‘Hello, Pot? This is Kettle. You’re Green.’ –US Hypocrisy Toward Iran By Lori Price 21 Jun 2009 The world’s biggest hypocrite and meddlesome nosy parker, the United States, has outdone itself with its reaction to the post-election events in Iran. At least five glaring ‘grand hypocrisy’ categories have emerged, with more likely on the way. What other country — having just endured eight years of dictatorship as the result of two stolen elections — could actually spew outrage over… another nation’s ‘stolen election?’ Gag me with a green chainsaw.
o bodies to UK forces in the capital.
Oil rush: Scramble for Iraq’s wealth –Critics said the war was all about the nation’s lucrative fuel industry. Are they now being proved right? By Patrick Cockburn 21 Jun 2009 For many Iraqis, the reason the US invaded their country in 2003 was to get control of their oil… On 29 and 30 June, the Iraqi government will award contracts under which international oil companies will take a central role in producing crude oil from Iraq’s six super-giant oilfields over the next 20 to 25 years… “The service contracts will put the Iraqi economy in chains and shackle its independence for the next 20 years,” said Fayad al-Nema, head of the state-owned South Oil Company, which produces 80 per cent of Iraq’s crude. “They squander Iraq’s reserves.”
Senate Approves War Funding Bill After Obama Presses Democrats –At Obama’s behest, the bill includes $7.7 billion to prepare for pandemic flu. –Congress to give Mexico an additional $420 million this year to buy helicopters, surveillance aircraft and computers for police 19 Jun 2009 A war funding bill passed the Senate overwhelmingly yesterday, but the 91 to 5 vote came after a fractured process that included objections from Republicans and Democrats alike, and required President Obama to intervene repeatedly to lobby members of his own party for his foreign policy ‘vision.’ The final version of the $105.9 billion bill provides funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30. [There's taxpayer billions for US pharma-terrorists and to meet the military needs of most dictatorships on the planet, but the lying sacks of sh*t aka Congress insist there's 'no money' for single-payer health care.]
Taxpayers hit by £150m cost of mercenaries –Conflict in Afghanistan has created the biggest source of income for taxpayer-funded private security companies 21 Jun 2009 Mercenaries working for security companies in Iraq and Afghanistan have earned more than £148m from Foreign Office contracts over the past three years. While Iraq was once at the heart of a boom for the controversial and still expanding industry, Foreign Office figures show that the conflict in Afghanistan has created the biggest source of income for private security companies funded by the British taxpayer.
Austria set to sue over BAE arms sales –New documents in inquiry into corruption allegations –Vienna prosecutor builds case against ‘persuader’ 19 Jun 2009 Austria expects to bring corruption charges in connection with BAE arms sales, the first such prosecution in five years’ of bribery investigations all over the world. The Austrian prosecutors’ decision follows the emergence of new documents that outline in considerable detail the channelling of secret BAE cash to Count Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly, an Austrian aristocrat who worked undercover for the arms firm. In one memo, Mensdorff claims Austria was persuaded to buy BAE’s Eurofighters in 2002 for €1.7bn (£1.5bn), thanks to “aggressive incentive payments to key decision-makers”.
Alcohol abuse by GIs soars since ’03 19 Jun 2009 The rate of Army soldiers enrolled in treatment programs for alcohol dependency or abuse has nearly doubled since 2003 — a sign of the growing stress of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Army statistics and interviews. Soldiers diagnosed by Army substance abuse counselors with alcoholism or alcohol abuse, such as binge drinking, increased from 6.1 per 1,000 soldiers in 2003 to an estimated 11.4 as of March 31, according to the data. The latest data cover the first six months of the fiscal year that began in October.
Former Scotland Yard anti-terrorist police chief calls for 7/7 inquiry 20 Jun 2009 Andy Hayman, Scotland Yard’s former head of counter-terrorism, says an independent public inquiry should be held into the July 7 bombings. Mr Hayman, at the time Assistant Commissioner for Special Operations, says he is “uncomfortable” with the official position that an inquiry would divert resources from the fight against terrorism. He is the first figure from the security establishment to call for an open inquiry, almost four years after the attacks that killed 52 people and injured more than 700.
Oops! Building firm blurts out secrets of hush-hush MI5 HQ –It was used as a base for Operation Pathway, when 12 terror suspects thought to have been planning attacks on shopping centres in Manchester, were arrested. They were later released for lack of evidence. 14 Jun 2009 Details of one of Britain’s most sensitive spy bases have been revealed after they were posted on the internet by the company that built it. In a security blunder that has irritated MI5, a publicity brochure placed online contains the address and full-colour pictures of its northern operations centre. The building was opened amid great secrecy last year. [Well, that was then and this is now. The address is: Park 66, Pilsworth Road, Bury, Lancashire.]
Gordon Brown: ‘I could walk away from office tomorrow’ –Gordon Brown has admitted he has been “hurt” by the personal attacks on him in the past month, saying he could “walk away from office” tomorrow. 20 Jun 2009 Reflecting on his time in office, the prime minister, who faced down a coup from his own party earlier this month, admitted flaws in his leadership, particularly how he presented himself to the public. “I’m not as great a presenter of information or communicator as I would like to be,” he said in an interview, adding that he is not skilled at political manoeuvring. “I don’t actually think I’m very good at it at all.”
‘Lynch mob mentality’ scares politicians [What a shame!] 20 Jun 2009 MPs fear the publication of their expenses claims could lead to attacks on their homes and endanger the safety of their families this weekend. Politicians said they had been abused in the street. One candidate for the vacant Speakership of the Commons said the stories on expense abuses had created a “lynch mob mentality”. The Tory MP Nadine Dorries said she had called the police after returning home on Wednesday to find vandals had smashed up patio furniture at her constituency home in Bedfordshire. They then left a note on her website, saying: “Nice patio Nadine, or was.”
Heads up! Baxter to release flu vaccine in July 13 Jun 2009 Illinois-based Baxter International Inc. said it expects by early July to release the first commercially available dosages of [deadly] H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Baxter, based in Deerfield, Ill., is one of several vaccine makers working with the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to combat foment the virus, which WHO this week declared a global pandemic. [See: Baxter working on vaccine to stop swine flu, though admitted sending live pandemic flu viruses to subcontractor By Lori Price 26 Apr 2009.]
The Baxter Bug: Swine flu ‘could infect up to half the population’ –Health authorities told to set up testing and drug distribution centres in case of autumn outbreak 21 Jun 2009 Primary care trusts are to set up anti-viral drug distribution centres and swine flu testing clinics amid fears that the infection could spread out of control. The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, wrote to health authorities last week urging hospitals to test all patients who show signs of flu-like symptoms… The letter followed an earlier warning from Sir Liam that millions of Britons could fall victim to swine flu in the coming months. Government officials admitted last night that illness rates from the virus could reach 50 per cent.
Utah prisoners under quarantine for H1N1 test 19 Jun 2009 A prison dormitory is under quarantine as health officials process tests for H1N1 swine flu. Three inmates at the Promontory housing facility have been tested after reporting flu-like symptoms, according to a news statement by the state Department of Corrections. The three men live in the same 50-bed dormitory at the Utah State Prison.
Passenger says TSA agents harassed him –ACLU is suing DHS Secretary on behalf of passenger 20 Jun 2009 Steve Bierfeldt says the Transportation Security Administration pulled him aside for extra questioning in March. On a recording a TSA agent can be heard berating Bierfeldt. One sample: “You want to play smartass, and I’m not going to play your f**king game.” Larry Schwartztol of the ACLU said the TSA is suffering from mission creep. “We think what happened to Mr. Bierfeldt is a reflection that TSA believes passenger screening is an opportunity to engage in freewheeling law enforcement investigations that have no link to flight safety,” he said.
Schwarzenegger jet makes “steep” emergency landing 20 Jun 2009 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s jet made a “quick, steep, but safe” emergency landing in Los Angeles on Friday after the pilot reported smoke coming from the cockpit’s instrument panel, his office said. Although there was no visible fire, the pilot diverted the jet to the Van Nuys airport 10 minutes before he was due to land at Santa Monica, spokesman Aaron McLear said in a statement.
Poll: 72 percent want government-administered insurance plan to compete with private sector –85 percent want major healthcare reforms 20 Jun 2009 Americans strongly support fundamental changes to the healthcare system and a move to create a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll published on Saturday. The Times/CBS poll found seventy-two percent of those questioned said they backed a government-administered insurance plan similar to Medicare for those under 65 that would compete for customers with the private sector.
Senator Slams General’s Torture Testimony –Calls Commander’s Answers ‘Incomplete, at Best’ 17 Jun 2009 Obama’s new pick to oversee U.S. forces in Afghanistan misled Congress about his role in the use of so-called “enhanced interrogation” by U.S. Special Operations forces in 2003 and 2004, a senior Democratic senator has charged. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) said late last week that then-Special Operations commander [Grade A sociopath] Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal was not direct with lawmakers at his confirmation hearing regarding his approval of harsh interrogations torture by personnel under his control.
Tony Blair faces calls to appear at public Iraq war inquiry after plan backfires 22 Jun 2009 Tony Blair tried to stop the Iraq war inquiry being held in public as new evidence emerged suggesting that he knew Saddam Hussein may not have weapons of mass destruction. The former Prime Minister lobbied Sir Gus O’Donnell, the head of the Civil Service, fearing that a public appearance at the inquiry, headed by Sir John Chilcott, could turn into a “show trial”. The move appears to have backfired this weekend, as it emerges that part of the inquiry will now be heard in public and Mr Blair is the focus of calls to appear.
Tony Blair pushed Gordon Brown to hold Iraq war inquiry in private –Leak reveals plan to provoke invasion 21 Jun 2009 Tony Blair urged Gordon Brown to hold the independent inquiry into the Iraq war in secret because he feared that he would be subjected to a “show trial” if it were opened to the public, the Observer can reveal. The revelation that the former prime minister – who led Britain to war in March 2003 – had intervened will fuel the anger of MPs, peers, military leaders and former civil servants, who were appalled by Brown’s decision last week to order the investigation to be conducted behind closed doors.
Iraq war inquiry could reveal secrets, lies and the rush to war 21 Jun 2009 When Tony Blair told the Commons that he hoped conflict with Iraq could be averted, he already knew the White House had picked 1,500 targets for its bombers. Gaby Hinsliff, Paul Harris and Jamie Doward report on the gaps between what the public were told and what politicians were discussing in private, as the government prepares for a closed inquiry.
Canada to consider settlements suit 22 Jun 2009 A Canadian court is to consider a lawsuit brought by Palestinians from the West Bank town of Bilin who say two Canadian firms have committed war crimes by assisting in construction of Israeli settlements. Activists filed the suit against Green Mount International and Green Park International – two Canadian companies contracted to build in the settlement of Modiin Illit, in a Montreal court, where the companies are registered
New Tel Aviv bar bans IDF soldiers in uniform, settlement products 21 Jun 2009 A new vegan bar opened last week in Tel Aviv that bans Israel Defense Forces soldiers in uniform and boycotts products made in West Bank settlements. The Rogatka – “slingshot” – bar was opened by an “anarchist collective” who once ran the Salon Mazal bar; it is located on Yitzhak Sadeh street in central Tel Aviv.
‘President Barack Obama is morphing into George W. Bush.’ In stark legal turnaround, Obama now resembles Bush 19 Jun 2009 President Barack Obama is morphing into George W. Bush, as administration attorneys repeatedly adopt the executive-authority and national-security rationales that their Republican predecessors preferred. In courtroom battles and freedom-of-information fights from Washington, D.C., to California, Obama’s legal arguments repeatedly mirror Bush’s: White House turf is to be protected, secrets must be retained and dire warnings are wielded as weapons.
McCain: Obama has ‘done well’ [LOL!] 21 Jun 2009 Sen. John McCain has given Barack Obama — his opponent in last year’s presidential election — overall high marks during his first five months in the White House, but said the president has failed on a promise to bring bipartisanship to Washington. The Arizona Republican, speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation” program Sunday, said that using a legislative scorecard to judge the presidency so far, Mr. Obama has achieved all his legislative goals. “I think he’s done well,” Mr. McCain said.
