IRAQI RESISTANCE
Guardian: Grenade Attack On US General In Iraq
BAGHDAD -- America's most senior general in the Middle East came under attack yesterday when insurgents armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades fired at his convoy as it arrived at an Iraqi Civil Defence Corps building.
The assault on General John Abizaid's party in the troubled town of Falluja lasted for six minutes, as US soldiers returned fire with rifles and machine guns.
Gen Abizaid was unhurt in the incident.
But it raised concern about whether the attack was a random assault on the Iraqi base, a common occurrence in Falluja, or a deliberate attempt to kill him - which would suggest a serious breach in military security
Friday, February 13, 2004
IRAQ
Aljazeera: Iraq: Still in the dark
Ten months after the occupation of Iraq in April 2003, the electricity
service has still not been fully restored. The Iraqi capital, Baghdad,
still suffers irregular electricity flow. Each district in the capital
has to live without electricity for at least six hours a day.
The situation is in stark contrast with what happened after the 1991
Gulf War which left the main Iraqi electrical power stations in ruins. It
took the then Iraqi government three months to restore electricity to its
pre-war level.
"First of all, Iraqi power plants are German, Russian, and French made,
but the US are insisting on assigning technicians from the US company
Bechtel to assess Iraq's electrical power stations. Second, they are insisting
on buying equipment from Bechtel, while the main stations in Iraq are not
made in USA."
Aljazeera: Iraq: Still in the dark
Ten months after the occupation of Iraq in April 2003, the electricity
service has still not been fully restored. The Iraqi capital, Baghdad,
still suffers irregular electricity flow. Each district in the capital
has to live without electricity for at least six hours a day.
The situation is in stark contrast with what happened after the 1991
Gulf War which left the main Iraqi electrical power stations in ruins. It
took the then Iraqi government three months to restore electricity to its
pre-war level.
"First of all, Iraqi power plants are German, Russian, and French made,
but the US are insisting on assigning technicians from the US company
Bechtel to assess Iraq's electrical power stations. Second, they are insisting
on buying equipment from Bechtel, while the main stations in Iraq are not
made in USA."
USA: ELECTIONS
makethemaccountable: THE SCREAM
On December 1, 2003, Howard Dean was ahead by twenty points in the polls when he appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews and said, ?We're going to break up the giant media enterprises.? This pronouncement went far beyond the governor?s previous public musings about possibly re-regulating the communications industry, and amounted to a declaration of war on the corporations that administer the flow of information in the United States.
It was an extraordinarily noble and dangerous thing to do: when he advocated a truly free press, Dr. Dean was provoking the corrupt media conglomerates that control what most Americans see and hear and read, and thereby control what most Americans think.
The media giants quickly responded by crushing his high-flying campaign with the greatest of ease. This time, they didn?t even have to invent a scandal in order to achieve the desired result; merely by chanting the word ?unelectable? at maximum volume, the mainstream media maneuvered Democratic voters into switching their support to someone who poses no threat to the status quo.
makethemaccountable: THE SCREAM
On December 1, 2003, Howard Dean was ahead by twenty points in the polls when he appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews and said, ?We're going to break up the giant media enterprises.? This pronouncement went far beyond the governor?s previous public musings about possibly re-regulating the communications industry, and amounted to a declaration of war on the corporations that administer the flow of information in the United States.
It was an extraordinarily noble and dangerous thing to do: when he advocated a truly free press, Dr. Dean was provoking the corrupt media conglomerates that control what most Americans see and hear and read, and thereby control what most Americans think.
The media giants quickly responded by crushing his high-flying campaign with the greatest of ease. This time, they didn?t even have to invent a scandal in order to achieve the desired result; merely by chanting the word ?unelectable? at maximum volume, the mainstream media maneuvered Democratic voters into switching their support to someone who poses no threat to the status quo.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
PEAK OIL
CNN: World oil and gas 'running out'
Global warming will never bring a "doomsday scenario" a team of scientists says -- because oil and gas are running out much faster than thought.
The world's oil reserves are up to 80 percent less than predicted, a team from Sweden's University of Uppsala says. Production levels will peak in about 10 years' time, they say.
CNN: World oil and gas 'running out'
Global warming will never bring a "doomsday scenario" a team of scientists says -- because oil and gas are running out much faster than thought.
The world's oil reserves are up to 80 percent less than predicted, a team from Sweden's University of Uppsala says. Production levels will peak in about 10 years' time, they say.
SITE OF THE DAY: PEAK OIL
LIFE AFTER THE OIL CRASH
Civilization as we know it is coming to an end soon. This is not the wacky conclusion of a religious cult, but rather the result of diligent analysis sourced by hard data and the scientists who study global “Peak Oil” and related geo-political events.
So who are these nay-sayers who claim the sky is falling? Conspiracy fanatics? Apocalypse Bible prophesy readers? To the contrary, they are some of the most respected, highest paid geologists and experts in the world. And this is what's so scary.
The situation is so dire that even George W. Bush's Energy Adviser, Matthew Simmons, has acknowledged that "The situation is desperate. This is the world's biggest serious question."
According to Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, "America faces a major energy supply crisis over the next two decades. The failure to meet this challenge will threaten our nation's economic prosperity, compromise our national security, and literally alter the way we lead our lives."
Below you find a brief explanation of Peak Oil, the ramifications, and what we can do about it. For the sake of simplicity, I have designed the following explanation for somebody unfamiliar with Peak Oil. If you would like more in depth explanations with graphs, charts, and the like, please consult the extensive interviews, articles and sites I have linked to throughout this site
Ultimately, the question is not "When will we run out of oil?" but rather, "When will we run out of cheap oil?"
LIFE AFTER THE OIL CRASH
Civilization as we know it is coming to an end soon. This is not the wacky conclusion of a religious cult, but rather the result of diligent analysis sourced by hard data and the scientists who study global “Peak Oil” and related geo-political events.
So who are these nay-sayers who claim the sky is falling? Conspiracy fanatics? Apocalypse Bible prophesy readers? To the contrary, they are some of the most respected, highest paid geologists and experts in the world. And this is what's so scary.
The situation is so dire that even George W. Bush's Energy Adviser, Matthew Simmons, has acknowledged that "The situation is desperate. This is the world's biggest serious question."
According to Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, "America faces a major energy supply crisis over the next two decades. The failure to meet this challenge will threaten our nation's economic prosperity, compromise our national security, and literally alter the way we lead our lives."
Below you find a brief explanation of Peak Oil, the ramifications, and what we can do about it. For the sake of simplicity, I have designed the following explanation for somebody unfamiliar with Peak Oil. If you would like more in depth explanations with graphs, charts, and the like, please consult the extensive interviews, articles and sites I have linked to throughout this site
Ultimately, the question is not "When will we run out of oil?" but rather, "When will we run out of cheap oil?"
DEMOCRACY: CHILE/USA
Commondreams: Kissinger Document Shows Pre-Emption in Practice
WASHINGTON - While critics and supporters of the Bush administration's pre-emption doctrine have described it as unprecedented in U.S. diplomacy, the release of a 34-year-old memo advocating ''regime change'' in Chile shows the policy has been around for quite some time.
The eight-page document by then-national security adviser Henry Kissinger to former president Richard Nixon also suggests that Washington's destabilization of Chilean President Salvador Allende Gossens was not largely motivated by any direct military or subversive threat the Allende government then posed or might pose in the future to the United States.
Kissinger, who couched his arguments carefully for maximum effect, suggests -- just two days after Allende was inaugurated -- that his main concern with the new president was the fear that, were he to successfully consolidate power, his government could serve as a ''model'' for left-wing movements in other countries, including western Europe.
"The example of a successful elected Marxist government in Chile would surely have an impact on -- and even precedent value for -- other parts of the world, especially in Italy," the memorandum warns Nixon just hours before a critical National Security Council (NSC) meeting in which Kissinger urged his boss to reject the ''modus vivendi approach'' recommended by the State Department.
The Memorandum
"Noch selten hat ein Dokument so klar aufgezeigt um was es den USA in Latein Amerika ging und Heute noch geht. Am 11.9.1973 wurde die erste demokratische gewählte Marxistische Regierung der Welt, durch einen von den USA unterstützten und inszenierten Militärputsch gestürzt. Daraufhin ergriff der Freund Amerikas, Augusto Pinochet, die Macht und errichtete eine der blutigsten Militärdiktaturen der Geschichte. Chile hat für die USA niemals eine Gefahr dargestellt, die USA hatte Angst davor, dass eine soziale Regierungsform Erfolg haben könnte und andere Länder dazu inspierieren könnte das gleiche zu tun. Es geht den USA nirgends um Demokratie ,sondern um Macht, Geld und Geopolitischen Einfluss. Auch der 11.9.1973 endetet mit von Flugzeugen zerstörten Regierungsgebäuden. Das nächste Ziel ist Venezuela."
Commondreams: Kissinger Document Shows Pre-Emption in Practice
WASHINGTON - While critics and supporters of the Bush administration's pre-emption doctrine have described it as unprecedented in U.S. diplomacy, the release of a 34-year-old memo advocating ''regime change'' in Chile shows the policy has been around for quite some time.
The eight-page document by then-national security adviser Henry Kissinger to former president Richard Nixon also suggests that Washington's destabilization of Chilean President Salvador Allende Gossens was not largely motivated by any direct military or subversive threat the Allende government then posed or might pose in the future to the United States.
Kissinger, who couched his arguments carefully for maximum effect, suggests -- just two days after Allende was inaugurated -- that his main concern with the new president was the fear that, were he to successfully consolidate power, his government could serve as a ''model'' for left-wing movements in other countries, including western Europe.
"The example of a successful elected Marxist government in Chile would surely have an impact on -- and even precedent value for -- other parts of the world, especially in Italy," the memorandum warns Nixon just hours before a critical National Security Council (NSC) meeting in which Kissinger urged his boss to reject the ''modus vivendi approach'' recommended by the State Department.
The Memorandum
"Noch selten hat ein Dokument so klar aufgezeigt um was es den USA in Latein Amerika ging und Heute noch geht. Am 11.9.1973 wurde die erste demokratische gewählte Marxistische Regierung der Welt, durch einen von den USA unterstützten und inszenierten Militärputsch gestürzt. Daraufhin ergriff der Freund Amerikas, Augusto Pinochet, die Macht und errichtete eine der blutigsten Militärdiktaturen der Geschichte. Chile hat für die USA niemals eine Gefahr dargestellt, die USA hatte Angst davor, dass eine soziale Regierungsform Erfolg haben könnte und andere Länder dazu inspierieren könnte das gleiche zu tun. Es geht den USA nirgends um Demokratie ,sondern um Macht, Geld und Geopolitischen Einfluss. Auch der 11.9.1973 endetet mit von Flugzeugen zerstörten Regierungsgebäuden. Das nächste Ziel ist Venezuela."
Monday, February 09, 2004
PROPAGANDA WATCH
Haaretz: Report - Al-Qaida Has Obtained Tactical Nuclear Explosives
Al-Qaida have possessed tactical nuclear weapons for about six years, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported Sunday.
The Arabic daily reported that sources close to Al-Qaida said Osama bin Laden's group bought the nuclear weapons from Ukrainian scientists who were visiting Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1998.
The report has not been confirmed.
Haaretz: Report - Al-Qaida Has Obtained Tactical Nuclear Explosives
Al-Qaida have possessed tactical nuclear weapons for about six years, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported Sunday.
The Arabic daily reported that sources close to Al-Qaida said Osama bin Laden's group bought the nuclear weapons from Ukrainian scientists who were visiting Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1998.
The report has not been confirmed.
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