Friday, 7 March 2014

INFORMATION CLEARING HOUSE AND THE 2014 WESTERN WARMONGERS

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Les armes à l'uranium appauvri : un crime contre l'Humanité américain (par Vincent Reynouard

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"Imperialism is an institution under which one nation asserts the right to seize the land or at least to control the government or resources of another people." - John T. Flynn
  
"Those who suppress freedom always do so in the name of law and order." - John V. Lindsay
"When six corporations control more than 90% of media communications, the media does not inform, it indoctrinates. Corporate media provides selective information, often unreliable, for the express purpose of controlling public opinion, rather than informing it." -Egberto Willies and Keyan Bliss
March 06/07, 2014
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Army general avoids forced sodomy charges, cops lesser plea

Published time: March 18, 2014 01:43
Edited time: March 18, 2014 04:21

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair leaves the Fort Bragg Courthouse after sexual assault charges against him were dropped after he plead to lesser charges March 17, 2014 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina (AFP Photo /  Davis Turner)
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair leaves the Fort Bragg Courthouse after sexual assault charges against him were dropped after he plead to lesser charges March 17, 2014 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina (AFP Photo / Davis Turner)

US military prosecutors have agreed to drop sexual assault charges against a top Army general in exchange for his pleading guilty to lesser charges, a development that seems unlikely to satisfy critics skeptical of how the military treats sex offenders.

Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, 51, had been charged with forcible sodomy after allegations from a female US Army captain surfaced. Sinclair, a 27-year Army veteran, could have spent the rest of his life in prison if found guilty. Instead, his lawyer announced that Sinclair will plead guilty to adultery and mistreating his accuser.

Sinclair was accused of victimizing an Army captain who served on his staff in Iraq and Afghanistan for three years, sexually assaulting her, forcing her to perform oral sex multiple times, and threatening to kill the young woman as well as her family if she ever went public with her accusations.

Jamie Barnett, the retired Navy rear admiral serving as an unpaid attorney for Sinclair’s accuser, said she stands by her claim that the general assaulted her, adding that she is grateful to be able to “move on with her life” two years after first reporting the assault to Sinclair’s commanding officers.

She is in no way stepping away from the truth of it,” Barnett told Craig Whitlock of the Washington Post.
Sinclair pleaded guilty earlier in March to military crimes including having an adulterous affair, requesting nude photos from junior female officers, and possessing pornographic material on his computer while serving in Afghanistan.

He could be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison and possible dismissal from the Army. Sinclair will also face sentencing for the charges he pleaded guilty to on Monday when his punishment is officially handed down in the near future.

Jeffrey Collins of the Associated Press reported that Sinclair had showed little emotion through the year-long trial, with his defense team going so far as to amount a public relations campaign alleging that his accuser was motivated by jealousy. Yet, as part of the deal, the general publicly admitted his culpability in court on Monday, at one point appearing to be overcome with emotion.

I failed her as a leader and as a mentor and caused harm to her emotional state,” Sinclair said. “I created a situation over time that cause her emotional harm,” adding later that he had “maltreated” the 34-year-old woman, who was “emotionally invested in a way I was not.”

Defense attorney Barnett was unimpressed, telling the AP that Sinclair intimidated the victim and that he “literally sabotaged her career by altering her orders to keep her under his command and refusing her many requests to be transferred. She was literally trapped and bullied by one of the highest ranking officers in the United States Army.”

Such scandals have not been limited to the Army, as US military leaders have been dogged by sexual assault accusations against officers throughout the service. The problem has become so commonplace that congressional leaders have spent months debating over which is the best method to solve what increasingly seems to be an entrenched problem.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand a New York Democrat, proposed a controversial bill that would have stripped military commanders of the ability to decide whether a sexual assault case should be prosecuted. The measure fell short by five votes, but has started a national conversation about a topic has been ignored for years.

The Defense Department has been promising the American people for a long time that they’re working on the problem of sexual assault,” Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) told Helene Cooper of the New York Times. “Enough is enough.”

The Looting Of Ukraine Has Begun
By Paul Craig Roberts
Washington's stooges in Kiev have prepared an economic austerity plan that will cut Ukrainian pensions from $160 to $80 so that Western bankers who lent money to Ukraine can be repaid

Crimea Now Part of Russia, Local Parliament Declares
By Shaun Walker in Simferopol
The de facto authorities of Crimea have announced that they consider the territory to be part of Russia after a swift vote in the local parliament.
US Policy of Isolating Russia and Expanding NATO Is a Dismal Failure
By Rodrigue Tremblay
What would the United States do if a hypothetical Russian Empire were to incorporate Mexico or Canada into a military alliance?
Ukraine and the Presstitute media
By Peter Koenig
Obama, the naked, shameless emperor dares warn Russia not to intervene in Ukraine, or else... and the spineless European puppets with the mighty NATO in their back are aping similar threats. - Hilarious!
"Journalists" Follow Obama on Ukraine
By Margaret Kimberley
The corporate media are a key component of the U.S. imperial machine. Although styling themselves as watchdogs, they are in fact the dogs of war, whose mission is to hide Washington's aggressions behind a fog of lies.
Russian TV Anchor Resigns On-air Over Government's Actions In Ukraine
Video
I Can't Be Part of Network 'That Whitewashes the Actions of Putin'.
Hillary and Other Assorted Barbarians at Russia's Gate
By Glen Ford
Hillary Clinton is a walking profanity - and, thereby, a prime candidate to be the next president of the United States.
Iraq: 935 lies, A Tyrant and Weapons of Mass Destruction
By Felicity Arbuthnot
Iraq's new dictator is being supported by massive shipments of horrific weapons, while the country remains poor and devastated country, and a covert US re-invasion is under way.
Deep State
CIA Accused Of Spying On Senate Intelligence Committee
By Jeremy Herb
Senators on Wednesday expressed alarm at explosive allegations that the CIA might have spied on their computers.
The Pentagon's Phony Budget War
By Mattea Kramer
How the U.S. Military Avoided Budget Cuts, Lied About Doing So, Then Asked for Billions More.
Bernie Sanders: "I Am Prepared to Run for President of the United States"
By John Nichols
What's most important is this idea of a political revolution -- rallying the working families of this country around a vision that speaks to their needs.
In Case You Missed It
How a Brutal Strain of American Aristocrats Have Come to Rule America
By Sara Robinson
America didn't used to be run like an old Southern slave plantation, but we're headed that way now. How did that happen?
The Facts About Abraham Lincoln
Video
Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was abandoned by his father and was suicidal for many years? Do you know the hidden story behind how Lincoln became president?
Let's Unite For A #WaveOfAction
2 Minute Video
Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate.
What If Money Was No Object?
Video
"Consider this question, What Do I Desire?"

Hard News
  

17 people killed as car bombs hit Homs and Hama, fighting rages near Yabroud:,
 Car bombs in government-held districts of central Syria killed at least 17 people and wounded many others Thursday, state media and a government official reported, as fierce fighting raged around the rebel stronghold of Yabroud.
15 killed in Syria blast: Activists say:
"At least 15 people were killed and 12 others injured in the Armenian district, which is home to mostly Christians and Alawites," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Scores of Militants Killed in Daraa: Government source: -
Syrian army units destroyed several cars with all the militants inside in the village of al-Zabayer in al-Lajat area in Daraa province, a military source said, adding that another unit destroyed a heavy machinegun, killed dozens of militants and injured others in Ayd village.
Battle for Syrian rebel town erases border:
Sunnis and Shiites from Lebanon are streaming into Syria to take up arms on opposite sides of a fierce battle over a rebel stronghold - a fight that has effectively erased the border between the two countries and underlined how Lebanon is being sucked into the civil war next door.
Bleak future for Lebanon as Syria war enters fourth year:
The future outlook for Lebanon is gloomy in terms of its stability, economy and national unity as the war in Syria enters its fourth year next week with no end in sight, political analysts said.
Sarin used in two Syria chemical attacks point to military stockpiles - UN:
"The evidence available concerning the agents used on 21 August indicated that the perpetrators likely had access to the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian military, as well as the expertise and equipment necessary to manipulate safely large amount of chemical agents,"
US imposes restrictions on travel by Syrian ambassador to UN:
The department says it's told the diplomat that he no longer can travel within the United States outside of the five boroughs of New York City.
Bush- Blair Legacy Continues As -
Separate Bombings in Iraq Kill at Least 37:
A series of bombings Thursday struck commercial areas in central Iraq, killing at least 37 civilians, authorities said. Most of the blasts came from explosives-rigged parked cars and one by a bomb that ripped through an outdoor market, police said.
Qaeda in Yemen executes alleged US informer Body displayed at football stadium:
Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen executed one of their own Thursday after accusing him of spying for the United States, a security official said. The man was executed by firing squad and his body was displayed at a football stadium near Shehr in the southeastern Hadramawt province,
After Latest Incident, Israel's Future in FIFA Is Uncertain:
Jawhar Nasser Jawhar, and Adam Abd al-Raouf Halabiya. They were once soccer players in the West Bank. They are never going to play sports again. Jawhar and Adam were on their way home from a training session in the Faisal al-Husseini Stadium on January 31 when Israeli forces fired upon them as they approached a checkpoint.
20 "insurgents" killed in Nigerian military raid:
Twenty suspected Boko Haram fighters were killed in a military operation by troops in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, where the headquarters of the outlawed sect is located, local authorities said in Abuja on Thursday.
'Cairo to strip thousands of Palestinians of citizenship':
Two days after a Cairo court banned Hamas's activities in Egypt, the country's security establishment intends to revoke the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians obtained during the one-year term of deposed Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi, an Egyptian daily reported on Thursday.
Egypt bars Gaza-bound Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Maguire: -
 Egypt detained and deported Northern Irish Nobel Laureate and peace activist Mairead Maguire on Wednesday and held up others who had been planning to go to neighboring Gaza, the activists and officials said.
Egypt calls for setting up international fund to collect arms in Libya:
Egypt's Foreign Minister called on Thursday for founding an international fund to collect arms in Libya in coordination with both Libya and the United Nations. Seven Coptic Egyptians were shot dead in Libya in February near Benghazi, where assassinations and kidnaps are common.
Western countries alarmed as Libya slides towards chaos:
Western countries voiced concern on Thursday that tensions in Libya could slip out of control in the absence of a functioning political system, and they urged the government and rival factions to start talking.
U.N. says west of Central African Republic 'cleansed' of Muslims:
Most Muslims have been expelled from the west of conflict-ravaged Central African Republic, where thousands of civilians are at risk of being killed "right before our eyes," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.
UN chief calls for more troops in CAR:
Ban Ki-moon asks UN Security Council for 10,000 reinforcements as violence between Christians and Muslims continues.
Nigeria shuts schools to stem Islamist attacks:
Nigeria has shut five government colleges in the country's restive northeast in the wake of a deadly series of attacks targeting schools.
Barbaric:
Nigeria court orders men whipped for gay sex:
Four young men were convicted of gay sex and whipped publicly as punishment in an Islamic court in northern Nigeria, a human rights activist said.
NATO airstrike kills 5 Afghan soldiers:
The troops were killed at an outpost in volatile Logar province, about 50 miles outside Kabul, according to both U.S. and Afghan officials.
Report finds opium production trebled in a decade:
Overall opium production in Afghanistan has trebled in the last decade to over 500,000 acres.
Afghan president's brother withdraws from election race:
Qayoum Karzai ends campaign and throws political weight behind candidate believed to be current president's favourite
Pakistan reopens Afghan supply line for NATO:
Trucks are travelling once again through Pakistan to bring supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan
Pakistan's madrassas reined in by government:
Religious schools to be brought under national framework within a year in policy aimed at combating extremism.
Two dead in Venezuela opposition protest: official: -
A Venezuelan soldier and a motor cyclist were killed in a standoff with opposition demonstrators who had set up a barricade along an avenue of Caracas, the vice president of the ruling Socialist Party said on Thursday.
Crimean parliament votes to join Russia:
Obama says Crimea referendum would 'violate international law:
Masked Men in Crimea Not Russian Military, Russian Officials Tell Pentagon:
The masked men in military uniform spotted all over Ukraine's Crimean peninsula are not Russian military forces but "well-trained militia forces," Russian officials have claimed to America's top military officer.
'We Don't Want War Here': Pro-Russia Militias Patrol Crimea:
Pro-Russia militias have taken root on the streets of Crimea's capital city of Simferopol since the dramatic events in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, nearly two weeks ago.
Obama orders sanctions over Russian move in Ukraine:
President Barack Obama Thursday ordered sanctions on people (allegedly) responsible for Russia's "military intervention" in Ukraine, including travel bans and freezing of their U.S. assets, and said that a referendum by the Crimea region to join Russia would violate international law.
US sends six fighters for NATO Baltics patrols: Lithuania:
The United States on Thursday sent six additional F-15 fighter jets to step up NATO's air patrols over the Baltic states, mission host Lithuania said as West-Russia tensions simmered over Ukraine.
US in tenuous sabre rattling over Ukraine:
The US Defense Department has announced plans to add several fighter jets to US aircraft squadrons based near Russian borders
The clash in Crimea is the fruit of western expansion:
The external struggle to dominate Ukraine has put fascists in power and brought the country to the brink of conflict
Russia moves to cement renewed global role:
For Washington, the response to "Russian resistance" in Syria should take place in one of Moscow's vulnerable spots, hence the U.S. intelligence intervention in Ukraine's crisis and American attempts to push the international community to take a stance against Russia under the pretext that it is planning to invade a neighboring country.
Ukraine issues arrest warrants for Crimea's PM, parliament speaker: -
A court in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev has issued arrest warrants for the prime minister and parliament speaker of the country's autonomous republic of Crimea, the Prosecutor General's office said Wednesday.
Russia to make citizenship easier for native Russian speakers: -
Russia is making it easier for native Russian speakers who have lived in Russia or the former Soviet Union to get citizenship, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday, a signal to the West that Moscow is not backing down over Ukraine.
Ukraine: EU freezes assets of Yanukovych's former hierarchy:
The 28-nation bloc early on Thursday revealed the names of those targeted by its sanctions. The list appears to include Yanukovych's closest aides, including a former interior minister, justice minister, the prosecutor general, the head of the security services and Yanukovych's son.
Ukraine crisis: bugged call reveals "theory"
Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet tells EU's Cathy Ashton about claim that provocateurs were behind Maidan killings about Kiev snipers:
Ukraine crisis: CIA, not Pentagon, forecast Russian move - sources:
 Two national security sources said the CIA had specifically warned policymakers, shortly before the Russian military moved into the Crimean peninsula, that such a move could be imminent.
War criminal:
Hillary Clinton likens Russia, Putin in Ukraine to Hitler, Germany in 1930s:
The ex-US Secretary of State says that 'claims by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that they had to go into Crimea, because they had to protect Russian minorities, is reminiscent of claims that were made back in the 1930's ... Germany, under the Nazis claimed they had to protect German minorities in Czechoslovakia
Ron Paul: US has no right to lecture on Ukraine : Video:
 Ron Paul thinks the US is hypocritical for lecturing Russia for a violation of sovereignty. Take a listen to what else the libertarian-leaning politician has to say about US involvement in Ukraine.
Pensions in Ukraine to be halved - sequestration draft:
The self-proclaimed government in Kiev is reportedly planning to cut pensions by 50 percent as part of unprecedented austerity measures to save Ukraine from default. With an "empty treasury", reduction of payments might take place in March.
CIA Accused Of Spying On Senate Intelligence Committee Staffers:
In many ways, the idea that the CIA is directly spying on the Senate Committee charged with its own oversight is a bigger potential scandal than many of the Snowden NSA revelations so far.
A New Turn in the Story on CIA Monitoring of Senate Intelligence Committee Computers:
The CIA may have been monitoring the unauthorized retrieval of information from their own computers! That said, we do not know when exactly the monitoring began, its scope or purpose.
Obama knew CIA secretly monitored intelligence committee, senator claims:
White House declines to comment after Mark Udall says agency spied on staffers preparing scathing report into CIA torture after 9/11
It's WWIII between CIA and Senate:
Senators on Wednesday expressed alarm at explosive allegations that the CIA might have spied on their computers to keep tabs on their controversial review of Bush-era "enhanced interrogation" techniques.
Government moves to drop troubling charges facing Barrett Brown :
The government moved to dismiss 11 of the 17 charges facing Brown - the Texas-based onetime self-appointed Anonymous spokesman - significantly reducing a potential 105-year-sentence.
Our Rights Shouldn't Come with an Expiration Date:
The proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger is all about the future of the Internet. The stakes are high, especially in light of the court decision that struck down the Federal Communications Commission's Net Neutrality rules.
Private license plate scanners amassing vast databases open to highest bidders:
Automated license plate readers used by car repo companies, for example, collect billions of personal records per year, which contribute to vast databases that can be used by law enforcement, insurance companies, banks, and the like, with few limits.
Apple sent billions offshore to avoid Australia tax: Report:
Apple shifted billions in untaxed profits from its Australian operations to Ireland over the past decade, a report said Thursday, as the government vowed to stop global companies from dodging their fair share of tax.
Obama administration told to stop expanding "corporate rights" in trade agreements:
It's a pretty outrageous assault on democratic structures. In fact, when I tell people new to the trade debate about it, at first they often don't believe me.
US judge rejects $9bn ruling against Chevron:
A US judge has upheld oil company Chevron's allegations that an Ecuadorian court decision ordering it to pay $9.5bn for oil pollution in the Amazon jungle was fraudulently obtained.
Carlyle Co-founders Private Jets:
 Amendments to The Carlyle Group's 2013 10-k reveal three leases for private planes, one for each Carlyle co-founder.
Number of US long-term jobless who lost benefits hits 2 million:
Some 1.3 million people lost their unemployment benefits on December 28, and the ranks of those affected by the cutoff have been growing by 73,000 every week.
Would my blood test still cost $1,132 if the US had a public health option?:
Democrats should admit Obamacare's failures and campaign instead for a public option. It's the only way to bring costs down
Pentagon Calls Climate Change Impacts "Threat Multipliers," Could Enable Terrorism:
The U.S. Department of Defense released the 2014 version of its Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) yesterday, declaring the threat of climate change impacts a very serious national security vulnerability that, among other things, could enable further terrorist activity.
 
===


"Let us be peace and joy"

  

Tom Feeley

Cost Of War
 
Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered In US War And Occupation Of Iraq "1,455,590"

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America's War On Iraq:  4,883

Number Of  International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 3,427
Cost of War in Iraq & Afghanistan
Total Cost of Wars Since 2001
      

$1,519,227,926,867

http://www.costofwar.com/

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"When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives."  - Robert A. Heinlein
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - -Harriet Tubman. -  Abolitionist
 
January 09/10, 2013
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 US Imperialism And Iraq's Descent Into Civil War
By Bill Van Auken
The army of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has massed artillery and tanks on Fallujah's outskirts and has already bombed and shelled civilian neighborhoods, inflicting an unknown number of casualties.
Iraq: Four Armed Groups Fighting in Fallujah
By Mushreq Abbas
The picture of the forces fighting on the ground has become clearer. It does not, however, correspond to official Iraqi pronouncements.
The Reality and Horror Of War
Journalist Describes The Most Traumatic Moments Of Fallujah
By Paul Szoldra
- WARNING -
As human beings, we can see the worst kind of s--- and get over it. But, we don't necessarily forgive ourselves if we do something wrong very easily.
African Truth of Israeli Apartheid
By Finian Cunningham
African immigrants demonstrate against racist policies of the Israeli regime.
NSA Insiders Reveal What Went Wrong
By Former National Security Agency Insiders
How NSA leaders botched intelligence collection and analysis before 9/11, covered up the mistakes, and violated the constitutional rights of the American people.
Heroic Anti-war Activists And The 1971 FBI Break-in
By Glenn Greenwald
The parallels with the 1971 whistleblowers and those of today, including Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, are obvious.
Ex-US Defense Secretary Slams Obama, Biden in Scathing Memoir
By Times of Israel staff and AP
Robert Gates: Israel too influential in Bush-era White House; Israel and Saudi Arabia 'wanted Iran taken care of while Bush was still president'.
What If This Man was Arab or Muslim?
Man Pulled Over For Speeding Had 48 Bombs In the Car
By Laura Arenschield
Andrew Scott Boguslawski, 43, also had a remote-control device to detonate the bombs, Madison County Prosecutor Stephen Pronai said.
Obama, the Great Dis-Equalizer
By Glen Ford
The Lords of Capital - for whom Obama is a servant - have nothing to offer but more austerity and war.
Noam Chomsky: U.S. Politics Are Now 'Pure Savagery'
By Zach Carter and Ryan Grim
"It used to be said years ago that the United States is a one-party state -- the business party -- with two factions, Democrats and Republicans," Chomsky said. "That's no longer true."
Harassment of Climate Scientists Needs to Stop
By Richard Schiffman
Climate change denialists are suing scientists, seeking access to their private emails. They will stifle inquiry and scientific progress.
Fundamentalism: A Psychological Problem
By Robert J. Burrowes
While religious fundamentalism is recognisable to most people, fundamentalism has many non-religious manifestations as well.
What is Addiction?
3 Minute Video
Dr. Gabor Maté talks about the root causes of addiction and how to deal with them.
The Mindless Crowd
What is Wrong With Our Culture : Alan Watts
Video
Thought-provoking 5 minutes on the state of the world.
Hard News  
At least 45 Syrian rebels killed in Homs fighting:
Loyalist forces have killed at least 45 Syrian rebels as they sought to break a regime siege on part of Homs, in central Syria, an NGO said on Thursday.
Deadly car bombing kills 18 people in central Syria: Actvists say:
A car bomb has exploded near a school in the central Syrian province of Hama, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens more, according to a monitoring group.
Radical 'ISIL' militants kill 70 prisoners:
More than 300 prisoners in the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's chambers have been escaped while 70 other prisoners have been killed in ISIL's main headquarters in Kadi Askar in Aleppo.
ISIS Executed Prisoners Who Were In Their Jails:
Video - Warning -
Suicide bomber kills 23 Iraqi army recruits: -
A suicide bomber killed 23 Iraqi army recruits and wounded 36 in Baghdad on Thursday, officials said, in an attack on men volunteering to join the government's struggle to crush al Qaeda-linked militants in Anbar province.
4 killed, 20 wounded in car bomb attack in Baghdad:
At least four people were killed and some 20 others wounded on Thursday in a car bomb explosion targeting Iraqi army recruits in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a police source said.
Families flee as Fallujah crumbles: UN:
THE UN has warned of a looming humanitarian crisis as 13,000 families scrambled to leave the besieged Iraqi city of Fallujah.
Iraqi tribesmen recapture most of Anbar:
Cautious calm has returned to Ramadi and Fallujah cities after Iraqi tribes recaptured the majority of the Sunni stronghold province from al-Qaeda-linked fighters, Al Arabiya correspondent reported.
Obama Admin Blasts Senators for Blocking Iraq Arms Sales:
The Obama administration slammed a powerful Senate panel for blocking the sale of advanced weaponry to Iraq, accusing the lawmakers of denying Baghdad the armaments it needs to defeat the al Qaeda militants who have conquered the key city of Fallujah.
US Murders 2 People In Yemen:
The drone aircraft fired at least one missile on a car in the al-Qatan region, completely destroying the vehicle and killing two people.
Fifty US senators line up behind new Iran sanctions bill:
New sanctions would trigger against the Islamic Republic that would include harsh penalties for countries still importing Iranian oil, including US allies, requiring they cut at least 30 percent of their purchases within months of enactment.
Hamas and Iran rebuild ties three years after falling out over Syria:
News that high-level contacts between Palestinian party and Tehran have resumed is likely to dismay Israel and US
Knesset rejects 'Two-State Solution Bill':
The Knesset voted down the so-called "Two-State Solution Bill" prohibiting the government from unilaterally annexing land, in a preliminary vote Wednesday.
Poll finds rise in Israeli Arabs who want to be Palestinian:
Growing percentage of Arabic-speaking Israelis, especially youths, would prefer not to be under Israeli sovereignty
Israeli Arabs: Palestinian citizenship is for us to decide, not Liberman:
Population swap idea has nothing to do with peace, everything to do with foreign minister's racism, say residents of threatened 'Triangle'
Pakistan: 13 People Killed in Waziristan:
The incident took place in South Waziristan tribal district along the Afghan border when a group of militants attacked a security forces check post.
Car bomb kills 3 police officers in Pakistan:
Police in Pakistan say a car bomb has killed a senior police investigator known for arresting dozens of Pakistani Taliban, as well as two other officers.
Zardari appears in court over graft cases:
Pakistan's former president Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday appeared before an anti-corruption court here for the first time since he retired in September last year, but the court adjourned the hearing until Jan 18.
Pakistan not an ally of US: Robert Gates:
"Although I would defend them in front of Congress and to the press to keep the relationship from getting worse ? and endangering our supply line from Karachi ? I knew they were really no ally at all," Gates writes in his forthcoming book
10,000 African migrants stage demonstration in Jerusalem:
Round them up and deport them, says ex-interior minister
Dutch pension giant ditches Israeli banks over involvement with settlements:
Major Israeli financial institutions woke up to the news today that a Dutch pension fund has pulled out its investments because of the banks' involvement in the occupied West Bank.
Dershowitz steps down from Harvard to spend more time with what he loves - Israel:
After a half century at Harvard Law School, Alan Dershowitz has finally stepped down from his post (where he presumably teaches young, malleable law students how to defend celebrity murderers, advocate for torture and justify war crimes). So why is he doing it? He certainly wasn't pushed out.
David Cameron's Jewish Roots and the Coreligionists Who Brought Him to Power:
While speaking to a 500-strong group of Jewish lobbyists in London in 2007, UK Prime Minister David Cameron declared,(1) "I am a Zionist". He went on to add, "I'm not just a good friend of Israel but I am, as you put it, good for Jews."
The long history of Zionism in Canada:
Echoing the words of Theodor Herzl, a founder of political Zionism, Harper told the 4,000 attendees that Israel is a "light of freedom and democracy in what is otherwise a region of darkness."
Bahrain suspends "national dialogue" with opposition:
Bahrain, which has been ruled by the Khalifa family since 1783, has witnessed decades of rebellion driven by a citizenry fed up with political corruption and marginalization. But tensions exacerbated almost three years ago when a new mass movement erupted demanding the monarchy's downfall during the wave of Arab uprisings.
South Korea 'suspends' sales of tear gas to Bahrain over misuse fears:
The officials explained that the decision was made after media reports that misuse of tear gas in Bahrain caused deaths among dozens of protestors and calls from the human rights organizations.
Nigeria: 38 Boko Haram fighters killed:
"The Nigerian government and army will say they are winning the war against Boko Haram. But what the Nigerians are asking is if the government is winning the war, why are these attacks happening?"
South Sudan: thousands flee Bentiu as government troops advance:
South Sudanese army believed to be about 16 miles away from city - one of two main centres under rebel control
Libya invites foreign firms to buy oil from blocked ports:
Libyan federalist group invited foreign companies to buy oil from blocked ports in the Libyan eastern region of Cyrenaica granting protection for arriving tankers, as Libyan eastern self-declared government's prime minister announced late on Tuesday.
Libyan Navy accused of 'illegal intimidation':
The Libyan Navy's rules of engagement have been brought into question after one of its vessels fired warning shots at a tanker that it claimed was attempting to load oil at a terminal controlled by the federalist movement in the east of the country.
Tunisia PM resigns to make way for caretaker government:
Illustrating the country's continued fragility, troops in the city of Tatouine fired into the air and police used tear gas earlier on Thursday against protesters demonstrating over economic conditions, the state news agency said.
Russian Police Find Five Bodies Booby-Trapped With Explosives Near Sochi:
Russia on Thursday launched a counter-terror operation after five bodies riddled with bullets were found in a southern region bordering the Winter Olympics host Sochi, less than a month before the start of the games.
NSA and GCHQ activities appear illegal, says EU parliamentary inquiry:
Civil liberties committee report demands end to indiscriminate collection of personal data by British and US agencies
European Parliament wants to hear from Edward Snowden:
The Civil Liberties Committee will ask Snowden to speak via video conference as part of the committee's investigation into U.S. government surveillance of European officials and citizens.
US govt attempts to block lawsuit against NSA:
Lawyers from the Justice Department have urged a judge to halt a lawsuit against the NSA's spy programs. This comes after the judge's previous ruling that the NSA's collection of metadata was likely unconstitutional and "almost Orwellian" in nature.
Ford Exec: 'We Know Everyone Who Breaks The Law' Thanks To Our GPS In Your Car:
Because of the GPS units installed in Ford vehicles, Ford knows when its drivers are speeding, and where they are while they're doing it.
Bank Of America And Government Joined To Spy On Activists:
Bank of America solicited information about activists from various federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Cop Allegedly Said 'We Don't Have Time For This' Before Murdering Schizophrenic Teen:
Schizophrenic 18-year-old Keith Vidal was having an episode on Sunday when his parents called the police for assistance. Instead, an officer shot and killed their son right in front of them.
Chicago Man Accusing the Cops of Raping Him with a Gun:
Angel Perez's story about how he was treated at the hands of Chicago police officers sounds like a horror story from the days when crooked cop Jon Burge tortured the city's citizens with impunity. But the incidents in question happened just 15 months ago-and, Angel claims, the officers who abused him are still out there.
Listen to Police Joke About Murdering a Black Man:
The tragic tale of Ojore Lutalo reveals the depths of racism in the U.S.
Dozens of former NYC cops charged in 9/11 disability scam:
More than 100 people were arrested, including 72 city police officers, eight firefighters, five correction officers and one Nassau County Police Department officer. Hundreds are thought to have falsely claimed to have been traumatized by the Sept. 11 terror

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"Let us be peace and joy"

  

Tom Feeley


THE SATANIC MASTER RACE, CLASS OR WHATEVER!

Prince George Can't Stop Adoring Kate Middleton at His First Royal Engagement in New Zealand

Prince George has attended his first royal engagement along with his parents in Wellington, New Zealand.

Prince William, Kate Middleton and baby George are on a 19-day royal tour of New Zealand and Australia.

At his first royal event at Government House in Wellington, eight-month-old George met a number of babies his age.

This was a nurse and parents' group event by Plunket, which is New Zealand's largest provider of support services for the development, health and wellbeing of children under five.

Prince George was seen crawling and playing with toys along with other babies but the most adorable moment of the future heir was when he played with his mum's tresses. The royal baby seemed to have eyes only for his mother.

Dressed in a £75 blue dungaree shorts by British luxury brand Rachel Riley, the little prince could not take his eyes and hands off Kate's face and hair as she carried him and watched on him protectively during the event.

"The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society was delighted to be a part of the upcoming visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and baby Prince George," the organisation said in a statement.

The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge also got a chance to meet first time parents with their little ones at the event.

The royal couple met two Plunket nurses and 10 Plunket families, including a gay couple and their daughter on Wednesday morning.

"The parents are a spread of all the communities in New Zealand, including Maoris, Samoans, people of Chinese descent and gay couples. This is a very multi-cultural country and we wanted the duke and duchess to meet people from all backgrounds," Plunket's New Zealand president Tristine Clark said, according to BBC.
Prince William joked: "It's madness, there are babies everywhere."

Have a look at little George playing with Kate in pictures below.

Kate Middleton's 30 Dresses for Royal Tour: Dress No. One in Pictures
Royal Tour in Pictures: Kate Middleton, Prince William and Baby George Arrive in New Zealand

Russia's richest man Usmanov ditches Apple and Facebook for China

Published time: March 18, 2014 09:23
Alisher Usmanov (RIA Novosti / Aleksey Nikolskyi)
Alisher Usmanov (RIA Novosti / Aleksey Nikolskyi)
Russia’s biggest billionaire has bought shares in big Chinese internet retailer Alibaba, after selling his stakes in US tech giants Apple and Facebook. The deal comes as the West imposes sanctions on Russia, that could spread from politics to business.
Usmanov, 60, a founder of Russia’s iron ore Metalloinvest holding company, has an estimated fortune of $18.6 billion as of March 2014 and is increasing his bet on China, while selling American assets.
“Chinese companies account for about 70 percent to 80 percent of the portfolio of our foreign internet investments,” Ivan Streshinskiy, head of Usmanov’s asset-management company USM Advisors LLC, told Bloomberg in an interview in Moscow.
In the last few months Usmanov sold the stake in Apple he bought for about $100 million last year, Streshinskiy said.Prior to the Apple sale the Russian tycoon started a gradual sale of his 10 percent stake in Facebook he bought in 2009, when the company was valued between $6 billion and $10 billion. Usmanov sold some of the shares in the Facebook IPO, that valued the company at $104 billion.
Alibaba, the world’s second biggest internet company after Google Inc., is valued at about $200 billion, as Bloomberg cites an investment bank data. The Chinese on-line retailer posted surging sales in the three months through September, marking fourth straight quarterly profit.

China’s safe harbor

As Russia’s relations with the west sour over the Crimea referendum and the crisis in Ukraine, Usmanov says his Metalloinvest holding would increase its presence in the Chinese market, in case Europe imposes sanctions on its exports.
“We are concerned with the possible sanctions against Russia but don’t see any dramatic repercussions for our business,” Streshinskiy said. “China is unlikely to impose any sanctions. So, we will be trading in rubles, yuan, Hong Kong or Singapore dollars.”
On Monday the EU and the US imposed sanctions against some leading Russian officials, which include visa bans and asset freezes for presidential aide Vladislav Surkov and presidential adviser Sergey Glazyev. No Russian corporate assets have so far been affected.
China is one of Russia’s biggest trading partners, with bilateral trade estimated at a record $87.5 billion in 2012.
Over the past years the two countries have been actively strengthening economic ties, with direct investment by Chinese companies into Russia increasing 40 times, to reach S4.9 billion between 2004 and 2012, according to Tang Hua, an official with China's National Development and Reform Commission.

Taking an investment opportunity in a crisis

One of Russia’s key indices - the MICEX – has lost about 15 percent since the start of the unrest in Ukraine and the protests in Kiev.
Though on Monday Russia’s exchanges reacted positively to the results of the Crimea referendum, they could see a further fall in the longer term, Streshinskiy said. If this is the case, Usmanov may buy some shares of the wireless operator MegaFon and internet company Mail.ru Group.
“Mail.ru and MegaFon revenue is coming from Russia and people won’t stop making calls and using the internet,” Streshinskiy said. “If the events further escalate, we will be buying shares. A crisis is always a good opportunity as valuations become cheap.”

 

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