Resistance

France Formally Requests US Military Aid for Mali Invasion

"According to Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, the French government has formally asked the United States for military aid for its invasion of Mali, saying that the aid will conclude planning, logistics and air support, but not combat troops. France invaded on Saturday, and initially said they believed they would turn Mali into a 'terror-free' democracy within a matter of weeks. Since then they have expressed surprise at the strength of rebel fighters, however." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrance Formally Requests US Military Aid for Mali Invasion

Glenn Greenwald: MLK’s vehement condemnations of US militarism are more relevant than ever

"Obama's policies are a manifestation of exactly the militaristic mindset which King so eloquently denounced. Obama has always been fond of invoking King's phrase 'fierce urgency of now', yet ironically, that is lifted from this anti-war speech, one that stands as a stinging repudiation of the continuous killing and violence Obama has spent the last four years unleashing on many countries around the world (Max Blumenthal suggested that Obama's second inaugural speech be entitled 'I have a drone')." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: MLK’s vehement condemnations of US militarism are more relevant than ever

Gun Rights Helped Blacks During Civil Rights Movement

"It's unfortunate that 68% of American blacks support stronger gun control regulation. Gun rights were extremely beneficial to the African-American community throughout the Civil Rights Movement, which we celebrate today. In fact, if it weren’t for gun rights, more civil rights leaders would likely have been killed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Rights Helped Blacks During Civil Rights Movement

British man who ‘vanished’ after being stripped of citizenship says he was tortured, forced to sign a confession by the CIA

"Mahdi Hashi, who vanished last summer in Somalia, has described for the first time his 'horrific' ordeal at the hands of the secret police in the neighbouring state of Djibouti, who he claims worked closely with US interrogators. The 23-year-old, who lived in London, alleges that he was stripped and repeatedly slapped before being threatened with electrocution and sexual abuse by officers who were attached to Djibouti's intelligence service. Speaking from a top security prison in New York, where his family tracked him down just before Christmas, Mr Hashi claims he was so frightened by the threats of torture that he signed the confession demanded by his American interrogators." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritish man who ‘vanished’ after being stripped of citizenship says he was tortured, forced to sign a confession by the CIA

Torture of prisoners persists in Afghanistan: UN

"The UN issued a follow-up to a report on torture a year ago, as Kabul seeks full control over prisons and prisoners from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force despite the misgivings of the US-led ISAF. Other forms of torture included hanging suspects by the wrists from chains for long periods and threatening them with sexual violence, the UN mission in Afghanistan said in its 139-page analysis released late Sunday. Many of those tortured to extract confessions were children under the age of 18, it said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTorture of prisoners persists in Afghanistan: UN

Chinese ‘re-education’ labor camps set for abolition

"It is another signal that the widely criticised system — where people can be sentenced to up to four years’ 're-education' by a police panel, without an open trial — is coming to an end. The comments come after the Communist Party’s new leader Xi Jinping said the party recognised as a 'pressing problem' that it was 'out of touch with the people'. About 60,000 people are detained in the camps, officials say, most of whom serve from six months to a year. Opponents say the camps are used to silence government critics and would-be petitioners who seek to bring their complaints against officials to higher authorities." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChinese ‘re-education’ labor camps set for abolition

Obama turns ‘austerity inauguration’ into a dash for corporate cash

"What a lot has changed in four years. As Obama prepares to revel in his second inauguration, on Monday, there is no ceiling on what an individual can give, corporations and lobby groups are very welcome and the presidential inaugural committee has been going on a fundraising binge as though there was no tomorrow. On surface appearance, the inauguration is a sober and scaled-down affair compared with 2009. But don’t be fooled by the outward semblance of austerity. In fact, says the government transparency watchdog, the Sunlight Foundation, this year’s inauguration has been turned into an orgy of cash generation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama turns ‘austerity inauguration’ into a dash for corporate cash

Rapper Lupe Fiasco thrown out of inaugural party after criticizing Obama during performance

"The video also shows Fiasco seemingly doing an a capella freestyle rap away from the microphone while members of the crowd cheer. Buzzfeed quoted Josh Rogin, a writer for The Cable, as saying Fiasco went on 'an anti-Obama diatribe mid-set' and stayed on stage for 30 minutes without doing a different song. The footage does show Fiasco talking to security personnel before being led off the stage." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRapper Lupe Fiasco thrown out of inaugural party after criticizing Obama during performance

Sex is major reason military commanders are fired

"Sex has proved to be the downfall of presidential candidates, members of Congress, governors and other notables. It's also among the chief reasons that senior military officers are fired. At least 30 percent of military commanders fired over the past eight years lost their jobs because of sexually related offenses, including harassment, adultery, and improper relationships, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press. The figures bear out growing concerns by Defense Department and military leaders over declining ethical values among U.S. forces." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSex is major reason military commanders are fired

VA spending more on erectile dysfunction drugs for vets

"The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has almost tripled spending on erectile dysfunction drugs in the past six years as war-related psychological disorders contribute to sexual difficulties. The surge in drug spending reflects the number of troops returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, said Jason Hansman, senior program manager for health and mental health programs at the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a New York-based nonprofit group. Both conditions can limit sexual functioning, he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVA spending more on erectile dysfunction drugs for vets