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Russian evidence may point to rebels in chem attack - Fisk
Michael Collins
Robert Fisk released some preliminary reporting on questions about who actually fired the chemical weapons missiles in Damascus on August 21. Robert Fisk, The Independent, September 22, 2013
The United Nations report released last week contained speculation on the trajectory of missiles based on their investigations. After qualification, the report concluded that the missiles were likely fired from Syrian government locations (pages 22, 23). The qualifications were significant, however. The report noted:
The Surveillance State Killed BlackBerry, and the Same Fate Awaits Other Tech Giants
via chycho
Being from Canada, interested in technology and the markets, and a privacy advocate, BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion (RIM), has been on my radar for a number of years, so I would like to add my two cents regarding its demise (2, 3, 4, 5).
The two most important things we need to keep in mind about the “timeline of the company from RIM to Blackberry” are that: first, “when phone systems failed in New York and DC on 9/11, it was the BlackBerry network that provided backup communication”; second, contrary to popular belief, apps were never meant to be the feature selling point for its products, it was its security and privacy, the way it encrypted communication across its network that made it the only game in town.
In 2010, when governments threatened to “block encrypted BlackBerry corporate e-mail and messaging services if its security agencies were not granted access to them”, BlackBerry’s reply was:
“RIM also said it has drawn a firm line by insisting that any capabilities it provides to carriers for ‘lawful’ access purposes be limited by four main principles: Such access has to be legal, it must not exceed access imposed on RIM's competitors, it does not change the security architecture for Blackberry enterprise customers, and does not require a country-specific deal that does not conform to RIM's global standard for lawful access.”
Israeli Forces Attack EU Diplomats
by Stephen Lendman
Life in Occupied Palestine reflects institutionalized colonization and apartheid. Israel governs extrajudicially. It does so ruthlessly.
It's an out-of-control rogue state. It enforces lawless militarized occupation harshness.
It spurns international laws, treaties and conventions. It does so with impunity. It violates its own statutes and High Court decisions.
It considers Palestinians subhuman. State terror is official policy. So is demolishing Palestinian homes.
Stealing their land, dispossessing them, and denying them all rights reflects common Israeli practice.Numerous examples explain. Recent ones include massive ethnic cleansing plans. Arab Negev Bedouins are Israeli citizens.
The Norwegian National Election: Europe’s Most Leftist Government Defeated by Right-Wing Coalition
Asbjørn Wahl and Roy Pedersen
Public sector workers on strike in 2012.
The red-green coalition government in Norway, whose political platform when it took power in 2005 was called the most progressive in Europe, experienced a bitter defeat in the country's parliamentary election on 9 September. A coalition of four centre-right and right-wing parties, including a right-wing populist party, gained a solid majority and are now negotiating the political platform for a new government.
This happened in a situation in which oil revenue is pouring into the public coffers, the economic crisis goes virtually unnoticed, the unemployment rate is at a record low, real wages have been steadily increasing for a long time and most of the welfare state is still intact. To put it short, the country, with its abundance of oil and natural gas resources, and a history of democracy and social equality, represents a lucky exception in the world. How on earth could a red-green government at all lose an election in such circumstances?
Destroying Social America
by Stephen Lendman
It's on the chopping block for elimination. Initiatives began decades ago. Republicans, Democrats and Obama are in lockstep. They're waging war on vital safety net protections.
In 1996, Clinton's Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) became law. Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) ended.
Time limit harshness replaced it. Five years and out became policy. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) mandates it. States get diminishing amounts of federal funding.
Fixed block grants provide it. They're permitted to administer policy freely. They take full advantage during harder than ever hard times.
To qualify, recipients must work or train for jobs. Single mothers with small children are cheated. Millions are left on their own high and dry.
Fabricated US/Israeli Intelligence on Ghouta Gas Attack
by Stephen Lendman
John Kerry repeated Colin Powell's infamous moment. He did so multiple times. He lied claiming Syria launched Ghouta's gas attack.
Clear evidence shows otherwise. Insurgents bear full responsibility. Previous articles explained. They did so in convincing detail. More will follow.
On September 21, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) headlined "Former British Ambassador: Israel deceived US with fabricated evidence on chemical weapons use in Ghouta."
Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig John Murray, said Israel lied. It manufactured fake evidence. It wrongfully blamed Syria for Ghouta's gas attack. Murray called Kerry's accusations "sheer lies."
Rogue State America
by Stephen Lendman
Oxford Dictionaries call rogue states "nation(s) or state(s) regarded as breaking international law and posing a threat to the security of other nations."
They're authoritarian or despotic and ruthless. They stop at nothing to achieve aims. They spurn human and civil rights. They possess weapons of mass destruction. They sponsor state terrorism.
William Blum's done some of the best research. His books include "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower
He documented how from 1945 through 2005, America tried or succeeded in toppling over 40 governments. It crushed dozens of popular movements. It slaughtered millions of people doing so.
It condemned countless others to immiseration, agony and despair. According to Blum, US policies are "worse than you imagine."
"If you flip over the rock of American foreign policy (throughout) the past century, this is what crawls out:"
"invasions, bombings, (subversion), overthrowing governments, suppressing (popular) movements for social change, assassinating political leaders, perverting elections, manipulating labor unions, manufacturing 'news,' death squads, torture, (chemical), biological (and nuclear) warfare, (radiological contamination), drug trafficking, mercenaries," police state repression, and war on humanity writ large.
To win dirty war in Syria, Obama admin ignores Al Qaeda chemical weapons program
Michael Collins
Al Qaeda has a chemical weapons program, revealed in a United States Attorney's case, reported on CBS (see video). This has real implications for the Obama administration's Syria policy of supporting rebels that include Al Qaeda groups. It also raises questions as to who perpetrated the chemical weapons attack near Damascus on August 21.
In their rush to war, the Obama administration downplayed the importance and the numbers of Al Qaeda fighters involved in the attack on Syria. Kerry told Congress that Al Qaeda constitutes just 15% to 25% of the rebels attacking the Syrian government. That's at odds with many observers of the war who maintain Al Qaeda is the best performing fighting force among the rebels. The dominance of Al Qaeda was demonstrated this week when the Al Nusra faction in Syria attacked and expelled the "good rebels" in the Turkish border town of Azaz.
Obama Intends War on Syria
by Stephen Lendman
Obama intends waging war on Syria. Russia's heroic efforts delayed it. An uneasy calm before the storm prevails.
Shock and awe attacks are planned. They could come any time. Pretexts are easy to create. False flags are longstanding US policy. So are Big Lies. Regime change is prioritized. Obama intends getting it one way or another.
In mid-September, Russia, China, and other Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members and observer states met in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Vladimir Putin said "military interference from outside the country without a UN Security Council sanction is inadmissible."
Rohani Seeks Rapprochement
by Stephen Lendman
On September 19, Iranian President Hassan Rohani addressed Americans and US officials directly. He did so responsibly.
His Washington Post op-ed headlined "Why Iran seeks constructive engagement." More on that below.
America and Iran are polar opposites. Obama represents the worst of rogue governance. Hypocrisy substitutes for democracy. War on humanity is official policy. Peace is verboten.
In contrast, Iranian President Hassan Rohani combines diplomacy, political acumen and scholarship. He's known as the "Diplomat Sheikh." He earned master's and doctoral law degrees.
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