A B C D E F G H I J K L
  PROTEST, RIOT, AND VIOLENCE NEWS: 1-JAN-12 - 12-MAY-12      
From 01-Jan-12 Copyright © 2011-2012 by Macroknow Inc. All Rights Reserved.
To 12-May-12  
Days 133  
News Items 537
Date Event Category Authors Title X Event Source URL Item
2-Jan-12 PRO LAW Palko Karasz; Melissa Eddy Opposition Protests Constitution in Hungary Hungary: tens of the thousands protest the new “majoritarian” Constitution which gives the government anti democratic control over the news media and over the courts NYT 1
3-Jan-12 REL GOV VIO Edward Wong Violent Clashes Reported in China Over Mosque Demolition China: violent clashes between Muslims protecting their mosque and authorities that want to demolish it NYT 2
5-Jan-12 REL VIO Series of blasts leaves scores dead in Iraq: At least 70 killed and more than 100 wounded in the latest attacks in mainly Shia areas across the country Iraq: a series of bomb attacks targeting Shia pilgrims killed ≥70 people Al Jazeera-Agencies 3
5-Jan-12 ECON OIL MIL Iran blasts West's embargo as 'economic war': Ban would stop Tehran's exports to Europe, but official says it could "very easily replace these customers" Iran: the European Union announced a preliminary agreement to ban oil imports from Iran (according to Reuters, the EU imports 18% of Iran's oil output); Iran accused the West of waging "economic war" on Iran; Iran threatened in Dec-2011 to shut the Strait of Hormuz Al Jazeera-Agencies 4
5-Jan-12 PRO OIL VIO Nigeria police crack down on fuel protests: About 300 people wounded and 19 others arrested and later released by police in the northern city of Kano Nigeria: police cracked down on protesters demonstrating against soaring fuel prices; ~300 people were injured Al Jazeera-Agencies 5
6-Jan-12 VIO Erika Solomon. Contributors: Alistair Lyon; Khaled Yacoub Oweis Suicide bomb kills 25 in Damascus: Syrian TV Syria: a suicide bomber killed ~25 people in Damascus Reuters 6
6-Jan-12 NATO VIO Laura King 8 NATO troops killed in 24 hours in southern Afghanistan NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF): 8 NATO troops were killed in 24 hours Washington Post: Los Angeles Times 7
7-Jan-12 MIL VIO Kenya: Airstrikes Kill 60 Islamic Militants in Somalia Kenya: airstrikes killed ≥60 al-Qaeda militants in Somalia; warnings of potential terrorist attacks issued for Kenya VOA News-AP-AFP 8
9-Jan-12 PRO ECON OIL 3 Killed in Nigeria Fuel Price Protests Nigeria: tens of thousands of Nigerians protested soaring fuel prices (fuel prices doubled in 1 day); clashes with police killed at ≥3 people VOA News 9
10-Jan-12 VIO Bomb Kills 35 in NW Pakistan Pakistan: bomb killed ≥35 people near a bus terminal VOA News-AP-Reuters 10
11-Jan-12 VIO NUC WWW Scott Shane. Contributors: Steven Lee Myers; David E. Sanger; Alan Cowell; Rick Gladstone Adversaries of Iran Said to Be Stepping Up Covert Actions Iran's adversaries reportedly "accelerating covert campaign of assassinations, bombings, cyberattacks and defections" NYT 11
11-Jan-12 PRO VIO Assad Rallies Syrians; Western Journalist Killed Syria: thousands of Syrians rally in Damascus in support of President Bashar al-Assad; Assad claimed his government will defeat a "conspiracy" against Syria; the UN estimates the death toll from the uprising at 5,000 people
 VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 12
11-Jan-12 VIO REL Craig Whitlock Video appears to show troops urinating on corpses Video on the Internet "purports to show Marines in combat gear urinating on the corpses of three Taliban insurgents" Washington Post 13
11-Jan-12 GOV POL VIO Ralph Nader Iran: The Neocons Are At It Again Ralph Nader: "The same neocons who persuaded George W. Bush and crew to, in Ron Paul's inimitable words, "lie their way into invading Iraq" in 2003, are beating the drums of war more loudly these days to attack Iran" Nader.org 14
12-Jan-12 VIO GOV NUC IRGC Condemns Assassination of Iranian Scientist 11-Jan-2012: Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, an Iranian university professor and deputy director of Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, was killed in a bombing; the assassination is blamed on the "Zionist regime and its sympathizers in the White House and the West" FARS News Agency 15
13-Jan-12 PRO VIO Thousands Rally in Syria as Arab League Chief Warns of Civil War Syria: ~20,000 demonstrators protested against President Bashar al-Assad; soldiers reportedly killed ≥1 person; a Russian vessel carrying ammunition from Russia to Syria was intercepted VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 16
14-Jan-12 VIO REL Blast kills Iraqi Shia pilgrims in Basra Iraq: a suicide attack killed ≥53 Shia Muslim pilgrims in Basra Al Jazeera-Agencies 17
15-Jan-12 VIO SEC Michael S. Schmidt; Duraid Adnan. Contributor: an Iraqi employee of NYT Police Officers Are Killed in Insurgent Attacks in Iraq Iraq: car bombs and gunmen targeted a police compound; 9 people, including 5 police officers, were killed NYT 18
15-Jan-12 VIO Pakistani Intelligence: Taliban Leader Believed Killed in US Drone Strike 12-Jan-2012: Pakistan: a bomb killed ≥16 people; a U.S. drone strike may have killed Pakistani Taliban Hakimullah Mehsud VOA News-AP-FP 19
15-Jan-12 PRO REL Tom Kington Vatican protesters evicted by police Rome: demonstrators aiming to set up a protest camp in St Peter's Square were evicted by police The Guardian 20
16-Jan-12 VIO REL Car Bombs Kill At Least 12 in Iraq Iraq: car bombings killed ≥12 people, including women and children; many attacks have targeted Shia citizens VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 21
17-Jan-12 PRO Max Chafkin. Contributors: Alexandra Beggs; Mark Guiducci; Jaime Lalinde; Elizabeth Nicholas; Rebecca Sacks; Kaitlin Sanders Revolution Number 99: An Oral History of Occupy Wall Street Feb-2012: Vanity Fair: collection of historical fragments and comments about the genesis of the Occupy Wall Street movement Vanity Fair 22
18-Jan-12 PRO BUS LAW Major Websites Protest US Anti-Piracy Legislation with Blackout Major websites, including Wikipedia and Google, protested The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) under consideration in the U.S. Congress; the film and music industry support anti-piracy legislation VOA News 23
18-Jan-12 HEAL VIO Gilda Sedgh et al. Long-Term Worldwide Decline In Abortions Has Stalled: Plateau Coincides With Slowdown In What Had Been A Steady Increase In Contraceptive Use New research from the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization (WHO): "Between 1995 and 2003, the overall number of abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age (15–44 years) dropped from 35 to 29; . . . the global abortion rate in 2008 was virtually unchanged, at 28 per 1,000" [Gilda Sedgh et al., Induced Abortion: Incidence and Trends Worldwide from 1995 to 2008, The Lancet, 18-Jan-2012] Guttmacher Institute; WHO 24
19-Jan-12 VIO Suicide Bomber Kills 7 in Southern Afghanistan Afghanistan: suicide car bomber killed 7 people, including 2 children; NATO vehicles targeted; the Taliban claimed responsibility  VOA News 25
19-Jan-12 PRO JUST WWW AnonymousWiki Anonymous: "Popular file-sharing website megaupload.com gets shutdown by U.S Justice - FBI and charged its founder with violating piracy laws. Four Megaupload members were also arrested. . . We Anonymous are launching our largest attack ever on government and music industry sites. Lulz. The FBI didn't think they would get away with this did they? They should have expected us. . ."; several websites were taken down, including: justice.gov, usdoj.gov, copyright.gov, universalmusic.com Anonymous 26
20-Jan-12 VIO MIL EDU Edward Cody; Kevin Sieff France halts training after Afghan soldier kills 4 French troops Afghanistan: an Afghan soldier targeted his trainers and killed 4 French soldiers; France suspended its training operation in Afghanistan Washington Post 27
20-Jan-12 ACC MIL Afghan helicopter crash kills NATO troops Afghanistan: a NATO CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter crashed killing 6 American soldiers Al Jazeera: Agencies 28
20-Jan-12 PRO VIO Nada Bakri Self-Immolation Is on the Rise in the Arab World Desperate lives in the Arab world have pushed many to self-immolate: 107 Tunisians attempted to kill themselves by self-immolation in the 6 months since the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a fruit vendor, on 27-Dec-2010 [the trigger of the Arab Spring] [source: BBC]; 5 young men self-immolated in Morocco on 18-Jan-2012; others attempted self-immolation in Tunisia, Jordan, and Bahrain NYT 29
21-Jan-12 VIO At Least 131 Dead in Nigeria Bombings Nigeria: bombings in Kano killed ≥131 people; Boko Haram claimed responsibility  VOA News 30
21-Jan-12 MIL POL Amir Oren U.S. Chief of Staff: U.S. and Israel have shared understanding of Mideast security U.S. Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey in Israel to “advance a shared understanding of the security situation in the region," including especially Iran Haaretz 31
21-Jan-12 VIO Deadly bus explosion hits Syria's Idlib Syria: bus transporting prisoners exploded killing 14 people; the attack may not have been deliberately targeted Al Jazeera-Agencies 32
21-Jan-12 VIO MIL Dan Morse. Contributors: Uthman al-Mukhtar; Asaad Majeed 4 Iraqi troops killed in attack in Fallujah Iraq: gunmen targeted an army checkpoint in Fallujah and killed 4 soldiers Washington Post 33
22-Jan-12 PRO GOV Libya's No. 2 Leader Resigns After Benghazi Anti-Government Riot Libya: anti-government riot; the deputy head of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) Abdel Hafiz Ghoga resigned VOA News-AFP-Reuters 34
22-Jan-12 VIO MIL Somalia Drone Strike Kills al-Qaida Operative Somalia: drone-fired missiles killed an al-Qaeda operative VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 35
23-Jan-12 POL VIO Philip Weiss Assassination has been a trusty tool in Zionism’s rightwing movement Philip Weiss on assassination as a "trusty tool" of radical Zionism. Atlanta Jewish Times publisher Andrew Adler reportedly suggested that the Mossad assassinate Barack Obama; Adler reportedly apologized Mondoweiss 36
23-Jan-12 POL VIO Atlanta Jewish Times publisher resigns over Obama assassination column Andrew Adler, the publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times has resigned; according to JTA, in a 13-Jan-2012 column, Adler outlined "possible responses by Israel to Iran's acquiring a nuclear weapon," including "the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel . . ." JTA 37
23-Jan-12 PRO LAW Abortion opponents urged to unite behind eventual GOP nominee at annual ‘March for Life’ rally Thousands of abortion opponents joined the “March for Life” to mark the 39th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion Washington Post: AP 38
24-Jan-12 VIO Baghdad car bombs kill 14, injure dozens Iraq: a series of car bombings in Baghdad killed 14 people; Iraq death toll to date from violence: ≥170 CBC News: AP 39
24-Jan-12 VIO SEC Peter Heinlein Nigeria Police Investigating Kano Attacks 20-Jan-2012: Nigeria: bomb attacks targeting the police in Kano killed 185 people; Boko Haram fighters suspected VOA News 40
25-Jan-12 PRO David D. Kirkpatrick. Contributor: Mayy El Sheikh Egyptians Gather on First Anniversary of Revolt Egypt: ~100,000 Egyptians demonstrated in Tahrir Square to mark the first anniversary of the Egyptian revolution NYT 41
26-Jan-12 VIO REL New church attacks in northern Nigeria; thousands of Christians flee  22-Jan-2012: Nigeria: bomb attacks targeted 2 churches; up to 35,000 Christians have reportedly fled the Muslim area following a Boko Haram ultimatum CatholicCulture.org 42
26-Jan-12 VIO MIL Sayed Salahuddin Bomber targets NATO convoy in Afghanistan; 3 killed Afghanistan: a suicide bomber targeted a NATO convoy; 3 civilians were killed Washington Post 43
26-Jan-12 VIO Dan Morse and Asaad Majeed Bombs kill 2 policemen and their families south of Baghdad Iraq: 3 bombs targeting the homes of 2 policemen killed 9 people, including 2 babies  Washington Post 44
27-Jan-12 VIO REL Dan Morse; Aziz Alwan Bomb kills dozens in Baghdad Shiite district Iraq: a suicide bomber killed at least 31 people in a Shia neighborhood Washington Post 45
27-Jan-12 PRO VIO Alice Fordham; Colum Lynch. Contributor: Leila Fadel Violence surges in Syria as U.N. Security Council meets 26-Jan-2012: Syria: shelling by government increased; 62 people were reportedly killed across Syria Washington Post 46
27-Jan-12 PRO MIL Egyptians Participate in 'Second Day of Anger' 26-27-Jan-2012: Egypt: demonstrators protest demanding the army transfer power to civilians VOA News 47
28-Jan-12 VIO REL David Kerr Military archbishop: US invasion led to fewer Iraqi Christians According to U.S. Military Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, one of the legacies of America's invasion of Iraq in 2003 is the substantial decrease in the Catholic population of Iraq -- from over 800,000, to less than 150,000; Catholics were protected under Saddam Hussein -- they no longer are Catholic News Agency 48
28-Jan-12 VIO REL Mary Abdelmassih Over 3000 Muslims Attack Christian Homes and Shops in Egypt, 3 Injured Egypt: >3000 Muslims attacked Copts in a village; Coptic homes and shops were looted then torched Assyrian International News Agency 49
29-Jan-12 VIO OIL Kareem Fahim; Ellen Barry. Contributors: Huwaida Saad; Alan Cowell Syria Targets Rebels Based in Suburbs of Damascus Syria: Syrian forces clashed with rebel forces; Syrian authorities said a “terrorist group” blew up a gas pipeline NYT 50
29-Jan-12 PRO VIO Police Kill 4 in Bangladeshi Protests Bangladesh: Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists demonstrated for the reinstatement of a caretaker voting system; police fired at protesters killing ≥4 people VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 51
30-Jan-12 PRO More than 400 arrests as Occupy protest resurfaces in Oakland, breaking lull 29-Jan-12: Occupy Oakland protesters clashed with police; police arrested more than 400 people; protesters accused the police of using illegal tactics Washington Post-AP 52
30-Jan-12 PRO VIO Is Syria descending into civil war? 26-27-Jan-12: Syria: violent anti-government protests: ~120 people were reportedly killed Al Jazeera 53
1-Feb-12 VIO Scores killed in Egypt football violence Egypt: football violence; ≥73 people were killed Al Jazeera-Agencies 54
1-Feb-12 PRO VIO Syria toll mounts amid Russian veto threat Syria: violent clashes leave ≥68 people dead according to the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) Al Jazeera-Agencies 55
2-Feb-12 PRO UN Palestinian Protesters Throw Shoes at UN Chief Gaza strip: Palestinian protesters throw shoes at United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his convoy VOA News-AFP-Reuters 56
2-Feb-12 PRO VIO David D. Kirkpatrick. Contributor: Mayy El Sheikh Clashes in Egypt as Mourners Unleash Fury Over Soccer Melee Egypt: thousands of protesters in several cities demand the military cede power, following football violence; violent clashes with police were reported NYT 57
2-Feb-12 PRO VIO William Ide Self-Immolations in China's Tibetan Areas Mark Shift in Tibet Movement Tibet: since Mar-2011, ≥16 Tibetans, mostly monks and nuns, have self-immolated in protest of Chinese government policies VOA News 58
3-Feb-12 VIO CNN Wire Staff Iran's leader: War would be detrimental to U.S. Israel agitating for possible airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites; Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: "The war itself will be 10 times as detrimental to the U.S." CNN 59
3-Feb-12 PRO VIO Deadly clashes in Egypt over football riots 2-Feb-12: Egypt: thousands protested demanding retribution for the deaths of 72 people killed in football violence; 5 were killed in violent clashes with authorities Al Jazeera-Agencies 60
3-Feb-12 PRO SEC Scott Shane. Contributors: Somini Sengupta; Nicole Perlroth F.B.I. Admits Hacker Group’s Eavesdropping Anonymous posted a recording of a conference call between the FBI, Scotland Yard and other police agencies about their investigation of Anonymous, Lulzsec, Antisec, and other groups [see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6DfI0GBbjE]; other hacking activities reported NYT 61
4-Feb-12 PRO MIL VIO Anthony Shadid. Contributors: Nada Bakri; Hwaida Saad; David D. Kirkpatrick Death Toll Is Said to Rise in Syrian City of Homs Syria: military forces assaulted Homs; the death toll is reportedly 260 NYT 62
4-Feb-12 PRO GOV Alexander Kolyandr; Gregory L. White. Contributors: Anna Masterova; Olga Padorina; Nonna Fomenko Thousands Rally Against Putin Moscow, Russia: >100,000 protested against election fraud and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin; also, tens of thousands of pro-Putin Russians protested against "lackeys of America" WSJ 63
4-Feb-12 PRO VIO Riots in Egypt Continue: At Least 12 Dead, 2,500 Injured Egypt: protesters and police clashed; ≥12 people were killed VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 64
4-Feb-12 PRO GOV James Brooke Pro- and Anti-Putin Rallies Draw Mass Turnouts in Moscow Moscow, Russia: pro-Putin and anti-Putin rallies draw 138,000 and 100,000, respectively VOA News 65
4-Feb-12 PRO SEC Annie Gowen. Contributors: Michael Bolden; Carol Morello; Martin Weil; Clarence Williams Occupy D.C. camp raided by police Washington, DC: the police raided the Occupy D.C. camp in McPherson Square; Occupy protesters are part of a movement demonstrating against "economic inequality" Washington Post 66
4-Feb-12 MIL MAN Iran Starts Mass-Production of Naval Cruise Missile Iran to mass-produce a naval cruise missile (Zafar) FARS News Agency 67
4-Feb-12 PRO GOV WWW Peter Andrews Department of Homeland Security website hacked by Anonymous Homeland Security Department’s website, DHS.gov was reportedly taken down by Anonymous hacktivists RT: Reuters 68
5-Feb-12 VIO Karzai Condemns Deadly Car Bombing in Southern Afghanistan Afghanistan: a suicide car bombing at a police station in Kandahar killed 9 people; according to a U.N. report, >3,000 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in 2011 (up 8% from 2010) VOA News 69
5-Feb-12 VIO OIL  Oil Pipeline in Niger Delta Attacked by Militants 4-Feb-2012: Niger Delta, Nigeria: The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) attacked an Italian-owned pipeline VOA News 70
5-Feb-12 PRO GOV Protesters attack 7 Syrian embassies around world in wake of bloody crackdown Protesters attacked 7 Syrian embassies around the world Fox News: AP 71
7-Feb-12 PRO GOV DEBT Greek Police Clash with Austerity Protesters Greece: thousands of workers protested the latest austerity measures imposed by creditors (EU, ECB, and IMF) VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 72
8-Feb-12 GOV MIL Nirmala George India Upgrades Military to Match China India has acquired a nuclear-powered submarine from Russia; India has decided to buy 126 fighter jets from France and to get a retrofitted Soviet-built aircraft carrier Time: AP 73
9-Feb-12 PRO MIL VIO Scores killed' in shelling of Syria's Homs Syria: government forces shelled Homs for the 6th day in a row; according to the Local Co-ordination Committees 110 people were killed in Homs  Al Jazeera-Agencies 74
9-Feb-12 PRO GOV JOBS General strike enters second day in Israel 8-9-Feb-2012: Israel: general strike involving ~500,000 people to force the government to hire workers and provide good working conditions Al Jazeera: Agencies 75
10-Feb-12 PRO VIO DEBT Athens clashes over Greece eurozone austerity deal Greece: protesters clashed with police in Athens over austerity measures imposed by eurozone ministers; austerity measures include: cut of 15,000 public-sector jobs, weakening of labor laws, decreasing the minimum wage by 20%; Greece's unemployment rate is >20%. BBC News 76
10-Feb-12 PRO VIO Blasts in Aleppo as 'tanks mass outside Homs'  Syria: explosions in Aleppo killed 28 people Al Jazeera-Agencies 77
11-Feb-12 PRO LAW WWW Dave Lee Acta protests: Thousands take to streets across Europe Europe: thousands of people protested against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). BBC News 78
11-Feb-12 PRO LAW WWW Stop ACTA Open Rights Group, London, UK: "The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is an international agreement, negotiated in secret. It is supposed to tackle large-scale counterfeiting. But its overly broad definitions, harsh punitive measures and lack of democratic validity make it a danger to how our Internet is governed and to freedom of expression and privacy online." According to ORG: "ACTA has no democratic credibility"; "ACTA threatens your privacy and freedom of speech"; "ACTA would be a hindrance to innovation"; "ACTA could hurt developing countries." Open Rights Group 79
11-Feb-12 VIO A Terrorist Group Assassinates Brigadier General Dr.  Issa al-Kholi in Damascus Syria: an armed terrorist group is targeting Syrian intellectuals and medical and technical cadres; the group assassinated Director of Hamish Hospital in Damascus, Brigadier General, Dr. Issa al-Kholi; others assassinated include a professor at al-Baath University,an engineer and nuclear specialist, the head of Thoracic Surgery Department at Homs National Hospital, a teacher at the National Center for Excelled Students in Homs . . . [SANA] Syrian Arab News Agency 80
11-Feb-12 PRO GOV DEBT Andrei Khalip
 Lisbon Protests: More Than 100,000 Rally Against Austerity In Portugal Lisbon, Portugal: >100,000 protesters (300,000, according to organisers) rallied against austerity measures Huffington Post: Reuters 81
12-Feb-12 PRO VIO DEBT Niki Kitsantonis; Rachel Donadio. Contributors: Julie Creswell; Elisabetta Povoledo Greek Parliament Passes Austerity Plan After Riots Rage Greece: financial bailout: the Greek Parliament approved harsh austerity measures imposed by creditors (European Commission, ECB, IMF); more than 80,000 people demonstrated against financial capitulation; violent riots were reported in many cities NYT 82
12-Feb-12 PRO GOV REL Al-Qaida Leader Voices Support for Syrian Uprising 11-Feb-2012: Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Muslims to support anti-government rebels in Syria and "called on Syrians not to rely on the West or Arab governments" VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 83
12-Feb-12 PRO GOV POL Robert Berger Palestinian Hunger Striker Stirs Emotions Protesters support Khader Adnan, a Palestinian prisoner from Islamic Jihad who has been on a hunger strike for 58 days! VOA News 84
13-Feb-12 VIO POL Israeli envoys targeted in India and Georgia Israel's embassies on high alert: Israeli diplomats have been targeted by car bombs in India and Georgia Al Jazeera-Agencies 85
13-Feb-12 PRO VIO DEBT Niki Kitsantonis; Rachel Donadio. Contributors: Dimitris Bounias; Stephen Castle; Melissa Eddy  Athens Shaken by Riots After Vote for Austerity Greece: austerity measures imposed on Greece by creditors triggered massive protests (80,000 demonstrators), riots, vandalism, and looting; ~150 stores were vandalized and looted, and ~45 buildings, including banks, were torched NYT 86
15-Feb-12 PRO MKT WWW Lee J NASDAQ website taken offline by hackers Hackers using the handle L0NGwave99 have reportedly taken down NASDAQ's website Cyber War News 87
15-Feb-12 VIO REL Sharqia: Church and homes set on fire by some 2,000 Muslim extremists Egypt: ~2,000 extremists, mainly Salafists, set fire to the Church of St Mary and St Abram in a village north-east of Cairo; peace was mediated by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party AsiaNews.it 88
15-Feb-12 ELITE BANK VIO Margaret Kimberley Freedom Rider: Greece: Your Money or Your Life Margaret Kimberley: "Greece’s plight proves the Lords of Capital have no more use for democratic facades. The Greeks will be forced to surrender to “the free movement of capital” and take no actions that would “influence the management or control of companies.” For the people’s purposes, the Greek state has ceased to exist. “The sad truth is that citizens of supposedly democratic countries live in dictatorships of, for, and by the rich."" Black Agenda Report 89
17-Feb-12 VIO SEC Carol Cratty Police: Suicide attack on U.S. Capitol foiled U.S.: alleged suicide attack on U.S. Capitol foiled CNN 90
17-Feb-12 VIO REL Ali Afzaal. Contributors: Saud Mehsud; Jibran Ahmad; Qasim Nauman; Sanjeev Miglani (ed.)
 Suicide bomber kills 26 in NW Pakistan, ignites protest Pakistan: a suicide bomber targeted a Shia mosque and killed ≥26 people Reuters 91
17-Feb-12 PRO GOV LAW Quinn Norton Anonymous Promises Regularly Scheduled Friday Attacks In protest against ACTA, the Antisec wing of Anonymous attacked a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) webserver (business.ftc.gov, consumer.gov and ncpw.gov); Anonymous also plans to attack government and corporate sites under the theme of #FFF (Fuck the FBI Friday) WIRED 92
17-Feb-12 PRO GOV Palestinians rally in support of hunger strike prisoner Gaza and the West Bank: thousands rallied in support of Khader Adnan on the 62nd day of a hunger strike; Adnan is protesting his detention by Israel BBC News 93
19-Feb-12 VIO CNN Wire Staff. Contributors: Rey Rodriguez; Victor Badillo 38 killed in Mexican prison riot Mexico: prison riot killed ≥38 people CNN 94
19-Feb-12 VIO Deadly suicide bomb attack in Baghdad Iraq: suicide car bomb attack killed ≥15 people in Baghdad Al Jazeera-Agencies 95
19-Feb-12 PRO GOV DEBT Greeks rally against austerity steps Greece: hundreds of protesters protested deep budget cuts imposed by creditors, including a 22% cut in the minimum wage and a 12% cut in pensions of more than $1,700/month Al Jazeera: Agencies 96
19-Feb-12 VIO Syrian Forces Clamp Down on Damascus Syria: Syrian forces deployed forces in a Damascus neighborhood; activists reported 14 people were killed throughout Syria; SANA repoted 12 security personnel were also killed VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 97
21-Feb-12 PRO VIO Edward Yeranian Activists: Syrian Forces Kill 63 as Red Cross Seeks Daily Truce Syria: Syrian security forces reportedly killed 63 people in Homs and northern villages; the distribution of civilian deaths since Mar-2011 is as follows: Homs 2,400; Daraa 715; Idlib 603; Damascus 551; Hama 460; Deir Ezzor 169; Latakia 156; Aleppo 49; Banias 13; Tartous 6 [source: Syrian Observatory for Human Rights] VOA News 98
21-Feb-12 PRO GOV A Guest Anonymous message to the United States. Game Over Message from Anonymous to the United States government: "We now see that you have publicly labeled Anonymous as leaderless terrorist organization that poses as a high threat to national security. . . On 12.21.2012 we seek to put and end to corruption world wide. A time to end censorship. A time to end tyranny. A time to leak it all."

 Pastebin 99
22-Feb-12 PRO GOV BANK Contributors: Derek Gatopoulos; Elena Becatoros; Geir Moulson Greek Lawmakers Rush to Clear Promised Austerity Greece: >6,000 people protested against measures imposed by creditors (Eurozone and IMF) on Greeks NYT: AP 100
22-Feb-12 PRO MIl VIO Syria Shelling Kills 19, Including 2 Western Journalists Syria: shelling of Homs killed ≥19 people, including 2 Western journalists VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 101
22-Feb-12 PRO FIN DEBT Alain Badiou; Jean-Christophe Bailly; Étienne Balibar; Claire Denis; Jean-Luc Nancy; Jacques Ranciere; Avital Ronell Alain Badiou. Save the Greeks from their Saviors! [Translation into English by Anastazia Golemi and Drew S. Burk] Alain Badiou et al: "At a time when one Greek youth out of two is unemployed. Where 25,000 homeless wander the streets of Athens. Where 30% of the population has fallen under the poverty line and where millions of families are forced to place their children in the care of someone else in order for them not to die of hunger or cold, where refugees and the new poor compete for trashcans at the public dump, the “saviors” of Greece, under the pretext that “Greece is not trying hard enough”, impose a new aid plan that doubles the lethal administered dose. A plan that abolishes the right to work and reduces the poor to the most extreme misery, at the same time as it makes the middle class disappear. The goal is not about “saving” Greece. All economists worthy of this name agree on this point. It’s about gaining time in order to save the creditors at the same time it leads the country into deferred collapse. Above all it’s about making a laboratory of social change out of Greece that, in a second generation, will spread throughout all of Europe..." The European Graduate School 102
23-Feb-12 VIO Asaad Alazawi; Ernesto Londońo. Contributor: Aziz Alwan Scores killed in wave of al-Qaeda bombings across Iraq Iraq: bombings across Iraq targeted security forces and killed 55 people; the Islamic State of Iraq, a branch of al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility Washington Post 103
23-Feb-12 HEAL REL VIO Alberto Giubilini; Francesca Minerva After-birth abortion: why should the baby live? [J Med Ethics doi:10.1136/medethics-2011-100411] Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva argue that "what we call ‘after-birth abortion’ (killing a newborn) should be permissible in all the cases where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled," because: "(1) both fetuses and newborns do not have the same moral status as actual persons, (2) the fact that both are potential persons is morally irrelevant and (3) adoption is not always in the best interest of actual people" Journal of Medical Ethics 104
24-Feb-12 PRO BUS JUST A Guest Geo Group Prison Industry Hacked & Defaced By Anonymous On #Fuckfbifriday Umad?? Anonymous hacked The Geo Group website: "As part of our ongoing efforts to dismantle the prison industrial complex, we attacked one of the largest private prison corporations in the US – Geo Group. Despite the well documented history of corruption, scandal, and atrocities that companies like GEO perpetuate each and every minute our friends are locked behind their prison walls, the private prison industry is still booming" [hashtags: #anonymous, #antisec, #fuckfbifriday, #occupywallstreet, #freeanons] [source: Pastbin]. The Geo Group 2011 results: revenue, $1.6 billion; net profit, $77.5 million [source: AFP, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gBwPi3Q43wMi5Ab1AFaNymZ2-6sw]. Pastebin 105
24-Feb-12 PRO VIO REL Fresh Anti-US Protests Erupt in Afghanistan 21-24-Feb-2012: Afghanistan: thousands protest against burning of Qurans; ≥22 people, including 2 Americans, were killed VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 106
24-Feb-12 VIO MIL 7 al-Shabab Militants Killed in Somalia Airstrike Somalia: an airstrike killed 7 al-Shabab members; al-Shabab is linked to al-Qaida VOA News 107
25-Feb-12 VIO REL At Least 17 Killed In Nigeria Violence Nigeria: bombings and shootings killed 17 people, including 5 worshipers VOA News-AP-AFP 108
25-Feb-12 VIO Edward Yeranian Car Bomb Detonates, Kills 26 as Yemen Swears in President Yemen: suicide car-bombing at the presidential compound killed ≥26 people VOA News 109
26-Feb-12 PRO VIO GOV Syria holds vote on new constitution Syria: Syrians voted on a new constitution; violence has reportedly killed >7,600 people Al Jazeera-Agencies 110
26-Feb-12 PRO MPOPPEL WikiLeaks begins publishing 5 million emails from STRATFOR [Via BNO News Wire Service] MPOPPEL: "WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files – more than five million emails from the Texas-headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. . . Government and diplomatic sources from around the world give Stratfor advance knowledge of global politics and events in exchange for money. The Global Intelligence Files exposes how Stratfor has recruited a global network of informants who are paid via Swiss banks accounts and pre-paid credit cards. Stratfor has a mix of covert and overt informants, which includes government employees, embassy staff and journalists around the world. . ." Pastebin 111
26-Feb-12 PRO BANK GOV A Guest PROJECT MAYHEM 2012 LOLOKAUST: DHS, Y U NO LOL AT #PM2012? Project Mayhem 2012: "RU READY 4 TEH LOLOKAUST? . . . Imagine the corrupt start to Fear Us. Imagine corrupt Banksters start to Fear Us. Imagine corrupt Governments start to Fear Us. ✔ CHECK. Imagine corrupt Corporations start to Fear Us. . ." Pastebin 112
27-Feb-12 VIO GOV LAW Scores reported dead in Syria violence Syria: violence throughout Syria killed reportedly >125 people, including ≥64 in Homs; despite the violence, 89.4% of voters in a referendum voted for a new constitution allowing for a multiparty system (57.4% of eligible voters voted) Al Jazeera-Agencies 113
27-Feb-12 PRO VIO Brian Padden Suicide Attack Kills 9 Amid Protests in Afghanistan Afghanistan: suicide car bombing killed ≥9 people; a series of attacks were triggered by the accidental burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers VOA News 114
27-Feb-12 VIO REL Anne Look Christian Youths Kill 2 Muslims In Nigeria Church Bombing Revenge Nigeria: Christians killed 2 Muslims in revenge for a bombing by Islamists of a church in which 3 people were killed and a Christmas day bombing of a Catholic church that killed ≥37 people VOA News 115
28-Feb-12 VIO REL Gunmen Kill 18 Shi'ites in NW Pakistan Pakistan: gunmen ambushed a bus and killed 18 of it's Shia passangers VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 116
28-Feb-12 PRO GOV St Paul's protest: Occupy London camp evicted London, UK: police and bailiffs evicted anti-capitalist protesters and removed tents from the Occupy London camp at St Paul's Cathedral BBC News 117
28-Feb-12 VIO EDU Sabrina Tavernise; Jennifer Preston. Contributor: Jess Bidgood Third Student Dies After Shooting at High School in Ohio 27-Feb-12: shooting rampage at a high school in Ohio killed 3 students NYT 118
28-Feb-12 PRO MIL VIO Liz Sly 13 Syrians die attempting to rescue foreign journalists from Homs Syria: security forces ambushed opposition activists who were trying to smuggle foreign journalists out of Homs; 13 activists were killed; violence reportedly killed a total of 102 people across Syria Washington Post 119
28-Feb-12 PRO SEC WWW Hackers reportedly linked to ‘Anonymous’ group targeted in global operation supported by INTERPOL Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Spain: 25 suspected members of Anonymous were arrested in an operation supported by INTERPOL INTERPOL 120
29-Feb-12 PRO GOV DEBT Raf Casert Unions protest on eve of EU summit Belgium, Spain, Greece: unions protest against unfair austerity measures imposed by creditors AJC: AP 121
29-Feb-12 VIO Lisa Schlein More Than 1,000 Chadian Migrants Flee Fighting in Nigeria Nigeria: according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), >1,000 Chadian migrants have fled from violence VOA News 122
29-Feb-12 VIO China Accuses Ethnic Separatists in Xinjiang Killings China accused separatists in the Uighur region of killing ≥20 people; Uighurs accused China of "systematic repression" VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 123
1-Mar-12 PRO BUS LAW Peter Fedynsky Occupy Movement Turns Anger Towards Individual Corporations The Occupy Wall Street movement is targeting corporations it alleges are corrupt; also targeted is the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – an organization corporations are using to allegedly "get state legislators to vote their way on bills" VOA News 124
2-Mar-12 VIO Nigeria's MEND claims fatal attack on police Nigeria: Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for killing 4 police officers on 1-Mar-12 Al Jazeera: Agencies 125
4-Mar-12 GOV MIL FIN Keith B. Richburg. Contributor: Zhang Jie China military spending to top $100 billion this year China: military spending to increase to ~$106 billion in 2012 (up 11% YOY). Defense budget as percent of GDP: China, 1.28%; U.S., >2%; UK, >2%. Washington Post 126
4-Mar-12 ACC MIL Brazzaville munitions dump blasts 'kill scores' Democratic Republic of Congo: explosions at an arms dump in Brazzaville killed ≥150 people BBC News 127
4-Mar-12 VIO MIL Southern Yemen Fighting Kills 35 Soldiers, 20 al-Qaida Militants Yemen: car bombings and fighting between government troops and al-Qaida members killed ≥35 soldiers and 20 militants VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 128
5-Mar-12 VIO MIL 106 dead in Yemen fighting between al-Qaida and army; 55 troops taken prisoner Yemen: Al-Qaida militants attacked army bases, killing 78 soldiers; 28 militants were also killed Washington Post: AP 129
5-Mar-12 VIO SEC Iraqi forces targeted in deadly attacks Iraq: a series of attacks on checkpoints in Haditha killed ≥27 members of Iraq's security forces Al Jazeera-Agencies 130
5-Mar-12 PRO GOV Ellen Barry; Michael Schwirtz. Contributors: David M. Herszenhorn; Glenn Kates; Anastasia Sadovskaya; David Carr from Moscow; Steven Lee Myers After Election, Putin Faces Challenges to Legitimacy Moscow, Russia: ~15,000 people protest against the government NYT 131
5-Mar-12 GOV MIL NUC Dana Milbank AIPAC beats the drums of war Dana Milbank: "Now Israel is moving toward a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear program, and American leaders are coming before AIPAC this week to give their blessings." Washington Post-Opinions 132
6-Mar-12 LAW PRO Kim Zetter. Contributors: David Kravets; Ryan Singel LulzSec Leader Was Snitch Who Helped Snag Fellow Hackers A member of LulzSec (online name "Sabu"), who was "secretly arrested," reportedly helped authorities arrest other hacker members of the group. WIRED 133
6-Mar-12 LAW PRO Six Hackers in the United States and Abroad Charged for Crimes Affecting Over One Million Victims: Four Principal Members of “Anonymous” and “LulzSec” Charged with Computer Hacking and Fifth Member Pleads Guilty; “AntiSec” Member also Charged with Stealing Confidential Information from Approximately 860,000 Clients and Subscribers of Stratfor FBI: "Five computer hackers . . . were charged today, and a sixth pled guilty, for computer hacking and other crimes. The six hackers identified themselves as aligned with the group Anonymous . . . and/or offshoot groups related to Anonymous, including “Internet Feds,” “LulzSec,” and “AntiSec.”" FBI 134
6-Mar-12 PRO SEX Gabe Joselow Nairobi Sex Workers Hit Streets to Demand Rights Kenya: sex workers demand respect for their basic human rights VOA News 135
6-Mar-12 MIL VIO Paul Joseph Watson Leaked Email: Pentagon Admits Plan To Direct Terror Attacks Inside Syria Wikileaks' Stratfor data dump: leaked email: US is preparing to “commit guerrilla attacks, assassination campaigns” to topple Assad Information Liberation 136
7-Mar-12 VIO HEAL Will Englund Teens choosing death in Russia Countries with the highest teenage suicide rates: 1. Belarus; 2. Kazakhstan; 3. Russia; Russia's teenage suicide rate is ~5 per day (>4 times that of the United States) NYT 137
7-Mar-12 VIO MIL Six UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan explosion Afghanistan: an explosion killed 6 UK soldiers; the UK military death toll since 2001 is 404 BBC News 138
7-Mar-12 PRO GOV SEC Jaikumar Vijayan Anonymous takes down security firm's website, vows to fight on after arrests Undaunted, and, apparently, in a challenge to the FBI, Anonymous took down Panda Security's PandaLabs website Computerworld 139
7-Mar-12 GOV VIO Belen Fernandez [@MariaBelen_Fdez] A world map without Lebanon: Press reports indicate that Israel is planning another war against Lebanon Lebanon: response of Lebanese President Michel Sleiman to existential threats from Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu [as outlined in Daily Star, 24-Feb-2012]: "The statement from the [Lebanese] presidential palace mentioned that during a news conference in Switzerland, Netanyahu said it is not a secret that Israel will attack Lebanon, adding that it will do so with the support of the United States, the West and Arab states from the Gulf. He was also reported to have said that 'in the new world map there is no state called Lebanon'" Al Jazeera 140
7-Mar-12 PRO GOV Thousands march as South Africans strike South Africa: thousands of people protested against exorbitant e-tolling and "labour broking," a kind of "modern day slavery"; 25% of South Africa's labour force is unemployed Al Jazeera-Agencies 141
7-Mar-12 PRO REL A Guest Vatican.va TANGO DOWN Anonymous took down Vatican websites: "Anonymous has now decided to lay siege to your site in response to the doctrines, liturgies and the precepts absurd and anachronistic that your organization is for profit (Roman Apostolic Church) propagates and spreads worldwide. . . This is NOT intended to attack the true Christian religion and the faithful around the world, but to the corrupt Roman Apostolic Church and all its emanations." Pastebin 142
8-Mar-12 PRO GOV LAW America's Authoritarian Turn: Speaking truth to power becomes a crime Adbusters Blog: "Ever since the rise of Occupy, corporatist authorities have been trying to figure how to squash our emerging social movement. . . Now they are trying the new tactic of “lawfare” – using draconian laws to squash free speech in a last ditch effort to put an end to people power." President Obama signed bill H.R. 347 into law on 9-Mar-2012. The bill "makes it a federal crime to disrupt “Government business or official functions” or to enter any building where a “person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting.” " Adbusters 143
9-Mar-12 VIO MIL Khaled Yacoub Oweis Syrian forces kill dozens ahead of peace mission Syria: Syrian forces subdued demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad and killed ≥54 people Washington Post: Reuters 144
10-Mar-12 VIO MIL Death toll climbs after Israeli raids on Gaza Gaza: Israeli air strikes killed ≥15 Palestinians Al Jazeera-Agencies 145
10-Mar-12 PRO Russians Rally Against Putin, But in Smaller Numbers Moscow, Russia: ~20,000 protesters (down from >100,000 in the last democracy rally) demonstrated against President-elect Vladimir Putin VOA News 146
10-Mar-12 VIO MIL 10 Suspected Militants Killed in Yemen Raid Yemen: air strikes killed ≥10 suspected al-Qaida militants VOA News-AFP-Reuters 147
11-Mar-12 VIO MIL At least 39 militants dead in Pakistan gunfight: officials Pakistan: a gun battle killed ≥39 militants and 4 Pakistani troops The West Australian: AFP 148
11-Mar-12 VIO 15 Killed in Pakistan Funeral Blast Pakistan: a suicide bomber targeted a funeral attended by an anti-Taliban politician and killed ≥15 people VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 149
11-Mar-12 VIO MIL US Service Member Kills At Least 16 Afghan Civilians Afghanistan: a U.S. service member shot and killed at least 16 Afghan civilians  VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 150
11-Mar-12 PRO GOV DEBT Hundreds of thousands protest austerity measures in Spain Spain: hundreds of thousands of people protest against austerity measures in 60 cities across Spain  USA Today: AP 151
12-Mar-12 VIO REL Archbishop of Jos: Religious leaders must bring down tension in Nigeria 11-Mar-2012: Nigeria: a suicide car bomber attacked a Catholic church in Jos killing ≥10 people Vatican Radio 152
12-Mar-12 VIO More Than 100 Dead in South Sudan Tribal Fighting South Sudan: death toll from tribal hostilities: ≥100 people VOA News 153
13-Mar-12 VIO Massacre' in Homs as Idlib endures assault Syria: death toll for "massacre" in Homs on 11-Mar-2012: ≥16 people (according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights); 45 people (according to the Local Co-ordination Committees) Al Jazeera-Agencies 154
13-Mar-12 VIO REL Imam dies in arson attack on Belgian mosque Belgium: arson attack on a Shia mosque killed its imam. Al Jazeera: Agencies 155
14-Mar-12 BANK ELITE PRO Greg Smith Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs Greg Smith resigned as a Goldman Sachs executive director and head of the firm’s U.S. equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa: "TODAY is my last day at Goldman Sachs. . .  I can honestly say that the environment now is as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it. . . When the history books are written about Goldman Sachs, they may reflect that the current chief executive officer, Lloyd C. Blankfein, and the president, Gary D. Cohn, lost hold of the firm’s culture on their watch. I truly believe that this decline in the firm’s moral fiber represents the single most serious threat to its long-run survival. . . Today, if you make enough money for the firm (and are not currently an ax murderer) you will be promoted into a position of influence. . . It astounds me how little senior management gets a basic truth: If clients don’t trust you they will eventually stop doing business with you. It doesn’t matter how smart you are." NYT-Op Ed 156
15-Mar-12 VIO MIL Death Toll Mounts as Syria Marks Uprising Anniversary Syria: Syrian forces continue to crack down on dissent; ≥23 were reportedly killed VOA News-AP-AFP 157
15-Mar-12 PRO EDU SEC Over 100 arrested at unruly Montreal anti-police protest Montreal: ~1,000 people demonstrated against police brutality and tuition hikes; violence and confrontation with police was reported; >100 people were arrested The Globe & Mail: The Canadian Press 158
16-Mar-12 VIO GOV David Ignatius The bin Laden plot to kill President Obama Documents reportedly found in Osama bin Laden’s compound by U.S. forces on 2-May-2011 reveal that bin Laden was hatching a plot to kill President Obama and Gen. David H. Petraeus Washington Post 159
17-Mar-12 VIO GOV Deadly car bombs hit Syrian capital Syria: 2 car bombs targeting intelligence and security buildings in Damascus killed ≥27 people  CBC News-AP 160
18-Mar-12 MIL COMP WWW Ellen Nakashima U.S. accelerating cyberweapon research The Pentagon spends ~$3.4 billion per year on cybersecurity and cybertechnology; the budget of the U.S. Cyber Command in 2012 is $154 million Washington Post 161
19-Mar-12 RES MIL MKT Rise in international arms transfers is driven by Asian demand, says SIPRI [Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2011: Paul Holtom, Mark Bromley, Pieter D. Wezeman and Siemon T. Wezeman]
 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): the volume of worldwide arms transfers in 2007-2011 was 24% higher than in 2002-2006. The 5 biggest suppliers in 2007-11 were: 1. the United States (30% of international arms exports; up 24% between 2002-2006 and 2007-2011); 2. Russia (24%; up 12%); 3. Germany (9%; up 37%); 4. France (8%; up 12%); 5. the United Kingdom (4%; up 2%). The 5 largest recipients of arms in 2007-2011 were: 1. India (10% of global arms imports); 2. South Korea (6%); 3. Pakistan (5%); 4. China (5%); 5. Singapore (4%). China has become the 6th largest supplier of arms in the world; Chinese arms exports increased by 95% from 2002-2006 to 2007-11. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute 162
19-Mar-12 VIO GOV 5 Killed in Attack Near Somali Presidential Palace Somalia: al-Shabab attacked the presidential palace in Mogadishu and killed ≥5 people VOA News-Reuters 163
19-Mar-12 VIO Intense Fighting Rocks Syrian Capital Syria: rebels attacked an upscale area of Damascus; 2 rebels and a security force member were killed [source: SANA] VOA News 164
20-Mar-12 VIO Alice Fordham; Aziz Alwan Dozens killed in attacks across Iraq ahead of Arab League summit Iraq: a series of bombing and shooting attacks killed ≥49 people in 8 cities Washington Post 165
20-Mar-12 VIO REL DS Series of attacks in Iraq, dozens of dead. Church of St Mathew in Baghdad targeted Iraq: the Syrian Orthodox Church of St. Matthew in Baghdad was targeted in bombings by Iraqi extremists on 20-Mar-2012 -- the 9th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq AsiaNews.it 166
22-Mar-12 VIO Suspect's killing ends French siege 11-22-Mar-2012: Toulouse, France: Gunman who allegedly killed 7 [3 French soldiers, 3 Jewish children and a rabbi] is shot dead Al Jazeera-Agencies 167
22-Mar-12 GOV MIL UN Security Council Condemns Mali Coup Mali: coup toppled President Amadou Toumani Toure's government VOA News 168
23-Mar-12 PRO REL FREE Barbara Bradley Hagerty Thousands Rally For Religious Freedom Nationwide "Stand Up For Religious Freedom" rallies: thousands of people rallied across the U.S. against a perceived threat to religious liberties NPR 169
24-Mar-12 PRO JUST Ovetta Wiggins Demonstrators at Freedom Plaza rally in memory of Trayvon Martin U.S.: people seeking justice demonstrate in memory of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Floridian killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer on 26-Feb-2012; millions of people support Martin via social media NYT 170
24-Mar-12 PRO GOV MIL Shahar Chai Tel Aviv: 1,000 march against Iran strike Tel Aviv: ~1,000 Israeli protesters rallied against bombing Iran's nuclear facilities Ynet News 171
26-Mar-12 VIO MIL At Least 5 Killed After Syrian Security Forces Shell Homs Syria: security forces reportedly bombarded Homs, killing ≥5 people VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 172
26-Mar-12 VIO NATO Ernesto Londońo. Contributors: Karla Adam; Anthony Faiola; Craig Whitlock Afghan forces fatally shoot 3 NATO troops in Afghanistan Afghanistan: Afghan soldiers killed 3 NATO troops Washington Post 173
29-Mar-12 PRO LAW JOBS Lauren Frayer. Contributor: Henry Chu In Spain, millions join strike to protest labor reforms Spain: millions of Spaniards protested against new labor laws favoring companies [dismantling of collective bargaining; low wages; job cuts] and other austerity measures imposed by lenders; violence against financial institutions was reported; ~25% of the Spanish workforce and almost 50% of people under 25 are unemployed Los Angeles Times 174
30-Mar-12 PRO LAW MIL Israeli forces face Palestinian 'Land Day' protests Jerusalem: "Land Day" protest: ~15,000 Palestinians protested against Israeli discriminatory land policies  USA Today: AP 175
30-Mar-12 SEC WWW PRO Somini Sengupta Warned of an Attack on the Internet, and Getting Ready The Domain Name System has been preparing to protect the Internet's infrastructue, including root servers, against a possible Operation Global Blackout by Anonymous; there are 13 root servers worldwide NYT 176
31-Mar-12 VIO MIL Clashes in Yemen Leave 30 Dead Yemen: ≥30 people were killed in clashes between military forces and suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 177
1-Apr-12 VIO Tribal clashes in southern Libya kill scores Libya: ≥147 people were killed in 1 week in clashes between Tobou fighters and Arab tribespeople Al Jazeera: Agencies 178
1-Apr-12 VIO 3 Killed in Afghan Blast Afghanistan: a roadside bomb killed 2 local council members and a police officer VOA News 179
3-Apr-12 VIO MIL Matthew Rosenberg Taliban Attacks Kill 9 Afghan Police Officers 2-3-Apr-2012: Afghanistan: Taliban attacks killed 9 Afghan police officers; 14 are also missing NYT 180
4-Apr-12 VIO EDU Maria L. La Ganga; Victoria Kim. Contributors: Ashley Powers; Lee Romney; Matt Stevens Oakland college gunman sought to settle score, police say A South Korean national allegedly shot and killed 6 students and a secretary at Oikos University, a small Christian college Los Angeles Times 181
4-Apr-12 VIO Mohammed Yusuf Suicide Bomber Kills 8 in Somali Capital Somalia: a female suicide bomber targeted the Somali National Theater in Mogadishu and killed ≥8 people; the Islamist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility VOA News 182
4-Apr-12 GOV NUC VIO Catherine Hickley; Manuela Hoelterhoff (ed.) Nobelist Grass Says Nuclear-Power Israel Threatens Peace In the poem titled “What Has to Be Said,” Guenter Grass, the Nobel Prize winning author of “The Tin Drum," claims that Israel is threatening world peace [see http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/gedicht-zum-konflikt-zwischen-israel-und-iran-was-gesagt-werden-muss-1.1325809] [for a translation of the poem, see Heather Horn, "Gunter Grass's Controversial Poem About Israel, Iran, and War, Translated," The Atlantic, 6-Apr-2012, http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/04/gunter-grasss-controversial-poem-about-israel-iran-and-war-translated/255549/] Bloomberg 183
7-Apr-12 VIO MIL Syria warned as daily death toll hits 100 Syria: according to activists, >100 people were killed, including ≥87 civilians CBC News: AP 184
8-Apr-12 VIO MIL 6 Colombian Soldiers Killed in FARC Ambush Columbia: rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) ambushed and killed 6 soldiers; 3 rebels were also killed VOA News-AP-AFP 185
9-Apr-12 VIO Nigerian Easter Bombing Death Toll Rises to 36 Nigeria: a suicide car bombing near a church on 8-Apr-2012 killed ≥36 people; the Islamist group Boko Haram is reportedly suspected ("Boko Haram" means "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language) VOA News 186
9-Apr-12 VIO Blast Kills At Least 10 in Somali Town Somalia: a blast killed ≥11 people  VOA News 187
10-Apr-12 VIO MIL Activists deny Syrian claim of pullout Syria: according to the Syrian National Council, 160 people were killed on 9-Apr-2012, and 1,000 people in 8 days Fox News: AP 188
10-Apr-12 VIO MIL Ahmed Al-Haj 127 killed in 2 days of clashes in southern Yemen 9-10-Apr-2012: Yemen: the death toll from clashes between al-Qaida-linked militants and the Yemeni military is 127 AP 189
10-Apr-12 VIO SEC Sayed Salahuddin Bomb attacks in Afghanistan leave at least 18 police, civilians dead Afghanistan: a series of suicide attacks killed ≥18 people, including police and civilians Washington Post 190
10-Apr-12 GOV SEC VIO Iran Disbands Sophisticated Israeli Terror Network Iran: the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said its forces "have discovered and disbanded a large and sophisticated Israeli terror and sabotage network"; more specifically, it said its forces "have discovered one of the biggest terror and sabotage networks of the Quds Occupying Regime (Israel) and protected cells of its operatives and arrested groups of criminal terrorists and mercenaries cooperating with them" FARS News Agency 191
10-Apr-12 PRO NUC German Politician Lambasts Israel for Military Threats against Iran FNA: "The spokesman for the German peace movement, Peter Strutynski, criticized the Zionist regime for its ongoing military threats against Iran. . . Thousands of people took to the streets in 80 German cities over the past four days as part of the country's traditional Easter peace marches to express support for Grass who has faced the wrath of the Zionist regime and its German lobby for his unprecedented criticism of Israel" FARS News Agency 192
11-Apr-12 GOV VIO Liz Sly. Contributor: Karen DeYoung U.N.-brokered cease-fire appears to take hold in Syria Syria: cease-fire brokered by the United Nations takes effect; the government reserves the right to retaliate against “armed terrorist groups" Washington Post 193
12-Apr-12 PRO FIN MKT Colin Moynihan Evicted From Park, Occupy Protesters Take to Sidewalks Occupy: planning nightly "sleep-outs" along sidewalks around the New York Stock Exchange NYT 194
13-Apr-12 UN PRO VIO UN team ready for Syria deployment Syria: the United Nations is ready to deploy a team of 30 unarmed military observers to monitor the ceasefire; anti-government protests and scattered violence were reported. According to the UN, >9,000 people have been killed since anti-government protests began in Ma-2011; according to authorities, ~2,500 security forces and police have been killed. Al Jazeera-Agencies 195
13-Apr-12 PRO GOV MIL Leila Fadel In Egypt, Islamists protest Mubarak-era officials seeking presidency Egypt: thousands of Islamists protested in Tahrir Square against the candidacies of Mubarak-era officials in the presidential election to be held on 23-May-2012 Washington Post 196
13-Apr-12 GOV MIL SEC Concern over Guinea-Bissau 'coup' 12-Apr-2012: military-backed coup in Guinea-Bissau Al Jazeera: Agencies 197
14-Apr-12 VIO MIL Yemen Post Staff 5 Troops, 8 Militants Killed In Checkpoint Attack In South Yemen Yemen: al-Qaida-linked militants attacked a military checkpoint and killed ≥5 troops; * militants were also killed Yemen Post 198
14-Apr-12 VIO MIL Sudan air raid kills 'five' South Sudan: Sudanese air bombing targeting a bridge killed 5 traders AFP 199
14-Apr-12 UN MIL Syria: Security Council authorizes deployment of advance military observer team United Nations: the Security Council adopted a resolution authorizing the sending of up to 30 unarmed military observers to Syria; the observers will report on the implementation of a full cessation of armed violence; a UN supervision mission will be deployed next UN News Centre 200
15-Apr-12 VIO MIL NATO Brian Padden Taliban Attack Afghan Parliament, NATO Bases, and Western Embassies Afghanistan: Taliban militants launched a series of attacks targeting NATO bases, the parliament, and Western embassies VOA News 201
16-Apr-12 VIO JUST Selah Hennessy Norwegian Killer Pleads Not Guilty in Court Oslo, Norway: Anders Behring Breivik, a militant anti-Islamic extremist, admited to killing 77 people – and pleaded "not guilty" VOA News 202
16-Apr-12 VIO MIL NATO Brian Padden Afghan Forces Repel 18 Hour Attack in Kabul Afghanistan: Afghan and international forces put down 18-hour attacks targeting embassies, government buildings and NATO bases; >30 insurgents were killed VOA News 203
17-Apr-12 GOV VIO Syrian Forces Widen Attacks as Cease-Fire Unravels Syria: despite cease-fire, 2 people were reportedly killed VOA News 204
17-Apr-12 VIO JUST Norway gunman Anders Breivik grins at massacre trial – 'Goodness, not evil' motivated shootings, killer tells Oslo court Norway: gunman Anders Behring Breivik – an anti-Muslim extremist – maintained he massacred 77 people out of "goodness, not evil"; he claimed his attacks are comparable to the U.S. atom bombing Japan in order to end World War II; and cocluded "I therefore demand to be found innocent of the present charges" CBC News: AP 205
17-Apr-12 VIO HEAL EDU Afghan schoolgirls poisoned in alleged attack Afghanistan: ~150 schoolgirls drank poisoned water at their high school; hardliners who oppose female education are suspected Al Jazeera: Agencies 206
18-Apr-12 MIL VIO David Zucchino U.S. troops posed with body parts of Afghan bombers The Los Angeles Times published photos released by an American soldier of U.S. soldiers posing with corpses [othe misconducts include: U.S. Marines urinating on Afghan corpses; copies of the Koran inadvertantly burnt at a U.S. base; a U.S. Army sergeant killing 17 people in a shooting rampage] Los Angeles Times 207
19-Apr-12 SPACE SCIE MIL India Declares Itself Major Missile Power India successfully test-fired Agni-V, a new missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to Beijing Shangai, and Moscow. Agni V specifications: range, 45,000 km; payload, 1,360.78 kg VOA News 208
19-Apr-12 VIO Edward Yeranian Dozens Killed in Iraq Bombings Iraq: multiple explosions killed ≥ 35 people  VOA News 209
19-Apr-12 MIL TECH Steve Herman South Korea Says New Missile Can Hit Any Target in North South Korea is deploying a new cruise missile capable of hitting any target in North Korea; the missile's range is >1,000 km VOA News 210
20-Apr-12 PRO GOV EDU Carolyn King Students Stage Violent Riot in Montreal Montreal, Canada: hundreds of students protested against tuition hikes and clashed with riot police; 14 people were injured; Quebec's Liberal government plans to raise tuition fees by 75% over 5 years WSJ 211
20-Apr-12 VIO MIL OIL Mohammed Mukhashaf; Firouz Sedarat; Tim Pearce (ed.) UPDATE 1-Yemen says air raids, army kill 27 militants in south Yemen: Yemeni army killed 18 militants on 19-Apr-2012; Yemeni air force killed 9 suspected militants in air raids; militants have sabotaged oil and gas pipelines Reuters 212
20-Apr-12 MIL SCIE TECH Engineering Review Board Concludes Review of HTV-2 Second Test Flight – Aerodynamic design validated and new understanding of thermal material properties gained U.S.: Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz, on the review of data from the 2nd flight of DARPA’s Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV-2) traveling at ~13,000 miles/hour: "Data collected during the second test flight revealed new knowledge about thermal-protective material properties and uncertainties for Mach 20 flight inside the atmosphere, which can now be used to adjust our assumptions based on actual flight data and modify our modeling and simulation to better characterize thermal uncertainties and determine how to assess integrated thermal systems." The ultimate goal of the Conventional Prompt Global Strike initiatives executed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, Strategic Warfare directorate is "to have the capability to reach anywhere in the world in less than one hour." DARPA 213
20-Apr-12 PRO MIL POL Tahrir rally calls for end to military rule Egypt: thousands of people demonstrated against military rule and ex-Mubarak officials taking part in the presidential election scheduled for May 23-24, 2012. Al Jazeera-Agencies 214
20-Apr-12 PRO MEDIA SEC Ellen Nakashima U.S. Web site covering China scandal disrupted by cyberattack 19-Apr-2012: Boxun.com, a U.S.-based web site was disrupted by a cyberattack; Boxun has covered China’s political scandal implicating Chinese Communist Party official Bo Xilai Washington Post 215
22-Apr-12 PRO GOV AUTO CNN Wire Staff. Contributors: Fred Pleitgen, Salma Abdelaziz; Becky Anderson; Paul Gittings Despite protests, Bahrain Grand Prix races without a hitch Bahrain: thousand of protesters demonstrate against the government; the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix race was unaffected CNN 216
23-Apr-12 GOV MIL POL China-Russia navy drills raise new tensions First joint China-Russia naval exercises The Australian: AFP-WSJ-AP 217
23-Apr-12 GOV VIO Activists: 28 Killed in Syria as UN Monitors Check Cease-Fire Syria: government forces reportedly killed ≥28 people in Hama VOA News-AFP-Reuters 218
23-Apr-12 REL PRO Nina Achmatova Moscow, tens of thousands with Kirill in defense of the faith 22-Apr-2012: Moscow, Russia: thousands of people rallied in defense of the faith in Russia, organized by the Moscow Patriarchate to "protect the Church from the attacks of anti-Russian forces." Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill: "We are under attack by anti-Russian force. . . The danger is that blasphemy and mockery of religion are presented as a legitimate expression of human freedom, which must be protected in modern society." AsiaNews.it 219
23-Apr-12 VIO REL OIL Mohamed Saeed Muslim mob burns Catholic church in Sudan capital Sudan: a Muslim mob of several hundred reportedly torched a Catholic church in Khartoum; hostilities between Sudan and South Sudan revolve around oil and borders AP 220
23-Apr-12 PRO GOV EDU Marc Bousquet The Biggest Student Uprising You’ve Never Heard Of Montreal, Canada: report by Marc Bousquet in The Chronicle: over 300,000 college and university students rallied on 22-Mar-2012 to protest against the government’s plan to raise tuition fees by 75% over 5 years; educational facilities have been shuttered throughout Quebec since Feb-2012; almost 180,000 students remain on picket lines as of 23-Apr-2012 – yet media coverage of "The Biggest Student Uprising You’ve Never Heard Of" remains trivial The Chronicle 221
24-Apr-12 VIO MIL H. Zain; Ghossoun Armed Terrorist Groups Detonate Explosive Device in al-Merjeh Area, Assassinate Retired Lieutenant Colonel and His Brother Syria: SANA: "an armed terrorist group assassinated a retired Lieutenant Colonel and his brother in Jedaydet al-Fadel" Syrian Arab News Agency 222
24-Apr-12 MIL NUC Ben Piven Iran and Israel: Comparing military machines Israel vs. Iran: military powers compared. Strategic missiles: Iran, 10,000; [Israel is believed to have submarine launched nuclear-capable cruise missiles [Wikipedia]]. Maximum missile range: Israels' Jericho-3, 5,000km; Iran's Sajjil-2, 2,400km. Nuclear warheads: Israel, ~200; Iran, 0. David Roberts, deputy director at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI): "the Israelis don't have enough planes and enough of the right bombs to significantly set back whatever is going on in Iran . . . I don't think it's a very sensible thing to do. There should be no [illusion] that Israel can unilaterally put an end to the Iranian nuclear programme." (Sources: Reuters, CIA Factbook, Jane's Defence, GlobalFirepower) Al Jazeera 223
25-Apr-12 SPACE SCIE MIL Pakistan Successfully Test Fires Upgraded Missile 24-Apr-2012: Pakistan successfully test-fired an upgraded Shaheen-1 missile VOA News-Reuters 224
26-Apr-12 GOV MIL Greg Jaffe; Emily Heil. Contriutor: Chico Harlan U.S. comes to agreement with Japan to move 9,000 Marines off Okinawa The U.S. and Japanese governments to move ~9,000 Marines off Okinawa to other bases in the Western Pacific Washington Post 225
26-Apr-12 VIO Syria Government, Opponents Trade Blame Over Massive Blast Syria: massive explosion in Hama killed ≥16 people; the Syrian government blamed "terrorists" VOA News 226
26-Apr-12 VIO MEDIA Heather Murdock Newspaper Office Bombings Kill 7 in Nigeria Nigeria: bomb attacks targeting Nigeria’s most prominent newspapers killed 7 people VOA News 227
26-Apr-12 PRO BANK SEC Max Abelson; David Scheer (ed.) Wall Street Tracks ‘Wolves’ as May 1 Protests Loom World’s biggest banks are reportedly working together and with the police "to gather intelligence as protesters try to rejuvenate the Occupy Wall Street movement"; JPMorgan gave the New York City Police Foundation starting 2010 "a gift, valued at $4.6 million, includ[ing] 1,000 patrol car laptops" Bloomberg 228
26-Apr-12 PRO EDU MON Quebec government rejects plan to resume student talks Montreal, Canada: students protested tuition hikes and clashed with police; violence was reported; 85 people were arrested CBC News-Canadian Press 229
27-Apr-12 PRO VIO At Least 10 Dead After Explosions Rock Syrian Capital Syria: thousands of protesters called for President Bashar al-Assad to resign: 2 explosions killed ≥10 people. [See also "Nine Martyrs, Human Remains and Tens of Injuries in Terrorist Suicide Bombing in al-Meidan Quarter in Damascus," SANA, http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2012/04/27/415345.htm] VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 230
29-Apr-12 VIO Jim Michaels 1 year after bin Laden's death: Al-Qaeda 'far from defeated' Bruce Riedel, of the Brookings Institution: al-Qaeda remains a potent threat around the world – and is "far from defeated" USA Today 231
29-Apr-12 GOV MIL Phillip Walter Wellman Arab States Hold War Games as Tensions With Iran Mount Gulf Arab states conduct 2 days of joint military exercises dubbed "Islands of Loyalty" VOA News 232
29-Apr-12 GOV WWW MIL Cyber Attack Fails to Hack Iranian Science Ministry Iran: Ministry of Science, Research and Technology: "Despite the frequent efforts made by hackers, the cyber attack has failed to leave any impact on the data system"; Iran blames the U.S. and Israel for cyberattacks targeting Iran's industrial, nuclear, and government facilities  FARS News Agency 233
29-Apr-12 GOV MIL Deputy Chief of Iranian Military Warns Arab Leaders about Costs of Territorial Claims Iran: Brigadier General Massoud Jazzayeri, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity: "Challenging and raising doubt about the Persian Gulf is a futile attempt, and Arab governments and sheikhs in the region should know that this is a trap laid for them by the enemies of Islam" FARS News Agency 234
29-Apr-12 VIO REL Jon Gambrell. Contributor: Haruna Umar 21 killed in north Nigeria church service attacks Nigeria: gunmen killed ≥21 people at a church service in Bayero University AP 235
30-Apr-12 VIO GOV Edward Yeranian Multiple Blasts Rock Northern Syrian Town Syria: bomb attacks targeting security buildings in Idlib killed ≥20 people (casualties not confirmed); Syria's Central Bank was also attacked; the Syrian government blamed “terrorists” for the attacks VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 236
30-Apr-12 VIO SEC Suicide Bombing Kills 11 in Nigeria Nigeria: suicide bombing targeting a police official killed 11 people VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 237
1-May-12 VIO MIL 23 Killed in Syria Attacks as Pressure Mounts on UN Observers Syria: violence killed ≥23 people – rebels killed 12 soldiers; a mortar shell killed 10 people; government troops killed 1 civilian VOA News-AFP-Reuters 238
1-May-12 VIO Laura King; Aimal Yaqubi 6 killed in Kabul attack just after Obama's visit Afghanistan: gunmen and bombers attacked a guest-house complex; 6 people were killed Los Angeles Times 239
1-May-12 PRO May Day Rallies Draw Protesters Around World Hundreds of thousands of workers mark International Workers Day with marches and rallies around the world VOA News-AFP-Reuters 240
2-May-12 PRO VIo MIL Kareem Fahim; Mayy El Sheikh. Contributor: Liam Stack Fierce Clashes Erupt in Egypt Ahead of Presidential Vote Egypt: protesters clashed with assailants in Cairo; ≥11 people were killed (complicity by the military suspected) NYT 241
2-May-12 VIO GOV Taliban Kills 7 in Kabul After Obama Visit Afghanistan: Taliban killed 7 in Kabul in response to president Obama's visit to sign a strategic pact with Hamid Karzai VOA News 242
3-May-12 VIO MKT At Least 34 Killed in Attack on Nigerian Cattle Market Nigeria: gunmen attacked a cattle market and killed ≥34 people VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 243
3-May-12 PRO VIO MIL Syrian Forces Raid Aleppo University; 4 Killed Syria: ~1,500 students at Aleppo University protested against the Assad family's rule; Syrian forces killed 4 people VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 244
5-May-12 VIO MIL LAW 9/11 'mastermind' back before Guantanamo judge Alleged 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and his co-defendants to be arraigned at a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay Fox News-AP 245
5-May-12 PRO MIL VIO Calm Returns to Cairo Following Deadly Clashes Egypt: thousands of demonstrators rallied near the Defense Ministry in Cairo demanding an immediate end to military rule; violent clashes with troops were reported; ≥1 soldier was killed, ~300 were injured, and more than 300 people were arrested VOA News 246
5-May-12 VIO Explosions in Syria Leave 5 Dead Syria: a series of explosions in Damascus and Aleppo killed ≥5 people; the Syrian government blamed "terrorists" VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 247
5-May-12 VIO 23 dead in day of horror for Mexico border city Mexico: gang violence killed 23 people (14 were decapitated; 9 were hanged from a bridge); >50,000 people were killed in gang violence since Dec-2006 AFP 248
5-May-12 PRO VIO Carolyn King Quebec Student Protests Flare Into Violence; 11 Injured 4-May-2012: Victoriaville, Quebec: up to 2,000 protesters rallied against planned tuition hikes; violent clashes with police were reported WSJ 249
5-May-12 PRO NUC Yuri Kageyama Thousands march as Japan shuts off nuclear power Japan: 50 nuclear reactors have been powered down; thousands of people celebrate  AP 250
6-May-12 VIO MIL Eight dead in US drone strike 5-May-2012: Pakistan: a US drone killed 8 suspected militants in North Waziristan Sydney Morning Herald 251
6-May-12 PRO GOV Jonas Bernstein Russian Police, Protesters Clash at Anti-Putin Rally Russia: ~20,000 protesters rally against President Vladimir Putin; clashes with police were reported; ≥250 people were arrested (on 1-May-2012, ≥100,000 people rallied in support of Putin; the rally was organized by pro-government trade unions and the ruling United Russia party) VOA News 252
6-May-12 GOV PRO FIN Natalie Weeks; Maria Petrakis; John Fraher (ed.) Greek Election Surprise Rejects ‘Barbarism’ of Bailout Austerity Greece: election poll results: Greeks reject austerity: New Democracy won 20% of the vote; Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) won 16%; Socialist Pasok Party won 13% . . . Alexis Tsipras: "The people of Europe can no longer be reconciled with the bailouts of barbarism" Bloomberg 253
7-May-12 VIO MIL Al-Qaida Militants Kill 20 Yemeni Soldiers Yemen: suspected al-Qaida militants killed ≥20 soldiers following a U.S. airstrike that killed 2 al-Qaida operatives VOA News-AP-AFP 254
7-May-12 VIO MIL Rod Nordland. Contributors: Taimoor Shah; Jawad Sukhanya; Farooq Mangal U.S. Confirms Afghan Airstrike Mistake Afghanistan: a U.S. military airstrike on 4-May-2012 mistakenly killed 6 members of a family (a mother and 5 of her children); on 7-May-2012, the U.S. expressed regret for the airstrike NYT 255
8-May-12 VIO GOV JET Siobhan Gorman; Laura Meckler; Evan Perez. Contributor: Julian E. Barnes Jetliner Bomb Plot Is Foiled A jetliner suicide bomb plot by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was foiled; the bomb's designer is believed to be Ibrahim Hassan Tali al-Asiri; operatives were used [see also "Al-Qaida Suicide Bomber Was 'Double Agent'", VOA News, 9-May-2012, http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Al-Qaida-Suicide-Bomber-Was-Double-Agent--150738605.html] WSJ 256
8-May-12 VIO GOV Michael Goodwin Bin Laden may be dead but Bin Ladenism is still alive Michael Goodwin: "Bin Ladenism is still Alive" Fox News 257
9-May-12 PRO GOV ECON Howard Gleckman With European elections, is austerity in the US doomed? European elections: fiscal austerity was massively rejected in France, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Denmark Christian Science Monitor 258
9-May-12 VIO UN Elizabeth Arrott Blast Hits Syrian Military Escorting UN Monitors Syria: a roadside bomb wounded 6 Syrian soldiers escorting UN monitors to Dara'a VOA News 259
9-May-12 VIO MIL Lawmaker: At Least 17 Killed in Somalia Fighting Somalia: ≥17 fighters with militant group al-Shabab were killed in a battle with Ethiopian and Somali government troops VOA News 260
10-May-12 VIO GOV Frank Gardner Syria blasts signal dangerous escalation of violence Syria: 2 bomb blasts targeting Syrian intelligence personnel in Damascus killed ≥55 people; the Syrian government blames terrorists; some suspect the jihadi  "al-Nusra Battlefront" group BBC News 261
11-May-12 PRO VIO MIL Jeff Seldin Mass Protests Across Syria, Bomb Plot Foiled Syria: mass protests across the country; Syrian troops killed a suspected suicide bomber in Aleppo VOA News 262
12-May-12 VIO SEC 7 Killed in Syria as More UN Observers Arrive Syria: anti-government unrest; 7 people were killed (4 seecurit force members and 3 civilians); the al-Nusra Front militant group claimed responsible for the attacks that killed ≥ 55 people on 10-May-12 VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 263
12-May-12 VIO SEC Pakistan Blast Kills Police Officer Pakistan: a roadside bomb targeting the police killed one police officer VOA News-AP-AFP-Reuters 264