A Stand For Justice
Israel Quietly Accedes to Huge Saudi Arms Deal, The Largest Ever
one of the most important parties involved in the negotiations for this huge deal is making its position clear simply through its silence. Israel and its supporters in the United States have chosen to quietly allow the deal to pass unopposed Congress.
...“The U.S. did a good job of convincing Israelis,” said Michael Knights, a military expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He added that in exchange for its acceptance of America’s need to strengthen the Saudi military, Israel could be well compensated on its next arms request
.....the administration has stated it believes, based on quiet discussions held with key congressmen, that Congress will not block the deal. This optimism is based in part on the fact that the pro-Israel lobby is not fighting against the deal.
Who runs Congress? ...Not you and I.
Is the U.S. Bullying Europe Into Cutting Ties with Iran?
"The Chinese and especially the Malaysians have been buying up Iran's oil assets recently, and reselling a lot of Iranian oil," says Philippe Vasset, editor of the Paris–based newsletter Intelligence Online, which monitors energy deals. "Many of the tough sanctions against Iran are in fact U.S. sanctions."
Does Obama Need a War? by Patrick J. Buchanan
The first result of a U.S. strike would be to pull Iran’s oil off the world market. If Iran responded by mining the Gulf or sinking a tanker, oil would go to $300 a barrel and gasoline to $10 a gallon. Does Broder think that would give a nice boost to the U.S. and world economy?
....Israel calls Iran “an existential threat.”
But Israel has 200 nukes and the planes, subs and missiles to deliver them, while U.N. inspectors claim Iran has not diverted any of its low-enriched uranium for conversion to weapons grade.
The Tea Party Disconnect by Philip Giraldi
Palin is something quite different, and a good deal more dangerous than the lumpish and frequently strident Gingrich. She knows nothing of foreign policy and even less of security and defense related issues and is basically a neocon creation being promoted by them as a national candidate. Palin was discovered by Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol in 2007 while he and a group of National Review stalwarts were on an Alaska cruise. Kristol assiduously pushed the right buttons to get her on the Republican ticket with John McCain. Palin returned the favor, describing how she had an Israeli flag on display in her governor’s office and describing her love for Israel during the debate with Joe Biden, but her ignorance of foreign policy issues was palpable during the campaign Another excellent article by former CIA Philip Giraldi.
EU's Iran sanctions avoid oil, credit doubts linger
Halliburton used flawed cement on BP well: panel
Halliburton Co. used flawed cement in BP Plc's doomed Gulf of Mexico well, which could have contributed to the blowout that sparked the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, a White House panel said on Thursday.
In Beirut, a crash course in Arabic -- and Mideast politics
For student Sajjad Dewji, a political science major at the University of British Columbia in Canada, the most memorable experience was a visit to a rundown Palestinian refugee camp.
"While the subject ... has been one that many of us would have discussed academically ... visiting the Palestinian camps was a very emotional and eye–opening experience," said the 21–year–old Vancouver resident.
Lebanon is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who are crammed into a dozen destitute camps across the country.
Iran says West's 'arrogance' could doom nuke talks
Iran's president said Wednesday that upcoming talks with six world powers about its disputed nuclear program will fail if those nations continue along what he called a "path of arrogance."
Parents told to leave disabled kids at homeless shelters
Parents in Indiana have reportedly been told by state workers to leave their severely disabled kids at homeless shelters if they can't afford to care for them, in what advocacy groups say is a horrifying example of how government budget cuts are hitting home for ordinary Americans.
U.S. prepares new offer for Iran nuclear talks
The United States and its European allies are preparing a new offer to Iran on a possible nuclear fuel swap that would include tougher conditions than those Tehran rejected last year, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.
US Can't Untangle Billions in Bush-Era Afghan Spending
The U.S. government knows it's awarded nearly $18 billion in contracts for rebuilding Afghanistan over the last three years, but it can't account for spending before 2007.
Thousands of firms received wartime contracts, but the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction found it too difficult to untangle how billions of additional dollars had been spent because of the U.S. agencies' poor recordkeeping.
Mikhail Gorbachev: Victory in Afghanistan is 'Impossible'
Israeli lawmaker calls for arrest of US war criminals
Ben-Ari wryly suggested that the UN appoint Judge Richard Goldstone to head up the investigative committee. Goldstone headed the UN investigation into Israel’s “Operation Cast Lead” against Gaza’s Hamas rulers. His findings, based largely on unsubstantiated Palestinian claims, were that Israel had committed widespread war crimes.
Democracy's price tag: only $4.2 billion?
Saudi Arms Deal is About Iran
Saudi Arabia, from where 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers came, is a family-run dictatorship, where there are no political parties, no independent press, and where any form of political dissent is met with the most severe punishment. We are told that we must occupy Afghanistan to encourage more rights for women, an issue on which the Saudi regime makes the Taliban look rather liberal by comparison. We are told that our increasingly aggressive policies toward Iran are justified by that country’s rigid Islamic laws and human-rights violations, while the even more repressive Islamic rule in Saudi Arabia is never mentioned
Iran envoy: atom bomb would be strategic mistake
Building nuclear bombs would be a strategic mistake for Iran, its envoy to the U.N. atomic agency said on Monday, and a leading Western expert said Tehran should be taken seriously when it insists it will not obtain such arms.
Companies fight to keep global warming data secret
Oil producers and refiners, along with manufacturers of steel, aluminum and even home appliances, are fighting a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that would make the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that companies release – and the underlying data businesses use to calculate the amounts – available online.
Ahmadinejad aide says Iran not ready to talk nuclear
Ahmadinejad has also asked the parties to declare their opinion on Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal. Israel says a nuclear–armed Iran would threaten its very existence and does not rule out striking Iran militarily to stop that happening.
Meet your new House Foreign Affairs chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen The Cable
Over the mid to long term, Ros-Lehtinen is poised to thwart Obama's efforts to move toward repealing sanctions on Fidel Castro and resist any White House attempts to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She isn't likely to move Berman's foreign-aid reform bill through the committee and she is likely to seek cuts in the foreign-aid budget in her authorization bill.
She is one of Israel's top agents on Capitol Hill. Thus will the American national interest further suffer with her in power.
Nigeria: Shipper confirms weapons came from Iran
Israeli military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were unauthorized to discuss the matter with journalists, said Thursday that it appeared Iran hoped to smuggle the weapons into the Gaza Strip. Israel instituted a naval blockade of the region in 2007 after Iranian–backed Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory.
Obama's star fades in Muslim world
Syria flouts Lebanon sovereignty, arms militants: U.S.
US says Syria, Iran, Hezbollah endanger Lebanon
Obama's message to Israel: Freeze settlements or get rid of Dimona
Ross, who has served both Republican and Democratic presidents for the last three decades, predictably lauded Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon for leading the campaign to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
But he also took care to mention that Congress, with "strong encouragement from AIPAC," had enacted tough sanctions against Iran with bipartisan support.
GOP Hawks and Dovesby Philip Giraldi
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, born in Cuba and currently representing Florida, will almost certainly become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she will energetically pursue a policy of undying enmity towards Fidel Castro coupled with total alignment with Bibi Netanyahu. Eric Cantor of Virginia, currently minority whip, will likely move up to become Speaker of the House. Cantor has proposed that Israel’s $3 billion plus per annum be removed from the foreign aid budget, where it is bunched with a number of countries that Cantor does not like, and that it come directly from the Treasury, making Israel a permanent and institutionalized beneficiary of the United States taxpayer. Cantor and Ros-Lehtinen and those of a like mind would then be able to vote against foreign aid without damaging Israeli interests. Both Cantor and Ros-Lehtinen also support preemptive action against Iran.
Road to Corporate Serfdom By Ralph Nader
The giant corporate control of our country is so vast that people who call themselves anything politically—liberal, conservative, progressive, libertarian, independents or anarchist—should be banding together against the reckless Big Business steamroller.
Some Israelis Hoping for A GOP Win, But Will History Repeat Itself?
“Netanyahu fears a strong Obama who can apply pressure,” said Yaron Deckel, Israeli TV’s Channel 1 political commentator. “If the Republicans win big in the midterm elections, Obama will be weaker and less inclined to pressure Israel, and that will buy Netanyahu more time.”
....“If you need the president, you need us as chairs of the committees,” Ackerman said as he listed what he called the “first-class team” of Jewish pro-Israel Democrats who chair key House committees: Berman at Foreign Affairs, Barney Frank at Financial Services, Henry Waxman at the Energy and Commerce committee, Sander Levin at Ways and Means, and Ackerman himself in his role as head of the Middle East subcommittee. “We are all pro-Israel and we all have major, major, major influence in the executive branch.”
As Some Retire From ADL, Will Abe Be Next?
While the ADL was founded as a civil rights and human relations agency, Foxman in recent years has clearly focused on defending Israel, which some say is to the detriment of the ADL’s legacy and stated mission. Targeting Jewish Voice for Peace — a left-wing group but a Jewish one — is one example. The recent award to Murdoch is offered as another.
.....said Klein of the group’s award to Murdoch, “It’s this ‘wink wink nod nod,’ we’ll take Murdoch’s money because he supports Israel, and we’ll ignore everything happening on Fox News.” On several recent occasions when Klein posted polite but critical comments of the Murdoch award on the ADL’s Facebook page, they were deleted within hours. Through Gutnick, Foxman declined to be interviewed for this story.
Don't Defund Public Broadcasting--Improve It
Public broadcasting should be pushed, of course--to live up to the high-minded ideals that established these systems in the first place, not to please conservative politicians or to serve up programming that corporate underwriters want to bring to the airwaves.
The Tea Party Movement:Deluded and Inspired by Billionaires
E.U. rules let Iran import, export oil, creating possible split from U.S. policy
An Iranian War Would Ruin Obama
Officials: Muslim source turned in terror suspect
Congress debates Web ‘kill switch' for Obama
.Saudi prince backs moving planned NYC mosque
In interview excerpts published by the Dubai–based Arabian Business magazine, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was quoted as saying that moving the planned mosque, health club and cultural center would respect the memory of those killed in the 2001 attacks and allow American Muslims to choose a more suitable location.
Syria spurns U.S. bid to mend ties
Yemen: Al-Qaida insider told Saudis of bomb plot
WashPost: War with Iran would rescue economy
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