Too busy to read the news, here's a recap of what mostly wasn't reported by Mass Media.
Mon, 2010-08-23 05:55 | 
marwanthe2nd
<--This is him testifying before Congress
-<-- Emily now.
France24: IDF soldier’s prisoner photos are the ‘tip of the iceberg’
Wed, 2010-08-18 15:21 | marwanthe2nd
"Human rights association “Breaking the Silence” has published more pictures of Israeli soldiers posing with shackled and blindfolded Palestinian prisoners, pointing out that the latest scandal is not an isolated incident.
Photos of an Israeli army officer posing with Palestinian prisoners can hardly be shocking to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), according to human rights association Breaking the Silence (BtS), which says such pictures are taken almost every day.
Former IDF Lieutenant Eden Abargil made headlines round the world Monday after publishing pictures of her posing with blindfolded and shackled Palestinian prisoners on Facebook. The IDF insists the pictures are an isolated incident.
Not so, according to BtS, an organisation of former IDF soldiers and veterans who collected and provided testimonies about their military experience in the occupied territories during the Second Intifada.
The association on Tuesday published a number of other pictures showing other IDF soldiers posing with blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinians on its Facebook page.."
To see the rest, including some of the photos, go here.
Author of Time Magazine's support-the-war-or-else peace did not disclose her husband's financial interest in said war.
Fri, 2010-08-13 14:50 | marwanthe2nd
The author, God bless her pseudo-heart, never mentioned that her husband is "... a board member of an Afghan government minister's $100 million project advocating foreign investment in Afghanistan, and has run two companies, Digistan and Ora-Tech, that have solicited and won development contracts with the assistance of the international military, including private sector infrastructure projects favored by U.S.-backed leader Hamid Karzai." ~ taken from Jason Linkins's report.
For the Taliban, who don't seem to shy away from taking credit for their work, they not only deny their involvement, they also state nothing of the sort happened in Badghis Province.
The Taliban's statement partly reads "..In sacred Islamic law, cutting of human ears and noses whether the human is alive or dead is illegal and prohibited. Under Shariate law, if someone carries out this heinous act, the same thing will be done to the criminal who has perpetuated the act..."
234% increase of soldiers going AWOL. ARMY not amused.
Fri, 2010-08-13 14:45 | marwanthe2nd
'Tucked
into this massive Army report on suicide is an interesting fact: Since
2004, the number of soldiers going AWOL, deserting, and "missing movement" --
that is failing to deploy when they're supposed to -- has
gone up a shocking 234 percent. The
Army includes this fact on page 92 of the 350 page document, in a section on
misdemeanor crimes -- alongside motor vehicle violations, substance abuse, and
other crimes -- which collectively have been rising at the rate of more than
5,000 a year for the last five years. "Good
order and discipline are on the decline," the report says. Alternatively,
one could say that after seven years of war in Iraq and nearly a decade in
Afghanistan, American soldiers are increasingly unwilling to risk their lives
for unpopular wars with an unclear path to victory. "
The often wrong Napolitano gets something right. And in a moment of unexpected bliss, he becomes eloquent, sharp & honest.
Mon, 2010-08-09 05:21 | marwanthe2nd
You know you are pathetic when you can't publish your own Memoir because it'll remind voters how much they hate you.
Sat, 2010-08-07 09:07 | marwanthe2nd
Remember me?
From Huffington Post: "George W. Bush pushed back publication of his memoirs, "Decision Points," out of fear that a public reminder of his presidential legacy would hurt Republicans heading into November's midterm elections, Bush's friends tell the Financial Times.
The FT reports that Bush refused to allow publication in September, which would have been a better time to unveil his book from a sales perspective. Instead, it's slated to hit stores on Nov. 9, one week after Election Day. Bush isn't scheduled to give any interviews for the book tour until Nov. 8...."
Click this if you want to read the rest, including the Republican excuse for this move
MCLU: Sixteen Years in Prison for Videotaping the Police?
Sat, 2010-08-07 09:02 | marwanthe2nd
Click for original article by "edward" here
The ACLU of Maryland is defending Anthony Graber, who potentially faces sixteen years in prison if found guilty of violating state wiretap laws because he recorded video of an officer drawing a gun during a traffic stop. In a trend that we've seen across the country, police have
become increasingly hostile to bystanders recording their actions. You can read some examples here, here and here.
However, the scale of the Maryland State Police reaction to Anthony Graber's video is unprecedented. Once they learned of the video on YouTube, Graber's residence was raided, searched, and four of his computers were confiscated. Graber was arrested, booked and jailed. Their actions are a calculated method of intimidation. Another person has since been similarly charged under the same statute.
The wiretap law being used to charge Anthony Graber is intended to protect private communication between two parties. According to David Rocah, the ACLU attorney handling Mr. Graber's case, "To charge Graber with violating the law, you would have to conclude that a police officer on a public road, wearing a badge and a uniform, performing his official duty, pulling someone over, somehow has a right to privacy when it comes to the conversation he has with the motorist."
* * *
Here is the videotape of that tainted cop.
David Cameron: Israeli blockade has turned Gaza Strip into a 'prison camp'
Sat, 2010-08-07 08:55 | marwanthe2nd
Actually it's worse than a prison camp. Prison camps have rights. Anyway, from the new PM:
David Cameron used a visit to Turkey to make his strongest intervention yet in the intractable Middle East conflict today when he likened the experience of Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip to that of a "prison camp". Although he has made similar remarks before, his decision to repeat them on a world stage in Turkey, whose relations with Israel have deteriorated sharply since it mounted a deadly assault on the Gaza flotilla, gave them much greater diplomatic significance. Cameron's comments, in a speech to business leaders in Ankara, prompted the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to issue another strong condemnation of how Israel dealt with the flotilla. Erdogan likened the behaviour of Israeli commandos, who shot dead nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists, to Somali pirates. Cameron's criticism of Tel Aviv came when he called for Israel to relax its restrictions on Gaza. "The situation in Gaza has to change," he said. "Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp." He strongly condemned Israel after the assault on the Gaza flotilla. "The Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla was completely unacceptable," he said. "I have told prime minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu we will expect the Israeli inquiry to be swift, transparent and rigorous. "Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change." Cameron defended his remarks at a press conference with Erdogan. "My description of Gaza is something I said in the House of Commons several weeks ago. Perhaps this is final proof that if you want to keep something completely secret you should announce it in the House of Commons." Hansard, the House of Commons' official record, shows Cameron said on 28 June: "Everybody knows that we are not going to sort out the problem of the Middle East peace process while there is, effectively, a giant open prison in Gaza." His choice of the words "prison camp" instead of "open prison" is likely to be seized upon. But a Downing Street source later tried to play down Cameron's comments. "This is not an elevation of the rhetoric. This is equivalent language. The prime minister remains concerned." 
Oliver Stone remarks about "Jewish control of the media". Jewish Organizations object, get his show cancelled (irony much?)
Sat, 2010-08-07 07:50 | marwanthe2nd
From Wrap.com: A furious Haim Saban has mounted a campaign to get Showtime to cancel its planned airing of Oliver Stone’s 10-part series, "A Secret History of America," in the wake of anti-Jewish remarks by the outspoken director.
Stone's apology “is transparently fake,” Saban said in an interview with TheWrap. “He has been consistent in his anti-American and anti-Semitic remarks. I respect his First Amendment rights. I hope he respects mine.” The billionaire and outspoken media mogul told TheWrap he had contacted CBS chief Leslie Moonves to urge him to pull the series. He said that WME chairman Ari Emanuel had also called CBS privately to urge the series be pulled. update: WME had no comment. Saban said he considers Stone to be "clearly an anti-Semite and an anti-American.
Mongolians rising to the Nazis. This time, the supremacy faces China.
Tue, 2010-08-03 19:49 | marwanthe2nd
Mongolian neo-Nazi group the Tsagaan Khas ('White Swastika') salute on the streets of the capital Ulan Bator Photograph: Dan Chung for the Guardian
Guardian.co.uk: Their right hands rise to black-clad chests and flash out in salute to their nation: "Sieg heil!" They praise Hitler's devotion to ethnic purity. But with their high cheekbones, dark eyes and brown skin, they are hardly the Third Reich's Aryan ideal. A new strain of Nazism has found an unlikely home: Mongolia. Once again, ultra-nationalists have emerged from an impoverished economy and turned upon outsiders. This time the main targets come from China, the rising power to the south. Groups such as Tsagaan Khass, or White Swastika, portray themselves as patriots standing up for ordinary citizens in the face of foreign crime, rampant inequality, political indifference and corruption. But critics say they scapegoat and attack the innocent. The US state department has warned travellers of increased assaults on inter-racial couples in recent years – including organised violence by ultra-nationalist groups. Dayar Mongol threatened to shave the heads of women who sleep with Chinese men. Three years ago, the leader of Blue Mongol was convicted of murdering his daughter's boyfriend, reportedly because the young man had studied in China. Though Tsagaan Khass leaders say they do not support violence, they are self-proclaimed Nazis. "Adolf Hitler was someone we respect. He taught us how to preserve national identity," said the 41-year-old co-founder, who calls himself Big Brother. "We don't agree with his extremism and starting the second world war. We are against all those killings, but we support his ideology. We support nationalism rather than fascism."
People Opposing Women Abuse made a Social Experiment: "Don't Condone Violence by Doing Nothing!"
Tue, 2010-08-03 00:00 | marwanthe2nd
Sweden: Principle refuses to enroll female student with Arabic name. Her sister runs a test. Principle not happy.
Wed, 2010-07-28 05:26 | marwanthe2nd
From The Local: Sweden's News in English
A 13-year-old female student has submitted a complaint to the Discrimination Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO), charging that a school refused to enrol her because of her Arabic-sounding name. On June 10th, the day schools closed, the girl applied to Husbygårdsskolan inKista northwest of Stockholm for the next semester, she wrote in a notification dated July 2nd.
The following day, her mother, a co-complainant, received a message from a school secretary, saying that there were no more places at the school and that the application was rejected. The secretary then asked if the school should rip up the application and the student's mother, unaware of the consequences, said yes.
Suspicious, a week later on June 18th, the subject's older sister called the principal, claiming to be a Swedish woman named "Annelie" seeking a spot for her son "Johan," who was the same age as her, or about to enter grade eight.
"The headmaster became totally lyrical and implored that 'Annelie' make contact with the school secretary in charge of the admission process as soon as possible," wrote the complainant. "The principal said that there was room at the school and closed the conversation by saying, ' See you in the fall.'"
The girl's sister called and again pretended to be "Annelie," this time for the secretary at the invitation of the rector.
"[Blacked out] was also very happy about 'Annelies'' and 'Johan's' interest in the school and assured that there were places before the autumn holidays for grade eight because they had reorganised the school to create a large grade eight class from two former grade seven classes," the complainant wrote.
According to the notice, the secretary offerd to pick "Annelie" up along the way and guide her around the school so that she could see the school buildings.
Two minutes later, after ending the call, the child's mother called using her own Arabic name and asked if there was space since her request was previously denied.
The secretary allegedly replied "rather angrily" that "there was no place, that it was full, that there was a lack of space." Instead, the mother was offered to return later in the autumn if the situation changed, but everything was full. "I, my mother and my sister, as well as our whole family was deeply offended by this treatment and want the Discrimination Ombudsman to act speedily to defend our rights and help us obtain redress," the complainant wrote. The girl attached transcripts of the phone calls made on June 18th to her complaint, adding that the Office for Equal Rights (Byrån för Lika Rättigheter) had the original audio files.
In '06, Canada claims soldiers killed by Taliban...Recent Wikileaks release of secret US files show it was by friendly fire.
Wed, 2010-07-28 05:10 | marwanthe2nd
From left to right: Pte. William Cushley, Warrant Officer Frank Mellish, Warrant Officer Richard Nolan and Sgt. Shane Stachnik
The Canadian military is rejecting a report released by WikiLeaks that suggests four Canadian soldiers who died in September 2006 in Afghanistan were killed by friendly fire from U.S. forces.
The military maintains the four soldiers died in combat with the Taliban.
"The loss of four Canadian soldiers on September 3rd, 2006, was the result of insurgent activity in the Panjwaii district of Afghanistan," the defence minister's spokesman Jay Paxton said in an email Monday evening.
"The only friendly fire incident from the time period in question occurred on September 4th, 2006, when Private Mark Anthony Graham was killed in the same district."
The friendly fire allegation occurred in a report that was among more than 91,000 documents released Sunday revealing new details about the war in Afghanistan and describing numerous accounts of brutality, corruption, extortion and kidnapping by members of the Afghan police force.
WikiLeaks report
The report says that at 4:14 GMT on Sept. 3, 2006, fire, including rocket-propelled grenades, was coming from a building in Afghanistan. Fire was returned and a bomb was dropped on the building, heavily damaging it to the point that only four sections were left standing. The incident is categorized as so-called "friendly fire" or "blue-on-blue," which means coalition forces inadvertently attacked their own forces. The report states that four Canadians were killed, seven other Canadians were wounded and an interpreter was also wounded.
The Canada military has always maintained the soldiers died in combat with the Taliban:
***************************
A U.S. audit has found that the Pentagon cannot account for over 95% of $9.1 billion in Iraq reconstruction money!
Wed, 2010-07-28 04:46 | marwanthe2nd
BAGHDAD – A U.S. audit has found that the Pentagon cannot account for over 95 percent of $9.1 billion in Iraq reconstruction money, spotlighting Iraqi complaints that there is little to show for the massive funds pumped into their cash-strapped, war-ravaged nation. The $8.7 billion in question was Iraqi money managed by the Pentagon, not part of the $53 billion that Congress has allocated for rebuilding. It's cash that Iraq, which relies on volatile oil revenues to fuel its spending, can ill afford to lose.
WIKILEAKS RELEASES OVER 90,000 LOGS OF US SECRET FILES ON WAR IN AFGHANISTAN!
Mon, 2010-07-26 09:24 | marwanthe2nd
Click: The index of those 90,000 is now up
Wikileaks's War Diary: http://wardiary.wikileaks.org/
The Guardian, NYT, Der Speigel all got copies.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,708314,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/series/afghanistan-the-war-logs
LA Times Op/Ed: “Simply joining the armed services does not make you a hero, nor does the act of serving in combat.”
Fri, 2010-07-23 15:38 | marwanthe2nd
By William J. Astore, a retired U.S Air Force lieutenant colonel, teaches history at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. A longer version of this piece can be found at TomDispatch.com:
Excerpt 1: “…Still, ever since the events of 9/11,
there's been an almost religious veneration of
A hero is someone who behaves selflessly, usually at considerable
personal risk and sacrifice, to comfort or empower others and to make the world
a better place. Heroes, of course, come in all sizes, shapes, ages and colors,
most of them looking nothing like John Wayne or John
Rambo or GI Joe (or Jane).
I come from a family of firefighters, yet our hero was my mother, a
homemaker who raised five kids and endured without complaint the ravages of cancer in the 1970s, with
its then crude chemotherapy regimen,
its painful cobalt treatments and the collateral damage of loss of hair, vitality
and lucidity. In refusing to rail against her fate, she set an example of
selfless courage and heroism I shall never forget…”
* * *
Excerpt 2: “By making our military a league of heroes, we
ensure that the brutalizing aspects and effects of war will be played down. In
celebrating isolated heroic feats, we often forget that war is guaranteed to
degrade humanity as well.
"War," as writer and cultural historian Louis Menand noted, "is specially terrible not because it destroys human beings, who can be destroyed in plenty of other ways, but because it turns human beings into destroyers."
For more: Every soldier a hero? Hardly
No. of soldiers who leave Army because of Mental Disorders up 64%. That’s 1 out of every 9.
Fri, 2010-07-23 15:35 | marwanthe2nd
By
Gregg Zoroya -
“The number of soldiers forced to leave the Army solely because
of a mental disorder has increased by 64 percent from 2005 to 2009 and accounts
for one in nine medical discharges, according to Army statistics.
Last year, 1,224 soldiers with a mental illness, such as
post-traumatic stress disorder, received a medical discharge. That was an
increase from 745 soldiers in 2005 or about 7 percent of medical discharges
that year, according to personnel statistics provided to USA Today.
The trend matches other recent indicators that show a growing
emotional toll on a military that has been fighting for seven years in
“These numbers really just validate the mental health
communities’ concern about multiple deployments,” says Adrian Atizado, who
specializes in health issues as assistant national legislative director for
Disabled American Veterans. “Mind and body are both taking a beating.”
Soldiers discharged for having both a mental and a physical
disability increased 174% during the past five years from 1,397 in 2005 to
3,831 in 2009, according to the statistics….”
For more: Army
Times: Mental Disorders
CNN reports IMF is forgiving Haiti's $268 million debt. Forgets to mention there's another $60 million debt taking its place.
Thu, 2010-07-22 13:54 | marwanthe2nd
In Kenya Slums, Women Risk Rape Daily to Get to a Bathroom
Mon, 2010-07-19 05:03 | marwanthe2nd
Excerpt:
Only 24 percent of homes in Nairobi's slums have a bathroom, forcing many women on dangerous journeys to find a communal lavatory, according to a report from Amnesty International.
Imagine, for a moment, that the nearest bathroom to your house is half-a-mile away. And that, after dark, making the 20-minute trip would mean you cross paths with men out to rape any women they can find.
This, according to Amnesty International, is the daily – or nightly – reality for hundreds of thousands of women living in the slums of Kenya's capital, Nairobi.
In a tersely worded, 54-page report titled "Insecurity and Indignity," launched on July 7, the organization detailed repeated failures on the part of Kenya's government to safeguard women's basic human rights, particularly access to sanitation facilities for toilets and bathing (pdf report).
"It's a vicious circle of indignity and humiliation," says Dorin Wanjiru, from Christ The King church, which works with people living in Kenya's sprawling slums.
Numbers are hard to pin down, but there are credible estimates that women make up a little more than half of the 2 million people living in Nairobi's "informal settlements.".......
For original article from Christian Science Monitor, click here.