http://www.fantasylandmedia.org
News fashioned by the people in charge, the corporations and your government. Each week, we cover the stories that are just left out of the US propaganda machine.
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"The largest ever US humanitarian aid convoy is now gathering in Egypt to head across the border into Gaza on Monday, July 13. Vehicles are coming from Alexandria, the medical supplies from Cairo and the advanced party of nearly 100 US citizens is heading for the staging post of Al Arish, just before the border with Gaza...
The buses, carrying people, medical aid and bearing US, Egyptian and Palestinian flags in a spirit of international cooperation, have been held at a security checkpoint and given various, conflicting reasons for why they cannot proceed to their destination at Al Arish.
New York Councilman Charles Barron is leading the group and is negotiating with security officials to resolve the situation. He has contacted Washington and other elected officials in an effort to clarify the reasons for the delay and address any concerns as efficiently as possible.
Former US Congresswoman and Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney will join the convoy on Sunday, July 23, and British Member of Parliament George Galloway will also be heading to meet up with Councilman Barron and the advance group.
He and the rest of the advance group of the convoy, however, are insisting on their right to travel with their supplies to Al Arish, where the rest of the convoy is to rendezvous with them before heading for the border crossing into Gaza.
This medical convoy is on the way to Gaza a month after US President Barack Obama described the situation in Gaza as a 'humanitarian crisis.'
'Our convoy is on an aid mission,' says Galloway, 'We come in peace; but we will not be stopped.'"
(thanks to Felice Gelman for this story)
-->Shame on the NY Times for not covering this story. But service to Israel and the American empire always come first when deciding what news is fit to print.
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"Israel soldiers speak out on Gaza. A group of soldiers who took part in Israel's assault in Gaza say widespread abuses were committed against civilians under 'permissive' rules of engagement...
The report says testimonies show 'the massive and unprecedented blow to the infrastructure and civilians' was a result of Israeli military policy, articulated by the rules of engagement, and encouraged by a belief 'the reality of war requires them to shoot and not to ask questions'...
• Civilians were used as human shields, entering buildings ahead of soldiers
• Large swathes of homes and buildings were demolished as a precaution or to secure clear lines of fire for the future.
• Soldiers fired at water tanks because they were bored, at a time of severe water shortages for Gazans
• White phosphorus was used in civilian areas in a way some soldiers saw as gratuitous and reckless"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8149464.stm
-->The NY Times must be trying to figure out how to bury this story. It hasn't offered any coverage so far.
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"Changing the focus of US international development policy from direct food aid to agricultural investment in the developing world is a laudable goal.
But the Obama administration along with members of the U.S. Congress are using this singular moment to move their own agenda: propping up U.S. biotechnology companies like Monsanto. They hope to accomplish this by promoting genetically modified seeds and chemical inputs as tools to fight hunger through an exclusive focus on increasing crop yields. One powerful Senate committee has already passed a bill, sponsored by Senators Casey (D-PA) and Lugar (R-IN), that requires GMO technology to be part of the U.S. agricultural research agenda abroad...
Declarations by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that biotechnology and GMOs are the answer are misguided and ill-informed. As a recent World Bank/UN report recently concluded, GMOs are unsuited to the developing world. We urge you to oppose Casey-Lugar and any bill that contains earmarks for, investment requirements in or promotion of GMOs abroad."
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/casey_lugar_gmo/?r_by=4894-1698112-FonR_Dx&rc=paste
-->The NY Times treats Monsanto like like the state of Israel. Never a harsh word will be written. Of course, the NY Times didn't cover the Casy-Luger bill. Reporting on Monsanto is limited to press releases from the company like:
"Monsanto, the leader in agricultural biotechnology, pledged Wednesday to develop seeds that would double the yields of corn, soybeans and cotton by 2030 and would require 30 percent less water, land and energy to grow."
(June 5, 2008)
