Video: Puerto Rican, Cuban, Palestinian and Black Liberation Political Prisoners Workshop at NLG Convention.... The National Lawyers Guild International Committee’s Cuba, Puerto Rico and Palestine Subcommittees co-sponsored a workshop at the NLG Convention in Puerto Rico, October 25, 2013, entitled ”Political Prisoners and Liberation Struggles: Palestinian Prisoners, the Cuban Five, Puerto Rico and Assata Shakur & the Black Liberation Movement.” Video of the workshop is now available online! http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x16hoqe_nlg-political-prisioners-and-liberation-struggles-part-1-of-3_news

NLG - Political Prisioners and Liberation Struggles (Part 2 of 3)

 National Lawyers Guild - Political Prisioners and Liberation Struggles: Palestian Prisioners, the Cuban Five and Puerto Rico (2nd of 3 Parts), San Juan, Puerto Rico, October 25, 2013. Video: Eduardo Rivera Pagán / MINH Comunicación
 NLG - Political Prisioners and Liberation Struggles (Part 3 of 3)
The workshop addresses the current state of the respective struggles and their political prisoners.The Puerto Rican people have always resisted colonialism, and have waged campaigns for the release of the thousands of their compatriots who have been imprisoned for their commitment to independence, and have always advocated for their human rights.The U.S. has imprisoned the Cuban Five since 1998 for trying to prevent Florida based terrorism against Cuba. An update on legal & political developments, including newly discovered evidence.The movement of Palestinian political prisoners has received growing attention internationally. The struggle of Palestinian prisoners, given the role of US aid and funding to Israel, is directly connected to that of other prisoners held by the US.Recently, the FBI named Assata Shakur as the first woman on its “Most Wanted Terrorists” list, funding a $2 million bounty for her capture and return from Cuba. The workshop will address Assata’s case as an illustration of the criminalization of the Black Liberation Movement and numerous political prisoners that emerged from it.Speakers:Alberto Rodriguez Alberto Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican Independentista who in 1983 was arrested by a FBI led task force and charged with the impossible crime of Seditious Conspiracy for fighting for the independence of Puerto Rico. After a lengthy federal trial during which many important political issues like the illegality of U.S. colonialism over Puerto Rico were raised, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. After 16 years of incarceration, he along with most but not all the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners received Executive Clemency from then President Bill Clinton and was released.Soffiyah Elijah Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York, is the first woman and the first person of color to lead the nearly 170-year old organization in its mission to create a fairer and more humane criminal justice system. She served previously as Deputy Director and Clinical Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School, and before that was a member of the faculty and Director and Supervising Attorney of the Defender Clinic at the City University of New York School of Law. Ms. Elijah has also worked as a Supervising Attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, a Staff Attorney at the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society, and in private practice.An accomplished advocate, scholar, and educator, Ms. Elijah is a frequent presenter on national and international media and at forums on criminal justice policy and human rights issues. Some of her work on behalf of political prisoners has included: post trial/appellate representation of Sundiata Acoli (the other African American survivor besides Assata Shakur from the NJ turnpike shooting), and of Marilyn Buck (who was charged and convicted of involvement in Assata’s escape); representation of the San Francisco 8, and of organizations such as the Venceremos Brigade.Bradley ParkerBrad Parker is Staff Attorney and International Advocacy Officer with Defence for Children International Palestine, an independent child-rights organization dedicated to defending and promoting the rights of children living in occupied Palestine. He was previously the Legal Advocacy Officer with MADRE.Rafael Anglada-Lopez Rafael Anglada López is a lawyer and a civil rights activist. He was a member of the Federación de Universitarios Pro Independencia (FUPI-Federation of Pro-Independence University Students), a delegate for the Puerto Rican Socialist Party before the United Nations, and a reporter for Claridad, the major pro-independence newspaper. Anglada has dedicated his life to the struggle for Puerto Rican independence from the United States and, as an attorney, defending the rights of political dissidents. Atty. Anglada-Lopez has been associated with the defense of the Cuban Five since their trial in Miami in 2000-2001.

 AFRICAN GENOCIDE,FRENCH PRETEXT FOR PLUNDER OF AFRICA
http://www.islamicinvitationturkey.com/2013/12/02/african-genocide-pretext-for-french-plunder/
The Seleka rebels ousted the French-backed president of the CAR, Francois Bozizé, earlier this year in March. The newly self-declared president, Michel Djotodia, is the first Muslim leader of that African country.Djotodia has firmly rejected claims that the interim government is waging a sectarian conflict, and he has recently denied French assertions that the country is on the brink of genocide.“There’s no genocide, there is not even an inter-religious war. All of this is made up to manipulate the opinion of the international community,” he said.Best estimates put the number of victims in the dozens, not hundreds or thousands. And it is not clear which groups are responsible for the sudden chaos.Also, it seems that the recent surge in violence was initiated in September by shadowy militia known as “anti-balaka” who are linked to forces loyal to the ousted president Bozizé.These groups began attacking mainly Muslim communities in northern parts of the CAR, which have in turn resulted in reprisal killings allegedly by Muslim rebel groups against Christians.Until recently, both religious communities lived harmoniously, with sectarian violence unheard of.What is known is that the French-backed Bozizé regime was notoriously corrupt. He is now exiled in France from where he is agitating a counter-coup, presumably with covert help from the French government.Bozizé himself came to power in 2003 through a coup against an elected president, Ange-Felix Patasse. It was the intervention of French commandos that installed Bozizé.Indeed, since the CAR’s supposed political independence from France in 1960, French troops stationed in the country have regularly worked covertly to stage coups and counter-coups to suit the political and economic needs of Paris.

HONDURAN ELLECTIONS AFTER US OCCUPATION...MILITARIZATION AT THE BALLOTS!  http://quotha.net/node/2607 After a moment, when I had taken possession of my position as president of Voting Station 2686, in the Minerva School, there was a verbal altercation between the police officers and Mr. Pinto that reached the point where Mr. Pinto and his cronies ended up intimidating and kicking out the members of the community police force.Once we were without police protection, they began to threaten my compañeros and me, telling us we should leave the voting stations and the polling place. They confiscated the national identity card and electoral worker credential of one of my compañions by threatening to kill her, and they tried to intimidate me at gunpoint to sign the tally sheets and ballots before leaving the table, which I did not agree to, and finally they forced me to give them my electoral worker credential and national identity card.We managed to leave the community. In the door of the school there were people asking voters whom they planned to vote for, and if it was not for the National Party candidate they simply were not allowed to enter.
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http://soaw.org/about-us/equipo-sur/263-stories-from-honduras/4162-novelections
Another issue is the financial incentives used by the National Party to get people to vote for them. For instance, just outside a large voting center in Danli, the National Party was distributing its “La Cachureca” discount card, shown in the photo at right. This card provides people who register with the National Party discounts for cell phone use, medical care, and other needs. The International Federation for Human Rights reported on how the La Cachureca card is used to shift votes to the National Party. We also have received reports of a government program that is supposed to provide aid to people in poverty being manipulated by the National Party, which is currently in power. One woman denounced that she had received one of these checks before the election that was dated the Tuesday after the election; she was told that there would only be funds to cash it if the National Party won.We are extremely concerned about statements by the US State Department that observers found the process to be "generally transparent." There are reports by numerous international observers of dead people able to vote, vote buying, and problems with vote counting, not to mention that the TSE has selectively tallied the vote reports while leaving many votes uncounted. The above examples is just part of what our delegation saw; delegations across the country reported fraud, including vote buying, which is described in the Honduras Solidarity Network preliminary report. http://www.hondurassolidarity.org/report1/
 The State Department's statement goes on to encourage Hondurans to "resolve election disputes peacefully through established legal processes" but fails to mention the fact that the ruling parties control the highly politicized Honduran justice system. Just a few months ago, the National party's presidential candidate, in his role as president of the Congress, led an extremely irregular process to name a new Attorney General in the middle of the night, stacking the Justice Department in his favor just prior to the elections. Prior to that, he also led Congress in the firing of 4 Supreme Court justices who had gone against his interests, and replaced them with 4 new Supreme Court justices.

Hearing on Human Rights in Colombia - November 27, 2013 Impacts of free trade agreements on human rights... http://www.oidhaco.org/uploaded/content/article/2115665979.pdf
Introduction The Trade Agreement between the EU, Colombia and Peru, signed in June 2012 and subsequently ratified in December of the same year by the European Parliament, provisionally entered into force on August 1, 2013, in a context of high social and political tension reflected in significant social demonstrations during 2013. The Trade Agreement has led to serious questions on the situation of human rights, the lack of specific and efficient labour, social and environmental standards, the continuing violence in Colombian regions, and the potential impacts of the Agreement on sectors of the Colombian economy. Given this reality, the European Parliament called for the development of a road map on human rights, labour rights and environmental rights, which “should be aimed essentially at safeguarding human rights, enhancing and improving trade unionists’ rights and protecting the environment”1. The Parliament noted on several occasions that both the Trade Agreement and its accompanying roadmap could serve as tools for monitoring the human rights situation in Colombia. We therefore call upon the European Parliament to use the Roadmap and to take appropriate measures in light of the current situation. This document details the current situation, and outlines the concerns which still exist about the main focuses set out in the Roadmap (human rights and labour rights), as well as the potential impacts of the Trade Agreement
[[[[[[Summary – Conclusions The general human rights situation in Colombia remains of serious concern:- Murders continue to be committed against human rights defenders, land restitution leaders,small farming and indigenous leaders fighting for their land and opposing dams or miningprojects. Between January and September 2013, at least 52 defenders were killed.- The criminalization of social protest continues to affect freedom of expression and assembly.There are reports of stigmatisation by high officials, and violent repression, resulting in up to15 killings during the last national strike.- Several legislative initiatives could promote impunity and have been strongly questioned by UN mechanisms The number of displaced people is increasing every day, with over 250,000 new cases in 2012. Today in Colombia 5.7 million displaced people are registered. There is a 99.5 % rate of impunity for this crime]]]
[ed notes:click link for rest..in short..eu and us continue to be responsible for aiding and justifying the continual repression and crimes taking place in Colombia...

Nicaragua Envisages Regional Companies to Build Canal http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&idioma=2&id=2135241&Itemid=1
The Nicaraguan Government envisages the presence of companies from the region, through partnerships, in the construction of the inter-oceanic canal of Nicaragua.
According to Paul Oquist, Minister-Secretary for National Policy of the Nicaraguan Presidency, this work is expected to revolutionize global maritime trade.Oquist urged Dominican companies to join the initiative, saying that once concluded, the canal will have two ports, two free-trade zones, an oil pipeline and a railway from coast to coast.
"The beginning of construction works is scheduled for late 2014 and they are expected to be completed by 2019", said Oquist."[[[Since in Nicaragua there are no large companies to perform mega-projects there will be thousands of subcontracts, which will represent an incentive for foreign companies to forge partnerships with ours", he said."We expect this project to boost economies and provide workers of the region with several jobs" said Oquist.]]] 
 [ed notes:regional companies?he better double or triple his security detail,the jackals(CIA) will be unleashed by the north on him...

 SWAT RAIDS INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS HOME...
http://endthelie.com/2013/10/25/swat-team-raids-investigative-journalists-home-confiscates-confidential-dhs-files/
 An investigative journalist says federal agents raided her home earlier this year and confiscated the notes she used to report on a government cover-up. Now she fears her sources have been compromised.
Audrey Hudson told The Daily Caller that the files were taken during a SWAT raid of her Shady Side, Maryland home this past August conducted as part of an investigation into her husband, Paul Flanagan. Authorities were following up on a lead that Flanagan unlawfully possessed a number of firearms, and reportedly pilfered his wife’s personal documents during an armed raid of the couples’ home.
According to the Daily Caller’s Alex Pappas, authorities had reason to believe that Flanagan was amassing a gun collection despite being legally barred from owning firearms due to a previous conviction. The Daily Caller obtained a search warrant showing that law enforcement was given the go-ahead to conduct a raid because Flanagan had been found guilty of resisting arrest in 1986 and thus prohibited from owning weapons. Authorities believed he had broken that restriction.
“One party that was interviewed remembered distinctly about Flanagan advising he had recently purchased a Bersa .380 handgun, and observed pictures of firearms similar to AK-47 semi-automatic rifles which were identified by Flanagan as being his,” court documents obtained by Pappas say.
Maryland State Police and the Department of Homeland Security both participated in the raid because Flanagan is employed by the Coast Guard, which is considered a division of DHS. If the raid was indeed over Flanagan’s alleged gun collection, though, then why was his wife’s papers taken by law enforcement? Hudson believes that the federal agents who entered her home knew she had worked with federal whistleblowers and wanted her sources.
Hudson is currently a freelance writer, but has reported previously for Newsmax, the Colorado Observer and The Washington Times.
“After the search began, Hudson said she was asked by an investigator with the Coast Guard Investigative Service if she was the same Audrey Hudson who had written a series of critical stories about air marshals for The Washington Times over the last decade,” Pappas reported.
Hudson told the Daily Caller that during the raid, authorities confiscated file which included notes that “were used to expose how the Federal Air Marshal Service had lied to Congress about the number of airline flights there were actually protecting against another terrorist attack.”
It took an entire month after the raid for Hudson to learn that the files had been taken by authorities. Miguel Bosch, a former air marshal-turned-special agent for the Coast Guard Investigative Service, called Hudson in September and told her that officials had her documents: handwritten and typed notes stemming from a series of interviews with confidential sources she had conducted, as well as other files.
“During the course of the search, the CGIS agent discovered government documents labeled FOUO – For Official Use Only (FOUO) – and LES – Law Enforcement Sensitive. The files that contained these documents were cataloged on the search warrant inventory and taken from the premises,” a representative for the Coast Guard told the Daily Caller. “The documents were reviewed with the source agency and determined to be obtained properly through the Freedom of Information Act.”
The documents were returned to Hudson, but she says she doesn’t buy into their explanation. She says their response only explains one of the five files taken during the raid, “but does not explain why they took four other files with my handwritten and typed interview notes with confidential sources, that I staked my reputation as a journalist to protect under the auspices of the First Amendment of the Constitution.”
“This guy basically came in here and took my anonymous sources and turned them over — took my whistleblowers — and turned it over to the agency they were blowing the whistle on,” Hudson told The Daily Caller. “And these guys still work there.”
“Part of the reason I’m coming forward with this is I’m scared to contact them,” she said. “I’m terrified to contact them…I’ve got to let these guys know somehow.”
A spokesperson for the Maryland State Police told Pappas that an investigation is currently under review regarding Hudson’s husband.

What a Surprise: US-Based Iran “Experts” Promoting Israeli Policy
Flynt Leverett, Hillary Mann Leverett, Going to Tehran, Oct 24 2013
As the new round of nuclear diplomacy between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 unfolds, an informal coalition of forces is coalescing in the West to oppose any prospective deal in which the United States would “accept” safeguarded uranium enrichment in Iran. Of course, Israel and the pro-Israel lobby are at the heart of this coalition. Netanyahu’s remarks about the Iran nuclear talks on NBC Meet the Press this past Sunday, see here, are emblematic of the “zero enrichment” camp:

The question is not of hope; the question is of actual result. The test is the result. The result has to be the full dismantling of Iran’s military nuclear program. If that is achieved, that would be very good. If it’s achieved peacefully, it’s even better … I think the pressure has to be maintained on Iran, even increased on Iran, until it actually stops the nuclear program, that is, dismantles it. I think that any partial deal could end up in dissolving the sanctions. There are a lot of countries waiting for a signal, just waiting for a signal, to get rid of their sanctions regime. And I think that you don’t want to go through halfway measures … As far as the freezing of assets, as far as I remember, those assets were frozen for three reasons: one, Iran’s terrorist actions; two, its aggressive actions, particularly in the Gulf; and three, its continued refusal to stop the production of WMDs. You know, if you get all three done, and they stop doing it, well, then I suppose you could unfreeze them … Those sanctions weren’t Israeli sanctions. I’ve always advocated them, but the international community adopted very firm UNSCRs, and here’s what those UNSCRs say: they said Iran should basically dismantle its centrifuges for enrichment (that’s one path to get a nuclear weapon) and stop work on its plutonium heavy-water reactor (that’s the other path for a nuclear weapon). It’s very important to stress that it’s for nuclear weapons. Nobody challenges Iran’s or any country’s pursuit of civilian nuclear energy. But seventeen countries in the world, including your neighbors Canada and Mexico, have very robust programs for civilian nuclear energy, and they don’t enrich with centrifuges, and they don’t have heavy water plutonium reactors. Here comes Iran and says, ‘I want civilian nuclear energy.’ I don’t know why, because they have energy, with gas and oil, coming out of their ears for generations. But suppose you believe them. Then you ask, ‘Why do you insist on maintaining a plutonium heavy water reactor, and on maintaining centrifuges that can only be used for making nuclear weapons?’ And the answer is because they want to have residual capability to make nuclear weapons. And you don’t want that, and UNSCRs don’t want that. And I propose sticking by that.

Anyone who has been following the Iranian nuclear issue with any measure of objectivity will note that Netanyahu mixes up US secondary sanctions with UNSCRs. Likewise, he misrepresents what the relevant UNSCRs actually say about Iran’s nuclear activities, and misstates basic facts about fuel-cycle technology. Never mind all that. Notwithstanding his myriad factual errors, Netanyahu gives authoritative voice to the main rhetorical tropes of the “zero enrichment” camp: Iran has to dismantle its current infrastructure for uranium enrichment, and stop work on the heavy-water reactor currently under construction at Arak. Moreover, even if Iran does these things, this is not enough to warrant a lifting of sanctions. The Islamic Republic must also terminate its relations with democratically validated resistance/ religious/ social service/ political movements like Hizballah in Lebanon, and stop suggesting that disenfranchised Shi’a populations in countries like Bahrain actually have political rights. In the wake of Netanyahu’s Meet the Press appearance, we were struck by the similarity between his positions and those espoused in a WaPo op-ed earlier this week titled “The World Must Tell Iran: No More Half Steps”:

Despite its softened rhetoric, the new Iranian regime can be expected to continue asserting its nuclear ‘rights’ and to press its advantages in a contested Middle East. The Islamic Republic plans to remain an important backer of the Assad dynasty in Syria, a benefactor of Hezbollah and a supporter of Palestinian rejectionist groups. It will persist in its repressive tactics at home and continue to deny the people of Iran fundamental human rights. This is a government that will seek to negotiate a settlement of the nuclear issue by testing the limits of the great powers’ prohibitions. Washington need not accede to such Iranian conceptions. The US and its allies are entering this week’s negotiations in a strong position.  Iran’s economy is withering under the combined pressures of sanctions and its own managerial incompetence. The Iranian populace remains disaffected as the bonds between state and society have been largely severed since the Green Revolution of 2009. The EU is still highly skeptical of Iran, a distrust that Rouhani’s charm offensive has mitigated but not eliminated. Allied diplomats can use as leverage in the forthcoming negotiations the threat of additional sanctions and Israeli military force. Given the stark realities, it is time for the great powers to have a maximalist approach to diplomacy with Iran.  It is too late for more Iranian half-steps and half-measures. Tehran must account for all its illicit nuclear activities and be compelled to make irreversible concessions that permanently degrade its ability to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program at a more convenient time.  Anything less would be a lost opportunity.

Who is the author of this Op Ed? An AIPAC spokesperson? One of the many neocon firebrands to whom the WaPo long ago turned over its op-ed page? No and no. The author of the remarkably Netanyahu-like Op Ed cited above is Ray Takeyh, the mainstream media’s long-time “go-to” (if also perennially mistaken) Iran “expert” who advised Dennis Ross’s destructively incompetent handling of the Iran nuclear file during President Obama’s first term and is now back at the CFR. We have no reason to believe that Ray is coordinating his public positions with the Israeli government. But it is remarkable how congruent his views are with those of the most hegemonically-minded Israeli prime minister in living memory.

Western PR firms bid for Bahrain contract: The ‘acceptable’ face of repression http://www.al-bab.com/blog/2013/october/western-PR-firms-bid-for-bahrain-contract.htm?#sthash.tEQnyc4z.dpbs
Seven public relations firms – mostly British or American – are vying to win a contract from Bahrain’s repressive government. Western PR companies have often been criticised in the past for taking up lucrative assignments aimed at polishing the kingdom’s tarnished image. In Bahrain itself, they have also been denounced as “PR mercenaries” that charge hefty fees while failing to deliver positive results. Bidders for the latest contract were named last week by the Bahrain Tender Board. They are:

Gulf Hill & Knowlton
Bell Pottinger Bahrain
Portland PR Ltd
Consulum Bahrain
Media Consult.
Weber Shandwick
Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Bahrain’s government has not published details of the contract apart from saying that it involves PR services for the Economic Development Board (EDB). Bahrain Watch, the advocacy group that highlighted the bids in a blog post yesterday, says the EDB is “a governmental body responsible for attracting international investment to Bahrain, and re-branding the country as ‘business-friendly’.”
Three of the bidding companies – Bell Pottinger, Hill & Knowlton and Weber Shandwick – have previously done PR work for Bahrain.
Another of the bidders, Consulum, is a newer company set up by former Bell Pottinger employees based in the Gulf, according to Bahrain Watch. It has offices in London, Bahrain and Dubai anddescribes itself as “an international strategic communications consultancy that uses an in-depth understanding of public, commercial and political drivers to provide insightful strategic counsel and meet complex communications challenges”. It claims to deliver “sophisticated communications programmes that shape awareness, guide opinion and enhance understanding on a national, regional and international basis”.
Citigate Dewe Rogerson is a London-based firm which boasts of providing “seamless communication consultancy across the world’s business centres”. It recently advised the British government on PR for the privatisation of Royal Mail.
Portland PR Ltd is part of Portland Communications, a British firm founded by Tim Allan, a former adviser to Tony Blair. Portland’s website says:

“Our Leadership Team has 40 years experience on Fleet Street and 35 years in Downing Street, as well as experience on The Hill. They know how Government, the media and business influence each other. And they know how successful campaigns work – because they have been there.”

Last year Portland was accused of “improving” the Wikipedia entries for a number of its clients. This included deleting a reference to “Wife Beater” – the popular nickname in Britain for
Stella Artois lager.Finally, there is a bidder listed as “Media Consult“. This may not be its full name and its identity at present is unclear.

Defense Industry Ties to Media Commentators and Think Tanks That Participated in Syria Debate
 The following report documents the industry ties of 22 media commentators, and seven think tanks that participated in the media debate around Syria. These individuals and organizations have strong ties to defense contractors and other defense- and foreign policy-focused firms with a vested interest in the Syria debate, but they were presented to their audiences with a veneer of expertise and independence, as former military officials, retired diplomats, and independent think tanks.This report details these ties, in addition to documenting the industry backing of think tanks that played a prominent role in the Syria debate. It reveals the extent to which the public discourse around Syria was corrupted by the pervasive influence of the defense industry, to the point where many of the so-called experts appearing on American television screens were actually representatives of companies that profit from heightened US military activity abroad. The threat of war with Syria may or may not have passed, but the threat that these conflicts of interest pose to our public discourse – and our democracy – is still very real.

  

 Israeli Drones Fallin’ from the Skies Like Flies: Third UAV Sabotaged by Hacking
 Israeli media have announced that the IAF has “lost” (Hebrew and English) yet another of its advanced drones, the Hermes-450, one of the most advanced of its fleet.  This marks the third vehicle lost in a similar manner in the past six months.  A fourth drone was “lost” two years ago and reported in a post I published here.  I note my Israeli source reported originally that the drone was operated by Hezbollah and deliberately crashed into the base.  It’s also possible that Hezbollah or Iran took control of an Israeli drone and crashed it into the base; or that its Israeli controllers crashed it purposely because its navigation system had been hacked.  I’ve previously reported (and here) on the various crashes.
Though Israeli security officials invariably call the cause of the failure a “technical malfunction,” it is only that in the sense that the collapse of the World Trade Center was a technical malfunction.  In other words, these crashes were caused by an enemy hacking into the navigation system and taking control of the drone.
Here is how the air force explains its decision to destroy the vehicles in mid-flight:

IDF officials explained at the time that the decision to down the UAV was made due to concerns that control over the drone would be lost, and it might crash into populated areas.

In actuality, they weren’t in control of them and didn’t know what the Iranians or Lebanese would do with them.  They might crash them into a building or air base inside Israel or they might fly it to Lebanon where they could study its components further.Israel’s media itself may not believe the lies offered by the IAF.  This is the Walla! headline:

Drones Falling, and with Them, IDF’s Credibility

The article also notes that the continued failures of the Hermes 450 have harmed the reputation of the IDF.  If I were commander of a drone fleet I wouldn’t allow them to fly again till I had a totally new navigational system that couldn’t be penetrated.  Though Israel did ground portions of its fleet after one of the crashes, it apparently didn’t help.  To me, this indicates either IAF hubris or incompetence.  Of course, Iranian cyber-engineers are no slouches as well. An anonymous Israel source sent me this e mail message which was either written by a terrific bluffer, or by someone who knows what they’re talking about (my bet is on the latter):

The UAV didn’t crash, the UAV control center lost communication due to heavy interference in the COM link. After few very long minutes at which the re establish comm procedure failed, the CCC (control center commander) ordered the self destruction of the UAV. There was lots of drama as it appeared the UAV had a mind of its own or that someone gained positive control.

As I reported in the past, I don’t know for sure whether Iran or Hezbollah is responsible or some combination, but they are the most likely suspects.  Here is what my source says about the latest attack:

The source of the drone hacks was electronically traced to Lebanon, so either Hezbollah did it with Iranian technology or IRG forces there did it themselves.

In addition, Iran announced recently that it had reverse engineered the same Hermes 450 which was downed yesterday.  If it could reverse engineer it, it can figure out how to hack into the controls as well.  This raises another issue: if it’s true Iran succeeded in copying Israel’s most advanced drone it did so in one of two ways; either it captured a drone in the way I suggest above or it gained access to its technical specs through some sort of espionage.  If it captured a drone, that means there was yet another drone failure in which the Iranians actually succeeded in capturing the vehicle as it did a U.S. drone a year ago.  Iran has boasted it has reverse engineered this vehicle too.Ironically, the Israeli defense industry publication, IsraelDefense, will host a conference (Hebrew) on drone technology and cyber-issues related to it in a few hours.  One of the key issues this Hebrew language articles indicates will be at the center of the event will be the issue of security, both how Israelis may penetrate the drones of their enemies and protect their own from such hacking.  Given these failures, conference attendees will have their work cut out for them. The operative phrase here is: what goes around, comes around.  Israel builds these vehicles to spy on its enemies.  It uses them to kill its enemies.  I should add here that my Israeli source renews his claim about the IRG commander Mojtada Ahmadi, who was murdered a few days ago in Iran.  He says the Mossad assassinated him because, among his offenses, was orchestrating the campaign to sabotage Israel’s drone fleet.  I repeat, I haven’t been able to confirm this claim independently and nothing coming out of Iran says anything other than that he was murdered.  So proceed with caution.Israel’s enemies, in turn, will eventually return the favor once they have mastered the technology.  It’s only a question of when and how.  This is yet another part of the cyberwar drama being played out now between Israel and its enemies.  First you had Stuxnet and Flame, then you had Iranian hackers taking down Saudi oil companies and U.S. banks.  Now we have sabotaged drones and possibly assassinated cyberwar chiefs.  This can go a long way and end up in a very ugly place (and likely will)

LEBANON WATCH- SYRIAN COLONEL DEFECTOR WANTED IN LEBANON FOR FORMING TERRORIST GANG...Warrant Out for Dissident Syrian Colonel over Terror Plots 
 The military examining magistrate issued on Thursday an arrest warrant against a dissident Syrian colonel for forming an armed gang to carry out terrorist activities. The warrant was issued after Judge Fadi Sawan interrogated the suspect identified as Ahmed Amer, a Syrian Army colonel who has defected.He referred him to the military prosecution to take the appropriate action. On Wednesday, the State Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Saqr Saqr, charged 12 people, including a Lebanese and 2 Syrians who are in custody, with plotting terrorist activities and planning assassinations. The three suspects were arrested by the General Security Department. But LBCI TV said Amer is not linked with the 12-member network. He was seeking to recruit fighters to send them to Syria, it said.
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 Report: Telecom Data Analysis Finds Link between 12-Member Terror Cell and Fatah al-Islam http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/101568-report-telecom-data-analysis-finds-link-between-12-member-terror-cell-and-fatah-al-islam

Twelve suspects charged with planning terrorist activities in Lebanon, including assassinations, have been in contact with members of Fatah al-Islam terror group in Roumieh prison, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.The newspaper said that analysis of the so-called telecommunications data revealed that the members of the network had contacted several Fatah al-Islam inmates in the prison.The examination of the calls is ongoing to know the connection between the two sides, it said.The State Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Wednesday the 12 suspects, including a Lebanese and 2 Syrians who are in custody, with plotting terrorist activities and forming an armed gang to carry out terrorist operations.The charges include buying arms, rockets and bombs to plant them throughout Lebanese territories, and plotting assassinations against personalities in northern Lebanon who back the Syrian regime.

The suspects were also planning to booby-trap vehicles.Security and judicial sources told al-Joumhouria that two personalities from the Syrian opposition were on the assassination list of the 12-member network, in addition to several Sunni clergymen in the northern city of Tripoli who are supporters of the regime in Syria.The daily identified the clergymen as Bilal Shaaban and his brother, in addition to another Sunni man – Kamal Kheir, who heads a political association and a charity in northern Lebanon.
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 General Security Busts Terror Cell Plotting 'Bombings, Assassinations' 

The General Directorate of General Security on Tuesday announced dismantling a “terrorist cell” that was plotting assassinations and bombings in several Lebanese regions.

“Three people of Lebanese and Syrian nationalities have been arrested on charges of belonging to a terrorist cell that was plotting acts of sabotage across Lebanon through bomb attacks and assassination operations,” a General Security statement said.“The detainees were interrogated and referred to the military judiciary together with the seized material, which include explosives, communication devices and silenced weapons,” it added.The directorate stressed that it “will not hesitate to pursue terrorist groups, subversive gangs and illegal emigration networks -- in coordination with the rest of the security agencies – in order to preserve the safety of citizens and the security and stability of the country.”NNA later said two of those arrested were Syrians and a third was Lebanese.The announcement comes after a wave of arrests by the various security services in the wake of four deadly bombings that rocked Lebanon – two in Beirut's southern suburbs and two in Tripoli.

  THE U.S.'s TURKISH MODEL FOR MIDDLE EAST...
Turkish human rights activists called on the government to improve conditions for sick inmates and address human rights violations. According to a report by the Human Rights Association (IHD), there were “526 sick political prisoners in Turkish prisons,” and, “154 of them in need of extremely urgent treatment,” as of September 10. Raci Bilici, head of the  Diyarbakir branch of the IHD said, “The history of prisons in Turkey is filled with deaths, torture and violations of rights. The Turkish state has had the same mentality against political prisoners for years.”
Bilic also commented on the recent democratization package proposed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said, “No package that has been issued so far has offered a solution for the violations of human rights in prisons. Necessary regulations should be made so that sick inmates could be released.” Bilici is one of many to comment on the reform package. In the International Herald Tribune, Andrew Finkel argues the reforms “lack the quality of real democracy,” but are rather “a slight of hand” because “giving  Kurds or Alevis more rights risked alienating his core supporters among Sunni and Turkish nationalists.” In an op-ed in the New York Post, Amir Tehari asserts Erdogan’s package “seems bent on abolishing that republic in all but name” by re-energizing his Islamist base and giving few concessions to Alevites and Armenians. In contrast, Semih Idiz argues in Al-Monitor that one “glaring aspect of the package that is beyond despite” is that “whatever it may do – or not do – for minorities, it lifts major restrictions on devout Sunnis imposed by previous secular governments. The Islamist section of society, which largely supports Erdogan, is therefore happy– a fact that is reflected in the warm reception the package got from pro-government media.”Meanwhile, Turkish authorities arrested a group of students that visited Iran for 20 days on an exchange program on allegations of espionage against the Turkish state. Turkey also began constructing a wall on its border with Syria in order to “stop people from illegally bypassing its checkpoints and prevent smuggling,” according to Reuters.

US BACKED-FSA Terrorists Hide Explosives in a Food Can to Kill Civilians
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOIW1fFX2G4

US-Approved Rebel Group Recruits 13-Year-Old Boy as Sniper who Killed 32, Including 13 Civilians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS5WrcvH46c
This interview with a 13-year-old boy, called Shaaban Abdallah Hamedah, from Aleppo reveals how a rebel group that goes by the name of 'Ahfad al-Rasoul' (Grandsons of the Prophet) Brigade recruited him as a sniper to kill people in an area of Aleppo, irrespective of whether they were military personnel, civilians, or even other rebels. The Grandsons of the Prophet Brigade has been approved by the Obama administration to receive weapons directly from the US, besides the fact that it is already being heavily armed directly by Qatar.

 

 

Founding Mothers of Ashkenazi Jews May Be Converts, Study Finds
Elizabeth Lopatto, Bloomberg, Oct 8 2013
About 80% of Ashkenazi maternal ancestry comes from Europe, not the Near East, according to a study that suggests a mass conversion of women to Judaism may have occurred in Europe more than 2,000 years ago (actually it was between 740 and 900 CE – RB). The findings come from studying mitochondrial DNA, which passes from mother to offspring, in about 3,500 people, the authors wrote in a paper in the journal Nature Communications. About 80% of the maternal linages of Ashkenazi Jews came from Europe, the scientists found. The Ashkenazi are the most common Jewish ethnic division. Previous efforts to trace origins of Ashkenazi Jews have been spotty and controversial, the authors wrote. The latest research used a larger database than in previous attempts, allowing them to unravel the entire mitochondrial genomes. The authors, led by Gil Atzmon of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, wrote:

A detailed genealogical history for every maternal lineage in the Ashkenazim is now within reach. In fact, it should soon be possible to reconstruct the outlines of the entire dispersal history of each community.

The four major female founders of the Ashkenazi show roots in Europe 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. So do most of the minor founders, the study found. Only 8% of the mitochondrial DNA shows signs of being from the Near East. There had been some evidence of mass conversions, especially of women, to Judaism throughout the Mediterranean in the past, the authors wrote in the study. That resulted in about 6 million citizens, or a tenth of the Roman population, who were Jewish.

Afghanistan’s mineral wealth under us occupation:No transparency! http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/157223/mineral-wealth-could-harm-not-aid-afghanistan-39-s-future.html
Afghanistan’s mineral wealth is closely tied to its future prospects. If managed well, the theory goes, the mining sector could be the backbone of a sustainable economy, fund national security, and stabilize the government. But the country’s natural resources could just as easily undercut Kabul’s efforts to stand on its own by exacerbating corruption, forcing a sell-off of prized assets to foreign investors, and becoming yet another source of violent conflict. Based on its handling of the mining sector, observers say, it looks like Afghanistan is on course to join the raft of countries afflicted by the “resource curse.” The Mines and Petroleum Ministry estimates that Afghanistan boasts oil, gas, iron ore, copper, and gold deposits worth about $1 trillion. Kabul hopes to generate about $4 billion a year in mining and energy revenue over the next decade. Yet in 2012, the two sectors brought in less than $150 million combined. Stephen Carter, the Afghanistan campaign leader at Global Witness, a London-based nongovernmental organization that investigates links between natural resources, conflict, and corruption, says the government has lacked control over its resource wealth. “The sector, as a whole, is operating in a very uncontrolled way. There’s no oversight,” Carter says. “We fear that there is this sense that ‘we must exploit, we must get this going as quickly as possible.’ That’s understandable, but if that comes at the expense of taking shortcuts in the control of the sector, I think it will be seen as a very poor decision in the future.” Cash Cow? Fights have also erupted between the central government and provincial and tribal leaders in resource-rich areas. Last month, a landmark oil project in the Amu Darya basin was halted less than a year after production began after engineers working for the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which along with an Afghan entity has the right to extract oil from the site, came under attack from a local militia.The government alleged that the militia was associated with General Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former Uzbek warlord who serves as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the Afghan National Army. Kabul has accused Dostum of putting pressure on the CNPC to make illegal payoffs. Dostum has, in turn, rejected the allegations, accusing President Hamid Karzai of protecting the interests of the Watan Group, the Afghan company affiliated with his family that shares the drilling rights with the CNPC. Powerful Effect Carter says Afghanistan’s natural resources are also being used by armed groups to fund conflict, much like the situation during the Soviet occupation and civil war, when various mujahedin factions smuggled precious stones, marble, and other minerals to Pakistan to raise funds. “There’s funding for insurgent groups through the smuggling of timber in eastern Afghanistan,” Carter says. “There’s also funding for insurgents, but also local militias, from the smuggling of chromite. We also shouldn’t underestimate the potential for a large mining operation to create internal rivalries within communities that could spill over to violence.” The three largest operations in the country — the Mes Aynak copper mine in eastern Logar Province, the Hajigak iron ore mine in Bamiyan Province, and the Amu Darya oil project in the country’s north — are all situated in relatively peaceful areas. But these areas have witnessed growing instability because militants, seeking to disrupt sources of government revenue and discourage foreign involvement in key industries, have targeted the projects. Potentially Disruptive Even within the government itself, the internal battle for control over Afghanistan’s mining and energy sectors has slowed efforts to put them under Kabul’s authority. Attempts to pass a new mining law that would regulate the industry and lure investors has been stuck in parliament for more than a year because of disputes between ministries vying to oversee the sector. Javed Noorani of Integrity Watch Afghanistan, an Afghan nongovernmental organization, says greater transparency could help put an end to the graft that is behind many of the disputes. “There are so many levels of corruption,” Noorani says. “When the government is shortlisting companies for a contract there’s room for corruption. Even when you implement a contract there is corruption. There are maybe 100 points at which there’s space for corruption.” Noorani suggests that the government publicly reveal details of mining agreements, payments made by foreign mining companies to the government, and how revenues from the mineral wealth are used. Only by taking such steps toward transparency, he says, can Afghanistan find a way to use its natural resources as a catalyst and not a curse.
[ed notes:interestingly the ngo integrity watch is funded by who else but world bank whos partnerships with criminal multinational mining corporations worldwide is well established...

Mossad Assassinates Iran Cyber-War Commander, Prince Bandar’s Secret Meeting With Israelis on Iran

Those boys of the Mossad have been busy assassinating Iranians again. This time, according to a confidential Israeli source, they murdered the IRG commander, Mojtaba Ahmadi, who ran its cyberwar unit. My source drops a further bombshell (which I haven’t yet been able to confirm independently), that the CIA “tacitly” approved the hit because of the extraordinarily intense level of sabotage by Iran of commercial interests from Saudi’s Aramco to U.S. banks. The attack was approved by Bibi Netanyahu several months ago. Its timing, during an auspicious thaw in U.S.-Iran relations, supposedly wasn’t intentional (if you can believe that!).
If you seek tacit indications of Israeli involvement note this celebratory front-age  report in Bibiton (Yisrael HaYom) announcing the IRG assassination.  The headline might as well have said: “Bib did it!”
Earlier Mossad hits were performed with the inside assistance of local MeK agents who did the actual dirty work.  The involvement of two men on motorbikes (a known method of Mossad surveillance and assassination for decades) who were the killers, mirrors the methods of execution of previous Iranian scientists.  If the MeK played a role it would be significant since it would be the first known terror attack in which it had participated since being delisted by the State Department from the U.S. terror list.
If U.S. intelligence in any way approved of the killing, this too would be significant because it would mark the first known instance in which a state targeted the cyberwar personnel of another for assassination.  As I predicted in blog posts here months ago, the arc of cyberwar activism is bending toward escalation and increased lethality.  Not only are the stakes high as nations begin attacking each other in earnest in order to maximize damage to infrastructure, etc. but they are equally high if countries begin murdering the cyber-war personnel of enemy nations.  If the IRG’s cyber commander is a legitimate target, then so are NSA and IDF Unit 8200 officials.  In case, anyone disputes Iran’s ability to commit such an act, remember that Iran isn’t the only country involved in cyber-war operations.  China as well as many other nations do the same things.  They have significantly greater capabilities than Iran.  And once we’ve breached a taboo and killed Iranians, it’s not far to begin killing others.
This marks a desperate new low in Israeli exploitation of terror in order to take a slap at the IRG and sabotage possible Iran-U.S. rapprochment.  The murdered commander will be viewed as a martyr, his subordinates will redouble their efforts to improve and intensify their cyberwar capabilities.  Instead of marking a bold offensive move by the Mossad to attack the enemy on his home turf, it will be seen by Iranians as yet another Israeli provocation and proof that Israel is a rogue state never to be trusted for anything.
Finally, let everyone remember the next time Bibi brays about Iranian terrorism that his own country has succeeded in far more lethal operations and created far more Iranian widows and orphans than anything Iran has done.  This is state terror, plain and simple.
In a related matter, another bombshell (Hebrew) dropped today.  Israel media reported that senior Israeli security officials met in Israel with a high-level Gulf state official to coordinate a military strategy against Iran.  Israel’s Channel 2 TV news also said the official, from  state with no diplomatic relations with Israel, came to Israel for the consultations.  Though the reports did not name him, my source says that he was none other than the infamous Prince Bandar ibn Sultan.  Lately he’s been known as one of the primary arms suppliers for the Syrian rebels.  But his secret portfolio includes all Saudi security engagements in the region including Iran and Syria.  This would mark the first time such a senior Saudi official has broken the Arab taboo against visiting Israel.
The Israeli reports claims that the meetings mean that Israel might be planning to coordinate its plans to attack Iran with Saudi Arabia.  That, in fact, there might be a joint attack.  Frankly, I think that’s hogwash, though I can’t prove it.  It’s much more likely they were meeting to figure out how to continue the anti-Iran front Israel has been working for several years to bolster among the Gulf states.  Given that the U.S. and Iran may be embarking on a process of reconciliation that could lead to a lessening of tensions and resolution of the nuclear conflict, both Israel and Saudi are probably trying to figure out where they go next.
It’s also likely that Bandar and the Israelis met about Syria since they’re now on record as being among the strongest supporters of the rebels.  There is much more that Israel can do to damage Assad than it has already done.  I’m certain Bandar would love to engage Israel more deeply in the anti-Assad alliance.  For its part, though Israel has made a studied attempt to appear neutral in the fight (despite attacking Syrian and Iranian forces on Syria territory at least five times in the past year), Israel’s latest full-throated support of a U.S. air assault on Assad tore the curtain on that claim.

Syrian children under terrorists control http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lou7g6u27f0

Lavrov: Syrian terrorist CW smuggled into Iraq
Polina Chernitsa, Voice of Russia, Oct 2 2013
Russia has evidence that CW used by terrorists in Syria are being smuggled into Iraq for possible provocations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. Lavrov said at a news conference following talks with Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid:

We read reports and hear from various sources, semi-official and trustworthy, that some official representatives of a number of the countries of the region surrounding Syria allegedly established contacts and meet regularly with leaders of Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist groups, and also that those radicals have some components of CW maybe found in Syria or maybe brought from somewhere, and not just on the Syrian territory, but also that CW components have been brought to Iraq and that provocations are being prepared there. All that has intensified since the UNSCR. Sponsors of the Syrian opposition should stop attempts to disrupt the Geneva-2 international conference on Syria. There are enough provocateurs, and there will probably be more provocations. What’s important now is that it shouldn’t be them who calls the tune but Russia and the US, as the initiators of Geneva-2, along with the UN Sec-Gen, to whom a request to that effect was submitted in New York. We urge all the Syrian forces to agree to attend Geneva-2 without preliminary conditions, in keeping with the Geneva communique signed last June. Those who sponsor and finance the Syrian opposition should realize their responsibility and stop attempts to disrupt preparations for the conference in a bid to reanimate a military scenario. We hope that the Syrians will be able to find common ground on the implementation of the Jun 30 2012 Geneva Communique. We hope that consultations that are now being conducted by the UN Sec and his representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, will produce positive results enabling us to organize initial events needed to launch this conference. It’s important that all the Syrian factions be fully represented at the talks for the future agreements to be really stable and lasting.

Iran elected to UN disarmament committee post
Aaron Kalman, Times of Israel, Oct 2 2013
Members of the UNGA on Tuesday elected Iran as rapporteur for the committee responsible for Disarmament and International Security, a body that deals with all matters regarding disarmament, including nuclear weapons. Replacing Norwegian diplomat Knut Langeland, the Iranian representative will relay information relating to the committee’s proceedings during the UN’s 68th session, spanning 2013-14, to the UNGA. In July, when Iran applied for the rapporteur position, Israel’s UN Ambassador Ron Prosor said in a statement:

Allowing Iran to be on the UN committee dealing with nuclear disarmament and weapons proliferation is like inviting Assad, the Syrian dictator responsible for the death of 100,000 of his own people, to be the head of the population census bureau.

In addition to appointing Iran as rapporteur, the committee gave the position of chair to Libya (? – RB) and vice chairs to Germany, Ecuador and Montenegro. The committee has no authority to make binding decisions, but is in charge of drafting resolutions on the subject of international security, many of which are later debated and often accepted by the UNGA. It also cooperates with the Conference on Disarmament, based in Geneva, and the UN’s Disarmament Commission. Known also as the First Committee and comprising representatives of all 193 member states, the Disarmament and International Security body is described on the UN’s website as one that “deals with disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect the international community and seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime.”