| Hard News
Suicide bomber kills 53 in southern Iraq: A suicide bomber killed 53 people in an apparent sectarian attack in southern Iraq on Saturday casting a pall over the climax of a Shiite pilgrimage that draws hundreds of thousands from around the world. http://bit.ly/zNPfaO
Iraqi PM Maliki urged to quit by his deputy; Iraq's Sunni deputy premier has called for prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to step down, warning that the country's festering political crisis risked sparking a wider sectarian conflict in the region. http://bit.ly/zebNWi
Iraq's Maliki slams Turkey, claims it can bring civil war to region: Maliki's remarks came two days after he was warned by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that his actions are taking Iraq back from democracy and urged him to take steps that would reduce tensions in the war-torn country http://bit.ly/A01hOV
For the families of Haditha, this is a matter of honour: The now notorious war crime, which left 24 Iraqis dead, became one of the defining atrocities of the war, and the taste remains all the more bitter for survivors - some of whom are children who lost parents in the attack - with the knowledge that not a single US marine has been brought to justice. http://bit.ly/AgFdcu
In case you missed it:
Iraqi Girl tells of US Attack in Haditha: Video - Ten-year-old Iman Walid witnessed the killing of seven members of her family in an attack by American marines http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13452.htm
Kenyan jets bomb Somali kill 14 people: Kenyan jets bombed an al Shabaab rebel base in southern Somalia on Sunday, killing a family of seven as well as seven "fighters" from the insurgent group linked to al Qaeda, residents said. http://bit.ly/y5gx4D
Bomb kills 13 at Shia march, say Pakistan police :
Hundreds of Pakistani Shias had gathered in the town of Khanpur in Punjab province for a traditional procession to mark the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered seventh-century figure. http://bit.ly/wcaNmN
U.S. kills six peoples in Pakistan:
At least six suspected militants were killed on Thursday when a U.S. drone carried out an airstrike in Pakistan's volatile North Waziristan region, officials said on Friday. It is the second attack in less than a week. http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-144479.html
Nine killed in Pakistan suicide bombing:
At least nine people, including two policemen and three suicide bombers, were killed on Saturday when militants attacked a police office in northwestern Pakistan. Interior Minister Rehman Malik has condemned the attack. http://bit.ly/w9eahQ
7 Killed in Afghan Police Raids:
Seven "insurgents" were killed in operations conducted around the country by the Afghan police during the previous 24 hours, the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday. http://bit.ly/Af3XwW
2 women killed in Afghan attacks:
The women were walking along a road in the southern province of Helmand when they stepped on the buried explosives on Friday, the Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement. http://bit.ly/yvdI8g
Engineering Consent For An Attack On Iran : Pentagon says Iran provoked US warships:
The US Department of Defence on Friday claimed that Iranian patrolling vessels in the Persian Gulf have provoked its war ships, the CNN said. http://bit.ly/AotiVX
US warns Iran to leave Persian Gulf oil route alone, clash shows risk of larger war: Spokesmen were vague on what the United States would do about Iran's "threat" to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but military officials have been clear that the U.S. is readying for a possible naval clash. http://wapo.st/zZup0a
US downplays reports of military build-up amid rising tensions: The Pentagon said on Friday that Iran's "destabilising behaviour" was a factor in its planning in the Middle East, but sought to discourage speculation the US military was quietly building up forces in the region to counter any perceived threat. http://bit.ly/AsQe1K
Iran says CIA behind nuclear scientist's killing: Iran said Saturday it has evidence that the United States was behind the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist this week in Tehran, state media reported http://usat.ly/wWQpdA
Iran sends rare letter to U.S. over killed scientist:
The spokesman for Iran's Joint Armed Forces Staff, Massoud Jazayeri, said: "Our enemies, especially America , Britain and the Zionist regime (Israel), have to be held responsible for their actions." http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120114/wl_nm/us_iran
"Believe nothing until it has been officially denied": Israeli official: Report of Mossad agents posing as CIA spies 'absolute nonsense':
Senior Israeli government official issues complete denial of Foreign Policy report that Mossad agents posed as CIA officers to recruit Pakistani terrorists to carry out attacks in Iran. http://bit.ly/yLXlgp
Israel's useful idiot:
Santorum: US wrong to condemn Iran scientist death: "If these are people who are developing a weapon to be used to either destroy the state of Israel or to spread terror - a reign of terror - around the world, we shouldn't be sitting on the sidelines and letting it happen." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4175472,00.html
Israel, US cancel missile defense drill: Israel and the US canceled a missile defense drill, billed as the largest ever in the country's history, planned for the spring, senior military officials said Sunday. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=253691
U.S. military chief heads to Israel: The Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed the planned visit Thursday by Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. It did not give his agenda for talks with Israelis - but Iran is expected to be at the top. http://usat.ly/ArmmJE
Netanyahu deputy voices 'disappointment' with Obama on Iran: Israel's Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon says 'election-year considerations' behind U.S. President's caution over tough Iran sanctions. http://bit.ly/yQ24Ji
Did you know that by law the US guarantees israel's oil supply - no matter what?; Under a 1975 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the USA guaranteed all Israel's oil needs in the event of a crisis. It commits U.S. taxpayers to maintain a strategic U.S. reserve for Israel, equivalent to $3 billion in 2002 dollars. http://wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/4504
Qatar emir favors sending Arab troops to Syria: The Emir of Qatar has said that Arab troops should be sent to Syria to stop a deadly crackdown that has claimed the lives of thousands of people over the past 10 months. http://bit.ly/yssnAU
Russia stands shoulder-to-shoulder with besieged Syrian leader: Russia has served notice that it has no intention of abandoning Syria's embattled leader Bashar al-Assad to Western demands that he surrender all power in the face of persistent opposition. http://bit.ly/xnjSj3
Libya bank denies receiving $20 billion: The governor of Libya's central bank on Friday denied receiving roughly $20 billion in assets that were held overseas by Muammar Qaddafi's regime and frozen during the conflict that ousted him. http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/01/13/188153.html
Urinating on dead Taliban insurgents: US Congressman tells Marine critics 'War is Hell': The Republican Party's US Congressman, Alan West commenting on the US Marines urinating on dead Taliban soldiers, while advocating maximum punishment, told the Marine critics they should 'shut their mouth, as war is hell'. http://bit.ly/yUecTx
Egypt's ElBaradei will not seek presidency, in protest of military rule: Former head of UN nuclear watchdog says Egypt's ruling military council 'chooses to continue along the old road, as if no revolution took place'. http://bit.ly/xShnL7
Life sentences for young US Muslims convicted of vague terrorism conspiracy by "sleeping" jury: Defense attorneys for Omar Aly Hassan, Hysen Sherifi and Ziyad Yaghi urged the judge to consider minimum sentences because the government's case rested on testimony from paid undercover FBI informants and immature posts some of the defendants made on Facebook and other Internet forums. http://bit.ly/w5oP1U
DHS monitoring of social media concerns civil liberties advocates:
Civil liberties advocates are raising concerns that the Department of Homeland Security's three-year-old practice of monitoring social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter could extend to tracking public reaction to news events and reports that "reflect adversely" on the U.S. government. http://wapo.st/xZNV3Z
Home Seizures May Jump 25% This Year as U.S. Foreclosures Resume: The number of home repossessions is likely to rise about 25 percent from the more than 804,000 properties seized last year as lenders resume foreclosure actions http://buswk.co/z0DlkG
"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley | 
