THE MONTHLY SEARCH FOR TRUTH IN NEWS

Signs of The Times News Round Up

August 2005

TERROR IN LONDON

Continued fallout and revelations from last month’s London bombings include Blair’s introduction of new strictures on the freedoms of British citizens (and proposals for even more), a rise in general anti-Muslim sentiment, and suggestions of coverup regarding both the bombings and the murder of Jean Charles de Menezes by police. 

Finger points to British intelligence as al-Qaeda websites are wiped out
Over the past fortnight Israeli intelligence agents have noticed something distinctly odd happening on the internet. One by one, Al-Qaeda's affiliated websites have vanished until only a handful remain, write Uzi Mahnaimi and Alex Pell. Someone has cut the line of communication between the spiritual leaders of international terrorism and their supporters. Since 9/11 the websites have been the main links to disseminate propaganda and information. The Israelis detect the hand of British intelligence, determined to torpedo the websites after the London attacks of July 7. The web has become the new battleground of terrorism, permitting a freedom of communication denied to such organisations as the IRA a couple of decades ago.

London faces lockdown to thwart third terror strike
THOUSANDS of police marksmen will be on London's streets and rooftops again today after warnings that another team of suicide bombers is plotting a third attack on the capital.

Blair and ministers go on holiday despite terror crisis

Hate crimes soar after bombings

Muslims who hate us can get out, says Tory
"Gerald Howarth, the shadow defence minister, last night told The Scotsman that extremist Muslims who see the Iraq war as a conflict against Islam should be considered as treacherous as Soviet sympathisers during the Cold War."

PM reveals foreign extremist plan

“Tony Blair is outlining plans to extend powers to deport or exclude foreigners who encourage terrorism. The UK can already exclude or deport those who pose a threat to security.”

Point-by-point: The Prime Minister's anti-terror proposals

“These are the proposed points of Government action listed by Prime Minister Tony Blair during today's news conference:…”

All hail the 'excuse makers'!

“The London bomb attacks emphasized the huge disconnect between the views of the average person and the views of the Anglo-American-Zionist extremists, exemplified in the person of Tony Blair, whose denials of the obvious connections between terrorism and actions of the British state have made him appear to be insane.”

We warned London of the threat of attack: France

“A confidential report by France 's intelligence service that was finalised days before the 7 July London bombings pointed to the threat of an Al-Qaeda attack on Britain …”

Was He Taken Out?

“Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, who quit government over the Iraq war … died on Saturday evening…  Robin Cook had quit as Commons leader in March 2003, in protest over the war in Iraq . He had been one of the most outspoken and prominent critics of Blair's stance on Iraq.”

Post mortem tests over Cook death

Straight-shootin' George Galloway

"I am utterly against the punishing of innocent people for the crimes of the guilty, whether it is done on the underground of London or the streets of Falluja by George Bush's air force…  Blair has decided that he has the right to unilaterally make law from his perch at 10 Downing St. without the consent of Parliament. The fatuous PM now claims the power to close down mosques, deport, clerics and shut down web sites where the views don't meet the dubious standards of the state. Additionally, Israeli trained police-units have been deployed on London 's streets with orders to "shoot to kill" terror suspects (or fleeing Brazilians) if there is a perceived risk to public safety."

Britain signals new anti-terrorism law drive

“Britain said on Friday as part of an anti-terrorism drive it may reform laws to force judges to give equal weight to national security as well as human rights…  Lawyer Gareth Peirce, who represents seven of those held, said Blair's plans were ‘insane and dangerous government at its worst.’”

Leak disputes Menezes death story

The “accidental”shooting death by police of a Brazilian commuter in London .  “The papers, from the probe into Jean Charles de Menezes' death, and leaked to ITV, suggest he was restrained before being shot eight times.”

Brazil team to probe Tube death

Brazil "outraged" at new info on wrongly killed man

“If the original story we were spun had had some truth in it, then it could have been argued the police might have had some excuse for shooting Jean Charles…”

The events at Stockwell tube station

Police shot for more than 30 seconds at Brazilian in London subway: witness

“…Seven shots hit De Menezes in the head…”

Police and Tube firm at odds over CCTV footage of innocent Brazilian's shooting

“None of the cameras at the scene of the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station on 22 July were working, a police document revealed…  However in a statement to The Mail on Sunday, Tube Lines said: "We are not aware of any faults on CCTV cameras at that station on that day…”  I’m reminded of footage I’ve seen of police brutally beating suspects with excessive force while one or more other officers attempts to obscure the view of the camera.  “Clare Short, the former Cabinet Minister, said it was now clear that the public had been misled over the death of Mr de Menezes. She told ITV News: ‘We've been lied to. This should be bigger than just calling for Sir Ian Blair to go. We need to find out exactly what happened. Who was telling the lies?’  …  If the cameras had failed, why did the station log book contain no details of the fault?”

US warns of new attacks on London

U.S. Training to Stop London-Style Attack

"It's not 'if' it's going to happen," he says. "It's 'when' it's going to happen."

Britain Rejected Russian Aid in London Terrorist Attack Investigations — FSB Head

Wouldn’t actually want to find out the truth, now would we? 

No terror mastermind behind London bombers - report

UK Becomes First International Customer For LockMart's Guided MLRS Rockets

UK unveils grounds for banning hate preachers

”The list of activities deemed unacceptable, which covers non-UK citizens in Britain or abroad, includes expressing opinions which "foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence" or seeking to provoke others to commit terrorist acts.” 

HURRICANE KATRINA 

This month, the first part of the Hurrican Katrina saga played out as the storm hit the U.S. coast of the northern Gulf of Mexico, wreaking havoc on New Orleans. 

Tropical Storm Katrina Moves Toward Fla.

Hurricane Katrina hits South Florida

Four Dead As Katrina Plows Through Florida

Katrina's floodwaters inundating Gulf Coast

“ New Orleans pumps fail; Mississippi coast like 'hell on earth'”

Hurricane Could Leave 1 Million Homeless

The Geopolitics of Katrina

“The Port of Southern Louisiana is the fifth-largest port in the world in terms of tonnage, and the largest port in the United States . The only global ports larger are Singapore , Rotterdam , Shanghai and Hong Kong …  If the damage to the river and port facilities could not be repaired within 30 days when the U.S. harvests are at their peak, the effect on global agricultural prices could be substantial…  About 2 percent of world crude production and roughly 25 percent of U.S.-produced crude comes from the Gulf of Mexico and already is affected by Katrina.”

Katrina kills at least 55 in Mississippi

“ New Orleans levee breaks; 80 percent of city flooded…”

Mayor blasts failure to patch levee breaches

Looters Take To Streets; Conditions Deteriorate

Prisoners Riot, Take Hostages in New Orleans

IRAQ AND THE PHONY WAR ON TERROR

If you’ve never heard that the current wars were planned, years before they began, by the U.S. administration for purely political, self-serving reasons, please read the document, signed by many in the current government, “Project For A New American Century (PNAC) – Rebuilding America’s Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century, September 2000.”  Meanwhile, the media won’t cover attempts to find out the truth about Americans were led to these war by deception, downplays the hell that Iraq has been descending into, takes the military’s word for everything without investigation, doesn’t investigate the true number of Americans dead/wounded/AWOL, doesn’t mention or count the staggering number of Iraqi dead, doesn’t reveal the extent or the make-up of the resistance to the occupation,  

Why, oh why, did it come to this?

”…the dismissed Army General, the planned Terror Drill, Bush's plummeting approval ratings and the administration's overall lack of interest in even the most basic public policy initiatives… Some event of great proportions is about to transpire. Though inductively, my argument may be weak, we've all seen the same patterns. Perhaps it was an unintended conditioning effect but I'd like to believe it lies closer to intuition…  It sounds easy enough to piece together. Yet another "false-flag" attack to trick the nation into another war… given the current administration's lack of support for the floundering war in Iraq, how else would they be able to connive the American people into yet another costly, deadly, and devestating war?” 

The gates of hell

“The headline of this article is not a title of a science fiction film. It truthfully translates what is currently taking place in Iraq .”

Secrets of the morgue - Baghdad's body count

“July was the bloodiest month in Baghdad's modern history - in all, 1,100 bodies were brought to the city's mortuary; executed for the most part, eviscerated, stabbed, bludgeoned, tortured to death. The figure is secret.  We are not supposed to know that the Iraqi capital's death toll last month was only 700 short of the total American fatalities in Iraq since April of 2003. Of the dead, 963 were men - many with their hands bound, their eyes taped and bullets in their heads - and 137 women. The statistics are as shameful as they are horrifying. For these are the men and women we supposedly came to "liberate" - and about whose fate we do not care…  No Western official, no Iraqi government minister, no civil servant, no press release from the authorities, no newspaper, mentioned this terrible statistic. The dead of Iraq - as they have from the beginning of our illegal invasion - were simply written out of the script. Officially they do not exist…  While Saddam's regime visited death by official execution upon its opponents, the scale of anarchy now existing in Baghdad, Mosul, Basra and other cities is unprecedented.” 

Iraqi Doctors Warn Of Humanitarian Crisis

“Doctors for Iraqi is calling for an independent investigation into the serious breaches of the Geneva Convention, the alleged killing of civilians and obstructing medical personal…  The military operations in the West of Iraq have left the healthcare system paralysed. Hospitals in the area are unable to provide sufficient medical services for the population. The new military attacks are further compounding the suffering of people in the area….”

Hundreds killed in Iraq stampede

"Some 637 deaths have been accounted for and 238 wounded according to information obtained from five hospitals," a security official told AFP, while a hospital official said 20 people had died of poisoning.  The stampede occurred shortly after the Kadhimiya shrine had come under mortar fire, which left at least seven people dead and dozens wounded…”

Coup in Baghdad

“The rule of law is no longer operating in Iraq , and no pretence of constitutional procedure is being striven for. In essence, the prime minister and president have made a sort of coup, simply disregarding the interim constitution. Given the acquiescence of parliament and the absence of a supreme court (which should have been appointed by now but was not, also unconstitutionally), there is no check or balance that could question the writ of the executive…”

Another Embarrassment for Bush

“No amount of crowing over a fig leaf Iraqi constitution by President Bush can hide the fact that the region's autocrats, theocrats and terrorists are stronger than ever. Who lost Iraq ?”

President Makes It Clear: Phrase Is 'War on Terror'
"President Bush publicly overruled some of his top advisers on Wednesday in a debate about what to call the conflict with Islamic extremists, saying, "Make no mistake about it, we are at war." In a speech here, Mr. Bush used the phrase "war on terror" no less than five times. Not once did he refer to the "global struggle against violent extremism," the wording consciously adopted by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and others..."

Bush renews vow to fight terror

"An immediate withdrawal of our troops in Iraq or the broader Middle East, as some have called for, would only embolden the terrorists and create a staging ground to launch more attacks against America and free nations…"  Since when did terrorists get a whole country? 

USA TODAY Poll: 57% Say War Has Made USA More Vulnerable to Terrorism

“American attitudes toward the war in Iraq continue to sour in the wake of last week's surge in U.S. troop deaths…”

Elusive sniper saps US morale in Baghdad

“Commanders weigh their options as ' Juba ' notches up more kills…”

A View Of Iraq From A Soldier

“George Bush and his political advisors have been successful in presenting a false image to the American people that Saddam Hussein was an "imminent" threat to the security of the United States …  Donald Rumsfeld said, ‘We know where the weapons are.’  After 9/11, comments like this proved to be a successful scare tactic to use on the American People to rally support for the invasion…  I participated in the invasion, stayed in Iraq for a year afterward, and what I witnessed was the total opposite of what President Bush and his Administration stated to the American People…  the bulk of the insurgency I faced was primarily the people of Iraq who were attacking us as a reaction to what they felt was an occupation of their country…  As a soldier who fought in that war, I feel misled. I feel that I was sent off to fight for a cause that never existed.”

 Back From Iraq, Colorado Soldier Kills Himself, Wife

“He was at least the second Fort Carson-based soldier to commit suicide shortly after serving in Iraq .”

U.S. Marine opens fire outside Mass. nightclub

“A decorated U.S. Marine, who had been treated for post-war stress since serving in Iraq , opened fire outside a Massachusetts nightclub, wounding two people, Boston media reported on Monday.”

Talking Wounded

“Terry Rodgers Came Back From Iraq a Changed Man, and Not Just Because of the Bomb…  One day a nurse came in to ask Rodgers if he wanted to meet President Bush, who was visiting the hospital.  Rodgers declined.  "I don't want anything to do with him," he explains. "My belief is that his ego is getting people killed and mutilated for no reason -- just his ego and his reputation. If we really wanted to, we could pull out of Iraq. Maybe not completely but enough that we wouldn't be losing people -- at least not at this rate. So I think he himself is responsible for quite a few American deaths."

Over 8,000 US Dead in Iraq?

“Actual death toll of US Military in Iraq is in excess of 8,000, "far more realistic than the government's current official number of 1,800-plus," according to 'Deep Throat' data researcher Brian Harring….  ‘Bush has never attended any kind of a memorial service for his dead soldiers,’ states Harring. ‘He never will because he is terrified some parent might curse him in front of the press, or, worse, attack him.’”

5,000 US Troops Have Gone AWOL
Getting Out of Iraq ... One Way or Another

Casualties in Iraq hit Bush's standing

“The survey by Newsweek magazine indicated only 34 percent of Americans approved of the way Bush was handling the situation in Iraq while 61 percent expressed their disapproval.  The findings, made public Saturday, represented the president's lowest rating on Iraq ever…”

Senior US officials unsure about planned pullout from Iraq

“When asked about when Iraqi forces can take the lead in fighting militants, Myers replied, ‘nobody knows.’ … it is highly likely for the US military to temporarily raise the troop levels in Iraq …”

Pentagon Plans to Send More Troops to Iraq

Italy starts withdrawal from Iraq ahead of schedule

State Dept. Warned of Poor Iraq Planning

“In a memorandum dated Feb. 7, 2003 - one month before the beginning of the Iraq war - State Department officials also wrote that ‘a failure to address short-term public security and humanitarian assistance concerns could result in serious human rights abuses which would undermine an otherwise successful military campaign, and our reputation internationally.’”

Cindy, Don, and George

Retired four-star Army General Barry McCaffrey to Time Magazine: ‘The Army's wheels are going to come off in the next 24 months. We are now in a period of considerable strategic peril. It's because Rumsfeld has dug in his heels and said, I cannot retreat from my position.’”

700 more US troops head for Iraq to guard prisons

“Responding to the need to manage a rising number of detainees in Iraq , the Pentagon announced Wednesday that it will send an additional 700 troops to that country… ‘The basic fact driving this deployment is the steady rise of the prison population,’ he said.  The number of prisoners held in US military detention centers in Iraq has more than doubled since the autumn, climbing from 5,400 in September to more than 10,800 now, according to the latest Pentagon figures.”

Army Whistleblower Draws Fire

“She has asked many questions: Why is Halliburton - a giant Texas firm that holds more than 50 percent of all rebuilding efforts in Iraq - getting billions in contracts without competitive bidding? Do the durations of those contracts make sense? Have there been violations of federal laws regulating how the government can spend its money? … Now Bunny Greenhouse may lose her job - and her reputation, which she spent a lifetime building...  ‘They want me out,’ Greenhouse said.”

An Honor To Stand Up Against War

“The criminals in charge don't give a damn about democracy. They want CONTROL. Just like they did in Vietnam …  You'll remember that ‘support the troops’ was code for ‘support the war’, then as now, though the preferred hawk bumper sticker was ‘ America , Love It, or Leave It’.”

Bush vows to fight on in Iraq, rejects pullout date

US rejects Putin's Iraq timetable call

New US black operations unit said to have arrived in Baghdad
"Quds Press reported that it had learned from "exclusive sources" that a special American detachment had arrived in the country about a week ago with the task of carrying out "dirty operations" that could be blamed on the Iraqi Resistance in an effort to try to erode mass support for the independence movement. The sources said that the American unit, dubbed "gnawing rats," was to carry out assassinations, sabotage of government installations and random bombings, all of which could be blamed on the Iraqi Resistance."

Inconsistencies in the War on Terror Why Extradict Hamdi Isaac and Not Posada Carriles?

Fising the War on Terror
"Once upon a time, a dangerous radical gained control of the US Republican Party... The American Right, having created the Mujahideen and having mightily contributed to the creation of al-Qaeda, abruptly announced that there was something deeply wrong with Islam, that it kept producing terrorists."

The Iraqi Constitution and the Sunni Arabs

"The Iraqi constitution: DOA?" Angry and marginalized, Sunnis are threatening to torpedo Iraq 's constitution. Disaster looms, and the Bush administration's blunders are largely to blame.  See also Phillip Robertson's touching article in Salon on the death of culture in Baghdad in the conditions of guerrilla war. And Joe Conason's "Iraq's Unhealthy Constitution, also at Salon.”

Iraq on brink of meltdown

Will the U.S. ever leave Iraq? Russian Authorities Fabricate Terrorism Cases Against Muslims - Rights Group
"Leading Russian rights activists have accused authorities of fabricating criminal cases and falsely prosecuting people on Islamic-extremism charges in an attempt to show successes in fighting terrorism, the Associated Press news agency reports."

Vacationing Bush Poised to Set a Record -- This is a "War President," eh?
"With Long Sojourn at Ranch, President on His Way to Surpassing Reagan's Total..."

World police chiefs: Shoot suicide bombers in the head
"An international organization representing the heads of police departments across the world has issued new guidelines recommending that officers who confront a suicide bomber should shoot the suspect in the head, the Washington Post reported."

Mossad agents Killing Oz Tourists to Steal their Identity to use in fake al-Qaeda Operations

“The Israeli Mossad agent Zev Barkan has been running Asian criminal gangs used to obtain Australian Identity documents and other passports stolen from Australians Killed in Asia, a New Zealand security official has said…  A New Zealand security official says his services have uncovered an Israeli operation to create al-Qaeda cells in Thailand . The security official in Thailand said Israeli terrorist are posing as operatives of al-Qaeda.”

General warns of long mission in Afghanistan

“’Every time you kill an angry young man overseas, you're creating 15 more who will come after you,’ he said.”

Do Freedom of Information Act Files Prove FDR Had Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor?

”When Thomas Dewey was running for president against Roosevelt in 1944 he found out about America’s ability to intercept Japan’s radio messages, and thought this knowledge would enable him to defeat the popular FDR. In the fall of that year, Dewey planned a series of speeches charging FDR with foreknowledge of the attack. Ultimately, General George Marshall, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, persuaded Dewey not to make the speeches. Japan ’s naval leaders did not realize America had cracked their codes, and Dewey’s speeches could have sacrificed America ’s code-breaking advantage…  meticulous research led Stinnet to a firmly held conclusion: FDR knew.”

PEARL HARBOR:  Official Lies in an American War Tragedy?

What we need to know about Pearl Harbor and why

Review of: DAY OF DECEIT: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor

US prisoners claim Roosevelt left them in Philippines deliberately

30-Year Anniversary: Tonkin Gulf Lie Launched Vietnam War

“Thirty years ago, it all seemed very clear.  ‘American Planes Hit North Vietnam After Second Attack on Our Destroyers; Move Taken to Halt New Aggression’, announced a Washington Post headline on Aug. 5, 1964.  That same day, the front page of the New York Times reported: ‘President Johnson has ordered retaliatory action against gunboats and 'certain supporting facilities in North Vietnam ' after renewed attacks against American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin .’  But there was no ‘second attack’ by North Vietnam -- no ‘renewed attacks against American destroyers.’ By reporting official claims as absolute truths, American journalism opened the floodgates for the bloody Vietnam War…  The truth was very different…  We Americans are the ultimate innocents. We are forever desperate to believe that this time the government is telling us the truth.”

The Bombing of the USS Maine

“The Spanish-American War was a watershed event. It was the first eruption of militarism on the part of the United States , which until that time had rested content with consolidating its internal position, and marked the emergence of America as a world power…  Was the explosion on the Maine a deliberate provocation by US militarists or their agents to foment war with Spain ?”

US expats in Paris hold anti-war vigil

Cheney's 'Spoon-Benders' Pushing Nuclear Armageddon

This article will be extremely valuable to you if you are unaware of the extent of the military’s psychological operations and their vast range or research projects into anything that might be weaponized, including sound, light, and other energies.

“The paper was titled ‘From PSYOP to MindWar: The Psychology of Victory,’ and it presented a Nietzschean scheme for waging perpetual psychological warfare against friend and enemy populations alike, and even against the American people…  the subsequent paper co-authored by Vallely went way beyond ESP and the other paranormal techniques advocated by Alexander: "Strategic MindWar must begin the moment war is considered to be inevitable," the document stated. "It must seek out the attention of the enemy nation through every available medium, and it must strike at the nation's potential soldiers before they put on their uniforms. It is in their homes and their communities that they are most vulnerable to MindWar....  ‘To this end,’ Vallely and co-author continued, ‘MindWar must be strategic in emphasis, with tactical applications playing a reinforcing, supplementary role. In its strategic context, MindWar must reach out to friends, enemies, and neutrals alike across the globe… MindWar must target all participants to be effective. It must not only weaken the enemy; it must strengthen the United States . It strengthens the United States by denying enemy propaganda access to our people, and by explaining and emphasizing to our people the rationale for our national interest in a specific war.’ …  President Dick Cheney's push for military confrontation with Iran —one that could see the United States carry out the first pre-emptive nuclear attack in history….”

'Le Sheriff' predicts al-Qaeda attack in Asia

“Al-Qaeda is preparing an attack on a big financial centre in Asia, such as Tokyo , Singapore or Sydney , to undermine investor confidence in the region, France 's top terrorist investigator says.”

Al-Qaida will retreat to Africa, says general

“Gen Lute predicted that Zarqawi would take the ‘path of least resistance’ and leave for such countries as Sudan , Ethiopia and Somalia … Gen Lute said 90% of what he called the "enemy" in Iraq was domestic. There was only a ‘slither’ of foreign fighters ‘sponsored from outside’…  he refused to be drawn on a timetable for a reduction in US forces - now about 138,000 - in Iraq.”

How US fuelled myth of Zarqawi the mastermind

US wants to renegotiate draft UN reform agreement: report

“…the US government proposes to eliminate new pledges on foreign aid to poor nations, scrap provisions calling for action to halt climate change and urging greater progress by nuclear powers in dismantling their nuclear arms.  The US proposals also call for tougher action against terrorism, promoting human rights and democracy and halting the spread of the world's deadliest weapons…  The US administration also opposes language that urges the five permanent members of the UN Security Council not to cast vetoes on resolutions to halt genocide, war crimes or ethnic cleansing, the daily added.”

Islamic radical

“A couple is being protected by police after their home was wrongly identified on Fox News as belonging to an Islamic radical.  After the report aired on Aug.7, people have shouted profanities at Randy and Ronnell Vorick, taken photos of their house, and spray-painted "terrorist" (misspelling it "terrist") on their property.”  Does Fox News still think there are WMD in Iraq or that Saddam planned 9/11, too?

CINDY SHEEHAN PROTEST

In what was termed a “news vacuum,” attention turned to grieving mother Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in Iraq.  She camped out near President Bush’s vacation home in Crawford TX demanding an audience with the Commander-in-Chief, who snubbed her while media pundits launched a cruel smear campaign against her.

Bush plans 50th ranch trip in five years... McClellan said Bush also will be preparing for a busy September, when he plans to deliver major addresses on the war on terror and push the Senate to confirm Roberts.

Mom Protesting Iraq War Meets Bush Aides

"They were very respectful. They were nice men. I told them Iraq was not a threat to the United States and that now people are dead for nothing. I told them I wouldn't leave until I talked to George Bush…  I want to ask the president, 'Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?’"

Cindy Sheehan to Be Arrested Thursday

“Cindy Sheehan phoned me from Texas a few minutes ago to say that she's been informed that beginning Thursday, she and her companions will be considered a threat to national security and will be arrested.”

Authorities Getting Ready To Throw Anti-War Protestors From Bush Ranch For Trespassing

“I am tired of all the lies while young men continue to die. I want him to finally admit that my son, Casey, didn’t die for a noble cause, but died in order that President Bush’s friends could get rich and line their greedy pockets with oil money.”

A Mother's Texas Vigil

”Even as other members of military families, activists and ordinary citizens rally to her cause, the right-wing attack machine has already kicked into gear, questioning her motives and distorting her statements.”

Hypocrites and Liars

“…we have a couple of anti-peace people on the other side of the road holding up signs that remind me that "Freedom isn't Free" but I don't see them putting their money where their mouths are. I don't think they are willing to pay even a small down payment for freedom by sacrificing their own blood or the flesh of their children. I still challenge them to go to Iraq and let another soldier come home. Perhaps a soldier that is on his/her third tour of duty, or one that has been stop-lossed after serving his/her country nobly and selflessly, only to be held hostage in Iraq by power mad hypocrites who have a long history of avoiding putting their own skin in the game…  Now they have to twist, distort, lie, and scrutinize anything I have ever said when they never scrutinize anything that George Bush said or is saying…  Why are our nation's children still in harm's way and dying everyday when we all know you lied? Why do you continually say we have to ‘complete the mission’ when you know damn well you have no idea what that mission is and you can change it at will like you change your cowboy shirts?” 

An Open Letter to Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, Texas

“May You Prevail, Where Others Have Failed…  This rogue regime, led by two draft-dodgers and officially counseled by similar pro-war evaders during the Vietnam War, is not ‘our country.’”

BUSH PROTESTING MOM CALLS FOR 'ISRAEL OUT OF PALESTINE'; VOWS NOT TO PAY TAXES

“"You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism," Sheehan declares…  ‘And now I'm going to use another 'I' word - impeachment - because we cannot have these people pardoned. They need to be tried on war crimes and go to jail.’”

CINDY UNLEASHED: 'THE BIGGEST TERRORIST IN THE WORLD IS GEORGE W. BUSH'

US right targets anti-war mother

“Pro-war commentators characterised her as a "nut" who was being manipulated by the left.”

The Savaging of Cindy Sheehan

“The shameless savaging of Cindy Sheehan continues.  Bill O’Reilly says she’s a tool of ‘far left elements.’”

Hitchens Slimes Cindy Sheehan

McCarthyism Watch

“The invective toward Cindy Sheehan seems to know no bounds. Phil Hendrie’s ‘ignorant cow’ line drew some criticism at the posting site, but it also attracted the following remarks:  ‘In a more civil society, we’d toss her ass in jail for giving aid and comfort to the enemy.’”

It Takes a Village to Smear Cindy Sheehan

“The right wing attacks on Cindy Sheehan -- desperate, pathetic, and grasping at straws -- expose much less about their target than about the attackers…  How much longer can the Bushies get away with mauling the very values they profess to stand for before their supporters start getting wise to the fact that the only value they really value is power?”

Bush will `go on with life' -- Defends refusal to meet protester

Anti-War Mom Opposition Mounting

Karl Rove's War Against Cindy Sheehan

A good read for more on ex-Enron executive Rove’s smear campaigns and other underhanded political tactics.  “To slander opponents so their political positions are discredited -- Karl Rove's doctrine has been immensely effective in defeating Bush's challengers; will it now be effective in defeating grieving mother Cindy Sheehan? …  George Bush and Karl Rove are not just back-stabbers -- they make Richard Nixon look like an angel. Rove and Bush are unique. Their vulgarity is wrenching, their lies are outrageous, their maliciousness is extreme, and their morality is nonexistent.”

Why Are the Media Having Such a Hard Time Covering Cindy Sheehan?

“Paula Zahn referred to her as ‘this woman.’ Edmund Morris alluded to her in the New York Times as an ‘emotional predator.’ And Dana Milbank wanted to ‘determine, once and for all, whether Cindy Sheehan is Rosa Parks or Lyndon Larouche.’”

My Response to George by Cindy Sheehan

“…President Bush charged Tuesday that anti-war protesters like Cindy Sheehan who want troops brought home immediately do not represent the views of most U.S. military families and are "advocating a policy that would weaken the United States."  Bringing our troops home from the quagmire that he has gotten us into will be weakening the United States ? George: Even if you pretend you didn't know that Saddam did not have weapons of mass destruction and Iraq was not a threat to the USA before you invaded -- Americans know differently. We have read the reports and the Downing Street Memos. We know you had to "fit the intelligence around the policy" of invading Iraq . I want to know what your real reasons were….”

Parents of Fallen Marine Make Plea to Bush

“The soldier's father said his son and other Marines were being misused as a stabilizing force in Iraq .”

Parents of war victims to keep pressure on Bush

”A majority of the Americans, however, doubt the country will win the war in Iraq , according to a July 27 USA Today/CNN/ Gallup Poll.  It was also the first poll that showed more than half of Americans - 51 per cent - believed the Bush administration was deliberately misleading the public when it asserted that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction…  ‘This is Vietnam No. 2. As we are seeing in the polls, the American people are beginning to realize this war was created on lies, deceit and deception,’ Niederer said.”

BUSH UNBALANCED AS POLLS PLUMMET

”Bush speaking to the VFW gathering is like an Orthodox rabbi offering advice on pork recipes to a cooking class. Joyfully, not all the delegates were buying his fantasies. One of them, 73-year-old Bill Moyer, wore cardboard covers over his ears labeled ‘bullshit protectors.’ … The president's pattern of blame and denial and his rattled response to the criticism of his disastrous war are manifestations of his addiction-damaged and dangerous personality, according to psychiatrist Dr. Justin Frank…”

Bush's approval rating falls to new low

“Dissatisfaction is not limited to the president. Fewer than four in 10 Americans -- 37 percent -- approve of the way the Republican-controlled Congress is doing its job, the lowest rating for lawmakers in nearly eight years.“

A War of Words

“As his poll figures continue on a downward spiral, he has found it necessary to put extra effort into "catapulting the propaganda." Though he struck a new note or two in each speech, these were exceedingly familiar, crush-the-terrorists, stay-the-course, path-to-victory speeches. That's hardly surprising, since his advisors and speechwriters have been wizards of repetition.”

Anti-Iraq war parents to take protests across nation

"We are going to be continuously on Mr. Bush and make him understand we are not going away. We are very, very steadfast in what we doing…"

Bush spotlights military mom in response to anti-war protestors

“’There are few things in life more difficult than seeing a loved one go off to war. Here, in Idaho , a mom named Tammy Pruett ... knows that feeling six times over,’ the president said in a speech to citizen soldiers here.”  Clearly, he doesn’t know that feeling at all.  Also clear is that he will meet with military families who support the war, but not with those that oppose it.  ”As fresh violence raged across Iraq Wednesday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered 1,500 more US troops to the country to beef up security for the planned elections.”

Are the Bush Twins AWOL?

“The President of the United States is calling on American young people to volunteer to go to war, but his own daughters, who are certainly of the appropriate age, are better known for their drunken nightclub escapades than for any acts of patriotism…  ‘President Bush, if your own two daughters won't enlist, how can you expect anyone else's children to join the military?’"

Bush Supporters, Anti-War Activists Clash

“Some caravan members called the anti-war protesters communists and said they were ‘aiding and abetting the enemy.’”

American Legion Declares War on Protestors -- Media Next?

“The American Legion, which has 2.7 million members, has declared war on antiwar protestors, and the media could be next. Speaking at its national convention in Honolulu, the group's national commander called for an end to all ‘public protests’ and ‘media events’ against the war, even though they are protected by the Bill of Rights.  ‘We had hoped that the lessons learned from the Vietnam War would be clear to our fellow citizens. Public protests against the war here at home while our young men and women are in harm's way on the other side of the globe only provide aid and comfort to our enemies.’”

Anti-War Protesters Hateful and Ignorant

“If there is one thing I have come to know through all of my years working in politics. it is that liberals will always accuse their opposition of precisely the actions they are undertaking.”  I find the assertions of this writer to be remarkable.  Psychopaths commonly accuse others of the very crimes they commit themselves (though he attributes this trait to “liberals”).  Let’s see.  Hateful?  Could murdering people you don’t know in a foreign country be considered hateful?  Ignorant?  Could not knowing that embarking on an unprovoked murder spree would be condemned by the world be considered ignorant? 

'Arizona Daily Star' Drops Ann Coulter's 'Shrill' Column

“’Many readers find her shrill, bombastic, and mean-spirited. And those are the words used by readers who identified themselves as conservatives,’ the recently appointed Stoeffler wrote.”

CREEPING TOTALITARIANISM

Do you know how the brutal, hateful, criminal regime of the Nazis came to power in a modern, “enlightened” society in the 20^th century?  Those of you who say it couldn’t happen again, do you know how it happened in the first place?  The Nazis gained power by presenting themselves as defenders of conservative social, moral, fiscal, and even Christian religious values, decency, democracy, constitutional law, and civic order.  They championed patriotism, glorified military service, and denounced “liberalism.”  They wedded corporate power with government power to work toward common goals.  Does any of this sound familiar yet?  The Nazis were also highly secretive, and the leadership planned and carried out massive, murderous crimes behind a smokescreen of propaganda and counterintelligence against the German people and the world at large.  They harbored insane fantasies of world domination and promoted the cruelest and most ruthless ideologues to positions of power.  Behind a ceaseless torrent of propaganda via a controlled press, they grew their power until they could legally silence or eliminate opposition groups and individuals. By the time they’d become overstretched and bogged down in hopeless wars, the people already knew not to dare to stand up against their leadership, for fear of imprisonment and/or death.  The buzzwords of the regime:  social values, moral values, decency, democracy, law, order, patriotism.  Is it happening again? 

What if... the Nazis had won

“John Keegan points out in his 1999 essay "How Hitler could have won the war", the Nazis could easily have chosen to conquer the Middle East 's oilfields instead. Even if this had not been entirely successful, Hitler would have probably ended up controlling enough of Europe 's energy supplies to force a stalemate…”

A Summer of Double Super Secrecy: Fingerprints of Power
"...the "Secret Group of Al-Qaeda in Europe" (the "organization" that originally claimed responsibility for the London bombings). The name speaks volumes. Why call it the "secret" group - is it opposed to the "public" group? If it were more in tune with the times, it whould be called the Super-Secret Group. The moniker sounds like an unintended effect of Western cultural imperialism; namely, too many comic book-inspired movies...  Oh, Bush Administration, you want to consistently lie to us humble journalists in order to start a war? Well we just might have to write an indignant all-too-late op-ed piece and then come back for some more abuse!...  Rove's fate is a watershed symptom, not the least for what it says about totalitarianism's immune system. If he stays on, his power grows stronger after a failed attack. Like the staged assassination attempts of ancient regimes, it will further numb popular will, at least when it comes to electoral politics. If Rove is fired, he would likely stick around, withdrawing even further into "double supersecret background" where he could secrete influence from the protective cover of shadows."

Cosmic COINTELPRO Timeline

CoIntelPro is a counter-intelligence program – one that stops the spread of knowledge of the truth, usually by means of disinformation and a host of other tactics.  

The Neo-Shill Media -- When Armageddon Gets No Press
"What has become of the print and TV media watchdogs who hounded President Nixon from office because he lied about when he learned of a minor burglary of no consequence in itself? What became of the watchdog media that bayed after President Reagan because some low level neoconservative officials sold arms to Iran and diverted the money to anti-communist insurgents in Latin America ? President Clinton was impeached by the House, though not convicted by the Senate, for lying about a sexcapade with a White House intern. Now that we really need them, the watchdog media has hired out as public relations and propaganda shills for the Bush administration and the neocon network. The entire Bush administration-not merely the president-is involved in the most extraordinary lies and fabrication of false intelligence claims in order to lead America into an unwarranted and illegal invasion of Iraq, an invasion that has cost the US taxpayers $300 billion and resulted in the deaths and maiming of tens of thousands of people."

Outspoken journalist abducted, killed in Iraq
"Freelance journalist Steven Vincent went to Iraq because he believed in the U.S. effort there, but he wasn't afraid to write critically about the war and its messy aftermath. That combination of passion and dedication may have cost Vincent his life."

Ohio In The Dark

“The Free America Project is a series of planned media releases, first CD's, then videos and radio show features, centering around the current Christo-Fascist takeover of the federal government of the United States of America .  The corporate-owned media have failed this nation. Local and network TV and radio newscasts, as well as local and national newspapers, have not only failed to report any information about this, but have acted as White House press department, have openly covered up and misconstrued incriminating stories and facts and even invented disinformation to keep Ohio and America in the dark. For this reason we must get the information out there ourselves. We must ‘be the media’.”

Are We There Yet? -- Fascism in America

“Is America going fascist? Or has the cursed event already happened? It depends on your definition of fascism. What usually occurs in a fascist scenario? …”

Foundations are in place for martial law in the US (from 2002)

”Recent pronouncements from the Bush Administration and national security initiatives put in place in the Reagan era could see internment camps and martial law in the United States.”

Camps for Citizens: Ashcroft's Hellish Vision (from 2002)

Pentagon to Increase Domestic Surveillance for Counterterrorism
"the Pentagon in late June announced its "Strategy for Homeland Defense and Support," which would expand its reach domestically to prevent "enemy attacks aimed at Americans here at home... a society where not just the police, but the military are on the street corners gathering intelligence on citizens..."

'Eternal planes' to watch over us
Unmanned surveillance vehicles are increasingly omnipresent in a world which relies on knowing what people and places are doing... It is believed that up to 800 remotely piloted aircraft are in operation in Iraq and Afghanistan ."

US Military Plans For (Domestic) Terrorism

“The US military is for the first time making its own plans for dealing with domestic terrorist attacks.”

Global Eye Master Plan

“The United States long ago ceased to be anything like a living, thriving republic…  President George W. Bush has granted himself the power to declare anyone on earth -- including any U.S. citizen -- an "enemy combatant," for any reason he sees fit… It doesn't matter anymore if the president's orders to suspend the Conventions, construct a worldwide gulag, torture captives, spy on Americans, fabricate intelligence and wage aggressive war are illegal under the ‘quaint’ strictures of the old dispensation; the courts, packed with Bushist cadres, are now affirming the new order, the ‘critical authority’ of the Commander, beyond law and morality, on the higher plane of what Bush calls ‘the path of action.’ There has been virtually no institutional resistance to this open coup d'etat. It's now clear that the American Establishment -- and a significant portion of the American people -- have given up on the democratic experiment.”

Americans Are Warned About Overseas Travel
"The State Department issued an updated worldwide caution on terrorism yesterday, warning Americans about the threat of extremist violence against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The warning did not list countries, nor did department officials offer any additional specifics about threats... The targets could include places where Americans meet or visit, such as residential areas, hotels and restaurants, as well as places of worship, schools, clubs, business offices and public areas, the caution said. It also noted that "demonstrations and rioting" can occur with little or no warning."

Utah Youth Treated Like Terrorists!  Account of police brutality at a rock concert

Last night, I was booked to play an event about an hour outside of Salt Lake City , Utah . The hype behind this show was huge, they presold 700 tickets and they expected up to 3,000 people total. The promoters did an amazing job with the show.. they even made slipmats with the flyers on them to promote in local shops.

So, we got to the show around 11:15 or so and it was really cool. It was all outdoors, in a valley surrounded by huge mountains. They had an amazing light show flashing on to a mountain behind the site, the sound was booming, the crowd was about 1500 people thick and everything just seemed too good to be true really. Well...

At about 11:30 or so, I was standing behind the stage talking with someone when I noticed a helicopter pulling over one of the mountain tops. I jokingly said "Oh look, here comes big brother" to the person I was with. I wasn't far off.

The helicopter dipped lower and lower and started shining its lights on the crowd. I was kind of in awe and just sat and watched this thing circle us for a minute. As I looked back towards the crowd I saw a guy dressed in camoflauge walking by, toting an assault rifle. At this point, everyone was fully aware of what was going on . A few "troops" rushed the stage and cut the sound off and started yelling that everyone "get the fuck out of here or go to jail". This is where it got really sticky.

No one resisted. That's for sure. They had police dogs raiding the crowd of people and I saw a dog signal out a guy who obviously had some drugs on him. The soldiers attacked the guy (4 of them on 1), and kicked him a few times in the ribs and had their knees in his back and sides. As they were cuffing him, there was about 1000 kids trying to leave in the backdrop, peacefully. Next thing I know, A can of fucking TEAR GAS is launched into the crowd. People are running and screaming at this point. Girls are crying, guys are cussing... bad scene.

Now, this is all I saw with my own eyes, but I heard plenty of other accounts of the night. Now this isnt gossip I heard from some candy raver, these are instances cited straight out of the promoters mouth..

- One of the promoters friends (a very small female) was attacked by one of the police dogs. As she struggled to get away from it, the police tackled her. 3 grown men proceeded to KICK HER IN THE STOMACH. …”  And much more that is very interesting, and a link leading to video footage of the event…

N.Y. politicians support profiling in terror checks
"Middle Easterners should be targeted for searches on city subways, two elected officials said... "They all look a certain way," said Hikind, a Democrat from Brooklyn ."

US sets date for biometric passports

“The department confirmed that it will issue the first such passports this December, as anticipated. The current plan calls for all domestic passport agencies to issue them by October 2006… ‘What we are witnessing amounts to an effort by the U.S. government and others (whether conscious or not) to leapfrog over the politically untenable idea of adopting a national identity card, and set a course directly toward the creation of a global identity document,’ said a white paper from the ACLU issued last November….”

Flyers passing through U.S. have few rights, Arar judge told

“If passengers are deemed to be inadmissible, they have no constitutional rights even if later taken to an American prison…  ‘You are fair game for however executive branch wants to treat you.’”

Officials Test Radio Tags at Canada Border

“Security officials gathered Monday at a Canadian border crossing to mark the first test of a radio frequency identification system to be used by foreign visitors…”

Calls to end US domination of the internet
"...35 years after the US military invented the internet, the US Department of Commerce retains overall control of the master computers that direct traffic to and from every web and email address on the planet... only the US can make changes to that master file. And that has some WGIG members very worried indeed. "It's about who has ultimate authority," says Kummer. 'In theory, the US could decide to delete a country from the master root server. Some people expect this to happen one day...'"

US keeps Uighurs at Guantanamo after found innocent: rights group
"The US military has kept two ethnic Uighur Muslims from a troubled Chinese region at its Guantanamo 'war on terror' detention camp even though they have been found not to be "enemy combatants," a rights group said..."

Leaked emails claim Guantanamo trials rigged

"Leaked emails from two former prosecutors claim the military commissions set up to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay are rigged, fraudulent, and thin on evidence against the accused... Maj Preston writes that the process is perpetrating a fraud on the American people, and that the cases being pursued are marginal."

Suspect's tale of travel and torture
"Alleged bomb plotter claims two and a half years of interrogation under US and UK supervision in 'ghost prisons' abroad... interrogation and alleged torture endured by so-called ghost detainees held at secret prisons around the world."

US challenged over 'secret jails'

“Two Yemeni men claim they were held in secret, underground US jails for more than 18 months without being charged, Amnesty International has said.”

Report Says U.S. Secretly Held 2 Prisoners

"Two Yemeni men say they were held in solitary confinement in secret, underground U.S. detention facilities in an unknown country and interrogated by masked men for more than 18 months without being charged or allowed any contact with the outside world..."

'One of them made cuts in my penis. I was in agony'
" Benyam Mohammed travelled from London to Afghanistan in July 2001, but after September 11 he fled to Pakistan . He was arrested at Karachi airport on April 10 2002, and describes being flown by a US government plane to a prison in Morocco . These are extracts from his diary... 'They told me that I must plead guilty. I'd have to say I was an al-Qaida operations man, an ideas man. I kept insisting that I had only been in Afghanistan a short while. "We don't care," was all they'd say.'"

Security prisoner suspected killed in in Iraq's Abu Ghraib     

Beaten Afghan's Body 'Falling Apart'

“An Afghan detainee who died in military custody was injured so severely that his leg muscles were split apart, an Air Force medical examiner testified Tuesday in the trial of a soldier accused in the beating.”

Guantanamo Detainee Says Beating Injured Spine

The Prosecution of George W. Bush for torture: an update

“Many individuals and organizations around the world allege that George Bush has used his position as President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces to carry out torture that has included among its victims at least one Canadian (a minor) and many, perhaps thousands, of other non-Americans. These allegations and the evidence supporting them are widely available. LAW wants to present this evidence in court…  LAW insists that diplomatic immunity is irrelevant to this case of torture. Canadian jurisdiction to prosecute Mr. Bush was triggered when he came to Canada on November 30, 2004 and when a Canadian citizen became the victim of torture under Mr. Bush command.”

Carter: Guantanamo Detentions Disgraceful
Carter also criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq as "unnecessary and unjust." "I think what's going on in Guantanamo Bay and other places is a disgrace to the U.S.A. ,"...

Secret terror courts considered

“Special courts sitting in secret for pre-trial hearings in terror cases are being considered by the Home Office.”

Air Force officer charged for anti-Bush graffiti

9/11 and the "War on Terrorism"
"Millions of people have been misled regarding the causes and consequences of September 11. When people across the US and around the World find out that Al Qaeda is not an outside enemy but a creation of US foreign policy and the CIA, the legitimacy of the bipartisan war agenda will tumble like a deck of cards... the 'war on terrorism' has diverted attention from all other issues, including the militarization of America and a looming social and economic crisis, marked by rising levels of poverty and unemployment."

US knew 9/11 hijackers before attacks

“A US military team identified four Sept. 11 hijackers, including ringleader Mohammed Atta, as a likely part of an al-Qaida cell over a year before the 2001 attacks, a former team member said on Tuesday.”

Pentagon to host 9/11 march, show

“Rieckhoff suggested the event was an ill-conceived publicity stunt. "I think it's clear that their public opinion polls are in the toilet," he said.  Rumsfeld's walk had some relatives of 9/11 victims fuming.  "How about telling Mr. Rumsfeld to leave the memories of Sept. 11 victims to the families?" said Monica Gabrielle, who lost her husband in the attacks.”

A snow job on 9/11? – Another journalist begins to wake up

“For two years after 9/11, I accepted the official story by the Bush administration and by the 9/11 Commission's report of a year ago…  But now there are many, including myself, who question whether we've been told the full truth about what really happened. A Zogby poll a year ago found that half of New York City residents believed that the Bush administration knew about the attacks ahead of time and didn't stop them. This was not a partisan poll either -- half the respondents were Republicans…  there's no way that our air defense system -- the best in the world -- could have been so incompetent that it failed to raise the alarm earlier about not just one but four separate plane hijackings.  In 67 consecutive suspicious incidents in the eight months prior to 9/11, interceptor planes were scrambled every time within 10 minutes…  It's painful to say, or even think about, but Griffin and I and many others are increasingly convinced that Bush and his top aides have lied about 9/11 in the same way that they have lied about weapons of mass destruction and Iraq's role in the terrorist attacks and about Social Security going bankrupt.”

9/11 ON TRIAL

Highly recommended article for those unfamiliar with the peculiarities of this event.  “Towers that fell ‘like a controlled demolition’. Planes that vanished then mysteriously reappeared, And crucial evidence that has been lost for ever. A new book raises bizarre yet deeply unsettling questions about the world’s worst terror atrocity….. Did the CIA actively help the hijackers? …  the towers had expressly been built to survive the impact of a Boeing 707, a plane the same size and carrying as much fuel as the ones that struck. That they collapsed after being hit and fell at such speed was unprecedented in the history of architecture. It astonished many engineers…  ‘The fire wasn’t hot enough to cause a collapse’… In a repeat of New York , no evidence has ever been produced from the wreckage to prove that it was Flight 77 that hurtled into the side of the Pentagon at 350mph…  The hole in the Pentagon was too small for a Boeing…”

Zogby International – Half of New Yorkers Believe US Leaders Had Foreknowledge of Impending 9/11 Attacks, August 30, 2004

Fire Dept Tape Invalidates Key Points Official 911 Story

“…nearly a year after the monumental and treacherous catastrophe which struck lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001, an audio tape of firefighter communications was finally released -- which proves that the actual conditions at and near the point of impact in the north WTC tower only moments before the building's collapse were totally inconsistent with the conditions which had to have existed for the official version to be even minimally correct…  a stupendously far-reaching conspiracy and cover-up -- involving the highest levels of US government -- lies behind the 9-11 ‘attacks on America’.” 

US Diplomat Claims Flight 93 Was Shot Down

On the Heels Of Death Threats Coming Out Of Washington, WTC Janitor’s Jersey City Apartment Burglarized

“[William] Rodriguez, who has damaging eye-witness testimony that bombs exploded in the WTC basement prior to the airplanes striking, said today his apartment was burglarized between 12:30pm and 7:50pm after retuning home and noticing his second-floor apartment door wide-open…  Although Rodriguez's story has been told freely without censorship overseas in a number of foreign markets, the American media as well as the 9/11 Commission has seen fit to suppress his story, a story that very well could lead to pinning the Bush administration with high-crimes related to the 9/11 cover-up.”

The Story of 9/11 Hero, William Rodriguez, Is Censored Again As Savage Approach Taken To Caller on 'The Savage Nation' Radio Show Silences Real Truth Behind 9/11

“The outright criminal censorship by the media continues to rock the foundations of our free speech rights as another mainstream radio personality, claiming to be independent, bites the dust, deciding this week to “shut up” a listener after she tried discussing the explosions in the WTC basement on 9/11 as the real cause of the collapse.”

Delaware Folksinger Writes 'Tough Lyrics' Calling Attention to Neo-Con Corruption (including The Ballad of William Rodriguez)

“Vic Sadot has a knack for tackling tough political issues and then turning them into the sweet sound of music. But unfortunately his brand of brash, hard-hitting folk music, similar to Bob Dylan in the 60’s, is a rarity nowadays and about as hard to find as an honest judge.”

P3nt4gon Str!ke

The year-old P3nt4gon Str!ke multimedia presentation, said to have been viewed by over half a billion people now. 

My Brother's Keeper – How people shun all but the official story of 9/11

“Just as the world ignored Adolf Hitler's book, Mein Kampf, which laid out der Furher's ‘road map for peace’, in Europe...many of our countrymen have ignored the true intentions of our ‘War on Terror’…  The strategy is to control virtually all Middle Eastern reserves and thereby, control our global competitors, such as China and Japan ...but to accomplish this, we must also control Iran 's vast oil and gas reserves. Without that, we have no creditable monopoly…  the neo-cons must now move forward with all haste. They are on the clock and they will be forced to act soon...or they, themselves, will be sacrificed by the ‘powers that be’…  Some think we will immediately retaliate for a "false flag" attack, which many claim happened on 9/11 in the United States and on 7/7 in the U.K. If that's the case, the only ones who will believe it at this point are the terminally ignorant Bush believers...but unfortunately, they still make up a sizable portion of this country, and, as long as they remain "believers", the neo-cons cannot be forced out of power.”

Internal CIA report faults ex director, others for pre 9/11 faults

Al-Qaeda, a Secret Service Operation?

”Amid the smoke from the fortuitous fire emerged the possibility that al-Qaeda may not be, strictly speaking, an organization but an element of an intelligence agency operation. Turkish intelligence specialists agree that there is no such organization as al-Qaeda.”

Turkish Intelligence: Al-Qaeda a U.S. Covert Operation

Iran blames US for Iraq bombings

Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of Files on Terrorists

“…military lawyers forced members of the intelligence program to cancel three scheduled meetings with the F.B.I. at the last minute, which left the bureau without information that Colonel Shaffer said might have led to Mr. Atta and the other terrorists while the Sept. 11 attacks were still being planned.”

THE ISRAELI ART STUDENTS AND MOVERS STORY

Long but critical-to-read  article regarding the “Art Students” could-be scandal for those unaware of this important, years-old, still-shocking story and Israeli espionage against the United States .  “The possibility that the suspicious Israeli activity was linked to the movements of Al Qaeda cells cannot be brushed aside as merely coincidental…  Other suspected Israeli intelligence activity surrounding 911, including the arrest by New Jersey police near Giants Stadium of five Israelis who were seen celebrating, high-fiving, jumping up and down, and videotaping the collapse of the World Trade Center, was reported by the media…  The Israelis were later linked to an Israeli-owned office moving company called Urban Moving Systems headquartered in Weehawken , New Jersey …  According to several Weehawken neighbors of the Urban Moving Systems warehouse, the FBI, upon searching the warehouse, discovered fertilizer, other chemicals for making explosives, pipes, caps, and traces of anthrax…  Perhaps the espionage incident would have faded entirely had it not been for the fact that similar art students, with unbelievable alibis, were caught in 2003 by Canadian security police around the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa …  A Justice Department source confided that it was Attorney General John Ashcroft who personally ordered the investigation of the Israelis stopped in the months prior to 911 – a decision that proved fateful for the thousands of people who persished on September 11.”

A Jewish Defector Warns America

“HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, the Zionists and their co-religionists have complete control of our government. For many reasons, too many and too complex to go into here at this time, the Zionists and their co-religionists rule these United States as though they were the absolute monarchs of this country. Now you may say that is a very broad statement, but let me show you what happened while we were all asleep…  We are going to suffer the same fate as Germany suffered, and for the same reason.”

Dissent in the United States

“A car spoke to me from its bumper sticker the other day: ‘If you don’t love this country, get the f--- out!’…  ‘Support our troops’, despite its benign-sounding inclusiveness, is not a neutral statement. As our new, federal slogan, it makes ‘our troops’ inseparable from the government that commands them…  The ‘War on Terror’ is not really a war, and it’s certainly not on terror. It’s a brand…  Suppose everything the administration has said about the war has been a lie. Just suppose for a minute. Suppose they had other motivations all along. How would you know about it?”

Law Abiding Ohio Resident And Korean War Veteran Has Authorities Illegally Swarm On His Property Just Hours After He Called President Bush A Liar On A Local AM Radio Station

"’I am pretty outspoken about a lot of things and it wouldn't surprise me if another terrorist hits us harder than 9/11, putting the country under a state of emergency and martial law while at the same time taking the heat off Bush.

This reminds me of Nazi Germany. The people are being fed propaganda and in turn the dollar is going to hell as are the rest of our freedoms. I don't think we should give up our freedoms in order to be safer, when all the government is trying to do is take us over from within.’…”

Parts of Patriot Act are offensive-lawyers group

"The ABA position is that some of these provisions are so invasive of individual liberties that there has to be a sunset provision. They're offensive, I think, to democracy…"

Bush bypasses Senate to install Bolton as UN envoy
"President George Bush yesterday sidestepped the Senate and installed John Bolton as US ambassador to the UN, despite protests from Democrats that the controversial neo-conservative will undermine America 's credibility. Mr Bolton's appointment has been blocked for more than five months by Senate Democrats who have been demanding the Bush administration release classified information they claim would shed more light on Mr Bolton's past, including claims that he tried to manipulate US intelligence to support his hawkish views."

An 800-pound Gorilla Goes to the U.N.

“John Bolton's New Internationalism… 

Democratic Leadership Council drafts right-wing platform for coming elections
"The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) held its annual convention in Columbus , Ohio , last weekend, outlining its program for the upcoming 2006 mid-term elections and the presidential election in 2008. Speeches at the meeting and documents published in advance indicate that the Democratic Party plans to run an extremely right-wing campaign, particularly on the issues of "national security" and the war in Iraq ... As anti-war sentiment grows - with recent polls indicating that 60 percent of Americans favor an immediate partial or complete pullout from Iraq - the Democratic Party responds by calling for an intensification of the war effort."

U.S. suppressed footage of Hiroshima for decades
" U.S. authorities seized and suppressed film shot in the bombed cities by U.S. military crews and Japanese newsreel teams to prevent Americans from seeing the full extent of devastation wrought by the new weapons... Americans are still being kept at a distance from images of death, whether of their own soldiers or Iraqi civilians" Why do you think the government takes part in the clear suppression of truth/reality?

Hackers prowess on display at Defcon conference
"This year's hot topics included a demonstration of just how easy it may be to attack supposedly foolproof biometric safeguards, which determine a person's identity by scanning such things as thumb prints, irises and voice patterns.... A group of twentysomethings from Southern California climbed onto the hotel roof to show that RFID tags could be read from as far as 69 feet (21 meters). That's important because the tags have been proposed for such things as U.S. passports, and critics have raised fears that kidnappers could use RFID readers to pick traveling U.S. citizens out of a crowd.... RFID companies had said the signals didn't reach more than 20 feet... 'Our goal is to raise awareness," said Hering, 22. "Our hope is to spawn other research so that people will move to secure this technology before it becomes a problem.'"

D.C. Airspace May Be Restricted for Good
"The government wants permanently to restrict a wide swath of airspace over the Washington area and make it a crime if a private pilot knowingly enters a zone that extends from Maryland to Virginia ."

The birth of 'mere terror'”

“ Hiroshima wasn't uniquely wicked. It was part of a policy for the mass killing of civilians”

The Radical Middle

“It’s no longer Zionized Left vs. Armageddon Right — the new political Feather of Truth is honesty…  The middle of the American political spectrum, totally ignored by the corporate spin machine under the assumption that “to go along to get along” is the political philosophy of choice for most of its listeners, is becoming radicalized over the issue of honesty. Under the media’s very noses. That’s delicious.”

War Plans Drafted To Counter Terror Attacks in U.S.

“Domestic Effort Is Big Shift for Military…  it noted the possibility that ground troops might be sent into action on U.S. soil to counter security threats and deal with major emergencies…  when it comes to ground forces possibly taking a lead role in homeland operations, senior Northcom officers remain reluctant to discuss specifics.”

Scientists release harmless gas in NY security test

“Scientists released a harmless gas in the streets and subways of New York on Monday in a drill to see how to respond to a chemical or biological attack.”  Is this really a prediction of future events? 

Our X-Files

“HIDDEN files, cover-ups and pressure on witnesses to "forget" the UFOs they say they saw – these are the Queensland X-Files.”

Bush Removed Federal Prosecutor To End Investigation

“ US attorney's demotion halted probe of lobbyist…  Abramoff was a well-known lobbying figure in the Pacific islands because of his work for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Saipan garment manufacturers, accused of employing workers in what critics called sweatshop conditions.”

Entertainers Urged to Apologize for Nazi Comparisons

“A leading Holocaust Studies institute wants entertainers Harry Belafonte, Dick Gregory, and Woody Allen to retract their recent statements comparing the Bush administration, Israelis, and black conservatives to Nazis…”

An Essay on President Bush and Death

“But you study him, you look into his eyes and know he dissembles an emotion which he does not feel in the depths of his being because he has no capacity for it.”

FBI Warns Police of Possible Terror Attack

There has not been a gap in the stream of alleged terror threats, all of which turn out to be false.  Who is behind keeping the scare going and who is benefiting from it?  “…but officials stressed Thursday the warning was based on uncorroborated intelligence…  The warning has not been substantiated…”

Latest police weapons: electric bullets and lights

"People encountered can range from aggressors who are hardened criminals to mentally disturbed teenagers ... from protesting crowds that include children and elderly, to street gangs,"

Sudden resignation of TRADOC Commander, Gen.

“Pentagon insiders report that Byrnes was fired for insubordination…  In 2002, Byrnes was faced with being retired at Lt. Gen. after he clashed with then-Rumsfeld aide Stephen Cambone over proposed troop strength cuts…  The personal misconduct charges were concocted by the Pentagon to cover up the fact that there are serious disagreements with Bush and Rumsfeld among the flag officer ranks in the military….”

Key General fired as nuke terror drill set for Aug 17

Bush slaps down top general after he calls for troops to be pulled out of Iraq

GOP Senator Says Iraq Looking Like Vietnam

”…The Army's top general, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, said Saturday in an interview with The Associated Press that the Army is planning for the possibility of keeping the current number of soldiers in Iraq - well over 100,000 - for four more years as part of preparations for a worst-case scenario...  ‘I don't know where he's going to get these troops,’ Hagel said. ‘There won't be any National Guard left ... no Army Reserve left ... there is no way America is going to have 100,000 troops in Iraq, nor should it, in four years.’”  One way to raise troop levels is to ensure that the economy tanks, perhaps from overspending? 

Bush defends cost of Iraq war

“US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan "know that if we do not confront these evil men abroad, we will have to face them one day in our own cities and streets, and they know that the safety and security of every American is at stake in this war, and they know we will prevail," he said.”  That statement, by the way, is almost and exact quote of what President Johnson said in 1967 about the Vietnam War.  Was it true then?  In those days, they also spoke about, “helping them build a democracy,” and “laying the foundation for peace for the future.”  Sound familiar? 

Bush's Words on Iraq Echo LBJ in 1967

Lieutenant Harvey Tharp: 'Keep Them From Getting Fresh Mortar Bait'

“Although Colin Powell had spent five million dollars on a study for how to operate in post war Iraq the study was nixed and the neo-conservatives wouldn't send experienced Arabic speakers or diplomats to Iraq …  The lies perpetuated by the Bush administration are mere ‘window dressing for the ultimate reasons we're in Iraq .’ Reasons cited by Tharp include oil, protecting allies, and control of the world…  ‘I am going to do everything I can to end this war as soon as possible,’ Tharp says.”

Rescued soldier (Jessica Lynch): I was used

"’I think I provided a way to boost everybody's confidence about the war . . . I was used as a symbol.’… Ms Lynch said that the television movie of her life was inaccurate…”

When Down is Up -- The "Stricken" President

“Look now at Bush. Stricken he may be in the popular polls, but his political agenda flourishes.”

Two Chicago Cops Charged With Battery

“’Based on what I saw, the offender posed no immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others in the room,’ Cline said. He said the officers' behavior was ‘unacceptable.’”

What boneheaded design guides Dubya's moves?

Anti-gay church protests at soldiers' funerals

“Counterdemonstrators in Tennessee chase away members of small church…  Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq …”

DO THEY WANT TO SHUT DOWN THE INTERNET?

The U.S. government asserts itself in retaining control of the internet while the campaign of ‘net-based “threats and surreptitious moves toward censorship continue. 

Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations

“With laptops and DVDs, in secret hideouts and at neighborhood Internet cafes, young code-writing jihadists have sought to replicate the training, communication, planning and preaching facilities they lost in Afghanistan with countless new locations on the Internet.”

Globalists Seek To Sanitize Internet

“With the Internet viewed as their largest obstacle at this point in time, the Bilderberg Group globalists were seen and heard in this meeting making comments about how the Internet in America must be shut down  … Realize that there are a sad minority of people out there STILL believing that Bush is a Christian, even though he has NEVER been seen at any church services, does NOT belong to any church congregation, and didn’t attend one single memorial service for any of the 9/11 victims. Even though it has been documented and proven that the Skull & Bones initiation ritual involves homosexual acts in a coffin, and Skull & Bones itself is a part of a larger occult group that calls itself ‘The Brotherhood of Death,’ there are people still out there trying so desperately to believe that Bush is a Christian -- such is the level of their denial…  The tens of millions of people who have been awakened to the lies and crimes of the globalists is the reason why the Internet must be stopped…  [Some things to expect:] Internet Will Be Used As Part of Terror Attack Against The USA …  Passage of Hate-Crime Laws and Hate-Speech Laws (thought crimes)...  Passage of Hate-Crime Laws and Hate-Speech Laws (thought crimes)…  United Nations or USA Control of Domain Name Servers”

Bush Wants Control of the Internets!, July 1, 2005                                 

The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, February 2003

Report of the Working Group on Internet Governance (Final Report), June 2005

Free Wi-Fi? Get Ready for GoogleNet

“A trail of hidden clues suggests Google is building its own Internet -- and might be looking to let everyone connect for free…  Feeva CEO Nitin Shah confirms that the company is working with Google but won't discuss details. Google's interest in Feeva likely stems from the startup's proprietary technology, which can determine the location of every Wi-Fi user and would allow Google to serve up advertising and maps based on real-time data.”

ROVE AND LIBBY 

The growing scandal surrounding the illegal leak of CIA employee Valerie Plame’s name to the press by White House sources continues.  Readers of alternative new sites on the web knew about this as soon as it happened, while the mainstream media didn’t mention it until months later and the New York Times prevented journalists from investigating it, saying “it didn’t happen.” 

Judith Miller's Secret Meeting

“Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, has told federal investigators that he met with New York Times reporter Judith Miller on July 8, 2003, and discussed CIA operative Valerie Plame, according to legal sources familiar with Libby's account…  Lewis Libby may possibly have the ability to ascertain Miller's release by simply signing a specific, personal waiver that she disclose what she knows.  But Libby does not appear to be willing to do that.”

Europeans join campaign to free jailed US journalist

TREASONGATE: IN CAHOOTS -- How The White House, Wilson, Novak, Corn and Plame Conspired for Treason  --  Long, but good article for those who don’t fully grasp the importance of this case.  “Joe Wilson is in cahoots with the Bush Administration along with David Corn, Bob Novak and Valerie Plame Wilson, a cast of spooks who have only just been outed with the writing of this article. They've carefully scripted this entire affair to sield themselves from prosecution for monolithic treasons against US citizens and our military. Treasongate, Rovegate, Leakgate, whatever you want to call it, is, in reality, an intricate version of hide and seek where the "perpetraitors" have been controlling both sides of the game.”

US website names MI6 officers

RELIGION

Detoxifying self-deception

Oldest known Bible to go online
" A manuscript containing the oldest known Biblical New Testament in the world is set to enter the digital age and become accessible online.... The original document is so precious that it has only been seen by four scholars in the last 20 years."

Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate
"President Bush invigorated proponents of teaching alternatives to evolution in public schools with remarks saying that schoolchildren should be taught about "intelligent design," a view of creation that challenges established scientific thinking and promotes the idea that an unseen force is behind the development of humanity... Much of the scientific establishment says that intelligent design is not a tested scientific theory but a cleverly marketed effort to introduce religious -- especially Christian -- thinking to students."

The Most Dangerous Cult in The World

“[...] Armageddon is seen by Christian fundamentalists as "nuclear and imminent", waiting only for proper orchestration from American political leaders. The Zionists, naturally, do NOT include Armageddon in their messianic aspirations. This conflict of interests…”

The Crucifixion of Christ, American Style

“For the viewers at home, in the corner of TV screens a small woman provided sign language for the hearing impaired. Christ continued. "But I come before America today, for she is the greatest danger to world peace since Genesis…  Christian conservatives went on the attack, charging that Christ was wrong to criticize Bush while he was fighting the evil forces of Satan in his divinely inspired worldwide crusade on the war on terror. Christ, as one remarked, seemed to speak with a French accent, and sounded a lot like a bleeding-heart liberal.”

DEMONIZING VENEZUELA

It’s become abundantly clear that the U.S. administration would love to control Venezuela, the world’s fifth-largest oil-producing nation.  Twice democratically elected president Hugo Chavez has introduced socialist principles that have resulted in feeding the poor and tending to the needy by means of actually sharing the national wealth, thus he has been branded a dictator and despot by the American right wing, which has slowly been building a propaganda campaign against him at home.  Chavez has been trying to protect himself by speaking openly about the Bush administration’s desire to oust him.  This month, evangelical leader Pat Robertson publicly called for Chavez’s assassination, revealing this “man of God,” who has direct contact with the White House, as a would-be terrorist. 

The U.S. government prepares the American public for its next invasion/intervention

“A ‘top US department official’ claims ‘Venezuela is destabilizing the border area with Colombia by supplying weapons to the country's main leftist insurgency, a top State Department official said Wednesday.’"

Chavez makes US oil export threat

“Oil exports to the US could stop amid growing tensions between the two countries, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said…   Venezuela exports about 1.3 million barrels a day to the US and is the world's fifth largest oil producer…  On Friday the Venezuelan government withdrew diplomatic immunity from DEA agents working in the country in response to a US decision to revoke the visas of six Venezuelan officials based in Washington .”

Televangelist Calls for Chavez' Death

“Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson called on Monday for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him a "terrific danger" to the United States .”  Another “man of God” reveals himself, as so many do, as a murderer in priestly clothing.  Chavez is a “threat” to the US because he shares his nation’s wealth with the people, actually housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, and tending to the sick.  This is intolerable to Western governments that strive always to transfer wealth from the poor to the rich, and not only in their own countries.  "You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."  Note that Robertson doesn’t suggest any objection to the killing in war, but only to the financial expense.  "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said.  This clearly was no “slip of the tongue.”  "We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."  Although Robertson calls Chavez a “dictator” in an effort to spread misinformation, Chavez was democratically elected, twice.  What does this say about Robertson’s respect for democracy? 

Chavez assassination row erupts

“Mr Chavez has accused Washington of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. US officials have called the accusations ridiculous…  Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said this was a "criminal statement" and the way Washington responded to the remarks would put its anti-terrorism policy to the test.  ‘It's huge hypocrisy to maintain this discourse against terrorism and at the same time, in the heart of that country there are entirely terrorist statements like those.’”

US rejects prominent preacher's call for Chavez assassination

“’I would say that Pat Robertson is a private citizen and that his views do not represent the policy of the United States,’ State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, describing the TV preacher's comments as ‘inappropriate.’ …  US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denied that the
Pentagon has considered assassinating the leftist president. ‘Our department doesn't do that type of thing,’ Rumsfeld said.”  Of course, that would be a secret agency’s department. 

Pat Robertson apologizes for saying Venezuelan President should be assassinated

"Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him." 

Who Would Jesus Assassinate?

“Hugo Chavez and the Men Who Claim to Speak for Jesus?  … Ever since Chavez began his popular upheaval in Venezuela he has been under attack by the Catholic hierarchy in that country. In fact, members of Opus Dei were involved in the failed coup of 2000 and have been instrumental in the CIA-funded opposition movement since the coup, just as they were intimately involved in the murderous CIA-sponsored coup in September 1973 in Chile …”  Opus Dei is a secret society (with an innocuous face/cover) within the Catholic Church that has a far-right wing agenda.  ”Now, in addition to having the Catholic hierarchy opposed to him, Mr. Chavez has incurred the wrath of some in the evangelical community…  the comments regarding oil must strike a chord. After all, that's the underlying reason for Washington's (and the old guard in Venezuela ) opposition to Chavez in the first place. Not only does he using Venezuelan oil revenues to help the perennially poor in Venezuela, he is also selling it to Cuba at cut rates and making deals with China, much to the chagrin of Washington.” 

Chávez taunts US with oil offer

“President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela hit back vigorously at calls by an ally of President George Bush for his assassination by offering cheap petrol to the poor of the US at a time of soaring fuel prices…  ‘We want to sell gasoline and heating fuel directly to poor communities in the United States ,’ he said.”  As great as that would be for so many, do you think that the US government would allow the profits of the corporations who own it to be undercut?  Never. 

Venezuela to sell cut-price heating oil to U.S. poor

”The offer, made after populist Chavez held talks with U.S. civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson, would represent 10 percent of the 660,000 bpd of refined products processed by Citgo. The deals would cut consumer costs by direct sales…. Chavez, a former army officer who survived a coup in 2002, frequently accuses the U.S. of backing efforts to kill him or topple his government. U.S. officials dismiss those charges but say Chavez has become a threat to regional stability.”

Is Pat Robertson Out of His Mind or in the Loop?

“Reverend Pat made peace and perhaps a pact with the powers that be and currently has a direct line to the White House. He, with Jerry Falwell, claims to have helped make the double-barrel-two term Bush presidency possible. On Monday the iconic American Christian using the language of gangsters endorsed the assassination of Hugo Chavez so we could save 200 billion dollars. The assumption was that the only two alternatives to dealing with an elected leader who is critical of the military industrial complex running our country is to "take him out" or to wage a war. He presents the options and then chooses the less expensive one.  One does pause to wonder if he is not a loose cannon but that the direct line to the White House runs both ways. If in fact Venezuela and Iran are considering an oil embargo against the US , this may not be a random Christian perspective…”  There seems to be very little doubt that the current administration has harbored a desire to control Venezuela for years now, perhaps even considering invasion.  Not a lot of press does that get in the US mainstream media, though.   ”Christ said - Love your enemy. This phrase means nothing to the most boisterous Christians like Pat Robertson. To them, this phrase is invisible.”

Venezuela Wants Pat Robertson

“’Calling for the assassination of a head of state is a terrorist act,’ said Chavez … ‘We could even request his extradition,’ he added…  ‘We could offer him free psychiatric treatment ... but he could be a lost case’ Chavez said sarcastically of Robertson and controversial statements the conservative commentator has made in the past.  Last year, Robertson said President Bush told him before the Iraq invasion: ‘We're not going to have any casualties," but that "the Lord told me it was going to be (a) a disaster and (b) messy.’ The White House issued denials.” 

Bush's Pat Robertson Problem

“First, he's got to distance himself from this nut, even though Robertson and his bowl of nuts are about the only allies Bush has got left. His latest approval rating is down to 36 percent, the lowest of his presidency, according to the American Research Group.  And second, Robertson's remarks handcuff Bush, making the overthrow of Chávez more difficult to execute. Even before the reverend said, "Thou Shall Kill," Chávez was warning that Bush wanted to off him. So Robertson lent credence to Chávez's claim and burnished Chávez's reputation in Venezuela and beyond as a Latin American David confronting the Goliath up north.  I've believed for a long time that getting rid of Chávez is a priority for Bush and Cheney. After all, they supported the coup attempt against him back in 2002…  Just last week, Rumsfeld, who doesn't have enough to do fighting insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan , took time out to go to Latin America to try to isolate Chávez.” 

DEMONIZING IRAN

The flood of disinformation to pave the way for war with Iran continues.  Currently, Iraq WMDs:  imaginary.   Iran nukes:  imaginary.  There has never been any evidence that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, yet the average American, murkily aware of the “talking points” of the anti-Iran propaganda campaign, already believes that not only is Iran on the verge of obtaining nukes, but that they would also use them against the US or US allies.  Why would any country attack the US , when the US is not only vastly the largest military power on the planet, but has shown that it has no compunction about attack and invasion?  How many of these same Americans are aware of the vigorous opposition to war on Iran stated by Russia and China ?  Not many, you can bet, for such to be allowed to be reported in the US media might dampen domestic support for such a war.  Consider that for a government to attack the US would be suicide.  It doesn’t make sense.  There is no benefit for the attacker.  However, it may be made to appear to happen, as has happened so often in the past.  Ask, “who benefits” from such a war? 

How Bush would gain from war with Iran

“The conventional wisdom is that, even if diplomacy fails, the US is so bogged down in Iraq that it could not take on Iran . However, this misunderstands the capabilities and intentions of the Bush administration.”

Iran Is Judged 10 Years From Nuclear Bomb
" U.S. Intelligence Review Contrasts With Administration Statements... The carefully hedged assessments, which represent consensus among U.S. intelligence agencies, contrast with forceful public statements by the White House. Administration officials have asserted, but have not offered proof, that Tehran is moving determinedly toward a nuclear arsenal... But the sources said there is no information linking those projects directly to a nuclear weapons program... At no time in the past three years has the White House attributed its assertions about Iran to U.S. intelligence... The commission found earlier this year that U.S. intelligence knows "disturbingly little" about Iran , and about North Korea ."

Nuclear fears grow as Iranian president takes office
" Iran 's new president, Mahoud Ahmadinejad, took office on Wednesday amid growing international pressure over his country's nuclear program." Do fears actually grow or are they spurred by media stories like that simply say, "fears grow?"

Israeli hawks circle Iran's N-plants

“Some Israelis cite the precedent of the 1981 unilateral Israeli airstrike on Iraq 's Osirak nuclear reactor. Israel , they argue, should do the same again and launch pre-emptive military attacks on Iran 's growing nuclear infrastructure.”

European negotiators offer long term support for Iran's civil nuclear program

“European negotiators have offered Iran long term support for its civilian nuclear program, including the possibility of acquiring nuclear fuel, in exchange for a binding commitment not to develop atomic weapons…”

UN watchdog calls on Iran to halt nuclear fuel work; Iran says no

Fool me once, shame on you -- Fool me--can't get fooled again

“The bizarre report by Jim Miklaszewski of NBC news that US military sources are saying Iran is the source of more sophisticated bombs used by Sunni Arab guerrillas in Iraq seems so unbelievable because it is. Poor Jim is the victim of a high-level Department of Defense black psy-ops operation (or perhaps such an operation has been supplied by a sub-contractor). You wonder if it is Doug Feith's parting gift to the American people-- laying the groundwork for a war with Iran …  Do you notice how some regional forces wanted US wars against both Iraq and Iran and are probably unhappy that they are only going to get one bonbon, not two?  Do you notice how some regional forces may have intelligence officers in northern Iraq that would be in a good position to pass disinformation to the clueless (or overly eager) Americans?  Do you notice how the story of Iranian agents coming in through Kurdistan looks a lot like the story the FBI had accused spy Larry Franklin feed AIPAC to see if they would run off to the Israeli embassy with it? Is it a counter-sting?  Do you notice how a cabal of plotters, including Franklin, Michael Ledeen, Harold Rhode, and the Italian Defense Department and military intelligence met with "the Iranian Chalabi," fraudster and Iran-Contra figure Manuchehr Ghorbanifar, in an attempt to torpedo better relations between Iran and the United States ?”

US skeptical over Europe’s approach to Iran

“The United States has "enormous scepticism" over Europe's approach to Iran 's nuclear programme, even if it has publicly backed the efforts, a French diplomat said Friday.”

The myth of the EU olive branch

”…the Iranians are now asked to somehow prove that there are no undeclared activities, a harsh demand bound to backfire and cement the Iranian objections to the agency's resolution…  Sadly, there has been little objective reporting, paper or electronic, that has scrutinized the European proposal without the lens of bias…  another flaw of the European proposal is that instead of giving security assurance, it in fact exacerbates the Iranian anxiety by letting the door open for nuclear attack in response to a conventional attack…  Whatever happened to a categorical rejection of use of nuclear weapons in conventional warfare?”

Iran warns EU over nuclear pressure

US: Iran cannot be let off hook over nuclear charges

Why Iran will lead to World War 3

“The facts about Iran 's "alleged" nuclear weapons program have never been in dispute. There is no such program and no one has ever produced a shred of credible evidence to the contrary. That hasn't stopped the Bush administration from making spurious accusations and threats; nor has it deterred America 's "imbedded" media from implying that Iran is hiding a nuclear weapons program from the IAEA…  If Iran retaliates against Israel or the US in Iraq , then both nations will proceed with a plan that is already in place to destroy all of Iran 's biological, chemical and conventional weapons sites. In fact, this is the ultimate US strategy anyway; not the elimination of the "imaginary" nuclear weapons facilities. Both the US and Israel want to "de-fang" the Mullah-regime so that they can control critical resources and eliminate the possibility of a regional rival in the future.”

The next World War starts in Iran

“There is no evidence whatsoever that Iran has a nuclear weapons program. But, don't take my word for it. That is the conclusion of Mohammed El Baradei, the chief of the UN's watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency; the most respected nuclear investigative agency in the world today. After conducting 2 years of the most rigorous "go anywhere, see anything" investigations, the agency gave Iran a clean bill of health. No nukes! Not now, not ever! …  Can we be equally certain that the administration strategy isn't simply to annex the primary oil producing region and bomb the main chemical, biological and conventional weapons sites across the country at the same time? That way, the US would control the oil, eliminate Iran as a regional-military rival to Israel , and avoid the pitfalls of a massive occupation… Russia 's statement was predictably oblique, but the message is clear; Russia will not allow Iran to go the way of Iraq. Not surprisingly, this veiled-threat of Russian retaliation did not appear in any newspaper in the United States …  This new statement from the Russian foreign ministry should demonstrate that we may be closer to the brink then anyone had imagined.”

Iran provokes an international crisis: France

“Iran's resumption of nuclear activities Monday has created a "grave crisis" that requires a united response from the international community, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said.”

Bush Against the Generals -- Iran, the White House, and the purge of the military

“The tipping point against this immoral, ill-conceived and in-every-way disastrous war seems to have been reached, as hundreds – and soon to be thousands – of Gold Star Mothers and sympathizers march against the war in Crawford, Texas. Popular support for George W. Bush's Napoleonic foreign policy has plummeted to its lowest point ever.”

UZBEKISTAN

Following the recent massacre of his own citizens by Uzbek president and Bush ally Islam Karimov’s police, Uzbekistan has suddenly asked the U.S. to abandon its Uzbek military base and leave the country. 

Loss of Uzbek hub should not hinder mission
Uzbekistan's decision to end an agreement that let U.S. military aircraft use a base - an important hub for American operations in Afghanistan - will not hinder the battle against militants here, a U.S. military spokesman said Monday. The Karshi-Khanabad air base, commonly referred to as K2, has been a critical staging point for U.S. military operations in Afghanistan since the earliest days of the war, which began in October 2001. ...operations would be reorganized to use air bases at Bagram, just north of the Afghan capital, Kabul ; at Kandahar , in southern Afghanistan ; and at Manas, in neighboring Kyrgyzstan .

United States losing allies
...The withdrawal of a base from Uzbekistan by a six-month deadline set by Tashkent is not a big problem militarily. But politically, the loss of an ally is quite serious for the United States . On the one hand, the West will exert much more pressure on the Islam Karimov regime. But on the other, China and Russia are not likely to abandon their partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Plainclothed Russian Commandos to Retake Uzbekistan Airbase After Americans Leave — Report

““Americans expected they would stay there forever, and were setting aside a lot of funds for the base infrastructure. Our task is to make them hand the aerodrome — the runway, communications and watch facilities — over to Uzbekistan upkeep,” the source said.”

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

Israeli 'helped suicide bomber'
"An Israeli Jew has been charged with helping a Palestinian suicide bomber enter Israel, where he blew himself up last month, killing five people."

How the UK gave Israel the bomb
"Britain secretly supplied the 20 tons of heavy water to Israel nearly half a century ago which enabled it to make nuclear weapons, according to Whitehall documents which have been discovered at the Public Records Office."

Israeli economic corruption rises
“Israeli economic corruption has increased since the year 2000, making it one of the most fraudulent in the world, local and international reports showed on Wednesday... A 2005 World Bank report said Israel was one of the most hazardous nations, citing its unstable and inefficient government and its relatively high level of corruption among its leadership, as well a low ranking in law enforcement."

Much ado about Gaza

“Gaza disengagement is nothing. This is a non-event, though presented as a great news. This one is not the first, and surely not the last. In Palestinian history, Gaza withdrawals are a dime a dozen.”

Israel to make Gaza closed military zone

“The Israeli army has decided to announce the Gaza Strip a closed military zone for Jewish settlers and Israelis as of Aug. 14, Israel Radio reported Wednesday….”

Israeli Soldiers Clear Out Gaza Strip

Israel destroys Palestinian homes as punishment: report

Gaza settlers, Israeli security clash

The world's largest prison camp -- It seems that Israel wants to lock up Gaza and throw away the key

Watching the Gazan Fiasco -- The Shame of It All

“A great charade is taking place in front of the world media in the Gaza Strip. It is the staged evacuation of 8000 Jewish settlers from their illegal settlement homes, and it has been carefully designed to create imagery to support Israel 's US-backed takeover of the West Bank and cantonization of the Palestinians…  Where were these hundreds of journalists when each of the 680 Palestinian children shot to death by Israeli soldiers over the last 5 years was laid to rest by grief-stricken family members? The shame of it all defies words. Sharon's unilateral "Disengagement" plan is not ending the occupation of Gaza . The Israelis are not relinquishing control over the Strip. They are retaining control of all land, air and sea borders including the Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza/Egypt border where the Egyptians may be allowed to patrol under Israel 's watchful eye and according to Israel 's strictest terms…”

Who will weep for Palestinians?

"Where were these 900 international journalists in the last five years while the entire physical infrastructure of Gaza was being destroyed? … When will the dispossession and dehumanization of Palestinians get a headline? … The departure of 8,500 settlers is undermined by a net increase of about 10,000 settlers in the West Bank every year.”

Palestinians fear 'big prison' after Gaza pullout

Palestinians fear Gaza health crisis after Israeli pullout

Gaza Pullout May Lead to Catastrophe – Russian Expert

Israeli Riot Police Storm Gaza Synagogues

Gaza Stripped: But the Occupation Remains

”Despite U.S. mainstream media reports that the 38-year-occupation of Palestinians within Gaza has "ended," the Israeli military still controls water, the Palestinians' passage through checkpoints and air space…  The three aquifers in the region are controlled by Israel . As a result, Palestinians need permits to dig and repair wells. It is not uncommon for Israeli forces to destroy Palestinian wells.”

Israeli pullout may be 'prelude to the big battle'

”E’verybody understands that this (withdrawal) is the prelude to the big battle’ over claims to land still passionately in dispute, Hebrew University political scientist Reuven Hazan says…  Even after Israel hands over Gaza some time in October, 230,000 Israelis will remain among 2.4 million Palestinians in the West Bank .” Remember that the “pullout” was only 9000 Israelis. 

6-month ceasefire looks precarious as new violence erupts in Holy Land

Suicide blast punctures post-Gaza peace hopes

Netanyahu bids to oust Sharon after Gaza pullout

”Likud polls show ex-finance minister Netanyahu would rout Sharon in a primary if it were held soon … Netanyahu is the hero of hardline nationalists in a split Likud, saying the pullout will imperil Israel by turning Gaza into an "independent terrorist base" rather than a model for Palestinian statehood as U.S.-led peace mediators hope.”

Settler-funding a billion dollar question

“Some believe $60 billion has been pumped into settlements..  Now that Israel plans to spend $2 billion to dismantle just 25 of these enclaves in the West Bank and Gaza - for which US aid has been requested - raises the question of how much money has been poured into the ambitious settlement project, and exactly where it came from.”

EU Should Cut Trade With Israel

“…Israel has ignored the ruling and the UN vote, continues to build the wall and expand its settlements in the West Bank, also declared illegal by the ICJ in the same ruling, and that no attempts appear to have been made by the UK or other European governments to ensure Israel's compliance.”

Israeli Police Brace for Possible Riots

“Police braced for possible rioting Friday by Arabs incensed over the killings of four Israeli Arabs by a Jewish soldier opposed to Israel's impending pullout from Gaza."

The remaining 99.5 percent

"’Is it possible,’ he continued with his question, ‘that the Israelis … are unaware of the injustice they have caused here?’ …1,719 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip from the end of September 2000 until today; and according to various estimates, some two-thirds of them were unarmed and were not killed in battles or during the course of attempts to attack a military position or a settlement.  Based on figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, of those killed, 379 were children under the age of 18; 236 were younger than 16; 96 were women; and 102 were the objectives of targeted liquidations during the course of which the Israel Defense Forces also killed another 95 individuals who, according to the military too, were ‘innocent bystanders.’”

Global Holocaust-deniers bill passed in Knesset

“Legislation that would make Holocaust-denial committed overseas an offense under Israeli legal jurisdiction was approved unanimously in first reading by the Knesset on Tuesday.”

Belgian Holocaust denier arrested in Amsterdam

U.S. to announce new charges in Pentagon probe

“The additional charges involve Lawrence Franklin, a Pentagon analyst already accused of giving the information to two former employees of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee…”

Pro-Israel lobbyists charged for spying

“Two former officials of the pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), have been charged with conspiring with a Pentagon analyst to obtain and disclose classified national defence information…  Israeli officials identified…”

The Scandal is Bigger Than AIPAC

“…as the full text of the indictment makes clear, the conspiracy involved not just Franklin and the AIPAC officials, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, but at least several other Pentagon officials who played intermediary roles, at least two other Israeli officials, and one official at a "Washington, D.C. think tank." It's an old-fashioned spy story involving the passing of secret documents, hush-hush meetings and outright espionage, along with good-old-boy networking.”

The 51st State

“The New Pravda has fingered one of the unnamed U.S. government officials implicated in the AIPAC spy scandal -- while bending over backwards to make it clear the whole thing is really just a great big fuss about nothing. I mean, we're talking about Israel , for Christ's sake, not some foreign country….”

Author no longer ’in love with the Zionist narrative’

“She is the only Jew among 25,000 Arabs in the northern Israeli town of Tamra and has taken up the cause of the Palestinians who remained inside the borders of Israel after the state was set up in 1948.  Her harshest critics could not say she has chosen a comfortable path. Friends and even some relatives have turned against her, she says, but she is standing by her controversial claim that the Palestinians in Israel are victims of apartheid-style discrimination and mistreatment….”

IMI to supply ammunition to U.S. army in $300 million deal

“Israel Military Industries won a tender Tuesday for around $300 million to supply the U.S. army with ammunition. IMI said this is their biggest ammunition deal with the U.S. army to date.”

LATIN AMERICA

America seeks to accelerate end of Castro's regime with new post
The 46-year stand-off between Cuba and America has taken a turn for the worse after Washington appointed a "transition co-ordinator" to hasten the downfall of President Fidel Castro. Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, chose Caleb McCarry to "accelerate the demise of Castro's tyranny" on the Caribbean island that the Communist dictator has run since a coup in 1959. The appointment is part of President George W Bush's plan to tighten the 40-year programme of sanctions against Cuba .

Islam on march south of border -- Mexico agrees to monitor foreign groups as Muslim recruitment rate skyrockets

Great example of fear-mongering articles.  Didn’t the president say over and over that we aren’t at war with Islam?  “Islam is on the move in Mexico and throughout Latin America, making dramatic gains in converting the native population, increasing immigration, establishing businesses and charities and attracting attention from U.S. government officials who have asked their neighbors to the south to keep an eye on foreign Muslim groups.”

Talk Host Fired Over Controversial Comments About Islam

“Michael Graham's suspension by management at ABC Radio's WMAL/Washington for recent on-air comments in which he characterized Islam as a terrorist organization has turned into a permanent furlough for the controversial midday talker.”  Consider the climate that must exist in the US for a guy who’s on the radio every day to broadcast this opinion.  We may give lip service to free speech, but people check themselves to avoid reprisal for “stepping out of line.”  Michael Graham thought it was okay to call Islam itself a “terrorist organization.”  What does that say about how deeply the anti-Islam propaganda has taken root, and about general ignorance of Islam in the US for generations upon generations? 

Online Thesaurus Pulls Listing for 'Arab'

“The entry, which appeared on thesaurus.com, listed the word ["Arab"] as a noun meaning ‘beggar,’ and gave 16 pejorative synonyms including ‘homeless person’ and ‘welfare bum.’ …  Several hours after Roget's Thesaurus was called by The Associated Press, all entries for "Arab" had been pulled from the site.  Barbara Ann Kipfer, editor of the third edition of Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, said the entry had likely been on the site for years, but never made it into printed versions of the thesaurus.”

U.S. Says Terrorists May Pose As Vagrants

”’..it is crucial that police, fire and emergency medical personnel take notice of their surroundings, and be aware of 'vagrants' who seem out of place or unfamiliar,’ said the message, distributed via e-mail to some federal employees in Washington by the U.S. Attorney's office.”  Considering our government’s association of terrorists with Arabs and Arabs with vagrants, I guess Roget’s is going to have to put ‘Arab’ back in the thesaurus, eh?  “The e-mail stresses that there is no threat of an attack and that it is intended to be ‘informative, not alarming.’”  The usual disclaimer when they want to stir up some fear. 

CHINA

Donald Rumsfeld’s mantra of “China is a threat” leads a media campaign to frighten the American people into opposition to everything Chinese, perhaps in preparation to blame China for an impending economic collapse in the U.S. 

China emerging as chip design center
Chips designed, or partly designed, in China will account for 14.8 percent of global semiconductor sales this year, making the country the world's third-biggest for chip design, according to an industry report... "By 2006, China/Hong Kong/Taiwan likely will surpass Japan and become the

world's second-largest region for design-driven semiconductor sales after the United States ,"

Sheppard wrote in a report.

China, Russia to launch 1st joint military exercises
"The exercises are meant to "strengthen the capability of the two armed forces in jointly striking international terrorism, extremism and separatism," the Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua News Agency... Russian news reports said Moscow also had asked to hold the exercises in China 's Muslim-dominated desert northwest, which borders Central Asia , a region where both governments worry about possible threats from Islamic extremists."

Russia, China launch first major wargames amid US concern

Aborted takeover will also affect US
"China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) has to bear the cost of its abandoned bid for the American oil company Unocal. But the fallout from the bid will not only affect the Chinese side. The idea of the United States as a self-appointed champion of the free market has become questionable."

China bans foreign investment in publishing, news organizations

West unwittingly pushes Russia and China to rapprochement - expert

“A wave of criticism from the West has intensified Russia 's and China 's sense of strategic isolation, which is pushing them toward rapprochement, a Canadian military expert on East Asia told a popular Russian daily Thursday.”

China sets up squads to combat terrorism

“China is also drafting a new anti-terror law, which is due to be released later this year.”  A major, overlooked side-effect of the US ’s arrogant belligerence is that it provides a precedent, a license for other powers to do the same.  The US truly leads by example, making the world more dangerous. 

China accuses high-profile dissident of terror plot

”China on Thursday accused a high-profile dissident exiled to the United States of plotting to sabotage upcoming celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the setting up the northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang.”

Unmanned Remote Sensing Aircraft Takes Flight

“China's first high-end and multi-functional remote sensing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made its successful test flight on Monday in Huangguoshu Airport, Anshun City, southwest China's Guizhou Province…” 

ECONOMY

The following articles show clearly that the U.S. is on a path to major economic disaster.  Rising energy prices, a huge trade imbalance, mind-boggling public and private debt, declining personal income, outsourcing of jobs, non-creation of significant new jobs, continuing globalization, and increasing inflation conspire to create havoc in the near future.  And the bottom-line message from government and Wall Street is that everything in the financial world is rosy. 

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia Dies

Oil rises above $61 as Saudi King dies

Oil nears record on US refinery snags

Oil Prices Hit New Heights on Supply Fears

Crude Oil Prices Hit New Record

Terror concerns drive oil price toward $65

Oil hits record $68 on storm, gas draw

Oil Prices Rise Following Mixed Report

Airlines Face Growing Fuel Shortage Risk

Rumblings Increase About Trucking Protest Over High Gas Prices

No Relief in Sight for Gasoline Prices

July Inflation Jumps on Higher Gas Prices

Engineers modify hybrid cars to get 250 mpg

So, the technology to get ten to fifteen times the average fuel-efficiency already exists.  So, why do you think that the government isn’t pushing for these vehicles to reduce dependence on foreign oil? 

Bush Signs Massive Energy Bill Into Law

“But even the bill's sponsors acknowledged the legislation will have little, if any impact, on today's energy prices or less dependence on oil imports…  The measure funnels billions of dollars to energy companies, including tax breaks and loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants, clean coal technology and wind energy…  It really gives a short shrift to conservation and it still continues to subsidize the well-established oil and gas industries that really don't need subsidizing especially when (crude) oil is $60 a barrel…”

Bush's Energy Disaster

“… a war game called ‘Oil Shockwave.’ The participants, including many former Republican administration members, spent several days running through various scenarios of disrupted oil supply. Even with small-scale trouble, the exercises quickly spun out of control. ‘The American people,’ concluded former CIA Director Robert M. Gates, ‘are going to pay a terrible price for not having an energy strategy.’"

US Dependent on Saudi Arabia

“The Bush administration and its Neocons have shot themselves in the foot big time if they thought they could use Iraq to reduce US dependence on Saudi Arabia .”

Yergin on the oil 'shortage'

Is the “Peak Oil crisis” manufactured to raise profits for corporations?  To spread fear?  To justify invasion of oil-producing countries?  “Our new, field-by-field analysis of production capacity, led by my colleagues Peter Jackson and Robert Esser, is quite at odds with the current view and leads to a strikingly different conclusion: There will be a large, unprecedented buildup of oil supply in the next few years. Between 2004 and 2010, capacity to produce oil (not actual production) could grow by 16 million barrels a day - from 85 million barrels per day to 101 million barrels a day - a 20 percent increase. Such growth over the next few years would relieve the current pressure on supply and demand…  I wouldn't mind this oil-shortage scam so much if it was the first time they've tried it, but they keep pulling it again and again and we keep falling for it.”

Mortgage rates continue upward climb

Equity Is Altering Spending Habits and View of Debt

“Homeowners took $59 billion in cash out of their houses in the second quarter, double the amount in the 2004 quarter and 16 times the average rate of the mid-1990s…  Such thriftiness has gone out of fashion. What was once considered undesirable - taking on large debt - is now seen as smart. And what used to be smart - becoming debt-free - is described as imprudent.”

Experts Warn Debt May Threaten Economy

”…as a society America spends $1.9 billion more a day on imported clothes and cars and gadgets than the entire rest of the world spends on its goods and services…  A chorus of economists, government officials and elected leaders both conservative and liberal is warning that America 's nonstop borrowing has put the nation on the road to a major fiscal disaster…”

US heading for house price crash, Greenspan tells buyers

“He said that the US house-price spiral had become an economic imbalance, threatening stability like the country's trade gap or its budget deficit.”

That Hissing Sound

“This is the way the bubble ends: not with a pop, but with a hiss.  Housing prices move much more slowly than stock prices. There are no Black Mondays, when prices fall 23 percent in a day. In fact, prices often keep rising for a while even after a housing boom goes bust….”

Pop Goes the Weasel

“It's strange that Alan Greenspan hasn't been blamed for the housing bubble. After all, he set the "easy money" policies that put the whole thing in motion and he's the one who should be held responsible when it goes up in smoke.  Let me explain….  Regrettably, this Greenspan-generated pyramid scheme is headed for the dumpster. The fundamentals for securing a loan have all been abandoned; putting traditionally unqualified applicants in a position to buy a home. 42% of all new home buyers cannot even come up with a few thousand dollars for a down payment. Equally disturbing is the fact that ‘nearly one third of all new mortgages this year call for interest-only payments (in California , it's almost half)’ (NY Times)… Greenspan has worked exclusively to serve the interests of American elites. He has helped shape the policies on taxation, minimum wage and Social Security that have enriched the wealthy and battered the middle class.”

Poverty Rate Rises to 12.7 Percent

” Overall, the nation's poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent of the population last year. Of the 37 million living below the poverty level, close to a third were children. … The median household income, meanwhile, stood at $44,389, unchanged from 2003.”

Taking the Energy Out of Retailers

“…a combination of escalating gas prices, heavy consumer debt and low savings "will affect every retailer in America .”

Inflation rises to eight-year high

“ Britain 's inflation rate has risen to its highest level in eight years, official figures showed today…”

US workers struggle to cope in new economic reality

Summer of Our Discontent

“American families: ‘We're not doing very well.’ Washington officials: ‘You're wrong - you're doing great. Here, look at these statistics!’"

American investors move away from US assets

Dumping of US dollar could trigger 'economic September 11'

”If that happens, Prestowitz predicts: ‘It would make the Great Depression of the 1930s look like a walk in the park.’”

Russia, China might consider replacing dollar in bilateral trade - expert

Heavy clouds, no rain

"’Because the market has not dropped sharply, it will not drop sharply.’ If there is one thought that will cost investors billions in the near future, it is this one…  With the millions of marketing dollars spent on teaching advisors how to help their clients "feel comfortable," is it any wonder that so many investors and advisors, surrounded by the emotional comfort of the herd and blinded by what we want to see, would ignore all the warning signs of a Noah effect until after the event costs them dearly.”

Implications of Chinese Currency Revaluation
“The effect of this will be that the Bank of China will now need to maintain in its reserves far fewer U.S. dollars -- perhaps only 1/5th as many U.S. dollars as it did before. It also means that the Bank of China will be purchasing fewer U.S. Treasury securities in the future. It should be noted that the Bank of China has been the largest purchaser of U.S. Treasury securities in the last 5 years and is now, indeed, the largest holder of U.S. Treasury securities. China will no longer be in the dollar buying business… China 's decision to change the nature of its currency peg means that it will no longer be in the dollar buying business, or by extension, the U.S. Treasury buying business. That means that America will be losing its biggest benefactor... The implications for America are enormous. Far from being the panacea that American politicians proclaim, China 's decision to alter its peg could be the pin that finally pricks America 's bubble economy.”

Strength and Subjectivity

“The Peoples Bank of China (PBoC) decision to delink exclusively from the US Dollar, and the most recent profit and personal income numbers have gone unexamined and largely unpriced…  Several recent polls reveal a growing hostility toward the US and this seems to be beginning to affect the perception of our businesses.”

Doug Wakefield on the U.S. economy
“…In June of 1999, total mortgages in the USA stood at $6,021 billion. At the end of March 2005, the number is $10,774. This is a 79% increase. Keep in mind our incomes have only risen 34% while our credit card bill has grown by 58%. So, what have we, as a nation, done?”

Globalisation is an anomaly and its time is running out

“The American suburban juggernaut can be described succinctly as the greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world. The mortgages, bonds, real estate investment trusts and derivative financial instruments associated with this tragic enterprise must make the judicious goggle with wonder and nausea.”

How the West Was Lost
“CAFTA and the Disassembling of America ... CAFTA comes twelve years after NAFTA, about which every dire prediction -- job losses, erosion of the manufacturing base, mounting trade imbalances -- has been borne out in spades. Against this background the Senate voted 54-45 for the bill a few days back, and the House has followed with 217-215.”

US energy bill funnels billion to oil, utility corporations
“The resulting legislation is set to provide as much as $14.5 billion in tax breaks over the next 10 years to corporations that are already immensely profitable. At the same time, the bill will relax environmental regulations, thereby permitting greater industrial pollution with all of the harmful consequences for public health.”

Bankruptcies hit another record ( UK )

“Irresponsible lending is partly to blame for the surge in bankruptcies
The number of individual insolvencies in England and Wales soared by an annual 36.8% in the second quarter, official figures show.”

Delphi posts loss, bankruptcy possible

Delphi, Visteon Post Losses on Labor Costs

Good News! Soon You'll No Longer Need an Expensive College Education to Work in the US

“…207,000 jobs were created in July… Of the new jobs, 26,000 (about 13%) are tax-supported government jobs. That leaves 181,000 private sector jobs. Of these private sector jobs, 177,000, or 98%, are in the domestic service sector…  Not a single one of these jobs produces a tradable good or service that can be exported or serve as an import substitute to help reduce the massive and growing US trade deficit…  What is the point of higher education when the job opportunities in the economy do not require it?”   

The Invisible Hand (of the U.S. Government) in Financial Markets

“Summary: The U.S. government is manipulating all major U.S. financial markets - stocks, treasuries, currencies. This article shows how it is possible and how it is done, why it is done, who specifically is doing it, when they do it, and where they get the money to do it.”

UK pension gap 'worse than US'

“Just 5% of UK pension schemes are fully funded…  In the US , one in five pension schemes are fully funded…”

Sacrifice? Count Me Out

“If You Supported the War, Pay For It…  It's not my duty to suffer for this pointless war. I've been against it all along, and you can stick your victory garden where the desert sun can't penetrate…  Bush and Cheney ignored our concerns.”

Want a Wal-Mart job? Join the crowd

Despite Wal-Mart’s fame for paying a below-poverty-level wage:  “11,000 apply for 400 openings at retailer's new Oakland store…”

Disney sweatshops alleged

“…some workers describe the oppressive conditions under which they are forced to work, including heat, long hours and unpaid, forced overtime…  Plant workers also describe how visiting businessmen are given show tours at Hung Hing where everything is cast as rosy.”

Hurricane Katrina could slow US economic expansion

CLIMATE CHANGE / GLOBAL WARMING

Ever more evidence shows that the Earth is undergoing drastic climatic change, whether natural or human-induced, while the official U.S. position is that no such problem exists. 

Global Warming Making Hurricanes Stronger
”This year marked the first time on record that the Atlantic spawned four named storms by early July, as well as the earliest category 4 storm on record.”

Warming hits 'tipping point'

Warmer Oceans May Be Killing West Coast Marine Life

Broad Environmental Damage Seen From Space Shuttle

US senators: Global warming obvious in far north

Carbon emissions from US autos on the rise - report

Wildlife moves to stay cool in a warmer world

Is extreme weather down to climate change?

Ocean 'dead zones' remain prevalent

Republicans accused of witch-hunt against climate change scientists

EARTHQUAKES:

3.3-magnitude earthquake hits Mount St. Helens
Earth shakes around the world
Quake measuring 5.7 jolts Indonesia's Ambon
EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 4.8 BETWEEN EVIA AND SKIATHOS
Strong Earthquake Shakes Nicaragua

Earthquake hits juncture of two SW China provinces

Tokyo, Yokohama Shaken by Magnitude 5.6 Quake, U.S. Survey Says

Moderate Earthquake In Nicobar Island

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New Mexico

Magnitude 4.8 - KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION

Magnitude 4.2 - ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA

Magnitude 4.3 - SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS

Another Earthquake Rattles Mississippi County

Strong earthquake shakes southern Mexico

Earthquake topples houses in China

Earthquake causes damages, power cuts in Chile

Earthquake Strikes North of Tokyo; Injuries Reported (Update4)

Mild earthquake rattles Arkansas

Magnitude 5.4 Quake - MOLUCCA SEA

Earthquake shakes Rome, coastal towns

Earthquake shakes Southern Flinders Ranges

Turkey, Greece hit by moderate earthquake

Magnitude 4.6 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Magnitude 5.1 - NORTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE

Magnitude 4.2 - NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Magnitude 6.2 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Earthquake Rocks Western Carolinas

Earthquake jolts south Xinjiang

Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake - MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES

Magnitude 6.0 Quake - SOUTH OF PANAMA

Magnitude 5.5 Quake - NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA

FLOODS AND STORMS:
Bombay Flooded Again as Rains Hit Western India
Plenty of food yet the poor are starving

July Sets Record for Tropical Storms

Storms, Tornado Hit Wisconsin, Kill 1

Fires, floods leave trail of death and destruction in Europe

Rescuers evacuate submerged district in Swiss capital as floods ravage Europe

Powerful Typhoon Menaces Tokyo

Floodwaters recede in central Europe, fires still blaze in Iberia

HEAT AND DROUGHTS:
High temperature hits eastern Europe
Ice shelf collapse was biggest for 10,000 years

Drought dries up much of France

Malaysia facing water crisis

FIRES:
Forest fires stretch Portuguese emergency services

VOLCANOES:
Nicaragua warns of eruption of Concepcion Volcano

DISEASE:

Britain's elite get pills to survive bird flu
Flu could infect half world's people in year
Pig-borne disease in China stumps experts
Researchers: Outbreak of bird flu could be stopped

The Flu Threat

Russia Reports Bird Flu Dangerous to Humans Spreading Towards Europe

Russia Reports Bird Flu in Sixth Region

When it started raining birds

Mass bird deaths found in European Russian region

Bird flu case detected at chicken farm in east Japan

European farmers act to halt spread of bird flu

Bird flu 'stabilising' in Russia

One quarter of China's farmland hit by pests

U.S. Website Suspects Bio Leak as Central Russia Hit by Rabbit Fever

Bush to do some heavy reading

“One is The Great Influenza: The Epic Story Of The Deadliest Plague In History. It tells the story of the virus that killed more than 50 million people worldwide in 1918 and argues that the US government ignored the crisis and created conditions that allowed it to thrive.”

No protection against virulent flu strain

Deadly avian flu on the wing

Kiwis stockpile bird flu drugs

Roche Gives WHO 3M Doses of Bird Flu Drug

Spread of bird flu virus is a 'national emergency'

Pig disease claims 40th human life in China

Deaths of sea birds have wildlife officials puzzled

Avoid contact with sea birds -- Officials issue warning as several dead shearwaters wash up on Assateague beach

Millions of dead fish washing up on local coast

Water Park Closes After Hundreds Fall Ill

“ ALBANY , N.Y. -- Gastrointestinal illness possibly stemming from a state-run water playground has sickened more than 700 people, mostly children and teenagers…”

Update: N.Y. Water Park Illnesses Grow to 2,202

Update: 3,100 Reported Ill From N.Y. Water Park

New case of mad cow disease found in Austria

SCIENCE AND ODDITIES YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT

They Sing the Comet Electric

Ancient Civilisations: Six Great Enigmas

East Kingston woman reports second UFO sighting

'Thoughts read' via brain scans

“Scientists say they have been able to monitor people's thoughts via scans of their brains.”

Mass Mind Control

Meteor impacts may be good for Earth

Clouds blamed for lights scare - Or a very bright meteor breaking up

Meteorite hits Zimbabwe

Did a giant meteor kill dinosaurs?

Did double whammy of volcano and asteroid wipe out dinosaurs?

Meteor over Reunion Island

The dust left behind by meteors is bigger than scientists thought.

Meteor dust obscures climate change views

First Asteroid Trio Discovered

Asteroid's path could put Earth in its sights

Genetic Contamination Spreads in 'GM-Free' Australia

GM maize cleared as animal feed

River flowing with cocaine indicates 'vast' drug use

“The analysis indicates that at least 40,000 packets of the drug are snorted each day – 80 times more than the official estimate of just 15,000 doses taken per month by people living in the area.”

Vaccines and Autism: Looking for the Truth? Study the Amish

”A recent survey by United Press found that autism is virtually unknown among Pennsylvania's large Amish populations -- a strong indication that vaccines are indeed a principal culprit of the epidemic. Despite the repeated urgings of independent scientists and the families of autistic children, the federal agencies involved have refused to commission such a study and have closed federal vaccine files in order to derail the creation of those studies by outside scientists.”

Dragons in the Tibet Sky

Electronic Harassment: A Real Threat

“It is an established fact that non ionizing microwave radiation, especially Extra Low Frequency ELF microwaves can induce sudden and dramatic changes in human psychological states, alter sleep patterns, cause headaches, memory loss and physiological changes. These ELF microwaves are invisible and virtually undetectable. Their effects are not widely known and the equipment to prove they are being used is not generally available….”

Tension Headaches Cut In Half With Acupuncture

Tsunami clue to 'Atlantis' found

When it started raining birds

Crocodile blood may yield powerful new drugs

Teens Allegedly Beat Homeless Men

“The alleged attackers told officers they had recently seen the DVD "Bumfights" and wanted to do some "bum bashing" of their own, police Officer Jason Lee said.”  How many times have you heard that TV and movies don’t influence behavior. 

Video games linked to aggression, study finds

Violent or erotic images cause momentary periods of "emotion-induced blindness"

”A new psychological study finds that when people are shown violent or erotic images they frequently fail to process what they see immediately afterwards.”

Scientist: Men do have trouble hearing women

Earth's Core Rotates Faster than Surface, Study Confirms

Aurora Storm – Coronal Mass Ejections

Most scientific papers are probably wrong

Scientists baffled by mystery heat source on Saturn's moon

'Tenth planet' hunted in wrong part of the sky

8 in 10 Say Aliens Real

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