• 
  • Arts & Culture
  • City Hall
  • Environment
  • Housing & Displacement
  • Immigrant Rights
  • LGBQT
  • Poverty
  • Youth & Schools
• 
  • Mailing Lists
  • PhillyIMC's Wiki
  • LAVA
  • Contact us
• 
• 
• 
• 

Editoral Policy | Webeditorial
Newswire Archive                   Hidden

Police State

FBI Entrapment Snares More Victims
by Stephen Lendman
The latest plot involves five subjects allegedly planning to bomb a Cleveland area bridge. More on it below.
Entrapment occurs when law enforcement officials or agents induce, influence, or provoke crimes that otherwise wouldn't be committed.
It doesn't apply if subjects willingly act lawlessly. Government aiding, abetting, or facilitating them is considered lawful.
Entrapment involves government operatives initiating the idea. If individuals go along under pressure despite no intent or desire to do so, they committed no crime. To convict, prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that subjects weren't entrapped. Otherwise, judicial fairness requires exoneration.

Police State Harshness

by Stephen Lendman

On April 26, the House passed HR 3523: Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) of 2011 248 - 168.

A companion S. 2105: Cybersecurity Act of 2012 awaits Senate consideration. Obama promised a veto if passes. He lied. He does it repeatedly.

The Senate will pass or defeat what he wants. More than likely, it'll make cosmetic changes agreed to by House/Senate negotiators. Either that or they'll draft a new bill, under a new name, little different from CISPA to matter.

Last year, Obama promised to veto the draconian FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. It authorizes detaining US citizens indefinitely without charge or trial based solely on suspicions, baseless allegations or none at all.

Grand Prix Hypocrisy in Bahrain

by Stephen Lendman

Al-Khalifa despots rule Bahrain repressively. Bahrainis want democratic change. In summer 2010, sporadic protests began. In mid-February last year, major ones erupted.

They continue daily nonviolently. Courageous Bahrainis brave vicious security force attacks. Saudi troops are involved. In March 2011, they entered Bahrain guns blazing.

They remain. They're terrorizing Bahraini men, women, children, doctors, other medical professionals, journalists, human rights activists, and foreign observers. So do state police.

They're beating them, arresting them, torturing them, imprisoning them, and killing them. No matter. Let the race begin.

Tarek Mehanna: Criminalized for Doing the Right Thing

by Stephen Lendman

Post-9/11, the Bush administration declared war on terror. It was sham cover for eroding personal freedoms and waging war on humanity.

Muslims became prime targets. They've been victimized, vilified, and persecuted for their faith, ethnicity, prominence, activism, and charity.

They've been hunted down, rounded up, held in detention, kept in isolation, denied bail, restricted in their right to counsel, tried on secret evidence, convicted on bogus charges, and given long sentences.

They've been incarcerated in segregated Communication Management Units (CMUs). Doing so violates US Prison Bureau regulations and the Supreme Court's February 2005 Johnson v. California decision.

Abdulhadi Alkhawaja: Dying for Justice

by Stephen Lendman

Bahrain's Al-Khalifa monarchy is one of the world's most ruthless despotic regimes. It's also a valued US ally.

It's one of many other regional ones, notably Saudi Arabia, the worst of the lot.

In summer 2010, sporadic protests began. Last February, major ones erupted. Daily, Bahrainis brave security force violence, arrests, disappearances, torture, and cold-blooded murder, as well as show trial prosecutions, convictions, and imprisonments.

Human rights activist Abdulhadi Abdulla Alkhawaja was out in front for democratic change. His courage cost him dearly.

Draconian Cybersecurity Bills

by Stephen Lendman

Bipartisan complicity's involved in hyping cyber threats. At issue is promoting draconian cybersecurity legislation.

Obama supports congressional effects. Internet freedom's at stake. So are other civil liberties.

On March 8, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted a mock New York cyber attack. At issue was gaining support for pending Senate legislation.

White House spokesperson Caitlin Hayden called the stunt a way to give "senators....an appreciation for new legislative authorities that would help the U.S. government prevent and more quickly respond to cyber attacks."

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said:

Bahraini Kangaroo Court Trials

by Stephen Lendman

A new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report discussed sham show trials in Bahrain titled, "No Justice in Bahrain."

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights said hundreds of unfair, politically motivated trials were conducted for months. Innocent victims were convicted.

Before trial, they were arrested, imprisoned and brutally tortured. They'll endure years more brutality. It's largely unreported by Western media scoundrels, especially American ones suppressing unpleasant truths.

Last March, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa assumed emergency powers. Field Marshall Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Khalifs, Bahrain Defense Force commander, issued sweeping regulations governing public order.

Lynne Stewart Appeal for Justice

by Stephen Lendman

Lynne was wrongfully indicted, convicted, sentenced, and given a far harsher one unjustifiably on appeal.

On February 29, US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit arguments will be presented. She won't be there, but hopes massive support will turn out for her at the:

US Courthouse
500 Pearl Street
Manhattan, New York

She can be reached as follows:

Lynne Stewart #53504-054
Federal Medical Center, Carswell
PO Box 27137
Ft. Worth, TX 76127

Her full appeal brief discusses all relevant facts about her and her case. It includes her character, commitment, honor, and dedication to justice as the law demands but didn't afford her.

She discusses her appeal as follows:

Targeting Iranian Nationals - by Stephen Lendman

Washington's first regime change priority is Syria. At issue is isolating Iran. Then devoting full attention to replacing its current government with a pro-Western one.

At the same time, covert war's raged against Tehran for years. Destabilization tactics include fake accusations, political and economic sanctions, isolation, covert and direct confrontation, cyberwar, targeted assassinations, and other provocations short of war - so far.

Everything tried so far failed. Oil sanctions won't fare better. EU countries imposing it shot themselves in the foot. Sensible ones won't go along. Major ones like China, Russia, India and Brazil reject them. Expect Japan, South Korea and others to follow at least partially.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment - by Stephen Lendman

The Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment." The legal dictionary defines it as:

"any cruel and degrading punishment not known to the Common Law, or any fine, penalty, confinement, or treatment that is so disproportionate to the offense as to shock the moral sense of the community."

Sentencing minors to life without parole qualifies. The ACLU says American children as young as 13 "are sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison without any opportunity for release." In fact, some as young as 11 are affected.

Around 2,570 are sentenced to juvenile life without parole (JLWOP). America treats them like adults regardless of age or circumstances.