Nejwa Ali

Concluding my first week in Palestine after a seven year absence has been emotionally and mentally challenging. In addition to spending time with family, I was full of optimism, hoping to notice a progression in Palestinian-Israeli relations. Unfortunately, some things haven’t changed.

Traveling to Palestine is convoluted in itself. Due to Israel’s continuous military occupation, Palestine has not been able to govern itself independently, let alone establish its own airport. Therefore, the two major points of entry are through Amman, Jordan and Tel Aviv, Israel, neither of which are ideal. The Jordanian route is usually a last resort, infamous for its exhausting delays at the Allenby Bridge, in comparison to equally unattractive prolonged delays via Israel. Still, any person with Palestinian identification is prohibited from traveling through the Ben Gurion Airport (Israel). As a Palestinian-American citizen, I’m fortunate to be able to avoid Jordan yet face plenty of harassment in Israel.

Notorious for treating passengers of Arab descent with excessive questioning, searches and delays, I remained patient as I anxiously awaited my turn to pass Israeli security. Finally, the security official glanced at my passport, read my name aloud and then started to question me about my grandfather’s first name, last name and place of birth. Once I mentioned Palestine, she immediately directed me to go to the waiting area for additional questioning.

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Stephen Lendman

Solutions worse than problems don't resolve them. Cypriots face protracted hard times. Former IMF chief economist Michael Mussa explained three kinds of crises: liquidity, solvency and stupidity.

BoomBustBlog's Reggie Middleton says "economic depression is the new success." It's the new normal. Scoundrel media reports downplay the damage done.

"The danger of Cyprus' bankruptcy (and) tragic consequences for the economy and society are just getting started." [Eurocrats lied. They claim] "boiling slowly in a pot of austerity flavored depression is preferable to a quick and clean exit and rebirth." "Ready! Set! Bank Run!!!"

Cyprus reflects a watershed moment. Confiscating personal wealth becomes official government policy. Eurocrats and Cypriot officials bypassed parliament. Ordinary people had no say. Euro Group head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said extracting wealth from depositors becomes a model for other troubled economies. He left no doubt what he means. He wants grand theft made official policy.

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Stephen Lendman

BBC torture experiment replicates Guantánamo and secret
prisons: how to lose your mind in 48 hours. Source: A.W.

In 2008, candidate Obama promised to close Guantánamo. Straightaway as president, he issued Executive Order titled "Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities." Sec. 3 states:

"Closure of Detention Facilities at Guantánamo. The detention facilities at Guantánamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than 1 year from the date of this order."

"If any individuals covered by this order remain, they shall be returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country, or transferred to another United States detention facility in a manner consistent with law and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States."

Obama ordered an "immediate review of all" detainees within 30 days. He halted all proceedings in the "United States Court of Military Commission Review to which charges have been referred but in which no judgment has been rendered." He mandated "humane standards of confinement" be observed in accordance with international humanitarian laws.

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