Anatomy of US-Anglo & Franco 'Responsibility to Protect' Lies - Destruction of the Libyan State

Article SOURCE http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/01/06/new-hillary-emails-reveal-true-motive-for-libya-intervention/ Anatomy of US-Anglo & Franco 'Responsibility to Protect' Lies - Destruction of the Libyan State http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/01/06/new-hillary-emails-reveal-true-motive-for-libya-intervention/ Hillary Emails Reveal True Motive for Libya Intervention by Brad Hoff       January 6, 2016   Newly disclosed emails show that Libya’s plan to create a gold-backed currency to compete with the euro and dollar was a motive for NATO’s intervention The New Year’s Eve release of over 3,000 new Hillary Clinton emails from the State Department has CNN abuzz over gossipy text messages, the “who gets to ride with Hillary” selection process set up by her staff, and how a “cute” Hillary photo fared on Facebook. But historians of the 2011 NATO war in Libya will be sure to notice a few of the truly explosive confirmations contained in the new emails: admissions of rebel war crimes, special ops trainers inside Libya from nearly the start of protests, Al Qaeda embedded in the U.S. backed opposition, Western nations jockeying for access to Libyan oil, the nefarious origins of the absurd Viagra mass rape claim, and concern over Gaddafi’s gold and silver reserves threatening European currency. Hillary’s Death Squads A March 27, 2011, intelligence brief [archived here] on Libya, sent by long time close adviser to the Clintons and Hillary’s unofficial intelligence gatherer, Sidney Blumenthal, contains clear evidence of war crimes on the  part of NATO-backed rebels. Citing a rebel commander source “speaking in strict confidence” Blumenthal reports to Hillary [emphasis mine]: Under attack from allied Air and Naval forces, the Libyan Army troops have begun to desert to the rebel side in increasing numbers. The rebels are making an effort to greet these troops as fellow Libyans, in an effort to encourage additional defections. (Source Comment: Speaking in strict confidence, one rebel commander stated that his troops continue to summarily execute all foreign mercenaries captured in the fighting…). While the illegality of extra-judicial killings is easy to recognize (groups engaged in such are conventionally termed “death squads”), the sinister reality behind the “foreign mercenaries” reference might not be as immediately evident to most. While over the decades Gaddafi was known to make use of European and other international security and infrastructural contractors, there is no evidence to suggest that these were targeted by the Libyan rebels. There is, however, ample documentation by journalists, academics, and human rights groups demonstrating that black Libyan civilians and sub-Saharan contract workers, a population favored by Gaddafi in his pro-African Union policies, were targets of “racial cleansing” by rebels who saw black Libyans as tied closely with the regime.[1] Black Libyans were commonly branded as “foreign mercenaries” by the rebel opposition for their perceived general loyalty to Gaddafi as a community and subjected to torture, executions, and their towns “liberated” by ethnic cleansing. This is demonstrated in the most well-documented example of Tawergha, an entire town of 30,000 black and “dark-skinned” Libyans which vanished by August 2011 after its takeover by NATO-backed NTC Misratan brigades.  [comment:  they're probably mostly in Europe and otherwise dispersed, rather than all killed? ] These attacks were well-known as late as 2012 and often filmed, as this report from The Telegraph confirms: After Muammar Gaddafi was killed, hundreds of migrant workers from neighboring states were imprisoned by fighters allied to the new interim authorities. They accuse the black Africans of having been mercenaries for the late ruler. Thousands of sub-Saharan Africans have been rounded up since Gaddafi fell in August. It appears that Clinton was getting personally briefed on the battlefield crimes of her beloved anti-Gaddafi fighters long before some of the worst of these genocidal crimes took place.   Al-Qaeda and Western Special Forces Inside Libya The same intelligence email from Sydney Blumenthal also confirms what has become a well-known theme of Western supported insurgencies in the Middle East: the contradiction of special forces training militias that are simultaneously suspected of links to Al Qaeda. Blumenthal relates that “an extremely sensitive source” confirmed that British, French, and Egyptian special operations units were training Libyan militants along the Egyptian-Libyan border, as well as in Benghazi suburbs. While analysts have long speculated as to the “when and where” of Western ground troop presence in the Libyan War, this email serves as definitive proof that special forces were on the ground only within a month of the earliest protests which broke out in the middle to end of February 2011 in Benghazi. By March 27 of what was commonly assumed a simple “popular uprising” external special operatives were already “overseeing the transfer of weapons and supplies to the rebels” including “a seemingly endless supply of AK47 assault rifles and ammunition.” Yet only a few paragraphs after this admission, caution is voiced about the very militias these Western special forces were training because of concern that, “radical/terrorist groups such as the Libyan Fighting Groups and Al Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) are infiltrating the NLC and its military command.” The Threat of Libya’s Oil and Gold to French Interests Though the French-proposed U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 claimed the no-fly zone implemented over Libya was to protect civilians, an April 2011 email [archived here] sent to Hillary with the subject line “France’s client and Qaddafi’s gold” tells of less noble ambitions. The email identifies French President Nicholas Sarkozy as leading the attack on Libya with five specific purposes in mind: to obtain Libyan oil, ensure French influence in the region, increase Sarkozy’s reputation domestically, assert French military power, and to prevent Gaddafi’s influence in what is considered “Francophone Africa.” Most astounding is the lengthy section delineating the huge threat that Gaddafi’s gold and silver reserves, estimated at “143 tons of gold, and a similar amount in silver,” posed to the French franc (CFA) circulating as a prime African currency. In place of the noble sounding “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) doctrine fed to the public, there is this “confidential” explanation of what was really driving the war [emphasis mine]: This gold was accumulated prior to the current rebellion and was intended to be used to establish a pan-African currency based on the Libyan golden Dinar. This plan was designed to provide the Francophone African Countries with an alternative to the French franc (CFA). (Source Comment: According to knowledgeable individuals this quantity of gold and silver is valued at more than $7 billion. French intelligence officers discovered this plan shortly after the current rebellion began, and this was one of the factors that influenced President Nicolas Sarkozy’s decision to commit France to the attack on Libya.) Though this internal email aims to summarize the motivating factors driving France’s (and by implication NATO’s) intervention in Libya, it is interesting to note that saving civilian lives is conspicuously absent from the briefing. Instead, the great fear reported is that Libya might lead North Africa into a high degree of economic independence with a new pan-African currency. French intelligence “discovered” a Libyan initiative to freely compete with European currency through a local alternative, and this had to be subverted through military aggression. The Ease of Floating Crude Propaganda Early in the Libyan conflict Secretary of State Clinton formally accused Gaddafi and his army of using mass rape as a tool of war. Though numerous international organizations, like Amnesty International, quickly debunked these claims, the charges were uncritically echoed by Western politicians and major media. It seemed no matter how bizarre the conspiracy theory, as long as it painted Gaddafi and his supporters as monsters, and so long as it served the cause of prolonged military action in Libya, it was deemed credible by network news. Two foremost examples are referenced in the latest batch of emails: the sensational [1] claim that Gaddafi issued Viagra to his troops for mass rape, and the [2] claim that bodies were “staged” by the Libyan government at NATO bombing sites to give the appearance of the Western coalition bombing civilians. In a late March 2011 email, Blumenthal confesses to Hillary that, I communicated more than a week ago on this story—Qaddafi placing bodies to create PR stunts about supposed civilian casualties as a result of Allied bombing—though underlining it was a rumor. But now, as you know, Robert gates gives credence to it. (See story below.) Sources now say, again rumor (that is, this information comes from the rebel side and is unconfirmed independently by Western intelligence), that Qaddafi has adopted a rape policy and has even distributed Viagra to troops. The incident at the Tripoli press conference involving a woman claiming to be raped is likely to be part of a much larger outrage. Will seek further confirmation. Not only did Defense Secretary Robert Gates promote his bizarre “staged bodies” theory on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” but the even stranger Viagra rape fiction made international headlines as U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice made a formal charge against Libya in front of the UN Security Council. What this new email confirms is that not only was the State Department aware of the spurious nature of what Blumenthal calls “rumors” originating solely with the rebels, but did nothing to stop false information from rising to top officials who then gave them “credence.” It appears, furthermore, that the Viagra mass rape hoax likely originated with Sidney Blumenthal himself. Note [1] The most comprehensive and well-documented study of the plight of black Libyans is contained in Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO’s War on Libya and Africa (publ. 2012, Baraka Books) by Maximilian Forte, Professor Anthropology and Sociology at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec. This article was originally published at the Levant Report and has been used here with permission.   France, Hillary Clinton, Libya, Muammar al-Gaddafi, NATO, US Foreign Policy   Brad Hoff served as a Marine from 2000-2004 at Headquarters Battalion, Quantico. After military service he lived, studied, and traveled throughout Syria off and on from 2004-2010. He is Managing Editor of LevantReport.com and currently teaches in Texas. http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/01/06/new-hillary-emails-reveal-true-motive-for-libya-intervention/ Libya borders: Egypt Tunisia Algeria Niger Chad Sudan Egypt - US Aid New York Times 2014: -- annual $1.3 billion American military aid package -- having signed peace agreement with Israel (1979) -- cash flow finance - preferential military hardware orders from USA -- granted only to:  Israel & Egypt -- 2013:  900 protesters killed crackdown on demonstration, Cairo -- Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reportedly took control by military coup (2013) -- "deposed strongman Hosni Mubarak" -- NYT reports 'rigged election' & claims Muslim Brotherhood leaders 'unfairly branded as terrorists' http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/opinion/sunday/reining-in-egypts-military-aid.html?_r=0 Washington Post 2013: -- since early 1980s, US grants Egypt -- extraordinary ability to place orders with American arms contractors -- worth far more than Congress allotted to military aid -- mechanism:  'cash-flow financing' -- orders of a size that take years to produce & deliver -- like a credit card in billions of dollars -- likewise granted to Israel -- only Israel & Egypt -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) -- subcommittee State Dept. re foreign ops & related: -- "we are mortgaged years into the future for expensive equipment" -- "stuck on autopilot for more than 25 years" -- windfall for U.S. arms contractors -- replacing Egypt's ageing Soviet hardware / deepening Egypt's dependence on US-made arms -- USA gets:     -- expedited access to the Suez Canal for Navy ships     -- overflight rights for military aircraft     -- 'face time' with Egypt generals   -- Egypt gets:     -- one of strongest regional militaries -- US relationship w/ Egypt deemed:  "increasingly volatile, it’s increasingly fluid" -- country:  unpredictability -- USA fiscally tied to policy -- were USA to push-back re Egypt, would impact US arms production industries -- practice of 'cash-flow financing' commits USG to ongoing financing -- to ensure signed contracts for arms are honoured -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) & Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) were for cutting off aid 2013 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-debate-over-military-aid-to-egypt-contractual-issues-loom-large-for-us/2013/07/25/9d0834c0-f4a5-11e2-aa2e-4088616498b4_story.html ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Another good article but sort of disturbing. I suspected all that Viagra rape hysteria was made up. Rape is a weapon of war, but not in the way that the public thinks.  It's exploited for Western propaganda and lies. Meanwhile, Eurpean women getting raped by the foreign populations that these corrupt European leaders are flooding Europe with, and it's ignored and covered up. These politicians are disgusting. The West tells so many lies that it's probably always safe to assume the opposite of what we're being told at any time by politicians and the controlled media.

Modern History - Israel vs. Palestine List

ꕤ History Israel vs. Palestine Israel War of Independence (1947-1949) Jewish militias vs. Arab militias turns to war on declaration of independence of Israel & intervention of several Arab armies settlement:  1949 Armistice Agreements signed by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria armistice lines:  the Green Line Reprisal Ops (1950s-1960s) IDF military ops response to Arab guerilla incursions from Syria, Egypt & Jordan Israel declares:  high 'blood cost' to enemy side as deterrence from future attacks Suez Crisis (1956) Egypt attacked by:  Israel, Britain & France intention to occupy Sinai Peninsula & take over Suez Canal response to Egypt decision to nationalise Suez Canal (following US-Anglo withdrawal of offer to fund Aswan Dam) Conclusion: US & USSR (Soviet Russia) forced Israeli invasion to retreat Israel reopened Straits of Tiran & pacified southern border ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Six Day War (1967) Israel vs Egypt, Jordan & Syria (contributors:  Iraq, Saudi Arab, Kuwait & Algeria) Conclusion:  territory held by Israel expanded significantly -->  The Purpose Line West Bank (incl. East Jerusalem) - taken from Jordan Golan Heights - taken from Syria Sinai & Gaza - taken from Egypt ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- War of Attrition (1967-1970) Egyptians seek to recapture Sinai from Israel Egypt Jordan Syria PLO USSR ceasefire 1970 - frontiers remain same ---------------------- ꕤ ----------------------   Operation Gift (1968) 29 Dec. 1968 Israeli IDF commandos destroy 12 passenger aircraft 2 cargo planes at Beirut International Airport response to attack on:  Israeli Airliner El Al Flight 253 by Palestinian Lebanon-based militant org:  Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) 29 Dec. 1968 Israeli commandos destroy 14 aircraft #Lebanon 12 passenger aircraft + 2 cargo planes @ $43.8 million - British insurers would not cover all https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Israeli_raid_on_Lebanon   ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Yom kuppur War (1973) 20-days Arab states coalition led by Egypt & Syria seek to recapture territories seized by Israel 6-Day War (1967) surprise attack Arab forces defeated no significant territorial changes ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Palestinian Insurgency  - South Lebanon (1971-1982) PLO relocated from Jordan to South Lebanon base for international ops attacks on Galilee, northern Israel Galilee 1948 Arab–Israeli war outcome: nearly the whole of Galilee came under Israel control large portion of the population fled or was forced to leave leaving dozens of entire villages empty large Israeli-Arab community remained based in and near the cities: Nazareth, Acre, Tamra, Sakhnin, & Shefa-'Amr ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Israel response:  Op Litani (1978) first Israel large-scale invasion of Lebanon IDF seek to expel PLO from Lebanon ground & rocket attacks from Lebanon Israel retaliation escalation --> leads to:  Lebanon War (1982) ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Lebanon War (1982) IDF invade southern Lebanon to expel PLO Israeli response to: 1.  terror attacks on northern Israel 2.  assassination attempt against Shlomo Argov, Israel to UK ambassador assassination attempt by:   Abu Nidal org Result: 1) exclusion of PLO from southern Lebanon 2) 'Israeli Security Zone' in southern Lebanon     (ie Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon)     IDF was allied with Christian militias     Israel eventually withdrew troops, May 2000 ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- South Lebanon Conflict (1982-2000) 20 years of warfare Israel IDF + Israel proxy (Lebanese Christian militias) vs. Muslim guerrillas (led by Iran-backed Hezbollah) in Israeli occupied southern Lebanon, claimed as 'security zone' ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- First Intifada (1987-1993) 6 years large-scale Palestinian uprising against Israel West Bank & Gaza Strip ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Second Intifada (2000-2005) large-scale Palestinian uprising against Israel ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Lebanon War (2006) Israeli military op response to abduction x2 Israeli reservists by Hezbollah led to wider confrontation Hezbollah vs IDF UN brokered ceasefire thereafter, Israel lifted naval blockade of Lebanon result: 1)  pacification of southern Lebanon 2)  weakness of Hezbollah (serious casualties) ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Gaza War (2008-2009) Dec-Jan - 3-week armed conflict Israel vs Hamas escalation of Israel-Palestine conflict rocket fire from Gaza Strip Israel response:  Op Cast Lead Op Cast Lead:  surprise Israel air-strike on Gaza Strip Israel attacked: military targets civilian targets police stations government buildings in opening assault ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- 2013 - Peaceful Period x50 rockets by Palestine x10 Israel air-strikes x44 Palestinians killed 100 plus Palestinians injured x6  Israel fatalities (x5 West Bank) x44 Israel injuries  Israel | Palestine 6 / 44 deaths 44 / 100 injuries ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Operation Pillar of Defence (2012) Israel military offensive on Gaza Strip 8-day IDF op killing of Ahmed Jabari, chief Hamas launch of large numbers of Hamas rockets IED explosion on Israeli side of tunnel under Israeli Est Bank barrier Hamas alleges:  IDF attacks on Gaza civilians in lead-up to op Hamas cites:  blockade of Gaza Strip & Occupation West Bank & East Jerusalem as reason for rocket attacks Hamas fired: over 1,456 rockets into Israel Op Pillar of Defence: IDF struck over 1,500 sites in Gaza Strip result:  Israel rockets killed x3 Israeli civilians a home in Kiryat Malachi received a direct hit Palestine UNHCR report: 174 Palestinians were killed 100s wounded large number of families displaced Israeli operation condemned by: Iran Russia Egypt Turkey + several other Arab & Muslim countries ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Operation Brother's Keeper IDF initiated 11-day op in search of x3 kidnapped Israeli teenagers 350 Palestinians arrested arrest of nearly all Hamas West Bank leaders x5 Palestinians killed Hamas denied responsibility for kidnapping suspect confessed under Israel Shin Bet (internal security) heavy torture ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Gaza War (2014) Operation Protective Edge (2014) Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan (lit. Operation Strong Cliff) 50-day war Israel military offensive on Gaza Strip lead-up: kidnap & murder x3 Israeli teenagers kidnap & murder of Palestinian teenager increased rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas J. J. Goldberg, editor Forward:  Israel military indictment contains no evidence of orders from Hamas --> kidnapping organised by lone actors assumed that kidnappers planned prisoner swap Israel kills x2 suspects in shoot-out first suspect (lone-acting, member of Hamas) imprisoned - x3 life terms (+ compensation) Israel targeted destruction of homes of Hamas and other militia members violates international humanitarian law -- > constitute war crimes    [wikipedia] ** this is not full extent of the alleged war crimes 3,700 rockets fired towards Israel 32 Hamas tunnels destroyed by Israel 750 Palestinians - alleged Hamas militants & commanders killed by Israel 2014 Gaza War - COSTS Palestinians killed: 2,139 Palestinian children killed: 490 Israeli soldiers killed: 64 Israeli civilians killed: 6 Israeli children killed: 1 Palestinians wounded: 11,000 Palestinian children wounded: 3,000 Gaza residents displaced: Up to 500,000 Homes destroyed in Gaza: 20,000 Source: UN via Independent:  Independent Other cost:  international aid Israel  |  Palestine 71 dead / 2,193 dead ? wounded  / 11,000 wounded ? displaced / 500,000 displaced https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Israel ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Most of the above info is as per the Wikipedia entries. It's just my summary, in the hope of remembering some of this. Figures haven't been double-checked and I've not looked further  into the war crimes issue. ꕤ

GIF - Ramesses III

ꕤ Ramesses III ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Best with dabke music (press play)  El Dabka-Egypt ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Music Peter Pringle Egyptian Song Link words of song from ancient Egyptian papyrus scroll circa 1500 BC Era of: Tutankhamun Queen Hatshepsut 'heretic king' Akenaten & wife Queen Nefertiti instrument 22string Egyptian New Kingdom harp ('djedjet') *Egyptians only wrote words (not the accompanying music) [ *music after Ramesses III time ]   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntnBuQAvFjA ---------------------- ꕤ ----------------------  Ramesses III (ca. 1185 BC – 1153 BC) Horus name:                Kanakht Aanesyt Nebty name:                Werhebusedmitatjenen Golden Falcon name:   Userrenputmiatum Prenomen:                    Usermaatre-meryamun Nomen:                         Ramesses Heqaiunu http://euler.slu.edu/~bart/egyptianhtml/kings%20and%20Queens/Ramesses_III.html source https://www.preceden.com/timelines/210128-world-civilizations ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Pharaohs Great Five Names 1. The Horus Name | now Serekh Name oldest attested name/title of Egyptian kings consists of three elements: (1) palace façade; (2) Horus falcon standing on it; & (3) name of written within palace façade frame. modern reference:   'serekh name' (*as not all pharoah palace Horus falcon on serekh (palace façade)) Two elements: 1.  sitting or walking figure of deity holding rectangular ornamental illustration of floor-plan of palace façade & royal courtyard. Ornamental illustration called 'serekh' (fm Egyptian 'façade') 2.  Name of Pharaoh written inside free space representing royal courtyard. Most cases, falcon of god Horus was deity on top of serekh. Late Naqada III period (3,200 BC - 3,030 BC) -- kings started to write name inside serekhs 2nd Dynasty at least 2 names contradict Horus tradition: 1)  king Seth-Peribsen - replaced falcon with walking animal of god seth (composite man-animal). (name written in plural, thus addressing both Seth & Horus) 2) likewise:  Sekhemib & Khasekhemwy Khasekhemwy - place both figures of Horus & Seth above serekh (dualism) 2. Nebty name (lit. 'two ladies') 'heraldic' goddesses of Upper & Lower Egypt Nekhbet, patron deity of Upper Egypt, represented by vulture Wadjet, patron deity of Lower Egypt, represented by cobra cartouche or serekh 3. Golden Horus Name form of pharaoh name featuring image of a Horus falcon perched above or beside the hieroglyph for gold triumph of Horus over his uncle Seth; or Horus superior to his foes gold associated with eternity / eternal Horus name of Pharaoh typically not framed by cartouche or serekh 4. Throne name (prenomen) first of the 2 names written inside a cartouche accompanied by title (nsw-bity & var.) ie title, 'She/He of the Sedge & Bee' translated as 'King of Upper & Lower Egypt' (per respective symbols) 5. Personal name (nomen) name given at birth preceded by the title 'Son of Ra' written as:  hieroglyph of a duck (za) adjacent to symbol of sun (for solar god Ra) [ 'son of' must be the duck  ] Modern historians refer to Pharaohs by personal name. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_royal_titulary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horus_name ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Records of the Harem Conspiracy against Ramses III The Judicial Turin Papyrus, Rollin Papyrus and Lee Papyrus http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/judicial_turin_papyrus.htm Some other interesting texts http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/index.html ꕤ

CIA - Rendition - Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr / Abu Omar - ex-CIA, Sabrina De Sousa Held Portugal

ꕤ Article SOURCE http://www.allgov.com/news/us-and-the-world/cia-agent-convicted-in-italy-for-kidnapping-detained-in-portugal-151012?news=857615 CIA Agent Convicted in Italy for Kidnapping Detained in Portugal Back to News submit to reddit Monday, October 12, 2015 A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer who was convicted in absentia for the kidnapping of a terror suspect in Italy was prevented from leaving Portugal and may be sent to Italy to serve her sentence. Sabrina De Sousa was convicted, along with 22 other Americans, of participating in the abduction from a Milan street of Egyptian cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, in 2003. He was taken to Egypt, where he was tortured, according to his wife and Italian prosecutors. He was freed in 2007. De Sousa says she wasn’t involved in the kidnapping, but did serve as an interpreter during its planning stages, according to The Washington Post. Since she and the other Americans—most of them CIA officials— were convicted by the Italian court in 2009, De Sousa has been outspoken in her criticism of the U.S. government’s seeming abandonment of those involved in the kidnapping. She told the Post that she knew that she could be detained by traveling to Portugal, but wanted to bring the matter to a head, either with the United States granting her diplomatic immunity or by Italy reinvestigating the kidnapping or granting her and those also convicted clemency. “This has gone on for 10 years,” De Sousa said. “It’s impacted my life. I’ve got relatives in Europe, and I don’t see any reason to give that up. The rendition should have never taken place, and we were all thrown under the bus for it.” De Sousa expressed surprise that it took Portuguese authorities as long as it did to detain her. “The interesting part of it is the timing,” De Sousa told the Post. “Why now? When I came into Portugal I did not get detained. I have been here for several months and the Italians never asked Portugal to surrender me to Italy. When was it put into their system at the airport? Someone in Italy seemed to know I was traveling.” She said she was prohibited last Monday from leaving the country, but after a court hearing only had to surrender her passport and was not jailed. De Sousa left the CIA in 2009 and sued to get diplomatic immunity to protect her from the Italian charges, but her case was dismissed. Only one other defendant in the case has come close to being extradited. Robert Seldon Lady, who was the CIA’s station chief in Milan at the time of the kidnapping, was detained in Panama two years ago at Italy’s request but was released. One of the defendants, Col. Joseph L. Romano III, a retired Air Force commander, was pardoned by the Italian court in 2013. SOURCE http://www.allgov.com/news/us-and-the-world/cia-agent-convicted-in-italy-for-kidnapping-detained-in-portugal-151012?news=857615 The Rendition Project UK Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, a.k.a. Abu Omar, was born in Egypt in 1963. Having been detained and tortured by the Egyptian regime for his involvement in Egypt’s militant Islamic Group, he was granted political asylum in Italy in 2001. In the lead up to the Iraq war of 2003, he campaigned against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. This sparked surveillance by the Italian authorities of his activities, and investigations into the contacts he kept. The Italian authorities alleged that he was recruiting fighters to go to Iraq and resist the occupation. He denies this.   On 17 February 2003 Nasr was apprehended in Milan by a man in a police uniform. He was bundled into a van where men in balaclavas beat, blindfolded and restrained him. The journey lasted several hours, and on arrival at what is now known to be the US airbase at Aviano, Nasr was prepared for his rendition to Cairo, via the Ramstein airbase in Germany. Common with other rendition victims, his clothes were cut off, a suppository was forcibly inserted into his rectum, his head was taped leaving holes only for his mouth and nose, and he was forced onto a CIA-contracted Gulfstream IV jet with registration number N85VM, operated by Richmor Aviation.  EXTRACT - SOURCE http://www.therenditionproject.org.uk/prisoners/abu-omar.html ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT These people don't deserve immunity or clemency, but they'll get it because we live in a corrupt world in which corruption and might is right. Even if this guy had been organising a resistance to the 2003 US invasion, how does that make him a 'terrorist' when the US invasion of Iraq was illegal and on false pretexts? Robert Seldon Lady was released by Panama and Col. Joseph L. Romano III was pardoned by Italy, so I don't see Italy playing hard ball regarding De Sousa. Everybody's corrupt, but I get the impression that Italy and Latin America are that bit extra corrupt and somehow linked and closely linked to the US and CIA, so why are they even bothering to go through this farce of convicting the CIA? Found the torture and rape of this guy rather disturbing. ꕤ

"How Sweden Collaborated With CIA on Renditions & Framing of Assange" | Saley, Osewe & Goss

How Sweden Collaborated With CIA on Renditions and Framing of Assange By Feature Article    NEWS JUNKIE POST Dec 19, 2012 at 5:54 pm By Rafik Saley, Okoth Osewe, and John Goss By his own admission, Sweden’s Ambassador to Australia Mr. Sven-Olof Petersson had advance knowledge of the CIA rendition flight that took place on December 18, 2001 from Stockholm to Egypt. This flight ended in Egyptian nationals Ahmed Agiza and Muhammad al-Zery being illegally rendered and tortured. Mr. Petersson’s admission comes from a statement to the Swedish Parliament’s Constitutional Committee, confirming that he attended a briefing on December 17, 2001 at which the rendition process was finalized. Moreover, the Constitutional Committee’s report shows that he knew about the renditions at the end of November and probably even in mid-November. In fact, it was he who kept Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh updated on the progress of deportation arrangements with the CIA in November 2001.[i] Petersson was then Sweden’s Director General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[ii] Illegal and unconstitutional decisions of this sort, made behind closed doors, show contempt for the Swedish legal system, which has been further denigrated by attempts to get Wikileaks founder Julian Assange flown to Sweden on flimsy allegations of a sexual nature, from where, concerned parties believe the CIA would pick him up and put him on trial in the United States. Ironically, it was through Wikileaks that the world learned about the diplomatic tiff between the US and Sweden that brought an end to Swedish rendition in 2006.[iii] As the Director General for Political Affairs, Mr. Petersson was in regular contact with the US Embassy in Stockholm and was aware of the US request that two Egyptian nationals be illegally rendered.[iv] The rendition went ahead without protest or representation on behalf of the victims, and no one in the Swedish government has been made accountable for this flagrant breach of the law. An admission of Sweden’s culpability can be found in the SEK 3 million (about $458,000) compensation paid to each of the two men after their eventual release.[v] This “hush money” appears to have paid for the non-disclosure of the identities of the Swedish representatives who sought assurances from Cairo prior to the men’s rendition.[vi] Not only Petersson, but also Minister of Justice Thomas Bodström and then Foreign Minister Anna Lindh knew about the renditions.[vii] Thomas Bodström spent a year in the US between 2010 – 2011, purportedly for rehabilitation in connection with alcohol and substance abuse, while he was a partner in the legal firm Borgström & Bodström. It would be lax not to point out to readers that Claes Borgström is the lawyer who was called upon to prosecute Julian Assange over allegations that had previously been dismissed. Further, Borgström is known to be friendly with Irmeli Krans, the police interrogator who took SW’s original statement against Assange. Irmeli Krans, in turn, is friendly with the other complainant, AA, who, it is said, illegally sat in on Irmeli Krans’ interview of SW. [viii] The rendered Egyptians, both of whom were asylum seekers, were returned to Egypt despite Sweden’s Aliens Act (1989) that forbids repatriation to a country where nationals are likely to be tortured. It was well known even then that Egypt uses torture against political prisoners.[ix] The torture of both men on the flight to Egypt, included them being hooded, handcuffed and strapped down. The brutality of the torture in Egypt was captured in a comment by Mr. Agiza who noted that the interrogators routinely beat him, strapped him to a wet mattress and subjected him to electric shock through electrodes attached to his ear lobes, nipples, and genitals.[x] Mr. Petersson´s statements to the Australian media on the impartiality of the Swedish legal system ring hollow when judged against his prior personal involvement in renditions. Even more disturbing is the fact that they have been echoed by Australian Foreign minister Bob Carr. The adoption of the statements shows a lack of judgment on Carr’s part and brings the Australian government’s foreign policy under scrutiny. Carr has urged Assange to travel to Sweden and claimed that it was unlikely that he would be extradited.[xi] Recent statements by EU Home Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmström, urging Mr. Assange to “just go to Sweden” have the same hollow ring.[xii] Malmström has worked closely with US interests in Sweden and elsewhere in adopting harsh measures to stifle free speech in Europe. She purports to know nothing about the Assange case. On the other hand, her partiality and close affinity to the United States are demonstrated by her recent joint briefing with US attorney general Eric Holder.[xiii] She has also co-authored an article with him.[xiv] The question on every reasonable person’s lips is: why can’t the Swedish government “just give Mr. Assange the diplomatic guarantees that he has asked for?” In light of Sweden´s complicity in illegal rendition right up to 2006, a diplomatic guarantee to Assange that he won’t be extradited to the US is of integral importance. After all, the Swedish government has the final say in the matter and, if its past history in illegal renditions is anything to go by, Assange’s fears about extradition or rendition to the United States are justifiable. The Swedish Ambassador accuses Sydney Morning Herald columnist Elizabeth Farrelly of having no knowledge of Sweden.[xv] It is imperative that the columnist learns about Sweden and its foreign policy of the past 20 years, so she might pass on the sinister dealings to her readership. Until recent years, Sweden had a peace policy of which to be proud. For 150 years, the country abstained from war and, in 1966, to celebrate this highly-enviable record, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) was established. After Sweden started cooperating with NATO, the situation began to change.[xvi] Not long afterwards, the Swedish military became involved in world conflicts, and more recently it has looked poised for greater involvement.[xvii] This is not the old Sweden but a new country that demonstrates an unparalleled hypocrisy in its international relations. This trend continues in the refusal by authorities to grant Assange the reasonable assurances that he seeks. Prominent international supporters of Mr. Assange, like Baltasar Garzon, John Pilger, Michael Moore, and Jemima Khan are ridiculed in Sweden today. In addition to the recent changes in foreign and domestic policy, the third largest political party in the country, called Sweden Democrats (SD), has made massive gains during the last elections, despite openly calling for the repatriation of immigrants from Sweden. The SD party enjoyed a 10%  parliamentary share of the vote, which translated into 20 Parliamentary seats. The Swedish government seems to be following the direction of the SD party, especially in its foreign policy positions, which are increasingly pro-American and anti-democratic. Because of Sweden’s pro-American stance on key political issues, a legal system has developed with multiple loopholes that could easily be exploited to Assange’s disadvantage. This legal framework is constitutionally racist against foreigners, especially when they contest ethnic Swedish nationals of the cherished blond-haired, blue-eyed Nordic model. Most worrying of all, Sweden’s history of hypocrisy, lopsidedness and double-speak in dealings with the international community highlights the risk that Julian Assange would be in physical danger if extradited to Sweden from the UK. Under such circumstances, it is reasonable for him to seek unequivocal diplomatic assurances that he would not be extradited to the US if he agrees to go to Sweden for questioning. Despite the pressures from the United States and other pro-western governments, the Republic of Ecuador has granted political asylum to Mr. Assange. On the other hand, the United Kingdom has hindered the free movement of Mr. Assange even though the same government blocked the extradition to Spain of the late Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Mr. Pinochet was wanted for the murder of 94 Spanish citizens and many other charges of torture and rape against his own people. Although Julian Assange is an Australian citizen, the Australian government has refused to protect him and has instead accommodated Swedish Ambassador Sven-Olof Petersson, who supports rendition and torture. This is unacceptable in a free, democratic and transparent society. Editor’s Notes: Rafik Saley is general secretary of the African Committee for Development in Stockholm, Sweden; Okoth Osewe writes for Kenya Stockholm Blog; John Goss is a writer and researcher, United Kingdom. SOURCE (WITH CITATIONS & LINKS) http://newsjunkiepost.com/2012/12/19/how-sweden-collaborated-with-cia-on-renditions-and-framing-of-assange/#sthash.VTKJNK95.dpuf  ---------------------- ꕤ  ----------------------  COMMENT  This article totally blows me away.  ꕤ

FOREIGN SERVICE UPDATES

-- #Libya Diplomatic row arrest & detention of Sudan’s Consul-General in Libya / unauthorised visits to military prison #Libya Relations with #Sudan have been strained since Libya Dawn forced the Thinni givt to quit Tripoli #Libya Sudan publicly supports Thinni govt (Tobruk) BUT may quietly support Libya Dawn (Tripoli) accused of: arms + supplies provision Ban on Sudanese visiting #Libya lifted 6 wks ago {ban b/c fear visiting 'terrorists'} 2wks ago:  attaché at Sudanese embassy in Tripoli briefly kidnapped. Reason unknown. http://www.libyaherald.com/2015/04/09/diplomatic-row-over-detention-of-sudanese-consul/ -- #Libya rival forces warn Thinni govt against independent oil sales / will seize oil ports + facilities by force any attempt by Thinni to sell oil bypassing central bank + National Oil Corporation (NOC) will trigger military action. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/04/08/uk-libya-security-idUKKBN0MZ0EX20150408 -- #Libya Mar 15 al-Thinni accused #Turkey of sending weapons to Islamist rivals / terrorist militias in #Tripoli http://nationalinterest.org/feature/turkeys-secret-proxy-war-libya-12430 #Libya Mar 2015 proxy war > Egypt & UAE reportedly backing  al-Thinni (Tobruk, West recog.) >#Qatar + #Turkey back opposition NOTE Thinni govt = Tobruk (the West-backed interim govt - lost control) http://nationalinterest.org/feature/turkeys-secret-proxy-war-libya-12430 VIDEO Putin: Who gave NATO right to kill Gaddafi? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw5Ij_RFJ1Q ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ VIDEO Gaddafi: From Popular Hero to Isolated Dictator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4JbOlakWZo -- Qatar Bangladesh ambassador to Qatar / recalled http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/apr/11/ambassador-qatar-pays-conflicts-among-ruling-party-leaders -- Qatar Capital: Doha Pop: 2.169 million 2013 GDP per capita: 93,714.06 USD 2013 accepted 90,000 #Bangladesh workers in 2014 [dhakatribune] Qatar 2013 - foreign workers total:  1,449,234 Labour market info:  http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/32431/GLMM_ExpNote_08-2014.pdf?sequence=1 #Qatar - oil / gas+ low pop. = high GDP. One of world's biggest LNG exporters in past decade Diversification *INFRASTRUCTURE*  Qatar Qatar's non-hydrocarbon sector fuels 2015 economy http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-31809-qatars-non-hydrocarbon-sector-fuels-2015-economy/ COMMENT Still have trouble remembering the two governments, so there's more than my standard look ups.  But I'm not keeping a close watch on Libya and just take an interest as random articles come up, so it's easy to forget where things fit. Massive number of foreign workers in Qatar.  Massive GDP.  Small population.  Economy has broadened its base, which is a bonus now that oil prices have plunged ... but it's not like Qatar would go broke.  From prior checks, their economy is in substantial surplus.  Loads of expenditure on infrastructure, which means foreign companies are probably making big money there. I like looking at Putin and I find Gaddafi fascinating, so I've thrown in a couple of the videos I've viewed.  Had no idea Gaddafi's family were Bedouin.  Knew that there was some kind of IRA link and I was surprised by that because Ireland's such a long way from his desert oasis.  Don't know a whole lot about that.  Arms supply, I think it was.  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ PS  .... that video didn't show enough of Putin.  And, as usual, we can't hear him properly!  I don't care if I can't understand; I want to hear him speaking without the volume turned down and commentary laid over the top.  Can't be that hard to do a few basic written translations at the bottom of the screen.