Israelis execute injured Palestinian -- video and eyewitness | The Electronic Intifada

Israelis execute injured Palestinian -- video and eyewitness | The Electronic Intifada



 "An Israeli soldier stands at a distance of several meters. Al-Muhtasib
moves and the soldier, still at a distance of several meters, aims his
rifle at him and fires. Al-Muhtasib continues to writhe on the ground as
the soldier moves around him."

Mourners
in Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, carry the body of Ahmad
Kamil, shot dead by Israeli forces after allegedly trying to stab one of
them at Jalameh checkpoint, during his funeral on 30 October.


Nedal Eshtayah
APA images

‘As long as we choose violence Israel will always defeat us’ | 972 Magazine

‘As long as we choose violence Israel will always defeat us’ | 972 Magazine



‘Israelis killed my father, destroyed my home, they’re destroying my culture. And nonviolence is the only way forward’



 

'As long as we choose violence Israel will always defeat us'

Mubarak Awad, one of the main organizers of nonviolent
resistance during the First Intifada until Israel exiled him, talks
about why only nonviolence can defeat the occupation, how Palestinians
must convince Israelis that peace is their own interest, and his fears
that without a new nonviolent movement more and more Palestinian youths
will be drawn to armed resistance.


By Waleed Shahid (First published in ‘In These Times‘)

 

Mubarak Awad. (photo courtesy of Meir Amor)

Iraq War Inquiry report to be published June or July 2016, Chilcot tells Cameron — RT UK

Iraq War Inquiry report to be published June or July 2016, Chilcot tells Cameron — RT UK

Iraq War Inquiry report to be published June or July 2016, Chilcot tells Cameron 

Sir John Chilcot has told Prime Minister David Cameron that the
long-delayed, highly controversial report into the legality of the Iraq
War will certainly be published in June or July 2016.

In an official letter to Cameron, Chilcot said the text of the report would be completed by April 18, 2016, at which point “national security” checking of the content will commence.

John Chilcot © Matt Dunham

 

From "Sustainable" to "Regenerative" - the Future of Food

From "Sustainable" to "Regenerative" - the Future of Food

From "Sustainable" to "Regenerative" - the Future of Food 

 By André Leu and Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association

 

This week, the paywalled site PoliticoPro reported that the US
Secretary of Agriculture wants "farmers and agricultural interests to
come up with a single definition of sustainability in order to avoid
confusing the public with various meanings of the term in food and
production methods."


We agree with Secretary Tom Vilsack that the word "sustainability" is
meaningless to consumers and the public. It's overused, misused and it
has been shamelessly co-opted by corporations for the purpose of
greenwashing.


But rather than come up with one definition for the word
"sustainable" as it refers to food and food production methods, we
suggest doing away with the word entirely. In its place, as a way of
helping food consumers make conscious, informed decisions, we suggest
dividing global food and farming into two categories: regenerative and
degenerative.



(Photo: Organic Carrots via Shutterstock)

How the World Almost Ended in the Fall of 1983

How the World Almost Ended in the Fall of 1983

 By Joshua Krause

For most people who grew up in the ’80s, the year 1983 probably
doesn’t stand out in any particular way. At least, no more than any
other year from that decade. As time goes on, however, and more
information is released to the public, that year is beginning to take on
a sinister tone. That’s because we’re starting to learn that in the
latter half of that year, the United States and the Soviet Union came
dangerously close to nuclear war on multiple occasions. These incidents
were largely fueled by Soviet paranoia and, later, American ignorance;
which without a doubt may be the most volatile combination on Earth.

 

L’UE et la Nouvelle-Zélande ouvrent des discussions de libre-échange | bilaterals.org

L’UE et la Nouvelle-Zélande ouvrent des discussions de libre-échange | bilaterals.org



L’UE et la Nouvelle-Zélande ouvrent des discussions de libre-échange





La Nouvelle-Zélande et l’Union européenne ont ouvert jeudi des
discussions sur un accord de libre-échange qui donnerait à la petite
nation agricole accès au marché européen et ses 500 millions de
consommateurs.



L’annonce a été faite à l’occasion de la visite du Premier ministre
néo-zélandais, John Key, à Bruxelles, où il a rencontré le président de
la Commission européenne, Jean-Claude Juncker, et celui du Conseil
européen, Donald Tusk.



«Aujourd’hui, nous nous engageons à démarrer le processus pour des
négociations et arriver rapidement à un accord de libre-échange fouillé,
exhaustif, et de grande qualité», ont déclaré les trois dirigeants dans
un communiqué commun.



En 2014, la Nouvelle-Zélande était classée à la 51e place sur la
liste des principaux partenaires commerciaux de l’UE. L’Union est quant à
elle le 3e plus important partenaire commercial de l’île, après
l’Australie et la Chine, alors que la Nouvelle-Zélande se tourne de plus
en plus vers l’Asie.



Au début du mois, la Nouvelle-Zélande a signé avec 11 autres pays
riverains du Pacifique un accord de libre-échange, dit TTP, après de
longues années de négociations, ouvrant au pays un marché potentiel de
plus de 800 millions de consommateurs dans la région Asie-Pacifique.

source:
Le Quotidien

 

 

Quicklink: Sentenced to Be Crucified | OpEdNews

Quicklink: Sentenced to Be Crucified | OpEdNews

Sentenced to Be Crucified

 

Any day now, our Saudi Arabian allies may behead and crucify a young man named Ali al-Nimr.

His
appeals following his court sentence for this grisly execution have
been exhausted, so guards may lead Nimr to a public square and hack off
his head with a sword as onlookers jeer. Then, following Saudi protocol
for crucifixion, they would hang his body as a warning to others.

Nimr’s offense? He was arrested at age 17 for participating in anti-government protests. 



 

American Drone Assassinations May Violate International Law, Experts Say

American Drone Assassinations May Violate International Law, Experts Say

 

American Drone Assassinations May Violate International Law, Experts Say

Murtaza Hussain

 

The standards governing America’s drone assassinations may violate
the Geneva Conventions and other international norms, legal experts say.


U.S. forces routinely classify bystanders felled in its Afghanistan
drone strikes as “enemies killed in action,” even when they are not the
intended targets of the strikes, according to a source and to documents obtained by The Intercept published
earlier this month. But the Geneva Conventions specify that when
someone’s status is not clear, they should be classified as a civilian. Article 50
of Additional Protocol I, which dates to 1977 and was ratified by 174
countries, says that “in case of doubt whether a person is a civilian,
that person shall be considered to be a civilian.”

ACLU appeals judge’s refusal to release documents pertaining to CIA’s covert drone/assassination program

ACLU appeals judge’s refusal to release documents pertaining to CIA’s covert drone/assassination program

October 28th, 2015, by Julie Wilson





There’s essentially only two ways to truly know what the federal
government is up to, and that’s through the mouth of whistleblowers,
such as Edward Snowden, who bravely exposed the National Security Agency’s (NSA) mass surveillance of the American people,
and secondly, the Freedom of Information Request Act (FOIA), which
allows the public to access records from any federal agency, a measure
instituted to provide government transparency.


While these tools give the illusion that Americans have some power in
holding their government accountable for its abuses, the idea that we
have transparency in any regard is a complete joke. The government has mushroomed
so large that it’s extremely difficult for the public to hold it
accountable, particularly regarding its illegal spy programs and war
conduct.

 

“Boots on the Ground” Inside Syria? The Pentagon Comes to the Rescue of the “Islamic State” (ISIS) | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

“Boots on the Ground” Inside Syria? The Pentagon Comes to the Rescue of the “Islamic State” (ISIS) | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

“Boots on the Ground” Inside Syria? The Pentagon Comes to the Rescue of the “Islamic State” (ISIS)

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

 

 On October 27, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced that the Pentagon is contemplating “direct action on the ground” in both Iraq and Syria, “in an effort to combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group.” (Sputnik, October 27, 2015).


The not so hidden agenda, however,  is not “to combat” but rather
“to protect and come to the rescue” of the Islamic State terrorist
group. 


What’s new? Are we witnessing a process of military escalation?


The US and its allies already have boots on ground inside Syria. It’s not official, it’s a so-called “covert operation” which everybody knows about.


The Pentagon together with NATO, Turkey and Israel, et al, have
routinely dispatched their military advisers, special forces and
intelligence operatives to the Syrian war theater. These foreign forces
have operated within rebel ranks from the outset of the war on Syria in
March 2011.

 

The Evolution of Washington’s Position on Syria is Clearly Visible Now | New Eastern Outlook

The Evolution of Washington’s Position on Syria is Clearly Visible Now | New Eastern Outlook



 
Author: Kurt Kolbert

The Evolution of Washington’s Position on Syria is Clearly Visible Now
Despite the significant changes in the situation on the ground in Syria
that is caused by the Russian intervention aimed at destroying ISIL and
other militants, Washington remains confused what sort of politics it
should be conducting in Syria. At least the latest meeting of the
Secretary of State John Kerry with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov has shown that the US is not demanding the immediate Assad’s
departure. This has become the cause of some serious criticism from
Riyadh and Ankara, but frankly, the White House couldn’t care less.
Apparently, American politicians have finally got to grips with the fact
that as long as ISIL is controlling extensive territories in Iraq and
Syria, the situation in the Middle East would remain complicated. At
this stage the US is more concerned about ISIS, since Bashar al-Assad
has already lost the control of half of the Syrian territories due the
major ISIS offensive that was launched in the summer of 2014. Those vast
areas are now used as recruiting centers and training camps for new
terrorists, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are making every
attempt to derail each step that Russia or the US take to do something
about it.

 

First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2015/10/29/the-evolution-of-washingtons-position-on-syria-is-clearly-visible-now/

For science! US government says it's OK to hack your car, tablet or smart TV — RT USA

For science! US government says it's OK to hack your car, tablet or smart TV — RT USA

For science! US government says it's OK to hack your car, tablet or smart TV 

The Library of Congress just granted a set of copyright
exemptions, giving the owners of smart TV sets and cars the ability to
tinker with their devices without violating copyright law. This will
allow the installation of third-party software.

Every 36 months, the US
Copyright Office – a division of the Library of Congress – meets to hear
petitions and review the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (DMCA)
provision 1201. The provision is the anti-circumvention part of the law
that had, in the past, made it illegal to ‘unlock’ your smartphone from
its carrier and helped corporations protect copyrighted material.

READ MORE: TPP copyright provision: Countries to adjust their laws to match US policy



 

 

Russia's "No-Fly Zone" Prevents US, Israel, UK From Bombing Syria

Russia’s “No-Fly Zone” Prevents US, Israel, UK From Bombing Syria

 

By Brandon Turbeville




It appears that, after a few weeks of Russian bombing in Syria, a new
kind of “no-fly zone” seems to have been established. However, this
“no-fly zone” is not focused on preventing Syrian planes and military
forces from operating inside the country. Instead, it functions as a
barrier to Israeli and American air forces seeking to enter Syria
through the Mediterranean Sea in order to support terrorists and
jihadists against the secular government of Bashar al-Assad.

Israel demolishes Bedouin village of Al Araqib — for the 90th time | +972 Magazine

Israel demolishes Bedouin village of Al Araqib — for the 90th time | +972 Magazine

Israel demolishes Bedouin village of Al Araqib — for the 90th time

Things have been quiet in the Negev lately. So the
authorities decided to take advantage of this period of relative calm
and, while everybody’s attention was elsewhere, sent the bulldozers to
destroy the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al Araqib — for the
90th time.




By Avi Blecherman



 

Police arrive in Al Araqib to destroy it for the 90th time, October 28, 2015. (Aziz Alturi)

Runaway Surveillance Blimp Deflates Raytheon’s Hopes to Sell More: 



 

Runaway Surveillance Blimp Deflates Raytheon’s Hopes to Sell More

 

In what may be the most bizarre and public crash of a multibillion-dollar Pentagon boondoggle
ever, a surveillance blimp flying over an Army base in Maryland broke
loose Wednesday afternoon, its 6,000-foot-long tether wreaking havoc on
the countryside before it finally came down in pieces in Pennsylvania.


The giant airship — 80 yards long and about the size of three
Goodyear blimps — was one of a pair that represented the last gasp of an
18-year, $2.7 billion program called JLENS or “Joint Land Attack Cruise
Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System.”


There were once supposed to be 36 of them, their high-resolution
360-degree radar coverage up to 340 miles in any direction protecting
the nation from cruise missiles.


But costs inflated, doubts about their utility mounted, and the program was scaled back and almost killed.

Who are the Terrorists? US Intends “Direct Action on the Ground” in Iraq and Syria, In Support of ISIS… | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Who are the Terrorists? US Intends “Direct Action on the Ground” in Iraq and Syria, In Support of ISIS… | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Who are the Terrorists? US Intends “Direct Action on the Ground” in Iraq and Syria, In Support of ISIS…

By Stephen Lendman

 

 

It
bears repeating and stressing what other articles explained. Washington
uses ISIS and other takfiri terrorists as US foot soldiers in Syria,
Iraq and wherever else they’re deployed.

In
over a year of US bombing both countries, zero ISIS targets were struck
– infrastructure and other government sites only. Claims otherwise are
Big Lies about Obama’s wars in both countries.

Last
year, he promised no “American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.
We will not get dragged into another ground war” – another of his many
Big Lies.

Last
week, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said he has “no intention to
authorize long-term, large-scale ground combat operations like our
nation has conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Middle East analyst Phyllis Bennis told RT International:
“I think the question of US boots on the ground has been true for over a
year now. We’ve had at least 35,000 troops in Iraq that went back last
year (2014).”

US
“troops (are actively) engaged in combat…So, the notion that there are
‘no boots’ is simply not the case. We also know that besides 35,000 US
troops on the ground in Iraq there are an unknown numbers of other
Special Forces and CIA forces on the ground.”

 

Australia: Damning evidence of officials' involvement in transnational crime uncovered | Amnesty International

Australia: Damning evidence of officials' involvement in transnational crime uncovered | Amnesty International



We have shocking evidence of Australian border officials being involved
in transnational crime, abusing asylum-seekers at sea and paying for
people smuggling. Demand the ‪#‎RoyalCommission‬ investigates these officials and that Australia treats people with humanity: http://amn.st/6184BO2Tn

 

Stop the Transatlantic Trade Deals Tickets | Eventbrite

Stop the Transatlantic Trade Deals Tickets | Eventbrite

Stop the Transatlantic Trade Deals

 

By: Global Justice Now

Event Description

A new breed of trade deal will give huge power and influence to big business.


The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is
currently being negotiated between the EU and the US. It is a huge
handover of power to big business, from watering down safety regulations
to locking in privatisation and allowing companies to sue governments
in secret 'corporate courts' if they don't like democratically-made
decisions.


The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is closer to
being agreed. it's similar to TTIP, but drawn up between Canada and the
EU. Scheduled to be put to the vote of the European Parliament in 2016,
it has an even worse 'corporate court' system than TTIP, it must be
stopped.


The Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is a deal being negotiated
bewtween 50 countries, it threatens to de-regulate and privatise
industries from transport and communications to finance.


There has been a huge amount of opposition over allowing corporations
to sue governments and the European Commission has said it will look
into reforming this part of TTIP. We can beat these deals, opposition is
spreading and as more people understand what's involved, our case grows
stronger.

JLENS blimp returns to Earth in Central Pennsylvania; military recovery 'in progress' - Baltimore Sun

JLENS blimp returns to Earth in Central Pennsylvania; military recovery 'in progress' - Baltimore Sun

JLENS blimp returns to Earth in Central Pennsylvania; military recovery 'in progress'

 

The military surveillance blimp that broke free of its mooring at
Aberdeen Proving Ground Wednesday morning has returned to Earth after a
four-hour, 160-mile, power line-snapping odyssey, authorities said.

NORAD
spokesman Michael Kucharek said the runaway aircraft was on the ground
near Moreland Township, Pa. — 160 miles north of its mooring in Edgewood
— and was deflating. The blimp had slowly been losing helium, he said,
and appears to have drifted to the ground.


Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Angela Bieber said the balloon was "contained."

"It is no longer moving," she said.

Beiber said police had not received any reports of injuries. She said the military was trying to recover the blimp.



 

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity : We Must Oppose Obama's Escalation in Syria and Iraq!

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity : We Must Oppose Obama's Escalation in Syria and Iraq!:

We Must Oppose Obama's Escalation in Syria and Iraq!

Written by

Ron Paul

Today Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to outline a new US military strategy for the Middle East. The Secretary admitted the failure of the US “train and equip” program for rebels in Syria, but instead of taking the appropriate lessons from that failure and get out of the “regime change” business, he announced the opposite. The US would not only escalate its “train and equip” program by removing the requirement that fighters be vetted for extremist ideology, but according to the Secretary the US military would for the first time become directly and overtly involved in combat in Syria and Iraq.

As Secretary Carter put it, the US would begin “supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL (ISIS), or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground.”

Noam Chomsky: 2003 'Invasion of Iraq is the Worst Crime' of 21st Century

Noam Chomsky: 2003 'Invasion of Iraq is the Worst Crime' of 21st Century

 

World-renowned
philosopher and linguist Professor Noam Chomsky called the US invasion
of Iraq "the worst crime of this century" in an interview with Abby
Martin for teleSUR's The Empire Files.

"It's
had horrible effects; it spawned sectarian conflicts that are tearing
the region apart," the intellectual added. "The very idea of invading is
criminal. Try to find someone who describes it as a crime. Obama is
praised because he describes (the Iraq War) as a mistake. But does he
describe it as a crime, does anyone?" he asked.

 

EU Toughens Against TTIP as Top German Lawmaker Blasts Anti-Democratic Deal | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

EU Toughens Against TTIP as Top German Lawmaker Blasts Anti-Democratic Deal | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

EU Toughens Against TTIP as Top German Lawmaker Blasts Anti-Democratic Deal

Parliament president's remarks are just the latest example of growing opposition to the corporate-friendly pact

by

Deirdre Fulton, staff writer

 

 

An estimated 200,000 people showed up to an anti-TTIP march and rally in Berlin earlier this month. (Photo: Reuters)

Tensions soar internationally following US deployment in South China Sea - World Socialist Web Site

Tensions soar internationally following US deployment in South China Sea - World Socialist Web Site

Tensions soar internationally following US deployment in South China Sea

By
James Cogan


28 October 2015

Yesterday’s US deployment of the destroyer USS Lassen and
surveillance aircraft into the 12-nautical mile zone surrounding the
Chinese-controlled Subi and Mischief reefs in the South China Sea has
qualitatively escalated tensions across Asia.


The aim of the US action is to humiliate the Chinese regime and
present it with only two options: either make a forceful response or bow
down to Washington’s flagrant trampling on its long-standing
sovereignty claims. The pretext for the military provocation is the
claim that the US is asserting its “right of freedom of navigation” in
international, not Chinese, waters. This assertion has no more
credibility than the claims that Iraq was attacked because of “weapons
of mass destruction” or that the US waged war on Libya to defend “human
rights.”



 

Ukraine Neo-Nazi National Guard Battalions “Out of Control” of Kiev Military Command | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Ukraine Neo-Nazi National Guard Battalions “Out of Control” of Kiev Military Command | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization



Some 2,000 fighters of the Azov, Dnipro and Lviv volunteer battalions,
deployed near the disengagement line between Kiev forces and DPR
military, have gotten out of control of the Ukrainian military command,
Eduard Basurin, spokesman for the Defense Ministry of DPR, said at a
briefing Wednesday.

 

Who Was Killed in Abbottabad in May 2011? Osama bin Laden or Someone Else? Pentagon Ordered Purge of Osama “Death Files” from Data Bank | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Who Was Killed in Abbottabad in May 2011? Osama bin Laden or Someone Else? Pentagon Ordered Purge of Osama “Death Files” from Data Bank | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization



 MICHEL CHOSSUDOVSKY: This article was first published in July 2013
following the Pentagon’s Decision to Purge the bin Laden “death files”
from the Pentagon’s data bank. The decision was justified “to protect
the names of the personnel involved in the raid, according to the
inspector general’s draft report.” The personnel involved were members
of the Navy SEAL team 6 operative which undertook the bin Laden
Abbottabad raids in May 2011.

 

Tampon industry and FDA wage massive war on women with revisionist history to memory hole Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) - NaturalNews.com

Tampon industry and FDA wage massive war on women with revisionist history to memory hole Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) - NaturalNews.com



 JENNIFER LEA REYNOLDS: As usual, those who want to continue making money off of sick individuals will find a way to omit crucial details and dance through loopholes, trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the tampon industry is no different;

 

“Obama Killed Osama”: NYT Perpetuates the Myth | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

“Obama Killed Osama”: NYT Perpetuates the Myth | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

STEPHEN LENDMAN: Ignoring its own earlier reporting is longstanding Times practice. Serving imperial interests take precedence. Its May 1, 2011 report contradicted its July 2002 one, headlining “Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says.”

http://www.globalresearch.ca/obama-killed-osama-nyt-perpetuates-the-myth/5485485

 

The Untold History of The US. The Bush and Obama Age of Terror: Oliver Stone | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

The Untold History of The US. The Bush and Obama Age of Terror: Oliver Stone | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization: 



The Untold History of The US. The Bush and Obama Age of Terror: Oliver Stone
Top Documentary Films

Shot woman: Israeli police alter story again | Jonathan Cook's Blog

Shot woman: Israeli police alter story again | Jonathan Cook's Blog

JONATHAN COOK: The official Israeli story about Israa Abed – the Nazareth woman who was shot six times on Oct 9 by Israeli security forces as she stood motionless in a bus station – has changed so many times, it’s difficult to know what to believe any more. By a small miracle she survived the shooting.

http://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2015-10-29/shot-woman-israeli-police-alter-story-again/

 

 

SPAIN AGAINST THE CATALONIA NATION -- Catalan government denounces the obstacles to the vote abroad before Supreme Court | VilaWeb

Catalan government denounces the obstacles to the vote abroad before Supreme Court | VilaWeb



 Only 7,5% of the nearly 200,000 Catalans whom live abroad and are
registered to vote were ultimately able do so in the last 27-S elections

Catalan government denounces the obstacles to the vote abroad before Supreme Court

 

Only 7,5% of the nearly 200,000 Catalans
whom live abroad and are registered to vote were ultimately able do so
in the last 27-S elections. “We warned that we won’t stand on the side
lines and we haven’t” stated Catalan Minister for Public Affairs
Meritxell Borràs and announced that the Catalan Government has presented
an appeal to the Supreme Court to “assume responsabilities”. “It is
clear that irregularities did happen in the months and weeks before the
27-S” and “someone must be held accountable, whether it is someone in
the Postal Service, the Foreign Ministry, or the Electoral Roll office”
she stated. Borràs also accused Electoral Roll Office of “violating
fundamental rights” by denying the government’s petition to extend the
postal vote for those Catalans living abroad but allowing the army and
citizens from other parts of Spain to vote until a later date. Borràs
described the decision as “contradictory” and accused Electoral Roll
Office of being “committed to not facilitating” the vote abroad. 

The vote abroad “is an authentic odyssey”
stated the Catalan Minister for Public Administration, Meritxell Borràs
when she received the ballots from those Catalans living abroad. She
added that 7,000 ballots that were sent on time weren’t able to reach
their destination.

 

Europäische Union: Erst Kommissar, dann ab in die Wirtschaft - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Europäische Union: Erst Kommissar, dann ab in die Wirtschaft - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Ex-EU-Beamte: Erst Kommissar, dann ab in die Wirtschaft

 Früheren EU-Kommissaren steht der Jobmarkt weit offen - doch
manch neuer Posten ist problematisch. Ein Bericht zeigt jetzt: Immer
wieder verstoßen Europas höchste Beamte gegen den eigenen
Verhaltenskodex.

 

REUTERS

EU-Kommissionsgebäude in Brüssel: Seitenwechsel möglich

 

International trade: UN expert calls for abolition of Investor-State dispute settlement arbitrations | bilaterals.org

International trade: UN expert calls for abolition of Investor-State dispute settlement arbitrations | bilaterals.org





International trade: UN expert calls for abolition of Investor-State dispute settlement arbitrations





“Trade must be made to work for human rights and development and not
against them,” the United Nations Independent Expert on the promotion of
a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas, has
said today.



In his fourth report* to the UN General Assembly, Mr. de Zayas
focuses on the adverse human rights impacts of free trade and investment
agreements and calls for the abolition of Investor-State dispute
settlement mechanism (ISDS) that accompanies most of these agreements.



“Over the past twenty-five years bilateral international treaties and
free trade agreements with investor-state-dispute-settlement have
adversely impacted the international order and undermined fundamental
principles of the UN, State sovereignty, democracy and the rule of law.
It prompts moral vertigo in the unbiased observer,” he noted.



“Far from contributing to human rights and development, ISDS has
compromised the State’s regulatory functions and resulted in growing
inequality among States and within them,” the expert stated.



In his report, Mr. de Zayas reviews a number of ISDS cases with
adverse impacts on human rights, in particular when specific social
policies have led to lawsuits by investors for alleged breach of trade
agreements, and concludes that there is no justification to establish
this privatized system of dispute settlement. “Investors can always
bring claims before national jurisdictions with many appeal instances or
rely on diplomatic protection and inter-State dispute settlement
procedures,” he said.



The Independent Expert noted the European Commission’s recent
proposal to create an Investment Court System for the Transatlantic
Trade and Investment Partnership – TTIP. However, he warned that “it
suffers from fundamental flaws and can only be adopted if the primacy of
human rights is guaranteed, and those essential areas of State
regulation including tobacco control, labour standards and environmental
protection are carved out, i.e. excluded from the Court’s
jurisdiction.”



 

How To Stop An Oil And Gas Pipeline: The Unist'ot'en Camp Resistance

How To Stop An Oil And Gas Pipeline: The Unist'ot'en Camp Resistance: 



How To Stop An Oil And Gas Pipeline: The Unist'ot'en Camp Resistance

Over the past four years, the Unist'ot'en clan
of the Wet'suwet'en nation have literally built a strategy to keep
three proposed oil and gas pipelines from crossing their land. Concerned
about the environmental damage a leak could cause on land they've never
given up, they've constructed a protection camp to block pipeline
companies.

unistotencamp.com



 

Hypersonic deterrence: how to maintain strategic balance | Oriental Review

Hypersonic deterrence: how to maintain strategic balance | Oriental Review

Hypersonic deterrence: how to maintain strategic balance

 

It is unlikely that nuclear weapons, which the US created in the mid-twentieth century and used only once – to bomb Japanese cities
– will ever be activated in a global conflict. We can assume that the
leaders of the official Western nuclear powers (the UK, US, and France)
as well as the other states that actually possess such weapons (India,
Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan) will continue to base the conceptual
foundation of their military strategy on this incontestable truism: “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” Russia’s current military and political leaders agree with this self-evident observation. In his Oct. 22 speech
in Sochi before the Valdai Club, an international discussion group,
President Vladimir Putin echoed these sentiments: “The development of
nuclear weapons has made it clear that there can be no winners in a
global conflict.”


Unlike nuclear weapons, which are “tools of extreme impact,” Long-Range Hypersonic High-Precision Weapons (or Advanced Hypersonic Weapons
– AHW in US terminology) are ready for use in any scenario, including
as part of counter-terror operations. AHW do not cause unnecessary
civilian casualties and do not inflict significant material damage to
civil transportation systems, power plants, or other infrastructure
beyond the small affected area.


Russia has been developing its own promising prototypes of AHW in the
numbers deemed necessary to bolster its own security, in response to
both America’s functional rollout of Prompt Global Strike, an ambitious
program to deploy a global, layered missile-defense system, as well as
the Pentagon’s modernization of its strategic and tactical nuclear
weapons.

 

Syria-Iraq Battlespace, International Military Review | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Syria-Iraq Battlespace, International Military Review | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Syria-Iraq Battlespace, International Military Review

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in coordination with the National
Defense Forces (NDF) and the Palestinian militia “Liwaa Al-Quds” smashed
the ISIS militants at the western outskirts of Ithriyah. This provides a
ground to reopen the road between Ithriyah and Salamiyah inside the
Hama province.


Nonetheless this success looks badly amid the ISIS counter actions in
another sector. Militants cut off route along the Aleppo-Khanasser
highway that leads to the Aleppo province. As long as ISIS has control
of the road, the Syiran government’s supplies aren’t possible through
it.


Since Saturday morning, the SAA and its allies have continued their
operations in Jabal Al-Akrad, targeting Al-Nusra’s defensive positions
at the northern axis of Kataf Al-Ghaddar. In addition to the capture of
Kataf Al-Ghaddar, the Syrian Arab Army’s Special Forces have advanced
inside the strategic city of Salma, capturing several building blocks
and hilltops from the terrorists.

 

 

What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you | Comment | Voices | The Independent

What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you | Comment | Voices | The Independent



 What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you
Have you heard about TTIP? If your answer is no, don’t get too worried; you’re not meant to have



http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html

Julian Assange - TTIP, TPP and TISA. Privacy debate (Brussels) - YouTube

Julian Assange - TTIP, TPP and TISA. Privacy debate (Brussels) - YouTube: 

Julian Assange - TTIP, TPP and TISA. Privacy debate (Brussels) 

 

Violation Tracker | Good Jobs First

Violation Tracker | Good Jobs First



Billions in fines over the past five years doled out by our Federal
Agencies... and yet all we hear is "We are under funded, under
staffed and over worked." These are the top ten Bad Boys... there are
thousands more... and these the federal regulatory agencies are paid
massive amounts of cash for "permits", "approvals", "applications" and
"process reviews"... as well as annual renewal fees. Nobody works for
free...

1 BP $25,394,091,789

2 Anadarko Petroleum $5,151,339,071

3 GlaxoSmithKline $3,750,839,650

4 Johnson & Johnson $2,392,753,043

5 Abbott Laboratories $1,500,000,000

6 Transocean $1,400,040,000

7 Toyota $1,266,214,250

8 Alliant Energy $1,018,102,250

9 Merck $ 951,806,424

10 General Motors $ 936,388,294


Violation Tracker is the first national search engine on corporate
misconduct. Version 1.0 covers environmental, health and safety cases
initiated by 13 federal regulatory agencies since 2010, including those
referred to the Justice Department. Other violations (banking,
antitrust, wage & hour, etc.) will be added later.

 

Chevron's Key Witness Exposed as Paid Liar in Ecuador Case | Analysis | teleSUR English

Chevron's Key Witness Exposed as Paid Liar in Ecuador Case | Analysis | teleSUR English:



Chevron's Key Witness Exposed as Paid Liar in Ecuador 



Case
1
Comentarios
+

In March 2014, U.S. Judge Lewis Kaplan determined that the US$9.5 billion in compensation awarded to a group of Ecuadoreans for environmental contamination in the Amazon as the result of Chevron's oil extraction activities had been secured fraudulently.
Environmental activist Cyntia Zapata shows a plastic bottle with some oil waste from a pool of waste that Chevron left behind in the fields they operated in the Amazon, Ecuador, Sep. 17, 2013.

Kaplan's ruling was largely predicated on the testimony of a man named Albero Guerra, who claimed that the presiding Ecuadorean judge, Nicolas Zambrano, had offered to write an agreement favorable to the plaintiffs in exchange for a US$500,000 bribe, which Guerra expected to also cash in on.

RELATED: 10 Key Points on Ecuador’s Battle with Chevron

 

BP: Corporate Rap Sheet | Corporate Research Project

BP: Corporate Rap Sheet | Corporate Research Project





BP (formerly British Petroleum) has become one of the world’s most
controversial giant corporations because of its involvement in a series
of major environmental and industrial accidents. The company has been
the target of intense criticism for its role in the April 2010 explosion
at a drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and
caused an underwater leak that spewed millions of gallons of crude oil
into the ocean, creating the most serious environmental disaster in U.S.
history.The company later pled guilty to manslaughter and other
criminal charges and paid billions in fines, penalties and settlements.


This incident in the Gulf occurred while BP was still contending with
the legal and public relations fallout from a deadly explosion at a
refinery in Texas, oil spills in the Alaskan tundra, and charges of
manipulating energy commodities markets. BP has also faced human rights
charges in countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, and Colombia.

BP
got its start exploring for oil in Persia (now Iran), where, in the
1950s, it enlisted the help of the American CIA to overthrow a populist
leader who had nationalized the company’s assets in the country. Over
the past quarter-century BP has solidified its position as one of the
premier global oil companies with a series of acquisitions in the United
States: Standard Oil of Ohio (1987), Amoco (1998) and Atlantic
Richfield (2000).

GlaxoSmithKline: Corporate Rap Sheet | Corporate Research Project

GlaxoSmithKline: Corporate Rap Sheet | Corporate Research Project





London-based GlaxoSmithKline is the product of the 2000 merger of
two drug giants: Glaxo—which had its origins in the infant formula
business and then jumped to the top ranks of the pharmaceutical industry
on the basis of the extraordinarily popular ulcer drug Zantac—and
SmithKline Beecham, which was itself the product of a merger of a U.S.
and a British drugmaker and had a broader portfolio of drugs, including
the competing ulcer medication Tagamet and the ill-fated diabetes drug
Avandia.

In recent years, GlaxoSmithKline has become known as the
company that pays massive amounts to resolve wide-ranging charges
brought by U.S. regulators and prosecutors. These included a $750
million payment relating to the sale of adulterated products from a
facility in Puerto Rico and a record $3 billion in connection with
charges relating to illegal marketing, suppression of adverse safety
research results and overcharging government customers. The company also
set a record for the largest tax avoidance settlement with the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service.

 

BREAKING! GOVERNMENT ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR ANTI-OBAMA FACEBOOK POSTS!

BREAKING! GOVERNMENT ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR ANTI-OBAMA FACEBOOK POSTS!: 



 

GOVERNMENT ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR ANTI-OBAMA FACEBOOK POSTS!

 

This article will make you angry. The US Government is
actively seeking those who criticize government, specifically Barack
Obama, and arresting them without charging them. They are remanded to
mental health institutions where they are given “training” on how to
view the world.

Remind you of a little book that George Orwell wrote?

It gets worse.

Most of the victims of the government’s kidnapping scheme are veterans.

 

“Running Out of Money”. The US Government On the Brink of Default. How Obama Could Beat the Debt Ceiling | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

“Running Out of Money”. The US Government On the Brink of Default. How Obama Could Beat the Debt Ceiling | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

“Running Out of Money”. The US Government On the Brink of Default. How Obama Could Beat the Debt Ceiling

 

Until the control of the issue of
currency and credit is restored to government and recognized as its most
conspicuous and sacred responsibility, all talk of the sovereignty of
Parliament and of democracy is idle and futile  — Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, 1935

On November 3^rd, the US government will again run out of money due to a debt ceiling artificially imposed by Congress. This is the third time in four years that
a radical faction has taken the country to the brink of default to
extort concessions that are at best only marginally related to the
budget.


The debt ceiling is an unconstitutional gimmick that violates the 14^th amendment,
which says the validity of the government’s debt shall not be
questioned. The debt was incurred by Congress when it passed the budget,
and the money has been borrowed and spent. Congress cannot now refuse
to pay.


One good gimmick deserves another. The debt ceiling could be
eliminated for good, by restoring to the government its constitutional
authority to create money. Article 1, Section 8, provides: “The Congress
shall have the power to coin money [and] regulate the value thereof . .
. .” The president could pay the government’s bills by issuing some
large denomination coins by executive order.

 

Monsanto to shutter three R&D centers in 2016, cut 90 jobs | Reuters

Monsanto to shutter three R&D centers in 2016, cut 90 jobs | Reuters



 BREAKING: In response to a slumping market for GMO agricultural
commodities, Monsanto has announced that the company will shutter 3 GMO
plant research facilities by the end of
2016. Facilities in Wisconsin, Connecticut and North Carolina. The
centers are in Middleton, Wisconsin, and Mystic, Connecticut, both of
which focus on seed trait development research, and Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina, which focuses on research on plant screening and
phenotyping. The world is sending a clear message, Monsanto. Keep up the
boycotts, America! We are winning!

Western Banking Elite Stepping In to Seize Ukrainian National Wealth

Western Banking Elite Stepping In to Seize Ukrainian National Wealth

 

The civil war that
ripped Ukraine apart is over, US political analyst Phil Butler notes,
adding that one of the key indicators of such a change is that "the
Western banking wolves" are stepping in in Ukraine.

The
Ukrainian Euromaidan coup followed by a ruthless civil war was "all
about the money," to be more precise it was all about Western banking
interests, political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe Phil Butler
emphasizes.

"The energy companies: Dutch Royal Shell,
Avante Petrolem, ARCO, along with lesser known entities like BG Group,
Naftogaz and Ukrnafta now surface in news to reveal the dirty dealings
that went on underneath all this Ukraine killing. Yes, you always knew
it was about money from the moment you read Vice President Joe Biden's
son got a position in Ukraine energy, your fears the 'fix' was on were
verified," Butler wrote in his recent article for New Eastern Outlook.

 

Automakers and their Dark, Deadly Conspiracies

Automakers and their Dark, Deadly Conspiracies





Automakers and their Dark, Deadly Conspiracies



by Yves Engler 



Over the past eighteen months two of the world’s largest automakers
have been found responsible for deadly conspiracies. But, recent
revelations can’t compete with the industry’s previous scandals.


Last month Volkswagen was caught rigging millions of its cars
emissions testing systems to meet regulatory standards. The German
company programmed its turbocharged direct injection diesel engines to
activate emissions controls during laboratory testing while in
real-world driving the vehicles produced up to 40 times more nitrogen
oxide (NOx). Hundreds, probably thousands, of people will be afflicted
with asthma, lung disease and other ailments as a result.


The Volkswagen scandal follows on the heels of General Motors’
efforts to hide ignition and airbag defects in millions of its vehicles.
The faulty ignition switches cause the vehicle to lose power and its
airbag to fail during accidents. GM accepts that at least 124 people
died as a result of a glitch company officials knew about for years.


In a much bigger scandal, a half century ago information surfaced
implicating auto companies in a conspiracy to keep the population in a
toxic haze. The “smog conspiracy” was revealed in 1968 when the US
Department of Justice filed an anti-trust case against the Big Three.
They were accused of colluding to withhold the installation of catalytic
converters and other technologies to reduce pollution. “Beginning at
least as early as 1953, and continuing thereafter,” alleged the
Department of Justice, “the defendants and co-conspirators have been
engaged in a combination and conspiracy in unreasonable restraint of the
aforesaid interstate trade and commerce in motor vehicle air pollution
control equipment.”



 

SPAIN AGAINST THE CATALONIA NATION ---__ Catalan News Agency - Catalan government denounces the obstacles to the vote abroad before Spanish Constitutional Court

Catalan News Agency - Catalan government denounces the obstacles to the vote abroad before Spanish Constitutional Court

Catalan government denounces the obstacles to the vote abroad before Spanish Constitutional Court

CNA / Sara Prim

Barcelona (CNA).- Only 7,5%
of the nearly 200,000 Catalans whom live abroad and are registered to
vote were ultimately able do so in the last 27-S elections. “We warned
that we won’t stand on the side lines and we haven’t” stated Catalan
Minister for Public Affairs Meritxell Borràs and announced that the
Catalan Government has presented an appeal to the Spanish Constitutional
Court to “assume responsabilities”. “It is clear that irregularities
did happen in the months and weeks before the 27-S” and “someone must be
held accountable, whether it is someone in the Postal Service, the
Foreign Ministry, or the Electoral Roll office” she stated. Borràs also
accused Electoral Roll Office of “violating fundamental rights” by
denying the government’s petition to extend the postal vote for those
Catalans living abroad but allowing the army and citizens from other
parts of Spain to vote until a later date. Borràs described the decision
as “contradictory” and accused Electoral Roll Office of being
“committed to not facilitating” the vote abroad. 

The vote abroad “is an authentic
odyssey” stated the Catalan Minister for Public Administration,
Meritxell Borràs when she received the ballots from those Catalans
living abroad. She added that 7,000 ballots that were sent on time
weren’t able to reach their destination.

Soon after the election day, Borràs admitted that
“something went wrong” in the vote abroad system and that the Spanish
State couldn’t ignore “such a violation of a basic and fundamental
right”. She warned that the Catalan Government  “won’t stand on the side
lines” and her promise has been proven to be true. Borràs announced
this Wednesday that the Government has presented an appeal before
Spanish Constitutional Court to “avoid such an absurd situation from
happening again”. “It is clear that irregularities did happen in the
months and weeks before the 27-S” and “someone must be held accountable,
whether it is someone in the Postal Service, the Foreign Ministry, or
the Electoral Roll office” she stated. Borràs also confirmed that the
Government has requested a report to both the Postal Service and
Electoral Roll office to analyse wether all the procedures were
respected and worked as expected.

Electoral Roll Office didn’t respect “fundamental rights” nor “the equality principle”

Borràs also accused Electoral Roll Office of “violating
fundamental rights” by denying the government’s petition to extend the
postal vote for those Catalans living abroad. Borràs appealed to the
“equality principle” as the postal vote was extended for the militaries
and for those Catalans citizens from other parts of Spain and also
pointed that the deadlines were extended in the European elections. 

The Catalan Minister for Public Administration didn’t
accuse the Spanish State of acting deliberately but assured that
Electoral Roll Office worked to make the procedures “more complicated
rather than facilitating the right to vote”. “A third part of those
Catalans whom requested to vote couldn’t finally do it and this is not
an opinion, it is a fact” she concluded.

Answer to those Catalans who sent their complaints

The Ministry has sent a letter to those Catalans who
expressed their problems to vote in the past 27-S elections. They have
been offered the possibility to contact to association of lawyers
“Drets” in order to start a lawsuit. On the other hand, the letter also
reminds them how to request their vote and which are the deadlines in
order to vote in the upcoming 20-D Spanish elections. In relation to
this, the Ministry also sent letter to the Spanish Minister for Home
Affairs urging him to make “some changes” to avoid this situation from
happening again in the 20-D.

More on

27-S, Catalan Minister for Public Administration, Catalans abroad, Electoral Roll Office, Meritxell Borràs, Spanish Constitutional Court, Vote, Vote abroad

• 
  
  
  
  

  

  
  

Ballots ready at a polling station (by ACN)

•