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Sudden shift in Iran negotiations draws Kerry to Geneva
Michael Collins
"Diplomatic heavyweights including US Secretary of State John Kerry have flown to Geneva for nuclear talks on Iran, in a sign that there could be an end to a decade-long deadlock. However, Israel has resolved to reject any proposal under discussion." RT, Nov 8
Russian President Vladimir Putin scored a perfecta in September when he offered up two deals the Obama administration couldn't refuse. The first was chemical weapons disarmament by Syria. That was followed closely by an opening by Iran's new president to the United States and the West. Syrian disarmament has gone very well senior foreign ministry officials from Iran, Germany, the UK, and France began talks on Iran's nuclear program. (Image: AndrewDallos))
It is highly symbolic that Secretary Kerry interrupted his Middle East trip to fly to fly to Geneva where major progress has been made between European and Iranian negotiators. Today, Kerry spent two hours with Israeli Prime Minister Netahyahu. The PM insists that the U.S. reject any deal with Iran outright, although Netanyahu has no basis for the demand since there's not deal at hand.
The Debtor’s War: A Modern Greek Tragedy
By: Andrew Gavin Marshall
Early on Thursday, 7 November 2013, Greek riot police stormed the offices of Greece’s main public broadcaster, which had been under a five-month occupation by workers who opposed the government’s decision to shutdown the broadcaster, firing thousands and destroying a major cultural institution. The broadcast seems to have come to an end.
The long and painful Greek tragedy continues, where society and culture are gutted, people impoverished, driven into a deep depression, with growing political and social conflicts, the rise of fascism, detention camps filled with immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, trying to escape the dictators we arm, or the wars we support, with suicide rates spiking, health and well-being deteriorate, services and support vanish, and all the people are left to be punished, humiliated, oppressed and destroyed… These are called “solutions” to an economic crisis, on the road to “economic recovery”… think about that for a moment.
Netanyahu Launches Anti-Iranian Twitter Campaign
by Stephen Lendman
He's obsessed with Iran. He's Israel's worst ever leader. He exceeds Sharonian evil. He responded harshly to Hassan Rohani's election.
He attacked him unfairly. He called his agenda "talk and enrich. Talk and continue to enrich uranium. For future nuclear weapons."
"We cannot accept anything less than the total cessation of all enrichment of nuclear materials at all levels, removal from Iran of all enriched nuclear material, closure of Iran's elicit nuclear facilities," he said.
"Until Iran meets these demands, pressure must be stepped up and Iranian nuclear program must be stopped. Period."
His Twitter campaign is called "The Real Face of Iran." He's targeting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. More on it below.
Institutionalized Spying Targets Freedom
by Stephen Lendman
Out-of-control spying reflects America's true face. At stake are fundamental rights too important to lose.
They're gravely eroded already. They're headed toward disappearing altogether. They may not survive much longer.
Everybody spies on everyone else. America likely does it best of all. It spies on friends and foes alike.
In "Animal Farm," Orwell said "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others." As the world's sole superpower, America is most of all.
Expect no policy change. A previous article discussed Senate legislation legitimizing lawless surveillance. Obama wants it and then some.
On November 2, The New York Times headlined "No Morsel Too Minuscule for All-Consuming NSA."
It wants nothing escaping scrutiny. Privacy no longer exists.
Whitewashing Crime in Israel
by Stephen Lendman
Whitewashing it in high places doesn't surprise. Israeli injustice is longstanding. It's systemic. Avigdor Lieberman's acquittal on serious charges is the latest example.
Imagine. Palestinian children accused of stone throwing are detained, isolated, interrogated, intimidated, terrorized, fined and at times imprisoned. It's standard practice whether or not they did anything.
Lieberman reflects the worst of Israeli politics. He's a former nightclub bouncer. He's an ultranationalist extremist.
He represents Israel's lunatic fringe. He's a latter day Kahanist. In 1988, Israel outlawed his Kach party. It was called a "threat to national security."
Kerry in Cairo
by Stephen Lendman
On July 3, Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Doing so was an old-fashioned coup. It has no legitimacy. It doesn't matter. Junta power replaced an elected government. Interim officials were appointed.
A previous article asked when is a coup not one? When John Kerry says so. When he claims lawlessness restores democracy. Junta rule is polar opposite.
It maintains hardline control. It tolerates no opposition. It killed hundreds since July. It did so in cold blood. It arrested thousands. It warns others not to resist. It reflects the worst of despotic rule.
Not according to Kerry. He continues touring Middle East capitals. He included a Tuesday Poland stop.
NSA Spying: Get It All
by Stephen Lendman
NSA spies at home and abroad. Anything goes is policy. Obama exceeds what his predecessors began. NSA's pre-9/11 incarnation was a shadow of today's monster.
Privacy no longer exists. Advanced technology lets NSA go where no spy agency anywhere went before. It spies globally. It does so lawlessly.
It does whatever it wants. It does so because it can. Out-of-control spying and freedom can't co-exist. Continuing it assures its extinction. It's already on life support. Full-blown tyranny threatens to replace it.
On Novoember 3, Der Spiegel published Edward Snowden's "A Manifesto for the Truth." In part, he said:
"(W)e must not forget that mass surveillance is a global problem in need of global solutions."
"Such programs are not only a threat to privacy, they also threaten freedom of speech and open societies."
Saudis Fight a Lost Battle against Change
By Nicola Nasser*
The ongoing aggressive Saudi policy for a militarized “regime change” in Syria is more an expression of internal vulnerability, trying hopelessly to avert change outside their borders lest change sweeps inside, than being a positive show of leadership and power, but Syrian developments are proving by the day that the Saudis are fighting a lost battle against change.
Riyadh is fighting several preemptive battles outside its borders in its immediate proximity in a disparate attempt to prevent an historic regional tide of change from changing the country’s pre-medieval system of governance and social life.
Surrounded by a turbulent changing regional and international environment, the Saudi Arabian rulers seem worried as hell that their system is facing an historical existential test for the survival of which they are unwisely blundering in foreign policy to alienate friends, win more enemies, exacerbate old animosities and trying counterproductively to promote their unmarketable way of life as the only way they know to survive, instead of reforming to adapt to modern irreversible changes that are sweeping throughout their surroundings and the world like a tsunami of an irresistible fate.
Sham Israeli/Palestinian Peace Talks Continue
by Stephen Lendman
Palestinians never had a legitimate peace partner. They have none now. Decades of talks went nowhere. Oslo was unconditional surrender.
So were Oslo II, Wye River, Camp David, Taba, Bush's Road Map, Annapolis, and other negotiating rounds. Israel demands things its way. So does America. They're all take and no give.
Peace is a convenient illusion. Israel and Washington remain hardline. Long suffering Palestinians are on their own. It's always been this way. It's no different now.
Senate Legislation Legitimizes Lawless Surveillance
by Stephen Lendman
War is America's national pastime. So is mass surveillance. Post-9/11, it escalated dramatically. It way exceeds the most lawless previous practices.
Privacy no longer exists. Big Brother watches everyone. It has complete access to our most personal information.
It reads our emails. It monitors our phone calls. It knows our medical and education histories. It knows our financial status and transactions.
It knows as much about our private lives as close family members. It knows with technological ease. It's unrelated to national security. It's for unchallenged control.
Constitutional rights don't matter. The USA Patriot Act and follow-up legislation destroyed Bill of Rights protections.
Due process, habeas, free expression, association and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures are gravely compromised.
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