Winning Hearts & Minds

U.S. Pulls Out of Egypt’s Bright Star War Game Over Massacres

"President Obama on Thursday cancelled the U.S. military’s participation in next month’s Operation Bright Star in Egypt – a biennial training exercise with the Egyptian military – following Cairo’s brutal crackdown on opponents that left more than 500 dead the day before. Continuing the charade – that the U.S. needs to continue to cooperate with Egypt to improve things there – would have been bizarre. The notion that such military cooperation can give the U.S. influence over a foreign military is dubious, despite the $1.3 billion in military aid the U.S. gives to Egypt annually, a bounty for signing the Camp David accords with Israel in 1978." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Pulls Out of Egypt’s Bright Star War Game Over Massacres

Former Obama Supporter Oliver Stone: Obama Is A ‘Snake’; ‘We Have To Turn On Him’

"Film director Oliver Stone—who has made no secret of his liberal political views—called President Barack Obama a 'snake' for his role in National Security Agency spying programs that have become, he said, more about silencing protestors than finding terrorists. Stone said that admitted NSA leaker Edward Snowden 'is a hero to me. He sacrificed his well-being for the good of us all.' Stone also called Snowden a hero last month and said it’s 'a disgrace that Obama is more concerned with hunting him down Snowden than reforming these George Bush-style eavesdropping techniques.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Obama Supporter Oliver Stone: Obama Is A ‘Snake’; ‘We Have To Turn On Him’

Former narcotics officer: We terrorized families over a bag of pot

"'Searching the house, I noticed the kids had straight ‘A’ report cards, the parent’s checkbook was balanced, and I realized that something was amiss, something was really bad.' 'I put it together years later, after I started smoking pot,' he confessed. 'You know, a lot of people report that the use of that medication helps a person self-reflect. And, wow, the veil came off and then I started doing the real research for myself instead of believing the propaganda. And I cried for a year after I found out the truth and what I had been involved in.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer narcotics officer: We terrorized families over a bag of pot

John Grisham: After Guantánamo, Another Injustice

"Nabil has not been the only 'mistake' in our war on terror. Hundreds of other Arabs have been sent to Gitmo, chewed up by the system there, never charged and eventually transferred back to their home countries. There have been no apologies, no official statements of regret, no compensation, nothing of the sort. The United States was dead wrong, but no one can admit it. In Nabil’s case, the United States military and intelligence agents relied on corrupt informants who were raking in American cash, or even worse, jailhouse snitches who swapped false stories for candy bars, porn and sometimes just a break from their own beatings." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJohn Grisham: After Guantánamo, Another Injustice

Sky News cameraman Mick Deane killed in Cairo violence

"Mick Deane, 61, had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem, the channel said. He previously worked for CNN, based in London and Rome. A Sky News team member told CNN that Deane was shot inside the Rabaa al-Adawiya camp, where security forces have been trying Wednesday to clear supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy. 'Michael was about to lift the camera on his shoulder (when) a sniper from the other side opened fired and killed him instantly,' he said. 'The moment he lifted the camera he was shot dead by a sniper.' A Reuters photojournalist, Asmaa Waguih, was shot and wounded." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSky News cameraman Mick Deane killed in Cairo violence

Multiple New Polls Show Americans Reject Wholesale NSA Domestic Spying

"The poll revealed that Americans largely believe that the government has gone too far by a margin of 45% to 40%. This is a clear reversal from a January 2010 survey in which the same question found that 63% of voters believed the government didn’t 'go far enough to adequately protect the country.' In an Economist/YouGov poll, 56% of Americans do not think the NSA is telling the truth about the unconstitutional spying. The same poll found that 59% of people disapprove of the spying, while only 35% approve of it. A recent Fox News poll finds 62% of Americans think the collection of phone records is 'an unacceptable and alarming invasion of privacy rights.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMultiple New Polls Show Americans Reject Wholesale NSA Domestic Spying

White House says Egypt’s new regime is on the ‘wrong path’

"The White House once again avoided using the word 'coup' to describe the recent overthrow of president Morsi – a move which would trigger an automatic congressional ban on US aid to the Egyptian military. Washington has suspended a recent shipment of F16 jets and said it was re-assessing whether to restart its $1.3bn of military aid, but its fears that a permanent severing of aid risks removing the only leverage it has in restraining the generals. For the moment, the White House insists it is simply continuing to evaluate its support, while stepping up its threat to sever ties if the military does not change tack." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhite House says Egypt’s new regime is on the ‘wrong path’

More than 200 dead, 2,000 wounded as Egyptian security forces crush protesters

"Egyptian security forces crushed the protest camps of thousands of supporters of the deposed Islamist president on Wednesday, shooting almost 200 of them dead in the bloodiest day in decades. At least 235 people were killed in all, including at least 43 police, and 2,000 wounded. Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi defended the use of force, saying the authorities had no choice but to act to end 'the spread of anarchy'. 'We found that matters had reached a point that no self-respecting state could accept,' he said in a televised address. The crowds appeared to be armed mainly with sticks, stones and concrete slabs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore than 200 dead, 2,000 wounded as Egyptian security forces crush protesters

Saudi prince defects: ‘Brutality, oppression as govt scared of Arab revolts’

"Saudi Arabia, a major supporter of opposition forces in Syria, has increased crackdown on its own dissenters, with 30,000 activists reportedly in jail. Political parties are banned in Saudi Arabia and human rights groups willing to function legally have to go no further than investigating things like corruption or inadequate services. Saudi Prince Khaled Bin Farhan Al-Saud confirmed reports of increased prosecution of anti-government activists and said that it’s exactly what forced him to defect from his family. He accused the monarchy of corruption and silencing all voices of dissent and explained how the Saudi mechanism for suppression functioned." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSaudi prince defects: ‘Brutality, oppression as govt scared of Arab revolts’

Saudi government smashes ‘sinful’ statues of horses

"Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has smashed sculptures of horses erected on a roundabout in the southwest after the kingdom’s top cleric denounced them as sinful, local media reported on Wednesday. The decision came after Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Shaikh sent a letter to the governor of Jazan demanding that 'the sculptures be removed because they are a great sin and are prohibited under sharia (Islamic law),' said another news webitse, sabq.org. Statues of people and animals are prohibited under Islam as they represent a form of idolatry. However, the religion does allow artworks depicting plants and landscapes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSaudi government smashes ‘sinful’ statues of horses