http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Country Fri, 24 May 2013 21:39:47 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Country Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:59 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e27_1369427385 Tuco Germany is the most positively viewed nation in the world in this year's annual Country Ratings Poll for the BBC World Service. More than 26,000 people were surveyed internationally for the poll. Germany came out top, with 59% rating it positively. Iran was once again the most negatively viewed. Source BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22624104 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e27_1369427385 Tuco Germany most loved and popular <span class="highlight">country</span> in the world Germany most popular country in the world Fri, 24 May 2013 18:15:30 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=455_1369432502 Crooked-Thinking The Rap superstar LL Cool J and the Country Music superstar Brad Paisley recorded a new song titled 'Accidental Racist'. The song sparked fierce criticism from both sides of the fence. While some do praise and see it as good thing others question its purpose. The bottom line is these guys are profiting from this controversy. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=455_1369432502 Crooked-Thinking LL Cool J and Brad Paisley Spark Controversy With New Song &quot;Accidental Racist&quot; racism, racist, rap, country, controversial, controversy, LL Cool J, Brad Paisley, accidental racism, history, slavery, confederate flag, south, race, music, Fri, 24 May 2013 18:07:19 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=090_1369432920 plokiju President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met in the Oval Office on Tuesday with three people who are in the country in violation of U.S. immigration laws but who have received "deferred action" allowing them to stay in the country under the terms of a "memorandum" issued unilaterally last year by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. While conceding that she had no legal authority to change the "immigration status" of illegal aliens or provide them with a "pathway to citizenship," Napolitano instructed the top officials at Customs and Border Protection, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to use what she called "prosecutorial discretion" in not enforcing the immigration laws against certain classes of immigration lawbreakers. These included illegal aliens who arrived in the United States before their sixteenth birthday, had graduated from high school or served in the military, had not been convicted of "significant" or "multiple" misdemeanors, and had not yet turned thirty. Before Napolitano issued this unilateral order allowing the illegal aliens to remain in the country in violation of the law, President Obama's allies in Congress had failed to secure passage of the Dream Act, which would have allowed such persons to became legal residents in the United States. In all, Obama and Biden met on Tuesday with eight people who are advocating immigration reform, according to White House readout of the meeting. The White House readout listed three of those as having received "deferred action." Most others were legally in the United States with relatives who were illegal aliens. A White House blog entry on the meeting included an official White House photograph of it that carried a caption describing some of the attendees as people "who have received Deferred Action and U.S. citizen family members of undocumented immigrants." "At the meeting, the president reiterated his commitment to passing a bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform bill this year," said the White House readout of the meeting. "He made clear that while the current bill is not perfect, it does represent an important step towards the broad principles that need to be part of any immigration reform package." On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent an immigration bill to the full Senate. It includes what its supporters call a "pathway to citizenship," and what its opponents call "amnesty." "The President and the Vice President thanked participants for their leadership, courage and on-going efforts to move immigration reform legislation forward," said the White House statement about the president's Tuesday meeting. "The Dreamers shared how their lives have been positively affected by the deferred action process and emphasized that they and their families need a permanent solution that will allow them to fully contribute to the country they call home." The White House listed the following people as having participated: - "Angie Kim. Angie is a South Korean immigrant who resides in New York, New York; she received deferred action." - "Kevin Lee. Kevin is a South Korean immigrant who received deferred action. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Both of his parents are undocumented." - "Justino Mora. Justino received deferred action; he currently resides in Los Angeles, California." - "Diana Colin. Diana is a legal permanent resident who currently resides in Los Angeles, California. One of her brothers received deferred action." - "Kate Kahan, Legislative Director, Center for Community Change. Kate is the Legislative Director for the Center for Community Change, a national social justice organization that is a member of the Alliance for Citizenship coalition in support of commonsense immigration reform." - "Miguel Leal. Miguel is a U.S. citizen who resides in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He is an Iraq war veteran. Miguel is an immigrant from Cuba; his wife in undocumented." - "Mehdi Mahraoui. Mehdi came to the United States from Morocco when he was 7 years old. He is a legal permanent resident and lives in New York, New York. His parents and his older sister remain undocumented." - "Melissa McGuire-Maniau. Melissa's husband is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Melissa is a U.S. veteran; she and her husband reside in Winter Park, Florida." Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform, said this shows disrespect for the law from the president who swore to uphold the laws of the United States. "It's staged to reinforce the one message that for this president is unambiguous - violating immigration laws now, in and of themselves, is just entirely inconsequential," Dane told CNSNews.com. "The laws will not be enforced, and the public just needs to get used to it. Illegal aliens are here. They're proud. They're not going anywhere, and they can sit and stand anywhere they want, including the United States Capitol and the White House, and this president will bend the laws to suit their circumstances, and his political needs, with no regard whatsoever for American workers and taxpayers," he added. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-meets-oval-office-illegal-aliens The union of law enforcement officers charged with protecting our nation's borders, the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, has been highly critical of the program because it makes their jobs almost impossible to perform. But Obama has refused to meet with them on that issue, or the immigration bill currently in the Senate. On Thursday, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., co-signed a letter to Obama asking him to meet with the ICE officers. "To be effective any immigration reform bill must heed the warnings from our federal immigration agents," the letter reads. "Unfortunately, far from being included in the process, ICE officers have been shut out and have even had their day-to-day operations handcuffed by DHS officials to the point of being unable to carry out their sworn duties. These brave whistleblowers have been left with no other option but to file a lawsuit in federal court to fight the abuse of power from DHS leadership." http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-refuses-to-meet-border-agents-invites-illegal-immigrants-to-oval-office/article/2530464 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=090_1369432920 plokiju Obama Meets In Oval Office With Illegal Aliens, refuses to meet border agents Obama, Meets, In, Oval, Office, With, Illegal, Aliens, refuses, to, meet, border, agents Fri, 24 May 2013 17:47:13 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=025_1369431673 RussleJimmiez Woman, 85, arrested after abuse hurled at Muslims outside Gillingham mosque in wake of Woolwich terror murder http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway_messenger/news/Friday-prayers-patrol-1128 lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk A high-profile police presence at Gillingham Mosque in the wake of the Woolwich murder An 85-year-old woman has this afternoon been arrested after abuse was hurled at Muslims outside Gillingham Mosque. The pensioner was handcuffed and taken away in a van by officers attending the Canterbury Street mosque for Friday prayers. As worshippers gathered outside the venue, a woman at a nearby bus stop shouted: "go back to your own country". The arrested woman, from the Maidstone Road area of Chatham, was taken away by officers at about 1.45pm and is now in police custody. A Kent Police spokesman said: "An 85 year old woman from Chatham was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence." It comes as a man appeared in court this afternoon accused of raiding the same mosque in Gillingham. And another suspect remains in custody today over an alleged racist attack - also in Gillingham. "She just started shouting, calling them names and telling them to go back to their own country..." - witness outside Gillingham Mosque Extra police patrols were outside Gillingham Mosque this afternoon as the force promised to take a hard line against reprisal attacks following the Woolwich terror murder. The abusive woman had earlier been enjoying lunch with her husband at the nearby KFC restaurant before waiting at a bus stop opposite the religious building. One witness, who did not want to be named, said: "She just started shouting, calling them names and telling them to go back to their own country. "Then someone started shouting back at her and it got worse, the shouting and swearing. "The police then came over and she was arrested. They put her in a van and her husband had started wandering off down the road, I don't think he wanted anything to do with it." Other witnesses said a woman ran down the road to tell the arrested woman's husband she had been arrested. He managed to get to the van before his wife was taken away, but was not allowed to go to the police station with her. Video: Heavy police presence outside Gillingham Mosque this afternoon Before the incident, many Muslims turning up for Friday prayers were pleased to see a police presence of three vehicles outside. One young worshipper, who did not want to be named, said: "I'm part of this community and I feel safe anyway, but it is nice to see the police presence here today." PC Dave Saunders greets worshippers at Gillingham Mosque before Friday prayers Last night, a 27-year-old man was arrested after an assault outside a shop in Gillingham. Police were called to the High Street at about 5pm and arrested him on suspicion of racially aggravated assault, threats to damage property and a public order offence. The man remains in police custody today. Damage inside a Gillingham mosque hours after a 'terrorist' murder A 45-year-old man appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court this afternoon after an attack at Gillingham Mosque on Wednesday night. Andrew Grindlay, of Granville Road, Gillingham, pleaded not guilty to religiously aggravated criminal damage and burglary. He was released on bail after a 40-minute hearing and will next appear at the same court on Monday, July 22 when his case will be send to Crown court. The mosque in Canterbury Street was damaged in an attack in which windows were smashed and bookcases containing copies of the Koran damaged. A door frame, lock and carpet were damaged, three windows broken, two shelves pulled off the wall and a copy of the Koran damaged. It happened just hours after 25-year-old Drummer Lee Rigby, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was hacked to death by suspected Islamist extremists in Woolwich, south east London. Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in a terrorist murder Extra police officers are out in force today to prevent potential reprisal attacks at Kent mosques during Friday prayers. The heightened patrols come as police promised a "zero tolerance" approach to anyone who targets the county's Muslim community. Assistant Chief Constable Gary Beautridge, from Kent Police, said: "We have made it clear what our approach will be to any reports of crime or disorder following the incident in Woolwich on 22 May. "We will be continuing that approach and will act swiftly to bring anyone into custody that is suspected of committing any offences." Assistant Chief Constable Gary Beautridge Mr Beautridge confirmed extra officers will continue to patrol the county. He said the force has not received intelligence to suggest any direct threat, but "additional resources will continue to patrol to provide a reassuring presence in potentially vulnerable communities". Mr Beautridge said: "We've looked at where we believe, working with other community leaders and other institutions, tension points could possibly occur. "That's a result of intelligence we have and we have put patrols where we believe they'd be best suited to protect the public. "These are additional patrols that we have put on the street. I've authorised additional patrols to be out there as a visible presence, working with community leaders." His comments come as Muslim community leaders and Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti appealed for calm. Meanwhile, Medway Council bosses have met with representatives from the Muslim community in the Towns to offer reassurance. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=025_1369431673 RussleJimmiez British Police Rush to Arrest 85 Year Old Lady Shouting Outside of UK Mosque.. uk, police, beheading, islam, terrorists, muslim, arrest, 85, year, old, british, senior citizen, 20, minutes Fri, 24 May 2013 17:16:12 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e91_1369427124 AfricanZuluKing Dug up recording from a few months ago Where I rode in a Rolls Royce. Thanks to connections from my uncle :D And no. There were no tax dollars used. My Uncle has a close relationship with a wealthy businessman who invited him to drive one of two Rolls Royce from an import center to his residence. Traffic was long and tight that day, And With Expensive Cars, Its not good to sit in one area for to long, Especially in certain areas of my country. it was the closest l got to being rich LOL! ( Traffic Escort Was Arranged For With Private Funds And Not Public Tax ) http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e91_1369427124 AfricanZuluKing Riding in Rolls Royce... With Traffic Escort ;) Rolls, Royce, Police, Escort, South Africa, Traffic, AfricanZuluKing Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:39 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bd1_1369428180 foghorn_leghorn Ponce De Leon Never Searched for the Fountain of Youth How did this myth about the Spanish explorer even get its start? Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Ponce-De-Leon-Never-Searched-for-the-Fountain-of-Youth-208345831.html#ixzz2UFFXhcVw Half a millennium ago, in 1513, the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Le'on departed Puerto Rico for the verdant island of "Bimini"-an uncharted land in what is now the Bahamas. He eventually landed instead in Florida, where he staked a claim for the Spanish Crown and ensured himself a spot in the annals of history. As legend has it , and as scholars have maintained for centuries, Ponce was in search of the Fountain of Youth, a fabled wellspring thought to give everlasting life to whoever bathed in or drank from it. But new scholarship contradicts the old fable and suggests that Ponce was interested not in longevity but political gain. The real story goes something like this: In 1511, messy political squabbling forced Ponce to surrender the governorship of Puerto Rico, an appointment he had held since 1509. As a consolation prize, King Ferdinand offered him Bimini, assuming the stalwart conquistador could finance an expedition and actually find it. J. Michael Francis, a historian at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg who has spent decades studying the Spanish colonies in the Americas , says no mention of a Fountain of Youth occurs in any known documents from Ponce's lifetime, including contracts and other official correspondence with the Crown. In fact, Ponce's name did not become connected with the Fountain of Youth until many years after his death, and then only thanks to a Spanish court chronicler out to discredit him. Gonzalo Fern'andez de Oviedo y Vald'es disliked Ponce, contending that he was gullible, egocentric and dull-witted. The animosity probably had something to do with court politics: Oviedo aligned himself with Diego Columbus, who was the son of Christopher and the man who helped push Ponce out of Puerto Rico. In Historia general y natural de las Indias , Oviedo's account of the Spanish settling of the Americas, he relates a tale in which Ponce, deceived by Indians, goes tromping off on a futile hunt for the Fountain of Youth. It's all a literary device intended to make Ponce appear foolish. Although visits to spas and mineral baths were common in the 16th century, actually believing water could reverse aging was apparently considered pretty silly. Oviedo's satiric version of Ponce's travels stuck. "You've got this incredible story that started out as an invention," Francis says, "and by the 17th century, it has become history." (For what it's worth, Ponce died at age 47 after being wounded by an arrow in a fight with an Indian tribe in Florida.) Of course, not all tall tales are codified by the passing years into something approaching fact. Sherry Johnson, a historian at Florida International University, says the myth of Ponce de Le'on and his magical fountain remain because of the romance. "Instinctively, we latch on to it-this idea that we might never get old," she says. It also fits the self-made mythos of America, a young country where, we're taught, anything is possible. Florida continues to capitalize on what could be its greatest legend, with hundreds of tourists drinking each day from the stone well at St. Augustine's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. Despite debunking efforts by Francis and others, the story of Ponce's fountain just won't die. now that was interesting. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bd1_1369428180 foghorn_leghorn Ponce De Leon Never Searched for the Fountain of Youth ponce fountain of youth who knew? Fri, 24 May 2013 16:01:58 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=827_1369425288 aydeo Hundreds of Eilat residents and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from across Israel participated Friday in the annual pride parade, which made its way through the southern city's main street. Due to the hot weather, the number of participants was relatively small compared to past parades in the city, but those who chose to leave their air conditioner behind appeared enthusiastic nonetheless. The celebrations are set to continue Friday evening and Saturday. As opposed to previous years, the parade ended relatively peacefully despite opposition voiced by some of the city's activists. Right-wing activist Moshe Ben Zikri, who heads the Jewish Eilat faction, sent a letter to Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevi, demanding that the Municipality cancel its participation in the event. The demand was ignored. Israel's LGBT community has been marking the Pride Month around June with parades and large public events across the country, for the past 15 years. The Eilat parade is the first in a long series of events scheduled to take place in Israel's major cities, including the country's biggest pride parade which will be held in Tel Aviv on June 7. The events will conclude with the Jerusalem Pride Parade, which has been held in recent years in late July to mark the anniversary of the 2009 Tel Aviv gay center shooting. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4383833,00.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=827_1369425288 aydeo Celebrations begin - Hundreds attend Eilat Pride Parade Eilat,Pride Parade,Celebrations,Sun,LGBT Fri, 24 May 2013 14:27:27 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c7a_1369419875 omniradar The lessons to learn from the Woolwich killing are obvious: but not to David Cameron Any rational balance sheet of the last decade would show that the 'war on terror' has been a failure in its own terms: it has not prevented terrorism but caused it to spread.By Lindsey German Stop the War Coalition 23 May 2013 The attack in Woolwich yesterday was horrific. There can be no justification for a murderous attack on an individual soldier in the streets of London. It must have been awful too for the local people who witnessed it. Unlike with most terrorist attacks or indeed other crimes, we have been able to see film footage of the perpetrators, hear testimony from the witnesses who saw or talked to them. So we know what these men say motivated them. They claimed that the killing of the soldier was in response to the killing of Muslims by British soldiers in other countries. One said that the government did not care for people and should get the troops out. The Boston bombers last month were supposedly similarly motivated. The Woolwich attack, carried out by two men now shot and wounded and under arrest in hospital, appears to represent a phenomenon that was pointed out nearly a decade ago by the security services in Britain: that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq would lead to a growing threat of terrorism in Britain. Those of us in Stop the War have long predicted that these sorts of attacks would happen because of the war on terror. Unfortunately there is little sign that the government, media and military will draw any of the conclusions that they should from the attack. The instant response was to brand it as a serious terrorist attack, although already many commentators are saying they believe it more likely that this was a one off and isolated incident, and unlikely to be part of a wider conspiracy. David Cameron cut short a visit to Paris in order to fly home. This reaction is one which manifestly fails to deal with the political causes underlying such attacks. The simple truth is that there were no such cases in Britain before the start of the 'war on terror' in 2001, which led to the invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. The consequences of those wars have been devastating for the people of those countries and further afield. Up to a million died in Iraq and 4 million were made refugees. Tens of thousands have died in Afghanistan. Fighting still continues and in Iraq looks like descending into civil war in some parts of the country. The US and its allies have been involved in bombing attacks on these countries which have been responsible for many thousands of deaths. A media comment that this was the day Baghdad came to the streets of Britain shows a grotesque ignorance of the country the invasion was meant to rescue for democracy, where daily sectarian bombings and killings are escalating on a scale not dreamt of in this country. The interventions have spread in the name of 'fighting terrorism': drone attacks are taking place in a number of countries including Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. The bombing of Libya by the west in 2011 led to at least 30,000 dead. British troops are aiding the French in Mali. The British are intervening in the war in Syria for their own ends, and want to lift the EU arms embargo there in order to escalate the war and achieve regime change. The US and EU continues to back Israel despite its treatment of the Palestinians, even sending the architect of the Iraq war, Tony Blair, as envoy for peace in the Middle East. Any rational balance sheet of the last decade and more would demonstrate that the war on terror has been a failure in its own terms. It has not prevented terrorism but caused it to spread. The failure of politicians and military to face up to this has further damaging consequences: if the government refuses to change its own policy it has one simple solution -- 'blame the Muslims'. Muslims are expected to condemn any such attack whereas no such demand is put upon people of other faiths when a killing is carried out by Christians. Muslim is also equated with black or Asian, as when one television reporter described the men as of 'Muslim appearance'. Again, atrocities by white gun men, in Norway and the US for example, which are often highly politically motivated, are not regarded as needing to be defined by race. They are also rarely described as terrorism, but as the acts of fanatics or madmen. It is an integral part of the war on terror that the invasion and occupation of mainly Muslim countries abroad has to lead to the dehumanising of the victims of the wars: so Muslim comes to equal extremist and terrorist. Racists like the EDL turned up in Woolwich to try to further foster Islamophobia. But this treatment of Muslims goes to the top of government and is spewed out daily in the press. Similar views of the Irish were much more common in the 1970s and 80s when the IRA had a major bombing campaign in Britain. In the end there had to be a political solution which recognised genuine grievance. In the end there has to be a political solution to terrorism. But it can only start with recognition of the disastrous effect of western foreign policy in the Middle East and South Asia for decades now, exacerbated by the consequences of 12 years of wars. That means acknowledging that those of us who said these wars were not the answer and would make things worse were absolutely right. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c7a_1369419875 omniradar Lessons To Learn From Woolwich Woolwich Fri, 24 May 2013 14:22:39 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c57_1369419664 omniradar From Iraq to Syria: US Political Impotence in the Middle East by Ramzy Baroud , May 24, 2013 Print This Share This In an article published May 15, 2013, American historical social scientist Immanuel Wallerstein wrote, "Nothing illustrates more the limitations of Western power than the internal controversy its elites are having in public about what the United States in particular and western European states should be doing about the civil war in Syria." Those limitations are palpable in both language and action. A political and military vacuum created by past US failures and forced retreats after the Iraq war made it possible for countries like Russia to reemerge on the scene as an effective player. It is most telling that over two years after the Syrian uprising-turned bloody civil war, the US continues to curb its involvement by indirectly assisting anti-Bashar al-Assad regime opposition forces, through its Arab allies and Turkey. Even its political discourse is indecisive and often times inconsistent. Concurrently, Russia's position remains unswerving and constantly advancing while the US is pushed into a corner, demonstrating incapacity to react except for condemnations and mere statements. This is to the displeasure of its Arab allies. Russia's recent delivery of sophisticated anti-ship missiles and its own buildup of warships in the eastern Mediterranean is a case in point. The move was condemned by the Obama administration as one that is "ill-timed and very unfortunate," according to a statement by Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as reported in the LA Times on May 17. But this American attitude in the region is fairly new. Behind it stands a history so bloody and filled with imprudent foreign policy. Regardless of how the US decides to move on Syria, the chances are that a return to its old dominant approach is no longer an option. Indeed, the current American political impotence in the Middle East is unprecedented, at least since the rapid disintegration of the Soviet bloc in the early 1990's. The dissolution of the Soviet Union had ushered in the rise of a unipolar world, wholly managed by the United States. The rise of the uncontested American hegemony represented a shift in historical dialectics, where great powers found their match and the rest of the world, more or less, accommodated the ensuing competition. Then, the US acted quickly to assert its dominance starting with hasty military adventures such as the invasion of Panama in 1989. A much more calculated move followed with a devastating war against Iraq in 1990-91. In Panama the objective was to remind the US's southern neighbors that the region's cop was still on duty and was capable of intervening at a moment's notice to rearrange the entire political paradigm in any way that Washington deemed necessary - As this has been the case since the CIA-orchestrated coup and war in Guatemala in 1954 and even earlier. The US's massive military involvement in Iraq, however, was that of a conqueror who arrived with an entourage of many countries - regional and western allies - to claim the spoils resulting from the end of the protracted Cold War. It was an arrogant show of force since the target was a single Arab country with humble military and economic means vs. major military powers from near and far. The war devastated Iraq, as its initial aerial bombing campaign alone involved the dropping of 88,500 tons of bombs. Many new weapons were used and tested, while the US media and public celebrated the prowess of their military. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died or were wounded as a result of one of the most asymmetrical wars in history. Trying to capitalize on its military triumph, Washington quickly pushed for a political settlement between its closest ally, Israel, and Arab countries. The logic behind the Madrid Conference in 1991 was achieving pseudo peace that catered to Israel's interests, while opening up the gate of normalization between Israel and its neighbors. Moreover, the US hoped to achieve some sort of 'stability' that would allow it to manage the Middle East region and its ample resources in a less hostile environment. Eventually, Israel managed to negotiate its own political deal with the Palestinians, thus dividing Arab ranks and ensuring that the 'peace talks' outcome was entirely consistent with Israel's colonial ambitions. As years passed, the US and Israeli political visions moved even closer, but with Washington eventually becoming a mere conduit to Israeli colonial objectives. This fact was underscored repeatedly under the George W. Bush administration, which compounded US failure in the region with even more disastrous and dangerous wars. A major fault in US foreign policy is that it is almost entirely reliant on military power - as in the ability to blow things up. The US war on Iraq which, in various forms, extended from 1990 to 2011, included a devastating blockade and ended with a brutal invasion. This long war was as unscrupulous as it was very violent. Aside from its overwhelming human toll, it was placed within a horrid political strategy aimed at exploiting the country's existing sectarian and other fault lines, therefore triggering a civil war and sectarian hatred from which Iraq is unlikely to cover for many years. But limitations of US military power became quite obvious in later years. The empire was no longer able to bridge the divide between translating its dominance on the ground - itself increasingly challenged by local resistance groups - into a level of political progress required to achieve the minimum amount of 'stability'. Moreover, an economic recession, coupled with the Iraqi retreat and an equally costly debacle in Afghanistan - forced the new administration in Washington, under the leadership of President Barack Obama to rethink Bush's earlier quest for global hegemony. Massive military cuts were soon to follow. Concurrently, the imbalance of global power was slowly, quietly but surely being equalized with the rise of China as a new possible contender. In the midst of the US transition and policy rethink, an upheaval struck the Middle East. Its manifestations - revolutions, civil wars, regional mayhem and conflicts of all sorts - reverberated beyond the Middle East. Shrinking and rising empires alike took notice. Fault lines were quickly determined and exploited. Players changed positions or jockeyed for advanced ones, as a new Great Game was about to begin. The so-called 'Arab Spring' was rapidly becoming a game-changer in a region that seemed resistant to transformations of any kind. The transformation of the Middle East - promising at times, very gory and bloody at others - arrived at a time when the US was making forced adjustments in its military priorities. Putting greater focus on the Pacific region and the South China Sea are such examples. Without much notice, it was forced to reengage with the Middle East, as a whole - not a country at a time. Only then, its weaknesses were seriously exposed and its lack of influence became palpable. Bankrupt is maybe an appropriate term to use in describing the current US policy in the Middle East. Imprudent military adventures devastated the region but achieved no long term objectives. Reckless policies that are predicated on trying to exploit, as opposed to understand the Middle East and its complex political and historical formation and the insistence on keeping Israel a main priority in its approach to the vastly shifting political lines, will unlikely to bode well for US interests. However, unlike the early 1990's, when the US moved to reshape the entire region and established permanent military presence, new dynamics are forcing US hands to change tactics. In this new reality, the US is incapable of reshaping reality but merely trying to offset or control its unfavorable outcomes. "What the United States (and western Europe) want to do is 'control' the situation,' Immanuel Wallerstein argued. "They will not be able to do it. Hence the screams of the 'interventionists' and the foot-dragging of the 'prudent.' It is a lose-lose for the west, while not being at the same time a 'win' for people in the Middle East." This 'lose-lose' scenario might not necessarily translate to a complete American foreign policy meltdown in the near future, but will certainly open the possibility for new/old players to main serious gains, Russia being a lead example. This will likely compel the US to change tactics, despite the incessant objections of neoconservative forces and the Israeli lobby.Read more by Ramzy Baroud Hungry For Freedom In Guantanamo - April 26th, 2013 Deir Yassin, Beit Daras and the Buried History of Massacres - April 17th, 2013 Iraq Back at the Brink - February 15th, 2013 The Imagined, 'Sinister' Iranian Threat in Latin America - January 3rd, 2013 Iraq War's Lessons Lost on US - October 28th, 2011 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c57_1369419664 omniradar US Political Impotence in the Middle East USA, Middle East Fri, 24 May 2013 14:13:47 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=27b_1369419008 Bricksnsticks ATTORNEY DEMANDS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AND PRODUCE PUBLIC RECORDS REGARDING THE FRAUDULENT USE OF A SS NUMBER BY BARACK OBAMA THAT COMES BACK TO A DECEASED MAN The following correspondence was sent from Dr. Orly Taitz Esq. to Mr. Patrick O'Carroll Jr, the Inspector zgeneral of the Social Security Administration requesting the he conduct an investigation into Barack Obama's use of a dead man's social security number and the apparent coverup of this fact and refusal by Social Security Administration employees to release public records concerning a specific social security number. Via federal Express Copy via FAX 410-597-2101 Dear Mr. O'Carroll, Please find enclosed a copy of the complaint filed with the office of the Inspector General of the Department of Treasury as well as with the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of representatives. The summary of the complaint is that Mr. Barack Obama has used in his 2009 tax returns a Connecticut Social Security number 042-68-4425, which was never assigned to him, which failed both E-Verify and SSNVS and which was traced to an immigrant from Russia Harrison J. Bounel, born in 1890, presumed to be deceased with no surviving relatives. I filed multiple complaints with the SSA and even traveled to the CT office and discussed the matter with employees. On March 26, 2013 I traveled to Stamford Connecticut where the number in question was issued and met with employees of the Social Security Administration: Representative Madeline Mercado, Assistant Manager Mrs. Sheridan (she refused to give her first name) and General Manager Mrs. Booker (she refused to give her first name). I demanded an explanation, why SSA is refusing to release the SS-5 for an extremely aged individual over 120 years old. I was told that this is a protected number and local office has no access to the information. I was shown a computer screen that stated that in case of any inquiries in regards to this number, employees of the SSA are supposed to call a specific number at the SSA Headquaters. (it was a 410- MD number). So, there is clearly a gate keeper at this number. This gatekeeper happens to be one Dawn Wiggins, as all the correspondence and FOIA requests in regards to the Social Security number 042-68-4425, which are sent from different parts of the country by different individuals and investigators seeking information on Harrison Bounel and Barack Obama, are always being handled by one SSA employee, Dawn Wiggins, while FOIA requests in regards to other Social Security numbers are handled by different employees. I was advised that General Manager Booker and Assistant Manager Sheridan contacted the headquarters of the Social Security administration and I will receive a response from the headquarters. Over 30 days passed and I did not receive any information. I demand investigation of this flagrant Social security fraud and actions by Ms. Wiggins, who clearly knows that Mr. Obama is using a stolen Social Security number. Moreover, according to a sworn affidavit of licensed investigator Susan Daniels attached herein, according to national databases at some point Mr. Obama also used Social Security number 485-40-5154 issued to Lucille Ballantyne, mother of former Chief Actuary of the Social Security Administration Harry C Ballantyne. I called Mr. Ballantyne and inquired if he knew that according to National databases Mr. Obama used the Social Security number of his deceased mother. Reaction of Mr. Ballantyne was highly suspect. Any individual confronted with such information would have shown signs of disbelief, anger, however Mr. Ballantyne was not surprised, and he laughed and stated:"They have no rights". I asked him:"Who has no rights?" He stated "Dead people have no rights". When I tried to ask more questions, Mr. Ballantyne stated that he cannot talk to me anymore. I believe that Mr. Ballantyne is the SSA employee, who is responsible for the change of the information in the databases and needs to be investigated. I demand computer tracing of any changes in the computer file of Harry J. Bounel to ascertain which SSA employees were involved in this most egregious case of SSA fraud and identity theft. While computer records can be easily changed, the original wet ink SS-5 application cannot be changed, which explains why Social Security administration is refusing to provide SS-5 for Harrison J. Bounel, even though he would be 123 years old, if he would be alive today and according to SSA own "120 year rule" this SS-5 application has to be released. I demand release of SS-5 of the SSN 042-68-4425 for Harrison J. Bounel. CONCLUSION: Based on the attached complaint and exhibits I demand an immediate release of SS-5 of SSN 042-68-4425 of Harrison J. Bounel, as well as investigation of Barack Obama for his use of a fraudulently obtained Social Security number which failed both E-Verify and SSNVS and immediate investigation of SSA employees Dawn Wiggins, former Chief Actuary Harry C. Ballantyne and former Commissioner Michael Astrue for criminal cover up of Social Security fraud and in being complicit in the usurpation of the U.S. Presidency and the position of the Commander in Chief by Barack Obama, aka Barry Soetoro, aka Barack (Barry) Soebarkah, who is using a fraudulently obtained Social Security number. Respectfully, Dr. Orly Taitz, ESQ Cc. Judiciary Committee US House of Representatives cc. Oversight Committee U.S. House of Representatives ---------------------- SOURCE: http://www.orlytaitzesq.com/?p=421667 cc. U.S. and International media http://www.libertynewsonline.com/article_301_33325.php# http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=27b_1369419008 Bricksnsticks ATTORNEY DEMANDS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AND PRODUCE PUBLIC RECORDS REGARDING THE FRAUDUL Social Security, obama, Fri, 24 May 2013 14:02:44 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e68_1369418415 omniradar Human Wrongs Watch By Bill Van Auken, WSWS* , 23 May 2013 - While ostensibly touring the Middle East to discuss a joint US-Russian proposal for peace talks between the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad and Western-backed "rebels," Secretary of State John Kerry met with US allies to prepare for region-wide war. Stopping first in Oman, Kerry held talks with the ruling Sultan, one of the string of monarchical dictators that constitute, together with Israel, the foundation of US influence in the Middle East. The secretary of state's visit coincided with the signing of a $2.1 billion deal between the absolute monarchy and Raytheon Corp. for the sale of advanced weapons systems, including Avenger fire units, Stinger missiles, and Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, part of a ring of steel that Washington has sought to erect around Iran. The So-called "Friends of Syria" From there, he flew to Amman, Jordan for a meeting Wednesday of the "Friends of Syria," a US-led "coalition of the willing" that is fomenting the war for regime change in Syria. It consists of Washington, its European NATO allies, led by Britain, Turkey, Egypt and the various sheikhdoms and sultanates of the Persian Gulf, including the major arms suppliers to the anti-Assad militias: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. As the conference was convening Wednesday, Syria's ambassador to Jordan held a press conference to denounce it as "a meeting of Syria's enemies" "Those who want to end the tragedy in Syria need to stop arming and training terrorist gangs in Syria. The war on Syria is unprecedented," said the ambassador, Bahjat Suleiman. Representatives of the Syrian National Coalition, the anti-Assad front cobbled together by the US State Department, were invited to the meeting only at the last minute. It appears there was some doubt if an agreement could be reached on whom the "rebels" would accept as their representative. US Candidate The US has promoted Ghassan Hitto, a Texas-based businessman linked to the Muslim Brotherhood who has lived in the US for over 30 years, as the "premier" of a transitional government. There have been increasing reports, however, that his role is strongly opposed by the Sunni sectarian militias that are fighting in Syria. It was reported that the coalition's "acting chief," George Sabra, a former member of the Stalinist Syrian Communist Party, would stand in for the "rebels." While the State Department claims that Kerry's role in this gathering is to prepare for Syrian peace talks-dubbed Geneva 2-which Washington and Moscow have publicly agreed to support, it is evident that the real agenda occupying the US and its allies is how to salvage the war for regime change, under conditions in which the Syrian government is inflicting strategic reverses on the Western-backed forces. This has emerged most clearly in the Syrian army's overrunning of the city of Qusayr in western Syria, just eight miles from the Lebanese border. The town, which had fallen under control of the Western-backed militias, has served as a key pipeline for arms and foreign fighters crossing the Lebanese border. "Rebel" control of the surrounding region also threatened to separate the Syrian capital of Damascus from the city of Aleppo as well as the Syrian coast. Growing Support for the Opposition? Speaking at a news conference in Amman at the opening of the "Friends of Syria" meeting, Kerry warned that if the Assad regime failed to negotiate a political solution, Washington would consider "growing support for the opposition in order to continue to fight for the freedom of their country." With US officials demanding Assad's ouster as a condition for any settlement, it appears that the proposed talks will be turned into a pretext for escalating the US intervention. Kerry's remark came just one day after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved by a 15-to-3 vote a proposal for Washington to directly arm the opposition militias. The CIA is already coordinating the arms flows from the Gulf states and has reportedly organized large shipments from Eastern Europe through third parties. Kerry blamed the reversals suffered by Washington's proxy forces in the battle for Qusayr on the role played by fighters of Hezbollah, the Lebanese-based party and militia that is aligned with the Assad government, as well as on alleged Iranian backing for the regime. "Just last week, obviously, Hezbollah intervened very, very significantly," said Kerry. "There are several thousands of Hezbollah militia forces on the ground in Syria who are contributing to this violence and we condemn that." Growing Risk a Full-scale Regional War Hezbollah has acknowledged that its fighters are in Syria, but has denied reports that they are playing any decisive role in the fighting, insisting rather that they are training Lebanese in Syrian border towns to defend themselves. The Western media has also focused on Hezbollah's role, while ignoring the fact that large numbers of Sunni Islamist fighters have also come across the Lebanese border to fight against the Assad regime. The threat that this conflict will spill over the region's borders into a full-scale regional war grows daily. In the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, at least 11 people have died, including at least two Lebanese army soldiers, in clashes between Sunni militias and Lebanese Alawite supporters of Assad. The clashes have seen exchanges of mortar fire and rocket-propelled grenades, bringing schools, businesses and other activities to a standstill. Denouncing Hezbollah's Role The State Department issued a statement denouncing Hezbollah's role in Syria, charging that it serves to "exacerbate and inflame regional sectarian tensions." No such denunciations were forthcoming when the Islamist forces overran Qusayr, decapitating and shooting members of the substantial Alawite and Christian minority populations in the area and forcing thousands to flee their homes. In one measure of the opposition's desperation, acting National Coalition chief Sabra issued a statement on the eve of the Amman conference calling for the US and its allies to "open a humanitarian corridor" to Qusayr-in other words, to launch a direct Western military intervention on Syrian soil. In a conference call on Tuesday, a senior State Department official acknowledged, "One of the things we'll be talking about here in Amman tomorrow is what else needs to be done with respect to the military balance on the ground." US Proxy War with Iran In advancing its militarist agenda, Washington has stepped up a propaganda campaign charging that Iran is likewise responsible for the reverses suffered by the anti-Assad forces in Syria. A senior State Department official told the Washington Post that Iranian forces are fighting in Syria, repeating totally unsubstantiated allegations by the "rebels" as fact. As the Post pointed out, "The US official's allegation was a tacit acknowledgment that the two-year Syrian conflict has become a regional war and a de facto US proxy fight with Iran." The Post 's columnist David Ignatius noted that while there is public talk of a peace conference in Geneva by next month, "the battling on the ground is so intense, and the demand for additional weapons so vocal, that a skeptical person should ask whether the Geneva talks will take place at all." The American Militarism Washington's ostensible agreement with Moscow on peace talks is merely another tactic to advance its strategic aims in the region, which have been prosecuted through the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Syria. Behind the crocodile tears about Syrian civilian casualties, its objective remains the same as that which underlay the eruption of American militarism 12 years ago: the assertion by military means of hegemonic control over strategic energy reserves coveted by its rivals, particularly in China and Russia. As the evolution of the proxy war in Syria demonstrates, this predatory US intervention points directly toward a far wider and catastrophic conflagration that threatens not only war against Iran, but confrontation with Russia and China as well. *This article was published by World Socialist Web Site (WSWS). Go to Original. T he views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Human Wrongs Watch http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e68_1369418415 omniradar USA preparing for FSA failure ???? USA v SYRIA Fri, 24 May 2013 13:43:47 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=087_1369415969 Tama7866 It was my first time visit to the United States, in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, when I was told to stand up and wait right next to a wall. I felt all my blood falling down to my knees as if I had been told that they would take me to Guantanamo, Cuba. Thirty minutes later, an officer came to tell me: "There is a problem with your name!" and asked me to follow him. He took me to a room and asked me to wait there. As I was sitting, I kept cursing, "It's not because of my name; because of Bin Laden, the idiot." Then I was directed to an investigation room, where another officer started querying me. Because my passport had a VISA to Iran, he asked what my purpose was for going there. I answered that my purpose was tourism. By that time he let me out, I had already missed my flight to Nashville. It was the twenty fifth hour since I flown from Bahrain, and I was totally exhausted. I started looking for my sister; and, after seven hours of searching I found her crying. It turned out that she had been told that I was returned back home. If my name had been Jackson, I would not have had all that trouble! After the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City, by the so-called Islamic terrorists, the world is no longer the same. Because of them, I was stopped and hassled in that airport, millions of Muslims are harassed everyday, and more than one billion Muslims are thought of as potential threats! Because of these terrorists, "42% of Americans of low personal religiosity, and 65% of high personal religiosity perceive Islam as violent" (Christianity Today). I do not blame them because, if I were in their shoes, I would think the same way. If all I were to see and hear about Muslims is what the media broadcast, I will never differentiate between violence and Islam. However, Bin Laden is not Islam, nor does he represent it. Islam is misunderstood by non-Muslims but also by many who falsely claim to be Muslims, like those terrorists. There is no way any Christian, Jew, or Muslim can come out and say he represents all Christians, Jews, or Muslims respectively. There is not a way all Christians, Jews, or Muslims come with one clear definition of their holy scriptures. If this were the case, we would not have seen all these sects diverging from each other in each religion. However, in every religion, one will find extremists who claim the utmost knowledge of its doctrines, although unfortunately, they always go above, beyond, and against such doctrines. One day, I heard a person stating on the news: "Islamic extremists are fighting the United States because it's a Christian country." But I do not agree with him. The mosques bombed by Al-Qaeda during the last year in Iraq were not churches full of Christians! The bakery that was destroyed in Iraq last couple of months was not a US military camp! Most of the time the people that are beheaded day-after-day by Al-Zarqawi's group are not Christians, Jews, or other westerners! The terrorists kill Muslims everyday, and most victims are civilians. Why are they doing this? It is clear that this is not a holy war strictly against non-Muslims but anyone who thinks differently from the terrorists. Some of you non-Muslims might think that the terrorists are like this because Islam's teachings lead to this ideology (i.e. because of the Jihad concept). Well, I strongly disagree. The Koran makes the definition of Jihad very clear: "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors" (2:190). As is the case in all countries, fighting in Islam is mandatory whenever a foreign invasion is in place; however, God asks us not to start the fight. On the contrary, Bin Laden continues to use the concept of Jihad to back his ideas, but he miscalculates it. Jihad is a broad concept; it literally means "struggle." The greatest Jihad is the struggle with the self to get rid of what God forbids. The minor Jihad is the fighting for the Islamic Ummah (community) whenever during an invasion or an all-out war. The Prophet Muhammad has asked Muslims not to cut trees or harm old people, women, and children. Muhammad himself used armed force only when it was necessary. For example, in the battle of Ahzab, in the beginning of Islam, this was a clear aggression on the part of the unbelievers in Mecca, who had traveled 300 miles from Mecca to Medina to attack Muslims. The Prophet ordered a trench be dug in order to avoid armed confrontation instead of going to war with them (Athar, Shahid). God says: ... if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (Koran 5:32) Many people question the use of suicides by most of these terrorists, and whether or not it has a base in the religion. Al-Qaeda cheats many people by convincing them that, by committing suicides, they will be considered martyrs who will get to heaven. However, hell is the final destiny for such practices. In Islam, anything that indirectly harms the self is prohibited; such as alcohol, pork, tattoos, etc. So, if directly harming the self is allowed, then there would be a clear contradiction in the religion itself! The life and body are sacred in Islam, and nothing justifies harming them; God says, "... And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to destruction ..." "... Nor kill yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! ..." "...Whether open or secret; take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law ..." (Koran 2:195, 4:29, 6:151). Islam, the word itself, means "peace and submission." One of the attributes of God is As-Salaam, the peace giver. The path of Islam is called the path of peace. The ideal society in Islam is called Darus-Salaam. That is the city of peace. It is for this reason that Jerusalem was originally named as Salem, city of peace, by Canaanite Righteous King Melchisedeck, a contemporary of Prophet Abraham and was changed later to Urousalem and then to Jerusalem. The mission of Islam, as given to Prophet Mohammad, was "to be merciful to mankind" the Quran (Athar, Shahid). If one really investigates Islam, one will understand that terrorists' practices have nothing to do with its doctrines; that explains why, in spite of the 11 September attack, more than 30,000 Americans have converted to Islam since then (The Learn the Bible), and Islam is currently the fastest growing religion, according to the Guinness Book of World Records 2005. If Islam is proven to be a religion of tolerance, why would some of its practitioners turn to intolerance? There many reasons, especially politics. Why does Al-Qaeda not have its main base in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, etc.? Why did Osama Bin Laden left Arabia? Where was Al-Qaeda created? Who supported it? Al-Qaeda was not wanted in Arabia, so its members went to Afghanistan, where they received the support and money from many countries, including the United States, to fight the invading Russians. With Al-Quaeda's barbarian mentality, it was the best choice. However, Al-Qaeda expanded, seized Afghanistan, and then, using Islam for justification, started blowing-up buildings and people everywhere. We must all remember that not all terrorists are Muslims! There is a lot of terrorism in Ireland, Latin America, and Sri Lanka, where Muslims are not present. As a result of these misguided terrorists, Islam and Muslims are put first in the list whenever any bad disaster happens. Thank God, the Tsunami was not blamed on Muslims! The real problem is that many countries now are issuing statues that limit the freedom of individuals in the name of limiting terrorism. It extends to imprisoning suspected people, just because of their appearance. One of my friends, who wears veil, was asked in the Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to take off her clothes in front of God and everybody; to make sure she was not carrying any weapons of mass destruction! Muslim girls are forced to remove their Islamic head scarves in Germany and some other western countries; where is the freedom? This was the case in France, so a number of girls shaved their heads so as not to show their hair! The world should understand that Islam is all about fighting such barbarian practices. The world should understand that we Muslims are against terror and with the war on terrorism. However, to fight terrorism, the world should understand who the real terrorists are, who support them, and how to not to pull the trigger on the wrong target. The world should no longer sleep, and I hope it will awake one day to learn the truth about Islam versus the terrorism. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=087_1369415969 Tama7866 Islam Versus Terrorism (A view from the profiled) Muslim,Islam,Terror,911,WTC,Terrorism,debate,death