... because of the international political scandal surrounding the Guatemalan army's human rights record, U.S. training of officers and troops can not be carried out "openly." So, he said, "help comes in the name of Strong Roads, of democracy, of human rights, of ecology and of anti-narcotics assistance."

While there was no direct military aid to Guatemala in 1994, economic aid reached $30 million and anti-narcotics aid was at least $40 million, according to U.S. government sources. The Clinton administration has also proposed the renewal of International Military Education Training for the Guatemalan army, but Congress denied the request.

Moreover, Guatemalan security forces continue to receive weapons and, according to human rights advocates in the country, training from one of the United States' closest military allies -- Israel.

An international expert on political-military relations in Guatemala City who asked to remain anonymous said Israel has "filled a market" for guns in Guatemala that the United States was not filling "for political reasons." He said Guatemala security forces get Israeli training and weapons under the rubric of "training for presidential security." According to statements from Interior Minister Carlos Enrique Reynoso Gil, published Feb. 13 in the Guatemalan daily Siglo 21, Guatemala was to receive a shipment of "extremely sophisticated" weapons in February from an Israeli merchant for the national police force.

Another report, published Feb. 11, announced the sale of Israeli semiautomatic weapons to Guatemalan civilians. NCR visited the company that claimed in a Yellow Pages advertisement to be the exclusive retailer of Israeli Uzi submachine guns. An Uzi, which can be purchased with a permit requiring a psychological exam, costs approximately $2,000, a company representative said. A Visa or Diners card may be used.

The gun shop was located approximately six blocks from the Guatemalan police academy, a few blocks from the residence of the Minister of Defense -- and across the street from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City.

....

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Murder%20and%20complicity%20in%20Guatemala;%20U.S.,%20Israel%20allegedly%20continue...-a016820202

Fanapt: the rise and fall of an antipsychotic


Fanapt is born

Cooked up in the labs of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Fanapt was intended as a replacement for Clozaril, a true blockbuster with, unfortunately, an expired patent. That meant Clozaril could be sold cheaply, generically, and Novartis could no longer command the high prices they had come to count on. Enter Fanapt.

Fanapt is dumped

During the development process, Novartis ran into problems. Whatever they found, it wasn’t good, because they basically tossed Fanapt into the garbage.

But another pharmaceutical company, Vanda, snatched it up and ran with it - all the way to the FDA.

Vanda goes to the FDA - and loses

In July 2008, the FDA issued a “not approvable” letter on the new drug. (In other words: no dice, Vanda.)


Vanda ignores the FDA - and wins

Vanda did none of those things. Instead, in November, they simply resubmitted the drug to the FDA, using leftover data from the original clinical trials.

It was such a jaw-dropping long shot that Vanda’s investors couldn’t get rid of stock fast enough. Stock prices fell below $1, and the company’s worth plummeted to less than cash on hand. At Vanda, there were layoffs and cutbacks, followed by a proxy fight trying to force Vanda to shut down, sell off its assets, and give any remaining money back to the shareholders.

Then, on May 6, 2009, stock analyst Adam Feuerstein observed something strange: “Hell froze over Wednesday night, right before a squadron of flying pigs took to the sky.”

For reasons only clear to the FDA, the new schizophrenia drug had been approved.

...

http://www.examiner.com/article/fanapt-the-rise-and-fall-of-an-antipsychotic

Fanapt may cause aggressive/violent behavior (frequent).

This drug may also cause the following symptoms that are related to aggressive/violent behavior:

Hyperactivity (uncommon)
Impulse control problems (uncommon)
Mania (uncommon)
Restlessness (uncommon)


Medical Source Information
Yellow highlights indicate symptoms related to aggressive/violent behavior.

Psychiatric side effects including restlessness, aggression, and delusion have been reported frequently. Hostility, decreased libido, paranoia, anorgasmia, confusional state, mania, catatonia, mood swings, panic attack, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, delirium, polydipsia psychogenic, impulse-control disorder, and major depression have been reported infrequently.

...

http://doublecheckmd.com/EffectsDetail.do?dname=Fanapt&sid=164543&eid=2127

Attackers descend on Tahrir Square, protesters wounded http://dlvr.it/2cjQXx

Some 10 protesters were injured in an armed attack in the early hours of Tuesday in Tahrir Square, where an open-ended sit-in has been staged since 23 November.

Unknown attackers fired birdshot at protesters in the square. Nine suffered injuries to their arms and legs, while one protester suffered from a head injury.

The attack caused a wave of chaos in the square, with protesters chanting "the people want the fall of the regime" in response, before calm eventually returned.

...

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/attackers-descend-tahrir-square-protesters-wounded?utm_source=dlvr.it&

Egypt president Morsi halts tax hikes, calls for dialogue
In a statement in the early hours of Monday, the Egyptian President suspends the implementation of tax increases announced Sunday afternoon
Ahram Online, Monday 10 Dec 2012

Egypt President Mohamed Morsi has retracted his Sunday decisions to increase tax burdens on the Egyptian people, and ordered the government to carry out a "social dialogue" on the measures before implementation.

In a statement issued on his official Facebook page at around 2 am on Monday, Morsi said he had put on hold the measures of raising sales taxes on a wide range of consumer goods and services that were made public Sunday afternoon.

“(The President) does not accept that the Egyptian citizen carries any extra burdens without consent. His Excellency has decided to halt the (tax raising) decisions until the degree of public acceptance is made clear,” the statement read.

The measures represent the implementation of an economic programme that Egypt has proposed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to be eligible for a $4.8 billion loan. They are aimed at reducing public deficit through increasing state revenue.

...

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60166.aspx

...

In a statement read on state television, a military spokesman warned Saturday of “disastrous consequences” if the crisis gripping Egypt was not resolved and he urged new dialogue as "the best and only way" to overcome the standoff. The military also pledged to protect state institutions, according to media reports.

“President Morsi will soon issue a decision for the participation of the armed forces in the duties of maintaining security and protection of vital state institutions until the constitution is approved and legislative elections are finished,” the state newspaper Al Ahram reported, suggesting that the martial law would last until at least February. Parliamentary elections are expected to be held two months after the constitutional referendum, which is scheduled for next Saturday.

The paper reported that the defense minister would determine the scope of the military’s role. Military officers would be authorized to act as police and “to use force to the extent necessary to perform their duty,” the newspaper said.

A need to rely on the military to secure a referendum to approve the new charter could undermine Mr. Morsi’s efforts to present the documents as an expression of national consensus that might resolve the crisis.

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/world/middleeast/egypt-protests.html?_r=1&