U.S. Military Seeks to Expand Raids in Pakistan

WASHINGTON — Senior American military commanders in Afghanistan are pushing for an expanded campaign of Special Operations ground raids across the border into Pakistan’s tribal areas, a risky strategy reflecting the growing frustration with Pakistan’s efforts to root out militants there.

The proposal, described by American officials in Washington and Afghanistan, would escalate military activities inside Pakistan, where the movement of American forces has been largely prohibited because of fears of provoking a backlash.

The plan has not yet been approved, but military and political leaders say a renewed sense of urgency has taken hold, as the deadline approaches for the Obama administration to begin withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan. Even with the risks, military commanders say that using American Special Operations troops could bring an intelligence windfall, if militants were captured, brought back across the border into Afghanistan and interrogated.

NY Times | 20 Dec 2010 - read full report :

Malaysians launched Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) in London!

The Federal Constitution of 1957 guarantees all citizens of, first, Malaya and, later, Malaysia, the rights and liberties accorded to all free men of all democratic nations and provides for the establishment of institutions of state to secure and safeguard those liberties.

The existence and application of draconian laws in the context of a systemic failure on the part of many of those institutions to honour their duty to uphold, protect and preserve the Federal Constitution has resulted in those guaranteed rights and liberties becoming, for many, illusory.

Our Vision

The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) envisions a nation that has fully realised the aspirations of our founding fathers that Malaysia be a nation founded upon the principles of liberty and justice, her people bound together by a unity of purpose and imbibed with self-belief, to make Malaysia a land of prosperity and peace, ever seeking the welfare and happiness of its people and the maintenance of a just peace among all nations,.

Our Mission

MCLM believe that many Malaysians desire changes and reforms as comprehensively laid out in The People’s Voice and The People’s Declaration.

MCLM aims to take a leading role in realising these aspirations and encouraging the wider participation of civil society in shaping the future of our nation.

With the above Preamble, Vision and Mission statement a group of Malaysians headed by the Malaysian popular fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin had launched a the Malaysian Civil Liberty Movement in London. The group claimed to be an NGO, that will fixed the Malaysian Parliamentary Democracy. MCLM will nominates willing and capable individuals, to be candidates for political parties contesting in the coming 13th Malaysian General Elections. This group and MCLM will then be a bunch repairmen that will fixed the broken system in Malaysia.

Visit MCLM website to view MCLM to know more. Readers may join MCLM via that website too. MCLM also has its own facebook.

Rudd calls for inspections of Israel's nuclear facility.

FOREIGN Minister Kevin Rudd has arrived in Israel with a blunt message: allow international inspectors into your nuclear facility.

He has also called on Israel to stop building in Jewish settlements in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In an interview with The Australian before he arrived in Israel last night, Mr Rudd staked out strong positions on both issues.

While many countries are calling on Israel to halt settlement growth, it is Mr Rudd's strong stance on Israel's nuclear facility that is bound to be most controversial in Israel.

Israel refuses to confirm that it even has nuclear weapons, but foreign intelligence analysts familiar with the program believe Israel has just over 200 nuclear warheads at its facility in Dimona in southern Israel. Israeli officials have confirmed to The Australian that Israel has nuclear weapons but will not place a figure on them.

The Australian - a4 December 2010 | Read full report :

Veterans For Peace Protest War Outside White House.

TheRealNews | December 17, 2010 - Ray McGovern, Daniel Ellsberg and Chris Hedges amongst dozens of protesters arrested outside White House.

WikiLeaks Interview : INDIAN USE OF TORTURE WIDESPRED

Julian Assange Interview
December 17, 2010 ABC News

British Campaign against Press TV

Wikileaks has recently revealed documents showing that an alleged campaign against Press TV has been made in the UK.

In this episode of Comment, the main topic of debate would be on the same campaign and as George Galloway states probably the British retaliation on Press TV; the voice of the voiceless.

VoA : American nominees for Egpytian President.

Egyptians Ponder if 2011 Offers Chance for Change

VOAvideo | December 16, 2010 - Egypt is set to hold presidential elections toward the end of 2011, but so far no one has officially entered the race. Aides say President Hosni Mubarak, who has been in power for almost 30 years, will seek another six-year term, but the spotlight is also on his son, Gamal (Little Jimmy), a rising star in the ruling National Democratic party. He's widely seen as being groomed for the post. VOA's Elizabeth Arrott reports from Cairo on what Egyptian voters might have in store in the coming year.

Tracking Egypt's Presidential Succession Plan

STRATFORvideo - Dispatch | December 14, 2010 - Analyst Reva Bhalla examines the evolving dynamics of Egypt's presidential succession plan and the possibility for increased military influence in Cairo's political affairs.

Flotilla activist - "US the biggest terrorist on the planet, without question."

RTAmerica | August 05, 2010 - The US State Department has released its annual terrorist list, including the names of a number of humanitarian organizations who have publicly renounced violence and terrorism. Ken O'Keefe of the Humanitarian Aid Group to Help Gaza said that no credence should be given to the US or its list, because it is in fact the "biggest terrorist on the planet, without question."

Mubarak's Political Theater :

TheRealNews | December 12, 2010 - Egyptian Elections Elaborate Political Theater

 Reed Lindsay reports from Egypt: Opposition united in denouncing runoff elections as a sham.

Viewpoint: Egypt election 'blunder' by Mubarak's NDP .

Continue reading the main story

Related stories

• Mubarak party sweeps Egypt poll
• Q&A: Egypt's parliamentary election
• Muslim Brotherhood: Secret of its success

Egypt may very well have just experienced the most fraudulent parliamentary elections in its recent history.

The main parliamentary opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, was reduced from 20% of the seats in the previous parliament to zero.

The second largest group, the liberal Wafd party, won a mere three seats in the first round of elections (out of a total of 518 seats). The results strained the credulity of even those most sympathetic to the regime.

Egypt has in the past at least allowed the appearance of democracy, though not necessarily the substance. Within constraints, the opposition was allowed to participate.

The parliament, while ultimately dominated by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), had, in recent years, come somewhat alive. There was a relatively boisterous independent press. Elections were rigged but not stolen outright.

BBC News | 10 December 2010 - read full report :

Cyber Attacks in Support of WikiLeaks.

VOAvideo | December 10, 2010 - Computer hackers used to be mostly sophisticated criminals, high tech spies or new media pranksters. But now a new breed of hacker is engaged in what some call a cyber war of political activism. VOA's Elizabeth Lee examines the cyber activism in supporter of the WikiLeaks website and its founder Julian Assange.

Millions displaced by devastating floods in Pakistan brace for winter without a home.

unicef | December 09, 2010 ::
VIDEO: 24 November 2010 - UNICEF correspondent Priyanka Pruthi reports on flood-displaced families struggling to survive winter in Pakistan.

WikiLeaks :: don't shot the messenger message from Aussies.

Is Rudd, rude to the American Leaders

December 09, 2010 - Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd says the US is at fault over the leaking of classified diplomatic cables, and not WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

December 09, 2010 - Sydney protestors vent their anger over attempts to silence wikileaks.

Julian Assange : Guilty without being charged?

Card Sharks: Who's cutting WikiLeaks cash flow? 
:: Paypal, Visa & Mastercard - stop processing wikileads donation processes ::

- What will the Black President in the White House says if the Government of China were doing this? -

RussiaToday | December 10, 2010 - Wikileaks supporters are waging cyber-war against firms they accuse of stifling its activities - and its founder Julian Assange. Visa, MasterCard and PayPal all suffered online outages, when they came under attack, after Assange's bank account was frozen. He's currently in a British jail fighting extradition to Sweden on sex crime allegations. The hackers are promising more to come. Meanwhile, as Gayane Chichakyan reports, the firms which have cut off Wikileaks are continuing to support other controversial groups.

WikiLeaks Cables Reveal "Profound Hatred for Democracy on the Part of US Political Leadership"

Noam Chomsky on DN! about the WikiLeaks Cables

In a national broadcast exclusive interview, DN speak with world-renowned political dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky about the release of more than 250,000 secret U.S. State Department cables by WikiLeaks. In 1971, Chomsky helped government whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg release the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret internal U.S. account of the Vietnam War. Commenting on the revelations that several Arab leaders are urging the United States to attack Iran, Chomsky says, "latest polls show : Arab opinion holds that the major threat in the region is Israel, that's 80 percent; the second threat is the United States, that's 77 percent. Iran is listed as a threat by 10 percent," Chomsky says. "This may not be reported in the newspapers, but it's certainly familiar to the Israeli and U.S. governments and the ambassadors. What this reveals is the profound hatred for democracy on the part of our political leadership."

Iran has no nuclear weapon program :

TheRealNews | December 02, 2010 - Ray McGovern: NYT ignores intelligence there is no evidence of Iran nuclear weapons program. Wikileaks allows the New York Times (NYT) to make the public look at the trees and missed the forest allowing NYT to Beats Drums for War.

Egypt : Opposition groups withdraw from Egyptian election citing fraud.

france24english | December 02, 2010 - Egypt's two leading opposition parties, the Muslim Brotherhood and Wafd, have withdrawn from the second round of legislative elections on allegations of widespread electoral fraud at the hands of the government.

Drone attacks everyday - in Pakistan

AlJazeeraEnglish | December 01, 2010 - The US has stepped up a campaign of alleged drone strikes in Pakistan, despite the Pakistani military refusing calls for an operation in the North Waziristan region.

But the US Defense Department says Pakistan is not acting swiftly enough against armed groups in the region, and officials say it's hurting US efforts to reverse the Taliban's momentum in the Afghan War.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr filed this report from Islamabad.

Voting in a Muslim Country :: Egypt.

Votes for Sale in Egyptian Election.

TheRealNews | November 29, 2010 - Reed Lindsay reports from Egypt on accusations of wide spread fraud and vote manipulation in Egyptian elections.

The Wikileaks cable isn't about Iran being a threat to security :: it's about rival elites defending oil wealth and power.

Wikileaks and Iran :

TheRealNews | November 29, 2010 - Gareth Porter: Media selecting cables that support Iran narrative.





TheRealNews | November 30, 2010 - Why Might a Saudi King Want the US to Attack Iran?

Excessive use of force in Afghanistan? :: More Cuts in America & More Tanks Arrive in Afghanistan

ISAFMEDIA | November 28, 2010 - M1A1 Abrams tanks are staged at the Initial Issue Provisioning lot at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. Five tanks have arrived so far and another dozen or so are expected to arrive over the coming weeks. Marines and contractors will inspect and up-armor the tanks before they are issued to infantry Marines throughout Helmand province. The Tanks will provide coalition forces with superior optics, maneuverability and precision fire power to be used during counter insurgency operations. Produced by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Brofer. Also available in high definition

Shamocracy in Egypt : Street battles erupt amidst voting.

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 28, 2010 - As Egyptians vote for parliamentary elections on Sunday, stone-throwing street battles in the city of Alexandria have erupted outside a polling station between supporters of rivaling political factions.

The violence came as many members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest opposition party, accuse the ruling party of vote rigging and intimidation.

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from Alexandria, a Brotherhood stronghold.

Iran pushes 'on' switch for Bushehr nuclear plant.

All Systems Go!

RussiaToday | November 27, 2010 - After decades of waiting, Iran has switched on its first nuclear power plant. It will take a while though before the Russian-built Bushehr reactor begins pumping electricity to the national grid.

It's about America wanting Iranian Oil!

RussiaToday | November 27, 2010 - After years of waiting, Iran has switched on its first nuclear power plant. The country's atomic chief says the Russian-built Bushehr reactor will soon begin pumping electricity to Iranian cities. For more insight, RT talks to journalist Afshin Rattansi- Is the sanction working?

AI UK :: Egypt's elections: a time of danger

The other day a volunteer in the Amnesty media office where I work said “there’s always violence” in Egypt when they have elections. She was in the country for the 2005 elections, she said, and “We didn’t go out of the house. It was too dangerous”.

A sad indictment, but surely a bit exaggerated? Not really.

In 2005 violence on the streets, mass arrests of political candidates, supporters and even election monitors, and a general feeling of instability were – unfortunately – part and parcel of the elections in Egypt. Perhaps not surprisingly, less than a quarter of Egypt’s registered voters turned out to vote. (Compare this to the UK’s own 2005 election: 61% of registered voters voted and even this led to a bout of hand-wringing over falling electoral turn-outs).

Read full report : AI UK 26 Nov 2010

Egyptian gearing for General Election tomorrow.

:: Young Egyptians campaign for change.

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 26, 2010 - Egyptians will vote in parliamentary election on Sunday, but rights groups say the vote will be neither free nor fair.

There have been a series of government crackdowns against the media and opposition supporters ahead of the poll.Despite resistance from the government, young Egyptians are beginning to agitate for change.

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland has the story in Alexandria.

:: Egypt offers more seats for women

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 26, 2010 - Egypt has specified quotas for the number of parliamentary seats for labourers, farmers and other professionals.

Now more room is being made for women. Just in time for the election.

Only four women were elected in 2005. This time around, the Egyptian government has designated 64 seats solely for women. But critics say this is a ploy for the National Democratic Party to gain more seats rather than a genuine desire to give women more rights.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin explains.

US 1st Black President's Deal : Bribery & Blackmail Peace a Dead End?

Vid 3 :: CrossTalk: Blackmail Peace a Dead End?

RussiaToday | November 24, 2010 - On this edition of Peter Lavelle's CrossTalk, his guests Alan Dershowitz and Gideon Levy face off regarding Obama's failed MidEast peace process.

Vid 2 :: U.S. To Boost Weapons Stockpile In Israel

theGlobalReport | November 20, 2010 - The United States is to significantly increase the amount of military equipment held in Israel as part of a move to upgrade security ties between the two allies. The move will see an extra 400-million-dollars worth of smart bombs and other precision weaponry and equipment moved to Israel over the next two years.

Vid 1 :: Price of 'Peace': 20 F-35 stealth jets to bribe Israel?

RussiaToday | November 14, 2010 - The U.S. is desperately trying to revive the stalled Middle East peace talks, by enticing Israel to extend its construction moratorium in occupied Palestinian territories.Washington's put 20 stealth fighter jets worth $3 billion on the table - and a pledge to fight any international resolutions against Israel. In exchange, it wants Israel to halt construction in the West Bank for three months, with a U.S. promise not to ask to prolong it further. Palestinians are criticising the plan, saying the proposed freeze will not apply to East Jerusalem.

Watch the Videos  ::

Egypt's elections :: preserve Egypt's 'sham-ocracy'

Riz Khan - AlJazeeraEnglish | November 23, 2010 - Will the upcoming vote preserve Egypt's so-called 'sham-ocracy' or move the country towards reform?

A Simple Question-Nuclear Weapons.

PressTVGlobalNews | November 09, 2010 - This episode of Press TV's "A Simple Question" is about nuclear weapons; a strategic deterrent that responsible countries should have and should keep, or a threat so great that they should abolish altogether.

The US tested the world's first nuclear bomb in New Mexico, 1945. On the 6th of August that year, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 3 days later another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The US justification for these actions was that dropping the bomb was necessary to end the 2nd world war.

The dropping of the Hiroshima bomb heralded the start of the atomic age. The USSR developed its first weapon in 1949, the UK in 1952, France in 1960, and China in 1964. These nations and many more signed the NPT in an attempt to control nuclear weapons at the international level. The treaty consists of 3 central pillars:

- First, all nuclear states agreed not to help non-nuclear states acquire nuclear weapons.

- Second, all nuclear states would move towards disarming their own nuclear weapons.

- Third, all countries -- both nuclear and non-nuclear -- were granted the right to develop their own nuclear energy programs.

Pakistan and India developed nuclear weapons with the support of the US. In 2006, North Korea tested its first nuclear missile. Israel officially has a policy of ambiguity; it neither confirms nor denies whether it has nuclear weapons. The US and a number of other countries accuse Iran of covertly trying to make nuclear weapons and as a result, the US, UN, and EU have all placed economic sanctions on Iran. But Tehran rejects the west's double standards and insists its nuclear program is just for peaceful purposes; it's enriching uranium to meet its energy needs.

In the UK and around the world resistance to nuclear weapons continues.

Watch videos below :

Hawks Push For Attack On Iran ::

theGlobalReport | November 20, 2010 - Foreign-policy hard-liners are stepping up efforts to press the Obama administration to take a tougher stance -- and perhaps even launch an attack -- on Iran. After the Republican made inroads in the recent mid-term election.

Clashes erupt in Kashmir following Eid prayers

KashmirNation | November 17, 2010 - Clashes erupt in Kashmir following Eid prayers.

Police fire tear gas on protesters in Kashmir

It was the latest in a series of violent demonstrations in Indian-administered Kashmir this year

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have fired shots in the air and used tear gas shells to disperse hundreds of protesters in Srinagar.

Protests erupted after prayers marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

The demonstrators emerged from mosques chanting anti-India slogans and hurled stones at police, witnesses said.

Continue reading the main story

British withdrawal from Afghanistan & public protest!

British PM - Afghan withdrawal by 2015 :

itnnews | November 20, 2010 - David Cameron has addressed the NATO summit praising an agreement for Afghan forces to take control of their country's security.

Thousands protest Afghan war in London :

itnnews | November 20, 2010 - As Cameron set a date at the NATO summit for British troop withdrawal protesters marched in the capital over Afghanistan war.

Egypt arrests 300 Muslim Brotherhood members

 Egyptian security forces have arrested another 300 members of the Muslim Brotherhood across the country, less than 10 days before the legislative elections.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opposition group in Egypt, said on Friday that the arrests took place in several towns, including Alexandria, on Friday. Almost half of the arrests were in the port city of Alexandria, where dozens were also injured.

However, Egyptian security forces say they have only detained around 100 opposition members for planning to cause disturbances and for holding group meetings.

Read Full Report : (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) 

The unreported massacre and rape of Muslims in Guinea:

Investigations by both Human Rights Watch and the UN concluded that “the massacre and sexual violence committed on September 28 at the stadium appeared to be both organized and pre-planned.” Both investigations further revealed the extensive efforts by the government to cover up the scale of the killings, with troops visiting hospital morgues to take away and dispose of the bodies of the dead before they could be properly registered.

The full extent of this atrocity may never be known but it has been confirmed that at least 150 to 200 people were killed and scores of women raped.

Read Full Post :

Kashmir no longer on UN's list of unresolved disputes.

newsxlive | November 15, 2010 - This comes as a direct blow to Pakistan which has been asking the UN to intervene on the issue.

US sanctions weave big trouble for Persian rugs.

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 16, 2010 - The US has imposed economic sanctions against Iran for nearly 30 years and the trade barriers have created problems for Iranian businesses.

The import and export sector is among the most affected, including in some unusual areas such as the carpet industry.The latest round of sanctions has made trading in Persian rugs illegal, which by extension will hurt the traditional weavers in Iran.

Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports from New Jersey.

Kashmir Violence

PressTVGlobalNews InFocus | November 15, 2010 - Kashmir as one of the most dangerous clash points is located partly in Indian and Pakistani border.Kashmir's unrest continues to be unresolved after more than six decades.

Both India and Pakistan who claim full control of the region have fought two of the three wars in Kashmir and the area has remained at the heart of enmity between the two nuclear rivals.

In this edition of InFocus, Press TV's correspondent Shahana Butt takes a look at how the people in Kashmir are caught up in this long disputed between India and Pakistan.

Republican Victory and US Afghan Iran Policy.

TheRealNews | November 14, 2010 - Robert Naiman: War critics defeated, Republican hawks control House; Libertarians a wild card

Comatose Ariel Sharon moved to his home.

Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli prime minister, has been moved from a hospital to his home.

The 82-year-old has been in a coma since 2006, when he suffered a massive stroke.

Doctors say the hope is that he will eventually be able to remain at his house with a full medical team to care for him.

The medics said the process of moving him to his home - a farm in southern Israel - was gradual.

On this first, carefully rehearsed, journey from the hospital the former leader was accompanied by the medical team, and all the necessary respiratory machinery to keep him alive.

BBC News : read full post -

What is at stake in South Sudan - America is offering to take Sudan out of their terrorist list :

Dispatch: Oil Revenue Complicates South Sudan's Referendum

STRATFORvideo | November 08, 2010 - Analyst Mark Schroeder examines how the fight over oil revenues will complicate South Sudan's goal of becoming an independent nation in an early 2011 referendum on independence.

Iraq gets new government after coalition deal.

Iraq will finally get a new government on Thursday after politicians hammered out a late-night deal to end eight months of wrangling following an indecisive election.

The country's 249 days of impasse set a new world record, and led to fears in America and among its neighbours that it could descend into civil war.

The nationalist Iraqiya party, headed by the pro-western secular former prime minister, Ayad Allawi, agreed under heavy pressure to back a national unity coalition.

Telegraph Nov 11, 2010: Read full report.

Iraqi without a government - a decry soaring deadlock costs

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 09, 2010 - Iraqis frustrated by party leaders' failure to form a unity government after eight months of political deadlock, have staged a massive rally in Baghdad, calling on officials to speed up the process of reaching a power-sharing deal.

Much of the public anger stems from soaring economic costs the country accrued since March's general elections failed to yield a leadership because not a single bloc won enough seats.

Many complain that the impasse has caused a standstill in the country, freezing job growth and public services. They also say officials' salaries, which are many times more than the average Iraqi's pay, are a major waste of money.

Rawya Rageh reports from Baghdad.

‘Iraqi reconstruction a sham’ – former contractor.

RT, Nov 2010 - He explained that the Iraqis had little say in how things functioned, how the government was formed or where things would even be placed. The Iraqi government was ill prepared to transition to power and unable to run the nation adequately.

Why Yemen? Religious extremism from Saudi Arabia is an excuse for false flag operations targeting Yemen :

---

Click to view caption

A Yemeni woman walks past UPS office in Sanaa, Yemen. The glaring weakness of the cargo shipping system has been laid bare by the Yemen-based mail bomb plot

It is true that graduates of the Saudi-financed Salafi schools spread throughout the poverty-stricken country can be recruited easily by extremist groups. "Graduates of these schools are almost ready to be Al-Qaeda members," Said Obaid, chairman of the Al-Jemhi Centre for Researches and Studies, a think tank specialised in Al-Qaeda affairs, told Al-Ahram Weekly.

Obaid mentioned in particular the first ever Dammaj Centre in Saada which was founded by the late Salafi cleric Mukbel Al-Wadi who graduated from the Saudi Wahabi schools. Nearly 4,000 schools now are offspring of Dammaj which was founded in late 1980s.

"The top leader of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, Nasser Al-Wahaishi, graduated from such a school," said Obaid, who studied for a while in Dammaj before he became a researcher and the author of the book Al-Qaeda in Yemen. "The leader of Al-Qaeda in Mudia Jamil Al-Ambori, who was killed in a security operation last March and other prominent members are alumni."

Read full reports :

Women's plight in Kashmir.

istreamnews | October 29, 2010 - Watch out as Seema Mustafa finds out more about the women folks in Kashmir and their plight

An Iranian Woman in US Prison.

Shahrzad Mir-Qolikhan was arrested in the US in December 2007. Her ex-husband, Mahmoud Seif, had allegedly tried to export night-vision goggles to Iran from Austria. She was sentenced to five years in prison by a Florida federal court in his absence. Her mother said that Shahrzad had been trial in Austria and had been exonerated but the US court in Miami annulled the verdict and ordered a re-trial.

Controversial Trial of Omar Khadr:

Let us, look into this military trial's historical background, the tortures & "blackmai" involved, others comment including from UN - view this vids:

Karzai Eases Deadline, In his Push To Ban Security Firms.

October 29, 2010 - In Afghanistan, there has been a test of wills in recent weeks between President Hamid Karzai and the international community. At issue is whether private security firms should be allowed to continue working in the country.

For nearly five years, Karzai has criticized the use of private security companies in Afghanistan and said they should be banned. These private firms help guard development and reconstruction projects around the country.

There are more than 50 registered private security firms that employ anywhere from 40,000 to 50,000 international and local guards. There are at least 50 additional firms that are unregistered, which the government wants to disband immediately.

read full report

PressTVGlobalNews | October 26, 2010 - US Contractors in Afghanistan

As the US military presence is continued in Afghanistan, the private security firms are repeatedly accused of corruption and even plotting to lay bombs across the country to upset the shaky situation in the war-hit country. President Karzai has openly charged the contractors with conspiring in terrorist operations in Afghanistan.

In this edition of Press TV's News Analysis, Kaveh Taghvai asks his guests if the contractors are into terrorism. Let's watch and see what Kaveh's guests, Jim Brann, Gareth Porter and Saeed Khamoush, have to say to answer this question.

Do American keep, care & protect them...

Russia Criticizes U.S. On Afghan Heroin Labs:

theGlobalReport | October 28, 2010 - The Associated Press reports that the head of Russia's federal drug control agency is complaining that the United States has failed to dismantle heroin-processing laboratories in Afghanistan despite specific information he has given American officials about the facilities.

America's latest front in Bush's "war against terrorism".

Yemen steps up fight against al-Qaeda.

AlJazeeraEnglish | October 29, 2010 -A branch of al-Qaeda is claiming to have formed a new army in the south of Yemen.

But the military is denying claims that the group is extending its reach. Government forces have stepped up efforts against fighters in Shabwa province, the scene of frequent clashes in recent months.

Several men on the government's most-wanted list have been arrested in the last week.

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from the city of Aden.

THE MERCHANTS OF DEATH & DESTRUCTION - THE LEAGUE OF DOOM!

Top 5 arms exporters: who feels secure? Weapons piling up, enough to blow up Earth many times over rather than defend it.

The United States of America remains the largest exporter of conventional weapons in the world, according to the latest study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). 

The U.S account for 30% of global arms sales, or about $7 billion per year, for the period 2005-2009, SIPRI statement says. From 2005 to 2009, the U.S. sold one-third of its arm exports to South Korea (15%), Israel (13%) and the United Arab Emirates (11%). The top U.S. military equipments included JDAM guided bombs and RGM-84L Harpoon-2 anti-ship missiles, delivered to South Korea, in 2008.

Read full report :


Vid below seems to conflict with latest report below: 

Tear gas fired at Arab protesters

RussiaToday | October 27, 2010 - Police have clashed with Arab protesters in northern Israel ahead of a scheduled march by an ultra-nationalist Jewish group. Demonstrators had positioned themselves along the planned route of the march. But approaching police were mistaken for the marchers, and pelted with rocks. The crowd was dispersed with tear gas and stun grenades.

Adoption of Israeli style assassinations?

- To justify drones attacks on Pakistan!
- Death sentence without trial is murder!

Al-Qaida's Recent Threats in Europe Underscore its New Strategy.

There have been 1000s of drones attack before this, make this vids more like a propaganda, an after-thought to legitimized what, (even) Americans had concluded as illegal before!

Karzai slams private security firms.

Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has accused private security firms of fuelling war in his country, while reiterating his commitment to ban them by the end of the year. "These private security firms have caused insecurity and they've caused infringement of people's rights," he said on Monday, despite pressure from the US-led alliance on him to back down. He added that the companies "cause the deaths of Afghan children, and they cause blasts and terrorism".

Read Full report

A systematic campaign...it this a sign of US failure?

AlJazeeraEnglish | Iran's role in Iraq.

October 24, 2010 - The leaked documents reveal Iran's extensive role in Iraq, with thousands of reports of Tehran funding and suppling Shia militias.

Many of these reports implicate members of Iran's intelligence services, accusing them of building bombs and even manning checkpoints in Baghdad.

Turkey rebuffs U.S. pressure to slash trade with Iran.

A top Turkish official says in the U.S. that Turkish firms are 'free to make their own decisions' about complying with sanctions aimed at cutting off trade with Iran over its nuclear program.

Reporting from Washington —

Turkey has rebuffed a U.S. effort to persuade it to scale back its trade ties with Iran despite a persistent U.S. lobbying campaign this week in Washington and Ankara.

Ali Babacan, a Turkish deputy prime minister, told reporters in Washington on Wednesday that Turkish companies remained "free to make their own decisions" about whether to comply with U.S. and European sanctions aimed at cutting off trade with Iran.

Read full report :

Where will America be leading Iraq & us to?

Violence and Reports of Fighters Joining al-Qaeda Makes Stability of Iraq Uncertain:

VOAvideo | October 24, 2010 - Experts on Iraq say citizens there are frustrated, as Iraqi leaders continue to struggle with forming a government. U.S media reports say some of that frustration is causing hundreds of well-armed Iraqi fighters, allied with US troops, to quit or even join the insurgency.

Is this a propaganda for world's public consumption? A justification to stay longer in Iraq?

"Conversations with Terrorists".

US Media and Afghan War - Reese Erlich: Military downplaying biggest surge of the war. All violence against the U.S. is being defined as "terrorism"

Iraqi Government Formation Dilemma.

Press TV-Middle East Today | October 23, 2010 - Iraq remains in a cycle of uncertainty as its incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is on a regional tour to gather support for his bid for premiership. Maliki's tour included a visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran where the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khameneie, called on political factions in Iraq to reach a consensus on forming a new government. Maliki's main rival for premiership, Eiad Alawi, is also trying to garner support.

The questions raised by Mariam Saleh in this edition of Press TV's Middle East Today:

Have the Iraqis questions been solved and finalized behind closed doors between regional powers or are there other complications in the way of reaching consensus?

Turkmenistan - will there be a scramble for her Natural resources.

Islam is the dominant religion in Turkmenistan (89% of the population); the 9% of the population that adheres to the Eastern Orthodox Church are ethnic Russians; the remaining 2% religion is reported as non-religious.(wiki)


The Importance of Turkmenistan:


Dispatch STRATFORvideo | October 21, 2010 - Analyst Eugene Chausovsky looks at the geopolitics behind Turkmenistan's importance to players beyond its Central Asian neighbors.