Category Archives: International

Business/Economics, International

One Year Later: Abandoned Japanese fishing boat makes it way back home

A ghostly reminder of the March 11, 2011, Mega Quake and tsunami that hit north eastern Honshu, Japan, made its way back home.

The boat belonged to a fisherman from Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture.  Otsuchi is one of the coastal towns devastated by the tsunami.  The fisherman did not survive the monster tidal surge, but his boat amazingly did.

Nearly one year after the disaster the ravaged boat was found drifting, more than 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away, on the other side of Japan, in the Sea of Japan (aka East Sea).  It was returned to the fisherman’s son, who lives in Kamaishi City.

The son said he intends to repair the boat and go fishing.

Business/Economics, International

What Global Warming? Record low Beer sales hit Japan

Sales of Japanese beer, and beer based drinks, hit all time lows in February, 2012.

Japanese brewers shipped less than 360,000 kiloliters (95,101,938 U.S. liquid gallons), that’s the lowest amount in February since such record keeping was started in 1992.

Nippon beer makers blame the cold weather!  They say demand dropped in the areas of Japan that were hit hard by unusual cold temps and heavy snowfall.  They also blame being forced to make more non-alcoholic drinks.

International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: U.K. directing U.S. Terror Drone attacks? Britain being sued

The London based charity Reprieve, and the law firm Leigh Day & Company, are suing the British Foreign Secretary William Hague.  They say they have evidence that the United Kingdom, specifically the Foreign Office, has been directing U.S. terror drone (UAV) attacks in Pakistan.

They claim that Britain’s signals intelligence agency (GCHQ/SIGNIT) are “secondary parties to murder” because they provided information to the U.S. CIA.  That information was used to launch drone strikes that have killed hundreds of Pakistanis.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Egypt considers refusing any more U.S. aid, in move to end U.S. control

“I wish members of the U.S. Congress could listen to you now to realize that this is the parliament of the revolution, which does not allow a breach of the nation’s sovereignty or interference in its affairs! It seems that the government is pushing for a crisis with parliament.”-Saad el-Katatni, Egyptian Parliament Speaker

After the Obama Administration threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Egypt, over the scandal involving U.S. citizens caught trying to cause trouble in Egypt (including the son of the boss of private intelligence agency Stratfor), the Egyptian parliament members basically said take your U.S. aid and shove it!!!

On March 11, 2012, the parliament voted to refuse acceptance of U.S. aid worth $1.3 billion!

The problem is that it’s actually the pro-U.S. military junta that’s currently running Egypt.  However, the 508 member parliament has begun the process of a no-confidence vote against the junta.  Such a vote of no confidence could create more civil strife, if the junta tries to maintain power.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Government Evil: Racist NAZI Zionist Israel to build World’s largest prison, intended to hold Black people!

“We all wish we didn’t have to build such a facility. But we’re in a certain situation due to certain circumstances, and we need a facility to address these needs.”-unnamed Israeli Defense official

According to an article in The Independent, Israel is about to build the World’s largest “detention center”, designed to hold 8,000 Black African “migrants”!

“[it was time]…to stop this growing influx that threatens Israelis’ jobs and changes the character of the state.”-Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel

Most of the migrants are actually fleeing the wars in Sudan and Eritrea.  Israel has a policy of not returning refugees fleeing wars, so now they’ve decided to put them all in prison!

“People fleeing for their lives… will not stop coming because they face three years in detention.”-Reut Michaeli, Hotline for Migrant Workers

I wounder how many U.S. tax dollars are going to be used to build this World’s largest immigrant detention center?

 

 

International, U.S.

Government Evil: U.S. soldiers burn bodies of Afghan children they killed

“They (Americans) poured chemicals over their dead bodies and burned them. I saw that all 11 of my relatives were killed, including my children and grandchildren.”-Samad Khan, witness and relative to the victims

Breaking reports out of Afghanistan.  People are rioting because some Afghans say they caught U.S. led forces burning bodies.  The witnesses say among the bodies there were at least four girls under the age of six being burned!

Kuwaiti media say they bodies are from the early morning shooting that took place on March 11, 2012.  That’s when a U.S. soldier, or soldiers, open fired on an unarmed Afghan family in their home.

One of the witnesses to the burning of the bodies was the father of the girls being burned.

U.S. officials insist it was a lone renegade soldier, but witnesses say there was more than one U.S. soldier doing the shooting: “They were all drunk and shooting all over the place!”-Agha Lala, witness

Another witness said there was no provocation on their part: “No Taliban were here! No gun battle was going on! We don’t know why this foreign soldier came and killed our innocent family members! Either he was drunk or he was enjoying killing civilians!”-witness & relative to the victims

U.S. officials say the shooter is an Army Staff Sergeant from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, assigned to support special unit operations in Afghanistan.  An Associated Press photographer confirmed some of the bodies had been burned.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Evil & What Rule of Law?: United States violates their own 1961 law, regarding supplying Israel with weapons. That money could have been used to create jobs in the U.S.

The 1961 U.S. Foreign Assistance Act states: “No security assistance may be provided to any country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violation of internationally recognized human rights.”

Official inquiries and investigations into U.S. military aid to Israel, over the past few decades, have revealed that U.S. taxpayer money, and U.S. weapons have been directly used to kill Palestinians and steal their land!

A new report by US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has revealed that it’s gotten worse since the year 2000.

Between 2000 and 2009 “With this taxpayer money, the United States licensed, paid for and delivered more than 670,903,390 weapons, rounds of ammunition and related equipment to Israel, valued at $18.866 billion.” During that same time period “….the Israeli military killed at least 2,969 Palestinians who took no part in hostilities….Among these fatalities were at least 1,128 Palestinian children less than 18 years of age.”

“These statistics do not include an estimated 1,191 Lebanese who…..were killed by the Israeli military during its July-August 2006 war against Lebanon.”

Peace prize winning Barack Obama said this year he wants to give Israel $3.1 billion!  And I thought we were having economic problems, I guess I was wrong.

“From fiscal year 2000 to 2009, the State Department licensed – and U.S. taxpayers funded – the delivery of more than 595,000 tear gas canisters and other ‘riot control’ equipment to the Israeli military, valued at more than $20.5 million!”

It’s not just Palestinians getting hurt by the tear gas: “On March 13, 2009, 37-year-old U.S. citizen Tristan Anderson was critically injured after an Israeli soldier shot him in the head with a high-velocity tear gas canister in the West Bank village of Ni’lin while he was observing a nonviolent Palestinian protest.  The tear gas canister made a large hole in his forehead, causing brain damage and leaving him largely paralyzed.  On May 31, 2010, 21-year-old U.S. citizen Emily Henochowicz was also struck in the face by a high-velocity tear gas canister fired by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israel’s attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla at the Qalandia checkpoint outside of Jerusalem. She lost her left eye as a result.”

Since 1985, no thanks to Ronald Reagan, the United States ended military aid “loans” to Israel, and instead simply gives the taxpayers’ money away!

“Take, for example, a typical mid-size U.S. city like Ft. Wayne, Indiana (population 254,000), whose residents are responsible for paying an estimated $40.9 million of their federal taxes to finance U.S. military aid to Israel from 2009 to 2018 under the terms of the MOU [2007 Memorandum of Understanding, a pledge of 30 billion of your tax dollars from the U.S. government to Israel]. With that same amount of money, the federal government could instead each year: Provide 497 low-income families in Fort Wayne with affordable housing vouchers; or Retrain 697 unemployed workers in Fort Wayne to enter the green jobs economy; or Teach early reading skills to 1,209 disadvantaged Fort Wayne school children; or Provide basic health care to 33,125 Fort Wayne residents without insurance.”

Now remember that Peace prize winner Barack Obama singed into law NDAA 2012.  U.S. citizens are the target of that one.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Israeli infantry launch another raid kill boy, more Israeli air strikes, Israel condemns U.S., Iran joins Egypt in condemning Israel

“The repeated assaults and aggressions of the Zionist regime’s military men against the defenseless Palestinian people in Gaza… are condemned as war crimes and inhuman acts.”-Iranian Foreign Ministry statement

On March 11, 2012, Israeli infantry raided east of the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza Strip, killing a 15 year old boy, and wounding another.

Also, late Sunday night, early Monday morning, it’s being reported that Israeli airforce F-16 Falcons/Vipers have bombed the same refugee camp, which is north of Gaza city, at least four times.  So far at least two people have been killed (a 65 year old man and his 35 year old daughter), and 25 people have been wounded, including nine children.

Israeli news sources are saying the Egyptian military government tried to warn Gaza that Israel was about to assassinate the secretary general of the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC).  That assassination turned out to be the precursor of this latest round of Israeli attacks on Gaza.

According to the Israeli media, PRC members were able to capture informants who confirmed to Hamas officials that they were paid by Israel to spy on PRC leaders.  The informants also confirmed that Egypt tried to warn of the assassination plot by Israel, the only problem is that the Egyptians gave that warning to the informants who were working for Israel.

Israeli media also reporting that at least 40 rockets have been launched from Gaza, Sunday night.  Several were intercepted over the city of Ashkelon.  Most of the rockets are being launched by Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committee.  Allegedly, Hamas has the most rockets but seems to be holding back.

Arrogant Israeli leaders are calling on the United Nations to condemn the puny rocket attacks from Gaza, so far only a handful of Israelis have been wounded.  Yet Israeli leaders see no problem with the fact they continue to kill hundreds of Palestinians every year!!!

Even more arrogant, Israeli politicians have condemned the Obama Administration’s call for cease fire: “I think that every American should be ashamed of such a statement coming from the administration.”-Danny Danon, deputy speaker of Israel’s Knesset (parliament)

 

 

International, U.S.

Government Evil: Netanyahu uses NAZI Sieg Heil salute at end of AIPAC speech

At the beginning of march 2012, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his speech at the annual AIPAC convention.

Before he starts he waves and thanks numerous people in the audience.  His arms are lose at the elbows, as are his wrists when he waves his hands.

But look at the difference (video here) after he ends the speech, his elbows are actually locked and his hand waves are stiffer (especially between 29:26 & 29:44 into the video). It looks like he’s reminding himself to wave his hands. It reminds me of how many NAZIS ended their speeches in the 1930s/1940s.

International, U.S.

One Year Later: What happened to the farm animals & pets of Tsunami hit Japan?

“When the disasters occurred in Japan, we responded quickly and we continue to help. Much good has been accomplished, but a year later there are still thousands of animals in desperate need. The headlines may have faded away, but the crisis has not. There is still much work to be done and we need good hearted people everywhere to help until all the animals are safe, secure and reunited with those they love.”-Robin Ganzert, American Humane Association

The March 11, 2011, tsunami destroyed many lives, including farm animals and pets.  And just as those humans who survived were made homeless, so were the pets.  The resulting nuclear disaster made things worse.  People who still had their homes were forced to flee the radiation, many pets and farm animals left behind.
The Japanese government said their efforts resulted in only 330 animals being rescued. Some private groups disobeyed government orders, and attempted to rescue the animals, but hundreds still starved to death (there is video on YouTube, it’s disturbing).  One year later the situation for pets is only a little better.