Coming soon to the U.S. The Museum of 'Hamas Victim hood'?

Makes you wonder of the eight kids in the pic, how many are still alive or in prison?

Coming soon to the U.S. The Museum of 'Hamas Victim hood'? (Algemeiner).

The brazen double standards underlying the approach of Human Rights Watch (HRW) – arguably the world’s leading human rights NGO – towards the Middle East were again laid bare today, as the organization’s Middle East and North Africa director urged the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to display images of “death and destruction” in Gaza, while separately praising the Qatari regime for taking a “welcome step” in reforming its slave labor system.

As the human rights organization Migrant Rights has reported, 600,000 migrant workers in Qatar and elsewhere in region “are estimated to be in conditions of forced labor.”

Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s top staff member dealing with region, took to Twitter in response to a posting from BBC correspondent Kim Ghattas, who pointed out that the Washington, DC-based Holocaust museum was now showing an exhibition about the brutal abuse of human rights in Syria. “@BBCKimGhattas @DRovera @HolocaustMuseum @BBCNews US should also show pics of death and destruction in #Gaza,” Whitson declared.

While there was little surprise at Whitson’s insinuation that Israel is a genocidal regime similar to that in Syria, her comments generated an angry reaction nonetheless.

“Is it Human Rights Watch’s position that what is happening in Gaza is genocide?” columnist Jeffrey Goldberg asked Whitson.

“It certainly would be appropriate for the Holocaust Museum to feature an exhibit on genocidal Hamas theology,” Goldberg added. Hmmm.........Scotty please beam me up from this Fifth dimension. Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                       Afternoon  Posting.

• Syria Live Blog - June 02. Here .(Al-Jazeera).

• Libya Live Blog - June 02. Here (Al-Jazeera). 

• Yemen Live Blog - June 02 . Here. (Al-Jazeera).

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in Japan  today 5.1  ! Lots of activity in Turkey.More info here.

• Japan - Latest official Situation Update No. 127.Source : Here .

• Japan : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog.Here.

• What Writing A Book Taught Me About Obama and Those Who Followed Him In 2008.(BigPeace).My novel Hummel’s Cross takes place in pre-war (and wartime) Nazi Germany. In the course of my research I became fascinated by how a nation of such highly sophisticated and astute people as the Germans—who gave us Bach, Beethoven, Luther, Goethe, Schweitzer, Handel, Nietzsche, Kant, Wagner, (and thrown in a few Austrians like Mozart. Strauss, and Haydn) etc. could be so easily led to their own destruction – taking much of the Western World with them – by a charismatic if empty man. I remember in the film Gladiator the observation is made that the Roman mob is fickle and easily led. Well, we have seen that in the case of this country in these times the mob is the intelligentsia in the media, academia, entertainment and some corners of high finance. In 2008, they looked to Barack Obama and like past societies feeling the need for guidance from on high projected upon him their own needs, desires and (let’s be honest here) obsession with exorcising the self-flagellating white guilt they continue to carry over a perceived national racism that is now more a topic of media round-tables than a fact in day-to-day American life.What gets me nervous is that they could project on him because this man Obama was and remains a mirage. An illusion. Someone whose greatness exists only in the minds of those who adore him for reasons they cannot even articulate.By referencing Hummel’s Cross am I somehow calling Obama Hitler? Absolutely not, although this message will be twisted into just that by those completely missing my point. It’s the lesson about mob influence I’m talking about here. What I am saying is in that my research of Germany in the 1930-40s I could not help but come to a dark revelation: That a nation’s collective intelligence and level of sophistication is by no means a stop-gap to demagogues of all political stripes when the times are right for ‘hope and change.’ In the America of 2008, the times were right.I know a lot of bright, successful people whose opinions on so many matters I deeply respect who were solidly, even passionately, in the Obama tank—yet I noticed that they could never quite explain to me why, beyond uttering vague touchy-feely slogans or stating the obvious that he ‘isn’t Bush.’ As an independent-minded voter who grew up in Chicago and thus am aware of just what kind of ruthless ambition it takes to ascend the political ladder there as did Obama, I needed more than a cool campaign “O” emblem and Dave Matthews’ endorsement to earn my vote. Yet I found nothing but a paper thin image as the talking points. This vacuum of reasoning left me scratching my head. And the more I did my own research on this smooth-talking Cook County machine politician (as I would eventually conclude he was) the more anxious for my country I became. I realized that, for all too many, Barack Obama’s appeal was emotional. Nothing more. An exercise in collective self-actualization that may have had its place in a 1930’s München brauhaus, a plaza in 1940’s Buenos Aires or 1960’s Havana, but certainly no place in what I thought was the most developed and wary of Republics.We are a nation that must be skeptical of leaders. It has been a part of the American character for over two centuries. The Constitution codifies this suspicion of those who seek power with checks and balances that reveal a deeper distrust in human nature…one that is justified if the history of our species is any guide. As an American, it fills me with dread when I see throngs of my countrymen searching for answers to life not from within themselves but from a mere politician about whose biography they know far less than their favorite sports hero’s.In a way, having little enthusiasm for the McCain ticket, I found myself in 2008 observing in fascination from the sidelines as the two campaigns developed. And although he had his faults, no one doubted who John McCain was, or whether he had had served his country with honor – or that Sarah Palin had actually been at the helm of a real state which is an organization of size and complexity. Obama, however, was a mystery…and in many ways still is. One who I saw protected by a praetorian guard in the mainstream media unable or unwilling to ask even the most fundamental questions about who he was or what made him tick. That frightened me to no end. It still does.In writing Hummel’s Cross I threw myself into the mindset of an intelligent if detached German watching almost like a spectator as his country slowly comes under the spell of a politician who says the right things at the right time and thus is given a pass on everything else. A man upon whom the hopes and dreams of a people are mass-projected to the point where they lose themselves. And if it taught me one thing, it is that a good people can follow the wrong leader to their own destruction—either through fiery cataclysm or, more insidious, slow economic and social decay too subtle for a populace to even realize what has befallen them until it is too late to turn back.In November, 2012 we will find out if this lesson has been duly learned by the rest of us.Hmmmm.......Sounds like my thoughts.Read the full story here.

• NGO Monitor to U.S. Government: Dont turn to HRW for Consultations.(IMRA).Watchdog group says HRW's activities are inconsistent with moral principles. JERUSALEM - In response to recent statements that reflect racial animus by senior officials at Human Rights Watch (HRW), Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor has sent letters to President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other U.S. officials calling on the U.S. government to reject further consultations with the organization until it implements reforms.

"Clearly, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has morphed into a political advocacy organization characterized by double standards and bias - this is now widely understood," says Professor Gerald Steinberg, president of NGO Monitor. "But the recent racially-charged Huffington Post article, which exploited the American Civil Rights movement to incite racial hatred in the Middle East, crosses new red lines even for HRW and falls far outside any definition of 'legitimate criticism.' Action must be taken because this type of language contributes to animosity and hate."Steinberg adds, "Our letter demonstrates that 'the inclusion of HRW in official United States government policymaking and consultation is entirely inconsistent with the moral principles of human rights.'"

The inflammatory op-ed, authored by HRW's Middle East and North Africa (MENA) division head Sarah Leah Whitson, falsely accused Israel of "racial discrimination." Whitson employed racial stereotyping in race baiting American Jews and Israelis. NGO Monitor noted that the words "segregate," "race/racist," "discrimination" and "equal/unequal" are repeated 23 times in this short piece, as Whitson sought to justify her support for discriminatory boycotts against Israel. (The BDS strategy was adopted in the antisemitic NGO Forum of the UN's 2001 Durban Conference, in which HRW also played a central role.)Whitson's article also stated: "In a week when the U.S. paused to recall the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, President Peres might have considered King's message -- an end to segregation -- and why such a system of racial inequality remains in place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories...""This oped and other HRW statements recall efforts to pit Jews vs. African Americans, making a complete mockery of Dr. King's legacy," Steinberg notes. "Similarly, HRW's unjustifiable framing of the Arab-Israeli conflict as motivated by 'Israeli racism' is a total distortion of the national and religious dimensions, and erases central peace and security issues from the agenda."Ms. Whitson's op-ed followed her 2009 fundraising trip to Saudi Arabia, in which she raised the specter of the pro-Israel lobby in order to solicit donations from Saudi elites, including members of the governing Shura Council. Whitson also embraced and helped market the Gaddafi regime, and in particular, Moammar Qaddafi's son Seif Islam. In May 2011, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested an arrest warrant for Seif Islam on charges of crimes against humanity.In November 2010, Whitson praised "the Lebanese sophistication for human rights" and in May 2010, she visited with Hamas officials in Gaza to reassure them of HRW's "impartial" reporting and promised that HRW's next report would allege Israeli violations of international law. Such ideological bias is clearly inconsistent with the universality of human rights.Ken Roth, HRW's Executive Director, has similarly displayed racial hostility, such as the offensive religious slur during the 2006 Lebanon War where he referred to the Jewish Bible as the "morality of some more primitive moment."Other failures show HRW's lack of moral clarity - in 2009, Marc Garlasco, HRW's "senior military analyst" and author of many publications accusing Israel of war crimes, was exposed as an obsessive collector of Nazi memorabilia. And in January 2011, Shawan Jabarin, an alleged "senior activist" from the PFLP terror group (as pronounced by the Israeli High Court), was appointed to HRW's Mid-East advisory board."The U.S. government should look to other organizations for policy recommendations," says Steinberg. "Race baiting is the antithesis of human rights values.
NGO Monitor Letter to U.S Officials President Barack Obama The White House.

NGO Monitor: HRW's Whitson Race-baits Jewish Community; Exploits US Civil
Rights Movement

JERUSALEM - The leaders of Human Rights Watch, and the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) division, in particular, frequently employ highly offensive
and racially charged language regarding Israel, to accompany numerous false
"fact finding" claims, notes Jerusalem-based research institute NGO Monitor.

In an op-ed "A Matter of Civil Rights", (Huffington Post, 15 April) Sarah
Leah Whitson, director of MENA, manipulates and distorts the moral framework
of the US civil rights movement in order to incite racial hatred. Whitson
writes: "In a week when the U.S. paused to recall the assassination of Dr.
Martin Luther King, President Peres might have considered King's message --
an end to segregation -- and why such a system of racial inequality remains
in place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories..." The words "segregate,"
"race/racist," "discrimination" and "equal/unequal" are repeated 23 times in
this short piece, as Whitson seeks to justify her support for discriminatory
boycotts against Israel. (The BDS strategy was adopted in the infamous NGO
Forum of the UN's 2001 Durban Conference, in which HRW also played a central
role.) Whitson's article also employs racial stereotyping and
generalization in making crude references about American Jews.

"HRW has consistently exploited human rights principles to promote a
campaign of discrimination against Israel, and now, officials such as
Whitson are using race baiting against American Jews," noted Professor
Gerald Steinberg, president of NGO Monitor. "Abusing Dr. King's
assassination for this purpose is particularly offensive, erasing both the
Jewish community's leadership in the civil rights struggle and Dr. King's
support for Israel. In contrast, Whitson takes a racist position denying the
right of the Jewish people to sovereign equality. The appropriation of these
images and the comparison of the complex Arab-Israel conflict to the dark
history of American racial inequality marks a new low in HRW's history of
immorality in relation to Israel."

Such vulgar anti-Israel campaigning was recently condemned by a group of
African-American student leaders who called it "as transparent as it is
base." Similarly, Dr. King decried discriminatory attacks on Israel,
declaring, "When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews."

HRW's campaign rests on manufactured allegations in order to falsely portray
the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict as one allegedly motivated by Jewish
race-hatred of Arabs, erasing Palestinian violence and ignoring competing
national and territorial claims. Much of HRW's rhetoric simply repeats
crude propaganda developed by the PLO's Negotiation Affairs Department,
promoting the myth of "Israel's plan to segregate the Palestinian People
while continuing the colonization of Palestinian land."

Whitson's op-ed follows HRW's December 2010, unsourced "report" targeting
Israel, under the title of "Separate and Unequal", also abusing the legacy
of the US civil rights movement. Whitson, who has abused the term
"apartheid" to further the discriminatory assault on Jewish self
determination rights, equates Israeli policies to "Jim Crow laws of the
American south."

Whitson's campaigning includes a 2009 fundraising trip to Saudi Arabia, in
which she ignored the daily violations of the regime. Instead, she referred
to HRW's leading role in promoting the discredited Goldstone report "which
depleted HRW's budget for the region," and the canard of "pro-Israel
pressure groups." Whitson also embraced and helped market the Gaddafi
regime. Marc Garlasco, HRW's "senior military analyst" and author of many
publications accusing Israel of war crimes, was exposed as an obsessive
collector of Nazi memorabilia. And in January 2011, Shawan Jabarin, an
alleged "senior activist" from the PFLP terror group, was appointed to HRW's
Mid-East advisory board. In 2006, HRW Director Kenneth Roth displayed his
deep-seated religious prejudice, referring to Israeli policy as "an eye for
an eye" which he described as the product of a "more primitive moment."

Steinberg adds, "HRW and Whitson cynically use double standards and race
baiting against Jews to attack Israel, while ignoring the universal basis of
human rights norms. This abuse of moral standards to promote hatred has
grave consequences for the human rights movement that go far beyond the
anti-Israel racism in this agenda."

HRW's obsessive assault on Israel, and close cooperation with Arab and
Islamic dictators, was cited by HRW founder Robert Bernstein, who condemned
his NGO for turning "Israel into a pariah state." In a 2010 speech at the
University of Nebraska, Bernstein documented HRW's targeting of Israel as
one of the "principal offenders" of human rights. In a 2010 article in The
New Republic, Ben Birnbaum quotes Whitson's praise for Norman Finkelstein --
"making Israeli abuses the focus of one's life work is a thankless but
courageous task".

Whitson, who was hired by HRW after having worked as an anti-Israel activist
(as is the case of Joe Stork, the MENA deputy director), also makes security
and legal claims without any evidence or knowledge: "Israel's security
justifications fall far short of the strict and narrow limits on
differential treatment permitted under international law between people of
different ethnicities or national origins." For over a decade, HRW officials
have minimized Palestinian terror and rocket attacks that kill and injure
Israeli civilians, as well as numerous instances of incitement to genocide.
Whitson's op-ed is the latest in a continued effort to erase of the wider
context of legitimate self-defense against Palestinian attacks.

On this basis, NGO Monitor demands the resignation of Whitson, Stork and HRW
Executive Director Kenneth Roth. We also call on HRW funders, including the
Ford Foundation and the Open Society Institute (George Soros), to
reconsider the implications of their support for this immoral agenda."Read the full story here.

• Why Barack Obama may be heading for electoral disaster in 2012.(Telegraph).On a recent visit to London I was struck by how much faith many British politicians, journalists and political advisers have in Barack Obama being re-elected in 2012. In the aftermath of the hugely successful Special Forces operation that took out Osama Bin Laden and a modest spike in the polls for the president, the conventional wisdom among political elites in Britain is overwhelmingly that Obama will win another four years in the Oval Office. Add to this a widespread perception of continuing disarray in the Republican race, as well as a State Visit to London that had the chattering classes worshipping at the feet of the US president, and you can easily see why Obama’s prospects look a lot rosier from across the Atlantic.But back in the United States, the reality looks a lot different. Many political leaders in Britain fail to understand the degree to which the American people are deeply unhappy with their president’s poor handling of the economy. Nor have they grasped the epic scale of the defeat suffered by the president in the November mid-terms, and the emphatic rejection by a clear majority of Americans of the Big Government Obama agenda.Just seven months ago, the United States was swept by a conservative revolution that fundamentally transformed the political landscape on Capitol Hill, and gravely weakened the ability of the president to pass legislation. This revolution is not in retreat but gaining ground, led by charismatic figures such as Paul Ryan, the Reaganite chairman of the House Budget Committee, entrusted with reining in out of control government spending. And as a Gallup poll showed, America is unquestionably a conservative country ideologically, but one that is ironically led by the most left-wing president in the nation’s history.Ultimately, the 2012 presidential election will be decided by the state of the economy, and new data released this week makes grim reading for the White House. In fact you cannot watch a US financial news network at the moment, from Bloomberg to CNBC to Fox Business, without a great deal of pessimism about the dire condition of the world’s biggest economy. 66 percent of Americans now worry the federal government will run out of money in the face of towering public debts.Unsurprisingly, the polls are again looking problematic for the president. The latest Rasmussen Presidential Tracking Poll shows just 25 percent of Americans strongly approving of Obama’s performance, with 36 percent strongly disapproving, for a Presidential Approval Index rating of minus 11 points. In a projected match up between Obama and a Republican opponent, the president now trails by two points according to Rasmussen – 43 to 45. The RealClear Politics poll of polls shows just over a third of Americans (34.5 percent) agreeing that the country is heading in the right direction, with nearly three fifths (56.8 percent) believing it is heading down the wrong track. That negative figure rises to a staggering 66 percent of likely voters in a new Rasmussen survey, including 41 percent of Democrats. Even though we don’t know yet who he will be up against, Barack Obama could well go into 2012 as the underdog rather than the favourite he is frequently portrayed as. On balance we’re likely to see a very close race 17 months from now. But there is also the distinct possibility of an electoral rout of the president if the economy goes further south. “Hope and change” might have played well in 2008, but it is a message that will likely ring hollow in November 2012, with an American public that is deeply disillusioned with the direction Obama is taking the country.Hmmmmm......Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.......Their's not to make reply,Their's not to reason why,Their's but to do and die.Read the full story here.

• After Obama Declares Gay Pride Month, White House Launches Site Touting LGBT Efforts.(OntopMag).The White House on Wednesday launched a new website trumpeting its LGBT achievements.A quote from President Barack Obama welcomes visitors: “We've got a lot of hard work that we still have to do, but we can already point to extraordinary progress that we've made … on behalf of Americans who are gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender.”The site, titled Winning the Future: President Obama And The LGBT Community, is a subdomain located off the White House's official website and features a fact sheet of the administration's accomplishments on gay rights, a page to sign-up for a newsletter, and the White House's video for the It Gets Better Project.Many of the administrations accomplishments listed on the website were also mentioned in the declaration Obama signed on Tuesday declaring June Gay Pride month.Those achievements include repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the 1993 law that bars gay and bisexual troops from serving openly, efforts to wipe out discrimination in federal housing programs, and passage of a gay-inclusive hate crimes law.Briefly mentioned are relationship recognition, including the administration decision to stop defending in court the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars federal agencies from recognizing the marriages of gay and lesbian couples.It states "President Obama has called for the Congressional repeal of the discriminatory “Defense of Marriage Act” and has announced that in his view, Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional". Strange i remember it being formulated this way"“The president and I have concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation” should be subjected to a strict legal test intended to block unfair discrimination, Mr. Holder wrote."Hmmmm....No mention of asking congress?Read the full story here.

• FCC Colluded with Leftist Organization Free Press to Push Government Regulation of Internet, Documents Show.(JudicialWatch).Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has uncovered documents from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that indicate officials at the FCC colluded with the leftist Free Press organization to publicly push a new plan to regulate the Internet under the FCC’s so-called “net neutrality” program. Judicial Watch obtained the documents pursuant to a December 27, 2010, Freedom of Information Act request. In December 2010, the FCC voted 3-2 to advance its “net neutrality program.” This decision seems to fly in the face of an April, 2010 federal appeals court ruling that the FCC had exceeded its authority in seeking to regulate the Internet and enforce “net neutrality” rules. The supporters of “net neutrality,” including Free Press, argue that high-speed Internet access is a “civil right,” and are recommending new government regulations to provide taxpayer-funded broadband Internet access to all populations, especially those deemed “underserved.” Opponents of “net neutrality” argue the program is designed to impose greater government control over the Internet and will result in less access, not more. Moreover, opponents of “net neutrality,” also dispute the claim that Internet access is a basic civil right protected by the U.S. Constitution. Judicial Watch uncovered internal correspondence showing unusual coordination by some officials at the FCC and Free Press in pushing the “net neutrality” agenda in the run up to the controversial FCC vote in December.Gandy, the Chairman of the Free Press Board of Directors, served as the President of the National Organization for Women from 2001-2009. Craig Aaron, Free Press’s President and CEO, formerly worked as managing editor of the socialist tabloid In These Times. Free Press is financially supported by George Soros’s Open Society Institute and other hard-left groups such as the Ford Foundation and Democracy Alliance. “Net neutrality is just another Obama power grab. This is nothing less than the Obama administration’s attempt to stage a government takeover of the Internet under the guise of ‘net neutrality.’ So it should come as no surprise that Free Press, the hard left organization with socialist ties, is improperly driving the so-called net neutrality agenda from inside the Obama administration. The FCC is supposed to be an independent agency that follows the law,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The American people should be deeply troubled by the fact that the Obama administration, on issue after issue, seems to be run by shadowy leftist organizations. Our government is supposed to be ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’, not ‘of the Left, by the Left, and for the Left.’” .Hmmmmm.....Dictatorship or Democracy?Read the full story here.

• You got to be kidding?Gov. Christie Thinks A Family Making $6,000 A Year Is Too Rich To Qualify For Medicaid.(Thinkprogress).Despite recent polls that show Americans are just as protective of Medicaid as they are of Medicare, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is trying to gut the popular program in his state and prevent 23,000 people from receiving benefits. Christie has proposed cutting Medicaid eligibility to absurdly low levels: from the current maximum income of $24,645 to $5,317 a year for a family of three. Apparently, the governor believes a family of three making $6,000 a year is simply too rich to receive Medicaid.The New Jersey press has reported that the main effect of his proposal would be to slash help for the working poor, tearing a huge hole in the state’s social safety net: Adults in a family of three that makes as little as $103 a week would earn too much to qualify for health care provided by Medicaid under a sharply curtailed program Gov. Chris Christie wants the federal government to approve this year, according to state officials and advocates briefed on the proposal.[...]The Christie administration is expected to propose cutting the maximum income level of Medicaid from $24,645 to $5,317 a year for a family of three [...]“That is about a third of the poverty level,” Castro said. “That means that an uninsured parent working full time at a minimum-wage job wouldn’t be eligible. … A parent who works half-time for minimum wage wouldn’t even qualify.“Unfortunately, the only way these parents can become eligible for health coverage in the future is if the parent applies for and is eligible for welfare,” Castro added. “That sends the wrong message.”Democratic lawmakers are furious that Christie is insisting on making $300 million in cuts on the backs of poor and disabled residents. They point out that apart from the morally bankrupt idea of denying care to the neediest population, having more people uninsured will ultimately be more costly for New Jersey.“Those 23,000 people are going to get sick this year,” said Louis Greenwald (D), a committee chairman. “Where are you suggesting they’re going to go?”State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D), who sponsored the legislation creating FamilyCare in 1998, explained, “This completely dismantles the progress made over the last 12 years, and then some…I can’t imagine how it could be any worse.”Since Medicaid — which provides health care services to at-risk populations including the indigent, blind and disabled — is jointly funded by the federal government, states must apply for a waiver before making major changes. That means Obama administration officials can still block Christie’s radical attempts to curtail enrollment.Read the full story here.

• Hero Gurkha receives bravery medal from the Queen,'I thought I was going to die... so I tried to kill as many Taliban as I could'.(DailyMail).A Gurkha soldier who single-handedly defeated more than 30 Taliban fighters has been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross by the Queen.Corporal Dipprasad Pun, 31, described how he was spurred on by the belief that he was going to die and so had nothing to lose in taking on the attackers who overran his checkpoint in Afghanistan.His gallantry award is second only to the Victoria Cross - the highest honour for bravery in the face of the enemy.Speaking after receiving the honour from the Queen, the Gurkha said: 'I'm very excited and happy to here in the Palace to receive the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. This will be a great memory for the future.'The soldier fired more than 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine to thwart the Taliban assault on his checkpoint near Babaji in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, last September.At one point, after exhausting all his ammunition, he had to use the tripod of his machine gun to beat away a militant who was climbing the walls of the compound.In total he fired off 250 general purpose machine gun rounds, 180 SA80 rounds, six phosphorous grenades, six normal grenades, five underslung grenade launcher rounds and one Claymore mine.The only weapon he did not use was the traditional Kukri knife carried by Gurkhas because he did not have his with him at the time.The married soldier, whose father and grandfather were also Gurkhas, is originally from the village of Bima in western Nepal but now lives in Ashford, Kent.His medal citation said he saved the lives of three comrades at the checkpoint at that time and prevented the position being overrun.It read: 'Pun could never know how many enemies were attempting to overcome his position, but he sought them out from all angles despite the danger, consistently moving towards them to reach the best position of attack.'Hmmmm.....As the Gurkha motto tells:"It's better to die than tolive as a coward".Read the full story here.

• Video - Egyptian Cleric Mazen Al-Sarsawi: We Ask a Person Nicely to Convert, But If He Refuses and Does Not Pay the Jizya Tax, We Fight Him.Hmmmm....The religion of peace".Read and see the full story here.

• Hamas Disappointed At Egyptian Restrictions At Rafah Crossing.(Memri).The Gaza crossings and borders authority has confirmed that Egypt has restricted the number of Palestinians passing from Gaze into Egypt via the Rafah crossing to 400 per day. Hamas said that Egypt is raising difficulties on security pretexts. The Palestinian Embassy in Egypt is trying to resolve the "crisis of preventing departure from Gaza." Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                         Afternoon Posting.

• HT:BigGovernment.Video : Obama: Wisconsin is Launching an ‘Assault on Unions’.Shortly after the state of Arizona began cracking down on illegal immigration, President Obama and company went on the offensive against the state.Now, with the Gov. Scott Walker taking on unions in Wisconsin, it was only a matter of time before Obama gave his two cents. He has taken the side of the state government unions against Walker’s plan that would force state workers to cover half of their pension contributions and 13 percent of their own health insurance cuts. The plan would also strip government workers of the power to collectively bargain for higher wages unless the public approved it through a vote.When asked about the public employee benefits cuts in Wisconsin and the resulting union protests President Obama said he saw the cuts as an “assault on unions”.After these comments it seems that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is going to become the next conservative sweetheartHmmmmm......."Don't touch my Socialist troops"?Read the full story here.

• US pledges $150 million to help Egypt's transition.The United States will spend $150 million to assist Egypt's democratic transformation after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday."It's very clear that there's a great deal of work ahead to ensure an orderly, democratic transition. It's also clear that Egypt will be grappling with immediate and long-term economic challenges," Clinton told reporters after briefing lawmakers on Capitol Hill."I'm pleased to announce today we will be reprogramming $150 million for Egypt to put ourselves in a position to support the transition there and assist with their economic recovery," Clinton said.The United States has urged Egypt's military rulers to push ahead with plans for democratic reforms that can ultimately lead to free and fair elections in the country, which under Mubarak was a longtime U.S. ally.Clinton said Bill Burns, the under-secretary of State for political affairs, and David Lipton, a White House adviser on international economic affairs, would travel to Egypt next week to consult with various stakeholders on how too use the funds.Hmmmmm......Don't tell me he's giving the Muslim Brotherhood 150 Million Dollar US taxpayer money?Read the full story here.

• HT:ForeignPolicy.Ros-Lehtinen: Obama proposed “major concession to enemies of the Jewish state”.The chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee lashed out at the Obama administration on Thursday over reports the United States offered to support a U.N. Security Council statement critical of Israeli settlements.The Obama administration's policy has long been to oppose much of Israel's ongoing settlement activity. But the revelation that the administration contemplated criticizing Israel at the U.N. has many members of Congress incensed, especially Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). "Support for this anti-Israel statement is a major concession to enemies of the Jewish State and other free democracies. It telegraphs that the U.S. can be bullied into abandoning critical democratic allies and core U.S. principles," she said in a statement on Thursday. "Pretending that criticism of Israel is OK if it comes in a ‘Presidential Statement' instead of a resolution isn't leadership, it's unacceptable. Twisting and turning and tying yourself in knots to avoid using our veto to defend our allies and interests isn't leadership, it's unacceptable. The administration should change course, stand unequivocally with Israel, and publicly pledge to block any anti-Israel UN Security Council action," she said.Quick congressional criticism of the administration based on the report isn't limited to Republicans. "This is too clever by half," said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). "Instead of doing the correct and principled thing and vetoing an inappropriate and wrong resolution, they now have opened the door to more and more anti-Israeli efforts coming to the floor of the U.N. The correct venue for discussions about settlements and the other aspects of a peace plan is at the negotiating table. Period." Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), the House Appropriations State and Foreign Ops subcommittee ranking Democrat, agreed. "Compromising our support for Israel at the U.N. is not an option. The United States must veto the U.N. resolution on settlements to make clear we will not support such a blatant attempt to derail the peace process," she said.Hmmmm........"They don't trust me because of my middle name"?Read the full story here.

• Big Brother going NANO? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the army's latest $4million spy drone disguised as a hummingbird, measuring just 16 centimetres.A pocket-sized spy drone disguised as a hummingbird has been unveiled by a major Pentagon contractor measuring just 16 centimetres and weighing less than an AA battery.The mini spy plane can fly up to 11 miles an hour and took five years to develop at a cost of $4million.Army chiefs hope to use the drone’s tiny camera to spy on enemy positions in war zones without arousing detection and eventually deploy it into both rural and urban environments.Around 86 per cent of its orders come from the Government, meaning last year it was paid a whopping $215million from the Department of Defense.The company, based in California with 732 full-time employees, expects to sell even more drones to the Government once rules are relaxed to allow spying within America.The unveiling of the Hummingbird comes just weeks after the same company launched its $30million Global Observer with a wingspan similar to a Boeing 747 which can survey an area as large as Afghanistan.Chris Fisher, project manager at AeroVironment explained: ‘It gives the guy on the ground the opportunity to see what’s on the other side of the hill. There’s only so much you can see with binoculars. A small [drone] can get up and go over the hill. That gives the ground soldier a capability that is huge.He added: ‘One of the things we benefit from is the average young person in the military has hours and hours of video games experience. They are attuned to holding these things in their hands; moving the joysticks around with their thumbs and that’s how our planes are flown. To an 18-year-old it’s extremely simple.Hmmmm.....Why the sudden increase of spying capabilities on American civilians?Is the police state near?Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Mavi Marmara Delegation Leader Nurettin Sirin Writes From Tehran: “ALLAHUAKBAR! Now Is The Time To Eliminate Israel..!”In an article titled “ALLAHUAKBAR! Now Is The Time To Eliminate Israel..! sent from Tehran, the radical Islamist activist Nureddin Sirin wrote, “As guests of the International Islamic Radio and Television Union, we are here in Tehran, together with the Mavi Marmara freedom fleet’s mujahedeen, ghazis and families of the shahids, to participate in the anniversary ceremonies of the (Iranian) Islamic Revolution, and to celebrate with unparalleled joy and pride, the ousting of the Pharoah Mubarak through the holy intifada of freedom-loving Egyptian people. We are sending (to Turkey) our proud salutations from this land of revolution.“We are delivering to you the promising words of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that ‘only a short time is left for the building of a Middle East without Israel or America in it’ and we are praying for the quick arrival of that bright day, when all of us will meet in a free al Quds (Jerusalem). We are sending our salutations to the people of Palestine – that feels the utmost joy for the demise of Egypt’s pharoah Mubarak – and the defiant Muslim heroes of Gaza.”Sirin ends his article with the following lines:“(…) Salutations to the shimmering dawn of revolution, that’s upon the world of Islam!“Salutations to the Free Quds!“Salutations to a Middle East, without Israel!“WAIT FOR US ISRAEL, EVERYWHERE YOU’RE WAITING,“WAIT FOR US ISRAEL, EVERYWHERE WHERE YOU ARE NOT WAITING..!”Hmmmm.....Yup real peacefull humanitarian group.Read the full story here.

• Human Rights Watch Appoints ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ to MidEast Advisory Board.Jerusalem – Signaling the continuing decline of the organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has appointed Shawan Jabarin, an alleged senior activist in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, to its Middle East Advisory Board. This appointment, as first reported in the Daily Beast, is further evidence of the moral collapse and corruption in HRW, says Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, a research institution that tracks NGOs.“This appointment ends any façade that Human Rights Watch is a moral ‘watchdog’ organization,” says Prof. Gerald Steinberg, president of NGO Monitor. “Mr. Jabarin has ties to the PFLP terror group, which specialized in aircraft hijackings and carries out suicide bombings and political assassinations. He also heads an organization, Al Haq, which is among the leaders of delegitimization campaigns targeting Israel. This appointment is a slap in the face from HRW Executive Director Ken Roth and Chairman James Hoge to terror victims, Israelis, Jews, and others who seek to uphold universal human rights.”With this appointment, HRW blatantly disregards decisions by the Israeli Supreme Court and other countries that have affirmed Jabarin’s terror links. Jordan also has denied him exit visas because of his alleged ties to the PFLP.As reported by NGO Monitor, the Israeli Supreme Court in June 2007 referred to Jabarin as a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” a human rights worker by day and a terrorist by night. In 2008, the Supreme Court upheld a visa denial because of his terror connections.“By appointing Jabarin, HRW has contemptuously dismissed the widely respected Israeli Supreme Court” Steinberg adds. “The assault on the courts is a key component of the strategy of demonizing Israel, as developed at the NGO Forum of the 2001 Durban Conference. HRW played a central role in Durban, and this is another step in the organization’s implementation of this strategy.”“Unfortunately, Jabarin’s appointment is the latest and most egregious immoral act for an organization that already lost its moral compass,” adds Steinberg. “HRW founder Robert Bernstein has denounced the biases and failures of his own organization, lamenting the organization’s failure to hold accountable closed societies and oppressive regimes. The appointment of an individual with ties to terror reinforces Mr. Bernstein’s assessment of HRW.”As donations decreased amid the scandals, George Soros rescued HRW with a 10-year, $100 million donation. Mr. Soros also funds Al Haq.“Perhaps Mr. Soros and his cohorts should reevaluate their contributions, particularly as these groups strengthen ties with individuals linked to terror,” Steinberg adds. “This is the antithesis of advancing universal human rights.”Hmmmmm.....When will this "travesty of justice" end?Read the full scandal story here.

• Bahrain military locks down capital.Following deadly pre-dawn raid on Manama's central square, army says it has 'key parts' of city under control. Protesters, banned from gathering, chant 'regime must go'.Army patrols and tanks locked down the capital of Bahrain after riot police swinging clubs and firing tear gas smashed into demonstrators, many of them sleeping, in a pre-dawn assault Thursday that uprooted their protest camp demanding political change. Medical officials said four people were killed.Hours after the attack on Manama's main Pearl Square, the military announced a ban on gatherings, saying on state TV that it had "key parts" of the capital under its control. After several days of holding back, the island nation's Sunni rulers unleashed a heavy crackdown, trying to stamp out the first anti-government upheaval to reach the Arab states of the Gulf since the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. The move was a sign of how deeply the Sunni monarchy - and other Arab regimes in the Gulf - fear the repercussions of a prolonged wave of protests, led by members of the country's Shiite majority. Tiny Bahrain is a pillar of Washington's military framework in the region. It hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet, which is a critical counterbalance to Iran. Bahrain's rulers and their Arab allies depict any sign of unrest among their Shiite populations as a move by neighboring Shiite-majority Iran to expand its clout in the region.But the assault may only further enflame protesters. In the wake of the bloodshed, angry demonstrators chanted "the regime must go" and burned pictures of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa outside the emergency ward at Salmaniyah hospital, the main state medical facility. The hospital was thrown into chaos by a stream of dozens of wounded from Pearl Square with gaping wounds, broken bones and respiratory problems from tear gas. Men and women lay in shock on stretchers, heads bleeding, arms in casts, faces bruised as they were shuttled around by nurses. At the entrance, women wrapped in black robes embraced each other and wept.US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned her Bahraini counterpart on Thursday to express deep concern after the violent raid, the State Department said. "She expressed deep concern about recent events and urged restraint moving forward. They discussed political and economic reform efforts to respond to the citizens of Bahrain," a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.Hmmmm........How much damage has Obama done with his "Outreach to Muslims"?Read the full story here.Tanks in Bahrain streetsVideo footage here.

• Wind Power FAIL!Northern New Brunswick wind turbines frozen solid.FREDERICTON — A $200-million wind farm in northern New Brunswick is frozen solid, cutting off a potential supply of renewable energy for NB Power.The 25-kilometre stretch of wind turbines, located 70 kilometres northwest of Bathurst, N.B. has been completely shutdown for several weeks due to heavy ice covering the blades.GDF SUEZ Energy, the company that owns and operates the site, is working to return the windmills to working order, a spokeswoman says."We can't control the weather," Julie Vitek said in an interview from company headquarters in Houston, Texas. "We're looking to see if we can cope with it more effectively, through the testing of a couple of techniques."She says the conditions in northern New Brunswick have wreaked havoc on the wind farm this winter."For us, cold and dry weather is good and that's what's typical in the region. Cold and wet weather can be a problem without any warmer days to prompt thawing, which has been the case this year."This weather pattern has been particularly challenging."Wintery conditions also temporarily shutdown the site last winter, just months after its completion. Some or all of the turbines were offline for several days, with "particularly severe icing" blamed.The accumulated ice alters the aerodynamics of the blades, rendering them ineffective as airfoils. The added weight further immobilizes the structures.Vitek says workers are trying to find a way to prevent ice buildup from occurring again in the future. The shutdown has not had any effect on employment at the site, which provides 12 permanent jobs.Hmmmm......No word if they use electric cars by chance?Read the full story here.

• HT:TheAmericanDream.Betrayed! Tea Party Politicians Vote To Renew The Patriot Act As America Is Slowly Transformed Into A Big Brother Police State Worse Than George Orwell’s 1984.For a moment, imagine that you are awakened one night by a heavily-armed team of federal agents dressed in all black breaking into your home. As you confront them, they hand you a piece of paper that says that your son has been identified as a "terrorist" and that they are there to take him away. They pull your son out of bed, they throw him on the floor and the use a taser on him repeatedly. Then they handcuff him and haul him away without telling you a thing about where they are taking him. Your son suddenly has no rights because the Patriot Act supersedes the U.S. Constitution. That's right - because your son has been identified as a "terrorist" because of something that he has said on the Internet he no longer has any constitutional rights. Your underage son is held indefinitely and is subjected to "enhanced interrogation" because he has been identified as a "threat". You are not able to get your son back for years even though it turns out that he is completely and totally innocent. If you think that such a thing cannot happen to you then you are a fool, because this kind of thing is happening over and over across the United States and it is all legal because of the Patriot Act.America is rapidly turning into a horrible Big Brother police state and most of our politicians are fully supporting this transformation. In fact, the U.S. House of Representatives gave us quite a Valentine's Day gift the other day when it voted to once again extend provisions of the Patriot Act that allow for domestic surveillance of American citizens, wire tapping of American citizens and warrantless searches of the homes of American citizens.What was perhaps most disappointing was that a large number of "Tea Party politicians" cast votes in favor of renewing the Patriot Act provisions.The majority of Americans were absolutely disgusted when the Bush administration instituted the Patriot Act and many other police state measures and they voted for Barack Obama hoping for something different.Well, it turns out that Barack Obama has been even worse.Many of us had hoped that Tea Party politicians would be different and would stand up for our liberties and freedoms, but now we can clearly see that many of them will not.In the past, Americans would ready George Orwell's 1984 and would think that nothing like that could ever happen in the United States of America.Well, it is happening in the United States of America.Are you going to stand up and say anything about it?Read the full story here.

• Egypt: Iran naval vessels submit request to transit Suez.Egyptian Foreign Ministry confirms that authorities received request; Suez Canal official says Defense Ministry to process application.In Tehran, Iran's official English-language Press TV cited an Iranian naval official saying the two warships are to pass through the canal. The official said Tehran was in contact with Egypt about the ships.Earlier, a canal official had said the Iranians had withdrawn a request to transit the waterway, without giving an explanation for the application's withdrawal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.Ahmed al-Manakhly, a senior Suez Canal official, said international agreements regulate the traffic through the canal. He said that only in the case of war with Egypt may vessels be denied transit through the waterway.Al-Manakhly noted that Iran and Egypt are not at war, and said the final decision on whether to grant the vessels' passage lies with the Defense Ministry.He said he will not allow any warships to transit the canal without approval from the Defense Ministry.The Suez Canal official identified the two vessels as the Alvand, a frigate, and the Kharq, a supply ship, and said they were en route to Syria. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Iran was about to send two naval vessels through the Suez Canal for the first time in years, calling it a "provocation."Hmmmmm........Read the full story here.More here.

• Pakistan Delays Decision on U.S. Murder Suspect.A Pakistani court on Thursday delayed a hearing to decide whether a U.S. man charged with murdering two locals should be granted diplomatic immunity, triggering fresh tension among officials over the Asian country's ties to the United States.Raymond Davis, who the American government insists is a diplomat immune to local prosecution and should be immediately repatriated to the U.S., was arrested in Pakistan for last month's murder of two Pakistani nationals in Lahore. Thursday's decision by a Lahore court to put off hearing the case until March 14 means the Davis case will inevitably drag on, dashing hopes among senior officials in both Islamabad and Washington for a quick resolution."I leave here with confidence that if people act with both conviction and courage and vision, we will be able to move forward, said Kerry before leaving Pakistan on Wednesday. "I look forward to the next few days hopefully to finding ways that we all agreed on, that we can find in order to resolve this issue that's in front of us," he added, referring to the Davis case. Ahead of the Senator's departure, a senior Pakistani official told CBS News that President Asif Ali Zardari's government had decided to officially grant Davis immunity -- a crucial step to ultimately enable his exit from the country and avoid prosecution in Lahore.Hmmmmm.........How long before Pakistan explodes?Read the full story here.

• Report: Mubarak refused to talk to Obama.Al-Quds al-Arabi says former Egyptian leader felt 'humiliated' by US president's call to resign.Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused to accept a phone call from US President Barack Obama, the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi reported Thursday.The report says Mubarak feels "humiliated and embittered at Obama's most recent statement about the need for him to resign immediately", so he rejected the call. The report adds that the former president is residing at his palace in Sharm el-Sheikh and maintaining a similar lifestyle, though he has hired additional guards. Israel has also approved the entry of two Egyptian army battalions into the southernmost Sinai city in order to help guard the palace. Mubarak's health is deteriorating rapidly, the report says, and has been since he was forced to leave his Cairo residence. Saudi King Abdullah has offered him asylum in his country, but the former leader refused, saying he would like to die on Egyptian land.In addition, Mubarak continues to employ the aides who worked under him during his term as president, the report says, adding that the military has apparently "decided to grant Mubarak an honorable resignation" as no one has threatened him with charges of unlawful activity, though other officials have been accused of corruption. Meanwhile, CBS has broadcast footage of Mubarak leaving Cairo by chopper, apparently on his way to Sharm el-Sheikh. The footage was apparently filmed last week, immediately after Mubarak relayed power to his deputy, Omar Suleiman.Hmmmm......When will Israeli leaders grow enough spine to refuse to answer the call also?Read the full story here.

• Republican congressmen sign on to Israel aid letter.GOP newcomers to US House of Representatives call on party leadership to maintain current level of defense assistance to Israel.Among the 87 freshmen, 65 have signed the letter initiated by Reps. Robert Dold (R-Ill.) and Austin Scott (R-Ga.) to the party's House leadership. "As Israel faces threats from escalating instability in Egypt, Hezbollah rockets in Lebanon, Hamas terrorists in Gaza and the existential danger posed by Iran's nuclear program, full US security assistance to Israel, including supporting Israel's acquisition of the Iron Dome defense system, has never been more important for our own national security interests," said the letter asking fellow freshmen to sign, which was still accruing signatures as of Tuesday.The appeal -- and the support it garnered -- is significant because it answers questions pro-Israel groups had about the 2011 class of GOP freshmen, many of them spurred to office by the Tea Party movement, which has cost cutting as its central focus.The letter is a sign that US President Barack Obama's proposal this week to maintain levels of funding for Israel, currently at about $3 billion annually, will be untouched.Dold joined Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is not a freshman lawmaker, in sending a similar letter last week to House appropriators.Hmmmm......Lets first see what "They don't trust me because of my middle name does"before celebrating.Read the full story here.

• All Free Speech Systems are Works in Progress: Prof. Craig LaMay.Kourosh Ziabari: Dear Craig; there’s a belief with regards to the mass media in the Western countries in general, and the United States in particular, which is undisputedly accepted by the international community: the widely-accepted belief is that the Western media are unrestrictedly free to publish whatever they want, to publish the viewpoints of the opponents of the government, the political dissidents and anti-governmental activists, without being harassed. Is it true that the mass media in the West are absolutely free to publish whatever they want? Isn’t there any implicit pressure on the media to publish the news and analysis in a way which is favorable to the interests of the government?

Craig LaMay: That belief is overstated. In the United States, for example, it has always been the law that restraints on publication, gag orders, are facially unconstitutional, and where they occur they get an immediate judicial review. Nonetheless, it is also the law that some materials are subject to what we call prior restraints, or injunctions against publication. Those materials fall into three broad categories: obscenity (which is subject to community standards, and thus what is ‘obscene’ in Alabama might not be so in New York); incitements to violence, but only when violence is likely and imminent, not when speech is mere advocacy, even advocacy that the government be overthrown by force; and risks to national security. The last of these is the most contentious for journalists, since even benign governments are apt to see national security threats where there are none. In Western Europe, there is no rule against prior restraints even if the principle against them is generally accepted. So information that is libelous or invasive of privacy can be enjoined before publication. Particularly notable is the high regard that EU law, and many national laws, have for personal privacy, not only for private citizens but also for celebrities and public officials.

In the majority of European countries, there are laws which restrict the publication of materials, articles, news and op-eds about Holocaust. Much of the journalists and academicians who publish materials which dispute the veracity of Holocaust get incarcerated immediately and have their respective media outlets banned or penalized with punitive measures. Isn’t this a violation of freedom of press and information on behalf of those who introduce themselves as the pioneers of freedom of speech?

CL: Interesting question. From the American point of view, the answer would be yes. But law is never abstract; it is always born of experience. The natural state of Europe for the last thousand years has been war, under Charlemagne, then Napoleon, then Hitler. The core purpose of the EU is to prevent future conflict, and in that system, and given the European experience with hate speech, it is hardly surprising that nation states from France to Austria would ban speech directed at certain minority populations. I get that. BUT, this does not explain the virulent anti-immigrant and racist speech you find all over Europe at any football game, for example, but also in public discourse. Sarkozy’s expulsion of the Roma last fall was the largest mass expulsion in Europe since the Holocaust, and yet it seemed to trouble few Europeans. The rise of anti-immigrant parties all over Europe is also a concern. So the problem the Europeans have, it seems to me, is that they have chosen to ban some hate speech directed at some minorities, but not all. I would say, however, that ALL free speech systems, including the United States’, are works in progress. The ideal of Europe regarding speech is contained in Article 10 of the EDHR, but it is far from realized.

What’s in your view, the main difference between the local newspapers and magazines, with the national/international media outlets? Aside from the extent and area of their coverage which varies from the local media to the national and international media, what are the major differences in the mechanisms of performance, distribution of facilities and approaches to the current affairs in these media?

CL: The main difference I think is economic and have to do with audiences. Local media are often hyper-local, since that’s what people want to know about — their own neighborhoods, not the goings on in Washington or Tehran. And people consume much more local than national media. Our national media run the gamut from very good (eg, the NYTimes) to very bad (FOX News), but the difference there is, to me, economic. Each of those two media serve a small but well-paying audience. That market is only so big, and at the local level it is often too small to sustain anything of quality.Read the full story here.

• Turkish religious head criticizes remarks blaming women for sex crimes.A professor’s controversial remarks on sex crimes have drawn strong criticism, including from the head of Turkey’s top religious body.Religious Affairs Director Professor Mehmet Görmez said Thursday criticisms and bans in Islam preventing women from exposing their sexuality cannot be used as an excuse for harassment or rape.His comments came after a professor from Konya’s Selçuk University Faculty of Theology claimed women wearing clothes that reveal their cleavage were provoking harassment.“Who is the focus of the problem? Women,” said Professor Orhan Çeker. “If you wear clothes that reveal your cleavage, it would not be a surprise for you to encounter such ugliness. It would not be reasonable for you to complain about the result after your provocation.”Görmez, speaking to reporters following a meeting with Chinese Islam Association Chairman Hilalunddin Chen Guangyan, said sexual harassment and rape were a crime committed against all humanity.Çeker’s remarks drew criticism from several female deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, as well as Higher Education Board, or YÖK, chair Professor Yusuf Ziya Özcan, who ordered an investigation into the comments.Selçuk University Rector Süleyman Okudan has ordered a probe into Çeker’s remarks, the Anatolia news agency reported Thursday.Zafer Üskül, head of Parliament's Human Rights Commission, said Çeker’s remarks were unacceptable and women were not the only target of rape and sexual harassment.“This is a sick mentality that perceives women as sex objects,” Üskül told Anatolia news agency.Emphasizing that Çeker’s comments violated women’s rights and human rights in general, Üskül said every kind of rape and harassment was a crime and no situation could make the victim responsible for a crime. Such comments are humiliating and they should be severely protested, he added.Hmmmmm......Perhaps he should look at the sexual harrasment numbers in countries where women wear the burka?Read the full story here.

• HT:TheAmericanDream.47 Statistics That Indicate That Economic Stress Points In 2011 Could Be Setting The Stage For A Global Economic Meltdown In 2012.Is the world approaching a devastating global economic meltdown? Right now there are a large number of factors that are creating economic stress points all over the globe. All of the crazy money printing that the Federal Reserve and other central banks have been doing is putting inflationary pressure on agricultural commodities, oil and precious metals. Massive floods, horrific droughts and extreme weather patterns all over the globe are ruining crops and creating food shortages. Some nations are now actually hoarding food, and in other nations rising prices have sparked food riots. The price of oil has been moving back towards $100 a barrel, and if it stays at a high level for an extended period of time that is going to have very serious consequences for the global economy. In addition, the growing sovereign debt crisis could erupt again at any time. Half a dozen nations in Europe are on the verge of insolvency, Japan's national debt is now well over 200 percent of GDP, and the global financial system is growing increasingly concerned about the exploding national debt of the United States. The truth is that the entire world financial system is a house of cards balanced on a razor's edge and it could come down at any time.Sadly, very little has changed since the world financial system experienced almost a complete meltdown back in 2008. Global financial markets are still a whirlpool of debt and speculation. One really bad week could put us right back where we were prior to the infamous Wall Street bailouts. Very little in our world is truly stable anymore. As we have seen recently in Egypt, the globe can literally change almost overnight. All it would take is for one really bad event to happen and world financial markets would instantly start imploding. So when will the coming economic collapse happen? Nobody knows for sure, but the fact that the global economy is increasingly becoming less stable as we approach the year 2012 is making a lot of people very nervous.The following are 47 statistics that indicate that economic stress points in 2011 could be setting the stage for a global economic meltdown in 2012....Hmmmm.....If it even takes that long?Read the full story here.

• And now for something completely different.'Holy dove' drives yeshiva wild. Jerusalem yeshiva students view new classmate as 'a sign from God'."It's a real wonder," one of the students at the haredi Kamenitz Yeshiva says about his new classmate – a white dove. "This holy bird just listens to full lessons." Several weeks ago, during a Torah lesson in the Jerusalem yeshiva, a white dove entered the house of study, sat on the window sill and flew out at the end of the lesson. The following days, the bird would arrive at the yeshiva and stand in the corner for the entire lesson – prompting the excited yeshiva students to view it as a sign from God. They created a "studying circle" around the bird and began reading Talmud verses and begging forgiveness from the soul which they believed "wandered" into the dove. Surprisingly, these actions did not help send the mysterious bird away. Rumors about the righteous bird became the talk of the day in Jerusalem, and students watching the dove with binoculars discovered that it would visit the rooftop of the nearby Vizhnitz yeshiva as well. The yeshiva students tried to test the bird once again and sealed all the entrances to the yeshiva, but it "miraculously" managed to get in and attend its regular class on time."A few days ago," haredi newspaper Bakehila reported, "one of the yeshiva students, who could not bear the great waste of time that could be spent on studying Torah, went over and kindly took (the bird) to his home, where he fed it." The yeshiva student even took the dove to a slaughterer, but it turned out that the magnificent bird does not meet the rules of kashrut and the yeshiva is now contemplating what to do with it.Read the full story here.