News in General

France's war against the Syrian people

Thirteen French officers 'captured by Syrian Army'

India Strikes Israel Military Industries

Claims of corruption in state-related industries—especially those linked to the military—are never new, [it's just a given; war is corruption; minds that engineer weaponry is a corruption; economies based on weapons manufacturing is a corruption; it's all very,very perverse and corrupt] not even in India. Such reports can be found regularly in the media around the world; yet, seldom have they reached beyond the gossip sections. Three years ago, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation on international suppliers of the Indian army, on allegations that they won contracts through improper means, [but this seems to imply the supposition that war somehow is 'proper'] including bribing of senior officials. A more difficult task for this fine investigative institution would have been finding an honestly achieved contract; [achieving an honest contract for building weaponry to kill people; start a war? They've got the cart pulling the horse here?!] not surprisingly, they found six guilty companies. One of them was IMI—Israel Military Industries—another one was Singapore Technologies Kinetics. The companies were given a chance to plead their case before the ministry; however, the explanations were insufficient. All the six corrupt companies [geez, don't even mention Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems or Boeing; probably three of the most corrupt corporations on the face of the planet all building weaponry] were barred from submitting bids for Indian defense contracts for the next ten years. The decision was published today, three years (!!!) after the investigation; this odd delay and the fact two companies belong to close allies—Israel and Singapore—hint that we may be witnessing a restructuring of India’s alliances.

Petroleum became Syria's leading natural resource and chief export after 1974.

Burhan Ghalioun (Arabic: برهان غليون) (born 11 February 1945), is a Syrian political scientist and a professor of political sociology at the Université de Paris III Sorbonne University in Paris, [why is it opposition groups are always in every case foreign educated and trained? What bank or financial house can I connect Ghalioun to in France?] and the chairman of the Syrian opposition Transitional National Council. He was named chairman on 29 August 2011. He is the author of numerous books, dealing which sociological and political issues of the Islamic world, mostly written in Arabic, several of which have been translated into French.

Iran obtaining
nuclear technology way beyond the rhetoric of war and Iran achieving the ability
to pelt Israel with nuclear warheads. It is the science/physics related to nuclear
development that the west doesn't want Iran developing. Why? Your guess is as
good as mine.

Ghalioun wrote. The opposition cannot join dialogue with “officials who contributed to or ordered the killing of defenseless children, women, and young people.” He went on to say that such dialogue would be fruitless unless their clear objective was “to dismantle the regime of repression, oppression, and tyranny [never mind the fact that Syria is facing harsh economic punishment; Syria is also self-sufficient in food production] and replace it with a democratic order in which the people alone have the final say and the government is fully empowered and answerable to elected representatives of the people.”

Burhan Ghalioun: Opposition from Exile or at Home?

All what's written is describing his [Burhan Ghalioun] position against the regime which is clear enough but no one word about his view of the conflict with Israel. Knowing the great support he has from France and especially from the very known Zionist Bernard-Henry Levy, [there it is: the connection between Burhan Ghalioun and the French Zionist Bernard-Henry Levy] there is a huge doubt that Ghalioun is able to support a position against Israel and supporting the Resistance. [Link here]

Created in Paris under French sponsorship, the
Syrian National Council aims to overthrow the regime
of President Bashar al-Assad. It is chaired by Burhan
Ghalioun, professor of sociology at Sorbonne University
(he is seen here with French Foreign Minister Alain
Juppé, 23 November 2011)

Libyan rebels will recognise Israel, Bernard-Henri Lévy tells Netanyahu

2 dead, 7 injured in Pittsburgh psychiatric clinic shooting

Rich Chinese thrill seekers paying £50,000 for ‘trip of a lifetime…’ to kill endangered polar bears

Arabic under fire

Syria: Game Over for Western Propaganda

Syrian Activists Caught Lying, Syrian Rebels Caught Committing Atrocities.
by Tony Cartalucci

March 6, 2012 - Why should the West intervene in Syria when it turns out "activists" giving daily body counts, the sole source of "evidence" for the UN's ever climbing grand total, are caught not only lying, but staging entire interviews complete with fake gunfire directed "off stage?" Why should the US, UK, EU, or the West's stable of Arab proxy-regimes be allowed to arm Syrian rebels admittedly carrying out their own horrific atrocities? Clearly Syria's opposition have turned out, just as they have in Libya, to be craven, murderous, and ultimately deceitful extremists [paid gunmen and mercenaries transshipped in through various ports including hardened fighters from Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya] - making any further contact with them by the West a direct violation of their own national and international laws. [therefore the definition of a terrorist state above]

The omnipresent "Danny" from Syria has been recently exposed in a video showing him relaxed, joking, and preparing off-camera staged-gunfire, before getting into character for a hysterical "casualty report" given to CNN's Anderson Cooper. "Danny" isn't the first fraud caught being used by a duplicitous Western media to sell military intervention in Syria, there was also "Gay Girl in Damascus" who turned out to be a 40 year-old American man based in the UK. It is exactly "activist-based" reports like this, that the UN and corporate media have used shamelessly to advocate Wall Street and London's [say again: London; the US military is at the beck and call of London] mandates.

Video: Classic war propaganda - complete with staged-
gunfire off camera and the intrepid actor "Danny" relaxed
and joking before getting into character to give a
hysterical "casualty report" to his co-star, CNN's Anderson
Cooper - just one of many he regularly gives to Western
media networks.

CIA Employee - US Government Office

Anderson Cooper's CIA Secret

How the 'Vampire Squid' sucked the world dry: A damning indictment of Goldman Sachs

Cameron meets Goldman Sachs, other CEOs in NY

His Excellency Hamad
bin Khalifa Al Thani

Doha, 30 March (AKI) - Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi on Monday stormed out of the Arab league summit being hosted by Qatar after denouncing Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah for his ties with the west. He called him a British product and a United States ally.

Qatar: Gaddafi storms out of Arab League summit

New defense plan targets home turf

March 29, 2012

Norwegian Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide has unveiled a new long-term plan for the defense sector that wraps up 10 years of military reorganization and includes a special new unit for the Arctic areas. A Stavanger newspaper reported Thursday that it also includes personnel for the new NATO missile defense system that the US wants to set up.

Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide talking about Norway's long-term defense plan, which is being billed as "defense for our times."

That’s not highlighted in the summaries made public on Wednesday, but Aftenbladet in Stavanger reports that Norwegian military personnel will contribute on both an operational level and in the decision-making process for setting up the system. The US wants to set up what the Norwegians call rakettskjold (literally, rocket shields) in Romania, Turkey and eventually Bulgaria, to fend off medium-range missiles.

NATO approved the missile defense system at its summit meeting in Lisbon in 2010, to prevent missile threats that several NATO countries expect to meet in the years ahead. Russia has long opposed the need for such missile defense systems and Norway has been rather stuck in the middle, keen to keep both Russia and the US happy despite recent comments from the new leader of government coalition partner SV, who wants to distance Norway from US politics.

More attention on home territory
The new defense plan may appease SV in another manner, however, by turning Norwegian military attention and presence back to home territory after years of maintaining troops overseas, not least in Afghanistan. Eide stressed that the Norwegian military’s foremost duty is to prevent attack on Norwegian territory. Norway’s membership in NATO will continue to play a critical role, but claimed “an aggressor shall be aware that an attack on Norway will be met with resolute defense power and have an unacceptably high price.”

He told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) Wednesday night that a new defense unit will be set up to patrol Arctic territory, as Norway’s northern areas take on increasing importance. Again, though, Norway is working with foreign allies such as the UK, which has recognized that Norway is one of few NATO countries that hasn’t been cutting its defense budgets.

Eide, from Norway’s Labour Party, was in London earlier this month and met with British Defense Minister Philip Hammond of the Conservatives, who told newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) that a new defense pact between Norway and the UK will help British defense forces “get more out the money” that’s available. He said relations between Norway and the UK are “very strong” and he promoted “willing coalitions” between or among individual nations.

Eide claimed that relations between Norway and the UK are stronger than they’ve been in years, a “paradox” of sorts, given that Norway’s government is left-center and the UK’s is currently conservative. But that, Eide said, has more to do with the earlier policies of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Even though he was from Labour, Eide noted that Blair’s support for US President George Bush and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan put British policy at the time at odds with Norway’s.

Now the UK will be part of a defense alliance including Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark aimed at coordinating military cooperation in the Arctic areas, he told DN.

Charles and Camilla pay a royal call

March 20, 2012

The flags were flying, the red carpets rolled out and the tables set for a banquet at the Royal Palace in Oslo Tuesday evening. Prince Charles of the UK and the Duchess of Cornwall, the former Camilla Shand, arrived in Norway earlier in the afternoon for a whirlwind official visit to mark the 60th anniversary of the coronation of the prince’s mother, Queen Elizabeth.

Ties between the royal families of Norway and the UK are traditionally close, from the time when Norway’s first modern king, Haakon VII, arrived as a Danish prince with his British wife, who became Norway’s Queen Maud. Norway’s late King Olav V, son of Maud and Haakon, was born on a royal estate in England, and both Haakon and Olav spent the war years in exile in London.

The current monarchs are roughly a generation apart, with Queen Elizabeth older than King Harald, and the heirs to throne are even farther apart in age, with Prince Charles nearly 30 years older than Crown Prince Haakon. Personal ties aren’t as close as those between the Norwegians and other royal families in Europe, and this week’s official royal visit is the first in many years.

As with most royal visits, their program is timed down to the minute and they packed five official events into their first three hours on Norwegian soil. Crown Prince Haakon greeted them at the airport, along with the respective ambassadors of each country, Jane Owen and Kim Traavik, and several other dignitaries, and then it was off to Oslo’s historic Akershus Fortress and Castle, for ceremonial wreath-laying at Norway’s National Monument.

Then Prince Charles was driven to the home of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg for a private, half-hour visit, before both Charles and Camilla were escorted by King Harald and Queen Sonja to the Nobel Peace Center. There they met with survivors of last summer’s terrorist attacks on the island of Utøya and members of various youth organizations of Norway’s political parties.

After a bit of entertainment, the British royal couple was finally driven to the Royal Palace, where they’ll be guests of honor at a banquet that also will be attended by the king’s sister Princess Astrid, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Martha Louise. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are also staying in the palace’s guest quarters for two nights.

Five hours in Bergen
On Wednesday they’ll be flying to Bergen for another five-hour whirlwind visit that will include stops at naval vessels in the harbor, a stroll along the historic waterfront known as Bryggen, and visits to Haakonshall and composer Edvard Grieg’s home Troldhaugen. The royal entourage will fly back to Oslo at 5pm.

No details were released about their evening plans on Wednesday, but on Thursday Prince Charles will meet some Norwegian business leaders at the British Embassy, while the Duchess of Cornwall will visit a cancer center at Oslo University Hospital. Then they’ll both spend around 20 minutes at a royal exhibit at the Oslo Museum before flying on to Stockholm just after noon on Thursday.

The British royals will also visit Copenhagen at the end of the week, to complete their official Scandinavian tour.

Labour mayor indicted for assault

March 29, 2012

The mayor of the scenic community of Vågå in the mountains of Oppland County was indicted Thursday on charges he sexually assaulted a girl under the age of 14 several times over a period of two years. Rune Øygard of the Labour Party faces a prison term as long as 15 years.

Rune Øygard of the Labour Party has denied all the charges of sexual assault against him, and claims he wants to return as mayor of Vågå.


Øygard, who’s been a fairly high-ranking figure within the party and a friend of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, has denied he’s guilty of the assaults since they were first reported shortly after last fall’s municipal elections. Police have been investigating ever since, though, and state prosecutors for the counties of Oppland and Hedmark opted to indict Øygard on charges described as “very serious.”

Øygard, age 59, has been accused of having sex with the girl on several occasions between October 2009 and September 2011, from when she was 13 to 15, at various locations including his home, his holiday cabin and several hotels.

Prosecutor Thorbjørn Klundseter declined to detail the evidence that led to the indictment but said it was based on both declarations of witnesses and technical evidence. ”When we hand down an indictment, it means we are convinced that this case can be proven in court,” Klundseter told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).

The girl is a member of the Labour Party’s youth organization and her attorney, Nina Braathen Hjortdal, was satisfied by the indictment. ”I’m glad there’s finally been an indictment,” Hjortdal told NRK. “I haven’t had a chance to speak with my client yet, but I’m sure she’s glad as well.”

‘Surprised’
Øygard’s defense attorney, on the other hand, said she was surprised by the indictment. “We’re surprised the police and prosecutors have evaluated their evidence as enough to hand down an indictment,” Mette Yvonne Larsen told NRK. She claimed Øygard was looking forward to clearing his name in court.

“He’s not happy such a serious criminal case has been filed against him,” Larsen said. “But he thinks it’s better to clear himself than to live with these complaints.”

Øygard has told media on earlier occasions that he’s been astonished by charges that are “so degrading, so disgusting and brutal” and has claimed he’s “never done anything like them, that’s not me. This is unreal.”

He told newspaper VG that he had wholehearted support from his wife Reidun, and that’s helped him face the charges. “I have never cried so much in my whole life as I have the past few weeks,” he told VG in November. The girl, he said, had been like a member of their family and they took her on holidays and went traveling together.

He went on sick leave when the charges were first filed in September, and has been relieved of his mayoral duties in Vågå. Øygard and his wife have been living with friends in Oslo and at a cabin in western Norway because they couldn’t face social life in Vågå despite what they describe as “massive support” from friends and acquaintances.

“When this is over, I want to return as mayor,” Øygard told VG. “I haven’t done anything wrong.” Labour Party hadn’t decided whether Øygard would be suspended, saying it was up to the court to decide the case.