Meet The New Boss

South African group calls for Obama’s arrest during presidential tour

"Cosatu cites Obama's 'horrifying record of US foreign policy in the world', highlighting, the 'militarisation of international relations for the multinational companies and their profit-seeking classes in the US'. It is also opposing the 'US support for oppressive regimes that benefit US narrow interests', saying in a statement on its website that its call was part of world-wide struggle against imperialism. Many in the country have already heeded the call with a huge protests, dubbed the 'Nobama campaign', being planned across the country. The University of Johannesburg's decision to award him an honorary degree has already spurred protest and frustration." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSouth African group calls for Obama’s arrest during presidential tour

Fact checking NSA’s 9/11 claim: U.S. already knew identity of Saudi hijacker

"Those making the argument have ignored a key aspect of historical record. U.S. intelligence agencies knew the identity of the hijacker in question, Saudi national Khalid al Mihdhar, long before 9/11 and had the ability find him, but they failed to do so. Mihdhar is at the center of the well-known story of the failure of information sharing between the CIA and FBI and other agencies. Indeed, the Obama administration’s invocation of the Mihdhar case echoes a nearly identical argument made by the Bush administration eight years ago when it defended the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFact checking NSA’s 9/11 claim: U.S. already knew identity of Saudi hijacker

American killed in Egyptian clashes as Muslim Brotherhood offices attacked

"Egypt suffered renewed outbreaks of violence on Friday as Muslim Brotherhood offices were attacked in at least four provinces, two days before the scheduled start of mass protests against the president and Brotherhood associate Mohamed Morsi. Two people were killed in Alexandria on Friday – one was an American bystander who was watching an attack on local Brotherhood offices – and 70 were injured. Clashes were reported in several other cities between Morsi's often secular-minded critics, who seek his immediate resignation, and his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups, who defend his democratic legitimacy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerican killed in Egyptian clashes as Muslim Brotherhood offices attacked

Egypt’s army threatens to ‘intervene’ if unrest continues

"Egypt’s defence minister warned on Sunday that the army will intervene if violence breaks out in the country where opponents of President Mohamed Morsi are planning rallies against him this month. 'The armed forces have the obligation to intervene to stop Egypt from plunging into a dark tunnel of conflict and infighting,' Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned on the eve of the first anniversary of Morsi’s election as opposition leaders clamoured for his resignation. Morsi’s opponents, who accuse him of hijacking the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak’s regime, plan a rally on June 30 to mark the day Morsi was sworn in as Egypt’s first civilian and Islamist president." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEgypt’s army threatens to ‘intervene’ if unrest continues

David Galland: What the Hell Is Wrong with Obama?

"It sure seems like we are following the script set down by the neocons (Kristol, Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Abrams, et al.) that years ago infiltrated the US military-political complex. This is the 'Might is right' crowd who believe in exercising US power proactively to knock down the dominos of all Middle Eastern countries Israel feels threatened by, with the end goal of remaking the Middle East as a region dominated by friendly democracies (or, in the case of Saudi Arabia, friendly dictatorships). Failing functioning democracies, turning the outcast countries into failed states that pose no real threat to US or Israeli interests." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDavid Galland: What the Hell Is Wrong with Obama?

Tempers fray in France as drastic cuts loom

"President Francois Hollande has already angered much of his own Socialist base with plans to cut spending next year in absolute terms for the first time since 1958, but this may be just start of the battle. The Cour des Comptes said France is not even 'halfway' through its fiscal squeeze. The warnings came as a blizzard of grim news dashed hopes for a rapid recovery from two years of slump. A recent study by Pew Foundation said French support for the European Project has crashed from 60pc to 40pc over the past year. Just 22pc now think EU economic integration is positive." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTempers fray in France as drastic cuts loom

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

Crony Chicago-Based Billionaire Heiress Joins Obama Cabinet

"The Senate has confirmed Chicago-based billionaire Penny Pritzker as new Commerce Secretary. She was an early and important source of money in Obama's first presidential campaign. Pritzker is also on the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations. She serves as trustee of Stanford University. She's an advisory board member of Robert Rubin's Brookings Institution's Hamilton Project. This, folks, is a major insider. Forbes lists her wealth at $1.7 billion. Her father co-founded the Hyatt Hotel chain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCrony Chicago-Based Billionaire Heiress Joins Obama Cabinet

NSA collected US email records in bulk for more than two years under Obama

"The Obama administration for more than two years permitted the National Security Agency to continue collecting vast amounts of records detailing the email and internet usage of Americans, according to secret documents obtained by the Guardian. The documents indicate that under the program, launched in 2001, a federal judge sitting on the secret surveillance panel called the Fisa court would approve a bulk collection order for internet metadata 'every 90 days'. The collection of these records began under the Bush administration's wide-ranging warrantless surveillance program, collectively known by the NSA codename Stellar Wind." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA collected US email records in bulk for more than two years under Obama

Catholic bishops: Indefinite detention ‘wounds the moral reputation of our nation’

"The top of the Catholic hierarchy in the United States on Tuesday called on U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison facility. 'Detainees have the right to a just and fair trial held in a timely manner,' he told Hagel. 'For at least 86 detainees ‘a crime has not first been proven.’ The indefinite detention of detainees is not only injurious to those individuals, it also wounds the moral reputation of our nation, compromises our commitment to the rule of law, and undermines our struggle against terrorism.' Pates further said reports of forced feedings of prisoners on hunger strike suggested the U.S. was violating basic human rights." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCatholic bishops: Indefinite detention ‘wounds the moral reputation of our nation’