A Stand For Justice
'Kill Switch' Internet bill alarms privacy experts
Just as the Egyptian government recently forced the Internet to go dark, U.S. officials could flip the switch if the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset legislation becomes law, say its critics.
House votes to extend Patriot Act surveillance powers
Curveball admissions vindicate suspicions of CIA's former Europe chief
Tyler Drumheller, who says he warned the head of the US intelligence agency before the 2003 invasion of Iraq that Curveball might be a liar, said the confession would be a final wake-up call for the hawks who continued to believe that there had been WMD but that the CIA had been "too stupid" to find them.
Israel Warns It Might Act on Iranian Warships Passing Through Suez Canal
Mullen: US depends on military ties with Israel
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the instability in Egypt with Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday. He said the American–Israeli alliance is "something we both depend on."
Malarkey.
A Marc Too Far by Philip Giraldi
Hillary Clinton has appointed Marc Grossman her special AfPak representative to replace Richard Holbrooke. Readers of TAC might well recall the Grossman saga as related by FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds. Per Edmonds, Grossman was involved in suspected illegal activity connected to the Turkish and Israeli governments and was under investigation by the FBI.
Let’s Go to Plan B by Philip Giraldi
Apart from wanting to prop up a dubious arrangement whereby Israel’s most powerful neighbor is neutralized, the United States has no vital interest whatsoever in talking nice to Egypt. The claim that a hostile Egypt might close the Suez Canal is nonsensical as the country relies heavily on the income that it generates, whoever is in charge.
Irvine faculty members seek dropping of student charges
During the Feb. 8, 2010 speech by Michael Oren, the 11 defendants stood one by one and shouted at the ambassador, calling him a “mass murderer” and a “war criminal,” among other insults. The disruptions, organized to protest Israeli actions in Gaza, prompted Oren to walk off the stage twice.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center on Tuesday commended the district attorney for charging the students. They were charged with a crime for heckling the Israeli ambassador? Is this not America? Look at the fascists applauding the charges.
Mubarak exit sets off celebrations across Mideast
In Gaza, hopes were rising that a nearly four–year–old blockade of the Hamas–ruled territory might be coming to an end. Egypt had helped Israel enforce the blockade, which has kept some 1.5 million people confined to the tiny territory.
Across Gaza, many thousands rushed into the streets late Friday. Gunmen fired in the air and women distributed candy. "God bless Egypt, it's a day of joy and God willing all corrupt leaders in the world will fall," said Radwa Abu Ali, 55, one of those handing out sweets.
US sends Twitter messages to Iranians
In a third tweet, it said "US calls on Iran to allow people to enjoy same universal rights to peacefully assemble, demonstrate as in Cairo."
In Budget-Cut Theater, Israel's a Prime Plot Device
Aid to Israel is seen in the political system as a given and is spared the debate that almost all other budget expenses are subject to.
Rand Paul has now put aid to Israel in the spotlight. And even though his call to cut the funding will not cause Israel to lose a penny from the assistance it receives from America, it will make people look again. Here’s an easy exercise: Try to remember, when was the last time the media reported on legislation providing aid to Israel? Hard to remember. The $3 billion package usually gets a couple of lines in the Congressional newspapers and a brief notice in the Jewish media.
Deaths reported in Iran protest
Two people were killed at a banned opposition rally in Iran, a member of parliament has told the
Iranian Students' News Agency.
U.S. veterans sue Pentagon 'after they were raped and sexually abused by comrades'
Fourteen U.S. veterans who say they were raped and abused by their comrades today accused the Pentagon of ignoring their claims.
Kucinich: “Freedom Isn't Free and We Shouldn't Freely Give Our Freedoms Away”
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), today took to the House floor to continue his defense of civil liberties and his attack on the PATRIOT Act. He delivered the following remarks during debate on an extension of expiring provisions that passed the Senate yesterday:
Israel urges U.S. to reaffirm support in light of Egypt unrest
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday stressed the importance of U.S. support for Israeli security in light of the political unrest in Egypt, while Ambassador Michael Oren urged the Obama administration to reaffirm its commitment to that regard.
....The U.S. officials stressed their country’s “unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, including through our continued support for Israel’s military, and the unprecedented security cooperation between our two governments,” the White House said in its statement.
....“I think [cutting aid to Israel is] unlikely to happen. When there are deficits, it’s very easy to start talking about cutting foreign aid, because most people don’t care about foreign aid, but there is strong bipartisan support for Israel at the Congress”, said Engel. Israel says to US: "Jump!". The US replies: "How high?"
Gas pump prices highest ever for this time of year
Iraqi: I'm proud my WMD lies led to war in Iraq
Panel: FBI overstated science in anthrax probe
Federal investigators overstated the scientific case against the late Army researcher blamed for the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people, but the evidence is also consistent with the government's finding that Bruce Ivins was behind the mailings, a panel of scientists said Tuesday.
You might also want to read this.
Obama assertion: FBI can get phone records without oversight
"It's wrong that they're withholding a legal rationale that has to do with the authorities of the FBI to collect information that affects the rights of American citizens here and abroad," said Michael German, a former FBI agent of 16 years who now works for the American Civil Liberties Union. "The law should never be secret. We should all understand what rules we're operating under and particularly when it comes to an agency that has a long history of abuse in its collection activities."
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/02/11/108562/obama-assertion-fbi-can-get-phone.html#ixzz1Ejt6ZxQT
Egypt-inspired protests gain pace across region
BBC Persian report on “Iranium” « LobeLog.com
BBC Persian has an excellent report on another piece of propaganda: the neoconservative-dominated “Iranium” documentary from the Clarion Fund.
The BBC Persian piece notes that the film’s writer and director, Alex Traiman, is an ideological Israeli settler who lives in the West Bank; it is critical of many of the facts and figures in the film.
Egypt army commits to power transfer, Israel peace
APN’s Friedman on AJC’s Harris Linkage-denial
Lara Friedman, of Americans for Peace Now, has a great post up on Huffington in which she debunks the many claims of American Jewish Committee Chief David Harris.
Friedman takes on Harris’s attempt to debunk ‘linkage,’ the concept that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a burden on U.S. policy-making in the Middle East. This has been a neoconservative effort of late, which has been mostly absurd, and sometimes from Israel itself, on the dime of a pretty far right-wing Israel lobby group.
Ahmadinejad: Egyptian protests herald new Mideast
Iranians Support Egypt During Celebration of Their Revolution
"The sword will bring you down from your palaces of oppression with the help of God," Ahmadinejad told the crowd. "Very soon, the new Middle East will have no Israel and no America. The new Middle East will have no superpowers." (
U.S. Embassy to Jordan reiterates U.S. support of King Abdullah amidst regional unrest
This endorsement comes mere days after Abdullah swore in a new government led by Marouf Bakhit, who has promised to widen public freedoms in response to the anti-government protests that have swept the region.
WikiLeaks: Suleiman vowed to prevent Hamas rule in Gaza
According to the memo, the then-Egyptian intelligence minister told Israeli defense official Amos Gilad during a meeting six years ago that he would "do all in his power to sabotage the Gaza elections in order to prevent a Hamas victory.
Politics and Nonsense on Egypt
There was no doubt that the events in Cairo were momentous and, therefore, deserving of response. In the case of most US political leaders, however, struggling to come up with the right TV sound bite didn't require actually knowing anything about Egypt. All that was needed was to frame the issue through either the prism of partisanship or that of unbending loyalty to Israel. The result was a string of comments, some bizarre, others dangerous.
Ron Paul seeks vote to end foreign aid to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Pakistan
"Borrowing money from China -- or printing it out of thin air -- to hand out overseas in [an] attempt to purchase friends has been a failing foreign policy, as we see most recently in Egypt where there is not even a government in place!" Paul wrote in his Dear Colleague letter. "We should seek friendly relations and trade overseas, but we cannot justify lavish gifts to foreign leaders when American taxpayers are increasingly feeling the pain of our economic crisis."
Israel rejects William Hague's 'belligerent' claim
While there is broad acceptance that President Hosni Mubarak could remain in office until September as a transition to democracy is engineered, there is little sympathy with Israel's view that he must be shored up at all costs.
Watching unrest in Egypt, US Jews voice many concerns, some hopes
“We don’t feel they should be rushing into elections because it’s likely they would get the same results that Hamas got in Gaza,” Klein says. “They won fair and square but is that good for the world and the region? We must say, no.”
Fireworks in Beirut over Mubarak's resignation
russia No New Iran Sanctions, No Attack
According to the Associated Press, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday in Europe that his country wouldn’t take part in more sanctions aimed solely at crippling Iran’s broader economy.
What’s more, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov swore off the “threat of” and the “use of force” as “effective tool(s)” against Iran.
Liberal Activists Target Tea Party Koch Brothers
Conservatives Hijack CPAC
After Ron Paul won the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference’s straw poll, many observers said that the poll didn’t matter this year because it was “hijacked” by a passionate “fringe,” unique to the event.
Yemen rocked by third day of protests
Barely a Minyan For Allies of Israel
Israel has many friends in Congress. In fact, any pro-Israel letter or resolution easily gains hundreds of supporters in the House and a large majority in Senate.
But on Wednesday night, supporters of Israel managed to fill only half a room in one of the congressional office buildings at the Allies of Israel Caucus reception on Capitol Hill.
..“Israel is yet to find a partner for peace,” said Rep. Engel at the event. “We cannot want peace more than anyone else.” The new Republican co-chair of the caucus, Trent Franks of Arizona — who is also the new chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties — stressed that “when America stands with Israel, it blesses America and it blesses Israel.”
Our Fallen
In the Jewish community, there is often more focus on those Americans who enlist in the Israel Defense Forces than those who have chosen to fight under the stars and stripes. It’s an unspoken, uncomfortable truth: the IDF is the Jewish military. About 650 of the “lone soldiers” currently serving in the IDF are dual American-Israeli citizens, and there are untold numbers of foreign volunteers.
By contrast, of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, only 1,500 are Jewish, 1% of the total currently deployed there.
Bravo, Egypt
The first question of many Americans is “what does it mean for Israel?” Well, I’m pretty sure Egypt won’t cooperate too much longer in Israel’s ugly siege of Gaza, and that has to be good for the Palestinians. Since Israel is now in a self-defeating downward spiral, based on the belief that it can get away, forever, with crushing the aspirations of Palestinians, what the Egyptians have achieved is likely to be good for Israel too.
Muslims and Christians Protest as One
U.S. Preparing Aid Package For Egypt Opposition
Israeli FM Threatens War With Iran Over Suez Warship Claim
Though the threat appeared to be taken all too seriously in financial circles, it should be pointed out that Lieberman tends to make idle threats and his influence on Israeli foreign policy appears to be extremely minimal. Likewise, it doesn’t seem the two warships could even theoretically pose an offensive threat to Israel, though they might well be offered as defensive backup if, as is often threatened, Israel starts new wars in the region.
Quote of the Day Ron Paul Kicked Out of Conservative Group
Jordan Marks, of the prominent conservative group Young Americans for Freedom, on kicking out Tea Party favorite Rep. Ron Paul for his anti-war views.
Overkill in Orange County
he decision last week by Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas to bring criminal conspiracy charges against the students now, a year after the fact, is completely disproportionate. There is no good reason to take these college students to court, threaten them with as much as six months in jail and jeopardize their futures and careers over a nonviolent protest that didn't, ultimately, prevent the ambassador from speaking. Fascist pro-Israelis win again.
US response to Egypt draws criticism in Israel
Mubarak’s Departure May Offer Face Saving Solution for Israel’s Iran-Hawks
While some hawks have warned that the Egyptian revolution could be co-opted by the Muslim Brotherhood, Benn sees the revolution as a largely secular movement. But that doesn’t mean that the new Egyptian leadership will be helpful in backing Israeli attempts to pressure Iran or supportive of a military strike.
Mubarak's departure thwarted Israeli strike on Iran
Joint Chiefs chairman to reassure Jordan, Israel
US can blame itself for anger in the Middle East, and start making peace
is it perhaps all about Israel? Yet why should that state constitute the seeming touchstone of everything that we do in the region? After all, Israel is overwhelmingly the most powerful military state in the Middle East, acts at will in the Middle East under the protection of American veto, manipulates our own domestic politics in its favor, and is now run by the most inflexible and ultra-right-wing government in Israeli history, while soaking up more American foreign aid per capita than any other state. The US still backs Israel against the Palestinians in an Israeli occupation now into its fifth decade.
The US as Israel's Enabler in the Middle East
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment