Saturday, April 30, 2011

Headlines for April 14 - April 20

A Stand For Justice


Saudi slashes oil output, says market oversupplied
It's the speculators on Wall Street that are bidding the price up for no real reason whatsoever. They then collect the rewards. All the while, the American taxpayers go or stay broke, jeopardizing an already delicate economic recovery.


U.S. Senate urges UN to rescind Goldstone's Gaza report
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday calling on the United Nations Human Rights Council to rescind the Goldstone Commission's report on the Gaza war, in light of its author's expressed regret for some of its claim. Further proof that Israel runs Capitol Hill.


Wikileaks: 'US Helped Israel with UN Gaza War Probe'
The online foreign affairs magazine cited exclusive WikiLeaks cables, detailing moves by Washington's UN ambassador Susan Rice to prevent a more thorough UN investigation of alleged abuses in the conflict. The United States is Israel's bitch.


Bachmann: America ‘Cursed’ By God ‘If We Reject Israel’
At a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Los Angeles last week, Rep. Michele Bachmann offered a candid view of her positions on Israel: Support for Israel is handed down by God and if the United States pulls back its support, America will cease to exist.


Goldstone Recants, Gaza Dies by Philip Giraldi
The United States has long been on the receiving end of Israeli misbehavior. Israel invades Lebanon or Gaza, the US vetoes UN Security Council resolutions condemning civilian deaths and destruction of infrastructure, and Washington winds up taking the blame for condoning Tel Aviv’s recklessness. Repeat that twenty times and it is no surprise that most of the world regards the United States as the enabler of Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians. Osama bin Laden has repeatedly cited American support of Israeli repression as one of his reasons for attacking the United States. The United States is Israel's bitch.


Goldstone's shameful U-turn
Just weeks ago, Israeli military intelligence announced it had created a special unit to monitor, confront, and possibly hunt down, individuals and bodies suspected of "delegitimizing" Israel abroad. In light of this, perhaps quite a few of the faint-hearted felt standing up to Israel was not worth it. Really now. Watch who you confront, boys. Some of us aren't your usual 'fish in a barrel', hmm?


Giffords' Plea for Brain-Injured Soldiers



Are We Allied to a Corpse? by Patrick J. Buchanan



Video: Former CIA Michael Scheuer appears on Russia Today to discuss Libya



China accused of stealing 'terabytes' of US data
The cable revealed how the US traced systems breaches -- colourfully code-named "Byzantine Hades" by investigators -- to the Chinese military. An April, 2009 cable even pinpoints the attacks to a specific unit of China's People's Liberation Army.


Kucinich: U.S. Foreign Policy Should Be Consistent and Honest
“The United States has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of any other nation, just as no other nation has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of the United States,” said Kucinich.

Today, we learned that the United States was financing the political opposition in Syria at the same time that the Administration was pursuing a policy of engagement with the Syrian government, sending an ambassador to Syria for the first time in six years.


China urges U.S. to protect creditors after S&P warning
China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the United Statesmust take "responsible" measures to protect investors in its debt after Standard & Poor's threatened to lower its credit rating on the United States due to a bulging budget deficit.


U.S., UK, France: Libya War Will End When Gadhafi Goes
For the first time, NATO leaders have tethered the war to Gadhafi’s departure, a line that U.S. generals have been loath to cross. And they still don’t explain how the bombing campaign, now in its fourth week, will lead to his downfall.


U.S. Military Spending Has Almost Doubled Since 2001
U.S. military spending has almost doubled since 2001. The U.S. spent an astounding $698 billion on the military last year, an 81% increase over the last decade.


US senators unveil resolution against Libya conflict
US military strikes on Libya are "not in the vital interests of the United States" and further action should require congressional approval, under a symbolic senate resolution unveiled Thursday.


Nato rejects Russian claims of Libya mission creep



Poll: Americans strongly oppose some deficit proposals
Despite growing concerns about the country's long–term fiscal problems and an intensifying debate in Washington about how to deal with them, Americans strongly oppose some of the major remedies under consideration, according to a new Washington Post–ABC News poll. Too bad foreign aid isn't on the chopping block. Instead, schools are being closed and other major cuts to education are being implemented. Yet, Israel is still rewarded with billions of dollars a year to steal another people's land and occupy their territory. The wars fought on their behalf are also a major drain on the American budget.


Syrian security forces open fire on sit-in
Syria issued a stern warning to the nation Tuesday to stop protesting, hours after security forces opened fire with live ammunition and tear gas on hundreds of anti–government demonstrators during a pre–dawn raid that killed at least one person, witnesses said.


Why Christian Women Are Sporting Jewish Jewelry
On her trip last month to Israel, during which she met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and visited sites like the Kotel, Palin was seen sporting a sizeable silver Magen David. According to David Brog, the Jewish director for Christians United For Israel — see the Forward’s story on the organization here — Palin’s choice in jewelry is an increasingly common one for American evangelical Christians.




Syria lifts hated law, but protesters unimpressed
Syria did away with 50 years of emergency rule Tuesday, but emboldened and defiant crowds accused President Bashar Assad of simply trying to buy time while he clings to power in one of the most repressive regimes in the Middle East.


US official: US opposes Syria for UN rights body
The Obama administration will oppose Syria's candidacy to the United Nations' top human rights body, an official said Monday, calling the Arab country's attempt to gain a seat in the organization "hypocritical" while it uses violence to try to silence protests against President Bashar Assad's authoritarian regime.


Super rich see federal taxes drop dramatically



Iranian general accuses Siemens of helping U.S., Israel build Stuxnet
An Iranian military commander Saturday accused the German electronics giant Siemens with helping U.S. and Israeli teams craft the Stuxnet worm that attacked his country's nuclear facilities.


FBI Counter-Terror Official: Al Qaeda 'Thrives' After Dictators Fall
Giuliano made the comments at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy WINEP is an arm of AIPAC, the Israeli lobby.


Brand Ahmadinejad rights abuser: US senators
At Israel's urging, no doubt.


Obama Blows Up the Bridge by Patrick J. Buchanan
Where is the Fed going to borrow the $125 billion a month to finance this year’s deficit of $1.65 trillion, and another of comparable size in 2012?


House leader to ask Netanyahu to speak to Congress
Israel = Congress' real leader.


US helped Israel contain UN Gaza war probe: report
The United States worked behind the scenes to help Israel contain UN probes into possible war crimes committed during the 2008–2009 Gaza war, Foreign Policy reported Tuesday. The US is Israel's bitch.


Sarah Palin: The Koch Brother’s Union Maid






Thursday, April 21, 2011

Headlines for April 7 - April 13

A Stand For Justice


Western allies: Libya cease-fire must meet UN conditions



Russia begins refuelling Iran nuclear plant: report



Israel ruled out Iran strike in 2005: Wikileaks
Another telegram a month later, detailing talks between a US congressman and the then deputy chief of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission, Ariel Levite, offered a stronger suggestion that Israel considered a strike on Iran's facilities unfeasible. That's why they want us to do it for them.


Oil settles above $112 as dollar falls
Oil surged above $112 per barrel Friday following a drop in the dollar and continued jitters about shipments from the world's major oil suppliers.


Guilty Until Proven Guilty By Philip Giraldi
. If Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was truly Usama bin Laden's chief of operations over a period of fifteen years there should be plenty of information available to convict him on terrorism charges in a properly constituted civilian court before a jury. Trying him in a United States Federal court in New York City or some other location was the right way to go


The invisible division: US soldiers are seven times as likely as UK troops to develop post-traumatic stress



Syrian city of Deraa hit by deadly clashes
At least 23 protesters have been killed during anti-government rallies in the southern Syrian city of Deraa, witnesses have told the BBC.


The Koch Brothers: All the Influence Money Can Buy
what is most disturbing is how rapidly they are growing. In 2004, the CPI found, the Kochs spent a "mere" $857,000 on lobbying. In 2008, that had grown to $20m dollars. Over the next two years, they then spent a further $20.5m.


Koch’s Web of Influence
At an EPA hearing last summer, representatives from Koch Industries argued that moderate levels of the toxic chemical dioxin should not be designated as a cancer risk for humans.


Obama’s Fateful Abuse of War Powers by former Congressman Paul Findley
Obama’s abuse of war powers stands the Constitution on its head. He should be ashamed, and so should our complacent Congress for letting it happen.


Humanitarian Interventionism by the Numbers by Philip Giraldi
By any metric Israel should be attacked first to prevent massacres of civilians as it has killed thousands of Arabs in internationally recognized war crimes carried out in Lebanon and Gaza. That Israel is untouchable on humanitarian grounds raises the inevitable question about Washington’s hypocrisy. A friendly Saudi Arabia too has demonstrated that it is more than willing to use force to maintain its autarchic rule.


Haaretz WikiLeaks exclusive / Israel ruled out military option on Iran years ago
which is why they've been trying to get us to do it.


Latest WikiLeaks cables reveal Israel's fears and alliances
The cables show intimate co-operation between US and Israeli intelligence organisations. Israel's preoccupation with Iranian nuclear ambitions is well known and the US cables detail the battering on the subject that diplomats repeatedly receive from Tel Aviv.


Witnesses say Syrian gunmen attack 2 villages



Syria says 19 police killed in southern city
State–run Syrian television says 19 police officers and members of the security forces have been killed in the southern city of Daraa.

Witnesses in Daraa earlier said there were 16 people killed there – all of them anti–government protesters. The discrepancy could not immediately be reconciled.


NY senators clash over panel testimony on Muslims
Sen. Greg Ball, a Hudson Valley Republican, angered some Muslims and civil liberties groups by inviting Nonie Darwish and Frank Gaffney to discuss "the culture of jihad," or Muslim holy war, at a daylong hearing that was otherwise devoted to the nuts and bolts of homeland security preparedness. Gaffney is a neocon of the highest order.


Milwaukee County Sheriff going to Israel
The American Israel Educational Foundation is paying for the trip. Thus does the Israelification of America continue.


Ahmadinejad: U.S. seeking to divide Jordan to form Palestinian state
Ahmadinejad was quoted by the Iranian Mehr news agency as saying that a Western plot was in motion to divide Jordan, geared at saving "the Zionist regime from annihilation and tell the world that an independent state of Palestine has been formed"


Amnesty urges Lebanon to trace civil war missing



New Israeli system alters war against Gaza rockets
Israeli officials say the $200 million "Iron Dome" has performed beyond all expectations, raising hopes the military has finally found a way to rob Hamas militants of their most potent weapon: the short–range rockets that have made life miserable for large swaths of the population over the past decade.
American taxpayers footed the bill for this system.


Obama condemns "abhorrent violence" of Syrian government



Syria uprising broadens as women, students protest
Women, children and students took to the streets in Syria on Wednesday, lending their voices to a monthlong uprising that President Bashar Assad insists is the work of a foreign conspiracy.


Syrian activists call for daily protests



Witnesses: 4 protesters killed in key Syrian city



'Five people killed in renewed Syrian clashes'



We Ain’t Got Time To Bleed By Jesse Ventura



Iran stops providing fuel to European aircraft in retaliatory move
Iran has stopped providing fuel to European aircraft in retaliation for their refusal to fuel Iranian aircraft, the state-run Iran newspaper quoted a senior official as saying on Wednesday.


How Much of Your Taxes Pay for War?



Lindsey Graham’s War on Freedom
No less an authority than the former head of the CIA’s Bin Laden unit Michael Scheuer notes: “On no other foreign policy issue since the Cold War’s end has the truth been so easy to establish on the basis of hard facts but so hard for Americans to see … that Muslim hatred is motivated by U.S. interventionism more than any other factor.”


Is Tribalism the Future? by Patrick J. Buchanan



Powell Doctrine Redux by Philip Giraldi
Now that the president of the United States has indicated that Washington is willing to fight wars based on humanitarian principles and furthermore that president prerogatives make it unnecessary to go to congress for a proper declaration of war, it is possible that more interventions will take place as the administration becomes more comfortable with throwing its weight around overseas.


Scoop Obama
what was conservative Republican Bill Kristol doing when he reportedly advised President Obama on both his Libyan policy and the speech he made back on March 28 — and then bragged about it thereafter? It would seem an odd thing for a conservative Republican to do


Was Obama Stampeded into War? by Patrick J. Buchanan
Was Obama stampeded into war by hysterical talk of impending atrocities that had no basis in fact?

That is the issue raised by columnist Steve Chapman, that ought to be raised by a Congress that was treated almost contemptuously, when Obama launched a war without seeking its authorization.


Syrian protests turn deadly; 32 reported killed
At least 32 protesters were killed nationwide, according to human rights activists. The bloodshed lifted the death toll from three weeks of protests to more than 170 people, according to Amnesty International.





Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Headlines for March 31 - April 6

A Stand For Justice


The Awful, Unsaid Truth: We’re Heading Back Toward a Double Dip
How much does the cost of gasoline weigh in this? Isn't that the real cause of the economic downturn of 2008, when gasoline was at the price it is now? If the money Americans would normally spend on goods and services here at home is being shipped overseas to OPEC nations, then that is a big problem, particularly when that number is in the range of billions of dollars. Quite obviously our economy suffers. And the OPEC nations get richer.


UN Staff Killed in Afghanistan Amid Protests over Qur'an Burning
Provincial police spokesman Sherjan Durrani said the demonstrators poured out of mosques in the city in the early afternoon, shortly after Friday prayers where worshippers had been angered by reports that a Florida pastor had burned a copy of the Qur'an.


US to withdraw strike jets from Libya mission
The U.S. military was pulling its warplanes from front–line missions Monday and shifting to a support role in the Libyan conflict, officials said.

Britain, France and other NATO allies will now provide the fighter jets for intercept and ground–attack missions that enforce a no–fly zone over this North African country.


Rising oil prices beginning to hurt US economy
The higher costs have been driven by unrest in Libya and other oil–producing Middle East countries, along with rising energy demand from a strengthening U.S. economy. Hey I know. Let's pour a couple more trillion into the Middle East.


U.S. committed to ending anti-Israel bias on UN council, envoy says
Rice said on Wednesday that she wanted the controversial report to "disappear" but did not think it could be amended despite Goldstone's admission that some of his assessments may have been wrong.

Israel has urged the United Nations to cancel the 2009 report to the U.N. Human, however, Rice told a congressional hearing that she is "not sure it [the report] can be amended." The US is Israel's bitch.


Anger over Quran burning spreads in Afghanistan
Anger over the burning of the Muslim holy book at a Florida church fueled a second day of deadly violence half a world away in Afghanistan, where demonstrators set cars and shops ablaze Saturday in a riot that killed nine protesters, officials said.


Future jobs won’t support decent living standard: Report
Hey I know. Let's pour more money into the defense industry and the Middle East.


Geithner warns U.S. to hit debt ceiling by May 16
The United States will hit the legal limit on its ability to borrow no later than May 16, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday, ramping up pressure on Congress to act to avoid a debt default.



Late Easter, gas prices hit U.S. store sales
Low consumer confidence and higher food and gasoline prices appear to be tempering any major recovery, even though shoppers have started to see improving economic data, including last week's reports that the unemployment rate dipped to 8.8 percent and nonfarm payrolls rose again.


What the Patriot Act Does For You by Philip Giraldi
With the Patriot Act, any objection to Washington’s foreign policy can be construed as an act of terrorism. We have empowered the police to read our private communications, place wiretaps into our homes and places of work, look into our finances and medical histories, and even search our houses without a warrant. We no longer have the right to associate freely and our property can be seized by the government while we are being investigated. The Patriot Act opens the door to fishing expeditions by the government that violate the rights of every American citizen.


At least 40 civilians killed in 'humanitarian' airstrikes, bishop says



Budget Deal Would Give Pentagon Extra Funds In Exchange For Social Program Cuts



Who Are We Fighting For? by Patrick J. Buchanan
In short, our ally seized this opportunity to rub America’s nose in what the Rev. Jones did, as though the U.S. government, whose highest civilian and military officials had condemned Jones, is morally culpable for not preventing his Quran-burning and not punishing him for it.


America's Costliest War
The tax dollars being spent on Afghanistan are enough to offset the $100 billion per year that House Republicans are seeking to cut from next year's budget, or enough to fill the projected budget gaps of the 44 states that expect to run deficits in 2012. In other words, if the Afghan war ended and the funds allocated for it were returned to the states, no state in America would run a deficit next year. This would save millions of jobs of teachers, police, firefighters and other public employees while holding the line on basic services like Medicaid and income support for families in poverty. This would in turn be good for the economy as a whole. Military spending creates fewer jobs than virtually any other form of expenditure, from education to housing to transportation. So shifting funds away from war spending will result in a net increase in jobs nationwide.


Russia warns against new UN approval on use of force without clarifications
Russia could oppose the UN Security Council in adoption of any new resolution approving use of military force without clarification, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Tuesday


A Community Organizer Goes to War by Patrick J. Buchanan
If our objective was to spare the defenseless people of Benghazi from slaughter, why, mission accomplished, did we not stop bombing? Why are we plunging deeper in?

Did Gaddafi attack us? Did he attack a NATO country, thereby triggering Article 5 of the treaty requiring us to go to war? Have his forces carried out massacres of such magnitude in recaptured towns and cities as to morally mandate our humanitarian intervention?


Cost of US 'free' trade collapse of two centuries of broadly shared prosperity
It’s time to face a brutal truth about the American economy: Even if rising gas and food prices don’t hasten a double-dip recession, our 200-year tradition of broadly shared prosperity is over.


That’s because the great American job machine has been destroyed by a reckless free-trade policy.


Israeli map shows nearly 1,000 Hezbollah sites
The Israeli military on Thursday released a map detailing what it says are nearly 1,000 underground bunkers, weapons storage facilities and monitoring sites built by the militant Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon. Oh!! It was ISRAEL that provided the map. Oh OK. That means we know it's legit. AHAHAHAHAHA. Hilarious!


Lebanon-Israel Tensions Rise over Offshore Oil and Gas
Key to the tensions over the potential gas bonanza is that the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon has never been delineated because the two states are still technically at war. Since when does Israel care about crossing borders and stealing other people's property? It's been going on for 60 years.


US lawmakers urge support for Syrian opposition
Republican Senator John McCain and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman said Obama's effort to engage rather than shun Damascus had "little to show for it" and declared it was time to back protesters against Assad's rule. Here we go again. And it's 2 of Israel's top shills, no less.


'U.K. didn't always feel safe to share intelligence with Israel'
Dearlove added, saying that he had frequent discussions "with Robin Cook as Foreign Secretary about what should or shouldn't be passed to our Israeli colleagues - and there are obvious reasons for that, because we could never guarantee how the intelligence might or would be used by the state of Israel." The Israelis are terrorists. The Brits were their first victims. Menachem Begin had a bounty on him. Do the research.


Neo-Cons Target Assad Regime
Indeed, the notorious 1996 "Clean Break" memo that was prepared for then-incoming Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu by several prominent neo-conservatives who, seven years later, would take senior posts in the Bush administration, depicted the overthrow of Saddam Hussein as one crucial step in a larger strategy designed to destabilise Syria. Neocon foreign policy - always about Israel.


Military Tribunal May Keep 9/11 Motives Hidden
The motive? US support for Israel. Read the 911 Commission report. Poltiicans and media alike ignore this fact.


Liberals and Libya
Today, as most conservatives (including Hannity) either oppose or are highly skeptical of Obama’s “humanitarian” Libyan intervention, those most in favor of it are either the same neoconservatives who were the most enthusiastic about Iraq—and liberals most loyal to Obama. Said neoconservative godfather and Weekly Standard editor William Kristol on FOX News of Obama: “his sound policies are more like the policies people like me have been advocating for quite a while, I’m happy to support them. He’s a born-again neo-con.”


US Approaching Insolvency but there’s always money for Israel



HRW Founder Charts Another Way To Probe Human Rights
underneath this new mandate, the clear motivating factor for Bernstein’s new initiative is his concern for Israel. It rises to the surface as soon as he is asked about the point of starting yet another human rights organization: Israel, as a democratic, open society, should not be under constant investigation by human rights groups, he said. The country and the way it wages war need to be better explained and defended.
Read the first 3 paragaraphs. Expect this to be an(other) organization that refuses to call Israel out on its violations of humanitarian and international law. Israel's minions on Capitol Hill and in the mainstream media will shamelessly promote this new 'human rights organization'.


Syrian authorities make arrests following protests
At least seven people were killed Friday as security forces cracked down on demonstrations, bringing the death toll from two weeks of protest to at least 79. Authorities began arresting people, mostly in and around the capital, Damascus, in the hours after the protests broke up and into early Saturday, activists said.


The Patriot Act Endures



The Sad Defeat of Our Constitution
what does it say about the solemn capabilities of our Department of Justice if it is left to "subcontract out" its duties and responsibilities to the Department of Defense? We should all think about that scary notion for a bit.


Double Standards and Support for Terror
It has also become apparent that the Libyan rebels we are ostensibly supporting have ties to al-Qaeda, according to Libyan rebel commanders as well as top U.S. officials.


Koran-burning pastor says not responsible for UN deaths
An evangelical pastor whose church burned a Koran last month said he was "devastated" but did not feel responsible for the killings Friday of seven UN workers in a violent protest in Afghanistan


Egypt ready to re-establish Iran diplomatic ties
Egypt has long been an ally of the United States and Israel but since Mubarak was toppled there have been signs of warming ties between Cairo and Tehran


Is America Addicted to War? By Stephen M. Walt



Anwar al-Awalaki, U.S.-Yemeni Cleric, Calls Arab Unrest An Opportunity For Al Qaeda
Anwar al-Awlaki write in a new edition of al-Qaida's online magazine that any new governments will be weaker than the regimes they are replacing, and that will create opportunities for al-Qaida and its allies to operate with more freedom.


Koch’s Web of Influence
The money that Koch (pronounced “coke”) has spent on lobbying in Washington has soared in recent years, from $857,000 in 2004 to $20 million in 2008. The Kochs then spent another $20.5 million over the next two years to influence federal policy, as the company’s lobbyists and officials sought to mold, gut or kill more than 100 prospective bills or regulations.


Exposed: The US-Saudi Libya deal
You invade Bahrain. We take out Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. This, in short, is the essence of a deal struck between the Barack Obama administration and the House of Saud. Two diplomatic sources at the United Nations independently confirmed that Washington, via Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, gave the go-ahead for Saudi Arabia to invade Bahrain and crush the pro-democracy movement in their neighbor in exchange for a "yes" vote by the Arab League for a no-fly zone over Libya - the main rationale that led to United Nations Security Council resolution 1973.


Washington Turns Toward Iran as Revolutions Spread in the Middle East
One sign that these approaches are evolving was a March 20 video address for the Iranian New Year of Nowruz by President Obama in which he pointedly highlighted the plight of Iranian dissidents.

Another indication of change was the formation 10 days later of a nongovernmental policy task force focused on developing and building backing for policies that would encourage democracy and respond to human rights abuses in Iran. The task force’s members include one current staffer and another former official with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Washington’s leading pro-Israel lobbying group.


..“No one has been more critical of Obama than I have, but you have to recognize good news,” said Michael Ledeen, a prominent neoconservative writer.

....Israel and its supporters remain focused on increasing the pressure on Iran and ensuring that Washington maintains a credible military threat against Tehran. Speaking at a New York fundraising event for Friends of Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, said that “it is essential to shift towards crippling and paralyzing sanctions while all options [are] on the table.”
Read on for the other members of the new task force - including more pro-Israelis, not surprisingly. They are the ones in charge of our foreign policy, folks. Read the entire article for the proof, and it's coming straight from the horse's mouth.





Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Headlines for March 24 - March 30

A Stand For Justice


So far, most of tax cut is going down the gas tank
Americans are earning and spending more, but a lot of the extra money is going down their gas tanks. Gas prices have drained more than half the extra cash Americans are getting this year from a cut in Social Security taxes.


Syria: Protesters Killed and Scores Detained Including Children
The Syrian government has responded by imprisoning peaceful protesters, creating a cycle of injustice. At least 21 people went missing after Wednesday’s protest and another 33 people could face up to fifteen years in prison for taking part in the protests.


US foreign aid faces cuts as China's reach grows
The Obama administration has sought to step up its engagement in Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Central Asia and Latin America. Development aid is a key plank of its strategy. The State Department argues it is "as central to advancing America's interests as diplomacy and defense."

But that aid, like all federal spending, is under pressure as lawmakers debate how to reel in the government's deficit, forecast at $1.5 trillion this year. Much of the red ink is financed by China. The lion's share of foreign aid goes to Israel, despite the fact that Israel is not an impoverished nation. To the contrary, Israel's economy is flourishing. We're going broke to maintain that, to the detriment of our national interest - in more ways than one.


Syria: more protests in Deraa as number of dead rises
At least 25 people are now thought to have been killed during violent clashes in Deraa.


AP-GfK Poll: Americans souring more on economy
"It's in a poor state," said Billy Shirley, 74, a Democrat from Commerce, Ga. "Everything's going to the bad. Everyone's spending more on gas, food, everything. The prices on everything are going up, and that's hurting the nation."


Army: Photos of soldiers with corpses 'disturbing'
The U.S. Army on Monday apologized for any distress caused by recently published photos of American soldiers posing with dead Afghans, calling their content "disturbing" and "in striking contrast" to the Army's standards and values.


Exclusive: Obama authorizes secret help for Libya rebels



US Soldier Gets 24 Years for Murders of 3 Afghans
A U.S. soldier who pleaded guilty Wednesday to the murders of three Afghan civilians was sentenced to 24 years in prison after saying "the plan was to kill people" in a conspiracy with four fellow soldiers.


Neocon Foreign Policy by Philip Giraldi
Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour, and Mitt Romney were all recently in Israel where they pledged undying affection for Bibi Netanyahu and all his political progeny while Sarah Palin is doing the same this week. Comments about facing down the Iranian nuclear threat are obligatory. Netanyahu himself recently upped the ante regarding Iran by declaring that military action will have to be taken against the country if sanctions do not end its nuclear program. As sanctions are unlikely to accomplish that, it amounted to a demand that war should be the next phase. Netanyahu even expressed a preference for who should do the attacking: the United States.


Ex-White House economists issue debt warning
Ten former White House economists on Thursday called for US politicians of all stripes to get serious about tackling the country's spiraling debt, warning of a looming crisis "that could dwarf 2008."


Obama Goes to War by Patrick J. Buchanan
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman thinks so. As he said in Paris: “The same principles, activities, the Western world has taken in Libya … I hope to see those regarding the Iranian regime and the Syrian regime.”

Is Libya the dress rehearsal for Syria and Iran?

Neocons could not be giddier. Weekly Standard editor William Kristol is ebullient: “Despite his doubts and dithering, President Obama is taking us to war in another Muslim country. Good for him.”

Perhaps. But will bloodying another Muslim country be good for America?


Pentagon: Cost of Libya Mission at $550 Million



Russia: Libyan people, not foreign 'meddling', should bring about democracy



Netanyahu plays up Iran threat in Russia
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday played up the global danger of Iran as he sought to persuade Russia to scale down its cooperation with Israel's foes in the increasingly volatile region.


Israel not eager to see Syria's Assad go
"That has been the working assumption in Israel for years: Better the devil you know than the devil you don't," said Eyal Zisser, director of the Middle East Studies department at Tel Aviv University. "(Syria) scrupulously maintained the quiet. And who knows what will happen now – Islamic terror, al–Qaida, chaos?"



Clinton rules out U.S. Syria involvement
Syria, if it chose, could cause trouble for the United States in many ways, increasing its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, providing greater backing to anti–Israel Palestinian groups such as Hamas or possibly moving against Israel itself, the United States' closest ally in the Middle East.
To hell with freedom, if it endangers Israel.


Lieberman: ‘Precedent’ for Syrian intervention
“There is a precedent now … we’re not going to allow Assad to slaughter his own people.” Lieberman doesn't give a rat's ass about the Syrian people.


Syrians detain 2 Americans during demonstrations



Thousands chant "freedom" despite Assad reform offer
President Bashar al–Assad made a rare public pledge to look into granting Syrians greater freedom on Thursday as anger mounted following attacks by security forces on protesters that left at least 37 dead.


Troops open fire as protests explode across Syria
The scenes of chaos and violence shocked many in this tightly controlled country where protests are usually confined to government–orchestrated demonstrations in support of the regime, and political discussions are confined to whispers, mainly indoors.



Syria arrests US national 'for spying for Israel'



Russians still intend to go through with Syria missile sale
The Russian sale of Yakhnot anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria is a "done deal," and Moscow has no intention of scuttling it, the Kremlin told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday in Moscow Thursday, according to a senior Israeli diplomatic source.


Anti-Semitism Has No Place in Islam
The work we are doing is reinforced by our scriptures and by our American vision of pluralism and diversity. As Muslims, we must understand that there is absolutely no place for anti-Semitism in Islam, and we must speak out against all instances of anti-Semitism, wherever they may occur.

It also bears repeating that criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitism, no matter how hard pro-Israelis try to make it so.


Nightly News stays mum on GE’s $0 tax bill



How Killing Libyans Became a Moral Imperative by Patrick J. Buchanan
Until the modern era, the idea of sending armed forces across oceans to kill and die for moral or humanitarian causes would have been seen as an insult to the Founding Fathers, an abandonment of a vital American tradition, and ruinous to the national interest.

Why are we in Libya? Why are U.S. pilots bombing and killing Libyan soldiers who have done nothing to us?


Impeach Barack Obama
Many Tea Party candidates and paleoconservative and libertarian Republicans, such as Rep. Ron Paul, won office by declaring their high regard for the Constitution. Rep. Paul stated in advance of the attack on Libya that a Congressional declaration of war was necessary according to the provisions of the Constitution before an assault could proceed. If these Republicans do not act now to begin impeachment following the lead of the very principled Dr. Paul, their words meant nothing, and they should be turned out of office.


Unredeemable Thugs?
Washington and the establishment media tend to categorize Middle Eastern regimes in two camps: either their autocratic rule smacks of unredeemable thuggery and must be disposed of, or their dictatorial grip on power maintains so-called stability and must be lavishly supported. Apparently Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Pakistan and Egypt (before Mubarak’s ouster) reside in the latter category. Libya, and now perhaps Syria, apparently belong in the former category of disposable regimes.


2/3rds of US Corporations Pay Zero Federal Taxes: US Uncut Movement Builds to Make Them Pay Up



GE 'Zero' US Tax Furor Reignites Calls for Reform



Household wealth down 23% in 2 years - Fed



Obama Lacks Clarity on Afghan War
in his March 2009 speech – and the one on Dec. 1, 2009, at West Point announcing the additional troop buildup – Obama was following the interests of the pro-war political/media Establishment that still dominates Washington. It remains almost as influential inside his administration as it was inside Bush’s.


UN creates human rights investigator on Iran



Gangs of armed young men roam Syrian seaside city
The scenes in Latakia, a Mediterranean port once known as a summmer tourist draw, were a remarkable display of anarchy in what had been one of the Mideast's most tightly controlled countries.


Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. debt
Some lawmakers and market analysts are expressing rising concerns that a demand for capital by earthquake-ravaged Japan could lead it to sell off some of its huge holdings of U.S.-issued debt, leaving the federal government in an even tighter financial pinch.


George Carlin Knew Why They Call it 'The American Dream'
"You know what they want? They want more for themselves and less for everybody else. I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking — well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. That doesn't help them. That's against their interest. They want obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly (bleep) jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears as soon as you come to collect it."


Mark Levin’s Constitution
When Obama decided to go to war with Libya some Capitol Hill leaders in both parties decided to question whether the President had the authority to do so. When George W. Bush was president Obama once posed the same question, stating in 2007: “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”


General Electric: King of the Tax Dodgers
Recent filings show that in 2010, General Electric reported global profits of $14.2 billion, claiming $5.1 billion from U.S. operations.

How much did it pay in U.S. corporate taxes? Zero. Actually, less than zero. We taxpayers paid G.E. $3.2 billion.


Pentagon overpaid billionaire oil tycoon by up to $200million
A Pentagon audit has revealed that the federal government overpaid a billionaire oilman up to $200million.

The audit found that Harry Sargeant III was overpaid on several military contracts worth nearly $2.7billion.




Syrian cabinet resigns amid unrest