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The Pentagon Attack: What the Physical Evidence Shows

 

 

Liberty Calling

Previous News and Commentary – Feb.- July 2007

Monday, May 28, 2007  (Continued)

Keylogging trojan dodges anti-virus detection

A new variant of the Russian Trojan Gozi is circulating on the Web, this time armed with a keylogging function and the ability to scramble itself so it is difficult to detect by anti-virus software.  The Trojan is believed to have been spreading since April 17. Like the original, which was discovered earlier in 2007, the new version of Gozi steals data from encrypted SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) streams. 

NIST atom interferometry displays new quantum tricks 

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a novel way of making atoms interfere with each other, recreating a famous experiment originally done with light while also making the atoms do things that light just won't do. Their experiments showcase some of the extraordinary behavior taken for granted in the quantum world—atoms acting like waves and appearing in two places at once, for starters—and demonstrate a new technique that could be useful in quantum computing with neutral atoms and further studies of atomic hijinks.

U.S. helps Mexico intercept phone calls and e-mail

The Mexican government is stepping up its program to intercept phone calls and e-mails from its citizens, using expertise, money and equipment from the United States, the Los Angeles Times reports today. New president Felipe Calderon, a conservative with close ties to the Bush administration, wants to change the Mexican constitution to give authorities the power to spy on citizens without a court order. Sound familiar?

Report: Cheney aide clearing path to bomb Iran

A report published today reveals a growing game of tug-of-war between President Bush and his No. 2 regarding the US approach towards Iran. Vice President Dick Cheney believes the US should not be pursuing a diplomatic path with Iran, and a senior aide to the vice president has been meeting with national security think tanks and consultants in Washington to "help establish the policy and political pathway to bombing Iran,"

It’s time to stand up – put up – or shut up

House minority leader, John Boehner, who is known for his candor, expressed his feelings on the immigration amnesty and corporate welfare bill that is currently being debated in the Senate by calling the bill a piece of crap. Actually Mr. Boehner expressed himself in more eloquently blunt terms, but in deference to the tender sensibilities of those who are easily offended by blunt language I have altered the congressman’s words a bit. So we’ll just say that the subject of the “piece of” that the congressman referred to rhymes with “wit.” In actual fact the congressman could have used any number of euphemisms or politically correct words to express his disdain for this treasonous legislation, but apparently to his way of thinking a piece of, uh, crap by any other name is still just a piece of crap. – Jim R. Schwiesow

The changing standards of sexiness 

Although they may sound like part of “Bodies…The Exhibition,” “bifurcated girls” were a popular attraction in American men’s magazines at the turn of the 20th century. “The Bifurcated Girl Is Coming!” announced a May 1903 magazine cover. The following month, there it was: an entire 44-page issue featuring “Gay Girls in Trousers” and “Leading Actresses” in “Men’s Togs.”

Why Ron Paul’s answer terrifies them

In one short answer to a moderator’s question in the South Carolina debate in which Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul suggested that U.S. foreign policy motivated the 9/11 terrorists, Paul produced an earthquake that is shaking the Republican establishment.    Jacob G. Hornberger

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

U.S. Blocks its Soldiers from Websites

How To Grow A Vegetable Garden In Your Apartment

The Universe as a Hologram Is your brain really necessary?    

Fusion Experiments Show Nuclear Power's Softer Side 

This Country Job Really Rocks! 

Bank of the South:  Hugo Chavez Wants to Take On His Enemies By Playing Their Old Game 

The Holographic Principle is a Simple Consequence of the Divergence Theorem 

Astronomy Picture of the Day:  Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 in Ultraviolet from Galex

Video of the Day: U.S. Rep Ron Paul Discusses the National Animal Identification System 

Monday, May 14, 2007

Reminder: Today – Monday - is Wiretap the Internet Day

He’s Back!  Rove Fingered Five of the U.S. Attorneys Slated for Dismissal        

One World Order: The Transatlantic Economic Integration

The International Forecaster: Royalist Fantasies of George Bush II

From A to Z: The Downing of the WTC Towers on 9/11 ***

Surprise! Evidence WTC Towers had Concrete Cores: Not All-Steel As Claimed ***

Rising Prices Not Lessening Indians' Love of Gold   

The Secret to not Losing Your Marbles: SF Technology Company Finds It

Senator Introduces 'Official English' Bill 

Texas Longhorn Steer Walks America Exposing Fed’s NAIS Plan

Department of Homeland and Security wants master key for DNS 

Exploration of Boundary Merging Between the UFO Culture, Parapsychology, and Intelligence Agencies

Astronomy Picture of the Day: The Cat's Eye Nebula from Hubble

Streaming Video of the Day: Pandora’s Black Box   

       *** These articles will be referred to during today’s interview of Chris Brown on May 7 and May 14. 

 

Saturday, May 12, 2007

    

Somalia: The Hidden War for Oil

Eye Eternally on the Prize: Iraq

Neo-Cons Drive Iran Divestment Campaign

10-Day Survival Pack for your Vehicle for less than $25

The Underrated Heroes of the Garden

An Introduction to Quantum Tantra

Video: Army Flying Saucer

Sex and Booze Figured in Egyptian Rites

The End of National Currency

Why Make a Matrix? And Why You Might be in One

The Inhuman Treatment of Robots

Monitoring Americans: A Nation Under Surveillance 

Preserving America’s Freedom: State Action Success Story

     

  Friday, May 11, 2007

 

“It Can’t Happen Here”

DHS Mobile Lab To Test Citizens for Terrorist Intentions  

The Pentacon   

Overwhelming Implausibility of Using Directed Energy Beams to Demolish the WTC Towers on 9/11  

Hard Evidence Repudiates the Hypothesis that Mini-Nukes Were Used on the WTC Towers   

Fake Terror – The Road to Dictatorship 

Clothing Created to Block Flu, Colds 

While You Weren’t Watching, Look What Happened! 

Occupation Forces support Afghan Narcotics

How to Become a Serf in One Easy Step

Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered Soy Beans Damage Health of Test Animals

Infinity Miles Per Gallon: Art Haines and the Solar Car

NeoCons Still Control President

Highly Effective Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis that Virtually No Physicians are Unsing

Shadow Government Changes under Bush 

Thursday, March 8, 2007

DHS Mobile Lab To Test Citizens for Terrorist Intentions

Getting inside the Democratic or Republican national convention requires connections and a badge, but in the summer of 2008, it might require also require not setting off remote, cutting edge sensors designed to test whether or not you have terrorist intents.

What Did Israel Know in Advance of the 9/11 Attacks?

 

On the afternoon of September 11, 2001, an FBI bulletin known as a BOLO ­- "be on lookout" -- was issued with regard to three suspicious men who that morning were seen leaving the New Jersey waterfront minutes after the first plane hit World Trade Center 1. Law enforcement officers across the New York-New Jersey area were warned in the radio dispatch to watch for a "vehicle possibly related to New York terrorist attack" 

 

The Pentacon

 

LC Editor’s Comment:  9/11 researchers incapable of “thinking outside of the box” and stuck on the notion that either an airplance or a missile hit the Pentagon will have a field day trying to use this well-produced video offering by the Citzens Investigation Team to support their favorite scenario for this disaster.  They will no doubt succeed in proving themselves right --- be it their choice of vehicle a missile or a plane ---- simply because they have failed to think outside of the box.  I’ll be writing a feature article on the subject of the Pentagon crash and publishing it in next Tuesday’s issue of LIBERTY CALLING.  In the meantime I urge you to view this video a few times and ponder over its multiple messages - Ron Larsen, Ph.D. 

 

REPORT: 72 Percent Of Army Brigades Have Served Multiple Tours of Duty 

 

The Center for American Progress has released a new study on the state of our military readiness. The report — “Beyond the Call of Duty: A Comprehensive Review of the Overuse of the Army in the Administration’s War of Choice in Iraq” — undertook a “massive research project to identify, brigade by brigade, the number and duration of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan by the active Army.” The report found a large majority of Army brigades have served multiple tours.

Physicist - Author Greene:  Backward Time Travel Unlikely, Foward a 1 Million Years Okay

The urge to hug a departed loved one again or prevent atrocities are among the compelling reasons that keep the notion of time travel alive in the minds of many. While the idea makes for great fiction, some scientists now say traveling to the past is impossible.

Overwhelming Implausibility of Using Directed Energy Beams to Demolish the WTC Towers on 9/11

 

As Dr. James Fetzer suggests, Dr. Judy Wood may be unable to provide answers  to basic questions regarding her own speculative hypothesis. However, this paper does quantitatively analyze those issues raised during the interview as well as address other

evidence advanced by Dr. Judy Wood and others that the WTC towers may have been  destroyed by directed energy weapons. The following arguments will prove that the degree of implausibility places the hypothesis squarely in the realm of the impossible.

 

Hard Evidence Repudiates the Hypothesis that Mini-Nukes Were Used on the WTC Towers

 

Fake Terror – The Road to Dictatorship

It's the oldest trick in the book, dating back to Roman times; creating the enemies you need. 

Senior Military, Intelligence, Law Enforcement,  and Government Officials Question
the 9/11 Commission Report

Many well known and respected senior U.S. military officers, intelligence services and law enforcement veterans, and government officials have expressed significant criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report or have made public statements that contradict the Report.  Several even allege government complicity in the terrible acts of 9/11. This website is a collection of their public statements. 

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Gold Falls in New York as Equity Plunge Triggers Metal Sell-Off

Gold prices in New York fell as much as 4 percent after U.S. equities tumbled the most since September 2002.

Computer Glitch Amplifies Stock Market Slide

What seemed to be an unprecedented drop in the Dow Jones blue-chip index in a matter of moments Tuesday was caused by a computer system glitch amid a surge in sell orders, company officials said.

Report: Many CIA 'ghost prisoners' still 'disappeared'

A report released yesterday by Human Rights Watch revealed that at least thirty-eight men detained in the Central Intelligence Agency's secret prisons are still unaccounted for.

Fake Terror – The Road to Dictatorship

It's the oldest trick in the book, dating back to Roman times; creating the enemies you need. 

Senior Military, Intelligence, Law Enforcement,  and Government Officials Question
the 9/11 Commission Report

Many well known and respected senior U.S. military officers, intelligence services and law enforcement veterans, and government officials have expressed significant criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report or have made public statements that contradict the Report.  Several even allege government complicity in the terrible acts of 9/11. This website is a collection of their public statements. 

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Chief Counsel to Committee that Probed Nixon Abuse of Power Wants Similar Bush Probe   

The chief counsel to the committee that investigated abuses of power by President Richard Nixon in the 1970s tells RAW STORY he’d like to see a similar inquiry into clandestine intelligence operations under President George W. Bush.  Frederick A.O. Schwarz, who presently works as Senior Counsel at the New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Social Justice, served as chief counsel to the Church Committee from 1975-1976. The committee drew its name from Senator Frank Church (D-ID) (in photo), who led the massive probe into abuses of power by US intelligence agencies.  (By Michael Roston, Raw Story, February 7, 2007).  Full article=>

Israel Calls for Sanctions on Iran that Bypass UN Security Council    

Jerusalem- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called Wednesday on world leaders to impose sanctions on Iran even if they have to do so without the United Nations Security Council. It is still not too late to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear abilities "through effective sanctions, also on a path which bypasses the Security Council," Olmert told British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett in Jerusalem.  Olmert also stressed that any Palestinian government must fulfil the three conditions of the international community, including "recognizing Israel, endorsing previous Israeli-Palestinian interim agreements and ending terrorism and support for violence," a government statement said.  (dpa German Press Agency, February 7, 2007).  Full article=> 

Mistrial in Case of US Officer Who Refused to Fight in Iraq    

United States (AFP) - The court martial of a US army officer who refused to fight in Iraq was ruled a mistrial here after a dispute over a pre-trial agreement.  Military judge Lieutenant Colonel John Head halted the case involving First Lieutenant Ehren Watada following possible inconsistencies concerning a "stipulation of fact" agreed before the hearing.  (AFP, February 7, 2007).  Full article=>

Ban Proposed On Cell Phones, iPods In Crosswalk   

NEW YORK -- A state senator from Brooklyn said on Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation that would ban people from using an MP3 player, cell phone, Blackberry or any other electronic device while crossing the street in New York City and Buffalo.  NewsChannel 4 reported that Sen. Carl Kruger is proposing the ban in response to two recent pedestrian deaths in his district, including a 23-year-old man who was struck and killed last month while listening to his iPod on Avenue T and East 71st Street In Bergen Beach.  (WNBC.com, February 7, 2007),  Full article=> 

LC Editor’s Comment:  Please, someone, mail Senator Kruger, a knitting kit, a subscription to a crossword puzzle magazine, or a yo-yo.  He has so much free time on his hands that he apparently originates frivolous like this gem to keep himself occupied. 

A Presidential Address  - Streaming Video  

Funny yet serious, this satirical remake of President Bush’s latest State of the Union Address asks President Bush the questions he does ... all » not wish to answer, let alone have Americans ask. This is a “Presidential Address” to Mr. Bush from We the People.  (By John Stoddard Klar, 24 min 22 sec - Feb 2, 2007 at Google Video).  Full article and streaming video=>

Military Wants More Civilians to Help in Iraq 

Senior military officers, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have told President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that the new Iraq strategy could fail unless more civilian agencies step forward quickly to carry out plans for reconstruction and political development.  (By Thom Shanker and David S. Cloud, New York Times, February 7, 2007).  Full article=>

LC Editor’s Comment: This announcement assure that President Bush will have readymade scapegoats on hand to blame when his new Iraq strategy fails All the civilian agencies who failed to step forward quickly enough to carry out his plans for reconstruction and political development.

Twelve Consequences of Attacking Iran

The murdered Israeli leader Gen. Yitzhak Rabin opposed the First Gulf War in 1990, warning that one never knows when starting a war where it will lead. As Bush and the neocons are reportedly planning to attack Iran, we should all think of the likely consequences.  (By Jon Basil Utley, Antiwar.com, February 7, 2007).  Full article=>

Army Never Showed Troops the Video it Made Warning  about Dangers of Depleted Uranium

A special investigation on the effects of depleted uranium reveals the Army made a tape warning of the effects of depleted uranium which was never shown to troops despite the fact the Pentagon knew the agent to be potentially deadly, CNN reports Tuesday.  (By David Edwards, RawStory.com, February 6, 2007).  Full article=>

Matrix Cam Spies Flying Bullets 

In the Matrix, characters could see bullets in slow motion as they sped toward them. Now, the U.S. military can too. An Air Force contractor has developed the first high-speed camera that can follow speeding bullets midflight. It may lead to "active armor" that intercepts speeding rounds out of the air, or personal-protection devices that deflect incoming bullets with rapidly inflating Kevlar air bags. (By David Hamling, Wired News, February 6, 2007). Full article=>

Video of US Friendly Fire in Iraq Unleashes Storm in UK 

U.S. and British officials denied trying to hide the details of a friendly fire incident on Tuesday after a classified cockpit video was leaked showing U.S. pilots mistakenly killing a British soldier.  (By Peter Graff, Reuters, February 6, 2007).  Full article=>

US A-10 Pilot after discovering he’d struck Brit Convey in Iraq: 'I'm going to be sick'

This is the transcript of the conversation between two US pilots whose planes attacked a British convoy in southern Iraq in March 2003.  According to The Sun, which printed the transcript from a cockpit video taken from one of the planes and obtained by the newspaper, this was the attack in which Lance Corporal Matty Hull was killed.  (Guardian Unlimited {U.K.}, February 6, 2007).  Full article=>

Senator Lieberman: Congress Should Consider a War on Terrorism Tax  

Sen. Joseph Lieberman said on Tuesday that Congress should consider a tax to fund the U.S.-declared war on terrorism and reduce the need to cut domestic programs to pay for security spending. A former Democrat who supports the Iraq war and backs President George W. Bush's plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq, Lieberman said the proposed increase in the Pentagon's budget for next fiscal year will squeeze funding for critical domestic programs.  (Reuters, February 6, 2007).  Full article=>

Cost of Troop Buildup in Iraq Not Included in Bush’s FY 2008 Budget Request 

The Bush administration's $142-billion war budget for next year leaves out money for the planned troop buildup in Iraq, a strong indication that the Pentagon views the increase as a short-term tactic to stem the escalating violence in Baghdad. 
But Defense officials could not provide assurances Monday that the troop level would fall back again by next year, and acknowledged they may be forced to return to Congress for more money to pay for the extra forces if sectarian conflict continues to rage.
(By Peter Spiegle, LA Times, February 6, 2007).  Full article=>

Bush Sends Congress $2.90T Spending Plan 

President Bush sent a $2.90 trillion spending plan to a Democratic-controlled Congress on Monday, proposing a big increase in military spending, including billions more to fight the war in Iraq, while squeezing the rest of government to meet his goal of eliminating the deficit in five years.  (By Martin Crutsinger, MyWay.com, January 5, 2007).  Full article=>

Bush Proposes Billions for Iraq, May Seek More

U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday asked a skeptical, Democrat-run Congress to approve $700 billion in new military spending -- much of it for the Iraq war -- and to curb many domestic programs.  Bush also warned that even more money for Iraq could be needed, as he unveiled a $2.9 trillion budget request for fiscal 2008 certain to stoke growing frustrations among Democrats and some Republicans over the war.  (By Caren Bohan and Richard Cowan, Reuters, January 5, 2007).  Full article=>

Bush Budget Funds NASA, Cuts EPA 

President Bush unveiled his $2.9 trillion budget request for next year Monday, beefing up spending for NASA while cutting back environmental protection and several science research programs.  With more than $140 billion set aside for research and development, the proposal is a mixed bag for scientists and engineers around the country. It was greeted by Congress with everything from tempered enthusiasm to outright derision.  (By Duke O’Brien, Wired.com, January 5, 2007).  Full article=>

US Set to Begin a Vast Expansion of DNA Sampling 

The Justice Department is completing rules to allow the collection of DNA from most people arrested or detained by federal authorities, a vast expansion of DNA gathering that will include hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, by far the largest group affected.  (By Julia Preston, NY times, February 5, 2007).  Full article=>

Political Power and the Rule of Law 

With the elections over and the 110th Congress settling in, the media have been reporting ad nauseam about who has assumed new political power in Washington.  We're subjected to breathless reports about emerging power brokers in Congress; how so-and-so is now the powerful chair of an important committee; how certain candidates are amassing power for the 2008 elections, and so on.   Nobody questions this use of the word "power," or considers its connotations. It's simply assumed, in Washington and the mainstream media, that political power is proper and inevitable.  The problem is that politicians are not supposed to have power over us-- we're supposed to be free. (By U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, in Texas Straght Talk, February 5, 2007).  Full article=>

Train Wreck of the Week – February 5, 2007 – Robert Chapman 

The Bush administration has proposed ending former subsidies for an estimated 80,000 wealthy individuals, many of them elitists. That is because this legislation is needed to complete the Doha Round of talks by the WTO. This is part of the groundwork for One World Government.  (By Robert Chapman, The International Forecaster, February 5, 2007).  Full article=>

Old-fashioned Gold Rush Tears up Patch of Brazil’s Amazon Jungle 

It’s a gold rush in the Amazon jungle, driven by the Internet.  Speeding past unbroken walls of foliage, a motorboat packed with gritty prospectors veers toward the shore of the Juma river and spills its passengers into a city of black plastic lean-tos veiled by greasy smoke. All around them are newly dug pits, felled trees, misery and tales of striking it rich.  This is Eldorado do Juma, scene of Brazil’s biggest gold rush in more than 20 years. (By Michael Astor, Associated Press, February 4, 2007). Full article=>

Substandard Levees Reported in 27 States 

Leaving the congestion and sky-high housing prices of the San Francisco Bay area for a quiet retirement near the state capital seemed like a no-lose idea to Achilles Melendres. So he bought a two-story home in a rapidly growing neighborhood north of downtown Sacramento last year. He's now wondering if he made the right decision. Last month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency withdrew its certification for the levees that are designed to keep the Sacramento River within its banks as it winds past the sprawling neighborhood Melendres calls home. The levees are weaker than expected, leaving thousands of homeowners at risk of a catastrophic flood that could submerge a vast swath of former farmland in 20 feet of water.  (By Samantha Young, February 4, 2007).  Full article=>

Blatant AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee) Propaganda

Note how this short video blurs the lines between Israel and the United States, as if the two formed one entity. No mention of Israel attacking U.S. interests in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt (the Lavon Affair), or Israel’s attack on the USS Liberty, killing 34 and wounding 170 Americans, or the Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. Note, at the end of this maudlin piece of propaganda, the cavalcade of war criminals and ethnic cleansers who are portrayed as friends of America.  (By Kurt Nimmo, Another Day at the Empire, February 3, 2007).  Full article and streaming video=>

In Orlando, a Law Against Feeding Homeless People 

Homelessness, in the view of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and members of his staff, adversely affects public safety and economic development, and therefore must be addressed.  (AP, February 3, 2007)  Full article=>

Natural Cancer-Fighting Power of Tomatoes and Broccoli

Broccoli and tomatoes, both of which have been previously found to help fight cancer, have been found to be even more effective against prostate cancer when eaten together as part of a daily diet.  (By Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola.com, February 3, 2007).  Full article=>  

Texas Governor Perry Orders Anti-Cancer Vaccine for Schoolgirls

 

Bypassing state lawmakers, Republican Gov. Rick Perry signed an order Friday making Texas the first U.S. state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.  By issuing an executive order, Perry apparently sidesteps opposition in the Legislature from conservatives and parents' rights groups who fear such a requirement would condone premarital sex and interfere with the way parents raise their children...Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass state laws across the country mandating Gardasil for girls...Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government...Texas allows parents to opt out of inoculations by filing an affidavit objecting to the vaccine on religious or philosophical reasons.  (By The Associated Press, in The International Herald Tribune, February 2, 2007).  Full article=>

LC Editor's Comments:  The makers of Gardasil, pharmaceutical giant Merck & Company, also once manufactured the arthritis drug Vioxx. In October 2004 Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market after an ongoing trial confirmed the medication increases the risk of heart attack and strokes. 

According to physician Dr. Joseph Mercola , Gardasil targets the human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease in America and the cause of nearly all cervical cancers. Dr. Mercola points out in an article that cervical cancer is caused by an infection acquired through sexual contact, and so it it is "behaviorly avoidable". He goes on to mention that even though more than 6 million American women contract HPV annually, only 3,700 (only six-hundredths of a percent) of these infections result in deaths each year, which suggests that the auto-immune systems of many women are able to clear up these infections on their own. 

 

Dr. Mercola says in his article that parents who really want to protect their daughters against HPV will take simple steps to strengthen their daughters' auto-immune systems and discourage unwise sexual practices rather than subject their daughters to Gardasil, which he believes to be just another useless, unnecessary, unproven and potentially toxic vaccine.    

 

DoD to request $622.6 billion for 2008

The Pentagon is expected to send Congress a $622.6 billion defense budget for 2008. The sum includes $141.7 billion to continue fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The numbers were confirmed by a Pentagon official on Feb. 2.  The spending plan, to be delivered to lawmakers Feb. 5, is $6.2 billion more than the $616.4 billion the Pentagon is spending this year. But there are greater differences in the budget than those numbers alone suggest.  (By Sean D. Naylor, February 2, 2007).  Full article=>

Texas Could Punish 'Truant' Parents

Parents beware: Miss a meeting with your child's teacher and it could cost you a $500 fine and a criminal record.  A Republican state lawmaker from Baytown has filed a bill that would charge parents of public school students with a misdemeanor and fine them for playing hooky from a scheduled parent-teacher conference.  (By Jim Vertuno, February 1, 2007). Full article=>

Nation's Elite AWOL From Military 

 

A new book expands on a familiar subject: the absence of America's elite and its governing class -- and their children -- from the ranks of our nation's military.  The book is "AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service -- and How It Hurts Our Country." Its authors, Kathy Roth-Douquet and Frank Schaeffer, didn't embrace the military ethos so much as it embraced them.  (By Joe Galloway, June 23, 2006).  Full article=>

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Texas Town is Running 'Free Gilmer' Campaign

 

A Texas town has launched a "Free Gilmer" campaign on behalf of Deputy Sheriff Gilmer Hernandez, who has been convicted of firing a weapon at fleeing illegals, and is scheduled for sentencing in March...The case is starkly like the case involving two former U.S. Border Patrol Agents, Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who were convicted of shooting at a fleeing drug smuggler who escaped back into Mexico. They currently are serving prison terms of 11 and 12 years.  (WorldNetDaily.com, February 1, 2007).  Full article=>

 

Michael Dell Returns to CEO Role at Dell

 

In the biggest executive shake-up yet after a string of disappointing earnings, eroding market share and an ongoing federal accounting probe, Michael Dell has returned to his role as chief executive officer of Dell Inc. - the company he created in his college dorm room nearly 15 years ago.  (

 

World Gold Council Urges China to Cut Value-Added Tax (VAT) 

The World Gold Council, a producer group supported by the biggest mining companies, is lobbying China to remove a tax on gold trading to boost demand in the world's fastest-growing major economy.  Scrapping the 17 percent value-added tax on sales of gold bars will pave the way for banks to introduce physical trading for individuals, giving them the opportunity to profit from global price moves, Albert Cheng, the Council's Far East managing director, told reporters in Shanghai today.  ``We see a huge demand potential given the Chinese people's large bank deposits'', valued at about $2 trillion, Cheng said, adding that he hoped the issue could be resolved this year.  (By Helen Yuan, Bloomberg.com, February 1, 2007).  Full article=>

Report: US Plans Strike Against Iran 

 

The US was drawing up plans to attack sites where Iran is believed to be enriching uranium before President George W. Bush's candidacy comes to an end, the UK-based Times reported on Wednesday. (The Jerusalem Post, January 31, 2007).  Full article=>

 

Lawyers warn on Illegality of Any Offensive Military Action by US against Iran

 

Today European, international, and U.S. legal and human rights groups issued an open letter warning of the illegality of any offensive military action by the United States against Iran. Signatories include the Center for Constitutional Rights (U.S.), Droite Solidarite (France), European Association of Lawyers for Human Rights and Democracy, Italian Association of Democratic Lawyers, Haldane Society (United Kingdom), International Association of Democratic Lawyers, National Lawyers Guild (U.S.), and Progress Lawyers Network (Belgium). The text of the letter is below. (Global Research, January 31, 2007)  Full article=>

 

Sen. Feingold's War-Ending Legislation Released 

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) today released his widely anticipated troop withdrawal legislation, and RAW STORY has received a copy.  The brief, three-page document describes a series of policy steps that would, if enacted, end the war within six months. The bill forbids the use of funds of any kind to "continue the deployment in Iraq of members of the United States Armed Forces after 180 days after the enactment of this Act."  (By Brian Beutler, RawStory.com, January 31, 2007).  Full article=>

Big Brother Watching: Listening, Shouting and Shooting X-Rays

 Documents leaked from the Home Office in London this week have revealed that the government is looking into using X-ray technology cameras by concealing them in lamp posts to "trap terror suspects".  The cameras, currently used in security check points at airports, can see through clothes and produce a naked image of anyone within their range. (By Steve Watson, Infowars.net, January 31, 2007).  Full article=> 

 

Congresswoman Slaughter Condemns Military Equipment Shortages as Waste Persists

Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, today responded to a newly released Inspector General audit detailing equipment shortages for the American troops sent into Iraq and Afghanistan that forced many to fight without the benefit of adequate body armor or armored vehicles. "The recently released findings of the Inspector General confirm our greatest fears: that brave young men and women were routinely sent into battle without the equipment they needed to protect themselves," Rep. Slaughter said. "And yet, despite the equipment shortages that already exist, the President is increasing the number of troops in Iraq. Why should we expect that they will be given what they need for success?” (By U.S. Rep. Slaughter, January 31, 2007).  Full article=>

Germans Issue Arrest Warrants for 13 Suspected CIA Agents 

 

German prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 13 suspected CIA agents over their alleged kidnapping three years ago of a German citizen, authorities said Wednesday. The unidentified agents are being sought on suspicion of the wrongful imprisonment of Khaled al-Masri and causing him serious bodily harm, Munich prosecutor Christian Schmidt-Sommerfeld told The Associated Press. He said the warrants were issued in the last few days. (Associated Press, January 31, 2007).  Full article=>

 

Journalist Sy Hersh has Harsh Words for Bush

 

The New Yorker's Seymour Hersh closed out last week's symposium "The 'War on Terrorism': Where Do We Stand" with a scathing critique of President George W. Bush and his foreign policy in the Middle East.  "The fact of the matter is we have a government that will do what it wants to do for the next two years," he said. "The worst is yet to come. It's sort of like we're essentially powerless [and] just play it out." One of the premier names in American investigative reporting, Hersh won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the 1968 My Lai massacre and helped break the story about U.S. prison abuses at Abu Ghraib in 2004. He previously spoke about Iraq at Tufts in 2004 and about the Iran-Contra Affair in 1988.  (By Kat Schmidt, RawStory.com, July 30, 2007),  Full article=>

 

Presidents and Terrorism

 

In the State of the Union, Bush claimed to have stopped four terrorism plots.  Countdown host Keith Obermann takes issue with that claim in a Special Comment.  (KeithObermann, MSNBC.com, January 30, 2007).  Full article=> 

 

Nuclear Plans in Chaos as Iran Leader Founders

 

Iran's efforts to produce highly enriched uranium, the material used to make nuclear bombs, are in chaos and the country is still years from mastering the required technology.  Iran's uranium enrichment programme has been plagued by constant technical problems, lack of access to outside technology and knowhow, and a failure to master the complex production-engineering processes involved. The country denies developing weapons, saying its pursuit of uranium enrichment is for energy purposes. (By Peter Beaumont, January 28, 2007).  Full article=>

 

Atom Agency's Director ElBaradei: Iran Is at Least Five to 10 Years Away From Nuclear Arms

 

Iran is at least five to 10 years away from developing nuclear weapons, and any military attack on the country would only speed up its program, the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog organization said today. ``We have not seen any facilities capable of building a weapon,'' International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ``We are not dealing with a threat tomorrow.''  (By Gregory Viscusi, Bloomberg.com, January 25, 2007), Full article=>

 

Iran Must Get Ready to Repel a Nuclear Attack

 

In the overall flow of information coming from the Middle East, there are increasingly frequent reports indicating that within several months from now the US will deliver nuclear strikes on Iran. For example, citing well-informed but undisclosed sources, the Kuwaiti Arab Times wrote that the US plans to launch a missile and bomb attack on the territory of Iran before the end of April, 2007. The campaign will start from the sea and will be supported by the Patriot missile defense systems in order to let the US forces avoid a ground operation and to reduce the efficiency of the return strike by “any Persian Gulf country”. (By General Leonid Ivashov, GlobalResearch.ca, January 24, 2007).  Full article=> 

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