Wednesday October 21st 2009

How Did America Fall So Fast?
Must Read - A quote...."In 2000, America was described as the sole remaining superpower - or even the world's "hyperpower". Now we're in real trouble (at the very least, you have to admit that we're losing power and wealth in comparison with China). -- How did it happen so fast? --As everyone knows, the war in Iraq - which will end up costing $3-5 trillion dollars - was launched based upon false justifications.* Indeed, the government apparently planned both the Afghanistan war (see this and this) and the Iraq war before 9/11. --And the financial system collapsed last year due to looting and fraud." -- *link added by website editor

US Joins Ranks of Failed States - posted at ICH
Must Read - A quote...." The US government’s current operating budget is dependent on foreign financing and money creation. -- Too politically weak to be able to advance its interests through diplomacy, the US relies on terrorism and military aggression. [see article] -- Costs are out of control, and priorities are skewed in the interest of rich organized interest groups at the expense of the vast majority of citizens. For example, war at all cost, which enriches the armaments industry, the officer corps and the financial firms that handle the war’s financing, takes precedence over the needs of American citizens. There is no money to provide the uninsured with health care, but Pentagon officials have told the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in the House that every gallon of gasoline delivered to US troops in Afghanistan costs American taxpayers $400." -- For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror

Freedom Rider: Backwards with Obama
Special Note - Quote of the Day...."The world is better off when an American president is obtuse, vulgar, uninformed and openly offensive. When such a person is in the white house, humanity has the common sense to be fearful. When a man resembling Alfred E. Newman spouts nonsense about “evil doers” and boasts “You’re either with us or against us” all but the most foolish know they should be very wary. Now that an American president talks nice, quotes the Koran when speaking to Muslim audiences, and claims to want to engage the world, he is able to do much, much worse than his predecessor ever dreamed."

America's Phoney War in Afghanistan - posted at ICH
A quote...."October 21, 2009 "Information Clearing House" --  One of the most remarkable aspects of the Obama Presidential agenda is how little anyone has questioned in the media or elsewhere why at all the United States Pentagon is committed to a military occupation of Afghanistan. There are two basic reasons, neither one of which can be admitted openly to the public at large." -- Editor's Note: Despite what some readers may think regarding the author's contentions on the opium trade in Afghanistan, what this website editor can guarantee all of you is that the CIA's and the DoD's black-ops programs would NEVER pass up the opportunity presented to them by this massive river of untraceable cash.  We're talking about tens of billions of dollars here that could be used to fund hundreds of programs world wide, and given the CIA's penchant for loose and ready cash (Air America in Vietnam, the Iran-Contra crack-cocaine scandal are just two examples that come to mind.) it's hardly likely they'll restrain themselves this time around. – mpg

Afghanistan opium production reaches 6,900 tons
A quote...."Opium production rate has soared to 6,900 tons in Afghanistan in the past 10 years despite [or because of] the presence of 100,000 foreign troops in the country for nearly eight years. -- A report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said on Wednesday that Afghanistan produces 92 percent of the world's opium that has devastating global consequences." -- Keep in mind folks, during the Taliban's rule, opium production had been almost completedly eliminated in Afghanistan. However some of you may have heard stories implying the Taliban were recently getting most of their money from the opium trade to finance their military activities, it was of course another lie by this nation's thugocracy and their bought and paid for presstitute corp. It appears the Taliban were actually getting most of their money from "extortion" (the Taliban would call it, many would say justifiably so, the fees for "security services" and "tax levies" they charge foreigners to conduct business in the Taliban's own country) from several of the international occupation forces and foreign aid organizations in Afghanistan.  Whereas most of the drugs it appears are supposedly being grown by the northern warlords, Karzai's and the US-NRE's erstwhile allies. – mpg

New Afghan poll unlikely to be credible: analysts
A quote...."Afghanistan's presidential rivals are reigniting their campaigns for a second vote, but analysts question whether a new election can be credible as calls for a government of national unity persist.-- Many observers fear a second round run-off on November 7 will be plagued by the same problems of fraud, low-turnout and Taliban violence that hit the first round of voting two months ago."

Finland to withdraw soldiers from Afghan - link posted at ICH
A quote...."HELSINKI: Finland will next week bring home some 80 soldiers who were sent to Afghanistan in July as part of a NATO-led peacekeeping operation to oversee elections, the government said Wednesday. -- The troops were to help maintain peace during the August 20 presidential election, but will leave before the second round of voting is held on November 7." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Australia studying earliest possible troop withdrawal
A quote...."Defence Minister John Faulkner said Australia will seek a pull-out of its troops from Afghanistan in the "shortest time-frame", admitting the move would compromise a US push for military reinforcements in the war-torn country."

Pakistan Feels the American Raj - Article also posted at ICH
A quote...."The eight-year war in Afghanistan has now set Pakistan on fire. What began in 2001 as a supposedly limited American anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan has now become a spreading regional conflict. -- Pakistan's powerful army just launched a major ground and air offensive against rebellious Pashtun tribes in wild South Waziristan which Islamabad claims is the epicenter of the growing insurgency against the US-backed government of Asif Ali Zardari." -- also posted at Uruknet

Reports of indiscriminate bombing in South Waziristan
A quote...."The first five days of the Pakistani offensive against Taliban and Mehsud tribe militants in the agency of South Waziristan have produced minimal military gains and a rapidly developing humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands of terrified civilians flee the fighting." -- also posted at Uruknet

New US Drone Strike Complicates Pakistan Battle
A quote...."An apparent US drone strike along the border between Pakistan’s North and South Waziristan Agencies has left at least 12 dead, including several children. A “Taliban leader” named Abu Musa al-Misri was reported slain in the strike, but rebels were quick to note that he was also reported slain in two other recent US drone strikes in the same area." -- also posted at AltheoNews

US Commander in Iraq Warns of Threat to Pull Out... of Withdrawal
Haaaaa Haaaaaa Haaaaa, FORGET the excuses folks, they'll ALWAYS make excuses, it was pointed out by at least ten thousand blogs years ago when Iraq's SOFA was first proposed that the most likely excuse given out in the future by the world's newest Roman Centurians in an effort to keep US-NRE force amounts near their current levels would be "continuing violence".  Let's go down memory lane shall we folks?  The US-NRE has for the last thirty years, in conjunction with the Saudi Royals and Britain, supported almost every single Wahabbist, Salafist, Jihadist "terrorist" group out there, (and still supports dozens to this day) it also deliberately smashed Iraq during its invasion in an effort to reconstitute the country according to the dictates of our wealthy elites, it than supported and encouraged a vicious sectarian civil war when its "shock and awe" policies proved to be less than effective at subduing the Iraqis.  The US-NRE has for quite some time even contemplated splitting the country into three parts to make it easier to "manage".  Now of course due to eight long years of US-NRE induced mayhem and murder the commander essentially states we can't withdraw because of all the....mayhem and murder. This sort of thinking has several names, such as a self-reinforcing delusion, a circular tautology or a self-fulfilling prophecy.  It’s also know in military circles as the “self-licking ice cream cone”. - mpg - also posted at WarInIraq

The US Massacre at Al-Sukkariya -- Attack on Syria Cover Up - Alt - (RN-YuTb 10m51s 10/21/09) @ ICH
Real News Video - A quote...."Erlich: The US massacre at Al-Sukkariya, Syria in 2008 was a clear violation of international law. -- Reese Erlich is a best-selling book author and freelance journalist who writes regularly for the Dallas Morning News, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Radio and National Public Radio. He has won numerous journalism awards, including the prestigious Peabody (shared with others). -- Note: Erlich and Coyote’s full article will be available on Vanityfair.com October 22, 2009"

Iran: No US 'prevarication' accepted
A quote...."Iranian Parliament Speaker, Ali Larijani, has said the link between the US and the Jundullah terrorist group cannot be dispelled by any amount of 'prevarication'."

Yemeni fighters capture key government positions - link posted at ICH
A quote...."As Yemen's military offensive against Houthi fighters in the north enters its tenth week, Shia fighters say they have seized a number of key government positions in Saada province."

Geo-Strategic Chessboard: War Between India and China?
Geo-Political Analysis -- A quote...."Since 1947, India has not fully pledged itself to any camp or global pole during the Cold War and as a result was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (N.A.M.). Since the post-Cold War era that position has eroded. New Delhi has been gradually moving away from its traditional position, relationships, and policies in the international arena for over a decade. -- India has been vied for as an ally in the “Great Game” that is underway, once again. This round of the “Great Game” is, however, being played under a far broader spectrum than the one played between Britain and Czarist Russia. In question is the Indian power relationship with two geo-political entities: the first is the “Periphery” and the second is “Eurasia.”

Japan snubs US pressure on base pact
A quote...."Tokyo is resisting Washington's pressure for accepting a military agreement between the two nations over the presence of US forces in the Asian country. -- "I don't think we will act simply by accepting what the US tells us, just because the US is saying this, in such a short period of time," Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said Thursday."

US after new military ventures in Africa
A quote...."The United States is taking its military venture in Africa to new levels amid suspicions that Washington could be advancing yet another hidden agenda." -- For more on this issue see....Africa - the Next Target - 02-28-08 - mpg

A Postal Strike In Britain Is The War At Home - posted at ICH
A quote...."October 21, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- -The postal workers’ struggle is as vital for democracy as any national event in recent years. The campaign against them is part of a historic shift from the last vestiges of political democracy in Britain to a corporate world of insecurity and war. If the privateers running the Post Office are allowed to win, the regression that now touches all lives bar the wealthy will quicken its pace. A third of British children now live in low-income or impoverished families. One in five young people is denied hope of a decent job or education."
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Pentagon used psychological operation on US public, documents show
Must Read - A Raw Story Investigation -- A quote...."A months-long review of documents and interviews with Pentagon personnel has revealed that the Bush Administration's military analyst program -- aimed at selling the Iraq war to the American people -- operated through a secretive collaboration between the Defense Department's press and community relations offices. -- Raw Story has also uncovered evidence that directly ties the activities undertaken in the military analyst program to an official US military document’s definition of psychological operations -- propaganda that is only supposed to be directed toward foreign audiences." -- also posted at Uruknet & OhBummer & CommonDreams

Judge rules FBI can continue to gag recipient of National Security Letter
A quote...."A federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the government can continue to gag an internet servicer provider who received a National Security Letter from the FBI -- five years ago."

Judge tosses lawsuits against Blackwater, now Xe
A quote...."A federal judge on Wednesday tossed out a series of lawsuits filed by alleged Iraqi victims of the contractor once known as Blackwater USA, but is allowing the plaintiffs to refile their claims."

Diaries Recounting Zubaydah's Torture Should Be Given to Defense Attorneys, Judge Rules
A quote...."Guantanamo detainee Abu Zubaydah is expected to finally gain access to diaries he wrote during the years while he was being tortured by CIA interrogators. A federal court judge has ordered the government to turn over unredacted volumes of the diaries and other "specified" writings to defense attorneys representing Zubaydah." -- also posted at Uruknet

Lithuanian President Announces Investigation into CIA Secret Prison
A quote...."The president of Lithuania called for an official investigation Tuesday into an ABC News.com exclusive report in August that the CIA housed a secret prison for al Qaeda suspects in Lithuania for more than a year beginning in 2004."

Secret files reveal covert network run by [British] nuclear police
A quote...."The nuclear industry funds the special armed police force which guards its installations across the UK, and secret documents, seen by the Guardian, show the 750-strong force is authorised to carry out covert intelligence operations against anti-nuclear protesters, one of its main targets." - bold by website editor

British nuclear expert falls 120ft to his death in Vienna
A quote...."The 47-year-old man, who has not been named, died after falling more than 120ft to the bottom of a stairwell. -- He worked for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, an international agency charged with uncovering illicit nuclear tests."

Israel refuses to comment on receiving US classified information
A quote...."The arrest of US scientist Stewart David Nozette on espionage charges has rendered Israel silent. -- Israeli officials have declined to comment on the arrest of Mr Nozette, who has been accused in the US of passing classified information to agents he believed were working for the Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Goldstone dares US on Gaza report
A quote...."Richard Goldstone, the jurist who authored a UN report accusing Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity during its war on Gaza, has challenged the US to justify its claims that his findings are flawed and biased."

A war crime whitewash - link posted at ICH
A quote...."I recently met a leading representative of the foreign ministry of Israel who acknowledged to me "off the record" that Israel had made a tremendous blunder in refusing to cooperate with the UN Commission led by Judge Richard Goldstone, which investigated the charges of Israeli and Palestinian war crimes in the invasion of Gaza last December and January. Judge Goldstone, an internationally respected jurist whose Zionist credentials include being a member of the governing board of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, wanted to hear Israel's account of what happened, but Israel blocked that inquiry so Goldstone could only report what the victims of Israel's attacks sought to convey." -- For more on this issue see....Gaza Invasion of 12/27/08

State won't prosecute officers filmed beating Palestinians - link posted at ICH
A quote...."Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan rejected an appeal against the decision not to investigate Border Police officers who documented themselves abusing Palestinians. - The appeal was filed by the Yesh Din human rights group." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Another breach in Israel's wall of impunity
A quote...."The Goldstone report into war crimes during Israel's massacres in Gaza last winter finally managed to cross its first major procedural hurdle as the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva (HRC) passed a resolution endorsing it on 16 October. The resolution called on "all concerned parties including United Nations bodies" to implement the report's recommendations -- which include trying Israeli leaders in international courts if Israel fails to do so -- and forwarding the report to the General Assembly for further action." -- also posted at Uruknet

Israeli tanks invaded southern Gaza areas, fighters respond
A quote...."A number of Israeli tanks invaded on Wednesday midday areas in Rafah city in southern Gaza, Palestinian fighters clashed with the invading force."
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Obamacare Targets Entitlements
A quote...."Meeting with the Washington Post's editorial staff on January 16, President-elect Obama pledged to reform entitlements saying the process would begin straightaway by convening a "fiscal responsibility summit" before delivering his first budget to Congress." - also posted at OhBummer -- Gawd DANG!!  Those ObamaTrolls are so S-T-U-P-I-D!!   WHY did they vote for him?!?! - mpg

Uncomfortable Arithmetic -- Pensions: the Next Casualty of Wall Street - Article also posted at ICH
A quote...."Nobody wants to admit it, but the next casualty of the Wall Street meltdown will probably be your golden years. For years corporations have been trying to choke the life out of traditional pensions, working hard to get out from under the risk—and the cost—of providing for their retirees. Between last year’s credit crunch and changes to federal pension laws, they may get their wish. -- Nearly $4 trillion worth of retirement savings were wiped out in the first weeks of the 2008 financial freefall. Half of the drop was concentrated in traditional pension plans, also known as defined-benefit plans. While most workers in these plans haven’t had their monthly benefits cut, unlike the 46 million people riding the stock market with 401(k) defined-contribution plans, the storm clouds are gathering."

Public must learn to 'tolerate the inequality' of bonuses, says Goldman Sachs vice-chairman
A quote...."In remarks that will fuel the row around excessive pay, Lord Griffiths, vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs International and a former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, said banks should not be ashamed of rewarding their staff." -- That's real nice, but how about that US-NRE tax-payer funded twenty four trillion dollars in back-stops, guarantees and bail-outs?  How about that? How quickly the wealthy (now a lot wealthier) forget, hand them twenty four trillion and the next day it's "you have to tolerate the fact that we have your money and you don't."  But he's got a point, people in this country voted for the politicians that gave them all that money, and they got exactly the government they voted for.  Next time around they might want to think about saving themselves twenty four trillion tax payer dollars and vote for someone other than a DemoRepub.  – mpg -- For more on this issue see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

7 Months After Stimulus 49 of 50 States Have Lost Jobs
Table - A quote...."The table below compares the White House's February 2009 projection of the number of jobs that would be created by the 2009 stimulus law (through the end of 2010) with the actual change in state payroll employment through September 2009 (the latest figures available).  According to the data, 49 States and the District of Columbia have lost jobs since stimulus was enacted.  Only North Dakota has seen net job creation following the February 2009 stimulus."

Zooming In on the Year’s Biggest Hoax - Article also posted at ICH
A quote...."Who are these people? I am not referring to the pathetic parents of “Balloon Boy,” whose fake drama I have been unable to escape while on the treadmill this week, thanks to my gym’s insistence on tuning its flat-screen TVs to Wolf Blitzer’s nonstop self-parody."

Oil prices rise to one-year peak of 82 dollars
A quote...."Oil prices have spiked to a one-year peak of 82 dollars amid plunging US gasoline reserves and the weakening dollar."

Hoyer Says Constitution’s ‘General Welfare’ Clause Empowers Congress to Order Americans to Buy Health Insurance -- A quote...."(CNSNews.com) – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that the individual health insurance mandates included in every health reform bill, which require Americans to have insurance, were “like paying taxes.” He added that Congress has “broad authority” to force Americans to purchase other things as well, so long as it was trying to promote “the general welfare.” -- Where are the "Tea-Baggers" when you need them? - mpg

Top French Official: U.S. Trying to Inflate Its Way Out of Debt
Full quote...."A top advisor to French President Nicolas Sarkozy - Henri Guaino - said on Tuesday that hat the United States was "flooding the world with liquidity" to try to inflate away its debt. -- but as UBS economist Paul Donovan, prominent economist Michael Hudson and others have shown, it is a myth that governments can inflate their way out of debt traps. -- As I have previously noted, trying to inflate our way out of debt is like a monkey trying to outrun a lion."

Dollar Hits 14 Month Low Versus The Euro
A quote...."The euro broke through $1.50 against the dollar for the first time in 14 months Wednesday as a recovering stock market further sapped the U.S. currency's appeal as a safe-haven investment."

China's GDP exceeds goals in 3Q
A quote...."China's economic recovery has accelerated in the third quarter of 2009, reaching 8.9 percent, as most sectors of the economy have performed strongly."

Tuesday October 20th 2009

'War on Terror' II
Must Read - A quote...."We know the rules by now, the strange conventions and stilted Kabuki scripts that govern our cartoon facsimile of a national security debate. The Obama administration makes vague, reassuring noises about constraining executive power and protecting civil liberties, but then merrily adopts whatever appalling policy George W. Bush put in place. Conservatives hit the panic button on the right-wing noise machine anyway, keeping the delicate ecosystem in balance by creating the false impression that something has changed. We've watched the formula play out with Guantánamo Bay, torture prosecutions and the invocation of "state secrets." We appear to be on the verge of doing the same with national security surveillance."

Cashing in the War Dividend - The Joys of Perpetual War
Must Read - A quote...."So you thought the Pentagon was already big enough? Well, what do you know, especially with the price of the American military slated to grow by at least 25% over the next decade? -- Forget about the butter. It's bad for you anyway. And sheer military power, as well as the money behind it, assures the country of a thick waistline without the cholesterol. So, let's sing the praises of perpetual war. We better, since right now every forecast in sight tells us that it's our future. -- The tired peace dividend tug boat left the harbor two decades ago, dragging with it laughable hopes for universal health care and decent public education. Now, the mighty USS War Dividend is preparing to set sail. The economic weather reports may be lousy and the seas choppy, but one thing is guaranteed: that won't stop it." -- also posted at Uruknet

Obama is Only Making It Worse -- Farce in Kabul, Tragedy in Pakistan - Article also posted at ICH
Must Read - A quote...."A few weeks ago the UN headman in Kabul, a woodenheaded Norwegian, decided that the recent Presidential elections were fine and Karzai was a legitimate ruler. His deputy, Peter Galbraith, the unofficial representative of the State Department, was enraged (since the US are unhappy with Karzai who is their own creature) and went public. He was fired. -- But stories involving US reps and the UN never end like this. Yesterday the UN-supported electoral watchdog ruled that the elections had been fraudulent and ordered a new round. The Hindu Kush mountains must have resounded to the sound of Pashtun laughter." -- also posted at Uruknet
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Obama Nobel Peace Laureate by ~Latuff2
Cartoon - Click on the image to enlarge. - mpg

Obama wins Nobel PEACE Prize by ~Latuff2
Cartoon - Click on the image to enlarge. - mpg

'You're a terrorist': Tony Blair taunted by young Palestinian in West Bank mosque - link posted at ICH
A quote...."Tony Blair had to be rescued by bodyguards as he visited a West Bank mosque yesterday when a Palestinian man approached him shouting: 'You are a terrorist!' -- The security breach occurred as the former prime minister was visiting an ancient mosque during an official trip to the city of Hebron. -- The protester, a local man carrying a bag who was praying when Mr Blair and his entourage entered, was backed into a corner by guards who tried to shut him up."

A Limited, Modified Pullout From Afghanistan -- Et Tu, CodePink?
Special Note - This is perhaps one of the most corrupt countries in the world.  And this website editor doesn't mean corruption in regards to just matters of money, but in regards to truth, decency, to moral commitment, to consistency in values, to one's internal moral compass, to one’s willingness not to bend or flex oneself every single time a person see's personal, political or economic advantage in doing so. Let's be clear about this, there are many countries who are at times more blatantly savage, brutal, primitive, oppressive and corrupt on an individual level than this one, but this Empire has elevated subtle and overt corruption of the person, corruption of their internal moral structure, and that structure’s degradation, perversion, assimilation and eventual obliteration....to a fine art form.  Many institutions practice such tactics as a matter of policy.  Many people in this country appear to enjoy it.....tens of millions of them. It's something to think about.  – mpg -- A quote...."Eight years into the war on Afghanistan -- and with no end in sight -- seems a peculiar time for antiwar activists to claim that U.S. forces need to stay there even longer for the sake of the Afghan people. -- Yet Yifat Susskind, Communications Director for the human rights organization MADRE, recently argued on CommonDreams.org, "’Bring the Troops Home’ is a bumper sticker, not a policy.”She continued, “For MADRE, U.S. obligations stem from the fact that Afghanistan's poverty, violence against women, and political corruption are, in part, results of U.S. policy over the past 30 years.” -- also posted at Uruknet & OhBummer

Update: Pentagon gives 3,500 Iowa troops orders to Afghanistan
Way to go Code Pink....good job! With "peace" orgainizations like you around, who needs the Pentagon! - mpg -- A quote...."About 3,500 Iowa National Guard soldiers from 31 communities are scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan later next year for a deployment that will touch families, employers and many other people statewide, military officials said today."

Afghan run-off is a chilling prospect - link posted at ICH
A quote...."Like Napoleon advancing on Moscow, western proponents of Afghanistan's second post-9/11 presidential election face a new and forbidding enemy. This foe fields no regiments of guards, no jihadi skirmishers; he possesses no cannon or improvised explosive devices; he has but one strategy: chaos. The Russians called this enemy "General Winter". And to his assault, Napoleon famously succumbed."
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Refugee flood reveals human cost of South Waziristan's invisible war
A quote...."The war in South Waziristan started early for Ghufran. As Pakistani warplanes pounded the Taliban stronghold of Ladha last week, in preparation for the ground offensive now under way, the 11-year-old boy and his family scrambled to safety across a range of jagged mountains. -- They left behind a broken home, destroyed by the air force, but also something much more precious. Ghufran said his father stayed on to guard the family's worldly wealth: four goats, three sheep and a donkey. "I miss him already. I wish he came with us," the schoolboy said, a shadow falling across his face."

Civilians Killed in Pakistan Offensive - posted at ICH
A quote...."October 20, 2009 "Al Jazeera" -- The pictures are too gruesome to show. The charred bodies lie under a makeshift shroud. Someone near the camera holds up an identity card - giving one corpse a name, a history, a dignity that's now been stolen. -- Nearby, the covered body of a child, no more than five or six. A victim of a battle the child didn't know even existed. In this place, at least four people have been killed. The figure could be higher. The army knows how many men it's lost. Every day it gives new figures for the number of Taliban it claims it's killed. But no-one seems to know how many innocent civilians are being killed in this conflict."

Taliban offer stiff resistance in Kotkai
A quote...."WANA/PESHAWAR: Fierce fighting was reported from the Kotkai area where the Taliban were offering stiff resistance to the advancing troops on the fourth day of the operation Rah-e-Nijat on Tuesday."

Taliban retakes town as Pakistan offensive runs into trouble
A quote...."DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Taliban guerrillas recaptured the birthplace of the Pakistani Taliban leader from the Pakistani army Tuesday, inflicting the heaviest military losses so far in Pakistan's high-stakes offensive in South Waziristan, a refuge for Pakistani extremists, Afghan insurgents and al Qaida."
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Big companies getting closer to big Iraq oil fields
A quote...."ISTANBUL – A half dozen major international oil companies are close to deals with Iraq, on the heels of BP and the Chinese National Petroleum Corp., which are one step away from receiving the first new oil contract issued by Baghdad – for the largest oil field in the country." -- also posted at Uruknet

Iraq lawmakers warn next govt may alter oil deals
Special Note - Related Article - A quote...."BAGHDAD (Reuters) - International oil companies signing deals with Iraq are taking a big risk as the next government, to be elected in January, may revise or cancel those contracts, senior lawmakers said on Monday."

Hezbollah: Israel installed spy devices after 2006 war
A quote...."BEIRUT - Hezbollah on Monday said Israel installed spying devices, destroyed at the weekend in southern Lebanon, following the 2006 Israeli war on the south Labanon. -- "The Islamic Resistance (Hezbollah) has discovered a spying device installed by the Israeli enemy on a cable between the villages of Mays and Jebel after the 2006 war," the Lebanese militant faction said in a statement." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Syria's Golan Heights: Can International law forestall a Golanian intifada?
A quote...."Nationals from nearly one-third of the 192 member states of the United Nations met in Damascus last week to discuss the Return/Liberation of the Golan Heights. An estimated 5000 researchers, Lawyers, politicians, activists, victims of Israel’s 42 years of occupation, students and members of the public, attended the opening event in Qunaitra, the Golan capital city, which in a frenzy of frustration at being forced to return the city it had occupied since 1967 (Comment: think Gaza 2005), the Israeli ordered bulldozed, shelled, and booby trapped by its retreating forces as Qunaitra was surrendered to Syria."
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The Jundullah Attack Against Iran of October 19th 2009....

Saudi-Iranian hostility hits boiling point
Must Read - A quote...."Conventional wisdom suggests that the terrorist strike by Jundallah in southeastern Iran on Sunday might have had the backing of the United States or Britain. But Jundallah today holds "fatal" attraction for a number of foreign powers that are interested in disorienting Iran's policies." - also posted at WarInIraq -- For more regarding this issue see....The CONversation - 09-04-06 - mpg

“Al Qaeda is CIA Arab legion”
A quote...."“Al Qaeda is a kind of CIA Arab legion created during the Soviet presence in Afghanistan,” believes author Webster Tarpley. -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused the West of being behind the bombings which killed leaders of the Revolutionary Guard. Many people say the allegations are shocking." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Pakistan's intelligence agencies involved in terrorism in Baluchistan: Iran's national security minister - link @ ICH
A quote...."The Iranian National Security Minister said the Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI) is involved in the act of terror in the Iranian Baluchistan province on Oct. 18."

Iran warns Pakistan over hosting terrorists: Minister - link posted at ICH
A quote...."TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) - Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi warned the Pakistani government on Tuesday over hosting Jundallah terrorists, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. -- Moslehi warned the Pakistani government against its present approach towards the terrorist group of Jundallah which has claimed responsibility for the recent deadly attack in southeastern Iran, the report said."

Iran arrests three over bomb blast - link posted at ICH
A quote...."Three Iranians have been arrested in connection to Sunday's suicide bombing attack in the country's southeast that killed at least 42 people, authorities say."

UN Security Council condemns terrorist attack in Iran
A quote...."The UN Security Council has condemned a recent terrorist attack in southeast Iran that killed at least 41 people, including some senior military commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps."

For more on the articles shown above see....US Support of Terror- MEK-PKK-Others
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China's navy sails past India's dock
A quote...."India learned to live with Chinese merchant ships in the Indian Ocean region long ago, and even the Chinese vessel seized by pirates this week was bound for India from South Africa. And yet, India is taking stock of the presence of Chinese naval vessels in the Indian Ocean region. This development will constitute a major headache for India as it unfolds - something altogether new and unsettling."

Beijing takes on Latin America
A quote...."Since 2008, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has moved forward with a series of large aid and investment deals, indicating that the PRC is raising its stake in Latin America to a new level [1]. -- The impact of China's expanding commitment in Latin America extends far beyond the PRC's immediate goals of securing access to Latin American markets and reliable sources of primary products at favorable prices. The implications of this trend can be understood in terms of four overlapping effects...."

Russian president concludes historic visit to Serbia
A quote...."BELGRADE, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev concluded his short visit to Serbia on Tuesday evening, which was described by Serbian parliament speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic as a historic one."

Yanukovych leads polls ahead of Ukraine's presidential election
A quote...."KIEV, October 12 (RIA Novosti) - The leader of the opposition Party of Regions is leading public opinion polls in Ukraine ahead of presidential election scheduled for January 17, 2010, the UNIAN news agency reported on Monday."

Peru Will Hold Torturers Accountable: Why Can't the U.S. Do the Same?
A quote...."The door will be left open for future abuses as long as the U.S. skirts the issue." -- also posted at Uruknet

GUATEMALA:  Town that Suffered Military Terror Fights Reopening of Base
A quote...."GUATEMALA CITY, Oct 20 (IPS) - People in the town of Ixcán in northwestern Guatemala could relive the pain of the country's 36-year civil war if the army reopens a military base in the area, where more than 100 massacres of indigenous villagers were committed during the armed conflict."

Cuba, Vietnam to boost bilateral trade
A quote...."Both sides stressed the "infinite" trade potential to be tapped between the two countries, while revealing that the total bilateral trade volume had exceeded 490 million U.S. dollars in the first half of this year."

Venezuela Certifies Natural Gas Reserve, Discovers Coltan Reserve
A quote...."Mérida, October 16th 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) - Venezuela certified its largest reserve of natural gas this week and announced the discovery of new deposits of coltan, a key mineral for electronics manufacturing."

The steady stream of lies about Venezuela
A quote...."As Eva Golinger points out in her books, the constant stream of lies about Venezuela and its popular President Hugo Chavez are best seen as the leading edge of an integrated strategy of destabilisation and ‘regime change’ for the socialist-oriented, oil-rich nation."
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"Balloon Boy" hoax teaches a lesson to many in U.S.
Must Read - More on the US-NRE's mass-infotainment system.  They say you are what you eat, well your mind is what you watch and read....which may explain a lot about the people in this country. - mpg -- A quote...."LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) - The "Balloon Boy" coverage last Thursday attracted nationwide attention in the U.S., but when the whole thing turned out to be a hoax, a lesson should be learned not only by the boy's parents, but also by the media, the readers, audience and many more."

Exclusive: U.S. Spies Buy Stake in Firm That Monitors Blogs, Tweets - Article also posted at ICH
A quote...."America’s spy agencies want to read your blog posts, keep track of your Twitter updates — even check out your book reviews on Amazon. -- In-Q-Tel, the investment arm of the CIA and the wider intelligence community, is putting cash into Visible Technologies, a software firm that specializes in monitoring social media. It’s part of a larger movement within the spy services to get better at using ”open source intelligence” -- also posted at DProgram & PrisonPlanet

Ex-CIA Chief James Woolsey handed down gag-order to 9/11 Firefighters
Special Note - A quote...."This tale begins during and shortly after 9/11/2001, when a writer named Randy Lavello published a story at Prison Planet, Bombs in the Building: World Trade Center ‘Conspiracy Theory’ is a Conspiracy Fact. Among the many tales in this article, a number of which were picked up in Mike Rivero’s web site, what really happened, is a conversation between Lavello and Lieutenant Fireman and former Auxiliary Police Officer, Paul Isaac Jr. It’s a head-spinner…" -- also posted at DProgram -- For more on this issue see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central

Alienated & Radicalized
Special Note - Other than Pat's take on the Mexicans, (this website editor can't figure out why he dislikes them so much, after all, they work harder, cheaper and actually produce more than ANYBODY on Wall Street)  this is a pretty good article. - mpg -- A quote...."In the brief age of Obama, we have had “truthers,” “birthers,” Tea Party activists and town-hall dissenters. -- Comes now, the “Oath Keepers.” And who might they be? -- Writes Alan Maimon in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Oath Keepers, depending on where one stands, are “either strident defenders of liberty or dangerous peddlers of paranoia.” -- also posted at the AmericanConservative
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Time and again, US backs Israel - Article also posted at ICH
Must Read - A quote...."Imagine that heavily-armed neighbourhood thieves break into your house, steal your property and shoot a family member. Naturally, you would call law enforcement. You know the names of the criminals and expect the police to arrest them. But what if the police hear the murderers' names, look embarrassed, shrug their shoulders, say ‘sorry, can't help you,' and simply walk away? -- Imagine that you complain to the chief of police, who is sympathetic at first, but quickly shoos you away when you told him who the perpetrators are. Imagine that the courts, government and international bodies were all determined to protect your attackers even if this meant throwing you to the wolves. You would think the world had gone howling mad, wouldn't you?"

The First Step - Israel Into The Dock - posted at ICH
A quote...."October 20, 2009  -- The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution based on the Goldstone Report is a damning condemnation of Israel. The original meaning of being "caught red-handed" was literally being "caught bloody-handed," with the victim's blood on one's own hands. In Gaza, Israel has been caught red-handed in that literal sense, and for the first time in its history, is approaching the dock in the international court of opinion and, hopefully, of justice as well. -- This case could be a watershed event. For Israel and its US Government (USG) puppet-patron, the moment of truth in the UN is rapidly approaching. So let us look at the key elements of the HRC special session that sent this resolution to the UN General Assembly (UNGA)."

Tide is turning against Israel - Article also posted at ICH
A quote...."Now even the United Nations Human Rights Council is “anti-Semitic.” Well, that’s the view of Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is outraged that the body rubber-stamped the Goldstone Report on war crimes committed in Gaza. Some years ago, that accusation would have had enormous shock-value, whereas, nowadays, the label has been so propagandized the only thing it elicits is a yawn."

Israel pulls textbook with chapter on Nakba
Censorship Alert - A quote...."The Ministry of Education has taken the unusual step of collecting all copies of the history textbook, Nationalism: Building a State in the Middle East which was published about two months ago by the Zalman Shazar Center. They will be returned to the shelves only after corrections are made to the text, particularly with reference to the War of Independence." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Israeli forces step-up campaign against Jerusalemite leaders
A quote...."Bethlehem – Ma’an – Two Jerusalem leaders were harassed and interrogated by Israeli forces Tuesday, marking a steep increase in targeted detentions and raids of organizers involved in the Al-Aqsa Mosque sit-ins and demonstrations during the Jewish holidays earlier this month." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Settlers attack Palestinian family in Sheikh Jarrah, injure seven
A quote...."The settlers who have recently occupied the house of the Gawi family, forcefully evicted from their home in Sheikh Jarrah on 2 August 2009, launched an attack today on the Palestinians camping outside. According to local sources, seven Palestinians were injured and four arrested." -- also posted at Uruknet

Israel to raze 150 Palestinian homes
A quote...."Israel has announced plans to demolish 150 Palestinian homes in the mostly Arab east Jerusalem Al-Quds in a move that would displace more than 1,000 Palestinians."

PA: Settlers torch olive groves near Nablus
A quote...."Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli settlers set fire to 10 dunums of land in a Palestinian village near the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday evening, according to a Palestinian Authority official." -- also posted at Uruknet

Palestinian Olives
Special Note - A quote...."(NEW HAVEN, Ct.) - My mother says I should have worn long sleeves for the Palestinian olive trees sometimes do not want to part with their fruits without a bit of resistance. But somehow I feel the few minor scratches are a badge of honor and the least I owe our beloved trees."

Believing in the nonviolent struggle
Must Read - A quote...."My name is Ahmed A. Khatib, I am 32 years old, and married with four children. I live in the village of Bilin, where I work on our family's farm. -- When Israel started building the wall here in 2005, I was working with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades military, the armed wing of the Fatah party. But at first, the villagers went to our land not to "resist," but simply to see what the Israeli soldiers were doing. There was no planning, no such things as "demonstrations," and no organization. We were just curious as to why these strangers were stealing our olive groves. So, in effect, our popular struggle was initiated through ordinary people walking to their land." -- also posted at ISM
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

HONDURAS:  Zelaya's Delegates Urge OAS to Unblock Talks
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA, Oct 20 (IPS) - The talks in Honduras have stalled over the question of reinstating ousted President Manuel Zelaya, whose delegates have called on the Organisation of American States (OAS) to take steps to keep the negotiations from failing."
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2009 US economy: largest transfer of wealth to financial/political elite in global history
Must Read - A quote...."Political “leadership” of the two oligarchy parties spin their economic policy as being for the public benefit. Professional economists increasingly cast economic policy in unprecedented harsh criticism, even calling for public demonstrations against what they claim as gross violations of financial law. Let’s consider current facts of high importance:" -- also posted at DProgram

Gloating with Wall Street's goodfellas
Must Read - A quote...."Let's say that living on your block is a friendly, easygoing, always ready to lend a hand to a guy in trouble fellow we'll call Mr Tarp. In September of last year, another neighbor, we'll call him Mr Bank, came to him with a tale of woe. -- Ah, it had been hard times for Mr Bank. Speculating in wild, hare-brained financial schemes had left him destitute and on the brink of eviction and ruination. A little assistance, a few bucks, would help a lot. -- Mr Tarp is such a soft touch that nobody was surprised when he opened his wallet. Mr Tarp, however, was more than surprised to find out that Mr Bank had not used said largesse to pull himself up by his bootstraps, rather he had used it for the acquisition of champagne and prophylactics to be used in the bedding of Mr Tarp's wife." -- So THAT'S who Obama is....Mr. Tarp's wife! - mpg

As unemployment and poverty rise -- Obama turns to the financial elite for campaign cash - & a whore too! - mpg
Hey!  How are all ol'you ObamaTrolls doing out there in La La Land?  Still dreaming your dreams of "hope" & "change"?  Well, just keep on dreaming folks, cause that's all your gonna get, a bunch of no account dreams. - mpg -- A quote...."Under conditions of growing unemployment and deepening social misery for working people throughout the US, President Barack Obama flew into New York City Tuesday to raise millions of dollars in campaign donations from America’s financial elite. -- He was expected to clear at least $3 million, largely from a Manhattan bash with an entry fee of $30,400 per couple—the maximum contribution allowed by law."

Americans, their smiley-face facade, and reality - Article also posted at ICH
A quote...."Whenever I think of the smiley-face icon, I think of Wal-Mart because of its once-ubiquitous ad campaign. And when I think of Wal-Mart, I think of crappy wages and insecure employees who probably live paycheck to paycheck. That metaphor -- the happy face fronting a world of worry -- is the subject of a new book,  Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America , by social commentator Barbara Ehrenreich."

Countries with the Biggest Gaps Between Rich and Poor
Database - A quote...."The U.N. Development Program recently came out with a report looking, among other things, at income inequality worldwide. -- The UNDP ranked countries and regions based on a number of factors, including their Gini coefficient, named for Italian statistician Corrado Gini. -- We have listed the world's most advanced economies based on their Gini score, with zero marking absolute equality and 100 absolute inequality. Scandinavian countries, Japan, and the Czech Republic have the least amount of inequality. The U.S. is among the most unequal, but it's not No. 1. To see which economy is, read on."

Wake Up Washington! China Is Already Dumping the Dollar, Niall Ferguson Says
A quote...."The idea they don't have anywhere else to go or would shoot themselves in the foot if there were a steep decline in the dollar or appreciation of their currency reassures many people in Washington ‘we can relax'," he says. "An appreciation of the renminbi may reduce value of their international reserves but increases the value of every other asset the Chinese own," most notably the commodity assets they have been buying all over the world. -- China's "current strategy is to diversify out of dollars and into commodities," Ferguson says. Furthermore, China's recent pact with Brazil to conduct trade in their local currencies is a "sign of the times."

Fitch Expects CMBS Loss Severity To Rise Markedly Next Year
A quote...."The take home message here is that what is relevant for CMBS is just as relevant for all leveraged loans: the temporary reprieves granted to many leveraged securities will come back to bite investors when defaults eventually pick up again, however with the result being loss rates which will be much higher than default expectations. Frequent Zero Hedge readers will recall CDS auctions from the beginning of the year when many companies would achieve single digit recoveries. The repeat of that phenomenon is only a matter of time as underlying cash flows and asset bases become exhausted. In the meantime, the delay mentality has gripped every asset class. How long, however, can delays persist in an environment of declining cash flows is an open question, and the unpleasant answer to investors is "not much." And when the double whammy of marginal recoveries once again sets in, look for a major correction across all credit markets."

[US] Producer prices fall 0.6% in Sept
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Wholesale prices fell a larger-than-expected 0.6% in September after seasonable adjustments, with energy prices falling 2.4%, the Labor Department reported Tuesday."

Japan to Sell More Bonds as Tax Revenues Dwindle
Oh Yeah, like they got money to invest in US-NRE bonds, sure they do....mpg -- A quote...."Japan’s finance minister Hirohisa Fujii said Tuesday that plummeting tax receipts will likely force the government to sell more new debt in the ongoing fiscal year to make ends meet."

[British] Bank[st]ers set to pocket £6bn as bonuses soar by 50%
A quote...."CITY financiers will together pocket New Year bonuses of more than £6 billion – 50 per cent more than a year ago – as the rest of the country faces growing unemployment and public-service cutbacks, according to research published today."

Monday October 19th 2009

Bombing the Moon; NASA briefing on mission to crash rocket into moon
Is this part of a weapons test?? - mpg - A quote...."Early on Friday, a rocket is scheduled to slam into a crater near the moon's south pole - all in the name of discovery. By slamming an object into the surface of the moon, NASA scientists want to literally "kick up the dust" of the lunar surface in order to analyse material blasted into the lunar atmosphere." -- For more on this issue see....Kinetic bombardment & Rods From God & Possible Space Weapons  -- posted 10-10-09

"The analysis shows that between 2000 and mid-2007, the major European banking systems built up long US dollar positions vis-à-vis non-banks and funded them by interbank borrowing, borrowing from central banks and FX swaps. We argue that this greater transformation across counterparties in fact reflected greater maturity transformation across these banks’ balance sheets, exposing them to considerable funding risk. When heightened credit risk compromised sources of short-term funding during the crisis, the chronic US dollar funding needs became acute, particularly in the wake of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy."

"We are now back at a time when the only gains in the stock market are at the expense of dollar destruction, with a concomitant funding for dollar denominated assets. In one short year since the collapse of Lehman we have gone back to the same dollar funding risk exposure as was on the books in these days before Dick Fuld's empire unraveled. While whether or not the Federal Reserve stepped beyond its bounds in practically bailing out not just Goldman Sachs, but as this paper has proven, virtually the entire world, is not up to us to decide. However, a critical topic is have we learned anything from the implications of an unprecedented dollar funding gap, which is likely back to record levels once again."

Sunday October 18th 2009

SEVEN YEARS AGO
Must Read - A quote...."Seven years can seem like an eternity for some countries, while in others, it depicts a time of slow change with little difference other than the increase in the numbers of cell phones and faster computers for the consumer. Iraq belongs in the first category. -- Seven years ago, despite still being under an embargo, Iraq was a unified and productive country. In fact, during the embargo years, the Iraqis devised methods of manufacturing using only Iraqi materials and the economy was beginning to grow. The effects of the embargo were being decreased. This upset the U.S. immensely and prompted them to accelerate their plans to invade Iraq. -- Seven years ago, Iraq was inhabited by Iraqis. Today, the word is seldom used. Instead, designations of Shia, Sunni, Chaldean, Turkomen, Kurd and others have replaced the word "Iraqi." -- Seven years ago, people dressed in various styles. It was no big deal to see a female with jeans and a t-shirt. Nightly, the streets were filled with musicians, poets, story-tellers and anyone who wanted to put on a show for the public. Sports were thriving. Basketball, volleyball and football games were attended by many."

VIDEO: Tortured Law - Alt - (YouTube - 9 min 52 sec - October 07, 2009)
Must View Video - Full quote...."Tortured Law, a new 10-minute documentary by Alliance for Justice, examines the role U.S. lawyers played in authorizing torture. Join those calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to release the report of the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility, and hold accountable those who ordered, designed, and justified torture. -- You can join the call by signing Alliance for Justice's petition: http://ga1.org/campaign/release_tortu...  And by signing up to host a screening in your area: http://www.afj.org/films-and-programs...

Symbolic Actions don't Solve Real Problems
Must Read - Quote of the Day...."Cindy Sheehan -- My Speech at an anti-war Rally in San Francisco -- It’s nice to see everybody here today as we are about to embark on another symbolic march to nowhere. How many self-congratulatory miles do you think we’ve marched for peace in the last 45 years? Millions? How many petitions do you think we’ve signed and delivered? Millions? How many phone calls have we made to our elected representative? Billions? How many War Party Politicians like Nancy Pelosi do we continually elect to office? Thousands? Why do we consistently and constantly perform these symbolic actions, when millions of people are not symbolically dying?"

Kilcullen's Long War
Must Read - It's the same people, over and over again who have brought this nation, and much of the world, so much misery and destruction. - mpg -- A quote...."Let us say, hypothetically, that American forces kill or capture Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, enabling President Obama to declare victory and bring our troops home. Would he? Not according to the Pentagon's plan for a fifty-year "Long War" of counterinsurgency spanning Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, the Philippines and beyond." -- For more on this issue see....9/11 - Planning Guidance

The Collapse of WTC Building Seven.
A quote...."The fact that "Seven", a 47-story building with a base the size of a football field, was in free fall collapse for 2.25 seconds, has now been admitted by NIST, the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology. This admission has enormous implications for the whole official story about September 11, 2001. -- This new information invalidates all the work NIST presented in its Final Report to prove that the building collapsed from fire alone. -- In his new book, "The Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7: Why the Final Official Report about 9/11 is Unscientific and False," Dr. Griffin has systematically established that NIST was guilty of fraud."

Danish Prime Minister Knew WTC Would Collapse
A quote...."During a recent interview on Danish television, the former Prime Minister of Denmark admitted that he received a message 5 to 10 minutes beforehand telling him that the south tower of the World Trade Center was going to collapse, prompting questions as to why the victims and rescue personnel inside the building didn’t get the same warning."

NYC CAN: The Turning Point
A quote...."In the fall of 2008, the NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative realized that both strategy and tone were moving its effort no closer to broadening its support. Facing a wary, apathetic public and a stalled momentum, leadership was replaced, strategy was revamped and its mission rebranded. -- Launched in early 2009 as NYC CAN, the new organization proceeded to effectively engage voters in a rational dialogue concerning the unanswered questions surrounding 9/11 and the best interests of our country. Our vehicle for engagement was a public referendum to create a real, independent, evidence-driven investigation into those questions that remain, eight years later, unaddressed."

Charlie Sheen 9/11 Contest: Win $14,000 And Spread The Truth Virally
A quote...."Here’s your opportunity to win $14,000 while getting the truth out and making 9/11 truth spread virally across the Internet once again. -- Last month, Charlie Sheen announced on Alex’s nationally syndicated radio show that he will sponsor a video contest in order to get the message out about the necessity for a new, independent, and impartial re-investigation of the events of September 11, 2001."

For more on 9/11 and the articles shown above see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central
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Corporate Supremacy and the Rape of a Human Girl - Article also posted at ICH
Special Note...."We are fast approaching the time of the next great battle over evolution. The Neo-creationists will be corporations, and they will argue that they could not possibly be descended from human beings. -- This isn’t science fiction. Just the other day 30 Republicans voted in the U.S. Senate to deny justice to a human victim of rape in order to protect the so-called sovereign rights of corporations. -- I’m not much for slippery slope arguments, but when we’re buried in mud at the bottom of a slope, it might be prudent to see what we slipped on." - bold by website editor -- also posted at CommonDreams

A bad attitude -- the new felony
Special Note - A quote...."During my morning browse-fest, I am stumbling more and more over news stories in which people are charged with felonies, repeatedly tased by police or otherwise brutalized for the crime of having a bad attitude. No act of violence, no damage to property, no threat of violence is alleged; the person is arrested pure and simply for a bad attitude. In this context, the definition of bad is that the person spoke back to authority, said 'no' to a request or did not comply quickly enough, asked a question or tried to argue...in short, the person did not immediately and with subservience obey." -- also posted at OhBummer
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Too Illegit to Quit
Special Note - A quote...."LOS ANGELES--Eight years. We've been in Afghanistan longer than any other war in American history. The party of the president who invaded Afghanistan has been repudiated at the polls. Yet we still haven't altered the flawed strategy that allowed uneducated tribesmen with outdated weapons to defeat us year after year. -- We haven't learned a thing."

U.S. lacks enough troops for low-risk' Afghan option
A quote...."WASHINGTON -- The U.S. military can send only about 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in the next three months without putting excessive strains on the Army and Marine Corps, but the top Afghanistan commander has said he needs more than twice that number to have the best chance of success, military and administration officials told McClatchy Newspapers."

Karzai Rejects Call for Runoff Vote
A quote...."Revised Results Delayed as Officials Try to Convince Karzai to Abide by Ruling -- Officials in the Karzai campaign may have been suggesting for days that they expect a runoff vote, but today’s announcement was delayed reportedly as a result of indications that Karzai is not planning to abide by the results."

Video: Iraqi cancer figures soar
Video - A quote...."Doctors in Iraq are recording a sharp rise in the number of cancer victims south of Baghdad. Sufferers in the province of Babil have risen almost tenfold in just three years. -- Locals blame depleted uranium from US military equipment used in the 2003 invasion. Some 500 cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2004 alone. That figure rose to almost 1,000 two years later. -- In 2008, the number of cases increased sevenfold to 7,000 diagnoses. This year, there have so far been more than 9,000 new cases, and the number is rising." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Iraq set to buy Russian weaponry
A quote...."BAGHDAD, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - A military delegation from Iraq will visit Moscow in the near future to discuss the purchase of Russian weaponry, an Iraqi parliament member has said. -- "A large delegation from the Iraqi Defense Ministry will travel soon to Moscow for talks on arms purchases [from Russia]," Abbas al-Bayati said in an interview with the Al Iraqiya television." -- also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

It’s Not Iran, Stupid
Special Note - A quote...."President Obama sent a message, via Energy Department Secretary Steven Chu, to the September meeting of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reaffirming the commitments he made, to seek "a world without nuclear weapons," in his "electrifying" speech in Prague and in his United Nations Security Council Resolution 1887."

Iran steps in as demining work slows in Lebanon
Three million cluster bomblets supplied by the US-NRE and scattered all over population centers throughout South Lebanon in a fit of savage pique by the Israelis as they retreated during the last days of the war. What a bunch of sore losers to take it out on the civilians of South Lebanon. - mpg -- A quote...."NABATIYEH, SOUTH LEBANON // In a sun-bleached, breeze-block town just outside of Nabatiyeh in south Lebanon, a new-looking billboard has been erected. -- It announces the headquarters of a recently established non-governmental group called the Peace Generation Organisation for Demining (PGOD). In the corner of the billboard is a discreet representation of the Iranian flag. Although the organisation is Lebanese, the director of PGOD, Mahmoud Rahhal, confirmed that “most” of the group’s funding comes from their partner organisation, ISOP, an Iranian demining company, which also provides supervision and training expertise." -- also posted at AlethoNews

EU firm to develop [Iran's] Lavan gas field
A quote...."The Iranian Offshore Oilfields Company (IOOC) has reached an agreement with a European firm which has prepared the Master Development Plan of the Lavan gas field," the head of IOOC Mahmood Zirakchianzadeh told Iran's energy news agency SHANA on Sunday." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Five Iranian Commanders, 26 Others Killed by Suicide Bomber
Special Note - Artcl#1 - A quote...."US-Backed Jundallah Reportedly Claims Credit -- At least 31 people were killed today, many of them top commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and 25 others were wounded in a suicide attack in Sistan-Balochistan. -- The attack was the deadliest in the region since a May attack on a Shi’ite mosque in the mostly Sunni province. Iran’s state media is reporting that Jundallah has taken credit for today’s attack."

Jundullah claims responsibility for terror attack
Artcl#2 - A quote...."Jundullah has accepted responsibility for the deadly attack that rocked a security gathering in southeast Iran, killing 35 people and wounding another 28. -- The Jundullah terror ring, which is led by Abdolmalik Rigi, has claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted a unity gathering between Sunni and Shia tribal leaders in the borderline Pishin region, near the city of Sarbaz." - bold by website editor

Revolutionary Guard Commanders Killed in Iranian Baluchistan
Artcl#3 - Contains Video - A quote...."Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel who traveled to the town of Sarbaz, district Pishin in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan fell victim Sunday morning to two bombing attacks carried out by the dissident Baluchi group Jundullah. Altogether the death toll in the attacks is about 29 as I write and it is expected to rise."

Seymour Hersh: US Training Jondollah and MEK for Bombing preparation
Artcl#4 - From the History File - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 -- In an interview with NPR on his latest New Yorker Article, titled ‘Preparing the battlefield', the renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reveals more striking details of his findings on the aim of the $400 million budgeted US covert operations inside Iran. He provides valuable information on US military preparations to strike the country, on the total expansion of the Bush Administration's executive power, about the US recognition of Iran's overall positive role in Iraq and on the US support for the anti-Iran terrorist organisations Jondollah, PJAK and MEK."

For more on the four articles shown above see....US Support of Terror- MEK-PKK-Others

US embassy found involved in importing weapons to Pakistan
Related Article (to those shown above) - A quote...."ISLAMABAD: The US embassy has been found involved in importing sophisticated weapons to Pakistan without the permission and knowledge of the authorities here. - The Foreign Office and the Commerce Ministry denied having authorised the US or any other foreign mission to import huge quantity of weapons. However, the fact remains that the US embassy in Islamabad has brought to Pakistan at least two consignments of modern weapons during this year."

Reasons Big Oil and the rest of the U.S. ruling class hate Iran - Workers World top 10
A quote....

1. Incredibly, the Iranian government acts as if Iranian oil actually belongs to Iran.
2. We still really, really miss the shah, who acted differently.
3. For some reason, the Iranian government says that the Holocaust of World War II happened in Nazi-occupied Europe, not in Palestine or any other Arab or Muslim country.....

Israel may have planted spy gear in Lebanon: U.N.
A quote...."BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.N. investigation into explosions in south Lebanon indicated on Sunday that Israel had planted spy devices on Lebanese land in what a senior U.N. official said would be a violation of a ceasefire agreement. -- The UNIFIL peacekeeping force in Lebanon said its preliminary probe into two explosions in the south showed they had been caused by the detonation of underground sensor devices."

Putin lays down law for Clinton
Must Read - A quote...."For the (Western) news cycle, what stood out from United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Russia this week was an "appeal for cooperation" and a "challenge" for Russia to open up its political system, embrace "diversity" and shelve Cold War thinking. -- Who's fooling whom? One might be forgiven to picture a torrent of laughter echoing in the Kremlin's corridors - later washed down with prime Stoli vodka - especially considering Washington's current poor standing in the world, as well as those usual suspects, "Western values"; and the fact that Russian intelligentsia has been pointing out for years that it is Washington hawks who are still in fact mired in the Cold War. Such a pity that Iran hawk Hillary did not cross paths with chess master Vladimir. -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had better things to do - he was away in Beijing for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)."

Russia flexes muscles with Central Asian war games
A quote...."MOSCOW: Russia and four former Soviet republics staged war games on Friday to showcase a new NATO-style rapid reaction force designed to cement Moscow's hold over allies in Central Asia and the Caucasus."

Spanish FM begins visit to Cuba
A quote...."MADRID, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on Sunday began his two-day visit to Cuba to enhance dialogue and cooperation."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Dignified Beyond Losses
Must View Photo Gallery - A quote...."Mahmoud Musleh: “I’ve had three main things destroyed by Israeli forces: a tile factory on Sikka street (northern Beit Hanoun), another tile factory on Salah el Din street (Beit Hanoun), and the water well on my land. My olive trees have been bulldozed many times by Israeli forces. I’m 70 years old and now I have nothing, like when I was 16.”

Gaza costs Israel another friend: there aren’t many left
Must Read - A quote...."For years Israel has acted as if the unconditional support of the US would be enough to shield it for ever from the consequences of its behaviour – which is why last week was an unusually traumatic one for them. -- No suicide bombers detonated themselves and no rockets or mortar shells fell, but the double whammy of a Turkish snub and a UN Human Rights Council vote shook Israelis even more than any aimless shelling would have done. Those two events signal profound changes that leave Israel paying a growing political price for the attack last winter that killed some 1,400 Palestinians and reduced Gaza to rubble." -- also posted at Uruknet

Nazi Germany Then And Israel Today
Must View Video - A quote...."A comparison of crimes committed in 1940s Germany equal to what is happening in every day Israel at this moment against Palestinians and all Americans finance these crimes.
Music by Mana' "Cuando Los Angeles Lloran" "When The Angels Cry".

Anti-Semites
Must View Cartoon

Nablus: Operation "Hot Winter" - Interview with Human Shield - (YouTube - 3 min - March 07, 2007)
Video - From the History File - March 07, 2007 -- A quote...."This short interview was conducted in the aftermath of the Israeli Occupation Forces' operation "Hot Winter" in the West Bank city of Nablus. -- The 11-years-old girl Jihan Tahdush was kidnapped by IOF troops and repeatedly forced to serve as a human shield for soldiers in their house-to-house searches in the Old City."

Goldstone Report: Israeli Soldiers Kill 4 Children in Cold Blood - Alt - (YouTube - 9 min 41 sec - Oct. 11, 2009)
Video - A quote...."The shooting of Amal, Souad, Samar and Hajja Souad Abd Rabbo in cold blood while they were trying to flee from a war zone during an Israeli cease fire."

Ahrar center: Ofer court deferred trial of a female prisoner for the 7th time
A quote...."RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Al-Ahrar center for prisoners’ studies and human rights said Saturday that the Israeli military court in Ofer prison, near the occupied city of Ramallah, decided to defer consideration in the trial of female prisoner Nada Al-Jayyousi for the seventh consecutive time without setting a new date." -- also posted at Uruknet

Farawna: “8200 Detainees Still Imprisoned By Israel”
A quote...."Palestinian researcher, specialized in detainees’ affairs, former detainee, Abdul-Nasser Farawna, stated Saturday that 8200 Palestinians are still imprisoned by Israel, among them 32 female detainees, 320 children, and 400 imprisoned under administrative detention." -- also posted at Uruknet

Gaza Farmers Struggle With Destroyed Land - posted at The Palestine Chronicle
A quote...."Thousands of Gazan farmers may be unable to replant their crops during the region’s main planting season in October due to agricultural land still damaged by the Israeli offensive at the start of the year, and a lack of agricultural materials like seeds and fertilizers, according to officials."

Palestinian refugees reject 'sell-out' deal
A quote...."BEIRUT - The latest tri-lateral Middle East peace talks have been overshadowed by the United Nations report by Richard Goldstone that accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes in Gaza and the candid remarks by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to the effect that there is no "solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the region should learn to "live" with the consequences."

‘Right of return ’ still key demand after 61 years in Lebanon
A quote...."When cameras are running, Washington officials sometimes express “concern” for the plight of the Palestinian people. But even this phony caring doesn’t extend to the 4.5 million Palestinians who for 61 years have remained stateless, without official nationality, stranded in Arab countries." -- also posted at Uruknet

President Mahmoud Abbas – Is he a legal President?  -- No, but neither was Bush. - mpg
A quote...."London, October 18, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - This year Kuwaiti Politicians said Abbas was not welcome in Kuwait due to his "negative attitudes" over the Israeli offensive in the Hamas-led Gaza Strip, adding that he had "clear positions to obstruct the operations of a legitimate resistance against the aggression on occupied Arab land." 21 of the 50 members of Kuwait's parliament signed a letter protesting at the invitation of President Abbas at the Kuwait Summit earlier this year."

BREAKING~HANIYEH TIED WITH ABBAS FOR SUPPORT
Breaking News - A quote...."I came across this poll just out today. According to polling data; It states that if Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh were to run against PA President Mahmoud Abbas they would be tied in an election. Additionally they trusted Haniyeh MORE than they trusted Abbas. Now, I want to say something here, I don’t buy these numbers. In fact, I would be willing to bet that right now Haniyeh’s numbers are truly much greater than this poll shows."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Maria Rita Matamoros: "The poor people are putting their lives on the line to save this nation."
A quote...."Maria Rita Matamoros explains how the police and the army his them and threw tear gas bombs when the march of the Resistance heads to the Guatemalan embassy to stand in solidarity with the 12 members of COPINH seeking political asylum after having received death threats. Matamoros was fired from her job in the Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment for being part of the Resistance and for supporting President Manuel Zelaya."

Honduran talks fail to resume over reinstating Zelaya
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Talks to seek a solution to the post-coup crisis in Honduras failed to move ahead on Sunday after coming into a halt on Friday."
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The History of the Future: Trends 2012 -- The Second American Revolution-PDF - Alt/PDF
Must Read -- Now here are some predictions!  Science fiction or future fact, we'll know in a couple of years folks. - mpg -- A quote...."Autumn 2012, the “Greatest Depression” has spread worldwide. Billions are unemployed, homeless and desperate. Countries bankrupt, trade pacts broken, tariffs rise, borders close. -- Protectionist, nationalist and anti-globalization movements have moved out of the margins and into the mainstream. Immigrants brought in during boom times – blamed for bringing down wages, stealing jobs and rising crime – are being rounded up and deported. -- Despite differences between the 1930’s Great Depression and today’s “Greatest Depression,” unsettling similarities conjure up memories of pre-World War II. From the United Kingdom to Russia, war drums eerily beat."

Russia and Iran Now OFFICIALLY Talking of Dumping Dollar for International Trade
A quote...."After the Independent reported that Middle Eastern oil producers, plus China, Japan and France have all agreed to start trading oil using a basket of currencies - instead of the dollar - starting in 9 years, spokesmen for those governments denied it."

Latin American Regional Currency : Sucre
A quote...."Nine countries of ALBA, a leftist bloc conceived by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, met Friday in Bolivia where they vowed to press ahead with a new currency for intra-regional trade to replace the US dollar."

Another package to stimulate US job market?
There is only one reason that war-mongering, AIPAC butt-kissing, slimy little creep in the White House would announce this proposal at this particular time, the upcoming jobs numbers are going to be dismal. - mpg -- A quote...."Despite being in an almost-12-trillion-dollar debt, US President Barack Obama may propose another stimulus package to create jobs and whether the recession-hit economy."

VIDEO: The Money Masters: How International Bankers Gained Control of America - Alt - (Google 3h35m '07)
Video - A quote...."THE MONEY MASTERS is a 3 1/2 hour non-fiction, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The development of fractional reserve banking practices in the 17th century brought to a cunning sophistication the secret techniques initially used by goldsmiths fraudulently to accumulate wealth. With the formation of the privately-owned Bank of England in 1694, the yoke of economic slavery to a privately-owned "central" bank was first forced upon the backs of an entire nation, not removed but only made heavier with the passing of the three centuries to our day. Nation after nation, including America, has fallen prey to this cabal of international central bankers."

Another Goldman executive named to key government post as its profits skyrocket
Special Note - A quote...."Apparently, the U.S. government didn't have enough Goldman Sachs executives in key financial and regulatory positions, so the following happened this week:...." -- also posted at CommonDreams

Goldman Exec Named First COO of SEC Enforcement
Related Article -- A quote...."The money is so dirty now, the gains so ill-gotten, that the most diabolical of ALL Wall Street firms needs to create a PRIVATE exchange because the existing bogus securities laws (WorldCom, Enron, blah blah) are too cumbersome and time consuming!?"

Bailed out insurance giant AIG plans $198 million in new bonuses
A quote...."American International Group, which has received nearly $200 billion in bailout funds from the federal government, is slated to pay 400 employees in its financial products division another $198 million, according to a report published Wednesday by the Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)." -- For more on the three articles shown above see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

Banks and Borrowers
Special Note -- A quote...."The consumer doesn’t understand how hard it is to be a Big Bank and, therefore, expects the Big Bank to be just as concerned about its customers as was the little bank Big Bank swallowed. I was reminded of that by Bill Moyers’ Journal. It was a discussion of JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) that clients of mine had recently been taught was so big it could not possibly take care of its customers. In teaching them that lesson, it also taught them that it could charge tuition for the lesson. It was a very valuable lesson for me as well as for JPMC’s customers but I’ll share my lesson at the end of this column. First, Bill Moyers."

Challenging the Banks: Stand Up or Roll Over?
Special Note - A quote...."On February 1, 1960, four students sat down at a lunch counter at 
the former Woolworth's store in Greensboro North Carolina. -- 4 students! Just four! -- They were protesting racial segregation. They were denied,
 service, harassed and arrested. -- Greensboro was and still is a backwater, yet their courage and
 commitment sparked and helped drive a national movement that
 would, within a few years, transform this country."

PhD Economists and Economic Professors Call For Protests
A quote...."You know that the government and the giant banks are not being responsive to the needs of the economy and the American people when even PhD economists and economics professors are calling for protests."

Calif. bank becomes 99th in US to be shut in 2009
A quote...."NEW YORK (AP) - Regulators shut down San Joaquin Bank in California on Friday, marking the 99th failure this year of a federally insured bank."

A Rare Glimpse Into The Fed's Discount Window Courtesy Of The Brewing Lehman-Barclays Scandal
A quote...."It is becoming increasingly likely that Barclays will have to pay a cool $5 billion (at least) in additional consideration to the Lehman estate, after the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors came out yesterday with a hefty joinder piece to the debtor's motion that Barclays materially misrepresented and, in essence, stole $5 billion or more from under the noses of both Lehman Brothers Holdings and its Creditors, all as the megalomaniacal Judge Peck was trying to ram the largest prearranged stalking horse bankruptcy through, in the shortest (im)possible amount of time, just so he could print "Judge Peck  - Greatest Restructuring Judge in the World" t-shirts at the Bowling Green sweat shop just off NY Southern Bankruptcy court."

Vilsack Mistakenly Pitched "GMOs-Feed-The-World" to an Audience of Experts--Oops
Special Note - A quote...."Mr. Secretary, may I ask a tough question on GMOs?" -- He said yes.....


The room erupted into the loudest applause of the morning. -- also posted at BLN

Friday October 16th 2009

Obama's Peace
Must Read - A quote...."For his continued wars against Pakistanis, Afghanis, and Iraqis, his support for the overthrow of democracy in Honduras, his abetting dictatorships across the Arab and Muslim worlds (which his government finances, arms, and trains in torture methods), his planning for a possible invasion of Iran, and his enthusiastic support for the racist Israeli settler colony (and its colonial wars and occupations against Palestinians), President Barak Obama received the Nobel "Peace" Prize. This comes as no surprise, as Obama joins a long list of recipients of this sham of a prize, who are distinguished for similar "peaceful" pursuits. These include terrorists like Menachem Begin, war criminals like Henry Kissinger, ethnic-cleansing colonial generals like Yitzhak Rabin, dictators like Anwar Sadat, corrupt politicians like Yasser Arafat, and imperial presidents like Jimmy Carter. Granting this overambitious power-hungry man the recognition of the Nobel committee is therefore most apt." -- From Ahram (down at the moment)

Oligarchic Senate Still ‘Treasonous’ After All These Years
A quote...."Our decadent Senate epitomizes privilege and prerogative, seniority and senility (often rescued only by death) – guaranteed to be a generation in arrears.  Over decades, elections (if fair) may displace uninformed, petty tyrants inconvenienced by majority rule.  But do we have decades?   That leaves only Constitutional redress: correcting outdated, dysfunctional institutions is why Jefferson endorsed political revolutions every generation.  The majority must act by invoking the amendment process."

Morale crumbling among US and British troops in Afghanistan
A quote...."Several reports from the frontlines of Afghanistan this month provide an insight into the growing demoralisation among US and British troops who have been sent to kill and be killed for the neo-colonial occupation. The articles suggest that many soldiers believe that the war is not justified and not worth dying for."

Pentagon scraps plans to deploy more troops to Iraq - Probably because they're all needed for Afghanistan.
A quote...."WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon said on Friday that it has canceled plans to send a 3,500-strong army brigade to Iraq in January due to improved security environment in the country and a stronger Iraqi security force. -- [And here's the proof -->]  "The decision was based purely on the improved security environment and the continued improvement in the ability of Iraqi security forces, and is completely unrelated to our operations in Afghanistan," [Hah, haaa, haaa.  Sure, right, absolutely....we believe them, don't we folks.] Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said." -- underline by website editor -- also posted at WarInIraq

Japan to withdraw ships from Afghanistan support role
A quote...."Japan will withdraw its naval ships from their support role in the war in Afghanistan, in the first concrete sign of the new government’s willingness to say no to the United States. -- The country’s defence ministry confirmed this morning what had been expected since the election victory of the prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama – that Japan will withdraw its naval forces from the Indian Ocean in January after eight-years in support of anti-terrorism [pro-colonial] operations."

No more French troops for Afghanistan - Sarkozy
A quote...."France will not send any more troops to Afghanistan and wants instead to see an enlarged Afghan army, President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a newspaper interview released Thursday."

U.S.:  Veteran Army Officer Urges Afghan Troop Drawdown
This is posted solely for the historical record with the full knowledge that this officer's suggestions will be utterly ignored by this nation's thugocracy. - mpg -- A quote...."WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (IPS) - A veteran Army officer who has served in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars warns in an analysis now circulating in Washington that the counterinsurgency strategy urged by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal is likely to strengthen the Afghan insurgency, and calls for withdrawal of the bulk of U.S. combat forces from the country over 18 months." -- also posted at Uruknet

NATO troops kill Afghan woman, child in home
A quote...."An Afghan woman and a child were killed in a joint NATO-Afghan attack in Afghanistan on Friday, sparking a protest by a group of angry villagers. -- Civilian deaths, especially during attacks by U.S.-led NATO forces, have infuriated Afghans and increased hostility towards invasion of foreign troops."

With friends like the US, Pakistan doesn't need enemies
A quote...."As the Obama administration dithers over what to do for the best in Afghanistan, neighbouring Pakistan is paying an increasingly heavy price. Like a spate of previous Taliban attacks in recent days, today's mayhem in Lahore underscored fears that the principal consequence of Washington's Afghan paralysis, albeit unintended, [Yeah right, you mean like Iraq, like the Washington and Israeli inspired civil war between Fatah and Hamas?  For more on this sort of issue see....It Will Happen Every Single Time] is the further destabilisation of the Pakistani state." -- also posted at ICH

Yemen calls on Iran to send special envoy
A quote...."Yemeni officials have called on the Islamic Republic to send a special envoy to hold talks on the unstable situation in the country's north."

Iran to completely drop dollar from foreign exchange
War Warning -- A quote...."Iran's Trade Promotion Organization has announced a near future plan to completely exclude the US dollar from the country's foreign revenues and reserves. -- Iran has recently asked Japan to replace the US dollar with the yen in oil deals it has with the Islamic Republic, Mehr News quoted the organization as saying on Friday."

Multipolar Machinations: Chávez Endeavors to 'Sow the Oil' with Russia and China
A quote...."During Hugo Chávez's tour of nine countries across northern Africa, western Asia and Europe in early September, the Venezuelan president orchestrated the signing of a flurry of energy accords. Much ink was spilled over Chávez's agreement to exchange oil for machinery and technology with the West's favorite pariah, Iran. But the most far-reaching commitments Chávez secured on his trip took place in Moscow - a series of accords with Russian oil and gas firms to develop a block of the massive Orinoco belt in northeastern Venezuela, one of the largest oil fields in the world."

Venezuelan Yukpa Indigenous Community Attacked, Two Murdered Following Land Grants
A quote...."On Tuesday, the day after the national government granted more than 40,000 hectares of land to Yukpa indigenous communities in northwestern Venezuela, assassins attacked the community of Yukpa chief and indigenous rights activist Sabino Romero, killing two and injuring at least four."

UPDATE 2-Romania president picks PM, faces stiff opposition
A quote...." BUCHAREST, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Romania's President Traian Basescu nominated respected central bank adviser Lucian Croitoru as prime minister on Thursday, in a move likely to meet stiff opposition in parliament and prolong a government crisis. -- Economists warn that without a stable government in place quickly, Romania risks slipping on its committments to the International Monetary Fund and the European Union and face delays in disbursements of its 20 billion euro loan package. -- Croitoru was part of Romania's team that negotiated the IMF aid package and is seen as a bold central banker with strong policy-making background. -- Vital for the economy, the loans are conditional on deep fiscal reforms and painful budget cuts, which the IMF says are key to ensuring long-term policy stability. -- These concerns intensified after the IMF postponed a review mission to Bucharest, due in the coming weeks, on the grounds it wanted to see a functioning government before it arrives." -- bold/underlin by website editor.

In other words the IMF told Romania's President Traian Basescu to nominate Lucian Croitoru as PM, and the IMF is telling the parliament of Romania that if they 1) Don't confirm him. 2) Don't give their economy the "shock therapy" that nearly destroyed Russia and 3) Don't do this by the time "they arrive".....something really "awful" could "like" happen to their economy, their country and possibly even their government.

Folks not only is this a PERFECT example of the subtle (as a brick to the head) language that's used in the "adult" world, it's also a perfect example of what will happen to ANY country that deals with the IMF.  Any nation actually stupid enough to borrow from those blood sucking loan sharks will get exactly what it deserves. – mpg
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C.I.A. Is Still Cagey About Oswald Mystery
A quote...." Is the Central Intelligence Agency covering up some dark secret about the assassination of John F. Kennedy? -- Probably not. But you would not know it from the C.I.A.’s behavior. -- For six years, the agency has fought in federal court to keep secret hundreds of documents from 1963, when an anti-Castro Cuban group it paid clashed publicly with the soon-to-be assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. The C.I.A. says it is only protecting legitimate secrets. But because of the agency’s history of stonewalling assassination inquiries, even researchers with no use for conspiracy thinking question its stance."

Journalist Ann Louise Bardach on How Cuban Exile Luis Posada Carriles Remains a Free Man in Miami Despite His Role in Airline and Hotel Bombings -- A quote...."Luis Posada Carriles is accused of masterminding the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed all seventy-three people on board, and he has publicly admitted ties to a series of hotel bombings in Cuba in 1997. In 2000, he was arrested in Panama City for plotting to blow up an auditorium where Fidel Castro would be speaking. Despite his record, Luis Posada Carriles is currently living freely in Miami. He is awaiting trial in Texas early next year on charges of immigration fraud and lying to authorities about his involvement in the hotel bombings. A new book by award-winning investigative journalist Ann Louise Bardach provides an insider’s view on the case against Posada. Bardach first interviewed Posada in 1998 for the New York Times in one of his only in-depth interviews. [includes rush transcript]" -- ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  ||

Binyam Mohamed: [British] Judges overrule attempt to suppress torture evidence
A quote...."David Miliband, the foreign secretary, acted in a way that was harmful to the rule of law by suppressing evidence about what the government knew of the illegal treatment of Binyam Mohamed, a British resident who was held in a secret prison in Pakistan, the high court has ruled. -- In a devastating judgment, two senior judges roundly dismissed the foreign secretary's claims that disclosing the evidence would harm national security and threaten the UK's vital intelligence-sharing arrangements with the US." -- Some in the British establishment are still tenaciously clinging to the rule of law, whereas here in the former colonies, just about everyone in power has already given that idea up for the lure of money.  It's truly amazing to see just how far this nation has descended from its original lofty ambition of being "the guiding light to the world" to the newest, sickest and most depraved version of the Roman Empire ever inflicted on the planet, a truly remarkable decline. – mpg

Court Rules Government Can Continue To Suppress Detainee Statements Describing Torture And Abuse
Special Note - Case in point. The US-NRE's judges are not only violating what little is left of the former United States' constitution, they are knowingly covering up evidence which may implicate elements in this country of involvement with 9/11.  For more on that issue see....9/11 - Iraq - Torture Fables -- A quote.... "WASHINGTON – A federal court today ruled that the government can continue suppressing transcripts in which former CIA prisoners now held at Guantánamo Bay describe abuse and torture suffered in CIA custody. The ruling came in an ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit to obtain uncensored transcripts from Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs) used to determine if Guantánamo detainees qualify as "enemy combatants."

Agent Orange in Vietnam: Ignoring the Crimes Before Our Eyes
A quote...."On Oct. 13, the New York Times ran a news story headlined “Door Opens to Health Claims Tied to Agent Orange,” which was sure to be good news to many American veterans of the Indochina War. It reported that 38 years after the Pentagon ceased spreading the deadly dioxin-laced herbicide/defoliant over much of South Vietnam, it was acknowledging what veterans have long claimed: in addition to 13 ailments already traced to exposure to the chemical, it was also responsible for three more dread diseases—Parkinson’s, ischemic heart disease and hairy-cell leukemia." -- also posted at AlethoNews

John Bolton: "You want me to die for my country? Are you fcking crazy?" Native American 'Chicken Hawk' spotted
Special Note - A quote...."Bolton is currently a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and of counsel to the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, in their Washington D.C. office. He is also involved with a broad assortment of other conservative think tanks and policy institutes, including the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), Project for the New American Century (PNAC). -- Though Bolton supported the Vietnam War, he enlisted in the Maryland Army National Guard, but did not serve in Vietnam. He wrote in his Yale 25th reunion book "I confess I had no desire to die in a Southeast Asian rice paddy."

Hardly any respite - While some calm has returned to the compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Muslim holy site is still under grave threat -- A quote...."An uneasy calm is descending over East Jerusalem after thousands of Israeli troops lifted a tight siege lasting two weeks on Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, one of Islam's holiest sanctuaries." -- also posted at AlethoNews
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Israel's Dangerously Battered Image
Must Read - A quote...."In international politics, image counts. A country’s reputation, the aura it projects, the esteem in which its leaders are held -- these are as important as its armed services in providing protection for its citizens. Most politicians know that soft power, skillfully used, can be at least as effective as blood-drenched hard power. -- This is a lesson Israel appears to have forgotten. Its pitiless treatment of the Palestinians, whether under occupation on the West Bank or under siege in Gaza -- not to mention its repeated assaults on Lebanon, its 2007 raid on Syria and its relentless sabre-rattling against Iran -- have done terrible damage to its image. -- The admiration which its early state-building once aroused in many parts of the world has turned into angry impatience, outrage, even contempt."

Defiant UN backs Israel war crimes report
The UN is on its way to recovering its reputation, its pride, and most importantly, its reason for existence. Good for them. - mpg -- A quote...."Britain and France today failed in an attempt to delay a crunch Middle East vote at the UN, amid warnings by Israel that it could derail the peace process. -- The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva voted by 25 to six to refer a controversial report accusing Israel of war crimes during the Gaza offensive in January to the Security Council." -- also posted at ICH

ICC receives more info on Gaza war crimes
A quote...."The international criminal court prosecutor receives more information from Palestinian officials to launch a war crimes investigation against Israel. -- "The prosecutor ... Luis Moreno-Ocampo received a Palestinian delegation headed by Dr. Ali Khashan, Minister of Justice of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)," said a Friday court statement a day after a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) accused Tel Aviv of war crimes."

Med Union summit at risk over Egypt boycott of Lieberman
Boycott Divest Sanction -- Because it must be done. - mpg -- A quote...."Egypt is threatening to boycott the Union for the Mediterranean foreign ministers' conference scheduled to take place next month in Istanbul if Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, attends. -- The Egyptian boycott on Lieberman may lead to the conference being canceled altogether."

FATAH & HAMAS AGREE UNITY DEAL
Breaking News - A quote...."I thought this was coming. Two days ago I said this when Hamas told Egypt it wanted more time and then delivered a message to Abbas ensuring the Palestinian “right to resist” remained intact: --     So what else could it be then? Well, it could be that Hamas wants to ensure FATAH don’t drop this right in future. It could be that Hamas is forcing Abbas to reiterate what was decided at the conference in August 2009, in order to ensure that the right to resist is NOT off the table should any unity deal take place with Hamas and FATAH. -- Egypt then delayed the date of signing for Hamas, And it now appears that Hamas has studied the deal and now feels assured the right to resist will remain a Palestinian right."

Olive harvest in Burin continues with more harassment from army and settlers
A quote...."International activists accompanied farmers today to their lands on the edge of the village of Burin, close to an outpost of the illegal settlement of Mar-Bracha, south of Nablus. Farmers enjoyed a quiet two hours of harvesting before eight settlers, one of them armed, appeared on the hill above and began approaching the farmers."

Settlers and army disrupted olive harvest in Jamma’in village
A quote...."For a week between 9 and 15 October, ISM activists have accompanied a group of families from the village of Jamma’in, picking in olive fields located just south of highway 505 and close to a large outpost of the Kfar Tappuah illegal settlement. The Palestinian farmers here have had problems with settlers annually for the last seven years and this one was no exception."

IOA launches construction works in 31 settlements in the West Bank
A quote...."OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has embarked on construction works in 31 settlements in the West Bank despite understandings with the USA to the contrary."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Video: 100 Days of Resistance - Alt#1 - Alt#2 - (YouTube - aprox 10 min each - October 15, 2009)
Must View Video - A quote...."100 days since the coup detat that ousted Manuel Zelaya, Fault Lines travels to Honduras to look at polarisation and power in the Americas, and finds resistance and repression in the streets."

The Young Honduran Revolution
Video - A quote...."In this documentary, Johannes Wilm shows his conversations with students fighting against the military coup in Honduras. Wilm went to Honduras to film the opposition to the coup in early August 2009, and he happened to be there on the 5th of August, when police clashed with 3000 students in the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH)."

Honduras: The state of siege continues + Honduran Accords Hung Up on Zelaya’s Reinstatement
A quote...."Negotiations toward an agreement that would return ousted President Manuel Zelaya to office Honduras appeared to be at a stalemate as of October 15, the day Zelaya set as a deadline for the current talks."

Smashing the Silence: Community Defiance in Honduras
A quote...."Here in Tegucigalpa, life continues under subtle siege for ordinary citizens.  The city gets dark faster at night now and the people seem more frightened in general.  The curfew remains.  Small groups huddle together and glance around anxiously, couples hug closer, young girls grasp hands tighter and walk faster.  Militia is everywhere of course, made up of young, mostly uneducated kids who twirl their guns with abandon, dig their batons into the dirt and wait for a notice for action.  It can come at a whistle’s call here, and sometimes it feels as though the entire country is poised, frozen in battle."

Honduras Resistance on Day 111
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Oct 16 (Prensa Latina) The National Front against the Coup d' Etat in Honduras announced a rally for Friday in the capital, after 111th consecutive days of resistance to the June 28 military coup."
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Max Keiser On JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs Et Al’s Fraud - Alt#1 - Alt#2 - (YuTb - aprox 10 min - Oct. 16, 2009)
Video - Mad Max is Back -- A quote...."Max Keiser in his prime, discussing whether the crisis is over: “It’d not froth, it’s fraud. This is an incredible case of accounting fraud and the American peasants have got to be the stupidest people in the world today: they don’t mind becoming peasants, they don’t mind living like peasants, and if that’s the case, we should do nothing to step them from sliding into a peasant class.” And this pearl: “The bankers on Wall Street are the equivalent of suicide bombers in other countries. They threaten to blow themselves up and blow up the economy in exchange for huge bailout money.” -- For more info visit http://maxkeiser.com

Goldman Sachs' Black Magic, Here's How They Did It
Special Note - By the numbers - Related Article - mpg -- A quote...."How did Goldman, Sachs & Co. saved a year ago by the US taxpayer magically make $3 billion in 3 months a year later? This as the US dollar collapses, unemployment soars and foreclosures hit a record? Here is the Goldman, Sachs & Co. revenue break down for the past 3 months:...." -- also posted at DProgram

Big Banks: "You Will Cancel FASB 166 So We Can Continue Pretending All Is Good... Or We Will Kill Lending Even More" -- Special Note -- Related Article - A quote...."At first it was just the smaller banks, but now the big boys have joined the collective cry against FASB 166 and 167, according to which beginning January 1, banks will likely see up to $900 billion in off-balance sheet assets being onboarded to bank balance sheets. This would likely mean banks need to dramatically increase their Tangible and Tier 1 Capital to offset the capital needed to account for possible asset deterioration. And that, of course, is unacceptable to banks who know too well the deep shit they still find themselves in."

Is the Real Economy Growing, Expanding, and Making Money?
Must Read - Related Article - A quote...."The reason for yesterday's big move is announced on the front page of almost every financial rag this morning: -- "JPMorgan profits lift the Dow." -- JPMorgan, the Wall Street firm that was bailed out by the feds a year ago, reported income of $3.6 billion in the 3rd quarter. With that kind of profit in the financial sector, it won't be long before the whole economy is running red hot, right?"

The Rich Have Stolen The Economy
A quote...."October 16, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- Bloomberg reports that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s closest aides earned millions of dollars a year working for Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and other Wall Street firms. Bloomberg reports that none of these aides faced Senate confirmation. Yet, they are overseeing the handout of hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer funds to their former employers." -- also posted at CounterPunch

Ignorance Is Bliss
A quote...."While all the talk at present is about economic corners turned and markets charging ahead, no one is paying much notice to an American economy deteriorating before our eyes. These myopic commentators seem to be simply moving past the now almost-universally held conclusion that before the crash of 2008, our economy was on an unsustainable course. If these imbalances had been corrected, then perhaps I too would be joining in the euphoria. But evidence abounds that we have not veered at all from that dangerous path."

Weekly US Railroad Carloadings Down 17.2%, Cumulative Decline By 18.1%
A quote...."Even as we have anniversaried the Lehman collapse, the primary indicator of economic viability and potential growth: intermodal traffic, continues to decline. In fact the weekly decline was slight worse, and came out at -17.2% YoY for week 40, nominally worse than the prior week's -17.1%. The categories most impacted were Primary Forest Products and Lumber and Wood Products, both instrumental in new housing construction. If there is a reason to be buying Centex, Lennar and Toll, sure don't look for it here."

Thursday October 15th 2009