By Khalid Amayreh

Employing legalistic chicanery, blatant deceit and contemptible conspiracies, the remnants of the Mubarak regime seem hell-bent on aborting the Egyptian revolution.

On Thursday, 14 June, the so-called Constitutional Court, an entity that was utterly silent during 30 years of corruption, tyranny and repression under the previous regime, issued a hasty decision, dissolving the People's Assembly or Parliament.

This parliament was elected only three months ago in perfectly transparent elections observed by the entire world and supervised by the Egyptian judicial system. None of the judges then questioned the legality and transparency of the elections. They all boasted about the democratic credentials of the ruling junta, saying that Egypt was entering a new era of human rights, political freedoms and civil liberties.

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by Stephen Lendman

Months before November's election, New York Times editors made their choice: Obama in 2012. Expect an official endorsement to follow.

Editorial support signals it. On June 14, The Times headlined "The Political Contrast," saying:

Obama's recent Cleveland community college speech "contrast(ed) his goals and the failed Bush-era policies that Mitt Romney is trying to resurrect."

He claimed "no meaningful difference between the trickle-down economics of George W. Bush, rejected (and) the plans supported by Mr. Romney and his Republican allies in Congress."

"All the elements are there, from the slavish devotion to tax cuts for the rich, to a contempt for government regulation, to savage cutbacks in programs for those at the bottom."

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by Stephen Lendman

Gaza's blockade is illegal. Collective punishment is prohibited. Fourth Geneva's Article 33 states:

"No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited."

"Pillage is prohibited."

"Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited."

Israel spurns all international laws and its own. It commits crimes of war and against humanity with impunity.

Isolating Gaza is a war crime. June 14 marked the blockade's fifth anniversary. Around 50 international human rights and organizations, as well as six UN bodies called for immediately lifting it.

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