| Hard News
Bus blast kills at least 13 on Turkey-Syria border;
A Syrian minibus exploded at a crossing on Turkey's border with Syria near the Turkish town of Reyhanli on Monday, killing at least 13 people including Turkish citizens and wounding dozens more, Turkish officials said.
Syria: 14 intel officers killed in double suicide bombing:
The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported that at least 14 Syrian intelligence officers were killed in a double suicide bombing at a military facility in northern Syria, carried out by radical Islamist Syrian rebel group, Jabhat al-Nusra.
Syria Army kills several militants:
Syrian government forces launched attacks against militants in Irbin, Zamalka, Harasta, Adra, al-Ghouta and Douma farms on Sunday and killed a large number of them, Press TV reported
Fact or fiction?
Rebels capture Syria's largest dam:
The rebels had already seized two other dams on the Euphrates River. But the latest conquest, the al-Furat dam in northeastern Raqqa province, was a major coup for the opposition. It handed them control over water and electricity supplies for both government-held areas and large swathes of land the opposition has captured
Villagers Confront Jihadist Rebels in Northern Syria:
Several tense confrontations have broken out in the past week between residents of largely rebel-held northwestern Syria and hardline Islamist insurgents, witnesses said.
Lavrov: Events in Syria and Mali Are Direct Echoes of Events in Libya:
In an interview with the Russian TV on Sunday, Lavrov said that Russia learned a very important lesson from what happened in Libya, voicing confidence that the west is learning this lesson now.
Iran and Hezbollah build militia networks in Syria in event that Assad falls, US officials say:
Iran and Hezbollah are building a network of militias inside Syria to preserve and protect their interests in the event that Syrias government falls or is forced to retreat from Damascus, according to U.S. and Middle Eastern officials.
Israeli strike in Syria might be first in series:
Israel's readiness to strike again if necessary heralds a new and more volatile phase in the regional repercussions of Syria's civil war, which has raised concerns in Israel about the possible transfer of advanced or nonconventional weapons to Islamist militant groups.
Iran supports democracy in Syria: Larijani:
"The Islamic Republic of Iran certainly seeks democracy in Syria but democracy will not be established by arms," Larijani said in an address to the conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday.
Ahmadinejad: US must change before direct talks:
"Stop pointing weapons at the Iranian nation and I will myself negotiate with you," he said, addressing the United States directly. "Talks should be with respect, fairness and not under pressure."
Disinformation and propaganda: Flaws found in US missile shield:
Secret Defense Department studies cast doubt on whether a multibillion-dollar missile defense system planned for Europe will ever be able to protect the U.S. from "Iranian missiles" as intended.
Iran claims to have produced and deployed UAV based on captured US ScanEagle drone:
Today, an Iranian lawmaker said that Iran has made significant progress in aerospace technology, and that Iran is "producing 20 types of UAVs inside the country
Time to Face the Truth about Iran: Op-Ed:
The Islamic Republic has survived for so long because its basic model is, according to numerous surveys, what a majority of Iranians actually want
Attacks kill 12 in Iraq's Mosul: sources:
A suicide car bomber and unidentified gunmen killed at least 12 people in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Monday, police and hospital sources said, as sectarian and ethnic tensions build ahead of elections in April.
Two policemen killed in an armed attack in Mosul.
A security source told the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA / that two members of the local police were killed today when gunmen opened fire on them in the Bab El-Jedeed at central Mosul.
Polish Ambassador Emerges Unhurt in Iraqi Mine Explosion:
The ambassador of Poland in Iraq emerged unhurt after an explosive device went off near his car in northern Iraq, GlobalPost.com reported.
Clashes kill two in southern Yemen on uprising anniversary:
At least two people were killed Monday and 30 others were wounded in clashes in southern Yemen, as thousands gathered to celebrate the second anniversary of the uprising that forced president Ali Abdullah Saleh out of his 33-year grip on power, DPA reported.
Daughter of slain peace activist:
Israel imposes terror on its citizens
Israel: More than 400 new illegal "settller" homes approved:
Israel has given approval for hundreds of new homes in the occupied West Bank Jewish colonies in a move likely to spark tension ahead of a top-level visit by US President Barack Obama, officials and an NGO said on Monday.
Why Obama won't break bread in Israel:
President Barack Obama is scheduled to land in Israel the week before the Jewish holiday of Passover, presenting his staff with a dietary difficulty: Their hotel, the King David in Jerusalem, will already be "kosher for Passover," so they won't be allowed to eat bread or other foods forbidden during the week-long festival.
Second suicide bomber hits Mali city of Gao:
Northern Mali's largest city was rocked by its second suicide bombing in two days, a soldier said on Sunday, as Islamist rebels continued defying a security lock-down on territory reclaimed by French-led forces.
3 killed as rebels' raid poses Mali guerrilla war threat:
Sneaking across the Niger River under cover of darkness, the al Qaeda-allied rebels fought Malian and French troops on Sunday (Monday, NZT) in the streets of the ancient Saharan trading town, retaken from the Islamists two weeks ago.
France fighting in Mali rebels it armed in Libya: Russia:
The rebels France is battling in northern Mali are some of the very same fighters it helped arm in Libya, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday.
Devastation in Mali Under French Attack - Video Report By RT:
"Malian villages devastated by French 'liberation'"
Tunisia President Marzouki's CPR 'to withdraw ministers':
The secular party of Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki says it will withdraw its ministers from the Islamist-led government, amid Tunisia's worst crisis since it set off the 2011 Arab Spring.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Algeria:
Russia's foreign minister has travelled to Algeria on the first leg of a tour of Africa. Mr. Lavrov is expected to focus on issues including security in the wider North African region in the wake of threats posed by Islamic militants.
Christians in Libya fear for safety:
"In Cyrenaica, pressure has been exerted on Christians, notably the nuns who had to leave their congregation ... in the east of the country," said Father Rezeau.
Tear gas, water cannons as Egyptians throw stones at presidential palace:
The clashes broke out after several hundred demonstrators marched to the palace on a day of marches against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Other protesters marched to Tahrir Square chanting,"Down with Brotherhood rule,"
Morsi's Last Chance: Op-Ed:
Poverty is at an all-time high of 25 percent, with youth unemployment at a record 40 percent. Foreign currency reserves are on a rapid decline. President Mohamed Morsi is losing the most important commodity he possesses-the people's confidence and trust. Conditions seem ripe for either a new uprising from below or a new military coup from above.
Egypt-U.S. war games to go on as scheduled:
Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he met with American Ambassador Anne Patterson and Central Command chief James Mattis to reaffirm plans for Operation Bright Star, an upcoming joint military training venture between the two countries, as-Masry al-Youm reported Monday.
Pakistan: 5 killed as lawyers continue march:
At least five people including a police officer were gunned down on Monday as lawyers marched to call for more security and compensation for their murdered colleague's family.
Pakistan test-fires nuclear missile:
Pakistan Monday conducted a successful test of short range surface-to-surface nuclear missile, said military.
Are Pakistanis People?: Op-Ed: :
Do only American deaths matter? The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence thinks so. During last Thursday's confirmation hearing for John O. Brennan as CIA Director. Not one Committee member asked about the hundreds of innocent Pakistanis, Afghans, Yemenis, Libyans, and Somalis, many of them children, who have lost their lives as "collateral damage" in U.S. drone strikes.
Afghan prison probe finds 'widespread' abuse:.
Half of the prisoners interviewed by an official commission complained of mistreatment, harassment or torture.
Death toll rises as Kashmir tension persists:
A boy shot by security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir has died in hospital, taking the death toll to three during protests at the execution of a Kashmiri man convicted for his role in 2001 attacks on India's parliament.
Drones Targeting Chris Dorner? LAPD Won't Confirm UK Report:
When asked if drones had been deployed to search for Dorner, Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz told the Express, "we are using all the tools at our disposal."
Naomi Wolf: Obama's secret assassins: Op-Ed:
The president has a clandestine network targeting a 'kill list' justified by secret laws. How is that different than a death squad?
Obama's Drone Attack on Your Due Process: Op-Ed:
The biggest problem with the recently disclosed Obama administration white paper defending the drone killing of radical clerk Anwar al-Awlaki isn't its secrecy or its creative redefinition of the words "imminent threat." It is the revolutionary and shocking transformation of the meaning of due process.
In case you missed it:
Court Upholds Domestic Drone Use in Arrest of American Citizen:
A motion to dismiss charges based on the use of a Predator drone was denied Wednesday
http://is.gd/kZZP6G
Exposed: David Petraeus was brought down by vengeful CIA agents and his own bodyguards:
Petraeus was humiliated after a 'palace coup' by high-level intelligence officers who did not like the way he was running the CIA, authors say
America's War with Mexico :
Penn State's Amy S. Greenberg does a splendid job of vivifying this disgraceful episode in American history by following the fortunes of five men (Polk, Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, John J. Hardin, and Nicholas Trist) and their families.
Obama to 'bypass Congress' on CISPA with cybersecurity executive order:
Unable to reach a deal with Congress, President Obama plans to use his power to exert executive actions against the will of lawmakers. The president will issue orders addressing controversial topics including cybersecurity.
A Presidential Decision That Could Change the World:
Presidential decisions often turn out to be far less significant than imagined, but every now and then what a president decides actually determines how the world turns. Such is the case with the Keystone XL pipeline, which, if built, is slated to bring some of the "dirtiest," carbon-rich oil on the planet from Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
ACLU Assails 100-Mile Border Zone:
Government agents should not have the right to stop and question Americans anywhere without suspicion within 100 miles of the border, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday, pointing attention to the little known power of the federal government to set up immigration checkpoints far from the nation's border lines.
Towards a police state in New York:
Muslims in the New York City area experiencing major violations of their civil and human rights, says author.
100,000 take part in street protests against austerity days after Irish government deal:
Public disquiet was evident on streets across the country less than 24 hours after the government formalised a promissory note deal with the European Central Bank.
UK inequality rises sharply in 15 years - report:
The UK's super-rich, the top 1% of earners, now pocket 10 pence in every pound, while the bottom half have seen their share of the nation's wealth drop in the last 15 years. Middle earners have also seen their earning power stagnate.
Horsemeat scandal spreads across Europe:
Several ranges of prepared food have been withdrawn in Britain, France and Sweden after it emerged that frozen food companies had been using horsemeat instead of beef in making lasagnes and other pasta dishes, shepherd's pies and moussakas.
US food industry battles against regulation:
It's no secret the standard American diet is relatively inexpensive, convenient and satisfying. Whether it's highly marketed fast food or highly processed, packaged foods in the supermarket, what Americans eat has changed dramatically over decades
Tell the FDA You Don't Want Genetically Engineered Meat:
The Food and Drug Administration is set to approve the first genetically engineered farm animal, a salmon who grows at twice the rate of wild salmon, in a bizarre and grossly inadequate process that fails to fully consider the implications for human health and the environment and ignores the welfare of the animals themselves.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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