(CNN) -- The hidden skeleton of a woman who had been
missing for 28 years came to light when a contractor cleaned out a
vacant home in the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York.
The gruesome find was
uncovered behind a 'false wall' in the basement of the home the woman
had shared with her late husband, police said.
Joann Nichols' remains
were found inside a large plastic bin, inside a plastic bag and wrapped
in a sheet, said Dr. Kari Reiber, the Dutchess County Medical Examiner.
"The body was
skeletonized and the hands were tied with rope. ... A large area of the
right side of the skull was also missing," Reiber said.
Sealing the body in the
plastic bin behind a false wall might have been enough to mask the smell
as the body decomposed, she said.
Members of the medical
examiner's office removed the body after it was found Friday and were
able to identify Nichols through dental records. An autopsy showed the
cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, according to Reiber.
Nichols, a 55-year-old
former first-grade teacher at Gayhead Elementary School in Hopewell
Junction New York, was reported missing on December 21, 1985, by her
husband, James Nichols.
Police said he called in
the report after his wife didn't show up for a hair appointment at a
beauty parlor earlier that day. The next day the couple's vehicle was
discovered in the parking lot of a shopping center in the town.
Police Chief Thomas Mauro
said an intensive investigation followed, but the woman was never
located. The case had remained open since 1985 and was reviewed annually
by police, he said.
James Nichols was found
dead in the home on December 27 after concerned neighbors called police
because they had not seen him in several days. He was 82 and died of
natural causes, police said.
Officers said they found the house filled with personal items, debris and garbage.
No one in Nichols'
family came forward to claim his body or take control of his estate, so
Dutchess County Commissioner of Finance Pamela Barrack was appointed as
temporary administrator, according to Barrack's attorney, Kelly Traver.
"We were only able to locate two family members of Mr. Nichols, but they were not able to claim his body," Traver said.
Nichols was buried by the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services in an unknown location, Traver said.
The Town of Poughkeepsie
Police Department said it has not closed the case and will continue to
examine the new forensic evidence.
"It's now safe to say James Nichols is a suspect in this case," said police Capt. Paul LeComte.
The Town of Poughkeepsie
surrounds the City of Poughkeepsie in southeastern New York State,
about 70 miles north of New York City.
(CNN) -- It was a sarcastic Facebook comment during
an argument about a video game. And, according to the father of
19-year-old Justin Carter, it was enough to land his son behind bars for
months, facing the possibility of years in prison.
Carter, who is currentlyon
suicide watch in Comal County Jail near San Antonio, Texas, has been
locked up since February. He faces a charge of making terroristic
threats, a felony that could theoretically bring a sentence of up to
eight years.
"He's very depressed. He's very scared and he's very concerned that he's not going to get out," Jack Carter, Justin's father, told CNN on Tuesday. "He's pretty much lost all hope."
In February, Justin, then
18, and a friend were arguing on Facebook with someone else over the
online video game "League of Legends."
"Someone had said something to the effect of 'Oh you're insane. You're crazy. You're messed up in the head,'" Jack Carter told CNN affiliate KVUE in Austin.
"To which he replied 'Oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head. I'm
going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still-beating
hearts.'"
According to court
documents, Justin wrote "I'm f---ed in the head alright. I think I'ma
(sic) shoot up a kindergarten and watch the blood of the innocent rain
down and eat the beating heart of one of them."
Jack Carter said his son followed the claim with "LOL" and "J/K" -- indicating that the comment wasn't serious.
But someone else --
Carter says a woman in Canada -- noticed the comment and reported it to
authorities. Coming two months after the deadly shootings at an
elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, the report wasn't taken
lightly. According to court documents, Carter lived less than a
half-mile from an elementary school in New Braunfels, Texas.
A search warrant was issued on February 13 and, a week later, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
"I thought it was a
joke," Jack Carter told CNN. "I couldn't believe the person that called
me. I kept telling them they have to be kidding. When I realized he
wasn't, I literally broke down crying."
A judge set bond for
Justin Carter at $500,000, meaning that 10% of that, or $50,000, would
have to be posted to get him out of jail while he awaits trial. His
lawyer, Donald H. Flanary III, says that's far more than his family can
afford.
"It's outrageous,"
Flanary, who is working the case for free, told CNN Tuesday. "I've
represented murderers and their bond was $150,000."
Flanary said he planned
to meet with Justin Carter Tuesday afternoon and ask a judge for the
bond to be reduced. He said police didn't find any weapons or other
items to suggest that Justin's comment was serious, but that, "in the
times we're living in, it was kind of a perfect storm."
"The law enforcement,
the sheriff's department, the district attorney's office -- nobody wants
to be the one that let him go," Flanary said. "They don't think about
the person or the crime or the lack of crime ... they don't want to take
responsibility for something happening in the future."
A spokeswoman for the
police department in Austin, where Justin was originally jailed,
referred a request for comment and arrest documents to neighboring New
Braunfels Police. A police department spokesman there did not
immediately respond to a similar request.
Meanwhile, people have come together online to support the jailed teen.
"Too many teenagers are
being arrested, jailed and having their lives forever altered because of
anti-terrorism laws and investigations that impede their 1st Amendment
right to freedom of speech," reads the petition.
Jack Carter says that, as a parent, he understands why authorities are so vigilant about threats of school violence.
"I definitely see the
need to investigate such claims. Absolutely," he said. "But at some
point during the investigation there has to be some common sense."
The former US national security adviser says the ongoing crisis in Syria has been orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and their western allies.
“In late 2011 there are outbreaks in Syria produced by a drought and abetted by two well-known autocracies in the Middle East: Qatar and Saudi Arabia,” Zbigniew Brzezinski said in an interview with The National Interest on June 24.
He added that US President Barack Obama also supported the unrest in Syria and suddenly announced that President Bashar al-Assad “has to go -- without, apparently, any real preparation for making that happen.”
“Then in the spring of 2012, the election year here, the CIA under General Petraeus, according to The New York Times of March 24th of this year, a very revealing article, mounts a large-scale effort to assist the Qataris and the Saudis and link them somehow with the Turks in that effort,” said Brzezinski, who was former White House national security adviser under Jimmy Carter and now a counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a senior research professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
Criticizing the Obama administration’s policies regarding Syria, he questioned, “Was this a strategic position? Why did we all of a sudden decide that Syria had to be destabilized and its government overthrown? Had it ever been explained to the American people? Then in the latter part of 2012, especially after the elections, the tide of conflict turns somewhat against the rebels. And it becomes clear that not all of those rebels are all that ‘democratic.’ And so the whole policy begins to be reconsidered.”
“I think these things need to be clarified so that one can have a more insightful understanding of what exactly US policy was aiming at,” Brzezinski added.
He also called on US officials to push much more urgently to draw in China, Russia and other regional powers to reach some kind of peaceful end to the Syrian crisis.
“I think if we tackle the issue alone with the Russians, which I think has to be done because they’re involved partially, and if we do it relying primarily on the former colonial powers in the region-France and Great Britain, who are really hated in the region-the chances of success are not as high as if we do engage in it, somehow, with China, India and Japan, which have a stake in a more stable Middle East,” Brzezinski said.
Brzezinski also warned again any US-led military intervention in Syria or arming the militants fighting government forces there.
“I’m afraid that we’re headed toward an ineffective American intervention, which is even worse. There are circumstances in which intervention is not the best but also not the worst of all outcomes. But what you are talking about means increasing our aid to the least effective of the forces opposing Assad. So at best, it’s simply damaging to our credibility. At worst, it hastens the victory of groups that are much more hostile to us than Assad ever was. I still do not understand why -- and that refers to my first answer -- why we concluded somewhere back in 2011 or 2012 -- an election year, incidentally that Assad should go.”
Foreign-sponsored militancy in Syria, which erupted in March 2011, has claimed the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.
the New York Times said in a recent report the CIA was cooperating with Turkey and a number of other regional governments to supply arms to militants fighting the government in Syria.
The report comes as the US has repeatedly voiced concern over weapons falling into the hands of al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups.
Al-Nusra Front was named a terrorist organization by Washington last December, even though it has been fighting with the US-backed so-called Free Syrian Army in its battle against Damascus.
Political Opinion By: Stewart Brennan World United News
The topic is Syria and the appearance of what is going on in the International community.
Let me get right to the point…if Vladimir Putin truly supported Syria, why did he say they did not deliver the S-300 missile defence system to Syria and would not do so until September 2013?
Russia clearly gave Israel the assurance that Syria did not have the weapons yet and since Syrian President Assad has taken the town of Qusayr and cut off the West’s gang of terrorists from running arms across the country we see Israel pushing via the USA for all the puppet dictatorships in the Middle East to join in on the destruction of Syria before they take delivery of this defensive system?
President Morsi of Egypt is the latest to support Israel…and there seems to be a panic about getting it done before the S-300 Missile Systems are delivered.
The appearance of the Syrian situation has Russia backing Syria but I think Putin is playing the role of the Bad Cop inside the International theatre and will give into US Zionist demands at the United Nations or simply do nothing when the west attacks Syria as we saw unfold in Libya in 2011 . I say this because Putin supports Israel and has done NOTHING to bring attention to the Israeli crimes throughout the region nor has the Russian government pushed for a War Crimes tribunal against Israeli thugs. Instead he backs Israel and Israel wants the destruction of all countries that oppose them especially Syria.
Talk is cheap, I want to see real action backing up words before I ever believe Putin again…sending a few old boats to the Mediterranean is not enough if they want to send a clear message…again, why did Putin tip off Israel unless he backs them unconditionally. Why does NATO and the surrounding Middle Eastern states support Israel and the terrorists that are destroying Syria?
Very soon, Egypt’s President Morsi will have to answer to his people especially after confirming he supports the Zionist destruction of Syria, just like Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia,& Qatar. All the Puppet States have exposed themselves by siding with the Zionist state of Israel which means they are in a frenzy to destroy Syria regardless of thediplomatic steps they appear to take or the Bull Shit they discuss at the United Nations.
Certainly the world is at a crossroads but I believe there is a serious miscalculation being made by most of the people that support the Syrian government right now in regards to the situation of the Syrian state, it’s allies, war, and the future…
UN Security Council & Economics
The 5 permanent members of the Security Council (France, Britain, Russia, China and the USA) are all controlled by the same banking system, and that system is now emerging through the BRICS with the future seat of global power held by the largest market, “China”.
The Western banking establishment controls the world's economic drive in almost every country through their CFR corporations and banks. The purpose of this Anglo-American group was to direct the business and economics of the world after World War I. However what it is leading to is a single global currency, and judging by the way they've handled things over the last 90 or so years their plan can only lead to a world of nightmares. The people in control of the World's economy are psychopaths and are determined to get their own way regardless of how they do it.
They do not take chances when it comes to getting their own way, and total control is their business plan. That is why they brought down the Western Economy in the first place and why they set up the new one that will take its place in China...they care not where they rule from, just as long as they rule.
Do you think they care about human life? Certainly none of the 5 permanent Security Council members do...if they did, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria would not be laying in ruins right now with millions killed and tens of millions displaced with no hope for their future. Make no mistake they are determined to destroy Syria even if it means starting a global war.
Miscalculations?
The point that most people are missing is the fact that those that control the issuance of money run the entire show in America and the other Western countries…and those that control the issuance of the money, the top at least, have moved to China and have corrupted their way to controlling the communist party through the benefits of making China an Industrialized nation. The banking elite have been setting China up as the most powerful country by design...and the endless wars on terror that they created serve two purposes; 1. Profit for their war industry corporations, and 2. Bankruptcy of the West...they need to bankrupt the western economy that is spearheaded by the USA in order to bring in what they have planned all along, a One world currency centered in the most militarily untouchable country on Earth, "China". Almost every CFR affiliated western company is in China. The CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) is a club that was designed to control the business and banking direction of the world after World War I. All the oldest money as well as the richest families on the planet have their majority positions and stock in those companies and banks.
The manufacturing segment of the CFR set-up shop in China and along with them went the technology. The energy segment of the CFR has been busy plugging China into the Oil it needs to maintain their manufacturing engine all over the World but it also serves their military purpose. Energy is everything to a working economy and a mobil military. OIL is also the Achilles heal of those who control the direction of the World because without energy there is no world order...
As for the financial segment, they’ve controlled the lions share of the global banking system and are poised to bring it down or change the wires if you will to another circuit so that they can continue their domination of economics and power. War punctuates this action…rest assured they will use China as they used the USA to obliterate all other militaries.
On a side note, Saudi Arabia is in terminal decline regarding their oil production. They are pumping a ratio of 40% water to extract the oil that is left in their cash cow Ghawar oil field…the last 3 letters of this oil fields name will be prophetic since the end of it will mean the end of an era and lead to war…but I digress. The largest oil reserves on the planet next to Saudi Arabia are in Canada’s Tar Sands where China has been given Cart Blanche to extract the oil…this was approved by the sale of “NEXEN” by Washington and London business and banking interests to the State owned Chinese company CNOOC. The roadblocks in Canada have been removed to give China complete access to the Tar Sand Oil and the Canadian government rolled back laws to give Chinese state run companies immunity from prosecution for any illegal or destructive business practice China might consider as their business Interest (This comes through the free trade agreement with China FIPA)…we all know how the power structure used the term “American Interests” and how they have affected the countries their interests are in so there will be no difference with China's Interests since the same power structure dictates the terms.
The fact that they plugged China into Canadian oil should sound the alarm bells in the Pentagon, however the pentagon didn’t even flinch when China was plugged into US controlled Iraq and Iraqi oil. China then significantly increased their oil contracts in Iraq after the US and NATO destroyed Libya…so this can only lead to one conclusion since the very idea of allowing China the energy it needs to destroy the western economies is being allowed to take place, “It was planned!”
We are at the end of the Anglo-American empirewhich means they will bring the last great war on the population of the Earth…one just has to open their eyes and look at all the moves taking place right now such as the Afghan pullout and the ramp up of military action in the countries surrounding Syria and Iran. For the most part, China’s military cards are hidden…whereas the US Military is in plain sight and spread out thinly all over the World.
If you want to find out about what is really going on in the World, the bottom line is to follow the money and the way in which business flows…and since 1971 all those roads were built towards China through the CFR…considering that these banking monsters control almost everything and play to win…the Syrian conflict is seen as the beginning of the endgame while it also exposes all the old financial systems dirty little secrets. Despotic nations such as Israel & Saudi Arabia know that when this economic monster changes circuits they wont be protected anymore…but neither will anyone else for that matter…
Salvation Rests with You!
The only real CHANCE we people have to stop these war mongering psychopaths is to rise up within our own countries and reclaim our economies back from them because no one or no country is coming to the rescue to save you. We need to radically change the game by standing up in protest in every country against the governing system and change the direction we are heading in.
Imagine what would happen if we Nationalized all private banks, Nationalized our countries natural resources and repealed all the laws that were made to protect corporations. I think we'd be well on our way to a better World. We need to take back the governing structure's in our countries because big money has infected ALL political parties, and these establishment puppets are all calling for war.
If we do not make these changes in each of our countries then global depopulation through war, famine and disease will come much sooner than you think. The worst scenario imaginable is being played out right now all over the world, in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa so don’t think it wont come here because the process of turning a free society into a police state has already begun in every western country.
Surviving this insane push for war, globalization, and tyranny will require sacrifice, action, and initiative through massive action on the streets. That is the price for freedom, no one will just give it to you. Massive Civil disobedience is the only way to bring these psychopaths to their knees. We must not back down to the thugs they hire disguised as riot police either so we must reach the lower ranks of the military to side with the people they swore an oath to protect.
Bring the economic system they stole from us to a standstill and reclaim it!
An awakened population must wage a global revolution but nowhere is it more important than in the USA, because the US Military and the CIA with their Corporate Armies are being used as instruments of total annihilation so if the American people can rise up take their country back from these psychopaths the beast will fall to its knees, and as the beast falls it’s control over everything will go with it. Otherwise, the current financial establishment will take us to World War III guaranteed and their champion is China…which is where Evelyn de Rothschild, the head of the World’s richest family and controller of global banking, gold and economics now lives.
Let’s not forget that the ruling establishment that the Rothschild family presides over also want a reset button on global population. Their method to achieving this is to take us to a major war, and War is the business that achieves all their goals…and it will be a global war.
Appearances
Right now, the appearance the establishment shows is that there are 2 fronts “ The BRICS plus South America” verses “The OECD, Israel and the Oil Kingdoms”. But if you look at who controls both sides and the moves being made in banking, corporate business and energy, you will find that all Roads lead to China and the banking house of Rothschild.
Wherever they start the war, be it in Syria or Iran, and China is drawn in, look out. China has all the technology needed to destroy the west in 24 hours. They have a highly sophisticated conventional military unrivalled anywhere on the planet…and with 600 million people that are military trained, they are not going to be defeated regardless of what you think. Imagine what occupation by a million to 2 million soldiers in every country by a victorious Chinese army would look like…they will claim, as their US proxy does now, that they are there to “Protect their Interests”.
We are at a crossroads and the people around the world need to wake up now or it will be too late. Stop your governments from waging war in Syria! Stop your governments from arming terrorists! Let's not let them lead us to another war because the next one will lead to global war and the worst nightmares imagination can cook up.
Sami Abuskhade: the Israeli discourse denies the very existence of the Naqba, but after decades of denial Palestinians are finally able to bring their history to light.
For the past week, the Guardian and Washington Post have been reporting on some extraordinary revelations about previously secret massive NSA surveillance programs that invade the privacy of both Americans and those abroad. On Sunday, the whistleblower and source to the stories about the PRISM surveillance program revealed himself as 29-year-old Edward Snowden. This is his story, in his own words.
-------------------------------- Update: June 11, 2013
Turkey has been protesting for over a week now, thousands have gathered in huge numbers in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Mugla, Antalya, and many other cities and towns.
According to initial media reports the protests were in reaction to a planned demolition of Gezi Park, a traditional gathering point for rallies and demonstrations, the park is also a popular tourist destination and Istanbul’s last green public space.
The number of protesters has only increased with each passing day and Istanbul’s Taksim Square has become the center of protests. What started as a peaceful sit-in protest soon turned violent when the police force; under direct orders from the government, started using violence to disperse the protesters. Amnesty International observers at the protests witnessed the use of water cannon and tear gas against peaceful protestors. Later in the week, two major trade union members with a huge strength of 600,000 went on a strike to express their support for the protesters facing police brutality.
Testimonies of protesters, lawyers, civil society observers and medical professionals at the scene and video evidence confirm the use of widespread brutal tactics employed by the police at demonstrations continuing across central Istanbul.
Reports suggest that thousands of protesters have been injured and at least three have succumbed to their injuries. According to a press release by Amnesty International on 3 June 2013, “The Turkish Medical Association has said that as many as 4,100 people injured during the police response to protests have been treated in hospitals across Istanbul over the past two days. Two of them had life threatening injuries and five remain in intensive care as a result of injuries sustained at demonstrations in the city.”
For what are the people protesting?
At the face value the protests look like a reaction to save the last green public space in Istanbul, however the causes are more than what meets the eye. According to reports in the Turkish media, the demolition of Gezi Park is to pave way for a Mega Shopping Mall and the Mayor of Turkey, Kadir Topbas from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is the owner of a retail chain that will have an important presence in the mall. Moreover, Erdogan’s son-in-law, Berat Albayrak is believed to have bagged the contract for the development of the mall. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is severely criticized for widespread cronyism and support for those who fund their electoral campaigns. The rising politician-businessman nexus in Turkey has eroded the people’s trust in the government.
Additionally, Ankara’s economy has witnessed a steep fall for the last two years. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Turkey's rate of economic growth slowed sharply to 2.2% in 2012, as weak domestic demand and spillover from the European debt crisis took its toll after two years of rapid expansion that rivaled China.”
Turkish economy’s meteoric fall has brought along with it the perils of inflation, unemployment and a troubled market. The very economy that was hailed for its pace of growth is now experiencing a downward slump, thanks to the spillover of the European debt crisis.
Suppression of journalists and rights activists
Another important factor that has resulted in widespread discontent is the blatant suppression of journalists, human rights activists and lawyers. Turkey tops the list of countries known for brutal suppression of freedom of press and is the first country in the world that has the largest number of journalists imprisoned.
Hundreds of Turkish journalists are languishing in jails and more than a thousand face charges of supporting terrorists and other unspecified charges. Any journalistic activity that criticizes the government, its policy, scandals, etc. is dealt with an iron fist. Several journalists had to leave their jobs or got fired because of pressure from the Turkish government. One of Turkey’s famous journalists, Ertugrul Mavioglu, once said: “You can write anything, but only under constant threats of unemployment, fines, arrest or worse.”
Erdogan’s mischief in Syria backfires
Erdogan’s lust for power and position has blinded him to atrocities towards his own people and the neighboring Syrians. Despite his claims of supporting the Syrians, his real intentions in Syria are not a secret anymore.
One of the biggest allies of the Western-led, Arab-funded and Israel-directed sabotage and regime change operation in Syria is the Erdogan-led Turkish government. Since the beginning of the bloody terrorist insurgency in Syria, the Turkish authorities have done their level best to support terrorism and sabotage across the border.
Ankara has taken the lead in providing training, logistical support and a safe transit way to the terrorists fighting against Damascus. Furthermore, Ankara has hosted numerous conferences in support of the so-called Syrian opposition groups. Naturally, the Turks are opposed to their government’s role in the merciless bloodshed across the border. According to opinion polls, “some 70.8 percent of respondents think the AKP’s policy on Syria is wrong.”
Erdogan’s policy towards Syria has backfired on him in the worst possible way; today he seems to be falling in the same grave that he’s been digging for Assad. He dreams of becoming the most powerful leader in the Middle East but given the current situations in Turkey it looks like he is soon going to fall off his bed very soon…
It may be too early to predict Erdogan’s fall, but a careful observation of the recent events in the Middle East makes one wonder whether Taksim Square will turn out to be another Tahrir Square.
I wish Erdogan and others like him learn from Egypt’s Mubarak, Yemen’s Saleh and Tunisia’s Zine Al-Abedine before they end up like Libya’s Gaddafi…
Israel has issued a veiled threat to Russia over its plan to sell S-300 air-defense missiles to Syria, implying that it is ready to use force to prevent the delivery of the missiles.
On Tuesday, Russia said that it would go ahead with the delivery of S-300 missiles to Syria, noting that the deal would help deter foreign intervention in the country.
Later in the day, Israeli Minister for Military Affairs Moshe Ya'alon commented on the plan, saying, "Clearly this move is a threat to us."
"At this stage I can't say there is an escalation. The shipments have not been sent on their way yet. And I hope that they will not be sent," he said. But "if God forbid they do reach Syria, we will know what to do."
The S-300 anti-aircraft system is designed to defend large industrial and administrative centers, army bases, and similar facilities and is capable of destroying ballistic missiles. The most recent modifications of the system can shoot down hostile missiles or aircraft up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) away.
Israel has repeatedly asked Russia to scrap the contract to sell Syria the truck-mounted S-300 missile system.
However, Russia has insisted that it will deliver the S-300 missile system to Syria.
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Russia to try to dissuade Moscow from delivering the S-300s to Syria.
In Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov insisted that Russia would not cancel the deal despite strong Western and Israeli opposition.
"We understand the concerns and signals sent to us from different capitals. We realize that many of our partners are concerned about the issue," Ryabkov said. "We have no reason to revise our stance."
"We believe that such steps to a large extent help restrain some hotheads considering a scenario to give an international dimension to this conflict," he added .
-------------------------------- Update: May 29th - 2013 - 4:45 PM
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Damascus is already in possession of the first batch of S-300 missile defense systems from Russia.
During an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Manar TV, President Assad also said that the second shipment of the Russian systems will be delivered to Syria soon.
He added that his country would respond to any Israeli aggression against his country.
The complete interview is expected to be aired later on Thursday.
Earlier on May 28, Moscow had said it would go ahead with the delivery of S-300 systems to Damascus, following which the Israeli regime hinted it would take action to prevent the delivery of the systems to Damascus.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem later reiterated that Damascus would give an “immediate” response to any act of aggression by Israel.
“Syria will not let any Israeli aggression go unanswered without retaliation. The retaliation will be the same size as the aggression, and the same type of weapons will be used,” the Syrian foreign minister stated.
In a separate development, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on May 29 that Moscow may reconsider its commitments to restrictions on the delivery of arms to the Syrian government, following a recent decision by the European Union to end an arms embargo on the militants in Syria.
Russia says that the shipment of the S-300 missile defense system is aimed at deterring foreign intervention in Syria.
Syria has been gripped by turmoil since March 2011 and the foreign-sponsored militancy has taken its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel. -------------------------------------
Update: 2013 May 31st
Russian missiles put Israel at risk: US, Germany
US Secretary of State John Kerry (R) and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
US Secretary of State John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle say Russia’s delivery of S-300 missiles to Syria will hamper efforts at planned peace talks in Geneva and put Israel at risk.
"It is not helpful to have the S-300 transferred to the region while we are trying to organize this peace [conference] and create peace," Kerry said at a joint news conference with his German counterpart in Washington on Friday.
"We ask them again not to upset the balance within the region with respect to Israel," he said. "The weaponry that is being provided Assad whether it is an old contract or not, has a profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region and it does put Israel at risk."
Westerwelle also said the Russian missiles would “endanger” the Geneva talks and put Israel’s security at risk.
The two top diplomats were referring to the joint US-Russian bid to hold an international conference on the crisis in Syria that will probably be held in mid-June in the Swiss city of Geneva.
Russia said on Tuesday that it would provide Syria with its S-300 air defense system in accordance with a previous contract. The announcement came a day after the European Union decided to end its arms embargo on Syria to lay the ground for arming militants against the Syrian government.
The warnings to Russia are made by two Western countries that provide the Israeli regime with the most advanced weaponry. In late April, Israel received its fifth Dolfin-class submarine, capable of launching missiles with nuclear warheads, from Germany.
The first two nuclear submarines were donated for free while the third was given at a 50-percent discount. Germany also paid for a third of the fourth and fifth submarines, according to International Defense News.
Berlin will also give another nuclear submarine to Israel in several years and will pay about 135 million euro of the total 600-million-euro cost of the submarine.
In March, President Barack Obama said the US would support Israel with military aid through 2017 and even beyond. This year’s agreement would increase the current aid from $2.4 to $3.1 billion every year.
Obama also said his team would work with the Congress about another $600 million over the next two years for the development of Israel’s Iron Dome missile system.
When attempting to analyse what is happening in the world, it is important to appreciate past economic, social and political processes that led us to where we are today. Understanding the tectonic plates of history that led certain countries towards fascism, communism or capitalist liberal democracy, for example, is essential (1) (2).
At the same time, however, it can become easy for us to push aside the individual as we focus on theoretical perspectives that refer to the ‘underlying logic of capitalism’ or some other notion that draws heavily on theory. It can get to the point where individual motive or intent (agency) is airbrushed from the narrative because human action is deemed to have been shaped by the dead weight of history or forces beyond our control.
While not wishing to understate the role that such constraints have on human action, I wish to draw attention to researcher Stefan Verstappen who provides valuable insight into how individual agency has shaped and continues to shape society (3).
While Machiavellianism has long been associated with politics and public conduct, Verstappen shifts focus somewhat by arguing that people with psychopathic personalities have for thousands of years tended to grasp power and impose their views and deeds on the rest of us. In order to get power, he concludes that people cheat, kill or lie their way to the top. Whether it has been due to the butchery or lies of royalty, religious leaders, politicians or corporate oligarchs, nice guys have tended to finish last.
What leads him to conclude this?
Psychopathyis a personality disorder identified by characteristics such as a lack of empathyand remorse, criminality, anti-social behaviour, egocentricity, superficial charm, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity and a parasitic lifestyle (4).
With that definition in mind, look around: the criminal, parasitic activities by bankers that have plunged millions into poverty; the destruction, war and death brought to countries in order that corporations profit by stealing resources; the dropping of atom bombs on innocent civilians in 1945 or the use of depleted uranium which again impacts innocent civilians; and the many other acts, from the use of death squads to false flag terror, that have brought untold misery to countless others just because powerholders wanted to hold onto power or to gain more power, or the wealthy wanted to hold onto their wealth or gain even more.
Based on these terrible deeds, it becomes easy to argue that the people ultimately responsible for them do not adhere to the same values as ordinary people. It may be even easier to conclude that it’s not the cream that rises to the top, but, in many cases, the scum.
Now such a scenario might seem awful enough, but the people who tend to control the world, the ones responsible for these acts, try to impose their warped world view and twisted values on everyone else. Hollywood films, commercials and political ideology are all engaged in forwarding the belief that it’s a dog eat dog world, war and violence abroad is necessary, competition and not cooperative is what counts, aggression and not passivity is the key to ‘success’ and that success equates with amassing huge amounts of personal wealth and lavish displays of conspicuous consumption.
“A person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.” - definition of a psychopath from Dictionary.com
Again, bearing this definition in mind too, the acts mentioned above are not those of properly functioning social beings that contribute to a sense of communality, altruism, love or morality; quite the opposite in fact.
Yet this is the type of stuff that is rammed down our throats as constituting normality every day. Whether it’s the ‘Big Brother’ TV show or ‘The Apprentice’ show, these values are promoted day and night. The ‘Big Brother’ winner is the one who can survive and outdo the competition in terms of the duplicity and backstabbing involved along the way. The winner of ‘The Apprentice’ must be more aggressive, more duplicitous, more devious and cunning and more willing to trample over everyone else. And the winner is judged as such by a multi-millionaire who himself was cunning and ruthless enough to have made it to the top of the pile and has amassed millions for his own personal benefit. These are the role models to be admired and emulated!
These are the measures of success, of sanity, of normality.
“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
Apprentice competitors are highly driven individuals: not driven by a need to help humanity, but by egocentricity and greed. And, ultimately, these are the values that many mainstream opinion leaders, senior politicians and their corporate masters hold dear.
These values of egocentricity, aggression, competitiveness, duplicity and greed are not confined to some TV show. There are part of a much more sinister process. They are inextricably linked to and underpin the actions that resulted in the killing of half a million children in Iraq for geo-political gain (5) and the sending in of military forces into the jungles of India to beat, rape and dispose of a nation’s poorest people because they stand in the way of profit and greed (6). From Congo and Libya to Syria and beyond, we witness the outcome of a terrifying mindset that is nurtured and encouraged throughout society.
Too many people have become “well adjusted to the values of a profoundly sick society,” whether residing in middle England, middle America or the gated communities of south Delhi or Mumbai. Humanity is being beaten down to be neurotic, vicious and to regard these traits as constituting normal, acceptable behaviour. Thanks to the media, this becomes engrained from an early age as comprising ‘common sense’, and those who question it are merely sneered at or ridiculed by a system that promotes a mass mindset immune to its own lies.
Whether this is all due to psychopathy, narcissism or ‘Machiavellian personalities’ is open to debate. Moreover, as implied at the outset, historical and sociological factors often compel usually decent people to act in terrible ways. The debate within academic sociology between structure and human agency is after all a very long one (7). Whatever the underlying reason, however, as a global community we are being force fed a diet of perverse values and destructive actions, all spuriously justified on the basis that ‘there is no alternative’ and ‘needs must’.
Corporate capitalism, consumerism, the new world order, a war on terror (or drugs or poverty, take your pick), neo-liberalism – call it what you will, but it’s all based on the filthy lie that those in control have wider humanity’s interests at heart. They don’t. By any means possible – war, murder, torture or propaganda, they seek to convince people otherwise. What price human life? None whatsoever for such people.
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About the author:
Originally from the northwest of England, Colin Todhunter has spent many years in India. He has written extensively for the Bangalore-based Deccan Herald, New Indian Express and Morning Star (Britain). His articles have also appeared in many other newspapers, journals and books. His East by Northwest site is at: http://colintodhunter.blogspot.com/
Notes
1) Robert Brenner (1976), “Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Pre-industrial Europe”.Past and Present 70
I’ve been struggling to make sense of the trends around me as everyday the world seemingly sinks a little deeper into the pits of hell. I believe this is because of the endless negative news and actions going on day in day out across the planet. But what gives this sense of despair sharp painful teeth is that I’ve also noticed that most everyone is cheering the Worlds direction toward complete destruction without thinking of moral responsibility, common sense, or empathy for life.
To a person like myself where these characteristics of common sense, empathy and respect are built within and are main pillars of my emotional and spiritual being, the sense and feelings that the future has taken a hopeless, directionless, and perilous path, is very depressing indeed. That is why this interview with Stefan Verstappen by James Corbett is considered by me to be very timely and inspirational. It in-stills a little hope to like minded souls by saying “you are not alone in your thinking” because truly, the establishment HAS gone insane and you are not the only one who has noticed.
Action / Reaction
I think it’s safe to say that most of us are guilty now and then of temporary insanity from our own vitriolic verbal reactions to injustice, even when our belief is for moral justice to prevail. This verbal reaction can be strong enough to be viewed by critics as being of the same behavioural characteristic as a psychopath’s…but in terms of being psychopathic, it really depends on action and intent rather than verbal reaction to injustice. IE: Being angry is a normal reaction to injustice so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Visual Influences
Verbal anger expressed by the individual is based on the never-ending violence and immoral actions committed by a psychopathic establishment. Anger is a symptom of this mental torture that is widely displayed through Mainstream Mediums and Alternative News. Most of us have been so saturated with negative acts, wrong doings, and the establishments self justification for corruption, that anger screams out in response calling for justice and also to say that we have had enough. The experience can be likened to the feelings of being on a mediaeval rack that has stretched us out as far is it can possibly go without breaking us, leaving us in constant pain...so screaming loudly is a reaction don’t you think?
Who could not be outraged by all the evil being committed by the establishment through state and economic terrorism, especially when it is done in your name? Those in control of society are most definitely psychopaths and those that echo their sentiments are guilty of feeding them to enable the negative actions that come as a result.
Screaming for justice and disassociation from these evil minded animals and their aspirations of total domination is all we have left as individuals in a world that has become infected by greed. All “we the people” really want is a World based in morality, common sense, and empathy where we can all live and thrive together without fear of the psychopath or its enabling followers…Peace is something that a psychopath is incapable of thinking or doing, so its time to rid ourselves of these animals and their system of governance.
Problem / Solution
The real enemy of mankind are the Psychopaths that run the planet. These animals are a cancer to society and that cancer has spread throughout the World to every nation. It’s time to stop feeding this cancer by not taking part in their system. Stop feeding these monsters with praise, stop building their moral by asking for jobs in their system of enslavement. De-fund them. Do not partake in debt slavery; start living outside of their system.
It’s time to create the World you want to live in even while the Psychopaths try to burn the World down around you. Keep your spirit free from their negative influences and create positive energy. Live your life in full empathy for others. Use common sense and moral judgement and give of yourself to others to start this reversal of trends. I guarantee that you will be the first person to feel the positive energy of your actions. Understand that everyone is on the same mediaeval torture rack as you are so shift your thinking by making someone on the rack next to you smile…start sharing the positive energy by giving to others without expectation…let go of your fears and stop feeding the greedy system. It’s time to evolve past the psychopaths and their system of control.
The US feigns disassociation with Hitlerian acts of Israeli aggression - as was planned since 2007.
Unprovoked, Israel has attacked Syria numerous times over the past 2 days, including attacks on the Syrian capital of Damascus, in what appears to be a series of intentional provocations designed to drag the region into a wider conflict its US sponsors can then enter militarily. Neither attacked directly by Syria, nor able to cite credible evidence in regards to perceived threats Israel claims to be reacting to, the assault on Syria represents a Chapter VII breach of the United Nations Charter.
What’s more is that while the US feigns disassociation with Israel’s breach of international peace, after jointly fueling a genocidal sectarian conflict within Syria’s borders for the past two years, it is documented fact that the US and Saudi Arabia planned to use Israel to conduct military attacks against Iran and Syria, they themselves could not justify politically, legally, or strategically.
What is now hoped is that Syria and Iran retaliate militarily, allowing the “other shoe to drop,” and for the US, UK, France, and their regional axis to directly intervene in Syria.
Insidious ploy engineered and documented in 2007-2009
As early as 2007, it was reported that a US-Saudi-Israeli conspiracy to overthrow the governments of Iran and Syria by arming sectarian terrorists, many linked directly to Al Qaeda, was already set in motion. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his 2007 New Yorker article “The Redirection” stated:
“To undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has cooperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran. The U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda.”
Of Israel and Saudi Arabia’s partnership it specifically stated:
“The policy shift has brought Saudi Arabia and Israel into a new strategic embrace, largely because both countries see Iran as an existential threat. They have been involved in direct talks, and the Saudis, who believe that greater stability in Israel and Palestine will give Iran less leverage in the region, have become more involved in Arab-Israeli negotiations.”
Additionally, Saudi Arabian officials mentioned the careful balancing act their nation must play in order to conceal its role in supporting US-Israeli ambitions across the region. It was stated even then that using Israel to publicly carry out attacks on Iran would be preferable to the US, which would ultimately implicate the Saudis. It was stated:
“The Saudi said that, in his country’s view, it was taking a political risk by joining the U.S. in challenging Iran: Bandar is already seen in the Arab world as being too close to the Bush Administration. ‘We have two nightmares,’ the former diplomat told me. ‘For Iran to acquire the bomb and for the United States to attack Iran. I’d rather the Israelis bomb the Iranians, so we can blame them. If America does it, we will be blamed.’”
This ploy was further developed in 2009 by the Fortune 500-funded (page 19) Brookings Institution in their document, “Which Path to Persia?” in regards to Iran, and now clearly being utilized against Syria, the gambit was described as follows:
“…it would be far more preferable if the United States could cite an Iranian provocation as justification for the airstrikes before launching them. Clearly, the more outrageous, the more deadly, and the more unprovoked the Iranian action, the better off the United States would be. Of course, it would be very difficult for the United States to goad Iran into such a provocation without the rest of the world recognizing this game, which would then undermine it. (One method that would have some possibility of success would be to ratchet up covert regime change efforts in the hope that Tehran would retaliate overtly, or even semi-overtly, which could then be portrayed as an unprovoked act of Iranian aggression.)” - page 84-85, Which Path to Persia?, Brookings Institution.
And:
“Israel appears to have done extensive planning and practice for such a strike already, and its aircraft are probably already based as close to Iran as possible. As such, Israel might be able to launch the strike in a matter of weeks or even days, depending on what weather and intelligence conditions it felt it needed. Moreover, since Israel would have much less of a need (or even interest) in securing regional support for the operation, Jerusalem probably would feel less motivated to wait for an Iranian provocation before attacking. In short, Israel could move very fast to implement this option if both Israeli and American leaders wanted it to happen.
However, as noted in the previous chapter, the airstrikes themselves are really just the start of this policy. Again, the Iranians would doubtless rebuild their nuclear sites. They would probably retaliate against Israel, and they might retaliate against the United States, too (which might create a pretext for American airstrikes or even an invasion).” - page 91, Which Path to Persia?, Brookings Institution.
And Israel not waiting for a plausible justification to attack Syria is exactly what has just happened. It should also be noted in particular, the last paragraph which gives insight into what the US-led axis plans to do after this egregious international crime - that is - to incrementally engulf the region into a conflict it finally can justify its own entry into open military aggression.
What should Syria and its allies do?
Syria, Iran, Russia and other nations that support the besieged nation most certainly were aware of the Brookings document Which Path to Persia? and familiar with this strategy. It would be hoped that anything of value that the Israelis would seek to attack in order to provoke a much desired retaliation and subsequent war, would have been provided additional protection, or moved entirely out of range of potential Israeli attacks.
A media campaign to illustrate the hypocritical and very revealing convergence between Al Qaeda (the so-called Free Syrian Army or FSA) and Israeli interests would undermine whatever remaining support the battered and failing Western-backed terror campaign inside Syria may still have.
Additionally, Israel’s selection by the US to carry out this attack was done specifically because Israel has long ago exhausted its international legitimacy. What it is doing in Syria is a blatant international crime, in direct violation of international law. Currently, Syria and its allies hold the moral high ground against an enemy who is no longer fooling the world. If it is calculated that Syria can survive Israel’s unprovoked brutality, it would be best to do little or nothing, and incur internationally the same outrage that accompanies Israel’s brutality against the Palestinians.
In light of the US using Israel as its proxy against Syria, should Syria and its allies retaliate, it would be best to do so through any proxies they themselves have at their disposal. Just as Hezbollah and the Palestinians now routinely defeat Israel both strategically and politically, Syria now faces an opportunity to do so again, only on a much bigger scale.
The outrageous actions of Israel, the despicable double-game the US attempts to play by feigning disassociation with its regional beachhead in Tel Aviv, and the silent complicity of the UN, has people around the world desperately seeking retaliation from Syria, or Iran, or both. In reality, this is precisely what the West hopes to achieve - a wider conventional war in which they hold the advantage. By refusing to retaliate directly, Syria cripples the West politically, highlighting the unprovoked nature of their attacks on a nation they claim is a threat, yet fails to strike back even when its capital is under bombardment. By responding through its own plausibly deniable proxies, tactical and political pressure can be put on Israel to end its aggression.
It appears that the Western-backed terrorist front in Syria has been dealt a fatal blow and is in the process of complete collapse. The attack by Israel is a sign of desperation, seeking to expand a conflict that is about to end. Syria and its allies face difficult decisions and dangerous desperation in the coming days and weeks - with an axis of rogue states committing increasingly heinous atrocities in search of a response .
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About: Tony Cartalucci
Tony Cartalucci is a Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer. He has been published on many alternative media websites, including Alternative Thai News Network and LocalOrg. His writings deal with world events from a Southeast Asian perspective as well as promoting self-sufficiency as one of the keys to true freedom. His website is Land Destroyer Report - http://landdestroyer.blogspot.ca/
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