[cia-drugs] State Guard forms anti-terrorism intelligence unit

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

yeah, its prohibited.  unless they 
'deputize' the soldiers, like they do when they use them for DRUG RAIDS.  
-vmann
 
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/1199.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
 
State Guard forms 
anti-terrorism intelligence unitOfficials deny civil libertarian claims that the group will monitor 
American citizens, which is prohibitedBy 
DION NISSENBAUMSan Jose Mercury 
News
SACRAMENTO - 
Three decades after aggressive military spying on Americans created a 
national furor, California's National Guard has quietly set up a special 
intelligence unit that has been given ''broad authority'' to monitor, analyze 
and distribute information on potential terrorist threats, the Mercury News has 
learned.
Known as the Information Synchronization, Knowledge Management and 
Intelligence Fusion program, the project is part of an expanding nationwide 
effort to better integrate military intelligence into global anti-terrorism 
initiatives.
Although Guard officials said the new unit would not collect information on 
American citizens, top National Guard officials have already been involved in 
tracking at least one recent Mother's Day anti-war rally organized by families 
of slain American soldiers, according to e-mails obtained by the Mercury 
News.
Creation of California's intelligence unit is already raising concerns for 
civil libertarians who point to a string of abuses in the 1960s and 1970s when 
the military collected information on more than 100,000 Americans, infiltrated 
church youth groups, posed as reporters to interview activists, monitored 
peaceful protests and even attended an elementary school Halloween party in 
search of a ''dissident.''
''The National Guard doesn't need to do this,'' said Christopher Pyle, a 
former Army intelligence officer who first exposed the military's domestic 
spying operations in 1970. ''Its job is not to investigate individuals, but to 
clear streets, protect facilities and help first responders.''
Top Guard officers said that they have no intentions of breaking 
long-established rules barring the military from gathering information on 
Americans and that the evolving program is meant to help California and the 
nation thwart terrorist attacks.
''We do not do any type of surveillance or human intelligence or mixing with 
crowds,'' said Lt. Col. Stan Zezotarski. ''The National Guard does not operate 
in that way. We have always had a policy where we respect the rights of 
citizens.''
Forming the unit|
Generally, the National Guard is called upon to help the state deal with 
natural disasters and riots. But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have put major 
strains on the military, which has started drawing more on Guard soldiers to 
fight overseas. And now Guard units are being integrated into anti-terrorism 
efforts in the United States.
The intelligence unit was quietly established last year by Major Gen. Thomas 
Eres, the National Guard leader who was forced by the Schwarzenegger 
administration to retire earlier this month. Eres left amid allegations that he 
failed to prove his shooting skills for a trip to Iraq, set up a questionable 
military flight for a Republican friend's political group, and improperly used 
money meant to stem the flow of drugs for anti-terrorism programs.
Just before Eres retired, the Guard hired its first director for the 
intelligence unit who has ''broad authority'' and is expected to ''exercise a 
high degree of independent judgment and discretion,'' according to the job 
description obtained by the Mercury News.
''However, highly controversial or precedent-setting decisions, directives 
and policies are discussed with the appropriate senior leadership prior to 
implementation,'' the description states.
Col. Robert J. O'Neill, a veteran intelligence officer who started last week 
as director of the new program, said he envisions his team as being a one-stop 
shop for local, state and national law enforcement to share information. 
Intelligence officers will have access to sensitive national security 
information that they can analyze and potentially share with state and local law 
enforcement, he said.
''We are trying to integrate into their systems and bring them information 
that they don't have,'' O'Neill said.
He said his unit would not cross any legal lines into spying on Americans. 
But the Guard's role in monitoring at least one demonstration has already 
alarmed civil libertarians.
Tracking the rally|
Last month, a group of anti-war activists, including the parents of American 
soldiers killed in Iraq, held a small Mother's Day rally at the Vietnam 
Veteran's Memorial near the California Capitol to call for the return of all 
National Guard troops by Labor Day.
Three days before the rally, as a courtesy to the military, an aide in Gov. 
Arnold Schwarzenegger's press office alerted the Guard to the event, according 
to e-mails obtained by the Mercury News.
The information was passed

[cia-drugs] Japan and China Tensions and Washington's Asia Geopolitics

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20040402&articleId=194
 


  
  

  Japan and China 
  Tensions and Washington’s Asia Geopolitics
  
  by William 
  Engdahl
  

  April 2, 
2004
  

   
  

  
  Coinciding with the re-election of 
  George Bush we have seen a significant and strategic shift in US China 
  policy. The shift involves a major upgrade of the US military security 
  relationship with Japan. It portends major consequences for the dollar and 
  world economic growth. Not surprisingly, the shift coincides with the near 
  frantic efforts by China to secure energy security, particularly in oil 
  and natural gas, through major deals with Iran, Russia, Canada and 
  Venezuela, sometimes referred to as the BRIC alliance group of 
  states.
  The March visit to Tokyo, Seoul and 
  Beijing by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, underscored the new 
  Administration policy of trying to set Japan into motion against the 
  growing economic and political clout of China in the region. The 
  consequences of a new and deepening strategic opposition between China and 
  Japan for world economic and financial health are potentially 
  considerable.
  In Tokyo March 21 Rice declared that 
  Japan would be the ‘umbrella’ for US policy (read Trojan Horse) in Asia, 
  since both Tokyo and Washington "have already chosen a common set of 
  values and understandings" (sic). She went on to cite the "rise of China 
  as a new factor in global politics." True enough, but the tone was 
  markedly negative in comparison to US China policy since September 2001. 
  "The internal evolution of China is still undefined" Rice added, naming 
  "issues of freedom of religion, human rights…Taiwan" as "matters of 
  concern that could take a wrong turn." She stated, provocatively, "we want 
  to prod, push and persuade China…" The fact that she chose Tokyo to 
  deliver the remarks was no doubt understood clearly enough in Beijing. 
  Washington has put China squarely and openly on its radar screen for 
  potential "regime change" and other fine things.
  During her Asia tour Rice repeatedly 
  stressed that Washington would back Japan in the region and supported the 
  Japanese desire for permanent UN Security Council veto status. In Tokyo 
  she called on Japan and other countries in the region to unite and demand 
  that China "eventually embrace democracy." She openly opposed the recent 
  effort of the European Union to lift the 1989 arms embargo on China as 
  well, and warned of a new Chinese threat against Taiwan.
  Not surprising, Washington is moving 
  in a classic balance of power style to set Japan, the weaker of two 
  rivals, in motion, in order to counter the growing influence of China, the 
  larger rival, in the enormously important Pacific region. Last December, 
  under US "encouragement" the Koizumi government issued its 10-year defense 
  program which for the first time openly named China as a potential threat. 
  Two months after, in February, Japan explicitly agreed with Washington 
  that the Taiwan Strait was a "common strategic concern" of Washington and 
  Tokyo.
  This is the first time Japan has 
  involved itself so directly in the postwar period in the Taiwan issue, and 
  was, not surprisingly, viewed in Beijing as a brazen interference in 
  China’s internal affairs. To add oil to the fire, on February 9 Tokyo 
  announced the Japanese Coast Guard would officially take control of the 
  disputed Senkaku Islands (Diaoyo in Chinese). As well Japan was the only 
  major nation outside the USA to oppose the EU plans to end the China arms 
  embargo.
  Washington has repeatedly urged Japan 
  to rearm and increase its military profile, as well as promising Taiwan 
  that should China use force to prevent a Taiwan declaration of 
  independence, the US would go to war on its behalf. Little wonder that 
  anti-American sentiment in the region is rising.
  Pentagon hawks refer to Japan as the 
  "Britain of the Far East," a reference to the wartime and current US-UK 
  historic "special relationship" in military and other strategic affairs. 
  They see Japan, like Britain, as a geopolitical "island power." Their idea 
  is evidently to use Japan as a proxy against North Korea and China. The US 
  nurturing of Japanese military ambitions intersects Japanese rising 
  nationalism and fear of Chinese domination economically. This is a 
  volatile combination in every respect.
  In addition to changing the Japanese 
  Constitution recently to allow "out-of-area" military missions, i.e. not 
  Japan defense related, Tokyo is also in advanced talks w

[cia-drugs] 9/11: Gov. Jesse Ventura Has Doubts In Official 9/11 Story

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=62964  9/11: Gov. Jesse Ventura Has Doubts In Official 
9/11 StoryGov. Ventura wants 9/11 truth 
on air defense  Total 411 Info/Black OP 
Radio -Friday, August 20, 2004   Jesse 
Ventura is discussing a rather large problem with the official 9/11 chronology. 
This audio clip is from Black Op Radio (July 22nd)  BLACK OP RADIO 
HOST ANITA LANGLEY: On the current situation, do you see any parallels [to the 
JFK assassination] with the way the 9/11 has been treated?  FORMER 
MINNESOTA GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA: Well, you know... At first, again, I wanted to 
believe 9/11, you know. But the problem I have with 9/11 is just a real simple 
one. I'm trying to figure out -- and of course they're now attempting to answer 
it somewhat -- how we could have failed so miserably in not having air defense. 
 Because if you look back particulalrly -- I don't know if you're 
familiar -- remember Payne Stewart, the golfer?  LANGLEY: Yeah, 
that's been brought up a few times on this program...  GOV. 
VENTURA: He was flying in a private jet. And when they had that mechanical 
malfunction that apparently killed everyone on board, and the jet was up there 
flying on automatic pilot; well it only took them a matter of minutes to 
scramble a fighter jet and have it up there on the wing. And had Mr. Stewart's 
plane, if it looked like it was going to go down and hit a metropolitan area, of 
course they would blow it out of the air. But when they saw it was just going to 
land in a field in Nebraska [sic. - actually South Dakota], why they just let it 
go down and crash on its own.  And the problem I have with 9/11 is 
that. Where the heck was our defense? Who was sleeping at the wheel? While all 
of these planes... I mean, I've been to air traffic control when I was Governor, 
and you've got a dozen people there looking at these dials, watching every plane 
in their sector. They know where it's going and they know what direction it's 
supposed to be going. Now, how is it that these planes were able to 
be hijacked at half hour intervals, turned directly opposite the way they're 
supposed to be going and no bells went off, no emergency sirens went off, no 
fighter jets were scrambled? Just what the hell happened in that area of time?! 
And that's the part that troubles me about 9/11.  HOST LEN OSANIC: 
Yeah, I find it troubling that the Pentagon got hit at all.  GOV. 
VENTURA: Yeah, I mean, here's the Pentagon, the head of our military. How was 
this plane able to circle the city of Baltimore [sic. - actually Arlington] at 
least once, picking out a target, and then drive into it, and we didn't have -- 
nothing up in the air? There wasn't one scrambled fighter jet up there to defend 
in any way, shape, or form? Wow.  OSANIC: Or a missle battery to 
defend the Pentagon...  GOV VENTURA: Yeah. Anything, anything! And 
the thing that troubles me about the Bush Administration, nobody ever gets 
fired... (1 image)


Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/

Please let us stay on topic and be civil. 

OM




  
  





  
  
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[cia-drugs] Snow says premature to comment on CNOOC-Unocal deal

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B30D1A22C-2660-476E-B5C7-13BD4E871DFD%7D
 
Snow says premature to 
comment on CNOOC-Unocal deal

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Bush administration 
will carefully consider all national security concerns of a possible takeover of 
Unocal Corp. (UCL) by Chinese oil company Cnooc Ltd. (CEO), U.S. Treasury 
Secretary John Snow said Tuesday. 
"It is a little premature; there isn't a transaction yet," Snow said in a 
wide-ranging interview with CNBC's Squawk Box. "We will look at anything that 
raises national security issues and there is a good process in place to do 
that." 
Snow leads an inter-agency panel that reviews foreign direct investment into 
the U.S. for threats to U.S. national security - the Committee on Foreign 
Investment in the U.S. 
Snow said approval would depend on the circumstances of the deal and the 
companies involved, for example the types of technology they use. 
The majority state-owned Cnooc has offered Unocal shareholders $67 a share 
for a total $18.5 billion. 
Snow said the U.S. review shouldn't discourage foreign investment in the U.S. 

"U.S. capital markets need to stay open," he said. "We welcome investment 
into the U.S. as a general rule. If it raises national security issues we are 
very careful to scrutinize it and be sure we don't put our national security at 
risk." 
The U.S. remains an attractive destination for foreign investment, Snow said, 
dismissing the suggestion that Chinese investors might lose their appetite for 
U.S. Treasury bonds. 
"The U.S. offers the highest risk-adjusted returns in the world," he said. 
"It is in China's interest to bring capital into the U.S. Any rash act on their 
part would punish them more than us." 
Snow again called on China to introduce a more flexible foreign exchange 
system. He said he believes engagement with China is the best way to persuade 
the government to ease its peg to the U.S. dollar. 
"The best way to get China to act is the quiet but firm financial diplomacy 
we are engaged in," Snow said. 
Turning to the state of the U.S. economy, he said high energy costs are 
hurting the global economy, although the U.S. is coping with the adjustment. 

"Energy prices are way too high for my book," Snow said, adding that supplies 
are very tight. The U.S. economy is "pushing through" the headwind of high 
energy costs, growing above trend and showing resilience, Snow said. 
Oil prices settled at $60.54 on Monday, the highest level since oil futures 
began trading on Nymex in 1983. 
Still, inflation expectations remain subdued, Snow later said while offering 
his view of why U.S. bond yields remain at historically low levels, a phenomenon 
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has called a conundrum. 
Inflation is low and productivity is expected to remain high, Snow said. 
Global competition is keeping prices low and global savings are strong, he said. 

"The supply of loanable funds is large and it seeks places to get 
returns...holding interest rates low," Snow said. 
Snow also repeated his allegiance to a strong U.S. dollar set by currency 
markets, which he said is the best policy for supporting the health of the U.S. 
economy. 
"We have a strong dollar policy," Snow said. "At the same time we think the 
exchange value of any currency is best said in open, competitive currency 
markets." 
The U.S. dollar hit a 10-month high against the euro Friday at $1.1981, as 
political turmoil in Europe has shifted investors' focus away from risks posed 
by large U.S. trade and budget deficits. 
Snow dismissed a suggestion that political strain in Europe could lead the 
E.U. to abandon the euro. 
"The euro is there and it's going to stay there," he said, adding that Europe 
"has come a long way" in unifying its national economies. 
Snow said rising tax revenues generated by faster U.S. economic growth and 
job creation is bringing the federal budget down faster than expected. He 
repeated his view that stronger economic demand in Europe and Japan would help 
bring down the U.S. current account deficit. 
Europe's largest economy, Germany, would quickly reap benefits from 
structural reforms to the economy, Snow said. 
"If they can get policies in place to bring more flexibility, I think Germany 
is ready for a rebound," Snow said. 
Snow again said he doesn't believe that U.S. home prices are overvalued 
across the nation, although they could be unsustainably high in some markets. 

"In some markets housing prices have risen out of alignments with incomes," 
he said. "Investing in your own home is a good investment." 
Snow deflected the question of President George W. Bush's choice to replace 
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, whose term leading the 
interest-rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee expires at the end of the 
year. 
"Stay tuned," Snow said. "As the White House has said on all these issues, 
and this includes any openings on the Supreme Court, there is a 

[cia-drugs] American Liberty League:

[RoadsEnd]

http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/all-both.htmlKey Financiers, Organizers and Groups linked to the American Liberty League:American LegionAssociation Against the Prohibition AmendmentSewell AveryThomas L. ChadbourneChamber of CommerceChristian AmericaAlbert ChristmasDr. Samuel H. ChurchRobert S. ClarkWilliam L. ClaytonCommittee for a Sound Dollar and Sound CurrencyCrusadersBill DoyleThe Dupont familyAlfred W. EricksonWalter E. FrewAlbert W. HawkesWilliam R. HearstHoward HeinzE.F. HuttonWilliam S. KnudsenDouglas MacArthurHanford MacNiderGerald MacGuireAndrew W. MellonNathan L. MillerGeorge M. MoffettJ.P. MorganGrayson M.-P. MurphyNational Association of ManufacturersOrder of '76Pitcairn familyJ. Howard PewJohn L. PrattJoseph M. ProskauerJohn J. RaskobDavid A. ReedHal RoachRockefeller AssociatesPauline SabinJouett ShouseAlfred P. Sloan, JrAlfred SmithSentinels of the RepublicSouthern Committee to Uphold the ConstitutionWilliam H. StaytonJames W. Wadsworth, JrErnest T. WeirJoseph E. WidenerWilliam Woodward SrSources: The above articles on the organizers, financiers and groups linked to the American Liberty League were written by Press for Conversion! editor Richard Sanders. Although most of the references are listed at the conclusion of each article, other more general reference materials were also used.Click here for these and other sources on the American Liberty League and the plot to overthrow FDR!The American Liberty League By Richard Sanders, Editor, Press for Conversion!Lurking in the background behind the plot to oust FDR was the American Liberty League, a pro-business think-tank and ultra-right wing lobby group. Its treasurer was Jerry MacGuire’s boss, Grayson Murphy, a leading J.P. Morgan broker. One of its top donors was Robert Clark, who also tried to recruit General Smedley Butler into the conspiracy to oust President Franklin D. Roosevelt.The origins of the League were very closely tied to an earlier organization of multi-millionaires, motivated entirely by greed and self-interest, that concerned itself with repealing the alcohol prohibition laws, The Association Against the Prohibition Amendment.General Butler testified to the MacCormack-Dickstein Committee that when he asked whether anything was “stirring” with regards to Jerry MacGuire’s wealthy backers’ plans for a “superorganization” to coordinate the coup against FDR, MacGuire predicted the American Liberty League’s emergence, saying: “Yes, you watch; in two or three weeks you will see it come out in the paper. There will be big fellows in it. This is to be the background of it.”Jules Archer, in The Plot to Seize the White House (1976), said the “link between the conspiracy and the powerful interests…in the background” was “the most significant” part of Butler’s testimony. However, MacGuire’s foreknowledge of the League and its links to the fascist plot were deleted from the Committee’s published report.Archer notes that Butler was “stunned” and “genuinely alarmed” upon reading of the League’s formation:"For the first time it dawned upon him that if the American Liberty League was the ‘superorganization’ behind the plot, [as] it seemed to be, the country’s freedom was in genuine peril. Such money and power as the men behind the League possessed could easily mobilize a thinly-disguised Fascist army from the ranks of jobless, embittered veterans and do what Mussolini had done in Italy with the financial support of the Italian plutocracy MacGuire had outlined...the conspirators’ plans for a putsch [coup], indicating it would easily succeed...because …the American Liberty League, was behind it with money and arms MacGuire revealed that the people behind him... could... raise $300 million for the putsch."On January 23, 1936, Senator Schwellenbach denounced all the “rascals and crooks who control the American Liberty League.” Senator Robert La Follette, Jr., said it cannot “be expected to defend the liberty of the masses of the American people. It speaks for the vested interests.”The League, funded by Wall Street’s leading fascists, received $500,000 during its first year alone. So much of this money came from the du Ponts that U.S. Postmaster General, Jim Farley, called it the “American Cellophane League” because, he said, it was a du Pont product that you could see right through. The du Ponts – through their control of the Remington Arms Co. – were also prepared to provide weapons for the Croix de feu-like veterans’ organization that the conspirators wanted Butler to lead as part of their plan to overthrow the government.With a staff of 50 in their 31-room, New York City headquarters, the League was FDR’s most formidable foe. It launched chapters at 26 colleges and universities and spawned 15 front groups across the country to spread anti-labour, anti-communist and anti-Semitic hatred. The League distributed 50 million copies of extremely right-wing, often blatantly fascistic, pamphlets. It bankrolled a speakers’ bureau, hoste

[cia-drugs] Washington in crisis over opposition to Iraq war

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jun2005/iraq-j28.shtml
Washington in crisis over opposition to Iraq 
warBill Van Auken, WSWS28 June 2005 -President 
George W. Bush has been forced to renew his effortsat selling the war in 
Iraq to the American people under conditions in whichWashington's military 
adventure has turned into a quagmire and popularsupport for a withdrawal of 
US troops has reached an all-time high.Bush is set to deliver a rare 
prime-time television address Tuesday night,using massed troops at Fort 
Bragg in North Carolina as his backdrop. Thesetting is itself highly 
significant, casting the president once again asthe war-time 
"commander-in-chief," accountable to no one because of hiscontrol over the 
US military.The administration's recent attempts to portray anyone 
questioning itspolicy in Iraq as a traitor and accomplice in the death of 
American troopsis a measure of its growing desperation in the face of a 
sea-change inpublic opinion.Recent polls have shown fully 60 percent 
of the American people favoring USwithdrawal from Iraq. They further 
indicate that more Americans blame Bushfor the war (49 percent) than Saddam 
Hussein (44 percent). More than half ofthose polled say the war was "not 
worth fighting," and that it hascontributed nothing to the security of the 
US, while fully three-quartersbelieve that the current casualty levels are 
unacceptable.What is Bush's response? In a radio address from the White 
House Saturday hepreviewed the thrust of his upcoming televised 
speech-essentially a call tostay the course in Iraq and maintain a brutal 
and hated military occupation,in the name of "freedom" and the struggle to 
defeat "terrorism.""Now we will see that cause to victory in Iraq," Bush 
declared. "Ademocratic Iraq will be a powerful setback to the terrorists who 
seek toharm our nation."Bush made it clear he intends for US troops 
to be killing and dying in Iraqfor years to come. He declared, "Our military 
strategy is clear: We willtrain Iraqi security forces so they can defend 
their freedom and protecttheir people, and then our troops will return home 
with the honor they haveearned."Even those most optimistic about the 
fledgling Iraqi security forces saythat it will take five more years before 
they are in any position to fighton their own. Less sanguine observers 
question whether the goal will ever bereached, given the identification of 
these forces with a despised foreignoccupation and their infiltration by the 
Iraqi resistance.Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave his own estimate 
Sunday, stating in atelevision news interview that the "insurgency could go 
on for any number ofyears. Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, ten, 
twelve years."After more than two years of a war that has claimed tens 
of thousands ofIraqi lives together with those of nearly 1,750 US military 
personnel-and ata cost of nearly $180 billion-the administration envisions 
another decade ofcarnage in Iraq and a permanent US military 
occupation.Meanwhile, US military commanders have begun to distance 
themselves from thefalse optimism exhibited by the administration-summed up 
in Vice PresidentDick Cheney's claim last month that Iraqi resistance to the 
US occupationwas in its "last throes."Testifying before Congress 
last Thursday, US Central Command chief Gen. JohnAbizaid said "there are 
more foreign fighters coming into Iraq than therewere six months ago," while 
"the overall strength of the insurgency...wasthe same as it was six months 
ago." Pointing to deepening military moraleproblems, he added that soldiers 
were starting to "ask me the questionwhether or not they've got support from 
the American people." Asked aboutCheney's remark, the general replied, "I'm 
sure you'll forgive me fromcriticizing the vice president."The 
continuing setbacks suffered by the US military, the mountingcasualties, and 
the growing popular opposition have emboldened theadministration's nominal 
political opponents in the Democratic Party tocriticize the conduct of the 
war-while swearing their allegiance to samecause proclaimed by Bush. For the 
most part, the Democrats' reproach of theadministration starts from the call 
for more troops and greater nationalunity behind the war effort.The 
clearest enunciation of this reactionary policy came from Senator 
JosephBiden, the chief Democratic foreign policy spokesman and an early 
contenderfor the party's 2008 presidential nomination. Speaking before the 
BrookingsInstitution last week, Biden declared, "I want to see the president 
of theUnited States succeed in Iraq...His success is America's success, and 
hisfailure is America's failure."What America is Biden talking 
about? Success in a war launched on the basisof lies and for the predatory 
aim of asserting US hegemony over thestrategic oil reserves of the Middle 
East will not benefit American workingpeople. Rather, the aims of this war 
are bound up with the interests of afinancial ol

[cia-drugs] Has George Bush done anything positive?

[Skews Me]

I admit it! I'm jaded. I haven't seen anything good about Bush(s) for as long as I can remember. Is he (did they) do anything good for us? Medical access for the poor? Benefits for the needy? Strengthening of American businesses? Whatever. Anything?! I really don't know ANY good deed they've done. There's got to be something for people to grasp at, right?
 
And what the hell is a neocon?
 


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[cia-drugs] plan colombia vote forthcoming.. call your reps!

[:emaN leaR]

Next week, Congress will vote on more money for the next phase of 
Plan Colombia - as much as $750 million for 2006. The six-year 
policy of mostly military aid expires this year, and new money won't 
rescue a failed plan. Until there is a plan that can bring hope for 
Colombia, we reject additional funding for futile military 
strategies. The time to act is NOW.

Urge members of Congress to create an opening for peace by 
supporting an amendment to cut military spending. Urge your 
representative to vote YES on Rep. Farr's amendment, or any 
amendment to the FY2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that 
cuts military aid to Colombia. It's critical that we make our voices 
heard at this point in the process!

Before or on June 27th, call your member of Congress and urge 
support for any amendments to the FY2006 Foreign Operations 
Appropriations Bill that cut military aid to Colombia. (Call the 
congressional directory at 202-224-3121 or use the search tool at 
the top of this page to identify your member of Congress.) Here's a 
sample script for the call - modify it to personalize your message: 


"I am a constituent calling about Colombia amendments to the 
upcoming foreign operations appropriations bill. I would like 
Representative  to support a new policy toward Colombia, and 
I urge him/her to vote YES on any amendments that cut funding to the 
Andean Counterdrug Initiative in Colombia, or that cut military aid 
and transfer it to social aid. Given the failure to achieve any of 
its objectives, Plan Colombia should not be reauthorized; it should 
be replaced by a policy that works. Drug crop fumigation in Colombia 
has not helped increase the price, or decrease the availability of, 
drugs on U.S. streets, and direct human rights violations by the 
Colombian military have increased since U.S. aid began in 2000. We 
need a major shift away from fumigation and military aid, and toward 
alternative development programs and aid to displaced families. I 
would like Representative ___ to vote to change this policy, and 
to prioritize social assistance instead of military aid."
See the flash movie! This week is a week of action for peace in 
Colombia! View the flash movie and send an automated fax to your 
representative by visiting http://peaceincolombia.org and clicking 
on "Watch the PeaceInColombia movie" in the action box in the top 
right corner.

Updated March 22, 2005

NEW LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS!
This month Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) reintroduced legislation in the 
109th Congress to suspend operations of the School of the Americas/ 
WHINSEC. HR 1217, "The Latin America Military Training Review Act of 
2005," had 78 bi-partisan introductory co-sponsors -- thanks to YOUR 
determined efforts during our February Lobby Day and National Call-
in Day! The bill currently has 113 bi-partisan co-sponsors, which 
are listed at the bottom of the page.

For more details, visit thomas.loc.gov, and click on "Search Bills 
and Resolutions." Select the option to search by bill number, and in 
the "Enter Search" box, enter the bill number for HR 1217. By 
clicking on the "Bill Summary and Status" link, you can access other 
useful information about the bill.

If you do not see your Member of Congress at the bottom of this 
page, take the time to call their DC office by calling the Capitol 
Hill Switchboard (202-224-3121). Here is a suggested message for you 
to convey:

"I am calling Congressman/woman  to remind him/her that Rep. 
Jim McGovern has introduced HR 1217, The Latin America Military 
Training Review Act of 2005, which would suspend and investigate the 
School of the Americas, which now uses the acronym WHINSEC. I urge 
the Congressman/woman to contact Rep. McGovern's office to become a 
cosponsor of this bipartisan bill. This would be one very concrete 
step to support human rights and promote peace and justice for the 
people of Latin America."

A GOOD PHONE CALL SHOULD: 
· 
Be directed towards the appropriate person—the legislative staffer 
who handles the SOA/ WHINSEC issue, usually either the foreign 
policy or defense aide. Just ask when you call.
· 
Include mention of your name and city/area of residence so they know 
you are a constituent.
· 
Clearly state your ask: 
For Representatives: Co-sponsor HR 1217, sponsored by Re. McGovern, 
that calls for the suspension and investigation of the SOA/ WHINSEC. 
Have them call Rep. McGovern's office for more information.
For Senators: Introduce companion legislation in the Senate that 
would call for the suspension and investigation of the SOA/ WHINSEC.
· 
Briefly mention why that particular Member of Congress would and 
should support the ask. Check out the talking points for ideas (but 
feel free to think outside the box). 

RESEARCH BEFORE YOU CALL: 

A more informed caller usually gets a better response, so please do 
a little background research on your Member of Congress. This small 
investment wil

[cia-drugs] Mind Control at ConWiki.com

[Skews Me]

I was invited to write the entry for Mind Control at the new user-edited Conspiracy Wiki encyclopedia. I took a stab at it but feel it needs more.
 
http://conwiki.com/index.php?title=Mind_Control
 
 


Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/

Please let us stay on topic and be civil. 

OM




  
  





  
  
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[cia-drugs] Fwd: [Spy News] US military sinks further into the Iraqi quagmire

[RoadsEnd]

Begin forwarded message:From: "Mario Profaca" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: June 28, 2005 1:37:45 PM PDTTo: "!SPY NEWS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Subject: [Spy News] US military sinks further into the Iraqi quagmireReply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jun2005/resi-j28.shtmlUS military sinks further into the Iraqi quagmirePeter Symonds, WSWS28 June 2005 - By any measure, the US military occupation of Iraq issteadily sinking into a quagmire of Washington’s own making. Successiveclaims by the Bush administration that the capture of Saddam Hussein inDecember 2003, the installation of an interim administration last June,national elections in January and the inauguration of the new puppetgovernment of Prime Minister Abrahim al-Jaafari in April would end armedresistance have proven to be completely illusory.There is no end in sight to the daily attacks on American and alliedmilitary personnel, or Iraqi government security forces. In London for talkswith British Prime Minister Tony Blair, al-Jaafari told the press yesterday:“I think two years will be enough, more than enough, to establish securityin our country.” His remarks reflect both wishful thinking and a ratherdesperate attempt to retain some credibility with the Shiite supporters whovoted for his United Iraqi Alliance because it promised to set a timetablefor US military withdrawal.The raw figures demonstrate the scope of the anti-occupation insurgency. UScasualties are running at the highest levels since the January election. InMay, 80 US personnel were killed and so far in June another 75 have died—anaverage of nearly three a day. The number of US deaths for the year to June27, is 890 and, since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the totalis 1,740.The number of attacks by armed insurgents averaged 57 a day for January andFebruary; dropped slightly to 53 a day in March and April, and hit 70 a dayin May. Figures are not yet available for June but there is no indicationthat armed resistance is abating. Over the past two months, 52 Iraqigovernment, legal and religious officials have been assassinated. At least1,338 people, including many Iraqi police and army personnel, have beenkilled since al-Jaafari formed his government on April 28.The attacks reported over the past few days give an indication of the levelof armed conflict. On Monday, a US Apache gunship crashed at Mishahda northof Baghdad killing both pilots. Eyewitnesses said the helicopter was shotdown by a rocket. According to Associated Press statistics, there have been20 fatal helicopter crashes since March 2003, in which 128 people have died.Yesterday also, a bomb exploded in eastern Baghdad killing at least fourpeople and injuring another 16. Another two people were killed by a roadsidebomb in northern Azamiyah neighbourhood.On Sunday, three suicide bombs killed at least 32 people in the northerncity of Mosul. The first blast took place when a pickup truck laden withexplosives slammed into a downtown police station, killing at least 10policemen and two civilians. Two hours later, 16 people lost their liveswhen a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Iraqi army base on the cityoutskirts. The third explosion at the Mosul’s Jumhouri Teaching Hospitalkilled five policemen and injured several others.Elsewhere in Iraq, another 18 more people were killed on Sunday, including aUS soldier whose convoy was hit by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. Six Iraqisoldiers were gunned down outside their base north of the capital. Theprevious day in Mosul, a suicide car bomb exploded at a police checkpoint,killing five officers and wounding two more.Last Thursday, a suicide car bomber attacked a US convoy near Fallujah,killing six American troops and injuring at least 13. The US media hasfocussed on the fact that three of the dead and 11 of the wounded werewomen, but the site of the attack is more significant. Last November, the USmilitary levelled much of Fallujah and put what remained of the city undertight martial law, yet it has clearly failed to eliminate armed anti-USresistance in the area.An article on the New York Times last week highlighted the difficultiesfacing US military commanders: “[W]ith recent American troop levels—139,000now—they have been forced to play an infernal board game, constantlyshuttling combat units from one war zone to another, leaving insurgentbuildups unmet in some places while they deal with more urgent problemselsewhere...“High-intensity operations like the one at Fallujah are like driving a stakeinto a hornets’ nest, many American officers say. They scatter theinsurgents, who regroup and return as soon as American troop numbers arereduced. Seven months after Fallujah was recaptured, in ruins, pockets ofinsurgents still operate in the city. Tal Afar, Mosul, Qaim, Haditha,Samarra, Ramadi, Hillah—all have been targets of coalition offensives, onlyfor the insurgents to come back, starting the circle over.”As the article explained, the number of effective combat troo

[cia-drugs] Fwd: [Spy News] What a wanker!

[RoadsEnd]

Begin forwarded message:From: "Mario Profaca" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: June 28, 2005 1:37:35 PM PDTTo: "!SPY NEWS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Subject: [Spy News] What a wanker!Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.malcomlagauche.com/id1.htmlWHAT A WANKER!Malcom LagaucheTuesday/Wednesday, June 28-29, 2005On Sunday, June 26, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, made the roundsof the U.S. national talk shows. This is obligatory for administrationofficials to get their message to the American people. It is also convenientthat the talk shows are milquetoast, non-confrontational programs that donot challenge what has been said by the guests.The one truthful aspect that came out of Rumsfeld’s discussion was hisassessment of the current situation in Iraq. He told Meet the Press, "Iwould anticipate you’re going to see an escalation of violence between nowand the December elections. And after then, it will take a long time todrive out the insurgents."On Fox News Sunday, Rumsfeld stated, "Insurgencies tend to go on five, six,eight, 10, 12 years." He later affixed the year 2017 as a possible end tothe Iraqi resistance.However, Rumsfeld reverted to his usual stupidity. When asked about thehorrific events now occurring in Iraq, he tried to put a positive slant onthe issue. Rumsfeld told the host that he gave George Bush a list of 15things that could go wrong prior to the illegal invasion of Iraq in March2003: oil wells being set on fire; mass refugees and relocations; blown-upbridges; and a moat of oil around Baghdad. He then said, "So a great many ofthe bad things that could have happened did not happen." Genius.To use Rumsfeld’s logic, one could point out that the people in the area ofthe devastating tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people aboutsix months ago could be upbeat because they did not suffer a nuclear bombattack at the same time.Rumsfeld not only contradicts himself about issues every time he speaks, buthe does it with style. Why sound only like an idiot when you can sound likea fool and a buffoon as well?On March 30, 2003, Rumsfeld was a guest on This Week with GeorgeStephanopoulis. The U.S. had invaded Iraq 10 days prior, yet no weapons ofmass destruction had been found. Rumsfeld had the answer:The area … that our forces control … happens not to be the area whereweapons of mass destruction were dispersed. We know where they are. They’rein the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and northsomewhere.After a few weeks, the questions about weapons of mass destruction becamelouder. On May 4, 2003, Rumsfeld told Fox News Sunday:We never believed we’d just tumble over weapons of mass destruction in thatcountry. We’re going to find what we find as a result of talking to people,I believe, not simply by going to some site and hoping to discover it.Then, on Septmber 10, 2003, in a speech to the National Press Club, Rumsfeldsaid:I said, "We know they’re in that area." I should have said, "I believe they’re in that area." Our intelligence tells us they’re in that area, and thatwas our best judgement.Shortly before the invasion, however, Rumsfeld was not ambiguous about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. In a speech on January 20, 2003, he stated:Saddam Hussein possesses chemical and biological weapons His regime ispaying a high price to pursue weapons of mass destruction — giving upbillions of dollars in oil revenue. His regime has large, unaccounted forstockpiles of chemical and biological weapons — including VX, sarin,cyclosarin and mustard gas; anthrax, botulism, and possibly smallpox — andhe has an active program to acquire and develop nuclear weapons.In the space of nine months, Rumsfeld changed his story many times and hewent from declaring an inventory list of Iraqi’s weapons of mass destructionto saying he "believed" they were north, south, east or west of Tikrit.On February 4, 2003, Saddam Hussein was interviewed by British politico TonyBenn. The interview was shown on British television. Here’s what Saddam hadto say about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction:Every fair-minded person knows that as far as United Nations Resolution 1441is concerned, the Iraqis have been fulfilling their obligations under theresolution. If the purpose (of the inspections) was to make sure that Iraqis free of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, then they can do that.We have said many times before and we say it again today that Iraq is freeof such weapons.Saddam made it very clear that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. Noambiguities or lies. Just the facts.Rumsfeld, along with the entire administration and much of the Democraticso-called opposition, lied about Iraq in a blatant manner. Saddam in oneparagraph told the precise truth. In other words, Rumsfeld was the liar andthe guy with the moustache told the truth. However, today Rumsfeld appearson talk shows and speaks in broken English and Saddam is in prison.Rumsfeld has come up with some not-so-brilliant statements during his tenureas Secre

[cia-drugs] Fwd: [Spy News] Salvador Option: Death Squads in Iraq

[RoadsEnd]

Begin forwarded message:From: "Mario Profaca" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: June 28, 2005 1:37:41 PM PDTTo: "!SPY NEWS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Subject: [Spy News] Salvador Option: Death Squads in IraqReply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/28/83229/2960Salvador Option: Death Squads in IraqHal C , Daily KosTue Jun 28th, 2005 at 05:32:29 PDTIn January, Newsweek reported that the Pentagon was considering the SalvadorOption for Iraq--US-trained Death Squads—in an article titled ‘The SalvadorOption’ The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnappingteams in Iraq.  Today, Knight-Ridder reports that the Death Squads seem tohave arrived in an article titled Campaign of executions feared in Iraq.Slain Sunnis have arrived at Baghdad's morgue blindfolded, bound and shot.The author of today's K-R article himself was shot and killed undermysterious circumstances last week in Baghdad.The explicit purpose of the Salvador Option was to terrorize the Sunnipopulation.  According to Newsweek.[Director of Iraq’s National Intelligence Service Maj. Gen. MuhammadAbdallah] Shahwani also said that the U.S. occupation has failed to crackthe problem of broad support for the insurgency. The insurgents, he said,"are mostly in the Sunni areas where the population there, almost 200,000,is sympathetic to them." He said most Iraqi people do not actively supportthe insurgents or provide them with material or logistical help, but at thesame time they won’t turn them in. One military source involved in thePentagon debate agrees that this is the crux of the problem, and he suggeststhat new offensive operations are needed that would create a fear of aidingthe insurgency. "The Sunni population is paying no price for the support itis giving to the terrorists," he said. "From their point of view, it iscost-free. We have to change that equation."As of January, the Pentagon would admit only that Death Squads were on thetable.Pentagon sources emphasize there has been no decision yet to launch theSalvador option.In a postscript to the Newsweek article Rumsfeld responded to the charges:And at a news conference on Jan. 11, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saidthe idea of a Salvador option was "nonsense" and denied that U.S. SpecialForces were going into Syria. But when asked whether such a policy was underconsideration, he replied, "Why would I even talk about something likethat?"Today, Knight-Ridder reports that the Salvador Option may be a reality.BAGHDAD - Days after Iraq's new Shiite-led government was announced on April28, the director of Baghdad's central morgue began noticing that the bodiesof Sunni Muslim men were turning up after the men had been detained bypeople wearing Iraqi police uniforms.The official response:Ghathanfar al-Jasim, who sits on Iraq's national judicial council andfunctions as an attorney general, said it was difficult to discussextrajudicial killings.  "We cannot admit that our police are doing it; itwould make them look weak,"andBut when battered corpses turn up outside Interior Ministry facilities,[Raad] Sultan [an official in Iraq's Ministry of Human Rights] said, "Howcan I prove it is the security forces?”Knight-Ridder reports several examples.  Here is one.On May 5, for example, 14 Sunni farmers were abducted from an east Baghdadvegetable market. […] The bodies of the farmers were discovered in shallowgraves the next day. They had all been blindfolded, handcuffed and shot oncein the back of the head […]  "A patrol of more than 10 police vehicles droveup and parked," said Ali Karim, a fruit vendor. "They were running throughthe street with their guns, saying that the farmers had a car bomb withthem. They pushed them against the walls and asked them for their IDs."A moment of respect for the author of the Knight Ridder article:[The author of this article] Yasser Salihee was a special correspondent. Hewas shot and killed last week in Baghdad in circumstances that remainunclear.That Yasser Salihee has not died in vain.Withdraw all troops now.-__ ___ _ ___ __ ___ _ _ _ __  /-_|-0-\-V-/-\|-|-__|-|-|-/-_| \_-\--_/\-/|-\\-|-_||-V-V-\_-\ |__/_|--//-|_|\_|___|\_A_/|__/  SPY NEWS is OSINT newsletter and discussion list associated to Mario's Cyberspace Station - The Global Intelligence News Portal http://mprofaca.cro.net CAUTION! # Since you are receiving and reading documents, news stories,comments and opinions not only from so called (or self-proclaimed) "reliable sources", but also a lot of possible misinformation collectedby Spy News moderator and subscribers and posted to Spy Newsfor OSINT purposes - it should be a serious reason (particularly tojournalists and web publishers) to think twice before using it for theirstory writing, further publishing or forwarding throughout Cyberspace.To unsubscribe:mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]*** FAIR USE NOTICE: This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Spy News is making 

[cia-drugs] Fwd: [ctrl] DOMINION AND DECEPTION

[RoadsEnd]

Begin forwarded message:From: elvis oner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: June 28, 2005 1:08:25 PM PDTTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], o <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, om <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], ctrl <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: [ctrl] DOMINION AND DECEPTIONReply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]      DOMINION AND DECEPTIONBy Gillian Norman [EMAIL PROTECTED]“One prince of the present time, whom it is not well to name, never preaches anything else but peace and good faith, and to both he is most hostile, and either, if he had kept it, would have deprived him of reputation and kingdom many a time." Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince: Concerning The Way In Which Princes Should Keep Faith, Florence, 1532 “You can fool some of the people all of the time and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.”George W. Bush, joking at a Gridiron Club dinner, Washington, D.C., March 2001 “Goodbye Jack Daniels, Hello Jesus!" So it was that George W. Bush says he met the Messiah as he switched the bottle for the Bible on a summer day after his 40th birthday. When he was young and irresponsible, he was really irresponsible, he admits, but all that has changed. Now, they say, his Christian faith permeates his daily life; he starts each day on his knees, reads the Bible and devoutly attends church. The air in the White House is said to be scented with the fragrant incense of prayerfulness, and presidential speeches are spiced with religious metaphors. Bush envisions himself fulfilling a divine calling, as he heads a global battle that pits the forces of good against the forces evil. He claims God speaks to his mind, directing his actions and inspiring his presidential policy decisions. He says he “felt the call" before his inauguration as Texas governor in 1999, as he listened to Methodist pastor Mark Craig preach on Moses' reluctance to lead. It spoke conviction directly to Bush’s heart for abrogation of responsibility. Assembling leading pastors at the governor’s mansion for a laying-on of hands, he announced the news: "I've heard the call, I believe God wants me to run for president." Bush’s testimony appears to the sincere evangelical to be genuine; his heart was changed in a “born again” experience, through a personal encounter with Christ leading to repentance, reconciliation with God, and a conviction of God's plan and purpose for his life. Desperate for a breath of moral fresh air after the putrid impropriety that disgraced the Clinton White House, honest Christians who never question the meaning of the word “is”, were swayed by Bush's invocation of the name of “Christ”. He was, by his own admission, “one of them”. Few doubted and even fewer publicly questioned the veracity of Bush’s “born again” claims. But, hey, hey, in those exuberant days that brought the warm glow of Christian fellowship right to the heart of the election campaign, who would have dared to mouth a ripple of doubt? And who could have foreseen that in pursuing their quest for a leader of integrity and compassion in action, the Christian churches, armed with the Bible in one hand and the flag in the other, were just about to exchange one liar in the White House for a better one. Dominion and deception go claw in glove. From empire to empire there have always existed foul creatures in elegant attire lurking beneath the mud of political intrigue with megalomaniac intent. Deeply dark elites have always wielded untold influence beneath the mantles of anonymity that keep the powers behind the powers hidden from the public eye. Yet today, as the autocratic American Empire performs its awesome debut on the global stage, some of these dangerous schemers have boldly emerged from their subterranean refuge to reveal their previously hidden lust for power, and are now, in public statements and policy papers, baring their visible teeth. These nefarious elitists – all too often naively scorned as paper tigers by sensible folk who dismiss conspiracy theories – may have a smile as sweet as sugar and spice, but they also have a nasty snarl and a fearsome bite. The deception that promotes their bid for dominion is the claim that American military dominance over the world is best for everyone, and that this policy – disguised as “democracy” – is endorsed, even directed by God. The new elite that slipped from the shadows to direct the Bush administration foreign policy are neoconservatives, or neocons, who have formed an unprecedented right-wing alliance of former leftists and liberals. Their ideology is paradoxical, spawned in that fetid breeding ground where right meets left, producing a hybrid offspring that resembles a power-hungry, pro-Zionist mutation of Trotsky's ideas on permanent revolution. This new elite now openly promotes a glorious vision of American supr

[cia-drugs] SEEKING INFO -- conditioning muscles with electric shock

[Skews Me]

I'm looking for information on conditioning muscles with electric shock a la JB Watson. I'm also interested in knowing how much voltage is required to cause cardiac arrest.
I have flashbacks of children being conditioned this way both in the US and China.
 


Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/

Please let us stay on topic and be civil. 

OM




  
  





  
  
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[cia-drugs] Fwd: [ctrl] Bombling Them Softly

[RoadsEnd]

Begin forwarded message:From: "Alamaine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: June 28, 2005 12:13:22 PM PDTTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: [ctrl] Bombling Them SoftlyReply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]     Is This What They Call Democracy?    By Brendan Smith and Zeynep Toufe    t r u t h o u t | Report http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062705Z.shtml    Sunday 26 June 2005    Istanbul, Turkey - Today in Istanbul the jury was taken aback by witness testimony from Iraqi war victims and a US Air Force veteran.     "Snipers hunt people in the streets. People attempting to go to health centers are shot at," testified Eman Kmammas, an Iraqi translator. "There are many crippled children. There are thousands of widows and orphans. There are no police for security and there are no courts. Even hospitals are occupied and bombed and burned."    Former US Air Force combat veteran Tim Goodrich stunned the jury by revealing his role in the "softening up" of Iraq months before the US declaration of war. "We were dropping bombs then, and I saw bombing intensify," Goodrich explained to a hushed room. "All the documents coming out now, the Downing Street memo and others, confirm what I had witnessed in Iraq. The war had already begun while our leaders were telling us that they were going to try all diplomatic options first."    This gripping but unsettling revelation came on the second day of proceedings at the World Tribunal on Iraq, held in Istanbul, Turkey, which is collecting evidence of war crimes in Iraq.     Goodrich's testimony had just begun when a 75-foot banner prepared by the Iraqi delegation and composed of harrowing pictures of Iraqi child victims of the war was carried into the courtroom. In the presence of the father of one of the victims shown on the banner, Goodrich and others stood and a moment of silence spread through the room while the banner was carried through the hall. The teeming press contingent rushed to photograph the scene as some members of the audience cried.     While the first day of the trial had concentrated on moral and political issues, emotional testimony from Iraqi witnesses dominated the second day of proceedings. Fadil al Bedrani, an Iraqi journalist who survived the siege of Fallujah, told the audience that he watched as "20-25 persons were running barefoot when an American warplane bombed, killing and wounding them; only one elderly woman and 2 children stayed safe ... the doctors and the staff of the Fallujah hospital were detained; the warplanes bombed the alternative hospital in downtown ... and bombed the medicine warehouses in Nazzal area, killing 4 doctors, and 8 medical workers."    Dahr Jamail, an unembedded journalist who had been reporting from Iraq during the past year, narrated the story told to him by Ali Shalal Abbas from Baghdad. While detained at Abu Ghraib and tortured, Abbas was approached by two men, "one a foreigner and one a translator," who asked him who he was. "I said I'm a human being. They told me, 'We are going to cut your head off and send you to hell, we will take you to Guantánamo.'" Abbas questioned why only Saddam Hussein, who also had people tortured, was put on trial while the Americans were not.    The fate and the rights of the detainees remained a recurring theme at the Tribunal. Iraqi lawyer Amal Sawadi expressed her frustration at being stonewalled by occupation authorities who refused to tell her of the charges against her clients, if there was any evidence, and even if the person was under detention. "All of Iraq has become a vast prison," she sighed. "Is this what they call democracy?"    There was also ample discussion at the Tribunal - supported by nearly 200 non-governmental organizations ranging from Greenpeace to the Vietnam Veterans Against the War - of various forms of resistance. Goodrich, who refused to return to Iraq for an additional tour of duty, urged more soldiers to become conscientious objectors. And to those who questioned his anti-war activism, he responded, "Some people accuse us of being against the troops or unpatriotic, but we are the troops. How can I be unpatriotic by asking our soldiers to come back home alive?"     The Egyptian sociologist Samir Amin urged participants of the more than twenty tribunals held around the world over the last two years to begin a campaign under the slogan "US Come Home" in America and "US Go Home" in the rest of the world.     Eva Ensler, member of the WTI jury and American playwright most famous for her award-winning "Vagina Monologues," told reporters that both the UN and national governments had failed the Iraqi people and that "the people's movement across the world that rose up is an opportunity for the conscience of the world to be heard."    Iraqi and US military testimony was joined by former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Denis Halliday, who argued that the Tribunal has an "obligation to demand full international prosecution of US/UK war leaders as war criminals involved in the

[cia-drugs] Croatia, Bosnia refuse reconciliation

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

http://www.b92.net/english/news/index.php?&nav_category=&nav_id=32311&order=priority&style=headlinesCroatia, Bosnia refuse 
reconciliation13:45 June 28 | 
B92RIJEKA -- Tuesday - Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina have 
refused a proposalfrom the UK to sign a declaration of reconciliation with 
Serbia-Montenegro,Rijeka daily Novi List writes today.Britain's 
proposal was for the declaration to be signed in Srebrenica onJuly 11 to 
mark the tenth anniversary of the massacre of eight thousandMuslim men and 
boys in the town.  The report quotes unnamed diplomaticsources as 
saying that the proposed document would be one of reconciliationand 
apology.British Foreign Minister Jack Straw is credited with the idea 
and Novi Listadds that the UK has lobbied the state signatories to the 
Dayton Agreementto sign the joint declaration which would condemn the crimes 
of the past andshow a resolve for peace and a European future of the 
region."This idea surprised Bosnian representatives who immediately 
rejected it,then Croatia did the same.  Croatia refused for one obvious 
reasons and thatis that it has no kind of connection with the crime in 
Srebrenica, andbecause it began Operation Storm mainly to liberate Croatia, 
but afterdiscovering that Serb forces had brutally murdered about eight 
thousandBosniacs from the Srebrenica enclave under the protection of the 
UnitedNations."Bosnia rejected the proposal resolutely because of 
the eight thousandBosniacs who were almost certainly killed under the direct 
sponsorship ofSerbia and because it would be grotesque to expect that the 
Bosnianauthorities would sign an agreement akin to a mutual apology with 
Serbia inSrebrenica ," writes Novi List.The daily notes that even 
today in Serbia there is a struggle for publicacceptance of the truth about 
the Srebrenica crime, adding that at yesterday's meeting of the Igman 
Initiative in Belgrade a declaration was signedoriented towards continuing 
the normalisation of relations, "which theCroatian leadership believes is 
quite sufficient".


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OM




  
  





  
  
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[cia-drugs] Fwd: Gonzales v. Raich: Growing food is not a fundamental right

[RoadsEnd]

Begin forwarded message:From: "Chris Wright" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: June 28, 2005 10:20:43 AM PDTTo: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Chris Wright" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Subject: Gonzales v. Raich: Growing food is not a fundamental right To Whom It May Concern: Unbelievable as is it may sound, the U.S. Supreme Court said in Gonzales v. Raich,See http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=03-1454, that the Constitution’s Commerce Clause supersedes the un-enumerated Ninth Amendment right to grow food, grow medicinal plants, and to feed or medicate ones own body. The Court gave particular relevance to the New Deal case of Wickard v. Filburn (1942) maintaining that Congress’ commerce power included intrastate production of wheat produced for the Ohio farmer’s own consumption. To think that something as fundamental to survival as the production of food and medicine for strictly personal consumption is only a privilege granted by Congress contravenes every principle upon which this nation was founded. And then to deny the sick and suffering their right to medicate themselves is a usurpation of liberty and justice so reprehensible that it confounds the most unreasonable among us. Indeed, the un-enumerated rights protected by the Ninth Amendment will never be protected.  The Ninth Amendment is a dead letter. The Ninth Amendment was designed to involve rights too numerous to mention.  For example, do you have the right to defecate, urinate, shelter yourself, feed yourself, medicate yourself, procreate, marry, have consensual sex, clothe yourself, breathe, etc., etc., etc.? This decision demands that we force our elected representatives to put an ”Enumerated Rights” Amendment into the Constitution. And let’s demand to have it authorized by state constitutional conventions instead of by the state legislatures. This is a matter for the people to decide, not elected officials. With God’s grace, perhaps America won’t have to thank the Almighty Congress for the dinner we harvest. Sincerely, Chris WrightABNORMLMN6304 Falcon CourtEdina, MN 55436(952) 920-5024 HM[EMAIL PROTECTED]


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[cia-drugs] new look for global research

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

http://www.globalresearch.ca/
 
i like it.
vigiliushaufniensis


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[cia-drugs] 9/11 Fraud: The US Government's Official 9/11 Story is Bogus, Take it from these Guys

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

- Original Message - 
From: "Sean McBride" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 10:04 AM
Subject: [political-research] 9/11 Fraud: The US Government's Official 9/11
Story is Bogus, Take it from these Guys


>
>

>
> [A tipping point is close to being reached regarding public belief in the
official story on 9/11.]



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[cia-drugs] Intelligence Brief: China

[Vigilius Haufniensis]

China's next stage of development brings the incipient conflict 
between Beijing and Washington into full view. Holding back Chinese expansion -- 
if that is even possible -- carries the high probability of derailing 
globalization; allowing it to occur makes the realization of Beijing's 
geostrategic aims far more likely.
 
Intelligence Brief: China 
Drafted By: Dr. Michael A. Weinstein 
http://www.pinr.com During the 
week of June 19, China flexed its muscles in the economic and military spheres, 
setting off a flurry of reactions in Washington that threaten to complicate 
Sino-American relations and reveal long term risks for the globalization 
process.China's stepped-up assertiveness on the world stage came in the 
form of bids by Chinese businesses to acquire U.S. appliance manufacturer Maytag 
and oil company Unocal, and Beijing's test firing of its most advanced and 
longest range intercontinental missile. Those moves spurred protests in the U.S. 
Congress that, in turn, were met by ambivalent responses from the Bush 
administration, which is cross pressured by conflicting 
interests.Following the acquisition in May of IBM's personal computer 
business by China's Lenovo Group, the bid for Maytag by Haier America Trading -- 
the U.S. arm of appliance giant Haier -- and the move to acquire Unocal by China 
National Offshore Oil Company (C.N.O.O.C.) mark a new stage in Beijing's export 
driven strategy of economic development that is geared to make China an 
"all-round" great power with state-of-the-art industries in all strategic 
sectors over the next 20 years.The test of the JL-2 missile, which has a 
6,000 mile range, advances toward Beijing's aim of enhancing China's military 
capabilities in order to make the country the dominant power in East and 
Southeast Asia, gradually eroding U.S. influence.Both the economic and 
military moves show that Beijing's geostrategy is firmly in place and that the 
Chinese political class is confident that the strategy is working.A 
New Stage of DevelopmentUp until Lenovo's acquisition of IBM, 
Beijing's development strategy had been based on attracting foreign investment 
to China on the basis of its massive pool of cheap labor and its potential 
market in order to build up its industries and acquire advanced technologies. 
Having succeeded in creating an industrial base with some powerful and cash-rich 
companies, the opportunity exists for China to expand its export markets and to 
secure supplies of the energy and mineral resources that it needs to run its 
burgeoning industrial machine through the purchase of foreign 
corporations.The acquisition of foreign businesses has the added 
strategic advantage of creating interest groups in the countries in which those 
businesses are based that are economically dependent on China and, therefore, 
would tend to be favorable to its interests in political 
conflicts.Haier's $1.28 billion bid for Maytag illustrates the 
continuation and intensification of Beijing's export-driven growth strategy. 
Having already gained a foothold in the U.S. market through its sales of 
refrigerators and air conditioners to the Wal-Mart and Target discount chains, 
Haier would like to expand its penetration by buying a company with a name brand 
and an established distribution and servicing network. Analysts agree that if 
Haier's bid is successful, the company would move Maytag's production to China 
and utilize the acquired company's distribution and servicing system to market 
its own lines in addition to the Maytag brand, which might eventually be 
eliminated.C.N.O.O.C.'s $18.5 billion bid for Unocal has greater 
strategic significance than Haier's move to acquire Maytag. Already the target 
of a takeover effort by Chevron, Unocal is especially attractive to Beijing 
because of the drilling rights that the company has in Thailand and Myanmar, 
which Beijing includes within its prospective sphere of dominant 
influence.In order to achieve its goal of transforming China into a 
comprehensive world power, Beijing must have secure access to raw materials in 
markets that have become increasingly competitive and tight, due in great part 
to China's growth. The bid for Unocal signals that Beijing is aware that it must 
act quickly to guarantee its resource supplies, at the expense of competitors, 
especially the U.S. As part of Beijing's overall strategy, Chinese enterprises 
have recently purchased mines in Australia and Canada, and Beijing has pursued 
trade deals geared to natural resources in South America. Unocal is part of that 
larger picture.On the military front, Beijing's test of the JL-2 
missile, first reported in the Washington Times, marked, according to an 
anonymous U.S. Defense Department official, "an unexpected advance in 
technological capability." The JL-2's range of 6,000 miles is greater than that 
of any other missile in China's arsenal and it is designed for the new 
generation of Chinese nuclear submarines, t

[cia-drugs] Fwd: [narconews] Day Two of Gary Webb's "Dark Alliance"

[RoadsEnd]

Begin forwarded message:From: "Daniel A.Feder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: June 28, 2005 5:51:08 AM PDTTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: [narconews] Day Two of Gary Webb's "Dark Alliance"Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] June 28, 2005Please Distribute WidelyDear Colleague,Today, Narco News publishes part II of Gary Webb's "Dark Alliance" series. The series returns this week to the Internet in its original, groundbreaking format after years offline.In reports filed for the August 19 edition of the San Jose Mercury News, Gary Webb looks back to the origins of crack cocaine use in Los Angeles. Just as the invention of crack was bringing cocaine out of the parlors and clubs of the elite and into poor urban neighborhoods, a young Ricky Ross used his connections to the Crips organization in L.A. on the one hand, and to Nicaraguan suppliers with unbelievably low-priced cocaine on the other to become the king of the crack business. A former L.A. narcotics officer tells Webb of Ross that "…there's no telling how many tens of thousands of people he touched. He's responsible for a major cancer that still hasn't stopped spreading." Through Ross, the Contras and their North American allies were able to pour tons of cocaine into the streets of L.A. to fund their war.Read all three full reports, plus Day One of the "Dark Alliance" series, in The Narco News Bulletin:http://www.narconews.com From somewhere in a country called América,Dan FederManaging EditorThe Narco News Bulletinhttp://www.narconews.com[EMAIL PROTECTED]Narco News is supported by:The Fund for Authentic JournalismP.O. Box 241Natick, MA 01760http://www.authenticjournalism.orgThe Fund receives online donations at this web page:http://www.authenticjournalism.orgApply for your co-publisher's account, here:http://www.narconews.com/copublisher/application.phpSubscribe for free alerts of new reports:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconewsSuscríbete gratis para alertas de nuevos reportajes en español:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconewsandesInscreva-se para alertas gratuitos de reportagens do último minuto em português brasileiro:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconewsbrasil--Daniel Aaron Feder  | AIM/Yahoo!/Jabber.org: dafeder | check out:[EMAIL PROTECTED] | MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]   | www.narconews.comYahoo! Groups Links<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconews/<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:    [EMAIL PROTECTED]<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 


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[cia-drugs] U.S. Report Faults States' Medicaid Tactics

[Jim Rarey]

 
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/28medicaid.html?pagewanted=print
 
  


June 28, 2005
U.S. Report Faults States' Medicaid Tactics
By ROBERT PEAR 

WASHINGTON, June 27 - Two-thirds of the states use consultants to help them 
get more federal Medicaid money, often by using "questionable billing 
practices," and then reward those consultants by giving them a share of the 
money as a contingency fee, Congressional investigators said on Monday. 
These consultants are driving up Medicaid costs by recommending financial 
tactics that violate federal law or policy, the investigators, from the 
Government Accountability Office, said in a report to Congress.
Kathryn G. Allen, director of health care issues at the auditing agency, 
said: "A growing number of states are using consultants on a contingency-fee 
basis to maximize federal Medicaid reimbursements. As of 2004, 34 states - up 
from 10 states in 2002 - used contingency-fee consultants for this purpose."
In some cases, Ms. Allen said, states have exploited federal Medicaid rules 
to obtain more federal money without increasing state contributions to the 
program, which provides health insurance for more than 50 million low-income 
people.
But Ms. Allen said the federal government also bore some responsibility. "A 
lack of oversight and clear guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services has allowed states to develop new financing methods that generate 
additional federal costs," she said.
Senator Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who is chairman of the 
Finance Committee and who requested the study, said: "It's alarming to find that 
a majority of states use contingency-fee consultants to increase the federal 
dollars they claim from Medicaid, and that those increases are often achieved 
through schemes of questionable legality."
Mr. Grassley said that Congress and federal Medicaid officials had "an 
obligation to establish clear-cut ground rules and make sure they're followed." 
The accountability office said that federal officials did not routinely review 
the states' use of contingency-fee consultants.
Dr. Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services, said his agency "does not have the authority to require states to 
disclose their use of contingency-fee consultants."
The federal government and the states share the cost of Medicaid, with the 
federal contribution ranging from 77 percent in Mississippi to 50 percent in 
higher-income states like New York.
"The Medicaid program," Dr. McClellan said, "is unquestionably paying for 
things that it should not be paying for." But he added that the White House had 
taken steps to improve the financial management of the program and had persuaded 
at least 23 states to halt some practices that improperly shifted Medicaid costs 
to the federal government.
When states hire consultants - generally private companies that specialize in 
helping the states maximize their federal reimbursements - they often receive a 
big return on their investment.
The Government Accountability Office said that a consultant helped Georgia 
obtain $1.5 billion of additional federal Medicaid money from 2000 to 2004, in 
return for contingency fees of $82 million. Massachusetts increased its federal 
Medicaid revenue by nearly $570 million with help from consultants who were paid 
$11 million, the report said.
William C. Copeland, a consultant for Georgia, said states hired Medicaid 
consultants because "the program is large, complex and incoherent, and most 
states cannot afford to hire all the full-time experts they need to unravel the 
complexities." 
Federal guidelines, issued by the White House Office of Management and 
Budget, generally prohibit states from charging the federal government for 
contingency fees paid to contractors for securing federal money. Neither Georgia 
nor Massachusetts claimed federal reimbursement for such fees. 
But the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services 
found that Colorado had received $179,267 and Virginia $338,982 for fees 
improperly billed to the federal Medicaid program. Officials in Colorado said 
they had been unaware of the federal prohibition.
Ronald P. Preston, the secretary of health and human services in 
Massachusetts, said contingency-fee contracts were a legitimate way to obtain 
federal aid for people in need.
But the accountability office said that federal officials, instead of issuing 
uniform national standards, had treated states differently, allowing Georgia and 
Massachusetts to use techniques forbidden to Maryland, Illinois and Texas. 
Federal policy is often set through negotiation with individual states, and 
federal Medicaid officials have become stricter in recent years as they try to 
curtail what they see as abusive practices.



  Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company 



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