Category Archives: International

International, U.S.

Obama to announce new Middle East Policy

Israeli media reporting that U.S. President Barack Obama will announce a new U.S. Middle East policy, before his visit with the Israeli Prime Minister next week.

Reports say Obama’s new policy is in response to the drastic changes taking place in the Middle East, and North Africa.

When Obama became President he made promises about peace between Israel and Palestine, but some Israeli analysts say he failed to keep that promise. Any new policy he comes up with, they think will fall short:  “…will lay out some very well known parameters and call in the parties to negotiate, but it won’t be a full blown plan.”-Dr. Jonathan Rynhold, Bar-Ilan University

 

International

Canadian Mounties lie about tasing a man to death

Four Royal Canadian Mounties are being charged with perjury, about the circumstances surrounding the death of a distraught Polish immigrant.

Reports say the Polish immigrant was tased five times by Canadian police, at the Vancouver International Airport in 2007.  The cops lied about the circumstances, and they would have gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for a witness who took video of the incident, and posted it on YouTube.

The man was obviously distraught, but cops simply rushed him without trying to reason with him.  In the video it’s clear the cops know he does not speak English, they think he is speaking Russian.  They’re several taser sounds, then at the end of the video someone calls “code red”.

According to some reports the immigrant was held for 10 hours at the airport customs office, before becoming distraught.  No clear explanation why he was held.

The man who took the video gave it to police, after they promised to give it back within 48 hours.  They lied.  He had to hire a lawyer to get the video back.

Some lies the cops told include that there were only three police involved, and that the immigrant was in an area crowded with people.  Watch the video, it’s obviously not what they say.

The British Columbia attorney general says the four Mounties will not be charged with the immigrant’s death, or with obstructing justice, because there is a low probability that they will be convicted.

The Polish government is not happy to say the least: “…does not diminish the fact that we find it disappointing that there are no recommendations for criminal charges in the incident.”

This is not the only case of Canadian cops being charged with perjury.  There are several cases going on this year, all across Canada.

International

Scotland the Brave: New Scottish government demands independance from British Empire

The Scottish National Party now controls the Edinburgh Parliament.  They dominated in the recent elections. Now Scotland’s Prime Minister, Alex Salmond, has presented Westminster with a bill for Scotland’s independence.

Salmond ran on a campaign promise to push for Scottish independence, however, the bad economy might be more important to the Scottish people: “They want job security. They want Scotland to be able to be more accountable for its finances that is raises.”-Humza Yousaf, Member of the Scottish Parliament

Yousaf says there are several issues the Scottish want to deal with, but first they need to gain some “economic teeth”.

The Scottish demand for independence challenges U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s campaign promise to keep the Kingdom united.

 

International

Gaddafi Alive

An audio recording of Gaddafi was played on Libyan TV May 13.  He state that he was alive and called the West “cowards”.  For weeks Italian media speculated that he was wounded or dead.

“I thank all the presidents, ministers, ambassadors and all the people of the world who have expressed their deep concerns on my life after the attack.”-Muammar Gaddafi

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Pakistan to give China downed U.S. stealth Blackhawk, U.S. Congress threatens end to financial aid for Pakistan

One of the helicopters used in the May 2 assassination of Osama bin Laden could be a modified Blackhawk.

According to an Air Force Times article, the helicopters are modified MH-60 Blackhawks, similar to the Direct Action Penetrator.  However, analysts with Janes Defense point out that the tail section of the copter that crashed does not match that of the Blackhawk.  Officials will not tell what kind of helicopter it was.

Pentagon officials are demanding that Pakistan give the copter back, but Pakistan has another plan.  They may use the high tech helicopter in a deal with China.  Some reports say all that’s left of the helicopter is the tail section.

U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, from California, has introduced a bill that would end financial aid to Pakistan if they don’t return the damaged helicopter remains.  U.S. Senator John Kerry, from Massachusetts, is set to visit Pakistan to discuss issues surrounding the May 2 operation.

International, U.S.

Obama’s peace envoy to the Middle East resigns, right before the anniversary of the Nakba

President Obama’s man for peace in the Middle East throws in the towel, just in time for a massive May 15 march on Israeli borders by Egyptians, Jordanians and Lebanese.

There are yet to be any official statements about George Mitchell’s resignation.  There is speculation that the unification of Palestinian political parties Hamas and Fatah (and other groups) is a factor.

The Israeli government recently said that with Fatah united with Hamas, there could be no more peace talks.

 

Idaho, International

Idahoan interviewed by Iranian media, says U.S. foreign & domestic policy is two headed beast, not about democracy

An Idaho political commentator was interviewed by Iranian PressTV, which aired on May 13.

Controversial Mark Glenn, high school teacher turned political commentator,  stated that United States foreign policy is controlled by corporate America, and Israel: “…with Tel Aviv as well we have to keep in mind that this is a two-headed beast, it’s not just the U.S. and her political/business interests.”

Glenn also said that corporate capitalism and true democracy are not compatible: “Where there is freedom as far as capitalism goes where there is true freedom to choose, capitalism cannot thrive. Capitalism as much as we are told it is a supporter of a free market and competition, in true essence it is not. We do not want the people to have the opportunity to choose for themselves to make choices in their own best interests and so America at the highest political level is not in the least bit interested to have any form of democracy- it is the iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Events in the Middle East and North Africa will only make the U.S. government more aggressive:  “…if the U.S. and Israel manage to lose control of these governments in that part of the world they are going to up the ante as the saying goes and they are going to apply even more desperate measures to maintain the kind of control that they have enjoyed…”