Iran opens international Palestine summit An international conference in support of Palestinians, which is to focus on Israeli war crimes in Gaza, has begun in the Iranian capital. Bringing together legal experts from the world's leading rights groups, the conference started work in Tehran on Wednesday morning. http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=87452§ionid=351020101
=== Brown to Iran: Bow or be alone British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said during a 40-minute speech at the US Congress on Wednesday "Our shared message to Iran, it is simple: We are ready for you to rejoin the international community, but first you must cease your threats and suspend your nuclear programs," http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=87568§ionid=351020104 === The Obama-Medvedev Turbo Shuffle By Pepe Escobar The President Barack Obama administration urgently needs to do a couple of things: learn to play chess; and watch the DVD of the Godfather saga, especially larger-than-life parts I and II. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22153.htm === When Securitization Blew Up; So Did the Economy By Mike Whitney One thing is certain, this isn't a normal recession. In a normal recession aggregate demand declines, economic activity slows, and GDP shrinks. While those things are taking place now, the reasons are quite different. The present slump wasn't brought on by a downturn in the business cycle or a mismatch in supply and demand. It was caused by a meltdown in the credit system's central core. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22144.htm === Corruption-US: How Wall Street Paid For Its Own Funeral By Marina Litvinsky The 231-page report, "Sold Out: How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America," shows that the financial sector invested more than 5 billion dollars on purchasing political influence in Washington over the past decade, with as many as 3,000 lobbyists winning deregulation and other policy decisions that led directly to the current financial collapse. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22146.htm === Take the Money and Run By Ernest Partridge A bank robber does not gain legal possession of his loot. Neither should today's "robber barons," notwithstanding the fact that the theft was accomplished under the guise of quasi-legality. The loot can be recovered legally, if the public demands it and the Congress responds accordingly, through the enactment and enforcement of appropriate legislation. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22151.htm === 'Israel seriously considering military action against Iran': The report also says Israel's time frame for action is growing shorter, not only because of Iranian advances, but because Teheran might soon acquire upgraded air defenses and disperse its nuclear program to additional locations http://snipurl.com/d3ygu === Iran: US on wrong path over Israel: Iran's supreme leader, has said that Barack Obama, the US president, is pursuing the same "wrong path" as George Bush, his predecessor, in supporting Israel. http://snipurl.com/d3yf4 ==== Our missiles can hit Israeli nukes: "All the nuclear facilities in different parts of the land under the occupation of the Zionist regime are in the reach of Iran's missile defenses," Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards, told Iran's ISNA news agency, according to Reuters. http://jta.org/news/article/2009/03/04/1003451/iran-our-missiles-can-hit-israel === Iraqi Police Get Schooled by a Frustrated US Soldier Video (Viewers Discretion advised) A US Soldier responsible for training tells them how he really feels.This sums up our soldier'd frustration and why we couldn't pull out of Iraq for so long. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOIwl5G9lRo&feature=related === Scholar Presaged U.S. Descent to Destitution By Logan Jenkins "We don't believe we can afford to stop waging conventional warfare" http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22145.htm === "We Will Remain a Pariah in the Middle East" By Ron Paul A US puppet government protected by 50,000 American soldiers is not the road to peace. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22148.htm === In Case You Missed It? A Shattering Moment In America's Fall From Power By John Gray The global financial crisis will see the US falter in the same way the Soviet Union did when the Berlin Wall came down. The era of American dominance is over. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20899.htm === The Yoo-Bybee Memoranda Blueprints for a Police State By Marjorie Cohn Seven newly released memos from the Bush Justice Department reveal a concerted strategy to cloak the President with power to override the Constitution. The memos provide "legal" rationales for the President to suspend freedom of speech and press; order warrantless searches and seizures, including wiretaps of U.S. citizens; lock up U.S. citizens indefinitely in the United States without criminal charges; send suspected terrorists to other countries where they will likely be tortured; and unilaterally abrogate treaties. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22147.htm === War Comes Home To Britain By John Pilger In his latest column for the New Statesman, John Pilger describes the basic freedoms being lost in Britain as the "national security state", imported from the United States by New Labour, takes effect. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22152.htm === "The Ultimate Aim is the Transfer of Arab-Israelis" Ethnic Cleansing and Israel By Conn Hallinan One of the more disturbing developments in the Middle East is a growing consensus among Israelis that it would acceptable to expel-in the words of advocates "transfer"-its Arab citizens to either a yet as unformed Palestinian state or the neighboring countries of Jordan and Egypt. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22149.htm === Gaza Needs Trust, Not Just Aid If Palestinians are able to put together a government of genuine unity, then the international community must recognise it By Carolien Lucas "Are EU taxpayers really happy to pay to reconstruct what US taxpayers have paid to destroy?" http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22150.htm === Taliban commander, 7 fighters killed in S Afghanistan: Eight Taliban militants including their commander were killed in a joint operation of Afghan Security forces and International Occupation Force in Afghanistan's southern restive Helmand province http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/04/content_10943484.htm === Blasts target main US Afghan base: A car bombing outside the Bagram base was followed moments later by a suicide bombing, US officials said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7923125.stm === 3 Canadian occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: Three Canadian soldiers were killed and two injured in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device detonated near their armoured vehicle. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/04/canada-afghanistan.html === Pakistan declares: 'We are at war': Pakistan in shock after masked gunmen ambush Sri Lankan cricket team, leaving seven people dead and six players injured http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/pakistan-declares-we-are-at-war-1636827.html === Afghanistan confirms August poll: Afghanistan's election commission has said that presidential polls will take place on August 20, rejecting a request from Hamid Karzai, the country's president, for them to be held in the spring. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/03/20093410210694300.html === At least six killed in Iraq attacks: Iraqi officials said a suicide car bomb went off at a police checkpoint in the northern city of Mosul, killing at least two policemen. In a separate attack, gunmen killed a Sunni sheikh, his wife and two sons near Samarra http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/241279 === Sunni Guerrillas at Mosul Kill a US Soldier; Kirkuk Council Member Predicts Permanent US Base in Kirkuk http://www.juancole.com/2009/03/sunni-guerrillas-at-mosul-kill-us.html === Israeli jet strikes on a car in northern Gaza, two killed: Israeli war jet on Wednesday evening launched a missile at a car that drove in northern Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians and wounding five others, medics and witnesses said. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/05/content_10944867.htm === Islamic Jihad: We will retaliate against Israel for airstrike in Gaza: Therefore, [Israel should] expect our reaction, and more rockets." http://snipurl.com/d3ycu === Clinton: Israel's demolition of East Jerusalem homes harms peace efforts: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday blasted Israel's plans to demolisg Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem as a violation of its international obligations and "unhelpful" to Middle East peace efforts. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1068546.html === Seven killed, 11 injured in Somali clashes: - At least seven people died and 11 others were injured Wednesday in clashes between two Somali clan militias in the breakaway Puntland region, officials and elders said http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/CJAL-7PTQWG?OpenDocument === Court issues Bashir arrest warrant: Sudan rejects accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity as "neo-colonialism". http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/03/20093412473776936.html === Sudan's Bashir to attend Arab summit despite warrant: Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir plans to attend an Arab summit set for this month in Qatar despite an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. http://snipurl.com/d3yj7 === Australia: Police get secret search powers and you won't even know: NEW South Wales Police are to be given covert search warrants, allowing them to search a property without informing the owners for up to three years. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25137466-29277,00.html === Bush reversed wartime powers: In its final days, the George W. Bush administration issued a Justice Department opinion dramatically reversing most of the legal arguments that governed its war on terrorism - from interrogations to electronic surveillance. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/03/bush-reversed-wartime-powers-in-final-days/ ==== Bair Says Insurance Fund Could Be Insolvent This Year: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair said the fund it uses to protect customer deposits at U.S. banks could dry up amid a surge in bank failures, as she responded to an industry outcry against new fees approved by the agency. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=alsJZqIFuN3k === As Markets Slump, U.S. Tries to Halt Cycle of Fear: Top Officials Push to Inspire Confidence in Crisis Response By Emphasizing the Long-Run http://snipurl.com/d3ylo === Prison Spending Outpaces All but Medicaid: One in every 31 adults, or 7.3 million Americans, is in prison, on parole or probation, at a cost to the states of $47 billion in 2008, according to a new study. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/us/03prison.html?_r=WRH === Report: 1 in 5 Mortgages Are Underwater: In Nevada, more than half of all mortgage borrowers are upside down http://www.businessweek.com/print/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2009/db2009033_306801.htm === Who You Calling Socialist?: "We are all socialists now," proclaims Newsweek. We are creating "socialist republics" in the United States, says Mike Huckabee, adding, on reflection, that "Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff." We are witnessing the Obama-era phenomenon of "European socialism transplanted to Washington," says Newt Gingrich. http://snipurl.com/d3ync ===
