Friday, November 05, 2004
USA: BIN LADEN
Prison Planet: Update: New Bin Laden tape said to be on ice
At least one ‘new’ Bin Laden video, said to be in the possession of the Arabic televsion network Al-Jazeera, is nearing the end of an embargo allegedly enacted at the pressure of U.S. authorities, though the tape may still be withheld.
The site reporting on the video, TrackingTerrorism.com, told RAW STORY in private correspondence that they are respecting the embargo. They have been tracking unconfirmed reports for more than two days.
The tape is said to be currently leaked online on a few remote and clandestine Al-Qaeda websites. Militants are already praising its release, making comments such as, “soon the American People will see the edited version,” the site reports.
The site’s editors saying they hope to make the full tape’s presence known to the national media before it is broadcast, saying the last broadcast only included a fraction of the entire tape, the remainder of which was largely ignored by the American media.
At least one ‘new’ Bin Laden video, said to be in the possession of the Arabic televsion network Al-Jazeera, is nearing the end of an embargo allegedly enacted at the pressure of U.S. authorities, though the tape may still be withheld.
The site reporting on the video, TrackingTerrorism.com, told RAW STORY in private correspondence that they are respecting the embargo. They have been tracking unconfirmed reports for more than two days.
The tape is said to be currently leaked online on a few remote and clandestine Al-Qaeda websites. Militants are already praising its release, making comments such as, “soon the American People will see the edited version,” the site reports.
The site’s editors saying they hope to make the full tape’s presence known to the national media before it is broadcast, saying the last broadcast only included a fraction of the entire tape, the remainder of which was largely ignored by the American media.
ARUNDHATI ROY
SMH: What we call peace is little better than capitulation to a corporate coup by Arundhati Roy
The Iraq war is a sign that the world has lost the will to fight for true justice
-- Sometimes there's truth in old cliches. There can be no real peace without justice. And without resistance there will be no justice. Today, it is not merely justice itself, but the idea of justice that is under attack.
The assault on vulnerable, fragile sections of society is so complete, so cruel and so clever that its sheer audacity has eroded our definition of justice. It has forced us to lower our sights, and curtail our expectations. Even among the well-intentioned, the magnificent concept of justice is gradually being substituted with the reduced, far more fragile discourse of "human rights".
CHECK IT
The Iraq war is a sign that the world has lost the will to fight for true justice
-- Sometimes there's truth in old cliches. There can be no real peace without justice. And without resistance there will be no justice. Today, it is not merely justice itself, but the idea of justice that is under attack.
The assault on vulnerable, fragile sections of society is so complete, so cruel and so clever that its sheer audacity has eroded our definition of justice. It has forced us to lower our sights, and curtail our expectations. Even among the well-intentioned, the magnificent concept of justice is gradually being substituted with the reduced, far more fragile discourse of "human rights".
CHECK IT
USA: FOUR MORE YEARS
ICH: Americans Endorse War, Religious Fanaticism And State Terrorism
Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” George Orwell
11/04/04 "ICH" -- The childish charade of this so-called ‘free’ election in the US has finally come to an end. This ‘free’ election was in fact not ‘free’ at all, when you consider that it offered a limited ‘choice’ of only two candidates. This fact alone shows that the US is already very close to a dictatorship. More importantly, both candidates had identical agendas that differed only in style but not in substance, which is not surprising since both were supported and handled by the same corporate Capitalism and Zionist lobbies that American democracy has become known for. In reality, this is a dictatorship that has entered through the back door under the illusion of a ‘free’ election.
MIDDLE EAST: ARAFAT
AP: Arafat Reportedly in 'Irreversible Coma'
PARIS - Yasser Arafat has lapsed into a coma in a French hospital, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday, a day after the Palestinian leader was rushed to intensive care following a sharp deterioration in his health.
French President Jacques Chirac went to the hospital and saw Arafat and his wife, "to whom he expressed his best wishes," Chirac's office said. The president also met members of the Palestinian Authority and doctors "who are doing everything possible for the health of the president," Chirac's office said.
PARIS - Yasser Arafat has lapsed into a coma in a French hospital, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday, a day after the Palestinian leader was rushed to intensive care following a sharp deterioration in his health.
French President Jacques Chirac went to the hospital and saw Arafat and his wife, "to whom he expressed his best wishes," Chirac's office said. The president also met members of the Palestinian Authority and doctors "who are doing everything possible for the health of the president," Chirac's office said.
USA: PRESIDENT BUSH
NY Times Op/Ed: No Surrender by Paul Krugman
President Bush isn't a conservative. He's a radical - the leader of a coalition that deeply dislikes America as it is. Part of that coalition wants to tear down the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt, eviscerating Social Security and, eventually, Medicare. Another part wants to break down the barriers between church and state. And thanks to a heavy turnout by evangelical Christians, Mr. Bush has four more years to advance that radical agenda.
Democrats are now, understandably, engaged in self-examination. But while it's O.K. to think things over, those who abhor the direction Mr. Bush is taking the country must maintain their intensity; they must not succumb to defeatism
President Bush isn't a conservative. He's a radical - the leader of a coalition that deeply dislikes America as it is. Part of that coalition wants to tear down the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt, eviscerating Social Security and, eventually, Medicare. Another part wants to break down the barriers between church and state. And thanks to a heavy turnout by evangelical Christians, Mr. Bush has four more years to advance that radical agenda.
Democrats are now, understandably, engaged in self-examination. But while it's O.K. to think things over, those who abhor the direction Mr. Bush is taking the country must maintain their intensity; they must not succumb to defeatism
USA: ELECTIONS
Greg Palast: Kerry Won - Here Are The Facts
Kerry won. Here are the facts.
I know you don't want to hear it. You can't face one more hung chad. But I don't have a choice. As a journalist examining that messy sausage called American democracy, it's my job to tell you who got the most votes in the deciding states. Tuesday, in Ohio and New Mexico, it was John Kerry.
Most voters in Ohio thought they were voting for Kerry. CNN's exit poll showed Kerry beating Bush among Ohio women by 53 percent to 47 percent. Kerry also defeated Bush among Ohio's male voters 51 percent to 49 percent. Unless a third gender voted in Ohio, Kerry took the state.
So what's going on here? Answer: the exit polls are accurate. Pollsters ask, "Who did you vote for?" Unfortunately, they don't ask the crucial, question, "Was your vote counted?" The voters don't know.
Kerry won. Here are the facts.
I know you don't want to hear it. You can't face one more hung chad. But I don't have a choice. As a journalist examining that messy sausage called American democracy, it's my job to tell you who got the most votes in the deciding states. Tuesday, in Ohio and New Mexico, it was John Kerry.
Most voters in Ohio thought they were voting for Kerry. CNN's exit poll showed Kerry beating Bush among Ohio women by 53 percent to 47 percent. Kerry also defeated Bush among Ohio's male voters 51 percent to 49 percent. Unless a third gender voted in Ohio, Kerry took the state.
So what's going on here? Answer: the exit polls are accurate. Pollsters ask, "Who did you vote for?" Unfortunately, they don't ask the crucial, question, "Was your vote counted?" The voters don't know.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
USA: PRESIDENT BUSH
Moscow Times: Defeat, Dissent And The Bush Machine
Well, that's it. The great American electoral agony is over at last. Now George W. Bush - the duly elected, finally legitimate president of the United States - can get back to doing what he does best: killing people for corporate profit and personal aggrandizement.
Well, that's it. The great American electoral agony is over at last. Now George W. Bush - the duly elected, finally legitimate president of the United States - can get back to doing what he does best: killing people for corporate profit and personal aggrandizement.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
USA: BUSH WINS
CNN: BUSH WINS
BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry conceded defeat to President Bush on Wednesday and asked the country to put the bitter divisions of the election behind them.
"I spoke to President Bush and I offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory," Kerry said in a speech to a cheering crowd in Boston.
"We talked about the division in our country and the need, desperate need, for unity. ...Today, I hope we can begin the healing."
FH451: This election has sent a clear message to the whole world...the face of America in the next four years will be of unilaterism, the war on terror escalating in a clash of civilisations. The Bush regime will attack Iran and Syria as this is the neo-conservative dream come true..the total concentration of right wing power - legitamized by the popular vote. The road ahead is to flatten fallujah, bomb Iran, depose President Assad of Syria, crush the Palestinian Resistance and remodel the Middle East by "precision strike" democracy..the crusade continues, Osama got exactly what he wanted. There will be a Blowback..beware. Good Luck. God Bless America.
BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry conceded defeat to President Bush on Wednesday and asked the country to put the bitter divisions of the election behind them.
"I spoke to President Bush and I offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory," Kerry said in a speech to a cheering crowd in Boston.
"We talked about the division in our country and the need, desperate need, for unity. ...Today, I hope we can begin the healing."
FH451: This election has sent a clear message to the whole world...the face of America in the next four years will be of unilaterism, the war on terror escalating in a clash of civilisations. The Bush regime will attack Iran and Syria as this is the neo-conservative dream come true..the total concentration of right wing power - legitamized by the popular vote. The road ahead is to flatten fallujah, bomb Iran, depose President Assad of Syria, crush the Palestinian Resistance and remodel the Middle East by "precision strike" democracy..the crusade continues, Osama got exactly what he wanted. There will be a Blowback..beware. Good Luck. God Bless America.
USA: ELECTION DAY
NY Times: With Echoes of 2000 Vote, Ohio Count Is at Issue
President Bush swept to an apparent popular-vote victory over Senator John Kerry last night, and seemed headed toward winning enough Electoral College votes to assure his re-election.
But in what was shaping up as a Midwest replay of 2000, Mr. Kerry's campaign challenged the results in Ohio and said it would not abandon the campaign until all the votes in that critical state were counted
An evening of confusion - and deflation for Mr. Kerry's aides and Democrats across the country - caused in no small part by surveys of voters leaving the polls, which showed Mr. Kerry leading Mr. Bush by as much as 3 percentage points nationally. With 86 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Bush was leading Mr. Kerry 51 percent to 48 percent.
President Bush swept to an apparent popular-vote victory over Senator John Kerry last night, and seemed headed toward winning enough Electoral College votes to assure his re-election.
But in what was shaping up as a Midwest replay of 2000, Mr. Kerry's campaign challenged the results in Ohio and said it would not abandon the campaign until all the votes in that critical state were counted
An evening of confusion - and deflation for Mr. Kerry's aides and Democrats across the country - caused in no small part by surveys of voters leaving the polls, which showed Mr. Kerry leading Mr. Bush by as much as 3 percentage points nationally. With 86 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Bush was leading Mr. Kerry 51 percent to 48 percent.
USA: ELECTION DAY
MSNBC: White House claims Bush wins, but Kerry balks
The White House claimed victory in the presidential election Wednesday morning after President Bush won Ohio and Florida, two of the three battleground states that were keys to the race, according to projections by NBC News. Sen. John Kerry’s campaign was unwilling to concede, insisting that he would win Ohio’s 20 electoral votes when all the ballots were counted — which might not happen for almost two weeks.
The White House claimed victory in the presidential election Wednesday morning after President Bush won Ohio and Florida, two of the three battleground states that were keys to the race, according to projections by NBC News. Sen. John Kerry’s campaign was unwilling to concede, insisting that he would win Ohio’s 20 electoral votes when all the ballots were counted — which might not happen for almost two weeks.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
USA: ELECTION DAY
NY Times Editorial: Editorial: John Kerry for President
Senator John Kerry goes toward the election with a base that is built more on opposition to George W. Bush than loyalty to his own candidacy. But over the last year we have come to know Mr. Kerry as more than just an alternative to the status quo. We like what we've seen. He has qualities that could be the basis for a great chief executive, not just a modest improvement on the incumbent.
We have been impressed with Mr. Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking - something that became more apparent once he was reined in by that two-minute debate light. He is blessedly willing to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change. And while Mr. Kerry's service in Vietnam was first over-promoted and then over-pilloried, his entire life has been devoted to public service, from the war to a series of elected offices. He strikes us, above all, as a man with a strong moral core.
Senator John Kerry goes toward the election with a base that is built more on opposition to George W. Bush than loyalty to his own candidacy. But over the last year we have come to know Mr. Kerry as more than just an alternative to the status quo. We like what we've seen. He has qualities that could be the basis for a great chief executive, not just a modest improvement on the incumbent.
We have been impressed with Mr. Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking - something that became more apparent once he was reined in by that two-minute debate light. He is blessedly willing to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change. And while Mr. Kerry's service in Vietnam was first over-promoted and then over-pilloried, his entire life has been devoted to public service, from the war to a series of elected offices. He strikes us, above all, as a man with a strong moral core.
USA: ELECTION DAY
NY Times: Ohio: G.O.P. in Ohio Can Challenge Voters at Polls
Ohio, Tuesday, Nov. 2 - In a day of see-sawing court rulings, a Federal appeals court ruled early Tuesday morning that the Republican Party could place thousands of people inside polling places to challenge the eligibility of voters, a blow to Democrats who argued those challengers will intimidate minority voters.
Ohio, Tuesday, Nov. 2 - In a day of see-sawing court rulings, a Federal appeals court ruled early Tuesday morning that the Republican Party could place thousands of people inside polling places to challenge the eligibility of voters, a blow to Democrats who argued those challengers will intimidate minority voters.
USA: BIN LADEN
Al Jazeera: Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech: 11/01/04
Al-Jazeera aired only four minutes of Osama bin Laden's videotape released last week, this is the transcript for the full 18 minutes
" defending oneself and punishing the aggressor in kind, objectionable terrorism? If it is such, then it is unavoidable for us. This is the message which I sought to communicate to you in word and deed, repeatedly, for years before September 11th. And you can read this, if you wish, in my interview with Scott in Time Magazine in 1996, or with Peter Arnett on CNN in 1997, or my meeting with John Weiner in 1998. You can observe it practically, if you wish, in Kenya and Tanzania and in Aden. And you can read it in my interview with Abdul Bari Atwan, as well as my interviews with Robert Fisk. The latter is one of your compatriots and co-religionists and I consider him to be neutral. So are the pretenders of freedom at The White House and the channels controlled by them able to run an interview with him? So that he may relay to the American people what he has understood from us to be the reasons for our fight against you?"
"And even more dangerous and bitter for America is that the Mujahideen recently forced Bush to resort to emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is evidence of the success of the bleed -until-bankruptcy plan – with Allah's permission. It is true that this shows that al-Qaida has gained, but on the other hand, it shows that the Bush administration has also gained, something of which anyone who looks at the size of the contracts acquired by the shady Bush administration-linked mega-corporations, like Haliburton and its kind, will be convinced. And it all shows that the real loser is...you."
PBS: Interview Osama Bin Laden 1998
CHECK IT
Al-Jazeera aired only four minutes of Osama bin Laden's videotape released last week, this is the transcript for the full 18 minutes
" defending oneself and punishing the aggressor in kind, objectionable terrorism? If it is such, then it is unavoidable for us. This is the message which I sought to communicate to you in word and deed, repeatedly, for years before September 11th. And you can read this, if you wish, in my interview with Scott in Time Magazine in 1996, or with Peter Arnett on CNN in 1997, or my meeting with John Weiner in 1998. You can observe it practically, if you wish, in Kenya and Tanzania and in Aden. And you can read it in my interview with Abdul Bari Atwan, as well as my interviews with Robert Fisk. The latter is one of your compatriots and co-religionists and I consider him to be neutral. So are the pretenders of freedom at The White House and the channels controlled by them able to run an interview with him? So that he may relay to the American people what he has understood from us to be the reasons for our fight against you?"
"And even more dangerous and bitter for America is that the Mujahideen recently forced Bush to resort to emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is evidence of the success of the bleed -until-bankruptcy plan – with Allah's permission. It is true that this shows that al-Qaida has gained, but on the other hand, it shows that the Bush administration has also gained, something of which anyone who looks at the size of the contracts acquired by the shady Bush administration-linked mega-corporations, like Haliburton and its kind, will be convinced. And it all shows that the real loser is...you."
PBS: Interview Osama Bin Laden 1998
CHECK IT
USA: ELECTION DAY
Greg Palast: An Election Spoiled Rotten
John Kerry is down by several thousand votes in New Mexico, though not one ballot has yet been counted. He's also losing big time in Colorado and Ohio: and he's way down in Florida, though the votes won't be totaled until Tuesday night.
Through a combination of sophisticated vote rustling-ethnic cleansing of voter rolls, absentee ballots gone AWOL, machines that "spoil" votes-John Kerry begins with a nationwide deficit that could easily exceed one million votes.
Greg Palast scooped the Florida vote fraud in 2000.
CHECK IT
John Kerry is down by several thousand votes in New Mexico, though not one ballot has yet been counted. He's also losing big time in Colorado and Ohio: and he's way down in Florida, though the votes won't be totaled until Tuesday night.
Through a combination of sophisticated vote rustling-ethnic cleansing of voter rolls, absentee ballots gone AWOL, machines that "spoil" votes-John Kerry begins with a nationwide deficit that could easily exceed one million votes.
Greg Palast scooped the Florida vote fraud in 2000.
CHECK IT
USA: ELECTION DAY
LA Times Editorial: A Failed Presidency
If elections were solely a job performance review, President George W. Bush would lose in a landslide. He has been a reckless steward of the nation's finances and its environment, a divisive figure at home and abroad. It's fair to say that Bush has devalued the American brand in the global marketplace
If elections were solely a job performance review, President George W. Bush would lose in a landslide. He has been a reckless steward of the nation's finances and its environment, a divisive figure at home and abroad. It's fair to say that Bush has devalued the American brand in the global marketplace
USA: ELECTION DAY
Vote Fraud.org: Cover-Up Of 2000 And 2004 Florida Vote Continues
A senatorial candidate in the 2004 election is suspected of suppressing vital information regarding the electronic manipulation of votes in the 2000 elections. This system of fraud, if still in place, can be used again in the 2004 general election this coming Tuesday, November 2.
Dr. Piotr Blass, a U.S. senatorial candidate in the state of Florida, is reported to be withholding evidence which reveals details regarding the manipulation of votes using the names of individuals who have been placed on the felons list. This is the charge being leveled by Jeff Fisher, who is himself a democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 16th congressional district.
A senatorial candidate in the 2004 election is suspected of suppressing vital information regarding the electronic manipulation of votes in the 2000 elections. This system of fraud, if still in place, can be used again in the 2004 general election this coming Tuesday, November 2.
Dr. Piotr Blass, a U.S. senatorial candidate in the state of Florida, is reported to be withholding evidence which reveals details regarding the manipulation of votes using the names of individuals who have been placed on the felons list. This is the charge being leveled by Jeff Fisher, who is himself a democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 16th congressional district.
USA: ELECTION DAY
Tom Flocco: Documents reveal 3-hours missing from e-vote election night audit log
Philadelphia -- November 2, 2004 -- TomFlocco.com -- Smoking gun evidence of election night vote tampering just 6-weeks ago in King County, Washington’s September 14 primary was discovered in a response to a public records request by the founder and the associate director of Black Box Voting (BBV), a non-profit election watch-dog and research group.
Philadelphia -- November 2, 2004 -- TomFlocco.com -- Smoking gun evidence of election night vote tampering just 6-weeks ago in King County, Washington’s September 14 primary was discovered in a response to a public records request by the founder and the associate director of Black Box Voting (BBV), a non-profit election watch-dog and research group.
USA: ONE DAY LEFT
Michael Moore: One Day Left
Friends,
This is it. ONE DAY LEFT. There are many things I'd like to say. I've been on the road getting out the vote for 51 straight days so I haven't had much time to write.
So, I've put together a bunch of notes to various groups all in this one letter. Please feel free to copy and send whatever portions are appropriate to your friends and family as you spend these last 24 hours trying to convince whomever you can to show up and vote for John Kerry. Here are my final words...
Friends,
This is it. ONE DAY LEFT. There are many things I'd like to say. I've been on the road getting out the vote for 51 straight days so I haven't had much time to write.
So, I've put together a bunch of notes to various groups all in this one letter. Please feel free to copy and send whatever portions are appropriate to your friends and family as you spend these last 24 hours trying to convince whomever you can to show up and vote for John Kerry. Here are my final words...
Monday, November 01, 2004
VIDEO: CARLYLE GROUP
ICH: Exposed: The Carlyle Group
Shocking documentary uncovers the subversion of Americas democracy
watch this 48 minute documentary and not be outraged about the depth of corruption and deceit within the highest ranks of our government and the first family.
Shocking documentary uncovers the subversion of Americas democracy
watch this 48 minute documentary and not be outraged about the depth of corruption and deceit within the highest ranks of our government and the first family.
IRAQ: CARLYLE GROUP
The Nation: Carlyle Covers Up by Naomi Klein
November 15, 2004 issue "The Nation -- Less than twenty-four hours after The Nation disclosed that former Secretary of State James Baker and the Carlyle Group were involved in a secret deal to profit from Iraq's debt to Kuwait, NBC was reporting that the deal was "dead." At The Nation, we started to get calls congratulating us on costing the Carlyle Group $1 billion, the sum the company would have received in an investment from the government of Kuwait in exchange for helping to extract $27 billion of unpaid debts from Iraq.
November 15, 2004 issue "The Nation -- Less than twenty-four hours after The Nation disclosed that former Secretary of State James Baker and the Carlyle Group were involved in a secret deal to profit from Iraq's debt to Kuwait, NBC was reporting that the deal was "dead." At The Nation, we started to get calls congratulating us on costing the Carlyle Group $1 billion, the sum the company would have received in an investment from the government of Kuwait in exchange for helping to extract $27 billion of unpaid debts from Iraq.
VIDEO: THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES
ICH: The Power of Nightmares
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 documentary - Broadcast BBC 2 10/20/04
ICH: The Power of Nightmares Part II
The Power of Nightmares: The Phantom Victory
The Power of Nightmares continues its assessment of whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. Part two, the Phantom Victory looks at how two groups, radical Islamists and neo-conservatives with seemingly opposing ideologies came together to defeat a common enemy.
Among the many foreigners drawn to Afghanistan was a young, wealthy Saudi called Osama Bin Laden
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 documentary - Broadcast BBC 2 10/20/04
ICH: The Power of Nightmares Part II
The Power of Nightmares: The Phantom Victory
The Power of Nightmares continues its assessment of whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. Part two, the Phantom Victory looks at how two groups, radical Islamists and neo-conservatives with seemingly opposing ideologies came together to defeat a common enemy.
Among the many foreigners drawn to Afghanistan was a young, wealthy Saudi called Osama Bin Laden
IRAQ: DEATH SCIENTIST
Mathaba: IsraeliSecret Agents Liquidate 310 Iraqi Scientists
More than 310 Iraqi scientists are thought to have perished at the hands of Israeli secret agents in Iraq since fall of Baghdad to US troops in April 2003, a seminar has found.
The seminar, held in Cairo, was attended by politicians, journalists and experts with an interest in current Iraqi affairs.
More than 310 Iraqi scientists are thought to have perished at the hands of Israeli secret agents in Iraq since fall of Baghdad to US troops in April 2003, a seminar has found.
The seminar, held in Cairo, was attended by politicians, journalists and experts with an interest in current Iraqi affairs.
IRAQ: RESISTANCE
Newsweek: Colin Powell Believes U.S. is Losing Iraq War
Secretary of State Colin Powell has privately confided to friends in recent weeks that the Iraqi insurgents are winning the war, according to Newsweek. The insurgents have succeeded in infiltrating Iraqi forces "from top to bottom," a senior Iraqi official tells Newsweek in tomorrow’s issue of the magazine, "from decision making to the lower levels."
This is a particularly troubling development for the U.S. military, as it prepares to launch an all-out assault on the insurgent strongholds of Fallujah and Ramadi, since U.S. Marines were counting on the newly trained Iraqi forces to assist in the assault. Newsweek reports that "American military trainers have been frantically trying to assemble sufficient Iraqi troops" to fight alongside them and that they are "praying that the soldiers perform better than last April, when two battalions of poorly trained Iraqi Army soldiers refused to fight."
If the Fallujah offensive fails, Newsweek grimly predicts, "then the American president will find himself in a deepening quagmire on Inauguration Day."
Secretary of State Colin Powell has privately confided to friends in recent weeks that the Iraqi insurgents are winning the war, according to Newsweek. The insurgents have succeeded in infiltrating Iraqi forces "from top to bottom," a senior Iraqi official tells Newsweek in tomorrow’s issue of the magazine, "from decision making to the lower levels."
This is a particularly troubling development for the U.S. military, as it prepares to launch an all-out assault on the insurgent strongholds of Fallujah and Ramadi, since U.S. Marines were counting on the newly trained Iraqi forces to assist in the assault. Newsweek reports that "American military trainers have been frantically trying to assemble sufficient Iraqi troops" to fight alongside them and that they are "praying that the soldiers perform better than last April, when two battalions of poorly trained Iraqi Army soldiers refused to fight."
If the Fallujah offensive fails, Newsweek grimly predicts, "then the American president will find himself in a deepening quagmire on Inauguration Day."
IRAQ: RESISTANCE
Sunday Times: Fallujah Defenders Vow To Use Chem Weapons
As the US reeled from the death of nine marines in Iraq at the weekend, insurgents in Fallujah claimed to have obtained chemical weapons and threatened to use them in any battle for control of the rebel stronghold.
Rebel commanders said chemicals such as cyanide had been added to mortar rounds and missiles that would be deployed against coalition troops reported to be preparing for a major assault on the town west of Baghdad.
A military committee made up of former officers in Saddam Hussein's army, including experts on chemicals and guerrilla warfare, is said to have been organising forces in Fallujah and planning tactics.
As the US reeled from the death of nine marines in Iraq at the weekend, insurgents in Fallujah claimed to have obtained chemical weapons and threatened to use them in any battle for control of the rebel stronghold.
Rebel commanders said chemicals such as cyanide had been added to mortar rounds and missiles that would be deployed against coalition troops reported to be preparing for a major assault on the town west of Baghdad.
A military committee made up of former officers in Saddam Hussein's army, including experts on chemicals and guerrilla warfare, is said to have been organising forces in Fallujah and planning tactics.
USA: ELECTIONS
Economist: America's next president
YOU might have thought that, three years after a devastating terrorist attack on American soil, a period which has featured two wars, radical political and economic legislation, and an adjustment to one of the biggest stockmarket crashes in history, the campaign for the presidency would be an especially elevated and notable affair. If so, you would be wrong. This year's battle has been between two deeply flawed men: George Bush, who has been a radical, transforming president but who has never seemed truly up to the job, let alone his own ambitions for it; and John Kerry, who often seems to have made up his mind conclusively about something only once, and that was 30 years ago. But on November 2nd, Americans must make their choice, as must The Economist. It is far from an easy call, especially against the backdrop of a turbulent, dangerous world. But, on balance, our instinct is towards change rather than continuity: Mr Kerry, not Mr Bush
YOU might have thought that, three years after a devastating terrorist attack on American soil, a period which has featured two wars, radical political and economic legislation, and an adjustment to one of the biggest stockmarket crashes in history, the campaign for the presidency would be an especially elevated and notable affair. If so, you would be wrong. This year's battle has been between two deeply flawed men: George Bush, who has been a radical, transforming president but who has never seemed truly up to the job, let alone his own ambitions for it; and John Kerry, who often seems to have made up his mind conclusively about something only once, and that was 30 years ago. But on November 2nd, Americans must make their choice, as must The Economist. It is far from an easy call, especially against the backdrop of a turbulent, dangerous world. But, on balance, our instinct is towards change rather than continuity: Mr Kerry, not Mr Bush
USA: OSAMA BIN LADEN
Truthout: Osama's Election Editorial
So the bastard is still alive.
He isn't dead of kidney failure or rotting in a cave somewhere in the Hindu Kush. He wasn't smoked out of his hole, and he in no way appeared to be on the run. The images broadcast on every American television station in the last few hours showed a man apparently in good health, clothed in traditional white and wrapped in a golden robe. His hands were steady and his voice was clear. From all appearances, Osama bin Laden is tanned, rested and ready
So the bastard is still alive.
He isn't dead of kidney failure or rotting in a cave somewhere in the Hindu Kush. He wasn't smoked out of his hole, and he in no way appeared to be on the run. The images broadcast on every American television station in the last few hours showed a man apparently in good health, clothed in traditional white and wrapped in a golden robe. His hands were steady and his voice was clear. From all appearances, Osama bin Laden is tanned, rested and ready
USA: BUSH WIRED
Mother Jones: Was Bush Wired? Sure Looks Like It.
A NASA photo expert's analysis makes it clear: Bush is lying -- he wore some kind of device in each of the three debates. So why won't the media go near this story?
A NASA photo expert's analysis makes it clear: Bush is lying -- he wore some kind of device in each of the three debates. So why won't the media go near this story?
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