Four suspected Egyptian militants killed in first confirmed Israeli drone strike

"Although reports of Israeli drone use over Sinai have surfaced in the past, this is the first to come with official acknowledgement. In a statement on its website, the jihadist Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group confirmed that its militants had been the target of the Friday strike. It listed the name of four fighters who had been killed. Security officials said that the attack had taken place with the consent of the Egyptian authorities, Reuters and the Associated Press reported. If true, this level of cooperation would be a departure from that experienced under the rule of President Mohamed Morsi, ousted during a military takeover last month." Continue reading

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Will Europe pay the price for one-sided U.S. financial information demands?

"For example, under a law recently approved by the parliament of the United Kingdom (the first country to sign an IGA), HM Revenue & Customs commits explicitly to impose the American FATCA law on British institutions. The costs of regulatory implementation by HMRC would fall on British taxpayers. In turn, UK financial institutions (and their customers) would bear hundreds of millions of pounds in costs for collecting the information for transfer to the IRS. The direct revenue benefit to the Exchequer? Zero. What is the U.S. obligated to provide in return? Nothing, as it happens. The IGAs have no clear status in American law." Continue reading

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The Devolution of Financial Privacy

"It’s been no secret that China views FATCA very unfavorably and negotiations towards compliance are going nowhere. It seems unlikely that the US would hit China with the 30% withholding tax for non-compliance. With China holding roughly $1.2 trillion in US Treasuries, it’s not as if it lacks its own leverage over the US government. This leaves the FATCA juggernaut stuck in a Sino-US standoff. It appears the US will have to either make serious concessions to win China over or back down on the 30% non-compliance tax. Should China stand its ground and not compromise on FATCA, it would punch a massive hole in global compliance." Continue reading

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Paul Craig Roberts: Washington’s Drive For Hegemony Is A Drive To War

"NATO lost its purpose with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet, it has been greatly expanded and now includes former constituent parts of the Soviet Empire. NATO has become a cover for US military aggression and supplies troops for Washington’s wars. Georgia’s troops are fighting for Washington in Afghanistan and fought for Washington in Iraq. Washington kept NATO alive and made it into a mercenary army that serves Washington’s world empire. Are Americans aware that Washington is conducting military exercises all over the world, is surrounding Russia and China with military bases, and now has an Africa Command?" Continue reading

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Brazil threatens to take claims of U.S. spying to the U.N.

"Brazil said Wednesday that it may go to the United Nations over US spying, which it said was not only used to combat terrorism, but also for industrial espionage. 'We are not satisfied with the explanations presented' by US Secretary of State John Kerry during a visit Tuesday, Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo told a congressional panel. 'Consequently, we will bring the case to international organizations, probably the United Nations.' American officials have defended the espionage programs as entirely lawful measures that have helped foil dozens of terror attacks globally." Continue reading

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Egypt’s ElBaradei: liberal with ‘troubled conscience’

"The ex-diplomat, UN executive and Nobel laureate turned liberal political leader stepped down after scores were killed in a crackdown by security forces on loyalists of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. 'It has become too difficult to continue bearing responsibility for decisions I do not agree with and whose consequences I fear,' ElBaradei said. Ahead of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, he won admiration around the world and infuriated Washington by challenging claims that Saddam Hussein was hiding a secret nuclear programme." Continue reading

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The Secret Plot to Prop Up the Municipal Bond Market

"Not only are capital regulations, written as parts of Basel II and Basel III, driving banks to hold government instruments such as US Treasury securities, but it is also driving banks to buy junk municipal debt. The disclosure that European banks are holding bad Detroit paper confirms my suspicions as to the true principles of the so-called safety guidelines capital requirements. They are no such thing, they are crony rules designed to prop up risky government paper. In time, as more government regions from Puerto Rico to Chicago and Los Angeles go into a financial crisis stage, we will learn of even more global bank exposure to debt from these sectors." Continue reading

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The Road to World Government, World Police, World Tyranny

"Here’s another incipient road to world police: the US Special Operations Command. At present, Special Forces and this command get a pass from the American public. In fact, any American force that can thwart an insurrection or rebellion in the US, even the nationally-controlled militia, is a huge obstacle to liberty. Admiral William McRaven, who heads USSOC, wants 'to establish a formal framework in which U.S. special operations forces (SOF), interagency partners and foreign allies join an alliance that promotes the sharing of intelligence, partner engagement, training and, if necessary, direct action.' It would be called the Global SOF Network." Continue reading

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State Of Mind: The Psychology of Control

"Are we controlled? To what extent and by whom? What does it mean for humanity's future? From cradle to grave our parents, peers, institutions and society inform our values and behaviors but this process has been hijacked. State Of Mind examines the science of control that has evolved over generations to keep us firmly in place so that dictators, power brokers and corporate puppeteers may profit from our ignorance and slavery. From the anvil of compulsory schooling to media and entertainment, we are kept in perpetual bondage to the ideas that shape our actions." Continue reading

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Dotcom: Surveillance and Copyright Extremism Will Cost United States Dearly

"'The US government and the other Five Eyes partners (UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) have an agreement to push for new spy legislation that will provide them with backdoors into all Internet infrastructure and services. The NZ government is currently aggressively looking to extend its powers with the GCSB and the TICS act, which will force service providers with encryption capabilities to give them secret decryption access,' Dotcom explains. 'The US is on a path of destroying its massive lead in the Internet economy. Mass surveillance and copyright extremism will cost the US economy more than any terrorist attack or piracy,' Dotcom says." Continue reading

Continue ReadingDotcom: Surveillance and Copyright Extremism Will Cost United States Dearly