Bill Van Auken

Missile strikes by US drones claimed the lives of at least a dozen civilians in Yemen’s southern Abyan province Tuesday, as Washington escalated its military intervention in the impoverished Arab country.

The attack took place in the town of Ja’ar, which together with the provincial capital of Zinjibar and several other towns was seized by Islamist insurgents during the protracted popular uprising against the US-backed regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was forced to relinquish his post last February.

Saleh’s former vice president and successor, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has aligned himself even more closely with Washington, taking his orders from the US embassy and American special operations “advisers” who have been sent back into the country after being withdrawn during the recent popular upheavals.

According to Yemeni officials, Tuesday’s drone strikes followed a familiar pattern used to lethal effect in the CIA campaign in Pakistan. A first missile was fired against alleged insurgents meeting inside a house. The explosion drew a crowd to the scene as people sought to aid victims trapped in the rubble. These civilians then became the target for a second missile, which killed at least 12 people. Another 21 civilians were wounded in the second attack.

These latest casualties are part of a growing death toll as the Yemeni military, backed by US warplanes and directed by American special forces troops, wages a bloody campaign to retake the areas that came under the control of the Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) militia.

More »

Marshall Swing

Lobbying Activity of JP Morgan Chase in Q1 2012 (Click to enlarge.)

We have all seen the news of the fall of JP Morgan from grace this week in more than two ways. We have witnessed the beginnings of the fall of the largest commercial bank on the planet, which also happens to have $89 trillion in notional derivatives as bets against failure of interest rate swaps, sovereign countries, and the largest multi-national companies on the planet, among others. They have admitted to the loss of over $2 billion and today it seems we are being prepared for deeper subsequent losses reported in the near future. Rumors abound on this one bet of up to $100 billion at stake.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPM will not discuss the trades that have pilfered JPM's coffers this past quarter. The reason given is the House of Morgan has at least $100 billion in their Chief Investment Office (CIO) venture and rumor has it that they have lost to the hedge funds and stand to lose far more. Their stock has fallen 12%. There are other stories of massive problems and lawsuits already filed. - Too big to fail again?

The same story over and over as Congress failed to act in the interests of the American people once again, since the housing and debt crisis of 2008, to regulate and break up these gargantuan banks. They do these things to us all in the name of profit for themselves and nothing more.

More »

Stephen Lendman

May 15 marks Israel's 64th independence day. This year's Jewish calendar commemorated it on April 25.

For Palestinians, May 15 represents 64 years of Nakba suffering. Survivor testimonies bare witness. No words adequately explain their catastrophe. An unnamed Jew said:

"I am writing through tears. I wept when I saw the photo of the ruined village of al-Sanbariyya because it was my former brother-in-law who helped destroy the village and the lives of those who lived there."

"My now deceased brother-in-law was born in Los Angeles and after World War II decided he wanted to live in Palestine. He met his wife-to-be at a training camp somewhere in the midwest."

"While at the camp many of the people decided they wanted to build a kibbutz in then Palestine. I am not sure that they gave a thought to the fact that they would be taking the lands of others. But then, I don't know. I wasn't there."

"As a Jew who was raised to believe in justice for all peoples, I believe that it is my obligation to speak out about Israel and to try in whatever way possible to bring about a better life in Palestine for the people who belong there... The people who were so cruelly evicted from their lands."

More »

Stephen Lendman

Growing numbers of Jews oppose Israeli policies. American ones want a relationship this destructive ended. So do millions of people worldwide.

Strategic interests largely benefitting Israel, not shared values, are at issue. Washington doesn't provide the Jewish state more aid than all other nations combined because of historic binding ties.

On March 25, 1948, Harry Truman met secretly with Chaim Weizmann (Israel's first president). He pledged support for the future Jewish state. Minutes after midnight on May 15, 1948, America was the first country to extend recognition.

A special relationship began. Thereafter it's grown financially, politically, militarily, diplomatically, and counterproductively. Israel clearly benefits. America loses more than it gains. Serious reassessment is long overdue.

On many issues mattering most, the Israeli tail wags the US dog, whether or not Washington's interests are served.

Both countries threaten world peace. United they endanger humanity. On February 9, 2010, an Intelligence Squared debate resolved: "The US should step back from its special relationship with Israel," saying:

"Israel believes America’s special relationship is vital. It is, certainly, to Israel. But what about for the US? Israel has no oil, enemies in many places, and a tendency to defy Washington when it perceives its own interests to be threatened, which is not infrequently."

Does America's relationship do more harm than good? Is it time to step back and reconsider? These and related issues weren't resolved. Raising them publicly served a purpose.

A packed New York University student union showed people want answers they haven't gotten. Together these pariah states menace humanity. Breaking up is long overdue.

More »

Kenny's Sideshow

Homeland Security money rolling into the coffers of local police buys a lot of toys and the expectation of loyalty when the feds may need a favor.

Although not new, they are being used in other states and in foreign countries, it is just now being reported that law enforcement departments across middle Tennessee...

"are using high-tech cameras to create a detailed picture of the whereabouts of thousands of cars, regardless of whether they are suspected of any link to criminal activity." "Police say that this ability to capture license plates is among the most powerful new crime-fighting tools at their disposal."

This surveillance is not only being done on public streets but in parking lots of apartments and condos and even on cars parked in one's own driveway. Police cruisers mounted with the cameras are just the beginning. Fixed locations are being added and unlike red light cameras, these record every vehicle going by. It's all in the name of catching the bad guys and of course protecting the children but if a few parking ticket offenders and yes, even tax dodgers are caught, so much the better. The locals and the feds need a return on investment.

The information goes into a database of time, date and place and sits there until someone takes action on it. The potential for hackers to use or manipulate data is real and mistakes are going to occur. A stolen license plate at a crime scene could result in a SWAT team knocking an innocent person's door down. It happens.

More »

Paul Craig Roberts

The “War on Terror” is a hoax, one that has been successfully used to destroy the US Constitution and to complete the transformation of law from a shield of the people into a weapon in the hands of the state.

If there were any real terrorists, José Rodriguez would be dead.

Who is José Rodriguez? He is the criminal who ran the CIA torture program. Most of his victims were not terrorists or even insurgents. Most were hapless individuals kidnapped by warlords and sold to the Americans as “terrorists” for the bounty paid.

If Rodriguez’s identity was previously a secret, it is no more. He has been on CBS “60 Minutes” taking credit for torturing Muslims and using the information allegedly gained to kill leaders of al Qaeda. If terrorists were really the problem that Homeland Security, the FBI and CIA claim, Rodriguez’s name would be a struck through item on the terrorists’ hit list. He would be in his grave.

So, also, would be John Yoo, who wrote the Justice (sic) Department memos giving the green light to torture, despite US and International laws prohibiting torture. Apparently, Yoo, a professor at the Boalt School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, was ignorant of US and international law. And so was the US Department of Justice (sic).

Notice that Rodriguez, “The Torturer of the Muslims,” doesn’t have to hide. He can go on national television, reveal his identity, and revel in his success in torturing and murdering Muslims. Rodriguez has no Secret Service protection and would be an easy mark for assassination by terrorists so capable as to have, allegedly, pulled off 9/11.

More »

Paul R. Pillar

An image from a Taliban video showing Bergdahl in captivity.
Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 25, was declared Duty Status Where-
abouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) on July 1, 2009 and his status
was changed to "Missing-Captured" on July 3, 2009.

By definition, “terrorism” applies to attacks on civilians for political ends. But the U.S. government has revised the term to cover any attack on Americans, including soldiers fighting anywhere in the world, a misuse of the concept that is hampering a deal to free a U.S. POW, writes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.

The only current American prisoner of war, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, remains in captivity largely because of the mistaken equating of war fighting with counterterrorism. That false equation has contributed to the suffering of many other Americans in uniform and their loved ones.

It lent believability to the Bush administration’s rationale to launch the Iraq War, and it has underlain continuation of the Afghanistan War for a decade after Operation Enduring Freedom achieved its immediate counterterrorist objectives. The hardship of Sergeant Bergdahl and his family simply adds to that toll.

The exact circumstances of Bergdahl’s capture in Paktika Province in Afghanistan in June 2009 are somewhat in doubt, but not in doubt is that he was a combat soldier in a military unit conducting counterinsurgency operations. His capture was not some block-the-street-with-a-car terrorist kidnapping in a city. His captors were insurgents against whom NATO is waging its counterinsurgency campaign.

Secret talks reportedly have pointed to a possible deal under which Bergdahl would be released in return for transferring five Taliban prisoners now at Guantanamo to the custody of the government of Qatar.

More »

Stephen Lendman

Dehumanization facilitates warmaking. It also desensitizes law enforcement agents to target Muslims and other designated state enemies. Doing the wrong thing works best when Groupthink becomes policy.

When asked why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton said that's where the money is. Washington targets the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia because it's where most proved oil and gas reserves are.

Waging war require enemies. Pretexts create them. Muslims are demonized as threats. They're portrayed as culturally inferior, dirty, lecherous, untrustworthy, religiously fanatical, and violent. Slanderous media commentaries suggest gun-totting terrorists threatening US interests.

Fear is heightened. Strategically timed false flag terror plots make headlines. So do arrests of entrapped Muslims despite no evidence of crime or intent to commit one.

Americans are manipulated to believe domestic and foreign jihadists threaten national security. Resource wars follow.

Enemies are dehumanized. Military training creates Groupthink. Recruits are manipulated to hate. Indoctrination involves sensitizing them to become effective combat killing machines.

More »

Ray McGovern

In this season of graduations – and the rush to bestow honorary degrees on the “great and powerful” – one ironic moment will play out at Fordham University, where Jesuits are giving top billing among its honorees to White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan, notes Fordham grad (and ex-CIA analyst) Ray McGovern.

Since even readers of the New York Times are aware of deputy national security adviser John Brennan’s open identification with torture, secret prisons and other abuses of national and international law, Fordham University’s invitation to him to give the commencement address on May 19 brought, well, shock and awe to many Fordham students, faculty and alumni.

It now turns out we didn’t know the half of it. Piling outrage upon indignity, Fordham announced this week that Brennan will enjoy pride of place among the “eight notables” on whom it will confer honorary degrees at commencement. The others receiving a Doctorate in Humane Letters, honoris causa, include Timothy Cardinal Dolan (Archbishop of New York), and Brooklyn congressman Edolphus Towns.

Unlike his co-recipients, Brennan is widely known for his advocacy of kidnapping-for-torture (aka “extraordinary rendition”) and killing “militants” (including U.S. citizens) with “Hellfire” missiles fired by “Predator” and “Reaper” drone aircraft.

More »

Jonathan Cook

Jonathan Cook argues that the newly announced coalition in Israel between the Likud and Kadima parties will give Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu time to entrench moves towards authoritarianism – weakening the media, human rights groups and the courts – and allow him to further undermine rival centres of power and overturn even the most sacrosanct of Israel’s basic laws.

Israelis barely had time to absorb the news that they were heading into a summer election when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on 8 May pulled the rug from underneath the charade. Rancourous early electioneering had provided cover for a secret agreement between Netanyahu and the main opposition party, Kadima, to form a new, expanded coalition government.

Rather than facing the electorate in September, Netanyahu and his hardline right-wing government are expected to comfortably see out the remaining 18 months of his term of office. Not only that, but he will now have the backing of more than three-quarters of the 120-seat Israeli parliament, leading one commentator to crown him the “King of Israel”.

More »

Uri Avnery

The master magician has drawn another rabbit from his top hat. A real and very lively rabbit.

He has confounded everybody, including the leaders of all parties, the top political pundits and his own cabinet ministers.

He has also shown that in politics, everything can change – literally – overnight.

At 2 a.m. the Knesset was busy putting the finishing touches to a law to dissolve itself – condemning half of its members to political oblivion.

At 3 a.m. there was a huge new government coalition. No elections, thank you very much.

An operetta in 5 acts.

ACT ONE: Everything tranquil. Public opinion polls show Binyamin Netanyahu in absolute control. His popularity is approaching 50%; nobody else’s even approaches 20%.

The largest party in the Knesset, Kadima, sinks in the polls from 28 seats to 11, with all indications that it will continue to fall. Its new leader, former Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz, gets even less points as candidate for Prime Minister.

Netanyahu could sun himself on the roof of his luxury villa and contemplate the future with equanimity. All is well in the best of all Jewish states.

More »

Stephen Lendman

Federal agents sworn to serve and protect, in fact, are menacing. They stalk, target and terrorize.

FBI Director Robert Mueller wants Congress to enact greater surveillance powers following the false flag underwear bomb plot blamed on Al Qaeda.

In May 9 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, he said:

"We've seen over the last several days, particularly with regard to the IED that was recently recovered, that terrorism is and should be and continues to be our No. 1 priority and the No. 1 priority of a number of our intelligence agencies."

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) surveillance provisions expire at yearend. National Intelligence Director James Clapper and Attorney General Eric Holder call renewing them the intelligence community's top legislative priority.

So does Mueller. He also wants more. His May 9 testimony suggested it. He stopped short of specifics. He'll engage lawmakers privately.

False flags create opportunities. That's why they're staged. Mueller plans taking full advantage.

More »

Khalid Amayreh

If international indifference, powerlessness and outright acquiescence to the human rights violations and killings continue, will Israel proceed to exterminate the entire Palestinian people?

In a shameless effort to criminalize criticisms of Israel, pro-Israeli circles in some western countries have been trying to equate criticisms of Israeli policies and actions with anti-Semitism. The brazen effort is clearly intended to intimidate and silence the increasing awareness, especially among younger generations on college campuses, that Israel is in fact a racist country that is disguised as a democracy.

In recent weeks, Israel firsters organized letter-writing campaigns and published advertisements in leading newspapers in North America lumping criticisms of Israel and anti-Semitism. The letters, targeting college administrations, demanded a stringent action against students and professors "bad mouthing Israel."

Unfortunately, some pusillanimous officials readily caved in to Zionist intimidation, an intimidation amounting to intellectual terrorism. Only those willing to confront the Zionist golem display steadfastness and refuse to budge.

I believe writers and intellectuals around the world have a moral responsibility to destroy, once and for all, the taboo of criticizing Israel in western countries, especially the United States, Canada, France and Germany. The recent criticisms of Israel by the German poet Gunter Grass are undoubtedly a step in the right direction.

Israel is a nation-state and ought to be treated like any other nation-state. That is to say, Israel must not be treated as above the laws and norms of humanity and should therefore be severely condemned when it indulged in actions and behavior deemed by the rest of mankind as criminal and nefarious. Needless to say, constant aggression, bellicosity and recalcitrance have always constituted Israel modus operandi.

More »

Stephen Lendman

Palestinian Prison Protests for Justice Continue

Mass Palestinian prisoner hunger strikes continue. Freedom, dignity, and respect for their rights are at issue. Strikers want horrific Israeli prison abuses ended. More on that below.

On Saturday, thousands of Israelis rallied nationwide for social justice. They picked up where they left off last summer. Major grievances remain unaddressed. They include:

(1) Unaffordable housing.
(2) High food and energy prices.
(3) Low wages and eroding social benefits.
(4) Onerous taxes on working households.
(5) Lack of free education and better healthcare benefits.
(6) Weak labor rights.
(7) A disproportionate amount of construction funding for settlement development. Too little remains for affordable housing in Israel.
(8) The "high cost of raising children" most Israelis face.

In Shapira, Levinsky, Hatikva, and other neighborhoods, marches converged on Tel Aviv's Rabin Square.

More »

Linah Alsaafin

On Monday May 7, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the appeals for the release of Thaer Halahleh and Bilal Thiab, who are imprisoned by Israel without charge or trial. The men are on their 70th day of hunger strike.

Thaer’s father came to Ramallah from Hebron, and sat in the prisoners’ solidarity tent at Clock Square with a photo of his son hanging from his neck. His daughter Fathiya sat by his side, the gravity of her brother’s bleak situation apparent on her face.

The Halahleh family found out about the court’s appeal rejection through the media, before the lawyer Jamal Khatib had time to properly inform them. Thaer’s wife Shireen had a nervous breakdown and had to be taken immediately to hospital. The family home was filled with visitors once the news was heard, but there was a conscious decision not to tell Thaer’s mother the truth because of her frail health. “We are here to wait for Thaer’s release,” was what they told her.

“The court’s decision was expected,” Thaer’s father said. “It was expected from the [Israeli] occupation. They told the media first so we could find out the hard way, which just proves that this wicked occupation is determined to make us suffer.”

The first time 33 year old Thaer was arrested by the Israeli occupation army was just before his senior year in high school. He was held for three months on administrative detention, again not being charged with anything. In 1999, he was arrested again and sentenced for two years for belonging to the Islamic Jihad group. Because of his frequent arrests and time spent in prison, Thaer only managed to study for one year at Hebron University. Later on he managed to open a used furniture store. Thaer’s exact words were

“I am a man who loves life, and I want to live in dignity. No human can accept being in jail for even one hour without any charge or reason.”

More »