Police Commissioner, Henry Greene could be charged with alleged rape if the force from which he is on leave is to go by the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions DPP .
Well-placed sources told Demerara Waves Online News…

Related articles

• commissioner henry greene the gun toting rapist – latest victim on benschop radio tonight 9pm propagandapress.wordpress.com
• guyanese women charged for praying outfront serial rapist henry greene’s house propagandapress.wordpress.com
• Guyana Taliban News – DPP gives boy raping imam file to her friend propagandapress.wordpress.com
• Guyana taliban news – boy raping imam file with DPP, wife of his boss propagandapress.wordpress.com
• henry greene raping Guyanese women since 1978! – former commissioner winston felix propagandapress.wordpress.com
• Guyana’s commissioner of police henry greene – serial rapist & narco criminal propagandapress.wordpress.com
• Guyana’s Police Commissioner Henry Green Is Facing Rape Allegations bajan.wordpress.com

Munich: Germany Pushes Further NATO-EU Military Integration

Munich: France Promotes Libya-Style European-GCC Contact Group On Syria

NATO Submarines, Warplanes, Ships In Mediterranean Exercise

21-Gun Salute: Saakashvili Visits U.S. Naval Academy After Pentagon

Munich: Azerbaijan Supplants Russia, Provides “Energy Security” For West

Afghanistan, Karabakh: Clinton, Azeri President Tout Bilateral Relations

Munich: Russia Calls For Post-Cold War/NATO European Peace Pact

Pentagon Chief: NATO Main U.S. Military Partner In World

Europe Still Thick With U.S. Troops

Largest Multi-National Military Exercise In Asia-Pacific: India Among Nations Recruited By U.S. To Participate

====

Munich: Germany Pushes Further NATO-EU Military Integration

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-02/04/c_131391568.htm

Xinhua News Agency
February 4, 2012

German FM highlights EU, NATO role in common security

-Westerwelle…put forward the necessity to extend the definition of security beyond absence of war or the threat of war, but further into the sphere of “the security of our societies, our infrastructure, our energy supply.”

MUNICH: German Foreign Minister Westerwelle said Saturday that the European Union EU as a political union is increasingly anchored to security in the Euro-Atlantic area, and an effective EU and a strong NATO are compatible for guaranteeing common security.

Westerwelle made the remarks while addressing the annual Munich Security Conference.

“It’s high time to overcome the absurd stalemate between the EU and NATO,” he said, stressing it’s time to grasp the opportunity to fine-tune a Euro-Atlantic security community based on cooperation and mutual trust to set up a preventive security policy in the Euro-Atlantic area.

“We have to enable the EU to plan and conduct operations more efficiently,” Westerwell said, adding that a Common Security and Defense Policy “must be open to new partnership,” namely, the involvement of the United States, Russia, Turkey and other partners in EU operation.

The German Foreign Minister also stressed that NATO always remained both irreplaceable and unique, as a “strong NATO will continue to be the guarantor of out security in the future.”

He highlighted the importance of integrating Russia, and other countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia into the “Euro-Atlantic Security Community,” citing that “NATO and Russia have a shared interest in protecting us against possible missile attack.”

…

Westerwelle also put forward the necessity to extend the definition of security beyond absence of war or the threat of war, but further into the sphere of “the security of our societies, our infrastructure, our energy supply.”

“A modern security policy for the 21st century relies ever more on civilian resources,” he said, adding that a cooperative approach is imperative and effective against any new asymmetric security threats.

…

====

Munich: France Promotes Libya-Style European-GCC Contact Group On Syria

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/04/syria-france-idUSL5E8D40M520120204

Reuters
February 4, 2012

France, partners planning Syria crisis group – Sarkozy
By John Irish

-Last year [Sarkozy] set up a Libya contact group to create a political roadmap backed by international players as part of efforts to oust Muammar Gaddafi…

PARIS: President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Saturday France was consulting with Arab and European countries to create a contact group on Syria to find a solution to its crisis after Russia and China vetoed a resolution at the U.N. Security Council.

France and Britain had crafted the resolution…backed an Arab League peace plan that would see President Bashar al-Assad give up power.

Sarkozy, speaking after his Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the twin veto had paralysed the international community, accused Moscow and Beijing of “encouraging the Syrian regime to continue with its cruel policies without an end.

“France is not giving up,” Sarkozy said in a statement, saying France was in touch with Arab and European partners to create a “Friends of the Syrian People Group” that would marshal international support to implement the Arab League plan.

Sarkozy did not give further details on the initiative.

Last year he set up a Libya contact group to create a political roadmap backed by international players as part of efforts to oust Muammar Gaddafi…

Russia and China joined forces in a double veto to quash the resolution…

“This veto paralyses the international community,” Juppe said on France 2 television…

Russia had said its main objection was that the draft resolution set down measures to be taken against Assad’s government, but not against armed groups who it said were manipulating peaceful protesters.

…

France’s U.N. ambassador said the Syrian people would not be left to a tragic fate and that Paris would work with the European Union to impose new sanctions on Damascus.

…

Minor scuffles broke out earlier in the day at the Russian embassy in the French capital during a pro-Assad demonstration.

About 20 supporters of the Syrian president were confronted by about 50 people against the government, according to a Reuters witness. Nobody was injured, but the police stepped in to make some arrests.

====

NATO Submarines, Warplanes, Ships In Mediterranean Exercise

http://www.aco.nato.int/nato-forces-in-the-mediterraenan-for-exercise-proud-manta-12.aspx

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
February 3, 2012

NATO FORCES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR EXERCISE PROUD MANTA 12

Nisida, Naples: From 14-26 February 2012, eleven NATO nations will provide five submarines, 15 aircraft including shore and ship based helos and 12 surface ships including two Auxiliary ships from Italy and one NATO Research Vessel to take part in PROUD MANTA 12, NATO’s largest Anti-Submarine Warfare ASW exercise.

The exercise will take place in the Ionian Sea to the southeast of Sicily. Forces are provided by Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Five submarines from France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey are scheduled to join the exercise. Each submarine will have the opportunity to conduct a variety of submarine operations, including being both a hunter and the hunted. NATO surface ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 with a Dutch flagship, German and Canadian frigates and a German Oiler , a French destroyer, an Italian destroyer and frigate, two Italian auxiliary ships, a US cruiser and destroyer and a NATO research vessel will participate in the exercise. The exercise will demonstrate NATO’s determination to maintain proficiency and improve interoperability in coordinated anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, coastal surveillance and other maritime operations using a multi-national force of ships, submarines and aircraft.

Furthermore it will aim to provide operational training in potential NRF tasks/roles and missions as well as exercising the procedures for current or future operations…

Maritime Patrol Aircraft and ASW Helicopters will operate from Air Bases in Sicily, and are contributed by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom and The United States. Over 100 air missions are planned, and on average this will result in a crew briefing every three hours, day and night, throughout the exercise. The exercise will be controlled from the co-located multi-national Headquarters of the Commander Submarines Allied Naval Forces South and the Commander Maritime Air Naples located in Naples, Italy.

This edition of the PROUD MANTA series follows on from the previous NOBLE MANTA series. It constitutes NATO’s main opportunity to train possible NRF forces in ASW and other maritime operations…This year PROUD MANTA will concentrate on coordinated ASW but with greater emphasis on simultaneous execution of other current and future NRF tasks to better train across the multimission capabilities of NATO’s maritime forces.

The MANTA Series also provides a unique opportunity and operational environment for operational experimentation with new technology and tactics. Operational experimentation helps to determine how these new tools should be or could be used in actual operations and to assess the actual impact or improvement of warfighting capability, both key parts of the transition from the laboratory to the fleet. This year’s MANTA will host for the first time the NURC research vessel NRV ALLIANCE which is the quietest purpose-built research vessel in its class, and the only ship jointly owned by all NATO nations. NURC will conduct three experiments: detection and tracking using AUVs; testing NURC-developed software for real time performance prediction; and monitoring the sea test area with glider to better understand the presence and behaviour of marine life.

====

21-Gun Salute: Saakashvili Visits U.S. Naval Academy After Pentagon

http://rustavi2.com/news/news_text.php?id_news=44545&pg=1&im=main&ct=0&wth=

Rustavi 2
February 4, 2012

Georgian president visits United States Naval Academy

-At the meeting the president was introduced by the United States Secretary of the Navy to hundreds of students as the leader of the most democratic country.
-During his visit to the USNA, Mikheil Saakashvili was presented with a student`s jacket of the academy. Along with the emblem of the academy, the president`s name was also written on a special pilot`s coat presented to the president.

Mikheil Saakashvili visited the United States Naval Academy USNA in Annapolis on Friday February 3 .

Mikheil Saakashvili was taken from the Pentagon to the academy by a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, the American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing VTOL , and short takeoff and landing STOL capability.

A special solemn reception was held in the academy to meet President Saakashvili. He was met on the central square of the historical academy.
The orchestra of the academy performed the national anthems of Georgia and the U.S. at the ceremony. 21-gun salutes were fired to honor President Saakashvili.

Raymond Edwin Mabus, the United States Secretary of the Navy, guided Mikheil Saakashvili around the historical building and the campus of the academy.

Later, Saakashvili met students and other representatives of the academy. At the meeting the president was introduced by the United States Secretary of the Navy to hundreds of students as the leader of the most democratic country.

Mikheil Saakashvili in his speech accented the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, saying that the U.S. is not only a partner to Georgia, but it is the country which embodies the idea of liberty.

Founded in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy, George Bancroft, the Academy started as the Naval School on 10 acres of old Fort Severn in Annapolis. Since then, the history of the Naval Academy has reflected the history of the United States. Among its notable graduates are President Jimmy Carter and Republican Senator John McCain.

At the moment, 4,400 students are studying at the academy. Among them are only 30 foreigners, including four Georgian students.

Mikheil Saakashvili inspected the students` dormitory, later met the Georgian students and talked to them.

During his visit to the USNA, Mikheil Saakashvili was presented with a student`s jacket of the academy. Along with the emblem of the academy, the president`s name was also written on a special pilot`s coat presented to the president.

====

Munich: Azerbaijan Supplants Russia, Provides “Energy Security” For West

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1988051.html

Trend News Agency
February 2, 2012

President says Azerbaijan will hence take active part in ensuring energy security of its partners

Baku: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the Munich Security Conference`s “Energy, Resources, and the Environment: New Security Parameters” panel discussion on Feb. 3.

…

The panel discussion`s moderator introduced the Azerbaijani President as the keynote speaker.

President Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan`s oil production traditions, saying the country was the first to produce industrial oil.

The president said Azerbaijan attached particular emphasis to diversifying energy transportation routes.

The Azerbaijani leader said Azerbaijan was also known as a country with huge gas reserves, adding the country`s current proven gas reserves were more than 2.5 trillion cubic meters.

President Aliyev said Azerbaijan placed particular significance on ensuring energy security.

He noted that Azerbaijan with its diversified oil and gas pipelines played a key role in ensuring the energy security of its partners.

The president stressed the importance of an agreement on the Southern Gas Corridor which he signed with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in Baku in 2011. He said the agreement opened up wide opportunities for Azerbaijani gas to enter European markets through Turkey.

The Azerbaijani leader said energy security already has become an important issue of national security.

…

The president said Azerbaijan would continue playing its role in ensuring the energy security of its partners.

Other speakers at the panel discussion included European Union Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and others.

====

Afghanistan, Karabakh: Clinton, Azeri President Tout Bilateral Relations

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1988262.html

Trend News Agency
February 5, 2012

Azerbaijani President meets U.S. Secretary of State PHOTO

Baku: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has Saturday met U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Munich.

They praised Azerbaijan-U.S. relations.

They expressed confidence that bilateral ties would continue to expand.

Azerbaijan`s participation in peacemaking operations in Afghanistan as part of the anti-terror coalition was hailed during the meeting.

The Azerbaijani leader and the U.S. Secretary of State also had a broad exchange of views on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

====

Munich: Russia Calls For Post-Cold War/NATO European Peace Pact

http://en.trend.az/regions/world/russia/1988216.html

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
February 4, 2012

Russia calls for new post-Cold War peace pact

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday that Europe needed a new post-Cold War peace pact, reported dpa.

Too many current alliances, he said, without specifically naming NATO, are still oriented towards Cold War battles, without taking into account current international relations. He said he envisioned a broader defence alliance, even including China.

“Europe needs a peace pact that would resolutely leave behind the Cold War era,” he said. “The time has come for network diplomacy, based on non-bloc principles.”

Such a new alliance would guarantee “equal and indivisible security for all,” Lavrov added.

====

Pentagon Chief: NATO Main U.S. Military Partner In World

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-02/04/c_131391574.htm

Xinhua News Agency
February 4, 2012

U.S defense chief reassures Europe on security commitment

MUNICH, Germany: U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Saturday that Europe remains a crucial security partner of the United States although Washington announced a strategic shift to Asia and withdrawal of two Army brigades from Europe.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Panetta confirmed that his country planned to call back two of its four combat brigades with about 7,000 soldiers from Europe, as a part of efforts aiming to cut 487 billion dollars of defense budget over the next decade.

However, even after the withdrawal, the U.S. Army would still have about 37,000 soldiers stationed in the continent, which is larger than in any other region that has U.S. military presence.

“That’s not only because the peace and prosperity of Europe is critically important to the U.S., but because Europe remains our security partner of choice,” Panetta said.

The U.S. defense chief said some smaller task forces would rotate to Europe for training and exercises following the departure of two combat brigades.

He pledged that Washington would contribute one U.S.-based brigade to NATO’s Response Force.

Panetta also restated his country’s resolution on building a missile defense system in Europe, despite facing pressure from Russia, which views the system as a real threat to Moscow’s strategic interests.

With promise that the United States is not abandoning Europe, Panetta urged his European allies to contribute more for their shared mission, such as supporting Afghanistan’s transition of security responsibility to the locals.

“The steps Europe can expect from the United States amount to a vote of confidence from Washington in the future of the Alliance, especially in a period of fiscal austerity,” he said. “Let me now suggest the steps Europe must take in order to cast a similar vote of confidence.”

“We must all continue to invest in national defense and in the shared responsibility and capabilities of NATO in order to best manage the security challenges of the future,” he added.

Also speaking at the conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the United Nations Security Council to take action against Syria with a new resolution later Saturday regarding Syria and called on the European countries to keep pressure on the Syrian government.

—————————————————————————-

http://en.trend.az/regions/world/europe/1988161.html

Trend News Agency
February 4, 2012

Europe key to US security, reassure Clinton, Panetta

Europe remains a key partner to US efforts to achieve global security, the US secretaries of state and defence assured the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, DPA reported.

“I have heard some of the doubts expressed, but the reality couldn’t be clearer,” said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. “Europe remains our security partner of first resort.

“I would argue the trans-Atlantic community has never been more closely aligned. The breadth and depth of our cooperation is remarkable.”

Defence Secretary Leon Panetta assured that, despite planned cutbacks in spending, the United States would continue to remain strongly engaged on the continent.

“Europe remains our security partner, our security partner of choice, for military operations and diplomacy around the world,” he said.

====

Europe Still Thick With U.S. Troops

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/04/65353526.html

Itar-Tass
February 4, 2012

Europe still thick with GIs

The United States is to reduce its troop number in Europe from 44 thousand 37 thousand. This will still leave Europe by far the biggest world region outside the US in terms of US troop deployment.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke about this at the Munich security conference on its last full day Saturday.

He also said his country is relying on European help in Afghanistan as mush as it relied on it in Libya.

====

Largest Multi-National Military Exercise In Asia-Pacific: India Among Nations Recruited By U.S. To Participate

http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/india-invited-for-asia-pacific-military-exercise_756623.html

Press Trust of India
February 4, 2012

India invited for Asia-Pacific military exercise

Washington: India is among countries which have been invited to participate in the largest multi-national military exercise in the Asia-Pacific region, which is being held in Thailand from February 7 to 17 with an aim to improve capability to plan and conduct joint operations and build relationships.

Full participating nations for Cobra Gold 12 include Thailand, the US, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Several Countries which have been invited to participate on the multi-national planning augmentation team included Australia, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Italy, India, Nepal, Philippines and Vietnam, the US Marine said in a statement.

Throughout the exercise, US military forces and militaries from several other countries worldwide will conduct field training exercises, involving live-fire training as well as a non-combatant evacuation exercise, a command-post exercise…

It is expected to be participated by about 13,000 forces.

Cobra Gold 2012 will improve capability to plan and conduct combined-joint operations, build relationships between partner nations and improve interoperability across the range of military operations, said the US Marine.

====

US bioterrorists creating ultimate false flag: Bird flu mutation sparks fears of deadly pandemic 04 Feb 2012 A group of US scientists warns that current research runs the risk of releasing a virus that could kill half the world's population. At a public meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences on Thursday night, some of the country's leading virus experts debated the censorship of research into bird flu. Scientists are observing a 60-day moratorium on research into the virus, after two groups found a way to make it infectious by airborne transmission. An outbreak of this virus could be worse than the 1918 Spanish flu that killed tens of millions of people, warned Professor Michael Osterholm, who has led research into previous dangerous outbreaks. [See: Kobe University lab creates 'novel' H5N1 in 'secret' lab 05 Jan 2012.]

For our 4th music pick, we take it down a notch well sorta . Soothing the Beast tonight is Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, each who have made beautiful music in their own right. Put them together as a husband/wife team and the result is some very sweet tunes with excellent vocals by Tedeschi and some serious guitar by Trucks. The song is Midnight in Harlem written by vocalist Mike Matteson and performed by Susan and Derek at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL on June 26, 2010.

This site depends exclusively on readers’ support. Please help us continue by subscribing .

According to Voice of Israel radio both told Katz in an interview that the future of their countries relations with the Zionist entity is dependent on solving the Palestinian cause. Both Ghannouchi and Benkirane have denied talking to some Israeli reporter. The Israeli media made the news headlines to create problems among the supporters of Tunisian al-Nahda and Moroccan Islamist Justice and Development Party PJD – and fear among the western backers of Tunisia and Morocco.

According to the Voice of Israel radio – both leaders had told its reporter at the WEF that Palestinians have to decide on their own the nature of their relationship with Israel. The leaders said that their parties would act in accordance with the Palestinian decision. Tehran made a similar commitment almost two decades ago.

Both Israeli president Shimon Peres and defense minister Ehud Barak attended the WEF. Both parroted the usual Iranophobia lies – calling the world forum to stop Ahmadinejad before he ‘wipe off Israel from world map’. Peres begged Iranian to rise against Dr. Ahmadinejad. The Zionist war-criminal is ignorant of the fact that Iranian heads of state come and go – but the real power behind anti-Israel resistance is Iran’s Spiritual Leader who controls Iranian Armed Forces.

Major Tunisian political parties, associations, and non-governmental organizations have demanded that the new Tunisian constitution include a section condemning Zionism and friendly ties with the Zionist entity. However, Ghannouchi, told Israel Lobby AIPAC think tank WINEP in Washington DC on November 30, 2011: “I don’t think this clause will be included in the constitution“. The meeting was attended by two Israeli officials. In order to pour more honey on his anti-Muslim audience, he demanded that Syrian ambassador should be expelled from Tunisia. He also warned Washington the USrael’s best Arab ally, Saudi ‘royals’ are threatened by the misguided Islamists behind the Arab Sring.

Both al-Nahda and PJD are nationalist parties lead by western educated ‘American Islam’ followers. Their leaders are allergic to Islamic resistance parties like Hamas Hizbullah. Their support for Palestinians, is not much different from Egptian/Syrian Muslim Brotherhood – which supports a two-state solution with Palestinian state without pro-Iran Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance groups in power.

Benkirane himself admitted in an interview he gave to Jordanian daily As-Sabil that most Moroccan including PJD are not Islamists. “The people did not elect us because we are Islamists and will apply religion as we see it but because we believe in justice and will apply it,” he said.

Morocco has always maintained good relations with the Zionist regime. King Hassan II Morocco along with King Hussein Jordan were the most popular Arab leaders among the Israeli Jews. Moroccan Jewish community 800,000 is the largest group of foreign Jews settled in occupied Palestine after 1948. On July 22 and 23, 1986 – then Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres met King Hassan II in his palace. In May 1995, King Hassan mediated peace talks between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat. When Hassan died in 1999 – his funeral was attended by a large Israeli official delegate which included Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the Moroccan-born Foreign Minister, David Levy. In order to prove King of Morocco’s love for Israel – Benkirane has chosen King’s personal Jewish ‘ambassador-at-large’, Serge Berdugo to be new Minister of Tourism, the second most vital source of Morocco’s economy. Berdugo is the president of the World Assembly of Moroccan Jewry, which represents country’s 8,000 remaining Jewish population.

In 1981, Tehran cut diplomatic relations with Rabat in response to King Hassan’s decision to give assylum to Reza Shah. The relation were restored when Moroccan prime minister Abderrehmane Youssoufi visited Tehran in 1991. In March 2009, Morocco broke its diplomatic relation with the Islamic Republic and began a brutal campaign against country’s Shia minority at US-Israel-Saudi instigation. However, this did not effect Morocco-Iran trade. In 2009, Morocco imported 25% of its crude oil requirement worth $1 billion from Islamic Republic. Morocco exports 12% of Iran’s production of phosphoric acid, used in fertilizer industry.

Former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stated in 2007 that “Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear technology.” The annual bilateral trade between Iran and Tunisia is less than $200 million.

photo: shortstackblog

You wouldn’t think handling a notebook or a camera could be a hazardous line of work. But according to the latest global Press Freedom Index, abuse and oppression of reporters has made journalism an increasingly risky job in many countries. The past year has even left a notable taint on the U.S. press, despite the country’s mythos as a beacon of free expression.

While the United States certainly hasn’t descended into the ranks of the most oppressive regimes, the watchdog group Reporters without Borders observes that in 2011 the political barriers and outright attacks facing reporters had led to a steep drop in the rankings—27 places down, to number 47:

In the space of two months in the United States, more than 25 [journalists] were subjected to arrests and beatings at the hands of police who were quick to issue indictments for inappropriate behaviour, public nuisance or even lack of accreditation.

The most high-profile violations of press freedom took place during the Occupy protests, as reporters were abused by police and otherwise stonewalled by authorities.

Ever-faithful to his 1% cronies, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg moved swiftly to restrict press coverage of Occupy Wall Street actions, barring journalists from Zuoccotti Park. Authorities justified the “media blackout” by insisting that the purpose was “to prevent a situation from getting worse and to protect members of the press.” The safety assurances presumably weren’t much comfort to the many reporters who got roughed up and arrested while trying to do their jobs.

But as usual, the crackdowns only challenged activists to push back more fiercely as digital images and reports of police brutality and oppression went viral. And much of the heavy lifting was accomplished by a deft, if somewhat chaotic, grassroots media sphere.

Josh Stearns at Free Press tracked dozens of arrests across several Occupy cities through Twitter dispatches.

From cartoonist and journalist Susie Cagle an occasional contributor to this website , who was arrested during the Occupy Oakland strike actions and “held for over 14 hours”: [cont'd.]

For more coverage of the Occupy Oakland vote, please seeAllison Deger’s piece at Mondoweiss or Nora Barrows-Friedman’s article at the Electronic Intifada.

‘Americans against US-led wars across globe’

AUDIO

An American anti-war activist says the majority of U.S. citizens are against their country’s military interventions across the globe or war threats against other countries including Iran.

“The majority of the American people are not supporters of rash and violent military actions abroad. Poll after poll demonstrate that Americans were in opposition to NATO’s and the U.S.’s military action against Libya, against the current war in Afghanistan which is now of course well into its eleventh year,” says Rick Rozoff, manager of Stop NATO in an exclusive interview with Press TV’s U.S. desk on Saturday.

“There is no consensus amongst the American population for threats against Iran, economic or military, and that is why the voice of the American people needs to be heard and for demonstrations like the ones that are being held preemptively,” Rozoff continued.

“There is a general dissatisfaction amongst the populous in the United States to saber-rattling, brinkmanship and other forms of military threats and aggression abroad.”

*****

Press TV
February 4, 2012

‘Obama attitude main threat to world peace’

AUDIO

An American anti-war activist says the bellicose attitude among U.S. civilian and military leaders including President Barack Obama is the main threat to world peace.

Obama “ironically on the occasion of receiving the Noble Peace Prize in December of 2009 boasted of being the commander-in-chief of a country at war in two countries. He was alluding to Afghanistan and Iraq at the time,” said Rick Rozoff, Manager of Stop NATO in an exclusive interview with Press TV’s U.S. desk on Saturday.

He added that Obama “also bragged about the United States being, and I quote him: the world’s sole military superpower, and it is that attitude amongst civilian and military leaders in the United States that is a threat to the world.”

This attitude “is adversely affecting Americans themselves, tens of thousands of whom are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric problems as the result of the wars abroad but also tens of thousands of whom have come back maimed for life as a result of that,” Rozoff concluded.

Police have received reports that the mother of four of the boys in the sex-abuse case involving a Muslin scholar has received threats to her life.
The woman, who lives in a depressed community, has alleged that she was threatened yesterday by two members of the Turkeyen Masjid that has come under unwelcome scrutiny in the wake of a string of sexual abuse allegations that have been leveled against a senior member.
Kaieteur News understands that the woman has told police that she had just exited a bus near the Masjid at around 19:00 hrs yesterday when the two men approached her.
According to the woman’s statement, one of the men told her “yuh judgment gun red.”
She was reportedly also told that “my body gun drop and he will chop off my second son’s head.”
She subsequently made a report at the Turkeyen Police Station.
Kaieteur News understands that the ranks contacted the Sparendaam Police with a view of arresting the men, but were told that no vehicle was available at the time.

Cops question Masjid members about alleged death threats made to mother
February 4, 2012 | By KNews | Filed Under News
Police yesterday questioned two members of the Turkeyen masjid about alleged death threats they had made on Friday to a woman whose small sons are key witnesses in a sex molestation case.
Kaieteur News understands that the men were taken to the Turkeyen Police Station yesterday, but were released after being questioned.
The men reportedly denied issuing the threats.
However, there are reports that one of the men will be charged, after he allegedly had a second altercation with the woman yesterday.
The woman told Kaieteur News that she was also held at the station for several hours yesterday after one of the men claimed that she also verbally abused him.
A senior police official also confirmed that police are investigation the matter.
On Friday, the woman, who lives in a depressed community, alleged that she was threatened yesterday by two members of the same masjid that has come under scrutiny in the wake of a string of sexual abuse allegations that have been leveled against a senior member.
She told police that she had just exited a bus near the Masjid at around 19:00 hrs on Friday when the two men approached her.
According to the woman’s statement, one of the men told her “yuh judgment gun red.”
She was reportedly also told that “my body gun drop and he will chop off my second son’s head.”
She subsequently made a report at the Turkeyen Police Station.

Related articles

• central islamic organisation of Guyana spending zakat money on debt to child rapist propagandapress.wordpress.com

By Trevor Timm | EFF | January 26, 2012

Three years ago this past weekend, on his first full day in office, President Barack Obama issued his now infamous memo on transparency and open government, which was supposed to fulfill his campaign promise to lead the “most transparent administration in history.”

Instead, his administration has been just as secretive—if not more so—than his predecessors, and the Freedom of Information Act FOIA has become the prime example of his administration’s lack of progress.

In 2009, Obama made FOIA reform the centerpiece of his open government agenda. “My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government,” he said, while laying out principles he wished to see his agencies adopt in the proceeding months.

In March of 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder issued what the Justice Department called “comprehensive new Freedom of Information Act FOIA guidelines.” Holder ordered that all executive branch departments and agencies were to apply “a presumption of openness” in response to FOIA requests.

In 2010, EFF’s senior counsel David Sobel testified to Congress, calling on Obama to lead by example if they wish to change the FOIA process.

Unfortunately, secrecy won out in the Obama administration almost immediately. In the early months of his presidency, a court ruled that the administration would have to turn over photos related to the Abu Ghraib torture scandal in response to a FOIA request. Knowing they’d likely lose the appeal, Obama supported a new law that could keep information secret even when FOIA would otherwise require disclosure. The bill’s only intention was to create a way to shield photographs of detainee abuse from public disclosure.

President Obama also refused at first to release White House visitor records, a practice for which his predecessor, George W. Bush, was pilloried. The Obama Administration appealed a court’s ruling that the visitor logs were subject to FOIA. In September 2009, Obama reversed course and agreed to voluntarily release White House visitor records going forward. But in 2011, the Administration was still fighting in court to keep the logs before Obama’s reversal a secret.

The Associated Press looked at the administration’s commitment to transparency in 2010 and concluded Obama was using FOIA exemptions to withhold information from requesters more than Bush did in his final year, despite receiving fewer overall requests. And one of the most frequently used exemptions was one Obama explicitly told the agencies not to use: the “deliberative process” exemption, which allows the government to withhold documents dealing with its decision making process. In Obama’s first year in office, the use of the exemption skyrocketed from 47,395 times in 2008 to 70,779 times in 2009.

Worse, more than a year after Obama and Holder’s memos, a National Security Archive study found “less than one-third of the 90 federal agencies that process such FOIA requests have made significant changes in their procedures.” Even FOIA requests on transparency were held up:

The AP is still waiting–after nearly three months–for records it requested about the White House’s “Open Government Directive,” rules it issued in December directing every agency to take immediate, specific steps to open their operations up to the public.

Yet around the same time, when President Obama was asked a question at a townhall about why his administration wasn’t more transparent, he responded by saying it was the most transparent in the modern era.

What was his first reason?

The administration’s release of White House visitor records—the same records they went to court to fight to keep secret.

The President also bragged: “We’ve revamped the classification system so it’s not used to hide things that might be embarrassing to us.”

Which, of course, is not true either. As EFF has pointed out, government secrecy and over-classification has reach absurd levels under Obama.

More damage was done to FOIA in the Dodd-Frank bill. A little-noticed provision of the recently passed financial-reform legislation stated that the SEC “no longer has to comply with virtually all requests for information releases from the public, including those filed under the Freedom of Information Act.” Other media organizations have lodged public complaints about FOIA procedure at the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and even agencies dealing with health and scientific issues like the EPA and NASA.

EFF has experienced many of these problems first hand. When we sued the FBI after it was revealed they were systematically abusing their National Security Letter authority, the bureau redacted the vast majority of the thousands of pages requested. In another case, it was clear the FBI was arbitrarily redacting information when it wasn’t appropriate. The DHS singled out EFF, along with other activist groups and media representatives such as the ACLU, EPIC, Human Rights Watch, and AP, for an extra layer of review on its FOIA requests. EFF sued just to find out the names of the members of Obama’s Intelligence Oversight Board.

But by March 2011, only 49 of the 90 federal agencies had followed any “specific tasks mandated by the White House to improve their FOIA performance.” The National Security Archive found in July that federal backlogs of FOIA requests are growing. A Study released in December of this year by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington CREW and OpenTheGovernment.org found the administration was withholding information using nine of the most common exemptions 33% more than George Bush’s last full year in office.

But perhaps the worst violation of Obama’s open government principles was the deplorable attempt by the Justice Department to change the DOJ’s own FOIA regulations. Under the proposed rule, instead of refusing to confirm or deny a document is in the Department’s possession, the agency could “respond to the request as if the excluded records did not exist.” The Los Angeles Times called it an “outrageous proposal” that “provides a license for the government to lie to its own people and makes a mockery of FOIA.” After near universal outcry, including pressure from Congress, the Justice Department scaled back its rules. But as the Sunlight Foundation said, the Justice Department’s revised FOIA rules were still “worse than reported” and allow reviewers to dismiss requests for a host of trivial reasons. Obama’s Justice Department seemed intent on killing the very law it championed at the start of his administration.

The Freedom of Information Act has been hailed by open government advocates as “one of the most significant laws ever passed by the U.S. Congress,” yet its passage and survival has been fought by Presidents for more than forty years. The bill, as a significant check on executive power and secrecy, was originally opposed by Lyndon Johnson, yet was signed into law in 1966. When Congress strengthened the act after the Watergate scandal, President Ford vetoed it on the advice of his then-chief of staff Dick Cheney. Thankfully, Congress overrode his veto. Reagan’s Attorney General Edwin Meese was so opposed to FOIA, despite its being law for more than 20 years, he wrote a memo telling the Justice Department to essentially disregard requests it disliked.

President Obama promised to change all that. Unfortunately, it’s clear many of his pledges have been broken or ignored, turning his declaration that he would lead the “most transparent administration ever” into a punch line rather than a re-election slogan.

Related articles

• Obama Regime Seeks Permission To Lie In Response To Freedom Of Information Requests – Even To The Courts alethonews.wordpress.com
• Obama Justice Dept. Battles against Freedom of Information Act alethonews.wordpress.com

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan

On a small conference call for progressive media, Donovan claimed that the money available in the settlement for principal reduction for underwater borrowers would actually come to $35-$40 billion, over double the $17 billion in nominal principal reduction that has been widely reported. The HUD Secretary said that this represented an “important first step” of principal reduction. “Relative to the $700 billion in negative equity in the country, it’s not anywhere near adequate, but it’s an important first step,” Donovan said, one which will be augmented with by “jump-starting” other voluntary principal reduction among servicers if it is found to be successful in preventing foreclosures, and other claims, including from the Residential Mortgage Backed Securities working group co-chaired by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “One reason I’ve been a strong partner on the working group is the opportunity to get large-scale relief for families that have been victims of the crisis,” Donovan added.

But how exactly does Donovan get to $35-$40 billion when the reports all claim $17 billion as well as $8 billion in various penalties and checks for wrongful foreclosures, adding up to a $25 billion settlement ? He said that the topline numbers have always reflected the settlement with the five largest servicers. When you throw in the other 9 servicers who have been in discussions on the settlement, the level rises to more like $30 billion. Furthermore, “not all write-downs are created equal” in the settlement, Donovan said. The $17 billion on principal reduction always reflected “credits,” a number that the servicers would have to hit to comply with the settlement terms. Some of the credits are not dollar-for-dollar. For instance, principal reduction on loans that are over 175% LTV loan-to-value ratio would not get full credit because it would be a “reduction” on a house that will probably go into foreclosure anyway. “If a servicer is writing down a current first-lien mortgage, that has more value than a second lien 180 days delinquent,” Donovan gave by way of a separate example.

When you add all this up, Donovan asserted, “For every dollar of credit, we’ll be getting on average $2 or more of principal reduction. That’s how you get from $17 billion to $35-$40 billion.”

One example of this that has been reported was revealed by Shahien Nasiripour in the Financial Times. Under the terms of the settlement, servicers would get credit for reducing principal on loans they don’t own.

Investors in US home mortgage bonds may have to swallow losses as part of a wide-ranging settlement being discussed between leading banks and the Obama administration to resolve allegations of foreclosure misdeeds, people familiar with the matter said. [cont'd.]

Participants in the discussions cautioned that a final agreement remains weeks away and that the terms being discussed could change. However, they said it is likely banks would be able to reduce loan principal on mortgages owned by investors through mortgage-backed bonds [...]

Officials have discussed giving the banks credit to the tune of roughly 50 cents on the dollar for cutting the principal on mortgages owned by bond investors.

Think about how this lines up. Principal reductions for private-label MBS would end up getting 50 cents on the dollar in credit. Donovan claims the principal reduction will end up twice as large. That’s an exact match. So pension funds and other investors would pay the cost of a lot of this settlement; of course the banks would rather pay fines with someone else’s money.

This has already caused an uproar on Wall Street, with securities investors not wanting to get stuck paying for the banks’ misdeeds. Some trade groups for mortgage investors have criticized the deal, and the powerful group SIMFA The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association only stopped short of that because of pushback from their leadership. SIMFA has been criticized by many on Wall Street for representing banks rather than investors, and their squelching of criticism of the settlement deal plays into that. Sen. Sherrod Brown has also criticized this aspect of the deal, saying that “Teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and other pensioners and retirees should not be penalized for wrongdoing by Wall Street.”

Questioned about this, Donovan actually sounded happy. “The fact that there are those concerns tells me you will see a significant amount of principal reduction, not only on loans in the banks’ portfolios but in private label securities PLS loans,” Donovan said. “That’s a very good thing from my perspective. I will confirm that we expect a substantial amount of principal reduction in private label securities loans.”

But one of the reasons we haven’t seen a lot of principal reduction in those PLS loans, even though many investors welcome principal reduction that would reduce their overall losses the servicers often hide behind their hands being tied, because they have a financial incentive to foreclose rather than reduce principal , is the risk of litigation from the investors themselves. There’s a good chance investors would argue that a deal like this represents an unconstitutional taking from them without fair compensation. Bill Frey of Greenwich Financial has already had discussions among investors about legal action.

Donovan acknowledged that this has slowed down PLS write-downs in the recent past. And he offered up some extremely weak possibilities to get around this. “There’s nothing to stand in the way of the servicer deciding to pay a portion of the write-down for PLS investors to ensure it goes forward with no lawsuits,” Donovan said. There’s nothing to stand in the way of me buying a unicorn either, I guess, but I’m as likely to do that as a servicer is to pay its investors out. It also wouldn’t solve the problem. Donovan cited the $8.5 billion BofA settlement with its investors, where they in return got the right to service the loans as they saw fit. But that settlement isn’t a done deal, it’s being contested in court by a bunch of investors who said they weren’t privy to the settlement, and even Schneiderman and Delaware AG Beau Biden have stepped in to block that deal on behalf of investors in their states. That the HUD Secretary would use that flawed deal which hasn’t gone forward as a model about how to solve problems with this aspect of the settlement is pretty surprising.

Why should ordinary non-investors care about this issue? First of all, if investors sue successfully, it could blow up the entire settlement and leave homeowners with nothing. Second, if it goes through, investors like pension funds could foot a substantial part of the bill for a fraud perpetrated by the banks, leading to yet another frustrated lack of accountability for the financial crisis.

I will have more from this very revealing interview with Donovan in future posts over the weekend.

Daar zullen zowel het muziek - als het nieuwsblog geïntegreerd worden; ze krijgen wel ieder een eigen url naar de betreffende categorie "muziek" of "politiek." De meeste berichten van hier en daar heb ik geïmporteerd, maar er is een goede kans dat ik een groot aantal oude berichten op privé ga zetten. Maar ik heb in ieder geval een backup, voor het geval ik op het idee kom de oude blogspots te deleten.

Het is nog niet helemaal klaar, er zal nog wel het een en ander veranderen, maar je kunt natuurlijk alvast een kijkje nemen:

Site: johnito.nl

Politiek: politiek.johnito.nl en politics.johnito.nl

Muziek: music.johnito.nl

For non-dutch readers: my blogs will move to Wordpress.org. Check the links above.

Je begraaft met zijn allen een slachtoffer van geweld door een onderdrukkend regime. En wordt bij de begrafenis ontvangen door de "orde"troepen en thugs van hetzelfde regime. Dit gebeurde gisteren in Bahrain. U weet wel, van de Formule 1. Niets in het nieuws. En als er al aandacht aan besteed wordt, wordt er altijd verwezen naar verschillen tussen de soenni en shia-gemeenschap, alsof dat de hoofdoorzaak van het geweld is. Pikant detail: Bahrain is een militaire bondgenoot, aangezien daar een VS-marinebasis is. De wapens van het regime komen grotendeels uit Europa. Daarom is het al een jaar oorverdovend stil in onze media en politiek.

Op het moment dat ik dit schreef heeft nog geen enkel Nederlands nieuwsmedium melding gemaakt van de gebeurtenissen van gisteren. Het is 24 uur later.

Dictaturen zijn kennelijk pas "slecht" wanneer ze onze economische en militaire belangen niet meer voldoende dienen.

Dit is voor mij geen nieuws, maar ik mis in het bericht de context, die ik dan ook hieronder ga proberen te beschrijven.

En ook een aantal redenen waarom Libië niets met de volksopstanden van de Arabische Lente te maken heeft, integendeel zelfs.

Het vervelende is namelijk dat verschillende Nato-landen doelbewust en al héél ver voor de oorlog met de salafisten samen gingen werken inclusief leden van wat we in andere landen Al Qaeda plegen te noemen om het Gaddafi-regime weg te krijgen.

Officieel heet zijn omverwerping een deel van de Arabische Lente te zijn een volksopstand waar ik op zichzelf achter sta , en ik zal niet beweren dat Gaddafi een aardige man was. Maar in Libië spelen er hele andere geopolitieke belangen. Libië opereerde namelijk in grote mate zelfstandig van het internationale monetaire systeem, en was juist afstand aan het nemen van het neoliberalisme, in tegenstelling tot de Egyptische en Tunesische despoten Mubarak en Ben Ali. Die laatsten verkochten hun landen uit aan het IMF, via Structural Adjustment Programs, wat simpelweg inhoudt dat de publieke sector kapotbezuinigd moest worden in ruil voor onbetaalbare leningen.

In Tunesië werden velen hierdoor tot de rand van de economische afgrond gedreven, uiteindelijk uitmondend in de wanhopige zelfverbranding van Mohammed Bouazizi. Dit werd de inleiding tot de Tunesische opstand.

In Egypte hebben, en dit is in Nederland zeer onderbelicht gebleven, stakende arbeiders een zeer grote rol gespeeld in het omverwerpen van Mubarak.

In Libië eisten "rebellenleiders", bestaande uit expats die banden hebben met westerse neocon-denktanks, via social media dat de VN en de NATO onmiddelijk moesten ingrijpen, vanwege bombardementen die er uiteindelijk helemaal niet waren geweest, volgens satellietwaarnemingen.

Ik kan je als voormalig fanatiek twitteraar vertellen dat er lustig en opvallend massaal door "rebellen" werd getwitterd, zogezegd vanuit Libië, hetgeen een hele prestatie was, aangezien internet down was. Behalve in hotels in Tripoli, en daar zaten nu juist geen rebellen.

De objectiviteit van de Pravda mag zeker betwijfeld worden, maar ze hebben hieronder zeker een punt inzake het aantal slachtoffers van Gaddafi, dat mede als basis diende voor westers ingrijpen van 6000 a 10000 doden in een paar dagen, later ver naar beneden bijgesteld naar 208; het oorspronkelijke aantal was via twitter de wereld ingebracht via een totaal onbetrouwbare bron, die ten onrechte beweerde lid te zijn van de "International Criminal Court."


Er werd op een gegeven moment ook getwitterd dat er met artillerie werd geschoten op demonstranten. Maar niemand heeft van de beschietingen ooit duidelijke beelden online gezet. Behalve gruwelijke foto's van verminkte lichamen. Echter is nooit bewezen door wie zij verminkt zijn. Door Gaddafi's troepen? Dat was het verhaal. Hoe kunnen we dat echter zeker weten, wanneer aan de kant van de rebellen strijders meevochten van Al Qaeda Libyan Islamic Fighter Group en Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade , waarvan we toch hebben begrepen dat die er geen moeite mee hebben om onschuldige mensen op te blazen? Of aan stukken te snijden, desnoods uitgezonden op internet. Of gewoon een te gematigde rebellenleider te vermoorden.

Ook wordt het vaak gewelddadige racisme van de rebellen tegenover Afrikaanse gastarbeiders door de meeste media genegeerd ; sterker nog, wij werden geacht hen te zien als "Gaddafi's huurlingen", weet u nog?

In november 2011 vochten diverse rivaliserende rebellen nog met elkaar rond een ziekenhuis in Tripoli, terwijl in rebellenhoofdstad Bengazi auto's en een gerechtsgebouw versierd waren met de vlag van Al Qaeda.

Het is duidelijk dat er nu conflicten ontstaan tussen hen en gematigde moslims en seculiere groepen. Maar dat geeft niet, want nu is de Libische markt weer open voor business... en daar zal, naast IMF"hulp", ongetwijfeld een flinke hap wapenhandel bij zitten, gezien de nieuwe confliten die intern zijn ontstaan. We betaalden sowieso al via onze pensioenfondsen mee aan die troep.

Mind you: dit kan geen verrassing zijn. Wellicht wel voor het grote publiek, maar absoluut niet voor Europese en Amerikaanse regeringsleiders en de militaire top. Sarkozy was bijvoorbeeld behoorlijk pissed op Gaddafi en Berlusconi. Niet omdat Gaddafi ondemocratisch was of mensenrechten schond ,en ook niet vanwege Berlusconi's ongebreidelde machtswellust en horkengedrag.

Nee, het was vanwege het niet doorgaan van de verkoop van Franse Dassault straaljagers aan Libië. En omdat Italiaanse bedrijven een deal voor de bouw van kerncentrales van Frankrijk hadden afgesnoept. Je kunt je misschien ook herinneren dat Italië in eerste instantie helemaal niet zo enthousiast was over het ingrijpen van de Nato. Daarom dus.

Niet getreurd voor de Fransen, want samen met de VS, Israël en Tsjaad was er al ver voor de 2011 oorlog actief samenwerking met de rebellen, die sinds 1989 werden getraind en gefinancierd dankzij Mubarak's Egypte, maar ook fondsen kregen uit Irak en het o zo democratische Saudi Arabië het land dat tot op de dag van vandaag in Bahrain helpt de Arabische Lente met grof geweld neer te slaan; en waarom kunnen zij wel gewoon hun gang gaan?


Meer info over de achtergrond van de "opstand" in Libië: Zie op de site van Global Research de uitgebreide analyse van de Libische rebellenbeweging door voormalig diplomaat en professor Peter Dale Scott. Lees ook John Perkins over de Arabische witwasdeal.

Opvallend was trouwens ook de snelle oprichting van een nieuwe centrale bank en oliemaatschappij door de rebellen, terwijl de oorlog nog lang niet gestreden was. Wikileaks onthulde nog vrij recent dat Libië, vanwege de genationaliseerde olie-industrie, door westerse oliemaatschappijen werd beschuldigd van "grondstoffen-nationalisme" je moet er maar op komen: het volk profiteert mee van de nationale hulpbronnen, en dat als oliebaron een negatieve emotie meegeven door het "nationalisme" te noemen .

Gaddafi eiste bovendien van westerse oliemaatschappijen dat ze belasting betaalden over de opbrengsten, zodat de Libiërs mee konden profiteren.

Het Reuters-bericht vertelt overigens maar een klein deel van het hele verhaal over de conflicten tussen de rebellen onderling. Waar ongetwijfeld oprechte mensen tussen zitten, hou me ten goede.

UPDATE 21 JANUARI: Demonstranten in rebellen-bolwerk Benghazi hebben het gehad met NTC, bestormen hoofdkantoor

Maar de blogs en nieuwssites over Libië zijn vrijwel geen van allen echt objectief, óf extreem pro-Gaddafi, of extreem pro-NTC/NATO, inclusief het gros van de Europese media . Vraag je ook nog maar eens af waarom het staatsgeweld in Bahrain toevallig VS marinebasis, Saudi bondgenoot nog altijd genegeerd wordt in onze media, en Syrië niet.

En nee: het antwoord is niet "mensenrechten."

Dirty wars started in your name, your soul is being used, in this vicious game, everyday pumped in your head, time to face a total collapse, fear is pumped inside your head, time to face a total collapse, tell me are you ready now?

Are you ready,tell me are you ready now?

Everyday pumped in your head, time to face total collapse, fear is pumped inside your head, time to face a total collapse

Are you ready for a revolution, are you ready, there's only one solution, are you ready to take it in your own hand are you ready to take a stand, are you ready to let love come first, are you ready for the day the bubble bursts, are you ready for a revolution

Iran en Hezbollah zijn betrokken bij 9/11, zo heeft een rechter bedacht. Maar ja, Iran and 'Al Qaeda' zijn grote vijanden van elkaar, hetgeen geen geheim hoeft te zijn voor iedereen die de laatste jaren wat verder heeft gelezen dan de pulp-pers. Hou in gedachten dat ook van de Iraakse dictator Saddam Hoessein beweerd werd dat hij Bin Laden steunde, wat één van de minstens 935 leugens over Irak was.

Op dit moment slaat wereldwijd een financiële crisis om zich heen, met steeds meer sociale onrust als gevolg, en tegelijkertijd zijn er volgend jaar presidentsverkiezingen in de VS. Daarnaast heeft de "laten we snel Iran door de VS laten aanvallen" Israëlische regering te maken met groeiende Palestijnse eenheid en dito groeiende Israëlische verdeeldheid.

Een beter moment om nog maar eens een oorlog te beginnen kan ik eigenlijk niet verzinnen...maar dat deze niet tegen de tirannen van Egypte en Bahrain zal zijn lijkt me duidelijk. Terwijl de grootste vrienden van het regime in Bahrain tevens de grote vrienden van Al Qaeda, maar ook van NATO en de VS zijn: de leiders van Saudi-Arabië. Denk daar maar eens over na....

• 9/11 - En nu stoppen met dat complottersgeleuter! ...
• Vragen en antwoorden over 9/11- Deel 3: De Manifes...
• Vragen en antwoorden over 9/11 - Deel 2
• Vragen en antwoorden over 9/11

Europe’s disastrous summit

blogs.reuters.com

I thought disasters were all meant to happen over the weekend?

De plannen van het kabinet-Rutte en zijn gedoogpartner vormen een ongekende aanval op kunst, zorg en welzijn, milieu, openbaarvervoer, gepensioneerden, gehandicapten, uitkeringsgerechtigden, huurders, werknemers, studenten, migranten en vluchtelingen.

Daarmee wordt de rekening van de economische crisis neergelegd bij werknemers en worden mensen aan de basis van de samenleving getroffen door een opeenstapeling van bezuinigingen. De regering breekt de solidariteit af en voedt het wij/zij-denken dat bevolkingsgroepen tegen elkaar opzet.

Wij willen de rekening van de crisis terugsturen naar de aanstichters. Bankiers, speculanten en grote ondernemers hebben zich de afgelopen jaren enorm verrijkt. Niet langer mag de onbegrensde zucht naar winst alles wat mooi en weerloos is vernietigen en onze democratie uithollen.

De logica van bonussen voor de rijken en crisis voor de rest stuit op steeds meer – van de Occupy-protesten tot acties, demonstraties en stakingen in verschillende sectoren.

Op 20 november willen we onze verontwaardiging tonen over de kabinetsplannen en oproepen tot solidariteit, echte democratie en mensen boven winst. Samen gaan we op de Dam levensgroot '99%' uitbeelden. Kom ook en doe mee met je eigen boodschap of actie, jij bent de 99 %!

"Dit onderzoek is niet bedoeld om het kabinet te laten vallen. Het heeft niet direct te maken met eventuele komende bezuinigingen"

De Euro staat niet op zichzelf maar is onderdeel van de neoliberale agenda van de Europese Ronde Tafel van Industriëlen, die sinds 1992 wordt uitgevoerd door de EU.

Alle bezuinigingen op de publieke sector die sindsdien in NL en EU zijn doorgevoerd of nog doorgevoerd worden zie ook Italië vandaag zijn daar integraal onderdeel van.

En de aanstelling van bankster Papademos als nieuwe premier in Griekenland is ook niet toevallig positief door de "markt" ontvangen.

Met het voorbehoud dat er mensen véél grotere problemen dan ondergetekende kennen:
ook ik heb, net als vele anderen, al jaren te maken met een stapeling van nadelige gevolgen van verschillende maatregelen, die door achtereenvolgende kabinetten zijn genomen, in het bijzonder vanaf Paars 1 tot en met Rutte 1. Of het nu om de inmiddels vrijwel onbetaalbare ziektekostenverzekeringen, belastingen, marktwerking in de publieke sector of de invoering van de euro gaat: geen enkele maatregel heeft werkelijk iets positiefs opgeleverd voor mij; vrijwel elke stap die ik zelf vóóruit wist te maken, is zo goed als teniet gedaan door het neoliberale politieke, economische en monetaire beleid van de afgelopen twee decennia.

Het meest duidelijke voorbeeld was de invoering van de euro, en het volledig uit handen geven van de monetaire soevereiniteit aan de Europese Centrale Bank ECB . Deze ECB is zogezegd "onafhankelijk" , maar bewijst keer op keer vooral lippendienst aan de private financiële sector, en niét aan de Europese bevolking. Hoewel het door hardcore euro-fielen altijd glashard ontkend is, werden we door het invoeren van de euro, binnen het tijdsbestek van een paar jaar, geconfronteerd met een de facto inkomenshalvering, kostenstijgingen,afkalving van verworven werknemersrechten,premieverhogingen en euroflatie.En ja, dat heb ik keihard gevoeld, en voel ik nog steeds.

Dat dit verschijnsel van euroflatie wel degelijk is opgetreden werd overigens door voormalig DNB-president Nout Wellink himself al in 2003 toegegeven.

Het is met name voor jongere generaties ik ben zelf van 1970 misschien moeilijk voor te stellen, maar er zijn massa's mensen in Europa, waaronder Nederland, die letterlijk een hoge prijs hebben betaald voor een, dankzij de lobby van multinationals, volkomen mismaakte versie van een oorspronkelijk nobel bedoeld Europees ideaal. Die "prijs" staat los van de jaarlijkse kosten per hoofd van de bevolking, overigens.

Met solidariteit tussen volkeren heeft het huidige Europa in ieder geval niets te maken. Het heeft vooral te maken met gedwongen solidariteit van gewone Europeanen met banken, multinationals en hun klantbeheerders in de Europese regeringen.

Ik mag mezelf ook rekenen tot degenen die de huidige eurocrisis van te voren zagen aankomen, daarom al vroeg protesteerden, daarom om een Euro- referendum vroegen, en daarom tegen de Europese grondwet stemden. En niet in de laatste plaats, omdat we al in de jaren 90 naar de terechte waarschuwingen van vooraanstaande economen luisterden.

Vergeefs.Hoe dit uitgepakt heeft? Vraag het de Griekse bevolking.

Als iemand die jarenlang in de zorg voor daklozen, verslaafden en gehandicapten gewerkt heeft,daarnaast fractiemedewerker is geweest bij een linkse raadsfractie, en zelfs in mijn huidige baan in de commerciële sector regelmatig met de negatieve gevolgen van neoliberaal beleid voor de meest kwetsbare mensen wordt geconfronteerd, durf ik wel te zeggen dat ik een helder beeld heb van de 99% in Nederland.

Sterker nog, ik ben meerdere mensen tegengekomen die ooit "1%" waren, maar door een samenloop van omstandigheden opeens zichzelf dakloos op straat terugvonden, onderaan de 99%. Ik zag, beter dan me lief is, hoe dun de lijn is tussen materiële welvaart en de straat. Ik heb gezien hoe ongevraagd een pgb werd ingevoerd, om in 2011, nu mensen er aan gewend zijn geraakt, weer te zien hoe deze vanuit precies dezelfde motivatie als bij de invoering neoliberale bezuinigingsdrift dreigt te worden afgepakt van het grootste deel van de doelgroep.


Eerlijk is eerlijk, de opmerking "we hebben het te goed in Nederland" komt ook vaak voorbij, als reden om te verklaren waarom de massaliteit van de Occupy-beweging in Nederland nog ver achterloopt bij die in andere landen. Hierover zei ik elders, op Facebook, vorige week ongeveer dit:

Dat we het "te goed" hebben in Nederland komt vooral omdat de werkelijkheid gemaskeerd wordt door een enorme bubbel van schuld, leningen, rente, krediet, te hoge hypotheken, noem maar op. Zolang het je lukt op tijd te betalen lijkt er weinig aan de hand. Maar op het moment dat er opeens massa-ontslagen gaan vallen, en/of de voedselprijzen verder omhoog gaan dankzij de speculanten, en/of je chronisch ziek wordt, dan zal het ijs opeens erg dun blijken voor velen.

Het is momenteel heel modieus om vanuit West-Europa naar de Grieken te wijzen dat ze "op te grote voet leven", maar wij doen dat ook. Sterker nog, dat is decennia aangemoedigd vanuit zowel overheid als de markt. iedereen boven de 35 weet nog dat je gedurende de jaren 90 als een loser werd beschouwd wanneer je een huis huurde ipv kocht, en parallel daaraan werden en worden tienduizenden huurwoningen gesloopt of op de markt gegooid . Studenten moeten nu verplicht lenen, en worden als een last geframed ipv een investering in de maatschappij.

We worden van kleins af aan via reclamebombardementen gebombardeerd met het idee dat mooie dure spullen voor iedereen bereikbaar zijn: en heb je het niet cash? Beter! Dan smeren we voor de kinderen aan de ouders een dure betalingsregeling aan, zodat dat kind het belachelijk hoog geprijsde droomspeelgoed kan hebben gemaakt tegen een dollar per dag loon , zo is de boodschap. We worden met zijn allen geconditioneerd tot een mindset waarin we het normaal vinden om op krediet te leven, en ons voorgehouden wordt dat geluk te koop is. We leren onze lotgenoten achter de toonbank, aan de balie of op een willekeurige klantenservice te beschuldigen wanneer we niet direct onze zin krijgen als een geleverde dienst of produkt ons niet zint, want "we betalen er toch voor?"

En we zijn gaan geloven dat deze situatie normaal is. Dat is het niet. Het is een illusie.

Ja, natuurlijk ga ik dit blog met een positieve noot eindigen, want ik ben ondanks alles een optimist, hoopvol gestemd en vooral opgelucht. Waarom? Dat ga ik je vertellen.

Ik ben sinds mijn 17e ja, dat was in 1987 , politiek actief en maatschappelijk betrokken bezig geweest. Individueel, maar bijvoorbeeld ook binnen de toenmalige SP-jongeren en later de "grote" SP. Ja, dat was al vóór ze überhaupt in de Tweede Kamer kwamen. Ik heb daarnaast meegedaan aan tientallen demonstraties, of het nu om mijn eigen doelgroep/beroepsgroep ging of uit solidariteit met anderen. Meest recente daarvan was op 19 september. En, als de gezondheid het toelaat, ben ik er ook bij op 20 november.

Ik heb de afgelopen met wisselend succes diverse demonstraties, benefietconcerten en manifestaties helpen organiseren, rond thema's als oorlog en vrede, mensenrechten, anti/anders- globalisering, militarisme en natuurlijk bezuinigingen. Zelfs heb ik nog eens een langdurig leegstaand kantoorpand in Zoetermeer helpen bezetten, tot vreugde van de omwonenden. Een traditie die overigens ook onder de Occupy-vlag voortgezet wordt, zo bleek vandaag in Amsterdam.

En al die tijd, sinds 1987, heb ik gehoopt en er op vertrouwd dat er een moment, een omslagpunt zou komen waarop het activisme, voorheen op straat en de laatste jaren veelal online, niet meer alleen preken voor eigen parochie zou zijn. Sinds 9/11 was de andersglobaliserings-beweging zo goed als dood, en idealisme leek, net als in de yuppentijd, een vies woord te zijn geworden.

De eerste signalen dat er een kentering naderde kwamen, althans in mijn beleving, eind 2008 , toen in het kielzog van de kredietcrisis de Grieken massaal in opstand kwamen tegen bezuinigingen op o.a. hun pensioenen. En dit jaar kwamen de Tunesiërs en Egyptenaren in opstand tegen hun neoliberaal geïnspireerde dictators , terwijl in Europa en de VS de Uncut-beweging opkwam, uit protest tegen belastingontwijkende multinationals en hun politieke enablers. Daarnaast begonnen in steeds meer Europese landen, in eerste instantie voornamelijk Spanje, maar geleidelijk aan uitbreidend naar het noorden, de Indignados zich te roeren. De termen "European Revolution", "Global Revolution" en zelfs "Dutch Revolution" werden gemeengoed op social media en in de blogosfeer.

Op 11 juni 2011 vond in Amsterdam een eerste voorzichtige poging tot "Occupy" plaats op het Frederiksplein bij de Nederlandsche Bank. Al heette het toen nog geen Occupy.

Onder invloed van o.a. Adbusters en Anonymous, transformeerden de Amerikaanse protesten zich in september vrijwel geruisloos tot Occupy Wall Street, de moeder aller Occupy-manifestaties. Deze beweging breidde zich al snel uit over de VS en vervolgens de rest van de wereld.

En in Nederland inspireerde de Haagse Binnenhof-activiste Marianne van den Berg ongetwijfeld veel mensen om als Occupier actie te komen. Niet in de laatste plaats door haar optreden in Man Bijt Hond.

Op de internationale actiedag 15 oktober kwam ik in Maastricht voor het eerst met een echte Occupy-manifestatie in aanraking. En sindsdien heb ik enkele malen de Haagse variant bezocht.

Hoewel "Occupy" niet politiek gebonden is, en ook niet verbonden is aan maatschappelijke organisaties en vakbonden, komt in de kern de doelstelling overeen met de idealen waar ik samen met anderen jarenlang voor actief ben geweest. Occupy geeft me het gevoel dat ik de druk die ik mezelf van jongs af aan opgelegd heb, namelijk mensen ertoe bewegen om op te staan tegen de status quo, eindelijk los kan laten. Het is prachtig om te zien hoe gewone mensen uit allerlei achtergronden, en lang niet allemaal doorgewinterde activisten, zich nu inspannen voor idealen die tot voor kort extreem leken. Maar dat gezien de huidige actualiteit totaal niet zijn. Er is weer een perspectief op een rechtvaardiger wereld. Dat is wat ik ons nageslacht van harte gun.