2012 is the deadliest year for Journalists since Reporters
Without Borders started tracking this. 88 journalists and 47 citizen
journalists killed. http://fr.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/bilanannuelgb.pdf
Congo
–M 23 Rebels in DR Congo pull out of Goma. December 2, 2012. [They will be back.]
Congo – Rwanda has been
charged with “sponsoring, arming and commanding the insurgent M23 forces” in
the DR Congo. More than 500,000 people fled their homes in the ensuing
unrest. Rwanda
is interested in Congo
territory which is rich in valuable minerals. [And Susan Rice covers up the US support for
this.] http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=9234
and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20585179
USA
– Pentagon is planning on doubling the size of its worldwide spy network and
report to the CIA. [Here’s hoping they spy on the CIA and FBI.] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/02/pentagon-double-spy-network-cia
USA
– Now it is officially okay to kill children. US military approves bombing
children. http://www.thenation.com/blog/171582/us-military-approves-bombing-children
CIA – Looks like the Bay of Pigs
history may not remain secret, even though the CIA and Justice Department
argued that release of draft history would “confuse the public”. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20121207/
USA
– Obama administration formally recognizes Syrian rebels as legitimate
representative of the Syrian people, and they will move arms to use against the
Assad regime. [Recommended reading –
they are delusional!] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/dozens-killed-in-attack-in-central-syria/2012/12/11/021d3440-43d6-11e2-8061-253bccfc7532_story.html
USA –
While Judge rules that what the US
government is actually doing in Guantanamo
should remain a secret [http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/12/12-7], a
European court ruled that the CIA was guilty of torture and rape (sodomy) of an
innocent man. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10571296
USA – US
to sell Israel
munitions to renew stock after Operation Pillar of Defense. [First, they are
giving them the money to “buy” the munitions and calling it “foreign aid”.] http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-to-sell-israel-munitions-to-renew-stock-after-operation-pillar-of-defense.premium-1.484114
USA
– HSBC bankers get no jail time for massive terrorist financing while Somali
immigrant sentenced for small charity donation that unknowingly reached
terrorists. In December 2010, Yusuf was one of four Somalis being prosecuted
for giving money to people in Somalia.
Local Somalis skeptical of the prosecutions, like Bashir Hassan, expressed the
feeling that the government was criminalizing Muslims.
USA
– State Department very concerned about air bombing of Palestinians –AS LONG AS
THEY ARE IN SYRIA. [In Gaza,
not so much.] http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/12/202109.htm
USA
– The Torture Chronicles. A classified
US Senate Intelligence Committee report shows the futility of “enhanced
interrogation techniques”.
USA
– It is official now – the Obama administration, like the Bush administration
before him, does kidnapping. But these
lucky guys will at least get a trial after they were abducted and brought to
the USA.
http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/12/22/missing-british-somali-man-reappears-in-new-york-court/
USA –
Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in the US military. http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/msmrsuicide2012-06.pdf
USA
– Thirty percent of our population is white guys, yet they are accountable for
70% of all shootings in the last few decades. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/24/david-sirota-don-lemon-mass-shooter-black-male-thug-muslim-terrorist_n_2359605.html
USA –
Deportations of undocumented immigrants in 2012 is new US record. [The
fact is – we are a nation of immigrants. These policies show extreme moral
rot.] http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/1224/Deportations-of-illegal-immigrants-in-2012-reach-new-US-record
USA
– Senate approves military spending bill. [December 21, 2012 – no austerity for
them!] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/22/us/senate-approves-military-spending-bill.html
USA
– The US House of Representatives and Senate have agreed to fully finance
building the capacity of the Afghan army and police by approving an amount of
USD 5.7bn. http://www.wadsam.com/us-parliament-approves-usd-5-7bn-for-strengthening-afghan-forces-2341/
USA – FBI documents just obtained by the Partnership for
Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) pursuant to the PCJF’s Freedom of Information Act
demands reveal that from its inception, the FBI treated the Occupy movement as
a potential criminal and terrorist threat even though the agency acknowledges
in documents that organizers explicitly called for peaceful protest and did
“not condone the use of violence” at occupy protests. http://www.justiceonline.org/commentary/fbi-files-ows.html
USA
– HSBC is a banking giant that laundered nine billion dollars in drug
money. In our two-tiered justice system,
they get a slap on the wrist. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/12/hsbc-prosecution-fine-money-laundering
USA
– Your government is watching you! http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/congress-at-last-minute-drops-requirement-to-obtain-warrant-to-monitor-email-121225?news=846578
USA
– FISA extended! Again! http://rt.com/usa/news/senate-spying-intelligence-foreign-025/
USA –
Massive sinkhole in Louisiana. http://io9.com/5967858/the-bayou-corne-sinkhole-a-massive-oil-and-gas-disaster-youve-probably-never-heard-of/gallery/1
Africa – US deploying
troops to 35 African countries. http://rt.com/usa/news/us-deploying-troops-order-749/
Canada
– IDLE NO MORE. Important protest
movement from Native People to protect their rights and to protect the
environment. Many are joining in around
the world. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/kevin-grandia/idle-no-more-theresa-spence_b_2360127.html
UK
– Government pays Libyan dissident’s family over $2 million for MI6-aided
rendition to Gaddafi. The US was also
involved in this rendition, torture and imprisonment.
Pakistan
– Four killed in US drone strike. They
were reportedly al Qaeda. [December 1, 2012] http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/al-qaeda-cadre-among-4-killedus-drone-attackpakistan_789609.html
Pakistan
– Three killed in US drone strike. Pakistani intelligence says they are
suspected militants. http://www.democracynow.org/2012/12/6/headlines
Pakistan
– Gunmen shot dead five female health workers who were immunizing children
against polio on Tuesday, causing the Pakistani government to suspend
vaccinations in two cities and dealing a fresh setback to an eradication
campaign dogged by Taliban resistance in a country that is one of the disease’s
last global strongholds. [December 18, 2012] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/world/asia/attackers-in-pakistan-kill-anti-polio-workers.html
Pakistan
– Three more anti-polio campaigners shot dead in Pakistan. [This is a tragedy, and
it is the US
government’s fault.] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/19/pakistan-polio
Pakistan
– Drone kills four in North Waziristan.
[December 21, 2012] http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\22\story_22-12-2012_pg7_10
Pakistan
– Drone kills four in Waziristan. [December
28, 2012] http://tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/8884-4-insurgents-killed-in-us-drone-strike-in-pakistan
Pakistan
– Twenty members of a tribal police force are kidnapped and killed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20865888
Pakistan
– “US drones killed our grandmother” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20660443
Pakistan
– Seventeen dead in car bomb attack in Peshawar. http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-pakistan-car-bomb-kills-17-20121217,0,3550236.story
Jordan – Jordan’s Intelligence Service is helping rebels
smuggle arms into Syria.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9107123264
Environment – Carbon Dioxide emissions hit record level in
2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/world/emissions-of-carbon-dioxide-hit-record-in-2011-researchers-say.html?hp
Environment – 2012 is the hottest, most extreme year in
weather in US
history. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/12/10/1307221/2012-is-the-hottest-most-extreme-year-in-us-history/?mobile=nc
Syria
– Al Qaida-linked group that Syrian rebels once denied is key to anti-Assad
victories. Jabhat al Nusra, which U.S. officials
believe has links to al Qaida, has become essential to the frontline operations
of the rebels fighting to topple Assad. On a trip to Syria that spanned most of the
month of November, a journalist found Nusra’s fighters on every frontline he
visited. “When we finish with Assad, we will fight the U.S.!” one Nusra fighter shouted in the
northeastern Syrian city of Ras al Ayn
when he was told an American journalist present. He laughed as he said it and
then got into a van and drove off, leaving the journalist unable to ask whether
it had been a joke. [This group used to work in Iraq to kill Iraqis and US troops.]
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/02/3945001/al-qaida-linked-group-syria-rebels.html
Syria –
Turkish forces kill 13 Kurdish militants near Syria border. December 5, 2012 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/12/5/worldupdates/2012-12-05T111511Z_1_BRE8B40EV_RTROPTT_0_UK-TURKEY-KURDS-PKK&sec=Worldupdates
Syria –
Lots of countries, including the USA, are accusing Assad of having
chemical weapons and are accusing Assad’s father of using chemical weapons
thirty years ago. Both claims are pure
lies.
Syria –
Bashar al-Assad, Syria,
and the truth about chemical weapons. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/bashar-alassad-syria-and-the-truth-about-chemical-weapons-8393539.html
Syria –
Parts of Damascus
destroyed. December 9, 2012. http://uk.reuters.com/video/2012/12/09/syrian-town-in-ruins-following-bombardme?videoId=239763487&videoChannel=117759
Syria – Syria’s war is
anything its fighters want it to be. It is a class war of the suburban
proletariat against a state army financed by the bourgeoisie. It is a sectarian
war in which the Sunni Arab majority is fighting to displace an Alawi ruling
class. It is a holy war of Sunni Muslims against all manifestations of Shiism,
especially the Alawite variety. The social understandings on which Aleppo prided itself are
unraveling. Muslim fundamentalists have targeted Christian churches and Shiite
mosques. Arabs have fought Kurds. Iraqi Shiites and Sunnis have crossed the
border to fight each other in Syria. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/dec/20/aleppo-how-syria-being-destroyed/
Syria
– Some terrorists in the FSA posted a video of child beheading unarmed officers
in the regular Syrian army. Video was
quickly taken down. http://rt.com/news/syria-weapons-opposition-us-746/ See also http://www.moonofalabama.org/2012/12/why-does-the-west-support-beheaders.html
Syria
– Interior ministry hit by explosives, including a car bomb. [The terrorists
strike again – and those terrorists are the guys the Obama administration is
supporting.] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20701263
Syria
– Head of new US-backed Syrian coalition endorse al Qaida-linked rebel faction.
[So, the US
government is friends with al Qaeda again! And the war on terror can continue
forever! Long live terror!] http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/12/12/177244/head-of-new-us-backed-syrian-coalition.html
Syria
– 125 people reported killed in one day. December 12, 2012 http://rt.com/news/syria-village-killed-assad-880/
Syria
– 159 people reported killed in one day. December 14, 2012 http://en.trend.az/news/politics/2098956.html
Syria –
The United States and Germany are sending Patriot missiles and troops
to the Turkish border, a warning to Syria's besieged President Assad. http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html
Syria – Weeks before the Obama administration and other
Western nations recognized a new Syrian opposition coalition as “the legitimate
representative” of the Syrian people, Syrian rebels were receiving training in
the use of light and heavy weapons with the backing of the Jordanian, British
and U.S. governments, participants in the training have told McClatchy. The
training took place as far back as October and involved hundreds of rebels.
… By November, another rebel said, the
training had expanded to anti-tank weapons and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
[What could go wrong?] http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/12/14/177474/syrian-rebels-say-americans-britons.html
Syria –
Fighters from as many as 29 countries have filtered into Syria to join a
civil war that has split along sectarian lines, increasingly pitting the ruling
Alawite community against the majority Sunni Muslims, UN human rights
investigators said today. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/foreign-fighters-fuel-the-sectarian-flames-in-syria-8427986.html
Syria
– Rebels big on looting. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/27/syrian-rebels-scramble-spoils-war
Egypt –
The IMF and World Bank and US
government are leading efforts to lend a lot of money to Egypt and other
neighboring states. [They want to see them under a huge crippling load of debt
in order to control them.] http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/despite-turmoil-major-lending-effort-aims-to-boost-egypt-arab-neighbors/2012/12/10/117d16b4-3f2e-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_story.html?hpid=z2
Egypt
– Widespread claims of voting irregularities in the constitution election. Also
claims of low turnout. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/low-turnout-egypts-vote-raises-questions-18001316#.UM_aDHfNmSo
Turkey –
NATO has approved the deployment of Patriot anti-missile batteries along Turkey's border with Syria. The long-expected move
emerged from a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels,
and amid growing fears that Syria
could use chemical weapons. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20590129
Afghanistan
– British forces led a counter-insurgency operation in Afghanistan during which a
12-year-old boy and three teenagers were shot dead while they were drinking
tea. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/04/british-forces-accused-killing-teenagers
Afghanistan
– NATO forces stormed into a health clinic causing heavy damage, and then used
it as a jail and command center. Clinic
was run by Swedish charity. [Geneva Conventions, anyone?] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/06/nato-forces-attacked-afghan-health-clinic
Afghanistan
– 2012 was the year of the drone in Afghanistan. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/12/2012-drones-afghanistan/
Afghanistan
– Over 200 teenagers have been detained in the Afghan war by US troops. Average
age was 16. http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019857959_apususafghanistanteensdetained.html
Afghanistan
– The Obama surge was a failure. http://www.defense.gov/news/1230_Report_final.pdf
Afghanistan
– Nine girls killed by landmine. They were searching for firewood. [December
17, 2012] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/10-afghan-girls-killed-by-blast/2012/12/17/dc50c214-482a-11e2-b6f0-e851e741d196_story.html
Afghanistan
– The real center of the U.S.
drone campaign is in plain sight — on the hot and open battlefield of Afghanistan.
The American military has launched 333 drone strikes this year in Afghanistan.
That’s not only the highest total ever, according to U.S. Air Force statistics.
It’s essentially the same number of robotic attacks in Pakistan since the CIA-led campaign
there began nearly eight years ago. In the last 30 days, there have been
three reported strikes in Yemen.
In Afghanistan,
that’s just an average day’s worth of remotely piloted attacks. And the
increased strikes come as the rest of the war in Afghanistan is slowing down. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/11/drones-afghan-air-war/
Afghanistan
– An Afghan policewoman walked into a high-security compound in Kabul Monday and killed
an American contractor with a single bullet to the chest, the first such
shooting by a woman in a spate of insider attacks by Afghans against their
foreign allies. http://news.yahoo.com/afghan-policewoman-kills-us-adviser-kabul-110131144.html
Afghanistan
– A British prince kills an Afghan Taliban commander in October. [And history
repeats itself.] http://www.channel24.co.za/Gossip/News/Prince-Harry-kills-Taliban-chief-20121224
Afghanistan
– Seventeen Afghan police killed while asleep. Eight killed by a teenage boy
they kept “for sexual purposes”. [No wonder the Afghans think the Taliban are
better than the police!] http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_22271460/betrayed-while-asleep-17-afghan-policemen-killed
Afghanistan
– Overall violence is down, and insider attacks are up. Violence is still
higher than before the “surge”, however. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/afghan-violence-falls-2012-insider-attacks
Afghanistan
– Record number of Afghan soldiers killed (over 1,000) in 2012. NATO is aiming
to train up 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police by the end of 2014 to ensure
stability in Afghanistan,
but challenges remain in the transition process. Desertions, poor re-enlistment
rates and low morale are among the key problems troubling Afghan and NATO
commanders. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Dec-30/200375-record-number-of-afghan-soldiers-killed-in-2012.ashx#ixzz2GZwHEQuj
Afghanistan
– UN appeals for Afghan refugee aid as harsh winter proves deadly. At least two
children have already died from cold in camps for tens of thousands internally
displaced. [Last year, more than 100 children died in the camps from the cold.]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/31/un-appeals-afghan-refugee-aid
Libya
– Weapons sent to Libyan Rebels with US Approval [and] Fell Into Islamist Hands.
[Guess the US
likes helping al Qaeda!] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/africa/weapons-sent-to-libyan-rebels-with-us-approval-fell-into-islamist-hands.html
Libya – Libya in need
of complete rebuilding. In short, as a veteran Libyan activist said, the
ordinary people are losing faith in both rebels and leaders who can’t sort out
the chaotic state of the country.
Israel –
The UN calls on Israel
to open nuclear facilities to inspection and join the NPT. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middle-east/2012/12/04/calls-israel-open-nuclear-facilities/YMgLIbPvX9jwbkPplJAXMP/story.html
Israel –
Continues with East Jerusalem building plan. [5,000
new homes in occupied territory!] http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/israel-evict-settlers-hebron-homes-17996683#.UM_ZgnfNmSo
Israel
– What ceasefire? Israeli soldiers shoot
five Palestinians in latest in series of violations. http://mondoweiss.net/2012/12/ceasefire-palestinians-violations.html
Israel – Israel's policy on issuing guns is restrictive, and
armed guards at its schools are meant to stop terrorists, not crazed or
disgruntled gunmen, experts said Monday, rejecting claims by America's top gun
lobby that Israel serves as proof for its philosophy that the U.S. needs more
weapons, not fewer. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/israel-rejects-us-gun-lobby-claims-security-18057515#.UNz6IHfNmSp
Israel
– Suicide is the primary cause of death in the IDF for the past three years. [In
2012, US
soldier suicides outnumbered combat deaths.] http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/idf-suicide-is-the-primary-cause-of-death-among-israeli-soldiers.premium-1.491086
Bahrain
– Government strips citizenship from protestors. Protests continue.
Yemen
– Thousands rally against US meddling and drone strikes in their country. This happens almost every week. http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2012/12/08/thousands-yemenis-rally-saada-protest-against-us-meddling.html
Yemen –
When US drones kill civilians, Yemen’s
government tries to conceal it. Furious tribesmen tried to take the bodies to
the gates of the presidential residence, forcing the government into the rare
position of withdrawing its assertion that militants had been killed. [38
drones strikes in 2012 in Yemen.] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/when-us-drones-kill-civilians-yemens-government-tries-to-conceal-it/2012/12/24/bd4d7ac2-486d-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_print.html
Yemen -
At least five people were killed in two drone strikes in south Yemen on Monday
[December 24] in what security and local officials said were attacks on
suspected Al Qaida-linked insurgents. [In Syria
and Lybia, the US
is arming, funding and training al Qaida-linked insurgents.] http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/5-killed-in-drone-strikes-1.1123427
Yemen
– Two more killed in drone strikes in eastern region of Hadramout. [December
28, 2012] http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/12/29/worldupdates/2012-12-28T154505Z_1_BRE8BR0CR_RTROPTT_0_UK-YEMEN-DRONE&sec=Worldupdates
Yemen
– Yet another drone strike, the fourth this week. Three killed, allegedly al Qaeda. This makes
a total of 53 drone strikes in 2012.
Yemen – The
number of American airstrikes in Yemen, largely carried out by
unmanned drones, has surged over the past year, as much as tripling in
frequency in comparison with 2011. “They’re having a huge effect in how people
see the U.S.,” said Intisar
al Qadhi, a political activist who’s the daughter of a prominent tribal leader
from the province
of Mareb, the site of
numerous drone strikes. “When we think about America, we see an image of a
plane, dropping bombs on our people.”
Yemen –
At least 223 people killed by 40 US drone strikes in 2012. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/121231/us-drone-strikes-kill-223-yemen-this-year
Lebanon
– Sectarian clashes continue for sixth day. This is a spill-over from Syria. December
9, 2012 http://uk.reuters.com/video/2012/12/09/clashes-rage-in-lebanons-tripoli?rpc=401&videoId=239761402&feedType=VideoRSS
Lebanon –
North Lebanon clashes kill 17. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Dec-09/197791-higher-defense-council-addresses-north-lebanon-clashes.ashx#axzz2Efvxdm4K
Lebanon –
The patchwork of Sunni Muslim and Shiite villages arrayed along the northern
border with Syria are heavily embroiled
in the protracted struggle there, but with a distinctive twist. Fighters from
Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shiite movement, cross the frontier to fight
for Syria’s
president, Bashar al-Assad, who is Alawite and whose sect dominates the
government. Sunni Muslims sneak over to join the opposition. Once back home in
the Bekaa Valley
in Lebanon,
however, both sides observe an uneasy truce. [This war is going to spread.] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/world/middleeast/lebanons-shiites-and-sunnis-fight-in-syria-but-not-at-home.html?hpw&_r=0
Iraq –
More than two dozen dead in second day of Iraq violence. [December 17, 2012]
Iraq
– Massive rallies in Sunni dominated areas against the current government. They
are claiming sectarian policies and a lack of civil rights. This has been going
on for at least a week. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/12/2012122875346526845.html
Iraq –
Series of bombings kill 22 and wounds many more across Iraq. [December
31, 2012] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20873875
Mali – UN
Security Council has authorized an African-led military force to try to oust
Islamists from northern Mali.
[And so the war on Mali
begins. Another country will be destroyed.] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20801094
Mexico –
More than 20,000 missing in Mexico
in past six years. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/more-20000-missing-mexico-past-6-years
Sudan –
Fighting between South Sudan's army and a militia led by a self-proclaimed
prophet killed 24 people in an eastern region where France's Total and other foreign
oil groups are hoping to explore large concessions, the military said. http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/24-killed-in-South-Sudan-clashes-20121219
UAE – Eight online activists arrested in UAE. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20768205
CAR – Rebels in Central
African Republic take city of Sibut
in their march toward the capital of Bangui. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/12/20121229162438891450.html
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