http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=ELECTIONS Fri, 24 May 2013 16:21:07 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=ELECTIONS Fri, 24 May 2013 01:47:03 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=772_1369374111 Abdul Ruff Colachal Pakistan Post-poll Scene: Power struggle resumes! By DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL Affairs ,Former university Teacher; Editor:INTERNATIONAL OPINION; Editor: FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES; Palestine Times: RANDOM THOUGHTS; ( http://abdulrubb.wordpress.com ); website: http://abdulruff.wordpress.com / mail: abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com ] __________________________________ Global anti-Islamic media networks have about new democratic horizon in Pakistan with the recent poll. All that they want is safe sanctuary for NATO terror syndicates in that Islamic nation to serve the anti-Islam cause of western powers. . However, world expects Pakistan leaders Sharif and Zardari be different this time for the sake of Pakistan and Muslims. But power struggle seems to have resumed between top political parties, PPP and MLNs and could cause immense damage to the general health of an already destabilized Pakistan and its people besieged by NATO terror infrastructure. Having lost the elections to his arch rival Sharif, President Asif Zardari whose Peoples' Party has lost the polls is busy making quick appointments to key posts. Lately, Wazir Ali Khoja was removed from his post of Chairman and Managing Director National Investment Trust (NIT). Before his dismissal the government had removed three heads of public sector organizations: Arif Hameed, MD, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL); Zuhair Siddiqui, MD Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and retired Brigadier Khalid Khokhar, MD Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC). Many political parties have been talking about pre-poll and during the poll rigging but none have raised voice against such terminations. Muslim League is yet to assume power and the power has not been transferred to newly elected members, elected members have not taken oath and even the names of new prime minister and finance minister have not been announced officially but posting and transfers are being made. The PML-N wonders what is forcing the interim government to take important decisions while the new set-up is going to change within 10 days. PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif has warned the caretaker prime minister not to make appointments to certain key posts at the behest of President Asif Zardari whose Peoples' Party has lost the polls. . Sharif has told him to respect the people's mandate as he was legally, morally and politically obliged to respect this mandate and warned of a stern stance if the caretakers did not change their attitude. , MQM has announced to boycott the re-poll in NA-250. MQM's senior leader Raza Haroon said that efforts were made to snatch the party's mandate in Karachi. The ECP on Friday rejected the MQM petition which sought re-polling in the entire NA-250 constituency of Karachi. The ECP declared that re-polling would only be held in 43 polling stations of NA-250 out of total 180 polling stations where allegedly polling was not held or delayed these stations on 11th May. It is said that appointment of professionals as heads of public sector enterprises was aimed at improving performance of these entities. However, often these heads are appointed to serve the political agenda of appointing authorities. The key items on agenda include paving way for appointment of party activists; allocating advertisements to favorite media houses and above all siphoning of funds by granting contracts to favorite entities. The public sector enterprises that have been ruined include PIA, Pakistan Steel, and electricity generation and distribution companies. Entities that have been used to generate funds to meet shortfall in revenue collection are OGDC, PPL, PSO and Sui twins. If however such moves are being made at the federal level one just can't rule out such violations at the provincial levels. In a surprising development, the lawyer who had filed a petition in the judges' detention case has withdrawn his complaint against former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf. The decision by Advocate Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman came a day before the hearing of the case by the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court at former president Pervez Musharraf's Chak Shahzad farmhouse which has been declared a sub-jail. Interestingly nepotism, corruption and violation of good governance continued during the PPP led government despite the fact that Chaudhry Nisar Ali belonging to PML-N occupies the top slot of Chairman Public Accounts Committee. Therefore, it may not be wrong to say that political parties criticize each other but have common motives. Surplus staff of PIA and Pakistan Steel just can't be removed because activists of many political parties are there that follow the rule 'I scratch you back and you scratch my back'. Almost all the political parties, PML-N being on the top, were accusing PPP-lead coalition of posting the favorites, but dismissal of those even before assuming charge creates even worst examples of nepotism by PML-N. There were complaints that PML-N that ruled Punjab for five years, kept the favorites in key position during the interim set up to influence polling results. Undoubtedly, political parties play 'musical chair game', let their favorites plunder and the next government allows them to go home without any accountability. Loyalties of turncoats are bought so that they could also help the new bosses in siphoning out funds of the public sector enterprises (PSEs). It is on record that annually PSEs swallow around half a trillion rupees of tax payers' money. A cynic commenting on metro bus project of PML-N said, 'it was only to facilitate Ittefaq Steel (own by Sharif family) to sell its products'. It is only half truth because the project serves residents of Lahore only, whereas the condition of public transport throughout Punjab remains pathetic. Pakistan politicians do not worry about the nation or people because they know the all powerful CIA-Pentagon has taken almost full charge of Pakistan and is controlling the leaders as well. It is the common notion among Pakistani elites that Pakistan regime by puppet Zardari cannot be expected to do anything to end NATO occupation of Pakistan. With the dramatic arrival of former General P Musharraf it was expected that there could be serious fight between military and political parties but now with Musharraf in jail, the leading political parties have resumed their historic or traditional power struggle to push in their own private profit agenda rather than Pakistan's general good. . One completely fails to understand that even after so much destruction in the country and genocides of Pakistanis, the politicians behave like US stooges. You call it crude fate of Islamic Pakistan? Or, maybe, something else? ___________ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=772_1369374111 Abdul Ruff Colachal Pakistan Post-poll Scene: Power struggle resumes! Pakistan, sharif, zardari Wed, 22 May 2013 21:02:47 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=083_1369269937 rodnilb This video shows protests once again GERB party won the elections in Bulgaria. These elections were won by the GERB party of manipulation, vote buying and fake ballots. During the election prosecutors investigate in printing "Multi Print" where all printed ballots for the elections in Bulgaria and there were found 350,000 additional printed newsletters that GERB party wanted to raise their voices. Prosecutors seized those papers and the case is pre-trial proceedings. This printer is located in ofKostinbrod near Sofia and it was awarded the contract to print ballots for all elections that took place in Bulgaria. This printer, however, is owned by a person who is a municipal councilor and member of the GERB party. This shows how GERB deliberately gave the order for printing of ballots for the election of a trusted person to be able to manipulate the votes of citizens. All of it put people back into the streets to protest after they realized how their vote was manipulated. This protest was held in Sofia at the National Palace of Culture. People came to him from various cities and provinces of Bulgaria to show their support both the protests. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=083_1369269937 rodnilb Protest after the <span class="highlight">elections</span> in Bulgaria Bulgaria, Sofia, GERB, Elections, Wed, 22 May 2013 09:52:08 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e7c_1369230597 camcordervideos Romney's outburst http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e7c_1369230597 camcordervideos The moment Mitt Romney Knew He Lost the <span class="highlight">Elections</span> romney, obama, elections Wed, 22 May 2013 17:53:12 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f51_1369259498 Tutsi President Robert Mugabe has signed Zimbabwe's new constitution into law, clearing the path to crucial elections later this year. A beaming Mugabe - flanked by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, his main political rival, and Deputy President Joice Mujuru - signed multiple copies of the charter on Wednesday at State House in the capital, Harare, to cheers and applause from aides. Approved overwhelmingly in a referendum in March this year, the constitution clips the powers of the president, limits presidential tenures to two five-year terms and does away with the post of prime minister. However, it does not apply retroactively so the 89-year-old Mugabe could technically extend his three decades in office by another 10 years. "This day is an historic day, it's about the future," Eric Matinenga, the Constitutional Affairs Minister said at the signing ceremony. "I can assure you that this document which is before us is a good document." A new constitution is one of the pre-conditions for elections to pick a successor to the shaky compromise government Mugabe formed four years ago with Tsvangirai. Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980, tainted by allegations of rights abuses against his opponents and critics. 'New path' The constitution was unopposed through both houses of parliament. Tsvangirai said the charter had set the southern African country "on a new path" after nearly a decade of economic decline and political violence that started in 2000 with the seizure of white-owned commercial farms by Mugabe supporters. Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a power-sharing government four years ago to avoid a descent into full-scale conflict in the aftermath of a bloody presidential run-off election in 2008. The power-sharing government faced frequent difficulties over the allocations of key government posts, the implementation of key reforms and over charges of violence. The five-year coalition parliament, formed under the same agreement, expires on June 29, and parliamentary and presidential elections should follow within 90 days of that date. The date for the elections is yet to be announced. Mugabe and his allies want the polls as soon as possible, while Tsvangirai insists on the application of reforms first to ensure a free and fair vote. Many obstacles remain, not least finding the estimated $130m needed to pay for the election, and reaching agreement on outside monitors. Harare has turned down offers of United Nations or donor assistance. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f51_1369259498 Tutsi Zimbabwe's Mugabe signs new constitution Zimbabwe Mugabe Wed, 22 May 2013 17:26:42 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f78_1369257797 Diverdanm 1. Reneged on pledge to filibuster FISA Amendments Act (July 2008) 2. Lobbied for $700 billion Paulson TARP bank bailout 3. Pushed for no sanctions against Lieberman despite his support for John McCain 4. Nominated healthcare company lobbyist Tom Daschle as Secretary of HHS 5. Had neoliberal Robert Rubin as his chief economics adviser 6. Then had the equally neoliberal Larry Summers assume this role 7. Chose the failing upwards Timothy Geithner to head Treasury 8. AIG bonuses and money to Goldman under Obama 9. Doubling down in Afghanistan 10. Delay and reduction of withdrawal from Iraq 11. Moving Guantanamo activities to Bagram 12. Military commissions for some detainees 13. Support for indefinite detention 14. Refusal to release torture photos under FOIA 15. Refusal to investigate and prosecute Bush era criminality 16. Geithner's DOA economic rescue programs: the PPIP and TALF 17. Minimal help for homeowners and no cramdowns 18. Treatment of Chrysler and GM with bankrupcy compared to bank no fail "stress tests" 19. Kabuki of TARP repayment by banks while still dependent on government credit lines 20. Extra-Constitutional use of the Fed by the Executive for fiscal policy 21. Credit Card bill without usury caps and with 9 month delay for other reforms 22. Business friendly Mary Schapiro named to head SEC 23. Gary Gensler who helped deregulate derivatives named to head CFTC 24. $787 billion stimulus: too little, too late, poorly structured 25. Use of financial crisis to attack Social Security and Medicare 26. The great healthcare non-debate 27. Continued use of state secrets argument in ongoing Bush era cases 28. Use of signing statements, including one to punish whistleblowers 29. Vetting process problems, especially tax related ones 30. Leaving Dawn Johnsen's nomination to head OLC twisting in the wind 31. Eric Holder, failure to reform DOJ, not removing worst of Bush USAs 32. Failure to move against new oil bubble 33. Retention of Bush Defense team: Gates, Patraeus, and Odierno 34. Continued missile strikes inside Pakistan 35. Keeping Bush's domestic spying programs and adding a new one, cybersecurity 36. Choice of Elena Kagan who favors expansive Presidential powers as Sollicitor General, her subsequent nomination to the Supreme Court 37. Leaving EFCA (to help counter anti-union companies) to wither in Congress 38. Welcoming Arlen Specter who brings nothing to the Democrats into the party 39. Weak ineffective proposals for financial reform 40. Obama wanted John Brennan at CIA but settled for making him his counter- terrorism adviser 41. Chas Freeman with broader Mideast perspective done in by AIPAC 42. Dennis Blair made DNI; failed to act to stop atrocities in East Timor 43. Choice of McChrystal involved in torture in Iraq to head Afghanistan command 44. Obama threat to suspend intelligence cooperation with UK over Binyam Mohamed case 45. Efforts to keep Bush and Obama White House logs secret 46. Playing games with "Don't ask, don't tell" 47. Filing a brief to overturn Jackson (access to lawyer) in the Montejo case 48. Not withdrawing Bush brief in Osborne DNA case 49. Egregious brief in challenge to Defense of Marriage Act 50. The Supplemental which made Iraq and Afghanistan Democratic wars 51. Choice of Rahm Emanuel as the President's Chief of Staff 52. Choice of Dennis Ross as Iran envoy and then his move to the White House 53. Politically embarrassing processes to fill Obama and Clinton's Senate seats 54. Choice of Bill Richardson, then Judd Gregg to head Commerce Department 55. Reneging on pledge to re-negotiate NAFTA 56. Obama's throwing his pastor Jeremiah Wright to the curb, then reaching out to religious conservative Rick Warren 57. Continued challenges to habeas corpus petitions over indefinite detention, the Janko case 58. The Obama White House website 59. Continuing an ineffective program that Iran can exploit politically 60. Going slow on climate change when there is no time to 61. Not withdrawing a Bush-era amicus brief in the Ricci v. DeStefano reverse discrimination case and supporting a rollback of Title VII 62. Appointment of a CIA General Counsel who doesn't know if waterboarding is torture 63. Appointment of a DNI General Counsel who doesn't know if waterboarding is torture 64. CIA delay in a FOIA request concerning torture 65. The influence of Goldman Sachs in the Obama Administration 66. Attempt to keep secret the Cheney interview on the Plame affair 67. Mountaintop removal under Obama 68. Attempt to restrict Congressional notification on intelligence matters 69. Opposition to a second stimulus 70. Another egregious attempt to fight a habeas corpus petition in the Jawad case 71. Continuing charter schools and standardized tests 72. Holder's decision to support a weak, narrow review of torture 73. Re-appointment of Ben Bernanke as Fed Chairman 74. Continuing renditions 75. Politically dubious company was used to vet reporters in Afghanistan 76. Judge vetoes a too weak SEC plea bargain with Bank of America 77. Justice's argument for making Bagram a new Guantanamo, the al Maqaleh case 78. Defense to turn over databases to poorly controlled fusion centers 79. Obama changes but keeps Bush's Star Wars program 80. Failure to win an Israeli freeze on settlements 81. White House refuses to back its own staffer environmentalist Van Jones 82. Politicized US Attorney in the Siegelman case cleared by Office of Special Counsel 83. Criticism of Iranian nuclear program; support of Israeli nuclear weapons 84. Support for a weakened reporter's shield law 85. Use of the Zazi case to retain broad Patriot Act surveillance provisions 86. Wilner v. NSA, continuing the coverup of warrantless surveillance of communications between attorneys and detainees 87. Attempt to spike the Goldstone report on Israeli-Hamas war crimes in Gaza 88. Slowness in filling federal judgeships 89. Inadequate aid to overwhelmed state budgets 90. Attempting to dodge the Supreme Court deciding whether innocent Guantanamo detainees can be resettled in the US 91. Allowing drilling in the waters off the north coast of Alaska 92. Keeping detainee accounts of CIA torture secret 93. Current FBI manual allows for widespread domestic spying 94. Securitization invalidates most foreclosures 95. Geithner wanting unlimited powers to save large banks 96. Another state secrets defense to conceal domestic spying 97. Circuit Court dismissal of Maher Arar suit 98. Weakening Sarbanes-Oxley and calling it financial reform 99. Unemployment 100. Inspector General for Fannie and Freddie ousted for investigating fraud 101. Gaming courts to convict Guantanamo detainees 102. White House counsel removed for his principled stands on torture and Guantanamo 103. US seizes mosques claiming Iranian connection 104. Howard Dean removed as head of the DNC 105. Scientist with close ties to Monsanto put in charge of all governmental agricultural research 106. Pesticide lobbyist nominated as Chief Agricultural Negotiator for trade 107. Effort to let some government contractors avoid paying taxes 108. A bad US Attorney nomination for Northern Iowa 109. Hunger in America 110. The breast cancer recommendations fiasco 111. Ongoing confusion and disorganization in the military commissions process 112. Phillip Carter another official in closing Guantanamo resigns 113. Refusal to sign anti-land mine treaty 114. The Ghizzawi case and the legal limbo of "cleared for release" 115. Black prisons at Balad and Bagram 116. Delay in declassifying historic documents 117. Max Baucus' conflicts of interest in healthcare and with his girlfriend 118. Major security breach at a White House party and a ridiculous assertion of "executive privilege" 119. Dana "Pig Missile" Perino nominated to the Broadcasting Board of Governors 120. Cass Sunstein, an anti-regulator in a regulatory position 121. Warrantless for profit electronic surveillance by telecoms and search engines 122. The government sides with torture lawyer John Yoo and attacks Bevins actions again 123. The TSA publishes its security manual online 124. Toxic legal arguments in al Zahrani v. Rumsfeld, yet another Bevins action 125. The Nobel Peace Prize and a neocon acceptance speech 126. Blackwater's involvement in military and CIA assassination and drone programs 127. Congressional Research Service censorship in the firing of Morris Davis 128. AIG writes off $25 billion in debt and sticks taxpayers with the bill 129. The Administration plays hardball to kill an amendment that would lower drug costs 130. A poorly considered blank check to Fannie and Freddie 131. Continuing a Bush botch in the Nisoor Square massacre case 132. Jonathan Gruber, a major defender of Obamacare was also a paid consultant for it 133. A Geithner related cover up of the AIG at par payments on swaps 134. Adoption of stealth signing statements 135. al Bihani, more bad legal reasoning in another Guantanamo habeas case 136. Cutting Medicare and Social Security by deficit commission proposed 137. A 3 year non-freeze budget freeze proposed 138. NASA flights privatized 139. OPR report on Yoo and Bybee watered down and its relation to the Padilla case 140. Government targeting of US citizens for assassination 141. Abuse of informants by ICE agents 142. Obama leaves Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board empty 143. Obama backs firing of teachers in Rhode Island 144. Irish human rights advocate Edward Horgan has US visa pulled 145. Threatened veto of 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act over Congressional notifications 146. Obama Administration intimidation of whistleblowing site: wikileaks 147. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to ignore science on endangered species 148. Senate vacation more important than jobless benefits 149. Government seeks to compel turnover of emails without a warrant 150. Obama goes after an NSA whistleblower: the Thomas Drake case 151. Obama goes after a CIA whistleblower: the James Risen case 152. Weakening Miranda rights in national security cases 153. Advocating the privatizing of public housing 154. Another step in making Bagram the new Guantanamo, the al Maqaleh case, the appeals court edition 155. Massey mining disaster, 29 die because of corporate greed and poor regulation 156. Obama proposal for a line item veto 157. A military commander allowed to use military forces for intelligence operations without Presidential approval 158. Political pandering in sending 1200 National Guardsmen to the Southwest border 159. A sad record on resisting Guantanamo habeas petitions 160. Israel attacks an aid convoy for Gaza; Obama punts 161. A further erosion of Miranda: Berghius v. Thompkins 162. Naming James Clapper, a Bush appointee, to be the next DNI 163. DOJ seeks to protect Vatican in sex abuse scandal 164. Yahya Wehelie, an American exiled without charge 165. Failure to replace National Labor Relations Board members means hundreds of decisions must be reviewed 166. SCOTUS opts for overly broad definition of material support to terrorist groups 167. Speaker Pelosi backstabs Social Security 168. Complaints by government scientists of political interference at Bush era levels 169. Flip flop on free trade agreement with Colombia 170. SEC declares major victory but lets Goldman off easy 171. Private contracting of intelligence continues under Obama 172. Two Guantanamo prisoners to be deported back to Algeria against their will 173. The Shirley Sherrod affair: trumped up charges of racism and a bungled response 174. Whitewash report on Bush era US Attorney firings 175. Despite its record, Blackwater still gets big US government contracts 176. Wikileaks releases government files showing Pakistan involvement with Taliban and admission that things are going poorly in Afghanistan 177. Obama seeks to get access to everyone's web histories without a court order 178. Teacher funding sacrificed to keep Education Secretary Arne Duncan happy 179. State's top Iran hand resigns over Obama's Iran policy 180. Citizens United: validation of unlimited corporate political funding 181. Push to expand US arms sales around the world 182. Project Vigilant, Infragard and "volunteer" corporate spying for the government 183. Obama's approval hits Bush levels in Arab world 184. Effort to pre-empt state environmental lawsuits involving green house gases 185. Justice's Anti-trust division asleep at the wheel 186. Kagan's recusals render her even more ineffective on the Supreme Court 187. Poverty level highest since 1994 188. Courts run interference for corporate violators of international law 189. Warren named to set up but not to run Consumer Financial Protection Board 190. Chief economic adviser Larry Summers leaves; Obama looks for someone even more pro-business to replace him 191. DOJ IG report goes soft on Bush era surveillance against peace groups and other activists; meanwhile the Obama Administration conducts raids against similar groups 192. Move to put backdoors in the internet to facilitate spying and more requirements on banks on international money transfers of any size 193. HHS Secretary Sebelius delays for at least two years required insurance coverage for contraception 194. Americans on Medicaid increased to 48.5 million in 2009 195. Big home lenders suspend foreclosures as their documentation gets challenged in court 196. HR 3808, a bill passed by Congress, to facilitate the acceptance of false documentation by banks in foreclosure proceedings 197. ICE raids and deportations increase under Obama 198. Social Security COLA frozen for second straight year; no action taken 199. Waivers for military aid to countries with child soldiers 200. Big and deserved losses in the 2010 elections 201. 42 million Americans on food stamps at the end of FY 2010 202. No indictments for those involved in the CIA destruction of the torture tapes 203. The Bowles-Simpson Cat Food Commission proposals 204. $3 billion in aid for Israel for a 90 day settlement freeze 205. No change in Democratic Congressional leadership after 2010 election disaster 206. Forced proselytizing still prevalent at US Air Force Academy 207. TSA harassment and violation of the 4th Amendment 208. More TSA idiocy: full body scans and invasive pat downs 209. The response to the 2009 coup in Honduras 210. Use of diplomatic personnel to spy at the UN 211. Fed proposes rule change to Truth in Lending Act to protect bank fraud 212. FCC head Genachowski takes an axe to net neutrality 213. Lieberman and Amazon.com seek to censor wikileaks 214. Pressuring the Spanish government into dropping torture prosecutions against 6 high level Bush officials 215. Neoliberal free trade deal with South Korea at a time of high unemployment 216. Hamfisted banning access to wikileaks by government departments 217. Massive screwup in printing $100 bills 218. Extending tax cuts for the rich in a poor compromise on jobless benefits 219. Dancing boys of Afghanistan paid for by US contractor Dyncorp 220. EPA backtracks on smog standards 221. Former OMB director Peter Orszag goes to Citigroup 222. Obama breaks the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to supply Israel with nuclear fuel 223. DREAM Act for children of illegal immigrants done in by Senate Democrats 224. DOJ drops investigations of corrupt members of Congress 225. The FBI's Guardian database, another useless, intrusive surveillance program 226. Pentagon weakens rules on contractor conflicts of interest 227. Investigation by state Attorney Generals into foreclosuregate: no criminal charges 228. Obama names Mr. NAFTA Bill Daley as his new Chief of Staff 229. Obama names neoliberal free trader Gene Sperling to replace Larry Summers 230. Executive Order to make regulations more business-friendly 231. Gulet Mohamed: Detention and torture of US citizens by proxy 232. Nelson v. NASA: government can demand intrusive, unnecessary information about its employees 233. Choice of GE's outsourcing CEO Jeffrey Immelt as Obama's Jobs Czar 234. Failure to weaken or eliminate the filibuster 235. Corporate targeting of Wikileaks and liberal organizations 236. Reaction to the popular revolution in Egypt 237. HHS Secretary Sebelius helps states cut Medicaid rolls and funding 238. Petraeus accuses parents not US attacks for burns to children in Afghanistan 239. US general in Afghanistan sets up illegal propaganda program targeting Americans 240. Obama plans to devastate small block grants program for the poor 241. Silence on the Wisconsin labor protests 242. Former Senator Christopher Dodd quickly becomes lobbyist after promising not to 243. Obama reinstitutes sham review tribunals at Guantanamo 244. DOJ colludes with Bush era official Scott Bloch to keep him out of jail 245. The treatment of Bradley Manning 246. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley forced to resign over Manning comments 247. Massive conflicts of interest in David Stevens at HUD and soon to be head of main lobbying group for the mortgage industry 248. Mild reaction to bloody anti-democratic repression in Bahrain and Yemen 249. Torture psychologist appointed to White House task force 250. FBI program which allows them to investigate anyone doesn't work (surprise) 251. In his Libya war, Obama has completed the unconstitutional process of Presidents' usurpation of Congress' power to make war 252. Obama accepts award for transparency in secret 253. Democrats create PACs to receive unlimited contributions from anonymous donors 254. 2011 government shutdown threat as Shock Doctrine 254. The 2011 "great" biprtisan budget deal 255. The OCC deal to cover for banks in foreclosuregate 256. Reshuffling neocons at DOD and the CIA 257. Leak of Detainee Assessments shines light on the weakness of cases against many Guantanamo inmates 258. Geithner shields foreign exchange derivatives from Dodd-Frank regulation 259. Crazy new application for some US passports 260. DOJ wants SCOTUS to allow for GPS tracking without a warrant 261. An industry stacked panel to study fracking 262. SCOTUS attacks small claim class actions 263. SCOTUS okays fraud in financial presentations 264. SCOTUS attacks large class actions and Title VII 265. DOJ's non-investigation of torture produces few results 266. Department of State threatens participants of Gaza flotilla with terrorism charges 267. Detainees now held on ships to avoid judicial scrutiny 268. CIA operating a black site prison in Somalia 269. SCOTUS and DC Appeals Court torpedoing detainee habeas petitions 270. SCOTUS greatly expands warrantless searches; Obama DOJ approves 271. Tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after the 2011 spike in gasoline prices 272. Christine Varney, head of DOJ Anti-Trust Division, goes to law firm that had case before her 273. Senseless 2011 debt ceiling crisis, budget cutting, and attacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid 274. TSA closes US airspace to Mexican human rights activist 275. DHS guts its unit monitoring right wing terrorism in US 276. "Recovery" benefited corporations, not workers 277. Harassment of a government scientist Charles Monett because his work clashes with drilling in the Arctic 278. African Americans and Hispanic wealth took hardest hit from financial crises 279. Cass Sunstein sitting on labor rules to protect child workers 280. Oil leasing in Gulf resumes 281. Administration pressures NY AG Schneiderman to go along with bogus mortgage settlement 282. DOJ dumps responsibility for its bungled gun running sting on handy US Attorney 283. US ranks 41st in the world in infant mortality 284. White House engages in selective prosecution of Dan Choi over DADT protest 285. COBRA extension ditched 286. Obama spikes EPA ozone limits 287. 2011 Obama fictional jobs plan 288. Contractors cost twice as much as unionized federal workers doing the same work 289. New EPA greenhouse gas limits also being drawn out 290. CFTC proposes ineffectual limits on commodity speculation 291. State Department targets career officer Peter Van Buren for writing critical book 292. Secret Law and the OLC legal justification for killing a US citizen abroad 293. US incomes fall more after recession than during it 294. Another Afghanistan fail: torture rampant in Afghan prisons 295. Bank of America dumps derivative exposure on to the FDIC with Fed approval 296. New rule to legitimize government lying in response to FOIA requests 297. Cronyism and the Keystone XL pipeline 298. Despite pledge, Obama still taking money from lobbyists 299. Secure Communities and deportation as a business 300. The Occupy movement and the attacks upon it 301. DOJ prosecuting financial fraud at the lowest rate in 20 years 302. US stops funding of UNESCO 303. 42% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck 304. The Post Office facing cuts because of unnecessary prefunding mandates http://obamascandalslist.blogspot.com/2009/10/table-of-contents.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f78_1369257797 Diverdanm Obama Scandal list... update May 2013 obama, corruption, politics, president, liar, scandal, list, kenya, Wed, 22 May 2013 10:16:14 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e1_1369231221 Zurm The economic recession in Europe has had wide-ranging effects, from tensions within the Eurozone to the rise of new political parties in across the continent. While rising right-wing parties has been cyclical in Europe-they tend to grow during economic downturns and fade during periods of growth-their current resurgence is nonetheless troubling. As the economic stagnation continues on the continent, it remains to be seen what will happen to these political groups. In France, the National Front has been a major third party since its inception in 1972, when it was created by Jean-Marie Le Pen to unite the country's various nationalist movements. Although the party's popularity has fluctuated, it has never received significant representation in the legislature due to the French electoral system. In 2011, leadership of the party was handed off to Jean-Marie's youngest daughter, Marine Le Pen, who has revitalized the group and significantly boosted its popularity. Like other far right parties in Europe, the National Front is eurosceptic, harsh on immigration, and traditional on social issues. Its economic policy is also highly conservative; it favors protectionism and a return to the gold standard. The Great Recession and resultant Euro Crisis seem to have strengthened the National Front, reinforcing euroscepticism and leading many frustrated by a stagnant economy to embrace xenophobia and social conservatism. In the 2012 French presidential election, many saw Sarkozy veer to the right in the second round of voting in an attempt to win Le Pen's votes. This strategy ultimately failed as it allowed Hollande, a left-wing candidate, to win the center. More recently, as Hollande's popularity has declined, one poll placed Marine Le Pen's popularity at an incredible 32 percent, over Hollande's dismal 24 percent. Frightening to many, the National Front has become a strong and persistent force in French political life. In Greece, the Golden Dawn has arisen as a political force because of anger over austerity measures, forced upon Greece as a condition of the numerous Eurozone bailouts, coupled with racial and ethnic prejudice, high unemployment and soaring poverty rates. In Greece's June 2012 election the party gained seats in the parliament. Since last June, the party's popular support has climbed to roughly 11.5%, and has stayed steady for the past few months. Golden Dawn draws its primary support from the rural poor and unskilled labor force, mixing violent rhetoric (and action) against Jews, Roma, and other minorities, while also promoting plans for support networks for the poor. The party promises a "social action program" for the economically disadvantaged, provided, of course, that they can prove Greek heritage. Golden Dawn has organized several Greek-only blood banks, food drives, and support services for the elderly. These programs are popular among Greeks with few social supports left, but within Golden Dawn they are part of a wider campaign which often includes activities like "protecting" neighborhoods from immigrants. Golden Dawn's "stormtroopers" patrol many urban centers, beating, and sometimes killing, foreigners and minorities. In March, the party's attention turned to Greece's youth, starting a campaign to attract future voters as young as six In Hungary, Jobbik, the far-right anti-Semitic party, won a staggering 17% of the vote in 2010's parliamentary elections. Unlike Golden Dawn, which targets the rural poor and unskilled labor force, Jobbik draws a large portion of its support from young, college-educated professionals. Supporters cite economic concerns as equal to issues of "national identity," expressing anti-Roma, anti-Semitic, and anti-immigrant sentiment and fears of other perceived threats to Hungarian culture. The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's increasingly autocratic Fidesz party has done little to stem the rise of Jobbik; instead, the Hungarian far-right and far-left are often seen joining forces in anti-Fidesz rallies. The supporters of Jobbik, however, are not fighting against autocracy; rather, they are fighting against the current government and its policies. Jobbik's agenda is simple; stronger laws against Roma "criminality," restoration of Hungarian culture through expulsion of "unwanted ethnic groups," and severing of ties to the European Union, which the party claims will both boost the economy as well as stem unwanted immigration. Germany too has seen the rise of right wing parties in recent years, most notably, the National Democratic Party of Germany. It is best described as racist, anti-Semitic and anti-foreigner, in addition to its desires to abolish the current German Constitution. The upper house of the German Parliament is seeking to ban the party from taking part in elections. This has become an issue in recent years after a report published by the Social Democratic Party found that anti-foreign sentiment, right-wing authoritarian dictatorship, chauvinism and social Darwinism is on the rise. Another report by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation found that nearly a third of respondents believed foreigners were in Germany to take advantage of the welfare state's benefits and that about 60 percent of respondents were in favor of restrictions on the practice of Islam. The prevalence is the highest it has been in East Germany since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Although not a political group, terrorist groups like the National Socialist Underground have drawn particular attention for their increased use of violence as a political tool. Law enforcement aims to combat right wing groups with tactics of prevention and repression. Repression includes traditional law enforcement methods while prevention aims to educate parents and teachers on the methods these groups use to recruit young people. Over in the United Kingdom, the rise of the Independent Party (UKIP) has garnered attention after they enjoyed surprising success in recent local elections, in which the party won 147 council seats. Led by Nigel Farage, a former commodities trader, the party promotes a platform of euroscepticism and xenophobia. Popular in response to the financial and eurozone crises, the party seeks a restricted immigration policy, and withdrawal of United Kingdom from the European Union. Although the party won local elections, it is unlikely that they will do well on the national stage, despite speculation that they may destabilize the essentially two-party system now in place. The party is not expected to gain more that 25 percent of the vote, which is a generous estimate. The UKIP has poached core Conservative voters from the Conservative Party, so the ruling party now has to focus on regaining its base rather than turning its efforts to expanding its appeal to solidify their governing majority. Despite the Independent Party's recent news coverage, the UK is hardly witnessing a similar emergence of far right parties like other European countries have seen. In Finland, the True Finns party became the third biggest party in the Parliament. An anti-immigrant party, the Sweden Democrats, has risen to third in polls ahead of a general election due next year, reflecting unease about immigrants among many voters. http://politicsandpolicy.org/article/right-wing-resurgence-haunts-europe http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e1_1369231221 Zurm Right-wing Resurgence in Europe Right-wing,Resurgence,Europe Wed, 22 May 2013 01:37:30 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c54_1369200834 jason16 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe likened the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which houses the remains of Japan's war dead including convicted World War II criminals, with the Arlington National Cemetery in the US. 14 convicted World War II criminals are enshrined in Yasukuni. Suppose the Germans had decided to enshrine Nazi war criminals at an altar in the middle of their capital and the chancellor, Cabinet and lawmakers paid homage there every year. The EU would not exist, and Germany would have faced global condemnation and isolation. Japan's war criminals are no different than Nazi war criminals. Comparing Yasukuni with the Arlington National Cemetery is simply absurd. Japanese politicians are trying to win votes for parliamentary elections in July by appealing to populist, rightwing sentiment with their attempts to whitewash the unimaginable atrocities and slaughter of tens of millions of people in neighboring countries committed by Japanese troops during World War II. Nobody dares to counter that dangerous lurch to the right, in which Abe is a leading figure. That is why the country cannot be allowed to revise its pacifist constitution and arm itself again. ( http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130520000835 ) http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c54_1369200834 jason16 Yasukuni : Arlington = Abe : Obama world news Mon, 20 May 2013 18:35:19 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f59_1369089263 Tutsi Talks will resume soon between the Malian government and an ethnic Tuareg rebel group whose influence has been growing in the country's north, Burkina Faso's foreign minister says. No immediate date was given for the negotiations, announced on Monday, though the announcement comes amid lingering questions about the future of rebel-held Kidal. It has remained unclear how the town could take part in long-awaited elections now promised for July. Earlier this month, a Malian military spokesperson said the country was in the final stages of preparation for an assault on the northern provincial capital. Djibril Bassole, the Burkina Faso foreign affairs minister, said that talks would soon resume. The last negotiations were back in December before the French launched a military offensive to remove the ultraconservative armed groups who had battled with the Tuareg rebels for control of Kidal and other northern cities. "In the days to come, contact will be made with all the players and partners from the international community so that favourable conditions can be set up for holding elections in a calm atmosphere with the participation of all," he said. Those conditions must include the disarmament of rebels from the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, or the MNLA. Collecting taxes MNLA, which controls Kidal, has exerted its influence in the months since the French-led offensive routed out the ultraconservative fighters from major towns in the region. MNLA fighters man the roadblocks in Kidal, and they have since started collecting taxes and appointed their own governor, thumbing their nose at the Malian state even as French soldiers continue to occupy the Kidal airport. Kidal's confused status has become an embarrassment for the French as well as for the Malian government. Many Malians remain opposed to the idea of negotiating with the Tuaregs, blaming them for the unrest that has devastated the country's economy and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. A Tuareg rebellion last year and the Malian military's weak response to it first prompted mutinous soldiers to overthrow the president in a coup. The turmoil allowed ultraconservatives to make inroads into the north, where they established a strict form of Islamic law that meted out public amputations and executions. Tuaregs, though, remain deeply concerned about having the Malian military return to Kidal, fearing that the military could seek revenge after their humiliating defeat last year at the hands of the MNLA. Reprisal killings Already in Timbuktu, in Gao and in Sevare, the Malian army is accused of carrying out reprisal killings of Tuareg civilians accused of complicity with the rebels. Bassole's comment on Monday came after he met Tiebele Drame, the newly appointed Malian envoy to Kidal, and Blaise Compaore, Burkina Faso president. Compaore had served as a mediator in the Mali crisis for the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS. At talks held in Ouagadougou last December, the MNLA agreed to stop pursuing a separate state in Mali's north called Azawad. The Tuaregs, a traditionally nomadic people spread across the Sahara Desert, have risen up against the central government in Mali several times since the country's independence from France in 1960. They have long complained that Mali's government - which is dominated by ethnic groups from the country's south - has ignored the nation's impoverished north. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/05/2013520171841307159.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f59_1369089263 Tutsi Mali government to resume talks with Tuaregs Mali Tauregs Sun, 19 May 2013 08:06:10 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=184_1368964961 LostRothschild Maryland governor signs tough gun control law By Lacey Johnson Thu May 16, 2013 1:19pm EDT Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/16/us-usa-guns-maryland-idUSBRE94F0VL20130516 Bill: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/hb/hb1191f.pdf (Reuters) - Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley on Thursday signed into law one of the United States' toughest gun control measures, even as opponents vowed to overturn it. The legislation prompted by the Newtown, Connecticut, school massacre requires handgun buyers to undergo safety training and submit fingerprints to obtain a license. It also bans the sale of 45 types of assault weapons, which have been linked to at least 461 U.S. deaths since 2004, according to the governor's office. "We've chosen to take action by advancing the strategies that work to save lives," O'Malley, a Democrat mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2016, said in a statement. The new law also reduces magazine capacity from 20 rounds to 10 rounds. People who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility will be banned from gun ownership. Maryland joins Connecticut and New York in expanding assault weapons bans and restricting the capacity of magazines in the aftermath of the Newtown elementary school shooting that killed 20 students and six adults in December. Colorado approved similar measures after a gunman killed 12 people and wounded 58 in July 2012 in a movie theater. The National Rifle Association (NRA), the powerful gun lobby, has announced plans to challenge the new state gun control laws, including those in Maryland. Republican State Assembly Delegate Neil Parrott said last month that leading opponents of the Maryland bill planned to back an NRA lawsuit, rather than petition for a referendum. Senate President Thomas Miller criticized the NRA. He told a news conference in Annapolis that the NRA "is going to look for a conservative, right-wing-leaning judge, rather than going to the people of the state of Maryland ... because they know that if this bill went to the people, it would pass overwhelmingly." A Washington Post poll in February showed that Maryland residents supported O'Malley's licensing plan. Eighty-five percent backed it, and 73 percent said they did so "strongly." A Maryland woman, Sue Payne, has also launched a campaign to petition the bill to a referendum, filing paperwork with the board of elections last month. Other features of the bill include mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms. It also strengthens the state's ability to regulate gun dealers and bars some violent offenders from obtaining a gun while on probation http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=184_1368964961 LostRothschild Maryland governor signs tough gun control law 2, 2nd, second, amendment, gun, firearm, rights, constitution, tyranny, freedom Sat, 18 May 2013 23:27:19 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4aa_1368933793 TheNewestUser911 Imran Khan may not have won the elections, but he sure has won the hearts and minds of people. This doesn't mean that the change he predicted has ended here, the change is just getting started. People all around Pakistan and the world are protesting the rigging that went on during the elections. People are starting to change themselves and awaken to a new, or 'naya' Pakistan. Pakistan uses a British based Election system. Imran Khan's party Pakistan Thereek Insaf (Pakistan's movement for justice, or PTI) had previously just one seat in the national assembly, of him himself. His party rose from on just one seat to becoming the second largest party in Pakistan, taking over Bhutto's party the Pakistan's People's Party (or PPP). PTI also become the most dominant force in Pakistan's Khyber Paktunka province, one of the four provinces of Pakistan. PMNL and PPP gained majority of their seats from the illiterate youth of Punjab and Sindh, respectively. PMNL (Pakistan's Muslim Noon League) is Nawaz Shariff's party, it has emerged as the largest party after winning majority seats in Punjab. Most of Pakistan's seats are contested in Punjab, the province with the largest population. Imran Khan won 3 of the 4 seats he was contesting in, 2 in Punjab and 1 in Khyber Puktunka. The 4th was in Lahore and lost due to rigging. Media outlets showed Imran Khan winning, but all of a sudden he lost? PMNL was accused of vote rigging, and protests are being done in Lahore to this day for that seat and many other seats alleged of vote rigging in Punjab. MQM, which is Altaf Hussain's party, supposedly won the most seats in Karachi. There were video evidence of rigging. After winning, Altaf Hussain, who is a British citizen living in Britain, threatened to secede Karachi from Pakistan and to attack anyone who protests. There were many people who were going to vote for PTI in Karachi, but with the alleged rigging, they had their votes put to no use. Now, because of the threats Altaf Hussain made, Pakistanis living in London and all over the world have been contacting the British police and get Altaf Hussain arrested for terrorist threats. The British high commissioner had taken notice of this, and the British police had said that they have gotten 10,000s of calls. Imran Khan may have been rigged of many seats, and not won the elections, but he has started the biggest change and trust in Pakistan's history. With this change and trust, in these 5 years we will struggle, and with God's will elect him as our next leader in the next election where the corrupt can't dare to think of doing what they did in this election. Song Name: Main Baghi Hoon (I am a Rebel) Singer: Mahin http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4aa_1368933793 TheNewestUser911 I am a Rebel. Pakistan stands with you, Imran Khan. Pakistan Sat, 18 May 2013 15:19:32 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=04b_1368904397 Detroit Iron BEIRUT, Lebanon - President Bashar al-Assad of Syria , in a rare interview with a foreign newspaper, appeared to dismiss the possibility of serious progress arising from peace talks planned for next month, and to back away from earlier statements by Syrian officials that the government was willing to negotiate with its armed opponents."We do not believe that many Western countries really want a solution in Syria," Mr. Assad told Argentina's Clar'in newspaper in an interview published online on Saturday, blaming those countries for supporting "terrorists" fighting his government. "We support and applaud the efforts, but we must be realistic," he said, referring to efforts by the United States and Russia to broker talks in June. "There cannot be a unilateral solution in Syria; two parties are needed at least." Mr. Assad took a hard line throughout the interview, according to a transcript in English provided in advance to The New York Times. He declared that he would run for election as scheduled in 2014 and would accept election monitors only from friendly countries like Russia and China. He also accused Israel of directly aiding rebels by providing intelligence on sites to attack, refused to acknowledge any mistakes in his handling of the two-year-old crisis, and disputed United Nations estimates that more than 80,000 people had died in the conflict. All those contentions are likely to fuel what is already widespread pessimism about the potential talks. It is unclear who will talk to whom, and about what. The opposition in exile remains unable to unify fragmented rebel groups behind its political leadership, even those that nominally fall under the umbrella of the opposition's Free Syrian Army, let alone the growing cadres of extremist Islamist fighters who openly reject the opposition leadership and are a source of increasing concern in the West. Mr. Assad's supporters have long contended that his wide array of foreign foes, including the United States, Israel and Sunni-led Persian Gulf states, benefit less from a resolution than from a prolonged Syrian conflict that weakens Mr. Assad and his allies, Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militant group. That view is increasingly shared by some rebel leaders, increasingly frustrated with the West's unwillingness to give them untrammeled support. In meetings with his supporters ahead of the talks, Mr. Assad has projected confidence, suggesting that the United States would accept his remaining in power if American officials believed that he was militarily strong and could curb jihadists. He told a group of Lebanese politicians visiting Damascus, the capital, this month that his forces were carrying out offensives to retake rebel-held territory in Homs Province and the suburbs of Damascus to increase his leverage at the talks. "The battlefield will decide who is strong when they enter negotiations," he said, according to one of the visitors, Abdelrahim Mourad, a former Parliament member whose party is allied with Hezbollah. "America is pragmatic. If they found out they were defeated and the regime is the winner, the Americans will deal with the facts." Whether that view is realistic or not, Mr. Assad's opponents inside and outside Syria widely doubt that he is willing to make meaningful concessions - doubts he reinforced in the interview, refusing to recognize any element of the armed opposition as representing legitimate Syrian demands or even to talk to the rebels unless they disarm. "We are willing to talk to anyone who wants to talk, without exceptions," he said. "But that does not include terrorists; no state talks to terrorists. When they put down their arms and join the dialogue, then we will have no objections. Believing that a political conference will stop terrorism on the ground is unreal." Mr. Assad appeared to be backing off previous overtures by members of his government. On Feb. 25, Ali Haidar, the minister for national reconciliation, told Syria's Parliament that the government was ready to meet with armed opposition groups. "We, the government, and me, personally, will meet, without exceptions, with Syrian opposition groups inside and outside" the country, he said. "The president of the country has said that we will try with everyone that is against us politically. And even those who use arms - we must try with them." In continuing reports of violence, opposition activists in Syria said Saturday that government forces had killed and then incinerated at least 17 people in a two-day operation in an upscale neighborhood of northwest Homs, Syria's third-largest city and long a hotbed of the insurgency. Some died when government forces shelled the fields surrounding the neighborhood, Al Waer, starting Friday, and others were stabbed to death, said the Local Coordination Committees, an opposition news network with contacts in Syria. The bodies were later set on fire by soldiers and pro-government militias, the activists said. The activists' accounts could not be independently confirmed, but videos posted on YouTube and Facebook groups controlled by rebels showed charred bodies and shattered limbs, wrapped in red cloths and carpets. "They were found dead and burned," said Abu Rami, an activist from Homs reached through Skype. "We could only recognize nine men, but the rest were like black logs." Other residents said 10 of the dead belonged to two families and included four women and two 11-year-old children. In other developments, the elderly father of Syria's deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, was abducted Saturday by a gunman in southern Dara'a Province, close to the Jordanian border, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a network based in Britain with contacts inside Syria. The government later arrested relatives suspected to be involved with the abduction, the observatory said, adding that rebels in the area had denied any responsibility. Mr. Mekdad's office confirmed the abduction, and residents in a neighboring village said that around 30 men, some carrying weapons, raided the family home and took the 80-year-old father, who was described by residents as "not an outspoken regime supporter and not a troublemaker." A spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army described the abduction as "unconvincing and strange," given that the father did not share his son's views and was seen as having good relations with the rebels around him. The Mekdad clan numbers in the thousands in Dara'a, where the uprising began, and includes government supporters and opponents. In the Clar'in interview, Mr. Assad also elaborated on his government's contention that the opposition was aligned with Syria's longtime foe, Israel, which has bombed Syrian territory three times this year in attacks believed to have targeted weapons being delivered to Hezbollah. "Israel is directly supporting the terrorist groups in two ways," he said. "Firstly it gives them logistical support" - a possible reference to medical aid Israel has given to Syrians wounded near the Syria-Israel border - "and it also tells them what sites to attack and how to attack them." Mr. Assad said that rebels had attacked a radar station instrumental to Syria's antiaircraft defenses against Israel, giving no further details. Mr. Assad said international monitoring of the 2014 elections would violate Syria's sovereignty. "We do not trust the West for this task," he said, proposing observers from "friendly countries such as Russia or China." "China?" the interviewer asked, presumably perplexed because China is not known for holding free elections. Mr. Assad was silent. The reporter then asked if Mr. Assad had any "self-criticisms." He replied: "It's illogical to carry out self-criticism before the events have been completed. If you go to watch a film you don't criticize it until it ends." He dismissed rebels' accusations that his forces had used chemical weapons, noting that such weapons "would mean killing thousands or tens of thousands of people in a matter of minutes. Who could hide something like that?" He disputed international estimates of the toll in the war, saying that it was unclear how many of the dead were Syrians and that "the terrorists often kill and bury their victims in mass graves" - an allegation that his opponents have leveled at his forces. Though foreign jihadists take part in the Syrian conflict, the vast majority of fighters are Syrians. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/world/middleeast/syria-developments.html?pagewanted=2&amp;_r=1&amp;hp http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=04b_1368904397 Detroit Iron Syria's Assad, in an Interview, Suggests Peace Talks Are Unlikely to Succeed President Bashar al-Assad of Syria Sat, 18 May 2013 09:47:56 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a9e_1368883530 SvenVonErick Love, or hate, Alex Jones does he have a point? If anyone actually cares, and see all that he sees all of his waking hours, there is no break from the anger and the real fear. In Louisiana, it is a law that you cannot sell a lawnmower, or any other item for cash at a tag sale. You can go to jail for that. Corporate Organized Crime and International Bankers want their cut of every transaction. So, who is really in charge? Are you represented for your taxation? International bankers and corporate organized crime finance and rig elections. They rig courts. Police protect international criminals, not US citizens complaining about being ripped off exercising Free Speech. Who was protected during Occupy Wall St in New York City, OWS? International bankers were protected. Citizens who organized were spied on police and arrested. So, are we under soft occupation, soon to go hard? Do you remember the Enron power scandal in California. Enron sold electricity outside the states so there would be blackouts in California. Rates went up 4x. Citizens who yelled and complained were arrested, some may have even got prison. The connected thieves, got rich, almost none went to prison. The Enron money put Arnold Schwarzenegger in as governor and George W. Bush in as President. Obama is a worse protector of the UN, bankers, and corporate organized crime. Connecticut US Senator Chris Dodd took bribes from international bankers and then sold all of American out as head of the Banking Committee. All Americans might owe criminal bankers $50,000 to $100,000 just because of the Dodd crimes. Dodd was never arrested. Steal a candy bar from a corner shop and you get arrested and some cases you get jail. Why should elite like Dodd who belong to secret societies be exempt from all the laws we the people have to obey. Do you know the Caesar crossing the Rubicon, about when the military is the government? Look it up. The enemies to the international take over are religion, independent minds, gun owners, families, the self-employed, small business owners, and especially family farmers. The military is now declared in charge. They now run US streets and anything and everything goes. Tanks and checkpoints are the new normal. Machine guns shooting Americans from open doors on military helicopters will go mainstream. Armed drones killing Americans in America is ready. What the CIA did to the continent of South America from the 1950's has now come home to roost in America. Have you heard of the United Fruit Company ]? This post breaks down their method ] of occupation. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a9e_1368883530 SvenVonErick CIA/Military/International Banker Final Stage Occupation US? UN, US, gun, confiscation, ban, OWS, NDAA, Connecticut, New York, City, police, State, brutality, Boston, bombing, Newtown, Sandyhook, Schoolyard, shooting, hoax