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Saturday, May 31, 2014

When A Disabled Vet's Motorized Scooter Breaks Down, Two Cops Quite Literally Go The Extra Mile

When A Disabled Vet's Motorized Scooter Breaks Down, Two Cops Quite Literally Go The Extra Mile

When A Disabled Vet's Motorized Scooter Breaks Down, Two Cops Quite Literally Go The Extra Mile

Disabled Vietnam Veteran Glibert LacRocque was out running errands on his motorized scooter, when it unexpectedly broke down. Fortunately for LacRocque, two police officers who just happened to be out on patrol noticed him. At first, they asked La... Read more…

After Five Years in Captivity: American Soldier Released

After Five Years in Captivity: American Soldier Released

The last soldier held captive by the Taliban was released. Bowe Bergdahl was held by his hostage takers for five years. Today, President Barak Obama, called his parents: “Your son is on his way home.” As part of a prisoner swap, five Taliban members being held in Guantanamo Bay, were released.

May 31, 2014, 09:30PM | Jacob Northbrook
Bergdahl comes home
Bergdahl comes home AP
For five years he was held by the Taliban, and today (Saturday), in what reminds many Israelis of the story of “Gilad Schalit”, President Barak Obama announced the release of Bergdahl, the last American soldier in captivity.
“Today, the American people are pleased to receive Bowe Bergdahl who has been held by the Taliban for almost five years,” said Obama in his speech. “In the name of the American people, it was my honor to call his parents and share our happiness that they will be able to see their son come home safely.”
The President further added that he thanked the parents for their “dedication and courage exhibited during this trying time.” Obama further thanked Qatar for the role it played in the soldier’s release, and so too the Afghan government.
As part of the release agreement, the US released 5 Taliban members being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The prisoners were moved to Qatar.
US soldier held hostage
US soldier held hostage Reuters
Bergdahl’s release is the result of indirect negotiations between the Taliban and the US, with Qatar liaising between the two. American sources reported that US Special Forces have taken custody of Bergdahl in eastern Afghanistan, in a non-violent prisoner swap. According to one source, Bergdahl is doing well, and is currently undergoing a medical evaluation. 
Bergdahl is from Idaho, and is the only soldier missing since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. He was taken hostage under unknown circumstances, in eastern Afghanistan, by armed individuals in 2009, two months following his initial arrival in Afghanistan.

Feds Leave Radioactive Waste Stranded In Wildfire Danger Zone

Feds Leave Radioactive Waste Stranded In Wildfire Danger Zone

by aletho
DOE announces it will not meet deadline for removal of radioactive containers held above-ground at northern New Mexico nuclear weapons lab
By Sarah Lazare | Common Dreams | May 31, 2014
At least 3,706 cubic meters of radioactive waste are being stored at the Los Alamos National Laboratory complex after the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, an underground nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico, was shut down indefinitely in February due to an airborne radiation leak.
Officials in New Mexico have warned that the waste at Los Alamos could be within the reach of wildfires and must be transferred elsewhere by the end of June. According to the Associated Press, "The agreement for removal of the waste by June 30 was reached after a massive wildfire lapped at the edge of lab property three years ago, raising concerns about the thousands of barrels of waste that were being stored outside."
"The waste at Los Alamos is trapped with no place to go," Arnie Gundersen, chief engineer and nuclear safety advocate at Fairewinds Associates, told Common Dreams.
The stranded waste is "transuranic" described by the DOE as "clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil and other items contaminated with radioactive material generated during decades of nuclear research and weapons development."
Concerns have been raised about the safety of these barrels after it was discovered that changes in methods of packaging at Los Alamos, using organic cat litter to absorb moisture, may have been responsible for chemical reactions that set off the "heat event" behind the WIPP leak. According to New Mexico state regulators, more than 500 nuclear waste containers originating from Los Alamos were packed with this cat litter.
The DOE had been sending some Los Alamos radioactive waste to a Texas facility for temporary storage until WIPP is functional. Upon discovering that Los Alamos shipments may be dangerous, the DOE halted all shipments, citing public safety.
But Gundersen warns that these barrels of waste now pose a threat in Texas and Los Alamos, where they are being stored above-ground. "It is worse in the summer, because it is hotter in the summer, and the reactions become less stable," he said.
In a statement (pdf) released Friday, the New Mexico Environment Department said it is "disappointed, but not surprised" that the DOE will not meet its deadline to remove the waste.
Meanwhile, it is still not clear when WIPP will reopen. The facility, which was never supposed to leak, is the bedrock of the U.S. government's current approach to dispose of military-generated plutonium-contaminated transuranic waste from decades of nuclear bomb production and testing.
Critics have warned that WIPP's failure raises serious questions about the overall federal strategy for disposing of nuclear waste.

School Guard Fired: Slapped Disabled Student, Dumped Him Out Of Wheelchair

School Guard Fired: Slapped Disabled Student, Dumped Him Out Of Wheelchair (Video)

by John Prager
A California school security guard has been fired and charged with child abuse for punching a student with cerebral palsy, dumping him out of his wheelchair, and handcuffing him--seemingly for no better reason than that the student was late for class. Marchell Mitchell, 23, and another school resource officer were urging late students to go […]

In Brussels whodunnit, Netanyahu irresponsibly claims anti-Zionist, anti-Semitic motive

In Brussels whodunnit, Netanyahu irresponsibly claims anti-Zionist, anti-Semitic motive

By Philip Weiss
Murder of Israeli couple at Brussels Jewish museum may well have been targeted assassination, according to press. But Netanyahu has said irresponsibly, "This act of murder is the result of constant incitement against Jews and their state."
Read in browser »

'What's it to you?' Top Indian official MOCKS questions over gang rape and murder of two teenage girls as fifth suspect is arrested

'What's it to you?' Top Indian official MOCKS questions over gang rape and murder of two teenage girls as fifth suspect is arrested

People in New Delhi march in protest against the government of Uttar Pradesh, where the two girls were found hanged after being gang raped
NEW Police in Uttar Pradesh say they are also hunting for two other men in connection with the case as they face growing criticism for a series of other rapes in state, which has a long reputation for lawlessness.

Malaysian girl, 15, 'gang raped by up to 38 men for several hours after being lured to abandoned hut used as drug haunt'

Malaysian girl, 15, 'gang raped by up to 38 men for several hours after being lured to abandoned hut used as drug haunt'

Malaysian Police escort men suspected of gang-raping a 15-year-old girl in Kelantan, Malaysia on May 20
The horrendous assault, suspects pictured, is said to have taken place in the northern state of Kelantan, Malaysia, on May 20.

AFA asks members to refuse mail that comes with a Harvey Milk stamp


The American Family Association (a designatedhate group that still attracts genuflecting Republican politicians for some reason) is very,very angry that the United States Post Office saw fit to print a stamp honoring the late Harvey Milk, and they're not going to take it anymore.To the crazymobile!

What you can do…
1. Refuse to accept the Harvey Milk stampif offered by your local post office. Instead, ask for a stamp of the United States flag.
2. Refuse to accept mail at your home or business if it is postmarked with the Harvey Milk stamp. Simply write 'Return to Sender" on the envelope and tell your postman you won't accept it.
I only accept 'Merican flag stamps, damn it! No, wait—I only accept bright shiny silver dimes taped to the letters, none of this government postal scrip for me! No—I only accept letters delivered by men in full revolutionary regalia! On horseback! And the horse has to have a patriotic name, something like "Starspangled" or "Alexander Hay-milton".
Please do this, patriots. Please, please refuse to accept or open your mail if it comes with a stamp picturing the guy you don't like. Any inconvenience or financial harm you suffer from not getting that mail will be a small price to pay compared to the entertainment value the rest of us will get by watching it.



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House GOP Says YES to Incest Pregnancies, Blocking Exemption in Anti-Abortion Legislation

House GOP Says YES to Incest Pregnancies, Blocking Exemption in Anti-Abortion Legislation

by K.L Nelson
Republicans in the House of Representatives recently blocked the vote on an amendment that would have allowed incest victims access to abortion services.

Trans women beaten, stripped on train as passengers cheer

Trans women beaten, stripped on train as passengers cheer

Two women have fled the US state of Georgia as they feel they are not protected by the police
| By Joe Morgan
Two trans women were stripped and attacked on an Atlanta, Georgia train.
Travel police in Atlanta are investigating the attack of two Trans women by several men on a train.
The video of the fight from last week, which shows the two women being verbally harassed before one man threw a kick, has gone viral online.
Other passengers did not help the two women, as one of them was stripped in a further bid to humiliate her, with some even cheering the men on.
Janell Crosby, one of the woman who was attacked, has said she is ‘humiliated’ by the video but hopes it will bring the men to justice. She has left Georgia to move back to New York where she has family.
Her friend, Tyra Woods, who was stripped naked in the attack, is staying with family in Cleveland, Ohio for a few weeks.
‘Nobody tried to help. Everyone was just standing on chairs videotaping,’ Crosby told GA Voice.
‘I don’t feel safe here. We don’t get no protection. There are always troublemakers.’
She said she tried to make a report to an officer after the attack, but claims the officer had no interest in talking to her. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) police have now confirmed they are investigating the videos.
Crosby said on Monday night (19 May), she and her friends were waiting for the train when several men started to harass them. One man began taking pictures of them.
The two main assailants had allegedly wanted to know whether or not they were ‘real’ women.
When Crosby stood up for herself, one of the men threatened her and started to attack her.
‘I really want an apology from them and I really want the law put on them,’ she said.
A local church, Restoration Inclusive Ministries, has scheduled a town hall meeting to discuss the misogynistic and transphobic implications of the attack.
A statement reads, in part:
‘According to the victims, the attack occurred because the two assailants wanted to know whether or not they were "real" women.
‘The two women were bullied, taunted, degraded and finally physically assaulted simply because of who they are.
‘The saddest, and perhaps the most disheartening, aspect of this attack is that onlookers stood idly by. Not one person called 911. Not one person intervened.
‘On a packed train, there was no help provided while these two women fought to protect themselves.’
:

Wisconsin Governor Backs Down From Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage

Wisconsin Governor Backs Down From Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage

By Zack Ford
Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)
Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)
CREDIT: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Wisconsin may be one of the next states to have its ban on same-sex marriage overturned, but Gov. Scott Walker (R), who faces a tight race for reelection this year, isn’t sure he’d agree with such a ruling. In an interview on Friday, Walker said he didn’t know if the ban violates the U.S. Constitution, despite having been one of its chief advocates.
“Any federal judge has got to look at that law not only with respect to the state’s constitution but what it means in terms of the U.S. Constitution, as well,” he explained. “Again, I’m not going to pretend to tell a federal judge in that regard what he or she should do about it.”
Walker’s office did not immediately reply to a ThinkProgress request for comment about whether he believes banning same-sex marriage is constitutional or whether his personal position on the issue had changed. He has previously claimed that Wisconsin’s ban offers a “healthy balance” of LGBT rights, but he also believes conservatives have lost the fight against marriage equality.
Walker’s side-stepping seems to parallel that of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R), who decided not to appeal last week’s decision by a federal judge overturning Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage. Both Walker and Corbett face challenging races to keep their seats this year and voter bases that have shifted on this particular issue. A new poll shows that 55 percent of Wisconsin voters support marriage equality.
There may also be 2016 presidential prospects for Walker, which could suggest he’s stepping back from social issues, as former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum seems to be doing. Despite his storied history of speaking out against marriage equality, Santorum offered no response to last week’s ruling in Pennsylvania, which was handed down by a federal judge whose nomination he supported. Walker may be similarly softening on social positions to make himself more palatable to voters nationwide.

Ugandan Minister May Become UN President

Ugandan Minister May Become UN President
sam-kutesa-holding-bible.jpgUgandan President Yoweri Museveni, who earlier this year signed a Draconian "jail the gays" bill into law, could be rewarded next month with the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. Sam Kutesa, Uganda's extremely corrupt foreign affairs minister and a key Museveni spokesperson, is reportedly the top contender for the job. The election for the position will be held June 17.
If Kutesa wins and ascends to the prestigious post, he will preside over a body that is regularly addressed by major world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama. As Milton Allimadi, publisher of New York's Black Star News writes, a Kutesa presidency would be nothing less than an outrage.
Kutesa's boss Gen. Museveni thumbed his nose at world leaders including Obama when he signed the anti-gay hate law in Uganda on February 24 and the continuing corruption scandals and political repression in the country.
In addition to the anti-gay law Uganda earlier passed a law which bans meetings of more than three people without obtaining police approval which is designed to stifle dissent and legitimate political opposition activity. The Stalinist sounding law in Gen. Museveni's increasingly police state is referred to as the Public Order Management law.
As foreign affairs minister Kutesa is Gen. Museveni's top spokesperson to the world including on the bigoted anti-gay law and the Public Order Management. When he signed the anti-gay law Kutesa's boss told CNN gays were "disgusting" and said "what sort of people are they" and "what they do are terrible."
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Allimadi speculates that Museveni is angling for a Ugandan General Assembly presidency in order to burnish his administration's image ahead of the country's upcoming 2016 presidential elections, which are expected to be contentious. But, he writes, "the international community is not obligated to reward destructive regional military aggression, dictatorship, corruption, and homophobic bigotry, with the prestigious presidency of the General Assembly."
The General Assembly presidency is a one-year post that rotates between five geographic groups: Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and Western Europe and other States. This year is Africa's turn, and after the leading candidate -- the foreign minister of another incredibly anti-gay country, Cameroon -- withdrew, Uganda's Sam Kutesa became the front-runner.
uganda-map.jpgAllimadi is urging the U.S. Government to deny visas to Kutesa and any other representatives nominated by Museveni, in order to prevent them from entering the country. He notes that the United States took similar action last month to bar the entrance of Hamid Aboutalebi, whom the Iranian government nominated as its United Nations ambassador, after allegations surfaced about Aboutalebi's alleged participation in the takeover of the embassy in Tehran and the Iran hostage crisis in 1979-80.
Allimadi has also launched a Change.org petition asking UN member states to vote against Kutesa.
The Obama administration has been strangely silent on the matter; neither President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, nor U.S. United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power have spoken out publicly against Kutesa's bid. However, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, New York's Democratic senators, have both released statements denouncing it. Gillibrand called the possibility of Kutesa presiding over the General Assembly "disturbing," and Schumer called on the UN to "review Mr. Kutesa's participation in" Uganda's anti-gay law.

Zambian activist Juliet Mphande comments on African Commission

Zambian activist Juliet Mphande comments on African Commission

by Denis LeBlanc
We recently reported that the African Commission backs LGBT rights.  Owing to its importance for all African nations, we published the entire text of the resolution in our earlier article.  Here, Juliet Mphande, a human rights, media and peace activist from Zambia, comments on the resolution, on the message it sends to African governments, and on its meaning to African persons of diverse sexual orientations and genders identities and their human rights defenders. This commentary was originally published by SOGI News.
"Resolution 275 belongs to all Africa’s sexual diverse and gender variant children and their defenders including those who have gone before us ...
The devastating consequences of exclusion, bigotry, hate and intolerance on Africa as a whole cannot be overstated."  
By Juliet Mphande, 29 May, 2014
Juliet Mphande
Juliet Mphande
Resolution 275, passed during the 55th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) in Luanda, Angola (April-May 2014), is a timely and monumental resolution that intends to respond to eminent threats against individuals on account of their real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity and their defenders.
This resolution comes at a time when most of the African continent is engulfed with increased violence against the LGBTQ community and its defenders notably in countries like Nigeria and Uganda were governments have moved to strengthen existing draconian laws that promote violence against LGBTQ individuals and outlaw the important work of human rights defenders.
The adoption of Resolution 275 coincided with the ACHPR’s 2014-2017 strategic plan that envisages on
promoting the protection of human and people’s rights, peace, stability, democracy and good governance as foundations for sustainable development and stable societies in Africa’.
It is also worth noting that this important resolution was passed a few days after the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Rwandese genocide that has prompted most concerned parties to remind African nations to strengthen their resolve to never allow another genocide on the continent.
As an African human rights defender, I celebrate this timely resolution and the laudable strides that the African Commission is making towards attempting to resolve the current continental impasse targeted against sexual and gender diverse persons.
However, I cannot help but worry that, the fact that ACHPR has decided to lend its voice towards condemning violations against sexual diverse and gender variant persons is a major sign of the heightened incidents of violence and harassment that individuals have, and continue to experience on the African continent.
It is also evident for all to see that this message sent to African governments through an ordinary session of the ACHPR albeit welcome, will not fix all the problems that the continent faces in this regard.
This year alone, Nigeria and Uganda have both capitalised on efforts to strengthen their existing anti-equality and sodomy laws and have further made it illegal for human rights defenders working on these issues to continue to do their important work. A further example is Cameroon, a country where currently a gathering of more than two women can be interpreted as a lesbian meeting.
In the year 2013, Cameroon lost a formidable human rights defender – Eric Lembembe to a violent hate crime, and is one of those countries where arguably more sexual diverse and gender variant persons have been arrested over the past one-year but continues to receive very little media attention.
Take a trip down town to South Africa, a country with one of the most progressive constitutions in the World and sexual diverse and gender variant individuals still endure violent acts of rape and murder with little redress from their governments, yet again, this is a glaring example of how the law fails to protect individuals from violence and often times fatal harm.
In Gambia, President Jammeh has threatened to eradicate sexual diverse and gender variant individuals from the country whom he labels as “the biggest threat to human existence”, at the same time asserting Gambia’s sovereignty to resist international pressure, which in this case may include the African Commission, to acknowledge their rights.
In Zimbabwe, sexual and gender diverse persons have become the brunt of President Robert Mugabe’s verbal attacks that often border on inciting both state and non-state actors to enact violence against this community.
Raiding the ‘gays’ in Zimbabwe has become a form of cheap sporting event where law enforcement officers will single out and embark on harassing existing human rights organisations for their personal amusement. However, the arrests are real, the fear unimaginable and the debilitating loss to self-esteem and life regrettably permanent.
In Zambia, a country often portrayed as tranquil by government forces, dissenting voices (including those of opposition politicians, media, civil society leaders and human rights defenders) that challenge the status quo are relentlessly targeted and often times charged with a myriad of offences and dragged before the police and the courts without much redress nor sympathy.
On May 30th, 2014 the World is poised to hear the final verdict in a much anticipated high profile sodomy case in Zambia where two individuals have been detained for over a year and denied their fundamental right to bail, subjected to torture and cruel and inhumane punishment for the alleged crime of engaging in “consensual” same sex relations. According to Zambian law, engaging in sodomy acts attracts a penalty of fifteen years to life. At least twelve other Zambians have been arrested and handed over to state forces over the past one-year with six currently appearing before the courts.
However, these cases out of the many, are a mere drop in the ocean as they are many more that never make news headlines and this leaves me wondering how bad things may be in some of our deeply conservative countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal to mention but a few.
Afrique - graphique de BlackLooks.org
Africa - graphic courtesy of BlackLooks.org
The ACPHR and most African civil society groups have their work cut out for them and praise for passing this historical resolution cannot be attributed to the African Commission alone, it was as a result of innumerable efforts made by beleaguered and uncelebrated human rights defenders, civil society groups, policy makers from the global South with unrelenting support received through collaboration with government agencies and a network of global allies, including the United Nations.
What does this landmark resolution mean to the African sexual and gender diverse person and their human rights defenders? What immediate action does it translate to in real terms for persons who have to live these realities everyday? Will it lessen the problem of increased violence and heightened political sponsored impunity in countries like Uganda and Nigeria? Will it open previously closed doors for their future protection in environments that are free from violence and harassment?
Will the ACPHR now have a mandate to hold governments like Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe to mention but a few accountable beyond receiving their reports? Or will this resolution be written in ink as just another resolution passed by an overburdened and often times underfunded ACPHR whose only power rests in passing resolutions and then waiting for ‘sovereign’ nations to act or follow their lead?
I am guessing there’s no immediate answer to these questions as it is still early days yet and the jury is still out on this one, however for the African human rights defender and the sexual diverse or gender variant person facing eminent arrest, violence, and in some cases death, time has run out and every second that passes is crucial for it may sadly be their last.
If there’s any lesson that Africa as a continent can learn from it would be the Rwandese genocide of 20 years ago and even here it started with hate, blame, ignorance and intolerance and as a result millions perished and many others were displaced as a result of their perceived difference.
Right now a silent genocide and displacement is happening on the African Continent even as I write this article, entire communities are turning against their own, state actors are violating their right to protect by hiding behind archaic laws, presidents that once swore to uphold constitutions are abrogating their oath of office by vilifying their own citizens and currently so called ‘friendly’ nations are turning their backs on those in urgent and dire need of protection by hiding behind the law and visa requirements.
Resolution 275 belongs to all Africa’s sexual diverse and gender variant children and their defenders including those who have gone before us for defending their humanity, its for those who have fought tirelessly without fatigue often to their own detriment and those who remain fighting on the frontlines alongside each other, without any protection for their dream of a tolerant Africa, an Africa that our forbearers may have envisioned, where every person shall be protected from being subjected to unquantifiable indignities and even death, on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.
The devastating consequences of exclusion, bigotry, hate and intolerance on Africa as a whole cannot be overstated. It’s a sad day when Africa participates in the breakdown of its own social and moral fabric – a sad day when governments and political leaders will sacrifice their own for political gains. It’s a sad day when much as they want, the ACHPR can only issue sweeping declarations but it’s still a start, albeit a small one and it’s in this spirit that I celebrate Resolution 275.

McDonald’s Refuses to Raise its Poverty Wages but its Giving $20 Billion Dollars to Shareholders!

McDonald’s Refuses to Raise its Poverty Wages but its Giving $20 Billion Dollars to Shareholders!

by Josh Kilburn
McDonald's has set a target of returning as much as $20 billion dollars to shareholders in dividends and share buybacks by 2016 -- all while still paying their employees starvation wages.

New Documents Show George W. Bush Knew About VA Issues in 2005 but Did Nothing!

BREAKING: New Documents Show George W. Bush Knew About VA Issues in 2005 but Did Nothing!

by Josh Kilburn
While the focus of the VA scandal has been primarily on the Obama Administration, documents dating back to 2005 hint that the problem is much older than that.

Administrative Detention in Israeli Prisons

Administrative Detention in Israeli Prisons

PNN/Ramallah
Palestinian Ministry of Information published today a public release that PNN has received a copy classify the administrative detention, which used by the Israeli authority against the Palestinian prisons.
Administrative detention is a detention without charge or trial that is authorized by administrative order rather than by judicial decree.
 Although Under international law, it is allowed under certain circumstances. However, because of the serious injury to due-process rights inherent in this measure and the obvious danger of its abuse, international law has placed rigid restrictions on its application a matter that Israel ignores and violates.
According to international law, administrative detention can be used only in the most exceptional cases, as the last means available to preventing danger that cannot be thwarted by less harmful means.   Yet Israel uses this form of collective punishment systematically.
On April, 24th, administrative Prisoners started an open hunger strike which continues until this moment calling to revoke Administrative detention, since there are prisoners been detained for more than 5 years. There are still 150 prisoners on hunger strike facing critical health conditions, without any kind of understanding from the Israeli side regardless of the prisoners’ basic human needs.
Israel's use of administrative detention blatantly violates the restrictions of international law. This kind of detention denies Palestinian prisoners the possibility of mounting a proper defense and moreover it has no upper time limit.
Over the years, Israel has placed thousands of Palestinians in administrative detention for prolonged periods of time, keeping them in jails without trials, without informing them of the charges against them, and without allowing them or their attorneys to examine the evidence.
In this way, the occupation military judicial system ignores the right to freedom and due process, the right of defendants to state their case, and the presumption of innocence, all of which are protections clearly enshrined in both Israeli and international law.
As of the end of June 2012, Israel has detained more than 285 Palestinians in administrative detention.
Over the years, Israel has held thousands of Palestinians in administrative detention, for periods ranging from several months to several years. The highest number of administrative detainees was documented during the first intifada. On November 5th, 1989, Israel was holding 1,794 Palestinians in administrative detention. In the early and mid-1990s, the number of administrative detainees ranged from 100 to 350 at any given moment. On December 13th, 2000, two and a half months after the second intifada erupted, Israel held 12 Palestinians in administrative detention. In March 2002, the number stood at 44.
Three pieces of legislation enable Israel to hold Palestinians in administrative detention:
1.     Articles 284-294 of the Order regarding Security Provisions [Consolidated Version] (Judea and Samaria) (No. 1651), 5770-2009, which is part of the military legislation in the West Bank. Most administrative detainees are held under individual detention orders issued pursuant to this order.
2.     The Emergency Powers (Detentions) Law, which applies in Israel and replaced the administrative-detention arrangement established in the Emergency Regulations of the Mandate period. It is rare for residents of the Occupied Territories to be administratively detained under this law.
3.     The Internment of Unlawful Combatants Law, which came into force in 2002. Originally, the law was intended to enable the holding of Lebanese citizens who were being held in Israel at the time as “bargaining chips” for the return of captives and bodies. Now, Israel uses the law to detain without trial Palestinian residents in Gaza Strip, where the military legislation was implemented following the “disengagement” plan, in September 2005.
Human rights organizations position which we believe and support is that the government of Israel must release all administrative detainees or prosecute them, in accordance with due process, for the offenses they allegedly committed. As long as Israel continues to use administrative detention, it must do so in a way that
Comports with international law.

Verdict delayed in Zambian anti-gay trial

Verdict delayed in Zambian anti-gay trial

by Colin Stewart
James Mwape and Philip Mubiana arrive for trial.
James Mwape and Philip Mubiana arrive for trial.
A verdict has been delayed in the trial of  two young Zambian men who have been imprisoned for more than a year on homosexuality charges.
The trial had been scheduled to end May 30, but it was delayed, reportedly until June 23.
Defendants Philip Mubiana and James Mwape of rural Kapiri Mposhi have been in custody since May 6, 2013.  They were arrested after family members reported them to police in response to a nationwide appeal to Zambian citizens to inform on alleged homosexuals. The men’s repeated applications for bail have been rejected.
Human rights organizations have been providing legal services and food to Mubiana and Mwape.
“How many more lives will be ruined before Zambians realize that criminalization of  individuals  based on their real or perceived  sexual orientation is a violation of their fundamental human rights?” Juliet Mphande, executive director of Friends of Rainka, said earlier. “It’s time for all right-thinking Zambians to help curb this oppression of minorities.”
In the six months after the men’s arrest, Friends of Rainka tallied 43 LGBT-related violations of people’s rights.  At least two other suspected same-sex couples have been arrested; at least one couple is also on trial.
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Gun-Fetishists Silent as Cops Begin Warrantless Drug and Gun-Grabbing Sweep in Mostly Black Community

Gun-Fetishists Silent as Cops Begin Warrantless Drug and Gun-Grabbing Sweep in Mostly Black Community

by S Lee Caudle
The goal of 'Operation Ceasefire' is to knock on 18,000 doors without warrants looking for drugs and guns. Is that even legal?

2014 Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Pride Month

2014 Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Pride Month

by Will Kohler
Gay USA

"As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.

"Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits -- from immigration benefits to military family benefits -- to legally married same-sex couples.

"My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy -- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.

"Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending
the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.

"This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity -- because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too. 

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people. 

"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth." - Barack Obama.

Thank you.

Now PLEASE #SignTheDamnEO protecting LGBT Federal Contractor Employees!

Sandy Hook Victim’s Daughter Obliterates Degenerate Scumbag ‘Joe the Plumber’

MUST SEE: Sandy Hook Victim’s Daughter Obliterates Degenerate Scumbag ‘Joe the Plumber’ (Video)

by Bob Cull
Erica Lafferty, daughter of the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut who died attempting to protect her students from Adam Lanza, took on Joe the (fake) Plumber on Thursday calling him out for his callous disregard for the sensitivities of others. She opened her response to his careless remarks about gun control […]

Jay Carney steps down as White House press secretary

Jay Carney steps down as White House press secretary

Jay Carney is stepping down as White House press secretary, President Obama announced Friday afternoon. Carney will be replaced by his deputy, Josh Earnest.

Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/05/30/jay-carney-steps-down-as-white-house-press-secretary/

Friday, May 30, 2014

Lawsuit Against the State [of Israel]: a Lost IDF Grenade was Used in a Violent Attack that Lead to the Death of a Sixteen Year Old

Sixteen year old, A., died after unknown assailants threw a grenade at him. The police investigation, which did not lead to criminal charges, revealed that the grenade was stolen from the IDF. Family of the deceased are now suing the State of Israel for compensation of 7,000,000 NIS, claiming that "The IDF acted in negligence". The State Attorney: "We are currently in the process of reviewing the lawsuit"

May 30, 2014, 02:43PM | Ran Archy
Sixteen year old A., a resident of the village of Rama, died in October 2010 after he was critically injured from a grenade explosion. He was badly injured and managed to walk just a few meters before he collapsed and died. Last week his parents filed a lawsuit against the State, claiming that it is responsible for the death of their son.
So far the police investigation did not lead to the capture of the assailants but forensics test showed that A. was killed from an IDF-issued grenade. "The State of Israel was negligent regarding the safe keeping of the grenade and by that enabled its theft or lost – all against the procedures regarding the safe keeping of ammunition", reads the lawsuit.
The State actions toward the raging violence were inadequate
In the lawsuit the family also claims that the State actions toward the raging violence were inadequate and that they are entitled for compensation. It is claimed that "the State actions in the face of raging violence in the village of Rama were inadequate and that it had failed to control the use of its own military-issued weapon".
Tel-Aviv District Attorney's Office states that "the Attorney's Office received the lawsuit just a few days prior, the details of the lawsuit are currently being reviewed and a reply will be given in court".

UK-bound migrants face deplorable conditions


UK-bound migrants face deplorable conditions
French police destroy camp with 'deplorable hygiene' inhabited by migrants hoping to find shelter in UK.

Gay man in Russia kidnapped at gunpoint, has heart attack and nearly dies


Gay man in Russia kidnapped at gunpoint, has heart attack and nearly dies

Five college students, aged between 18 and 22, lured their 25-year-old victim on a gay dating site in an attempt to rob and extort money from him
read more