October  2008

Operation Sarkozy : how the CIA placed one of its agents at the presidency of the French Republic [by Thierry Meyssan 7/26/08, reposted 10/12/08]  "One should judge Nicolas Sarkozy according to his actions, and not according to his personality. Yet when his doings surprise even his own constituents, it is legitimate to take a detailed look at his biography and question the bonds that brought him to power. Thierry Meyssan has decided to write the truth about the French Republic’s president background. All the information included in this article is provable, except for two assertions signaled by the author, Thierry Meyssan, who alone takes full responsibility ..."    Note: I vaguely remember seeing this in July. Well, if this is the case, than definitely this other MySpace Blog article, which came out October 12, 2008, entitled "French Intelligence Fingers Israeli Planned False Flag On American Soil" ,to which there is a link on the Rumor Mill website, is an intelligence agency fear-based dark-side ploy, geared to misinform and induce fear, besides being full of obvious internal contradictions to things we know are the case. Here is another example of a story which, by implication, invalidates material in the October 12th story above:  French-Israeli cooperation in the field of military R&D.  The use of MySpace by intel agencies for propaganda is already a known fact. After all, they do wish to have the 'patriots' revolt and induce fear in gullible people, don't they, in order to 'justify' authoritarian lockdown, so why not plant the Oct 12 article, which would contribute toward that dynamic?

White House Won’t Extend Jobless Benefits, Says People Should "Just Find A Job"    [10/11/08 ] "During today’s press briefing, White House press secretary Dana Perino suggested the Bush administration would oppose any effort to extend jobless benefits — a stance the White House has taken before. She explained their position by saying, “we want people to be able to return to the workplace as soon as possible.” The suggestion was that extending benefits somehow prevents people from returning to work. She concluded by saying that “the best way to help” the economy and unemployed people is for unemployed people to simply “get back to work.” It is both insulting and naive to suggest that people aren’t working because jobless benefits are somehow too generous and they’re too lazy to look for work again."   This sounds like something from the Onion satire site ... but sadly, it isn't.

Concern in G.O.P. After Rough Week for McCain  [10/11/08 ] "..... Mr. McCain’s advisers said they remained confident of victory ...."  Only if the election is fixed, in which case there will be an insurrection in the U.S. Related:Swing states illegally purge voters

'Hockey Mom' Palin Booed -- At Hockey Game    [10/11/08 ] "Sarah Palin, in her much-ballyhooed appearance dropping the puck at the Philly Flyers' opener, was greeted by "resounding (almost deafening) boos from the Flyers crowd." Of course, Fox Sports was more "balanced," observing on its site, "The crowd reacted with a mixture of cheers and boos at her appearance." See video.

Financial Crisis: Gordon Brown demands £20 bn 'British money' from Iceland   [10/11/08 ] "Gordon Brown has issued a public threat to Iceland, demanding the return of up to £20 billion belonging to British savers, companies and local councils. The Prime Minister said Britain would seize the assets of Icelandic companies and take “further action against the authorities” over the collapse of the island’s banks. The diplomatic row, which has echoes of the Cod Wars of the 1970s, erupted after it emerged that more than 100 local authorities have deposits in Iceland. They stand to lose a total of more than £1 billion. British companies are said to have as much as £12 billion in the failed banks and individual savers more than £6 billion. Unless the Icelandic government agrees to return the cash, British taxpayers will have to foot the bill to bail out local councils and other public bodies. This would come through increases in council tax or Treasury funds. It would mean the Government spending more public money because of the financial crisis after staking £500 billion in an attempt to rescue British banks. Mr Brown told the BBC: “We are freezing the assets of Icelandic companies in the UK where we can. We will take further action against the Icelandic authorities wherever that is necessary to recover the money.” 

McCain: ‘As President, I’m going to end these abuses [of power] whatever it takes.'   [10/10/08 ] ""As a Senator, I’ve seen the corrupt ways of Washington and wasteful spending and other abuses of power, and its corruption. We now have former members of Congress residing in federal prison. That’s how bad it’s gotten. As President, I’m going to end these abuses whatever it takes." Note: McCain’s statement is ironic, considering his running mate was cited just last night by an official state investigation for unethically and unlawfully abusing her power. Noting that McCain was previously admonished by the Senate Ethics Committee for his involvement in the Keating scandal, Steve Benen reports. The McCain/Palin ticket is the first in American history in which both candidates were found to have violated ethics standards before a national election. Related: McCain picked Palin knowing of the abuse of power allegations "Yglesias recalls : The very first time I ever heard Sarah Palin’s name floated as a potential VP was on Morning Joe. Andrea Mitchell immediately responded that Palin was the subject of an active abuse of power investigation, so she was out. Everyone seemed to agree with that, and the conversation moved on. Sounded sensible enough to me. But within days she was John McCain’s choice."  Note: Is it just me? There's could be something really 'politically convenient' on how this is unfolding ... or perhaps it is just Pluto moving shortly into Capricorn ... 

Sarah Palin investigation cites unlawful abuse of power   [10/10/08 ] "Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday. The politically charged inquiry imperiled her reputation as a reformer on John McCain's Republican ticket. Investigator Stephen Branchflower, in a report by a bipartisan panel that investigated the matter, found Palin in violation of a state ethics law that prohibits public officials from using their office for personal gain ... Palin and McCain's supporters had hoped the inquiry's finding would be delayed until after the presidential election to spare her any embarrassment ...."  Golly gee, betcha she's screwed now. Related: 12 New Revelations About Sarah Palin

McCain Repeats Attacks   [10/09/08 ]  "Loud cheers from 4,000 people gathered at a sports complex near Milwaukee greeted McCain's attacks on Obama  .... "He's a terrorist!" a man in the audience screamed without making clear to whom he was referring."  Note: What if one of these 4000 people McCain has whipped up into a frenzy shoots Obama? McCain incites man to murder. He is then complicit. McCain is inciting violence and behavior which mirrors his own instability and anger ... thousands of red-neck idiots resonate with McCain, and they're just as dangerous as he is. McCain, according to recent Bush era definitions ... is a terrorist himself. Related: Former McCain Strategist Warns Against "Angry Mob" "John Weaver, John McCain's former top strategist, says the Republican candidate is making both a moral and a a tactical mistake by letting abusive hecklers have free rein at rallies ... One of Washington's longest serving political hands, David Gergen, expressed bewilderment and fright over the vitriol coming from McCain-Palin rallies, saying that the anger of the crowds could lead to violence .... There is a free-floating sort of whipping-around anger that could really lead to some violence. And I think we're not far from that ... the remark came hours after John McCain and Sarah Palin held a rally in Wisconsin that saw attendees pleading with them to go on the attack against Barack Obama over his past associations and "socialistic" behavior. Earlier in the week crowd members at other McCain-Palin events have screamed out that Obama is a terrorist, has committed treason, and should be killed." | Note: Watch this video, McCain Agrees Obama a "Hooligan," Palin Incites Crowd to see how McCain whips up a crowd with his insanity. The people in the crowd are ... sadly .. dumber than a box of rocks ... and darker than shit. See this video  Strongsville, Ohio: The Place That Evolution Forgot These people are SO STUPID! 

Body-Flags, Voice-Flags and Attitude-Flags Which Reveal Palin's Personality    [10/10/08 ]  " ... Sarah Palin has mastered one fundamental requirement of a Republican president: she can smile and look you directly in the eye while telling an outrageous lie. At least when John McCain lies, his body screams his discomfort by putting on an eye-catching display of twitches, phony smiles and robot moves. McCain's body language is so strange that it's easily observable; he appears to be operated by a puppeteer who is a couple of triple-espressos over the line. That's a good thing, though. We'd much rather have a presidential candidate who reads like a comic book when he's lying than one who conceals those whoppers under a grin and a wink. Sarah Palin belts out her deceptions and distractions with a radiant confidence we usually only see in sociopaths and infomercial pitch-persons. The last public figure we saw who could grin and lie with that kind of sunny confidence was O. J. Simpson ...." 

During Frantic Trading CNBC Reporter Finds Toupee On Exchange Floor    [10/10/08 ] Video "CNBC reporter Rick Santelli picked up a toupee on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade during one of the most eye-popping days of trading in history. As stock prices plummeted and volatility soared, Santelli said that people were losing not only their shirts, but also their hair. Adding insult to injury for the owner of the apparently denuded head, Erin Burnett adds, "Wow, it has a bad part-line, too." 

'US assassinates SOFA opponents'    [10/10/08 ]  "Iraq's Sadr bloc has said that the US assassinates Iraqi political figures who oppose signing the controversial SOFA with Washington." 

Pakistan seeks US funding to avoid bankruptcy    [10/09/08 ]  "Pakistan has dispatched its top finance officials on a mission to raise billions of dollars from its closest allies in a last ditch bid to stave off bankruptcy. Saudi Arabia and the conservative Arab monarchs have signaled their willingness to divert part of their sovereign wealth funds to shore up Pakistan. Gulf support will come at a price with the Emirates determined ensure its own food security by buying up huge tracts of Sindh and Punjab provinces. Islamabad will be expected to grant blanket exemptions on exports from its farms to the Gulf in return – an unpopular move when 25 per cent inflation has forced the poor to assemble in huge crowds for government subsidized wheat ..."

UK: Speed cameras that follow you for 30 miles   [10/09/08 ]  "A new generation of speed cameras that can track drivers for up to 30 miles and cannot be dodged are being tested by police. The devices stop motorists evading a ticket by braking suddenly before a camera and then speeding up immediately afterwards. The new cameras could cover whole areas of cities or suburban housing estates, guarding any number of entry and exit points ..."

NSA agents admit spying on Americans' private calls   [10/09/08 ]  "The Bush administration has repeatedly defended its warrantless surveillance of Americans as being directed only against "people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations." Now two intercept operators who worked for the National Security Agency at Fort Gordon in Georgia have come forward to tell ABC News that isn't true ..."

U.S. Security Firm Indicted for Fraud in Afghanistan   [10/09/08 ]  "The company, called U.S. Protection and Investigation, is accused of getting paid "inflated" amounts for its work on behalf of USAID. U.S. Department of Justice officials announced Friday that a private security company contracted by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and four of its executives and employees have been charged with conspiracy, major fraud and wire fraud in connection with alleged efforts to interfere with U.S. military and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan."

Worldwide Demand for Oil and Gas Drops   [10/09/08 ] "Economic growth means less demand for oil and gas overseas, and at home. The cost of a barrel of crude oil is now under $90, down 40 percent from a record high of $147 a barrel in July." 

Data-Mining for Terrorists Not 'Feasible,' DHS-Funded Study Finds  [10/09/08 ]  "The government should not be building predictive data-mining programs systems that attempt to figure out who among millions is a terrorist, a privacy and terrorism commission funded by Homeland Security reported Tuesday. The commission found that the technology would not work and the inevitable mistakes would be un-American. The committee, created by the National Research Council in 2005, also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of technology designed to decide from afar whether a person had terrorist intents, saying false positives could quickly lead to privacy invasions. "Automated identification of terrorists through data mining (or any other known methodology) is neither feasible as an objective nor desirable as a goal of technology development efforts," the report found. "Even in well-managed programs, such tools are likely to return significant rates of false positives, especially if the tools are highly automated." The 376-page report -- entitled "Protecting Individual Privacy in the Struggle Against Terrorists" -- comes as a rebuke to the Bush administration's attempts to use high-tech surveillance and data-sifting tools to prevent another terrorist attack inside the United States ...."  Trolling through people who want to fly on airlines is equally as stupid. 

Bush Admin Considering Ownership Stakes In Banks  [10/08/08 ]  "The Bush administration is considering taking ownership stakes in a number of U.S. banks as one option it might use to deal with a serious credit crisis, an administration official said Wednesday." So, basically, they want to nationalize banks.

Florida: Grave Voting Problems One Month Before Presidential Election  [10/08/08 ]  "A month of primary recounts in the election battleground of Palm Beach County, Florida, has twice flipped the winner in a local judicial race and revealed grave problems in the county's election infrastructure, including thousands of misplaced ballots and vote tabulation machines that are literally unable to produce the same results twice."

Pelosi says "$150B economic stimulus plan needed  [10/08/08 ]  "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that a $150 billion economic stimulus plan is needed now because of the faltering economy and she may call the House into session after the election to pass it. Pelosi told reporters that the stock market meltdown, which has caused an estimated $2 trillion loss from pension funds, was a factor in her recommendation for a second stimulus bill. The first relief plan sent out $600-$1,200 tax rebate checks to most individuals and couples this year. The House did pass a $61 billion economic aid proposal last month before lawmakers left Capitol Hill ahead of the Nov. 4 election. But a similar plan failed to pass the Senate. President Bush had promised a veto anyway."  Why bring it up at all, if it would always be dead before it gets out the gate?  An incarnational experience playing a disingenuous bitch can't be fun.

 Georgian military aggression was a mistake – Sarkozy  [ 10/08/08 ]  "French President Nicolas Sarkozy has condemned the “Georgian aggression” in South Ossetia. It’s the first statement of its kind by a Western European leader, although Sarkozy also criticised the scale of Russia’s response." 

US: 15 States Face Budget Shortfalls  [ 10/07/08 ] "Map. Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as of Sept 26, 2008" 

 Lehman Brothers Exec roasted by Congress over multimillion-dollar pay   [ 10/07/08 ]   Video 'Your company is bankrupt, you keep $480m. Is that fair?' 

 Ron Paul's reaction to the passage of the bailout  Video [ 10/06/08 ]  "Texas Congressman Ron Paul has warned that the amended bailout legislation that passed Congress on Friday is not only far worse than the original bill but is also unconstitutional. Paul speaking just minutes after leaving the floor of the House on Friday, explained that the tax portion of the bill was written by the Senate, when under the Constitution only the House can originate tax bills. 

 Former Deputy Finance Minister to face final charges   [ 10/06/08 ]  "Russian prosecutors have filed final charges against former Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak. The charges were filed on Friday. Along with the embezzlement charges, Storchak has been accused of abuse of office, according to the newspaper Gazeta." 

 Pound and Euro Sink in European Bank Crisis  [ 10/06/08 ]  "....Asian stocks and U.S. index futures fell as deteriorating credit markets prompted European governments to pledge bailouts for troubled banks. The euro slumped to a 13-month low ..." Related: Every country for itself as European unity collapses | London plunges as banks pump billions into market |Calls For Global Summit To Rebuild Financial System | Amid Financial Crisis, Belgians Go on Strike | Panic engulfs global markets 

 A Futile Bailout as Darkness Falls on America  [ 10/06/08 ]  "America has become a pretty discouraging place. Americans, for the most part, will never know what happened to them, because they no longer have a free and responsible press ..."  

 War and the Financial Crisis: Global Research's Top 100 Stories   [ 10/06/08 ] 

 George W. Bush: Torturing Democracy in So Many Ways  [ 10/06/08 ]  "If you need a reminder of the reasons to celebrate the approaching end of George W. Bush’s tenure as president of the United States, search no further than Torturing Democracy. This powerful, damning documentary will air on selected PBS television stations this month, among them WNET-Channel 13 in New York City. The entire film also will be available online for viewing at www.torturingdemocracy.org starting Oct. 10. This compelling example of video story-telling recounts in merciless detail the steps the Bush Administration took on a road to torture, beginning less than a month after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The compelling narrative outlines how Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and their attorneys, among them White House counsel and later Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, shredded the U.S. Constitution and international, military and U.S. law all in the name of supposedly protecting this country. It’s like a train wreck: You cannot look away even though you are horrified and appalled ..."  Related: Klein: Bush admin creates crises to 'enrich themselves and their friends' | The Result of President Bush’s Fear-Mongering  

Thousands of Troops Are Deployed on U.S. Streets Ready to Carry Out "Crowd Control"  [10/08/08 ] By Naomi Wolf   

 Germany to allow domestic military deployment [ 10/06/08 ]  "Germany's governing coalition partners want to change the constitution to allow for military deployment within the country if needed to combat terrorism, officials said Monday. The proposal would allow use of the military only if police are overwhelmed and cannot properly respond to a situation themselves. "It is not to be used generally, but only in very specific cases," Interior Ministry spokeswoman Daniela-Alexandra Pietsch said."

 Saudi Arabia hosts Taliban peace talks   [ 10/06/08 ]   "Saudi Arabia has hosted groundbreaking peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban representatives in Mecca, sources reveal." Yeah, that'll work. So many analogies leap into mind.

 Obama responds to "terrorist buddy" mud with documentary about Keating scandal [ 10/06/08 ]  but he won't talk about McCain's treason when he was a prisoner in Vietnam, or that McCain caused the Forrestal disaster, killing 135 people, or all the historical evidence of McCains psychological instability, along with his militaristic penchant and desire to exceed his father's power status as a dictator. Neither did Rolling Stone magazine in its recent spread on McCain ... which portrayed McCain as a 'life victim', trying to generate 'sympathy' for McCain, who in reality is a psychopathic dictator in waiting.

 6 presidential candidates on the ballot  [ 10/06/08 ]  in enough states to win enough electoral votes to win the election: Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, Cynthia McKinney, Chuck Baldwin, Obama and McCain.  Video  Related: U.S. election a big turn-off for many Americans  "With U.S. election day – November 4 – rapidly approaching and election fever sweeping the country, there are still some Americans who seem to be less than enthusiastic." 

 Ultimate 9/11 'Truth' Showdown: Rollings Stone vs. David Ray Griffin  [ 10/06/08 ]  Two writers lock horns over the accuracy of Griffin's recent book, 9/11 Contradictions.

 JP Morgan ‘brought down’ Lehman Brothers  [ 10/05/08 ]  "JP Morgan has been accused by its Wall Street rivals of dealing the final hammer blow that forced Lehman Brothers into collapse in a sensational claim that threatens to spark a colossal legal battle. The giant American bank is alleged to have frozen $17 billion (£9.6 billion) of cash and securities belonging to Lehman on the Friday night before its failure. According to Lehman’s biggest creditors, this was what precipitated the liquidity crisis that embroiled the firm, forcing it into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on the morning of Monday, September 15. The allegations have been raised in a filing at the bankruptcy court in New York, lodged late last week. Lehman’s biggest creditors include almost every big firm on Wall Street, most of Europe’s heavyweight banks and insurance companies as well as a slew of Japanese and Chinese institutions that are owed several hundred billion dollars." 

 Body Politics: What McCain's Smirks, Tics And Jaw-Clenches Really Mean [ 10/03/08 ]  "The McCain Smirk: The Mouth Of Contempt, The McCain Jaw-Clench: The Painful Art Of Biting Back Anger, Mouth-Talk Vs. Body-Talk .."  Related: A List of McCain's Nastiest Moments 

 French FM evokes Israeli strike on Iran   [ 10/05/08 ] "French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says Israel would strike Iran, under the pretext that the country is seeking nuclear bombs."  Related:  Iran slams French OK for Israeli strike | Israel laying its yellow brick road to Iran war | Iran would fight fire with fire | US still interested in Tehran mission

 Israel threatens Lebanon with destruction  "A senior Israeli military commander has threatened Lebanon with harsh destruction despite a crushing defeat the regime faced last summer."  Related: Berri: Israel hindering Lebanon's unity | 'Paper tiger Israel can't fight Hezbollah' | Bush vows to back Lebanon independence           

 VP Debate Moderator: "Palin Blew Me Off"   "On "Meet the Press" (Video) Sunday morning, vice presidential debate moderator Gwen Ifill said Palin "more than ignored" some of her questions -- she "blew me off." She added that Palin decided to "give a stump speech" instead of a debate, and that there's "little a moderator can do" to stop that."  [ 10/05/08 ] I noticed that. 

 Report: Karzai’s Brother Linked to Afghan Heroin Trade   "When Afghan security forces found an enormous cache of heroin hidden beneath concrete blocks in a tractor-trailer outside Kandahar in 2004, the local Afghan commander quickly impounded the truck and notified his boss. Before long, the commander, Habibullah Jan, received a telephone call from Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of President Hamid Karzai, asking him to release the vehicle and the drugs, Mr. Jan later told American investigators, according to notes from the debriefing obtained by The New York Times. He said he complied after getting a phone call from an aide to President Karzai directing him to release the truck. Two years later, American and Afghan counternarcotics forces stopped another truck, this time near Kabul, finding more than 110 pounds of heroin. Soon after the seizure, United States investigators told other American officials that they had discovered links between the drug shipment and a bodyguard believed to be an intermediary for Ahmed Wali Karzai, according to a participant in the briefing. The assertions about the involvement of the president’s brother in the incidents were never investigated, according to American and Afghan officials, even though allegations that he has benefited from narcotics trafficking have circulated widely in Afghanistan."   Related: British commander says war in Afghanistan cannot be won [ 10/05/08 ]

 "McCain Continues To Fade Into Incoherence And Irrelevance"  ("Pitbull Palin Mauls McCain" - OpEd) " .... So how can a desperate G.O.P. save itself? As McCain continues to fade into incoherence and irrelevance, the last hope is that he’ll come up with some new game-changing stunt to match his initial pick of Palin or his ill-fated campaign “suspension.” Until Thursday night, more than a few Republicans were fantasizing that his final Hail Mary pass would be to ditch Palin so she can “spend more time” with her ever-growing family. But the debate reminded Republicans once again that it’s Palin, not McCain, who is their last hope for victory. You have to wonder how long it will be before they plead with him to think of his health, get out of the way and pull the ultimate stunt of flipping the ticket. Palin, we can be certain, wouldn’t even blink." [ 10/04/08 ] Related: Clinton Calls McCain "Mimic" Of Bush

 Peter Mandelson warns of European banking battle (UK) " Peter Mandelson has warned European nations not to try to 'get out of jail free' by unilaterally guaranteeing all deposits in their banks. The new Business Secretary sent out his alert in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph after moves by Ireland and Greece to underwrite all savings — which have infuriated other countries including Britain. ..." [ 10/04/08 ] Related: Financial crisis risks new wave of economic nationalism | European leaders agree to £12bn rescue package 

 Pakistan’s foreign reserves crisis deepens     " Pakistan’s foreign reserve crisis deepened further Saturday as the central bank said it had lost around $700 million in just a week. The State Bank of Pakistan’s net foreign reserves fell to around $8.1 billion against $8.8 billion, the bank said ..." [ 10/04/08 ] 

Bill Maher Show Videos 10/3/08: New Rules,  Sarah Palin and God | Palin is Bush in Drag Comedy

 Jewish terrorism threatens Israel   "One of Israel's leading left-wing academics tells The Telegraph the future of the Israeli state is threatened as much by Jewish terrorism as it is by Palestinian militancy." [ 10/03/08 ] 

 Lost Logic in the UK: 'Meat should be rationed to four portions a week' to 'beat climate change'  What a bunch of stupid people to believe one fallacy and promulgate another. Stupid is as stupid does.  

 Bailout bill loops  " .... Some loopholes exist. It's possible for a bank to buy $100 billion of bad debt--perhaps in the form of subprime mortgages that are becoming quickly worthless-- declare bankruptcy, and sell it to the Treasury Department for $120 billion, or $200 billion. In other words, although the Treasury Department is supposed to look out for the best interests of taxpayers, there's no law forbidding such profits in the case of firms involved in bankruptcy, receivership, or mergers .... Section 115 of the law says that the administration can, after notifying Congress and waiting 15 days, purchase and hold $700 billion of assets "at any one time." (It can buy and hold $350 billion without waiting.) This, too, is a potential loophole. It permits the Treasury Department to buy up, say, $700 billion in 2008, sell those assets off gradually over the next year at a (probable) loss, and repeat the same process in 2009. Losses to taxpayers, in other words, could exceed $700 billion. Although the Treasury Department is instructed to try to avoid losses, the text of the law does not forbid that scenario ..." [ 10/03/08 ]  Related: Gangsters Now Demanding that Europe pay 440 Billion dollars to Bailout Continent

 Feds: Broadcom co-founder's private jet used to carry drugs "....Federal agents have seized a private jet belonging to Broadcom co-founder Henry T. Nicholas III, claiming it was used to carry drugs. According to court documents, the FBI took the plane in July at Orange County's John Wayne Airport and contend Nicholas used it to transport drugs to various locations across the globe for further distribution. Nicholas has pleaded not guilty to charges in two separate indictments. One detailed the drug accusations and the other accused Nicholas of conspiracy, securities fraud and other violations relating to stock options backdating while he led the computer chip company. Nicholas' attorneys have filed papers to get the jet back. A judge is scheduled to hear the motion Monday .... By cutting a deal before being indicted, Samueli avoided a full airing of possible charges against him – as well as the possibility of going to prison. Some critics have said his settlement amounts to a slap on the wrist. By playing hard ball, Nicholas could face more hard time. Prosecutors said the combined charges in the securities case alone could result in a maximum possible sentence of 340 years in prison, although it's unlikely he would get that sentence a first-time criminal offender. Nicholas and Samueli, each worth an estimated $2.3 billion according to Forbes magazine, have bottomless bank accounts to fight their cases. They also both hired experienced trial teams"  [ 10/03/08 ]  Related Background Material:  Video shows Broadcom billionaire doing drugs "...Prosecutors say surveillance videos of Henry T. Nicholas III show how the Newport Coast billionaire continued to use drugs long after he knew he was under investigation by federal authorities ..." | Broadcom billionaire charged with distributing 'ecstasy' to prostitutes, others | Broadcom billionaires take different legal paths  Of course, the drug ecstasy is a favorite of Israeli dealers. | Broadcom's Samueli pleads guilty    ".... He is expected to pay $12 million, plus a $250,000 fine, for false statement about stock options backdating. Henry Samueli, co-founder of Irvine-based Broadcom Corp., pleaded guilty Monday to one count of lying to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about his role in the backdating of employee stock option grants. Under a plea agreement with the government, Samueli is expected to be sentenced to five years probation. The agreement calls for him to pay $12 million to the U.S. Treasury and be fined $250,000 ..... Two federal criminal cases against Henry T. Nicholas III, the other Broadcom co-founder, are pending. One case involves the stock option backdating; the other is a drug distribution case. Henry Samueli was not implicated in the drug case. He was named an un-indicted co-conspirator in the backdating case ..."   

 Bush 2000 = Palin 2008    "On MSNBC, Countdown aired a video compilation showing the similarity in rhetoric between George W. Bush in 2000 and Sarah Palin in 2008. Keith Olbermann reported that “the people around [Palin] — the top-level campaign staffers crafting her message of change and reform — are almost all from the inner-circle of the same Bush campaigns and administration from which she offers that change.” He concluded, “Small surprise then that even in the very act of claiming her background, her experience qualify her to offer us that change from Bush, she does so sounding almost exactly like Bush.” Progressive Accountability put together its own Bush-Palin video compilation earlier today. Check it out here.  [ 10/03/08 ] Related:  Palin Says She Will Seek Some Authority Over Legislative And Judicial Branches  During the vice presidential debate last night, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said that she agreed with Vice President Cheney’s belief that there is “a lot of flexibility” in the Office of the Vice President and that she was “thankful the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president.”  It was funny, watching Palin accuse Biden of being like Bush ... she is closer to the Bush model than Biden.

 Taliban leader urged to join Afghan gov't by Karzai    "Afghan President Hamid Karzai has invited Mullah Omar, the leader of Taliban, to return to Afghanistan and join the government."   Well, are they still going to exclaim they're 'going after the Taliban' in Afghanistan? What now, especially with all the political rhetoric about 'the Taliban' as a 'reason' to be there ... it's really about opium and oil ... but they can't come out and admit it. What they will do now is probably take out Karzai ... the usual pattern, because the U.S. 'has to have' a 'reason' to 'be there.'  Update: Taliban Rejects Karzai Call for Talks [ 10/04/08 ]  Mullah Omar has no reason to sit down and negotiate with Karzai.  The US and NATO leadership couldn't have bungled this any worse than if they had done it deliberately.  

 US threatens to steal Iraq oil money if documents not signed    "Washington has threatened to seize Iraqi assets and oil money if Baghdad rejects a controversial US-proposed security pact, Iraq says. Upon arrival in Iraq from Washington, President Jalal Talabani told reporters that he is concerned over Washington threats. "Washington threatened to use any means to seize Iraqi assets if we do not support the security pact," Marsadiraq quoted Talabani as saying. The deal has been severely criticized by prominent Iraqi political and religious figures, who say it would undermine the country's national sovereignty. In late August, thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to denounce the agreement. The security deal will allow permanent American bases in the country and will grant US personnel immunity from prosecution inside the bases. The Americans, however, would be liable for prosecution outside their bases. As controversy surrounds the proposed pact, the US may not be able to convince Iraq to sign the agreement. On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and parliament declared that any deal should take Iraqi interests into consideration. Maliki warned that US pressure would only create a political discord inside the Middle Eastern country and threaten the democratically- elected government." [ 10/03/08 ]  That's extortion and theft, par for the current US administration. But, they're stealing money right and left already from Iraq: US seizes ‘$5bn of Saddam’s assets' "Washington has seized $5 billion as blood money for the ouster of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, an Iraqi security official has revealed."

 Cheney petitions court to block Addington deposition    "On the eve of the first scheduled deposition in CREW, et al. v. Cheney, et al., Vice President Cheney and the other defendants filed an emergency petition for a writ of mandamus with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Mandamus is an extraordinary remedy, and was filed here in an attempt to make the D.C. Circuit Court intrude directly into the district court litigation by demanding that the district court judge vacate her discovery orders. This would eliminate the possibility of garnering evidence on White House policies on complying with record keeping obligations under the Presidential Records Act. The petition is based on a claim that the discovery authorized by the district court raises serious separation of powers concerns merely because the deponent is David Addington."  [ 10/02/08 ]  Addington is the one who crafted the 'signing statements' for Bush, amongst other things. He's guilty of treason himself. Related: Judge Upholds DHS FOIA On White House Abramoff Records "In a series of rulings on September 30, 2008, Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that the Secret Service had not conducted an adequate search for records relating to White House visits of Jack Abramoff and his associates in two consolidated lawsuits." 

 Ventura Details Upcoming Conspiracy TV Show    "Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has elaborated on an announcement that he is to host a new TV show investigating conspiracies, revealing that he will broach the subject of the 9/11 attacks. Ventura told listeners of the nationally syndicated Alex Jones show that the TruTV series he is working on will look into 9/11 and ask questions surrounding the stonewalling of the truth concerning the attacks."  [ 10/02/08 ]  Note: Tru-TV will be broadcast on Court TV channel. Look for announcements on that channel.

 Blog Analyzes Palin-Biden Debate [ 10/02/08 ]   What a dog and pony show. An interesting commentary done while watching the show.  Related: Transcript

Video: Paulson Admits They're Bailing Out Foreign Companies and Interests  [ 10/02/08 ] Related Videos: Australian PM Rudd urges US to pass bailout plan | Royal Bank Of Scotland - To Get Billions In Us Bailout

 People Line Up to Buy Gold in Britain  [ 10/02/08 ]  "London's two leading bullion dealers, ATS Bullion and Baird & Co, have reported a rush of interest from savers, many of whom have hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of savings they want to convert into the precious metal. At least two customers have invested the entire proceeds from selling their houses into gold, each buying up more than £500,000-worth of gold bars, according to one dealer ..."

 One of the real reasons for this bailout  Video. Note: Shanghai, Britain, China, Germany, etc, get reimbursed for losses, or they'll overtly do something the US would not like, and that would literally bring it down right away.  Blackmail money ... Bush screwed them, and they want to be covered for their losses or else! All these countries own Treasury Bonds which they could demand payment on, bankrupting the US right away. Of course, there are other reasons for the 'chain' of bailouts ... there is never only one reason for anything, in planetary politics.  [ 10/02/08 ] Related: The Scam That Over-Valued Bank Assets (original title: "Bailout Fraud")

 McCain and the POW Cover-up    "Research support provided by the Investigative Fund of The Nation Institute. This is an expanded version, with primary documents attached, of a story that appears in the October 6, 2008 issue of The Nation." 

 Expert: Iran strike would cause ’serious depression’    "A former CIA agent and expert on Iran offered a grim assessment on Tuesday of American options in dealing with that nation, saying that “sanctions have failed,” surgical strikes will lead to unacceptable retaliation against US interests, but a conventional war and invasion would “look like World War III.”  [ 10/02/08 ]

 McCain’s Last Hope Is A False Flag Operation   "With just 31 days left until the presidential election, attention has turned to the widely anticipated “October surprise.” There is only one man that can now prevent Barack Obama from becoming the next President of the United States - and it isn’t John McCain." It isn't OBL, either, since he's dead. [ 10/02/08 ] Related: October Surprise Possibilities

 Blackwater Machine Gun Found in Raid on Iraqi Insurgents   "An M4 machine gun sent to Iraq by the Blackwater private security firm somehow disappeared from the company’s storage facility in Baghdad and was later discovered during a US military operation, apparently against suspected insurgents, people familiar with the situation have told ABC News."  [ 10/02/08 ]

 West moves in support of Israeli nukes   "The West seeks to protect Israel from nuclear inspections after a major initiative to place Tel Aviv's nuclear activities on the IAEA agenda."  [ 10/01/08 ]

 The 10 big news stories the mainstream media ignored   "How many Iraqis have died, NAFTA on Steroids, InfraGard Guards Itself , ILEA: Training Ground for Illegal Wars, Seizing Protest , Radicals=Terrorists , Slavery’s Runner-Up, Bush Changes the Rules, Soldiers Speak Out, APA Helps CIA Torture, and 15 more stories. "  [ 10/01/08 ]

 Georgia Unleashed Conflict in South Ossetia, EC Official Said   "Head of the European Commission Directorate General for External Relations Eneko Landaburu has agreed that Georgia unleashed the conflict in South Ossetia, Russia’s Deputy Ambassador to the EU Nikolay Kobrinets told RIA Novosti Tuesday." [ 10/01/08 ]

 Bayer Pesticide Chemicals Linked to Devastating Collapse of Honeybee Populations    "German government researchers have concluded that a bestselling Bayer pesticide is responsible for the recent massive die-off of honeybees across the country’s Baden-Württemberg region. In response, the government has banned an entire family of pesticides, fueling accusations that pesticides may be responsible for the current worldwide epidemic of honeybee die-offs ..." [ 10/01/08 ] 

 International Criminal Court To Tackle Impunity   "The establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the most significant feat in international law in decades, Liechtenstein told the General Assembly’s annual high-level debate today, noting that the body’s legacy will be measured by its moves to address the issue of impunity. .... the Foreign Minister drew attention to the Genocide Convention, adopted by the Assembly six decades ago and which the ICC has jurisdiction over. “The Convention was born out of the desire to prevent recurrence of genocide, yet it failed to achieve this purpose on several occasions thereafter.... The Foreign Minister said efforts must continue to be made to ensure that the concept of the “responsibility to protect” is better understood and applied in practice. It “is a narrow concept that is limited to clearly defined cases of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity .... "Impunity arises from a failure by States to meet their obligations to investigate violations; to take appropriate measures in respect of the perpetrators, particularly in the area of justice, by ensuring that those suspected of criminal responsibility are prosecuted, tried and duly punished; to provide victims with effective remedies and to ensure that they receive reparation for the injuries suffered; to ensure the inalienable right to know the truth about violations; and to take other necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of violations." " [ 10/01/08 ]  In other words, like those who executed the 911 event.

 US manufacturing index plunges to 43.5%    The US is far from a 'production' economy. It's a consumer economy. So, they must be talking about production that supports the military industrial complex. [ 10/01/08 ]

 Sarah Palin: She's a master of the non-answer   "I've debated Governor Palin more than two dozen times. And she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the non-answer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do." [ 10/01/08 ]

 Alberto Gonzales and other Republicans 'could' face criminal charges in US   "The US Department of Justice has appointed a prosecutor to investigate potential criminal charges against Alberto Gonzales, the former attorney general, and other ex-Bush administration officials and Republicans in Congress."  [ 10/01/08 ]

 Pakistan formally accuses the U.S. of terrorism   "Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has termed the US incursions into the country’s tribal belt as an ‘act of terrorism’. A joint session of the parliament would be called soon to discuss the issue, Gilani told reporters at the Prime Minister House on Wednesday. In the past month, US forces have carried out seven missile strikes by pilotless drones and a commando raid on the Pakistani side of the border. Washington’s recent unilateral strikes inside Pakistan have triggered sovereignty debates within the corridors of the parliament in Islamabad."  The US/UK/ISRAEL block is the major source and root of terrorism, planet wide, and a significant number of people and governments on the planet knows this. [ 10/01/08 ]  Related: Pakistan spy chief sacked to please United States?  Speculation is rife that the US is behind a massive shake up at Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency. [ 10/01/08 ]

 Syria suspicious of Saudi silence    "Saudi Arabia's silence over the Sept 30 Damascus bombing leaves the Arab state under a cloud of suspicion according to Syrian daily, Al-Watan."  [ 10/01/08 ]

 Former CIA executive pleads guilty to defrauding government   "Prosecutors said Kyle Dustin Foggo, along with convicted Congressman Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, helped steer an estimated $100 million in contracts to San Diego-area firms run by Foggo's old roommate. The former No. 3 official at the CIA pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding the government, closing an investigation that linked the nation's preeminent spy service to the corruption scandal involving former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. The deal also involved major concessions from prosecutors, who allowed Foggo to admit guilt to a single fraud charge, wiping out 27 additional counts that included money laundering and conspiracy. Foggo, 53, faces up to 20 years in custody and a $250,000 fine, but prosecutors indicated that they would recommend he serve no more than 37 months." [ 10/01/08 ]     

 Bush Had No Plan to 'Catch Bin Laden' after 9/11   "New evidence from former U.S. officials reveals that the George W. Bush administration failed to adopt any plan to block the retreat of Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders from Afghanistan to Pakistan in the first weeks after 9/11."  And that's a surprise?" [ 10/01/08 ]     

 American Embassy in Belgium is Evacuated   "The U.S. Embassy in Brussels was temporarily evacuated on Sunday after Belgium police received a phone call about a bomb on the premises." [ 10/01/08 ]     

 1,157 Arrested in California Immigration Sweep   "U.S. Customs and Immigration (ICE) concluded an immigration sweep in three of California's urban centers on Saturday. During the three-week operation ICE agents arrested 1,157 individuals in the LA, San Diego and San Francisco areas. The LA Times reports that a spokesperson for ICE says that of those arrested, 595 had outstanding deportation orders and 346 had prior criminal convictions. The operation targeted individuals who had ignored deportation orders or returned to the United States after being deported." [ 10/01/08 ]     

 Bush signs $600 billion stopgap bill   "US President George W. Bush signs a government expenditures bill topping 600 billion dollars after his economic relief plan fails." [ 10/01/08 ]  

 Israel irked by IAEA move on its nukes   "An initiative by Iran and Arab League member states to put the Israeli regime's nuclear activities under scrutiny has irked Tel Aviv. " [ 10/01/08 ]  

  "According to research produced by MAPLight.org, House members who voted "yes" on the proposed bailout package received 54 percent more money from banks and securities than members who voted "no"." [ 10/01/08 ]  

 

 

-Above This Line begins October 2008-

GO TO TOP