The Audacity of Mendacity - Obama's real foreign policy agenda - posted at AntiWar
A quote...."While the great debate over the "stimulus" spending bill was the focus of President Obama's Monday sermon, some of the questions asked at a subsequent press conference dealt with foreign policy, including a pointed one by CNN's Ed Henry, and it was a double zinger:"

Obama fails his first test on civil liberties and accountability -- resoundingly and disgracefully - link @ AntiWar
A quote...." Obama Administration Maintains Bush Position on 'Extraordinary Rendition' Lawsuit -- The Obama Administration today announced that it would keep the same position as the Bush Administration in the lawsuit Mohamed et al v Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc." -- For more regarding Jeppesen (i.e. Boeing Corp) see....Come Fly the Un-Friendly Boeing Skys

Will Obama Break the Law for Israel's Sake? - Yep! See article shown below - mpg -- posted at AntiWar
A quote...."Obama's entire facade momentarily crumbled under a single withering question – "Do you know of any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons?" – launched by veteran reporter Helen Thomas during the president's first evening press conference on Feb. 9, 2008. -- Obama dodged the substance of the question:"

[Bombs Away's] Biden Vows to Continue Bush Policy Towards Iran
Related Article - A quote...."U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden last Saturday outlined the Obama administration’s continuation of the Bush administration’s foreign policy towards Iran. -- Reiterating the Bush policy of loosely defined “preventive” warfare outlined in Bush’s National Security Strategy, he said that the “U.S. will strive to act preventively to avoid having to choose between the risks of war and the dangers of inaction.” - bold by website editor

Gitmo Detainee’s ‘Genitals Were Sliced With A Scalpel,’ Waterboarding ‘Far Down The List Of Things They Did’
Multiply this case by tens of thousands and you'll get the TRUE picture folks of what was done in the name of the New Roman Empire.  By the way, good ol'Obama is already helping to cover this case up, along with many others. - mpg -- A quote...."    The 25 lines edited out of the court papers contained details of how Mr Mohamed’s genitals were sliced with a scalpel and other torture methods so extreme that waterboarding, the controversial technique of simulated drowning, “is very far down the list of things they did,” the official said. -- Another source familiar with the case said: “British intelligence officers knew about the torture and didn’t do anything about it.” -- Here's what one reader thought of this article....


The Imperialist Propaganda of Hitchens and Friends
A quote...."It will be recalled that the predictions of a cakewalk towards a jubilant, free Iraq were not solely the product of the Bush administration. What has sometimes been called the 'pro-war Left' --in fact, a loose coalition of liberals, former radicals and ex-socialists -- has shocked and awed former colleagues and comrades, with bold and strident claims about the great works that American military power could achieve in Iraq, and elsewhere. It has been of great service to the Bush administration that, in addition to the shock troops of Christian fundamentalists, Israel sympathizers and neoconservatives, it could boast the support of many prominent liberal intellectuals, some of whom still claim an affiliation to the Left. (A number of them even claim to represent the authentic Left against the 'pseudo-Left'."

When Destruction Is the Cost of Denial
A quote...."If we recognize that denial represents valuing delusion more than reality, the seriousness of the danger carried by denial depends on the respective proportions of denial and truth in our lives. Our particular delusions may appear to provide us comfort and safety. As long as our lives continue to be sustained in significant part by what is true and healthy, denial will not seriously threaten our survival. But when what is true in our lives is overwhelmed by the lies we insist upon, our days grow shorter."

America and Rome : Compare
A quote...."Rome grew in power and size, and her bureaucacy swelled. Increasingly, the republic was beset with internal problems and external issues. Increasingly, the Senate became filled with corrupt senators in the pay and bidding of the Legions, or local businessmen, or corrupt smugglers -- one senator was even paid by pirates! -- As a result of the increasing corruption and wasting of money, taxes became ever more onerous, and elections were mob affairs -- canidates murdered in the streets. The upstanding were butchered, like Cicero, and the base and venal were hailed as heroes."

The Fallacies of a 'Truth Commission'
A quote...."Editor’s Note: Just as Democratic leaders shied away from talk of impeaching George W. Bush in his final years in office, they are now averting their eyes from the compelling evidence that the former President committed felonies in torturing detainees, waging aggressive war and conducting warrantless wiretaps. -- As a way to head off public pressure for prosecutions, several senior Democrats are floating the option of a bipartisan fact-finding body that would ask some questions but make sure no one went to jail. In this guest essay, author David Swanson dissects the weakness of that recommendation:" -- DemoRepubs or RepubDemos  -- It's all for one and one for all 24/7 with this gang.  Americans had a "choice" this last election....they choose wrong. - mpg

Debunkers Claim WTC 7 “Hit By A 757″
A quote...."Respondents to an article about the Beijing skyscraper fire argued against claims of controlled demolition of WTC 7 on 9/11 by stating that the building collapsed because it had been “hit by a 757". -- For more on this issue see....9/11 - WTC7
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US dominance over Iraq has ended: Maliki
A quote...."BAGHDAD (AFP) — Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Tuesday that the era of US dominance in Iraq was over, in a broadside to Washington almost six years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein."

With Swipe at U.S., Iraq Builds Ties to French  - link posted at AntiWar
A quote...."BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq signaled a desire to gradually diminish American power over Iraqi politics and increase ties to other Western powers, during a visit on Tuesday by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France."

Iranian FM to arrive in Iraq today- source  - link posted at AntiWar
A quote...."BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will arrive on Tuesday afternoon in Iraq to discuss economic issues, according a source close to the Iraqi government. “This afternoon, Mottaki will arrive in Iraq to discuss the activation of the Iraqi-Iranian economic committee,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. The Iranian official will meet with President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other officials, the source noted."

One month in Kabul
Special Note - A quote...."I reckon the last place in the world you would want to be when you have a flat tyre in your 4x4, in the dark, in the middle of blizzard is Afghanistan. Agreed? -- Well, that is exactly what happened to us last night as we travelled up the highway from Kabul, through the Salang Pass, to the country's north."

Triangulation or strangulation? America ’s road to Kabul goes through Moscow
A quote...."The new president is discovering that America ’s road to Kabul goes through Moscow. -- As Obama prepares to transfer troops from Iraq to Afghanistan , Al-Qaeda and other jihadists are also “transferring” there according to Afghan Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak, giving the country the dubious distinction of remaining the centre of the “war on terror”. Throwing down the gauntlet to Obama, the Taliban successfully closed the Khyber Pass yet again last week by blowing up a bridge, torching 10 supply trucks for good measure."

Differing narratives on killings ~ AP opts not to report the use of dogs on civilians
A quote...."KABUL (AP) — Hundreds of Afghans demonstrated Sunday against an overnight U.S. military raid that one villager said killed several civilians. The American military said its forces only killed two militants."

Anger confronts Holbrooke in Pakistan - link posted at AntiWar
A quote...."ISLAMABAD: When Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, holds talks with Pakistani leaders on ways to stop a runaway Islamist insurgency that is destabilizing Pakistan, he will find a pro-American but weak civilian government, and a powerful army unaccustomed and averse to fighting a domestic enemy."

Pakistan Parliament Will Authorize Shooting Down U.S. Drones?
A quote...."Here is a 7-point Parliament resolution authorizing Pakistan Air Force to shoot down CIA drones coming from Afghanistan and killing innocent Pakistani citizens.  -  We the people of Pakistan must demand these actions from this government and must not fall into the disguised rhetoric of our corrupt leaders.

Iranian fight against hegemony turns 30
Must Read - A quote...."On Tuesday, Iran celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that dislodged a well-entrenched United States-backed monarchy. With the blood, honor, courage and determination of an entire nation, Iran's sovereignty was restored, ending decades of national humiliation following the 1953 coup engineered by the US and British secret services. -- "The revolution lives on," President Mahmud Ahmadinejad stated last week, providing yet another reminder to Western pundits that their sounding of the death bells for the Islamic revolution have been premature."

French unions to hold 2nd day of nationwide protests over economy
A quote...."French unions will hold a second day of nationwide protests to denounce President Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the economy, labour leaders said on Monday, looking to pile on the pressure ahead of negotiations. -- Up to 2.5 million protesters took to the streets of France last month to demand more efforts from the Sarkozy government to defend jobs and boost wages during the gathering slowdown."

Arab Israelis see no hope in Israeli elections - video - (RN - YouTube - 8 min 42 sec - February 10, 2009)
Special Note - A quote...."Jesse Rosenfeld speaks to representatives of the Arab Israeli community about the 2009 Israeli elections "

See also the Gaza Invasion of 12/27/08 - database - under construction. - mpg

The Gaza Attack - 5 Articles - Tuesday - [ Day 46 ] ========== ========== ========== ========

CBS 60 Minutes, MUST WATCH VIDEO on Israel!!
Video - A quote...."Is Peace Out of Reach? is the title of this absolutely fundamental video which presents facts, information and some interviews which show to the world public what things really are like regarding the chances for peace in Israel. I cannot recommend this video more than I do. It is an important document that I believe should be seen by everyone."

What Americans Can't See About Gaza How Do People Keep Going?
Special Note - A quote...."People have asked me, since I returned from Gaza, how people manage? How do they keep going after being traumatized by bombing and punished by a comprehensive state of siege? I wonder myself. I know that whether the loss of life is on the Gazan or the Israeli side of the border, bereaved survivors feel the same pain and misery. On both sides of the border, I think children pull people through horrendous and horrifying nightmares. Adults squelch their panic, cry in private, and strive to regain semblances of normal life, wanting to carry their children through a precarious ordeal." -- also posted at PalestineChronicle

UN official slams Israel for blocking textbooks
A quote...."Published: February 10, 2009, 11:12 -- United Nations: The top UN official in Gaza criticised Israel on Monday for blocking the shipment of paper to print textbooks for a new human rights curriculum that will be taught to children in all grades in the Palestinian territory. " -- The Israelis can't even let them "vermin" get some 'ol'dat dare new fangled education"....."dat's right, daze just gots to keep dem vermin in da'dark for the rest ol'dare miserable little lives". - mpg

Live From gaza - Digging for the Truth
A quote....."February 9, 2009 at 12:48 pm -- A quote...."Lucky we were to have fled imminent death as more than fifteen F-16 rockets bombarded the tunnels area where we had lit a fire the previous night to drink tea and talk story about life in the tunnels. Many houses were partially destroyed due to the heavy bombardments, but no casualties were reported."

Urgent Call From Gaza to All Social Movements
A quote...."We reiterate the need for a call from Palestinian community based organisations and the over 130 grassroots NGOs in the Palestinian NGO Network for an immediate opening of all border crossings currently controlled by Israel and Egypt."

End - The Gaza Attack - 5 Articles - Tuesday - [ Day 46 ] ========== ========== ========== ====

Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production
Special Note - Maps - A quote...."After reading about the droughts in two major agricultural countries, China and Argentina, I decided to research the extent other food producing nations were also experiencing droughts. This project ended up taking a lot longer than I thought. 2009 looks to be a humanitarian disaster around much of the world -- To understand the depth of the food Catastrophe that faces the world this year, consider the graphic below depicting countries by USD value of their agricultural output, as of 2006." -- also posted at ICH

The "Best Men" Fall - How Popular Anger Grew, 1929 and 2009
Must Read - A quote...."Obtuse hardly does justice to the social stupidity of our late, unlamented financial overlords. John Thain of Merrill Lynch and Richard Fuld of Lehman Brothers, along with an astonishing number of their fraternity brothers, continue to behave like so many intoxicated toreadors waving their capes at an enraged bull, oblivious even when gored. -- Their greed and self-indulgence in the face of an economic cataclysm for which they bear heavy responsibility is, unsurprisingly, inciting anger and contempt, as daily news headlines indicate. It is undermining the last shreds of their once exalted social status -- and, in that regard, they are evidently fated to relive the experience of their predecessors, those Wall Street "lords of creation" who came crashing to Earth during the last Great Depression."

Capitalism’s Self-inflicted Apocalypse
Must Read - A quote...."February 10, 2009 "Information Clearinghouse" -- After the overthrow of communist governments in Eastern Europe, capitalism was paraded as the indomitable system that brings prosperity and democracy, the system that would prevail unto the end of history."

The Growing Army of Angry Men Whose Lives Have Been Destroyed by the Federal Government
A quote....."One of the hardest things to deal with in the current economic depression is the disgusting hypocrisy of the U.S. congress, the new president, and the members of the Federal Reserve System. It is one thing to be told, as we all are, that we must hand over fat wads of our hard-earned money to these warmongering and thieving snakes or face jail terms, but one feels a whole new level of revulsion when these people make statements to the effect that they, and they alone, are in a position to "save the economy" by "creating jobs." These statements are made by people who have done virtually everything in their power to destroy the American economy over the last few decades, but who have now proclaimed themselves to be our saviors. Only the most naïve and unlearned among us could possibly be falling for the idea that a bunch of self-serving politicians, bureaucrats and bankers are going to "save" us from problems they have caused." -- also posted at ICH -- This article came out BEFORE today's announcement of an additional 1.5 trillion more for the banks.  One wonders how the author of the piece shown above feels about the whole issue now? - mpg

Geithner; To the People of America - Debase Yourselves or Starve. To The Bankers - Here’s $2 Trillion More.
Related Article - A quote...."Geithner Says Bank-Rescue Plans May Reach $2 Trillion -- “Instead of catalyzing recovery, the financial system is working against recovery,” Geithner said… -- (so obviously the answer is to give them even more tax-payer money with even less oversight, right?)"

A Proposal to Shore Up Banks With Pension Funds - SAY WHAT !!!! NO WAY, NO HOW, NOT EVER!!
Must Read - (for the outrage) - Some of "our representatives" are MUCH braver than this website editor ever thought possible. - mpg -- A quote...."Financial institutions in the United States probably need hundreds of billions of dollars in additional assistance, and one congressman wants to harness state and local pension funds to help them." -- also posted at BLN

Treasury, Fed unveils [an additional]  $1.5 trillion rescue plan
Related Article - A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - In its latest effort to stabilize the broken financial system, the U.S. government will use mostly private money to create a fund of at least $500 billion to recapitalize banks and another fund of $1 trillion to support consumer and business lending, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced Tuesday."

TARP II is TARP I with a coat of varnish
A quote...."Introducing the new improved same old bank bailout! -- Really, what else would you expect from the ex-chief of the New York Fed bank, Tim Geithner. After acknowledging that Americans have “lost faith” in the government effort to bail out the bank system, he outlined a “sweeping overhaul” that seems sweepingly underwhelming when you look at it closely."

U.S. Taxpayers Risk $9.7 Trillion on Bailout Programs (Update1) - It's just the beginning folks, think about it.
A quote...."Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- The stimulus package the U.S. Congress is completing would raise the government’s commitment to solving the financial crisis to $9.7 trillion, enough to pay off more than 90 percent of the nation’s home mortgages."

Rogers: Stimulus Bill Will Make The Problem Worse
A quote...."Renowned investor and respected financial commentator Jim Rogers has slammed the latest economic rescue package, declaring that it will not work and will most probably make the situation worse than it already is."

'This Is The Worst Recession For Over 100 Years'
A quote...."February 10, 2009 "The Independent" -- In an extraordinary admission about the severity of the economic downturn, Ed Balls even predicted that its effects would still be felt 15 years from now. The Schools Secretary's comments carry added weight because he is a former chief economic adviser to the Treasury and regarded as one of the Prime Ministers's closest allies." -- It took sixty years of our elites’ extremely dedicated, concentrated, persistent, UNRELENTING, efforts to get us where we all are today folks and it'll be a miracle if we get out of this mess in just one quarter of that time. - mpg -- also posted at ICH

Rep. Kanjorski: $550 Billion Disappeared in "Electronic Run On the Banks"
Video - Financial Warning - (if true) -- A quote...."At 2 minutes, 20 seconds into this C-Span video clip, Rep. Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania explains how the Federal Reserve told Congress members about a "tremendous draw-down of money market accounts in the United States, to the tune of $550 billion dollars." According to Kanjorski, this electronic transfer occurred over the period of an hour or two."

"'It would have been the end of our economic system and our political system as we know it.'--Rep. Kanjorski: $550 billion disappeared in 'electronic run on the banks' 09 Feb 2009 The Capital Markets Subcommittee Chair, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA), tells C-Span how the world economy almost collapsed in a matter of hours. In the C-Span video, Kanjorski reports on a "tremendous draw-down of money market accounts in the United States, to the tune of $550 billion dollars." According to Kanjorski, this electronic transfer occured over the period of an hour or two. "The Treasury opened its window to help. They pumped a hundred and five billion dollars into the system and quickly realized that they could not stem the tide. We were having an electronic run on the banks. They decided to close the operation, close down the money accounts, and announce a guarantee of $250,000 per account so there wouldn't be further panic... And that's what actually happened. If they had not done that, their estimation was that by two o'clock that afternoon, five-and-a-half trillion dollars would have been drawn out of the money market system of the United States, would have collapsed the entire economy of the United States, and within 24 hours the world economy would have collapsed... It would have been the end of our economic system and our political system as we know it." -- paragraph quoted from CLG

GM cuts 10,000 salaried jobs, [on top of all their prior cuts] trims employees' pay
A quote...."NEW YORK (AP) — General Motors Corp. is planning to slash another 10,000 salaried jobs this year, saying the cuts are unavoidable with a government restructuring deadline looming and industrywide sales in one of the worst downturns in history."

California could lay off 10,000 state workers
A quote...."California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to fire as many as 10,000 state employees if legislators do not approve a deal later this week to help close the state's projected 42-billion-dollar budget deficit."

Wal-Mart Cuts Jobs -- Retailer Restructures Despite Relatively Strong Sales
A quote...."BENTONVILLE -- Hundreds of Wal-Mart and Sam's Club corporate office workers lost their jobs Tuesday as the world's largest retailer restructures to cut costs in a dismal economy."


Bush III is Upon Us. Now What?
Must Read - A quote...."Let me tell you something; if you haven’t figured out by now that Obama™ isn’t on your side, you’re a f-cking moron. Period.  And if you have figured it out and you got a petition in your hand or one of those stupid paper-machete Condi Rice heads on, sit down and shut the f-ck up. In a “democracy” that might have worked at one time or the other (it was a nice effort, don’t get me wrong. I penned one or two petitions myself). But those days are long gone, and the last question left us, the only question the kleptocracy is asking themselves, is what are we going to do about it?"

Base Instincts: Kyrgyzstan Drops Out of the Great Game
Must Read - Analysis --A quote...."A look at the geostrategic background makes things clearer. Since the voluntary dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US has been engaged in a dangerous power play in Central Asia, eastern Europe and the Caucasus, three contiguous regions that, for geostrategic reasons, are lumped together as Eurasia. -- Washington's geopolitical bible is "The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives," in which former US National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski stresses the necessity and the means for the US to establish complete domination over Eurasia.  Brzezinski, from Poland, says by creating instability in every country in Russia’s neighbourhood, especially in the Central Asian Stans and Ukraine, and disrupting the flow of oil and gas, the US can isolate Russia, so that Moscow ceases to be a great power." -- For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror

Vice President Biden in Munich signals continuation of US aggression
A quote...."In his speech to the conference, Biden adopted a more conciliatory tone and spoke at length about the need for partnership and mutual trust. After eight years of unilateral action on the part of the Bush presidency, Biden knew this is what his audience wanted to hear. -- In terms of content, however, there was little indication of any change from the core polices pursued by the Bush administration. Quite the opposite--his “charm offensive” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)—was bound up with an appeal for the Europeans to ally themselves even more closely with the US, while at the same time, taking on more responsibility for supporting Washington’s interventions abroad."
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Full Circle by Dahr Jamail
A quote...."Among things that have not changed in Iraq is one that I hope never changes. After a four-year-long absence, each of my meetings here with former friends and fresh acquaintances seems to suggest that adversity has taken its toll on everything except Iraqi hospitality and Iraqi generosity. I am awestruck to find the warmth of the Iraqi people miraculously undiminished through grief, loss and chaos."

Iraqis Say U.S. Patrol Killed Girl, 8, in Crowd
A quote...."BAGHDAD — An 8-year-old Iraqi girl was killed Saturday and several other civilians were wounded when gunfire from an American military convoy struck a crowd of Shiite pilgrims traveling to the holy city of Karbala, witnesses and Iraqi officials said."

French DM rules out more troops for Afghanistan
A quote...."PARIS – France's defense minister is ruling out for now increasing the country's military presence in Afghanistan. -- Herve Morin told France-Inter radio Sunday that France has "already made a considerable effort" toward stabilizing the troubled country. He said "there's no question for the moment of sending additional troops."

Taliban's darkness descends on Swat Valley
A quote...."Just 160km from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, the picturesque valley - once famed for its cosmopolitan ski resort and liberal, artistic community - has become a symbol of the Pakistani Government's inability to crack down on a jihadist movement that is threatening to destabilise the country."

'No return of Golan Heights to Syria'
A quote...."Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue the occupation of Syria's Golan Heights if his party wins Israel's parliamentary elections."

The Gaza Attack - 6 Articles - Sunday - [ Day 44 ] ========== ========== ========== ========

What We Found in Gaza
Special Note -- A quote...."Published on Sunday, February 8, 2009 -- Strong Indications of Violations of the Laws of War, U.S. Law, and War Crimes Found in the Gaza Strip -- GAZA CITY - We are a delegation of 8 American lawyers, members of the National Lawyers Guild in the United States, who have come here to the Gaza Strip to assess the effects of the recent attacks on the people, and to determine what, if any, violations of international law occurred and whether U.S. domestic law has been violated as a consequence. We have spent the last five days interviewing communities particularly impacted by the recent Israeli offensive, including medical personnel, humanitarian aid workers and United Nations representatives. In particular, the delegation examined three issues: 1) targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; 2) illegal use of weapons and 3) blocking of medical and humanitarian assistance to civilians." -- also posted at Uruknet

Interview with Franklin Lamb: Self Defense or War Crime? (Part I)
Interview with Franklin Lamb: Self Defense or War Crime? (Part II)
A quote from Part I...."14:43 02/07/2009 -- "Interviewer’s Note: On December 27, 2008, Israel launched a devastating 22 day and night bombardment of the Gaza strip. The assault left, amidst an estimated 600,000 tons of concrete rubble, some 1,740 dead (this figure includes more than 350 ‘forgotten’ stillbirths and trauma-caused abortions in Gaza during the 22 days of terror), a figure that increases as the severely injured continue to die. A majority of the victims were civilians, including nearly 900 (again including the stillborn) children, approximately 5,500 severely wounded, and more than one third of the 1.5 million population was displaced while more than 14,000 homes were completely destroyed. Approximately 92,000 Palestinians are still homeless with more than 16,000 living as many as 20 to a small tent without latrines, as supplies remain blocked at the borders."

The resistance option
Military Analysis - A quote...."Hamas isn't Hizballah and Gaza isn't Lebanon. The resistance in Gaza -- which includes leftist and nationalist as well as Islamist forces -- doesn't have mountains to fight in. It has no strategic depth. It doesn't have Syria behind it to keep supply lines open; instead it has Israel's wall and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's goons. Lebanese civilians can flee north and east, while Gaza's repeat-refugees have no escape. The Lebanese have their farms, and supplies from outside; Gaza has been under total siege for years. Hizballah has remarkable discipline and is surely the best-trained, most disciplined force in the region. Although it has made great strides, Hamas is still undisciplined. Crucially, Hizballah has air-tight intelligence control in Lebanon, while Gaza contains collaborators like maggots in a corpse."

Financing and plans ready for Gaza Strip reconstruction, but crossings remain closed to materials
A quote...."Feb 8, 2009 -- Gaza / PNN – The first draft of one of hundreds of reconstruction projects for the Gaza Strip is being presented by the Al Aqsa Fund. -- Eight water wells in the northern Strip’s Beit Lahiya and the city’s Tel Al Hawa neighborhood are included for rehabilitation."

Hamas: Fatah strongman Dahlan collaborated with Israel ahead of Gaza op
A quote...."Last update - 08:46 09/02/2009 -- A senior Hamas official has accused Fatah strongman Mahmoud Dahlan of collaborating with Israel to carry out Operation Cast Lead, the 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip." -- For more on this issue see....US Sponsored Civil Wars - Palestine

One American ‘colony’ in support of another…..
A quote...."The above photos were sent by friends vacationing in Puerto Rico"

See also the Gaza Invasion of 12/27/08 - database - under construction. - mpg

End - The Gaza Attack - 6 Articles - Sunday - [ Day 44 ] ========== ========== ========== ===

The global economy is in for a long-lasting, frosty winter
Must Read - A quote...."While mainstream media and neoliberal economists were ignoring for the last 20 years all the signs of an emerging capital accumulation crisis and the growing imbalances in the global economy, choosing instead to engage in uncritical praises of the virtues of free market capitalism (often displaying a form of ideological fanaticism unique in the annals of modern intellectual thought) and to produce celebratory overtures for unfettered wealth reminiscent of those odious statements from the Gilded Age, the radical tradition in political economy was producing path breaking analyses and critiques of neoliberal capitalism which reveal that the eruption of the September-October financial crisis and the ensuing global economic crisis were both predictable and inevitable."

NY Times: "You Try to Live on 500K in This Town" - It's so unbelievable it's actually funny. - mpg
Special Note - Chart - A quote...."In many ways, the past forty years of Anglo-American history have been marked by a revolution of a few who live by wealth upon the many who live by labor. If the first half of the 20th century can be seen at the revolt of the masses, this latter half has been a revolt of the elites. Nowhere is this more apparent than in delinking of increases in labor productivity from growth in real wages. I think that this graphic illustrates what's been happening pretty clearly. -- Given this the plea to "Save the Bankers" which will appear on the front page of the style section of tomorrow's New York Times is all the more galling." - There's a better solution shown below....

Vince Cable: 'Bring back the guillotine...for bankers'
Related Article - A quote...."The crass behaviour of Britain’s financial aristocracy rivals the last of the Bourbons. Marie Antoinette famously patronised the Parisian mob with her ‘let them eat cake’, while dining in luxury in the Tuileries. -- The City bankers who ruined their banks but have been kept in employment by the taxpayer now demand we pay them their bonuses to maintain the aristocratic lifestyle to which they have become accustomed."

Royal Bank of Scotland to pay staff £1 billion in bonuses
Related Article - A quote...."The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is proposing to pay close to £1 billion in bonuses to its staff, just months after it was rescued by a £20 billion taxpayer bail-out, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal."

Gold Disconnects from USDollar
Special Note - Analysis - Charts - A quote...."The gold price has finally disconnected from its nemesis, the USDollar. This news should be read as the coming of spring after months of wintry torment, or as the sighting of land after 30 days adrift at sea in a derelict vessel. From 2002 to very early 2008, the gold price had risen from the massive speculative fervor that swept the United States and Europe, whose economies had been supplied largely by Asian factories. The mines from Latin America to South Africa to Australia greatly aided the process. The very paradoxical event of the USDollar rising this past autumn amidst truly horrendous news, one disaster after another, one major bank failure after another, one nationalization of a large financial institution after another, makes the disconnect all the sweeter for gold investors. That set the stage for a powerful gold price move." -- also posted at ICH -- Editor's Caution - Gold does not do all that well during Depressions, it will of course do extremely well if the dollar should collapse and/or there's hyper-inflation.  It's your call and it's your money folks. – mpg

US Must 'Save Capitalism' From the Banks: Nassim Taleb
A quote...."February 07, 2009 "Reuters" -- Feb. 04, 2009 -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the author of "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable", has a simple proposal to as he puts it, "save capitalism and free markets from the banks." -- Nationalize the banks, limit the rewards to those who work in what he calls the "utility" part of the system and have a completely uninsured second leg that can take all the risks it wants and lose its shirt, he said in an interview in Davos at the World Economic Forum."

Will Obama Start the Next Trade War?
A quote...."February 07, 2009 "Information Clearinghouse" -- - While campaigning to be president, Obama gave the general impression that he would act “cooperatively” to solve international problems, moving away from the Bush strategy of irresponsible “unilateralism.”

Spend, Spend, Spend Until Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away
Special Note - Some quotes...."Of course, there’s a good reason they don’t work. As we explained yesterday, you can’t really buy your way out of a depression. Because the problem is deeper than that. The economy is not just taking a rest. It is dead. It needs to be restructured, not revived. And for that, the old structures must be destroyed. That’s what Schumpeter’s "creative destruction" is meant to do. But the feds don’t appreciate it. They talk “change,” but the only change they want is for things to go back to the way they were. So, they’re trying to stop the correction. And they’re using every worn-out trick, every blunderbuss weapon and every claptrap theory they can think of. Bail out the banks…create a "bad bank" …nationalize the banks…stop the foreclosures…send out checks…lower interest rates…build bridges to nowhere – they’ll do it all. But it won’t work. All these measures are designed to encourage consumption…in order to support the old structures. But more consumption is just what the economy doesn’t need. It is in trouble because people have spent too much. Now, they have to cut back…and when they do, every enterprise, speculative investment, and household that depended on excess consumption is in trouble." -- "“So, what’s the solution?” asked a colleague this morning, after we explained why the stimulus programs cannot work. -- “The solution to a depression is a depression,” we replied."

Or a nice, big, fat, juicy, war.  Of course that's more "spending money we don't have" and more "consumption".  But only for the government, when this society is locked-down after the next terrorist false flag event, and millions are dead and/or put in the internment camps that the government's been constructing over the last eight years, there'll hardly be any consumption by individuals.  No, instead they'll be given the choice of working twelve hours a day, six days a week for the "war effort", and if they're unwilling to do that  it'll be a choice between one of the various war fronts (there'll be a lot to choose from) or one of the internment camps (ditto). - mpg -- For more on this issue see....Effective Fed Funds Rate & Total Nonfarm Payrolls


All of Them Must Go
Must Read - A quote...."Watching the crowds in Iceland banging pots and pans until their government fell reminded me of a chant popular in anti-capitalist circles in 2002: "You are Enron. We are Argentina."  -- Its message was simple enough. You--politicians and CEOs huddled at some trade summit--are like the reckless scamming execs at Enron (of course, we didn't know the half of it). We--the rabble outside--are like the people of Argentina, who, in the midst of an economic crisis eerily similar to our own, took to the street banging pots and pans. They shouted, "¡Que se vayan todos!" ("All of them must go!") and forced out a procession of four presidents in less than three weeks."  -- also posted at CommonDreams

Economic Fascism and the Bailout Economy
Must Read - A quote...." The second event that I regard as almost comparable in importance to the collapse of the Soviet Union was the collapse of the American banking system that took place in September and October of 2008. -- No one saw that collapse coming in August. The senior rulers of the United States – I do not mean politicians – have watched in horror as institutions that had survived since the mid-19th century went down: investment banks. These were banks that did not take deposits from the general public. They pooled large quantities of capital from private, wealthy investors. Within a matter of weeks, that business model collapsed. The investment banks scrambled to restructure their legal operations so as to be defined as commercial banks and therefore become eligible for the Federal bailout money. Meanwhile, huge commercial banks almost went bankrupt. They did not go bankrupt only because of government intervention and because larger banks absorbed them. Wachovia went down. Washington Mutual went down. The share prices of the two largest banks in the United States, the Bank of America and Citigroup, are still close to penny share status."

The American ruling class
A quote...."“This is America. We don’t disparage wealth. We don’t begrudge anybody for achieving success.”  Obama™  --  Well, that all depends on how they achieved it, now does it Mr. Obama?  How did Tom Daschle “achieve success”, Mr. Obama?  How did Ted Stevens or Geithner or Rahm for that matter?  How about Hillary’s “blind trust”? Or does that just not really matter anymore?  Well,  it used to…"
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Endgame? What Endgame? Afghanistan: A war without end
Must Read - A quote...."So, you thought it was all going to be different, did you, that we were in for a change – a Big Change? Well, the bad news, as Newsweek reports, is that the more things change …. " -- also posted at LewRockwell

Despite Obama's promises, rival views are scrubbed from White House
Must Read - A quote...."Only weeks ago, the political world was buzzing about a "team of rivals." America was told that finally, after years of yes-men running the government, we were getting a president who would follow President Abraham Lincoln's lead, fill his administration with varying viewpoints, and glean empirically sound policy from the clash of ideas. Little did we know that "team of rivals" was what George Orwell calls "newspeak": an empty slogan "claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts." -- Obama's national security team, for instance, includes not a single Iraq war opponent. The president has not only retained President George W. Bush's defense secretary, Robert Gates, but also 150 other Bush Pentagon appointees. The only "rivalry" is between those who back increasing the already bloated defense budget by an absurd amount and those who aim to boost it by a ludicrous amount." -- also posted at CommonDreams

[Obama's] Panetta: No prosecution for CIA interrogators
A quote...."WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration will not prosecute CIA officers who participated in harsh interrogations that critics say crossed the line into torture, CIA Director-nominee Leon Panetta said Friday."

Obama 'will give green light for Iran war'
War Update - A quote...."The Israeli prime ministerial frontrunner will win a US blessing to enter war with Iran, says a source familiar with US Mideast policies."

Numerous States Introduce Legislation Affirming The Constitution
Didn't good ol'Bombs Away O-Bomb-a' swear "...that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."  So why do the states need to "affirm" the Constitution.... Oh that's right, it's an oath....nobody in Washington DC pays much attention to those any more. - mpg -- A quote...."The legislatures of New Hampshire and Washington have just introduced bills declaring that they will not submit to the Unites States Government if the federal government acts unconstitutionally."

Bill Moyers Interviews Glenn Greenwald and Jay Rosen
Audio - Video - A quote...."Is the old media sustaining the old politics? News and analysis with NYU journalism professor and PressThink blogger Jay Rosen and political journalist and Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald. " -- ||  Transcript  ||  Podcast - mp3  ||
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AP CEO: Bush Turned Military Into Propaganda Machine
A quote...."LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Bush administration turned the U.S. military into a global propaganda machine while imposing tough restrictions on journalists seeking to give the public truthful reports about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Associated Press chief executive Tom Curley said Friday." -- For more on this issue see....Fake Intel / Propaganda

US-Russia tensions escalate over closure of Afghan supply base
A quote...."The threatened closure of a key Pentagon supply base in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, with serious implications for the Obama administration’s planned escalation of the US-led war in Afghanistan, has deepened tensions between Washington and Moscow." -- also posted at ICH

US military pieces together Afghan supply chain
A quote...."Threatened with the loss of a key air base, the US military is making plans to move material and fuel to US forces in Afghanistan through a network of commercial links through Russia and Central Asia, a military spokesman said Friday."

Official: NATO Kills Seven Civilians in Afghanistan
A quote...."The civilian death toll in Afghanistan continued to rise today as US forces launched an overnight operation killing six men in Zabul. The military insists that those killed were militants, but a member of Zabul’s provincial council insisted that the six killed were all civilians. Several other locals likewise insisted they were civilians. The US insists that it will look into the matter."

U.S. Military Violated Security Agreement Twice in 2 Weeks, Iraqi Leaders Say
A quote...."BAGHDAD — Iraqi leaders in Kirkuk Province have charged that twice in the last two weeks the American military violated the hard-won security agreement signed in November by attacking Iraqi criminal suspects without coordinating with Iraqi security forces."

Trouble in northern Iraq: Thousands of troops flood Kirkuk in crackdown on Kurds
A quote...."BAGHDAD — The Iraq Army has poured Arab troops into the divided northern city of Kirkuk. -- "This confrontation could turn into a fullscale war," a government source said. Iraqi government sources said the army's 12th Division has deployed thousands of troops in Kirkuk amid the rivalry between Kurds and ethnic Turks. The army's deployment in Kirkuk has been opposed by Kurdish militias as well as the autonomous Kurdish government." -- Now, after the elections of course,  the Kurds are to be brought to heel. - mpg

The political re-birth of Nuri al-Maliki
A quote...."DAMASCUS- Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has emerged as the winner of provincial elections in Iraq that took place January 31. A total of 14,000 candidates competed for 440 seats in 18 provincial councils, and five were assassinated in the period preceding the elections."

Pakistani court declares nuclear scientist free
A quote...."ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A Pakistani court declared disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan free on Friday, ending five years of house arrest for the man at the center of the world's most serious proliferation scandal."

Russia tips hat to Iranian scientists
A quote...."A Russian official says a satellite launch by Iranian technology suggests that the country's missiles "can reach any point on the globe"."

Israeli ‘Justice’ for Cameraman James Miller
A quote...."The family of James Miller, a UK journalist murdered by the IDF, have accepted damages of £1.5 million saying it was as close to an admission of guilt from Israel as they were ever likely to get. The military said the officer involved would be disciplined for breaking the rules of engagement and also for changing his account of the incident but he was exonerated."

The Gaza Attack - 11 Articles - Friday - [ Day 42 ] ========== ========== ========== ========

No Israeli Goods: Victory for Worker Solidarity - Boycott!  Boycott!  Boycott! - mpg
Must Read - Action Update -- A quote...."The Congress of South African Trade Union is pleased to announce that its members, dock workers belonging to the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) achieved a victory last night when they stood firm by their decision not to offload the Johanna Russ, a ship that was carrying Israeli goods to South Africa. This, despite threats to COSATU members from sections of the pro-Israeli lobby, and despite severe provocation." -- For more on the boycott issue see the upper-left-corner of the front page of this website. - mpg

MIDEAST:  Hamas Is Not Going Away
Must Read - A quote...."RAMALLAH, Feb 6 (IPS) - Despite intensive efforts by Israel, the international community and a number of Arab leaders to weaken and destroy Hamas through economic, punitive and military action, the Islamist organisation continues to be a force to reckon with. -- Hamas won free and fair democratic elections in January 2006. The U.S. pushed for these elections, which were monitored by international observers including ex-U.S. president Jimmy Carter, and Israel permitted them to be held."
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Hamas 'not responsible' for recent rocket attacks, says Israel
Special Note - A quote...."Last Updated: 4:36PM GMT 06 Feb 2009 -- ....an Israeli security official acquitted Hamas of responsibility for the most recent attacks. "Our intelligence says it's not them," he said. Instead, other groups, notably Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and fighters linked to the supposedly moderate Fatah movement are thought to have launched these strikes. -- Israeli officials disagree over whether Hamas, which still controls Gaza's government, is capable of stopping the attacks. Another senior official said that at present, with its organisation shattered by Israel's offensive, Hamas was probably unable to prevent other groups from firing rockets." -- bold by website editor

Ok, is it clear to all you folks out there?

After not honoring Hamas’s overwhelming victory in the 2006 Gaza election. Israel instead, hatches a plot in collusion with the US-NRE, Saudi Royals and Egypt's Mubarak, to foment a vicious two year civil war to support Hamas's rival Fatah, imposes a brutal eighteen month blockade against the Gaza strip, and violates the tenuous truce later established with Hamas by assassinating some of Hamas's personnel, for which Hamas respond's by launching their rockets against Israel, which Israel then uses as a flimsy pretext to murder, using DIME weapons, flachette rounds, and white phosphorus shells, over 1,300 Palestinians, almost all of whom were innocent civilians, many, if not most them, woman and children....

....all of this murder and mayhem carried out ostensibly to stop Hamas from firing their rockets into Israel.

In reality of course the attack on Gaza was planned long ago as a means to destroy Hamas, which Israel didn't manage to do, in fact Hamas gained even more popularity, but Israel did manage disrupt their organization for the moment.

So why are the rockets still being fired??

“.....its organization shattered by Israel's offensive, Hamas was probably unable to prevent other groups from firing rockets.” -- *Israeli senior official*

Not only are the Israelis morally and spirtually bereft psychos, they’re also really stupid, drooling, moronic, dumb-ass, psychos....with lots and lots of nuclear bombs.

Something to think about. - mpg

For more on this issue see....A Mortal Threat – Europe’s New Frankenstein Monster - 01-26-09 - mpg
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It's Declared Policy Now - Israel's Disproportionate Responses
A quote...."February 6-8, 2009 -- Prime Minister Olmert warned Hamas a few days ago (February 1) that a renewal of the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israeli territory would evoke a "harsh and disproportionate" response from Israel. This pointed choice of words was sobering and even shocking, given the repeated appearance of the same word, "disproportionate," in the world-wide condemnation of Israel in recent weeks, for the scale of the destruction it had just wrought in Gaza. "

Deconstructing Israel's 'Right to Exist'
A quote...."....even if all of Gaza’s outstanding issues were miraculously resolved to Tel Aviv’s satisfaction, Israel will still find pretext to continue agitating against Hamas and the people of Gaza. -- Why? -- Because they have yet to recognize Israel’s ‘right to exist’. -- Acceptance of this abstract, esoteric construct has been a longstanding and immutable demand of both the United States and Israel before substantive talks with Hamas, or any other self-described resistance group, can take place."

PalestineJustice: Articles of Occupation 7 February, 2009 Part 2
1) Israeli forces seize Gaza aid ship Al Jazeera
2) Gazan children denied treatment abroad Jonathan Cook
3) Gaza Burn Victims Exhibit Signs Of White Phosphorous Wounds By Amira Hass
4) Army Won’t Confirm Or Deny Sale Of Arsenal’s Phosphorous To Israel By Amy Riggin

Palestinejustice 7 February, 2009: ARTICLES OF OCCUPATION
1) The philosopher who gave the IDF moral justification in Gaza Amos Harel
2) ‘Myth of Exile’: Justifying Slaughter in Gaza Janine Roberts
3) Did the Israeli army wage a Jewish jihad in Gaza?  Religious extremists’ rapid rise through the ranks Jonathan Cook

Turkey probes Gaza 'war crimes'
A quote...."Friday, February 06, 2009 -- 18:33 Mecca time, 15:33 GMT -- A Turkish prosecutor has launched an investigation into whether Israel committed genocide and crimes against humanity in its offensive in Gaza, his office has said." -- also posted at Uruknet

World needs credible body to pursue Israeli war criminals
A quote...."6 February, 2009 -- On 27th December, Israel carried out a genocidal blitzkrieg against the estimated 1.5 million Palestinian inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, using state-of-the-art of the American technology of death." -- also posted at Uruknet

Justice for Palestinians vs. Balanced Reporting
A quote...."It is relatively easy for many casual observers of Middle East events to be deceived by balanced and ostensibly objective reporting. Simplistic divisions and false dichotomies are often presented. Moderates are juxtaposed against extremists and their identities vary according to current hegemonic agendas. Alternatively, competing narratives are asserted, both of which are assumed to have equal degrees of validity. The aim, of course, is to shape worldviews. Instead of informing readers about asymmetric claims, the reports frequently hide the ugly truth by presenting competing arguments as equivalent."

Hamas says order to release UN aid seized by mistake
A quote...."Saturday, 07 February 2009 10:55 -- Gaza's welfare minister said on Friday that UN supplies were taken by mistake and UN aid agency could come to take the goods. He added that no one came. -- The Gazan social affairs minister ordered "the aid to be returned to the agency if it turns out it is indeed its property," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said. -- UNWRA said it suspended importing goods into the Gaza Strip and claimed that Hamas had seized supplies. -- Hamas denied it confiscated any supplies, saying it was a misunderstanding between drivers due to a lack of coordination. -- A Hamas spokesman said two of its members had met the head of UNRWA and were able to "end the crisis", but it was unclear if the agency would return to normal operations."

End - The Gaza Attack - 11 Articles - Friday - [ Day 42 ] ========== ========== ========== ====

Help for the Homeowners?
Must View Video - A quote...."Is there a solution to the foreclosure mess that's destroying communities? -- Across the country, cities are in crisis because of the fallout from the mortgage mess —property taxes are way down, and abandoned homes are bringing down property values, inviting crime, and draining government coffers. Neighborhoods are being destroyed. Yet the federal bailout money is not going directly to desperate communities and homeowners, but to local and national banks." -- ||  Audio Stream  ||  Download - mp3  ||

Deflation the Great Wealth Builder -- [Assuming there's no Depression, which there is. - mpg]
Must Read - A quote...."It must be noted again, Capital itself has not changed. It may be experiencing less use or utility until values readjust, but unlike a War where massive amounts of Capital {most importantly people} are destroyed forever, Capital remains intact. This is the sole reason the above is true. Numbers have been distorted by inflation to benefit the owners of capital and deflation is correcting the accounting. It is bringing back value to those who labor, to those who are salaried, to those who have finished their working life and are subsisting on existing funds, to those who are starting their working lives with little savings, to all who haven't been blessed already with copious amounts of capital and the privileges it brings. By closing the gap, it is providing fair opportunity for all to partake in the workings of the economy and be compensated justly."

A US Dollar conspiracy theory?
A quote...."While the world economy collapses the American dollar continues to strengthen its position in the world, to little wonder – it’s getting back to its basics as the backup currency on every continent except Antarctica. -- Yet since the U.S. has debts two times exceeding the world’s GDP one cannot help but ask oneself – what’s next? -- The web is flooded with lots of theories and rumours about what would happen to the American currency whether, when and where it would fall – or what else. Some of them look like senseless fantasies, others resemble futurologist’s predictions, but the conspiracy theories of all kinds and colours are firmly on top of all."

Government of the Banks, By the Banks and For the Banks
A quote...."I thought America is supposed to be a "government of the People, by the People and for the People". -- But the financial companies have been allowed to use taxpayer bailout funds to lobby Congress. And the government's decisions about who to bail out and who not to fund are based on donations, lobbying and politics. Giving trillions to the banks won't help the economy or the American people."

Wall Street CEOs, investment bankers charged prostitutes on corporate cards, madam says
A quote...."Investment bankers racked up $100,000s in prostitution charges -- Visa, Mastercard or American Express? Or maybe a credit card from JP Morgan Chase? -- Wall Street CEOs, lawyers, bankers and media executives chalked up thousands of dollars in prostitution charges on their corporate credit cards -- swiping their cards for $2,000 an hour prostitutes, according to a New York madam who pleaded guilty last year." -- also posted at RougeGov -- For more on this sort of issue see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

Geithner: We Are Announced A Bank Plan But Have No Idea What It Will Be
A quote...."The Obama administration has now veered away from a bad bank plan and is putting more weight on capital injections. Or the TALF. Or something. But the administration could still change its mind. Because it's only Friday, which means there are still 72 hours before Tim Geithner delivers the plan to the public."
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Payrolls plunge by 598,000, the most since 1974 - U.S. unemployment rate jumps to 7.6% on widespread job losses
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The fury of the recession intensified in January, as the nation's unemployment rate jumped to 7.6% and nonfarm payrolls fell by the largest amount in 34 years, the Labor Department reported Friday."  --  But.....

Financial stocks caught fire Friday, led by big gains in beaten-down regional banks.
A quote...."Investors are betting the sector's shares will get a two-fold lift from an expected deal on a huge government-stimulus package and a Monday announcement from the Treasury about what officials described as a "comprehensive" new plan to revive the nation's banks." -- For more on the two articles shown above see....What Ben Bernanke Said - 03-18-08 - mpg  --  On The Other Hand....

3rd UPDATE:Regulators Shut County Bank, Calif, 2 Others
A quote...."WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said County Bank, Merced, Calif., was closed Friday by the California Department of Financial Institutions, which appointed the FDIC as its receiver - the ninth bank to be closed by regulators in the U.S. this year."
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Union: Confusion reigns as California braces for government shutdown today
A quote...."SACRAMENTO — With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's historic furlough of more than 200,000 state employees set to begin today, a major labor union warned that the state is ill-prepared to handle the work stoppage." -- bold by website editor


Whistling Past the Afghan Graveyard -- Where Empires Go to Die
Must Read - A quote...."It is now a commonplace -- as a lead article in the New York Times's Week in Review pointed out recently -- that Afghanistan is "the graveyard of empires." Given Barack Obama's call for a greater focus on the Afghan War ("we took our eye off the ball when we invaded Iraq..."), and given indications that a "surge" of U.S. troops is about to get underway there, Afghanistan's dangers have been much in the news lately. Some of the writing on this subject, including recent essays by Juan Cole at Salon.com, Robert Dreyfuss at the Nation, and John Robertson at the War in Context website, has been incisive on just how the new administration's policy initiatives might transform Afghanistan and the increasingly unhinged Pakistani tribal borderlands into "Obama's War." -- also posted at CommonDreams

Moscow Reacts to US Buildup in Afghanistan
Must Read - A quote...."Moscow has correctly assessed that the announced Obama troop buildup in Afghanistan has no relevance to the stated aim of combatting the ‘Taliban’, but rather with a new attempt by the Pentagon strategists to encircle both Russia and China on Eurasia in order to retain US global military dominance. It is not waiting for a new policy from Washington. Rather Russia is acting to secure its perimeter in Central Asia through a series of calculated geopolitical moves reminiscent of the famous Great Game of more than a Century ago. The stakes in this geopolitical power game could not be higher—the issue of world war or peace in the coming decade." -- also posted at OnlineJournal

Russian Muscle in Central Asia
A quote...."Together with Russia's war against Georgia last summer, and the more recent Russian muscle-flexing over gas pipelines that transit Ukraine, the Russian actions in central Asia reflect a no-nonsense message to President Obama that Moscow expects major changes in US policy toward Russia -- and that Moscow is prepared to play hardball to make sure it happens."

Kyrgyzstan says U.S. air base decision is final
A quote...."BISHKEK February 5, 2009 (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan said on Friday its decision to shut a U.S. air base in the Central Asian country was final. -- On Thursday, the United States said it was still in talks with Kyrgyzstan about retaining the Manas air base, an important staging post for U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan."

Kyrgyzstan says no proposals from Pentagon on U.S. airbase
A quote...."BISHKEK, February 6 (RIA Novosti) - Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov dismissed on Friday media reports that his country had received a set of new proposals from Washington concerning the closure of a U.S. airbase on its territory."
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Obama CIA choice nets $700,000 from rescued banks
A quote...."President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was paid more than $700,000 last year by businesses including struggling US banks bailed out by billions of dollars of taxpayers' money. "

TARP Recipients Paid $114 Million to Lobby Lawmakers
A quote...."Recipients of the $700 billion federal bailout package in the finance and auto sectors may view their contributions and lobbying as the smartest investments made in years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. -- More than half of the 300 companies helped by the federal government's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) have dished out $114.2 million for politicking, with $77 million spent on lobbying last year and $37 million spent on federal campaign contributions for the 2008 election." -- For more on this issue see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

Obama’s Crusade to Save the Banksters
A quote...."Much of Black America has been politically neutered, incapable of even imagining a situation in which they would make demands of Barack Obama - "whom many believe is literally a God-send." In any case, the president's attentions are focused on his primary mission: to save the core institutions of the financial capitalist class at the unlimited expense of the real economy and its dependents - the rest of us." The sacrifice will be for nothing. "In the process of attempting to breathe life into the bankster zombies, Obama and his bipartisan buddies will exhaust the capacity of the federal government to create money out of nothing."

Despite Celebrated Orders Closing Gitmo and Banning Torture, Has Obama Kept Rendition Intact?
Audio - Video - A quote...."When President Obama signed executive orders to end torture and shut down Guantanamo, did he leave open the controversial rendition policy of kidnapping foreigners abroad? We host a debate between human rights attorneys Michael Ratner and Scott Horton. [includes rush transcript]" --  ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  ||  --  Oh Yeah!  You can see it now.  You've been rendered to some God forsaken hell hole in the world and as you hang suspended upside down from the ceiling, your large Cro-Magnon ape of a torturer shambles over towards you with what looks like a pair of rusty electrodes, a big sly grin, and says with a wink...."Now don't you feel so much better that you've been rendered to us under Obama's new, "Change™" program of rendition instead of Bush's"? -- And you're extremely tempted to answer "No, not really", but you're worried what will happen to you if you do. – mpg

High-Level CIA Officer: It Is Time to Re-Open the 9/11 Investigation
A quote...."A decorated 20-year CIA veteran, who Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh called "perhaps the best on-the-ground field officer in the Middle East”, and whose astounding career formed the script for the Academy Award winning motion picture Syriana (Robert Baer) said "the evidence points at" 9/11 having had aspects of being an inside job."

[British] Ministers 'misled' judges over torture evidence
A quote...."Evidence that a British resident was tortured before being flown to Guantanamo Bay may yet see the light of day after senior judges hearing the case were told yesterday they had been misled by the Government."
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The Ministry of Truth is in San Antonio and will cost us $4.7 billion this year
A quote...."Since 2002, the Pentagon has targeted a new human terrain system, much like those being waged in Afghanistan and Iraq and through-out the middle east; us.  The price tag for bringing us “truth” via Pentagon zealots like Douglas Feith and his Office of Special Plans, will be going up this year by about 50%."

AP Impact: Pentagon ups public relations spending
A quote...."As it fights two wars, the Pentagon is steadily and dramatically increasing the money it spends to win what it calls "the human terrain" of world public opinion. In the process, it is raising concerns of spreading propaganda at home in violation of federal law."

Pentagon, media clash over control of information
A quote...."The black-and-white video starts with a mini-van locked in the crosshairs and the sound of a missile launching. A ball of fire suddenly consumes the van and a palm grove somewhere in Iraq." -- also posted at AtheoNews

For more on the three articles shown above see....Fake Intel / Propaganda

News Corp. reports huge quarterly loss - Hip Hip Hooray!!  Boycott!  Boycott!  Boycott! - mpg
Special Note - Speaking of propaganda and outright lies.... mpg -- A quote...."News Corp. has reported a huge quarterly loss and chairman Rupert Murdoch said the grim economic climate would force job cuts. -- News Corp. reported a USD 6.41 Billion loss in the second quarter of its fiscal year compared with a USD 832m net profit in the corresponding quarter of 2007." - bold by website editor. -- For more on this issue see....Judeo-Christian C/C & US - Media

Change the Lobby
A quote...."One cannot emphasize enough the stranglehold Israel's lobbying infrastructure has on US foreign policy. The events of recent weeks undoubtedly attest to this. "The special relationship" that has been historically fostered between the US and Israel in fact, is often a relationship of leverage, manipulation and intimidation, and often leads to the US supporting actions or resolutions that stand at complete odds with the interests of the American people."

The Gaza Attack -  9 Articles - Thursday - [ Day 41 ] ========== ========== ========== ========

Israel's Unjust War on Gaza -- Self-Defense Against Peace
Must Read - A quote...."Did self-defence justify Israel’s war on Gaza? -- Objections have been raised to this claim on grounds of a lack of both proportionality and necessity. To kill over 1000 Palestinians in 3 weeks, hundreds of them children, and wound thousands more, in order to deter a threat from rockets that did not kill or injure anybody in Israel for the six months the truce was declared by both sides, or even before Israel launched its attack on December 27, is so disproportionate as to be intolerable in any ethical system that holds Palestinian lives equal in value to Israeli lives. It is also so disproportionate as to defy belief that defence against these rockets was the real motive of the war. To ignore the many diplomatic avenues available to avoid even this threat, such as lifting the suffocating 18-month siege, suggests the same thing. -- A more fundamental objection, however, is the self-evident legal and moral principle that an aggressor cannot rely upon self-defence to justify violence against resistance to its own aggression. You can find this principle in domestic law and in the judgments of the Nuremberg tribunals. - bold by website editor

Researching allegations of war crimes in Israel and Gaza  - (YouTube - 7 min 25 sec - February 04, 2009)
Video -- A quote...."Following the outbreak of the recent conflict in Gaza and southern Israel on 27 December 2008 and then Israel's ground invasion of Gaza on 3 January 2009, Amnesty International delegates travelled to the region on 8 January."

War crime suspicions linger in the fog of Gaza
A quote...."Last Updated: February 06. 2009 1:17PM UAE / February 6. 2009 9:17AM GMT -- HRW is looking at six broad violations of the Geneva Conventions, which set rules for the conduct of war. Most of these focus on Israeli violations and include the indiscriminate use of weaponry, including heavy artillery, unmanned drones and white phosphorous, in civilian areas; “white flag” incidents as well as widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure."

Israelis still dealing with international fallout over Gaza offensive
A quote...."12:24 AM PST, February 5, 2009  -- JERUSALEM (AP) — More than two weeks after halting its Gaza offensive, Israel is still dealing with the international fallout, including a very public spat with the leader of Turkey, a slew of war crimes allegations and broken ties with Venezuela, Bolivia and Qatar."

UN backs down on 'school massacre' in Gaza - Keep in mind this is only one incident out of dozens. - mpg
Special Note - War Crime Retraction - A quote...."February 06, 2009 -- THE UN has retracted claims over one of the biggest controversies in the Gaza war, admitting that an Israeli mortar attack that killed 43 people did not hit a school run by a UN agency." -- Also keep in mind this came from only one reporter and is un-confirmed. - mpg

The aftermath
A quote...."02/05/09 -- 07:38:57 am -- When we are about to relax, take our breaths back and continue our lives as it was before the war started, comes again the sound of the F 16, a long with the Israeli threats of more violent war, more destruction, and more death for the People in Gaza as if we are sentenced by the Israeli war board to “Rest no more”."

Army: “No weapons found onboard the Lebanese ship”
A quote...."Thursday February 05, 2009 23:08 -- Shortly after the ship entered Gaza regional waters, the Israeli Army attacked it after surrounding it with Navy gunships and military helicopters. -- An Al Jazeera reporter stated that soldiers boarded the ship while pointing their automatic weapons at the passengers, and violently attacked them."

Israel detains 548 Palestinians without trial: rights group
A quote...."Thu Feb 5, 7:32 am ET -- JERUSALEM (AFP) – A total of 548 Palestinians are detained without trial in Israel, including 42 who have been held for over two years, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said on Thursday.

Corrupt Egyptian system feeds the IDF, starves Gazans, oppresses journalists - posted at OnlineJournal
A quote...."Feb 6, 2009, 00:30 -- Once upon an alleged democracy, the Egyptian government decided a couple of days ago to try the journalist Majdi Hussein, the secretary-general of the Egyptian Labour party in a military court -- even though he is a civilian -- because he broke the law when he tried to “illegally enter the Gaza Strip.”

End - The Gaza Attack -  9 Articles - thursday - [ Day 41 ] ========== ========== ==========

March 21 Is Fast Approaching
Action Alert - A quote...."The March on the Pentagon and the demonstrations in San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities scheduled for Saturday, March 21 – marking the beginning of the 7th year of war and occupation of Iraq – are now only weeks away."

IRAQ:  No Unemployment Among Gravediggers
A quote...."BAGHDAD, Feb 5 (IPS) - Amidst the soaring unemployment in Iraq, the gravediggers have been busy. So busy that officials have no record of the number of graves dug; of the real death toll, that is." -- also posted at DJMD

Polish soldiers on trial for killing Afghan civilians
A quote...."Warsaw - Seven Polish soldiers accused of killing Afghan civilians took the stand on Tuesday in what was the first trial in Polish history on violating the Hague and Geneva conventions. The court ruled to close the proceedings off to the media, saying it could lead to "dramatization" of the case and that the hall was too small to hold journalists."

Iraq's voters show faith in Maliki regime
A quote...."Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has finished first in provincial elections, strengthening the central government and weakening the religious parties that dominated after the fall of Saddam Hussein. But Iraqis still voted along sectarian or ethnic lines with Mr Maliki's successes all coming in Shia-dominated provinces."

Religious Parties Sweep Shiite South; Sunni Arabs fragmented, mainly Secular.
Special Note - Iraq Election Rap-Up -- A quote...."The Iraqi provincial election results are out. They confirm what I said last Monday, that the parties who want a strong, united Iraq have come to the fore in these elections. Although Nuri al-Maliki's Da'wa Party got over a third of the votes in Baghdad and Basra, they clearly did not achieve a commanding position, and its share in the more rural Shiite provinces was signifcantly less. -- The big story here is that the Shiite religious parties (and yes, the Da'wa or Islamic Mission Party is among them) again swept the Shiite south. However, those Shiite parties that won out this time want a strong central government, not a Shiite mini-state."
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Iran: The More Things Change...
A quote...." HONOLULU, Hawai'i, Feb 5 (IPS) - "We are not satisfied with [U.S. President Barack] Obama's actions since they have not been in line with claims of change - although we are not without hope either." -- These words, uttered Monday in a press conference by Iran's Speaker of the Parliament, Ali Larijani, encapsulate Tehran's wait-and-see attitude towards the Obama administration and its reported policy review regarding the Islamic Republic. While Iranian officials are willing to entertain the possibility of significant change in U.S. foreign policy, they are increasingly preparing for it not to happen."

India's Terror Dossier: Further - Evidence Of A Conspiracy
Special Note - A quote...."On 5 January 2009, the Indian government handed a 69-page dossier of material stemming from the ongoing investigation into the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 26-29 November 2008 to the Pakistani government. This was subsequently made accessible to the public [1], so it is possible for us to examine it. -- The most striking point about the dossier is its vague and unprofessional character. Enormous reliance is placed on the interrogation of the captured terrorist, Mohammed Amir Kasab, despite the fact that there is an abundance of other evidence – eyewitness accounts, CCTV and TV footage, forensic evidence, etc. – which could have been called upon to establish when, where, and what exactly happened during the attacks. This gives rise to the suspicion that the interrogation is being used as a substitute for real investigation because it can be influenced by intimidation or torture, whereas other sources of evidence cannot be influenced in the same way."

Minister quits amid Latvian anger - Them Latvians really know how to get the message across.....mpg
A quote...."The agriculture minister of Latvia has been forced to resign in the wake of growing protests by farmers. -- Minister Martins Roze announced his resignation even as the cabinet agreed a big rescue package for farmers. -- On Tuesday they picketed the agriculture ministry and delivered cows' heads in a coffin."
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Why Lee Harvey Oswald Had to Die!
Must Read - A quote...."Without a bullet that can be proven to have been at the scene of the crime, the government would have had no case against Lee Harvey Oswald, tried in absentia because he was murdered. Conveniently! The government needed a piece of hard evidence --a magic bullet'!"

Who Would the State Arm?
A quote...."As expected, the Republican Senate leadership sold supporters of the Second Amendment down the river in a, you cover my crimes against the Constitution, I’ll cover yours, agreement to confirm Eric Holder as Attorney General. The agreement was reportedly reached when Holder agreed to not seek criminal charges against agents of the state (CIA etc.) who participated in the torture of suspected terrorists at Gitmo."

Homeland Offense -- Washington contemplates deploying the Armed Forces for domestic law enforcement. - PDF
Police State Update - A quote...."Americans have become so inured to the sight of federal troops fighting fires, rescuing flood victims from rooftops, and engaging in drug interdiction on the border that few eyebrows were raised when news broke that 20,000 active-duty infantry would soon be deployed on American soil for so-called homeland defense."

Bombs and choppers used during military exercises startle New Orleans residents
Police State Update - A quote...."NEW ORLEANS – Residents in and around New Orleans have been hearing the sounds of low-flying helicopters and what sounds like bomb blasts over the past few nights, but the sounds are part of a training exercise for some of America's elite military troops."
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Army official: Suicides in January 'terrifying'
They were swallowed by the yawning chasm between their illusions regarding this society, and their place in it....and the actual truth of this society, and their place in it. – mpg -- A quote...."The Army said 24 soldiers are believed to have committed suicide in January alone -- six times as many as killed themselves in January 2008, according to statistics released Thursday."

Soldier critical of Iraq war dies after auto wreck --Two other soldiers who signed The New York Times piece died in 2007 05 Feb 2009 A third soldier who signed on to a 2007 newspaper column criticizing the war in Iraq has died. Spc. Jeremy Roebuck, 23, of Splendora, Texas, died from injuries after a January 28 automobile 'accident' near Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A relative confirmed that he was one of the people to sign an August 19, 2007, opinion article in The New York Times that called the prospects of U.S. success in Iraq "far-fetched" and said the progress being reported was offset by failures elsewhere. Seven soldiers, members of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, signed the column." -- Paragraph quoted from CLG
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Is the Entire Bailout Strategy Flawed? Let's Rethink This Before It's Too Late
A quote...."America's recession is moving into its second year, with the situation only worsening. -- The hope that President Obama will be able to get us out of the mess is tempered by the reality that throwing hundreds of billions of dollars at the banks has failed to restore them to health, or even to resuscitate the flow of lending. -- Every day brings further evidence that the losses are greater than had been expected and more and more money will be required. -- The question is at last being raised: Perhaps the entire strategy is flawed? Perhaps what is needed is a fundamental rethinking."

RAW DATA: List of Banks Receiving Funds From $700B TARP
Heck, it looks like it would have been easier to list the banks that WEREN'T receiving TARP money. - mpg -- A quote...."This list includes all the banks receiving funds from the Treasury's $700B Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) as of January 31, 2009:"

Two years recession, or ten years of hell? - The phrase should be, De-couple or Default. - mpg
Must View - RN-Video -- Some quote...."In this first segment of the interview, Paul Jay discusses how the global economic crisis will impact Europe with author and political economist William Engdahl. Engdahl says Italy is experiencing the worst economic crisis it has seen in 30 years, and the British economy is “falling off a cliff.” He says the European situation is “differentiated,” that “it’s a little bit different from what’s going on in North America, especially in the United States.” In Europe, he explains, “it is more an indirect knock-on effect of the United States financial meltdown.” He says the question now is whether the European Union is going to try and decouple its dependency on the U.S. dollar and begin to form regional currency blocks like many nations around the world are starting to do." -- "This is going to be a Depression that will really out do the Great Depression of the 1930s from '29 to '38, it's going to be far worse, and compounded by the demographics in the United States...." -- Editor's Caution: This assumes that the Fed, despite its vigorous attempts to flood the US with ready cash, can't re-inflate the moribund US economy.  It's unlikely they'll succeed, but there is a small chance they will. For more on this issue see....Effective Fed Funds Rate & Total Nonfarm Payrolls
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Second order of 787 Dreamliners cancelled: report
A quote...."Aircraft-leasing company LCAL, a Dubai-based outfit established to handle Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner plane, has cancelled 16 of the 21 jetliners it had ordered, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. -- The order is worth some 3.6 billion dollars at list prices, according to the Journal, and LCAL's move is the second major cancellation for the long-delayed 787 in eight days." -- Instead of "Dream-liner" they could have also called it the "Fantasy-liner", the "Vapor-ware-liner", the "Virtual-liner", Boeing's new super "Stealth-liner", or how about just plain old  "The Mirage" -- bold by website editor -- For more on this issue see articles shown below.....



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The City fears Russia's default
A quote...."Experts in London's City are openly talking about a risk of Russia's default on foreign debts, although they do not think it will be as bad as in 1998. After all official speeches, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin had to persuade the City that Russia will not fall so low."


No I Can’t: A Dissident to U.S. Empire But A Fighter For Humanity
Must Read - A quote...."Just because Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th President of the United States doesn’t make the U.S. any less of an empire. And it doesn’t mean that this empire has any intentions of ending its control and expansion. Under the Bush Regime many people began to see the methods and means in which the U.S. maintains its super power status, while for years before it was easy to ignore. The methods and means under the Bush Regime were so escalated that people in the U.S. took notice and were horrified. People wanted it to end. And it seemed the only way to end it was to vote in someone who was nothing like Bush. -- Bush was a public relations nightmare for the empire, so the ruling class of the empire put Barack Obama in front of the people. He promised hope and change, and while many good people who care about humanity thought this meant an end to the wars for empire and torture what he really promised was a change in methods and means in maintaining an empire."

The Christian and War
Must Read - A quote...."The theme of this series is the application of the teachings of Jesus to contemporary social and political issues. A timely topic in view of the current war in Iraq is the attitude of the Christian toward war. The thesis of this presentation is that Jesus teaches simply and unequivocally that war is evil and that Christians should refrain from participation in it."

The Coming Fascism
A quote...."The military empire abroad is a bubble. It looks big, even shiny; it hovers over lesser entities as if it is something. The old alchemist fantasy of creating gold from lead at least led to many productive inventions – only when the fantasy became opportunistic dogma and blind faith were people fooled. In terms of American empire – 700 military installations around the world fearing for their collective future as they watch their individual backs – is not gold, is not powerful, and is not fooling anybody. -- The American financial empire exists as a thin, transparent, vulnerable shell of its former self. It too is a bubble – yet unlike the military fantasy, Americans readily conceive of financial bubbledom. Our money – that fiat paper which we have been using for our houses, our cars, our pay-later purchases – is vaporous in the sense that we do not really see it, feel it or understand it."
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Small Change: Obama's Betrayal
A quote...."Just two weeks after his historic inauguration ceremony, Obama’s presidency is lurching towards failure, and not because three of his administration picks have been found to be tax cheats, but because nearly all of his administration picks are corporate whores and shills."

Why Are We Still at War?
A quote...." W.H. Auden: "Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return."

Stanley Kunitz: "In a murderous time / the heart breaks and breaks / and lives by breaking."

And from 1965, when another faraway war got its jolt of righteous escalation from Washington's certainty, Richard Farina wrote: "And death will be our darling and fear will be our name." Then as now came the lessons that taught with unfathomable violence once and for all that unauthorized violence must be crushed by superior violence.

The U.S. war effort in Afghanistan owes itself to the enduring "war on terrorism," chasing a holy grail of victory that can never be. -- For more on this issue see....Judeo-Christian C/C & US - The Many Lies of Leo Strauss

After Obama praises torture ruling, civil liberties group appalled
A quote...."The American Civil Liberties Union, which has generally been harshly critical of President George W. Bush and praiseworthy of President Barack Obama, has fired a torpedo across the Obama bow. -- After the British High Court ruled that evidence of a British resident's rendition and harsh interrogation at the Pentagon's Guantanamo Bay prison must remain secret because of threats made by the Bush administration to halt intelligence sharing, the Obama Administration offered a terse statement seemingly expressing support to the BBC.[and Britain for withholding the evidence]

Obama Supports Bush Secrecy About U.S.-Sponsored Torture
A quote...."The Obama administration may have just failed the first big test of its promises to end unwarranted government secrecy."

Rove dances with special counsel while Obama Justice Department targets Rove’s main accuser - @ OnlineJournal
A quote...."(WMR) -- Although there are reports that George W. Bush top political adviser Karl Rove has signaled, through his attorney, Robert Luskin, his willingness to cooperate in the probe of the political use of U.S. attorneys in the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and the firings of U.S. attorneys, WMR has learned that Rove and the U.S. Attorney for Northern Alabama, Alice Martin, are, in concert with the Obama Justice Department, engaged in a fishing expedition against chief Rove accuser, former Alabama GOP research assistant Dana Jill Simpson." -- bold by website editor

Obama™ Inspired Israeli Investigations Prove Israel’s Actions Were “Reasonable”
A quote...."See?  Obama gets results.   Obama™ called for Israeli war crimes investigation less than one week ago and already we are getting to the bottom of what really happened in Gaza.  It shouldn’t matter that Obama called for Israel to investigate their own war crimes, right?  Who better? The truth is the truth after all…"

The Day Obama's Honeymoon Died
A quote...."In the last 24 hours, that golden halo that was over Barack Obama, is over. The Senate is about to gut his version of the stimulus bill, creating a bill that is "all tax cuts, all the time" and far too small to deal with the economic crisis. Obama has been out Reaganed, and America is set to go on a downward spiral because of it. The stimulus gutting of at least 100 billion and perhaps as much as 200 billion in spending to get just three votes: Snowe, Collins, and Ben Nelson, will mean that these Senators will get to control between 33 billion and 70 billion of spending each. 200 billion essentially ends the "spending" part, and leaves us with a bill that will be about 400 billion tax cuts, and 300 billion spending. So much for unity and bi-partisanship." -- What one commentator wrote....


Obama set to launch military “surge” in Afghanistan
A quote...."President Barack Obama is set to formally authorize the dispatch of 10,000 to 12,000 additional US combat troops to Afghanistan, the beginning stage of a military "surge" that will likely add 30,000 more soldiers and Marines over the next 12 to 18 months, doubling the US occupation force to 60,000. Obama's announcement of the initial compliment of three combat brigades, to begin deploying in April, could come this week."
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The "defense cut" falsehood from The Washington Post and Robert Kagan
A quote...."Even for the standard-less Washington Post Op-Ed page, which will publish any version of neocon claptrap regardless of how factually false it is, this is rather striking:"

British officer held over Afghan casualties leak - Both the US-NRE and the UK are just liars, that's a proven fact.
Special Note - A quote...."A senior British Army officer has been arrested in Kabul and faces charges under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking [accurate] figures about civilian casualty figures in Afghanistan [instead of the crap you read in the US-NRE's mass-media] to a human rights group." -- for more on this sort of issue see....Fake Intel / Propaganda - Iraq Deaths

Pro-Israel Media: Bloggers Join Media War - Ditto for Israel and ALL their lackeys in the mass-media. - mpg
Special Note - A quote...."Some 1,000 new immigrants and foreign-language-speaking Jews volunteer to army of bloggers set up by [Israel] Absorption Ministry and Foreign Ministry with the stated objective of flooding blogs with pro-Israel opinions." -- For more on this issue see....Judeo-Christian C/C & US - The Media

Freedom Of The Press In The USA? - NY Man Admits He Helped Air Hizbullah TV
Special Note - No freedom of the press for "rag heads" though - mpg -- A quote...."February 04, 2009 "AP" -- -The Pakistan-born owner of a satellite TV company has pleaded guilty to providing material aid to a terrorist organization by letting customers receive broadcasts from Hizbullah's television station."

The Gaza Attack - 15 Articles - Wednesday - [ Day 40 ] ========== ========== ========== ========

Israeli Version of Anatomy of a Murder -- Cast of Thousands - (YouTube - 6 min 8 sec - January 29, 2009)
Must View Video - A quote....."February 4, 2009 at 2:15 pm -- The following was sent to me in the form of a comment ….. a video definitely worth watching. The Holocaust was a tragedy and the Zionist will never allow us to forget it therefore we too should never forget what happend in Gaza, Lebanon and let’s face it the last 60 years of Palestinian occupation. I created this video on Gaza, please have a look and pass it around.

Gaza villages Wiped off the map - (YouTube - 8 min 21 sec - January 21, 2009)
Must View Video -- A quote...."Another excellent report by Jonathan Miller. Telling the story of destruction and killing in Gaza."

The Way of Izvestia: BBC as a Metaphor for State Propaganda
Must Read - A quote...."14:25 02/04/2009  -- The presumption that underlies the decision is that the BBC has always been impartial when it comes to Israel-Palestine. An exhaustive 2004 study by the Glasgow University Media Group – Bad News from Israel – shows that the BBC's coverage is systematically biased in favour of Israel. It excludes context and history to focus on day-to-day events; it invariably inverts reality to frame these as Palestinian 'provocation' against Israeli 'retaliation'. The context is always Israeli 'security', and in interviews the Israeli perspective predominates. There is also a marked difference in the language used to describe casualties on either side; and despite the far more numerous Palestinian victims, Israeli casualties receive more air time." -- also posted at ElecIntifada

Brian Eno 1/3/09 Truth About Israel - (YouTube - 1 min 30 sec - January 03, 2009)
Video - A quote...."Brian Eno Stop Gaza Massacre protest London Saturday 3 January 09"

Deprived and Endangered in Gaza part 1 of 4 (2009) - Part 2/4 - Part 3/4 - Part 4/4 - (YuTb - apx 10m ech - 020309)
Videos - A quote...."Mr. Joe Stork, Washington Director, Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch gave a presentation today, Thursday January 22, 2009. His talk, "Deprived and Endangered in Gaza," follows HRW's release of a report by the same title."

Abbas: 90,000 Gazans left homeless
A quote...."Wednesday, February 04, 2009 -- 15:30 Mecca time, 12:30 GMT -- At least 90,000 Palestinians have lost their homes as a result of Israel's war on Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has told the European parliament in France."

The Wounds of Gaza Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah and Dr Swee Ang
A quote...."4 Feb 2009 -- On February 2nd 2009, two surgeons from the UK, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah and Dr. Swee Ang, who managed to get into Gaza during the Israeli invasion, released a statement describing their experiences, sharing their views, and conclusions that the people of Gaza are extremely vulnerable and defenseless in the event of another attack. " -- also posted at Uruknet

Israeli Army admits to killing family members of a Palestinian physician in Gaza
A quote...."Feb 4, 2009 -- The Israeli army admitted on Wednesday that three of the daughters of Dr. Abu Ammash, and his niece, were killed by an artillery shell fired by the soldiers during the latest war on Gaza. The Doctor, Iz Ed-Deen Yaish, works at an Israeli hospital. -- The Israeli army had no choice but to admit to the crime since it occurred while the Doctor was in a live interview with the Israeli TV – Channel 2."

After the war, Gazans seek answers on white phosphorus
A quote...."February 4, 2009 -- Gaza doctors add to the growing number of accounts that suggest Israel used white phosphorus munitions against international norms of war."

Palestinian Father Describes What Israelis Did to His Son
A quote...."Abdul Rahman Ghraben’s mother carried in a yellow plastic bag. “This is his pant leg, and tiny pieces of him,” she said, holding the knotted bag at the handles. Her husband had been explaining how fourteen year old Abed was killed on January 11."

Gaza must be helped out of "hell" - EU envoy
A quote...."Wed Feb 4, 2009 1:31am IST -- JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel must lift its ban on materials to rebuild Gaza after its offensive in a territory resembling "hell" where children have to sleep outside shattered homes, the European Union's Middle East envoy said on Tuesday."

UN says Israel must open Gaza ghetto
A quote...."Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:12:03 GMT  -- The United Nations has warned that Israel must allow more trucks to enter the Gaza Strip to allow the flow of relief supplies to continue."

IDF troops reportedly commandeer Lebanese aid ship bound for Gaza
A quote...."Last update - 12:06 05/02/2009 -- Israel Naval forces intercepted and reportedly commandeered a Lebanese ship carrying medical aid and other supplies bound for Gaza late Wednesday, according to Al-Jazeera."

Egypt prevents Al Jazeera journalists from entering Gaza
A quote...."Last update - 11:26 04/02/2009 -- Egypt on Tuesday prevented two senior Al Jazeera journalists from entering the Gaza Strip through Rafah border, the London-based Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi reported on Wednesday."

Poll: Gaza war boosts Hamas popularity
A quote...."First Published 2009-02-05 -- Survey finds Hamas has stronger support in Israeli-occupied West Bank than it does in its own Gaza bastion."

End - The Gaza Attack - 15 Articles - Wednesday - [ Day 40 ] ========== ========== ==========

US Warns Fraud-Laden Iraq Vote Could Trigger Violence
A quote...."The results of Iraq’s provincial elections could be released as soon as tomorrow, and many in the government have praised it as a rousing success. But while it has been presented as a testament to the progress made by the United States in propping up the Iraqi government, serious irregularities have left the results in serious doubt, and violence may result."

Growing furor in Iraq's Anbar province sparks ballot recount
A quote...."BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials moved to quell rising tensions between rival Sunni Muslim Arab factions in once-restive Anbar province Wednesday by recounting some of the ballots that were cast in last Saturday's provincial elections, even before the official results are known."

Iraq: Sunni tribal leader says he can prove fraud
A quote...."Iraq: Sunni tribal leader says he has 'hundreds of documents' proving electoral fraud in Anbar."
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Moscow, Tehran force the US's hand
Special Note - A quote...."It may seem there could be nothing in common between the blowing up of a bridge in the Khyber, the usage of an air base nestling in the foothills of the Pamirs and the launch of a 60-pound (37.2 kilogram) satellite into the night sky that will circle the Earth 14 times a day. -- But band them together and they trigger the political and diplomatic equivalent of what is known in the game of chess as zwischenzug, which means an intermediate move that improves a player's position."

U.S. supply routes to Afghanistan suffer two huge blows
A quote...."MOSCOW — The U.S.-led campaign against the Taliban suffered two logistical blows Tuesday as the president of Kyrgyzstan announced that he'd shut a U.S. airbase in his country and insurgents in Pakistan blew up a bridge, disrupting the main U.S. supply route into Afghanistan."

Pakistan: Militants Torch Trucks On U.S. Supply Line
A quote...."Militants on Feb. 4 set fire to ten trucks that were stranded in Pakistan Feb. 4 by the closing of the Khyber Pass bridge, which was attacked by militants Feb. 3, The Associated Press reported. The bridge is on the main supply route for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Pakistani army engineers are working on repairs, and a government official reportedly said the bridge might reopen Feb. 5."

Pakistani Taliban Frees 30 Police After They Promise to Quit Their Jobs
A quote...."The Pakistani military continues to shell the Swat Valley in hopes to wresting the region from the control of the rival Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but as the TTP’s control grows, police are increasingly the ones finding themselves on the front lines, and deciding it just isn’t worth it." -- This is a VERY smart move on the part of the Taliban. - mpg

US plan to arm militias scares some in Afghanistan
A quote...."In Afghanistan, some fear a US plan to arm militias against Taliban could spawn tribal armies." -- For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror- Afghanistan
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US warships to steel Israel for new war
A quote...."Israel is set on the road to expand its naval fleet with advanced US warships amid speculation that it plans to take out Iran after Gaza. -- As part of its massive, $60 billion military buildup project for a period of five years between 2008 and 2012, Israel is working to receive two US-made, multi-mission Littoral Combat Ships (LCS)."

Candidate for Israeli Prime Minister: No return of stolen Palestinian land
A quote...."Benjamin Netanyahu, the leading candidate for Israeli Prime Minister, stated Wednesday that no land should be returned to the Palestinian people. Referring to commitments made by outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during US-led peace negotiations, Netanyahu stated, "I will not keep Olmert's commitments to withdraw and I won't evacuate settlements."

Ongoing Displacement of Palestine's Southern Bedouin
A quote...."Following government orders, Israeli forces, demolition workers, and two bulldozers entered the village at 9:30 a.m. on 8 May 2007, while all the men of the village were at work. They destroyed every structure in sight, forcing the women, children, and elderly in the village out of the thirty homes before destroying them all, rendering one hundred more Palestinians homeless under the scorching summer sun.(1) This did not take place in the West Bank or Gaza but in the village of Twail Abu-Jirwal in the Naqab, and all one hundred Palestinians who were forcibly displaced were citizens of the state of Israel."

Saudi Monstrosity and International Silence
A quote...."February 04, 2009 "Information Clearinghouse" -- - For the past several weeks, dozens of family members have been reaching out to the Iraqi government in a fragile gesture meant to save the lives of their sons. In January 2009, Saudi courts convicted 25 young Iraqi men of trespassing into Saudi Arabia. Their punishment: beheading. Among the Iraqi prisoners are at least several men suffering from tuberculosis, all of whom are being denied medical attention by the Saudi judiciary."

Latin America Breaks Free
A quote...."Five years ago, when Evo Morales was a rising political star as a congressman and coca farmer, I met him in his office in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He was drinking orange juice and sifting through the morning newspapers when I asked him about a meeting he just had with Brazilian President Lula. “The main issue that we spoke about was how we can construct a political instrument of liberation and unity for Latin America,” Morales told me."

CSTO: joining forces in a crisis
Special Note - A quote...."MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) - The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is gradually transforming itself into a full-blooded military set-up."

Russia anchors ties with India
A quote...."Russia, using all means at its disposal, wants to urgently convince the world community that it has re-emerged as a force to be reckoned with, demanding increased recognition and power in the world. -- Ostensibly conducting joint naval exercises with India to help combat terrorism and piracy, Moscow also had a sub-agenda in its planning. In fact the "sub-agenda factor" is becoming an ever-present variable in appreciating Russia's foreign policy conduct."

Azerbaijan: Russian Arms Scandal Feeds Baku's Support for Nabucco
A quote...."Angered by recent allegations about Russian arms transfers to Armenia, Azerbaijan is increasingly positioning itself to take on Russia as a direct competitor for European gas markets, Azerbaijani analysts believe."

Finland could back Nord Stream gas pipeline project - minister
A quote...."BRUSSELS, February 5 (RIA Novosti) - Finland could give its backing to the Nord Stream project to build a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea to deliver Russian gas directly to Germany, the Finnish foreign minister said on Thursday."

Race to build new gas pipe to Europe
A quote...."Bulgaria's President has called on Europe to speed up approval for the South Stream gas pipeline project. Diversification of energy supplies was one of the main topics during Georgy Pyrvanov's meeting with the Russian president in Moscow."

The S-300P surface-to-air missile system. INFOgraphics
A quote...."Class: medium/long-range surface-to-air missile system."
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Evidence of torture 'buried by ministers'
A quote...."The [British] government was accused last night of hiding behind claims of a threat to national security to suppress evidence of torture by the CIA on a prisoner still held in Guantánamo Bay. -- An unprecedented high court ruling yesterday blamed the US, with British connivance, for keeping the "powerful evidence" secret, sparking criticism from lawyers, campaigners and MPs, who claimed the government had capitulated to American bullying."

Blackwater Guards Immune Under Law, Pentagon Says (Update2)
A quote...."Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Defense Department concluded in 2007 that Blackwater Worldwide contractors can’t be prosecuted under federal law for a shooting incident in Iraq that left 17 civilians dead." - also posted at BLN

Why no neocon assassinations? Because the ‘war on terror’ is a hoax
A quote...."If America were infected with terrorists, we would not need the government to tell us. We would know it from events. As there are no events, the US government substitutes warnings in order to keep alive the fear that causes the public to accept pointless wars, the infringement of civil liberty, national ID cards, and inconveniences and harassments when they fly. -- The most obvious indication that there are no terrorist cells is that not a single neocon has been assassinated." -- also posted at CounterPunch

Cheney warns of new attacks
False Flag Update - A quote...."Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned that there is a “high probability” that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear or biological attack in coming years, and said he fears the Obama administration’s policies will make it more likely the attempt will succeed." -- For more on this sort of issue see....Al Qaeda - Always There for the US Elites - 03-09-08 - mpg
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Runaway Wall Street
Special Note - A quote...."It is instructional that only one of the three tax-challenged Obama appointees has survived public scorn to claim a high position in the new administration. Oddly enough, it is Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the man who will collect our taxes, whose career has not been stunted by his failure to pay them." -- also posted at CommonDreams

Kucinich: We Should Be Going From Golden Parachutes To Golden Handcuffs! - (YuTb - 7m27s - Feb. 02, 2009)
Video - A quote...."February 02, 2009 News Corp"

The Davos World Economic Forum (WEF)
Special Note - A quote...."Bloomberg added that "Almost everyone blamed the few bankers who showed up for the near-collapse of the financial system," with harshest criticism for Wall Street, the Bush administration, and Obama officials for their absence. Economist Kenneth Rogoff called this year the grimmest Davos ever. Abraaj Capital's CEO, Arif Naqvi said "People are looking for the solution, but don't yet have the question formulated." Other attendees predicted that conditions in 2010 may be no better. -- The Financial Times' (FT) John Gapper wrote: "This was not the week to be seen in Davos and, if you were there, it was not the time to remain calm." He cited one debate with Black Swan author Nassim Taleb saying bankers should be punished and forced to return their bonuses. He described WEF founder Klaus Schwab as "pale-faced," considering "the impossible task this year - to forge harmony out of tension" and plan how to recover."

The World Economic forum (WEF): Requiem for an overweight
A quote...."“The WEF is not a government of the world,” said organiser Andre Schneider wistfully in the crisp Davos air.  --  The world’s economic elite gathered in a subdued atmosphere at this year’s World Economic Forum to assess the now global economic crisis. New York University professor Niso Abuaf compared it to a funeral, though not for the sake of the dead “ancien regime”, but “for the ones staying behind.” Attendees at the wake included 40 heads of state, 1400 business leaders and the usual assortment of “social entrepreneurs”." -- also posted at OnlineJournal

Mexico’s Central Bank Intervenes to Halt Peso Slide (Update4)
A quote...." Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s central bank bought pesos in the foreign-exchange market after the currency plunged to a record low today. -- A statement from a joint central bank and Finance Ministry committee said Banco de Mexico purchased pesos to “provide liquidity and to ease volatility.” The intervention is an “extraordinary” measure beyond the bank’s normal offer to buy $400 million worth of pesos a day, the press office said earlier."

Auto sales hit 27-year low
Special Note - A quote...."DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales plunged to a 27-year low in January, a steeper-than-expected drop that took the slumping U.S. market below China's for the first time." -- bold by website editor

Jobless claims surge to 626,000, highest since '82
Special Note - A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of new claims for state unemployment benefits surged to their highest level since 1982, the Labor Department reported Thursday, a sign that the U.S. labor market is deteriorating at a rapid rate."

Southeast and Midwest see steepest gains in joblessness as factory towns suffer layoffs
A quote...."WASHINGTON (AP) — Metropolitan areas across the Southeast and Midwest are seeing some of the steepest increases in joblessness, stung by their dependence on factories serving the struggling housing and auto sectors."

Bank of England cuts interest rates by 0.5 per cent
A quote...."The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee has been aggressively cutting the Bank Rate in recent months, from 5 per cent at the beginning of October to its current level of just 1 per cent. Some analysts have suggested that today’s cut will prove to be “pointless” and will fail to help lift Britain out of recession."