War and the Common Good
Must Read - A quote...."The warfare state is the greatest of all threats to the individual in our time. It is a threat materially, philosophically, spiritually, culturally and intellectually. It displaces all the voluntary, civil associations we champion – the family, community, church and honest business. It is the total negation of the dignity of the individual, the rights of all men and women to live their lives in liberty. It is a mixture of cold, anti-libertarian modernism and barbarism, the worst remnants of the Middle Ages combined with a new callousness and technocratic fervor. It is the most persistent form of American collectivism. It is an unparalleled threat to world peace. It is the greatest enemy of humanity and individual liberty in our midst."

No Discourse For Americans
A quote...."There is no “Left” and “Right” in the mainstream political scene today. There are nuances of liberal thought in the Obama campaign, but that is terribly overshadowed by the “thought police” in his campaign that don’t want to give the McCain people any “talking points” that they can use against him. This particular episode in US history is very unfortunate. The fact that the Democrats must play the role of the quasi-belligerent and bellicose imperialists, in order to thwart the rhetoric of John McCain is a crime in itself. This type of behavior and rhetoric dooms the American people to a campaign that disallows the type of discourse that we so desperately need in this nation."

The Hard Choice - Obama and the Fall Into Tyranny
A quote...."As articles by John Pilger,* Alexander Cockburn, and Uri Avnery make clear, by groveling before the Israel Lobby Obama has dispelled any hope that his presidency would make a difference. - *link added -- Also posted at InfoWars

Brown ready to rain on Bush parade with Iraq troop pull-out
A quote...."Gordon Brown is ready to override the misgivings of George Bush by going ahead with a major announcement on British troop withdrawals from Iraq. The US President will sit down to talks with Mr Brown today after their dinner at Downing Street last night sparked anti-Bush protests in Parliament Square."

The Greatest Story Never Told - Finally, the U.S. Mega-Bases in Iraq Make the News
A quote...."....in the last five-plus years, untold billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on the construction and upgrading of those bases. When asked back in the fall of 2003, only months after Baghdad fell to U.S. troops, Lt. Col. David Holt, the Army engineer then "tasked with facilities development" in Iraq, proudly indicated that "several billion dollars" had already been invested in those fast-rising bases. Even then, he was suitably amazed, commenting that "the numbers are staggering." Imagine what he might have said, barely two and a half years later, when the U.S. reportedly had 106 bases, mega to micro, all across the country." -- Also posted at ICH & CommonDreams

Scott Horton Interviews Tom Engelhardt
Audio Interview - Related article - A quote...."Tom Engelhardt, proprietor of TomDispatch.com and editor of the new book, The World According to Tomdispatch: America in the New Age of Empire, discusses his recent article “The Greatest Story Never Told” about the immense permanent military bases the U.S. has built throughout Iraq, how most Americans are oblivious to this, the lack of media coverage of the U.S. bombing escalation of Iraq, how Americans would react if we were attacked, how few Americans grasp the enormous number of civilians killed by the U.S in Iraq, the 20% of Iraqis either dead or exiled, and the little, if any, change the presidential candidates will bring to the American empire."

Afghanistan and Iraq refugee numbers up
A quote...."Conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are creating new waves of refugees, according to the United Nations refugee agency. -- The report released by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees shows around three million Afghans fled to Pakistan and Iran, and around two million Iraqis moved, mainly to Syria and Jordan."

Izzy Stone, Patron Saint of Bloggers
A quote...."It was nineteen years ago this week that I.F. (Izzy) Stone died. The legendary blogger was 81. -- Confused? You say he died years before web blogs were invented? -- Well, yeah, but when I think of today’s blunt, fact-based online hell-raisers, my mind quickly flashes on Izzy Stone. You may think of Josh Marshall or Glenn Greenwald or Arianna Huffington. I think of Izzy." -- Also posted at ConsortiumNews

Disassociative Disorder: Pushing Back Against AP's Heavy Hand
Action Alert - A quote...."As usual, our own webmaster and co-founder, Rich Kastelein ("il miglior fabbro"), has gotten way out in front on an important issue, setting up – in a matter of hours – a new website dedicated to the boycott of AP. The news service has trained its legal guns on bloggers who commit the shameless crime of, er, quoting AP stories, thereby giving the organization literally priceless recognition and publicity reaching millions of readers every day." -- See also....AP Worried By Blowback Boycott & the article shown below
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Eight USA State Department Veterans Challenge the Official Account of September 11
A quote...."Official Account of 9/11: “Flawed”, “Absurd”, “Totally Inadequate”, “a Cover-up” -- Eight U.S. State Department veterans have severely criticized the official account of 9/11 and called for a new investigation.  “There is no question in my mind, that there is enough evidence to justify a very comprehensive and hard hitting investigation of the kind we have not seen, with subpoenas, general questioning of people, releasing a lot of documents,” said Daniel Ellsberg, PhD, in a 2006 interview with Jack Blood. [1]"

U.S. abuse of detainees was routine at Afghanistan bases
Special Note - A quote...." KABUL, Afghanistan — American soldiers herded the detainees into holding pens of razor-sharp concertina wire, the kind that's used to corral livestock. -- The guards kicked, kneed and punched many of the men until they collapsed in pain. U.S. troops shackled and dragged other detainees to small isolation rooms, then hung them by their wrists from chains dangling from the wire mesh ceiling."

High Water Everywhere: Court Ruling Won't Stem the Terror War Flood
A quote...."The recent Supreme Court decision restoring habeas corpus rights for Terror War captives in Guantanamo Bay is a welcome development, of course. It is a stern rebuke to a key provision of the odious Military Commissions Act (MCA), which officially surrendered American liberty to presidential tyranny. But this sinister and shameful law  still remains in force; what's more, the Supreme Court ruling does not address the Act's core principle: the president's arbitrary power to declare anyone an "enemy combatant" and dispose of them as he pleases – even killing them. Thus the most likely effect of this carefully circumscribed ruling will be that the gulag's darkest operations are merely moved deeper into the shadows." -- For more on this issue see....The Convenient Silence of Guantanamo Bay - 05-31-08 - mpg

The March to Folly on the Afghan Border
A quote...."The killing of 11 Pakistani soldiers by US air strikes last week showed that the American-led war in Afghanistan is relentlessly spreading into Pakistan, one of America’s oldest, most faithful allies. -- Pakistan’s military branded the air attack "unprovoked and cowardly." However, the unstable government in Islamabad, led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which depends on large infusions of US aid, later softened its protests. This is in good part because the PPP leader, Asif Zardari, is being shielded from judicial corruption investigations through a quiet deal with President Pervez Musharraf and Washington to thwart reinstatement of Pakistan’s ousted supreme court justices.

Pakistan vents anger at Karzai over threat - Summary
A quote...."Islamabad - The Pakistani government and lawmakers on Monday reacted angrily to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's warning that he could send troops into the neighbouring country to hunt down Taliban militants launching cross-border attacks. "Since the two countries were faced with a common enemy it was all the more necessary that Afghanistan refrained from making irresponsible threatening statements," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a statement."

Alliance in question
A quote...."Almost two weeks after the Doha agreement put an end to 18 months of political conflict in Lebanon, the situation on the ground remains shaky. Sectarian and partisan-inspired incidents have become almost a daily occurrence in Beirut and other areas. In the past week alone, Lebanese opposition forces documented 37 instances in which its supporters have been subject to physical attack in the capital's Tareq Jdeeda district alone, hotbed of Saad Al-Hariri's Tayyar Al-Mustaqbal (Future Movement) supporters. Such incidents, however, remain isolated and mostly individually based."

Why All These Gifts?
A quote...."The American President George Bush has agreed to increase American military aid to Israel so that it will reach thirty billion dollars over the course of the next ten years."

Iran withdraws $75bn from Europe
A quote...."IRAN has withdrawn about $75 billion from Europe to prevent the assets from being blocked under threatened new sanctions over Tehran's disputed nuclear ambitions, an Iranian weekly said."

EU's Solana says no decision on Iran sanctions
A quote...." LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Union did not take decisions on Monday to launch a new round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said. -- "No decision has been taken today," Solana told a news conference after a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg."

Finally, Congress Looks at Plame-gate
A quote...."Now, after many nasty clashes – which led to the exposure of a covert CIA officer, a criminal White House cover-up, a special prosecutor investigation, the conviction of a senior aide to Vice President Dick Cheney and a subsequent presidential commutation – one key administration insider finally has agreed to testify before Congress."
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Honda rolls out new zero-emission car - posted at BuzzFlash
A quote...."TAKANEZAWA, Japan (AP) — Honda's new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring. -- The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says."

What’s The Difference Between Lehman Brothers & Bear Stearns? Lehman’s CEO Sits On the Board Of The NY Fed
A quote...."In his latest post, Olagues discusses the fate of Lehman Brothers, the nation’s fourth-largest investment bank and the next faltering bank expected to fail.2 Unlike Bear Stearns, which got decimated by the JPM buyout using Federal Reserve money, Lehman Brothers is probably in line for a massive bailout from the Fed. At least, that’s what its CEO Richard Fuld seems to believe."

Stage II predicaments
A quote...."Bernanke's view is too optimistic. First, since March, the Fed's Wall Street bailout and the concurrent collapse in market yields played a significant role in artificially bolstering the US economy. The unwind of market hedges also worked to support marketplace liquidity and likely artificially boosted credit availability - especially for conventional mortgages and the investment grade corporate sector. I believe these forces have by now likely run their course."

Home-builders' index matches record low in June
A quote...."The NAHB/Wells Fargo housing-market index fell by a point to 18, matching the record low in the 22-year history of the survey."

New York Fed June Manufacturing Index Falls to -8.7 (Update2)
A quote...." June 16 (Bloomberg) -- Manufacturing in New York shrank in June at a faster pace than forecast, led by declines in orders and sales. - The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's general economic index dropped to minus 8.7 from minus 3.2 a month earlier, the bank said today. Readings less than zero signal contraction."

Eurozone inflation in May at its highest since 1996
A quote...."Inflation in the Eurozone has a climbed to a record level amid higher food and fuel costs, official figures show. The annual rate of inflation in the 15 state zone hit 3.7% in May, according to the Eurostat statistical office."


The Great Game - In 3D
06-15-08
mpg

Does the 2008 US Presidential Race Really Matter?
Must Read - A quote...."Global society constitutes a complex adaptive system. All systems possess three fundamental attributes:"

This is article describes the possibility to map in three dimensions, our planet's political/economic/social system, or as the author puts it, "a systems theory perspective".  Similar to the concept of what Isaac Asimov called his fictional "psychohistory".  A fascinating idea.

Keep in mind of course the "chicken or the egg" debate regarding what factors are most responsible for changing the course of human history - the "effective individual" or "historical forces" - has been raging since human tribes assembled themselves into hierarchies and submitted their fates to the authority of a single leader or group.

This website editor leans toward the side of historical forces however as the primary motivator in human affairs, inasmuch as such "single leaders" or "oligarchies" are only given their authority, or are able to seize it, when the social/economic/political systems, or the break-down of such systems, permits them to do so.

Bush is a classic example of such a case, wherein a complete mentally incompetent, feckless, drooling moron, who could barely speak the English language and who would never have achieved gainful employment through his own merits, much less the highest office in the land, was selected by a process which did untold damage to the principals of democracy and who was than subsequently almost granted dictatorial powers due to the arrangement of a classic “false flag” event.  Both incidents deliberately engineered by a group of financial elites in the United States representing the MIOC sector of the US economy.

The reasons why the US MIOC elites spent twenty to thirty years planning these events, took these actions, and were practically given carte blanche by their subject populations to do so however, were because of ongoing social/economic/political trends, or forces, which encouraged and enabled them to carry out these plans of murder and mayhem.

Historical trends or forces such as the inevitable diminishment of US power caused by this nation’s ever increasing ten year cycles of debt, war and monetary debasement, the long term decline of American economic might in what would, if left to its own social-historical devices, have been the evolution of a multi-polar world, the looming crisis of peak oil along with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the cooperation of the Saudi Royals, the ease with which religious elements could be "played" against each other with Madison Avenue techniques of mass manipulation and finally the enormous temptation these trends offered to the MIOC elites in acquiring both oil resources and geopolitical position in the Middle East.

The MIOC elites realized at some point in the early seventies that they could achieve vast wealth, a permanent state of political dominion over their subject populations and establish family dynasties if they could arrange an event.  An event which would allow them to leverage American power to obtain control of the Persian Gulf and perhaps even the Caspian Basin region bringing these vast areas of abundant energy resources permanently under their control.

They are still trying

For more on this type of issue, and the power of descriptive and predictive paradigms see....Effective Fed Funds Rate 03-24-07 - mpg
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Gingrich: Supreme Court decision ‘could cost us a city’
False Flag Warning - A quote...."Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said that the Supreme Court decision to allow enemy combatants to challenge their detention could lead to the nuclear destruction of a U.S. city."

Plans rapidly proceeding to make Iraq our Middle Eastern launching pad
A quote...."The Bush administration is working overtime on two key objectives, both specifically designed to reshape the Middle East in the mold envisioned by the U.S. and Israel, our loyal and very aggressive ally. -- I have now come to believe that Bush and Cheney have no intentions of leaving Iraq under any circumstances and that they are following a carefully crafted plan to assure a permanent, dominant U.S. presence in the Middle East. Can they, will they find the way to succeed? We better hope not but it appears that we may be heading into a very dangerous and worrisome time for the Middle East and the entire world."

Empire or Republic?
A quote...."War doesn't pay, nor does imperial ambition. [Not for the peons or "little people", but it pays quite handsomely for the elites - mpg]  This proposition should be evident to anyone who has paid attention to the fivefold increase in the price of oil since George W. Bush took office. The principle of nonintervention is neither liberal nor conservative in orientation, and at the inception of the Republic it was accepted as a commonsense." -- Also posted at TruthDig & CommonDreams

Shooting the Messenger - 14 Jun 08 - Part 1 - (YouTube - 11 min 07 sec - Added:  June 15, 2008)
Shooting the Messenger - 14 Jun 08 - Part 2 - (YouTube - 11 min 08 sec - Added:  June 15, 2008)
Must View - Videos - A quote...."This documentary on the deliberate killing and intimidation of journalists in conflict zones, examines how international reporters became targets." -- For more on the issues discussed in (Part 1) see....US - Killing the Messenger & False Flag Ops - al-Askari Mosque & The Method - 05-07-07 - mpg
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You Can't Take a Poll to Decide if the Law Should Be Enforced
A quote...."


"That’s not how our system is designed. -- The promise of another election was not enough to stop an Executive from abusing power in James Madison’s opinion but unfortunately, the Democratic candidate for president, much of the Democratic Party, and its constituents find the promise to be enough. And incidentally, it has never been enough."
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In The Great Tradition - Obama Is A Hawk
A quote...."14/06/08 "ICH" -- -In 1941, the editor Edward Dowling wrote: "The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are, first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it." What has changed? The terror of the rich is greater than ever, and the poor have passed on their delusion to those who believe that when George W Bush finally steps down next January, his numerous threats to the rest of humanity will diminish." -- Also posted at GlobRsch

Is Fascism an Impeachable Offense?
A quote...."House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers consistently lists among his reasons for not holding impeachment hearings, his fear of the corporate media.  But last week the corporate media exhibited its fear of impeachment.  Only those voices in support of Congressman Dennis Kucinich's articles of impeachment spoke.  Others kept quiet.  The network news shows avoided the topic, but the cable news shows gave us Keith Olbermann promoting impeachment on MSNBC, and Jack Cafferty on CNN saying things like: "

The Impeachment Process: Why Not Nancy?
A quote...."This past week, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh) historically and courageously introduced 35 articles of impeachment against (p)Resident George W. Bush. Repeated calls to Speaker Pelosi's offices gave many of us the assurance that impeachment was still off her "table." The latest absolutely frivolous reason is that impeachment would be "divisive."

British debate highlights the cravenness and complicity of congressional Democratic "leaders"
A quote...." The intense and escalating political dispute in Britain over civil liberties is interesting in its own right, but it also vividly illustrates how craven and barren our own political system -- and the U.S. Democratic Party -- have become. The sacrifices now being made by British politicians of all parties in opposition to expanded government detention and surveillance powers is, with a few noble exceptions, exactly what our political elite in the Bush era have been -- and still are -- too afraid or too craven to undertake. As the Democratic Party prepares this week to endorse the Bush administration's illegal spying program and immunize telecoms which deliberately broke our surveillance laws for years, these contrasts become even more acute." -- Also posted at CommonDreams & TBL
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'True Lies' by Taalam Acey - (YouTube - 2 min 47 sec - November 06, 2006)
Must View - Music Video - A quote....""True Lies" by Taalam Acey from the amazing documentary "American Blackout" by GNN (released 2006). - www.guerrillanews.com - Credits:....
Poem: Taalam Acey
Animation: Haik Hoisington
Music: The Soulsavers
Editing: Ian Inaba
Compositing: Anson Vogt
Directed by: Ian Inaba and Anson Vogt

2 Killed, 45 Injured in Bombings Saturday; Sadr To Appoint Special Ops Commanders; Sadrists Withdraw from Provincial Elections -- A Juan Cole Sunday round-up -- A quote...."Although the WaPo article quotes critics of the Sadr Movement suggesting that they decided not to contest elections because they knew they would go down to a crushing defeat, my own information is that the Shiite South has been trending Sadrist and they should have done well in the elections if they had run. It is more likely that they decided that the elections would be fixed or they would be excluded from running, and so they are behaving like any blocked group and turning to rejectionism and even terrorism." -- Also check out the comments - mpg

Operation Iraqi Takeover Hits a Dead End (For Now)
A quote...."It’s not on the network news programs, because, in fact – it’s kind of secret. Even the print media, where they’ve covered a bit of this story, don’t know very much about it. Whatever it is, U.S. officials refuse comment on the details. Even members of Congress are out of the loop, but it really does sound super!"

Bush's War Rhetoric
Video - satire - A quote...." John Oliver explains President Bush didn't realize using war-like terms and starting war-like wars would make us assume he wanted to go to war."

The Illegitimate and Disastrous U.S. Military Occupation of Iraq
A quote...."

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Video of David Ray Griffin's presentation in Los Angeles, June 4, 2008
Must View Video  - A quote...."Professor David Ray Griffin, who is one of the leading voices in the 9/11 Truth Movement, spoke to a capacity crowd in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 4, 2008. Below is Griffin's talk - covering mostly new evidence about 9/11 - divided into three parts..."

Senator Mike Gravel Calls for New Investigation of 9/11, Supports NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative
A quote...."(New York, NY, June 13, 2009) --- On Tuesday, June 17th at 5pm, at Union Square in New York City, former Senator Mike Gravel, speaking in behalf of the NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative Campaign, will call for a new and far reaching investigation of the crimes of 9/11. This comes in the wake of several developments which underscore the need for a truly independent, thorough, fact-driven investigation into the events of 9/11."

Petition to Investigate 9/11 Read in Canadian Parliament
A quote...."On June 10th 2008, Libby Davies, an NDP MP from East Vancouver read our petition (for 9/11 investigation) in Canadian Parliament. Now the petition will be sent to the appropriate minister and they have 45 days to respond. - Vancouver BC - Rob Duffy, Assistant to Canadian MP Libby Davies, has informed the Vancouver 9/11 Truth Society that the petition read in Canadian Parliament last Tuesday regarding the demand for a Canadian Investigation into 9/11 will be handled by none other than Canadian Minister of Public Safety, Stockwell Day. [1]"

Michael Reagan To Apologize For Death Threat Comments Tomorrow
A quote...."We received this e mail from a reader today who was able to personally speak with radio host Michael Reagan, who last week said that activist Mark Dice should be executed for sending 9/11 truth DVD's to U.S. troops. -- Apparently, Reagan will have Mark Dice on his show as a guest tomorrow and will make a full apology."
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Jim Lobe of IPS on the role of AIPAC (part 1 of 2)
Jim Lobe of IPS on the role of AIPAC (part 2 of 2)
Videos - A quote...."Pepe Escobar talks with Jim Lobe about this history of the Israel Lobby in the United States. From Christian Zionists to Neo-conservatives -- Jim Lobe is the The Washington Bureau Chief of the international news agency Inter Press Service (IPS). Lobe has also written for Foreign Policy In Focus, Alternet, Tompaine.com, and was featured in BBC and ABC television documentaries about motivations for the US invasion of Iraq."

Venezuela rotting from inside
A quote...."News of stormy weather in the hallowed halls of Venezuela's Foreign Ministry (MRE) is, of course, nothing new to this writer given the latest reports that the Chancellry has become a convulsive hive of discontent. Some even venture to say that it is in a state of total anarchy with "boys and girls" attempting to play the role of senior diplomats without the necessary experience or qualifications for the roles they need to play."
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AP Goes After Bloggers Under DMCA
A quote...."Rogers Cadenhead, founder and publisher of The Drudge Retort, has been Cease and Desisted by AP News for publishing fragments of their syndicated news articles and reports. - Yes, fragments, not the whole articles. Go to Rogers' site to read the reasons given by AP." -- AP should be extremely careful; there are a lot of other wire services out there easily accessible by the blogsphere, many of them much, much, better than AP, not to mention tens of thousands of online newspapers and hundreds of thousands of blogs sites.  Perhaps what AP is really trying to say is they don't want anyone using their services anymore? - mpg

Charging by the Byte to Curb Internet Traffic
A quote...."Some people use the Internet simply to check e-mail and look up phone numbers. Others are online all day, downloading big video and music files. -- For years, both kinds of Web surfers have paid the same price for access. But now three of the country’s largest Internet service providers are threatening to clamp down on their most active subscribers by placing monthly limits on their online activity."

For more on the two articles shown above see....The Last Bastion of Freedom is Falling - 05-30-06 - mpg
 & Attempts to Control the Internet
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Proof of Insider Trading in Bear Stearns Collapse
Lots of nice charts along with a complete timeline.  - mpg

Emerging markets face inflation meltdown
A quote...."Central banks across much of Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe will soon have to jam on the breaks or risk a serious crisis as inflation spirals into the danger zone. As the stark reality becomes ever clearer, this year's correction in emerging market bourses and bond markets has now accelerted into a full-fledged rout."


Separatism and Empire Building in the 21st Century
Must Read - A quote...."Throughout modern imperial history, ‘Divide and Conquer’ has been the essential ingredient in allowing relatively small and resource-poor European countries to conquer nations vastly larger in size and populations and richer in natural resources. It is said that for every British officer in India , there were fifty Sikhs, Gurkhas, Muslims and Hindus in the British Colonial Army. The European conquest of Africa and Asia was directed by white officers, fought by black, brown and yellow soldiers so that white capital could exploit colored workers and peasants. Regional, ethnic, religious, clan, tribal, community, village and other differences were politicized and exploited allowing imperial armies to conquer warring peoples. In recent decades, the US empire builders have become the grand masters of ‘divide and conquer’ strategies throughout the world. By the 1970’s, the CIA made a turn from promoting the dubious virtues of capitalism and democracy, to linking up with, financing and directing, religious, ethnic and regional elites against national regimes, independent or hostile to US world empire building. -- The key to US military empire building follows two principles: direct military invasions and fomenting separatist movements, which can lead to military confrontation." -- Also posted at ICH

A Lesson from Vietnam
A quote...."Many in the Middle East will rejoice on the day George Bush leaves the White House. Most likely, Osama bin Laden will be living in a cave somewhere. He will be tempted to deliver a message announcing his victory over the man who waged the "war on terror" in response to the New York and Washington attacks. Ayman Al-Zawahiri will not miss this opportunity either. He has better access to the media than his comrade. He may prefer to hold a press conference and receive questions over the internet. President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad will also celebrate the occasion and will make history with the fact that Bush "did not dare touch one inch of the sacred Iranian land." A sigh of relief will be heaved by those who believed that their names were on the target list compiled by the Bush administration. At the same time, those who were burdened by the alliance with Bush will be relieved; so will those who were disappointed by the American president, as he leaves without honoring his promise to turn his vision of the Palestinian State into reality." --  Website editor's note: Osama bin-Laden has probably been dead for several years now. - mpg

A Setback for the State of Exception
Some Quotes...."For the past seven years, Americans have witnessed an effort to engineer a “state of exception” to the American constitution. Its key element has been a new definition of war—the “war on terror”–which has neither territorial nor temporal boundaries. This war, as the Bush Administration crafted and advanced it, never served the security interests of the United States." -- ".... the Bush Administration’s conceptualization served a different agenda. It was designed to bolster an assertion of unprecedented executive power, a reshuffling of the political cards at home. The executive was to emerge as the paramount power in the nation’s government, relegating the other branches to the status of constitutional hood ornaments. The Republican Party was to be anchored in to a generation of rule. -- This dark calculus drove a reckless decision to breach centuries-old traditions concerning the humane treatment of prisoners and to craft the concentration camps at Guantánamo. Now the Supreme Court has condemned its lawlessness for the third time." -- Also posted at ICH

Telling the Truth
A quote...." Presidential candidates are scurrying about like squirrels, promising the people lower taxes, health care, repaired Social Security and other sundry and wondrous miracles. -- It would be helpful if they would tell the American people the truth for a change: They can't do dog barf about any of those subjects. What they should be saying is, "I will ask Congress to (whatever)." -- The Constitution does not give the president power over any of the topics the candidates like to talk about. The president can't raise or lower taxes; can't legislate on any matter, including Social Security and health care; can't declare war; and can't make treaties or appoint Supreme Court justices without the advice and consent of the Senate. -- The authors of the Constitution had just finished a long and bitter war with Great Britain, whose king they saw as a tyrant. The last thing they were going to do is give kingly powers to their own chief executive."

Army Reserve teams with D.C. Police to boost employment
A quote...." The Army Reserve recruited the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in its new initiative to partner with public and private sector employers to jointly recruit, train and employ individuals. - Either side can recruit an individual for the program, to let employees get Army training and enhance Army operations." -- What the heck ever happened to the Posse Comitatus Act?  What the heck happened to the United States? - mpg
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America's Neo-colonial Ambitions in Iraq
A quote...."In the teeth of much local and regional opposition, Washington is pressuring Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to conclude a 'strategic alliance' with the United States, which would allow it to keep substantial military forces in Iraq for the foreseeable future. -- Even at the cost of 4,100 of its soldiers killed, another 30,000 or more seriously wounded, its reputation sorely tarnished, and a trillion dollar hole in its public accounts, the United States has clearly not yet learned the lesson that occupation breeds insurrection."

Inside Iraq - US-Iraq secret deal - 13 June 08 Part 1 - (YouTube - 12 min 02 sec - Added:  June 14, 2008)
Inside Iraq - US-Iraq secret deal - 13 June 08 Part 2 - (YouTube - 10 min 53 sec - Added:  June 14, 2008)
Video - A quote...."America is believed to be negotiating a secret deal with Iraq. One that perpetuates the military occupation of Iraq indefinitely. The new deal, if it goes through, would grant the Americans a right to use more than 50 bases in Iraq, indefinitely. It also means immunity for the US troops and contractors against the Iraqi law. A free hand to carry out military activities without the approval of Baghdad. How would such a deal impact Iraq in the long run?"

Another Iraqi Kabuki Crackdown
A quote...."Reuters is reporting that the Iraqi Army is readying a new crackdown on Shiite militias in the Sadrist stronghold of Amara. But, just like the last three offensives - Basrah, Sadr City and Mosul - it's being telegraphed far in advance so that the targets of the crackdown have enough time to hide their weapons and go to ground."

Moqtada al-Sadr Recalibrates Strategy
A quote...."BAGHDAD, June 14 -- The movement of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said Saturday that it would not take part in provincial elections this year, one day after it formed a new paramilitary group to fight U.S. troops." - underline by websit editor

Life Under Muqtada: Inside Baghdad's Shiite Slums
A quote...."Five years after a war allegedly launched to liberate Iraq's Shiite majority, American forces have been bombing Shiite neighborhoods in Basra and Baghdad while their snipers and tanks remain on the ground in places like Sadr City. -- Iraq seems to have emerged from the worst phase of its civil war, but the victorious Shiite factions have turned their arms on one another in a fight over the spoils, battling for political power in advance of the upcoming provincial elections." -- underline by website editor - Well that's already changed....see article shown above. If it's true that Moqtada al-Sadr intends not to take part in the upcoming provincial elections, than he may very well be making a grave error, following a two-track approach is usually the most effective method to obtain your objectives. (i.e. a political as well as a military approach -- after all such a tactic would follow Clausewitz’s maxim).  Of course the Palestinians haven't done so well under their own occupation using the two track-approach. - mpg

Army accused of human rights abuse in case of Iraqis held without trial for five years
A quote...."Britain is accused of holding Iraqi prisoners of war in a legal black hole after it emerged that two men accused of killing British soldiers have been detained without trial for more than five years. - The suspects, the last two Iraqis held in British custody, were arrested by UK forces at the end of the war and then moved between three different prison camps in southern Iraq. They claim to have been secretly detained without charge and refused legal representation. - In a letter smuggled out of Iraq, the two men call on the British government to release them or give them a fair trial." -- Also posted at Uruknet

Iraqi refugee crisis grows as West turns its back
A quote...."With millions displaced, foreign countries take increasingly hardline stance. - The plight of Iraqi refugees is now worse than ever, with millions struggling to survive in desperate conditions and with little hope of finding sanctuary." -- So much for Mr. Powell's "Pottery Barn rule".  The really funny thing is that the "evil", "awful", "terrible" country called Syria, is sheltering well over a million Iraqi refugees, all put in the state of being a refugee by the continuous, six year, non-stop bombing of Iraq by the US.  While the US has so far only admitted about ten to twenty thousand Iraqi refugees since the war started.  Wow!  Aren't we a kind and generous nation? -- The motto of this country should be “Trillions of dollars to kill you, not one red cent to resettle you.”  - mpg

IRAQ: The Love Stories Are Gone
A quote...."BAGHDAD - As statistics go, at least 655,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the occupation, now in its fifth year. Every one of them has left behind once loved ones to mourn the loss and to think of what might have been." -- See also....

Most likely it's over a million deaths.  For more on this issue see....Fake Intel / Propaganda - Iraq Death Toll
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Maliki raises possibility that Iraq might ask U.S. to leave
A quote...."BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki raised the possibility that his country won't sign a status of forces agreement with the United States and will ask U.S. troops to go home when their U.N. mandate to be in Iraq expires at the end of the year."

Maliki's just posturing, there are four huge bases in Iraq the US has already sunk billions of dollars into, plus the US's new Vatican City (US embassy), and the US will NEVER give these investments up.

Maliki will force the US to reduce it's demand for fifty eight bases, a demand so completely ridiculous that everyone knows it was just the opening move in the SOFA negotiations, down to five or ten bases and he'll try to appear magnanimous while he’s doing it.

Maybe Cheney's right, maybe Maliki will sell his country's future to insure his family and the Dawa party retain a permanent hold on power in Iraq.  It's been done before (a hint, it's the country that did the Neocons and the MIOC elites a really big favor by sending 15 of their citizens out of nineteen perpetrators to attack the US on 9/11) - mpg
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Shelving the American role
A quote...."Once Barack Obama shockingly unveiled his true, one-sided views regarding a Palestinian-Israeli peace settlement at last week’s meeting of the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in Washington, it became clear that he unwittingly disqualified himself as the much-promised instrument of “change” or that “we can” help bring about an honourable end to the decades-old conflict."

Obama's Chicago Boys
A quote...."Barack Obama waited just three days after Hillary Clinton pulled out of the race to declare, on CNBC, "Look. I am a pro-growth, free-market guy. I love the market."  --  Demonstrating that this is no mere spring fling, he has appointed 37-year-old Jason Furman to head his economic policy team. Furman is one of Wal-Mart's most prominent defenders, anointing the company a "progressive success story." On the campaign trail, Obama blasted Clinton for sitting on the Wal-Mart board and pledged, "I won't shop there." For Furman, however, it's Wal-Mart's critics who are the real threat: the "efforts to get Wal-Mart to raise its wages and benefits" are creating "collateral damage" that is "way too enormous and damaging to working people and the economy more broadly for me to sit by idly and sing 'Kum-Ba-Ya' in the interests of progressive harmony." Also postede at CommonDreams -- The American people....betrayed again. Just remember when voting this November "anyone BUT a DemoRepub" should be your motto.  Or you'll be voting for the same darn thing all over again. - mpg

Chronicle of a Craze Foretold: A History of Hope and Hype
A quote...."Perhaps many of Barack Obama's supporters are too young to remember, but the heady atmosphere of his transformative, transcendent campaign is, in almost every particular, a replay of what we saw in Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign. Clinton's supporters were just as enthused about the world-altering, Republic-renewing potential that they believed his candidacy represented. They too turned a blind eye to the many aspects of the Clinton campaign that didn't comport with their hopes -- or else justified those aspects as things that Clinton had to do or say in order to get elected and then do great liberal things." -- By the way gentle readers, if you're wondering why there's such a plethora of articles lately so highly critical of Obama, it's because of his recent, and shoocking,  AIPAC (i.e.  Neocon - PNAC'ing - Neo Roman Empire, what have you) speech.  This speech  immediately and decisively removed any remaining doubts that Obama is going to be the front man for the same dark forces that have already done so much to damage this nation and the principals it supposedly aspires too. - mpg

John McCain’s Chilling Project for America - Of course here's the "other" guy. - mpg
A quote...."John McCain has long been a major player in a radical militaristic group driven by an ideology of global expansionism and dominance attained through perpetual, pre-emptive, unilateral, multiple wars. The credo of this group is “the end justifies the means,” and the end of establishing the United States as the world’s sole superpower justifies, in its estimation, anything from military control over the information on the Internet to the use of genocidal biological weapons. Over its two terms, the George W. Bush administration has planted the seeds for this geopolitical master plan, and now appears to be counting on the McCain administration, if one comes to power, to nurture it."
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Taliban Free 1,200 in Attack on Prison
A quote...."In a brazen attack, Taliban fighters assaulted the main prison in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday night, blowing up the mud walls, killing 15 guards and freeing around 1,200 inmates. Among the escapees were about 350 Taliban members, including commanders, would-be suicide bombers and assassins, said Ahmed Wali Karzai, the head of Kandahar’s provincial council and a brother of President Hamid Karzai."

Taliban: A new breed of leader - (Win Media Player - 14 min 9 sec - 06-14-08)
Video Interview - Special Note - A quote...."Qari Ziaur Rahman, commander of the Taliban in Afghanistan's Nooristan and Kunar provinces, which border Pakistan, represents the new generation of anti-US resistance leaders and is tipped to become one of the most important Taliban commanders in the region. He spoke to Syed Saleem Shahzad in the Kunar Valley." --

The video presents an inside look at a Taliban commander's tactics and strategy.  It's sort of amusing in a way.  The reporter keeps asking questions like, are you launching any major operations soon, how many troops do you have under your command, where do you get your funding from - and as you would expect, Qari Ziaur Rahman the commander, instead of pointing out to the reporter just how injudicious answering such questions would be, politely gives vague, militarily useless but politically inspirational (for his followers) answers.

Also note the audio portion of the last few minutes of the tape was not translated, is not known, and therefore is not the responsibility of this website. - mpg
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Politicians Play General, Generals Play Politics (Part 5)
A quote...."In the conclusion of our series on Jeff Huber, columnist at Militar.com and author of a new novel, Bathtub Admirals, we asked him more questions on foreign policy."

Canadian Workers Demand Immediate End to War in Afghanistan
A quote...."On 29 May 2009, the delegates at the national convention of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), representing more than three million workers from every region of Canada and Quebec, voted overwhelmingly to demand that the Government of Canada immediately end its participation in the illegal war in Afghanistan."

Iran weighs nuclear offer but expectations low
Some quotes...." TEHERAN- On Saturday, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented Iran with the proposal, which offers Teheran talks on a range of technological and economic incentives if it suspends sensitive uranium enrichment activities." -- "But just hours into Solana's visit, Iran's government spokesman bluntly rejected the main condition of the offer -- that Teheran suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make a nuclear bomb.  "Iran's stance is clear. The precondition of a halt and suspension of nuclear activities cannot be brought up," Gholam Hossein Elham said."

Iran Rules out N[uke] Halt
A quote...." TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran stressed once again on Saturday that it may not forgo its nuclear rights after top EU diplomat Javier Solana handed Tehran an offer by six major powers in an effort to incite Iran to give up its NPT right of uranium enrichment."

EUROPE:  Irish Say No to Military and Neo-Liberalism
A quote...."BRUSSELS, Jun 13 (IPS) - The rejection of the European Union's latest treaty by Ireland's electorate has been interpreted as a vote against the bloc's increasing emphasis on bolstering its military capacities and its efforts to prioritise free market principles over social protection."

The Irish People have spoken.- Lisbon Is Dead
A quote...." 14/06/08 "ICH" -- - On Friday, Ireland delivered a knockout punch to European elites and corporatists and shattered their plan for an EU Superstate. The so-called Lisbon Treaty was nothing more than a repackaging of the European Constitution that was defeated by French and Dutch voters in 2005. The treaty was loaded with the typical "democratic" gobbledygook to conceal the vicious neoliberal policies at its heart. If it had passed, the treaty would have paved the way for greater privatization of public services, diminished workers rights, less state control over trade policies and civil liberties, and an aggressive plan to militarize Europe."

EU referendum: Czech president says Lisbon Treaty project is over
Related article - A quote...."Czech president Vaclav Klaus, who is supported by the country's largest political party, called the Irish referendum vote a "victory of freedom and reason" and said "ratification cannot continue". - His view was echoed in the Czech senate. - "Politicians have allowed the citizens to express their opinion only in a single EU country," Mr Klaus said. The Lisbon treaty project ended with the Irish voters' decision and its ratification cannot continue," he wrote on his own website, according to Czech news agency CTK."

Nicolas Sarkozy plans to bypass Irish no vote
Related article - A quote...."Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, is working with European Union officials and diplomats to plan a special "legal arrangement" to bypass Ireland's referendum rejection." -- Also posted at BLN

Ecuador police link plot [against President Rafael Correa] to militias
A quote...."QUITO, Ecuador -- Two Colombians arrested in an alleged plot against President Rafael Correa claimed to have links to Colombian paramilitaries and said they were offered US$1.5 million to kill Ecuador's leader, according to security officials and police documents. -- Police in Ecuador's capital arrested four men - three Colombians and an Ecuadorean - in a hotel across from the presidential palace on Thursday. Officials said the men were planning to assassinate the president, but Correa himself suggested the suspects may have been con men."

The Rising of Latin America - The Genesis of 'The War On Democracy'
A quote...."13/06/08 "ICH" -- - -They moved through the dust of a snow-capped wilderness, along roads that were ribbons of red mud, and they lived in shanties that defied gravity. "We are invisible," said one man; another used the term abandonados; an indigenous woman in Bolivia unforgettably described her poverty as a commodity for the rich."

South Korean government besieged by demonstrations and strikes
A quote...."South Korean President Lee Myung-bak heads a government under siege, facing another week of demonstrations demanding his resignation over his decision to lift a ban on US beef imports, and a national strike by truck drivers over rising fuel prices."
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Kucinich to Introduce 60 Impeachment Articles if Stymied in House
A quote...."Appearing on the Alex Jones Show today, Dennis Kucinich, the Ohio Congressman and former 2008 Democrat presidential candidate, said if the House fails to act on his articles of impeachment, or if the articles are sabotaged in committee, he will come back with 60 articles." -- Also posted at BLN -- And the really sad thing is.... every single one of the 60 articles Kucinich may have to introduce will most likely specify a separate, legitimate, impeachable offense that truly does rise to the standards of a "high crime" much less that of a "misdemeanor".  And that is a truly pitiful statement of just how far this country has descended into the depths of illegality and lawlessness. - mpg

How to properly file an official FCC complaint against Michael Reagan for death threats against Mark Dice
Special Note - Action Alert - A quote...."Radio host Michael Reagan made death threats against Mark Dice and 9/11 truthers. Show him that we will not stand for that. Demand the government prosecute. - [This article has procedures on ] how to properly file an official FCC complaint against Michael Reagan for death threats against Mark Dice & 911 Truthers"
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Shortages and Rising Food Prices - Don't Panic; Go Organic
A quote...."Rising food prices and shortages have joined the energy and climate crisis, economic recession, and the war in Iraq, as headline news. While consumers struggle to pay their bills and put food on the table, Monsanto, Cargill, and Archer Daniels Midland rake in billions from taxpayer-subsidized biofuels. Monopolizing markets, polluting the environment with genetically modified organisms, and hoarding future reserves of crop seeds, wheat, rice, soy, corn, and other grains, the food and gene giants profit from global crisis and misery. Adding fuel to the fire, Wall Street speculators have shifted their greed from sub-prime mortgages to food and non-renewable resources."

EU takes US to task for protectionism trends
A quote...."The EU has voiced frustration over "worrying signs" of protectionism in the United States, pointing to a planned increase of US farm subsidies as well as some anti-terrorism measures such as mandatory scanning of all goods containers entering American territory."


The beginning of global order - posted at Online Journal
A quote...."We can continue to believe our politicians as they echo messages of stability and order around our planet, and we can continue to feed off the BBC or the New York Times to get an insight into the normality of the global situation, but sooner or later, the collapse of our economies is going to affect us directly by hitting our pockets, and then perhaps we will be ready to act. Hopefully, against those politicians and global capitalists who are infecting our daily life by bringing a painful and miserable reality to the majority of humanity."

Garrisoning the Global Gas Station - Challenging the Militarization of U.S. Energy Policy
A quote...."American policymakers have long viewed the protection of overseas oil supplies as an essential matter of "national security," requiring the threat of -- and sometimes the use of -- military force. This is now an unquestioned part of American foreign policy." -- For more on this issue see....War Resource 9/11

War on Iran: Law the first casualty
War Alert - A quote...."So foul a sky shall not clear without a storm," wrote William Shakespeare in the play King John and, indeed, the deafening saber-rattling against Iran by the United States and Israel increasingly reveals a coming storm that will likely dwarf the magnitude of the Iraq war, in light of Iran's military prowess and ability to strike back throughout the Middle East. " -- For more on this issue see below....

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The Pakistan Airstrikes - America [New Roman Empire] the Detested
A quote...."On the day that American airstrikes in Pakistan killed 11 Frontier Corps soldiers a committee of the US Congress in Washington released a report indicating that America was hated round the world.  It recorded that “Anti-Americanism is at record levels thanks to US policies such as the war in Iraq, and Washington’s perceived hypocrisy  . . .  [The report] based on expert testimony and polling data reveals US approval ratings have fallen to record lows across the world since 2002, particularly in Muslim countries and Latin America.”

Pak PM condemns US bombing
Video - A quote...."US-Pakistan relations hit a snag following a US airstrike which killed 11 Pakistani soldiers. The attack took place along the volatile Afghan border, in the Mohmand tribal region. The US claims that, the attack was coordinated with the Pakistani army. But Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani registered a strong protest."

Mammoth anti-Musharraf rally in Islamabad
A quote...."ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of thousands of anti-Musharraf marchers converged on federal capital early Saturday demanding reinstatement of the deposed judges in no time. The main long march rally led by lawyers' leader Aitzaz Ahsan entered the Parade Ground at about 2:15 am while PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif reached the venue at 2:35 am."

Rattled Pakistan looks to Musharraf
A quote...."Thousands of lawyers - demanding that more than 40 of them be reinstated after being sacked by Musharraf last year for opposing Musharraf continuing as president - were due in the capital Islamabad on Friday to force the issue of his stepping down. -- Then came Tuesday's incident in which US warplanes killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary forces inside Pakistani territory while going after Taliban militants. -- There is now every indication that once the lawyers' issue is over, a new era will begin for Musharraf as supreme commander of the armed forces, but without a uniform, by virtue of his designation as president and head of state. It is now thought he is the only person capable of confronting the challenges raised by the US air strikes, and a badly faltering economy." -- Regarding this issue....

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Iraqi PM: Security deal with U.S. at 'dead end'
A quote...."AMMAN, Jordan - Talks hit stalemate over demand to secure immunity for GIs, contractors -- Talks with the United States on a new long-term security pact have reached a "dead end" because of U.S. demands that infringed Iraq's sovereignty, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Friday." -- bold by website editor -- For more on this issue see....Strangers In the Night 10-04-06 - mpg

Key Iraqi Leaders Deliver Setbacks to U.S.
A quote...."BAGHDAD, June 13 -- The Bush administration's Iraq policy suffered two major setbacks Friday when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki publicly rejected key U.S. terms for an ongoing military presence and anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for a new militia offensive against U.S. forces."

Iraq Sadr plans new group to fight US forces
A quote...." KUFA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraq's hardline Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr announced on Friday that he plans to form a new armed group to fight US forces in Iraq. - In a statement issued to his nearly 60,000 strong Mahdi Army militia, the anti-American cleric said the fight against US forces will now be waged only by the new group. - "The resistance will be carried out exclusively by a special group which I will announce later," Sadr said in a statement which was read out at a mosque in the holy Shiite town of Kufa. - "We will keep resisting the occupier until the liberation (of Iraq) or (our) martrydom." - Sadr said the group will direct its operations against US forces and will be banned from fighting Iraqis." -- bold by website editor

IRAQ:  The Fruit of a Poisonous Tree
Book Review - A quote...."WASHINGTON, Jun 12 (IPS) - For those seeking different and deeper reasons why Iraq ended up where it is today, other than the often-cited but somewhat clichéd list of blunders like the disbanding of the Iraqi army and dissolving of the Baath party, Jonathan Steele's "Defeat: Why America and Britain Lost Iraq" is a must-read. -- His book is a moralistic indictment of Iraq's occupation by the United States and Britain, arguing that it was doomed to failure from the beginning."
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US prison plans lead to tension in Afghanistan
A quote...."News that the US plans to spend $60m to build a 40-acre detention facility at its main military base in Bargram north of Kabul to replace an existing prison at the same site has set off speculation that Washington intends to create a new version of its controversial jail at Guantánamo Bay naval base in Cuba, where hundreds of detainees have been held since 2001. -- Pentagon officials hotly deny the idea, while confirming plans to replace the existing facility. -- "This is not going to be Guantánamo II," said Lieutenant Colonel Rumi Nielson-Green, a spokeswoman for Combined Joint Task Force 101, based at Bagram. " -- bold by website editor -- What does that mean? It's going to be worse? - mpg

Militants attack Afghan prison, free inmates
A quote...."Militants attacked the city's main prison with a suicide car bombing and rockets late Friday, killing police and setting hundreds of prisoners free, Afghan officials said. -- "All the prisoners escaped. There is no one left," said Wali Karzai, president of Kandahar's provincial council and also the brother of President Hamid Karzai."

Hamas control of Gaza reaches one year - 13 Jun 08 - (YouTube - 2 min 9 sec - Added:  June 13, 2008)
Video - A quote...."Saturday marks the first anniversary since Hamas staged a violent takeover of the Gaza Strip. 12-months on, Palestinians remain divided, and unemployment and poverty in Gaza are rampant as Israel continues its seige. Hamas has tightened security within the Strip, but as Al Jazeera's Zeina Awad reports, the stability has come at a price."

The black days of 1948 - posted at Online Journal
A quote...."For a long time, Israel sought to perpetuate a myth that it was not their officials who sought to expel the Palestinians out of their country but it was the Arabs who made them leave. This is how Israel justified and today justifies its existence by denying what it has done to others." -- Also posted at Uruknet

Riz Khan - Somalia, more chaos - 12 June 08 - Part 1 - (YouTube - 13 min 10 sec - Added:  June 13, 2008)
Riz Khan - Somalia, more chaos - 12 June 08 - Part 2 - (YouTube - 8 min 59 sec - Added:  June 13, 2008)
Videos - A quote...."Somalia has become the world's foremost "failed state," with no functioning government, more than one million refugees, and each street corner run by a different warlord -- some aligned with the West, and some not." -- More US "help"....anybody else want some?  -mpg

Iran, Pakistan Review Economic Cooperation
A quote...." TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and Pakistan discussed institutional economic framework of their respective countries in Islamabad on Thursday."

Indian Consortium to Invest $3 bln in Iran Gas Block
A quote...." TEHRAN (FNA)- Indian state-run oil firms plan to invest $3 billion to develop gas fields in Iran's Farsi block, which are estimated to hold recoverable gas reserves of 12.8 trillion cubic feet, a senior source at Indian Oil Corp said on Friday."

Militants kidnap 28 Iranian border guards near Pak border
Breaking News - 11:56 pm PST 06-13-08 -- A quote...."ISLAMABAD, June 14 (KUNA) -- Pakistani border security forces were put on high alert after suspected militants kidnapped 28 Iranian soldiers posted at checkposts on the Iranian side of the border in the bordering province of Sistan-Baluchestan, said a report here on Saturday. Citing sources, the local English daily "Dawn" reported that Iranian authorities informed Pakistani officials about the kidnapping on Friday and sought their help in tracing and freeing the soldiers." -- For more on this sort of issue see....US Support of Terror - MEK - PKK - Others

Irish treaty rejection plunges EU into crisis
A quote...." DUBLIN (AFP) - Irish voters dealt a stunning blow to the European Union's grand reform plans Friday by rejecting a new treaty and plunging the bloc into a new crisis. -- Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen said there could be "no quick fix" after his country voted down the Lisbon Treaty, which was designed to replace the EU constitution torpedoed by French and Dutch voters three years ago."

Clear No vote as [EU] treaty fails
A quote...." THE LISBON Treaty has been emphatically rejected. - Taoiseach Brian Cowen was facing into a nightmare summer after voters turned the treaty down in all but four constituencies. - The news was met with astonishment in Brussels."

Gap Between Latin America and Washington Still Growing
A quote...."Washington's foreign policy establishment - and much of the U.S. media -- was taken by surprise this week when President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela stated that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) should lay down their arms and unconditionally release all of their hostages. The FARC is a guerrilla group that has been fighting to overthrow the Colombian government for more than four decades." -- Also posted at HuffPost
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Immunity to Telecoms for illegally Spying on Americans
And you gentle readers thought the DemoRepubs wouldn't grant it...hah!  Don't you feel like a bunch of fools? -- mpg -- A quote...."You can tell a sell-out by the Democrats are in the works when "Congressional and intelligence officials" revert to using phrases like "degradation," loss of "intelligence capabilities," "dangerous step backward" and "unthinkable." -- Was "terrorist chatter" sucked up by the NSA data vacuum or did the FBI's "Quantico circuit" discover "actionable intelligence" of an al-Qaeda plot to nuke lower Manhattan?" -- For more on this issue see....Attempts to Control the Internet

Citing Iraq War, Renowned Attorney Vincent Bugliosi Seeks “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder”
A quote...."Vincent Bugliosi is one of the most successful prosecutors in this country, with a record including twenty-one murder convictions without a single loss. With a new book, he outlines his case for the prosecution of George W. Bush for murder. [includes rush transcript] -- ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  || 

Fax Congress and Demand Impeachment (and Removal and Conviction)
Full quote...."Sometimes simple statements are the best. So print out and then fax this one-page statement to Congress. Start with the members of the Judiciary Committee."

George W. Bush Saves A Baby - (YouTube - 3 min 17 sec - October 10, 2006)
Posted in tribute to the death of Tim Russert -mpg -  Video - Satire - A quote...."President George W. Bush saves a precious infant from a horrible death. The press then reacts.  Written & directed by Matthew Filipowicz -- Download this video for free at - http://www.matthewf.net"

It’s Conyers’s Time to Act on Impeachment
A quote...."Now.  ---  Not to delay.  ---  Not to cower.  ---  Not to bend to the will of Nancy Pelosi.......
But to stand up tall for the Constitution as head of the House Judiciary Committee. -- By introducing 35 thoughtful and detailed articles of impeachment against President Bush on June 9, Dennis Kucinich has put Conyers on the spot. -- It’s “to be, or not to be” time."

John McCain: War Hero or North Vietnam's Go-To Collaborator?
Special Note - A quote...."If you have no idea what war is about, thank your gods.  It is not what you see in Mel Gibson movies, nor is it hidden within the Big Lie Big Brother tells you about Pat Tillman’s heroic “Army of One” in Iraq and Afghanistan."

An Anti-Clinton for VP
A quote...."It is undeniable that Hillary Clinton -- whether you like her or not -- represents Clintonism, a brand of politics that is about trying to appease Big Money while pretending to serve ordinary people. It is politics that tries never to answer organized labor's age-old question: which side are you on? Of course, even with such "third way" nonsense, practitioners of Clintonism always end up taking a side -- money's side -- whether it's championing NAFTA, deregulating the telecommunications industry, voting for the bankruptcy bill, supporting the war in Iraq, or shredding important Wall Street laws like the Glass-Steagall Act."
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Plutocracy Reborn
Must View - Charts - A quote...."Chart One: Re-creating the Gap that Gave Us the Great Depression - The most precise data on the income of America's most affluent have come, in recent years, from the work of economists Emmanuel Saez and Thomas Piketty. Their most recently updated figures for income inequality in the United States, available online from the Emmanuel Saez home page, cover the years 1913 (the first year of the modern federal income tax) through 2006."

CPI rises 0.6% on back of surging energy prices
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Surging energy costs drove U.S. consumer prices higher at the fastest pace in six months during May, but core inflation increased much less, Labor Department data showed Friday." -- For more on this issue see....Hard numbers: The economy is worse than you know & War and Inflation & Effective Fed Funds Rate 03-24-07 - mpg

Home Foreclosures Almost 50 Percent Up In May
A quote...."Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The embattled U.S. housing sector continued to take a beating as foreclosures rose again in May. Data from RealtyTrac said 261,255 homes got at least one foreclosure-related filing on the fifth month of 2008, up by 48 percent compared to the same period in 2007."

U.S. Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index Drops to 56.7 (Update1)
A quote...."June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. consumers fell to the lowest level since 1980 in June, hurt by record gasoline prices and a rising unemployment rate."


Deadly ‘Diplomacy’
A quote...."With 223 days left in his presidency, George W. Bush laid more flagstones along a path to war on Iran. There was the usual declaration that “all options are on the table” — and, just as ominously, much talk of diplomacy. -- Three times on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports, Bush “called a diplomatic solution ‘my first choice,’ implying there are others. He said ‘we’ll give diplomacy a chance to work,’ meaning it might not.” -- That’s how Bush talks when he’s grooving along in his Orwellian comfort zone, eager to order a military attack."

IRAQ:  'Special Weapons' Have a Fallout on Babies
Must Read - A quote...."FALLUJAH, Jun 12 (IPS) - Babies born in Fallujah are showing illnesses and deformities on a scale never seen before, doctors and residents say. - The new cases, and the number of deaths among children, have risen after "special weaponry" was used in the two massive bombing campaigns in Fallujah in 2004. - After denying it at first, the Pentagon admitted in November 2005 that white phosphorous, a restricted incendiary weapon, was used a year earlier in Fallujah. - In addition, depleted uranium (DU) munitions, which contain low-level radioactive waste, were used heavily in Fallujah. The Pentagon admits to having used 1,200 tonnes of DU in Iraq thus far. - Many doctors believe DU to be the cause of a severe increase in the incidence of cancer in Iraq, as well as among U.S. veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War and through the current occupation." -- Also posted at CommonDreams & CounterCurrents -- For more on this issue see....The Method - 05-07-07 - mpg

Scott Horton Interviews Patrick Cockburn
Audio Interview - A quote...."Patrick Cockburn discusses his recent articles about how the U.S. is blackmailing Iraq to submit to permanent enslavement with 58 military bases and U.S. soldier immunity, how the Iranian influenced factions will respond to this treaty, Iraq’s history of foreign occupation by the British eighty years ago, the sectarian destabilization caused by all occupations, the free-flow of arms in Iraq caused not by the Iranian government but by free-market economics, and the inevitable blowback from immoral invasions and occupations."

Bill Presses Iraq To Recognize Israel
A quote...."Washington - To the many challenges facing the fledgling Iraqi government, Congress may soon add this: Recognize the State of Israel and establish diplomatic ties with Jerusalem, or else risk losing some of the billions in aid that Baghdad receives from the United States." -- Along with getting Iraq to give Israel their oil see below....

U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan
Israel eyes Iraqi oil
Israel's pipe dream: getting oil from Iraq
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Addressing America's "Deeper Malignancies"
Some quotes...."If you want to know what's wrong with the foreign policy establishment in the United States, look no further than Condoleezza Rice's article, "The New American Realism," published in the July/August 2008 issue of Foreign Affairs." Not only has the Council on Foreign Relations spread its pages wide open for an infamous interventionist -- a lying and deceitful enabler of the Bush administration's illegal, immoral unprovoked invasion of Iraq - it also readmitted Ms. Rice without requiring anything resembling a mea culpa for the crimes against humanity that have lowered her, the Bush administration and the United States to the depths of moral disrepute around the world." -- "Thus, it's no surprise to find her "C" paper in Foreign Affairs riddled with hypocrisy, deceitful evasions and blatant propaganda. Not only does she project America's worst sins onto others, she also refuses to accept any responsibility for the many ills that the Bush administration has inflicted upon the U.S., Iraq and the rest of the world." -- Also posted at OpEdNews

Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson Honors Blair Gadsby & Brings 9/11 Truth to the Arizona State Senate
Video - A quote...."...in particular, I would like to introduce to you a very courageous man named Blair Gadsby. I'm going to ask the folks with Blair to help him stand, as I tell you just a little bit about him. Blair is very weak, because he has been fasting for more than two weeks to try to bring attention to the cause of 9/11 Truth. This is the 16th day that Blair has gone without food, and spent his day outside the office of U.S. Senator John McCain, pleading with the Senator to take a look at new evidence of the 9/11 crimes." -- *Karen Johnson*, Arizona State Senator
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9/11 - From The History File...Former MI5 Agent Says 9/11 An Inside Job
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"Good War" Blues: Obama's Plan for Escalation in the 'Stans
A quote...."This week's border incident -- in which a U.S. attack killed at least 10 Pakistani soldiers -- has refocused attention on Barack Obama's long-standing promise to take the War on Terror to Pakistan; or as he puts it, getting "on to the right battlefield in Afghanistan and Pakistan." In other words, Obama wants to expand the "good war" in Afghanistan by withdrawing "all combat troops" from Iraq (while leaving behind an unspecified number there to "fight al Qaeda" -- how non-combat troops are supposed to fight anybody is not clear;"

Nato's lost cause
Special Note - A quote...."The west's 'good war' in Afghanistan has turned bad. A local solution, rather than a neocolonial one, is what's needed -- In the latest clashes on the Pakistan-Afghan border, Nato troops have killed 11 Pakistani soldiers and injured many more, creating a serious crisis in the country and angering the Pakistan military high command, already split on the question." -- Also posted at CommonDreams
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Official: Pakistan should reconsider its ties to US
A quote...."The top elected official in northwest Pakistan said Thursday the country should rethink its relationship with America after a U.S. airstrike that reportedly killed 11 Pakistani soldiers."

US strike hits Pakistan's raw nerve
Special Note - This article is about a lot more than the US's recent strike - mpg -- A quote...."An official Pakistani armed forces release called the air strikes "unprovoked and cowardly" and added that "the incident had hit at the very basis of cooperation and sacrifice with which Pakistani soldiers are supporting the coalition in [the] war against terror".
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US Supreme Court Backs Guantánamo Prisoners’ Right to Appeal
A quote...."The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts.  --  The justices handed the Bush administration its third setback at the high court since 2004 over its treatment of prisoners who are being held indefinitely and without charges at the U.S. naval base in Cuba. The vote was 5-4, with the court’s liberal justices in the majority." -- It appears there's still a small, faint, flicker of life left in the desiccated corpse that was once a thriving and vibrant democracy, but instead became the New Roman Empire....it's barely hanging by a thread though, the vote was five to four. - mpg

One for the Constitution
Must Read - A quote...."WASHINGTON—It shouldn’t be necessary for the Supreme Court to tell the president that he can’t have individuals taken into custody, spirited to a remote prison camp and held indefinitely, with no legal right to argue that they’ve been unjustly imprisoned—not even on grounds of mistaken identity. But the president in question, sigh, is George W. Bush, who has taken a chainsaw to the rule of law with the same manic gusto he displays in clearing brush at his Texas ranch."

The Republic on a Knife's Edge
A quote...."At the heart of the June 12 decision was the majority’s recognition that President Bush and his political allies have been playing games with the Constitution by turning Guantanamo into a legal black hole for the indefinite imprisonment (or kangaroo-court trials) of people Bush deems “unlawful enemy combatants.”

Supreme Court restores habeas corpus, strikes down key part of Military Commissions Act
A quote...."As a result, Guantanamo detainees accused of being "enemy combatants" have the right to challenge the validity of their detention in a full-fledged U.S. federal court proceeding. The ruling today is the first time in U.S. history that the Court has ruled that detainees held by the U.S. Government in a place where the U.S. does not exercise formal sovereignty (Cuba technically is sovereign over Guantanamo) are nonetheless entitled to the Constitutional guarantee of habeas corpus whenever they are held in a place where the U.S. exercises effective control. -- bold by website editor. - mpg

Davis resignation: Unlikely hero of liberal Britain shocks the political establishment
A quote...."David Davis became an unlikely hero of liberal Britain yesterday by sacrificing his political career to launch a one-man crusade against the Government's plan for suspected terrorists to be detained for 42 days without charge."
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Barack O’Bilderberg: Picking the President
A quote...."Bilderberg, which has been meeting annually since 1954, is a highly secretive international think tank and some say, policy-forming group made up of representatives from North America and Western Europe and was founded by Joseph Retinger, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland. The Bilderberg Steering Committee, made up of around 30 people, (with no official list available), "decided that it would invite 100 of the most powerful people in Europe and North America every year to meet behind closed doors at a different five-star resort. The group stresses secrecy: What's said at a Bilderberg conference stays at a Bilderberg conference."2"

Gore Vidal’s Article of Impeachment
A quote...."Although this is the most important motion made in Congress in the 21st century, it was also the most significant plea for a restoration of the republic, which had been swept to one side by the mad antics of a president bent on great crime. And as I listened with awe to Kucinich, I realized that no newspaper in the U.S., no broadcast or cable network, would pay much notice to the fact that a highly respected member of Congress was asking for the president and vice president to be tried for crimes which were carefully listed by Kucinich in his artic