4 February, 2012 — Information Clearing House

NO war – NO sanctions – NO intervention – NO assassinations
http://bit.ly/zd95Tq

An Attack on Iran Must be Stopped
By Andrew Murray
As the US and UK gear up for another senseless war in the Middle East, one thing is certain – it will end in disaster. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30438.htm

The Growing Iranian Military Behemoth?
By Glenn Greenwald
American political officials and commentators feel free to insist, with a straight face, that Iran is an aggressor nation posing a serious threat to the U.S.: such a serious threat, in fact, that war may be necessary to stop it. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30441.htm

Lawmakers, “Experts” Spin Tales of Iranian Terror in Latin America
By Charles Davis
Through its ties with Venezuela and other nations in Latin America, Iran is building an anti-U.S. alliance in the Western Hemisphere that poses a direct, imminent threat to the United States, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said Thursday. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30439.htm

U.S. Leak on Israeli Attack Weakened a Warning to Netanyahu
By Gareth Porter
The real aim of the leak brings into sharper focus a contradiction in the Barack Obama administration’s Iran policy. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30447.htm

Russia as Smokescreen
Cynicism Around Syria
By Vijay Prashad
The US and Israel are currently hiding behind the Russians (and to some extent the Chinese) in the UN Security Council. None of them have any interest in the removal of al-Assad from power. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30443.htm

Exposed: The Arab Agenda in Syria
By Pepe Escobar
Here’s a crash course on the “democratic” machinations of the Arab League – rather the GCC League, as real power in this pan-Arab organization is wielded by two of the six Persian Gulf monarchies. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30444.htm

Newt Gingrich Suggests Obama Is A Muslim-Appeasing Traitor
By Ellen
“…I think you have a pro-Islamist faction in the administration that is on every front trying to appease people who are our enemies…” http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30440.htm

Muslim: Quip Led to Terror Probe
By SIDHARTHA BANERJEE
A casual text message to work colleagues encouraging them to “blow away” the competition at a trade show allegedly plunged a Muslim man into a terrorism probe. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30442.htm

A War Anniversary that U.S. Wishes to Forget
By Emil Guillermo
Feb. 4 marks the anniversary of a war America won – but doesn’t care to crow about. When the memory only produces shame and regret, you can understand why. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30445.htm

5 Wars That America Must End
By Eric Blair
When poverty rates climb, there’s a crew of government workers secretly high-fiving that their job is safe. When marijuana legalization measures fail, the police and prison unions celebrate. When America is attacked, the weapons manufacturers rejoice. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30446.htm

200 killed in Syria govt assault: “Activist”: Syrian forces unleashed a barrage of mortars and artillery on the battered city of Homs today, killing more than 200 people in what appears to be the bloodiest episode in the nearly 11-month-old uprising, activists said. http://bit.ly/wLxkL2

Syrian government denies reports of army shelling city of Homs: The denial came after Syrian opposition groups claimed that dozens of civilians have lost their lives in an attack by the army on the violence-hit city. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/224775.html

Russia and China veto UN resolution on Syria: The Americans said the two countries had sold out the Syrian people; the French accused them of backing Damascus without scruple; while the British said they had turned their backs on the Arab world. http://bit.ly/xE1qDa

US ‘Disgusted’ by Russia, China Veto of UN Resolution to End Violence in Syria: “The United States is disgusted that a couple of members of this Council continue to prevent us from fulfilling our sole purpose,” U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said. “For months this Council has been held hostage by a couple of members,” she said, referring to Russia and China http://abcn.ws/wZxz3x

Text of proposed UN resolution on Syria: Text of the proposed U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria that was vetoed Saturday by Russia and China: http://bit.ly/yN1crK

Engineering Consent For An Attack On Iran:
U.N. Nuclear Inspectors’ Visit to Iran Is a Failure, “West” Says: American and European (unnamed) “officials” said Friday that a mission by international nuclear inspectors to Tehran this week had failed to address their key concerns, indicating that Iran’s leaders believe they can resist pressure to open up the nation’s nuclear program. http://nyti.ms/wYvhaq

Presstitute alert:
Iran stonewalls U.N. nuclear watchdog on (Unnamed) site-diplomats: Iran’s apparent reluctance to let U.N. inspectors visit a military site near Tehran underlines the uphill task they face in getting the Islamic state to address suspicions it may be seeking to develop nuclear weapons, Western diplomats say. http://reut.rs/wTu8CJ

Crack Israeli commando unit formed to target Iranian nuclear programme: Mossad hit squads have already carried out assassinations on key Iranian scientists and the Depth Corps has been sent deep inside Iran to prepare an all-out strike against its nuclear programme. http://bit.ly/yOvXeS

Assassination Unit set up inside Iran: Israeli Defence Ministry official were quoted as saying that the unit has been organized “to coordinate deep penetration operations in other countries as well.” http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=138673

Engineering Consent For An Attack On Iran:
Israeli embassies, consulates raise alter over Iranian threats: –
Israel has raised the alert level at its consulates and embassies due to fears of an Iranian terror attack, Israeli radio revealed Saturday. http://bit.ly/x8MvrX

Germany Warns Against Military Action Against Iran: Germany’s foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle said on Saturday that Europe is determined to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran but is warning against military action. http://bit.ly/yrt7IB

Robert Fisk: An attack on Tehran would be madness. So don’t rule it out: After invading Iraq over weapons of mass destruction, we plan to clap as Israel bombs Iran http://ind.pn/wLVHTQ

“Iranian opposition” meets in Sweden:
About 50 exiled members of Iran’s opposition on Saturday gathered for a two-day conference in Stockholm to discuss how they can unite to promote democracy in their homeland and prepare for its parliamentary election in March. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4185091,00.html

Iran calls on EU to review oil embargo decision: “Unfortunately the EU has succumbed to America‘s pressure. I hope they would review their decision on sanctioning Iran’s oil exports” Iran’s oil minister http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=256420

Iran to cut oil exports to ‘hostile’ European states:
“We will certainly cut [oil exports] to some European states,” Mr Ghasemi said on Saturday. But he gave no indication on timing nor did he identify which countries would be Iran’s target because of their “more hostile positions”. http://on.ft.com/AEWOjl

Iran to OPEC states: Do not raise oil output: Iran has asked OPEC members not to raise oil production to compensate for a European Union embargo against the Islamic republic, Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said on Saturday. http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=50454

Iranian battle group docks in Saudi Arabia: Iran’s 18th naval battle group has docked at the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Mehr News Agency quoted the commander of Iran’s naval fleet as saying on Saturday. http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/1988224.html

NYPD document: Collect intelligence at mosques: The New York Police Department recommended increasing surveillance of thousands of Shiite Muslims and their mosques, based solely on their religion, as a way to sweep the Northeast for signs of Iranian terrorists, according to interviews and a newly obtained secret police document. http://bit.ly/yra7Bv

37 killed as UN peace talks collapse: Officials from three states and the UN had met for talks in the remote town of Mayendit in Unity state in an effort to reduce inter-ethnic tensions. Those killed in the gun battle included civilians, but most were police. http://bit.ly/xOqGcs

Sudan: President Does Not Exclude Possibility of War With Juba: The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir highlighted the unprecedented level of tensions with the newly established state of South Sudan by saying that war is now a possibility. http://allafrica.com/stories/201202040004.html

18 militants, 7 soldiers killed in clash in northwestern Pakistan: At least seven Pakistani soldiers and 18 suspected militants were killed on Friday in an attack in the country’s northwestern tribal region, officials said on Saturday. http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-154536.html

3 Gunmen Killed in Clashes with Afghan Police in Nangarhar: The incident took place in Keera Khil district of Nangarhar province, while the gunmen attacked on Afghan police, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, provincial spokesman told TOLOnews reporter. http://bit.ly/wPHzQT

American Forces Killed An Afghan Soldier: An Afghan soldier was shod to dead by American forces in Sar-i-Pul province last night. http://bit.ly/yJUYdF

Afghan civilian death toll hits ‘record high’: UN mission in Afghanistan says 2011 was fifth straight year that number of dead has risen, with 3,021 civilians killed. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/02/201224101046976807.html

Fact or fiction:
Mullah Omar wrote to Obama: officials: Current and former U.S. officials told a foreign news agency that reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar wrote to President Barack Obama last year indicating an interest in talks key to ending the war in Afghanistan.

9 killed in Egypt over football riots: Nine killed and more than 2,500 wounded in clashes over authorities’ failure to prevent Port Said football violence. http://aje.me/z0KEid

Video shows French woman wounded by IDF grenade in West Bank protest: Protesters from the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh released video footage on Saturday showing that the French woman wounded during the weekly protest on Friday was hit by an Israel Defense Forces gas grenade . http://bit.ly/xt6eu4

Anonymous leaks e-mails in Iraq’s Haditha massacre case: Anonymous, in the statement on the puckettfaraj.com website, said it wanted to bring attention to the “brutality of U.S. imperialism.” http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/91706/

Manning to face court martial over WikiLeaks: Accused of leaking more than 700,000 secret documents, private in US army faces possible life imprisonment. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/02/20122464929382471.html

Probe call over ‘spying’ on Shias in New York: Rights groups urge officials to open investigation after report shows city’s police recommended surveillance of mosques. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/02/2012247749953957.html

Set Up Free Email Encryption In 15 Minutes: Not only is free email encryption very useful, but it is fairly simple, almost seamless, and you don’t need to befriend a bunch of encryption fanatics to use it effectively http://www.howtovanish.com/2011/12/set-up-free-email-encryption-in-15-minutes/

Is US democracy being bought and sold?: Video – How corporations, unions and political action committees are shaping the candidate pool. http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/us-democracy-being-bought-and-sold-0022021