Wednesday December 16th 2009

"British Foreign Secretary David Miliband yesterday apologized to MK Tzipi Livni and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman for the arrest warrant issued against Livni in London earlier this week. He also promised Lieberman to begin working immediately to change the UK laws that enable the issue of arrest warrants against Israeli officials accused of war crimes."

“We, Palestinian Christians, declare in this historic document that the military occupation of our land is a sin against God and humanity and that any theology that legitimizes the occupation is far from Christian teachings because true Christian theology is a theology of love and solidarity with the oppressed and a call to justice and equality among peoples.” -- *Palestinian Christians*

Tuesday December 15th 2009

No posts. - mpg

Monday December 14th 2009

The Peace Prize goes to the commander-in-chief of invading armies in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Must Read - A quote...."Is this the best the world can deliver? -- A hypocrite who unsuccessfully tries to justify war and aggression on the starved and brutalized people of Iraq and Afghanistan? -- In a silent America, Obama is unchallenged and does all he can to strengthen U.S. ties with Israel (as the rest of the world contemplates boycotts of various kinds to deter Israel from committing more crimes). A year into his presidency, not only are the wars against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan going strong, but Obama is sending 30,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan. -- The American brand of “peace” has surely made a mockery of the word. No one in the Middle East is foolish enough to believe, for a second, that America wants “peace” when all that America, and her handsome new president, does is to reinforce its devastating military presence in countries where they are not welcomed. -- An Iraqi mother who lost every child she had (4 boys) as a result of the U.S. invasion in 2003 said: “don’t utter that word, it has brought us nothing but death and destruction”. -- She was referring to the word “peace”." -- also posted at Creative-i

'Just War' Is Just Words - posted at ICH
Special Note - A quote...."By Ralph Nader -- December 13, 2009 ""Information Clearing House" -- President Obama, the Afghan war escalator, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, and proceeded to deliver his acceptance speech outlining the three criteria for a "just war" which he himself is violating. - The criteria are in this words: "If it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used is proportional; and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence."

Wars or Jobs: Decide Now
Chris Hedges - Alt/Text - (YouTube - 6min 39 sec - December 12, 2009)
Dennis Kucinich - (YouTube - 7min 6sec - December 12, 2009)
Cynthia McKinney - (YouTube - 6min 37sec - December 12, 2009)
Gale Murphy - (YouTube - 4min 7sec - December 12, 2009)
Brian Becker - (YouTube - 6min 15sec - December 12, 2009)
Chris Hedges - (YouTube - 9min 24sec - December 12, 2009)
Ralph Nader - (YouTube - 9min 53sec - December 12, 2009)
Must View Videos - A quote...."Can you imagine the outcries of national shame from liberal commentators if George W. Bush had accepted a peace prize by advocating for war and announcing his right to launch wars of aggression?  What an embarrassment that would have been!  -- But Bush would have made such a speech with fewer troops in the field, fewer mercenaries in the field, a smaller war budget, a smaller military budget, bases in fewer nations, the imperial powers of the presidency less firmly established, and -- of course -- worse pronunciation." --"
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US 'sends special forces to Yemen' amid crisis
Special Note - And here's Obama's answer, anybody surprised by this? - mpg -- A quote...."US special forces have reportedly been sent to Yemen to train its army, as the Yemeni military backed by the Saudi Arabian army has been fighting local Houthi fighters in the north of the country."

Saudi Air Strikes Kill Up to 70 Yemeni Civilians - And the slaughter continues....mpg
But what the heck, their strike on 9/11 in collusion with elements in this country killed almost three thousand, so from that perspective it's really no big deal. - mpg -- A quote...."Saudi warplanes launched a series of air strikes against a market in Northern Yemen’s Bani Maan today, with witnesses confirming that at least 35 civilians had been killed and dozens injured." -- also posted at AntiWar

Houthis: Riyadh Keeps Dropping Phosphorus Bombs - And continues....mpg
A quote...."(PressTV) – Yemen’s Houthi fighters say Saudi Arabia continues to strike Yemeni villages using phosphorus bombs, as the fight between security forces and fighters goes on in northern Yemen."
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Obama Declares War On Pakistan - Yep he sure did, but look at the article below. - mpg
Must Read - A quote...."WASHINGTON, DC -- Obama's West Point speech of December 1 represents far more than the obvious brutal escalation in Afghanistan -- it is nothing less than a declaration of all-out war by the United States against Pakistan . This is a brand-new war, a much wider war now targeting Pakistan , a country of 160 million people armed with nuclear weapons. In the process, Afghanistan is scheduled to be broken up. This is no longer the Bush Cheney Afghan war we have known in the past. This is something immensely bigger: the attempt to destroy the Pakistani central government in Islamabad and to sink that country into a chaos of civil war, Balkanization, subdivision and general mayhem. The chosen strategy is to massively export the Afghan civil war into Pakistan and beyond, fracturing Pakistan along ethnic lines. It is an oblique war using fourth-generation or guerrilla warfare techniques to assail a country which the United States and its associates in aggression are far too weak to attack directly. In this war, the Taliban are employed as US proxies. This aggression against Pakistan is Obama's attempt to wage the Great Game against the hub of Central Asia and Eurasia or more generally. " -- also posted at DProgram & Uruknet

US to expand drone attacks into Pakistani cities
Special Note -- Here's another answer from good ol'Bombs Away O-bomb-a.  Sort'a unbelievable isn't it? Guess it's more ol'dat "change we can believe in", huh?  And for all you people out there who thought the civilian casualties were already too high, you ain't seen nothing yet. - mpg -- A quote...."After confirmation that the CIA has been operating drone strikes in Pakistani territory, a new report says the US is seeking to expand the attacks into the country's cities. -- The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday that top US officials were pushing to expand the air strikes beyond Pakistan's tribal region and into the major city of Quetta to allegedly target the Taliban." - bold by website editor

Two more US consulate vehicles intercepted in Lahore - link posted at ICH
Special Note - USTSFF -- A quote...."LAHORE: Security agencies on Saturday intercepted two more vehicles of US Consulate in two different localities of the provincial metropolis" -- For more on this recent issue see....USTSFF

2 NATO tankers torched in SW Pakistan
A quote...."ISLAMABAD, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Unknown assailants torched two NATO tankers in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province on Tuesday, local TV channel reported. -- According to police sources, the tankers carrying fuel for NATO forces in Afghanistan were set ablaze on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, the private TV DAWN News reported."
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Afghanistan: Germany says no to sending more soldiers to help US - link posted at ICH
A quote...."Germany has cast doubt on the value of sending extra troops to Afghanistan despite pleas from the US for its Nato allies to bolster the fight against the Taliban."

General says Afghan troop surge will take longer
A quote...."KABUL — The military may not finish its surge of 30,000 American troops to Afghanistan until nearly a year from now, a senior U.S. commander said Monday — a slower pace than President Barack Obama has described. The White House insisted it was sticking with a goal of completing the buildup by late summer."

German DM Urged to Resign Over Kunduz Massacre
A quote...."On September 4 a US warplane, operating under the orders of a German military colonel, attacked a pair of fuel tankers near a village in Kunduz Province. The ensuing fireball killed over 140 people, mostly civilians."

Foreign armies will leave Afghanistan though neighbors will remain Not if the US-NRE has anything to say about it.
A quote...."Thirty years ago was also the beginning of the last phase of the USSR's existence and the establishment of a completely different political model in Central Asia. This model is still being formed today, although some people may think that the American and NATO troops are the only important factor in this process. -- Nevertheless, a high-ranking Indian official recently reported that Indian public and private investment in Afghanistan has reached $1.3 billion to date. - There is also China, which will invest up to $3 billion into the Ainaka copper mine alone. Iran also maintains contacts in Afghanistan, albeit tacitly. -- The end of the war is nowhere near, but Afghanistan's neighbors behave as if shooting has already stopped."
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Untouchable: Blair to give Iraq War evidence in secret  - And the whitewash/cover-up continues unabated. - mpg
A quote...."Former PM was happy to discuss invasion with Fern Britton on TV show – but the Chilcot inquiry will hear his crucial testimony behind closed doors."

Democracy in the New Iraq Equals Death and Repression
A quote...."(The Brussels Tribunal is reporting that up to 900 prisoners held in Iraqi detention centers are scheduled to be executed. Their report details a picture of a decaying Iraq, quite the opposite from the rosy picture of “post surge” success that both the past and current regimes in Washington would have us believe. The tribunal’s picture is one of a callous and malicious neoliberal dictatorship allowed to run rampant over any and all opposition, completely unchecked, unregulated, and unreported.  Opposition leaders being executed, assassinated, or arrested; “insurgents” being whisked away in the night by Iraqi police or by the CIA/Blackwater death squads. The social safety net, even in place under Saddam’s rule, is now gone."

1.2 million Iraqis have fled to Syria, official says
A quote...."Nearly 1.2 million Iraqis have fled their country for safety in neighboring Syria,  a high-ranking Syrian government official said.  The Iraqis fled following the 2003-U.S. invasion and the ensuing upsurge in violence and absence of law and order.  Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad said Iraqi refugees, though a strain on his country’s economy, had the right to enjoy public amenities like their Syrian counterparts. “Refugees in Syria have access to all the rights which Syrian citizens enjoy without any discrimination,” he said." -- also posted at Uruknet

Despite Sense of Entitlement, US Companies Lose Iraq Oil Auctions
The title says it all, over one million killed, almost five million displaced, over a trillion dollars in damages, and they feel "entitled" - mpg -- A quote...."In October, oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens expressed annoyance at the fact that US oil corporations were being asked to compete with foreign companies for oil contracts in Iraq." -- For more on this issue see....The Jackass Brays - 10-22-09 - mpg
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Hezbollah Fortifies Frontier Against Israel - They're getting ready. - mpg
War Alert - A quote...."NABATIYEH, Lebanon – In the mountains towering above this southern city, Hezbollah (Party of God) is building a new line of defense on lands where a fierce war was once fought between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel."

China President opens Kazakh gas pipeline
Special Note - Oil & Gas Geo-Politics - A quote...."Chinese President Hu Jintao has inaugurated the Kazakh section of a 7,000km natural gas pipeline, a major pipeline to connect Central Asia to China. -- The 1,800 kilometers pipeline starts at Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border and runs through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching the Chinese northwest region of Xinjiang, Chinese deputy foreign minister Wang Guangya told reporters on Sunday."

Croatia eyes South Stream share
A quote...."Moscow.  In the frames of his visit to Moscow Croatian President Stjepan Mesic discussed with the Russian state leadership the possibility for Zagreb to join the South Stream gas pipeline project, Russian government daily newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes. -- An intergovernmental agreement is being worked out at the moment, a Russian high-ranking state official informed. During his visit to Moscow, President Mesic talked to his Russian counterpart and prime minister."

Leader of rebel Abkhazia 'wins reelection'
A quote...."SUKHUMI, Georgia — Separatist leader Sergei Bagapsh has won reelection by a crushing margin in rebel Abkhazia in a vote considered illegitimate by most of the world but hailed by Russia, officials said Sunday."

Chavez says Clinton threatens Venezuela over ties with Iran
A quote...."MOSCOW, December 14 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said a recent statement by the U.S. secretary of state on ties with Iran was "a clear threat" against his country and Bolivia, the EFE news agency said on Monday. -- Hillary Clinton said on Monday that "if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them." She expressed hope that they would "think twice" before doing so." - also posted at AlethoNews -- Ahhhhh, HH is now threatening Venezuela and no doubt the rest of Latin and Central America with the massive reemergence of the US-NRE's old fashioned Death Squads -- For more on this issue see Hideous Hillary's New Death Squads. - mpg

U.S. military bases in Colombia threaten regional peace: ALBA
A quote...."HAVANA, Dec.14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. military bases in Colombia are a grave threat to the peace, security and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean region, the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas (ALBA) said Monday."

Brazil: Dictatorship torture to be investigated
A quote...."(AP) — RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's government plans to create a truth commission to investigate torture used by military dictatorships of the past, the nation' human rights minister said Sunday."

CLIMATE CHANGE:  Developing Countries Insist Kyoto Stays
Special Note - A quote...."COPENHAGEN, Dec 14 (IPS) - The U.N. Climate Change Conference enters its final week under a cloud of uncertainty as the Africa Group led a protest of the developing world against a perceived attempt to abandon the Kyoto Protocol." - also posted at CommonDreams -- It's starting, the thirty year plan to slowly destroy countries in Africa, just like the one they used to destroy the countries in the Middle East, is now being implamented. -- For more on this issue see....Africa - the Next Target - 02-28-08 - mpg
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Engineer fires torpedos at the 9/11 lie
Vid#1 -  Vid#2 -  Vid#3 -  Vid#4 -  Vid#5 -  Vid#6 -  Vid#7 -  Vid#8 -  Vid#9 -  Vid#10 - Vid#11
Videos - He starts out a little rough for the first ten minutes, but he warms up quickly enough. - mpg -- (YouTube - aprox 10min each - December 14, 2009) -- A quote...."Mechanical Engineer Derek Johnson gives his “Engineering Destruction” talk for Architects and Engineers for 9/11Truth."

22 million missing Bush-era emails found, set for 2014 release
A quote...."Computer technicians have found 22 million missing White House e-mails from the administration of President George W. Bush and the Obama administration is searching for dozens more days' worth of potentially lost e-mail from the Bush years, according to two groups that filed suit over the failure by the Bush White House to install an electronic record keeping system." -- Sooooo, they spent months carefully screening and sanitizing the e-mails....than they "found them".  Hopefully someone with integrity will be allowed access to the original databases before they're transferred to the National Archives and re-formatted, re-numbered, re-sequenced and stripped of all their origination and address information. - mpg

Supreme Court Ruling Means Torture May Return
Police State / Midieval State Alert - A quote...."The Supreme Court has just ruled that four Guantanamo prisoners cannot sue the government for torture. The Center for Constitutional Rights notes:"


"As Raw Story notes, this means that torture could return."

A Big Win For Our Restore Justice At Justice Campaign—Paul Minor Bribery Conviction Overturned By The Court Of Appeals -  Action Update -- A quote...."Check out our Restore Justice at Justice Campaign, http://www.velvetrevolution.us/restore_justice/, and you will see three photos at the top — Eric Holder in the middle and Don Siegelman and Paul Minor on either side. When we launched this campaign, we demanded that Mr. Holder release all those politically prosecuted under the Bush administration, starting with Don Siegelman and Paul Minor. In our April 13th letter to Mr. Holder, we stated the following:" -- also posted at AftrDwngSt
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Pan-Arabism in context
Must Read - A quote...."A debate over Arab nationalism and its continued relevance, if any, was an inevitable corollary to the skirmishes between rival football fans in Om Durman. Some took the events in Sudan as a sign that Arab nationalism was over. Others said that Arab nationalism would survive all obstacles, presenting it as an immutable historical fact. There were still others who argued that it was time to pause and reconsider existing bonds without necessarily discounting the validity of pan-Arabism." -- also psoted at Uruknet

World Needs More Like Him
A quote...."Love this story. A man in Switzerland was so outraged that the government passed a law banning the Minaret on top of Mosques, that he decided to build one himself. He did so by extending his chimney and turning it into a "minaret." Now, here's the "awe bless him" moment, the guy is not Muslim, but he did this anyway to protest his government's actions and to send a message of peace to Muslims. Like I said, the world needs more like him:"

Reports: UK issues arrest warrant for Tzipi Livni
Special Note - A quote...."Bethlehem - Ma'an - A British court has issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni over her involvement in Israel's assault on Gaza last winter, the Qatari network Al-Jazeera reported on Monday."

Israel confirms U.K. arrest warrant against Livni
Related Article - A quote...."Senior officials in Israel confirmed reports on Monday that a British court issued an arrest warrant against opposition chairwoman Tzipi Livni for her role in orchestrating Israel's military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip nearly a year ago."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Another Childhood Nakba Memory
Must Read - A quote...."I remember it was one Sunday afternoon, sometime around one or two o'clock, when my father barged running into the house shouting "we have to leave, we have to leave". His face was all red; his eyes shined with piercing outrage, uncertainty and incredulity. -- I remember it was Sunday because my mother was fixing our special Sunday lunch that included meat –the only day in the week where we had a little bit of meat. Sundays were the only days in the week where the butchers would butcher fresh goat meat. I remember my mother had prepared a big kettle of “tabeekh” (stew of beans, tomato sauce and a bit of meat) with rice on the side. My village was mostly Christian with some Druze. We were a farming community relying, primarily, on olives and oil, without much cash." -- also posted at Uruknet

Bilin activist: "Words are not enough"
Must Read - A quote...."One night, the Israeli army surrounded my home, and took my father from his bed to come and knock on my door. They told him that because I was a child, they just wanted to speak to me for five minutes. Some of the soldiers were dressed in civilian clothes, and they grabbed me as soon as I opened the door. -- That five minutes became two years, in the worst place in the world -- Naqab prison [in the Negev desert]. I spent the first 20 days in solitary confinement. I was kept in a room I could only stand up in, with terrible food and no showers, and during the night in a room I could lie down in but had a hole in the roof, at a time when it was raining and snowing. Every day the soldiers were beating me, and every night they would bang on the door so that I couldn't sleep. The whole time, they were also asking me if I had thrown stones and what political party I belonged to, so in the end I admitted that I had, at some point, thrown stones. By the end of those 20 days, I smelled like an animal." -- also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

For Palestinians, Every Day Is Kristallnacht - posted at ICH
A quote...."December 14, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- “Settlers attack West Bank mosque and burn holy Muslim books” was a London Times headline on December 11, 2009. -- These attacks, together with the demolition of Palestinian homes, the uprooting of Palestinians’ olive groves, the innumerable checkpoints that prevent Palestinians from accessing schools, work, and medical care, the Israeli Wall that denies Palestinians access to the land stolen from them, and the isolation and blockade of the Gaza Ghetto, are part of the Israeli government’s policy of genocide for the Palestinians."

No freeze on Palestinian suffering
A quote...."Within minutes of our arrival in Tuwani, in the south Hebron hills of the West Bank, an army Jeep rolled into the village and shattered the mid-morning tranquillity. "We're turning this place into a closed military zone," announced the stern-faced commander to anyone within earshot. Brandishing his rifle in one hand and a military document in the other, he proceeded to explain that "I decide who can be here and who can't, and anyone who isn't a resident has to leave immediately". -- That meant us – me, my friend and our three guides from the Villages Group – as well as the other activists who maintain a permanent presence in Tuwani assisting the locals in their struggle to survive." -- also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

Wall on Gaza Violates International Law - posted at ICH
A quote...."December 13, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- The collusion between Egypt and the U.S. to build a wall separating Egypt from Gaza not only threatens Gazans' health and quality of life, already severely deteriorated by the de facto Israeli blockade, it is a serious violation of international law." -- also posted at Uruknet

’A Horrifying Demographic Problem’
A quote...."A wave of recent studies from academics both sides of the wall have revealed ingrained racism in Israeli schools. Books authorised by the ministry of education habitually use geography, history, language and other methods to instil negative perceptions of Arabs and Palestinians."

Report: Israeli academic institutions' role in the occupation
Action Alert - Special Note - Boycott, Divest and Sanction - Because it's the ONLY action they understand - mpg -- A quote...."Through this report the Alternative Information Center (AIC) aims to inform and empower the debate on an academic boycott by giving information not on the Israeli violence and violations of International law and human rights, but on the part in the Israeli occupation played by the very academic institutions in question, and how vulnerable are they to a possible boycott." -- For more on how to Boycott, Divest and Sanction the state of Israel see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website. - mpg

Haniyeh hails Hamas 'victory' on anniversary
A quote...."Gaza – Ma’an/Agencies – Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters gathered in Gaza City’s central square on Monday to mark the 22nd anniversary of the of the movement’s founding."

'My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story' by Ramzy Baroud -- Available Now
Book Review - From the history file -- Wednesday, 04 November 2009 06:37  -- A quote...."Many books covered the early years, but most were in Arabic. Baroud's [My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story - GoglBkSrch] is one of the few in English "about the life, depopulation and (literal) struggle for survival of the people of a Palestinian village in southern Palestine." In spanning over seven decades of history and survivor recollections, "it stands out as an unblemished depiction of their plight" as only those who experienced it can describe."
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More on Obama's non-health no-care bill - "Breaking [News]: Dems consider dropping Medicare expansion 14 Dec 2009 The end game at hand, Senate DemocRATs appeared ready to jettison a proposed Medicare expansion from sweeping 'health care' legislation Monday in a bid to remove the largest remaining obstacle in the way of Christmas-week passage of the measure. [When no one is paying attention, this corporaterrorist giveaway is going to be forced upon us.] -- Paragraph quoted from CLG
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Killing the Currency
Special Note - A quote...."Bush and Obama have engaged in record peacetime deficit spending; so too did Herbert Hoover and then Franklin Roosevelt (even though in the 1932 election campaign, FDR promised Americans a balanced budget). Bush and Obama approved massive federal interventions into the financial sector, at the behest of their respective Treasury secretaries. Believe it or not, in 1932 the allegedly “do-nothing” Herbert Hoover signed off on the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), which was given billions of dollars to prop up unsound financial institutions and make loans to state and local governments. And as with so many other elements of the New Deal, FDR took over and expanded the RFC that had been started under Hoover." -- also posted at DProgram

2010: "The Year of Severe Economic Contraction" - posted at ICH
Special Note - A quote...."December 14, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- Upbeat reports in the financial media, belie the effects of the ongoing credit contraction. Massive injections of central bank liquidity have prevented the collapse of financial markets, but have done nothing to ease the deleveraging of households or stimulate activity the broader economy. The crisis has stripped $13 trillion in equity from working families who now find their access to credit either cut off or severely curtailed by the same banks that received hefty taxpayer-funded bailouts. The fiscal strangulation of the millions of people who are no longer considered "creditworthy" is progressively weakening demand and spreading pessimism across all income levels. Growing public desperation was the focus of a special weekend report by Bloomberg News:"

CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN - Flow of funds
A quote...."The US Federal Reserve's third quarter Z.1 "flow of funds" report offers little positive news. At a 2.8% seasonally-adjusted and annualized rate (SAAR), total non-financial credit growth actually slowed from Q2's 4.5%. Non-financial credit was up $1.493 trillion, or 4.5%, over the past four quarters, a likely insufficient amount to spur self-reinforcing credit system recovery. Total (non-financial and financial) system credit actually declined $113 billion during the quarter to $52.617 trillion, the second straight decline (Q2 down $169 billion). Total system credit increased only $547 billion over the past year, or 1.1%, with financial sector credit down 5.2% y-o-y to $16.1 trillion. [and YET] The ratio of total system debt to gross domestic product (GDP) was at a near-record 369%."

For Week Ending December 14, Insider Selling Outpaces Buying By A Factor Of 32
A quote...."While certainly a "slight" improvement from last week's ratio of 82 sales for every buy (in dollar value), this week we see a reversion back to the recent mean of about 30x, or a 32.4x ratio of insider selling to buying, to be specific. In the last week insiders sold $332.7 million worth of stock and bought $10.2 million. The recession continues being over."

Protesters in Seattle warned us what was coming, but we didn't listen
A quote...."Ten years ago, protesters gathered in a port city; politicians arrived for intense backroom negotiations; the city's hotels were booked out by representatives of thousands of NGOs from all over the world. In 1999 Seattle, like Copenhagen this week, was a big international meeting attempting to exert some governance over globalisation. There's a fitting symmetry that these two meetings bookend this decade. For while the Seattle protests were deliberately misrepresented and widely misunderstood at the time, their agenda has proved unanswerable. Copenhagen is belatedly grappling with just one aspect of Seattle's unfinished business." -- also posted at CounterCurrents

US jobless claims rise, job openings decline
A quote...."Initial US jobless claims in the week ending December 5 rose 17,000 from the previous week, confounding economists who had predicted a decline. The increase in the number of workers filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits brought the total of such claims for the week to a seasonally adjusted 474,000."

Sunday December 13th 2009

No posts. - mpg

Saturday December 12th 2009

Iran Deal on Brink of Collapse as West Condemns Compromise
Must Read - (for the outrage) - A quote...."In September, Iran proposed a system of third party enrichment which would allow the nation to create medical isotopes without having to enrich any uranium to levels higher than needed for its energy generation program. After intense negotiation the draft agreement had Iran exporting much of its existing low-enriched stockpile to Russia and eventually France. -- The “eventually France” part was a stalling point for Iran however, as France had previously reneged on Uranium Hexafluoride shipments to them and Iranian MPs expressed concern that the French might simply keep the uranium once it got to them. -- This led Iran to propose today’s compromise deal, the chief aspect of which was that they would ship the uranium out in stages rather than all at once. This would have limited the potential losses to their stockpile in the event the deal fell apart. -- But for Europeans, getting Iran to hand over the bulk of its uranium all at once was the best part of the deal...." -- bold by website editor -- posted 10-29-09

What a bunch of lousy, little, snot-nosed, pieces, of dog poop.  The Europeans were OBVIOUSLY going to renege on the deal, they were going to steal Iran's uranium.  Once Iran handed over all its uranium they would have said "what uranium", snickered, and left Iran looking foolish.  This whole thing has just killed the NPT.  It’s all over folks, Europe and the US-NRE have very publicly, in front of the whole world, just shot the NPT in the head.  It's now dead as a door nail. It can never be revived.  No other country could EVER trust Europe or the US-NRE to be honest brokers regarding this issue again.  This particular incident will be remembered - forever - by everyone. – mpg

IAEA censures Iran over atomic site
A quote...."The UN nuclear watchdog's governing body has voted overwhelmingly to censure Iran for developing a uranium enrichment site in secret, and has demanded it freeze the project immediately." -- By the way folks, you'll notice as you read this article that neither the IAEA, nor any of the countries who voted against Iran, stated Iran’s construction of the plant violated the NPT or in fact, any international laws, because it didn't.  In fact Iran is not required to inform the IAEA of the construction of enrichment facilities like this, nor any other members of the NPT, until six months before the scheduled introduction of nuclear material to the facility.  Iran informed the IAEA eighteen months before their projected introduction of nuclear material to the facility, assuming all goes well with the plants construction.  In actuality it'll probably take them longer than that to get the plant ready to start processing nuclear fuel.  Again this "special treatment" of Iran at the behest of Isreal and the US-NRE is just another nail in the coffin of the NPT. –mpg - posted 11-27-09

Iran set to construct ten new enrichment plants
Special Note - Related Article - This is simply the Iranian leadership venting their frustration's, a few of them, still, unbelievably, after all this time, must have actually thought some of the western powers were negotiating in good faith.  That they would at least make an attempt to follow the NPT’s rules and procedures, that they would at the minimum try to appear impartial.  Obviously as it turns out, the Iranians were just being silly.  The entire world is now discovering that following the US-NRE's lead on these sorts of issues, signed documents, treaties, covenants and agreements mean absolutely NOTHING to some of the western powers, their signatures mean nothing to them.  If it hasn't become clear yet to the world community, it should be crystal clear by now....the NPT is as dead as a door nail, it's finished, it's kaput....it's over. – mpg-- A quote...."Days after a new resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog called on Iran to halt the construction of its Fordo enrichment plant, the Iranian government tasks the Atomic Energy Organization (AEO) with building ten more nuclear enrichment sites." - posted 11-29-09

Friday December 11th 2009

2009-2010: An Economic Crossroads
Must Read - A quote...."Final elimination of the gold standard in 1971 removed any objective measure of the value of Federal Reserve currency. Since then, the dollar has lost 85 percent of its value. Despite the rhetoric, government and Fed policies inflate the currency in order to pay off debt with dollars of less value. --  Some members of Congress are trying to rein in the Fed, but so far with little success. Numerous proposals for monetary reform are coming from all quarters, but the power of the Fed and banking system in favor of maintaining the status quo is enormous. --  With the power wielded by the privileges of big banking, combined with big government and its Keynesian deficit-based financial system, we have completely forgotten that time in our history when money was viewed as a medium of exchange for producers of goods and services. Prior to 1913, the creation and use of money was much less centralized and mainly served the marketplace."

Bernanke's Faux Recovery
Must Read - A quote...."December 11, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- -"Economic recovery" is a term that has no fixed meaning. But it's worth mulling-over to determine whether aggregate demand is strong enough to keep the economy from tipping back into recession. In normal times, the Fed slashes interest rates to increase the flow of capital to the markets and to consumers via lending at the banks. That's the traditional method of "jump starting" the economy. The Fed has never initiated policies which provide unlimited guarantees for underwater financial institutions. Nor has it ever poured more than a trillion dollars directly into the financial system by creating excess reserves at the banks and direct purchases of long-term assets. (Quantitative Easing) All of this is new. Naturally, this ocean of liquidity has produced price distortions which have been confused with real recovery. The S&P has soared more than 60 percent in the last 9 months, even though the yield on short-term Treasurys are at historic lows. What does it mean? It means that investors are still fearfully shoving money into safe/conservative bonds, while speculators--who have access to the Fed's zero-rate capital--are loading up on high-risk assets and pushing stocks into the stratosphere. This doesn't tell us anything about organic growth in the economy or whether consumers--who make up 70 percent of GDP--will be able to sustain demand going forward. It's mostly just hype."

Obama's Big Sellout
Must Read - A quote...."Obama may not have run to the left of Samuel Gompers or Cesar Chavez, but it's not like you saw him on the campaign trail flanked by bankers from Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. What inspired supporters who pushed him to his historic win was the sense that a genuine outsider was finally breaking into an exclusive club, that walls were being torn down, that things were, for lack of a better or more specific term, changing. -- Then he got elected. -- What's taken place in the year since Obama won the presidency has turned out to be one of the most dramatic political about-faces in our history. Elected in the midst of a crushing economic crisis brought on by a decade of orgiastic deregulation and unchecked greed, Obama had a clear mandate to rein in Wall Street and remake the entire structure of the American economy. -- What he did instead was ship even his most marginally progressive campaign advisers off to various bureaucratic Siberias, while packing the key economic positions in his White House with the very people who caused the crisis in the first place. This new team of bubble-fattened ex-bankers and laissez-faire intellectuals then proceeded to sell us all out, instituting a massive, trickle-up bailout and systematically gutting regulatory reform from the inside." - bold by website editor -- also posted at RollingStone

The Obama Effect: The Demise of the Democratic Party and a Gift to the Country
Must Read  - A quote...."Obama diverted the legitimate anger and energy for real change and scuttled it under the fraudulent tent of the Democratic Party. He led millions to the cliff; they are now falling off in droves. Those who've not quite gotten to the edge screech and yell: "Wait! Give him time!" Those who gave warning from the outset are not busy casting nets. We welcome the demise of the Democratic Party. -- And that is exactly the Obama Effect. Every last tissue of belief in the Democrats should by now be shred and cast aside. The Democrats are no less the corporate bailers and militarists than the Republicans. They hand trillions to the banks and brokerage firms; they dissolve union contracts and send the workers to the dogs; their unmanned drones bomb Pakistan, killing and maiming innocents and displacing tens of thousands; they sell the same lies about the wars-that they have to do with terrorism or democracy rather than oil and other resources-as their predecessors;"

House Passes Bill to Audit the Fed
BREAKING NEWS - A quote...."I have just received confirmation from a very credible Congressional source that the bill to audit the Federal Reserve is included in the House financial reform legislation which passed today. My source says...."

Are Food Stamps the Soup Lines of this Great Recession?
Chart - A quote...."Bloomberg notes that, as of 2007...."


Things have gotten much worse since 2007...."

Democrats to lift debt ceiling by $1.8 trillion, fear 2010 backlash - And they keep spending, and spending, and....
Neo-Roman Empires are just so expensive!  Who knew? - mpg -- A quote...."It is December. We don’t really have a choice,” Obey told POLITICO. “The bill’s already been run up; the credit card has already been used. When you get the bill in the mail you need to pay it.” -- Though Treasury can buy itself time by moving assets around, it is already coming close to the current debt ceiling of $12.1 trillion. Last spring, the Democratic-backed budget proposed to raise this to about $13 trillion, but given the current pace of borrowing, no one now expects that will be sufficient to get through 2010." -- also posted at DProgram

U.S. Foreclosures to Reach Record 3.9 Million in 2009 (Update1)
Dang!  Those Neo-Roman Empires are just sooo.....wait, never mind, said that, done that. - mpg -- A quote...." Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Foreclosure filings in the U.S. will reach a record for the second consecutive year with 3.9 million notices sent to homeowners in default, RealtyTrac Inc. said. -- This year’s filings will surpass 2008’s total of 3.2 million as record unemployment and price erosion batter the housing market, the Irvine, California-based company said."

Bankers might be feeling public’s wrath — literally
A quote...."A Los Angeles lawyer who had represented a failed subprime mortgage lender is found dead outside his home, having been shot in the head. -- Three men allegedly invade the home of a former subprime lender, and are arrested after reportedly injuring three people inside. -- Vandals target the home of the former CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland, smashing windows in the banker's home and car. -- Those are just three notable incidents of violence aimed at people who were in some way linked to the financial crisis that has unfolded over the past year."

Globalist NGO Has Opposition Website Taken Down
Censorship Alert - A quote...."Common Purpose, a globalist NGO dedicated to teaching a new generation of one-world leaders and apparatchiks, has applied pressure to the ISP hosting Brian Gerrish’s* website, resulting in the site being removed from the internet." - *link added
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Tread Carefully Congressmen… The Terrorists Are Still Out There
Must Read - A quote...."It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Dennis Kucinich would be wise to remember that. -- The congressman from Ohio is valiantly working to attempt to use the war powers act to end the illegal occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.- [YuTb]  He is going to submit two resolutions as soon as congress comes back in January that will set this plan of his into motion.  In all likelihood, the Rahm Emanuel/Hillary Clinton dominated DLCers of the congress will strike them both down with little fanfare from the corporate media.  However, like his impeachment resolution in 2007, there is a possibility that the antiwar faction of the right (yes, it’s small but it does exist) and some of the most exposed democrats facing re-election next year, may just be enough to garner Kucinich’s bills some traction. If he hooks up with the Ron Paul movement in the House, which has gained a considerable measure of strength with his “Audit the Fed” bill,  Kucinich may just have enough juice early in the election cycle of 2010 to actually make a game out of this. -- But if our “terrorist” history is any indication, that might not be the safest thing for the American people. -- Funny as it is, “the terrorists” always seem to strike when it is the most politically advantageous for the imperialists in the White House whether they are republican or democrat.  Odd how that works, ain’t it?" -- For more on this sort of issue see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central

A Closer Look at Israel’s Role in Terrorism
Must Read - A quote...."Response of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked on September 11, 2001 what the attacks meant for U.S.-Israeli relations -- Game theory war-planners rely on mathematical models to anticipate and shape outcomes with staged provocations. For the agent provocateur, the reactions to a provocation—as well as the reactions to those reactions—thereby become predictable within an acceptable range of probabilities. -- With ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan poised to expand to Iran and Pakistan, it is time to take a closer look at how conflicts are catalyzed—by way of deception."

Obama's Rejection Speech
Must Read - A quote...."That was not a peace prize acceptance speech.  That was an infomercial for war.  President Obama took the peace prize home with him, but left behind in Oslo his praise for war, his claims for war, and his view of an alternative and more peaceful approach to the world consisting of murderous economic sanctions."

'Whatever Mistakes We Have Made' - posted at Consortium News
Must Read - A quote...." The history of war has long included that of politicians who justify war in the name of peace. -- After ordering the deaths of thousands or millions of people, they insist on tormenting the distraught survivors with disingenuous hand-wringing, mythological history and self-congratulation. -- They demonize their victims, marginalize their suffering, and never apologize. -- On Thursday in Oslo, after less than a year in office, President Obama took his place among this parade of the most cynical of historical figures."

Alex Jones on Russia Today – Obama’s peace prize is a joke - Alt - (RT-YuTb - 4m 20s - Dec 10, 2009)
Must View Video - A quote...."Barack Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize as he plans to expand the war in Afghanistan and continue many of George W. Bush’s policies. Radio host Alex Jones says that Obama’s actions over the past 11 months have shown that he is a complete fraud and the Nobel committee has made a joke of the peace prize by giving it to Obama."

Ron Paul – War-monger Obama should have returned Nobel Award - Alt - (RT-YouTube - 50 sec - Dec 10, 2009)
Video - A quote...."(RussiaToday) – As the U.S prepares to send more troops to the war in Afghanistan, Barack Obama's in Norway to receive his Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in October. The Nobel Committee said it wanted to praise Obama's efforts to strengthen diplomacy and co-operation between nations. But for many, the 44th U.S. president was a surprise choice. Republican Congressman Ron Paul says Obama's recent war plans show he shouldn't have been awarded the peace prize "

David Swanson on Obama Peace Prize - Alt - (RT YouTube - 4 min 36 sec - December 10, 2009)
Video - A quote...."Just as controversial as Barack Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize has been his speech accepting the prize, during which he seemed to advocate for war. Dina Gusovsky discussed the speech with author and anti-war activist David Swanson. "
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Can Nobel Prize Winner Obama At LEAST Stop the Torture? - Maybe he enjoys the videos? - mpg
Must Read - On Thursday, President Obama said:


Presumably, complying with American and international law are some of the ideals that we fight to defend. -- Torture is a violation of both international and American law. Specifically, the Geneva Convention makes it illegal to inflict mental or physical torture or inhuman treatment."

President Obama 'creating torture impunity'
Related Article - A quote...."A US civil rights group says that President Barack Obama by creating impunity is following his predecessor into allowing torture policies to continue in the country."

Judge finds Pentagon in contempt in Gitmo case
Related Article - A quote...."WASHINGTON — A federal judge has found the Defense Department in contempt of court for failing to videotape the testimony of a prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay."

Scott Horton Interviews Scott Horton
Audio Interview - A quote...."The Other Scott Horton (no relation), international human rights lawyer, professor and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine, discusses the Seton Hall report (pdf) that casts doubt on the “suicide” death of three Guantanamo inmates in 2006, the highly redacted and delayed release of the military’s cover-up investigation, indications that less than ten percent of all Gitmo prisoners may be serious terrorists, the legal immunity enjoyed by high governmental officials during the Bush and Obama administrations and why Justice Antonin Scalia’s Opus Dei affiliation may influence his views on torture." -- MP3 here. (54min:01sec)

Is Obama Really Preparing for Civil War?
A quote...."According to an obscure report in the European Union Times, "Russian Military Analysts are reporting to Prime Minister Putin that US President Barack Obama has issued an order to his Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) top leader, US Air Force General Gene Renuart, to 'begin immediately' increasing his military forces to 1 million troops by January 30, 2010, in what these reports warn is an expected outbreak of civil war within the United States before the end of winter."
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Special Note -- "Obama reaffirms Bush opposition to verifying stockpiles of anthrax, smallpox --In 2001, the Bush administration abruptly withdrew from lengthy negotiations to create a verification regimen. 09 Dec 2009 The Obama administration plans to announce a new policy on Wednesday to curb the spread of biological weapons, but it will reaffirm the Bush regime’s opposition to an international regimen for verifying stockpiles of anthrax, smallpox and other agents. The policy, to be disclosed in a speech in Geneva by the undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, Ellen O. Tauscher, will focus on increasing health security to reduce the impact of outbreaks of infectious disease, whether natural or man-made, administration officials said Tuesday. The United States, these officials said, will pledge to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention, a 1975 treaty barring the development, production and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons. But Ms. Tauscher will declare that the Obama administration does not support efforts to create a mechanism for monitoring compliance with the treaty because, a senior administration official said, supplies of biological weapons are "too difficult to verify." -- Paragraph quoted from CLG -- Well whada'ya'know, Obama is gonna continue the US-NRE's illegal bio-warfare programs.  You Obamatrolls given up yet on the "pope of hope" on the parasitic class's good'ol boy of "change"? - mpg

WMD treaty violations and inspection refusal for biological, nuclear, chemical weapons. Iran? No, US
Related Article -- A quote...."First, the length of a headline prevents me from including the damning introduction of treaty violation of torture, legal war, use of depleted uranium, and refusal to make antipersonnel landmines illegal. Now, to substantiate the headline’s shocking and factual lead:" --   President Obama rejected inspection protocol for US biological weapons, in Orwellian contradiction to his statement to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). This comes after increased US investment in bio-weapons during the Bush Administration with multiple reports of secret and illegal programs." - also posted at ICH

Sound Familiar? -- US[-NRE] Refuses to Allow UN Inspectors to Investigate its WMDs
Related Article - A quote...."December 09, 2009 "AFP" --  The United States said Wednesday that it remained opposed to international inspections of biological weapon sites, even though it stressed its commitment to a UN treaty covering such arms and invaded Iraq in part over its alleged stalling of -- UN weapons inspectors."

Anthrax War - Alt/Vid#1 - Alt/Vid#2 - (YouTube - aprox 10min each - September 06, 2009)
Videos - Related Videos -- A quote...."An investigation into the deadly world of germ weapons, Anthrax War begins in New York in the days following 9/11. Anthrax-laced letters, mailed to media and U.S. senators, killed five people and spread fear and panic throughout the nation. -- For filmmaker Bob Coen, who was raised in Zimbabwe where the former white regime has been accused of unleashing anthrax against the black population, biological weapons have a deep personal meaning. He embarks on a journey that raises troubling questions about the FBI's investigation of the 21st century's first act of biological terrorism. ."

For more on this issue see....US-False Flag Ops - Anthrax
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Private guards ‘took part in raids on al-Qaeda militants’
Special Note -- A qutoe...."Mercenaries have been taking part in American raids on al-Qaeda militants in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to newspaper reports that will intensify pressure on Congress to curtail the use of private security guards in war zones. -- The disclosure that former Navy Seals and other US special forces soldiers employed by Blackwater Worldwide took part in CIA raids may also prompt fresh scrutiny of General Stanley McChrystal. The senior Nato commander in Afghanistan was head of the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations Command between 2003 and 2008, when he directed covert attacks on al-Qaeda’s leadership in Iraq." -- also posted at ICH

‘CIA asked Blackwater to take out AQ Khan’
Related Article - A quote...."LAHORE: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had asked private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide to kill Dr AQ Khan, the Pakistani scientist “who shared nuclear know-how with Iran, Libya, and North Korea”, agency’s founder Erik Prince admitted in an interview with Vanity Fair."

Blackwater Guards Tied to Secret Raids by the C.I.A.
Related Article -- A quote...."WASHINGTON — Private security guards from Blackwater Worldwide participated in some of the C.I.A.’s most sensitive activities — clandestine raids with agency officers against people suspected of being insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan and the transporting of detainees, according to former company employees and intelligence officials."
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Why is the USA in Afghanistan? - Alt - (RN YouTube - 14 min 35 sec - December 09, 2009)
Must View Video Interview - Real News interviews F. William Engdahl, author of "Full Spectrum Dominance: Totalitarian Democracy in the New World Order". He may be reached via his website, http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net

Robert Fisk - Obama is a Disaster - Alt - (YouTube - 2 min 48 sec - December 07, 2009)
Must View Video Interview - A quote...."Robert Fisk makes a few observations about Obama, imperialism, Afghanistan and the Middle East. - posted by SuppressedNews"

Winning the War, 30 Taliban at a Time
Propaganda Alert - A quote...."Just how often has the U.S. and NATO killed the Taliban in groups of 30 during 2009? The answer may surprise you:" -- also posted at Uruknet

Why Do Airstrikes in Afghanistan Keep Killing Exactly 30 People?
Related Article - A quote...."Security Crank documented no less than 12 occasions in which news reports, relying on field commanders' estimates, noted that exactly 30 suspected Taliban were killed in airstrikes and, occasionally, artillery attacks. He said...."

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Networks Still Hosting Military Analysts Without Identifying Massive Conflicts Of Interest
Propaganda Alert - A quote...."Major television networks continue to host retired generals as military analysts without alerting viewers to their extensive ties to defense contractors and the Pentagon." - also posted at ICH -- For more on this issue see....Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon's Hidden Hand - The New York Time's Article

No-sama bin Laden
Propaganda Alert - A quote...."Monday’s revelation from Defense Secretary Robert Gates that "I think it has been years" since the US government has had any solid information about Osama bin Laden should come as no surprise to readers of Antiwar.com, which has been questioning the rationale for the global war on terrorism ever since it was a twinkle in Dick Cheney’s eye.  Gates also commented that US intelligence believes that the fugitive terrorists might well be moving about in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The "where’s Waldo" narrative provided by Gates is somewhat shocking in light of the billions of dollars that have been spent in the search for the slippery Saudi, but it is even more significant in that it completely undercuts the Barack Obama Administration’s case for increasing the number of American troops in Afghanistan." - also posted at Uruknet - For more on this issue see....US Fake Intel / Propaganda - Osama bin long gone Laden

Special Report: Years of Deceit:  US Openly Accepts bin Laden Long Dead
Special Note - Propaganda Alert - Related Article - A quote...."Conservative commentator, former Marine Colonel Bob Pappas has been saying for years that bin Laden died at Tora Bora and that Senator Kerry's claim that bin Laden escaped with Bush help was a lie.  Now we know that Pappas was correct.  The embarassment of having Secretary of State Clinton talk about bin Laden in Pakistan was horrific.  He has been dead since December 13, 2001 and now, finally, everyone, Obama, McChrystal, Cheney, everyone who isn't nuts is finally saying what they have known for years." - also posted at ICH -- For more on this issue see....US Fake Intel / Propaganda - Osama bin long gone Laden

Afghanistan: UK and US seek to cancel 2010 parliamentary election
Must be "mor'ol dat dare freedom and democracy". - mpg -- A quote...."Britain and America are seeking to cancel next year's parliamentary election in Afghanistan amid fears that it will distract from President Barack Obama's new strategy to bring security to the country."
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John Prescott expresses doubt over British support for Iraq invasion
A quote...."John Prescott has become the latest senior Labour politician to voice open doubts about his own support for Tony Blair's decision in 2003 to place British military forces behind the American-led invasion of Iraq. -- In a wide-ranging interview with the New Statesman magazine the former deputy prime minister asks himself: " I do wonder, looking back now, having the privilege of discussing with Tony about all this, how did I go along [with it]?"

NEWS ANALYSIS: Details emerge on Ukrainian arms sale to Iraq
A quote...." Kiev - A 2.4-billion-dollar Ukrainian weapons sale to Iraq will give Baghdad's army a powerful upgrade and the former Soviet republic's arms industry an unprecedented capital injection, according to news reports Thursday. -- Once complete, the sale to Iraq will be the biggest weapons export contract in Ukrainian history, dwarfing a 650-million-dollar delivery of 320 tanks to Pakistan ending in 2002."

Diplomat, scientist among 11 Iranians 'held by US'
A quote...."TEHRAN (AFP) – Iranian media published a list on Wednesday of 11 Iranians, including a truck driver, a former diplomat and a nuclear scientist, who it claims are being held in the United States or other countries."

France Urges Quick Action on New UN Sanctions on Iran (Update1)
A quote...."Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- France urged immediate action to adopt tougher United Nations sanctions against Iran to halt its nuclear program, while China and Russia called for patience and further negotiations with the government in Tehran."

IDF simulates missile attacks, war against Syria and Hezbollah
War Alert - A quote...."The Israel Defense Forces carried out two extensive drills this week, simulating war and national emergency situation. -- Both drills were two-day affairs for which dozens of reserve officers were mobilized and included scenarios in which ballistic missiles with conventional and nonconventional warheads landed in Israeli cities."

Anger in Pakistan over Obama peace prize
A quote...."Critics in Pakistan and Afghanistan have questioned the wisdom of giving a Noble Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama who is blamed for the recent surge in violence there. -- Independently conducted polls show that there was widespread anger and resentment following the prize giving ceremony in troubled parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where many blame Washington for instability in the region."

Global energy giants win contracts for 2 Iraqi oil fields
These are "service contracts" only. - mpg -- A quote...."BAGHDAD, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The world's leading energy companies won rights to develop two major oil fields in Iraq at an auction on Friday. -- Royal Dutch Shell and Malaysia's Petronas were awarded the contract to exploit the Majnoon oil field in southern Iraq, one of the world's largest untapped oil fields with more than 12 billion barrels of proven reserves. -- They accepted a fee of 1.39 U.S. dollars per barrel."

'Saudi, Israel tie-up' in Turkmenistan
Special Note - A quote...."BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The drive by foreign companies to grab a piece of the action in gas-rich Turkmenistan is reported to be producing some strange bedfellows -- like PetroSaudi, owned by the son of King Abdallah, and Merhav, an Israeli conglomerate run by former intelligence officer Yosef Maiman. -- According to Intelligence Online, a Paris-based Web site that covers global security issues, the companies from these longtime Middle Eastern adversaries are negotiating a partnership "through intermediaries" to explore the Serdar field that straddles the border between Turkmenistan and oil-rich Azerbaijan." -- What is UPI talking about when they say "strange bedfellows" and "longtime Middle Eastern adversaries", are they completely deranged?  The stupidity of the mass-infotainment complex is simply astounding. -- For more on this issue see....The True Axis of Evil - 10-10-08 - mpg & The Kingdom of Leprosy - 10-07-08 - mpg

Houthis stop Saudi encroaching into Yemen
A quote...."Houthi fighters say they have repulsed Saudi forces trying to infiltrate the rugged Sa'ada province of northern Yemen, after killing a number of Saudi soldiers. -- The Shia Houthis said they pushed Saudi troops back from the village of Jaberi and killed an unspecified number of Saudi soldiers. They also reportedly destroyed one of their tanks."

Saudi arrests over 1,800 Yemeni refugees
Related Article - Ahhhhh.....the taking of hostages, the delicious screams in the night, the US-NRE's ally doing the Israeli "collective punishment thing" to completely innocent refugees.  One would guess they learn from the best. - mpg -- A quote...."Saudi Arabia has detained 1,805 refugees near its border with Yemen where it has deployed thousands of troops to help Sana'a clamp down on Shia Houthi fighters. -- The Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat cited senior Saudi military sources as claiming that the detainees arrested in the last 10 days had "infiltrated the Saudi-Yemen border."

US: No evidence Iran backs Houthis
Aw My Gawd!! - How did the truth EVER leave a US-NRE official's lips? - How could this have happened? - Don't worry, they'll be retracting this statement as soon as possible. - mpg -- A quote...."US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs says there is no proof that Iran is supporting Houthi fighters in Yemen."

Lebanese parliament votes in favor of new cabinet
A quote...."The 128-member parliament, began a three-day debate on Tuesday which ended late on Thursday and overwhelmingly approved the national unity government of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, which included three Hezbollah ministers."

Egypt demolishing Muslim Brotherhood hospital
A quote...."Egypt has begun the demolition of a new hospital built by the opposition Muslim Brotherhood for the poor in the capital over what it called the building's 'unsafe' edifice."

Romania court asks for time on election verdict
A quote...."Romania's constitutional court may delay a verdict on the legitimacy of the December 6 election, as the country struggles to end a political row threatening its economic recovery. -- A court spokeswoman said on Thursday that the court required a series of sessions to investigate complaints. -- President Traian Basescu narrowly defeated the opposition leader Mircea Geoana in Sunday's presidential runoff, which Geoana has slammed as a "massive fraud" due to multiple voting and bribery."

ALBA: Five Years of Real Integration
A quote...."Havana, Dec 11 (Prensa Latina) After five years of its creation, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) has strengthened as a mechanism of social and economic integration, but also as a regional referent for its political leadership."

Brazilian president hails economic solidity of Brazil, Peru
A quote...."LIMA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The economic solidity of Peru and Brazil is "envy" of rich countries, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday. "Today, many rich countries envy the economy solidity we have," Lula said after meeting with his Peruvian counterpart Alan Garcia. "Let's look at the map of Brazil and Peru: it is like if we were holding hands. That is how God made our continent."

Brazil Seeking Bids to Build, Operate High-Speed Rail Line
A quote...."RIO DE JANEIRO – The Brazilian government this week will open the bidding process to build a high-speed train line that will link Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, authorities said Monday."

US warns Latin America against cozying up to Iran
Thug Alert - A quote...."As Iran increases its presence in US backyard, the US secretary of states warns Latin American nations about the consequences of the move. -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went on several official trips to Latin American countries, including Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela in November." -- Why the heck would Latin America want to do "business" with the US-NRE or Israel, this is all you'll get, thugish attempts at intimidation and creatinous threats. - mpg -- For more on this issue see....We'll make them an offer they can't refuse. - 09-06-06 - mpg & The US is After Europe Too! - 03-23-08 -  mpg

Ukraine requests emergency loan from IMF
A quote...."KIEV, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has requested around 2 billion U.S. dollars in emergency loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to overcome an "extremely difficult" financial situation, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria said on Friday. -- "Meeting payments in the next three months will be extremely difficult without the IMF funding," Nemyria said in an statement."

Israeli settlers attack mosque
A quote...."Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian West Bank have vandalised a mosque, torching its library and spraying hate messages in Hebrew on the building. -- The attack blamed on hardline Jews on Friday may be linked to plans that seek to curb their illegal settlement activity on land taken from Palestinians."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Norman Finkelstein: Israel's Disgrace in Gaza - Alt/Vid#1 - Alt/Vid#2 - (YouTube - 1hr - Dec. 07, 2009)
Must View Videos - A quote...."Norman Finkelstein clarifies Israel's invasion of Gaza December '08 was a one-sided war, disproportionate use of force, crime against humanity, a disgrace. He relies on Goldstone Report, among others, and testimony of Israeli soldiers. At the Brecht Forum in Manhattan Dec 3, '09" -- For more on this issue see....US Sponsored Civil Wars & Gaza Invasion of 12/27/08

Israeli Occupation, Colonialism & Apartheid
Must Read - A quote...."The Cape Town, South Africa-based Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) "conduct(s) large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific projects for public-sector users, non-governmental organisations and international development agencies," and disseminates its findings widely. -- In May 2009, it issued a damning report titled, "Occupation, Colonialism, Apartheid? A re-assessment of Israel's practices in the occupied Palestinian territories under international law." At the time John Dugard was the UN's Special Human Rights Rapporteur for Occupied Palestine. At his January 2007 suggestion, the study was undertaken "to scrutinise (his) hypothesis from the perspective of international law." It stated: -- "Israel is clearly in military occupation of the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories). At the same time, elements of the occupation constitute forms of colonialism and of apartheid, which are contrary to international law."

SINN FEIN CALLS FOR IRELAND TO BREAK DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH ISRAEL
Must Read - BREAKING NEWS - Action Update - Quote of the Day - (shown below) A quote...."Sinn Féin gets it right again. TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has come out swinging after Israel refused entry of Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin into Gaza recently. He is calling for a suspension of all diplomatic ties with Israel:"


"And Aengus should know as he's been to Gaza and witnessed the effects of the siege several times."

Palestinian leader speaks from prison
Interview - A quote...."Jerusalem (CNN) -- One of the key players in Palestinian politics and therefore in any future peace talks with Israel has spoken to CNN from his Israeli prison cell. Marwan Barghouti is serving five life sentences following his conviction in an Israeli court on murder and other charges related to his role in planning attacks on Israelis during the second Intifada."

Israel seizes Bil’in anti-wall protest leader
A quote...."Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces seized Abdullah Abu Rahmah, a member of the Popular Committee against the Wall ofthe village of Bil’in early on Thursday, according to Palestinian Authority police." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Another nonviolent Palestinian leader is jailed by Israel
A quote...."Another nonviolent Palestinian activist has joined Mohammed Othman in an Israeli jail for the sole crime of organizing demonstrations against the separation wall. -- A couple months ago, Abdallah Abu Rahmah of Bi’lin was providing a tour of his village for Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former UN human rights chief Mary Robinson, and several other Elders. He is a leader of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, which organizes the weekly protests across the West Bank against the wall."

Detention of young children up 64% - Alt
Database - A quote...."[Ramallah, 9 December 2009] - According to the latest figures compiled by DCI-Palestine from sources including the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) and temporary Israeli army detention facilities, the number of Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons and detention centres inside Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory at the end of November, was 306." -- also posted at Uruknet

Jewish terrorists torch West Bank Mosque, scrawl Nazi slogans
A quote...."In what seems to signal an escalation of organized Jewish terror against Palestinians and their property, suspected Jewish terrorists on Friday torched a mosque in the northern West Bank "

21 activists arrested during a protest against house evictions in Sheikh Jarrah
A quote...."Six Israel Police officers were lightly wounded and 21 left-wing activists were arrested Friday during a demonstration that turned violent in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem. -- The demonstrators were protesting the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes."

Israeli Court Bans Family Visits for Gaza Prisoners
A quote...."The Israeli Supreme Court has opposed a petition that calls for granting permission to the Palestinian residing in the Gaza Strip to visit relatives in Israeli detention camps."

Making an American 'Impenetrable Underground Wall' the Laughing Stock of the World—Leave It to the People of Gaza -- A quote...."No doubt at the instigation of the Israeli government, the Obama administration has authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers to design a vertical underground wall under the border between Egypt and Gaza."

Outdoing the Kafkaesque: Egypt’s new US designed underground Gaza wall
A quote...."Just when you thought things could not become more Kafkaesque comes apparent confirmation that the US-backed Egyptian government is building an underground steel barrier designed to cut off one of the few lifelines sustaining the Gaza Ghetto, the tunnel economy. The BBC reports that the huge underground wall will be 10-11km (6-7 miles) long, will extend 18 metres below the surface and will take 18 months to complete. The project has been shrouded in secrecy with no official confirmation from the Egyptian government, but it is understood that the design is commissioned by US army engineers, at the behest of Israel, Ann Wright surmises."

EU: Israel should stop 'divide and rule' policy
A quote...."The European Union accuses Israel of trying to create a rift in the Union to prevent an EU resolution on Jerusalem Al-Quds. -- The EU warned Israel on Thursday that it should stop playing its "divide and rule" policy with the 27-nation bloc over the Union's adoption on Tuesday, stating that Jerusalem Al-Quds should be the shared capital of the future Palestinian state and Israel." -- also posted at WarInIraq

One year on…Join the vigil outside the Israeli Embassy Remember Gaza on 27 December, 2009
Action Alert - London -- A quote...."On 27 December 2008, Israel launched ‘Operation Cast Lead’: raining bombs, white phosphorus and other horrific weapons upon the population of Gaza. The Israeli army killed over 1400 Palestinians and injured over 5000."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

[US-NRE Honduran] Death Squad kills five members of Resistance in Tegucigalpa
Must Read - BREAKING NEWS - A quote...."Death squads have come back to do what they do. Sunday night a vehicle without plates took the lives of 5 people, all identified as members of the popular resistance against the dictatorship that was installed in the country 5 months ago." -- Ahhhhhh.....Hillary must be soooooo pleased right now because the death squads are back. See related articles shown below - mpg

The Honduran Coup and the Clinton Connection
The high-powered hidden support for Honduras' coup
How Much Repression Will Hillary Clinton Support in Honduras?
Honduras: Coup Leaders Hire Top Democrat Lobbyists to Justify Their De Facto Government
Lanny Davis Now Lobbying In Support Of Honduran Coup
Washington behind the Honduras coup: Here is the evidence
Key leaders of Honduras military coup trained in U.S.
Honduran coup leader a two-time SOA graduate

Democracy in Honduras: Chronicle of a Death Foretold
A quote...."Before right wing candidate Porfirio Lobo was pronounced the winner of the November 29 elections in Honduras, one senior US official spoke anonymously to reporters of his administration’s position on Honduras: "What are we going to do, sit for four years and just condemn the coup?" Instead, Washington offered its pivotal blessing for the elections, allowing a bloody dictatorship to paint itself in a democratic light." -- also posted at UpsideDownWrld

Mossad Might Be Implicated in Honduras Military Coup
From the History File - Jul 2, 2009 -- A quote...."Caracas, Jul 2.- Venezuelan deputy Adel El Zabayar revealed Thursday the implication of Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) in the perpetrated coup d'Etat last Sunday against Honduran constitutional President Manuel Zelaya."
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Thursday December 10th 2009