Rumsfeld Single-Handedly Eliminates Iraqi Insurgents...

...and replaces them with "enemies of the legitimate Iraqi government". Pontificating on the meaning of the word insurgent, Rumsfeld said he feels like calling them such gives them too much merit. Ask the soldiers on the ground if they are insurgents...

Many in the Military and Intelligence Establishment Say Iraq Cannot Be Won

Bitterness grows within the military and intelligence establishment over Bush’s unwillingness to listen to reason on Iraq. Analysts called to the White House to provide intelligence briefings on the situation in Iraq dread the trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue where an honest assessment of the war brings anger and sharp rebukes from a President who doesn’t like to hear bad news.

“It’s a no-win situation,” says one longtime Pentagon operative. “If we provide an honest assessment of the situation the President blows his stack. He ignores our recommendations and then blames us when things go wrong.”

A record number of senior officials at both the Pentagon and CIA have left in recent months, saying they are unable to deal with what they call “the imperial Presidency of George W. Bush.”

The Truth About the "Free Press"

The LA Times has uncovered the use of planted, US written pro-American stories in the "free" Iraqi press. The unnamed source towards the end if the excerpt sums this up perfectly by basically stating the US is sending mixed messages and democratic double standards.span>

The military’s effort to disseminate propaganda in the Iraqi media is taking place even as U.S. officials are vowing to promote democratic principles, political transparency and freedom of speech to a country emerging from decades of dictatorship and corruption. It comes as the State Department is training Iraqi reporters in basic journalism skills and Western media ethics, including one workshop titled “The Role of Press in a Democratic Society.”

Underscoring the importance U.S. officials place on development of a Western-style media, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday cited the proliferation of news organizations in Iraq as one of the country’s great successes since the ouster of Saddam Hussein. The hundreds of newspapers, television stations and other “free media” offer a “relief valve” for the Iraqi public to debate the issues of their burgeoning democracy, Rumsfeld said.
The military’s information operations campaign has sparked a backlash among some senior military officers in Iraq and at the Pentagon who argue that attempts to subvert the news media could destroy the U.S. military’s credibility both in foreign nations and with the American public.

“Here we are trying to create the principles of democracy in Iraq. Every speech we give in that country is about democracy. And we’re breaking all the first principles of democracy when we’re doing it,” said a senior Pentagon official who opposes the practice of planting stories in the Iraqi media.

The arrangement with Lincoln Group is evidence of how far the Pentagon has moved to blur the traditional boundaries between military public affairs -- the dissemination of truthful information to the media -- and psychological and information operations, which use propaganda and sometimes misleading information to advance the objectives of a military campaign.

The Bush administration has come under criticism for distributing video and news stories in the United States without identifying the federal government as their source and for paying American journalists to promote administration policies, practices the Government Accountability Office has labeled “covert propaganda.”

Like a Brat Who Isn't Getting His Way...

...George W. Bush refuses to listen to reason.

President Bush will hear no evil on the Iraq war - even when the bad news comes from military brass and top government officials, a new report says.

3 Conservative States Stuck in the Red

Idaho : The state has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964.
Utah : Utah ranks first in antidepressant use and personal bankruptcies per capita in the United States.
Wyoming : Cheneyland hasn't voted Democratic in a Presidental election since 1964.

Maureen Farrell's Modern History

Original post 11/22

Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3 UPDATED 11/28

The disgraceful history you probably don't know.

Paul Young: Targeted by DHS

A prominent Utah lawyer, working on an explosive Coca-Cola patent case appeal linking five U.S. Supreme Court justices with taking Coke bribe money in the Bush v. Gore decision, was hospitalized last week in Salt Lake City under suspicious circumstances.

Bush and friends are not afraid to use strongarm tactics to achieve their goals. See Iraq, DiSanto

Former Defence Minister of Canada Say UFOs are Real

Paul Hellyer, former Defence Minister of Canada, has made some explosive statements recently regarding extraterrestrials. See the whole Canadian Press Newswire release here.

On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada’s Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head."

Hellyer revealed, "The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied minister of defence, were never in-the-loop."

Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."

Turn Off That Radio!

I'm sitting at work and am ready to kill. My concentration is shot. My officemate has been ignoring his blaring radio which broadcasts NPR throughout the whole office all day long. I'm at my wits end...I've asked him to turn it down. I've even turned it down when he was away from his desk only to watch him return and turn it back up. He then proceeds to feel very important.

I think prior to leaving this evening for the holiday I'll take the radio for a swim.

Even Yasser knows how I feel!

Modified Food

The US has a long history of questionable practices when it comes to food production. The advent of genetically modifying foods, in addition to the prevalence of chemical modifications, brings us to the precipice of forever damaging ourselves. What we don't know we are consuming won't hurt us, right? Wrong.

Every day, molecule by molecule, we are unwittingly redesigning our genetic makeup by eating modified foods. We have no idea how dangerous a practice this is. The federal government has not imposed any real in-depth, long term study as to the potential effects of allowing its citizens to consume such foods.

Since 1999, the European Union has paid a $100 million fine per year to the World Trade Orginzation because of its 1989 ban on US beef that contains growth-promoting hormones. The US lobbied the WTO througout the mid- to late 90s to "reprimand" the EU for banning altered beef. Unlike the US, the EU remains wary of the negative effects of modified foods.

For the full story, read John Feffer's article Chemical Farm at alternet.org

On the topic:
Genetically Modified Foods: Are They a Risk to Human/Animal Health? By Arpad Pusztai

Wikipedia Article on Genetically Modified Foods

Campaign to have GM food labeled in the US

Iraqis Stand to Lose $200 Billion of Oil Money

...and this war wasn't/isn't about oil?!

British paper, The Independent, reports today that the US is pressuring Iraq to hand over development of its oil reserves to US and British multinationals. This would have a devastating effect on the already crippled economy of the war-torn country.

The activist group War on Want has released a paper entitled Crude Designs: The Rip-Off of Iraq's Oil Wealth that details this plan. Please read and share it with your friends. Send it to your congressional representatives.

Download the paper here.


"If Zarqawi and bin Laden gain control of Iraq, they would create a new training ground for future terrorist attacks. They'd seize oil fields to fund their ambitions. They could recruit more terrorists by claiming an historic victory over the United States and our coalition." -- Dubya offers a new scenario (of his creation) to stay the course in Iraq, and also reverts to tying bin Laden with Iraq, San Diego, California, Aug. 30, 2005 (emphasis added)

Rummy, can't we stop Al-Jazeera from broadcasting?

How about blowing up their main offices?

It amazes me how little Bush cares for anything at all.

Bush disclosed his plan to target al-Jazeera, a civilian station with a huge Mid-East following, at a White House face-to-face with Mr Blair on April 16 last year.

Yahoo News is reporting this also.

UPDATE 11/27: New Guardian article on Bush's obsession with Al-Jazeera.

Finally! Bush has an Exit Strategy...

...but gets thwarted by a locked door.

Video

Republican Support is Waning, Mr. President

William Frey, MD, founder of Republicans for Humility, has written an excellent essay on why he has turned on President Bush and his policies.

From the Republicans for Humility Statement of Principles:

"The policies of the Bush Administration, which brought us into a war for the purpose of disarming a tyrant, promoted with cherry-picked and misinterpreted intelligence, now threaten to embroil us in an unending quest to democratize the entire Middle East with military force, in the name of "expanding freedom". Bush Administration policies continue to increase the size of government and of entitlements, financed with deficit financing, while falsely claiming this to be "conservatism". Bush Administration policies continue to increase the Orwellian intrusion of government into our lives, with erosion of our civil liberties, in the name of "security", all the while pursuing foreign policies which increase terrorist recruitment, and diminish our safety and security."

Read the essay here.

EPA proposes rule that would allow pesticide testing on pregnant women, mentally handicapped children and orphaned children

What's the title of the proposed rule, you ask? Amazingly, it is "Protections for Subjects in Human Research"! [emphasis added] The first paragraph of the proposed rule's summary is below. It indicates that this rule would ban testing when the human subjects are pregnant women or children, but towards the end of the 30 page rule those protections are reversed. See the excerpts below.

SUMMARY: EPA proposes and invites public comment on a rulemaking to ban intentional dosing human testing for pesticides when the subjects are pregnant women or children, to formalize and further strengthen existing protections for subjects in human research conducted or supported by EPA, and to extend new protections to adult subjects in intentional dosing human studies for pesticides conducted by others who intend to submit the research to EPA.

Page 53857: "EPA proposes an extraordinary procedure applicable if scientifically sound but ethically deficient (read: morally wrong) human research is found to be crucial to EPA’s fulfilling its mission to protect public health. This procedure would also apply if a scientifically sound study covered by proposed § 26.221 or § 26.421--i.e., an intentional dosing study involving pregnant women or children as subjects--were found to be crucial to the protection of public health."

Page 53865: "The IRB (Independent Review Board) shall determine that adequate provisions are made for soliciting the assent of the children, when in the judgment of the IRB the children are capable of providing assent...If the IRB determines that the capability of some or all of the children is so limited that they cannot reasonably be consulted, the assent of the children is not a necessary condition for proceeding with the research. Even where the IRB determines that the subjects are capable of assenting, the IRB may still waive the assent requirement..."

Send a letter to the EPA prior to the end of the 12/12/05 commenting window.

2004 Tsunami caused by Oil Drilling?

I'm not even going to speculate. This is worth reading. Excerpt from the article:

One cubic mile of natural gas extracted every four years at epicenter Aceh facility presents a probable man-made trigger in 9.0 earthquake with accompanying tsunami that killed more than 225,000 people. Think of a gigantic boulder sitting precariously, nudged over the edge with a small lever.



The following is from a recent Safety Advisory Report on a proposed Gas Terminal in Long Beach, CA. This demonstrates that at least California understands that extraction can lead to man-made faults that may result in tsunamis...

"The site is in the middle of a subsidence zone caused by oil extraction. Subsidence is up to 27 feet in the area and is 18 feet on the proposed site. The subsidence has split the underlying land into man-made “fault blocks.” The site sits on one of these blocks that is barely wider than the site. The subsidence zone is supported by constant, pressurized water injection. The site is subject to tsunamis. A nearby fault could produce a major tsunami with virtually no warning. Pacific Rim quakes can also bring large tsunamis to the area." -(From the top of page 24 of the report.)

Question the Government?!

Is it prudent to do such a thing? Doesn't questioning the government show how unpatriotic you are? Isn't g-d guiding them?

Answers: YES, NO, NO

From the Washington Post:

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) strongly criticized yesterday the White House's new line of attack against critics of its Iraq policy, saying that "the Bush administration must understand that each American has a right to question our policies in Iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them."

"We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert." -- J. Robert Oppenheimer

(Maybe Bush wants to have it that way...)

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." -- Plato

(It may pay to get A's, but C's get degrees, eh Georgie?)

New York to lose $125 Million set aside for 911 relief workers

Earlier this year the White House suggested to take back the $125 million in aid set aside to treat sick and injured 911 workers. Many of those who risked their lives searching for survivors, cleaning up the mess at ground zero, and caring for the distraught have not yet developed symptoms of illness from what is the most horrific environmental disaster this nation has ever endured. Like many exposed to highly toxic fumes and debris, it is expected that over time these individuals will show signs of long-term lung and mental health problems.

The Senate initially rejected a plan to take back the funds, but after negotiations with representatives from the House decided that they would do just that. The reason the White House originally suggested taking the money back was "they have not spent it yet". The short-sighted vision the administration demonstrates by such a statement is prevalent in much of their rhetoric. If New York is cognizant of the fact that many of those relief workers will need monetary aid in the future due to ailments that develop as a direct result of working at ground zero, someone in the administration should have demurred at the suggestion to rescind and supported New York officials who are better able to determine the needs of their state.

There is a slim chance of the state winning the money back later this year as part of the Katrina Recovery Package, but don't bet on it unless this story is brought before, and remains in front of the public.

On a personal note, it is a disgrace to know that the suggestion to take money away from the brave men and women who will need it desperately in the years to come was even made. The fact that it originated in the White House is no surprise. Nonetheless, I believe in karmic reciprocity, and hope that it is revisited upon the heads of those responsible for stealing back this money a thousand-fold.

"The Congress saw the same Intelligence. I swear."

Yes, Mr. President. I'm sure they did. Your recent claim that the Congress got the same info you did is full of holes. What about the memo you wrote called "Disclosures to the Congress" on October 5, 2001? In that memo you stated that only eight, that's right, eight members of Congress would get to see the intelligence you and your Cabinet get. EIGHT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. That's about ONE percent of our governing body.

If all persons were allowed to drive a vehicle, but only one percent of those people were given driving lessons and a license, what do you think would happen? That's right, car crashes. And lots of them. Figure of the approximate 300 million or so Americans half of them drive. One percent of that number is: 1.5 million people. The remaining 148.5 million would stand the very likely chance of killing themselves or someone else every time they got behind the wheel. Let's say, for argument's sake, that of that 148.5 million only half of them get into an accident on any given day. That's 74.25 million accidents everyday! If only 2% of those were fatal you would have almost 1.5 million deaths EVERY DAY. If you, sir, were to allow the Department of Transportation to operate the same way you handle intelligence, you would kill over 10 million people per week. I suppose in light of this, the tens or hundreds you are presently responsible for on a weekly basis doesn't seem so bad.

Take it from me W, you've run this Buick into the friggin' wall. Dummy.

Great post at Daily Kos.

"We do not torture." Uh, well, mmm, Mr. President, that's not exactly correct.

For what might resemble a little sliver of honesty, the National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley attempted to delicately revise what the president said last week while in Panama. Mr. Hadley seems to provide a stark contradiction to the president's earlier statement by refusing to unequivocally dismiss the option of torture.

Senator John McCain has added an amendment to this year's budget bill to make law a ban of such activities. The president has vowed to veto the amendment should it make it all the way to his desk.

Goodbye home of the free and land of the brave. Hello new world order.

Baliff, take him away before my trigger finger gets itchy.

Representative Steve King (R-IA) offered on 11/9/05, amendment 624 to House Resolution 1751 that will allow certain officers of the Department of Justice to carry a firearm. The House agreed to this amendment by voice vote on the same day.

This is directly from the amendment:

AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
An amendment numbered 8 printed in House Report 109-279 toallow any justice or judge of the United States, any judge of a court created under article I of the United States Constitution, any bankruptcy judge, any magistrate judge, any United States Attorney, and any other officer or employee of the Department of Justice whose duties include representing the U.S. in a court of law, to carry firearms subject to training and regulation as prescribed by the Attorney General.

So, with that said, don't piss off a judge.

Rep King has offered a number of interesting pieces of legislation. Most notable: HJ.RES.16. This was proposed on Febuary 1, 2005, to repeal Article 16 of the Constitution which allows the taxation of income. Good job Mr. King! (Of course this has been buried in the Subcommittee on the Constitution since March 2, 2005.)

Feel Like You've Been Detained Unreasonably? Want to have a Judge hear your Case? Well, F U!

UPDATE: The NY Times is reporting that the Senate voted Thursday to strip captured "enemy combatants" at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, of the principal legal tool given to them last year by the Supreme Court when it allowed them to challenge their detentions in United States courts. The vote won by 49-42.

The five Democrats voting for the bill were Senators Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Ron Wyden of Oregon. Call them and denounce their support of this violation of basic human rights.

Excellent article on the topic by Paul Craig Roberts.
-outtheliars

Unless you act now and call your senators habeas corpus will be gone. Meaning, your government can detain you without access to a lawyer or hearing, without cause, indefinitely.

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has introduced the amendment that will aid in the move to a facist state.

Tell everyone you know about this amendment. Please help stop it before it becomes law. If it passes, ANYONE AT ALL could be detained without being able to the defend themselves in a court of law.

Here is a direct link to petition the Senate to stop Grahams ill conceived stealth admendment.

Note: The last time the United States suspended habeas corpus was during WWII when Japanese-Americans and Italian-Americans were sent to "internment camps".

Another Physics Academic Comes Out Against the Offical 911 Story

Utah's Desert Morning News published an article yesterday announcing that BYU physics professor Steven E. Jones has written a 9,000 word paper denouncing the official story of how the WTC building collapsed on 911.

His findings are similar to those Morgan Reynolds (chief economist for the United States Department of Labor during 2001–2, George W. Bush's first term) published on June 9, 2005.

Namely:

1. Fire had never before caused steel-frame buildings to collapse except for the three buildings on 9/11, nor has fire collapsed any steel high rise since 9/11.

2. The fires, especially in the South Tower and WTC-7, were small.

3. WTC-7 was unharmed by an airplane and had only minor fires on the seventh and twelfth floors of this 47-story steel building yet it collapsed in less than 10 seconds.

4. WTC-5 and WTC-6 had raging fires but did not collapse despite much thinner steel beams.

5. In a PBS documentary, Larry Silverstein, the WTC lease-holder, recalled talking to the fire department commander on 9/11 about WTC-7 and said, "…maybe the smartest thing to do is pull it," slang for demolish it.

6. FEMA, given the uninviting task of explaining the collapse of Building 7 with mention of demolition verboten admitted that the best it could come up with had "only a low probability of occurrence."

7. It’s difficult if not impossible for hydrocarbon fires like those fed by jet fuel (kerosene) to raise the temperature of steel close to melting.

8. Professional demolition, by contrast, can explain all of these facts and more.
Demolition means placing explosives throughout a building, and detonating them in sequence to weaken "the structure so it collapses or folds in upon itself". In conventional demolitions gravity does most of the work, although it probably did a minority on 9/11, so heavily were the towers honeycombed with explosives.

9. Each WTC building collapse occurred at virtually free-fall speed (approximately 10 seconds or less).

10. Each building collapsed, for the most part, into its own footprint.

11. Virtually all the concrete (an estimated 100,000 tons in each tower) on every floor was pulverized into a very fine dust, a phenomenon that requires enormous energy and could not be caused by gravity alone ("…workers can’t even find concrete. ‘It’s all dust,’ [the official] said").

12. Dust exploded horizontally for a couple hundred feet, as did debris, at the beginning of each tower’s collapse.

13. Collapses were total, leaving none of the massive core columns sticking up hundreds of feet into the air.

14. Salvage experts were amazed at how small the debris stacks were.

15. The steel beams and columns came down in sections under 30 feet long and had no signs of "softening"; there was little left but shorn sections of steel and a few bits of concrete.

16. Photos and videos of the collapses all show "demolition waves," meaning "confluent rows of small explosions" along floors (blast sequences).

17. According to many witnesses, explosions occurred within the buildings.

18. Each collapse had detectable seismic vibrations suggestive of underground explosions, similar to the 2.3 earthquake magnitude from a demolition like the Seattle Kingdome.

19. Each collapse produced molten steel identical to that generated by explosives, resulting in "hot spots" that persisted for months (the two hottest spots at WTC-2 and WTC-7 were approximately 1,350o F five days after being continuously flooded with water, a temperature high enough to melt aluminum.


Hopefully, as more and more people of science refute the official story surrounding 911, and the citizenry of the US become aware of their dissenting views a thourough, scientifically based investigation will be conducted. The American people, nay, the people of the world, are owed at least that much.

A New, New Pearl Harbor

A confidential memo circulating among senior Republican leaders suggests that a new attack by terrorists on U.S. soil could reverse the sagging fortunes of President George W. Bush as well as the GOP and "restore his image as a leader of the American people."

The closely-guarded memo lays out a list of scenarios to bring the Republican party back from the political brink, including a devastating attack by terrorists that could “validate” the President’s war on terror and allow Bush to “unite the country” in a “time of national shock and sorrow.”

Thanks to Doug Thompson and Capitol Hill Blue.

US Troops used White Phosphorus and a New Formulaton of Napalm on Iraqi Civilians

RAI News 24, a news program on Italian satellite TV, will air Fallujah, The Concealed Massacre on November 8th, channel RAI-3. The program has video documentation to substantiate their claims of chemical weapons use by the US, and will include eye witness testimony from US soldiers and local residents regarding the use of said materials.

The story was originally reported in today's Repubblica.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Graphic Warning

Original Post: 11/7/05 2:00PM

UPDATE: US Admits to the Use of White Phosphorus

In the March edition of Field Artillery Magazine the military acknowledges of the use of WP against people, not as an illumination device as the Pentagon has claimed. This goes right to the heart of the problem this country is facing - lying government officals. What the US did in Fallujah is despicable, and the fact that the military has vigorously denied the use of WP in any other application than illumination and attempted to prevent this story from being aired just proves that they know what was done is illegal and immoral.

The Pentagon, and all the talking-heads who support this war, claim that WP is not a chemical weapon. Technically, it is not, but when phosphorus burns in air, it first forms phosphorus pentoxide:

P4 + 5 O2 → 2 P2O5 (this is defined as a chemical by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons)

However phosphorus pentoxide is extremely hygroscopic (actually, deliquescent) and quickly absorbs even minute traces of moisture to form liquid droplets of phosphoric acid:

P2O5 + 3 H2O → 2 H3PO4

Go ahead, tell me these aren't highly toxic chemicals...

UPDATE: US State Department Openly Admits to the Use of White Phosphorus 11/16/05

The Real Reason the US will Attack Iran: EUROS

Money. Simple as that. Iran has converted more than half of it forex reserves from the dollar to the euro. Also, they are planning on a March 2006 move to open a bourse (exchange) trading in euros on Iranian soil. This is a major threat to the oilmen of the US. Most know that the dollar has been on a steady decline against the euro, and if one of the richest oil producing countries in the world moves it's basis to the euro, the dollar will drop precipitously once the exchange begins trading. Bush won't let this happen. Expect US troops to be ordered into Iran prior to March 2006.

What does this mean for the common American? Well, the cost of goods and services will rise. Gas prices will shoot through the roof. Basically, the purchasing power of your money will be eroded - you dollar will be able to purchase less. It might be time to hedge your bets and move your money into euros......

UPDATE: The day after I posted this the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System announced that they will discontinue publishing the M3 monetary aggregate as of March 23, 2006. Do you suppose it is a coincidence that Iran plans to open their bourse right around the same time? What is the M3 monetary aggregate? Click here for definitions. Why is this important? I'll explain very soon.

Government Censoring the Media? Is it possible?

The man pictured on the left is Mark Manning. He went to Fallujah, Iraq, to document the war. What he found was shocking - the United States had used chemical weapons against the civilian population of the city. He returned to the US with the intention of making as many Americans aware of what happened using the footage he shot while in Iraq. (see the Italian RAI News video under the "Important Media" links on this blog) The following is an excerpt from the Santa Barbara Independent. Click here for the whole story.

Manning’s biggest surprise came after he’d returned home to the United States. Arriving in San Francisco late on the night of February 11, Manning and Natalie Kalustian, a close friend and filmmaking partner, crashed at the Oceanside Motel on 46th Avenue. The next morning, after a stroll near Baker Beach, they returned to their car to find one of the windows smashed. Expensive camera and computer equipment lay in plain view, but only Kalustian’s purse was gone. Inside the purse, Manning said, were keys to their motel room. And when Manning and Kalustian returned to the motel, he recounted, someone had broken into their room. Even though there was jewelry and more film equipment lying about, he said, none of it was touched. In fact, said Manning, none of the suitcases had even been opened. The only thing missing, Manning said, was the big bowling-ball shaped bag containing his camera — and all his taped interviews.

At that time, Manning had not been back in the United States for more than 10 hours.

Senate Staffer, Emilia DiSanto, Brutally Attacked

Emilia DiSanto, chief investigator for the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), was attacked at her home in Virginia last Wednesday by a masked man dressed in black. The FBI is not ruling out a "work-related" motive in the attack. DiSanto is one currently investigating Jack Abramoff.

Click here for background on Abramoff and the investigations that are looking into his actions. Of special note is the Guam Grand Jury investigation which George W. Bush shut down himself. It is rumored that had that jury sent Abramoff to trial, Bush would have been implicated as well.

Bob Ney (R-OH), who is being investigated also, has been subpoenaed in the Abramoff case, and has set up a legal defense fund for Abramoff. It seems like everyone in the Republican party is being investigated for breaking the law, but to beat up a woman...

Double Standard: The Use of Depleted Uranium in Iraq

The United States tromped off to war with Iraq on charges that the country was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction and posed a threat to national security. Nearly three years after the start of the war, evidence of WMD in Iraq still remains to be seen. Considering recent revelations about falsified intelligence regarding WMD, it is likely that none will ever be found. Presently, the United States and Britain are using weapons in Iraq that contain depleted uranium which has been identified by a United Nations resolution as a weapon of mass destruction. How can the American people disregard such obvious duplicity?

Consider the following: Your supervisor at work finds out that you have been reading your personal, web-based email while on company time - completely contrary to company policy. You are reprimanded, forced to sign a statment that is filed with your employee records, and told to read your personal email on your own time, or be fired. Considering the policy, you know you were wrong and vow not to continue to do such things in the future. All's well. Three days later you step into your supervisor's office to hand in a report that is due to see him typing a personal email. For fear of the repercussions, you don't say anthing. For the next few days you watch what your supervisor does, and you find out that he not only uses his personal email during company time, but that he is also making stock market trades, surfing the web, and buying gifts for his wife - all on company time. Can you see the double standard? Why should you be punished, or threatened with punishment, while he gets away with the same offense?

The same holds true of the United States and Britain currently. There is a double standard in effect. If the attack on Iraq was to stop them from using WMD why should the forces sent into the country to prevent that be allowed to use them?

What the Hell is Wrong with Laura?

I'm fairly certain that Camilla isn't that exciting. Somebody call a priest!

Think this is a Photoshopped image? Click here.

UPDATE: Clint Curtis Interviewed by Brad Friedman of bradblog.com

In an earlier post, which can be found here, I brought your attention to the Tom Feeney voting machine scandal that involved a Republican politician requesting a "vote flipping" routine from Yang Enterprises. The employee assigned this task was Clint Curtis. In the course of events, a Flordia Department of Transportation investigator was, by all appearances, murdered to cover up the facts.

If you are saddened by the fragmenting of our democratic republic, and the fraudulent means by which greedy men and women are willing to marginalize you, please read this.

Bush's Wall of Shame

Honoring those who have blundered, lied, manipulated, and broken the law

What You See May Not Be Real

Visit this link and follow the instructions. Once you have completed the demonstration, please read the following.

United States Military Holographic System

You are Being Watched

Doug Thompson is considered an enemy of the state because he has “written and promoted opinions that are contrary to the government of the United States of America.” Read the full story here.

The Washington Post filed and article on the subject of uncontrolled monitoring of United States citizens on November 6th. You can read it here.

Pat Tillman Died, Not in a Firefight, but by Gross Negligence or Fratricide

Pat Tillman, former Arizona Cardinals football player who enlisted in the Army after 911, was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. The inital story was that he died in a firefight with enemy forces. What proved to be true was that he was, in fact, killed by friendly fire. The Pentagon let the fabricated KIA story circulate to preserve the image of the military and to help bolster recruiting.

Read the excellent New York Times article by Frank Rich here.

Pat Tillman Foundation

You were lied to.

By everyone in the present administration. Not to protect you from information, as a scared, ignorant and potentially dangerous citizen, you couldn't handle, but to advance the adgenda of a few for personal gain.

If, when purchasing a new car, the salesperson misrepresents any of the facts regarding the vehicle (e.g. mileage, accidents, if it was refurbished post-Katrina) inducing you to purchase said vehicle when you wouldn't buy it given all the facts about its real condition, would you feel cheated? Like the salesperson had taken advantage of you? Was only trying to receive his commission? See where I'm going with this?

George W. Bush and company have sold you a lemon. And, he is giving you the bird.

They knew that the intel used to promote attacking Iraq was false.

Oh, he just flipped you the bird again. If the Democrats in the Congress don't manage at least a truly independent investigation into White House knowledge, actively pursue discovery and hold the guilty accountable, then consider this country morally and democratically insolvent. I want no part of it. I'm moving to Vermont.

McCain Dissents on Cheney's Torture Overture

Imagine that! Cheney recently made personal appeals to Republican Senators to exempt the CIA from the proposed anti-torture legislation on the basis that "cruel, inhuman or degrading" treatment may be necessary to prevent terrorist attacks. Hogwash, I say...


The "dirt" on the guy in the picture is actually human feces.

Knowing Breach of the Geneva Convention in Iraq

In response to Mr Nix’s query as to what was their "firing policy". Mr Massey replied: "To shoot first and ask questions later. We were given carte blanche to kill."

Asked by counsel if this was in breach of the Geneva Convention, Mr Massey replied: "Yes sir".

Mr Nix: "Did it happen?" - "It did, many times. Over a three month period more than 30 innocent people were killed that I know of."

And the Winner is...

"Take the rest of these lily-livered motherf*ckers with you!" - W

A highly sensitive George W. Bush has been on a continuing emotional and mental decline. (Article 1, Article 2) According to Dave Thompson, many GOP insiders fear that his presidency is "effectively over" unless he takes a few, what he would consider, drastic and devistating steps.

Among these:

-Apologize to the American people, Congress and our allies for misleading them on the reasons for invading Iraq (No way. Bush is too self-assured that he can do no wrong. If God himself speaks to you, then you're tip-top.)

-Revamp the White House staff from top to bottom (This might be difficult considering Bush is running out of friends.)

-Fire Rove (This would be like you or me cutting off our head. Not a chance. Unless, of course, Rove is indicted in the Plame Affair AND dad says it's a good idea.)

There are three positions Republicans have taken on the issue of Bush. They are, as I see them, as follows:

1. The Ignorant Republican - From this position, liberal Democrats have "criminalized politics" and are responsible for distracting the American people from more important things. Supporting the president is of utmost importance during this time of troube regardless of how amazingly incompetent he may be.

2. The Thinking Republican - Party line is important, but these types do not want to align themselves too closely with the president, given his current problems. They realize they are presently in control of the federal government, but that Bush is a liability and may cause a massive shift in 2006 and give the Democrats controling interest in the Congress.

3. The Wise Republican - They realize that Bush is a travesty, a general disgrace to America and her people, and is not fit for the job. They do not align with him in any fashion, and are concerned that he is destroying any credibility the Republicans have. (GOP against Bush)

In all, my recommendations to Bush are as follows: Start drinking again, double up on your anti-depressants, and leave office.

New Report Proves 2004 Vote Fraud in Ohio

Click here for the .pdf file of the report...send this to your representatives in the Congress and your local newspaper.

A copy of the recent GAO report on Electronic Voting Systems can be found here. A summary of the GAO report's findings can be found here.

Project Censored has released an excellent article on the topic. You can read it here.

From the National Election Data Archive report

Conclusion: Evidence for Vote Miscount in the 2004 Presidential Election

The possibility that the 2004 election exit poll discrepancy was caused by vote miscount has become increasingly credible as successive (E/M and ESI) reports claiming support for exit-poll error have instead provided more evidence for vote miscount.

The nonpartisan U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) in its September 2005 report "ELECTIONS --Federal Efforts to Improve Security and Reliability of Electronic Voting Systems Are Under Way, but Key Activities Need to Be Completed" on page 38 said,

"...there is evidence that some of these concerns [with voting systems]—including
weak controls and inadequate testing—have caused problems with recent elections,
resulting in the loss and miscount of votes."

The Ohio precinct-level exit poll data that was recently released shows highly irregular patterns of exit poll discrepancies that are not explainable by any exit poll error hypothesis, or “hypothetical”, offered to date. Neither a "constant mean" nor a “pervasive” pro-Kerry exit poll bias could possibly explain the E/M national aggregate exit poll data, or the detailed Ohio precinct-level exit poll data. To date no evidence-supported Exit Poll-based explanation of the Great Discrepancy has been provided.

The state and national, as well as the detailed Ohio precinct-level exit poll data provide strong evidence in support of a vote fraud hypothesis.

Ken Masters

Occam's Razor states: The simplest answer is that Ken Masters was "silenced" prior to finding out exactly what those two SAS operatives were doing, not "suicidal" due to job stress.

The silenced theory solves the problem quickly without too much inference as to how the man died. The suicidal theory requires much too involved rationalizing of the facts to prove.

Masters was commander of the Royal Military Police’s Special Investigations Branch (SIB), charged with investigating allegations of mistreatment of Iraqi civilians by British soldiers.

Captain Ken Masters was found hung in his military accommodation in Basra on October 15.

Two SAS operatives were taken into custody by the Iraqi police after a gunfight. They were dressed in native Iraqi garb, and were travelling in a vehicle laden with bomb making devices and semi-automatic weaponry.

The British drove a tank through the jail where they were being held to free them, and prevent them from divulging any information regarding their true mission.

British authorities later apologized for harm caused during the prison break and offered to compensate victims proving they knew about the operation and condone fake terror.

Ken Masters died for serving his country and doing his job thoroughly. Perhaps, too thoroughly.

Photo evidence.

Not Since 1861

Numerous people across the country want out of the present system that has afforded the executive branch of government powers approaching dictatorial, scandal and deception at every turn and sly-fox handouts to sypathetically wealthy corporations, special interests and individuals. Vermont wants out, too. No, they really want out.

Currently, there is a movement in that state to secede from the US. They passed a resolution stating such, and held an independence convention in a packed House Chamber of the Vermont statehouse. Is this a political ploy, you ask? Well, it may be argued as such, but realistically it is much more of a procedural step toward independence from the United States.

The Second Vermont Republic is a peaceful, democratic, grassroots solidarity movement committed to the return of Vermont to its rightful status as an independent republic as was the case in 1791 and to support Vermont's future development as a separate, sustainable nation-state. The organization issued the following Independence Resolution:

"Be it resolved that the state of Vermont peacefully and democratically
free itself from the United States of America and return to its natural
status as an independent republic as it was between January 15, 1777
and March 4, 1791."

Here is their Declaration of Independence.

I imagine that if Vermont gets much further along and appears to actually make this work that Bush will consider that a personal offense, intervene and militarize the state, or, he might just bomb Montpelier and force them to open a McDonald's.

Charles W.(Bill) White's Open Letter to Patrick Fitzgerald

Mr. White is a former business associate of James Bath (the alleged link between the Bush and bin Laden family). He has been interviewed by two time Emmy award winning journalist Bob McKeown regarding his first-hand knowledge of the Bush family dealings with foreign interests. Below is an open letter Mr. White sent to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald. Hopefully, this will enable a deeper inquiry into the deceitful nature of this administration and instigate impeachment proceedings. One can only hope...

Thanks to Wayne Madsen

___________________________________________________________________

Charles W.(Bill) White
P.O. Box 130241, Houston, Texas 77219

November 1, 2005

Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Special Counsel
Bond Federal Building
1400 New York Ave. NW, 9th floor
Washington, D.C. 20530

Re: Open Letter

Dear Mr. Fitzgerald,

I am writing to advise you that I have evidence that debunks Bush administration claims that your indictment of Vice President Cheney’s Chief of Staff is evidence that the outing of CIA undercover agent Valerie Plame was not a conspiracy, but rather an isolated incident carried out by a rouge administration official. I am living proof that both Bush administrations have a sordid history of launching brutal attacks against uncorrupt Americans when the Bushes believe that their political ambitions are in jeopardy. Based on my experience, I can assure you that what the Bush administration did in the Wilson/Plame matter amounts to little more than “business as usual”.

As your investigation into the CIA agent outing matter so aptly demonstrates, the Bush Administration routinely employs its intelligence agencies’ 3-Ds tactic to cover up when neutral parties stumble upon their dealings. They “Deny” involvement even when confronted with incontrovertible evidence, they attempt to “Discredit” the source of the truthful information, and finally, they attempt to “Divert” attention to some unrelated matter. They hide their activities behind the smoke screen of “national security” whenever an outsider gets too close while access, money and self-serving leaking are used to intimidate and control the news media.

I became a target of this methodology when I stumbled upon illegal dealings between the Bush family, the Saudis and the Israelis in the mid to late 1980’s. My former business partner, CIA cutout and W. Bush crony James R. Bath got himself in hot water when he misappropriated over a half million dollars from the Bin Laden family, for whom he served as trustee. Discovery in the litigation threatened to unearth bank records showing the laundering of Bin Laden money through Houston banks, the funneling of funds to Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, and Bath’s diversion of Bin Laden money to W. Bush. Politically influenced members of both the Federal and State judiciary who were trying these cases never compelled production of the incriminating banking records or permitted the cases to go to trial. Instead, the compromised judges disposed of the cases by awarding Bath and Bush’s bank “death penalty” sanctions and striking my pleadings. I lost my income, my business, my home, my family and nearly all of my personal property because I steadfastly refused to participate in the cover-up. The Harris County District Attorney’s office was unwilling to go after the Bushes or the Saudis while FBI, Comptroller of the Currency, and FINCEN investigations were stopped dead in their tracks by Bush political appointees.

Time Magazine reported on one facet of this story in its October 1990 article reporting accusations that W. Bush engaged in insider trading when he dumped his Harken Energy stock just before the price nosedived. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office followed up Time’s investigation by bringing charges against Saudi banker Sheikh Khalid Bin Mahfouz (National Commercial Bank) in the BCCI banking scandal matter. Still, the full story has never been told. Opportunistic judges, who were all-too-willing to ingratiate themselves with the Bush family, covered up for them while complicit lawyers have been rewarded by Bush administration appointments to judgeships and prestigious, career-enhancing positions within governmental agencies.

There is no telling how many others have been the victims of the two Bush Administrations’ abuse. While the President blithely dismisses his conduct as “just politics”, the unsavory conduct routinely engaged in by he and his staff is making a mockery of our Constitution, diminishing the stature of the United States as the world’s “good-guy” and threatening the legitimacy of the rule of law in America. The ability of our Country to survive the damage done by the Bush administration may well depend upon the outcome of your investigation. I sincerely hope that the Office of Special Counsel will be able to rid the Bush White house of each and every occupant who routinely engages in malicious character assassination and stand ready to provide you with any and all evidence in my possession that you deem relevant to your investigation.

Yours truly,

Bill White

Enclosures: Bin Laden trust agreement
Time Magazine article
Bin Mahfouz indictment

Cc: Office of the Manhattan District Attorney

35%

Bushy's approval ratings drop to 35%. Only the bomb dropping Truman and Watergate-era Nixon had lower ratings: 23% and 27%, respectively.

Doesn't he look enthusiastic waving the flag?

If he stages a nuclear "terror" attack on US soil, would that be reason enough to impeach him? Hasn't he already done enough?

Photonic Silicon Waveguide / Atomic Entanglement

IBM, labs at Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley have effectively caused light to slow down as much at 1/300th of its "contstant" speed of 186,000 miles per second.

It's funny that this is considered "news" as of 11/2/05 considering slowing down light has been done since at least 1998, and a complete cessation of photon transmission was achieved as far back as 2001.

This has relevance in the field of quantum computing. I'll leave it at that, since I'm a nerd.

Listen Pootie-Poot, You, Me, Landslide, Dino and Tangent Man Need to Schedule a Meeting

By now, everyone knows the George W. Bush invents creative, if not moronic, nicknames for the people that he knows.

Here are a few links to good lists that others have compiled. Enjoy your president's juvenile mentality...not to would be unpatriotic and might land you in a secret prison somewhere in Eastern Europe.

Wikipedia

NNDB

whitehouse.org

Oh, I almost forgot...Ninety percent of Americans believe the Bush administration is guilty of illegal or unethical behavior in the CIA leak case.

Karl Gets Fingered

Karl Rove, chief political advisor to the president, has been fingered by Matt Cooper as the source of the leak in the Plame Affair. Let's see how he denies this one...you crazy liberal reporter.

Rove Highlights:

Overview by Wayne Madsen

Overview by PBS Frontline

My lovely Turd Blossom

Halo: Real World

Halo: The Video Game


Halo: Real World

The first man-portable, non-lethal deterrent weapon intended for protecting troops and controlling hostile crowds is being developed by Air Force Research Laboratory employees at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.. Click here for the press release.

UPDATE (11/8): New article by the New Scientist. Outtheliars post beat Drudge by 6 days (he posted on this on Nov. 8th), though I do have to give cred to Free Press International who beat me to it.

UPDATE (11/29): New article by Jane's.