MSM:
"Senate Passes FAA Bill That Includes Anti-Union Measure" [02/07/12]
"The Senate passed a Federal Aviation Administration bill on Monday that includes an anti-union measure bitterly opposed by labor groups.
The bill, which modernizes America's air traffic control system and funds the FAA through 2014, was fought over for four years, leading to a partial shutdown of the FAA last summer because of anti-union measures added by the Republican-controlled House.
It passed 75 to 20, with a majority of Democrats backing it. Among the controversial provisions were changes to labor law for rail and airline workers -- backed by the airline industry -- that would count anyone who did not vote in an election for a union as voting against it, making it much more difficult to certify attempts to organize new unions.
That measure was stripped in a conference committee to work out differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, only to be replaced by another that raises the threshold for seeking a union from requiring 35 percent of workers' signatures to requiring half. [...]" 
Note: Union busting has always historically preceded
more intense fascism.
MSM:
"US
Politicians Display Gross Ignorance" [02/07/12]
[3:50]
"The blunders of U.S. politicians have inspired jokes and parodies for decades. With the Presidential election campaign heating up, there's a whole new supply of ammunition. But as Marina Portnaya reports, some believe the comments are displays of ignorance and disregard for world affairs ... and no laughing matter. [...]"
MSM: "Saudi Arabia Will Not Let Oil Go Above $100: Prince" [02/07/12]
"An "element of fear" is playing into the price of oil despite higher supply and decreasing demand, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al Saud told CNBC Monday.
Bin Talal, the billionaire member of the Saudi Arabian royal family who runs the Kingdom Holding Co., said the fear comes from "what may happen with Iran and the possibility of closing the Hormuz Strait."
But Saudi Arabia has already said it will not let the price of oil, which closed Monday around $97 a barrel, go above $100, bin Talal said.
"We can use our leverage, our excess capacity to be sure to pump more [oil] if needed so it will not impact the consumer countries while they’re getting out of their recessions slowly but surely," the prince said. [...]
He added he wants a "nuclear-free" region, which means Israel should give up its nuclear arsenal, too.[...]"
Related:
"Oil
May Hit $160 Amid Tension: Kuwait Official"
"Oil prices could soar to as high as $160 a barrel if tension over an Iranian oil embargo persists or in the event of conflict, a top Kuwaiti oil executive said in remarks published on Monday. [...]"
MSM: "LUKOIL to operate solo in Iraq"
"Russia’s LUKOIL is set to become the only foreign operator of the West Qurna-2 oil project in Iraq after its partner, the Norwegian Statoil Company, has expressed readiness to cede its share in the consortium to Russia. The Voice of Russia’s Yulia Ashcheulova reports.
The Iraqi Oil Ministry has endorsed the deal. After the contract is signed, LUKOIL will have a 75% stake in the West Qurna Field. The remaining 25% belongs to the Iraqi Oil Company. The volume of the oil reserves is estimated at 13 billion barrels. The pay for each produced barrel will amount to over one dollar. Given that LUKOIL will get a fixed sum for developing West Qurna-2, the company’s revenues will not be affected by fluctuations in global oil prices. [...]"
Commentary: "Is a
Fukushima-Level Event Inside the United States a Foregone Conclusion?" [02/06/12]
"Fukushima has been an unfortunate wake-up call to the planetary fallout that nuclear power harnesses. As the ongoing meltdown continues in Japan, it is forcing many to investigate myriad similar reactors that directly threaten other parts of the globe.
This past week the San Onofre reactor located in Southern California came under intense scrutiny, as it was revealed that a "small" leak had occurred, prompting a shutdown.
There are clear indicators that other nuclear power plants in the East and Midwest are showing signs of deterioration, which some are concluding increases the likelihood of a
Fukushima- style meltdown, or worse, inside the United States if nature were to push one of these facilities beyond its breaking point, as we witnessed in Japan.
The video
[8:25] outlines a "breakdown phase" we seem to have entered, and the consequences of the release of the radioactive isotope, tritium, which directly affects DNA structure. [...]
Cassandra Anderson recently wrote about the vast dangers of these leaky nuclear reactors, which she highlighted within the ongoing battle over Vermont's Yankee nuclear facility; just one of several that have similarly off-vented radioactive steam. As Anderson points out, Yankee is "identical to Fukushima Reactor #1," and "75% of US reactors are leaking radioactive
material. [...]"
MSM: "Israel
Sets Up Elite Command Unit To Strike Behind 'Enemy' Lines" [02/06/12]
"Covert operations on rise amid concern that sanctions may not halt Iran nuclear programme.
Israel has set up a specialist commando unit designed to carry out missions deep inside enemy territory amid growing consensus in government circles that military strikes must be contemplated if economic sanctions do not halt Iran's nuclear
programme. The "Depth Corps" has been organised with the aim of co-ordinating deep penetration operations in other countries at a time when the defence ministry acknowledges that the number of covert Israeli operations abroad has increased significantly in the last year.
The unit, headed by Major General Shai Avital, a former head of an elite reconnaissance squad, was ordered by the head of Israeli Defence Forces
(IDF) to focus on undercover work. Defence ministry officials in Tel Aviv insisted that it was not "Iran specific" and is needed to co-ordinate a range of duties.
The Tehran regime has repeatedly claimed that Israeli, US and British agents are responsible for the assassination of six scientists involved in the country's nuclear programme – a charge refuted by London and Washington. Officials in Tel Aviv in general refuse to comment on covert action.
[...]"
MSM:
"Egypt To Try 19 Americans In Court" [02/06/12]
"Egypt has decided to try 19 Americans and 24 other employees of various nonprofit groups on charges that they illegally used foreign funds to fuel unrest in the country.
Egypt's military rulers had already clamped down on US-funded organizations, which claimed to promote democracy and human rights in the country, and accused them of provoking violence in the aftermath of the popular uprising a year ago that caused former dictator Hosni Mubarak’s downfall.
Egypt's Sunday decision to refer the foreigners to trials before a criminal court came despite warnings from the United States which threatened to cut a USD 1.5 billion annual aid to Egypt.
Reacting to the US threats to cut the annual aid, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr claimed the trial of the Americans is in the jurisdiction of the judiciary and that government cannot interfere in the issue.
"We are doing our best to contain this but ... we cannot actually exercise any influence on the investigating judges right now when it comes to the investigation," Amr told reporters at a security conference in Munich, Germany. [...]"
MSM: "Bloomberg Rips Congress Over
'Stalled' Gun Control Laws" [02/06/12]
" New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to know "who has to get killed" for Congress to support gun control laws. Appearing on Meet the Press today, Bloomberg said he has made a gun control ad with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to air during the Super Bowl, Mediaite reports. Then Bloomberg let rip: "You’d think that if a congresswoman got shot in the head, that would have changed Congress’ views," he said of the shooting of Gabrielle
Giffords. Bloomberg called on Congress to implement more background checks and seal all the loopholes in existing gun law. He claimed that roughly 400,000 Americans have been killed since the 1960s, a number larger than the number of Americans who died during World War II. [...]"
Note: What a piece of work.
Security Theatre:
" U.S. Detained and Deported Irish and British Citizens Over Idiotic Twitter Messages" [02/06/12]
"Two UK pals were barred from entering the US after innocent tweets joking about “destroying America” were picked up by the country’s anti-terror cops.
Despite telling officials at LAX airport the term “destroy” was British slang for partying, the pair were held on suspicion of planning to “commit crimes”. [...]"
Related: " Man Sends Text Message Urging Colleagues to ‘Blow Away’ the Competition at Trade Show, Has Life Turned Upside Down as Government Launches Terrorism Investigation"
"A casual text message to work colleagues encouraging them to ”blow away” the competition at a trade show allegedly plunged a
Canadian Muslim man into a terrorism probe. [...]"
MSM: "US
Gave Green Light To Toxic Terror In Bahrain" [02/06/12]
"Washington has given the green light to unleash “toxic terror” in Bahrain after closing a million-dollar arms sales deal with the Al Khalifa regime, a political analyst says.
“Just as Bahrainis are being poisoned in their homes from indiscriminate firing of
massive teargas by regime forces, Washington is showing its approval by going ahead with an arms sales deal to the Persian Gulf kingdom,” Global Research's Middle East and East Africa correspondent, Finian Cunningham said. [...]"
Note: The thousands of tear gas canisters are courtesy of the
US.
Commentary: "Syria
And UNSC: New Provocation Against Russia" [02/06/12]
"On February 4 the UN Security Council (UNSC) held a new session devoted to Syria. This time the targets of the strike were Russia and China. It was done in an open and demonstrative way. The provocative skills become more and more honed. This time around the number of the draft resolution sponsors was not four (like in October 2011) but nineteen. Besides seven Security Council members (the USA, France, Great Britain, Togo, Portugal, Germany, Colombia) there were twelve more “co-authors”: Morocco (the official author of the draft), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the
UAE, Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, and even Libya. An attempt was made to present the draft as “an all Arabs stance”. [...]"
MSM: "Russia,
China Veto UN Security Council Resolution On Syria" [02/05/12]
[1:12] 
"The United Nations Security Council has just voted on a draft resolution concerning the ongoing violence in Syria.
Of the voting members, Russia and China were the only ones to vote against the draft, but as permanent members of the UNSC they both hold veto power, and the resolution has not been passed as a result.
The news follows days of heated political debates in the UNSC, with many members supporting a Western-backed draft calling for foreign nations to put an end to what some called the “Syrian killing machine.”
Russia and China were the only permanent Security Council members opposing the draft, reminding others that it was not their place to intervene in another country's domestic affairs. [...]"
Related: "US,
Russia Clash Over Washington’s War Drive Against Syria"
"The United States, France, Britain and the Arab League are pressing for the
UN Security Council to adopt a resolution on Syria, while denying that the resolution is intended to pave the way for regime change and Western military intervention in Syria. [...]" |
"Clinton
And Lavrov Square Off Over Syria"
"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave opposing public speeches Saturday on what should be done in Syria, and then took their dispute behind closed doors in a heated bilateral meeting, in advance of Saturday's U.N. Security Council action in New York.
... Lavrov said that Russia stands by the Syrian people but not the "armed groups" in Syria that he alleged were contributing to the violence. He said Russia would not agree to any resolution that amounts to outside interference or presupposes the political outcome in Syria other than supporting a dialogue between the two sides.
A senior State Department official said the meeting went longer than planned, 45 minutes, and two thirds of that time was spent discussing the U.N. Security Council situation regarding Syria.
[...]" "Russia
Insists On Eliminating Duplicities From Resolution On Syria"
MSM: "Israel
Bluffing In Making War Threats" [02/05/12]
"A senior Iranian lawmaker says the Israeli regime is very vulnerable at present and threats to launch a military strike against Iran are merely a bluff.
Member of the Majlis Presiding Board Mohammad-Hossein Farhangi said Saturday that based on international and regional developments, Tel Aviv is bluffing in making war threats against Iran.
The Iranian lawmaker stressed that the words of Israeli officials should not be taken seriously because the regime's claims come after its reputation of being undefeatable was ruined due to its defeat in the 33-day war with Lebanon and the 22-day war with
Hamas. Farhangi stressed that any military threats will receive a crushing response from Iran.
“The occupied territories are within the range of the Islamic Republic's missiles and therefore the Zionist regime [of Israeli] cannot engage in any military activity against Iran.”
The Iranian lawmaker's remarks were made after Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon claimed Iran's nuclear facilities are “within striking distance” and “any facility defended by a human being can be penetrated."
Earlier this month, the US confessed that it was incapable of destroying Iranian nuclear facilities. [...]"
Commentary:
"Former
Chicago Mob Boss Accuses Government Of Dirty Tricks" [02/05/12]
[2:33] ""It has been nearly five years since several top Chicago mob bosses were convicted in the Operation Family Secrets racketeering and murder trial. In this Intelligence Report: Why one of them, James Marcello, is now accusing the government of dirty tricks.
Lawyers for James "Jimmy the Man" Marcello claim that the hoodlum is on his way to "Siberia" courtesy of the U.S. government.
Of course Marcello isn't actually headed to the Russian hinterland, but his lawyers say he has been abruptly moved from the federal lock-up in Chicago and is currently on his way to a prison 2,000 miles across the country.[...]"
Commentary: "Ignored: 6 Million+ People Killed in US Wars Since 1945" [02/05/12]
" This inattention to civilian deaths in America’s wars isn’t unique to Iraq. There’s little evidence that the American public gives much thought to the people who live in the nations where our military interventions take place. Think about the memorials on the Mall honoring American sacrifices in Korea and Vietnam. These are powerful, sacred spots, but neither mentions the people of those countries who perished in the conflicts. The major wars the United States has fought since the surrender of Japan in 1945 — in Korea, Indochina, Iraq and Afghanistan — have produced colossal carnage. For most of them, we do not have an accurate sense of how many people died, but a conservative estimate is
at least 6 million civilians and soldiers. [...]"
Note: Sounds like another holocaust, doesn't it, courtesy of
the U.S. Some 70 million were believed to have died in WWII.
Commentary: "According To The FBI, Internet Privacy Is Now Considered To Be Suspicious Activity" [02/04/12]
"... Millions of Americans have become deeply concerned about the constantly expanding definition of “suspicious activity” in the United States. Sadly, the federal government is now engaging in an all-out attempt to have us all spy on one another. [...]"
Note: Infantile paranoia, with expanded sequential pigeon-holing with no logic or reason, foisted on a population with no capacity for critical thought as a fear-generation and control dynamic, locking down society, solely to protect the criminals and the psychopaths 'in control' from getting their due from the very public they are terrorizing.
MSM:
"Anonymous
Intercepts Secret FBI-Scotland Yard Conference Call" [02/04/12]
[16:43]
"Anonymous on Friday, released a 17-minute recording of a secret conference call last month between the FBI and Scotland Yard. In the tape a British and American agent discussed strategies for tracking and prosecuting hacking groups, including Anonymous. The conversation, according to BBC, took place on January 17, and begins with a light hearted exchange in which the agents talk about "cheese," and "McDonald's at the Pentagon." [...]"
Note: Listen along, and laugh out loud at the law enforcement agents bumbling away.
Commentary: "Anti-Semitism and Israel’s Inherent Contradictions" [02/04/12]
"In a recent article, columnist Yaniv Halili described British author Ben White as ‘anti-Semitic’. He also denounced Arab Knesset member Hanin Zoabi for writing a forward to White’s latest book, Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination and Democracy.
Those of us who can see through such distorted thinking know that White is a principled writer who has never displayed a shred of racism in his work. Zoabi is very well-known civil rights leader with a long-standing reputation of courage and poise. [...]"
US
Politics: "Koch Brothers, Allies Pledge $100 Million At Private Meeting To Beat Obama" [02/04/12]
"At a private three-day retreat in California last weekend, conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch and about 250 to 300 other individuals pledged approximately $100 million to defeat President Obama in the 2012 elections.
A source who was in the room when the pledges were made told The Huffington Post that, specifically, Charles Koch pledged $40 million and David pledged $20 million. [...]
The fact that the wealthy conservative donors pledged $100 million for the 2012 elections shows how intent they are on trying to get Obama out of office -- and previews how intense, and likely nasty, the general election will be. [...]
"
MSM:
"'One Subject' At A Time Bill Put Into Congress" [02/04/12]
"It's been a long time since Congress needed a majority to pass a law," says Jim
Babka, President of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. "But that could change, thanks to Congressman Tom Marino of Pennsylvania (R-10), who has introduced our 'One Subject at a Time Act'
(OSTA) in Congress." "OSTA would require each bill Congress passes to be about one subject only," Babka explains. "This would end the practice of clustering unrelated measures into one package.
Congressional leaders have long used this trick to pass unpopular laws on the strength of the popular proposals with which they're unnaturally joined. OSTA would end this fraud forever."
"Every bill would have to stand or fall on its own merits," declares Babka. Congressman Marino told his constituents that Obamacare was a big motivation for introducing
OSTA. "In order to garner enough votes to pass the law, a host of unrelated measures were tacked onto
Obamacare," says Marino. [...]"
MSM: "US
Terror Drone Crashes In Somalia" [02/04/12]
"A non-UN-sanctioned US assassination drone has crashed into a refugee camp in the Somali capital Mogadishu, Press
TVreports. Refugees and soldiers in Mogadishu's Badbado camp say they watched the unmanned aircraft crash into a hut on Friday.
Shortly after the incident, forces from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) closed down the refugee camp, which is in the Dharkenley district of southern Mogadishu, the Press TV correspondent in Mogadishu reported.
Somali government officials and African Union forces found the drone after the crash and took it away.
A police officer told the media that the drone was shaped like a small plane. The US is using a new kind of drone, called a kamikaze drone, in Somalia. It functions both as a missile and an intelligence-gathering reconnaissance aircraft. [...]"
MSM: "IAEA Plans New Inspections After Talks With Iran - U.S. Cries Wolf" [02/03/12]
[4:28]
"Robert Parry, investigative journalist with the Consortium News web site talks to RT suggesting the warning that Iran could attack the US is "overplayed". He adds Iran can in fact retaliate if it comes to believe that the "US really engages in attacks inside Iran." [...]"
MSM: "Governors of Mexican Border States Investigated For Aiding Drug Cartels" [02/03/12]
"The real Mexican Drug War is a political war between the federal government, led by the National Action Party (PAN) and the state governments, mostly led by the Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI). The most powerful drug cartel in Mexico (the Sinaloa Drug Cartel) has ties to the CIA and corrupt elements of the PAN party. The rest of the cartels are Sinaloa’s competitors that have aligned themselves with the PRI in state and municipal governments throughout Mexico. Calderon’s government is going after Sinaloa’s competitors and PRI governors, knocking two birds with one stone. [...]"
MSM:
"Mossad Chief Secretly Met With Top U.S. Officials Including Sitting Senators" [02/03/12]
"A clandestine Washington visit by Mossad Chief Tamir Pardo, in which he privately met with multiple Senators and other top officials, was revealed in testimony during a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence attended by CIA director David Petraeus and Intel Chief James Clapper.
Apparently Pardo and the Senators who secretly met with him believe it imperative to met in secret to discuss Americas backing of an Israeli strike on Iran regardless of the opinion of the American people.
Israeli mainstream media giant Haaretz recently reported on these startling revelations: Mossad chief Tamir Pardo held secret talks with top U.S. officials in recent days, cursory comments made during a public Senate hearing indicated on Tuesday. The clandestine Washington visit was exposed during a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which was participated by CIA Director David Petraeus, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Senate panel. During the meeting, Feinstein asked Clapper whether or not Israel intended to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the top U.S. intelligence official answering that he would rather discuss the issue behind closed doors. Feinstein then indicated that she had met Mossad chief Pardo earlier in the week in Washington, with Petraeus adding that he too met Pardo and cited what he called Israel’s growing concern over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. [...]"
Note: Sitting senators with no standing. Double entendre, at
least.
Propaganda
Theatre: "Israel
Vice PM: Military Strike Can Hit All Of Iran's Nuclear Facilities" [02/03/12]
"Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has a lot on his mind these days, from cutting the defense budget to managing the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. But his biggest worry is the growing possibility that Israel will attack Iran over the next few months.
Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June — before Iran enters what Israelis described as a “zone of immunity” to commence building a nuclear bomb. Very soon, the Israelis fear, the Iranians will have stored enough enriched uranium in deep underground facilities to make a weapon — and only the United States could then stop them militarily. [...]"
Related: "Israel's
Military Leaders Warn Against Iran Attack"
"Almost the entire senior hierarchy of Israel's military and security establishment is worried about a premature attack on Iran and apprehensive about the possible repercussions, a former chief of the country's defence forces told The Independent yesterday.
The risks of military action underlined by the highly decorated former commander show the apparent divisions within the establishment over the best way to combat Iran's nuclear programme. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mr Barak are reported to be veering towards military action while fellow ministers as well as the defence and intelligence communities have reservations about this path.
General Lipkin-Shahak stressed he had no idea what decision the security cabinet would reach. He said the current Chief of General Staff (CGS), Lt-Gen Benny Gantz, and Mr Dagan's successor at Mossad, Tamir Pardo, would offer advice. "We have to remember that the CGS and the head of Mossad are there to serve the State of Israel, they are not party political. They will no doubt offer judgement and advice on what is best for Israel," he said. "In the past the advice of the head of the IDF and the head of Mossad had led to military action being stopped." [...]"
MSM: "Israel's Lieberman To Meet With Clinton In Washington Next Week" [02/03/12]
"For the first time since 2010, Foreign Minister (and former nightclub
bouncer) Avigdor Lieberman will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington next week.
This is only the second time that Lieberman will be visiting the United States capital since he assumed the position of foreign minister almost three years ago. He is due to depart for the U.S. on Monday, and will be meeting with senior officials in Congress and leaders of Jewish organizations. [...]"
MSM: "Senate
Approves Bill Banning Insider Trading By Lawmakers, 96-3" [02/03/12]
"The Senate voted 96 to 3 Thursday to prohibit members of Congress from using non-public information for personal financial gain but beat back a slew of amendments to further limit congressional perks.
The Senate action puts pressure on House Republicans to pass similar legislation to quell allegations of congressional self-dealing at a time when Congress’s approval rating is at an all-time low.
[...]"
Related:
"House Votes to Freeze Congress, Federal Pay"
" House lawmakers have voted in favor of a pay freeze for themselves and millions of other people whose paychecks come from Uncle Sam. The House voted 309-117 in favor of extending President Obama's 2-year pay freeze for federal employees, reports the Washington Post. Obama has called for an 0.5% cost-of-living increase for federal workers, and the Senate is expected to reject the House's measure. [...]"
Note: They can do anything they want, now, to give the
impression of ethical behavior ... here they are closing the barn door after
the horses have already run away. It doesn't matter any more.
Commentary: "Convincing People Into Believing There Is Real Choice In Politics" [02/03/12]
[0:00]
" ... we find ourselves locked in a two-party system where the status quo is maintained even though that status quo doesn’t work for the vast majority of us. It is doubtful that much will be different regardless of the outcome of the current election cycle here in the United States. At the margins perhaps there will be some small differences in policy between an Obama administration and a Romney administration just as there were some small differences at the margins between the Bush administration and the current one. But, the influence of Wall Street will continue unabated, just as we will have continued military misadventures abroad, an expansion of the bi-partisan surveillance state, a continuation of the failed policy called the Drug War, continuing and growing deficits, and a continuation of the standard of living for most American even though nearly all of us agree that these are not the things we want.
This will happen in large part because people will vote for one of two false options based upon what they believe, or rather, what they’ve been conditioned to believe through the process of perception management. A while back, Metanoia films put up a fascinating documentary about how we got to this point where public relations, media, advertisers and lobbyists control not only what we think, but how we think. Our suggestion at TPR is that without a new way of thinking, we cannot change the path on which we find ourselves. And, before we can change our way of thinking, we must first come to understand why we believe what we do. As a first step in that direction, we can recommend Metanoia’s film Psywar which you can stream for free on their website. Instead of spending today watching a “reality” TV show or being distracted by a video game, Hollywood gossip or some other entertainment, perhaps a little time trying to gain some understanding might be better spent. [...]"
Related: "Psywar: The Real Battlefield is the Mind"
[100:00]
MSM: "TSA
Agent Charged With JFK Theft, Latest In Series" [02/02/12]
"Authorities say a TSA agent stole $5,000 from a passenger as he was going through security at Kennedy Airport.
Police and the Transportation Security Administration say Alexandra Schmid took the cash from a passenger’s jacket as it went along an X-ray conveyor belt around 8 p.m. Wednesday in JFK’s Terminal 4.
Police spokesman Al Della Fave (fahv) says surveillance video showed Schmid wrapping the money in a plastic glove and taking it to a bathroom.
He said the money has not been recovered. Police are investigating whether Schmid gave it to another person in the bathroom.
Schmid was arrested on a charge of grand larceny. The name of her attorney was not immediately known. [...]"
Related: TSA Agent Steals 8 iPads From Travelers"
"A TSA agent at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport is suspected of stealing iPads from fliers over the past year. Clayton Keith Dovel,
35, who works in the airport's "Resolution Room" (where checked bags are screened by hand), reportedly stole eight iPads from travelers' checked bags.
One of the victims tracked his stolen iPad, leading authorities to Dovel's home, the station reports.
In a statement to the station, the TSA said: "The action of one individual in no way reflects on the outstanding job our more than 50,000 security officers do every day."
Dovel is currently out on administrative leave, WNEM.com reports. In July 2011, a TSA worker at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International was charged with two counts of grand theft for stealing more than $50,000 worth of electronics from passengers over a six-month period. That same month, a Los Angeles Airport TSA officer was indicted for stealing roughly $23,000 worth of watches from passengers' bags and listing them on eBay. [...]"
Note: So, it's not one individual ... it's really hundreds or
thousands of individuals .... out of 50,000 .... who are ethically
bereft.
MSM: "Detroit Drug Ring Bust Charges Former State Rep Kenneth Daniels, 11 Others In Conspiracy" [02/02/12]
"A coalition of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies announced the indictment of 12 alleged members of a metro Detroit drug ring Wednesday. Former state Rep. Kenneth Daniels, a Democrat who represented Detroit's District 5, was among those charged with money laundering and illegal drug distribution.
Authorities say the operation sold drugs purchased in Mexico and Arizona in the Detroit area. [...]"
MSM: "Controversial Contractors Paid $2.4M By Canadian Forces
" [02/01/12]
"The Canadian Forces spent $2.4 million last year on training at a facility run by Xe Services, the U.S. private security company formerly known as
Blackwater. The company and its training facility were used to teach precision shooting and defensive driving, as well as VIP escort requirements and close quarter combat techniques, according to documents tabled Monday in the House of Commons.
It appears the training provided by Xe instructors was for precision shooting and defensive driving. The documents note much of the training in VIP escorting and close quarter combat was done by CF instructors and standards personnel.
Special forces members also had precision shooting and defensive driving training at the facility, although for operational security reasons the government wouldn't say how many trained there.
The Department of National Defence made 14 call-ups in 2011 against a standing offer arrangement with
Xe, for a total of $567,729, the documents say. Public Works, which is in charge of federal procurement, made another six call-ups and awarded one contract, spending $1,819,023.48. The total spent between the two departments in 2011 was $2,396,346.86.
The training provided at the facility is specialized and used primarily for snipers and soldiers who do close personal protection, as well as those who drive non-military vehicles like armoured SUVs while protecting VIPs or diplomats in hostile environments such as Libya or Afghanistan.
The facility is known in the defence community to be unique because of training involving live fire in a ship simulator or in a complex building structure, and driving courses that involve live fire. It's widely used by U.S. government and law enforcement, and is accredited by the U.S. government. [...]"
Commentary:
"US Intel Director Prepares Public for False Flag Event" [02/01/12]
"...it would be far more preferable if the United States could cite an Iranian provocation as justification for the airstrikes before launching them. Clearly, the more outrageous, the more deadly, and the more unprovoked the Iranian action, the better off the United States would be. Of course, it would be very difficult for the United States to goad Iran into such a provocation without the rest of the world recognizing this game, which would then undermine it. (One method that would have some possibility of success would be to ratchet up covert regime change efforts in the hope that Tehran would retaliate overtly, or even semi-overtly, which could then be portrayed as an unprovoked act of Iranian aggression.) " -- US foreign policy makers in the Fortune 500 funded Brookings Institution's "Which Path to Persia?" report, pages 84-85.
Considering that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a deliberate fabrication to escalate the Vietnam War, one many members in Congress are shown to have acknowledged and debated even at the time, or the more recent Iraqi WMD hoax, there is certainly a historical precedence to create such provocations when targeted nations refuse to provide them.
With this in mind, and noting an overt, ongoing series of bold acts of war carried out by the US and Israel inside of Iran, along with sanctions and planned blockades, also acts of war, the corporate-financier oligarchs have been confounded by what seems to be infinite Iranian patience to endure such provocations. [...]"
Note: See related items in the January 2012 archive at
the top of this panel.
Interviews:
"Who Will Stop Obama’s Aggressive War on Iran?" [02/01/12]
[3:56]
"The United States and the European Union have recently slapped unilateral sanctions against Iran’s oil and banking sectors based on the unsubstantiated claim that Iran is trying to acquire a military nuclear technology.
The embargos came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused, in its November 8 report, Iran of activities aimed at developing nuclear weapons before 2003 and speculated that these activities “may still be ongoing.”
This is while Iran has rejected the allegation and steadfastly insisted that the nature of its nuclear technology is purely civilian and expressed willingness to cooperate with the IAEA to resolve the issue about the country’s nuclear case.
The United States, Israel and their allies and have used the same allegation to impose four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions and more unilateral measures against the Islamic Republic.
Press TV has conducted an interview with Webster Griffin Tarpley, author and historian, to share his opinion on this issue. [...]"
MSM:
"Third Aircraft Carrier Group Coming To Iran" [02/01/12]
"For months now we have been following US naval developments and deployments in the Arabian Sea, which serve one purpose and one purpose only - to demonstrate US military strength in the Straits of Hormuz region and to keep Iranian 'offensive passions' subdued. Yet never has the US had a total of three aircraft carrier groups in the vicinity, always topping out at 2 in the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, most recently these being the CVN-70 Vinson and CVN 72 Lincoln, with a third boat present merely until a rotation in or out of the theater of operations was complete. That is about to change, and with it the prevailing price of Brent, which we are confident is about to take a new step wise price higher as the US makes it all too clear what the endgame is, because as Naval Today reports, the "US navy to deploy third carrier group to Persian Gulf", probably the CVN-77 George
H.W. Bush which departed Norfolk two weeks ago according to the most recent naval update, or any other Norfolk-stationed aircraft carrier: there is a wide selection to chose from. [...]"
MSM: "U.S. Drones Patrolling Its Skies Provoke Outrage in Iraq" [02/01/12]
"A month after the last American troops left Iraq, the State Department is operating a small fleet of surveillance drones here to help protect the United States Embassy and consulates, as well as American personnel. Some senior Iraqi officials expressed outrage at the program, saying the unarmed aircraft are an affront to Iraqi sovereignty.
The program was described by the department’s diplomatic security branch in a little-noticed section of its most recent annual report and outlined in broad terms in a two-page online prospectus for companies that might bid on a contract to manage the program. It foreshadows a possible expansion of unmanned drone operations into the diplomatic arm of the American government; until now they have been mainly the province of the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency.
American contractors say they have been told that the State Department is considering to field unarmed surveillance drones in the future in a handful of other potentially “high-threat” countries, including Indonesia and Pakistan, and in Afghanistan after the bulk of American troops leave in the next two years. State Department officials say that no decisions have been made beyond the drone operations in Iraq. [...]"
MSM: "Israel
Demonizes Iran To Hide Crimes" [02/01/12]
"An Israeli newspaper says Israel uses Iran threat as a tool to divert international attention from Tel Aviv's settlement policy and perpetuate the occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The daily Haaretz wrote in its editorial that Israel and the Palestinians have missed the deadline of January 26, 2012 imposed by the Middle East Quartet (the United Nations, Russia, the United States, and the European Union) to clarify their position on security and the borders.
The report added that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is intentionally trying to bring the negotiations with the Palestinians to a complete halt by taking positions which would subvert any hope for achieving a peaceful solution to the problem.
“The general positions that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted last week through his envoy Isaac Molho during talks in Jordan are a blatant attempt to saddle the Palestinians with responsibility for the negotiations' failure,” it added.
Haaretz said Netanyahu knows his refusal to present a map based on the June 1967 borders and a realistic land-swap proposal is a recipe for a continued freeze in the negotiations.
As a result, the article went on, “Netanyahu...has turned the Iranian nuclear threat into an impressive ploy to distract attention from settlement policy and the perpetuation of the occupation.”
The report added that US President Barack Obama's preoccupation with the presidential elections and Obama's fear of the Jewish right has also helped Netanyahu in this regard. [...]"
Commentary:
"No
Exit For Bilderbergers – Why War Will Not Work Anymore" [02/01/12]
"Michael Hudson wrote Super Imperialism in 1972 describing how the United
States paid for its wars of aggression by printing dollars. Recently Dr Hudson
said Brazil, Russia, China, India and Iran (The Gang of Five) met two years
ago and devised a financial strategy to end forever America’s ability to
make people outside the United States pay for the invasions and occupations of
Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya not to mention threatening World War III over a
non-existent Iranian nuclear weapons program. [...]"
MSM:
"UK
Army Power Exposed As Myth" [02/01/12]
"Comments by the most senior British armed forces commanders depict a broken British army, with frustrated soldiers, in a clear contrast to London's hype about its military muscle.
London has been threatening Iran with a military response if it moves to close its territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz to marine transit.
However, comments by chief of British armed forces' general staff, General Peter Wall, and former army chief general Michael Jackson have raised serious questions about Britain's ability to get involved in such a military adventurism.
Indeed, their remarks suggest Britain cannot even handle the Malvinas (Falklands) in case of an Argentinean attack due to low army morale, exposing the emptiness of British threats.
Wall told the British army's in-house magazine the Soldier that staff cuts, pension reforms and low accommodation quality are taking their toll on the armed forces morale, leaving the army short of essential military equipment and soldiers frustrated and unsettled. [...]"
MSM: "CBO: Taxes Will ‘Shoot Up by More Than 30 Percent’ Over Next 2 Years" [02/01/12]
"The amount of money the federal government takes out of the U.S. economy in taxes will increase by more than 30 percent between 2012 and 2014, according to the Budget and Economic Outlook published today by the
CBO. [...]"
Note: Fortunately, we won't be here. There is no end to the greed,
war and sequential predispositions.
Amended Often. Most Recent
items added on top.
Month begins on
bottom
"In politics, nothing
happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
“You Can Fool Some Of The People Some Of The Time, But Not All Of The People All Of The Time.” –Abraham Lincoln
