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This week on Uprising:

* Dissecting the US and NATO’s Exit Strategy from Afghanistan
* Black Agenda Report on NATO Protests in Chicago
* Quebec Student Strike Reaches 100th Day, As Impasse Continues
* California Mulls Homeowner’s Bill of Rights

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Dissecting the US and NATO’s Exit Strategy from Afghanistan

Thousands of activists in Chicago protested the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO Summit a week ago. Protests during the 2-day summit on Sunday and Monday were among the biggest Chicago has ever seen. Baton wielding police officers bloodied a number of protesters in a two hour standoff on Sunday. Activists reported that 60 people were arrested, with about a dozen people injured.

The summit drew representatives from all 28 NATO countries, and largely focused on crafting an exit strategy from the 11 year Afghanistan war. Discussions centered around reducing the current NATO troop count of 130,000 to a force of 15-20,000 by the end of 2014 after the leading combat role would be taken over by the Afghan National Army.

NATO countries were not in full agreement however about dates for troop withdrawal. France, which makes up the fifth largest contributor to NATO forces, has decided to pull out their troops by the end of this year in order to fulfill a campaign promise by their newly elected President Francois Hollande. And, in Australia, Green Party Leader Christine Milne has called for early withdrawal of Australian troops. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has given his approval for the withdrawal timetable, while President Barack Obama is urging Karzai to engage in secret talks with the Taliban about a political settlement.

Following the withdrawal of most troops in 2014, NATO leaders are planning on funding Afghanistan’s army training and infrastructure development until 2024 to the tune of $4.1 billion. The U.S. is expected to provide up to 50 to 75% of that money, even as a deep recession continues to plague the majority of Americans.

GUEST: Gareth Porter, investigative historian and journalist specialising in U.S. national security policy and the Afghanistan war. He writes for Interpress Service

Black Agenda Report on NATO Protests in Chicago

Glen Ford is a writer and radio commentator and the Executive Editor of the Black Agenda Report. This week’s commentary is on the NATO Protests in Chicago.

Visit www.blackagendareport.com for more information.

Quebec Student Strike Reaches 100th Day, As Impasse Continues

Student demonstrations in the Eastern Canadian city of Montreal marked their hundredth day this past Tuesday. A number of student associations have led what has been dubbed a student strike over proposed tuition hikes by the government of Quebec province. The hikes would amount to a 75% increase in existing fees over 5 years, and are being justified by the government as necessary to closing the province’s budget gap. What started in late March with a quarter of a million people taking to the streets of Montreal in what may be Canada’s largest ever protest, has now grown to encompass environmentalists, high school students, social justice activists, and more. Hundreds of thousands of students remain on strike mostly in the city of Montreal, but also at a smaller scale throughout the province of Quebec.

The government has already made a number of concessions including making millions of dollars in financial aid available to lower income students. However, there is still no agreement. After talks between elected officials and student leaders failed about a month ago, Education Minister Line Beauchamp resigned in a surprise move, followed by the rapid passage and implementation of a new law curbing rights of assembly. Protesters however, have ignored the new law, even as it faces court challenges. As the impasse continues, there is talk of new elections later this year.

GUEST: Kevin Dougherty, Quebec Bureau Chief of the Montreal Gazette

California Mulls Homeowner’s Bill of Rights

On May 15th a California foreclosure battle ended in tragedy when a 53-year-old Newbury park resident facing eviction from his home, shot and killed himself. Norman Rousseau committed suicide after a fight with Wells Fargo bank. He and his widow, Oriane, refinanced their home in 2006. Wells Fargo later acquired that loan. The Rousseaus paid every month until the bank failed to properly record a received cashier’s check, and a foreclosure process began. The Rousseaus proof of payment was not enough to stop the foreclosure and an avalanche of late fees, and they incurred further debt in legal fees trying to stop the eviction. Oriane told CBS news, “This is horrible. I lost my husband. I lose my pets, I lose my house, I lose my furniture, everything…for nothing.”

Despite a $25 billion settlement between the 49 State Attorneys general and 5 big banks accused of massive foreclosure fraud earlier this year, golden state homeowners continue to face confusing and likely illegal foreclosure processes.In fact, multiple reports show that foreclosures may actually rise in the state because a de facto moratorium of sorts had occurred while banks waited to see what the outcome of litigation and negotiation would be. In response to the epidemic of mishandled foreclosures and homeowners turned into the home-less, State Attorney general Kamala Harris and a handful of state assembly members have introduced a package of legislation they are calling The Homeowner’s Bill of Rights. Assembly Bill 1602, the National Mortgage Settlement Implementation Legislation, would stop many abuses evicted homeowners have faced, including the problem of being foreclosed on while a loan modification application is in process. Assemblyman Mike Davis, who represents the densely populated 48th district that includes mid and south LA, has introduced Assembly Bill 1950. AB 1950, the Enhancement of Attorney General Enforcement, would allow more time for prosecutors to pursue mortgage related crimes, and it would increase funding to prosecute the crimes.

GUEST: Assemblyman Mike Davis, representing California District 48

Sonali’s Subversive Thought for the Day:

“I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.” — Desmond Tutu