A new level of invasive screening is scheduled for airports this summer: a portable DNA scanner to conduct on-site, real-time genetic testing. This technology is being implemented under the cover of combating human trafficking, illegal immigration, and finding missing persons, but Richard Seldon of NetBio, creator of the scanners, clearly states that "DNA information has the potential to become part of the fabric of day-to-day life." In an interview with Katie Drummond who broke this story for The Daily, Seldon envisions additional applications in emergency rooms, food safety tests, and law enforcement.

Police Union announces solidarity with students, workers, and Wisconsin residents occupying the State Capitol in Madison. February 24, 2011.

Reuters: Many protesters refuse to exit Wisconsin Capitol - Dozens of protesters against proposed legislation to weaken state public unions refused to leave the Wisconsin state capitol building on Sunday and police said they would be allowed to stay the night.

BEIJING — Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday held an online forum in which he promised to focus on making the lives of ordinary people in China more comfortable and secure. Just a few hours later, Chinese police unleashed a show of force in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities to clamp down on public gatherings after a second week of overseas Internet-based calls for protests across the country. The combination of Wen's comments about government efforts to raise living standards, accompanied by a display of China's police state tactics aimed at squelching dissent, neatly laid out in one day's time the Chinese Communist Party's approach to avoiding the kind of unrest seen across the Arab world.

Afghan officials say the US-led NATO forces have been using internationally prohibited bombs against civilians in the war torn country. Last week, over 60 Afghan civilians lost their lives during NATO airstrikes on residential areas in the eastern province of Kunar.

Afghan studies on the unexploded munitions have revealed that each weapon is a combination of cluster and penetrator bombs. The studies say once the combination bomb breaks into 20 pieces before it touches the ground. Each piece then transforms into a penetrator warhead which burrows into the soil, causing an underground explosion. The device creates shockwaves that resemble an earth tremor. The blast kills every living thing within a small radius of its explosion. An experimental US weapon called Dense Inert Metal Explosive (DIME) has a relatively small but effective blast radius.

PressTV: Probe: US killed 65 Afghan civilians

Judge Howard Riddle, the bane of Julian Assange's existence for the past three months, has granted Sweden's extradition request. The WikiLeaks founder has already repealed the ruling, but his worst fears have been cemented: the rape charges are going to follow him for the rest of his life, perhaps even after years of repeals. Former Reagan Administration Paul Craig Roberts says there is a concerted effort to shut Assange up. If the legal attempt fails, he'll be assassinated by a CIA assassination team.

Robert Stevens: Defend Julian Assange

Davis is the CIA contractor in jail in Lahore facing murder charges for the execution-slayings of two young men believed to be Pakistani intelligence operatives. Pakistani and Indian newspapers are reporting that Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor in jail in Lahore facing murder charges for the execution-slayings of two young men believed to be Pakistani intelligence operatives, was actually involved in organizing terrorist activities in Pakistan.

AWIP: Raymond Davis 'was acting head of CIA in Pakistan'

African mercenaries hired by the Gaddafi regime to kill Libyan protesters would be immune from prosecution for war crimes due to a clause in this weekend's UN resolution that was demanded by US. African mercenaries hired by the Gaddafi regime to kill Libyan protesters would be immune from prosecution for war crimes due to a clause in this weekend's UN resolution that was demanded by the United States. The UN Security Council agreed on Saturday evening to freeze international assets belonging to the Gaddafis and their key aides, to ban them from travelling and to block all arms sales to Tripoli. It also called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the killings of demonstrators. This inquiry could lead to senior Libyan ministers and officials being indicted to stand trial for crimes against humanity at The Hague and being given lengthy prison sentences.

Raw Story: Libya attacks could be crime against humanity: court
The Telegraph: EU agrees fresh sanctions against Gaddafi -Video
PressTV: Dictators use US weapons to kill people
WSWS: As Libyan rebels close in on Gaddafi, US and Europe ramp up intervention
Activist Post: Libyans: No Thanks to Globalist Intervention
Norman Livergood: Fake Revolutions

SAO PAULO - Brazilian police say 17 people were electrocuted during a freak accident during a large pre-Carnival parade. Police say Monday that fireworks lit by partygoers caused a power line to fall on a tightly packed crowd dancing behind a large sound truck. The accident happened late Sunday in the small town of Bandeiro do Sul in Minas Gerais state north of Rio. Such street parties are common across Brazil and involve a crush of people following behind a sound truck as it belts out music. A police spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter, said most of those killed on the street were hit directly by the downed power line. He says dozens of others were hurt. Carnival officially begins on Friday.

‘Anonymous’ targets the brothers Koch, claiming attempts ‘to usurp American Democracy’ [- What democracy???] The decentralized protest group "Anonymous" has a new target: no, it's not a middle eastern dictator, a major bank or even a bit player in the military-industrial complex. It's none other than tea party financiers Charles and David Koch, who were being targeted, an open letter stated, for their attempts "to usurp American Democracy."
"Koch Industries, and oligarchs like them, have most recently started to manipulate the political agenda in Wisconsin," an announcement posted to anonnews.org declared. "Governor Walker's union-busting budget plan contains a clause that went nearly un-noticed. This clause would allow the sale of publicly owned utility plants in Wisconsin to private parties (specifically, Koch Industries) at any price, no matter how low, without a public bidding process," they explained. "The Koch's have helped to fuel the unrest in Wisconsin and the drive behind the bill to eliminate the collective bargaining power of unions in a bid to gain a monopoly over the state's power supplies.

Seventeen years ago this past Friday, 30 Muslim worshippers were slaughtered while at prayer. 270 were severely injured. This took place in one of the holiest sites in Palestine, a site revered by both Jews and Muslims. It is the resting place of our common Father Abraham and his family. The massacre was carried out by a crazed Jewish settler from Brooklyn.

The site itself is a unique structure as it serves both as a mosque and a synagogue. When one enters, it is difficult not to feel the thousands of years of common history that these two peoples share. Today, it is difficult not to feel the lingering hatred in the area as a result of the zionist occupation and harassment.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu literally slapped the entire Palestinian Nation on the face when the following was announced…. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem would both be added to the list of national heritage sites that the government plans to promote. A full report can be read HERE. This move is a definite indication and admittance of the influence the extreme right and fascist elements have on the government of Israel today. Literally making money at the site of such a horrible tragedy is nothing less that revolting. THIS is also worth reading.

Pakistani diplomatic sources say the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is considering targeting Pakistani diplomats, in retaliation for the arrest of one of the agency's contractors. The sources also insist that the situation is increasingly turning out to be not merely a loss of the cover of a CIA spy, Raymond Davis, but, actually, the loss of a key asset of the notorious US spy agency, a report said on Saturday. "It is unlikely that they (American intelligence apparatus) would let it go without returning it to the Pakistani counterparts one way or the other," the Pakistani sources added. According to the report, the CIA is mulling over targeting Pakistani diplomats and intelligence agents across the world in an effort to pressure Islamabad to release Davis.

AWIP: Raymond Davis 'was acting head of CIA in Pakistan'

Forces loyal to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi have heavily bombarded pro-democracy protesters, who are zeroing in on the capital, Tripoli. The bombardment was reported in Zawiyah, a city located some 50 kilometers west of Tripoli. The violence act came hours after demonstrators took control of the strategically important town. Two thousand people have been reported killed in the weeks-long violence. The embattled regime has recently used aerial attacks and poison gas against the peaceful protesters. Reports also say forces and foreign mercenaries loyal to Gaddafi have surrendered parts of Tripoli to pro-democracy protesters. The residents of some neighborhoods in the capital have barricaded their streets and are openly showing defiance. The anti-government demonstrations continue across Libya as more cities fall into protester control.

HuffPo: LIBYA ON THE BRINK
Al Arabiya: Gaddafi forces abandon Tripoli neighborhoods
BBC: Anti-Gadhafi Forces Take Control of Western City
Raw Story: Several west Libya towns in opposition hands: official

Two months ago, a Tunisian fruit vendor lit a match, starting a fire that has spread throughout the Arab world. Muhammad Bouazizi's self-immolation prompted anti-government protests that toppled the regime in Tunisia and then Egypt. The demonstrations have spread across a swath of the Middle East and North Africa. Here are the latest developments, including the roots of the unrest.

Tunisia Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announced his resignation on Sunday following a wave of street protests. Critics have accused Mr. Ghannouchi of being to close to the North African state’s former government, toppled in an uprising last month, and of failing to enact reforms. “My resignation will provide a better atmosphere for the new era,” he said, adding he wanted to prevent more victims in the country’s political unrest. Three people have been killed and several people wounded in clashes between security forces and demonstrators since Friday over Mr. Ghannouchi’s role in the interim government. “My resignation is in the service of the country,” he said on state TV.

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The toll from Christchurch's magnitude 6.3 earthquake stood at 147, New Zealand police said on Sunday. They plan to release two more victims' names on Monday, bringing to eight the total number of people officially named as fatalities from the quake. Superintendent Dave Cliff said more than 200 people were missing in the worst disaster of the city. People from more than 20 countries are among the dead, he said. Search and rescue teams continued to scour the rubble of buildings that collapsed in the earthquake on Tuesday, but no survivors have been found since Wednesday afternoon.

KABUL (Reuters) - The growing use of "night raids" by NATO-led and Afghan forces to kill or capture insurgents is one of the most controversial strategies in the Afghan war. Here are some accounts by Afghan civilians of night raids they experienced, which left them injured or bereaved.

HAMIDULLAH, Jalalabad city, aged 13. Hamidullah says he was bitten by a dog during a night raid on his house, and lifts up the leg of his trousers to show big scars around his that appear to be bite marks. ISAF declined immediate comment on photos of the scars.

"I was asleep, I woke up from a dream, and when I went to the door the dog bit me. It was one or two o'clock in the morning, about two years ago. I was 11 at the time, now I'm 13 years old." "I got no medical help for the wound, except the U.S. soldiers bandaged it up with gauze before they left. I got no compensation either, but it doesn't hurt now, it is not painful." "Our windows are still damaged because on the day they came they blasted the door out with a bomb. There were 4 or 5 other small children in the house at the time, and some women in a side room, but there were no others hurt, just me." "Seven people were arrested that night, they were released after six days, except one who was released after four months. First they went to Jalalabad airbase, then three were taken to Bagram. They were mostly Americans, with two translators."

UN Security Council unanimously orders sanctions against Libya, and refers Muammar Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan regime for its attempts to put down an uprising. They backed an arms embargo and asset freeze while referring Col Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. US President Barack Obama has said the Libyan leader should step down and leave the country immediately. He still controls Tripoli, but eastern Libya has fallen to the uprising. Discussions on forming an anti-Gaddafi transitional government are reportedly under way.

IBT: Full Text of UN Resolution imposing sanctions on Libya
The Telegraph: Barack Obama calls on Col Gaddafi to step down
PressTV: US intervention aims to control Libya oil
Al Jazeera: Libyan army taking people to alleys and executing them - Video [WARNING: GRAPHIC.]
PiratenPad: Over 600 Videos of the Protests in Libya. [WARNING: GRAPHIC.]

You Tube: Assange Extradition Reveals Total Hypocrisy & Political Bias Of British Justice + Text

Rare footage of demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City reveals dissent just beneath the surface. Calls for political reform have not been confined to the Arab world. Al Jazeera has obtained rare footage of a demonstration in Vietnam - a country where political dissent is swiftly put down by the government. Al Jazeera Steve Chao has an exclusive report.

TRIPOLI, Libya — An increasingly gruesome picture began to emerge Saturday of the violent tactics used by the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi to quell protesters in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, with several witnesses confirming that forces loyal to the government had been shooting people from ambulances and using antiaircraft guns against crowds. Witnesses to the violence in Tripoli, where a tense standoff held on Saturday, also said that the government had removed dead bodies as well as the wounded from hospitals in an effort to disguise the mounting death toll in the uprising against Col. Qaddafi sweeping Libya.

HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces fired rubber-coated bullets at protesters in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday afternoon, where clashes left at least nine people injured, Palestinian medics and the Israeli army said. Four international activists and two Palestinians were detained, organizers said. The military said that only one person was arrested. The Palestinians injured by rubber-coated bullets were transferred to the Hebron and Al-Ahli hospitals, Red Crescent officials said. The Israeli army also said five border police officers were injured.

The demonstration, which called for the reopening of one of the city's main streets, came on the anniversary of the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinians in Hebron by a Jewish extremist. Protesters, who waved Palestinian flags chanting "Down with the occupation!" and "Hebron is Palestinian," said they were trying to reopen central Shuhada (Martyrs) Street, once home to the city's main market. Israel largely closed off the street, citing security, after the 1994 massacre in the Ibrahimi Mosque. Hundreds of Palestinians and international activists participated in the protest.

ColbertNation: Colbert explains Wisconsin
Stephen Lendman: Wisconsin's Spirit: Courage for Other States to Emulate

Apparently reacting to enormous backlash from supporters and criticism in the media, PayPal has reinstated the account of Courage to Resist, an organization which has partnered with the Bradley Manning Support Network to raise funds for the defense of accused WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning. The change in account status came only hours after the nonprofit organization published a press release drawing attention to the matter. Over 10,000 people signed the petition hosted by Firedoglake today urging PayPal to reinstate the charitable account, while many more supporters called PayPal directly to voice their criticisms. Within hours, PayPal responded — reinstating the account so that Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network can continue their work.

“Monsanto has an annual budget of $10 million dollars and a staff of 75 devoted solely to investigating and prosecuting farmers.”

Question: Would you want a small handful of government officials controlling America’s entire food supply, all its seeds and harvests?
I suspect most would scream, “No way!”

Yet, while America seems allergic to public servants – with no profit motive in mind – controlling anything these days, a knee-jerk faith in the "free market" has led to overwhelming centralized control of nearly all our food stuffs, from farm to fork. The Obama administration’s recent decision to radically expand genetically modified (GM) food – approving unrestricted production of agribusiness biotech company Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” alfalfa and sugar beets – marks a profound deepening of this centralization of food production in the hands of just a few corporations, with little but the profit motive to guide them.

Libyan ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has vowed to defeat all of his enemies, while the embattled regime continues to lose its grip on more cities. On Friday, Gaddafi told crowds of supporters in Tripoli's central Green Square to "prepare to defend Libya." "We will fight them and we will beat them," he told his supporters. "Sing, dance and be ready." He also pledged to open all weapon depots in a bid to arm forces and mercenaries loyal to his regime. Addressing the crowd, Gaddafi called on his supporters to get ready to fight for Libya, for dignity and for oil. This is Gaddafi's third statement this week.

Libyan protesters shout slogans against Gaddafi during
a demonstration in Tobruk (AP)

Brent and U.S. crude oil futures fell sharply in post-settlement trading on Thursday in a sell-off sparked by rumors that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had been shot.

In London, ICE Brent crude for April delivery LCOJ1 dropped to a post-settlement low of $109.60 after having rallied early to $119.79, the highest since August 2008. It settled earlier at $111.36, up 11 cents. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April crude CLJ1 slid further to $95.64, down $2.46. It had settled earlier at $97.28, down 82 cents, after touching $103.41, the highest since September 2008.

LIVE: Al Jazeera English: Live Stream
The Telegraph: Benghazi residents celebrate liberation -Video + Libya protests: live blog

PressTV: 'Gaddafi's son joins Libyan protesters'
PressTV: Libyan prosecutor general resigns
BBC: UN Human Rights Commission meets in special session for first time ever
An Average American Patriot: Ex-minister says Gaddafi will die like Hitler
Juan Cole: 90% of Libya in Rebel Hands: Qaddafi is left only with Tripoli, about 1 million people -Videos

Dan O'Huiginn: EU Military exports to Libya

The chatty style of the judgment is striking. It is written less like a judgment and more like a political stump speech by a politician trying to appear to be just plain folks. As a whole, it is simply appalling. Assange extradition. Looking at the judgment, it is quite a piece of judicial engineering. In every question that was raised, the judge either decides to side with the prosecution by completely ignoring all the evidence to the contrary (while subtly denigrating the expert witnesses), or claims or hints that the strongest argument wasn't raised by the defense (convenient, leaving us with the issue whether Assange's own lawyers - you know, the ones who thought it would be a bright idea to hire Dershowitz - are in on the conspiracy). He dismisses the main expert witness before him in the most condescending way possible, suggesting she has some kind of psychological problem with the Swedish justice system. The other defense witnesses have their evidence summarized (with little insulting jabs), and are then ignored. The judge is fascinated by the largely irrelevant communications between Assange and his lawyer while Assange was still in Sweden. This is a big issue because he later uses it to suggest that Assange is at fault for failing to stay to be interviewed, the obvious hint being that he was a guilty man fleeing the jurisdiction.

Julie Hyland: Judge rules WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden - The verdict marks a new stage in efforts to silence Assange and WikiLeaks and prevent further disclosure of the duplicitous and criminal actions undertaken by the United States and governments across the world. Assange has made clear his intention to appeal the ruling. He has just seven days to do so. If the appeal is rejected, he could be extradited within 10 days. This is despite the fact that Assange has yet to be charged with any offence, and a mountain of evidence that he is the victim of politically motivated, trumped-up allegations.

Raymond Davis, the American spook arrested for murdering two people in Pakistan, may have been the acting head of CIA there.

A US intelligence agent arrested after shooting dead two men was the acting head of the CIA in Pakistan and had been gathering intelligence for drone attacks, according to intelligence sources. Raymond Davis, a 36-year-old former special forces soldier, had taken command after the CIA station chief's cover was blown, according to reports. American officials insist he is entitled to diplomatic immunity and that he be released immediately.

Davis has been held for almost a month in a Lahore prison while a court decides his status. The case has provoked a surge in anti-American hostility and spawned a wave of conspiracy theories. Many Pakistanis have questioned whether Davis was really the victim of an attempted robbery – as he told police – and exactly why he was driving around Lahore with a Glock handgun in a rented car.

AWIP: Pak intel: US killer official linked to CIA

On Thursday morning, the Israeli soldiers abducted two Palestinian children from the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, and searched several houses. Mohammad Awad, Media spokesman for the Palestinian Solidarity Project, stated that the Israeli occupation abducted Omar ‘Alkam, 15 years old, and Mohanad Sabarna, 17, after invading their houses and ransacking their belongings. Security Sources reported to Palestine News Agency ‘WAFA’, that the Israeli military invaded the town of Yatta, south of Hebron, and searched many houses. These houses belong to Ismael abu Sobha, Mohamad Moghnem, Ibrahim al-Hlais and ‘Adel Nassar. Furthermore, the Israeli army invaded Hebron, town of Halhoul, Sa’er, al-Fawwar Refugee Camp; stopped Palestinian citizens’ vehicles and checked the identities of Passengers.

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (17 – 23 February 2011)

Summary: Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (17 – 23 February 2011)

Shootings: During the reporting period, IOF killed 3 Palestinian civilians and a resistance activist and wounded 10 others (two children, two workers and 6 resistance activists) in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, on 17 February 2011, IOF killed 3 Palestinian civilians who were attempting to infiltrate into Israel to search for jobs. IOF fired artillery shells and gunshots at the victims. On 23 February 2011, IOF killed a Palestinian resistance activist and wounded 6 others and two children in the east of Gaza City. IOF fired two artillery shells at a number of activists of The al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad). During the reporting period, two Palestinian workers, including a child, were wounded when Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials. On 23 February 2011, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported. In the West Bank, during the reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded, and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises. Additionally, IOF arrested 15 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children, and two international human rights defenders.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 47 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 10 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions into the southern and central Gaza Strip, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land.

Restrictions on Movement: Israel had continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

NBC Nightly News. Despite an "I'm with Walker" astroturf campaign, the truth about Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's union busting strategy was leaked today in a prank phone call. Also revealed, Charles & David Koch's plan to buy and privitize Wisconsin power plants.

Crews from Britain, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and America arrived in New Zealand's second largest city on a day that failed to produce any more live rescues. The death toll jumped during the day to 98 after 24 bodies were pulled out of the destroyed Canterbury TV building alone. Recovery teams expect to find more as they pick through the debris. The number of people missing, for whom police hold "serious, grave fears", hit 226.

During the morning hopes were raised when there were reports of a woman calling for help from inside a collapsed chapel in the city centre. But rescue teams could find no sign of anyone trapped in the building. Rescue efforts centred on the Pine Gould building, where the last person to be found alive was pulled to safety yesterday. About 14 people are believed to be inside the crumbled block, but police dogs, listening devices and emergency crews had found no sign of life by the afternoon.

PayPal, an online payment-transfer service, has apparently developed reservations about the Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution, which reads:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

As spokespersons for the Bradley Manning Support Network have observed, there is no obligation under US law for a private company to restrict fund-raising for an accused person:

They opted to apply an exceptional hurdle for us to clear in order to continue as a customer, whereas we have clearly provided the legally required information and verification. I think our dealings with PayPal should be a cautionary tale for any possibly controversial not-for-profit entity with a PayPal account,” [Jeff] Paterson said, “While there may be no legal obligation to provide services, there is an ethical obligation. By shutting out legitimate nonprofit activity, PayPal shows itself to be morally bankrupt.

Like previous decisions of PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, and others to close down transfer of donations to WikiLeaks, this move against Courage to Resist and the Manning Support Network raises the spectre of private corporations acting as proxies for the political branches of government when the courts would not -- in effect, the invention of law that is at once privatized and politicized.

[You Tube] It is "very likely" that a senior district judge will order the extradition of Julian Assange to Sweden to face sexual assault charges, a barrister at Matrix Chambers predicted this week. Julian Knowles, who has written books on extradition law, was being interviewed on Law in Action, the weekly programme I present for BBC Radio 4. He dismissed two preliminary arguments raised by Assange's defence team: that the Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny had no power to issue a European arrest warrant and that the WikiLeaks founder was wanted merely for questioning rather than to face trial.

Twitter: #assange
Twitter: Julian Assange To Be Extradited
Washington Post: Assange must be extradited, judge rules
The Telegraph: Julian Assange attacks European arrest warrant after extradition ruling
The Guardian: Julian Assange extradition hearing decision – live updates
Antiwar: Assange Extradition Ruling Expected on Thursday Morning -Video

A shocking new Newsweek/Daily Beast poll finds billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump a mere 2 points behind President Barack Obama in a hypothetical 2012 head-to-head match-up. Obama had the support of 43 percent of the public, to Trump's 41 percent -- within the poll's +/-3.5 percent margin of error. The president led Republican 2012 hopefuls and former governors Sarah Palin by 11 points (51-40), Mitt Romney by 2 points (49-47), and was tied with Mike Huckabee (46-46). The result could be an outlier as Obama held a 14 point lead over Trump (48-34) in a recent survey by Public Policy Polling. It found that Trump had a national approval rating of only 27 percent; 56 percent disapproved. Trump, who is no serious analyst's idea of a viable Republican nominee or presidential contender, has been floated as a dark-horse candidate. The reality television star and media magnate entertained the idea by making a speech this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in which one media outlet said he "stole the show."

Fresh Israeli strikes have left at least 16 people injured -- two in a critical condition, witnesses and security sources say.

Israel's F-16 warplanes and Apache helicopters carried out multiple airstrikes on late Wednesday early on Thursday across the Gaza Strip, a Press TV correspondent reported. An Israeli tank opened fire on a group of Palestinians in the east of Gaza City. The Islamic Jihad movement said that three of its members were injured by Israeli tanks firing from positions inside Gaza late Wednesday. Separately, two other Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in Beit Lahiya. And in yet another attack, Israeli drones targeted the east of Gaza City, injuring at least two people.

Israeli F-16s as well as Apache fighter helicopters also hovered over the Gaza City, where witnesses reported two intensive explosions. Meanwhile, Hamas said it has evacuated all its security posts, police stations and government buildings as it expects more Israeli attacks.

The latest news from the ABC.net.au should come as no surprise to those who know all too well that one can’t eat gold: “Gaddafi own private plane is loaded with gold bullion and lots of hard currency, mainly dollars, and is preparing to flee to Zimbabwe to stay there with his friend Robert Mugabe.” Yet there is speculation that instead of pulling a Ben Ali, Gaddafi may pull a Hitler: “Earlier, one of Mr Gaddafi’s former ministers predicted the Libyan leader will follow in Adolf Hitler’s footsteps and commit suicide rather than give up power. Mustapha Abdeljalil, justice minister until he quit over the bloody crackdown on protesters, says he expects Mr Gaddafi to make good on his pledge to die on Libyan soil rather than slink into exile. “Gaddafi’s time is up. He is going to go like Hitler. He is going to commit suicide,” Mr Abdeljalil told Swedish media.” In either case, we are skeptical that much of Libya’s oil infrastructure will survive the binary outcome. As a reminder, Libya had 143.8 tonnes of gold (or Tungsten as the case may be) as of December 31, per the WGC.

ABC News: Rumor: Gaddafi preparing to flee Libya in a plane loaded with gold and hard currency before a no-fly zone is imposed

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has told state TV that Osama Bin Laden and his followers are to blame for the protests wracking his country. In a phone call from the town of al-Zawiya played live on TV, Col Gaddafi said young people were being duped with drugs and alcohol to take part in "destruction and sabotage". Col Gaddafi is battling to shore up control of Tripoli and western areas. Protesters have been consolidating gains in cities in the east. Opposition politicians and tribal leaders have held a key meeting in the eastern town of al-Bayda to show a united front against Col Gaddafi.

World leaders may now be condemning the Libyan leader for his use of violence, but it hasn’t always been this way.

Reuters: Cables show Libya pressed oil firms to reimburse terror costs

"This is not simply a concern of the United States," he said as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stood by his side. "The entire world is watching, and we will coordinate our assistance and accountability measures with the international community."

But he also hinted that Washington may consider taking unspecified unilateral action against the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.

"I’ve …asked my administration to prepare the full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis," he said. "This includes those actions we may take and those we will coordinate with our allies and partners, or those that we’ll carry out through multilateral institutions."

PressTV: France has ruled out a foreign military intervention in Libya

Der Spiegel: German navy sends 3 warships to Libya [Google Translate]

TOBRUK, Libya – Moamer Kadhafi's regime has lost vast swathes of Libya's east to an insurrection, it emerged Wednesday, as the West prepared for a mass exodus from a "bloodbath" in the north African country. With condemnation of the brutal crackdown growing and foreigners fleeing the oil-rich country, Kadhafi was increasingly isolated on the international scene after reports hundreds of civilians were killed in the backlash by his forces. Europe moved to isolate the Kadhafi regime, readying sanctions and warning it would hold to account those responsible for the bloody crackdown.

LIVE: Al Jazeera English: Live Stream

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi called on thousands of mercenaries and loyalist troops Wednesday to help defend the nation’s capital, Tripoli, while nearby cities fell from his iron control. Not trusting his own army, Gaddafi has for years amassed an irregular force headed by his sons, and known to be ruthless and loyal. Witnesses said the force has been gaining strength in Tripoli, while cities as close as 100 miles away fell from Gaddafi’s grip. Meanwhile, Egypt estimated that nearly 30,000 refugees have crossed over their border. View images below from the streets published on Twitter. Warning: Extremely graphic.

PressTV: Scores of Libyan soldiers have been executed for refusing to open fire on pro-democracy protesters
You Tube: EXTREMLY Graphic - YOUNG 13 year old BOY SHOT in HEAD and KILLED - LIBYA

Libyan citizen: "The only thing we can do now is not give up, no surrender, no going back. We will die anyways, whether we like it or not. It is clear that they don't care whether we live or not. This is genocide." Libya is not Egypt, or Tunisia. Unlike its two neighbors, Libya is a major oil-producer. And it has been ruled for 42 years by a loose-cannon leader, Muammar Gaddafi, who has flip-flopped through a mix of nationalism, authoritarianism, pseudo-socialism, his own brand of Islam, anti-imperialist rhetoric, support for terrorism, and finally neoliberalism and free-market privatization. Now facing an uprising that threatens to topple him, Gaddafi, in a televised speech Tuesday night, called the protesters "cockroaches" or "rats and mercenaries" who deserve the death penalty. He urged his followers to "cleanse Libya house by house" unless the protesters surrender.

PressTV: Gaddafi troops attack Zwara, kill 10
Al Arabiya: At least 10,000 dead and 50,000 wounded in Libya.

Checkpoints have sprung up across the city of Tripoli today as long-standing dictator Moammar Gadhafi has ordered thousands of foreign mercenaries and militiamen, some wearing parts of different uniforms, some in plainclothes, to try to shore up his last real stronghold in the nation. Major protests were held in Tripoli against the regime in the past few days, but today, at gunpoint, the loyalists are demanding residents to pledge loyalty to Gadhafi or face summary execution on the streets. Protesters have been making major inroads into Western Libya, and are in the process of setting up an informal interim government in East Libya, but the regime, such as it is, clearly hopes to cling to power in Tripoli as long as it can. How long will that be?

While the protests convulsing Bahrain and Libya this past week occurred in vastly different contexts - and will likely produce very different results - both were met with conspicuously swift crackdowns. And in both cases, reports suggest the Libyan and Bahraini regimes deployed foreign fighters and mercenaries against their own citizens, lethal clashes that left scores wounded and many dead.

Though difficult to substantiate in the current chaos, reports from eastern Libya, in particular from the city of Benghazi, claim that snipers and militiamen from sub-Saharan Africa gunned down residents on the streets. The Dubai-based al-Arabiya network says some of the guerrillas were Francophone mercenaries recruited by one of the sons of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Qatar-based al-Jazeera detailed pamphlets circulated to mercenary recruits from Guinea and Nigeria, offering them $2,000 per day to crack down on the Libyan uprising. And, as further reports of defections from the Libyan military filter in, the cornered Gaddafi regime may turn more and more to hired guns from abroad. On television channels and Twitter, frantic rumors circulated about Gaddafi preparing for a mercenary-backed counteroffensive against his opponents.

Iraq War Facts [?]: Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq as $390,000. 4,439 US troops are dead. 32,033 are wounded, 20% of which are serious brain or spinal injuries. 30% of returning troops develop serious mental & health problems. Iraqi civilian casualties stand well above 600,000 [?]. The Iraq War, also referred to as "Operation Iraqi Freedom", began in the March of 2003. In the lead up to the [illegal] invasion, the Governments of United States and United Kingdom [lied] and asserted that Saddam Hussein, then the President of Iraq, was developing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and, thereby, threatening the security of the United States and its allies. Since 2003, the Iraq war has claimed the lives of approximately 4,500 US troops and over 600,000 Iraqi civilians (estimates widely vary). The US news media would sanitized and censored the coverage of the War. In fact, Scott McClellan, the former White House Press Secretary for President Geroge Bush, publicly stated that the Media had been too easy on George Bush when the US was preparing for the [illegal] invasion.

President Obama now believes that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and will no longer defend the 15-year-old law in federal court, the Justice Department announced today. Symbolically and substantively, his decision represents a major advance for gay rights and presages a significant shift in how the government will handle questions about equality for gays. It could also reignite a largely burnt-over debate in the culture wars, distracting both political parties.

Sherry Cornelius aka lpggirl of St. Francis Energy has sent us more photos of our Rosebud rezidents saying *THANK YOU* to you all for helping them get through another harsh winter in South Dakota. Below you'll find more THANK YOU photos and details on how you can help. Please share these donation details with family and friends. Again, we are helping people who are falling through the cracks with government and tribal assistance. Everyone here has consented to having their photo taken with the caption. THANK YOU DAILY KOS and Native American Netroots!

Native American Netroots: Help buy propane for Lakota families in South Dakota

Telephone:
Sherry Cornelius of St. Francis Energy Co.
at 6 0 5 - 7 4 7 - 2 5 4 2
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On January 16, the New York Times ran a front-page story by William Broad, John Markoff, and David Sanger entitled "Israeli Test on Worm Called Crucial in Iran Nuclear Delay," supposedly unveiling the joint US/Israeli role in creating and testing the now-famous Stuxnet computer virus reportedly employed against Iran’s nuclear program. According to the article, this piece of malware is responsible for setting back Iran’s nuclear program by possibly years. The reaction in the blogosphere and news media following has been one of widespread awestruck acclaim, with various outlets referring to the advent of Stuxnet as an “Oppenheimer moment”, “the Hiroshima of our time” along with slews of hypothetical analyses of the world-changing implications of such technology. I was astonished at the near-total acceptance of the claims laid out by the NY Times article.

Xymphora: The reason for the Stuxnet lie

Two Iranian vessels are docking at Syria port after they passed through the Suez Canal for the first time since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. On Tuesday, Iranian vessels, Khark and Alvand, crossed the Suez Canal, a strategic international shipping route in Egypt for the first time since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The 1,500-ton patrol frigate Alvand is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while the larger 33,000-ton supply vessel Khark has 250 crewmembers and can carry three helicopters.

Following the passage of the two Iranian warships, the United States said on Tuesday that it is "watching carefully" the activities of the Iranian warships in the Mediterranean Sea. "We continue to monitor the movements of these ships and their actions," AFP quoted US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley as saying.

PressTV: Israel shocked by Iran ships in Suez
Raw Story: Israel on high alert as Iran warships enter Med