Rights Groups Present New Documents that Show Congress Knew More about CIA Rendition, Secret Detention, and Torture Than Previously Disclosed http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/02/22-1

New FOIA documents illustrate that key congressional members from both houses were briefed numerous times about the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) interrogation and detention programs, said several prominent human rights groups today. The groups-Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) at NYU School of Law-were responding to several documents just received in response to the groups' Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation. 

Among other new information, the documents show that:While Vice President Cheney's role in authorizing waterboarding and other so-called enhanced interrogation techniques has been public, a newly obtained February 4, 2003, CIA memo documents the role of Counsel for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in analyzing and approving the CIA techniques.  

According to CIA meeting records and the same February 4, 2003, memo, it seems that in one of his first acts as chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) discontinued efforts by previous chair Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) to implement greater oversight of these programs, thus abdicating the role of Congress in overseeing the CIA rendition, secret detention, and torture programs.  

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U.S.: Hispanic Farmers Seek Redress for Years of Bias http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50435

When the Barack Obama administration urged Congress to settle a protracted anti-discrimination lawsuit for 1.25 billion dollars on behalf of African American farmers last week, Lupe Garcia of Las Cruces, New Mexico was paying close attention.Garcia is the lead plaintiff in a similar suit, now 10 years old, filed on behalf of Hispanic farmers. Lupe, his brother and his father lost 626 acres to foreclosure in 1999, a direct result of what he claims were the discriminatory practices of his local farm agency, then known as the Farmers Home Association (FHA), under the auspices of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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Globalization Is Killing The Globe: Return To Local Economies http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article/235930757-globalization-is-killing-the-globe-return-to-local-economies

Globalization is killing Europe, just as it's already wiped out much of the American middle class.Spain and Greece are facing immediate crises that many other European nations see on the near horizon: aging boomer workers are retiring with healthy benefit packages, but the younger workers who are paying for those benefits aren't making anything close to the income (or, therefore, paying the taxes) that their parents did.

Globalists/corporatists/conservative "free market" and "flat earth" advocates say this is a great opportunity to cut benefits for the old folks (and for the young folks in the future), thus bringing the countries budgets back into balance, and this story is the main corporate media storyline.But it overlooks the real issue (and the real solution): how globalization is killing these nations' economies and what can be done about it.

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VIDEO-Torture in Egypt: The Making of the Video http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/3803/torture-egypt-making-video

Today I am very proud to announce that the Torture in Egypt video is ready for viewing by all, in versions in English and also in Spanish. Here it is...SCROLL DOWN A BIT...

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Israeli "national heritage" list "blurs border" with Palestinian territories http://www.ww4report.com/node/8363

The right, of course, welcomed the addition of the sites to the heritage site plan. "It's a pity that the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb need to lobby in order to get onto the list of heritage sites that require government support," said MK Uri Orbach (Habayit Hayehudi)."Rachel's Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs form the base for all the other sites.""This is another sign of the intractable link between the Jewish people and this area," said MK Uri Yehuda Ariel (National Union).

"A day will come when other areas, such as Sebastia and Kfar Etzion, which are the first Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, will also become national heritage sites."Yesha Council chairman Danny Dayan said, "A morning of struggle ended in success. This is a significant and historic achievement for the Jewish nation. I am filled with hope that the construction freeze, which prevents building from Afula to Arad, will soon come to an end."

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American Genocides: is Haiti Next? http://www.medialeft.net/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1647:american-genocides-is-haiti-next-&catid=38:stephen-lendman&Itemid=47

After four centuries of systematic slaughter from 1492 - 1892, "the US Census Bureau concluded that there were fewer than a quarter-million indigenous people surviving," in America, reduced to at most 3% of their original numbers.

Millions were "hacked apart with axes and swords, burned alive and trampled under horses, hunted as game and fed to dogs, shot, beaten, stabbed, scalped for bounty, hanged on meathooks and thrown over the sides of ships at sea, worked to death as slave laborers, intentionally starved and frozen to death during a multitude of forced marches and internments, and, in an unknown number of instances, deliberately infected with epidemic diseases."

Shockingly, "every one of these practices (still continues in new forms). The American holocaust was and remains unparalleled, in terms of its scope, ferocity and continuance over time," thereafter suppressed by denial or silence.

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AUDIO-Union Fenosa and Drug Trafficking http://www.radiomundoreal.fm/Union-Fenosa-and-Drug-Trafficking

In interview with Real World Radio, Feliciano Velasquez, coordinator of FRENA, faulted the Spanish transnational corporation Union Fenosa for the crime and hitmen hired by the corporation.

“Union Fenosa has links with drug trafficking in the area, with the dirty politics of Guatemala and with bad businessmen” said the Guatemalan activist, who cited as an example that an office in charge of collecting bill for the energy corporation is run by a well known drug dealer in the area.

FRENA claims that the controversial multinational corporation has hitmen that have so far killed several local leaders despite international organizations have denounced this situation.Roblero was murdered by an unknown on Wednesday of last week with 17 gun shots. He was attacked while he was working, in plain sight.

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AUDIO-University of whistleblowers? http://www.radiomundoreal.fm/University-of-whistleblowers

The biggest cities of Colombia are going through a difficult situation in economic and social terms, which has led to a wave of urban violence and a deep security crisis.The most recent proposal of the Colombian government on this matter implies the linking of university students to a network of whistleblowers at the service of the armed forces is analyzed by a professor and a university student. The initiative of openly buying information takes place in a country in electoral campaign for the upcoming Parliamentary elections in March, and where the reelection of Alvaro Uribe for a third consecutive term remains uncertain.

“This goes to show the absolute failure of the security policies” says professor Gerardo Velez, who also said that “there is a political decision of linking the civilians with the internal armed conflict. That is like declaring war by the civil society against the civil society”.Meanwhile, a student of the Universidad Nacional questions this proposal, since the Armed Forces of Colombia are involved in human rights abuses“We cannot consider legitimate an armed force that goes against the very people, which is killing the peasants and making them look as guerrilla men”.

Some of the foreseeable outcomes of this policy are disappearances, crimes, threats against students, says the student, whose identity was kept secret for security reasons.Meanwhile, professor Gerardo Velez reflects on the real effect of this information purchase program, saying that it will be in force “as long as there is no new scandal to conceal it”.The student, just like Velez, agreed on highlighting the need for an international watch group to attest to the incidents that take place every day in Colombia.

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Protests roll out across crisis-hit EU states http://euobserver.com/9/29541

Tens of thousands of Spaniards protested Tuesday evening across the country in anger at the government's plans to raise the retirement age. The protest came as European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, in Spain, called on all EU member states to make similar changes.

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New U.S. Embassy in London Will Cost $1 Billion; Yes, That Includes the Moat http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7038550.ece

The State Department sought to play down the cost of security measures, noting the expense of London building work. But the price puts the London embassy above the US’s most fortified missions, including the Baghdad embassy, which cost $600 million (£390 million) but required a further $100 million of work on air conditioning, and the Islamabad embassy, still under construction, which has cost more than $850 million.It also does not include the 17.5 per cent VAT demanded by the Treasury on all buildings in Britain and which the US has refused to pay.

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Colombia opposes new LatAm bloc http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8371-colombia-opposes-new-latam-intergovernmental-union.html

Plans approved on Monday at the Rio Group Summit in Mexico to form a new intergovernmental union of American nations, excluding the U.S. and Canada, did not receive the support of the meeting's Colombian representatives according to Colombian media sources.The new organization, provisionally called the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, is planned to begin in July 2011 and will "promote sustainable development and advocate a regional agenda in global forums."Although the plan received the approval of the majority of the Latin American country representatives, Colombia reportedly opposed the plan, saying that the government would not support the exclusion of certain countries.

Colombia's Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez said that it was not only the exclusion of the North American countries that the government disapproved of, but also that the new organization would be used in opposition to existing unions such as UNASUR and the Organization of American States (OAS).Bolivian President Evo Morales condemned Colombia's position, calling President Alvaro Uribe an "agent for the United States."This follows news that tensions at the Mexican meeting were high between Venezuela's President Chavez and Colombia's President Uribe, culminating in a shouting match between the two nation's leaders.

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Uribe tried to sabotage Mexico summit: Bolivia http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8379-uribe-tried-to-sabotage-mexico-summit-bolivia.html

Bolivian President Evo Morales ripped into his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe Tuesday, calling the Andean leader "an agent of the empire", who only attended the Rio Group Summit in Mexico in order to sabotage it.Morales accused Uribe of only attending the two day summit in Cancun "for the photos and the lunch".

The Bolivian leader's accusations follow a shouting match between Uribe and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during a head of states' lunch on Monday. Morales told press that Uribe "provoked" Chavez with a "surprise intervention" during the Monday lunch and added that Chavez had "listened patiently" to the Colombian leader's complaints."This event [the summit] almost got stuck in the mud and I'm not scared to tell the truth. U.S. agents came to try to hold up and make fail this event," Morales said.

Chavez said Tuesday that Venezuela is ready to begin normalizing relations with Colombia.Morales is one of several Latin American leaders, including Chavez, who strongly opposed the Colombia - U.S. military agreement signed in November, which allows the U.S. military to use some seven airbases throughout Colombia.According to Morales the U.S. use of military bases on Colombian soil is actually an invasion of South America, where a rebellion exists in countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia against such presence.

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GM Crops Failing to Tackle Climate Change http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/Who_Benefits/who_benefits_full_report_2010.pdf

A new report from Friends of the Earth reveals that claims made by the biotech industry that genetically modified crops can combat climate change are exaggerated and premature. The report shows GM crops could actually increase carbon emissions while failing to feed the world. GM crops are responsible for huge increases in the use of pesticides in the US and South America, intensifying fossil fuel use.

The cultivation of GM soy to feed factory-farmed animals is also contributing to widespread deforestation in South America, causing massive climate emissions. The report also reveals more than 99% of GM crops are grown for animal feed and agro-fuels, rather than food. Friends of the Earth campaigner Kirtana Chandra-sekaran said: "GM crops are being promoted as a solution to feed us in a warming world, when in reality they are wiping out forests, damaging farmers’ livelihoods and increasing harmful emissions."

comment-also see...VIDEO-The Killing Fields - the battle to feed factory farms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzdnCmLHvNQ

comment-also see...Monsanto's Bullying Tactics in Argentina & Latin America http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/argentina101104.cfm Venezuela: Chavez Dumps Monsanto http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/221/46944.html Brazilian Farmers Seize Monsanto Facilities in Anti-GE Protest http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/brazilprotest.cfm The Brazilian Bloody War Against US Monsanto and Swiss Syngenta http://www.brazzil.com/articles/189-march-2008/10048.html

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Admiral Mullen says Attacking Iran Won’t  Stop Nuclear Program http://news.antiwar.com/2010/02/22/admiral-mullen-attacking-iran-would-not-stop-nuclear-program/

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen Monday cautioned that a military attack against Iran wouldn’t be able to stop the nation’s civilian nuclear program, but could at best slow it down. Speculation of a possible US attack on Iran has been rising since last week’s comments by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who said the US would never rule out a military strike against Iran.

The State Department insists the emphasis is on pushes for additional sanctions. Iran has been enriching uranium to 3.5 percent for its nuclear energy program, and earlier this month began enriching to 20 percent in an attempt to produce fuel for its medical isotope reactor. The country is looking to expand the number of sites for its enrichment activities, to minimize potential damage if the US or Israel attacks.

comment-also see...Admiral Michael Mullen's Speech to JINSA http://www.jinsa.org/node/827

see  who jinsa is...About JINSA The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan and nonsectarian educational organization committed to explaining the need for a prudent national security policy for the United States, addressing the security requirements of both the United States and the State of Israel, and strengthening the strategic cooperation relationship between these two great democracies.http://www.jinsa.org/node/3

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GlaxoSmithKline knew Avandia was linked to tens of thousands of heart attacks but hid it from the public http://dprogram.net/2010/02/23/glaxosmithkline-deliberately-hid-evidence-of-avandia-harm-says-senate-report-mike-adams/

GlaxoSmithKline, maker of the diabetes drug Avandia, knew the drug was linked to tens of thousands of heart attacks but hid this information from the public. A new report by the Senate Finance Committee also accuses the US Food and Drug Administration of dismissing safety concerns found by its own scientists. The report says Big Pharma’s drugs “put public safety at risk because the FDA has been too cozy with drugmakers and has been regularly outmaneuvered by companies that have a financial interest in downplaying or under-exploring potential safety risks.”

Sales of Avandia were $3.2 billion in 2006. According to the report, if all diabetics currently taking Avandia were put on a “safer” drug, it would avert 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure every month in the US alone. The report estimates hundreds of thousands of Americans are taking this drug, and hundreds will continue to die each month as a result.

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Obama Pressed to Release Identity of Telecom Lobbyists http://www.truthout.org/obama-pressed-release-identity-telecom-lobbyists-seeking-immunity57064

The Electronic Frontier Foundation says the Obama administration has been "fighting hard to stop the release of the names of telecom lobbyists.” This flies in the face of Barack Obama's State of the Union pledge to "require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or Congress."

For the past few years, the not-for-profit EFF has been litigating a Freedom of Information Act case against the government, seeking the identities of lobbyists who contacted the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on behalf of telecom clients in order to push for telecom immunity. EFF says: "With the help of lobbyists from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, the FISA Amendments Act passed with an unconstitutional provision to retroactively grant immunity to the telecoms for collaborating with the warrantless wiretapping program."

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Mexican Workers Retaliate for Unpaid Overtime, Burn Down Factory  http://gizmodo.com/5476446/foxconn-workers-dont-get-mad-they-get-even-by-burning-their-factory-down

Workers at Foxconn in Juarez, Mexico burned the factory down Friday after being forced to work overtime. Supervisors had told the workers the trucks that take them home were being held up at a military checkpoint. When the workers found out they’d been lied to, they torched the factory.