Brian Cloughley: Moronic Marine Killers.

Is this how they keep their honor clean? "The Pentagon has quietly shifted combat troops and warships to the Middle East after the top American commander in the region warned that he needed additional forces to deal with Iran and other potential threats, US officials said. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, who heads US Central Command, won White House approval for the deployments late last year after talks with the government in Baghdad broke down over keeping US troops in Iraq, but the extent of the Pentagon moves is only now becoming clear. Actually, it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." General James Mattis, February 3, 2005. The fact that a psychotic moron like James Mattis is now chief of the US military's Central Command is a depressing indication that Washington prefers smart-ass murderous dum-dums to intelligent life. Someone who finds it fun to kill people because they "aint got no manhood" is seriously disturbed, and should not be in command of a pretzel stand. The appalling Mattis, that piece of perambulating filth, whose official photograph bear an uncanny, terrible and probably intentional resemblance to that of the disloyal, dishonorable and disastrous General Douglas MacArthur, is quite simply brainless beyond belief. 

James Kilner: US sends Non-lethal Military Supplies to Uzbekistan

The United States has quietly agreed to start giving Uzbekistan non-lethal military aid despite concerns over its human rights record: Over the past year, the US has courted the former Soviet states of Central Asia as it bolsters its supply line to its forces fighting in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, once considered a pariah state for allegedly shooting demonstrators and torturing prisoners, and is now an important ally. Now, after months of wrangling, news agencies have reported that Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, signed a waiver on Jan 18 to allow the US to send non-lethal aid to Uzbekistan once again. "This will enhance the Uzbek's ability to counteract transnational terrorism," the AFP news agency quoted US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland as saying last week. "It's defensive in nature, and it's also supportive of their ability to secure the routes in and out of Afghanistan." Military aid to Uzbekistan had been suspended in 2003 on human rights concerns. The new waiver lasts until September 2013, and will be reviewed every six months. The deal is important to Uzbekistan and its leader, President Islam Karimov, because by sending military aid to the former Soviet state, US President Barack Obama and his administration are acknowledging that the human rights situation in the country has improved. Human rights groups, though, disagree: Under a website post last month, entitled "Uzbekistan blackmails the West into silence" Human Rights Watch said that far from improving, human rights in Uzbekistan were as bad as ever: "In prisons and police centers across the country, detainees are tortured with electric shocks, strangulation, sexual abuse and severe beatings," Human Rights Watch said.

Dana Gabriel: Towards a North American Combined Military Force

The US and Canada recently signed several bilateral agreements that will further strengthen continental security and defense cooperation. Deeper military integration between both countries is part of efforts to establish a North American security perimeter and better address common global threats. Following the recent Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD) meeting which took place in Ottawa, the Commander of Canada Command, Lt.-Gen Walter Seimaniw and the Commander of North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) and the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Gen. Charles Jacoby, Jr. signed three military documents. The first was the Combined Defense Plan which a back grounder described as a "planning framework between Canada Command, its counterpart USNORTHCOM, and NORAD for enhanced defense cooperation between Canada and the US, should governments require each other's assistance. The second is the Information Sharing Memorandum of Understanding, "an arrangement between Canada Command, its counterpart USNORTHCOM and NORAD to identify and provide for ease of sharing information information amongst the three organizations." The Civil Assistance Plan, which was originally signed in 2008, and allows the armed forces of one nation to support the other during an emergency was also renewed for two years.    

theguardian: Libyans Storm Transitional Government!u

Hundreds of angry protesters have stormed the Libyan transitional government's headquarters in the eastern city of Benghazi, carting off computers, chairs, and desks while the country's interim leader was holed up in the building. Libyans have grown increasingly frustrated with the pace and direction of reforms in the country more than three months after the end of the civil war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. Those concerns spurred residents in Benghazi, where the uprising broke out in February, to begin protests nearly two weeks ago to demand transparency and justice from the country's new leaders. The melee at the National Transitional Council's headquarters began after protesters broke through the gates using hand grenades and streamed into the grounds of the headquarters. They banged on the building's doors and demanded officials meet with them. In a bid to calm tensions, NTC chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil tried to address the crowd from a second-floor window, but protesters began throwing bottles at him. Protesters then torched Abdul-Jalil's armored land cruiser and broke into the headquarters itself, smashing windows to get inside and cart off furniture and electronics.  

Chris Kahn: Gas and Other Fuels top US Export!

For the first time, the top export of the United States, the world's biggest gas guzzler is fuel. Measured in dollars, the nation is on pace this year to ship more gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel than any other single export, according to US Census data going back to 1990. It will also be the first year in more than 60 that America has been a net exporter of these fuels. Just how big a shift is this? A decade ago, fuel wasn't even among the top 25 exports, and for the last five years, America's top export was aircraft. The tend is significant because for decades the US has relied on huge imports of fuel from Europe in order to meet demand. It only reinforced the image of America as an energy hog, and up until a few years ago, whenever gasoline prices climbed, there were complaints in Congress that US refiners were not growing quickly enough to satisfy domestic demand. That controversy would appear to be over. Still, the US is nowhere close to energy independence. America is still the world's largest importer of crude oil. From January to October, the country imported 2.7 billion barrels of oil worth roughly $280 billion. Fuel exports, worth an estimated $88 billion in 2011, have surged for two reasons: Crude oil, the raw material from which gasoline and other refined products are made, is a lot more expensive. Oil prices averaged $95 a barrel in 2011, while gasoline averaged $3.52 a gallon. The volume of fuel exports is rising. The US is using less fuel because of a weak economy and more efficient cars and trucks.

Debka File: Americans Prepare Own Offensive!

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has been outspoken about a possible Israeli offensive against Iran taking place as of April, and one American TV channel theorized simplistically about Israel's tactics. At the same time, no US source is leveling on the far more extensive American, Saudi, British, French and Gulf states' preparations going forward for an offensive against the Islamic Republic. Tehran too is gearing up for conflict: The Iranian Guards Ground Forces chief Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour announced the start of a three-week exercise in southern Iran and the Strait of Hormuz under conditions of war. The "exercise" is in fact an Iranian military buildup ahead of a possible American or Israeli attack. Their military sources report a steady flow of many thousands of US troops for some weeks to two strategic islands within reach of Iran, Oman's Masirah just south of the Strait of Hormuz and Socotra, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. This concentration was held by the White House as sufficiently urgent to relent on its refusal to admit the ousted Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Salah to America to America for medical treatment. He won permission in exchange for his consent to the Socotra military buildup. There are now two potential triggers for the Middle East confrontation with Iran. They are closely related: The urgent need for action this year to preempt Iran's nuclear bomb before it is too late.

Robert Scheer: Obama's Faux Populism Sounds Like Bill Clinton

I'll admit it: Listening to Barack Obama, I am ready to enlist in his campaign against the feed-the-rich Republicans, until I recall that I once responded in the same way to Bill Clinton's faux populism, and then I angry because betrayal by the "good guys" for whom I have voted has become the norm. Yes,, betrayal, because if Obama meant what he said in his recent State of the Union address about holding the financial institutions responsible for its scams. Why did he hire Timothy Geithner, who has turned the Treasury Department into a concierge service for Wall Street tycoons? Why hasn't he pushed for restoration of the Glass-Steagall Act, which Clinton's deregulation reversed? Does the president really believe that the Dodd-Frank slap-on-the-wrist sellout represents "new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like this never happens again"? Can he name one single too-big-too-fail banking monstrosity that has been reduced in size on his watch, instead of encouraged to grow ever larger by Treasury and Fed bailouts and interest-free money? When Obama declared "no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas," wasn't he aware that Jeffrey Immelt, the man he appointed to head his jobs council, is the most egregious offender? Immelt, the CEO of GE, heads a company with most of its workers employed in foreign countries, a corporation that makes 82 percent of its profits abroad, and has paid no US taxes in the past three years.   

Nathan: Bankrupt America Ruled by Legal Scam!

IRS Whistle Blower Sherry Jackson confirmed the finding that income tax is voluntary. The IRS is a private corporation, and US Citizens are literally classified as Enemy Aliens by this corporation. Standing against the legal system is the lawful thing to do, and participating makes you an accomplice to fraud and racketeering. The IRS Whistle Blower has courageously stood her ground against the tyranny and corruption that has spread like cancer through the body of this country. She was a fraud investigator for the IRS for over 20 years, and finally stumbled on one of the biggest frauds in history: Income Tax is voluntary. Also, the IRS is a private corporation and a branch of the International Monetary Fund. One more thing that was not mentioned is that 14th Amendment, Citizens or US Citizens are literally classified as Enemy Aliens to the corporation. They claim a government title, but in reality are nothing more than a De Facto corporation, and use force and fear to enforce their law. Traitors in this corporation helped the central banks fraudulently declare our "De Jure" government capable of collecting our country's income tax. In reality, standing against the legal system is the lawful thing to do, and participating makes us an accomplice to fraud and racketeering: See the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871, Federal Reserve Act of 1913, etc. 

Kim Sengupta: West Strikes First at Iran With EU oil Sanctions

Sanctions designed to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table over its nuclear program were imposed by the European Union yesterday alongside alongside a Western display of naval power as a warning to the Tehran regime against seeking military retaliation. The punitive measures were, as expected, aimed at severely damaging the country's oil exports, with a ban on import by EU countries. Restrictions would also be brought against key financial institutions, including Iran's central bank, in a move to tighten the commercial noose further. The EU's announcement, described by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as "the heaviest economic onslaught on a nation in history", came within hours of an American, British and French flotilla sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, a ital channel for oil shipments that Tehran had threatened to blockade if the sanctions were imposed. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, escorted by an American guided-missile cruiser and two destroyers, HMS Albion and a French warship, La Motte-Picquet, passed a few miles off the Iranian coast to emphasise that the strait remains an international waterway, and attempts to shut it down will not be tolerated, Western officials said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had pledged that "not even one drop of oil" would be allowed through Hormuz if the US and Western Europe "carried out the blatant aggression of sanctions". There were no immediate signs of activity by the country's armed forces yesterday in the area, but Mohammed Kossari, the deputy head of parliament's national security committee, with close links to the regime, said: "If America seeks adventures after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will make the world unsafe for Americans in the shortest possible time."   

William W. Beach: Obama's Final SOTU?

The president wants an economy that's built to last, as he said repeatedly in his recent State of the Union speech. However, among the litany of programs he announced, he promised little action on the driver of economic decay: The blooming debt of governments at all levels, but particularly the government that President Obama runs. Total government debt is chewing away at innovation and economic growth by squeezing credit markets for private borrowers. It is spreading fear and uncertainty among investors about this country's future, and it is condemning an entire generation to an economic life well below their potential. This enormous, growing federal debt will have to be repaid across your lifetime. Higher taxes will almost certainly be imposed to pay down this debt, thus reducing your income and increasing your cost of living. You are likely to marry later,as you will have trouble saving up to start a family. If you marry later, you are likely to have fewer children, which further hurts the economy by reducing the future labor force. Higher interest rates from higher federal debt will mean that the Debt-Paying Generation will start their home mortgages later in life, which may mean that they will never own a home. A slower economy means not only slower income growth for the Debt-Paying Generation, but also fewer savings for retirement, education, and health care. The real tragedy of the president's litany of economic-policy changes is its failure to address federal debt. Why? Simple: The failure to reduce debt condemns an entire generation to the least prosperous life in US history, relative to the generation that preceded it!

End the Lie: Western Troops, Firepower Moved to Persian Gulf!

According to the report, troops have already arrived just south of the Strait of Hormuz at the Omani island of Masirah, where an American Air Force base is located. This appears to be on top of the 15,000 troops in Kuwait, three carrier strike groups in the region, arming of states surrounding Iran, and more, all of which has been heavily documented on "End the Lie" for some time now. According to Trend, the Huffington Post has also reported that an American base on the British isle of Diego Garcia, located in the Indian Ocean, now has hundreds of "concrete-bombs capable of destroying fortified underground bunkers" which one assumes is referring to the so-called "bunker buster" bombs, or Massive Ordinance Penetrators (MOPs). If true, this would be interesting given that United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta just claimed that the current bombs are not capable of totally destroying Iranian underground facilities. There are also reports of Saudi Arabia moving parts of their ground forces into the Eastern portion of their nation, which is where the main oil production facilities are located. This would be in addition to the new and refurbished jets being brought into Saudi Arabia thanks to the United States. The report from Trend comes on the heels of a report published by Israeli propaganda outfit DEBKA file, which has previously pumped out disinformation which I covered in detail at the time. 

Michael Snyder: The Coming Economic Horror Show!

The people who believe that the US economy is experiencing a permanent recovery and that very bright days are ahead for us should have their heads examined. Unfortunately, what we are going through right now is simply just a period of "hope-timism" between two financial crashes. Things may seem relatively stable right now, but it won't last long. The truth is that the financial crisis of 2008 was just a warm up act for the economic horror show that is coming. Nothing really got fixed after the crash of 2008. We are living in the largest debt bubble in the history of the world, and it has gotten even bigger since then. The "too big to fail" banks are larger now than they have ever been. Americans continue to run up credit card balances like there is no tomorrow. Tens of thousands of manufacturing facilities and millions of jobs continue to leave the country. We continue to consume far more than we produce and we continue to become poorer as a nation. None of the problems that caused the crisis of 2008 have been solved, and we are even weaker financially than we were back then. So why in the world are so many people so optimistic about the economy right now? A simple chart shows the growth of total debt in the United States. During the financial crisis of 2008, there was a little "hiccup", but the truth is that not much deleveraging really took place at all. And since the recession "ended", total credit market debt has gone on to even greater heights. So what does this mean for the future? Well, if a small "hiccup" in the debt bubble caused so much chaos back in 2008, what is going to happen when this debt bubble finally bursts? That is something to think about!  

Reza Kahlili: Iran Warns of Coming Great Event!

Amid crippling sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, Iran is continuing to prepare itself for war against the West, and now is warning of a coming great event: "In light of the realization of the devine promise by almighty God, the Zionists and the Great Satan (America) will soon be defeated," Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, is warning. Khamenei, speaking to hundreds of youths from more than 70 countries attending a world conference on the Arab Spring just days ago, told a cheering crowd in Tehran that "Allah's promises will be delivered and Islam will be victorious." The countries represented included Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Palestine and Tunisia, all of which have been involved in the Arab Spring. In his remarks, Khamenei advised the youths to remain vigilant, stating that the Islamic awakening in the region has delivered several blows to the enemies of Islam and that all Muslims, despite their own historical and social differences, remain united in opposing the "evil hegemony of the Zionists and the Americans." Khamenei than claimed the current century as the century of Islam, and promised that human history is on the verge of a great event, and that soon the world will realize the power of Allah. Many clerics in Iran have stated that Khamenei is the deputy of the last Islamic messiah on earth, and that obedience to him is necessary for the final glorification of Islam.

Stephen Lendma: Israeli Settlements are An Obstacle to Peace!

Netanyahu's Likud Party platform says the following about Palestinian self-determination: Unilaterally establishing a Palestinian state "will constitute a fundamental and substantive violation of the agreements with the State of Israel and substantive violation of the agreements with the State of Israel and the scuttling of the Oslo and Wye accords. The government will adopt immediate stringent measures in the event of such a declaration." In fact, on November 15, 1988, the Palestinian National Council (PNC) proclaimed an independent Palestine. At the time, Washington provisionally recognized its independence. According to UN Charter Article 80(1), it can't reverse its position by voting a Security Council (SC) resolution calling for Palestine's UN admission. Doing so is illegal, subject to further SC action under the Charter's Chapter VI. The SC only recommends admissions. The General Assembly affirms them by a two-thirds majority. An overwhelming majority of states support de jure Palestinian membership. Abbas could have had it last fall by petitioning the General Assembly through the 1950 Uniting for Peace Resolution 377. Not doing so revealed his longtime collaborationist credentials. As a result, the issue remains in limbo. Likud's platform said the following about settlements: "The Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (all Occupied Palestine) are the realization of Zionist values. Settlements of the land is a clear expression of the unassailable right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and constitutes an important asset in the defense of the vital interests of the State of Israel."

Drian Salbuchi: "Engineering War On Iran!"

How do you convince the world that even though you're armed to the teeth and have a bad track record of invading countries, you really have "no choice" but to make a "pre-emptive military strike" against another country you don't like? Question: How do you convince the world that even though you're armed to the teeth and have a bad track record of invading countries you really have "no choice" but make a "pre-emptive military strike" against another country you don't like? This must be the question over which the political, military and psychological warfare planners are wracking their brains out in the key global power elite decision-making centers in New York, London, Tel-Aviv and Washington. No, I'm not referring to the State Department, Pentagon, White House, Congress and their counterparts in Britain and Europe. Those folks just take their orders and execute them. I'm referring to the real decision-makers at Bilderberg, Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations and AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee) meetings. And if the governments don't come to any solution, well then, as Baby Bush used to say,"All options are on the table". At least that's what militant pro-Israeli Zionist Andrew B. Adler, owner and publisher of the "Atlanta Jewish Times" recommends in an article published on page 3 of his newspaper on January 13. Adler wants Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to act now against Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, either severally or jointly, and to: Order a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah and Hamas.
Many years ago, when I served as Intelligence Operations Officer for the 4th US Armored Division in Germany, I intercepted a transmission from the USS Liberty, which was being machine gunned by Israeli Warplanes. At the time, General Sherrer, the commander of our division commented: With friends like Israel, we have no need of enemies! 

Menachem Youlus: Jewish Indiana Jones admits to Torah Fraud

A Jewish charity co-founder who claimed he traveled the world as a "Jewish Indiana Jones" to rescue Torahs pleaded guilty to fraud: Menachem Youlus said he lied when he claimed he had personally obtained vintage Torah scrolls in Europe and Israel for six years. Youlus, the owner of the Jewish Bookstore in Maryland, entered the plea to mail and wire fraud charges in US District Court in Manhattan, entered the plea to mail and wire fraud charges in US District Court in Manhattan. A plea deal with prosecutors called foe him to serve up to five years and three months in prison. "I know what I did was wrong, and I deeply regret my conduct," Youlus, 50, said as he described the lies he told between 2004 and 2010 to obtain funds from his Save a Torah charity and some of its contributors. Prosecutors said he defrauded the charity he founded and its donors out of $862,000. The government said he fabricated detailed accounts of exploits to recover Torahs lost or hidden during the Holocaust, including at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland and the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. During his plea, he said his lies included telling prospective buyers that he had personally retrieved parts of one scroll from a metal box at Auschwitz. Sentencing was set for June 21. A criminal complaint said Youlus had distributed Torahs he bought from US dealers to synagogues and congregations nationwide, sometimes at inflated rates.    

Newsvine: Confirmed oil gushing blown crater was Well No 3!

Why would BP spend more on too millions USD on PR media blitzkrieg to change public perception of the massive oil spill? Remember the famous doctored photos which BP admitted to? What you don't see can be covered up. Perhaps the botched-up "photochop-chop" photos put up by BP was just a test. To see how keen the public eyes were following BP's clean up efforts. It would be hard to believe BP paid professionals for such a shoddy job. We should give BP more credit than that. Let's play dumb and the problems will go away. Many experts in the oil industry were surprised and questioned the rationality of capping the well when the relief wells were so close to achieving their "bottom kill" objectives. They could have installed the TOP CAP much earlier. This means that BP knew if the gushing well was completely shut at the top, the oil and gas would spread beneath the sea floor and gas seeps would start appearing. So the TOP CAP had to be placed just before the relief well was ready for the "magic show".  Hurricane Bonnie spoiled the show and the delay is already showing signs of stress. This could also mean that BP was getting less and less confident that the relief wells would work. The relief wells were held up as the last Trump card. If it fails in full (ROV) view of the concerted public throughout the world, BP shares would drop like a stone. There are good geological reasons why the chances of the relief wells success are less than 30%, but kill a Jew for Christ!   

Stephen Lendman: Promoting War, Spurning Peace

US and Israeli agendas need enemies. Both pursue rogue state policies. They defy international laws and conventions, applying rule of law standards to others, not themselves. Their interests alone matter, no matter the toll on others. When enemies don't exist, they're invented. Fear stirs public "angst". Major media scoundrels spread it. Propaganda substitutes for truth and full disclosure. America's had no enemies since WW II. Israel's had none since the 1973 Yom Kippur war. However, you'd never know it from regular spurious claims. Haaretz writer Amos Harel reported the latest in his February 2 article titled, Some 200,000 missiles aimed consistently at Israel, top IDF officer says, "saying Military Intelligence chief Aviv Kochavi alleged "a more hostile, more Islamic, more sensitive Middle East, one more attuned to public sentiment, less controlled by the regimes, and less susceptible to international influence," despite no evidence whatever proving it. In fact, clear evidence suggests the opposite. Since regional uprisings began a year ago, some names and faces changed, nothing else. Policies remain the same. Regime abuses and indifference to public need continue in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrein, and elsewhere, despite public anger and calls for change. Kochavi stoked fear with lies, alleging 200,000 missiles target Israel. Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas are blamed. Iran's alleged nuclear threat further escalates tensions, despite no evidence one exists. Nonetheless, he said, if Ayatollah Khomenei "issues a command to achieve a first nuclear explosive device, we estimate it would take another year before that's achieved."   

Dr Mohammed Daud Miraki: The Moral Degradation of Western Alliance in Afghanistan

Since the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, the Western Alliance has shown its ugliness through horrendous forms of murders and despicable war crimes, including the use of illegal weapons! However, the true face of of the Western alliance and their moral degradation emerged with the passage of every day, especially when the insurmountable and unreported losses of the US and her allies fail to make it to the official tallies in Afghanistan. The following examples would suffice to establish the true picture of this Western alliance that has not only destroyed Afghanistan but also undermined the humanity of the people of Afghanistan. A few days ago, someone has uploaded video footage of four US Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters. This was no surprise for us, since we have read a lot about the despicable behavior of US troops and her allies in Afghanistan and everywhere. However, one basic and irrefutable factor about the US forces could not be overlooked: Their disregard for Human Dignity. In fact, the US forces behaved as usual in the cowardly manner relying on their supersonic bombers and other advanced weapons against poorly equipped adversaries. Taliban fighters are armed with very old Kalashnikovs and Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, but carry with them the true weapon of their defense, their unbroken iron will. This combination has brought 49 countries, including the US and NATO and former members of the Warsaw Pact to their knees. In fact, the US tacitly acknowledged defeat when Hillary Clinton spoke in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in October 2011, and stated that peace would not be possible without Mullah Omar, the same man the US called a "terrorist".  

Ian Traynor: IMF Urges Europe to build bigger Firewall around Italy and Spain!

EU leaders came under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to bolster the firewall around Italy and Spain, as talks between Greece and its creditors remained in deadlock for a third week. The IMF director general, Christine Lagarde, told Brussels to drop its opposition to a bigger insurance fund, with a view to convincing world money markets that Europe has the firepower to protect vulnerable nations. The former French finance minister pointedly gave her warning in Berlin. where Angela Merkel's conservative government has led opposition to providing bigger loans for the EU's bailout fund. Lagarde's speech came as senior Greek officials warned the Euro-zone would "dissolve" if Greece were forced out of the euro after being offered what he described as non-negotiable bur unaffordable rates of interest with its creditors. Gikas Hardouvelis, who heads the economics team advising prime minister Lucas Papademos, said the EU would be abdicating its responsibility if it allowed banks, insurers and hedge funds to offset a 50% write-down of the country's debts by charging interest rates of around 4%. He said that enforcing such rates would be the same as kicking Greece out of the euro, in a speech adding to tension in Brussels. The gloom surrounding Greece's chances of charting a route to sustainable debt levels overshadowed attempts to agree the details of the permanent euro bailout fund and its complement, a "fiscal compact" intended to entrench German-style fiscal rigor across the eurozone.

Israeli Iron Dome Threatens North Korea!

"But it's a defensive system! Barak complained: The title of this article may seem wrong at first. After all the RAFAEL developed Iron D defense system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells. Why would the Israeli Iron Dome in South Korea threaten North Kore? It's a defensive system! Through the magic of small-letters manipulation, governments often succeed to sell us a classic example of that. There are two points to pay attention to in the material published weapon. First, it is designed to intercept short-range threats up to 70 kilometers in all weather. Second, as it can be seen, it is a mobile system, similar in size to most artillery corps. This means it can be carried around by the artillery just behind the front line, and neutralize artillery shells fired by the other side. Thus, strictly speaking, this is not a defensive weapon support-weapon, as all artillery is. Thus, I apologize to Ehud Barak and his friends if they read this article, however, reality is that the acquisition of Iron Dome by South Korea could have implications towards North Korea. Against all odds, the two articles I published in the past about Iron Dome (Three Layered RAFAEL and Anti-Missiles Technology and IDF = Singapore's Defense Forces) continued getting mail from readers months after their publication. "That was because I dared to oppose this defensive system designed to protect Sderot's denizens). Since this is relevant to this article, please let me present a short summary." The Iron Dome is not a good solution to to the Qassam rockets. 

Peter Jenkins: The Deal the West could strike with Iran

The Iranian nuclear controversy is reaching a critical juncture. Yesterday, the EU agreed on an oil embargo as part of sanctions against the country. On Sunday, Britain, America and France sent warships through the Strait of Hormuz. Recent months have seen a big rise in the twin risks of military action and grave damage to the world economy. This is the consequence of what I believe to be a great diplomatic over-bid: the West's demand that Iran surrender its capacity to enrich uranium. Nine years have passed since I first talked to Iranian diplomats about their nuclear program. Then, I was Britain's representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and I disbelieved the reassuring words of my Iranian interlocutors about their commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). At the time, I was all for denying Iran any capacity relevant to making nuclear weapons. Now, however, I see things differently: The NPT prohibits the manufacture or acquisition of nuclear weapons, but it permits the uranium enrichment that has been at the heart of the West's quarrel with Iran. I say "the West's quarrel" because more has changed since 2003 than my beliefs. Then, almost all states that make up the membership of the IAEA were angry that Iran had concealed its research into enriching uranium. They backed the West's demand that Iran account for its secret work, and they supported the West's view that Iran must suspend enrichment until that accounting was complete.

Chossudovsky: Text of Leaked Arab League Mission Report!

We bring to the attention of our reader's the Observers Mission Report of the League of Arab States to Syria. The report acknowledges the existence of "an armed entity"involved in the killing of civilians and police as well as the conduct of terrorist acts, which contributed to triggering actions by government forces. The Report refers to "armed opposition groups" as well as to the "Free Syrian Army", both of which, according to the AL Mission, are involved in the deliberate killing of innocent civilians: In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with life and limb. "In Homs, Idlib and Hama,, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include women and children, and the bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed." "Such incidents include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free Syrian Army and by other armed opposition groups." The Mission also underscored the role of media distortion in the coverage of events in Syria, as well as the campaign to discredit the Mission's findings. 

Judge Malihi: Judge Rules Against President Obama

We just spoke with plaintiff Kevin Powell, and he reports Judge Malihi has ruled against the Plaintiffs and stated in his order that Obama was born in Hawaii and therefore Obama is a natural born Citizen. Updates and Judge Malihi's order will be provided shortly. In a 10-page order, Judge Michael Malihi dismissed one challenge that contended Obama has maintained a Hawaiian birth certificate that is a computer-generated forgery, has a fraudulent Social Security number and invalid US identification papers. He also turned back another that claimed the president is not a natural born citizen. Last month, Malihi heard testimony and took evidence in a hearing boycotted by Obama's lawyer. With regard to the challenge that Obama does not have legitimate birth and identification documents, Malihi said he found the testimony presented by lawyers of the so-called "birther"movement and their evidence "to be of little, if any probative value and thus wholly insufficient in support of plaintiff's allegations." A number of witnesses who testified about the alleged fraud were never qualified as experts in birth records, forged documents and document manipulation, Malihi wrote. "None of the testifying witnesses provided persuasive testimony," he wrote. An article II Legal Defense Fund has been established in support to support legal actions to help reinstate a Constitutional Presidency, per Article II, Section 1. These actions may include civil or criminal complaints, lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions, including, but not limited to direct eligibility challenges, indirect suits against third parties, which would seek to clarify eligibility, or prohibit parties from supporting actions that benefit ineligible candidates and/or officials.