Wednesday October 14th 2009

Recruited by MI5: the name's Mussolini. Benito Mussolini
Must Read - THIS is how history truly works folks and until people get that through their thick skulls and into their tiny pea brains, arranged false flag events, "terrorism" and wars will always come as a surprise to them - mpg - A quote...."History remembers Benito Mussolini as a founder member of the original Axis of Evil, the Italian dictator who ruled his country with fear and forged a disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany. But a previously unknown area of Il Duce's CV has come to light: his brief career as a British agent. -- Archived documents have revealed that Mussolini got his start in politics in 1917 with the help of a £100 weekly wage from MI5. -- For the British intelligence agency, it must have seemed like a good investment. Mussolini, then a 34-year-old journalist, was not just willing to ensure Italy continued to fight alongside the allies in the first world war by publishing propaganda in his paper. He was also willing to send in the boys to "persuade'' peace protesters to stay at home." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Understanding the World Economy: “Global Imbalances” versus Internal Inequalities
Must Read - Analysis - A quote...."In this paper I am going to argue that both internal economic policies and external empire building strategies of the AFA countries have been the driving force for global imbalances.  The structural differences between the two regions and the differences in class structure and economic configurations in each bloc precludes any easy or immediate solution.  On the contrary for the forseable future, the conflict between dynamic emerging export powers and the declining western bloc is likely to intensify, leading to greater trade conflicts and possible military confrontations.

Top Ten Reasons President Obama Should Give Back the Nobel Peace Prize
- It's actually eleven, there's a typo.
Special Note - Most of these reasons are actually new ones, and considering what's already been posted on this website, that IS a surprise. - mpg -- A quote...."At the Nobel announcement of this year's peace prize a reporter asked the Nobel spokesman “why”, since the man had only been in office less than a year, and had done so little to merit the honor. The spokesman replied that the prize had been given not so much for anything Obama had done, but in the spirit of hope and encouragement, for what he might do.  Maybe."

Barack Obama's Top 10 unfulfilled pledges
Special Note - A quote...."Less than nine months into his four-year term of office, President Barack Obama's record is already one of abandoned promises, sidelined issues and lack of action." -- also posted at OhBummer

Dear Mr. President
Special Note - A quote...."On October 5, 2009, I witnessed my mother, a 55 year old grandmother be assaulted by your Secret Service right in front of your house. It was so frightening for me, and what your protectors did in your name destroyed any faith that I had left in your willingness to listen to your citizens to end the violence being committed by our country."

UK media: McChrystal will get his troop surge [45,000]
Special Note - A quote...."White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday denied a BBC news report that President Barack Obama has already decided to send 45,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, on top of the 68,000 already serving there. -- "It's not true," Gibbs said, insisting "the president has not made a decision." -- According to news reports, Obama huddled with his war council Wednesday [Right after receiving the Noble "Peace" prize!! - mpg] for the fifth time, debating whether to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan as he maps a new strategy to quell the conflict." -- also posted at Uruknet

Obama CIA Ties?
A quote...."Can President Obama be serious when he says he accepts the Nobel Peace Prize as “an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people of all nations”? -- Among “all nations” does he include the people of Iraq? Polls show folks there overwhelmingly want the U.S. to get out. Apparently, they didn’t care for their dose of “American leadership.” Does Obama’s “all nations” include Okinawa, which the U.S. has occupied for 64 years and refuses to leave?"

US military spending vs. the World
Pie Chart - A quote...."US military spending vs. the World"
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The Bidding War
10-14-09 - revised 10-15-09
mpg

UK media: McChrystal will get his troop surge [45,000]
McChrystal Wanted 50,000 Troops
Forty Thousand Troops? How About Sixty Thousand?
General seeking 80,000 more in Afghanistan

A quote...."WASHINGTON - The top military commander in Afghanistan is asking for up to 80,000 more American troops even as he warns that rampant government corruption there may prevent victory against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, according to U.S. officials briefed on his conclusions.

Who'll bid a hundred thousand, com'on folks just think of the profits your defense companies will reap with all this fresh cannon fodder primed for the slaughter, all this fresh meat.  How about you sir, yes, you over there from the Military Industrial Complex?  I'm talking to the gentleman in the second row there in the kaki uniform. Yes, I’m not clear on what that was sir, was that a yes?  Are you sure?

Thank you sir.

How about a hundred and twenty thousand, how about you sirs from the oil sector, yes, all you gentlmen over there in the third row, how about it?  Keep in mind this is the best pipeline corridor around and the territory is conveniently situated to threaten not only Iran, but China and Russia as well, not to mention the fact it’s just a stone’s throw away from the oil and gas saturated Caspian basin. Well, what do you say sirs, can you afford the tiny sacrifice of a hundred and twenty thousand to gain control of the Caspian Basin?  Just think of them as sheep sirs.  THANK YOU sirs.  That’s how it’s done folks, step right up to the front of the podium and place the meat on the table, put your pounds of flesh on the scales of war.

How about you sir, yes you standing over in the back there. To the English gentleman in the bowler hat, yes sir, the bids one hundred and forty thousand to bring back the glorious days of the British Empire. Come now sir a measly hundred and forty thousand bio-weapons components, most of them from your former colonies, to reclaim what was once yours sir. A bargain at any price. You were thrown out of that territory once sir and this could be your one and only chance to undue that humiliation, to redeem yourself, an opportunity to bring back the good old days of British colonialism not just to this territory, but to the entire Middle East, even if it's vicariously.  Is that a yes? Are you nodding sir?  THANK YOU sir.

To the young man seated there in the front row, the bids now to you my young Israeli friend. It's a steal at two hundred thousand, yet you can be the one to gain control of this territory and use it to possibly help destroy the last country in the Middle East that stands against the ultimate creation of "Greater Israel", all for just a measly hundred and sixty thousand, com’on sir take a chance, they're not even your own people after all, just a hundred and sixty thousand dirty, stupid, goyom to be sacrificed for your nation's dream of conquest and all we’ll need here at Murder Inc. to accomplish the task is a simple nod from you young sir, one simple little nod....do we have it?  Do we?! THANK YOU sir, you won’t regret it...

Anyone else?  Anyone out there willing to pay what fortune demands?  Ladies and gentlemen lets be realistic here, the bid now stands at a hundred and sixty thousand which is woefully short of what any of you will need to play in the "Great Game".  How about two hundred thousand.  Do we hear two hundred thousand....just two hundred thousand for a chance to play in the Greatest of Games folks, who’ll bid that small amount for the chance to expand one of the world's Empires, to gain control of one of the world's most valuable resources, com'on folks, this is the chance of the century, don't let it pass you by, step right up and bid, don't hold back, lives are the cheapest of all commodities ladies and gentlemen and times a wasting.....mpg

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Iraqi shoe thrower says he would do it again
One of this website editor's heros. - mpg -- A quote...."The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush said Wednesday he has no regrets and would carry out his brazen protest again, even if it cost him his life." -- also posted at Yahoo

Canadian diplomat reported Afghan prisoner abuse in 2006
A quote...."GATINEAU, Que. — One of Canada's former top diplomats in Afghanistan says he repeatedly sounded alarms to his superiors and the military about handing captives over to Afghan control — warnings that began almost a full year before the government publicly claimed it had no credible reports of detainee abuse." -- "The government is trying to block Colvin and 21 other public servants from testifying at the commission's public inquiry into the handling of Afghan detainees, saying they have no relevant information and that they could end up blurting out national security secrets." -- bold by website editor -- also posted at Uruknet

Afghan election crisis enters new stage
A quote...."The crisis surrounding the August 20 presidential election in Afghanistan is set to enter a new stage. The result is scheduled to be announced, after supposedly taking into account evidence of blatant rigging in favour of the current president, Hamid Karzai."

Turkish Prime Minister arrives in Baghdad
A quote...."BAGHDAD, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Baghdad on an official visit on Thursday to meet with Iraqi leaders with the aim of signing agreements of cooperation between the two countries."

Turkey boosts ties with Syria amid renewed Israel row
A quote...."ALEPPO, Syria: Turkey boosted its ties with Syria on Tuesday at the first meeting of a newly formed cooperation council, only days after Ankara’s relations with Damascus foe Israel took a downturn. The foreign, defense, interior, economy, oil, electricity, agriculture and health ministers of the two countries attended the strategic talks in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo."

Syria to hold military drill with Turkey
Related Article - A quote...."Shortly after Ankara cancelled an air force exercise with Israel, Syria announced plans to hold military maneuvers with Turkey. -- Praising Turkey for excluding Israel from the Anatolian Eagle drill, Syrian Defense Minister Ali Habib Mahmud told reporters on Tuesday that his country is to stage a second round of joint military exercises with Turkey." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Thousands rally in S.Yemen for independence
A quote...."Separatists in south Yemen used the anniversary of an uprising against colonial power Britain to press their claim for independence on Wednesday, while President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised to crush rebels in the north."

Russia Rebuffs Clinton on Iran Sanctions; Putin Takes Moscow Closer to Beijing
A Juan Cole Round-Up -- A quote...."McClatchy reports that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met a rebuff in Moscow on Tuesday from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the issue of further United Nations sanctions on Iran. Lavrov said of Iran, "We are convinced that threats, sanctions, or threats to use pressure are counterproductive in the present situation." This language closely echoes that of China. It also reflects the position of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who had said in September that "any use of force, delivering any kind of strike, won’t help, won’t solve the problem. On the contrary, it will hurt the entire region."

Amid Iran talks, Putin warns against intimidation
A quote...."Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says it is premature to seek to intimidate Iran by discussing fresh sanctions against the country as Tehran reviews a uranium deal with Moscow. -- "There is no need to frighten the Iranians," the prime minister said Wednesday. "There is a need to reach agreements; there is a need to search for compromises."

Kucinich: Iran Sanctions would not Help Diplomatic Talks
A quote...."Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), a long time advocate for peace and nuclear abolition, was today the only Member of Congress to speak out against H.R. 1327 - Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009."

Russia Bolivia To Launch Joint Gas Venture
Analysis - A quote...."The latest news report that Russia will sign an agreement with the Bolivian government to explore and produce natural gas is a significant setback for US domination of its traditional Latin American sphere of influence. Since it was declared in 1823 as the Monroe Doctrine, the United States, especially its banking elites have regarded South America as a de facto 'American plantation.' The move by Russia's state-owned Gazprom into Bolivia must be seen as Moscow's asymmetric geopolitical response to US expansion of NATO to the doorstep of Moscow in recent years. The US is ill-prepared to counter with any economic incentive."

Georgian Labor leader urges probe of U.S. role in 'rose revolution'
A quote...."TBILISI, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - The head of a Georgian opposition party on Tuesday urged Washington to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the financial involvement of some U.S. officials in "bankrolling" Georgia's 2003 "rose revolution." -- also posted at OhBummer & WarInIraq

Greece's new parliament sworn in
A quote...."ATHENS, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Greece's new 300-member parliament, which emerged from the Oct. 4 elections, was sworn in on Wednesday following a traditional blessing. "

ALBA Summit with an Expo Fair
A quote...."La Paz, Oct 14 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade Huáscar Ajata, confirmed today the attendance of about 110 enterprises in an expo fair during 7th Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) Summit."

Killing of Mexican Journalists Alarming
A quote...."Mexico, Oct 14 (Prensa Latina) The Mexican Foundation for Freedom of Speech (FUNDALEX) on Wednesday urged the government to put a stop to increasing violence against journalists, which has claimed another life."
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NASA Engineer to Speak on Destruction of WTC Buildings
A quote...."San Diego – On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, former NASA engineering executive Dwain Deets, will speak on behalf of more than 900 architects and engineers who cite evidence of explosive demolition at all three World Trade Center high-rises on 9/11 and are calling for a new, independent investigation into their destruction."

Judge shuts public access to Blackwater hearings
A quote...."WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Wednesday shut down public access to pretrial hearings in the prosecution of five Blackwater security guards for allegedly killing Iraqi civilians in Baghdad." -- also posted at RogueGov
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Photos of Military Deaths in Afghanistan Banned
Press Censorship Alert - A quote...."NEW YORK - The U.S. military in eastern Afghanistan recently changed its media embed rules to ban pictures of troops killed in the war. -- "Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action," says a ground rules document issued Sept. 15 by Regional Command East at Bagram Air Field."

Trafigura Drops Bid To Gag Guardian Over MP's Question - A VICTORY for the web and press freedom!
Special Note - A quote...."An unprecedented attempt by a British oil trading firm to prevent the Guardian reporting parliamentary proceedings has collapsed following a spontaneous online campaign  to spread the information the paper had been barred from publishing."  --  Regarding this article from the Guardian which was posted yesterday....

Guardian gagged from reporting parliament
Press Censorship Alert - A quote...."The Guardian has been prevented from reporting parliamentary proceedings on legal grounds which appear to call into question privileges guaranteeing free speech established under the 1688 Bill of Rights. -- Today's published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found. -- The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented – for the first time in memory – from reporting parliament. Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret." -- posted 10-13-09
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

OK Enough Of This Insanity Already
Special Note - A quote...."They want you to believe we have lost something when we have actually gained something. This is the new Zionist hasbara over the Goldstone Report. -- This article being carried by the Associated Press is an utter disgrace. The overall tone is that it is a “shame” that the Goldstone report will now “have to go forward” because it will erode any chance for peace. They want you to believe something has now been “lost” Well in my experience you must first actually "have" something in order to then loose it. And we can categorically state that we had "nothing" from Israel, so we cannot lose something we never actually had. But this is what they want you to believe now."

Israel: No peace talks unless UNHRC drops Gaza report
More threats from Israel, as usual. - mpg -- A quote...."A day before the UN Human Rights Council convenes to debate on a UN report accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza, Tel Aviv threatens to scrap peace talks with Palestinians unless the damning report is dropped." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Hamas urges Washington not to intervene in Palestinian affairs
A quote...."GAZA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on Wednesday accused the U.S. administration of blocking the Palestinian unity process and urged Washington not to intervene in the Palestinian domestic affairs."

Haaretz exclusive: Palestinian draft resolution on Goldstone, Gaza and Jerusalem
A quote...."Haaretz has obtained a copy of the draft resolution that the Palestinian Authority will present to the United Nations, calling for condemnation of Israel over its actions in Jerusalem, the Gaza conflict of last winter and the closure on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip."

Palestinian official denounces Israel in UN Security Council
A quote...."New York - The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Minister Riad Al-Malki charged Wednesday that Israel was responsible for the deaths of more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza Strip, citing the Goldstone report on the December-January fighting between Israel and Hamas."

NAM wants Israel to be responsible for Gaza crimes
A quote...."115 countries of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) have called on the UN Security Council to hold Israel responsible for atrocities committed in Gaza during its offensive."

Israel to Raze 150 Palestinian Homes
A quote...."Israel has announced plans to demolish 150 Palestinian homes in the mostly Arab east Jerusalem Al-Quds in a move that would displace more than 1,000 Palestinians.

Israel to Raze 150 Palestinian Homes - posted at The Palestine Chronicle
Palestinian homes that are threatened with imminent demolition are located in the neighborhoods of Beit Haninah, Shu'fat, Ashqariyeh, Nusiebeh Complex, Silwan, Thuri, Jabal al-Mukaber, Sur Baher, Mount of Olives, al-Zu'ayem, Isawieh and Ras Khamis."

"They killed him because he was Palestinian"
A quote...."On 30 September 2009 at 11am, 17-year-old Fuad Mahmoud Nayif Turkman was standing outside his school in the village of Yabad, when he was run over by an Israeli military jeep. Yabad is located in the occupied West Bank, near the city of Jenin. An Israeli military spokesperson later claimed that "hundreds" of Palestinians were "rioting" in the area, and that the jeep had experienced "mechanical difficulties." However, eyewitnesses from the scene say that the students were doing nothing of the sort. Jody McIntyre spoke with Fuad's father, Mahmoud Turkman, and his 12-year-old brother Fadi for The Electronic Intifada:" -- also posted at Uruknet

Russia urges Israel to end Gaza blockade
A quote...."UNITED NATIONS, October 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russia urges Israel to end the blockade on the Gaza Strip and to meet its obligations under a United Nations resolution adopted earlier this year, Moscow's deputy envoy to the United Nations said on Wednesday." -- also posted at WarInIraq
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

New Honduran Dialogue vs. Repression
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Oct 14 (Prensa Latina) The dialogue to find a solution to the political crisis unleashed in Honduras continues Wednesday, even with the background of the state of siege and demands to end repressions against people."
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What Is Money? Part 6: What Makes Money Different?
Must Read - A quote...."When someone announces the discovery of a new oil field, most people rejoice. There are exceptions. Owners of existing oil wells don't. Growth-hating environmentalists don't. But for most people, a new oil field means an additional supply of a scarce resource. It means slightly lower prices for the resource. What is good for the person who owns the oil field is good for almost everyone else."

Bernanke rolls snake-eyes
Must Read - A quote...."Fed chief Ben Bernanke is in a bit of a bind. He’s being asked to restore a system for credit expansion which collapsed more than two years ago and has shown no sign of life ever since. -- During the boom years, securitization accounted for more than 40 percent of the credit flowing into the economy. No more. When two Bear Stearns hedge funds defaulted in July 2007, the system crashed as investors of all stripes backed away from complex, illiquid assets. The Fed’s TALF lending facility -- which provides up to 94 percent government funding for investors who are willing to purchase bundled debt for credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and student loans -- was intended to breathe new life into securitization, but has fallen woefully short of its original objectives. It pretty much fizzled on the launching pad. Even the shrewdest hedge fund sharpie couldn’t figure out how to make money on (what amounts to) fetid assets."

How the Servant Became a Predator -- Finance's Five Fatal Flaws
Must Read - A quote...."October 14, 2009 "New Deal 2.0 " -- What exactly is the function of the financial sector in our society? Simply this: Its sole function is supplying capital efficiently to aid the real economy. The financial sector is a tool to help those that make real tools, not an end in itself. But five fatal flaws in the financial sector's current structure have created a monster that drains the real economy, promotes fraud and corruption, threatens democracy, and causes recurrent, intensifying crises."

Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds
A quote...."Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Some of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s closest aides, none of whom faced Senate confirmation, earned millions of dollars a year working for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and other Wall Street firms, according to financial disclosure forms." -- For more on this issue see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

Less than half of AIG bonuses returned
A quote...."American International Group Inc. employees have returned less than half of the $45 million in bonuses they promised to repay in a good-will gesture after the company received tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer aid, according to the Treasury Department's independent watchdog."

A record year for Wall Street pay
A quote...."According to the Wall Street Journal, the major US banks and financial firms are on track to hand out a record $140 billion in compensation this year. This is a 20 percent increase from 2008 and $10 billion more than the previous record, set in 2007." -- bold by website editor

Treasury Steepener On Fire As Bond Market Flees From Far End Treasuries
Treasury Alert - A quote...."Ever more investors are fleeing from not just the 30 year Treasury but the 10 year as well. Money is rapidly congregating in the whatever yields the sub 10 year space is providing. The fact that the upcoming QE 2.0 liquidity and housing stimulus does not contemplate UST purchases is definitely not helping." -- Why the short end?  Inflation is NOT a problem and won't be for years. It's possible Bernanke's statement a couple of days ago about raising rates has spooked some people, but who would believe Bernanke about anything.  Keep in mind just last month the US-NRE lost over 263,000 jobs, there is no way Bernanke is going to raise rates unless there is a substantial "dollar crisis".....oh oh.  - mpg

Colorado minimum wage to drop as living costs fall
Deflation Alert - Related Article - A quote...."DENVER — Colorado will become the first state to reduce its minimum wage because of a falling cost of living."

US Dollar Crashes Through Major Support Level
A quote...."Dear Friends, This evening in Asian trade, the Japanese Minister of Finance once again restated the new view out of Japan that the level of the Yen is no longer an obsession with the monetary authorities of that nation. His comments were interpreted by the Forex markets that intervention to stem the advance of the Yen is most unlikely. With that, market participants wasted little time bidding the Yen into a strong advance."

Obama Dollar Retreats Most Against Commodities in Wealth Shift
A quote...."Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama’s effort to lead the world economic recovery by spending the U.S. out of its recession is undermining the dollar, triggering record commodities rallies as investors scour the globe for hard assets."

China and Russia Developing Yuan-Ruble Trade Settlement
A quote...."You've heard the rumor that Middle Eastern oil producers, plus China, Japan and France have all agreed to start trading oil using a basket of currencies - instead of the dollar - starting in 9 years (see this explanation for why the governments are denying the rumor)."

10 Reasons to Invest in Asia
Editor's caution - Assuming you're going to invest in the markets at all. - mpg -- A quote...."So should you invest in Asia? -- The answer to the above question is a resounding Yes. The following 10 reasons were identified by CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets in the CLSA Quarterly, Autumn 2008 report on why one should invest in Asian markets."

Iran proposes common SCO currency
A quote...."Iran has proposed a regional currency for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in a bid to boost their economic trade."

Bank Lobbyists Are Not Only Trying to Kill NEW Legislation, They Are Trying to Weaken EXISTING Regulations
A quote...."Everyone knows that the lobbyists for the financial giants are trying to kill any tough new regulations. But they are also trying to weaken existing regulations."

Auto sales plunge, but other stores ring up gains
A quote...."Excluding the 10.4% decline in auto sales, sales rose 0.5% in September after a 1% gain in August. Read the full government report."

Inventories drop at record pace in August
A quote...."Paced by a large draw-down in autos, business inventories fell 1.5%, matching the largest percentage decline ever recorded in the 17-year history of the data."

Tuesday October 13th 2009

New 9/11 inquiry squashed: Truth Quest stopped by City Hall - (RT-YuTb - 3m7s - Oct. 13, 2009)
Must View Video - A complete and total cover-up.  It's always been an axiom that "it's not the crime that gets you, but the cover-up" because when people in power try to cover-up their crimes it becomes pretty obvious what they've done.  But to make it this blatant is just sick and twisted arrogance at it's worst. The Supreme Court of New York is literally rubbing everyone's noses in this mess and spitting on the victims of 9/11 and their families while giving the finger to all New Yorkers. - mpg -- A quote...."More than eight years after the 9/11 attacks some in the U.S are not convinced they've been told the whole truth about that day. - Around eighty thousand campaigners have called for a referendum on a new investigation into the tragedy, but America's Supreme Court has ruled it out." -- For more on this issue see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central

An open letter to Justice Edward Lehner on denying 9/11 justice - posted at Online Journal
Must Read - A quote...."Justice Lehner of the New York State Supreme Court: When did the call come to decide against this ballot initiative, or was it simply your own thought to rubberstamp Referee Louis Crespo’s recommendation that the decision to establish a local commission to investigate the events of September 11, 2001, not be put before the voters? This is despite the fact that 80,000 New Yorkers have already signed and submitted a petition to do so via NYC CAN. Obviously, now it can’t, at least not for a while."

Ask Awal Khan About Obama's Prize
Must Read - A quote...."Giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize is like giving someone the literature prize because you hope he writes some good books. -- He doesn’t even have to be an aspiring writer. To say Obama aspires to peace is to ignore his escalation of the occupation of Afghanistan. -- It may be a joke, but the Norwegians have told more morbid ones: Roosevelt in 1906 and Kissinger in 1973 both had records far more blood-soaked than anything Obama has had time for. -- But he has had time to make an impact on people such as Awal Khan, who might want to weigh in on Obama’s prize." -- also posted at OhBummer

Formal Complaint about the Awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama
A quote...."while the Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasizes the Nominee’s vision of a world free from nuclear arms as its main motivation for awarding the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Hussein Obama, and cites his appeal that «Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges, it seems to me that these arguments are in clear breach of the very first paragraph in the Statutes for the Nobel Foundation – §1 – and its very first sentence, which reads:"

U.S.:  Pro-War Officials Play Up Taliban-al Qaeda Ties
Special Note - A quote...."WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (IPS) - U.S. national security officials, concerned that President Barack Obama might be abandoning the strategy of full-fledged counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan, are claiming new intelligence assessments suggesting that al Qaeda would be allowed to return to Afghanistan in the event of a Taliban victory. -- But two former senior intelligence analysts who have long followed the issue of al Qaeda's involvement in Afghanistan question the alleged new intelligence assessments. They say that the Taliban leadership still blames Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda for their loss of power after 9/11 and that the Taliban-al Qaeda cooperation is much narrower today than it was during the period of Taliban rule." -- also posted at CommonDreams

Obama 'approved 13,000 more troops' to Afghanistan
A quote...."WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama has approved the deployment of an additional 13,000 US troops to Afghanistan beyond the 21,000 he announced publicly in March, The Washington Post reported Tuesday." - also posted at Google

Russia must prepare for NATO defeat in Afghanistan, ambassador says
A quote...."Brussels/Paris - NATO is facing defeat in Afghanistan, and Russia and the states of Central Asia must be ready to pick up the pieces, Russia's ambassador to NATO said Tuesday."

British military supplies to Iraq, Afghanistan inadequate: report
A quote...."Britain's Ministry of Defense (MOD)has failed to adequately supply its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, said a report published Tuesday by the Public Accounts Committee. -- Since July 2007, only 57 percent of the demands made in Afghanistan and 71 percent of the demands made in Iraq were met by the supply chain, the report said." -- also posted at WarInIraq

British people 'lied to' over Iraq invasion
A quote...."LONDON - A retired senior Army officer whose son was killed in Iraq said that Britain was "lied to" and "badly let down" before the start of the conflict. -- Former Lieutenant Colonel Colin Mildinhall attacked the legality of the war and argued that the UK was "misled" over the claim that Saddam Hussein could deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Blair should be tried for war crimes, say families of soldiers killed in Iraq
A quote...."ANGRY families of British servicemen killed in Iraq told members of the official inquiry into the conflict that Tony Blair must be held accountable for taking the nation to war. -- Many blamed the former prime minister for the deaths of their loved ones in an "illegal" conflict, and some even called for him to be prosecuted for war crimes."

For the sake of my son, why I refused to shake Blair's blood-covered hands
A quote...."PETER Brierley says he's not known as a man who enjoys confrontation. His family and friends were quite shocked to think of him marching up to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, refusing to shake his hand, tearing a couple of strips off him, then turning on his heel and stalking away."

Former world court chief joins UK Iraq inquiry
A quote...."LONDON (AP) - Britain's official inquiry into the war in Iraq has appointed a former president of the International Court of Justice to help advise it on legal issues. -- The Iraq inquiry committee said Wednesday it had appointed former judge Rosalyn Higgins to assist its investigation."

Post Peace Prize, Obama Speeds Shipment Of Bunker-Busters To Hit Iran
War Alert - A quote...."US, October 14, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) -The Pentagon is speeding up delivery of a colossal bomb designed to destroy hidden weapons bunkers buried underground and shielded by 10,000 pounds of reinforced concrete. Call it Plan B for dealing with Iran, which recently revealed a long-suspected nuclear site deep inside a mountain near the holy city of Qom."

Guardian gagged from reporting parliament
Press Censorship Alert - A quote...."The Guardian has been prevented from reporting parliamentary proceedings on legal grounds which appear to call into question privileges guaranteeing free speech established under the 1688 Bill of Rights. -- Today's published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found. -- The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented – for the first time in memory – from reporting parliament. Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret."

Russian FM: Threats of Iran sanctions won't work
A quote...."MOSCOW (AP) - Threatening Iran with more sanctions would be counterproductive, Russia's foreign minister declared Tuesday, resisting efforts by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to win agreement for tougher measures if Iran fails to prove its nuclear program is peaceful." - also posted at BeaverCntyTms (contains photo gallery) & Yahoo

Putin pushes SCO countries to form energy forum
A quote...."BEIJING, October 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reiterated on Wednesday a proposal that Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states form an energy forum. -- Putin was speaking at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing."

Russia's new military doctrine allows preventive nuclear strikes
Yeah....well.....considering what the US-NRE has done so far you can understand Russia's  position on the issue.  Still a first strike posture is not exactly conducive for international stability. On the other hand with the US-NRE creating and than vociferously promoting the "pre-emptive" doctrine while running around the world slavering at the mouth fulminating about Chaney's "if there's a one percent chance" scenarios, maybe it's the safest policy for Russia to have. – mpg -- A quote...."MOSCOW, October 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's new military doctrine does not rule out preventive nuclear strikes against potential aggressors, the head of its Security Council said on Wednesday. - "An option is stipulated for the possibility of using nuclear weapons depending on the situation and the intentions of a potential enemy," Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview in the Wednesday edition of the Izvestia newspaper."

In Recession, China Solidifies Its Lead in Global Trade
Special Note - A quote...."SHANGHAI — With the global recession making consumers and businesses more price-conscious, China is grabbing market share from its export competitors, solidifying a dominance in world trade that many economists say could last long after any economic recovery."

Cuba solicits worldwide support against U.S. embargo
A quote...."HAVANA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The National Assembly of People's Power, Cuba's parliament, called for worldwide support on Tuesday to pressure the United States into lifting its economic, commercial and financial embargo against the country."

IT WASN'T MUSLIMS
A quote...."It wasn't Muslims who trained their cameras on the World Trade Center Towers prior to the first aircraft impact, who danced and celebrated with high fives prior to the second impact as most onlookers still believed it had been a terrible accident rather than terrorism, and who were caught with foreign passports, $4,700 in cash hidden in a sock, maps highlighting certain places in the city, and a van that tested positive for traces of explosives; it was Israelis Sivan Kurzberg, Paul Kurzberg, Yaron Shmuel, Oded Ellner, and Omer Marmari, several of whom have been confirmed as Mossad agents, as part of their job in "documenting the event".
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

ATTENTION PLEASE READ THIS
A quote...."Please, I am asking all my readers to post this on your blog, pass it to other blogs and keep reminding people. Put a link on your sidebar as well pease? -- The Zionist Federation in England are attempting to lobby Gordon Brown to condemn and help quash the Goldstone report at the UN. The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza have now created a petition today calling on Brown to “support” the report and not to condemn it. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ON ANY AND ALL BLOGS."

'Hear the voice of the oppressed'
A quote...."The Turkish prime minister has criticized the international community for seeking to incriminate Islam while Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza. -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was addressing a meeting held by the country's Presidency of Religious Affairs, said, "We have to hear the voice of the oppressed," -- also posted at AlethoNews

Israel Feels the Heat Over UN Meeting on Gaza War - posted at The Palestine Chronicle
A quote...."On the eve of a UN meeting on the atrocities Israel carried out during the Gaza war, the Israeli prime minister has declared that Israeli officials will not submit to prosecution for war crimes."

George Mitchell opposes Palestinian unity
A quote...."The United States has expressed opposition to an Egyptian-proposed initiative to heal rifts among Palestinian factions. -- US special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, told head of Egyptian Intelligence, Omar Suleiman on Saturday that the proposed plan to settle differences between Fatah and Hamas undermines Palestinian negotiations with Israel and must be stopped, reported Tuesday." - also posted at OhBummer - “Divide & Conquer”....it's the Anglo-American way. – mpg -- For more on this issue see....US Sponsored Civil Wars - Palestine

Fatah unilaterally signs reconciliation deal with Hamas
Related Article - Oh, oh!  Guess that "Divide & Conquer" strategy didn't work out so well.  Poor old George Mitchell is now going to have get on his knees (again) to kiss some more ol'dat AIPAC butt and offer his profuse apologies.  For an old man like George to have to do these sorts of disgusting and degrading things, well, it's just.....disgusting. - mpg -- A quote...."Ramallah – Ma’an – Fatah unilaterally signed an Egyptian backed deal for reconciliation with its archrival, the Hamas movement, on Wednesday, a senior official said."

Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to let soldiers speak to tribunal
A quote...."Netanyahu has insisted Israel will not cooperate with an international war-crimes tribunal, set up to investigate the army assault on militants in the Gaza Strip ten months ago."

Report: Israel planning wave of Jerusalem house demolitions
A quote...."Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli authorities are planning to demolish 150 Palestinian houses, home to about 1,000 people in East Jerusalem, according to a new report from the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights." -- also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

FIFA urged to give the red card to Israel
Action Alert - A quote...."FIFA's declared mission to use football to bring about "a better world" requires that clear signals be given to the apartheid state, Israel. The undersigned organizations call on FIFA to tell Israel it is off-side and to show it a red card for the World Cup."

Egypt media group agrees on massive Israel boycott
Action Update -- Boycott Divest Sanction....it's the only way. - mpg -- A quote...."The London-based Arabic-language daily A Sharq al Awsat reported Monday that the board of directors of the powerful Egyptian media group Al-Ahram had decided to boycott Israel and Israelis of all positions." - also posted at AlethoNews - For more on how to boycott Israel see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website. - mpg
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Honduran abuses rampant after coup: rights groups
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – Suspicious deaths. Beatings. Random police shootings. Life under the de facto government of Honduras at times feels uncannily like Latin America's dark past of military rule. -- In the three months since soldiers overthrew leftist President Manuel Zelaya and marched him out of the country in his pajamas, international and Honduran human rights groups say security forces have committed a litany of abuses." -- From Reuters

Honduran negotiators broach Zelaya's restitution, progress achieved
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Honduras' negotiators have begun to discuss the restitution of ousted president Manuel Zelaya and made considerable progress, a negotiator of interim government said Tuesday."
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The End of Money and the Future of Civilization
Must Read - A quote...."It’s too late for anyone to pretend that the U.S. government, whether under President Barack Obama or anyone else, can divert our nation from long-term economic decline. The U.S. is increasingly in a state of political, economic, and moral paralysis, caught as it were between the “rock” of protracted recession and the “hard place” of terminal government debt. -- Even if the stock market can be shored up by more government borrowing for “stimulus” spending, it’s a temporary reprieve, because nothing can bring back the consumer purchasing power that was lost when the banks stopped pumping money into the economy through out-of-control mortgage lending. We simply no longer have the job base for people to earn the income they need to live."

The Consequences of a Cheaper Dollar -- What Obama Isn't Telling American Workers
Must Read - A quote...."A lot is happening in the tumultuous realm of global economics.  The “Great Recession” has caused shifts internationally, with outcomes that will dramatically change the lives of millions of people in the U.S. and beyond. And while Obama is acknowledging this fact with repeated references to “a new world order,” he isn’t explaining how this adversely affects working-class Americans. -- The first unmentionable fact is the long-term decline of the dollar, a phenomenon that can now be considered government policy.  The business magazine Forbes comments: “The Treasury Department would never admit this, but for the time being it's in the country's interest to keep its currency low because it stimulates exports for the economy's manufacturing base and lowers the value of the debt that the Treasury is piling up.” -- These policies are essentially economic attacks on foreign corporations and governments, and U.S. workers."

Iceland Shrinks 8% as Prices Increase 11% in Deepest Recession
A quote...."A year after the banking crisis brought Iceland to the brink of bankruptcy, the island nation is mired in the deepest recession among advanced economies. The stock market has lost 97 percent of its value, and more than 780 companies have buckled under the weight of foreign currency loans as the krona plunged. Consumers refuse to borrow at Europe’s highest interest rates, and international banks reject requests for new financing." -- This is what's going to happen to the US-NRE, a lot sooner than many people think. - mpg

Fed Governors Invoke Dreaded D-Word (Deflation)
A quote...."This can be seen in declining retail sales numbers and the dramatic increase in the personal savings rate over the last 2 quarters. What does this really mean? -- The Fed is warning the markets. It doesn't talk to The People because it understands The People don't know what they're talking about. The Fed is saying that it will not withdraw fiscal stimulus until such time as a "synthetic" economic recovery has taken hold."

A "Stronger" IMF and World Bank Contributes to exacerbating the Global Economic Crisis
A quote...."The annual meetings of the IMF and of the World Bank in Istanbul ended in a climate of repression. For the second consecutive day, the 10,000 policemen who had been called upon for the occasion used water cannons, tear gas and tanks against demonstrators. The same scenario had been played out at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, where demonstrations against this G8 substitute were also violently repressed by police forces. The IMF and the WB held these controversial meetings only days after the G20’s decision to change the voting rights within these two institutions: 5% of the IMF quotas and 3% of the voting rights at the WB assembly are to be transferred to emerging and developing countries by January 2011. The current voting system was challenged both by countries of the South and by social movements: it relies on the “1 dollar = one vote” rule, contrary to the UN General Assembly where each country has only one vote."

Shooting of Prominent IMF Economist Baffles Police
He discovered something unpleasent, ticked off the wrong people or wasn't part of the new "game plan"?  We'll probably never know. - mpg -- A quote...."Police are still looking for clues after a prominent economist was shot in the garage of his upscale home. -- Ashoka Mody has been identified in an email to his fellow employees at the International Monetary Fund as the man shot Thursday night around 7:30 in his Bethesda garage in the 6800 block of Millwood Road.

The Untenable Position of Treasury
A quote...."What did Turbo Timmy and Bendover Bernanke think they were trying to pull? -- The Fed's "Quantitative Easing" is now basically defunct, with about $6 billion left out of the original $300.  Of course the scam of buying Fannie and Freddie Paper (even though it is not full-faith-and-credit, as I have noted repeatedly) will continue through the first quarter of next year."

The REAL Battle Over America's Banking System
Special Note - A quote...."The battle to reform the American banking system needs to include reimposing the barrier between investment banking and depository banking (Glass-Steagall), pay incentives based on what is best for Americans and not just the top executives, the end of too big to fail, and other changes which are frequently discussed by financial writers. These are vital issues." -- also posted at BLN

Goldman Sachs 2009 bonuses to double 2008’s; $23 billion....
Haaaa haaaaaa haaaaa!  All you poor peons out there.  One wonders what the ObamaTrolls think of this. - mpg -- A quote...."Yesterday, we brought you the insurance company that wouldn't insure a 17-pound infant because he was too heavy. Today, we bring you the investment bank that manages to double its bonuses during the worst recession since the Great Depression." - also posted at BLN & OhBummer - Look at the photo of all those newly minted green backs folks.  That's the utter debasement of the currency in YOUR bank accounts, the dollars in YOUR pockets and the reason the entire world is dumping the dollar like a hot potato. - mpg -- For more on this issue see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

Citigroup spins off subsidiary to pay trader $100 million
It will never stop until the "people" stop voting for DemoRepubs. - mpg  -- A quote...."Citigroup announced Friday plans to sell its energy-trading subsidiary Phibro to Occidental Petroleum, the fourth largest US energy company, by the end of 2009. The $250 million sale appears largely designed to fulfill Citigroup’s obligation to pay one energy trader, Andrew Hall, a promised $100 million bonus."

After Bank Run, Dutch Seize Troubled Lender DSB
A quote...."The Dutch central bank on Monday seized control of troubled DSB Bank and placed a virtual freeze on up to 400,000 account holders, installing administrators to oversee the likely liquidation of the discount lender. -- Other banks which partly fund the state’s deposit guarantee scheme face payouts of as much as 3.5 billion euros ($5 billion). -- The central bank moved in after it failed to overcome a liquidity crunch at privately-held DSB through a consortium of ING Groep, SNS Reaal, Rabobank and the nationalized ABN Amro and Fortis Bank Nederland."

Monday October 12th 2009

Obama and the Nobel Prize: When War becomes Peace, When the Lie becomes the Truth
Must Read - A quote...."We are the crossroads of the most serious crisis in modern history. The US in partnership with NATO and Israel has launched a global military adventure which, in a very real sense, threatens the future of humanity. -- At this critical juncture in our history, the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to President and Commander in Chief Barack Obama constitutes an unmitigated tool of propaganda and distortion, which unreservedly supports the Pentagon's "Long War":  "A War without Borders" in the true sense of the word, characterised by the Worlwide deployment of US military might." -- also posted at LewRockewll

No Change in the Middle East - Obama's Betrayed Mission
Special Note - A quote...."Oslo decided to change its ways and begin giving out deferred Nobel Prizes: Win now, pay tomorrow. There's no other way to explain the bewildering, not to say bizarre, decision to grant the Nobel Prize for Peace to Barack Obama. Just like the reserved, esteemed Norwegians on the prize committee, we here, sweating and bleeding, were overjoyed with Barack Obama's election as U.S. president - black, eloquent, enchanting, striking and promising. Many an eye welled with tears, from Jerusalem to Rafah, at his unforgettable inauguration address, and even as late as his Cairo speech we still clung to his beautiful words."

After Nobel nod, Obama convenes war council
A quote...."Hours after being named a Nobel peace laureate, US President Barack Obama shouldered his duties as commander in chief and convened a war council for crucial talks on Afghan strategy."

Obama’s Nobel Prize Statement -- At Odds With Reality
A quote...."Can President Obama be serious when he says he accepts the Nobel Peace Prize as “an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people of all nations”?"

Now that President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, what should he do?
To vote on the issue please click on the link shown above....mpg
Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize! Hell freezes over!
Some Quotes...."Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, having been nominated for it just two weeks into his Presidency." -- "Well, this award is largely for what Obama might do. Let's take a look at what he has done...." -- also posted at BLN  -- This is  quite an extensive list, impressive one might say. - mpg

Obama Awarded the Nobel Prize for Making War With Muslims
A quote...."No sooner had Obama received the prize for peace he convened his war council to discuss how best to wage war in Afghanistan. “The president had a robust conversation about the security and political challenges in Afghanistan and the options for building a strategic approach going forward,” an administration official told AFP. One of the measures Obama will endorse is to increase the number of US soldiers deployed in Afghanistan. This will be on top of the huge number of private security contractors that already work for the Pentagon and are responsible for much of the mayhem and the slaughter of innocent Afghan civilians." -- also posted at AlethoNews

And the other Nobel Peace Prize nominees were...
A quote...."When President Obama unexpectedly won, he defeated more than 200 proposed candidates. These six are among the most inspirational on that list."

President Obama’s PATRIOT ACT Advocacy
A quote...."Is there a Surprise Factor here? -- Last month, in a letter from the Justice Department to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Obama administration went on record supporting the extension of key provisions of the USA Patriot Act, including the provision that gives the government the power to subpoena library records of any individual. -- The sections that our president is so keen to keep alive and take even further; allow roving wire taps on multiple phones, access to business records, and a never-used provision to conduct surveillance of a non-U.S. citizen who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group. -- Last week the Committee obliged and passed a bill to renew all of the PATRIOT powers that were set to expire at the end of the year."

Obama Pledges to Let Homosexuals Serve Openly in US Military
Special Note - Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Be all that you can be, join the Army"  Maybe the DoD should show their recruitment advertisements while playing those catchy old tunes YMCA or Macho Macho Man, heh? There's no such thing as "gay" or "gays" by the way folks, but it does appear the New Roman Empire has finally arrived. Obama hasn't kept a single promise he's made so far except for this one, told you folks this would happen.  To all you so-called, pretend "Christians" in the Southern part of the country.....nice work, really well done, a perfect job, yu'all must be really proud ol'yourselves. -- A quote...."U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to a gay rights group that he will repeal the law that keeps homosexuals from serving openly in the U.S. military. The president admits that he has not made promised policy changes as quickly as advocates would like."
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Afghanistan: A War of Lies
Must Read - A quote...."President Barack Obama and Congress are wrestling with widening the war in Afghanistan. After eight years of military operations costing US $236 billion, the US commander in Afghanistan just warned of the threat of "failure," aka defeat."

9/11: Mohamed Atta loved pork chops, cocaine, hookers and 49 other things you may not know
Special Note - A quote...."The whole rotten 'official' 9/11 story is coming apart. Which means that either the truth is going to come out completely or the same bunch of sadistic bastards who were actually behind those attacks will launch another 'false-flag' against America to get us back in the proper frame of mind so we'll keep fighting those "Wars for Wall Street and Israel." -- For more on this issue see....9/11 - NORAD - The Party Hearty Terrorists

Architects and Engineers Explore 9/11 Tower Collapses nbcactionnews.com
A quote...."OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–Architect Richard Gage, AIA, will present his finding regarding the destruction of the World Trade Center skyscrapers on 9/11." -- For more on this issue see....9/11 - WTC7 & 9/11 - WTC-1&2

Charlie Sheen on Alex Jones Tv 2/5:Charlie Sheen Issues 9/11 Challenge to Critics!
Must View Videos -- Vid#1 - Vid#2 - Vid#3 - Vid#4 - Vid#5 - (Alex Jones YuTb - aprox 10 min each - Sept. 11, 2009) -- A quote...."On this eighth anniversary of the false flag attacks on the United States, Alex talks with Charlie Sheen about his widely covered article "20 Minutes with the President" and his call for a new investigation. Charlie will issue a special challenge during the show. -- http://prisonplanet.tv/" -- For more on this issue see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central

4 Suspects in World Trade Center Before 9/11 Doing Construction
A quote...."Jonathan Elinoff calls into Kevin Barrett’s radio program to reveal a story he is breaking about art students who lived in tents on the 90th floor of the World Trade Center. He claims they lived there illegally for months before the attack and that they were later arrested after 9/11 and detained as part of an Israel spy ring although they are Austrian and German. Elinoff claims that he has photos and that the “art students” had 3 or 4 tons of boxes, blue prints and maps of security check points."

Schwarzenegger signs ammunition sales bill
A quote...."Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed into law a bill that requires buyers of handgun ammunition to leave thumbprints and detailed personal information with registered ammo sellers, as well as put restrictions on online bullet sales."

Schwarzenegger gets mixed reception after signing gay rights bills
Welcome to the New Roman Empire - mpg -- A quote...."LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met with criticism as well as praise on Monday after signing controversial state bills affirming gay rights."
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If we want Policy instead of Speeches -- Vers La Verité Speech in Paris
Special Note - A quote...."by Cynthia McKinney -- President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize was not the only news yesterday. And in my opinion, it’s not even the biggest news. It’s not even the saddest news. But it does provide us with some critical information as we move forward. The three-part question for us, tonight however, is “What are we moving forward TO; is that the place we want to go; and if not, what do we do about it?" -- also posted at WarInIraq & OhBummer & DProgram

Is McChrystal Reading LewRockwell.com?
Special Note - A quote...."Not likely. -- But I was heartened to see that when we abandoned the military outpost in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, we destroyed the base, lighting afterburners, the smoldering waste of one more failed experiment in colonialism in our rear-view mirrors. -- We departed this small base days after one of the deadliest Taliban strikes against our occupation forces there. Officially, our departure had been planned for months. Any bets that the leadership will take a hit for that bit of poor planning? -- Not likely."

At What Cost the Israel Lobby?
Special Note - A quote...."More than 46 years ago, President John F. Kennedy sought to preclude a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. In June 1963, he wrote the last in a series of insistent letters to Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Those letters sought what Israel now demands of Iran: international inspections of its nuclear facilities. The key difference: Kennedy knew for certain that Israel, while portraying itself a friend and ally, repeatedly lied to Kennedy about its nuclear weapons development at the Dimona reactor in the Negev Desert." -- also posted at Uruknet

US Still Not Planning Major Iraq Troop Cuts Until Next Year
Special Note - A quote...."Updating the lack of progress on President Obama’s promised US pullout from Iraq, Brigadier General Stephen Lanza laid out again what officials are presenting as a “responsible drawdown,” which is to say a continued delay. -- The comments were largely in keeping with what Brigadier General Heidi Brown laid out in August, noting that the military isn’t planning for any major troop cuts until well after the January 2010 Iraqi election."

British have covered up hundreds of Iraqi casualties, ex-officer says
Special Note - A quote...."The British military's chain of command has instructed the country's top investigators not to examine hundreds of incidents involving Iraqi deaths and serious injury, a former British military police officer told the BBC Sunday." -- also posted at BLN & Uruknet

Deadly Blasts Target Police, Government Buildings in Iraq
A quote...."RAMADI, Iraq — Three car bombings targeted a police station and a government headquarters in Ramadi in western Iraq on Sunday, killing at least 25 people and underlining the precarious situation in Anbar province. -- The first bombing occurred in a parking lot when a 1991 Opel vehicle rigged with explosives detonated at 12:30 p.m. killing the parking lot's attendant and another civilian."

UN: Afghan vote fraud widespread
A quote....""Widespread fraud" took place in Afghanistan's presidential election in August, the UN special representative to the country has said."

The Deceit of Depleted Uranium use in Afghanistan - Part 1
A quote...."Afghanistan, October 13, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - We have heard so many times the lies associated with what weapons have or have not been used in all the theatres of war. It is only when independent experts reveal the evidence that the respective authorities back down and admit to their usage."

Insurgents Taking Charge in Kunduz
A quote...."The vehicle is marked Kunduz provincial police headquarters, but the occupants are not necessarily servants of the state. -- The Taleban in Kunduz recently captured eight police Ford Ranger pickups in Chahr Dara district, and they use them to move around." -- also posted at ICH

Iran to enrich uranium itself if third-party deal fails: official
A quote...."TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Ali Shirzadian said on Saturday that Iran will manage to enrich uranium of 20-percent purity if third-party deal fails, local ISNA news agency reported." -- also posted at WarInIraq

China joins Iran, France on gas projects
A quote...."China's state oil company will join the talks between Iran and France's Total on the development of Iran's giant South Pars gas field." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Iran's gas deal crucial for Switzerland: report
A quote...."TEHRAN, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Swiss official said here on Monday that Iran's gas deal is crucial for Switzerland and his country attaches much importance to the deal with Iran."

Iran inks €1.2b gas deal with South Korean company
A quote...."TEHRAN - Iran’s Pars Oil and Gas Company signed a deal worth 1.24 billion euros ($1.83 billion) with a South Korean company in Tehran on Monday."

Israel fears Gaza war damaged Turkey ties
A quote...."Officials called an emergency meeting at the Foreign Ministry yesterday to discuss the crisis between Israel and Turkey, marked by the cancellation of a joint military exercise that was to include the Israel Air Force. -- A senior source at the ministry told Haaretz about concerns that strategic ties with Turkey are in jeopardy after Operation Lead Cast in the Gaza Strip earlier this year."

US scraps military drill after Turkey withdrawal
Related Article -- A quote...."A joint military maneuver by the US, NATO, Italy, Israel and Turkey has been canceled after Ankara withdraws from the exercise over Tel Aviv's participation in the drill."

MIDEAST:  Muslims See Victory at Al-Aqsa
A quote...."EAST JERUSALEM, Oct 11 (IPS) - Clashes between Israeli security forces and protesting Palestinians have subsided as several hundred Muslims agreed to evacuate Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque following a deal brokered by the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv Saturday." -- also posted at AntiWar

Japan to end refueling mission in Indian Ocean in January: DM
A quote...."TOKYO, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa reaffirmed Tuesday that Japan will bring to an end to its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean in January when a temporary law backing it expires."

Pro-Kremlin party sweeps Moscow elections
A quote...."MOSCOW — The pro-Kremlin party dominated an election for Moscow city council and other local votes across Russia, results released Monday showed. -- With 99 percent of the Moscow vote counted, United Russia won 66 percent and the Communist Party 13 percent. No other party cleared the 7 percent threshold to win seats on the city council."

Russia to test-fire 5 ICBMs by end of year
A quote...."VLASIKHA (Moscow Region), October 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Strategic Missile Forces will launch five intercontinental ballistic missiles by the end of 2009, the SMF commander said Monday."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

BREAKING~HAMAS Captures Al Qaeda Leader
Must Read - Knock, knock, anyone out there? - mpg - And THIS followed by a resounding "silence" from America and Israel. Never mind this is the 2nd time HAMAS has thwarted Al Qaeda inside Gaza. No doubt the US and Israel have "helped" get them into Gaza in the first place. Anything to overthrow the elected government. Not only that, imagine if Al Qaeda managed to "get one off" and then of course we'd see the US and Israel blaming it on HAMAS. Here's the breaking news: - bold by website editor - For more on this issue see the following weblists and the article shown below.....US Support of Terror & US Sponsored Civil Wars - Palestine

Islamic Jihad says Hamas stopping their rocket crews in Gaza
Special Note - Anyone paying attention? - mpg -- A quote...."A Palestinian armed group accused the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers on Saturday of preventing its men from firing rockets at Israel, a sensitive allegation for the Islamist faction as it pursues mediated deals with the country. -- Hamas police intercepted Islamic Jihad rocket crews on three occasions over the past month, a group official said, foiling their bids to avenge Israel Defense Forces fire on Gaza and to show solidarity with Palestinian protests over a contested Jerusalem shrine." -- posted 10-10-09

Goldstone Report Really *IS* Biased
Special Note - A quote...."Let’s talk about the flawed Goldstone Report. Israel claims it is biased, and upon reflection I find I now have to agree with Israel. Yeah, you’re thinking I’ve been converted by Zionist hasbara, but rest assured I have not. However, it is “biased”, but the bias is not against Israel, but instead it is biased against FATAH. Here’s why:"

Israeli cabinet minister cancels visit to Britain
Hip Hip Hooray!!  It's working folks, identify them, protest them, sue them, follow them, hound them, boycott their businesses.....than arrest them, try them, convict them and imprison them - mpg -- A quote...."Last week, Israel’s vice-prime minister and minister for strategic affairs, Moshe Yaalon, cancelled a visit to Britain after being warned that he could face arrest for war crimes."

UN backs debate on Goldstone's Gaza report
A quote...."United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon backs a Palestinian bid to re-launch the debate on the Goldstone report, which accuses Israel of war crimes as well as crimes against humanity during its weeks-long onslaught on the Gaza Strip."

War Criminals Are Becoming The Arbiters Of Law
A quote...."October 12, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- The double standard under which the Israeli government operates is too much for everyone except the brainwashed Americans. Even the very Israeli Jerusalem Post can see the double standard displayed by “all of Israel now speaking in one voice against the Goldstone report”: -- “This is the Israeli notion of a fair deal: We’re entitled to do whatever the hell we want to the Palestinians because, by definition, whatever we do to them is self-defense. They, however, are not entitled to lift a finger against us because, by definition, whatever they do to us is terrorism."

Israelis flatten Palestinian home
A quote...."Israeli authorities have demolished two Palestinian-owned structures in East Jerusalem, in defiance of international calls to stop such actions." -- also posted at Uruknet

Israel: Stop Blocking School Supplies From Entering Gaza Blockade Deprives Students of Paper, Pens, Textbooks
A quote...."(Jerusalem) - Israeli authorities should immediately lift restrictions that have left students in Gaza's public schools without textbooks and the most basic school supplies, such as notebooks and pens, Human Rights Watch said today. Israel severely limits imports into Gaza of a wide variety of basic goods, from food to construction materials."

Swedish journalist: The PA was aware of Israel’s theft of human organs
A quote...."[ 12/10/2009 - 09:21 PM ] -- DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- Swedish journalist Donald Bostrom revealed Sunday in Damascus that the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its media outlets were aware of Israel’s theft of human organs from Palestinians, noting that the PA deliberately ignored this issue." -- For more on this issue see....Israeli Organ Thefts

International probe into Israel organ theft called for
Related Article - A quote...."Freelance Swedish journalist Donald Bostrom has reportedly demanded an international war crimes investigation into claims that Israeli soldiers harvest organs of dead Palestinians."

Israel Organ Theft Article, Source of 'Death Threats' - posted at The Palestine Chronicle
Related Article - A quote...."The Swedish journalist who caused a controversy by accusing Israeli forces of stealing and selling Palestinian organs says he has been receiving death threats."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Honduras imposes media restrictions
A quote...."Honduras's government has imposed a new law limiting media freedoms in the country, amid a political standoff between Roberto Micheletti, the de facto leader, and Manuel Zelaya, the deposed president."

Mercenaries and paramilitaries arrive in Honduras
A quote...."By Honduras Delegation - Press Release - Saturday, Oct 10, 2009 -- The situation is grave in Tegucigalpa. According to a message from the organization, Pastors for Peace, Radio Globo from Honduras is reporting that snipers are shooting into the Brazilian Embassy where President Zelaya and hundreds of supporters have taken refuge. There is no word yet on injuries." -- This is what the elites of the US-NRE intend to do to dozens of countries in the world, hire mercenaries to occupy them using the US-NRE's faux-currency. - mpg

Honduras "importing" Colombian paras as mercenaries?
Related Article - A quote...."A group of independent UN experts expressed concern Oct. 9 over the increased use of mercenaries in Honduras since the June coup d'etat. The panel said it received reports that 40 former Colombian paramilitary veterans had been hired to protect properties and individuals in Honduras since the June 28 ouster of President Jose Manuel Zelaya. The panel also heard reports that 120 mercenaries from various Latin American countries had been contracted to support the de facto regime." -- also posted at OhBummer

Zelaya supporters blast Honduras media crackdown
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA — Supporters of deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya have warned an interim government crackdown on opposition media could derail talks scheduled to resume on Tuesday and aimed at resolving the months-old political crisis."

Zero Confidence in Putschists, Says Zelaya
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Oct 12 (Prensa Latina) Constitutional President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya said on Monday he will continue talking with the de facto regime, but he has no confidence in solutions to the crisis through this path."

Celeo Alvarez Casildo: The Moment Has Come for a New Constitution in Honduras
A quote...."We reiterate our condemnation of the coup d’etat… and call for convening a referendum so that the citizenry can vote on a new Constitution”
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A Secret Deal Between Wall Street and Washington Shines a Harsh Light on Federal Housing Agency
A CounterPunch Special Investigation -- A quote...."While the Federal Trade Commission was receiving gut-wrenching documentation of predatory lending abuses at a unit of Citigroup, the Federal agency mandated to level the playing field for low income homeowners, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was quietly awarding 19,968 mortgages of homeowners in distress to Citigroup to dispose of as it saw fit.  HUD legally became Citigroup’s joint venture partner in at least two of the deals, retaining a minority interest."

A Second Great Depression Is Still Possible
Special Note - A quote...."Over the past year the global economy has experienced a massive contraction, the deepest since the Great Depression of the 1930s. But this spring, economists started talking of “green shoots” of recovery and that optimistic assessment quickly spread to Wall Street. More recently, on the anniversary of the Lehman Brothers crash, Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman, officially blessed this consensus by declaring the recession is “very likely over”."

Level of Disagreement Among Economists About Inflation Highest in a Decade
Chart - A quote...."As the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco notes in a letter published October 5, the disagreement among economists about the possibility of inflation in the long-term is higher than it has been in the past decade...."

Simon Johnson Confirms William K. Black's Explanation of Fraud, Boom and Bust
A quote...."In a new interview with Bill Moyers, Simon Johnson confirmed what William K. Black has said about fraud by the financial sector, booms and busts. As I previously wrote:    Black explained that fraud by a financial company usually involves the company...."
  1. Growing like crazy
  2. Making loans to people who are uncreditworthy, because they’ll agree they’ll pay you more, and that’s how you grow rapidly. You can grow really fast if you loan to people who can’t you pay you back....and
  3. The use of extreme leverage.
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A Dollar Rout Or More Bernanke Trickery?
Must Read - A quote...."October 12, 2009 "Information Clearing House" ---  Consumer credit is falling fast. In July, consumer credit plunged by $19 billion, followed by an August drop of $12 billion, a 5.8 percent annual rate. Credit card spending decreased by nearly $10 billion in August, while non-revolving debt, including auto loans, fell by $2 billion. Credit has shrunk for 7 consecutive months, the longest period of decline since 1991. The banks have shrugged off their commitment under the TARP program to increase lending to consumers and businesses. They've either deposited their excess reserves with the Fed, where they earn interest, or invested them in the equities markets for better returns. The bottom line: Credit is shrinking and the economy is slipping further into deflation." -- also posted at AlethoNews & DProgram

Will the Dollar Rally When the Market Next Crashes?
Must Read - For Dollar Caution - (up or down) - mpg -- A quote...." The big news of the day is obviously the weak dollar. As the headline of a must-read article in Bloomberg states: "Dollar Reaches Breaking Point as [Central] Banks Shift Reserves [Away from the Dollar]". -- AFP points out that - whether or not the report from the Independent that many countries will price oil against a basket of currencies and gold in the future is true (see this and this) - confidence in the dollar is so weak that investors and banks are using it as an excuse to get out of the dollar.
Business insider notes that the S&P has fallen back to 1996 levels in dollar-adjusted terms. Obviously, the trend line for the dollar is going down in the medium to long-term. -- And yet there are strong arguments for a short-term dollar rally the next time the market crashes. The key question is whether the dollar will behave the same way it did in the 2008 crash. The currency chief at HSBC - David Bloom- doesn't think so:"

Confidential Memos Indicate Oil SDR Pricing Shift Would Be "Most Damaging"
Special Note - A War Warning - (For EVERYBODY who's contemplating a shift from the dollar, not just Iran) - mpg -- A quote...."A recently declassified, formerly Confidential, 30 year old memo prepared by Henry Owen for President Jimmy Carter's eyes only, highlights the perils facing the United States if oil were to be priced in SDRs instead of dollars, a topic which is all the rage today as rumors are swirling that this is an imminent transition to be "put" upon the United States."

Asst. Treasury Sec.: Banks Back US Intervention
Related Article - A quote...."When covering America’s interventionist foreign policy, certain departments and agencies come up a lot. The Defense Department, certainly. The CIA, usually. The State Department, the NSA, the list goes on. Rarely does the Treasury Department come up, but maybe it should."

US facing massive economic ‘power shift’ with dollar’s downward spiral
A quote...."The dollar's position as the world's leading reserve currency faces increased pressure as the financial crisis allows emerging economies greater influence on the world stage, analysts said." -- also posted at RawStory

Dollar Reaches Breaking Point as Banks Shift Reserves
A quote...."Oct. 12, 2009 (Bloomberg) -- Central banks flush with record reserves are increasingly snubbing dollars in favor of euros and yen, further pressuring the greenback after its biggest two- quarter rout in almost two decades." -- from Bloomberg

Sunday October 11th 2009
No posts. - mpg

Saturday October 10th 2009

Obama’s Award is a Joke to at Least One Member of the Nobel Committee
Video - Special Note - A quote...."The level of absurdity their propaganda is being elevated to is just a joke to these globalists.  A joke to them to laugh at, and an embarrassment to Obama’s supporters to be edited out."

Saturday Night Live Rips No-Change, Do-Nothing Obama (Video)
Video - Satire - Here's the full video, of which a partial clip was posted 10-08-09. - mpg

Just For Changing the Bumper Sticker
Cartoon

Obama’s Nobel Prize Stuns War Victims
A quote...."CAIRO — Ajmal Khan, 55, could not believe his ears when he heard about US President Barack Obama’s surprise win of the Nobel Peace Prize." -- also posted at OhBummer & Uruknet

The Orwell Peace Prize
A quote...."Right after Christmas, my nephew is leaving for another tour in Afghanistan. My Sister's heart and my heart are broken. The chances are good that this time he's coming back in a box with a flag on top of it. -- But in many ways, he's dead already. Like many soldiers who've come back from the middle east, he's wired on self-destruct. My Sister has told me that she can't count the times she's taken guns away from him when he was threatening suicide because those times have been so many."

As US Continues Afghan, Iraq Occupations and Quashes Accountability for Gaza Assault, Critics Decry Awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Obama -- A quote...."President Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, less than nine months after taking office. The award comes despite Obama’s continuation of the Iraq war and escalation of the US occupation of Afghanistan. We get reaction from author and journalist Naomi Klein and London-based author and commentator Tariq Ali. [includes rush transcript]" --  ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  ||
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Bill Moyers Journal - Richard Brookhiser and Harvey J. Kaye on Thomas Paine.
Video Interview -- From the history file - June 12, 2009 -- On the 200th anniversary of Thomas Paine's death, Bill Moyers sits down with "Thomas Paine and the Promise of America" [GoglBkSrch] author Harvey J. Kaye and National Review" senior editor Richard Brookhiser, author of "What would the Founders Do?" [GoglBkSrch] -- ||  Transcript  ||

Dem-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee extends PATRIOT Act provisions
A quote...."Key US lawmakers passed legislation Thursday extending three key provisions of the PATRIOT Act, the sweeping intelligence bill enacted after the September 11, 2001 attacks."

Telephone Company Is Arm of Government, Feds Admit in Spy Suit
A quote...."The Department of Justice has finally admitted it in court papers: The  nation’s telecom companies are an arm of the government — at least when it comes to secret spying." -- also posted at OhBummer

9/11 AND A GENERATION DECEIVED
Special Noite -- A quote...."We make it easy for them.  Lying to us is nothing.  Our own government is a pack of philandering cheats, phony attacks, lying about wars, never a word of truth we can depend on. No matter what kind of outlandish thing they do, some "commission" covers it up.  We don't need any of their blue ribbon commissions, we need a good divorce lawyer." -- For more on this issue see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central
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Scott Horton Interviews Winslow T. Wheeler
Audio Interview - Special Note - A quote...."Winslow T. Wheeler, Director of the Straus Military Reform Project, discusses the just-passed Defense Appropriations bill, the calculations that make the real defense budget close to $1 trillion, the accounting black hole at the un-auditable Pentagon and how a post WWII peak in spending only buys a small military with old equipment." --  ||  MP3 here. (28min:24sec)  ||

Afghans Trained by Blackwater Defect to Taliban
A quote...."Remember when Sarah Palin said that "the surge principles that have worked in Iraq need to be implemented in Afghanistan." Well...as Ms. Palin would say, many Afghans working for the Afghan security forces are now switching sides and are now defecting to the Taliban. -- Guess who trained many of them? Blackwater! -- An Aljazeera producer was able to interview some of those defectors who were unafraid to reveal their identities and were not bashful about their Blackwater issued IDs."

400 Wis. National Guard Members Going To Iraq
A quote...."MADISON, Wis. (AP) ―  Nearly 400 Wisconsin National Guard troops are headed to Iraq in March. -- The troops are from the 724th Engineer Battalion which has companies based in Chippewa Falls, Hayward, Medford, Spooner and Superior."

Gas giant, Total resumes talks with Iran
A quote...."French gas giant, Total, has resumed its talks with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) on participating in Iran's South Pars gas field project." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Photos: Five Saeqeh fighter jets delivered to Iran's Air Force
Photo Gallery - A quote...."TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (Mehr News Agency) – Five domestically-made fighter jets dubbed Saeqeh, which means lightning, have been delivered to the country's Air Force fleet"

Iran Expands Fleet of Home-Made Fighter Jets
Related Article - A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- Five more domestically-made Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) fighter jets joined the country's Air Force fleet Saturday morning."

Iran helps Venezuela discover uranium deposits
A quote...."Venezuela's Science and Technology Minister, Jesse Chacon, says Iran has assisted his country in discovering uranium deposits." -- also posted at WarInIraq

Iran will enrich uranium further if talks fail
A quote...."Iran warned Saturday it will enrich uranium to a higher level needed to power a research reactor if talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog and world powers fail to help Iran obtain the fuel from abroad."

MSM: Iran says shift from US dollar to euro brought ‘big profits - posted at DProgram
Haaaa haaaa haa. Keep in mind folks the US-NRE's dollar has been declining for a very long time. - mpg -- A quote...."(JPost) – Iran’s central bank governor says the country gained “big profits” by shifting its foreign currency reserve basket from the US dollar to the euro. -- Mahmoud Bahmani was quoted Tuesday by Iran’s state television as saying that the dollar now represents the smallest share of Iran’s basket of currencies. The country had announced last month it would shift to the euro, citing the weakness in the dollar on the global market."

Mystery over missing Iranian in Saudi deepens
A quote...."TEHRAN (AFP) – The mystery over an Iranian missing in Saudi Arabia deepened on Saturday after a local newspaper said the US Central Intelligence Agency was involved in his disappearance."

Hezbollah Welcomes Saudi-Syrian Summit's Positive Outcome
A quote...."Hezbollah hailed on Saturday the "positive" outcome of the Saudi-Syrian summit that joined Syrian President Bachar al-Assad with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz at the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday and Thursday."

Jumblatt and Nasrallah urge Lebanon unity govt
A quote...."BEIRUT (AFP) – Hassan Nasrallah, head of Lebanon's opposition movement Hezbollah, and Walid Jumblatt from the Western-backed majority on Saturday urged the formation of a unity government "as soon as possible."

Kuwait: Israel obstacle to nukes free Mideast
A quote...."Kuwait has complained against Israel's 'adamant' refusal to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), saying such a stance could launch a nuclear arms race."

'You've got blood on your hands': Father of dead soldier refuses to shake Blair's hand after memorial to Britain's fallen heroes -- Photo Gallery -- A quote...."A father’s grief and anger boiled over yesterday when he came face to face with the man he blames for his son’s death. -- Tony Blair offered his hand to Peter Brierley during a reception following a service at St Paul’s to commemorate the dead of the Iraq war. -- ‘Don’t you dare,’ roared Mr Brierley. ‘You have my son’s blood on your hands.’" - bold by website editor

Blair slammed as 'war criminal' at Iraq memorial
Related Article - A quote...."Father of killed British soldier refuses to shake Blair's hands for having 'blood on it'."

Silvio Berlusconi mistakenly says he has been paying millions to judges
A quote...."Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, on Friday made an embarrassing gaffe when he said he had spent millions of euros on "judges" as part of an impassioned plea that he was the most persecuted man in history." -- Perhaps the term "discretion" doesn't translate very well? - mpg -- For more on that issue see article shown below

Italian court rules Berlusconi's immunity law unconstitutional - Oh Oh! - mpg
A quote...."Italy was cast back into political turmoil tonight when the country's constitutional court threw out a law passed by Silvio Berlusconi's government that gave him immunity from prosecution for as long as he remained prime minister. -- The majority decision represented a severe blow for Berlusconi, who was already struggling to contain the damage from a lurid sex and drugs scandal in which he is accused of using the services of prostitutes." - also posted at WarInIraq - Hey, Berlusconi!  Ever hear of the word "discretion"?  You might want to try it some time.  - mpg - posted 10-07-09

Greater Albania: Threat of A New US-NATO sponsored Conflict In Europe
A quote...."Europe may be perched above the precipice of its first armed conflict since NATO’s 78-day bombing war against Yugoslavia in 1999 and the resultant armed invasion of Macedonia from NATO-occupied Kosovo two years later." -- also posted at Creative-i

The Yeltsin Scandal
A quote...."A stone drunk Boris Yeltsin stood across from the White House in Washington. He was there in his underwear hailing a taxi. In his stupor, Yeltsin just wanted to go out for a pizza."

Bombing the Moon; NASA briefing on mission to crash rocket into moon
Is this part of a weapons test?? - mpg - A quote...."Early on Friday, a rocket is scheduled to slam into a crater near the moon's south pole - all in the name of discovery. By slamming an object into the surface of the moon, NASA scientists want to literally "kick up the dust" of the lunar surface in order to analyse material blasted into the lunar atmosphere." -- For more on this issue see....Kinetic bombardment & Rods From God & Possible Space Weapons

Argentine Senate overwhelmingly approves media law
A quote...."BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Argentina's Senate overwhelmingly approved a law that will transform the nation's media landscape on Saturday, and President Cristina Fernandez quickly signed it into law."

COLOMBIA:  US Should Open Its Files on Palace of Justice Massacre
A quote...."BOGOTA, Oct 9 (IPS) - A declassified U.S. State Department cable dated January 1999 blames Colombian soldiers for the killings of civilians rescued by the military operation to retake the Palace of Justice from guerrillas who had seized the building in November 1985."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Islamic Jihad says Hamas stopping their rocket crews in Gaza
Special Note - Anyone paying attention? - mpg -- A quote...."A Palestinian armed group accused the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers on Saturday of preventing its men from firing rockets at Israel, a sensitive allegation for the Islamist faction as it pursues mediated deals with the country. -- Hamas police intercepted Islamic Jihad rocket crews on three occasions over the past month, a group official said, foiling their bids to avenge Israel Defense Forces fire on Gaza and to show solidarity with Palestinian protests over a contested Jerusalem shrine." - bold by website editor - For more on this issue see.....US Support of Terror & US Sponsored Civil Wars - Palestine

MIDEAST:  Unrest Rising Over Goldstone Report
A quote...."Following intense U.S. and Israeli pressure, the PA withdrew its hitherto strong support for the report at the beginning of the week. The UN Security Council vote has now been postponed until March next year. -- However, Palestinian anger and shock continues to mount in light of the fact that there was a strong possibility that the report could have reached the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, and a number of Israeli officers put on trial, bringing some justice for Gaza's victims. -- PA economy minister Bassem Khoury handed in his resignation over the matter, and other factions of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) condemned the PA for backing down, while street demonstrations have taken place. -- What has especially irked Palestinians is the PA's inconsistency, with some officials admitting to withdrawing support for the report while others simultaneously denying it."

IOF troops block olive harvesting
A quote...."JENIN, (PIC)-- Palestinians in east Jenin whose lands were isolated behind the separation wall have said that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) guarding gates of the wall were blocking their entry into their land." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Agricultural Work Committees confront occupation attacks on Gaza farmers
A quote...."The Union of Agricultural Work Committees launched a popular campaign of support and solidarity with farmers on the Gaza borders on Thursday, October 8, 2009, with a march and sit-in in Beit Hanoun and on the lands of farmers whose lands have been classified as "buffer zones" by the occupier."

25 [Palestinian] lawmakers still held in Israeli prisons
A quote...."The Palestinian ministry for prisoners' affairs says at least 25 lawmakers along with two former ministers are still being held in Israeli prisons under appalling conditions."

Turkey cancels joint drill over Israel's Gaza crimes
A quote...."Turkey has canceled a planned joint military drill with Israel to protest against Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip earlier this year."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Hondurans Unwavering, Talks Pause
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Oct 10 (Prensa Latina) Honduran people''s forces have reached Saturday their 105th consecutive day of anti-coup struggles, amid a state of siege even during the dialogue to solve the current dangerous political crisis in the country."

Landowners in Honduras hired Colombian paramilitaries, UN says
A quote...."Honduran landowners have reportedly hired former Colombian paramilitaries as mercenaries to protect them against possible violence stemming from government tensions, a UN panel said today."
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Bill Moyers - Kaptur and Johnson
Must View Video Interview - A quote...."Just over a year after economic calamity brought promises of reform from Washington, has Wall Street really changed? Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson and US Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) report on the state of the economy." -- ||  Transcript  ||

Derivatives Lobby Links With New Democrats to Blunt Obama Plan
Related Article - A quote...."It’s not just end-users who won concessions from McMahon and Frank. JPMorgan Chase & Co.,Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Credit Suisse Group AG lobbied McMahon and fellow New Democrat Coalition member Representative Melissa Bean of Illinois, among others, to expand the ways the legislation allows dealers and major investors to trade the contracts, according to people familiar with the matter." -- from Bloomberg

Friday October 9th 2009

War and Peace
Must Read - A quote...."I suppose we should not  begrudge Barack Obama his Nobel Peace Prize, though it represents a  radical break in tradition, since he's only had slightly less than nine months to discharge his imperial duties, most concretely  through the agency of high explosives in the Hindu Kush whereas laureates like Henry Kissinger had been diligently slaughtering people across the world for years. -- Woodrow Wilson, the liberal imperialist with whom Obama bears some marked affinities, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919, having brought America into the carnage of the First World War. The peace laureate president who preceded him was Teddy Roosevelt, who got the prize in 1906  as reward for sponsorship of the Spanish-American war and ardent bloodletting in the Philippines.  Senator George Hoar’s famous denunciation of Roosevelt on the floor of the US Senate in May of 1902 was probably what alerted the Nobel Committee to Roosevelt’s eligibility for the Peace Prize:"

Peace Prize Laureate Obama Humbly Takes his Place Next to Terrorists (Begin) and War Criminals (Kissinger) -- Must Read - A quote...."For only the third time in history, a seated U.S. President has won the Nobel Peace Prize.  Barack Obama has been named the recipient of this years award.  According to the chairman of the Nobel committee, President Obama was given the award not so much for what he has done, but for what he represents: “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” -- Well if that is the case it seems to me that they should have given the prize to Obama’s PR team because he is just a pitchman and “HOPE” was just his empty slogan given to him by the advertising executives that ran his campaign.  And besides, it was a cruel empty slogan at that."

Well, Nobel Was the Inventor of Dynamite, After All
Must Read - A quote...."Sometimes you run across a story that defies all comment, rational analysis -- even parody. This is one of those times: -- In Surprise, Nobel Peace Prize to Obama for Diplomacy (NYT). -- To give a peace prize to the commander-in-chief of a war machine now churning its way through the populations of three countries (Iraq/Af-Pak), with innumerable black ops, lightning raids and drone shots on the side .... to a man who even as we speak is deciding just how he wants to kill even more civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan ...  a man who has enthusiastically embraced as "an extraordinary achievement" one of the most heinous and barbaric acts of military aggression since Hitler rolled across the border into Poland ... a man who blusters about leaving "all options on the table," including the use of mass-murdering nuclear weapons, to bully other nations into compliance with American wishes ... to give a peace prize to such a man, while all over the world, there are men and women who have devoted their entire lives to non-violence and reconciliation, many of them suffering imprisonment, torture and ruin for their efforts ... well, like I said, it's beyond words. -- But it's good to see that the spirit of arms merchant Alfred Nobel -- purveyor and profiteer of death and destruction -- is being honored so perfectly with today's award."

Warmonger Wins Peace Prize
Must Read - October 09, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- It took 25 years longer than George Orwell thought for the slogans of 1984 to become reality. -- “War is Peace,” “Freedom is Slavery,” “Ignorance is Strength.” -- I would add, “Lie is Truth.” -- The Nobel Committee has awarded the 2009 Peace Prize to President Obama, the person who started a new war in Pakistan, upped the war in Afghanistan, and continues to threaten Iran with attack unless Iran does what the US government demands and relinquishes its rights as a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty." - also posted at AlethoNews & CounterPunch & LewRockwell

Bizarro Peace Prize Awarded to Obama
Must Read - A quote...."....as a reward for all your strenuous efforts on behalf of keeping the world a place that is less safe, less stable, and less worth living in than at any time since the outbreak of World War II, you are bestowed with – yes, that’s right, the Nobel Peace Prize. This, however, isn’t just any Nobel Peace Prize – oh no It’s a Bizarro Peace Prize – the natural result of us having slipped through a crack in the space-time continuum, and landed in a world where up is down, right is left, and war is peace – Bizarro World!"

Why does Obama get a prize whilst Bush gets shoes
Must Read - A quote...."Today, when I came home from our nonviolent demonstration in Bil'in, after the soldiers shot tear gas and after seeing the violence of the Israeli soldiers, I heard that President Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize. When I heard this from the media I started to go crazy. I asked myself why. The Americans are still in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Palestine is still occupied. In the recent news I saw that the Israeli soldiers closed Jerusalem, and I heard that many people were injured. We haven't seen anything changed. Why didn't the committee give the prize to Bush? I remember nine years ago Bush had a good speech about the establishment of a Palestinian state in the year of 2005. We saw after the speech that Sharon invaded Al Aqsa mosque, and the American army invaded Iraq." -- also posted at OhBummer

Code Yellow
Must Read - Related Article - A quote...."Right on time  for the somber eighth anniversary of the Afghanistan war and occupation, Code Pink founder and primary spokeswoman Medea Benjamin has announced that her organization – which made so many headlines and newscasts protesting "Bush’s war" – is now "rethinking" their position on Afghanistan. A piece in the Christian Science Monitor, which Code Pink is now strenuously trying to spin, reports that the famous antiwar group is seriously amending their position after listening to the views of Afghan women. On a recent trip to Afghanistan, the leaders of Code Pink met Afghan women who opposed the idea of a US withdrawal, and this somehow forced them into a reevaluation of their views. As the Monitor reports: " -- also posted at OhBummer -- For more on this issue see....A Fist Full of Dollars - 10-02-09 - mpg

CODE PINK: Women FOR the Occupation of Afghanistan
Related Article - A quote...."The Obama administration has ruled out any troop reduction in Afghanistan after a Tuesday meeting with 30 lawmakers from congress.-- That should suit Medea Benjamin of CODE PINK just fine.  Apparently she has returned from a trip to the Green Zone of Afghanistan with a slightly less than “antiwar” message for the people of America. -- Yet another example of how infectious Obama’s fraudulent “compromise” propaganda really is."

Osama Bin Laden: Dead or Alive?
Must Read -- A quote...."Is Osama bin Laden still alive? I have dealt with this question in a recent little book entitled Osama bin Laden: Dead or Alive?  The present essay summarizes the main points of this book. -- Since the transference of power from the Bush administration to that of Barack Obama administration, the question of whether bin Laden is dead or alive has become more important. --  Although George W. Bush famously said that he wanted Osama bin Laden “dead or alive,” he made clear that he was not serious about this. Besides stating that he was not concerned about bin Laden, he demonstrated this by diverting most of America’s military resources to Iraq. Bush could, of course, be unconcerned about bin Laden because he knew that, besides the fact that bin Laden had nothing to do with 9/11,  he was probably dead anyway."

Blair Snubbed After Memorial for Iraq Dead
A quote...."October 09, 2009 "AFP" --Former British prime minister Tony Blair was told he had "blood on his hands" by the father of a dead soldier Friday, after a memorial for the fallen of the Iraq war in London. -- The ex-premier joined Queen Elizabeth II, Iraq's President Jalal Talabani, current Prime Minister Gordon Brown as well as soldiers and families at a service paying tribute to the 179 troops who died as a result of the 2003 war."

War, What Is it Good for? Iraq to Deal Oil in Euros
A quote...."You may remember that among the million and one reasons why we may have "really" gone into Iraq was this one, embraced mostly by alleged conspiracy theorists and silly leftists who thought that the invasion might have something to do with oil and the dollar...." -- also posted at ICH

What Not Being Able To Buy Oil In Dollars Means
A quote...."The big news this week on the financial front was the Independent’s claim that Gulf Arabs and France, Japan, Russia and Japan were planning to move from buying oil in dollars to buying it in a basket of currencies, including gold and a new universal currency shared by the Gulf nations. -- Buying oil in dollars is one of the foundations of the dollar’s role as the world’s primary reserve currency. Because the the dollar is the world’s primary reserve currency Americans have been able to borrow money for significantly less than other countries are able to. This has both made America more prosperous, and through the perverse incentives of cheap money, helped lead to the high indebtedness of American citizens and the financial crisis." -- also posted at ICH

Marines see sharp increase in suicides
A quote...."Recently released figures show Marines are taking their own lives at alarmingly high rates, and deployments appear to be taking a toll. -- Through September, the Marines have recorded 38 confirmed or suspected suicides in 2009. Should the pace continue through the end of the year, the Marines would be facing a 20 percent increase from 2008 figures."

US Afghanistan commander requested as many as 60,000 more soldiers
A quote...."The top-end request for an increase in US troop levels presented to President Barack Obama by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, is substantially larger than the 40,000 previously reported, according to anonymous government sources." -- also posted at Uruknet

Where Truth is the Target - Eight Years of Big Lies on Afghanistan
Special Note - A quote...."It seems like only yesterday that President George W. Bush was bragging about having given “freedom and democracy” to 25 million Afghans.  This was a key theme of his second inaugural address, and it  helped Bush preen as the conqueror of the world. -- For 8 years, the American people have been fed one big lie after another regarding Afghanistan.   Now, when the Pentagon is saber-rattling to vastly increase the number of U.S. troops sent there,   a refresher course on the Biggest Lies is in order." -- also posted at Uruknet

Karachi student flings shoe at American journalist
A quote...."ISLAMABAD: Pakistan opened its account in "shoe-gaming" with a Karachi student flinging his shoe at a US journalist. The shoe was flung at Clifford D May, a US journalist visiting Karachi University on Thursday, local media reported."

US and Europe left out as Iran's gas output soars
One would hope Iran knows the US-NRE and Israel will do absolutely everything they can to sabotage Iran's gasoline production? - mpg -- A quote...."In less than two years, Iran's domestic gasoline production will jump by 20 million liters (5.28 million US gallons) per day, thereby overtaking the current daily consumption."

Jeff Gates Agrees With Me On Iran
A quote...."Damn, Jeff Gates and I think exactly alike. He comes to the very same assessment of this Iran-CIA-Israel thing as I did. On October 8th I wrote my thoughts regarding this and said the following: -- Remember those “weapons of mass destruction” Saddam had? Remember the people who brought you that false information, then ramped it up to invade Iraq? Well, it worked so well the first time they’re trying it again, only THIS time with Iran. Yet even more troubling it confirms beyond ANY doubt, that Israel controls American foreign policy, don’t believe me? Keep reading as I have two points to make here: Israeli intelligence was involved in editing and creating the sanitized version of information about Iran's recently revealed secret uranium enrichment facility near Qom."

Israel's export of occupation police tactics
It's absolutely true.  You can see all that fascist crap happening over here in this nation.  By the way, on that particular subject this website editor has some news for the criminal thugocracy of this country.  There are a lot of true Americans (as apposed to Neo-Romans)  that really don't appreciate being treated like occupied Palestinians in their own country, and they REALLY don't appreciate AIPAC running this nation's external and even internal security policy, but taking trillions of dollars out of the American people's pockets so you guys can party on is COMPLETELY INTOLERABLE! - mpg -- A quote...."Israel's specialized policing and fighting capacity, which it is currently exporting to other countries, including the US, began to take shape after the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war. In the territories it occupied during the conflict, especially the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, the Israeli government wanted to lay claim, permanently, to specific parts of the occupied area. This desire ran into Zionism's longest-running problem, the presence of Palestinians." -- also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Embarrassed and denounced
Must Read  - A quote...." The Palestinian Authority (PA) is facing an extremely embarrassing situation following its decision earlier this week to endorse deferring the ratification of the Goldstone Report at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. -- The report, compiled by South African judge Richard Goldstone, accused Israel of committing, knowingly and deliberately, war crimes and crimes against humanity during its winter onslaught on the Gaza Strip in which more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed, most of whom were innocent civilians, including more than 300 children, with thousands others injured or badly incinerated by phosphoric bombs. Thousands of homes, mosques and public buildings were destroyed in the 22-day blitz." -- also posted at Uruknet

Abbas's Loss is Palestinians' Gain - posted at The Palestine Chronicle
Must Read - A quote...."There is a famous Arabic expression: 'he who doesn't respect himself shall not be respected.' Apparently, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas doesn't believe in this.  At least, he didn't until now. -- The decision to defer the Goldstone Report, the UN report alleging that both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip last winter, was nothing short of betrayal.  UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Richard Falk even described the decision as "perverse." -- also posted at Uruknet

US Strategy in Doubt as Abbas Loses Popular Support
A quote...."A quote...."Just two months ago, many western commentators were jubilant that Mahmoud Abbas, the U.S.-supported head of both the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the interim Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA), was making a comeback and reducing the influence in Palestinian society of the Islamist movement Hamas."

EU backs UN Gaza report, disappointing Israel
Special Note - A quote...."STOCKHOLM (AFP) – The European Union backed on Thursday a contentious UN report blasting Israel's military offensive in Gaza, praising its chief author and saying the document is "worthy of consideration."

Al-Walajah, a symbol of Israeli ethnic cleansing
A quote...."While American officials continue to claim that the mission of US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell is by no means over, and that he will still pursue his efforts to convince the Israeli government to agree to some sort of settlement freeze, Israeli plans for further colonization of Palestinian land continue undisturbed. The latest Israeli plans call for the destruction of the West Bank village of al-Walajah for the second time in six decades."

Christians gather in support of Muslims trapped in Al-Aqsa
A quote...."Jerusalem – Ma’an – Christians of several denominations gathered in Jerusalem Friday for a silent vigil in solidarity with besieged Islamic holy sites at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City." -- also posted at Uruknet
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Honduran Coup Regime in Crisis
A quote...."How long can the Honduran crisis drag on, with President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in a military coup more than three months ago, trapped in Tegucigalpa's Brazilian Embassy? Well, in early 1949 in Peru, Víctor Haya de la Torre--one of last century's most important Latin American politicians--sought asylum in the Colombian Embassy in Lima, also following a military coup. There he remained for nearly six years, playing chess, baking cakes for the embassy staff's children and writing books. Soldiers surrounded the building for the duration, with Peru's authoritarian regime ignoring calls from the international community to end the siege, which was condemned by the Washington Post as a "canker in hemisphere relations."  -- also posted at CommonDreams

Brazil seeks more U.S. pressure on Honduran de facto gov't - They're not gonna get it. - mpg
A quote...."BRASILIA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Brazil on Friday called on the U.S. to increase its pressure on the de facto Honduran government to help solve the political crisis in the Central American country."

Surveillance Camera Footage of Honduras Coup Invasion of Channel 36
A quote...."The coup that can't shoot straight has done it again, as journalist Belén Fernández reports today on Narco News: when military and police troops invaded the studios of Channel 36 on September 28, stealing its transmitters, antennas and other equipment, they forgot to remove the surveillance cameras."
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What Is Money? - Part 5: Fractional Reserve Banking
Must Read - A quote...."The heart of the modern monetary system is fractional reserve banking. This system is based on fraud. At the very heart of the modern economy is fraud – fraud on a gigantic scale. -- What is the nature of this fraud? Counterfeiting. Banks are government-licensed institutions that issue bogus IOUs. Because these IOUs function as money, they are counterfeit money. This is the heart, mind, and soul of all modern banking."

The Securitization Boondoggle
Must Read - A quote...."October 09, 2009 "Information Clearing House" --- The relentless financialization of the economy has resulted in a hybrid-system of credit expansion which depends on pools of loans sliced-and-diced into tranches and sold into the secondary market to yield-seeking investors. The process is called securitization and it lies at the heart of the current financial crisis. Securitization markets have grown exponentially over the last decade as foreign capital has flooded Wall Street due to the ballooning current account deficit. A significant amount of the money ended up in complex debt-instruments like mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and asset-backed securities (ABS) which provided trillions in funding for consumer and business loans. Securitization imploded after two Bear Stearns hedge funds defaulted in July 2007 and the secondary market collapsed. Now the Federal Reserve and the Treasury are working furiously to restore securitization, a system they feel is crucial to any meaningful recovery." -- also posted at CounterPunch

Bought and Paid For
Special Note - A quote...."Lobbyists from the financial industry have paid hundreds of millions to Congress and the Obama administration. They have bought virtually all of the key congress members and senators on committees overseeing finances and banking. --This is easy to confirm in black-and-white. See for yourself: here, here, here, here, here and here."

“Death Bonds”: Wall Street’s Shocking New Plan To Reap Billions Off Dying Americans
Related Article - More on Wall Street's Brand New Securitization plan for DEATH. And all you idiots out there thought it was the Muslims who wanted "death to America" when it turns out it's your own broker that wants to see YOU dead.  It's all so hilarious. - mpg – A quote...."Now we know why America’s oligarchs are fighting to keep the rest of us stuck in the world’s worst health care system: the more we die, the more billions Wall Street will earn. A recent article in The New York Times exposed how Wall Street is licking its lips over a new scheme to make hundreds of billions in profits by creating financial instruments that will profit off of millions of terminally-ill Americans’ agony, desperation, and death. The only thing standing in the way of this massive new Wall Street scheme is the kind of health care reform that might allow Americans to live longer lives. Yep, this is what we spent trillions of dollars bailing out Wall Street for: so that they can kill us for profit." -- also posted at DProgram

Fed's Prompt Agency Monetization Makes Headline News - More on the Fed's securitization scheme. - mpg
A quote...."The story first presented on Zero Hedge yesterday as "The Fed's 30's Minute Agency Monetization Window" is now mainstream, after making headline news on Bloomberg."

The Truth on The Dollar Demise - (RT YouTube - 2 min 40 sec - October 09, 2009)
Video - Interview - More on Robert Fisk's story which sent the dollar plunging and gold soaring. - mpg

Dollar advances on Fed's interest rate comments - (and gold went down four bucks - mpg)
Bernanke's reply to Fisk. - mpg -- A quote...."NEW YORK -- The dollar rose against most major currencies Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reassured markets that the U.S. central bank will wind down its extraordinary stimulus measures when the time is right. - Some investors interpreted Bernanke's comments as a sign the Fed might raise interest rates sooner than expected, which would boost the dollar versus other currencies as better yields make it more attractive to investors."

Bond Steepeners On Fire: 14 bps In 24 Hours - (and this is how investors in long bonds took the news. - mpg)
A quote...."Whether or not the rapid move in curve steepening is driven by a flight from long-dated bonds (and yesterday someone very demonstratively puked on the 30 year, both before and especially after the auction), or inflation is starting to finally be a concern for the bond community (unlikely, as it would be a first: every previous time equity and credit have disagreed about inflation, it was always credit which was proven right), the 2s10s has steepened by a whopping 14 bps in less than 24 hours." -- (FYI, if interest rates go up, bond prices go down....and vice versa. - mpg)

Thursday October 8th 2009

A historian's account of Democrats and Bush-era war crimes
Must Read - A quote...."The American Propsect's Adam Serwer notes that, yesterday, Sen. Joe Lieberman successfully inserted into the Homeland Security appropriations bill an amendment -- supported by the Obama White House -- to provide an exemption from the Freedom of Information Act's mandates by authorizing the Defense Secretary to suppress long-concealed photographs of detainee abuse.  Two courts had ruled -- unanimously -- that the American people have the right to see these photographs under FOIA, a 40-year-old law championed by the Democrats in the LBJ era and long considered a crowning jewel in their legislative achievements.  But this Lieberman amendment, which is now likely to pass, undermines all of that and -- as EBay founder Pierre Omidyar put it today -- its central purpose is to "legalize suppression" of evidence of American war crimes.  ---  What made those detainee photographs so important from the start is that they depict brutal abuse well outside of the Abu Ghraib facility and thus reveal to Americans -- and the world -- that America's torture was not, as they've been constantly told, limited to rogue sadists at Abu Ghraib and the waterboarding of three bad guys.  Instead, our torture regime was systematic, pervasive, brutal, fatal, and -- becuase it was the by-product of conscious policies set at the highest levels of government -- common across America's "War on Terror" detention regime.  These photographs would have documented those vital facts; combated the false denials from torture apologists; fueled the momentum for accountability; and revealed, in graphic and unavoidable terms, what was truly done by America's government.  But a Democrat-led Congress, at the urging of a Democratic President, is now taking extraordinary steps -- including a new law which has no purpose other than to suppress evidence of America's war crimes -- to ensure that this evidence never sees the light of day." -- also posted at Uruknet & CommonDreams & AftrDwngSt

Gore Vidal's United States of Fury
Must Read - Some quotes...."The current spasming death of America was foretold at its birth, Vidal says, and it can only be understood by whirling back there. It has been his mission to explain the past to the "United States of Amnesia," through his novels and essays. When he speaks, he sweeps over two millennia of history – from Caesar to Obama – as if he was there, forever spraying one-liners from the back row. Today, he was stopped time in Philadelphia, at the birth of the republic. "Benjamin Franklin saw all this coming," he says. "I quote him because most Americans don't even know who he was now. You'll have to explain to your readers." Franklin was a writer, scientist and soldier who became one of the founding fathers of the United States. "In Philadelphia in 1781, when the constitution was being put together, he was an observer. He didn't want to have any part of it, and as he was leaving the Constitution Hall in Philadelphia a couple of old ladies said, 'Ah, Mr Franklin, what is going to happen?' He told them: 'Well, you're going to get a Republic, if you can keep it. But every constitution of this sort has failed since the beginning of time due to the corruption of the people." -- also posted at ICH

Change we can’t believe in
Must Read - A quote...."Barack Obama promised a sharp break from the Bush era, yet he seems to have stepped into the shoes of his disgraced predecessor. As the anniversary of his election approaches, Mehdi Hasan investigates what went wrong " -- also posted at Uruknet

Senators Vote to Renew Patriot Act Spy Powers
A quote...."A deeply divided Senate committee on Thursday forwarded legislation to the full Senate that reauthorizes three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act hastily adopted in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks."

SNL--Obama Accomplishments Jack and Squat
Video - It appears to be a two minute clip out of about seven minutes, but it's still funny.  YouTube has pulled it off their list so enjoy it while it lasts. - mpg

Peace of the Action by Cindy Sheehan
Action Alert - A quote...."We are calling for 5000 people to commit to come to this Nation’s Capitol to participate in daily civil resistance to stop “business as usual,” because “business as usual” in this town is so corrupt and disordered. -- We are not calling for this commitment for a day, a week, or a month. We are not even interested in making symbolic gestures. We are calling for this commitment until our demands of: All troops and para-military mercenaries, are ordered out of Iraq and Afghanistan, the drone bombings in the tribal regions of Af-Pak are discontinued and we get about the business of healing, reconciliation and REPARATIONS."

Nato trucks set ablaze in Pakistan
A quote...."Anti-government fighters in Pakistan have set alight supply trucks destined for Western forces in Afghanistan. -- The attack on six Nato vehicles on Friday at a terminal in a suburb of the city of Peshawar occurred after a weapon was stolen from a watchman, police said."

US forces in Afghanistan leave base after attack
A quote...."KABUL — U.S. forces have withdrawn from an isolated base in eastern Afghanistan after a fierce insurgent attack last week that marked one of the deadliest battles of the war for U.S. troops, the NATO-led coalition said Friday."

Who Are the Taliban? -- The Afghan War Deciphered
Must Read - If there is an exact location marking the West's failures in Afghanistan, it is the modest police checkpoint that sits on the main highway 20 minutes south of Kabul. The post signals the edge of the capital, a city of spectacular tension, blast walls, and standstill traffic. Beyond this point, Kabul's gritty, low-slung buildings and narrow streets give way to a vast plain of serene farmland hemmed in by sandy mountains. In this valley in Logar province, the American-backed government of Afghanistan no longer exists." -- also posted at ThePeoplesVoice & CommonDreams

Geneva talks, one step forward for Iran: Mottaki
A quote...."Mottaki noted that during the last year's talks in Geneva, the world powers had set preconditions for talks with Iran, but in the recent talks, they adopted a different approach towards Tehran's package of proposals. -- "The result of the talks about Iran's package of proposals in Geneva earlier this month, in which the US representative was also present, was the fact that the powers agreed on the package as the base for the talks. Last year, the situation was not like this," he added. -- "Today, even the US says it is ready for negotiation with Iran without any precondition," the minister said."

Iran activist sentenced to death for election protests
A quote...."A revolutionary court in Tehran handed the penalty to Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani, 37, after convicting him of muhabereh – taking up arms against Iran's Islamic system. -- The sentence was imposed after he confessed to working for a little-known exile group, the Iran Monarchy Committee, which Iranian officials describe as a terrorist organisation. Prosecutors alleged that he plotted political assassinations with US military officials in Iraq before returning to Iran "aiming at causing disruption during and after the election"." -- Forced confessions are utterly unacceptable; they are just the lies of the state placed into defendants' mouths to support state policy.  If they reflect reality at all it would simply be an accident of chance. Forced "confessions" distort, waylay and ultimately corrupt the process of justice.  They are the enemy of truth. – mpg

Israeli's bid to buy Al-Jazeera from Qatar
A quote...."An Israeli media tycoon has offered to buy the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera satellite television network from the government of Qatar. -- Haim Saban, has submitted an offer to the Qatari government in a bid to purchase half of the Doha -based Al-Jazeera satellite network." -- also posted at OhBummer
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Zionists Go After Galloway Again - Thou Shalt Not Help Those People
A quote...."Jew Weekly, or Weekly Jew, whatever, is reporting this farce, again here's the Zionists clutching at straws. Notice how it's always "A-Ok" for Zionists to have multiple large borg groups on every campus worldwide spreading hasbara. Yet when a small group of people at California UC, some of whom evidently were.........Shhhhh, "Muslims" GASP!!! had the audacity to collect donations from consenting adults over 18 years of age for Humanitarian Aid via the Viva Palestina group headed by George Galloway, I presume for his next Aid convoy in December. Why what happens next? The Zionist Organisation of America goes postal and cries "No Fair" and when THAT does not work they then attempt to link the money to Hamas. God these people really need to "get a life"

After Goldstone, Hamas faces fateful choice
A quote...."The uproar over the Palestinian Authority's (PA) collaboration with Israel to bury the Goldstone report, calling for trials of Israeli leaders for war crimes in Gaza, is a political earthquake. The whole political order in place since the 1993 Oslo accords were signed is crumbling. As the initial tremors begin to fade, the same old political structures may appear still to be in place, but they are hollowed out. This unprecedented crisis threatens to topple the US-backed PA leader Mahmoud Abbas, but it also leaves Hamas, the main Palestinian resistance faction, struggling with fateful choices." -- also posted at AlethoNews

Informed sources: Abbas advised not to return to Ramallah
Related Article - A quote...."RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Informed Palestinian sources revealed on condition of anonymity that Mahmoud Abbas was advised by some of his aides to delay this return to Ramallah in the West Bank until the popular anger and the scandal he caused by his position regarding Goldstone’s report subside." -- also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

The Goldstone Report: Killing the Messenger
A quote...."On October 1, the Obama administration successfully pressured the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva to drop its proposal to recommend that the UN Security Council endorse the findings of the Goldstone Commission report. The report, authored by renowned South African jurist Richard Goldstone, detailed the results of the UNHRC's fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict. These findings included the recommendation that both Hamas and the Israeli government bring to justice those responsible for war crimes during the three weeks of fighting in late December and early January. If they don't, the report urges that the case be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible prosecution." -- also posted at CommonDreams

Palestinians call for strike, warn of battle at Al Aqsa mosque
A quote...."JERUSALEM: Palestinian leaders on Thursday called for a one-day general strike and warned of more street protests over Jerusalem, but Israel played down the risk of an uprising despite two weeks of tension in the disputed city."

UN 'Concerned' Over Israeli Aggression at Al-Aqsa - posted at The Palestine Chronicle
A quote...."The UN's special Middle East coordinator, Robert Serry, said on Thursday that he was in contact with all sides 'in an effort to defuse tensions.' -- Israel deployed thousands of troops in the area after it closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound to Palestinians in a bid to allow a Jewish religious ceremony to be held in the compound."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

New Resistance March in Honduran Capital
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Oct 8 (Prensa Latina) The National Front against the coup d'Etat convened Thursday a new march in this capital, in defense of constitutional order, after 103 consecutive days of resistance."

Writing on the Wall in Honduras: Graffiti from the Coup Resistance
A quote...."Even as tireless Honduran protesters approach their 100th day of resistance, continuing to avoiding police tear gas and attend funerals of slain resisters, some facets of quotidian Tegucigalpa life continue under the dictatorship: cars cram into traffic-filled streets, those Hondurans with jobs go to work, and wealthy consumers hit the shopping malls. To maintain this facade of control, on September 27th the Micheletti dictatorship issued a decree dissolving fundamental rights such as the right to assembly and free speech, and the following day closed the critical media sources in the country by force. Yet the literal writing on the walls deny the state of calm that the coup leaders claim exists and expose the state of exception that they impose. These photos capture the ongoing conversations in a shrinking space for expression."
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Guest Post: The Sound Of One Hand Clapping - What Deflationists May Be Missing
Must Read - A quote...."The hot topic of the day is "Inflation or Deflation?" and the camps are firmly divided into the inflationistas and deflationistas. When asked which camp I am in, I reply "Yes." Some would say that puts me in the confusionista camp, but I actually have an explanation for why are living in a world of 'both.' -- From a technical perspective we are absolutely in one of the most powerfully deflationary periods in history, yet besides housing prices and a few over-produced consumer goods, we find that stocks, bonds and commodities are all well bid at the moment." -- For more on this isue see....Why Can't We All Just Keep Pretending? - 09-02-09 - mpg

Gold is NOT At An All-Time High, and the Gold Rally Could Suddenly Reverse if Dollar Strengthens
Must Read - Gold Caution - Chart - A quote...."Everyone knows that gold is now at an all-time high, right? -- Wrong. -- As Barry Ritzholtz points out...."

"While everyone seems to be all abuzz over Gold’s new highs, you should be aware that these are nominal, not real highs. Adjusted for Inflation, Gold is nowhere near its all time peak — in real terms, its only about half its prior highs:

"And MarketWatch notes...."

"Gold's performance in the euro, British pound and other currencies has been lackluster compared to its rise in U.S. dollars, a trend suggesting investors are more interested in bullion as a hedge against the greenback than global inflation."

So there you have it.  The Fed keeps pouring money into the market, wealthy investors, institutions and other criminals desperately looking for some place to put all this loot are cramming it into stocks and bonds, but they're beginning to get a little edgy, they’re hedging all those extra dollars they're stuck with by buying gold and they're certainly not going to put their loot into the "real economy" which looks like it will continue to contract for several more years.  However they're all becoming increasingly nervous about their various "investments", much, if not most of which, are actually highly leveraged loans.

But all their gyrations are highly entertaining to watch, better than a circus side show.  Anyone want to bet when they'll panic?  Who'll set it off, most likely deliberately or perhaps otherwise, as part of the "ten year cycle"....or not? Could the panic be tomorrow, could it be a year from now, or even two (which would conform with the ten year cycle, but keep in mind the "cycle" is an artificial construction of the elites).  It's your money and it's your call folks, good luck and good hunting. – mpg

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Video: Max Keiser on Alex Jones Tv – Kiss The Dollar Goodbye!! - AltVid1 - AltVid2 - AltVid3 - AltVid4
Videos - Special Note -- More Mad Max, lots of good stuff!  enjoy! - mpg -- A quote...."Financial expert Max Keiser to talk about the demise of the dollar. -- http://maxkeiser.com/ -- http://prisonplanet.tv/

Gold Touches a New Record - [And many other issues]
A quote...."Yesterday, it touched a new record – $1,050 – even as the dollar rose, oil slumped under $70 and stocks dipped very slightly. -- Well, what do you expect? The United States added $1 trillion to its monetary base in the last year or so. The federal government is running a deficit of $1.7 trillion this year. And along comes Barack Obama with an idea to stimulate employment – spend more money! This time, Obama’s plan is a kind of “Cash for Workers” program…in which businesses get a tax credit for hiring new employees. -- Gold investors must think the new program will be the straw they’ve been waiting for. Government has piled bales of costly new initiatives on this poor camel’s back. Still, he stands up straight. -- So, is gold at $1,000 a bargain…or a trap? Or both."

Geithner’s Appointment Book: Taking Orders from the International Bankers
A quote...."Timothy Geithner, Treasury Secretary, always takes calls from his bankster bosses on Wall Street, according to an Associated Press report. -- “Even during his most frenzied days, when Congress is demanding answers or the president himself is calling, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner makes time to talk to a select group of powerful Wall Street bankers,” write Matt Apuzzo and Daniel Wagner."

Treasuries Fall After Weaker-Than-Average Demand at Bond Sale
Treasury Alert - A quote...."Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Treasuries declined, with 30 year bonds falling the most in two weeks after the government’s $12 billion auction of the debt drew weaker- than-average demand."

34 banks don't pay their quarterly TARP dividends
A quote...."In a sign that more banks are under great pressure from the recession, 34 financial institutions did not pay their quarterly dividends in August to the Treasury on funds obtained under the Troubled Asset Relief Fund (TARP). The number almost doubled from 19 in May when payments were last made, and also raised questions about Treasury's judgment in approving these banks as "healthy," a necessary step for them to get TARP funding."

FHA Shortfall Seen at $54 Billion May Lead to Bailout
A quote...."The Federal Housing Administration, which insures mortgages with low down payments, may require a U.S. bailout because it has $54 billion more in losses than it can withstand, a former Fannie Mae executive said." -- from Bloomberg

Bankruptcy Filings Spiking: Chapter 7 Booming
A quote...."It is interesting what passes for good news in today’s market.  For example, Alcoa announced a profit for the third quarter.  Good news right?  Well if you look into the details the company has cut 18,000 jobs in the 12 months ending on June 30th and also planned on cutting an additional $2.4 billion in costs.  In this economic crisis people need to look at the details before assuming something is just good news."

Current Numbers Dont Add Up To Recovery
A quote...."If the birth/death ratio is removed, U-6 is in reality 21.3% total US unemployment. The estimate is that 824,000, more jobs may be extracted from the payroll count for the 12-months ended next March. Such a revision would be the biggest since 1991. The BLS is underestimating job losses deliberately and has been for a long time. That would mean September’s loss would be some 300,000 not 263,000. -- Such a revision would put job losses not at 4.8 million but 5.6 million jobs."

GM to cut 10,500 more jobs by year’s end
A quote...."General Motors (GM) announced Wednesday that it will lay off 10,500 more workers by January 1 in order to meet the terms of its “restructuring” plan, which was forced on the largest US automaker by the Obama administration’s Auto Task Force in the summer."

White House-backed plan to slash health care costs advances in Senate
All you ObamaTrolls happy yet....ARE YOU HAPPY YET?!?! - mpg -- A quote...."President Obama’s push for a cost-cutting overhaul of the US health care system that will slash benefits for millions of workers and retirees moved forward Wednesday, with the release of a report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on legislation drafted by the Senate Finance Committee."

Iceland Political Leader Calls For Debt Moratorium As Government Crumbles
A quote...."REYKJAVIK, Iceland — A leading member of the Icelandic parliament called Monday night for the country to declare a debt moratorium and stop attempting to pay the $6 billion which the British and Netherlands governments are seeking to extort from Iceland with the help of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission in Brussels. This dramatic call was issued by Birgitta Jónsdóttir, the chairman of the parliamentary faction of The Movement in the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. Birgitta Jónsdóttir was speaking during a special session of the Althing called to address the rapidly deteriorating economic and financial position of Iceland, one year after the collapse of the three hot-money offshore banks, Landsbanki, Kaupthing, and Glitnir." -- also posted at DProgram

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100809-101409 - links page

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