Pages

Search This Blog

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Elliott Abrams’ Shell Game on Settlements

Elliott Abrams’ Shell Game on Settlements

by Mitchell Plitnick
The shell game is a tried-and-true method of persuading people to give their money to the person running the game. In political terms, it’s also a reliable method of persuading people to buy into the political stance of the man running the game.
Elliott Abrams is a master of the shell game. He provides what seems like a serious and sober analysis, with just enough cherry-picking of facts and omission of detail to convince you of his point of view. That is a big reason why this man, who is responsible for some of the greatest foreign policy fiascos in American history, continues to be considered a legitimate source for foreign policy analysis.
Perhaps it’s not surprising. Despite the enormous catastrophes brought on by the neoconservative school of thought of which Abrams is a part, the philosophy, such as it is, continues to be an influential voice in the foreign policy debate in the United States. This is, however, even more reason to look at an apparent change of course from Abrams with a skeptical eye.http://www.lobelog.com/elliott-abrams-shell-game-on-settlements/#more-29096

TPP will undercut US national security


April 29, 2015 | http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/240366-tpp-will-undercut-us-national-security

TPP will undercut US national security

By Clyde Prestowitz 
To persuade Congress to give him authority for concluding negotiation of a proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement, President Obama is emphasizing that such an undertaking is essential to national security.
The appeal to patriotism is always powerful, but in this instance it is being used as the last refuge of a weak economic argument.http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/240366-tpp-will-undercut-us-national-security

Report on American Psychological Association’s Role in Bush-Era Interrogation Program

Report on American Psychological Association’s Role in Bush-Era Interrogation Program



http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/01/us/document-report.html?emc=edit_au_20150430&nl=afternoonupdate&nlid=66294475&_r=0

IS U.S. FOREIGN POLICY FOR SALE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER?

April 28 2015

Speaking at the recent White House Correspondents' Association dinner, comedian Cecily
Strong declared that, "Our relationship (with Israel) will be better in the next administration, just as soon as Israel makes a generous donation to the Clinton Foundation."

The impression that U.S. foreign policy is for sale is growing, on a number of fronts.  The Clinton Foundation may be leading the way.  A lengthy account in The New York Times  recently reported that Bill Clinton accompanied a Canadian mining executive, Frank Giustra, to Kazakhstan in 2005, after which Giustra acquired valuable Kazakh uranium assets.  Mr. Giustra donated millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation.  The mining company merged and expanded, and it became known as Uranium One.  It bought uranium exploration properties in the U.S., and ownership was partially sold to a subsidiary of the Russian state atomic energy agency.http://www.commdiginews.com/politics-2/marco-rubio-2016/clinton-adelson-u-s-foreign-policy-for-sale-to-the-highest-bidder-40496/#QOMK4oJBCKQElGmz.03

Dan Simpson: Please, no new wars

Dan Simpson: Please, no new wars

The U.S. military/industrial complex seems to be itching for more action

By Dan Simpson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sniffing the air to see what people are up to, it seems to me that America — at least its armed forces — is looking around the world for a nice war or two to replace the ones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia and Yemen that are unwinnable and that the American people are weary of.http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2015/04/29/Please-no-new-wars/stories/201504250057

Iran Calls for Nuclear Disarmament by US, Israel, World

http://www.juancole.com/2015/04/nuclear-disarmament-israel.html

Iran Calls for Nuclear Disarmament by US, Israel, World

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addresses the 2015 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference, in the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, April 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
At a summit on Monday, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif turned the tables on the countries demanding that Iran keep its nuclear program for solely civilian, electricity generation. Zarif called for all countries to give up nuclear weapons, including Israel and the US. Iran does not have a nuclear bomb and gives no signs of trying to develop one.
The speech is a welcome reminder of how topsy-turvy Washington discourse on Iran is. Iran is viewed suspiciously as going for broke to get an atomic bomb, when there is no evidence for an Iranian nuclear weapons program. That the US has a massive nuclear arsenal is not mentioned. That the only nuclear-armed country in the Middle East is Israel is not mentioned. That George W. Bush was alarmed that an Israeli PM brandished the threat of a nuclear strike against Iraq is not mentioned. That Israel is not inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency but Iran is, is not mentioned. That Western countries have actively connived to give Israel a nuclear weapons capability and to improve it is not mentioned. So US politicians constantly warn that if Iran gets a bomb it will kick of a nuclear arms race in the region, ignoring the fact that Israel has a bomb, which has already driven such a race (it was why Iraq in the 1980s sought bomb-making capabilities).
Zarif spoke on behalf of the Group of the Non-Aligned States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the 2015 NPT Review Conference in New York, saying that the NPT is the essential framework for the whole world and that a complete disarmament should be the end game. http://www.juancole.com/2015/04/nuclear-disarmament-israel.html

NATO Enlargement? The Case of Montenegro

http://europeaninstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2023:nato-enlargement-the-case-of-montenegro&catid=251:ea-april-2015&Itemid=199

NATO Enlargement? The Case of Montenegro
By Robert E. Hunter, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, 1993-98
 
 Should the Republic of Montenegro be invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?  That question has now been posed and the Alliance is expected to answer it sometime later this year.
 
The simple answer is “Why not?” Montenegro is certainly eligible under Article 10 of the 1949 NATO Treaty and it is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe which, since 1996, has defined the group of countries eligible to ask to join NATO. The Alliance is also committed to its so-called “open door” policy, which it regularly reconfirms. And to the extent there are any formal criteria for joining NATO, Montenegro seems to fit the bill. It is a democratic country, it is making economic progress, and it has no territorial claims against neighbors. So, again, the simple answer is “Why not?”http://europeaninstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2023:nato-enlargement-the-case-of-montenegro&catid=251:ea-april-2015&Itemid=199

Obama Threatens China with Nuclear Weapons


Obama Threatens China with Nuclear Weapons

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2015/04/30/obama-threatens-china-with-nuclear-weapo

Salman's Generational Change in Saudi Arabia

Salman's Generational Change in Saudi Arabia

When the late King Abdullah appointed his half-brother, Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, as deputy crown prince last year, he added an unusual rider. The decree stated: "Nobody can change this decision". Well, his successor King Salman just has.
I wrote at the time of the decree: " There is nothing to stop Salman going to the Bay'ah either collectively or individually and reversing the decree in the event of the King's resignation, death or incapacitation." This is what happened in an early dawn decree on Wednesday.
This cabinet reshuffle proves beyond doubt that all power still resides in the king, and that one king can override the legacy of his predecessor. Institutional mechanisms like the Allegiance Council are but straws in the prevailing wind.
Salman has cleared out all but one of the last remaining supporters of the old regime, and completed the succession from one generation to another. Muqrin was not a powerful figure in his own right. He was placed there by Abdullah to keep the seat warm for his son Prince Meteb, who remains head of the National Guard and a minister.
How much longer, we will see. Some sources say that Salman is now seriously considering abolishing the National Guard ministry, which Abdullah latterly established to oversee the National Guard. This would bring it back into the fold of the defence ministry - which of course is headed by Salman's son Mohammed.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-hearst/saudi-arabias-royal-oppor_b_7172222.html

Wall Street Pushes Back on Foreign Bribery Probe


Wall Street Pushes Back on Foreign Bribery Probe

Banks are embroiled in a dispute with the U.S. government over what they term its “aggressive” interpretation of antibribery laws


http://www.wsj.com/articles/wall-street-pushes-back-on-foreign-bribery-probe-1430349863

Economy stalls in the first quarter

Economy stalls in the first quarter


http://econbrowser.com/archives/2015/04/economy-stalls-in-the-first-quarter

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Is Secret, not "Secret"




http://www.cepr.net/blogs/beat-the-press/the-trans-pacific-partnership-is-secret-not-secret

Obama Laments Poverty In Baltimore While Pushing TPP

Obama Laments Poverty In Baltimore While Pushing TPP


http://firedoglake.com/2015/04/29/obama-laments-poverty-in-baltimore-then-pushes-tpp/

TPP: Beware of the Japan Hype

The Globalist

TPP: Beware of the Japan Hype

Just as is the case in the US, there is very strong domestic opposition to TPP in Japan.
By , April 29, 2015

Takeaways

  • Just as is the case in the US, there is very strong domestic opposition to TPP in Japan.
  • Japanese nationalists argue that TPP will make Japan a colony of the United States.
  • Even at a time when the country fears China, Japanese pride is still wounded when it looks at America.
  • Abe’s actual ability to deliver on a deal is very much in doubt.
With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington, expectations are high that the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship will be significantly strengthened.http://www.theglobalist.com/tpp-beware-of-japan-hype-abe/

General outlines threats to critical satellites

General outlines threats to critical satellites
Washington (UPI) Apr 27, 2015 - The U.S. government has several dozen satellites circling the globe. While many bolster scientific research, several are the domain of the U.S. military - powering communication networks and offering reconnaissance information. In an interview broadcast on CBS's "60 Minutes" over the weekend, General John Hyten, the head of Air Force Space Command - the branch of the Air Force taske ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/General_outlines_threats_to_critical_satellites_999.html

Beijing Details Plans for Artificial Islands in South China Sea

Beijing Details Plans for Artificial Islands in South China Sea
Moscow (Sputnik) Apr 30, 2015 - China revealed detailed plans on Thursday for the islands it is creating in the disputed South China Sea, saying that construction will not only bolster military defense, but will also provide civilian services for neighboring countries. Speaking at a news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the building efforts in the Spratly archipelago, one of the largest in ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Beijing_Details_Plans_for_Artificial_Islands_in_South_China_Sea_999.html

Fishwrap: Just 2% of younger Americans trust media to 'do the right thing'


Fishwrap: Just 2% of younger Americans trust media to 'do the right thing'


http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/harvard-media-dead-last-on-trust-list-behind-u.n.-congress-obama/article/2563763

Police Won't Release Details of Freddie Gray's Death to Public

Police Won't Release Details of Freddie Gray's Death to Public  
Police Won't Release Details of Freddie Gray's Death to Public

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Police-Wont-Release-Details-of-Freddie-Grays-Death-to-Public-20150429-0033.html. If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. www.teleSURtv.net/english

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Police-Wont-Release-Details-of-Freddie-Grays-Death-to-Public-20150429-0033.html

Freddie Gray protests sweep US from Baltimore to New York – as it happened


Freddie Gray protests sweep US from Baltimore to New York – as it happened


http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2015/apr/29/freddie-gray-protests-baltimore-new-york-san-diego-boston-live-updates

Protesters Shut Down Roads In Solidarity March With Baltimore;
Over 100 Arrested: A group that supports the protesters in Baltimore gathered in Union Square Wednesday and shut down the outbound Holland Tunnel, the West Side Highway and several other city streets as they marched.

Give 'Em Hell, Bernie:   Information Clearing House - ICH

Give 'Em Hell, Bernie:   Information Clearing House - ICH

Give 'Em Hell, Bernie By Matt Taibbi

Give 'Em Hell, Bernie

By Matt Taibbi

He is the rarest of Washington animals, a completely honest person.

10 Shocking Facts About Baltimore By Bill Quigley

10 Shocking Facts About Baltimore

By Bill Quigley

A quarter of the city's inhabitants live in abject poverty.

Inglorious Goobers Progressives Line Up to Defend Corrupt Clintons By Chris Floyd

Inglorious Goobers
Progressives Line Up to Defend Corrupt Clintons

By Chris Floyd

As with Obama, there seems to be no crime or morally corrupt practice they will not countenance if it is committed by the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party.

The Limits of Propaganda By Dmitry Orlov

The Limits of Propaganda

By Dmitry Orlov

This is why the people in Washington are in a bit of a panic, and labeling internal dissidents as a "threat"

The Day After Damascus Falls By Robert Parry

The Day After Damascus Falls

By Robert Parry

The Saudi-Israeli alliance has gone on the offensive, ramping up a "regime change" war in Syria and, in effect, promoting a military victory for Al-Qaeda or its spinoff, the Islamic State. But the consequences of that victory could toll the final bell for the American Republic.

Immigration Drives a Deeper Wedge Between EU States


Immigration Drives a Deeper Wedge Between EU States

https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/immigration-drives-deeper-wedge-between-eu-states?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_campaign=20150430&mc_cid=ac22e78dcf&mc_eid=52511177bc

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Wishful-Thinking Foreign Policy

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7167346

  Senior Analyst, Wikistrat

Wishful-Thinking Foreign Policy

Posted: 04/29/2015
While Realpolitik arguments, in particular the argument for the need to co-opt Iran into a stable balance-of-power system in the Middle East, have been central to President Barack Obama's diplomatic opening to Tehran, he has also integrated an element of idealism into his approach, proposing that American "engagement" with Iran would bring about political and economic changes in that country.
"I think the election of [President Hassan] Rouhani indicated that there was an appetite among the Iranian people for a rejoining with the international community, an emphasis on the economics and the desire to link up with a global economy," suggested Obama in an interview with The New York Times' Tom Friedman. "And so what we've seen over the last several years, I think, is the opportunity for those forces within Iran that want to break out of the rigid framework that they have been in for a long time to move in a different direction," stated the president, predicting that a nuclear deal with Iran would strengthen "those forces inside of Iran that say, 'We don't need to view ourselves entirely through the lens of our war machine. Let's excel in science and technology and job creation and developing our people.'" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leon-t-hadar/wishful-thinking-foreign_b_7167346.html

TEPCO to begin creating ice wall

TEPCO to begin creating ice wall


http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150428_44.html

No clear answers on same-sex marriage: In Plain English


No clear answers on same-sex marriage: In Plain English

http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/04/no-clear-answers-on-same-sex-marriage-in-plain-english/ 

Wolf Richter: Manufacturing Falls Apart in the Middle of the US

Wolf Richter: Manufacturing Falls Apart in the Middle of the US


http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/04/wolf-richter-manufacturing-falls-apart-middle-us.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

A Nuke Deal Too Big to Fail


A Nuke Deal Too Big to Fail

Five reasons a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program is coming soon -- whether you like it or not.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/22/a-nuke-deal-too-big-to-fail-iran-negotiations/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Flashpoints&utm_campaign=BS%204%2F28%202014_FlashPoints%20[Manual]

The Middle East’s Pivot to Asia


The Middle East’s Pivot to Asia

Allies and adversaries alike are “strategically rebalancing” away from the United States and toward China
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/24/the-middle-easts-pivot-to-asia-china/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Flashpoints&utm_campaign=BS%204%2F28%202014_FlashPoints%20[Manual]

White House to U.N.: First Iran, Then Mideast Peace

White House to U.N.: First Iran, Then Mideast Peace

Wary of alienating Congress while Iran nuclear talks advance, the Obama administration is putting the brakes on a new U.N. Security Council push for an Israel-Palestine resolution.
The United States has been privately leaning on France and other allies to hold off on pushing a measure at the U.N. Security Council that is designed to force movement on the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process at least until negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have concluded, diplomats told Foreign Policy.
The American pitch for a delay, which has not previously been reported, comes just weeks after French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced that he would push in a matter of “weeks” for a new U.N. “parameters” resolution that would set a fixed timetable for negotiating a political settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/28/whunited-nations-un-iran-mideast-peace-israel-palestine-kerry-france-fabius-netanyahu/

How China Uses its Cyber Power for Internal Security | The Diplomat

How China Uses its Cyber Power for Internal Security | The Diplomat This is the first in a series of 5 articles discussing IT as a means to solidify Communist Party rule in the country.http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/how-china-uses-its-cyber-power-for-internal-security/?mc_cid=ddfe6e802a&mc_eid=5935182a65

What Did the 26th ASEAN Summit Achieve? | The Diplomat

 What Did the 26th ASEAN Summit Achieve? | The Diplomat As expected, the South China Sea question received significant attention but saw little progress. The media did release parts of a draft ASEAN statement where the group did share concerns expressed by some states on China’s extensive land reclamation activities in the South China Sea, which it said threatened peace, security and stability. And Najib also repeated the call for an “expeditious resolution” of a code of conduct while stressing that ASEAN would engage China in a “constructive way. But beyond these steps, little progress looks likely at this stage, which is not surprising considering ASEAN’s lowest common denominator position on the issue, China’s continued stonewalling on a code of conduct, and the balance Malaysia tends to strike in its own policyhttp://thediplomat.com/2015/04/what-did-the-26th-asean-summit-achieve/?mc_cid=ddfe6e802a&mc_eid=5935182a65

China Voice: Do not let ASEAN be taken hostage - Xinhua By playing the Sinophobia card, the Philippines has made a miscalculation. Anyone can see, China is a staunch force upholding peace and stability. Aside from those who see no reason in siding with a troublemaker, some countries that have disputes with China have chosen to focus on cooperation, as seen in Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong's fruitful visit to China in early April. Moreover, China has already shown its generosity, promising not to leave the Philippines out of the 21st Maritime Silk Road as some feared would happen. The Philippines will not change China's foreign policy, nor will it be able to let China sacrifice core interests. But it should not take ASEAN hostage. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-04/28/c_134192329.htm?mc_cid=ddfe6e802a&mc_eid=5935182a65

China 'extremely concerned' by ASEAN statement on disputed sea - Yahoo News Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that China was "extremely concerned" that the closing statement addressed the South China Sea issue, which he said was not a problem between China and ASEAN. "On this issue China has exercised extreme restraint," he said, repeating that China believed the dispute should be resolved via direct talks between the claimants. There were no problems with freedom of navigation in the waters, Hong told a daily news briefing.  http://news.yahoo.com/china-extremely-concerned-asean-statement-disputed-sea-092225898.html?mc_cid=ddfe6e802a&mc_eid=5935182a65

Xi’s Star Turn in Indonesia Rings a Bell - WSJ Even though Mr. Xi managed a smile and a handshake with Mr. Abe, those were not the sentiments that he wanted to hear at his moment of triumph in Bandung. From the vantage point of Beijing’s leaders, diplomatic problems with Japan as well as Southeast Asian allies of America stem from the role they play in a U.S. Cold War policy of “containment” aimed at blocking China’s rise. Indeed, the original Bandung Conference took place just as the Cold War was ramping up. But then, as now, no one does a better job of containing China than China itself: Its aggressive moves have served to strengthen the U.S. alliance structure in Asia.http://www.wsj.com/articles/xis-star-turn-in-indonesia-rings-a-bell-1430201915?mc_cid=ddfe6e802a&mc_eid=5935182a65

Why Did We Invade Iraq?

Why Did We Invade Iraq?

by Charles Davis 
I was 18 years old and as dumb as an 18-year-old, and even I knew we were invading Iraq for no good reason and that thousands of good people were going to die awful deaths because of it. The 2003 war to end all Gulf wars was sold as a mission to disarm a madman with weapons of mass destruction. But despite the revisionists who claim that everybody thought at the time that this crime was called for, it was clear from the start—from the weapons inspectors on the ground inspecting and not finding a damn thing—that the stated reasons for going to war were as flimsy as the case for invading Vietnam and as fabricated as the non-incident in the Gulf of Tonkin. So why did a couple hundred thousand people have to die?
That’s one of the other things that was glaringly obvious to dumb kids like me but not, it seemed, the neoconservatives in the Bush administration or their liberal enablers in the press. This war in Iraq was sold as a war on a bad man and a few of his bad friends, who nobody outside the Ba’ath Party would much miss. But if the history of wars has taught us anything it’s that wars against cabals are in fact wars against entire countries. The elites are always the last to suffer. No matter how precise the bomb, that precision isn’t worth much if one’s intelligence is bad or one’s concern for civilian “collateral damage” utterly lacking. And so it was that, according to Human Rights Watch, “Of the fifty aerial strikes against Iraqi leaders, not one resulted in the death of the intended target.” A strike at the start of the war that the US was “confident” had killed Saddam Hussein “missed its target and hit nearby homes, killing at least eight people,” The Telegraph reported.http://www.lobelog.com/why-did-we-invade-iraq/#more-29049

Overstretching the Specter of Iranian Imperialism

http://www.lobelog.com/overstretching-the-specter-of-iranian-imperialism/#more-29058

Overstretching the Specter of Iranian Imperialism

by Paul R. Pillar
Opponents of the nuclear agreement (really, of any agreement) with Iran continue, in an effort to divert attention from the relative advantages of having versus not having negotiated restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program, to present an image of Iran as a ruthless and relentless imperialist intent on gaining control of the entire Middle East. Iran is repeatedly portrayed as being “on the march” toward regional domination or as “gobbling up” other countries. It never gets explained how this picture, even if it were true, would constitute a reason not to complete a nuclear agreement to ensure that this supposedly relentless imperialist power never gets the most powerful weapon mankind has ever invented. But logic is not what is being exercised here; instead it is more of an emotion-based effort to foster distaste for doing any business with such an ogre-like regime.
An additional twist to this line of anti-agreement agitation is found in an opinion piece by Soner Cagaptay, James Jeffrey, and Mehdi Khalaji, all of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The WINEP authors state that Iran is “a revolutionary power with hegemonic aspirations” and liken it to “hegemonic powers in the past”: Russia, France, Germany, Japan, and Britain—powers that “pushed the world into war” in 1914 and 1939.http://www.lobelog.com/overstretching-the-specter-of-iranian-imperialism/#more-29058

One rocket from Gaza outweighs 6 Israeli incursions and 67 attacks

One rocket from Gaza outweighs 6 Israeli incursions and 67 attacks

Middle East Monitor's record of attacks on Gaza during first three months of year
Middle East Monitor's record of attacks on Gaza during first three months of year

Over the weekend, Yousef Munayyer of the US Campaign to End the Occupation seized on the news that a rocket had been fired on Israel from Gaza. He tweeted:
There are reports of the first projectile fired from Gaza into Israel in months. No one reports on near daily Israeli violations in Gaza.
Later he tweeted that it was the first projectile reportedly fired from Gaza to Israel since December 2014. “Here‘s what Israel fired at Gaza since then.” The list of all the Israeli attacks is at the bottom of this post, and was compiled by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Unending War on Terror

Unending War on Terror
Millions dead costing trillions of dollars

By • April 28, 2015 • http://www.unz.com/article/unending-war-on-terror/
The admission by the White House that two western hostages were killed by an errant drone strike in Pakistan serves as only an ugly little footnote to what has been nearly fifteen years of undeclared war waged by Washington against a large part of the world. The New York Times notes that “…most individuals killed [by drones] are not on a kill list, and the government does not know their names,” adding that “the proliferating mistakes have given drones a sinister reputation in Pakistan and Yemen and have provoked a powerful anti-American backlash in the Muslim world.”
The most recent ex-judicial killings come on the heels of a report by the highly respected Nobel prize winning Physicians for Social Responsibility that reveals that more than 1.3 million people were killed during the first ten years post 9/11 as part of the so-called “global war on terror” (GWOT) in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan alone. The GWOT has been euphemized by the current Administration as “overseas contingency operations,” which has a nicer sound and does not appear to be so preemptive or premeditated. The relabeling also suggests that the process is both responsive and occasional, which it is not as it has been the driving component of American foreign policy since 2001 until the present day. http://www.unz.com/article/unending-war-on-terror/

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

A Return to the Peace Party

A Return to the Peace Party

Republicans once stood for peace through strength, not endless war.



http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/a-return-to-the-peace-party/

Rise of the New Black Radicals By Chris Hedges

Rise of the New Black Radicals

By Chris Hedges

A new generation of young black radicals is opting for revolution-a generation that sees through the facade of the corporate state and has rejected as sellouts Obama, Sharpton, Jackson, Dyson and others among the African-American political elite.

Germany = Geoeconomics, US = Geopolitics

The Globalist

Germany = Geoeconomics, US = Geopolitics

Mercury or Mars? What separates Germany and the United States.
By , April 27, 2015 | http://www.theglobalist.com/what-separates-germany-and-the-united-states/

Takeaways


  • Germany is Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, and the US, Mars, the god of war.
  • Germany has emerged over the past decade as the big winner in the West from globalization.
  • The US has developed a national security state which is as imposing as the German commercial one.
  • The US has to realize that it is neglecting geo-economics in favor of its military power at the cost of influence.http://www.theglobalist.com/what-separates-germany-and-the-united-states/

The Dying Sea What will California sacrifice to survive the drought?

The Dying Sea

What will California sacrifice to survive the drought?

By



http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/04/the-dying-sea?mbid=nl_042815_Daily&CNDID=20985530&mbid=nl_042815_Daily&CNDID=20985530&spMailingID=7699837&spUserID=Nzk3OTExODQwMDIS1&spJobID=662735329&spReportId=NjYyNzM1MzI5S0

Baltimore and the State of American Cities By Jelani Cobb


Baltimore and the State of American Cities

By


http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/baltimore-and-the-state-of-american-cities?mbid=nl_042815_Daily&CNDID=20985530&mbid=nl_042815_Daily&CNDID=20985530&spMailingID=7699837&spUserID=Nzk3OTExODQwMDIS1&spJobID=662735329&spReportId=NjYyNzM1MzI5S0

"Fast Track" Flouts the Constitution


"Fast Track" Flouts the Constitution


http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/30462-fast-track-flouts-the-constitution

Democrats’ free trade war is getting ugly, and Obama is bending the truth

The president’s pushback implies Elizabeth Warren and TPP critics are either lying or stupid. They’re neither



http://www.salon.com/2015/04/27/democrats%E2%80%99_free_trade_war_is_getting_ugly_and_obama_is_bending_the_truth/

Decline in Science Spending Threatens Economy, Security: MIT - NBC News.com

Decline in Science Spending Threatens Economy, Security: MIT - NBC News.com

The More They Change, the More They Stay the Same The New Hillary


The More They Change, the More They Stay the Same

The New Hillary




http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/04/24/the-new-hillary/

Decline in Science Spending Threatens Economy, Security: MIT

 

Decline in Science Spending Threatens Economy, Security: MIT

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/decline-science-spending-threatens-economy-security-mit-n348976

Pope Francis Steps Up Campaign on Climate Change, to Conservatives’ Alarm

Pope Francis Steps Up Campaign on Climate Change, to Conservatives’ Alarm


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/world/europe/pope-francis-steps-up-campaign-on-climate-change-to-conservatives-alarm.html

The 23 Count Indictment of the TPP

The 23 Count Indictment of the TPP


http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/04/23-count-indictment-tpp.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

Iran leads calls for Israel to give up nuclear weapons

Iran leads calls for Israel to give up nuclear weapons
United Nations, United States (AFP) Apr 27, 2015 - Iran on Monday led calls by non-aligned nations for Israel to give up its nuclear weapons as a major conference got underway on advancing prospects for a nuclear-free world. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addressed the conference on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the landmark nuclear deal reached this mo ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_leads_calls_for_Israel_to_give_up_nuclear_weapons_999.html

China's satellite navigation system to expand coverage globally by 2020


China's satellite navigation system to expand coverage globally by 2020
Beijing (XNA) Apr 27, 2015 - The Beidou satellite navigation system will be fully operational worldwide by 2020, said Li Jian, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Thursday. Li was speaking at an international forum on aviation security in Beijing. The system has been successfully tested in the general aviation sector, which includes all civil aviation operations other than sch ... morehttp://www.gpsdaily.com/reports/Chinas_satellite_navigation_system_to_expand_coverage_globally_by_2020_999.html

Xinhua Insight: How China joins space club?

Xinhua Insight: How China joins space club?
Beijing (XNA) Apr 24, 2015 - Yu Jun aimed his telescope at a bright star in the night sky. A moment later, a dim light passed across it, along the very path foreign astronomy websites had forecast. "Dongfanghong-1," Yu Jun noted in his observer diary. "I can hardly believe that several decades after its launch, China's first satellite can still be seen. It's amazing," he exclaims. The launch of Dongfanghong-1 on April ... morehttp://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Xinhua_Insight_How_China_joins_space_club_999.html

The Kingpin Strategy Assassination as Policy in Washington and How It Failed, 1990-2015

The Kingpin Strategy
Assassination as Policy in Washington and How It Failed, 1990-2015
By Andrew Cockburn
As the war on terror nears its 14th anniversary -- a war we seem to be losing, given jihadist advances in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen -- the U.S. sticks stolidly to its strategy of “high-value targeting,” our preferred euphemism for assassination. Secretary of State John Kerry has proudly cited the elimination of “fifty percent” of the Islamic State’s “top commanders” as a recent indication of progress. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi himself, “Caliph” of the Islamic State, was reportedly seriously wounded in a March airstrike and thereby removed from day-to-day control of the organization. In January, as the White House belatedly admitted, a strike targeting al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan also managed to kill an American, Warren Weinstein, and his fellow hostage, Giovanni Lo Porto.
Click here to read more of this dispatch.http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175988/tomgram%3A_andrew_cockburn%2C_how_assassination_sold_drugs_and_promoted_terrorism/#more

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s live radio interview with Sputnik, Ekho Moskvy and Govorit Moskva, Moscow, April 22, 2015

Covers Ukraine, U.S. elections, terrorism, Yemen, China, relations with NATO, Siberia's future, emigration, American parochialism, Libya, Iran, the UN and international law, and a host of additional issues.  The questions are at least as revealing as the answers.

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION



Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s live radio interview with Sputnik, Ekho Moskvy and Govorit Moskva, Moscow, April 22, 2015

Wars Rarely Advance Freedom: Baltimore Riot Hints that Applies Even to the Civil War

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ivan-eland/wars-rarely-advance-freed_b_7153898.html

Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty, The Independent Institute

Wars Rarely Advance Freedom: Baltimore Riot Hints that Applies Even to the Civil War

Posted: 04/27/2015
The tragic irony of the recent rioting in Baltimore after alleged police brutality on an African American man is that the violence is a legacy of the American Civil War, which had its first violent deaths in the same location 154 years before. Some of the rioting occurred near Camden Yards, which now is a sports complex, but which in 1861 housed one of Baltimore's train stations. Troops from the northeastern states were racing to get to Washington, D.C. to defend the North's capital, which was surrounded by many Southern sympathizing regions, including the city of Baltimore. The troops had to disembark from trains and march across the city to the Camden Yard station to transfer to trains taking them south to Washington. In Baltimore, they met angry southern resistance, which resulted in the first combat deaths of the Civil War.
The Civil War -- still the most deadly war in American history with 850,000 deaths, including civilians, seared already deep regional and racial cleavages in America into the permanent political landscape. Abraham Lincoln, the man who our high school history books tell us held the Union together and freed the slaves, receives adulation from historians and a stone temple today on the National Mall in the capital of the reunited nation. Nowadays, criticizing Lincoln, who has become almost the secular equivalent of Jesus, can raise suspicions that you are a closet racist who likes to manifest it publicly by supporting "Confederate heritage" or waving the Confederate battle flag.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ivan-eland/wars-rarely-advance-freed_b_7153898.html

Global Health Update: NEPAL EARTHQUAKE



** NEPAL EARTHQUAKE
------------------------------
------------------------------
Post-Quake Threats to Health
Saturday's devastating earthquake killed more than 4,000 people and injured thousands, and the death toll could rise to 10,000, The Guardian reports (http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/apr/28/nepal-earthquake-death-toll-climbs-past-4000-with-many-more-missing-rolling-report) .

With survivors facing a host of health threats, NBC reports (http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/nepal-earthquake/orgs-nepal-work-prevent-public-health-crisis-n348811) that Nepalese officials are calling for foreign aid, including supplies and medical teams—doctors, nerve specialists, surgeons and paramedics—along with search and rescue equipment.

Major concerns at this point include the spread of diseases like cholera and dysentery from poor sanitation. WHO is sending medical supplies and health workers into the affected region, deploying more emergency health kits with essential medicines and instruments to cover the needs of 80,000 people for 3 months, in coordination with Nepal’s Health Ministry.

UNICEF reports that as many as 1.5 million people affected by the earthquake are sleeping outside, according to LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/50637-nepal-earthquake-health-concers.html) , which can fuel the spread of diseases, like diarrhea, respiratory diseases, and measles. Another challenge is helping people reliant on medical care like dialysis or daily medications.

Relief teams are working to set up a sanitation system to provide clean water, and UNICEF is working to provide oral rehydration salts, and looking into vaccination needs.

Related: 8 million people may be affected by Nepal earthquake, says U.N. – Thomson Reuters (http://www.trust.org/item/20150427212121-fxwl9/?source=jtOtherNews2)


** SURGERY
------------------------------------------------------------
Assessing Nepal’s Needs
Even before Saturday’s earthquake, Nepal had significant unmet needs for surgery and access to care. In 2014, 10% of the population required surgery and 23% of deaths were potentially avoidable with proper access to surgical care, according to a new study in the British Journal of Surgery.

Nearly 2,700 individuals were surveyed with the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical need (SOSAS) tool, along with a physical examination, in the study led by surgeon Shailvi Gupta, from the University of California San Francisco East Bay.

With the reasonable size of the physician workforce in Nepal, unmet surgical need may be a problem of distribution of resources. The inability to access care reflected a lack of personnel, facilities or equipment and money, the authors write, as well as fear or lack of trust in Nepal’s health system.
British Journal of Surgery (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.9807/full)

China to strengthen oversight of GM crops under development | Reuters

China to strengthen oversight of GM crops under development | Reuters Beijing supports genetically modified organisms (GMO) technology, which it sees as crucial to future food security. But critics have alleged the technology could pose health risks, and while China allows imports of some GMO crops it is yet to permit domestic cultivation of GM food crops. The planned changes to China's safety administration regulation do not alter its GMO policy but will increase the supervision of biotech products under development, said Huang Dafang, professor at the Biotechnology Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/27/us-china-gmo-idUSKBN0NI1B520150427?utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&utm_campaign=c95127a553-Sinocism04_28_154_28_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-c95127a553-29615013&mc_cid=c95127a553&mc_eid=5935182a65

US military equipment banned from export to China being sold on Taobao | South China Morning Post

US military equipment banned from export to China being sold on Taobao | South China Morning Post USTR and/or other US government agencies regret succumbing to Alibaba's sophisticated DC lobbying efforts and removing it from the Notorious Markets list? // Multiple embargoed items, including infrared identification chips used by US military special ops, as well as sniper scopes, infantry accessories and internal training materials, are offered for sale by at least a dozen shops on Taobao, China's largest online shopping site, owned by Nasdaq-listed Alibaba Group. Shop owners seemed to be aware of the items' sensitivity, with many highlighting the embargo restrictions as a selling point...One Chinese computer scientist, speaking anonymously, said the US ban on Intel chips for the construction of super computers in China was a good example of the policy’s “foolishness”. “Search on Taobao for Intel Xeon chips and you will find thousands of shops with attractive prices,” the scientist said.http://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/1778704/us-military-equipment-banned-export-china-being-sold-taobao?utm_source=The%20Sinocism%20China%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=c95127a553-Sinocism04_28_154_28_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-c95127a553-29615013&mc_cid=c95127a553&mc_eid=5935182a65

Nepal Quake Death Toll Could Reach 10,000


Nepal Quake Death Toll Could Reach 10,000
Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said the death toll (Mint) of Saturday's earthquake and its aftershocks could rise to ten thousand, ordering intensified relief efforts and calling for foreign assistance deliveries, including tents and medicine. The current death toll (AP) stands at nearly 4,400 people, and the UN says that 1.4 million people are in need of food assistance.
While Nepal's earthquake was anticipated for years, weak government delayed infrastructure improvements and exposed tragic vulnerabilities, writes CFR's Alyssa Ayres in this blog post.http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2015/04/25/nepal-quake-governance-matters/?cid=nlc-dailybrief-daily_news_brief--link17-20150428&sp_mid=48538869&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2

CFR Daily News Brief: United States, Japan Unveil New Security Guidelines

April 28, 2015
Daily News Brief

Blog Facebook Twitter Linkedin Youtube RSS
TOP OF THE AGENDA
United States, Japan Unveil New Security Guidelines
The United States and Japan announced (WSJ) new guidelines for defense cooperation on Monday, paving the way for Japan's military to play a more active role in security in the Asia-Pacific. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama hold talks (AFP) on Tuesday that are expected to boost the bilateral security alliance and tackle tough negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. On Wednesday, Abe will address a joint session of the U.S. Congress. China and South Korea are expected to closely watch (Guardian) Abe's week-long visit to the United States amid heightened historical tensions and regional maritime disputes. 
ANALYSIS
"The United States already has strong security ties with Japan, but they can and should be stronger still. With the stability of the Asia-Pacific region increasingly under threat, Japan must stand strong with the United States by its side. Tokyo’s decision to adopt collective self-defense is a good-faith effort to do more to support the U.S.-Japan alliance and other responsible stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region," write Congressmen J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) and K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) in the Diplomat.
"[Abe's] determination to confront Japan’s challenges head-on that has won him the plaudits that will be bestowed upon him in Washington this week. But the hardest work still lies ahead. Whether Japan declines, re-emerges as a great power, or ends up somewhere in between will depend not on the words and deeds of its leaders but on the willingness of the Japanese people to face their country’s problems," writes Tobias Harris in Foreign Policy.
"If the United States and Japan lock arms, we can resist China’s bullying and reassert leadership in the Asia-Pacific. In the long term, a successful TPP would be a sign of renewed vigor in our alliance—in which all our allies could take comfort. And in the near term, the clearest sign of a successful state visit would be a firm commitment from Abe to eliminate the farm and auto barriers," writes Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) in the Washington Post

Prelude to a Japanese Revival

Prelude to a Japanese Revival


By John Minnich

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has arrived in Washington, D.C. — the third stop on his maiden voyage to the United States since assuming office in 2012. Over the next two days, he will hold a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama on U.S.-Japanese defense and trade cooperation, attend a state dinner in his honor and address a joint session of the U.S. Congress. In his speech before Congress, Abe will reaffirm Japan's commitment to promoting peace and security in East Asia and extol the virtues of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-country free trade agreement that spans the Pacific Ocean Basin and pointedly excludes China.
 


As always with such occasions, the real work, whether on revising guidelines for U.S.-Japanese defense cooperation or negotiating the finer points of Japan's accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, will take place long before Abe sits down with Obama. In this sense, his visit is largely symbolic. But this does not make it insignificant. The significance of Abe's trip, like that of the work that precedes and surrounds it, rests in what it tells us about Japan's strategy and what that strategy reveals about ...

Read more »https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/prelude-japanese-revival?mc_cid=871da1f651&mc_eid=52511177bc#overlay-context=weekly/prelude-japanese-revival?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Gweekly&utm_campaign=20150428

Monday, April 27, 2015

Supreme Court: Obama Admin Can’t Make Catholic Group Obey Pro-Abortion HHS Mandate

 

Supreme Court: Obama Admin Can’t Make Catholic Group Obey Pro-Abortion HHS Mandate

http://www.lifenews.com/2015/04/27/supreme-court-obama-admin-cant-make-catholic-group-obey-pro-abortion-hhs-mandate/

Spiritual but Not Religious | Word on Fire

Spiritual but Not Religious | Word on Fire
http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/spiritual-but-not-religious/4725/

China is about to become much more important than America for Apple

China is about to become much more important than America for Apple



http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-sales-in-china-overtake-the-us-2015-4?utm_source=alerts&nr_email_referer=1

Congress: There is no legitimate form of Palestinian resistance

http://972mag.com/congress-there-is-no-legitimate-form-of-palestinian-resistance/105978/



By

|Published April 27, 2015

Congress: There is no legitimate form of Palestinian resistance

Congress uses U.S. trade policy to undercut European pressure against Israeli settlements. A new U.S. bill legitimizes Israeli settlements and delegitimizes Palestinian non-violent resistance to the occupation.
The United States Congress is about to pass a law that erases the Green Line and delegitimizes one of the most effective non-violent tools Palestinians have for fighting the 48-year-old Israeli occupation.

Database on the Gaza Conflict, First Quarter of 2015

Database on the Gaza Conflict, First Quarter of 2015



From January 1 through March 31, 2015 not a single rocket was fired at Israel from Gaza.  Yet all was not quiet there, as this very detailed and fully sourced database documents:

Israeli Right renews its fight on funding for human rights orgs

http://972mag.com/israeli-right-renews-its-fight-on-funding-for-human-rights-orgs/105989/

By 

 |Published April 27, 2015 

Israeli Right renews its fight on funding for human rights orgs

Legislative attacks on EU funding of human rights activities could backfire by forcing the Europeans to revisit the basis for its entire economic relationship with Israel — something that not even BDS has succeeded at accomplishing.