Stay true to the dreams of thy youth

Why Congress Should Keep Financing the U.S. Institute of Peace - NYTimes.com

Congress would be hard-pressed to find an agency that does more with less. The institute’s entire budget would not pay for the Afghan war for three hours, is less than the cost of a fighter plane, and wouldn’t sustain even 40 American troops in Afghanistan for a year. Within the budget, peace-building is financed as part of national security programs, and is recognized as an important adjunct to conventional defense spending and diplomacy. The institute’s share of the proposed international affairs budget, $43 million, is minuscule: less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the State Department’s budget, and one-hundredth of 1 percent of the Pentagon’s. The idea that eliminating the United States Institute of Peace would benefit taxpayers is extremely shortsighted and ill informed. America deserves better from Congress than eliminating something that saves American lives and taxpayer dollars.

Flailing After Muslims - NYTimes.com

Rabbi Marc Schneier, the president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, was among some 500 people at a rally in Times Square on Sunday that was called to protest Mr. King’s hearings. “To single out Muslim-Americans as the source of homegrown terrorism,” he said, “and not examine all forms of violence motivated by extremist belief — that, my friends, is an injustice.” To focus an investigative spotlight on an entire religious or ethnic community is a violation of everything America is supposed to stand for. But that does not seem to concern Mr. King. “The threat is coming from the Muslim community,” he told The Times. “The radicalization attempts are directed at the Muslim community. Why should I investigate other communities?”

Egyptians Expose Secret Files of State Security Service - The Daily Beast

Torture, kidnapping, election-fixing—Egyptians can now go online to view thousands of documents detailing the horrifying activities of the State Security service. But while the agency is on the run, it could still orchestrate terrorist attacks or sectarian violence, writes Ursula Lindsey. The State Security compound in the Cairo suburb of Nasr City was a fortress of fear. Like the offices of the dreaded domestic-intelligence service across Egypt, it radiated menace.

Sarah Palin Speaking At Colorado Christian University This May

**Keep this woman out of my state!!!*** Former Alaska Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin will keynote a military and veterans appreciation rally at Colorado Christian University on May 2. The conservative firebrand will be joined by Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, a former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence who gained notoriety in 2008 for likening the War on Terror to a religious holy war.

Bill to punish anti-Israel boycotters passes first Knesset hurdle - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

The Knesset plenum on Monday approved in its first reading a "boycott law," which would levy harsh punitive fines on Israelis who call for academic or economic boycotts against Israeli institutions. The draft law also calls for imposing sanctions against foreign nationals and organizations that call for anti-Israel boycotts, as well as against states that pass legislation giving such boycotts the force of law.

Zimbabwe To Sell Uranium To Iran: Reports

Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Zimbabwe's foreign minister, said the sanctions -- which prohibit member states from providing Iran with raw materials that it could use to make a nuclear weapon -- were unfair and hypocritical. He said that Zimbabwe, which is also the subject of sanctions over human rights abuses perpetrated by President Robert Mugabe's supporters, would benefit economically from the agreement. A leaked intelligence report suggests Iran will be awarded with exclusive access to Zimbabwe's uranium in return for providing the country with fuel

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