by Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com

The Jerusalem Post reports today that the United States and Israel are planning a joint military operation to take out Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities.

The report appeared in Foreign Policy following a speech by presidential candidate Mitt Romney on foreign policy, including Obama’s stance on Iran.

“Iran today has never been closer to a nuclear weapons capability,” Romney said in a foreign policy address delivered at the Virginia Military Institute. “And it has never acted less deterred by America.”

CFR member and visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, David Rothkopf, reported that the White House and Israeli officials “assert that the two sides behind the scenes have come closer together in their views [regarding Iran] in recent days.”

According to the Post, Rothkopf quoted a “source close to the discussions” as saying that a surgical strike aimed at Iran’s enrichment facilities “might take only ‘a couple of hours’” at best and would be conducted by air using bombers and drones.

“Advocates for this approach,” according to Rothkopf, “argue that not only is it likely to be more politically palatable in the United States but, were it to be successful – meaning knocking out enrichment facilities, setting the Iranian nuclear program back many years, and doing so without civilian casualties – it would have region wide benefits. One advocate asserts it would have a ‘transformative outcome: saving Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, reanimating the peace process, securing the Gulf, sending an unequivocal message to Russia and China, and assuring American ascendancy in the region for a decade to come.’”

In addition to its nuclear program, the United States has stated it will attack Iran’s civilian population.

The U.S. is “reluctantly” considering additional covert action against Iran, according to the Christian Science Monitor. The plan calls for air strikes on power plants and other sites “that could impact Iranian civilian populations.”

In August, Richard Silverstein, who specializes in reporting on the Israeli national security state, posted a leaked document revealing details on the Israeli plan to strike Iran. The document states that Iran’s “internet, telephones, radio and television, communications satellites, and fiber optic cables leading to and from critical installations – including underground missile bases at Khorramabad ­and Isfahan – will be taken out of action” by the Israelis.

The nuclear reactor at Arak and the nuclear fuel production facilities at Isfahan will be targeted, according to the document. Other toxic chemical targets will be destroyed including “missile silos, storage tanks for chemical components of rocket fuel, industrial facilities for producing missile control systems, centrifuge production plants and more.”

In November, Eli Lake, writing for The Daily Beast, cited current and former U.S. intelligence officials who said Israel’s target list includes Iran’s electric grid, internet, cellphone network, and emergency frequencies for firemen and police officers.

“The existence of a program designed to cripple crucial civilian infrastructure not related to Iran’s nuclear program reveals that the Israeli-U.S. plan is to reduce the country to a Stone Age condition much the same way Iraq was leveled in 2003,” we wrote at the time.

On Oct.5, we reported on a report released by the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah delving into the human and environmental consequences of an Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“In our assessment, it is highly likely that the physical and thermal casualties as the result of the strikes will exceed 5,000 personnel at the nuclear sites. The secondary civilian casualties as a result of exposure to the release of toxic and radioactive materials could increase this number to over 80,000 citizens,” the executive summary states.

If the Foreign Policy report is correct, it now appears Israel and the United States may be ready to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and produce a catastrophe that would rival Chernobyl in their toxic and deadly effects.

by J. D. Heyes

Lots of us may like to use a little honey as a sweetener for our morning coffee, toast or tea, but there are several uses for this tasty little treat – in its pure, raw, non-pasteurized form, it can do more than just bring a smile to our face.

Manuka honey as the new ‘superfood.’ What is Manuka honey, scientifically known as Leptospermum Scoparium?

Well, it is honey that is produced by bees that pollinate Manuka trees, which grow almost exclusively in the East Cape region of New Zealand. Because it’s a bit of a rarity, it also tends to be pricier but according to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, a recent survey of people who bought it showed that 58 percent believed

The island of the widows in Nicaragua it to be better than ordinary honey – even if they didn’t really know why. This might be why. Manuka honey has a long reputation for offering a number of health benefits.

For New Zealanders, local honey containing local pollen can help reduce the effects of hay fever, but for everyone else, Manuka honey has antiviral and antibacterial actions, which is why lots of people familiar with this superfood’s qualities down it at the first hint of a cold or sore throat.

“According to doctors, Manuka honey’s high sugar content creates a waterless environment in which the bacteria that are infecting a wound are unable to survive.

Also, thanks to the presence of an enzyme called glucose oxidase, it is acidic, which apparently adds to its unique antibacterial properties,” the Telegraph said.

“The therapeutic potential of uncontaminated, pure honey is grossly underutilized,” says Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

“It is widely available in most communities and although the mechanism of action of several of its properties remains obscure and needs further investigation, the time has now come for conventional medicine to lift the blinds off this ‘traditional remedy’ and give it its due recognition.”

Honey as a natural energy booster. Do you down an energy bar or drink during your hectic day? Try a spoonful of honey instead; it’s been proven to deliver a significant boost of energy to athletes performing strenuous exercise.

“Numerous studies have singled out carbohydrates as a critical nutrient in endurance exercise,” says Richard Kreider of the University of Memphis Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory. “Most of the studies to date have shown supplementation with glucose to provide the extra staying power. We were pleased to find that honey, a ‘cocktail’ of various natural sugars, performed just as well.”

Forget the fancy facial creams. Raw honey is exceptional for your face and skin, according to research. Try a “Gentle Honey Wash” consisting of a dollop of honey mixed with two tablespoons of warm water in the palm of your hand, then gently massage the mixture into your face or skin. “Honey has long been valued in Asia for its natural medicinal properties.

Combined with rice bran, honey is used there to treat diaper rash and even acne. Honey is also an excellent treatment for dry skin as it stimulates good circulation and helps to seal in moisture,” says holistic skin care expert Ettia Tal.

You can even make your own honey moisturizer, says travel and food writer Anna Brones: “If you’ve got a handful of sweet smelling herbs — think lavender — laying around and ready to be used, why not use them for your own homemade honey lotion? Warm honey over a saucepan until it gets to a liquid consistency. Pour honey over herbs and cap tightly; the ratio you want to use is one tablespoon of herbs per eight ounces of honey. Let sit for a week and then mix one teaspoon of liquid into an eight ounce bottle of unscented lotion.” Having trouble sleeping?

“A spoonful of honey before bed (by itself or in a cup of warm herbal tea) is a natural sleep remedy that can help you relax and fall asleep faster,” writes Natural News’ Elizabeth Walling. Suppress that cough and throat irritation. Pure, non-pasteurized honey is an excellent elixir for common wintertime ailments like coughs, colds and sore throats.

“Honey helps with coughs, particularly buckwheat honey. In a study of 110 children, a single ­dose of buckwheat honey was just as effective as a single dose of dextromethorphan in relieving nocturnal cough and allowing proper sleep,” writes health enthusiast and researcher Diana Herrington.

Boost your immune system with this natural antibiotic. According to recent research, defensin-1, a protein added to honey by bees, possesses antibacterial properties and could be used against drug-resistant bacteria.

This bee-produced protein “could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections,” says a summary of the research published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Balance the five elements “Honey has been used in ayurvedic medicine in India for at least 4000 years and is considered to affect all three of the body’s primitive material imbalances positively,” says Herrington.

“It is also said to be useful useful in improving eyesight, weight loss, curing impotence and premature ejaculation, urinary tract disorders, bronchial asthma, diarrhea, and nausea.”

­

by the El Reportero’s news services

Jennifer López

The seemingly always-outraged group known as One Million Moms now has its sites set on Jennifer Lopez, or rather, her new ABC Family show “The Fosters”, because it follows “a lesbian couple and their diverse family.”

Though the show has yet to air a single episode or even film the pilot, the premise is enough to enrage the conservative watchdog group.

In a released statement, One Million Moms accused ABC of having “lost their minds” for continuing to grow the list of so-called “anti-family programs.

One Million Moms was also the group behind the protest of JC Penney when the company announced openly gay Ellen DeGeneres as a new spokesperson.

A portion of Christian groups latest statement:

ABC Family reported the comedy-drama pilot, working with the title “The Fosters,” is about two women raising a “21st century,” multi-ethnic mix of foster and biological kids. While foster care and adoption is a wonderful thing and the Bible does teach us to help orphans, this program is attempting to redefine marriage and family by having two moms raise these children together. One Million Moms is not sure how the explanation will be given on how the biological children were conceived. None of this material is acceptable content for a family show.

Hollywood is continuing to push an agenda that homosexuality is acceptable when scripture states clearly it is a sin. As Christians, the Bible also says that we must speak up against sin. If we remain silent then we are guilty of sin also.

Lopez will be an executive producer for the hour-long project.

­Casting has not been announced. It’s still in the pilot stage and hasn’t been picked up for a series yet. Let’s stop this dead in it its tracks.

One Million Moms is asking supporters to help write to ABC Family and urge them not to air programs such as Lopez’s which they claim promote anti-family agendas. They are also asking advertisers to pull commercials from the network as well.

The group has also taken issue with Skittles commercials, TV Land’s “The Soul Man”, ABC’s “666 Park Avenue”, Urban Outfitters stores, NBC’s “The New Normal”, Gap stores, both DC and Marvel Comics, and many other stores, ads, and programs.

Artists Unite to Save Argentina’s Endangered Patagonia Bird

Argentine actor Ricardo Darin and musician-composer Gustavo Santaolalla have collaborated on a documentary aimed at saving from extinction an endangered bird species endemic to Argentina.

“El Ocaso del Maca Tobiano” (Twilight of the Hooded Grebe) is the title of the documentary narrated by Darin – who had a starring role in “Son of the Bride” – with music by Santaolalla, who won back-to-back Oscars for the soundtracks of “Babel” and “Brokeback Mountain,” and who has joined the conservation campaign launched by the ecological organization Aves Argentinas (Argentine Birds).

The documentary is directed by the naturalists and documentary filmmakers Marcelo Viñas and Juan Maria Raggio and, according to the Argentine portal Infobae, will premiere Oct. 9 in Buenos Aires movie theaters and can later be seen on the Internet by registering with the Web site set up by the campaign.

The hooded grebe is a bird found in lakes and lagoons of Patagonia between November and March, and which migrates to the Atlantic coast for the Southern Hemisphere winter. (Reported by Hispanically Speaking News).

­by Marvin Ramí­rez

Domestic workers march agains abuse and explotation.­ (PHOTO BY MARVIN RAMIREZ)

One of the most unprotected segment of the U.S. work force, vented their frustration Friday the 13th on this month, to tell employers: No more abuses, no more exploitation.

A colorful mass of people comprised­ mostly of women of different ethnic groups marched from 24th Street and Mission and headed to 26th to Valencia Street and returned to Mission St. to end the march at the Women’s Building on 18th Street.

The march was intended to highlight the legal victories where domestic workers have won hundred of thousands of dollars in backpay from employers who fail to pay minimum wage and overtime.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance joined hundreds of workers from Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, Seattle, Chicago, New York and Denver to share strategies, develop a national agenda, and march for ­domestic worker rights and dignity.

Domestic workers women march on Nov. 13 on Mission Street in route to the Women Building, where they would be attending workshops to learn how to protect their labor rights. (PHOTO BY MARVIN RAMIREZ)

Immigra­nt women who work in other people’s homes are subject to many forms of exploitation and abuse. Some employers refuse to allow sick days or pay for overtime; often wages are less than the minimum wage.

For practical purposes, says a written declaration, these women have few enforceable legal protections. So some are getting together to support and protect each ­other.

A speaker from the AFL-CIO offered verbal support, but these workers are outside the reach of the labor movement — they are banding together to learn to demand their rights and negotiate for themselves.

They are looking into the creation of a California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights and build a national movement of domestic workers.

­­

by the University of Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Michigan.— Arab and Muslim Americans continue to face an unusual degree of both discrimination and acceptance, according to a University of Michigan researcher who headed an in-depth study of the nation’s most visible Arab and Chaldean communities.

“The post-9/11 backlash against Detroit area Arab and Muslim Americans was strong and immediate,” says U-M researcher Wayne Baker, co-author of “Citizenship and Crisis: Arab Detroit After 9/11,” just published by the Russell Sage Foundation. “Detroit was drawn into the ‘War on Terror’ almost by political reflex and in many respects the impact is continuing.”

Baker, a research scientist at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) and a professor at the U-M Stephen M. Ross School of Business, is part of the Detroit Arab American Study Team that includes U-M researchers Sally Howell, Ann Chih Lin, Andrew Shryock, Ronald Stockton, and Mark Tessler and Princeton University research Amaney Jamal. All are co-authors of “Citizenship and Crisis.”

In the book, the team explores how the cultural prejudices that have often marginalized the Detroit Arab community came to a head after 9/11, and analyzes how the Arab communities of metropolitan Detroit have continued to thrive despite significant backlash from the crisis.

“Arabs and Muslims living in the U.S. repeatedly face situations in which their countries of origin, or Arabs and Muslims generally, are cast as enemies of the cimaUnited States and its allies in the Middle East,” says Baker. “As a result, Arab Americans must continually prove themselves, assuring their fellow nationals that they belong here, that they are loyal, that they are not a threat to national security.”

As such, the book’s authors believe Arab Americans highlight the contradictions in the multicultural ethos that dominates the concept and practice of citizenship in the U.S. Arab Americans have been singled out for harsh treatment including selective surveillance, deportation, and detention without due process, as well as presumptive freezing of financial assets, vandalism, and personal insults. But they have also been the beneficiaries of the politics of inclusion and acceptance.

Detroit has seen the establishment of the Arab American National Museum, the expansion of Arab American community organizations, and the election and appointment of Arab and Muslim citizens to political office, the authors point out. The area has also seen new partnerships between Arab American civil rights organizations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S Department of Homeland Security, as well as the creation of Arab American and Islamic studies programs in area universities, and the founding and expansion of at least a dozen new mosques.

The Detroit Arab and Muslim communities have also faced additional challenges – the intensification of violence in Iraq, further dispossession and bloodshed in Gaza and the West Bank, a devastating Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006, and the continued scrutiny, suspicion, and tactical harassment of Arab and Muslim Americans by the law enforcement arms of their own government.

But the authors conclude ­that there are also good reasons for optimism, and for hope that the tensions between inclusion and stigma ultimately serve to bind the community, spurring efforts to organization and activism that are essential to the Detroit area Arab community’s success.

­

by the El Reportero’s news services

Alan García

Salvadoran authorities say at least 192 people were killed by floods and landslides that swept through the country last week.

El Salvador’s Civil Protection agency says in a statement that 89 of the victims were killed in the state of San Vicente, where days of heavy rains caused mud and boulders to sweep down the side of the Chichontepec volcano before dawn a week ago.

The agency said Sunday that dozens more remain missing. It says that more than 14,000 Salvadoran have been affected by the floods and mudslides that were indirectly linked to Hurricane Ida’s passage through the region.

Peruvian President Alan García cut short his trip to the Asia Pacific

Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore, returning to Lima this morning to deal with a brewing spying case. Mr. Garcia abruptly announced his return—which comes a day earlier than had been scheduled—in order to publicly address an alleged incident of Chilean espionage involving an officer from the Peruvian Air Force. This newest diplomatic spat between the two countries had already provoked the cancellation of a meeting yesterday between President Garcia and his Chilean counterpart, Michelle Bachelet.

A Peruvian Air Force official Victor Ariza Mendoza, is accused of passing secret documents detailing Peru’s projected future military acquisitions to Chilean intelligence officers in exchange for money.

Obama’s new multilateralism founders on Honduras

When U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad on April 17 he pledged an era of equal partnership and a new chapter of engagement with the region that reflected his stated preference for multi-lateralism in regional affairs.

Seven months later, the administration’s patience with multilateralism appeared to have already worn thin, amid the failure of the efforts led by the main hemispheric Organization of American States (O.A.S.) to bring about a resolution to the Honduras coup crisis.

Obama has moved to re-assert the U.S. as the ultimate arbiter in Latin America, probably out of sheer frustration, but also at the cost of principle and in doing so has provoked a fresh rift with the region.

Zelaya backtracks as congress refuses to take orders

The ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya claims that the de facto president Roberto Micheletti breached and voided the Tegucigalpa-San José Agreement when he moved on Nov. 5 to install a ‘unity and national reconciliation’ government with himself as its head.

Few have taken note of the fact that Zelaya had by then already declared the agreement void, and had rejected an offer from Micheletti to overcome their differences.

This has thrown the international participants in the crisis into confusion.

Environmentalists alarmed by Puerto Rico policies

­SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Sweeping from lush mountain rain forests to pristine beaches, a corridor of land protected by Puerto Rico’s last governor hosts dozens of rare and endangered species and was championed by celebrities who helped fight off resort proposals.

Now new Gov. Luis Fortuno has revoked the reserve as part of a drive to bring jobs and investment for the U.S. territory’s struggling economy. And activists see a broader pattern of looser protection for the island’s environment.

Fortuno’s Oct. 30 order allows large-scale development inside the 3,200-acre 1,300-hectare) parcel of land immediately north of El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest system.

(Latin News, AP and AQ Online contributed to this report)