Headlines - Sunday June 6

Israeli Commando who killed six aid workers to receive medal

Autopsies are coming out today revealing some details about the circumstances of the Israeli attack which left at least nine aid workers dead. Doctors say that several of the victims were shot in the head and that in at least one case the gun was just inches from the aid worker's head when fired.

But additional information is also coming in in the form of a report from an unnamed Israeli staff-sergeant, who claims proudly to have single-handedly killed at least six of the civilian aid workers.

The staff-sergeant says he has no doubt everyone on board was a "terrorist" and claimed there were secretly dozens of "hardcore mercenaries" on board.

The staff-sergeant's story is being well received in Israel, where the killings have been lionized by a sympathetic media and by government officials eager to cash in on the latest jingoist craze. He is now being praised for "stabilizing the situation" and is being considered for a medal of valor for his killings.

The Israeli military insists that, far from the straightforward massacre of civilians that it appears to be, they are the victims of a massive conspiracy to frame them, and that 50 "well trained" Turks with communication devices, who they said were likely ex-military, were on board shooting and throwing grenades at them. The fact that no grenades or guns or communication devices or, indeed, "terrorists" were found on board is being claimed as another coverup, that after the massacre the "terrorists" somehow had the presence of mind to throw all the evidence overboard. Exactly how they all disappeared themselves in unclear, but not a single captive was charged with any crime.

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BP chief Tony Hayward sold shares weeks before oil spill.

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"I am the anti-war president and have Special Forces in 75 nations."

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The other side of the Gaza blockade.

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If you have many, many hours to kill, you could do worse than play around with this geological time portal. Pick any place in the world, choose a geological era and then learn about life during that place and time in Earth's history.

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Bob Herbert: Disaster in the Amazon

And I recommend the documentary, "Crude." You can get it on Netflix. 

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Rachel Corrie Seized

About 35 miles out from Gaza, the Rachel Corrie was reportedly boarded by the Israeli Navy after being tracked by warships and having its equipment jammed. Updates here.

The ship is named after Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death in the Gaza Strip by an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) bulldozer when she was kneeling in front of a local Palestinian's home, thus acting as a human shield, attempting to prevent IDF forces from demolishing the home.

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Morford: Behold Our Dark, Magnificent Horror

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Raise your hand if you think that Obama is the antichrist and that the oil gusher is a sign of the apocalypse.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with deregulation and greed (or Republicons).

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Digby: Can someone please explain to me what the difference is between Tony Perkins and Fred Phelps?

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With the aid of American-Israeli Caroline Glick, who is the deputy editor of the Jerusalem Post, the DC-based Zionist think tank Center For Security Policy has created this video mocking the Palestinian activists involved in Monday's flotilla raid in which nine people were killed. Today the Israeli government issued an apology after its press office sent media outlets an email linking the video.

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We have a sayin' back in Louisiana ... I mean Texas

Louisiana Republican

The gushing goo destroying the livelihoods of the folks who live on Louisiana's coast hasn't damped the ardor of Louisiana Repug leaders to drill, baby drill.  You know, I feel bad for the poor Louisianans, but riddle me this – why do they continue to vote for abusive politicians?  Let Jindal go clean up the fucking mess his philosophy has created.

*Update* Forrest Gump in 2010: bad news, BP oil spill destroyed his livelihood, his entire shrimping fleet had to be shut down.  Good news – he bought Apple stock, and held on to it!  Only question is, will he vote for David "double down on offshore drilling & liability cap" Vitter again this year, or will he realize that his shrimping business would be better off with a vote for Melancon?  Remember, stupid is as stupid does…

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No doubt this one refrained from making rash promises. "US President Barack Obama has telephoned Japan's new leader Naoto Kan to congratulate him and to pledge co-operation, amid tensions over a US military base on the island of Okinawa. Tokyo officials said Mr Kan had promised to make "strenuous efforts" to resolve the issue. Japan's previous government resigned after failing to deliver an election pledge to move the US base off Okinawa. Many residents on the island resent the military presence. Incidents including the rape of a 12-year-old Japanese girl in 1995 by three US servicemen have inflamed public opinion."

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Another BP "spill". This time it's in Texas

Think Progress gives us news of yet another gusher brought to you by the environmentally conscious folks at Blowout Putzes.  A refinery in Texas is spewing benzene.

Of course, it's not their fault, nobody needs respirators, and they'll surely hire some cheap labor from Mexico to take care of it. That way they can send them back across the border when they get too sick to function as human beings. Maybe they can even fly in some pelicans to provide atmosphere.

Why is this bunch of thugs even allowed to operate heavy machinery… or exist?

Refinery spokesman Michael Marr said in its follow up reporting with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, BP estimated 36,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides and 17,000 pounds of benzene were released in the 40 days. State law requires 10 pounds or more of benzene and 200 pounds or more of nitrogen oxide during a 24-hour period must be reported through the commission's air emissions database.

The bulk of the emissions during that time included an estimated 189,000 pounds of carbon monoxide and 61,000 pounds of propane, according to the company's report to the TCEQ.

"Benzene is a carcinogen naturally found in oil," and carbon monoxide is a chemical that kills hundreds and sickens thousands of people every year. The plant spokesperson said the amounts released were not large enough to be harmful to neighboring communities.

And of course, it goes without saying we can all put our faith in anyone who speaks on behalf of BP.

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BP buys oil-related search terms to make its official site show up first in search engines. 

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The Guardian: Once again, the ugly, elitist side of Tory rule comes forward.

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They still owe money for the Valdez spill

Just because this industry says it will do something doesn't mean they will. Big Oil is the most profitable industry ever for a reason. There's no reason not to start collecting an upfront payment now before BP decides not to fulfill their financial obligation. It pays to drag your feet and manipulate the US court system.

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CNN:

Taxpayers have lent AIG $132.6 billion, but getting that money back is looking less likely.

The sale of AIG's Asian life insurance unit for more than $35 billion would have helped a lot, but the deal went bust this week when the buyer, Prudential PLC, sought a lower price.

Now the troubled insurer is essentially back to square one with its repayment strategy -- though AIG Chief Executive Robert Benmosche remains upbeat about the options regarding AIA, and maintains that AIG will pay back its loans in full.

Can taxpayers get the bonus cash back now from this swindle?

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Democracy Now: History of BP Includes Role in 1953 Iran Coup After Nationalization of Oil

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Israeli boat raiders had an assassination list.

Israel radio clip was doctored.

And their "explanation" is pretty lame, too.

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Matthew Yglesias:

Matthew Yglesias » What The Gaza Blockade Means: As I've noted before, in the eyes of its defenders the blockade of the Gaza Strip is a security measure aimed at denying rockets to Hamas, while in fact it's a comprehensive effort to collectively punish Gaza residents—a majority of whom are children—in hopes that this will somehow lead to Hamas being replaced by a more moderate regime. Yousef Munayyer's rundown of the consequences of the blockade makes the point clearly. For example, "In 2006, Israel carried out an attack on Gaza's only power plant and never permitted the rebuilding to its pre-attack capacity (down to producing 80 megawatts maximum from 140 megawatts)." I suppose one could try to construct a defense of what the policy actually is, but instead most people seem to prefer to defend something else. Of course Israelis don't want to be hit by rockets, but why shouldn't Gaza's civilians have electricity?

Because they bombed them back to the Stone Age, silly!

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Now we understand: six weeks of failure was to condition us to accept a non-"solution" that captures barely a third of the gushing oil. "A special cap funnelling oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill appears to be having some success, a US Coast Guard official has said. Adm Thad Allen said 6,000 barrels of oil were captured in the first 24 hours after the procedure commenced on Thursday. This represents between a third and a half of the estimated daily leakage since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank on 20 April, killing 11 workers. Adm Allen said BP hoped to increase the amount captured in the next few days. Speaking in Theodore, Alabama, he said the company was able to bring up 6,000 barrels of oil from the well in the "first full 24-hour cycle". Asked if the proceedure was working, he said: "Yes, with caveats." Adm Allen added that it was hoped that a higher collection rate could be achieved by closing vents in the containment cap over the next few days, as engineers managed to stabilise pressure in the well."