Saturday, January 31, 2004
Unfortunate that so many at the BBC felt compelled to apologize and resign. They were doing their jobs as journalists, and the biased ruling of a man who has a strong conflict of interest should not have forced them to abrogate their stand.
Contrast what is occuring in Britain to the censure of Prime Minister John Howard in Australia, after Andrew Wilkie presented testimony to the Senate about the lies contained in the push to war:
"Australia's tiny agencies needed to rely on the sometimes weak and skewed views contained in the assessments prepared in Washington. . . . Intelligence gaps were sometimes back-filled with disinformation. Worst-case sometimes took primacy over most-likely. The threat was sometimes overestimated as a result of the fairy tales coming out of the U.S.''
"Most often the government deliberately skewed the truth by taking the ambiguity out of the issue. . . . Qualifications like `probably,' 'could' and 'uncorroborated evidence suggests' were frequently dropped. Much more useful words like 'massive' and 'mammoth' were included, even though such words had not been offered to the government by the intelligence agencies. Before we knew it, the government had created a mythical Iraq, one where every factory was up to no good and weaponization was continuing apace.''
Mainstream media in the States hasn't made a point of bringing this news to our attention, preferring to distract us with 'non-issue' stories, touting their 'opinions' for days upon end over the same trite gossip, or gleefully pointing out how Bush was right and any who opposed himwere are wrong enraged traitors, pulling at straws to have something to be angry about.
There are hundreds of dead soldiers, thousands wounded and maimed for life, countless Iraqi civilians killed and wounded, with the count increasing daily; all as a result of an intensive campaign of disinformation.
If that isn't something to be angry about, I don't know what is.
Contrast what is occuring in Britain to the censure of Prime Minister John Howard in Australia, after Andrew Wilkie presented testimony to the Senate about the lies contained in the push to war:
"Australia's tiny agencies needed to rely on the sometimes weak and skewed views contained in the assessments prepared in Washington. . . . Intelligence gaps were sometimes back-filled with disinformation. Worst-case sometimes took primacy over most-likely. The threat was sometimes overestimated as a result of the fairy tales coming out of the U.S.''
"Most often the government deliberately skewed the truth by taking the ambiguity out of the issue. . . . Qualifications like `probably,' 'could' and 'uncorroborated evidence suggests' were frequently dropped. Much more useful words like 'massive' and 'mammoth' were included, even though such words had not been offered to the government by the intelligence agencies. Before we knew it, the government had created a mythical Iraq, one where every factory was up to no good and weaponization was continuing apace.''
Mainstream media in the States hasn't made a point of bringing this news to our attention, preferring to distract us with 'non-issue' stories, touting their 'opinions' for days upon end over the same trite gossip, or gleefully pointing out how Bush was right and any who opposed him
There are hundreds of dead soldiers, thousands wounded and maimed for life, countless Iraqi civilians killed and wounded, with the count increasing daily; all as a result of an intensive campaign of disinformation.
If that isn't something to be angry about, I don't know what is.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Sound familiar?
'Congress made its decision, in part, based on misleading statistics...'
Judge John Coughenour of Seattle said the group had "virtual unanimity" in its disdain for the Feeney amendment, which compels judges to strictly follow sentencing guidelines and orders that reports be sent to Congress on any judge who deviates from them.
'Congress made its decision, in part, based on misleading statistics...'
Judge John Coughenour of Seattle said the group had "virtual unanimity" in its disdain for the Feeney amendment, which compels judges to strictly follow sentencing guidelines and orders that reports be sent to Congress on any judge who deviates from them.
She came to the U.S. seeking asylum and it was granted, yet the 30 year old Buddhist nun is in jail, because the Department of Homeland Security is appealing the case.
Sonam is getting a taste of that good ol' 'Southern Hospitality'.
Sonam is getting a taste of that good ol' 'Southern Hospitality'.
Monday, January 26, 2004
UNEMPLOYED?
Stand up and be Counted!
"The withdrawal of these work force dropouts from the job market pushed the unemployment rate down, despite the economy's failure to generate a significant number of new jobs."
Register for work so the true numbers are reflected. You can find information for your state here.
Stand up and be Counted!
"The withdrawal of these work force dropouts from the job market pushed the unemployment rate down, despite the economy's failure to generate a significant number of new jobs."
Register for work so the true numbers are reflected. You can find information for your state here.
Friday, January 23, 2004
"...Halbert then invited Bush to become one of the original investors in AdvancePCS—a transaction that made the President up to $1 million.
Soon after assuming the Presidency, Bush paid Halbert back in kind—soliciting his help in writing the 2001 drug discount card proposal that is now part of the new Medicare law."
Soon after assuming the Presidency, Bush paid Halbert back in kind—soliciting his help in writing the 2001 drug discount card proposal that is now part of the new Medicare law."
Drilling Technology for Mars Research Useful for Oil, Gas Industries
"Steve Streich, a veteran Halliburton scientific adviser, was among the authors of an article in Oil & Gas Journal in 2000 titled 'Drilling Technology for Mars Research Useful for Oil, Gas Industries.' The article called a Mars exploration program 'an unprecedented opportunity for both investigating the possibility of life on Mars and for improving our abilities to support oil and gas demands on Earth,' because technology developed for the mission could be used on this planet."
Return to the red planet with Dick Cheney
"...at a time of record deficits, the public is against spending billions on a Mars mission while cutting domestic priorities. Nonetheless, there is one company that has supported a Mars mission for years: Halliburton. The company, which was headed by Vice President Dick Cheney and is a major financial backer of the Administration, has long supported funding a Mars plan because it is good for its drilling technology business (it was also Cheney who spearheaded the Mars plan inside the White House)."
"Steve Streich, a veteran Halliburton scientific adviser, was among the authors of an article in Oil & Gas Journal in 2000 titled 'Drilling Technology for Mars Research Useful for Oil, Gas Industries.' The article called a Mars exploration program 'an unprecedented opportunity for both investigating the possibility of life on Mars and for improving our abilities to support oil and gas demands on Earth,' because technology developed for the mission could be used on this planet."
Return to the red planet with Dick Cheney
"...at a time of record deficits, the public is against spending billions on a Mars mission while cutting domestic priorities. Nonetheless, there is one company that has supported a Mars mission for years: Halliburton. The company, which was headed by Vice President Dick Cheney and is a major financial backer of the Administration, has long supported funding a Mars plan because it is good for its drilling technology business (it was also Cheney who spearheaded the Mars plan inside the White House)."
Bush admits he wanted regime change before 11 September
"Like the previous administration we were for regime change... We were fleshing out policy along those lines and then September 11 happened and, as president of the United States, my most solemn obligation was to protect the security of the American people.
"I took that duty very seriously and not only did we deal with the Taleban, we got working through the United Nations and the international community and made it clear that Saddam should disarm."
"Now he is not in power and the world is better for it.”
"Like the previous administration we were for regime change... We were fleshing out policy along those lines and then September 11 happened and, as president of the United States, my most solemn obligation was to protect the security of the American people.
"I took that duty very seriously and not only did we deal with the Taleban, we got working through the United Nations and the international community and made it clear that Saddam should disarm."
"Now he is not in power and the world is better for it.”
I've heard this before...
"And my administration, and this Congress, will give you the resources you need to fight and win the war on terror."
However, many recent reports from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan indicate that the Pentagon is not providing our troops with equipment critical for defending them against the guerilla-style attacks that are happening on an almost a daily basis in these countries.
"Outdated or inadequate supplies run the gamut from rifles to Humvees, body armor to night-vision goggles, working radios to Chinook helicopter countermeasures against missiles."
"The truth is that insufficient sets of body armour and other vital life-saving equipment were distributed in theatre, greatly endangering our soldiers and, in the case of Sergeant Roberts, costing him his life," Soames said.
"Members of a Fort Eustis reserve unit say they were sent to fly perilous missions over Iraq with outdated night vision goggles, old missile-avoidance systems and communications equipment they were unable to use."
"A Pentagon procurement officer then told me Interceptor vests were "non-priority" items, like tents."
A LOTHIAN soldier shot in Iraq had to have his leg amputated because of a lack of essential surgical equipment, it emerged today.
The case increases the pressure on Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon amid the growing row over the death of Sergeant Steven Roberts, a tank commander who was shot dead after he had been told to hand back his body armour.
Sgt Thomson, 35, who was serving in Iraq with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, was hit by gunfire from a Warrior armoured personnel carrier two weeks before the end of the war.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is facing questions over claims a helicopter crash in Iraq might have been avoided if the pilots had worn night goggles
"SCOTS soldier Albert Thomson yesterday said he was ''sickened'' to discover a medical kit costing just ?50 would have saved his leg.
The distraught Royal Highland Fusiliers Colour Sergeant was hit by friendly fire. Yesterday, Albert, 35, said he was devastated to discover not all Gulf War Army medics hadbeen issued with a basic ''vascular repair kit'' which would have saved his leg."
PRESSURE yesterday intensified on Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, to resign, in a growing row over a British soldier killed in the Iraq war after being denied body armour.
Sergeant Steve Roberts was serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment when he was shot dead during an attack by Iraqi dissidents on 24 March - two days after he sent a letter to his wife, Samantha, telling of his fears about the lack of protection.
"One company commander in the 1st Cavalry Division recently wrote me in frustration after his battalion was ordered to return its entire inventory of the SAPI plates (but keeping the OTV vests) just two months before his unit?s scheduled deployment. The battalion had fewer than 200 sets for nearly 800 soldiers at the time, he said. Now, troops are engaged in last-minute field training with none at all."
However, many recent reports from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan indicate that the Pentagon is not providing our troops with equipment critical for defending them against the guerilla-style attacks that are happening on an almost a daily basis in these countries.
"Outdated or inadequate supplies run the gamut from rifles to Humvees, body armor to night-vision goggles, working radios to Chinook helicopter countermeasures against missiles."
"The truth is that insufficient sets of body armour and other vital life-saving equipment were distributed in theatre, greatly endangering our soldiers and, in the case of Sergeant Roberts, costing him his life," Soames said.
"Members of a Fort Eustis reserve unit say they were sent to fly perilous missions over Iraq with outdated night vision goggles, old missile-avoidance systems and communications equipment they were unable to use."
"A Pentagon procurement officer then told me Interceptor vests were "non-priority" items, like tents."
A LOTHIAN soldier shot in Iraq had to have his leg amputated because of a lack of essential surgical equipment, it emerged today.
The case increases the pressure on Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon amid the growing row over the death of Sergeant Steven Roberts, a tank commander who was shot dead after he had been told to hand back his body armour.
Sgt Thomson, 35, who was serving in Iraq with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, was hit by gunfire from a Warrior armoured personnel carrier two weeks before the end of the war.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is facing questions over claims a helicopter crash in Iraq might have been avoided if the pilots had worn night goggles
"SCOTS soldier Albert Thomson yesterday said he was ''sickened'' to discover a medical kit costing just ?50 would have saved his leg.
The distraught Royal Highland Fusiliers Colour Sergeant was hit by friendly fire. Yesterday, Albert, 35, said he was devastated to discover not all Gulf War Army medics hadbeen issued with a basic ''vascular repair kit'' which would have saved his leg."
PRESSURE yesterday intensified on Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, to resign, in a growing row over a British soldier killed in the Iraq war after being denied body armour.
Sergeant Steve Roberts was serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment when he was shot dead during an attack by Iraqi dissidents on 24 March - two days after he sent a letter to his wife, Samantha, telling of his fears about the lack of protection.
"One company commander in the 1st Cavalry Division recently wrote me in frustration after his battalion was ordered to return its entire inventory of the SAPI plates (but keeping the OTV vests) just two months before his unit?s scheduled deployment. The battalion had fewer than 200 sets for nearly 800 soldiers at the time, he said. Now, troops are engaged in last-minute field training with none at all."
Monday, January 19, 2004
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided man.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "The Trumpet of Conscience", 1967
If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Justice Without Violence", 4.3.57
Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
The time is always right to do what is right.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter From Birmingham Jail ", 4.16.63
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "The Trumpet of Conscience", 1967
If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Justice Without Violence", 4.3.57
Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963
The time is always right to do what is right.
- Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter From Birmingham Jail ", 4.16.63
Saturday, January 17, 2004
'Mukhabarat Agent' Walks and Talks With Ted Koppel
Saw Salam on Nightline tonight. Way to go, Salam!
Saw Salam on Nightline tonight. Way to go, Salam!
Friday, January 16, 2004
The networks spend hours covering a 'story'. With a penchant for following blazers in helicopters, we are treated to yet another slow ride down the highway of media spin. A 'reporter' speaking of the crowd assembled says, "It looks like a circus here." In truth, it is a circus. A media circus.
And what else is happening in the world?
ISRAEL sealed off the Gaza Strip yesterday...
US-led forces are holding up to 10,000 prisoners-of-war in Iraq...International human rights groups have alleged that thousands of detainees are still being held without charge in often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions....
The deaths of two journalists in an attack by an American tank and troops on the Palestine hotel in Baghdad were the result of "criminal negligence"...
And what else is happening in the world?
ISRAEL sealed off the Gaza Strip yesterday...
US-led forces are holding up to 10,000 prisoners-of-war in Iraq...International human rights groups have alleged that thousands of detainees are still being held without charge in often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions....
The deaths of two journalists in an attack by an American tank and troops on the Palestine hotel in Baghdad were the result of "criminal negligence"...
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Last Copter Out of Baghdad
"The Bush game plan is to have pictures of some U.S. troops leaving and the Iraqis opening their own government, the U.S. having presided over the birth of this new embryonic democracy," observes former Clinton White House adviser Sidney Blumenthal.
"The Bush game plan is to have pictures of some U.S. troops leaving and the Iraqis opening their own government, the U.S. having presided over the birth of this new embryonic democracy," observes former Clinton White House adviser Sidney Blumenthal.
The power of bloggers. Sina Motallebi, an Iranian journalist, and perhaps the first to be arrested for keeping a weblog, was released from prison in Iran after an online campaign garnered more than 4,000 petition signatures and international media attention.
Had it not been for one last entry, no one would have known of his arrest.
"I was almost sure this time they wanted to arrest me. So I put an entry about it on my Weblog. The next morning, when I was ready to leave the house, I saw the first feedback for that entry -- both from comments of visitors and on some other Iranian Weblogs."
Had it not been for one last entry, no one would have known of his arrest.
"I was almost sure this time they wanted to arrest me. So I put an entry about it on my Weblog. The next morning, when I was ready to leave the house, I saw the first feedback for that entry -- both from comments of visitors and on some other Iranian Weblogs."
"I have a confession to make; I am a killdee killer," Bush writes in his autobiography. But a reader expecting mournful reflection encountered the following: "I think it showed a side of me that voters had not seen. I was able to laugh at myself, to make a mistake, admit it, and poke fun at it.... It gave me great joke material."
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
More innocent civilians killed in Iraq. Notice the reports are most often about U.S. soldiers, not the British.
"The Americans have ruined an innocent family, children and women," Ms Wahab said, distraught and weeping at the hospital.
"They didn’t even bother to look back at them after shooting them."
"The Americans have ruined an innocent family, children and women," Ms Wahab said, distraught and weeping at the hospital.
"They didn’t even bother to look back at them after shooting them."
The Bush administration wasted no time - one day - in launching a fierce, legal attack against O'Neill, while it still has not shown any genuine interest in discovering who disclosed the identity of Valerie Plame...
Bush's father, former President George Bush, had proposed a mission to Mars that was scuttled because of the high cost.
So is the plan to finish everything Bush Sr. started?
So is the plan to finish everything Bush Sr. started?
Andrew S. Fastow, Enron Corp.'s former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Houston to criminal charges...
An official who choses not to be named (wonder why?) corroborates O'Neill's assertion that the Bush Regime planned to invade Iraq. "The president told his Pentagon officials to explore the military options, including use of ground forces that went beyond the Clinton administration's halfhearted attempts to overthrow Hussein without force." So much for Bush's statement that they were following in Clinton's footsteps: "Like the previous administration, we were for regime change. And in the initial stages of the administration, as you might remember, we were dealing with desert badger or fly-overs and fly-betweens. And then all of a sudden September 11 hit."
And there he is again, linking 9/11 to Iraq...
The Bush administration has denounced suggestions that the war was planned long before the terrorist attacks. Rumsfeld said Bush made the decision to go to war in March 2003 ''after trying everything else in the world.''
And there he is again, linking 9/11 to Iraq...
The Bush administration has denounced suggestions that the war was planned long before the terrorist attacks. Rumsfeld said Bush made the decision to go to war in March 2003 ''after trying everything else in the world.''
"An Israeli soldier is expected to be charged with manslaughter following the death of British peace activist Tom Hurndall..." What will happen to the soldier who killed Rachel Corrie?
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
How would the statistics read if all of those who are unemployed and not registered with their state's Employment office added their names to the roster?
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Thursday, January 08, 2004
"We found nothing," Cirincione said. "There are no large stockpiles of weapons. There hasn't actually been a find of a single weapon, a single weapons agent, nothing like the programs that the administration believe existed."
The refusal of thirteen reservists in Israel’s elite commando unit, Sayeret Matkal, to serve on missions in the Occupied Territories is the latest expression of the growing opposition within the armed forces to the Sharon government’s repression of the Palestinian people
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Move on over to MoveOn to check out the finalists in the Bush in 30 Seconds contest.
I thought 'Child's Pay' was well done. Haven't seen them all yet, but have enjoyed perusing.
I thought 'Child's Pay' was well done. Haven't seen them all yet, but have enjoyed perusing.
“There is press freedom in Israel as long as you say and write good things about Sharon, the settlers and the occupation army.
"However, as soon as you start reporting the ugly reality, the rough treatment begins,” says Nawwaf al-Amer, a Palestinian journalist from Nablus who was imprisoned and tortured for eight months last year for “incitement against Israel and the IDF”.
Al-Amer, who spent 25 “nightmarish days” in Israel’s most notorious top-secret prison, known as Facility no 1391, said he lost all feeling in the right side of his head and face as a result of “sustained abuse and mistreatment”.
"However, as soon as you start reporting the ugly reality, the rough treatment begins,” says Nawwaf al-Amer, a Palestinian journalist from Nablus who was imprisoned and tortured for eight months last year for “incitement against Israel and the IDF”.
Al-Amer, who spent 25 “nightmarish days” in Israel’s most notorious top-secret prison, known as Facility no 1391, said he lost all feeling in the right side of his head and face as a result of “sustained abuse and mistreatment”.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful....
Actually, it's delightful!
The 'Big News' in Washinton is that it snowed.
Kind of funny to see the news stations making this their main story.
Let it snow!
Actually, it's delightful!
The 'Big News' in Washinton is that it snowed.
Kind of funny to see the news stations making this their main story.
Let it snow!
Sunday, January 04, 2004
Bill O'Reilly has a grudge against Drudge.
"'There is no other cure than to kill Matt Drudge,' O'Reilly charged on the IMUS in the MORNING radio show."
No spin there.
"'There is no other cure than to kill Matt Drudge,' O'Reilly charged on the IMUS in the MORNING radio show."
No spin there.
"Chief Warrant Officer Ronald Eagle, an expert on enemy targeting, served 20 years in the military -- 10 years of active duty in the Air Force, another 10 in the West Virginia National Guard. Then he decided enough was enough. He owned a promising new aircraft-maintenance business, and it needed his attention. His retirement date was set for last February.
Staff Sgt. Justin Fontaine, a generator mechanic, enrolled in the Massachusetts National Guard out of high school and served nearly nine years. In preparation for his exit date last March, he turned in his field gear -- his rucksack and web belt, his uniforms and canteen.
Staff Sgt. Peter G. Costas, an interrogator in an intelligence unit, joined the Army Reserve in 1991, extended his enlistment in 1999 and then re-upped for three years in 2000. Costas, a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Texas, was due to retire from the reserves in last May.
According to their contracts, expectations and desires, all three soldiers should have been civilians by now. But Fontaine and Costas are currently serving in Iraq, and Eagle has just been deployed. On their Army paychecks, the expiration date of their military service is now listed sometime after 2030 ..."
"The Army also is resorting to a policy called "stop loss" that allows the Pentagon to indefinitely keep soldiers from leaving the service once their time has expired."
Staff Sgt. Justin Fontaine, a generator mechanic, enrolled in the Massachusetts National Guard out of high school and served nearly nine years. In preparation for his exit date last March, he turned in his field gear -- his rucksack and web belt, his uniforms and canteen.
Staff Sgt. Peter G. Costas, an interrogator in an intelligence unit, joined the Army Reserve in 1991, extended his enlistment in 1999 and then re-upped for three years in 2000. Costas, a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Texas, was due to retire from the reserves in last May.
According to their contracts, expectations and desires, all three soldiers should have been civilians by now. But Fontaine and Costas are currently serving in Iraq, and Eagle has just been deployed. On their Army paychecks, the expiration date of their military service is now listed sometime after 2030 ..."
"The Army also is resorting to a policy called "stop loss" that allows the Pentagon to indefinitely keep soldiers from leaving the service once their time has expired."
"The president said Americans should feel safe eating beef..."
The president lies.
Therefore, beef is not safe to eat.
The president lies.
Therefore, beef is not safe to eat.
Saturday, January 03, 2004
Sometimes reading the paper while drinking coffee can be dangerous. Or at the very least, it can ruin what was otherwise a perfectly good cup of joe, especially when one reads the latest spew of predictions from Pat Robertson: "I think George Bush is going to win in a walk...I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord it's going to be like a blowout election in 2004. It's shaping up that way. The Lord has just blessed him, I mean, he could make terrible mistakes and comes out of it. It doesn't make any difference what he does, good or bad, God picks him up because he's a man of prayer and God's blessing him.''
Rev. Barry W. Lynns says: "Maybe Pat got a message from Karl Rove and thought it was from God.''
I wonder if Robertson has some sort of connection with Diebold.
Rev. Barry W. Lynns says: "Maybe Pat got a message from Karl Rove and thought it was from God.''
I wonder if Robertson has some sort of connection with Diebold.
