7 November 2013 — Information Clearing House
Torture on Tape:
Disturbing Video Shows U.S. Special Forces Observing Brutal Afghan Interrogation
Video
A video just posted online shows a hogtied prisoner being whipped by Afghan security forces, as what appears to be two unidentified American military officers look on.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36785.htm
Drone Strike Served CIA Revenge, Blocked Pakistan’s Strategy
By Gareth Porter
The back story of the episode is how President Barack Obama supported the parochial interests of the CIA in the drone war over the Pakistani government’s effort to try a new political approach to that country’s terrorism crisis.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36787.htm
Saudi Arabia’s Shadow War
BY DAVID KENNER
The Kingdom is turning to Pakistan to train Syria’s rebels.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36783.htm
Fact Or Fiction?
Saudi Nuclear Weapons ‘On Order’ From Pakistan
By Mark Urban
Saudi Arabia has invested in Pakistani nuclear weapons projects, and believes it could obtain atomic bombs at will.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36782.htm
The Cost of War American-Style
By Ann Jones
It’s the other 1% at the top who are served by war, the great American engine that powers the transfer of wealth from the public treasury upward and into their pockets. Following that money trail reveals the real point of the chosen conflicts.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36780.htm
Why Cuba Must Be Punished
By William Blum
Each fall the UN vote is a welcome reminder that the world has not completely lost its senses and that the American empire does not completely control the opinion of other governments.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36784.htm
The Surveillance State Puts U.S. Elections at Risk of Manipulation
By Conor Friedersdorf
What would an Alexander type do if he thought the victory of one candidate would significantly rein in the NSA in a way that he regarded as catastrophic to national security? Would he really do nothing to prevent their victory?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36781.htm
How America Was Lost
By Paul Craig Roberts
Can liberty be regained? Probably not, but there is a chance if Americans have the necessary strength of character.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36788.htm
” I Can’t Even Afford To Eat”
Postcard from the End of America: Kensington
By Linh Dinh
In Kensington, serving cans of sardine qualifies an establishment as a restaurant, and you can be an instant hotelier by renting any spot to sleep by the night, week or month.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36786.htm
Median Wage Falls to Lowest Level Since 1998
By David Cay Johnston
Total real wages per American were 6 percent lower in 2012 than in 2007. Americans working 52 weeks in 2012 collected paychecks equivalent to just 49 weeks in 2007.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36779.htm
The Debtor’s War: A Modern Greek Tragedy
By Andrew Gavin Marshall
Our world is dominated and being re-shaped by a tiny global financial, corporate, political and intellectual elite.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36789.htm
Iraq attacks kill 30 people ahead of Shiite pilgrimage:
Attacks in Iraq – including twin suicide blasts against an army base and a car bomb targeting Shiite Muslims-killed 30 people Thursday, a week ahead of a major Shiite pilgrimage.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/iraq-attacks-kill-30-ahead-of-shiite-pilgrimage
Bodies Found in Mass Grave in Syria:
The bodies of 30 Christian civilians, including women and children, killed by Islamist militias, have been found in two separate mass graves, in the city of Sadad. The number of Christian civilians confirmed dead in this small town halfway between Homs and Damascus has reached 45. Many are injured and several are missing.
http://www.aina.org/news/20131104192012.htm
Syria army retakes key rebel enclave near Damascus:
State TV said the army had full control of Sbeineh and that “terrorists” had been driven out. UK-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sbeineh was one of the most important rebel positions near Damascus.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24849809
Syria crisis: Saudi Arabia to spend millions to train new rebel force:
Riyadh ‘fighting two wars in Syria’ as new force Jaysh al-Islam excludes al-Qaida affiliates in bid to defeat Assad regime
Syrian gov”t warns of armed groups” possession of WMD: –
The Syrian government warned Thursday against dangerous impacts if armed groups’ possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or chemical weapons, which would “pose a threat to Syria and the region.”
http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2342988&Language=en
Cost of Syrian war hit $103.1 billion:
The total cost of almost 3-year Syria crisis reached $103.1 billion by the first half of 2013, Alex Pollock, Director for Microfinance Program at United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has said.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/158233/cost-of-syrian-war-hit-103-1-billion.html
Swiss team: Arafat poisoned to death with abnormal amounts of polonium:
Al Jazeera reports Swiss team found levels of polonium at least 18 times higher than normal; Arafat’s widow: This is proof of ‘political assassination’; Israel dismisses report, says findings ‘not conclusive.’
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.556656
Scientists: Arafat’s Radiation Poisoning Couldn’t Have Been An Accident:
Palestinian officials have alleged from the start that Israel poisoned Arafat, a claim Israel denies. Suha Arafat, his widow, called on the Palestinian leadership Thursday to seek justice for her husband.
PLO official calls for Arafat inquiry:
Executive committee member says Arafat’s poisoning by polonium was a crime “committed by a state”.
Kerry slams Israel’s West Bank policies, warns of 3rd Intifada:
US secretary of state criticizes settlement building, says Israel must end presence of IDF soldiers ‘perpetually in West Bank,’ warns ‘pro-violence’ Palestinian leadership may emerge
http://www.timesofisrael.com/kerry-warns-of-3rd-intifada-isolation-of-israel-if-talks-fail/
U.S. wants Iran to halt nuclear program for six months in exchange for economic relief:
U.S. official says imposing any new sanctions on Iran at this stage would seriously undermine the negotiations.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.556681
Netanyahu: Compromising with Iran over nuclear program would be ‘historic mistake’:
Prime minister rejects proposal asking Iran to halt its nuclear program for six months in exchange for temporary sanctions relief.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.556806
Obama calls Netanyahu ‘a pain in the a**’?:
US President Barack Obama called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu “a pain in the ass” during a White House campaign meeting some six months before Obama came to Israel and reset his relationship with Netanyahu, according to a new book on the 2012 US presidential election.
Report: Saudis Aiming Missiles at Israel and Iran:
Satellite photography suggests that Saudi Arabia has ballistic missiles pointed at both Israel and Iran
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/169812
Pakistan ready to give Saudi Arabia nuclear bombs, say experts:
Bombs for Saudis are ready for delivery, sources tell the BBC; if so, a Middle East nuclear arms race could develop.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.556742
Air strike kills six “suspected” militants in Afghanistan’s Paktika:
SIX suspected militants were killed in an air strike by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that targeted an unspecified location in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on 31 October, Pajhwok reported.
Afghanistan: U.S. Special Forces Guilty of War Crimes? :
Last spring, the remains of 10 missing Afghan villagers were dug up outside a U.S. Special Forces base – was it a war crime or just another episode in a very dirty war?
http://www.rollingstone.com/feature/a-team-killings-afghanistan-special-forces
‘I’ll put one in his head, if you want’ – court releases audio of Afghan insurgent ‘shot dead’ by Royal Marine:
In audio clips identified as video clip four and five in the trial, the marines are heard dragging the injured insurgent across the field. Marine C is heard saying “I’ll put one in his head, if you want.” Marine A replies: “That’ll be too fucking obvious.”
8 “terrorists” killed in Sinai: –
Eight terrorists were killed in confrontations with Egyptian army in North Sinai on Thursday, security source told Xinhua.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=178781
Cairo head of Iran’s Al-Alam TV arrested: Egypt security:
Media organisations seen as sympathetic to the Islamists have also been targeted, including the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera broadcaster’s Egypt affiliate.
Four killed in bomb blast as Ethiopia raises security alert – official: –
Four people were killed when a bomb blast tore through a minibus in western Ethiopia late on Tuesday, at about the same time that the government warned of imminent attacks by militants, an official said.
http://www.trust.org/item/20131106185952-zplz9/?source=search
Heavy fighting rocks Libyan capital as rival militia battle:
Anti-aircraft gunfire and grenade blasts erupted in several parts of Tripoli late on Thursday, the second time this week that the Libyan capital has been rocked by fighting between rival militia groups..
Libya’s teachers go on strike to protest country’s worsening economy: –
A Libyan official says a three-day teachers’ strike to protest worsening economy and demand a pay increase has shut down 95 per cent of the schools in the capital, Tripoli, and elsewhere in the country.
Third Navy official arrested in bribery probe:
Federal prosecutors arrested a third senior Navy official in a widening bribery scandal Wednesday, charging that he delivered classified and other sensitive information to a major defense contractor in exchange for prostitutes, luxury travel and more than $100,000 in cash.
Brazil orders Google to hand over Street View data:
Brazilian judges have given US Internet search giant Google until Saturday to turn over private data collected through its Street View program, press reports said Thursday.
http://www.france24.com/en/20131107-brazil-orders-google-hand-over-street-view-data
As Rest Of The World Considers Cutting Back Aggressive Surveillance, New Zealand Legalizes Massive Spying:
New Zealand has passed a very broad new snooping law that will force telcos to basically hand over everything to various intelligence agencies.
In Bed with the Bully-Consensual U.S. Surveillance in Mexico:
Ex-president Vicente Fox, enthusiastically endorsed U.S. spying on Mexican politicians, claiming he knew the U.S. spied on him while he was president.
https://nacla.org/blog/2013/11/7/bed-bully%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%E2%80%9Dconsensual-us-surveillance-mexico
Al Gore: Snowden ‘revealed evidence’ of crimes against US constitution:
Speaking at McGill University in Montreal, Gore said the NSA’s efforts to monitor communications had gone to ‘absurd’ lengths
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/06/al-gore-snowden-revealed-evidence-crimes-nsa
Former NSA Codebreaker: I Tried To Tell People About Government Spying:
“We would map the relationships of everybody in the world,” Binney said.
Former NSA Codebreaker: I Tried To Tell People About Government Spying
UK illegally spied on Bundestag and German Chancellor Angela Merkel from British Embassy in Berlin :
Video –
Senate panel approves intelligence authorization bill: –
A Senate panel approved its annual authorization of funding for intelligence operations on Tuesday, including measures to increase spy agencies’ ability to prevent leaks of classified information like those by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/06/us-usa-intelligence-senate-idUSBRE9A502I20131106
NSA Funding Bill Gives Agency Extra Cash To Hunt ‘Insider Threats’:
The Senate Intelligence Committee has already given its thumbs up to NSA spending, advancing a bill that contains a little something extra for its favorite agency.
AT&T is selling you info:
C.I.A. Is Said to Pay AT&T for Call Data:
The C.I.A. is paying AT&T more than $10 million a year to assist with overseas counterterrorism investigations by exploiting the company’s vast database of phone records, which includes Americans’ international calls, according to government officials.
It’s time to clear my name: David Hicks : – Video –
‘Gitmo a black hole where no laws apply’ — Former Detainee David Hicks
US ordered to hand over Red Cross files on conditions at Guantánamo Bay:
The extraordinary ruling, issued by Col James Pohl on Tuesday at Guantánamo, represents a rare opportunity for disclosure of the assessments of the only human rights group with access to the detention facility since 2002.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/06/us-red-cross-files-conditions-guantanamo
New video of ‘extremely inebriated’ Toronto Mayor Rob Ford surfaces:
Video – “I’ll go f—ing by myself, right in my f—ing underwear. I want to go… I need 15 minutes,” he said
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/07/mayor_rob_ford_caught_in_video_rant.html
Police Killing of Teenager Andy Lopez Ignites Latino Community and Youth:
Protests continue to demand justice for Andy Lopez, the CA 13-year-old murdered by police office.
Cop Caught On Tape Shooting Unarmed Man Won’t Be Charged With A Crime:
Chicago Police Officer Gildardo Sierra will not face any criminal charges for the killing of an unarmed man, Cook County prosecutors announced Tuesday, despite video footage that showed Sierra standing over the victim, Flint Farmer, and shooting him multiple times.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/11/06/2902591/police-shooting-unarmed-man/
Traffic stop results in nightmare 14-hour anal cavity search:
David Eckert says he was subjected to three enemas, two rectal searches, two x-rays and even a colonoscopy – all in pursuit of non-existent narcotics.
Timothy Young, Subject To Forced Anal Probe By New Mexico Cops, Is 2nd Victim To Come Forward:
Meanwhile, the rest of the nation is left to wonder exactly what is wrong with law enforcement in New Mexico, not to mention the medical staff at Gila Regional Medical Center.
Bitcoin boom: Virtual currency hits all-time high of $309:
The value of Bitcoin virtual currency has increased 20-fold in the past year and hit an all-time high of $309.68 on Mt. Gox, the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange. Growth sustainability is at risk as new ‘Silk Road’ makes it a target of the US government.
http://rt.com/business/bitcoin-boom-silk-road-364/
BP to pay $19.5 million settlement in mine pollution case:
Nevada residents have been awarded up to a $19.5 million settlement in a class action case that accused a parent company of BP America of leaking toxic chemicals into the soil for decades and covering up the extent of contamination from an abandoned mine.
http://rt.com/usa/bp-settlement-pollution-case-338/
Consumer Confidence in U.S. Drops for Sixth Consecutive Week:
Consumer confidence in the U.S. fell for the sixth week in a row, reaching the lowest level in a year as Americans struggled to make ends meet.
Revised census calculation puts number of poor Americans at 49.7 million:
The number of poor people in America is 3 million higher than the official count, encompassing 1 in 6 residents due to out-of-pocket medical costs and work-related expenses, according to a revised census measure released Wednesday.
http://www.thonline.com/news/national_world/article_0d7363d2-4718-11e3-965b-001a4bcf6878.html
Texas school tosses 6th grader’s breakfast in trash after he can’t pay 30 cents:
A Texas school is standing by its policy after cafeteria workers threw a sixth grader’s breakfast in the trash when they realized his account was short 30 cents.
Cost Of War
Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered In US War And Occupation Of Iraq “1,455,590“
Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America’s War On Iraq: 4,883
Number Of International Occupation Force Troops Slaughtered In Afghanistan : 3,395
Cost of War in Iraq & Afghanistan
Total Cost of Wars Since 2001
$1,487,051,712,340
The New Dark Age 