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Marine’s 11-year war crimes conviction overturned

"Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins, 29, was jailed six years ago after a court martial found him guilty of orchestrating the murder of a 52-year-old Iraqi man in the town of Hamdania. Hutchins was convicted of leading an eight-strong squad which kidnapped the father of 11 from his home in a night-time raid, frogmarched him to a ditch and shot him. The group then placed an AK-47 and a shovel beside the dead man’s corpse to make it look as if he had been shot while planting a roadside bomb. Lawyers for Hutchins argued investigators had erred when the Marine was held in solitary confinement without access to a lawyer for seven days." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMarine’s 11-year war crimes conviction overturned

UN Releases 2013 World Drug War Report

"I found this paragraph absolutely stunning: 'We have to admit that, globally, the demand for drugs has not been substantially reduced and that some challenges exist in the implementation of the drug control system, in the violence generated by trafficking in illicit drugs, in the fast evolving nature of new psychoactive substances, and in those national legislative measures which may result in a violation of human rights. The real issue is not to amend the Conventions, but to implement them according to their underlying spirit.' Read that again and realize the enormity of what he is saying." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN Releases 2013 World Drug War Report

How the Empire Works

"Former US intelligence asset John Perkins described how he and fellow 'Economic Hit Men' were used by Washington in a global loan-sharking scheme. The case of Yemen is instructive. In 1991, Yemen refused to vote in the UN in favor of the first Iraq War. Washington retaliated by cutting of all financial aid. Saudi Arabia expelled about a million Yemeni workers whose remittances were vital to the country’s economy. Yemen, which had barely become unified, descended into civil war and dictatorship. Today Yemen is ruled by a compliant puppet dictator who eagerly supports Washington’s drone warfare campaign against his subjects. Such are the ways of empire." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow the Empire Works

Major Counter-Terrorism Expert: Hastings Car Crash “Consistent with a Car Cyber Attack.”

"Counter-terrorism expert Richard Clarke says that the circumstances of Michael Hasting’s car crash were 'consistent with a car cyber attack.' While hastening to add that he was not saying the crash was a purposeful attack, Clarke stated that 'There is reason to believe that intelligence agencies for major powers' know how to remotely seize control of a car. Clarke served during both Bush presidencies and under Bill Clinton. Just what is a 'car cyber attack'? The answer can be found in two alarming papers by researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego, 'Experimental Security Analysis of a Modern Vehicle,' ... " Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMajor Counter-Terrorism Expert: Hastings Car Crash “Consistent with a Car Cyber Attack.”

China’s state newspaper praises Edward Snowden for ‘tearing off Washington’s sanctimonious mask’

"The strongly worded front-page commentary responded to harsh criticism of China from the US for allowing Snowden to flee. 'Not only did the US authorities not give us an explanation and apology, it instead expressed dissatisfaction at the Hong Kong special administrative region for handling things in accordance with law,' wrote Wang Xinjun, a researcher at the Academy of Military Science. 'In a sense, the United States has gone from a 'model of human rights' to 'an eavesdropper on personal privacy', the 'manipulator' of the centralised power over the international internet, and the mad 'invader' of other countries' networks,' the People's Daily said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina’s state newspaper praises Edward Snowden for ‘tearing off Washington’s sanctimonious mask’

Moscow exchange launches first precious metals trading

"The stock exchange is going to start trading gold and silver by the end of this year, and platinum and palladium in 2014. Trading physical metals is expected to boost liquidity in the market and attract more participants. Russia has so far only been trading futures on gold and silver, not dealing with real metals. Gold has been occasionally sold on the over-the-counter market and the only benchmark for price was the Central bank’s quotations, Gazeta.ru reports. Now gold will get the market price in rubles. Credit institutions licensed to conduct operations with precious metals and non-banking professional brokers will be the main players on the market." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMoscow exchange launches first precious metals trading

WikiLeaks: Snowden Risks Being Stuck in Russia ‘Permanently’

"The WikiLeaks organization said on Tuesday that U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden may be forced to stay in Russia permanently because Washington is 'bullying' possible intermediary countries, reports Naharnet. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Snowden -- who had been expected to board a flight for Cuba on Monday, reportedly on his way to seek asylum in Ecuador -- was still in a Moscow airport transit zone. 'Cancelling Snowden's passport and bullying intermediary countries may keep Snowden permanently in Russia,' WikiLeaks said on its Twitter feed. 'Not the brightest bunch at State,' it said, referring to the U.S. State Department." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWikiLeaks: Snowden Risks Being Stuck in Russia ‘Permanently’

WikiLeaks staffer helping Edward Snowden flee U.S. authorities

"Holed up with a fugitive computer expert and negotiating a legal minefield to avoid the US authorities — WikiLeaks staffer Sarah Harrison has been here before. As one of Julian Assange’s closest aides, the blonde, willowy Briton is uniquely qualified to help US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden avoid extradition to the United States for exposing a massive surveillance programme. Snowden and Harrison have been stuck together in the transit zone of a Moscow airport since the weekend, after she accompanied him on a flight from Hong Kong as part of efforts by anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks to help the American." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWikiLeaks staffer helping Edward Snowden flee U.S. authorities

U.S. withdraws Bangladesh trade ‘privileges’ over worker safety

"The United States withdrew trade privileges from Bangladesh Thursday, citing dangerous conditions for workers in the wake of a factory building collapse that killed over 1,100 people. Multiple recent tragedies in the country’s huge garment sector 'have served to highlight some of the serious shortcomings in worker rights and workplace safety standards in Bangladesh,' said US Trade Representative Michael Froman." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. withdraws Bangladesh trade ‘privileges’ over worker safety

WSJ: White House Preparing Bernanke’s Replacement

"The Obama administration has begun assembling a short list of candidates for the Federal Reserve chairmanship, in the expectation that Ben Bernanke won't seek reappointment when his second term ends in January, according to people familiar with the matter. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is putting together the list, working closely with a small number of senior White House officials. People familiar with the process wouldn't divulge any names on the short list, but said there was no front-runner. The White House is still in an early stage of the process and might not announce its selection until the early fall, they said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWSJ: White House Preparing Bernanke’s Replacement