Obama Again Confirms ‘Unbreakable, Special Bond’ With Israel

The U.S. and Israeli presidents publicly affirmed their ‘special, unbreakable bond’ and sought to justify Israel’s nuclear proliferation, Patty Culhane reported today at Al Jazeera English (2:41):

Evening Briefing—6th July 2010

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‘Pro-Peace’ Congressman Called Out for Enabling Israel Atrocities

Alan Grayson got grilled by Scott Horton on U.S. military welfare for Israel and blowback.

Chomsky’s Lectern: Flotilla Attack is Sheer Criminal Aggression

Noam Chomsky’s statement on Israel’s piracy of the Freedom Flotilla humanitarian aid convoy.

Finkelstein: Israel Deliberately ‘Creates Gazan Humanitarian Crisis’ (Video)

Peter LaVelle’s “CrossTalk” at Russia Today has Professor Norman Finkelstein, Chris Guiness and Mitchell Barak on the panel (26:02):

Israel Attacks Humanitarian Aid Convoy to Gaza, Killing 19

A flotilla of activists and politicians carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, in defiance of the U.S.-Israel-Egypt unlawful blockade, were attacked by the Israeli Navy. Israel Army Radio reports up to 16 have been killed. Others report up to 20.

The BBC reports (7:54):

Activists Carrying Humanitarian Aid to Directly Challenge Gaza Blockade

The Israel Navy prepares to stop a flotilla from heading to Gaza with thousands of tons of aid. Activists and politicians intend on breaking the unlawful blockade of the Strip. Mohamed Vall reports at Al Jazeera (3:11):

Daily Briefing—14th May 2010

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Daily Briefing—13th May 2010

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Stephen Walt on the Israel Lobby (Video)

Harvard University Professor Stephen Walt, co-writer of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy with Professor John Mearsheimer, was recently on the Pakistani program ‘Washington Report”. The episode was posted in four parts, but the first is an introduction completely in Urdu, so we’re just posting the last three parts—the interview itself.

He discusses the impact of The Lobby, which “ties one hand behind America’s back”, on its role in “how American foreign policy works”—ignorant of “the fact is that unconditional support for Israel isn’t good for the United States” and “probably not even good for Israel”. He also discusses the  “foolish” self-defeating nature of the Obama Adminsitration’s motivation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Prof. Walt is a truly independent amoral Realpolitik theorist, one of the most compelling and informative political scientists of our time.

Part One (7:27):

Daily Briefing—5th May 2010

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RAND to U.S.: Learn Lessons From Israel’s Massacres in Lebanon and Gaza

The Beltway, quasi-government think-tank of warmongerers provides a sick glimpse into the craniums of how governments approach war.

Norman Finkelstein: ‘This Time We Went Too Far’ (Video)

Professor Norman Finkelstein’s lecture at the University of Southern California, 11 March 2010, on the Gaza Massacre as discussed in his most recent book, This Time We Went Too Far: Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Massacre:

• The preceding internal politics of Israel, Gaza and the international community’s reaction;
• Israel breaking its ceasefire with Hamas while the world was distracted by the ‘coronation‘ of Barack Obama;
• Why ‘22 days of death and destruction‘, as Amnesty International called the massacre, wasn’t a ‘war’;
• The ‘crimes’ of Hamas rocket attacks v. those of Israel ‘terrorizing‘, according to the Goldstone Report, Gazans;
• Israel soldiers’ description of the massacre as ‘insane hunting season, like a video game, like a child killing ants with a magnifying glass’;
• Israel’s unlawful repeated targeting of civilians and the use of weaponized white phosphorus;
• The Western perpetuation of ‘Israel’s propaganda’ which is contrary to the reports of a diverse array of non-governmental organizations finding Israel’s ‘aim to punish, numiliate and terrorize the civilian population’ as ‘systematic and deliberate policy’, consistent with then-Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni bragging her soldiers invasion Gaza ‘demonstrated real hooliganism‘;
• The bipartisan Massacre Deniers of the United States in the White House and public universities, along with Elie Wiesel—because ‘every circus needs a clown’.

Part One (9:49):

Israel Accusation About to Lead to Preemptive Strike on Syria?

Mere posturing or testing the propaganda waters for consent to strike?

Daily Briefing—15th April 2010

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