Fact or fiction?
48 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan, 10 surrender:
The Afghan interior ministry in a statement released here Wednesday claimed killing four dozen Taliban militants over the past 24 hours across the country.
8 Afghan soldiers killed, 8 others injured in Taliban attacks:
Afghan army casualties on riseAccording to local authorities in northern Parwan province of Afghanistan, at least 2 Afghanistan national army soldiers were killed and 8 others were injured following militants attack.
2 civilians killed in Nangarhar rebels' shelling:
At least two civilians were killed and three other wounded, when the Taliban fighters fired mortars on a house in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said Wednesday.
US has Murdered Up to 900 Civilians in Pakistan:
Amnesty International just published the results of detailed field research on nine of 45 reported drone strikes that occurred between January 2012 and August 2013 in the Pakistan's North Waziristan region-and found that the US might be responsible for up to 900 civilian deaths.
U.S. broke international law by killing civilians with drones - rights groups: -
Human rights groups on Tuesday accused the United States of breaking international law and perhaps committing war crimes by killing civilians in missile and drone strikes that were intended to hit militants in Pakistan and Yemen.
War Child warns of more child casualties from use of drones:
The use of drones and other advanced weapons, increasing urbanisation and the constraints of UN mandates are set to drive up child casualties over the next 20 years, a report warned on Wednesday.
Obama Administration Has Launched Drone Strikes Against AQAP Suspects Who Could've Been Captured:
The drone attack in Wessab that killed al-Radmi is worth detailing further, as it seriously undermines the claims by President Barack Obama's administration that terrorist suspects are being captured when feasible
US: 'Back in the business of killing':
Roughly 60 percent of the CIA's current staff was hired after the 2001 terror attacks. Many of those hires have a simple task: hunting and killing people.
33 killed in series of attacks in western Iraq:
The attacks started late Tuesday when a suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden car at a police station in the city of Rutba, some 370 km west of the capital Baghdad, killing at least six policemen and wounding 14 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Iraq: 19 Police killed in Anbar attacks:
At least 19 police officers and three civilians have been killed in a series of attacks overnight in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, officials say.
Iraq PM warns of 'war of genocide':
"It has become clear... that Iraq is subjected to a war of genocide targeting all of its components," Maliki, a Shi'ite, said on Wednesday in his weekly address.
2 killed in north Lebanon clashes over Syria:
Two people have been killed and 33 wounded in three days of clashes in the Lebanese city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a security official said Wednesday.
Islamist rebels fight army for Christian town in Syria:
"After rebels stormed the town yesterday, they entered the main square and spoke to us on loudspeakers, telling us to stay inside. They killed anyone found in the streets," said a resident named Elias, speaking by phone. "
Syria rebels against Geneva peace talks:
The rebels, who met with the so-called Friends of Syria group of 11 countries in London on Tuesday, said they would not take part in the Geneva conference in late November if any regime members were there, and insisted that Assad's departure was essential.
The Friends of Syria Core Group of countries -
Communique of the London 11
Fact or propaganda?
US halts aid to Syrian rebels:
The United States has cut off northern Syrian moderate rebel groups from non-lethal aid, with an al-Qaeda advance in northern Syria physically blocking the aid's dispersal, as the Obama administration continues to 'disengage' itself from Syria.
Saudis Said to Disregard U.S. on Aid to Syrian Islamists:
Saudi Arabia's support for rebels in Syria won't be constrained by U.S. efforts to keep the money from Islamist groups, as the kingdom steps up efforts to battle Iranian influence in the region, a Saudi official said.
Saudi UN Envoy: Iran Has No Role in Syria Solution:
Saudi ambassador to the United Nations Abdallah al-Mouallimi stressed that any discussion regarding the Syrian issue at the Geneva II conference should be "in preparation for a real political transition of power. But if this is not the goal, there will be ambiguity in the situation that is not consistent with reality."
Iran must prove nuclear program peaceful, Kerry says:
Meeting with Netanyahu ends after five hours, sides discuss peace talks and diplomatic initiatives to stop Tehran's nuclear work
Russia steps in to improve military ties with Iran:
After consolidating in Syria, Russia is set to expand military ties with Iran, as part of its bid to re-emerge as a major player in the Levant and the Gulf.
Fact or propaganda?
'Israel strikes Hezbollah-bound missile shipment'?
Kuwaiti newspaper claims IAF hit convoy on Lebanese-Syrian border earlier this week
In case you missed it:
Tar sands and Shale Threatens Saudi Economy, Warns Prince Alwaleed:
Investor Says Kingdom's Economy Increasingly Vulnerable
Saudi Clerics Protest Women Driving, Blaming U.S. For Anti-Ban Campaign:
Around 150 clerics and religious scholars have rallied outside the Saudi king's palace, protesting against women seeking the right to drive.
Saudi Arabia Under Fire At UN Over Women's Rights:
Critics accused the Kingdom of jailing activists without due process and abusing the basic rights of Saudi women
Abbas: Israel will be responsible for any failure of talks:
Palestinian President says if peace talks fail, Israel will be to blame, backs UN's demand that Israel stop illegal settlement construction
Abbas urges EU firms to boycott settlements:
As Kerry, Netanyahu meet in Rome, Palestinian president calls on EU to boycott settlements. 'Such activities are a violation of international law,'
Einstein letter, blamed Jewish terrorists for risking 'catastrophe' in Palestine:
Ebay is selling a letter written by Albert Einstein at the time of the Deir Yassin massacre in April 1948 to an American Zionist, denouncing the Zionist militias' terrorist activities.
7 Tunisian security forces 'killed in militant attack':
At least seven police officers have been killed in Tunisia in clashes with Islamist militants, reports say. Heavy gunfire was reported in the central region of Sidi Bouzid, with at least two militants reported killed.
2 UN troops killed in Mali's Tessalit town.
At least two UN peacekeepers have been killed and six others wounded in a suicide attack in northern Mali, UN spokesman Olivier Salgado has said.
NSA Tapped 1.8 Million Dutch Phone Numbers in One Month, Dutch Media Reports:
Between the beginning of December and beginning of January, 1.8 million Dutch phone numbers were tapped into by the NSA, recording information about number and possibly location, Tweakers said.
French President Hollande berates US over spying claims:
In a phone conversation with US President Barack Obama, he said this was "unacceptable between friends and allies", demanding an explanation.
Germany: US may have targeted Merkel's cellphone:
Amid tensions with France because of NSA intelligence gathering techniques, Germany says US might have targeted Merkel's phone in 'serious breach of trust' if true. White House denies report
Why the NSA's Defense of Mass Data Collection Makes No Sense:
The U.S. intelligence community claims it's not spying on citizens until someone actually looks at the data it collects. That argument is deeply flawed.
NSA Programs Overseas Violate Americans' Privacy, Yet Escape FISC, Congressional Oversight:
If all you care about is U.S. persons' privacy, then Congress' decision in 1978 to limit this definition of electronic surveillance to in-country collection might have once made sense. But today, it does not
Civil liberties group sues Canada over spying:
A Canadian civil liberties group on Tuesday sued the government's electronic eavesdropping agency, claiming that its "broad and unchecked" surveillance is unconstitutional and an illegal invasion of privacy.
Boston bomb suspect wants access to records in triple slaying:
The surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, who faces a potential death penalty, is fighting to get access to investigative records that implicate his dead brother in a triple slaying in 2011.
Ireland - 'To hell or Canada' for our youth - Cromwell would've been proud: Op-Ed:
The hammering of young people in the Budget suggests that they constitute the most reviled demographic in Ireland. How else to explain why those aged under 26 are being used as sacrificial lambs to pay for a banking collapse for which they had no culpability?
Boeing Overcharged Army $32M For Helo Parts, Report Says: -
The U.S. Army's lax oversight allowed The Boeing Co. to overcharge the Army by as much as $31.7 million for parts supplied through a $4.4 billion CH-47F Chinook transport helicopter contract, according to a government watchdog report made public Monday.
Boeing's Pentagon Charges Questioned in Audits Four Times:
Four times in the past five years, the Pentagon's inspector general has found that Boeing Co. (BA) collected excessive or unjustified payments on U.S. defense contracts.
Boeing raises forecast as third-quarter profit jumps; stock soars:
Boeing Co (BA.N) reported a surprising 12 percent jump in quarterly profit and raised its full-year forecast on soaring commercial aircraft production and margins, sending its shares up as much as 6 percent to an all-time high.
9/11 in Academia: Anthrax and the Fictions of the National Security State: Video -
An Evening With Professors Graeme MacQueen and Michael Keefer presenting on '9/11 and the Fictions of the National Security State' hosted by Phyllis Creighton of Scientists for the Right to Know, and featuring a preview and DVD release of the award winning documentary '9/11 in the Academic Community' by Adnan Zuberi
