Immigration Returns to UK Debate

David Cameron has launched an attack on Ed Miliband's plans to ensure that frontline staff in publicly funded jobs are able to speak English, in a new battle over the best way to integrate immigrants into British society.

The prime minister was responding to the Labour leader's announcement on Friday morning that workers in public sector jobs that deal with the public will have to show proficiency in the English language under a Labour government.

Outlining a new set of initiatives which Labour claims will improve social integration, Miliband also said he would tackle landlords who pack new immigrants into overcrowded houses, and ban recruitment agencies from seeking workers only from particular countries or ethnic groups.
His new policies appear to have riled Cameron. Speaking from Brussels, the prime minister challenged Miliband to explain why he had supported past Labour governments which Cameron claimed allowed unchecked immigration.(1)

This is, of course, at leastp artially cynical. Has there been any major changes in immigration over the last 2-year period? No.

So the 'system' he says is 'broken' is intentionally presided over by his government.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/14/david-cameron-ed-miliband-immigration

Olmert hypocricy on 'slap in the face'

Former Israeli PM Olmert says that the recent announcement of E1 illegal settlement construction plan is a 'slap in the face'.(1)

Well it's nothing compared to his 'slap in the face' of Mr. Abbas & history by presenting crumbs in 2008 in a so called 'offer' and only verbally, not on paper.(2)

Notes:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/olmert-settlement-construction-in-area-e-1-is-slap-in-the-face-of-obama.premium-1.481853?localLinksEnabled=false
(2) http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/images/iht_daily/D171209/olmertmap.pdf

Egypt Const. Vote Rushed

Egypt's Pres. is going to rush a vote for its new constitution only a few days from now(1)

In my opinion that's unfair. People need time to read and debate it.

Note:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/02/egypt-mohamed-morsi-referendum-constitution

Special Advisor Lobbying Scandal Builds

Once again a former special advisor to the Coalition government of the UK gets
a cushy job in the same sector he worked as a state official. In health for a
private firm(1).

We all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in
your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisers for hire, helping big business
 find the right way to get its way."(1) I agree Mr. Cameron.

Note:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/nov/23/david-cameron-privatisation-adviser-health-lobbyist

WB settlers stealing tons of soil from Palestinian land

West Bank settlers stealing tons of soil from Palestinian land

Roughly a month ago, infrastructure work began in one of the house-trailer neighborhoods in the West Bank settlement of Ofra. Brown soil was needed to cover the foundations. In properly functioning places, such soil is bought and paid for, but not in Ofra. Tzvi, a local farmer, nicknamed “Kishu,” found an alternative: He sent a rented tractor and truck to the outskirts of the settlement, next to the Palestinian villages of Silwad and Deir Dibwan, where they simply stole dirt. Tzvi claims that the land belongs to him.

The theft was made possible – even easy – by the fact that wide expanses of land belonging to Deir Dibwan and Silwad are enclosed within Ofra’s security fence, and the villages’ residents do not have free access to their own fields. Entry into Ofra requires coordination with the Israel Defense Forces and a constant security escort. The fence, like many parts of Ofra, was built without any permits.

In 2009 and 2010, residents of Silwad and Deir Dibwan petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice, demanding that the illegal sections of the fence be dismantled. The IDF responded to the petition, confirming that the fence was in fact built without permits and unnecessarily closes off land owned by others. At the same time, the army asked for time to build a new, modern security fence, closer to the houses in Ofra. The IDF requested until the end of 2012 to finish the job, but no work has yet begun at the site.(1)

 

The theft of Pal. land continues by the illegal settlers in the OPT.
And of course barely a blip from Obama

Note:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/west-bank-settlers-stealing-tons-of-soil-from-palestinian-land.premium-1.469522

News International wins court ruling

News International wins court ruling on searches related to phone hacking

Lawyers acting for more than 170 phone-hacking victims, including Cherie Blair and Hugh Grant, were dealt a blow on Friday after losing a high court application to force News International to do a general search of its databases for potential evidence of illegal voicemail interception.
However, the high court did order News International to hand over nine previously undisclosed emails between News International and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who is at the centre of the phone-hacking scandal.
The phone-hacking claimants were seeking further disclosure in relation to Mulcaire's activities before 2001 in an effort to establish whether voicemail interception had taken place earlier than admitted by News International during the course of the civil litigation proceedings.
They were also seeking access to 433 emails in a file on the computer in the room of a senior News International executive labelled "3 - Neville Thurlbeck.pst", along with other documentation submitted to the Metropolitan police and the Leveson inquiry. The .pst suffix would ordinarily refer to personal Microsoft Outlook email folders.
Mr Justice Vos said the decision not to allow more generic disclosure "does not come easily to me" in the light of previous evidence that News International, even during the course of litigation, had failed to disclose material it should have, and had also admitted to the destruction of emails.(1)

I don't personally agree with the decision. But ah well. I'm sure more will be found out even without full cooperation of News International.

Note:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/05/news-international-ruling-searches-phone-hacking

 

Desmond Tutu expresses outrage at failing politicians in South Africa

The Guardian, 4th Sept. 2012

It was a cry, raw and anguished, that pierced the convivial party atmosphere and laid bare the sense of anomie gnawing away at South Africa.
The archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu had an emotional outburst on Monday night as he castigated politicians for greed, failing schools and the "nightmare" of the Marikana mine massacre. His impromptu speech shocked guests at a book launch in Cape Town, according to local media reports, which said a "chatty audience" including senior government officials was immediately silenced.
Reports vary on his exact opening words, but a spokesman for Tutu indicated that he shouted: "What the heck are you doing?"
Beeld newspaper then quoted a highly emotional Tutu as saying: "I am 80 years old. Can't you allow us elders to go to our graves with a smile, knowing that this is a good country? Because truly – it is a good country."
Tutu, a Nobel peace laureate described as the moral conscience of South Africa, has not been afraid to criticise the governing African National Congress (ANC), for example over the refusal to grant the Dalai Lama an entrance visa.
On Monday he was at the District Six museum for the launch of the struggle veteran Michael Lapsley's book Redeeming the Past, along with guests including Marius Fransman, the deputy foreign minister, and other high-ranking figures.
Lapsley was an ANC chaplain who lost an eye and both hands to a parcel bomb sent by the apartheid regime. Later, speaking from the podium, Tutu expressed frustration at the betrayal of such sacrifices after the dawn of multiracial democracy in 1994.
"Is this the kind of freedom people were tortured and people were maimed for?" he was quoted as saying. "I ask myself, why were we in the struggle? The highest price was paid for freedom, but are we treating it as something precious?
"How can we have children 18 years later who go to school under trees and whose education is being crushed without textbooks and no one is held accountable? Have we so quickly forgotten the price of freedom?
"People are going to sleep hungry in this freedom for which people were tortured and harmed … It is difficult to believe people are getting such money and benefits, and are driving such flashy cars while the masses suffer in cramped shacks."(1)

Soo good when instinctive outbursts for justice like these are heard. Viva La Tutu!

Note:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/04/desmond-tutu-expresses-outrage-failing-politicians

Israel Not Likely to Strike Iran pre-November

Senior U.S. intelligence official: Israel won't strike Iran before November

Haaretz, Sept. 4, 2012

There is a growing American assessment that Israel will not attack Iranian nuclear facilities before the U.S. presidential elections on November 6. 

U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, who visited Israel last week, told a breakfast panel at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida on Tuesday that he believes the Israeli government is likely to wait until after the elections. 

Rogers said that after his trip, during which he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he’d been left with “no doubt in my mind” that the U.S. election cycle was part of Israel’s calculations. Asked why he thought Israel would wait, Rogers said, “Because I think they believe that maybe after the election they can talk the United States into cooperating.” 

Rogers’ remarks were published on the website of the Washington newspaper The Hill, which reports primarily on the U.S. Congress. 

During Rogers’ meeting with Netanyahu, the prime minister criticized U.S. President Barak Obama’s attitude toward Iran, according to a report in the daily Yedioth Ahronoth. This led to a sharply worded exchange between Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who was present at the meeting, the paper said. Shapiro subsequently denied the report. 

On Monday, former CIA director Michael Hayden told Haaretz that a decision on attacking Iran need not be made right now, as current assessments point to Iran achieving nuclear-weapons capabilities no earlier than 2013 or 2014. 

Hayden said he believes those assessments are still valid, even though the time needed for the Iranians to make the leap into actual production of nuclear weapons has decreased, since the bottleneck in that plan was the missile development and the lack of enriched uranium needed to make warheads, not Tehran’s ability to turn the material into weapons. 

Hayden added that if and when a decision is made to attack Iran, the U.S. would be better equipped to conduct it than Israel(1) 

 Not too surprising. They have to calculate the US election cycle. They want US money, diplomatic cover for the Occupation, etc, and to have a reasonable possibility for a successful strike on Iran would require a joint operation with the US military.

Note:

(1)  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/senior-u-s-intelligence-official-israel-won-t-strike-iran-before-november-1.462712

The court is not amused: Canadian judge rejects royal privilege argument

QUEBEC - An attempt to invoke royal privilege in a Canadian courtroom was rejected by a judge Monday.

Quebec Superior Court dismissed arguments that the province's former lieutenant-governor should be granted immunity from fraud charges.

Marc Labelle, the lawyer for Lise Thibault, had argued that his client should benefit from sovereign immunity, because the Crown's prosecution cannot prosecute the Crown.

Superior Court disagreed and said Thibault's trial will proceed on Sept. 10.
Thibault, who served as the lieutenant-governor from 1997 to 2007, has pleaded not guilty to two counts each of breach of trust, fraud and creating false or counterfeit documents.

The auditor-generals of Quebec and Canada concluded in a joint report in 2007 that Thibault was reimbursed for $700,000 in expenses that were not related to her mandate.

Labelle's novel argument was based on the principle that the Queen can do no wrong, which dates back to the Middle Ages.

 

Note: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/court+amused+Canadian+judge+rejects+royal+privilege+argument/7152310/story.html#ixzz24w95vdhL

 

Perfect example of the need for a republican state.

Libyan militants bulldoze Sufi mosque in broad daylight

Police 'stood by' as Salafi extremist group razed Tripoli mosque in most blatant sectarian attack since Gaddafi's overthrow

Armed men have bulldozed a mosque containing Sufi Muslim graves in the centre of the capital, Tripoli, in broad daylight, in what appeared to be Libya's most blatant sectarian attack since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

Government officials condemned the demolition of the large mosque and blamed an armed group who, they said, viewed its graves and shrines to Sufi figures as unIslamic.

It was the second razing of a Sufi site in two days. Ultra-conservative Islamists wrecked Sufi shrines with bombs and another bulldozer and set fire to a mosque library in the city of Zlitan early on Friday, an official said.

Libya's rulers have struggled to control armed groups competing for power a year after Gaddafi's fall.

The president of Libya's newly elected National Congress, Mohamed al-Magariaf, called the prime minister to an emergency meeting on Sunday.

"What is truly regrettable and suspicious is that some of those who took part in these destructive activities are supposed to be of the security forces and from the revolutionaries," Magariaf told reporters.

He did not elaborate on how security forces took part.

A Reuters reporter witnessed the bulldozer level the Sha'ab mosque as police surrounded the site and prevented people from approaching. They did not stop the demolition.(1)

Very disgusting. Of course removing Qaddafi wasn't for the benefit for the population. Letting crazies like this loose is hardly in the interest of the people there.

 Note:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/26/libya-militants-bulldoze-sufi-mosque?fb=optOut

Olmert Investigation Ended

Israel's former PM probe into corruption has been ended by Israel's State Prosecutor's Office(1)

Took a long time. Corruption while disgusting isn't very serious, say compared to war crimes, in my opinion.

Note:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/probe-of-olmert-s-alleged-political-appointments-closed.premium-1.459821

Missouri mosque destroyed in second fire in a month

A mosque in Joplin, Missouri, was burned to the ground early Monday, just over a month after an attempted arson at the Islamic centre, officials said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the latest fire. The mosque's

security cameras were destroyed in the blaze, according to Sharon Rhine of the Jasper County Sheriff's Office.

"This incident should not stop us from worshiping our God," one member of the Islamic Society of Joplin told CNN affiliate KYTV. "We are going to find a place probably to continue our service to God."

Kimberly Kester, another member, said the blaze was so intense that the building's bricks were still sizzling hours after the fire.

Carl Junction Fire Chief Bill Dunn called it a "complete loss."

Though investigators haven't determined the cause, Kester suspects it to be another incident of arson.

"I think this act of hate will bring us together," she told CNN iReport.

The FBI is already investigating a fire that scorched the roof of the building on July 4 and has offered a $15,000 reward in conjunction with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The bureau has released surveillance video and a photograph of a man caught on surveillance cameras throwing some sort of incendiary device onto the building in that incident.(1)

 

Weird. Hopefully not done out of some kind of stupid hate crime, but it's possible.

 

Note:

(1)  source

Israel hand Hebron market stores over to Israeli settlers

It's disgusting, but it's happened. Once more the Israeli government hands over a Hebron market to illegal Israeli settlers in that city.(1)

Note:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/defying-ag-ministers-decide-to-hand-hebron-market-stores-over-to-israeli-settlers.premium-1.458512?localLinksEnabled=false

Olmert refused 2007 peace offer

During his term as prime minister, Ehud Olmert rejected an invitation by former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and other Arab leaders to address an Arab League convention and set in motion a regional process based on the Saudi peace initiative.

Haaretz has learned that the initiative first took place in a conference hosted by the Spanish Foreign Ministry in Madrid in 2007, marking 15 years to the original Madrid conference, where talks between Israel, the Palestinians, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria were initiated. The 2007 convention was attended by senior officials from Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, as well as Palestinians and Israelis.

The Israeli delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor (who did not hold an official position at the time), former ministers Moshe Shahal and Shlomo Ben Ami, Member of Knesset Yisrael Hasson (Kadima) and former MKs Dalia Rabin, Ophir Pines and Colette Avital.

The Palestinian Authority was represented by Fatah leaders Jibril Rajoub and Nabil Shaath. Several European foreign ministers also attended the assembly, along with the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

In a speech delivered in Arabic, Shahal called on the Arab League to invite officials of the "Peace Circle," which he headed at the time, to present their response to the Arab peace initiative, as well as the Saudi Peace initiative from 2002. Such invitation, Shahal suggested, would helpful in exploring the possibility to advance toward a comprehensive solution based on the Arab initiative, which offered Israel peace and the normalization of relationship with all Arab League nations in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the territories captured in 1967, and an agreed-upon solution of the refugee problem based on UN resolution 194.

In a meeting with Osama El-Baz, Mubarak's advisor at the time, Shahal was asked if there was a possibility of mobilizing the Olmert government to support the Arab initiative. Shahal expressed willingness to offer Olmert to declare that, in principle, Israel was ready to hold talks with all Arab states concerning a regional agreement, based on the frameworks of the initiative, on condition that Olmert be invited to present the declaration in a special Arab League assembly, as former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was invited to address the Knesset in Jerusalem in 1977(1)

Very predictable if you accept Olmert was never really in favour of a fair peace. By backing down from this offer he may have blown the prospects for a fair peace. 

Footnote:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/olmert-refused-2007-invite-to-address-arab-league-support-saudi-peace-offer.premium-1.457133

Republican dissidents join forces to form a new IRA

Three of the four main dissident republican terror groups in Northern Ireland are to merge and reclaim the banner of the IRA, in an escalation of attempts to de-stabilise power sharing.

The Real IRA has been joined by Republican Action Against Drugs, which has been running a violent vigilante campaign in Derry, and a coalition of independent armed republican groups – leaving only the Continuity IRA outside the new group.

In a statement released to the Guardian, the new organisation claimed it had formed a "unified structure, under a single leadership". It said the organisation would be "subservient to the constitution of the Irish Republican Army".

This is the first time since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that a majority of the forces of dissident republicanism has coalesced.

Republican sources told the Guardian that the new paramilitary force included several hundred armed dissidents, including some former members of the now disbanded Provisional IRA who have been conducting a campaign of shooting and forcible exile of men in Derry City whom they accuse of drug dealing.

It also includes what the statement calls "non-conformist republicans", or smaller independent groups from Belfast and rural parts of Northern Ireland.

Republican Action Against Drugs and the Real IRA will cease to exist, one source close to the dissidents said.

The new organisation is planning to intensify terror attacks on the security forces and other targets related to what it regards as symbols of the British presence, according to the source.

Such targets could include police stations, regional headquarters of Ulster Bank, and the UK City of Culture 2013 celebration in Derry – which the dissidents have dubbed "normalising British rule".

In its statement the new group said: "In recent years the establishment of a free and independent Ireland has suffered setbacks due to the failure among the leadership of Irish nationalism and fractures within republicanism." This is a reference to the split between hardline republicans opposed to the peace settlement and Sinn Féin, which has followed a political strategy. Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, was a leading figure in the Provisional IRA.

In a clear dig at Sinn Féin's participation in the power-sharing executive with unionists, the dissidents' statement said: "The Irish people have been sold a phoney peace, rubber-stamped by a token legislature in Stormont."

It said that the "necessity of armed struggle in pursuit of Irish freedom" against what it described as "the forces of the British crown", would only be avoided by the removal of the British military presence in Northern Ireland. It demanded "an internationally observed timescale that details the dismantling of British political interference in our country".(1) 

It's dissapointing, but not wholly surprising. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement wasn't wholesale. Therefore by leaving out people opens the way for more alienation and violent outbreaks.

Note: 

(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/26/ira-northern-ireland-dissident-republican-groups

Israeli man sets himself on fire during Tel Aviv social protest

 

Moshe Silman, a 57-year-old Haifa resident,  set himself on fire Saturday during a Tel Aviv demonstration marking the anniversary of last summer's social protests.

As thousands marched down Kaplan Street to mark a year since the start of social protests, Silman poured gasoline on his body and set himself on fire.

Silman was evacuated to Ichilov Hospital shortly afterward.

"The state of Israel stole from me and robbed me. It left me helpless,"  wrote Silman in a letter he left at the scene.

"Two Housing and Construction Ministry committees rejected me, even though I had a stroke," wrote Silman in the letter, adding that the facts could be checked with a public housing company in Haifa.

In the letter, Silman wrote that he blames the state of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, "for the humiliation that weakened citizens go through every day, taking from the poor and giving to the rich.(1)

Wow. The Israeli government ought to change policies if it doesn't want to disintegrate the economy. I'm not optimistic though

Note:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-man-sets-himself-on-fire-during-tel-aviv-social-protest-1.451041

Settlers say bought outpost land, one year after Palestinian owner's death

New appeal by 17 residents of the West Bank settlement of Migron, due to be demolished next month, cite 2012 acquisition papers; Palestinian owner died in 2011.

 

Residents of the condemned West Bank outpost of Migron have appealed the High Court to stay the demolition of the settlement's illegal structures on Tuesday, claiming that they had recently purchased the land on which the homes were built.

However, a preliminary inspection of the purported sale reveals that the Palestinian whom the settlers claim sold them the land passed away in 2011, one year before the alleged transaction.

Citing what they said was their desire to keep the identity of the seller unknown, the 17 appellants, represented by Zeev Scharf, asked the High Court to submit the sale's documentation in a sealed envelope.

According to the appeal, the acquisition was conducted by the al-Watan development firm, which is owned by the Mateh Binyamin Development Company, who, in return, is owned by the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council in the West Bank.

Al-Watan officials have claimed to have bought Miron's lands in the past. However, a police investigation at the time revealed that the purchase was false, interrogating the firm's heads. The case was closed due to a lack of evidence.(1)

Lol, just goes to show you what pathetic, lying jerks the Israeli illegal settlers are. They have the gall to lie to their own country's highest court to steal land.

Note:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/settlers-say-bought-outpost-land-one-year-after-palestinian-owner-s-death-1.448533

 

IDF deploys tanks near Egypt border, in violation of peace treaty

 

In an unusual move, the Israel Defense Forces deployed two tanks to a site near the Egyptian border on Monday morning, following a cross-border attack in which one Israeli was killed.

Deployment of tanks to the area is prohibited according to Israel's peace agreements with Egypt. According to the Camp David Accords, the area is to remain demilitarized, with Israel prohibited from deploying tanks, artillery or anti-tank missiles.

The tanks were deployed after assailants launched an attack along the border. Following the incident, the tanks were withdrawn from the area.

The IDF emphasized that it had no plans to deploy additional tanks to the area, noting that the tanks were sent as a result of the unusual incident. (1)

Very concerning. Hopefully the treaty holds and this just a footnote in the annuls of history books.

Note:

(1)  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-deploys-tanks-near-egypt-border-in-violation-of-peace-treaty.premium-1.437153

House Republicans Censor Photo, call it child porn

At a House hearing last week, witnesses were intending to focus on coal mining. Instead, a photo of a five year old child is getting all the attention.

Testifying in front of the House Natural Resources Commitee on the impact of coal mining, activist Maria Gunnoe intended to show a picture of a five year old child bathing in polluted water from mountaintop mining. But House Republicans censored the image, calling it child pornography.

The photo was taken by photojournalist Katie Falkenberg, who wrote this caption about the image:

Erica and Rully must bathe their daughter, age 5, in contaminated water that is the color of tea. Their water has been tested and contains high levels of arsenic…. The coal company that mines the land around their home has never admitted to causing this problem, but they do supply the family with bottled water for drinking and cooking. Contaminated and colored water has occurred in other coalfield communities as well where mountaintop mining is practiced.

Members of the committee were not able to see the informative image, because Republican committee staff barred Gunnoe from displaying the picture during her testimony.

Gunnoe complied with the request, but after the hearing was escorted into an empty room by Capitol Police and was questioned for 45 minutes about the photo at the request of an unnamed GOP senior committee staffer to Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO). Gunnoe is a renowned activist against mountaintop coal mining, who has testified before the committee three other times.(1)

 Craven and venal. Typical US Republican deceit for corrupt reasons.

Note:
(1) http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/06/06/495861/house-republicans-censor-photo-showing-impacts-of-mountain-top-removal-calling-it-child-porn/

IDF soldier, Palestinian militant killed in Gaza Fight

An Israel Defense Forces soldier and a Palestinian militant were killed in an exchange of fire on the Israel-Gaza border on Friday morning.

The exchange of fire ensued after a militant breached the border fence into Israel in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

At approximately 5.30 A.M., the IDF spotted an armed person breaching the border, and sent soldiers from the Golani Brigade to the site. The soldiers opened fire toward the militant.

In a statement, the IDF said that "the killing of the terrorist prevented a terrorist attack in Israeli territory". The IDF also said the deceased soldier's family has been notified.

"The IDF will act against any entitity that operates against the State of Israel," the statement read. "The army views Hamas as responsible for all that occurs in the Gaza Strip."

Later on Friday, there were Palestinian reports of Israel Air Force activity and explosions in the Gaza Strip. The IDF later confirmed that the IAF had struck open fields in the Gaza Strip.(1)

My heart goes out to the families.

This sort of nonsense will continue, esp. since Israel hasn't ended the illegal blockade it was meant to end in 2008.

Note:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-soldier-palestinian-militant-killed-in-exchange-of-fire-on-gaza-border-1.433844

Scotland Yard will today be accused of misusing powers to prevent disruption to last year's royal wedding in a court case that could have major implications for police operations in the run-up to the Olympic Games.

A group of 20 anti-monarchist protesters, campaigners and environmentalists will claim at the High Court that police made a political decision to clear "undesirable" groups from London's streets while the world watched Prince William marry Kate Middleton.

More than 50 people were arrested on 29 April last year – some under powers introduced initially to combat football hooliganism – and more than 20 others were held during raids on squats on the eve of the ceremony.

Those taking legal action today include members of the "Charing Cross 10", a group arrested near the station as they prepared to join a day of anti-monarchist protest. Protester Daniel Randall, 25, said they were held for more than five hours at a police station on suspicion of a possible breach of the peace. The group was not released until the wedding ceremony had ended.

Mr Randall claimed that there was a policy to arrest anyone who might criticise the monarchy. "Police should not be allowed to act politically... to stifle the raising of voices which dissent from the official politics," he said.
Protesters dressed as zombies were arrested as they planned to stage some mock-executions of the Royal Family.

Two environmentalists lived in a camp near Heathrow airport which was raided on the eve of the wedding. They had no plans to travel to central London for the wedding, documents show. No-one was arrested but police obtained their search warrants for the Sipson camp based on claims that "left-wing extremists" were based there who might want to disrupt the wedding.

One environmentalist taking part in the action, Theodora Middleton, accused the police of harassment based on "crude political profiling".

"In this case it appears the police were determined to restrict or remove the sight of protest from central London during the royal wedding," said solicitor Sophie Priestley, who is acting for camp members. "The real strength of our heritage and tradition lies not in the spectacle and pageantry of events ... but rather in the rich history of our hard-won democratic freedoms which we should be showcasing to the world rather than threatening to suspend."

At the time of the protest, it was said officers reserved the right to take action "where there is a real perceived threat of public disorder taking place". The officer in charge of the operation, Lynne Owens – now head of the Surrey force – said it had been an "amazing success".

No decision in the judicial review is expected before the Bank Holiday next weekend to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Lawyers hope for a ruling before the Olympics. Police plan a huge security operation during the Games, with 12,500 officers on duty at peak periods.
A police spokesman told organisers of planned protests to contact them but said there is no ban on dissent. He declined to make any comment on the court case before the hearing, which is due to last for four to five days.(1)

Rather pathetic. These monarchists and the police are so confident they resort to petty repression to suppress opposition? This is where our taxes go, to help fund police that suppress political dissent.

Note:
(1) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-misused-powers-during-royal-wedding-protesters-claim-7792774.html

Tea Party Congressmen Accept Cash From Bailed-Out Bankers

"Tea Party favorites such as Stephen Fincher of Tennessee were swept into Congress on a wave of anger over government-funded bailouts of banks.

Now those incumbents are collecting thousands of dollars for re-election campaigns from the same Wall Street firms whose excesses they criticized. They have taken no significant steps to curb them or prevent future taxpayer-financed rescues.

Republican freshmen have made clear their disdain for expanding government, and openly opposed a financial regulatory overhaul enacted by Democrats in 2010 before the newcomers arrived in Washington. Their ranks include 10 Tea Party-backed freshmen on the House Financial Services Committee, part of a force that won election in a populist backlash to government spending that included emergency lending to major banks and bailout of firms including U.S. automakers.

Still, the lawmakers haven’t passed, considered or even introduced legislation to address concerns about “too-big-to- fail” banks voiced by members of both parties and such Federal Reserve bank presidents as Richard Fisher of Dallas and Jeffrey Lacker of Richmond, Virginia.

“I haven’t seen any of them putting forth legislation on breaking up the big banks or on other things that would genuinely prevent a bailout next time,” said Marcus Stanley, policy director of Americans for Financial Reform, a Washington- based umbrella group of organizations that supported the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act and other financial regulations..."(1)

A real gem that helps highlight what rot those Tea Partyiers are. They can't even be consistent.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-30/tea-party-congressmen-accept-cash-from-bailed-out-bankers.html

Canadians Oppose Monarchy More Than Ever

For immediate release

Poll: Monarchy unpopular as ever, despite royal wedding PR

Toronto, May 18, 2012 – Less than one year after opinion polls  declared that 81 percent of Canadians believed "Prince William  and Catherine will help keep monarchy relevant to Canadians,"  a new poll indicates what republicans knew all along: the love affair  was with the glitz and glamour, not the institution. Released on May 3, the poll shows personal approval ratings for  the royal newlyweds remaining high. However, as expected,  only 33 percent have any interest in Canada remaining a monarchy. "Clearly, Canadians see the distinction," says Tom Freda, spokesperson  for Citizens for a Canadian Republic. "There's no denying the A-list  celebrity attraction of the young royal couple. On the other hand, Canadians  see that as a separate issue from the constitutional aspect of the  institution of the monarchy." The republican movement was equally reassured by data indicating  an overwhelming preference for Prince William over his father. A mere  17 percent of Canadians approve of Prince Charles succeeding the Queen. "Of course, anyone with even rudimentary knowledge of how monarchy  works, fully understands that personal preference and choice are  democratic and republican principles, not monarchical," points out Freda.  "This poll proves that Canadians are inherently committed to the idea of  choosing a head of state over having an unpopular foreign royal imposed on us. During the upcoming visit by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of  Cornwall, representatives of Citizens for a Canadian Republic will be  available to provide information on how Canada can easily become a republic  without compromising its parliamentary traditions, royal institutions, or  even the role of "The Crown" as the legal representation of  governance. Angus Reid opinion poll May 3, 2012 http://www.canadian-republic.ca/media_release_05-18-12.html

Israeli Institutions Accepting 1948 Ethnic Cleansing

"NEW YORK, NY May 17, 2012 –The contrasting explanations offered by Palestinians and Israeli Jews for the Palestinian exodus during the 1948 War are often cited as a central stumbling block to peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians have claimed they were expelled in 1948, while it has been widely assumed that most Israeli Jews subscribed to a Zionist narrative claiming that Palestinians left willingly due to fear and in response to calls by Arab and Palestinians leaders.

Now a Ph.D. dissertation written by Rafi Nets, a former pre-doctoral fellow at the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR) at Teachers College, Columbia University, finds that most main Israeli-Jewish institutions acknowledge a balanced narrative: that the exodus was not entirely volitional, but was also caused by Jewish/Israeli expulsion. Nets, an Israeli Jew who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, wrote his dissertation for the Department of Political Science at Tel Aviv University, and received the 2012 award for best dissertation from the Association for Israel Studies. His findings have been published or accepted for publication in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Peace Research, The Middle East Journal, Peace Review, and Peace and Change.

In 2009, Nets and Daniel Bar-Tal, a faculty member at the School of Education at Tel Aviv University, published a representative public opinion survey they had conducted which found that 47 percent of Israeli Jews surveyed believed expulsion by Israel was among the factors leading to the exodus. Only 41 percent accepted the Zionist narrative. The survey was supported by a grant to Nets from the IPRA Foundation. Now, through the analysis of all the memoirs of 1948 war veterans, newspaper articles, publications of non-governmental organizations, and scholarly studies, Nets finds that the balanced narrative has in fact been widely endorsed by Israeli-Jewish societal institutions since the late 1970s (and especially since the late 1980s). In addition, since 2000, all history textbooks approved by Israel’s Ministry of Education have also included the balanced narrative.

Palestinians have long called for Israelis to acknowledge the expulsions of 1948.  The recent findings indicate that such acknowledgement has taken place widely for several decades."(1)

Good to see historical integrity being taken seriously in more and more nations.

Israeli institutions have much to be commended for.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/new-study-finds-that-51-6-of-israelis-acknowledge-that-world-is-not-flat/

US To Use Unmanned Drones Internally

"The FAA is expected to announce plans to expand the use of domestic drones in American airspace. These would be similar to the unmanned aircraft that the U.S. has been using to target terrorists abroad. In the U.S., the surveillance systems would be used to track terrorists, drug dealers or to find missing children. But critics warn that the use of drones presents a major threat to our personal privacy.

Jonathan Hunt reports that there could be as many as 30,000 drones flying overhead within the next decade.
Judge Andrew Napolitano commented that officials don’t have the authority to spy on us from above and that “bureaucrats gave themselves the authority to capture images of us in the privacy of our backyards.”"(1)



Unfortunately this is what can happen, with the use of some technology. The growth of ability to use it, coupled by political pressures.


Footnote:
(1) http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/05/14/judge-napolitano-on-use-of-drones-in-us-congress-is-going-to-look-the-other-way-and-let-the-air-force-spy-in-our-backyards/

Romney Exposed as School Bully

Mitt Rommney has been exposed as a school bully(1).

And his public apology is pathetic. This is AFTER being exposed in the press, and he then justifies it as a 'prank', etc.

Shameful response!

Footnote:
(1) http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/05/10/romney-bullied-gay-classmates-us-media-reports/

Laurie Penny Right on Tories on G-Marriage

Laurie Penny seems right in my view regarding the Tory stand on gay marriage(1) .

It is only a Cameron innovation that the Conservatives have marriage equality on their agenda. Only because of official policy & 'collective responsibility' are a number publicly speaking in favour. It will no doubt take a feww years just for most of the backbench to personally accept it(in my view).

Footnote:
(1)  http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/laurie-penny-gay-marriage-is-one-thing-the-tories-really-dont-get-7723218.html

Britain destroyed records of colonial crimes

Thousands of documents detailing some of the most shameful acts and crimes committed during the final years of the British empire were systematically destroyed to prevent them falling into the hands of post-independence governments, an official review has concluded.

Those papers that survived the purge were flown discreetly to Britain where they were hidden for 50 years in a secret Foreign Office archive, beyond the reach of historians and members of the public, and in breach of legal obligations for them to be transferred into the public domain.
(…)
The papers at Hanslope Park include monthly intelligence reports on the "elimination" of the colonial authority's enemies in 1950s Malaya; records showing ministers in London were aware of the torture and murder of Mau Mau insurgents in Kenya, including a case of aman said to have been "roasted alive"; and papers detailing the lengths to which the UK went to forcibly remove islanders from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

However, among the documents are a handful which show that many of the most sensitive papers from Britain's late colonial era were not hidden away, but simply destroyed. (…)

When a single watch file was to be removed from a group of legacy files, a "twin file" – or dummy – was to be created to insert in its place. (…)

Many of the watch files ended up at Hanslope Park. They came from 37 different former colonies, and filled 200 metres of shelving. But it is becoming clear that much of the most damning material was probably destroyed. Officials in some colonies, such as Kenya, were told that there should be a presumption in favour of disposal of documents rather than removal to the UK – "emphasis is placed upon destruction" – and that no trace of either the documents or their incineration should remain. When documents were burned, "the waste should be reduced to ash and the ashes broken up".
(...)(1)

Unfortunately, once again, here in Britain, we are reminded of the original sin of the post 1945 era. Now we have the temerity of destruction of records to add further insult to injury.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/18/britain-destroyed-records-colonial-crimes

Obama delaying settlements probe‏

Obama's delayed an assessment of illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories to after the 2012 Pres. elction(1) Go figure, no wonder there's US liberal disenchantment with him.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/diplomania/u-s-pressing-un-human-rights-commissioner-to-put-off-west-bank-settlements-probe-1.427744

IDF Probe on Gaza Deaths Cancelled

Israel's military prosecution announced Tuesday that no legal steps will be taken against those responsible for the killing of 21 members of the Samouni family during the 2009 Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

A letter was received by the human rights group B'Tselem from Major Dorit Tuval, Deputy Military Advocate for Operational Matters. Tuval said that the case has been closed after the investigation has found that the attack on the civilians, "who did not take part in the fighting," and their killing were not done knowingly and directly, or out of haste and negligence "in a manner that would indicate criminal responsibility." 

B'Tselem activists condemned the decision and called for an alternative investigatory body to probe such incidents. 

On the morning of January 4, Givati commanders ordered the dozens of members of the extended Samouni family to leave the three-story house (the home of Talal Samouni), which they then turned into their outpost. The soldiers told them to gather in the one-story home of Wail Samouni, on the other side of the road and about 30 meters southeast. The Samounis took the fact that the soldiers themselves concentrated the family in one building, and saw that there were infants, children, women, elderly people and unarmed men, as insurance that they would not be harmed(1)

If  there's enough evidence for prosecution then it should go ahead. Canceling the process like this, at worst, is just a cover up. And if they are innocent of outright crimes, then what is going to be done instead? The blockade of Gaza is still illegal & was supposed to have been lifted in 2008.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-closes-probe-into-israeli-air-strike-that-killed-21-members-of-gaza-family-1.427583

May Day is Red with Rage

May Day today, and plenty of political activities to consider.

The Greek demonstrations and 24 hour strikes & French election campaign antics(1).


Footnote:
(1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17904349

Ted Blames Canberra

"The mining tax, superannuation changes, industrial relations paralysis, occupational health and safety, gaming law reform - so much uncertainty - and there's fiscal uncertainty as well," he said.
"There is uncertainty that is impacting on all jurisdictions, and it's coming from Canberra."(1)

That might well be true, Mr. Premier, but doesn't that count as spin? Deflecting blame & responsibility from yur state government here in Victoria? 


Footnote:
(1) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-29/baillieu-says-challenges-stem-from-federal-turmoil/3979066?section=vic

California Margage Bill Stalled

"Opposed by powerful business and finance groups, key mortgage reform bills sponsored by Attorney General Kamala Harris are headed for a joint legislative conference committee.

The six-member conference committee will consist of two Democrats and one Republican from each house, according to multiple legislative aides who had been notified of the plan."

"The other proposal is designed to crack down on "robo signings" stemming from loose loan-documentation standards"(1)

I'll be watching this with keen interest. It isn't just the US north-east states that were hit by the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2008-10.


Footnote:
(1) http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/04/stalled-mortgage-bills-headed-for-joint-conference-committee.html

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/04/stalled-mortgage-bills-headed-for-joint-conference-committee.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/04/stalled-mortgage-bills-headed-for-joint-conference-committee.html#storylink=cp

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, enjoy your time off people. Peace and justice to the world!

Tax Returns; Why not more?

We have the interesting act of Chancellor Osborne in London saying he yields to the idea of Ministers of the Crown revealing their taxes(1). But then that could have been in the Manifesto for 2010. Or an unwritten ambition. Rather than introduce an easily digestible standard in the first year are we seeing this raised simply as a stunt or a delayed policy due to external pressure?

Footnote:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/apr/07/george-osborne-ministers-tax-returns

Cameron Sides With Rich Again

"He will defend planned cuts to welfare and changes to public sector pensions as "tough" but necessary to build "the foundations for a sounder, stronger economy"."(1)

Cuts to the poor so that the rich get riucher & fatter.

Typical Tory indiscriminate cuts on the working class so that the upper class get away Scot free. So much for "sharing the sacrifice". Logically if the UK Pm were treating his chief supporters the same way he'd be on the backbenches after a revolt.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17619922

Justice Issues on Mark

(recovered article)

They're not always on front pages, but the Guardian has one about Nick Clegg allegedly talking about a review of closed cases, etc(1).

There's a reduced coverage generally, or so it seems, of judicial matters. Only high-profile cases given most attention.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/apr/04/human-rights-committee-hidden-justice

Settler Takover In

Settler Takeover In Hebron

(recovered article)

Illegal settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory city of Hebron have taken over a house(1).

This has allegedly caused a 'rift' in the Kadima-led coalition government in Israel.

Of course, there would be no story if Israel simply complied with its obligation to withdraw back to its borders. They don't literally need to negotiate over any of the permanent status issues in the two-state settlement except the number of Pal. refugees wanting to return. But that means abandoning external ambitions.

Footnote:
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/settler-takeover-of-hebron-house-prompts-rift-in-israeli-government-1.422536?localLinksEnabled=false