Notes from Besieged Gaza - by Stephen LendmanOn June 17, Israel's Cabinet issued a six point plan, agreeing to ease access for civilian goods entering Gaza without loosening inflexible security measures to restrict them. So what's changed? Not much. Increased truck traffic has been modest at best. The consumer ban was partially lifted, permitting previously... Continue Reading →

Iraq Pullout: Mission Accomplished or Strategic Retreat? - by Stephen LendmanIn an August 2 speech to disabled veterans, Obama touted his planned withdrawal, saying:"As a candidate for president, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end....Shortly after taking office, I announced our new strategy....for a transition to full Iraqi responsibility. And... Continue Reading →

Washington Orders Shahbaz Airbase Saved, not Pakistan's Flood Victims - by Stephen LendmanWith 20 million or more people affected, about 12% of the population, the equivalent of 37 million Americans, Pakistan's devastating floods are truly of biblical proportions, described by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as worse than anything he'd ever seen, saying:"Thousands of towns and... Continue Reading →

Political Killings in Colombia - by Stephen LendmanColombia, America's closest South American ally, is a corrupted narco-state, a repressive death squad faux democracy, threatening regional neighbors, and reigning terror against trade unionists, human rights workers, campesinos, pro-democracy organizations, independent journalists, and legitimate resistance groups like the FARC-EP. Established in 1964, James Petras calls it the... Continue Reading →

The Charade Announced: Latest Israeli No-Peace/Peace Talks for September - by Stephen LendmanOn August 21, Haaretz writer Natasha Mozgovaya headlined, "Israel, Palestinians accept US invitation to direct peace talks," saying:They'll "restart direct talks on Sept. 2 in a modest step toward forging a peace deal within 12 months to create a Palestinian state and peacefully... Continue Reading →

Israeli Academic Freedom at Risk - by Stephen LendmanBorn in Haifa, the son of German-Jewish immigrants who fled during the Nazi period, noted historian Ilan Pappe left Israel in summer 2007, telling London Guardian writer Chris Arnot he began "feeling for a while like public enemy No. 1" for his anti-Zionist views and supporting a... Continue Reading →

Israel's Bogus Construction Moratorium - by Stephen LendmanPromises made, then broken. Promise peace. Wage war and daily violence throughout the Territories. Announce a settlement construction halt. Keep building, the promised pause (not a freeze) never observed despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's December 8 announced moratorium saying:"I hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations... Continue Reading →

Palestine: Occupied, Divided, Isolated, Oppressed and Unaided - by Stephen LendmanImagine the following:You're ruthlessly oppressed in an occupied country under a system of institutionalized racism, affording rights solely to Jews. You have no recognized nation, no right of citizenship, no democratic freedoms or civil liberties, including no power over your daily life. You live in... Continue Reading →

Impact of Israeli Military Order No. 1650 - by Stephen LendmanLocated at the European University Institute (EUI), the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) conducts "inter-disciplinary and comparative research (on) major issues facing the process of integration and European society."Prepared by Asem Khalil, its new report is titled, "Impact of Israeli Military Order No.... Continue Reading →

The Progressive Radio News Hour Guests for August 19, 21 and 22, 2010Thursday, August 19 at 10AM US Central time: Webster TarpleyTarpley is an author, journalist, lecturer, and outspoken critic of US foreign and domestic policy. His newest book is titled, "Surviving the Cataclysm: Your Guide Through the Greatest Financial Crisis in Human History," the... Continue Reading →