The New Dark Age

20 August, 2010 — Information Clearing House

– ICH Archives March 2003 – March 2010

Philippines Police ‘Torture’ Video
Torture video outrage in the Philippines
By Al Jazeera
A cell-phone video, showing a suspected robber screaming in pain as an alleged police chief yanks on a rope tied to the victim’s genitals, has sparked outrage in the Philippines.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26194.htm

Other Countries Probing Bush-era Torture – Why Aren’t We?
By Shashank Bengali
Judges in Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Poland and Lithuania are preparing to hear allegations that their governments helped the CIA run secret prisons on their soil or cooperated in illegal U.S. treatment of terrorism suspects.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26198.htm

Petraeus Says, ‘We Are Not Leaving’
Interview with Katie Couric
“Well, first of all we are not leaving,” Gen. Petraeus replied. “There are 50,000 U.S. troops that are remaining in Iraq albeit in a support role rather than a leading combat role. But that’s an enormous capability.”
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26204.htm

Last of the Combat Troops Leaving Iraq? Only in your Dreams
By Bill Noxid
So there are no delusions of the reality we have left for the Iraqi people, please watch the short videos.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26200.htm

Declassified: Massive Israeli Manipulation of US Media Exposed
By Russia Today
Files declassified in America have revealed covert public relations and lobbying activities of Israel in the U.S. They suggest Israel has been trying to shape media coverage of issues it regards as important.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26199.htm

How to Manipulate the Masses
Propaganda
Must Read By Edward Bernays
The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26193.htm

Part Tinker Bell, Part Predator Drone: The Fantasy of the Presidency as Deus ex Machina
By Phil Rockstroh
The devices employed in US election cycles and its national politics, in general, are akin to the dramatic conventions of children’s theatre. Every two to four years, voters are instructed to clap their hands and believe in Tinker Bell.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26195.htm

America Has Disgraced Itself
By Peter Beinart
Conservative fury over the “ground zero” mosque shows that when it comes to the battle for freedom and religious liberty, the U.S. has thrown in the towel. And why are Jews so thrilled to be in lockstep with the heirs of Pat Robertson?
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26202.htm

It’s Not About The “Mosque”! It’s America’s War On “the Other”
By Will Bunch
This country has long had its Know-Nothings and its Birchers and its McCarthyites, but it never had gizmos like Fox News or Sarah Palin’s Twitter feed to fuel toxic ideas so far so fast. It’s time we admit these seemingly disconnected battles over “anchor babies, mosques, and a black man in the Oval Office are all part of the same war against “the Other,” and that we are in the fight of a lifetime. 
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26201.htm

Tensions Rise in Greece as Austerity Measures Backfire:
By Corinna Jessen in Athens
The austerity measures that were supposed to fix Greece’s problems are dragging down the country’s economy. Stores are closing, tax revenues are falling and unemployment has hit an unbelievable 70 percent in some places. Frustrated workers are threatening to strike back.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26197.htm

Homeowners’ Rebellion: Could 62 Million Homes Be Foreclosure-Proof?
By Ellen Brown
The financial juggling that helped cause the 2008 crisis may be coming back to haunt banks-and help homeowners.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26203.htm

The Transformation of Latin America is a Global Advance
By Seumas Milne
Nearly two centuries after it won nominal independence and Washington declared it a backyard, Latin America is standing up. The tide of progressive change that has swept the continent for the past decade has brought to power a string of social democratic and radical socialist governments that have attacked social and racial privilege, rejected neoliberal orthodoxy and challenged imperial domination of the region.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26196.htm

US Attack on Taliban Prison Leaves 18 Dead:
At least 13 Taliban militants and 5 hostages were killed following a US-led attack on a Taliban prison in Helmand Province, Afghan officials say
tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/322-us-attack-on-taliban-prison-leaves-18-dead

Taliban commander, 11 militants killed in Afghanistan’s Logar province:
An air weapons team engaged the group, killing nine insurgents,” it stated, adding “ Coalition forces then conducted a precision air strike and air assault on the objective location killing three more insurgents
en.trend.az/regions/world/afghanistan/1737688.html

3 US occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan:
Two US soldiers were killed in a clash with Taliban militants in Logar province. The Taliban say eight American soldiers died in the fighting.
presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=139295&sectionid=351020403

The Secret Killers :
Assassination in Afghanistan and Task Force 373
bit.ly/bG1K2w

Eight militants killed in NW Pakistan:
At least eight militants were killed and three others injured in a military operation launched on Thursday by the Pakistani army in the country’s northwest tribal area of Upper Orakzai, reported local media.
english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/7110250.html

UN calls for more Pakistan help:
Pakistan’s flooding crisis is a “slow-motion tsunami”, the UN secretary general tells an emergency fund-raising session in New York.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11031765

Why the unfolding disaster in Pakistan should concern you:
This is bizarre and shameful. We’re spending over $100 billion this year on military maneuvers to defeat the Taliban in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. Over 200 helicopters are deployed in that effort. And we’re spending $2 billion in military aid to Pakistan. More must be done for flood victims, immediately.
bit.ly/9R3O2Z

Pak’s Shahbaz Air Base ‘Controlled’ by US: Lashari:
Pakistan’s Shahbaz air force base in southern Sindh province, which is home to the country’s newest F-16 jets, is “controlled by the US”, a senior official has said, triggering a denial from America which described the remarks as “completely false.”
news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?690908

Five killed, seven injured in Iraqi attacks :
A policeman was killed by a bomb that had been placed in his car in the city of Fallujah, 60 kilometres west of Baghdad. Two Iraqi soldiers were also killed by gunmen in separate attacks in the suburbs of the northern city of Mosul, security sources said.
bit.ly/aqxciu

Despite new mission, US troops still in the fight in Iraq:
The US troops “will continue to conduct partnered counter-terrorism operations” in an effort “to help Iraqi security forces maintain pressure on the extremist networks and protect the citizens of Iraq,” Major Christopher Perrine told AFP.
news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100819/ts_alt_afp/iraqunrestmilitarytroops

Withdrawal Reports Anger Families and Soldiers Fighting in Iraq:
Recent reports have been touting the end of combat operations in Iraq, saying the last of the combat troops have left, but the reports are angering some of the tens of thousands of troops who are still there and will remain there.
www.kktv.com/news/headlines/101085964.html

Not the End: What about the 50,000 troops who are staying behind?
They didn’t exactly send their M-16s and sidearms out with that Stryker brigade. And they’re not going to transform themselves into the Peace Corps overnight. In truth, the last combat unit leaving Iraq is really a nonevent.
www.newsweek.com/2010/08/19/combat-operations-aren-t-really-over-in-iraq.html

Up to 7K U.S. Contractors For Iraq:
Only 50,000 American soldiers are to remain in the country : The officials who spoke to The Times, on condition of anonymity, said that as the Pentagon pulls out of Iraq, the State Department is going in — in force
www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20014075-503543.html

Gunmen kill two soldiers in south Yemen clash:
Gunmen killed two soldiers and wounded two others in a clash in the Abyan province of southern Yemen on Thursday, a local official said.
uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100819/twl-gunmen-kill-two-soldiers-in-south-ye-3cd7efd.html

Woman killed, 8 police wounded in Yemen attacks:
A Yemeni woman was killed and eight policemen wounded in two separate attacks in south Yemen, security officials said on Thursday.
www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=40707

Steinitz demands ultimatum for Iran: Raising the stakes:
Finance minister says America must warn Tehran of military strike within weeks; ‘Time has come for whole world, under US leadership, to present Iran with unequivocal ultimatum,’ he says
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3940260,00.html

Russia: Iran entitled to peaceful nuclear energy:
Russian nuclear chief: When Iran’s Bushehr reactor goes live it will prove Russia honors its obligations.
www.haaretz.com/news/international/russia-iran-entitled-to-peaceful-nuclear-energy-1.309033

‘Intl. law forbids attack on nuclear sites’:
“According to Resolution 533 of the IAEA, attacking or threatening to attack operational or under-construction nuclear facilities is a blatant violation of the UN charter, IAEA statute and international regulations,” Ali Asghar Soltanieh.
www.presstv.ir/detail/139255.html

Exclusive: : Al Qaeda Plans Response for Israeli War on Iran:
The terror group’s arm in Yemen is ordering jihadists across the region to ready themselves for a war “by the Jews against Iran” that will spread across the globe, according to a new audio message
bit.ly/bLf9HK

Saudi arms deal set for smooth US passage:
One of the largest arms deals in US history, involving the sale of weaponry worth some $60bn to Saudi Arabia, is likely to go through Congress without significant objections. People knowledgeable about the deal say a big factor smoothing its passage is Israel’s relatively relaxed position
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/494492f8-aa24-11df-9367-00144feabdc0.html

US to Fund Israeli Purchase of 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters:
Israel is one step closer to purchasing twenty F-35 Joint Strike Fighter warplanes built by Lockheed Martin. The $2.75 billion arms deal will be paid for by American taxpayers as part of the US military aid package to Israel.
bit.ly/blb4GQ

Declassified Senate Investigation Files Reveal Clandestine Israeli PR Campaign in America:
The subpoenaed documents reveal Israel’s clandestine programs for “cultivation of editors,” the “stimulation and placement of suitable articles in the major consumer magazines” as well as U.S. reporting about sensitive subjects such as the Dimona nuclear weapons facility.
news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20100818/pl_usnw/DC52106

In case you missed it:
How American News Media Works In Favor Of Israel
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21744.htm

In case you missed it:
The Israel Lobby:
Does the United States in fact keep Israel on its feet? And how long will it continue to do so?
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20155.htm

Netanyahu rejects peace talks based on 1967 borders:
Prime ministers rebuffs Palestinian ‘precondition’ as talks with U.S. envoy George Mitchell end in failure.
www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-rejects-peace-talks-based-on-1967-borders-1.307430

UN report: IDF barring Gazans’ access to farms, fishing zones:
Humanitarian affairs office: Israel restricts entry to 17% of Gaza lands, 85% of beachfront zone, enforces restrictions with live fire.
bit.ly/b0jXud

U.S. support for Israel is decreasing, new poll shows:
Survey conducted by U.S.-Jewish group the Israel Project asked Americans and Europeans about their views on Israel.
www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-support-for-israel-is-decreasing-new-poll-shows-1.308855

No ‘reset’ with Venezuela soon:
After a clumsy row over a diplomatic appointment, we have to ask: does the US really want better relations with Hugo Chávez?
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/18/venezuela-hugo-chavez

Brazil court upholds $3m ‘slave labour’ fine on firm:
A Brazilian court has upheld a fine of nearly $3m (£1.93m) on a company accused of keeping people as slave labourers on its ranches for years.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11021628

US Gulag: U.S. still holds detainee Pentagon wanted freed in 2004:
An emotionally ill detainee still being held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was first recommended for release by the Pentagon in 2004, according to a federal judge whose ruling ordering that the man be freed was made public this week.
www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/17/99314/us-still-holds-detainee-pentagon.html

ACLU sues over detention in United Arab Emirates:
Rights group sues CIA, FBI over American citizen’s detention in United Arab Emirates
rawstory.com/rs/2010/0819/aclu-sues-detention-united-arab-emirates/

France sends Roma Gypsies back to Romania:
Rights groups say the Roma are being demonised, and Romania has warned France against “xenophobic reactions”.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11020429

On the frontline of climate change:
It’s the burning issue Australia’s leaders dare not confront, even on the eve of a general election
bit.ly/asb5Q5

Oil ‘plume’ threatens Gulf waters:
Scientists have found a 35km-long plume of oil deep in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, despite US government claims that most of the oil from a ruptured well had dispersed.
english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/08/2010819175228365585.html

US National Guard troops deployed at Mexico border:
Immigration has become a central issue ahead of important national elections in November.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11020174

More Americans think Obama is Muslim:
Pew Research Center has conducted a new national survey showing that nearly one-in-five Americans, or 18 percent, think Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 percent in March 2009.
presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=139353&sectionid=3510203

US jobless claims jump to 500,000; nine-month high:
The number of Americans filing new weekly claims for jobless benefits jumped unexpectedly to 500,000, the highest level in nine months, the government said Thursday, threatening recovery hopes.
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gsCwW-atqjhhl6JlwWQO60U-xfiQ

Connecticut may have just a week’s worth of cash:
“Conceivably, the State may run out of funds for capital expenses that have already been authorized, allocated and incurred, such as school construction projects,” she added.
yhoo.it/a718rY

California Threatens To Pay Workers With IOUs As Deficit Soars:
California state contractors and others could find their paychecks replaced by IOUs this September, as legislative disputes over the state’s $19 billion deficit threaten to stall the passage of a budget.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/18/california-threatens-to-p_n_686952.html

City of Phoenix moving closer to 4-day work week:
A three-day weekend and a four-day workweek may become the norm for City of Phoenix workers, making it the largest city in the nation with a reduced work day week.
bit.ly/clxzWt

Paychecks to Shrink Because of Higher Health Premiums, U.S. Companies Say:
Workers will pay more for their health care next year as U.S. companies prepare for provisions of the overhaul signed into law by President Barack Obama, according to a survey released today.
bit.ly/cDi3Xi

Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq “1,366,350″
www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America’s War On Iraq:  4,734
icasualties.org/oif/
Number Of  International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 2,007

Cost of War in Iraq & Afghanistan
$1,067,835,316,686
www.costofwar.com/

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