Dems Won’t Fund GITMO Closure; Fear Terrorists in Their Neighborhoods

May 19th, 2009 - by: danny

Headlines:

• USA TODAY: Diplomats On The Speakers Circuit

“Two diplomats appointed recently to run key aspects of President Obama’s foreign policy earned hefty fees last year consulting for financial firms and giving speeches, their newly released financial disclosure statements show.”

Hmmm. How much was paid to Dennis Ross and Richard Holbrooke? READ FULL STORY HERE

• Congressional Black Caucus Fasts For Darfur

Inspired by actress Mia Farrow, following her doctor’s orders and ending her own 12-day hunger strike, members of Congress announced Tuesday that they were beginning a limited hunger strike to show solidarity with the people in Sudan’s Darfur region and demand President Barack Obama’s help in ending the suffering there.

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GIT-none:

“WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s allies in the Senate will not provide funds to close the Guantanamo Bay prison next January, a top Democratic official said Tuesday.” READ FULL STORY HERE

• Interesting. The Dems will debate the request to spend taxpayer money to cover Iraq and Afghanistan but will deny the Pentagon and the Justice Department $80 million to relocate the Gitmo detainees. The Dems WILL revisit the topic ONLY if they are satisfied by what they consider adequate safeguards. Pity they do not use this same litmus test for the Banksters. — dissectrix

• This is such a bogus concern. We have scores of high security units in prisons and special such institutions that have had no escapes. Al Jazeera reports that least one town wants the GITMO “graduates.” DS: Hardin, Montana has an empty prison that it wants to fill.

MILITARY BUDGET CLIMBS

Meanwhile, even before the meeting, US military aid to Israel went up along with a boots to the Pentagon as Sherwood Ross explains:

“It’s not as though for eight years the Bush Pentagon hadn’t nearly outspent the rest of the world combined on designing deadlier weapons and employing them in illegal wars. Obama’s new $664 billion Pentagon budget is $21 billion higher (four percent) than the final Bush budget. It includes $65 billion for Afghanistan and $61 billion for Iraq. Why?READ FULL STORY HERE

THE PROMISED LAND

Now, back to “how” rather than “discuss” Israel’s stance toward the Palestinians, Netanyahu has been waving the flag of fear focusing on the threat from Iran, a tested way of raising support and delecting criticism and pressure:

• Israel bombs Gaza after Sderot rocket attack

• Al Jazerra: Hillary Clinton urges stop to “any kind of settlement activity” and a move towards two states.

• Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Discuss Peace Process

• WSJ: On Obama/Netanyahu Talks: Obama, Bibi Split on Tactics

• DailyBeast.com: How went President Obama’s meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday?

Hamas response as reported in Israeli conservative newspaper:

• Jerusalem Post Staff Writers | Jpost.com: Obama’s Remarks Were Meant to Deceive the World

Reaction of Christian Zionists:

• Nathan Jones | The Christ in Prophecy Journal: Iran Says Only 11 Days to Destroy Israel

• J.J. Goldberg | CJR: “Trust” — One story from Gaza and what it says about the coverage of Israel