Mavi Marmara autopsy

The Guardian on autopsy reports from the Mavi Marmara. The bottom line:
Autopsy reports reveal that most of the victims of the Israeli raid were shot in the head at close range. Fulkan Dogan, a 19-year old U.S. citizen, was shot five times from less than 18 inches away.

Gaza on brink of implosion as aid cut-off starts to bite

The Guardian, from 2006:

Israel's policy was summed up by Dov Weisglass, an adviser to Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, earlier this year. 'The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger,' he said. The hunger pangs are supposed to encourage the Palestinians to force Hamas to change its attitude towards Israel or force Hamas out of government.

Cultures of Resistance Video of the Mavi Marmara

Israeli Attack on the Mavi Marmara, May 31st 2010 // 15 min. from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

CounterPunch Diary

Pariah Nation

By ALEXANDER COCKBURN

"At least half of any US president’s job is play-acting, pretending to be in charge, on behalf of We the People. Most of what actually happens in America is beyond any president’s ability or political inclination to control.

The banks run the finances. The oil companies and Israel vie for control of US foreign policy. The arms companies arrange the wars. The insurance companies figure out who should live or die."

Revolt of the Drone Operators

Some CIA Officers Say Predator Strikes Helping Al Qaeda

By GARETH PORTER

"Addicott said the drone programme has been driven by President Barack Obama, rather than by the CIA. "Obama's trying to show people that we're winning," he added.

The programme was originally authorised by President George W. Bush against a relatively short list of high-level al Qaeda officials, and with highly restrictive conditions on approval of each strike. The strike could not be approved unless the target was identified with high confidence, and a complete assessment of "collateral damage" had to ensure against significant civilian casualties."

Will Glenn Beck’s Common Nonsense Change Our Nation?: An Interview With Alex Zaitchik

Monday 24 May 2010

by: Sara Robinson | The Campaign for America's Future

SR: Beck has set himself up as this sort of revisionist history and civics teacher. What do you think it means for the country that we've got two million people watching his fractured-fairy-tale versions of history every day?

AZ: It doesn't speak very well for the state of conservatism, that's for sure. It wasn't all that long ago that the most high-profile representatives of conservatism were people like Bill Buckley, who—disagree with him as you might have on the issues—was very educated, and didn't routinely make wildly idiotic statements. Here's another difference: Instead of smearing those with whom he disagreed, as Beck did with Van Jones, Buckley invited Huey Newton, who really was a black-power revolutionary, onto Firing Line and actually talked to him, not about him, for an hour, like an adult. So I think first and foremost, Beck's stature and influence is a statement on conservatism more than it's a statement on the country. It's important to keep in mind that it's only a very small percentage of the country at large that's watching this guy, and those people tend to be the more hardcore, less-educated conservatives.

The Lobby Strikes Again...

Intelligence Chief Walks Plank Without Ceremony

Wednesday 26 May 2010

by: Ray McGovern, t r u t h o u t | News Analysis

Last year, the neocons had their feathers ruffled big time by Blair's choice of independent-minded former Ambassador Chas Freeman to be chair of the National Intelligence Council (NIC), without clearing this first with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. The NIC has purview over the preparation of National Intelligence Estimates (NIE) and the President's Daily Brief - the two premier intelligence publications.

Blair's choice of Freeman raised the ire of Washington's still-influential neoconservatives and their allies in the Obama administration because he was regarded as a "realist" on the Middle East, rather than someone who would side reflexively with Israel.