smugllama's news review
Sunday, February 15, 2004
Russian companies might lose Iraq contracts (Gateway To Russia)
"Iraq might reconsider Russian oil giant Lukoil's $3.7bn deal to develop the huge West Qurna-2 field, scrapped by ousted President Saddam Hussein's government. Iraqi Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum said earlier this week that all contracts signed under Saddam Hussein's rule would be reconsidered, including the contract with LUKoil. About a month ago, reports appeared about a possible alliance between LUKoil, the US oil company Fluor and Britain’s Amec PLC. These companies obtained several small oil contracts in Iraq from the US administration, while all large contracts were given to Halliburton and Bechtel Group. The alliance wants to get a contract for the restoration of oilfields in northern and southern Iraq. If these hopes come true, Fluor and Amec will become large oil supplies in Iraq. Their alliance with LUKoil could significantly increase their share in Iraq."
"Iraq might reconsider Russian oil giant Lukoil's $3.7bn deal to develop the huge West Qurna-2 field, scrapped by ousted President Saddam Hussein's government. Iraqi Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum said earlier this week that all contracts signed under Saddam Hussein's rule would be reconsidered, including the contract with LUKoil. About a month ago, reports appeared about a possible alliance between LUKoil, the US oil company Fluor and Britain’s Amec PLC. These companies obtained several small oil contracts in Iraq from the US administration, while all large contracts were given to Halliburton and Bechtel Group. The alliance wants to get a contract for the restoration of oilfields in northern and southern Iraq. If these hopes come true, Fluor and Amec will become large oil supplies in Iraq. Their alliance with LUKoil could significantly increase their share in Iraq."
Mid-East 'democracy' plan raises questions (BBC)
"A plan by President Bush to make a ringing declaration about democracy in the Middle East at the G8 summit of industrialised nations in June is raising questions among some American allies."
"A plan by President Bush to make a ringing declaration about democracy in the Middle East at the G8 summit of industrialised nations in June is raising questions among some American allies."
Is Washington Backing Another Coup in Haiti? (Democracy Now!)
Up to 40 people have been killed in Haiti as anti-government gangs and militias work to overthrow the government of Jean Bertrand Aristide. We discuss the causes of the recent violence and examine what role the U.S. is playing in the current events in the country.... There is concern that Washington is once again working behind the scenes to foment a coup... There have been a series of armed battles that have resulted in at least 40 deaths. Haiti has no army and has a dwindling police force numbering only a few thousand... This week the Bush administration stopped just short of calling on the Aristide to resign. State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher told reporters, "We recognize that reaching a political settlement will require some fairly thorough changes in the way Haiti is governed." Just going back to the previous coup, 1991 to 1994, when Aristide was removed from power, and the U.S. Government, revealed by investigative journalist Alan Nairn, support of the leading military leader, Emmanuel Constant, on the payroll of the defense intelligence agency, one of the exposes that brought down James Woolsey, ex-head of the CIA, having this paramilitary leader on the payroll, and people learning about it in this country. Now Emmanuel Constant walks free in the United States, protected by the U.S. Government.
Up to 40 people have been killed in Haiti as anti-government gangs and militias work to overthrow the government of Jean Bertrand Aristide. We discuss the causes of the recent violence and examine what role the U.S. is playing in the current events in the country.... There is concern that Washington is once again working behind the scenes to foment a coup... There have been a series of armed battles that have resulted in at least 40 deaths. Haiti has no army and has a dwindling police force numbering only a few thousand... This week the Bush administration stopped just short of calling on the Aristide to resign. State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher told reporters, "We recognize that reaching a political settlement will require some fairly thorough changes in the way Haiti is governed." Just going back to the previous coup, 1991 to 1994, when Aristide was removed from power, and the U.S. Government, revealed by investigative journalist Alan Nairn, support of the leading military leader, Emmanuel Constant, on the payroll of the defense intelligence agency, one of the exposes that brought down James Woolsey, ex-head of the CIA, having this paramilitary leader on the payroll, and people learning about it in this country. Now Emmanuel Constant walks free in the United States, protected by the U.S. Government.
DU Contamination in Iraq: Dutch troops refuse to remove radioactive debris (M.H.J. van den Ber / RISQ News)
"Residents of As Samawah in Southern Iraq are unduly exposed to radioactive debris as Dutch troops stationed in the area refuse to remove remnants of war contaminated with depleted uranium (DU)... According to local residents, the area was a military target twice in 1991 and 2003, when it came under heavy fire from US aircraft."
"Residents of As Samawah in Southern Iraq are unduly exposed to radioactive debris as Dutch troops stationed in the area refuse to remove remnants of war contaminated with depleted uranium (DU)... According to local residents, the area was a military target twice in 1991 and 2003, when it came under heavy fire from US aircraft."
HR 3439 'Embedding' CIA Agents Within Local Police Depts (Elfis Network)
H.R. 3439, making its way through Congress, would authorize the federal government to "embed" CIA agents within local police departments to blur the distinction between local cops and feds.
H.R. 3439, making its way through Congress, would authorize the federal government to "embed" CIA agents within local police departments to blur the distinction between local cops and feds.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
SHAYLERGATE: British Press Gagged on Reporting MI5's 100,000 pound bin Laden Payoff (Propaganda Matrix & The Guardian)
"November 11th Update - MI6 'halted bid to arrest bin Laden': The London Observer today confirmed the story I reported on last month. Shayler was imprisoned for 6 months for revealing British Intelligence's protection of bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. "British intelligence paid large sums of money to an al-Qaeda cell in Libya in a doomed attempt to assassinate Colonel Gadaffi in 1996 and thwarted early attempts to bring Osama bin Laden to justice."
"November 11th Update - MI6 'halted bid to arrest bin Laden': The London Observer today confirmed the story I reported on last month. Shayler was imprisoned for 6 months for revealing British Intelligence's protection of bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. "British intelligence paid large sums of money to an al-Qaeda cell in Libya in a doomed attempt to assassinate Colonel Gadaffi in 1996 and thwarted early attempts to bring Osama bin Laden to justice."
Sunday, February 08, 2004
The Day Cheney was Rocked to the Core (Jim Lobe / Common Dreams)
"Just consider what happened to Cheney Thursday: the early morning edition of the Wall Street Journal ran an article - first reported by Newsweek - on how Justice Department investigators had asked Halliburton Company for documents relating to US$180 million in allegedly illegal payments by a consortium of companies, including Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, in connection with the construction of a big natural-gas plant in Nigeria in the late 1990s, while Cheney was Halliburton's chief executive officer."
"Just consider what happened to Cheney Thursday: the early morning edition of the Wall Street Journal ran an article - first reported by Newsweek - on how Justice Department investigators had asked Halliburton Company for documents relating to US$180 million in allegedly illegal payments by a consortium of companies, including Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, in connection with the construction of a big natural-gas plant in Nigeria in the late 1990s, while Cheney was Halliburton's chief executive officer."
Friday, February 06, 2004
To infinity and beyond! Bush's mission to Mars (Dave Barry / International Herald Tribune)
"As long as humanity has been human, it has looked toward the heavens and dreamed that some day, some way, there would be giant federal contracts involved... The Bush administration says the Mars mission can be accomplished for only 143.8 zillion dollars, but critics claim that the true cost is likely to be much more like 687 fillion dillion dollars. (These numbers are imaginary, but trust me, they're as accurate as any other cost estimates you see about the Mars mission.)"
"As long as humanity has been human, it has looked toward the heavens and dreamed that some day, some way, there would be giant federal contracts involved... The Bush administration says the Mars mission can be accomplished for only 143.8 zillion dollars, but critics claim that the true cost is likely to be much more like 687 fillion dillion dollars. (These numbers are imaginary, but trust me, they're as accurate as any other cost estimates you see about the Mars mission.)"
Pakistan's nuclear shame (BBC)
"Abdul Qadeer Khan took full responsibility for proliferating nuclear weapons to Iran, Libya and North Korea. His admission of guilt and plea for mercy is an attempt by the army to put the biggest global scandal on nuclear weapons proliferation behind them as swiftly as possible."
"Abdul Qadeer Khan took full responsibility for proliferating nuclear weapons to Iran, Libya and North Korea. His admission of guilt and plea for mercy is an attempt by the army to put the biggest global scandal on nuclear weapons proliferation behind them as swiftly as possible."
Cheney's staff focus of probe (Richard Sale / UPI Intelligence Correspondent)
Federal law enforcement officials said that they have developed hard evidence of possible criminal misconduct by two employees, John Hannah and Lewis "Scooter" Libby, of Vice President Dick Cheney's office related to the unlawful exposure of a CIA officer's identity last year. The investigation, which is continuing, could lead to indictments, a Justice Department official said.
Federal law enforcement officials said that they have developed hard evidence of possible criminal misconduct by two employees, John Hannah and Lewis "Scooter" Libby, of Vice President Dick Cheney's office related to the unlawful exposure of a CIA officer's identity last year. The investigation, which is continuing, could lead to indictments, a Justice Department official said.
Faulting U.S., Germany Frees a 9/11 Suspect (New York Times)
"Citing a refusal by the United States to allow testimony from a suspected member of Al Qaeda in its custody, a German court on Thursday acquitted a former roommate of Mohamed Atta who was accused of providing support to suicide pilots in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."
"Citing a refusal by the United States to allow testimony from a suspected member of Al Qaeda in its custody, a German court on Thursday acquitted a former roommate of Mohamed Atta who was accused of providing support to suicide pilots in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."
Monday, February 02, 2004
IE Patch Could Disrupt E-Commerce (Internet News)
Microsoft takes the lazy approach to fixing computer security problems: by disabling functionality... Their latest patch removes the ability for you to authenticate to a website by using the syntax http://username:password@www.example.com/ ... This is going to cause a lot of headaches.
Microsoft takes the lazy approach to fixing computer security problems: by disabling functionality... Their latest patch removes the ability for you to authenticate to a website by using the syntax http://username:password@www.example.com/ ... This is going to cause a lot of headaches.
