Information
Clearing House Digest
December 22-31 2004 |
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Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 === Iraqi National Guardsman Killed Near Falluja: An Iraqi
National Guardsman was found shot dead near Falluja Friday with
a note on his body warning others against working with U.S.-led
forces === Mosul election staff quit en masse: The
entire staff of the independent electoral commission in the Iraqi
northern city of Mosul, amounting to about 700 employees, have
resigned amid growing violence in the country. === Humvees linked to 1 in 5 U.S. deaths in Iraq: Throughout
the 21-month war, no other piece of military materiel has been
associated with so many U.S. fatalities. === Violence Against Troops in Iraq Takes Toll : The
number of attacks on U.S. and allied troops grew from an estimated
1,400 attacks in September to 1,600 in October and 1,950 in November === Profits Clothed in Sadness A Southern
town benefits by supplying the troops in Iraq, but for many with
loved ones at risk, the work has its downside. === Faces of the fallen: These
photographs are grouped in solemn rows without statistics to show
the extent of U.S. military losses (in Iraq) in one view. === Cartoon
of the week === Dead Soldier’s Dad Finds No Enemy in Iraq: Fernando
Suarez del Solar is a busy man. He is busy opening boxes, counting
pills, counting bandages; he is busy checking everything in the
boxes that come addressed to him from all over the United States. === Time to leave Iraq: The
Bush administration’s New Year’s resolution should
be to pull out of Iraq. Already, the United States has lost 1,300
soldiers, and 10,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded, at a rate
now of almost 1,000 a month. === Paul Craig Roberts: Forget Torture; It’s the Sex That Matters: What
defines conduct unbecoming an officer? === ‘Civilization’ vs. ‘Barbarism’: An Interview with Noam Chomsky: “It’s
not correct that the media haven’t reported the war crimes.
They often report them and celebrate them. Take for example the
invasion of Fallujah..” === Not a good way to start a democracy : Serious
questions must be asked about US influence in Ukraine === In case you missed it: Dick Cheney‚s Song of America: The
Plan is for the United States to rule the world. The overt theme
is unilateralism, but it is ultimately a story of domination. It
calls for the United States to maintain its overwhelming military
superiority and prevent new rivals from rising up to challenge
it on the world stage. It calls for dominion over friends and enemies
alike. It says not that the United States must be more powerful,
or most powerful, but that it must be absolutely powerful. === This web site represents the effort of one person. I need
your help to offset the costs associated with site hosting and
bandwidth usage. If you find this site informative please help
by clicking here === In case you missed it: After Iraq it is Venezuela : While
the whole world is focused on America and the Euro zone for the
super power challenges, both these powers are looking small when
you combine the powers of the new coalition Putin is building with
India, China, Russia and Brazil. Add to that Venezuelan oil that
supplies America a substantial crude oil, and now you have the
actual scenario of confrontation. === UN asks Israel to stop violating Lebanese airspace: Israeli
warplanes flew over large parts of Lebanon on Thursday, the Lebanese
Army said, prompting the United Nations to again urge the Jewish
state to stop sending its military aircraft over this Arab country
in breach of the UN-drawn Lebanese-Israeli border. === Israel in ‘Very Difficult Position’ Over Chinese Drone Repair, Diplomat Says: Israel
is in a “very difficult position” over an American
demand that Israel not return Harpy drones to China that were sent
here for servicing, an Israeli diplomat said on Thursday following
the visit of the Chinese deputy prime minister here this week. === Forgers ‘tried to rewrite biblical history’ : Hundreds
of biblical artefacts in museums all over the world could be fakes,
it has emerged after Israeli investigators uncovered what they
claim is a sophisticated forgery ring. === Did FBI Use Pentagon Analyst to ŒSting‚ AIPAC?: Jewish
newspapers are reporting the FBI used the Pentagon‚s top
Iran analyst in a “sting operation‰ to pass “foreign
policy strategic information to two AIPAC officials.‰ === Israeli hubris vs. the US: The
latest spy tale in Washington, DC, involving Larry Franklin, an
intelligence analyst at the Defense Department, and some of Israel’s
most important lobbyists in America, is becoming deeper by the
week. === The Bush administration is shameless.: $13.6
billion in emergency funding to Florida in response to the four
hurricanes and 100 people dead. $35 Million for the victims of
the tsunami and over 100,000 dead. === The stingy U.S./An appalling performance: As the
Bush administration is wont to say, actions speak louder than words,
and America’s actions in recent days have painted the United
States as a rich, self-absorbed and uncaring nation that had to
be shamed into anything approaching appropriate concern about this
catastrophe. === Private US donations pour in: Americans
have given at least $21.5 million to emergency funds for Asian
tsunami disaster victims while the Bush administration grapples
with accusations that it has been stingy. === Global analysts dispute perceived US generosity: On a
per capita basis and as a percentage of the nation’s wealth,
America’s emergency relief in Asia and development aid to
poor countries actually ranks at the bottom of the list of developed
nations === UK: $36m in 24 hours: Shocked
by the devastation caused by the tsunami, Britons responded yesterday
with unprecedented generosity to the appeal for donations. === Canada
increases tsunami aid to $40 million === China Increases Tsunami Aid Sharply to $63 Million: At a
little over $63 million, Beijing is now the third biggest monetary
donor behind Britain and Sweden. The United States has made an
initial pledge of $35 million. === Tsunami: How to help : Not
sure how to help, but there are people who know what to do and
are directly on the scene. These people can make your dollars work
in ways most of us have never had to think about: === Christian fundamentalist organizations appear to be suffering from a compassion deficit: Organizations
which are amazingly quick to organize to fight against same-sex
marriage, a woman’s right to choose, and embryonic stem cell
research are missing in action when it comes to responding to the
disaster in southern Asia. None of their web sites are actively
soliciting aid for the victims of the earthquake/tsunami. === Thanks God for the tsunami and 2,000 dead Swedes!!!: Westboro
Baptist Church leaders have released the following statement regarding
the tsunamis which hit Southeast Asia earlier in the week. === Intimidation, Politics and Drug Trade Cripple U.S. Medicine: While
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to safeguard
the nation’s medical products, documentation, interviews
and recent drug debacles depict a brutally different reality, with
the Vioxx scandal alone estimated to have resulted in 30,000-55,000
U.S. deaths. === Eli Lilly Said to Know of Prozac Risks : A British
medical journal said Friday that it had given U.S. regulators confidential
drug company documents suggesting a link between the popular anti-depressant
Prozac and a heightened risk of suicide attempts and violence. === Thomas tops on high court in acceptance of lavish gifts: Supreme
Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted tens of thousands of
dollars worth of gifts since joining the Supreme Court, from $1,200
worth of tires to valuable historical items and a $5,000 personal
check to help pay a relative’s education expenses. === In case you mised it?: Noam Choamsky: Preventive War ‘The Supreme Crime’: Iraq:
The invasion that will live in infamy === Empty Pew: Why W. Dosen’t Go To Church: What
most—including many of the president’s fiercest supporters—don’t
know, is that Bush doesn’t go to church. === Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 === Indonesia Needs Help, Death Toll Expected To Exceed 400,000 The
death toll in Acheh, the region worst hit by last Sunday’s
tsunami, may exceed 400,000 as many affected areas could still === Death toll more than 114,000 in tsunami: With
tens of thousands still missing, that number is almost certain
to grow, amid fears that disease could bring a new wave of deaths. === Scientific Background on the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami: Includes
Tsunami Animation === Tsunami’s Historic Devastation : A collection
of pictures and video updated every hour === 5 Million Displaced By Tsunami: Up to
five million people have been displaced by the devastating tsunamis
that pummelled large tracts of Asia over the weekend, the World
Health Organisation said on Thursday === U.S. Aid For Victims Of Tsunami $35 Million: Cost Of Bush Inauguration $30 Million: The
$250,000 donors include former Enron President Richard Kinder,
Dell Computer founder Michael Dell and Texas oilman and corporate
takeover specialist T. Boone Pickens. === Tracking the tsunami donations: Billions
of dollars will be donated to the Asian tsunami relief effort but
keeping track of who is giving what will be a big and interesting
exercise. === Please consider making a donation to help the victims of this Tsunami. Doctors
Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres 1-888-392-0392 – American
Friends Service Committee (AFSC Crisis Fund)1-888-588-2372 === New tsunami fear, govt sounds 48-hour alert: Panic
gripped the coastal belt of Nagapattinam with the Met office informing
of yet another tsunami striking the district on Thursday. === 26 people die in Mosul battle: A frontal
assault on U.S. troops by dozens of anti occupation forces in Mosul
left an American soldier and about 25 resistance fighters dead
in one of the boldest attacks yet on occupying forces in Iraq. === U.S. Soldier Dies After Car Bomb Blast in Iraq: A U.S.
soldier died in hospital Wednesday from wounds sustained in a car
bomb attack on a patrol in the city of Mosul, the American military
said on Thursday. === Falloujans Get an Unsettling Look at Their City: Refugees
eager to return change their minds after seeing the ruin. === An eyewitness account of the siege of Fallujah: A cameraman
with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. who witnessed the first eight
days of the fighting told of what he considered atrocities. Burhan
Fasa‚a has worked for LBC throughout the occupation of Iraq. === Eyewitness: Taking detainee testimony in Iraq : Their
house would be ransacked, often with property damage. Many would
report that at the end of that time jewellery and money would be
missing. Then the men of the household would be taken away. === Getting an Education in Jihad : Infuriated
by the U.S.-led ‘crusade’ in Iraq, a Lebanese teacher
left his country and steady job intending to die for the insurgency. === Small but growing resistance to Iraq war: A Bronx
sailor who refused to board his ship bound for the Persian Gulf
earlier this month has shone a spotlight on the small but growing
resistance within the military to the war in Iraq. === Joseph L. Galloway: Neo-cons can’t escape responsibility for their Iraq miscalculations: They
cannot be allowed to load all the blame on Rumsfeld and scoot away
to lick their wounds and dream again their large dreams of conquest
and empire and pre-emptive strikes. === Sidney Blumenthal : A state of chaos George
Bush has purged the last of his father’s senior advisers,
handing over control to his neocon allies === In case you missed it?: What Became Of American Conservatives? : America
has blundered into a needless and dangerous war, and fully half
of the country’s population is enthusiastic. Many Christians
think that war in the Middle East signals “end times” and
that they are about to be wafted up to heaven. And neoconservatives
are laying the groundwork for Israeli territorial expansion. === America and Islam – Seeking Parallels: One
thing is certain now: the Islamic world will change. Will it be
the change the Americans and Israelis want? Will the Islamic world
be smashed into a collection of micro-states – ethnic, sectarian
and tribal entities – allied to and dependent on the US and
Israel for their survival? Or will the Muslims oppose this new ‘civilizing
mission’ and regain the freedom to shape their destiny === Israeli Occupation Forces Gaza raid kills 7: An Israeli
aircraft fired two missiles into the southern Gaza city of Khan
Yunis Thursday. Seven Palestinians were killed in the raid. === Israel
stops Palestinians voting in Jerusalem === This web site represents the effort of one person. I need
your help to offset the costs associated with site hosting and
bandwidth usage. If you find this site informative please help
by clicking here === CIA intrigue shadows torture jet : “Their
cover has been blown,” he said, and if the agency unloaded
its plane and bought another, watchdogs would catch on right away
and start tracking the replacement jet. === American Muslims Fingerprinted By U.S. at Canadian Border: The
Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said
the incident was a disturbing example of religious profiling that
would have a chilling effect on the constitutional rights of American
Muslims, particularly the right to the free exercise of religion,
freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and the right to be “secure
in their personsagainst unreasonable searches.” === Fear factor: Fear is a powerful force. Nearly
half the Americans who responded to a survey conducted by Cornell
University say the U.S. should restrict the civil liberties of
Muslim Americans. === Russian – Iranian Nuclear Cooperation To Be Accelerated In January: Russia
may start the supply of nuclear fuel to a nuclear power plant in
the city of Bushehr, Iran, in 2005. An agreement on the return
of spent nuclear fuel is to be signed in January. === Euro
Trash: Even drug dealers are giving up on the dollar. === I’m noticing a pattern: The
White House is deploying the strategy it used to sell the war in
Iraq to sell its plan for partial privatization of the Social Security
system. The intelligence might not be as flawed, but the spin is
equally disingenuous. === One
man’s retirement math: Social Security wins === Haitian
Pending Derportation after Serving in Iraq === Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 === Exporting Unhappiness Iraq is giving new meaning to the word nationalism. It’s become a running sore for the US. SUNANDA K. DATTA-RAY However
much the violence is to be condemned, what means other than guerrilla
warfare is open to the victim of conquest? What other response
is possible to the brutality of Abu Ghraib or the unknown horrors
of Guantanamo Bay? === Death toll reaches 100,000 : The
death toll in the tsunami disaster soared past 100,000 today – and
is set to climb higher === Picture
of some of the Tsunami”s victims === Tsunami warning halted ‘for tourist industry’: Just
minutes after the earthquake in the Indian Ocean on Sunday morning,
Thailand‚s foremost meteorological experts were sitting together
in a crisis meeting. But they decided not to warn about the tsunami “out
of courtesy to the tourist industry,‰ writes the Thailand
daily newspaper The Nation. === Swallowed up by the savage sea : There
is even less dignity in death for the poor than in life. === Germany Calls Suspension of Indonesia Debt : German
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called on creditor nations Wednesday
to suspend debt repayments from Indonesia and Somalia to help in
their recovery from the quake-tsunami disaster. === Mickey Z: A Wave of Questions Putting a Disaster in Context : The
recent earthquake/tsunami in Asia raises more questions than answers.
Here’s a start: === Grief, relief, and the stingy West : The
horrific aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami has revealed what
many in the world have known for a long time: Western nations are
eager to exploit the under privileged, but slow to lend a helping
hand in times of crisis. === Please consider donating to either of these groups. Doctors
Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres 1-888-392-0392 – American
Friends Service Committee (AFSC Crisis Fund)1-888-588-2372 === Spate
of attacks on Iraq security forces kills 33 === 28 Killed As Tip Lures Police To Ambush In Baghdad: A POWERFUL
blast destroyed a house in western Baghdad during an overnight
police raid that turned into a devastating ambush. It flattened
nearby buildings and killed at least 28 people, including seven
Iraqi officers. === Robert
Fisk : In This Mire Of Death, Lies And Atrocities, We Glimpse The
Ghost Of Vietnam === Raw Video: Marines at work in Fallujah – Warning – Video
contains images depicting the reality and horror of war and should
be viewed by a mature audience. === Large blasts target Saudi capital buildings: Two
huge car bombs exploded after militants tried to storm Saudi Arabia‚s
Interior Ministry and a security unit on Wednesday in what appeared
to be the latest brazen strike by al-Qaida in the world‚s
top oil exporter. === Soliders fails to halt ‘stop-loss’ rule: An Oregon
Army National Guardsman must report for duty after failing in his
challenge of a military program that extends his enlistment. === Navy SEALs Sue AP Over Alleged Abuse Photos : Six
Navy SEALs and two of their wives filed a lawsuit against The Associated
Press and one of its reporters today for allegedly revealing their
identities in photos published in early December, according to
a press release from the plaintiffs. === Robert Scheer: A Devil’s Island for Our Times: It is
time to invade Cuba and put an end to what has become another Devil’s
Island in the annals of government-sanctioned torture. The barbaric
treatment of political prisoners on the island is made no more
palatable by being conducted in the name of an ideology that claims
to be liberating the world from its shackles. === US attorney-general joins Saddam: FORMER
US attorney general Ramsey Clark is to join the defence team of
Saddam Hussein, a spokesman for the toppled Iraqi president’s
lawyers said today. === Venezuela’s Chavez predicts $3 billion in trade with China next year : Chinese
companies intend to invest $350 million in 15 oil fields in eastern
Venezuela, and $60 million in natural gas projects, Chavez said
Sunday. Venezuela will receive $250 million next year from China
for fuel oil exports, Chavez said. === Homeland Insecurity: The
American empire goes for broke. In the past weeks, there were two
serious economic signs signaling momentous change, if not outright
decline. === 12 More Palestinian’s Killed In Less Than A Week : Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) have killed 12 Palestinians in less than
a week, including a 7-year old child, 4 extra-judicially executed,
and 4 died in sporadic tank shelling inside their homes === Careful
Not to Get Too Much Education…Or You Could Turn Liberal === Date: Tues, 28 Dec 2004 === In case you missed it The Power of Nightmares: Now with full transcript “Baby It's Cold Outside" In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares. The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares. This
is a must watch BBC documentary – Updated 12/28/04; Now has
full transcript. Click here to watch it online now! === It’s Time To Support The Troops By Sheila Samples I have a considerable stash of words, but none sufficiently harsh to describe the contempt I feel for these Democrat and Republican legislators who silently lowered their heads — who turned their backs — and allowed Bush and Rumsfeld to send their young constituents to their deaths. 207.44.245.159/article7558.htm === Israel’s Secret Weapon Broadcast on BBC Two on Monday, 17 March, 2003 This film is the story of the bomb, Vanunu and Israel’s wall of silence. Click
here to watch it online. === Attacks in Iraq kill 42: “Armed
men took control of the police station and executed 12 policemen,
three of them officers,” one police source said, adding that
the attackers then dynamited the building. === Rebel raids hit Iraqi police, 17 killed: Anti
occupation forces killed at least 17 Iraqi policemen in a string
of attacks near Saddam Hussein‚s hometown of Tikrit on Tuesday,
Iraqi and US officials said. === 2 U.S. Soldiers die in Iraq attacks: ROADSIDE
bombs had killed two US soldiers and wounded five in two separate
blasts in Iraq, the US military said today. === Analysis: Iraq edges towards civil war: Iraq
faces the prospect of civil war as Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s
government loses credibility and violence against U.S. forces increases,
according to almost a half dozen former and serving administration
officials. === Inside Falluja: ‘Nothing to come back to’ : I was
there, inside the city – about 60% to 70% of the homes and
buildings are completely crushed and damaged, and not ready to
inhabit at the moment. === Disappearing Act: Fallujah and the Media: The
extent of America’s war crimes in Falluja is gradually becoming
apparent. On December 24, approximately 900 former residents of
the battered city were allowed to return to their homes only to
find that (according to BBC) “about 60% to 70% of the homes
and buildings are completely crushed and damaged, and not ready
to inhabit. === Abuse claims match those described by FBI : At least
10 current and former detainees at the U.S. military prison in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have lodged allegations of abuse similar
to the incidents described by FBI agents in newly released documents,
claims that were denied by the government but gained credibility
with the reports from the agents, their attorneys say. === CIA makes no disclosures on abuse: The
CIA is refusing to disclose any information about abuse of detainees
in Afghanistan and at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba,
invoking a legal precedent that involved a secret project by the
billionaire Howard Hughes to recover a sunken Soviet nuclear submarine
in the 1970s. === ‘Ghost’ jet used for terror suspects: A US
jet registered to a ghost company whisks terror suspects to countries
that use torture, according to the Washington Post. === Juan Cole: Bin Laden votes in Iraq and Shoots himself in the Foot: In declaring “infidels” all
who vote under the “infidel” interim constitution negotiated
by Iraqi politicians with US civil administrator Paul Bremer last
winter, Bin Laden is seeking to counter the decree of grand Ayatollah
Ali Sistani that Iraqis must vote in the upcoming elections or
they will be consigned to hell. === Commentary: Osama’s new strategy: Don’t
hold your breath, but it begins to look like a new al-Qaida MO — shifting
the focus of terrorist attacks from the U.S. mainland to U.S. interests
in the Middle East and European governments that support the United
States in Iraq. === The Truth About Terrorism: 85 percent
of Bush supporters said that the country was “safer from
terrorism” in 2004 than it was in 2000, and 79 percent said
that the war in Iraq “has improved the long-term security
of the United States.” === Saudi shootout kills 3 suspected militants: Three
people thought to be militants died Tuesday when Saudi security
forces raided a building in western Riyadh. === This web site represents the effort of one person. I need
your help to offset the costs associated with site hosting and
bandwidth usage. If you find this site informative please help
by clicking here === An Open Letter to Our Leaders From an Iraq War Soldier: Our
soldiers are putting their lives on the line. – We see no
pictures of the sacrifice. That is hidden, and our media is ordered
not to show it. We see only words and videos of politicians speaking
boldly about supporting our military, and honoring their service
with all the best equipment, supplies, and motivation. We see nothing
of the loss, the destruction: It is kept from us. === In case you missed it: Back-Door Draft: In the
military, a “stop loss” order keeps military personnel
on duty beyond their contracted time. Some soldiers are protesting.
They claim that the military has broken their contract. Kevin Benderman’s
service has been extended an additional 9 months. He shared his
feelings about the stop loss order. === In case you missed it: They Are To Die For The Lowest Bidder?: When
you’re stuck out in the middle of where Moses lost his knickers,
among people who hate you and who are trying to kill you and you
are expected to fight a war with hand-me-downs, you’re probably
going to be a bit annoyed with the condescending, ideological windbag
who sent you into harm’s way on a lark and a lie. === Demand that politicians do more to support our troops : Young
men and women are fighting for us as I write, but who is fighting
for them? === Unemployed and gray? Truly, Uncle Sam wants you: They
are desperate. How else can I explain the fact that I am 54 years
old and the military is trying to recruit me? === Justice And Fair Play: Are
They Just Words When Applied to Rape by U.S. Personnel and the
Military? === Disasters Natural and Unnatural: Before
there was an earthquake and tsunami, there was Wolfowitz . Indonesia
finally makes the front page in the U.S. Unfortunately, it’s
not because of Paul Wolfowitz’s activities there. === Asia
Struggles with Disaster Aftermath, 50,000 Dead === Dramatic Images Of Tsunami Emerge: From
NBC News and the Associated Press, new images of the South Asian
tsunami disaster. === Ohio
GOP Election Officials Ducking Subpoenas as Kerry Enters Stolen
Vote Fray === History will show U.S. lusted after oil: A year-and-a-half
into the U.S. occupation of Iraq, with the carnage over there spiraling
ever more out of control, don’t expect media discussions
of Iraq to stray much beyond the issue of “fighting terrorism.” === Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 Israel’s Secret Weapon Broadcast on BBC Two on Monday, 17 March, 2003 This film is the story of the bomb, Vanunu and Israel’s wall of silence. Click
here to watch it online. === History will show U.S. lusted after oil Linda McQuaig A year-and-a-half
into the U.S. occupation of Iraq, with the carnage over there spiraling
ever more out of control, don’t expect media discussions
of Iraq to stray much beyond the issue of “fighting terrorism.” === Attack on Iraqi Shiite leader kills 13 as Sunni party boycotts vote: Thirteen
people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked the headquarters
of a top Iraqi Shiite political leader, while the country’s
main Sunni Muslim party announced a boycott of next month’s
crucial elections. === US soldier among 12 dead in Iraq violence: Four
Iraqi national guards, three officers killed in Samarra, four people
killed in clashes between rebels, US troops near Baiji. === Five shot dead in Iraq: Anti
occupation foces shot dead five men in the restive Iraqi city of
Ramadi overnight and left their corpses in the street with a handwritten
note identifying them as police, witnesses said. === Resistance fighter, family killed in accidental bomb explosion: An insurgent
accidentally has killed himself and four members of his family
in Iraq’s southern city of Karbala. === Sunni party pulls out of Iraqi election: The
largest Sunni Muslim political party is pulling out of next month’s
Iraqi elections — dealing a blow to U-S hopes for credibility
at the polls. === Video of Mosul suicide bombing : ``Let Bush, Blair and Allawi know that we are coming and that we will chase them all away. Windows
media. === Poll shows troops in support of war : Sixty-three
percent of respondents approve of the way President Bush is handling
the war, and 60% remain convinced it is a war worth fighting. Support
for the war is even greater among those who have served longest
in the combat zone: Two-thirds of combat vets say the war is worth
fighting. === Injured Soldier Critical of War in Iraq: “There’s
a lot of people that don’t think we should be there … like
my unit,” Herrera says. “We’re not doing good
out there. We’re just soldiers dying left and right.” === Mortuary Unit in Iraq Trying on Marines : These
Marines must cope with one of the most psychologically punishing
but unavoidable tasks of war. === Soldier recalls pain of being shot in Iraq : Olson
lost hostile fire and combat pay he would’ve received if
he was in Iraq. He’s not sure how much money he’s losing,
but it’s up to $1,000 a month, Olson said. === Bin
Laden endorses al-Zarqawi as his deputy in Iraq === Patrick J. Buchanan : ‘Staying
the Course’ Won’t Do : For some of Bush’s countrymen,
there is a sense of having been had, of having been made victim
to one of the great bait-and-switches in the history of warfare. === The US falls for the Soviet trap in Iraq: The
record of the US-led occupation of Iraq appears to be somewhat
worse. An assessment over the past 20 months clearly reveals that
proportionally the US has caused more damage to Iraq and its people
and has incurred more human and material costs than the Soviets
did in Afghanistan. === Naomi Klein : Yes, you must pull out – but also pay for the damage : The
US isn’t protecting or feeding Iraqis, it’s stoking
violence and hardship === Shopping for War: You
might think that the debacle in Iraq would be enough for the Pentagon,
that it would not be in the mood to seek out new routes to unnecessary
wars for the United States to fight. But with Donald Rumsfeld at
the apex of the defense establishment, enough is never enough. === Tales Of Torture and The American Dream : I’d
been a reporter for twenty-five years and considered myself a professional
skeptic, yet I’d been duped. I consoled myself with the thought
that I was in good company. If I’d been duped, so had the
Pentagon, the Coalition Provisional Authority, and one of the nation’s
most esteemed newspapers. === American gulag? : FBI
documents make Guantanamo Bay seem not much different than Abu
Ghraib === Alberto Gonzales : Hispanics
can do better than ‘yes man’: Many of these Latino
organizations will refuse to utilize their reasoning skills and
will support and defend Gonzales just because he is a Latino === The Right’s Assault on Kofi Annan: The
neoconservative and paleoconservative assault on him and the UN
has been like a slightly slower version of the Swift Boat veterans’ campaign
against Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry—right
down to the halfhearted and belated disavowals by George W. Bush. === China Expands. Europe Rises. And the United States . . .: The
signposts, at the end of this year, are ominous. As an economic
power, the United States no longer sets the rules, much less rule
the game. === Russia and China to Hold Joint Maneuvers : Russia
and China are set to hold unprecedented joint military maneuvers
on Chinese territory next year involving both nations’ air
forces and navies, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said
in the Kremlin on Monday. === Ukraine minister found shot dead : Mr Kyrpa,
58, appointed in 2002, was a staunch supporter of Prime Minister
Viktor Yanukovych. === Opposition Win Could Open Ukraine for Investment: Liberal
opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko’s victory in Ukraine’s
election will help revive reforms, improve the business climate
and put the former Soviet state on foreign investors’ maps
after years of neglect. === Uzbekistan:
International Observers Say Vote Fell Short Of Standards === Syria slams Israel for not replying to peace offer: Syrian
Vice President says US regards Palestinian resistance in occupied
territories as terrorism. === Zionists Do Not Represent Jews: From
the inception of the Zionist State and particularly in recent times,
the impression has been created in the World that there is some
connection between the State, which falsely calls itself Israel,
and the Jewish people as a whole. === Blair ally in African coup plot: FORMER
British cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, a close friend of Tony
Blair, is the latest high-profile figure implicated in the foiled
plot to overthrow the president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. === Helen Thomas: Bush wants to break promise of Social Security: President
Bush is proposing to erode the Social Security system by privatizing
part of it, making Wall Street the big winner of a huge financial
windfall. === Gov. Bush considers privatizing some welfare assistance program: More
than 2.3 million of the state’s poorest citizens may have
decisions on their Medicaid eligibility and other welfare assistance
programs made by a company if Gov. Jeb Bush decides to award a
$700 million program to the private sector. === Tsunami death toll may exceed 50,000: At least
23,700 people have now been killed by Sunday’s giant tsunami
in southern Asia, according to the International Red Cross, amid
signs the final toll could top 50,000. === 30 000 missing on Indian islands: 30 000
people are missing after five villages in the archipelago were
swept away by a tsunami, district official GC Gupta said on Monday. === Neo-fascism in America : Too
many people believe fascism is only about goose-stepping, jack-booted
Nazis. Too many people believe that American democracy is so strong
that fascists could never take control of America. If you are sympathetic
to those views, I invite you to consider the possibility that you
are mistaken. === Dissent is not disloyal: ` Can
an American who wants the United States to lose the war in Iraq
be patriotic?’ === Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2004 === Dissent is not disloyal `Can an American who wants the United States to lose the war in Iraq be patriotic?’ By Geoffrey R. Stone Dissent
in wartime can be the highest form of patriotism. If citizens believe
that our military or political leaders have blundered or our reasons
for fighting are unjust, they must voice these concerns if they
are to meet their responsibilities in a self-governing society.
Dissent is not disloyal. === War Crimes Washington Post Editorial Perhaps
intervention by the courts will eventually stem the violations
of human rights that appear to be ongoing in Guantanamo, Iraq and
Afghanistan. The appalling truth is that there has been no remedy
for the documented torture and killing of foreign prisoners by
this American government. Happy Christmas: War is Over by John Lennon. Real
audio === Nine Die in Baghdad Tanker Truck Blast: Police
uncovered more bodies under the rubble Saturday after a suicide
bomber blew up a gas tanker in Baghdad === Bomb Kills Five Civilians Near Najaf: The
bomb in the town of Khan al-Nus appeared to have been aimed at
a U.S. military convoy. === Officials targeted in Iraq attacks: In continuing
violence across Iraq, a council member from a town north of Baghdad
has been shot dead while a provincial governor has narrowly escaped
a second attempt on his life. === Mosul attack ‘an inside job’: The
deadly suicide attack on a US military base in Mosul this week
was an “inside job” carried out by insurgents who are
part of the Iraqi armed forces, Asia Times Online has been told. === U.S. Army historian cites lack of Iraq post-war plan : The
newspaper quoted Maj. Isaiah Wilson, an official historian of the
Iraq campaign, as saying the overall performance of the U.S. Army
in Iraq has been “mediocre” and it failed to recognize
it is engaged in a “people’s war.” === Iraq Scrutineers Base In Jordan : The
United Nations, and other multinational election officials charged
with making sure the January 30 election in Iraq is free and fair,
have warned they will do so from the safety of neighbouring Jordan. === British Cardinal condemns money spent on war efforts: Britain’s
leading Roman Catholic priest has criticised what he calls the
wasting of billions of pounds on war in the Middle East. === The Catastrophe of the Iraqi Resistance : By any
progressive standards, the Iraqi resistance seems to have morphed
in recent days into one of the most unprincipled, unethical, fanatical,
unreasonable, and reactionary resistance factions on Earth. === Soldier dies in failed assassination: AN Afghan
soldier and a Taliban militant have been killed during a failed
attempt to assassinate a local police chief in southern Afghanistan. === Israel may seek further U.S. funding for security measures : Israel,
which receives about $3 billion a year in U.S. aid, may seek extra
funding next year === Indian security delegation ends secret visit to Israel : A senior
Indian delegation concluded a secret visit to Israel on Friday
to discuss the arms trade between the two countries and their fight
against “terror”. === US families of dead raise 600,000 dollars for Fallujah refugees: Families
of US troops killed in the offensive on the Iraqi city of Fallujah
are to travel to Jordan next week with 600,000 dollars worth of
humanitarian aid for refugees of the attack. === In case you missed it: They Tried to Warn Us: Foreign Intelligence Warnings Before 9/11 : The
Congressional Joint Inquiry into 9-11 is now finished, but the
findings that have been released fail to mention any warnings from
foreign governments. The US mainstream media also has paid little
attention to warnings from foreign governments. Here, for the first
time, is such a list of warnings Russia warns US over Ukraine vote: Russia
warned the United States not to interfere in the internal affairs
of other countries, before a key election in Ukraine, which has
strained relations between Moscow and the West. === 23/12/04 === Israel Is Spying In And On The U.S.? Video – Parts 1- 4 FOX News Investigates There is no indication that the Israelis were involved in the 9-11 attacks, but investigators suspect that the Israelis may have gathered intelligence about the attacks in advance, and not shared it. A highly placed investigator said there are “tie-ins.” But when asked for details, he flatly refused to describe them, saying, “evidence linking these Israelis to 9-11 is classified. I cannot tell you about evidence that has been gathered. It’s classified information.” These items have since been removed from the FOX News web site: QuickTime
video and transcript. ==== US soldier, civilians killed in Iraq clashes: A mosque
in Baghdad has been hit by mortar shells, killing three civilians
and wounding three others, a police source said. === Three U.S. Marines Killed in Iraq: The
spokesperson would not say where the three were killed, but the
deaths were reported as U.S. troops fought insurgents in the city
of Fallujah, which is in Anbar. F-18 fighter jets dropped several
bombs in the city, sending up plumes of smoke, while tank and machine
gun fire could be heard to the south. === Marines
killed as fighting breaks out again in Fallujah === Military releases new casualty figures in Mosul attack : Officials
say the blast at a mess hall killed 13 service members, five U-S
civilians and three Iraqi National Guard members. The military
command in Baghdad says a dead non-U-S citizen has yet to be identified. === Mosul Base Commanders Had Warning of an Attack: Three
weeks before the deadly attack on a U.S. base in Mosul, commanders
at the base had a warning that anti occupation forces were planning
a “Beirut”-type attack on U.S. forces in northern Iraq === Sunni police chief quits: THE
police chief in the volatile Anbar province of western Iraq has
resigned two months into his job after gunmen tried to kill him,
the province’s governor said today. === Rumsfeld says Iraq election won’t quell violence: The
US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, says it would be a mistake
to think the deadly chaos in Iraq will subside after next month’s “democratic” election. === Another guard unit decries training, equipment : The
soldiers said in interviews, e-mails and official documents that
they were sent to war earlier this year with chronic illness, broken
guns and trucks with blown transmissions. === A New Poverty Draft: Military
Contractors Target Latin America For New Recruits: Halliburton
and other private military contractors have begun advertising campaigns
in El Salvador, Colombia and Nicaragua to recruit ex-soldiers to
work in Iraq. === Pantries provide backup for some military families : Theresa
Parrish tries to avoid the emergency food pantry. But with her
husband serving in the National Guard in Iraq and two children
at home, that isn’t easy. === Zarqawi’s Group Says Not Behind Shi’ite Attacks: A group
led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said it did not carry
out twin suicide car bombings in Iraq’s main Shi’ite
holy cities on Sunday, according to an Internet statement dated
Thursday. === Chris Floyd: Poison Pen : According
to agents of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, President
George W. Bush has signed a secret executive order approving the
use of torture against prisoners captured in his “war on
terror” === Alberto Gonzales: Torture’s Path The
paper trail is long, and it isn’t pretty. But it’s
sure to produce some tough Senate questions for Alberto Gonzales === Aziz ‘won’t testify against Saddam’ FORMER
Iraqi deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz is unwilling to testify
against Saddam Hussein at a future war crimes trial, his lawyer
said after a four-hour meeting with his client today at a US base
near the capital. === This web site represents the effort of one person. I need
your help to offset the costs associated with site hosting and
bandwidth usage. If you find this site informative please help
by clicking here === Us To Deploy New Missiles In S.Korea To Destroy WMD In N.Korea: The
United States will deploy missiles to South Korea in 2005 with
the aim of destroying underground facilities for weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) in North Korea, a U.S. think tank said. === U.S. trying to produce fake nuclear documents implicating Iran: Intelligence minister : Intelligence
Minister Ali Yunesi said here on Wednesday that Iran has arrested
more than 10 nuclear spies who worked for the United States. === Nepal army kills 22 Maoists, rebel blockade begins: Nepali
soldiers killed 22 Maoist rebels in a fierce gun battle in the
west of the country on Thursday, the army said, as a partial blockade
of Kathmandu by the rebels reduced traffic to a trickle on two
key highways. === Israeli hubris vs. the U.S.: The
latest spy tale in Washington, D.C., involving Larry Franklin,
an intelligence analyst at the Defense Department, and some of
Israel’s most important lobbyists in America, is becoming
deeper by the week. === Blair’s peace talks take back seat : PM tones
down efforts after warning not to interfere by US and Israelis
shun plan === Meanwhile, cycle of violence goes on in Gaza : Thirteen-year-old
Yehiya Moharab got up at 5am, ate his breakfast of pitta bread
with powdered thyme and olive oil, and prepared to go to school. === Israel: Court erupts over expert’s testimony on `Arab mentality’ : The
Arab mentality is made of “a sense of being a victim,” “pathological
anti-Semitism,” and “a tendency to live in a world
of illusions,” said Prof. Rafi Israeli, a lecturer in Middle
Eastern studies at Hebrew University === Israel Lawmakers Sign Pledge for Illegal Squatters: A dozen
Israeli lawmakers have signed a pledge to join Jewish squatters
in resisting the dismantling of illegal squatter camps in the Gaza
Strip and parts of the West Bank – the latest sign that protests
could be fierce. === Putin slams West over ‘double standards’ in Iraq and Ukraine: Putin
again slammed US-led plans to press ahead with elections next month
in Iraq and said it was the height of hypocrisy for Western governments
to criticise Russia for pursuing its interests in neighbouring
former Soviet republics. === Local Muslim school taken aback by letter: A national
Islamic organization has demanded an apology from a Texas-based
private school association after claiming its director took an “alarmingly
intolerant and hostile attitude toward Islam and Muslims.” === Ted Rall: Save Social Security With The Flat Tax: The
same team that brought you “Iraq on $200 Million a Day” is
pimping a preemptive strike on Social Security, seizing on Generation
X doubts that the program will still be around when they retire. === College students face cut in aid: College
students in virtually every state will be required to shoulder
more of the cost of their education under new federal rules for
financial aid. === Will The GOP Nuke The Constitution?: Salivating
at the chance to radically remake the Supreme Court, the president
and his loyal lapdogs in the World’s Most Exclusive Club
are plotting to obliterate over 200 years of Senate tradition by
eliminating the use of filibusters against judicial nominees. === Dollar hits new record low against euro: The
dollar hit an all-time low Thursday against the euro, which was
worth $1.3483 after a mixed economic report from the U.S. Commerce
Department. === Battle scars: “When
I saw the stumps, I thought, `Damn, both of them?’ Then I
looked at my leg and I was trying to figure how to put a tourniquet
on it because I didn’t have any hands.” === The Exploitation of Soldiers: Those
who defend warfare tend to see it only as an abstraction, a game
pitting strategists from opposing collectives against one another
in furtherance of contrived objectives. The ugly details of orchestrated
butchery and torture are to be suppressed, lest persons of humane
sensitivities become upset and demand a cessation of the game === Military Personnel Wounded in Iraq & Afghanistan: – Warning – Pictures depict the reality and horror of war. www.thememoryhole.org/war/wounded/gallery.htm Date:Wed, 22 Dec 2004 RSS
FEED === Rise of the Amerikan Nazis Part III Amerikan Terrorists, American Tragedy Manuel Valenzuela Tens
of millions of Americans are being transformed into conduits of
barbarism and catalysts of violence, regenerating the evil of racism
against an entire population of purposefully scapegoated innocents
whose only crime is belonging to a group the Amerikan Nazis have
chosen as the necessary enemy from which to unleash perpetual war
for perpetual profit. === Battle scars “When I saw the stumps, I thought, `Damn, both of them?’ Then I looked at my leg and I was trying to figure how to put a tourniquet on it because I didn’t have any hands.” BY Dalton Narine The
rocket-propelled grenade that ripped off James Eddie Wright’s
hands and tore into his left leg ended the war for him and changed
his life forever. === The Exploitation of Soldiers: Butler Shaffer Those
who defend warfare tend to see it only as an abstraction, a game
pitting strategists from opposing collectives against one another
in furtherance of contrived objectives. The ugly details of orchestrated
butchery and torture are to be suppressed, lest persons of humane
sensitivities become upset and demand a cessation of the game. === Photo Gallery: Military Personnel Wounded in Iraq & Afghanistan: – Warning – Pictures
depict the reality and horror of war. === 10 killed in Iraq violence: Ten
people, including a Turkish truck driver, were killed on Wednesday
in explosions and clashes in the Iraqi towns of Samarra and Mahmudiya. === Iraqi policeman, resistance fighter killed in Najaf : An Iraqi
policeman and a suspected anti occupation fighter were shot dead
early on Wednesday in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, police said. === Report: Mosul Attack Was a Suicide Bombing: Investigators
at the base have found remnants of a torso and a suicide vest that
was probably a backpack, sources told ABC News, indicating that
the attack was a suicide bombing. === Little
sympathy for the dead Americans on the streets of Mosul === Calling the dead : “Accident
victims” families are worse — they’re not prepared.
Military families are calmer. They’re half-expecting it.” Every
time I read a headline about American deaths in Iraq, I remember
those words. I’ve been remembering them a lot lately. === Anyone leaving Mosul will be shot: Governor: Mosul’s
governor issued an order banning use of the five bridges that span
the River Tigris in the city, and said anyone breaking the order
would be shot. Residents said Iraq’s third city was a virtual
ghost town, with no one in the streets === US forces seal off Mosul: Districts
of the Iraqi city of Mosul have been sealed off by US forces who
have raided homes in a hunt for suspects after an attack that killed
18 Americans and four Iraqis. === Freed
French journalists’: We lived through a very difficult experience’: === Soldier who killed unarmed Iraqi discharged to face lesser charges: A U.S.
soldier was discharged from the Army for manslaughter rather than
charged with murder for shooting an unarmed Iraqi prisoner last
year, despite the fact that Army investigators found sufficient
evidence to press the murder charge, Pentagon records released
Tuesday show. === Jeffrey Sachs: Iraq‚s silent dead: American
behaviour and self-perceptions reveal the ease with which a civilised
country can engage in large-scale killing of civilians without
public discussion. === Ten more years?: Senior
MPs warn British troops will be in Iraq for a decade, as Blair
in Baghdad proclaims: ‘We are not a nation of quitters’ === Paul Findley : What is Bush’s Real Goal in Iraq?: Is the
Bush Administration honest in stating that its objective is a stable,
democratic Iraq? Or is that just a cover for permanent military
bases that will enable the U.S. government to dominate Iraq far
into the future. === Sen. Chuck Hagel blasts civilian bosses in Pentagon: Deteriorating
conditions in Iraq are a consequence of “the arrogance and
incompetency of the civilian leadership at the Pentagon,” the
Nebraska Republican said. === News From Saddam`s Lawyers : I have
for the last two years argued that whatever else Saddam Hussein
did for good or ill as Iraq’s president since 1978, there
is no evidence that he committed genocide. That he “never
gassed his own people,” i.e., the Iraqi Kurds, which has
been an assertion that has been repeated so often by President
Bush, Vice President Cheney and the American press that I’m
sure 99.9% of the people believe it is gospel. See
also === Racism and War Crimes: If Saddam
and his official to be put on trial, then US leaders, British leaders
and other Western leaders who supported and encouraged Saddam should
be with him in the dock. === How to Corrupt Religion & Politics: “Cherry
Pickin‚ Christians.‰ These are the people that have
given Christianity a serious black-eye by such outspoken and all
too visible “religious leaders‰ who think God supports
invasions and torture, just as long as it‚s done in “His
name.‰ === Palestinian students need army escort to school: Soldiers
protect children from Israeli squatter attacks === Israeli parents: Just Say No : A letter
signed by 97 Israeli parents urges their army-age children not
to serve in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. === IOF Commander Not Worried About Mass Insubordination : Commander
of the Israeli Ocupation ground Forces, Major General Yiftach Ron-Tal,
said today that he is not worried about the spread of insubordination
against the Gaza and Jenin-area evacuation plan. === Video: Mosaic: World News Reports from Middle East TV For 12/21/04: The
nation’s only uncensored compilation of daily television
news reports from more than 15 countries in the Middle East. QuickTime
Video. === William Pfaff : Torture reconsidered: Shock, awe and the human body : A historian
in the future, or a moralist, is likely to deem the Bush administration’s
enthusiasm for torture the most striking aspect of its war against
terrorism. === FBI
files implicate Bush in Iraqi jail abuses === This web site represents the effort of one person. I need
your help to offset the costs associated with site hosting and
bandwidth usage. If you find this site informative please help
by clicking here === In case you missed it: Video Documentary: Losing Hearts & Minds: The
US military has maintained that the abuse of prisoners in Iraq
was the work of rogue soldiers like Lynndie England and poor supervision.
Whatever the cause, US authorities insist that those practices
have now ended. Tonight, author and journalist John Martinkus reveals
a rather different account. === The Sinister Plan : The
chilling reality of what Fallujah has become is only now seeping
out, as the American military continues to block almost all access
to the city, whether to reporters, its former residents, or aid
groups like the Red Crescent Society. === Cartoon:
Bush Warns Iraq And Syria === Bush puts Iran, Syria on notice: US President
George W. Bush today told Iran and Syria not to interfere in Iraq’s
internal politics, saying the United States had a variety of ways
to retaliate if the two countries failed to heed his warning. === U.S. company to pull out of Iraq : Contrack
International Inc. has become the first major US contractor to
pull out of the reconstruction effort in Iraq, the Los Angeles
Times said Wednesday, adding that high security costs were to blame. === Linda McQuaig: “Its The Crude Dude! War, Big Oil, And The Fight For The Planet”: Webcast: Linda
McQuaig, new book tells us how the world‚s most powerful
industry and history‚s most lethal army are having their
way with the planet === Suicide Bombing – Crime against Humanity?: Not
as linear as you might think……. === Venezuela’s Chavez arrives in China with eye on oil deals: During
his five-day state visit, Chavez will meet with Chinese leaders
including President Hu Jintao to exchange views on bilateral relations
and international issues of common concern, the Xinhua news agency
said. === Cleric: Bethlehem today is a ‘prison’: Bethlehem,
the traditional birthplace of Jesus, has been turned into a large
prison by the separation barrier Israel is building in the West
Bank, the top Roman Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land said Tuesday. === Iran Has Detained Over more than 10 people on Spy Charges : “These
people were spying for Mossad and CIA,” IRNA quoted Yunesi
as saying. He was referring to the Israel’s external secret
service and the Central Intelligence Agency. === Press fails to press Bush: White
House reporters ask softball questions just to gain favor with
the president and his senior staff. It’s a concept known
by a technical nomenclature: sucking up to sources. === 14 give $250,000 each to Bush fete : More
than a dozen wealthy Bush supporters have donated $250,000 each
to help pay for the president’s second inauguration, which
is shaping up as one of the most expensive. === National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day: There
are more than 3.5 million homeless Americans nationwide. An estimated
3,000 died last year, and the homeless coalition expects that figure
to rise this year. The No. 1 cause of death was natural causes,
followed by homicide, suicide and hypothermia === Shift to Foreign Stocks Sapping the Dollar: Thanks
in large part to the dollar’s weakness, returns on foreign
shares overall have significantly outpaced U.S. market returns
since 2002. Foreign stock mutual funds have gained 12% a year,
on average, over the last three years, compared with a 4.9% average
annual gain for domestic stock funds === The National Institutes of Health: Public Servant or Private Marketer?: A continuing
examination by The Times shows an unabashed mingling of science
and commerce. === The End Of Warfare: Against
the most heavily armed opponent in the history of War, Fallujah
has still not let itself be “taken” to date. The mightiest
military machine in history has met its match. === |
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