A bipartisan group of US senators is pushing a resolution declaring that if Israel attacks Iran “in self-defense,” the United States will join in the military assault on Israel’s behalf. - The chief sponsors of the resolution are Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Graham said the resolution will be non-binding and is neither a declaration of war nor an authorization to use military force. Non-binding resolutions are supposed to express the sentiment of Congress, as opposed to actually legislate policy. This one seems tied to placating the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which holds its annual conference in DC this weekend.

"Newborn Screening in America," a report from the Council for Responsible Genetics, states:

"Before they are even a week old, ninety-eight percent of the 4.3 million babies born annually in the United States have a small sample of blood taken from their heels." The report continues: "These newborn bloodspots (NBS) are then screened for a variety of inherited conditions and may later be stored in state-operated databases...parents are often unaware of these screening programs and their consent options."

This shocking national program, flying under the radar, is of course explained as a humane medical undertaking. But there is no across-the-board genetic treatment for any disease or illness. All the "maybe-possibly-in-the-future-cure" nonsense does nothing to justify this rank incursion on newborns and their unsuspecting families.

On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Jack Lew to be secretary of the Treasury, by a vote of 71 to 26... After serving in the Clinton Administration, Lew went to work at New York University. During his tenure as executive vice president for operations, from 2001 to 2006, the university came under scrutiny for making Citigroup the "preferred lender" for students, in exchange for getting a cut of loan revenue. After then-New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo started investigating these kickbacks, NYU returned $1.4 million to students and agreed to a $2 million settlement with the state. Lew's salary at NYU was more than $800,000--higher even than the university president's. When Lew left NYU in 2006 to work for Citigroup--yes, the same bank with which NYU had the preferred lender arrangement--the university gave him a $685,000 severance payment.

■ In a statement in military court Thursday, Army Private Bradley Manning pleaded not guilty to “aiding the enemy,” the most serious of 22 charges against him for his part in allegedly leaking classified documents to whistleblower organization WikiLeaks.

■ Through his lawyer, David Coombs, Manning offered guilty pleas to 10 of the charges related to disclosing evidence of war crimes. Manning related to the court Thursday that after finding the video of a US helicopter gunning down innocent civilians including children and journalists in Iraq—later published by WikiLeaks under the title “Collateral Murder”—he contacted multiple media outlets to pass them the files. Politico.com, the Washington Post, and the New York Times were among the organizations Manning approached before he turned to WikiLeaks.

■ Among the leaked material attributed to Manning’s activities are video evidence of war crimes committed by US forces in Iraq, high Afghan civilian casualty figures and US atrocities not admitted by the Pentagon, and diplomatic double-dealing on the part of the State Department.

Associated Press: Army GI says he leaked secrets to spark war debate
The Guardian: Manning plea statement: Americans had a right to know 'true cost of war'
Russia Today: Bradley Manning admits to leaking 'the most significant documents of our time’ - Video

As Russia takes over its month-long presidency of the UN Security Council, the country’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin tells RT, that Washington’s resolve not to provide Syrian rebels with lethal arms still leaves room for concern. Russia’s term starts on March 1 and will last for one month. The role of the president of the Security Council involves setting the agenda, presiding over meetings, and overseeing any crisis. On the eve of occupying the presiding chair at the Council, Russia's envoy to the UN spoke with RT about what will be on the agenda and other acute international issues.

Tony Cartalucci: US Policy Vs. Syria Indicative of Exhausted Legitimacy ■ Secretary Kerry's "desire" to keep weapons out of the hands of extremists is willfully disingenuous misdirection. The US [has, on record, purposefully propped up extremists] in Syria years before the conflict even began in 2011. ■ The exhausted legitimacy of the West, punctuated by unhinged hypocrisy, and rapidly unraveling financial and military might, would seem a perfect opportunity for the United Nations to prove its relevance or legitimacy by condemning the purposeful expansion of an already intolerable proxy war initiated by Western interests. Instead, it remains silent, or worse yet, complicit in the premeditated, documented assault on Syria under the increasingly tenuous guise of "democracy promotion," "revolution," and "humanitarian concern."

Stephen Lendman: Kerry Supports Anti-Syrian Government Terrorists - Kerry replaced Clinton at State. He didn't miss a beat. He continues her imperial arrogance. He prioritizes war. He deplores peace. He supports Israel's worst crimes. He's contemptuous of rule of law principles. He supports wrong over right. He's indifferent to human suffering. US imperial priorities alone matter. ■ Plans are to assure Western-backed death squads more aid. They're not rebels. They're invaders. They're terrorists.

The Guardian: US offers $60m for Syrian intervention as sequester cuts loom

GlobeCast satellite provider has refused a request by European satellite provider Eutelsat to stop broadcasting Iranian channels, saying the demand is devoid of proper legal reasoning. - In a Monday letter, GlobeCast informed the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting of two letters from Eutelsat in which the European satellite provider made reference to the US and EU unilateral sanctions against Iran and requested GlobeCast to pull the plug on Iranian channels, Hispan TV, Press TV, IRINN and Arabic-language Al Alam news network. In a written response, GlobeCast notified Eutelsat that the request lacks the required legal basis, stating, “GlobeCast, therefore, does not consider Eutelsat request to be legally grounded for the time being.”

Speaking yesterday before a Vienna forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, a UN framework for West-Islam dialogue, Erodgan called Zionism, the movement founded in 1897 for Jewish self-determination, a "crime against humanity," likening it with anti-Semitism, fascism, and Islamophobia. (Minute Mark 8:00 to 8:30)

Hürriyet: Turkish PM Erdogan: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism same - Islamophobia must be recognized as a crime against humanity in the same fashion that Zionism, anti-Semitism and fascism should be, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday. Speaking at the “Fifth Alliance of Civilizations Forum” in Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, the prime minister underlined the rising trend of fascism across the Europe. “We are facing a world in which racist attacks have gained momentum, terrorism has claimed more lives, and religions and sects treat each other with less understanding,” Erdogan said. “In a similar fashion, I must state that rising racism in Europe is a serious problem for the Alliance of Civilizations Project,” Erdogan said, adding that the “disrespectful” attitudes to Muslims in certain countries hurt consciences. “We witness very frequently the alienation of the ‘other’ in various countries instead of efforts to understand the culture and beliefs of the ‘other,’” he said. “Just like Zionism, anti-Semitism and fascism, it becomes unavoidable that Islamophobia must be regarded as a crime against humanity,” Erdoðan said, slamming politicians who use communication tools to deepen the gap between cultures. “Certain politicians’ defamation of a religion or a sect by mass communication tools only makes pre-conceived notions bigger and deepens the gap,” Erdogan said.

Russia Today: Turkish PM’s ‘Zionist’ comment sparks international Israeli & US outcry - The Israeli premier, the UN Chief and US officials criticized the Turkish PM’s claim that Jewish nationalism is a "crime against humanity," and rejected comparisons to fascism, the ideology behind the Holocaust, which targeted European Jews. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled Wednesday’s statement by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “dark and libelous.” “I strongly condemn the comparison that the Turkish prime minister drew between Zionism and fascism,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Haaretz, adding that he “thought that such dark and libelous comments were a thing of the past.”

Hürriyet: US, Turkey divided on Israel after PM Erdoğan's Zionism remarks
Today's Zaman: US Secretary of State Kerry arrives in Turkey for two-day visit

Iran’s permanent envoy to the United Nations has expressed concern over Israel’s illegal imprisonment of Palestinians, urging the UN to address the plight of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. - In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Mohammad Khazaei called on the world body to pay attention to the harsh conditions of Palestinians kept in Israeli prisons. The United Nations should announce that the Israeli regime must be held accountable for violation of ‘international rights,’ Khazaei said. The remarks came after two Palestinian detainees, who were on an extended hunger strike in an Israeli jail, were moved to a hospital on Wednesday, following the deterioration of their health.

PressTV: 2 Palestinian hunger strikers hospitalized

Why aren't Americans shown these honest facts on any of the over 1,700 major media outlets? And WHAT OTHER INFO IS BEING WITHELD? Rachel Corrie: 'a true hero' was killed by the state of Israel, and by its brutal regime that practises not only 'mass punishment' but also 'ethnic cleansing'. The same regime that has displaced over 4 million Palestinians, and killed many thousands. The same regime that has denied the right to self-determination to the Palestinian people. A regime that systematically destroys the lives of innocents every single DAY.

Ireland's trade union chief has accused the EU-IMF troika in charge of Irish austerity policies of tipping the economy into downward spiral and acting as an imperial oppressor. - "The Troika has done more damage to Ireland than Britain ever did in 800 years," said David Begg, head of the Irish Confederation of Trade Unions. Mr Begg said the image of Ireland as the poster-child of EU recovery was a myth culitivated by EU creditors whose only interest is to recoup their money.

"At least the IMF officials are willing to admit they have been wrong but the EU officials are total ideologues." "It is like being in an awful World War One conflict where the generals have expended a million lives to gain one yard of ground, yet nothing will change their mind in face of all the evidence."

The trade unions say internal consumption has collapsed by 26pc, and investment has fallen to the lowest level in recorded Irish history. Under-employment has reached 23pc despite emigration to Canada, Australia, the US and Britain. "The austerity has to stop. People feel they are drowning," he said.

Koert Debeuf, a European parliamentarian whose blog posts on Egyptian political reform were recently discussed by the Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Egyptian television, welcomes the EED's stated goals. "I think Europe should try to find a way to stop being scared," he told DW. "There are organizations [in Egypt], for example, that give media training to political parties and politicians. They exist, and no one wants to fund them." Based in Cairo, Debeuf and a handful of colleagues have helped train politicians in places like Libya, after the fall of dictator Moamar Gadhafi. "We can't complain that Salafists are winning the elections and then complain about [secular] parties not being organized," he said. "In Europe, we think that political training is paying money for campaigns. No, no, no. It's much more basic. No party in North Africa has a paid staff. No member of those parliaments has an assistant. It's as basic as saying, 'If you're working in a party you have to say the same message." Debeuf's work was pro bono, something he sees as unsustainable. He is excited by the prospect that an endowment such as the EED might fund activities such as his own and spread European ideals through direct political action. He believes the EED has the "right idea," even if the details remain sketchy. "Quick money spent on risky business?" he said. "Absolutely in favor."

The world order has changed in the course of the financial crisis and with it, enhanced the consolidation of a new arena of world politics in which superpowers somewhat urgently seem to hunt for new allies to rescue their well-being, says Gabriele Suder. Gabriele Suder is Jean Monnet chair and professor of International & European Business at Skema Business School. Globalisation is out, "regionalism" [globalisation-on-a-budget] is in, [Suder says.] One could argue that we might need to thank the lasting economic crisis for at least a few sweeping developments on the global level: Amongst them, the awareness that the world is in no way as ‘flat’ as some contemporary thinkers made many believe.

Venezuelan President Chavez is fighting for his life in a military hospital in the capital Caracas, Vice President Nicolas Maduro says. - Speaking on Venezuelan television on Thursday, Maduro said that Chavez was "battling for his health, for his life and we are accompanying him.” "Our commander is sick because he gave his life for those who don't have anything," he added. On February 18, Chavez returned to Caracas from Cuba, where he had cancer surgery. The 58-year-old leader, who traveled to Havana on December 10, 2012, underwent a fourth round of surgery after his cancer reappeared, despite a year and a half of treatment. In late March 2012, Chavez began radiation treatment in Cuba after undergoing an operation in February 2012 that removed a second cancerous tumor from his pelvic region. Chavez’s first tumor, which was baseball-sized, was removed in June 2011, and then he received chemotherapy. Chavez, who came to power in 1999, was reelected to a new six-year term in October.