There’s a lot of hocus-pocus in biometrics, but this still hasn’t stop our military from using this technology to determine if someone is an enemy terrorist. So if biometrics data determines that someone is a terrorist, even though he’s unarmed and doesn’t appear to be dangerous, our soldiers are perfectly free, according to the rules of engagement, to gun him down. Robert Parry has a mouth-full to say about this. Robert Parry, BTW, is an investigative journalist who won the George Polk Award in 1984 for reporting on the Iran-Contra affair and uncovering Oliver North’s involvement in it…
http://antiwar.com/radio/2008/11…robert-parry-7/
I’m disturbed enough as it is that we are using such iffy technology to decide whether someone can be gunned down or not, especially given that this technology can easily be transferred from battlefronts abroad to our homeland here in the US. But what disturbs me even more is that many military types (including the mild-mannered Colin Powell) believe there’s nothing wrong with gunned down unarmed civilians all in the name of this so-called “war on terrorism.” About the only way any invader or occupier, such as the US, can justify the killing of civilians, such as the ones in Afghanistan or Iraq, is to view them as being less than human. And now that our armed forces see little difference between innocent civilians and enemy combatants, I think it’s high time that we put an end to our never-ending war on terror.
Let me also mention that as long as terrorists aren’t being supported by any particular state or government, we have no business invading and occupying any country on the planet, which happens to harbor terrorists. As I’ve said before, the war on terror is similar to the war of drugs in that it can only be fought through covert actions. But because there’s a vicious cycle to terrorism, just as there is to the illicit drug trade (the harder we fight them, the bigger and more vicious they become), I have serious doubts that covert actions can put a lid on terrorism, much less stamp it out. So I think in the long run, the best way for us to battle terrorists and drug dealers alike is to distance ourselves from them, not to seek them out!
Cynthia | 02.24.09 – 10:40 am | #

Posted by: Cynthia | Feb 24 2009 17:43 utc | 4

What, if anything, are you (anyone) giving up for Lent?

Posted by: Cloud | Feb 24 2009 19:35 utc | 6

Excellent interview today on:
Against the Grain – The Stoics on Achieving Tranquility
In this first-time airing of C.S. Soong’s full-length interview with William Irvine, the Wright State philosophy professor talks about his book “A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.”
Should be here soon in the archives.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Feb 24 2009 20:38 utc | 8

I lay off meat during Lent: not strictly and certainly not religiously, it is just a good time of year to clean out the system and get in shape for spring, and it makes the Easter feast all that more enjoyable when you finally tuck into a big ham or roast…

Posted by: ralphieboy | Feb 24 2009 22:03 utc | 10

#6, holocaust movies!

Posted by: annie | Feb 24 2009 23:31 utc | 12

NASA announced today they splashed $273M of your tax dollars all over the South Ocean, “we think it missed land”, when they decided to bury their new CO2 measuring satellite with its shroud, now that green technology has gone the way of authentic Mardis Gras.
Of course, late last week we learned NASA and Russia had a little tete-e-tete that splashed another $250M of your tax dollars all across the Northern Tier and Canada.
Meanwhile, Iran announced last month a successful satellite launch for only “tens of millions of dollars”, proving that a 90% NASA administrative overhead and profit is worth every penny of that $250M cost-overrun, because they can always pig out again for another $273M at the Fed ATM, after Lent is over. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Posted by: Monte Higgenbothem | Feb 24 2009 23:39 utc | 14

I’m giving up joy for lent.
IB

Posted by: Iron Butterfly | Feb 25 2009 4:28 utc | 16

MOnte, #14, I’m curious to know how much atmospheric CO2 one of these launches generates…

Posted by: Obelix | Feb 25 2009 5:50 utc | 18

Upps: Japan’s Exports Plunge 46% in a Year

Japan’s exports plunged 45.7 percent in January from a year earlier, resulting in a record trade deficit, as recessions in the United States and Europe smothered demand for the country’s cars and electronics.
The shortfall widened to 952.6 billion yen ($9.9 billion), the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday in Tokyo. It was the biggest deficit since 1980, the earliest year for which there is comparable data. The drop in shipments abroad eclipsed a record 35 percent decline set in December.
Exports to the United States tumbled 52.9 percent from a year earlier, and shipments to Europe also posted big declines. The collapse is likely to force Japanese companies to keep firing workers and closing factories, worsening an economy that shrank the most in 34 years last quarter.

That’s the carry trade biting back. The Yen is much too high now for Japan to export anything.

Posted by: b | Feb 25 2009 6:51 utc | 20

Financial Crash, Commodity Prices and Global Imbalances: In this paper we argue that the persistent global imbalances, the subprime crisis, and the volatile oil and asset prices that followed it, are tightly interconnected. They all stem from a global environment where sound and liquid financial assets are in scarce supply.

Their paper is currently avail via Scribd, and due to that site’s interface, I cannot copy/paste quotations, so I’ll type this first one out by hand. Please excuse any typos.

Our story goes as follows: Global asset scarcity led to large capital flows toward the U.S. and to the creation of asset bubbles that eventually crashed. The crash in the real estate market was particularly complex from the point of view of asset shortages since it compromised the whole financial sector,and by so doing, closed many of the alternative saving vehicles. Thus, in its first phase,the crisis exacerbated the shortage of assets in the world economy,which triggered a partial recreation of the bubble in commodities and oil markets in particular.The latter led to an increase in petrodollars seeking financial assets in the U.S.Thus, rather than the typical destabilizing role played by capital outflows during financial crises,petrodollar flows became a source of stability for the U.S. The second phase of the crisis is more conventional and began to emerge toward the end of the summer of 2008. It became apparent then that the financial crisis would permeate the real economy and sharply slowdown global growth. This slowdown worked to reverse the tight commodity market conditions required for a bubble to develop, ultimately destroying the commodity bubble.

My comment: “Global asset scarcity” did not occur in a vacuum, although they touch on this later in the paper.

Posted by: Jeremiah | Feb 25 2009 17:27 utc | 22

Uncle $’s link to to RA Wilson’sThirteen Choruses for the Divine Marquis over on the “Obama Invents Inventions” thread led to an inspired piece of writing but that is pretty standard fare from Bob. I couldn’t resist copying a few refrains from five oh his thirteen choruses as a sampling for anyone who missed it.

I dreamed I called Fulton Sheen on the phone and asked him, I read in your column that “A child needs a pat on the back to encourage him provided it is applied hard enough, low enough and often enough.” You believe that crap, man?
“Without discipline,” he intoned, “our whole civilization would fall into anarchy. ‘I will chastize him with my rod,’ says the Good Book.”
But, but, man I protested you’re supposed to be anti-sex. Don’t you know some cats get their rocks off that way? Ain’t you read about spanking orgies and people coming in their pants during it? Ain’t you against anybody coming, ever, anywhere, anytime, in any way?
“Argggh!” he said, like the dying villain of a comic book, and I couldn’t tell if he was having an orgasm or a heart attack.
The line went dead with a weird like a bomb-bay door opening to drop Rita Hayworth’s picture. Gilda, the whore, beckoning from her golden bed . . . on little bronze heathens who didn’t believe in Jesus.
…
I dreamed I called a bunny on the phone and asked her, dig de Sade?
“But the most, darling,” she cooed.
But, but — I asked — what do you really think of men?
“But, hon,” she said innocently, “what do cattle think of butchers?”
And the line went dead with an abrupt click like a diaphragm falling from a purse onto a cold metal floor.
…
I dreamed I called Batman on the phone and asked, any truth in those rumors about you and Robin?
“Our relationship is 100% platonic,” he replied stiffly. “We sublimate. Why do you think we’re always out looking for ‘bad guys’ that we can punish?”
And the line went dead with a quick click like handcuffs closing on a thin wrist forever.
…
I dreamed I called Adolf Hitler on the phone and asked him, What was your gimmick?
“They believed it was wiser to obey anyone, even me, than to risk anarchy,” he said with a ghoulish laugh.
And the line went dead with a sharp click like boot-heels snapped together.
…
I dreamed I called D.A.F. de Sade on the phone and asked him, “Jesus told me that he and you agree on at least one thing and it explains freedom. What is that one thing?”
“Quite simple,” he replied, “don’t be afraid of the Cross. The fear of death is the beginning of slavery.”
And the line went dead with a triumphant click like a barred door falling open.

Quite amazing how but out of context fragments and too clear mirrors reflecting our own psyche from the Marquis’ works became the definition of Sadism. Leave it to Bob to enlighten us once more. All hail Eris!

Posted by: Juannie | Feb 25 2009 23:47 utc | 24

In your experience was there as much angst among the casts as Wilson indicates in the presentation he cites in the Twelfth Chorus? Sounds like a pretty intense play for the actors. I haven’t but glanced at de Sade before. Any suggestion where to start?

Posted by: Juannie | Feb 26 2009 2:08 utc | 26

it’s a strong work juannie – the marat/sade – the first time was at university & it was perfect for an ensemble – it was in its way total theatre & it was a synthesis of whole lot of theatre research
sade – as i sd – you know if you don’t know a work – it’s good to start with letters & he wrote a lot of them – then there is a very good & readable biography in paperback – after i suppose justine would be an interesting start_ as i sd i find him too floral & something that is closer 120 days is virtually unreadable – its strange his reputation grows – the holy trinity here -sade/proust/celine i find a whole lot less attractive as i march towards the grave

Posted by: remembereringgiap | Feb 26 2009 2:32 utc | 28

Surgar Weekly English Edition 28FEB,1430AH
4 districts disarmed in Nangarhar
Nangarhar Surgar: Armed warlords in four districts of the eastern Nangarhar province have handed over their weapons to Disbandment of Illegal Armed groups (DIAG). The four districts were named ‘peace districts’ after the act.
Previously the Jihadi of Chaparhar, Kot, Sara Rud districts handed over approximately 50 shaft weapons to DIAG.
The president’s consultant minister and Nangarhar governor Gul Agha Sherzai then named the four districts as “peace districts” as well.
Sherzai said Nangarhar is a peaceful province while pledging that he will carry out more reconstruction work in the province, especially in the freshly weapons-cleared districts.
The governor showed his approval over the naming of four peace districts and hoped to see all the districts weapons-free, as providence allows.
The government has stated they will carry out reconstruction projects in parts of the country where people voluntarily hand over illegal weapons.
Besides the two disarming programs like DDR (Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration) and DIAG (Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups), illegal armed-groups still exist in places.
The four districts are now cleared of weapons in preparation for the government decision to form tribal militia forces. The decision to form armed militias was heavily criticized by people who said it was acting against the two disarming programs.
Lawless armed-groups throughout Afghanistan are a chief reason for insecurity in the country and the increase in crimes.
—
Kandahar city gets new master plan
Kandahar Surgar: The Minister of Urban Development announced a 20 year master plan for Kandahar city which will provide housings for almost one and a half million residents.
The new rebuilding plan will be kicked off in the coming couple of months, engineer Mohammed Yousaf Pashtun, urban development minister said.
The planners have consulted with Kandahar governmental officials, university professors and experts and then prepared for the construction work.
“The plan will include building 10000 houses”, engineer Pashtun added.
Making a new town in the east part of Kandahar, which will hold 10000 modern homes, is a part of the master planning project, according the minister.
These houses, which will be built by the private sector of the country, will be sold to people on long term loans.
Engineer Pashtun, who was on a trip to the southern provincial capital Kandahar, stated a new university would be established in a perimeter of 1000 hectors, as part of the project.
With these new facilities, the university will have a capacity of accepting 15000 students.
According to engineer Pashtun, modern hospitals, roads, playgrounds and train tracks are other parts of the plans.
The Urban Ministry officials urge all local governmental offices to carry out all their development and reconstruction projects according to the new master plan.
500000 people reside in Kandahar currently but reports say the number will triple in the coming 15 years.
The ministry announces its 20 year plan even as reconstruction and envelopment efforts had slowed down recently in Kandahar.
Residents in Kandahar welcome the plan with excitement, saying acting upon the plan will renovate their city just as other modern and progressive cities.
Kandahar was the original capital of Afghanistan when it became a sovereign state in 1747.
—
Disputes over Bagram prisoners’ rights
Kabul Surgar: Afghanistan’s human rights organization criticized Americans for not giving rights to Bagram prisoner to appeal cases to courts, but the justice ministry of the United States say no one has the rights to file cases if they are caught fighting in a war-zone.
Bagram, which is the biggest US military air base in Afghanistan, has about 600 prisoners in custody, most of who are alleged of having links with Alqaeda and/or Taliban.
A recent announcement said the detained prisoners in Bagram will not have the rights to file law suits in American courts. This announcement was seriously criticized by rights defendants
who claim it’s a clear example of human rights violation.
Afghanistan’s Human rights organization has raised voices against the decision and said it’s against human rights laws to not give prisoners the rights to carry out their cases in courts.
Lal Gul Lal, the organization head said it’s every prisoner’s right to run cases in a legal court and defend themselves. He said he is ready to hire defendant lawyers to carry out
prisoners’ appeal cases.
“The prisoners in Bagram are detained against their human rights and they should be released immediately without any conditions”, Lal said, adding, “iF the US don’t release the prisoners in Bagram, then it should give them the rights to hire defendant lawyers to defend themselves in a court.”
The justice ministry of the United States says the Bagram prisoners don’t have the rights to file cases in any court because they trained and fought in war-zone and have links to terrorists.
Human rights watchdogs, on the other hand, rejected the reasoning and stressed the point that prisoners should be given the right to carry their cases to court, so that justice is maintained.
Human rights organizations have seriously criticized the American forces for brutally beating up these detainees and for conducting illegal interrogations.
A reporter released from Bagram Air Base, told about the brutal treating of the prisoners. He said the prisoner are beaten up and treated badly.
US forces have always rejected the allegations, and US President Obama stated publicly that, “We do not torture,” which he was able to say, after US Senator John McCain successfully ran his “anti-torture” campaign that resulted in redefinition of the term ‘torture’, little else.
—
Etisalat granted award
Kabul Surgar: Etisalat, a well-known telecommunication company was awarded the Best Customer Services Award by the Middle East Award Institute.
Etisalat, a leading communication company, serves in 18 Middle Eastern countries and has 80 million customers.
This leading company has been awarded five other telecommunication awards in the past as well.
Ali Ulkamal, the institute’s head who was presenting the award to the company, said he is happy to have the honor of offering the award to Etisalat.
UlKamal said Etisalat was chosen because it provides great service. Etisalat provides internet facilities which make it easy for customers to solve their problems on their own.
Etisisalt has its branches in many provinces of Afghanistan besides the capital Kabul.
—
NATO allies should do more
The NATO-led Commander Yap de Hoop Schiffer urged close corporation between NATO and its allies operating in Afghanistan.
Schiffer told a joint conference that a closer collaboration is needed to fight the war against terrorism, while speaking before the a ministers’ meeting in Berlin, Germany’s capital.
“We can’t lose in Afghanistan. We have to win with any cost in that country” the chief said.
Resolving the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan was one of the main topics of the meeting agenda.
The defense ministers pledged to boost up security ahead of the upcoming elections in the country and provide a peaceful environment for people to choose the next president.
In an effort to maintain to a stable Afghanistan, NATO and the US have decided to deploy an extra 2000 soldiers in order to keep pressure on, in the struggle against the opposition insurgency.
The NATO allies were asked to continue their assistance in strengthening the Afghan National Army. While there are currently 70000 foreign forces in Afghanistan, the insurgency is still growing, which led to a decision by US President Obama to field an extra 17000 US ‘surge’ force.
Unlike the surge in Iraq, which succeeded because of the pre-emptive ceasefire by Muqtada al Sadr, along with the liberal application of $10B’s in oil revenues and lease term royalty bribes, there is no central figure in Afghanistan to call for a ceasefire, and no $10B’s available for bribes.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he has received many pledges which, if fulfilled, will help resolve the Afghan conflict.
Similar remarks have been made by many other high officials saying the on-going conflict in the country needs more international attention and a stronger counter-insurgency effort made.
Although the US and the US–led NATO forces believe the Afghan conflict will be solved more quickly by sending the extra troops, Afghan politicians have variable opinions, some saying extra troops is not the correct solution to the problem.
The Soviets learned to their dismay and ultimate demise that even with 83,000 troops in country during their occupation, they could not hold the field against poorly-armed but fierce mujahideen.
After the recent most daring attack on governmental building in Kabul of the insurgent Taliban, the international forces have now realized the current situation is trending against their
predictions, and the level of violence is worsening.
Even though the security forces put a quick end to the coordinated attacks near the presidential palace in Kabul, security analysts say incidents like these is the grim reminder of the insecurity.
—
Rabbani urges Karzai to step-down
Kabul Surgar: The United National Front leader, Burhanulldin Rabbani called on President Hamid Karzai to step down and hand over his rule to a short term administration after his term is concluded in May, in order to avoid the violent outbreaks that occurred between the rule of the mujahideen and Taliban,
and during former Soviet-era leadership under Taraki, Amin and Karmal, when a national figurehead was uncertain and 100000s of Afghans lost their lives or were dispaced as refugees.
According to the Afghan Constitution, President Karzai will have to step down from his President’s chair on May the 21st, which should then be followed sometime afterwards by upcoming presidential elections, which were re-scheduled for August 20th, unless the election is delayed due to low voter registration.
As official member of National Assembly (Wolasi Jirga) and United National Front leader, Rabbani declared Karzai’s legitimacy as President ends on the 21st of May, and he must cede power if elections are delayed.
United National Front is an opposition political party to the Karzai Administration. Front members are made up of jihadist warriors and former senior-level government officials.
The independent election commission of Afghanistan delayed the presidential elections to August 20th due to the ongoing Taliban insurgency and the global financial crisis.
The National Assembly said delaying the election is against the Constitution, and urged President Karzai to hold elections on its originally scheduled date in May.
Although Karzai has not talked about remaining as the president after May, his opposite political parties, politicians and human rights experts have already started criticizing him.
President Karzai, spoke to a conference in the Eastern Lagham last week, saying if his legalitimacy came under questions, he will not continue in office for a second beyond the appointed end of his term, however it is widely believed that if he were to step down, that Afghanistan would immediately descend into chaos.
—
Republic party: Karzai not a member
Kabul Surgar: The country’s Republican Party, which was rumored to be President Karzai’s party, announced Karzai as not a member and/or a candidate for their Party in the upcoming presidential elections.
The Republican Party, which was formed last year, is currently run by the refugee minister Abdul Kareem Brahawi and consists of 100000 members.
While rumors were wide-spread that the Party would pledge to re-elect President Karzai as their candidate, Abdul Qayum Sajadi, the party’s spokesman, rejected Karzai as their member or their party’s leader.
Sajadi spoke to a news conference, told reporters that president Karzai is not their candidate for the upcoming presidential elections and that they will announce their candidate.
The spokesman rejected all the rumors which said Karzai is the party’s head and that the party works for him.
The Republican Party, just like many other political parties, urged elections to be held on its originally appointed date in May.
President Karzai, before the party announced him as a non-member, rejected the rumors that the party is his party.
Karzai said he is neither a member of the Republican Party, nor has time for to form one of his own.

Posted by: Shah Loam | Feb 26 2009 3:30 utc | 30

Eerie. Reads Like a piece of fiction, but this is news.

Nation Instinctively Forms Breadline
February 24, 2009
NEW YORK—Drawn by a strange force they could neither resist nor describe, millions of Americans reportedly dropped what they were doing Tuesday and, acting as if by instinct alone, gathered into one massive nationwide breadline.
…
In the hours since the breadline formed, a number of unexpected and vaguely familiar events have taken place. Shortly after 10 a.m., three men slowly approached a nearby trash can, filled it with old newspaper, and lit a fire to warm their weary hands. Minutes later, observers reported seeing several women, suddenly overcome with inexplicable sorrow, pull their children close to the warmth of their breast.

Human misery getting into bloom in the west? The Berlin wall falling down all over again? That one was shrouded in the iron curtain, we could not closely observe it. But this will be watched on HDTV via internet.
Human misery is always horrifying, and has remained the same over the ages the world over. It was only recently that the “west” had consigned it to the third world, to the blacks and the browns. But it seems like you cant escape from the laws of nature for long.
For someone like me who exists in the third world, like a drop in the ocean of the black and brown people, these scenes are everyday occurrences. One learns to filter them out instinctively. But when they come to symbolize the smashing of idols, the flinging of the Emperor’s crown from his head, one stops in shock. And awes at the power of the process of history.

Posted by: a | Feb 26 2009 7:49 utc | 32

a@32-That link reeks of onions-funny smelling onions. In fact, it is a work of fiction that’s probably closer to truth than it knows.
The onion got me back in the fall with the piece supposedly from the senate discussing classified legislation. Funny because it was so close to the truth – in fact, I’ll link to it so you can enjoy the parody.
youtube congress
Remember this is only a joke…

Posted by: David | Feb 26 2009 14:39 utc | 34

Wait! I’m confused after watching David’s #34
was that edited? I mean I know it was on the Onion, and was suppose to be funny, or was that a real time incident and the Onion merely pointed to it? Because if it was real and they are making light of it, is one thing, but I don’t find it funny.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Feb 26 2009 18:05 utc | 36

Tantalus#37, yeah I caught that, as appalling as it is, it’s not surprising the absurdity we have reached in this bullshit plot, know as twat.
Also, you wrote, NB, the website was satire. The above is, apparently, not. and I’m not clear were you directing that at me? I don’t understand the ‘NB’ use.

Posted by: Anonymous | Feb 26 2009 18:32 utc | 38

No, no, Uncle – not directed at you in the least. I was just being bitter… The website Mr Mohamed was looking at was satire, the fact that people sliced his privates with razor blades for looking at it was not satire. Christ, it’s confusing, isn’t it? I’m starting to believe that the true hideousness of the world has become a feedback loop, and we can’t tell the satire from the white noise of screaming any more.

Posted by: Tantalus | Feb 26 2009 18:51 utc | 40

David,
it is to the Onion writers’ great credit that they were able to survive these last 8 years. You really never knew if news coming from corporate media was “true” or from the Onion.
U$ NB stands for the Latin nota bene or note well in english.

Posted by: dan of steele | Feb 26 2009 19:11 utc | 42

To anyone that is interested Arthur Silber has a serious health problem and needs help

Posted by: PaulM | Feb 26 2009 20:13 utc | 44

Let the caterwauling begin: link

Posted by: beq | Feb 26 2009 21:24 utc | 46

Thanks Paul,
Damn, hate to hear that about Silber…
@DOS thanks, I had no idea…

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Feb 26 2009 22:58 utc | 48

i had to call my mother to tell her about Binyam Mohamed threatening the US by swinging the bucket above his head for 45 minutes.
ok, i wasn’t going to post this for a couple reason (it’s a touch outdated and i’m giving up hitler for lent, or holocaust movies…whatever) but in the context of decent satire
Hitler: Another trade, another margin call
i watched it twice..

Posted by: annie | Feb 27 2009 0:18 utc | 50

Annie-Good feces! I laughed and for me, that’s good medicine, thanks

Posted by: David | Feb 27 2009 0:54 utc | 52

New York Times Complicit in FBI Anthrax Coverup

by Sheila Casey / February 26th, 2009
Back in 2001, just months after the anthrax attacks that killed five people, several articles came out in mainstream newspapers that pointed clearly to the CIA and Army as the most likely sources of the weaponized anthrax. Articles in The Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald, Washington Post and New York Times laid out the facts that incriminated Battelle Memorial Labs in West Jefferson, Ohio, and the Army’s lab at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah as the only logical sources for the anthrax. These facts, as reported in 2001, include:
1. For over a decade, Army scientists at Dugway have been making weapons-grade anthrax that is “virtually identical” to the anthrax used in the attacks.
2. The anthrax used in the 2001 attacks was extremely concentrated, with a trillion spores per gram. The Dugway anthrax had a similar concentration.
3. The FBI was increasingly focused on US government bioweapons research programs as the source of the deadly anthrax.
4. Both the lab in Utah and the lab in Ohio received anthrax samples from the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, although USAMRIID deals only with wet anthrax and ships it wet.
5. The investigation was focused on the Dugway anthrax, and Dugway was described as the only facility that was known to be weaponizing anthrax.
6. One FBI official said that the CIA’s anthrax was “the best lead we have at this point.”
7. Army officials said that Fort Detrick did not have the equipment for weaponizing anthrax.
The FBI has never explained what became of this initial focus on the labs in Utah and Ohio. Instead, after the death of Fort Detrick anthrax researcher Bruce Ivins in July 2008, the FBI attempted to make the case that Ivins was the murderer and all other suspects had been cleared of suspicion.
Since Ivins’ death, the media have, with very few exceptions, passively swallowed the line dispensed by the FBI, and have acted as little more than stenographers in parroting the hollow arguments presented by the FBI that Ivins is guilty.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Feb 27 2009 6:00 utc | 54

US to deploy Patriot missiles to Poland
Speaking after a meeting with the US secretary of state Hilary Clinton in Washington, Poland’s foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, said that America would place the missiles in line with an agreement penned between the two nations last summer, adding that the deployment would be “initially as temporary measure and later on a permanent basis”.
The deployment of the long-range Patriot missiles will go ahead irrespective of whether or not the Obama administration pushes ahead with an anti-missile system, which Poland agreed to host in the summer after Russia’s invasion of Georgia despite vehement opposition from Moscow.

It is baffling how the new administration conducts itself, when it needs $2 trillion a year for the next two years to stay afloat. Or are they relying on ‘Chimerica’? I think that they are living in fools paradise. And their soldiers should prepare to die like dogs in Afghanistan this summer.

Posted by: a | Feb 27 2009 6:13 utc | 56

I liked this paragraph best:

It is difficult to believe that the Obama administration is going to make as many crass errors as its predecessor. So amazed were the Iranians to see President Bush destroy their two most detested enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2003 that some theologians held that such stupidity must be divinely inspired and heralded the return of the Twelfth Imam and the Shia millennium.

Posted by: anna missed | Feb 27 2009 11:04 utc | 58

Here is a really humorous video from Minnesotans For Global Warming
Good Feces!
M4GW

Posted by: David | Feb 27 2009 17:22 utc | 60

i do not expect much from aljazeera these days but it dos have some extraordinary documentaries
my illnesses make me reflect often on the question of exemplarity – i know why – my political engagement began with that being a central issue
there has been a doco for the last two months about the chris hani hhospital in soweto & it is replete with the exemplarity of individuals & comunities capable of great courage & humility

Posted by: remembereringgiap | Feb 27 2009 23:01 utc | 62

In case anyone is curious about the mutiny of some Bangladeshi soldiers against what appears to be a bunch of very corrupt and arrogant officers, Daily Star has some pretty good coverage;
How it began
Mass graves
Nerve-racking hours inside BDR zone
I would also recommend stopping by the cia factbook for some good background.

Posted by: dan of steele | Feb 28 2009 13:07 utc | 64

Here’s what I mean by the repressive nature of the ‘Islamic’ Republic which is trying to wipe out Sufism, the ancient branch of Islam that believes in Islam as a very personal faith not to be used as an instrument of political power and corruption. It abhors “God’s brokers”, such as the Mullahs and Ayatollahs, and in this respect is almost a natural Islamic development of Zoroastrianism, the first mono-theistic religion that gave birth to the magnificent Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great.
Please read the link below. It’s a real eye-opener about one of the purest faiths on this planet.

Iran’s Sufi-Muslims persecuted

Posted by: Parviz | Mar 1 2009 8:26 utc | 66

From the article b links:

There is some ground for Pakistani misgivings. For years, U.S. intelligence has infiltrated the front companies used by Iran to acquire nuclear weapons technology from the West, especially Europe.

Valerie Plame ?

Posted by: Jeremiah | Mar 1 2009 22:39 utc | 68

@69 – we covered that one a few days ago here. would like to see more details though besides just those two blogs.

Posted by: b real | Mar 1 2009 23:25 utc | 70

an observation – probably testable by others too
the typepad spam filter traps a comment w/ a hyperlink to an AFP story in google’s hosted news cache
ex: google.com/hostednews/afp/article
at least this is the case i have run into consistently over the past weeks
which would mean that the spam filter is not only looking for spammers

Posted by: b real | Mar 2 2009 0:29 utc | 72

Peace Now: Israel planning 73,300 new homes in West Bank

A report by the Israeli left-wing NGO Peace Now released Monday says that the government is planning to build more than 73,300 new housing units in the West Bank.
Peace Now estimates that if all of the units are built, it would mean a 100-percent increase in the total number of Israeli settlers. The report says that some settlements, including the two largest Ariel and Ma’aleh Adumim, would double in size.
According to the report, approval has already been granted for the construction of 15,000 housing units, while approval is pending for a further 58,000 units.

Posted by: b | Mar 2 2009 10:09 utc | 74

I don’t agree with the author’s conclusion that the Zionists in the Obama Administration will have their own way, but the report below provides useful background and insights into Dennis Ross:

Dennis Ross and Iran

Posted by: Parviz | Mar 2 2009 11:53 utc | 76

parvis, imho, ross is going to be sitting on a back burner. he’s a figleaf to the lobby.
Iran “not close” to nuclear weapon: Gates

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Iran is not close to having a nuclear weapon, which gives the United States and others time to try to persuade Tehran to abandon its suspected atomic arms program, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday.
“They’re not close to a stockpile, they’re not close to a weapon at this point, and so there is some time,” Gates said on NBC television’s “Meet The Press.”

Posted by: annie | Mar 2 2009 15:16 utc | 78

b real-
I just tried and I came up against the spam filter, but it worked fine when I just previewed the post…

Posted by: David | Mar 2 2009 16:53 utc | 80

i just tried to post a comment w/ the url you posted & was blocked by typepad’s spam filter. could it be that you have admin priv’s which preclude you from that filter? anyone else have a problem trying to post the link in b’s #73?
also, my experience has been that this blocking is not limited to any one machine or address
I have no way to influence the filter. I guess(!) its your monicer, i.e. “b real” that has been cought in the spam trap a few times and now somehow triggers it.
Let’s try to retrain the filter (it is adaptive and runs without explicit human influence). Next time you run against the spam trap just post you stuff. I should see it then as a spam trapped posts on a “Comment management” page in typepad and could release them. That way the filter learns.

Posted by: b | Mar 2 2009 19:12 utc | 82

PSA:
The Best Testimony of The 21st Century with that spanking in mind…
3/3/09 12pm EST- Kevin Ryan on NANOTHERMITE at WTC-9/11
9/11 whistleblower engineer Kevin Ryan, fired from Underwriters Laboratories for exposing their complicit cover-up of how the Twin Towers were blown up, will be interviewed on Tuesday March 3, 2009 on Kevin Barrett’s radio show.

“9/11 Whistleblowing Scientist Kevin Ryan on Fair and Balanced with Kevin Barrett, Tuesday 3/3/09 noon-1 p.m. Eastern”

An editor of the Journal of 9/11 Studies, Kevin has co-authored important scholarly articles on 9/11 including the first one in a peer-reviewed academic journal.
Kevin Ryan, along with Steven Jones and colleagues, has been in the forefront of research showing that nano-thermates were used in the controlled demolition of the World Trade Center. What’s more, he discovered evidence that some of the key people chosen by the Bush Administration to lead the NIST WTC cover-up just happened to be involved with covert military research on nano-thermates and related compounds!
Email your questions for Kevin Ryan to me at truthjihad@gmail.com and I’ll select a few of the best for inclusion. If your question is used you win a free Kevin Ryan DVD!
Kevin Barrett
The Top Ten Connections Between NIST and Nano-Thermites
Kevin R. Ryan, 7-02-08
@malooga sorry, I haven’t contacted you yet, it’s been busy as hex here, but I still plan to…

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Mar 3 2009 7:37 utc | 84

Thanks to b for the comment on blackmail and Merkel. The technique is probably much more common than most folks imagine, but, of course, is extremely difficult to demonstrate save for unusual cases.
In a similar vein, here are two links the minimal daily dose of “conspiracy theory”. The first lets us know who is watching “Big Brother” while the second suggests similar surveillance for other “persons of interest”. No wonder George Soros thinks that AMDOCS is a good investment (even if the foot soldiers probably favor VERINT -formerly COMVERSE ).
The role of these and other Unit 8200 operations in imposing AIPAC approved policy on recalcitrant U.S. officials remains a major unreported (of course) story. This is not to say that U.S. Mideast policy is adopted solely as a result of such pressures, but rather that the AIPAC-Likudnik lobby can also deploy them to add a blunt instrument to its extensive arsenal of persuasion.

Posted by: Hannah K. O’Luthon | Mar 3 2009 7:50 utc | 86

For what it’s worth, with regards, #87 b, I don’t trust Susan Lindauer. And perhaps, both our recent links regarding 911 are to be viewed with skepticism, but by no means should that keep one from listening.
I have stated before, that if they were to investigate the stock market shenanigans, it would by pass the CD factor.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Mar 3 2009 8:10 utc | 88

ArundhatiRoy on Slumdog
How easily we are acclimated (normalized?) to the pain of the poor; Even entertained by it.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Mar 3 2009 19:54 utc | 90

Western hypocrisy brilliantly described by The Guardian:
Editorial
The Guardian, Tuesday 3 March 2009
Pledging aid for Gaza is the easy bit. Getting it delivered to Gazans living in tents after Israel’s three-week bombardment is another matter. The $3bn that donors promised in Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday will have to penetrate a labyrinth of barriers and conditions, the complexity of which King Minos of Crete would have been proud. The money will be given to the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, even though the PA’s writ does not run in Gaza. The aid will pass through crossings currently closed by Israel. It will be distributed in such a manner as to avoid ending up in the hands of its governors. But how? This is like trying to spoon a thin gruel into a dying man, without letting it touch any part of his throat.
Forget the difficulty of getting macaroni or paper into Gaza, neither of which fell into Israel’s definition of humanitarian aid. How can the 14,000 homes, 219 factories, 240 schools, which Israel destroyed, or damaged, be repaired without cement? Cement, Israel argues, has a dual use. It can be used to build Hamas’s bunkers and tunnels, although the dual use of macaroni and paper is harder to fathom. But why repair Gaza’s infrastructure, if Israeli warplanes could return at any moment to destroy it again? Operation Cast Lead did not re-establish Israeli deterrence over Hamas and Gaza’s other rejectionist groups. About 120 rockets and mortars have been fired into southern Israel since the army withdrew. Which means, short of re-occupation and putting the leadership of Hamas on a boat to Tripoli, the only way to stop the rockets is political, not military.
There was scant recognition of that yesterday. In her first sally into the region as US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton had strong words for Hamas. She said it was time “to cut the strings pulled by those who exploit the sufferings of innocent people”. Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which the Quartet supported, is now universally acknowledged to have failed. It has not dislodged Hamas from Gaza. Tony Blair admitted as much on his first visit to the enclave. But no one, as yet, is prepared to contemplate a way around the conditions which Israel and the Quartet attached to ending Hamas’s isolation.
Hamas is not going to recognise Israel. If it did, another and more extreme group would take up the cudgels. But it is equally clear to everyone that Hamas will have to be included in a national unity government for peace to succeed. The only scant chance lies in the reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas, two groups who currently hate each more than they do their occupiers. Without a fundamental rethink about how to engage Hamas politically, the international community is willing the end while continuing to deny the means.

Posted by: Parviz | Mar 4 2009 8:08 utc | 92