Obama, Cameron and Sarkozy: no let-up in Libya

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16 Apr 2011
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Obama, Cameron and Sarkozy: no let-up in Libya until Gaddafi departs [we get the oil] --US president reverses previously cautious approach to Libyan conflict and signs America up to more muscular intervention 15 Apr 2011 President Obama today signals the return of America to the forefront of the international effort in Libya, writing a joint article with David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy in which the three leaders commit their countries to pursue military action until Colonel Gaddafi has been removed. In the joint article, Obama reverses America's earlier cautious approach to the conflict - which saw the US hand control to Nato and withdraw fighter planes just days after the intervention began – and signs up his country to the more muscular intervention of his European colleagues.

Contact Group meeting in Doha plans imperialist carve-up of Libya By Alex Lantier 14 Apr 2011 The Contact Group, an assembly of foreign ministers from Western and Arab countries backing the Benghazi-based Libyan rebels of the Interim Transitional National Council (INC), met yesterday in Doha, Qatar. The meeting highlighted the INC’s role as a stooge of the imperialist powers, particularly the US, Britain and France, who are promoting it as their proxy force in a bitter civil war in Libya... INC member Mahmoud Chammam called on the US government to "liberate the funds" of the Gaddafi regime--that is, an estimated $30 billion of Libyan oil earnings held by Western banks. Normally used to pay for Libyan social spending and public sector workers’ salaries, these funds would be stolen by the major banks to pay for INC weapons and supplies.

World leaders slam West war in Libya 14 Apr 2011 Leaders of the BRICS group, the world's five major emerging powers, have criticized the West for waging a war on Libya, which has caused civilian casualties in the North African state. In their summit meeting in southern China, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa unanimously condemned the Libya bombings, AFP reported Thursday. The group rejected the use of force in the Middle East and North Africa in a draft statement.

'US drone raids to persist in Pakistan' 15 Apr 2011 CIA director Leon Panetta has told Pakistani intelligence officials that the US has no intention of stopping its unauthorized drone operations in Pakistan, a report says. During Monday talks with Panetta, Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, asked Washington to halt its drone attacks in the country, AFP reported on Thursday. The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, however, responded by referring to the spy agency's 'duty' to protect America by carrying out such operations against militants [slaughtering civilians] in Pakistan, the report added.

Blast hits joint US-Afghan military base 16 Apr 2011 A powerful explosion has ripped through a joint US-Afghan military base in Gambiray area in Afghanistan's eastern Laghman province, local officials say. "An unidentified bomber, dressed in an Afghan police uniform, detonated explosives near an army garrison in Gambiray area of Laghman province this morning amid reports of possible casualties," a Press TV correspondent reported Saturday. Medical sources report at least four Afghan soldiers were killed and eight others injured in the attack.

5 US-led soldiers killed in Afghan war 16 Apr 2011 Five US-led soldiers have been killed in an attack on an Afghan army base in eastern Afghanistan amid a surge in attacks against foreign troops in the country. In a Saturday statement, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed the death toll from the attack in eastern Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency reported. This week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton refrained from expounding on a timeline about the US military pullout from war-weary Afghanistan. [US: Leave. That's the message delivered loud and clear, over and over. Even the delusional dirt-bags running the US government should be able to grasp the concept.]

Militant attacks kill 5 in Afghanistan 14 Apr 2011 Violence has once again gripped Afghanistan as militants target Afghan and US-led forces in separate attacks across the war-ravaged country, claiming at least five lives. At least two people were killed and three others injured in a bomb attack in Kabul province early Thursday, a Press TV correspondent reported. The bomb which was hidden in a truck went off outside police headquarters in Mosahi district, the report added.

Private visits with WikiLeaks suspect denied --Private meetings with US Congressman, UN torture investigator and Amnesty International forbidden by military 15 Apr 2011 The lawyer for an Army private suspected of giving classified material to WikiLeaks says the military is refusing to grant his client private jailhouse visits with a congressman, a United Nations torture investigator and Amnesty International. Civilian attorney David Coombs said Thursday military officials say none of these visits with Pfc. Bradley Manning would constitute official government business, so the meetings must be monitored.

Germany: An Appeal to Obama Over a U.S. Prisoner's Treatment 14 Apr 2011 Germany's Parliament says its human rights committee is protesting the conditions in which a United States Army private suspected of giving classified material to WikiLeaks is being detained. A statement from Parliament's lower house on Wednesday said that committee members appealed in a letter to President Obama for him to ensure "humane" conditions for Pfc. Bradley E. Manning.

Germany Denies Asylum to US Iraq Deserter --When Shepherd was ordered back to Iraq, he felt he could not continue to take part in what he said was a "completely illegal war" and became the first US Soldier to claim asylum in Germany. 05 Apr 2011 Germany has denied asylum to Andre Shepherd, a former US Soldier who deserted his unit in Iraq citing opposition to the war, a spokesman for the federal office for migration and refugees said on Tuesday. "The asylum claim was rejected because there is no evidence to suggest that the asylum seeker could have been involved in war crimes or other crimes during another posting to Iraq," the office said in a statement.

ABC News: Pat Tillman's Mom Wants General Stanley McChrystal Removed From Chairing White House Initiative 14 Apr 2011 President Obama named retired General Stanley McChrystal to co-chair a White House commission on military families this week, but according to perhaps the most prominent military family of the last decade, McChrystal is unfit for that duty. Mary Tillman, mother of Pat Tillman, the former professional football player turned Army Ranger who was tragically killed by friendly fire 7 years ago, is angered by McChrystal's appointment, telling ABC News that he was part of the propaganda effort pushing the false tale that Tillman had been killed by the enemy, and keeping the truth from the world -- and their family.

Gag me with a chainsaw! US Senate asks UN to rescind Gaza War report 15 Apr 2011 The US Senate asked the United Nations to rescind a report on the Gaza War after its lead author said he was wrong to conclude Israel targeted civilians during the 2008-2009 offensive. The text was adopted by unanimous consent. It also [*insanely*] urges UN chief Ban Ki-moon to help "reform" the Human Rights Council "so that it no longer unfairly, disproportionately, and falsely criticizes Israel on a regular basis."

Israel's FM charged with graft 13 Apr 2011 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has been charged with fraud, money laundering and breach of trust, which could force the rightist Israeli politician to step down. Israel's Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein said on Wednesday that he will announce his decision early next week on whether to file an indictment against Lieberman, Reuters reported. If convicted, the head of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party would have to resign from his post, according to Weinstein.

NORAD plans morning training flights over Washington and Frederick County, Md. 12 Apr 2011 The U.S. military is planning some training flights over Washington and Frederick County, Md., to test the region's air defenses. The North American Aerospace Defense Command says the flights over the Washington area will take place between midnight and 2 a.m. Wednesday. NORAD says the flights over Frederick County are scheduled between 4:10 a.m. and 5 a.m. Wednesday.

New arrest over Anonymous' pro-WikiLeaks attacks 15 Apr 2011 Police have made a sixth arrest in their investigation of Anonymous, the online activist collective that launched a series of cyber attacks on major firms it saw as anti-WikiLeaks. The new suspect, a 22-year-old man from Cleveland, was questioned by specialist computer crime detectives at a local police station on Wednesday last week. They are suspected of involvement in cyber attacks on the websites of Amazon, Bank of America, MasterCard, PayPal and Visa in December.

White House draft bill expands DHS cyber responsibilities --DHS oversees all civilian cybersecurity 14 Apr 2011 Under a White House plan, the Homeland Security Department will have far-reaching oversight over all civilian agency computer networks. The proposal would codify much of the administration's memo from July 2010 expanding DHS's cyber responsibilities for civilian networks. The White House, however, is taking those responsibilities further, according to a source familiar with the document. The administration drafted a legislative proposal to give DHS many, if not all, of the same authorities for the .gov networks that the Defense Department has for the .mil networks.

Three largest online poker sites indicted and shut down by FBI 15 Apr 2011 The founders of the three largest online poker sites were indicted by the FBI on Friday in what could serve as a death blow to the thriving industry. Eleven executives at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and a number of their affiliates were charged with bank fraud and money laundering in an indictment unsealed in a Manhattan court. Two of the defendants were arrested on Friday morning in Utah and Nevada. Federal agents are searching for the others.

US police increasingly peeping at e-mail, instant messages 12 Apr 2011 Law enforcement organizations are making tens of thousands of requests for private electronic information from companies such as Sprint, Facebook and AOL, but few detailed statistics are available, according to a privacy researcher. Police and other agencies have "enthusiastically embraced" asking for e-mail, instant messages and mobile-phone location data, but there's no U.S. federal law that requires the reporting of requests for stored communications data, wrote Christopher Soghoian, a doctoral candidate at the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University, in a newly published paper.

TSA security looks at people who complain about... TSA security 15 Apr 2011 Arrogant complaining about airport security is one indicator Transportation Security Administration officers consider when looking for possible criminals and terrorists, CNN has learned exclusively. And, when combined with other behavioral indicators, it could result in a traveler facing additional scrutiny. CNN has obtained a list of roughly 70 "behavioral indicators" that TSA behavior detection officers use to identify potentially "high risk" passengers at the nation's airports.

Kettling of G20 protesters by police was illegal, high court rules --Aggressive tactics used by Met against climate camp activists in 2009 were unlawful, says judgment 14 Apr 2011 The high court has ruled that the Metropolitan police broke the law in the way they "kettled" protesters at the G20 demonstrations in 2009. In a landmark judgment on Thursday, high court judges found for protesters who had claimed police treated them unfairly. It also criticised the use of force by officers.

Strong temblor rattles Japan capital 16 Apr 2011 An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale has struck central Japan as the country struggles to break free from last month's catastrophic quake and tsunami woes. The quake, which occurred on Saturday morning at 11:19 a.m. local time (0219 GMT) with its focus in Tochiigi Prefecture, shook buildings in the capital Tokyo.

Radioactive strontium detected more than 30 km from Fukushima plant 13 Apr 2011 Minute amounts of radioactive strontium have been detected in soil and plants in Fukushima Prefecture beyond the 30-kilometer zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the science ministry said Tuesday. It is the first time that radioactive strontium has been detected since the Fukushima plant began leaking radioactive substances after it was severely damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Melted nuclear fuel likely settled at bottom of crippled reactors 15 Apr 2011 Nuclear fuel inside the crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant has partially melted and settled in granular form at the bottom of pressure vessels, according to an analysis by the Atomic Energy Society of Japan made public by Friday. As the nation's worst nuclear crisis drags on more than a month after it was triggered by the March 11 quake and tsunami, small amounts of plutonium have been detected for the third time in soil samples taken at the complex.

Japan eyes possible damage to spent nuclear fuel rods 14 Apr 2011 Japanese authorities say high radiation readings from one of the spent fuel pools at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may be caused by radioactive debris from outside rather than from damage to the fuel rods inside. A water sample taken from the pool that houses the No. 4 reactor's old fuel rods showed a higher-than-normal amount of radioactive iodine-131, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, the chief spokesman for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. That's an indication that the fuel rods may have sustained some damage since the disaster, but the cause was still under investigation, he said.

Tepco Plans Initial $600 Million Payment to Evacuees of Nuclear Disaster 15 Apr 2011 Tokyo Electric Power Co. said it expects to make initial payments of about 50 billion yen ($600 million) to compensate evacuees from the area near the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant. The company plans to offer 1 million yen per household and 750,000 yen for single-person households within 30 kilometers of the plant, President Masataka Shimizu said at a briefing in Tokyo today.

Oil spill protesters thrown out after trying to storm stage at BP's Annual General meeting 14 Apr 2011 A number of protesters were ejected from BP's Annual General Meeting today after attempting to storm the stage. The group, dressed in matching T-shirts, were carried out of the Excel Centre in east London by security guards as BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg was involved in a heated discussion over oil extraction in Canadian tar-sands. The group approached the stage in the auditorium, where the entire BP board was sitting, but were prevented from climbing on to the platform. ['Matching T-shirts?' at a BP board meeting? LOL. Wouldn't an IED have been more appropriate? ]

S. African Vets in Talks on How to Manage Bird Flu Outbreak 13 Apr 2011 South African veterinarians are trying to find ways of managing an outbreak of bird flu in the Western Cape province, said Wouter Kriel, a spokesman for the provincial agricultural ministry. Hong Kong’s Center for Food Safety today said it suspended processing applications for imports of poultry, game birds and their products from South Africa following the outbreak, according to a statement published on the center's website.

House of Representatives Votes to End Medicare and Cut Taxes for Wealthy, Corporations 15 Apr 2011 The United States House of Representatives has passed the Paul Ryan (R) budget blueprint that would end Medicare as we know it, convert Medicaid to a block grant program which would sharply curtail health care availability to the poor and nursing home care to seniors, while further cutting dramatically into aid to those in need of food stamp programs and other social safety net assistance. The Resolution would also effectively repeal the Affordable Care Act while reducing the highest tax rates paid by the nation’s wealthiest citizens by 10% and reduce taxes paid by U.S. corporations.

Obama signs budget deal that averted shutdown 15 Apr 2011 President Obama has signed the compromise budget agreement [surrender] to fund the government for the remaining six months of the fiscal year. He said he signed the bill despite "strong objections" to restrictions on his authority to transfer detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison facility into the United States. The House and Senate passed the bill, which cuts about $38 billion in government spending, on Thursday.

Obama proposes trillions in spending cuts By Patrick Martin 14 Apr 2011 President Barack Obama outlined plans Wednesday for slashing $4 trillion from the federal budget deficit over the next 12 years, the bulk of it by cutting domestic social spending, particularly in the area of health care. His speech at George Washington University in the US capital demonstrates the consensus in the American ruling elite for a frontal assault on social programs upon which tens of millions of working people, children and retirees depend. Obama largely accepted the deficit reduction framework set by the Republican right.

Arizona lawmakers OK requiring proof of citizenship to run for president 14 Apr 2011 The Arizona Legislature has become the first in the nation to pass a measure requiring presidential candidates to provide proof of citizenship in order to get on the state's ballot. House Bill 2177 got final approval Thursday night from the House. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Carl Seel, R-Phoenix, would require presidential and vice presidential candidates to provide the Arizona secretary of state with documents proving they are natural-born citizens.

US aviation official quits over sleeping controllers --Congressional chairman to meet FAA leaders 14 Apr 2011 The government official overseeing day-to-day U.S. air traffic operations resigned on Thursday after additional disclosures of air controllers sleeping on the job. Hank Krakowski was director of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Organization, which is responsible for orchestrating more than 9 million departures and arrivals at more than 400 airports annually.

Russia bans endangered polar bear hunt this year 14 Apr 2011 Russia has banned the hunting of polar bears this year, thanks to a group with close ties to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a longtime defender of large endangered animals. Putin last year helped scientists put a tracking collar on a sedated male polar bear. Before leaving the bear, he patted the animal affectionately, shook his paw and said "take care." He also joined scientists last year in studying the gray whale off Russia's Pacific Coast... Putin also has championed the cause of endangered big cats.

The day ends in 'y,' so it's time for another Obama betrayal of the Left: With Obama's signature, wolf hunts resume 15 Apr 2011 Political analysts expect President Obama to sign the budget reconciliation bill Congress recently passed. When he does, he’ll open the door to wolf hunting again in Montana and Idaho. Two members of Congress -- Sen. John Tester of Montana and Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho -- inserted language into the budget bill that would return wolf management slaughter to Montana and Idaho state control. Both states held wolf hunts in 2009 after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lifted Endangered Species List protection on the species, but were blocked from doing so in 2010 by a ruling by federal judge Donald Molloy.

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