Local and Global Community News – Activism / Protests - Animal Advocacy - Animal Rescue- Archaeology/Anthropology/Paleontology/Crypto-zoology , Corporate Assault on our Lives and Our Health, Environmental- Internet/IT - Signs of the Times – Wildlife : News Affiliate of Family Survival Protocol.com
This
film follows the story of programming prodigy and information activist
Aaron Swartz. From Swartz's help in the development of the basic
internet protocol RSS to his co-founding of Reddit, his fingerprints are
all over the internet. But it was Swartz's groundbreaking work in
social justice and political organizing combined with his aggressive
approach to information access that ensnared him in a two-year legal
nightmare. It was a battle that ended with the taking of his own life at
the age of 26. Aaron's story touched a nerve with people far beyond the
online communities in which he was a celebrity. This film is a personal
story about what we lose when we are tone deaf about technology and its
relationship to our civil liberties.
Film by Brian Knappenberger - Luminant Media http://www.takepart.com/internets-own... https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
- Watch some of our other videos -
Anonymous Documentary - How Anonymous Hackers Changed the World Full Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAECy...
Anonymous Documentary - The Story of the Anonymous Hacktivists Full Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC1ex...
Anonymous - Plan to defeat the Illuminati and New World Order 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kobrw...
'Copyright
Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is
made for 'fair use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news
reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use
permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of
fair use'
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
The content within these recordings
are property of their respective Designers, Writers, Creators, Owners,
Organizations, Companies and Producers. I do not and will not profit
from making and uploading these recordings, they are for fun &
archival purposes only. This Disclaimer applies to all uploaded
recordings within my account unless stated otherwise in videos'
description. I will not give out Torrent links nor do I condone their
use.
.............................................................................................
"You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." Rahm Emanuel
.............................................................................................
People
mourn as they lay flowers in memory of the plane crash victims at
Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg. (AP Photo/Dmitry
Lovetsky)
As
investigators search for the cause of a plane crash that killed 224
people over the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday and Russia suspends all
flights to Egypt, U.S. officials said they are taking unspecified
precautionary measures to enhance the security of flights from the
Middle East.
“While the facts and circumstances surrounding the
tragic October 31 crash of Metrojet Flight 9268 on the Sinai Peninsula
are still under investigation, Transportation Security Administrator
(TSA) Peter Neffenger and I, out of an abundance of caution, have
identified a series of interim, precautionary enhancements to aviation
security with respect to commercial flights bound for the United States
from certain foreign airports in the region,” Jeh C. Johnson, secretary
for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement.
Johnson
said the enhancements, also adopted by European aviation authorities,
“are designed to provide an additional layer of security for the
traveling public, and will be undertaken in consultation with relevant
foreign governments and relevant passenger and cargo airlines.” [Russia halts Eygpt flights amid widening probe into plane crash]
They include expanded screening and other “seen and unseen” security measures.
President Obama arrives at the TransCanada Stillwater Pipe Yard in Cushing, Okla. on March 22, 2012. (Associated Press) more >
By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times - Updated: 9:28 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2015
The company proposing to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline asked the State Department
on Monday to halt indefinitely its ongoing review of the massive
project, adding new delays and uncertainties, and possibly ensuring that
final word will come from President Obama’s successor.
Amid legal challenges in Nebraska — ground zero in the fight over the project — TransCanada officials sent a letter to Secretary of State John F. Kerry and called on the administration to cease immediately its Keystone approval process.
The
move raises a real possibility Mr. Obama will not be the one to make a
decision on the pipeline and that the next president, perhaps one more
inclined to back new oil-and-gas infrastructure in the U.S., will be the
final arbiter.
Powerful environmental groups quickly condemned TransCanada’s request and said it’s clear the company simply wants to delay a decision until January 2017, when a Republican may enter the White House.
A
recent poll carried out by France’s Le Figaro newspaper has indicated
that at least 72 percent of respondents want Syrian President Bashar
Assad to remain in power.
The survey, published on Thursday, asked: “Should world powers demand Bashar Assad to leave?” At least 28 percent from 21,314 respondents have voted “Yes” so far, while the majority – 72 percent – have said “No”.
The
poll was conducted ahead of the Vienna talks, where 19 global powers
gathered to find a solution for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. The
fate of Assad remained the stumbling block during discussions.
The
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a
biotechnology hearing for the first time in 10 years last week to
discuss the future of food technology as the industry responds to
increased demand, production challenges, and consumers’ calls for a safe
and transparent food supply. But the meeting came up short on
transparency and carried on more like a Monsanto share-holders meeting
than an unbiased inquiry into the pros and cons of biotechnology where
it concerns the food supply.
Senator after senator praised
biotechnology and genetically modified foods, claiming they had ‘come a
long way’ in ten years. Pamela Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery
Manufacturers Association said:
“The
Senate Agriculture hearing reaffirmed the broad consensus among
scientists and regulators that GMOs are safe and highlighted the real
world negative impacts a patchwork of state labeling mandates will have
on farmers, businesses and consumers. Action by Congress is urgently
needed this year to pass a national, uniform labeling standard.”
The
senate hearing was scheduled shortly after the US House of
Representatives passed the “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of
2015,” otherwise known as the DARK Act (Deny Americans the Right to Know) by a vote of 275-150.
Thousands rally against Erdogan as Turkey mourns deadliest attack
By Fulya Ozerkan, Camille Antunes October 11, 2015 7:16 PM
Associated Press Videos
Raw: Thousands Mourn Victims of Ankara Blast
Ankara
(AFP) - Thousands of mourners filled the streets of Ankara Sunday and
vented their anger at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after 97 people
were killed in the country's worst-ever terror attack, while the
government raced to identify the two male suicide bombers it blamed for
the bloodshed.
Flags flew at half-mast across Turkey on the first
of three days of national mourning declared by Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu, as questions grew over who could have ordered Saturday's
bombings on a peace rally in Ankara.
Turkey's
pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), one of the groups that had
organised the rally, said it believes the death toll now stands at 128.
The
attacks have raised tensions in Turkey just three weeks before snap
elections are due on November 1 and as the military wages an offensive
against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and Kurdish militants.
With
the country on edge, Erdogan issued a statement condemning the "heinous"
bombings and cancelled a planned visit to Turkmenistan but he has yet
to speak in public since the attack that shocked the nation.
On
Sunday, thousands of demonstrators thronged central Ankara's Sihhiye
Square, close to the blast site by the city's main train station, to pay
tribute to the victims.
View gallery
ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH
An injured man hugs an injured woma …
Many
of those gathered accused the government of failing to provide security
at the ill-fated rally and several anti-government demonstrators
shouted "Erdogan murderer" and "government resign!"
"I am a
mother, I'm worried about my grandchildren, I am marching for our
children, for our future. Each time there are people dead, I also die a
little," said Zahide, who like many others carried a pink carnation
flower to commemorate the victims.
The premier's office said 97
people were killed when the bombs exploded just after 10:00 am (0700
GMT) as leftist and pro-Kurdish activists assembled for the rally.
It added that 507 people were wounded, with 160 still in hospital and 65 in intensive care in 19 hospitals.
An
AFP correspondent said the scene of the blast was littered with ball
bearings, indicating the explosions were intended to cause maximum
damage.
View gallery
A family mourns in an area allocated for families of victims of Saturday's twin blasts in Ankara …
- 'Topple the dictator' -
In
an emotional address to the mourners in Ankara, the HDP's leader
Selahattin Demirtas said that rather than seeking revenge people should
aim to end Erdogan's rule, starting with the upcoming legislative
elections.
Fury towards Erdogan intensifies after Ankara attack
By Fulya Ozerkan, Camille Antunes October 12, 2015 1:43 AM
.
Ankara
(AFP) - Anger towards President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Turkey's
worst-ever terrorist attack intensified as authorities raced to identify
the two male suicide bombers it blamed for the bloodshed.
The
streets of Ankara filled with anti-government and pro-Kurdish protesters
accusing the government of responsibility for the blast that ripped
through a peace rally a day earlier, with several shouting "Erdogan
murderer" and "government resign!"
In Istanbul on Saturday, a
10,000-strong crowd accused the government of failing to protect
citizens by providing security for the event, carrying placards reading
"the state is a killer" and "we know the murderers".
As
tributes poured in from world leaders, Selahattin Demirtas, leader of
the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was cited as saying "State attacked
the people. Condolences recipient should be the people not Erdogan" on
the party's Twitter account.
In
an emotional address to mourners in Ankara, Demirtas said that citizens
should aim to end Erdogan's rule, starting with the upcoming
legislative elections.
"We
are not going to act out of revenge and hatred. But we are going to ask
for (people to be held to) account," he added, saying the vote would be
part of a process to "topple the dictator."
View gallery
Relatives mourn near the grave of a victim of the twin bombings in Ankara, during the funeral in Ist …
The
party believes the death toll now stands at 128, higher than the 97
people the prime minister's office said were killed when the bombs
exploded on Saturday morning as leftist and pro-Kurdish activists
assembled by the city's main train station.
The official toll also said 507 people were wounded, with 160 still in hospital and 65 in intensive care in 19 hospitals
The U.S. national debt grows at a rate of 45.486 dollar per second!
20,517,497,500,000
10/05/15 6:28pm CDT
$ 65.903
Debt per citizen
$ 113.353
Debt per taxpayer
Year
x billion U.S dollar
2004
7.379
2005
7.933
2006
8.507
2007
9.008
2008
10.025
2009
11.910
2010
13.562
2011
14.781
2012
16.059
2013
16.732
2014
17.810
For Real Time National Debt Numbers Visit The US Debt Clock
..........
Since our worlds collided on that fated day in 2008 when the
American dream became even more elusive for the majority of us there
has been some time to reflect on our mistakes. Some of us have learned
from what we have lived and experienced. Others, however, are still
stuck in the partisan la la land of Rabid Conservatism or Rabid
Liberalism. Each side pulling for its own without taking pause to
understand the long-range consequences of their actions.
Politicians
will do what politicians do best, protect their pockets and those
who keep them full. What excuse do the common folk (non-corporate or
lobbyist) have? You vote Republican or Democrat because they hold the
best future for our country? Or do you vote because it is all you
know and you cannot fathom the fact that both sides of the aisle
serve the same master? It has gone way beyond the scope of
political party or leanings. It is time to put those patriotic
gestures, slogans and mindsets to actual use by truly putting
your country first. We must put a stop to the criminal
Washington/Corporate agenda that is killing us.
Until we truly
and seriously address the criminals who are selling our Nation
and our children's future to the highest bidder we are doomed.
Are you ready to face the truth or will you just sit back and
blame another while you do nothing to change the problem?
The
only answer to the putrefaction that is taking place all across
this nation is in the hands of the people. Many laughed at the
Occupy movement. Some vilified those who wanted to make a
difference and voice their displeasure with the status quo. How
many of you have done anything to make a change? How many of you
have cared enough to even consider what role you may have to play?
Truly,
I do not see a way out of this unless people stop seeing right or
left and start seeing stars and stripes. This nation depends on it's People,
not its politicians. Why have we become so complacent that we are
no longer willing to fight the good fight for our freedom and
our way of life? When did this nation become the home of the
lazy and the weak? It is time the strong and the brave stood up,
if there are any left.
What will it take to make
you see that politics is a trap? An illusion to make us believe we
have a choice when in reality we have none. They have both
evolved to serve the same masters and fulfill the same agenda. An
agenda that serves neither you nor me. When will you wake up
from your blue and red slumber to see that we have all been
lied to ?
When do we take America back as a People not a political party?
The
time is growing short people! Unless you open your eyes and
understand what is truly at stake. You will never live in America
the Land of the Free and the Brave again. We will simply exist
in a land run by petty politics and corrupt corporations willing to
do whatever it takes to maximize their bottom line. Even if it means
exploiting our children's lives and futures.
Just
in case you still don't have a clue what I am talking about.
Here is a very short list of examples of the Corporate Assault on
Our Lives And Our Health that our politicians have allowed to take
place for a price.
GMO's in our food supply
Digestive disorders, Obesity,Endocrine disorders on the rise
Glyphosate in our foods, our water and our breast milk
Kidney and Liver damage on the rise
Fracking chemicals in the water supply
Cancers on the rise
Fluoride in the water supply
Vaccines causing deadly reactions in children and adults
Autism on the rise
Heavy metals in our food supply
Alzheimer's on the rise
Deadly chemicals being pawned off as sugar substitutes from saccharine to splenda
all have been found to cause cancer in animal studies. The
biggest culprit and most dangerous thus far being Aspartame.
Life saving drugs monopolized by Big Pharma to bloat prices beyond most people's reach. Daraprim being the latest going from $13.50 per pill to $750.00. Basically condemning those who cannot afford them to die.
There are so many more examples you just need to open your eyes and want to see the truth
When
we get our story wrong, we get our future wrong. Much like the
Trans-Pacific Partnership "trade deal", everything we are told about
capitalism and our economy is a pack of lies. Time for a new story,
says preeminent scholar and critic of corporate globalization, David
Korten, the best-selling author of When Corporations Rule the World and
The Great Turning. David has a brand new book, Change the Story, Change
the Future - a Living Economy for a Living Earth. He is the co-founder
and board chair of YES! Magazine, co-chair of the New Economy Working
Group, founder and president of the Living Economies Forum (formerly the
People-Centered Development Forum), a member of the Club of Rome, and a
former board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
(BALLE) and associate of the International Forum on Globalization.
This Earth Day address was recorded April 22, 2015 at Seattle University Pigott Auditorium.
Community
Rights educator Paul Cienfuegos explains how "We The People" are
exercising the authority to govern ourselves and dismantle corporate
rule. When small farmers in rural Pennsylvania wanted to say "no" to a
corporate factory farm coming into their community, they learned they
couldn't, because it would violate the corporation's "rights" and state
pre-emption laws. So they did something technically illegal - their town
passed an innovative ordinance banning corporate factory farming. It
worked! The corporation left town. Pittsburgh upshifted the approach:
Rather than define what we don't want, define what we DO want. Their
"Right to Water" stopped natural gas fracking in the city. Ordinances
like this have been passed in over 150 communities in 9 states. Tune in
to learn how this works. Episode 258. [paulcienfuegos.com, celdf.org,
YouTube channel "Community Rights TV" and communityrightspdx.org]
Peak Moment TV exists because of viewers like you. Subscribe to news and donate at http://www.peakmoment.tv, right side. Thanks for being in the Peak Moment community.
Have
we forgotten about the national debt? Congressional Republican leaders
and the Obama administration have begun private talks about a new
two-year spending plan that would keep the government operating beyond
the 2016 election but would do little to address more fundamental
structural problems, including entitlement and health care spending for
an aging population.
Even before Congress completed work on a
short-term spending measure to avert a government shutdown at least
until early December, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY),
outgoing House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and President Obama held
preliminary talks on a possible multi-year budget agreement to increase
spending for both defense and domestic programs by lifting fiscal 2016
discretionary spending caps imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act. Related: New CBO Director Renews Warning on Long-Term Debt
The
agreement would be similar in scope to a two-year mini-budget agreement
that was struck by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)
following a 16-day government shutdown in late 2013 that temporarily put
an end to inter-party budget warfare. That agreement allowed for $45
billion more in spending above the caps in 2014 and $20 billion more in
2015, as well as $20 billion of deficit reduction.
USS
Ronald Reagan and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5,
provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective
maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the
Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (Photo: U.S. Navy Specialist 2nd Class Paolo
Bayas)
The
Russians are bombing CIA-backed rebels in Syria and continuing to hold
parts of Ukraine. ISIS continues to spread in the Middle East and
inspire attacks around the world. Iran is receiving hundreds of billions
in sanctions relief, some of which will likely go to destabilizing the
Middle East. China is building illegal islands in the South China Sea.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees are streaming across Europe. The
Taliban is on the rise in Afghanistan. And our national secrets are
being vacuumed up by Chinese hackers.
At the same time, our national defense budget is being slashed.
Since 2011, the defense budget has been cut by 15 percent
in real terms. If you include the war budget, which has been going down
as we reduce troops in Afghanistan, the national defense has been cut
25 percent in four years.
As a result of these budget cuts, the
U.S. military is smaller than it was on 9/11 and in many cases the
smallest it has been in recent history.
The
world is a mess, our military is being slashed, and now President Obama
is going to veto a bipartisan bill that would increase the national
defense budget by 6 percent in real terms.
The House of
Representatives just passed the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2016 (NDAA), and it is headed to the Senate. This is a
bipartisan bill that has been signed into law every year for 53 straight
years, but Obama plans to veto it for one simple reason: it doesn’t
increase non-defense spending. The president believes that defense and
non-defense spending should be increased, and, according to the White
House, “he will not fix defense without fixing non-defense spending.”
John Boehner Admits Republicans are Willing to Put U.S. at Risk to Play Partisan Politics
February 16, 2015 By Allen Clifton
Republicans
are anything if not predictable. The moment they gained power back in
the Senate it was obvious that they were going to use that power to play
petty partisan politics. The truth is, controlling Congress means very
little as long as the person in the White House has veto power.
So
no matter what sort of propaganda Republicans spew about the nonsense
they’re going to undoubtedly shove through Congress, it’s still on them
to send the president legislation that they know he will sign, otherwise
they’re essentially just wasting time.
The
president is the one person who’s voted into office on a national scale,
meaning that they’re the one individual who truly “represents the
majority of the people.” So no matter what anyone in Congress says, it’s
beholden upon them to make sure whatever bills they’re sending to the
president’s desk actually have a chance at being signed. It’s extremely
rare for both the House and Senate to have the two-thirds majority
needed to override a presidential veto.
All
that being said, as many already know the Department of Homeland
Security is set to run out of funding fairly soon. Normally this
wouldn’t be a huge deal; all it would take is for Congress to pass a
bill funding the department, which would almost certainly be signed by
President Obama.
In
a precedent-setting case, a state judge ruled this month that the
mother of a New Jersey teenager with epilepsy, who is also her legal
medical caregiver, cannot go to her school to administer her daughter’s
cannabis oil.
The oil treatments, which are legal in the state,
control the young girl’s seizures and allow her to function normally in
school, according to her parents.
In its opinion, the court
reasoned that state and federal laws prohibiting drug possession on
school grounds takes precedence over the students’ right to use medical
cannabis derivatives. This ruling is in spite of the fact that New
Jersey has already legalized cannabis for medical use.
This
court setback is the third such defeat for the Barbour family, who have
vowed to continue appealing. According to legal experts, this case is
believed to be the first of its kind in the United States.
Administrative
Law Judge, John S. Kennedy ruled in January and again on appeal in
August that the Larc School and the Maple Shade school district are
stuck in a legal quandary. If allowed to administer the drug, the school
nurse would be violating state laws, which ban the use of drugs in
school zones and federal law that deems pot possession a crime.
Roger
and Lora Barbour have sued to require the nurse at their 16-year-old
daughter’s special education school in Bellmawr administer cannabis oil,
just like the nurse dispenses prescribed medication to other students.
Since April, Genny has attended only half-days of school so she can be
home for her lunchtime dose of homemade oil, diluted in a small glass of
cola.
In his 11-page ruling, the judge wrote that
the family failed to show that their daughter would suffer “irreparable
harm” if she were denied her medicine during the school day.
Saudi air raids kill dozens of Yemeni civilians amid humanitarian crisis
1.6K293
The
latest Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen have left dozens of civilians dead
and nearly 160 injured at a time that sees medical facilities
struggling to provide even the most basic services. The country is
suffering from a shortage of vital supplies due to the ongoing blockade.
The
coalition air raids against Houthi forces in Sanaa overnight on Friday
killed at least 40 civilians and injured at least another 130 people,
Yemen News Agency (SABA) reported.
One
strike leveled an apartment building in the center of the city killing a
family of nine, while another strike killed a man who had been
searching for his family in the rubble, AP reported. The coalition has
even managed to attack Yemen’s interior ministry in the capital,
launching about 10 strikes at the building as well as at a police camp
and a military building close to it.
The airstrikes also hit the residence of Oman’s ambassador in Sanaa.
The
particular cluster munition systems HRW said were used are CBU-105
Sensor Fuzed Weapons, which are guided bombs intended to take out tanks
and other armored vehicles with a flurry of explosions spread out over
an area.
If the cluster bombs fail to
detect their target, they are designed to self-destruct in the air, or
if that fails, to deactivate themselves after a short time. But
sometimes those mechanisms don't work, posing a lethal danger for those
who later encounter them.
UN condemns ‘virtual silence’ on civilian casualties in Yemeni conflict
248317.
UN
officials have openly criticized the “the virtual silence” with regards
to civilian suffering in the Yemeni conflict from the world community,
warning that unless violence on the ground is stopped via political
compromise more people will suffer.
Adama
Dieng, the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Jennifer
Welsh, the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, “expressed
concern at the ever increasing impact on civilians of the ongoing
conflict in Yemen, and the virtual silence of the international
community about the threat to populations.”
The Gaza Strip one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
Around 1.8 million people call this coastal strip of just 360 square
kilometres, home. And eight years of blockades and wars have crippled
its economy. 43 percent of Gazans are unemployed, and 39 percent live in
poverty. They’re still rebuilding after last year’s war with Israel and
depend on international aid to survive. Much has been pledged, but
Israel only allows a portion of the essentials to pass through.
TUNNELS OF LIFE
Tunnels that run beneath the Egyptian border provide a vital lifeline
for many struggling families in Gaza. Smugglers often risk their lives
to use the tunnels - as Egypt has restricted access to the Rafah
crossing since its military deposed former president Mohamed Morsi in
July 2013. So far this year, the crossing’s only been open for 15 days.
Egypt also begun to demolish the tunnels in Sinai - over 1,400 of them
since the beginning of 2014. And now, it seeks to flush out the
smugglers once and for all by flooding the tunnels.
EGYPTIAN FISH FARMS
Egypt says it wants to use its 14-kilometre border with Gaza for a
different purpose - to build fish farms. And Egypt’s military has
already begun to dig along border to set up 18 fisheries. But Gazans
fear the project is just a ploy to reinforce the blockade. Hamas
official Mushir al Masri said it was to tighten the siege on Gaza. Egypt
previously cleared homes along the border to expand a buffer zone and
its military regime has accused Hamas of supporting militant groups in
the Sinai peninsula. But Hamas, which is an offshoot of the Muslim
Brotherhood now outlawed by Egypt, has denied the claims.
STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
But because of the fisheries, prices of supplies smuggled into Gaza have skyrocketed.
Smugglers are now installing water pumps into tunnels to ease the
flooding. Currently, it’s believed that only 20 tunnels are still
actively being used. The mayor of Rafah, Subhi Radwan, has warned that
the flooding of the tunnels could cause homes on the Gazan side of the
border to collapse. He also said that filling them with sea water could
contaminate Gaza’s drinking water. But for now, Gazans have little
choice but to watch on from behind the borders.
People
rarely came this far, she told us, and it seemed to her that very few
of those that did, cared enough to ask how they were doing.
"Not well at all," she said needing little prodding. "Not well at all."
Mansura was clearly exhausted from having stayed up the night before.
Fearful
for her family, she sat outside her makeshift house just a few hundred
metres from the border between Gaza and Egypt, on guard until dawn.
"We're used to the guns and the rockets and the explosions," she said. "But now - water?"
Witness: The Gaza tunnels
Her voice trembled, and tears began to pool in her eyes.
"This is our life," she said hopelessly.
"We are so, so tired."
Mansura lives in Rafah, the town divided between Gaza and Egypt by international
Marga Ortigas covers the Asia-Pacific region for Al Jazeera English.
Seventy-three year old Mansura Abu Shaar was more than happy to talk to strangers.
People
rarely came this far, she told us, and it seemed to her that very few
of those that did, cared enough to ask how they were doing.
"Not well at all," she said needing little prodding. "Not well at all."
Mansura was clearly exhausted from having stayed up the night before.
Fearful
for her family, she sat outside her makeshift house just a few hundred
metres from the border between Gaza and Egypt, on guard until dawn.
"We're
used to the guns and the rockets and the explosions," she said. "But
now - water?" Her voice trembled, and tears began to pool in her eyes.
"This is our life," she said hopelessly.
"We are so, so tired."
Mansura lives in Rafah, the town divided between Gaza and Egypt by international political agreements in the 1980s.
With Israel the only other way in or out, Gazans saw the border with fellow-Arab Egypt as the "friendly" alternative.
It was a pressure valve when all else around them seemed to be closing in.
But the "friendly border" closed when Hamas took control of the government in Gaza in 2007.
At least in theory.
Egyptian authorities have ordered residents living along the border with Gaza to evacuate their homes [Al Jazeera]
Rafah, Gaza
- Ahmed al-Afifi cannot focus on studying as midterm exams approach.
For the past two weeks, the constant sounds of explosions have echoed
from across the border.
"We are not psychologically ready for
this," said al-Afifi, 22, a Gaza-based university student who lives in
the Palestinian side of Rafah, which shares a border with Egypt's
restive Sinai peninsula. His home is about 400m from the border, and the
explosions are part of an Egyptian military operation to initially
create a 500m-deep buffer zone.
But on Tuesday November 18, Egyptian authorities said they were to expand the buffer zone to one km.
The
army is clearing the area by using dynamite and bulldozers, a
systematic campaign also aimed at destroying smuggling tunnels into
Gaza. The operation followed the killing of 33 Egyptian soldiers in an
attack in North Sinai in October. Egyptian authorities have ordered
residents living along the country's eastern border with Gaza to
evacuate their homes, which are targeted for demolition.
On Monday
November 17, Rober Turner, head of UNRAWA operations in Gaza, said that
the buffer zone set up by Egyptian authorities will make things more
difficult . He described the siege as 'unjust'.
Published: 18:49 EST, 19 September 2015 | Updated: 20:49 EST, 19 September 2015
Egyptian
forces flooded smuggling tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border in Rafah
on Friday in a reported attempt to stamp out terror activity.
Authorities
feared the tunnels, which lead from Sinai to the Gaza Strip, would
allow for smuggling by Islamist militants between the blockaded
Palestinian enclave, according to a report by DPA.
The
military pumped water from the Mediterranean Sea into the pipes of the
underground cross-border tunnels in an effort to curb the use of the
passages in their entirety.
A
Palestinian youth shows how to abseil into one of the tunnels on the
Gaza side after Egyptian forces flooded smuggling tunnels beneath the
border to the Gaza strip, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip
By Jay Syrmopoulos
![Egyptian authorities have ordered residents living along the border with Gaza to evacuate their homes [Al Jazeera]](http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/images/2014/11/11//2014111161216908580_20.jpg "'Rafah has turned into a ghost town'")
Egyptian authorities have ordered residents living along the border with Gaza to evacuate their homes [Al Jazeera]
At the same time, our national defense budget is being slashed.
Since 2011, the defense budget has been cut by 15 percent in real terms. If you include the war budget, which has been going down as we reduce troops in Afghanistan, the national defense has been cut 25 percent in four years.
As a result of these budget cuts, the U.S. military is smaller than it was on 9/11 and in many cases the smallest it has been in recent history.