USA: As fresh revelations surrounding the alleged massacre in Haditha continue to surface. A military tribunal has decided there was no misconduct by US troops during a similar incident in the town of Ishaqi.

The findings of the Pentagon investigation surfaced a day after the BBC released video footage that purported to depict the grim results of the US action in Ishaqi, about 100km north of Baghdad.

The allegations centred around evidence that 11 people were massacred indiscriminately by US Marines during a raid on a local residence in March.

A report submitted by Iraqi police accused US troops of rounding up and exterminating 11 people in the house, including four women and five children, before demolishing the building.

According to the Americans, Marines were involved in a skirmish after a tip-off that an al-Qaeda supporter was visiting the house. During the ensuing fire-fight, the building collapsed under the bombardment killing four people- "a suspect", two women and a child.

But the video tape broadcast by the BBC tells a different tale. It shows a number of dead adults and children at the scene. Respected world affairs editor John Simpson concluded the tape clearly shows evidence of gunshot wounds on all the bodies, women and children.

The events in Ishaqi, are just one case in a catalogue of alleged atrocities carried out by the US military since the invasion began in 2003

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has attacked coalition forces for what he identifies as "habitual attacks" against civilians.

Such violence against the populace was, "common among many of the multinational forces", he added.

Troops showed "no respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch", he added.

The Iraqi government recently launched an independent investigation into the alleged massacre at Haditha, where eyewitnesses claim US marines shot dead 24 civilians after a roadside bomb attack in November.

USA: During a recent appearance on The Alex Jones Show, former CIA analyst and Presidential advisor Ray McGovern was asked for his insights on the timetable for war in Iran.

He contended that an imminent wave of terror attacks across Europe and the US is on the horizon. Mcgovern fears that this will be used to justify the Bush administration's plan to launch a military strike against Iran.

He sets the likely date for invasion as early as this month...

"There is already one carrier task force there in the Gulf, two are steaming toward it...they will all be there in another week or so."

"The propaganda has been laid, the aircraft carriers are in place, it doesn't take much to fly the bombers out of British and US bases - cruise missiles are at the ready, Israel is egging us on," said McGovern.

McGovern believes Iran's immediate responses would include deploying its military into Iraq to attack US forces, as well as mobilizing international terrorist cells. He also expects Iran to utilize their cruise missile arsenal to attack US shipping interests.

In light of President Bush's all time record low approval ratings. McGovern believes that by launching an attack on Iran and once more wrapping himself in the flag. Bush will attempt to rally the American people behind the next phase of the Neo-Con battle plan

"I can see Karl Rove saying, 'look what you need to do is become a war president again, get us involved with something pretty big here and then strut around and say you can't vote for a bunch of Democrats to pull the rug out from under me while there's a war going on'."

McGovern has frequently condemned Bush's administration as a cabal "hell-bent on war", devoid of any real military experience. He recently became embroiled in a tense stand-off with beleagured Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld during a press conference. Mcgovern accused Rumsfeld of falsehood over his assertion that the Pentagon had clear evidence as to where Iraqs alleged stockpiles of WMD was being concealed prior to the 2003 invasion. Such claims have obviously been exposed by now for what they were, a pack of lies. Incredibly though, Rumsfeld a man who it has to be observed bears all the hallmarks of a pathological liar. Continued to tell fibs, trying to deny ever claiming to know the location of WMD. Regardless of the mountains of archive media footage which proves the contrary. Despite this bare faced deceit, which was recorded for posterity by the dozens of TV cameras present. It was McGovern who suffered the smear campaign, being dismissed by the mainstream media as a "heckler". This a man who spent 27 years working in the field of covert intelligence.

Throughout, McGovern has stuck to his guns and his view that any unilateral military action against Iran could put the US in severe danger. Especially as Russia and China continue to give mixed signals on what their response to a US strike on Iran will be.

McGovern suspects that the Neo-Con spin doctor Karl Rove as well as usual suspects, Cheney and Rumsfeld, are now living in real fear of impeachment, "Enron-style criminal proceedings" or both. He believes they will advise President Bush to launch a war in order to derail any lengthy investigation that might easily lead to impeachment proceedings.

"I think we all agree that an attack is likely before the election and we all agree that it has to do largely with the election - as for timing I see a likelihood that it could come as early as late June or early July".

Venezuela: In a week which saw the high profile meeting of Opec nations in Caracas. Violent protests over the last few days have rocked the socialist government of Venezuela

The period of unrest began at the University of The Andes, Merida. When a group of reactionary students opened fire at police forces guarding the streets, wounding twenty-six policemen, three very seriously....

At the present time, this "bloody political carnival" continues to unfold around the Plaza de Toros in front of the University faculty. It appears to be well-organized, aided by some university authorities who oppose the Chavez government. Many buses full of anti-chavistas students from other national universities were reportedly detained by security forces in nearby Ejido preventing their arrival to Merida City.

University of Los Andes (ULA) professor Franz J. T. Lee writes:

"Yes, the Bolivarian Revolution is indeed in serious danger ... both from within and from without ... we face extreme and immediately challenging in Latin America...Riots and 'guarimbas' are running wild in southwestern Merida State, led by the delinquent student leader, United States CIA and "opposition" stooge Nixon Moreno and his delinquent anti-chavista counterpart in the Caracas student federation Stalin Gonzalez. Student "matadores" with the probable aid of paramilitary forces smuggled into the university are using military arms ... shotguns and pistol. We face the eve of yet another severe United States directed military coup against President Chavez.

A polarising figure since sweeping to power in 1999, Hugo Chávez has always courted controversy. He nationalised Venezuela's energy sector in 2000, using increasing oil revenues from rises in world oil prices to focus on expanding social programs. This inevitably put him on a collision course with the natural elite of the country. An elite traditionally sympathetic to the US agenda. This influential minority are widely accepted to have been behind the failed coup attempt in 2002 (Those who havent seen the excellent documentary "The Revolution will not be Televised" which tells the story of this coup and also gives an excellent background to the political situation in Venezuala can find out more -here-) This same group is believed to be behind the current violence, with the tacit concent and approval of the United States and multinational interests. Their position is that Chavez has condemned the country to economic poverty and political isolation for the sake of his idealist social vision. However, this usual line of tried and tested, stereotypical argument just does not hold water in the case of Chavez. In fact, throughout his presidency economic growth has picked up markedly, reaching double-digit growth in 2004, 9.3% growth in 2005 and a projected 7 percent growth rate for 2006.

The real reason behind the attempts to discredit and depose Chavez is that he is an embarassment to the Neo-Cons, right on their doorstep. Chávez's foreign policy has largely been based on the rejection of the uncompromising global stance being adopted by Washington. He has ruffled feathers by brokering unilateral relationships with China's Hu Jintao, Cuba's Fidel Castro, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bolivia's Evo Morales, even London Mayor Ken Livingston! As well as forging alliances with numerous other figureheads, particuarly in Latin America and the Caribbean. On March 4, 2005, Chávez publicly declared that the U.S.-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) was "dead". Chávez also stated his desire for the establishment of a Latin American analogue of NATO. At Chávez's direction, the military also began shifting armaments procurements to non-U.S. sources, including Brazil, China, Russia, and Spain. Meanwhile, Chávez ordered all active-duty U.S. soldiers to leave Venezuela. In October 2005, Chávez banished the "New Tribes Mission" from the country, accusing it of "imperialist infiltration" and collaboration with the CIA. Chávez's government also gave Amazonian indigenous peoples inalienable titles to 6,800 km² of lands after they launched "Mission Guaicaipuro".

According to the Venezuelan daily "Ultimas Noticias" (30/05/06), Chavez' next electoral campaign is projected to return up to ten million votes in the December presidential elections. The prospect of such a mandate in the hands of Chavez is naturally far from desirable to Washington D.C.

The current social turmoil, in the eyes of Chavez loyalists, has been orchestrated to discredit his government. Indeed the eyes of the world have been on Venezuala this week due to the 141th Extraordinary OPEC Conference,(June 1-3) These attempts to sabotage the OPEC meeting in Caracas and to create favorable conditions for US military or paramilitary intervention are viewed by Chavistas as being engineered by "the Bush military regime"

Two of the main topics discussed at the OPEC venue concerned Iran's program for nuclear energy and crucially the possible conversion to the euro as international currency for oil sales. As you may know, and despite increasing US pressure. Iran has been threatening to launch its euro-based oil bourse for some time now. A move which threatens the position of the "Petro-dollar" and could lead to major and potentially catastrophic re-adjustments in the US economy.

International relations in this area are incendiary to say the least and the timing of this unrest; with protests flaring up against the backdrop of an OPEC conference, recent Peruvian elections, Chavez' visit to Moscow and the launching of the Iranian oil bourse is suspicious to the say the least.

Many American commentators argue Venezuala is suffering the inevitable results of the "economic war" Chavez has been attempting to wage against the USA. Throughout his presidency conservative luminaries such as Newt Gingrich, John McCain and Pat Robertson have been advocating the sort of bellicose retaliation against Chavez's Venezuela we have now come to expect from Washington during this adminstration.

Chavez supporters believe the US are stepping up covert military operations in Latin America especially in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru. CIA destabilization is of course nothing new in this part of the world. Thanks to a flood of propaganda the dictatorial image of "Chavez the Tyrant" is already well cemented in the brains of all the "Friends of Venezuela."