Special Article Collection - Longer Term Dynamics and Overviews

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 Signs Of An Attempted Coup In New Delhi   [11/30/08 ]  "Preliminary signs emerging from India’s power center, New Delhi, paint a picture of an unstable situation. Security is already compromised. But a bigger story is taking place in New Delhi, not Mumbai. There are disturbing signs that India, a nuclear-armed nation of a billion people, is witnessing a ‘soft coup’ attempt involving secular rightwing ideologues and Hindu nationalists. Exploiting the fears of a traumatized nation and a government caught sleeping at the wheel, a core group of rightwing ideologues within India’s military, intelligence and political elite are trying to overthrow Manmohan Singh’s government. The plan apparently is to help the rise of rightwing elements in power and firmly push India in a confrontation with Pakistan and some other countries in the region. The objective of this core group is to see India emerge as a superpower closely allied with the United States. They are excited about American plans for India as a regional policeman and have no problem in confronting China and Pakistan to achieve this status. They think time is slipping and they don’t want a hesitant political leadership in their way. Already the instability in the wake of Mumbai attacks is being exploited to start a war with Pakistan. The fact that this will also help U.S. military that is facing a tough time in Afghanistan appears to be more than just a coincidence ... In the very first hours of the Mumbai attack, the unknown terrorists were able to achieve a singular feat: the targeted murder of Hemant Karkare, the chief antiterrorism officer in the Indian police. The man was responsible for exposing the secret links between the Indian military and Hindu terror groups. His investigation resulted in uncovering the involvement of three Indian military intelligence officers in terrorist acts that were blamed on Muslim groups. At the time of his murder, Karkare was pursuing leads that were supposed to uncover the depth of the nexus between the Indian military and the sudden rise of well armed and well financed Hindu terrorism groups with their wide network of militant training camps across India. Curiously, a CCTV camera has caught on tape one of the unknown terrorists when he arrived with his group at their first target: a train station. The man, dressed in a jeans and a black T-shirt and carrying a machine gun [see picture below], is wearing an orange-colored wrist band very common among religious Hindus. As a comparison, a recent picture of a Hindu militant activist taken during an event this year is shown to the right where the militant is wearing a similar band."

 100 Groups In A War Against India   [11/30/08 ]  "Mumbai’s night of terror underscores a phenomenon concealed by the Indian government and intelligence agencies and deliberately ignored by a biased Anglo-American media for a long time: The rise of a virulent form of Hindu terrorism that begets violence from other minorities. Here is a list of almost one hundred groups that are fighting the Indian government. All of them thrive in India. The context for what has happened in Mumbai is stunning only for those unaware how a cocktail mix of wrong policies, official patronage to extremism, and separatist movements have come together to destabilize India." 

 As Oil Prices Fall, Tensions Among OPEC Members Seem to Deepen   [11/29/08 ]  "As the OPEC cartel meets in Cairo on Saturday, exporters are being pummeled by a triple whammy of lower prices, falling demand and declining revenue. The group, whose members account for more than 40 percent of global oil exports, is desperately seeking ways to stop the drop in prices, which have fallen from their summer peaks at a record pace."

 Mumbai attack: 'British men among terrorists'  [11/29/08 ]  "Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Mumbai, was reported to have said that two British-born Pakistanis were among eight gunmen seized by Indian commandos who stormed buildings to free hostages."  Related: Mauritian I-cards, explosives found from terrorists in Taj 

 Paris Club publishes list of countries' debts  [11/29/08 ]  "The Paris Club of creditor nations has published for the first time the list of its debt claims on individual countries, the group said on Wednesday."

 LaRouche: British Intelligence is Behind Mumbai Massacre  [11/29/08 ]  "Mumbai comes during the last days of the Bush Administration, Lyndon LaRouche said today, in which we are expecting the very worst to strike globally. And the British are also in heat right now. Therefore, you are looking for the very worst at this time. And, because of the Pakistan ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence)/British MI-6 involvement, Mumbai could not have happened at this time, unless the British were involved in it. "It would be British intelligence," he said. "They're the only ones who would do this. Someone says they're Pakistani? Yeah, so what! It's British intelligence." "Don't look at it as coming from a propaganda line, to an action," LaRouche warned. "The propaganda line may have nothing to do with the action. Don't look for a propaganda algebra that will give you the key to who's behind it. In a situation like this, propaganda algebra doesn't work. The EFFECT does. What is the EFFECT? Who wants the effect? ..."

 Mumbai Attacks: Designed in London, Made in USA    [11/28/08 ]  " ... If the attacks were targeted against British and American citizens then why were the terrorists reported to be firing AK-47’s indiscriminately into crowds of (mainly Indian) people? Out of 101 victims, only six were foreigners, the rest were Indian. This was blatantly not a targeted attack against British and American citizens, but it is being spun that way by the media so as to justify a coordinated British and American military response, which will no doubt take the form of more bombing raids inside Pakistan and an increased presence in Afghanistan. The London Times are already busy proclaiming that yesterday’s events were the work of Osama bin Goldstein, reporting, “Targeting Bombay’s most luxurious hotels and a crowded railway station had all the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda operation.” But voices of skepticism have broken through the firewall of fearmongering and propaganda ..."

 Possible Geopolitical Consequences of the Mumbai Attacks    [11/28/08 ]  "If the Nov. 26 attacks in Mumbai were carried out by Islamist militants as it appears, the Indian government will have little choice, politically speaking, but to blame them on Pakistan. That will in turn spark a crisis between the two nuclear rivals that will draw the United States into the fray" ... "another indicator that this is just a false-flag attack, like Gleiwitz, to justify a war of conquest?"

 As Predicted, India Links Mumbai Attacks With Pakistan [11/28/08 ]  "As we predicted would happen in our early report yesterday, Indian government authorities are now blaming Pakistan for being behind the ongoing attacks in Mumbai, providing a perfect pretext for expanded U.S. military aggression against a country that is also a target for Barack Obama."

 CIA, Mossad Hand Behind Sangh Parivar's Extremists    [11/28/08 ]  "Central Intelligence Agencies vigilant investigating in the aftermath of Malegaon blast; Enquiry being held into the February 2007 visit of prominent Israeli religious delegation and meetings with Hindutvadi Sadhu, Sanths and political leaders; Mossad infiltration a cause of deep concern for Intelligence officials ..."  Indian groups constant back-and-forth between India and Israel have allowed Mossad infiltration into Indian politics. A key article.  Related: Mumbai The Mossad Angle "... Our worst fears have come true. It is clear that Mossad is involved in the whole affair. An entire city has been attacked by Mossad and probably units of mercenaries. It is not possible for one single organization to plan and execute such a sophisticated operation. It is clear that this operation was backed by communal forces from within the Indian State. The Home Minister Shivraj Patil should resign. The RSS-BJP-VHP-Bajrang Dal should be banned. Advani and others ought to be arrested. Today is a day of shame for all Indians and all Hindus. Muslims and secular Hindus have been proven right. RSS type forces and Israel are all involved in not only destabilizing but finishing India. India should immediately snap all relations with Israel. We owe this much to Karkare and the brave ATS men who had shown the courage to arrest Praggya Singh, Raj Kumar Purohit, the army officer and several others ..."  Related: 2002: Mossad And India Spy Agency Team Up, Target Pakistan

 F.D.A. Scientists Accuse Agency Officials of Misconduct  [11/28/08 ]  "Top federal health officials engaged in “serious misconduct” by ignoring concerns of scientists at the Food and Drug Administration and approving for sale unsafe or ineffective medical devices, the scientists have written in a letter to Congress. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will investigate the accusations, first aired when eight agency scientists wrote a private letter in May to the F.D.A. commissioner, Andrew C. von Eschenbach. “These allegations are deeply concerning,” said the committee chairman, Representative John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan, “and we intend to uncover whether any F.D.A. activity has compromised the health and safety of American consumers.” Heidi Rebello, an agency spokeswoman, said, “The F.D.A. will respond directly to the committee’s concerns.” The letter to Congress, dated Oct. 14, is part of a growing chorus of dissent from what had long been a tight-lipped agency. In decades past, scientists rarely disagreed publicly with their agency’s decisions, and any concerns they had about important decisions were whispered among veterans. But increasing scrutiny of the agency on Capitol Hill has coincided with a growing willingness by some scientists to voice their misgivings. The disputes tend to pit agency managers, who often lean toward approving drugs or devices when the data are equivocal, against agency scientists, who want more certain trial results before allowing the products to be sold. Medical devices include products like cardiac stents, nerve stimulators to relieve depression, imaging equipment and breast implants. It is not clear from the publicly released information which device approvals the scientists questioned."

 New Midnight Regs!  [11/27/08 ]  "Today we added five rules to our Midnight Regulations Chart, where we're tracking the rules and regulations that the Bush administration is pushing through in its waning days. Thanks to the steady stream of suggestions from our readers, there will be more in the coming days.

 Living the Good Life on $5,000 a Year  [11/27/08 ]  "Today's global financial cloud got you feeling gray? Vermonter Jim Merkel sees a silver lining." 

 Security Blanket: Western Democracy and the Strategy of Tension  [11/27/08 ]  "... It is indeed unfortunate that the general public is prey to these disturbing theories, which breed such a widespread distrust of the noble intentions and essential (if occasionally misguided or incompetently executed) goodness of our leading men and women. However, there is a very reasonable explanation for the credence given to these fringe beliefs ..."

 FDIC Says 171 Banks on Watch List  [11/27/08 ]  "The number of problem U.S. banks and thrifts jumped in the third quarter to 171, from 117 at the end of the prior quarter, marking the highest level since the end of 1995 and adding to expectations that more banks will fail, regulators said on Tuesday. "

 Nobody is Watching: America's hidden war in Somalia  [11/27/08 ]  "... It is a policy time bomb that will be inherited by the incoming Obama administration: a little-known front in the global war on terrorism that Washington appears to be losing, if it hasn't already been lost. "Somalia is one of the great unrecognized U.S. policy failures since 9/11," said Ken Menkhaus, a leading Somalia scholar at Davidson College in North Carolina. "By any rational metric, what we've ended up with there today is the opposite of what we wanted."  More on the Somalia connection on this page

 Rogers Says Dollar to Be "Devalued", Buys Commodities  [11/27/08 ]  "... The U.S. dollar will be "devalued'' as policy makers seek to weaken it, undermining the greenback's role as an international reserve currency, said Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings in Singapore. `They think that if you drive down the value of your money, it makes you more competitive, now that has never worked in history in the long term,'' said Rogers."

 Evidence Suggests Brit Liquid Bomb Plot was Directed by UK/Paki/US Intel   [11/27/08 ]  "When you put the pieces together the following picture emerges about the liquid explosives conspiracy: It was first penetrated by Pakistani intelligence in May 2005. British intelligence have been actively involved for more than a year. U.S. intel having been first made aware of the surveillance operation for at least several months. The Bush Administration decided the timing of the arrests a few weeks ago. That makes this terrorist conspiracy as much a conspiracy of state as it is a real terrorist plot."

 Political Destabilization in South and Central Asia: The Role of the CIA-ISI Terror Network   [11/26/08 ]  "Recent terror attacks in New Delhi on September 13, 2008, raise the questions of who was responsible and for what reason these attacks occurred. Terror attacks in India are not a new phenomenon, however, in their recent past, they can be largely attributed to the actions, finances, training and resources of one organization: The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). These new bombings bare the same relationship with the ISI as has occurred in the past, and so it must be asked: what is the purpose of the ISI both in Central Asia as well as South Asia?"

 How The Pentagon Bankrupts America  [11/26/08 ]  "... it is not that the defense budget adequately supports our irrelevant, even counterproductive forces. For that to be the case would be a significant improvement. Instead, to promote armed forces that fight the wrong type of war in the wrong places – liberals, moderates and conservatives in the Pentagon, Congress, think tanks and the White House have over time constructed an edifice that makes our forces smaller, older and less ready to fight, all at dramatically increasing cost. And, we have done so with a system that, quite literally, does not know – or apparently care – what it is doing."

 Taliban, drug lords await $770m opium bonanza  [11/26/08 ]  "... Opium production in Afghanistan will contribute $US500 million ($770 million) to drug lords and the Taliban this year and has increased in the south - where Australia's troops are based - despite a drop across the rest of the country, a United Nations report says." Note: The people really making the money are the drug lords at the top, who sneak this product out of Afghanistan to be refined into heroin, and sell it in Europe. Even Karzai's brother has been implicated in the drug trade here, and this indicates the true level of corruption which the Afghanis have had to deal with since the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.

 Australia: Private Intelligence Company Monitors Activists Online for Police  [11/26/08 ]  "A private intelligence company has been engaged by police to secretly monitor internet and email use by activist and protest groups, a report says. The company was hired to monitor and report on the internet activities of anti-war campaigners, animal rights activists, environmental campaigners, and other protest groups, Fairfax Media reported. It was hired by Victorian Police, the Australian Federal Police and the federal Attorney-General’s department."

 Israel: An 'Existential Threat' to Iran (and the whole Middle East)   [11/25/08 ]  " ... Iran, even Israel and the US concede, doesn’t actually have any nuclear weapons. At this moment of time it doesn’t even have a nuclear power plant let alone weapons. Israel and the US do. Indeed, Israel is so heavily nuclear armed that its arsenal alone could completely and utterly destroy all of Iran – and most of the Middle East with it. Furthermore, despite the propaganda, there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever of Iran having any nuclear weapons program. None. Yet, time and time again the US and Israel claim the Iranians are 'edging closer and closer to having a bomb'. But not once have either country produced any evidence to back up their claims. Even in the highly unlikely event of Iran ever having a bomb, the likelihood of them using it to attack Israel is zero since they know that retaliation from both Israel and the US would be instantaneous. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of the likelihood of Israel using their nuclear weapons against Iran. Some reports have already talked of Israeli plans to use nuclear weapons against Iran and the US has already given the green light for Israel to attack Iran if Israel sees so fit to do ..."

Iran is not an 'Existential threat to the U.S.' (Lieberman)  /25/08 ]  " ... Sen. Joe Lieberman is foaming at the mouth at the perceived threat of Iran against his favorite client, Israel. Seems that if we don't let Israel deal with the situation, Big Joe thinks that 'we're next'.  Experts at the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation would beg to differ. There's nothing like a side-by-side comparison of military weapons to push the point that Iran's not in any condition to threaten the United States, and one might assume (given Israel's tendancy to fly off and bomb things) Iran isn't going to threaten Israel either. Even if Iran gets a nuke, it lacks the fundamental military capability to see any threats through to completion." 

 What Exactly Is An "Existential" Threat, Mr. Olmert?   [11/25/08 ]  " ... Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, by declaring the attack on Lebanon as an "existential" one, set forth a dangerous series of events which will only serve to do long-term damage to Israel. It was an overstep and overreaction which will have profound and deep consequences in the years to come. "Existential" threats do not absolve Israel of the responsibility to comply with international law. Carrying out these kinds of policies is clearly an 'existential' threat to innocent civilians. Israel has normalized its behaviour patterns and has created a mainstream public which passively supports these policies in the name of security. This disconnection between citizens and state is one of the reasons Israel can justify violations of human rights and international law to a domestic audience. The Israeli public, by not speaking out against the state's policies, are passively sanctioning the actions of the state's institutions including the military. There are myriad examples of the misuses of state power. According to Reporters Without Borders, "Israel has for years pursued a policy of assassinating its political opponents. Because extrajudicial executions are universally condemned, most governments who practice assassinations surround such actions in secrecy and deny carrying out the killings they may have ordered. Although the Israeli government prefers to talk about 'targeted killings' and 'preventive actions' (or 'pinpointed preventive actions') rather than 'extrajudicial executions', members of the Israeli government have confirmed that such killings are a deliberate government policy carried out under government orders." The European Union, by not utilizing the human rights components of their trading relationship with Israel, is passively endorsing Israeli policy. The US, by funding and resourcing Israel's military, is partially responsible for the actions of the state and the harm it does to innocent civilians. Israel is a rogue, Frankenstein state supported and maintained by the US and Europe. By supporting Israeli policies for the purposes of achieving regional objectives, the US and the European Union support the war crimes of its Israeli ally. It is in the Western orbit, and as such, needs to be reined in by its supporters. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be a destabilizing force in the Middle East, but denying the horrible effects of the Israeli state is highly disingenuous ..."

 Iran is no 'existential threat' to Israel, says ex-Mossad chief   [11/25/08 ]  " ... A former Mossad chief who is visiting Australia said Tehran lacks the military and strategic capability to destroy the Jewish State. “Israel is indestructible today. It’s not so simple just to think you can have a device on your hand and you will able to hurl it on to a certain location and wipe out a nation,” Efraim Halevy told an Australian Friends of the Hebrew University dinner at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. Halevy, who ran the spy agency from 1998-2003, rejected assertions that Israel faced an “existential threat” during its recent war with Hezbollah. Such claims have “eroded Israel’s self-confidence”, he said. “Israel has known of this threat [from Iran] for more than a decade-and-a half and has watched this threat grow – you must assume that Israel was not sitting on its hands ... or [waiting] for someone else to do the job ..."

 Democracy: an 'existential threat'?   [11/25/08 ]  " ... It envisages a system of government founded on "the principle of equality in civil, political, social and cultural rights for all citizens". It is precisely this basic insistence on equality that is perceived by Zionists as an existential threat to Israel, undermining its inherently discriminatory foundations which privilege its Jewish citizens over all others ..." 

 Saudi urges PG security pact with Iran    [11/25/08 ]  "A senior Saudi official has called for a security pact between Iran and the Persian Gulf states amid Western efforts to isolate Tehran."  Related: Taliban leader offered asylum by Saudi?

 UN IAEA: West can't deprive Syria of N-tech    [11/25/08 ]  "The UN nuclear watchdog warns the West against impeding Syria's efforts to construct a nuclear reactor over 'political considerations'." 

 Israel: 'Dimona, easy target for Hezbollah'    [11/25/08 ]  "The defense minister has also accused the movement of violating the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1701 which put an end to the second Israeli war against Lebanon. Under the resolution adopted in August 2006, the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers were deployed to southern Lebanon to end the 33-day war against the country. The Resolution also called for the disarmament of Hezbollah. Hezbollah, however, rejected the disarmament calls, saying its weapons deter the Israeli regime from invading the country." 

 The new world devised by Maurice Strong and George Soros   [11/24/08 ]  "Have you ever wondered how capitalism was pushed over the edge of the cliff just six weeks before the American presidential election? According to financial experts, the world, as we know it will change dramatically by the year 2012. People, who provided for their families only three years ago, will be desperately searching for food. The story of the economic meltdown of 2008 begins and ends with the United Nations and its carefully managed One World Order ..."  Related:  Soros Held Franken Recount Fundraiser

 John F. Kennedy vs The Federal Reserve   [11/24/08 ]  "On June 4, 1963, a virtually unknown Presidential decree, Executive Order 11110, was signed with the authority to basically strip the Federal Reserve Bank of its power to loan money to the United States Federal Government at interest. With the stroke of a pen, President Kennedy declared that the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank would soon be out of business."

 All US Financials Will be Nationalized in a Year: Manager  [11/24/08 ]  "It's not preferable, but all major U.S. financial companies will eventually be under government control because the alternative is so much worse, Hugh Hendry, chief investment officer at hedge fund Eclectica Asset Management, said Friday."

 Swiss attack on Israeli policy escalates ‘cold war’   [11/24/08 ]  "In an attack which shocked Tel Aviv by the harshness of its tone, Switzerland has accused Israel of wantonly destroying Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem and near Ramallah in violation of the Geneva Convention's rules on military occupation. It's arguably the strongest condemnation of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians to come from any western European country since Charles de Gaulle famously attacked the "oppression, repression and expulsions" of Palestinians by Israel over 40 years ago. And it's come from a country that's not exactly famous for making strong condemnations." 

 Israeli army brass advocate timely war on Iran     [11/24/08 ] "An Israeli security assessment has recommended devising contingency plans to attack Iran even if it means courting a conflict with the US."  Related: Iran would punish Israel partners in war | Iran gears navy with new warships  

 Cracking the code of the Greatest Depression    [11/23/08 ] "Just as you can read “between the lines” in the newspaper on any given day and discover clues issued by the Powers That Be to what is actually going on, such notice can also be found in the movies. Such a movie was The Wizard of Oz, an allegory for the new state of affairs in America in the 1930s following the stock market crash and factual bankruptcy of the US Government..."   Clever 

 An Expose of the 'Evolution' Industry    [11/22/08 ] "The public says a reformulation of the theory of evolution is bigger than the Altenberg 16 – no matter how brilliant the individuals may be. People think a remix of evolution is high priority and say they have a right to know, since scientists are publicly funded. They want open discussion and say such information should not be locked down for future book and DVD sales. There is too much of that kind of industry already corrupting science."   

 Underground Bases, Mind Control and Illuminati    [11/21/08 ] An interview with Richard Sauder "Some Mind Control victims, from Kathleen Sullivan to Cathy O’Brien, and less known, affirm that they have been guided to underground military bases, sometimes very weird. Is it plausible, or was it a deliberate set up, a show to intimidate them?"

 Financial Crisis Shutting Down World Trade    [11/21/08 ] " .... Cargoes are rotting on the docks around the world, unable to be delivered, due to a lack of financing. The shipping business depends upon letters of credit: for cargoes to move, the shipper needs to know when he puts a cargo on a ship that the buyer at the other end will be able to pay for it, and this is where the banks come in. Banks provide the guarantees of payment through letters of credit and related credit lines, so that the goods upon which the world depends can move ..."  Related: A Statement of True Franklin Roosevelt Policy from Lyndon LaRouche "The most important thing is a clear understanding of where we stand. We have two issues: You have the issue of what the U.S. policy is going to be. I don't think the U.S. knows what its policy is going to be. There may be people in the incumbent government, and that which is about to be incumbent, who may respectively have ideas about what they're going to do, but I don't think any of them knows what they're actually going to do. They may have ideas which they think they're going to have, but that's going to change because the circumstances are going to change in a very shocking way ..."

 Apocalypse now: the end of Earth brought forward    [11/20/08 ]  "A new study published by The Open Atmospheric Science Journal says the concentration of CO2 in the planet’s atmosphere has reached the point at which irreversible changes to climate start. Even if the concentration of carbon dioxide is lowered from its current level in record time, the catastrophic effects will still occur. The scientists give us about 30 years till the end of the planet to which humans are adapted. The scientists predict spread of deserts, bad crop harvests, stronger hurricanes, the eventual dying out of coral reefs and complete disappearance of mountain glaciers that are the source of drinking water for hundreds of millions of people." If the timeline kept going, life would be toast anyway. See also this  Supplementary Material PDF  Zip file with PDF inside.  Related: How Climate Change Is Killing Our Oceans  Informative Did Greenhouse Gases Cause the Earth's Greatest Mass Extinction?  It just so happens that the CO2 has passed the point of no return and the ability of the planet to support life is disappearing fast. Nothing anyone can possibly do can change this.

 Iraqi Parliament Debate on Pact Erupts in Chaos    [11/20/08 ]  "The Iraqi Parliament’s debate on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was expected to be contentious, but it would have been difficult to envision just how contentious things ended up today. Influential Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s parliamentary bloc had firmly opposed the SOFA from the beginning, and loudly forced an adjournment as the SOFA was being read to parliament."   Cool.

 US Official: GIs to Leave if Iraq Won’t Sign Pact    [11/20/08 ]  "State Department adviser David Satterfield is quoted in the Iraqi press as saying the United States not only isn’t exploring an extension, they would reject the extension of the UN mandate and would withdraw all troops from Iraq if the Iraqis don’t approve the SOFA."  So what?

Storm in Parliament over US-Iraq pact      [11/20/08 ]  "Iraq's Parliament has adjourned a session to debate the US-Iraq security deal after two other political factions opposed the pact. Parliament Speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani adjourned the session after a heated argument erupted between Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and lawmakers about the agreement, the Voices of Iraq news agency reported on Wednesday. Parliament is debating the security pact which would allow US forces to stay in Iraq until January 2011. However, the agreement, which was approved by the Iraqi cabinet, has met with fierce opposition. The Shia Fadhila party with 15 seats along with Saleh al-Mutlaq, leader of a Sunni Arab bloc with 11 seats also announced their opposition to the long term security agreement. Al-Mutlaq said a UN mandate under which US forces are in Iraq should be renewed for six months when it expires on December 31 to enable the government to find an alternative to the agreement, AP reported. The Sadrist parliamentary bloc had also announced earlier that the government's endorsement of the pact did not mean anything because Parliament would reject it. Parliament has set November 24 as the date for a vote on the controversial pact.

 Taliban Regains Power, Influence in Afghanistan   [11/20/08 ]  "The Taliban have regained control in these pockets despite seven years of American attacks and the presence of more than 50,000 U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops. There are thousands of U.S. and British troops in southern Afghanistan, but American commanders say they don't have enough forces to prevent the Taliban from controlling territory there."

 US seeks 300 billion from Gulf states    [11/20/08 ]  "The United States has asked four oil-rich Gulf states for close to 300 billion dollars to help it curb the global financial meltdown, Kuwait's daily Al-Seyassah reported Thursday."   

Former CIA Employee Zawahri Threatens America     [11/19/08 ]  "Al-Qaeda’s alleged number two Ayman Al-Zawahiri has called for new attacks to be launched against “criminal America,” which is somewhat odd considering the fact that he once fought on behalf of the CIA and was granted U.S. residence by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Indeed, Al-Zawahiri has reportedly been captured twice before, so the fact that he is still releasing video tapes via the Pentagon-allied IntelCenter organization and playing the role of boogeyman so Obama can continue bombing sovereign countries in the name of the war on terror strikes us as a little fishy."  Related: Ayman al-Zawahiri uses racial abuse to ' attack' Obama 

Mystery surrounds CIA Somalia trip      [11/19/08 ]  "Operatives from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have entered the Somali breakaway region of Puntland under a cloud of suspicion. The CIA agents arrived in the town of Bossaso on Wednesday and are holding meetings with Puntland's high-ranking officials, a Press TV correspondent reported. This comes as US policy regarding Somalia has been hit with criticism. An international advocacy group blasted Washington in its recent report, saying US air strikes in the Horn of Africa country had caused devastation for aid workers on the ground. "To stabilize the situation ... US policy requires a complete overhaul," reported Refugees International, adding that the US approach to terrorism is hypocritical and defines terror in a narrow manner. The arrival of CIA officials in Puntland coincides with the entry of German secret agents in Somaliland, another breakaway Somali region. Somaliland officials have confirmed the arrival of the German agents, adding that they had meetings with President Dahir Riyale Kahin. It is not yet known why the secret agents have traveled to the Somali breakaway regions, which declared autonomy during the civil war; no country has so far recognized the regions. Somalia has been without an effective central government since warlords toppled Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The ongoing violence in Somalia has resulted in the death and displacement of countless civilians."    Note: Well, here's a connection we've been looking for. The piracy off Somalia is either encouraged, promoted or condoned, because it's part of a greater agenda. In a 'normal' situation, Somalia would have been wiped off the map by now. That it has been left to fester and is a source for Blackwater income is telling. The following article is related:

Blackwater gunboats will protect ships   [11/18/08 ]  "The American security company Blackwater  is planning to cash in on the rising threat of piracy on the high seas by launching a flotilla of gunboats for hire by the shipping companies. The firm, which gained international notoriety when its staff killed civilians in Iraq, has already equipped one vessel, called The McArthur, which will carry up to 40 armed guards and have a landing pad for an attack helicopter. The McArthur, a former survey ship, arrives in the Gulf of Aden, the scene of the recent high-profile hijackings and shootouts with Somali pirates, at the end of the year. It is to be joined by three or four similar vessels over next year to form the company's private navy. Blackwater, which has strong ties with the Republican administration in Washington, was the subject of investigations by the US Congress and the Iraqi government after its guards shot dead 17 people in Baghdad's Nisoor Square last year, a massacre which led directly to changes in law regarding security contractors in Iraq. Several security companies are rushing to the region despite the presence of British, American, Russian and Indian naval warships, among others, sent to protect ships. For fees ranging from £8,000 to £12,000 for transits of three and five days, companies are offering teams of unarmed guards, "non-lethal deck security personnel". With more than 60 ships attacked in the Gulf and ship-owners paying an estimated £75m in ransom for the return of crew and cargo, the security companies foresee a lucrative business. One US company, Hollowpoint Protective Services, says it is offering a comprehensive service of hostage negotiations backed by armed rescue operations if the talks fail. Eos, a British concern, says it favours a "non-lethal" approach with the use of sophisticated laser, microwave and acoustical devices. But Blackwater plans to have the largest and most heavily armed presence among the security contractors. The company believes that the presence of escorting gunboats will have a deterrent effect, with criminal gangs being forced to switch to more vulnerable targets. A Blackwater spokeswoman, Anne Tyrrell, said there have already been about 15 inquiries about its anti-piracy service. The company refused to reveal how much it will charge. Its executive vice-president, Bill Matthews, said the US Navy and the Royal Navy do not have the resources in the region to provide total security, opening up a role for companies such as his. He added: "While there are temporary needs that perhaps outpace the limited resources of the Department of Defence [Washington] and the Ministry of Defence [London], the private sector is available to fill those gaps. "We have been contacted by ship-owners who say they need our help in making sure goods get to their destination. The McArthur can help us accomplish that. We have not sought to enter the space until recently. It was not part of our business plan. But as the world changes, so does our business plan."  Related: Iranian grain ship seized as Somali pirates hold world to ransom [11/19/08 ] |   Somali Pirates Seize Supertanker Loaded With Crude   

NNDB:  Eric Prince, CEO,    Profile | Connections With Others | Intelligence Connections and Connections to Bush, Cheney, Lehman Brothers | Blackwater Profile

 'Pakistan aided US cross-border attack'  [11/18/08 ]  "US-led forces in Afghanistan have claimed that Pakistani security forces have helped them to carry out the latest attack on Pakistan. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement on Tuesday that it attacked 'a militant position' in the South Waziristan tribal region on Sunday in cooperation with the Pakistani forces. ISAF said it carried out the attack after its base in southeastern Afghan province of Paktika came under a rocket attack from a location within Pakistan. “Upon positive identification, ISAF coordinated with the Pakistan military and fired a total of 20 artillery rounds on the enemy location," said the statement. Pakistan, which has repeatedly denied cooperation with US-led forces over attacks on its tribal areas, has not officially reacted to the statement. The ISAF statement comes two days after the Washington Post said that the two countries agreed in September that US spy planes could target al-Qaeda and Taliban linked militants in the Pakistani tribal region along the Afghan border; Pakistani officials, however, deny the deal ..."  Related: Pak denies secret attack deal with US 

Pakistan turns to ‘friends’ in its hour of need  [11/18/08 ]  "Pakistani officials estimate that they may need $15 billion over the next two years to service foreign debt and pay for imports, especially oil, and the campaign against the militants. They expect the World Bank and other international agencies to add to the IMF's $7.6 billion. But Mr Zardari hopes that the rest will come from the “Friends”: Britain, the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations and the European Union ..." Related: Zardari seeks Predator technology from US

 Russia Ready to Team Up with NATO    [11/17/08 ]  "Russia is ready for partnership with NATO all disagreement notwithstanding, President Dmitry Medvedev announced Saturday, when addressing the Council on Foreign Relations, PRIME-TASS reported from Washington. Russia isn’t particularly pleased with NATO’s expansion towards the RF borders, but it doesn’t mean Russia and NATO cannot have full-fledged relations, Medvedev made clear in a gesture of goodwill. Russia-NATO Council has the potential, the president went on, reiterating that it wasn’t Russia that had escalated the situation and suspended partnership. Medvedev said Russia is ready for any development of events, including building friendly relations with the alliance." 

 Anomalous Behavior in Stock Market Points to Six Areas of Manipulation   [11/17/08 ]  "The stock market's behavior is downright strange lately. Professionals with decades of market experience scratch their heads as the market falls to its lowest point of the year, then surges almost 7% in an afternoon—all for no apparent reason ..."

Inhofe: “No Way Of Knowing” Where Bailout Money Has Gone  [11/17/08 ]  "Senator Jim Inhofe has slammed the continued secrecy behind where the bailout money has gone, saying that Hank Paulson could have given it to his friends and that the “blank check” must be cancelled now."  Related: White House To Leave Obama With $350 Billion From Bailout

 America Taking the 2 Steps Which Lead to Bankruptcy   [11/17/08 ]  "Companies go bankrupt when they: (1) Borrow more than they should; and (2) Have to pay their creditors more and more interest to loan them money ..."

 French documentary shows how Americans stopped capture of Osama Bin Laden in order to continue game   [11/17/08 ]  "The USG Open Source Center translates an article from the Persian Afghan press alleging that French troops were at one point close to capturing Usamah Bin Ladin in Afghanistan, but that American forces stopped them from doing so. It says that a forthcoming French documentary containing interviews with the French soldiers provides proof for the allegation. The argument is that the Bush administration needed Bin Ladin to be at large in order to justify its military expansionism ... This French documentary shows how the Americans are interested in continuing the game, a bloody and expensive game whose victims are only the unprotected and local people of our dry and dusty country. It was last year that rumours spread about this report in Kabul, but it has not been taken seriously by the media. But watching this revealing French documentary changes the rumours into disturbing facts. "Bin Laden, the failings of a manhunt", produced by Emmanuel Razavi and Eric de Lavarene, two French filmmakers and reporters, assesses and confirms the claims of French soldiers that they could have killed Usamah within two operations, but the American forces prevented them. This film has not been broadcast publicly yet and is to be broadcast by Planet, a French network."  Related: Osama bin Laden is Dead

 US's road to recovery runs through Beijing   [11/17/08 ]  "English author G K Chesterton rhymed about "the night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier", and it may seem no less whimsical to argue that the United States' road to recovery, as well as Barack Obama's path to presidential greatness, run through China."

 Israeli Mob Kingpin Assassinated In Tel Aviv   [11/17/08 ]  "A bomb exploded in a car carrying one of Israel's top mafia kingpins on Monday, killing him and threatening to unleash an all-out war in Israel's increasingly violent underworld. Israeli police officials identified the dead man as Yaakov Alperon _ known informally as "Don Alperon" _ the head of one of the country's most powerful crime families. The bloodied body was wearing the same polo shirt Alperon was seen sporting earlier in the day at a Tel Aviv courthouse. In recent years, however, mob wars also have plagued Israeli towns and cities. Rival underworld gangs have waged bloody battles for control of gambling and protection rackets, including one involving bottle recycling. They target each other with bullets, bombs and even anti-tank missiles in violence that has killed dozens of gangsters and at least eight bystanders in the last three years. Monday's noontime attack was by far the most high-profile to date. The explosion came as Alperon returned from a courthouse where his son, Dror, was facing extortion charges."

 Olmert orders plans drawn up for massive offensive against Gaza   [11/17/08 ]  "Interim Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert accused Hamas on Sunday of "shattering" the Gaza truce after two rockets hit Israel, which the Jewish state followed with an air strike that killed four Palestinian resistance fighters. However, Olmert, who made the comments at a weekly Israeli Cabinet meeting, did not mention the initial Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip on November 5 that killed seven Hamas members. The incursion, which touched off days of fighting, was in violation of an Egyptian-mediated truce between Israel and Hamas which had virtually halted violence between the two foes."

 Pakistan The Next US Target   [11/17/08 ]  "The Kristol revelation on the surface is staggering yet not a surprise to those who have long suspected that the US presence in Afghanistan constitutes a Trojan horse for a more insidious plan the US has for Pakistan. Some may find it surprising that the US now believes Pakistan to be more challenging than Iraq where the US has 150,000 troops, spent almost a trillion dollars and has incurred over 4,000 fatalities ..."

 NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM Congressional Budget Justification Fiscal Year 2008-2009  PDF  [11/17/08 ]  "The National Reconnaissance Office has released a heavily redacted version of the Fiscal Year 2008 Congressional Budget Justification Book for the National Reconnaissance Program. It provides a few intriguing glimpses of the intelligence agency in transition. “Ten years ago, a user might be satisfied with an image or a signal intercept; now users demand fused, multidiscipline, multi-phenomenology information tailored to a specific location or area of interest,” wrote Donald M. Kerr, then-director of the NRO. “The mission of the NRO remains the same– the research, development, acquisition, launch and operation of overhead reconnaissance systems and other missions as directed to solve intelligence problems,” the budget document stated. “However, the focus of the NRO and the way it executes the mission will change. NRO’s priority for the future is to increase the value of the information its systems can deliver, chiefly through a variety of improvements in ground systems for rapid, adaptive, multisensor tasking, processing, exploitation, cross-cueing, and dissemination.”

 Why the Oneness Doctrine is corrupt   [11/16/08 ]  Note: This author has many valid points. Relates lightside sequential 'oneness' concepts as they percolate through different socio-political strata. His rant rotates around the drawbacks of, and suppression by, group thought patterns.  Related: Splinter in the Mind website 

 DHS Developing Minority Report-style Hostility Detector   [11/14/08 ]  "Could eventually be deployed at airports, border crossings, and other public gatherings. Security personnel working for the Department of Homeland Security may soon be able to remotely monitor crowds for the behavioral signals of a terrorist, using a computer system that scans their pulses, body language, breathing rates, and facial temperatures. The program, called “Future Attribute Screening Technology,” or FAST, works as a combination of custom software and crowd-monitoring body sensors, strategically placed at airports, U.S. border crossings, and other public, high-security areas. In simulated scenarios, the DHS says FAST is accurate in detecting suspicious behavior in almost four out of five cases. One such trial, run recently at an equestrian ranch in Maryland, paid more than 140 participants $150 to walk through FAST’s sensor array; a handful of the participants were given instructions to act shifty, evasive, deceptive, or even hostile. FAST had an effective accuracy rate of “about [78 percent] on mal-intent detection, and [80 percent] on deception,” according to spokesman John Verrico ..."

 Iran switches reserves to gold   [11/15/08 ]  "Iran has converted financial reserves into gold to avoid future problems, an adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in comments published on Saturday, after the price of oil fell more than 60 percent from a peak in July."

 Kashkari Accused Of Bailout “Bait and Switch” During Angry Hearing   [11/14/08 ]  Neel Kashkari, the fox appointed to guard the henhouse and front the multi-trillion dollar bailout, faced angry questions from Dennis Kucinich and Rep. Darrell Issa during a hearing today, as Issa accused him of playing a "bait and switch" game with taxpayers' money. All the major networks carried footage of the U.S. House subcommittee hearing this morning and aired Kashkari's opening statement in full. But as soon as Kucinich and Issa were about to weigh in, the networks almost simultaneously cut the feed and moved on to a different story. Another example of how the corporate media is owned by the same elite that runs the Federal Reserve. Kucinich accused Paulson and Bush of circumventing Congress by completely changing the destination of where the bailout money would go and refusing to disclose what had happened to $2 trillion dollars of taxpayer money, adding, "I think it's fairly obvious that Congress would have never passed the [rescue plan] had it known how Treasury would marshal the resources it was given."  So FUN to see this asshole on the hot seat!  Hearing Video Clips: Dennis Kucinich [7:01] Rep Darrel Issa [6:44] Rep Brian Bilbray [4:28] Rep Elijah Cummings  [8:21] Cummings "We cannot afford to be chumps"  [7:31] Related Videos: And This Is The System We're Saving! Dennis Kucinich  [1:50]|You're Going To Destroy A Worldwide Economy! Ron Paul  [2:46] The Truth About The Economy: Total Collapse [9:59]

 Death and Taxes: A Visual Guide to Where All The Taxes Go   [11/14/08 ]  Interesting Chart, and you can zoom in to read it. Click on the "Full Screen" Mode button on the Upper Right.

 How AIG's Collapse Began a Global Run on the Banks   [11/14/08 ] "Something very strange is happening in the financial markets. And I can show you what it is and what it means..." Related:  AIG is a ‘special case’   [11/12/08 ] "The U.S. government’s bail out of insurance giant American International Group (AIG) comes as no surprise to intelligence community insiders. In fact, AIG has been at the center of a number of CIA operations for decades ... The federal government’s $85 billion “bridge” loan to AIG essentially makes the United States government an 80 percent stakeholder in AIG, a move that will prevent external players from peering into AIG’s myriad intelligence operations on behalf of the CIA, according to an insider who has followed AIG’s overseas operations for a number of years ..." | The Engineer Has Wrecked The Train | Too Much Money Is Beyond Legal Reach |

 UCAL Scientists studied synthetic telepathy under Army Contract in Aug 2008   [11/13/08 ] "Researchers get grant to develop communication system based on thoughts, not speech. A team of UC Irvine scientists has been awarded a $4 million grant from the U.S. Army Research Office to study the neuroscientific and signal-processing foundations of synthetic telepathy ... a soldier would “think” a message to be transmitted and a computer-based speech recognition system would decode the EEG signals. The decoded thoughts, in essence translated brain waves, are transmitted using a system that points in the direction of the intended target ...  Note: This was 90 days ago. Logical extensions of this technology are obvious. The covert government has this kind of stuff, but it broadcasts a general suggestive signal which some are susceptible to, and is used to rile up population areas, tested years ago. 

151 Congressmen Derive Financial Profit From War  I thought I would just bring this up again, from Apr 08.

 Militarization of Civilians Against Fabled Enemy   [11/13/08 ] "In newly rediscovered audio interview, Rahm Emanuel describes militarized training. Will the liberal left pay as much attention to Emanuel’s stated agenda to implement a proxy domestic draft as they did to rumors of Bush bringing back conscription, or will the true scope of Obama’s “national civilian security force” continue to fly under the radar?"  Video Audio interview with Emanuel, and then video. End of video is when Obama states the necessity for a national civilian security force.

 Behind Proposition 8   [11/12/08 ] "Among the local ballot measures to be decided on Election Day, California’s Proposition 8 was perhaps the most fiercely contested. Backers of the proposition to ban same-sex marriage in the state cast their campaign in apocalyptic terms. “The campaign for Prop 8 has reaped massive funding from conservative backers across the country. Much of it comes from prominent donors like the Utah-based Church of Latter Day Saints and the Catholic conservative group, Knights of Columbus. Prop 8 has also received a boost from Elsa Broekhuizen, the widow of Michigan-based Christian backer Edgard Prince and the mother of Erik Prince, founder of the controversial mercenary firm, Blackwater ... While the Church of Latter Day Saints’ public role in Prop 8 has engendered a growing backlash from its more liberal members, and Broekhuizen’s involvement attracted some media attention, the extreme politics of Prop 8’s third largest private donor, Howard F. Ahmanson, the founder of Washington Mutual, reclusive heir to a banking fortune, have passed almost completely below the media’s radar ... Diagnosed as schizophrenic, he spent two years at the Menninger Clinic, a Topeka, Kansas psychiatric institution ... During a 1985 interview with the Orange County Register, Ahmanson summarized his political agenda: “My goal is the total integration of biblical law into our lives.” ... Ahmanson has been behind them all. He has also taken a special interest in anti-gay crusades. Ahmanson’s most controversial episode related to his funding of the religious empire of Rousas John Rushdoony, a radical evangelical theologian who advocated placing the United States under the control of a Christian theocracy that would mandate the stoning to death of homosexuals ..."  Related: Power Brokers of the U.S. Religious Right |Schwarzenegger Wants Prop 8 Overturned | Special Comment ~ Keith Olbermann Video [6:38] All valid points, Keith. Good job. | Catholic Church Worked with Mormons for 11 Years to Stop 'Marriage Equality'

 Political Destabilization in South and Central Asia: The Role of the CIA-ISI Terror Network  [11/12/08 ] "... Recent terror attacks in New Delhi in September 2008 raise the questions of who was responsible and for what reason these attacks occurred. Terror attacks in India are not a new phenomenon, however, in their recent past, they can be largely attributed to the actions, finances, training and resources of one organization: The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). These new bombings bare the same relationship with the ISI as has occurred in the past, and so it must be asked: what is the purpose of the ISI both in Central Asia as well as South Asia? The ISI appears to play the role of a force for the destabilization of Central Asia, India and the Middle East. It acts as a Central Asian base of operations for the CIA and British Intelligence to carry out Anglo-American imperial aims ..." 

 Israel's booming high-tech industry a branch of the Mossad  [11/12/08 ] "... In 2006 the Check Point Software Technologies company, which specializes in protecting computer systems from hackers and data theft, wanted to acquire an American company called Sourcefire, which works in the same field. The great advantage of Sourcefire was that its clients include the American Defense Department and the National Security Agency. The U.S. administration, however, by means of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, did not approve the acquisition ... The committee made its decision based on an opinion by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NSA security officers. The two organizations were afraid that Check Point, which was founded by Gil Shwed and fellow graduates of Unit 8200, the Israel Defense Forces' high-tech intelligence unit, would have access to top-secret information, which it could pass on to Israel's intelligence community ..."

 Crisis Update: Layoffs mount, economic crisis deepens in the US  [11/12/08 ] "... Nov 10th brought a number of fresh indications—including mass layoffs, bankruptcies and negative labor market data—that the US is entering a deep economic crisis ..." 

 History Deficit Disorder: Blown Up by Blow Back and the Demise of the Dream of Pipelinestan    [11/12/08 ] " ... A short history reveals that after dumping 11 billion dollars down the hungry gullet of Musharraf, he failed to invest in counter-insurgency measures. Rather he bought jet fighters to threaten India. The US chose last week to offer India access to nuclear technology, despite the fact that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Whereas the US threatens Iran with air strikes, when Iran, a signatory to the Treaty exercises it's lawful rights to build a civilian nuclear power industry. Hypocrisy without end, corrupted logic knows no bounds ... Anyway, a review of historical incursions of infidels into the mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan show that the last person to "pacify" the natives was Alexander the Great, just briefly, 2300 years ago ... Fast forward 25 years to Afghanistan where parts for the Unocal’s pipeline are being flown in on C-130s which land on new concrete in Kandahar in Kabul laid down by concrete plants jointly owned by the bushes and the Bin Laden Group. Under the protection of the Mayor of Kabul, Hamid Karzai, these parts are shipped to Uzbekistan where they are guarded by "peace" keeping troops. The empty C130s are then loaded with tons of heroin under the watchful eyes of CIA operatives and then shipped worldwide to avoid to bottlenecks cropping up throughout the 'Stans of Central Asia. Profits from these funds fuel their Premier Executive Transport planes involved in conducting extraordinary rendition worldwide, as well as cocaine shipments from Colombia into the US. It's a win-win for business and government - - public/private enterprise at its most efficient ..."

 Declining social conditions of students and youth in the US    [11/12/08 ] " ... As the world financial crisis deepens, its effect on students and young workers is becoming increasingly apparent. From the difficulty in obtaining student loans to low job prospects and declining wages, conditions for young people in the United States are deteriorating ..."

 Ex-KGB general cautions US against Iran war    [11/12/08 ] "A former KGB general and Russian prime minister says a war on Iran would produce a question mark over the Republican Party's sanity. In a televised interview on Monday, Yevgeny Primakov downplayed the prospects of a US- or Israeli-waged war on Iran over its nuclear program. Russia supports negotiations between Iran and the West in order to peacefully resolve the nuclear dispute. Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in mid-October that Moscow would maintain its support for Iran if the country continues on a logical path regarding its nuclear program. 

 'Iran will never suspend enrichment'     [11/12/08 ] "Iran will never suspend its uranium enrichment under Western pressure, an Iranian Foreign Ministry official declared on Tuesday. “Iran's nuclear stance has always been based on opposition to the suspension of nuclear enrichment,” said Seyyed Rasoul Mousavi, the director of the Institute for Political and International Studies, IRNA reported. Tehran has repeatedly declared that it will not review any proposals that call for suspension of its uranium enrichment, which is Iran's right as an NPT signatory and IAEA member. The 5+1 group - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany - is scheduled to discuss new developments in Iran's nuclear program in Paris on November 13th."