Obama and US Power - Timeline by John Rees

US presidents keep invading other people's countries. Why is Obama, who promised change, no different?:

"Why have Obama's war policies turned out to be little different from those of George Bush? Because, explains this short video by Stop the War's John Rees, "US foreign policy is not mainly determined by the character of the individual in the White House."

"In his latest Timeline film, Stop the War's John Rees explains why Barack Obama -- the candidate who promised 'change you can believe in' -- has turned out to be a president whose war policies are largely consistent with those of his predecessor.

'US foreign policy is not mainly determined by the character of the individual in the White House' but by a wider US governing elite which has key figures embedded in Obama's administration, just as they were in the previous government.

As the US economy weakens relative to the rest of the world, this elite sees overwhelming military superiority as a way of maintaining America's international power, whatever Obama's hopes to be different from George Bush."
Produced by the Islam Channel [http://www.islamchannel.tv].


adycousins

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F.B.I. Provocateur 'Journalist' Called for McKinney Lynching

F.B.I. Provocateur 'Journalist' Called for McKinney Lynching:

"It's been revealed that incendiary blogger and radio host Hal Turner was an FBI informant and agent provocateur. Turner is being charged with making death threats against Connecticut legislators and Illinois judges and he is to claim that his actions were legal because he did the same when employed by the FBI.
Prosecutors have acknowledged that Turner was an informant who spied on radical right-wing organizations. But Turner went much further than spying. He also called for former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney to be lynched. Turner called McKinney a 'violent, black, racist, bitch' whose lynching would teach other Blacks that 'white people are tired of your bullshit, behave or die.'"



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Jane Harmon and the Israeli Spies

A Real Life Spy Thriller:

"CQ magazine reported that Rep. Jane Harmon was wiretapped discussing a quid pro quo arrangement in which she would lobby in favor of two Israeli spies in return for Speaker Palosi's support of her getting the House Intelligence Committee chair. She also came out and squashed the NY Times repoprt about the NSA illegal wiretapping program prior to the 2004 election hurting her party's chances of winning the presidency. Rachel Maddow reports on this intriguing real-life political spy thriller."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Jeff Stein discusses his breaking news story on Rep. Harmon and Israeli spies

Scott Horton Interviews Jeff Stein 1 of 2:

"Jeff Stein, Spy Talk columnist for Congressional Quarterly, discusses his breaking news story about the alleged NSA wiretap recording of Rep. Jane Harmon agreeing to intervene on behalf of two AIPAC employees accused of espionage in exchange for help getting appointed chair of the House Intelligence Committee and why then-Attorney General Gonzales intervened to close the case before it could really begin."


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DN! Clinton Vows Continued US Boycott of Palestinians

DN! Clinton Vows to Starve Palestinians:

"Clinton Vows Continued US Boycott of Palestinians

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has renewed US vows to boycott the Palestinian government unless Hamas meets US-Israeli demands. Clinton testified Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: We will not deal with nor in any way fund a Palestinian government that includes Hamas, unless and until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized Israel, and agreed to follow the previous obligations of the Palestinian Authority. And that is our policy, and that is exactly what is guiding us, but we want to leave open the door that that can happen."



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DN! Israel Rejects Vague US Calls for Peace Talks

DN! Israel Rejects Vague US Calls for Peace Talks:

"Israel Rejects Vague US Calls for Peace Talks

The Israeli government is rebuffing mild US calls for peace talks with Palestinians toward reaching a two-state settlement. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a precondition for future talks. Palestinians have called the demand a non-starter, because it would mean not just acknowledging but legitimizing Israels takeover of their land and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who used to live there. Netanyahu announced the demand after meeting US envoy George Mitchell. Mitchell said the US will insist on pursuing a two-state solution."



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Violence as US envoy visits West Bank- 17 Apr 09

Violence as US envoy visits West Bank- 17 Apr 09:

"Israeli soldiers have shot and killed a Palestinian protester during a weekly demonstration against Israel's separation wall in the West Bank town of Bilin, according to witnesses.

The violence came as George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East, met Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, serving as a bloody reminder of the stalled peace process.

Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh reports from Ramallah."



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Jerusalem Palestinians fear eviction by Israel - 17 Apr 09

Jerusalem Palestinians fear eviction by Israel - 17 Apr 09:

"George Mitchell, the US special envoy to the Middle East, has met Palestinian leaders in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as part of efforts to revive stalled peace talks.

Many Palestinians hope that he will intervene to stop them being evicted from their homes by Israel.

But Palestinian families in east Jerusalem were this week served with eviction notices, despite the fact that the eastern half of the city is meant to constitute the capital of a future Palestinian state. The evictions are illegal, according to international law.

Clayton Swisher met some of those threatened with the loss of their homes."



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CAIR: Michigan Islamic Group Says FBI Trying to Recruit Spies

CAIR: Michigan Islamic Group Says FBI Trying to Recruit Spies:

"(WXYZ) - The Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan is asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate complaints that claim the FBI is spying on Islamic leaders and congregations.

Last week, the organization sent a letter to Holder stating that members of the community have been approached and asked to monitor certain individuals attending mosque. Members say they also have been asked to monitor the donations made by those same individuals.

Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations says complaints grew after the FBI reportedly planted an informant in a mosque in Southern California.

In that case, an FBI agent testified that an informant infiltrated mosques and ended up befriending the brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden's bodyguard. Ahmadulla Niazi was later charged with lying on his citizenship and passport applications about his ties to terrorist groups.

Walid says most of the complaints surfacing are coming from people with immigration issues. They are reportedly being asked to monitor people in exchange for help resolving their citizenship problems

SEE: http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/..."



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Inside Story - Roads and obstacles to peace - 16 Apr 09

Inside Story - Roads and obstacles to peace - 16 Apr 09 - 1:

"George Mitchell, the US special envoy to the Middle East, met Benyamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, and Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, on Thursday to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how to resolve it. What can Mitchell do to kickstart the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process?"

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DN! | Chomsky on Afghanistan, NATO, and What Obama Should Do in Israel-Palestine

Democracy Now! | Noam Chomsky on US Expansion of Afghan Occupation, the Uses of NATO, and What Obama Should Do in Israel-Palestine:

"We speak to Noam Chomsky, prolific author and Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As NATO leaders gather for a sixtieth anniversary summit in France, Chomsky says, “The obvious question is, why bother celebrating NATO at all? In fact, why does it exist?” Chomsky also analyzes the Obama administration’s escalation of the Afghanistan occupation and reacts to the new Netanyahu government in Israel."



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Riz Khan - Chas Freeman and the Israeli lobby - 26 Mar 09

Riz Khan - Chas Freeman and the Israeli lobby - 26 Mar 09 - Part 1:

"Charles 'Chas' Freeman was selected last month by the administration of Barak Obama, the US president, for one of the country's top intelligence jobs, chairman of the National Intelligence Council.

Within hours, pro-Israel advocates launched a major offensive to make sure Freeman's appointment did not stand.

Advocates say Freeman was a natural choice: He was a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who has also served as an assistant secretary of defence and a senior US diplomat in China."

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Riz Khan - Chas Freeman and the Israeli lobby - 26 Mar 09 - Part 2



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Riz Khan Extra - Charles "Chas" Freeman - 26 Mar 09

Riz Khan Extra - Charles "Chas" Freeman - 26 Mar 09:

"Al Jazeera's Riz Khan talks to Charles 'Chas' Freeman, former the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia who withdrew his nomination for a senior US intelligence post after what he says was pressure by the US pro-Israel lobby.
Freeman discusses the role of the lobby, his hopes for the Middle East peace process and why he went public on his decision to step aside from the post."



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Small town's controversial role in War on Gaza - 26 Mar 09

Small town's controversial role in War on Gaza - 26 Mar 09:

"Al Jazeera has tracked down the origin of the white phosphorus used by Israel in the war on Gaza.

It comes from an army arsenal in a small US town called Pine Bluff, Arkansas, home to 50,000 people.

Mike Kirsch travelled to Pine Bluff to discover what its residents and leaders thought of their town's role in the war on Gaza."



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DN! US Consul General Says Awaiting Israeli Report on IDF Shooting of American Citizen. 3/16/09

US Consul General Says Awaiting Israeli Report on IDF Shooting of American Citizen. 3/16/09 1 of 2:

"An American activist from Oakland, California was critically injured Friday when Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister directly at his head at the close of a weekly non-violent protest against the wall in the West Bank village of Nalin. 37-year old Tristan Anderson underwent brain surgery on Saturday and parts of his right frontal lobe and shattered bone fragments were removed. He remains in a critical condition. We go to the hospital in Tel Aviv to speak Andersons partner, Gabrielle Silverman and to Andrew Parker, the US Consul General in Tel Aviv.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/3/16..."



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Interview: Charles "Chas" Freeman

Charles "Chas" Freeman on GPS W/ Zakaria: Israel Lobby Ended His Nomination to Top Intel Job 1/2:

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AIPAC DEMONS TRATION / UNIVERSAL CITY HILTON / MARCH 8 '09

AIPAC DEMONS TRATION / UNIVERSAL CITY HILTON / MARCH 8 '09:

"Demonstrators protest the AIPAC donor arrivals at the fund raiser dinner held at the Hilton Universal March 8.09. The scene mocks the Israeli checkpoints that are all too common for the Palestinian..."



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DN! Chas Freeman withdraws Nomination, Blasts Israel Lobby

DN! FREEMAN: 'ISRAEL SUBVERTS US GOV.':

"Intel Pick Withdraws Nomination, Blasts Israel Lobby

The Obama administrations pick to become the nations top intelligence analyst has withdrawn his nomination after an intense lobbying campaign by backers of Israeli government policies. Former US Ambassador Charles Chas Freeman had come under Republican-led opposition over his comments criticizing Israels occupation of Palestinian land. Freeman has years of diplomatic experience, including stints as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia and assistant secretary of defense. Some Democrats joined in on the opposition to Freemans appointment."

Related News:
Freeman's Statement
Source: LobeLog.com

"If you haven’t seen it already, here is Chas Freeman’s statement on the withdrawal of his appointment as chairman of the National Intelligence Council (NIC):

To all who supported me or gave me words of encouragement during the controversy of the past two weeks, you have my gratitude and respect.

You will by now have seen the statement by Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair reporting that I have withdrawn my previous acceptance of his invitation to chair the National Intelligence Council.

I have concluded that the barrage of libelous distortions of my record would not cease upon my entry into office. The effort to smear me and to destroy my credibility would instead continue. I do not believe the National Intelligence Council could function effectively while its chair was under constant attack by unscrupulous people with a passionate attachment to the views of a political faction in a foreign country. I agreed to chair the NIC to strengthen it and protect it against politicization, not to introduce it to efforts by a special interest group to assert control over it through a protracted political campaign.

As those who know me are well aware, I have greatly enjoyed life since retiring from government. Nothing was further from my mind than a return to public service. When Admiral Blair asked me to chair the NIC I responded that I understood he was “asking me to give my freedom of speech, my leisure, the greater part of my income, subject myself to the mental colonoscopy of a polygraph, and resume a daily commute to a job with long working hours and a daily ration of political abuse.” I added that I wondered “whether there wasn’t some sort of downside to this offer.” I was mindful that no one is indispensable; I am not an exception. It took weeks of reflection for me to conclude that, given the unprecedentedly challenging circumstances in which our country now finds itself abroad and at home, I had no choice but accept the call to return to public service. I thereupon resigned from all positions that I had held and all activities in which I was engaged. I now look forward to returning to private life, freed of all previous obligations.

I am not so immodest as to believe that this controversy was about me rather than issues of public policy. These issues had little to do with the NIC and were not at the heart of what I hoped to contribute to the quality of analysis available to President Obama and his administration. Still, I am saddened by what the controversy and the manner in which the public vitriol of those who devoted themselves to sustaining it have revealed about the state of our civil society. It is apparent that we Americans cannot any longer conduct a serious public discussion or exercise independent judgment about matters of great importance to our country as well as to our allies and friends.

The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired, still less to factor in American understanding of trends and events in the Middle East. The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth. The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those that it favors.

There is a special irony in having been accused of improper regard for the opinions of foreign governments and societies by a group so clearly intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government – in this case, the government of Israel. I believe that the inability of the American public to discuss, or the government to consider, any option for US policies in the Middle East opposed by the ruling faction in Israeli politics has allowed that faction to adopt and sustain policies that ultimately threaten the existence of the state of Israel. It is not permitted for anyone in the United States to say so. This is not just a tragedy for Israelis and their neighbors in the Middle East; it is doing widening damage to the national security of the United States.

The outrageous agitation that followed the leak of my pending appointment will be seen by many to raise serious questions about whether the Obama administration will be able to make its own decisions about the Middle East and related issues. I regret that my willingness to serve the new administration has ended by casting doubt on its ability to consider, let alone decide what policies might best serve the interests of the United States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will and interests of a foreign government.

In the court of public opinion, unlike a court of law, one is guilty until proven innocent. The speeches from which quotations have been lifted from their context are available for anyone interested in the truth to read. The injustice of the accusations made against me has been obvious to those with open minds. Those who have sought to impugn my character are uninterested in any rebuttal that I or anyone else might make.

Still, for the record: I have never sought to be paid or accepted payment from any foreign government, including Saudi Arabia or China, for any service, nor have I ever spoken on behalf of a foreign government, its interests, or its policies. I have never lobbied any branch of our government for any cause, foreign or domestic. I am my own man, no one else’s, and with my return to private life, I will once again – to my pleasure – serve no master other than myself. I will continue to speak out as I choose on issues of concern to me and other Americans.

I retain my respect and confidence in President Obama and DNI Blair. Our country now faces terrible challenges abroad as well as at home. Like all patriotic Americans, I continue to pray that our president can successfully lead us in surmounting them."



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GRITtv - The F Word: Anti-Palestinian Amendments Fail

The F Word: Anti-Palestinian Amendments Fail:



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Clinton's tough talk | Video | Reuters.com

Clinton's tough talk | Video | Reuters.com:

(02:07) Report

Mar. 4 - Secretary of State Clinton called Israeli destruction of Arab East Jerusalem 'unhelpful'

A day after pledging the new Obama administration would always protect Israel's security, Clinton visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank to deliver a message of support for President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority. Deborah Lutterbeck reports from Washington. SOUNDBITES:
# U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
# William Keylor of Boston University"



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