Feb 3, 2011

Israel’s Supreme Court Confirms IDF General’s Impunity « Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place

 

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2011/02/03/israels-supreme-court-confirms-idf-generals-impunity/

Peace.
Michael Santomauro
@ 917-974-6367

What sort of TRUTH is it that crushes the freedom to seek the truth?

__._,_.___
Recent Activity:
.

__,_._,___
at No comments:

proud of Ireland

 


 
:06 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: proud of Ireland
 

Irish objections have delayed an EU deal to allow the transfer to Israel of personal data on EU citizens.

The Republic of Ireland linked its move to its concerns about the use of forged Irish passports in the killing of a top Hamas militant in Dubai in January - allegedly by Israeli agents.

A European Commission official told the BBC that objections to the proposed data deal had only come from Ireland.

Dublin says Israel must now tighten up its data protection laws.

The deal under consideration is known as a "data adequacy" agreement, intended to facilitate commerce between the EU and Israel.

The EU justice commissioner's spokesman, Matthew Newman, said the commission would seek further clarification on the points raised by Ireland and he insisted that the proposal was "not blocked".

The commission has not yet decided on the next step, he said, adding that a new approach to Israel might not be necessary as "we might already have this information at our disposal".

EU seeks data compliance

The EU already has data adequacy agreements with several countries outside the EU, including Argentina, Canada, Switzerland and the US.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

We were going to vote 'no' if it went to a vote. We accepted we would probably be a lone voice"

Richard MooreIrish Justice Department spokesman

The idea is to make the EU's international partners comply with the data protection standards that prevail inside the EU, speeding up transactions.

In the absence of such an agreement, each transfer of personal data has to be checked by the relevant country's data protection authority, to ensure that it is not leaked to a third party.

Plans for such a deal with Israel were discussed on Thursday by data protection experts from the commission and the 27 EU member-states.

The agreement "was due to go through on written notice, with no further discussion" before Ireland objected, Irish justice ministry spokesman Richard Moore told the BBC.

"This lit a red flag here. We objected, and that triggered a meeting of this data protection committee.

"We were going to vote 'no' if it went to a vote. We accepted we would probably be a lone voice."

Mahmoud al-MabhouhMahmoud al-Mabhouh was found dead in a hotel room in Dubai in January

Ireland was outraged that eight fake Irish passports were used by suspects in the killing of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel.

Forged British, French, Australian and German passports were also used in the operation.

Speaking on Irish radio RTE on Thursday, Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said "the Israelis... can say they weren't responsible, but quite clearly agents on behalf of the Israeli state were involved".

Dubai police have said they are 99% sure Israeli agents were involved, though Israel says there is no proof.

Mr Ahern said Israel's current data protection law "only applies to automated processing, it doesn't relate to manual processing, which would possibly include the transcribing of passport details by hand".

"We had to put up some protest," he said, referring to Ireland's objections to the proposed data deal with Israel.

He said Dublin was also worried that Israel's data protection commissioner was "located within the ministry of justice - not at arm's length, not statutorily independent".

Ireland, the UK and Australia expelled several Israeli diplomats following the Dubai assassination, suspecting that Israel's secret service Mossad was behind it.

More on This Story

H

=



--


Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

E-mail me anything:
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

__._,_.___
Recent Activity:
.

__,_._,___
at No comments:

WikiLeaks: US and China in military standoff over space missiles--Will war solve our debt crisis?

 

Wikileaks

WikiLeaks: US and China in military standoff over space missiles

The United States threatened to take military action against China during a secret "star wars" arms race within the past few years, according to leaked documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph.

By Tim Ross, Holly Watt and Christopher Hope 9:00PM GMT 02 Feb 2011

625 Comments

The two nuclear superpowers both shot down their own satellites using sophisticated missiles in separate show of strength, the files suggest.
The American Government was so incensed by Chinese actions in space that it privately warned Beijing it would face military action if it did not desist.
The Chinese carried out further tests as recently as last year, however,leading to further protests from Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, secret documents show.
Beijing justified its actions by accusing the Americans of developing an "offensive" laser weapon system that would have the capability of destroying missiles before they left enemy territory.
The disclosures are contained in the latest documents obtained by the Wikileaks website, which have been released to The Telegraph. They detail the private fears of both superpowers as they sought mastery of the new military frontier.
RELATED ARTICLES
The strike, which resulted in thousands of pieces of debris orbiting the earth, raised fears that the Chinese had the power to cause chaos by destroying US military and civilian satellites.
In February 2008, America launched its own "test" strike to destroy a malfunctioning American satellite, which demonstrated to the Chinese it also had the capability to strike in space.
America stated at the time that the strike was not a military test but a necessary mission to remove a faulty spy satellite.
The leaked documents appear to show its true intentions.
One month before the strike, the US criticised Beijing for launching its own "anti-satellite test", noting: "The United States has not conducted an anti-satellite test since 1985." In a formal diplomatic protest, officials working for Condoleezza Rice, the then secretary of state, told Beijing: "A Chinese attack on a satellite using a weapon launched by a ballistic missile threatens to destroy space systems that the United States and other nations use for commerce and national security. Destroying satellites endangers people."
The warning continued: "Any purposeful interference with US space systems will be interpreted by the United States as an infringement of its rights and considered an escalation in a crisis or conflict.
"The United States reserves the right, consistent with the UN Charter and international law, to defend and protect its space systems with a wide range of options, from diplomatic to military."
The Chinese strike in 2007 was highly controversial, prompting criticism from other nations and claims that it marked a revival of President Reagan's "Star Wars" programme, that was abandoned in the 1980s.
A month after the Chinese strike, America shot down one of its own satellites, ostensibly to stop it returning to earth with a toxic fuel tank which would pose a health hazard. The Chinese did not believe the explanation.
In secret dispatches, US officials indicated that the strike was, in fact, military in nature.
Immediately after the US Navy missile destroyed the satellite, the American Embassy in China received "direct confirmation of the results of the anti-satellite test" from the US military command in the Pacific, according to a secret memo.
The strike marked the high point of tensions between Washington and Beijing over the issue of ballistic missile defence. The cables show that China was deeply concerned about America's plans to place missile defence radars in Japan.
Another document discloses that the US was allegedly developing an "airborne laser system" to counter the threat from "Chinese military build up".
The Chinese government was said to be "angry" about the US satellite exercise in February 2008.
For months after the US strike, the two countries engaged in tense talks over the issue.
At a summit on defence in June 2008, the American delegation told the Chinese that Washington did not regard China as "an enemy". China replied that it saw the two powers "as neither allies nor adversaries".
The Chinese assistant foreign minister complained that the US missile defence programme was not simply "defensive" but also "offensive" because "it includes lasers that attack a missile in launch phase over the sovereign territory of the launching country".
The most recent cable in the collection was sent from the office of Mrs Clinton in January 2010.
It claimed that US intelligence detected that China had launched a fresh anti-satellite missile test. Crucially, Washington wanted to keep secret its knowledge that the missile test was linked to China's previous space strikes.
The cable, marked "secret" said the Chinese army had sent an SC-19 missile that successfully destroyed a CSS-X-11 missile about 150 miles above the Earth.
"This test is assessed to have furthered both Chinese ASAT [anti-satellite] and ballistic missile defense technologies," stated the memo to the US embassy in Beijing.
Mrs Clinton's cable stressed that "the Obama administration" retained the Bush-era concerns over Chinese space weapon plans.
There is growing concern over the potential for nuclear states or terrorists to attack western countries using space. Last September, Dr Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, warned that rogue countries or terrorist groups could wipe out electronic systems by producing an electromagnetic pulse through a nuclear explosion high above the Earth.
On Wednesday night, a Pentagon spokesman said: "The President's June 2010 National Space Policy requires the Dept. of Defense (DoD) to have a range of options and capabilities. Our overriding objective is to promote the peaceful use of space.
"The United States did not engage our own satellite to test or demonstrate an anti-satellite (ASAT) capability. The purpose was to prevent the satellite's hydrazine fuel from causing potential harm to life on the ground.
"To conduct this engagement, we had to make modifications to three sea-based missile defense interceptors, three ships, and the system's command and control software.
"We have not made these modifications to any other missile defense system, nor do we plan to. Our missile defense systems are not intended or designed to engage satellites."
Today The Daily Telegraph publishes another 39 leaked cables on its website, bringing the total to 550 in three days.



--


Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

E-mail me anything:
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

__._,_.___
Recent Activity:
.

__,_._,___
at No comments:

CNI: Blitzer asks Rand Paul if he wants to stop $$ aid to Israel!!

 

Memo: Truly amazing, truly courageous!! Note the Blitzer/Paul dialog below. Of course, leave it to Blitzer to focus on Israel! Forget about China or any other country, it's Israel that Blitzer wants to know about. Surprise surprise. If this doesn't end Rand Paul's political career, then perhaps we can parlay on small miracles and create bigger ones.




Council for the National Interest Foundation

Dear Friend:

I need not review the extraordinary events that are unfolding by the hour. You understand, better than most, that the Middle East is finally and rightfully the point of deep discussion and sharp debate in the media and among policy makers ... here at the Council for the National Interest, the situation demands almost 24/7 monitoring. 

On Monday, Las Vegas newspaper columnist Sherman Frederick asserted "As the Middle East unrest shakes the region from Egypt to Jordan, it is imperative that the Obama Administration stand strong behind Israel." Just before that however, newly-elected Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky talked with newsman Wolf Blitzer of CNN. Here is part of the transcript: 

PAUL: I don't [believe in] funding both sides of the arms race, particularly when we have to borrow the money from China to send it to someone else. We just can't do it anymore. The debt is all consuming and it threatens our well being as a country.

BLITZER: All right, so just to be precise, end all foreign aid including the foreign aid to Israel as well. Is that right?

PAUL: Yes.

Let me be clear: there are many more voices shouting for deeper and more entangling ties to Israel than there are thoughtful observations—like Senator Paul's—questioning the effectiveness of the aid and comfort Washington gives to Tel Aviv. 

That's why I am asking you to renew your support for CNI ... and to do so right away. Your gift of $100, $50 or even $25 or $30 is urgently needed so we can continue our steadfast stand of Middle East peace only through justice and fair play.  

We are reaching out to grass roots activists and to the media. Here's a hard-hitting story that our Executive Director, Phil Giraldi, that was published today. Our aim is to highlight the role of the Israel lobby in this time of crisis, and continue to focus on the plight the Palestinians—a situation that may deteriorate even more while the world is busy watching what goes on in Egypt and elsewhere.

Our work depends on the loyalty and generosity of our supporters. Won't you take time now, while you're thinking of it, to renew your support in CNI? Frankly, it will take more resources to face-off with the Israel lobby in 2011 than it did last year. That's why your sacrificial gift of $50, $100 or even $500 is so important. 

In the coming days and weeks, CNI will provide you with the latest analysis and commentary on the crucial issues you and I care about the most: human rights, a moral and logical American foreign policy in the Middle East, and exposing the intrigues and influence of the Israel lobby.

Please join me in making 2011 a year of renewed strength and resolve by donating today. 

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Gratefully,
Alison Weir
Alison Weir, President
Council for the National Interest

P.S. Please read Phil Giraldi's recent comments in the influencial Atlantic magazine—our message is indeed being heard thanks to your continuing support. 


Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to the CNI Foundation:
Donate to the CNI Foundation
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2836
Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1 · Washington, DC 20024
800.296.6958 · 202.863.2951 · Fax: 202.863.2952
http://www.cnionline.org/






--


Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

E-mail me anything:
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

__._,_.___
Recent Activity:
.

__,_._,___
at No comments:

Dear Alan Dershowitz...

 

Dear Alan Dershowitz,
Harvard

I don't understand what your request is on my end. What would you like me to do for you?


Peace.
Michael Santomauro 

What sort of TRUTH is it that crushes the freedom to seek the truth?

On Feb 3, 2011, at 11:24 AM, "Alan Dershowitz" <dersh@law.harvard.edu> wrote:

Pl fax including article from oped news from rob

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 08:41:28 -0500
To: reportersnotebook<RePortersNoteBook@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Dershowitz: Supporting Tyranny



Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
504 E. Pennsylvania Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820 USA
217-333-7954 (voice)
217-244-1478 (fax)
(personal comments only)
< br>-----Original Message-----
From: aalsmin-l-bounces@lists.ubalt.edu
[mailto:aalsmin-l-bounces@lists.ubalt.edu] On Behalf Of Boyle, Francis
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 6:05 AM
To: AALSMIN-L@lists.ubalt.edu
Subject: [AALSMIN-L] Dersh Supporting Tyranny

Law Professor Francis Boyle called five Harvard law professors notorious
for supporting lawlessness. Dershowitz made the list, Boyle calling him
an: 

"infamous self-incriminating war criminal. (H e) publicly acknowledged
being a member of a Mossad Committee for approving the murder and
assassination of Palestinians, which violates the Geneva Conventions and
is thus a grave war crime."

Moreover, he supports Guantanamo's "Kangaroo (Military Commission) Court
System" despite all human rights organizations and legitimate figures
denouncing it. Harvard's infamous five, including Dershowitz:

"....are no longer fit to educate lawyers, Members of the Bar, and
Officers of the Court. They are a sick joke and a demented
fraud....Harvard is to Law School as Torture is to Law." Its faculty and
deans "torture the law. Do not send your children or students to Harvard
Law School (or allow them in Dershowitz's classes) where they will grow
up to become racist war criminals. Harvard Law School is a Neo-Con
cesspool....for the most part its Faculty and Deans have always been
viscerally bigoted and racist against Muslims/Arabs/Asians and other
People of Color since at least" 1971 when Boyle attended.

Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
504 E. Pennsylvania Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820 USA
217-333-7954 (voice)
217-244-1478 (fax)
(personal comments only)

-----Original Message-----
From: rob@opednews.com [mailto:rob@opednews.com] 
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 5:57 AM
To: fboyle@illinois.edu
Subject: fab, thank you for telling your friend(s)

I just received a request from you to send an email
to your friend(s) recommending this page:
OpEdNews - Article: Alan Dershowitz Supporting Tyranny?

Thank you very much. As the administrator of OpEdNews, 
let me express my gratitude to you for sharing our page
at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Alan-Dershowitz-Supporting-by-Stephen-L
endman-110203-763.html

...Rob Kall
OpEdNews
rob@opednews.com

P.S. If the email was not sent by you, then someone else is using your
email address.
Here is the IP address of the person who used your email: 24.13.88.217


_______________________________________________
AALSMIN-L mailing list
AALSMIN-L@lists.ubalt.edu
http://lists.ubalt.edu/mailman/listinfo/aalsmin-l

This email was sent using the University of Baltimore mailing list
system. Messages s ent via a University of Baltimore mailing do not
necessarily represent the opinion of the University.



Peace.
Michael Santomauro 

What sort of TRUTH is it that crushes the freedom to seek the truth?

__._,_.__

__._,_.___
Recent Activity:
MARKETPLACE

Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.

Get great advice about dogs and cats. Visit the Dog & Cat Answers Center.

.

__,_._,___
at No comments: