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Friday, July 31, 2015

Call to Action: The Iraq Strategy America Really Needs

Call to Action: The Iraq Strategy America Really Needs

"American military operations facilitate securing a stable Iraq, but they can't replace the essential political strategy."
July 26, 2015 | http://nationalinterest.org/feature/call-action-the-iraq-strategy-america-really-needs-13421?page=show

Israel's $100 Million Gamble

Israel's $100 Million Gamble
The Lobby doubles down on its propaganda war
shutterstock_116784241

WPR Articles Monday, July 27, 2015 - Friday, July 31, 2015


WPR Articles Monday, July 27, 2015 - Friday, July 31, 2015

Stock Market Crash Could Derail China’s Financial Reforms for Years

By: Iain Mills | Briefing
Even before China’s stock market collapse, there were signs that aggressive market support was damaging longer-term policy. The crash will have a major impact on financial market reform, as the core premise of the Chinese economy—that the government is always in control—has been rocked to the core.

U.S. Energy Cooperation With Central America Bears Fruit

By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Last week, officials from the United States and Central America met in El Salvador to discuss energy cooperation. In an email interview, Alexis Arthur, an energy policy associate at the Institute of the Americas, discussed U.S. energy cooperation with Central America.

To Boost Trade With Africa, U.S. Should Focus on Governance

By: Alexander Benard | Briefing
The U.S. has lagged behind rivals, notably China, when it comes to commercial engagement with Africa. But meaningful progress will require Washington to go beyond rhetoric and help to enhance governance frameworks that currently prevent U.S. companies from competing effectively in many African countries.

As Talks Progress, Optimism Grows for Elusive Cyprus Peace

By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines
The third round of renewed peace talks in ethnically divided Cyprus was held this week. For the first time since the early 2000s, there seems to be real optimism that the one of the longest-running conflicts in the world could finally be resolved. But is the general public committed to reunification?

Australia Seeks Balancing Act in Asian Trade Diplomacy

By: Stephen Grenville | Briefing
Last month, Australia signed a free trade agreement with China amid ongoing negotiations over two larger trade deals, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Australia is trying to be even-handed in its Asian trade treaties, with politics, as much as economics, involved.

A Managed ‘Frozen Conflict’ Could Be Syria’s Best Hope

By: Richard Gowan | Column
Peace in Syria still seems sadly remote. Yet it is possible the country could stumble into something like a partially frozen conflict. This could create the conditions for an increase in humanitarian aid and, in a best-case scenario, a drive to restart political dialogue and economic activity.

Depleted Capital: The State of European Social Democracy

By: Patrick Diamond | Feature
Over the past decade, social democratic parties across Western Europe have been in retreat, with many commentators insisting they are destined to wane as a political force. This article considers the factors behind social democracy’s slide, with an eye toward some possible ways to stem the left’s demise.

Iran Deal Debate Highlights Think Tanks’ Role in U.S. Policy

By: Ellen Laipson | Trend Lines
Washington is in full gear for an intense 60-day debate over the Iran nuclear deal, and one important feature is the contributions made by diverse civil society organizations. Think tanks in particular are playing a prominent role, whether to amplify, endorse or critique the Obama administration’s position.

Nonproliferation Progress Still Possible Despite Obstacles

By: Richard Weitz | Column
Last week, I discussed why the Iran nuclear deal offers limited lessons for making progress on other regional nonproliferation issues. This week, I thought it would be valuable to assess the obstacles and opportunities that exist for making further global nonproliferation and arms control progress.

Investigation Could End Impunity for Brazil’s Elite Police Unit

By: Christopher Looft | Briefing
The investigation of an elite police unit in Brazil for its alleged role in the disappearance of a Rio de Janeiro man may represent an opportunity to restore the public’s trust in the rule of law and, perhaps, repair the reputation of a controversial program to pacify favelas.

Italy Tries to Make Up for Lost Time in Africa

By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Earlier this month, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was in Kenya to discuss trade ties and pledge support for counterterrorism operations in East Africa. In an email interview, Mattia Toaldo, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, discussed Italy’s outreach to Africa.

Kabuki Theater of Iran Deal Debate Comes With Costs

By: Michael A. Cohen | Column
Over the next few weeks, as Congress prepares to vote on the Iran nuclear deal, the American people are going to be bombarded with arguments both for and against it. But here are the two dirty little secrets about the deal: Congress isn’t going to stop it, and no one in Washington really wants to.

Rivals and Power-Sharing Tensions Hamstring Afghanistan’s Ghani

By: Colin Cookman | Briefing
Dealing with the Taliban insurgency is not the only domestic challenge facing President Ashraf Ghani. The unresolved tensions between the country’s formal and informal political systems mean that there is little consensus over the rules of power sharing, which only adds to continued instability.

Turkey Joins Fight Against Islamic State, but Targets Kurds

By: Frida Ghitis | Column
When Turkey announced it would join the war against the so-called Islamic State, it seemed like a major turning point in the fight against the radical Islamist group. But Ankara’s actions strongly suggest the new policy has more to do with pushing back against Kurdish groups than against IS.

It’s Time to Begin Thinking About the Principles of Cyberwar

By: Steven Metz | Column
Military strategists have long studied the “principles of war.” Yet while these principles apply to conventional warfighting, today the U.S. military is grappling with a new form of conflict: cyberwar. Instead of applying the traditional principles to cyberwar, it’s time to develop new principles.
 

Afghan Buzkashi (FB Ali)


Afghan Buzkashi (FB Ali)

Buzkashi is an ancient Central Asian game in which two teams on horseback seek to drag a goat carcass (often headless) across a field to a marked circle or goal line. A very rough game, it is also played in Afghanistan.
Something like Buzkashi is currently going on in Afghanistan, with not one but several teams pitted against each other. Instead of the carcass of a goat, the teams are fighting over the country, and its future within the broader regional context.http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2015/07/afghan-buzkashi-fb-ali.html#more

Apple no longer dominates the tablet market it created

Apple no longer dominates the tablet market it created 
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#all/14ee55075ef1b92c

Making Dementia Friendly Communities The New Normal

Making Dementia Friendly Communities The New Normal


http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2015/07/31/making-dementia-friendly-communities-the-new-normal/

"Secret" NSA Map Shows Five Years Of Chinese Cyber Attacks

"Secret" NSA Map Shows Five Years Of Chinese Cyber Attacks


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-31/secret-nsa-map-shows-five-years-chinese-cyber-attacks

Medicare: Washington's Next Trillion-Dollar Trainwreck

Medicare: Washington's Next Trillion-Dollar Trainwreck


http://nationalinterest.org/feature/medicare-washingtons-next-trillion-dollar-trainwreck-13441

Migrants Are Drowning as They Flee War and Poverty; Will Europe Continue Its Sea Rescues?

Migrants Are Drowning as They Flee War and Poverty; Will Europe Continue Its Sea Rescues?



http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/32123-migrants-are-drowning-as-they-flee-war-and-poverty-will-europe-continue-its-sea-rescues

California's Drought and the Politics of Inequality

California's Drought and the Politics of Inequality



http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/32143-california-s-drought-and-the-politics-of-inequality

“Yes, We’re Corrupt”: A List of Politicians Admitting That Money Controls Politics

“Yes, We’re Corrupt”: A List of Politicians Admitting That Money Controls Politics


https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/30/politicians-admitting-obvious-fact-money-affects-vote/

EXCLUSIVE: Edward Snowden Explains Why Apple Should Continue To Fight the Government on Encryption

EXCLUSIVE: Edward Snowden Explains Why Apple Should Continue To Fight the Government on Encryption


https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/31/exclusive-edward-snowden-says-obama-administrations-war-encryption-just-doesnt-make-sense/

Legislators Globally Agree: Time to Investigate Planned Parenthood

Legislators Globally Agree: Time to Investigate Planned Parenthood

Videos from investigation having effects in Europe



http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/legislators-globally-agree-time-to-investigate-planned-parenthood

Ukrainian bishop warns of mass starvation, flight of millions

Ukrainian bishop warns of mass starvation, flight of millions


http://ncronline.org/news/global/ukrainian-bishop-warns-mass-starvation-flight-millions

US Bishops Respond to Planned Parenthood Videos

US Bishops Respond to Planned Parenthood Videos

Reach out to those who could be experiencing ‘revived trauma from their own involvement in abortion


http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/us-bishops-respond-to-planned-parenthood-videos

US Bishops, Catholic Charities Leader Call for Minimum Wage That Promotes Family Formation

US Bishops, Catholic Charities Leader Call for Minimum Wage That Promotes Family Formation

Say Congress can promote common good by ensuring fair pay



http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/us-bishops-catholic-charities-leader-call-for-minimum-wage-that-promotes-family-formation

Cardinal Dolan in op-ed criticizes Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric

Cardinal Dolan in op-ed criticizes Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric


http://ncronline.org/blogs/immigration-and-church/cardinal-dolan-op-ed-criticizes-trumps-anti-immigrant-rhetoric

Sad Anniversary for Women Religious Stranded in Kurdistan: ‘We Are Living—But It’s Like Living in a Cage”

Sad Anniversary for Women Religious Stranded in Kurdistan: ‘We Are Living—But It’s Like Living in a Cage”



http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/sad-anniversary-for-women-religious-stranded-in-kurdistan-we-are-living-but-it-s-like-living-in-a

The Bold Witness of St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Bold Witness of St. Ignatius of Loyola


http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/the-bold-witness-of-st-ignatius-of-loyola/2056/

No "Palestinians" Allowed to Enter Israel -- a Palestinian-Americans Encounter with Israel at Ben Gurion Airport

No "Palestinians" Allowed to Enter Israel -- a Palestinian-Americans Encounter with Israel at Ben Gurion Airport


http://mondoweiss.net/2015/07/palestinian-americans-detained

How Pentagon war fund became a budget buster Washington can't resist

How Pentagon war fund became a budget buster Washington can't resist

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/31/us-usa-defense-budget-insight-idUSKCN0Q50CQ20150731

What China has been building in the South China Sea

What China has been building in the South China Sea



http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/30/world/asia/what-china-has-been-building-in-the-south-china-sea.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

New Video Series Contemplates the “Mystery of God”

New Video Series Contemplates the “Mystery of God”


http://www.aleteia.org/en/religion/article/new-video-series-contemplates-the-mystery-of-god-5787592670838784

After Firedoglake

After Firedoglake



http://firedoglake.com/2015/07/30/after-firedoglake/

Bernie Sanders: We Need Medicare for All, Not Cutbacks That Will Kill Our Seniors

Bernie Sanders: We Need Medicare for All, Not Cutbacks That Will Kill Our Seniors

The 50th anniversary of Medicare is a reminder that this program needs to be stronger to meet today's challenges.


http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/bernie-sanders-draws-line-sand-we-need-medicare-all-not-cutbacks-will-kill-our

Malaysia, Vietnam just saying no to parts of TPP

Malaysia, Vietnam just saying no to parts of TPP



http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Malaysia-Vietnam-just-saying-no-to-parts-of-TPP

Secrecy of TPPA documents heads to court

Secrecy of TPPA documents heads to court



http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1507/S00317/secrecy-of-tppa-documents-heads-to-court.htm

Jimmy Carter: The U.S. Is an “Oligarchy With Unlimited Political Bribery”

Jimmy Carter: The U.S. Is an “Oligarchy With Unlimited Political Bribery”

https://twitter.com/the_intercept/status/626899469272018944

The NSA’s 9/11 Cover-Up: General Hayden Told a Lie, and It’s a Whopper

The NSA’s 9/11 Cover-Up: General Hayden Told a Lie, and It’s a Whopper


http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/07/30/the-nsas-911-cover-up-general-hayden-told-a-lie-and-its-a-whopper/

Greece crisis escalates as IMF witholds support for a new bail-out deal

Greece crisis escalates as IMF witholds support for a new bail-out deal

Negotiations are derailed after less than a week as IMF seeks explicit assurances over debt relief from the Europeans



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11773977/Greece-crisis-escalates-as-IMF-witholds-support-for-a-new-bail-out-deal.html

Migrants in Calais Desperately Rush the Channel Tunnel to England, Night After Night

Migrants in Calais Desperately Rush the Channel Tunnel to England, Night After Night


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/31/world/europe/migrants-wait-in-calais-for-a-chance-to-cross-the-channel.html?_r=0

Calais migrant crisis: 'Too many people to count'


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33728525

Catholic Nun Explains Pro-Life In A Way That Will Stun Many (Especially Republican Lawmakers)

Catholic Nun Explains Pro-Life In A Way That Will Stun Many (Especially Republican Lawmakers) 
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/30/1407166/-Catholic-Nun-Explains-Pro-Life-In-A-Way-That-May-Stun-The-Masses

IMF Staff Attempts to Spread Discord Over Greek Bailout to IMF Board

IMF Staff Attempts to Spread Discord Over Greek Bailout to IMF Board



http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/07/imf-staff-attempts-to-spread-discord-over-greek-bailout-to-imf-board.html

Gaius Publius: The Rorschach Candidacy of Hillary Clinton

Gaius Publius: The Rorschach Candidacy of Hillary Clinton



http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/07/gaius-publius-the-rorschach-candidacy-of-hillary-clinton.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

Washington, DC sinking fast, adding to threat of sea-level rise

Washington, DC sinking fast, adding to threat of sea-level rise
Burlington VT (SPX) Jul 30, 2015 - New research confirms that the land under the Chesapeake Bay is sinking rapidly and projects that Washington, D.C., could drop by six or more inches in the next century--adding to the problems of sea-level rise. This falling land will exacerbate the flooding that the nation's capital faces from rising ocean waters due to a warming climate and melting ice sheets--accelerating the threat to the re ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/Washington_DC_sinking_fast_adding_to_threat_of_sea_level_rise_999.html

Palestinian baby burned to death in settler attack

Palestinian baby burned to death in settler attack

Two homes set ablaze in Duma village in occupied West Bank, with graffiti left on the walls reading "revenge" in Hebrew.


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/palestinian-baby-burned-death-extremist-attack-150731035331224.html

Radiation protection vest being investigated for use in space

Radiation protection vest being investigated for use in space
Denver (UPI) Jul 28, 2015 - Radiation shielding technology by StemRad Ltd. is being jointly investigated with Lockheed Martin for possible use to protect astronauts. StemRad's 360 Gamma product is a vest worn by first responders and emergency rescue workers for protection against gamma radiation by providing protection of the wearer's bone marrow stem cells. Lockheed Martin said the collaboration with StemR ... morehttp://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Radiation_protection_vest_being_investigated_for_use_in_space_999.html

Political Tensions Have No Impact on Space Cooperation- Roscosmos

Political Tensions Have No Impact on Space Cooperation- Roscosmos
Moscow (Sputnik) Jul 28, 2015 - A Russian Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft successfully brought Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren to the ISS earlier in Thursday. "Difficult relations between our countries have never had any impact on ties between space agencies or on the cooperative ISS exploitation program," Komarov told journalists after the successful launch. ... morehttp://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Political_Tensions_Have_No_Impact_on_Space_Cooperation__Roscosmos_999.html

Canada to Buy Israeli Iron Dome Technology

Canada to Buy Israeli Iron Dome Technology
Washington DC (Sputnik) Jul 30, 2015 - Canadian Department of National Defense announced that country will acquire radar technology similar to Israel's Iron Dome Air Defense System to be delivered as early as 2017 to boost the country's defense capabilities. Canada will acquire radar technology similar to Israel's Iron Dome Air Defense System to be delivered as early as 2017 to boost the country's defense capabilities, the Cana ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Canada_to_Buy_Israeli_Iron_Dome_Technology_999.html

Letter From the Brussels Bubble

Letter From the Brussels Bubble








Following our series devoted to explaining the foreign and security policy ambitions of the 28 EU member states, this week Strategic Europe focuses on the EU itself. We have asked our contributor to give a candid assessment of the union’s perception of security and strategy, with a ranking on a scale from 0 to 5.
*
It is not often one gets to write this: a triumph for European foreign policy. But the first semester of 2015 ended with just that. It was also a major achievement for female leadership and what the veteran British foreign policy thinker Robert Cooper calls emotional intelligence as applied to diplomacy, perhaps best practiced by women.
Despite some recent successes, the European Union’s foreign policy lacks ambition. What will it take to shake the EU out of its complacency and bickering? The deal reached on July 14 at Vienna’s sumptuous Palais Coburg at worst applies the brakes to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and at best stops Tehran from getting the bomb. The agreement was crafted in large part by a quartet of women, three of them European: Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy coordinator; Catherine Ashton, her predecessor; Helga Schmid, deputy secretary general of the European External Action Service; and Wendy Sherman from the U.S. State Department.
Angela Merkel in Berlin is the go-to person on Ukraine and on Russian President Vladimir Putin. President François Hollande in Paris is increasingly seen these days as a second-tier escort for the German chancellor. Prime Minister David Cameron has steered Britain into a period of introspective insularity and foreign policy withdrawal.
Despite some recent successes, the European Union’s foreign policy lacks ambition. What will it take to shake the EU out of its complacency and bickering? The men are meek. The women are to the fore. It is an unusually auspicious time in Europe for female diplomacy. But can the same be said of EU foreign policy making as a whole? Of course not. Right now, the EU is struggling to muster 2 out of 5 for its foreign and security policy ambitions. Must try harder.
While the EU role on the Iran breakthrough should not be belittled, the agreement is essentially an attempt at U.S.-Iranian rapprochement, with Europe supplying the staffing, the patience, the mediation, and the fancy hotels. Iran represents a rare moment of hope for traditional diplomacy in an otherwise extraordinarily bleak and dystopian vista of fundamental threats and challenges to the European order, to EU values, to the European weltanschauung.
Getting to grips with Europe’s time of troubles is stretching capacities and exposing frailties. Elected authoritarians on Europe’s frontiers no longer play by EU rules or accept Brussels’s modus operandi. Putin in Moscow and President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan in Ankara are big players dancing to a different tune. Then there are their miniclones in the Western Balkans and Hungary, already in or wanting to be in the EU but bridling at the terms of membership and preferring different models.
Mediterranean migration, unrest in Libya and Syria, Islamic State militants, foreign fighters, homegrown jihadism, crisis in Ukraine, conflict with Russia, propaganda wars, trade talks with the United States—seldom has the EU’s foreign and security policy agenda been so crowded and so menacing. Seldom in the post–World War II era has there been such a mismatch between the threats to the European order and the instruments available for dealing with them.
Mogherini does what she can. She is more accomplished at maneuvering inside the Brussels bubble than was her British predecessor, although Ashton was hobbled by being the first post–Lisbon Treaty high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, with the task of creating an EU diplomatic service from scratch. Ashton was also engaged in nonstop trench warfare with the Eurocrats who jealously guard their soft power foreign policy prerogatives through control of the purse strings on aid, trade, and humanitarianism.
#Mogherini can only operate within the limits of the possible. Tweet This
But Mogherini can only operate within the limits of the possible when national interests dictate different outcomes, varying coalitions, and contradictory policies. She has been absent on Putin and Ukraine, where Merkel has done all the diplomatic heavy lifting. Merkel is playing a long game with the Russian president. That looks like the only option when the Kremlin is happy to send young Russian men to die in eastern Ukraine and the Europeans will not shed lives in support of Kiev.
The Ukraine crisis shows the failings of EU soft power when confronted with old-fashioned military bludgeoning. The climax of years of negotiations on a free-trade and political association accord with Kiev was the ostensible reason for Putin’s invasion of eastern Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. The EU was integral to the outbreak of the conflict. It is not often that you see people taking to the barricades behind the blue-and-yellow flags of the EU, but such was the scene on Kiev’s Maidan, or Independence Square, in spring 2014.
There have been significant European successes on Russia, the biggest being the maintenance of unity on economic sanctions despite centrifugal tendencies and Moscow’s astute playing on EU divisions.
But the implications of Putin’s bold gamble are dire for Europe. He has rewritten the international rule book and called several bluffs. As a result, the lumbering bureaucratic machine that is modern-day NATO has acquired a new raison d’être, the same as the old one: facing down Russia.
The #Ukraine crisis shows the failings of #EU soft power. Tweet This
Yet Europe’s security gaps are a scandal. Suddenly, it is again clear that the world’s wealthiest region won’t spend enough on its own defense and that in an emergency, Washington might need to act as Europe’s security guarantor of last resort.
If Putin embodies the old-fashioned problem of brute military force under an authoritarian regime, then Libya and immigration represent the altogether more modern nightmare of state failure, uncontrollable chaos, gangsterism, transnational crime, and terrorism. All on Europe’s doorstep.
EU leaders charged Mogherini with producing a Common Foreign and Security Policy concept for the Mediterranean refugee emergency. Her chief diplomat, Alain Le Roy, came up with a surprisingly robust proposal that envisaged a phased progression to military intervention—involving air, sea, and land assets, including special forces—to disrupt the trafficking and smuggling networks that cross the Mediterranean.
In an attempt to secure international backing for the proposal, the British drafted the words of a resolution at the UN Security Council in New York, where the whole plan was predictably grounded by Russia’s veto threat. The intervention appeared gung-ho, perhaps in the knowledge that it would never obtain a UN mandate. Instead, the EU launched surveillance operations in the Mediterranean, while national leaders at an EU summit in June yelled at one another until 3:30 in the morning over minimal first steps toward a more equitable distribution of the refugee burden.
The nation-states trumped the EU. The main thrust of policy is to close the borders, close one’s eyes, and hope that the problem goes away—the fingers-crossed school of policymaking and diplomacy.
There are very serious senior people in the EU who believe it is simply a matter of time before there is a game-changing act of terrorism in Europe, more like the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States than the January 2015 shooting at the offices of the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Complacency and bickering may have to give way to a rude awakening.
Ian Traynor is the Guardian’s Europe editor.

***

The Week With IPS 7/31

Click here for the online version of this IPS newsletter   

Kenyan Pastoralists Fighting Climate Change Through Food Forests
Robert Kibet
Sipian Lesan bends to attend to the Vangueria infausta or African medlar plant that he planted almost two years ago. He takes great care not to damage the soft, velvety, acorn-shaped buds of this hardy and drought-resistant plant. ”All over here it is dry,” says the 51-year-old Samburu semi-nomadic ... MORE > >

U.N.’s Post-2015 Development Agenda Under Fire
Thalif Deen
The U.N.’s highly ambitious post-2015 development agenda, which is expected to be finalised shortly, has come fire even before it could get off the ground. A global network of civil society organisations (CSOs), under the banner United Nations Major Groups (UNMG), has warned that the agenda, ... MORE > >

Central America Fails to Take Advantage of Energy from Sun, Wind and Earth
Diego Arguedas Ortiz
Central America, a place of abundant wind and sunshine, is still chained to thermal power and large-scale hydroelectricity and has failed to include local communities in clean, environmentally-friendly and less invasive projects. Although the region has been trying for years to increase the ... MORE > >

One Tune, Different Hymns – Tackling Climate Change in South Africa
Munyaradzi Makoni
Anti-nuclear energy activists are up in arms, and have taken to vigils outside South Africa’s parliament in Cape Town to protest against President Jacob Zuma’s push for nuclear development. The protest has been building since September 2014 when Zuma struck a deal with Russia’s Rossatom to build ... MORE > >

Digital Era Here to Stay in Argentina’s Classrooms
Fabiana Frayssinet
The showcases in the Colegio Nacional Rafael Hernández, a public high school in La Plata, Argentina, tell the story of the stern neoclassical building which dates back to 1884. But the classrooms reflect the digital era, thanks to the computers distributed to all public school students as part of a ... MORE > >

Kenya’s Climate Change Bill Aims to Promote Low Carbon Growth
Isaiah Esipisu
Alexander Muyekhi, a construction worker from Ebubayi village in the heart of Vihiga County in Western Kenya, and his school-going children can now enjoy a tiny solar kit supplied by the British-based Azuri Technologies to light their house and play their small FM radio. This has saved the ... MORE > >

Key Constituencies Call for Inclusion in Nepal’s Draft Constitution
Post Bahadur Basnet
Ending a years-long political deadlock, Nepal’s major political parties inked a 16-point agreement last June to pave the way for the Constituent Assembly (CA) to write a new constitution. It marked the first time since the end of the Maoist insurgency and regime change in 2006 that the parties ... MORE > >

Multilingualism Opens Doors to the World
Nora Happel
On Friday, 67 student essay winners from 42 different countries convened at the United Nations General Assembly to present their essays at the Many Languages, One World Global Youth Forum. The students were selected as winners of the Many Languages, One World International Essay Contest among a ... MORE > >

Faith Leaders Issue Global “Call to Conscience” on Climate
A. D. McKenzie
“We received a garden as our home, and we must not turn it into a wilderness for our children.” These words by Cardinal Peter Turkson summed up the appeal launched by dozens of religious leaders and “moral” thinkers at the Summit of Conscience for the Climate, a one-day gathering in Paris ... MORE > >

Opinion: European Federalism and Missed Opportunities
Emma Bonino
"A serious political and social crisis will sweep through the euro countries if they do not decide to strengthen the integration of their economies. The euro zone crisis did not begin with the Greek crisis, but was manifested much earlier, when a monetary union was created without economic and ... MORE > >

Clean Water Another Victim of Syria’s War
Kanya D'Almeida
Caught in the grips of a summer heat-wave, in a season that is seeing record-high temperatures worldwide, residents of the war-torn city of Aleppo in northern Syria are facing off against yet another enemy: thirst. The conflict that began in 2011 as a popular uprising against the reign of Bashar ... MORE > >

Pelosi says Iran deal has the votes, and Podhoretz urges Israel to attack Iran

Pelosi says Iran deal has the votes, and Podhoretz urges Israel to attack Iran

By Philip Weiss

American Jewish organizations are not standing up for Israel out of fear of alienating Obama on the Iran deal, Nancy Pelosi says the deal will pass, and so neocon godfather Norman Podhoretz calls for Israel to attack Iran

Read in browser »http://mondoweiss.net/2015/07/pelosi-podhoretz-israel?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=78d4983541-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-78d4983541-398529985

MSM avoids central Pollard question: Did Israel trade secrets to Soviets for emigres?

MSM avoids central Pollard question: Did Israel trade secrets to Soviets for emigres?

By James North and Philip Weiss

A Ronen Bergman piece on Jonathan Pollard's release in the NYT, and the Times' and Washington Post's news coverage all dodge an issue at the heart of the case: the belief that Israel traded secrets he gave them to the Soviets in exchange for emigres

Read in browser »http://mondoweiss.net/2015/07/pollard-question-soviets?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=78d4983541-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-78d4983541-398529985

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Bread of Life

Bread of Life



http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/bread-of-life/851/

Syria: A Chronology of How the Civil War May End

Syria: A Chronology of How the Civil War May End


https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/syria-chronology-how-civil-war-may-end?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_campaign=20150730&mc_cid=4c351c3f19&mc_eid=52511177bc

Corruption Is a Systems Failure, But Not All Systems Failures Are Corruption | GAB | The Global Anticorruption Blog

Corruption Is a Systems Failure, But Not All Systems Failures Are Corruption | GAB | The Global Anticorruption Blog

UBS Deal Shows Clinton’s Complicated Ties - WSJ

UBS Deal Shows Clinton’s Complicated Ties - WSJ

Hearing Iran Nuclear Agreement | Video | C-SPAN.org

Hearing Iran Nuclear Agreement | Video | C-SPAN.org

Hearing Iran Nuclear Agreement | Video | C-SPAN.org

Hearing Iran Nuclear Agreement | Video | C-SPAN.org

Iran Analysis: France Wants to Do Business With Tehran | EA WorldView

Iran Analysis: France Wants to Do Business With Tehran | EA WorldView

Has Iran cut off Hamas? Is Hamas turning to Saudi Arabia? | Informed Comment

Has Iran cut off Hamas? Is Hamas turning to Saudi Arabia? | Informed Comment

Pando: The War Nerd: Don’t be fooled -- Turkey is attacking the Kurds

Pando: The War Nerd: Don’t be fooled -- Turkey is attacking the Kurds

Amazon details its plan for how drones can fly safely over U.S. skies - The Washington Post

Amazon details its plan for how drones can fly safely over U.S. skies - The Washington Post

Wolf Richter: Housing Bubble Means American Dream Withers at Record Pace | naked capitalism

Wolf Richter: Housing Bubble Means American Dream Withers at Record Pace | naked capitalism

Study: Most Jewish students faced hostilities on North American campuses

(The study to which this refers can be found at http://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/pdfs/birthright/AntisemitismCampus072715.pdf)

Study: Most Jewish students faced hostilities on North American campuses

July 28, 2015
(JTA) — Most Jewish undergraduates have encountered anti-Israel and/or anti-Semitic attitudes on campus, but they have not diminished their feelings of connection to Israel, a new study about anti-Semitism at North American universities found
According to the Brandeis University study released Tuesday, a few schools, among them Canadian universities and schools in the California state system, have “particularly high levels of hostility toward Jews or Israel.”

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Obviously, Mrs. Clinton must be indicted


Obviously, Mrs. Clinton must be indicted


http://non-intervention.com/1757/obviously-mrs-clinton-must-be-indicted/

Bishop-elect Barron on Planned Parenthood and the Loss of Human Dignity

Bishop-elect Barron on Planned Parenthood and the Loss of Human Dignity



http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/video/bishop-elect-barron-on-planned-parenthood-and-the-loss-of-human-dignity/4851/

The warning signs of trade stagnation

The Financial Times
July 28, 2015

The warning signs of trade stagnation

Stephanie Flanders
Data highlight investment slowdown and limits to recovery, writes Stephanie Flanders
With Greece out of the spotlight, global investors have returned to worrying about a future rise in US interest rates and the volatility that could bring to markets. They appear to be supremely unconcerned by the stagnation in world trade this year. However that could turn out to be a costly mistake.

Israel, not Iran, started Middle East nuclear arms race

Israel, not Iran, started Middle East nuclear arms race


http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/israel-nuclear-weapons-intelligence-us-idf-npt.html#

Rooting Corruption out of the Courts: The Use of Undercover Sting Operations


Rooting Corruption out of the Courts: The Use of Undercover Sting Operations

by Rick Messickhttp://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2015/07/29/rooting-corruption-out-of-the-courts-the-use-of-undercover-sting-operations/

The Secret to America’s Foreign-Policy Success (and Failure)

The Secret to America’s Foreign-Policy Success (and Failure)

Is there a reason why U.S. policies worked with Cuba and Iran, but didn’t in Iraq or with Russia? Yes. And, as it turns out, it’s not that complicated.


https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/27/the-secret-to-americas-foreign-policy-success-and-failure-iran-syria-obama/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Flashpoints&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign

Let My Pollard Go!

Let My Pollard Go!

The onetime spy is harmless, and he has done his time. Send him home.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/28/let-my-pollard-go-israel-spy/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Flashpoints&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign

Israel Could Lose America’s Democrats for a Generation

Israel Could Lose America’s Democrats for a Generation

If the nuclear deal collapses, U.S. liberals will never forgive Israel for its starring role in a catastrophic turn of events.


https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/28/israel-could-lose-americas-democrats-for-a-generation-iran-nuclear-deal-john-kerry/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Flashpoints&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign

Has the U.S. Just Sold Out the Kurds?

Has the U.S. Just Sold Out the Kurds?

The most effective ground force against the Islamic State could become collateral damage under a U.S. deal with Turkey.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/28/has-the-u-s-just-sold-out-the-kurds/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Flashpoints&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign

How the President’s Longtime Confidant Became His Greatest Adversary on Climate Change

How the President’s Longtime Confidant Became His Greatest Adversary on Climate Change


http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/07/laurence-tribe-climate-change.html

Who’s Right on Health-Care Cost Projections?

Who’s Right on Health-Care Cost Projections?


http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/07/27/whos-right-on-health-care-cost-projections/

Latham & Watkins explains Top 10 Things to Know About the Easing of Sanctions Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement

Latham & Watkins explains Top 10 Things to Know About the Easing of Sanctions Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement



http://clsbluesky.law.columbia.edu/2015/07/23/latham-watkins-explains-top-10-things-to-know-about-the-easing-of-sanctions-under-the-iran-nuclear-agreement/

A Politico investigation could change the way you look at food safety

A Politico investigation could change the way you look at food safety


http://www.cjr.org/the_second_opinion/politico_food_safety_helena_bottemiller.php

Will Hillary Clinton Adopt Hedgie Billionaire John Arnold’s Schemes for Retirement Insecurity?

Will Hillary Clinton Adopt Hedgie Billionaire John Arnold’s Schemes for Retirement Insecurity?


http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/07/will-hillary-clinton-adopt-hedgie-billionaire-john-arnolds-schemes-for-retirement-insecurity.html

The Balance of Power in the Middle East Just Changed, U.S.-Iranian Relations Emerge from a 30-Year Cold War

The Balance of Power in the Middle East Just Changed, U.S.-Iranian Relations Emerge from a 30-Year Cold War



http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/07/the-balance-of-power-in-the-middle-east-just-changed-u-s-iranian-relations-emerge-from-a-30-year-cold-war.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

ENE News Update: Dead Fish, Wildlife In Aleutians May Be Victims Of Toxic Algae Outbreak

http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/07/27/algal-bloom-to-blame-for-dying-wildlife-in-the-aleutians/

Dead Fish, Wildlife In Aleutians May Be Victims Of Toxic Algae Outbreak

http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/07/27/algal-bloom-to-blame-for-dying-wildlife-in-the-aleutians/ 

 

 

 Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, July 2015: Pursuing Cause of Death in Gulf of Alaska Whales… Over the next six weeks more large whale mortalities were reported by mariners and pilots. Kate Wynne and Bree Witteveen began gathering NOAA Stranding Network data… a total of 10 fin whale and 8 humpback mortalities have been documented… Both whale species feed in groups on small fish and invertebrates, filtering them with their baleen… Wynne, Witteveen, and other biologists have pursued many possible human-influenced and natural causes, but as of mid-July the cause of death remains unknown… Biotoxins caused by warm water–induced harmful algal blooms are a possibility, although tissue from the sampled fin whale tested for domoic acid came back negative… Scientists have followed up on other possible causes… even radionuclides from the Fukushima reactor…. To pursue the radionuclide possibility Wynne submitted a muscle tissue sample from a dead fin whale for Cesium 137 analysis, with results pending… Wynne and Witteveen complimented the professional network of bird, fish, and mammal biologists in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bristol Bay–Bering Sea area, who have reported unusual events since the mortalities.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Fr. Barron on Pope Francis and Catholic Social Teaching


Fr. Barron on Pope Francis and Catholic Social Teaching


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGCcDH9Mp4w&list=TL3ZsWwd-tKx0yODA3MjAxNQ&index=2

"The Mystery of God" - Sample Lesson


"The Mystery of God" - Sample Lesson


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BQSqHrU7ns&list=TL3ZsWwd-tKx0yODA3MjAxNQ

Does Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard Have $1 Million Waiting in a Swiss Bank Account?

http://www.newsweek.com/jonathan-pollard-israel-spy-one-million-dollars-357943

Does Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard Have $1 Million Waiting in a Swiss Bank Account?

The Mystery of ISIS

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/aug/13/mystery-isis/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NYR+ISIS+West+economies+Hokusai&utm_content=NYR+ISIS+West+economies+Hokusai+CID_c65a8dc3a1850f5a2645c3037d086c1c&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=The%20Mystery%20of%20ISIS

The Mystery of ISIS

ISIS: Inside the Army of TerrorWeb Bug from http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thneyoreofbo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1941393578

by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan
Regan Arts, 270 pp., $14.00 (paper)

ISIS: The State of TerrorWeb Bug from http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thneyoreofbo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062395548

by Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger
Ecco, 385 pp., $27.99
The author has wide experience in the Middle East and was formerly an official of a NATO country. We respect the writer’s reasons for anonymity.
—The Editors
anonymous_1-081315.jpg Reuters A still from a video released by ISIS on April 19, which appears to show the execution of Ethiopian Christians by members of Wilayat Barqa, an affiliate of ISIS in eastern Libya