Monster tornado slams Oklahoma

Updates:

Red Cross "Safe And Well" Site

37 killed by tornado

Now sadly up to 51

Latest developments



Tornado in Moore, Oklahoma

This link is giving live updates.

Oklahoma Tornado Damage Updates

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Weather Underground-Tornado Oklahoma City

MOORE, Okla. – A monstrous tornado as much as a mile wide with winds up to 200 mph roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school

. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths, but the storm laid waste to scores of buildings in Moore, south of the city. Block after block of the community lay in ruins, with heaps of debris piled up where homes used to be. Cars and trucks were left crumpled on the roadside.

(MORE: The Latest | Track Severe Weather)

The National Weather Service issued an initial finding that the tornado was an EF-4 on the enhanced Fujita scale, the second most-powerful type of twister.

Volunteers and first responders were searching through debris looking for survivors. Television footage showed first-responders picking through rubble and twisted metal.

Oklahoma City Police Capt. Dexter Nelson said downed power lines and open gas lines posed a risk in the aftermath of the system.

The storm seemed to blow neighborhoods apart instantly, scattering shards of wood and pieces of insulation across the scarred landscape.

The same suburb was hit hard by a tornado in 1999. That storm had the highest winds ever recorded near the earth's surface.

Elementary Schools Hit By Tornado

This is devastating, sad and heartbreaking. Keeping up on any news regarding children in these schools.

Photos of devastation

Tell me again how global warming is not increasing the intensity of these tornadoes and storms.

"Channel 4's program on the May 3rd tornado. The F5 tornado killed 44 people in Moore, Oklahoma. There's an amazing footage showing how the tornado is formed by several funnels merging as one (0:46). This tornado produced the strongest wind speeds ever recorded on Earth, 318 mph."

Current Tv is gone gone gone

Will miss its vision. More on that later.

Well actually, the "Community" section is gone... The site is still there... Current TV

March Against Monsanto Beginning Of The End For Monsanto

March Against Monsanto Beginning Of The End For Monsanto

The grassroots March Against Monsanto movement is spreading across the nation, and the initiative spells out an increasingly massive number of activists and concerned citizens who will ultimately be responsible for ending the GMO juggernaut through peaceful protest and the spread of information.

It really comes down to the basic understanding that what we want is real food — not chemical-laden junk that is riddled with genetically modified organisms. And of course Monsanto is responsible for the majority of such junk, holding a monopoly over the GM seed market with 90% of staple crop seeds under Monsanto control. Seeds that are sold to ignorant farmers who oftentimes end up killing themselves after they find that the seeds produce decreased yields and milk the farmers financially dry through the enforceable patents that come along with the seeds. Patents that Monsanto goons carefully enforce, preying upon small farmers through devious lawsuits and farm stakeouts.

Even organic and natural farmers are subject to such legal attacks, since it’s possible for the patented seeds (which India calls biopiracy) to blow over to such farms and begin to grow. This is also how widespread GMO contamination begins, to which the USDA simply responds ‘get insurance’. We can even go back decades to find that Monsanto was integral in the creation of the infamous Agent Orange, a Vietnam-era chemical warfare weapon which estimates say killed or maimed around 400,000 people and caused a startling 500,000 birth defects.

But the days where this information could hide as footnotes within the media are over.

End of excerpt

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I have my flyer ready and will be handing them out around my town on May 25th. This is something we can all do. Knowledge is power. We WILL take our food system, our health and our environment back.

This is also not a partisan issue.The Monsanto Protection Act was written by "Republican" Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri and Monsanto officials and very quietly became the law with a "Democratic" president's signature after the approval of a Democrat-led Senate. Monsanto has been in the pockets of both parties for decades and it is time to stand up to all of it. Some things are simply more important than divisive partisan grousing... like our lives, our biodiversity, our health, our children...



March Against Monsanto

TIME TO MARCH.



Are you in?

Billion Year Old Water Could Hide Clues To Life On Earth And Mars

Billion Year Old Water Could Hide Clues To Life On Earth And Mars

A UK-Canadian team of scientists has discovered ancient pockets of water, which have been isolated deep underground for billions of years and contain abundant chemicals known to support life.

This water could be some of the oldest on the planet and may even contain life. Not just that, but the similarity between the rocks that trapped it and those on Mars raises the hope that comparable life-sustaining water could lie buried beneath the Red Planet's surface.

The findings, published in Nature today, may force us to rethink which parts of our planet are fit for life, and could reveal clues about how microbes evolve in isolation.

Researchers from the universities of Manchester, Lancaster, Toronto and McMaster analysed water pouring out of boreholes from a mine 2.4 kilometres beneath Ontario, Canada.

They found that the water is rich in dissolved gases like hydrogen, methane and different forms -- called isotopes -- of noble gases such as helium, neon, argon and xenon. Indeed, there is as much hydrogen in the water as around hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean, many of which teem with microscopic life.

The hydrogen and methane come from the interaction between the rock and water, as well as natural radioactive elements in the rock reacting with the water. These gases could provide energy for microbes that may not have been exposed to the sun for billions of years.

The crystalline rocks surrounding the water are thought to be around 2.7 billion years old. But no-one thought the water could be the same age, until now.

Using ground-breaking techniques developed at the University of Manchester, the researchers show that the fluid is at least 1.5 billion years old, but could be significantly older.

NERC-funded Professor Chris Ballentine of the University of Manchester, co-author of the study, and project director, says:

'We've found an interconnected fluid system in the deep Canadian crystalline basement that is billions of years old, and capable of supporting life. Our finding is of huge interest to researchers who want to understand how microbes evolve in isolation, and is central to the whole question of the origin of life, the sustainability of life, and life in extreme environments and on other planets.'

Before this finding, the only water of this age was found trapped in tiny bubbles in rock and is incapable of supporting life. But the water found in the Canadian mine pours from the rock at a rate of nearly two litres per minute. It has similar characteristics to far younger water flowing from a mine 2.8 kilometres below ground in South Africa that was previously found to support microbes.

Ballentine and his colleagues don't yet know if the underground system in Canada sustains life, but Dr Greg Holland of Lancaster University, lead author of the study says:

'Our Canadian colleagues are trying to find out if the water contains life right now. What we can be sure of is that we have identified a way in which planets can create and preserve an environment friendly to microbial life for billions of years. This is regardless of how inhospitable the surface might be, opening up the possibility of similar environments in the subsurface of Mars.'

end of excerpt.

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This is an incredible find. The liquid that built all life on Earth discovered which can answer so many questions about where we came from. I posted here previously about the origins of life on Earth in regards to water:

Where Did Earth's Water Originate?

I also covered the environmental and ethical issues involved in drilling in Lake Vostok:

Lake Vostok

I have the same concerns regarding this find. I have seen pictures of those who discovered this not using gloves or other protective gear. They say this water may well support life, yet we do not know exactly what life that may be. Is it composed of microbes not yet familiar to Earth? There are precautions that need to be taken in the handling of this water. There is much knowledge contained in its molecules that could potentially answer age old questions about how this planet came to be and with it, us.

I also have concerns about us being the invasive species in cases like this. We always start out with the best of intentions and wind up commercializing the find or destroying the pristine nature of it in our zeal to show we are the dominant species. I hope due diligence will be employed in handling this water and in the subsequent care of it... Unfortunately I wouldn't be surprised if fracking drills were heading there now.

Please, let us for once bask in the awesome nature of what has been discovered in the mindset that we are all part of a world much bigger than ourselves and respect that.

Young And Unemployed In America

One of the only members of Congress who truly cares about the American people.

We are failing this generation. My son is twenty something and couldn't even get financial aid to attend college because FAFSA told me we make too much money... I'm currently unemployed (even though you send out your resume and respond to ads with people not even responding because you are probably overqualified) as well with us having just enough to survive but we make too much money...It would seem those with the silver spoons in their mouths or those who are simply predisposed to a certain lifestyle can never understand the plight of the American worker at the mercy of the 1%.

This system is also set up for certain people only to get breaks and that is part of the problem as well as the corporatization of college in general where it is more about PROFIT than education. It is shameful what this country has come to as a whole. The American people need to stop "electing" bought and sold politicians on all sides of the aisle and start demanding that "by the people, for the people" be restated as the goal of this government.

It's why I did not vote status quo in 2008 or 2012 and will never do it again. For all the talk of both parties in DC we still see gridlock and people falling through the cracks of a society falling to pieces. BOTH Republicans and Democrats would rather spend their time sitting around pointing fingers at each other and trying to grandstand and one up the other side rather than facing the huge challenges we need to face, like unemployment, the economy, poverty, climate change... It is now costing us our standing in the world, our economy, our environment and the livelihoods and futures of many Americans who are being left behind. And yes, sure, Republicans are vindictive b@stards doing all in their power to weaken the worker even more... but they wouldn't get far if there were more people in Congress banding WITH Senator Sanders on these important issues, including the milquetoast president we have now who can't seem to commit to anything one way or the other.

It is time for the American people to start demanding better leadership not bought leadership. Not leadership based on "rock star status."

Again, it is so refreshing to have this blog to state that because to be totally honest I am sick to death of partisan lemmings on the Internet, in the media and elsewhere who praise Democrats and Republicans only based on their political affiliation. It has been what has led to the corruption and apathy we now see in government. Our founders warned us of that as well and this downward spiral will continue as long as we place our politics ahead of our principles.

Justice Department's Pursuit of AP Phone Records Is Both Extreme And Dangerous

Justice Department's Pursuit of AP Phone Records Is Both Extreme And Dangerous

By Glenn Greenwald /5/14/2013

Associated Press on Monday revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) "secretly obtained two months of telephone records of [its] reporters and editors," denouncing it as a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into the news gathering process. In a letter sent yesterday to Attorney General Eric Holder, AP's President, Gary Pruitt, detailed that the phone records cover more than 20 telephone lines used by AP journalists, including their homes, offices and cell phones. He said the phones for which the DOJ obtained records also include ones at the AP bureaus in New York City, Washington DC, Hartford, and at the House of Representatives.

Pruitt wrote that "we regard this action by the Department of Justice as a serious interference with AP's constitutional rights to gather and report the news." He added that while AP is "evaluating its options," he "urgently request[ed]" that the DOJ "immediately return to the AP the telephone toll records" obtained by the DOJ "and destroy all copies."

AP learned of the DOJ's acquisition of these records only after the fact, and thus had no opportunity to raise legal and constitutional objections nor attempt to negotiate to narrow the scope of the records to be sought. Pruitt's letter uses some inflammatory language as it is designed to advance the AP's case and to generate public anger, but that's entirely appropriate. The phone records reveal, at a minimum, all of the telephone numbers called by those AP journalists over the course of two months.

The ACLU last night condemned the DOJ's acts as "press intimidation" and said it constitutes "an unacceptable abuse of power." The Electronic Frontier Foundation denounced it as "a terrible blow against the freedom of the press and the ability of reporters to investigate and report the news." The New York Times' Editorial Page Editor Andy Rosenthal called the DOJ's actions "outrageous" while Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron said they were "shocking" and "disturbing." Even Democratic Sen. Pat Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said: "I am very troubled by these allegations and want to hear the government's explanation."

snip

The all-too-familiar axis that has enabled massive civil liberties assaults by the Obama administration -- blindly partisan progressive media outlets and particularly obsequious self-styled neutral journalists -- instantly sprung into action here and wasted no time jumping to the defense of the US government. TPM's Josh Marshall, while saying "there's still a very live question of whether this was a prudent action on the part of the DOJ," actually published an anonymous letter depicting the Obama DOJ as the victim here, saying AP "seeks to smear Justice" (in the annals of lowly journalistic behavior, printing anonymous emails defending the US government's surveillance actions and attacking targeted journalists is way down in the sewer, but that's the government-defending Josh Marshall in the Age of Obama).

Similarly: before most people had even learned of the story, Think Progress purported to explain "Why The Department Of Justice Is Going After The Associated Press' Records" and, of course, offered the most benign and generous interpretation possible: they only did it to find out who is responsible for an "unauthorized and dangerous disclosure of classified information," quoting CIA Director John Brennan (offering instant "explainers" for even the most dubious of Obama administration actions is its typical tactic).

Some progressives actually tried to blame Republicans for the Obama DOJ's conduct because the GOP largely voted against the codification of some added protections for journalists from DOJ record-gathering in a proposed "shield law". But Obama, who supported those protections when he was in the Senate, "reversed course" when he was president - that could easily be the motto of his presidency -- and it was his opposition that helped kill that bill.

Meanwhile, CNN's Wolf Blitzer, showing off the tough adversarial journalistic spirit for which he's so rightly celebrated, actually went on the air and said this:

"Although if you look it from the other side, if there was a serious leak about an al-Qaida operation or whatever, they're trying to find out who may be leaking this information to the news media, do they occasionally have the right to secretly monitor our phone calls?"

Can you imagine what it's like to be an Obama official and -- in the wake of these revelations -- sit back and watch one of the nation's most celebrated journalists instantly suggest that the perhaps the US government should be monitoring his phone calls with his sources? Or watch progressives who spent the Bush years shrieking and convulsing at every story of secret Bush surveillance actions instantly attempt to justify what you've done before you've even done so yourself? And can you imagine the personality attributes that cause someone to read a story about a massive intrusion into journalists' communications with their sources and have your first instinct be to attack the targeted journalists and defend the US government?

That is why this is permitted to happen. During the Bush years, there were several similar reports of DOJ acquisition of journalists' phone records: I'll wager anything that not a single progressive site or prominent Democrat ever defended any of that or offered neutral "explainers" to provide justifying rationale. And it's hard to express how lame the justifying rationale is. The Obama administration does not mind leaks of classified national security information; to the contrary, they love such leaks and are the most prolific exploiters of them. What they dislike are leaks that they don't approve and/or which don't glorify the president. Their unprecedented attacks on whistleblowers ensures that only the White House but nobody else can disclose classified information to the public, which is another way of saying that they seek to seize the ultimate propaganda model whereby the president -- and he alone -- controls the flow of information to the public. That's what their very selective and self-serving war on leaks achieves.

It is true, as Kevin Drum suggests, that the DOJ has been obtaining phone records for quite some time in this manner, and that the angry reactions to this story are accounted for by the fact that, in this case, the targets are establishment journalists rather than marginalized Muslims or dissident groups. But there are unique dangers from having the government intrude into journalists' communications with their sources, which is what happens when they obtain their phone records in such a sweeping manner. At this point, leaks from government sources are the primary way we learn about what the government does, and the more that process is targeted and the more those involved are intimidated, the less it will happen. That, of course, is the point.

Despite how stunning the breadth of this invasion is, none of it is really surprising. But it does underscore just how extreme of a climate of fear has been deliberately imposed by the Obama administration on the news gathering process. As the New Yorker's Jane Mayer told whistleblower advocate Jesselyn Radack last year:

"When our sources are prosecuted, the news-gathering process is criminalized, so it's incumbent upon all journalists to speak up."

What the Obama DOJ is doing in all of these cases is not just an attack on investigative journalists and their sources, though it is that. It is, first and foremost, an attack on you: specifically on your ability to know what government officials are doing in the dark.

end of excerpt.

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Seems everyday we see more proof of the corrupting power of politics. Thankfully, there are still journalists like Glenn Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill who cover these stories based on facts and principle and not partisanship. Just how many scandals is Holder involved in at this point? Imagine, they take the phone records of private citizens and let the real thieves and crooks, Wall Street Bankers get away with their economic terrorism with impunity.

Ocean Acidification Poised To Radically Affect Arctic

Update- 5/10/13: Per Scripps, for the first time in human civilization CO2 has reached 400PPM. A sad milestone for humanity. More so because we can control it and are choosing not to for a host of false choices. We have already sealed our fate in the present. We however, still have a chance to save our future. I am resigned to not lose hope in that. Though I have to admit that hope is waning. I hope all the people still playing partisan politics with this are happy. Go look in a mirror and point that damn finger at yourself.

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If it isn't enough to now see the Arctic's sea ice melting at an unprecedented pace thus changing the face of a beautiful ethereal segment of our planet as well as our climate balance we now see a new threat emerging with potential far reaching effects for marine life and other species that depend on the intricate yet simple ecosystems of the Arctic to survive. According to a new report released by AMAP (Arctic Monitoring And Assessment Program) Arctic marine waters are "experiencing widespread and rapid ocean acidification." The report also goes on to state "the primary driver of ocean acidification is uptake of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere by human activities."

Arctic Ocean Acidification Assessment -Key Findings

Ocean acidification results from the transformation of rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere converting into carbonic acid in the oceans. This lowers the PH balance of the water making it harder for shellfish to form their shells and can also impair fish reproduction and other functions. With sea ice in the Arctic also melting rapidly the cold water absorbs the CO2 more readily than warm water which makes the Arctic extremely vulnerable to the effects of acidification.

The AMAP report revealed that the average acidity of surface ocean waters worldwide was now about 30% higher than at the start of the industrial revolution. "Arctic marine waters are experiencing widespread and rapid ocean acidification." "Ocean acidification is likely to affect the abundance, productivity and distribution of marine species, but the magnitude and direction of change are uncertain."

The Arctic had record breaking sea ice loss in 2012 and has started the current melt season briskly, surpassing 2012 melt at this time in the melt season. It is important to monitor these changes as we have also already seen 400PPM of CO2 registered in the Arctic in 2012. There is also now 40% more CO2 in the atmosphere than before the industrial revolution began which is linked to the burning of fossil fuels as corroborated by 97% of climate scientists who publish peer reviewed papers.

These effects also are seen in calcification rates, changes in food supply, pace of organism growth and changes in the food chain. This also then effects the culture, traditions and socio economic status of the indigenous people who have lived there for centuries. The report lays out ten key findings:

1: Arctic marine waters are experiencing widespread and rapid ocean acidification:

2: The primary driver of ocean acidification is uptake of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere by human activities:

3: The Arctic ocean is especially vulnerable to ocean acidification:

4: Acidification is not uniform across the Arctic Ocean:

5. Arctic marine ecosystems are highly likely to undergo significant change due to ocean acidification:

6. Ocean acidification will have a direct and indirect effect on Arctic marine life:

7. Ocean acidification impacts must be assessed in the context of other changes happening in Arctic waters:

8. Ocean acidification is one of several factors that may contribute to alteration of fish species composition in the Arctic:

9. Ocean acidification may affect Arctic fisheries:

10. Ecosystem changes associated with ocean acidification may affect the livelihoods of Arctic peoples:





AMAP also put out this informative video on Arctic acidification:

The report also goes on to explain that while some sea grasses may actually do better with acidification, other species may not, especially smaller fish as well as effects on the food chain as we see migration of species and perhaps even extinction of others. It is clear that we are now seeing rapid earth changing events taking place in he Arctic that will be irreversible if we do not step up to the task before us.



We need to now see politicians regardless of party working to address this rather than taking advantage of it and citizens holding them responsible regardless of party. Partisanship on this will solve nothing. However, as reports have also stated, countries such as the U.S., Canada, Russia, Norway, et.al are already staking their claim to the precipitously melting Arctic in order to exploit the vast resources that lay beneath it. This is not a solution to the climate change, pollution and acidification that now threaten not only the food chain of this fragile beautiful top of our world but ourselves and the other species we share our world with. This too is about humanity.

This is also a moral imperative and they must respond. Anything less is nothing short of a betrayal to us and our planet.

See more on ocean acidification:

Water Is Life: Ocean Acidification

Deniers/skeptics/people/politicians in the employ of fossil fuel companies, etc. get all verklempt as well with articles like this because they cannot refute it. It shows them for what they are- accomplices in the destruction of this planet due to greed and selfishness. The truth must prevail to take our planet back from them.

Jeremy Scahill: Dirty Wars: Obama administration continues covert war

\ Matters not whether the president is a republican or a democrat. This shows we lost our soul as a nation a long time ago and this administration continuing it deserves to see the light of day. I want to see the excuses as to why Obama should not be held just a accountable as Bush SHOULD have been. But of course, the traitors in our government of both parties who covered for him and his criminal cabal are doing the same thing regarding Obama.

As an American, but even more importantly as a sentient human being I am outraged that this is being allowed to be downplayed by partisan hacks who are more about political standing and points than principle and truth. Our children will not see peace because of this. And I say, damn the Bush regime and the Obama administration for continuing this cycle of hate and putting Americans at risk as well. It is gratifying to see that there are still courageous journalists like Jeremy Scahill who put truth first. We are doing nothing but making more enemies and this illusion of a clean war is absolute B-S! And please spare me the "lesser of two evils" cop out. That is only something a partisan sheep says. Bush supporters said the same thing!

What has happened to the American people? Have so many become so desensitized to atrocities and lying and politically polarized that they would just dismiss this? As Jeremy Scahill states in other videos I will post here, you know damn well if McCain or Romney had been "elected" "progressives" would not be so accepting of this murder. And also conversely, you would not see opposition to other events that took place by conservatives because it isn't McCain or Romney in the office. And this is the crux of why we now are heading for a tipping point regarding our foreign policy. Blowback is something we are now going to have to deal with and in order for us to survive as a nation we have got to get beyond this my side is better than your side mentality because it is blinding us while innocent people continue to die!

Wake up lemmings!



"Do you really believe that?" Typical question from someone who doesn't understand human behavior. OF COURSE continuing to bomb, drone and use these countries for their resources is going to result at some point with blowback. For the life of me I can't understand why this conversation is so "off limits" or with those who state this based on logic and reason made to appear as if this is just some speculative fantasy. This is the REAL WORLD we live in. And again, our penchant to place worth on a human life based on where they live is not helping the situation.



Good interview.



Is it murder? It would be if it were your child.

__

Note: I am truly grateful to now have this blog to share my views. So many other venues are nothing but sounding boards for partisan rhetoric where principle is relegated to the backburner in lieu of a constant 24/7 mutual admiration society based on the letter after a politician's name. It is good to have a place where I can speak truth instead of having to walk on egg shells.

Russia, China Express Alarm After Israel Hits Syria

Russia, China Express Alarm After Israel Hits Syria

By Dan Williams and Khaled Yacoub Oweis

JERUSALEM/AMMAN (Reuters) - Russia and China expressed alarm on Monday over the regional repercussions of two Israeli air raids on Syria, while Israel played down strikes which its officials said targeted Iranian missiles bound for Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

Oil prices spiked above $105 a barrel, their highest in nearly a month, on Monday morning as the air strikes on Friday and Sunday prompted fears of a wider spillover of Syria's two-year-old civil war that could affect Middle East oil exports.

Israel, whose prime minister visited China on Monday in a sign of business-as-usual, sought to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday that the air strikes did not aim to weaken him and dismissed the prospects of an escalation.

"There are no winds of war," Yair Golan, the general commanding Israeli forces on the Syrian and Lebanese fronts, told reporters while out jogging with troops.

"Do you see tension? There is no tension. Do I look tense to you?" he said, according to the Maariv NRG news website.

The attacks hit targets manned by Assad's elite troops in the Barada River valley and Qasioun Mountain, residents, activists and opposition military sources said. They included a compound linked to Syria's chemical weapons program, air defenses and Republican Guards' facilities, the sources said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 42 soldiers were killed and 100 more were missing, while other opposition sources put the death toll at 300 soldiers.

Russia said it was concerned the chances of foreign military intervention in Syria were growing, suggesting its worry stemmed in part from media reports about the alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict that has killed 70,000 people.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said the reported air strikes "caused particular alarm".

"The further escalation of armed confrontation sharply increases the risk of creating new areas of tension, in addition to Syria, in Lebanon, and the destabilization of the so-far relatively calm atmosphere on the Lebanese-Israeli border."

Assad's government accused Israel of effectively helping al Qaeda Islamist "terrorists" and said the strikes "open the door to all possibilities". It said many civilians had died.



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As the proxy war between Israel and Iran continues... The Obama administration claims it had no warning of the airstrikes carried out by Israel. Believe that? How many more innocent people will have to die to appease all their hatred and blood lust? How many more generations? Are we as humans not yet tired of all this war and hate and destruction?

Syria and Sarin Gas: US Claims Have a Very Familiar Ring

Obama Unveils New "Red Line" For Syria's Chemical Weapons Danger

Now while I agree that no country should escape justice for using chemical weapons, the hypocrisy here is glaring. Where was the red line against George W. Bush using them in Fallujah? Obama didn't even call for his impeachment. Matter of fact, he just attended the opening of Bush's "lie"brary. Is it all becoming clearer to you now?

Syria and Sarin Gas: US Claims Have a Very Familiar Ring

Reports of the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons are part of a retold drama riddled with plot-holes



By Robert Fisk

A video image which, it is claimed, shows a victim of a sarin gas attack in Aleppo

April 28, 2013 "Information Clearing House" -"The Independent" - Is there any way of escaping the theatre of chemical weapons? First, Israeli "military intelligence" says that Bashar al-Assad's forces have used/have probably used/might have used/could use chemical weapons. Then Chuck Hagel, the US Defence Secretary, pops up in Israel to promise even more firepower for Israel's over-armed military – avoiding any mention of Israel's more than 200 nuclear warheads – and then imbibing all the Israeli "intelligence" on Syria's use/probable use/possible use of chemical weapons.

Then good ol' Chuck returns to Washington and tells the world that "this is serious business. We need all the facts." The White House tells Congress that US intelligence agencies, presumably the same as Israeli intelligence agencies since the two usually waffle in tandem, have "varying degrees of confidence" in the assessment. But Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee – she who managed to defend Israel's actions in 1996 after it massacred 105 civilians, mostly children, at Qana in Lebanon – announces of Syria that "it is clear that red lines have been crossed and action must be taken to prevent larger-scale use". And the oldest of current White House clichés – hitherto used exclusively on Iran's probable/possible development of nuclear weapons – is then deployed: "All options are on the table."

In any normal society the red lights would now be flashing, especially in the world's newsrooms. But no. We scribes remind the world that Obama said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a "game changer" – at least Americans admit it is a game – and our reports confirm what no one has actually confirmed. Chemical arms used. In two Canadian TV studios, I am approached by producers brandishing the same headline. I tell them that on air I shall trash the "evidence" – and suddenly the story is deleted from both programmes. Not because they don't want to use it – they will later – but because they don't want anyone suggesting it might be a load of old cobblers.

snip

Now we know that there have been three specific incidents in which sarin gas has supposedly been used in Syria: in Aleppo, where both sides accused each other (the hospital videos in fact came from Syrian state TV); in Homs, apparently on a very small scale; and in the outskirts of Damascus. And, although the White House appears to have missed this, three Syrian child refugees were brought to hospital in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli with deep and painful burns on their bodies.

But now for a few problems. Phosphorus shells can inflict deep burns, and perhaps cause birth defects. But the Americans do not suggest that the Syrian military might have used phosphorus (which is indeed a chemical); after all, American troops used the very same weapon in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, where there is indeed now an explosion of birth defects. I suppose our hatred of the Assad regime might better be reflected by horror at reports of the torture by Syrian secret policemen of the regime's detainees. But there's a problem here, too: only 10 years ago, the US was "renditioning" innocent men, including a Canadian citizen, to Damascus to be interrogated and tortured by the very same secret policemen. And if we mention Saddam's chemical weapons, there's another glitch: because the components of these vile weapons were manufactured by a factory in New Jersey and sent to Baghdad by the US.

That is not the story in our newsrooms, of course. Walk into a TV studio and they're all reading newspapers. Walk into a newspaper office and they're all watching television. It's osmotic. And the headlines are all the same: Syria uses chemical weapons. That's how the theatre works.

© independent.co.uk



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It is a crime in and of itself that we see this scenario playing out over and over again as now thousands more innocent civilians lose their lives in this international game of hegemony.

I posted this because Robert Fisk is a well established and respected journalist regarding Middle Eastern affairs and the US's place in them. I also posted this because it is dripping with hypocrisy regarding the accusations of chemical weapons being used as was represented by Mr. Fisk at the end of this article. This is the crux to me of why we are hated. How many times have our "leaders" made such accusations without proof while actually supporting rebels who were just as barbaric? And how do we know the real source of these attacks if they are indeed real? It was also disclosed that Obama stated Syria was coming close to the "red line" regarding chemical usage... What does that imply?

Killing thousands of civilians by conventional bombing is not a red line? One million plus displaced people is not a red line? Do leaders actually use this syntax to push on more attacks to give them a reason to become embroiled in the fray? The atrocities happening in Syria should not be subject to a "red line." But then, since once again this country is supporting the so-called "rebels" with taxpayer dollars which is most assuredly also supporting these atrocities on some scale it seems hollow to hear the same players talk about red lines and giving a damn.

This too is the crux of my frustration as an American. I can no longer trust what they say based on past history and the geopolitical circumstances of the area. Assad is not a model leader and yes, has this capability, but to once again hear the same refrain as we did regarding Iraq I can't help but wonder... Are Americans even more oblivious than I thought they were? Or is because it is Obama administration saying it that makes the difference?