Robs Krazy World

I want ilife 06

2006-01-10T16:38:00.000-05:00

How long before it shows up on a BT site :)

Im Back

2005-08-28T20:08:00.000-04:00

Hey every one im back..Its been some time...

Former CIA Agent Says Bush to Blame for 9/11

2004-09-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

Former CIA agent Ray McGovern went over what he considers the failures of the intelligence community and current administration over the past few years. He has 27 years of experience as a CIA analyst to draw upon and has dealt with every administration from Kennedy to Bush Sr.

"It's difficult for people to learn the truth about things like Iraq," said McGovern, a member of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), which is comprised of more than 40 former employees of agencies such as the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Army Intelligence, the FBI and the National Security Agency. More....

Republicans Criticize Bush 'Mistakes' on Iraq

2004-09-20T21:12:00.000-04:00

Only $1 billion of $18.4 billion allocated by Congress for the task has been spent, Lugar said. "This is the incompetence in the administration," he said on ABC's "This Week."

GROUND OFFENSIVE

A ground offensive was essential to clearing insurgents out of strongholds such as Falluja, McCain said. He joined other lawmakers from both parties who said Iraqi elections scheduled for January would be impossible unless this were done.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that the U.S. military intended to retake Falluja by the end of the year.

"We've got to take out the sanctuaries. We're going to have to sustain, tragically, some more casualties. Airstrikes don't do it; artillery doesn't do it. Boots on the ground do it," McCain said. More...

9/11 Widows Group to Endorse Kerry

2004-09-15T19:17:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - A group of activist Sept. 11 widows said Tuesday they will campaign for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, charging the Bush administration stonewalled their efforts to uncover intelligence failures leading up to the attacks and took the nation into a misguided war in Iraq.

Five widows and a sixth woman who was badly injured in the attack on the Pentagon endorsed Kerry.

"I have not flown on a plane since 9/11. I have now committed myself to get on a plane and fly wherever I have to fly," said Kristen Breitweiser, of Middletown, N.J.

"I don't know if it's going to be successful, because I have serious anxiety about getting on a plane, but that is how committed I feel," said Breitweiser, who voted for Bush in 2000. More...

Sad, sad, sad...How our democracy is disappearing.

2004-09-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

The president reportedly prefers only two debates, each lasting 60 minutes instead of the proposed 90 minutes, and objects to one of the formats, which would allow undecided voters to ask questions of the candidates. Such a format proved disastrous to the president's father in 1992, when he stumbled over a question about whether any of his friends had suffered during the 1991 recession. More...

Over 1000 Dead and Control Slipping Away

2004-09-08T22:10:00.000-04:00

"As American deaths in Iraq operations reached the 1,000 mark, top Pentagon officials said Tuesday that insurgents controlled important parts of central Iraq and that it was unclear when American and Iraqi forces would be able to secure those areas... Mr. Rumsfeld said Iraqi officials understood they must regain control of these areas. 'They get it, and will find a way over time to deal with it,' he said. But General Myers said the Iraqi forces would not be ready to confront insurgents until the end of this year. More...

Ask your self: Was it worth it?

2004-09-07T16:21:00.000-04:00

More Than 1,000 Military Deaths in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. military deaths in the Iraq (news - web sites) campaign passed 1,000 Tuesday, an Associated Press tally showed, as a spike in fighting with both Sunni and Shiite insurgents killed seven Americans in scattered clashes in the Baghdad area.

The count includes 998 U.S. troops and three civilian contractors killed while working for the Pentagon (news - web sites). The tally was compiled by the AP based on Pentagon records, AP reporting from Iraq, and reports from soldiers' families.

It includes deaths from hostile and non-hostile causes since President Bush (news - web sites) launched a campaign in March 2003 to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites). A few deaths occurred in neighboring Kuwait. More...

Great Pic

2004-09-05T18:42:00.000-04:00

Bush's National Guard File Missing Records

2004-09-05T18:39:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - Documents that should have been written to explain gaps in President Bush's Texas Air National Guard service are missing from the military records released about his service in 1972 and 1973, according to regulations and outside experts.

For example, Air National Guard regulations at the time required commanders to write an investigative report for the Air Force when Bush missed his annual medical exam in 1972. The regulations also required commanders to confirm in writing that Bush received counseling after missing five months of drills.

No such records have been made public and the government told The Associated Press in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that it has released all records it can find.

Outside experts suggest that National Guard commanders may not have produced documentation required by their own regulations.

"One of the downfalls back then in the National Guard was that not everyone wanted to be chief of staff of the Air Force. They just wanted to fly or maintain airplanes. So the record keeping could have been better," said retired Maj. Gen. Paul A. Weaver Jr., a former head of the Air National Guard. He said the documents may not have been kept in the first place. More...

Ten years after original, Kevin Smith plans 'Clerks' sequel

2004-08-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Kevin Smith is making another convenience store run.

The writer-director of "Dogma," "Chasing Amy" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" told the Associated Press on Friday that he has begun work on a sequel to "Clerks," his homemade indie classic from 1994.

That $27,000 movie, shot at night in a store where Smith worked, chronicled the adventures of Dante and Randal, two guys who talk about life, death, sex and movies while working at neighboring stores.

The sequel picks up 10 years later.

"It's about what happens when that lazy, 20-something malaise lasts into your 30s. Those dudes are kind of still mired, not in that same exact situation, but in a place where it's time to actually grow up and do something more than just sit around and dissect pop culture and talk about sex," Smith said during an interview at his Hollywood office. "It's: What happened to these dudes?" More...

There just might be hope for us all...

2004-08-30T13:47:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK -- As Republicans began converging on the city to renominate a wartime president, the largest protest ever at a political convention was staged yesterday in Manhattan, a largely peaceful march against President Bush and the Iraq war that underscored the deep divisions within the nation as the fall campaign approaches.

Five weeks after the Democratic convention in Boston, the antiwar protest in steamy Manhattan presaged a bitter contest between Bush and John F. Kerry and between two competing visions of America's role in the world after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Republican National Convention opens tonight, and Bush accepts the party's nomination Thursday, marking the start of the final two months of campaigning before the Nov. 2 election. More...

GOP Delegates Met With Anti-Bush Signs

2004-08-26T09:39:00.000-04:00

A 25-by-75-foot banner that reads 'Save America Defeat Bush,' dwarfs pedestrians and vehicles where it hangs five blocks from Republican convention headquarters at New York's Madison Square Garden, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004. The sign hangs from the offices of the Unite Here union, which represents 440,000 workers from various industries, including hospitality, gaming and textiles. In case their intention isn't already clear, hroughout the city, activists are plastering not-so-subtle signs, like 'Stop Bush Now,' to greet Republicans swooping into town for the convention, even before their airplanes even touch the ground. More...

Whats up with this pic??????

2004-08-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

Exhaustive searches for any indication that any unit Bush served with was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award have, to date, yielded nothing. Was George W. Bush photographed wearing a ribbon he did not earn?

Observers See Eerie Parallels in Attacks on Kerry, McCain

2004-08-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON -- Four years ago, as George Bush struggled in the polls, supporters of his bid for the Republican presidential nomination unleashed a ferocious attack on rival John McCain, questioning his commitment to veterans and his fitness to serve.

After the charges took root, Bush distanced himself from the veterans group that made the attacks, called the Arizona senator's service "noble'' and cruised to a nomination-saving victory in the South Carolina primary.

Monday, in a series of events that some observers say are eerily familiar, Bush distanced himself from a veterans group running fierce attacks on John Kerry's military record and called his rival's service in Vietnam "admirable. '' Rather than focus on the Democratic nominee's Vietnam record, a matter that has engulfed the presidential contest for the past week, Bush said "we ought to be debating who (is) best to be leading this country in the war against terror.'' More...

Robs Note:
Personally i think this President and all his people are the worst to ever hold such power..

Records Counter a Critic of Kerry

2004-08-20T18:13:00.000-04:00

Larry Thurlow, who commanded a Navy Swift boat alongside John Kerry in Vietnam has strongly denied that their boat came under fire on March 13, 1969. However, his military records contain several references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at "all units." Hey, a man can change his mind, right?

If Dubya Had Read What Poppy Wrote . . .

2004-08-19T13:47:00.000-04:00

In his memoir, "A World Transformed," written five years ago, George Bush Sr. wrote the following to explain why he didn't go after Saddam Hussein at the end of the Gulf War.

"Trying to eliminate Saddam...would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible.... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq.... There was no viable "exit strategy" we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land."

Coulter and Limbaugh accused Kerry of refusing to release military records; they're posted on his website

2004-08-17T16:53:00.000-04:00

On August 16, radio host Rush Limbaugh, radio host and Landmark Legal Foundation president Mark R. Levin, and right-wing pundit Ann Coulter all falsely accused Senator John Kerry (D-MA) of refusing to release his military records. On The Rush Limbaugh Show -- for the second time in less than a week -- Limbaugh advised Kerry to release his records in order to refute recent attacks by anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. During his WABC radio show, Levin echoed this claim, saying, "All I know is, John Kerry can clear it all up. Just release his records like he told Tim Russert he would. But he won't." And on FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, Coulter urged Kerry to release his records to provide "a little more detail about ... these alleged Purple Hearts." She also added another lie, saying Kerry "won't release his tax records." More...

Dick Cheney, Hugo Chavez and Bill Clinton's Band

2004-08-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

There's so much BS and baloney thrown around about Venezuela that I may be violating some rule of US journalism by providing some facts. Let's begin with this: 77% of Venezuela's farmland is owned by 3% of the population, the 'hacendados.'

I met one of these farmlords in Caracas at an anti-Chavez protest march. Oddest demonstration I've ever seen: frosted blondes in high heels clutching designer bags, screeching, "Chavez - dic-ta-dor!" The plantation owner griped about the "socialismo" of Chavez, then jumped into his Jaguar convertible.

That week, Chavez himself handed me a copy of the "socialist" manifesto that so rattled the man in the Jag. It was a new law passed by Venezuela's Congress which gave land to the landless. The Chavez law transferred only fields from the giant haciendas which had been left unused and abandoned.

This land reform, by the way, was promoted to Venezuela in the 1960s by that Lefty radical, John F. Kennedy. Venezuela's dictator of the time agreed to hand out land, but forgot to give peasants title to their property. More...

Chavez Declares Recall Victory With 58% Majority

2004-08-16T15:52:00.000-04:00

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a populist who survived a coup two years ago, appeared on Monday to have weathered the latest challenge to what he calls his revolution to help the poor as he declared victory in a historic recall referendum.

With 94 percent of electoral rolls counted, 58 percent of voters cast ballots against removing Chavez from office, said National Electoral Council President Francisco Carrasquero.

Chavez, dressed in a red shirt, appeared on the balcony of his Miraflores presidential palace in downtown Caracas and led hundreds of supporters in singing the national anthem before dawn.

"The Venezuelan people have spoken and the people's voice is the voice of God!" roared Chavez, who has diverted wealth from oil sales to housing, food and medical care for the poor majority. More...

Eggplant Rollatini with Three Cheeses

2004-08-13T12:26:00.000-04:00

The next time someone criticizes John Kerry for being a flip-flopper remind them:

Bush was against campaign finance reform; now he's for it.

Bush was against a Homeland Security Department; now he's for it.

Bush was against a 9/11 commission; now he's for it.

Bush was against an Iraq WMD investigation; now he's for it.

Bush was against nation building; now he's for it.

Bush was against deficits; now he's for them.

Bush was for free trade; then he was for tariffs on steel, and now he's against them again.

Bush was against the U.S. taking a role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; now he pushes for a "road map" and a Palestinian State.

Bush was for states' rights to decide on gay marriage; now he is for changing the Constitution to outlaw gay marriage. More...

Bush on Native American Issues: "Tribal Sovereignty Means That. It's Sovereign"

2004-08-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

When President Bush was questioned about tribal sovereignty in the 21st century at a gathering of minority journalists he responded: "Tribal sovereignty means that. It's sovereign. You're a ... you're a ... you've been given sovereignty and you're viewed as a sovereign entity." Jesse Jackson makes light of Bush's remarks at the conference and we speak with Mark Trahant, the reporter who asked Bush the question. [includes rush transcript]

The Unity conference wrapped up this weekend in Washington DC. It was the largest conference of journalists in US history. The event was organized by the four journalists of color organizations: the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian-American Journalists Association and the Native American Journalists Association. More than 7,500 journalists participated in the convention. On Friday, President Bush was questioned about Native American sovereignty and tribal issues.

(Tape)

President Bush being questioned by journalist Mark Trahant at the UNITY conference in Washington DC, August 6, 2004.
Rev. Jesse Jackson makes light of President Bush's comments on tribal sovereignty. More...

Listen here to the audio

Political Analyst Sees Kerry Victory

2004-08-09T07:33:00.000-04:00

POINT CLEAR, Alabama - Democratic nominee John Kerry easily would beat Republican President George W. Bush if the presidential election was held now, political analyst Larry Sabato told members of the Business Council of Alabama Saturday.

``Kerry would win very handily," said Sabato, 52, a frequent guest of network television news shows and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Sabato, speaking at the BCA's governmental affairs conference at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort here, said the growing unpopularity of the Iraq war is the biggest factor hurting Bush's re-election chances.

``He really will need a miracle to win, and the last miracle was for Harry S. Truman," Sabato said in an interview after his speech. Truman pulled his upset presidential victory in 1948.

He said that if Bush hadn't ordered the U.S. invasion of Iraq last year, he likely would be leading in 45 states and heading toward a landslide victory. More...

iPod Mini Shipped today

2004-08-07T12:17:00.000-04:00

Finally after a 3 week wait my mini is shipping from China.....Cant wait...

Republican candidate admits supporting eugenics

2004-08-03T18:40:00.000-04:00

The Republican congressional candidate James L Hart has acknowledged that he is an unapologetic supporter of eugenics, the fake science that resulted in thousands of people being sterilised in an attempt to purify the white race.

He believes the country will look "like one big Detroit" - which has a large African-American population - if it doesn't eliminate welfare payments and immigration. He believes that if blacks were integrated centuries ago, the automobile would never have been invented.

Mr Hart has been said to turn up at voters' homes wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a gun, telling them that "white children deserve the same rights as everyone else". More...

Republicans Defecting to Kerry's Camp

2004-08-01T16:55:00.000-04:00

CHICAGO - Ohio resident Bob Stewart says of President Bush: "He's been a world-class polarizer. I don't know if I can stomach four more years with him as president. He misled us into the war in Iraq and has mismanaged everything since."

A raging Democrat? No, Stewart is a Republican, one of an unknown number of such voters who plan to back John Kerry, out of despair over the war in Iraq and disappointment over budget deficits and social policies.

It remains to be seen whether they can tip the scales in hotly contested middle American states like Ohio as the Democratic nominee courts them and battles Bush in the final three-month dash to November's election. In past elections defections from both parties have sometimes canceled each other out.

Kerry and running mate John Edwards kicked off that fight on Friday, leaving Boston and the concluded party convention for a two-week campaign swing across 21 states.

Stewart, 44, an insurance agent from Anderson Township near Cincinnati, voted for Bush in 2000 and is a registered Republican.

"I just have a gut feeling that Kerry can be trusted to make the right courageous decisions and will make a good president. He showed that with his heroism in Vietnam," he says. More...

Howard Stern roars back - and bush is target

2004-07-30T08:17:00.000-04:00

The best secret in radio is that when Howard Stern is on a roll, when he focuses his cheap shots on a worthy target, he can be a vicious satirist.

For the most part though, Stern and his unerring radar for weakness are aimed on whatever pompous celebrity or striptease bunny happens by. His goals have not been lofty. It's not easy to aim high when you're dwarf-tossing.

It was an act that didn't play long in Montreal, where, from September 1997 to August 1998 he was on CHOM-FM. He was axed after the station bowed to pressure from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which said he violated the industry's code. More...

More Than 50 Members of Entertainment Community Sign Letter Calling on President Bush, U.S. Congress, to Strengthen and Renew Federal Assault Weapons

2004-07-29T08:20:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - July 21 - More than 50 members of the entertainment community—including Kevin Bacon, Patricia Heaton, Dustin Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Christine Lahti, William H. Macy, Robert Redford, Rob Reiner, Brooke Shields, Barbra Streisand, and others—today sent a letter to President Bush and Congress calling for the federal assault weapons ban to be strengthened and renewed. Without action by the President and Congress, the ban will expire on September 13th, 2004.

The letter calls for passage of the "Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003" (S. 1431 and H.R. 2038), a bill that would not only renew, but strengthen, the federal assault weapons ban. Excerpts from the letter were published today in a paid advertisement in Roll Call (follow this link for the full text of the letter and the ad), stating:

the gun industry has successfully evaded the current assault weapons ban enacted in 1994. They have done this by making slight, cosmetic design changes to their "post-ban" guns, a tactic the industry has dubbed "sporterization." More...

Jesse Jackson tells the Democrats to stand-up against voter disenfranchisement.

2004-07-24T06:41:00.000-04:00

Twenty years ago, I stood before the Democratic Convention in San Francisco, a candidate for the presidency of the United States, to speak of the hopes and dreams of Americans who, lacking voice in their everyday lives as well as the political process, took an apathetic attitude toward voting. That night I challenged the party to expand its center, to make room for America's working poor, our struggling middle class, those at the bottom who were and are the heart of the multi-ethnic, multi-issue Rainbow Coalition -- the organization that spurred my 1984 presidential campaign.

In 1984, we registered 2 million new voters. In 1986, we helped return the U.S. Senate to the Democrats. In 1988, we helped elect newly empowered candidates, including New York City Mayor David Dinkins, Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder and others in cities, counties and states across. More...

Fahrenheit 9/11' Making GOP Nervous

2004-07-23T07:13:00.000-04:00

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Republicans initially dismissed "Fahrenheit 9/11" as a cinematic screed that would play mostly to inveterate Bush bashers. Four weeks and $94 million later, the film is still pulling in moviegoers at 2,000 theaters around the country, making Republicans nervous as it settles into the American mainstream.

"I'm not sure if it moves voters," GOP consultant Scott Reed said, "but if it moves 3 or 4 percent it's been a success."

Two senior Republicans closely tied to the White House said the movie from director Michael Moore is seen as a political headache because it has reached beyond the Democratic base. Independents and GOP-leaning voters are likely to be found sitting beside those set to revel in its depiction of a clueless president with questionable ties to the oil industry. More...

The White House refuses to give the UN details on Halliburton in Iraq.

2004-07-22T07:33:00.000-04:00

UNITED NATIONS -- The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush is withholding information from UN-sanctioned auditors examining more than $1 billion in contracts awarded to Halliburton and other companies in Iraq without competitive bidding, the head of an international auditing panel said.

Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, the chairman of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board, said that the United States has repeatedly rebuffed his requests since March to turn over internal audits, including one that covered three contracts valued at $1.4 billion that were awarded to Halliburton, a Texas-based oil services firm. It has also failed to produce a list of other companies that have obtained contracts without having to compete. More...

On Trail, Bush Stays Close to Right Wing

2004-07-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON -- As Senate Republicans began accelerating the debate over gay marriage last month, President Bush got a warning about the potential for political fallout. Representative Charles Bass of New Hampshire, sharing a ride on Air Force One, told Bush to ''back off this gay marriage thing, that it was going to be devastating for him in the Northeast," where voters have a famously libertarian streak.

''I don't think they actively support gay marriage, but they have a subliminal distrust for government establishing a moral code for people's lives," Bass, a Republican, recalled telling Bush.

In response, Bass said, Bush ''looked at me like I was crazy." The president ignored the advice and actively supported a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage that was defeated in the Senate last week.

In light of polls showing an excruciatingly close presidential race, the incident offered a telling glimpse of Bush's political mind-set: With just 108 days left in the campaign, the president is still proudly in step with his conservative base rather than gravitating toward more centrist issues as candidates usually do at this point. On issue after issue, from stem cell research to Cuba policy, Bush has shown little appetite for ''tacking to the middle," as political operatives call it -- and his campaign advisers freely describe their strategy as one designed to motivate millions of conservatives to vote rather than attract the narrow slice of the electorate that is still undecided. More...

iPod Nation

2004-07-18T10:06:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs noticed something earlier this year in New York City. "I was on Madison," says Apple's CEO, "and it was, like, on every block, there was someone with white headphones, and I thought, 'Oh, my God, it's starting to happen'." Jonathan Ive, the company's design guru, had a similar experience in London: "On the streets and coming out of the tubes, you'd see people fiddling with it." And Victor Katch, a 59-year-old professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan, saw it in Ann Arbor. "When you walk across campus, the ratio seems as high as 2 out of 3 people," he says. More...

George Bush is no stranger to flip-flopping on issues.

2004-07-17T07:13:00.000-04:00

Presidential or pathalogical? That is the highly provocative question being asked in "Bush on the Couch," a new book in which psychoanalyst and George Washington University professor Dr. Justin Frank uses the president's public pronouncements and behavior, along with biographical data, to craft a comprehensive psychological profile of Bush 43.

It's not a pretty picture, but it goes a long way in explaining how exactly our country got itself into the mess we are in: an intractable war, the loss of allies and international goodwill, a half-trillion-dollar deficit. More...

Bush Protection of Big Pharma Under Growing Attack at Bangkok AIDS Conference

2004-07-15T16:03:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - Bolstered by a critical new report by the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, AIDS and public-health activists attending this week's 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok are redoubling their fire against efforts by the Bush administration to protect the interests of major U.S. pharmaceutical companies.

The focus of their concern is Washington's continued refusal to permit U.S. aid money to be used to buy life-preserving generic anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs manufactured in developing countries, such as India, Thailand, and Brazil that are much cheaper than brand-name drugs produced by "Big Pharma," as the major western drug companies are known.

They also oppose the Bush administration's demand in recent negotiations for new trade agreements with poor countries, including Thailand and the countries of Central America, which they agree not to produce or import generic versions of new drugs developed by U.S. drug manufacturers for at least five years from the date that they first come to market. More...

New Documentary Aims to Demonstrate Bias on Fox News

2004-07-14T07:19:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK -- A new documentary backed by liberal political groups aims to document that the Fox News Channel is anything but ``fair and balanced,'' despite the cable-news network's motto.

The film, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, draws on clips compiled during weeks of round-the-clock taping of the network to demonstrate what the filmmakers believe is a pattern of right-wing bias and support for the Republican agenda.

What we found is not that Fox is a conservative network, but that it's a network that follows the party line of the Bush administration,'' said ``Outfoxed'' filmmaker Robert Greenwald, a Hollywood producer-director whose credits include the 2003 documentary ``Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War'' and such TV films as ``The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth about Enron'' and ``Blonde,'' a biopic of Marilyn Monroe.

Greenwald said he decided to make the film after hearing numerous journalists refer to the ``Foxification'' of the news. That approach, he says, has served the 8-year-old Fox News Channel well, and ``put pressure on many of the other networks to move in the same direction: cheap news, ranting and raving, pseudo-patriotism. More...

Plea From Father Of Killed Columbine Child

2004-07-12T12:49:00.000-04:00

CitizenRob supports Tom Mauser's petition to renew the Assault Weapons Ban and hopes you will too. Time is of the essence. The ban expires this summer, so please act now.

Dear Friend:

Five years ago my 15-year-old son Daniel Mauser was one of 13 people killed at Columbine High School by two students. One of them used an illegal assault weapon. This summer, AK-47s, UZIs, and TEC-DC9s, will be legal again unless we do something about it. In this day and age, nothing could be more insane.

Click here to experience the exciting and unprecedented new Internet technology we are using to grow an online petition. Join me in my effort to see how many millions of names I can collect to deliver to President Bush. We will change the course of this country and create a lasting legacy for my son.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This petition uses a new technology that allows you to see how many supporters you can reach through the power of "six degrees of separation." On your Personal Petition Page you can:

1) Sign the Petition
2) Check out an animated map of how it has spread step-by-step across America.
3) Forward it to your friends to continue the chain.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If each of us passes this message on to our friends and family this will be the fastest growing petition on the Internet ever! We will reach millions of people and force president Bush and Congress to extend the assault weapons ban.

If the link to your Personal Petition Page did not work, please try copying the following link into your web browser:
http://www.tomspetition.org/impact.php?uid=85114cec5db478c64fa84a095a30bbf1

Thank you,
Tom Mauser

Please take a moment to sign this petition. It's a pretty cool thing actually. It allows you see how far your petition has spread through your own blog, or through the e-mails you've sent out. Check it out!

HALLIBURTON FLEECING AMERICA...

2004-07-12T07:35:00.000-04:00

(Rushlimbaughonline.com)The invasion of Iraq turned out to be quite a boon for contributors to George W. Bush's 2000 campaign. In the runup to the war, billions in contracts were awared in a way that departs from the rational, best interest method that is usually observed. Five companies were awarded the contracts in an unconventional, no-bid process. The bidding process is designed to foster competition and in so doing, obtain goods and services at the least cost to the taxpayer. Is it any surprise that failing to use this method has resulted in large scale abuse of the taxpayer?

Halliburton has been making out famously for themselves. In December, it was found Halliburton overcharged the taxpayers 61 million dollars for gasoline. This was followed with overcharging for meals by 67 million dollars. And this pertains to just what has been discovered. It is a good bet the mercenary billing practices of Halliburton have led to similiar such fleecing of the taxpayer. And it is indeed true.

Halliburton has been quite eager to bill the taxpayer and play fast and loose with the money....

* $45 per case for soda
* $1 million a month to clean clothes — or $100 for each 15-pound bag of laundry.
* employees paid to do nothing
* Purchase of hundreds of high-end SUVs and pickups, loaded with options like CD players, which "most KBR employees do not need."
* Duplication ... and gold-plating" in purchases of computers and high-tech equipment.
* Halliburton employees living in 5-star hotels.

People who questioned the wisdom of the no-bid Iraq contracts were quickly labeled as "unpatriotic" and "partisan". But the critics (most Americans) have indeed been proven right. Right wing opportunists sell themselves as the voice of the people and are always looking out for "our interests". Yet they fail to mention the stealing from our pockets being executed by companies such as Halliburton. In fact, it is people such as Limbaugh, Hannity, Hume, O'Reilly et al. who are the ones who are quick to heap scornful rhetoric on those who question this administration.

Cleary, opportunists such as Rush are not the voice of the people, instead, theirs are the voices of the powerful few who line their pockets while soldiers without enough body armor die.
Read more...

George W. Bush and Kenneth "Kenny Boy" Lay

2004-07-09T16:43:00.000-04:00

When asked when the last time George W. Bush and Kenneth "Kenny Boy" Lay were in contact, Scott McClellan replied,"It's been quite some time." Huh, that's interesting because in 2002, Lay gave $100,000 dollars to the Bush re-election campaign entitling Kenny Boy to a free ice cream cone and Bush Pioneer status. What's the going rate for a Presidential pardon these days?

Pentagon Says Bush Records of Service Were Destroyed

2004-07-09T16:41:00.000-04:00

HOUSTON - Military records that could help establish President Bush's whereabouts during his disputed service in the Texas Air National Guard more than 30 years ago have been inadvertently destroyed, according to the Pentagon.

It said the payroll records of "numerous service members," including former First Lt. Bush, had been ruined in 1996 and 1997 by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service during a project to salvage deteriorating microfilm. No back-up paper copies could be found, it added in notices dated June 25.

The destroyed records cover three months of a period in 1972 and 1973 when Mr. Bush's claims of service in Alabama are in question.

The disclosure appeared to catch some experts, both pro-Bush and con, by surprise. Even the retired lieutenant colonel who studied Mr. Bush's records for the White House, Albert C. Lloyd of Austin, said it came as news to him. More...

The death toll for the US-led coalition in Iraq TOPS 1,000

2004-07-09T16:40:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- In a grim milestone, the number of deaths in the American-led coalition in Iraq surpassed 1,000 this week.

The latest reported deaths include a U.S. soldier who died from wounds in fighting Thursday in Baghdad, an American soldier killed in a Samarra attack Wednesday and another who died in a nonbattle-related incident Thursday.

The deaths bring multinational fatalities -- both in combat and "nonhostile" situations -- to 1,002 since the start of the war in March 2003. U.S. military deaths now total 881.

There are no reliable figures for the Iraqi deaths in the war.

In other violence Thursday, a mortar attack killed five U.S. troops and an Iraqi National Guard member in the north-central Iraqi city of Samarra, according to an American military spokesman.

Twenty soldiers and three Iraqis were wounded.

The strike collapsed the National Guard headquarters, which soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division frequently use. The 1st Infantry Division and Iraqi security services patrol the area.

Elsewhere Thursday, textile factory owner Ali Abass Hassen was killed in a Baghdad car bombing, possibly because of his past affiliation with the former ruling Baath Party, police said.

An Iraqi police officer said a car bomb planted in Hassen's car exploded when he started it up in the Al-Doura district south of Baghdad.

9/11 Commission Sticks By Its Iraq, Al Qaida Findings

2004-07-08T07:25:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON -- The Sept. 11 commission is standing by its finding that al-Qaida had only limited contact with Iraq before the terrorist attacks.

The 10-member, bipartisan panel issued a one-sentence statement Tuesday saying it had access to the same information as Vice President Dick Cheney, who suggested strong ties between ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.

That assertion was one of the justifications the Bush administration gave for going to war with Iraq. In a preliminary report released last month, the Sept. 11 commission cited contacts between Saddam's regime and Osama bin Laden but said there was no "collaborative relationship."

In an interview with CNBC, Cheney had said there "probably" was information about Iraq's links to terrorists that the commission members did not learn during their 14-month investigation. The commission statement Tuesday disputed that.

"After examining available transcripts of the vice president's public remarks, the 9/11 commission believes it has access to the same information the vice president has seen regarding contacts between al-Qaida and Iraq prior to the 9/11 attacks," the commission said. More...

The Decline and Fall of the Bush Fans

2004-07-07T16:16:00.000-04:00

It's almost funny to watch how far a child will go to avoid admitting he's made a mistake. In a steady downward spiral, he will grasp at almost anything that convinces him that he's right, no matter how desperate it makes him look. It's more sad than it is funny, but we can smile because we understand the game this child is playing, and we patiently let time lead the child to the inevitable truth.

There is an obvious parallel here to Bush fans. A year ago, they were waving their flags and gleefully rallying around a president who they saw as an upright war hero, a president who "stood his ground" and "saved us" from an imminent Iraqi threat. Unfortunately, the "imminent threat" wasn't really imminent or threatening after all, so now it's time for the legion of Bush fans to grasp at whatever comes along. More...

Bush Aims Weapons of Malnutrition at Cuba

2004-07-07T07:38:00.000-04:00

The values of faith and family mean a lot to Ana Karim, a Cuban-American from Richmond, Va. and a Mennonite pastor. She has two very ill uncles living in Cuba. For the past decade, she has used a US license granted to Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba and care for these elderly and infirm relatives.

On her last visit to Havana, she bought a gift of soap for them at a dollar store; a necessity they can no longer afford because of rising prices. She carried a suitcase with her, jammed with medicines for her uncles that are costly and scarce in Cuba.

Ana's uncles, like so many Cubans, depend on visits, financial support, and gifts to keep body and soul together. She's now lamenting the real possibility that she will never see them again. Like thousands of other Cuban-Americans, Ana realizes her ability to visit Cuba will be radically restricted under new sanctions embraced by President Bush.

For 45 years, well before we learned the term "regime change," US presidents have tried to drive Fidel Castro from power. Bush's plan, effective last Wednesday, is the latest such attempt. Its goal is to destabilize Cuba economically - to dry up the flow of US dollars to the island. But the president's strategy will only hurt American and Cuban families, and do nothing to change Cuba's form of government. More...

Did one woman's obsession take America to war

2004-07-06T07:33:00.000-04:00

Americans supported the war in Iraq not because Saddam Hussein was an evil dictator - they knew that - but because President Bush made the case that Saddam might hand weapons of mass destruction to his terrorist allies to wreak havoc on the United States. In the absence of any evidence for that theory, it's fair to ask: where did the administration's conviction come from? It was at the American Enterprise Institute - a conservative Washington DC thinktank - that the idea took shape that overthrowing Saddam should be a goal. Among those associated with AEI is Richard Perle, a key architect of the president's get-tough-on-Iraq policy, and Paul Wolfowitz, now the number-two official at the Pentagon. But none of the thinkers at AEI was in any real way an expert on Iraq. For that they relied on someone you probably have never heard of: a woman named Laurie Mylroie. More...

Moore's Public Service

2004-07-03T06:56:00.000-04:00

Since it opened, "Fahrenheit 9/11" has been a hit in both blue and red America, even at theaters close to military bases. Last Saturday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took his Nascar crew to see it. The film's appeal to working-class Americans, who are the true victims of George Bush's policies, should give pause to its critics, especially the nervous liberals rushing to disassociate themselves from Michael Moore.

There has been much tut-tutting by pundits who complain that the movie, though it has yet to be caught in any major factual errors, uses association and innuendo to create false impressions. Many of these same pundits consider it bad form to make a big fuss about the Bush administration's use of association and innuendo to link the Iraq war to 9/11. Why hold a self-proclaimed polemicist to a higher standard than you hold the president of the United States? More...

Bob Herbert offers a second opinion on the state of America's health care system.

2004-06-30T08:22:00.000-04:00

In an article a few years ago in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine took a look at the overall health of the American people, and compared conditions here to those in other industrialized countries.

What she found was disturbing.

"The fact is that the U.S. population does not have anywhere near the best health in the world," she wrote. "Of 13 countries in a recent comparison, the United States ranks an average of 12th (second from the bottom) for 16 available health indicators."

She said the U.S. came in 13th, dead last, in terms of low birth weight percentages; 13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality over all; 13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes); 11th for life expectancy at the age of 1 for females and 12th for males; and 10th for life expectancy at the age of 15 for females and 12th for males.

She noted in the article that more than 40 million Americans lacked health insurance (the figure is about 43 million now) and she described the state of Americans' health as "relatively poor."

"U.S. children are particularly disadvantaged," she said, adding, "But even the relatively advantaged position of elderly persons in the United States is slipping. The U.S. relative position for life expectancy in the oldest age group was better in the 1980's than in the 1990's."

The article was published in the summer of 2000. At the time Japan ranked highest among developed countries in terms of health, and the United States ranked among the lowest.

Last week I talked with Dr. Starfield, an internationally respected physician, professor and researcher, and asked whether the situation had improved over the last four years.

"It's getting worse," she said, noting, "We've done a lot more studies in terms of the international comparisons. We've done them a million different ways. The findings are so robust that I think they're probably incontrovertible."

The U.S. has the most expensive health care system on the planet, but millions of Americans without access to care die from illnesses that could have been successfully treated if diagnosed in time. Poor people line up at emergency rooms for care that should be provided in a doctor's office or clinic. Each year tens of thousands of men, women and children die from medical errors and many more are maimed.

But when you look for leadership on these issues, you find yourself staring into the void. If you want to get physicians' representatives excited, ask them about tort reform, not patient care. Elected officials give lip service to health care issues, but at the end of the campaign day their allegiance goes to the highest bidders, and they are never the people who put patients first.

To get a sense of just how backward we're becoming on these matters, consider that in places like Texas, Florida and Mississippi the politicians are dreaming up new ways to remove the protective cloak of health coverage from children, the elderly and the poor. Texas and Florida have been pulling the plug on coverage for low-income kids. And Mississippi recently approved the deepest cut in Medicaid eligibility for senior citizens and the disabled that has ever been approved anywhere in the U.S.

Even the affluent are finding it more difficult to obtain access to care. For patients with insurance the route to treatment is often a confusing maze of gatekeepers and maddening regulations. The costs of insurance are shifting from employers to employees, and important health decisions are increasingly being made by bureaucrats and pitchmen interested solely in profits.

In the maddening din that passes for a national conversation in this country, distinguished voices like Dr. Starfield's are not easily heard.

Echoing so many other patient advocates, she continues to call for movement on two crucial needs: coverage for the many millions who currently do not have access to care, and the development of a first-rate primary care system, which would bring a sense of coherence to a health care environment that is both chaotic and wildly expensive.

"We don't have any national health policy at all in this country," said Dr. Starfield.

And there is no sign of that changing anytime soon.

VP Dick Cheney has set a standard for War Profiteering that others can only dream about.

2004-06-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

Vice President Cheney is an angry man. His war isn’t going well, the prospect of a second term is slipping away, and now some troublemakers in Congress are even starting to talk about war profiteering.

• “[Sen. Patrick Leahy kicked] off the Democratic National Committee's "Halliburton Week" focusing on Cheney, the company, ‘and the millions of dollars they've cost taxpayers,’ …”--The Washington Post, 6/26/04

• “Vice President Dick Cheney blurted out the "F word" at Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont during a heated exchange on the Senate floor, congressional aides said on Thursday…[Cheney] ripped into Leahy for the Democratic senator's criticism this week of alleged war profiteering in Iraq by Halliburton, the oil services company that Cheney once ran.”-- Reuters Jun 24, 2004

I can understand why Cheney is mad. He is getting too old to start a new career, and war profiteering is the only thing he does really well. Dick Cheney has set a standard that other war profiteers can only dream about

• “[As Secretary of Defense], Cheney conveniently changed the rules restricting private contractors doing work on U.S. military bases, allowing the Kellogg Brown & Root subsidiary of his future employer Halliburton to receive the first of $2.5 billion in contracts over the next decade.”-- Robert Scheer, Salon.com, 7/17/02 More...

Michael Isikoff and Newsweek Magazine Deceive the Public About Fahrenheit 9/11

2004-06-29T13:50:00.000-04:00

In the June 28, 2004 issue of Newsweek Magazine, Newsweek writer Michael Isikoff makes completely false and misleading statements about facts and issues contained in Fahrenheit 9/11. Isikoff has also gone on television shows repeating the charges.

Here are some of the falsehoods he is telling, and the truth:

Saudi Flights: Isikoff writes that "The movie claims that in the days after 9/11, when airspace was shut down, the White House approved special charter flights so that prominent Saudis - including members of the bin Laden family - could leave the country. Author Craig Unger appears, claiming that bin Laden family members were never interviewed by the FBI. Not true, according to a recent report from the 9/11 panel."

Isikoff's account of the movie is flatly untrue.

What the movie says is this: "It turns out that the White House approved planes to pick up the bin Ladens and numerous other Saudis. At least six private jets and nearly two dozen commercial planes carried the Saudis and the bin Ladens out of the U.S. after September 13th. In all, 142 Saudis, including 24 members of the bin Laden family, were allowed to leave the country." More...

Supreme Court Deals Blow to War on Terror

2004-06-29T08:25:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court severely limited the Bush administration's war on terrorism on Monday and allowed cases brought by terror suspects challenging their confinement to proceed in the American legal system.

The surprising moves by the high court came in a series of term-ending decisions that pitted civil liberties concerns against national security arguments and marked a blow to President Bush's assertion of sweeping presidential powers after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In one ruling the court said the hundreds of foreign terror suspects at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba could turn to American courts to challenge their confinement. In another ruling it said an American held in his nation is entitled to procedural protections to contest his detention.

"Today's historic rulings are a strong repudiation of the administration's argument that its actions in the war on terrorism are beyond the rule of law and unreviewable by American courts," Steven Shapiro of the American Civil Liberties Union said.

Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the Guantanamo case, said, "This is a major victory for the rule of law and affirms the right of every person, citizen or noncitizen, detained by the United States to test the legality of his or her detention in a U.S. court."

By a 6-3 vote, the justices ruled American courts do have jurisdiction to consider the claims of the Guantanamo Bay prisoners who said in their lawsuits they were being held illegally in violation of their rights. More...

My Friday watching Fahrenheit 9-11

2004-06-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

Its Friday afternoon and I just finished watching Fahrenheit 9-11. Now I have been looking forward for a new Michael Moore documentary to come out since Bowling For Columbine. Im a huge Michael Moore fan I love his humor, sarcasm and how he presents his point.

Fahrenheit 9-11 is a must see experience for every one. First I went to the first show at 12:40 in the afternoon by my self im thinking im going to be the only person in the theater watching this film, but to my surprise there was at least 50 people watching this film. Please keep 2 things in mind. First I live in South Florida a place where if your not a republican you’re a communist and second its Friday 12:40 in the afternoon most people are at work.

Theres so much to talk about this film but ill just share what was one of my favorite parts. Seeing our great leader sitting in front of a classroom full of kids for 7 minutes not knowing what to do. With no one there to tell him what to say or what to do he just sat there looking like the dumb ass we know he is while our country is under attack. What a great leader.

After walking out of this theater and seeing a line for the next viewing and all came to me. There is no way Dubaya can win this coming election. Im one of those people who voted for Nader in 2000 and help get Dubaya in the white house but I will be voting for Kerry and than I have the next 4 years to bitch at him…...

Fahrenheit 9/11' Tops $8M in First Day

2004-06-27T08:20:00.000-04:00

"Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore's assault on President Bush, took in $8.2 million to $8.4 million in its first day, positioning it as the weekend's No. 1 film, its distributors said Saturday.

Based on Friday's numbers, "Fahrenheit 9/11" was on track for an opening weekend that would surpass the $21.6 million total gross of Moore's "Bowling for Columbine," his 2002 film that earned him an Academy Award for best documentary.

"Bowling for Columbine" holds the record for highest domestic gross among documentaries, excluding concert films and movies made for huge-screen IMAX theaters.

Friday grosses for "Fahrenheit 9/11" ran about $1.5 million ahead of its closest competitor, the Wayans brothers comedy "White Chicks." The performance of "Fahrenheit 9/11" was even more remarkable considering it played in just 868 theaters, fewer than a third the number for "White Chicks."

"Fahrenheit 9/11" benefited from a flurry of praise and condemnation. Supporters mobilized liberal-minded audiences to see it over opening weekend to counter efforts by some right-wing groups to discredit the film. More...

Fahrenheit 9/11' Breaks NYC Records!

2004-06-25T07:43:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Director Michael Moore's controversial documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" turned on the box office heat in its first day in theaters breaking single-day records at the two New York City theaters where it played. The movie, which aims a critical eye at President Bush and his prosecution of the war in Iraq, sold $49,000 worth of tickets at the Loew's Village 7 theater, beating the venue's single-day record of $43,435 held by 1997's "Men in Black," according to distributors Lions Gate Films and IFC Films.

At the Lincoln Plaza theater, "Fahrenheit 9/11" took in more than $30,000 to top the $24,013 set by "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000.

A spokesman for Lions Gate Films said the company debuted the movie in the two theaters to help build good word-of-mouth -- friend telling friend -- publicity ahead of the wide debut on Friday when it plays in 868 theaters in all 50 states.

The film has caused a storm of controversy because director Moore, whose past work includes Oscar-winning documentary "Bowling for Columbine," makes a case that the Bush administration was determined to invade Iraq following the Sept. 11 attacks.

The movie links Bush family members and business associates with wealthy Saudi Arabian families, including that of Osama bin Laden, and Moore clearly wants to see the president fail to win reelection in this fall's presidential campaign.

Groups have organized support for and against the movie, and audiences appear to be keen to see it.

Online ticket service Fandango.com on Wednesday reported that "Fahrenheit 9/11" was making up 48 percent of advance ticket sales for the weekend ahead, compared to 11 percent for "Dodgeball" and 9 percent for next week's "Spider-Man 2."

AP Sues for Access to Bush Military Records

2004-06-24T07:29:00.000-04:00

The Associated Press sued the Pentagon and the Air Force on Tuesday, seeking access to all records of George W. Bush's military service during the Vietnam War.

Filed in federal court in New York, where The AP is headquartered, the lawsuit seeks access to a copy of Bush's microfilmed personnel file from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin.

The White House says the government has already released all the records of Bush's military service. More...

Did Ashcroft brush off terror warnings?

2004-06-24T07:28:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - The 9/11 commission is busy writing its final report, but is still investigating critical facts, including the conduct of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. NBC News has learned that the commission has interviewed two FBI officials who contradict sworn testimony by Ashcroft, about whether he brushed off terrorism warnings in the summer of 2001.

Today Show Recipe Finder
In the critical months before Sept. 11, did Ashcroft dismiss threats of an al-Qaida attack in this country?

At issue is a July 5, 2001, meeting between Ashcroft and acting FBI Director Tom Pickard. That month, the threat of an al-Qaida attack was so high, the White House summoned the FBI and domestic agencies, and warned them to be on alert. More...

Michael Isikoff and Newsweek Magazine Deceive the Public About Fahrenheit 9/11

2004-06-23T08:37:00.000-04:00

Heralding the arrival of End Times for Bush

2004-06-22T10:24:00.000-04:00

If the reports are true, President Bush consulted with fundamentalist Christians before deciding if the Israeli move to withdraw from Gaza would fit in with their "End Times" view of the world. In everything from wild dreams of an American Empire to a callous disregard for the frail environment on which all life relies, Bush's short-term policies seem to indicate he is indeed ready for an imminent Second Coming. What seems to be coming, however, in a "like father like son" replay, is End Times for the Bush regime. More...

Clinton & Bush--the Truth, the Lies, the Consequences

2004-06-21T08:50:00.000-04:00

When former Clinton special prosecutor Kenneth Starr resurfaced in a sanctimonious interview on PBS's new Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered last Friday, it seemed like a nightmarish time warp. This right-wing legal zealot, who twisted the law into a political vendetta, quoted from the scriptures at least three times during the eight- minute interview. When asked what Clinton had done wrong, Starr fumbled lamely, and directed Carlson to "the referral." The prosecutor who abused his legal discretion (according to many legal experts, including former Iran/contra independent counsel Lawrence Walsh ) couldn't admit that his exhaustive investigation came up with nothing, yet cost taxpayers over $70 million and consumed the time of twenty-eight attorneys and seventy-eight FBI agents over four years. (For more on Starr's abuse of power, see the just-released documentary The Hunting of the President, based on Joe Conason and Gene Lyon's bestselling book of the same name.) More...

Bush Told He is Playing into Bin Laden's Hands

2004-06-20T08:02:00.000-04:00

A senior US intelligence official is about to publish a bitter condemnation of America's counter-terrorism policy, arguing that the west is losing the war against al-Qaida and that an "avaricious, premeditated, unprovoked" war in Iraq has played into Osama bin Laden's hands.

Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror, due out next month, dismisses two of the most frequent boasts of the Bush administration: that Bin Laden and al-Qaida are "on the run" and that the Iraq invasion has made America safer.

In an interview with the Guardian the official, who writes as "Anonymous", described al-Qaida as a much more proficient and focused organization than it was in 2001, and predicted that it would "inevitably" acquire weapons of mass destruction and try to use them.

He said Bin Laden was probably "comfortable" commanding his organization from the mountainous tribal lands along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Pakistani army claimed a big success in the "war against terror" yesterday with the killing of a tribal leader, Nek Mohammed, who was one of al-Qaida's protectors in Waziristan. More...

Official Verdict: White House Misled World Over Saddam

2004-06-17T12:38:00.000-04:00

The liberation of Iraq removed... an ally of al-Qa'ida
- President George Bush,
1 May 2003

There's overwhelming evidence... of a connection between al-Qa'ida and Iraq
- Vice-President Cheney,
22 January 2004

Within a week, or a month, Saddam could give his WMD to al-Qa'ida
- Donald Rumsfeld,
14 November 2002

Saddam was a danger in the region where the 9/11 threat emerged
- Condoleezza Rice,
17 September 2003

The Bush administration's credibility was dealt a devastating blow yesterday when the commission investigating the attacks of 11 September said there was no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime had assisted al-Qa'ida - something repeatedly suggested by the President and his senior officials and held up as a reason for the invasion of Iraq. More...

Rumsfeld ordered prisoner held

2004-06-16T21:35:00.000-04:00

Pentagon officials tell NBC News that late last year, at the same time U.S. military police were allegedly abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered that one Iraqi prisoner be held “off the books” — hidden entirely from the International Red Cross and anyone else — in possible violation of international law.

It’s the first direct link between Rumsfeld and questionable though not violent treatment of prisoners in Iraq. More...

9/11 Commission: No Link Between Al-Qaida and Saddam

2004-06-16T13:54:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - Bluntly contradicting the Bush administration, the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks reported Wednesday there was ``no credible evidence'' that Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaida target the United States.

In a chilling report that sketched the history of Osama bin Laden's network, the commission said his far-flung training camps were ``apparently quite good.'' Terrorists-to-be were encouraged to ``think creatively about ways to commit mass murder,'' it added.

Bin Laden made overtures to Saddam for assistance, the commission said in the staff report, as he did with leaders in Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan and elsewhere as he sought to build an Islamic army.

While Saddam dispatched a senior Iraqi intelligence official to Sudan to meet with bin Laden in 1994, the commission said it had not turned up evidence of a ``collaborative relationship.''

The Bush administration has long claimed links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida, and cited them as one reason for last year's invasion of Iraq. More...

Firefox 0.9 is out.

2004-06-16T07:29:00.000-04:00

This is my browser of choice..
http://mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Congrats to the boys at UM

2004-06-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

Miami Beats Florida 3-1 in Super Regionals: Canes Headed to Omaha!

Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) - - (AP) - Cesar Carrillo pitched a four-hitter to give Miami its 21st trip to the College World Series.

The victory gave Miami a super regional sweep over the Gators, who have been eliminated by the Hurricanes three straight seasons.

It will be the third trip to Omaha in the last four years for Miami (50-11).

Carrillo (11-0) surrendered his only run in the first inning on Ben Harrison's RBI single. He settled down after that, holding Florida (43-23) to just two hits the rest of the way while striking out a career-high nine in his first complete game. More...

White House Officials and Cheney Aide Approved Halliburton Contract in Iraq, Pentagon Says

2004-06-14T20:52:00.000-04:00

n the fall of 2002, in the preparations for possible war with Iraq, the Pentagon sought and received the assent of senior Bush administration officials, including the vice president's chief of staff, before hiring the Halliburton Company to develop secret plans for restoring Iraq's oil facilities, Pentagon officials have told Congressional investigators.

Rep. Henry A. Waxman in 6/13/2004 letter to Cheney
The newly disclosed details about Pentagon contracting do not suggest improper political pressures to direct business to Halliburton, the Houston-based company that Vice President Dick Cheney once led.

But they raise questions about assertions by Mr. Cheney and other administration officials that he knew nothing in advance of the Halliburton contracts and that the decisions were made by career procurement specialists, without involvement by senior political appointees.

Kevin Kellems, a spokesman for the vice president, would not comment on the disclosure, except to say, "We stand by our earlier statements on this matter." More...

Retired Officials Say Bush Must Go

2004-06-14T07:16:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON — A group of 26 former senior diplomats and military officials, several appointed to key positions by Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, plans to issue a joint statement this week arguing that President George W. Bush has damaged America's national security and should be defeated in November.

The group, which calls itself Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, will explicitly condemn Bush's foreign policy, according to several of those who signed the document.

"It is clear that the statement calls for the defeat of the administration," said William C. Harrop, the ambassador to Israel under President Bush's father and one of the group's principal organizers.

Those signing the document, which will be released in Washington on Wednesday, include 20 former U.S. ambassadors, appointed by presidents of both parties, to countries including Israel, the former Soviet Union and Saudi Arabia.

Others are senior State Department officials from the Carter, Reagan and Clinton administrations and former military leaders, including retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, the former commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East under President Bush's father. Hoar is a prominent critic of the war in Iraq. More...

Limbaugh announces end of 10-year marriage

2004-06-13T07:36:00.000-04:00

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh announced Friday that he and his wife, Marta, were divorcing.

The Limbaughs "mutually decided to end their marriage of 10 years" and have "separated pending an amicable resolution," according to a statement released by Limbaugh's publicist.

The couple shared a $24 million oceanfront mansion in nearby Palm Beach. Limbaugh often broadcasts his daily three-hour show from a studio in a commercial area of Palm Beach.

Spokesman Tony Knight said the matter was personal and declined further comment.

It was the third marriage for both Limbaugh, 53, and his 44-year-old wife, who were wed May 27, 1994 at the Virginia home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Thomas officiated the ceremony. More...

Film and Election Politics Cross in 'Fahrenheit 9/11

2004-06-11T23:18:00.000-04:00

There are movie campaigns and there are presidential campaigns, and usually you can tell the difference. One features a red carpet, the other a war room.

But "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore's scathing new documentary about President Bush, has both.

Its release later this month appears to mark the first time that a film slamming a major presidential candidate has opened on screens across the nation in the final months of a campaign. At the same time, the movie is producing a global publicity extravaganza for Moore and Miramax Film founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who bought the film after Walt Disney Co. refused to let Miramax release it.

The scramble to bring the dark, often satirical film to U.S. movie screens is blending Hollywood and presidential politics in ways never seen in a race for the White House. While the filmmakers deny any overt effort to promote the candidacy of the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, their efforts fall clearly in sync with the campaign to unseat Bush. More...

Reagan Played Decisive Role in Saddam Hussein's Survival in Iran-Iraq War

2004-06-10T07:53:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - As Americans mourn the passing of president Ronald Reagan, almost forgotten is the decisive part his administration played in the survival of Iraq's president Saddam Hussein through his eight year war with Iran.

US soldiers now fighting the remnants of Saddam's regime can look back to the early 1980s for the start of a relationship that fostered the rise of the largest military in the Middle East, one whose use of chemical weapons set the stage for last year's war.

Reagan, determined to check arch-foe Iran, opened a back door to Iraq through which flowed US intelligence and hundreds of millions of dollars in loan guarantees even as Washington professed neutrality in Baghdad's war with Tehran.

It was complemented by French weaponry and German dual-use technology that experts say wound up in Iraq's chemical and biological warfare programs. More...

Clarke: More Reasons to Invade Iran Than Iraq

2004-06-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

VIENNA (Reuters) - It would have made more sense to invade Iran than Iraq, says a former U.S. counterterrorism adviser who has already accused the Bush administration of being soft on terrorism and wasting resources by attacking Iraq.

Richard Clarke, a former adviser to three U.S. presidents and four administrations, said mere possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) did not justify invading a country. This was the U.S. government's stated grounds for the Iraq war.

"If you take the case of Iran, its nuclear program is far more advanced than Iraq's was," Clarke told the Austrian daily Der Standard in an interview translated into German. "There would have been far more grounds to invade there (Iran)." More...

9/11 Panel Draft Blames FBI, CIA

2004-06-09T08:21:00.000-04:00

Hoping to avoid partisan attacks, the Sept. 11 commission has drafted a final report that avoids placing blame on individuals in the Bush or Clinton administrations but sharply criticizes the FBI and intelligence agencies for missteps prior to the catastrophe.

The 10-member panel has been reviewing portions of the draft, the bulk of which is a factual accounting of events, including intelligence failures that could lead readers to conclude the attacks were preventable, four commissioners told The Associated Press in separate interviews. More...

Blair Urged to Protest at 'Legalization' of US Torture

2004-06-09T08:19:00.000-04:00

Amnesty International today called on Tony Blair to protest against the US administration's "supposed legalization of torture" when he meets the US president, George Bush, at the G8 summit.

Amnesty International
The human rights groups was responding to allegations that US justice department lawyers had advised the CIA that torturing al-Qaida suspects "may be justified" if it was "in order to prevent further attacks on the United States".

The legal advice came in a memo, which was today published in the Washington Post. It was drafted by the department's office of legal counsel in August 2002 following a CIA request for guidance.

The memo concluded that torture amounts to more than inflicting moderate or fleeting pain, and "must be equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death". More...

Bush's Erratic Behavior Worries White House Aides

2004-06-08T10:15:00.000-04:00

President George W. Bush’s increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately express growing concern over their leader’s state of mind.

In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as “enemies of the state.”

Worried White House aides paint a portrait of a man on the edge, increasingly wary of those who disagree with him and paranoid of a public that no longer trusts his policies in Iraq or at home.

“It reminds me of the Nixon days,” says a longtime GOP political consultant with contacts in the White House. “Everybody is an enemy; everybody is out to get him. That’s the mood over there.” More...

Artist falls afoul of Patriot Act

2004-06-08T09:08:00.000-04:00

In a highly unusual use of the USA Patriot Act, which its creators say was designed to prevent terrorist attacks in the United States, The New York Times reports that three artists have been served subpoenas to appear before a federal grand jury June 15. The grand jury is considering whether or not to charge Stephen Kurtz, an art professor at the University of Buffalo whose art involves the use of biology equipment, with "possession of biological agents." More...

In respect for Ronald Reagan

2004-06-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

I will not post any articles today. Ronald Reagan like him or hate him was a great leader and although I would have probably disagreed with many of his views today. Hes the kind of leader this country needs desperately in today’s world. Unlike the last 2 bumbling idiots who have occupied The White House recently. Ronald Reagan was the real deal....

Iraq costs are $119.4 billion and rising; lawmakers ponder how money might have been spent

2004-06-04T23:11:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON (AP) Even by Washington standards, the $119.4 billion that President Bush and Congress have provided for the first two years of the war in Iraq is real money.

Though a tiny fraction of overall federal spending, the figure is huge in other ways. It dwarfs the $100 million that could hire 2,500 more airport security screeners,the $500 million that could add 69,400 more children to Head Start, the $1 billion that would let 160,000 more low-income families keep federal rent subsidies, Senate Democrats say. Or it could reduce the runaway federal deficit.

The $119.4 billion total, compiled by the White House Office of Management and Budget, is the administration's most comprehensive tally of the war's financial costs so far. Of the total, $97.2 billion has been for military operations, $21.2 billion for rebuilding Iraq's economy and government, and $1 billion for U.S. administrative expenses there. More...

CIA covert operations chief retiring

2004-06-04T14:52:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The official in charge of the CIA's covert operations announced he was retiring Friday, a day after agency Director George Tenet said he was leaving for personal reasons.

James Pavitt, a 31-year CIA veteran who has been deputy director of operations for five years, decided to retire a month ago, according to a statement, which said his departure is unrelated to Tenet's.

"I could not be prouder of the men and women of America's clandestine service," Pavitt said in the statement. "The creativity, resourcefulness and courage they display each and every day to acquire the information our country needs has saved many lives." More...

Bush: Tenet resigns as CIA director

2004-06-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- CIA Director George Tenet has resigned, citing personal reasons, President Bush said Thursday.

Tenet's resignation takes effect in mid-July, after which Deputy Director John McLaughlin will become the agency's acting chief, Bush told reporters at the White House.

Bush said that Tenet informed him of his decision Wednesday night.

Bush said Tenet had done "a superb job for the American people."

"He has been a strong and able leader at the agency," Bush said. More...

The Army will prevent soldiers in units set to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan from leaving the service at the end of their terms

2004-06-02T14:28:00.000-04:00

The Army will prevent soldiers in units set to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan from leaving the service at the end of their terms, a top general said Wednesday.

The announcement, an expansion of an Army program called "stop-loss," means that thousands of soldiers who had expected to retire or otherwise leave the military will have to stay on for the duration of their deployment to those combat zones.

The expansion affects units that are 90 days away or less from deploying, said Lt. Gen. Frank L. "Buster" Hagenbeck, the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel.

Commanders have the ability to make exceptions for soldiers with special circumstances; otherwise, soldiers won't be able to leave the service or transfer from their unit until they return to their home base after the deployment. More...

Fahrenheit 9/11' Ready To Roll

2004-06-02T10:44:00.000-04:00

Michael Moore's award-winning documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" has picked up a U.S. distributor and will hit theaters June 25.

The film will be released by a partnership of Lions Gate Films, IFC Films and the Fellowship Adventure Group, which was formed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein specifically to market Moore's film.

Moore's film, which recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, criticizes President Bush's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's.

The Weinsteins, who run Miramax Films, bought the rights to the movie from The Walt Disney Co., which owns Miramax and refused to distribute "Fahrenheit 9/11."

The Weinstein brothers will personally finance and control distribution and marketing, they said Tuesday. More...

Those Who Hate "Liberals" Really Hate a Free America

2004-06-02T10:41:00.000-04:00

The rightist "conservative" media moguls who hate "liberals" actually hate a free America.

Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, Hannity and O'Reilly, the Weekly Standard and Wall Street Journal---they all rant at some unspecified species allegedly left of center.

But right from its birth, America has been the very definition of a liberal nation.

Today's Foxist ditto-heads would have hated all America's founders: Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, Madison,

Adams, Paine, and even the father of the modern corporate state, Alexander Hamilton.

All were liberals, both classic and modern. The documents they wrote---the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights---all were the definition of liberal. Rush's "conservative" rightists would have hated them then. And though they won't admit it, they hate them now.

As for ending slavery, Ann Coulter would have SCREAMED at Abe Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation would have INFURIATED Hannity. The Gettysburg Address would have ENRAGED O'Reilly. And don't even MENTION the environmentalism of U.S. Grant or Teddy Roosevelt. More...

CHEMICALS IN OUR CITIES: GOP ALLOWS 'PREPOSITIONED WMDS'...

2004-06-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security watchdogs call them "prepositioned weapons of mass destruction" for terrorists: huge tanks of concentrated deadly gases that the chemical industry stores near densely populated areas and that railroads bring through cities en route to somewhere else.

The United States harbors more than 100 chemical facilities where an accident would put more than a million people at risk, according to documents filed with the Environmental Protection Agency. One is in Boston: A chemical distributor acknowledged in its filing that in a worst-case scenario if a tank holding 180,000 pounds of vinyl acetate -- a highly flammable liquid -- ruptured, it would send a 4.9-mile-long toxic cloud through the city.

As federal security officials warn that Al Qaeda is poised to strike the United States again, the presence of these highly toxic chemicals in the midst of cities may be the most vulnerable point in the nation's defenses. But proposals to reduce that risk by requiring the use of alternative chemicals or rerouting hazardous tankers around a city have faltered.

Fear of such an attack on a chemical facility prompted bipartisan momentum in Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks for requiring the chemical industry to switch to less dangerous processes where possible. Although many Republicans supported the measure initially, many changed their minds after intense industry lobbying, and the bill died on the Senate floor. More...

The Lying Game, An A-Z of the Iraq war and its aftermath

2004-06-01T07:29:00.000-04:00

A Mohammed Atta. The Bush administration claimed that a meeting between the lead hijacker of the 11 September attacks and a senior Iraqi intelligence officer proved a connection between al-Qa'ida and Saddam Hussein. But there is no evidence such a meeting took place.

B Bush and Blair: The two leaders have reacted strongly to all suggestions they misled their respective electorates over the war, and maintain time will prove they were right to go to war. Both, though, are suffering poll difficulties, as problems in Iraq become worse, and each needs speedy improvement to shore up his position.

C Ahmed Chalabi. The leader of the Iraq National Congress, who is a member of the Iraq Governing Council, is now accused of having duped the Bush administration, as well as the media, into believing that Saddam Hussein represented a direct threat to US and British security.

D Dollars. Between 1992 and the US raid on Ahmed Chalabi's home last week, the US government channeled more than $100m (£55m) to his Iraqi National Congress. The money may have been a motivating factor for defectors to say what they thought the Americans wanted to hear. That funding has now been stopped.

E Mohamed ElBaradei, the Egyptian head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, exposed as unfounded many of the claims put into the public domain by the US administration. The head of the UN weapons inspectors, Hans Blix, also challenged the White House claims.

F The claim that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction could be deployed within forty-five minutes of an order was a key plank of the Government's pro-war argument and appeared in its September dossier of 2002. We now know that the discredited claim - which applied only to battlefield munitions in any case - came from the party of the caretaker prime minister of Iraq: Iyad Allawi. More...

Go ahead, try and tell me they are not the Nazis

2004-05-31T10:25:00.000-04:00

Deem whoever you want a terrorist and round them up. Lock them up without having to prove they even did anything for as long as you feel like without letting them talk to a lawyer or even their own family. Send them off to camps. And then, forget even the most basic human rights and morality and flat-out torture these "suspects."More...

10 ways we botched Iraq-Zinni

2004-05-30T06:51:00.000-04:00

# Misjudging the success of containment. Containment actually worked, we just didn't know it.

# The strategy was flawed. We thought the road to Jerusalem led through Baghdad, when just the opposite is true -- the road to Baghdad leads through Jerusalem. In other words, an Israeli-Palestinian settlement is the key to peace and progress in the region.

# We had to create a false rationale for going in to get public support. Zinni testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee just before the war and was asked if the threat from Saddam Hussein was imminent: "No, not at all," he said. "It was not an imminent threat. Not even close. Not grave, gathering, imminent, serious, severe, mildly upsetting, none of these."

# We failed to internationalize the effort. That's a point on which we have now reached near-universal agreement, including George W. Bush.

# We underestimated the task.

# Propping up and trusting the exiles. Zinni ranks this as possibly our biggest mistake, taking up Ahmad Chalabi's "Gucci guerrillas." Zinni has the additional authority of having testified against the Iraqi Liberation Act back in 1998, telling the Senate then that the Iraqi National Congress was not credible and would "lead us into something that we will regret."

# Lack of planning. When Zinni was head of CentCom in the Mideast, they actually did a reconstruction plan. "The size of the CPA was about the size we felt we needed for one province, let alone the entire country."

# The insufficiency of military forces on the ground.

# Ad hoc organization. The extent to which the CPA never had a game plan is incredible and, as The Washington Post rather acidly reports, the place is staffed with busy little right-wingers whose only claim to competence is their political connections.

# A series of bad decisions on the ground. Disbanding the army, etc.

Read Article

Army finds Tillman probably killed by friendly fire

2004-05-30T06:43:00.000-04:00

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- The shots that killed Pat Tillman, the football player who became a patriotic icon by giving up a $3.6 million contract to become an Army Ranger, probably came from his fellow soldiers, military officials said Saturday.

According to an Army investigation, Tillman was shot to death on April 22 after a U.S. soldier mistakenly fired on a friendly Afghan soldier in Tillman's unit, and other U.S. soldiers then fired in the same direction.

Initial reports by the Army had suggested that Tillman was killed by enemy gunfire when he led his team to help another group of ambushed soldiers. More...

Michael Moore Film Nears Release as Disney Sells

2004-05-29T07:14:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES - Michael Moore's controversial documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" moved a step closer to U.S. theaters on Friday as Miramax film studio founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein personally bought rights to the picture from Walt Disney Co.

Miramax had funded the film but Disney, which owns the art-house studio, had declined to distribute the movie, saying the documentary and its criticism of President Bush's war on Iraq were too politically charged.

After more than three weeks of talks, the Weinsteins bought rights to the film for costs to date, estimated at about $6 million, and will arrange for theatrical and home video distribution, both sides said in a statement issued on Friday.

By clinching a deal now, the movie could still be on track to get into theaters by the middle of this summer, despite a crowded field of U.S. releases, distributors have said.

That fast-track release would capitalize on the recent surge of interest in the film and give Moore a chance to influence the November presidential election with his unflattering portrait of Bush. More...

Court strips Pinochet of immunity

2004-05-28T15:40:00.000-04:00

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- A court stripped Gen. Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution Friday, paving the way for the trial of the former Chilean dictator on human rights charges.

The court voted 14-9 to lift the immunity that the 88-year-old Pinochet enjoys as former president, a court clerk said.

The decision may still be appealed before the Supreme Court, which has repeatedly ruled in the past that Pinochet is physically and mentally unfit to stand trial.

A 2002 report by court-appointed doctors stated that Pinochet has a mild case of dementia. He has a pacemaker, suffers from diabetes and arthritis, and has had at least three mild strokes since 1998.

The court did not elaborate on the basis for the ruling, which will be revealed within two or three weeks after one of the justices writes it. More...

I want that real bad.......

2004-05-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

We Should Exit Iraq Now, and Here's How We Do It

2004-05-27T13:28:00.000-04:00

The United States has lost its ability to achieve its goals in Iraq. The American administration no longer has any moral standing among the people there. The longer U.S. military and civilian personnel stay involved in Iraq, the more enemies they make.

Their presence taints an ever-growing circle of people who come into contact and work with the United States. These people lose the prospect of playing any role in the post-occupation Iraq, and worse, they become targets for assassination.

The only clear way out of this situation is for the United States to leave Iraq as soon as possible. This departure should involve not just an end to Paul Bremer's administration and its replacement with a large embassy that will continue to wield immense power through 138,000 troops that will remain in Iraq. This should be a complete evacuation, and should usher in a period where the damage of not only Saddam Hussein's dictatorship but also of the last year can be repaired.

Only then can Iraq move toward a free and democratic future, which it most certainly deserves.

There is a way in which this transition can be carried out so that it does not lead to chaos and anarchy. As the very first step, President Bush should convene a summit that includes the secretary general of the United Nations and the leaders of major European powers, neighbors of Iraq (including Iran), Egypt, China and Japan. More...

US intelligence fears Iran duped hawks into Iraq war

2004-05-26T11:36:00.000-04:00

An urgent investigation has been launched in Washington into whether Iran played a role in manipulating the US into the Iraq war by passing on bogus intelligence through Ahmad Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress, it emerged yesterday.

Some intelligence officials now believe that Iran used the hawks in the Pentagon and the White House to get rid of a hostile neighbour, and pave the way for a Shia-ruled Iraq.

According to a US intelligence official, the CIA has hard evidence that Mr Chalabi and his intelligence chief, Aras Karim Habib, passed US secrets to Tehran, and that Mr Habib has been a paid Iranian agent for several years, involved in passing intelligence in both directions.

The CIA has asked the FBI to investigate Mr Chalabi's contacts in the Pentagon to discover how the INC acquired sensitive information that ended up in Iranian hands. More...

No Justification for Lives Lost in Vietnam -- or Now in Iraq

2004-05-26T11:35:00.000-04:00

On May 2, 1968, 2nd Lt. Robert C. Ransom Jr., whom his family called "Mike," wrote to his mom and dad from "a little hooch" somewhere in Vietnam. He described the dangers and rewards of being a platoon leader, of recently losing several men in a minefield, of having the respect of his men. He asked for his Newsweek subscription to be forwarded to a new address, and added in a P.S.: "You might tell any friends you have in Washington to get off their fat asses, quit quibbling, and start talking about ways to end this foolishness over here. Aside from being opposed to the damn war, it really gives me a case that LBJ, who claims to want peace and who says he'll go anywhere any time to talk peace, has taken over a month without being able to find an acceptable site. Anywhere, according to his promise, ought to be 'acceptable.' " The next day Ransom stepped on a mine. He died nine days later. He was 23.

On Sept. 8 the same year, in the same province, Richard Sito wrote to his aunt and uncle: "Yesterday we got into a fire fight, and one guy got killed and we had eight wounded. But I managed to come out alive again with flying colors. Like I always do. HA!! HA!! Like I told Mom, if you have eight or nine months, you know what's happening. It's mostly the new guys that get hurt. So don't worry about me. My biggest Xmas present will be just being home with my family and seeing you." Sito was killed in action two months later. He was 24. More...

Bush approval stays near record low in poll

2004-05-25T07:16:00.000-04:00

(CNN) -- President Bush's approval rating remains virtually unchanged from the record low of his presidency two weeks ago, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.

Forty-seven percent of people polled May 21-23 said they approve of how Bush is handling the presidency -- up 1 percentage point from a poll taken May 7-9. (Full story)

Forty-nine percent said they disapprove, down 2 percentage points from the previous survey. With a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, the change was statistically insignificant.

The poll of 1,002 Americans was released Monday, hours before Bush was to deliver a speech to the nation about Iraq -- the beginning of a new campaign aimed at recovering popularity at home. (Full story)

The poll was conducted by telephone from Friday to Sunday. More...

Robs Note:
Were not buying your story any more Mr. Bush.

Rumsfeld bans camera phones in Iraq: report

2004-05-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

LONDON (AFP) - Cellphones fitted with digital cameras have been banned in US army installations in Iraq (news - web sites) on orders from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a business newspaper reported.

Quoting a Pentagon (news - web sites) source, The Business newspaper said the US Defense Department believes that some of the damning photos of US soldiers abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad were taken with camera phones.

"Digital cameras, camcorders and cellphones with cameras have been prohibited in military compounds in Iraq," it said, adding that a "total ban throughout the US military" is in the works.

Disturbing new photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse, which the US government had reportedly tried to keep hidden, were published Friday in the Washington Post newspaper.

The photos emerged along with details of testimony from inmates at Abu Ghraib who said they were sexually molested by female soldiers, beaten, sodomized and forced to eat food from toilets. More...

Gen. Zinni: They've Screwed Up

2004-05-24T07:14:00.000-04:00

(CBS) Retired General Anthony Zinni is one of the most respected and outspoken military leaders of the past two decades.

From 1997 to 2000, he was commander-in-chief of the United States Central Command, in charge of all American troops in the Middle East. That was the same job held by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf before him, and Gen. Tommy Franks after.

Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, the Bush administration thought so highly of Zinni that it appointed him to one of its highest diplomatic posts -- special envoy to the Middle East.

But Zinni broke ranks with the administration over the war in Iraq, and now, in his harshest criticism yet, he says senior officials at the Pentagon are guilty of dereliction of duty -- and that the time has come for heads to roll. Correspondent Steve Kroft reports. More...

U.S. Wants Another UN Exemption from Criminal Court

2004-05-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Bush administration wants the U.N. Security Council to renew on Friday a controversial resolution exempting American peacekeepers from prosecution by the new International Criminal Court.

Although the resolution is expected to be adopted, diplomats expect opposition among the wider U.N. membership following the U.S. abuse of prisoners in Iraq and general complaints about American unilateralism.

Two years ago the same resolution was adopted unanimously after the United States threatened to veto U.N. peacekeeping missions, one by one. A year ago, three countries abstained.

This year at least four nations -- Brazil, Spain, Germany and France -- are expected to abstain. But U.S. officials are confident they will reach the minimum nine votes needed for adoption in the 15-nation council.

All 15 European Union nations are among the 94 nations who have ratified a 1998 Rome treaty creating the court and are financing most of its costs. But close U.S. ally Britain is expected to vote in favor.

Washington has signed bilateral agreements with 89 countries who promised not to prosecute American citizens as well as anyone under contract to the United States, said Richard Grenell, spokesman for U.S. ambassador John Negroponte.

Some of those who ratified the treaty also signed the agreement with the United States, which in some cases is tied to aid.

As the first permanent global criminal court, the ICC was set up to try perpetrators for the world's worst atrocities -- genocide, mass war crimes and systematic human rights abuses. More...

U.S. admits to secret interrogation site in Baghdad

2004-05-22T07:55:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- As hundreds of detainees were released from Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, a senior U.S. official Friday confirmed that a previously undisclosed U.S. military interrogation facility at or near Baghdad International Airport does indeed exist.

The official said the site was run in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and all detainees were afforded their rights under that international document.

"That's not to say somebody didn't get their head dunked in the water," he said.

U.S. Special Forces participated in running the site, he added.

Two other intelligence experts have confirmed the existence of a secret interrogation facility as well.

It is not clear if this facility is still being used, the senior official said.

Iraqis interrogated at the site were in a broad category of "more senior than the average security detainee," but none were in the deck of cards that depicted the most senior members of Saddam Hussein's regime, he said. More...

Powell admits false WMD claim. Where's the anger?

2004-05-20T12:27:00.000-04:00

It would be a foolish endeavor to call for this Republican Congress to mount a thorough investigation of this Republican administration. But what else is there to do in response to the comments made by Secretary of State Colin Powell this past weekend?

Appearing on Meet the Press, Powell acknowledged--finally!--that he and the Bush administration misled the nation about the WMD threat posed by Iraq before the war. Specifically, he said that he was wrong when he appeared before the UN Security Council on February 5, 2003, and alleged that Iraq had developed mobile laboratories to produce biological weapons. That was one of the more dramatic claims he and the administration used to justify the invasion of Iraq. (Remember the drawings he displayed.) Yet Powell said on MTP, "it turned our that the sourcing was inaccurate and wrong and in some cases, deliberately misleading." Powell did not spell it out, but the main source for this claim was an engineer linked to the Iraqi National Congress, the exile group led by Ahmed Chalabi, who is now part of the Iraqi Governing Council.

Powell noted that he was "comfortable at the time that I made the presentation it reflected the collective judgment, the sound judgment of the intelligence community." In other words, the CIA was scammed by Chalabi's outfit, and it never caught on. So who's been fired over this? After all, the nation supposedly went to war partly due to this intelligence. And partly because of this bad information over 700 Americans and countless Iraqis have lost their lives. Shouldn't someone be held accountable? Maybe CIA chief George Tenet, or his underlings who went for the bait? Or Chalabi's neocon friends and champions at the Pentagon: Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, Richard Perle? How do they feel about their pal, the great Iraqi leader, now? More...

Hes our best friend. What happen?

2004-05-20T09:03:00.000-04:00

U.S. military raids Chalabi's home

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. military personnel and Iraqi police have raided the compound of the Iraqi National Congress and the nearby home of Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmed Chalabi.

Chalabi's nephew, Salim Chalabi, said the forces entered his uncle's home, put a gun to Chalabi's head and threatened him.

CNN staff on the scene saw a group of Iraqi civilians inside the compound under guard by Iraqi police and U.S. military.

In addition, an SUV was backed into the garage of the compound with people dressed in civilian clothes carrying out files from inside the headquarters.

Salim Chalabi, who serves as Iraq's war crimes prosecutor, said the U.S. military personnel and Iraqi police entered his uncle's home with their weapons drawn, and threatened Chalabi's security personnel.

Describing what his uncle told him, Salim said the forces were "looking for something" and were upset with Chalabi.

The forces also cordoned off the Iraqi National Congress headquarters in a separate building nearby, taking guns away from the security there, Salim said. More...

John Kerry, Ralph Nader to Meet Today

2004-05-19T12:30:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON - When Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry meets with independent rival Ralph Nader on Wednesday, Kerry isn't likely to ask him to leave the race. And it's even less likely that Nader will offer to bow out.

Kerry probably will point out that the two rivals share a goal ousting President Bush and contend that a joint effort is the best way to achieve it, aides to the Massachusetts senator said. Nader, a Winsted, Conn. native, told The Associated Press that he looks forward to discussing ''certain common policies'' with Kerry.

''I think that's for the good of our country and for the benefit of the American people that are being ignored or repudiated by the Bush regime,'' Nader said in an interview.

Still, Kerry aides hope Nader eventually comes around to Kerry's view if not after the meeting, then following what senior Democrats say will be a weeks-long campaign by party operatives to pressure Nader publicly and privately. That effort, being formulated by Democrats not aligned with the Kerry campaign, may include challenging Nader's efforts to get on state ballots, the Democrats said on condition of anonymity. More...