Hellboy

Devil Can't Compare to Bush, Politician Says

"Calling Bush the devil is offending the devil," Correa said. He said that "the devil is evil, but intelligent."

USA Today/Gallup Poll:
42% of Americans Believe Bush Administration Manipulating Gas Prices to Help GOP

A USA Today/Gallup poll conducted September 15-17 reveals that an astounding 42% of Americans believe that the current drop in prices at the pump are the direct result of manipulation by the Bush administration.
So that would mean that the past RISE in gas prices.......?????

"A Total Rollback Of Everything This Country Has Stood For"
: Sen. Patrick Leahy Blasts Congressional Approval of Detainee Bill
The Senate has agreed to give President Bush extraordinary power to detain and try prisoners in the so-called war on terror. The legislation strips detainees of the right to challenge their own detention and gives the President the power to detain them indefinitely. The bill also immunizes U.S. officials from prosecution for torturing detainees who the military and the CIA captured before the end of last year. We get reaction from Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Detainee Treatment Bill Goes to White House Following Senate Approval
The Senate has agreed to give President Bush extraordinary power to detain and try prisoners in the so-called war on terror. The legislation strips detainees of the right to file habeas corpus petitions to challenge their own detention or treatment. It gives the president the power to indefinitely detain anyone it deems to have provided material support to anti-U.S. hostilities. Secret and coerced evidence could be used to try detainees held in U.S. military prisons. The bill also immunizes U.S. officials from prosecution for torturing detainees who the military and the CIA captured before the end of last year. The Senate passed the measure sixty five to thirty four. Twelve Democrats joined the Republican majority. The House passed virtually the same legislation on Wednesday. Legal groups, including the Center for Constitutional Rights, are already preparing to challenge the constitutionality of the law in court.

House Re-Writes Wiretap Laws for Bush Spy Program
In other news from Capitol Hill, the House has voted to re-write the country's domestic wiretap laws to accommodate the Bush administration's warrantless spying. The bill would change current law requiring a court order for the monitoring of incoming or outgoing communications in the United States. Court orders would be required only if a phone call or e-mail occurred within the US. Critics say that will lead to increased surveillance of citizens without court approval. A competing bill awaits a Senate vote.

House approves bill on terror detainees

The provisions are intended to protect CIA interrogators from being prosecuted for war crimes.

So, remember all those WW2 stories about how evil the Japanese and Germans were for torturing prisoners. Well, you can forget all about those, because now torture is COOL because the United States has decided it is okay to torture prisoners even if they haven't actually done anything justifying arrest. Except that we don't call it torture any more. It's now called "forceful interrogation techniques."
No doubt, the Germans and Japanese during WW2 had similar warm and fuzzy euphemisms for what they were doing. But in the modern United States, it is no longer torture to beat someone to unconsciousness. It is only torture if they subsequently die from it. The Founding Fathers would be SO proud of what their nation has become.

A Vote That Will Live in Infamy --
Who Will Betray Their Country Today and
Who Will Stand Up for America? There is no excuse. Democrats who vote for this bill because of cowardly political expediency will forever be tainted. We will never forget. This is the most un-American bill I have ever seen. Republicans have proven themselves to be craven sycophants who will do Vice President Cheney's bidding no matter what, over and over. There is almost no hope for any of them. They will go down in history as the leaders of the worst Congress of all time. But the Democrats ...For the love of God, you are supposed to be our last line of defense.

Mini-gulags, hired guns and lobbyists

Camp Cropper itself turns out to be an interesting story, but one with a problem: while the emptying of Abu Ghraib made the news everywhere, the filling of Camp Cropper made no news at all. And yet it turns out that Camp Cropper, which started out as a bunch of tents, has now become a US$60 million "state-of-the-art" prison. The upgrade, on the drawing boards since 2004, was just completed and hardly a word has been written about it. We really have no idea what it consists of or what it looks like, even though it's in one of the few places in Iraq that an American reporter could safely visit, being on a vast US military base constructed, like the prison, with taxpayer dollars.
Camp Bucca is a story you can't read anywhere in the United States - and yet it may, in a sense, be the most important American story in Iraq right now. While arguments spin endlessly here at home about the nature of withdrawal "timetables", and who's cutting and running from what, and how many troops the US will or won't have in-country in 2007, 2008 or 2009, on the ground a process continues that makes mockery of the debate in Washington and in the country. While the "reconstruction" of Iraq has come to look ever more like the deconstruction of Iraq, the construction of an ever more permanent-looking American landscape in that country has proceeded apace and with reasonable efficiency.

Russia in threat to turn off gas to US giants

The shift in policy, revealed by Mr Putin after talks with the French President and the German Chancellor at the weekend, will be a blow to efforts by American energy companies to secure access to one of the world's largest gasfields. The apparent snub to American interests is further evidence of increasing tension between Washington and Moscow over trade and the willingness of the Kremlin to use its energy resources as a political lever.

Scientists uncover why Spanish Flu was so deadly
The pandemic was one of the worst in recorded history and killed more people than World War I. But researchers did not understand what made it so lethal.By infecting mice with a reconstructed version of the 1918 virus and monitoring their response, a team of scientists believe they have found some clues to solve the puzzle as well as a possible new way to fight pandemic flu.
Hope none of the mice escape from the lab.....
The Spanish Flu pandemic was caused by the H1N1 influenza strain. Unlike other flu viruses that afflict mainly the elderly and children, the 1918 pandemic struck young adults in their prime and people without immune system problems. Kash and his colleagues discovered that the reconstructed virus activated immune system genes in the rodents and caused serious lung damage and death. When they looked more closely at the animals' response, they found several genes had been activated including those that are linked to cell death. A second group of mice infected with a benign flu virus had a less serious immune response and none died.
"It is an overblown inflammatory response," he added in an interview, adding that it could have caused a similar immune response in humans.

Judge rejects Ashcroft's immunity claim

Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft could be called to testify in a lawsuit that claims a student was wrongly imprisoned in a computer terrorism case, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Americans favor diplomacy on Iran: Reuters poll
70 percent oppose the use of U.S. troops to thwart Iran, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Thursday.

Lt. Ehren Watada does his duty
US Army 1st. Lt Ehren Watada is facing an eight-year term in military prison for just doing his duty: serving our country and protecting the Constitution. The charges against Lt. Watada are conduct unbecoming an officer, missing movement, and contempt toward President Bush. But they boil down to the "crimes" of thinking, speaking and following his conscience.

Iraq war was terrorism 'recruiting sergeant'
The Iraq war has acted as a "recruiting sergeant" for extremists in the Muslim world, according to a paper prepared for a Ministry of Defence thinktank, which also said the British government sent troops into Afghanistan "with its eyes closed".
WHO really benefits from the war going on indefinitely? Defense contractors, perhaps?

Rumsfeld Comments on Intelligence Report
t is impossible to know with any precision whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have created more terrorists than they've killed, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday. In his first extensive remarks about a recent U.S. intelligence report saying the threat of terrorism has risen, Rumsfeld told reporters at a NATO meeting that, in general, the value of intelligence reports can be uneven, and "sometimes it's just flat wrong." (But he's based all his moves on it....) But he added that, "the implication that if you stop killing or capturing people who are trying to kill you, then therefore the world would be a better place, is obviously nonsensical."
Memo to Secretary Rumsfeld: there is a reason why local nationals in the Middle East are fighting US troops: WE'VE INVADED THEIR COUNTRIES! The absolute absence of any logic in this man's response to the Intelligence Report is terrifying in the extreme.

Confidence in Iraq Policies Drops to 20% in U.S
A Broken, De-Humanized Military in Iraq
Poll: Iraqis Back Attacks on U.S. Troops

About six in 10 Iraqis say they approve of attacks on U.S.-led forces, and slightly more than that want their government to ask U.S. troops to leave within a year, according to a poll in that country.

US troops go home!

Losing a War, Winning a Police State

The downward spiral of the Iraq War and the worsening worldwide terrorism threat are negatives only if one assumes that creating a more peaceful and secure world was the original goal. If the goal included changing the character of the United States as a free and open society – and consolidating one-party Republican control over the federal budget – then the administration's policies would seem to be working like a charm. In the United States, which Bush calls part of the "battlefield" in the "global war on terror," fear has prompted millions of Americans to surrender constitutional rights willingly and accept government intrusions that would have been unthinkable before 9/11.

TURKEY POUNDS PKK CAMPS

Great: security is so terrific in Iraq that Turkey feels they have no other option but to attack Kurdish bases inside Iraq.

Neocons' Middle East Scheme Is Backfiring
"Back in 1996, a clique of Neocons, led by Richard Perle, concocted a scheme for Israel to "destabilize" the Middle East. The Palestinians were to be crushed and Iraq and Lebanon balkanized. The U.S. and UK were conned into doing the Neocons' dirty work in Iraq. Now, Hezbollah fighters have tossed a huge wrench into the not-so-clever plot. Instead of Israel becoming "safer," the Neocons have put its citizens at risk and its army in danger of defeat."

Doomed to repeat: Germany, 1933

I know how dangerous it is to argue by comparing present events to the Nazi nightmare. But I did a little research, and the comparison between the torture bill that Congress is about to pass and the Enabling Act of 1933 -- the law that gave Hitler his power -- seems inescapable to me.

Decimating the Constitution with Military Tribunals

Given all the glorification being bestowed on three U.S. senators for displaying 'principle' in standing against President Bush's plan to amend the Geneva Convention to permit torture of detainees, followed by their quick compromise abandoning any semblance of principle, it is easy to lose sight of something much bigger: The military tribunals that the president and the Congress are set to approve will constitute the most radical, dangerous, and disgraceful transformation in the U.S. criminal-justice system since our nation's inception.

John Bolton and US Lawlessness

The Bush administration's international lawlessness did not come from nowhere. Its intellectual foundations were laid long before 9/11 by neoconservative intellectuals such as United Nations Ambassador John Bolton. Now, with his Senate renomination hanging by a thread, he should be outed as a primary architect of the neocon nest at American Enterprise Institute. At the United Nations, he represents the neoconservatives who stand for everything that is hated about America – to paraphrase Winston Churchill, never have so few made so much disaster for so many.

First friction between UN peacekeepers, Israeli troops in Lebanon
Tanks belonging to French contingent of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon were involved in a brief confrontation with Israeli tanks Thursday on a road where Israeli troops had been erecting checkpoints. Four French Leclerc tanks with UN peacekeepers moved to the entrance of the border village of Marwaheen where at least five Israeli Merkava tanks were operating in the area for the past two days, preventing civilians and journalists from entering the village.Israeli movement inside Lebanese territory have caused great dismay in the Lebanese government which is considering filing a complaint to the UN Security Council over Israel's delay in withdrawing troops.
Israelis go home!

UN ENVOY ACCUSES ISRAEL OF ETHNIC CLEANSING United Nations Human rights envoy to the Palestinian territories John Dugard has published a report Tuesday where he does not shy away from sharply criticizing Israel and the West for the situation in Gaza. "Israel has turned the Gaza Strip into a prison for Palestinians and have thrown away the key," he said, adding that "in other countries this process might be described as ethnic cleansing."

GOP Slanders Dems With 'Anti-Israel' Ads
Over the last month, the Republican Jewish Coalition has placed ads in Jewish newspapers across the country making the outrageous and ridiculous assertion that Democrats are "turning their backs on Israel." At the same time, the accusation has been made by individuals who have sent out thousands of e-mails to all those in their inboxes.

A TIMELINE OF OIL AND VIOLENCE
1995: Unocal, seeking to build a pipeline across Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (for delivery to energy hungry Asia via the Pakistani Arabian Sea coast), signed an agreement with Turkmenistan for natural gas purchasing rights for transport through a proposed pipeline. (See also 2) Unocal also signed an agreement with Turkmenistan for an oil pipeline along the same route.
Aug 13, 1996: Unocal and Delta Oil Co. of Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia's Gazprom and Turkmenistan's Turkmenrusgaz to build a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan.
Oct. 1997: Unocal and other oil companies formed Central Asia Gas Pipeline, Ltd. (CentGas) in preparation for building the trans-Afghanistan pipeline.
Dec. 1997: Unocal invited Taliban representatives to their corporate headquarters in Sugarland, TX. to discuss the pipeline project. They were thereafter invited to Washington for meetings with Clinton Administration officials.

7-Eleven drops Citgo gasoline; cites Chavez

Torture Tactics Refined In US Prisons, ACLU Says
The director of the American Civil Liberties Union's National Prisoner Project Wednesday accused U.S. governments past and present of honing torture tactics in American prisons before they were allegedly implemented in terrorist detention centers in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Deal to monitor media
Company that paid reporters for favorable stories about Iraq will "monitor" the news on behalf of the US Government.

Something bad is about to happen. Only you can stop it, and the clock is ticking.
Under SPA . . .

• The President can spy on you without a warrant
• You'll never learn that his spys have done so, until they use the information against you (legally or not)
• Your phone and internet providers can't refuse to provide information about you
• Or tell you they've done so after the fact

Heralded Iraq Police Academy a 'Disaster' "They may have to demolish everything they built," said Robert DeShurley, a senior engineer with the inspector general's office. "The buildings are falling down as they sit."

New Hope for Democrats in Bid for Senate
Six weeks before Election Day, the Democrats suddenly face a map with unexpected opportunities in their battle for control of the Senate.

If It's Election Season, It Must Be Time for a Terror Alert

It can't be emphasized too often or too strongly that terrorism is a political act, it is making a political statement, a statement that can often be summed up in a single word: "retaliation"; terrorism is what people with bombs but no air force have to resort to. The Bush and Blair administrations can not admit to the correlation of terrorism with their policies, but those opposed to their wars should never allow them to avoid the issue.

Why Some Republicans Want to Lose

As the White House and its Republican allies on Capitol Hill work to retain control of Congress in November's elections, a small but vocal band of conservative iconoclasts say they would prefer to see their own party lose.

Keith Olbermann Terrorized and Gov Tries to Hide it
We have serious reason to worry about Olbermann's safety. Last night, he reported that he'd been threatened, apparently with some anthrax-like substance that required him to be subjected to 10 hours of detention in a hospital. He was discharged with a prescription for Cipro. Worse, he and his network were told to keep this off the air.
They're desperate -- get used to it...

We miss you so much!

NIE: Iraq War Has Become the 'Cause Celebre' for Jihadists
The country’s intelligence agencies have concluded the Iraq war is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives around the world. That is one of the main conclusions of a partially declassified National Intelligence Estimate on terrorism written by the nation's 16 spy agencies. President Bush ordered the declassification of a four page summary of the NIE after the contents of the report were leaked to the press.
Part of the National Intelligence Estimate concluded "The Iraq conflict has become the 'cause celebre' for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of U.S. involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement." President Bush dismissed claims that the report indicates the invasion of Iraq was a mistake.
The New York Times reports that nowhere in the National Intelligence Estimate is there evidence to support President Bush’s claim that the country is winning the war on terror. Democrats have called for the White House to declassify the entire NIE.

Negroponte Tries To Cloud Analysis Of 'War On Terror'

Democrats Decide Not to Filibuster Detainee Bill
Congressional Quarterly reports that Democrats are not planning any organized effort to filibuster the controversial military commissions and detainee treatment bill even though many do not agree with some of the specifics in the legislation. Democratic aides say they did not want to give Republicans an opportunity to paint them into a corner ahead of the November elections. Outside of Congress, opposition to the detainee bill is mounting.



31 Former Ambassadors Warn Against Eliminating Habeas Corpus
31 former Ambassadors – including 20 who served in Republican administrations – have warned lawmakers not to eliminate habeas corpus for prisoners. They said such a move would make a mockery of the administration's efforts to promote democracy. Meanwhile Human Rights Watch is urging Congress to reject the entire bill. The group warned that the legislation will undermine the rule of law by denying the fundamental right of habeas corpus to detainees held abroad, by defining 'unlawful enemy combatants' in a broad manner, and by limiting protections against detainee mistreatment. Human Rights Watch said the most troubling part of the bill is its 'court-stripping' provision, which would bar detainees in U.S. custody anywhere around the world from challenging the legality of their detention via habeas corpus actions.

Torture: a Family Value
Cafferty talked about some of the outrage over the Detainee and torture bill today and then took some really good emails about the new Republican torture standard. Everyone knows that BushCo. wants this passed ASAP for election time. Big props to the Faithful Democrats for tackling this issue today. It would be wonderful to see Barack Obama jump in and take a stand on this moral issue and show some of the great leadership qualities that we hear so much about.

Hidden Stinger in Bush NIE release
This sinister amalgam is to equate leftist, nationalists, anti-globalization activists, etc., with fundamentalist Islamic terrorism. It assumes such terrorism will occur, and, as such, is a set-up for a crackdown on such groups.

Fear the October Surprise

It wasn't Adolph Hitler who paid the price for WW II and his illegal war of aggression, it was the German people. We simply cannot torture and murder people on a wholesale basis without paying the butcher's bill.

Fascism the American Way

Tragically, the forces of avarice, militarism, nationalism, and lust for power have all but extinguished the bright illumination cast by those amongst the Founding Fathers who were deeply influenced by the Age of Enlightenment. Despite its military and technological prowess, the United States is awash in ignorance, superstition, repression, and fear reminiscent of the Dark Ages.

Fascism is associated by many scholars with one or more of the following characteristics: a very high degree of nationalism, economic corporatism, a powerful, dictatorial leader who portrays the nation, state or collective as superior to the individuals or groups composing it.



State Dept Poll: 75% of Baghdad Residents Want U.S. Out
In news from Iraq, a new poll conducted by the State Department has found a strong majority of Iraqis want US-led military forces to withdraw from the country. In Baghdad nearly 75% of residents said they would feel safer if the U.S. forces left. 65% of Baghdad residents favored an immediate pullout.
The poll shows a deep divide between the residents of Iraq and its political leaders. Earlier this week Iraqi president Jalal Talabani called for the United States to permanently keep two air bases inside Iraq.

Bush's Own Church Urges US Troops Out From Iraq

Lincoln Group Gets New Iraq Contract
The Pentagon has awarded the Lincoln Group a new two-year $6,000,000 contract to monitor English and Arabic media outlets in Iraq and to help the military with public relations. The Lincoln Group is the company that the Bush administration used to plant U.S. military propaganda in the Iraqi press.

Greenpeace Block Toxic Ship Connected to Ivory Coast Disaster
Activists from Greenpeace have blocked an oil tanker from leaving a port in the country of Estonia. The Dutch tanker is at the center of a major environmental crisis in the African nation of Ivory Coast. Last month the tanker dumped hundreds of tons of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast city of Abidjan. The dumping has already led to eight deaths and tens of thousands of people have sought medical treatment after getting sick from the toxic fumes. UN experts have said the toxic waste contained the chemical hydrogen sulfide. Officials in Ivory Coast have called for the tanker to be returned to the region so it can be used as evidence.


"As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we don't know."

Bush Administration Blocks Study Linking Global Warming to Hurricanes
The journal Nature has revealed that the Bush administration has blocked the release of a government report that suggests global warming is causing stronger and more frequent hurricanes.
Meanwhile a new report published by the National Academy of Sciences has determined that the Earth's temperature has climbed to levels not seen in thousands of years. The report says this warming has already begun to affect plants and animals.

John Bolton Confirmation Hearings Stalled
In news from Capitol Hill, the confirmation of John Bolton to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has stalled again. No vote on his confirmation is expected until November. Bolton is serving under a temporary appointment that will expire when the current Congress concludes in January.


A "Maverick" in Action
Sen. John McCain on Sunday urged quick confirmation for John Bolton as U.N. ambassador, saying the nominee is needed to talk back to "two-bit dictators" such as Venezuela’s president. McCain, R-Ariz., joined lawmakers from both parties in condemning Hugo Chavez’s speech last week at the United Nations in which the Venezuelan called President Bush "the devil."
"I would say that this is an argument to get John Bolton confirmed as our U.N. ambassador," McCain said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "He’s smart, he’s tough, he will respond to these guys. And he could talk back to these two-bit dictators who have the airfare to New York."



Olmert tells ministers to end talk of negotiations with Syria
Olmert was apparently referring to comments by Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who said Tuesday during a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel should not rule out negotiations with Syria.

Hi-tech firm boycotts Israel over 'war crimes'
Belgian hi-tech company specializing in development consulting notifies manager of Israeli company seeking cooperation that 'your country has conducted war crimes and is an apartheid regime'.

Remembering Gaza beach - how it all started
A heart-wrenching, blood-drenched reminder of what our Zionist-controlled mainstream media wants you to forever forget - how this whole bloody fiasco started in Gaza. Israelis deliberately fired several rounds of shells onto a crowded beach ripping to pieces this 12 year old girl's entire family before her very eyes.
At least how this year's installment started...

Russia launches massive air force test exercise
The Russian military on Tuesday launched a massive exercise that will involve dozens of long-range bombers test-firing cruise missiles, the nation's air force chief said, according to news reports.
A "hands off Iran" message?
Ukraine Radar/Stealth Detection Systems Sold To Iran



Challenge to Mainstream Journalists: Dare to really investigate 9/11
I dare you to tackle 9/11. Come on. Too scared of losing your job? Reputation, prestige, access? Stossel, Palast, Olbermann?? What the hell are you so afraid of? You want fame, an eternal legacy? You want the ultimate story? It’s right in front of your nose. It's currently being written by on a shoestring by Alex Jones, David Ray Griffin, Daniel Hopsicker and other heroes who have the guts to risk everything for the sake of truth, for our future as a nation.
9-11 Fireman: Bomb In The Building


CENTCOM Sergeant Details Traitorous Stand Down Orders On 911
"I was working on psyops commander's computer and next to his PC was a top secret document that was open and I look over and I'm reading the document, and it's the off order for the exercise that they are participating in. So I'm reading this document and it's giving proposed situations for scenarios for this wargame the scenarios include a hijacked plane, most of them were hijacked planes, I saw one that was like a car bomb trying to blow up something, but one of them was a hijacked plane crashing into a nuclear power plant in California, the Sears Tower, the World Trade Center, The Pentagon obviously, the White House, our building was one of the targets as well."
Chavez also described how during the exercises the aerospace grid with "enemy" blips on it has to be piped in to the air traffic controllers of all the airports in the affected area so they know there is a military exercise going on. This ties in with the released NORAD/NEADS and FAA tapes and accounts that are riddled with references to the drills and exercises taking place on 9/11.


Chavez described the plot as "genius" and stated:
"If you want to crash planes into a building, and you've got the aerospace grid at your beck and call, so you put a bunch of blips on it so no one knows which ones are real and which ones are fake... All you have to do is have someone in charge of the computer systems to put the blips on the screen and then you can do whatever you want."
Chavez proceeded to detail the key discussions that he heard inside the bunker on the day of 9/11:
"Then we see the other plane come in and hit it and at that point everybody is standing up. The air force had commanders in contact with NORAD. The plane, or whatever, hit the Pentagon and then we were like 'Why aren't they scrambling jets?' We were asking, there was eight or nine people... Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels asking the Lieutenant Colonel in charge of the air force 'why isn't NORAD scrambling jets? and he said 'we received an order to stand down''. And that just perplexed everybody."



Evidence Of US Govt Use Of Mini-Nukes On WTC
Just some of the facts are: widespread cancer in the responders, molten steel, melted cars, steel beams hurled hundreds of feet, aerosolized metals, vaporized steel witnessed, aerosolized and pulverized concrete, elevated tritium levels, vanishing (vaporized) victims, hundreds of eyewitness testimony of ancillary explosions by heroic rescuers and victims, massive dispersal of debris, demolition expert states hydrogen bomb needed for this type of demolition, audio of a massive explosion prior to collapse, video of ancillary explosions, audio of ancillary explosions, significant reduction in debris pile, ancillary thermate found in wreckage, shockwave of a mini yield nuclear blast knocked people off their feet, vaporization of 200,000 gallons of water, removal of wreckage without investigation, only remnants of fire in one tower minutes after the plane collision, unprecedented history of 3 skyscrapers collapsing secondary to fire, towers fall at demolition or free fall speed, unprecedented NORAD non response to variant flights, FEMA drill scheduled for same day, military 'exercise' of exactly what was taking place to prevent NORAD response, most of NORAD protection planes sent far away in another 'exercise' to prevent response, prevention of examination of wreckage by those assigned to investigate, seismic evidence of a mini yield nuclear explosion, hundreds of people found themselves trapped by locked doors and missing escape routes above and below the impact zone, and not all inclusively, but finally, Bush brands anyone noting any of these facts a terrorist.

Comverse Ex-CEO Is Located in Namibia
Mr. Alexander, a prominent figure in the Israeli high-tech industry, co-founded Comverse, a New York telecommunications company. He and two other former Comverse executives were charged with conspiracy to commit mail, wire and securities fraud by the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn, related to a decade-long plan to allegedly manipulate the company's stock options.

Democrat brings Iraq experience to poll
During an election debate at the weekend in the outskirts of Chicago, Peter Roskam, the Republican candidate for Illinois's sixth district, trotted out the familiar line that his Democratic opponent wanted America to "cut and run" from Iraq.
His opponent, Tammy Duckworth, a former National Guard pilot who lost both her legs in Iraq last year when her helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, was visibly angry at the exchange.


Race slur senator loses ground to Democrats
Six months ago George Allen, a right-wing Republican beloved of Christian conservatives, was regarded as not only a shoo-in for re-election to the Senate this autumn but also a serious contender for the presidential nomination in 2008. Since then his presidential ambitions, along with his reputation and possibly his political career, have begun to unravel, so much so that Democrats are now eyeing his Virginia seat as one of the six they need to win if they are to regain control of the Senate on November 7.

Shelton also recounted an episode 30 years ago in which he and Allen and a third friend shot a deer while hunting. Shelton said Allen cut the deer's head off, asked directions to the home of the nearest black person, and shoved the head into that person's oversized mailbox.

Four banks helped me, Enron's Fastow says
The accusations could be seized on by shareholders seeking to recover $30 billion of losses.
Go get 'em!

Mad Cow BSE Hits Elk In Idaho

SLC Mayor Rocky Anderson: "No more lies!"

Salt Lake City’s Mayor Rocky Anderson:
"This War Was Sold to the American People Largely by
Fox and Other Members of the Media and We Were Lied To"
"Our nation has engaged in a tragic unnecessary war, based upon categorically false justifications. More than 100,000 people have been killed. And many more have been seriously maimed, brain-damaged or rendered mentally ill.
Our nation's reputation throughout much of the world has been destroyed. We have many more enemies bent on our destruction than before our invasion of Iraq. And the hatred toward us has grown to the point that it will take many years, perhaps generations, to overcome the loathing created by our unjustified illegal invasion and occupation of a Muslim nation.
What incredible ineptitude and callousness for our president to talk about a crusade, while lying to us to make a case for the invasion and occupation of a Muslim country.
Our children and later generations will pay the price of the lies, the violence, the cruelty, the incompetence and the inhumanity of the Bush administration and the lackey congress that has so cowardly abrogated its responsibility and authority under our checks and balances system of government.
We are here to say, "We will not stand for it anymore! No more lies! No more preemptive illegal war based on false information! No more 'God is on our side' religious nonsense to justify this immoral illegal war!""


Exclusive: AWOL Iraq Veteran Turns Himself In Instead of Returning to Iraq; Faces Five Years in Prison
Army medic Agustin Aguayo and his wife, Helga, speak to Democracy Now. Later today Agustin plans to turn himself in to the military weeks after he went AWOL at his base in Germany. He faces five yeas in prison.

Vermont Congress candidate calls on Pentagon to arrest Bush, Cheney

Former Army Lieutenant and candidate for Congress in Vermont, Dennis Morrisseau, today called for the arrest of President Bush and Vice President Cheney by the American military "if necessary" to prevent an unauthorized attack upon the nation of Iran.

Senate Moves to OK Detention of U.S. Citizens
The Bush administration has slipped in a major change to the Senate bill on interrogations that would allow U.S. citizens to be detained as enemy combatants.
Initially the bill defined an enemy combatant as anyone who engaged in hostilities against the United States or its allies but the definition has been expanded to include anyone who has materially supported hostilities against the United States or its allies.
The Washington Post reports that human rights experts expressed concern that the language in the new provision would be a precedent-setting congressional endorsement for the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens.

16 Spy Agencies Now Validate Ned Lamont's Campaign Message.
New NIE Makes it Clear Why He, Not Lieberman, is Right About Iraq

A 30-page National Intelligence Estimate, completed in April and released last week, reported without equivocation that the war in Iraq has fueled violent Islamic extremists; has increased terrorism in the region and throughout the world; and has served as an unprecedented recruitment tool for al Qaeda and other terror organizations.

GOP Ad Claims Martin Luther King Was a Republican
In other political news, a group calling itself the National Black Republican Association has begun taking out radio ads in Maryland and Ohio urging African Americans to vote Republican. The ads allege that Martin Luther King was a Republican.

Keith Olbermann: A textbook definition of cowardice
Our tone should be crazed. The nation's freedoms are under assault by an administration whose policies can do us as much damage as al Qaida; the nation's marketplace of ideas is being poisoned by a propaganda company so blatant that Tokyo Rose would've quit.
After five years of skirting even the most inarguable of facts—that he was president on 9/11 and he must bear some responsibility for his, and our, unreadiness, Mr. Bush has now moved, unmistakably and without conscience or shame, towards re-writing history, and attempting to make the responsibility, entirely Mr. Clinton's. Of course he is not honest enough to do that directly.
As with all the other nefariousness and slime of this, our worst presidency since James Buchanan, he is having it done for him, by proxy. Thus, the sandbag effort by Fox News Friday afternoon. Consider the timing: the very weekend the National Intelligence Estimate would be released and show the Iraq war to be the fraudulent failure it is—not a check on terror, but fertilizer for it.
To enforce the lies of the present, it is necessary to erase the truths of the past. That was one of the great mechanical realities Eric Blair—writing as George Orwell—gave us in the book "1984." The great philosophical reality he gave us, Mr. Bush, may sound as familiar to you, as it has lately begun to sound familiar to me.

"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power... Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution, is persecution. The object of torture, is torture. The object of power… is power."

More commentary by Keith Olbermann:

• Bush owes us an apology
• This hole in the ground
• 'Have you no sense of decency, sir?'
• Feeling morally, intellectually confused?

White House admits Iraq fuels extremism

The White House acknowledged that Iraq was among several factors that "fuel the spread of jihadism," but said that winning the war would dishearten potential terrorists. (Uh-huh).
Spokesman Tony Snow sought to challenge news reports on Sunday about the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq and terrorism, which represents the comprehensive consensus findings of the 16 US intelligence agencies.

Russia Snubs U.S., Redirects Gas Flow to Europe

A plan to give Europe access to a substantial amount of natural gas from the giant Shtokman field originally earmarked for the U.S. market is a direct consequence of U.S. policy toward Russia on WTO membership and sanctions on Russian defense exports, Russian newspapers reported on Monday, Sept. 25.

Media Tall Tales for the Next War

When the USA's biggest news weekly devotes five pages to scoping out a U.S. air war against Iran, as Time did in the same issue, it's yet another sign that the wheels of our nation's war-spin machine are turning faster toward yet another unprovoked attack on another country.
Today, while the human rights situation in Iran is reprehensible, the ongoing circumstances are far worse under many governments favored by Washington. Here at home, media outlets should be untangling double standards instead of contributing to them. But so many reporters and pundits have internalized Washington's geopolitical agendas that the mainline institutions of journalism continue to rot from within. That the rot goes largely unnoticed is testimony to how Orwellian "doublethink" has been normalized.

Web Of Terror
Five years later, George W. Bush’s "war on terror" has morphed into (as he calls it) a "War on Terra" -- an assault on the life and values of the United States and the planet -- including our judicial system.
Take for example, the sweeping scope of the "terror cases" that have surfaced so far. As the Washington Post noted recently, 9 out of 10 of the terror cases brought by the Justice Department since 9/11 did "not result in prosecutions." In these cases, "most charges [were] not related to terrorism and … only about a third of those prosecuted end up in prison."

Torture Victim Had No Terror Link, Canada Told U.S.

The United States of Barbarism
Last week, three senators reached an agreement with the White House that will de facto permit the CIA to continue torturing people around the world. And the deal will prevent anyone -- including Bush administration officials -- from being held liable for the torture.


President Hologram and the Triumph of Public Relations
It's widely known that Bush is an incurious poseur who doesn't read the newspapers and has no interest in the grueling task of managing the government. His forte is following a carefully prepared Karl Rove script and modeling the costumes selected by confidante Karen Hughes. This allows him to slip naturally into his role as the "made-for-TV" president while brushing aside the niggling affairs of state.

'Dummy vendors' reap $362m in Iraq

US government agencies charged with the reconstruction of Iraq allocated $362m to non-existent "dummy vendors", according to a report by the watchdog overseeing the reconstruction effort.

Army chief tells Bush: there's not enough money for Iraq war
The diminished dividends of war
Before the war in Iraq, the Pentagon's political appointees confidently predicted that the Middle Eastern country's oil production would very quickly pay for the invasion's financial costs and that Washington could draw down US forces to as few as 30,000 by the end of 2003.
In fact, about $400 billion - almost all of it for military operations - has been appropriated for both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars since September 2001, and current operations there are running at about $9 billion a month.

British troops suspected of 'guns for cocaine' trade
British soldiers are being investigated for smuggling guns out of Iraq and allegedly exchanging them for cocaine in illicit black market deals.

Rumsfeld holds talks with Montenegro about sending troops to Iraq or Afghanistan
Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff said Rumsfeld would discuss how with Montenegrin leaders how they can contribute to the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
"That's on the table," said Ruff, speaking to reporters en route to Montenegro. "There will be discussion about what kind of involvement they see in the global war, and certainly any kind of support for specifically the Central Command (Middle East) region would be greatly appreciated."
Is the US outsourcing failed and failing wars to developing countries now? Why not? Then they can BUY the weapons they need from US corporations! Profits!

Three Retired Generals Call on Rumsfeld to Resign
Three retired military officers who served in Iraq called on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign during a hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday.
Retired officers Major General John R. S. Batiste, Major General Paul Eaton and Colonel Paul X. Hammes testified in brutally honest terms before a panel convened by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND). Dorgan said of the Republican failure to perform any oversight whatsoever over the Bush White House "if they won't ... we will."
And the retired Iraq-war leaders got right to the point in their opening statements.
"I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq," said Batiste, who described himself as a "lifelong Republican" who was so discouraged with the military under Bush and Rumsfeld that he chose to retire.
"I left the military on principle on November 1, 2005, after more than 31 years of service," said Batiste. "I walked away from promotion and a promising future serving our country. I hung up my uniform because I came to the gut-wrenching realization that I could do more good for my soldiers and their families out of uniform."

Saddam trial adjourned
Saddam Hussein's genocide trial has been adjourned until October 9 to allow defendants to contact their lawyers or appoint new ones.

Three Marines Face Trial For Murdering Iraqi
In other military news, the Pentagon announced on Monday that three U.S. Marines will go on trial for murdering an unarmed Iraqi civilian in Hamdania in April.

Depleted Uranium Measured in British Atmosphere from Battlefields in the Middle East

The highest levels of depleted uranium ever measured in the atmosphere in Britain, were transported on air currents from the Middle East and Central Asia; of special significance were those from the Tora Bora bombing in Afghanistan in 2001, and the "Shock & Awe" bombing during Gulf War II in Iraq in 2003.

An international expert on low level radiation, Busby serves as an official advisor on several British government committees, and co-authored an independent report on low level radiation with 45 scientists, the European Committee on Radiation Risk (ECRR), for the European Parliament. He was able to get Aldermaston air monitoring data from Halliburton /AWE by filing a Freedom of Information request using a new British law which became effective January 1, 2005; but the data for 2003 was missing. He obtained the 2003 data from the Defence Procurement Agency.
The fact that the air monitoring data was circulated by Halliburton/ AWE to the Defence Procurement Agency, implies that it was considered to be relevant, and that Dr. Busby was stonewalled because Halliburton/ AWE clearly recognized that it was a serious enough matter to justify a government interpretation of the results, and official decisions had to be made about what the data would show and its political implications for the military.

Rice Evokes Possible New Sanctions Against Syria for Destabilizing Lebanon

The United States is hoping to convince its allies to back new sanctions against Syria in response to its purported role in destabilizing Lebanon and Iraq and supporting the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

Hold on a minute: isn't this the same Syria that recently prevented the destruction of the US embassy in Damscus, and lost some of its own people in that effort? It would seem that actions like that should be opening doors for negotiation, not slamming them shut with new sanctions.

Olmert says Israel will not accept a nuclear Iran

"Israel can't accept the possibility of Iranians having nuclear weapons and we will act together with the international forces, starting with the Americans, in order to prevent it," Olmert told The Jerusalem Post daily in an interview.

But the middle east is supposed to accept a nuclear Israel.



Real Videos: Israeli Defense Forces shooting journalists

Israel Denies Bail to 18 Palestinian Lawmakers
The Israeli military is continuing to hold 18 Palestinian lawmakers after an Israeli court denied them bail on Monday. The politicians also face possible trials for their membership in Hamas. They were seized in a series of raids in Gaza and the West Bank. The lawmakers include Palestinian parliament speaker Aziz Dweik and several Palestinian cabinet members.

UN envoy: Israel turned Gaza into prison
United Nations Human rights envoy to the Palestinian territories John Dugard has published a report Tuesday where he does not shy away from sharply criticizing Israel and the West for the situation in Gaza. "Israel has turned the Gaza Strip into a prison for Palestinians and have thrown away the key," he said, adding that "in other countries this process might be described as ethnic cleansing."

'Million bomblets' in S Lebanon

The manager of the UN's mine removal centre in south Lebanon, Chris Clark, said Israel had failed to provide useful information of its cluster bomb strikes, which could help with the clearance operation.

U.S. Denies Visa To Islamic Scholar Tariq Ramadan
There is a development in the case of Tariq Ramadan. He is the prominent Swiss Muslim intellectual who was blocked from entering the United States to accept a teaching position at the University of Notre Dame. After a two year wait, the United States has officially rejected his visa on the grounds that he once gave money to a French-based Palestinian charity. The United States claims the organization has ties to Hamas even though it is a legal charity in France. Ramadan criticized the government’s rejection of his visa saying it was done for ideological reasons. Ramadan is now teaching at Oxford.

Iran central bank files US treasury complaint with IMF
Mr Sheibani said the move – which was aimed at limiting Iran's access to the global financial system - was "totally politically motivated with no justification at all".

Police Shot Protester in NC With a Taser; Six Arrested
In Charlotte North Carolina, six people were arrested on Saturday at the city's Human Rights Fest. Police shot one protester with a Taser stun gun. Another protester -- David Crane -- was hospitalized with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Protest organizers said four or five police officers held Crane down and beat him. The police attempted to shut down the gathering even though organizers had a permit. 700 people have already signed an online petition calling on the police to drop the charges filed against the arrested protesters. Organizers in Charlotte are planning to hold another rally on Saturday calling for the impeachment of President Bush.

Stricter Voting Laws Carve Latest Partisan Divide

Republicans say the laws are needed to combat fraud, especially among illegal immigrants. Democrats say there is minimal fraud, if any, and accuse Republicans of suppressing the votes of those least likely to have the required documentation — minorities, the poor and the elderly — who tend to vote for Democrats.

Mentally Ill Prisoner Tortured to Death in Michigan
Attorneys in Michigan are preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the state's Department of Corrections over the death of prisoner who suffered from a bipolar disorder. According to the Detroit Free Press, Timothy Joe Sounders died after spending most of his last four days with his arms and legs strapped to a steel bed in four-point restraints in a hot isolation cell. He was naked and soaked in his urine. He was 21 years old. Authorities haven't released an autopsy yet but one expert witness called it "death by torture." The Michigan Department of Corrections initially told his family that he had died in his sleep. Sounders is at least the third mentally ill prisoner to die under similar circumstances in Michigan in recent years. Also expected to be sued in the case is Correctional Medical Services, the private company that handles health services in Michigan's prisons.

Schwarzenegger Signs Sudan Divestment Law
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a law requiring the state's massive pension system divest from investing in some companies in Sudan. The bill is narrowly tailored to force divestment of only those companies that provide revenue or weapons to the Sudanese government and refuse to change their practices.

9/11 Truth: Thermite & The Case for Controlled Demolition
Watch this all the way to the end. This video confirms that the angled cut on the H beam seen in the photo at the bottom of is the remains of a controlled demolition.

National Geographic: Chemicals Within Us

Yet even though many health statistics have been improving over the past few decades, a few illnesses are rising mysteriously. From the early 1980s through the late 1990s, autism increased tenfold; from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s, one type of leukemia was up 62 percent, male birth defects doubled, and childhood brain cancer was up 40 percent. Some experts suspect a link to the man-made chemicals that pervade our food, water, and air. There's little firm evidence. But over the years, one chemical after another that was thought to be harmless turned out otherwise once the facts were in.

Research suggests that three chemicals, Aspartame, Monosodium Glutamate, and synthetic bovine growth hormone lie behind the epidemic of obesity that has hit Americans.

2 dairies to end use of artificial hormones

The region's biggest dairies are rushing to rid their bottled milk of artificial growth hormones in a bid to draw back customers who have switched to organic milk.

US housing bubble: Economy in denial

Almost every day, a high-profile company directly or indirectly targeting the US consumer warns that its outlook is bleak. Let it be Yahoo warning about advertising revenues; let it be Dell's warning that its eternal rebate programs cannot push sales any more; or let it be the automakers that sell many of their brands at prices below last year's level, yet are still unable to boost volume. All these incidents are linked to the US consumer; and US consumer spending, in turn, is very closely linked to the health of the housing market. It also comes as no surprise that so far this year, the US dollar has fallen significantly versus a basket of currencies.

Iran psy-ops exposed

Kucinich Calls For Congressional Hearings On Negroponte’s Role In The Release Of A False And Misleading Report On Iran
"In June, our Subcommittee held a classified members briefing, at my request, to investigate independent reports published in the New Yorker magazine and the Guardian that U.S. military personnel have been or are already deployed inside and around Iran, gathering intelligence and targeting information, and reports published in Newsweek, ABC News and GQ magazine, that the U.S. has been planning and is now recruiting members of MEK to conduct lethal operations and destabilizing operations inside Iran."

New York City's Reservists Are Asked to Return Iraq pay
When they were called up for military service in the wake of 9/11, hundreds of uniformed city workers in the Reserves faced the suspension of their city health and pension benefits. The city offered them an option: it would keep paying their salaries and continue their benefits, but when they returned they would have to repay the city their city salary or their military pay, whichever was less.
Now the bills from the city are coming due, for far more than many veterans imagined they would have to pay — as much as $200,000 — and often for more money than they ever received.
The city is demanding that the veterans repay their gross salaries, even though they never saw about a third of the money, which went for taxes and other deductions. The commissioner of administrative services, Martha K. Hirst, said veterans should be able to get back the difference between gross and take-home pay by amending their tax returns. But several tax accountants said the city had created an accounting quagmire.


China's motto for the 2008 Olympic Games
In a clear indication that China views America's world dominance in rapid decline, the Chinese government has adopted the following motto for the 2008 Beijing Olympics:
"Benevolence, Excellence and Integrity."
China is advertising to the world that the 2008 Olympics will introduce China to the world as a benevolent superpower on the rise while pointing to the United States as a corrupt nation that is becoming an increasingly destructive global actor.

U.N. rights monitors accuse Sudan of bombing Darfur
U.N. human rights monitors on Friday accused Sudan's army of bombing villages in North Darfur, killing and injuring civilians, and forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes.
"People talk about this white plane and bombs being dropped out of the back of the plane. This is a recurrent feature of reports of attacks on villages," U.N. human rights spokesman Jose Luis Diaz told a briefing in Geneva.


Massive Anti-War Protest In Manchester
Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in the British city of Manchester calling for Tony Blair's resignation and an end to the country's involvement in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Anti-war protests in Manchester
Up to 20,000 demonstrators have marched through the northern English city of Manchester to protest the presence of British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Drug-resistant TB on the rise in U.S.
The worst forms of the killer tuberculosis bug have been gaining ground in the United States, alarming public health officials over imported drug-resistant strains of a disease that is mostly under control in this country. Although the number of drug-resistant TB cases in the U.S. is small compared to developing nations, health officials here warn that visitors from other countries who are unaware of their infections are bringing over the deadliest mutations.

San Diego Mayor Opposes Sleeping Zones For Homeless
One-third of the adult homeless male population and nearly one-quarter (23%) of all homeless adults have served their country in the armed services.

More Than 1/3 Iraq, Afghan War Veterans Suffering From Stress, Mental Disorders
How would you react if you woke up one morning and realized you were the bad guy?

Who benefits from the Afghan Opium Trade?
The Western media in chorus blame the Taliban and the warlords. The Bush administration is said to be committed to curbing the Afghan drug trade: "The US is the main backer of a huge drive to rid Afghanistan of opium... " Yet in a bitter irony, US military presence has served to restore rather than eradicate the drug trade.
There are powerful business and financial interests behind narcotics. From this standpoint, geopolitical and military control over the drug routes is as strategic as oil and oil pipelines.
What distinguishes narcotics from legal commodity trade is that narcotics constitutes a major source of wealth formation not only for organized crime but also for the US intelligence apparatus, which increasingly constitutes a powerful actor in the spheres of finance and banking.

800,000 Iraqi children not attending school
Once the model of education in the Middle East, twelve years of grueling sanctions and three years of bloody occupation have left Iraq’s system in shambles, a generation of children both traumatised and, it seems, deprived of education.
Winning hearts, minds & heads.

Violent Crime Rate Goes Up for First Time in 15 Years Following Massive GOP Cuts for Law Enforcement
Got to pay for the war!

House Approves Strip Search Bill

A bill approved by the U.S. House yesterday would require school districts around the country to establish policies making it easier for teachers and school officials to conduct wide scale searches of students. These searches could take the form of pat-downs, bag searches, or strip searches depending on how administrators interpret the law.

Md. State Police Stop Suspicious Vehicle; No Charges
Maryland State Police say they released a 24-year-old Israeli man without charges Friday night after questioning him about photographing the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore. Investigators say another motorist reported that a man driving a green Dodge minivan was using a camera and appeared to be taking pictures as he drove through the tunnel. Police say the van continued south on Interstate-95 and then turned back in the other direction near Laurel. Officers stopped it on northbound I-95 near Route 198. A bomb-sniffing dog checked out the car but did not find any explosives. Police say they found a laptop computer and a digital camera containing pictures of the tunnel inside the van, but nothing else suspicious.

Israel Troops Shooting Anti-War Demonstrators -- Video
The video clearly shows the Border Police unit firing on the demonstrators from close range. There is no evidence that the soldiers were in danger. Typically, the military spokesperson has claimed that "activists threw stones" and Haaretz's article yesterday reiterating the same false information. The video also clearly shows the commander of the unit saying, "This is Lebanon!" as he orders his force to fire on retreating demonstrators, and "I will not allow a demonstration during wartime!"

SUPER HOT BREAKING INTEL: Bushfraud Diversion
It can now be reported that Bush threatened to bomb Pakistan just one week ago when Musharraf threatened to tell the world that Bin Laden has been dead for three years.
France to probe bin Laden death report leak
Osama bin Laden is dead: French paper
Spy chiefs to probe 'Osama is dead' claim
Maybe they can keep him "alive" long enough to get thru the upcoming elections....

Dentist Whistleblower Who Met 9/11 Hijackers Poisoned To Death
He claimed he met three of the Sept. 11 hijackers in Shreveport a year before the attacks. Now, that man, Shreveport dentist Dr. David Graham, is dead. Before Graham was poisoned, he was supposed to testify at a deportation hearing against a Pakistani man, Jamal Khan, who hosted the men Graham believed to be the hijackers. Graham's brother, Edwin Jones, told us Wednesday night the family believes someone slipped poison into his drink, plunging him into a deadly illness.

This kind of witness elimination mirrors what happened after the JFK assassination.

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Worsens Terror Threat
A stark assessment has found that the American invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat has grown since the Sept. 11 attacks.
.. which were themselves faked to kick off these wars.

A Silent Crash In Home Prices
With Bay Area homes sales hitting nine-year lows, there’s at least one economist who knows a bust when he sees one: “The market is flat and the bubble has popped,” said Chris Thornberg.
Time to buy real estate, folks.


Venezuela Says Police Cut Off Chavez Speech
New York police stopped the feed, which was broadcasting in Venezuela Chavez's address to the Mount Olivet Church in Harlem, as a way to retaliate for remarks Chavez made about U.S. President George W. Bush in the United Nations the day before, said William Lara, Chavez's chief spokesman, according to the paper.

US General: "Unfriendly forces brewing in Latin America"
Pace described Latin America as 'a large family' with common goals and aspirations. 'But we need to be alert to the fact that there are forces brewing right now that are not friendly to the United States and not friendly to other freedom-loving countries in this hemisphere. And together we need to do something about it,' he said.
Perhaps stop telling them all what to do and mind our own business would help?

Chavez: U.S. Detained Foreign Minister
Maduro told CNN Espanol shortly after being released that he was confined to a small room and told to remove his clothes. Maduro said that when he explained that he was the Venezuelan foreign minister and showed his diplomatic passport, he said he was threatened, pushed and yelled at by immigration and police officials.

US government apologizes for incident with Venezuelan foreign minister
The US government has called regrettable an incident with Venezuelan foreign minister and apologized to the official Caracas. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro was detained by US immigration service officials, when he was flying home by a regular flight after the UN General Assembly. The foreign minister says that he showed his diplomatic passport, but was rudely caught by two policemen. They seized his computer and documents.
So, the incident that yesterday the administration tried to deny had taken place did, in fact, take place.



A Bad Bargain
Here is a way to measure how seriously President Bush was willing to compromise on the military tribunals bill: Less than an hour after an agreement was announced yesterday with three leading Republican senators, the White House was already laying a path to wiggle out of its one real concession.

Many hopefuls keep Bush ties under wraps
Since President Bush's approval rating sank to the lowest level of his presidency in May, nearly six in 10 of his appearances helping Republican candidates have been closed to all media coverage.

As Army Adds Interrogators, It Outsources Training
The contracts call for the companies to provide outside instructors who would train "selected enlisted soldiers in the skills and knowledge required to perform... tactical human intelligence collection," said a government notice published earlier this month.

SGA resolution aims to censor Daily Toredor - News
The Texas Tech Student Government Association will discuss passing a resolution to make The Daily Toreador change how they display the death toll of the people who died in Iraq.

'No action' on Israel nuclear activities
Nations pushing for a resolution labelling Israel's nuclear capabilities a threat on the final day of the International Atomic Energy Agency's annual meeting have been defeated.
West bars Arab bid at IAEA to rap Israel atom "threat"
Western nations foiled a bid by Arab and Islamic states on Friday to declare Israel's reputed nuclear arsenal a threat that must be removed in a politically charged vote at a U.N. atomic watchdog meeting. Canada sponsored a 45-29 "no-action" ballot that prevented International Atomic Energy Agency member states from voting on a motion demanding Israel use atomic energy only for peaceful purposes and help set up a Middle East nuclear arms-free zone. Israel neither admits nor denies having atomic weapons but most experts believe it has about 200 nuclear warheads.

The Bushes and the Truth About Iran
Having gone through the diplomatic motions with Iran, George W. Bush is shifting toward a military option that carries severe risks for American soldiers in Iraq as well as for long-term U.S. interests around the world. Yet, despite this looming crisis, the Bush Family continues to withhold key historical facts about U.S.-Iranian relations. Those historical facts – relating to Republican contacts with Iran’s Islamic regime more than a quarter century ago – are relevant today because an underlying theme in Bush’s rationale for war is that direct negotiations with Iran are pointless. But Bush’s own father may know otherwise.
The evidence is now persuasive that George H.W. Bush participated in negotiations with Iran’s radical regime in 1980, behind President Jimmy Carter’s back, with the goal of arranging for 52 American hostages to be released after Bush and Ronald Reagan were sworn in as Vice President and President, respectively.

Ahmadinejad: Zionists different from Jews
"Our position toward the Palestinian question is clear: We say that a nation has been displaced from its own land. Palestinian people are killed in their own lands, by those who are not original inhabitants, and they have come from far areas of the world and have occupied those homes. Our suggestion is that the 5 million Palestinian refugees come back to their homes, and then the entire people on those lands hold a referendum and choose their own system of government. This is a democratic and popular way. Do you have any other suggestions?," he told Time.

Iran's device passively detects stealth planes 800 Km away
Iran's KOCHULGA antenna device passively detects stealth planes 800 Km away, making the billions of dollars spent on stealth technology and the AWACS planes (600km detection range) utterly useless. In addition, being passive, it cannot be detected, so the targeted planes are unaware of detection and have nothing to home in to destroy the equipment made by Ukraine.

Fallujah again in the line of US fire
In Fallujah, 50 kilometers west of Baghdad, residents are edgy. "They destroyed our city twice and they are threatening us a third time," said Ahmed Dhahy, 52. "They want us to do their job for them and turn in those who target them." Dhahy, who lost 32 relatives when his father's house was bombed by a US aircraft during the April 2004 attack on Fallujah, said the US military had threatened it would destroy the city if resistance fighters were not handed over to them. "Last week, the Americans used loudspeakers on the backs of their tanks and Humvees to threaten us," Dhahy said. Residents said the US forces warned of a "large military operation" if fighters were not handed over. A US military spokesman in Baghdad said he had no reports of such action.

Iraq is Bush's Reflection Pond
Martial law is not liberation. Baghdad has been in a state of virtual lockdown since thousands of American Occupation Forces were deployed to the city in a futile attempt to establish security. In the last two months, the number of dead appearing at the Baghdad morgue has skyrocketed; nearly 6,600 Iraqis brutally tortured and killed in July and August alone. In terms of population, this is the equivalent of 79,200 American casualties. Simply put, it is a massacre. Still, the AOF continues to execute its bloody mission with impunity regardless of the horrific cost.


Hundreds of Thousands Attend Hezbollah Rally as Nasrallah Declares Victory in Rare Public Appearance



Our Torturer-in-Chief
WE DON'T torture detainees, President Bush has repeatedly insisted; we just make use of lawful "alternative procedures" of interrogation. But if everything we've done is lawful, why is the White House suddenly so desperate to get a deal with Congress that would "clarify" Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention and amend the War Crimes Act, which criminalizes violations of the article? According to Bush, the problem is that Common Article 3, which prohibits "cruel," "humiliating" and "degrading treatment" and "outrages upon personal dignity," is vague. He claims it doesn't give "clear" guidance about what is permitted and what is prohibited during interrogations.

As Crazy as It Sounds
As crazy as it sounds, President George Bush might be planning to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. The scariest part of this scenario is that Bush and his war hawks seem to believe that the Iranian people will blame their own government for the American attack, overthrow it and install a new government that will be eager to jump into bed with the U.S and Israel. That's really nuts.
Or at least deter Iran from selling the current amount of oil in the world market, driving the price even higher...


Hewlett Chairwoman Resigns amidst scandal
Hewlett-Packard Co. Chairwoman Patricia Dunn resigned Friday, effective immediately, in the wake of the company's ill-fated investigation of boardroom media leaks. Announcing the resignation, H.P. Chief Executive Mark Hurd called the tactics used by the company's outside investigators ''very disturbing.''

Announcing a Day of Mass Resistance: OCTOBER 5, 2006

When war makes soldiers sick

WHEN WAR MAKES SOLDIERS SICK
EIGHT IRAQ War veterans sat in a federal courtroom in Manhattan last week and demanded answers from the Pentagon and the White House about why and how they became sick. The men, most of them Hispanic, include former Army sergeants Ray Ramos, Agustín Matos and Jerry Ojeda and specialist Gerard Matthew, who is the lead plaintiff in a pioneering lawsuit that has exposed to the public how American soldiers have been endangered by one of the Pentagon's little-known favorite weapons - depleted uranium artillery.

Only 25% in Poll Approve of the Congress
With barely seven weeks until the midterm elections, Americans have an overwhelmingly negative view of the Republican-controlled Congress, with substantial majorities saying that they disapprove of the job it is doing and that its members do not deserve re-election, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Karl Rove Promises October Surprise
In the past week, Karl Rove has been promising Republican insiders an "October surprise" to help win the November congressional elections.


List of accusations of GIs in Iraq stuns experts
The accounts are brutal: An Iraqi man dragged from his home, executed and made to look as if he were an insurgent. Three prisoners killed by their Army captors. A team of revenge-seeking Marines going home to home, shooting down unarmed Iraqi men, women, children.
"All of a sudden there seem to be charges right and left,'' said Loren Thompson at the Lexington Institute, a defense think tank in Arlington, Va. "It clearly has happened in some cases. But it's hard to tell whether this is a pattern of wrongdoing on our part or just a pattern of closer supervision."

Kidnappers using victims as 'suicide' bombers

Insurgents are now using kidnapping victims as unwitting 'suicide' bombers — seizing them, booby-trapping their cars without their knowledge, then releasing them only to blow up the vehicles by remote control, the Iraqi Defense Ministry warned Thursday.

Israel: Foreign reporters' vehicles may be used terrorists
Al-Qaeda threatens truck bombings in Israel

A group claiming to be al-Qaeda yesterday announced it was behind the assassination last week of a senior Palestinian security official, accusing the officer of "collaborating" with the "Zionists" and the United States.The group, calling itself Al-Qaeda in Palestine, warned of more killings. It said its next attack in the region would be "more destructive" and would use "trucks full of explosives."

FCC Scandal Explodes with Second Revelation of Suppressed Media Ownership Research
In their minds, this was some sort of clerical error -- and the sooner everyone forgot about it, the better. The FCC could go back to its time-honored job of doling out tens of billions of dollars in monopoly privileges to massive media and communication firms in relative anonymity.


Venezuelan Government To Launch International 9/11 Investigation
Billionaire philanthropist Jimmy Walter and WTC survivor William Rodriguez this week embarked on a groundbreaking trip to Caracas Venezuela in which they met with with the President of the Assembly and will soon meet with Venezuelan President himself Hugo Chavez in anticipation of an official Venezuelan government investigation into 9/11. Rodriguez was the last survivor pulled from the rubble of the north tower of the WTC, and was responsible for all stairwells within the tower. Rodriguez represented family members of 9/11 victims and testified to the 9/11 Commission that bombs were in the north tower but his statements were completely omitted from the official record.

Pentagon to release report on Sept. 11 claims

The Pentagon's inspector general will release a report in the coming days that is expected to refute claims that an Army intelligence unit had information that could have thwarted the Sept. 11 attacks, officials said on Wednesday.

FLASHBACK: Atta and friends and Abramoff and friends

"On September 26, 2001, Associated Press writer Vickie Chachere reported that FBI agents probing Atta's connections had turned their attention to SunCruz casinos -- then owned by Abramoff."

Abramoff and Able Danger: Confirmed: US Intel told "hands off money laundering"

Jack Abramoff, known lobbyist, known crook, suspected Israeli intelligence asset, enjoyed the protection of US Intelligence while he used his Suncruz casino ships to launder money for various Neocon figures in the US. Along with the murder of Suncruz' prior owner, Abramoff is suspected of a link to 9-11 itself, with Mohammed Atta confirmed as a regular guest on Abramoff's casino ship in the months leading up to 9-11.

Bush insults Americans by still linking Iraq to 9/11 attacks

World military budget tops Cold War record: Oxfam
Global military spending is expected to hit $1.06 trillion this year, topping the record set during the Cold War era, an international aid agency reported on Friday. Oxfam released the study as seven nations tried to drum up support at the 192-nation U.N. General Assembly for a treaty banning arms sales to those intent on genocide, human rights abuses or U.N. arms embargo violations.

$70B OK'd for Iraq and Afghan war funds

The additional war funds would bring the total approved by Congress for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, to more than $500 billion, with another installment likely to come next spring. At the same time, the White House beat back an attempt by Republicans on the appropriations committees to take an additional $2 billion from defense programs to ease cuts to domestic programs such as education and grants to local governments.

Clooney criticises media for ignoring its responsibilities

According to hollywood.com, Clooney, who is an opponent of US president George Bush, says he believes the media has betrayed the public by not telling them the truth about Bush administration. He said: 'In the year-and-a-half or two years leading up to the war in Iraq, both in print and in broadcast journalism, media took a pass on its responsibilities. I don't think there's anyone that would deny it -- The New York Times certainly hasn't. And if The New York Times and The Washington Post and USA Today are all reneging on their responsibility, then believe me it's going down to the local news level as well.'
He added: 'This has really been a poor time in journalism. We already had a Congress on the same side as the White House. We needed a Fourth Estate more than ever, to say, 'Let's at least ask questions before we do these things. The media's failings reflect on the rest of us too. It took, what, three months after September 11 before reality shows became big again? There's a responsibility to be upheld.'

Tribune Co. May Put Company, Parts Up for Sale

Tribune Co., the second-largest U.S. newspaper publisher, agreed to consider a sale of the company or some of its assets after its shares slumped, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

America legalizes torture
Bush, GOP Senators Reach Prisoner Treatment Compromise
The Bush administration and dissident Republican Senators have resolved their dispute on the interrogation and trial of prisoners in US custody. Both sides say President Bush has dropped his insistence on being allowed to re-interpret the Geneva Conventions. But in a major victory for the White House, the President will not have to follow the conventions themselves but only how they are interpreted under the congressional War Crimes Act. President Bush will also be allowed to interpret the Geneva conventions for practices the Washington Post says fall "between cruelty and minor abuse."
In another victory for the Bush administration, prisoners tried by military courts will only have limited access to the evidence used against them. The prisoners will be allowed to see summaries of the evidence. But even those will be subject to major redaction from prosecutors. The agreement also bars defendants from invoking the Geneva Conventions in any habeas or civil action involving government officials.
The so-called compromise is already coming under criticism. In an editorial today, the Washington Post writes: "The agreement means that U.S. violations of international human rights law can continue as long as Mr. Bush is president, with Congress's tacit assent." The agreement is expected to go before Congress next week.

Bill O'Reilly Endorses Waterboarding As Safe and Reliable
History of an Interrogation Technique: Water Boarding

The CIA maintains its interrogation techniques are in legal guidance with the Justice Department. And current and former CIA officers tell ABC News there is a presidential finding, signed in 2002, by President Bush, Condoleezza Rice and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft approving the techniques, including water boarding

UK suspects in new claims of torture at Guantanamo

The habeas corpus motion filed in the court of the District of Columbia states:
"The MPs [military police] inflicted so much pain, Mr Aamer said he thought he was going to die. The MPs pressed on pressure points all over his body: his temples, just under his jawline, in the hollow beneath his ears. They choked him. They bent his nose so hard he thought it would break. They pinched his thighs and feet constantly. They gouged his eyes. They held his eyes open and shined a Maglite [torch] in them for minutes on end, generating intense heat. They bent his fingers until he screamed. When he screamed, they cut off his airway, then put a mask on him so he could not cry out."

Secret Prisons Closed After Interrogators Refused Duties
The deal comes as the Financial Times reports the Bush administration was forced to empty its secret prisons last month in part because interrogators refused to carry out further interrogations and continue running the facilities. The Bush administration had claimed it was transferring prisoners to Guantanamo Bay because of the recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the Geneva Conventions.

UN Envoy: More Torture in Iraq Today than Under Saddam
The United Nations' leading campaigner against torture has issued a grim assessment of Iraq under US occupation. Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, says more Iraqis are being tortured today than when Saddam Hussein was in power. His comments come one day after the UN said more than 6,600 Iraqi civilians were killed in July and August.
"You have terrorist groups, you have the military, you have police, you have these militias. There are so many people who are actually abducted, seriously tortured and finally killed. It's not just torture by the government. There are much more brutal methods of torture you’ll find by private militias," he said.
Interesting -- the same thing that was happening after the US invaded Central American countries.

Terror suspects deal leaves ambiguities

The compromise over the interrogation and trial of terrorist suspects reached by the Bush administration and leading Republican senators is one that offers some greater protection for prisoners but still leaves them open to tough questioning and to military commissions that do not follow civilian rules of evidence.

UN Rights Experts Call for Gitmo Closure
Meanwhile in Geneva, a panel of UN human rights experts repeated calls Thursday for the closure of the Guantanamo prison.

• Leila Zerrougui, Chair of the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions: "We call on the Government to close down the Guantanamo Bay detention centre and, until that time, to refrain from any practice amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, discrimination on the basis of religion, and violations of the rights to health."

Iran Calls for Negotiations Under "Fair Conditions"
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday his government does not need a nuclear weapon and is open to negotiations on suspending nuclear activities. But Ahmadinejad said the talks would have to come under what he called "fair conditions." The Bush administration agreed this week to extend Iran's deadline to halt uranium enrichment to early next month.
Click on above link to read transcript of his UN speech

War Signals?

The Nation has learned that the Bush Administration and the Pentagon have issued orders for a major "strike group" of ships, including the nuclear aircraft carrier Eisenhower as well as a cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine escort and supply ship, to head for the Persian Gulf, just off Iran's western coast.

Iran could cut West's oil supplies in event of war, warns American chief in Gulf
Maybe that's what the boys at BIG OIL are counting on....

Iran Preparing for US Air Attacks

If war were to occur, the estimates of casualties envisaged by American and British war planners would be high.

Israelis use bulldozers to wreck crops in South Lebanon

Israeli bulldozers started to level the soil and cut down olive trees in Yarin in the Tyre region on Monday, spoiling several cultivated fields and preventing farmers from inspecting their lands. "Israeli bulldozers have spoiled my land, cutting down the fruit trees I've planted," said farmer Shaker Afleh on Tuesday, as he and his daughter watched the bulldozers on his land from a kilometer away.

Cancer patients in the Gaza Strip unable to reach Israeli hospitals for treatment

A 50 percent decline has been seen in cancer patients allowed to pass for chemotherapy and other treatments unavailable in the Gaza Strip due to closures. The Ministry of Health reported, "Twenty percent of the cancer patients in the Gaza Strip, including women and children, were receiving daily treatments in Israeli hospitals but that number has been cut in half."

Jewish rabbi calls for extermination of all Palestinian males

Extremist rabbi Yousef Falay, who dwells at the Yitzhar settlement on illegally seized Palestinian land in the northern part of the West Bank, wrote an article in a Zionist magazine under the title "Ways of War", in which he called for the killing of all Palestinian males refusing to flee their country, describing his idea as the practical way to ensure the non-existence of the Palestinian race.
You'd think people who experienced the horrors of genocide would not be proponents of it.

Israeli Air Force sex scandal: 9 more soldiers incarcerated

Soldiers, who allegedly had sexual relations with 14-year-old girl in their base, convicted of behavior unbecoming, shameful conduct. Each will serve sentence of 14 to 30 days in military prison.

Toxic mercury contaminating more species, report shows

Mercury pollution from power plants and other industrial sources has accumulated in birds, mammals and reptiles across the country, and only cuts in emissions can curtail the contamination, says a report released Tuesday by a national environmental group.

Hugo Chavez: Rise Up Against the Empire
"They say they want to impose a democratic model. But that's their democratic model. It's the false democracy of elites, and, I would say, a very original democracy that's imposed by weapons and bombs and firing weapons. What a strange democracy. Aristotle might not recognize it or others who are at the root of democracy. What type of democracy do you impose with marines and bombs?"
FULL TEXT OF CHAVEZ ADDRESS TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Venezuela Doubles Discount Heating Oil Shipments to US
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced Thursday his government is doubling the amount of discounted heating oil it provides to poor Americans. The state-owned company, Citgo, will provide up to one hundred million gallons to low-income communities in eighteen states this winter. Chavez made the announcement at a Church ceremony in Harlem. He was introduced by actor and activist Danny Glover. During his remarks, Chavez also called President Bush an 'alcoholic' and a 'sick man.'

Bush critics unite: Chavez plug for Chomsky's book boosts sales

Greg Palast interviews Hugo Chavez

Neil Cavuto Says Poor Americans Who Accept Heating Oil From Hugo Chavez are Committing Treason
A crime to be poor and not be ripped off by BIG OIL?

Bolivian President Evo Morales on Latin America, U.S. Foreign Policy and the Role of the Indigenous People of Bolivia
"The investor has the right to recuperate their investment and to a reasonable profit," Morales said. "But we can’t allow for the sacking of the country and only the companies benefiting, not the people."

Bolivian leader defends his drug policy

"With all respect to the government of the United States, we are not going to change anything. We do not need blackmail or threats," Morales said. "Certification or decertification is an instrument of recolonization, or colonization, of the Andean countries. That we will not accept."

Tiananmen Square Protester Released After 17 Years
In China, a Tiananmen Square protester has been released after seventeen years in jail. Zhang Maosheng was twenty-one years old when he was sentenced for setting fire to a military vehicle during the protests. At least two hundred other protesters remain behind bars.

Foreign central banks net sellers of US debt in week

Foreign central banks were net sellers of Treasury bonds last week, leading to a reduction in their overall holdings of U.S. securities, Federal Reserve data showed on Thursday.

US had threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the stone age: Musharraf
"The threat came from the then Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and was delivered to his intelligence director," Pakistan's President Musharraf said in an interview to CBS news 60 Minutes. "The intelligence director told me that (Armitage) said, 'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age,'" recalled Musharraf. It was insulting, he said adding "I think it was a very rude remark."

U.S. Will Hunt Bin Laden in Pakistan If Necessary, Bush Says

Musharraf, who has faced opposition from Islamist groups for supporting the U.S.-led war on terrorism, said his government would oppose any U.S. action in Pakistan.

Justice Dept. Amends Remark on Torture Case

In an embarrassing turnabout, the Department of Justice backed away Wednesday from a denial by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales of responsibility for the treatment of a Canadian who was seized by American authorities in 2002. The man was deported to Syria, where he was imprisoned and beaten.
Asked at a news conference on Tuesday about a Canadian commission's finding that the man, Maher Arar, was wrongly sent to Syria and tortured there, Mr. Gonzales replied, "Well, we were not responsible for his removal to Syria." He added, "I'm not aware that he was tortured."
The attorney general's comments caused puzzlement because they followed front-page news articles of the findings of the Canadian commission. It reported that based on inaccurate information from Canada about Mr. Arar’s supposed terrorist ties, American officials ordered him taken to Syria, an action documented in public records.

Judges, House Uphold Warrantless Searches of Welfare Recipients, Students
Congressman Davis' School Safety Legislation Passes the House
Two separate decisions Thursday increased the power of government officials to conduct warrantless searches. In San Diego, a district court upheld a program that allows home searches of welfare recipients without court-approved warrants. Under the program, welfare recipients face the loss of benefits if they do not agree to have their homes searched. Meanwhile on Capital Hill, the House approved a bill that would give teachers and school officials broad authority to search students. The Student Teacher Safety Act would require any school receiving federal funding to approve the new search authority.

A Disgrace To The FBI

One of the FBI's dirtiest secrets is that Dwayne Fuselier, the FBI agent in charge of the Columbine investigation, had at least one son in the Trench Coat Mafia. When a Denver news reporter questioned him, he refused to even discuss it.

Cheney Says Hopes of World Rest on U.S
"We are not going to let down our guard," Cheney told a convention of automobile dealers. He said President Bush "will not relent in the effort to track the enemies of the United States with every legitimate tool at his command."
Cheney characterized as "just plain wrong" a federal judge's ruling earlier this month rejecting the administration's plea to throw out a lawsuit over the wiretapping program. "We hope it will be reversed on appeal," the vice president said.
Cheney told the dealers that modern automobiles are "marvels of design, performance and reliability. ... You're part of the reason America remains among the strongest economies in the world."
BLAH BLAH BLAAH, right, that's why GM & Ford are going bankrupt....

Sick to Death of Bush

Sick to Death of Bush
Trust me, George Bush says, perched on the remains of Geneva Conventions, the Constitution and habeas corpus.
From this moral high ground, the United States is assuring the world that a new facility for researching a horror shop of weaponized infectious diseases will be used purely for defensive purposes. The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center’s (NBACC) $128 million, 160,000-square-foot facility is under construction at Fort Detrick, Md. There, the United States has already weaponized more than a dozen diseases—including anthrax, plague, botulism and ebola—and bioengineered war-friendly “improvements.” Scientists are also using DNA-synthesizing techniques to fabricate genetically altered or man-made viruses, and to study the feasibility of creating germ weapons targeting particular ethnicities.


Halliburton and Cheney: War Profiteers in Chief Fight to Keep Their Wallets Fat
We all by now know that Dick Cheney retired from the Pentagon in 1993 to accede to the throne of Halliburton, an oil field services company based in Houston. Under Mr. Cheney's reign, Halliburton acquired Dresser Industries which included the Kellogg Company (the K of KBR), a major engineering firm. True to form, Mr. Cheney's acquisition did not include much due diligence. After Mr. Cheney left Halliburton with tens of millions of dollars in his pocket largely earned because of his connections to Middle East dictators, Halliburton had to cough up $2.3 billion in cash, about $1.2 billion in stock and another $55 million in IOUs to help pay off the tens of thousands of people in this country who had suffered and/or died of asbestos poisoning at the hand of Dresser, which Mr. Cheney had acquired and for which Mr. Cheney was (and apparently still is) handsomely compensated. If this sounds a bit like Mr. Cheney's due diligence with respect to weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, it should.

Ten anti-Castro "journalists" in South Florida on US government payroll
Actually, Cuban government officials have been arguing for decades that Montaner is far from a liberal paladin of human rights and democracy. They say that he's very close to known international terrorists such as Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. He's an agent of the CIA, the Cubans insist. He has ties to the NGO, Reporters without Borders, which, last year, admitted it is financed by the CIA.


Judgment Day coming – for the neocons
Bush's trade policy has left us with annual deficits of $800 billion with the world and $200 billion with Beijing. Once the greatest creditor nation in history, we are now the greatest debtor. U.S. manufacturing has been hollowed out with thousands of plants closed and 3 million industrial jobs vanishing since Bush took office.

The 13 most corrupt members of Congress
Over the past year, the issue of Congressional ethics has taken on new resonance. Where questionable conduct was once shrugged off as "business as usual," now both the public and the press are demanding greater accountability from Members of Congress. At a time when a recent Gallup Poll reports only that 36% of those polled express approval of Congress, people are taking a harder look at the actions of their representatives.

Beyond DeLay: Report Summaries

* Executive Summary of the Report
* Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
* Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA)
* Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
* Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)
* Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)
* Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH)
* Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)
* Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
* Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC)
* Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
* Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
* Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)
* Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

The Path from 9/11
There is little doubt that that the 9/11 commission report has become the Warren commission report of our time - a fatally flawed official examination that ended up raising more questions than it answered, owing to a toxic brew of politics, partisanship, personal agendas and presidential obstruction. Chairman Thomas Kean's recent paid involvement with ABC's fictitious "historical" docudrama is but the latest reminder that the 9/11 tragedy has yet to be investigated fully or fairly.

Media ownership study ordered destroyed
The Federal Communications Commission ordered its staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage, a former lawyer at the agency says.

Renewable Energy Faces Funding Cuts, Hydropower, Geothermal Research Could Disappear In 2007 U.S. Budget

Bush Tacitly Implies WTC Controlled Demolition?
During his speech Friday in which the President argued for the gutting of the Geneva convention and the legal classification of torture, Bush made a strange comment about explosives and their placement in U.S. buildings. Was this a tacit admission of 9/11 controlled demolition? Here's the quote in full from the White House website.
"For example, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed described the design of planned attacks of buildings inside the U.S. and how operatives were directed to carry them out. That is valuable information for those of us who have the responsibility to protect the American people. He told us the operatives had been instructed to ensure that the explosives went off at a high -- a point that was high enough to prevent people trapped above from escaping."Click here for the audio.

Operation Gladio Expert Studies 911
Swiss security studies researcher Daniele Ganser talks frankly about the possibilities of theories about 911. He and another prestigious Swiss University Professor have suggested that US government insiders are the true perpetrators of the 911 attacks.

Banned From The Classroom: 911 Physics Scientist Who Proved Thermite Involved In WTC Demolitions
Like a modern-day Galileo or Socrates, the highly respected physicist, who has challenged with logic and scientific evidence the official explanation for the "collapse" of the World Trade Center, has been banned from teaching classes at his university.

I Was A PR Intern in Iraq
It was easy to find Iraqi reporters who would write U.S. military-friendly op-ed pieces for a little extra cash. But hiring those who would go to the dangerous Anbar province was altogether a different matter. The reporters, cameramen, and sound operators we spoke with all said the same thing: they would work in Ramadi and Fallujah as part of a Rapid Response Cell only if they were embedded with U.S. troops. But because the whole point was that they were to report news that at least appeared to be independent of the military, this was impossible. We even explored whether we could embed our reporters with Iraqi troops there. But this also proved to be untenable.

Uncovering the Truth about the Death of David Kelly
During 2002/3 it was obvious to many that the search for WMD in Iraq was a disingenuous ploy to secure regime change. Blair and his aides had claimed that it would take only 45 minutes for Saddam to launch a CBW attack on British bases, and that mobile laboratories found in Iraq were for the purpose of making chemical/biological weapons. In asides to journalists Dr David Kelly had shot both assertions down in flames. So when he was found ‘dead in the woods’ three days after being hauled before a televised government committee, many of us were highly suspicious.
Why were Thames Valley police labelling Dr Kelly’s death a ’suicide’ before his body had been examined?


Bush blocks campaign to put pressure on Sudan over Darfur
The Bush administration and big business interests have been accused of undermining efforts to exert financial pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the killing in Darfur. In fact, the prime targets of the legislation by the states are not American companies ­already barred from doing business with the government of Sudan ­but Chinese concerns helping the development of the country's oil industry, and various European companies including Siemens, Shell, and Finmeccanica of Italy.

IMF's fears must be heeded
You can't expect the International Monetary Fund to come out and say the world is headed for a global financial crash. And it isn't saying that. But what it is saying, in its own careful way, is that the risk of such a calamity is increasing.

Financial future bleak for the iPod generation
Quite apart from the ignominy of being known as the iPod generation - because they are insecure, pressurised, over-taxed and debt ridden - it seems unlikely that the under 35s will even be in a position to afford their electronic namesakes. They are facing a bleak financial future in which they will hand over almost half their salary to the taxman, according to a new study. The report, by the thinktank Reform, claims that millions of young people face a combination of rising debts, higher costs of living and low earnings growth. It also predicts that the average 20-35 year old graduate will face a tax burden of around 48%.

Jump ship or pink slip for some realtors
With home sales slumping and loan demand diminishing, layoff announcements and resignations have become increasingly common, evidence that the sector's slump is broad.The lending industry is also seeing an exodus of employees.

Mexico's leftists elect leader of parallel government
Hundreds of thousands of supporters of leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador elected him as "legitimate president" of a parallel government on Saturday in protest against the allegedly flawed July presidential elections.

August terror plot is a 'fiction' underscoring police failures
Lieutenant-Colonel (ret.) Nigel Wylde, a former senior British Army Intelligence Officer, has suggested that the police and government story about the "terror plot" revealed on 10th August was part of a "pattern of lies and deceit."

Military Orders Suggest Iran Attack
Two recent orders by the American military have led some observers to conclude that the U.S. is preparing for an attack on Iran.

On Constitution Day: Talk of Impeachment and Rumors of War
Former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern announced at the session the electrifying news that secret orders had gone out for a Naval battle group to set sail immediately for the Persian Gulf, with a planned ETA off the coast of Iran of Oct. 21 -- less than three weeks before Election Day
"It would appear," one well-connected Washington source informed me after hearing about the Naval maneuvers, "that the Bush administration's internal polling is telling them that they are in serious trouble in November and that they are getting desperate."

American al Qaeda Spotted in Pakistan
The American al Qaeda, Adam Gadahn, was spotted last month in a remote area of Pakistan but moved before he could be captured, Pakistani intelligence officials tell ABC News.
Somebody ought to tell ABC News that Adam's real name is Pearlman and his grandfather was on the board of directors for the ADL. Adam is a manufactured Al Qaeda, a hoax, a sham, a fraud, we all know it, and ABC should be ashamed for not reporting it

Israel's cluster bomb use "outrageous": U.N.
Israel dropped at least 350,000 cluster bomblets on south Lebanon in its war with Hizbollah guerrillas, mostly when the conflict was all but over, leaving a deadly legacy for civilians, a U.N. official said on Tuesday.

Palestinians suspect Israeli agents behind fire-bombing of Churches


Not a lot of motivation to help the Palestinians
But, in the occupied territories, the domain of the party chairman, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, it's business as usual. A non-law abiding group in the settlements continues to cut down olive trees and confront Palestinian farmers. A report prepared by the organization Yesh Din relating to a period in which Peretz was responsible for the welfare of residents of the territories, lists three serious incidents of felled olive trees in Salam (45 trees) and Sinjil (140 trees.) As in all previous instances, no arrests were made.
This is not a trivial crime. Olive trees have to mature for ten years before they produce olives.


Gaza: The children killed in a war the world doesn't want to know about
Nayef Abu Snaima says his 14-year-old cousin Jihad had been sitting on the edge of an olive grove talking animatedly to him about what he would do when he grew up when he was killed instantly by an Israeli shell.



Bush Says G.O.P. Rebels Are Putting Nation at Risk
President Bush made an impassioned defense on Friday of his proposed rules for the interrogation and prosecution of terrorism suspects, warning that the nation’s ability to defend itself would be undermined if rebellious Republicans in the Senate did not come around to his position. Speaking at a late-morning news conference in the Rose Garden, Mr. Bush said he would have no choice but to end a C.I.A. program for the interrogation of high-level terrorism suspects if Congress passed an alternate set of rules supported by a group of Senate Republicans.

Next Stop: Conscription
In early August, about 300 Alaska-based soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, shortly after returning from Iraq, were ordered to return to Iraq immediately. Because of a bureaucratic bungle, the unit was not informed while in Iraq that its tour of duty had been extended. As a result, the soldiers and their families, relieved and grateful for their safe return, were torn apart once again without adequate time to prepare. Shortly thereafter the Bush administration announced that at least 2,500 discharged Marines would be involuntarily reactivated for combat duty through the Marine Corps’ Individual Ready Reserves (IRR) program. Both of these developments illustrate just how over-extended the military has become as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how desperate it has become in seeking personnel to fill current needs — let alone those that will come if, as expected, military action is taken against Lebanon, Syria, Iran, or North Korea.
Meanwhile, “centrist” Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting a “Universal Service” program in which all 18-year-olds of both sexes would be required to give a year or two of federally approved “service” as a condition of college admission. This would likely include a military reserve commitment and the option of active-duty service in the military.

Bush makes the case for Iran sanctions
The US President George W. Bush is planning to make his case for sanctions against Iran at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today.

Clashes in Budapest as crowds call for PM to quit

Excerpts: Hungarian 'lies' speech
An audio tape has been broadcast of a private party speech given in May by Hungary's prime minister in which he admits his party lied to the public in order to win April's general election.


Gonzales defends interrogation methods
In a speech, Gonzales said CIA interrogators lack guidance on how to comply with the international Geneva Conventions, saying the provisions banning "humiliating and degrading treatment" and "outrages upon personal dignity" are too vague.
"Seeking this clarity is important to our efforts to continue gathering information about our enemies," Gonzales said. "In all that we do in the war on terror, we seek to promote the rule of law and protect freedom."

Torture: An Interview with Dr. Steven Miles
Dr. Steven Miles is the author of Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity and the War on Terror, a scathing examination of the failings of members of the medical profession serving in the military with respect to treatment of prisoners held by American forces in the war on terror.

U.S. war prisons legal vacuum for 14,000
Disclosures of torture and long-term arbitrary detentions have won rebuke from leading voices including the U.N. secretary-general and the U.S. Supreme Court. But the bitterest words come from inside the system, the size of several major U.S. penitentiaries.
"It was hard to believe I'd get out," Baghdad shopkeeper Amjad Qassim al-Aliyawi told The Associated Press after his release - without charge - last month. "I lived with the Americans for one year and eight months as if I was living in hell."


Goldsmith warns US on detainees
Terrorist suspects detained at Guantanamo Bay should not be subject to humiliating and degrading treatment, the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, warned the US government at the weekend. Speaking in Chicago, Lord Goldsmith told the Bush administration that it should not try to water down the standards in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. This provision, he said, "prohibits outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment" of those detained in combat. It was "an international standard of very considerable importance and its content must be the same for all nations", he stressed.

Lions Dying in Zoo After Failed Hybrid Stunt
Twenty-one lions are dying in a zoo in north India after a cross-breeding experiment to boost the park's attractions went disastrously wrong. In the 1980s officials at the Chhatbir Zoo in the northern city of Chandigarh, bred captive Asiatic lions with a pair of African circus animals, resulting in a hybrid species. Within a few years it became obvious it had not worked.
The offspring found it hard to walk, let alone run, because their hind legs were weak. And by the mid 1990s the big cats -- which live for up to 20 years in captivity -- showed symptoms of failing immune systems.

Call It What It Is - Bush Wants to Torture People

Call It What It Is - Bush Wants to Torture People
It's so annoying to read mainstream press articles where they dance around what the real issue is on "terror suspect interrogations." They use every euphemism in the book. Bush seeks "clarity" on interrogations. Bush wants "wider leeway" in interrogations. Bush wants "tougher interrogations."

How Bush made of the last remaining superpower a banana republic
The war on terrorism, therefore, is as catastrophically failed as is the Iraq occupation. Bush has not identified an enemy in either war and his implication that we are killing "terrorists" in Iraq is a lie. Insurgents are not terrorists; they are guerillas resisting an illegal occupation —their right under international law. Compounding Bush's failure is the fact that Bush is creating enemies in Iraq. One wonders —how many more allies and friends might this nation have if demogogues had not needed enemies more?


Why the Japanese must be sent to concentration camps!
This is a WW2 propaganda film made by the US Government "explaining" why all Japanese living in the US needed to be arrested and put in concentration camps. Eerie parallel to today's MSM Muslim-bash.

ANTI-MOSLEM PROPGANDA ON THE RISE
When the Nazis decided to target the Jews, their media flooded Germany with all kinds of stories about how Jews were killing Christian babies in their temples as sacrifice, etc. Sadly, the propaganda succeeded. Now we are seeing a repeat of the same tactics, this time targeted on Muslims. in our own country.

9th Circuit: Laptops May Be Subject to Customs Inspections After Overseas Trips
In U.S. v. Romm, No. 04-10648, the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit ruled that customs officials can seize and search the contents of anyone’s laptop computer, even in the absence of a search warrant or probable cause.

The Bush administration is carpet-bombing America with still more fictions about Iraq
RARELY has a television network presented a more perfectly matched double feature. President Bush's 9/11 address on Monday night interrupted ABC's "Path to 9/11" so seamlessly that a single network disclaimer served them both: "For dramatic and narrative purposes, the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue, as well as time compression."
No kidding: "The Path to 9/11" was false from the opening scene, when it put Mohamed Atta both in the wrong airport (Boston instead of Portland, Me.) and on the wrong airline (American instead of USAirways). It took Mr. Bush but a few paragraphs to warm up to his first fictionalization for dramatic purposes: his renewed pledge that "we would not distinguish between the terrorists and those who harbor or support them."
Only days earlier the White House sat idly by while our ally Pakistan surrendered to Islamic militants in its northwest frontier, signing a "truce" and releasing Al Qaeda prisoners.


Calling the Emperor's Bluff
What do Henry Kissinger, George W. Bush, Charles Krauthammer, George Soros and the Pope have in common? They are all Illuminati talking heads and, except for Soros, last week they were all beating the drum for a completely gratuitous and fatal "clash of civilizations" i.e. A Third World War.

False Reports on Iran a Replay of Run-Up to Iraq War?
"President Bush, who addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, has said he prefers diplomacy to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but he hasn't ruled out using military force. Several former U.S. defense officials who maintain close ties to the Pentagon say they've been told that plans for airstrikes - if Bush deems them necessary - are being updated."

Spy Agencies Outsourcing to Fill Key Jobs
At the National Counterterrorism Center — the agency created two years ago to prevent another attack like Sept. 11 — more than half of the employees are not U.S. government analysts or terrorism experts. Instead, they are outside contractors. The proliferation of contractors has outstripped the intelligence community's ability to keep track of them.




U.S. holds AP photographer in Iraq 5 months
Military officials said Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. AP executives said the news cooperative's review of Hussein's work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system.
Taking pictures of "war crimes"??



Clear, hold, and... hand over to the death squads
A senior American official said U.S. personnel were investigating sites where corpses were recently found. U.S. officials are concerned that the killings may have been committed by Shiite-dominated government security forces in areas already secured by U.S. and Iraqi troops -- inside jobs, in effect.

Dozens of corpses found as US pledges more troops for Baghdad
Dozens of corpses were found across Baghdad, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki launched a fresh peace bid and the US pledged more troops to help restore stability in the Iraqi capital. At least 39 bodies were recovered from across the country, bringing to more than 150 the number of people killed execution-style in Iraq in the past four days amid raging sectarian conflict between the newly empowered Shiite majority and the ousted Sunni Arab elite.

Rumsfeld's Fake News Flop in Iraq
Economic and media globalization, however, have shrunk the planet in ways that blur the distinction between foreign and domestic propaganda. This has been acknowledged in the U.S. Defense Department's Information Operations Roadmap, a 74-page document approved in 2003 by Donald Rumsfeld. It noted that "information intended for foreign audiences, including public diplomacy and PSYOP [psychological operations], increasingly is consumed by our domestic audience and vice-versa. PSYOP messages disseminated to any audience... will often be replayed by the news media for much larger audiences, including the American public."

Rumsfeld Unveils New Justification For Iraq War: High Gas Prices
Now, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has introduced a new rationale for the invasion of Iraq, high gas prices. From a radio interview last week:
SECRETARY RUMSFELD: The fact of the matter is - if Saddam Hussein were still in power in Iraq, he would be rolling in petrol dollars. (That's why they did away with him, to prevent Iraq from selling oil). Think of the price of oil today. He would have so much money. And he would be seeing the Iranians interested in a nuclear program, he would be seeing the North Koreans developing a nuclear program, and he'd say well why shouldn't he - and he would. So we're fortunate that he's gone.




U.S. war prisons legal vacuum for 14,000
Captured on battlefields, pulled from beds at midnight, grabbed off streets as suspected insurgents, tens of thousands now have passed through U.S. detention, the vast majority in Iraq. Many say they were caught up in U.S. military sweeps, often interrogated around the clock, then released months or years later without apology, compensation or any word on why they were taken. Seventy to 90 percent of the Iraq detentions in 2003 were "mistakes," U.S. officers once told the international Red Cross.

Bush PR Campaign: Back to the Basics
In his first of a series of speeches, the president spoke of a world where pre-emptive wars are crucial to prevent the encroachment of terrorists, that "abandoning" Iraq would leave Americans at risk, where the terrorists would operate "in the streets of our own cities."
Booga-booga!!

Plastic Sheeting and Duct Tape: The keys to the midterm elections?
If there was ever any doubt that President George Bush and the Republicans intend to win or lose the November midterm elections primarily on the terrorism issue, Bush put that to rest on Wednesday by interjecting the long-dormant issue of 2001's anthrax attacks into the 2006 campaign.
Oh puh-leeeeeeeeeeze!!!!!!!!!

Become an Insurgent - Vote Anti-War



The myth of fair elections in America
The debacle surrounding the Republican victory in 2000 demonstrated to the world that America's electoral process is wide open to abuse. But as Paul Harris discovers, the system has actually worsened since then.

Major Problems At Polls Feared
An overhaul in how states and localities record votes and administer elections since the Florida recount battle six years ago has created conditions that could trigger a repeat -- this time on a national scale -- of last week's Election Day debacle in the Maryland suburbs, election experts said. For several years, prominent computer scientists have taken aim at the electronic voting machines, which in essence are computers. In analyses of the software that runs widely used models of the machines, and in tests on specific brands, the scientists have shown how they could manipulate the machine to report a vote total that differed from the actual total cast by voters.

Neocons Amid Lebanon’s Rubble:
A Challenge to Krauthammer's
Israel-as-Strategic-Asset Argument
In short, if Israel is limited in its ability to provide security services to the United States, American hegemony cannot make the Middle East safe for Israel. Perhaps it is not too late for the Israelis to figure out how to take a path toward normalcy in the Middle East that leads to peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians and their other neighbors in the next generations. Achieving that goal would advance the long-term interests of both Israel and the United States.


Called From Diplomatic Reserve
The former secretary of state, James A. Baker III, a confidant of President George H.W. Bush, visited Baghdad two weeks ago to take a look at the vexing political and military situation. He was there as co-chairman of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, put together by top think tanks at the behest of Congress to come up with ideas about the way forward in Iraq.
"The difficulty of winning the peace was severely underestimated," Baker wrote in a recent memoir, citing "costly mistakes" by the Pentagon. These included, he wrote, disbanding the Iraqi army, not securing weapons depots and "perhaps never having committed enough troops to successfully pacify the country."
He's the Senior Counsel for The Carlyle Group, a company that invests pension funds in defense and telecommunications companies around the world.
The Carlyle Group is the nation's 10th largest defense contractor, with extensive ties to Enron, Global Crossing, Arthur Andersen, the Saudi Royal Family, and the Bin Ladens.
He says the government shouldn't overreact to corporate scandals.
He watched the September 11 attacks at the Ritz-Carlton with the Bin Laden family. .
He's defending the Saudis against a trillion-dollar lawsuit brought forth by the September 11 families. He led the campaigns of the last four Republican presidents.
Now he's been chosen as Bush's personal envoy in charge of restructuring Iraq's $132 billion in debt.
Through his law firm, Baker & Botts, he is also working to assist American oil companies in the Caspian Region. This work right now involves a pipeline to be built through Afghanistan, a pipeline that Texas oil companies were negotiating with the Taliban to build before 9-11.
The judge who decided not to freeze the assests of Enron executives in January later recused herself from the case because she was a former employee of Baker's lawfirm Baker & Botts, because of her ties to George Bush and the fact that she had been an Enron stockholder.
James Baker Defending Saudis against 9-11 Families' Lawsuit MSNBC
James Baker appointed envoy in charge of restructuring Iraq's debt CNN

Meet The Carlyle Group
Former World Leaders and Washington Insiders Making Billions in the War on Terrorism
How will President George W. Bush make a personal fortune from the War on Terror? The old fashioned way. He'll inherit it; Meet the Carlyle Group.

They've got a place reserved for Tony Blair too....

UK troops 'to spend 10 years' in Afghanistan
In his first interview since arriving in Afghanistan, Brigadier Ed Butler said: "I don't think there’s any doubt we will be here for a considerable time. There will need to be training teams and embedded officers for 10 years or so."

Tourism slump worries US
"The American tourist industry is painfully aware that many travellers are put off by the tough visa requirements and the hostile reception that can greet them at the country’s airports."

Nonaligned Nations Blast Israel Attacks
Representatives of 118 Nonaligned Movement nations condemned Israel's attacks on Lebanon and supported a peaceful resolution to the U.S.-Iran nuclear dispute in the final declaration Saturday of a summit that brought together some of the United States' staunchest foes.

Collective punishment: Israel's use of American-made cluster bombs poses greater threat than expected to South Lebanese
Other recent findings confirm that Israel may have dropped as many as 60 percent of the cluster bombs it used in the latest conflict in the 72 hours immediately before the cease-fire. Military analysts on the ground offer two explanations.
First, sheer frustration, hatred, and rage by Israel's leadership and its obsession with punishing Lebanon for its more than 85 percent support (including Lebanon's middle class and Christian citizens) for Hizbullah's resistance to Israel's attempted reoccupation up to the Litani River.
Second, a desire by Israel to get rid of as much of its US cluster-bomb inventory as possible, which the Pentagon has stipulated must be reduced to a lower level before Israel can reorder newer models like the M-26. This is why the 33-year-old CBU-58, almost extinct, was used so widely. Israel was cleaning out its CBU closet for new orders, one Lebanese Army source reported.
The Pentagon insisted that Israel have their current inventory of cluster bombs "reduced" before it will be able to order newer, hipper cluster bombs? And the Pentagon had to know that the only way to for the IDF to reduce that inventory was to use a ton of it in highly concentrated civilian areas? Where the IDF knew they were going to hit women, children, the elderly, the disabled, the ill? All for the purpose of Israel being able to get the next generation of cluster bombs from the US more quickly?

"U.S. Military in Paraguay Prepares To 'spread democracy' "
Controversy is raging in Paraguay, where the U.S. military is conducting secretive operations. 500 U.S. troops arrived in the country on July 1st with planes, weapons and ammunition. Eyewitness reports prove that an airbase exists in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay, which is 200 kilometers from the border with Bolivia and may be utilized by the U.S. military. Officials in Paraguay claim the military operations are routine humanitarian efforts and deny that any plans are underway for a U.S. base. Yet human rights groups in the area are deeply worried.
The tri-border area is home to the Guarani Aquifer, one of the world’s largest reserves of water. Near the Estigarribia airbase are Bolivia's natural gas reserves, the second largest in Latin America. Political analysts believe U.S. operations in Paraguay are part of a preventative war to control these natural resources and suppress social uprisings in Bolivia.

Targeting Refugees and Human Rights Workers in Colombia
The Colombian Constitutional Court in 2004 denounced the government's failure to aid displaced persons, reporting that 92 percent of displaced persons were unable to meet their basic needs, 80 percent were indigent, 63.5 percent lacked decent housing, 49 percent lacked access to public services, and 23 percent of children under the age of six were malnourished. According to the U.N. World Food Program, mortality rates for displaced persons are six times higher than the national average. Leaders and members of displaced communities are frequent targets of death threats and violence.

Coaxing the unwilling

Coaxing the unwilling
As the ever less appetizing-looking wars in Iraq and Afghanistan spiral on without end, an overstretched US Army and Marine Corps have clearly become desperate. The result: US ground forces are increasingly made up of a motley mix of under-age teens, old-timers, foreign fighters, gang-bangers, neo-Nazis, ex-cons, inferior officers and a host of near-mercenary troops, lured in or kept in uniform through big payouts and promises.
In February, the Baltimore Sun wrote that there was "a significant increase in the number of recruits with what the army terms 'serious criminal misconduct' in their background" - a category that included "aggravated assault, robbery, vehicular manslaughter, receiving stolen property and making terrorist threats". From 2004 to 2005, the number of those recruits had spiked by more than 54%. One beneficiary of the army's new moral-waiver policies gained a certain prominence this summer. After Steven D Green, who served in the army's 101st Airborne Division, was charged in a rape and quadruple murder in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, it was disclosed that he had been "a high-school dropout from a broken home who enlisted to get some direction in his life, yet was sent home early because of an 'antisocial personality disorder'".

We can't send more troops to Iraq
In fact, there are no more troops to send to Iraq. That is the unmistakable message of an Army briefing making the rounds in Washington. According to in-house assessments, fully two-thirds of the Army's operating force, both active and reserve, is now reporting in as "unready"—that is, they lack the equipment, people, or training they need to execute their assigned missions. Not a single one of the Army's Brigade Combat Teams—its core fighting units—currently in the United States is ready to deploy. In short, the Army has no strategic reserve to speak of. The other key U.S. fighting force in Iraq, the Marine Corps, is also hurting, with much of its equipment badly in need of repair or replacement.



Families of Alaska's Stryker Brigade Make Rumsfeld Squirm
The corporate news likes to give us the impression that the military fully supports this inept administration and their illegal immoral attack on an innocent nation, however this new video of Rumfeld facing the families of Alaska’s Stryker Brigade paints a very different picture.

NATO gets no offers for Afghan reinforcements
NATO members failed to offer any extra troops on Wednesday to fight resurgent Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan and it could be weeks before reinforcements are committed, an alliance spokesman said.

US denied causing 'disaster' by invading Iraq
The White House begged to differ after UN chief Kofi Annan said Middle Eastern leaders had called the invasion of Iraq "a disaster" for the region.
"I'm not going to engage in a further disputation with the secretary general of the United Nations, but we disagree with the characterization," White House spokesman Tony Snow said, while acknowledging "sectarian violence" in Iraq.



CIA Learned in '02 That Bin Laden Had No Iraq Ties, Report Says
The CIA learned in late September 2002 from a high-level member of Saddam Hussein's inner circle that Iraq had no past or present contact with Osama bin Laden and that the Iraqi leader considered bin Laden an enemy of the Baghdad regime, according to a recent Senate Intelligence Committee report.

Pentagon concludes US defeated in key Iraqi province
A series of Pentagon and other government documents either released or leaked in the last week have underscored the deepening debacle confronting the US occupation of Iraq. The most startling among them is a classified report drafted by the US Marine Corps’ chief intelligence officer in Iraq concluding that the US has already lost in its effort to suppress the resistance in the country's restive Anbar province.


Senate Rebuffs White House Over Terror Trials
President Bush's revised plan to interrogate and prosecute terrorism suspects has received a major setback on Capital Hill. On Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee passed an alternative plan affirming Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits inhumane treatment. Four Republicans, including Arizona's John McCain and committee chair John Warner, joined Democrats in approving the measure. The White House says it will fight the legislation because it would mean the end of the CIA's program of interrogating detainees.
The Senate measure received a boost Thursday from former Secretary of State Colin Powell. In a letter to Senator McCain, Powell said ignoring the Geneva Conventions would endanger US troops and imperil the war on terror. Powell said: "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."
The tide has officially turned.

Ohio congressman agrees to plead guilty in graft case

Government oil lease blunder hidden 6 years
Interior Department officials realized in 2000 that their offshore lease agreements with oil companies shortchanged American taxpayers, but they covered up their multibillion-dollar mistake for six years, an investigator said Wednesday. After combing through 11,000 e-mail messages and interviewing 29 current and former Interior Department employees, federal investigators still aren't ready to say who they think told a staffer to omit contract language that would have forced oil companies operating in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico to pay billions of dollars in royalty payments as energy prices rose.


Ney Expected to Plead Guilty in Bribery Case
Republican Congressmember Bob Ney of Ohio is expected to plead guilty today to at least one charge in connection to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Ney said he would not seek re-election this year after the House Ethics Committee announced he was being investigated on bribery charges. A guilty plea would be Ney's first admission of wrongdoing in the case. He maintained his innocence even after his former chief of staff pleaded guilty in May. Ney is expected to serve some time in jail.

Coin dealer sentenced in donation scheme
A rare-coin dealer and GOP fundraiser at the center of a scandal that has rocked Ohio's Republican Party was sentenced to more than two years in prison Tuesday for illegally funneling about $45,000 to President Bush's re-election campaign.

Large Turnout Expected For Assembly of AMLO Supporters
In Mexico, a massive gathering is expected in the capital Saturday for supporters of former Presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The conference will address the response to last week’s ruling certifying the electoral victory of conservative candidate Felipe Calderon. Lopez Obrador has proposed establishing an "alternative government." He spoke in Mexico City Thursday.

• Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador: "It's not possible any more to continue with the same worn out regime of corruption and of privileges. It's not possible any more to continue with this ballast that is preventing Mexico from forging ahead, which is preventing its people from living."

US moves to scuttle Arab plan for international peace conference
In discussions among Israeli and US officials over the past few days, it was agreed that the US will use its diplomatic power to sideline the Arab League initiative, which intends to use the Security Council as the main vehicle for convening an international peace conference to deal with the conflict.

Chavez Says US Hindering Pending Visit to UN
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in a new row with the Bush administration over his scheduled visit to the UN General Assembly next week. Speaking in Havana Thursday, Chavez said US officials were denying visas to members of his security detail and medical staff. But he vowed to still make the trip.

• Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: "I hope to see [Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero] in New York but now the gringos (U.S.) don't want me to go, here let me tell you, they denied visas for my security and my doctors. They don't want my advance party in New York but I am going even if I have to go alone, with Fidel like Quixote, with Quixote on horseback."

Bush Admin Warns Nicaraguans on Electing Sandinista Leader
The Bush administration has issued a new warning to Nicaraguan voters against electing Sandinista leader and former President Daniel Ortega. In an interview with the London Financial Times, US Ambassador Paul Trivelli called Ortega "un-democratic" and said his victory would force a "re-evaluation'' of US ties to Nicaragua. The US waged a decade-long economic and covert military campaign against the Sandinistas after the overthrow of the US-backed Somoza regime in 1979. Ortega is currently leading polls ahead of November's vote.

HP Admits Obtaining Journalists' Phone Records
The technology giant Hewlett-Packard has admitted it secretly obtained the phone records of nine journalists. The disclosure comes on the heels of the company's acknowledgement it spied on its own board members in an attempt to discover the source of information linked to the media. The journalists worked for CNet, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Lawyer says FCC ordered study destroyed
The Federal Communications Commission ordered its staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage, a former lawyer at the agency says.
The lawyer, Adam Candeub, says the destroyed study suggest greater concentration would harm local television news coverage across the country. Candeub says FCC commissioners wanted 'every last piece' of the report destroyed. The report put forward figures showing local ownership adds almost five minutes of total news to broadcasts and more than three minutes of 'on-location' news. Those findings contradicted the FCC's arguments when it voted to liberalize media ownership rules three years ago.

Military court halts release of Hamas officials following appeal
An Israeli military court on Thursday suspended the release of 20 Hamas legislators and ministers detained by Israel following an appeal by the military prosecutor.

Israeli Diplomat Carrying Large Quantity Of Explosives Arrested In Argentina
On Wednesday 9th August 2006, Ezeiza airport police arrested an important Israeli diplomat carrying a considerable quantity of explosives. The Zionist representative was en route to Chile and was detained minutes before boarding a plane.


IAF sex scandal ends with incarceration
35 Israeli Air Force soldiers at Air Force base suspected of raping, sexually assaulting 14-year-old girl.
IDF officials: We're talking about grave events taking place inside a military base. Dozens of soldiers are suspected of raping and committing other sexual offences against a 14-year-old girl. The alleged crimes were apparently committed for over a year and started when the girl was 13. Dozens of suspects were questioned over the shocking affair in recent weeks by Military Police and Israel Police investigators. The sex scandal concluded Thursday with verdicts of between 21-42 days of incarceration for 10 of the 30 soldiers that were involved in the affair.

Palestinian children in Israeli prison
The western Ramallah's Beit Ur At Tahta Village boys have been subject to severe beatings at the hands of Israeli soldiers. Members of the intelligence in charge of interrogating the children have beaten and threatened both and forced them to sign statements.
Khalaila sat with Al Aisha as he reported what has happened to him. Israeli soldiers and interrogators have repeatedly punched the 13 year old in the face and kicked him in the legs and backside. The boy said that he was not throwing stones, denying the charge against him. He was forced under threat to sign a statement of unknown content.

One fifth of US rice contaminated with illegal GM strain
Up to one fifth of rice entering the EU is contaminated with an illegal genetically modified (GM) strain from the US. Those are the findings of the European Commission's own investigation into EU rice imports, following the admission in August by the US government that untested strains of GM rice had entered the food chain.



Americans More Likely to be Shot by Law Enforcement than Killed by Terrorists
here’s a handy ranking of the various dangers confronting America, based on the number of mortalities in each category throughout the 11-year period spanning 1995 through 2005 (extrapolated from best available data).

S E V E R E Driving off the road: 254,419 Falling: 146,542 Accidental poisoning: 140,327

H I G H Dying from work: 59,730 Walking down the street: 52,000. Accidentally drowning: 38,302

E L E V A T E D Killed by the flu: 19,415 Dying from a hernia: 16,742

G U A R D E D Accidental firing of a gun: 8,536 Electrocution: 5,171

L O W Being shot by law enforcement: 3,949 Terrorism: 3147 Carbon monoxide in products: 1,554

Ford slashes 10,000 more jobs, 2 plants
The auto giant Ford has announced a new round of job cuts and the closure of two of its plants. The company says it plans to eliminate ten thousand (UNION) jobs through buyouts of hourly workers.

UAW says Ford offers buyouts to 75,000 workers
The release states the company will offer $35,000 for workers with 30 years of service. Additionally, Ford will offer special early retirement and pre-retirement leave.

Most forego buying own U.S. health insurance
A new study says nine out of ten Americans who have tried to buy their own health insurance have been unable to do so. According to the Commonwealth Fund, one in five uninsured were turned down because of an existing medical condition. Nearly 60 percent went without health insurance because they could not afford the price.

Outlawed: Extraordinary Rendition, Torture and Disappearances in the 'War on Terror'
As Spain acknowledges its territory may have been used as a stopover for the CIA's transfer of prisoners known as extraordinary rendition, we excerpt a new documentary by the human rights group Witness. "Outlawed" tells the stories of two men who have survived extraordinary rendition, secret detention, and torture by the U.S. government working with various other governments worldwide.

Torture Taxi: On the Trail of the CIA's Rendition Flights
As President Bush admits the existence of secret overseas CIA prisons, we take a look at the U.S. government's shadowy program of extraordinary rendition with the authors of the new book: "Torture Taxi: On the Trail of the CIA's Rendition Flights."

Ludicrous Diversion - 7/7 London Bombings Documentary
On the 7th of July 2005 London was hit by a series of explosions. You probably think you know what happened that day. But you don’t.

Syria Says US Behind Attack On Own Embassy

Syria Says US Behind Attack On Own Embassy
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent
Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Senior Syrian government official have accused the US of being behind Tuesday's assault on its own embassy in downtown Damascus. A Baath party official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told WorldNetDaily, "We in the government are 100 percent sure America was behind this attack, which is not the same as other attacks by Islamic groups. Only the Americans can succeed in carrying out an attack just 200 meters from President [Bashar] Assad's residence in the most heavily guarded section of Syria."
The official charged that Washington had orchestrated the attack to "prove Syria is filled with terrorists and to put us in a weak position" in order to extract political concessions.
Following the attack, Bush administration officials said they hoped the incident had convinced Damascus of the dangers of Islamic terror and the need to cooperate with the West against the phenomenon.
The US and several of its European allies have repeatedly demanded over the years that Damascus close down the local offices and training camps of several organizations hostile to Israel and the West. The identities of those who attacked the US embassy Tuesday have not been revealed. Three of the gunmen were killed by Syrian guards during the assault. A fourth was reportedly captured.
Hmm, that should be interesting....


Paul Craig Roberts on 9/11 conspiracy theory debate
My opinion of Loose Change and Popular Mechanics is independent of who won the debate. The Loose Change producers are more to be admired than the Popular Mechanics editors for the simple reason that the former are committed to opening a debate and the latter are committed to closing debate down. Indeed, Popular Mechanics was early on the scene trying to close off debate by defending the government line. Why?
If I had been in the debate, I would have asked Meigs and Dunbar what's conspiratorial about a thorough hearing and examination of an event that has been used to justify illegal invasions that are war crimes and have destroyed two countries and killed tens of thousands of people.
But the main problem with the 9/11 debate is that there has not really been a debate. Instead, we have had a report from a political commission run by a Bush administration insider, Philip Zelikow. In place of a real independent investigation, we have a collection of Washington players reassuring the public by defending the government’s story line.

Left to right: First two photos are underground nuclear tests, the last three are the destruction of the World Trade Center.

9/11 Residents, Responders suffering from lymphoma
According to sources who worked with the FEMA at Ground Zero on and after 911, residents of southern Manhattan and rescue and clean-up workers involved in the recovery operations at the site of the former World Trade Center are experiencing an unusually high rate of non-Hodgkin lymphoma -- a cancer that is common among individuals who have been exposed to extremely high levels of ionizing radiation, such as that from nuclear blasts and major nuclear reactor leaks.
In addition to the respiratory problems among rescue workers at Ground Zero who breathed toxic "pulverized" concrete and other debris into their lungs, the radiation cancer is of extreme interest to researchers who suspect that the World Trade Center towers and Building 7 were brought down with the help of high energy releases. WMR spoke to a number of individuals who were at Ground Zero on 911 who are now experiencing symptoms resulting from severe damage to their immune systems -- a condition that is common among those exposed to high levels of radiation.
Sources close to FEMA in New York confirmed to WMR that the lymphoma cases are believed to be the result of a release of extremely high levels of radiation from a series of nuclear events on the morning of 911. They believe that explains the reason for the "pulverization" of concrete, molten metals, pyroclastic surges and fallout, and other anomalies resulting from the catastrophe.
It was also pointed out that some vehicles parked on the west side of the World Trade Center were "fused" on the sides facing the towers -- the doors being melted into the body frames. Other cars parked nearby were not similarly affected. There is also evidence of explosions and fires on top of the Woolworth Building, three blocks away from the World Trade Center, during the attack on the towers.
FEMA officials from Washington, DC were quick to ban any unofficial photography in southern Manhattan in the weeks following 911. Any photographers who had not received prior permission from FEMA to be in southern Manhattan found their photographic and filming equipment confiscated by the government.



Military Declined to Bomb Group of Taliban at Funeral
The U.S. military acknowledged Wednesday that it considered bombing a group of more than 100 Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan but decided not to after determining they were on the grounds of a cemetery.

Families of British soldiers banned from Labour conference in censorship row

Labour officials have banned the grieving families of the Iraq war dead from staging a peaceful protest outside the party's forthcoming annual conference in Manchester.
Time for the Democra-bus?

UN Honors Racist Dictator Who Boils People Alive With "Cultural Diversity" Award

UNESCO gives Karimov "diversity" award - despite the fact he tortures innocent Muslims to death for fun and political kickbacks from Bush and Blair, who use phony confessions for war on terror propaganda.

Israeli MP calls for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians
It was the first time that Eitam, who heads the Religious Zionism faction within the National Union, has publicly supported deportation of Palestinians, a concept espoused by assassinated National Union founder Rehavam Ze'evi as "transfer."

Scott Ritter: Hillary's Challenger Crucified on a Cross of Gold
Money is the difference between having a fighting chance and total obscurity for Hillary Clinton's challenger Jonathan Tasini in the New York Senate Dem primary.
The only way America can deviate from its current internal rot is for men and women of intelligence and ideals to stand up and insert themselves into the process of representative democracy. Through debate, dialogue and discussion Americans can challenge wrongly held perceptions, empowering themselves to engage in fact-based analysis.

America Wake Up. Don't be Fooled Again

As expected, the Republican leadership is smelling defeat in November, and is on a fear-mongering shooting spree over the Iraq war and terrorism. The intensity level is staggering, and it's an indication of just how ugly it's going to get in the next seven weeks.

Diebold disaster in Maryland
Simple story: The machines just ain't working. Computerized voting has one little-understood danger: You don't need to hack the vote to change the election. You just need the machines to fail.

Brad Friedman has an exclusive blockbusting piece up on Salon today about how hackable Diebold machines are with a vicious virus that can spread from machine to machine and flip votes.
According to scientists at Princeton, their results show that no "conspiracy" is needed to do the dirty deed. Indeed, just one person could infect the machinery with the virus, which would then spread and flip an entire election.

Tampered ballot from Ohio: Smoking gun evidence of massive vote fraud in 2004 election.

Princeton prof hacks e-vote machine
In a paper posted on the university's Web site, Edward Felten and two graduate students described how they had tested a Diebold AccuVote-TS machine they obtained, found ways to quickly upload malicious programs and even developed a computer virus able to spread such programs between machines.

Anthrax victim's widow says government may know who killed husband Maureen Stevens says the federal government probably knows who killed her husband. She believes they're not telling because that might reveal things the government doesn't want revealed.


RIP: Gov. Ann Richards 1933-2006
America has lost a leader who was one of the first to expose the Bush family as wealthy patricians who have no regard for the working people. Former Texas Governor Ann Richards was savaged by the sleazy politics of the Bushes and their consigliore Karl Rove in her 1994 re-election race against George W. Bush.
Richards became a prime target for the Bush crime family after she made this comment about George H. W. "Poppy" Bush at the 1988 Democratic National Convention: "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."




WAYNE MADSEN: Venezuela to join UN Security Council?
President George W. Bush is scheduled to speak before the UN General Assembly next week. It will not be a happy occasion for Bush. He will be looking out on an assembly that will be poised to deliver the United States and Mr. Bush a humiliating defeat. The US is losing in its effort to have Guatemala take over the Latin American seat on the UN Security Council. Venezuela is now favored to win the seat over the objections of US ambassador John Bolton, whose permanent nomination to be ambassador has been killed by the Senate for the current session. Guatemala has among the worst human rights records in Latin America.

White House Seeks a Way to Keep Bolton at the U.N.
President Bush's nomination of John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations appears increasingly endangered in the Senate, prompting the administration to explore other ways to keep him in the job after his temporary appointment expires in January, officials said yesterday.

IAEA protests "erroneous" U.S. report on Iran
U.N. inspectors have protested to the U.S. government and a Congressional committee about a report on Iran's nuclear work, calling parts of it "outrageous and dishonest," according to a letter obtained by Reuters.

Air Force Chief: try out microwave weapons on US protesters

Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs
Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

Air Force Secretary Calls For Testing Non-Lethal Weapons on US Citizens
Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before they are used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday. Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions in the international community over any possible safety concerns, said Secretary Michael Wynne. Speaking in the nation's capital Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said successful tests on US citizens would reduce global criticism were those weapons used in other countries. Secretary Wynne showed a stunning preference yesterday for using new high-power microwave weapons for domestic crowd control as a way of testing the possible side effects of the devices:
"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation… (Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."
The Air Force has funded research into nonlethal weapons, but he said the service isn't likely to spend more money on development until injury issues are reviewed by medical experts and resolved. Nonlethal weapons generally can weaken people if they are hit with the beam. Some of the weapons can emit short, intense energy pulses that also can be effective in disabling some electronic devices.



"Nuke" Americans First
The Roman Republic barred its military leaders from bringing their legions across that watery boundary so that Roman troops would never be used against Roman citizens. While the legionnaires were free to butcher men, women and children anywhere else in the Mediterranean world, citizens of Rome enjoyed special privilege. They were immune until Julius Caesar brought his legion across that famous river, causing the Roman Senate to flee in fear and bringing the Roman Republic to an end.
America has now reached the point where its ruthless leaders so despise its people and its press that they feel it is safer politically to test dangerous new weapons on protestors and unruly crowds in the U. S. than in the streets of Baghdad or Ramallah. Like Joseph Stalin and Saddam Hussein, they have complete confidence that they can do whatever they like within the boundaries of the country they rule. Many of us have wished for the death of the myth of American exceptionalism, but few could have foreseen its end announced by an Air Force Secretary who urged his own government to "nuke" Americans first.


Police-state chic!
Police state tactics as theme for fashion photos? Reminds me of "Glamourama" by Bret Easton Ellis. Disturbing photo layout from September's Italian issue of VOGUE.

VA study: Gulf War syndrome doesn't exist
A new government report has concluded there is no such thing as Gulf War syndrome. The study acknowledges that nearly 30 percent of all those who served in the first war in Iraq suffered or still suffer from an array of very real problems. But the report sponsored by the Veterans' Administration says there is no single pattern of symptoms to suggest one identifiable syndrome.
Disability Benefits At Issue-- Tuesday's report is the latest in the important series, which the VA will rely on to determine whether Gulf War veterans are eligible for special disability benefits if they are found to suffer from illnesses that can be linked to their service. Veterans can now claim those benefits only by making an undiagnosed illness claim.
Nearly 700,000 U.S. soldiers took part in the Gulf War. Once in the region, those soldiers were exposed to a wide array of toxins and other potential health hazards, including smoke from hundreds of oil well fires, pesticides, depleted uranium ammunition and possibly the nerve agent sarin, released during the demolition of a munitions dump. For years, the government denied the mysterious illnesses were linked to the war.

Depleted Uranium Radioactive Contamination In Iraq: An Overview
Depleted Uranium (DU) weaponry has been used against Iraq for the first time in the history of recent wars. The magnitude of the complications and damage related to the use of such radioactive and toxic weapons on the environment and the human population mostly results from the intended concealment, denial and misleading information released by the Pentagon about the quantities, characteristics and the area’s in Iraq, in which these weapons have been used.

If you liked this 9-11; you'll Love the next
To a large extent, the war on terror is a shabby promotional scheme designed to mobilize the nation for a permanent state of war while curtailing civil liberties. The only way to get the public back "on board" is with a "massive casualty-producing event" in the United States. And, don't think they haven’t thought about that in Washington.

Iran vows to help establish security in Iraq, boost bilateral ties
So let me get this straight: the invasion of Iraq has lead to a vast improvement in bi-lateral relations between Iraq and Iran? THIS is what we have accomplished, for all of our military being maimed and killed, and who knows how many Iraqis? Far from "Balkinizing" the Middle East to keep the region controllable, US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan and supplying weapons for Israel to use in Lebanon have succeeded in uniting the region against us.

FLASHBACK: THE US GOVERNMENT INFORMED OTHER NATIONS OF ITS PLAN TO INVADE AFGHANISTAN MONTHS BEFORE THE 9/11 ATTACKS

Rice: West 'must not fail Afghanistan
Condi tries to shift the blame for the disaster in Afghanistan away from the US and onto NATO.

Fallujah again in the line of US fire
"Last week, the Americans used loudspeakers on the backs of their tanks and Humvees to threaten us," Dhahy said. Residents said the US forces warned of a "large military operation" if fighters were not handed over.

This war is just beginning, Bush insists
DECLARING the world in the "early hours" of a struggle between tyranny and freedom, US President George W. Bush used a prime-time Oval Office address on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to try to bolster flagging public support for the war in Iraq.

GOP Fundraiser Sentenced To 27 Months in Bush Re-Election Scandal
In Ohio, a Republican fundraiser behind one of this country's largest campaign money-laundering scandals has been sentenced to over two years in prison. In June, the fundraiser, Tom Noe, pleaded guilty to illegally funneling tens of thousands of dollars into President Bush's re-election campaign. Noe was named a “Pioneer” for raising over $100,000 dollars for the President’s re-election.

'Anything Goes' at Interior Department
Earl Devaney, the inspector general of the Department of the Interior, will give a blunt assessment of the level of ethics there in testimony to be presented to a congressional subcommittee Wednesday.
"Simply stated, short of a crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Department of the Interior," Devaney will tell the subcommittee, according to an advance copy of his prepared remarks obtained by ABC News.Devaney was asked to investigate a controversy that's been brewing on Capitol Hill for months over what critics call a giant giveaway to the major oil companies.

Video: Commanders privately express needing 3X more troops

Colombia military in bomb scandal
Army officers in Colombia have been accused of placing car bombs around the capital in the latest military scandal to hit the country.
Where did they get the idea to do THAT?????

NYPD Built Bomb for Terror Study
It was known as Operation Kaboom: Police investigators posed as apple growers and secretly built a 2,400-pound truck bomb to determine how easy it would be for homegrown terrorists to launch an attack with homemade explosives. Then, they partially detonated it. The 2004 experiment, revealed by city officials Tuesday, was part of a New York Police Department program to monitor suspicious sales of ammonium nitrate and other common chemicals sold by suppliers in the New York City area.
Testifying in Washington, D.C., before the Senate committee on homeland security, the NYPD's top counterterrorism official, Richard Falkenrath, said the $7,000 operation "proved the ease with which the fertilizer can be legally obtained and used as part of an explosive device."
Falkenrath, a former national security aide for the Bush administration, criticized Congress and the White House for failing to seek strict regulations on the sale of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, a key ingredient in the bomb used in the attack on a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

RELINKED: OKC Bombshell Implicates Feds In Murrah Blast
After nearly a decade, shocking, suppressed evidence emerges
Contrary to media reports, the World Trade Center bomb of February 1993 was composed of urea nitrate, not ANFO ammonium nitrate fertilizer, according to the FBI.
After a morning of reporting that "multiple bombs" had been found in the Murrah debris--a report publicly confirmed by the Gov. Frank Keating--and that rescue operations had been halted for two hours while these unexploded bombs were removed, news people suddenly began to spin the government yarn about an ANFO bomb being responsible for the enormous damage...
One of the problems with that theory was the fact that the columns remained standing directly across the sidewalk from the truck as opposed to those that had collapsed more than 50 feet away. A retired air force brigadier general with 30 years experience compiled an irrefutable report on this subject, which showed exactly where the charges were placed inside the building.

South Korea riot police clear U.S. base protesters
More than 10,000 South Korean riot policemen with shields and batons dislodged about 50 residents and activists from homes on Wednesday during a protest over the expansion of a U.S. military base.
The protesters painted "NO USA" on buildings and stood on rooftops in a brief attempt to stop construction crews from tearing down about 90 homes. The homes were quickly demolished, ending months of arguments over the land in two rural townships.
Winning "hearts & minds" the world over...

British judiciary chief assails Gitmo
The head of Britain's judiciary said Wednesday the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay is an affront to democracy, going far beyond Prime Minister Tony Blair's muted criticism of the detention facility for terror suspects.
"I speak with the authority of the government," Lord Falconer told BBC radio.
In June, Falconer had denounced the detention center in eastern Cuba as a "recruiting agent" for terrorism, and described its existence as "intolerable and wrong."

Freddie Mac Probe Ends With No Charges
Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac will not face criminal charges in connection with its multibillion-dollar accounting scandal, the company said Tuesday. The Justice Department began investigating the accounting of the government-sponsored company, which is the second-largest financer of home loans in the country, after Freddie Mac disclosed in June 2003 that it had misstated earnings by some $5 billion - mostly underreported - for 2000-2002.

Cheney sent to break up surveillance, tribunals deadlock
President Bush dispatched the vice president and top aides to the Capitol on Tuesday to try to break an election-season deadlock with Republicans over the surveillance and prosecution of terrorism suspects. But officials met stiff resistance from senators and House leaders who say they refuse to give the White House a blank check over the war on terror. The standoff raised questions about whether the president could unite Republicans on his anti-terror agenda before November's midterm elections.

Plame Adds Armitage to Civil Suit
Lawyers for the former CIA operative say they'll be adding former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage to Plame's civil suit against current and former White House officials. Armitage admitted last week he was the source who revealed Plame's identity to columnist Robert Novak. Plame's suit already names Vice President Dick Cheney, presidential aide Karl Rove and Cheney's former chief of staff Lewis 'Scooter' Libby for conspiring to end her career and putting her and her family at risk.

Study: Emissions Account For Most Warming in Hurricane-Forming Ocean Areas
Another new study has been released linking stronger hurricanes to global warming. According to researchers, human-generated greenhouse gas have been responsible for more than two-thirds of the temperature increases in those parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where hurricanes usually form. A study published last year in the journal "Nature" showed a strong link between historical increases in sea temperatures and increases in hurricane intensity over the last three decades. The new study is published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Anti-War Groups Win Pledge For Suzanne Swift Investigation
On Tuesday, attendees of the gathering Camp Democracy won a pledge from Oregon Congress member Peter DeFazio to initiate a congressional investigation into Swift's case. Swift is the Army Specialist who has been arrested and confined to base for going AWOL after her charges of sexual harassment and assault went un-addressed by the military. DeFazio made the pledge after a planned action that saw the activists visiting him personally and constituents flooding his office with phone calls, e-mails and faxes in support of Suzanne Swift.
In a statement, Iraq Veterans Against the War said: "Congressman DeFazio has taken an important step toward ending military sexual violence despite the military's unwillingness to follow its own procedures and regulations. This a good first step toward making sure there is never again another Suzanne Swift."


Mexican officials to burn ballots
Electoral officials said Tuesday that they will burn the ballots from the disputed presidential election despite calls from both candidates to spare them.

Hezbollah Ahead of Lebanese Govt in Reconstruction
Sectarian political fissures are widening in Lebanon nearly one month after a United Nations brokered cease-fire went into affect, due in part to a muted political battle being waged internally between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government as both attempt to show displaced Lebanese residents that they are committed to rebuilding their lives and their homes.

Meanwhile the forgotten, forsaken Gaza is dying
GAZA is dying. The Israeli siege of the Palestinian enclave is so tight that its people are on the edge of starvation. Here on the shores of the Mediterranean a great tragedy is taking place that is being ignored because the world’s attention has been diverted by wars in Lebanon and Iraq.
A whole society is being destroyed. There are 1.5 million Palestinians imprisoned in the most heavily populated area in the world. Israel has stopped all trade. It has even forbidden fishermen to go far from the shore so they wade into the surf to try vainly to catch fish with hand-thrown nets.

Palestinians hit out as Israel tightens visa controls
Palestinians say Israel's policies are harming those very moderates who hope to create an alternative to violence and religious fundamentalism. "If Israel wants to end up with Somalia next door, it's going the right way about it," says Zahi Khoury, a US citizen and chairman of the National Beverage Company, which holds the franchise for Coca-Cola in the territories.

Fingerpointing

Whitman, Giuliani and the Victims of Ground Zero


In a nutshell, former recovery workers are getting sick and dying from the effects of inhaling smoke and dust containing a toxic burning brew of caustic concrete dust, asbestos, PCBs, jet fuel, and plastics, lead, chromium, mercury, vinyl chloride, benzene, human bodies and thousands of other toxic substances. The pulverized concrete alone has been characterized as so alkaline it is like inhaling lye.
The immediate problem was that recovery workers didn't wear respirators -- because OSHA didn't enforce the law, because Whitman's EPA had assured New Yorkers that the air was safe to breathe, and because the White House put more emphasis on politics than on public health, removing "alarming" language from EPA press releases and rushing the re-opening of Wall St. Whitman claims that the EPA had warned the city of the toxic dust and blamed city officials for the ongoing disaster. "We never lied," she said.



A 2003 report of EPA's Inspector General found that although EPA press releases made some distinction between assuring the safety of the general public combined with more concern for the Ground Zero site itself, overall the communication was unclear and was one of the major factors contributing to the failure of many workers to wear respirators:

A significant factor [why respirators were not worn]was the desire to save lives without regard for personal safety in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Other reasons appeared to include the respirators’ interference with the ability of emergency workers to communicate, lack of training, lack of enforcement of safety measures at the site, and conflicting messages about the air quality at Ground Zero.

Ultimately, according to the IG, the content of EPA's press releases were based more on politics than on science.

The draft of the inspector general's report also says the agency "did not have sufficient data and analyses" to make a "blanket statement" when it announced seven days after the attack that the air around ground zero was safe to breathe. "Competing considerations, such as national security concerns and the desire to reopen Wall Street, also played a role in E.P.A.'s air quality statements," the report said.

The IG also found that

a federal emergency response team prepared a report on the day of the attacks recommending that respirators be used at ground zero.

But the report was never issued because it was decided that New York City, and not the federal government, should handle worker protection issues.

One of the most upsetting findings of the IG was its conclusion that White House officials had instructed the agency to be less alarming and more reassuring to the public in the first few days after the attack than EPA officials originally wanted to be. In fact, the White House Council on Environmental Quality ordered EPA to add reassuring information and delete cautionary information from at least one press release.



PUNDITS have fun with ABC's fakudrama "THE PATH TO 9/11"


Using his trademark conservative shtick, Colbert tears apart the hypocrisy and lies behind the GOP propaganda myth. "According to several reliable fictional accounts, and I saw one on ABC just last night, your President let bin Laden go; back when it was important to catch him. Not like after the attacks."

After a two week hiatus, it was nice to see the Daily Show back and in top form. Jon takes on the Path, saying he’s glad that 9/11 gets the same made-for-TV-movie treatment that the "Amy Fisher" story got.

Olbermann's Special Comment for the anniversary of 9/11:

"And anyone who claims that I and others like me are 'soft,' or have 'forgotten"' the lessons of what happened here is at best a grasping, opportunistic, dilettante and at worst, an idiot whether he is a commentator, or a Vice President, or a President."

Worried CIA Officers Buy Legal Insurance

CIA counterterrorism officers have signed up in growing numbers for a government-reimbursed, private insurance plan that would pay their civil judgments and legal expenses if they are sued or charged with criminal wrongdoing, according to current and former intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the program. The anxieties stem partly from public controversy about a system of secret CIA prisons in which detainees were subjected to harsh interrogation methods, including temperature extremes and simulated drowning. The White House contends the methods were legal, but some CIA officers have worried privately that they may have violated international law or domestic criminal statutes.

Democrats Criticize Bush For Politicizing 9/11 Anniversary
Several Democratic lawmakers criticized the president for politicizing the anniversary of 9/11. Senator Ted Kennedy said Bush "should be ashamed of using a national day of mourning … to seek support for a war in Iraq that he has admitted had 'nothing' to do with 9/11."


EXCLUSIVE...9/11 Debate: Loose Change Filmmakers vs. Popular Mechanics Editors of "Debunking 9/11 Myths"
September 11, 2001 - five years after the attacks many people are asking questions about what happened on that day in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Websites, articles, books and documentaries have put forward a variety of alternate theories to the government's account of what happened. The most popular of these is a documentary called "Loose Change." Now, a book dealing with many of these theories has just been published by the magazine Popular Mechanics, it's called "Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts." In a Democracy Now! national broadcast exclusive, we host a debate between the filmmakers of Loose Change and the editors of Popular Mechanics on 9/11.

Retired General: Rumsfeld Refused to Plan For Post-War Iraq
A retired Army general has revealed that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld refused to consider planning for a postwar Iraq. In the lead-up to the war Brig. Gen. Mark Scheid served as the commander of the Army Transportation Corps. Scheid said "The secretary of defense continued to push on us ... that everything we write in our plan has to be the idea that we are going to go in, we're going to take out the regime, and then we're going to leave.” Scheid said Rumsfeld threatened to fire anyone who talked about the need for post-invasion plans. Rumsfeld reportedly feared the American public would not back the invasion of Iraq if they thought it was going to be a long war.

Peace Activist Interrupts Blair Press Conference in Lebanon
In Lebanon, thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Beirut Monday to protest a visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair held a joint press conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. It was interrupted by Irish peace activist Caoimhe Butterly who yelled out "Shame on you, Tony Blair."


Lebanon Warns Pollution Caused by War Could Kill Many
The Lebanese environmental minister is warning that more people may die as a result of pollution unleashed by Israel's bombing of Lebanon than perished in the month-long war itself. In an interview with the London Independent, Yacoub Sarraf said that a highly poisonous cloud spread over a third of the country from a fire in a bombed fuel tank that burned for twelve days. The same bombing released about four million gallons of oil into the sea. It was the largest ever spill in the eastern Mediterranean. On Monday the Lebanese government announced plans to sue Israel for causing the oil spill which will cost Lebanon at least one hundred million dollars to clean up. Only four hundred of the fifteen thousand tons of the spilt fuel oil has been recovered so far.

The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
On the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, President Bush took the occasion to claim success in the "war on terror" and defend his decision to invade Iraq. Now a new book has been released with new details of what was happening inside the White House in the run-up to the invasion. It's called "Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War." The book has already made headlines for exposing former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was the White House source who outed CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson.

Kofi Annan Accuses Sudan of Violating Darfur Peace Deal
In news from Africa -- United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has accused Sudan of violating the Darfur peace agreement by waging a series of recent military attacks. Annan called on the international community to take a greater role in securing peace in Sudan.

• Kofi Annan: "Can we in conscience leave the people of Darfur to such a fate. Can the international community, having not done enough for the people of Rwanda in their time of need, just watch as this tragedy deepens. Having finally agreed, just one year ago that there is a responsibility to protect, can we contemplate failing yet another test?"

Chicago Mayor Daley Vetoes Living Wage Ordinance
In Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley has vetoed a City Council ordinance that would have required large retailers such as Wal Mart to pay employees a living wage. Under the City Council rules, retailers with over one billion dollars in sales would be required to pay workers at least ten dollars an hour plus three dollars in benefits by the year 2010. Daley said the rules would drive businesses from the city. It was the first veto Daley has used in his 17 years as mayor. The City Council will now try to override the veto.

Environmental Regulations Proposed For Oil Refineries
The Bush administration has proposed easing environmental regulations on oil refineries, pharmaceutical plants and chemical plants. The rule changes will allow businesses to change how they calculate whether they need pollution control equipment. Environmental groups say the proposed rules will allow industry to emit more pollution, evade pollution controls and save money.


Matt Lauer goes after Bush over secret prisons and torture
Matt Lauer went after Bush over his secret prisons and the use of torture on the captured terrorists via The Today Show this morning.

Matt Lauer: And yet you admitted that there were these CIA secret facilities. OK?
President Bush: So what? Why is that not within the law?
Matt Lauer: The head of Amnesty International says secret sites are against international law.
President Bush: Well, we just disagree with him.
Matt Lauer: I don’t want to let this 'within the law issue' slip though. I mean, if, in fact, there was water boarding used with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and for the viewers, that’s basically when you strap someone to a board and you make them feel as if they're going to drown by putting them underwater, if that was legal and within the law, why couldn't you do it at Guantanamo? Why did you have to go to a secret location around the world?
President Bush: I'm not going to talk about techniques. And, I'm not going explain to the enemy what we're doing. All I'm telling you is that you've asked me whether or not we're doing things to protect the American people, and I want the American people to know we are doing so.

Court Victory in Ohio Ballot Access Case
The Libertarian Party of Ohio received a significant victory on Wednesday in their ongoing legal battle with the Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.

9/11 Kean Commission Report Exposed as 'Fraud of Historic Proportions' on 9/11 Fifth Anniversary by Former 'Star Wars' Program Director
On the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the former Air Force officer and director of the 'Star Wars' program who just won Florida's 15th District Democratic primary with 54 percent of the vote on an explicit platform to expose the fraud of the Kean Commission Report, and top 9/11 researchers, authors and activists will present hard proof that the official narrative of the Kean-Hamilton Commission and Bush- Cheney Administration is a fraud of world historic proportions.

Greg Palast Charged with Journalism in the First Degree
On August 22, for LinkTV and Democracy Now! we videotaped the thousands of Katrina evacuees still held behind a barbed wire in a trailer park encampment a hundred miles from New Orleans. It's been a year since the hurricane and 73,000 POW's (Prisoners of W) are still in this aluminum ghetto in the middle of nowhere. One resident, Pamela Lewis said, “It is a prison set-up" -- except there are no home furloughs for these inmates because they no longer have homes.
To give a sense of the full flavor and smell of the place, we wanted to show that this human parking lot, with kids and elderly, is nearly adjacent to the Exxon Oil refinery, the nation's second largest, a chemical-belching behemoth. So we filmed it. Without Big Brother's authorization. Uh, oh. Apparently, the broadcast of these stinking smokestacks tipped off Osama that, if his assassins pose as poor Black folk, they can get a cramped Airstream right next to a "critical infrastructure" asset. So now Matt and I have a "criminal complaint" lodged against us with the feds.

Chevron, Others May Avoid Oil Royalties
Chevron Corp., and two other oil companies may avoid paying royalties to the government on at least some of the oil pumped from a massive newly discovered field in the Gulf of Mexico because of a mistake by federal officials, according to a congressional inquiry.

Four Iraq War Vets Detained at Pentagon
Four veterans of the current war in Iraq and one supporter (a total of five young men) were detained at the Pentagon today after they attended an open house and left behind flyers providing information about the lethal effects of depleted uranium. The veterans observed literature available in the Pentagon's chapel, which is at the site of the 9-11 plane crash. This literature, produced at tax-payer expense, included copies of the New Testament in camouflage covers.
They left behind flyers explaining the effects of depleted uranium. Some of the vets detained currently suffer from depleted uranium poisoning.
Retired Col. Ann Wright said, "Iraq vets who have suffered the effects of depleted uranium have every right to educate others about the terrible effects of this illegal substance used in weapons produced by the United States government."

China Replaces U.S. As World's Largest Exporter
"This dramatic reversal, together with the increasingly high-tech orientation of Chinese exports, poses a serious challenge to U.S. export competitiveness and long-standing leadership in technological innovation," writes Preeg.
What happens when a country pumps all its resources into the military-industrial complex?

Republicans Questioning Bush's Iraq Policies
Any other time one would expect Republican lawmaker Curt Weldon to be an unwavering supporter of President George W. Bush's Iraq policy. After all, just this summer the Pennsylvania congressman was saying the jury remains out on whether Iraq still holds weapons of mass destruction. But Weldon, vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, is desperate to hold onto his seat in the Philadelphia suburbs. He is sounding more like a Democrat - and the increasing number of dissident Republicans who are talking about a timetable for bringing the troops home.

Most Embarrassing Piece Of Propaganda Ever?
They don't even care how transparent their bullshit is anymore. They're that desperate.

Terrorism prevention site launched in Colorado
Colorado law enforcement launched a Crimestoppers-like website Monday designed for citizens to report any suspicious activity they feel could lead to a terrorist act.

Iran steps back from the brink
Iran has finally blinked, reportedly agreeing to a temporary suspension of uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, as a confidence-building measure in response to growing international pressure. This is a welcome development that can potentially take the wind out of the sails of the ship of sanctions planned by the US and its allies at the United Nations Security Council.

Palestinians hit out as Israel tightens visa controls
Palestinians say Israel's policies are harming those very moderates who hope to create an alternative to violence and religious fundamentalism."If Israel wants to end up with Somalia next door, it's going the right way about it," says Zahi Khoury, a US citizen and chairman of the National Beverage Company, which holds the franchise for Coca-Cola in the territories.

Nato rejects appeal to boost Afghan troops
SOME OF America's closest Nato allies have abandoned Washington on the key battleground of the War on Terror, the bloody struggle against Islamic militants for control of southern Afghanistan.

IDF commander: We fired more than a million cluster bombs in Lebanon
"What we did was insane and monstrous, we covered entire towns in cluster bombs," the head of an IDF rocket unit in Lebanon said regarding the use of cluster bombs and phosphorous shells during the war.
Quoting his battalion commander, the rocket unit head stated that the IDF fired around 1,800 cluster bombs, containing over 1.2 million cluster bomblets. In addition, soldiers in IDF artillery units testified that the army used phosphorous shells during the war, widely forbidden by international law. According to their claims, the vast majority of said explosive ordinance was fired in the final 10 days of the war.

Mass Grave of Massacred Poles Found in Ukraine
A Ukrainian government commission has concluded that thousands of people buried in a mass grave outside Kiev were killed during Stalin's purges, not by Nazi soldiers.


How Bush's grandfather helped Hitler's rise to power
Rumours of a link between the US first family and the Nazi war machine have circulated for decades. Now the Guardian can reveal how repercussions of events that culminated in action under the Trading with the Enemy Act are still being felt by today's president.
George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany. The Guardian has obtained confirmation from newly discovered files in the US National Archives that a firm of which Prescott Bush was a director was involved with the financial architects of Nazism. His business dealings, which continued until his company's assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act, has led more than 60 years later to a civil action for damages being brought in Germany against the Bush family by two former slave labourers at Auschwitz and to a hum of pre-election controversy.
The evidence has also prompted one former US Nazi war crimes prosecutor to argue that the late senator's action should have been grounds for prosecution for giving aid and comfort to the enemy. The new documents, many of which were only declassified last year, show that even after America had entered the war and when there was already significant information about the Nazis' plans and policies, he worked for and profited from companies closely involved with the very German businesses that financed Hitler's rise to power. It has also been suggested that the money he made from these dealings helped to establish the Bush family fortune and set up its political dynasty.

Deficits not a problem in short run, White House says

Persistent budget and current account deficits are not a problem in the short run, top White House economic adviser Edward Lazear said Tuesday. Speaking to the National Association for Business Economics, Lazear said the federal budget deficit "is actually in pretty good shape" in historic terms

How comforting.

What We Say
Zbigniew Brzezinski revealed a hidden Fact that on July 3, 1979, unknown to the public and American Congress that President Jimmy Carter secretly authorized $500 million to create an international terrorist movement that would spread Islamic fundamentalism in Central Asia and "de-stabilize" the Soviet Union... The CIA called this Operation Cyclone and in the following years poured $4 billion into setting up Islamic training schools in Pakistan (Taliban means "student").

Homeless Live on the Beach in Hawaii
Just up the coast from a major luxury resort, at least 725 homeless people by one community group's count are living on a 16-mile stretch of Oahu's western shore, a pristine beach where oceanfront lots would cost millions.Armed with city-issued camping permits, the homeless use beach showers and sleep in tightly packed tents. Dinner is bought with food stamps.
Students remember Bush's 9/11 "My Pet Goat" reading

His face just started to turn red," said Tyler, now 13 and in seventh grade. "I thought, personally, he had to go to the bathroom."
For a puzzling seven minutes, the youngsters read aloud from the story "The Pet Goat" while the shaken president followed along in front of the class, trying to come to grips with what he had been told - that a second plane had just hit the World Trade Center and the nation was under terrorist attack.
"He looked like he was going to cry," said Natalia Jones-Pinkney, now 12.

It's true what they say…from the mouths of babes. In fact, check out this stunning footnote:
Suddenly, the morning returned to the script. [then-Education Secretary] Paige spoke to the stunned room of the importance of reading.
"It was so surreal," Sarasota schools spokeswoman Sheila Weiss said. "Everyone in there wanted to get out and find out what was going on, but we couldn’t leave."

Depleted Uranium poisoning case hits NY Courts

Court Hearing on Suit Filed by Iraq Veterans Contaminated with Depleted Uranium Against U.S. Military
A U.S. District court in Manhattan held a hearing Wednesday on a lawsuit brought by soldiers from the New York National Guard who have been sick since being exposed to depleted uranium while serving in Iraq. Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez first broke the story in the New York Daily News.

JUAN GONZALEZ: It was a hearing over their lawsuit, they and their families, against the United States military, over their exposure to depleted uranium. There was a hearing over the government's motion to dismiss the case completely. And it lasted for several hours. Amazingly, much of the discussion was around the Ferris Doctrine, which is a 1950s Supreme Court decision that basically does not allow soldiers while on active service, who have injuries as a result of active service in the military, from being able to sue the government. The U.S. Attorney and the lawyers for the plaintiffs, for the soldiers, raising all of the atrocities of the military in the past: radiation exposure to soldiers during World War II, agent orange exposure, LSD tests that the military conducted on soldiers. These were all the legal precedents that were being debated as to whether these soldiers had the right to sue the government, because the government, according to their lawsuit, was negligent in exposing them, violating its own protocols for protecting our troops from depleted uranium exposure.

Previous interview from Democracy Now! with the affected soldiers:
- Broadcast Exclusive: U.S. Soldiers Contaminated With Depleted Uranium Speak Out
- Daughter of Soldier Contaminated with Depleted Uranium in Iraq Born with Deformities

Documents: Feds, City Knew Of Ground Zero Toxins
The two devastating memos, written by the U.S. and local governments, show they knew. They knew the toxic soup created at Ground Zero was a deadly health hazard. Yet they sent workers into the pit and people back into their homes.

Study: 70 Percent of 9/11 Responders Suffer Lung Ailments
For the past five years city, state and federal officials have downplayed the health dangers of the toxic dust that was released when the World Trade Center collapsed. A major new health study has found that nearly 70 percent of first responders at Ground Zero suffer from chronic lung ailments. The report by Mount Sinai is the largest ever done on 9/11 health effects. Last week the city issued guidelines for doctors on how to spot and treat illnesses related to Ground Zero. The city was widely criticized for taking nearly five years to release the guidelines. On Tuesday, Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced the city will begin providing health treatment to anyone sickened by Ground Zero contaminants.
Christine Todd Whitman, 9/13/01: "Everything we've tested for, which includes asbestos, lead, and volatile organic compounds, have been below any level of concern for the general public health."

Who really blew up the twin towers?
The Guardian
Shards of glass and dust from the World Trade Centre towers sit on Professor Steven Jones's desk at Brigham Young University in Utah. Evidence, he says, of the biggest cover-up in history - one too evil for most to believe, but one he has staked his academic career on exposing.
The attacks of September 11, Jones asserts, were an "inside job", puppeteered by the neoconservatives in the White House to justify the occupation of oil-rich Arab countries, inflate military spending and expand Israel.

28-Year Career CIA Official Says 9/11 An Inside Job
Bill Christison is a former senior official of the CIA. He was a National Intelligence Officer and the Director of the CIA's Office of Regional and Political Analysis before his retirement in 1979. Since then he has written numerous articles on U.S. foreign policies.
Referencing the 2.3 trillion dollars that was discovered to be missing from the Pentagon's coffers, Christison emphasized the fact that with an unlimited budget, the scope of operations that could be undertaken by the military-industrial complex are almost without recourse.
"There is so much money now sloshing around throughout not only the CIA but the intelligence components of the Defense Department - which are actually bigger than the CIA - that these guys can do almost anything they want these days."

Read Mr. Christison's recent article, Stop Belittling the Theories About September 11
'Anyone interested in perhaps the best summary of these charges should watch the video "Loose Change."'

White House Targets Conspiracy Theorists As Terrorist Recruiters
A document cited by President Bush in his recent speech at the Capital Hilton Hotel on how to 'win the war on terror' cites conspiracies as one of the wellsprings of terrorism and threatens to "address" and "diminish" the problems they are causing the government in fulfilling their agenda.

Fox News - 911 The Israeli Connection
Carl Cameron's four-part story on the Israeli spy ring and its connections to 9-11.

Dr. Robert M. Bowman Says 9/11 Was An Inside Job

As CIA Detainees Transferred to Guantanamo, President Bush Acknowledges Secret Prisons
President Bush has acknowledged for the first time the CIA has been operating a secret network of overseas prisons. Bush made the admission Wednesday as he ordered 14 prisoners previously held by the CIA to be transferred to Guantanamo Bay where they could be tried by a military tribunal.

Bush's Detainee Prosecution Plan Allows Coerced Evidence

Secret jails too useful to close, says Bush

George Bush, Lenin and CIA torture chambers
Days after lumping Lenin and Hitler in the same package, George Bush admits that the USA kept secret prisons abroad where suspects were interrogated by CIA operationals.

US disapproval of Bush nearing European levels
A new poll shows public opposition to the Bush administration's "war on terror" is at its highest point to date. According to the annual Transatlantic Trends poll, 58% percent of Americans disapprove of President Bush’s handling of foreign policy. It's the first time in the poll's history more Americans disapprove than approve of the administration's international policies. In Europe, the level of opposition is at 77% – also the highest so far.

War turns southern women away from GOP

Election 2006 & World War III
As Americans go to the polls in two months, they should have one thought fixed in their minds: they will be voting on whether to commit the nation to fighting World War III against large segments of the world's one billion Muslims. Beyond the cost in blood and treasure, this war will mean the end of the United States as a democratic Republic.

France rejects "war on terror"
France issued an implicit criticism of U.S. foreign policy on Thursday, rejecting talk of a "war on terror."

Bush: Terrorists will face ''unrelenting pressure"
Before his address, a crowd of about 70 antiwar protesters gathered outside the mall.

VIDEO: Bush Explains His "Ek-A-Lec-Tic" Reading List: "I Also Read Three Shakespeares"...

Fictional Bush movie contributes to NSA confusion
U.S. intelligence sources report that the release of a fictional British movie drama, Death of a President, a made-for-TV film that depicts George W. Bush being mortally wounded by a Syrian-born assassin in Chicago, is creating headaches for National Security Agency (NSA) and other communications surveillance agencies that hone in on key words such as "Bush" and "assassination." The hype generated by the film is increasing the concatenation of suspect words and phrases in phone conversations and e-mails, resulting in surge processing of non-threatening communications by NSA filtering computers.

Bush movie creating headaches for NSA key word search communications surveillance computers.

Britain's Channel 4, which is releasing the Bush movie, is also planning on releasing a movie on a fictional war crimes trial of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Blair to quit within a year
In Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing a growing revolt within his own party over when he will leave office. Eight junior members of his government resigned Wednesday as calls increase for Blair to set a timetable for his departure or to immediately step down. Earlier today, a spokesperson announced Blair would resign within one year.

Pentagon Adopts International Humanitarian Standards on Detainee Treatment
The Pentagon announced Wednesday it is adopting international legal standards for the treatment of detainees. The new Defense Department Field Manual now explicitly outlaws such practices as forced nudity, hooding, military dogs and waterboarding. The Washington Post reports the changes mark the first time there has been a uniform standard for both enemy prisoners of war and so-called unlawful combatants. But the new policies will still not apply to those prisoners captured by the CIA and held in non-military facilities.

BREAKING: Bolton Nomination Removed from Agenda Today

US Senate rejects restraints on cluster bombs,
Blocks Democrat Attempt To Dismiss Rumsfeld
In news from Capitol Hill, the Senate has rejected a move to ban the use of cluster bombs near civilian areas. The Democrat-proposed amendment would also have barred arm sales to countries not respecting the same rules. (Read: Israel) The measure was defeated by 70 to 30 votes. Relief and human rights groups have alleged Israel used American-made cluster bombs in its attack on Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans also blocked a Democratic attempt Wednesday to hold a vote on a resolution calling for the dismissal of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
I wonder how many of those Senators who opposed this legislation are getting some kind of consistent contributions and other less transparent percs from the folks who make these 'wonderful' weapons?

Israeli PM Olmert Faces War Crimes Suit in Spain
Spanish National radio is reporting that a lawsuit is being filed today in Spain's high court against Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He is being accused of committing crimes against humanity for ordering military attacks on civilians in Lebanon and Gaza. In recent days, Israel's Foreign Ministry has expressed concern that senior Israeli military and governmental officials could be prosecuted overseas for committing war crimes in Lebanon. Israeli legal experts say some officers or government officials who traveled to Europe stood the risk of being arrested.

Resistance to Iran sanctions grows as powers meet
The United States faced growing opposition on Thursday to its bid to persuade other powers to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, with China urging dialogue and France signaling room for maneuver.

China Won't Support Sanctions Against Iran in Nuclear Dispute
"China always insists on dialogue and negotiations to resolve the Iran issue,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a briefing today. "This hasn't changed.

Turkey Pledges to Send Troops to Lebanon
In other news from Lebanon, Turkey has pledged to contribute troops to the international peacekeeping force. In Ankara , over 10,000 Turkish protesters gathered to condemn the move. Protesters carried banners that read: "We won't be the soldiers of the United States and Israel."

Israel To Lift Lebanon Blockade
Israel has announced an end to its nearly two-month old air and sea blockade of Lebanon. The move comes after weeks of protest the blockade has hampered Lebanon’s recovery and further crippled its economy.

Ivory Coast Cabinet Resigns Amid Toxic Dump Crisis
In the Ivory Coast, the country’s governing cabinet has resigned following a toxic waste dump that left three people dead and more than fifteen hundred seriously injured. The waste dump was near the capital of Abidjan, leading to massive street protests around the city.

Clear Channel Asks FCC To Raise Radio Ownership Limits
In media news, the broadcasting giant Clear Channel has asked the Federal Communications Commission to raise the limits on radio ownership in the United States. Under current laws, companies are allowed to own no more than eight radio stations in large markets. Clear Channel wants the laws changed so it can purchase more stations. The company current owns more than 1200 radio stations across the country.
Oh great, even more bland faceless commercial mass media slop coming your way.

Ex-Illinois Gov. Sentenced To 6.5 Year Term
And in Illinois, former Governor George Ryan was sentenced Wednesday to six and a half years in prison. Ryan was convicted in April of racketeering, conspiracy, fraud and other offenses for taking payoffs in exchange for granting state licenses and contracts. Ryan drew international attention six years ago when he imposed a state-wide moratorium on death row executions.
In 2003, he granted clemency to all of Illinois' death row prisoners shortly before leaving office.
Well, at least he did one worthwhile thing...

Mexico Court Declares Calderon Winner of Disputed Election,
Lopez Obrador Vows to Form Parallel Governmentt
Mexico's top electoral court has declared conservative candidate Felipe Calderon the winner of the country's disputed presidential election over Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Lopez Obrador has said he will never recognize Calderon's presidency and has vowed to form a parallel government. He is planning to hold a massive rally in Mexico City on September 16, Mexico's independence day, to set up his shadow government.

"Smoking gun" evidence uncovered in Ohio of massive vote fraud in 2004 election.

In the aftermath of the recount of December 2004, sworn affidavits were signed by three witnesses stating that they observed, on some ballots, white oval stickers over the Kerry-Edwards mark, and the Bush-Cheney oval filled in. The County Prosecutor's office confirmed this in writing, stated further that there were fewer than 100 such ballots countywide (out of 89,822 ballots cast), and claimed that there had been an FBI investigation into the matter upon the request of Congressman John Conyers, but that the FBI report could not be located.

Pollster guilty of fake data conspiracy

A polling company owner admitted participating in a conspiracy to falsify data in order to meet deadlines for clients, which included the campaigns of President Bush, U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Mayor John M. Fabrizi.

Pollster Pleads Guilty to Making Up Results

FBI Special Agent Jeff Rovelli said 50 percent of information compiled by DataUSA and transmitted to Bush's campaign was falsified, the Connecticut Post reported Thursday.

REBELS 'CONTROL HALF OF AFGHANISTAN'
Pakistan Reaches Peace Deal With Pro-Taliban Fighters
ABC News revealed that Pakistan has reached a peace agreement with pro-Taliban fighters on the Afghan border. As part of the deal, Pakistan agreed to pull out troops from the Taliban-stronghold of North Waziristan. In addition, the Pakistani army plans to return captured Taliban weapons and prisoners. One Pakistani official told ABC that the army would not capture Osama Bin Laden if he agreed to lead a peaceful life. Former White House terrorism czar Richard Clarke said the deal indicates that the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside Pakistan.

Rove withheld crucial CIA leak email for nearly a year
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove withheld a crucial email from CIA leak investigators for eleven months, according to an upcoming book that arrives in bookstores today.

Book: Valerie Plame Worked on CIA's Covert Iraq WMD Program
A new book has revealed that former undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame was the chief of operations on the CIA's Joint Task Force on Iraq at the time of her outing three years ago. According to journalists David Corn and Michael Isikoff, Plame was part of a secret CIA team that was mounting espionage operations to gather information on Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destructions. The Joint Task Force on Iraq was trying to find evidence that would back up the White House's assertion that Iraq was a WMD danger.
Or, could prove conclusively that Iraq was NOT a WMD danger....

Ohio Attorney Jailed Again For 16 Days In Nazi-Like Fashion Without Charges Being Filed
A disbarred Ohio attorney who uncovered massive state and federal corruption has been illegally jailed again for allegedly practicing law without a license. Elsebeth Baumgartner has been held in the Erie County jail for 16 days without charges being filed, a proper arraignment or even the right to a bail hearing. She was put away without her due process and constitutional rights even being recognized similar in style to way political dissidents were treated in Nazi Germany and the old Soviet Union.
Apparently the "practicing law without a license" amounted to her offering advice to a friend.

Study: Rapid Rise of Greenhouse Gases Unprecedented in Last 800,000 Years
In environmental news, a new study has found that the rapid rise in greenhouse gases over the past century is unprecedented in at least 800,000 years. Scientists said air bubbles trapped in ice for hundreds of thousands of years have revealed that humans are changing the composition of the atmosphere in a manner that has no known natural parallel.

Take a side

Scripps Howard poll: Half of America angrier at government than ever before; one-third believe government behind 9/11
"More than a third of the American public suspects that federal officials assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East, according to a new Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll," wrote Thomas Hargrove and Guido Stempel III in a comprehensive release dated August 1, 2006.
The national telephone survey of 1,010 adults, conducted July 6-24, 2006, also revealed 54 percent saying they "personally are more angry" at the government than they used to be. The authors believe that Americans growing "resentment" of the national government (not, apparently the facts of the case) is "...fueling a growing acceptance of conspiracy theories" about 9/11.
Other revelations:
36%--very or somewhat likely that federal officials either participated in or allowed the attacks to happen to justify war in the Middle East
16%--believe preset explosives, not jet fuel, brought the Twin Towers down
12%--believe the Pentagon was struck by a cruise missile, not Flight 77

Poll says dislike of Bush is strong

U.S. deaths in Iraq, war on terror surpass 9/11 toll


Rove's vision falling apart as mood turns against GOP
Democrats so far have managed to make gains on Republicans even without an overarching message, capitalizing more on a frustrated public mood than any embrace of their policies. Democrats are doing quite well by one important measure, money, maintaining a rare parity with the GOP. Bush's approval rating is in the mid-to-high 30s, according to recent polls. And multiple polls show Americans' overall satisfaction with the country's direction is below 30 percent.

ANTIWAR CANDIDATE: Howie Hawkins/New York
Green Party Candidate

Lobbying Probe Looks at Payments To DeLay's Wife
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department's congressional lobbying-and-bribery investigation is looking into whether former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's wife received money from a lobbying firm for a no-show job, recent FBI interviews indicate. In the last few weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have interviewed several people at the Alexander Strategy Group lobbying firm to determine if Christine DeLay was being paid $3,200 a month -- a total of $115,000 over three years -- but not earning it.
Alexander Strategy was run by a pair of Mr. DeLay's former aides: Tony Rudy, who pleaded guilty to bribery charges in March; and Edwin Buckham, who remains under investigation. The firm also shared clients with Jack Abramoff.
In last month's interviews, investigators also asked about $144,000 that Mrs. DeLay received from one of Mr. DeLay's fund-raising committees, the Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee, which was housed at the lobbying firm's offices.
The latest round of FBI questioning signals that the Justice Department doesn't plan on letting up on Mr. DeLay now that he has left Congress. They also show that prosecutors might target his wife in order to force a guilty plea from Mr. DeLay. Federal prosecutors used that tactic earlier this year to secure a guilty plea from Mr. Rudy, who admitted in March to accepting bribes when he worked for Mr. DeLay and later conspiring to bribe other lawmakers when he was a lobbyist.
Neil Volz, a former chief of staff to Rep. Bob Ney (R., Ohio), pleaded guilty to trying to bribe Mr. Ney when he was a lobbyist working for Mr. Abramoff. Soon after, Mr. Ney announced that he wouldn't seek re-election. David Safavian, another former lobbyist at Mr. Abramoff's firm, was found guilty in June of lying and obstructing justice in the federal corruption investigation.

Government, Industry To Use Computer Microphones To Spy On 150 Million Americans
Private industry and eventually government is planning to use microphones in the computers of an estimated 150 million-plus Internet active Americans to spy on their lifestyle choices and build psychological profiles which will be used for surveillance and minority report style invasive advertising and data mining.
Digital cable TV boxes, such as Scientific Atlantic, have had secret in-built microphones inside them since their inception in the late 1990's and these originally dormant devices were planned to be activated when the invasive advertising revolution arrived - 2006 marks that date.

9/11 five years on - still chasing shadows
It doesn't get more ridiculous than this - not a shred of evidence against any of these so-called terrorists that they pick up here and there, claiming success in their 'war on terror.'
Five years after 9/11, they've got nothing. Not a single person has been tried for those crimes...

Bush to Unveil Plan for Gitmo Trials
The Bush administration is expected to unveil a new plan Wednesday to change the law so that "unlawful combatants" held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, can be tried for crimes before military tribunals.

The US Occupation forces in Iraq throw Iraqi detainees in the streets after lacerating their faces and killing them
Reliable sources close to the US Occupiers' authorities ascertained today that hundreds of Iraqi prisoners considered as missing and detained by the US Occupiers' forces in secret detention camps and in particular those detained on US war ships or in European secret prisons since the beginning of the Occupation and the year after, are being killed and suppressed through deforming their faces and throwing them into streets to make believe that they were victims of sectarian violence in Iraq.
The same sources expect that the US Occupation forces will continue murdering Iraqi detainees they hold in their secret prisons until the incoming senatorial election next November. Advertising and publicizing the so called sectarian strife and especially the attack against the Imam Ali al Hadi shrine in Samarra which every body suspects that it holds the Occupiers' and their stooges' signature is nothing but another US war ops in order to supress the Iraqi detainees so they will not divulge their illegal detention locations in case they are declared innocent or freed.

US Losing Control Of Iraq Fast
The U.S. military has lost control over the volatile al-Anbar province, Iraqi police and residents say.
"We are talking about nearly a third of the area of Iraq," Ahmed Salman, a historian from Fallujah told IPS. "Al-Anbar borders Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia, and the resistance there will never stop as long as there are American soldiers on the ground."

Evangelist drowns trying to walk on water
An evangelist who tried replicating Jesus' miracle of walking on water has reportedly drowned off the western coast of Africa.

The War Is Lost
The Pentagon's latest quarterly "progress" report to Congress on Iraq is a grim tale of a lost war. The Pentagon told Congress what Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and propaganda organs such as Fox "News" never tell the American public.

Iraq Extends State of Emergency a Month
The state of emergency has been in place for almost two years and covers every region except the autonomous Kurdish region in the north. It grants security forces greater powers such as implementing curfews and making arrests without warrants.

Iraqi parliament to debate federal break-up
Iraq's parliament has reopened after a month-long recess marred by mounting sectarian violence, with deputies slated to discuss breaking up the country into semi-independent regions. At the top of the agenda was the controversial issue of whether to allow Iraq's provinces to merge into larger autonomous regions, a move which some Sunni lawmakers fear could tear the country apart.

Fury as academics claim 9/11 was 'inside job'
The 9/11 terrorist attack on America which left almost 3,000 people dead was an "inside job", according to a group of leading academics. Around 75 top professors and leadingscientists believe the attacks were puppeteered by war mongers in the White House to justify the invasion and the occupation of oil-rich Arab countries.
Professor Steven Jones, who lectures in physics at the Brigham Young University in Utah, says the official version of events is the biggest and most evil cover up in history. He has joined the 9/11 Scholars for Truth whose membership includes up to 75 leading scientists and experts from universities across the US. Prof Jones said: "We don't believe that 19 hijackers and a few others in a cave in Afghanistan pulled this off acting alone. We challenge this official conspiracy theory and, by God, we're going to get to the bottom of this."

Slaughter Calls for ABC to Come Clean on New 9-11 Docudrama
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, today called for ABC to make clear to viewers that its upcoming television mini-series The Path to 9/11 is not a documentary account of the events and political decisions that preceded the terrorist attacks of that day.
"ABC has a responsibility to make clear that this film is not a documentary, and does not represent an official account of the facts surrounding the September 11th attacks," Rep. Slaughter said. "Disclaimers noting that The Path to 9/11 is a docudrama should be shown throughout its airing. We have yet to establish the impartiality and accuracy of the people behind this film and the claims it advances, and the American people need to know that.
But what is far more important is the timing of this movie," Rep. Slaughter continued."The anniversary of the attacks is an emotional time, and it is wrong for anyone to play on those emotions and use them to advance a political agenda. We have been told we are in a fight against a new kind of fascism, and that individuals who question our current path in Iraq are morally equivalent to Nazi appeasers and those who would justify slavery. Such claims are more than just morally reprehensible and deeply irresponsible. They are also damaging to our country, making it difficult, if not impossible, to have a serious, non-partisan discussion about how best to protect our nation."

Father Of 9/11 Victim Says Government Ran Attack As Media Hit Pieces Continue

Another 9/11 family member has gone public to rubbish the conspiracy theory that the attacks were planned and executed by nineteen incompetent Arabs with box cutters who were getting drunk in a strip club the night before and barely even made it to the airport on time. Meanwhile, hit pieces against the 9/11 truth movement continue in the lead up to the fifth anniversary of the event.

Under Fire, ABC Yanks Official Blog of 9/11 Docudrama
On September 10 and 11, ABC is planning to air a 'docudrama' called "Path to 9/11," billed as 'an objective telling of the events of 9/11.' In fact, the film was written by an unabashed conservative who twists the facts to blame President Clinton.

Officials Slow to Hear Claims of 9/11 Illnesses
Five years after the World Trade Center towers collapsed in a vortex of dust and ash, government officials have only recently begun to take a role in the care of many of the 40,000 responders and recovery workers who were made sick by toxic materials at ground zero.

Condi uses Civil War to slap Iraq critics
Secretary of State Rice compared the Iraq war with the American Civil War, telling a magazine that slavery might have lasted longer in this country if the North had decided to end the fight early.

Bush declares eco-whistleblower law void for EPA employees
The Bush administration has declared itself immune from whistleblower protections for federal workers under the Clean Water Act, according to legal documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). As a result of an opinion issued by a unit within the Office of the Attorney General, federal workers will have little protection from official retaliation for reporting water pollution enforcement breakdowns, manipulations of science or cleanup failures.

Read the unpublished opinion of the Attorney General's Office of Legal Counsel.
View the EPA's brief advocating sovereign immunity from all environmental statutes.
Look at the PEER brief against the Bush sovereign immunity claim.
See how Labor Secretary Elaine Chao invited the reopening of the sovereign immunity issue.
More EPA-related articles
EPA Employee Responds to Official Spin on Library Closures
EPA Begins Closing Libraries Before Congress Acts on Plan.
EPA's response: EPA expanding library info access.
Latest update on closures: EPA Enforcement Threatened by Library Closures

Katrina Aftermath: And Then I Saw These

Men jailed for taking food from trash bins
One of the owners of a fresh produce store said Saturday that it is absurd that two men are in jail for taking spoiled fruit and vegetables from the store's trash area.
The men admitted that they jumped a fence and took fruits and vegetables from the garbage area at Sweet Pea. They originally were charged with felony second-degree burglary and misdemeanor theft.

Links about Depleted Uranium use as a weapon & its consequences

Jail alleged fake goods culprits, state urged
An alleged al-Qaeda operative and a suspected Israeli crime kingpin have been implicated in a multi-million-rand counterfeiting scam operating in Gauteng.

European Nations: No El Al Cargo Planes Allowed
Three European nations have informed Israel's national airline that El Al flights that carry heavy munitions cargo to Israel will no longer be allowed to stop for refueling at their airports.

Israel Said to Fear War Crimes Charges
Three weeks after a cease-fire ended Israel's monthlong war against Hezbollah guerrillas, Israel is increasingly concerned that government officials and army officers traveling abroad could face war crimes charges, a Foreign Ministry official said Monday.

Gaza doctors encounter 'unexplained injuries'
Doctors in Gaza are reporting what they say are unexplained injuries among the dead and wounded in operations by the Israeli military, which have killed more than 200 Palestinians in the past nine weeks.
Beside especially severe burning "down to the bones", the doctors say that, in other cases, internal organs have been ruptured without any obvious sign of shrapnel wounds.

Kucinich visits Lebanon & Israel and finally 'gets it' -- "This is diabololical!"
After about 2 hours of dragging out maps of the division between east and west Jerusalem, the wall route, the settlements, the separation between Gaza and the rest of the West Bank, and other enlightening information, he finally stood up, spread his hands across the maps and said in a voice filled with disbelief, "This is diabolical!"

Britain: Best defence against terrorism is a split with US, say voters
MOST people believe that the Blair Government's foreign policy has increased significantly the risk of terrorist attacks and now want Britain to distance itself from America and set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, according to a poll for The London Times.
Three fifths (62%) agree that "in order to reduce the risk of future terrorist attacks on Britain the Government should change its foreign policy, in particular by distancing itself from America, being more critical of Israel and declaring a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq." Women (66%) and Liberal Democrat voters (74%) agree with this view particularly strongly.

Britons threaten Muslim beheadings in footage
The films show balaclava-clad white British men brandishing guns, knives and clubs, calling on all Muslims to leave Britain or be killed. One appears to be a soldier who has served in the Gulf.


Osama bin Laden - a dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government
Relinked in light of National Geographic's "Final Report: Osama's Escape", which seeks to explain why Osama has not actually been seen or heard from outside some highly dubious video tapes for several years now.

Axis of Hubris
Dr. Kevin Barrett, America's foremost expert on Osama bin Laden, now has certified all those bin Laden tapes we saw on the six-o'clock news to be forgeries, likely fabricated by the very organization that "verified" them before they were released: America's CIA. However, there is one tape that cannot be examined. Shortly after 9/11, bin Laden released a tape in which he denied having anything to do with the 9/11 World Trade Center bombing. The CIA kept us from hearing it, claiming it might contain "secret codes" that might "activate terrorist cells." But it released the other tapes in which bin Laden supposedly claims credit for 9/11 - tapes now proven to be forgeries.


Britain's Blair Faces Revolt Within Own Party
Six junior members of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government resigned Wednesday to protest his refusal to set a date to leave office amid a growing Labour Party revolt.

MPs' letter demands Blair's exit

EXCLUSIVE: HOW BLAIR WILL GO
A sensational memo leaked to the Mirror reveals how Labour experts are planning Tony Blair's exit from No 10. The retirement blueprint aims to promote the "triumph of Blairism" and allow the PM to quit on a wave of euphoria after 10 years in office.

Blair's departure: what the bloggers say
"Blair will only leave number 10 kicking and screaming leaving bloody nail marks on the door frame."

Untested GM rice found in food, says Greenpeace

The campaign groups warn that experimental GM rice has not been cleared for human consumption and could spark allergic reactions.