Israel Should Forget About Bombing Iran By Gideon Levy
The Prime Minister's Bureau will probably soon be occupied by a politician whose career has been partially based on Iran scare tactics. Benjamin Netanyahu, formerly "Mr. Terror," is now "Mr. Iran," and has declared that "Iran will have no nuclear arms." http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22013.htm === Israel Launches Covert War Against Iran By Philip Sherwell in New York Israel has launched a covert war against Iran as an alternative to direct military strikes against Tehran's nuclear programme, US intelligence sources have revealed. - The most dramatic element of the "decapitation" programme is the planned assassination of top figures involved in Iran's atomic operations. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22017.htm === ElBaradei: Ignoring Israel undermines NPT By Press TV The UN nuclear chief says a double-standard approach to Israel's nukes has undermined the non-proliferation regime. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22011.htm == Iran works its way to Israel prosecution: As criminal charges against Israel gain momentum, Iran takes preliminary steps for legal action against implicated Israeli officials. http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=85903§ionid=351020101 === Lawyers Condemn UK Over Torture In 'War On Terror' By Afua Hirsch "The framework of international law is being actively undermined ... creating a dangerous situation wherein terrorism, and the fear of terrorism, are undermining basic principles of international human rights law." http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22014.htm === Spy Chief: We Risk A Police State By Tom Whitehead Dame Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, has warned that the fear of terrorism is being exploited by the Government to erode civil liberties and risks creating a police state. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22016.htm === U.S. "War On Terror" Eroded Rights Worldwide: Experts By Laura MacInnis Washington's "war on terror" after the September 11 attacks has eroded human rights worldwide, creating lingering cynicism that the United Nations must now combat, international law experts said on Monday. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22010.htm === Bush III: Obama on Torture & Wiretapping By Thomas R. Eddlem President Obama's public rhetoric against torture is increasingly at odds with his decisons to defend John Yoo (the former Justice Department official who authored the "torture memo" justifying Bush administration policy), keep in place policies that have protected torture, and even keep in office Bush-era appointees who helped establish torture policies. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22012.htm === The People Be Damned The President of Special Interests By Paul Craig Roberts The Bush/Obama bailout/stimulus plans are not going to work. Both are schemes hatched by a clique of financial insiders. The schemes will redistribute income and wealth from American taxpayers to the shyster banksters, who have destroyed American jobs, ruined the retirement plans of tens of millions of Americans, and worsened the situation of millions of people worldwide who naively trusted American financial institutions. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22018.htm === Trouble at Treasury: Geithner gets the keys to the henhouse By Mike Whitney Geithner did us all a big favor on Tuesday by exposing himself as a stooge of the banking industry. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22025.htm === High Noon: Geithner v. The American Oligarchs." Bill Moyers interviews former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Must watch / read video and transcript "There comes a time in every economic crisis, or more specifically, in every struggle to recover from a crisis, when someone steps up to the podium to promise the policies that - they say - will deliver you back to growth. The person has political support, a strong track record, and every incentive to enter the history books. But one nagging question remains. Can this person, your new economic strategist, really break with the vested elites that got you into this much trouble?" http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22020.htm === The New Depression By Martin Jacques The business and political elite are flying blind. This is the mother of all economic crises. It has barely started and remains completely out of control. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22015.htm === Ron Paul: On The Stimulus Bill Video Paul tells CNN viewers that only 5 hard copies of the bill were available for house of Congress members to read. He calls it business as usual. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22019.htm === Nationalization by Autumn, Bank on It By James Saft Like it or not the United States will be forced to nationalize large swathes of its banking system by the time the leaves fall from the trees in Washington. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22022.htm === Cheney Furious at Bush for not Pardoning Libby By Johanna Neuman It is being described as a full-court, all-out campaign, waged in the last days of the Bush administration by then Vice President Dick Cheney, to get George W. Bush to grant a full pardon to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22023.htm === The Death of The News By Gary Kamiya 2008 was the worst year in history for newspaper publishers, with shares dropping a stunning 83 percent on average. Newspapers lost $64.5 billion in market value in 12 months. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22021.htm === Change? What change? 3,000 troops near Kabul mark start of surge: The process began to take shape under President George Bush but has been given impetus by President Barack Obama's call for an increased focus on Afghanistan. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29226669/ === Pakistan army 'holds fire' in Swat: Pakistan's military has said it will cease operations against pro-Taliban fighters in the Swat valley after the country's government and armed groups reached an agreement on Islamic law being used there. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/02/20092177166785608.html === Musharraf: Deal with Taliban ridiculous: "It's really ridiculous to sign a deal with those who killed hundreds of army personnel in Swat," Musharraf told reporters in a press conference in Islamabad -- his first official-media appearance since his resignation last year. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=85868§ionid=351020401 === Pervez Musharraf was playing 'double game' with US: Washington sent Special Forces into Pakistan last summer after intercepting a call by the Pakistani army chief referring to a notorious Taleban leader as a "strategic asset," a new book has claimed. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5747696.ece === Iran sets up command to guard nuclear sites: Iran is working to home in on its military anti-aircraft command, amid threats of an Israeli air strike on the country's nuclear sites. http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=85706§ionid=351020101 === Iranian defense minister in Moscow 'to talk S-300 missile deal': Iran's defense minister is likely to discuss the delivery of Russian S-300 air defense systems to the Islamic Republic during a meeting with his Russian counterpart on Tuesday, a business daily said. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090217/120178299.html === Iran pins hopes on Russia in its SCO bid - Mottaki: Iran expects to receive the backing of Russia, which holds the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in its bid for full membership of the organization, Iran's foreign minister said on Monday. http://en.rian.ru/world/20090216/120167261.html === Abbas urges world to isolate Likud like it does Hamas: Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas has conducted an international campaign in recent weeks aimed at the diplomatic isolation of a right-wing government headed by Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1063624.html === Tony gets payoff: Tony Blair wins million-dollar Israeli prize for global leadership: Former PM given Dan David award for his determination to find solutions to areas in conflict http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/16/tony-blair-prize === After the surge, the splurge: Iraq spends $5bn rebuilding its forces: America is supplying the Iraqi armed forces with tanks, fighter jets and other high-tech weapons worth billions of dollars, in one of the biggest rearmament programmes ever seen in the region. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article5748562.ece === Kyrgyzstan moves to evict US troops: Kyrgyzstan moved a step closer to evicting US troops on Monday after the government sent to parliament the final package of documents required to close down an air base used to support US forces in nearby Afghanistan. http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=163038 === Anti-terror tactics 'weaken law': The law experts said many anti-terror measures breached human rights: It also said that the UK and the US have "actively undermined" international law by their actions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7892387.stm === Several die in Mexico drug violence: Felipe Calderon, the president of Mexico, has asked the US for "firm" measures against weapons trafficking, following the deaths of 15 people in drug violence in the country's border areas with the US since Sunday. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/02/200921773446664792.html === Rumsfeld prosecution could set precedent: There is now enough evidence to try former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for war crimes, Manfred Nowak, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture, recently told "Frontal 21," a German television program. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20090217cc.html === Exclusive: Rove not covered by executive privilege in political prosecution case, lawyer says: Representatives of the Bush White House are no longer advising former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove that he is protected by executive privilege as regards testimony about the alleged political prosecution of an Alabama governor. http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Lawyer_Rove_wont_take_Fifth_if_0216.html === Coming to NBC: 'To Catch a Cheney': I have a plan to get NBC out of last place in the ratings. I'm promising blockbuster audience and international buzz. As a once disgruntled ex-employee, I now just want to be positive and help NBC, which needs all the free advice it can get. http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/02/17 === Jobless Chinese stranded in Romania: Until recently Romania's economy had been enjoying a construction boom, but work on building sites has ground to a halt as a result of the global financial crisis. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/02/20092175745523222.html === Failure to save East Europe will lead to worldwide meltdown: The unfolding debt drama in Russia, Ukraine, and the EU states of Eastern Europe has reached acute danger point. http://tinyurl.com/aavxj6 === China is right to have doubts about who will buy all America's debt: Chinese doubts about the value of US Treasury bonds highlight a crucial question: who will buy the estimated $2.7 trillion (£1.9 trillion) to $4.2 trillion of debt expected to be issued over the next two years? http://tinyurl.com/clud9n === Kan. suspends income tax refunds, may miss payroll: Kansas has suspended income tax refunds and may not be able to pay employees on time, the state's budget director said Monday. http://www.kansas.com/735/story/701750.html === GM, Chrysler Push for More U.S. Aid After Mistakes : General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, already relying on government aid to survive, take their case to the U.S. Treasury today that they can undo past mistakes and justify more U.S. aid to return to profit. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aR9ub_Rrfdic&refer=home === Homeless families face strict new rules: Less than two years after vowing to end homelessness in Massachusetts, the Patrick administration has proposed new regulations that it acknowledges could force hundreds of homeless families back on the street. http://tinyurl.com/d86ql2 === Hollywood's New Censors By John Pilger These are extraordinary times. Vicious colonial wars and political, economic and environmental corruption cry out for a place on the big screen. Yet, try to name one recent film that has dealt with these, honestly and powerfully, let alone satirically.. Censorship by omission is virulent. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22024.htm ===
