Israel: NAM summit in Tehran ‘stain on humanity’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Enraged by the massive international participation at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded the summit as a “stain on humanity.”

"So many in the international community appear to have learned nothing. I think this is a disgrace and a stain on humanity," Netanyahu said in a meeting with Prime Minister David McAllister of the German state of Lower Saxony on Wednesday.

The remarks by Netanyahu come as more than 100 countries are partaking in the summit in Tehran. 

NAM is an international organization with 120 member states, almost two third of the members of the United Nations General Assembly. 

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is also present at the 16th NAM Summit which kicked off on Thursday with an inaugural speech by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. 

Last Wednesday, the New York Times wrote that the decision by Ban to attend the summit was proof that the US and Israel’s anti-Iran policy had failed to find followers on much of the global scene. 

The US State Department has said the visit “sends a very strange signal…” and Netanyahu had told the UN chief that he would be making “a big mistake” if he joined the summit. 

The two-day foreign ministerial meeting of the NAM member states wrapped up on Wednesday with member states finalizing a draft document after two days of deliberations. 

The meeting of the heads of state will discuss the draft document, which mainly focuses on the Palestinian issue and the Syria unrest. 

SOURCE HERE  >>

World in transition to new international order: Ayatollah Khamenei

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the policies of the Cold War era and the subsequent unilateralism have failed, stressing that a new order is taking shape throughout the world.

“In the recent past, we have been witness to the failure of the policies of the Cold War era and the unilateralism that followed it. Having learnt lessons from this historical experience, the world is in transition towards a new international order and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) can and should play a new role,” the Leader said in an inaugural speech to the 16th NAM summit in Tehran on Thursday. 

The Leader added that the new world order should be based on the “participation of all nations and equal rights for all of them.” 

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined solidarity among all NAM member states as an “obvious necessity” in the current era for establishing this new order. 

The Leader stated that the main NAM values such as anti-colonialism, political, economic and cultural independence, non-alignment with any power blocs, and improving solidarity and cooperation among the member states remain “alive and steady” after the passage of more than five decades.

“The realities of today’s world fall short of those values, but the collective will and comprehensive efforts to change the existing realities and achieve these values, though full of challenges, are promising and rewarding,” Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out. 

The Leader further pointed to the ongoing sensitive global conditions and a crucial historical juncture and said that a new order is anticipated to be born. 

He emphasized the important role of the NAM, which is comprised of almost two-thirds of the members of the world community, in shaping that future. 

As the members of the movement, we can create a new historic and lasting role towards rescuing the world from insecurity, war and hegemony by pooling our great resources and capacities, Ayatollah Khamenei stated. 

The Leader urged comprehensive cooperation among NAM member states to achieve this goal, saying that there are quite a few countries among us that are very wealthy and enjoy high international leverage. 

The downfall of the regimes that were dependant on the US and its accomplice the Israeli regime in the North of Africa, as well as the Islamic Awakening in the region should be considered as a great opportunity by the members of the movement, the Leader added. 

The Leader added that the NAM member states can prepare a 'historic document' in order to transform the glabal management and devise the necessary executive tools to implement the plan.

The Leader expressed confidence that the establishment of an active and motivated secretariat for effective economic cooperation and cultural ties would be a great and significant help in achieving these goals. 

More than 100 countries are partaking in the NAM summit, which kicked off at the expert level in Tehran on Sunday. 

NAM, an international organization with 120 member states, is considered as not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. It represents nearly two-thirds of the UN members. 

source here   >>

Real Security : Water, food and energy are interconnected:

The Water Food Energy Nexus - an animation

Published on Aug 26, 2012 by sabmiller : .. agriculture accounts for about 70% of global freshwater use and can pollute freshwater supplies if mismanaged. Water is also used to generate electricity: in the USA, power generation accounts for about 50% of all freshwater withdrawals and drought in countries that use hydropower -- Ethiopia and Ghana, for example -- can lead to black-outs. Energy, in turn, is needed to fertilise and transport crops, which can themselves be used as biofuel to create energy. Large amounts of energy are also required to pump water to drier regions and, as water scarcity increases, so will the energy needed for technologies such as desalination.

Given these trade-offs and interactions, successfully addressing the triple challenge of water stress, food security and energy supplies means taking a holistic view and balancing the many competing demands. This animation takes a fresh look at the Water Food Energy 'Nexus'.

At Present it's the biggest Proxy War!

Syrian Conflict a Proxy War, Driven by Internal Struggle

Published on Aug 28, 2012 by TheRealNews : Rami Khouri: The rebellion against the dictatorship is the primary driving force, but all the global and regional powers trying to control the outcome.

Syrian Military is Winning - Ziad Fadel - Syrian Commentator

Published on Aug 27, 2012 by 108morris108 : Today's helicopter loss in Damascus is nothing - Look how many Copters the American's have lost in Afghanistan

The war will take a long time, already Aleppo Lattakia and Damascus are pretty much cleaned up. Western Media is lying ...

U.S. Military Death Toll in Afghan War Reaches New Milestone

Published on Aug 24, 2012 by PBSNewsHour ; Since the beginning of the the Afghan War in 2001 up to the current day, there have been 2,000 U.S. servicemen and women who have lost their lives. That number includes both combat deaths as well as military suicides that occurred in Afghanistan. Ray Suarez looks at the factors that have contributed to those casualties.

Afghan War Forgotten by Americans?

David Swanson, a campaigner for Roots Action, spoke.

Published on Aug 23, 2012 by GlobalResearchTV : If you turn on a television, it is hard to avoid the political mudslinging. Special interest groups from both sides sponsor these political ads and have targeted both Romney and President Obama, but one topic you don't hear much about is the war on terror.

It has been almost 12 years since the US has occupied the country, but why is Afghanistan being ignored?

Argentina lodges complaint against US

Published on Aug 23, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Argentina-United States protectionism dispute is ready to be launched at the World Trade Organization.

After the US and Japan challenged Argentine's import licensing rules at the WTO, Foreign Ministry has released a statement announcing Buenos Aires will lodge a formal complaint to the Geneva-based organization reporting Washington's "illegal" barriers to local beef and citrus fruits exports.

Although the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) acknowledges Argentine South Patagonian region as being free from foot and mouth disease without vaccination since 2003, the official document says the White House "has echoed", lobbies´ position causing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to South America's No2 economy.

By the year 2000, the US and Canada accounted for 13 per cent of Argentina's fresh and frozen cow meat sales. If both markets were not closed, exports would now totalize 150 million dollars annually. Furthermore, a court rule banned the entry of Argentine lemons following the request by "protectionist groups" back in 2001.

Meanwhile, the US defended its position saying it is "disappointed and surprised" and considering Argentina's reaction "part of a disturbing trend in which countries engaged in actions that are inconsistent with their WTO obligations retaliate with counter complaints rather than fix the underlying problem raised in the complaint".

As the trade row escalates, the Foreign Ministry has also affirmed Argentina is determined to step up actions to denounce "double-standards" of most powerful countries at the WTO "that demand developing nations to uphold rules they fail to observe.

Verdict in Rachel Corrie Lawsuit to be Announced August 28th

 – Family to Hold Press Conference in Haifa

(Haifa, Israel – August 21, 2012) – The verdict in the civil lawsuit against the State of Israel for the killing of peace activist Rachel Corrie over nine years ago will be announced August 28, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. at the Haifa District Court.

Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American from Olympia, Washington, was crushed to death March 16, 2003, by an Israeli military Caterpillar D9-R bulldozer while nonviolently protesting demolition of Palestinian civilian homes in Rafah, Gaza.

The lawsuit, filed in 2005 on behalf of the Corrie family by attorney Hussein abu Hussein, charges the State of Israel with responsibility for Rachel’s killing and failure to conduct a full and credible investigation in the case.

“The lawsuit is just a small step in our family’s nearly decade-long search for truth and justice,” said Craig Corrie, Rachel’s father. “The mounting evidence presented before the court underscores a broken system of accountability – tolerated by the United States in spite of its conclusions that Israel’s military investigation was not ‘thorough, credible, or transparent.’”

Rachel Corrie protests Israeli policy of home demolitions in Rafah, Gaza, several hours prior to her killing - March 16, 2003

Oral testimony in the case began March 10, 2010. There have been 15 court hearings since with 23 witnesses testifying. The trial has exposed serious chain-of-command failures in relation to civilian killings and indiscriminate destruction of civilian property at the hands of the Israeli military in southern Gaza.

“This trial is an attempt to hold accountable not only those who failed to protect Rachel’s life but also the flawed system of military investigations which is neither impartial nor thorough,” said Hussein abu Hussein, the family’s attorney.  “Under international law, Israel is obligated to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians from the dangers of military operations. The Israeli military flagrantly violated this principle in the killing of Rachel Corrie and it must be held accountable.”

read more  >>

Indonesia farmers struggle against imports

Published on Aug 22, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Indonesia is one of the most fertile countries in the world, experts say, but farmers there are struggling to grow basic crops.The country was self-sufficient before it opened up its agricultural market, under international pressure, to the free market in the late 1990s.

Today, cheap imports from abroad are hampering local business. Many say the country's agricultural sector needs to modernise or it will become fully dependent on food imports.

HUMAN NATURE: How the media whitewash the face of capitalism.

Glossary of Major Distortions {Part One}

(NOTE: First published in 1982)

Originally: Cyrano’s Journal of Politics Media and Culture Wars

Capitalism is preferentially identified by its euphemisms: “Free Enterprise,” “market system,” “private enterprise.” “the American Way,” etc. Overt and pervasive partisanship in support of capitalism is not regarded by the American media as an ideological bias negating professional “objectivity” but rather as something akin to the serene acceptance of natural law.

Capitalism = human nature
By Patrice Greanville

THIS PROPAGANDA EQUATION is one of the oldest and most effective ideological weapons utilized in defense of capitalism. It pays off handsomely in a number of important ways. First, if capitalism is congruent with “human nature,” then the capitalist system must be the most “natural” and “logical” form of social organization, as people will have a built-in tendency to observe its basic rules. Second, “human nature,” as defined in bourgeois terms (which the press of course follows) is characterized by two significant traits:immutability and unalterable egoism.

.

The first “fact” automatically discourages most efforts at seriously reforming, let alone revolutionizing, society. Why should anyone bother if in the end the stubborn intractability of human nature will render all schemes for change and improvement of social conditions worthless and utopian? It’s evident that when sufficient numbers of people are made to believe that an eternal, immutable and invincible “human nature” will time and again scuttle the best-laid plans and the costliest sacrifices for change, then most threats to the status quo will be defanged at the outset.

.

From the 'masters' of the 'den of spies'?

U.S. facing embarrassment in the OAS over Assange

The Organisation of American States, an apex hemispherical body for the Americas, said a meeting of its Foreign Ministers next Friday would focus on the diplomatic row between Ecuador and the U.K. over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (41), who was granted political asylum by Quito while holed up in the country’s London embassy.

The outcome of the OAS meet might embarrass both the U.K. and the U.S., especially since Washington DC will be the venue of the discussion. However, the U.S. State Department has thus far refrained from interjecting itself into the controversy brewing in London’s posh Knightsbridge locale.

Even though the Obama administration appeared to be caught off guard by WikiLeaks’ publication of a massive trove of confidential State Department cables and has arrested and is prosecuting an army intelligence personnel, Bradley Manning, for the leak, the State Department issued a cautious statement on the OAS proposal and Ecuador’s position.

In a press release on Friday, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Washington “is not a party to the 1954 OAS Convention on Diplomatic Asylum and does not recognise the concept of diplomatic asylum as a matter of international law.” She added that the U.S. believed this was a bilateral issue between Ecuador and the UK and that “the OAS has no role to play in this matter.”

This statement notwithstanding the OAS call for discussion on the mounting police presence around the Ecuador embassy noted that the group would “address the situation between Ecuador and the UK... regarding the inviolability of the diplomatic premises of Ecuador in the UK... in accordance with international law, and... agree on appropriate measures to be adopted.”

According to reports 23 OAS members voted for the resolution proposed by Ecuador to convene the meeting at its Washington headquarters, while the U.S., Canada and Trinidad and Tobago voted nay.

After the vote U.S. envoy to the OAS, Carmen Lomellin, reportedly said that a meeting of the Foreign Ministers “would be unhelpful and harmful to the OAS’ reputation as an institution”, underscoring Ms. Nuland’s message that the U.S. did not recognise the concept of diplomatic asylum as a matter of international law.

Original Post  >>

Thailand rice prices stir up debate

Published on Aug 17, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Thailand's governing Pheu Thai party won last year's election partly based on a promise to improve the income of rice farmers.The government introduced a scheme which currently pays them around 50 to 60 per cent more than market prices.

The International Monetary Fund estimates that this could amount to $3.8bn, excluding the cost of storage.Despite the cost, the government says it will continue with the programme, because it has a duty to look after farmers.

But not everyone agrees that the benefits are worth it.

'Police crackdown cannot deter Occupy protestors'

Published on Aug 14, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : an interview with Tim King, Executive News Editor of Salem News from Oregon to further discuss the issue.

A US newspaper has revealed that the FBI has been raiding the houses of anti-Wall Street protesters in Oregon and Washington in what the agency describes an "ongoing violent crime investigation."

The Oregonian newspaper reported that heavily-armed domestic terrorism units of the FBI have been raiding the homes of the activists in Seattle and Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon over the last month.

The report said that at least six homes have been raided in the two states since July 10.The FBI has described the raids as part of an ongoing violent crime investigation, linked to last year's Occupy May Day protests, during which a number of minor acts of vandalism allegedly took place.

The paper said the agents were searching for "anti-government or anarchist literature or material" as well as "documentations and communications related to the offenses, including but not limited to notes, diagrams, letters, diary and journal entries, address books, and other documentations in written or electronic form."

Muslim female sues Disney over abuse

Published on Aug 14, 2012 by presstvmobile:

War Wounds : For every soldier killed in war this year, about 25 veterans now take their own lives.

IT would be so much easier, Maj. Ben Richards says, if he had just lost a leg in Iraq.

Instead, he finds himself losing his mind, or at least a part of it. And if you want to understand how America is failing its soldiers and veterans, honoring them with lip service and ceremonies but breaking faith with them on all that matters most, listen to the story of Major Richards.

For starters, he’s brilliant. (Or at least he was.) He speaks Chinese and taught at West Point, and his medical evaluations suggest that until his recent problems he had an I.Q. of about 148. After he graduated from West Point, in 2000, he received glowing reviews.

“Ben Richards is one of the best military officers I have worked with in 13 years of service,” noted an evaluation, one of many military and medical documents he shared with me.

Yet Richards’s intellect almost exacerbates his suffering, for it better equips him to monitor his mental deterioration — and the failings of the Army that he has revered since he was a young boy.

Military suicides are the starkest gauge of our nation’s failure to care adequately for those who served in uniform. With America’s wars winding down, the United States is now losing more soldiers to suicide than to the enemy. Include veterans, and the tragedy is even more sweeping. For every soldier killed in war this year, about 25 veterans now take their own lives

read more >>.

Notorious Academi LLC fined $7.5m for arms smuggling

Published on Aug 8, 2012 : Reports show that the US government international security contractor formerly known as Blackwater has agreed to pay a $7.5 million fine to settle federal criminal charges related to arms smuggling and other crimes.

     

'CIA, Mossad on Syria front line'.

Lebanonize & Conquer: Published on Aug 2, 2012 by RussiaToday:

US President Barack Obama has signed a secret order allowing the CIA and other American agencies to support rebels seeking to overthrow the Assad regime, a US government source told Reuters - READ MORE

Tel Aviv's agenda is clear; a weakened Syrian government, an overextended army in disarray, sectarian hatred all around and a relentless slouching towards balkanization. The ultimate goal; not only the Lebanonization, but the Somalization of Syria and environs: Obama Does Syriana

USA, California, Anaheim - Why the Media Blackout?

Published on Jul 31, 2012 by TheBigPictureRT : Amber Lyon, award-winning investigative journalist and filmmaker, joins Thom Hartmann. Something is happening in Anaheim, California - despite a complete blackout from the mainstreem media.

Take a look at some of these pictures by award-winning investigative journalist Amber Lyons from Anaheim over the weekend. When we hear terms like militarized police - this is what comes to mind. Officers decked out in full military gear as though they're about to be deployed to Afghanistan.

So what's behind this? Why are militarized police on patrol in Anaheim? Well - Sunday marked the ninth straight day that local citizens took to the streets to protest police brutality. Nine days after police shot an unarmed man - 25-year-old Manuel Diaz - in the back of the head killing him.

Since that shooting...the streets of Anaheim have been the scene of mostly peaceful protests that have at times turned violent in response to heavy handed police crackdowns. Last week - this was the scene in Anaheim - as police in riot gear fired less lethal projectiles like bean bags and pepper balls indiscriminately into crowds of people.

24 people were arrested that night - storefront windows were smashed, and fires were started. And last night - as hundreds poured into the streets for a peaceful march and ceremony for Manuel Diaz - they were once again met with Anaheim police equipped with full military gear. Nine people were arrested on Sunday.

"The Obama Administration Torpedoes the Arms Trade Treaty."

August 2, 2012 | Amy Goodman

Quick: What is more heavily regulated, global trade of bananas or battleships? In late June, activists gathered in New York’s Times Square to make the absurd point, that, unbelievably, “there are more rules governing your ability to trade a banana from one country to the next than governing your ability to trade an AK-47 or a military helicopter.” So said Amnesty International USA’s Suzanne Nossel at the protest, just before the start of the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which ran from July 2 to July 27. Thanks to a last-minute declaration by the United States that it “needed more time” to review the short, 11-page treaty text, the conference ended last week in failure.

There isn’t much that could be considered controversial in the treaty. Signatory governments agree not to export weapons to countries that are under an arms embargo, or to export weapons that would facilitate “the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes” or other violations of international humanitarian law. Exports of arms are banned if they will facilitate “gender-based violence or violence against children” or be used for “transnational organized crime.” Why does the United States need more time than the more than 90 other countries that had sufficient time to read and approve the text? The answer lies in the power of the gun lobby, the arms industry and the apparent inability of President Barack Obama to do the right thing, especially if it contradicts a cold, political calculation.

The Obama administration torpedoed the treaty exactly one week after the massacre in Aurora, Colo. In Colorado, Obama offered promises of “prayer and reflection.” As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, commenting on Obama and Mitt Romney both avoiding a discussion of gun control, “Soothing words are nice, but maybe it’s time the two people who want to be president of the United States stand up and tell us what they’re going to do about it.” Gun violence is a massive problem in the U.S., and it only seems to pierce the public consciousness when there is a massacre. Gun-rights advocates attack people who suggest more gun control is needed, accusing them of politicizing the massacre. Yet some elected officials are taking a stand. Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois is seeking a ban on assault weapons, much like the ones in place in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

original | 2 Aug 2012