Saturday, June 30, 2012

Egypt’s Mursi pledges support to Palestinians, calls for an end to Syria bloodshed (w/Video)

Saturday, 30 June 2012

By Al Arabiya with agencies

Mohamed Mursi took the oath of office on Saturday to become Egypt’s first Islamist president and its first elected head of state since Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow last year.

The ceremony took place in the constitutional court rather than parliament, the result of an ongoing tussle with the military that took charge after Mubarak’s overthrow and insists on retaining broad powers now.

“I swear by the Almighty God to sincerely preserve the republican order and to respect the constitution and law, and completely care for the people’s interest,” he said at the ceremony at the court.

for the full article with video click here: Egypt’s Mursi pledges support to Palestinians, calls for an end to Syria bloodshed

Obama Contributor, Who Helped Enact Assault-Weapons Ban, Ran ‘Fast and Furious’ | CNSNews.com

Former U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke (AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) – Dennis K. Burke, who as a lawyer for the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 1990s was a key player behind the enactment of the 1994 assault-weapons ban, and who then went on to become Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano’s chief of staff, and a contributor to Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential primary campaign, and then a member of Obama's transition team focusing on border-enforcement issues, ended up in the Obama administration as the U.S. attorney in Arizona responsible for overseeing Operation Fast and Furious.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Obama Contributor, Who Helped Enact Assault-Weapons Ban, Ran ‘Fast and Furious’ | CNSNews.com

Stifled Dissent in Rwanda - NYTimes.com

MISRATA RISING: Business boom in Misrata - YouTube

Business boom in Misrata - YouTube

FactCheck.org : Obama’s ‘Outsourcer’ Overreach

Friday, June 29, 2012

Fast and Furious whistleblowers now supervised by ATF manager who allegedly threatened retaliation - CBS News Investigates - CBS News

The Russian Misinformation Campaign on Houla Massacre | The-Syrian

It is clear that Russian-Syrian media have launched their own campaign of misinformation to cast doubts on the Houla massacre to clear Bashar al-Assad from any responsibility. Russia and Assad are using the fact that the Syrian Government continues to deny free access to media; in doing so,
the independent media would find it difficult to confirm any news item, leaving the door open to all possibilities. Russia needs any pretext to justify its position after blocking all UNSC resolutions to condemn Assad. Therefore, since March 27th,Russia Today has been continuously casting doubts on who committed the crime and pointing to opposition to have been the murderous side who killed pro-Assad people[1].

The Assad regime and its Russian ally are also taking advantage of the fact that Westerners generally do not know Arabic language, leaving them open to manipulation. Thus they managed to get the story through the media until it reached Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).[2] on June 6th. The FAZ report echoes almost entirely the narration of Russia Today.[3] However, the FAZreport, which the National Review cited and translated into English, was more detailed.[4] The translation of the National Review reads “Those killed were almost exclusively from families belonging to Houla’s Alawi and Shia minorities… Members of the Shomaliya, an Alawi family, were also killed, as was the family of a Sunni member of the Syrian parliament who is regarded as a collaborator.”The translation of the National Review reads “Those killed were almost exclusively from families belonging to Houla’s Alawi and Shia minorities… Members of the Shomaliya, an Alawi family, were also killed, as was the family of a Sunni member of the Syrian parliament who is regarded as a collaborator.”

Amongst the dead in the Houla massacre there is no family called Shomaliy, asreported in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). Shomaliya, in fact, is the name of another village outside Houla region. Houla consists of four villages: Taldo, Kafarlaha, Taldahab, al Tiba al Gharbiya; the massacre actually took place in Taldo. The massacre actually took place in Taldo. Going through the list of the victims will reveal to us also that there is no person from al-Mishaleb family, the family of the Syrian MP[5].

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: The Russian Misinformation Campaign on Houla Massacre | The-Syrian

Egypt's Morsi defies military in fiery speech - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Feature: Libya’s elections — women getting on board | Libya Herald

Only strong justice system will stop another Abu Selim | Libya Herald

Szechuan Surprise on Nukes/ Washington Free Beacon

Russian general says Chinese warhead arsenal larger, more lethal than U.S. estimates

Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao / AP

BY: Bill Gertz - June 29, 2012 5:00 am

China’s nuclear warhead stockpile is more than twice as large as U.S. intelligence estimates and could include as many as 3,000 warheads, according to a retired Russian general and former strategic forces commander.

Col. Gen. Viktor Yesin, the former head of the Strategic Rocket Forces, revealed in a May 2012 article that based on estimated stocks of up to 70 tons of uranium and plutonium, Beijing has enough material for 3,600 nuclear warheads.

Based on the fissile material, “there are probably 1,600 to 1,800 warheads in the Chinese nuclear arsenal,” Yesin stated.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Szechuan Surprise | Washington Free Beacon

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Amanpour in Egypt: What Morsi Means for Women, Israel and the U.S. | Around the World - Yahoo! News

Congo Siasa: The UN report on Rwandan intervention in the eastern Congo

NATO in Afghanistan - Women's Education at any cost - YouTube

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Distorted U.S. views of Arabs persist

Betting On Libya's Financial Future

Betting On Libya's Future

BBC News - Rwanda helped launch DR Congo rebels, say UN experts

M23 fighters - army defectors in DR Congo, June 2012

The UN experts said Rwanda had provided weapons and ammunition to M23

Rwanda has played a key role in creating a rebel group and sustaining a mutiny in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, UN experts have said in a leaked document.

Senior Rwandan military officials are said to have given "direct assistance" in setting it up, as well as support in the form of weapons, ammunition, logistics and recruits.

It appears to corroborate other recent allegations of Rwandan support.

The Rwandan government denies this.

An estimated 200,000 people in the region have fled in the three months since the mutiny, when several hundred Congolese soldiers defected to form a rebel group known as M23.

'Overwhelming evidence'

The UN's evidence - contained in an annex to a recent report by the UN's group of experts - has not yet been made public, but was leaked to Foreign Policy magazine.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: BBC News - Rwanda helped launch DR Congo rebels, say UN experts

Morsi Adviser: Female and Christian VPs to be Appointed in Egypt – Amanpour - CNN.com Blogs

Morsi Adviser: Female and Christian VPs in Egypt – Amanpour - CNN.com Blogs

Great and the good gather to celebrate Libyan women | Libya Herald

By Umar Khan.

Tripoli, 25 June:

The event was held to celebrate the role of women in Libyan society

More than 350 female candidates for the National Conference elections gathered in Tripoli this afternoon for an event to honour the role of women during the revolution.

The event, entitled “My Voice for Her”, was also attended by Prime Minister Abdurrahman El-Kib, NTC Deputy Chairman Salim Ganaiyen, UN envoy to Libya Ian Martin and Minister of Health Fatima Hamroush amongst others. More than 500 guests were present in total.

As part of the occasion, a video compilation of numerous influential Libyan women from years gone by was played to thunderous applause from the audience.

Speaking to a packed hall, the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) head, Nuri Abbar, emphasised the importance of women in nation building, highlighting the fact that 45 per cent of registered voters in Libya are now female.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Great and the good gather to celebrate Libyan women | Libya Herald

Syria: End Indiscriminate Shootings of Civilians Fleeing Country | Human Rights Watch

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Syrian prisoners left to die in military hospital 'dark rooms' - Telegraph

I WEEP FOR SYRIA | Br. Muhammad Khodr | HD - YouTube

Afghan locals take up arms against Taliban - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

NATO Secretary General - NAC statement on the shooting down of a Turkish aircraft by Syria - YouTube

United Nations Webcast on Ending the LRA Reign of Violence- Rio+20, (13-22 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - Press conference on the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

UN Live United Nations Webcast - Rio+20, (13-22 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - Press conference on the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

Piracy - The human cost - YouTube

BBC News - Africa's Islamist militants 'co-ordinate efforts'

Agreement signed to bring armed forces in line with international humanitarian law | Libya Herald

Tripoli, 26 June:

The military leadership is said to have been enthusiastic in requesting support to ensure it conforms with international legal covenants

A memorandum of understanding was signed today between the Libyan armed forces and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), designed to ensure that both the military’s training and operations conform with international humanitarian law.

In the wake of the revolution, the armed forces are undergoing a structural and operational overhaul, which includes the development of a new Military Act to guide the conduct of all military personnel.

“The Libyan Armed Forces have expressed a clear desire to ensure that international humanitarian law and other rules on the use of force are taken into account in the way they plan and operate,” said Georges Comninos, the head of the ICRC delegation in Libya. “This agreement is therefore an important step in the armed forces’ continuing cooperation with the ICRC.”

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Agreement signed to bring armed forces in line with international humanitarian law | Libya Herald

New Resolve report: Moment of truth for US advisers against Kony

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JUNE 26, JFK SHOUTED - "Ich bin ein Berliner" (1963) - YouTube

JFK - "Ich bin ein Berliner" (1963) - YouTube

From Syria with Blood - YouTube

Monday, June 25, 2012

EMBARRASSING OBAMA: Syrian army defector talks to Al Jazeera - YouTube

Syrian army defector talks to Al Jazeera - YouTube

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Egypt's new president: U.S.-educated Islamist - CNN.com

Morsi goes from prisoner to president - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com

Tunisia extradites former Gadhafi PM to Libya - World News

Arab women, key to the uprisings, refuse to be side lined

Sunday, 24 June 2012

By Carina Kamel
Al Arabiya

It is too soon to tell if the Arab uprisings have improved women’s economic conditions, but women represent a formidable economic force that must be included in the re-building process. That was the resounding message at a high level meeting of business women and entrepreneurs in London.

Experts warned against repeating previous patterns where women were expected to retreat from public life after playing a key role in protest movements.

“Arab women have been told before, when they had public participation in revolutionary change, to go back home and focus on domestic issues,” Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International told Al Arabiya. “This is a crucial time for us not to repeat the patterns of the past, to demand a very public role for the Arab woman.”

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Arab women, key to the uprisings, refuse to be side lined

Massive Paris protest calls for toppling of Iranian regime

Sunday, 24 June 2012

Several prominent international figures joined a rally of 100,000 people protesting the policies of the Iranian regime. (Al Arabiya)

By Saad al-Massoudi

Al Arabiya Paris

Thousands of Iranian protestors gathered in the French capital Paris to demand the toppling of the regime while waving the flags of Arab Spring countries.

Key public figures from all over the world joined the massive rally that saw 100,000 protestors coming together to declare solidarity with the Iranian opposition in the northern Paris suburb of Villepinte.
FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Massive Paris protest calls for toppling of Iranian regime

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Boss of slain Russian whistleblower to Haaretz: Obama administration trying to appease Putin - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper

ICC apologizes to Libya for 'misconduct' - World - CBC News

Fourth Syrian Red Crescent worker shot dead - World News

Friday, June 22, 2012

Michelle Malkin:The coming DNC disaster

Welcome to Ain Zara: Life inside one of Libya’s most historically notorious prisons | Libya Herald

Welcome to Ain Zara: Life inside one of Libya’s most notorious prisons

By George Grant.
Tripoli, 20 June:

Ain Zara is one of Libya’s most notorious prisons

Sitting under umbrellas coloured in Libya’s revolutionary flag, small groups of visitors can be found chatting to their relatives on what must qualify as the country’s greenest lawn.

Nearby, a sizeable new doctor’s clinic is under construction, with the marble floors and surfaces being put in place. There is a kitchen here also, impressively clean, and well stocked with baked goods, drinks and frozen food.

Ain Zara prison is certainly a place that confounds expectations. Under Qaddafi, this facility on the outskirts of Tripoli was home to thousands of political prisoners, many of whom were tortured and murdered within its high walls. Since Qaddafi’s overthrow last October, the prison’s reputation for detainee mistreatment hasn’t gone away.

Last month, allegations of ongoing prisoner abuse appeared in a number of Libyan news outlets, including the Libya Herald. It was claimed that a number of inmates had been beaten with metal rods, thrown in sewage water and forced to strip off their clothes. The allegations were made by some family members of the detainees, with the incident subsequently being investigated by Amnesty International.

Amnesty concluded that the incident, which took place on 14 May, involved 20 prisoners who were beaten extensively by prison guards to the point that some lost consciousness. Their report said that the prison authorities had condemned the severity of the beatings, but claimed they were a reaction to the discovery of illegal drugs and knives in the cells, as well as the detainees’ violent behaviour towards the guards.

Such occurances inevitably make headlines, and rightly so, but they also tend to ignore the day-to-day realities of life in what remains one of Libya’s most notorious prisons. Having been granted access to the facility by the Ministry of Justice, the Libya Herald found Ain Zara to be an altogether more complicated and intriguing place.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Welcome to Ain Zara: Life inside one of Libya’s most notorious prisons | Libya Herald

Saudi Arabia plans to fund Syria rebel army | World news | The Guardian

Free Syria Army fighters are to be paid by Saudi Arabia in an attempt to encourage pro-Assad troops to defect. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Saudi officials are preparing to pay the salaries of the Free Syria Army as a means of encouraging mass defections from the military and increasing pressure on the Assad regime, the Guardian has learned.

The move, which has been discussed between Riyadh and senior officials in the US and Arab world, is believed to be gaining momentum as a recent flush of weapons sent to rebel forces by Saudi Arabia and Qatar starts to make an impact on battlefields in Syria.

Officials in the Saudi capital embraced the idea when it was put to them by Arab officials in May, according to sources in three Arab states, around the same time that weapons started to flow across the southern Turkish border into the hands of Free Syria Army leaders.

Turkey has also allowed the establishment of a command centre in Istanbul which is co-ordinating supply lines in consultation with FSA leaders inside Syria. The centre is believed to be staffed by up to 22 people, most of them Syrian nationals.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Saudi Arabia plans to fund Syria rebel army | World news | The Guardian

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

RAISING UP AFGHAN WOMEN: Skoll Uncommon Heros - Sakena Yacoobi.m4v - YouTube

Skoll Uncommon Heros - Sakena Yacoobi.m4v - YouTube

Europezone mess a warning to America—John Bolton - NYPOST.com

Is this the end of Eric Holder’s games? - NYPOST.com

Former U.S. soldier aids Syria's wounded - CNN.com

Tripoli, Lebanon (CNN) -- Tattooed and pale, with an Arabic vocabulary of a few dozen words at best, 24-year-old American Peter Kassig is not who you would expect to see striding up and down the corridors of a hospital in Tripoli, Lebanon, clutching a wad of bloodied bandages.

"This is one of the worst wounds we have on the floor; this one is pretty bad," he says as he works to help clean out the raw lower leg wound of a patient.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Former U.S. soldier aids Syria's wounded - CNN.com

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Amnesty International awards Aung San Suu Kyi for her courage in the struggle for human rights- YouTube

Amnesty awards Aung San Suu Kyi - YouTube

Syria: Reports of helicopter shipments underscore need for arms embargo | Amnesty International

Helicopter seen firing over Taftanaz, north-east of Idlib City, on 3 April 2012

“Anyone supplying attack helicopters – or maintaining, repairing or upgrading them – for the Syrian government displays a wanton disregard for humanity”

Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Adviser

The increased use of helicopters by the Syrian army is putting civilians at even greater risk and further strengthens the case for an international arms embargo, Amnesty International said today amid reports that a Russian ship carrying strike helicopters to Syria had been stopped in the North Sea.

The UK Foreign Office said on Tuesday that it was “aware of a ship carrying a consignment of refurbished Russian-made attack helicopters heading to Syria”. The ship is now reported to be returning to Russia after its insurance was revoked.

"As confrontations between the Syrian army and armed opposition groups have intensified in recent weeks, the Syrian army seems to be resorting ever more to the use of combat helicopters, which risks increasing civilian casualties,” said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Adviser, who has just returned from spending several weeks in Syria, where she met victims of indiscriminate fire from helicopters in the north of the country.

“In this context, anyone supplying attack helicopters – or maintaining, repairing or upgrading them – for the Syrian government displays a wanton disregard for humanity.”

The latest shipment underscores the need for UN members to agree an effective Arms Trade Treaty – when final negotiations begin in a few weeks – that will protect human rights and stop arms transfers where there is a substantial risk they are likely to be used for serious human rights violations or international crimes.

FOR THE FULL PRESS RELEASE, CLICK HERE: Syria: Reports of helicopter shipments underscore need for arms embargo | Amnesty International

Leaked footage -- Soldiers speaking Persian and Bragging about killing civillians - YouTube

Romney refused to take Obama’s immigration bait | RedState

Britain stops Russian ship carrying attack helicopters for Syria - Telegraph

A Russian ship believed to be carrying helicopters and missiles for Syria has been effectively stopped in its tracks off the coast of Scotland after its insurance was cancelled at the behest of the British government.

The MV Alaed which altered course after being hailed by Dutch authorities and was north-west of Scotland last night

By Richard Spencer, Adrian Blomfield and David Millward

8:34PM BST 18 Jun 2012

The British marine insurer Standard Club said it had withdrawn cover from all the ships owned by Femco, a Russian cargo line, including the MV Alaed.

"We were made aware of the allegations that the Alaed was carrying munitions destined for Syria," the company said in a statement. "We have already informed the ship owner that their insurance cover ceased automatically in view of the nature of the voyage."

British security officials confirmed they had told Standard Club that providing insurance to the shipment was likely to be a breach of European Union sanctions against the Syrian regime.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Britain stops Russian ship carrying attack helicopters for Syria - Telegraph

Monday, June 18, 2012

SENATOR MCCAIN'S FULL SPEECH: Getting serious on Syria: Can we close the Assad era without opening a can of worms? - Foreign and Defense Policy - AEI

SENATOR MCCAIN'S SPEECH: Getting serious on Syria: Can we close the Assad era without opening a can of worms? - Foreign and Defense Policy - AEI

Campaigning kicks off for Libya elections - Africa - Al Jazeera English

From DR Congo to Washington, DC, to the United Nations « Invisible Children Blog

The press conference at the United Nations Security Council is fast approaching, and we are so happy to say that two local leaders from northeastern DR Congo will be there. They arrived in DC yesterday, and over the next couple of weeks they will be speaking in front of some of the most influential governing bodies in the world on behalf of the remote communities in Central Africa that continue to be targeted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Father Benoit (whom you might recognize from KONY 2012: Part II – Beyond Famous or one of our videos about his Early Warning Radio Network) and Sister Angelique both do remarkable work in their communities, protecting civilians and helping rehabilitate those who have escaped from the LRA. I copied their bios below so that you could get a glimpse of the experience and knowledge they bring with them. Our advocacy partner, Resolve, and Crisis Action are hosting the two delegates on their three-week advocacy tour.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: From DR Congo to Washington, DC, to the United Nations « Invisible Children Blog

NATO Films in Afghanistan - a day in Jallywood, the Afghan Hollywood - YouTube

NATO in Afghanistan - a day in Jallywood, the Afghan Hollywood - YouTube

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Muslim Brotherhood claim victory in Egyptian presidential elections - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

The group said Morsi took 51.8 percent of the vote to Shafiq's 48.1 percent out of 24.6 million votes cast, with 98 percent of the more than 13,000 poll centers counted.

By The Associated Press | Jun.18, 2012 | 5:41 AM

Egyptian presidential candidate Mohammed Morsi waves his ballot as he prepares to cast his vote at a polling station in Zagazig, 63 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Cairo, Egypt. Photo by AP

this story is byThe Associated Press

The Muslim Brotherhood declared early Monday that its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, won Egypt's presidential election, even as the military handed themselves the lion's share of power over the new president, enshrining their hold on the state and sharpening the possibility of confrontation with the Islamists.

With parliament dissolved and martial law effectively in force, the generals made themselves the country's lawmakers, gave themselves control over the budget and will determine who writes the permanent constitution that will define the country's future.

But as they claimed victory over Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq in the election, the Brotherhood challenged the military's power grab. The group warned that it did not recognize the dissolution of parliament or the military's interim constitution - or its right to oversee the drafting of a new one.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Muslim Brotherhood claim victory in Egyptian presidential elections - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

The Greatest Play In Baseball - Rick Monday Saves U.S. Flag - YouTube

Madison Rising - The Star Spangled Banner - YouTube

Libya gives green light for political campaign

Protesters demonstrate against the allocation of seats for elections to Libya’s National Congress, in Benghazi. (Reuters)

By AFP
Tripoli

Political campaigning for a national assembly begins on Monday, a milestone in Libya’s troubled path to democratic elections after four decades of dictatorship under late dictator Muammar Qaddafi.

The electoral commission announced late on Saturday that candidates have 18 days to campaign, June 18 to July 5 inclusive. It said 2,501 independents and 1,206 political association candidates were eligible to stand after vetting.

A total of 142 political associations are fielding candidates, it added.

The July 7 vote is for the North African nation’s first General National Congress. Once the newly elected assembly holds its first session, the interim ruling National Transitional Council is due to step down.

The vote, which was initially slated for June 19 in line with a pledge by the NTC, was postponed for technical and logistical reasons.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Libya gives green light for political campaign

Revolution, in Libyans' own words

Rebel fighters prepare ammunition in Misrata, Libya, in June 2011. In Sandstorm: Libya in the Time of Revolution, journalist and author Lindsey Hilsum explores the Libyan uprising through the eyes of various Libyan people.

Photograph by: Reuters , Reuters

Award-winning British journalist Lindsey Hilsum has reported from Afghanistan, Kosovo and the front lines of the Iraq war embedded with a U.S. Marine unit, but Libya's revolution last year marked the first time she set foot in that country.

Now she is responsible for another first: her Sandstorm: Libya in the Time of Revolution is the first book to tell the story of the 2011 uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi through the eyes of Libyans.

Revolution, in their words

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Syrian Activists Ask For No-Fly Zone

US enlists Britain's help to stop ship 'carrying Russian attack helicopters' to Syria - Telegraph

The helicopters Hillary Clinton was referring to are believed to be part of a 36-strong consignment ordered by the Syrian government at the end of the Soviet era, some of which were transferred back to Russia recently for routine maintenance

By Ruth Sherlock, in Washington, Roland Oliphant in Moscow and Colin Freeman

9:00PM BST 16 Jun 2012

The MV Alaed, a Russian-operated cargo vessel, is currently thought to be sailing through the North Sea after allegedly picking up a consignment of munitions and MI25 helicopters - known as "flying tanks" - from the Russian Baltic port of Kaliningrad.

Washington, which last week condemned Moscow for continuing to arm the Syrian regime, has asked British officials to help stop the Alaed delivering its alleged cargo by using sanctions legislation to force its London-based insurer to withdraw its cover.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: US enlists Britain's help to stop ship 'carrying Russian attack helicopters' to Syria - Telegraph

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | A look at the first perfect game in Giants History - Video | SFGiants.com: Multimedia

James Lovelock: The UK should be going mad for fracking | Environment | The Guardian

U.N. observers suspend activities in Syria because of rising violence

Friday, June 15, 2012

HRW: Libya Law 37 repeal is ‘landmark decision’ | Libyan Tweep Forum

News — June 14, 2012 at 22:55

HRW: Libya Law 37 repeal is ‘landmark decision’

Supreme Court Decision on Law 37 Affirms Right to Free Speech

(Tripoli, June 15, 2012)

The Libyan Supreme Court’s decision on June 14, 2012, that declared unconstitutional a law that criminalized a variety of political speech is a landmark decision, Human Rights Watch said today. The court ruled that Law 37/2012 was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.

“Today, the Supreme Court of Libya has shown what freedom means,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “By declaring this law unconstitutional, it has affirmed free speech for the Libyan people, even for critical and controversial views.”

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: HRW: Libya Law 37 repeal is ‘landmark decision’ | Libyan Tweep Forum

Four Bosnian Serbs convicted over Srebrenica - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Syria: Sexual Assault in Detention | Human Rights Watch

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Great Syrian Revolutionary Songs in English

Great Syrian Revolutionary Songs in English - YouTube

Afghanistan's First Female Radio Station - YouTube

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Clinton says Russia is sending gunships to Syria, could escalate conflict 'quite dramatically' - World News

Democracy in Development » Sakena Yacoobi’s Courage and the Future of Afghan Women

Afghan students study in a makeshift classroom in tents provided by UNICEF at the Afghan government-funded Babazangi school compound in Herat, Afghanistan on September 20, 2010 (Raheb Homavandi/Courtesy Reuters).

It’s good to have heroes. One of mine is Sakena Yacoobi, the founder of a terrific organization called the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) that provides education and health services to women across Afghanistan. I first met Sakena nearly a decade ago, and have followed her work closely since then. I’ve visited several of AIL’s programs in Afghanistan and wrote about her and her work in my book Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East.

Sakena is in New York this week to receive the Asia Foundation’s second annual Lotus Leadership Award; en route to New York, she also received an honorary award from the World’s Children’s Prize Foundation, a nonprofit in Sweden. Not surprisingly, she’s received tons of awards over the years for her work in Afghanistan with marginalized Afghan women.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Democracy in Development » Sakena Yacoobi’s Courage and the Future of Afghan Women

Congress amends resolution after advocacy by former LRA abductee

"Berlin Wall" Speech - President Reagan's Address at the Brandenburg Gate - 6/12/87 - YouTube

UN: Children tortured, used as human shields in Syria - World News

Monday, June 11, 2012

INSPIRING: Tens of thousands give stirring pledge to Allah in DAR'AA, Syria! | 11 June 2012 - YouTube

The Pentagon's Dirty Deal

05/29/12

By Tom Andrews

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta

The following originally appeared in the Huffington Post.

Should U.S. taxpayers be forced to subsidize the mass murder of Syrian civilians?

Despite objections from both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, the Pentagon believes so. That is why it is fighting congressional attempts to shut down a no-bid contract worth $1 billion to the Russian state-owned arms dealer Rosoboronexport, which happens to be the chief supplier of weapons to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad’s forces have now killed at least 9,000 civilians in response to protests over its regime, according to the United Nations’ last update in March.

Secretary Clinton has passionately urged nations doing business with Syria to cut off trade and arms sales to Assad: “Get on the right side of history!” she admonished. Apparently her cabinet colleague at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, didn’t get the memo about which side of history the administration wants to be on. Pentagon Undersecretary for Policy James Miller acknowledged evidence that Rosoboronexport weapons “are being used by Syrian forces against Syria’s civilian population” in a letter to lawmakers. Nonetheless, being a good customer of Assad’s accomplices is, in his words, “critical to building the capacity of Afghanistan security forces.” So critical, apparently, they get a contract that no one else is allowed to bid on.

Not bad for a firm that spent years on a U.S. sanctions list for illicit nuclear assistance to Iran.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: The Pentagon's Dirty Deal

Obama's Failures in Syria and Sudan: From Peace Prize to Paralysis - NYTimes.com

From Peace Prize to Paralysis - NYTimes.com

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Israeli minister accuses Syria of genocide, slams Russia for arming Damascus

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been accused by a senior Israeli minister of committing genocide during his crackdown on a 15-month uprising. (Reuters)

By Dan Williams

Reuters Occupied JERUSALEM

A senior Israeli minister accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday of committing genocide during his crackdown on a 15-month uprising, in an unusually harsh censure of the Jewish state’s Arab neighbor.

Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz also criticized Russia for arming Damascus and repeated Israel’s demand for international military intervention to topple Assad, akin to last year’s campaign in Libya.

Israel has until recently been slow to call for Assad’s fall, wary of worsening the turmoil in Syria - the two countries are enemies but have been in a mostly stable stand-off for decades.

With hourly media reports in Israel of Syrian civilian deaths, public anger has been growing and Israeli officials have been stepping up their criticism.

“A crime against humanity, genocide, is being conducted in Syria today. And the silence of the world powers is contrary to all human logic,” said Mofaz during an interview on Israel’s Army Radio.

Foreign powers were “making do with flaccid condemnation” rather than intervening to overthrow Assad, he added.

“Worse than that is the Russian conduct, which weakly condemns the slaughter while continuing to arm Assad’s murderous regime. Best-case, this is irresponsibility, and worst-case, it is a partnership in the slaughter,” Mofaz said.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Israeli minister accuses Syria of genocide, slams Russia for arming Damascus

Slain revolutionary broadcaster ranked world’s fifth most influential Arab | Libya Herald

The late "Mo" Nabbous

by Nihal Zaroug

Tripoli, 10 June:

The 28 year old Libyan IT technician who beat Qaddafi’s news blackout by founding Libya’s first free TV station and was murdered just a month later by a sniper’s bullet, has been honoured as one of the world’s top 500 most influential Arabs.

Mohammed Nabbous, has been rated fifth in the Power 500 List published today by the magazine Arabian Business. The hugely-talented “Mo” Nabbous set up Libya Al Hurra TV, on 19 February in Benghazi, two days after the Revolution had begun. Because the regime had shut down terrestrial internet, Nabbous rigged up a two-way satellite link which enabled his TV station to start broadcasting online.

One of his many memorable broadcasts was of the aftermath of an attack on an Benghazi power station, where he went so close to a flaming oil storage tank to get better pictures, that he was almost overcome by the heat.

His proclamation “I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle” would go on to became as famous as Omar Al Mukhtar’s “We do not surrender. We will fight and we win or we die.”

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Slain revolutionary broadcaster ranked world’s fifth most influential Arab | Libya Herald

Israel accuses Syria of genocide, urges intervention | Reuters

Slavery's last stronghold - CNN.com

Slavery’s last stronghold

Mauritania’s endless sea of sand dunes hides an open secret: An estimated 10% to 20% of the population lives in slavery. But as one woman’s journey shows, the first step toward freedom is realizing you’re enslaved.

Story John D. Sutter Photography and video Edythe McNamee

In 1981, Mauritania became the last country in the world to abolish slavery. Activists are arrested for fighting the practice. The government denies it exists.

“On this land, everybody is exploited.” The vast Saharan nation didn't make slavery a crime until 2007. Only one slave owner has been successfully prosecuted.

Moulkheir Mint Yarba escaped slavery in 2010. She has asked the Mauritanian courts to prosecute her slave masters. "I demand justice," she says, "justice for my daughter that they killed and justice for all the time they spent beating and abusing me."

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Slavery's last stronghold - CNN.com

Saturday, June 9, 2012

OpSail 2012, Norfolk, Virginia, Friday Evening June 8th

I took some sunset shots of this year's Norfolk Harborfest, co-titled OpSail 2012 as part of the ongoing national commemoration of America's winning the war of 1812 against Great Britain, although we still like the Brits.

FLICKR SLIDESHOW: Opsail 2012, Friday Evening