The New Dark Age

23 September, 2010 — ICH

CIA Killed U.S. Citizens in Pakistan
By Jeff Stein
CIA drones killed “many Westerners, including some U.S. passport holders” in Pakistan’s tribal area during the George W. Bush administration, the new book by Bob Woodward says.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26436.htm

“In the Interests of Israel”
Why Russia will not sell the S-300 Air Defense System to Iran
By Gen. Vladimir Ivashov
Denying Iran the right to efficient means of self-defense is tantamount to encouraging aggression against it.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26438.htm

Transcript of President Ahmadinejad’s U.N. Speech
By President Ahmadinejad’s
Some seek to rule the world relying on weapons and threats, while others live in perpetual insecurity and danger.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26437.htm

Israel Used ‘Incredible Violence’ Against Gaza Aid Flotilla: UN
By Jon Swaine in New York and Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem
Israeli troops broke international law by storming an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, according to a UN inquiry, which found that the killings of activists on-board were comparable to “summary executions”.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26434.htm

America Is Suffering a Power Outage
(and the Rest of the World Knows It)
By Dilip Hiro
Whatever the twenty-first century may prove to be, it will not be the American century.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26432.htm

The Collapse of Western Morality

By Paul Craig Roberts
Yes, I know, as many readers will be quick to inform me, the West never had any morality. Nevertheless things have gotten worse.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26431.htm

Media Buries Reports on Financial Crime

By Danny Schechter
Even as the rats jump ship. The National Bureau of Economic Research which took a year to admit that the country was in recession now says the Recession is over, a conclusion that is not widely shared especially because the structural, systemic and political problems that caused the crisis have not been remedied.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26435.htm

US Government ‘Hiding True Amount of Debt’
By Gregory Bresiger
“The Government is lying about the amount of debt. It is engaging in Enron accounting,” said Laurence Kotlikoff, an economist at Boston University and co-author of The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know about America’s Economic Future.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26433.htm

That ‘Official’ Poverty Rate? It’s Much Worse than You Think
By David DeGraw
77 percent of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck. This means in our nation of 310 million citizens, 239 million Americans are one setback away from economic ruin.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26439.htm

Managing Public Perception
Psywar
Video
The real battlefield is your mind . How did the land of the free and the home of the brave arrive at a place where citizens could be manipulated with such efficiency and on such a massive scale?
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26430.htm

22 dead, 80 wounded in Somali capital battles :
‘These are the worst casualties we have seen for months,’ Ali Muse, head of Mogadishu’s ambulance service, told the German Press Agency dpa. ‘Our staff are still collecting casualties, so the number (of killed and injured) could go up.’
bit.ly/aGzail

Street battles shake Somali capital:
Shells fired by African Union (AU) peacekeepers hit Bakara market, in central Mogadishu, during Thursday’s fighting, Al Jazeera has learned. “Heavy artillery shelling is ongoing and has left 70 people wounded”, Al Jazeera’s Jama Nur reported from Mogadishu.
english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/09/2010923105246180943.html

Nato soldier, 20 militants killed in Afghan violence:
Nato said on Wednesday that one of its soldiers was killed in a bombing in southern Afghanistan and at least 20 insurgents killed in separate air strikes.
paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?231860

U.S. covert paramilitary presence in Afghanistan much larger than thought:
On an Afghan ridge 7,800 feet above sea level, about four miles from Pakistan, stands a mud-brick fortress nicknamed the Alamo. It is officially dubbed Firebase Lilley, and it is a nerve center in the covert war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/22/AR2010092206241.html

Afghanistan security ‘deteriorating:’ Feds:
Afghanistan’s security situation is “deteriorating,” with a rise in insurgent violence and intimidation of civilians, according to a new report on the war by the Harper government.
bit.ly/bKL02J

Afghanistan tackling almost 4,000 poll complaints:
Afghanistan’s electoral watchdog said on Wednesday it is tackling almost 4,000 complaints over the parliamentary election, which has been tainted by accusations of fraud and Taliban intimidation.
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j3GS1_JWXJXoyfngCy-lu25NWvKw

Pakistan: 13 killed in Peshawar operation:
Ten “terrorists” and three security personnel were killed on Wednesday in an ongoing military operation in Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar, security sources said.
www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010923story_23-9-2010_pg7_2

Talk of ‘revolution’ in Pakistan:
For the past week in Pakistan, there has been rising speculation that the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government is on its way out. Some staunch supporters of the establishment have made no secret of their opinions, saying the party is finished.
blogs.aljazeera.net/2010/09/23/who-will-storm

5 killed, 7 wounded in 2 IED blasts in Baghdad:
Five people were killed and seven others wounded in blasts from two improvised explosive devices in Baghdad, according to a security source on Thursday.
en.aswataliraq.info/?p=137129

Four Killed in Weapons Explosion:
At least four people were killed and 67 others injured after a weapons storage facility explodes in Iraq.
www.wifr.com/news/headlines/103565894.html

Gunmen shoot dead civilian inside his house in Mosul:
Two unidentified gunmen killed a civilian inside his house in western Mosul city on Thursday, according to a police source in Ninewa.
en.aswataliraq.info/?p=137131

Obama urges diplomacy on Iran:
US President Barack Obama has called for a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear issue, despite Washington’s disregard for Tehran’s diplomatic initiatives.
www.presstv.ir/detail/143698.html

Iran criticizes Russia over S-300 missile deal ban:
Iranian defense minister says Russia is violating a 2007 contract; Russia says UN sanctions prevent it from delivering the sophisticated systems to Iran.
bit.ly/9ET2uf

Iran To Produce Missile System Similar To Russia’s S-300:
Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi has announced that Iran will produce an advanced anti-aircraft missile system, similar to S-300 in the near future after Russia scraps missile delivery plan to Iran, Mehr News Agency said.
www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=529654

Turkey lauds UN report on Gaza flotilla:
UN Human Rights Council report: Israel flotilla raid broke international law; UN appointed experts say that the military raid on the flotilla was ‘brutal and disproportionate’.
www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkey-lauds-un-report-on-gaza-flotilla-1.315265

Israel accused of war crimes by UN expert panel:
A United Nations panel of human rights experts has accused Israel of war crimes through wilful killing, unnecessary brutality and torture in its ”clearly unlawful” assault on a ship attempting to break the blockade of Gaza in May.
bit.ly/aKtCB5

Turkish president demands apology for flotilla at UN:
Gul calls ‘Marmara’ raid an “unacceptable act in international law,”; calls on Israel to put an end to the “humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.”
www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=189039

Obama calls on Israel to extend settlement freeze:
“Israel’s settlements moratorium has made a difference on the ground, and improved the atmosphere for talks. Our position on this issue is well known: we believe that the moratorium should be extended,” the US president said.
www.euronews.net/2010/09/23/obama-calls-on-israel-to-extend-settlement-freeze/

What settlement freeze?
Colonists in occupied Hebron pour concrete for four buildings
bit.ly/9PNhqi

Bodies found in Burundi river:
Authorities blame armed bandits for spate of killings but locals say a civil war is resuming.
english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/09/2010923131711283417.html

Al-Qaeda claims French kidnappings:
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims the abduction of five French citizens in Niger.
english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/09/20109220826549357.html

Yemen denies presence of U.S. drones:
Defense officials from Washington told CNN this week on condition of anonymity that the Obama administration was considering deploying armed unmanned aerial vehicles to Yemen to help with counter-terrorism operations.
bit.ly/9x9LSu

Gulf States Order $123 Billion of U.S. Weaponry to Counter Iran, FT Says:
The United Arab Emirates has signed contracts to buy military kit worth $35.6 billion, the FT said.
bit.ly/9YuM0E

David Miliband gave green light for interrogations in ‘torture nations’:
David Miliband faced fresh questions over torture yesterday after it emerged that he gave the green light for interrogations of terrorist suspects in countries where there was a risk of abuse.
bit.ly/amr8XP

More Questions Than Answers in FBI Spy Case:
A Writers’ Workshop graduate would have a hard time writing a story more Orwellian than this.
www.dailyiowan.com/2010/09/23/Opinions/18950.html

South Florida: An arms smuggler’s paradise:
A crossroads for drugs and money laundering, Miami has expanded into a gateway for arms smuggling — not only to Latin America but also to the Middle East and Far East.
www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/18/1831539/s-fla-becoming-gateway-for-arms.html

Significant Developments in Terror Threats Since 9/11, Officials Say:
The nation’s top counterterrorism officials were blunt. The threat from within—of Americans willing to commit terrorist acts— is growing. FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III told a congressional hearing today that a spike in recent terrorism cases is direct evidence of the evolving threat.
bit.ly/bCMHBH

Feds’ Guide To Snitching on Your Terrorist Neighbor:
Here’s a handy pamphlet prepared by federal law enforcement to help you navigate the uncertainties of an age of homegrown terrorism, helpfully illustrated with pictures of New Mexico-born extremist preacher Anwar al-Awlaki and New York food-cart guy/sleeper agent Najibullah Zazi.
bit.ly/blAIyZ

Global food risk from China-Russia pincer:
World food supplies are caught in a pincer as China becomes a net importer of corn for the first time in modern history and Russia’s drought inflicts even more damage than expected, raising the risk of a global grain shock in 2011.
bit.ly/bSj3N1

Rising Energy Demand Hits Water Scarcity ‘Choke Point’:
“We are about to see water wars in the future,” said U.S. General Anthony Zinni. “We have seen fuel wars; we’re about to see water wars.”
ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52939

The UK Opens the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm:
In the United Kingdom today, excitement was afoot as the world’s largest wind power installation went online. The 300 MW farm was constructed by Swedish alternative energy firm Vattenfall AB. It is located on the North Sea, on the east face of the island, approximately 2 hours east of the capital city of London.
www.dailytech.com/The+UK+Opens+the+Worlds+Largest+Offshore+Wind+Farm/article19701.htm

France set for strike against pension reforms:
Up to a million people are expected to take strike action in France today against the government’s pension reforms
www.euronews.net/2010/09/23/france-set-for-strike-against-pension-reforms/

BofA’s unfunny foreclosure tricks:
The no holds barred winner in the irresponsible bank tricks department is BofA (BAC). The bank recently foreclosed on a Florida property that doesn’t even have a mortgage, the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale reported.
finance.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/23/bofas-unfunny-foreclosure-tricks/

USA is fattest of 33 countries:
The United States is the fattest nation among 33 countries with advanced economies, according to a report out today from an international think tank. Two-thirds of people in this country are overweight or obese; about a third of adults – more than 72 million – are obese, which is roughly 30 pounds over a healthy weight
usat.ly/bgqxHP

Debt, changing media habits topple Blockbuster:
Blockbuster Inc., once the dominant movie rental company in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, reeling from mounting losses, rising debt and competitors that have better catered to Americans’ changed media habits.
yhoo.it/bMIYqD

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:  4,739
icasualties.org/oif/

Number Of  International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 2,100

Cost of War in Iraq & Afghanistan
$1,084,177,661,631
www.costofwar.com/

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