Prisoner Abuse Continues in Afganistan at U.S. Military ‘Black Jail’

The U.S. Special Operation Forces continues to detain prisoners in torture centers in Afghanistan and disallowing them access to the Red Cross. Rachel Maddow’s summary at msnbc – 30 Nov 09 (1:30):

Israel Approves New Unlawful Settlement Construction in Occupied West Bank

Despite international law, basic morality and international wink-wink rhetoric to the contrary, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has approved the construction of 25 new housing units in an Israeli occupied West Bank settlement.

Schiff: ‘Ben Bernanke Has Never Gotten Anything Right’; Ron Paul on Fed Secrecy and Gold (Video)

Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital and 2010 candidate for senator in Connecticut, on U.S. international dependency and challenges Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Alan Blinder to name something his boss has done right. Funny. (4:15):

Gold Hits Record High Near $1,200 Displaying Continuing Dollar Tailspin

Tuesday, gold hit $1,199.30/oz. as Japan moves toward metals, away from being a tit of the U.S. The record high of gold’s value displays the record low of the U.S. dollar.

Kucinich: Afghanistan is Also War Against the American People Through Tax Theft (Video)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Fmr. Sen. Rick Santorum on “On the Record” at FOX News discussing the prolonged Afghan occupation, which will be announced by President Barack Obama tonight. Mr. Kucinich does a good job of smashing down the ‘those on the left-those on the right’ stupid-people rhetoric – 27 Nov 09 (6:28):

Making the State Irrelevant

Kevin Carson at the Center for a Stateless Society on counter-institutional social action over irrelevant political action.

Joya: Surge Only Magnifies Crime Against Afghanistan

Malalai Joya on the Obama Administration’s coming Afghan Surge to escalate the U.S.-led occupation.

Iran’s Uranium Enrichment Condemned, U.S.-Israel Threats of Force Ignored (Video)

Prof. Seyyed Mohammad Marandi of Tehran University on Iran’s announcement to build ten more uranium enrichment plants as the U.S. and Israel continue unlawful threats of force (4:09):

Emergency 12/12 Anti-Afghan Surge Rally in D.C.

via enduswars.org (h/t: Brad Spangler):

Under Obama-Pelosi-Reid, the US has already sent about 35,000 more troops into the Afghanistan graveyard of empires. Now, Obama is considering another round of re-enforcements—an Afghan surge expected to number about 40,000 additional GIs. But there is a real faction fight in the administration about whether to escalate. Obama is getting plenty of advice from the war party—from Petraeus, McChrystal, and Mullen. It is time Obama, Pelosi, and Reid heard a clear message from a resurgent antiwar movement demanding no escalation and an immediate pullout of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan and Iraq, plus an immediate halt to Predator drone attacks and C.I.A. operations in the region.

Download 2-per-page flyer [.pdf] | Rally Guide | facebook group/event

Jake Diliberto, founder of Veterans for Rethinking Afghanistan, at Russia Today – 25 Nov 09 (4:53):

‘Keiser Report’: Wall Street Theft, The Fed and Obama’s Afghan Surge (Video)

The second episode of Max Keiser’s new show on Russia Today: “‘Keiser Report’ is a no holds barred look at the shocking scandals behind the global financial headlines. From the collusion between Wall Street and Capitol Hill to the latest banking crime wave, from bogus government economic statistics to rigged stock markets, nothing escapes the eye of Max Keiser, a former stockbroker, inventor of the virtual specialist technology and co-founder of the Hollywood Stock Exchange. With the help of Keiser’s co-host, Stacy Herbert, and guests from around the world, ‘Keiser Report’ tells you what is really going on in the global economy.” – 26 Nov 09 (26:19):

The Case Against Global Warming

Melting Watergate—Some facts and figures that oppose the prevailing hysteria about global warming/climate change (21:58):

The Drug War’s a Dead Letter Without the Police State

Kevin Carson at the Center for a Stateless Society on the perpetual tyranny necessary for a ‘war on drugs’.

Mutualism: An Interview With Kevin Carson

The Isocracy Network interviews Mr. Carson on the theory and practice of mutualism, worker self-management, anarchist thinkers and his critics.

The Pentagon’s Bases in Colombia

How U.S. intervention in Colombia escalating its conflict with Venezuela.

U.K. Inquiry Into Iraq War: Soldiers Allegedly Raped Teenage Boy (Video)

Report from CNN (5:03):

Jeramy Scahill on Blackwater’s Covert War in Pakistan (Video)

Jeremy Scahill, leading journalist on Blackwater/Xe, broke the story at The Nation. He discussed it at Democracy Now! and on “Morning Joe” at msnbc this morning (8:05):

Robert Fisk on Stones and Semantics in the Occupied Territories (Video)

Today, at Strike the Root, I posted an article by Jonathan Cook at The Electronic Intifada of an Israeli judge’s “historic ruling… when he decided that an Arab teenager needed ‘protection’ from the justice system and ordered that he not be convicted despite being found guilty of throwing stones at a police car during a protest against Israel’s attack last winter on Gaza”. Judge Yuval Shadmi wrote in the verdict: “I will say that the state is not authorized to caress with one hand the Jewish ‘ideological’ felons, and flog with its other hand the Arab ‘ideological’ felons.” Robert Fisk, in a recent lecture, discussed the propaganda efforts in the West that refute the e-mails I’ve received from those outraged by the judge’s ruling (2:13):

Report: C.I.A. Secret ‘Torture Prison’ Found in Lithuania

Brian Ross and Matthew Cole broke the story last night on the ABC News website. Their report on “Good Morning America” from Thursday morning (2:51):

Robert Fisk: Obama’s ‘Weak, Impotent’, ‘Governments are About Power’ (Video)

Robert Fisk discusses why he continues to cover the ‘great human tragedy’ of the Middle East from Beirut, the ‘irrelevance’ of Osama bin Laden, President Obama’s ‘impotence’ being worse for the Middle East than George W. Bush and his Nobel Peace Prize (5:25):

‘Keiser Report’ – 19 Nov 09 (Video)

Max Keiser, in the premier of his new show on Russia Today, comments on the U.S. funding the Taliban, President Barack Obama’s Asian tour proving U.S. economic desperation, global ‘de-dollarization’ and (of course) Wall Street crooks with Danny Schechter (27:03):

The Arrest and Torture of Syed Hashmi

Angola 3 News interviewed Jeanne Theoharris who wrote an article this April at The Nation on the arrest, imprisonment and legal battles of Syed Hashmi, a U.S. citizen imprisoned in New York City prison with “Guantánamo-like conditions”.

Hundreds of Millions From C.I.A. to Pak Intel Since 9/11

Greg Miller at The Los Angeles Times reports the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) has “funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to Pakistan’s intelligence service since the Sept. 11 attacks” to pay “for the capture or killing of wanted militants”, despite the known fact Inter-Services Intelligence (I.S.I.) “continues to help Taliban extremists who undermine U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and provide sanctuary to al-Qa’ida members in Pakistan”. The relationship which began with the C.I.A. using the I.S.I. to funnel money to the mujahideen against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan about 30 years ago that “created the Taliban“, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari conceded in May.

Wonderland, Where’d Ya Go?

Sayyid and I are swamped with work and finals preparations for Masters’ classes operating under the trimester format. The next week to ten days will not have as many posts as usual due our law school finals following these, finishing up group studies at The Council and finding new projects to pay the bills after these studies.

That said, today there will be added content from the both of us and Sayyid will be editing a lot of drafts to be posted throughout the weekend.

Also, I’m guest editing Strike The Root on Friday, so check that out.

Thank you so much for your readership, subscriptions and donations. We greatly appreciate them and will show it even more by expanding the media on the site going into the new year.

U.S. Healthcare in Crisis: An FDR Interview with Dr. Mary Ruwart

Mary J. Ruwart, Ph.D. is a former pharmaceutical research scientist and Assistant Professor of Surgery. She has worked extensively with the disadvantaged in low-income housing and was a contender for the 1992 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential nomination. Her scientific, political, and community activities have been profiled in several prestigious biographical works, including American Men and Women of Sciences, World’s Who’s Who of Women, International Leaders in Achievement, and Community Leaders of America (57:22):

Obama Passes on the ‘Four Options’ to Increase Troops in Afghanistan

The options on the table before the Obama Administration War Cabinet all involved escalating the occupation by as many as 80,000 troops. The president wants other options as he continues dithering.