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U.S. court martial hears how Marine killed Iraqis: "I saw Sergeant Wuterich approach the bodies, he shot at them," said Dela Cruz, adding that Wuterich went around to each corpse and shot it in the upper body, the gun's muzzle 2 to 3 feet from each man. http://bit.ly/yHqZd8
5 killed as Yemen police, protesters clash in south: Firefights between police and southern separatists in Yemen on Friday killed five and wounded 23, as protesters nationwide denounced a plan granting the president immunity from prosecution, medics and police said. http://bit.ly/xG4i0s
Three Pak security personnel killed in attack on police post: Nine security personnel were injured when over 100 militants attacked the police post at Sarband, an area on the boundary between the restive Khyber tribal region and Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. http://bit.ly/xLzVrY
Pakistan PM calls MPs to arms: 'Save democracy': Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, made a strong pitch for democracy in a country plagued by military coups when he defiantly urged MPs of all parties to support him, saying they had to choose between democracy and dictatorship as a growing confrontation with the Army pointed to his possible ouster. http://bit.ly/x0P8TL
British official denies report Pakistan PM 'made panicky call to UK diplomat' about army coup: The denial came after an Associated Press report said that Pakistan's prime minister made a 'panicky' telephone call to the top British diplomat in the country this week, expressing fears that the Pakistani army might be about to stage a coup. http://tgr.ph/ykn4Ag
Secret intel report leaked: US in Afghan dead end: The estimate states that the weak government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai will not be able to survive when US will pull its forces out of the country and reduces its assistance to military and civilians. http://bit.ly/xWbLzu
US Marines in Afghan video identified: The official, confirmed the Marines seen in the graphic footage are from a sniper unit in the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and that the two men questioned are both on active duty. http://bit.ly/yaJ4if
Rival Libyan militias clash south of Tripoli, leaving 2 fighters dead: Friday's violence pitted fighters from the town of Gharyan, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Tripoli, against a militia from al-Asabia, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) to the southwest. http://wapo.st/wtdKUQ
NATO used its forces to the maximum to take Tripoli: The man, who introduced himself as a member of the Italian special forces, said that the secret weapon had been aimed against inexperienced rebels for months. "Those snipers stopped the first groups of the rebels, who entered the Libyan capital," the man said. http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/13-01-2012/120229-nato_tripoli-0/
Syrian insurgents attack tank in Homs: Video - Amateur footage purportedly shows the remains of a Syrian army tank on fire in the city of Homs after an attack by the insurgent group Free Syrian Army. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BHkfF5_uFE
Russia Says NATO, Persian Gulf Nations Plan to Seek No-Fly Zone for Syria:Russia received information that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and some Persian Gulf countries are preparing military intervention in Syria, the head of the Russian Security Council said. http://bloom.bg/xcCTif
Primakov: Russia Will Not Allow Libyan Scenario to Be Repeated in Syria Through Security Council:"I don't believe that Russia and China - who didn't oppose the Security Council decision on Libya - will permit being lied to again," he said, voicing believe that the decision-makers in Russia's foreign policy will take that into consideration. http://www.sana.sy/eng/22/2012/01/14/394104.htm
Germany urges nationals to leave Syria: Germany urged its nationals Friday to leave Syria, warning it would soon only be possible to give them consular assistance with difficulty. http://bit.ly/AyqVSO
US proposing 180 day ban on ships after sailing to Iran, N Korea, Syria: insurer: Shipowners should be aware that the US is proposing to ban ships from entering their waters if they have sailed to Iran, Syria or North Korea in the last 180 days, the London P&I Club, a mutual marine liability insurance company, said on Friday. http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Shipping/8795646
Engineering Consent For An Attack On Iran: Iran "year from" bomb material: former inspector: Having switched production of higher-grade enriched uranium to a new, underground site, Iran is now just a year or so away from having enough such material for a nuclear bomb, a former head of U.N. nuclear inspections said. http://reut.rs/xDdq4Q
Iran blasts US, UK for N-assassination: Iran's Foreign Ministry "voices its strong protest to the outcome of the mentioned British approach and underscores that the Uk is responsible for such acts of terror." http://www.presstv.ir/detail/220809.html
Bolton Calls Iran Assassination And Sanctions 'Half-Measures,' Calls For 'Attack' On Iran: Openly contemptuous of international law and a longtime proponent of war with Iran, Bolton's only objection to the killing of Iranian scientists seems to be that it's not enough for him: http://bit.ly/zQv2yk
'Standard' duty? More US battle ships head to Persian Gulf: The Carl Vinson, carrying up to 80 planes and helicopters on board and backed by a cruiser, destroyer, has not gone the through of Strait of Hormuz, a major oil lane, which Iran is threatening to block if the West imposes sanctions on its crude exports. http://rt.com/news/us-iran-conflict-hormuz-581/
Russia says would be threatened by Iran military action: - Russia would regard any military intervention linked to Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its own security, Moscow's departing ambassador to NATO warned on Friday. http://reut.rs/xtBQO4
US stations 15,000 troops in Kuwait:The United States is not at war with Iran yet, but just in case,the Pentagon says they want to be prepared. To do so, the Department of Defense has dispatched 15,000 troops to the neighboring nation of Kuwait. http://rt.com/usa/news/us-troops-kuwait-iran-741/
US seeking to 'close down' Iran central bank; The latest round of American sanctions are aimed at shutting down Iran's central bank, a senior US official said Thursday, spelling out that intention directly for the first time. http://bit.ly/xkK3M6
Gulf Nations Aid U.S. Push to Choke Off Iran Oil Sales: Pressure on Iran mounted on Thursday, with the United States saying it was determined to isolate the country's central bank, and three of Iran's largest oil customers - Japan, South Korea and China - getting assurances that Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf producers would help make up any gap in supplies if they curtailed oil purchases from Iran. http://nyti.ms/ztOXZt
EU Iran Oil Embargo Said to Be Likely Delayed by Six Months: A European Union embargo on imports of Iranian oil will probably be delayed for six months to allow countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain to find alternative supply, an EU official with knowledge of the talks said. http://buswk.co/xyFyPG
'Iran sanctions, bid for regime change': "Additional sanctions against Iran, as well as potentially any military strikes against it, will unquestionably be perceived by the international community as an attempt at changing the regime in Iran," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov was quoted as saying by Interfax on Friday. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/220857.html
India to buy Iran oil despite US sanctions -minister: -India will keep doing business with Tehran and sees no reason to seek a waiver from the United States that would protect buyers of Iranian oil from a fresh round of sanctions, a senior Indian cabinet minister said on Thursday. http://bit.ly/wJKO1F
Japan PM: Govt yet to decide on Iran oil cuts: Japan's prime minister said Friday the government has yet to decide on whether it will reduce oil imports from Iran in line with U.S. sanctions, saying businesses implications need to be considered. http://bo.st/zsdx1Q
Obama administration sanctions foreign firms over Iran deals: The Obama administration is sanctioning companies in China, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates for exporting millions of dollars' worth of oil to Iran in violation of U.S. law. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30231.htm
Sanctions on Iran working, says Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu: IRAN'S will is starting to bend under the combined weight of sanctions and the threat of a military strike against its nuclear facilities, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. http://bit.ly/xC2gNH
Israeli MK: Gingrich To Visit Israel Within The Next Week : Report: Gingrich's biggest financial backer, Sheldon Adelson, is a staunch supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party. http://bit.ly/wuslOP
"I can still hear the bullet hit my mother in the head.: I was standing right beside her when the soldier stepped into the doorway of the house ahead and shot her. I could see him," says Rawhiya's 17 year old daughter Hibba as she depicts the situation with her arms. http://bit.ly/wLbONy
Egypt Islamists to honour peace deal with Israel: Carter: "All of the parties involved (in the election) have expressed eagerness to continue with the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt," Carter told reporters in Cairo. http://bit.ly/wG81ut
Brotherhood claim 46 percent of Egypt parliament: Underlining the depth of change in Egypt since Mubarak was toppled, the Islamist group banned under the ousted leader will secure 232 seats, or 46 percent, of the lower house in the election that started in November and is now drawing to a close. http://trib.in/xU6ULz
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood wants military immunity for generals: In a move that has left many of the country's activists angered, Egypt's top political force the Muslim Brotherhood has said it was looking into a deal that would grant the ruling military junta immunity for alleged crimes committed against protesters since they took charge of the country in February last year. http://bit.ly/yeBKlW
Myanmar frees many prominent political prisoners: Myanmar freed some of its most famous political inmates Friday, sparking jubilation outside prison gates while signaling its readiness to meet Western demands for lifting economic sanctions. http://wapo.st/y0cfbB
Why California's prisoners are starving for solitary change: Californian prisoners have repeatedly gone on hunger strike over the solitary confinement in which some spend decades http://bit.ly/wdFzxE
Strong arm of the law: Video shows shocking moment cop punches woman with special needs on bus http://bit.ly/A6rDX2
S&P cuts France's triple-A rating: The French finance minister said Friday that Standard & Poor's had stripped the nation of its top-notch credit rating, again throwing Europe's ability to fight off its debt crisis into doubt. http://bit.ly/znNba4
S&P To Cut Portugal, Italy, Spain, Austria: Insiders are saying Italy, Spain and Portugal will have their sovereign credit rating downgraded by two notches. Austria is also set to lose its Triple A rating along with France. Germany and the Netherlands are said to be safe from this round of downgrades. http://on.barrons.com/xrlFqJ
Fitch warns of 'cataclysmic' euro collapse: The European Central Bank should ramp up its buying of troubled euro zone debt to support Italy and prevent a "cataclysmic" collapse of the euro, David Riley, the head of sovereign ratings for Fitch, has warned. http://bit.ly/zBAdsV
22 Signs That We Are On The Verge Of A Devastating Global Recession: Many of these signs are detailed later on in this article. But most people don't understand what is happening because they don't put all of the pieces together. If you just look at one or two pieces of data, it may not seem that impressive http://bit.ly/xV1rOA
Conflict between rich, poor strongest in 24 years: Tensions between the rich and poor are increasing and at their most intense level in nearly a quarter-century, a new survey shows. Americans now see more social conflict over wealth inequality than over the hot-button topics of immigration, race relations and age. http://yhoo.it/AAyJAo
"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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