Category: World News

by Lane Tobias

Its easy to find talented people in OB. For such a small community, we have an unusual amount of creative people, both artists and entrepreneurs, within our midst. I learned this first hand over the last few weeks as I got to know my neighbors Matt Cook and self described “couch-monkey” Joe Clarke.

Matt and Joe have spent the last three months showcasing local residents who make OB San Diego’s most unique and exciting ‘hood on their late night talk show, Matt Cook Live.

By Jeremy Scahill / Peace Resource Center / August 4, 2009

A former Blackwater employee and an ex-US Marine who has worked as a security operative for the company have made a series of explosive allegations in sworn statements filed on August 3 in federal court in Virginia.

The two men claim that the company’s owner, Erik Prince, may have murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals who were cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company.

Aleida Guevara was four and a half when her father left Cuba. Ernesto “Che” Guevara, iconic Argentine guerrilla leader, Marxist theorist and second-in-command of the Cuban revolution, departed the island for Africa in 1965 after falling out of political favor with Fidel Castro.

She saw him only once again, before his execution by the CIA-backed Bolivian government two years later.

Things in Iran are still very tense. A stalemate has developed between the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the reformist opposition movement, led by Mir Hossein Mousavi. A top editor of a government-aligned newspaper called Mousavi a foreign agent, ratcheting up the rhetoric in the stand-off that has enveloped this country ever since the disputed presidential election on June 12.

However, one of the more positive developments favoring Mousavi is …

Editor: The situation in the Honduran crisis took a dramatic and deadly turn today, July 5th. Two supporters of deposed President Manuel Zelaya were killed in clashes with police at the capital’s airport.

Thousands of his supporters had marched on the airport in anticipation of his return there today. But Zelaya’s jet was blocked from landing, and the plane flew to El Salvador. Here is the most recent MSM report, from CNN, posted at 7:30 pm PDT:

by Lane Tobias

As I have been following the election protests in Iran over the last week or so, I can’t help but feel inspired by the movement’s energy. Long a polarizing global political figure, Iran now has everyone fixated on the unrest in its streets.

For those of us who grew up only knowing Iran as an “evil” place with religious dictators who present death doctrines for anyone not supportive of the ruling regime, it has been an eye-opening experience seeing first-hand the cultural importance Iranians place on personal freedom.

Protesters Rally, Bloggers and Journalists Arrested, Re-form Clerics Step Up Their Criticism of Government – 3 Days of Mourning Called for the Dead

Peaceful demonstrations on Sunday. Here’s alleged video from a blogger in Iran. CNN reported on Twitter: “Eyewitnesses: Thousands of riot police lining Tehran streets Sunday; marches taking place, but no violence reported.”

I am attempting to cover the situation in Iran this morning, Saturday, June 20th, using several live blogs – so you don’t have to. I’ll do this for the next couple of hours. The original plans of the opposition in Iran was to hold a rally at 4 pm their time. I’m referring to The New York Times’ The Lede, Huffington Post by Nico Pitney, and Andrew Sullivan of the Atlantic. My writings are in Pacific Daylight Time.

by Frank Gormlie

The next day in Iran is very critical. The country is at the breaking point. This morning in his prayer-speech, the chief cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, came out swinging at the opposition movement that has been in the streets for the last week in support of their reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi issued a direct challenge Wednesday to the country’s supreme leader and cleric-led system, calling for a mass rally to protest disputed election results and violence against his followers.

A crackdown on dissent continued, with more arrests of opposition figures reported, and the country’s most powerful military force _ the Revolutionary Guard _ saying that Iranian Web sites and bloggers must remove any materials that “create tension” or face legal action

I cannot stop watching history unfolding rapidly in Iran these last couple of days. I have skimmed and searched through several reports and websites and offer below a compilation:

Today, Tuesday, June 16th, supporters of the reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, staged another massive rally in Tehran, the capital.

Could this be the beginning of the Second Iranian Revolution? Today, Monday, June 15th – 100,000, 200,000 or perhaps 1 million people mobilized in the streets of Tehran, the capital, in a show of support for the reformist candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who allegedly lost the recent election for president.