News and views from around the web posted to the Wonderland Wire:
- We Still Don’t Hear Dr. King by Bob Herbert | NY Times 3 April 2010 — ‘Dr. King spoke of how, in Vietnam, the United States increased its commitment of troops “in support of governments which were singularly corrupt, inept, and without popular support.”’
- Intelligence Agencies Allegedly Going to Extremes to Suppress Wikileaks Video Confirming Pentagon Massacre Cover-up | AlterNet 3 April 2010 — ‘On April 5, online truth and transparency advocate WikiLeaks.org plans to release at the National Press Club what it alleges is a video confirming a Pentagon cover-up of a wartime massacre of civilians and journalists committed under the leadership of General David Petraeus.’
- Israel Threatens Gaza Invasion in ‘Near Future’ | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010 — ‘Israeli warplanes continued their bombardment of the Gaza Strip today, destroying a workshop in the refugee camp of Nusseirat and bombing a street in Khan Younis. Reports say that three children were injured in the attacks, which came as the planes peppered Khan Younis with leaflets threatening of further strikes.’
- Obama Claims ‘All Evidence’ Supports Allegations Iran Developing Nukes | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010 — ‘Indeed, less than two months ago Obama’s own spokesman Robert Gibbs claimed Iran didn’t even have the ability to enrich uranium beyond 20 percent, let alone to rich to weapons grade, which would be above 90 percent. Just days after Gibbs made this statement he insisted that the US would not rule out attacking Iran.’
- The criminal NSA eavesdropping program by Glenn Greenwald | Salon.com 3 April 2010 — ‘It’s been obvious for more than four years that Bush, Cheney, N.S.A. Director (and former C.I.A. Director) Michael Hayden and many other Bush officials broke the law — committed felonies — in spying on Americans without warrants. Yet another federal judge has now found their conduct illegal. If we were a country that actually lived under The Rule of Law, this would be a huge story, one that would produce the same consequences for the lawbreakers as a bank robbery, embezzlement or major drug dealing. But since we’re not such a country, it isn’t and it doesn’t.’
- ACLU publishes volumes of data on civilian casualties in Iraq, Afghanistan | Raw Story 3 April 2010 — The files, obtained by Freedom of Information Act request, detail hundreds of cases in which families of the dead filed for compensation after their loved ones were killed by or as a result of coalition forces.’
- Obama Expands Military Involvement in Africa by Daniel Volman | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010 — ‘After one year in office, however, it is clear that the Obama administration is following essentially the same policy that has guided U.S. military policy toward Africa for more than a decade. Indeed, the Obama administration is seeking to expand U.S. military activities on the continent even further.’
- Leslie Lefkow | Antiwar Radio with Scott Horton 3 April 2010 — ‘Leslie Lefkow, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch’s Africa division, discusses the regional and international meddling in Somalia, why the US singles out Eritrea for interfering, ongoing urban warfare in Mogadishu, the difficulty of dispensing humanitarian aid and the horrible humanitarian situation.’
- Can Neoconservatives Admit the Full History about Iran? | The Smoking Argus Daily 3 April 2010 — ‘It remains my conviction that through understanding history in its full prism, We the People can more fully understand the continued saber rattling on Iran and return the neoconservative philosophy to the plane of Hell especially reserved for warmongering tyrants and their Central banker puppet-masters.’
- Gunmen in Uniform Kill 25 Family Members in Iraq | NY Times 3 April 2010 — ‘The killers came at night, speaking passable English and wearing uniforms and carrying weapons that resembled those of the American military.’
- No Drawdown for US Special Forces in Iraq | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010 — ‘Despite much being made of the so-called August timetable that would spell an end to “combat” missions in Iraq and cut the US forces to about 50,000, SOCOM head Admiral Eric Olson today announced that this would not affect his troops, which are involved in some of the heaviest combat.’
- Saudi central bank to head new Gulf monetary union | BusinessWeek 3 April 2010 — ‘The new council is charged with drawing up the framework of the single currency, including an exchange rate system and setting up the regional central bank with an eye on developing a Mideast equivalent of the European Union.’
- Israeli tank-defense system could be sign of future in Western battle against insurgents | chicagotribune.com 3 April 2010 — ‘The Trophy is believed to be the first of a series of so-called “active defense” systems to become operational. Such systems aim to neutralize threats before they strike the tank. In the past, tanks have relied on increasingly thick layers of armor or “reactive” technology that weakens an incoming rocket upon impact by setting off a small explosion.’
- Coalition of the Rented? | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010 — ‘With NATO partners dropping like flies, and the Canadian government rebuking a recent effort by the US to remain in the Afghan War, the Pentagon is looking toward ensuring that the quantity of partner nations is kept up, even if it means pumping millions of dollars into the militaries of relatively minor nations to ensure they remain.’
- Report: CIA deputy director covered up detainee’s death | Raw Story 3 April 2010 — ‘The CIA’s deputy director of operations personally oversaw the cover-up of the death of a detainee at a secret agency facility in Afghanistan, a magazine article alleges.’
- U.S.: Controversy Erupts over Deportation Quotas | IPS 3 April 2010 — ‘Immigrants’ rights advocates are up in arms Thursday over an apparent gaffe by a senior government official suggesting that immigration authorities would use a “quota system” to determine the number of people it would deport – followed by a “clarification” from higher-ups that appeared to confirm the quota approach.’
- “What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to Fear” by Sheldon Richman | The Freeman 3 April 2010 — ‘The prophetic Tocqueville: “Above this race of men stands an immense and tutelary power, which takes upon itself alone to secure their gratifications and to watch over their fate. That power is absolute, minute, regular, provident, and mild. It would be like the authority of a parent if, like that authority, its object was to prepare men for manhood….”’
- Pfizer ordered to pay up over ‘AIDS-like’ virus infections | Raw Story 3 April 2010 — ‘Becky McClain, a molecular biologist from Deep River, Connecticut, filed a lawsuit against Pfizer in 2007, claiming she had been wrongly terminated for complaining about faulty safety equipment that allowed a “dangerous lentivirus” to infect her and some of her colleagues.’
- From China, a Hint That Its Currency May Rise | NYTimes 3 April 2010 — ‘If that policy were changed, Chinese savers might move money from low-interest-rate domestic accounts into foreign markets, helping drive down the value of the renminbi.’
- US to adopt new racist ‘air security policy’ | MWC 3 April 2010 — ‘The United States has announced new security measures to replace the mandatory screening of air travellers from 14 countries, imposed after the failed attack on a flight in December.’
- The So Called ‘Only Democracy in the Middle East’ by Gilad Atzmon | MWC 3 April 2010 — ‘In Israel, the so called ‘only democracy in the Middle East’, a journalist has been held under house arrest since December for leaking a story of Israeli barbarism. In the Jewish Democracy another prominent Journalist had to run for his life for telling the truth about Israel’s murderous policies and its chief war criminals.’
- AFRICA: Anti-Counterfeit Laws Threaten Universal Access to ARVs | IPS 3 April 2010 — ‘East African countries risk not attaining the millennium development goal (MDG) on universal treatment of people living with HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases if the region’s parliament adopts the anti-counterfeits policy and bill currently under consideration.’
- Ahmadinejad warns Israel against second Gaza war | Press TV 3 April 2010
- Pakistan moves to roll back presidential powers | LA Times 3 April 2010
- Thai red shirts block shopping area | Al Jazeera English 3 April 2010
- Russia and Venezuela boost ties | Al Jazeera English 3 April 2010
- Report: Iran to build more uranium enrichment plants | Haaretz 3 April 2010
- Hurting U.S. Efforts to Win Minds, Taliban Disrupt Pay | NY Times 3 April 2010
- German soldiers kill Afghan troops in ‘friendly fire’ incident | WaPo 3 April 2010
- We can’t rely on financial regulators to protect us by Ezra Klein | WaPo 3 April 2010
- The New Russian Invasion of Afghanistan | Newsweek.com 3 April 2010
- Obama Can Stop Funding Illegal Settlements by Grant Smith | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Israel Gags News on Extrajudicial Killings by Mel Frykberg | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Saturday: 28 Iraqis Killed, 10 Wounded | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Friday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 2 Wounded | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Thursday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 22 Wounded | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Mexico drug gangs turn weapons on army | LA Times 3 April 2010
- Abortion provider’s killer is sentenced to life in prison | LA Times 3 April 2010
- Police Defend Use Of Taser On 11-Year-Old | WRTV Indianapolis 3 April 2010
- U.S. files civil suit against defense contractor KBR | WaPo 3 April 2010
- Long Lines and Good Participation in Sadr’s Referendum | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Iraq Saw Rising Death Toll in March | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Personal Data on Nearly 1,000 British Muslim Students Given to CIA | Antiwar.com 3 April 2010
- Monsanto spent $2.5M Buying Power in the 4th Quarter | Ideas and Minds 2 April 2010
- GRITtv: Banks Betting Against California? | truthout 1 April 2010
