N.Korea accuses Obama of nuclear war plot 21 Jun 2009 North Korea has accused US President Barack Obama of plotting a nuclear war on the nation by reaffirming a US assurance of security for South Korea, the North's state media said. In a first official response to last week's US-South Korean summit, the state-run weekly Tongil Sinbo said in its Saturday edition Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak "are trying to ignite a nuclear war". "The US-touted provision of 'extended deterrence, including a nuclear umbrella' (for South Korea) is nothing but 'a nuclear war plan,'" Tongil Sinbo said.
Agents say DEA is forcing them illegally to work in Afghanistan 21 Jun 2009 As the Obama administration ramps up the Drug Enforcement Administration's presence in Afghanistan, some special-agent pilots contend that they're being illegally forced to go to a combat zone, while others who've volunteered say they're not being properly equipped. In interviews with McClatchy, more than a dozen DEA agents describe a badly managed system in which some pilots have been sent to Afghanistan under duress or as punishment for bucking their superiors.
Qaeda vows to fire Pakistan nukes at US 22 Jun 2009 A top 'al-Qaeda' commander in Afghanistan says his men 'will' use Pakistan's nuclear weapons against the US, should they be able to get their hands on any. "God willing, the nuclear weapons will not fall into the hands of the Americans and the Mujahideen would take them and use them against the Americans," Mustafa Abu al-Yazid said in an interview with al-Jazeera television.
'US, Israel behind Pakistan sectarian violence' 21 Jun 2009 A senior Pakistani politician says that the US and Israel are fomenting sectarian strife in the country in order to destabilize the nuclear-armed state. Liaqat Baloch, General Secretary of the Jamat-e- Islami (JI) party, told reporters in the southern port city of Karachi that extremist groups were pursuing a US-Israeli agenda across the country.
At least 24 reporters arrested in Iran 21 Jun 2009 Iranian authorities have arrested at least 24 journalists and bloggers since postelection protests began a week ago, and a media watchdog says reporters are a "priority target" for Iran's leadership. Among those detained were the head of the Association of Iranian Journalists and a Canadian reporter for Newsweek. The British Broadcasting Corporation's correspondent has been ordered to leave the country.
Iranian protesters defy warning 23 Jun 2009 Anti-government protesters have continued their demonstrations on the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital, despite a warning from the country's security forces. Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a military unit, threatened on Monday in a statement on its website to crush further protests over the country's disputed June 12 presidential election. The Revolutionary Guards is an armed force parallel to Iran's army which claims to defend the gains of the 1979 revolution against a possible coup.
Iran to release box-by-box vote count 22 Jun 2009 Amid claims of a 'rigged-election' by certain defeated Iranian presidential candidates, a top election official says the box-by-box details of the vote will be released. According to deputy head of the Interior Ministry's election headquarters, Ali-Asghar Sharifi-Rad, the Ministry had decided to publish the results "box by box," to resolve ambiguities about the disputed election in which incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a landslide victory, ILNA reported.
UK denies interference in Iran post-vote unrest 21 Jun 2009 British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has rejected Iran's claims regarding the interference of foreign countries in the post-election unrest in the country. "I reject categorically the idea that the protesters in Iran are manipulated or motivated by foreign countries," Miliband said on Sunday.
'Hello, Pot? This is Kettle. You're Green.' --US Hypocrisy Toward Iran By Lori Price 21 Jun 2009 The world's biggest hypocrite and meddlesome nosy parker, the United States, has outdone itself with its reaction to the post-election events in Iran. At least five glaring 'grand hypocrisies' have emerged, with more likely on the way. What other country -- having just endured eight years of dictatorship as the result of two stolen elections -- could actually spew outrage over... another nation's 'stolen election?' Gag me with a green chainsaw.
Senator Slams General's Torture Testimony --Calls Commander's Answers 'Incomplete, at Best' 17 Jun 2009 Obama's new pick to oversee U.S. forces in Afghanistan misled Congress about his role in the use of so-called "enhanced interrogation" by U.S. Special Operations forces in 2003 and 2004, a senior Democratic senator has charged. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) said late last week that then-Special Operations commander [Grade A sociopath] Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal was not direct with lawmakers at his confirmation hearing regarding his approval of harsh interrogations torture by personnel under his control.
Tony Blair faces calls to appear at public Iraq war inquiry after plan backfires 22 Jun 2009 Tony Blair tried to stop the Iraq war inquiry being held in public as new evidence emerged suggesting that he knew Saddam Hussein may not have weapons of mass destruction. The former Prime Minister lobbied Sir Gus O’Donnell, the head of the Civil Service, fearing that a public appearance at the inquiry, headed by Sir John Chilcott, could turn into a "show trial". The move appears to have backfired this weekend, as it emerges that part of the inquiry will now be heard in public and Mr Blair is the focus of calls to appear.
Tony Blair pushed Gordon Brown to hold Iraq war inquiry in private --Leak reveals plan to provoke invasion 21 Jun 2009 Tony Blair urged Gordon Brown to hold the independent inquiry into the Iraq war in secret because he feared that he would be subjected to a "show trial" if it were opened to the public, the Observer can reveal. The revelation that the former prime minister - who led Britain to war in March 2003 - had intervened will fuel the anger of MPs, peers, military leaders and former civil servants, who were appalled by Brown's decision last week to order the investigation to be conducted behind closed doors.
Iraq war inquiry could reveal secrets, lies and the rush to war 21 Jun 2009 When Tony Blair told the Commons that he hoped conflict with Iraq could be averted, he already knew the White House had picked 1,500 targets for its bombers. Gaby Hinsliff, Paul Harris and Jamie Doward report on the gaps between what the public were told and what politicians were discussing in private, as the government prepares for a closed inquiry.
'The start date for the military campaign was now pencilled in for 10 March. This was when the bombing would begin.' Confidential memo reveals US plan to provoke an invasion of Iraq 21 June 2009 A confidential record of a meeting between President [sic] Bush and Tony Blair before the invasion of Iraq, outlining their intention to go to war without a second United Nations resolution, will be an explosive issue for the official inquiry into the UK's role in toppling Saddam Hussein. The memo, written on 31 January 2003, almost two months before the invasion and seen by the Observer, confirms that as the two men became increasingly aware UN inspectors would fail to find weapons of mass destruction (WMD) they had to contemplate alternative scenarios that might trigger a second resolution legitimising military action. Bush told Blair the US had drawn up a provocative plan "to fly U2 reconnaissance aircraft painted in UN colours over Iraq with fighter cover". Bush said that if Saddam fired at the planes this would put the Iraqi leader in breach of UN resolutions. The president expressed hopes that an Iraqi defector would be "brought out" to give a public presentation on Saddam's WMD or that someone might assassinate the Iraqi leader. However, Bush confirmed even without a second resolution, the US was prepared for military action. The memo said Blair told Bush he was "solidly with the president". [Let the treason trials begin.]
Xe is a busy little bee! Iraq Blasts Kill More Than a Dozen 22 Jun 2009 Bombings killed as many as 18 people in the Baghdad area on Monday as violence intensifies... The bombings, nearly all in Shiite areas of the capital, came just two days after the year's deadliest attack -- a truck bombing that killed at least 75 80 people in northern Iraq.
Suicide bombing toll breaks new records 21 Jun 2009 The suicide truck bombing in Taza, Iraq, on Saturday has resulted in at least 80 deaths. Police, working on the crime scene, have said the terrorist crime is the deadliest in the country this year. The massive blast occurred near a mosque, shops and houses.
Xe still busy: Bomber Kills 8 Civilians in Afghanistan 22 Jun 2009 Afghan authorities say back-to-back explosions have killed as many as eight civilians in the eastern province of Khost. Officials say at least 40 people were hurt Monday in explosions outside the electric company headquarters in the provincial capital, Khost City... Witnesses say the second explosion was caused by a suicide bomber on a motorbike and was much greater in intensity.
Canada to consider settlements suit 22 Jun 2009 A Canadian court is to consider a lawsuit brought by Palestinians from the West Bank town of Bilin who say two Canadian firms have committed war crimes by assisting in construction of Israeli settlements. Activists filed the suit against Green Mount International and Green Park International - two Canadian companies contracted to build in the settlement of Modiin Illit, in a Montreal court, where the companies are registered
New Tel Aviv bar bans IDF soldiers in uniform, settlement products 21 Jun 2009 A new vegan bar opened last week in Tel Aviv that bans Israel Defense Forces soldiers in uniform and boycotts products made in West Bank settlements. The Rogatka - "slingshot" - bar was opened by an "anarchist collective" who once ran the Salon Mazal bar; it is located on Yitzhak Sadeh street in central Tel Aviv.
John Bercow wins race to be new Commons Speaker 22 Jun 2009 John Bercow was tonight elected as the new Speaker of the House of Commons as he beat nine rivals to replace Michael Martin as the most senior commoner in the land. The maverick Conservative backbencher pipped fellow Tory Sir George Young to the post to clinch the £146,041-a-year post.
Homeland Security drone patrolling NNY --CBP: The aircraft is virtually identical to Predators used by the military, with the exception of lower-power engine and no weapons 18 Jun 2009 A Predator B Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) has been temporarily based at Fort Drum since early June in an experiment by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office. The Department of Homeland Security is using the extensive restricted air space over Fort Drum to test whether the drone could be a good fit along this stretch of the northern border.
Amy Goodman breezes by the story of the century (Radio Du Jour) 14 Oct 2008 Amy Goodman talks with James Bamford, an American bestselling author and journalist who writes about United States intelligence agencies, and he drops a bomb shell (which doesn't seem to warrant a follow-up question from Ms Goodman) about how the 9/11 plotters set-up shop within eye site (sans trees - 6.1 miles) of NSA Headquarters, worked out at the nearby Gold's Gym, shopped at the nearby Safeway and ate at the same restaurants as NSA employees. [Yup, as hirelings of the US government, they ate and shopped in the same establishments as their employers.]
US swine flu death toll nearly doubles from last week 19 Jun 2009 The U.S. death toll from the H1N1 swine flu now stands at 87, up from 45 a week ago; and the number of cases in Arizona is up to 645, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported Friday. The CDC said there are more than 21,400 cases nationwide, up from 17,855 a week ago. Wisconsin has the most H1N1 flu cases in the U.S., with 3,008, followed by Illinois at 2,526, according to the CDC.
Video shows surveillance protesters bundled to ground by police --IPCC to receive video as concerns grow over police tactics 21 Jun 2009 Two female protesters who challenged police officers for not displaying their badge numbers were bundled to the ground, arrested and held in prison for four days, according to an official complaint lodged today. The incident was caught on camera... The images are likely to fuel concern over the policing of protests, which is already subject to a review by the national police inspectorate and two parliamentary inquiries after the G20 demonstrations and the death [murder] of Ian Tomlinson.
Cheney, Rove, Libby Shielded From Leak Suit as Appeal Rejected 22 Jun 2009 The U.S. Supreme Court refused to revive a lawsuit that accused former Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney and Bush administration officials Karl Rove and I. Lewis Libby of exposing Valerie Plame as a CIA agent. The 'justices,' without comment, turned away an appeal by Plame, who worked at the Central Intelligence Agency’s headquarters in Virginia, and her husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Plame and Wilson sued the three officials, along with former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, in 2006.
'President Barack Obama is morphing into George W. Bush.' In stark legal turnaround, Obama now resembles Bush 19 Jun 2009 President Barack Obama is morphing into George W. Bush, as administration attorneys repeatedly adopt the executive-authority and national-security rationales that their Republican predecessors preferred. In courtroom battles and freedom-of-information fights from Washington, D.C., to California, Obama's legal arguments repeatedly mirror Bush's: White House turf is to be protected, secrets must be retained and dire warnings are wielded as weapons.
McCain: Obama has 'done well' [LOL!] 21 Jun 2009 Sen. John McCain has given Barack Obama -- his opponent in last year's presidential election -- overall high marks during his first five months in the White House, but said the president has failed on a promise to bring bipartisanship to Washington. The Arizona Republican, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation" program Sunday, said that using a legislative scorecard to judge the presidency so far, Mr. Obama has achieved all his legislative goals. "I think he's done well," Mr. McCain said.
Justices Let Stand a Central Provision of Voting Rights Act 23 Jun 2009 The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a central provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, declaring that there was no need at the moment to decide whether that provision was still constitutional in light of the fundamental changes that have swept across the South in recent decades... But the court stated that "the act also differentiates between the states in ways that may no longer be justified."
DC Metro Trains Collide; 4 Killed, 70 Injured --Too Early to Determine Cause, Officials Say 22 Jun 2009 Two Metro transit trains collided at the height of the Monday evening rush hour, killing at least four people and severely injuring more than 70 others as cars of one train jackknifed into the air and fell atop the other. District of Columbia fire spokesman Alan Etter said crews were cutting apart the trains to get people out in what he described as a "mass casualty event."
New Russian Arctic Park to protect key polar bear habitat 22 Jun 2009 Russia will create a new 1.5 million hectare park in the Arctic, a central area for the Barents and Kara Sea polar bear populations. The 'Russian Arctic' park is located on the northern part of Novaya Zemlya, a long island that arcs out into the Arctic Ocean between the Barents and Kara Sea.
Previous lead stories: Police Unleash Force On Rally in Tehran --Obama, in Boldest Terms Yet, Presses Iran to Halt Violence Against Own People 21 Jun 2009 Fiery chaos broke out in downtown Tehran on Saturday as security forces blocked streets and used tear gas, water cannons and batons to break up a demonstration against the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Security forces were seen firing warning shots into the air, but there were also unconfirmed reports that several people were hit by gunfire. President Obama, in his strongest comments to date on a political standoff that has paralyzed Iran for a week, urged the Iranian government "to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people."
British Army officer launches stinging attack on 'failing' UK strategy in Afghanistan 20 Jun 2009 A British Army officer has launched a devastating attack on the UK's "failing" strategy in Afghanistan. The officer, who works in defence intelligence, has described the British presence in Helmand as an "unmitigated disaster" fuelled by "lamentable" government spin and naïvety. Writing in the British Army Review, an official MoD publication, Major SN Miller, stated: "Lets not kid ourselves. To date Operation Herrick [the British codename for the War in Afghanistan] has been a failure".
