<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Today&#039;s Talk &#187; Middle Eastern Affairs</title>
	<atom:link href="http://todayshottopic.com/category/middle-eastern-affairs/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://todayshottopic.com</link>
	<description>Today&#039;s Talk: Hot topics of today&#039;s international news and music</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:44:22 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Ron Paul: The Revolution &amp; The Anti-War Movement Video</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/08/23/ron-paul-the-revolution-the-anti-war-movement-video/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/08/23/ron-paul-the-revolution-the-anti-war-movement-video/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:44:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[African Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asian Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti war]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ron paul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=2346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Please share the below video with everyone you know.  This is truly an exceptional video detailing how the U.S. gov&#8217;t and corporations are a grave threat to the American people. ...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Please share the below video with everyone you know.  This is truly an exceptional video detailing how the U.S. gov&#8217;t and corporations are a grave threat to the American people.  The only person out of the presidential candidates who is standing up and speaking about this is Ron Paul.</p>
<p>Credits: Kenneth ( kennethogmarie )</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivcsZ38KMUU&#038;fmt=18">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivcsZ38KMUU</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/08/23/ron-paul-the-revolution-the-anti-war-movement-video/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>RAP NEWS 8: Osamacide</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/05/19/rap-news-8-osamacide/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/05/19/rap-news-8-osamacide/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 14:10:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bin laden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death of osama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=2244</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6O6sM2Shok JuiceMedia RapNews: episode 8. It&#8217;s the end of an era. The decade which opened with a ferocious attack in the United States of America, closes with the announcement of...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6O6sM2Shok&#038;fmt=18">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6O6sM2Shok</a></p>
<p><strong>JuiceMedia RapNews:</strong> episode 8. It&#8217;s the end of an era. The decade which  opened with a ferocious attack in the United States of America, closes  with the announcement of the death of its greatest and most conveniently  disney-like villain, Usama Bin Laden. In a decade which has been  dominated by the Empire Strikes Back, our affable and dextrous host  Robert Foster invites us to scrutinise the events shrouding the killing  of this twentyfirst-century Goldstein. Joining him in this May  retrospective are Rap News regulars, General Baxter, the Pentagon&#8217;s most  effusive spokesperson, attempting uncharacteristically to stay &#8216;on  message&#8217;, and his counterpart from the world of alternative academia,  the conspiracy industry&#8217;s favourite son, Terrence Moonseed. What  actually happened in Abbotabad? Do the public have a right to see  evidence of this event? What is Terrence wearing on his head? Was  justice really served? What next? History is happening.</p>
<p>****************************<br />
NOTE  TO RE-UPLOADERS: we ask that you please wait until 25 May before  re-uploading this video. This is to give the original video the chance  to gain momentum. We appreciate your cooperation <img src='http://todayshottopic.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt="icon smile RAP NEWS 8: Osamacide " class='wp-smiley' title="RAP NEWS 8: Osamacide " /><br />
****************************</p>
<p>SUPPORT Rap News to keep broadcasting rhyme and reason on the only remaining free frequency: <a title="http://thejuicemedia.com/donate" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://thejuicemedia.com/donate" target="_blank">http://thejuicemedia.com/donate</a> &#8211; thank you to everyone who has donated to us &#8211; massive respect!</p>
<p>+++++++INFORMATION and DOWNLOADS+++++++<br />
For more info about Rap News: <a title="http://thejuicemedia.com" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://thejuicemedia.com/" target="_blank">http://thejuicemedia.com</a><br />
To download MP3 and Lyrics: <a title="http://www.reverbnation.com/rapnews" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/rapnews" target="_blank">http://www.reverbnation.com/rapnews</a><br />
Connect with us on Facebook: <a title="https://www.facebook.com/rapnews" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/rapnews" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/rapnews</a><br />
And Twitter: <a title="http://twitter.com/juicerapnews" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/juicerapnews" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/juicerapnews</a></p>
<p>***************************************<br />
<strong>CREDITS:</strong> Many thanks to the following people for lending their superb skills  and/or expensive equipment to the making of this episode: Our ineffably  awesome designer, Zoe Tame from <a title="http://visualtonic.com.au" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://visualtonic.com.au/" target="_blank">http://visualtonic.com.au</a> for creating all the original artwork, backgrounds and vectors &#8211; and  for building the juicemedia.com website.  Trav and Nick for lights; Lucy  and Caitlin for ongoing support; Blake for Baxter gear; Jason for not  wigging out over the wigs.</p>
<p><strong>BEAT:</strong> Hats off to The Alchemist for &#8220;Horrified Nights&#8221; <a title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJD3cYm6NI" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJD3cYm6NI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJD3cYm6NI</a></p>
<p><strong>TRANSLATIONS:</strong> Many thanks to Koolfy and Siltaar for sync&#8217;ing English closed captions.  If you&#8217;d like to translate Rap News 8 into your language, please  contact us via our website: <a title="http://www.thejuicemedia.com" dir="ltr" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.thejuicemedia.com/" target="_blank">http://www.thejuicemedia.com</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/05/19/rap-news-8-osamacide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Raymond Davis: TF373 and CIA Spy</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/02/22/raymond-davis-tf373-and-cia-spy/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/02/22/raymond-davis-tf373-and-cia-spy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:39:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raymond davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SVR]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=2129</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well isn&#8217;t this a surprise!  Double murder-accused US official Raymond Davis has been found in possession of top-secret CIA documents, which point to him or the feared American Task Force...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well isn&#8217;t this a surprise!  Double murder-accused US official Raymond Davis has been found in possession of top-secret CIA documents, which point to him or the feared American Task Force 373 (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_Force_373" target="_blank">TF373</a>) operating in the region, providing Al-Qaeda terrorists with &#8220;nuclear fissile material&#8221; and &#8220;biological agents,&#8221; according to a report.</p>
<p>Russia&#8217;s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is warning that the situation on the sub-continent has turned &#8220;grave&#8221; as it appears that open warfare is about to break out between Pakistan and the United States, The European Union Times reports.</p>
<p>The SVR warned in its report that the apprehension of 36-year-old Davis, who shot dead two Pakistani men in Lahore last month, had fueled this crisis.</p>
<p>According to the report, the combat skills exhibited by Davis, along with documentation taken from him after his arrest, prove that he is a member of US&#8217; TF373 black operations unit currently operating in the Afghan War Theatre and Pakistan&#8217;s tribal areas, the paper said.</p>
<p>While the US insists that Davis is one of their diplomats, and the two men he killed were robbers, Pakistan says that the duo were ISI agents sent to follow him after it was discovered that he had been making contact with al Qaeda, after his cell phone was tracked to the Waziristan tribal area bordering Afghanistan, the paper said.</p>
<p>The most ominous point in this SVR report is &#8220;<strong>Pakistan&#8217;s ISI stating that top-secret CIA documents found in Davis&#8217;s possession point to his, and/or TF373, providing to al Qaeda terrorists &#8220;nuclear fissile material&#8221; and &#8220;biological agents&#8221;, which they claim are to be used against the United States itself in order to ignite an all-out war in order to re-establish the West&#8217;s hegemony over a Global economy that is warned is just months away from collapse,&#8221; the paper added.</strong> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/02/22/raymond-davis-tf373-and-cia-spy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Watch Live: Protesters back on Egypt streets</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/01/29/watch-live-protesters-back-on-egypt-streets/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/01/29/watch-live-protesters-back-on-egypt-streets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:15:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Al Jazeera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cnn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Egypt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Protesters]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=2069</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Don&#8217;t follow the news from CNN or any other American news outlet. Watch Al Jazeera.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Don&#8217;t follow the news from CNN or any other American news outlet.  Watch Al Jazeera.   </p>
<div style="text-align: left; padding-bottom: 20px">
<div id="BCplayerArea" style="width: 480px; height: 420px">
																									<object class="BrightcoveExperience" id="myExperience747084146001" data="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?&#038;width=480&#038;height=420&#038;flashID=myExperience747084146001&#038;bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&#038;playerID=751182905001&#038;playerKey=AQ~~%2CAAAAmtVJIFk~%2CTVGOQ5ZTwJYW4Aj2VxnKEXntSbmcf9ZQ&#038;isVid=true&#038;isUI=true&#038;dynamicStreaming=true&#038;%40videoPlayer=747084146001&#038;autoStart=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="420" width="480"><param value="always" name="allowScriptAccess"></param><param value="true" name="allowFullScreen"></param><param value="false" name="seamlessTabbing"></param><param value="true" name="swliveconnect"></param><param value="window" name="wmode"></param><param value="high" name="quality"></param><param value="#FFFFFF" name="bgcolor"></param></object>
																								</div>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/01/29/watch-live-protesters-back-on-egypt-streets/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>State Department&#8217;s Spokesman PJ Crowley: Shake down interview</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/01/28/state-departments-spokesman-pj-crowley-shake-down-interview/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/01/28/state-departments-spokesman-pj-crowley-shake-down-interview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:04:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ABC news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Al Jazeera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cnn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Egypt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PJ Crowley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state department]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=2065</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This should be a prime case on how the media in the U.S. should be interviewing and questioning government officials when clearly they don&#8217;t understand what is happening in the...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This should be a prime case on how the media in the U.S. should be interviewing and questioning government officials when clearly they don&#8217;t understand what is happening in the region nor do they actually care about the people in a particular region.  PJ Crowley clearly doesn&#8217;t know shit about what is happening in Egypt and it is perfectly clear that again the U.S. has other interests at hands that are not for the people.  PJ Crowley should be embarrassed as a spokesperson the State Department.  He clearly couldn&#8217;t explain anything of substance about what is going on in the region beyond two sentences.  It is almost funny to watch.</p>
<p>Two thumbs up to Al Jazeera!  The days that anyone gets their news from CNN and ABC Nightly news is just laughable these days.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmEcQMwprIo&#038;fmt=18">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmEcQMwprIo</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2011/01/28/state-departments-spokesman-pj-crowley-shake-down-interview/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Insurance.aes256 (WikiLeaks)</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2010/12/06/insurance-aes256-wikileaks/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2010/12/06/insurance-aes256-wikileaks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:31:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WikiLeaks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=1910</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Anyone who wants to download the insurance.aes256 file can do so here. If you don&#8217;t have a bittorrent client you can download the file here.  (requires java) httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM1HlfVF4I4 TRANSCRIPT We...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Anyone who wants to download the insurance.aes256 file can do so <a href="http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5723136/WikiLeaks_insurance" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>If you don&#8217;t have a bittorrent client you can download the<a href="http://www.bitlet.org/download?torrent=http%3A%2F%2Ftorrents.thepiratebay.org%2F5723136%2FWikiLeaks_insurance.5723136.TPB.torrent&amp;referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bitlet.org%2F%3Ftorrent%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ftorrents.thepiratebay.org%252F5723136%252FWikiLeaks_insurance.5723136.TPB.torrent" target="_blank"> file here</a>.  (requires java)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM1HlfVF4I4">httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM1HlfVF4I4</a></p>
<p><strong>TRANSCRIPT</strong></p>
<p>We may never know the whole story behind the recent publication of sensitive U.S. government documents by the Wikileaks organization, but we certainly can draw some important conclusions from the reaction of so many in government and media.<br />
At its core, the Wikileaks controversy serves as a diversion from the real issue of what our foreign policy should be. But the mainstream media, along with neoconservatives from both political parties, insist on asking the wrong question. When presented with embarrassing disclosures about U.S. spying and meddling, the policy that requires so much spying and meddling is not questioned. Instead, the media focus on how so much sensitive information could have been leaked, or how authorities might prosecute the publishers of such information.</p>
<p>No one questions the status quo or suggests a wholesale rethinking of our foreign policy. No one suggests that the White House or the State Department should be embarrassed that the U.S. engages in spying and meddling. The only embarrassment is that it was made public. This allows ordinary people to actually know and talk about what the government does. But state secrecy is anathema to a free society. Why exactly should Americans be prevented from knowing what their government is doing in their name?</p>
<p>In a free society, we are supposed to know the truth. In a society where truth becomes treason, however, we are in big trouble. The truth is that our foreign spying, meddling, and outright military intervention in the post-World War II era has made us less secure, not more. And we have lost countless lives and spent trillions of dollars for our trouble. Too often “official” government lies have provided justification for endless, illegal wars and hundreds of thousands of resulting deaths and casualties.</p>
<p>Take the recent hostilities in Korea as only one example. More than fifty years after the end of the Korean War, American taxpayers continue to spend billions for the U.S. military to defend a modern and wealthy South Korea. The continued presence of the U.S. military places American lives between the two factions. The U.S. presence only serves to prolong the conflict, further drain our empty treasury, and place our military at risk.</p>
<p>The neoconservative ethos, steeped in the teaching of Leo Strauss, cannot abide an America where individuals simply pursue their own happy, peaceful, prosperous lives. It cannot abide an America where society centers around family, religion, or civic and social institutions rather than an all powerful central state. There is always an enemy to slay, whether communist or terrorist. In the neoconservative vision, a constant state of alarm must be fostered among the people to keep them focused on something greater than themselves — namely their great protector, the state. This is why the neoconservative reaction to the Wikileaks revelations is so predictable: “See, we told you the world was a dangerous place,” goes the story. They claim we must prosecute — or even assassinate — those responsible for publishing the leaks. And we must redouble our efforts to police the world by spying and meddling better, with no more leaks.</p>
<p>We should view the Wikileaks controversy in the larger context of American foreign policy. Rather than worry about the disclosure of embarrassing secrets, we should focus on our delusional foreign policy. We are kidding ourselves when we believe spying, intrigue, and outright military intervention can maintain our international status as a superpower while our domestic economy crumbles in an orgy of debt and monetary debasement.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2010/12/06/insurance-aes256-wikileaks/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Burn a Quran Day: Rev. Terry Jones</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2010/09/09/burn-a-quran-day-rev-terry-jones/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2010/09/09/burn-a-quran-day-rev-terry-jones/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:29:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quran]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terry jones]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=1841</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The government turned up the pressure Tuesday on the head of a small Florida church who plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, warning him that doing...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The government turned up the pressure Tuesday on the head of a small Florida church who plans to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, warning him that doing so could endanger U.S. troops and Americans everywhere.  But the Rev. Terry Jones insisted he would go ahead with his plans, despite criticism from the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, the White House and the State Department, as well as a host of religious leaders.</p>
<p>What I am seeing in America is nothing but hatred and down right racist intents.  I no longer feel it has anything to do with religion but rather a hatred for anything Muslim.  What do you think?  Also, the Mosque in NYC, I no longer any reason why it shouldn&#8217;t be built.  Americans need to wake up and stop being so racially basis to anything they don&#8217;t understand.  Take a look at the below video that talks about the Mosque.</p>
<table style='font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='360' height='353'>
<tbody>
<tr style='background-color:#e5e5e5' valign='middle'>
<td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com'>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td>
<td style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;'>Mon &#8211; Thurs 11p / 10c</td>
</tr>
<tr style='height:14px;' valign='middle'>
<td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'<a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-19-2010/extremist-makeover---homeland-edition'>Extremist Makeover &#8211; Homeland Edition<a></a></td>
</tr>
<tr style='height:14px; background-color:#353535' valign='middle'>
<td colspan='2' style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right'><a target='_blank' style='color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/'>www.thedailyshow.com</a></td>
</tr>
<tr valign='middle'>
<td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><embed style='display:block' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:350602' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed></td>
</tr>
<tr style='height:18px;' valign='middle'>
<td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'>
<table style='margin:0px; text-align:center' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%' height='100%'>
<tr valign='middle'>
<td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/'>Daily Show Full Episodes</a></td>
<td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'></td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2010/09/09/burn-a-quran-day-rev-terry-jones/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Hidden Cost of War</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/12/01/the-hidden-cost-of-war/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/12/01/the-hidden-cost-of-war/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:25:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=1367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 2003 Donald Rumsfeld estimated a war with Iraq would cost $60 billion. Five years later, the cost of Iraq war operations is over 10 times that figure. So what&#8217;s...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>In 2003 Donald Rumsfeld estimated a war with Iraq would cost $60 billion.  Five years later, the cost of Iraq war operations is over 10 times that figure.  So what&#8217;s behind the ballooning dollar signs? Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda J.  Bilme&#8217;s exhaustively researched book, &#8220;The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True  Cost of the Iraq Conflict,&#8221; breaks down the price tag, from current debts to the  unseen costs we&#8217;ll pay for years to come.</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OT5uw1Fb_0&#038;fmt=18">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OT5uw1Fb_0</a></p>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/12/01/the-hidden-cost-of-war/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>US Government to Pay Taliban to Switch Sides</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/10/30/us-government-to-pay-taliban-to-switch-sides/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/10/30/us-government-to-pay-taliban-to-switch-sides/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:27:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asian Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taliban]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=1348</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I can tell you there are a bunch of idots in our government.  The BBC reports that the US will start to pay the Taliban to switch sides.  Well, you...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I can tell you there are a bunch of idots in our government.  The BBC reports that the US will start to pay the Taliban to switch sides.  Well, you know you are losing the war when you have to pay your enemy not to kill you!  This of course is not the first time the US has resorted to paying off its enemies.</p>
<p><strong>October 28, 2009 &#8220;BBC&#8221; &#8212; </strong>The US military in Afghanistan is to be allowed to pay Taliban fighters who renounce violence against the government in Kabul.   The move is included in a defense bill which President Obama is set to sign.  Such payments have already been widely used by US commanders in Iraq, but it is the first time the system is being formally adopted in Afghanistan.  Early on Wednesday, Afghan troops were engaged in a shootout with suspected militants at a house in Kabul.</p>
<p>A day earlier eight US soldiers were killed in bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan.  The deaths make October the deadliest month for American forces in the eight-year war in Afghanistan.  President Obama is yet to decide whether to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan.  Mr Obama has said he will not risk their lives &#8220;unless it is absolutely necessary&#8221;.<br />
The latest attacks come amid heightened tension in Afghanistan in the run-up to the second round of a presidential election marred by widespread fraud in favour of incumbent President Hamid Karzai.</p>
<p>The Commander&#8217;s Emergency Response Programme, or Cerp, was set up to give the US military the means to clear roads, dig wells and provide other urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, the BBC&#8217;s Richard Lister in Washington says.  But in Iraq, the money can also be given to insurgents provided they switch sides. Backers of the Cerp scheme say it enabled some 90,000 formerly hostile Iraqis to form local militias and protect their towns from militants, our correspondent says.  He adds that now the same authority is being given to US commanders in Afghanistan.  A clause in the annual defense appropriations bill says they can use the money to support the &#8220;re-integration into Afghan society&#8221; of those who have renounced violence against the Afghan government.</p>
<p>Although $1.3bn (£691m) has been authorized for the fund as a whole, no specific sum has been allocated to the re-integration programmes, our correspondent says.  The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Senator Carl Levin, has said he envisages the money being used to pay former Taliban fighters to protect their communities.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/10/30/us-government-to-pay-taliban-to-switch-sides/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>CIA won’t release torture documents</title>
		<link>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/09/02/cia-won%e2%80%99t-release-torture-documents/</link>
		<comments>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/09/02/cia-won%e2%80%99t-release-torture-documents/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:36:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>CD</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern Affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bush administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[justice department]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[torture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[torture policy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://todayshottopic.com/?p=1230</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Central Intelligence Agency is refusing to release a series of key documents about its secret prison and torture program. The announcement came in response to a court-imposed deadline in...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Central Intelligence Agency is refusing to release a series of key documents about its secret prison and torture program. The announcement came in response to a court-imposed deadline in a case brought by the <a href="http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/40891prs20090901.html" target="_blank">American Civil Liberties Union</a>. The CIA says releasing information on its so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” would jeopardize national <a href="http://todayshottopic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/images.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1231" title="images" src="http://todayshottopic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/images.jpg" alt="images CIA won’t release torture documents" width="165" height="239" /></a>security by exposing classified intelligence sources and methods. The refusal comes one week after the Justice Department released a previously classified CIA report on torture at overseas prisons and launched a probe into the conduct of CIA interrogators. The investigation has been criticized for focusing on low-level operatives and not the Bush administration officials who authorized the practices the operatives carried out.</p>
<p>The documents that the CIA wants kept under wraps could provide a wealth of information on the Bush administration’s role. The documents include President George W. Bush’s September 2001 authorization for jailing CIA prisoners abroad, cables between CIA officials in the secret prisons and their superiors in Washington, and memos by CIA lawyers on the operations’ legality. Alex Abdo of ACLU’s National Security Project said, “The Obama administration must…release all crucial documents that would shed further light on the origins and scope of the Bush administration’s torture program. The American public has a right to know the full truth about the torture that was committed in its name.”</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://todayshottopic.com/2009/09/02/cia-won%e2%80%99t-release-torture-documents/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

