Stephen Lendman

Cold-blooded barbarity reflects US policy. Democracy's more illusion than reality. Rule of law principles don't matter. They're systematically spurned. Dissent's increasingly targeted. Freedom's imperiled. Obama's ruthless. He exceeds the worst of George Bush. He's waging war on truth-tellers. He targeted more whistleblowers than all his predecessors combined.

Merrian-Webster calls a police state "a political unit characterized by repressive governmental control of political, economic, and social life usually by an arbitrary exercise of power by police and especially secret police in place of regular operation of administrative and judicial organs of the government according to publicly known legal procedures." The Oxford dictionary calls it "a totalitarian state controlled by a political police force that secretly supervises the citizens' activities."

America raised the stakes higher. It did so with technological ease. It mass-spies everywhere all the time on everyone. It does so lawlessly. Core constitutional principles are violated. Foreign country statutes are defied. Washington prioritizes state terrorism. It commits global espionage. It does so on an unprecedented scale. It's lawless and unprincipled. It targets federal employees exposing wrongdoing. Acting responsibly is criminalized.

Whistleblowers reflect duty above and beyond the call. Legions more like them are necessary. Sunshine's our best defense. Washington demands darkness. US-style realpolitik reflects New World Order harshness.

Edward Snowden's more than an American hero. His revelations help everyone. He fled security and prosperity for safety. He took temporary refuge in Hong Kong. On Sunday, he flew to Moscow. Ecuador's Russian ambassador Patricio Chavez and other embassy staff met him. They did so at Sheremetyevo Airport. He requested asylum.

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Pepe Escobar

Obama and spy supremo Keith Alexander swear that the Orwellian privatized intelligence-corporate-industrial complex is essential to prevent terrorism. It is not. This is a monumental lie - and Obama is complicit.

HONG KONG - So it's going to be Our Man in Quito. The narrative may not be as elegant as Graham Greene's, but the plot certainly beats the Bourne trilogy - because it's happening live, in real time, right in front of our eyes.

It takes a former CIA asset to beat US "intelligence" - more like intel deprivation. The story of Edward Snowden's escape from Hong Kong is textbook. This correspondent, at dim sum on Sunday, was alerted by a source; "Get ready for something big; he's leaving soon." That was about 12:30 pm Hong Kong time. In fact Snowden had already flown from Chek Lap Kok on SU 213 bound for Moscow at 11:00 am. But nobody knew it yet. Hong Kong was still digesting the front page of the South China Morning Post displaying yet more devastating evidence of US cyber-spying of China.

By 2:00 pm there was a first, one-line alert from the South China Morning Post; he was on a plane to Moscow. I talked to RT in Moscow; they were stunned and sprang into action. Still total silence from Western corporate media. Then the Post confirmed the breaking news with more detail. Yet it took ages for Reuters to release its first short dispatch - as I had commented on my Facebook page. When the "international community" started to learn about it Snowden was already five hours into his flight.

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Stephen Lendman

"Friends of Syria": A rogue's gallery of scoundrels

So-called "Friends of Syria" are their worst enemies. They're a rogue's gallery of scoundrels. They're complicit with Washington's imperium. They violate core international law principles. They're no friends of peace, stability and freedom. Umbrella group members America, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and Qatar met in Doha.

They agreed on "secret" escalating measures. They hope to tip the military balance. They're desperate to counter Assad's impressive victories. He's routing insurgents convincingly. They're no match against Syria's military strength. Qatar Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani said "force may be the only way to enforce righteousness and supplying weapons to the opposition may be the only way to reach peace in Syria." "(M)ost countries, except for two, are agreed on how to provide assistance to the rebels through the military council," Al Thani added.

Western-sponsored death squads terrorized Syrians since conflict began. Al Thani urges escalated violence. Most Syrian enemies agree. They're responsible for mass killing and destruction. They're in lockstep with Washington's imperial plans. They want much more barbarity than already. They want Syria entirely ravaged and destroyed. They risk cross-border violence threatening their own governments.

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