Global Research News

Drone Warfare: Terrorism With a Bigger Budget By Global Research News, December 24 2012

by Amanda Mullins

In the last four years, the use of unmanned drones to engage in so-called “targeted killing” has escalated dramatically. In Pakistan alone, US drone strikes have increased five fold during the Obama administration, according to the Bureau

Political Prisoners in America. Institutionalizing Indefinite Detention By Stephen Lendman, December 24 2012

Since taking office, Obama authorized numerous police state measures. They follow earlier ones under George Bush.

They’re heading America for full-blown tyranny. It’s already a hair’s breadth away. It could arrive any time full force. It’s been wrapped in the

Christmas: The Greatest Gift For All By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, December 24 2012
The voices that reach us through the millennia and connect us to our culture are being silenced by "political correctness" and “the war on terror.”
US-NATO Supported Syria Rebels use Chemical Weapons against Government Forces By Press TV, December 24 2012
Militants fighting against the Syrian government have used chemical weapons against the army in Daraya near the capital, Damascus, military sources say.

According to a commander of the Syrian Presidential Guard, at least seven Syrian soldiers were killed on Saturday …

The Terror Lurking in a Christmas Tree: Israel Attempts to Ban “Non-Jewish” Celebrations By Jonathan Cook, December 24 2012
“hotels – under threat of losing kashrut certificates – are prohibited by the rabbinate from decking their halls in boughs of holly or, putting up even the smallest of small sparkly Christmas tree”
The CIA’s 1987 Damage Assessment Declassified: The Jonathan Pollard Spy Case By Jeffrey T. Richelson, December 23 2012

CIA Withholding Overturned on Appeal by National Security Archive

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 407

Posted – December 14, 2012

Edited by Jeffrey T. Richelson

For more information contact:
Jeffrey T. Richelson/Thomas Blanton
202/994-7000 or [email protected]

Washington, DC,

The Lie that Prosecuting Bank Fraud Will Destabilize the Economy Is What Is REALLY Destroying the Economy By Washington's Blog, December 23 2012

Failing to Prosecute White Collar Crime Guarantees a Weak and Unstable Economy … and Future Financial Crashes

The Departments of Justice and Treasury are pretending that criminally prosecuting criminal banksters will destabilize the economy.

The exact opposite is true.

Failing …

Torture, Torture Everywhere By Andy Worthington, December 23 2012

For those of us who have been arguing for years that senior officials and lawyers in the Bush administration must be held accountable for the torture program they introduced and used in their “war on terror,” last week was a

The Torture Chronicle: CIA “Lying and Obfuscation” on the So-called War on Terror By Philip Giraldi, December 23 2012

If there is one word missing from the United States government’s post-9/11 lexicon it is “accountability.” While perfectly legal though illicit sexual encounters apparently continue to rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, leading to resignations, no one

“Conspiracy Theories” vs. the Real World of Financial Crime: Bankers Face Prosecution For Conspiracy By Danny Schechter, December 23 2012

When most mainstream media outlets discuss conspiracy theories, it is usually to debunk the views of dissenting and critical thinkers who are routinely denounced as simplistic, paranoid or worse. 

You have frequently seen the mantra questioning their motives and conclusions …

Syria: The “Business of Regime Change” Versus National Sovereignty By Stephen Lendman, December 23 2012

Washington, other Western countries, and regional rogues arm, fund, train and direct the Syrian rebels.

On December 21, Russia Today interviewed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Moscow isn’t “in the business of regime change,” he said.

He categorically rejects notions …

“Christmas Present”: U.S. Senate Votes $631 Billion Military Budget By Global Research News, December 23 2012

by Valentin Zorin

The US Senate has unanimously approved a $631bln defense budget for 2013. The draft budget has evoked no objections from the White House. As he ran for president four years ago, Barack Obama promised to cut defense …

The People Must Lead the Way to Save the Planet By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, December 22 2012

   “The American way of life is not up for negotiation. Period.” President George H. W. Bush, 1992, first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro

 With the re-election of President Barack Obama in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, some hoped …

The Libor Swindle: Systematic Financial Rigging of the Benchmark Global Interest Rate By Andre Damon, December 22 2012

The latest sweetheart settlement with a major international bank, in this case involving criminal activities that financial regulators describe as “epic,” has once again lifted the lid on the cesspool of corruption otherwise known as the world financial system.

UBS, …

Obama’s Proudest Achievement: Bin Laden Execution claims more Innocent Victims By Global Research News, December 22 2012

by David Samel

It looks like the Obama Administration’s proudest achievement in the international arena – the execution of Osama Bin Laden – has caused the death of nine UN health care workers and will continue to take a heavy

Financial Fraud in the Gold Market: Banks Pledge Same Gold to Numerous People By Washington's Blog, December 22 2012

Banks Pledge Same Collateral Numerous Times

Big banks pledged the same mortgage to numerous people.

Similarly, big bullion banks borrow gold from central banks, and then rehypothecate it numerous times:

*         *        *

 


A 1999 study by …

Fiscal Cliff Reality By Stephen Lendman, December 22 2012

Political Washington theater continues. Republicans and Democrats agreed years ago to erode America’s social contract en route to eliminating it altogether.

Crisis conditions create opportunities. Former White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, explained.

“You never want to let a …

NATO Military Training FaciIities in Persian Gulf By Stop NATO, December 22 2012

The Nato training site in Kuwait is the first to be set up in a GCC state.

At its Chicago summit in May, Nato in its final communiqué said that it looked forward to a better understanding of common security

The United Nations Defends NATO’s Premeditated Genocide in Syria By Tony Cartalucci, December 21 2012
As early as 2007, it was reported that the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, were not only organizing, funding, training, and arming militants linked to Al Qaeda to be used against Syria and Iran, but knew in advance that by doing so, they would trigger an unprecedented "cataclysmic conflict.
South Korea’s “Chaebol Republic”: Hardline Conservatism with a Liberal Smile By Nile Bowie, December 21 2012

The ever-changing political landscapes of the Korean Peninsula never fail to offer stark contrasts. To the north, a somber December is spent mourning the forefathers of the communist dynasty under the helm of a boy-king and his advisers. To the

Unemployment and Poverty in America: 75 Economic Numbers From 2012 that are Almost too Crazy to Believe… By The Economic Collapse Blog, December 21 2012

What a year 2012 has been!  The mainstream media continues to tell us what a “great job” the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve are doing of managing the economy, but meanwhile things just continue to get even worse for

Rupert Murdoch’s Bid to Persuade Gen. David Petraeus to Run as Republican Candidate in the 2012 Presidential Election By Jonathan Cook, December 21 2012

 Carl Bernstein, of All the President’s Men fame, has a revealing commentary in the Guardian today, though revealing not entirely in a way he appears to understand. Bernstein highlights a story first disclosed earlier this month in the Washington Post

Mayan “End of the World” Prophesy: People All Over the World Are Freaking Out Over December 21st By Washington's Blog, December 21 2012

No … the World WON’T End on December 21st!

The Mayan 2012 end of the world “prophecy” is scaring the pants off numerous children and suicidal teeangers. CBS News Detroit reports today:

Thousands of students will have an extra

War in The Congo, Project Censored and Doomsday 2012 By Justin Podur, Andy Lee Roth, Prof Michel Chossudovsky, and Michael Welch, December 20 2012

Global Research News Hour Episode 9

The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Africa’s second largest country by area, and fourth largest by population, has proven to be one of the world’s most over-looked regions in terms of regular media coverage …

Mayan Prophesy: Prepare Yourself for the “End of the World” at Global Research By Prof Michel Chossudovsky, December 20 2012

Since September 2001, Global Research has been bringing our readers a broad spectrum of voices analyzing global situations, from a coverage of the US-NATO wars in the Middle East to the economic machinations of the financial elite.

And we

Prevent World War III: Civil Resistance Sole Way to Stop US Government Aggression By Sherwood Ross, December 20 2012

People everywhere could act against nations allied with the US such as Britain and the other NATO states, as well as Australia, Japan, South Korea, Georgia, and Puerto Rico. ‘If not so restrained, the US government could very well precipitate

The Religious and Social Crisis in America. Political Consequences By Prof. James Petras, December 20 2012
The religious crises, the decline in belief and institutional affiliation, is intimately related to the moral decay in US public institutions and the precipitous decline of living standards.
Obama proposes Social Security Cuts By Patrick Martin, December 20 2012

The cuts in Social Security and other critical social programs proposed Tuesday by the Obama White House as part of negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner over the so-called “fiscal cliff” mark a watershed in US social policy.

Obama has

UBS Libor-rigging settlement exposes pervasive bank fraud By Andre Damon, December 20 2012

UBS, the largest bank in Switzerland, announced Wednesday it had agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement with regulators in three countries, admitting that between 2005 and 2010 it intentionally manipulated the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), the most important global

The End Is Near: It’s Not Mayan Prophecy, It’s US Imperialism By Colin Todhunter, December 20 2012

According to some who believe in signs and prophecies, based on the ancient Mayan calendar, the world may have ended by the time you read this, in which case you won’t be reading it! Maybe those people know a thing

U.S. Backing Of Syrian Extremists: Another Afghanistan In The Making By Clifford Kiracofe, December 20 2012
The war against Syria has been underway for over 20 months. Clearly the Syrian people have a right to determine their own future rather than having it imposed by external opposition groups controlled by Western countries and their Sunni Arab …
Cancer of Corruption, Seeds of Destruction: The Monsanto GMO Whitewash By F. William Engdahl, December 19 2012
The corrupt ties between powerful private lobby groups and the EU Commission was in full view with the the European Food Safety Administration (EFSA) tried to discredit serious scientific tests about the deadly effects of a variety of Monsanto GMO corn.
CIA “Interrogations” in Iraq: Torture and Rape of Detained Women By Dirk Adriaensens, December 19 2012

Kitabat reports on 18 December. The chairman of the Iraqi List, Hamid al-Mutlaq, said in a press conference in Baghdad on 18 December: ” Iraqi prosecutors have submitted today a report to the Chairman of the Iraqi judiciary Medhat

Fiscal Cliff: Let’s Call Their Bluff! By Ellen Brown, December 19 2012

The “fiscal cliff” has all the earmarks of a false flag operation, full of sound and fury, intended to extort concessions from opponents.  Neil Irwin of the Washington Post calls it “a self-induced austerity crisis.”  David Weidner in the Wall

The Slaughter of the Innocent By Danny Schechter, December 19 2012

The late December holidays in America used to be known as “the season to be jolly,” with our streets festooned with bright lights, groups caroling, shopping galore, gift-giving and cheer.

This year, there’s a pall over all the light heartedness …

Agenda Driven News. The Connecticut School Shooting By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, December 19 2012

I have known for a long time that US news is agenda-driven.  Tonight (December 18) 

I was made aware of the extent to which agenda-driven US news drives the news of the rest of the world.

For reasons unbeknownst to

The Mayan 2012 Prophecy: The Orwellian “End of the World” Doomsday is “Made in America” By Prof Michel Chossudovsky, December 19 2012
In sharp contrast to the Mayan prophesy of "renewal, the Real World we live in is marked by a formidable economic crisis which is impoverishing millions of people, We are in the midst of an unfolding "doomsday scenario" of a complex political, social and economic nature: it's man made, it's "Made in America"
Big Brother Spying Didn’t Stop Connecticut School Shooter … Or 9/11 By Washington's Blog, December 18 2012

Beyond any doubt, Big Brother has come to America.

Americans are .

Everyone in the country is spied on … and even top generals, Congress men and CIA directors  can be

Obama, Republicans move toward deal to slash social programs By Barry Grey, December 18 2012

The orchestrated negotiations between the White House and Republican House Speaker John Boehner on a deficit-reduction deal to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff” moved toward their predictable conclusion over the weekend, when Boehner offered to support a token tax increase

New U.S. “Embassies” Are Actually Spy Centers By Washington's Blog, December 18 2012

Manned by Spies … Not Diplomats

As part of his must-read expose of the runaway “secret” government, Tom Engelhart points out that all of the new “embassies” are really spying posts:

Just this month the head of the Defense

Deterrence in the Post Cold War Era: Russia’s Strategic Missiles Offset America’s Global Domination? By Stop NATO, December 18 2012

by Sergey Duz

Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces turned 53-years-old on Monday. In the Cold War era, they acted as a deterrent to preclude war. Today, they act as a counterweight to America’s global domination plans. They are also on standby …

A Global Perspective on American Child Deaths By Donna Mulhearn, December 18 2012

You come from a culture where it is okay to kill children,’ the Iraqi woman said. We were sheltering against the wall of a building in Fallujah in April 2004 while the city was under attack by US forces.

I

Towards a Regional War and an Integrated Military Agenda: Washington Targets Syria and Iran By Stephen Lendman, December 18 2012

US policies threaten both nations. Doing so imperils the region and beyond. 

On December 17, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) cited Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa saying continuing armed conflict favors neither side.

Opposition elements can’t topple Assad without …

Iraq: Crimes against Humanity. The Babies Will Haunt Us By Kelley B. Vlahos, December 18 2012

It was like walking through a nightmare: drifting in an out of hospital rooms, down the long hallways, her contact with shock-ravaged Iraqi parents interrupted only by glimpses of their physically deformed and terminally sick babies who in many cases,

Moulding Young Minds: American Schools Preaching the Virtues of a War On Iran By Patrick Henningsen, December 18 2012

I remember my history lessons in school. Among many things, I can recall Patton’s march through France and the Battle of the Bulge, and how we learned about the millions of deaths on, as well as off, the fields of

Obama, Biden are war criminals under UN Charter By Dave Lindorff, December 18 2012

Bush, Cheney, White House counsel (and later Attorney General) Alberto Gonzalez and others were found guilty earlier this month of war crimes… As it turns out, Bush and Gonzalez needn’t have worried. Though Obama, when initially campaigning in 2008 for

“HEY YOU”: Orwellian Government Oppression and Never Ending Wars By Washington's Blog, December 18 2012
Posted on December 17, 2012 by JimQ
*       *       *

Hey you, out there on the road
always doing what you’re told,
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,
Can you

What’s Behind America’s Gun Violence By Jack A. Smith, December 18 2012
Such events occur within a context of shared responsibility for the unparalleled number of shooting deaths in the US every year. This includes the political system, the National Rifle Association and other gun lobbies, federal, state and local governments. Each has played an indirect role.
The “Fiscal Cliff” Is A Diversion: The Derivatives Tsunami and the Dollar Bubble By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, December 17 2012
The Derivatives Tsunami and the bond and dollar bubbles are of a different magnitude. About 95% of the $230 trillion in US derivative exposure is held by four US financial institutions: JP Morgan Chase, Bank America, Citibank, & Goldman Sachs.
North Korea’s Socialist Winter: Engagement or Isolation? By Nile Bowie, December 17 2012

Pyongyang’s recent rocket launch has placed North Korea in the cross-hairs of the international community. The current standoff with the “Hermit Kingdom” threatens to stifle very real reforms already underway, as well as peace in the region.

The world’s attention …

Gather Little Children By Barbara Nimri Aziz, December 17 2012

There is surely nowhere in the world, from the open Mongolian steppe to a cramped lane in Gaza City, where people do not know the sound of children in school. It’s a dear sound– half finished sentences and jostling little

Rash of gun violence, arrests follows Connecticut massacre By Patrick Martin, December 17 2012

A series of bloody incidents and preemptive arrests took place across the United States in the three days following the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, demonstrating that the conditions that produced the horrible tragedy are by

Israel Is Shooting Farmers for Trying to Farm: Got Any Tears for Them? By Joshua Brollier, December 17 2012

Gaza City-Yesterday in al-Faraheen, Gaza, Israeli Occupation Forces shot and wounded an unarmed 22 year old farmer, Mohammed Qdeih, from behind. Mohamed and nine others went out to their fields in the early afternoon, walking approximately 250 meters from the

Horror in Newtown: Horrific Massacre at a School in a Small Town, Connecticut By World Socialist Web Site, December 17 2012

The horrific massacre at a school in the small town of Newtown, Connecticut has sickened the entire country. Twenty-eight people lie dead, including twenty children between the ages of six and seven, who were shot multiple times. Six adults were

Crying in America, Dismissing the "Collateral Casualties" of Drone Warfare. By Josh Gerstein, December 17 2012

The U.S. Government on Friday asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit over the killing of three American citizens in drone strikes in Yemen earlier this year: alleged Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar Al-Awlaki, his son Abdulrahman, …

Obama’s War on Syria and its Implications. The Iraq War Scenario is being Repeated By Shamus Cooke, December 17 2012
The Obama administration has already declared war on Syria, even if it isn’t “official” yet. Consider the facts, all of them acts of war: The U.S. now recognizes a group of Syrian exiles to be the official government of Syria;
Islamofascist Killers Threaten Syria By Stephen Lendman, December 17 2012

They’re merciless cutthroat murderers. They commit grotesque atrocities. Torture, beheadings, and other monstrous savagery are all in a day’s work.

They’re Washington favorites. They’re recruited, heavily armed, trained, funded and directed in all US regional wars. Ronald Reagan called earlier …

Geopolitical Dislocation and Worldwide Economic Chaos: Profiling Euroland “After the Crisis” By Global Europe Anticipation Bulletin (GEAB), December 17 2012

The current geopolitical dislocation, largely anticipated by LEAP/E2020 since February of 2009 (GEAB No. 32), has resulted in a global fragmentation than will accelerate over the course of next year, amidst global recession. The end of the leadership of traditional

US-backed Free Syrian Army has “Crossed the Line”. Could Unleash a Chain of Events which would Pull Russia into the Conflict By John Robles, December 17 2012

[T]his could set off a chain of events that may pull the Russian Federation directly into the conflict. If the lives of Russians are at risk Russia has the right to protect its citizens and to assist unaligned Ukraine if

The Big Banks Are Criminal Enterprises By Washington's Blog, December 17 2012

“The Government Has Bought Into the Notion that Too Big to Fail Is Too Big to Jail”

Alternative financial media have noted for years that:

Growing Social and Wealth Inequality in America By Prof Rodrigue Tremblay, December 16 2012

  “These unhappy times call for the building of plans that rest upon the forgotten, the unorganized but the indispensable units of economic power…that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more

The Mayan 2012 “End of the World” Prophecy: People Buy “Noah’s Ark Survival Pods” … By Washington's Blog, December 16 2012

Hear the Mayan Prophecy for Yourself

The Mayan 2012 end of the world “prophecy” is scaring the pants off numerous children and suicidal teeangers. 1-in-10 people believe that the Mayans have prophesied the end of the world (and see

Gun Violence in America By Stephen Lendman, December 16 2012

US civilian gun ownership is the highest worldwide. Yemen ranks second. America doubles the Yemeni level.

Gun related violence follows. In America it’s endemic. In Chicago alone, gun-related deaths exceed one a day. More Chicagoans are shot and killed than

The U.S. and Israel have made a Joke of the United Nations Security Council By Glenn Greenwald and Kourosh Ziabari, December 16 2012

Glenn Greenwald is a prominent American journalist, author, lawyer and blogger. His writings and articles have appeared on several newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The American Conservative, The National Interest and In These

Is the New Generation of Anti-Depressant Medications Contributing to School Shootings? By Washington's Blog, December 16 2012

000379 titleimage Are the New Generation of Anti Depressant Medications Contributing to School Shootings?

SSRI’s May Be Exacerbating Violent Tendencies

Before you make up your mind, watch these 3 videos:

The Economic Crisis in Europe: Austerity Imposed by the Banks, Soaring Unemployment, Poverty By Kate Randall, December 16 2012

A two-day summit of European heads of state and finance ministers ended on Friday with general agreement to extend and deepen the austerity measures which have already plunged millions of Europeans into unemployment and poverty while reaping huge returns for

School shooting in Connecticut leaves 27 dead, including 20 children By Kate Randall, December 16 2012

A gunman walked into an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday morning and opened fire, killing 26, including 20 young children. The shooter was also found dead inside the school of a self-inflicted gunshot.

The horrific event took place …

The Woes of an American Drone Operator By Der Spiegel, December 16 2012

By Nicola Abé

A soldier sets out to graduate at the top of his class. He succeeds, and he becomes a drone pilot working with a special unit of the United States Air Force in New Mexico. He kills dozens

War Crimes: Iraq’s Red Crescent under Attack. Complicity of US Occupation Forces By Dirk Adriaensens, December 16 2012

On 10 December, International Human Rights day, the representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Martin Kobler, said in a speech during a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Human Rights in Baghdad, that the word of Prime Minister

Syria: Growing Presence of Al Qaeda Extremists Creates Fear and “Uncertainty Regarding Future of our Country” By Xinhua, December 16 2012
Watching what happened in Iraq over the past 10 years, what is going on in Yemen now and on top of that the footage that emerges on a daily basis from places in Syria that witness a thick presence of
Iran warns Patriot missiles in Turkey could lead to World War III By Stop NATO, December 16 2012

Iran’s armed forces chief of staff on Saturday warned Turkey over its plans to deploy US-made Patriot missiles, saying the move was part of a Western plot to “create a world war.”

“This is very dangerous for everyone, and even …

NATO Turns Up Heat in Syria Psy Op War By Tony Cartalucci, December 16 2012

NATO tells tales of recently launched “Scud missiles” to retroactively justify Patriot missile deployment months in the making.

In a recent bid to psychologically break Syria’s government and military leadership, producing long sought-after defections, US-led NATO has decided to place …

Corporate Tax Breaks and Job Creation in the U.S. By Ann Robertson and Bill Leumer, December 15 2012

It has become an entrenched trend: corporations approach government officials and demand tax breaks, threatening to abandon the city, state or country if the politicians are not forthcoming.

In 2011, for example, in San Francisco, Twitter demanded a tax break …

Military Escalation, Dangerous Crossroads: Russia-US Confrontation in Syria? By Prof Michel Chossudovsky, December 15 2012
The US Patriot missile deployment in Turkey is part of a regional process of militarization which includes the establishment of US command posts and the stationing of Us troops in Jordan and Israel. This regional military deployment also threatens Iran.
US backed “Free Syrian Army” has “Crossed the Line”: Threatens to Kill Russians and Ukrainians in Syria By Global Research News, December 15 2012

Global Research Editor’s Note

This report confirms that the US and its allies have given the “green light” to their proxy Free Syria Army  (FSA) foot-soldiers to threaten and target Russian and Ukrainian nationals.

The decision did not emanate from

Iranian Bomb Graph Appears Adapted from One on Internet By Gareth Porter, December 15 2012

The suspect graph of a nuclear explosion reportedly provided to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as evidence of Iranian computer modeling of nuclear weapons yields appears to have been adapted from a very similar graph in a scholarly journal

Destructive Macroeconomic Policy: When the “Fiscal Cliff” Hits An Iceberg… By Danny Schechter, December 15 2012

2012 has been the l00th anniversary of the famous Titanic disaster. The Captain of that “unsinkable” ship was warned that there were icebergs ahead but he was too busy, out to set a speed record on the way to New

Syria Chemical Weapons: Canadian Special Forces to Assist “Opposition”? By Eric Walberg, December 15 2012

France and Britain have begun to circle Syria like vultures (my apologies to vultures, who politely wait for their prey to die). They plan to save Syria from chemical bombs – a surreal replay of Suez 1956, where France and

US Recognizes Unelected Al Qaeda Terrorists as Syrian “Representatives” By Tony Cartalucci, December 15 2012

US admits Al Qaeda “amongst” Syrian rebels, recognizes them as the “legitimate representative of the Syrian people.”

As expected, after a long pause of feigned “consideration,” the US has recognized the militants it has been arming, funding, aiding logistically and …

Biggest Social Media Sites Censor Alternative News By Washington's Blog, December 15 2012

“Unreliable News Sources”

The mainstream media skews the news to defend the status quo, and serves the interests of the rich and powerful.

But at least web news sources are free of censorship … one would hope.

Unfortunately, …