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Archives: August 2013
Military-Ruled Egypt Opposes US Strike on Syria
The newly assertive Egyptian military and the civilian transitional government in Egypt are helping make President Obama's life difficult. Likely it was Egypt that blocked the Arab League from calling for intervention…The Ghost of Iraq haunts Obama on Syria as British Parliament Defects
The heavy propaganda for an Iraq War waged by the Bush administration and the Blair government in 2002-2003 came back to haunt the Anglo-American alliance on Thursday when the British parliament voted…Eight things to consider before intervening in Syria (ECFR)
Anthony Dworkin, Daniel Levy and Julien Barnes-Dacey write for the European Council on Foreign Relations: 1. What are the goals of intervention? All statements coming from the western leaders most likely to…
Rush to Western Strike on Syria slows, but does not Stall
What is known is that during heavy bombardment of Ghouta in Rif Dimashq on August 21, rockets were fired that did not explode and instead released gases that killed several hundred people,…NSA Spying Abroad isn’t OK Either (Kurzman)
Charles Kurzman writes at ISLAMiCommentary: Caption for graphic: NSAW SID Intelligence Oversight (IO) Quarterly Report – First Quarter Calendar Year 2012 (1 January – 31 March 2012) – Executive Summary, May 3,…
The Kosovo Fallacy and Syria (Axworthy-Cole Debate)
I was on the CBC's excellent The Current to discuss former Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy's proposal that Western action in Syria should resemble the Kosovo campaign of the 1990s. I disagreed,…US Protected Iraq at UN from Iranian Charges of Chemical Weapons Use
Reprint edn., from my article in Truthdig, where you can find the hyperlinks giving the documentation. I thought these findings by Joyce Battle from the documents she FOIA'ed ad posted at the…Oceans Turning Acid with CO2 at Rate Unseen in 250 million Years, Threatening Further Warming (Queally)
Jon Queally writes at Commondreams.org In both a new study published Monday and in a newspaper interview over the weekend, German marine biologist Hans Poertner warns the world that the crisis of…
Kerry signals US Intervention in Syria, but to What End?
Secretary of State John Kerry strongly suggested in remarks on Monday that President Obama has concluded that the ruling Baath regime in Syria was responsible for poison gas attacks last Wednesday that…Gulf Arab Press Condemns Alleged ‘Bloody’ Chemical Weapons attack in Syria (OSC)
The USG Open Source Center translates or paraphrases comment in the Gulf Arab press on the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Baathist regime. Note that these governmental establishments are…Not Markets but the People are making the Green Energy Revolution
The propaganda against the green energy revolution contains all the same predictable elements as the propaganda against anti-slavery movements or later against anti-tobacco findings. We are told that everything is determined by…Top 13 Surveillance Secrets the Gov’t Doesn’t want You to Know About (Quigley)
Bill Quigley writes at Commondreams.org “We believe most Americans would be stunned to learn the details of how these secret court opinions have interpreted…the Patriot Act. As we see it, there is…Obama’s Limited Options: Bombing Syria unlikely to be Effective
As pressure on President Obama to bomb Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons ramps up, it is worth revisiting parts of a post I did last June in response to…
Does the World Care? 1 Mn Syrian Children Refugees & Aid Money Running Out
The Syrian conflict has produced a massive refugee problem, and it reached a new level of horror this week with news that the UN High Commission on Refugees estimates that there are…NSA abuses include Stalking ex-Girlfriends
We have HUMINT, or human intelligence gathered from agents. We have SIGINT or signals intelligence. And now we have LOVEINT or NSA analysts occasionally reading the emails of ex-lovers. It doesn't happen…Obama wants all the info in your Smart Phone without a Warrant (Lazare)
Sarah Lazare writes at Commondreams.org Amid ongoing controversy over NSA warrantless spying programs, another legal battle exposes the Obama administration's willingness to steamroll civil liberties in the name of "security." Last week,…Is the US Government the Managing Committee of the Pirate Banks?
Greg Palast at Vice exposes the way that Larry Summers, Tim Geithner and others in the Treasury Department conspired with JP Morgan and other pirate investment banks not only to destroy Glass-Steagall…Must US Aid to Egypt be Cut Off? (Wang & Meyer)
Marian Wang and Theodoric Meyer write at ProPublica Questions about the United States’ aid to Egypt have intensified in the wake of last month’s military coup. More than 1,000 Egyptians have been…Bradley Manning in a World of Cheneys, Hadithas, and NSA Domestic Surveillance
The sentencing of Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison came because he leaked government documents, mostly with a low level of classification that probably shouldn't have been classified in the first…Syria: Will Killing of Hundreds with Sarin Gas force Obama’s Hand?
Syrian sources on the ground and expatriate human rights organizations are alleging Wednesday morning that Syrian aircraft have killed hundreds of people in rebel-held East and West Ghouta and some other areas…Alleged Torturers sue Abu Ghraib Torture Victims (Lazare)
Sarah Lazare writes at Commondreams 'Defense' contractor CACI International has taken the shocking step of suing four former Abu Ghraib detainees who are seeking redress in U.S. courts for the company's role…Egypt’s Revenge of the Leftovers: Mubarak to be released, Muslim Brotherhood leader Badie Arrested
Too much could easily be made of the pending release from prison of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, who is still facing charges of complicity in killing some 900 young protesters during…Greenwald Partner falsely detained as Terrorist: How to Create a Dictatorship
How to turn a democracy into a STASI authoritarian state in 10 easy steps: 1. Misuse the concept of a Top Secret government document (say, the date of D-Day) and extend classification…Climate Change Activism as a Nonviolent Movement without Leaders (McKibben)
Bill McKibben writes at Tomdispatch.com The history we grow up with shapes our sense of reality -- it’s hard to shake. If you were young during the fight against Nazism, war seems…Has Military Suppression of Political Islam ever Worked?
The Egyptian military's obvious determination to crush the Muslim Brotherhood involves serious human rights violations, apparent in the appalling scenes of the siege of members in a mosque on Saturday. A separate…New Hot Zones now cover 5% of Earth; Only Fix is Halting CO2 (Lazare)
Sarah Lazare writes at Commondreams.org A new study dishes out some very bad news about the global warming crisis. It is too late to stop a "several folds" increase of deadly heat…It’s not about Democracy: Top Ten Reasons Washington is Reluctant to cut off Egypt Aid
another 80 people died in violence in Egypt on Friday, as Muslim Brotherhood crowds protested the military crackdown on their sit-ins that cost hundreds of lives this week. Some of the violence…
Egypt’s Waco
Within Egypt, and in many other Arab countries, the shocking killings of Black Wednesday have elicited horror in many quarters, but have actually been supported in many others. I am in the…Iran, Israel, and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Opposition to Zionism (Goldman)
Shalom Goldman writes at Islamicommentary: In the past few weeks the war of words between Jerusalem and Tehran has intensified. In what now seems a cyclical phenomenon, the politicos in both capitals…
Cairo Burning (Aerial Video)
Aerial video of Cairo in the wake of the military atrocity against the Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins shows Cairo aflame. ITN compares it to the 1973 war, but it reminds me of 1952,…Egypt’s Transition Has Failed: New Age of Military Dictatorship in Wake of Massacre
The horrible bloodshed in Egypt on Wednesday marked a turning point in the country's modern history, locking it in to years of authoritarian paternalism and possibly violent faction fighting. The country is…
Yep, We’re Screwed: Top Ten Recent Climate Change Findings that should Scare You
1. A warmer planet will spur aggression and violence, according to UC Berkeley scientists. 2. Climate change is causing animals to migrate into new areas, spreading diseases across species: "Earth's changing climate…
Egyptian Police Clear Brotherhood Sit-Ins, at cost of Scores of deaths, injuries
On Wednesday morning, the State Security police in Egypt used earth movers to tear down the barricades around the huge sit-ins at al-Nahda Square in Giza and Rabia al-`Adawiyya square in Cairo.…
Levison of Lavabits on FBI gag order: “There’s information I can’t share with my lawyer”
Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!" gets an exclusive interview with Ladar Levison, who closed down his Lavabit encrypted email service rather than comply with Federal demands that he allow it to be monitored.…
Defecting Saudi Prince: Royal Family in Panic at Arab Revolts, Thousands imprisoned
Russia Today got a scoop on Monday with an interview with a defecting Saudi prince: "In recent weeks Saudi Arabia has launched an offensive against anti-regime activists arresting many and sentencing some…
India, China Defy US Congress’ War on Iranian Oil
The US House of Representatives approved a bill at the beginning of this month aimed at completely closing off Iranian petroleum exports. Not since President Roosevelt told Japan in July 1941 that…How Much Blood Money does the US Pay to Families of Innocent Drone Victims? It’s Classified (Currier)
Cora Currier writes at Propublica: There have been nine drone strikes reported in Yemen in the past two weeks – an uptick apparently connected to the Al Qaeda threat that shut down…
India’s Energy could be 15% from Renewables by 2020: Greentech CEOs
When you actually put renewable energy CEOs on television, they can explain that coal and other hyrdrocarbons receive government subsidies, making them look much cheaper than they actually are, whereas wind is…
Israeli Gov’t mocks ‘Peace Talks’ with announcement of 1200 New Squatter homes in Occupied Palestine
The Israeli government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that it would take bids on nearly 1200 new housing units on Palestinian territory occupied by Israel. The news from Tel Aviv…
Neoliberalism Fail: Top 8 Ways Privatization has Harmed us All (Buchheit)
Paul Buchheit writes at Commondreams.org: Some of America's leading news analysts are beginning to recognize the fallacy of the "free market." Said Ted Koppel, "We are privatizing ourselves into one disaster after…
Egypt: Food Crisis looms as Interim Gov’t decides to disperse Muslim Brotherhood Protesters Peacefully
In the midst of its political crisis, Egypt also faces rising food prices that are hitting the poor hard. This rise comes on top of tremendous price increases for staples under deposed…
Fukushima’s Strontium Leaks a Neverending Crisis? (Germanos)
Andrea Germanos writes at Commondreams courtesy VOAnews As the disaster at Fukushima plant continues to unfold, one nuclear expert is warning that "this is an accident that’s shockingly not stopping."Arjun Makhijani, President…
Before he Was President, Obama Championed Extensive Surveillance Reforms (Brandeisky)
Kara Brandeisky writes at ProPublica When the House of Representatives recently considered an amendment that would have dismantled the NSA's bulk phone records collection program, the White House swiftly condemned the measure.…Obama’s Reassurances about Domestic Surveillance are not Reassuring
President Obama gave a news conference on Friday in which he addressed the controversy over Edward Snowden's revelations regarding NSA spying on the American people. This issue is a very difficult one…
Burma’s Muslims driven into the hands of human traffickers
While the issue of the mistreatment Rohingya Muslim minority has most involved Burma, it has roiled politics throughout Southeast Asia. Buddhist extremists have persecuted the Rohingya in Burma. In retaliation, a Buddhist…
Where is our Amsterdam? Lavabits, Snowden & Wikileaks Censorship recall age of Absolutism
The long struggle against censorship in the 18th century at the time of oppressive kings in Europe involved the hand-copying and circulation of unpublished anonymous manuscripts. Sometimes dangerous or proscribed books were…
Barbecuing the Planet: With Fracking, we’ll go on investing 3x in Hydrocarbons what we will in renewables (Klare)
Michael T. Klare writes at Tomdispatch.com: When it comes to energy and economics in the climate-change era, nothing is what it seems. Most of us believe (or want to believe) that the…
The Miranda Warning in 2013 is Worded a little Differently (Jamiol Cartoon)
courtesy of Jamiol's World
Sanjay Gupta: We have been Systematically Misled on Dangers of Marijuana
Dr. Gupta with Piers Morgan
“After the Ruler undermined Democracy, the people wanted the Military…” Egypt 1952 (video)
Egyptian Revolution of 1952 "the Communists called it a military dictatorship . . ." "Gen. Muhammad Naguib was considered a Muslim Brotherhood sympathizer . . ." plus ça change . . .
And another thing! Russia denies Visas to US Officials involved in Torture, including Yoo, Addington
The food fight between the United States and the Russian Federation has revolved around relatively minor issues in the two countries' relationship like whether Obama will have a summit with Putin in…
Syrian Farmers Face Shortfall because of Fighting
The war in Syria is interfering in farmers' ability to bring in the wheat and other crops. It is a sad Eid al-Fitr (the feast to mark the end of the fasting…
Shameless: American Sanctions hit Ordinary Iranians’ Access to Medicine
American and European sanctions contribute to the difficulties ordinary Iranians in getting medicine and affording it. Channel 4 News reports The National Iranian American Council explains: " NIAC Policy Memo: Why are…
Wall Street has a Cow as Town uses Eminent Domain to Help Homeowners avoid Foreclosure (Lazare)
Eminent Domain for the People Leaves Wall Street Furious Housing justice advocates hopeful about innovative Richmond plan to use public seizure laws to save underwater homes from foreclosure Sarah Lazare writes at…
Top Reasons John McCain and Lindsey Graham have no Credibility for Egypt Talks
Sen. John McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham were apparently asked by President Obama to go to Egypt and try to mediate the conflict between the Egyptian military and the Muslim Brotherhood. They…
The Business of America is Spying on America (Engelhardt)
Tom Engelhardt writes at Tomdispatch.com: Hey, let’s talk spying! In Surveillance America, this land of spookery we all now inhabit, what else is there to talk about? Was there anyone growing up…Top Ten Things that don’t Make Sense about NSA Surveillance, Drones and al-Qaeda
In a Reuters Exclusive, John Shiffman and Kristina Cooke reveal that the National Security Agency shares information it gleans from warrantless surveillance of Americans with the Special Operation Division of the Drug…
On Eve of “Peace Talks,” Israelis Subsidize their West Bank Colonies, build new Units
On the eve of resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestine, the far right Israeli nationalist government of Binyamin Netanyahu attempted to torpedo them with a series of provocative announcements. it…
America’s Drone Tally in Pakistan and Yemen for July (Serle and Ross)
Jack Serle and Alice K Ross write at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism The CIA killed more people in Pakistan per strike than at any point since July 2012. US drones return…
How the GOP Libya Witch Hunt Made us Close our Mideast Embassies and Crippled US Diplomacy
About those US embassy closures in the Middle East: they make the US look like a wimp. The United States is still the world's primary superpower, for better or worse, and it…
How we lost our Constitution somewhere in Iraq and came back without it to Try Manning (van Buren)
Peter Van Buren writes at Tomdispatch.com On July 30, 1778, the Continental Congress created the first whistleblower protection law, stating “that it is the duty of all persons in the service of…
Top 10 reasons to welcome departure of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Only the Neocons will miss Him
Since he won the Iranian presidential election in 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been an object of fear, vilification and ridicule in Washington DC. I said from the beginning that there was no…
Tens of Thousands Rally to support Fundamentalist Government in Tunisia
Since the assassination of leftist leader Mohamed Brahmi of the Popular Front on July 25, Tunisia has been thrown into a new round of political turmoil. Thousands have gone to the streets…
“Capturing football fields” of power – Offshore Wind-Wave Energy Farms in Japan and California
For the real-world project, look to Japan: "The world's first hybrid power generation system is due to be installed off the coast of western Japan later this year. The offshore facility is…
Oil Spills blacken Today’s Environment from Alberta to Thailand: Wind and Solar are Way Better!
1. High pressure steam injection as a technique of getting oil out of the ground has gone very wrong in Canada: Canadian First Nations protest massive Alberta oil spill (CBC): 2. A…
The Burka Avenger stands up to Male Chauvinist Taliban on Pakistani TV
The Burka Avenger is a children's cartoon about a mild-mannered female school teacher in Pakistan who has an alter ego. As the black-clad Burka Avenger, she takes on oppressive and intolerant Taliban…
How a Bill Becomes Law (George Carlin)
George Carlin explains how the United States really works. Warning: some profanity (as is appropriate to the subject). The Clip
Putin as America’s Frenemy: The Snowden Paradox
Russia's decision on Thursday to grant NSA leaker Edward Snowden asylum for one year and allow him freely to live and work in the Russian Federation hit Washington like a hydrogen bomb.…
Syrian Regime takes Key Homs Neighborhood in advance against Rebels
The Syrian military has taken an important Homs neighborhood that had been in the hands of the rebels for over a year, as part of its counter-offensive in the strategic center of…
Red Baraat makes NYC Music with a Punjabi Beat (Video)
Blurb: "New York City's multicultural population is fertile ground for fusions in art and music. VOA's Carolyn Weaver reports on Red Baraat, an eight-member band from Brooklyn blending Northern Indian bhangra -…BOIJ on Pakistan: First the CIA Droned them, Then it Droned the Rescuers (Woods and Yusufzai)
Chris Woods writes at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (Additional reporting by Mushtaq Yusufzai) A field investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in Pakistan’s tribal areas appears to confirm that the…
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Defiant as Government Mulls Dispersing Crowds in Cairo, Giza
There are two places the Muslim Brotherhood is emulating the revolutionary youth of 2011 and occupying a public square-- the place in front of the Rabi`a al-`Adawiya Mosque near Nasr City and…Afghanistan: If a White House Report on a Massacre isn’t Released, did the Massacre Happen? (Currier)
Cora Currier writes at ProPublica Soon after taking office, President Obama pledged to open a new inquiry into the deaths of perhaps thousands of Taliban prisoners of war at the hands of…