Tuesday August 19th 2008 - links page

The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia -  10 articles - Tuesday - [ Day 12 ] =====  ==========

Crisis in the Caucasus. What Were They Smoking in the White House?  ---  http://www.lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis120.html
Must Read - A quote...."August 19, 2008 -- The Bush administration appears to have pulled off its latest military fiasco in the Caucasus. What was supposed to have been a swift and painless takeover of rebellious South Ossetia by America’s favorite new ally, Georgia, has turned into a disaster that left Georgia battered, Russia enraged, and NATO badly demoralized. Not bad for two days work." - Also posted at ICH - http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20556.htm
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The New Cold War Turns Hot:How Washington’s encirclement of Russia threatens us all  ---  http://canadiandimension.com/articles/2008/08/18/1989/
Must Read - A quote...."August 18, 2008 -- Fairytales are wonderful things – except when they are employed by adults to supplant a complex reality. Or, indeed, to turn that reality on its head. Nevertheless, it is precisely the word ‘fairytale’ that best describes the West’s reaction to the outbreak of hostilities in Georgia as even a cursory look at these events, and at the recent historical and political context of Eurasia, make abundantly clear."
Also posted at ICH  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20550.htm
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia won't be lectured by NATO - Lavrov  ---  http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/29231
A quote...."August 19, 2008, 19:07 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been briefing the media in Moscow. He stated that the Russia-NATO council was created 'not for the purpose of disciplining Russia or educating it in terms of how it should behave.'"
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

In west Georgia, few signs of damage by Russia  ---  http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/mayfaire/latimes0153.htm
A quote...."August 19, 2008 -- POTI, GEORGIA — Government officials of this small, war-weary country invited a group of journalists for a 180-mile trip aboard a Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter Monday to Georgia's western provinces to show the damage wrought by the recent Russian military incursion."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Georgian authorities block Russian aid for Gori - link posted at AntiWar  ---  http://www.antiwar.com/
  ---  http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/29217
A quote...."August 19, 2008, 15:47 -- The city authorities of Gori have refused humanitarian aid from Russia. A convoy carrying food for the Georgian city was ordered on Monday to return to Tskhinvali, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministry."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Georgia cuts access to Russian websites, TV news - link posted at AntiWar  ---  http://www.antiwar.com/
  ---  http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=303974
A quote...."Aug 19, 2008 02:52 EST -- TBILISI, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Georgian authorities have blocked most access to Russian news broadcasters and websites since the outbreak of the conflict with Moscow.
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia seizes US vehicles  ---  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-take-georgian-prisoners-and-seize-us-vehicles-902432.html
A quote...."Tuesday, 19 August 2008 -- Russian soldiers today held blindfolded Georgian servicemen at gunpoint and commandeered US Humvees in a dramatic sequence of events in Poti, a key Black Sea port."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Trophies from the Kodori Gorge: confiscated weapons shown to tourists  ---  http://en.rian.ru/video/20080819/116138262.html
Video - A quote...."19:07 - 19/08/2008 -- On display are small arms, equipment and uniforms confiscated by peacekeepers as they disarmed Georgian units in the conflict zone. (107 sec./4.26Mb, shows: 1272)"
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

U.S. Trainers Say Georgian Troops Weren't Ready  ---  http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1010/42/370022.htm
A quote...."20 August 2008 -- TBILISI, Georgia -- U.S. military trainers -- the only American boots on the ground -- say the Georgian soldiers they knew who were sent to battle the Russians had fighting spirit but were not ready for war. -- The Georgians were "beginning to walk, but by no means were they running," said U.S. Army Captain Jeff Barta, who helped train a Georgian brigade for peacekeeping service in Iraq. "If that was a U.S. brigade, it would not have gone into combat."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

How Israel Trained and Equipped Georgia's Army  ---  http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/08/did-israel-trai.html
A quote...."August 19, 2008 | 2:48:00 PM -- The Russian military blasted Israel today for supplying weapons and training to its adversaries in Georgia. -- "Israel armed the Georgian army," Russian Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn told a Moscow press conference. Jerusalem provided Tblisi with "eight types of military vehicles, explosives, landmines and special explosives for the clearing minefields [sic]. "
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

For more on this issue see....American Selective Attention Deficit Disorder (ASADD) - 08-16-08 - mpg
  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/blotterminiblogs/americanselectiveattention-blog-mpg-081608
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

End - The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia -  10 articles - Tuesday - [ Day 12 ] ==========

Dubious Security  ---  http://watchingamerica.com/News/4222/dubious-security/
A quote...."The United States is installing a missile defense system in Poland. For starters, this will deepen the split in NATO even more than the Caucasus war was first thought to have done."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

India, Russia sign protocol on military technical cooperation  ---  http://www.iraq-war.ru/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=172577
A quote...."NEW DELHI, Aug 19 (KUNA) — India and Russia Tuesday signed a protocol on military technical cooperation, as part of efforts to boost bilateral military ties."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Syria says ready to consider Russian air defense deal - paper  ---  http://en.rian.ru/world/20080820/116150559.html
A quote...."MOSCOW, August 20 (RIA Novosti) - Syria is ready to discuss deploying Iskander missile-defense systems on its territory, but it has not received any proposals from Russia, the country's president told a Russian business daily."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Federal Anti Monopoly Service says Mechel is guilty of competition law violations  ---  http://www.russiatoday.com/business/news/28985
A quote...."Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has declared Mechel Group guilty of violating competition law." -- Something you'll never see in the US (N.R.E.) anytime soon, an anti-trust action. - mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia’s financial crisis of 1998 plotted by IMF  ---  http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-1162-0-9-9--.html
A favor the IMF tries to do for everybody who's not part of the "big club". - mpg -- A quote...."As it turns out, the default, which hit Russia ten years ago, was not merely a consequence of the ungifted economic policy of the Russian government during the second half of the 1990s. The devaluation of the Russian ruble occurred because of the efforts taken by the International Monetary Fund, which triggered the massive economic crisis in Russia nationwide and impoverished the majority of Russians in an instant."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Venezuela to Launch Its First Satellite from China in November  ---  http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3729
A quote...."Mérida, August 18, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Venezuela’s first satellite will be launched from Chinese soil on November 1st, President Hugo Chávez announced on his weekly Sunday talk show Aló Presidente, which was broadcast from the satellite control station located at an air base on the vast plains of the state of Guárico, Venezuela."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Foreign Investors Show Growing Interest in Iran's Petrochem  ---  http://www.farsnews.com/English/newstext.php?nn=8705291109
A quote...." TEHRAN (FNA)- The total foreign investment in the National Petrochemical Company of Iran (NPC) in the previous three years has touched a record US$4.5 bln, a senior oil ministry official said."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

US to take over Afghan mission  ---  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4547629.ece
A quote...."The United States is planning to take control of all military operations in Afghanistan next year with an Iraq-style troop surge after becoming frustrated at Nato’s failure to defeat the Taliban. -- Plans are being drawn up to send as many as 15,000 extra troops to Afghanistan with a single US general always in command, as in Iraq, defence sources said."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Pentagon Plans to Send More Than 12,000 Additional Troops to Afghanistan
  ---  http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/iraq/2008/08/19/pentagon-plans-to-send-more-than-12000-additional-troops-to-afghanistan.html
A quote...."The Pentagon will be sending 12,000 to 15,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, possibly as soon as the end of this year, with planning underway for a further force buildup in 2009." -- More cannon fodder for the New Roman Empire, one has to ask oneself why anyone would lay down his or her life for a bunch of lying, old, bastards so these filthy rich jerks can become even wealthier than they all ready are?  It all seems pretty stupid. -- For more on this issue see....War is a Racket   ---  http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm  ---  mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Resurgent Taleban kill 10 French troops and assault US base  ---  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4569122.ece
A quote...."The Taleban have staged two of their most spectacular operations in Afghanistan, killing ten French troops in a battle just outside Kabul and launching a frontal assault on a big US base near the Pakistani border."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Mindlessness is Total Are You Ready for Nuclear War?  ---  http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08192008.html
A quote...."Pervez Musharraf, the puppet installed by the US to rule Pakistan in the interest of US hegemony, resigned August 18 to avoid impeachment.  Karl Rove and the Diebold electronic voting machines were unable to control the result of the last election in Pakistan, the result of which gave Pakistanis a bigger voice in their government than America’s. - It was obvious to anyone with any sense -- which excludes the entire Bush Regime and almost all of the “foreign policy community -- that the illegal and gratuitous US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and Israel’s 2006 bombing of Lebanon civilians with US blessing, would result in the overthrow of America’s Pakistani puppet."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Shiia Hezbollah and Sunni Salafists forging an unlikely alliance?  ---  http://www.worlddefensereview.com/dropzone/archives/75
A quote...."Lebanon’s Shiia Hezbollah and Sunni Salafi extremists may be nearing an agreement of mutual respect and coordination, which could be signed-and-sealed over the next 24-to-48 hours." -- The US played these guys off against each other for years.  Whenever it was convenient we'd blame the Shi'a Iranians for insurgent activity in Sunni provinces.  When they needed a propaganda boost to put pressure on Iran during the Nuke negotiations the US military would say the EFP's and IED's  -- http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/weblists/fakeintell-weblist-mpg-090206#IEDS__EFPS  ---  being assembled by Sunni Salafists in Sunni controlled provinces of Iraq were from Shi'a Iran.  thousands of articles were published by this nation's mass-faux-media about these "alleged connections"  Now after seven long years of continuous outright lies from the sluts in our government guess what's in the news.....Aw My Gawd!!, a Sunni faction and a Shi'a faction in Lebanon are creating a truce and are going to agree not to attack each other.  How utterly embarrassing for our mass media, and our so called military "analysts". - mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Hezbollah, Salafists sign unity accord  ---  http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=66945&sectionid=351020203
A quote...."Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah and Sunni Salafist groups have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at defusing tension in the country. " -- By the way, the Saudi Royals under Cheney's urging have been financially supporting the Sunni Salafists for quite some time now, if they're legitimately joining forces with Hezbollah (and assuming they're not going to act as agent provocateurs) than Cheney's little plans of mayhem and murder for Lebanon may be going the same way as did his plans for the Caucasus....poor little Cheney, you almost feel sorry for the sick, twisted, mass murdering, sociopathic, money worshiping, diseased, low life, scum. - mpg -- For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror - Al-Qaeda Lite  ---   http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/weblists/ussupportofterror-weblist-mpg-090306#AL_QAEDA_LITE& Al Qaeda - Always There for the US Elites - 03-09-08 - mpg  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/blotterminiblogs/alqaedaalwaysthere4theuselites-blog-mpg-030908
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Secret Deal For Iraq's Oil  ---  http://www.pubrecord.org//nationworld/262.html
Must Read - A quote...."Four months before the United States invaded Iraq, the Department of Defense was secretly working with Vice President Dick Cheney's old company, Halliburton Corp., on a secret deal that would give the world's second largest oil services company total control over Iraq's oil fields, according to interviews with Halliburton's most senior executives." -- Also posted at AfterDowningStreet   ---  http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/35581
& Uruknet   ---  http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m46494&hd=&size=1&l=e
For more on this issue see....War Resource 9/11  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/weblists/priorwarresource911-weblist-mpg-091106
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The High-Fivers - More proof the Israelis were shadowing the 9/11 hijackers  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20549.htm
From the history file -- A quote...."Date - 16/02/07 -- "Antiwar" -- It was the tail-end of a bleak November 2001: a pall of shocked numbness hung over the country, and a rising war hysteria had  nearly everyone cowed. Americans were just beginning to pick themselves up,  dust themselves off, and focus on what had happened, and how to react. It was very early on the morning of the 23rd when, scanning the headlines, I came across a Washington Post story by John Mintz: "60 Israelis Detained on Tourist Visas Since Sept. 11." Odd, I thought, why go after the Israelis, probably the least likely suspects?"
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

How Bush's 'Official Conspiracy Theory of 911" Covers Up the Crimes of Mass Murder and High Treason
  ---  http://existentialistcowboy.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-bushs-official-conspiracy-theory-of.html
A quote...."To Bush administration chagrin and despite its best efforts to cover up the crime of 911, various independent investigations and courageous web warriors continue to expose Bush's lies about 911."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Antiwar Activists Win $2 Million Settlement from New York City in Major Victory for Free Speech Rights
  ---  http://www.opednews.com/articles/Antiwar-Activists-Win-2-M-by-Center-for-Constit-080819-159.html
A quote...."August 19, 2008, New York, NY – A group of 52 local activists today announced a $2 million settlement in their lawsuit against the City of New York. The activists were illegally arrested on April 7, 2003 while protesting against the Iraq war in front of a military contractor's offices in midtown.  The settlement in Kunstler et al v. New York City follows the dismissal in 2003 of all criminal charges brought against these individuals and four costly years of delays by the City in negotiating an end to the civil lawsuit."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Senate Judiciary Pressures WH for Torture Documents  ---  http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/senate_judiciary_pressures_wh.php
A quote...."Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-PA) crossed the aisle once again to issue a renewed demand for documents on detainee interrogation policies from the White House today."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Breaking: Judge May Hold CIA In Contempt For Destruction Of Evidence
  ---  http://firedoglake.com/2008/08/19/breaking-judge-may-hold-cia-in-contempt-for-destruction-of-evidence/
A quote...."Late yesterday, a federal judge said he is considering holding the Central Intelligence Agency in contempt for destroying videotapes depicting the interrogation of al Qaeda detainees." -- Probably because he was saying things like...."Why are you torturing me, I did exactly what you guys told me to do" - mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Breaking Point - A New Age of Torture  ---  http://www.counterpunch.org/tripathi081920008.html
A quote...."The recent appearance of Dr Aafia Siddiqi in a New York court (August 5, 2008) has brought another disturbing episode in the 'war on terror' of President George W. Bush to light. According to a  lawyer acting for Dr Siddiqui, an American-educated scientist of Pakistani origin, her client was brought to New York after spending several years in US custody at an unknown place, thought to be the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. While in detention, she suffered 'horrendous physical and psychological torture'."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

A push to ban psychologists' role in torture  ---  http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/08/17/a_push_to_ban_psychologists_role_in_torture/
A quote...."Holding signs that read, "Do no harm" and "Abolish torture," about 100 people attended a rally outside the American Psychological Association's annual convention yesterday, urging the organizations to ban its members from being involved in military interrogations and torture as part of the war on terrorism." -- The fact that people have to protest against US (N.R.E.) psychologists participating in torture speaks volumes about how far this country has descended into the pit moral degeneracy.  Physicians and Psychologists take an OATH “to do no harm", and these people, who may have committed war crimes by their acts, are now oath breakers.  To paraphrase "A Man for all Seasons"..'They held their future in their cupped hands, than with little regard for themselves they opened them, and like water they let their honor, their word, their bond, their morality, their compassion and their very humanity flow into the sand', NEVER to be recovered again.  One should ask oneself, would you take your child to be "helped" by one of these people, your daughter, your son, your wife or your husband? 

Think about it. - mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Anthrax Attacks Attempted Cover-up - Tuesday round-up - 4 articles - [ Day 19 ] ===  ==========

The FBI Admits It Has No Case Against Ivins  ---  http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=8711
A quote...."The FBI has admitted that it has no case against Ivins."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Parallels Between the Anthrax and 9/11 Investigations  ---  http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2008/08/parallels-between-anthrax-and-911.html
Some quotes...."1. Continuously-Changing Story When Caught in Misstatements" -- "2. Pre-Ordained Conclusions" -- "3. Failure to Follow Leads" -- "4. Suppression of Evidence" -- "5. Destruction of Evidence" -- "6. Allegations of Bribery" -- "7. Skeptical Congressmen " and finally "8. Skeptical Experts"
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Bruce Ivins Anthrax Case coverage, not so good. -- http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Bruce-Ivins-coverage--by-Elizabeth-Ferrari-080818-600.html
A quote...."This entire story has been one embarrassing peep show of the AP, the Washington Post and the LA Times caught with their drawers down. Or, with their palms out, it’s hard to tell which. May it's just a matter of bad journalistic proxemics."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Anthrax Files  ---  http://amconmag.com/article/2008/aug/25/00012/
A quote...."The FBI claims to have caught the killer. But so much evidence has been neglected or mishandled that many experts still have doubts."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

End - The Anthrax Attacks Attempted Cover-up - Tuesday round-up - 4 articles - [ Day 19 ] ==========

The Greenback Blues: Something's Gotta Give  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20547.htm
A quote...." 19/08/08 "ICH" --- - In a matter of weeks, the euro has been pounded into ground-chuck while the dollar has regained much of its former glory. What gives? The mighty greenback has surged 6% in the last month alone. Apparently, the early reports of the dollar's demise have been greatly exaggerated. The euro is caught in the same recessionary downdraft that is buffeting a number of currencies, all of which are unwinding at the same time although unevenly. Currency markets don't move in straight lines. But, don't be fooled, most paper money is steadily losing value due to the wild expansion of credit which started at the Federal Reserve. Investors are moving to cash and hunkering down. Who can blame them? As the massive equity bubble loses gas, balance sheets will have to be mended and lending will slow to a crawl."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Stagflation is Here, and It is a Weapon of Mass Destruction -- http://www.opednews.com/articles/Stagflation-is-Here-and-I-by-Richard-Cook-080819-85.html
Special Note regarding this quote...."The government counts any financial transaction that can be taxed as part of the GDP whether or not it results in the creation of goods and services of tangible value. Bizarrely, a transaction can add to GDP even if it is based on money that has been borrowed and must be repaid with interest in the future. -- So this type of debt-based GDP growth can actually be destructive in the long-run. This has happened in the U.S., where total household, student, business, and government debt will soon be pushing $70 trillion against an annual GDP in 2007 of $13.8 trillion."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Exclusive Interview: Jim Rogers Predicts Bigger Financial Shocks Loom, Fueling a Malaise That May Last for Years
  ---  http://www.moneymorning.com/2008/08/19/jim-rogers/
A quote...."VANCOUVER, B.C. – The U.S. financial crisis has cut so deep – and the government has taken on so much debt in misguided attempts to bail out such companies as Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) – that even larger financial shocks are still to come, global investing guru Jim Rogers said in an exclusive interview with Money Morning." -- Also posted at ICH  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20558.htm
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Wholesale inflation surged by 1.2 percent in July, more than double what had been expected
  ---  http://www.newser.com/article/d92lc9g80/wholesale-inflation-surged-by-12-percent-in-july-more-than-double-what-had-been-expected.html
A quote...."Wholesale inflation surged in July, leaving prices for the past year rising at the fastest pace in 27 years, according to government data released Tuesday." - bold by website editor
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Single-family housing permits fall to 26-year low
  ---  http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/single-family-housing-permits-fall-26-year/story.aspx?
  ---  guid=%7BEE2FBBD8%2D7BB9%2D42F6%2DABDD%2D0EE890B2664B%7D
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. home builders sharply reduced the number of new homes starting construction in July [the lowest level for housing starts in 17 years] and dropped the number of new single-family permits to the lowest level in 26 years, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday. - bold by website editor
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Lehman write-down may hit $4 bln: J.P. Morgan
  ---  http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/lehman-shares-fall-13-after/story.aspx?
  ---  guid=%7B6B48699C%2DCD88%2D4FD1%2D8254%2DAB214D16382B%7D
A quote...."BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.  (LEH: Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc)  lost 13% Tuesday on growing fears the company will be forced to sell assets or take other capital-raising measures to offset mortgage-related losses."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Monday August 18th 2008 - links page

"One could say Georgia is a chip off the old block....the New Roman Empire block that is?  Or perhaps they learn from the best?  Like farther, like son?  Mini-NRE? - Quote posted 08-15-08 -- *mpg*

Sami al-Hajj released from Guantanamo - 02 May 08  - (YouTube - 15 min 19 sec - Added: May 02, 2008)
  ---  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuJsCi_BiM0
Must View Video -- A quote...."Sami al-Hajj, the Al Jazeera cameraman who was held by the US in its controversial Guantanamo prison, has been freed. - Al-Hajj, who had been on hunger strike for months in protest over his treatment in Guantanamo, was flown to Khartoum and taken immediately to hospital. - Later he was reunited with his family."

"The sample kept at the FBI lab was destroyed because the bureau believed it might not have been allowed as evidence at trial."

“After consultations with legal advisers and close political supporters and on their advice, I’m taking the decision of resigning,” a somber Musharraf said. “My resignation will go to the speaker of the National Assembly today.”

Sunday August 17th 2008 - links page

a) Who wants someday in the near future to have their country ripped asunder and possibly get hanged in the process by the US and a few of its chosen allies when they get the hankering for some natural resources?

 - or -

b) Who wants some Russian, or for that matter Pakistani or even Chinese nuclear weapons to protect  their country from being ripped asunder or possibly getting themselves hanged?

Saturday August 16th 2008 - links page

Anthrax fall guy Bruce Ivins reminds Frederick locals of the Olson Case of 50 years ago.
  ---  http://www.911blogger.com/node/17170
Must Read - A quote...."The story of Frank Olson was documented in the months before 9-11 in an article in the New York Times magazine section. Written by his son's Harvard schoolmate, Michael Ignatieff, we learn from the story that "Frank Olson's specialty...had been the development of aerosols for the delivery of anthrax." In the years immediately preceding his death, Olson was one of the top officials at the government's biological weapons laboratory at Fort Detrick. -- In 1953, Olson was found on a New York City sidewalk, his body bloodied and broken, apparently after a fall from his hotel room. The details of his death, ruled a suicide, remained a mystery for more than twenty years. But in 1975, an article in the Washington Post revealed that, contained in a report issued by the then-recently concluded U.S. President's Commission on CIA Activities was an account of a scientist who had been administered a dose of LSD without his knowledge, suffered side-effects from the drug, went to New York under CIA escort for psychological treatment, and jumped out of a hotel room window." -- Posted yesterday 08-15-08
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Friday August 15th 2008 - links page

Bill Moyers Interviews Andrew J. Bacevich - Part I  ---  http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08152008/watch.html
Bill Moyers Interviews Andrew J. Bacevich - Part II  ---  http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08152008/watch2.html
Must View - Video - Absolutely outstanding! - mpg -- A quote...."As campaign ads urge voters to consider who will be a better "Commander in Chief," Andrew J. Bacevich — Professor of International Relations at Boston University, retired Army colonel, and West Point graduate — joins Bill Moyers on the JOURNAL to encourage viewers to take a step back and connect the dots between U.S. foreign policy, consumerism, politics, and militarism." -- ||  Transcript  ||  ---  http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08152008/transcript1.html  ---  ||  Podcast - QT  ||  ---  http://www-tc.pbs.org/moyers/rss/media/BMJ-1218.mp3
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia-Asia cooperation a nightmare for US hawks - YouTube-Alt  ---  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sPJw1e-F5Y
  ---  http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=2057
Video - A quote...."August 15, 2008 -- F. William Engdahl believes that "Russia China and the nations of Eurasia are beginning to cooperate politically and economically and this is a nightmare for Washington." -- QUICK!! Let's play them off against each other, India against Pakistan was a good start (just where did all those bombers come from anyway?) but there's so much more to do, and there's so little time left. - mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Turkish prez says US must share power in 'new world order' - Oh, oh, sombody just made the US's hit list. - mpg
  ---  http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Turkish_prez_says_US_must_share_0815.html
A quote...."For controversial Turkish President Abdullah Gül, the recent war in Georgia signals a "new world order" that will emerge from the rubble of South Ossetia and force the United States to share its power, The Guardian reported." -- Oh, here's an idea, the US could support the Kurds again, for the third time, than betray them all over again when Turkey knuckles under to our demands, how about that for an idea? - mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Behind politics, a philosophy of fear  ---  http://bangornews.com/news/t/viewpoints.aspx?articleid=168432&zoneid=35
Must Read - A quote...."George Orwell, in his novel "1984," described Oceania, a society in which the prime motivating force for controlling the populace was fear, both fear of its own government and its enemies. He wrote of continual war, of enemies so horrendous that the public was constrained to rigid compliance with its rulers in order to demonstrate its patriotism. Much of Orwell’s description is found again in the teachings of University of Chicago Professor Leo Strauss, who died in 1973." -- For more on this issue see....Fake Intel / Propaganda - Leo Strauss
  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/weblists/fakeintell-weblist-mpg-090206#LEO_STRAUSS
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Politics of Wishful Thinking Buyers Remorse Over Obama  ---  http://www.counterpunch.org/walsh08142008.html
Some quotes...."In the latest issue of The Nation, an “open letter” appears in which the signatories position themselves as abject supplicants to Obama, begging him to revert to his earlier stances in his primary campaign."  --  "When others have raised such criticisms, Obama has responded that they have not been listening to him.  On this one, I am with Obama.  How can one take this guy seriously as an “antiwar” candidate when he has voted for hundreds of billions of dollars to fund the Iraq war and to slaughter hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis? Neither Ron Paul nor Dennis Kucinich, both presidential candidates, nor Barbara Lee voted for these funds for a “war of aggression,” as Ralph Nader has properly called it.  On this score Obama’s voting record is no different from McCain’s or Hillary Clinton’s."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

9/11 Truth, Part 3- The 9/11 Commission Cover up  ---  http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=8634
Special Note - A quote...."This article is an overview of the 9/11 Commission's conflicts and "failures", and some brief summaries of some of the many important facts left out of or distorted in their final report, with links for reference and additional research."
Click here for Part I  ---  http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=8576
& Part II  ---  http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=8602
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Three Weeks in September  ---  http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/three-weeks-in-september/
Special Note - A quote...."Do you remember the story of the “white Mitsubishi“? It’s a hard to find article these days, as most MSM sources have scrubbed it from their archives. But it’s still out there, if you look hard enough."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

My Lai, Zapruder and 9/11  ---  http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-lai-zapruder-and-911.html
Special Note - A quote...."It is obvious that the government is hiding evidence regarding 9/11. For example, the government has claimed that no flight recorders were recovered from the airplanes which hit the Twin Towers. However, firefighters stated they did recover the flight recorders. And Dan Rather confirmed that they were recovered. - 9/11 activists have repeatedly demanded that the government reveal the videos, photographs, and other documentary evidence so that we can assess the truth for ourselves Not only has the government refused to share the evidence, it has threatened to dispose of it."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Was 9/11 an Inside Job? - article posted at ICH  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/
  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20521.htm
Must Read - A quote...."15/08/08 "ICH" -- Regrettably, there is considerable evidence that elements of the Bush administration were complicit in the 9/11 attack, and may even have helped stage it. Let us now examine some of what I regard as the most compelling evidence. However, the following discussion makes no claim to be comprehensive.
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

9/11 - From The History File...Osama bin Laden, among the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives": Why was he never indicted for his alleged role in 9/11?

Thursday August 14th 2008 - links page

Polk: Bases in Iraq, Provocation of Iran  ---  http://www.juancole.com/2008/08/polk-bases-in-iraq-provocation-of-iran.html
Must Read - A quote...."As the Bush Administration begins its final months in office, it has embarked upon two courses of action that will pre-empt the scope of the incoming Obama or McCain administration and will plague America for years to come."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia -  13 articles - Thursday - [ Day 7 ] =====  ==========

PJB - Blowback From Bear-Baiting - article posted at AntiWar  ---  http://www.antiwar.com/
  ---  http://www.antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=13305
Must Read - Analysis - A quote...."August 15, 2008 -- After shelling and attacking what he claims is his own country, killing scores of his own Ossetian citizens and sending tens of thousands fleeing into Russia, Saakashvili's army was whipped back into Georgia in 48 hours. - Vladimir Putin took the opportunity to kick the Georgian army out of Abkhazia, as well, to bomb Tbilisi, and to seize Gori, birthplace of Stalin. - Reveling in his status as an intimate of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and John McCain, and America's lone democratic ally in the Caucasus, Saakashvili thought he could get away with a lightning coup and present the world with a fait accompli. - Mikheil did not reckon on the rage or resolve of the Bear."
Also posted at LewRockwell  ---  http://www.lewrockwell.com/buchanan/buchanan93.html
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Is the American Enterprise Really War in the Caucasus?  ---  http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski208.html
Amusing Analysis - A quote...."Paying attention to the real work of the AEI is almost enough to turn a person into an anti-American world socialist… but perhaps that’s precisely the point, given the ideological backgrounds of so many of the neoconservatives there. -- Yet, the AEI remains, posing as an organization that advocates for freedom of individuals rather than the state. It continues to shill for war, global conquest, and to promote a kind of fantastic Washington mastery-of-the-planet idea. The most recent case in point is this week’s AEI policy panel entitled "The War in the Caucasus."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

EU meeting on Georgia reveals tensions between European powers and US  ---  http://wsws.org/articles/2008/aug2008/geor-a15.shtml
Analysis - A quote...."Despite intense pressure from a number of Eastern European states, supported by Western European powers such as Great Britain and Sweden, the declaration issued by European Union (EU) foreign ministers meeting in emergency session in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the conflict between Georgia and Russia refrained from any criticism of Russia. -- Rejecting an open conflict with Russia, the EU meeting decided against dispatching troops to the region. Instead, the majority of ministers followed German proposals to increase the number of Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors in Georgia from 100 to 300 and step up humanitarian aid."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Mikheil Saakashvili: War Criminal  ---  http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=13304
A quote...."August 15, 2008 -- Amid all the geopolitical analyses and ideological posturing on the occasion of the Three-Day War between Russia and Georgia, we are losing sight of the very real human costs of this conflict: thousands of civilians killed and grievously wounded, a city, Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, in ruins, and the hopes and dreams of the inhabitants of this largely overlooked backwater dashed on the rocks of a politician's hubris. -- That politician is Mikheil Saakashvili, the all too glib president of Georgia, whose slickness is so apparent that it seems to leave an oily residue on every word he utters."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia Warns US Against Encouraging New "Tragic Scenario" - article posted at ICH  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/
  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20514.htm
Full quote...."14/08/08 MOSCOW (AFP)--Russia on Thursday warned the U.S. against encouraging Georgia's leaders to take action that might lead to a repeat of the "tragic scenario" of recent days. -- "We expect the United States to adopt a responsible approach. It is especially important to refrain from any steps that could directly or indirectly be taken by the Georgian leadership as encouragement of its revanchist ambitions and prompt a repeated tragic scenario," Russia's Foreign Ministry said."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia Vows to Support Two Enclaves, in Retort to Bush - link posted at ICH  ---  http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/
  ---  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/world/europe/15georgia.html
A quote...."Published: August 14, 2008 - MOSCOW — Russia issued a rebuke to President Bush on Thursday over the conflict in neighboring Georgia, refusing an immediate withdrawal of its troops there, affirming its support for two separatist enclaves and warning the United States to avoid doing anything that would encourage its Georgian ally to reignite hostilities."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia, U.S. Trade Rhetorical Salvoes as Georgia Tensions Rise -- http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aF1woj8M4DZQ&refer=home
A quote...."Aug. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Russia said the U.S. and other countries that armed and trained Georgia's military share blame for the war there as a top American official said security relations with Moscow may be ``adversely affected for years.''
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

FSB Exposes Georgian Intelligence Network Operating in Russia
  ---  http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/1521462/fsb_exposes_georgian_intelligence_network_operating_in_russia/
A quote...."Posted on: Thursday, 14 August 2008, 09:00 CDT -- The Russian FSB has given details of the exposure and arrest of what it describes as a network of Georgian intelligence agents operating on Russian territory. A report on a military website tells of a Georgian intelligence agent who bought a caf in Vladikavkaz where he acquired information of a military-political nature from acquaintances. Some agents were instructed to film strategic facilities in South Ossetia and other parts of the South Federal District and were given monetary rewards for their work, whereas others were given tasks to set up a network of agents to gather intelligence about Russian army units in the North Caucasus, the report said."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

"Gori in ruins"? You decide - (YouTube - 4 min 45 sec - Added:  August 14, 2008)  ---  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RU0sTxYZqQ
Must View -- A quote..."August 15, 2008, 6:23 -- Russia's ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin has dismissed media reports that the Georgian city of Gori is "in ruins." He called the allegations a "disinformation campaign" and pointed to the fact that Russian peacekeepers have in fact performed a humanitarian mission there." -- Everything the NRE didn't do in Iraq. -- also posted at RussiaToday  ---  http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/29033/video
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russian envoy to NATO speaks out on South Ossetian - (VodPod - 4 min 37 sec - Added 14 Aug 08)
  ---  http://vodpod.com/watch/941787-russian-envoy-to-nato-speaks-out-on-south-ossetian-conflict
Video -Added 14 Aug 08 -- Dmitry Rogozin,  ---  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Rogozin  ---  Russian Ambassador to NATO talks about the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia, and Russia's position regarding the crisis. - mpg -- Also posted at YouTube  ---  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiYZp8ASW84  ---  A quote...."NATO has no moral right to call the Russian response to Georgian aggression in South Ossetia disproportionate, says Russian envoy to the alliance Dmitry Rogozin."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russian envoy to NATO speaks out + Justin Raimondo - (VodPod - 24 min 50 sec - Added 14 Aug 08 )
  ---  http://vodpod.com/watch/941824-russian-envoy-to-nato-speaks-out-justin-raimondo-on-russia-today
Video - Added 14 Aug 08 -- Eye witness accounts from the Russian and South Ossetian perspective, contains some previous footage. - mpg -- posted from Dandelion Salad  ---  http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/russian-envoy-to-nato-speaks-out-justin-raimondo-on-russia-today/
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russian forces sink Georgian ships - 13 Aug 2008 -- http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=IQXe9rLDW0U&feature=user -- (YouTube - 4m 23s - August 13, 2008)
Video - A quote...."From:  AlJazeeraEnglish --  August 13, 2008 -- Following a dramatic day of developments in the Russia-Georgia conflict, Russian forces have sunk several vessels in Georgia's military port of Poti. Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from the scene."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Georgia 'still receives Israeli arms'  ---  http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/172082
A quote...."Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:26:20 GMT  -- Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says Tbilisi is still receiving military aid from Tel Aviv, rejecting Israeli media reports."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

End - The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia -  13 articles - Thursday - [ Day 7 ] =====  ==========

U.S. Armada En Route to the Persian Gulf: “Naval Blockade” or All Out War Against Iran?
  ---  http://dissentmag.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/us-armada-en-route-to-the-persian-gulf-naval-blockade-or-all-out-war-against-iran/
War Status - Undetermined-- A quote...."Dissent Mag Author’s Note:  Shortly after this article was released on August 13, US military sources as well as Stratfor ( a Strategic Studies Think Tank) stated that the various press reports (UPI, Middle East Times, Kuwait Times, Debka) regarding the naval deployment to the Middle East were incorrect. -- According to the press reports (see UPI, August 11, 2008), the war ships involved in the “Operation Brimstone” war games off the US North Atlantic coast, had set sail for the Middle East. This information is apparently incorrect, according to the US Navy and Stratfor." -- For more on this issue see article below.....
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Navy relieves commander of air recon squadron  ---  http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iKDcgevZDggHCdTkRzapHfQC_a2wD92H4SBG3
False Flag Warning - Possible War Warning - A quote from CLG...."13 Aug 2008 The commander of a Navy air reconnaissance squadron that provides the president and the defense secretary the airborne ability to command the nation's nuclear weapons has been relieved of duty, the Navy said Tuesday. Cmdr. Shawn Bentley was relieved of duty Monday by the Navy for loss of confidence in his ability to command, only three months after taking the job. Capt. Brian Costello, commander of the Navy's Strategic Communications Wing One, removed Bentley from command, said Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown, a spokesman for the Naval Air Forces. The primary duty of the squadron, nicknamed the "Ironman," is to provide communication with ballistic missile submarines, Brown said. It is also one of three squadrons that provides airborne communications for the president and defense secretary to command and control the nation's nuclear submarines, bombers and missile silos, according to the Wing's official Web site.[See: Minot AFB Clandestine Nukes 'Oddities'.]"  ---  http://www.legitgov.org/minot_afb_nukes_oddities.html  ---  Paragraph quoted from CLG  ---  http://www.legitgov.org/  ---  For more on this issue see.... False Flag Ops - Barksdale  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/weblists/falseflagops-weblist-mpg-082006#BARKSDALE
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

US court rules Saudis not liable for Sept 11 attacks  ---  http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_court_rules_Saudis_not_liable_fo_08142008.html
A quote...."A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled Saudi Arabia could not be held liable for the September 11 attacks against the United States despite charitable donations that ended up in the hands of Al-Qaeda." -- For more on this issue see....Ghawar is Dead - Long Live PNAC - 03-07-07 - mpg & US Support of Terror  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/ghawarisdead-blog-mpg-030707
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The 800 lb. Gorilla Staring Pelosi in the Face  ---  http://www.atlargely.com/2008/08/the-800-lb-gori.html
A quote....""It would appear that not only did the Bush administration lie this nation into war and order documents forged, but they allegedly tried to plant WMD in Iraq." Larisa noted this yesterday in her post "Can't find WMD in Iraq? Plant it?" -- In the comments section I wrote: --     Yet Nancy Pelosi is still saying the case has to made for impeachment. Nancy Pelosi, our fearless leader who is apparently scheduled to be one of the first speakers at the Democratic National Convention."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Credit and Credibility: Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Press  ---  http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/16479
Must Read - A quote...."There are plenty of cliches ("powerful spy service" and "actively undermining" are splendid examples), but not a shred of hard evidence in this important story. There is not one bit of material that can be verified or even checked for accuracy. No names are named. There are declarations by anonymous "American officials" concerning supposed electronic intercepts of which no details are provided. But the New York Times and other US newspapers chose to blare to the world the unsupported conclusion that Pakistan is guilty of treason against itself."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Pakistani government moves to impeach President Musharraf  ---  http://wsws.org/articles/2008/aug2008/paki-a14.shtml
A quote...."Amid an ongoing political crisis, Pakistan’s ruling coalition this week initiated a formal impeachment process against President Pervez Musharraf, the country’s former military strongman. -- Musharraf is deeply detested by broad layers of the population for his nine years of dictatorial rule and support for the bogus US “war on terror”.
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Musharraf Set to Resign in Days, Officials Assert  ---  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/world/asia/15pstan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
A quote...."ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Faced with desertions by his political supporters and the unsettling neutrality of the Pakistani military, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan is expected to resign in the next few days rather than face impeachment, Pakistani politicians and Western diplomats said Thursday."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Russia And China Settle Longstanding Territorial Disputes  ---  http://www.countercurrents.org/chan140808.htm
A quote...."Russia and China signed a landmark deal on July 21, officially ending all outstanding territorial disputes between the two countries. Under the agreement, Russia will hand over Yinlong Island (known as Tarabarov in Russia) and half of the Heixiazi Island (Bolshoi Ussuriysky) at the confluence the of Amur and Ussuri rivers, clearing the way for closer strategic and economic relations with China."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Wikipedia founder aims to break Google stranglehold
  ---  http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080814/lf_afp/singaporeinternetwikipediagoogle;_ylt=Atnz7L3gWtSkatgyewZlmuGs0NUE
Special Note - A quote...."SINGAPORE (AFP) - Watch out Google -- Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales hopes that Wikia Search, a project he spearheads, will break Google's domination of the world's Internet search engine market."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The Anthrax Attacks Attempted Cover-up - Thursday round-up - 2 articles - [ Day 14 ] ===  ==========

FBI's Implausible, Ever-Changing Story  ---  http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2008/08/fbis-ever-changing-story.html
A quote...."You've seen it . . .A kid breaks something, and - not understanding how transparent his false stories will sound to an adult - gives a series of implausible, shifting explanations:

    "There was an earthquake!"
    [No there wasn't]
    "The dog knocked it over!"
    [The dog is at the vet]
    "A big gust of wind blew it over!"
    [The windows were closed]
    "My little sister broke it!"
    [She was outside]
    Etc.

That's exactly how the FBI has been behaving in the anthrax "investigation" of Dr. Ivins.
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Special Report: Ivins Anthrax Case Another Black Eye for Network News
  ---  http://www.mediachannel.org/wordpress/2008/08/14/special-report-ivins-anthrax-case-another-black-eye-for-network-news/
A quote...."While cable news dutifully devotes nonstop coverage to the latest random criminal cases — kidnappings, shootouts, murderous love triangles, car chases — it’s telling when a supposed break in one of the biggest manhunts in FBI history, for a terrorist who murdered and poisoned multiple American citizens with anthrax, takes a backseat to nearly every other story. That is, if it’s mentioned at all." -- The New Roman Empire's presstitutes hard at work.  Maybe our elites should have mercy on them and get various flavors of boot polish. - mpg
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

End - The Anthrax Attacks Attempted Cover-up - Thursday round-up - 2 articles - [ Day 14 ]  ==========

The Myth of the Independent Fed  ---  http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo147.html
Special Note - A quote...." Ever since its founding in 1913, the Fed has described itself as an independent agency operated by selfless public servants striving to fine-tune the economy through monetary policy. In reality, however, a non- political governmental institution is as likely as a barking cat. Yet, the myth of an independent Fed persists. One reason this myth persists is that statist textbooks have helped perpetuate it for decades."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

FDR's grandson to McCain: Keep your hands off our Social Security  ---  http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/456
A quote...."On the 73rd anniversary of the creation of Social Security, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) took the opportunity to criticize McCain for supporting the Bush plan for Social Security privatization." -- For more on this issue see....Go Build Your Neo-Roman Empire - Just Leave Us Out Of It - 10-14-07 - mpg  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/gobuildyournre-mpg-blog-101407
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Wag the Dog: How to Conceal Massive Economic Collapse  ---  http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9828
A quote...."Formally known as the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, the PPT was once concealed and its very existence denied as if it were a matter of strict national security. But the PPT has now come out of the closet. What was once a legally questionable "manipulator" of markets has become a sanctioned stabilizer and protector of markets." -- For more on this issue see....Obama, the Yang to Bush's Yin - 06-20-08 - mpg
  ---  http://www.reficultnias.org/mikesfiles/blotterminiblogs/obamatheyangtobushsyin-blog-mpg-062008
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Inflation Hits Annual Pace Not Seen Since 1991  ---  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/business/economy/15econ.html
A quote...."Inflation reached a 17-year high last month, fueled by high gasoline and food prices, all but assuring that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates at their current level for the time being."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Home foreclosure filings up 55 percent in July [from a year ago]  ---  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080814/bs_nm/usa_foreclosures_dc
A quote...."Foreclosure filings -- default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions -- rose 8 percent from June and 55 percent from July 2007 to 272,171, according to RealtyTrac, which records property in various stages of foreclosure."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Foreclosure fallout: Houses go for a $1  ---  http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/METRO/808130360
A quote...."DETROIT -- One dollar can get you a large soda at McDonald's, a used VHS movie at 7-Eleven or a house in Detroit. - The fact that a home on the city's east side was listed for $1 recently shows how depressed the real estate market has become in one of America's poorest big cities. - And it still took 19 days to find a buyer."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Florida's budget shortfall may hit $1.2B  ---  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/641294.html
A quote...."Florida's dwindling state budget could fall about $1 billion deeper into deficit due to a combination of record-high gas prices, the crashing housing market and record job loss in the state."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

European Economy Shrinks For First Time Since Introduction Of The Euro
  ---  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/14/european-economy-shrinks_n_119017.html
A quote...."BRUSSELS, Belgium — The euro-zone economy shrank 0.2 percent in the second quarter, EU statistics showed Thursday, raising recession fears as Germany, France and Italy braked sharply with high fuel and food prices holding back consumer spending."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Saudi Should Drop Dollar Peg If Gulf Currency Delayed, IMF Says
  ---  http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601104&sid=aM0N6E84xzCI&refer=mideast
A quote...."Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia should drop the riyal's peg to the dollar and consider ``alternative exchange rate regimes'' if inflation persists and the Gulf single currency is delayed, the International Monetary Fund said."
Also posted at BLN  ---  http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-1081-0-13-13--.html
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Honeybee deaths reaching crisis point  ---  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/12/conservation.wildlife1/print
A quote...."Britain's honeybees have suffered catastrophic losses this year, according to a survey of the nation's beekeepers, contributing to a shortage of honey and putting at risk the pollination of fruits and vegetables." -- Also posted at BLN  ---  http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-1075-0-6-6--.html

Wednesday August 13th 2008 - links page

"And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast -- man's laws, not God's -- and if you cut them down -- and you're just the man to do it -- do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?" -- *A Man For All Seasons*

by: Bill Moyers Journal, t r u t h o u t | Programming Note
PBS Airtime: Friday, August 15, 2008, at 9:00 p.m. EDT on PBS (check local listings here).
Is an imperial presidency destroying what America stands for? Bill Moyers sits down with history and international relations expert and former Army Col. Andrew J. Bacevich, who identifies three major problems facing our democracy