"Those who are capable of tyranny are capable of perjury to sustain it."

"Those who are capable of tyranny are capable of perjury to sustain it." - Lysander Spooner -  1808 -1887

"The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information. With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power." -  Henry A. Wallace - The 33rd Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Commerce.  1988 - 1965

"The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history." - George Orwell

"It is always a much easier task to educate uneducated people than to re-educate the mis-educated." -  Herbert M. Shelton, Getting Well

"The American people are free to do exactly what they are told." -  Ward Churchill 

Common Anti-Gun Arguments

1) The 2nd Amendment is “outdated” and no longer relevant in today’s modern society.

2) We do not want to stop you from “defending yourself”, or interfere with the American tradition of hunting, but people do not need “military assault weapons” for either.

3) Your claimed freedom to own guns should not supersede my freedom to live without fear of guns. We exist in a society, and our society requires us to give up certain freedoms so that it can function.

gunz:  To respond briefly to each of the above fallacies:

1) The right to self defense from ANY threat, whether it be an individual, or a criminal government, does not “outdate”. It is a universal and eternal freedom. It is a foundational pillar of natural law. Even if the 2nd Amendment did not exist, I would still have the inborn right to arm and protect myself and those I love, and the best way to do that is to own firearms. The men who drafted the Constitution were far more intelligent than any pithy gun grabber today, yet, these socialist errand boys seem to believe that they have “surpassed” the wisdom of the Founders. The amount of ego required to fuel such an attitude boggles the mind…

Gun violence and violence in general will not end simply by banning firearms. The very idea that any society can remove all weapons from their sight is naïve to begin with. Criminals always find a way. Murder, rape, and mayhem will continue until you confront the root problem, which is the human mind, and the human heart. Only when these two things are balanced in all people will violence end. Disarming good men and women has never made a society “safer”. When the power of defense is removed from the people, someone, somewhere, will seek to abuse their weakness. The most armed entity of the time invariably becomes the subjugator, and usually this is the government. Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, etc, all contained disarmed populations. The guns were gone, and still millions upon millions died. Modern day Mexico is a perfect example of a disarmed population that is now living in terror because of criminal organizations (which, of course, still have guns). Disarmament does NOT end gun violence, it only changes the dynamic of who uses that violence, and it makes innocent victims easier to attack.

2) Because the legal argument over the “interpretation” of the 2nd Amendment is essentially over, and the Supreme Court has ruled that gun rights do indeed apply to individuals, and not just collective bodies like the National Guard, gun grabbers are now reverting to the argument that we ARE allowed to defend ourselves with firearms, but the kinds of firearms we are able to use can still be limited. The goal of this argument is to fool gun owners who only possess conventional firearms (hunting rifles) into believing that they will not be personally affected if they support a ban on military style weapons. These wishy-washy hunting enthusiasts are often referred to as “Elmer Fudds” because of their gullibility.

All gun confiscation programs start by chipping away at the outer barriers of gun ownership. Like termites slowly chewing away at the wooden skeleton of a home, anti-gun proponents start small and end by destroying the entire edifice. Anyone who believes Feinstein’s legislation will begin and end with AR-15’s and AK-47’s is living in fantasy land. That said, the 2nd Amendment was not established for hunting purposes. Nowhere in the writings of the Founding Fathers do they mention “hunting” as their primary concern. Instead, gun rights are protected in order to ensure that the citizenry remains dominant over any centralized government that turns to corruption. We are supposed to police our own political leaders, and without military style arms, this becomes increasingly difficult.

American International news..............sold-out!!  means nothing in USA

Loneliness is creeping in. You've pushed beyond the limits of exhaustion. Your bones ache and tears have dried to your face.

You can't go on like this.

Then, the letters arrive. At first, just a few. Then, day by day, they grow. Soon, beautiful messages scrawled on colorful paper and decorative cards fill your world. These are letters written by people in nearby cities and far away countries. They are messages of support and solidarity, hope and inspiration, and strength and motivation from people you don't even know. They are messages written to both you and those who have imprisoned you.

At that moment, you realize that these aren't just letters - they are life lines. You feel free again.

Today, we officially kick-off Write #4Rights, our annual Global Write-a-thon. This is the time of year we ask you, our supporters, to build upon Amnesty's now 51-year tradition and incredible history of writing letters to save lives. We've selected 10 powerful cases of groups and individuals who could use your support in the form of a letter. Please take the pledge to write a letter and possibly, save a life.

Any friend of Amnesty International can tell you what we mean when we talk about "the power of the letter". It has driven our work from the very start.

When our founder, Peter Benenson, heard that two students from Portugal had been jailed for drinking a toast to freedom, apathy was not an option. Instead, he put pen to paper. He asked readers of The Observer newspaper's editorial section to write and mail letters to governments on the behalf of prisoners of conscience like these two Portuguese students - at the time, a truly groundbreaking concept.

He certainly didn't know it then, but that editorial would become the foundation for the greatest human rights movement in history - Amnesty International.

Today, we continue to revolutionize how we write for human rights. We tweet, we text, we email and we post. These tools have become essential to building momentum, amplifying our message and strengthening our impact.

Even though our toolkit for effective human rights advocacy has grown, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, compares to the power of the letter. Year after year, we see the proof. From the release of an Azerbaijani blogger jailed for posting on Facebook to winning freedom for a journalist sentenced to hard labor for criticizing the Sri Lankan government, these are the results we see when together, we put pen to paper and write for rights!

Won't you join us? Take the pledge now to Write #4Rights.

In Solidarity,

Suzanne Nossel
Executive Director
Amnesty International USA

ACTIVIST POST FEATURED ARTICLES

Activist Post Writing Contest Announcement: Solutions
University Uses Tesla Technology to Wirelessly Charge Electric Bus
UPDATE: Iran Releases Video of Captured US Drone
Activist Post

Plan for Redundancy. Plan for Redundancy.
Dan & Sheila Gendron

Comprehensive Scientific Study Calculates the Cost of Geoengineering
Brandon Turbeville

California Dreaming: Bankruptcy, Pensions and Taxes
James Hall

The U.S. Senate rejects the UN Convention on Disability Rights
Janet Phelan

TSA - new watch list for those not worrisome enough for bloated no-fly list
Madison Ruppert

From Tomb To Table: Cumin's Health Benefits Rediscovered
Sayer Ji

Don't Survive the "Collapse" - Prevent It
NATO Missiles in Turkey to Point at Syria
Tony Cartalucci

New Must-See Videos

University Uses Tesla Technology to Wirelessly Charge Electric Bus

Don't Survive the "Collapse" - Prevent It

How They Fake Terrorism to Manufacture Fear

Why Silver is the Best Christmas Gift

Who's Responsible for Governing Social Justice?

Why Marijuana is Illegal - Joe Rogan


Today's Forum Topics

NATO Official "Suicided" - Mind Control Again?

Preparing For and Surviving a Fire in Your Home

Fascism, Anyone? Google Chief Likely for Cabinet Post

Other Key Articles From Around the Web

Newly Released Drone Records Reveal Extensive Military Flights in US

Is a Global Gold Supply Crunch Forming?

Another BBC presenter arrested for assaulting children: Stuart Hall

Chicago Cop Shoots Puppy, Calmly Finishes Writing Parking Ticket

Breast Milk, Not Formula, Offers Protection Against SIDS

Arizona judge upholds medical marijuana law

Government Issues Statement Debunking End of the World: “Just Rumors”

Experts: Restrict Troops Access to Guns to Reduce Suicides

Scientists warn of sperm count crisis

Security Obsession Over Curiosity's Findings Drives 100 Scientists from NASA

Verizon filed a patent for a DVR that can watch and listen to you

Please visit the Activist Post Archive to read more than 3,500 other original articles
 

Thank You For Signing Up!

Activist Post would like to voice our gratitude to our readers, as well as thank those who have purchased items from our site.  It is this type of support that keeps us growing steadily, with tens of thousands of visitors per day.  We also would like to thank everyone who links to us, as well as those who send us news tips and suggestions; you are helping spread the word of liberty.  And a very special thank you to our contributing writers who add an essential diversity.

Our daily newsletter aggregates our original articles, news from around the Web, and special content that you won't find anywhere else. Please stay tuned to our Twitter feed, Facebook, and YouTube Channel for other original content . . .  there is much more to come.

Thank you to those who continue to support us with purchases at Amazon.com

OUR MISSION AND HOW YOU CAN BECOME ACTIVE

We want to help contribute to the mass awakening that is taking place.  The mainstream media is part of a system that aims to keep people ignorant and unquestioning.  It is essential that information continues to flow from the alternative media, so that opposing viewpoints can be heard.  The global movement toward Internet censorship is troubling.  We are optimistic, though, because history shows that all attempts to oppress free humanity are doomed to failure.  However, we can no longer remain passive; the period of cold, creeping tyranny that legislates its way into power is over.  When oppression reaches this "hot" stage, we need activists.  The next period will be defined by how well we are able to overcome our conditioning and resist what we know in our hearts is the wrong course.  You can become active through education, spreading the word, but, most importantly, practice what you preach.  Tyranny is no match for freedom.

Liberty, Love, and Peace will Prevail!

'West Moves in for Syrian Endgame and War on Iran'

By Finian Cunningham

The American-led propaganda war on Syria seems to be moving towards the endgame of providing the political cover for direct Western military attack on that unfortunate country.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33228.htm

Video: Doomsday for Iran? US Tests EMP Bomb

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Boeing has successfully tested an EMP missile that could be doomsday for Iran; media have largely ignored the development.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33238.htm

Video of the American Drone Captured By Iran

Video

Iran has captured a US ScanEagle drone again over the Persian Gulf waters upon its intrusion into the Iranian airspace.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33234.htm

Israel's West Bank Settlements Violate International Law

By Amnesty International

"This announcement sends a strong signal to the world that the current Israeli government has no respect for human rights and international law."
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33235.htm

The US and Israel: a Short Quiz on 'Rogue Nation' Status

By Glenn Greenwald

A series of events just from this week makes clear who is actually violating the consensus of the international community.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33230.htm

Are Israel's Jews, Some of Them, on Their Way to Becoming Nazis?

By Alan Hart

"Zionism is to modern enlightened Judaism what Nazism was to Germany's traditional ethical values."
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33226.htm

Leveson's Punch And Judy Show Masks Hacking On A Scale You Can Barely Imagine

By John Pilger

To the "national security state", of which the US is the pioneer and model, "perpetual war" is a given; and the public are the enemy -- not terrorists.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33227.htm

Laptop Seizures by US Government Highlight 9/11-Era Climate of Fear

By Glenn Greenwald

A nation in which liberties are systematically abused - in which limitations on state power are ignored without consequence - is one which gives rise to a climate of fear.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33229.htm

Why I Don't Want to Be a West Point Graduate

By Blake Page

Countless officers here and throughout the military are guilty of blatantly violating the oaths they swore to defend the Constitution. These men and women are criminals.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33233.htm

For Pete's Sake, What's Happened to Our Democracy?

By Sam Pizzigati

One billionaire has the wherewithal to totally redirect America's political discourse.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33231.htm

Five facts about America's pathological wealth distribution

By Paul Buchheit

We're close to being the most unequal country in the world.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33236.htm

Climate Change
UN Secretary-general Says World is in a Race Against Time

By Al-Jazeera

The UN says climate change will cost developing countries up to $67 billion each year by 2030. Tarek Bazley reports from Doha, Qatar.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33232.htm

Hard News  

   

20 FARC rebels killed as deadline set for peace deal: Colombian leftist rebels faced on Monday a new deadline for striking a peace deal with the government after President Juan Manuel Santos warned they have less than a year to reach a negotiated end to Latin America's longest-running insurgency.
http://is.gd/N5tw9e

Militants kill 12 soldiers in Somalia: Officials: Islamist extremists attacked an army post in northeastern Somalia, killing 12 soldiers in one of the deadliest attacks in recent months by the al-Qaeda-linked group, al-Shabab, an official said Wednesday.
http://is.gd/qbuXOp

Turkish forces kill 13 Kurdish militants near Syria border: Turkish troops and attack helicopters pounded Kurdish militants near the border with Syria, killing 13 militants and capturing five others, the regional governor's office said on Wednesday.
http://is.gd/v9HUfo

6 killed as deadly clashes errupt in Lebanon's Tripoli: The fighting on Tuesday and Wednesday in the port city has pitted Sunni Muslim districts against areas housing Alawites, from the same religious community as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
http://is.gd/FFyoS1

Clinton Expresses Support for New Syrian (puppet) Opposition Coalition: "Now that there is a new opposition formed, we are going to be doing what we can to support that opposition," Clinton said in Brussels. "I am looking forward to the friends of the Syrian people meeting next week in Marrakesh, where we will explore with like-minded countries what we can do to bring this conflict to an end."
http://is.gd/pUa9s1

Thousands of US troops arrive near Syrian shore on USS Eisenhower: The USS Eisenhower, an American aircraft carrier that holds eight fighter bomber squadrons and 8,000 men, arrived at the Syrian coast yesterday in the midst of a heavy storm, indicating US preparation for a potential ground intervention.
http://rt.com/usa/news/us-eisenhower-syria-military-369/

Maliki 'punished' Turkey for relations with Kurdish region: In a way that is not considered diplomatically appropriate, the Iraqi central government denied permission for the plane carrying Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz to land in Arbil on Tuesday, an act which analysts take as a reaction by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to Turkey's policies in the region.
http://is.gd/baJ4gX

Israel rejects UN call for nuclear transparency: Israel has rebuffed a UN call to adhere to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and open itself to international inspectors, calling the suggestion a "meaningless mechanical vote" of a body that "lost all its credibility regarding Israel."
http://rt.com/news/israel-rejects-un-nuclear-transparency-298/

Palestinians: settlement expansion means 1 state: The Israeli plans for Jerusalem and nearby West Bank areas "are the most dangerous in the history of settlement expansion and apartheid," Abbas and senior members of the PLO and his Fatah movement said in a statement after a meeting Tuesday evening.
http://is.gd/cDyDiq

Abbas: Israel's settlement plans in area E-1 are a 'red line': Palestinians contact UN chief to sound out possibilities for Security Council resolution against Israeli settlement expansion.
http://is.gd/FzEysG

EU summons Israeli ambassador over settlement expansion concerns:
Israel moved forward on Wednesday with plans to build some 3,000 settler homes in one of the most sensitive areas of the occupied West Bank, in defiance of international protests.
http://is.gd/XuYoZd

Israel accuses US of backing European settlement backlash: Israel has accused its closest ally, the United States, of endorsing a concerted European backlash against its plans to expand settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
http://is.gd/BdUjnQ

Egypt summons Israeli ambassador over settlement expansion: The ministry's Israel department head, Alaa Eddin Youssef, has called the ambassador to voice Egypt's objection to the expansion move as "a violation to the land-for-peace principle" and a hurdle to efforts made for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, according to spokesperson Amr Roshdy.
http://is.gd/8lhj0F

Four Afghan boys killed by British occupation force troops: British forces have been accused of killing four boys at close range in an operation in Afghanistan.
http://is.gd/FoMUTF

US Military Says Killing Afghan Children Is Fair Game: According to the Military Times, the US military includes children on their list of who they're allowed to murder with impunity.
http://is.gd/Zahzhm

Unconfirmed report:
US Troops Attack Afghan Village, Rape Women: The US forces in Afghanistan raided a village and raped a large group of women, Afghan media reports disclosed on Sunday.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9107123738

Afghanistan Tops Most Corrupt Countries Index: Afghanistan is perceived to have one of the most corrupt public sectors in the world out of 176 countries surveyed, according to a report from Transparency International released Wednesday.
http://is.gd/RO1pHV

Two Pakistani soldiers killed as troops foil suicide attack: At least two Pakistani soldiers were killed and four others injured today during an attempt by a pair of suicide bombers in an explosives-laden vehicle to blow up an army camp in the restive South Waziristan tribal region
http://is.gd/7vU8Ia

Two police shot dead in Nigeria as bombs hit bus: Attackers threw homemade bombs at a bus, a blast went off near a police station and two policemen were shot dead in a spate of attacks in the Nigerian city of Kano, officials said on Wednesday.
http://is.gd/3uBKiE

At least one killed as anti-Mursi protests flare outside Cairo's presidential palace: First death reported in Egypt as clashes exploded Wednesday night between supporters and foes of President Mohamed Mursi outside the presidential palace.
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/05/253544.html

Egypt's opposition blames president for violence: "Today what is happening in the Egyptian street, polarisation and division, is something that could and is actually drawing us to violence and could draw us to something worse," said opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei.
http://is.gd/Pj5pDE

3 members of Mursi's Advisory council quit: Seif Abdel Fattah, Ayman al-Sayyad and Amr al-Leithy all tendered their resignations, bringing to six the number of presidential staff who have quit in the wake of a decree that has triggered countrywide violence.
http://is.gd/Y6zi3B

Arab Spring nations slip in corruption index: Egypt falls six places and Syria 15 but Libya manages slight improvement in Transparency International's league table.
http://is.gd/0Nr1qk

Iran tells US to 'recount' drones: Iran's Revolutionary Guards is telling the United States to "recount" the drones in its fleet as it insists that -- despite US denials -- it captured a small US unmanned spy plane over Gulf waters, Iranian media said Wednesday.
http://is.gd/YGTdy1

Drone in Iran Appears to Be U.S.-Made, Pentagon Says: The drone Iran says it captured appears to be a U.S.-made ScanEagle, Pentagon spokesman George Little said, in a change from the initial U.S. rejection of the Iranian claim.
http://is.gd/Fd9jtp

Iran to take US to international court over intercepted spy drone: Iran has threatened international legal action against Washington over its alleged interception of a US spy drone. Tehran claims it has evidence of illegal spying on Iran's nuclear program to present to an international court.
http://rt.com/news/iran-sue-us-drone-329/

Majority of homeless Iraq and Afghanistan vets have PTSD: A new Yale study looks at the demographics of homeless vets and finds care lacking
http://is.gd/ToUU1x

Coast Guardsman is killed after suspected smugglers ram his boat: A veteran U.S. Coast Guard chief petty officer was killed Sunday after suspected smugglers rammed his vessel near Santa Cruz Island, casting him into the ocean with a fatal head wound.
http://is.gd/MXXyap

NDAA 2013 still allows for military detention within the US: "It would not make America off-limits to the military being used to imprison civilians without charge or trial," he writes, "...because its focus on protections for citizens and green-card holders implies that non-citizens could be militarily detained."
http://rt.com/usa/news/ndaa-military-detention-2013-365/

U.S. is Only Developed County where Younger Generation will Receive Less Education than their Parents: Today, only about 20% of young adults will reach a higher level of education than their parents, a rate that's among the lowest rates in the developed world
http://is.gd/daS9ja

The US Government Today Has More Data On The Average American Than The Stasi Did On East Germans:
Much of that data seems to be collected illegally with little oversight... and with absolutely no security benefit.
http://is.gd/KI5f4j

Hackers net €36m in Europe banking attack: Hackers have stolen more than €36m from 30 banks across Europe using a new two-stage Trojan virus that spreads from a victim's PC to their mobile phone.
http://is.gd/rTiske

Citigroup Announces 11,000 Job Cuts : The move by new CEO Michael Corbat will save $900m (£559m ) in 2013, and more in subsequent years. Citigroup shares rose 4% on the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the news, to $35.62.
http://is.gd/XCgMcl  

STUDENTS AT RISK OF TORTURE FOLLOWING MARCH

"Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing great - greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our great natural resources....

And finally, in our progress towards a resumption of work, we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of the old order. There must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments. There must be an end to speculation with other people's money. And there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency. These, my friends, are the lines of attack."  - Franklin Delano Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933.

         

by Zen Gardner
If this isn’t evidence of corporate collusion at work, nothing is. Mussolini captured the essence of this kind of corporatocracy in a little word that once had a negative connotation. Does it any more?
The marriage of government and corporations is defined as fascism.
Here’s the news:

Treasury Secretary Google?

other98 has uploaded Exxon Hates Your Children.

Exxon Hates Your Children by other98

FINALLY: A TV ad that tells it like it is: EXXON HATES YOUR CHILDREN. Go to ExxonHatesYourChildren.com if you want to see it on national television!

All Images and Information found at the Links Below, with gratitude.

TODAY's LINKS:
Interstellar Magnetic Highway: http://www.space.com/18743-voyager-spacecraft-solar-system-edge.html AND http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/03dec_voyager1/
Bopha: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20604423

REPEAT LINKS:

WORLD WEATHER:
NDBC Buoys: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
Tropical Storms: http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
HurricaneZone Satellite Images: http://www.hurricanezone.net/westpacific/animations.html
Weather Channel: http://www.weather.com/
NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory: http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/Default.php
Pressure Maps: http://www.woweather.com/cgi-bin/expertcharts?LANG=us&MENU=0000000000&CONT=glob&MODELL=gfs&MODELLTYP=1&BASE=-&VAR=pslv&HH=0&ARCHIV=0&PANEL=0&ZOOM=0&PERIOD=
Satellite Maps: http://www.woweather.com/cgi-app/satellite?LANG=us&CONT=namk
Forecast Maps: htt





UA 347/12        4 December 2012        URGENT ACTION                ASA 37/014/2012
STUDENTS AT RISK OF TORTURE FOLLOWING MARCH
SRI LANKA
P. Tharshananth; Sanmugam Solaman; Kanesamoorthy Sutharsan; K. Jenemajeyamenan (all m)
Four students were arrested on 1 December in Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka, by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) of the police. They are being held in Vavuniya for interrogation and are at risk of torture.  
P. Tharshananth, Sanmugam Solaman, Kanesamoorthy Sutharsan and K. Jenemajeyamenan were arrested without warrants in Jaffna. It is not known if they have been formally charged. Sri Lankan media reports that they are being questioned about their alleged involvement in a petrol bomb attack on the office of a local political organisation, as well as their involvement in organising demonstrations. There are concerns for their well-being given evidence of the persistent use of torture in TID custody.
Their arrests come after several days of student protests following efforts by the security forces to suppress peaceful commemorations of Maaveerar Naal (Heroes Day), a day of remembrance established by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). On 27 November security forces broke up a lamp lighting ceremony at the women’s hostel at Jaffna University, reportedly breaking lamps, threatening students and pointing weapons at them. The following day students responded with a silent protest and short march and held placards denouncing the restrictions on freedom of expression. At least 20 undergraduates were injured and beaten by riot police and officers in civilian dress, including Sanmugam Solaman. Security forces allege that the students had thrown stones at them, prompting them to react; university staff told local media that the event was peaceful until the authorities attacked the marchers.
Please write immediately in English or your own language:
* Expressing concern for the safety and wellbeing of the four students (naming them);
* Calling on the Sri Lankan authorities to release them from custody or charge them with a recognizeable criminal offense and to try them promptly in a regularly consituted court with all internationally recognized safeguards provided;
* Urging them to ensure that the detainees are treated in accordance with international standards while in police custody, specifically urging that they are not tortured and are given full access to their lawyers, families, food, blankets and medical care where necessary;
* Calling on the Sri Lankan authorities to end restrictions on freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly;
* Urging them to halt attacks on religious gatherings and other commemorative activities, and bring to justice those who carry out such attacks.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 JANUARY 2013 TO:  (Time difference = GMT + 5.5 hrs / BST + 4.5 hrs)

Inspector General of Police N K Illangakoon New Secretariat, Colombo 1 Sri Lanka Fax: 0094 11 244 0440 Email: igp@police.lk Salutation: Dear Inspector General

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Ministry of Defence and Urban Development 15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka Fax: 0094 11 254 1529     Email: secdef@sltnet.lk Salutation: Dear Defence Secretary

And copies to Secretary Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission: No. 108 Barnes Place Colombo 07, Sri Lanka Fax: 0094 11 268 9558 Email: sechrc@sltnet.lk

PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEAL TO
His Excellency Mr Nanayakkara Atulugamage Chandra Nihal de Silva Jayasinghe, High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 13 Hyde Park Gardens, London W2 2LU.
Fax:         020 7262 7970         Email:         mail@slhc-london.co.uk
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
There have been a series of violent attacks on student activists in Jaffna, as well as efforts to prevent students from organizing. In October 2011 Subramaniam Thavapalasingham, President of the Jaffna University Students’ Union was attacked by unidentified assailants wielding iron bars who accused him of supporting Tamil separatism; he blamed Sri Lankan military intelligence for the attack. In May 2012, P. Tharshananth was attacked in a similar way and was very badly beaten shortly before he was to address a remembrance event commemorating victims of the armed conflict that ended three years earlier.
Since the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE ended in May 2009, the Sri Lankan authorities have placed tight restrictions on events and religious observances held to commemorate and mourn war victims, particularly those held around 27 November, the LTTE’s ‘Heroes Day’ which had been established to commemorate cadres killed during Sri Lanka’s armed conflict and which falls on the day after late LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s birthday. 27 November 2012 also coincided with the Hindu festival Karthikai Deepam, which involves the lighting of oil lamps, and the army reportedly prevented many Jaffna residents from lighting lamps to celebrate the festival.
P. Tharshananth is Secretary of the Jaffna University Students' Union; Sanmugam Solaman is a Science Faculty Student Union member; Kanesamoorthy Sutharsan is a medical student, and K. Jenemajeyamenan is President of the Arts Faculty Student Union.
PLEASE CHECK WITH THE INDIVIDUALS AT RISK PROGRAMME AT AIUK BEFORE SENDING APPEALS AFTER 15 JANUARY 2013
Individuals at Risk Programme, Amnesty International UK, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA, 0207 033 1572, iar@amnesty.org.uk.


Individuals At Risk Programme

Tel: 020 7033 1572
Fax: 020 7033 1503
Email: iar@amnesty.org.uk
Website: www.amnesty.org.uk/cases 

 Washington Floats Chemical Weapons Charge as Pretext for Syria Buildup

By Bill Van Auken

The alleged threat from Syrian "weapons of mass destruction" is entirely concocted. Not a single piece of hard evidence is cited by any government official or any media source.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33223.htm

Welcome to the "Liberated Zone" of Aleppo

By Thierry Meyssan

The new authorities of the "liberated zone" of Aleppo are currently setting up a religious dictatorship inspired by the Saudi model.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33219.htm

The Zionist Plan for the Middle East

Translated and edited by Israel Shahak

The plan operates on two essential premises. To survive, Israel must 1) become an imperial regional power, and 2) must effect the division of the whole area into small states by the dissolution of all existing Arab states.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33220.htm

In case you missed it
Israel's Sacred Terrorism

By Livia Rokach

To all the Palestinian victims of Israel's unholy terrorism, whose sacrifice, suffering and ongoing struggle will yet prove to be the pangs of the rebirth of Palestine...
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20831.htm

UN Calls On Israel To Open Nuclear Facilities

By The Associated Press

The resolution, approved Monday by a vote of 174-6 with 6 abstentions, calls on Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty "without further delay" and open its nuclear facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33216.htm

It's Time for the Media to Talk About Zionism

By Philip Weiss

The acknowledgment of Jewish prominence in the Establishment, and of the power of Zionism, would make a lot of Jews uncomfortable, so the conversation is verboten.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33218.htm

U.S.-U.K. Genocide Against Iraq 1990-2012 Killed 3.3 Millions

By Sherwood Ross

Approximately 3.3 million Iraqis, including 750,000 children, were "exterminated" by economic sanctions and/or illegal wars conducted by the U.S. and Great Britain between 1990 and 2012, an eminent international legal authority says.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33221.htm

Beware the Anti-Anti-War Left
Why Humanitarian Interventionism is a Dead End

By Jean Bricmont

After the Kosovo Albanians in 1999, we have been told that "we" must protect Afghan women, Iraqi Kurds and more recently the people of Libya and of Syria.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33222.htm

Lawyer: Military Treatment of Bradley Manning 'Criminal'

By JOSH GERSTEIN

"Brad's treatment at Quantico will forever be etched in our nation's history as a disgraceful moment in time,"
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33217.htm

Bradley Manning: A Window Into The American Soul

By Paul Craig Roberts

In their desire to punish Manning, US military and civilian authorities failed to realize that the lesson for soldiers is that crimes against humanity will not be punished, but those who reveal the crimes will be punished.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33224.htm

Understanding the Fiscal Cliff (In 2 Minutes 30 Seconds)

By Robert B. Reich:

Democrats, here are eight principles to guide you in the coming showdown over the fiscal cliff:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33225.htm

Hard News  

   

Syrian rebels kill 29 students in attack on school near Damascus: Although the attack was confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the identity of the attackers remains unknown. Syria's state news agency reported that an unspecified group of rebels shelled the school.
http://is.gd/eJsL8A

Lebanon: Tension in Tripoli as clashes erupt again:
Clashes broke out in the Lebanese port city of Tripoli on Tuesday between gunmen loyal to opposing sides in neighbouring Syria's civil war, wounding one person, residents said.
http://is.gd/fAyM7B

Hyping Syrian WMD:
Syrian Government Harbors Tons Of Chemical Agents: President Obama has warned the Syrian government not to use chemical weapons against its own people or face serious consequences. Tom Bowman talks to Melissa Block about Syria's program and what the U.S. options might be.
http://is.gd/ym06Sl

Senate orders study on U.S. no-fly zone in Syria: The Senate voted Tuesday to order President Obama to study what military options the U.S. would have if it wanted to get more deeply involved in the revolt against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
http://is.gd/ZWVBS1

Could US remove Syria chemical weapons?: President Barack Obama's warning about Syria's unconventional weapons arsenal is one of those "sit up and take notice" moments. He warned, "we cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people". The US president added, "we have put together a range of contingency plans".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19334041

Memories of Iraq - the Syria 'has chemical weapons' story: Have we really learnt nothing at all from what happened in Iraq?
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1354612734.html

Pepe Escobar: Patriot missiles, chemical weapons hype aim to intimidate Syria : Video -
http://is.gd/nyD7IW

Iran Captures US drone: Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has captured a US ScanEagle drone over the Persian Gulf waters upon its intrusion into the Iranian airspace.
http://is.gd/Wz5ira

US denies losing drone over Iran: "The U.S. Navy has fully accounted for all unmanned air vehicles (UAV) operating in the Middle East region. Our operations in the Gulf are confined to internationally recognized water and air space," a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain said.
http://is.gd/W5ZA38

Video of Drone on Iranian Television: Video - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps displayed on Tuesday what state television channels described as a captured American drone that had entered Iranian airspace over the Persian Gulf "in the past few days."
http://is.gd/RdGlt7

Revealed: US and Britain launched 1,200 drone strikes in recent wars: The information, much of it classified until now, shows that US Air Force drones carried out most of the 1,168 attacks. However British crews are also responsible for a significant portion of the strikes in Afghanistan.
http://is.gd/dvTALP

Palestinian Authority' threatens International Criminal Court action over settlement plans:
Ramallah warns that it may file war crimes charges against Israel with International Crimes Court if it refuses to halt east Jerusalem construction plans
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4315675,00.html

This Time, Israel Has Defied the Whole World': While sanctions appear not to be on the table, German commentators say it is time to get tough with Israeli premier Netanyahu.
http://is.gd/7GfNfO

Jordan king to visit Palestine Thursday: "King Abdullah will visit the state of Palestine the day after tomorrow, on Thursday, in the first visit by a top official to the Palestinian state after we received UN recognition," said Nimr Hammad, political adviser to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=55910

Report: One-quarter of Israelis-and 37 percent of kids-live in poverty: Israel has the second-highest poverty rate in the developed world, behind only Mexico, according to statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD
http://is.gd/CpQY1z

Afghanistan: 5 killed, 9 injured following blast in Uruzgan province: According to local authorities in southern Uruzgan province of Afghanistan at least 14 Afghan civilians were killed or injured following an explosion in in this province.
http://is.gd/3SF6Ye

Two NATO occupation force troops killed in Afghanistan: The NATO-led alliance said in a statement issued late Monday that the blast occurred earlier that day. It did not provide further details or the nationalities of the dead.
http://is.gd/tdf53Y

US Senate OKs $631 billion defence bill that pushes for US drawdown in Afghanistan: The Senate overwhelmingly approved a sweeping, $631 billion defence bill Tuesday that sends a clear signal to President Barack Obama to move quickly to get U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan, tightens sanctions on Iran and limits the president's authority in handling terror suspects.
http://is.gd/nk7grR

So much for "war on terror" Terror attacks quadrupled since 9/11: The number of terrorist attacks each year has more than quadrupled in the decade since September 11, 2001, a study released on Tuesday said, with Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan the most affected.
http://is.gd/10VUZt

Clashes outside Egypt's presidential palace: Anti-Morsi demonstrators tear gassed in Cairo, as thousands gather to protest proposed constitution.
http://is.gd/fgGF9y

Libya 'talking points' were heavily edited by the CIA, Wall Street Journal reports: The 'talking points' about the Libya embassy attack were edited to remove a reference to Al Qaeda, among other details.
http://is.gd/DVLwzG

Mali rebels agree to respect 'national unity': The Malian government and two rebel groups have agreed to respect the country's "national unity", after holding their first talks to try and end a criss that has seen the west African country effectively split in two.
http://is.gd/LpZK5x

Nigerian army accused of killing civilians: Rights groups accuse Joint Task Force in Maiduguri of gross human rights violations in fight against Boko Haram.
http://is.gd/itzkly

Cops to Congress: We need logs of Americans' text messages:
State and local law enforcement groups want wireless providers to store detailed information about your SMS messages for at least two years -- in case they're needed for future criminal investigations.
http://is.gd/cHPMso

Judge stops school from expelling girl who refused to wear tracking device:
A Texas high school student will be allowed to continue going to class for now despite her refusal to cooperate with a program that forces pupils to be mandatorily tracked with computer chips.
http://rt.com/usa/news/school-hernandez-rfid-student-449/

Facebook faces European legal showdown over privacy violation claims: Facebook is about to be the subject of a new legal battle over its data protection policies and alleged violations of privacy as an Austrian privacy group plans to bring the case in an Irish court.
http://rt.com/news/irish-students-sue-facebook-privacy-291/

Mom Received 12-Yrs Prison for Selling $30 Worth of Marijuana: She's Released: The 26-year old mom from Oklahoma was just released after a two year stint in prison. She'd been given a full 12-year sentence for the peculiar act of selling just $30 worth of marijuana to a police informant.
http://is.gd/wDfQ9P

Kissinger and the secret spy network of old Nazis and German aristocrats 'who plotted to overthrow West German goverment':
'The Little Service' was made up of many former Gestapo and S.S. men as well as titled barons and counts
http://is.gd/jUb8Gx

Publicist confirms it: Fox News banned book critical of George W. Bush: Bartlett wrote that he'd published a book in 2006 called "Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy," and said it had cost him his job at a conservative think tank - a widely discussed episode at the time. Bartlett also wrote that the book got him blacklisted at Fox News:
http://is.gd/xxJ0pu

Corporate Profits Hit Record Highs As Wages Continue To Fall: It would seem that the corporate end of the business world is doing much better following the recession. - Sadly, employees are seeing wages reach an all-time low. According to Robert Brusca, economist with FAO Research in New York, this an unfortunate part of the game.
http://is.gd/uyHdeD

More data pointing to slowdown in US economy: Following a dismal report last week on retail sales for November, the first month of the holiday shopping season, manufacturing data released Monday confirmed that the US economy is weakening.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/dec2012/econ-d04.shtml