Obama's War on Free Expression

Obama's War on Free Expression

by Stephen Lendman

It's the most fundamental right. Without it all others are endangered. Obama's waging war to destroy it. He's done so throughout his tenure. 

He targeted AP. He did so unjustifiably. A previous article discussed it.

It was lawless intrusion. It intimidates journalists, potential whistleblowers, valued sources, and others. It warns them against challenging or disclosing information Washington wants kept secret. 

Obama's done it numerous times before. He's waging war on truth. He's targeted more whistleblowers than all previous administrations combined. Bradley Manning and Julian Assange are best known. Others faced similar abuse. 

Fox News reporter James Rosen is another target. Headlines just revealed it. Since around 2010, his phone records were monitored. They were obtained for a defined period. His emails were read. His personal movements were tracked.

At issue are fundamental constitutional rights. They've been eroding for years. Obama's waging war to destroy them altogether.

Candidate Obama called whistleblowing "acts of courage and patriotism." His official document for change headlined "The Change We Need in Washington." 

It discussed promises to do so. He systematically spurned them. He did so across the board. He pledged whistleblower protection, saying:

"Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out."

"Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often taxpayers dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled as they have been during the Bush administration."

"We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance."

"Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government." 

"Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process."

He implied protection and encouragement for America's fourth estate. He's targeted them and government whistleblowers ruthlessly. He exploits secrecy and other repressive laws doing so.

He claims a national security priority. America's kept safe, he stresses. It's never been closer to full-blown tyranny. He's advancing it for our own good, he implies. 

He's manipulating public sentiment to concur. Sacrificing freedom for security assures losing both.

So-called free flow of information or shield laws protect journalists. If properly drafted, they're freed from disclosing confidential sources and documents. Doing so assures they and informants won't be silenced. 

It protects them from threat of prosecution. It forces Washington to prove a compelling need. It requires evidence outweighing journalists' nondisclosure/confidentiality rights. 

Numerous US states provide these protections. No federal law exists. In 2007, Free Flow of Information Act legislation passed the House. 

In 2008, it failed in the Senate. Its version fell short of full immunity. It permitted federal judges to declare some confidentially obtained information subject to disclosure. Bush administration officials felt not enough. They opposed the measure.

In 2009, proposed Shield Act legislation failed to pass. Obama opposed protecting reporters from imprisonment and/or fines for refusing to disclose confidential sources leaking alleged national security information.

Initial legislation weighed "the public interest in gathering news and maintaining the free flow of information" against national security considerations.

Obama proposed sweeping revisions. He wants press freedom compromised. In 2011, House and Senate Shield Law versions were introduced. They targeted free expression and whistleblowers. Both died in committee.

Attorney General Eric Holder supported harsh Shield Law provisions, saying:

"To the extent there are gaps in the laws, we will move to close those gaps. The Shield Act will help close these holes in the law."

At the time, Congressional Research Service (CRS) legislative attorney Jennifer Elsea said:

Espionage Act provisions apply "to the receipt and unauthorized dissemination of national defense information, which has been interpreted broadly to cover closely held government materials related to US military operations, facilities and personnel." 

"It has been interpreted to cover the activities of foreign nationals overseas...."

"The Supreme Court has stated....that the question remains open whether the publication of unlawfully obtained information by the media can be punished consistent with the First Amendment." 

"Thus, although unlawful acquisition of information might be subject to criminal prosecution with few First Amendment implications, the publication of that information remains protected." 

"Whether the publication of national security information can be punished likely turns on the value of the information to the public weighed against the likelihood of identifiable harm to the national security, arguably a more difficult case for prosecutors to make."

CRS called prosecuting WikiLeaks unprecedented and challenging. It's so legally and politically.

"We are aware of no case in which a publisher of information obtained through unauthorized disclosure by a government employee has been prosecuted for publishing it," she added. 

At issue are First Amendment rights and "concerns about government censor(ing)" information the public has a right to know.

In 2011, House and Senate Shield Act versions targeted whistleblowers. They amended the 1917 Espionage Act. 

They criminalized free speech. They compromised the public's right to know how their elected officials govern. Suppressing truth is the first step toward tyranny. America's on a fast track toward it.

In December 2010, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said:

"The debate about the wisdom of releasing secret government documents has turned into a massive attack on the right of intermediaries to publish truthful information. Suddenly, WikiLeaks has become the Internet's scapegoat...."

"Like it or not, WikiLeaks has become the emblem for one of the most important battles for our rights that is likely to come along in our lifetimes. We cannot sit this one out."

Earlier Shield Act legislation criminalized good journalism. It did so for knowingly and willfully publishing material on human intelligence activities conducted by America or other governments. 

Doing so responsibly is what investigative journalists do. It's their job. First Amendment rights protect them.

In Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969), the Supreme Court ruled government can't punish inflammatory speech unless directed to incite lawless action.

In Texas v. Johnson, Justice William Brennan wrote the majority opinion, saying:

"(I)f there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea offensive or disagreeable."

Former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said:

"Above all else, the First Amendment means that government has no power to restrict expression (regardless of its) ideas…subject matter (or) content."

"Our people are guaranteed the right to express any thought, free from government censorship."

Thomas Jefferson warned:

"What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance."

Free expression "cannot be limited without being lost." 

Governments often overstate secrecy needs. Except under clear and present danger circumstances, doing so's unjustifiable. 

Candidate Obama pledged openness and transparency. He repeatedly denounced Bush administration secrecy. He called it "one of the most secretive administrations in our nation's history."

"It's no coincidence (that it) favored special interests and pursued policies that could not stand up to the sunlight."

"As president," he vowed, "I'm going to change that. "The American people want to trust in our government again - we just need a government that will trust in us." 

"And making government accountable to the people isn't just a cause of this campaign - it's been a cause of my life for two decades."

Straightaway as president, a White House statement headlined "Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov," saying:

"President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history."

In 2010, he said:

"I will not stop fighting to open up government. (W)e have put in place the toughest transparency rules in history."

Throughout his tenure, his policies belied his rhetoric. He exceeded the worst of George Bush. He's obsessed with secrecy. According to ACLU staff attorney Alexander Abdo:

"We've seen a meteoric rise in the number of claims to protect secret law, the government's interpretations of laws or its understanding of its own authority." 

"In some ways, the Obama administration is actually even more aggressive on secrecy than the Bush administration."

He's gone out of his way to find new ways to do it. He's waging war on free expression and other constitutional rights. He seeks legislative cover to disguise it.

On May 15, The New York Times headlined "Criticized on Seizure of Records, White House Pushes News Media Shield Law," saying:

"Under fire over" AP spying, he sought "to revive legislation that would provide greater protections to reporters in keeping their sources and communications confidential."

His way of doing it falls woefully short of what's needs. He wants full immunity avoided. He wants federal judges able to declare some confidentially obtained information subject to disclosure. 

He opposes protecting reporters from imprisonment and/or fines for refusing to disclose confidential sources providing alleged national security information.

He's waging war on press freedom. He's done so throughout his tenure. He wants Shield Law cover for easier enforcement. 

Perhaps he'll get it this time around. Enactment will further erode free expression. It's on the chopping block for elimination. 

Alleged national security concerns don't wash. They're cover to destroy what's too precious to lose. 

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/obamas-war-on-free-expression/

Israel Heads Closer to War on Syria

Israel Heads Closer to War on Syria

by Stephen Lendman

Syria is Washington's war. It was planned years ago. It began in early 2011. No end of conflict looks near. Escalating it appears likely.

Israel's very much involved. It abhors peace and stability. Its history reflects belligerence. It’s a direct threat. It borders Syria. 

Both countries are longstanding imperial partners. The Israeli Lobby plays a key role. So do major media soundrels. More on Israel below.

Orwell once said "(w)ho controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." 

Saving the future requires understanding both past and present. Preventing imperial annihilation depends on it.

So-called "rebel" forces are no match against Syria's military superiority. Al-Qusayr is a strategic western Syrian city. It's about 18 miles southwest of Homs. 

It's located on Lebanon's border. It links Damascus with government controlled Mediterranean coastal areas. 

It's a key smuggling route. Insurgents, weapons, munitions and supplies pass cross-border into Syria. Stopping them is strategically important.

Fighting for control continues. On May 21, Press TV said Syrian forces control over 70% of the city. According to a Syrian source:

"We managed to enter the city from several directions. We encountered heavy resistance but we overpowered them and seized control of these places and we will pursue them and eliminate them wherever they go."

According to Voice of Russia, Syria captured the city. Russia's Rossia-24 TV reported it. Insurgents controlled the city throughout the conflict. No longer.

Capturing Al-Qusayr prevents supplying insurgents from key parts of Lebanon.

Voice of Russia and Rossia-24 reported "mopping-up operations" around Aleppo.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), "Army units restored stability and security to the full eastern area of (Al-Qusayr) in Homs Countryside after killing big numbers of terrorists and destroying their hideouts." 

"A military source added that army units dismantled a number of explosive devices, planted by terrorists in al-Souk area in the middle of the city."

"The source added that army units are continuing hunting the remnants of terrorists in some hideouts in the northern and southern areas of the city."

Insurgents suffered heavy losses. Leadership elements were killed or captured. "Tens of terrorist" surrendered. Others were arrested.

SANA said insurgents were routed in several provinces.

Local journalist Abdallah Mawazini told Russia Today that Syria's army "managed to make a full circle around the city, fighting the opposition fighters. The main achievement is to stop the line of supply chain between Lebanon and Syria."

"They started from the western side of the city, in the rural areas. They control this zone with some fighters from Lebanon." 

"Some extremist groups were preparing to go into Syria to fight with the rebels, they were going to go make a bigger front in order to fight and expand the fighting line between the government and the opposition."

America's war of words continues. Assad's wrongfully blamed for US-backed insurgent crimes. They're death squads. They're US proxy foot soldiers. They're foreign invaders. They're recruited from many countries. 

They're funded, armed, trained and directed. Don't expect US government sources to explain. Nor will media scoundrels.

On May 20, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Washington "strongly condemns the Assad regime’s intense air and artillery strikes this weekend on the Syrian town of (Al-Qusayr), along the Lebanese border, where more than 90 people were reportedly killed." 

"The Assad regime deliberately provoked sectarian tensions through its assaults, which we saw recently in Sunni massacres in the towns of Bayada and Banias." 

"We reject the regime’s use of sectarian-driver war to divide the Syrian people. The Assad regime and its supporters who continue to commit crimes against the Syrian people should know that the world is watching and they will be identified and held accountable."

Insurgents bear direct responsibility for numerous massacres wrongfully blamed on Assad. Hezbollah elements are aiding their Syrian ally. They're doing so responsibly. They're confronting US imperialism. Not according to Ventrell.

He "condemn(ed) Hezbollah’s direct intervention in the assault on (Al-Qusayr) where its fighters are playing a significant role in the regime’s offensive." 

"Hezbollah’s occupation of villages along the Lebanese-Syrian border and its support for the regime and pro-Assad militias exacerbate and inflame regional sectarian tensions and perpetuate the regime’s campaign of terror against the Syrian people." 

"We reject Hezbollah’s efforts to escalate violence inside Syria and incite instability in Lebanon."

Hezbollah and Syrian forces are trying to end conflict. They want peace. They want stability restored. They want Washington's imperial intentions defeated. Much rides on their success. 

On May 20, Lebanon's Daily Star headlined "Situation in Syria against US, Israel: Hezbollah."

According to Hezbollah MP Nawaf Musawi, Syria's conflict hasn't gone according to US and Israeli plans. He warned both countries against toppling Assad, saying:

"If some were betting on weakening our ally in Syria and toppling him, he should keep in mind that two years into the (conflict) have passed while betting on delusions."

"Those who were banking on US power and Israeli threats of war and victory of the US-Israeli attack on Syria are mistaken."

He added that Hezbollah won't hesitate to plunge "Israel into the abyss. If the enemy - through its aggression - is practicing brinkmanship with the resistance and its allies in this region, the resistance is not afraid to push the enemy itself into the abyss."

"Hezbollah has enough potential to make any Israeli official aware that the threat of war applies to him, and that he will be the first to lose as a result of his behavior."

Syria's military displayed a captured Israeli army vehicle. It did so in Al-Qusayr. Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television aired video proof.

Military uniforms, wiretapping and jamming equipment were found in the vehicle. Damascus called it evidence of Israel's involvement. 

Last June, insurgents were captured with Israeli weapons. Israel's very much involved.

On May 21, SANA said

"the seizure of an Israeli military vehicle….refutes the allegations made by Israel to justify its aggression on Syria and proves the scale of Israel's military and intelligence involvements in the events in Syria."

"(T)he Israeli military support for the armed terrorist groups proves the involvement of Qatar, Turkey and Israel in the aggression on Syria which is waged through a single central operations room."

"(T)he Israeli military support for terrorism in Syria proves once more that Israel was and still is adopting the policy of organized state terrorism, stressing that the world must act to confront this terrorism."

"(T)he questions raised by the seizure of the Israeli military vehicle and the surveillance and jamming equipment….show that the armed terrorist groups with all their different names are merely headlines for a single structure led by Israel, Qatar and Turkey."

Syria understands Washington's key role. Partnered with Israel, other NATO countries, and rogue Arab states, they're waging imperial war against a non-belligerent country. Doing so is lawless aggression. It's the supreme crime against peace.

Israel escalated things further. In response to alleged cross-border gunfire, it "returned precise fire," according to IDF officials. 

Tammuz missiles were used. Twice before they targeted Syrian sites.

Incidents are easy to manufacture. Doing so provide pretexts to respond. On May 4 and 5, Israel bombed Syria. It did so preemptively. It was a joint US-Israeli provocation. It suggests further aggression ahead.

On May 21, Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF) claimed a "Syrian-Israeli confrontation loomed closer…"

DF alleges Damascus admitted responsibility for Monday night's cross-border gunfire. No source was cited. Syria's gone out of its way to avoid challenging other countries.

It hasn't retaliated against previous Israeli and Turkish provocations. It's unlikely to change tactics now. Doing so would be self-defeating. Assad has no death wish. DF's allegations don't wash.

It cites unnamed Israeli military sources claiming his "readiness for a war of attrition on Israel from the Golan…."

It says Hezbollah will be involved. On Sunday, Netanyahu sent mixed messages. On the one hand, he said Israel won't intervene in Syria's conflict.

On the other, he stressed it will act if its own interests are affected. He said he'll topple Assad if he responds to Israeli attacks. He suggested further bombings may follow. Allegedly they'll target weapons transfers to Hezbollah.

Bombings and other belligerence are willful provocations. At issue is goading Syria to respond. Doing so would provide pretext for direct US/Israeli intervention. 

Assad's not about to give them reason to attack. He's gone out of his way to avoid it. His ability to do so depends on US/NATO/Israeli plans. Direct intervention appears likely. How and when remains to be seen.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/israel-heads-closer-to-war-on-syria/

Are Japanese Bonds Signaling Trouble?

Are Japanese Bonds Signaling Trouble?

by Stephen Lendman

A previous article discussed the disconnect between soaring markets and troubled economies. Liquidity driven markets only skyrocket so long.

What can't go on forever, won't. No one's sure when. Eventually the music stops. When that happens, watch out. Signals provide clues.

Fed governors hint at slowing QE. Some analysts think by yearend or sooner. Bond prices affect other markets. Spiking Japanese sovereign yields (JGB) suggest trouble.

On May 18, The Japan Times headlined "JGB yield spikes raise alarm bells," saying:

"Is it a sign of a full-fledged economic recovery or a looming catastrophe in the monetary making?"

On April 5, the benchmark 10-year JGB perhaps bottomed at 0.315%. From there it surged. On May 17, it hit 0.92%. It pulled back. It resumed rising. On May 21, its yield was 0.88%.

At the same time, demand for 40-year debt waned. Yields closed at 1.955%. It's their highest level in almost a year. Bad auction results suggests hirer levels ahead.

According to Sri-Kumar Global Strategies Inc., Japan's debt is so large it threatens to undermine its bond market. Doing so has a global effect. More on that below.

Rising levels means higher debt-servicing costs. According to Sumitomo Trust Bank, a 1% interest rate rise increases it by 10 trillion yen by 2020.

On May 14, the Financial Times headlined " 'Spiking' Japanese bond yields recall days of 2003," saying:

"The 10-year yield has now almost doubled from last month's low, similar to the initial rise from an almost identical low a decade ago."

A new Bank of Japan governor then vastly increased bond purchases. Ministers first reacted by a record currency intervention. Public spending replaced it.

"If the parallels continue, bondholders will suffer a lot more pain." In 2003, rising yields lasted one month. They stayed flat until commodities soared. They did so in 2007.

"The big difference this time is that the yen has collapsed, falling yesterday to its weakest in five years against the dollar, below Y102."

Domestic bondholders lost only 1% since December. Dollar-based ones are down about 20%. The good news perhaps is defeating deflation. The bad news may undermine doing so.

On May 10, Market Ticker's Karl Denninger headlined "Japan's Ticking Fiscal Bomb."

Prime Minister Sinzo Abe and Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda may get more than they bargained for.

The yen collapsed against the dollar. It dropped nearly one-third in value. Doing so sent the Nikkei "screaming higher." Doing so's not like what it looks.

Currency devaluation to generate inflation has a price. "The 'bad news' came in the bond market." It went limit down on yield.

"Since the government is massively in debt, it will be unable on a cash basis to pay its bills, as they will not be able to roll over the existing debt when it matures and pay the (new) coupon."  

"If (it tries) then (it's) forced to continue to print even more yen to fund the interest payments, which in turn causes the value of the bonds emitted to go down further - a monetary equivalent of a flat spin - and is unrecoverable."

Import prices already soared 30%. Japan's heavily dependent on foreign oil. Many of its other industrial requirements are imported.

In mid-April, former George Soros advisor on Japanese investments, Takeshi Fujimaki, tripled down on warnings.

He believes massive QE won't stimulate growth. It promises trouble.

"By expanding the monetary base to 270 trillion yen, the BOJ is making a huge bet which I think it will ultimately lose."

"Kuroda’s QE announcement is declaring double suicide with the government. The BOJ will have to share the country’s fate and default together."

"The volatility in the JGB market as well as the fact that there is large selling represent fear among investors."

"They are early signs of a larger selloff and we should continue to monitor the moves in the long-term bonds."

"Japan's finance is sinking into the ocean. There's no escape from a market crash in the future when you have such enormous debt."

He sold almost all his Japanese equity holdings some time ago.

In early April, Bank of Japan governor Kuroda announced pedal-to-the metal QE. He plans to double Japan's monetary base. He'll do so in less than two years.

Any significant rise in JGB yields defeats his strategy. Japan’s government bond market stands at 240% of GDP. It’s the highest debt burden among developed countries. 

Debt monetization doesn't produce growth. Doing what never worked before won't now. Previous Japanese grand plans failed.

In the late 1980s, BOJ policy escalated asset and property prices. It did so to unprecedented levels. Market crashes, rolling recessions, weak recoveries, malaise, deflation, and dangerous deficits followed. 

Japan's in unchartered waters. Money printing madness fueled the latest rally in global equities.

On May 20, market analyst Graham Summers signaled trouble. Kuroda's announced $1.2 trillion QE policy hammered the yen. At the same time, it fueled over a 70% Nikkei rally in six months.

"This has been the fundamental driver of this latest risk on rally." Fed governors suggest reduced QE by yearend or sooner. "So it’s the Bank of Japan who’s in the driver’s seat for asset prices today."

What's good for stocks is bad for the yen. "(I)t's been an absolute disaster for Japanese bonds." Since announcing new BOJ policy, JGBs "triggered circuit breaks no less than four times due to increased volatility."

Late last week, they violated their multi-year trend line. They did so briefly. Doing so suggests again. Perhaps they'll breach it sharply. It matters.

Japan's bond market is the world's second largest. If sovereign debt keeps falling, rates rise. Higher levels affect global finance.

Greece impacted it earlier. It's bond market is miniscule. It's less than 3% of Japan's.

For many decades, Japanese bonds were considered "risk free." Investors bought them at very low yields. Doing so helped Japan's economically. It grew marginally. Absent foreign investors, it would have fared worse.

If Japanese bonds begin imploding, said Graham, expect trouble. Doing so means:

"The second largest bond market in the world is entering a bear market (along with commensurate liquidations and redemptions by institutional investors around the globe)."

"The second largest economy in the world will collapse (along with the impact on global exports)."

Worse still, global central bank efforts to hold international finance together "will have proven a failure."

Japan is a major central bank "progressive and accommodating policy" leader. For nearly two decades, BOJ kept interest rates near zero.

It launched nine QE plans. They equaled nearly 25% of Japan's GDP. Thus far, it's done so "with minimal consequences."

Other central banks believed they could replicate BOJ policy. If Japan's bond market craters, "then it's Game. Set. Match." 

The greatest monetary experiment ever will have failed. "(W)hat follows will make Lehman look like a joke."

Global finance is flashing red. It's sending "major warnings." No one's sure what's coming or when. 

Economies are troubled. Monetary stimulus failed. This time won't be different. All bubbles pop. Harder times loom.

Growth requires job creation. Unemployment's much too high. Eurozone joblessness hit another record. America's real rate is 23%.

Dropping money on bank balance sheets doesn't work. Main Street's beset with austerity. Dire conditions there matter most. 

People can only borrow so much. They can't spend what they don't have. Bad policies beget bad results. Economies already are troubled. 

They're heading for potential disaster. It may be worse than  expected on arrival. Forewarned is forearmed.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

Reinventing Guatemalan History

Reinventing Guatemalan History

by Stephen Lendman

History reinventors support despots. Social democrats are vilified. Crimes of war, against humanity and genocide are sanitized. They're whitewashed. They disappear in plain sight.

Wall Street Journal columnist Mary O'Grady tried reinventing Guatemalan history. She failed. More on that below.

Washington tolerates no independent governments. Left of center democratic ones are most vulnerable. 

In 1953, the CIA's first coup deposed Iran's Mohammad Mosaddegh. At the time, The New York Times called him "the most popular politician in the country." Reza Shah Pahlavi replaced him. A generation-long reign of terror followed.

In 1954, Washington ousted Guatemala's Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. In 1952, Truman authorized CIA action. Eisenhower followed through. 

Paramilitary subversion and psychological warfare forced him out. Carlos Castillo Armas replaced him. Death squad justice followed. So did decades of genocide. More on that below.

On May 10, a three-judge Guatemalan panel found former dictator/General Efrain Rios Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. 

From March 23, 1982 - August 8, 1983, he was Guatemala's president. He seized power the old-fashioned way. Coup d'etat force installed him. 

Less than 17 months later, Oscar Humberto Mejia Victores replaced him. He did it the same way. In 2003 presidential elections, Montt ran unsuccessfully. In 2007, he returned to public office in Congress.

Until January 14, 2012, he remained immune from prosecution. Eight days later, he was indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity. His record is well documented. It's indisputable. More on that below.

He's now aged 86. Judge Yasmin Barrios said "(w)e are completely convinced of the intent to destroy the Ixil ethnic groups."

He was sentenced to 80 years imprisonment. His co-defendant, Jose Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez, served as intelligence chief during his tenure. He was acquitted on the same charges.

The trial lasted five weeks. Over 100 witnesses testified. They included psychologists, military experts, and Maya Ixil Indian survivors. They explained Montt's scorched earth policy. He slaughtered tens of thousands. He destroyed hundreds of villages. More on that below.

Mary O'Grady is Wall Street Journal Americas columnist. She's an editorial board member. Her commentaries reinvent history. Fiction substitutes for indisputable facts.

On May 20, she headlined "The Left's Cold War Revenge in Guatemala: The history behind an absurd court ruling that Gen. Rios Montt is guilty of genocide."

Convicting him for genocide "is not supported by the facts," she claimed. Doing so "is more a score-settling exercise by the international left than a search for truth and justice."

She called indigenous areas "havens from which terrorists planned, prepared and executed attacks on the rest of the country."

She admitted that some army units committed massacres. "But it was 'in no way' " state policy. A convoluted version of history followed. It's standard O'Grady practice. It falls short of bad fiction.

She claimed testimonies of survivors and prosecution experts didn't prove genocide. "The absurdity of this has not been lost on many Guatemalans," she said.

"Ixil people and others from the region…view…Montt as a hero," she claimed.

Some hero! Over 70,000 corpses on his watch prove otherwise. So do around 200,000 throughout decades of conflict.

In 1996, Guatemala's 34-year genocidal war ended. In February 1999, a detailed report followed. The Historical Clarification Commission (aka truth and justice reconciliation commission) headlined "Guatemala, Memory of Silence."

It documented decades of genocide, torture and other atrocities. Most victims were indigenous Mayans. Guatemalan and US officials bore full responsibility.

Around 9,200 witnesses on all sides of the conflict provided evidence. The commission concluded that Guatemala's military, security forces, and paramilitary units were responsible for 93% of human rights abuses and deaths.

Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union guerrillas were involved in only 3%. In another 4% of cases, responsibility couldn't be determined.

According to the report:

"The massacres that eliminated entire Mayan villages are neither perfidious allegations nor figments of the imagination, but an authentic chapter in Guatemala's history."

"The majority of human rights violations occurred with the knowledge or by order of the highest authorities of the state." 

"The responsibility for a large part of these violations, with respect to the chain of military command as well as the political and administrative responsibility, reaches the highest levels of the army and successive governments."

Massacres were politically motivated. "Believing that the ends justified everything, the military and state security forces blindly pursued the anti-Communist struggle, without respect for any legal principles or the most elemental ethical and religious values, and in this way completely lost any semblance of human morals."

The worst atrocities occurred on Montt's watch. In 1982, he launched Operation Sofia. Military and security forces committed hundreds of massacres. 

Around 600 Mayan villages were destroyed. Systematic genocide was policy. During his short tenure, around 70,000 civilians were murdered or disappeared. Hundreds of thousands were internally displaced.

Over half of those slaughtered were in El Quiche. Ixil Mayans lost from 70 - 90% of their villages. Washington provided generous support. Reagan was president. General Alexander Haig was Secretary of State.

From 1981 - 1983, International/European Law Professor Emeritus Christian Tomuschat called Guatemalan policy "acts of genocide against groups of the Mayan people."

For over two decades, Washington supported it. "Up until the mid-1980s, there was strong pressure from the US government and US companies to maintain the country's archaic and unjust economic structure," he said.

US administrations knew about genocide, torture and other atrocities. They encouraged them. 

During the 1960s, Washington equipped and trained Guatemalan security forces. Declassified US intelligence documents revealed CIA and Pentagon involvement. Montt was trained at the School of the Americas (SOA). 

Instruction then and now includes ways to kill, maim, torture, oppress, exterminate poor and indigenous people, overthrow democratically elected governments, assassinate targeted leaders, suppress popular resistance, and solidify hard-right rule cooperatively with Washington.

Throughout the 1980s, close US-Guatemalan ties remained. Scorched earth dirty war targeted indigenous Mayan, resistance guerrillas, and suspected allies.

The region was embroiled in conflict. Death squad justice was policy. Washington-backed Contras battled Nicaragua's Sandinista government. El Salvadoran fascists were supported.

Throughout the decade, weapons, munitions, training, and destabilizing covert operations supported despots over freedom. Resistance fighters and indigenous populations were targeted.

Guatemala's conflict lasted longest. Washington fueled and supported it. All US administrations have blood on their hands. It reflects imperialism's dark side. 

State-sponsored terror is policy. It's war without mercy. It's longstanding. It rages globally. It targets humanity. It takes no prisoners. 

It threatens everyone. It's worse than ever now. Mass extinction is possible. Who can disagree!

A Final Comment

On May 20, Guatemala's Constitutional Court (its high court) overturned Montt's conviction. It did so by a three - two majority. Montt will return to house arrest.

What follows is unclear. Trial proceedings weren't invalidated. The court ordered them rolled back to April 19. At that time, a brief suspension followed another judge's decision. Disarray and confusion resulted.

By April 19, the entire prosecution's case was presented. So was most for the defense. Those proceedings still stand. Everything following is invalidated.

What's next remains to be seen. A new judicial panel may be appointed. Guatemala's attorney general may appeal. 

Heavy pressure preceded the high court ruling. Business interests wanted Montt's conviction overturned. Perhaps Washington did also. It supported the worst of Montt's crimes.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/reinventing-guatemalan-history/

Supreme Court Colludes with Monsanto

Supreme Court Colludes with Monsanto

by Stephen Lendman

It's no surprise. Michael Parenti calls America's High Court its "autocratic branch." 

It's notoriously pro-business. It's longstanding. In Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railway (1886), it granted corporations legal personhood.

More recently, in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes et al (June 2011), it denied longstanding sexual discrimination class action redress. It overruled a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision doing so.

In AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion (April 2011), it did so two months earlier. It blocked class action redress claiming fraud. The company's wireless subsidiary charged sales tax on cellphones it advertised as free. Two California courts rules for plaintiffs. The High Court overruled them.

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled for money power over democratic governance. One dollar = one vote. 

Corporations and PACs can spend all they want. Doing so more than ever lets them control US elections. Voters are effectively disenfranchised. They have no say whatever.

Numerous other rulings show America’s High Court is supremely pro-business. The Roberts Court is more so than previous ones. Even The New York Times noticed.

On May 4, it headlined "Corporations Find a Friend in the Supreme Court." It rejected an anti-trust class action suit against Comcast. Subscribers sought to prove unfair competition and overcharges. Wrongdoing was dismissed 5 - 4. It didn’t surprise. It’s consistently pro-business. Doing so facilitates corporate empowerment, discriminatory practices, willful fraud, and products harming human health.

Bowman v. Monsanto again showed where America's High Court stands. Justice again was denied. Corporate interests alone matter. In 2007, Monsanto sued Vernon Bowman. He's an Indiana farmer. At issue was alleged patent infringement.

He bought mixed soybean seeds. He did so from a grain elevator. He planted them a second time. He supplemented them with soybeans bought from the same source. 

Monsanto's licensing agreement forbids second plantings. It wants seeds sold used only once. It wants farmers to pay each time they plant.

Bowman claimed no patent infringement. It expired on what he first bought. He supplemented with commodity soybeans. They're usually used for feed. 

He said they naturally "self-replicate or sprout unless stored in a controlled manner." In other words, he planted soybeans, not new seeds. He violated no law. 

Justice Elena Kagan delivered the court opinion. She didn't surprise. She and other justices spurn judicial fairness. They do so in defense of privilege. She rejected what she called "that blame-the-bean defense."

Bowman had no chance. He was no match against Monsanto. He was ordered to pay nearly $85,000 in damages. He's a small farmer. Doing so may bankrupt him. Longstanding agribusiness plans call for greater consolidation at the expense of small competitors.

Bowman lost at the district, appellate and High Court levels. They ruled one way. They claimed patent exhaustion doesn't permit farmers to replant seeds and harvest them without patent holder's permission.

Generic drug companies freely do it. The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act permits it. Once patents expire, holders no longer have exclusive rights.

In 2014, the last of Monsanto's Roundup Ready US patents will expire. Monsanto's supposed to lose exclusivity. At issue is will or won't it happen? 

Expect Monsanto to press hard to keep it. Earlier it said it wants international regulatory Roundup Ready soybeans support until 2021. It's unclear if other companies will be able to sell generic versions. Monsanto won't make it easy to do so.

On May 13, Food Democracy Now (FDN) denounced the Supreme Court ruling. Executive director Dave Murphy accused Washington of complicity in permitting the "corporate takeover of (America's) food supply."

"Today," he said, "the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the corporate takeover of our food supply, in a huge win for Monsanto, and a major loss for America’s farmers and consumers."  

"Monsanto has long engaged in an effort to subvert family farmers that do not use their genetically-engineered seeds, and the Court has now handed corporations even more control over what our families eat."

"Currently, Food Democracy Now! is a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit in the District Court of Appeals, Organic Seed Associations et Al. v Monsanto to protect America’s farmers from unwanted contamination of their crops by Monsanto’s patented genetically-engineered plants." 

"Our nation’s family farmers grow our food on farms where cross-pollination between organic, non-GMO crops and Monsanto's genetically-engineered patented crops is regular and naturally-occurring process." 

"The Court’s decision to give Monsanto the power to control the future harvest of America’s family farmers and our county’s food supply is deeply troubling, immoral and a very bad sign for the future of our nation’s food."

In March 2013, Obama signed the Monsanto Protection Act. It's the Farmer Assurance Provision rider in HR 933: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013. Monsanto lawyers wrote it.

It permits circumventing judicial decisions. If courts rule GMOs unsafe, Monsanto's free to ignore them. So can the Secretary of Agriculture. 

He's free to ignore food safety. He can let hazardous GMOs poison America's food supply. Obama's complicit with giant corporate interests. He's their man in Washington. He's beholden to monied interests. They own him.

He's waging global hot wars. He's enforcing homeland tyranny. He lets Wall Street wage financial wars. He permits institutionalized fraud. He let BP get away with contaminating America's Gulf. 

He has longstanding nuclear industry ties. He wants new US commercial reactor construction jump-started. He's committing billions of dollars in loan guarantees to do so. He's mindless of the risks.

He's waging war on human health and welfare. Polls show over 90% of America want GMO products and ingredients labeled. 

In 2007, candidate Obama promised to "let folks know when their food is genetically modified, because Americans have a right to know what they're buying."

He lied. He's a serial liar. He broke every major promise made. He supports Monsanto's right to proliferate what harms human health. 

It's no surprise. He's waging global wars on humanity. It may not survive his onslaught.

A Final Comment

Throughout its history, Monsanto produced harmful products. Some eventually were banned. Its recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) increased milk production in cows.

It caused painful mastitis, infections and reproductive problems. Large amounts of puss and blood were found in rBGH milk. Potential linkage to cancer was discovered. 

EU nations and Canada banned it. It's still sold in America. Monsanto lobby power permits it.

Monsanto's polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) was extremely toxic. It caused cancer and other diseases. Many products contained it. It was dumped in rivers and streams nationwide. 

Harmful environmental damage followed. Concentrated areas created health crises. In 1976, Congress banned it.

Monsanto's DDT inspired Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring."

 She exposed aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, and other dangerously toxic chemicals She inspired environmental justice advocacy groups. 

America banned DDT. So did other countries. It's still used in tropical countries. It's done to control malaria.

Monsanto's legacy includes Agent Orange. It contains dioxin. It's one of the most deadly substances known. It's a potent carcinogenic human immune system suppressant. 

Minute amounts cause serious health problems and death. Exposure results in congenital disorders and birth defects. 

It causes cancer, type two diabetes, and numerous other diseases. Its widespread Southeast Asian use produced horrific consequences. Millions were affected. Many died. Living victims still suffer. Many Vietnam vets and US citizens in theater were affected.

Proliferating hazardous GMOs may be worst of all. Widespread food contamination poses enormous threats. Sanctioning Monsanto's use makes Washington complicit. 

People have a right to know what they're eating. Failure to prohibit substances harming human health violates the Constitution's "general welfare" clause. Article I, Section 8 states:

"The Congress shall have power to….provide for (the) general welfare of the United States."

It means "We the People." It includes everyone equitably. It means what never was, isn't now, or won't ever be under a system favoring privilege, not fairness.

Washington's corporate occupied territory. Profits matter more than human life and welfare. Bipartisan complicity ignores the "general welfare." Things go from bad to worse. It's longstanding. It's the American way.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/supreme-court-colludes-with-monsanto/

America: A Modern-Day Sparta

America: A Modern-Day Sparta

by Stephen Lendman

Permanent war is longstanding policy. America deplores peace. Throughout its history, it's waged war annually at home and/or abroad. Today it does so globally.

Giving peace a chance is loathed. Direct or proxy wars rage in multiple countries. 

"Yes we can" reflects Obama's pro-war, pro-imperial, pro-ravage, plunder and dominate agenda. He prioritizes it. He abhors human rights,  equity, justice, and other democratic values. Rogue leaders operate that way.

Rule of law principles are spurned. Constitutional protections no longer apply. Any nation, organization or person designated a state enemy is targeted.

"Change you can believe in" is polar opposite of what most people expected. America's empire of bases is global. US special forces operate in over 120 countries. Proxy death squads supplement them. CIA agents and assets are everywhere.

Washington's Blog said America's waging 74 wars. It's "fighting or 'helping' some force in some proxy struggle that has been deemed beneficial by the nation's masters of war." 

At the same time, it's waging "many more covert wars." It bears repeating, the very notion of peace is abhorrent. Waging war is prioritized. 

Paul Craig Roberts calls America a "gangster state." He does so for good reason. Its domestic and foreign policies reflect it. No nation ever harmed more people in more ways globally. None ever spurned rule of law principles more egregiously.

Waging war on terror's a ruse. It's duplicitous subterfuge. America's had no enemies since Japan surrendered in August 1945. Manufactured ones substitute. 

They're easy to create. Media scoundrels convince people. Repeating Big Lies ad nauseam works. No terror threat whatever exists. 

Polls show the power of mind manipulation. In late April, a New York Times/CBS News poll showed an astonishing 90% of Americans believe they'll "always have to live with the risk of terrorism."

An equally astonishing 75% believe restricting civil liberties is OK. Over one-fourth said existing policy measures aren't enough. Another near 50% said they're about right. 

Only 20% said government went too far. Nearly 80% accept mass surveillance. People believe it reduces the threat of terrorism. 

No wonder America wages war on humanity easily. It does so at home and abroad. Domestic opposition barely exists. It bodes ill for what's likely coming. 

Most people are mindless of what threatens their security, welfare and futures. They're comfortable with what's destroying them in plain sight. They can't see the forest through the trees. 

They're oblivious to a clear, present and ominous danger. It may end up destroying them. Extrajudicial, unchecked, imperial carte blanche war on the world is policy. There's no place to hide. No one's immune. Peace doesn't stand a chance.

Bashar al-Assad understands. He's struggling to let Syria survive. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) published his interview with Argentina's Clarin newspaper and Telam news agency. His comments were candid and forthright.

He blamed "foreign interference" for Syria's conflict. Most Syrians "reject all forms of external intervention. For us, it is a matter of safeguarding Syria."

"(O)ur level of force relate to the types of weapons and terrorism techniques we are dealing with as well as our ultimate goal of protecting the lives of civilians and the country as a whole."

"Terrorism can never be the instrument to achieve reforms. What interest does an internationally listed terrorist from Chechnya or Afghanistan have with the internal political reform process in Syria?" 

"How is the legitimate demand for reform linked with terrorist activities adopted by radicalized foreign fighters?"

"Recent credible reports show that there are approximately 29 nationalities of foreign fighters engaged in terrorism activities within Syria's borders."

He stressed his commitment to political reforms. Many have been implemented, he said. 

"The essence of any political solution is the aspirations of the Syrian people, decided by the ballot boxes." Syrians alone must decide. No outside interference is justified. International law prohibits it.

Asked his view on the US/Russian proposed peace conference, he reiterated support for all ways to end violence diplomatically. A political settlement depends on it, he stressed.

At the same time, he's justifiably "skeptical of the genuine intentions of certain western administrations towards seeking a realistic political solution…."

"This caution is based on their continued support of terrorist groups in Syria. We are dedicated to pursuing a political solution, yet there are powers who are pressing for the failure of such a solution. This is a two-way process; it needs commitment from all sides."

"(F)oreign-based opposition elements (are) far from autonomous independent decision makers. Their policies are crafted by the countries that give them leverage."

They "survive on the aid given to them by their patron states, in essence manipulated by the nations that provide their flow of finance." 

"They live under the auspice and control of their intelligence agencies and thus submit to what is imposed upon them." 

"Therefore their decisions are not self-governing; most significantly, they lack a popular base in Syria."

"It's well-documented…that they have until last week clearly and repeatedly rejected political dialogue."

He stressed his commitment "to a comprehensive national dialogue (with) all who have a genuine desire to participate, with no exclusions."

He rejects doing so with terrorists. "There is no state that would ever negotiate with terrorists. However, we welcome those who lay down their weapons and engage in constructive political dialogue."

Peaceful conflict resolution's impossible when external forces support terrorism, he stressed. "Guns and dialogue are clearly incompatible."

"Our assumption is that these countries would not cease this policy as their main goal is to undermine and thus weaken the Syrian state."

"Even when we succeed in reaching a Syrian-led political agreement, certain countries such as Qatar, Turkey and others will continue to work to fuel violence and terrorism in Syria." 

"Therefore, our main precedence from an international conference is an immediate cessation of finance and weapons that are regularly streamed into Syria, placing emphasis on preventing the terrorists and fighters from being flooded into Syria principally through Turkey, with financial support primarily from Qatar and also from other Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia."

He understands "major international powers" are involved. So is Israel.

Asked if he'd step down, he said "Syrian people will decide whether I remain in office or not….Through the constitution and the presidential elections in 2014, the people will decide."

He rejects Obama, Kerry or other external figures interfering in Syria's internal affairs. They have no mandate to speak for Syrians.

"To be even more concise and clear, we are an independent state, we are a people who respect ourselves and our right to self-determination." 

"We do not accept for anyone to dictate to us how to act, whether it is the United States or any other country."

Syria's in crisis, he stressed. "Any abandonment of my duties now is an attempt to escape from responsibility and I'm not the type of person who runs away from his responsibilities."

He categorically denied repeated allegations that Syria used chemical weapons. They're "a clear pretext for military intervention….It is common knowledge that western administrations lie continuously and manufacture stories as a pretext for war."

Washington and other major powers "delegated Israel to commit its aggression in order to improve the morale of the terrorist groups."

They did so because Syrian forces "shift(ed) the balance of power on the ground. (They want) to prolong the violence and bloodshed (to) significantly weaken the Syrian state." He believes "military action" may be forthcoming.

"The primary aim of the West is to ensure that they have 'loyal' governments at their disposal, similar to those administrations that existed previously in Latin America, which facilitate the exploitation and consumption of a country's national resources."

"A country like Syria is not by any means a satellite state to the West. Syria is an independent state working for the interests of its people, rather than making the Syrian people work for the interests of the West." 

"It is only normal that they would not want us to play a role, preferring instead a puppet government serving their interests and creating projects that would benefit their peoples and economies." 

"Syria is strategically placed not just for oil and gas projects, but also to shift the balance of power between the major players."

Previous peace initiatives failed. Another won't fare better. Washington prioritizes failure. War is longstanding policy.

America's a worldwide belligerent. Unchallenged global dominance matters most. Independent governments aren't tolerated. 

All means are employed to oust them. Pro-Western satellite regimes are sought. Iran's America's principle regional target. War plans were readied years ago. 

Replacing Assad's government makes them easier to implement. So does eliminating Lebanon's Hezbollah. America's coalition partners include key NATO allies, Israel, and regional rogue states.

They're committed to war. They abhor peace. They menace humanity. They may end up destroying it. Their arsenals make it easy. Don't bet against their use full force.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/america-a-modern-day-sparta/