international community, saying that Israel owes no apologies for its policies in the Holy Land and citing religious texts that it belongs to the Jewish people.

Harper To Be Feted By Montreal's Jewish Community Council In Mount Royal: The council is a religious organization, primarily concerned with certifying whether products are kosher and on Thursday evening it will give the prime minister its King David Award.

Libya : 19 soldiers killed in 24 hours in eastern city of Benghazi: The offensive is primarily targeting the militant stronghold district of al-Laithi. Government fighter jets bombed multiple positions overnight and early Thursday morning.

Gaddafi's home town falls to Islamic State in anarchic Libya: - Standing guard at his frontline post, Libyan soldier Mohammed Abu Shager can see where Islamic State militants are holed up with their heavy weaponry less than a kilometer away.

Britain hid secret MI6 plan to break up Libya from US, Hillary Clinton told by confidant: Hillary Clinton received several warnings from a friend that Britain was acting deceitfully in Libya.

4 Killed in South Sudan as UN Compound Bombed: The UN mission in South Sudan said four civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed when two mortar bombs exploded inside its compound in the town of Melut in Upper Nile state.

Two killed in running street battles in Burundi's capital: Street battles and gunfire erupted again in the capital on Thursday as protesters against President Pierre Nkurunziza rejected his calls for calm in Burundi, an ethnic tinderbox with a history of civil war and genocide.

Air strikes kill 15 "militants" in northwest Pakistan: officials: Air strikes killed at least 15 suspected militants in Pakistan's northwestern Shawal Valley on Thursday, intelligence officials said, a week after security forces moved in on Taliban strongholds there.

US spy aircraft defies Chinese warnings, swoops over disputed islands: The US military has carried out its threat to fly over disputed islands in the South China Sea, defying multiple warnings by China’s navy for the surveillance aircraft to leave the area.

Soldier killed as fighting erupts in Ukraine's east: The report of Thursday's fatality came as the OSCE security watchdog gave warning of a "worrisome" spread of violence in the region.

Clashes, tires on fire outside Ukrainian parliament in Kiev: Clashes are reported in central Kiev where crowds of protesters are rallying against the economic crisis and the soaring cost of private loans. Local media say several people have tried to break into the Ukrainian parliament.

US and Ukraine sign $1bn loan guarantee: The US has signed a $1 billion loan guarantee deal with Ukraine, and is prepared to consider giving additional loan guarantees of up to $1 billion at the end of 2015 if Ukraine continues implementing economic reforms and cooperating with the Congress.

Will American and European taxpayers save Ukraine from default?: Ukraine likely cannot pay back what it owes to its creditors. But several power players may very well come to its aid.

Russia says Ukraine debt repayment law amounts to default: Russia demanded Wednesday the timely repayment of all debts owed to it by Ukraine and accused Kiev of effectively preparing the way for default with a new law.

Ukraine rips up key cooperation deals with Russia: Kiev lawmakers on Thursday annulled five crucial security agreements with Moscow that had allowed Russia to transport troops to a separatist region of Moldova and purchase weapons that are only produced in Ukraine.

Revealed: BP's close ties with the UK government: Documents show the extent of BP’s influence on government policy and how their intimate relationship is at odds with UK commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

Violent Strikes Again in the Embattle Mexican State of Guerrero : Once again the southern Mexican state of Guerrero is in the limelight, as five people were killed and eight wounded during a shootout in the mountainous community of Tlacotepec, according to government officials.
 

Mexico Armed Conflict Deaths Topped Only by Syria and Iraq : Researchers blamed high levels of violence on the drugs trade and the Mexican state “relying heavily on its armed forces” to deal with the criminal gangs. Mexico had the third highest number of fatalities due to armed conflict last year, surpassed only by Syria and Iraq, a new study reveals.

The World's Wisest President? The Best Jose Mujica Quotes : Affectionately known in Latin America as “Pepe,” Mujica’s background as a revolutionary guerrilla fighting a dictatorship, who was later imprisoned, before forming the Broad Front movement in Uruguay and rising up through the political ranks to take the presidency, have given him a lot of life experience to draw from.

NSA Planned to Hijack Google App Store to Hack Smartphones: The National Security Agency and its closest allies planned to hijack data links to Google and Samsung app stores to infect smartphones with spyware, a top-secret document reveals.

Court rules to keep classified ‘torture’ docs secret: A district court judge on Wednesday blocked an effort by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to force the CIA to turn over classified records about brutal interrogation programs the agency used to run.

Paul wages Patriot Act filibuster with call for an 'open rebellion': "I will not let the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic of acts, go unchallenged," Paul said. "The bulk collection of all Americans' phone records all of the time is a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment."

Why Is It So Easy for States to Execute the Mentally Ill?: Charles was executed last week, on May 12, at the age of 32. His death by lethal injection went largely undiscussed, despite the compelling evidence of his mental illness

May 20, 2015

Why the US is Finally Talking to Russia

By Pepe Escobar

Ukraine for all practical purposes is now a massively indebted failed state turned into an IMF colony.
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You Be the Judge

By Robert Parry

An Australian news show bristled at being caught broadcasting misleading images designed to prove Russian President Putin was responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
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Dying For Nothing!
How About Those U.S. Troops Killed in Ramadi


By Jacob G. Hornberger

What will it take for the America people to reject, once and for all, a foreign policy of foreign intervention and regime change.
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Is ISIS a Theater Troup?

By Eric Margolis

"ISIS, indeed, is a creation of western powers, it's so very useful for keeping the US in war and keeping US forces In the Middle East"
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White House Reveals ‘Boots on Ground’ in Syria, but Media Too Giddy Over Special Ops Porn to Notice

By Adam Johnson


Just as with the bin Laden raid narrative—that later turned out to be mostly false—this tale involved some unbelievably compelling details.
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The Concept of WMD, and its Use against Syria, in the Propaganda Systems of Western States

By Stephen Gowans

It is the propaganda apparatus of Western states—itself a weapon of mass deception–that advances the antitheses of these points.
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Why Israel Should Not Exist

By Garry Leech

The Jewish state of Israel should be viewed as both illegitimate and yet another catastrophic consequence of Western imperialism.
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Israel's Descent into Barbarism
 
 By Norman Finkelstein
 
 "Israeli troops go on a rampage in the West Bank, kill Palestinians, demolish Palestinian homes"
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Why Elites Love Drones

By Robert J. Burrowes

Drone strikes work precisely because they provoke violent responses which help elites to ‘justify’ their perpetual war.
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There’s Still Time to Prosecute the Torturers

By John Kiriakou

I served two years in prison for exposing the CIA's torture program. Why are the men responsible for it walking free?
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Propaganda Terms in the Media and What They Mean

By Noam Chomsky

The "peace process" has two meanings.
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A Migrant's Journey Begins

By Nicolas Haque

West African family heartbroken after sending child on treacherous journey to seek a better life in Europe.
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27 terrorists killed in al-Karma east of Falluja, says Baghdad Operations: Baghdad – on Wednesday, Baghdad Operations Command announced the death of 27 ISIS terrorists, including two foreigners, as well as the destruction of six dens belonging to ISIS, in addition to dismantling 17 booby-trapped house and explosive devices in the district of al-Karma east of Falluja.

Iraqis abandoned US-supplied tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery pieces in Ramadi : A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren, estimated that a half dozen tanks were abandoned, a similar number of artillery pieces, a larger number of armored personnel carriers and about 100 wheeled vehicles like Humvees.

SIS leader 'Abubakr Al-Baghdadi Warns Baghdad and Karbala are Next Targets: - A propaganda audio message released by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) which claims to be from leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has thanked militants for the Ramadi victory and warned that the jihadist group will target Baghdad and Karbala next.

Top Democrat sounds ‘alarm bells’ over Obama rhetoric on Islamic State: A senior House of Representatives Democrat said Tuesday that the White House’s description of supposed progress in the war against the Islamic State should ring “alarm bells,” and called the fall of the city of Ramadi to the extremists “a very serious and significant setback.”

U.S.-led air raid kills 15 al Qaeda fighters in Syria -monitor: An air raid by U.S.-led forces killed at least 15 members of al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front in the northwest of the country on Wednesday, a group monitoring the Syrian civil war said.

6 killed in IS attack in southern Syria: At least six people were killed Tuesday in an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants on a town in Syria's southern province of Swaida, state TV reported. Syrian army forces backed by allied fighters foiled the IS attack on the town of al-Haqf in the eastern countryside

Islamic State insurgents storm ancient Syrian city, civilians flee: - Islamic State stormed the historic Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday, seizing parts of it from government forces in fierce fighting as civilians were evacuated and Syria's antiquities chief called on the world to save its ancient ruins.

Saudi soldier killed in border clashes with Houthis: A Saudi soldier has been killed in Jizan Region in the kingdom’s southwest during border clashes with Yemen’s Houthi fighters. The border guard was named Hassan Someili, who died during confrontation with the Ansarullah fighters in the region’s Alharth governorate on Wednesday.

U.N. announces Yemen talks, Iran to allow ship inspection: - U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday announced talks between warring Yemeni parties in Geneva on May 28 to end over seven weeks of war, as Iran agreed for international inspections of an aid ship sailing to Yemen.

Israel knew all along that settlements, home demolitions were illegal: New evidence shows government's adviser on international law said in 1968 that demolishing terror suspects' homes violates Geneva Convention.

Israel Dumps 'Apartheid' Bus Segregation: The segregation plan would have effectively banned Palestinians who work in Israel from using the same buses as Israeli settlers to commute to the West Bank.

21 "ISIL fighters" killed by Algerian troops: Algerian troops have ambushed and killed at least 21 fighters allied to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant as they held a meeting east of the capital in one of country’s largest military operations in recent years, the defence ministry and security sources have said.

17 Killed in Libya Tribal Clashes: "The clashes between the Tuareg and Tabu tribes has killed 17 people and injured 16 others from Monday to Tuesday," an official from the Ubari Municipal Council told Xinhua.

French say their special forces kill 2 top Islamic extremist chiefs in northern Mali battle: A defense ministry statement on Wednesday said that Amada Ag Hama and Ibrahim Ag Inawalen died in fighting this week. The two were described as the main chiefs of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Ansar Dine, groups responsible for numerous attacks on international forces.

Burundi unrest: 1 killed; president delays legislative polls: Burundi police on Wednesday battled hundreds of protesters, killing an army soldier and wounding at least one other in continuing unrest over the president's bid for a third term in office.

Militias, Islamic State extremists clash in central Libya: Mohammed Shamia, a spokesman for a militia known as Brigade 166 that answers to Libya's government based in the capital, Tripoli, says fighting broke out in Sirte early on Wednesday.

Afghan official: At least 12 police killed by insurgents: Elsewhere in Afghanistan, at least 10 insurgents were killed by government forces in the northwestern province of Badghis near the border with Turkmenistan, an official said.

Faith in Afghan government wanes as Taliban expands influence in the east: The Taliban now dominate the surrounding countryside and all but control several districts, according to residents, elders and a politician.

US releases trove of documents seized in Bin Laden 2011 raid: The United States has made public a trove of documents that intelligence officials say were taken by Navy SEALs during the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound that show the late terrorist’s interest in France, economics and conspiracy theories.

At Least 13 Militants Killed In Pakistan Air Strikes: Pakistan's military says at least 13 militants have been killed when its jets targeted five militant hideouts in the northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan.

Malaysia, Indonesia to let 'boat people' come ashore temporarily: - Malaysia and Indonesia said on Wednesday they would offer shelter to 7,000 "boat people" adrift at sea in rickety boats but made clear their assistance was temporary and they would take no more.

Four Soldiers Killed as Fighting Erupts in Eastern Ukraine — Regional Governor: : "According to preliminary data, four Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and two others have been wounded, one of them seriously," Moskal said. The fatalities could not immediately be confirmed by the military in Kiev.

Moscow says it will retaliate if Ukraine hosts US anti-missile defenses: Russia will take retaliatory measures to protect itself if Ukraine decides to station US anti-missile defense systems in its territory, Kremlin spokesman told the media.

Greece Issues Ultimatum: No Repayment If Deal Not Reached : A spokesman for the Syriza-led government in Greece announced Tuesday that Athens would miss its next scheduled repayment of US$339 million to the International Monetary Fund if a bailout deal is not reached by then.

76 politicians caught up in UK child abuse probeAFP: London (AFP) - British police said Wednesday they have received historical child sex abuse claims against 261 public figures, including 76 politicians, as they respond to a surge in complaints sparked by the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Banks fined over $5 billion for rigging global currency markets: A group of global banks will pay more than $5 billion U.S. in penalties and plead guilty to rigging the world’s currency market, the first time in more than two decades that major players in the financial industry have admitted to criminal wrongdoing.

Protest for $15 an Hour Planned Ahead of McDonald's Meeting: The start of the two-day demonstration in Oak Brook, Illinois, comes ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.

Baltimore Police in Question as New Freddie Gray Video Surfaces: The video shows Gray motionless and hanging out of the back of a police van on his stomach as police shackle his ankles.

How Did a 26-Year-Old Iraq War Veteran Die Serving a 2-Day Jail Sentence?: Twenty-six-year-old James Brown served two tours in Iraq. He didn't make it two days in a Texas jail.

War criminal: Hillary Clinton says her Iraq war vote was a 'mistake': During her 2008 campaign, Clinton defended her vote as a way to give President George W. Bush authority to deal with Iraq, which she said he then abused.

MAY 19, 2015

Is Israel In Cahoots With Saudi Arabia?

By Ben Caspit

Israel is in the midst of a somewhat secret diplomatic world war against the United States. And in this war, Israel is acting as if it is a world power.
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Canada's Plan to Make Boycotting Israel a 'Hate Crime' is Stupid and Counterproductive

By Robert Fisk

In Canada – the totally pro-Israeli Conservative government of Stephen Harper intends to list the boycotting of Israel as a “hate crime”.
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Is America About to Make a Fatal Mistake in the South China Sea?

Ted Galen Carpenter

Instead of becoming more deeply entangled in the South China Sea quarrel, the United States needs to take a step back. 
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Fake Evidence Blaming Russia for MH-17?

By Robert Parry

An Australian news show claims to have found the spot where the Russian BUK missile battery made its getaway, but the images don’t match, raising questions of journalistic fakery.
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No, You Can't Go Back to the USSR!

By Dmitry Orlov


The USSR is gone as a political entity, but as a civilizational entity it appears to be holding its own.
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Behind the Media’s Assault on Seymour Hersh

By Shamus Cooke

Obama’s lies make previous presidential scandals — such as Watergate and Iran-Contra — look incredibly tame, while making the U.S. media look like accomplices instead of news reporters.
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US Officials Leak Information That’s More Sensitive Than Anything Snowden Leaked

By Trevor Timm

A prime example of the government’s hypocrisy when it comes to disclosures of secret information.
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GCHQ’s Rainbow Lights
Exploiting Social Issues for Militarism and Imperialism


By Glenn Greenwald

This is all a stark illustration of what has become a deeply cynical but highly effective tactic.
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Militarization Is More Than Tanks and Rifles:
It’s a Cultural Disease, Acclimating the Citizenry to Life in a Police State


By John W. Whitehead

This is the sad reality of life in the American police state.
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US-led strikes in Syria kill 170 IS jihadists in 48 hours: monitor: "The jihadists were killed in the past 48 hours in the province of Hasakeh, nearly all of them in very intense air strikes by the international coalition which is helping Kurdish forces in the area," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

5 killed as ISIS attacks Syria Druze village, battles for Palmyra: activists: "ISIS killed five fighters from the National Defense Forces and one woman in their attack on the Druze village of Al-Haqef in Swaida province," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Syria: ISIS takes gas fields near Palmyra: Fighters from ISIS seized two gas fields Monday northeast of Palmyra in Syria, a day after firing rockets into the city and killing five people, activists said.

Rebels take largest remaining army base in Syria's Idlib: monitor: A rebel coalition including Al-Qaeda's local affiliate seized the Syrian regime's largest remaining military base in northwest Idlib province on Tuesday, after an explosion and heavy clashes, a monitor said.

Doubt cast over seniority of Isis leader killed by US special forces in Syria raid: The name Abu Sayyaf has not been on lists of top-line Isis leaders and he is not known to have had a price put on his head for his death or capture – unlike at least 10 other men who form the nucleus of the group’s leadership.

Iran extends new credit line to Syria: Syria's official news agency says Iran is extending a credit line to make up for market needs and reports that the two countries have signed several agreements in the fields of electricity, industry, oil and investment.

Iraqi Troops Repel ISIS Attack on Anbar Town: Iraqi forces and allied Sunni tribesmen repelled an Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) attack overnight on a town between two militant-held cities in the western Anbar province, a tribal leader said Tuesday.

Pentagon to accept help from Shia militias in Iraq: Warren said the Pentagon would accept help from Shia militia fighters — even though many are believed to be backed by Iran — to retake the city. "The militias have a part to play in this. As long as they are controlled by the central Iraqi government, then they will participate," Warren said.

Isis seizes Ramadi: After Iraq’s worst defeat in the war with the Islamic militants: News Analysis - US generals have been downplaying the extent of the calamity, but the US policy of rebuilding the Iraqi army and aiding it with US air power is in ruins

Experts: US claims Ramadi is a mere setback are ‘delusional’ : “Delusional, really, is the better word,” Ali Khedery, a former U.S. official who served as an adviser to five U.S. ambassadors to Iraq and three heads of U.S. Central Command, said of the administration’s statement. “It’s unbelievable, frankly. I now know what it’s like to have lived through Vietnam, I guess.”

Push to write new war powers for Obama stalls: A move to write new war powers to authorize the Obama administration’s 9-month-old battle against Islamic State militants has stalled in Congress. It might even be dead.

Saudi Airstrikes pummel Yemen capital; hundreds flee: The roar of bombardment mingled with the wail of sirens in Yemen’s capital, Sana, on Tuesday as the first Saudi-led airstrikes since the end of a five-day cease-fire hit the city.

Canada Urged To Warn Saudi Arabia Against Yemen Bombing: Canada has an obligation to publicly warn Saudi Arabia, its military partner in an ongoing bombing campaign in Syria, to refrain from using banned cluster bombs, say advocates who campaigned against the weapon.

Iran warships "linked up" with Yemen-bound cargo ship: Pentagon: The Pentagon said on Tuesday that two Iranian warships had linked up with a cargo ship that Iran says is carrying humanitarian aid to Yemen, adding it was monitoring the ships "every step of the way."

Iran aid vessel not escorted by Iranian warships: Activists: - A Yemen-bound Iranian aid ship, the Iran Shahed, is not being escorted by Iranian warships and is due to arrive in the port of Hodaida on Thursday, two foreign activists onboard the vessel told Reuters on Tuesday.

HRW denounces Israel expulsion of Bedouins, Palestinians: A rights group on Tuesday condemned Israeli court decisions paving the way for the eviction of Bedouins and Palestinians from their villages, calling on the state to let them stay put.

Ethiopian Jews take to the streets again in Israel to protest discrimination: Footage showing two police officers beating a uniformed Israeli soldier of Ethiopian origin sparked violent clashes two weeks ago

Softball interviews with Israeli ministers breach impartiality code, BBC admits: A BBC investigation has found that one of its senior presenters, Sarah Montague, breached the organization’s editorial standards on impartiality in a radio interview she conducted with Israeli defense minister Moshe Yaalon in March.

Algerian forces kill 22 militants in northern region: ministry: Algerian security forces killed at least 22 militants in a major operation in a northern region east of the capital, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

At least 9 killed in NE Nigeria suicide bomb attack: - At least nine people were killed Tuesday following a suicide bomb attack in Nigeria's northeastern state of Adamawa, one of the three most-hit states by the insurgency of Boko Haram, witnesses told Xinhua.

Boko Haram kills 3, abducts 7 in NE Nigeria: Boko Haram gunmen have killed three people and abducted seven women in a raid on a northeast Nigerian district previously declared safe by the military, a local official said on Tuesday.

Eight Egyptian policeman killed by gunmen: Gunmen on a motorbike shot dead an Egyptian policeman while two suspects in a failed bomb attack targeting a judge were killed in a shoot-out with police, officials said on Monday.

Two soldiers killed in clashes with Islamists in Libya's Benghazi city: Two Libyan soldiers were killed and 15 were injured as heavy fighting erupted again between army forces and Islamist groups in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday, medical staff and military officials said.

One killed in Libya suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State: official: One person was killed and seven were wounded on Tuesday in a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State militants in the eastern Libyan town of Qubbah, a security official said.

South Sudan rebels say capture oil refinery, tell firms to leave: SPLA-in-Opposition spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, said that the rebels were still fighting government troops in the area that is home to South Sudan's biggest oilfield - Paloch.

Burundi police fire tear gas, beat anti-president protesters: Burundi police fired tear gas and beat protesters who were demanding President Pierre Nkurunziza end his bid for a third term, in a resurgence of unrest that has stoked fears of ethnic conflict in Africa's Great Lakes.

Egypt uses sexual violence as a tool of repression: Report: Despite promises to combat sexual harrasment in Egypt, a report claims unprecedented levels of state-sanctioned sexual violence

Suicide car bomb in Afghan capital kills at least 6 people: A large suicide car bombing struck downtown Kabul on Tuesday afternoon, apparently targeting justice ministry employees and killing at least six people, an Afghan official said.

Indonesia has 'given more than it should' to help stranded migrants: Foreign Minister: Marsudi said Indonesia has sheltered 1,346 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who washed onto Aceh and North Sumatra provinces last week. The first batch came on May 10 with 558 people on a boat, and the second with 807 on three boats landed on Friday.

Battle erupts in eastern Ukraine, four Ukrainian soldiers killed: regional chief: Fighting erupted between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday and four Ukrainian servicemen were killed, the regional administration chief said.

U.S. hones Ukrainian fighting skills: Dotted around the vast, wooded Yavoriv military training area in western Ukraine, soldiers of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade are instructing Ukrainian national guardsmen in techniques designed to help them in the simmering war against pro-Russian separatists hundreds of miles to the east.

Kiev shows off captured 'Russian soldiers' to media: Kiev on Tuesday showed off two purported Russian soldiers it captured during a gun battle in the separatist east that Ukraine's pro-Western leadership says proves the Kremlin's direct involvement in the war.

Ukraine govt submits bill allowing moratorium on foreign debt payments: Ukraine’s government has submitted to parliament a bill allowing the introduction of a moratorium on foreign debt payments. This is to protect state assets in case of an “attack” from dishonest lenders, and to help the ailing economy out of crisis.

U.S. And Moscow Ramp Up Pressure On Greece Over Gas Pipelines: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Europe’s only realistic choice for importing gas is through Moscow’s planned Turkish Stream pipeline, not a rival conduit, also through Turkey, that’s being promoted by the West.

Prince Charles meets Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams: Prince Charles became the first British royal to meet with Northern Irish republican leader Gerry Adams on an historic visit Tuesday aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation.

US lobby backed by arms industry could influence foreign policy: New group aiming to lobby presidential candidates on 'national security' issues comes as US pledges to step up arms sales to Gulf states

Hillary Clinton was paid millions by tech industry for speeches: In one of her last gigs on the paid lecture circuit, Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed an eBay summit aimed at promoting women in the workplace, delivering a 20-minute talk that garnered her a $315,000 payday from the company.

What the 1% Don't Want You to Know : Economist Paul Krugman explains how the United States is becoming an oligarchy - the very system our founders revolted against.

79 Members Of Congress Have Been In Office For At Least 20 Years: 79 members of Congress have been there since Bill Clinton’s first term in the White House. This list includes names such as Reid, Feinstein, McConnell, McCain, Pelosi, Boehner, Rangel and Boxer. A complete list of the members of Congress that have been “serving” us for at least 20 years.

Police Brutality - Slams citizen down Knocking him out: Video - Police brutality slamming a drunk citizen down knocking him unconscious to prove a point. Just because he yells don't handle me like that, the officer slams him down to prove a point.

Obama's new rules for police actually ban just one new piece of equipment — the bayonet: An investigation by The Washington Examiner found that only one of the items on Obama's ban list (the bayonet) is actually affected by the rule change — the rest were already banned, some for more than two decades.

61 Years After Brown v. Board Of Education, Many Schools Remain Separate And Unequal: In many states, there continues to be stark disparities in resources provided to black students and white students. In Nevada, for example, high-minority school districts receive significantly less state and local funding per pupil than low-minority districts.  

May 18, 2015

Report: Saudis To Purchase Pakistani Atomic Bomb?

By Judah Ari Gross

“For the Saudis the moment has come,” a former US defense official told the UK’s Sunday Times.
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U.S. on Wrong Side of History

By Bruce K. Gagnon


When weapons are your #1 export product, what is the global marketing strategy for that product line?  Endless war.
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Bitter Lake : Adam Curtis

Video Documentary By Adam Curtis


Documentary explores Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. and the role this has played in the war in Afghanistan.
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The Misfire in Hersh's Big Bin Laden Story

By Gareth Porter


Hersh's account of a Pakistani "walk-in," corrects one official deception about how the CIA discovered bin Laden's location, only to give credence to a new one.
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New Military Spending Bill Expands Empire But Forbids Debate on War

By Ron Paul

Congress wants even more US involvement in Ukraine’s internal affairs. The military spending bill included $300 million to directly arm the Ukrainian government.
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US Bombers to Australia

By Binoy Kampmark

A few trembles could be felt at this announcement in Canberra, despite the continuing fantasy on the part of officials down under that the US presence in the region somehow acts as one of stability. 
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Is the US planning a “Gulf of Tonkin” incident in the South China Sea?

Peter Symonds

The historic parallels are chilling.
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The Kids Aren't All Right

By Nick Turse

Presidential Waivers, Child Soldiers, and an American-Made Army in Africa.
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William & Mary Honors War Criminal

By Ray McGovern

Nothing better illustrates the extent to which the United States has turned its back on the rule of law than when the likes of Condoleezza Rice are asked to address graduates and receive doctoral degrees honoris causa at university commencements.
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“What Can You Do For Me?”
The Pathology of the Rich White Family


By Chris Hedges

It always pays to suck up to rich white families. If you are black and parrot this line, rich white people are overcome with joy. They go to extreme lengths to give you a platform.
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Black Man Vs. White Man Carrying AR-15 Legally

Video

What happens when a white guy walks down the street with a AR-15 versus what happens when a black guy walks down the street with same gun and same laws.
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Fossil Fuels Subsidised By $10m a Minute, Says IMF

By Damian Carrington

‘Shocking’ revelation finds $5.3tn subsidy estimate for 2015 is greater than the total health spending of all the world’s governments.
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Corruption is Legal in America
Does The Government Represent The People


By Represent.Us

Princeton University study: Public opinion has “near-zero” impact on U.S. law.
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Iraq spokesman: 500 people killed, 8,000 fled : The estimates follow a shocking defeat as Islamic State seized control of the Anbar provincial capital on Sunday, sending Iraqi forces fleeing in a major loss despite the support of U.S.-led airstrikes targeting the extremists.

33 IS terrorists killed in coalition bombing in Iraq: At least 33 Islamic State terrorists were killed in airstrikes carried out by the international coalition on Monday in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh.

ISIS just took a city that's closer to Baghdad than NYC is to East Hampton: The Islamic State terror group (also known as ISIS) just captured Ramadi, a provincial capital city just under 80 miles west of the country's capital of Baghdad.

Islamic State consolidates grip on Ramadi; executions reported: The Islamic State on Saturday consolidated its control over Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s largest province, whose capture by the militants on Friday marked the worst defeat for the Iraqi government since the fall of Mosul nearly a year ago.

Shi'ite forces move on Iraqi city taken by Islamic State: A column of 3,000 Shi'ite militia fighters arrived at a military base near Ramadi on Monday as Baghdad moved to retake the western Iraqi city that has fallen to Islamic State militants in the biggest defeat for the government since mid-2014.

If Iraq's Ramadi falls, U.S. will help Baghdad take it back later: Pentagon: While stopping short of confirming Islamic State’s statement it had seized full control of Anbar province's capital, the Defense Department appeared to leave open that possibility, which would mark a major defeat for the Baghdad government.

Iraq must own difficult fight to reclaim Ramadi: U.S. officials: The United States is not considering deploying U.S. combat ground troops to Iraq after the fall of Ramadi and Iraq has the fundamental responsibility to defend itself against Islamic State militants, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday.

Syria: Hezbollah, Syrian army kill 10 militants in fresh Qalamoun clashes: Hezbollah and Syrian army pushed further into Qalamoun Monday, killing 10 jihadi militants and wounding 20 others, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV said.

Syrian insurgents battle army around military base in Idlib: Heavy clashes between Syria's army and insurgents erupted around a military base south of Idlib city on Monday as part of a wider battle for control of the northwestern province, Syrian state television and a group monitoring the war said.

Syrian Soldier Tours Alep (English Subtitles) - Video

Syria accuses Jordan of training 'terrorists': The accusation came in a letter sent Monday by the foreign ministry to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the president of the U.N. Security Council, the official news agency SANA said.

Al-Qaeda says killed 31 Houthis in S. Yemen: Ansar al-Shariah militant group said on Twitter that its fighters killed 21 Houthis in an attack with heavy weaponry and tanks in Ataq, capital city of Shabwah.

New York Times’ Jodi Rudoren whitewashes Israeli minister’s call for genocide: Shaked’s June post, in which she reproduced and endorsed the words of late Israeli settler activist Uri Elitzur, is horrific. Almost any sentence stands out for its bloodlust. Here’s just a few of them:

Saudi Arabia to buy nuclear bombs from Pakistan: report: Saudi Arabia will join the nuclear club by buying “off the shelf” atomic weapons from Pakistan, US officials told a London newspaper.

Saudis consider nuclear bomb: Saudi Arabia, in response to the current upheaval in the Middle East, has embarked on a strategic review that includes acquiring nuclear weapons, the Guardian has learned.

Saudis ‘to get nuclear weapons’: SAUDI ARABIA has taken the “strategic decision” to acquire “off-the-shelf” atomic weapons from Pakistan, risking a new arms race in the Middle East, according to senior American officials.

In case you missed it: Saudi Arabia ‘can get nuclear weapons from Pakistan’: Nuclear weapons made in Pakistan on behalf of Saudi Arabia are now sitting ready for delivery, report says

US Kills 6 People In Pakistan: At least six people were killed and two injured in a US drone strike launched in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan on Monday night, media reports said.

Six Taliban Insurgents Killed in ANSF Operations: At least six insurgents have been killed in a series of coordinated operations over the past 24 hours by the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in a statement on Monday.

Three Malian soldiers killed in rebel attack: military sources: Mali's main Tuareg-led rebel alliance killed three soldiers on Monday in an ambush in the west African nation's restive desert north, military sources told AFP.

Civilians killed, raped in S Sudan: UN: Large numbers of civilians have been killed, raped or burned out of their homes in the latest upsurge of fighting in South Sudan, UN officials said on Monday.

Many killed, women abducted as Boko Haram attacks : Boko haram have killed have killed several people and abducted six women at Sabongari town in Madagali Local Government. Sources from the area indicated that the insurgents ?invaded the town weekend, forcing residents to run into the mountainous bush.

Tripoli forces clash with IS militants in Libya's Sirte: Fierce clashes erupted again on Monday in the central Libyan city of Sirte between Islamic State (IS) militants and forces loyal to the Tripoli-based government.

Libya army leader calls for 'slaughter' of soldiers who refuse to join Op Dignity: Comments come as army chief accuses the UN of failing to arm his forces in order to justify unilateral international intervention

EU approves military plan to target traffickers: European Union nations on Monday approved plans for a naval operation to go after the trafficking networks that send thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean toward Europe and NATO said it is ready to help out if needed.

Libya rejects EU military action against migrant ships: Libya's "internationally recognised government" rejected Monday any military operation against ships carrying illegal migrants after EU nations approved plans for a naval mission starting next month to fight human traffickers.

U.S. calls death sentence for former Egyptian president 'unjust': State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said Washington was also deeply concerned about "yet another mass death sentence" delivered by an Egyptian court.

UK government counter-terrorism bill would criminalize speech, political activity: The Conservative government in Britain is preparing to enact new legislation that, under the guise of the “war on terror,” will vastly expand police-state powers and essentially criminalize speech and other political activity.

Proposed surveillance limits could force US to 'go dark', says Mitch McConnell : The USA Freedom Act, which would end the bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency – as revealed in the Guardian in 2013 through the whistleblower Edward Snowden – passed the House this week by a wide margin. It is now headed for the Senate.

Warrantless Snooping Goes Far Beyond the NSA's Phone-Record Dragnet: The Fourth Amendment prohibits "unreasonable searches and seizures" of our "persons, houses, papers, and effects." But according to the Supreme Court, the Fourth Amendment does not protect our papers once we entrust them to someone else.

Law or no law, Canadians better not criticise Israel: Israel is the third rail of Canadian politics.

Obama puts stricter controls on military-style for police : Barack Obama is prohibiting the federal government from providing some military-style equipment to local departments and putting stricter controls on other weapons and gear distributed to law enforcement.

 

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