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The all-out hypocrisy of Arab League and the West
By Kourosh Ziabari
After the Arab League hypocritically suspended the membership of Syria amid the mounting pressures of NATO and the United States, the resurgence of violence in Egypt and the increasing use of excessive force in Bahrain and Yemen and the unrelenting massacre of innocent civilians by the barbaric regime of Al Khalifa and Ali Abdullah Saleh once again attracted the attention of conscientious observers in the international community.
Gaza: Good News and Bad
By Stephen Lendman
First the good. On November 22, the International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC) said a "Freedom Spring" convoy arrived through Rafah's border terminal, connecting Gaza and Egypt.
Arab Spring movement members will meet Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya and other Palestinian officials. In addition, meetings will be held with women's groups, local NGOs, and others.
Tours through Gaza's refugee camps and visiting UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) are planned.
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) head Ahmad Bahar called the visit historic, saying "convoy members managed to defend their people's dignity and honor, and now, they came to Gaza to express support and solidarity with their people."
"You came to challenge this siege. I want to tell you that today is the beginning of the end of this siege, the siege that was never lifted, despite conspiracies and claims of easing it. This conspiracy is against the steadfastness of our people, the people who defend their dignity, children and country, the people who want to liberate Jerusalem."
Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinians with Impunity
By Stephen Lendman
Palestinians are doubly cursed. Israel's military attacks them regularly. During the past week alone, Israeli air strikes killed four Gazans, wounding another 14.
Al-Nabi Saleh village residents participating in a peaceful demonstration were assaulted. Two injuries were reported, including a child. Israel's navy arrested three Palestinian fishermen, confiscating their boats.
Their security forces conducted 91 incursions (13 a day on average) into Palestinian communities, arresting 14 civilians. One injury was reported.
Israeli security forces raided homes of recently released Palestinian prisoners. They were ordered to appear for questioning to harass and perhaps re-incarcerate them.
Will the UN insist on Fair Trials for Ex-Regime Loyalists in Libya?
By FRANKLIN LAMB (in Benghazi, Libya)
An affable gentleman, “Mahmoud” ushered this observer into the Benghazi People’s Court (Mahkamat al-Sha’b) and showed me the freshly painted courtroom where on December 19, 2006, the current NTC leader and long term CIA favorite, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, twice upheld death sentences by firing squad against a Palestinian doctor, Ashraf al-Hujuj, and five Bulgarian nurses Kristiyana Valtcheva, Nasya Nenova, Valentina Siropulo, Valya Chervenyashka, and Snezhana Dimitrova. The death sentences were requested by the Libyan prosecutor in his opening statement four months earlier, in the final appeal in the fake HIV show trial case # 607/2003 held at the criminal court in Benghazi.
Supercommittee Strikes Out
By Stephen Lendman
On November 20, New York Times writer Eric Lipton headlined, "Lawmakers Trade Blame as Deficit Talks Crumble," saying:
Hours away from their self-imposed deadlined, "Congressional leaders conceded Sunday that talks on a sweeping deficit agreement were near failure and braced for recriminations over their inability to reach a deal."
Republican aides said lawmakers will end their negotiations with a whimper, not a bang. Expect no final news conference, just a quietly issued joint statement and follow-up comments.
By law, automatic $1.2 trillion in cuts over 10 years will start in 2013. They're to be equally divided between defense and domestic programs. Don't bet on it.
Expect sustained military spending at the expense of what people value most. Either way, lost purchasing power means less spending, fewer jobs, and greater public anger than today's high levels.
MF Global Looted Customer Accounts
By Stephen Lendman
Wall Street's business model is grand theft. Jon Corzine was MF Global's CEO. Earlier he headed Goldman Sachs, America's premiere racketeering organization.
He also was one of legions of corrupt politicians as US senator and New Jersey governor. His extreme, longstanding criminality warrants putting him in prison for life. No restitution can reverse his harm. It's true also for many others like him.
Before its collapse, MF Global (MFG) faced a run on its holdings. On October 31, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
On November 19, Reuters said the firm "moved hundreds of millions of dollars in customer money from its US brokerage unit to Bank of New York Mellon Corp. in August, just months before filing for bankruptcy...."
In other words, MFG lawlessly looted customer accounts. It used client money for its own purposes to speculate, as well as cover debt obligations and losses. At issue is grand theft.
In fact, it's one of the most brazen acts in memory in a business notorious for outrageous criminality. What ever's gotten away with incentivizes Wall Street crooks to steal more. Why not! At most, they're slap on the wrist punishments mock rule of law justice.
Occupy Revolution
Joel S. Hirschhorn
History tells us that it is nearly impossible to know in real time whether some kind of national, grassroots public protest ends up being the beginning of a true revolution against a ruling government system. This is true for the earliest beginnings of the revolt against the British that produced the successful American Revolution and the creation of the US. The British at the time surely thought that they could retain power and control. More recently, the revolts in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya certainly could not be accurately perceived in their earliest stages as likely to topple well established dictatorships wielding incredible and cruel power. Even now, the rebellious actions in Syria are not widely seen as surely resulting in successful revolution.
Egyptian Military Power Grab
by Stephen Lendman
Last February, euphoric celebrations followed Mubarak's ouster. Across the Middle East and North Africa, people rejoiced.
Activist Saed Karazon told AFP:
"What happened in Egypt is not only for the Egyptian people, it is for all Arabs. The whole Arab world is going to change."
A month earlier, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled Tunisia for Saudi Arabia following weeks of violent protests. A Tunis student said, "It's wonderful. Two dictators have fallen in less than a month."
In Cairo, Egyptians waved flags, held banners, and chanted, "Yesterday Tunisia. Today Egypt, and tomorrow Yemenis will break their chains."
Israel Steps Up Police State Crackdowns
by Stephen Lendman
Israel never embraced democratic values. More than ever today that's true. Many Jews understand. As a result, they're voting with their feet and leaving.
Gideon Levy remarked that "(i)t's really an irony of history, because Israel was established to become a shelter to the Jewish people. Now Europe becomes a shelter for the Jews living in Israel."
So does America. New millennium exodus has a whole new meaning. Last year, Haaretz writer Bradley Burston headlined, "I envy the people who hate Israel," saying:
"....this is not the same country I moved to, so long ago. I learned when I first came that Israel was not the country I'd thought I was moving to."
Now it's worse than ever because "Israel at its highest level has taken an executive decision. Unable to beat the forces who want to see Israel as one of the world's primary pariah states, it has resolved to join them" and succeeded.
With its paymaster/partner America, it's out in front leading. Growing numbers know it, Jews and non-Jews alike. A 2008 Menachem Begin Heritage Center survey showed 59% of Israelis consider leaving by inquiring about foreign citizenship and second passports. Growing numbers hold them.
Occupy With a Vengeance! Change is a Messy Affair, But it Has to be Done
By Vincent L. Guarisco
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies."
~~Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Is it just me?...Or is it getting crazy out there? I guess if you want honest press, you have to own one? If it weren't so painful to see our nation gutted in all sectors, it would almost be laughable to hear our lap-dog media say the Occupy movement has not made any clear demands. Or how disorganized we are. But this is how today's media gas-bags operate. Pure and simple, they blatantly twist, distort and outright lie. It's the same old propaganda tactic used time and again by corporate media that, woefully, is owned and operated by the same financial gluttons we are fighting.
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