Saturday, February 27, 2010

US official charges Iran keeping military option

US official charges Iran keeping military option (plus 72 more items)

Link to Rebel Newsflash

US official charges Iran keeping military option

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 12:04 PM PST

A senior US intelligence official on Tuesday accused Iran of "keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons."

In a hearing on global threats to US interests, Dennis Blair Director of National Intelligence told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran had the capacity to obtain nuclear weapons.

Heart disease to kill 400K Americans in 2010

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 11:04 AM PST

Despite the precautionary measures adopted to lower heart disease-related risk factors, the condition will claim the lives of 400,000 Americans in 2010, experts say.

"Although [heart disease] death rates have been falling in the United States for four decades, they are now leveling off in young men and women," said lead researcher Simon Capewell of the University of Liverpool.

In Pakistan, blast kills 3 US soldiers

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 10:39 AM PST

Three US soldiers are among the eight people that were killed Wednesday in a powerful explosion in Pakistan's volatile northwest.

The American service members were reportedly in the region to train Pakistani troops.

US: P5+1 to discuss Iran sections soon

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 10:36 AM PST

The United States has said that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) are scheduled to talk on imposing sanctions on Iran in a few days' time.

The talks are aimed resolving the differences with China, which is favors dialogue with Iran over the country's nuclear energy program, AFP reported.

Dirt files: Ukraine's scandal-hit election campaign

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 08:34 AM PST

Ukraine's opposition party has managed to get changes to the country's election law approved by Parliament -- ahead of Sunday's second-round run-off in the presidential race. The original law stated that Central Election Committee meetings and the vote itself would only be considered valid if more than two thirds of commission members were present. The Party of Regions, headed by Presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich, pushed for the quorum system to be revoked. He claimed his rival Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko may try to withdraw members of her party from the committee - jeopardizing the poll.

Nigerian suspect giving 'valuable intel.'

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 08:14 AM PST

The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day is said to be cooperating 'again' with the FBI, providing 'valuable intelligence.'

Robert Mueller, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was still being interrogated.

CIA agents allowed to work for private firms

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 08:05 AM PST

CIA policy has been allowing employees to work a second job for private firms, utilizing their espionage expertise for the private sector.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) gives a green light to its enterprising officers who want to earn a little extra working for private companies on the side.

US: Nigerian bombing suspect "talking again"

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 08:05 AM PST

The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day is said to be cooperating 'again' with the FBI, providing 'valuable intelligence.'

Robert Mueller, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was still being interrogated.

Avatar, Hurt Locker scoop 9 Oscar nominations

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST

James Cameron's Avatar and Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker have received 9 Oscar nominations each to lead a head-to-head battle in this year's Oscar Awards.

The two movies represent opposite extremes of audience recognition, as Avatar has generated almost 50 times more domestic revenue than The Hurt Locker.

Internet addiction linked to depression

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 06:31 AM PST

Heavy internet surfing can have destructive effects on people and reflect a tendency toward depression, UK psychologists have said.

Internet addiction might be viewed as a 21st century crisis. The subject has given rise to public concern over the relationship between internet use and its negative effects.

Blast injures 13 in Australian shopping center

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 05:36 AM PST

At least 13 people have been wounded after a man detonated a makeshift bomb in a shopping center in the northern Australian city of Darwin, officials have said.

Shoppers helped drag people to safety after the explosion, caused by a bomb apparently made of fuel and fireworks, which detonated Wednesday.

Blood Lust: Israelis back new strike on Gaza amid calls to prosecute 'war criminals'

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 03:56 AM PST

A recent poll has revealed more than half of Israelis approve of another attack on Gaza. That's despite widespread international condemnation of last year's offensive which killed more than 1300 Palestinians. It comes as recent Goldstone Gaza report said Israel committed war crimes, and there've been many claims of the use of banned weapons.

Child Slavery in Haiti

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 03:00 AM PST

steve lendman In November 1989, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, recognizing "that in all countries in the world, there are children living in exceptionally difficult conditions, and that such children need special consideration." Then in May 2000, the General Assembly adopted an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

In 1990, the UN Commission on Human Rights appointed a Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography with a mandate to investigate the problem and submit reports to the General Assembly.

Goldman CEO may get $100m bonus

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 02:44 AM PST

The CEO of Goldman Sachs could receive a bonus of up to $100m for 2009, The Times newspaper has reported, quoting bankers in Davos, Switzerland.

Lloyd Blankfein and other senior Goldman Sachs bankers were set to receive the biggest ever bonuses awarded at the world's richest investment bank, according to the bankers.

Anwar denies sodomy charges

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 02:18 AM PST

Malaysia's opposition leader has plead not guilty to sodomy charges brought against him, saying they are part of a "political conspiracy".

Anwar Ibrahim told the high-profile hearing in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday that the allegations he had sodomised a former aide were "malicious" fabrications.

Iraqi pilgrims killed in Karbala

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 01:51 AM PST

Two bomb attacks have killed at least 20 Shia pilgrims and injured 117 others in the holy city of Karbala in central Iraq.

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated explosives in a crowded area, causing most of the casualties on Wednesday, Iraqi police sources told Al Jazeera.

Some of the injured were being taken to hospitals in the city of Najaf, about 72km away, police said.

Inside Story - The future of the Gulf's work force

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 01:48 AM PST

The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) is hosting its 15th annual conference under the title "Education and the Requirements of the GCC Labour Market". Inside Story looks at the future of the Gulf region's labour market and its impact on the social and economic stability of the region. Is substituting foreign workers with locals feasible?

Iraq: Reopening sectarian wounds?

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 01:42 AM PST

Riz speaks with Saleh al-Mutlaq, one of Iraq's most prominent Sunni politicians and one of those candidates barred from running in the upcoming general election.

Lethal bombing in north Pakistan

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 01:30 AM PST

A roadside bomb has killed at least eight people, including four foreigners and three school girls, near a girls' school in northwest Pakistan.

Local reports said that Wednesday's blast was caused by an improvised explosive device.

A group of journalists and aid workers were travelling in an army convoy to the opening of a girls' school in the Lower Dir area when it was hit.

Israeli warplanes bomb Gaza supply tunnels

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 12:24 AM PST

Israeli warplanes have targeted and attacked a number of supply tunnels in the Gaza Strip in what the Israeli military said was retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel.

Witnesses and medics said nine air raids struck supply tunnels on the border between the blockaded coastal sliver of Gaza and Egypt. The aerial assaults wounded at least three people and damaged homes in the area.

Malaysia sodomy trial resumes

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 12:24 AM PST

Malaysia's opposition leader is facing the start of his high-profile trial for alleged sodomy after his lawyers exhausted efforts to delay court proceedings.

The Kuala Lumpur high court began hearing the case against Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday - 18 months after he was first charged - on accusations of sodomising a male former aide.

Ruling due on Sudan genocide charge

Posted: 03 Feb 2010 12:10 AM PST

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is to decide whether to charge Omar al-Bashir, the president of Sudan, with genocide against non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur.

The decision, expected on Wednesday, follows the Netherlands-based court's indictment last year of al-Bashir on seven charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Baptists probed in Haiti child case

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 11:55 PM PST

"It is clear now that they were trying to cross the border without papers. It is clear now that some of the children have live parents. And it is clear now that they knew what they were doing was wrong,'' Bellerive told the AP.

The prime minister said some parents may have knowingly given their kids to the Americans in hopes they would reach the US - not an uncommon wish for poor families in a country that already had an estimated 380,000 orphans before the earthquake.

Malaysia sodomy trial set to resume

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 10:04 PM PST

Malaysia's opposition leader is set to face the start of his high-profile trial for alleged sodomy after his lawyers exhausted efforts to delay court proceedings.

The Kuala Lumpur high court is scheduled to begin hearing the case against Anwar Ibrahim - 18 months after he was first charged - on accusations of sodomising a male former aide later on Wednesday.

US rejects China Dalai Lama warning

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 09:24 PM PST

The United States has rejected pressure from China to stop a meeting between Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama.

Bill Burton, a White House spokesman, said on Tuesday that "the president told China leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama, and he intends to do so".

Holocaust Fable Reinforcement

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 09:11 PM PST

It seems it's that time of year again for us all to bow our heads and remember the poor jews who died in their fake holocaust. Did I say fake already? I swear I can't get the word holocaust out without the word "fake" in front of it. Considering holocaust has become synonymous with the faked deaths of 6 million jews in Germany during WWII, I can't help but utter fake before I say holocaust. Regardless of all the propaganda from Hollywood and the jew owned media, I don't think many people buy their bullshit anymore.

Corporations already buying Congress

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 08:43 PM PST

For the first time in recent history, the lobbying, grassroots and advertising budget of the US Chamber of Commerce has surpassed the spending of both the RNC and DNC. Does this mean corporate money is going to even further weaken the power of political parties and candidates? Will political parties cease to be important? How will this affect issues? Remember that six of the largest health insurers in the US funded TV ads that attacked the healthcare reform bills in Congress --and the ads were reportedly placed by the US Chamber of Commerce.

Indonesia farmers fear China free trade fallout

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 08:39 PM PST

A free trade deal between China and the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) comes into affect this year. The government Indonesia, which is part of Asean, says removing barriers and ensuring easy cross border trade will help grow the domestic economy. But many workers are worried they will not be able to compete against a flood of Chinese products and Indonesian farmers, especially, worry that they will soon be out of jobs as consumers choose cheaper Chinese produce. Thousands of workers have taken to the streets calling for parts of the trade pact to be delayed. Al Jazeera's Step Vaessen reports from Cipanas in West Java. (03 Jan, 2010)

Obama Administration tries to sell huge deficit

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 08:36 PM PST

President Barack Obamas secretaries of defense and treasury are defending his $3.8 trillion budget to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. But you dont hear them talk about the $1.56 trillion deficit it would produce, or how they would have to borrow a third of each dollar they spend next year. And though lawmakers at the hearings said they are concerned about how the budget will affect average Americans, the ones who showed up with a voice at these hearings, were shown the door

Iran plans poll protest executions

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 07:57 PM PST

Iran will "soon execute" another nine people arrested over anti-government protests last year, a senior judiciary official has been quoted as saying.

The nine are among 11 protesters sentenced to death for "waging war against God" and seeking to topple the government.

Iran: No problem with nuclear plan

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 07:31 PM PST

He also did not say whether Iran was ready to ship out most of its uranium stockpile in one batch - another condition of the proposal designed to delay Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon.

The IAEA proposal was first drawn up in October by six countries – the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – and refined later that month in talks among Iran, the US, Russia and France.

US 'holds the power' in ties with China

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 07:21 PM PST

Gordon Chang, who has written extensively on China and North Korea, and is the author of the book The Coming Collapse of China, explains why US-China relations have soured. He tells Al Jazeera's Barbara Serra why China is not as powerful as it seems (03 Feb 2010).

Iran indicates openness to UN-backed uranium processing plan

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 07:00 PM PST

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has said that his government is ready to send the bulk of its low-enriched uranium abroad for processing in exchange for nuclear fuel rods. In an interview with Iranian state television, he also said that Tehran has the capacity to enrich its own uranium if the shipped supply is not returned. Last year Tehran in effect turned down the proposal to hand over its uranium supply in exchange for nuclear fuel. The US says Iran should inform the International Atomic Energy Agency if it is ready to now take the deal. Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports. (03 Feb, 2010)

Israel: Laws Set to Criminalize Dissent

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 06:12 PM PST

Leaders of the Arab minority in Israel warned this week that they were facing an unprecedented campaign of persecution, backed by the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, designed to stop their political activities.

The warning came after Said Nafaa, a Druze member of the Israeli parliament was stripped of his immunity last week, clearing the way for him to be tried for a visit to Syria three years ago.

Blair's War Decision: Secretive, Misleading

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 05:50 PM PST

Clare Short, former Cabinet minister for international development in British Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet at the time Iraq was invaded in March 2003, testified before the Iraq inquiry today (February 2, 2010).

Short confirmed a picture of exclusion and secrecy in official deliberations prior to Britain's decision to launch the invasion of Iraq with the United States and minor allies in what President George W Bush called the 'coalition of the willing'. She was the second member of Tony Blair's Cabinet to resign in May 2003, two months after ex-foreign secretary and then leader of the House of Commons, Robin Cook, walked out on the eve of the invasion.

The Israeli Whitewash

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 05:35 PM PST

Much as the world has responded marvelously and generously to relieve Haitians after their devastating earthquake last month, the opposite has been true about the impoverished Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have been under an increasingly tighter siege since the Israeli blitz a little over a year ago.

The Obama administration has committed $300 million to help in rebuilding the heavily demolished area, now home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians, many of them refugees from nearby towns in what is now Israel. The United Nations has also raised $4.5 billion to help in the restoring the heavily demolished area but, to date, neither the American nor the U.N. funds have been spent there because of the tight Israeli blockade which is also enforced by the Egyptians on their border with the once Israeli-occupied Strip.

Ahmadinejad: West survives on sowing discord

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 04:26 PM PST

President Ahmadinejad warns against divisive policies that seek to destabilize the region, as reports circulate that Washington is ramping up its military hardware in the Persian Gulf,.

In a Tuesday meeting with Qatar's crown prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Western countries have always played a destabilizing role in the region.

Karzai pushes for Taliban peace talks

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 04:19 PM PST

Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, is pushing ahead with plans to engage with Taliban leaders. He said he has the full backing of the international community following a conference in London last week that discussed ways to curb rampant corruption in the war-torn country. World leaders also pledged millions of dollars for a new fund to pay fighters to lay down arms. However, the Taliban leaders are still refusing to openly engage with the governmnet. Al Jazeera's David Chater reports. Feb 02, 2010

Haitians seek protection in voodoo

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 04:10 PM PST

Voodoo, a veneration of the spirits imported centuries ago by slaves from Africa, is an important spiritual practice in Haiti. Widely revered as a source of personal power and protection, voodoo can also bring misfortune if the spirits are not appeased. Followers of the ancient practice are said to be at one with nature. Voodoo practitioners say that the challenge for voodoo is to help rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake so that the country can be in harmony with nature. Jonah Hull reports from Gonaives in Haiti.

Mass funeral held for Haiti dead

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:35 PM PST

In the days following Haiti's devastating earthquake, tens of thousands of people were buried in mass graves just to clear the streets. Weeks after the disaster, dozens of Haitians gathered at one such site, north of the capital, to honour the dead. Al Jazeera's Monica Villamizar reports on the ceremony from Titanyen in Haiti. (02 Jan 2010)

Americans allege Pakistan torture

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:35 PM PST

Five American Muslims detained in Pakistan since December on suspicion of "terrorist" activity are now claiming that they have been tortured by the US FBI and Pakistani police. The men have been accused of plotting attacks against Pakistani targets and of collaborating with al-Qaeda to fight US forces. Video footage caught them yelling for "help" and saying "we've been tortured" from a prison van as they were on their way to appear in court on Tuesday. The detainees also managed to secretly smuggle out a note appealing for help. Richard Snelsire, a spokesperson of the US embassy in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, later rejected the allegations as "baseless and utterly untrue". Al Jazeera's Owen Fay reports. [February 2, 2010]

Interview: KSA analyst Robert Lacy

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:35 PM PST

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's President, is visiting Saudi Arabia, in a bid to get the Kingdom's help to mediate with the Taliban. But the Saudis say that's not going to happen while the Taliban maintains links with Al Qaeda. Al Jazeera speaks to Robert Lacey, an expert on Saudi Arabia and Saudi politics, who authored the book "Inside the Kingdom", about whether Karzai's attempt to get Saudi's help would work. [February 2, 2010]

Scientologists are rushing to Haiti

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:06 PM PST

Our Scientology sources tell us there's an interesting reason that some members of the church are swarming into Haiti. The Scientologists are taking up landing time slots, which is holding up doctors that are trying to get into the country to provide medical assistance for the citizens of Haiti. Many of the Haitians are very spiritual and are asking the Scientologists to leave them alone.

Egypt to reveal King Tut DNA results

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:01 PM PST

Egypt's archeology chief has announced that he will soon reveal the results of the DNA testing conducted on Pharaoh Tutankhamun's mummy.

Zahi Hawass said that the results would be released on February 17, 2010, the Cleveland Leader reported.

Israeli jets 'strike Gaza targets'

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:49 PM PST

Israeli aircraft have struck tunnels in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian witnesses say, a day after two explosive devices said to have originated in Hamas-ruled Gaza washed up on Israel's coastline.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the alleged strikes on Tuesday which witnesses say were carried out by Israeli air force jets against an abandoned airport building in Gaza and on tunnels along the border with Egypt that Israel says are used to smuggle weapons into the territory.

$3.8 trillion requested for the fiscal year

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:43 PM PST

Departments within the government are fighting for their slice of the budget; however there is less money than usual to go around. Despite the recession and two wars, US President Obama has defended his $3.8 trillion budget request. Timothy Geithner testified on Capitol Hill in defense of Barak Obamas budget request for the second time.

Will the economy get worse?

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:41 PM PST

Michael Panzner reacts to Timothy Geithner's testimony on the Hill today and will discuss Barack Obama's FY 2011 budget. Panzner says that today was just more theatre on capitol hill and he doesnt think the US economy has weathered the worst of the financial storm and believes the White House's crisis response threatens America's future prosperity.

What remains must be the Truth: 9/11 revisited

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:32 PM PST

Today, with both domestic and international problems, we tend to forget about the unresolved truths of yesterday that got us into the situations we're involved in now. Important truths about 9/11 remain hidden. Who really benefited from 9/11?

We forget that Israel was/is the major beneficiary of 9/11. How did Israel benefit? Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, believed that Iraq could have weapons of mass destruction; and Israel wanted Iraq neutralized before it had a chance to use WMDs against Israel.

Solomon's Baby in the Middle East

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:32 PM PST

"Over our dead bodies!" Najib Khatib shouted in Arabic as I stepped out of our car in Ghajar, a picturesque village cut in two by the boundary between the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and Lebanon. "Nobody tells us anything!" he said, his arms flailing in the air like a referee signaling a dramatic touchdown.

9/11 trial may move from New York

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:29 PM PST

The Obama Administration is considering moving the KSM trial from New York City; however any sign of weakness will be broadcast by Al Qaeda. A concern from New York City officials is the cost of having the trials in the city, but is it more of a concern to show Al Qaeda no fear and not let them have a victory?

Human rights laws might

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:19 PM PST

Barack Obama this summer signed a deal to give the Pentagon access to 7 military bases in Colombia. Some argue that the United States aims to cash in on Colombias oil; big oil may turn up the heat on Colombias drug war.

Big Trouble With Big China

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:11 PM PST

U.S. President Barack Obama has spent much of the last 12 months emphasizing the "mutual interests" that Washington shares with Beijing and the "mutual respect" they feel toward one another, despite inevitable disputes. Democratic members of Congress have held their tongues as Obama does his wooing; Republicans have seethed at the soft approach. Yet valiant though his attempts may have been to convince the Chinese (and himself) that power is not a zero-sum game, 2009 proved the opposite. Last year, Obama was ignored, rebuffed, and even humiliated by Beijing. And now the grievances on both sides are piling up: U.S. tariffs on Chinese tires, China's currency manipulation, Chinese hacking of Google, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The gloves have come off.

Is the Goldstone report valid?

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:01 PM PST

UN report from Richard Goldstone accuses Israel and Palestinians of committing war crimes. However, the report is under much International scrutiny because of its substance. Israel officials deny Gaza war crimes in last years war listed in Goldstones report.

Blackwater kills 17; bribes to keep Iraqi contracts

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 01:50 PM PST

Blackwater, that private army of God, allegedly shot 17 people dead in Baghdad's Nisour Square in 2007. The Justice Department is to investigate allegations they followed up with $1m in bribes to the Iraqi government to try and keep their contracts with the country.

Defense budget to increase amid budget deficit

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 01:50 PM PST

Defense is getting too much money for FY 2011: $708 billion. It is very detailed, but about $56 billion goes simply to classified programs, or to projects known only by their code names, like Chalk Eagle and Link Plumeria. Budget calls for 1.4% increase for defense personnel; Obama asks for $708 billion from congress.

Palestinian PM attends Israel forum

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 01:27 PM PST

The Palestinian prime minister has met the Israeli defence minister in a public discussion at a conference in the Israeli town of Herzliya.

Salam Fayyad and Ehud Barak's discussion on Tuesday was one of the highlights of the four-day conference entitled "The balance of Israel's security".

Jews & White Nationalists

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 01:08 PM PST

Guy White has a new post about White Nationalism and anti-Semitism that mentions me and brings up several topics of relevance to this website. As usual, what Guy says contains a grain of truth, but he likes to paint in broad strokes. He also tends to come at White Nationalism from a Jewish perspective.

US military urges repeal of gay ban

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 01:04 PM PST

Senior Pentagon officials have been testifying before the US Congress on reviewing a policy that prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the armed forces.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, announced on Tuesday plans to loosen enforcement rules involving the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that requires service personnel to keep their sexual orientation secret.

Fiction vs reality in Oscar rivalry

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 12:09 PM PST

The nominations for the Oscar Academy Awards have been announced, with two very different movies being seen as the main contenders in the category "Best Picture". The science-fiction movie Avatar, which has earned billions in ticket revenues, is one of them. Its main rival, Hurtlocker, may have been a commercial flop. The two films pit the world of special effects and science fiction against the gritty of reality and real-life danger in Iraq. Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports.

Alito Was Right

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 11:56 AM PST

No, the Supreme Court did not open the door for foreign involvement in U.S. elections.

On Jan. 21, the U.S. Supreme Court found in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations could make unlimited independent expenditures advocating the election or defeat of a federal candidate. This decision overruled two prior Supreme Court opinions and a law that dates back more than 60 years. It remains illegal for corporations to make direct or coordinated contributions to or on behalf of federal candidates or political party committees.

Aside from the implications of unlimited corporate spending in the political process, a spectacular sideshow has erupted regarding political activities by foreign corporations and their domestic subsidiaries. The sideshow was fueled by President Barack Obama's claim during his State of the Union address that foreign corporations can "spend without limit in our elections." Justice Samuel Alito, sitting in front of the president, mouthed on national television that such a claim was "not true." President Obama or Justice Alito: Who is right? Let's take a look at the law.

Neocon Says Obama Should Save Presidency By Attacking Iran

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 10:07 AM PST

Neocon Says Obama Should Save Presidency By Attacking Iran 020210Obama

Compares notion of Obama bombing Iran to political impact of 9/11

A Neoconservative commentator and scholar has stated that Obama can save his presidency and turn around his plummeting approval ratings by bombing Iran.

Pro-war fanatic Daniel Pipes, has penned a despicable piece on conservative website National Review Online, calling for preemptive airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

"Here is an idea for Barack Obama to salvage his tottering administration by taking a step that protects the United States and its allies," Pipes writes.

Iraq war inquiry 'exceeds expectations'

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 09:41 AM PST

John Cooper, a human rights lawyer, gives his view on Britain's latest public inquiry into the Iraq war.

The Alyona Show: The Superpower vs. The Middle Kingdom

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 09:31 AM PST

In the first segment of todays program, Stephen Yates of the Asia Advisory drops by to analyze the current state of affairs between the United States and China.

'Nine to die' over Iran protests

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 08:32 AM PST

Iran will "soon execute" another nine people arrested over anti-government protests last year, a senior judiciary official has been quoted as saying.

The nine are among 11 protesters sentenced to death for "waging war against God" and seeking to topple the government.

Latest white phosphorus tale is Israel's 4th

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 07:06 AM PST

Philip Weiss Israel has announced that it has reprimanded two senior army officers for their role in an attack on a UN facility during last year's Gaza offensive. Large amounts of fuel were stored in both underground and above-ground tankers at the facility, and 600-700 civilians were taking shelter there, so the risk of catastrophic civilian casualties was enormous; remarkably, there were no deaths and only three injured. However, a warehouse full of hundreds of tons of food and medicine was destroyed by fire, with untold effects on a desperate population.

Forced Overhaul: Police reform reveals corrupt culture

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 06:23 AM PST

The revelations concerning Moscow's special task force come amid a major overhaul of the police, aimed at cleaning up its tarnished image. RT looks at what's at the root of the reform.

Shocking stories of US tortures in Afghanistan

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 05:55 AM PST

An ever increasing number of US troops are fighting for peace in Afghanistan. But an investigative journalist claims to have revealed the shocking truth about surprise night raids by American forces and secret prisons where detainees are routinely tortured. In an exclusive interview to RT, Anand Gopal says Obama's mission in Afghanistan is not much different from Bush's in Iraq.

Keiser Report on US banks financing terrorists

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 04:06 AM PST

Hollywood filmmaker Oliver Stone has said Western bankers enabled Hitler to carry out his atrocities during World War two. Keiser report reveals that similar schemes still go on today with US banks financing terrorists as well as Wall Street bonuses. Watch the full 13th episode later on RT.

'Slaves of Cops': Police failures exposed by whistleblowers

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:35 AM PST

There's yet more embarrassment for Russia's embattled police - after former members of Moscow's special task force revealed to a magazine, the questionable practices of their bosses. In response to the article titled 'Slaves of Cops', the security team OMON, which came under fire, is now suing The New Times magazine for defaming their honor.

The Persecution of Kevin MacDonald

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 03:20 AM PST

On January 26, 2010, a new campaign of intellectual and political persecution was launched against Kevin MacDonald, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach. The express goal of this campaign is to get Professor MacDonald fired from his job because of his research and political convictions.

Professor MacDonald's research threatens the cultural and political hegemony of the organized Jewish community by exposing their ongoing subversion of Western civilization. This research has made Professor MacDonald a target of persecution by Jewish individuals, organizations, front groups, and their dupes for nearly a decade.

Israeli Occupation Supportive Companies to Boycott

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:53 AM PST

steve lendman In July 2005, a coalition of 171 Palestinian Civil Society organizations created the global BDS movement for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights" for Occupied Palestinians, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian diaspora refugees.

Since 1948, hundreds of UN resolutions and civil society actions condemned Israel's lawlessness; its crimes of war and against humanity; occupation; discriminatory policies; illegal home demolitions, land seizures and settlements; oppression of a civilian population; the Separation Wall; the Gaza siege; and preemptive imperial wars.

Malaysia's Anwar faces trial

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST

Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian opposition leader, is facing trial for a second time accused of sodomising a male aide. The start of the trial was delayed by a day amid legal wrangling over Anwar's defence team's access to prosecution evidence. Anwar has accused Malaysia's prime minister, Najib Razak, of trying to frame him to kill off his political career allegations Najib has denied. Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa reports from Kuala Lumpur.

Obama proposing NASA cuts

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 12:12 AM PST

Obama is expected to announce Monday that he will allocate $6 billion to hire people to take astronauts to the International space station. NASA will also experience some cuts, including a cancellation of the NASA Constellation program to develop spacecraft to replace the Space Shuttle.' NASA will be getting an additional $6 billion over the next five years.

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