From the Trenches World Report

Before It’s News – by Mort Amsel

Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave orders to the Defense Ministry to shoot down any foreign drones that ignore warnings to leave Japanese airspace.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng responded on Saturday. According to Chinese state-run media Xinhua, “Geng said that if Japan took the so-called moves, it would be a severe provocation to China and an act of war, and China will take resolute measures to strike back.”   Continue reading “China Vows War If Japan Follows Orders To Shoot Drones”

Who What Why – by Dave Lindorff, Russ Baker and Milicent Cranor

In the six months since the Boston Marathon bombing, the FBI has by all appearances been relentlessly intimidating, punishing, deporting and, in one case, shooting to death, persons connected, sometimes only tangentially, with the alleged bombers.

All of these individuals have something in common: If afforded constitutional protections and treated as witnesses instead of perpetrators, they could potentially help clear up questions about the violence of April 15.  And they might also be able to help clarify the methods and extent of the FBI’s recruitment of immigrants and others for undercover work, and how that could relate to the Bureau’s prior relationship with the bombing suspects—a relationship the Bureau has variously hidden or downplayed.   Continue reading “Feds Accused Of Harassing “Boston Bomber” Friends, And Friends Of Friends”

Anti-War – by Ivan Eland

Sending a shock wave through the U.S. military-industrial complex, NATO ally Turkey passed up the usually dominant American defense industry in favor of an obscure Chinese defense company for a contract on a long-range missile defense system. Unlike the American Patriot system, the Chinese system, produced by China Precision, is not easily compatible with existing NATO air defense systems, and China Precision is even under US sanctions for selling technologies that the US government says could help Syria (Turkey’s new nemesis), Iran, and North Korea develop unconventional weapons. One would think that Turkey would have made sure its primary security guarantor – the United States – was happy, given that a civil war is raging in neighboring Syria and occasionally spilling into its territory. Yet the US quest to be “Big Man on Campus” and retain “influence” in Europe after the Cold War has allowed its NATO allies to get away with even more then they did back then.   Continue reading “Turkey’s Arms Purchase Should Jolt US Alliance Policies”

The BRAD BLOG – by BRAD FRIEDMAN 

One of the world’s largest ATM manufacturers and, formerly, one of the largest manufacturers of electronic voting systems, has been indicted by federal prosecutors for bribery and falsification of documents.

The charges represent only the latest in a long series of criminal and/or unethical misconduct by Diebold, Inc. and their executives over the past decade.

According to Cleveland’s Plain Dealer, a U.S. Attorney says the latest charges are in response to “a worldwide pattern of criminal conduct” by the company….   Continue reading “Diebold Charged With Bribery, Falsifying Docs, ‘Worldwide Pattern of Criminal Conduct’”

RT News

American immigration officials have deported one of the dozens of activists taken into custody last month while protesting current US immigration policy.

Rocio Hernandez Perez was one of 34 immigrants who attempted to cross into the US on September 30, knowing they were not authorized to live in the country. Perez, like the majority of the group, came to the states illegally as a child and had spent most of her life there.   Continue reading “Dreamer activist deported after protesting US immigration policy”

RT News

The research and development arm of the US Department of Defense plans to establish drone-mounted laser weapons, a scheme referred to as ‘Project Endurance’ in the agency’s 2014 budget request.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) seeks to produce “technology for pod-mounted lasers to protect a variety of airborne platforms from emerging and legacy EO/IR [electro-optical and infrared] guided surface-to-air missiles.”   Continue reading “DARPA developing drone-mounted lasers to shoot down missiles”

RT News

After suffering numerous problems with the latest class of surface warships, the Navy is hoping for a win with the introduction of the largest destroyer in United States history.

On Monday, the Navy launched the new USS Zumwalt into Maine’s Kennebec River for the first time. Originally designed simply for shore bombardment, the ship is now intended to serve multiple purposes, including backing up Marines on clandestine missions.   Continue reading “US Navy gets largest and most expensive destroyer ever”

Paul Craig Roberts

To inform people is hard slugging. Everything is lined up against the public being informed, or the policymakers for that matter. News is contaminated by its service to special interests and hidden agendas. Many scientists or their employers are dependent on federal money. Even psychologists and anthropologists were roped into the government’s torture and occupation programs. Economists tell lies for corporations and Wall Street. Plant and soil scientists tell lies for agribusiness and Monsanto. Truth tellers are slandered and persecuted. However, persistence can eventually win out. In the long-run, truth sometimes emerges. But not always. And not always in time.   Continue reading “Ignored Reality Is Going To Wipe Out The Human Race”

MassPrivateI

As campaigns for state supreme court seats become more expensive and more partisan, the fear of being portrayed as “soft on crime” is leading courts to rule more often for prosecutors and against criminal defendants, contends the Center for American Progress study. 

A new report from the Center for American Progress examines the impact on the criminal justice system of the explosion in judicial campaign cash and the growing use of political attack ads in state supreme court elections, which have increased pressure on elected judges to appear “tough on crime.”   Continue reading “New report shows when campaign cash increased, courts ruled in favor of prosecutors & against criminal defendants”

Steve Lendman

Obama sold smoke and mirrors. He makes used car salesmen look respectable by comparison. His Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides unaffordable coverage.

Millions of households have to pay 40% or more out-of-pocket. It’s for co-pays and deductibles. It’s on top of costly premiums.    Continue reading “Obamacare Sticker Shock”

Militia News – by Ken Jorgustin

After ‘The Shit Hits The Fan’ (TSHTF), gangs will be the number one problem in cities of any size. The gangs will take over a city very quickly starting with their own blocks and neighborhoods. Their numbers will grow very rapidly as those desperate for water and food will become their “new recruits” and will join for their own survival.

The gangs will be a formidable force for a number of logical reasons, and will be the downfall of many preppers and others who happen to be in their way…   Continue reading “Gangs Will Rule The Cities”

2012 What’s the Real Truth?

The extraordinary scene was captured by photography student Casey Gutteridge at the Santago Rare Leopard Project in Hertfordshire. The 19-year-old, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, who was photographing the leopard for a course project, was astounded By the mouse’s behaviour.
He said: ‘I have no idea where the mouse came from – he just appeared in the enclosure after the keeper had dropped in the meat for the leopard. He didn’t take any notice of the leopard, just went straight over to the meat and started feeding himself.’   Continue reading “One Hungry Little Mouse!”

The Common Sense Show – by Dave Hodges

 In the early morning hours of October 29, 2013, I was interviewed by Kate Zickel from The Voice of Russia radio show, formerly Radio Moscow. The Russians wanted to know why I believe that the United States was on the verge of martial law and I feel compelled to say that the host seemed extremely uncomfortable with the content of my presentation. I was told we would have 10 minutes for the interview. This story cannot be told in 10 minutes so I prepared attention grabbing bullet points in an attempt to convey why I believe martial law does not lie far off in our future. As a radio guest, I usually adopt a calm demeanor and attempt to present hard data which allows the listeners to make up their mind. I am congenial and polite because I would like to be invited back at a future date. In this instance, I did not have that goal.  Continue reading “What I Told the Voice of Russia Radio Network About Impending US Martial Law”

RT

US President Barack Obama has “recently ordered” the National Security Agency to stop tapping the UN headquarters in New York amid the review of electronic surveillance programs, Reuters reported, citing official sources.

“The United States is not conducting electronic surveillance targeting the United Nations headquarters in New York,” a senior Obama administration official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another official told the news agency that the decision was made within the last few weeks after the president’s aides said in briefings that the White House no longer wanted to conduct certain monitoring of UN targets.    Continue reading “NSA ‘no longer spying’ on UN headquarters in New York – report”