Wednesday Spetember 30th 2009

The Lying Game
Must Read - A quote...."September 30, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- In 2001, the Observer in London published a series of reports that claimed an “Iraqi connection” to al-Qaeda, even describing the base in Iraq where the training of terrorists took place and a facility where anthrax was being manufactured as a weapon of mass destruction. It was all false. Supplied by US intelligence and Iraqi exiles, planted stories in the British and US media helped George Bush and Tony Blair to launch an illegal invasion which caused, according to the most recent study, 1.3 million deaths."

The War on Language
Must Read - A quote...."There is a scene in “Othello” when the Moor is so consumed by jealousy and rage that he loses the eloquence and poetry that make him the most articulate man in Venice. He turns to the audience, shortly before he murders Desdemona, and sputters, “Goats and monkeys!” Othello fell prey to wild self-delusion and unchecked rage, and his words became captive to hollow clichés. The debasement of language, which Shakespeare understood was a prelude to violence, is the curse of modernity. We have stopped communicating, even with ourselves. And the consequences will be as extreme as in the Shakespearean tragedy." -- also posted at ICH

Ridding The World of the Sickness of Pacifism
Must Read - A quote...."September 30, 2009 "Information Clearing House' -- Picture the scene: Afghanistan, two hijacked tankers filled with highly inflammable fuel, surrounded by a crowd of Afghans eager to syphon off some for free ... What's the last thing you want to do? Right — drop bombs on the tankers. That's what a German military commander signaled an American drone airplane to do September 4. Kaboom!! At least 100 human beings incinerated. This incident has led to a lot of controversy in Germany, for Article 26 of Germany's post-war Grundgesetz (Basic Law/Constitution) states: "Acts tending to and undertaken with intent to disturb the peaceful relations between nations, especially to prepare for a war of aggression, shall be unconstitutional. They shall be made a criminal offense." -- But NATO (aka the United States) can take satisfaction in the fact that the Germans have put their silly pacifism aside and acted like real men, trained military killers; although prior to this incident the Germans had engaged in some aerial and ground combat, there hadn't been such a dramatic and publicized taking of civilian lives." -- also posted at ThePeoplesVoice

Judge Confirms Innocent Gitmo Detainee Tortured to Get False Confessions
Must Read - (for the outrage) - A quote...."In four years of researching and writing about Guantánamo, I have become used to uncovering shocking information, but for sheer cynicism, I am struggling to think of anything that compares to the revelations contained in the unclassified ruling in the habeas corpus petition of Fouad al-Rabiah, a Kuwaiti prisoner whose release was ordered last week by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (PDF). In the ruling, to put it bluntly, it was revealed that the U.S. government tortured an innocent man to extract false confessions and then threatened him until he obligingly repeated those lies as though they were the truth." -- For more on this issue see....9/11 - Iraq - Torture Fables

Obama Staff Lead Anti-Iran Advocacy Group
Must Read - Propaganda Alert - Obama™ Update -- A quote...."Original Co-Founders & Former Co-Chairman -- United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) thanks Ambassadors Holbrooke and Ross as well as Gary Samore for their commitment, service, and leadership and we congratulate them on their recent appointments to the Obama administration." -- A rogue's gallery folks, these are the people that will spend another ten trillion of your tax dollars, get tens of thousands more Americans killed, drive up oil prices to over three hundred dollars a barrel, and cause ninety percent of this nation's population to go even deeper into debt than they already are....mpg

Senior official in Bush domestic propaganda program remains Obama’s Pentagon spokesman
Propaganda Alert - Obama™ Update -- A quote...."A key senior figure in a Bush administration covert Pentagon program, which used retired military analysts to produce positive wartime news coverage, remains in the same position today as a chief Obama Defense Department spokesman and the agency’s head of all media operations." - also posted at Uruknet - For more on this issue see....NYT Article - Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand

Simon Johnson: "Barack Obama, Like Louis XIV Before Him, Knows Exactly What is Going On"
Special Note - A quote...."Many people assume that Obama doesn't understand that his economic team - Summers, Geithner, Bernanke, Gensler and the boys - are preserving the status quo, and failing to make the fundamental reforms needed to stabilize the economy." -- One of the commentators stated the following....


The Reason for the Anger and Intractability of the Debate Over Health Care Reform in the United States:
Quote of the Day (full quote) - Regarding the healthcare issue -- "One side is lying; the other side is not telling the truth.  *  Or to put it another way: One side is pretending that a wildly reactionary plan to further enrich rapacious corporations is really hardcore, gutbucket socialism from the Bolshevik trenches, while the other side is pretending that its "reform" is not really a wildly reactionary plan to further enrich rapacious corporations but something that will somehow, in some way, be good for some people at some point way down the line.  *  One often finds that dealing in such utter unreality makes it somewhat difficult to achieve workable solutions to real-life problems." -- *Chris Floyd*

Robocops Come to Pittsburgh …and bring the latest weaponry with them
Police/Military State Warning - A quote...."No longer the stuff of disturbing futuristic fantasies, an  arsenal of “crowd control munitions,” including one that reportedly made its debut in the U.S., was deployed with a massive, overpowering police presence in Pittsburgh during last week’s G-20 protests. -- Nearly 200 arrests were made and civil liberties groups charged the many thousands of police (most transported on Port Authority buses displaying “PITTSBURGH WELCOMES THE WORLD”), from as far away as Arizona and Florida with overreacting…and they had plenty of weaponry with which to do it. -- Bean bags fired from shotguns, CS (tear) gas, OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) spray, flash-bang grenades, batons and, according to local news reports, for the first time on the streets of America, the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)."

POLITICS:  U.S. Story on Iran Nuke Facility Doesn't Add Up
Special Note - A quote...."WASHINGTON, Sep 29 (IPS) - The story line that dominated media coverage of the second Iranian uranium enrichment facility last week was the official assertion that U.S. intelligence had caught Iran trying to conceal a "secret" nuclear facility." -- also posted at ICH

Exclusive: IAEA letter thanks Iran over notification
A quote...."The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has thanked Iran for providing the agency with information about the construction of its new pilot enrichment plant. -- "With reference to the letter of 21 September 2009... from HE Ambassador Soltanieh to the Director General of the Agency Dr ElBaradei, I wish to thank the Islamic Republic of Iran for providing the Agency with information about Iran's activities related to the construction of a new pilot enrichment plant," read a letter by the IAEA to Iran, a copy of which was obtained Press TV."

China will not support crippling sanctions against Iran
War Warning - Special Note - A quote...."With the US on one side of the issue and China on the other, Russia looks to be the “Super Power” tie-breaker.   Russia is a full founding member of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization)  with China, and Iran as an “Observer” in the organization, having applied for full membership in 2008,  so things don’t look good for the Security Council vote for stricter sanctions against the nation of Iran and her people who will suffer and die for years under the oppression of them. -- And that is as it should be."

Wheels fall off the sanctions bandwagon
War Warning - A quote...."Despite strong words from Barack Obama and Gordon Brown, there is no sign of a consensus on what additional sanctions should or could be imposed by the international community if Iran continues to ignore concerns about its suspect nuclear programmes. Tehran is meanwhile busy taking pre-emptive measures to mitigate any UN or unilateral punishment, despatching diplomatic missions to China, central Asia and Venezuela and stockpiling petrol and gas in case of winter shortages." -- also posted at AtheoNews

Iran not after nuclear weapons, says IAEA chief
And that is PRECISELY why they are going to be bombed, because they DON'T have them. - mpg -- A quote...."IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei says he does not believe that Iran has a military nuclear program, adding that the lack of evidence to the contrary supports his belief. -- "I do not think... Iran has an on-going nuclear weapons program. Whether they have done some weaponization studies, as was claimed by the US and others, this is one of the issues that are still outstanding," ElBaradei told the Indian TV news channel CNN-IBN." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Saudis call on Russia to halt sale of missiles
Special Note - A quote...."Saudi Arabia is seeking a Russian pledge to halt the sale of a consignment of advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, as part of a Saudi agreement for a larger purchase of Russian weapons, according to diplomats with knowledge of the talks." -- The Russians should take into account when they do their geo-political calculation that the Saudi Royals, in collusion with the US-NRE, Britain and Israel have for the last thirty years armed and trained almost every single Wahabbist, Salafist, Jihadist group out there to justify their Neo-Colonial plans for the Middle East and destabilize any "nation state" that obstructs their pursuit of the world's natural resources, including the former Soviet CIS countries.  Even if Russia gets an agreement with them to stop their support of terrorism, they'll simply renege on the deal at a later date.  It's just too profitable a geo-political/business model for them to give up for any length of time. – mpg

US supports terrorists in Iraq, breaches security pact
Related Article - A quote...."A Washington call on Baghdad to go easy on a terrorist group has sparked outrage among a number of Iraqi parties, who deem it in violation of an interim security pact signed between the two states. -- The US ambassador to Baghdad has recently advised the Iraqi government to soften its stance on the members of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO)."

Saudi Arabia-based charities still funding terrorists, GAO says
Related Article - A quote...."Though the kingdom has done well in blocking such support from within its borders, foreign branches of charities continue to get money to Al Qaeda and the Taliban, U.S. investigators tell Congress."

Saudies financed Mumbai terrorist attack - (YouTube - 3 min 41 sec - February 01, 2009)
Video - Related Video - A quote...."December 23, 2008 (LPAC)--Lyndon LaRouche declared today that one of the primary reasons that a genuine peace in the Middle East has been prevented for the last half-century is that no one is willing to take on the Anglo-Saudi factor. "The filthy Anglo-Saudi alliance is the number one factor fostering the constant aggravation of the Arab-Israeli relations,'' LaRouche explained. "Just start with international terrorism. I defy you to present a single example of international terrorism today, that is not financed through the combination of Britain's Dope, Inc. and Saudi banks and so-called charities.'' -- For more on this sort of issue see below....
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9/11 - From The History File..General Frank Kitson: Trail Blazing Fake Terrorism
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Afghan girl killed by RAF leaflet drop - An example in so many ways of exactly where this occupation is going.
A quote...."A YOUNG Afghan girl suffered fatal injuries after a box of public information leaflets, dropped from a British RAF transport aircraft over Helmand province, landed on top of her." -- also posted at AtheoNews & WarinIraq & Uruknet

Obama Fires Diplomat for Urging Fraud Probe in Afghan Vote - Here's another example. - mpg
Obama™ Update -- A quote...."The Obama Adminstration has fired a top US diplomat at the UN for the heinous crime of insisting that the manifest and widespread fraud in the recent Afghan elections be vigorously investigated. --
Peter Galbraith -- the deputy UN special envoy for electoral matters -- was technically fired by the United Nations, specifically by UN Secretary General Bai ki-Moon. But as the Guardian points out, "the recall of Galbraith would have required the agreement of the Obama administration." - also posted at Uruknet

EU reluctant to reinforce Afghanistan
A quote...."European defence ministers expressed reluctance on Monday to send more troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, anticipating the response to a possible U.S. call for reinforcements. Skip related content
Rather than send reinforcements, several EU states want to focus resources and efforts on training the Afghan military and police, defence ministers meeting for informal talks on the west coast of Sweden said." -- also posted at YahooNews

US will not be allowed to bomb Quetta: Malik
A quote...."ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday said the US would not be allowed to carry out drone attacks in Balochistan at any cost. He rejected reports about the presence of Afghan Taliban chief Mulla Omar in Quetta as incorrect and baseless, saying that he was in Kandahar." -- For more on this issue see....It Will Happen Every Single Time - 01-01-08 - mpg

Poll: Vast Majority of Pakistanis Oppose US Partnership
A quote...."A new poll shows growing opposition to the US role in Pakistan, with fully 76% of those surveyed saying they are opposed to Pakistan partnering with the United States on drone attacks against extremists."

US war on Pakistan
A quote...."THE US design to destabilize Pakistan is becoming clearer by the day, even for the most blinkered Pakistani. As the US continues to be stalemated in Afghanistan, it has sought to move the centre of gravity of the "war on terror" to Pakistan. Initially it was assumed that this shift would be restricted to FATA, but now it is evident that the US is seeking to engulf the whole of Pakistan in an asymmetric conflict, which will eventually pit the people against the state, especially the military. Reports of a US plan to target Balochistan, including its capital city Quetta are, in all likelihood, correct - more so because the US has not issued even a half-hearted denial on this count. Pakistani officials are admitting that the US has sought to extend drone attacks to Balochistan, especially Quetta. Given the present government's proclivity to accede to all US demands, it should not come as a surprise to soon see these drone attacks taking place." -- also posted at Uruknet

Somalia Executes Two Suspected CIA Spies
A quote...."Islamists in southern Somalia executed two people by firing squad on Monday, on suspicion of spying for the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). -- Al-Shabab judges in the capital Mogadishu sentenced the two men to death...."

Arab Media Correspondent Trashes White House Press Corps: They’re ‘Arrogant’ And ‘Obnoxious’
Video - A quote...."Yesterday, ThinkProgress attended a roundtable with members of the Arab media at the Middle East Institute. Discussing the differences between covering the Bush and Obama administrations, Nadia Bilbassy, White House correspondent for the Dubai-based satellite TV network MBC, complained that she has not been called on once in these first eight months of the Obama presidency. The foreign press are “treated like a fifth-class citizen in the briefing room,” she said."

Arms Build-up in South America: Venezuela Gives Ecuador Six Mirage 50 Jets
A quote...."QUITO -- Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa announced September 28 he will receive six Mirage 50 jets "in good condition" donated by Venezuela, amid concerns of a South American arms race. -- "Venezuela wants to give us six Mirage jets ... we are going to accept them," Correa said in the northern town of Ibarra." -- Everybody's arming up, all because of the world's newest, sickest, most twisted New Roman Empire. - mpg

German Interior Ministry plans to expand the powers of the secret police
A quote...."The Interior Ministry, currently headed by Wolfgang Schäuble, plans to expand the authority of the German state to spy on its own citizens. The domestic secret service will be given far-reaching powers and the separation of the police and secret services will be largely abolished."

Lebanon's cluster bomb lessons
A quote...."He was picking grapes when he died," says Khalil Kassem Terkiya, glancing at his wife as he recalls the day their son was killed by a cluster bomb in southern Lebanon." - also posted at Uruknet
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Israel Keeps Shooting the Messenger - Far to often this title can be taken literally. - mpg
A quote...."September 29, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- In trying to discredit Richard Goldstone's UN report on the Israeli attack on Gaza, Israel and its supporters are shooting the messenger, says another high-profile Jewish public intellectual critical of Israeli policies on Palestinians. -- Richard Falk, professor emeritus in international law at Princeton University and prolific author, is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories."

Israel’s propagandists shoot themselves in the foot as they shoot off their mouths
Propaganda Alert -- A quote...."If you have ever visited a blog or on-line discussion group on the Middle East you have doubtless had the misfortune to run into them. -- They are known by the language they use: depraved sexual insults, bile, bigotry, threats, disinformation and character assassination. That’s right: I’m talking about “hasbarats,” Zionist trolls who infect the Internet with hasbara, pro-Israel propaganda. Of course, mainstream media hasbarats have been around for decades, as have “hasbaratchiks,” fifth-columns in foreign governments who subvert national policies to serve Israel. The Internet, though, is the latest, some might say the greatest, propaganda playground, and Israel cannot cope with factual, passionate, well-documented stories that expose its war crimes and unrepentant criminality." -- also posted at Uruknet

Israel 'knowingly' hit civilians in Gaza
A quote...."The head of the UN Human Rights Council commission on Gaza war says Israel intentionally targeted some civilian sites during the 23-day offensive in the Gaza Strip. -- "Some of the killing...was certainly intentional. There was no mistake in bombing factories. The Israeli intelligence has very precise information," Richard Goldstone told CNN on Wednesday."

Palestinian youth run over by Israeli military jeep outside school in Jenin-area village
A quote...."According to the uncle of Turkman, Mohammad Naiyf, who is a teacher in the school and witnessed the event, “The jeep was driving fast towards a group of students. Foad was run over, the jeep backed up and drove over him a second time. Then the soldiers wouldn’t allow us to get Foad for about 15 minutes. ” -- Turkman was taken to Jenin hospital and died an hour later from his injuries."

UK Protesters Call for Arrest of Israeli Minister -- posted at Palestine Chronicle
A quote...."British lawmakers and pro-Palestinian activists have pilloried the governing Labour Party for entertaining Israeli War Minister Ehud Barak at their annual conference instead of calling for his arrest for war crimes committed against the Palestinians."

Arab Nations Can Save Us
A quote...."I've said it before and will say it again now. The Arab nations combined and united have the power to stand against the US and Israel over the Goldstone report and a fair and just deal for Palestine. Will they unite for their brothers? Or continue to seek their own best deals from the US."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Honduras Supreme Electoral Tribunal Comes Out Against Coup Decree
A quote...."The layers keep peeling away from "president" Roberto Micheletti's coup d'etat, which began with a consensus of most of upper class Honduras and its political institutions but in recent days has seen Congressional and business leaders begin looking for the EXIT sign." - also posted at Uruknet
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US Dollar Is Getting Trashed
A quote...."The US dollar is getting trashed, Strategic Short Report's Dan Amoss tells us. -- The greenback "is increasingly being viewed as a "funding" currency in the carry trade," Dan continues. -- "In other words, leveraged speculators are borrowing US dollars in the short-term money markets at near-zero rates to buy bonds in higher-yielding currencies like the Australian dollar or the euro. If this trend remains in place, it will continue to drive down the exchange rate of the US dollar, and drive demand for gold up." --  Editor's Extreme Caution:  And the exact opposite will happen if the economy starts to tank, which is very likely very soon, everyone will run toward the imploding US-NRE Titanic economy (odd, but true) as they unwind their dollar carry trades, the dollar will go up and gold will go down. - mpg

Goldman Forecast On CRE REITs: "Flat To Down 15%"
A quote...."It is sad that modern capital markets have gotten to a point when neither fundamental nor technical analysis matters. The only question is how many dollars with the Federal Reserve print tomorrow and how higher will that push stocks. For those deluded amongst you who still believe 10,000x EV/EBITDA is marginally to quite-marginally rich, and don't feel like chasing trends and passing the hot potato to the latest Down syndrome afflicted E-Trade client, here are some observations on arguably the most overbought (by a metric mile) sector, REITs, courtesy of masters of the (metric) universe, Goldman Sachs."

What Is Money? - Part 2: Precious Metal Coinage
A quote...."The case for precious metal coinage as the best form of money arises from two things: first, an understanding of how money developed in the past; second, an understanding of economic theory."

Tuesday September 29th 2009

No posts. - mpg

Monday September 28th 2009

Update: NYC law dept.: New 9/11 probe 'not a proper subject' for voters
Must Read - (For the outrage) -- A quote...."A favorable ruling would likely be appealed by the City pushing the issue to the Appellate Court,” an NYC CAN advisory predicted. “If the Petition overcomes all legal challenges, goes to November ballot and the referendum passes, it would lead to the creation of a local, independent commission with subpoena power that would be tasked with comprehensively reinvestigating the attacks.” -- “While the specter of 9/11 is raised repeatedly, ghoulishly, dangled before us to justify the dismemberment of our Constitution, the trampling of our civil liberties,” said Sunjata. “Questioning 9/11 itself? Oh, that is strictly prohibited. Do you hear that, New York? Do you hear that, family members? Cops? Firefighters? First responders? Your government has just told you, again, again, that you are good enough to die for them, but that asking questions about the inciting event is un-American, unpatriotic and just quite simply out of bounds.” -- For more on this issue see....


9/11 Whistleblower LTC Anthony Shaffer Endorses NYCCAN
A quote...."I endorse the NYC CAN campaign and support the need for a new, independent, investigation of the events and failures that lead up to the 9/11 attacks. -- The original 9/11 Commission inquiry became an exercise in bureaucratic ass-covering and obfuscation of accountability." -- also posted at DProgram

The Case of the Missing Torture Documents
A quote...."Classified Bush-era documents on the administration's controversial interrogation and rendition programs are missing, according to a recent court filing submitted by the Obama Justice Department. But a Justice Department spokeswoman says the documents may not actually be gone; they may never have existed—even though Bush administration records say that they do. Welcome to the Case of the Disappearing Torture Documents. This is more than just a bureaucratic whodunit. There's a possibility that government officials purposely destroyed records pertaining to detainee abuse."

Bush-Era Officials Face Personal Liability for Terror Policies
A quote...."Former Attorney General John Ashcroft and Justice Department official John Yoo may wind up being held personally liable for the abuses of detainees in post-9/11 terror sweeps, as federal judges refuse to throw out cases in three courts."
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What Have We Done to Democracy?
Must Read - A quote...."The question here, really, is what have we done to democracy? What have we turned it into? What happens once democracy has been used up? When it has been hollowed out and emptied of meaning? What happens when each of its institutions has metastasized into something dangerous? What happens now that democracy and the free market have fused into a single predatory organism with a thin, constricted imagination that revolves almost entirely around the idea of maximizing profit? -- Is it possible to reverse this process? Can something that has mutated go back to being what it used to be? What we need today, for the sake of the survival of this planet, is long-term vision. Can governments whose very survival depends on immediate, extractive, short-term gain provide this? Could it be that democracy, the sacred answer to our short-term hopes and prayers, the protector of our individual freedoms and nurturer of our avaricious dreams, will turn out to be the endgame for the human race? Could it be that democracy is such a hit with modern humans precisely because it mirrors our greatest folly -- our nearsightedness? -- also posted at CommonDreams

Time for Citizens to Convene
Must Read - (From one of the "alternative" presidential candidates, bet many of you out there right now are really sorry you didn't vote for him, or one of the other alternatives to the DemoRepub's two candidates.  But despite the hopeful title of this article, this website editor's got news for you folks, it's probably way to late to convene anything anymore.) - mpg -- A quote...."by Ralph Nader -- Just when many conditions seemed ripe for a progressive political movement, the likelihood is fading fast. Concentrated corporate power over our political economy and its control over peoples lives knows few boundaries. -- As Republican investor advocate leader Robert Monks puts it: “The United States is a corporatist state. This means that individuals are largely excluded both in the political and corporate spheres.” -- Since Wall Street’s self-inflicted multi-trillion dollar collapse last year, the corporate supremacists have shown no remorse. They have become more aggressive: they are blocking regulatory reforms; pouring campaign donations into the governing Democrats’ coffers; and, shamelessly demanding more bailouts, subsidies and tax reductions. They also continue to block avenues for judicial justice by aggrieved people, whether they be the wrongfully injured, defrauded consumers and investors, or jettisoned workers and bilked pensioneers."
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Another War in the Works
Must Read - A quote...." Does anyone remember all the lies that they were told by President Bush and the "mainstream media" about the grave threat to America from weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? These lies were repeated endlessly in the print and TV media despite the reports from the weapons inspectors, who had been sent to Iraq, that no such weapons existed. -- The weapons inspectors did an honest job in Iraq and told the truth, but the mainstream media did not emphasize their findings. Instead, the media served as a Ministry of Propaganda, beating the war drums for the US government. -- Now the whole process is repeating itself. This time the target is Iran."

Mediasaurus
Must Read - A quote...."To my mind, it is likely that what we now understand as the mass media will be gone within ten years. Vanished, without a trace. -- There has been evidence of impending extinction for a long time. We all know statistics about the decline in newspaper readers and network television viewers. The polls show increasingly negative public attitudes toward the press – and with good reason. A generation ago, Paddy Chayevsky's Network looked like an outrageous farce. Today, when Geraldo Rivera bares his buttocks, when the New York Times misquotes Barbie (the doll), and NBC fakes news footage of exploding trucks, Network looks like a documentary."

Obama's Wars -- Stuck Between Two Failures
Must Read - A quote...."It was extraordinarily questionable why U.S. President Barak Obama chose not to credit the War on Afghanistan with a separate paragraph in his speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations on September 23, to “note” the war on Iraq with only a four – line paragraph, and instead to escalate his war of words on Iran, as if the expansion of the war on Afghanistan into Pakistan was not enough over-depletion of an already exhausted U.S. human, financial and military resources, and as if a threat of a third war in the Middle East would serve in any way the U.S. vital interests in the region or contribute to U.S. elusive victory in either one of both wars. Downplaying the most pressing items on the U.S. agenda and leaping forward to the nuclear issue and Iran was only a thinly – veiled attempt to divert attention away from the fact that Obama was stuck between the worse and the worst in both countries." -- Not really, it's actually a way to placate AIPAC and start another war, the one they've always wanted, because Obama is a very sick, servile, spineless man who'll do anything to please his masters, including getting a lot more Americans killed. - mpg

Dry Heaves and Sucker Ploys: The Great New Iran "Crisis"
The new "Iran crisis" is such a sickening concoction of stupidity and lies that it almost defies comment. It certainly defies contemplation; even to think about it for thirty seconds is enough to bring on a bout of the dry heaves. -- Fortunately, several other writers -- with iron-clad innards, no doubt -- have boldly waded in and dismantled the deception behind the manufactured hissy fit over Iran's "secret nuclear facility." Jason Ditz at Antiwar.com gives a good overview of the case, which, shucked of all the warmongering frenzy, boils down to this little nubbin of reality:


Obama Decides Karzai to Stay in Power Despite Fraud - More ol'dat "freedom & democracy" Obama style.
Obama™ Update -- A quote...."Ending weeks of speculation regarding the massive fraud in Afghanistan’s August presidential election, the Obama Administration has formally decided that incumbent President Hamid Karzai will get a second five year term, no matter what the investigations determine."

US, NATO reach “consensus” to sanction rigged election in Afghanistan
Related Article - A quote...."The US and NATO countries involved in the occupation of Afghanistan have signaled their willingness to recognize the re-election of Afghan President Hamid Karzai despite evidence of massive ballot-stuffing and fraud in the August 20 elections."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

When leaders fail
Must Read - Some quotes...."While the IDF systematically violated seemingly every tenet of international law, our supposed leaders sat by and left the defenseless people of Gaza to face the fury of the world's third largest army on their own. Aside from the sheer scale of the Israeli army's attacks on Gaza, the most astounding phenomenon of those 22 days was the inability of the world's leaders to take a united stand to bring about an end to the violence." -- "Not a single influential head of state had the guts to openly criticize Israel or ask them to stop. And of course, when any half-hearted statement indirectly suggested that the IDF's conduct was becoming a matter of concern, it was quickly qualified with the same standard line: that Hamas should cease firing rockets. Just to remind everyone that Hamas had actually started the fight, and that it really was up to them whether it would continue or not. When Hamas had respected the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire for the preceding six months while the IDF continued its incursions into Gaza, this was however not recognized. As usual, the Palestinians were again being blamed for bringing the latest massacre upon themselves."

Settlers chop down Nablus olive grove on eve of harvest
A quote...."Nablus – Ma’an – Dozens of chainsaw-wielding Israeli settlers cut down more than 150 olive trees in to the northern West Bank village of Burin, south of Nablus on Monday. -- The assault came a few days before Palestinian farmers throughout the country begin harvesting their olives." -- also posted at AtheoNews

Report: Israel threatening to block cell provider over war crimes case
A quote...."Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel is threatening to withhold permission for a second Palestinian cellular phone network if the Palestinian Authority (PA) does not withdraw its call for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to look into allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, a leading Israeli newspaper said on Sunday." -- also posted at AtheoNews

A World Without Law
A quote...."Consider the consequences of the Israeli PR blitz that is now blanketing the world as its defiant answer to the United Nations’ authorized investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity by the state of Israel, known as the Goldstone Report. Ironically, the existence of the United Nations as an internationally accepted body charged with protection of all world citizens through its Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the continued acceptance by its members of the Geneva Conventions, resulted in part from the actions of the Nazi state against the Jews."

Israeli forces seize dozens of Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City
A quote...."Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli forces raided the Old City of Jerusalem on Monday night and seized some 50 Palestinians allegedly involved in the confrontations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound last Sunday."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Acoustic and Chemical Attacks on the Brazilian Embassy -- The Sound and Fury of the Honduran Coup
Special Note - A quote...."Over the past few days, reports poured in from Honduras of the use of sound devices and chemical warfare in attacks on the Brazilian Embassy by the Honduran coup. The use of Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) has been confirmed by observers and journalists. Numerous photographers have also documented their use. -- The UN Security Council today called upon the de facto government of Honduras to "cease harassing the Brazilian Embassy" and "condemned acts of intimidation." -- Same sort of stuff they used at the G20, you see folks, what comes around goes around, or to put it another way, an injustice to anyone anywhere is an injustice for us all. - mpg

Brazil rejects Honduran ultimatum on Zelaya
A quote...."Brazil says it will not accept the ten-day ultimatum called by the interim government of Honduras urging the Latin country to “define” the status of Manuel Zelaya."

Top US official says Zelaya's return 'irresponsible'
A quote...."A top US official has described the ousted Honduran President's return to his country as "irresponsible", saying Manuel Zelaya's move is not going to unravel the crisis. " -- Hope everyone south of the border is taking note of this statement.  What total arrogance, what an egotistical little snot-nosed punk this US-NRE representative is.  A legally elected president, bravely returns to the country he was illegally ousted from in order to represent the people who elected him, and this official no-account jerk from the very country that was involved with the coup attempt has the temerity to say Zelaya's return was "irresponsible".  Who the heck does he think he is? – mpg

Honduras Resistance Marks Three Months
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Sep 28 (Prensa Latina) The military coup against President Manuel Zelaya marked Monday three months of protests, with tenacious people''s resistance and the hardening of repressive measures."

Miami Herald makes up story on Zelaya, Washington Post and New York Times spread it
Propaganda Alert - A quote..."(WMR) -- WMR usually does not comment on propaganda masked as news emitted daily by the corporate media, but the September 24 report in the Miami Herald deserves to be panned for its flagrant attempt to portray ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya as a foolish “conspiracy theorist.”

Honduran government hires fiction writer to hawk coup regime
Propaganda Alert - A quote..."Micheletti junta shelling out $292,000 for D.C. flack attack"

The Dictatorship Unmasked
A quote...."The Real Goal of the 45-Day Curfew is to Torpedo November's Electoral Process"
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What Is Money?
Must Read - Some quotes...."In my forthcoming series of articles, you will learn the following:...."

1. The experts do not know horse apples from apple butter about monetary theory.
2. Monetary theory should be an integrated part of a general economic theory of how the world works.
3. Whenever an economic theory of how the world works makes an exception for monetary theory, the proposed monetary theory is incorrect, or the general theory is incorrect, or both are incorrect.
4. Fiat money is always a form of counterfeiting.
5. Counterfeiting produces bad results for almost everyone except the counterfeiters.
6. Fractional reserve banking is legalized counterfeiting.
7. Government fiat money is counterfeit.
8. Those who trust government money will lose wealth more surely than those who do not trust it.
9. There are ways to escape bad monetary policy.
10. The worse the policy, the fewer the avenues of escape.

"Because of the violation of nineteenth-century monetary policy, we have seen the rise of world wars, hyperinflation, and depression. None of these would have been likely apart from fiat money, which is a violation of the law of property. This violation leads to terrible consequences in the real world."

Exclusive Smoking Gun: The Fed On Gold Manipulation
Special Note - Related Article - (More for all you gold bugs out there) -- A quote...."Zero Hedge has recently presented several declassified documents from the pre-1971 "Nixon Shock" days, that endorse the case for gold as a major historical factor in US monetary and foreign policy, as demonstrated by State Department and CIA disclosure. Gold's special status in policy and administrative decision-making was a direct factor in Nixon's choice to abolish the gold reserve at a time of an exploding budget deficit. -- Yet what about the days after 1971, and specifically, how did that critical "behind the scenes" organization, the Federal Reserve, perceive and manipulate gold in the post Bretton-Woods world?"

From bear to bear
Must Read - A quote...."I was inspired to put a few thoughts together after pondering Jim Grant's interesting op-ed piece in last Saturday's Wall Street Journal, "From Bear to Bull". -- Along with Mr Grant, I don't want to be associated with the term "permabear". It implies a dogmatic lack of objectivity - the kiss of death for sound analysis. I've been bearish for awhile and I remain so. My view is firmly analytically based. Yet it doesn't mean that I expect the stock market to always go south or the current recession to last indefinitely. Indeed, I am firmly in the global reflation camp, going so far as to posit the emergence of a powerful global government finance bubble. -- I remain bearish because, from my analytical framework, deleterious credit system developments suggest worse yet to come - perhaps much worse. The global credit boom has not fully run its course, so the depths of the downturn remain indeterminable."

All New! Dave’s (additional) 10 Reasons Why the Recession Will Last Forever
Market Tech Note - A quote...."With reference to Dave’s Top 10 Reasons why the recession will last forever, here’s another set. I continue to believe that the S&P will end 2009 about where it began." -- For market predictions, please see....Standard Disclaimer and the Ten Year Cycle

FDIC expected to ask banks to prepay $36B in fees
Financial Alert - Somebody's run out of money.... mpg -- A quote...."WASHINGTON – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. may take the unprecedented step of ordering banks to prepay about $36 billion in premiums to replenish the deposit insurance fund that has been severely depleted by a rash of bank failures." - bold by website editor

Bank [of England] calls unprecedented meeting of economists
Financial Warning - A quote...."The Bank of England has summoned the City's leading economists to an unprecedented meeting in Threadneedle Street, as the pound plunges amid growing confusion over its radical Quantitative Easing (QE) policy." -- also posted at BLN & RogueGov

Americans threatened with jail time, huge fines for refusing to buy health insurance
On the health care issue - A quote...."(NaturalNews) There's a popular video circulating on the 'net right now about how to escape handcuffs without using a key. Americans are watching the video to bone up on essential skills that will soon be needed for health care reform, it seems, since the new laws that are about to be put in place call for Americans to be arrested and thrown in jail if they refuse to buy health insurance." -- also posted at DProgram

Sunday September 27th 2009

Keeping Iran Honest
Must Read - A quote...."It was very much a moment of high drama. Barack Obama, fresh from his history-making stint hosting the UN security council, took a break from his duties at the G20 economic summit in Pittsburgh to announce the existence of a secret, undeclared nuclear facility in Iran which was inconsistent with a peaceful nuclear programme, underscoring the president's conclusion that "Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow"." -- also posted at ICH & GlobRsrch

Everything You Know About Iran Is A Myth
Must Read - From the History File - 11 July 2006 -- A quote...."There are some terms that people in Islamic and Western countries should never say to each other, because they confuse and inflame more than they clarify. The most obvious ones would be “jihad”, “crusade” and “great satan”. All of them are used in somewhat innocuous ways by the people who utter them, but mean something completely different – and much more inflammatory – to foreign ears." - also posted at ICH - The author shown above is absolutely CORRECT!  Watch the video shown below to get a better idea of what's going on in Ahmadinejad's head.  To add to what this website editor wrote below, Ahmadinejad isn't denying the truth, he's denying Zionist philosophy, or the Zionist's own myth, of using crimes against their own people as justification to go oppress another.  He's not denying the crimes (although he doesn't want to talk about them because he feels it would give justification for Zionism, which is simply idiotic) he's denying the Zionist's shameful and false use of these crimes of the holocaust for their own evil mythmaking. – mpg


Iran: US, UK, France deceiving world on their nukes
A quote...."Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency has accused the US, Britain, and France of deceiving the international community over their nuclear programs."

'Iran plays by IAEA rules, West fails to score points'
A quote...."The head of Iran's nuclear program says the US and its allies labeled Tehran's newly-announced under-construction nuclear plant secretive while the themselves admit they knew about the plan."

Speaker: West Seeking to Gain Upper-Hand in Talks with Iran
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Sunday downplayed the recent hue and cry staged by certain western leaders about Tehran's nuclear activities, and pointed out that such remarks are merely aimed at attaining an upper-hand in the upcoming talks with Iran."

Iran - Chycho's article list
For some more information about Iran....mpg

MI6: Saudis Will Let Israel Bomb Iran Nuclear Site
War Warning - A quote...."Citing a meeting between MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett and Mossad chief Meir Dagan, British newspaper The Daily Express is claiming that Saudi Arabia is “ready to allow Israel to bomb Iran’s new nuclear site.” -- For more on this issue see....The CONversation - 09-04-06 - mpg & The True Axis of Evil - 10-10-08 - mpg

Iran test-fires long-range Shahab-3 missile
Breaking News - A quote...."The Islamic Republic of Iran has successfully tested long-range Shahab-3 missile in a military drill dubbed The Great Prophet IV in a bid to bolster its defense capabilities, Press TV has learned. -- The advanced military exercise was successfully held on Monday by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). -- Shahab-3 missiles are said to have a range of 1,300 to 2,000 kilometers. -- Several models of medium-range Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles were tested during the military drill on Sunday night. -- According to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the Shahab-2 missiles would hit targets at least 300 kilometers and at the most 700 kilometers away."

Iran Equips Ballistic Shahab Missiles with Multiple Warheads
Breaking News - A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran announced on Sunday that it has equipped its Shahab class missiles with new warheads, capable of destroying multiple targets simultaneously."

Range of Iranian missiles: reality and plans
InfoGraphic - A quote...."The George W. Bush administration sought to deploy a radar station in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland as defense against potential strikes from Iran. Russia consistently opposed the plans as a threat to its security and the strategic balance of forces in Europe."
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US Threatening to Attack Major Pakistani City of Quetta
Obama™ Update -- And the "War on Terror" continues to expand....forever.  Nice work all you ObamaTrolls. - mpg -- A quote...."A move that has long been debated by the Obama Administration could soon become reality, as officials say the State Department delivered an ultimatum to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari during his visit last week cautioning that if he doesn’t move against the Taliban forces in the city of Quetta the US will."

Afghan bread basket flung into violence
A quote...."KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (AFP) – Ethnic tensions, land disputes and a new US supply line have plunged Afghanistan's bread basket and northern province Kunduz into violence, putting German troops on the frontline."

Top Afghan official threatens to quit after attack
A quote...."A powerful member of President Hamid Karzai's Cabinet threatened to quit after a suicide car bomb attack targeted him Sunday, killing five people, in the latest Taliban attempt to destabilize Afghanistan's struggling government. Two Americans were among six NATO troop deaths elsewhere."

McChrystal troops request shelved pending review
A quote...."KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan has submitted a request for more troops, a spokesman said Saturday, but the Pentagon will hold it while President Barack Obama decides what strategy to pursue."

Can Former Iraqi Baathists in Syria Ever Go Home?
Special Note - A quote...."At the height of the civil war in Iraq, a tidal wave of refugees crossed the border into Syria, changing the face of the capital, Damascus, with their clothing, accents and shell-shocked appearances. Years later, many of the 1.5 million Iraqis remaining in Syria have become a part of the fabric of life. Many own homes or businesses and have children who speak Arabic with a Syrian accent. But one sector of the immigrant population still feels ill at ease: the 400,000 or so Iraqis with ties to the former regime of Saddam Hussein. " - bold by website editor

Gazprom to bid for Iraqi fields in consortium with Turkish company
A quote...."MOSCOW, September 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's energy giant Gazprom will bid for Iraqi oil and gas fields in a consortium with Turkey's state-run oil company, a Russian business daily said on Monday, citing the Turkish Energy Minister."

Latin America fights Western influence, launches own international bank
Another reason as to why all those US-NRE troops are down there in Columbia threatening Venezuela. -- A quote...."In a bid to diminish the power of the US-dominated IMF and counterbalance the influence of Western investors, seven Latin American countries have agreed to form a “Bank of the South.” -- Seven South American leaders — representing Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela — signed an agreement to launch the development lending institution, a project first floated in 2007, with a startup capital of $20 billion. Notably, Bloomberg news service reports that Chile, Colombia and Peru did not sign on to the bank." -- also posted at AtheoNews

President Chávez Press Conference at the UN yesterday
Audio - A quote...."President Chavez's press conference at the United Nations -- September 24, 2009 Real Player, 49 minutes."
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Elections matter, or do they? -- Yes they do IF and only IF you do not vote for the DemoRepub party!! - mpg
A quote...."As the U.S. Empire, now under President Obama, continues the Bush agenda, many question where is the peace/antiwar movement? -- While many of us continue to soldier on with regular demonstrations, there is no doubt that the ranks have been thinned since Obama’s election. Hypnotized by the siren song of hope and change from a masterful public speaker, millions enthusiastically followed this Pied Piper to the polls. Waking now with a hangover, it is ever so difficult to confront the reality that there is no significant difference between our two corporate political parties."

The U.S. Creeps Closer to a Police State - Trust this website editor, it's already there. - mpg
A quote...."When word first arrived that the G-20 would be meeting in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, activists began organizing protest demonstrations.  Events like this are what freedom of speech is made for. What better occasion to protest than a meeting of the world’s 20 top leaders — most of them deservedly hated — where they will be imposing policy on billions of people worldwide? -- The majority of protesters consisted of labor and community groups; they encountered an army of police…literally.  The New York Times paints an intimidating picture: " -- also posted at Uruknet

Street Report from the G20
A quote...."For days, downtown Pittsburgh, home to the G20, was a turned into a militarized people-free ghost town. Sirens screamed day and night. Helicopters crisscrossed the skies. Gunboats sat in the rivers. The skies were defended by Air Force jets. Streets were barricaded by huge cement blocks and fencing. Bridges were closed with National Guard across the entrances. Public transportation was stopped downtown. Amtrak train service was suspended for days. -- In many areas, there were armed police every 100 feet. Businesses closed. Schools closed. Tens of thousands were unable to work."

For a DEAD guy, Bin Laden sure is chatty! - Osama bin gone a long time folks, that's just the way it is. - mpg
Special Note - Bin Laden old boy, looking good...for a DEAD guy. Another MOSSAD/CIA production, timed to coincide with the release of that report from Gen. McChrystal that another 500,000 American kids are needed to continue fighting the 'Wars for Israel and Wall Street.' -- What the story doesn't say is that SITE is run by the Jewess Rita KATZ , whose father was caught spying in Iraq for ISRAEL and executed by Saddam Hussein. Or that she's been on the payroll of the FBI. -- The other phony 'intelligent' outlet, IntelCenter, is run by Ben VENZKE, another psyop specialist probably on the payroll of the CIA." -- For more on this issue see....US Fake Intel / Propaganda - al Qaeda Videos

Film: Core of Coruption – In The Shadows - Alt - (YouTube - 2 hrs 27 min 46 sec - April 18, 2009)
Must View Video - A quote...."http://www.CoreOfCorruption.com go to the website to buy the DVD now http://www.CoreOfCorruption.com Core of Corruption is a documentary film series which details a comprehensive investigation into clandestine intelligence operations and conspiracies. The project is surfacing exclusive whistleblowers, insiders and critical evidence for the very first time. Over 2,000 hours of credible network news clips have been surfaced for this ground breaking event, most of which have never been seen since they aired and have never been available on the internet. Some of the video news segments for this project, when requested from the networks, were denied access to and corporate representatives would say that the information sought does not exist or has been misplaced. "

Secret prison in South Baghdad run by the CIA
They're all over the place, dozens if not hundreds of them. - mpg -- Full Quote - A quote...."Sunday, September 27, 2009 Reported by Al-Hayat : Former Iraqi detainees revealed that they spent about a month in a secret detention facility south of Baghdad run by the CIA. One of the detainees describes the cells saying: -- An iron box with less than two meters height/width/length with a 60 cm width bed about 1/2 higher than the ground. The cell does not include any furniture, mattress or blanket under 0 c [32F] temperature." -- also posted at Uruknet

DynCorp International Selected for New AFRICAP Contract
A quote...."FALLS CHURCH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Department of State has selected DynCorp International (NYSE:DCP) as one of four awardees under the AFRICAP recompete, which supports regional stability in Africa by building the capacity of African countries and regional organizations to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts on the African continent." -- The CIA & DOD's "black programs" create the conflicts, DynCorp (& many others, see below) will "solve" them. -- Just wonderful.  Your tax dollars at work folks. - mpg

ACORN Versus Serious Criminals: Defund Lockheed
Chart - More "solving" in a handy dandy chart format. - mpg -- A quote...."Among recipients of government money already convicted of serious misconduct, ACORN (had it been so convicted) wouldn't make it onto the list of the top 100. In fact, ACORN could receive 100 times the funding it does and still not make it onto the list. -- And you'll notice something else about the top 10 criminal companies receiving government contracts: they're all recipients of military contracts."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

The BDS movement will continue to grow as long as Israel avoids accountability - Alt
Must View Video - Action Alert - A quote...."Tuesday's episode of Laura Flanders's show Grit TV discussing the growth of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] movement. Remember when Ali Abunimah was on Grit TV and had to beg the other guests to even mention Gaza immediately after the fighting? Well times are changing and the protests in Toronto, the success of Adalah-NY's campaign against Lev Leviev, Code Pink's Stolen Beauty campaign against Ahava, ongoing campaigns against Motorola and Caterpillar as well as growing calls in support for BDS like the one from Israeli professor Neve Gordon show that BDS is squarely on the Left's agenda." -- For more on how to boycott Israel, see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website.

U.S. Interests vs. The Jewish State
A quote...."Barack Obama’s recent conduct at the U.N. removed all remaining doubt as to Israeli influence inside this latest U.S. presidency. When he uttered the phrase “the Jewish state of Israel,” he provided precisely the provocation required to ensure that peace in the Middle East will continue to be deferred."

Israel demands PA drop war crimes suit at The Hague
This is OUTRAGEOUS!!  Israel is now threatening a plaintiff, who was harmed by what to most observers appears to be war crimes, in order to keep that plaintif from taking them to court! - mpg -- A quote.... "Tensions are mounting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority following Ramallah's call on the International Court at The Hague to examine claims of "war crimes" that the IDF allegedly committed during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The issue is already weighing in on the relations between the leadership of Israel's defense and security establishment with their counterparts in the West Bank, and is part of a growing list of Israeli complaints about the behavior of PA officials."

ISRAEL MAKES THREATS OVER WAR CRIMES
Just saw this....guess Irish4Palestine feels the same way about the issue. - mpg -- A quote...."Someone needs to put these arrogant murdering criminals in their place. -- Israel tells the PA they better "hop to it" and inform the International Criminal Court to drop all charges against Israel, or else Israel will see to it that the soon to be, done deal for a 2nd cellular provider for Palestine will be scraped AND the PA will have to foot the 300 MILLION DOLLAR bill for cancelling it. Seriously, if Abbas submits to his slave-master Netanyahu on this, then imagine what kind of Palestinian state we will end up with in any so called "peace deal" Abbas would agree to."

Nahr El-Bared Palestinians Refugees, endless ordeal
A quote...."Lebanon, September 28, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)-Many of them left with little more than the clothes on their backs, fleeing a war they didn't understand, finding shelter that they thought was temporary for a few days, weeks or months - but not years. -- Today, more than two years after their camp was destroyed in a war, the residents of Nahr El Bared camp continue to wait to return to their homes, not knowing how or when, their stories echoing those of their grandparents' exile from Palestine."

Palestinian Man Shot Dead At Checkpoint
A quote...."Last Tuesday Israeli soldiers shot dead a 27-year-old Palestinian man, while driving in the area of Israeli settlement Betar Illit, south of Jerusalem."

Bil’in activist beaten in night raid
A quote...."Eyewitnesses on the ground in Bil’in, Palestine, recount that in the early morning hours of Sept. 16, Israeli occupation forces seriously beat Palestinian community member and activist Mohammad Khatib during a nighttime military raid on civilian homes in Bil’in."

Arrest of Palestinian children on the rise
A quote...."25 September 2009 -- BILIN, occupied West Bank (IPS) – Eight children between the ages of 10 and 17 were arrested and detained by Israeli soldiers during military raids Monday night and Tuesday morning in the northern West Bank cities Nablus and Qalqiliya."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Revolt and “dialogue” in Honduras
A quote...."With this week’s return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya to Honduras, pressure is mounting on the coup regime headed by fellow Liberal Party leader Roberto Micheletti to bring an end to the country’s three-month-old crisis." -- also posted at AmericanEveryman

Honduras threatens Brazil, calls for media regulation
The US-NRE's junta in Honduras, just like the one in Columbia, is making friends everywhere.  Way to go Obama! - mpg -- A quote...."After giving an ultimatum to Brazil's embassy over ousted president Manuel Zelaya, the Honduran interim government has called for media regulations and a ban on protests. -- On Sunday, the interim government of Honduras, headed by Roberto Micheletti, threatened to shut down the embassy of Brazil within 10 days if it refuses to hand over Zelaya. - bold by website editor --  Obama's version of "freedom and democracy" strikes again.

Brazil not to accept "ultimatum" from Honduran interim gov't: Lula
A quote...."PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Brazil will not accept "an ultimatum" from the interim government set up in Honduras after the coup of June 28, said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Porlamar, Venezuela on Sunday."

Honduras post-coup gov't expells most members of OAS delegation - More isolated by the HOUR!! - mpg
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Head of Honduran post-coup authorities Roberto Micheletti on Sunday ordered to detain the five members of an Organization of American States (OAS) delegation for six hours and then expelled four of them, delegation member John Biehl said on Sunday. "
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Elliot Wave: Faber Versus Mish and McHugh
Market Tech Note - A quote...."I am agnostic about Elliot Wave stock charting. -- But, as I see it, there are two basic views of those who follow Elliot Wave. -- On the one hand, Mish and McHugh think we might be on the verge of a major wave c down crash. -- What does this mean? -- Basically, a second major leg down in the stock market, just like the second leg down of the Great Depression."

Top 1% got 2/3 of all U.S. income gains - 2002-07
Chart - A quote...."Gap between top 1% and bottom 90% now worse than at any time since 1928. -- Ottawa (10 Sept. 2009) - Two-thirds of all American income gains from 2002 to 2007 flowed to the top 1% of U.S. households, giving that privileged minority a larger share of income at the end of the period than at any time since 1928. -- During the period, the average inflation-adjusted income of the top 1% of households soared by 62% compared to a gain of just 4% for the bottom 90% of households." - bold by website editor

U.S. job seekers exceed openings by record ratio
A quote...."Despite signs that the economy has resumed growing, unemployed Americans now confront a job market that is bleaker than ever in the current recession, and employment prospects are still getting worse."

Social Security Likely To Go Into Red Next Year
A quote...."Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that's happened since the 1980s."

No big news from G20 summit
A quote...."The enhanced status for the G20 and new national policy audits announced in Pittsburgh are hardly the great progress being proclaimed by government officials. -- The elevation of the G20 to supersede the G8 in status merely recognizes reality. The salient issues, other than bank regulatory reform, require genuine action from China and other prominent developing countries, which are members of the G20 but not members of the G8."

Kuwait’s central bank governor pushes for regional currency
A quote...."Gulf states should implement a monetary union and single currency in phases, Kuwait’s central bank governor said in comments published on Sunday, casting further doubt on a 2010 target date."

Saturday September 26th 2009

A fast-growing FBI data-mining system billed as a tool for hunting terrorists is being used in hacker and domestic criminal investigations, and now contains tens of thousands of records from private corporate databases, including car-rental companies, large hotel chains and at least one national department store...

Federal Reserve General Counsel Scott Alvarez said audits of monetary policy by the U.S. Congress could lead to higher interest rates and reduced confidence in central bank policy.

Friday September 25th 2009

Iran builds second uranium enrichment plant
Must Read - A quote...."VIENNA - Iran has said it built a second uranium enrichment plant, the UN nuclear watchdog said Friday. -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran had sent a letter on September 21 to inform the watchdog "that a new pilot fuel enrichment plant is under construction in the country," agency spokesman Marc Vidricaire said in a statement. - The New York Times reported that the facility was being built inside a mountain near the holy city of Qom, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Tehran. Iran already has one enrichment plant at Natanz. -- Vidricaire said: "the IAEA has requested Iran to provide specific information and access to the facility as soon as possible." -- No nuclear material has yet been introduced into the new enrichment plant under construction, the IAEA said." -  bold by website editor

There are three things that should be noted about this situation...One, there has been an enormous amount of "terrorist" warnings, arrests, conspiracies, bomb threats, and even another bin Laden "tape" released just yesterday, and all of this goofy garbage came flooding into the mass-infauxtainment-complex SINCE SEPT 21st....now we know why, and now we also know how our "elites" in the so-called "West" really conduct their "business". Two is that the "Western Powers" and Israel, despite what they said in the New York Times article, obviously had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA this plant was being built.  Kudos and congrats to Iran and so much for the vaunted Israeli Mossad.  Three, this website editor is not an expert on the NPT, but it appears as long as you inform the IAEA about your plant during costruction and before you introduce nuclear material or engage in nuclear activity, you're still in compliance with the NPT.  In other words Iran legally, and in in front of the entire world, pulled a fait accompli and made Israel and it's colony the US-NRE into a bigger bunch of idiots than they already appear to be.  Not a good thing to do, they might get angry and kill millions of people in the Middle East, oh wait, they’re already killing millions of people in the Middle East!  But it's still highly amusing to see Iran get the better of them. - mpg

Iran building new nuclear fuel production plant
Related Article - A quote...."TEHRAN - The director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has announced that the Islamic Republic is building a new nuclear fuel production plant."

As Required, Iran Informs IAEA About New Enrichment Site
Related Article - A quote...."Western leaders reacted with a combination of indignation and outrage today when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that Iran had informed them it was in the process of constructing a second uranium enrichment facility."

Iran to allow IAEA visit nuclear site
Related Article - A quote...."TEHRAN, Iran — Iran will allow the U.N. nuclear agency to inspect a newly revealed and still unfinished uranium enrichment facility, the country's nuclear chief told state television Saturday."

Ahmadinejad: Iran is not violating IAEA rules
Related Article - A quote...."Iranian President Ahmadinejad says new enrichment facility not operational for 18 months. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday his country has complied with U.N. rules that require it to inform the world body's nuclear agency six months before a uranium enrichment facility becomes operational." - bold by website editor

Happy Junta Grounds: Militarist Machiavellis Maneuver for More War
Must Read - A quote...."These days, the always noxious air of the Beltway is astir with the machinations of the military junta that now dominates the gutted and looted ruins of the American republic. Two recent articles provide excellent guides to the brazen Pentagon squeeze play to ensure that the civilian government does not stray from the militarist agenda of more war, all the time, everywhere, always -- a condition best captured in the marvelous title of the latest volume of Christopher Logue's serial reworking of The Illiad: All-Day Permanent Red."

Italian Leader Calls for Afghan Withdrawal
A quote....." Italian Premier called on foreign troops to leave Afghanistan after six Italian troops were killed in Kabul on Thursday -- Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who attended an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, said that they are “keen" to take international troops out of Afghanistan "as soon as possible”. -- The Italian leader conceded that any decision would only be made with the country's Nato allies, saying that Italy "is dealing with an international question that you can't decide on your own because that would betray an accord". -- But he added: "We are all convinced that we have to get out of Afghanistan as soon as possible."

US accuses ISI of supporting Taliban 'shadow govt.'
A quote...."Senior US military officials blame Islamabad's military intelligence, ISI, for providing sanctuaries in Pakistan for the pro-Taliban insurgents who attack foreign troops in Afghanistan." -- But they've been doing that for over twenty years at the insistence of the US-NRE....oh wait....that's right, the Taliban (as apposed to the CIA's al Qaeda) are currently "out of favor" right now, oh my goodness, haven't Pakistan's ISI been told the US-NRE determines who's currently the flavor of the month, who's to be a "club VIP" and who's being handed their hat.  Gee whiz, when are the Wogs gonna learn? – mpg

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia in secret nuke pact
Oh My Gawd, How Awful!!  We have to start bombing the.....wait....that's right, the Saudi Royals are "our friends"...never mind folks, just a false alarm, you just go back to watching American Idol or Britney's crotch or Stupid Pet Tricks, OK? - mpg -- A quote...."Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia," the Pakistani source said, "see a world that is moving from nonproliferation to proliferation of nuclear weapons." -- The Saudi rulers, who are Sunni Muslims, are believed to have concluded that nothing will deter the Shi'ite Muslims who rule Iran from continuing their quest for a nuclear weapons capability. -- Pakistan, meanwhile, is concerned about a recent arms agreement between India, its nuclear archrival, and Israel, a longtime nuclear power whose inventory is estimated at between 200 and 400 weapons."  -- And since the US-NRE tore-up and used the NPT as toilet paper in its deal with India, what the heck, right?  -- also posted at WarInIraq

Afghan Presidential Election Is a False Hope for Change
Videos - Special Note - A quote...."Almost eight years after military defeat of the Taliban in 2001, Afghanistan is back to square one -- Insecurity and poverty are Afghans’ utmost concern. In addition, the same powerbrokers, who should have been sidelined from political process after president Karzai’s election in 2004, still manipulate Afghan politics. Meanwhile, a majority of senior officials from Afghan Diaspora, who were once considered a hope for the country, have lost their credibility by enriching themselves at the detriment of the very poor people." -- also posed at ICH

President Ahmadinejad: An Interview With Katie Couric - Alt-part1 - Alt-part2 - (YuTb 15m 09/23/09)
Must View Video - A quote...."In part one of an exclusive interview with Katie Couric, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks about his country's nuclear ambitions." -- "In part two of an exclusive interview with Katie Couric, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks about Iranian protests and his comments regarding the Holocaust." -- This is a plea to Ahmadinejad, and this website editor is beginning to like the guy despite the exercise of better judgment.  ---  You CANNOT triangulate truth, the holocaust really happened, but your statement was also ABSOLUTELY true in that the holocaust does not EVER justify the occupation of Palestine, in fact it PROVES that what Israel is doing to the Palestinians is an abomination upon all of mankind and no different than the holocaust itself.  And why the ghosts of the victims of what happened in Europe don't rise up out of their graves and strangle their own progeny in Israel for using their deaths for their own evil ends is an utter mystery to this website editor.  Nevertheless you cannot deny the truth no matter the abomination it is used to serve. Truth is all important, always, for it is all we will ever really have that is our own. -  mpg

Israeli Drive to Prevent Jewish Girls Dating Arabs
A quote...."Hostility to intimate relationships developing across Israel’s ethnic divide is shared by many Israeli Jews, who regard such behaviour as a threat to the state’s Jewishness. One of the few polls on the subject, in 2007, found that more than half of Israeli Jews believed intermarriage should be equated with “national treason”.

America's Teacher
A quote...."On September 17, in the midst of the publicity blitz for his cinematic takedown of the capitalist order, Moore talked with Nation columnist Naomi Klein by phone about the film, the roots of our economic crisis and the promise and peril of the present political moment. To listen to a podcast of the full conversation, click here. Following is an edited transcript of their conversation.--The Editors. -- also posted at ICH

Judge blasts case against Kuwaiti held at Guantanamo
A quote...."So how did an overweight, 43-year-old Kuwaiti man with bad knees and no real military training or experience suddenly become a logistics expert helping al Qaeda leaders organize the defense of Tora Bora in 2001?"

Troop Increases Help Drive Spread of the Insurgency in Afghanistan - Alt - (YuTb - 1 min 54 sec - Sept 11, 2009)
Video - Maps - A quote...."The International Council on Security published maps of the insurgency's presence in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The United States added troops in Afghanistan in each of these years. ICOS's maps show that none of these troop increases arrested the growth of the insurgency. In fact, analysts at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and UK's DFID suggest that the presence of foreign troops drives Afghans to join the insurgency."

Japan Abandons America
Thank God - And let's just call it the New Roman Empire shall we and be done with it. -- A quote...."For over 50 years, one party ruled Japan virtually uninterrupted. During that time, Japan remained a loyal ally and supporter of U.S. policy. This month, a historic event took place. --  Japan has new leadership. In a landslide victory, a new party has done the seemingly impossible. A new freshman class of leaders now governs the Land of the Rising Sun. The effects are already rippling across the Pacific toward America. -- Yukio Hatoyama is Japan’s new leader. He officially took office last Wednesday, and he is already threatening to split with the United States." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Brazil VP says country should build nuclear arms
Absolutely!!  because Brazil has oil, and by now the whole world knows what that means! - mpg -- A quote...."Brazil's vice president says in an interview published Friday that his country should develop nuclear weapons. Other officials stressed that his comments were not government policy." -- Yet!  Not at last till the first US-NRE aircraft carriers start showing up, of course by than they'll wish they had some. - mpg

Exclusive: Crown challenged to prove semtex link to Pan Am103
A quote...."Professor Robert Black QC and UN appointed international observer Hans Kochler have backed a campaign initiated by the Lockerbie Justice Group which challenges the Lord Advocate to openly demonstrate that Pan Am 103 could have been brought down by a semtex bomb, under controlled laboratory conditions." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Al Maliki Announces Break With Iraqi National Alliance
A quote...."Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki ended speculation surrounding his return to the Shia Iraqi National Alliance coalition by announcing that he will form his own 'State of Law’ coalition soon. Al Maliki announced that he will contest the forthcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections [to be held in January 2010] by way of this coalition, and ruled out joining any other political coalitions."

Where Did the H1N1 Late-2009 Flu Season Virus Come From?
A quote...."If your understanding is the current H1N1 late-2009 season flu pandemic began in Mexico as it spread from herds of pigs to humans there you are probably among the millions who have been misled as to the origins of this flu outbreak. "
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

ARRESTED & CONVICTED ~FREE SPEECH GONE
Special Note - How many of us in December and January watched in sheer and utter horror at the IDF murdering innocent civilians in the Gaza Genocide? How many of us screamed expletives at the television when viewing the deaths and holocaust in action? Well get ready and start packing your overnight bag. Because they are coming for us all. Anyone who criticizes Israel in public can be targeted next. I hope they have some big jail cells, they're gonna need them......"

Israeli forces arrest anti-wall organizer
A quote...."Addameer expresses its concern at the arrest and detention of human rights defender and activist Mohammad Othman on 22 September 2009. Mohammad, 33, originally from Jayyus village, is a human rights activist and a volunteer with the grassroots Stop the Wall Campaign."

Think Again: Palestine
A quote...."President Obama got the leaders of Israel and Palestine to shake hands this week. But a meeting in Midtown does not a Palestinian deal make. Here’s why."

Libya's Qaddafi rejects two-state solution
A quote...."In two interviews following his contentious address at the UN General Assembly, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi rejects a two-state solution to the conflict in Middle East. -- Qaddafi told Time magazine and Aljazeera network that he deemed that the UN Security Council's efforts for a lasting peace between Palestinians and Israel were futile. -- "There is no way to have these two states so close, because they are already integrated. Two million Palestinians live in Israel, Gaza is isolated … torn apart and isolated. Israel should get rid of their nuclear weapons - the Muslim countries will not recognize Israel as long as they have nuclear weapons - and these problems would be done," he told Aljazeera." - also posted at WarInIraq

Obama comes to aid of Israel over UN war crimes charges
Obama™ Update -- Obama is a good little janitor, no matter how much blood is spilled, he's always willing to mop it all up. - mpg -- A quote...."The report predictably elicited a furious counteroffensive from Israel, denouncing its findings. The campaign was waged throughout the media, including in the nominally liberal press. Britain’s Guardian, for example, gave space to Dan Koski, who works for an organisation dedicated to countering the arguments of human rights organisations critical of Israel, to mount a defence of Israel’s actions. -- But Tel Aviv’s success in avoiding accountability for its criminal actions rests more properly on the active support of the United States and silent complicity of the major European powers, all of whom are anxious to avoid being brought to book for their own contempt for international law."

Gaza to Obama: "Mr. President, our justice still denied, Our wounds are still open”
Obama™ Update -- A quote...."Gaza, September 24, 2009, (Pal Telegraph)- Dear President Obama: Our wounds in Gaza are still open, our justice still denied. Israel's 23 day offensive (28 December 2008- 19 January 2009) has left our children afraid to return to school, and feeling unsafe in their beds." -- also posted at OhBummer
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

The Siege of Tegucigalpa - Alt - (RealNews YuTb - 11 min 11 sec - September 24, 2009)
Must View Video - A quote...."Repression ordered to the neighborhoods of the Honduran capital, forcing the poor to fight or starve "

How Much Repression Will Hillary Clinton Support in Honduras?
Special Note - She's a walking, talking, human monster.  She'll let the "School of the Americas" trained forces gun down innocent women and children without batting an eye lid. - mpg - A quote...."Now that President Zelaya has returned to Honduras, the coup government – after first denying that he was there – has unleashed a wave of repression to prevent people from gathering support for their elected president. This is how U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the first phase of this new repression last night in a press conference:" -- also posted at WarInIraq

UN deplores Honduras embassy siege
A quote...."The UN Security Council has "condemned" the siege of the Brazilian embassy in Honduras by the military-backed interim government since Manuel Zelaya, the country's ousted president, took shelter there."
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Why Consolidation in the Banking Industry Threatens Our Economy
A quote...." As everyone knows, the big banks have gotten bigger and bigger. Noted economist Mark Zandi says we have an oligopoly of banks, and that "the oligopoly has tightened". -- The TARP Inspector - Neil Barofsky - told Huffington Post yesterday that, because of the consolidation in the banking industry and the moral hazard created by the bailouts:"

THIS Is How a Congressman Does His Job
Video - A quote...."Watch Alan Grayson question the general counsel for the Federal Reserve:"

Existing-Home Sales Decline Unexpectedly; Market Weak
A quote...."Existing-home sales dipped unexpectedly last month after a four-month streak of gains, providing evidence that the housing market recovery remains fragile."

New Home Sales Lose Momentum in August
A quote...."New home sales, after four months of robust gains, only inched up 0.7% in August, the Commerce Department reported Sept. 25. -- The government’s monthly new home sales report, which has a wide margin of error, is relatively unreliable. But it follows disappointing results for existing home sales and housing starts."

U.S. durable goods orders drop by 2.4% in August
A quote...."WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- New orders for manufactured durable goods in August decreased 4.0 billion U.S. dollars or 2.4 percent to 164.4 billion dollars, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Friday. -- This was the second decrease in the last three months. This followed a 4.8 percent July increase."
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Thursday September 24th 2009

Executives at the New York company plan to narrow the focus of Citigroup's U.S. branch network to six major metropolitan areas, according to people familiar with the situation. Citigroup also will limit its overall consumer lending in the U.S. primarily to credit cards and "jumbo" mortgages, while catering largely to affluent customers.