JUDGE THROWS OUT ORGANIC FARMERS’ RECENT CASE AGAINST MONSANTO

 

Sovereign Independent

February 28, 2012

For years Monsanto has been trying to take out American family farms and dominate the agricultural industry with their genetically modified seeds. 

Between 1997 and 2010, 144 lawsuits were filed by Monsanto against American family farmers, with an additional 700 being settled out of court.   
 

ED: See:  ORGANIC FARMERS AND SEED SELLERS SUE MONSANTO

Recently, farmers made a firm decision to institute massive resistance against the biotech corporation by launching their own landmark lawsuit against Monsanto for contaminating crop fields with GMOs. The landmark case has now been thrown out by a New York federal court.

In a lawsuit originally filed in March of 2011, the Public Patent Foundation represented various individuals and organizations threatened by Monsanto and their GMO crops. 

Family farmers, farming organizations, and seed businesses all took a stand in a case known as the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) et al v. Monsanto. Seeing as Monsanto is stampeding over much of the farmland with their questionable and dangerous genetic manipulations, it isn’t surprising to see a case safeguarding farmers from Monsanto’s own lawsuits while also disputing the company’s patents on GMO seeds.

Unfortunately, the case seems to be unfolding in Monsanto’s favor. In fact, a New York court yesterday dismissed the lawsuit. The Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association was hoping that the judge would disallow the use of Monsanto’s seeds as they drift into organic fields, but instead the judge found the plaintiffs’ allegations to be “unsubstantiated … given that not one single plaintiff claims to have been so threatened.” In addition, the ruling said the plaintiffs overstated the magnitude of Monsanto’s patent enforcement.

“Beyond whatever happens with this suit, there are some very legitimate issues behind it,” Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, tells The Salt. “There is already a significant burden to organic food production, and there is more coming. It raises the question: Is it possible for organic agriculture to survive in the face of GM crops?”

 

Following current trends, genetically modified foods will make up the majority of the future food supply if a change is not made. Statistics show how GMO crops and ingredients have skyrocketed in even the past few years.

SEX SELECTIVE ABORTIONS ~ SCANDAL IN BRITAIN

While this article is concerned with gender balance in society as a result of this practice, nothing is mentioned of the moral depravity indicated by such scandalous decisions. That a person should choose to do such a thing, that a doctor would even consider performing such things, is beyond disgust. The obscenity of abortion simply due to gender is horrific.

Then there is disposal of the fetuses. I have done posts on what happens to these babies in the past and that is an even greater depravity.  The links are below.

Sarcasm: I suppose if this practice takes off in Europe we shall see new growth industries such as seen in China.

Where is America on this situation?:

"Countries with longstanding experience with sex-selection abortion–such as the Republic of India, the United Kingdom, and the People’s Republic of China–have enacted complete bans on sex-selection abortion, and have steadily continued to strengthen prohibitions and penalties. The United States, by contrast, has no law in place to restrict sex-selection abortion, establishing the United States as affording less protection from sex-based feticide than the Republic of India or the People’s Republic of China, whose recent practices of sex-selection abortion were vehemently and repeatedly condemned by United States congressional resolutions and by the United States’ Ambassador to the Commission on the Status of Women. Public statements from within the medical community reveal that citizens of other countries come to the United States for sex-selection procedures that would be criminal in their country of origin. Because the United States permits abortion on the basis of sex, the United States may effectively function as a ‘safe haven’ for those who seek to have American physicians do what would otherwise be criminal in their home countries–a sex-selection abortion, most likely late-term." ~ DBKB

By Olga Sobolevskaya

Voice of Russia

February 28, 2012

Sex-selective abortions have stirred a scandal in Britain. According to The Daily Telegraph, many British doctors are ready to do abortions to those women who are dissatisfied over the sex of the future child. Meanwhile, experts question whether the epidemic of sex-selective abortions, which has spread to many countries in Asia and Africa, will spread to other European countries.

After the investigation by the daily’s journalists, British Health Minister Andrew Lansley said he was worried. “Sex selection is illegal and is morally wrong,” he added. The Health Ministry has launched an investigation into the scandalous incidents. Experts say that if the British hospitals have long practiced sex-selective abortions, the country will face a sex imbalance in the near future.

Numerical sex disproportion has already been registered in several countries in Asia and Europe.

Clear cut numerical superiority of boys over girls can be seen now not only in China and India where preference is traditionally given to male heirs as feeders of the family, but also in Serbia, Bosnia, Greece, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. In these countries, there are from 112 to 120 boys for every 100 girls. And this means that terminations relating to the sex of the foetus are carried out there.

Here is the first outcome of the sex disbalance: there are 40 million bachelors in China alone.

Experts say that polygamy, where one woman lives with her husband but at the same time with his unmarried brothers, has been established in India.

ED: When a man is married to more than one wife at a time, the relationship is called polygyny and there is no marriage bond between the wives; when a woman is married to more than one husband at a time, it is called polyandry and there is no marriage bond between the husbands

A wave of low birth rates has spread to Europe too, says the Director of the Institute of Demographical Studies, Igor Beloborodov. At present, a growing number of families in Europe have one child each, while the dedicated child-free refuse to have children for the sake of career and a happy life-style. In Germany, the share of such women is about 20 percent.

There is nothing surprising when taking into account the fact that limiting the birth rate originated in Europe, says Igor Beloborodov. A British philosopher of late 18th century Tomas Malthus was one of the first ideologists of depopulation. This idea was supported by other countries, says Igor Beloborodov.

“Since then, the residents of France, England, Germany and later the Scandinavian countries have distinguished themselves. They used contraceptives and did selective abortions. At present, we see a second wave of limiting the birth rate in an inhuman way in Europe,” Igor Beloborodov said.

In view of this, heated debate is going on in Europe, including Britain on refusing to inform parents about the gender of the future child after scanning. The Council of Europe says this might trigger a growth in selective abortions. Many hospitals have already carried out this recommendation.

Demographers believe that women of Asian or African origin agree first and foremost to doing selective abortions. In fact, the demographical stereotypes might change in patriarchal societies, however, scientists do not exclude that sex-selective abortions are a temporary tendency.

Latest news from China confirms this. The Chinese authorities said they would soften the “one family-one child” policy which has been pursued over 30 years.      

NONE of these issues surprise me. We are surrounded by madmen, creatures passing as human who are full of bizarre theories and fantasies. Here are my previous postings on cannibalism and I warn that the still shots are extreme and graphic. Please do not view** unless you are over 18 years old and have very strong stomach:

BEYOND DISGUST IS BACK!: BABY PILLS FOR SEXUAL STAMINA

CHINA CANNABILISM AND BABIES

CHINA ~ BABIES AND FETUSES MAKE FOR GOOD HEALTH

CHINESE EAT BABY SOUP FOR SEX

POPULATION REDUCTION AGENDA FOR DUMMIES

SNIPPITS AND SNAPPITS: CHINA ~ CANNIBALISM AND BABIES

SNIPPITS AND SNAPPITS: CHINA ~ CANNIBALISM AND BABIES PART 2

SNIPPITS AND SNAPPITS: CHINA ~ CANNIBALISM AND BABIES PART 3

CANNIBALISM IN MODERN CHINA: EXTREMELY STRONG WARNING: GRAPHICALLY EXPLICIT

TODAY'S IMAGE: FEBRUARY 29, 2012

By alz3aabi

PALESTINIAN HANA SHALABI: HUNGER STRIKE DAY 15

 

 FREE HANA SHALABI

TODAY, ISRAELI COURT POSTPONES HANA SHALABI'S HEARING FOR THE SECOND TIME

 Hana Shalabi: Day 14 of Hunger Strike 

 

ARREST AND INTERROGATION

Hana Yahya Shalabi was arrested from her family home on 14 September 2009. At approximately 1:30 a.m. that morning, Israeli soldiers in 12 military jeeps surrounded her house in Burqin village, near the West Bank town of Jenin. The soldiers ordered Hana’s entire family outside of the house and demanded Hana give them her identity card. They then proceeded to conduct a thorough search of the family’s home.

During the search, one of the soldiers forcibly removed framed pictures of Hana’s brother Samer, who was killed by the Israeli army in 2005, tore them apart and walked over the pieces in front of the entire family.

The soldiers then started shouting and cursing at Hana and her family members. When Hana’s father, aged 63, attempted to intervene and protect his daughter from continued verbal abuse, one Israeli soldier pushed him in the chest with the butt of a rifle. Clearly distressed, Hana’s mother fainted at this scene. The soldiers then handcuffed Hana in painfully tight shackles around her wrists and placed her under arrest.

Hana was then transferred by military jeep to Salem Detention Center. During the transfer, Hana’s abaya, a traditional Muslim religious dress covering the entire body worn by women over home clothes, came open, uncovering her clothes and parts of her body. Some of the male soldiers accompanying her in the jeep took pictures of her at this point, consciously exploiting her situation, knowing she would feel offended and humiliated by such photos.

Upon arrival to Salem Detention Center, a doctor gave Hana a quick physical examination. Immediately after the examination, Hana was transferred to Kishon Detention Center inside Israel where her interrogation formally began. 

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND ABUSE

Hana was held in solitary confinement at Kishon Detention Center for eight consecutive days, in a cell measuring six square meters that contained no windows or natural sunlight. The cell contained only a mattress and a bathroom, and was reportedly very dirty. Hana was subjected to exhausting interrogation sessions every day, which lasted from 10:00 a.m. until the late evening hours.

The lack of natural sunlight during this period caused her to lose all sense of time and she was often unable to determine whether it was night or day.

As this period of isolation and disorientation coincided with the holy month of Ramadan, Hana was unable to monitor time in order to respect her fast. As a result, she decided not to eat at all, refusing meals and drinking water only during the entire eight day period.

Hana was also subjected to sexual harassment and physical violence during her interrogation. Hana told Addameer attorney Safa Abdo of an incident that occurred at end of an interrogation session, in which she did not confess to committing a crime, as her interrogators had expected.

In a move that Addameer contends was an effort to provoke Hana, one of the Israeli interrogators called Hana “habibti” (Arabic for “darling”) in a provocative manner.

Feeling humiliated and angry at the interrogator’s offensive use of an intimate term, Hana started shouting at him. The interrogators responded by slapping her on her face and beating her on her arms and hands. The guards then took her back to her cell where they tied her to the bed frame and continued humiliating her by taking pictures of her laying in that position.

Addameer is greatly concerned by the verbal abuse Israeli detaining authorities display towards Palestinian female prisoners by directing sexual threats towards them and using inappropriate, vulgar language. Addameer contends that this behavior is done in a deliberate effort to exploit Palestinian women’s fears by playing on patriarchal norms as well as gender stereotypes within particular customs of Palestinian society.

ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION

After Hana’s interrogation period concluded, she remained in Kishon Detention Center for nine additional days, which Israeli authorities claimed were necessary for the purpose of investigation.

On 29 September 2009, Israeli Military Commander Ilan Malka issued a six-month administrative detention order against Hana on the premise that she posed a threat to the “security of the area”.

The order was set to expire on 28 March 2010. At the judicial review of the order, which took place on 5 October 2009 at the Court of Administrative Detainees in Ofer Military Base, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, military judge Ilan Nun confirmed the order for the entire six month period, but agreed to count the two weeks Hana had already been detained towards her detention period.

In his decision, Nun alleged that, based on the “secret information” made available to him by the military prosecution, Hana was intending to carry out a “terrorist attack”. The judge further claimed that Hana had already undertaken initial steps in preparation for the attack, though he provided no proof to support this allegation.

Addameer contends that the judge’s decision raises serious questions and fair trial issues.

Seventeen days of investigation by the Israeli Security Agency, including eight days of consecutive interrogation did not prove the suspicions against Hana and no evidence of the alleged “intention” was brought before the court. Moreover, at no point did the court establish Hana’s affiliation with a Palestinian political party or armed group, nor did it establish whether Hana planned to carry out the alleged attack by herself or in partnership with anyone else.

Additionally, the nature of a possible partnership was never investigated. Importantly, all suspicions directed towards Hana remained vague and general, leaving her without any legitimate means to defend herself.

Although administrative detention orders issued by the Israeli military commander are the subject of review and further appeal by a military court, neither lawyers nor detainees are permitted to see the 'secret information’ used as a basis for the detention orders, rendering any possible legal defense meaningless.

Hana’s attorneys filed an appeal against her administrative detention order, but the appeal was refused. Hana is now set to be held without charge or trial until 13 March 2010.

DETENTION CONDITIONS

Prior to her transfer to HaSharon Prison, Hana spent a total of 17 days in Kishon Detention Center, where she was not once given a change of clean clothes. Hana continued to be detained in interrogation-like conditions for three days after her administrative detention order was issued.

On 1 October 2009, she was eventually transferred to Section 2 of HaSharon Prison, where, due to overcrowding, she was placed in the same section as female Israeli criminal offenders. This placement is a direct violation of Israeli Prison Service Regulations, which stipulate that administrative detainees are to be held separately from all other detainees and prisoners, including those who have been convicted of a crime.

Moreover, detained in the same sections as Israeli criminal offenders, Palestinian female prisoners are almost always discriminated against, enjoy fewer recreation hours and are often subjected to humiliation and abusive language from Israeli prisoners, who threaten them of physical attack. As a result, Palestinian women live in constant fear and often experience insomnia, and other psychological problems for the entire time they are detained in the same sections with Israeli women.

Addameer attorney Safa Abdo filed a complaint with the HaSharon Prison administration regarding Hana’s detention conditions. On 25 October 2009, after being held for 25 days among Israeli criminal offenders, Hana was finally moved to Section 12 of HaSharon Prison with the other Palestinian female prisoners, where she was held together with approximately 18 other Palestinian female prisoners. The building which now constitutes the prison complex served as the headquarters of the British Mounted Police during the British Mandate in Palestine and, as such, was never designed for the incarceration of women. As a result, Hana suffered from the harsh detention conditions and complained of overcrowding, humidity, lack of natural sunlight and adequate ventilation, as well as poor hygiene standards.(1)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Prior to her arrest by the Israeli authorities, Hana was arrested and held by the Palestinian intelligence forces for a week in 2009 for the purpose of interrogation. During this period, Hana was permitted to sleep at home and was kept in detention from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. each day.

Hana is one of nine children in a family of farmers in Burqin village, next to Jenin. On 29 September 2005, Hana’s brother Samer was killed by Israeli forces during an incursion in the village. Although Hana never intended to pursue university studies after completing her secondary education, she now vows to study journalism after she is released to advocate for the rights of Palestinian prisoners.

Administrative detention is a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold detainees indefinitely on secret evidence without charging them or allowing them to stand trial. In the occupied Palestinian West Bank, the Israeli army is authorized to issue administrative detention orders against Palestinian civilians on the basis of Military Order 1591. This order empowers military commanders to detain an individual for up to six month renewable periods if they have “reasonable grounds to presume that the security of the area or public security require the detention.”

On or just before the expiry date, the detention order is frequently renewed. This process can be continued indefinitely.

For more information about administrative detention and Addameer’s Campaign to Stop Administrative Detention please visit the campaign’s page.

1 Please refer to “In Need for Protection: Palestinian Female Prisoners in Israeli Detention” for detailed information on Palestinian women prisoners’ detention conditions in Israeli prisons. 

For more information about administrative detention and Addameer’s Campaign to Stop Administrative Detention please visit our website: www.addameer.org.

Read Addameer’s July 2010 update report on administrative detention:

Administrative Detention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: A Legal Analysis Report,

Read Addameer’s report on detention conditions for female prisoners: “In Need of Protection”: Palestinian Female Prisoners in Israeli Detention, November 2008

**** 

ACT NOW!

Here is how you can help Hana Shalabi:

*Write to the Israeli government, military and legal authorities and demand that Hana Shalabi be released immediately.

• Brigadier General Danny Efroni
  Military Judge Advocate General
  6 David Elazar Street
  Harkiya, Tel Aviv
  Israel
  Fax: +972 3 608 0366; +972 3 569 4526
  Email: arbel@mail.idf.il; avimn@idf.gov.il
• Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi
  OC Central Command Nehemia Base, Central Command
  Neveh Yaacov, Jerusalam
  Fax: +972 2 530 5741
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak
  Ministry of Defense
  37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya
  Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
  Fax: +972 3 691 6940 / 696 2757
• Col. Eli Bar On
  Legal Advisor of Judea and Samaria PO Box 5
  Beth El 90631
  Fax: +972 2 9977326

*Write to your own elected representatives urging them to pressure Israel to release Hana Shalabi and to put an end to such an unjust, arbitrary and cruel system of incarceration without trial. 

BRICS PREPARES WORLD BANKING REVOLUTION

Go Go GO BRIC. If ever there was need for international reform, it is now!  It is over time to balance the scales of international equality and injustices past. Call me a dreamer, but might this not be a step in the right direction?  Considering Hawkish Hilary is looking for a leadership role with the international banks, they have a point in their reasoning.

By Kasho Natalya

THE VOICE OF RUSSIA

February 28, 2012

BRICS member-states are preparing a world banking revolution. They are planning to nominate an alternative candidate for the post of the Chairman of the World Bank for the first time in history. BRICS also demands redistribution of quotas in the International Monetary Fund in the near future and intends to study India’s initiative on creating a South-South Bank.

Representatives of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa proposed a reform of the world financial system at their meeting in Mexico City which took place during the conference of G20 finance ministers and heads of central banks.

BRICS financiers are annoyed with the private rule that the head of the World Bank is always a representative of the US.

They believe that candidates should be assessed based on their merits and not citizenship.

BRICS member-states are convinced that it is essential to create competition for the US candidate, either from a BRICS country or from Europe. It has been decided to prepare a declaration on a coordinated position on this subject in the next two weeks. Candidates for the post of the head of the World Bank should be determined by the 23rd of March.

On the 29th of March BRICS leaders are expected to launch the mechanism of coordinating opinions on India’s proposal to create a South-South Bank. It is to become a support institution for countries with developing markets.

BRICS member-states will be playing the main role in it, according to the quotas of votes. In this context they will have to assume serious financial responsibilities. The project looks promising but needs detailed studying, President of the Russian Financial Corporation Andrey Nechayev says.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions at the moment. Who is going to provide capitals for this bank? Who will be able to get money from it? There may be a lot more of those who want to take a loan than those willing to give loans. The new institution meets the requirements of world development. BRICS member-states need investments and not only cash but new technologies, methods of corporate management and innovations. At present it is not quite clear how this bank, if it ever opens, will help to solve this problem.”

In any case, India’s initiative on creating a South-South Bank is an attempt by BRICS member-states to offer their mite to the establishment of a new world financial system. They are planning to take a place in it according to their global weight. The rate of the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, Chinese and South African growing economies in world production exceeds 21% and these countries’ currency reserves exceed $4trln.

The latter fact gives these countries grounds to dispute the financial tradition set by the west.

BRICS member-states intend to upgrade their role in the IMF. They are ready to discuss the strengthening of the Fund’s resource base, in particular, for helping the EU to get out of the debt crisis.

At the same time, they demand redistribution of the Fund’s quotas, which means both the realignment of world financial flows and the rearrangement of votes when the IMF makes decisions.

At present, almost half of the votes belong to the EU and the US, while BRICS member-states have about 10%. In 2010 BRICS raised its quota a little but its potential is still underrated.

The West will keep trying to hamper the IMF reform, so as to prevent countries with growing markets from strengthening their positions. Meanwhile, the need for replenishing the IMF resource base will apparently make the management of the Fund respond to the BRICS initiative.

ISRAEL RAIDS RAMALLAH TV STATIONS

Staff member of the local private television station "Watan", look at the damage caused after Israeli troops raided this and another Palestinian television station in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Israeli troops raided two Palestinian television stations in the West Bank city of Ramallah overnight, seizing computers and broadcasting equipment.

During Operation Cast Lead, among the first targets of the Israeli military were the communications stations of Palestines.  Under trumped up allegations, once again, Israel strikes to destroy communications between the people of Palestine. 

Considering that Israel is just itching for another opportunity to spill Palestinian blood, and set on a path of provocation to draw response or retaliation from the people of this besieged territory, one can draw many conclusions from this action. 

Or, one can be oblivious and really believe the official Israeli party line.

February 29, 2012

RAMALLAH

Israeli forces raided two Palestinian television networks early Wednesday in Ramallah and briefly detained four employees, journalists said.

Soldiers confiscated computers used by editors and reporters in local private station Watan TV’s newsroom and general offices as well as administrative and financial files, the network said.

Troops also raided Al-Quds Educational TV in Al-Bireh and confiscated its broadcasting equipment, the head of its TV department Haroun Abu Irreh told Ma’an.

“They came at 2:00 am (0000 GMT) and took around 30 computers and all the transmitters. The station is totally shut down,” Watan’s editor in chief, Ali Daraghmeh, told AFP.

“One of our guards tried to stop the army, but they told him they had official orders to close the station.”

Haroun Abu Arra, director of Quds Educational TV, said troops raided his station shortly afterwards.

“At 3:00 am (0100 GMT), the Israeli army entered the television station’s office and took all the transmitters, and the station is now unable to broadcast,” he said.

“This attack is nothing but piracy under a policy of systematic attack targeting Palestinian media organizations and journalists,” Watan TV said in a statement.

The network “deplores this aggressive behavior against an efficient and effective media organization,” and said it will restore the stolen equipment and transmitters and to try to resume broadcasts.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said soldiers were accompanying an operation by the country’s communications ministry, which had determined that the networks were broadcasting illegally.

She claimed the raids came after “multiple requests” from the Israeli communications ministry to the two stations to halt operations.

“IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers accompanied an operation of the ministry of communications to close two pirate television stations in Ramallah,” she said.

“This station significantly interrupts other legal broadcasting stations and interferes with aircraft communications.”

“During the operation and in accordance with law, the communications ministry confiscated several transmitters.”

“Illegal broadcasting interfered with aircraft communication, which is very, very dangerous.”

No one at the communications ministry was immediately available for comment.

But Palestinian telecommunications minister Mashour Abu Daqqa angrily rejected the claims, saying Israel had failed to make any official complaint through the proper channels to the Palestinian Authority.

“They are liars,” Abu Daqqa told AFP. “If there is any problem, we have an Israel-Palestinian coordination committee and we discuss any problems regarding frequencies all the time.

“We didn’t receive anything through this committee and we believe that the Israeli army wants to change realities on the ground, ignoring all the committees formed.”

Daqqa said the stations were both registered with the International Broadcasting Union and broadcast on legal frequencies.

Moammer Orabi, Watan’s director general, said there were no warnings before the raid took place.

“It was a surprise. We still don’t know why they confiscated the equipment and shut down the station, even though we work in areas belonging to the Palestinian Authority and we have a licence from them,” he said.

Abu Irreh of Al-Quds Educational TV called the events of Wednesday morning “harassment to media and education stations and a way to shut the mouths of media and reporters.”

Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti condemned the raids in a statement.

“This act is not only a violation of human rights and humanitarian law,” he said, “but also a breach of the agreements that forbid the Israeli military forces from entering or carrying out operations” in Area A.

Employees walk in a studio at the television station "Watan" after Israeli raid.

“We will campaign worldwide to repel the Israeli aggression,” he said.

Watan TV identified the four employees who were detained as head of production Abdul Rahman Thaher, correspondent Hamza Salaymeh, graphics expert Ibrahim Milhim and broadcaster Ahmad Zaki.

They were released after several hours, the network said.

The raids were condemned by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who visited Watan’s offices after the raid, describing it as “a new and very dangerous Israeli escalation against the Palestinian Authority.”

Journalists said they would hold a demonstration in Ramallah’s central square later on Wednesday to protest against the raid.