smugllama's news review
Sunday, December 28, 2003
Bush's man rejects Blair weapon claim (The Observer / Guardian Unlimited)
Bremer Embarrasses Blair in Major Bush Cartel "Script" Mess Up. As Insurgents Increase Attacks and Ally Death Toll Mounts, Bush Cartel Story Line Becomes Train Wreck.
Bremer Embarrasses Blair in Major Bush Cartel "Script" Mess Up. As Insurgents Increase Attacks and Ally Death Toll Mounts, Bush Cartel Story Line Becomes Train Wreck.
CIA says latest 'Osama' tape appears old (New Zealand News World)
The CIA has cast doubt on an audio tape broadcast yesterday, purportedly by Osama bin Laden accusing Arab Governments heeding US calls for democracy of being 'infidel' agents of America, saying it appeared to be old. The voice on the tape, aired on Al Arabiya television station and said to belong to the al Qaeda leader, also criticised moves towards parliamentary representation and democracy.
In a sign the tape could be several months old, the speaker made no mention of specific events occurring after September when former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas resigned."
The CIA has cast doubt on an audio tape broadcast yesterday, purportedly by Osama bin Laden accusing Arab Governments heeding US calls for democracy of being 'infidel' agents of America, saying it appeared to be old. The voice on the tape, aired on Al Arabiya television station and said to belong to the al Qaeda leader, also criticised moves towards parliamentary representation and democracy.
In a sign the tape could be several months old, the speaker made no mention of specific events occurring after September when former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas resigned."
Noam Chomsky GNN Interview in full: Hegemony or Survival (Guerrilla News Network)
The full text of GNN's recent interview with Noam Chomsky. Good reading.
The full text of GNN's recent interview with Noam Chomsky. Good reading.
Controversial Actions Trump 9/11 Skyscraper Safety Hearing (Tom Flocco)
"Additional news was made prior to and during Kean and Hamilton's press conference after Wednesday's proceedings - but also after a closed-door commission meeting held Thursday morning. Some 9-11 family members privately expressed concern regarding which two individuals would review key presidential documents. This, as past revelations about conflicts of interest may again become a bone of contention with the families - given close administration links to the only two commission members selected to exclusively review and summarize virtually all Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) documents. ... Kean and Hamilton would not discuss their intentions regarding the key NSC and CSG documents and whether they would also be subpoenaed in the 3,000-death murder investigation, as commission conflicts of interest regained the spotlight. ... The other seven commission members without access to Bush's sensitive documents will only be able to read a summary for all Commissioners and designated staff. That summary is subject to limited White House review before it is shared with the full Commission. The four representatives will have "wide latitude" in preparing the summary and briefing the full Commission, according to Communications Deputy Felzenberg. ... President Bush previously directed his lawyers to withhold key prior-knowledge information even from Senate Intelligence Chairman Bob Graham, as previously the Florida senator had been unclear about the redaction issue during his 2002 hearings. Bush sent Graham PDBs with sections blacked-out. ... Thus, Zelikow is charged with supervising a murder investigation linked to friends and professional CIA associates who failed to properly handle intelligence briefings about Arab terrorists using planes as weapons to be flown into American buildings. Zelikow forgot to list in his Commission website biography that he helped to reorganize George W.'s National Security Council (NSC) as a member of the Bush 2001 transition team while he continues to converse with White House officials as a Presidential Scholar. Executive Director Zelikow's close professional relationship with President Bush's National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice - with whom he collaborated in writing a book, should have hoisted multiple red flags to Kean and Hamilton, in and of itself. It is 9-11 national security failures that are under investigation; but Zelikow is permitted to probe his friend Condi Rice's 9-11 actions - and those of the President who appointed him. Most Americans do not understand that Zelikow retains the power to hire all Commission staff and coordinate the flow of Kean's investigation; but he also has access to all testimony - past and present, and manages all upcoming witnesses, document requests and subpoenas - and has now been chosen as one of just two persons permitted total access to all sensitive administration documents. This, while maintaining both professional and informal ties to the Administration he is charged with investigating. ... When we asked who would examine the PDB notes taken by the Commission members that would be stored at the White House, Hamilton shook his head, and thoughtfully answered, "I don't think we'll get into that right now." Kean and Hamilton also revealed that staff members have already started writing the narrative for the May, 2003 final commission report. Kean can be assured that administration officials do not want the September 11 attacks to become a presidential campaign issue - thus the necessity to quickly finish the report prior to the 2004 election. ... Current commission revelations indicate that numerous investigative stones will be left unturned or half-probed and witness testimony is being kept secret and unpublicized. All this, along with colossal conflicts of interests inherent in what seems on the surface to be a very soft investigation that remains compliant to each White House request."
"Additional news was made prior to and during Kean and Hamilton's press conference after Wednesday's proceedings - but also after a closed-door commission meeting held Thursday morning. Some 9-11 family members privately expressed concern regarding which two individuals would review key presidential documents. This, as past revelations about conflicts of interest may again become a bone of contention with the families - given close administration links to the only two commission members selected to exclusively review and summarize virtually all Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) documents. ... Kean and Hamilton would not discuss their intentions regarding the key NSC and CSG documents and whether they would also be subpoenaed in the 3,000-death murder investigation, as commission conflicts of interest regained the spotlight. ... The other seven commission members without access to Bush's sensitive documents will only be able to read a summary for all Commissioners and designated staff. That summary is subject to limited White House review before it is shared with the full Commission. The four representatives will have "wide latitude" in preparing the summary and briefing the full Commission, according to Communications Deputy Felzenberg. ... President Bush previously directed his lawyers to withhold key prior-knowledge information even from Senate Intelligence Chairman Bob Graham, as previously the Florida senator had been unclear about the redaction issue during his 2002 hearings. Bush sent Graham PDBs with sections blacked-out. ... Thus, Zelikow is charged with supervising a murder investigation linked to friends and professional CIA associates who failed to properly handle intelligence briefings about Arab terrorists using planes as weapons to be flown into American buildings. Zelikow forgot to list in his Commission website biography that he helped to reorganize George W.'s National Security Council (NSC) as a member of the Bush 2001 transition team while he continues to converse with White House officials as a Presidential Scholar. Executive Director Zelikow's close professional relationship with President Bush's National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice - with whom he collaborated in writing a book, should have hoisted multiple red flags to Kean and Hamilton, in and of itself. It is 9-11 national security failures that are under investigation; but Zelikow is permitted to probe his friend Condi Rice's 9-11 actions - and those of the President who appointed him. Most Americans do not understand that Zelikow retains the power to hire all Commission staff and coordinate the flow of Kean's investigation; but he also has access to all testimony - past and present, and manages all upcoming witnesses, document requests and subpoenas - and has now been chosen as one of just two persons permitted total access to all sensitive administration documents. This, while maintaining both professional and informal ties to the Administration he is charged with investigating. ... When we asked who would examine the PDB notes taken by the Commission members that would be stored at the White House, Hamilton shook his head, and thoughtfully answered, "I don't think we'll get into that right now." Kean and Hamilton also revealed that staff members have already started writing the narrative for the May, 2003 final commission report. Kean can be assured that administration officials do not want the September 11 attacks to become a presidential campaign issue - thus the necessity to quickly finish the report prior to the 2004 election. ... Current commission revelations indicate that numerous investigative stones will be left unturned or half-probed and witness testimony is being kept secret and unpublicized. All this, along with colossal conflicts of interests inherent in what seems on the surface to be a very soft investigation that remains compliant to each White House request."
The whispering wheel (Radio Nederland)
A new Dutch invention can make cars, busses and other vehicles no less than 50 percent more efficient and thus more environmentally friendly.
A new Dutch invention can make cars, busses and other vehicles no less than 50 percent more efficient and thus more environmentally friendly.
Saddam Threatens to Expose US (ArabNews)
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, now being grilled by American investigators, has reportedly warned US authorities that he will expose Washington’s "political games" and its behind-the-scene role in the occupation of Kuwait. According to the European source close to US investigators, Saddam also said that he would ask the International Court of Justice in The Hague to try the United States for its crimes against the Iraqi people for allegedly using internationally prohibited weapons against the Iraqis during the last two wars against his country. "If the Americans want to try me in a court of law, they should also try high-ranking international officials"
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, now being grilled by American investigators, has reportedly warned US authorities that he will expose Washington’s "political games" and its behind-the-scene role in the occupation of Kuwait. According to the European source close to US investigators, Saddam also said that he would ask the International Court of Justice in The Hague to try the United States for its crimes against the Iraqi people for allegedly using internationally prohibited weapons against the Iraqis during the last two wars against his country. "If the Americans want to try me in a court of law, they should also try high-ranking international officials"
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
SCO attacks keep coming back (CNET)
Some packet whore seems to have taken an interest in SCO Group. "After the attacks largely abated Friday, they restarted at 3 a.m. PST Saturday until 11 p.m. Sunday. The Web site and file servers have been inaccessible for five of the last seven days. If such attacks continue, the company could find itself unable to communicate with customers. At this point, we are continuing to use the same tactics: keeping in contact with our Internet service provider and the U.S. Secret Service" ... The Secret Service is involved in tracing denial of service attacks?
Some packet whore seems to have taken an interest in SCO Group. "After the attacks largely abated Friday, they restarted at 3 a.m. PST Saturday until 11 p.m. Sunday. The Web site and file servers have been inaccessible for five of the last seven days. If such attacks continue, the company could find itself unable to communicate with customers. At this point, we are continuing to use the same tactics: keeping in contact with our Internet service provider and the U.S. Secret Service" ... The Secret Service is involved in tracing denial of service attacks?
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is apparently not keen on going under oath for the Kean 9/11 commission (Time)
"... the federal commission investigating the 9/11 attacks continues to be at odds with the White House over access to key information and witnesses. Two government sources tell TIME that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is arguing over ground rules for her appearance in part because she does not want to testify under oath or, according to one source, in public. " Probably because their first question would be, "How did you know to tell San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown, not to fly on September 11th?"
"... the federal commission investigating the 9/11 attacks continues to be at odds with the White House over access to key information and witnesses. Two government sources tell TIME that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is arguing over ground rules for her appearance in part because she does not want to testify under oath or, according to one source, in public. " Probably because their first question would be, "How did you know to tell San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown, not to fly on September 11th?"
Coffee, Tea or Handcuffs? (LA Weekly)
"An officer from the DHS's newly minted Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bureau studied the traveler's declaration form Smethurst had filled out on the plane. "Oh, you're a journalist," he noted. "What are you here for?" "I'm interviewing Olivia Newton-John," Smethurst replied. "That's nice," the official said, impressed. "What's the article about?" "Breast cancer." What sort of stories did she write? What kind of magazine was New Idea? Where was it published? What was its circulation? Does it print politically sensitive articles? When would her interview appear? Who would be reading it? What she didn't know was that her assignment and travel plans, along with the chicken soup and stroll through Central Park, had been terminated the moment she confirmed she was a journalist. When Smethurst returned to Melbourne, camera crews were waiting - all major Australian media outlets reported her ordeal. The story was treated as an example of bureaucratic arrogance run amok, because many parts of the world are still outraged by what happens at American airports to foreigners - and to many Americans..."
"An officer from the DHS's newly minted Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bureau studied the traveler's declaration form Smethurst had filled out on the plane. "Oh, you're a journalist," he noted. "What are you here for?" "I'm interviewing Olivia Newton-John," Smethurst replied. "That's nice," the official said, impressed. "What's the article about?" "Breast cancer." What sort of stories did she write? What kind of magazine was New Idea? Where was it published? What was its circulation? Does it print politically sensitive articles? When would her interview appear? Who would be reading it? What she didn't know was that her assignment and travel plans, along with the chicken soup and stroll through Central Park, had been terminated the moment she confirmed she was a journalist. When Smethurst returned to Melbourne, camera crews were waiting - all major Australian media outlets reported her ordeal. The story was treated as an example of bureaucratic arrogance run amok, because many parts of the world are still outraged by what happens at American airports to foreigners - and to many Americans..."
Monday, December 22, 2003
U.S. Tobacco Companies Accused of Terrorist Ties and Iraqi Sanctions-Busting
"American tobacco companies have violated sanctions against Iraq for years by sending billions of cigarettes into the country, often with the aid of a terrorist organization, the European Union has alleged. The allegations, made in recent filings in U.S. District Court in New York, were the latest salvos in a civil racketeering lawsuit against R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris by the European Community and 10 member nations. The suit accused tobacco companies of running a global and decades-long cigarette smuggling operation that robbed national treasuries of billions of dollars in tax revenue and became a money-laundering vehicle for criminal organizations."
"American tobacco companies have violated sanctions against Iraq for years by sending billions of cigarettes into the country, often with the aid of a terrorist organization, the European Union has alleged. The allegations, made in recent filings in U.S. District Court in New York, were the latest salvos in a civil racketeering lawsuit against R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris by the European Community and 10 member nations. The suit accused tobacco companies of running a global and decades-long cigarette smuggling operation that robbed national treasuries of billions of dollars in tax revenue and became a money-laundering vehicle for criminal organizations."
Letters the Troops Have Sent Me... (MichaelMoore.com)
"As we approach the holidays, I've been thinking a lot about our kids who are in the armed forces serving in Iraq. I've received hundreds of letters from our troops in Iraq - and they are telling me something very different from what we are seeing on the evening news. What they are saying to me, often eloquently and in heart-wrenching words, is that they were lied to - and this war has nothing to do with the security of the United States of America."
"As we approach the holidays, I've been thinking a lot about our kids who are in the armed forces serving in Iraq. I've received hundreds of letters from our troops in Iraq - and they are telling me something very different from what we are seeing on the evening news. What they are saying to me, often eloquently and in heart-wrenching words, is that they were lied to - and this war has nothing to do with the security of the United States of America."
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Saddam was held by Kurdish forces, drugged and left for US troops (Yahoo! News/LONDON, (AFP))
"Saddam Hussein was captured by US troops only after he had been taken prisoner by Kurdish forces, drugged and abandoned ready for American soldiers to recover him, a British Sunday newspaper said. Saddam came into the hands of the Kurdish Patriotic Front after being betrayed to the group by a member of the al-Jabour tribe, whose daughter had been raped by Saddam's son Uday, leading to a blood feud, reported the Sunday Express, which quoted an unnamed senior British military intelligence officer. The newspaper said the full story of events leading up to the ousted Iraqi president's capture on December 13 near his hometown of Tikrit in northern Iraq "exposes the version peddled by American spin doctors as incomplete". A former Iraqi intelligence officer, whom the Express did not name, told the paper that Saddam was held prisoner by a leader of the Kurdish Patriotic Front, which fought alongside US forces during the Iraq war, until he negotiated a deal. The deal apparently involved the group gaining political advantage in the region. An unnamed Western intelligence source in the Middle East told the Express: "Saddam was not captured as a result of any American or British intelligence. We knew that someone would eventually take their revenge, it was just a matter of time." ... and Another story about this
"Saddam Hussein was captured by US troops only after he had been taken prisoner by Kurdish forces, drugged and abandoned ready for American soldiers to recover him, a British Sunday newspaper said. Saddam came into the hands of the Kurdish Patriotic Front after being betrayed to the group by a member of the al-Jabour tribe, whose daughter had been raped by Saddam's son Uday, leading to a blood feud, reported the Sunday Express, which quoted an unnamed senior British military intelligence officer. The newspaper said the full story of events leading up to the ousted Iraqi president's capture on December 13 near his hometown of Tikrit in northern Iraq "exposes the version peddled by American spin doctors as incomplete". A former Iraqi intelligence officer, whom the Express did not name, told the paper that Saddam was held prisoner by a leader of the Kurdish Patriotic Front, which fought alongside US forces during the Iraq war, until he negotiated a deal. The deal apparently involved the group gaining political advantage in the region. An unnamed Western intelligence source in the Middle East told the Express: "Saddam was not captured as a result of any American or British intelligence. We knew that someone would eventually take their revenge, it was just a matter of time." ... and Another story about this
9/11 Widow charges Bush with foreknowledge and abetment of murder in rico suit (9/11 CitizensWatch)
"NH resident Ellen Mariani filed a racketeering suit in Pennsylvania District Court yesterday (11/26/03) against the Bush team in the biggest legal bombshell to fall thus far. If this historic case is accepted by the court and she wins subpeona power, a whole new world of secrets may suddenly heave into view."
"NH resident Ellen Mariani filed a racketeering suit in Pennsylvania District Court yesterday (11/26/03) against the Bush team in the biggest legal bombshell to fall thus far. If this historic case is accepted by the court and she wins subpeona power, a whole new world of secrets may suddenly heave into view."
Friday, December 19, 2003
US courts slam Bush's anti-terrorism policies (IOL): "Two influential United States courts dealt a double blow to the Bush administration's anti-terror policies on Thursday by ruling the government was violating the civil rights of so-called 'enemy combatants' held in a South Carolina navy prison and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."
Embezzler programmed system to connect ballots to voter (BlackBoxVoting.org)
Bev Harris is still blowin' the lid off voting scandals: "We've got a cocaine trafficker printing our ballots, an embezzler programming our voting system, and our absentee ballots are being funneled through a private company that hires people straight out of prison. I don't believe there is a certification program in existence that can protect us from inside access. We need criminal background checks and robust, fraud-deterring audits." -Bev Harris
— Bev Harris
An embezzler who specialized in sophisticated alteration of records of computerized systems was programming our voting system, and also had access to the printing of the ballots, and ties to the private company that sorts King County absentee ballots. Let's look at some of the features he put into the voting system software:
Jeffrey W. Dean, January 22, 2002 RE: serial numbers on ballots: [The BOD [Ballot on Demand] application that we have been running in King County since 1998 does put serial numbers on the ballots (or stubs) along with a variety of optional data. The application also will optionally connect the ballot serial number to a voter.]
Will a voter-verified paper ballot solve the above problem? What, exactly, are we fighting for?
In June, 2003, I queried many in the voting activism community about what, exactly, we should do with a voter-verified paper ballot system when we get it. No one seemed quite sure. It's been a long, hard fight and I'm confident that we're going to get the paper ballot - but not soon enough, and it's not worth a thing if we don't audit.
Congressman Rush Holt from New Jersey proposed HR 2239 to mandate voter-verified paper ballots, get rid of risky remote access tools, and require a spot check audit. His bill has been a giant step in the right direction, but still doesn't address auditing.
Bev Harris is still blowin' the lid off voting scandals: "We've got a cocaine trafficker printing our ballots, an embezzler programming our voting system, and our absentee ballots are being funneled through a private company that hires people straight out of prison. I don't believe there is a certification program in existence that can protect us from inside access. We need criminal background checks and robust, fraud-deterring audits." -Bev Harris
— Bev Harris
An embezzler who specialized in sophisticated alteration of records of computerized systems was programming our voting system, and also had access to the printing of the ballots, and ties to the private company that sorts King County absentee ballots. Let's look at some of the features he put into the voting system software:
Jeffrey W. Dean, January 22, 2002 RE: serial numbers on ballots: [The BOD [Ballot on Demand] application that we have been running in King County since 1998 does put serial numbers on the ballots (or stubs) along with a variety of optional data. The application also will optionally connect the ballot serial number to a voter.]
Will a voter-verified paper ballot solve the above problem? What, exactly, are we fighting for?
In June, 2003, I queried many in the voting activism community about what, exactly, we should do with a voter-verified paper ballot system when we get it. No one seemed quite sure. It's been a long, hard fight and I'm confident that we're going to get the paper ballot - but not soon enough, and it's not worth a thing if we don't audit.
Congressman Rush Holt from New Jersey proposed HR 2239 to mandate voter-verified paper ballots, get rid of risky remote access tools, and require a spot check audit. His bill has been a giant step in the right direction, but still doesn't address auditing.
We've had people doing [end runs] and we've used uncertified software, and we are stuck with just trusting those who have access.
In King County, an individual named Jeffrey Dean obtained a contract to program the voter registration system. According to sources within the King County elections office, Dean also had a key to the computer room, the passcode to the GEMS computer, and 24-hour access to the building. Dean sometimes urged upgrades to new, uncertified software right before elections.
So here's a man with access to our personal information and access to the programs that count 800,000 votes. He also had involvement with the Windows CE operating system used by the touch-screens:
From: Ian S. Piper, October 20, 2001: [I don't know the outlook for implementing WinCE 3.0. Jeff Dean would be the person to make an inquiry to on that matter.
From: Larry Dix, October 20, 2001: [Can anyone other than Jeff give an update on this? Any idea when CE will be available ...]
Jeffrey Dean was largely responsible for programming the 1.96 version of the optical scan software, which is used not just in Seattle, but throughout the U.S. (1.96.4 was certified in May 2003).
From: Jeff Dean, 23 Feb 2001: [What we are doing is certifying a firmware release that is backward compatible with the 1.94, 1.95 spider's web of uncertified features currently in use ... let's get 1.96 tested and certified.]
Jeffrey W. Dean was the senior vice president of Global Election Systems and a director of the company in 2000 and 2001. He had access not only to King County, but to the entire suite of optical scan software used in 37 states, and the security-sensitive Windows CE program for the touch-screens. Jeffrey Dean had access to our votes, but what he is not allowed to have is access to handling any checks.
That is because his criminal sentence for twenty-three counts of felony Theft in the First Degree forbids him to handle any checks, now that he has been released from prison. According to the findings of fact in case no. 89-1-04034-1:
[Defendant's thefts occurred over a 2 1/2 year period of time, there were multiple incidents, more than the standard range can account for, the actual monetary loss was substantially greater than typical for the offense, the crimes and their cover-up involved a high degree of sophistication and planning in the use and alteration of records in the computerized accounting system that defendant maintained for the victim, and the defendant used his position of trust and fiduciary responsibility as a computer systems and accounting consultant for the victim to facilitate the commission of the offenses.]
Diebold told The AP wire that Dean left the company when they took over, but in fact, Diebold retained him as a consultant:
From: Steve Moreland, 4 Feb 2002: [I am pleased to announce that effective today, John Elder will be assuming the role of General Manager of the Printed Products department of Diebold Election Systems, Inc. John brings a wealth of knowledge along with a passion for success to this role which will be essential as we strive to gain market share and improve profitability. Jeff Dean has elected to maintain his affiliation with the company in a consulting role, reporting to Pat Green. The Diebold Election Division management team greatly values Jeff's contribution to this business and is looking forward to his continued expertise in this market place.
Diebold also cannot say that the voting machines it built had nothing to do with Jeffrey Dean. Though Diebold actually purchased Global Election Systems in January 2002, they contracted to build machines for Global in 2001. This was because Diebold had loaned money to Global, planning to buy the firm, and Global had sold 500 machines that it did not have the liquidity to manufacture.
While in prison, Jeffrey Dean met and became friends with John Elder, who did five years for cocaine trafficking. At the time of this writing, Elder is still on Diebold's payroll; in fact, he manages a division and oversees the printing of both ballots and punch cards for several states. Punch cards, remember, can also be rigged, by selectively die-cutting so that some chads dislodge more easily than others. Diebold's printing division also bids on printing for Sequoia.
King County contracts the mailing of its absentee ballots out to Elder's division, and Elder's division subcontracts with a firm called PSI Group Inc. to sort the incoming absentee ballots - the most high-risk security point for absentee ballots. You see, we know how many absentee ballots we send out, but we have no idea how many are filled out and sent back in, especially if they pass through a middleman before being counted by elections officials. The elections division may tell you they count the ballots before outsourcing for precinct sorting, but in major metro areas, up to 60,000 ballots arrive in a single day and they are simply not staffed for this. It makes no sense to count ballots by precinct and then send them out for sorting.
According to a 2001 SEC document, our felon friends had contracted for absentee and ballot processing for the following counties:
King County Records and Elections-Ballot Production 7/15/98
King County Records and Elections-Absentee Process 7/10/98
Fresno County Elections-Ballot Production 2/28/99
Fresno County Elections-Absentee Process 2/28/99
Tulare County Elections-Ballot Production 9/03/99
Los Angeles Elections-Absentee Process 8/01/00
Santa Clara County Elections-Absentee Process 9/12/00
Sacramento County Elections-Absentee Process 9/05/00
Purchase Orders based upon Spectrum's ballot production and absentee Statements
of Work
Santa Barbara County
San Luis Obispo County
Marin County
Lassen County
Siskiyou County
Humboldt County
Trinity County
Jeffrey Dean was released from prison in August, 1995 and Elder was released in November 1996. In their prison release documents, both wrote that they had lined up employment at Postal Services of Washington, Inc., the firm that sorts 500,000 mail-in absentee ballots for King County.
Jeffrey Dean, when released from prison, had $87 in his inmate account. He was ordered to pay $385,227 in restitution for his embezzlements. For most of us, this would be a crushing financial blow, and we would find it difficult to bankroll a business, yet somehow Dean (and his wife, Deborah M. Dean) managed to become the owners of Spectrum Printing & Mailing. In 2000, Dean's printing and mailing firm was purchased for $1.6 million by Global Election Systems.
So when we try to find out what software is actually authorized, we get the buffalo shuffle. We've got a cocaine trafficker printing our ballots, an embezzler programming our voting system, and our absentee ballots are being funneled through a private company that hires people straight out of prison.
I don't believe there is a certification program in existence that can protect us from inside access. We need criminal background checks and robust, fraud-deterring audits."
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Owning Up to Deceptions on the Iraq War (Derrick Jackson/Common Dreams)
ON THE ASSUMPTION that America is thoroughly brainwashed, President Bush said with no hint of shame, 'We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in September the 11th.' National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice said, 'We have never claimed that Saddam Hussein had either ... direction or control of 9/11.' Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, 'I've not seen any indication that would lead me to believe I could say' that Saddam Hussein was tied to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. These statements were meant to drown out Vice President Dick Cheney. With public support sagging for the Iraq quagmire, Cheney recently tried to restore legitimacy to the invasion and occupation by resurrecting the discounted claim that top 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence agent five months before the attacks."
ON THE ASSUMPTION that America is thoroughly brainwashed, President Bush said with no hint of shame, 'We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in September the 11th.' National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice said, 'We have never claimed that Saddam Hussein had either ... direction or control of 9/11.' Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, 'I've not seen any indication that would lead me to believe I could say' that Saddam Hussein was tied to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. These statements were meant to drown out Vice President Dick Cheney. With public support sagging for the Iraq quagmire, Cheney recently tried to restore legitimacy to the invasion and occupation by resurrecting the discounted claim that top 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence agent five months before the attacks."
U.S. House of Reps. Approves Bill to Censor American Citizens from Voicing Opposition to U.S. War on Drugs (Common Dreams)
"A little-known provision buried within the omnibus federal spending bill that the U.S. House of Representatives approved yesterday would take away federal grants from local and state transportation authorities that allow citizens to run advertising on buses, trains, or subways in support of reforming our nation’s drug laws. If enacted, the provision could effectively silence community groups around the country that are using advertising to educate Americans about medical marijuana and other drug policy reforms. Meanwhile, this same bill gives the White House $145 million in taxpayer money to run anti-marijuana ads next year."
"A little-known provision buried within the omnibus federal spending bill that the U.S. House of Representatives approved yesterday would take away federal grants from local and state transportation authorities that allow citizens to run advertising on buses, trains, or subways in support of reforming our nation’s drug laws. If enacted, the provision could effectively silence community groups around the country that are using advertising to educate Americans about medical marijuana and other drug policy reforms. Meanwhile, this same bill gives the White House $145 million in taxpayer money to run anti-marijuana ads next year."
The stupefaction of a nation: Corporate media propaganda and its weapons of mass distraction (Manuel Valenzuela)
"Propaganda, it seems, has never been used so systematically and methodically. While the corporate Leviathan launches war against us its media merrily downplays or ignores its truth or consequences or our daily lives. With the growing power of the Leviathan becoming ever stronger, in essence becoming our government, we are witnessing propaganda, conditioning and manipulation on a scale never seen before. Our nation is being devastated by both government and business propaganda. As a result, we are being made brainless puppets attached to the willful strings of the powerful elite. What follows is an examination of this growing phenomenon and how it is affecting us all, our democracy and the direction this nation is headed in."
"Propaganda, it seems, has never been used so systematically and methodically. While the corporate Leviathan launches war against us its media merrily downplays or ignores its truth or consequences or our daily lives. With the growing power of the Leviathan becoming ever stronger, in essence becoming our government, we are witnessing propaganda, conditioning and manipulation on a scale never seen before. Our nation is being devastated by both government and business propaganda. As a result, we are being made brainless puppets attached to the willful strings of the powerful elite. What follows is an examination of this growing phenomenon and how it is affecting us all, our democracy and the direction this nation is headed in."
Told'ya So (Yurica Report / Greg Palast)
"Arnold to Settle Lawsuits for Pennies on the Dollar: I am deeply unhappy to report on the accuracy of our report on the success of Ken Lay's plan to have his governor, Mr. Schwarzenegger, sabotage state lawsuits against the electricity cartel. ... Mr. Schwarzenegger's announcement to settle the lawsuits comes on the heels of an article written on the eve of the election by investigative reporter Greg Palast. Palast, whose reports appear on BBC television’s Newsnight, said that the Los Angeles-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights uncovered Enron internal memos regarding Mr. Schwarzenegger's secret meeting in May 2001 with the disgraced CEO of Enron, Kenneth Lay. The intent of the power company, according to Palast, was to sabotage the Davis-Bustamante plan to win back the $9 billion dollars in illegal profits earned by power moguls. The plan has worked so far. Clearly, Mr. Schwarzenegger should be questioned about his actions."
"Arnold to Settle Lawsuits for Pennies on the Dollar: I am deeply unhappy to report on the accuracy of our report on the success of Ken Lay's plan to have his governor, Mr. Schwarzenegger, sabotage state lawsuits against the electricity cartel. ... Mr. Schwarzenegger's announcement to settle the lawsuits comes on the heels of an article written on the eve of the election by investigative reporter Greg Palast. Palast, whose reports appear on BBC television’s Newsnight, said that the Los Angeles-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights uncovered Enron internal memos regarding Mr. Schwarzenegger's secret meeting in May 2001 with the disgraced CEO of Enron, Kenneth Lay. The intent of the power company, according to Palast, was to sabotage the Davis-Bustamante plan to win back the $9 billion dollars in illegal profits earned by power moguls. The plan has worked so far. Clearly, Mr. Schwarzenegger should be questioned about his actions."
Exposed: The Carlyle Group: Shocking documentary uncovers the subversion of Americas democracy. (InformationClearingHouse)
"I defy you to watch this 48 minute documentary and not be outraged about the depth of corruption and deceit within the highest ranks of our government and the first family."
"I defy you to watch this 48 minute documentary and not be outraged about the depth of corruption and deceit within the highest ranks of our government and the first family."
While Saddam was Captured: Stealth enactment Patriot Act II (globalresearch.ca)
"While CNN and other media outlets are rejoicing because of the capture of Saddam Hussein, Bush again introduced new legislation last Saturday which increased the federal powers to investigate and reduces the privacy rights of American citizens. Comments of Ron Paul, Congressman for Texas on HR 2417: It appears we are witnessing a stealth enactment of the enormously unpopular "Patriot II" legislation that was first leaked several months ago. Perhaps the national outcry when a draft of the Patriot II act was leaked has led its supporters to enact it one piece at a time in secret. Whatever the case, this is outrageous and unacceptable. I urge each of my colleagues to join me in rejecting this bill and its incredibly dangerous expansion of Federal police powers."
"While CNN and other media outlets are rejoicing because of the capture of Saddam Hussein, Bush again introduced new legislation last Saturday which increased the federal powers to investigate and reduces the privacy rights of American citizens. Comments of Ron Paul, Congressman for Texas on HR 2417: It appears we are witnessing a stealth enactment of the enormously unpopular "Patriot II" legislation that was first leaked several months ago. Perhaps the national outcry when a draft of the Patriot II act was leaked has led its supporters to enact it one piece at a time in secret. Whatever the case, this is outrageous and unacceptable. I urge each of my colleagues to join me in rejecting this bill and its incredibly dangerous expansion of Federal police powers."
Saddam's Capture Means Trouble for U.S. Officials (Future of Freedom Foundation)
"Why wouldn't U.S. officials readily agree to relinquish jurisdiction over Hussein's trial? Because of their need to closely guard the secrets that Saddam Hussein has in his possession - secrets that would cause no small amount of embarrassment to the U.S. government, including former president Ronald Reagan, former vice-president and former president George H.W. Bush (the president's father), and Donald Rumsfeld, the president's secretary of defense. Saddam’s testimony at trial could provide some of the answers. And that prospect - of Saddam Hussein testifying freely, openly, and publicly about his relationship with Ronald Reagan, President Bush I, and Donald Rumsfeld - would undoubtedly strike terror into the hearts and minds of many U.S. officials." ... complete with a long list of many of the US's questional deals with Iraq, including supplying Iraq with WMDs.
"Why wouldn't U.S. officials readily agree to relinquish jurisdiction over Hussein's trial? Because of their need to closely guard the secrets that Saddam Hussein has in his possession - secrets that would cause no small amount of embarrassment to the U.S. government, including former president Ronald Reagan, former vice-president and former president George H.W. Bush (the president's father), and Donald Rumsfeld, the president's secretary of defense. Saddam’s testimony at trial could provide some of the answers. And that prospect - of Saddam Hussein testifying freely, openly, and publicly about his relationship with Ronald Reagan, President Bush I, and Donald Rumsfeld - would undoubtedly strike terror into the hearts and minds of many U.S. officials." ... complete with a long list of many of the US's questional deals with Iraq, including supplying Iraq with WMDs.
Ex-Pentagon Officials Sentenced in Fraud (NewsDay)
"Two former top Pentagon officials each were sentenced Friday to 24 1/3 years in prison for taking more than $1 million in bribes and accepting prostitutes from government contractors."
"Two former top Pentagon officials each were sentenced Friday to 24 1/3 years in prison for taking more than $1 million in bribes and accepting prostitutes from government contractors."
This is not America (salon.com)
"In Miami, police unleashed unprecedented fury on demonstrators -- most of them seniors and union members. Is this how Bush's war on terror will be fought at home? This is the first installment of 'Lost Liberties,' a series of stories that will be published in the months ahead exploring the erosion of civil rights and personal freedom in the United States since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001."
"In Miami, police unleashed unprecedented fury on demonstrators -- most of them seniors and union members. Is this how Bush's war on terror will be fought at home? This is the first installment of 'Lost Liberties,' a series of stories that will be published in the months ahead exploring the erosion of civil rights and personal freedom in the United States since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001."
Monday, December 15, 2003
Jessica Lynch Captures Saddam (Greg Palast/GNN)
Greg's got a pretty good sense of humor about all this. Plus a nice timeline of U.S. business deals with Saddam.
Greg's got a pretty good sense of humor about all this. Plus a nice timeline of U.S. business deals with Saddam.
Guerrilla of the Week: Katharine Gun (GNN)
"Few Americans have heard of Katharine Gun, a former British intelligence employee facing charges that she violated the Official Secrets Act. So far, the American press has ignored her. But the case raises profound questions about democracy and the public's right to know on both sides of the Atlantic."
"Few Americans have heard of Katharine Gun, a former British intelligence employee facing charges that she violated the Official Secrets Act. So far, the American press has ignored her. But the case raises profound questions about democracy and the public's right to know on both sides of the Atlantic."
Ethics and Technology in the Wake of September 11 (E. Floyd Kvamme)
Hmm... This is interesting. In order to understand the implications of this, you'll also need to read http://www.google-watch.org
Hmm... This is interesting. In order to understand the implications of this, you'll also need to read http://www.google-watch.org
Sunday, December 14, 2003
Atta trained by Saddam
Do they really think that we already forgot where they were really trained? Bravo for the attempt to try to tie up a few loose ends, though.
Do they really think that we already forgot where they were really trained? Bravo for the attempt to try to tie up a few loose ends, though.
Iraq to get CIA-TV? (Guerrilla News Network)
"The Rendon Group is part of a nine-member consortium that has made a $98 million bid to rebuild the Iraqi Media Network. WorldSpace Corp., the Washington, D.C.-based satellite broadcaster, leads the group," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. The Rendon Group is a secretive public relations firm that has assisted a number of U.S. military interventions in nations including Argentina, Colombia, Haiti, Iraq, Kosovo, Panama and Zimbabwe. Rendon's activities include organizing the Iraqi National Congress, a PR front group designed to foment the overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein."
"The Rendon Group is part of a nine-member consortium that has made a $98 million bid to rebuild the Iraqi Media Network. WorldSpace Corp., the Washington, D.C.-based satellite broadcaster, leads the group," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. The Rendon Group is a secretive public relations firm that has assisted a number of U.S. military interventions in nations including Argentina, Colombia, Haiti, Iraq, Kosovo, Panama and Zimbabwe. Rendon's activities include organizing the Iraqi National Congress, a PR front group designed to foment the overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein."
What's next for the troops? (Strappado Wrack)
"By now you heard the announcements that Saddam Hussein has been captured. The celebrations have been reported, the pictures of joy sent around the world. Now that the war is really over, when will the troops start to come home? Before you hear and read all the detailed accounts of the capture, let's focus on the stated purpose of the Iraqi invasion. Since a WMD cache still eludes finding, the proponents of the war must hang their hat on the finding and arresting of the evil tyrant. Mission accomplished, so what's next? Any student of history knows all too well that the U.S. involvement into Iraq will not be temporary or that the boys won't be coming home anytime soon."
"By now you heard the announcements that Saddam Hussein has been captured. The celebrations have been reported, the pictures of joy sent around the world. Now that the war is really over, when will the troops start to come home? Before you hear and read all the detailed accounts of the capture, let's focus on the stated purpose of the Iraqi invasion. Since a WMD cache still eludes finding, the proponents of the war must hang their hat on the finding and arresting of the evil tyrant. Mission accomplished, so what's next? Any student of history knows all too well that the U.S. involvement into Iraq will not be temporary or that the boys won't be coming home anytime soon."
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Corporate Media Ignores US Hypocrisy on War Crimes (Peter Phillips/Common Dreams)
"These stories show how corporate media likes to give the impression that the US government is working diligently to root out evil doers around the world and to build democracy and freedom. This theme is part of a core ideological message in support of our recent wars on Panama, Serbia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Governmental spin transmitted by a willing US media establishes simplistic mythologies of good vs. evil often leaving out historical context, special transnational corporate interests, and prior strategic relationships with the dreaded evil ones. The hypocrisy of US policy and corporate media complicity is evident in the coverage of Donald Rumsfeld's stop over in Mazar-e Sharif Afghanistan December 4 to meet with regional warlord and mass killer General Abdul Rashid Dostum and his rival General Ustad Atta Mohammed. Rumsfeld was there to finalize a deal with the warlords to begin the decommissioning of their military forces in exchange for millions of dollars in international aid and increased power in the central Afghan government."
"These stories show how corporate media likes to give the impression that the US government is working diligently to root out evil doers around the world and to build democracy and freedom. This theme is part of a core ideological message in support of our recent wars on Panama, Serbia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Governmental spin transmitted by a willing US media establishes simplistic mythologies of good vs. evil often leaving out historical context, special transnational corporate interests, and prior strategic relationships with the dreaded evil ones. The hypocrisy of US policy and corporate media complicity is evident in the coverage of Donald Rumsfeld's stop over in Mazar-e Sharif Afghanistan December 4 to meet with regional warlord and mass killer General Abdul Rashid Dostum and his rival General Ustad Atta Mohammed. Rumsfeld was there to finalize a deal with the warlords to begin the decommissioning of their military forces in exchange for millions of dollars in international aid and increased power in the central Afghan government."
Delivered Into Hell by US War on Terror (Maher Arar / Common Dreams)
A horrific story of an innocent Syrian-born Canadian man is taken into custody by American immigration officials at a New York stop-over on a flight home to Canada. Immigrations and police to the FBI to being deported to Syria to a 3x6x7 foot cell for over a year of imprisonment, beatings, and torture. Eventually coerced into signing a (false) statement saying he had been to Afghanistan, and eventually forced to sign a confession. "Today, the questions remain too numerous for me to list them all here. For starters, I want to know why the United States sent me to one of the seven countries that the Bush administration has designated a sponsor of state terrorism - and that President Bush singled out just last month as a country that tortures its own people. And I want to know why the Canadian government sent information on me to the United States and what the nature of that information was."
Ashcroft defends US victimization and abuse of Maher Arar (World Socialist)
"US Attorney General John Ashcroft has unequivocally defended the US government's treatment of Maher Arar. At a November 19 meeting with Canadian Solicitor-General Wayne Easter, Ashcroft said US authorities have no reason to apologize to either Arar or Canada. Arar's seizure - he was effectively kidnapped while transferring planes at New York's JFK Airport during a return trip from Tunisia to Canada-and his deportation to Syria were, insisted Ashcroft, a necessary element in the Bush administration's war on terrorism. "Mr. Ashcroft assured us that, from his perspective ... there were no laws broken. He feels that US authorities were operating under their mandate in the interests of their laws and national security."
This seems to be making a lot of noise in the news. (325 articles as of today)
A horrific story of an innocent Syrian-born Canadian man is taken into custody by American immigration officials at a New York stop-over on a flight home to Canada. Immigrations and police to the FBI to being deported to Syria to a 3x6x7 foot cell for over a year of imprisonment, beatings, and torture. Eventually coerced into signing a (false) statement saying he had been to Afghanistan, and eventually forced to sign a confession. "Today, the questions remain too numerous for me to list them all here. For starters, I want to know why the United States sent me to one of the seven countries that the Bush administration has designated a sponsor of state terrorism - and that President Bush singled out just last month as a country that tortures its own people. And I want to know why the Canadian government sent information on me to the United States and what the nature of that information was."
Ashcroft defends US victimization and abuse of Maher Arar (World Socialist)
"US Attorney General John Ashcroft has unequivocally defended the US government's treatment of Maher Arar. At a November 19 meeting with Canadian Solicitor-General Wayne Easter, Ashcroft said US authorities have no reason to apologize to either Arar or Canada. Arar's seizure - he was effectively kidnapped while transferring planes at New York's JFK Airport during a return trip from Tunisia to Canada-and his deportation to Syria were, insisted Ashcroft, a necessary element in the Bush administration's war on terrorism. "Mr. Ashcroft assured us that, from his perspective ... there were no laws broken. He feels that US authorities were operating under their mandate in the interests of their laws and national security."
This seems to be making a lot of noise in the news. (325 articles as of today)
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
The MadCow Morning News (Daniel Hopsicker?)
The true owner of the flight school (Huffman Aviation of Venice, Florida) which served as home away from home for the two pilots who took down the World Trade Center, Wally Hilliard, has a Rolodex which includes everyone from Whitewater scandal figure Truman Arnold to Evangelical Christian mover-and-shaker Jerry Falwell to Latin American dictator Fidel Castro. Hilliard owns the only air carrier claiming regular service to Havana. He has made numerous trips to Cuba, courting Castro for business concessions, through the simple expedient, we hear, of passing out handfuls of Presidential Rolexes. Hilliard had his Lear jet confiscated at Orlando Executive Airport in July of 2000--the same month Atta arrived--with 43 lbs. of heroin onboard. Yet Mr. Hilliard's associations are presumed by the major media to have had nothing whatsoever to do with Mohamed Atta's choice to take flying lessons at his recently-purchased flight school. Anyone thinking otherwise must be a conspiracy theorist. More here...
The true owner of the flight school (Huffman Aviation of Venice, Florida) which served as home away from home for the two pilots who took down the World Trade Center, Wally Hilliard, has a Rolodex which includes everyone from Whitewater scandal figure Truman Arnold to Evangelical Christian mover-and-shaker Jerry Falwell to Latin American dictator Fidel Castro. Hilliard owns the only air carrier claiming regular service to Havana. He has made numerous trips to Cuba, courting Castro for business concessions, through the simple expedient, we hear, of passing out handfuls of Presidential Rolexes. Hilliard had his Lear jet confiscated at Orlando Executive Airport in July of 2000--the same month Atta arrived--with 43 lbs. of heroin onboard. Yet Mr. Hilliard's associations are presumed by the major media to have had nothing whatsoever to do with Mohamed Atta's choice to take flying lessons at his recently-purchased flight school. Anyone thinking otherwise must be a conspiracy theorist. More here...
I really feel a draft! (Jim Capo)
"Until today, I had not actually taken the time to read the Universal National Service Act of 2003 sponsored by Rep Rangle and outgoing Senator Hollings of SC. Might be worth everyone's time to actually read it (highlights and full .pdf text of the bill) ... Below is the header to the Senate bill:
"108TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 89: To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." Regardless of your level of support for this sort of effort, has it ever been prudent to allow the Federal Government a clause like, "...and for other purposes."? I found myself late this afternoon with my 15 year old son talking his learner's permit exam at the DMV. Imagine my surprise to see that all the examiner's cubicles have a hastily copied black and white sheet posted in them which reads: "To All of our Customers Who are Male and Age 18 through 25: Effective November 3, 2003: ...Completion of this application will be considered as proof of your consent to be registered with the Selective Service System per the requirements of Federal and State Law. If you decline to register, your application for a driver license, learner's permit or ID card will be denied." I obtained a copy of the actual posting from our DMV customer service rep Henry who was kind enough to make one for us even though they are not supposed to make copies for customers. (Henry said he was one of the few in the DMV office who argued that there was something more to the appearance of this new policy. We bonded when I told him he was certainly correct!)
I see two things that don't agree between NC General Statute 20-9.2 referenced in the DMV posting and the derived DMV Customer posting: 1) The Statute does not explicitly say your driver license can be withheld. 2) The posting does not explicitly say that you are agreeing to have your information forwarded in electronic format to Selective Service (I assume this is meant to include your digital photograph.) What's next?
"Until today, I had not actually taken the time to read the Universal National Service Act of 2003 sponsored by Rep Rangle and outgoing Senator Hollings of SC. Might be worth everyone's time to actually read it (highlights and full .pdf text of the bill) ... Below is the header to the Senate bill:
"108TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 89: To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." Regardless of your level of support for this sort of effort, has it ever been prudent to allow the Federal Government a clause like, "...and for other purposes."? I found myself late this afternoon with my 15 year old son talking his learner's permit exam at the DMV. Imagine my surprise to see that all the examiner's cubicles have a hastily copied black and white sheet posted in them which reads: "To All of our Customers Who are Male and Age 18 through 25: Effective November 3, 2003: ...Completion of this application will be considered as proof of your consent to be registered with the Selective Service System per the requirements of Federal and State Law. If you decline to register, your application for a driver license, learner's permit or ID card will be denied." I obtained a copy of the actual posting from our DMV customer service rep Henry who was kind enough to make one for us even though they are not supposed to make copies for customers. (Henry said he was one of the few in the DMV office who argued that there was something more to the appearance of this new policy. We bonded when I told him he was certainly correct!)
I see two things that don't agree between NC General Statute 20-9.2 referenced in the DMV posting and the derived DMV Customer posting: 1) The Statute does not explicitly say your driver license can be withheld. 2) The posting does not explicitly say that you are agreeing to have your information forwarded in electronic format to Selective Service (I assume this is meant to include your digital photograph.) What's next?
Intimidated by FBI, Witnesses Claim 9/11 'cover-up in progress' in Florida (Daniel Hopsicker)
FBI agents harassed and intimidated witnesses to the 9/11 terrorist conspiracy's activities in Florida, issuing warnings to avoid talking with reporters, say current and former residents in Venice, Florida. At least one eyewitness, who knew Mohamed Atta because he lived next door for a time, received regular visits for over six months after the attack from FBI agents eager to ensure she continued to remain silent. Several said they felt unfairly singled out because what they saw and heard is at considerable variance with the official story of the terrorist cadre's time in Florida. An American girl named Amanda Keller, for example, briefly lived with Mohamed Atta in Venice, according to both local news reports and numerous eyewitnesses. She possessed presumably 'scorching-hot' details of life with a terrorist ringleader. But we never saw her being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. The FBI had other ideas.
FBI agents harassed and intimidated witnesses to the 9/11 terrorist conspiracy's activities in Florida, issuing warnings to avoid talking with reporters, say current and former residents in Venice, Florida. At least one eyewitness, who knew Mohamed Atta because he lived next door for a time, received regular visits for over six months after the attack from FBI agents eager to ensure she continued to remain silent. Several said they felt unfairly singled out because what they saw and heard is at considerable variance with the official story of the terrorist cadre's time in Florida. An American girl named Amanda Keller, for example, briefly lived with Mohamed Atta in Venice, according to both local news reports and numerous eyewitnesses. She possessed presumably 'scorching-hot' details of life with a terrorist ringleader. But we never saw her being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. The FBI had other ideas.
CDC Study Raises Level of Suspicion (Kelly Patricia O Meara)
The mother of an autistic child wonders why everyone gets up in arms over ingesting small amounts of mercury from fish or from breaking a thermometer but finds it acceptable to inject an even more toxic form of mercury directly into the bloodstream of infants.
The mother of an autistic child wonders why everyone gets up in arms over ingesting small amounts of mercury from fish or from breaking a thermometer but finds it acceptable to inject an even more toxic form of mercury directly into the bloodstream of infants.
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Recent Chomsky Interview (Guerrilla News Network)
Back from Iraq, GNN caught up with Chomsky and posted an excerpt of their interview for an upcoming book and film project. Chomsky tosses around a few historical bombshells as he goes down the list of the thugs in Washington, including: John Negroponte, Donald Rumsfeld, Elliot Abrams, Colin Powell, and Paul Wolfowitz.
Back from Iraq, GNN caught up with Chomsky and posted an excerpt of their interview for an upcoming book and film project. Chomsky tosses around a few historical bombshells as he goes down the list of the thugs in Washington, including: John Negroponte, Donald Rumsfeld, Elliot Abrams, Colin Powell, and Paul Wolfowitz.
Sobig blamed for fourfold rise in spam (ZDNet UK)
MessageLabs predicted that as much as two thirds of all spam email is being spread via PCs that have been compromised by viruses, such as Sobig.F
MessageLabs predicted that as much as two thirds of all spam email is being spread via PCs that have been compromised by viruses, such as Sobig.F
Poisonous Legacy (BushFlash)
Warning: Extremly Disturbing Imagery
... Some of the effects of depleted urianium on newborns.
Warning: Extremly Disturbing Imagery
... Some of the effects of depleted urianium on newborns.
Monday, December 08, 2003
Baker Takes The Loaf (Greg Palast)
"...Baker Botts of Texas, have been working day and night to prevent the families of the victims of the September 11 attack from seeking information from Saudi Arabia on the Kingdom's funding of Al Qaeda fronts. ... It's tough work, but this week the payoff came when President Bush appointed Baker, the firm's senior partner, to "restructure" the debts of the nation of Iraq. And who will net the big bucks under Jim Baker's plan? Answer: his client, Saudi Arabia, which claims $30.7 billion due from Iraq (plus $12 billion in "reparations" from the First Gulf war). ... Come to think of it, maybe I'm being a bit too dismissive of the Iraqi make-believe government. After all, it's not as if George Bush were elected by the voters either. It would be more accurate to say that two puppet governments have agreed on letting the man who has always pulled the strings come out from behind the curtain, take a bow, take charge, take the money and run."
"...Baker Botts of Texas, have been working day and night to prevent the families of the victims of the September 11 attack from seeking information from Saudi Arabia on the Kingdom's funding of Al Qaeda fronts. ... It's tough work, but this week the payoff came when President Bush appointed Baker, the firm's senior partner, to "restructure" the debts of the nation of Iraq. And who will net the big bucks under Jim Baker's plan? Answer: his client, Saudi Arabia, which claims $30.7 billion due from Iraq (plus $12 billion in "reparations" from the First Gulf war). ... Come to think of it, maybe I'm being a bit too dismissive of the Iraqi make-believe government. After all, it's not as if George Bush were elected by the voters either. It would be more accurate to say that two puppet governments have agreed on letting the man who has always pulled the strings come out from behind the curtain, take a bow, take charge, take the money and run."
The Sunday Herald (Scotland)
"The idea of four innocent men going to prison for life for a murder they didn't commit is horrifying enough by any standards. But the fact that Boston FBI agents knew of their innocence, set up the conviction, and allowed the injustice to roll on for more than 30 years, has horrified America. It was part of a long-running FBI scheme to protect top-secret informants, who frighteningly were murderers themselves, it has now been revealed. Two of the men wrongly accused in 1965 of the killing of smalltime Boston crook Teddy Deegan, died in jail; the other two were finally released. Joseph Salvati after 30 years in jail and Peter Limone after 33 years incarceration. Now the FBI has been accused by a powerful congressional committee of causing "incalculable damage to the public" by protecting their deadly informants over a period of 38 years. In a report running to 141 pages, entitled Everything Secret Degenerates: The FBI's Use Of Murderers As Informants, the House committee on government reform has branded the FBI's behaviour as "one of the greatest failures in the history of federal law enforcement."
"The idea of four innocent men going to prison for life for a murder they didn't commit is horrifying enough by any standards. But the fact that Boston FBI agents knew of their innocence, set up the conviction, and allowed the injustice to roll on for more than 30 years, has horrified America. It was part of a long-running FBI scheme to protect top-secret informants, who frighteningly were murderers themselves, it has now been revealed. Two of the men wrongly accused in 1965 of the killing of smalltime Boston crook Teddy Deegan, died in jail; the other two were finally released. Joseph Salvati after 30 years in jail and Peter Limone after 33 years incarceration. Now the FBI has been accused by a powerful congressional committee of causing "incalculable damage to the public" by protecting their deadly informants over a period of 38 years. In a report running to 141 pages, entitled Everything Secret Degenerates: The FBI's Use Of Murderers As Informants, the House committee on government reform has branded the FBI's behaviour as "one of the greatest failures in the history of federal law enforcement."
HAPPY BELATED PEARL HARBOR DAY:
The McCollum Memo: The Smoking Gun of Pearl Harbor: On October 7, 1940, Lieutenant Commander Arthur McCollum of the Office of Naval Intelligence submitted a memo to Navy Captains Walter Anderson and Dudley Knox (whose endorsement is included in the following scans). Captains Anderson and Knox were two of President Roosevelt's most trusted military advisors. The memo detailed an 8 step plan to provoke Japan into attacking the United States. President Roosevelt, over the course of 1941, implemented all 8 of the recommendations contained in the McCollum memo. Following the eighth provocation, Japan attacked. The public was told that it was a complete surprise, an "intelligence failure", and America entered World War Two. (sound familiar?)
History of Pearl Harbor - We find the bones of Station H: On November 24th, 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto sent a radio message to Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, Commander of the Pacific Striking Fleet, which read in part, "The task force, keeping its movement strictly secret and maintaining close guard against submarines and aircraft, shall advance into Hawaiian waters, and upon the very opening of hostilities shall attack the main force of the United States fleet in Hawaii and deal it a mortal blow". The remains of the listening station that intercepted that message can still be seen on Oahu today.
Pearl Harbor Document - Japanese Naval Dispatch #902: For 60 years the US has claimed that the code used to send Admiral Yamamoto's order to the Striking fleet with explicit instructions to sail to Hawaii was in a code the US could not read. This decoded memo, from one week before the attack on Pearl Harbor, and one week AFTER Yamamoto's message, proves that the US had broken and was reading the radio traffic using this code.
Pearl Harbor - Mother of All Conspiracies: "...everything that the Japanese were planning to do was known to the United States..." ARMY BOARD, 1944
Japanese Midget Sub sunk by USS Ward FOUND!: A problem for the official story that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise was the report by USS Ward that it had sighted and fired upon a midget submarine trying to sneak into Pearl Harbor one hour and fifteen minutes ahead of the air attack. The official story is that since the report wasn't confirmed by other than the Ward's crew, the Pearl Harbor military command was justified in NOT sounding any alarms. While the account of the USS Ward sailors has gradually become accepted as fact in the public mind, the official status of the reported sighting was still "unconfirmed", and defenders of the Pearl Harbor myth continued to suggest that the USS Ward hadn't really seen anything at all. Until a chance discovery on August 28, 2002 vindicated the crew of the USS Ward and proved that the Hawaii military command had a clear and obvious warning of the Japanese attack 1 1/4 hours before the first airplane showed up.
Naval History Magazine: Advance Warning? The Red Cross Connection, by Daryl S. Borguist (Naval History, June 1999): Families of the Pearl Harbor commanders have been championing the theory that official Washington knew when and where the 1941 Japanese attack would occur. Evidence of secret medical shipments prior to the attack is lending credence to it.
The McCollum Memo: The Smoking Gun of Pearl Harbor: On October 7, 1940, Lieutenant Commander Arthur McCollum of the Office of Naval Intelligence submitted a memo to Navy Captains Walter Anderson and Dudley Knox (whose endorsement is included in the following scans). Captains Anderson and Knox were two of President Roosevelt's most trusted military advisors. The memo detailed an 8 step plan to provoke Japan into attacking the United States. President Roosevelt, over the course of 1941, implemented all 8 of the recommendations contained in the McCollum memo. Following the eighth provocation, Japan attacked. The public was told that it was a complete surprise, an "intelligence failure", and America entered World War Two. (sound familiar?)
History of Pearl Harbor - We find the bones of Station H: On November 24th, 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto sent a radio message to Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, Commander of the Pacific Striking Fleet, which read in part, "The task force, keeping its movement strictly secret and maintaining close guard against submarines and aircraft, shall advance into Hawaiian waters, and upon the very opening of hostilities shall attack the main force of the United States fleet in Hawaii and deal it a mortal blow". The remains of the listening station that intercepted that message can still be seen on Oahu today.
Pearl Harbor Document - Japanese Naval Dispatch #902: For 60 years the US has claimed that the code used to send Admiral Yamamoto's order to the Striking fleet with explicit instructions to sail to Hawaii was in a code the US could not read. This decoded memo, from one week before the attack on Pearl Harbor, and one week AFTER Yamamoto's message, proves that the US had broken and was reading the radio traffic using this code.
Pearl Harbor - Mother of All Conspiracies: "...everything that the Japanese were planning to do was known to the United States..." ARMY BOARD, 1944
Japanese Midget Sub sunk by USS Ward FOUND!: A problem for the official story that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise was the report by USS Ward that it had sighted and fired upon a midget submarine trying to sneak into Pearl Harbor one hour and fifteen minutes ahead of the air attack. The official story is that since the report wasn't confirmed by other than the Ward's crew, the Pearl Harbor military command was justified in NOT sounding any alarms. While the account of the USS Ward sailors has gradually become accepted as fact in the public mind, the official status of the reported sighting was still "unconfirmed", and defenders of the Pearl Harbor myth continued to suggest that the USS Ward hadn't really seen anything at all. Until a chance discovery on August 28, 2002 vindicated the crew of the USS Ward and proved that the Hawaii military command had a clear and obvious warning of the Japanese attack 1 1/4 hours before the first airplane showed up.
Naval History Magazine: Advance Warning? The Red Cross Connection, by Daryl S. Borguist (Naval History, June 1999): Families of the Pearl Harbor commanders have been championing the theory that official Washington knew when and where the 1941 Japanese attack would occur. Evidence of secret medical shipments prior to the attack is lending credence to it.
US child bombing account challenged (BBC)
US child bombing account challenged: Local villagers in Afghanistan have contradicted US reports that the target of an air strike that killed nine children also died in the raid. US officials said they were acting on extensive intelligence and had killed a former Taleban militant, Mullah Wazir. But local Afghans told the BBC's Crispin Thorold the intended target had left the village 10 days earlier.
US child bombing account challenged: Local villagers in Afghanistan have contradicted US reports that the target of an air strike that killed nine children also died in the raid. US officials said they were acting on extensive intelligence and had killed a former Taleban militant, Mullah Wazir. But local Afghans told the BBC's Crispin Thorold the intended target had left the village 10 days earlier.
Top Secret Advisor To 4 Presidents Dies 'Violently' In DC (Dave Martin / Rense)
Gus W. Weiss, 72, adviser to four presidents on top secret policy matters, died violently in Washington, DC, on November 25, 2003, but his death was not reported by The Washington Post until December 7, 2003, in thewere a lot obitiuary section at the bottom of page C12. His home town newspaper, The Nashville Tennessean, was only a week late in reporting his death, but at that late date all they could say was, "The circumstances surrounding his death could not be confirmed last night." ''He was wired into the intelligence community, and there of mystical secrets we weren't privy to,' said Harris Gilbert, a Nashville attorney who had been friends with Mr. Weiss since childhood. 'He was very interested in diplomatic strategy and was VERY, VERY OPPOSED TO THE IRAQ WAR. It was the first military action he ever opposed, but he believed we shouldn't go to war in the Middle East without knowing what we were getting into.'' Interestingly, The Post doesn't even name the medical examiner. It doesn't even name the police spokesman who did no more than tell us approximately where the body was found. Might it not appear that if one is sufficiently connected to power, strong opposition to our ongoing naked aggression in the fertile crescent could well be fatal?
Gus W. Weiss, 72, adviser to four presidents on top secret policy matters, died violently in Washington, DC, on November 25, 2003, but his death was not reported by The Washington Post until December 7, 2003, in thewere a lot obitiuary section at the bottom of page C12. His home town newspaper, The Nashville Tennessean, was only a week late in reporting his death, but at that late date all they could say was, "The circumstances surrounding his death could not be confirmed last night." ''He was wired into the intelligence community, and there of mystical secrets we weren't privy to,' said Harris Gilbert, a Nashville attorney who had been friends with Mr. Weiss since childhood. 'He was very interested in diplomatic strategy and was VERY, VERY OPPOSED TO THE IRAQ WAR. It was the first military action he ever opposed, but he believed we shouldn't go to war in the Middle East without knowing what we were getting into.'' Interestingly, The Post doesn't even name the medical examiner. It doesn't even name the police spokesman who did no more than tell us approximately where the body was found. Might it not appear that if one is sufficiently connected to power, strong opposition to our ongoing naked aggression in the fertile crescent could well be fatal?
Glaxo chief: Our drugs do not work on most patients (independent.co.uk)
A senior executive with Britain's biggest drugs company has admitted that most prescription medicines do not work on most people who take them. Allen Roses, worldwide vice-president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), said fewer than half of the patients prescribed some of the most expensive drugs actually derived any benefit from them.
A senior executive with Britain's biggest drugs company has admitted that most prescription medicines do not work on most people who take them. Allen Roses, worldwide vice-president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), said fewer than half of the patients prescribed some of the most expensive drugs actually derived any benefit from them.
The cockroaches are celebrating (Sean Gonsalves / Cape Cod Times / Working For Change)
U.S. leads way toward new nuclear arms race: "The Energy and Water Appropriations Bill signed by President Bush last week provides funding for research in developing nuclear weapons with first-strike capability. The tragic irony here is that while the president speaks forcefully about the need to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, his administration is pursuing policies that is likely to enflame the global threat. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty - the very same agreement the United States insists North Korea and Iran respect by submitting to international inspections - requires its signatories to eliminate existing nuclear arsenals through good-faith negotiation. But, at the U.N. General Assembly this past fall, the United States voted against resolutions calling for compliance with the program. How can we claim to be the leaders of the free world when we don't abide by the same standards we demand other nations follow, even to the point of threatening pre-emptive strikes? Jacqueline Cabasso, executive director of the Western States Legal Foundation, poses the question: "If the world's only remaining superpower feels that it must threaten the first use of nuclear weapons to ensure its 'national security,' why shouldn't we expect other countries to follow suit? As responsible global citizens, we must insist on a more sustainable concept of universal 'human security.' Nuclear weapons have no place in this new security paradigm," Cabasso says. Lloyd Dumas, professor of political economy at the University of Texas at Dallas offers this assessment: "By signing a bill that allocates nearly $40 million for research on new nuclear weapons and readying the Nevada nuclear test site for quicker reactivation, the administration has found yet another way to weaken American security, while claiming to strengthen it. "Building these weapons can only undercut diplomatic efforts to prevent other nations from building their own. And the idea that we can protect ourselves against proliferation with nuclear 'bunker-busters' by going around the world blowing up underground storage sites that our intelligence reports claim contain weapons of mass destruction is too ludicrous for words. Have we learned nothing from Iraq?"
U.S. leads way toward new nuclear arms race: "The Energy and Water Appropriations Bill signed by President Bush last week provides funding for research in developing nuclear weapons with first-strike capability. The tragic irony here is that while the president speaks forcefully about the need to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, his administration is pursuing policies that is likely to enflame the global threat. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty - the very same agreement the United States insists North Korea and Iran respect by submitting to international inspections - requires its signatories to eliminate existing nuclear arsenals through good-faith negotiation. But, at the U.N. General Assembly this past fall, the United States voted against resolutions calling for compliance with the program. How can we claim to be the leaders of the free world when we don't abide by the same standards we demand other nations follow, even to the point of threatening pre-emptive strikes? Jacqueline Cabasso, executive director of the Western States Legal Foundation, poses the question: "If the world's only remaining superpower feels that it must threaten the first use of nuclear weapons to ensure its 'national security,' why shouldn't we expect other countries to follow suit? As responsible global citizens, we must insist on a more sustainable concept of universal 'human security.' Nuclear weapons have no place in this new security paradigm," Cabasso says. Lloyd Dumas, professor of political economy at the University of Texas at Dallas offers this assessment: "By signing a bill that allocates nearly $40 million for research on new nuclear weapons and readying the Nevada nuclear test site for quicker reactivation, the administration has found yet another way to weaken American security, while claiming to strengthen it. "Building these weapons can only undercut diplomatic efforts to prevent other nations from building their own. And the idea that we can protect ourselves against proliferation with nuclear 'bunker-busters' by going around the world blowing up underground storage sites that our intelligence reports claim contain weapons of mass destruction is too ludicrous for words. Have we learned nothing from Iraq?"
Saturday, December 06, 2003
Richard Perle secretly owned by Boeing (Financial Times)
Richard Perle, a prominent Pentagon adviser, lobbied on behalf of Boeing's bid for a controversial $18bn government contract a year after the aerospace company made a $20m investment in the venture capital fund he runs. Mr Perle, a former Reagan-era assistant defence secretary, is considered one of the most influential civilian members of Washington's defence establishment... In August, Mr Perle co-authored an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal arguing in favour of a deal in which the Air Force would lease 100 767 aircraft refuelling tankers from Boeing... Mr Perle did not disclose that Boeing had committed to invest $20m in his venture capital fund, Trireme Partners, in mid-2002. The investment marked one of the largest early stakes taken in the fund by a corporate partner... Internal Boeing e-mails portray a lobbying campaign the company undertook to have 'friends on the Hill' and 'think tanks' drum up support for the deal. [Financial Times has made this link for members only now... You read about this story without the hassle at http://www.rense.com/general45/finan.htm]
Richard Perle, a prominent Pentagon adviser, lobbied on behalf of Boeing's bid for a controversial $18bn government contract a year after the aerospace company made a $20m investment in the venture capital fund he runs. Mr Perle, a former Reagan-era assistant defence secretary, is considered one of the most influential civilian members of Washington's defence establishment... In August, Mr Perle co-authored an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal arguing in favour of a deal in which the Air Force would lease 100 767 aircraft refuelling tankers from Boeing... Mr Perle did not disclose that Boeing had committed to invest $20m in his venture capital fund, Trireme Partners, in mid-2002. The investment marked one of the largest early stakes taken in the fund by a corporate partner... Internal Boeing e-mails portray a lobbying campaign the company undertook to have 'friends on the Hill' and 'think tanks' drum up support for the deal. [Financial Times has made this link for members only now... You read about this story without the hassle at http://www.rense.com/general45/finan.htm]
The Great Google Filter Fiasco: Mom & Pop take it on the chin (Daniel Brandt / scroogle)
On or about November 17, 2003, countless English-language ecommerce sites no longer appeared near the top of the rankings when their owners used the search terms that they considered most important. Many feel that they are being deliberately forced to bid on AdWords so as to enhance Google's profit margins in the months before filing an IPO.
On or about November 17, 2003, countless English-language ecommerce sites no longer appeared near the top of the rankings when their owners used the search terms that they considered most important. Many feel that they are being deliberately forced to bid on AdWords so as to enhance Google's profit margins in the months before filing an IPO.
Is Google broken? (Google-Watch)
Some fairly good circumstantial evidence that Google is full or is nearly full.
Some fairly good circumstantial evidence that Google is full or is nearly full.
Friday, December 05, 2003
Bush Senior Met With Bin Laden's Brother on 9/11
"George W. Bush's father was meeting with Osama bin Laden's brother, Shafig bin Laden, in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Washington, on the morning of 9/11. They were on Carlyle Group business just a few miles from where hijackers supposedly acting on behalf of Osama bin Laden would fly a plane into the Pentagon. Recall that the chief financier of the so-called hijackers, Pakistan's Chief Spy General Mahmoud Ahmad, was meeting with Bush administration officials the week before 9/11. He also met with Bob Graham and Porter Goss on the morning of the attacks, who would later go on to head the first 9/11 investigative committee."
"George W. Bush's father was meeting with Osama bin Laden's brother, Shafig bin Laden, in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Washington, on the morning of 9/11. They were on Carlyle Group business just a few miles from where hijackers supposedly acting on behalf of Osama bin Laden would fly a plane into the Pentagon. Recall that the chief financier of the so-called hijackers, Pakistan's Chief Spy General Mahmoud Ahmad, was meeting with Bush administration officials the week before 9/11. He also met with Bob Graham and Porter Goss on the morning of the attacks, who would later go on to head the first 9/11 investigative committee."
Pentagon and Bogus News: All Is Denied (New York Times)
"Early last year Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld disbanded the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Influence after it became known that the office was considering plans to provide false news items to unwitting foreign journalists to influence policymakers and public sentiment abroad. But a couple of months ago, the Pentagon quietly awarded a $300,000 contract to SAIC, a major defense consultant, to study how the Defense Department could design an 'effective strategic influence' campaign to combat global terror, according to an internal Pentagon document.
Sound familiar?"
"Early last year Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld disbanded the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Influence after it became known that the office was considering plans to provide false news items to unwitting foreign journalists to influence policymakers and public sentiment abroad. But a couple of months ago, the Pentagon quietly awarded a $300,000 contract to SAIC, a major defense consultant, to study how the Defense Department could design an 'effective strategic influence' campaign to combat global terror, according to an internal Pentagon document.
Sound familiar?"
Tons of Depleted Uranium Polluting Iraq (YellowTimes.org)
"U.S. forces unleashed at least 75 tons of toxic depleted uranium on Iraq during the war, reports the Christian Science Monitor. "
"U.S. forces unleashed at least 75 tons of toxic depleted uranium on Iraq during the war, reports the Christian Science Monitor. "
Human rights group demands Ashcroft's firing over kidnapping, poisoning, and torture (Unknown News)
Maher Arar's treatment was described here yesterday as a symbol of post-9/11 excess in this country by a human rights group seeking the ouster of U.S. Attorney-General John Ashcroft.
Maher Arar's treatment was described here yesterday as a symbol of post-9/11 excess in this country by a human rights group seeking the ouster of U.S. Attorney-General John Ashcroft.
War critics astonished as US hawk admits invasion was illegal (Guardian)
"International lawyers and anti-war campaigners reacted with astonishment yesterday after the influential Pentagon hawk Richard Perle conceded that the invasion of Iraq had been illegal." Is Bush facing a campaign to get rid of him?
"International lawyers and anti-war campaigners reacted with astonishment yesterday after the influential Pentagon hawk Richard Perle conceded that the invasion of Iraq had been illegal." Is Bush facing a campaign to get rid of him?
ITV reporter attacks military 'spin' (Guardian)
"ITV's Middle East correspondent, Julian Manyon, has challenged the US military's claims to have shot dead 54 Iraqi guerrillas in a new row over the way the conflict is being spun. US army spokesmen initially claimed 200 guerrillas had been killed when they tried to ambush two armoured convoys on Sunday, in a strike that triggered the biggest battle since George Bush declared an end to the war in Iraq seven months ago."
"ITV's Middle East correspondent, Julian Manyon, has challenged the US military's claims to have shot dead 54 Iraqi guerrillas in a new row over the way the conflict is being spun. US army spokesmen initially claimed 200 guerrillas had been killed when they tried to ambush two armoured convoys on Sunday, in a strike that triggered the biggest battle since George Bush declared an end to the war in Iraq seven months ago."
Post-9/11, this doesn't seem all that weird (Toronto Star)
Rocco Galati's claim that U.S. and Canadian intelligence agencies want to kill him sounds too weird for words. Until you factor in the connection to the Vreeland case.
Rocco Galati's claim that U.S. and Canadian intelligence agencies want to kill him sounds too weird for words. Until you factor in the connection to the Vreeland case.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Bush, Thompson, Rosenthal, Baker, Enron, & Argentina (BuzzFlash Reader Commentary)
Deputy Attorney General: Larry D. Thompson, a partner with the law firm of King & Spalding represented Enron... U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal said she has the authority to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in assets that Enron Corp insiders earned through selling their stock, but declined to do so. Judge Rosenthal practiced in Houston with Baker & Botts (a senior partner in the law firm of Baker & Botts, senior counselor to The Carlyle Group) until her appointment to the federal bench by President Bush. Former President of Argentina, Carlos Menem, long-time friend of former U.S. President George H. Bush was arrested on charges of illegal arms trafficking. He is suspected of having illegally sold 6,500 tons of arms to Croatia and Ecuador between 1991 and 1995, in violation of international arms embargoes. One of Menem's first acts as President was to give Enron a $300-million sweetheart deal on the pipeline project.
Deputy Attorney General: Larry D. Thompson, a partner with the law firm of King & Spalding represented Enron... U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal said she has the authority to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in assets that Enron Corp insiders earned through selling their stock, but declined to do so. Judge Rosenthal practiced in Houston with Baker & Botts (a senior partner in the law firm of Baker & Botts, senior counselor to The Carlyle Group) until her appointment to the federal bench by President Bush. Former President of Argentina, Carlos Menem, long-time friend of former U.S. President George H. Bush was arrested on charges of illegal arms trafficking. He is suspected of having illegally sold 6,500 tons of arms to Croatia and Ecuador between 1991 and 1995, in violation of international arms embargoes. One of Menem's first acts as President was to give Enron a $300-million sweetheart deal on the pipeline project.
Activist Kathy Kelly 'Hogtied" & Abused By Army At SOA Protests (Democracy Now!)
"Voices in the Wilderness founder Kathy Kelly is 'hogtied' and abused by the Army after she was arrested for committing peaceful civil disobedience outside Ft. Benning in Gergia where 10,000 protesters had gathered to demand the closure of a U.S. training camp known by critics as the School of the Assassins."
"Voices in the Wilderness founder Kathy Kelly is 'hogtied' and abused by the Army after she was arrested for committing peaceful civil disobedience outside Ft. Benning in Gergia where 10,000 protesters had gathered to demand the closure of a U.S. training camp known by critics as the School of the Assassins."
