Chinese Boats ‘Encounter’ U.S. Ship in China Sea

5 May 09 | PTV

Chinese fishing boats have had an encounter with a US Navy ship in the South China Sea.

In Final Letters, Hussein Complained of Being Tortured

5 May 09 | Raw Story

Saddam Hussein complained of torture in letters to his interrogators and complained that his cell was a horrible place to spend his final days, according to documents obtained by James Meek of the New York Daily News.

Israel’s War on Dissent

by Rela Mazali

5 May 09 | ei

About six months after Israel’s attorney general publicly announced an effort to criminalize dissent, state authorities have upped the ante in their “war” — as the Israeli daily Haaretz called it last September — against Israel’s youth; against the broad, grassroots movement slandered by officials as “draft shirkers.”

Pakistan’s British-Drawn Borders

by Robert Mackey

5 May 09 | NYT

In their fascinating account of a series of interviews with a Taliban tactician in Tuesday’s New York Times, Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah point to “one distinct Taliban advantage: the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan barely exists for the Taliban.”

U.S. Urges Israel to Sign Anti-Nuclear Arms Treaty

5 May 09 | Ha’aretz

India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel should join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the global pact meant to limit the spread of atomic weapons, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.

Forget Tea Parties. Bring a Pitchfork to a Shareholder Meeting.

by Mark Lange

5 May 09 | CSM

If you want a revolution, hold corporate elites accountable.

Obama’s Tax Reforms Anger ‘Haven’ Countries

5 May 09 | FT

The proposed US crackdown on corporate tax avoidance has provoked an angry response from low-tax countries used heavily by the multinationals that are the target of the Obama administration’s reforms.

Stop Feeding the Loan Sharks

by Jim Sollisch

5 May 09 | CSM

Credit-card companies take unfair advantage of us. Let’s revolt.

Georgian Military Rebellion Ends; Saakashvili Accused of Staging Coup

5 May 09 | RT, AJE, and PTV

A mutiny in a Georgian tank battalion ended after negotiations with President Saakashvili. The military revolted following the Interior Ministrys allegation of planned coup detat. (6:49):

Troops at a Georgian military base outside Tbilisi, the capital, have ended their rebellion, the country’s interior minister has said.

Lieberman: Give Iran Three-Month Deadline, Limit Dialogue

5 May 09 | RT, PTV and JPo

As Israel prepares to hold the largest military exercises in its history, speculations about a possible attack on Iran are on the rise. (3:30):

Biden to AIPAC: Israel Must Support Palestinian State; U.N. Demands Access to Israel’s ‘Secret Torture’ Jails

5 May 09 | Ha’aretz, PTV, and AJE

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden pressed Israel on Tuesday to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in an address to the leading pro-Israel lobby during its annual conference in Washington.

Supreme Court to Decide on Life Sentences for Teenagers

5 May 09 | CSM

Two Florida teens were given life sentences without parole for nonlethal crimes. The top court will consider if the punishments are constitutional.

U.N. Rebukes Israel Over Gaza Massacre

5 May 09 | BBC, AJE and Ha’aretz

A United Nations inquiry into attacks by Israeli forces on UN property during the Gaza conflict four months ago has heavily criticised Israel’s army.

U.S. Strike Kills Dozens of Afghan Civilians

5 May 09 | AWC News

District Official Claims “More Than 100” Civilians Slain in Attack.

Ignore AIPAC at America’s Peril

by Philip Giraldi

5 May 09 | AWC

What do Charles Freeman and Jane Harman have in common? Nothing, apart from the fact that they are both involved in the truly ugly side of the Israel lobby’s activity in the United States and, for that reason, had their stories dropped by the mainstream media in record time.

U.S. Will Not Cut Back on Nukes in Storage

5 May 09 | RT

Washington is prepared to cut strategic nuclear warheads and their means of delivery under the new strategic arms reduction treaty but not the nuclear warheads kept in storage, a US State Department official says. (3:03):

Pakistani Army Flattening Villages, 500,000 Could Become Displaced

4-5 May 09 | McClatchy, AWC News, PTV, FT, and AJE

The Pakistani army’s assault against Islamic militants in Buner, in northwest Pakistan, is flattening villages, killing civilians and sending thousands of farmers and villagers fleeing from their homes, residents escaping the fighting said Monday.