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October 01, 2015

 

 

Syria: Thoughts On The Russian Air Support
By Moon Of Alabama
When the Russians have settled in we can expect a regular 100-150 air attacks per day on the "moderate rebels" with surges of up to 250 per day. - Continue

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US Complains As Russia Bombs its Terrorists
By Tony Cartalucci
Russia is bombing terrorists who are either operating under the banner of Al Qaeda but are portrayed as otherwise by the US, - Continue

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Bombs Kill Shock
By Craig Murray
The media have suddenly noticed that bombs kill an awful lot of civilians. But only Russian bombs, of course.. - Continue

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Obama’s Ludicrous ‘Barrel Bomb’ Theme
By Robert Parry
Obama - denounced anyone who doesn’t favor “regime change” in Syria as advocating “support [for] tyrants like Bashar al-Assad, who drops barrel bombs to massacre innocent children.” - Continue

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Finally Some Clarity About Russian Plans For Syria
By The Saker
Putin has basically forced the USA to accept the Russian plan. - Continue

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In Case You Missed It
Putin: Who Created ISIS?
Video
"Who armed the Syrians who were fighting Assad?" - "Do you really not understand who is fighting in Syria? They are mercenaries" - Continue

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Regime Change as American as Apple Pie
By Finian Cunningham
Clandestine American-led interventions have fuelled the explosion in terror networks across the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. - Continue

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Hundreds of Iranian Soldiers in Syria for Major Ground Offensive: Report
By MEE Staff
The soldiers will reportedly join Syrian government forces for ground fight while Russian warplanes attack from air. - Continue

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Rouhani's Dual Messages And Iran’s Security Strategy
By Gareth Porter
“The priority” on Syria, he said, “is the duty to collaborate against terrorism,” - Continue

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Mahmoud Abbas Drops Wet Firecracker, Not Bombshell, At UN
By Ali Abunimah
The PA leader failed to announce any concrete measures and only threatened unspecificied future actions. - Continue

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The Moral Rabbit Hole
By Robert C. Koehler
U.S. soldiers still fighting in Afghanistan — are under orders to be “culturally sensitive” regarding . . . the sexual abuse of children. - Continue

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The Revolutionary Act Of Telling The Truth
By John Pilger
From the confinement of a room in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, the courage of Julian Assange is an eloquent response to the cowards who have smeared him and the rogue power seeking revenge on him. - Continue

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The Latin America WikiLeaks Files
By Alexander Main & Dan Beeton
US diplomatic cables reveal a coordinated assault against Latin America’s left-wing governments. - Continue

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15 killed in Syrian airstrikes against rebel-held areas: Women and children were among those killed by the strikes that targeted rebel-held areas in the countryside of Homs, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

French raid on IS in Syria 'kills 12 child soldiers': A Syrian activist group on Wednesday said France's first air strike on Islamic State militants in Syrian territory killed 30, including 12 child soldiers. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday's strike on an IS camp in eastern Syria had also wounded about 20 fighters.

Russian air strikes hit CIA-trained rebels: Two Russian air strikes in Syria Thursday hit a training camp operated by rebel groups that received military training organised by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the commander of the group told Reuters.

Western-backed Syrian rebel group says hit by Russian air strikes: Russian air strikes in northwest Syria which Moscow said targeted Islamic State fighters hit a rebel group supported by Western opponents of President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, wounding eight, the group's commander said.

Russia says Islamic State group not the only target in Syria: Russian jets carried out a second day of strikes in Syria Thursday, and some activists claimed that the targets included rebels backed by the United States as concerns grew about a conflict that has now drawn in warplanes from the world's two most powerful militaries.

Putin: Claims Russian jets killed civilians in Syria emerged before airstrikes started: Reports of alleged casualties among civilians caused by Russian airstrikes in Syria emerged even before Russian warplanes were launched for their first combat mission, President Vladimir Putin said, branding such reports 'information attacks.'

Syria Condemns US Airstrikes, Praises Russian Aerial Bombing: A presidential spokesperson accused the Washington and their allies of violating Syria’s sovereignty and international law.

Syrian Kurdish fighters welcome Russian strikes, demand weapons for anti-IS fight: The largest pro-Kurdish group fighting in Syria has said it is ready to co-operate with Moscow, after Russian jets began launching airstrikes in the country.

27 people killed in Iraq: A total of 27 people were killed on Wednesday in clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants and U.S.-led coalition air strikes in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

Peshmerga forces retake 12 villages from Daesh in Iraq: Thousands of Kurdish Peshmerga forces have managed to retake 12 villages in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk from Daesh terrorists, after they mounted an all-out ground offensive to drive out the militants from the oil-rich areas.

Iraq PM open to Russian airstrikes on Islamic State militants: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told FRANCE24 in an exclusive interview broadcast on Thursday that he is open to allowing Russia to carry out air strikes against Islamic State group militants in Iraq.

U.S.-Backed Saudi Bombing Campaign Blamed For Civilian Deaths In Yemen: Two-thirds of the reported civilian deaths during the conflict since March were caused by Saudi led airstrikes.

Hadi loyalists claim capture of key Yemen strait: Houthis yet to confirm loss of Bab al-Mandeb, strategic waterway through which much of Middle East oil exports pass.

Two Israelis killed in West Bank shooting: The IDF believes the shooting was carried out from a passing vehicle which fled the scene after the attack, Channel 2 reports.

Watch: Stern Netanyahu's UN speech : Video - Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, at the general debate of the 70th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

UK helped Saudi Arabia get UN human rights role through 'secret deal' to exchange votes, leaked documents suggest: The classified exchanges, published by The Australian newspaper, allegedly suggest the UK initiated the secret negotiations by asking Saudi Arabia for its support.

Pakistani forces kills 25 "militants" in air strikes, army says: Pakistani forces killed 25 suspected "militants" in air strikes on Thursday on northwestern strongholds near the border with Afghanistan, the Pakistani army said.

Afghan forces recapture city center amid fierce clashes with Taliban: Afghan troops recaptured the center of the strategic northern city of Kunduz on Thursday amid fierce clashes with Taliban militants, three days after losing the provincial capital in a humbling defeat for Kabul and its U.S. allies.

Pentagon's top Russia official resigns: “She has advised three secretaries of defense on Russia policy, providing steady counsel on how the U.S. should respond to Russia's aggressive actions and has been deeply involved in securing $244 million in support for Ukraine,” the official said.

Canadian military explored plan to fully integrate forces with U.S.: CBC News has learned that a Canadian military effort to formally create integrated forces with the United States for expeditionary operations included an even more ambitious option — a plan to fully integrate military forces, explored during a meeting with the top generals from the two countries.

At least 15 killed in US college shooting: At least 15 people were killed and another 20 wounded at a shooting on Thursday at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon, media reported.

Trump says he'd send back Syrians taken in by U.S.: 'If I win, they're going back': "If I win, they're going back." The billionaire businessman, said during an hour-long speech that he was worried the refugees, who have been fleeing their country after years of civil war, could be disguised Islamic State militants.

Bernie Sanders Is Outpacing Obama 2008 in Total Contributors: Bernie Sanders has raised more than $24 million over the past three months of campaigning, according to an early estimate provided to TIME by an aide, a significant haul that exceeds the campaign’s initial goals and reflects the Vermont Senator’s widespread grassroots support.

Medical students to participate in 'nationwide day of action': Students from the UNM School of Medicine will join medical students from across the country Thursday in a national "teach-in" and vigil, to remember millions of Americans who remain uninsured, underinsured and underserved by the current health care system.

60 percent of Americans don’t trust their mass media - poll: A new Gallup poll has found that six in 10 Americans say that their trust in mass media ranges from “not very much” to “none at all.” Those surveyed were asked about the media reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly.

 

September 30, 2015

 

Washington Never Joins a Coalition That It Cannot Control
By Pepe Escobar
To defeat the cancer, there's only one possibility: a real military campaign conducted by a real coalition including the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia. - Continue

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"Relations Between Russia And The United States Are At A Fairly Low Level"
By Vladimir Putin
We are considering what kind of additional support we could give to the Syrian army in fighting terrorism. - Continue

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Obama’s Self-Deceit
By Joe Lauria
President Obama, chastised Russia and China for not abiding by the rules of international behavior, a breathtaking example of hypocrisy or self-deceit. - Continue

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Obama Deifies American Hegemony
By Paul Craig Roberts
When Assad drops bombs it oppresses people, but when Washington drops bombs it liberates them. - Continue

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Three Exceptional Facts About The USA
By Tom Engelhardt
To defeat the cancer, there's only one possibility: a real military campaign conducted by a real coalition including the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia. - Continue

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The Iran Nuclear Agreement Within the “Grand Chessboard”. Decline of American Power
By Jack Dresser
In a stratified society, the tiny fraction who comprise the ruling class must control perceptions of the much larger fraction under their control. - Continue

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The Western Media Is Dying and Here’s Why
By Tony Cartalucci
Dedication to the truth when it is unpopular is a small price to pay to keep one’s dignity. - Continue

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Obama Shakes Hands With China’s Xi, While Holding Cybercrime Stick in Other
By Finian Cunningham
Washington sees China rise in global power as a threat to its hegemonic ambitions of control. - Continue

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A Flagrant Liar For President?
By Jim Hightower
To defeat the cancer, there's only one possibility: a real military campaign conducted by a real coalition including the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia. - Continue

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State Terror Against People of Color
By Chris Hedges
“The police are now on a killing spree.” - Continue

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Medics: 131 killed in Saudi airstrike on Yemen wedding party: Officials at the hospital said at least 80 women were killed, according to th

Yemeni wedding attack: ‘Houthis don’t have fighter jets!’: An airstrike allegedly carried out by Saudi Arabian forces has killed at least 135 people at a wedding party in Yemen. Who is to blame for the ongoing bloodshed and what should be done to stop it?

U.S. Gives Up Effort To Train Syrian Opposition Forces: The $500-million program had once been a linchpin of the strategy to defeat ISIS but so far has proved a fiasco. It was put on hold after a band of fighters turned over their U.S.-supplied equipment to terrorists linked to al Qaeda.

Israeli strikes in Syria may draw Russian grousing, but little else: Despite Putin’s reported critique of IDF shelling of Assad’s forces, former ambassador to Moscow says it’s business as usual in Golan Heights

Russia considers air strikes against Isis in Syria: Russia and the US agreed to open lines of communication to avoid accidental military conflict in the region Russia would conduct air strikes only if they were approved by the United Nations, Mr Putin also said.

U.S. official: Russia 'ready' to launch airstrikes in Syria: After several days of Russian familiarization flights, there is no reason they could not begin, the official added. And Russian drones have been collecting potential targeting information in their flights. But the U.S. doesn't know what the Russians have in mind and when they will make a decision on airstrikes.

Wherever US used force bypassing UN, countries suffered – Lavrov: The US-led coalition is bombing Islamic State in Syria with no UN Security Council mandate or invitation by Damascus. Historically, whenever Washington used force with no UN consent, they did great harm, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

30 Kurdish militants killed in cross border raids on Friday: Erdogan: The cross-border operations on PKK have so far been "very effective", Erdogan said, although he did not elaborate, except to say that more than 2,000 militants had been killed.

10 ISIS militants killed by unknown snipers inside Mosul: “Unidentified snipers targeted ISIS elements recently in the neighborhoods of al-Intisar and al Faisaliah in the city of Mosul, resulting in the killing of ten of them.”

7 killed in suicide attack, clash with IS militants in central Iraq:" - At least seven people were killed and 21 others wounded on Tuesday in a suicide bomb attack near the Iraqi capital Baghdad and a heavy clash with Islamic State (IS) militants in the western province of Anbar, security sources said.

Russian military experts arrive in Iraq: Russia’s newly formed alliance with Iraq, Iran and Syria in the fight against the Islamic State, or ISIS, took a step forward Monday with the arrival of military experts. Iranian and Russian teams had already arrived in Iraq to start preparing for the four-party alliance, said Hakem al-Zameli, the head of Iraq’s National Security and Defense Committee.

Does Riyadh's $70bn foreign assets withdrawal spell trouble?: Pressure from falling oil prices and the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen have pushed Saudi Arabia’s central bank to withdraw some $70bn in assets, a string of recent reports have said.

Saudi princes said planning regime change: Senior member of Saudi royal family urges coup against King Salman

Israeli soldiers fired on migrants at Egyptian border: Report: Investigators are seeking to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against soldiers who fired on a group of 15 Sudanese asylum seekers, wounding three and leaving one hospitalised in serious condition.

Abbas to give Israel ultimatum in UN speech: Sources in Ramallah say PA president will set deadline for Jerusalem to ‘meet obligations’ or he’ll cancel Oslo Accords

37 killed as fierce fighting erupts in Central African Republic: Fierce fighting between militia and U.N. peacekeepers erupted in Central African Republic on Tuesday as President Catherine Samba-Panza rushed back early from the U.N. General Assembly in a bid to end days of violence in which at least 37 people died.

More than 20 killed in Mozambique gunbattle: government spokesman: More than 20 people were killed in a shootout at the weekend between Mozambican forces and gunmen in a convoy carrying the leader of the main opposition party, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.

From his office in cloud cuckoo land. US President Barack Obama admits mistakes in Libya, says West should have done more: "Even as we helped the Libyan people bring an end to the reign of a tyrant, our coalition could have and should have done more to fill a vacuum left behind," Obama told the United Nations General Assembly.

20 Taliban Insurgents Killed in Kunduz Airstrike: Reports received suggest that insurgents on Tuesday torched the offices of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) - a German organization and other foreign offices in the city. In addition, they reportedly captured a large amount of military equipment.

Taliban shadow governor killed in Kunduz with senior Pakistani militant: Maulavi SalamTaliban group’s shadow governor for northern Kunduz province was killed in an airstrike in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan, the Afghan intelligence said.

Taliban emir seeks to reassure residents of Kunduz: Shortly after the provincial capital of Kunduz city fell to the Taliban earlier today, the jihadist group’s emir, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, issued a statement that urged residents not to worry and to cooperate with the city’s new masters. The statement, reproduced below, consists of five main points:

Afghan Taliban claims capture of second town as security forces prepare to retake Kunduz: The Afghan Taliban has claimed seizing key parts of Yangi Qala district in the northern Takhar province shortly after a major offensive in which Kunduz province was captured. The insurgents continued their surprise expansion even as Afghan forces prepared to retake the fallen province.

Green Beret Kicked Out Of Army For Attacking Brutal Afghani Child Rapist Breaks His Silence: Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland, a Green Beret who has been discharged from the Army for confronting a child rapist in Afghanistan, came out swinging in his first public statements saying, “Kicking me out of the Army is morally wrong and the entire country knows it.”

17 Syrian refugees drowned off Turkish coast: 17 Syrian refugees, including five children, drowned when their boat sank, off Turkish coast. The refugees left from the Turkish coastal town of Bodrum on 27 September and headed to the Greek island, Kos.

'This speeds up procedure' - how Hungary expels migrants: - The court in the southern Hungarian town of Szeged has shelved other criminal cases and is handing down fast-track verdicts punishing migrants for unlawfully crossing a razor-wire fence that lines the border with Serbia.

Canadian military ponders integrated force with U.S. to respond to hotspots: The Canadian military has been working on a plan to create with the United States a bi-national integrated military force to deploy to hot spots around the world.

Americans' Trust in Media Remains at Historical Low: Americans' confidence in the media has slowly eroded from a high of 55% in 1998 and 1999. Since 2007, the majority of Americans have had little or no trust in the mass media.

South Dakota tribe to open nation's 1st marijuana resort: Santee Sioux leaders plan to grow their own pot and sell it in a smoking lounge that includes a nightclub, arcade games, bar and food service, and eventually, slot machines and an outdoor music venue.

TV Ads Are About to Get Personal With New Targeting Tools: Using data from cable set-top boxes that track TV viewing, credit cards and other sources, media companies including Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal, Time Warner Inc.’s Turner and Viacom Inc. are trying to compete with Web giants like Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. and help marketers target their messages to the right audience.

 

 

September 28, 2015

 

Syria Crisis: Russia Puts Troops on the Ground in the Fight Against Isis
By Robert Fisk
Uniformed Russian soldiers are now guarding checkpoints on roads around three military bases on the Syrian Mediterranean coast as Moscow plans its first attacks on the enemies of President Bashar al-Assad. - Continue

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Vladimir Putin 60 Minutes Interview
Video and Transcript
"There is no other solution to the Syrian crisis than strengthening the effective government structures and rendering them help in fighting terrorism." Continue

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US President Obama Addresses UN
Video and Transcript
Obama Issues Strong Condemnation of Russia in UN Speech. - Continue

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Russian President Vladimir Putin Speaks At UN
Video and Transcript
'Do you realize what you've done?' President Putin . - Continue

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The Collapse of Saudi Arabia is Inevitable
By Nafeez Ahmed
Saudi Arabia is on the brink of a perfect storm of interconnected challenges that, if history is anything to judge by, will be the monarchy’s undoing well within the next decade. - Continue

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Debacle, Inc.
How Henry Kissinger Helped Create Our “Proliferated” World

By Greg Grandin
The arms spigot that Kissinger turned on still remains wide open. - Continue

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America’s Global Military Bases Actually Undermine National Security. Here’s How.
By David Vine
America's sprawling global footprint encourages military confrontation, makes host countries into targets, and costs taxpayers a fortune. - Continue

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Speaking Lies to Power
By Bionic Mosquito
The Pope gave a speech to a joint session of the US congress.  It is worth examining the lies of commission and the lies of omission. - Continue

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‘Minority Report’ Is 40 Years Ahead of Schedule: The Fictional World Has Become Reality
By John W. Whitehead
What once seemed futuristic no longer occupies the realm of science fiction. - Continue

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35 killed in bomb attacks, clashes with IS militants in Iraq: A total of 35 people were killed on Monday in bomb attacks and clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's western province of Anbar, security sources said.

Missile kills 17 in Syrian rebel enclave: Seventeen people - mostly civilians - have died after the Syrian army fired a missile into the last rebel-held neighbourhood in the central city of Homs, a monitoring group says.

Israel strikes Syria military posts after errant rocket hit its territory: "This is the second time in the past two days errant fire from the Syrian Armed Forces landed in Israeli territory," according to the statement. In response, IDF artillery targeted two Syrian army posts in the central Syrian Golan Heights.

Putin: No plans 'right now' to send Russian troops to Syria: The Russian leader, also sharply criticized U.S. military support for Syrian rebels, describing it as not only illegal but counterproductive.

Russia builds up Syria airbase as US policy suffers setback: Moscow pressed its military buildup at a new airbase in Syria Saturday, as Washington admitted rebels it trained surrendered ammunition and equipment to Al-Qaeda in a fresh US policy setback.

U.K.'s Cameron Open to Keeping Syria's Assad in Power in Short Term: British Prime Minister David Cameron is open to keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power in the short term while a unity government is formed in the country, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported

Poll: Majority of Americans Oppose White House Plan to Accept 10K Syrian Refugees : Americans are hardly thrilled with the Obama administration’s plan to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees, according to a new Quinnipiac poll:

Turkey won't host 'inhumane' migrant processing centre: PM: Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday ruled out creating a processing centre for the thousands of mostly Syrian migrants trying to enter Europe from Turkish territory, calling instead for them to be hosted in "safe zones" inside Syria.

Death toll from Saudi strike at Yemen wedding rises to 38: Death toll from two airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition targeting Yemen's Shiite rebels that mistakenly struck a wedding party on Monday rose to 38, Yemeni security officials said.

Saudi security forces kill 2, arrest 3 in anti-terror raids: The Interior Ministry said those targeted in the raid belonged to an affiliate of the extremist Daesh group linked to an attack in Abha, 560 kilometres south of Makkah.

Erekat: Netanyahu to be held responsible for crimes under new open-fire rules: “The Israeli government continues to incite against Palestinian lives, with a culture of hate that dehumanizes a whole nation. Israel continues to ignore and gravely break its obligations under international law,” Erekat said.

Video shows IDF soldiers attacking AFP photographers: WATCH: The video shows the soldiers pushing the photographers and smashing their cameras on the road.

In Gaza, no figures can express the sorrow: I don’t know if pain can destroy or fortify, I only know that pain changes everything. I also know that the recollection of such suffering shall remain, has to remain in my memory.

Democratic Republic of Congo: 13 killed as gunmen attack salary convoy of civil servants: According to a military source and the Trust Merchant Bank, which was tasked with transporting the funds, 11 soldiers escorting the convoy and two civilians were killed.

‘10 killed’ in Benghazi clashes between Libya army, jihadists: Seven jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group and three soldiers of Libya’s recognised government died in weekend clashes in the eastern city of Benghazi, military and medical sources said Sunday.

U.K. to Send Troops to Help Stabilize Somalia and South Sudan: Great Britain will contribute troops to support U.N. and African Union peacekeeping operations in Somalia and South Sudan in order to counter terrorism and mitigate migration, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday.

22 killed as Taliban storms Afghanistan's Kunduz city: At least 22 people, largely militants, were killed after Taliban fighters attacked Kunduz city, the capital of Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province early Monday, in an effort to seize the city's control, authorities said.

Taliban free hundreds of fighters from jail in north: Taliban insurgents broke into the main prison in Afghanistan's northern city of Kunduz on Monday, freeing hundreds of fellow Islamist fighters hours after militants captured much of the city, two security officials said.

Putin: All countries should respect Ukraine’s sovereignty: The sovereignty of all states, including Ukraine, should be respected, Russian President Vladimir Putin told CBS’s ‘60 Minutes,’ stressing that he knows “for sure” that the US was involved in the ouster of President Yanukovich in 2014.

DARPA is implanting chips in soldiers’ brains, according to this new book: For decades, DARPA, the secretive research arm of the Department of Defense, has dreamed of turning soldiers into cyborgs. And now it’s finally happening.

Shell abandons Alaska Arctic drilling: Oil giant’s US president says hugely controversial drilling operations off Alaska will stop for ‘foreseeable future’ as drilling finds little oil and gas

Mutations found in sea life along US West Coast — Deformed spines, brains, hearts, eyes reported by officials — Malformations include extra brain lobes, hunchbacks, parts of face missing, unusual limbs

 
 

September 27, 2015

 

Papal Blessing for Washington’s Global Terrorism
By Finian Cunningham
Silence is tacit acceptance, or even complicity. Continue

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Syria Turns The Corner
By Moon Of Alabama
Israel has been told to go back into its corner and to shut up. It has no longer any role in Syria. Continue

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Russia and Putin, the Nonexistent Threat
By Joe Clifford
So who is the aggressor nation? How many nations has Russia bombed in the past 25 years? Continue

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Abe's Japan - Fascist and Falling
By Andre Vltchek
How fast can a country deteriorate? How promptly can it lose its culture, its soul? Continue

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Ayotzinapa Vive: Families Demand Truth, Justice and an End to the Drug War
By Daniel Robelo
Ayotzinapa showed that the state and the cartels are virtually indistinguishable. Continue

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Saudi airstrike kills 25 civilians in Yemen: Residents: A Saudi airstrike in the Yemeni village of Bani Zela in the northwestern province of Hjjah kills at least 25 civilians, mostly women and children, residents and medics say.

Missile kills 17 in rebel enclave in Syria's Homs: monitor: Four children and four women were among the dead in Saturday's strike, the Syrian Observatory for Human Right said

Russia steps up Syria support 'to stop fall of Assad': Federica Mogherini's comments on Saturday follow reports that 500 Russian troops have been deployed to a forward operating base in the Syrian port city of Latakia.

U.S. support for Syria rebels illegal, Putin says: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday branded U.S. support for rebel forces in Syria as illegal and ineffective, saying U.S.-trained rebels were leaving to join Islamic State with weapons supplied by Washington.

Assad’s enemies may be portrayed as opposition, but he fights terrorists – Putin: He pointed out that, from Russia’s point of view, there is only one regular army in Syria – the army of President Bashar Assad. “And he is confronted with what some of our international partners interpret as an opposition. In reality, Assad’s army is fighting against terrorist organizations,” Putin said.

Iraq, Russia, Iran and Syria coordinate against ISIL: While Iraq has officially announced it is sharing intelligence with Russia, Syria and Iran, the cooperation is not new.

Fact or fiction: Chinese Navy sets off for Syria: Russian Senator Igor Morozov, "It is known, that China has joined our military operation in Syria, the Chinese cruiser has already entered the Mediterranean, aircraft carrier follows it," Morozov said.

Cameron hints he could work with Putin to defeat Islamic State: The British PM is ready to cooperate with Russia to defeat the Islamic State, a spokesperson for Prime Minister David Cameron has said. Simultaneously, an unnamed government source told the Sunday Telegraph, that Downing Street did not rule out keeping Assad in power in the short term.

Number of foreign fighters in Syria has doubled in past year - report: The figures cited by the New York Times show that the international efforts aimed at tackling the jihadist threat have largely failed to stop the flow of new foreign fighters seeking to join terror groups in Syria and Iraq.

Putin calls Saudi king to discuss Syria conflict: In a telephone conversation at Russia's behest, the two men "exchanged views on regional security matters, first and foremost, in the context of finding ways to settle the conflict in Syria", a statement posted to the Kremlin's website said.

Daesh executes ten attempted deserters in Iraq: Daesh has reportedly executed nearly a dozen of its own members in Iraq’s embattled western province of Anbar after the latter sought to break away from the terrorist outfit.

Baghdad coordination center aimed at fighting ISIS - Lavrov: The purpose of setting up a coordination center of Russia, Iraq, Iran and Syria in Baghdad is to coordinate the efforts in the fight against ISIS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

Iran to buy Russian aerospace equipment and planes worth $21bln: Tehran will pay $21 billion for satellite equipment and Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100) passenger aircraft from Russia, an Iranian official told Sputnik news agency.

South Africa says 1 peacekeeper killed in Sudan ambush: The South African military says one of its troops was killed in Sudan's Darfur region when rebels there ambushed a South African unit that is part of a U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission.

Huge bomb blast kills 10 in Afghanistan: A bomber on a motorbike on Sunday detonated his explosives in a soccer stadium in the east of the province. Latest reports say at least 10 people have been killed and over a dozen others badly wounded in the blast.

ISIS militants kill 3 police: Afghan official: An Afghan official says ISIS gunmen have attacked checkpoints in Nangarhar, killing three police in the group's first attack on security forces in the country.

Ukrainian soldier killed in mine blast in rebel east: "Yesterday near Gorlivka, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and one injured. It was a result of a mine explosion," military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told journalists, referring to a city about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the rebels' de facto capital Donetsk.

17 Refugees killed after boat sinks off Turkish coast: The boat was carrying 37 people, 20 of whom were rescued, when it sank in the Aegean Sea, Anadolu said

Venezuela's Maduro: Capitalism is Behind World Inequality: The key to eradicating world poverty and increasing sustainability is to empower the poor and allow nations to maintain their sovereignty, said Maduro.

 
 

September 27, 2015

 

So Obama Wants Talks with Putin on Syria?
By Finian Cunningham
Does Washington and London really think that Moscow is that stupid? Continue

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US Exploited Assad's Fight Against Al-Qaeda
By Daniel McAdams
The US had long planned to overthrow Assad well before 2011 . Continue

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Russia Returns to the Middle East
By Israel Shamir
The US plans to dispose of Syria as they find fit were thrown to disarray by the Russian involvement. Continue

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War, Propaganda and the Enemy Within
By Abby Martin & Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges explains the 'folly of Empire,' the dangers posed by right-wing extremism and the urgent need for a new system. Continue

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No Brains In Washington
By Paul Craig Roberts
This country is falling apart. Even when you come back from Argentina to the United States it looks like a third world country, and when you come back from Europe even more so. Continue

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Ahmed Mohamed and Abdulrahman al-Awlaki
By Margaret Kimberley
We have enough Bushes for a goddam arboretum—and all the inbred scum of a dying country. Continue

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Thumpathumpthump, Here Come Trump: Pols Have Knickers in Knot
By Fred Reed
We have enough Bushes for a goddam arboretum—and all the inbred scum of a dying country. Continue

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20 Yemen rebels killed as loyalists press offensive: Twelve other rebels were captured in the operation launched on the northwestern edge of Marib province, a key battleground in the fight for control of the capital, said a military official

Saudi army loses troops in Yemen border incident: Gunfight and landmine explosion leave colonel and deputy sergeant dead in Saudi Arabia's Jizan district.

PKK bombs Turkish security headquarters, killing 19 forces: “Our fighters were able to kill 16 military forces and three police officers in strategic operations over the past two days,” said the statement of which ARA News received a copy. The recent PKK-led attacks on the Turkish forces took place in the Kurdish-majority provinces of Sirnak and Diyarbakir.

Four civilians killed amid clashes in southeast Turkey: source: - Four civilians have been killed after they were caught in clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants in the southeast, security sources said Saturday. An ambulance driver was killed on site in the Beytussebab district of Sirnak province and three civilians wounded by mortar shells died later of their injuries at hospital.

1/4 of Iraqi population to need aid by yearend: UN; The UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Dominique Bartsch, said on Friday that the current situation is threatening some 10 million Iraqis, forcing many to leave the country.

Russia builds up Syria airbase as US policy suffers setback: Saturday was the 15th straight day that Russian transport aircraft had flown in troops and equipment to the Hmeimim base in Latakia province on the Mediterranean coast, a military source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Pentagon confirms US-trained Syria rebels gave weapons to al-Nusra: The startling acknowledgement contrasted with earlier Pentagon denials of reports that some fighters had either defected or handed over gear.

At least 21 killed in attacks in Central African Republic capital: At least 21 people were killed in the capital of Central African Republic on Saturday and around 100 others were wounded as Muslims attacked a mainly Christian neighbourhood, senior hospital officials and witnesses said.

At least 4 killed in S. Somalia blast: police: - A bomb explosion killed at least 4 people, wounded several others in Kismayo city, southern Somalia on Saturday, police said.

Sinai bombing kills two Egypt police: Two Egyptian policemen were killed in a roadside bombing in the Sinai Peninsula Saturday, the interior ministry said, in an attack claimed by ISIS.

4 militants killed in E. Afghanistan: At least four anti- government militants have been killed in Kot district of the eastern Nangarhar province with Jalalabad as its capital 120 km east of Kabul on Saturday, provincial police chief, Hazrat Hussain Mashriqwal said.

ISIS gaining ground in Afghanistan: UN: ISIS is making inroads in Afghanistan, winning over a growing number of sympathizers and recruiting followers in 25 of the country's 34 provinces, a U.N. report said Friday.

The occupation continues: Report: US Mulls Leaving Thousands of Troops in Afghanistan After 2016: Military officials reportedly are considering keeping thousands of American troops in Afghanistan beyond the end of next year, in what would be a departure from current plans to leave only a small force of a few hundred troops behind.

Pakistan to hang man 'aged 15' at time of crime: As execution date nears, Ansar Iqbal, who was arrested 16 years ago, says police framed him over neighbour's murder.

China pledges $2 billion to help poor states meet U.N. goals: "China will continue to increase investment in the least developed countries, aiming to increase its total to $12 billion by 2030," Xi told a sustainable development summit of world leaders at the United Nations in New York.

Obama, Xi Reach Agreement to End Cyberattacks: The two leaders said their governments would not commit cyber crimes against one another.

US ‘preparing’ for hybrid warfare with Russia in Baltics – report: The Pentagon has shifted its military thinking when it comes to Moscow, selecting Russia’s direct neighbors in the Baltic region as the battleground, Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (DWN) writes.

Putin Talking Points for UN Speech Spilled by Foreign Minister: In an interview on the Russian Sunday Time TV program, Putin’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spilled the beans on what his boss would say to the world.

Refugee crisis: Finland protesters throw fireworks at buses: Finland's government has condemned a protest in which demonstrators - including one reportedly dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit - attacked buses transporting asylum seekers.

Don't let Muslim migrants in, says Bulgaria's Orthodox Church: Bulgaria's Orthodox Church has called on its government not to let any more Muslim refugees into the country to prevent an "invasion".

Volkswagen models sale halted in Switzerland: Switzerland has temporarily banned the sale of Volkswagen (VW) diesel-engine models which could have devices capable of tricking emission tests.

Bolivia's Congress votes to let Evo Morales run for re-election again: Bolivia's Congress voted Saturday to amend the South American country's constitution to let President Evo Morales run for re-election again in five years, and potentially extend his presidency to 2025. The changes must be ratified by a national referendum set for February 21, 2016.

The shocking reach of U.S. child poverty: Take a snapshot of the U.S. today, and you'll find that 22 percent of all children live in families that are below the federal poverty level. But what happens when you look at how American children fare throughout their pre-adult lives? It's nearly twice as bad.

Ron Paul - Gallup Finds Half of US Fears Government : News Analysis - A recent Gallup study has found that nearly half of Americans view the US government as the greatest threat to life and liberty, a three percent increase from last year.

Poll Shows Most US Citizens Lack Choice Due to Two-Party System: A vast majority of Americans believe that a third US political party is needed due to the unsatisfactory performance of the country's two ruling parties, a new survey from Gallup revealed on Friday.

Ben Carson's narrow view of Islam is widely shared – by Islamic extremists: News Analysis - The would-be Republican nominee seems to think that the ‘real’ Islam is violent and fundamentalist, and the ‘lite’ version is diluted and inauthentic. So does Isis

Ben Carson receives spike in donations after anti-Muslim comments: Ben Carson is the latest to enjoy this particular advantage of Western politics, being that wealthy donors will unleash hundreds of thousands of dollars when you present yourself as a bigot to the American public.

Donald Trump booed by conservative crowd for first time in his campaign: The audience reacted negatively to Republican frontrunner calling Marco Rubio ‘a clown’, but Trump insisted to reporters ‘those weren’t boos, those were cheers’

427 Former Members of Congress Moved to Lobbying or Similar Work: More than 400 former members of Congress have passed through the revolving door by making the move to K Street as lobbyists or as senior advisers performing similar work, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

 

September 25, 2015

 

Russia Checks Western Lies on Syria
By Finian Cunningham
The Russian move deftly exposes another Western deception.  Continue

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Putin: "Does Anyone Even Listen To Us?"
Must Watch Video
"We are not invading anyone?" - "Why are you threatening us?"  Continue

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Live from New York, it’s ‘Putin the Great’
By Pepe Escobar
It’s naďve to interpret the Russian military build-up as a mere show of force.  Continue

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Obama’s Flak Demeans Putin’s Posture
By Robert Parry
President Obama is going out of his way to insult Russian President Putin prior to a summit meeting.  Continue

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War Without Mercy on Yemen: The Saudi-US Massacres Continues
Video - WARNING -
"Look at what these criminals are doing"  Continue

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Congress, Pope Francis Calls Out the ‘Industry of Death’
By Phyllis Bennis and Manuel Perez-Rocha
The "People's pope" condemned the arms trade, war profiteering, and even the war on terror itself.  Continue

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Pope Francis' Full Address to the UN General Assembly
Video and Transcript
Pope Francis said there is a "right of the environment" and that mankind didn't have the authority to abuse it. Continue

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Canada Falls Flat on the World Stage
By Daryl Copeland
Canada has become something of an international pariah — the country that others don’t want in the room.  Continue

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The Decline of the Western Ethnic State
By Lawrence Davidson
All established populations, even relatively diverse ones, fear that their cultural norms and economic advantages will be threatened by large waves of new immigrants.  Continue

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It’s The British Establishment That Has A Problem With Democracy
By Seumas Milne
The elite has little time for elections that deliver the wrong results. And Jeremy Corbyn’s was one of them .  Continue

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The War to End Slavery Didn't
By David Swanson
Not only did slavery not end. For many thousands it was dramatically worsened.  Continue

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Markets Gone Mad
By Mike Whitney
All established populations, even relatively diverse ones, fear that their cultural norms and economic advantages will be threatened by large waves of new immigrants.  Continue

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Greece - Front of Resistance
By Dimitris Konstantakopoulos
Introduced by Peter Koenig
In today’s globalized neoliberal world, Democracy is not worth the breath it takes to pronounce it.  Continue

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Austerity is Being Used as a Cover-story for Class War Against the Poor, Yanis Varoufakis Says
By Jon stone
Economics professor points to tax cuts for the wealthy and service cuts for others.  Continue

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Let VW Face the Same Penalties as Us — or Let Us Go Unpunished Too
By Ted Rall
Corporations are responsible for lawbreaking and murder on a scale that Jeffrey Dahmer couldn’t have imagined.  Continue

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U.S. airstrikes kill more than 170 "ISIS militants" in Mosul: More than 170 militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) were killed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul during airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, activists reported on Thursday.

Coalition airstrikes kill 17 militants in Iraq, destroy arms warehouses: Coalition airpower destroyed military bases in areas south of Kirkuk, from where ISIS frequently launches attacks against Peshmerga positions inside the city.

34 Kurdish militants, two Turkish soldiers killed: : Two Turkish soldiers and 34 Kurdish rebels have been killed in fighting in the southeast,. The soldiers were killed in two separate attacks by the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The military responded with airstrikes on the PKK's positions, in which "34 terrorists" were killed, the statement added.

Warring sides in Syria reach agreement on two villages, border town: Rebel fighters from Zabadani would be allowed to withdraw to Idlib province, taking only light weapons with them. In return, rebels in Idlib would let some 10,000 civilians from al-Foua and Kefraya leave the besieged villages. The deal was reached in talks backed by Iran

White House calls Putin 'desperate,' criticizes his posture: President Obama’s top spokesman took repeated jabs at Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday, suggesting he is “desperate” to sit down with the president, and even criticizing his posture.

Putin: Syrian Crisis Solvable only Through Support of Assad Gov't: The only way to solve the crisis in Syria is to support the legitimate government headed by President Bashar al-Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin's Damascus Steal: News Analysis - How Russia Got Ahead in the Middle East

Iran’s ‘take’ on Russian build-up in Syria: The United States doesn’t want to see the formation of any true counter-ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and Lebanon] coalition. Otherwise, they would have welcomed Russia’s military buildup – and Iran’s military assistance – from day one!

US Analyst alleging cooked ISIS intel identified : The analyst behind the allegations that U.S. Central Command (Centcom) has altered intelligence assessments to paint a rosier picture of the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is Gregory Hooker, the New York Times reported Thursday.

Saudi airstrikes, fighting in Yemeni city kill 13 people: Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition targeting the country's Shiite rebels as well as fighting on the ground between rebels and pro-government fighters in the southern province of Taiz have killed at least 13 people and wounded dozens, Yemen officials said Friday.

3 killed in gun attacks on Saudi police posts: Gunmen opened fire on two Saudi police posts in the northwest of the Gulf kingdom killing two civilians and a policeman, the official news agency SPA reported on Friday.

West Bank shooting 'extrajudicial execution': Amnesty: Rights group Amnesty International on Friday described this week's shooting death of a young Palestinian woman at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank as an "extrajudicial execution".

Israeli soldiers assault AFP team at West Bank demo: - Two AFP journalists were assaulted Friday by Israeli soldiers who destroyed and seized their equipment in the occupied West Bank after the funeral of a Palestinian killed by the army.

Sisi destroys thousands of Egyptian homes in anti-Palestinian campaign: The destruction has been done on the pretext, never backed up with evidence, that insurgents and weapons have been entering Egypt from Gaza.

Egyptian police kill nine Muslim Brotherhood members in Cairo raid: Egyptian security forces killed nine armed members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in a raid on a Cairo home on Friday, security officials said.

Boko Haram fighters kill at least 15 in Niger village raid: sources: "There were at least 15 villagers killed, either shot or with their throats slit. Boko Haram also burned down a number of houses and looted shops," one of the sources said.

At least eight dead in suspected rebel raid on Congo army camp: Gunmen raided the camp in the village of Rumangabo, about 45 km (30 miles) north of North Kivu's provincial capital of Goma, at around 11 p.m. (2100 GMT), killing three soldiers and five soldiers' wives

Six killed in attack on DR Congo army base: At least three Congolese soldiers were killed in an attack on their camp in the troubled east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, military sources said Friday. Three soldiers' wives were also killed in the assault on the camp at Rumangabo, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

China, US seal defense agreements: China and the United States have signed annexes to two agreements regarding major military operations and naval and air force encounters.

Watch: Putin speech at Moscow’s Cathedral Mosque reopening after reconstruction: Video - Vladimir Putin, President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the opening of Moscow’s Cathedral Mosque following reconstruction.

Rocks, fireworks, KKK outfit: Finland protesters attack bus with refugees (VIDEO): A bus which delivered refugees, including infants, to a new reception center in the southern Finnish city of Lahti has come under attack. Dozens of protesters gathered, throwing stones and fireworks at refugees and Red Cross volunteers.

From Radio to Porn, British Spies Track Web Users’ Online Identities: The mass surveillance operation — code-named KARMA POLICE — was launched by British spies about seven years ago without any public debate or scrutiny.

UK Guantanamo detainee Shaker Aamer to be released: The last British resident being held in Guantanamo Bay is to be returned to the UK, the government has said.: Shaker Aamer, 46, who has been in the military prison in Cuba since 2002, has never been charged or been on trial.

Watch: Delaware police kill man in wheelchair: State investigators in Delaware are looking into the fatal shooting by police of a man in a wheelchair, which was captured in cellphone video footage.

Forcing suspects to reveal phone passwords is unconstitutional, court says: The Fifth Amendment right against compelled self-incrimination would be breached if two insider trading suspects were forced to turn over the passcodes of their locked mobile phones to the Securities and Exchange Commission, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner to resign from Congress: The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner, stunned fellow Republicans on Friday, saying he would resign from Congress at the end of October, stepping down from one of the most powerful jobs in Washington in the face of hardline conservative opposition that threatened an institutional crisis.

62% of Republicans Feel BETRAYED by the Party : 62% of Republicans feel betrayed by the party. And two-thirds believe the GOP leadership has not done anything to stop the Obama agenda.

NSA head: Clinton server a 'priority' target for foreign agencies: The server would be a “top priority for foreign intelligence services,” Rogers agreed in response to a question from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

Poll: Bernie Sanders Holds Strong Lead Over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire: Bernie Sanders holds a wide lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, according to a new poll that shows the Vermont Senator and Vice President Joe Biden chipping away at Clinton’s base in the Granite State.

 

September 24, 2015

 

Obama’s Russian Roulette
By Kenneth G. Eade
United States military aggression has reached the point of idiocracy, and it must end. Continue

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The Fall of the American Empire: Hooray!
By Jack Perry
The biggest mistake made was alienating Russia in the first place. That mistake right there was the single biggest mistake that touched off the Fall of the American Empire.  Continue

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Russia’s False Hopes
By Paul Craig Roberts
Russia so desperately desires to be part of the disreputable and collapsing West that Russia is losing its grip on reality.  Continue

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U.S. Special Ops Forces Deployed in 135 Nations
By Nick Turse
2015 Proves to Be Record-Breaking Year for the Military’s Secret Military. Continue

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License to Kill
By Luciana Bohne
Let’s face it: the United States feels entitled to a license to kill.  Continue

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Pope Francis Full Speech to US Congress
Video and Transcript
Finishing with the words "God bless America", he received a prolonged standing ovation.  Continue

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“My name is Nobody”: Religious Fanaticism is a Western Tradition
By T.P. Wilkinson
Religious fanaticism is essentially a European and Anglo-American tradition. Continue

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United Nations Farce: Saudi Arabia to Head UN Human Rights Council
By Felicity Arbuthnot
The UN has chosen: “a country that has beheaded more people this year than ISIS to be head of a key Human Rights panel … Continue

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10 Reasons to Oppose the Saudi Monarchy
By Medea Benjamin
Now is the time to start calling for the U.S. government to sever its ties with the Saudi monarchs.  Continue

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Why Israelis Can Burn Palestinians Alive and Get Away With It
By Maureen Clare Murphy
“The Israeli judiciary is not impartial. When the judge is your enemy, who can you complain to?  Continue

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Israel's War on Children
By Chris Hedges
Fundamentalism is its own animal. Fundamentalism in every religion looks the same, whether it's Christian fundamentalism, Jewish fundamentalism, or Islamic fundamentalism.  Continue

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Corruption and Its Uses, from Guatemala to Colombia
By Tortilla Con Sal
Just as Britain and France developed and exploited the opium trade in the 19th Century, U.S. government agencies, one way or another, have always used narcotics and organized crime to further their political objectives. Continue

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Human Beings: The Omnicidal Species. There is Nothing They Won’t Kill
By John Kozy
Iraqi lives matter, Afghan lives matter, Libyan lives matter. If all lives matter, Osama bin Laden’s life mattered. Continue

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Learning How To Dance
By Robert C. Koehler
The West — the planet’s colonizers and bullies — has to arrest its sense of superiority and let go of what it thinks it knows, in particular that we live in a linear, mechanical, cause-and-effect univer.  Continue

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Hans-Hermann Hoppe, “Democracy, De-Civilization, and Counterculture”
Video
Professor’s Hoppe’s main presentation at the recently-concluded Tenth Annual Meeting of the Property and Freedom Society, Bodrum, Turkey (Sept. 10–15, 2015).  Continue

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Over 120 Terrorists Killed in Aleppo: Report; The Syrian army troops killed over 120 Takfiri terrorists in the province of Aleppo on Thursday. he Syrian forces also shot down a drone belonging to the Takfiri militants.

Syria: Putin plans air strikes on Islamic State if no U.S. deal reached: Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for unilateral air strikes against Islamic State in Syria if the United States rejects his proposal to join forces, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the matter.

U.S., rebutting Kremlin, says no change in Syria position: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday the United States was increasingly receptive toward Moscow's position on the conflict in Syria, an assertion quickly disputed by Washington.

Fact or fiction? 'Tacit' deal between US, Russia to end Syria war: Assad adviser: "The current US administration wants to find a solution to the crisis in Syria. There is a tacit agreement between the US and Russia to reach this solution," Bouthaina Shaaban said in an interview with state television late Wednesday.

Merkel says Assad must be involved in Syria talks: The German head of state said at the EU summit in Brussels that Assad would need to be a part of political talks in Syria

Obama to meet with Putin on Monday, Kremlin says: President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin will hold talks on Monday during the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, the Kremlin confirmed Thursday, according to Russian media reports and the Associated Press.

Pentagon insists no defections to al Qaida from U.S.-trained Syrian fighters: The Pentagon is firmly denying social media reports that a new group of U.S.-trained Syrian fighters who recently reentered their country to combat the Islamic State have defected to the Nusra Front, al Qaida’s main affiliate in Syria.

David Cameron faces legal challenge over Syria airstrikes: Green party politicians join forces with human rights group to criticise lack of clarity over government’s ‘targeted killing policy’

40 ISIS militants killed, wounded in Iraqi airstrike in Anbar: A security source in Anbar announced on Thursday, that 40 ISIS militants had been killed and wounded in an Iraqi aerial bombing on parts of the province, pointing out to the destruction of 11 vehicles belonging to the organization.

Marine 3-star: Watch Ramadi to see the Corps' impact: Expect Marines to remain fully engaged in the effort to combat the so-called Islamic State group in Iraq in the coming year, the head of Marine Forces Central Command said.

Yemen suicide bombing in Sanaa mosque 'kills 25': Two explosions struck the al-Balili mosque as worshippers were performing prayers for the Eid al-Adha festival. The so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group said it had carried out the bombing.

Israeli Soldiers Watch and Settlers Laugh as Shot Palestinian Girl Bleeds to Death: The teenager is the second Palestinian to be killed in 24 hours in the occupied West Bank after 21-year-old Dia al-Talameh was killed in the village of Khursa.

Noam Chomsky: Wikileaks Reveals US Ties to Israel's Military Industry - "Israel plays a major role in repression and aggression"

Netanyahu: Israel Must Become a World Power: "In the face of this changing world, Israel must be a power. Not just a regional power, but in some spheres, a world power.”

Israel is a stone's throw away from becoming the Roman Empire: On Jewish holidays, we're used-to identifying as the resourceful downtrodden that manage to bring an empire to its knees. This year, as our gazillion-dollar army takes on masked Palestinian teens, we find our role reversed.

Gareth Porter: Iran's Parchin nuclear myth begins to unravel: News Analysis - For well over three years, heavy doses of propaganda have created a myth about a purported steel cylinder for testing explosives located on a site at Iran’s Parchin military testing reservation

Mecca stampede: At least 717 killed and hundreds injured in crush during hajj: At least 805 people have been hurt in a stampede in Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage in the deadliest incident in 25 years which the health minister blamed on unruly pilgrims

Egypt's Military Is Killing Civilians in Its 'War on Terror' : Egypt declared a "war on terror" after the military deposed Egypt's first democratically elected president, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, in July 2013.

Marines Trained That Rape in Afghanistan Is a ‘Cultural’ Issue: The training guide supports allegations by Marines and Army soldiers in recent days that they’ve been told not to intervene to prevent sexual assault in Afghanistan, including the rape and sexual enslavement of children on U.S. bases.

'We are preventing a third world war': the foreigners fighting with Ukrainian rebels: Eastern Ukraine has become a hub for those who believe the Russia-backed rebels are the last line of defence against fascism

Russia announces naval drills in 'east Mediterranean': The exercises include three warships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, including the Saratov landing ship, the Moskva guided missile cruiser and the Smetlivy destroyer, the ministry said in a statement.

Austria says it has sent over 5,000 migrants back to other EU countries: "If I remember rightly, we have sent more than 5,000 or 5,500 back from Austria, especially to Bulgaria and Romania among others," Johanna Mikl-Leitner told journalists at a meeting in Germany of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.

EU refugee summit in disarray as Tusk warns 'greatest tide yet to come' : The emergency Brussels summit decided little but to throw money at aid agencies and transit countries hosting millions of Syrian refugees and to step up the identification and finger-printing of refugees in Italy and Greece by November.

Calais crisis: Teenage migrant killed trying to reach UK through Channel Tunnel: The African boy, believed to be aged between 15 and 17, is the 12th person to be killed in or around the tunnel

Fierce Gun Battle Leaves 8 Dead in Mexican State of Jalisco: All hell broke loose in the small, usually quiet town of San Antonio Matute, in the northern Mexican state of Jalisco, when armed forces personnel clashed with heavily armed drug gang members, with a death toll between five and eight, according to local officials and conflicting news reports.

FARC, Colombia Sign Historic Accord on Justice for Victims: In a historic meeting on Wednesday afternoon in Havana, a partial agreement was reached over transitional justice and victims' reparations between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC head Timochenko.

Canada: How Harper controls the news: Last week, Conservatives invited journalists to a secretive campaign event with Canada's prime minister in North Vancouver.

Why millions of Americans are raiding their retirement savings: With the effects of the financial crisis still lingering, 30 million Americans in the last 12 months tapped retirement savings to pay for an unexpected expense, new research shows. This undercuts financial security and underscores the need for every household to maintain an emergency fund .

Pope Francis Just Echoed Obama's 'Offensive' Prayer Breakfast Remarks: The pontiff said all religions are susceptible to extremism and violence, just like Obama said in February.

Poll finds most Americans agree with Donald Trump: The results help explain why Trump continues to lead the large Republican field, with 21% of registered Republicans naming him their first choice for president in the Bloomberg poll.

 

September 23, 2015

 

Who Wants a Third World War?
By Pepe Escobar
China is slowly but surely shifting towards a spectacular new paradigm of integrating the whole of Eurasia into a booming industrial renaissance.  Continue

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Japan Seeks Independence Through Subservience To Evil US Ends
By Finian Cunningham
Japan is placing its military forces as hostage to Washington's capricious geopolitics.  Continue

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Will US Grasp Putin’s Syria Lifeline?
By Robert Parry
Washington’s neocons and the mainstream U.S. news media are growling about Putin’s audacity and challenging his motive.  Continue

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The U.S. Has a Duty to the ‘Tempest-Tost’ Syrians
By Marjorie Cohn
Instead of demanding regime change in Syria, the United States and its allies must stop providing weapons, training and funding to the violent opposition forces.  Continue

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In Canada, Harper's Conservatives Seem to Have Forgotten a Cherished Tradition about Refugees
By Robert Fisk
“I think Canada and its decision so far in regards to refugees is nothing less than atrocious and totally foreign to what and who we are.” Continue

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Foreign Policy by Intimidation
GOP Candidates Show How It's Done

By Philip Giraldi
Fiorina does not seem to be aware that by giving her “good friend” Benjamin Netanyahu the ability to draw the United States into a war that he chooses to start she is outsourcing our sovereignty. Continue

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Noam Chomsky on Trump
"We Should Recognize the Other Candidates are Not That Different"

By Noam Chomsky
I mean, this is just off the spectrum of not only international opinion, but even relative sanity.  Continue

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Clueless Carly———Crony Capitalist Warmonger With Flash Cards
By David Stockman
If you thought Fiorina was actually running for CEO of the military-industrial complex, you would not necessarily be wrong.  Continue

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Privatizing the Apocalypse
How Nuclear Weapons Companies Commandeer Your Tax Dollars

By Richard Krushnic and Jonathan Alan King
Most Americans know little or nothing about their activities and the media seldom bother to report on them or their profits.  Continue

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Does the Pope Know a Boy Is About to Be Crucified?
By David Swanson
The Pope wants nuclear weapons eliminated. Will he mention that to the leading investor in nuclear weapons?  Continue

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Democracy Has Departed The West
By Paul Craig Roberts
The world is on the knife edge. The West is lost. Continue

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A Long Time for Killing
By Michael Parenti
Today, across the nation, we witness homicidal violence delivered against unarmed people by law enforcement officers.  Continue

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Time for the Nuclear Option: Raining Money on Main Street
By Ellen Brown
All other options having failed, governments will be reduced to issuing money outright to cover budget deficits. Continue

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38 militants killed in air strikes over central Syria: The Syrian air force has been increasing its strikes against IS in recent days as it received reinforcements from Russia

14 ISIL Killed in Deir Ezzur: The Syrian army targeted ISIL positions in Mrat village in the Eastern countryside of Deir Ezzur on Tuesday night, killing 14 terrorists and injuring several others, reports said Wednesday.

Insurgent group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing: An insurgent group fighting in Syria made up of around 1,500 Chechen, Uzbek and Tajik fighters has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front, a group monitoring the war said on Wednesday.

US-trained Syrian rebels investigating alleged defection: U.S.-trained rebels who recently returned to Syria said Wednesday they have lost contact with one of their officers and that they are investigating reports that he defected and handed over his weapons to al-Qaida's branch in the country.

DoD Spokesman: Reports About Syrian Defections False: "I just wanted to tell you that we believe those reports to be false. We have no information at all to suggest that's true," Davis said in a press briefing today. "All coalition-issued weapons and equipment are under the positive control of New Syrian Force fighters."

The US decision to send weapons to Syria repeats a historical mistake: News Analysis - The CIA has been arming Syrian rebels for years. Nobody should be surprised that the US’s newest effort was revealed an abject failure

Syria says would welcome Russian army base in Latakia: "If Russia agrees, Syria would only welcome such a step, because it would be aimed against terrorism on our soil," Interfax is quoting Riad Haddad as saying.

Jaish al-Islam declares war on Russians fighting in Syria : The declaration by one the largest rebel groups comes as Russia increases its military support to the Syrian government in recent weeks

Russian Jets Close off West's Option of No-fly Zone Over Syria: Russia's deployment of fighter jets in Syria has effectively destroyed the West's option of imposing a "no-fly zone", experts have warned, as the British Defence Secretary said the intervention risked deepening the crisis.

Propaganda alert: 'He wants to resurrect the Russian Empire': Petraeus warns Congress to halt Putin's moves into Syria before it's too late

War criminal: Petraeus tells Congress U.S. should strike Assad regime: Petraeus called Syria a "geopolitical Chernobyl" that has destabilized the entire region and said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's attacks on civilians have been the underlining cause of the rise of the Islamic State -- also identified as IS, ISIS and ISIL -- and refugee crisis. He urged a strong military commitment to the region.

Daesh terrorists execute 25 Iraqi soldiers in Mosul: The Daesh Takfiri terrorists have executed 25 members of Iraq’s police and army in the embattled northern city of Mosul, which has been under the control of the militants since June 2014.

Turkish soldier killed in PKK attack in southeast: Security sources: Sergeant Mehmet Ali Sarak, 25, came under fire from PKK militants with automatic rifles while on his way to his army base in the Silvan district of Diyarbakir, the sources told AFP on condition of anonymity.

US kills 2 people in Yemen’s Ma’rib: Local official: “Two alleged, members of al-Qaeda were killed when a missile from a US drone hit their vehicle” in Ma’rib on Tuesday, the unnamed official told AFP.

IDF shoots 18yo Palestinian woman 10 times, lets her die in street (PHOTOS): An 18-year-old Palestinian girl was shot by Israeli troops at a Hebron checkpoint for allegedly refusing to show her purse or face and “trying to attack” a soldier. She died of multiple wounds in a hospital after bleeding in the street for 30 minutes.

Barak Says U.S. Should Give Israel Iran Strike Capability : Former Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he would expect the United States to equip Israel with the arms that would enable it to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities if needed.

Secret Document: How the NSA Spied on Iranians in New York: The NSA will probably spy on foreign leaders like Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during the UN General Assembly in New York this week, applying a "full court press" that includes intercepting cellphone calls and bugging hotel rooms, former intelligence analysts told NBC News.

At least 20 killed in Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen's Sanaa: Two missiles were reportedly fired from the Saudi-led fighter jets destroying four houses in southern Sanaa, killing 20 civilians, mostly women and children.

Father of Saudi youth on death row asks king for clemency: Nimr warned that if his son is put to death the minority Shiite community could react violently, something he does not want to happen.

More than 20 killed in NE Nigeria market bombing: More than 20 people were killed in a bomb attack in the garrison town of Monguno in remote northeast Nigeria, witnesses and the country's main relief agency said on Wednesday.

Sisi pardons two Jazeera journalists: A spokesman for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Alaa Youssef, told AFP the Al-Jazeera journalists were among a group of inmates pardoned, as state news agency MENA said the pardon covered 100 prisoners, including women activists Sana Seif and Yara Sallam.

France sells 2 disputed Mistral warships to Egypt: Egypt also purchased 24 advanced fighter jets from France earlier this year for nearly $6 billion, as it sought international help to bomb Islamic State targets.

Burkina Faso president 'back in charge' after coup: President Michel Kafando, who was taken hostage during last week's coup, says civilian transitional government restored.

Man Seeks Legal Action Against US, Germany Over Airstrike That Killed Dad: The son of a camel-herder who was allegedly killed by a United States airstrike in Somalia has launched legal action against the US as well as Germany, claiming the latter "plays an indispensable role in secret drone killings in Somalia."

Libyan prime minister again prevented from leaving country: The incident comes only five days after soldiers acting on orders from a top commander stopped him boarding a flight to Malta to address a conference organised by the National Oil Corporation

Georgian soldier killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan: A Georgian soldier posted in Afghanistan was killed and another wounded when their patrol came under attack by the Taliban, their government said Wednesday.

Russia says will respond if US places new nukes in Germany: The Kremlin says Russia will take countermeasures if the U.S. places new nuclear weapons at a base in Germany. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's comments, came in response to a report by Germany's ZDF television. The report said that preparation is underway by the U.S. to station B61-12 nuclear bombs at Buechel Air Base in Germany.

Around 200 masked men storm Kharkov city hall in Eastern Ukraine; At least 200 people wearing camouflage and masks stormed the local administration building in the city of Kharkov, eastern Ukraine, local media said. The perpetrators are alleged to be members of the radical Azov battalion.

Slovakia to challenge refugee quotas in court, Hungary takes aim at EU budget : The dissenting countries who voted against an EU decision to impose refugee quotas on member states are responding to plans to adopt the legislation. Slovakia wants to challenge the decision in court while Hungary says EU budget redistribution is need.

The Volkswagen emissions scandal: VW has already acknowledged that accusations by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are valid. It has admitted that it deliberately deceived American customers and government authorities.

Pope Francis: US bishops show 'courage' over Catholic church sex abuse crisis: Pontiff comes up short of issuing apology to victims of decades of abuse, and urges bishops to embrace inclusiveness over ‘harsh and divisive language’

US priests accused of sex abuse get a second chance by relocating to South America: The Catholic Church has allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children in the United States and Europe to relocate to poor parishes in South America, a yearlong GlobalPost investigation has found.

Hundreds of full-time New York City workers are homeless: More than 100 of the 1,000 parks workers represented by one union local are living in homeless shelters. Torres earns $33,662 a year but says it’s not enough to find four walls and a roof to call his own in a city where, according to StreetEasy, the median rent is $2,690 a month.

Why Jimmy Carter Says He Could 'Absolutely Not' Be Elected Today: "We've become, now, an oligarchy instead of a democracy."

 

September 22, 2015

 

US-trained Division 30 Rebels 'Betrayed US
Hands Weapons Over to al-Qaeda's Affiliate in Syria'
By Nabih Bulos
"A strong slap for America... the new group from Division 30 that entered yesterday hands over all of its weapons to Jabhat al-Nusra after being granted safe passage.  Continue

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Russia Sends Arms as Signs Grow of Shift in Syria War
By Maher al-Mounnes
Syria said Tuesday it had received sophisticated new arms from Russia, including warplanes, and deployed them against jihadists. Continue

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“Counterproductive”?: Russia and the Warring in Syria
By Gary Leupp
Which would you rather have: Russian troops in Damascus, protecting Christian holy sites or ISIL forces in the city, blowing them up? Continue

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A Sense of Despair Is Sweeping Through Iraq
By Patrick Cockburn
The mass exodus from the country is gathering pace. Continue

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Remaking the World in Greater Israel’s Image
From American Occupations to European Detention Camps
By Dan Sanchez
Crowds of unarmed Muslim men, women, and children being chased, beaten, rounded up, herded, penned, and cage-fed like animals. Continue

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US Branded Cameron ‘Incompetent’ over Syria, Felt ‘F*cked Over’ on Libya – Lord Ashcroft
By RT
Cameron accused of incompetence over the Libyan war and the failed Syria vote in 2013 by defense ministers, US officials and senior military officers. Continue

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Refugee Crisis: Brought to you by Western Imperialism
By Andre Vltchek
“We are poor because they are rich!” Some refugees and migrants coming to Europe are beginning to see it this way, too.
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Iran Key to Unlocking US Hypocrisy on Global Terrorism
By Finian Cunningham
Once we step back from the indoctrinated official Western narratives about terrorism, and supposed Western claims of fighting a “war on terror”, many seeming conundrums suddenly become clear.  Continue

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A Moral Challenge for Pope Francis
By Ray McGovern
The Catholic Church has made excuses for unjustifiable wars even as it has made abortion a cardinal sin, a hypocrisy that will be tested as Pope Francis visits the United States, a country immersed in all the immorality that comes from warfare.  Continue

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George Orwell, the Suppression of Ideas and the Myth of American Exceptionalism
By Noam Chomsky
Chomsky explained why he believes the U.S. poses the greatest threat to world peace. "[The United States] is a rogue state, indifferent to international law and conventions, entitled to resort to violence at will.  Continue

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All Republican Presidential Candidates Stand For War
By Paul Craig Roberts
The Pentagon has upgraded the newly orchestrated “Russian threat” to “potentially aggressive” and is updating its plans for war with Russia.  Continue

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What It Means to Be a Socialist
By Chris Hedges
We will overthrow this system or be crushed by it. Continue

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Operation Ridicule: the Character Assassination of Jeremy Corbyn
By Tom Colclough
Corbyn was barely allocated time to look in the mirror and look upon the scale of what he had accomplished before the insults came riding in, First Class.  Continue

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Nigeria blasts toll rises to 85: police: Locals in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, said at least 85 people were killed Monday in a series of bombings blamed on Boko Haram, disputing a lower figure of 54 given by police.

Car bomb detonates near Somalia's presidential palace: A car bomb exploded close to the presidential palace in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, police said on Monday.

Burkina Faso army 'preparing to raid coup leaders camp': Loyalist troops mass in the capital Ouagadougou as 10am GMT deadline expires for coup leaders to lay down their weapons.

Egypt carries out 'mass home demolitions' in Sinai: Egypt may have violated laws of war while clearing territory along the Gaza border, says Human Rights Watch.

Saudi-led coalition strikes kill at least 50 in Yemen: Air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition killed 50 people in Yemen when they hit a Houthi-held security compound in the north and a house in Sanaa. Gulf Arab forces appear to be making scant progress in a ground offensive in the central desert against battle-hardened Houthi forces who control the capital Sanaa some 120 km (75 miles) to the west.

Yemeni president returns to Aden after six-month exile: Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi landed in Yemen's Aden on Tuesday, airport sources said, returning to the southern port city for the first time since he escaped to Saudi Arabia as Houthi fighters closed in six months ago.

Yemen and the scandal of UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia: The UK is fuelling this bitter conflict by selling arms and giving technical support to a Saudi Arabia-led coalition bombing campaign in Yemen in full knowledge of the risk of potential war crimes.

Syrian government air strikes kill 38 IS fighters: monitor: At least 38 Islamic State group fighters were killed in air strikes by the Damascus regime against three jihadist-held towns in central Syria, a monitoring group said on Tuesday.

Activists say missile attack kills 18 in northern Syria city: A missile attack by government forces on Monday killed at least 18 people and wounded dozens in a rebel-held neighborhood of the northern city of Aleppo, activists said.

US military reports 75 US-trained rebels return to Syria: About 70 U.S.-trained rebels have returned to Syria after receiving training in Turkey, crossing the border in gun-mounted four-wheel drives, the U.S. military's Central Command said Monday.

US-trained Division 30 Rebels 'Betrayed US: Hands Weapons Over to al-Qaeda's Affiliate in Syria': "A strong slap for America... the new group from Division 30 that entered yesterday hands over all of its weapons to Jabhat al-Nusra after being granted safe passage.

Russia calls for action after shell hits Damascus embassy: Russia's foreign ministry Monday called for "concrete action" after a shell landed on its embassy compound in the Syrian capital, blaming forces battling Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russia’s participation in fighting terrorism will turn the tables on the conspirators: Syrian, Deputy Prime Minister: “There is something new beyond (Russia) providing Syria with weapons, which is Russia engaging in fighting ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra,” said al-Moallem in an interview with the Russian RT channel that was aired on Saturday.

Russia deploys 28 fighter jets to Syria, US officials say: "There are 28 fighter and bomber aircraft" at an airfield in the western Syrian province of Latakia, one of the officials told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Russia sends drone aircraft on surveillance missions in Syria - U.S. officials: Russia has started flying drone aircraft on surveillance missions in Syria, two U.S. officials said on Monday, in what appeared to be Moscow's first military air operations inside the country since staging a rapid buildup at a Syrian air base.

Russia sends arms as signs grow of shift in Syria war: Syria said Tuesday it had received sophisticated new arms from Russia, including warplanes, and deployed them against jihadists, as signs grew of a major shift in the country's four-year conflict.

Rebels see tougher war with Russians in Syria, evoke Afghanistan: Rebels say Russia's intervention in support of its ally will only lead to an escalation of the war and may encourage the rebels' Gulf Arab backers to pour in more military aid.

Israel PM visits Russia over army buildup in Syria: Speaking on Russian television, Putin dismissed Netanyahu's claim that Syria and Iran are attempting to open a "second front" against Israel.

Russia to coordinate Syria military actions with Israel: Israeli PM Netanyahu says coordination aims to prevent accidental military clashes with Russian troops in Syria.

Russia in Syria: Did Putin just clip Israel's wings?: All the pleasantries Monday couldn’t hide the awkwardness of the new wrinkle in Russian-Israeli relations. Moscow’s decision to boost its military presence in northern Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad has posed a potential challenge to Mr. Netanyahu

France ready to bomb Syria 'in self-defense' – foreign minister: France says it may carry out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria as an act of self-defense. Last week French aircraft started to undertake reconnaissance missions over Syria. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the use of weapons on Syrian territory is justified due to a string of Islamist at

With fight against the Islamic State in Iraq stalled, U.S. looks to Syria for gains: With the offensive to reclaim territory from the Islamic State largely stalled in Iraq, the Obama administration is laying plans for a more aggressive military campaign in Syria, where U.S.-backed Kurdish forces have made surprising gains in recent months.

At least 17 killed in bomb attacks in Baghdad: At least 17 people were killed in and around the Iraqi capital on Monday in four bomb attacks, including a car bomb claimed by Islamic State militants, while rockets landed near Baghdad airport.

17 ISIL Militants Killed in Iraqi Army's Artillery Shelling East of Ramadi: "The artillery shelling of the Iraqi army in Eastern Ramadi killed at least 17 ISIL militants," Al-Sumariya news website quoted an Iraqi security source as saying on Tuesday. On Monday, the Iraqi fighter jets' operations resulted in the killing of at least 20 senior militant commanders and wounding of some others.

Palestinian teen shot in Hebron by Israeli forces dies from injuries: The teenager, identified as 18-year-old Hadeel al-Hashlamon, was shot three times by Israeli soldiers after allegedly attempting to carry out a stabbing attack, Israel's army said.

Abbas warns of risk of new intifada: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas warned Tuesday of the "risk of an intifada" if clashes over the Al-Aqsa mosque compound continue, after a meeting with French leader Francois Hollande in Paris. "What is happening is very dangerous," Abbas said, calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "stop" the chaos at the flashpoint holy site.

Most Palestinians no longer support two-state solution: Two-thirds of those surveyed (65 percent) said they did not believe the two-state solution was any longer practical because of Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank.

25 Afghan militants killed in 24 hours: Units of police backed by the army have killed more than two dozen Taliban militants during a series of operations across the war-torn Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Monday.

10 Army soldiers killed in ‘insider attack’ in northern Afghanistan: Four soldiers were killed in grenade explosions and six others were shot death by militants he said. Another three personnel in the check post managed to flee the attack unhu

U.S. soldiers told to ignore Afghan allies’ sexual abuse of boys: Dan Quinn, a former Special Forces captain beat up an Afghani militia commander for keeping a boy chained to a bed as a sex slave. American soldiers were instructed not to intervene in the sexual abuse of children Quinn, and others who did so, faced discipline and even career ruin.

Politicians should witness ‘direct consequences of their lust for war’ – Labour MP : UK politicians should have been sent to Afghanistan to witness the effects of their ‘lust for war’ according to soldier-turned-Labour MP Clive Lewis.

EU states agree relocation of 120,000 refugees 'by large majority': EU interior ministers on Tuesday approved by a "large majority" a plan to relocate 120,000 refugees around the bloc but only after overriding fierce opposition from central and eastern European countries.

EU refugee plan attacked on eve of crisis summit : A plan to share out refugees across the European Union was rejected outright by the Czech Republic on Tuesday and criticized by a United Nations agency for not going far enough.

If David Cameron really cared about refugees he wouldn't have just welcomed the world's biggest arms fair to London : In the last five years alone, the UK has sold arms to 19 of the 23 countries that the UN lists for grave violations against children.

British Prime Minister and an obscene act with a dead pig's head: How David Cameron took part in sordid initiation ceremony after joining Oxford University dining society as a student

Greece election: Tsipras triumphant as Syriza returns to power: Speaking in Athens, Tsipras declared: “This victory belongs to the people and those who dream of a better tomorrow and we’ll achieve it with hard work.”

First driverless pods to travel public roads arrive in the Netherlands: The WEpod will be the first self-driving electric shuttle to run in regular traffic, and take bookings via a dedicated app

Mexico's ghost towns: Residents seeking asylum in US fear returning to deadly Juárez Valley

Plan to admit more refugees faces stiff opposition in Congress: "Our schools, job markets and public resources are already stretched too thin. And, even at current rates, we have no capacity to screen for extremist ideology," Sessions said.

You’ll Likely Need a Passport for a US Domestic Flight: Starting in 2016, travelers from four U.S. states will not be able to use their driver’s licenses as ID to board domestic flights—a pretty major development considering an estimated 38 percent of Americans don’t have passports.

Petraeus apologizes for giving classified info to mistress: Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus apologized to Congress on Tuesday for sharing classified information with his biographer and mistress, Paula Broadwell. It was his first public testimony before lawmakers since resigning as CIA director.

Ex-hedge funder buys rights to AIDS drug and raises price from $13.50 to $750 per pill: A former hedge fund manager turned pharmaceutical businessman has purchased the rights to a 62-year-old drug used for treating life-threatening parasitic infections and raised the price overnight from $13.50 per tablet to $750.

Watch: Ben Carson Does Not Believe a Muslim Should Be President: Responding to a question on "Meet the Press," the retired neurosurgeon said, "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that."

Scott Walker shocks Republicans with dropout call to gang up on Donald Trump: Wisconsin governor, once a frontrunner, encourages 15 remaining candidates for presidential bid to ‘clear the field’ in search of Donald Trump alternative

Kochs Demand Walker Return Nine Hundred Million Dollars: Just minutes after the Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker dropped out of the Republican Presidential race, the billionaire Koch brothers demanded that he return the nine hundred million dollars they had allocated to his campaign.

Carly Fiorina's disastrous record as HP's CEO: The more closely voters examine Carly Fiorina’s record as HP’s CEO, the worse she’ll look.

 

 

 

 

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