CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou: Torture was official US policy

Published on 31 Jan 2013 : Former CIA agent John Kiriakou was sentenced to 30 months in prison for revealing the identity of a covert officer to a reporter. But originally he was pending charges on the violating the espionage act. Kiriakou is the first CIA official to publicly confirm the use of waterboarding and other tactics he describes as torture under the Bush administration. His supporters believe he has been unfairly targeted and punished. John Kiriakou and his attorney Jesselyn Radack join us for the details.

Beirut Bounces Back

Published on 11 Jan 2013 : Fifteen years of civil war left Lebanon's capital, Beirut, a bombed out, pock-marked city in the early 1990s, but some 20 years later, Beirut is back. VOA Moscow Correspondent James Brooke traveled to the city and talks with On Assignment's Doug Bernard about its renaissance.

British Guantanamo detainee to sue UK MI6 for defamation

Published on 14 Dec 2012 : The last British resident held in Guantanamo Bay detention centre is suing the UK intelligence services for defamation. Shaker Aamer has been held without charge or trial for nearly eleven years. He has been cleared for release by the U.S. administration but remains in prison.

Much easier to hide corruption in an autocratic state?

China's 'Princelings' Create a Name for Nepotism.

Published on 14 Dec 2012 : China's booming economy has some experts predicting it could surpass the U.S. economy as the world's largest by 2030. Many people have become recently rich in China, but none have become as fabulously wealthy as the so-called "princelings" -- the children of high party officials.

Climate Financing ?

UN head says world is in a race against time.

Published on 5 Dec 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Ban Ki-Moon, the secretary-general of the United Nations has stated that the world is in a race against time against climate change. The COP18 UN Summit in Doha will conclude on Friday, giving the delegates two more days to agree on targets for cutting carbon emissions. The UN says climate change will cost developing countries up to $67 billion each year by 2030. Tarek Bazley reports from Doha, Qatar.

Happy birthday SMS

Published on Dec 2, 2012 by Euronews : Back in 1992 on December 3 the first SMS was sent as a simple Christmas greeting. Twenty years later and the technology has spawned its own spellings and acronyms and we are sending around eight trillion texts each year. Although it took a while to get going it has become the most common way for friends and family to exchange information.

Catalonia : Will Spain split up?

Catalonia seeks secession from Spain

Published on Nov 24, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish The Spanish region of Catalonia is to hold elections on Sunday that could determine whether it eventually breaks away from the rest of the country. Artur Mas, the region's president, called the poll two years early after failing to negotiate a new financial deal with Madrid. The idea of separating has gained popularity in the last few years, with the region's economy - which accounts for more than a fifth of Spain's income - a key factor.

Iran among 5 world countries possessing hovercraft technology

Published on Nov 12, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Iran' has launched its first indigenously-built hovercraft called "Tondar".

The hovercraft, manufactured in two combat and civilian models, was unveiled in the Iranian southern port city of Bandar Abbas by Iran's defense minister Ahmad Vahidi.

Are Americans racist?

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The most sensible policy on nukes :

: do not bother with SALT, proceed with START with a view to reduce Nukes to zero!

Handling Nukes : Published on Oct 23, 2012 by enqilab Green Party's Jill Stein policy for the Middle East and nukes.

Who Exactly Owns The US Media 2012?

Published on Oct 24, 2012 by AussieNews1 : Just for something different, a video put together by zionget, actually I find this mans videos very interesting as well as researched. Credit to zionget

No Nukes for Scotland!

Whatever Scotland’s constitutional make-up, its electorate doesn’t want nuclear weapons

May 28, 2012 : The forthcoming referendum on Scottish independence raises questions about the kind of Scotland its people want to have. That it should be free of nuclear weapons already seems clear.

A poll published by YouGov in 2010 showed that almost 70 per cent of Scottish people were opposed to the replacement of Trident, Britain’s nuclear weapons system. While similar polls have shown clear majority opposition across Britain as a whole, Scotland’s record has been stronger and often more vocal.

One explanation might be that this is because Scotland has had nuclear weapons thrust upon it since the 1960s. But I don’t believe this strength of opinion is simply a ‘not in my back yard’ approach to the Trident submarines and nuclear warheads situated at HMNB Clyde.

Of course, it would be rational and sensible not to want to play host to such monstrous weapons. Not only are the potential consequences of a nuclear accident, just 25 miles from Glasgow, unthinkable, but in a hypothetical (although of course unlikely) nuclear war, Scotland would doubtless be a target.

However, there seems something deeper in Scotland’s opposition to nuclear weapons, a sentiment which has perhaps been fostered by housing them for so long. This position chimes with a similarly forward-facing international momentum which recognises that these are Cold War weapons systems which come with a crippling price tag (taxpayers’ money which could be much better spent on meeting public needs) and an unconscionable destructive power, the unleashing of which would be illegal under international law.

Indeed, Scotland’s progressive orientation has been focused on as competing parties jostle for the hearts of voters in the independence referendum. It is no surprise, for example, that Ed Miliband said that Scotland’s progressive instincts would be best nurtured if it remained part of the United Kingdom: “The Scottish people have always stood out for their strongest ideals of social justice, shown by the history of educational opportunity for all, shown by the campaign down the years for the right to work – and the opposition to the poll tax. But my case is that these ideals for Scotland can best be realised in the United Kingdom.” Alex Salmond, too, has sought to harness these progressive attitudes, stating that in an SNP-led independent Scotland the welfare state and the NHS would be championed: “An independent Scotland can be a beacon for progressive opinion south of the border and further afield – addressing policy challenges in ways which reflect the universal values of fairness and are capable of [being implemented] within the other jurisdictions of these islands, and beyond.”.

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Protest has become a social glamour? Mr. President: Free Bradley Manning!

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The information released gave us proof that many innocent people lost years of their lives in the Guantanamo Bay prison, and that the Obama Administration worked to prevent Bush Administration officials from being prosecuted for breaking international human rights laws. It also taught us how our tax money (from public coffers) goes to advocate for corporate interests and the exploitation of working people abroad--such as State Department efforts to keep the Haitian minimum wage from being raised. One of the top impacts of this information being released has been to teach regular Americans about American foreign policy. In a democracy, the public has a right and a need to know about its government.

Uploaded by Jeff Paterson on Apr 27, 2011 : Supporters of accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning attend Obama 2012 fundraiser to sing protest song to the president. Later, President Obama declared Bradley guilty in a conversation with Logan Price. Recorded at the St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco CA. April 21, 2011.

The end of protest is NOT social glamour!