29 ноября группа протестующих иранских студентов ворвалась в посольство Великобритании в Тегеране. Они сорвали и сожгли флаг Соединенного Королевства, водрузив на его место флаг Ирана.
В ноябре произошло ухудшение британско-иранских отношений. Правительство Великобритании ввело дополнительные финансовые санкции в отношении Ирана, направленные на усиление давления на Тегеран. Поводом послужила публикация доклада МАГАТЭ по ядерной программе Ирана, которое заявило, что Тегеран до 2003 года вел работы, направленные на создание ядерного оружия.
The Arab Spring ousted the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, and finally Libya, while pushing Syria and Yemen to the brink of civil war. In Bahrain protesters were driven from the streets by a massive military force. Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid Ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa told RT that bringing democracy and the rule of law to the Gulf states was never going to be easy.
Italy has found itself in a severe economic crisis, with the country's debt reaching over two trillion euros. But at a time when Italians want to cut costs and create jobs, the government has another plan in the works, which critics say, is nothing more than 'economic suicide.'
This week Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, discuss Überdebten, financial eugenics and secret Fed loans. In the second half of the show, Max talks to Karl Denninger about MF Global, pepper spraying banksters and Occupy Wall Street.
Police in Los Angeles have cleared one of the last and longest-standing 'Occupy' camps in the U.S, making 300 arrests in the process. These latest arrests bring the total across the whole 'Occupy' movement to almost 5,000, but now police are starting to defect to the other side. Our correspondent Marina Portnaya has been finding out why some people have been choosing to make history instead of making arrests.
Egypt's Islamists claim they're leading the polls in the country's parliamentary election. The first poll of its kind in years there saw millions turn out to vote for their future, with results from the first round expected within hours. RT's Anissa Naouai is in Cairo.
Britain has ordered the closure of the Iranian embassy in London and the expulsion of its staff, after the UK decided to evacuate its own diplomats from the Islamic state's capital. Norway has also closed its embassy in Tehran, with Germany and France recalling their ambassadors from the country. The moves come after militant students stormed the UK compound in Tehran. Hundreds of hard-line protesters massed outside the buildings before pelting the gates and windows with petrol bombs, burning British flags and an embassy vehicle. The attack came after Iran decided to reduce diplomatic relations with the UK following its decision to impose further sanctions on Tehran. To get some analysis and opinion on the situation RT's joined by Middle East expert and journalist Sukant Chandan.
Watch the full Keiser Report E217 on Thursday. This week Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, discuss Überdebten, financial eugenics and secret Fed loans. In the second half of the show, Max talks to Karl Denninger about MF Global, pepper spraying banksters and Occupy Wall Street.
Pakistan has boycotted a key international meeting in Germany to discuss Afghanistan's future. The measure follows in response to a recent NATO air strike the death toll of which ranges from 24 to 28 depending on the source. RT discusses some of the implications of these developments with Ahmed Quraishi, President of the PakNationalists Forum.
Egypt witnessed unprecedented scenes as millions turned out to vote for their future. But Tahrir protesters who boycotted the polls remain skeptical. With doubts already over the influence a new parliament will have, they're sure the autocratic hand of the military will continue to rule the country. RT's Anissa Naouai reports.
Pakistan's military on Wednesday released footage showing what they said was the aftermath of the NATO airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The video shows what appear to be several damaged buildings in a mountainous area and a cloud of smoke rising. Differing versions of Saturday's incident have emerged, but all agree that 24 soldiers were killed in attacks on two posts by NATO aircraft. As a result of the attack, Pakistan has withdrawn from an international conference on stabilising Afghanistan due to be held in Germany.
More than 2 million participants put the public sector on hold in the UK, as unions stage a massive public sector strike. It is the largest of its kind in 30 years.
Last night, Los Angeles unleashed over 1,400 police officers to clear out the Occupy LA camp. The city decided to step on the first amendment right to the freedom of the press, and limited media access to the eviction. Only CNN had coverage and there was a grand total of that small pool of media outlets that would be allowed to cover the eviction including just three reporters, three photographers, four television outlets, and three radio outlets.
Is There Political Will to Save EU?
The Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Canada, and the Swiss National Bank have announced a coordinated effort to ensure liquidity for the global banking system. This essentially means that the Fed is going to make it much cheaper for European banks to borrow dollars. But most analysts would agree that increasing liquidity is only a short term fix for a much larger, institutional problem within the Eurozone. Firedoglake's David Dayen discusses.
US to Sneak Troops Back to Iraq
At the end of last month, President Obama made an official announcement that he has kept to his 2008 promise to Americans, and plans to bring home all troops from Iraq by the end of this year. After lots of back and forth, it seemed as if the US and Iraq had to come to an agreement to remove all troops except for 160, who would remain at the US embassy. But this week when Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister, there was talk of working on the next stage of the US-Iraq relationship. And apparently part of that next stage means bringing some troops back Iraq in 2012.
WH Orders Review of Counterterrorism Trainers
Wired's Danger Room is now reporting that the White House last month quietly ordered a widespread review of all counter-terrorism training materials. In a Pentagon memorandum, the White House National Security Staff called on Departments and Agencies to share their screening process for counter-terrorism trainers. Senators Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins have been questioning the qualifications of the trainers for a while. However, Representative Sue Myrick of North Carolina is one of the only members of Congress who opposes this review.
Homelessness 'Criminalized and Stigmatized'
Last night, Los Angeles joined other cities across the country that have evicted protesters from their occupy encampments. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stated after he learned there were children sometimes present at the camp, he worried something awful could happen. But while he's worried about that, what about the more than 13,000 homeless students in the city? Campaign for America's Future's Richard Eskow discusses.
You said it, I read it
Alyona takes the time to respond to some of her viewer comments. First is a comment referring to either the fact that the Fed loaned almost 8 trillion dollars to banks at below market rates without telling congress, and the those banks went on the make 13 billion off of them. Or that Hank Paulson sat down with some of his old buddies at Goldman Sachs and told them the US government was going to take them over weeks before the public had such knowledge. Next, is from a viewer who watched the interview with Marcy Wheeler on the amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill which would give the military control over the detention of suspected terrorists in the United States. Plus more from our viewers.
We'll take a look at a few financial bombshells that are being reported by Bloomberg. Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson warned Hedge Fund managers about the takeover of Fannie and Freddie and $7.7 trillion in secret loans by the Fed to the largest banks in the country earned them $13 billion. Then, the Senate is expected to vote tomorrow on the provision that would mandate military detention for terrorist suspects, American citizens included. Also new research shows that young voters care big time about their civil liberties and reject America's militaristic approach to foreign policy. So why are the candidates who uphold those views, like Ron Paul, treated like they're fringe? And then don't miss happy hour.
MSM: Cain Overload v. Drone Blackout
The mainstream media is going nuts over Herman Cain and his affair allegation. But you know what they should be focusing on instead? Take this piece from Wired's Danger Room, detailing how media access to drones and drone pilots at Creech Air Force base has essentially been shut down, blacked out. And of course, this major media blackout happens to be occurring at a time when the drone campaign that our country, the military, and the CIA are waging is the most heated it's ever been.
Banks Profit $13Bil off Secret Fed Loans
Bloomberg reported that the Federal Reserve had given out $7.7 trillion in loans to the nation's largest banks in secret through March of 2009, banks that at the time were publicly talking about their strength and solvency, and who ended up profiting $13 billion off these loans. As former US Congressman Alan Grayson had noted, is the fed supposed to pick winners and losers? Nomi Prins, author of "Black Tuesday" discusses.
Gov't Withholding Manning Evidence?
The pre-trial hearing for Bradley Manning is just seventeen days away, but his civilian defense lawyer, David Coombs is working hard to build their case. Coombs has made a court filing, calling on three federal reviews that conclude that Manning's leaks did not harm national security, and caused little if any damage to America's reputation and interests abroad. According to Wired, Coombs hopes to use the Defense Department report to prevent witnesses from labeling the leaks as potentially damaging, as that claim differs from what the reports say.
Detainee Provision: Martial Law v. Exec Power
The Senate has begun deliberations on the National Defense Authorization Act, which would authorize $682 billion for military personnel, weapons systems, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and national security programs in the energy department. But the controversy is the provision that would put detention of terrorist suspects in the military's hands, including allowing for the indefinite detention of American citizens, and mandating it for non-citizens. Marcy Wheeler blogger at Emptywheel.net discusses.
*Correction- Empty Wheel blog is no longer part of Firedoglake. It can be found here. http://www.emptywheel.net/
Show & Tell: Do Taxes Affect Quality of Life?
Last time we told you about the Republican claim that higher taxes would lower living standards in the US and asked if the US standard of living would increase if taxes were raised on Americans? Find out what people are saying. Now, we spoke about a Bloomberg report which detailed $7.7 trillion in secret loans that the Fed doled out to the banks through March of '09, which they turned around and made a cool 13 billion off of. So what do you think, would Dodd-Frank have been stronger if Congress would have known the truth then about the size of the Federal Reserve's loans to US banks?
FTC's Toothless Settlement with Facebook
Today the FTC and Facebook finally reached a long awaited settlement on the social networks very dubious privacy practices. As part of settlement Facebook will now be required to get users consent before they make changes to their privacy settings, and must submit themselves to a privacy audits for the next 20 years. They'll also be forced to block users from accessing accounts that have been deleted after 30 days.
Ron Paul: The Millennial Candidate?
As we watch the countdown to the next presidential election we'll take a look at how young voters feel. A November Pew Research report shows that millennials take a starkly different position than older generations when it comes to the tradeoff between civil liberties and security from terrorism. We'll take a look at this and ask, the Independent Women's Forum's Nicole Neily, when will our politicians catch up, to what young people want for the future?
Tool Time: Rick Scott 'Cares' About the Homeless!
Florida governor Rick Scott while serving Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless shelter in East Naples said "I care completely about all these programs." But he sure has a funny way of showing it. Remember those epic budget cuts that killed the state's education program? It also completely destroyed the $7 million funding designed to help homeless families find new homes, housing initiatives, and preventative measures to fight homelessness.
Economist and author of "Capitalism Hits the Fan", Richard Wolff provides an In-depth perspective of the financial meltdown in Europe and its negative effects for the U.S. economy.
Hartmann: The Euro crisis... are we as badly f***ked as it looks?
Professor Richard Wolff, New School University NYC joins Thom Hartmann. The Eurozone is creeping closer and closer to spiraling into an economic abyss. And the biggest economy in Europe has MAJOR reservations about riding in on a white horse to save the day.
Hartmann: Democrats & Republicans ONLY agree on subverting the Constitution
The Senate is set to pass a controversial piece of legislation that will forever change the America as we know it. It looks like the ONLY thing Democrats and Republicans on the Hill can agree on is ways to subvert the Constitution. If there is still any doubt left on whether or not our nation is rapidly turning into a police state - the Senate plans to squash it in the next few days. This week - the Senate plans to give the President more powers to detain people without any charges or trial. A vote is expected this week on the Defense Authorization bill - that includes a provision allowing the military to capture civilians anywhere in the world - including U.S. citizens right here at home - and detain them indefinitely if they're suspected of being a terrorist. As in, if somebody in the Administration decides you're affiliated with Al Queda - for whatever reason, something you said, maybe? - then they can arrest you and keep you in prison for the rest of your life without you ever seeing a lawyer, judge, or jury. Until the day you die. And the bill - and that provision - are expected to pass - despite the fact that the President hinted that he may veto it. Today - one Senator - Mark Udall from Colorado - attempted to strip out the global battlefield, indefinite detention provision - but his amendment was defeated. So here we are now...on the road to torching our Constitution...
Hartmann: The man who invented pepper spray speaks out
Kamran Loghman, developer of pepper spray joins Thom Hartmann. Police around the country are resorting to increasingly violence tactics as they face off with Occupy Wall Street patriots - but the man who invented one of those tactics says that they are WAY out of line.
Hartmann: Are lies and sabotage the only hope for the WI GOP?
Chris Bowers, Daily Kos joins Thom Hartmann. Desperate times call for desperate measures! But are lies and sabotage really the only hope left for the GOP in Wisconsin as they try to battle efforts to recall Governor Scott Walker
The Good, The Bad, and the Very Very Spodogenously Ugly
The Good! Norm Stamper. As the former police chief in Seattle - Stamper has a perspective we should all listen to when it comes to the crackdown on Occupy Wall Street. The Bad! Steve Doocy. GOP TV's Fox and Friends was at again this morning - rejoicing over Congressman Barney Frank's decision to retire next year. And Doocy did a little rewriting of history too - trying to pin the blame of the 2008 financial meltdown on...you guessed it...Barney Frank..And the very, very ugly...The Scottsdale Gun Club. What better way to get in the Christmas spirit than to let children pose for pictures with Santa Claus...and assault rifles!
Hartmann: with Frosty gone - Bill O'Reilly's War on Christmas has Begun
Thom Hartmann's crazy alert.
Hartmann: Money is free speech...how about tents?
So why is it - going off the decision by the high court in Buckley versus Valeo - that when political expression is given the "broadest possible protection" - money is protected, but tents are not? And why is it - when recogning the CREATIVE dynamic of free expression - that again - money is protected, but tents are not? I think the answer is fairly obvious - corporations have a lot of money...and not a lot of tents. The ironic thing is - Occupy Wall Street is demonstrating - in large part - against these two court cases - against the idea that money is speech. So in essence - rulings that big green pieces of fabrics are NOT a form of free speech is just fine...just as long as the court is consistent and rules that the little green pieces of fabric are not speech either. But until that happens - until the court treats all fabric in the same way - then Occupy Wall Street needs to keep camping out. And my tip to the movement is simple - start building your tents out of stitched-together dollar bills
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