Sunday March 14th 2010

The War in Afghanistan and the Central Asia Pipeline Plan
Must Read - A quote...."The Washington Post has introduced us to a controversy over Afghanistan war strategy. The Post reports that operations in Delaram (in the southwest) are "far from a strategic priority for senior officers at the international military headquarters in Kabul. One calls Delaram, a day's drive from the nearest city, 'the end of the Earth.' Another deems the area 'unrelated to our core mission' of defeating the Taliban by protecting Afghans in their cities and towns. - Why then are the Marines fighting in this part of the country?"

What Torture Is and Why It's Illegal and Not "Poor Judgment"
Special Note - A quote...."It's now over three weeks since veteran Justice Department (DOJ) lawyer David Margolis dashed the hopes of those seeking accountability for the Bush administration's torturers, but this is a story of such profound importance that it must not be allowed to slip away." - also posted at Uruknet

This Time It's Pregnant Women: Another US Atrocity in the Bush-Obama War in Afghanista
Special Note - A quote...."Another night-time raid on a housing compound in Afghanistan. Another bunch of innocent Afghans killed. Another round of lies by the US-led forces of the so-called International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Only this time, among the dead are two pregnant mothers and a teenage girl. - And once again the US media remain mute, accepting the official story, which was of ISAF forces responding to an attack which in reality appears never to have happened." -- also posted at Uruknet

How China Views America: The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2009
Special Note - A quote...."BEIJING -- China's Information Office of the State Council published a report titled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2009"  - Following is the full text...."

Final destination Iran?
War Alert - A quote...."Hundreds of powerful US “bunker-buster” bombs are being shipped from California to the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in preparation for a possible attack on Iran."

Munawar blames Blackwater for Lahore bombings
A qutoe...." KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Syed Munawar Hasan Friday alleged that infamous US security firm Blackwater was behind all terror attacks in Pakistan under the supervision of Interior Minister Rehman Malik."

Afghan government claims coalition troops killed 12 civilians
A quote...."KABUL (BNO NEWS) — The Afghan government on Sunday accused coalition troops of killing twelve civilians during recent operations in the country, a claim which NATO was not immediately able to confirm." --
also posted at Uruknet

Socialists defeat Sarkozy's UMP in regional polls‎
A quote...."Exit polls indicate that the Socialists have gained the upper hand over President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party in France's regional elections, suggesting the center-right is heading for a big defeat." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Anti-Berlusconi strike paralyzes Italy
A quote...."Italy has been hit by a nationwide worker strike following a call by the country's largest trade union, which has protested at Rome's economic and immigration policies." - also posted at WarInIraq

Georgian Mock Invasion Broadcast ‘a Provocation’ – Kosachev
Video - Alt - A quote...."Georgia has been in a state of panic after its Imedi television network broadcast a mock play-out of a scenario in which the country suffers a blitz military invasion from Russia and its President Mikhail Saakashvili is physically eliminated."

Russia's ruling party wins regional elections
A quote...."MOSCOW, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party won a number of regional and local elections, results showed on Monday. -- According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission (CEC), United Russia won each of the eight regions' legislative polls, taking 183 parliamentary seats in the regional parliaments in total."

Putin in deal to build nuclear reactors for India
A quote...."India and Russia today signed a nuclear co-operation agreement, which paves the way for the building of about a dozen nuclear reactors in India, with Russian help, over the next few decades." - also posted at BLN
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AFRICOM’s First War: U.S. Directs Large-Scale Offensive In Somalia
A quote...."Over 43 people have been killed in the Somali capital of Mogadishu in two days of fighting between Shabab (al-Shabaab) insurgent forces, who on March 10 advanced to within one mile of the nation’s presidential palace, and troops of the U.S.-backed Transitional Federal Government. The fighting has just begun. - also posted at Uruknet

Africom Commander Says U.S. Supports Somali Government to Retake Mogadishu
A quote...."WASHINGTON -- A senior U.S. military commander said on Tuesday the United States would support the Somali transitional government to retake the national capital Mogadishu. --  William Ward, who runs the U.S. Africa Command, told a Senate hearing the Somali government's effort in retaking Mogadishu is " something that we would look to do in support."

For more on the two articles shown above see....Africa - the Next Target - 02-28-08 - mpg

East Africa is Next Hot Oil Zone
Related Article - A quote...."NAIROBI, Kenya, March 10 (UPI) -- East Africa is emerging as the next oil boom following a big strike in Uganda's Lake Albert  Basin. Other oil and natural gas reserves have been found in Tanzania and Mozambique and exploration is under way in Ethiopia and even war-torn Somalia."
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New Uncle Sam Poster by Mr. Fish
Poster - Great poster. - mpg

The true nature of certain 'progressives' finally being revealed - posted at  OnlineJournal
A quote...."(WMR) -- Recently, DailyKos’s agent of influence for the corporate power structure, its founder Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, called Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) a “little prick” and announced he was backing a primary challenger to Kucinich. This has prompted several hard-hitting diaries this week, such as What the hell is up with Kos? and Markos Moulitsas Should Primary Himself."

Web Censorship Alert - "Comcast Blocks the CLG Newsletter --Comcast has decided that its customers should not receive the CLG Newsletter. 15 Mar 2010 Dear Comcast CLG Newsletter subscribers, -- Comcast has made the decision that you should not receive the CLG Newsletter. That's right - all Comcast people are blocked. -- ALL CLG readers: If you're as OUTRAGED as I am, please CONTACT Comcast and share your thoughts.1-800-266-2278  -- Please write (contactus@legitgov.org) and let us know if you took action and if they were at all helpful. -- Thank you." - Paragraph posted at CLG -- In the opinion of this website editor EVERYONE should call up Comcast and castigate them for their endless attempts to censor the web. - mpg
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (04 – 10 March 2010)
Week in and week out.  If it happened to your country, what would you do? - mpg - also posted at Uruknet
Israel tortures Jerusalem minors
A quote...."Occupied Jerusalem – Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights revealed Saturday that Israeli police tortured Jerusalemite children, who were arrested before by Israelis." - also posted at AlethoNews & Uruknet & WarInIraq

17 Feb. '10: Israel Police arrests children aged 12 to 15 in night raids in Silwan, East Jerusalem
A quote...."In recent months there have been many cases in which minors aged 12-15 from Silwan, in East Jerusalem, were arrested in the middle of the night by police officers and Israel Security Agency agents accompanied by armed border policemen. The minors were taken out of their beds and brought to the police station in the Russian Compound, in West Jerusalem. Some of them were brought handcuffed, and none of the parents were allowed to accompany them. At the station, the minors were interrogated on suspicion of stone throwing. According to testimonies that some of them gave to B'Tselem, the interrogators beat and threatened them." - also posted at Uurknet

Continuing campaign of arrests against civilians in the West Bank
A quote...."Israeli campaign of detentionThe Middle East Monitor (MEMO) has obtained primary evidence of how Israeli forces and Palestinian security services have embarked on a campaign of arrests against Hamas supporters in the occupied West Bank. A list containing details of the political detainees arrested in the months of January and February 2010 is attached. It can be seen how, increasingly, arbitrary political arrests are being conducted in Nablus and Hebron, where there is a high level of Hamas support, as well as other governorates across the West Bank. The detainees include university students, professionals, journalists and political activists." - also posted at Uruknet

[Jewish Israeli] Settlers Torch Olive Orchard In Hebron
A quote...."A group of fundamentalist Jewish settlers burnt on Thursday at night an olive orchard in Safa village, north west of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank." - also posted at Uruknet

 Mayor: [Jewish] Israeli settlers uprooted 40 olive trees
A quote...."Nablus – Ma'an – Israeli settlers uprooted dozens of olive trees in Qaryut, south of Nablus, at dawn on Friday, officials said." -  also posted at Uruknet
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Champions of neoliberal economics are reversing New Deal economics - posted at  OnlineJournal
A qutoe...."The “golden” years of the U.S. economy in the immediate post-WW II period, along with the recovery and expansion of the economies of other industrialized countries, afforded the working class of these countries a decent, even middle-class, standard of living. Combined with extensive social safety-net programs such as the New Deal reforms in the U.S. and Social-Democratic reforms in Europe, the economic recovery and high employment rates of that period paved the way for a relatively cooperative relationship between the working and capitalist classes in these countries."

Lehman Fraudulently Cooked Its Books, Accounting Giant Ernst & Young Helped, Geithner and Bernanke Winked and Slapped Them on the Back -- A quote...."As William K. Black said a year ago, the government's entire strategy now - as in the S&L crisis - is to cover up how bad things are ("the entire strategy is to keep people from getting the facts"). -- Paul Krugman and others pointed out that Geithner has been trying to artificially prop up asset prices, but that such a strategy cannot succeed. -- As I've pointed out numerous times, the stress tests were a total sham, with a pre-ordained passing grade for the banks. -- As I've noted repeatedly over the last couple of years, the government has allowed the giant banks to hide their liabilities and maintain dizzying amounts of leverage by using off-balance-sheet gimmicks" - also posted at BLN

Americans Are Still 21 Percent Poorer Than Before The Recession
Full Quote...." American households saw their wealth increase at the end of last year, mainly because the healing economy boosted stock portfolios. -- The Federal Reserve says household net worth rose 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter to $54.2 trillion. It marked the third straight quarter of gains. Net worth had risen 4.5 percent in the second quarter of 2009 and an even stronger 5.5 percent in the third quarter. -- Net worth is the value of assets such as homes, checking accounts and investments minus debts like mortgages and credit cards. -- Even with the gain, Americans' net worth would have to rise an additional 21 percent to get back to its pre-recession peak of $65.9 trillion. That shows the vast loss of wealth people have suffered from the worst downturn since the 1930s." - From AP

China wants US reassurance over dollar
And they'll get it too.  If China believes the assureances though, this website editor has a bridge to sell them. - mpg -- A quote...."Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao makes a point at his annual press conference after the closing of the National People's Congress held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, March 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Saturday March 13th 2010

No posts. - mpg

Friday March 12th 2010

Alex Jones On Russia Today – Free speech under fire - Alt - (YouTube - 8 min 10 sec - March 10, 2010)
Must View Video - Alex is really good here, his facts and cites are spot on. - mpg -- A quote...."(RussiaToday) – Alex Jones’ Web sites were assaulted in a massive, organized and sustained attack, which is still ongoing. He claims that zombie computers around the world were used to launch denial of service attacks against him. Alex also weighs in on attacks against Jesse Ventura — is he a victim of both the CIA and the mainstream media."

Is Mainstream Media News Dying?
Related Article - Some quotes...."According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the Internet has surpassed newspapers as one of the primary ways that Americans get their news. - Perhaps that seems only natural to many of us now, but there was a time before the Internet was widely available that a very high percentage of the population would read a newspaper each day. - But now all of that has fundamentally changed." -- "So why are so many diverse mainstream media outlets hurting so much? - There are a lot of reasons, but one of the key factors is that people are tired of not hearing the truth." - bold by website editor

European Parliament Rips Global IP Accord - Hip Hip Hooray!! Resistance is NOT futile!!
Special Note - A quote...."March 10, 2010  |  3:56 pm  | The European Parliament delivered a political blow to Hollywood and the Obama administration, voting Wednesday 663 to 13 in opposition to a proposed and secret intellectual property agreement being negotiated by the European Union, United States and a handful of others." -- also posted at BLN

Government Internet Censorship Begins In Stealth In New Zealand
Related Article - A quote...."The government of New Zealand has quietly implemented an internet filter and is urging the leading ISPs in the country to adopt the measure, in a move that would give the authorities the power to restrict whichever websites they see fit."

Evidence Mounts NATO Report Lied on Afghan Civilian Killings
A quote...."The February 12 night raid against a house party in Afghanistan’s Paktia Province  remains shrouded in mystery, but NATO’s official story appears to be crumbling as even NATO officials concede that the claims made were not strictly true."

Bruce Ivins’ attorney calls for case to be re-opened
A quote...."The 92 page report issued recently by the FBI relied heavily on conversations Ivins had with “a witness close to the suspect”. That “witness” was Jean Duley, the woman I and many others have written extensively about. She got paid by the FBi to set Ivins up then led him in carefully scripted secretly recorded phone conversations, on behalf of the FBI, while she was supposedly acting as his counselor in group meetings he was court ordered to attend. It was that betrayal that angered Ivins which was then used by the FBI to insinuate that Ivins was going to attack Duley." -- For more on this issue see....US-False Flag Ops - Bruce Ivins

French bread spiked with LSD in CIA experiment
A quote...."In 1951, a quiet, picturesque village in southern France was suddenly and mysteriously struck down with mass insanity and hallucinations. At least five people died, dozens were interned in asylums and hundreds afflicted. -- For decades it was assumed that the local bread had been unwittingly poisoned with a psychedelic mould. Now, however, an American investigative journalist has uncovered evidence suggesting the CIA peppered local food with the hallucinogenic drug LSD as part of a mind control experiment at the height of the Cold War."
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Russian President Medvedev Signs Strategic, Business Deals in France
A quote...."On March 1-3, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, accompanying business leaders, made a commercial and diplomatic visit to France. During his visit, France and Russia made business deals on energy and manufacturing, and began negotiations over selling French warships to Russia. France sought Russian support for tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme."

India, Russia ink 19 pacts on defense, nuclear energy and space cooperation
A quote...."NEW DELHI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- India and Russia Friday inked 19 deals, including a 2.34 billion U.S. dollar agreement on the purchase of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and a 1.5 billion U. S. dollar deal on the supplies of 29 more MiG29K carrier-based fighter jets to the Indian Navy."

Russian gov't OKs deal on military base in S. Ossetia
A quote...."MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government announced Friday that it has approved a draft agreement with Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia on a joint military base there. - The order sanctioned by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on March 9 now awaits signature of President Dmitry Medvedev, according to a posting on the government website."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Harvard students condemn center's defense of fellow's racist statements
Special Note - A quote...."We write as gravely concerned students and student group leaders representing over 16 groups throughout Harvard University.  -- We are disturbed by the racist and inhumane comments of Martin Kramer, Visiting Scholar at the National Security Studies Program at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. We have become even more alarmed that rather than taking a dissociating or even strictly neutral stance against such extremist and hateful statements, the Weatherhead Center issued a defensive response." -- For more regarding this issue see the articles and comments shown below....

Harvard Fellow calls for genocidal measure to curb Palestinian births
A quote...."A fellow at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Martin Kramer, has called for "the West" to take measures to curb the births of Palestinians, a proposal that appears to meet the international legal definition of a call for genocide." -- posted 02-23-10 -- also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq & AmericanEveryman

Harvard center condemns, then defends, fellow's pro-genocide statements
A quote...."Leaders of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University (WCFIA) have condemned and then defended statements by Martin Kramer, one of the center's fellows, which endorsed a cut off of UN food and other humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugee children besieged in the Gaza Strip as a means to reduce the Palestinian birthrate and thus the Palestinian population." -- bold/underline by website editor  -- posted 02-23-10  -- The Israelis gun down Palestinian farmers and fisherman every single day, plow up Palestinian orchards and farms, cut down their olive trees and vines, slaughter their live stock, blow up their wells and springs, bomb their granaries and storage facilities, won't let them import food and now this.  THIS!!!  is the truth folks.  THIS!!!  statement came from Harvard folks.....never EVER forget this day.  These are MONSTERS, they have revealed themselves FOR WHAT THEY TRULY ARE!! - mpg - For more on this issue see Israel's Scorched Earth

America To The Rescue, (Not) Again
Special Note - A quote...."The Palestinian leadership has historically failed to understand that the US’ “special relationship” with Israel will require countering through much more serious mobilization, organizing, and activism to complement their diplomatic efforts. After the utter failure of the US-sponsored (and micro-managed) Oslo peace process, anyone treating the US as a neutral mediator must be suffering from some form of delirium, all the more so if they are Palestinians."

Israeli occupation bar worshipers from reaching the Aqsa Mosque
A quote...."Only a few hundred out of around 30,000 worshipers managed to reach the Aqsa Mosque for the Friday noon prayers, this is not taking account of worshipers from the rest of the West Bank who could not enter Jerusalem."

Israeli police launched arrest campaign among Palestinians
A quote...."Israeli occupation authorities conducted a campaign of arrests in occupied Jerusalem, early yesterday morning."

Israeli soldiers order Tulkarem farmers to strip
A quote...."Tulkarem – Ma'an – Israeli soldiers demanded 20 farmers strip naked for a security check as they returned from their fields west of the separation wall on Friday afternoon, the men reported."

Sheikh Jarrah Mass Rally
Special Note - (Great) Photo Gallery -- A quote...."Thousands of Israeli and Palestinian activists joined the rally last Saturday in Est Jerusalem to protest the eviction of Arab families from Sheikh Jarrah, where Jewish settlers continue to occupy Palestinian homes. The photos were taken by Brady Ng, FLV, Julian."
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We Can't Inflate Our Way Out of the Debt Crisis ... So What CAN We Do?
Chart - Must Read it and Weep! - (Outstanding Analysis) - Here's the cold, hard TRUTH folks, the parasitic class is NOT going to stop their endless wars and endless bailouts for themselves.  They can't inflate their way out of the mess they created, so guess who's gonna pay.  YOU!  Higher taxes, lower wages, lower benefits, a declining standard of living, Social Security and Medicare cuts or even their complete elimination along with the creation of a vicious, militarized, police state.  The people in this nation have a choice, they still do.  Stop voting for DemoRepubs.  - mpg

Some quotes...."The United States cannot “inflate its way out of debt,” because this would collapse the dollar and end its dreams of global empire by forcing foreign countries to go their own way. There is too little manufacturing to make the economy more “competitive,” given its high housing costs, transportation, debt and tax overhead. The economy has hit a debt wall and is falling into Negative Equity, where it may remain for as far as the eye can see until there is a debt write-down..." -- *Michael Hudson*

"The problem with the idea of governments inflating their way out of a debt burden is that it does not work. Absent episodes of hyper-inflation, it is a strategy that has never worked." -- *Paul Donovan*

"The bad news for central bankers is that creating currency isn't like, say, diluting shareholders in a company. You're always rolling your debt, and the market's response to an inflationary strategy is (not surprisingly) higher interest rates. It's a treadmill, and it's extremely hard to get ahead." -- *Joe Weisenthal*
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On the Edge with Max Keiser 12 March 2010
- Stacy&Max(1/3) - Brigitta&Max(2/3) - Brigitta&Max(3/3)
Must View Videos - Some more entertainment from the Max and further details on the Icelandic situation from Ms. Birgitta Jónsdóttir.  - mpg

Russia, Greece, Chile, and the Narcissism of Harvard Debt Lords
Special Note - A quote...."Today marks the beginning of a new administration in Chile as Harvard economist and billionaire Sebastián Piñera eked out a narrow victory in January.  Interestingly this is related to the rest of the world as we also see today Greek police, dressed in the Darth Vader costumes used in every country, cracking down hard on their poor countrymen.  They have been robbed by the elite financier/politician tag-teams that roam the world attacking whichever country and currency they choose. " - also posted at DProgram

Faber and Mish: We're Doomed and Washington Can't Do Anything About It
Contains Video - It's fun, check out the part were Faber orders a beer. - mpg -- A quote...."Washington is patting itself on the back for having orchestrated an amazing economic recovery. But Washington lawmakers are a delusional bunch of boneheads, say Marc Faber and Mike "Mish" Shedlock, editor of the Gloom, Boom, and Doom Report and investment advisor at SitkaPacific Capital Management, respectively."

$400 Million to Kill Financial Reforms & Destroy America. Warning, They Are Winning The War!
A quote...."Yes, Wall Street wins, again. Wall Street’s control America is a drama right out of a Scorsese film about the mafia and crime in New York. They bought off Chris Dodd, who’s capitulated to the darkside while “interviewing” for a million dollar job as a lobbyist. They bought off, President Obama. Turns out he’s no Luke Skywalker, no ”game-changer,” not even much of a Chicago politican. They spent $400 million to kill financial reforms in Congress, to make absolutely sure the American public gets screwed, again … and in the process, they are setting up the next collapse. The big one. The dotcom crash didn’t do it. The subprime credit meltdown didn’t do it. What will? Another, bigger event … a combo of the “Collapse of the American Empire,” plus the “Great Depression II.”

Economy Kept On Life Support While Global Governance Is Organized
Charts - A quote...."At the beginning of the year, official unemployment stood at around 10%.  This number of course does not include those people who are off unemployment benefits and still have not found jobs, or those people who are underemployed.  The Labor Department then announced their intention to revise their “birth/death ratio” method of calculating job loss, which would supposedly add a whopping 800,000 lost jobs to their books that were hidden before: -- Directly after this news was released, markets braced for a substantial increase in the unemployment percentage.  Yet, by some act of magic, the unemployment percentage fell to 9.7%!  How is this possible?  Well, those of us who were hoping for greater Labor Department transparency (including myself) should have known better.  With the Labor Department, two-plus-two NEVER equals four…  As the EPI article above indicates, while the government has reportedly changed their dubious “birth/death ratio” method, they also at the same time changed their “home survey” method."

New round of foreclosures threatens housing market - Gee....what a surprise. - mpg
Chart - A quote...."The housing market is facing swelling ranks of homeowners who are seriously delinquent but have yet to lose their homes, and this is threatening a new wave of foreclosures that could hit just as the real estate market has begun to stabilize. -- About 5 million to 7 million properties are potentially eligible for foreclosure but have not yet been repossessed and put up for sale. Some economists project it could take nearly three years before all these homes have been put on the market and purchased by new owners. [Hah!  In their dreams!] And the number of pending foreclosures could grow much bigger over the coming year as more distressed borrowers become delinquent and then, if they can't obtain mortgage relief, wade through the foreclosure process, which often takes more than a year to complete." - bold by website editor

Mortgage Principal Writedown Won't Save Housing
A quote...."The problem is prices. Home prices have fallen so far in the hardest hit areas, the areas where the bulk of the troubled loans are, that banks would have to write down principal 30 to 50 percent to put borrowers back in the green. Accounting rules require that banks write down the value of those loans on their books, [You mean (gasp) "Mark to Market"?!?!  AMFG!!!] and experts tell me that if banks really accounted for all the losses in the home loan market, they'd all be insolvent. [Translation:  They've ALL BEEN insolvent for the last two years]  -- That's why the Obama Administration [& his Wall Street buddies] has created this kind of shell game in the first place."
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Thursday March 11th 2010

Cud and Complicity: Burying the Alternatives to Empire's Dominion
Must Read - A quote...."Rep. Dennis Kucinich's proposal to withdraw from Afghanistan was debated, heatedly, for hours in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. After the debate, dozens of Representatives cast their vote to end the war immediately. This was an unprecedented event in the history of the conflict, now in its ninth year. - Think about that for a moment: an unprecedented event, on the floor of the House, going on for hours, involving a question of supreme national importance. Regardless of one's position on the issue, is this not the very definition of "news"? But on Thursday morning, you could search high and low on the front pages (print and web) of both the New York Times and the Washington Post -- our national arbiters of serious newsworthiness -- yet find no mention whatsoever of this event. This, even though the web fronts -- unlike the paper versions -- contain headlines for dozens of stories, including sections devoted entirely to Washington politics." -- also posted at Uruknet

Patrick Kennedy: Media Doing "Despicable" Job Covering Afghanistan
Contains Video - Pat Kennedy agrees with Chris Floyd's take in the article shown above. - mpg -- A quote...."Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) railed against the Washington press corps today on the House floor for paying more attention to the likes of scandal-ridden Eric Massa than the war in Afghanistan. -- "There's two press people in this gallery," Kennedy yelled during a debate over an anti-war resolution. "We're talking about Eric Massa 24-7 on the TV, we're talking about war and peace, $3 billion, 1,000 lives and no press? No press."

Michael Springman on Alex Jones Tv – CIA Ordered Visas For 15 of The 19 9/11 Hijackers in Jeddah
Must View Videos - MS(1/4) - MS(2/4) - MS(3/4) - MS(4/4) - From the History File - February 09, 2010 -- A quote...." J. Michael Springmann, formerly chief of the visa section at the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has testified that he rejected hundreds of suspicious visa applications by Saudi Arabian men similar to those named as the 9/11 Hijackers Patsies when we was head of the consular section of the US embassy in Jeddah, but C.I.A. officers repeatedly overruled him and ordered the visas to be issued." - For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror - For more on the "lap bomber" or "fizzle pants" episode see....US-False Flag Ops - Lap Bomber

Congress Calls for New Investigation Into Anthrax Attack
Special Note - A quote...."The FBI says that the anthrax case is closed, and that they have proved that Dr. Bruce Ivins did it. -- But Congress is not convinced. -- On March 3, 2010, Representative Holt called for a new investigation:" -- For more on this issue see....US-False Flag Ops - Anthrax

US Troops Kill Reporter, Husband in West Baghdad - Journalists' Union Calls for Investigation
BREAKING  - March 11, 2010  - Special Note - This was a straight-on assassination by some punk-thugs in the US-NRE's occupation forces. - mpg -- A quote..."US forces today attacked a car in Western Baghdad, killing Iraqi journalist Aseel al-Obeidi and her husband, according to police. The US confirmed shooting two Iraqis in the area, but would provide no details. -- Obeidi had most recently worked for the private television news station Dijla TV, which went out of business earlier this year. The circumstances of the killings are so far unclear. -- Iraq’s journalists’ union condemned the killing, and called for an immediate investigation. The killing is the first high profile attack on civilians in Iraq in quite some time." -- For more on this issue see....US-Killing the Messenger

20 Signs That The United States Is Rapidly Becoming A Totalitarian Big Brother Police State
A quote...."Once upon a time, the United States was a land of unparalleled freedom.  The rest of the world envied the freedom that ordinary Americans had to think, say and do what they wanted.  But all of that has changed.  Now Americans have to fear that they will be tackled by a squad of security goons and dragged off to a detention facility somewhere if they spill a Pepsi on a flight attendant or take a few too many pictures of a public building.  The United States used to be the polar opposite of totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, but now America is rapidly becoming very much like them.  Due to the fear of a boogeyman living in a cave somewhere or some guy with explosive powder in his underwear we are all being forced to give up our freedoms and learn to live in a Big Brother police state." - also posted at DProgram

Related Article - The parasitic class's lackeys are gearing up to shut down the internet. Excuses like "they can convert you in two weeks" are straight out of grade-z 1950s anti-commie movies, it's simply pathetic.  Can't these idiots ever come up with something new? - mpg -- "Internet helped Flight 253 suspect radicalize, attack plane 'within weeks'11 Mar 2010 'The Internet' allowed extremists to contact, recruit, train and equip the suspect responsible for the attempted Flight 253 bombing on Christmas Day "within weeks," a top Pentagon official told lawmakers Wednesday. That relatively brief timeframe only speaks to how quickly extremist groups have "optimized" the Web and developed a "highly evolved" process by which to develop terrorist networks, added Garry Reid, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism... "If we can stop them upstream when they are becoming radicalized, then obviously we have an easier job of it than when they are downstream and they are getting into all kinds of dangerous activities," said Ambassador Daniel Benjamin during prepared testimony." - also posted at CLG

Iran wants help from a friend
Must Read - A quote...."An unusual alliance has been unveiled after Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad revealed that the recent arrest of Abdulmalik Rigi, leader of the Sunni terrorist group Jundallah, was made possible with intelligence cooperation from Afghanistan and Pakistan. -- Using his one-day trip on Wednesday to Kabul to bolster Iran's relations with Afghanistan and shore up regional support in the face of escalating United States pressure for sanctions over its nuclear program, Ahmadinejad made it a priority to highlight work between the three nations on the Rigi arrest as a model for counter-terrorism. He also made the most of the opportunity to scold the US over its military presence and hammer home a message that the US is supporting terrorism in the name of the "war on terror"."

Afghanistan Urges Expansion of Judicial Cooperation with Iran
A quote...." TEHRAN (FNA)- Chief Justice of Afghanistan's Supreme Court Abdul Salam Azimi in a meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Kabul called for bolstering cooperation between the two countries in judiciary issues."

Iran asks Dubai to track down Rigi passport forgers
A quote...."Iran is taking steps to investigate how Jundallah terror chief Abdulmalek Rigi obtained forged passports prior to his arrest nearly two weeks ago." - For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror - Rigi's Capture

Karzai in Pakistan, seeks talks with Taliban leaders
A quote...."Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his government is ready to hold talks with Taliban leaders, including Mullah Mohammad Omar."

IRAQ:  Women Miss Saddam
Special Note - A quote...."BAGHDAD, Mar 12, 2010 (IPS) - Under Saddam Hussein, women in government got a year's maternity leave; that is now cut to six months. Under the Personal Status Law in force since Jul. 14, 1958, when Iraqis overthrew the British-installed monarchy, Iraqi women had most of the rights that Western women do."

Beijing seeks a shift in geopolitics
A quote...."China's ongoing tussles with the United States over issues including Taiwan, Tibet and trade are in a sense nothing new. For more than two decades, Sino-US relations have periodically gone through rough patches over these and related causes of disagreement. What is new is China's much-enhanced global clout in the wake of the world financial crisis, which is coupled with a marked decline in America's hard and soft power."

Greece: Millions join general strike against government austerity package
Resistance is NOT futile - mpg -- A quote...."Workers throughout Greece staged their second one-day general strike within a month yesterday to protest the austerity measures being imposed by the PASOK social democratic government of Prime Minister George Papandreou."

The Bush Family's Project Hammer - Hammering the USSR's Economy
Special Note - A quote...."In 1989 President George H. W. Bush began the multi-billion dollar Project Hammer program using an investment strategy to bring about the economic destruction of the Soviet Union including the theft of the Soviet treasury, the destabilization of the ruble, funding a KGB coup against Gorbachev in August 1991 and the seizure of major energy and munitions industries in the Soviet Union. Those resources would subsequently be turned over to international bankers and corporations. On November 1, 2001, the second operative in the Bush regime, President George W. Bush, issued Executive Order 13233 on the basis of “national security” and concealed the records of past presidents, especially his father’s spurious activities during 1990 and 1991. Consequently, those records are no longer accessible to the public.1 The Russian coup plot was discussed in June 1991 when Yeltsin visited with Bush in conjunction with his visit to the United States. On that same visit, Yeltsin met discreetly with Gerald Corrigan, the chairman of the New York Federal Reserve.2" - also posted at BLN

US general says no evidence of links between Venezuela and FARC-ETA
A quote...."The general in charge of US military activities in Latin America said Thursday he had no evidence of links between Venezuela’s leftist government and Colombian and Basque guerrilla groups. “We have not seen any connections specifically that I can verify that there has been a direct government-to-terrorist connection,” General Douglas Fraser, head of the US Southern Command, told a Senate hearing."

Permanent Agression: War on the Horizon in Latin America
Special Note - A quote...."The Empire will stop at nothing to find mechanisms and techniques to achieve its final objective, and we cannot disregard the possibility of a military conflict in the near future. If the US places Venezuela on the “terrorist list” this year, we could be on the verge of a regional war." - also posted at AlethoNews
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Rep. Dennis Kucinich Takes on Democratic Leaders with Insistence on Public Option, Call for Afghan Withdrawal
A quote...."Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich joins us to discuss two House debates in which he’s played a central role this week. The Ohio Democrat is threatening to vote against his party’s healthcare reform package because it does not contain a robust public option. Meanwhile, Kucinich’s bill to force the withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan was taken up on Wednesday. After a rare three-and-a-half-hour debate on the war, the majority of House Democrats joined with Republicans to defeat the measure. [includes rush transcript]" --  ||  Real Video Stream
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AIPAC of Raving Lunatics
Special Note - A quote...."Without regard for the severe economic devastation and loss of life that a war with Iran would create, Israel’s agents in the United States continue to  aggressively stoke the fires of anti-Iranian rhetoric and mobilize their minions on the floor of the House.  The Brzezinski-Soros machine failed in their attempt to effect regime change in Iran by way of a “color revolution” in the summer of 2009.  This has only emboldened the Israeli lobby to pursue more drastic measures. There is only one card left for them to play before provoking conflicts that will most certainly catapult the United States into direct military action against the Islamic state." - also posted at BLN

Dubai Investigation Exposes Israeli Ops in USA
A quote...."An ongoing investigation by the Dubai Police force into the assassination of a high-level Hamas official in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January has drawn back the curtains of secrecy and deception to reveal yet again the contours of Israel’s massive and ever-expanding espionage operations in the United States." - also posted at Uruknet
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Toronto Restricts Academic Freedom: ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ Not Permitted to Take Place
Censorship Alert - A quote...."Last week, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Director of Education Chris Spence announced in a statement that “‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ and its activities are not permitted to take place on school or Board property, or as part of any activity under the jurisdiction of the TDSB.” Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) considers this announcement a clear attempt to discourage rational discussion of the constellation of issues addressed by Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), and therefore considers it an unacceptable restriction on the academic freedom that should be enjoyed by the TDSB’s community." - also posted at AlethoNews

Q&A:  'Israeli Siege Causing De-development of Gaza' - That's the idea. - mpg
A quote...."BRUSSELS, Mar 8 , 2010 (IPS) - For the first time since September 2006, Mahmoud Abu Rahma, a leading figure in the Palestinian human rights group Al Mezan, has been granted permission to travel outside Gaza."

Brutalizing Palestinian Children
A quote...."As an isolated incident, it would be appalling and criminal. As a regular occurrence, it's state-sponsored terrorism against defenseless children, subjected to barbarism by Israeli soldiers committing crimes against humanity to crush their will for wanting to live free on their own land - what Westerners take for granted; what Palestinians since 1948 haven't had, and since 1967, under military occupation denying their very humanity." - also posted at AlethoNews

Two IDF soldiers charged with using 9-year-old 'human shield' in Gaza war
A quote...." The Israel Defense Forces prosecution on Thursday filed an indictment against two combat soldiers suspected of inappropriate conduct during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip in 2008."

Detention Bulletin: February 2010: 343 Palestinian children detained by Israel
Scribd - A quote...."There were 343 Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons and temporary detention centers at the end of February 2010.  This represents an 8% increase."

Homes and livelihoods gone in an instant
A quote...."Radia Abu Sbaih, 47, lives with her sister and one niece on family land roughly 700 meters from the "green line" boundary between Israel and Gaza. Until 18 February 2010, they had nearly 600 olive, fruit, date and nut trees, an agricultural cistern, a water well, various vegetables and a house." - also posted at AlethoNews & Uruknet

Israeli warplanes fire on southern Gaza
A quote...."Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli warplanes opened fire on the southern Gaza Strip early Friday, striking two targets near the Egyptian border."

PLO paper reveals leadership bereft of strategy, legitimacy
A quote...."At last September's New York summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, US President Barack Obama publicly abandoned his demand that Israel halt construction of colonies in the occupied West Bank as a precursor to the resumption of US-brokered negotiations. Thus, Obama humiliatingly signaled the collapse of his much-hyped peace effort." - also posted at Uruknet

Map of Israel's East Jerusalem housing plan
Contains Video - Alt - A quote...."Israel's approval for building 1,600 new housing units for ultra-Orthodox Jews in East Jerusalem has infuriated the Palestinians. - Nabil Abu Rudeina, a Palestinian Authority spokesman, told the AFP news agency: "This is a dangerous decision and will hinder the negotiations."

Work day to rebuild bulldozed playground in Beit Jalla, Bethlehem successful
Some good news.... A quote..."Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals met in Beit Jallah today to rebuild a playground that bulldozers destroyed last week while clearing the path to complete the wall near Bethlehem. 12 people armed only with pick axes and hoes, flattened out the bulldozer tracks and deep holes left from uprooted trees, reset two swing sets, and brought in sand by the bucket for the new playground. Young olive trees were replanted in place of the mature trees that were destroyed during the first days of uprooting last week. The playground is used by many of the neighborhood children, and the family who owns the land welcomes people to enjoy the shade next to their home in the heat of the summer. As people worked in the sun today, army jeeps made rounds on the road above the home, and stood watch from the road on the opposing side of the highway. One jeep came down to the playground, but people continued their work as soldiers took pictures and asked for the Palestinian participants identification cards."

Gaza Graffiti Movie - Alt - (YouTube - 2 min 39 sec - March 09, 2010)
Video - A quote...."Gazas walls cry out in green, red, black and yellow: Look at us! Read our messages! - Swedish photographer Mia Grondahl spent seven years - most of the second intifada - capturing the walls of Gaza. Her book and photo exhibit "Gaza Graffiti - Messages of Love and Politics" tell us about the many roles of graffiti in Gaza. Apart from political slogans, the walls bear witness to the joy and sadness of Gaza, the wedding ribbons being tied between young people, the many victims of the conflict, and the ever present hope of peace and freedom. - For us on the outside, the graffiti offers an exciting and unexpected view of life in Gaza."
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US and Europe drift toward trade war
Actually it's the US-NRE drifts toward trade war against the rest of the entire world - mpg -- A quote...."In the wake of the financial crisis that erupted in 2008, leading capitalist nations and blocs of nations are employing increasingly aggressive forms of protectionism to advance their interests."

US budget deficit hits record high in February
A quote...."The US government registered a record budget deficit in February, the 17th consecutive month of running in the red, the Treasury said Wednesday. - The February budget shortfall was 220.909 billion dollars, a 14 percent rise from a year ago and the biggest monthly gap on record."

New Flow Of Funds Report Demonstrates Massive Selling In Agency & MBS Holdings Away From The Fed
Special Note - Charts - (click to enlarge) - Related Article - A quote...."When we adjust to exclude the contribution of the Fed, a vastly different picture in MBS holdings emerges: we see a hole of over $1.2 trillion since the peak holdings of $8.1 trillion in Q4 2008. This is an amount last seen in Q2 2007, when interest rates across the board were about 4-5% higher, and when Cramer went nuts on TV saying the Fed "knows nothing" and need to loosen monetary policy immediately. Sure enough, it did, and now we are stuck with ZIRP in perpetuity. What it means is that in a steady state market, in which there is no massive Fed intervention, the rate on 30 year Mortgages would likely be at around 6-7% on the 30 year, if not more."

$13 Billion 30 Year Reopening Closes At 4.679%, Directs Take Down Whopping 29.7%: A New Record, Indirects Settle For Mere 23.9% - Charts - Related Article - A quote...."
UniCredit Bank Warns Of Plunge In Sterling And Gilts, As Britain Is Next Country "To Be Pummeled By Investors"
A quote...."Kornelius Purps, director of fixed income at Europe's second-largest bank, UniCredit, has issued a stark warning to clients who wish to invest in the Britain: "I am becoming convinced that Great Britain is the next country that is going to be pummeled by investors." Ambrose Evans-Pritchard reports reports that "Mr Purps said the UK had been cushioned at first by low debt levels but the pace of deterioration has been so extreme that the country can no longer count on market tolerance" and that "Britain's AAA-rating is highly at risk."

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031110-031710 - links page

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