Hard News
At least 32 killed in Iraq bombings:
Bomb
attacks across Iraq targeting mostly Shiite Muslims have left at least
32 people dead. Concerns are that if attacks carry on, it could bring
the country back to a full-scale sectarian war.
Deadly' rocket attack kills 3 at Iran exile (MEK) camp near Baghdad:
Members
were moved to Camp Liberty late last year at Iraq's insistence from
Ashraf, their historic paramilitary camp of the 1980s.
Armed commando kills 4 Shiites in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley;
Unidentified
gunmen killed four Shiites in the Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon on
Sunday, a security source told AFP, as the conflict in Syria raised
fresh tensions in its neighbour.
Iraqi al-Qaeda chief rejects Zawahiri orders:
In new audio recording, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reaffirms commitment to merging with Syrian "rebel" al-Nusra Front.
CIA preparing to deliver rebels arms through Turkey and Jordan:
Within
the past year, the CIA also created a new office at its headquarters
in Langley to oversee its expanding operational role in Syria.
Saudi Arabia Plans to Supply Anti-Aircraft Missiles to Syrian Rebels:
Der
Spiegel noted the shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles can target
low-flying aircraft including helicopters and had given mujahideen
fighters in Afghanistan a decisive edge against Soviet troops in the
1980s.
Russia says illegal to impose Syria no-fly zone from Jordan:
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday any attempt to enforce
a no-fly zone over Syria using F-16 fighter jets and Patriot missiles
from Jordan would violate international law. eventually backed by
special forces
U.S. to Keep Warplanes in Jordan, Pressing Syria:
Ratcheting
up the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, the United
States will keep American warplanes and antimissile batteries in
Jordan, officials said Saturday.
G8 Summit: David Cameron pushes for action to curb Bashar al-Assad:
David
Cameron will support US plans to impose a no-fly zone over parts of
Syria, as he attempts to convince world leaders to act against the
"dictatorial and brutal leader" President Bashar al-Assad during the G8
summit in Northern Ireland this week.
British Troops Head For Mid-East:
BRITISH troops are on their way to the Syrian border this week for war games as the UK faces being sucked into the conflict.
Jordan ready to fight any threat from Syrian conflict: king:
Jordan's
King Abdullah said on Sunday the kingdom was ready to fight to protect
itself against any threat to its security from the escalating civil
war in neighbouring Syria. He was speaking as Jordanian and U.S. forces
proceeded with joint military exercises with the participation of 17
other countries
Preparing for war:
Egypt to cut off diplomatic relations with Syria: Video -
The
Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi, has announced that Cairo is
cutting off diplomatic relations with Syria. Addressing a rally in
support of the Syrian opposition, Mr Morsi said the Syrian embassy in
Cairo would be closed.
Russia questions Syrian chemical weapons evidence:
Russia's
foreign minister said Saturday that the evidence put forth by the
United States of chemical weapons use in Syria apparently doesn't meet
stringent criteria for reliability.
Patrick Cockburn on U.S. Plans to Arm Syrian Rebels:
Where Is the Skepticism About Chemical Weapons? - Video
Obama's Lies About Chemical Weapons In Syria: Syrian Girl:
We heard all these lies before during the Iraq war.
Syria: Sunni extremists blow up Shiite mosque:
Sunni
extremists blew up a Shiite mosque in a village in eastern Syria
stormed by rebels earlier this week, another sign of the sectarian
hatred growing in the country's civil war, activists said Sunday.
Saudi Arabia funding fuels jihadist terror:
Big chunks of the country's huge oil earnings have been spent on spreading a violent and intolerant variety of Islam
Iran celebrates Rouhani's presidential win:
Moderate
cleric Hassan Rouhani has called his defeat of conservative hardliners
a victory of moderation over extremism and pledged a new tone of
respect in international affairs.
Rohani urges West to recognize Iran''s rights:
Rohani
said those who really respect people's sovereignty and free dialogue
should talk with "our great people" in respect, and recognize the
rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran so that they could get the
appropriate response.
With a moderate as Iran's new face, Netanyahu will struggle to draw up support for an attack;
Ahmadinejad's
designated successor, Hasan Rowhani, who was the surprise victor in
this weekend's presidential election, is a different story entirely.
Rowhani's election is good news for the Iranian people. It remains to
be seen whether it will also be good news for Israel.
Pakistan bus blast kills 15 women's university students; 11 dead in hospital blast:
At
least 25 people were killed in troubled southwest Pakistan on Saturday
when militants blew up a bus carrying women students and attacked a
hospital treating survivors, officials said.
Four killed in Afghan blast:
Four
civilians were killed Sunday when a roadside bomb struck a vehicle in
southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, Xinhua reported
Riot police evict Turkish protesters from Istanbul park:
Hundreds
of riot police evicted protesters in Gezi Park at dusk Saturday,
firing tear gas and rubber bullets and using water hoses in a bid to
put down anti-government demonstrations that have been raging for more
than two weeks.
Ankara police block activist funeral cortege, raid memorial protest with tear gas:
Turkish
police used tear gas and water cannon in Ankara's Kizilay Square to
stop a memorial demonstration for an activist fatally shot in the head
during protests. As police clashed with the hundreds-strong crowd a ban
on downtown protests was announced.
Six Libyan soldiers killed in Benghazi violence:
Six
soldiers were killed and five injured in clashes between Libyan
special forces and armed protesters outside a special forces base in the
eastern city of Benghazi on Saturday, military officials said on
Saturday. Last week at least 31 people were killed and 100 injured in
clashes between armed protesters
Ethiopia discards Egypt threats over Nile dam:
Foreign ministry says it is not intimidated by Egypt's "psychological warfare" and dam project will proceed.
James Bamford on NSA Secrets, Keith Alexander's Influence &Massive Growth of Surveillance, Cyberwar Video -
In
his latest reporting for Wired Magazine, Bamford profiles NSA Director
General Keith Alexander and connects the dots on PRISM, phone
surveillance, and the NSA's massive spy center in Bluffdale, Utah.
Do not extradite Edward Snowden, protesters urge Hong Kong:
Demonstrators call on government to protect NSA whistleblower and attack US over internet spying programmes
War criminal:
Cheney defends NSA programs, says Snowden a 'traitor,' Obama 'lacks credibility':
Former
Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday strongly defended the recently
exposed U.S. surveillance programs, which he helped craft in the
aftermath of 9/11, but sharply criticized President Obama for his
handling of a range of issues from the Syrian civil war to the Benghazi
terror attacks.
Rationalizing a police state: :
NSA programs broke plots in 20 nations: officials:
Top
U.S. intelligence officials said Saturday that information gleaned
from two controversial data-collection programs run by the National
Security Agency thwarted potential terrorist plots in the U.S. and more
than 20 other countries - and that gathered data is destroyed every
five years.
Facebook Gives Gov't Access to Nearly 20,000 User Accounts:
According
to a statement posted on the company's website Friday, June 14,
government agencies - including federal, state, and local authorities -
requested user data on between 18,000 and 19,000 account holders.
Pentagon bracing for public dissent over climate and energy shocks:
NSA Prism is motivated in part by fears that environmentally-linked disasters could spur anti-government activism.
Looters vs. Armed Homeowners after Tornado, Other Natural Disasters:
"We
are seeing people take everything from copper to pipes to scrap metal
to all kinds of electronics," Moore police spokesman Jeremy Lewis said.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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