Today the Associated Press reported that the Department of Justice has collected the telephone calling records of many of its reporters and editors. By obtaining these records, the DOJ has struck a terrible blow against the freedom of the press and the ability of reporters to investigate and report the news. As James Madison understood, "a popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to a farce or tragedy, or perhaps both." AP had it right when it told Attorney General Holder that it was "a serious interference with AP’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news."

The DOJ's decision to dive deep into these call records also shows the growing need to update our privacy laws to eliminate the outmoded Third Party Doctrine and to recognize that datamining has now reached the point where it no longer makes sense to treat calling records and other metadata related to our communications as if they aren't fully protected by the Constitution.  

According to the AP, "the records obtained by the Justice Department listed outgoing calls for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, for general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and for the main number for the AP in the House of Representatives press gallery." In all it included more than 20 telephone lines from April and May 2012.  

While the government has not confirmed, the subpoenas appear to stem from an investigation into a government leak of information to the AP. This is not a sufficient excuse. Imagine if "Deep Throat," the informant critical to Woodward and Bernstein's investigation of the 1972 Watergate burglary, knew that his identity could be obtained through legal process. His career, and perhaps his life, would have been in serious jeopardy, and a cautious individual would have kept silent.  

The widespread collection of information, as well as the apparent delay in notifying AP, both appear to be yet another violation the government's own regulations, 28 C.F.R. sec. 50.10. In 2010, the DOJ Inspector General reported on three other violations, involving the Washington Post and New York Times. The regulations require that, "wherever possible" subpoenas of records of the news media should be "directed at material information regarding a limited subject matter, should cover a reasonably limited period of time and should avoid requiring production of a large volume of unpublished material." 

None of those limits appear to have been observed here. It seems impossible to imagine how a subpoena for all the records of call to and from AP's main switchboard, for example, is as narrowly tailored as the law required. Importantly, the regulations anticipate negotiation with the news media prior to subpoena, which also didn't occur. And in any event the regulations require notification to the news media within 45 days of any receipt of any information, with another 45 days possible with additional authorization. Since the timeframe of the records is a year ago, it seems likely that the government did not abide by this regulation either. While the regulations do not allow a lawsuit, violations of them can be grounds for discipline for governmental officials. 

It is disturbing enough that the government appears to have violated its own regulations for subpoenas to the news media. However, this revelation also shows that we have a severe problem in protecting the privacy of our communications. It is critical to update our privacy laws and our understanding of the Constitution, and reflect the realities of what law enforcement can determine from our records and other metadata about our communications stored with our communications providers, be they phone companies, ISPs or social networks.

First, the third party doctrine is wholely inadequate for protecting privacy in the modern era. Citing this doctrine, the government consistently argues that any information given to a third party—like a phone company—has no Constitutional protection. Here, it's clear that the government was able to get the calling record information, secretly and in large quantities, because it didn't have to go to AP to get it. Instead, it went to the phone companies, who have little incentive to stand up for their customers and who may not have even realized that the information pertained to news media and so was protected by an extra regulation.  

Justice Sotomayor recognized the growing problem with the third party doctrine in the recent U.S. v. Jones Supreme Court case, and signaled that it's the time that the Fourth Amendment caselaw be updated:

People disclose the phone numbers that they dial or text to their cellular providers, the URLS that they visit and the e-mail addresses with which they correspond to their Internet service providers, and the books, groceries and medications they purchase to online retailers . . . I would not assume that all information voluntarily disclosed to some member of the public for a limited purpose is, for that reason alone, disentitled to Fourth Amendment protection.

Second, this incident underscores that government access to records—information about our communications and movements over time—does impact our privacy. AP President Pruitt noted: "These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP's newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP's activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know." This sentiment was echoed by the Appellate Court in the Jones (then called U.S. v. Maynard) case in the context of GPS information: "A person who knows all of another travels can deduce whether he is a weekly church goer, a heavy drinker, a regular at the gym, an unfaithful husband, an outpatient receiving medical treatment, an associate of particular individuals or political groups and not just one such fact about a person, but all such facts."

Overall, this revelation of government's secret access to huge amounts of calling records as part of its leak investigation should not be such a surprise. The DOJ has long maintained that no one has any privacy interests in their call data records and has also engaged in unprecedented and aggressive prosecutions around government leaks. 

But it should sound a wake-up call for the rest of us, including members of Congress and the courts. Government datamining of Americans' calling records and other metadata held by phone companies and ISPs should require more than a mere subpoena and should be protected by more than a hortatory regulation, whether the target is the news media or an ordinary citizen. Whether we get there by legislation or by updating our understanding of the Constitution to reflect the power of datamining to reveal the content of our "papers," we need to get there soon. Because it's clear that the DOJ remains firmly headed in the opposite direction. 

Related Issues: PrivacyCell Tracking
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Racism in IPL India Gambling?

By DR. ABDUL RUFF

[Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal, Educationist, Chronicler of Foreign occupations & Freedom movements (Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Chechnya, etc.) Chancellor-Founder of Centor for International Affairs(CIA); Specialist on State Terrorism ; Commentator on world affairs & sport fixings, Expert on Mideast Affairs,Former university Teacher; Editor:INTERNATIONAL OPINION; Editor: FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES; Palestine Times: RANDOM THOUGHTS; (http://abdulrubb.wordpress.com); website: http://abdulruff.wordpress.com/ mail: abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com]

________________-

It is strange and ugly but is happening in Indian IPL matches. Racism is still active. More form Sri Lankans and West Indies towards whites. They offer too many runs to SL and WI and Indian batboys but refuse to help the whites and target their stumps.

Possibly Sri Lankans are annoyed that SL batboy and Hyderabad skipper Sankakara was not given chance to play to make runs and White hit so many 6s and 4s. , reaching beyond 170s. Sri Lankan bowlers decided to let Mumbai's real Indian win and offered big runs to Windies.

Possibly menace is deeper than what is observed on the surface.

___________

Tags: 

• Racism in IPL India Gambling?

Though it was paraded around as the biggest change to patent law in half a century, the America Invents Act (AIA) of 2011 failed to address many of the patent system's largest problems. In particular, patent trolls continue their deplorable business model of buying up patents and using the threat of litigation to force companies—frequently startups—to pay up or face ruinous legal fees. These trolls have a weapon of choice: overly broad software patents—many of which shouldn't have been granted in the first place.

Joining the ever-increasing crowd of lawmakers who are angry over the patent troll problem, Senator Chuck Schumer has introduced new legislation targeting the issue: the Patent Quality Improvement Act.

Previously, Senators Schumer and Jon Kyl introduced a temporary provision in the AIA to address the issue of challenging particular patents. Known as the transitional program for covered business method patents, or Section 18, this provision allows anyone threatened with infringement suits over certain types of patents to petition the PTO to review the patent's grant and scope. Importantly, the Schumer-Kyl provision lets courts stay ongoing litigation when a party institutes a challenge at the PTO. This procedure allows for more challenges to patents of dubious quality because it is cheaper and more efficient than litigation. But it has two major flaws: 1) it is limited to patents covering methods of doing business in a financial or commercial setting (such as a patent on hedging risk), and 2) the provision is temporary and is set to expire in 2020.  

Enter Sen. Schumer's new bill, which amends the AIA provision. The new legislation makes the covered business method patent provision permanent and also expands its language beyond simply financial products or services, applying it essentially to all business method patents—and, thus, to all software patents.

This bill takes an important step toward combatting absurd software patents, but it is only one step—we want to see proposals like these go further. For example, we want this ability to challenge such patents to be extended to everybody and not just those threatened with suit (many other types of reexams are available to all third parties, and we believe this one should be, too). Third-party requests for reexamination serve as an important check on the PTO, which often issues overly broad patents that are harmful to the public. To be sure, patent examiners must look at many applications every year, covering all types of technology (and, when appropriate, technology that no one has ever even considered). Given that they spend an average of only 18 hours per application, it is very hard for the examiners to find the best prior art to invalidate the patents. This is precisely why we all benefit when third parties—who often know more about the technology at issue than the examiners—get involved in the process.

We have recently seen lawmakers pushing for fixes to the patent troll problem. For instance, earlier this year, Reps. Peter DeFazio and Jason Chaffetz introduced the SHIELD Act, which shifts fees so that trolls, if they lose, would have to cover legal costs and fees. Later, President Obama expressed his concern over patent trolls and called for reform. The Schumer bill is the latest positive proposal that would make life harder for patent trolls and easier for those who want to challenge those patents. We hear more legislative proposals are on the horizon, and we look forward to seeing them. While we are encouraged that each of these bills would make the world better, we can't help but wish that they would get to the root of the problem by seriously questioning the policy behind patenting software to begin with.

Related Issues: PatentsPatent Trolls
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New Free Press Report Shows How to Fix America’s Broken Video MarketMay 13, 2013

WASHINGTON -- On Monday, Free Press released Combating the Cable Cabal: How to Fix America’s Broken Video Market, a comprehensive analysis of the economics of the cable industry. The new report investigates why cable bills continue to increase annually at three times the rate of inflation and examines policies that could bring consumers more choice and lower prices.

The report comes in advance of a hearing on video competition scheduled for Tuesday in the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet.

Combating the Cable Cabal: How to Fix America's Broken Video MarketMay 13, 2013

Free Press released Combating the Cable Cabal: How to Fix America’s Broken Video Market, a comprehensive analysis of the economics of the cable industry. The new report investigates why cable bills continue to increase annually at three times the rate of inflation and examines polices that could bring consumers more choice and lower prices.

Israeli Lobby Power in America
by Stephen Lendman
In 1949, the American Zionist Council (AZC) was established. It operated until 1962. It was ordered to register as a foreign agent.
It failed to do so. It transferred its responsibilities to AIPAC. It calls itself "America's Pro-Israel Lobby. It operates as an unregistered foreign agent.
It's done so since 1953. With rare exceptions, no one in Congress confronts it. It wields enormous influence over US foreign policy. It fronts for Israeli lawlessness. It's one of 52 major US Zionist organizations.
James Petras' important book titled "The Power of Israel in the United States" discussed its enormous influence on US policy. It's done so for over half a century.
It has deep roots throughout government, the business community, the dominant media, academia, the clergy, and powerful wealthy Jewish families.
Broad support comes from doctors, lawyers, accountants, other professionals, philanthropists, journalists and others.
Challengers risk being intimidated, blackmailed, smeared, pressured, removed from positions of authority, or called national security or terrorist threats.
Senator J. William Fulbright (1905 - 1995) first called Congress "Israeli-occupied territory." He said "Israel controls the United States Senate. We should be more concerned about United States' interests," he added.
Former US Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Thomas Moorer (1970 - 1974) said:
"I've never seen a President - I don't care who he is - stand up to (the Israelis). It just boggles the mind. They always get what they want." 
"The Israelis know what is going on all the time. If the American people understood what a grip those people have got on our government, they would rise up in arms. Our citizens certainly don't have any idea what goes on."
In December 2002, Brigadier General James J. David (Ret.) headlined "Passionate attachment to Israel," saying:
"Is there any criminal act that Israel can do without being protected from criticism from the United States? If there is I haven't seen it." 
"And I haven't seen it from the Bush Administration or from the Clinton Administration or from any administration before them."
"For more than 54 years the Israelis have committed acts that no other nation would dare get away with." 
"But even here in America, where it is not yet illegal to publicly ask the wrong questions, any public figure that does so is subjected to smears, intimidation, and the attempted destruction of his career and reputation by Jewish organizations and by the very cooperative news media."
"Shielding Israel from criticism and supporting the Jewish state no matter what crimes she commits has caused the United States the loss of respect around the world."
He quoted George Washington saying:
"Passionate attachment to another nation produces a variety of evils….the illusion of common interests where no real common interests exist; adopting the enmities of the other; and participation in the quarrels and wars of the other without any justification." 
"Still another evil is that such a passionate attachment gives to ambitious, corrupted or deluded citizens the facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country."
Former US diplomat George W. Ball and his historian son Douglas presented a sweeping indictment of America's special relationship with Israel.
They did so in their book "The Passionate Attachment: America's Involvement with Israel, 1947 to the Present." They addressed destructive political, military and economic ties. Militarism, belligerence and occupation prevent peace.
In their book "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy," John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt said America's Middle East policy is driven "almost entirely (by) US domestic politics, and especially (because of) the (Lobby's) activities....This situation has no equal in American political history."
Norman Finkelstein's book "Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History" discussed Israel's longstanding abuse of power.
Fundamental human and civil rights are spurned. Institutionalized racism is official policy. Praying to the wrong God is criminalized. Self-defense is called terrorism.
Israel created "the eternal Jewish victim." The myth of unique Jewish suffering is claimed. It's connected to power politics. Vested interests take full advantage. 
Israeli criticism is deflected. Anti-Semitism accusations target those who dare. Crimes of war and against humanity go unmentioned. Israel gives chutzpah new meaning. It reflects brazen arrogance better than any other word.
From 1961 - 1983, Paul Findley represented Illinois' 20th district in Congress. He did what few others dared. He challenged the Israeli Lobby. His book "They Dare Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby" explained.
It was the first book to do so. He provided documentation and case histories. He explained how the Lobby influences US foreign policy. He supported Palestinian liberation. AIPAC called him "a dangerous enemy of Israel."
In October 2007, his CounterPunch article headlined "The Open Secret About the Israeli Lobby," saying:
He "learned it well during (his) 22-year" congressional tenure. "All members swear to serve the interests of the United States, but there is an unwritten and overwhelming exception: The interests of one small foreign country almost always trump US interests. That nation of course is Israel."
Right or wrong doesn't matter. What Israel wants it gets. Colleagues told him privately that they admired his position. But they "could not risk pro-Israel protests back home by supporting" him.
In 1980, his opponent called him anti-Semitic. Money "poured into his campaign from every state in the union."
Findley won. Two years later, he narrowly lost to current Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. Findley prevailed next time. He served 11 congressional terms.
In 1984, Charles Percy lost his Senate seat. He occasionally criticized Israel. Once was too often. The Israeli Lobby took credit for defeating him.
"The result is that Members of Congress today loudly reward Israel as it violates international law and peace agreements, lures America into costly wars, and subjects millions of Palestinians under its rule to apartheid-like conditions because they are not Jewish," said Findley.
"It is time to call politicians to account for their undying allegiance to a foreign state."
"Pro-Israeli groups subvert democracy when they engage in smear campaigns that intimidate and silence critics."
"America badly needs a civilized discussion of" Israel's destructive role in shaping US foreign policy.
Going along with what's wrong is safe. Doing the right thing is costly. Cynthia McKinney lost her congressional seat twice. She did so for supporting Palestinian rights.
Israeli Lobby power went all out to remove her. Ruining her political career became policy. Ariel Sharon even bragged about it once. He did so on an earlier visit to Georgia. It's McKinney's home state.
On April 29, she addressed the UN Meeting on Palestine. She did so on the same day Press TV headlined "Pro-Israeli US lawmakers urge bombing Syria air bases, arming militants, invasion."
Throughout her 12 years in Congress, she "strove to make respect for human rights a central feature in the formulation of US foreign policy."
Despite "minor successes," her advocacy fell on deaf ears. Political Washington has other priorities. They're "diametrically opposed to the values of the people of the US."
Special interests "buy public policy by way of campaign contributions and misleading media campaigns." Managed news misinformation substitutes for truth and full disclosure.
Media scoundrels "knowingly lie." After Congress, McKinney "became involved in international human rights activism." During Israel's December 2008 - January 2009 war on Gaza, she and other human rights activists tried delivering medical supplies to Gaza.
Israel's military stopped them. It was done violently. An IDF warship rammed their small boat. Doing so destroyed it. "Neither the medical supplies nor we volunteers reached Gaza."
About six months later, McKinney and others tried again. Cast Lead was over. Obama replaced Bush. He "appealed publicly for an easing of the Israeli blockade of Gaza."
His words proved hollow. His one-sided Israeli support belied his rhetoric. McKinney and 20 others volunteered to help. Israeli commandos kidnapped them in international waters.
Their boat was seized. They "were taken by an extremely circuitous route to Israel." They were threatened and forcibly taken to Ashdod. They were held incommunicado under horrific conditions. McKinney experienced its harshness firsthand.
They were incarcerated in Ramle Prison for seven days. It's cockroach-infested. Many inside had no beds. They were forced to sleep on a cement floor. Overcrowding made things painfully uncomfortable for everyone. 
Armed soldiers guarded them. Their personal possessions were confiscated. Days later, they were taken to Ashdod's central bus station. They arrived with no money or belongings. They were left there on their own. They were treated like criminals for doing the right thing.
McKinney was prisoner number 88794 at Ramle. It's one of Israel's harshest prisons. It's a former British police station. It's a stinking hellhole. McKinney described her ordeal, saying:
"This is Cynthia McKinney and I'm speaking from an Israeli prison cellblock in Ramle. (I am one of) the Free Gaza 21, human rights activists currently imprisoned for trying to take medical supplies to Gaza, building supplies - and even crayons for children, I had a suitcase full of crayons for children." 
"While we were on our way to Gaza the Israelis threatened to fire on our boat, but we did not turn around. The Israelis high-jacked and arrested us because we wanted to give crayons to the children in Gaza." 
"We have been detained, and we want the people of the world to see how we have been treated just because we wanted to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza."
Everyone had tiny spaces, she added. Some in isolation had no sunlight. She described a series of dungeons six feet long, three feet wide, and six feet high. 
Conditions were dark, filthy, and unbearable to be in. For greater harshness, those inside were stripped naked, beaten, unable to shower, given a thin coverall, and allowed toilet privileges once a day only.
Authorities tried to get McKinney and other activists to admit criminality. They refused and were treated harshly. Ramle conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
McKinney said it's "incredibly black: populated mostly by Ethiopians who also had a dream." They traveled to Israel for it. Instead, they were denied and imprisoned.
McKinney and 14 others were held in a 7 x 7 meter cell under summer heat conditions. Twice daily they were searched. What they endured, she said, paled to how Palestinians are treated.
Activist Ramzi Kysia was there with her. She said "We'll be back again and again….The Israeli regime should be careful, because we're coming." 
"We won't stop until this blockade is broken forever and Gaza residents have access to the rest of the world."
Twice Israel prevented McKinney from reaching Gaza. George Galloway heard about her ordeal. He was in Cairo leading "Viva Palestina USA."
He invited her to join him. Together with others they entered Gaza by land. McKinney saw Cast Lead's destructive aftermath firsthand. 
She saved some soil in a container. It's likely contaminated with toxic chemicals Israel uses. They include depleted uranium and white phosphorous, among others.
Israeli crimes of war and against humanity repeat. They continue with impunity. Washington provides generous support.  Israeli Lobby pressure assures it.
McKinney twice lost her congressional seat for supporting Palestinian rights. Others were discussed above. McKinney mentioned African-American congressional members forced out like herself.
They include Gus Savage (D. IL) and Earl Hilliard (D. AL). They challenged Israeli Lobby power. McKinney's new book titled "Ain't Nothing Like Freedom" discusses its ruthless tactics.
She asked UN Meeting on Palestine participants:
"Can you even imagine what US policy would be like at the United Nations if the will of the people were carried out without the interference of the pro-Israel lobby?"
She's not Palestinian, Arab or Muslim, she added. She's "human." That's "enough." It should be for everyone.
McKinney's forthright and resolute. She's committed to help Palestinians achieve their fundamental rights. She feels the same way about everyone. Supporting right over wrong matters most.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

Friday, May 24

Join us to show Premier Napthine that the Victorian community wants him to back the Gonski reforms. 12:30pm. Treasury Gardens, Spring St, City.

Event date:  Fri, 24/05/2013 - 12:30pm Email:  peterson_err@hotmail.com

In 1839 The British launched an invasion of Afghanistan largely as a result of false intelligence. William Darymple has told the story of the first Anglo Afghan war and the subsequent 'war of retribution' using Afghan sources. As well as being a great read the book draws parallels which shed light on the current situation. 8:30pm. Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins St, City. $20/$12.

Event date:  Tue, 21/05/2013 - 8:30pm Website:  Wheeler Centre

Israeli terror attacks on Syria: Implications for fragile Mideast

By DR. ABDUL RUFF
[Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal, Educationist, Chronicler of Foreign occupations & Freedom movements (Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Chechnya, etc.) Chancellor-Founder of Centor for International Affairs(CIA); Specialist on State Terrorism ; Commentator on world affairs & sport fixings, Expert on Mideast Affairs,Former university Teacher; Editor:INTERNATIONAL OPINION; Editor: FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES; Palestine Times: RANDOM THOUGHTS; (http://abdulrubb.wordpress.com); website: http://abdulruff.wordpress.com/ mail: abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com]

__________________________________

ONE

Israel, imposed in Mideast by top powers like USA and UK in order mainly to safeguard their peoples from Zionist crimes, has emerged monstrous power and been a terrible threat to humanity not only because it threatens Arabs but it can attack any nation on earth, including USA and Europe with the terror goods it has got from them. . ..

Israel continues to present itself as the first enemy of the Arab world by refusing to strike a positive deal with Palestine people that would enable them to establish a home for themselves. Now that the UN has cleared the statehood issue for Palestine, Israel also hurry up to settle the issue amicably so that they could coexist without animosity. .

Jews are not at all fools; many of them have analytical capabilities and they even counsel the Americans, among other needy terrocrats. They are core criminals.

After killing thousands of innocent Palestine for years since it occupied their lands, Zionist criminals have come to the view that their security cannot be ensured just by killing the Palestine or proliferating illegal colonies inside Palestine or by creating terror blockades around Palestine territories.

Israel must recognize the Palestine state and Palestinian right for existence and self rule and end blockades and terror attacks on them..

However, instead of try to sincerely solving the Palestine issue, Israel deliberately gets involved in destabilization of Arab nations one by one.

USA also assigns specific tasks to Israel and Mossad as cost of terror goods and technology being supplied to them regularly. .

Undoubtedly, Israeli attacks on Syria are part of US-Israeli conspiracy. Israel would not have done it if USA did not want that way. And Americans always use third parties to threaten or destabilize nations.

Having already burnt its dirty fingers in Mideast, USA doesn’t want to invade Syria., complicating the US-Arab relations further. So, Israel is found to the perfect tool for the Job.

Nearly all Arab states have sided with the rebel forces seeking to topple Syrian president Bashar Assad and inflict a blow to his main ally, Iran. And the second attack by Israeli warplanes in Syria — in three days — was the type of punishing response many Arab leaders have urged from the West against Assad after more than two years of civil war. The fact the fighter jets came from Israel, however, exposes the complications and regional crosscurrents that make Syria the Arab Spring's most intricate puzzle.

TWO

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is till adamant and refuses to step down or call for polls. Last month, the head of the Arab League capped a summit in Qatar with an impassioned appeal to strengthen the rebel fighters trying to bring down Assad. Assad denounced Israeli's airstrike into Assad's territory as a dangerous threat to regional stability. The contrast reflects a fundamental conundrum for Arab leaders.

Israeli warplanes struck areas in and around the Syrian capital, setting off a series of explosions as they targeted a shipment of highly accurate, Iranian-made guided missiles believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. The attack, the second in three days and the third this year, signaled a sharp escalation of Israel's involvement in Syria's bloody civil war. Syrian state media reported that Israeli missiles struck a military and scientific research center near Damascus and caused casualties.

Although Israel has not accepted or denied responsibility for two air strikes on Syria that reportedly targeted long-range missiles from Iran that were destined for Hizbullah guerillas in south Lebanon, Israel took several precautions against a possible retaliatory strike from either Syria or Hizbullah. Syrian officials called the attacks a “declaration of war” and said it would respond at a time and place of its choosing. Israel deployed two Iron dome missile batteries in northern Israel that can shoot down incoming missiles. Israel also closed its northern airspace to civilian flights.

But Binyamin Netanyahu left for a five-day trip to China as planned, and Israeli officials tried to broadcast a feeling of business as usual. Israeli officials said that neither Syrian President Assad nor Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah want another front with Israel. Meanwhile, a Syrian activist group, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the air strikes killed at least 42 Syrian soldiers. Syria has not released an official death toll.

An Israeli airstrike in January also targeted weapons apparently bound for Hezbollah, Israeli and U.S. officials have said. The White House had no immediate comment on Sunday's reported missile strikes.
While foxy Israel joins much of the Arab world share suspicions about Iran, including worries over its nuclear ambitions and jointly expanding military, the perception that they are allied against Assad — even indirectly — is strongly knocked down by many Arab leaders.
Israel has said it wants to stay out of the Syrian war, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated the Jewish state would be prepared to take military action to prevent sophisticated weapons from flowing from Syria to Hezbollah or other extremist groups.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu also was holding an emergency meeting of his inner Security Cabinet. The prime minister's office declined comment. Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israel's military intelligence, said the strikes on Syria are a signal to Damascus' ally, Tehran, that Israel is serious about the red lines it has set. "Syria is a very important part in the front that Iran has built. Iran is testing Israel and the U.S. determination in the facing of red lines and what it sees is in clarifies to it that at least some of the players, when they define red lines and they are crossed, take it seriously," he told Army Radio.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a month long war in mid-2006. The militant group fired thousands of rockets at Israel, while Israeli warplanes destroyed large areas of southern and eastern Lebanon during a conflict that ended in stalemate.
Israel's first airstrike in Syria, in January, also struck Jamraya. U.S. officials said it targeted trucks next to the research center that carried SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group, also reported large explosions in the area of Jamraya, a military and scientific research facility northwest of Damascus, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Lebanese border. The raid appeared to have taken place next to a major road that was filled with debris, and shell casings were strewn on the ground. A blue street sign on the side of the road referred to the direction of the Lebanon border and the Syrian town of Zabadani near the frontier. Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV, which has several reporters around Syria, said one of the strikes targeted a military position in the village of Saboura, west of Damascus and about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Lebanon border. Uzi Rubin, a missile expert and former Defense Ministry official, told the AP that if the target were Fateh-110 missiles as reported then it is a game changer as they put almost all Israel in range and can accurately hit targets. Rubin emphasized that he was speaking as a rocket expert and had no details on reported strikes. "If fired from southern Lebanon they can reach Tel Aviv and even (the southern city of) Beersheba." He said the rockets are much five times more accurate than the scud missiles that Hezbollah has fired in the past. "It is a game changer because they are a threat to Israel's infrastructure and military installations," he said.

THREE

Syria's government called the attacks against against its territory a "flagrant violation of international law" that have made the Middle East "more dangerous." Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi, who read a Cabinet statement to reporters Sunday in Damascus following an emergency government meeting, claimed the Israeli strikes are evidence of the Jewish state's links with Islamic extremist groups trying to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime. He added that Syria has the right and the duty "to defend its people by all available means."
While the government tried to use the airstrikes to taint the rebels by linking them to Israel, Syria's arch rival, the attacks still pose a dilemma for an Assad regime already battling a relentless rebellion at home. If it fails to respond, it looks weak and opens the door to such airstrikes becoming a common occurrence. But any military retaliation against Israel would risk dragging the Jewish state and its powerful army into a broader conflict.
The target was Fateh-110 missiles, which have precision guidance systems with better aim than anything Hezbollah is known to have in its arsenal. The tempo of the new strikes added a dangerous dynamic to the conflict, fueling concerns that events could spin out of control and spark a regional crisis. Israel's military deployed two batteries of its Iron Dome rocket defense system to the north of the country. It described the move as part of "ongoing situational assessments." A senior Israeli official confirmed that Israel launched an airstrike in the Syrian capital early Sunday but did not give more precise details about the location.
The airstrikes come as Washington considers how to respond to indications that the Syrian regime may have used chemical weapons in its civil war. President Barack Obama has described the use of such weapons as a "red line," and the administration is weighing its options - including possible military action.

The airstrikes highlight one of the critical side issues of the Syrian conflict: the Iranian-backed Shiite group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli warplanes apparently targeted a shipment of highly accurate, Iranian-made Fateh-110 guided missiles believed to be bound for Hezbollah. Toppling Assad would cut the arms pipeline that runs from Shiite giant Iran to Hezbollah. But Hezbollah remains deeply popular on the Arab street for its battles with Israel, including a war in 2006 in which Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
No Arab leader wants to be perceived as giving a green light for Israeli attacks.
Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby warned of serious repercussions from the Israeli attacks and called on the U.N. Security Council to "immediately move to stop the Israeli aggressions on Syria." Elaraby described the Israeli airstrikes as a "grave violation of the sovereignty of an Arab state that will further complicate the issue in Syria and expose the region's security and stability to the most serious threats and consequences." Elaraby held talks with Mouaz al-Khatib, who recently resigned as chief of the Syrian National Coalition of opposition forces, to discuss the Israeli raids and other issues. At an Arab League summit in late March, Elaraby backed a declaration by host Qatar that gave member states "the right" to back the Syrian opposition.
Qatar and other wealthy Gulf Arab have become leading backers of Syria's opposition in a dual bid to expand their influence while crippling Iran. Official Gulf reaction to the Israeli attacks was limited to straightforward reports with little commentary.

FOUR

Iran, a close ally of the Assad regime, condemned the airstrikes, and a senior official hinted at a possible response not from Terhan, but rather Hezbollah. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, assistant to the Iranian chief-of-staff, told Iran's state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam TV that Tehran "will not allow the enemy (Israel) to harm the security of the region." He added that "the resistance will retaliate to the Israeli aggression against Syria."
Like the Syrian regime, Iran also portrayed the strike as evidence of collusion between Israel and Syria's rebels. Iranian defense minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying the attacks show a growing alliance of convenience between the Syrian opposition and Israel. "These vain moves are not a sign of Israel's power," he said. "It rather shows the (Israeli) regime's despair in the face of regional developments."
Iran has provided both financial and military support to Hezbollah for decades, and has used Syria as a conduit for both. If Assad were to fall, that pipeline could be cut, dealing a serious blow to Hezbollah's ability to confront Israel. The Fateh-110, or "Conqueror" in Farsi, is a short-range ballistic missile developed by Iran and first put into service in 2002. The Islamic Republic unveiled an upgraded version in 2012 that improved the weapon's accuracy and increased its range to 300 kilometers (185 miles). Vahidi said at the time that the solid-fueled missile could strike with pinpoint precision, making it the most accurate weapon of its kind in Iran's arsenal.
Earlier this year, the Iron Dome system was credited with shooting down hundreds of rockets during a round of fighting against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Israel is especially concerned that Hezbollah will take advantage of the chaos in neighboring Syria and try to smuggle advanced weapons into Lebanon. These include anti-aircraft missiles, which could hamper Israel's ability to operate in Lebanese skies, and advanced Yakhont missiles that are used to attack naval ships from the coast.
The airstrikes come as Washington considers how to respond to indications that the Syrian regime may have used chemical weapons. President Barack Obama has described the use of such weapons as a "red line," and the administration is weighing its options, including possible military action.
Syria's state news agency reported explosions at the Jamraya military and scientific research center near Damascus and said initial reports indicate they were the "result of Israeli missiles." It said there were casualties but did not give a number. Damascus-based activist Maath al-Shami said the strikes occurred around 3 a.m. "Damascus shook. The explosion was very, very strong," said al-Shami adding that one of the attacks occurred near the capital's Qasioun mountain that overlooks Damascus. He said the raid targeted a military position for the elite Republican Guards that is in charge of protecting Damascus, Assad's seat of power. Mohammed Saeed, another activist who lives in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said "the explosions were so strong that earth shook under us." He said the smell of the fire caused by the air raid near Qasioun was noticeable miles away.

FIVE

Egypt launched an Arab bid to bring a peaceful end Syria's civil war, but it gained little momentum.Lebanon's Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour called on the Arab League to take a "firm stance regarding Israel's aggression against Syria." Mansour said that Israel is paving the way "for a wide aggression that would blow up the region." Egypt's Popular Current, a leftist opposition group headed by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, said in a statement that it condemns the "licentious" Israeli attack. "No single Arab person, regardless of how much they disagree with the regime of Bashar Assad, can accept this aggression," the group said, calling Israel the "first enemy" of the Arab world.
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi condemned Israel's airstrikes, calling them a violation of international law and warning they complicate the civil war in that country. The statement from Morsi's office added that Egypt also "strongly objects" to the bloodshed and the use of Syria's military against its people, but rejected the violation of Syrian sovereignty and "exploiting its internal crisis under whatever pretext."
In Iraq, the Syrian crisis has forced the Shiite-led government in Baghdad to try to balance its ties to Arab partners and its close bonds to Iran. In a statement, influential anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said "Syria's dignity should be preserved" and urged Assad to "retaliate."

Observations
Obviously, Israel illegally occupying Palestine lands and possessing illegally obtained nukes, has assumed the role of super power of Mideast.
Arab Spring that created havoc as well as loss of lives and destructions in many Arab nations has skillfully evaded Israel. One suspects if Israel, backed as usual by USA, engineered the spring exclusively for Arab Muslim nations.
In attacking Syria as a street criminal gang, Israel has demonstrated that it could single-evenhandedly but with US backing, replace entire NATO terror infrastructure in destabilizing Syria. USA can help Israeli occupation of Israel on a large scale and over a longer period of time.
Pentagon-CIA twins are eager to destroy or loot Syrian chemical weapons depots. The scenario concluded that for this task alone, a force of more than 75,000 soldiers would have to march in to Syria. The Pentagon perhaps is reviewing a plan of establishing a buffer zone along the Syrian-Jordanian border that would be secured by the Jordanian army and with support of Saudi led aimless Sunni nations in Mideast. CIA wants to make attack and occupation of Syria largely as an Arab undertaking and ahs a plan for the possibility of establishing a buffer zone.
Syrian rebels seem to be trained on using and securing chemical weapons.
Europe reeling under economic and financial crises is still very reserved about the prospects of intervention in Syria. Moreover many European nations suspects CIA-Pentagon intentions in Mideast. The fact that Russia and China would block any decision on a mission in Syria in the notorious UNSC comes as a welcome excuse in Europe to do nothing

The unipolar USA is bent upon keeping lies surrounding the Sept-11 hoax and wants to destabilize both Sunni and Shii’a nations and is now strongly considering providing weapons to the Syrian rebels. Top colonizer terrocracies Britain and France in particular have announced several times in recent months their desire to provide weapons to the rebel Free Syrian Army. The European Union's weapons embargo against Syria will expire at the end of May these three rogue states are pushing the 27 EU member-states to unanimously vote to extend it at the end of May.

US-Israeli terror twins want to provoke Iran to get involved in a possible war in Syria.

The establishment of a no-fly zone over Syria is impossible now. . But the regime of President Bashar Assad would almost certainly not permit the creation of a no-fly zone. At the point international powers moved to establish the no-fly zone, it would essentially be a declaration of war.

Indeed, it would be hard to find an expert who wouldn't warn that an incursion into Syria would be enormously challenging and disastrous.

UNSC and NATO cane put an end to Zionist attacks o n Arab nations and occupational crimes in neighboring Palestine.

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Tags: 

• Israeli terror attacks on Syria: Implications for fragile Mideast

Tuesday, May 21

Can the left unite? If so, on what basis? Socialist Alliance and Socialist Alternative are currently involved in discussion of these questions to explore the possibility of greater unity. In this public forum representatives from the two groups will outline their approach to the question of left unity, followed by a discussion. 6:30pm. Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South.

Event date:  Tue, 21/05/2013 - 6:30pm Email:  peterson_err@hotmail.com

For years the content copyright industries have been lobbying, in national law or within trade agreements, for overreaching rules that would break the Internet in the name of copyright enforcement. Lately, such proposals ranges from the termination of user access account on the mere allegation of copyright infringement, to enacting censorship powers that would make parts of the global Internet disappear from view, as well as imposing digital locks laws that stifle online innovation and restrict the ability to use lawfully-acquired digital content.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is the latest forum where those overreaching standards is being laundered. The TPP is a secretive treaty that includes a set of intellectual property rules that targets the Internet. The 17th round of negotiations over TPP starts next week in Lima, Peru. Up for debate are the provisions dealing with copyright – including online copyright enforcement, DMCA-style digital locks, and Internet intermediary liability. The current text is secret so the specific condidions under which those issues are being defined are unknown.

One of the major concerns of TPP is its capacity to rewrite gobal rules on copyright enforcement. All signatory countries will be required to match their domestic laws and policies to the provisions of the TPP. Future changes to those laws may have to involve re-negotiating the treaty. In Peru, this is likely to further entrench controversial aspects of Peruvian copyright law and restrict the ability of the Peruvian Congress to engage in domestic law reform to meet the evolving IP needs and realities of Peruvian citizens and their growing technology sector.

This is why, a well-known Peruvian network of groups, RedGE and the digital rights NGO, Hiperderecho (EFF's partner in Lima) have launched a Peruvian campaign asking the President, Mr. Ollanta Humala Tasso, to set clear non-negotiable lines to ensure that Peruvians' fundamental rights in the TPP are respected.

In particular, Peruvians are asking their President to:

• Not accept new conditions in the intellectual property chapter that hinder or make more expensive our access to medicines and medical treatment.
• Not accept conditions on the intellectual property chapter that jeopardize the Internet, our freedom of speech and our ability to investigate and innovate using art and technology.
• In the investment chapter, to include the necessary safeguards to ensure the state's ability to enforce national laws, especially on issues of public health and environment.

Miguel Morachimo, Hiperderecho's executive director is urging other Peruvians to sign the Peruvian petition:

Would you remain silent if someone is discussing the way you work, create or express yourself? The TPP may change the way we as consumers and professionals interact with cultural goods and technology. But we can stop it if we speak. We invite you to join us in this petition asking the peruvian government to express clear non negotiable lines in this treaty. We won't make it without your voice.

Katitza Rodriguez, EFF's International Rights Director, is Peruvian, and has spent the last few weeks working with her fellow citizens to draw attention to TPP's flaws. She writes:

Any changes to the conditions governing limitations on Internet intermediary liability will have a significant and detrimental impact on Internet users' ability to seek, receive and impart information, and could harm the Internet's end-to-end architecture. How TPP countries approach these issues can determine the future of the global Internet.

If you are Peruvian and think that the President should set clear limits that are non negotiable on the TPP, we ask you to join the online petition proposed by a group of civil society organizations in Peru by signing at http://www.nonegociable.pe/. If you live outside Peru, but want to help with the Peruvian campaign, please get the word out of the Peruvian campaign in blogs, and on Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtags #yaratpp and #notpp).

Related Issues: InternationalTrans Pacific Partnership Agreement
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Sunday, May 19

From fast cars to holidays, fashion to junk food, the market turns women into sexualised objects to lure consumers. Explore how advertising and the media use sexism, racism and homophobia to sell products and shape how we see ourselves and others. 2pm. Brunswick Neighbourhood House, 43a De Carle St, Brunswick. Delicious food provided (including vegan & gluten-free). Suggested donation $5. Pay at door or online at Reclaim our bodies. Co-sponsored by Fed Up? & Radical Women.

Event date:  Sun, 19/05/2013 - 2:00pm Website:  Reclaim our bodies Phone:  9388 0062 or 0409 256 089

Saturday, May 18

7pm. Royal Treat Indian Restaurant, 600 Sydney Road, Brunswick. Tickets: $40 solidarity, $30 waged, $25 conc. A set menu catering for all tastes will be served. Dinner will be followed by an after-dinner speech about the issues in the case and a tribute to the tenacity of fighting deaths in custody families. The restaurant is BYO. Booking and pre-payment is essential. To book, email us (see below). Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association.

Event date:  Sat, 18/05/2013 - 7:00pm Email:  sepic61@yahoo.com.au

In May 2013 EngageMedia will travel to Australia to do a series of Papuan Voices screenings. The tour will take us to Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Canberra. A selection of the films will be screened followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. 6pm-8pm. Victoria University, 300 Flinders St, City (Level 11, Room 11.01)

Event date:  Fri, 17/05/2013 - 6:00pm

Event date:  Fri, 17/05/2013 - 8:00pm Phone:  9439 8700

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Show your support for Irish political prisoners and their families, and have a great time doing it. $10. 7:30pm. The Celtic Club, 316/320 Queen St, City. Organised by the James Connolly Association.

Event date:  Fri, 17/05/2013 - 7:30pm

8pm. The Gasometer Hotel, City. $10. A fundraiser for the Land and Sea Peace Convoy.

Event date:  Thu, 16/05/2013 - 8:00pm Website:  Freedom Flotilla

Thursday, May 16

Apathy towards rights protections; An underdeveloped rights culture; Opposition to the equal sharing of rights: All these things undermine Australia’s record on human rights. Whether it's our treatment of asylum seekers or the current debate around free speech, a concerning trend of selectivity hampers the realisation of rights for all. Guest speaker: Hugh de Kretser (executive director of the Human Rights Law Centre). 12:45-1:15pm. The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale Street, City. This is a free event. Bookings are not required.

Event date:  Thu, 16/05/2013 - 12:45pm Website:  Wheeler Centre

Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Environment Spokesperson The Tasmanian Greens today said that the Federal Government’s decision to renew funding for Antarctic research in Tasmania was important vote of confidence in Tasmania’s role as the world’s Antarctic gateway. Greens Environment spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said the promise of $25 million over five years would help cement Hobart’s role as [...]

Kim Booth MP Greens Energy Spokesperson The Tasmanian Greens today said that as the time draws closer for a decision to be made on Tasmania’s feed-in tariff, the Liberal Party was still playing political games with businesses and livelihoods. Greens Energy spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the Greens were still the only party with a post-FRC policy for [...]