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The Big Bush Social Security Lie

WHY WE FIGHT November 13, 2003 By UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE/TED RALL NEW YORK Dear Recruit: Thank you for joining the Iraqi resistance forces. You have been issued an AK-47 rifle, rocket-propelled grenade launcher and an address where you can pick up supplies of bombs and remote-controlled mines. Please let your cell leader know if you require additional materiel for use against the Americans. You are joining a broad and diverse coalition dedicated to one principle: Iraq for Iraqis. Our leaders include generals of President Saddam Hussein's secular government as well as fundamentalist Islamists. We are Sunni and Shia, Iraqi and foreign, Arab and Kurdish. Though we differ on what kind of future our country should have after liberation and many of us suffered under Saddam, we are fighting side by side because there is no dignity under the brutal and oppressive jackboot of the U.S. Coalition Provisional Authority or their Vichyite lapdogs on the Governing Council, headed by embezzler Ahmed Chalabi. yahoo.com

Iraqi Teenagers Watch as Americans Bleed November 13, 2003 By Michael Georgy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - If Washington doubts there is Iraqi public support for guerrillas killing its troops, it should consider the teenagers who happily watched American blood spill on Wednesday. After a roadside bomb ripped through a military vehicle and wounded two soldiers, Iraqi boys rushed out of their homes to survey the damage. "This is good. If they ask me, I will join the resistance. The Americans have to die," said Ali Qais, 15. "They are just here to steal our oil." news.yahoo.com

Washington Post shrugs its shoulders over torture victim case November 13, 2003 By David Walsh The response of the Washington Post to the case of Syrian-Canadian Maher Arar sheds additional light on the indifference to democratic rights that prevails within the American political and media establishment. Arar was detained by US authorities in New York in September 2002 on suspicion of terrorism, apparently on the basis of information provided by Canadian security officials. He was deported to Syria, where he was held in solitary confinement, beaten and tortured for 10 months. Having found no evidence that he was involved in any illegal activity, the Syrians eventually released Arar. His case has become an international scandal because it underscores the contempt of the Bush administration for elementary rights and international law and exposes essential realities about the “war on terrorism.” wsws.org

The High Cabal's Economic War Against the World November 13, 2003 By Norman D. Livergood Modern American currency is a interesting example of how the "High Cabal" has brainwashed common citizens to believe dangerous lies. Most Americans have no idea of how their currency is produced, if it has any intrinsic value, and how it is used by those in power to steal from the people. For example, when I asked college students this question I received very interesting answers: hermes-press.com

The Implosion Of America November 13, 2003 By Judith Moriarty Today's news? No, not the newest wave of layoffs, nor explosions in Iraq, but the nauseating dribble of whether Prince Charles is bi-sexual ...some movie star named Meg Ryan paying $600.00 for a haircut Well--me, the obscene-expenditures of those who live in a Matrix world, of fulfilling every lustful desire, from bejeweled fingers, silks, cookery, costing thousands, mountain bikes, designer sneakers, etc. Meantime, outside the Matrix world of hopeless, mannequin people, reports from the real world eleven million people are jobless. The U.S. economy lost another 93,000 jobs in August nearly half of them in factory production. Since our self anointed Crusader has come on the scene, manufacturing has declined nearly 16 percent. Can't imagine why the South would vote for any Republican with the hardest hit sectors being in the textile industry which wiped out 12,000 jobs. Here's hoping the real God warns them before the next election. rense.com

Vote count marred by computer woes November 13, 2003 Star report Lebanon Boone County officials are searching for an answer to the computer glitch that spewed out impossible numbers and interrupted an otherwise uneventful election process Tuesday. "I about had a heart attack," County Clerk Lisa Garofolo said of the breakdown that came as an eager crowd watched computer-generated vote totals being projected onto a wall of the County Courthouse rotunda. "I'm assuming the glitch was in the software." indystar.com

The Diebold Memos' November 13, 2003 Smoking Gun Volusia County Memos Disclose Election 2000 Vote Fraud By Alastair Thompson Yes. Something very strange happened in Volusia County on election night November 2000, the night that first Gore won Florida, then Bush, and then as everybody can so well remember there was a tie. Something strange indeed. But what exactly? scoop.co.nz

Mr. President, You're No Moses November 13, 2003 by Robert Scheer It takes stunning arrogance for a President to invade an oil-rich, politically strategic country on the basis of demonstrable lies, put his favorite companies in control of its economic future, create a puppet regime to do his bidding and then claim, as George Bush did last week in a speech, that this is all a bold exercise in spreading democracy. thenation.com

Brave Face Belies Administration's Panic November 13, 2003 by Jim Lobe While maintaining a brave face on the accelerating stream of bad news coming out of Baghdad, the administration of President George W. Bush appears increasingly at a loss, not to say panicked, about what to do. This week's abrupt and unscheduled return here by L. Paul Bremer, Washington's proconsul in Baghdad, for top-level White House consultations, as well as the partial leak of a pessimistic Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report on public attitudes in Iraq, pushed the administration off balance. The news that at least 15 Italian paramilitary and army troops, as well as 10 others, were killed in a suicide attack on the carabinieri headquarters in the hitherto relatively peaceful southern city of Nasariyeh on Wednesday seemed only to underline the sense here that resistance to the US-led occupation in Iraq is both growing and beyond control. antiwar.com

Anti-Iraq war veterans pulled from parade November 13, 2003 By J. TAYLOR RUSHING Capital Bureau Chief  TALLAHASSEE -- A group of 30 military veterans critical of the war in Iraq hoped to use Tuesday's Veterans Day parade to call attention to the increasingly deadly conflict but instead found themselves fighting for something much more fundamental. Members of Veterans For Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War were yanked off a downtown Tallahassee street, directly in front of the Old Capitol, while marching in the holiday parade they had legitimately registered in. "There's a war going on that's based on lies, just like Vietnam," said veteran Tom Baxter, an Army equipment maintenance officer in Vietnam for 16 months in 1967-69. "They were lying then, and they're lying now." jacksonville.com

House-Senate bargainers restore ban on travel to Cuba November 13, 2003 ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer -- House-Senate bargainers bowed to a White House veto threat on Wednesday and upheld the four-decade old ban on most travel to Cuba. sfgate.com

BUSH RAPE ACCUSER FOUND DEAD OF GUNSHOT November 12, 2003 Woman who filed sexual assault lawsuit against bush confirmed dead, cause of death listed as "gunshot wound to head"... I finally got some confirmation from an obit in the Houston Chronicle that Margie Schoedinger, the woman who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Bush last year, died in September. I called the Harris County Medical Examiner's office, which lists her cause of death as a "gunshot wound to the head" and "suicide." Anyone versed in CIA/Mafia lingo knows that "suicide" sometimes means "murder" or at least carries with it some pressure to commit suicide by outside parties, such as those against whom that person has filed a lawsuit. I'm not yet saying this is a murder - you draw your own conclusion. Schoedinger in July sounded in good health. She was only 38. It's another weird tragedy surrounding the Bush administration - and this one has received NO mention from the media. Paper: Houston Chronicle Date: Saturday 09/27/03 SCHOEDINGER MARGIE D. SCHOEDINGER expired Monday, 9/22/03 . Visitation: Friday, 9/26/03 , 7 to 9pm, McCoy & Harrison Chapel. Funeral Service: Saturday, 9/27/03 , 1:30pm, McCoy & Harrison Chapel. Interment, Houston Memorial Gardens. treasononline.blogspot.com / english.pravda.ru

Gone in the blink of an eye - Berkeley researchers declare 14 million U.S. jobs are at risk of being outsourced November 12, 2003 By Katharine Mieszkowski If every white-collar job that could be easily outsourced to Russia, China and India goes the way of the customer-service call center, 14 million positions will be eliminated in the U.S., according to "The New Wave of Outsourcing," an academic study released in late October. salon.com

American Workers can safely say, Bye, Bye to the Slice of the American Pie November 12, 2003 Norma Sherry (ICH) I’m just going to blurt it out; tell it like it is. In the words of the venerable, Walter Cronkite, “that’s the way it is”. Here it is folks; outsourcing is tantamount to legalized slave labor. informationclearinghouse.info

7,500 US Casualties Evacuated from Iraq War Zone to US November 12, 2003 Esther Schrader Los Angeles Times Summary: With Veterans Day upon us, we should all pause and reflect on the carnage wrought in the US - Iraq War. Nearly 400 US soldiers are dead, and more than 7,500 have been medically evacuated. This means the total number of US casualties is nearly 8,000 in less than eight months ...veteransforcommonsense.org / latimes.com

War killed 55,000 Iraqi civilians November 12, 2003 By Shaista Aziz The invasion, war and occupation of Iraq has cost up to 55,000 civilian lives, according to a shocking new report published by a UK-based charity. english.aljazeera.net

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: November 12, 2003 Democracy Now A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right Author Al Franken spoke to a packed house this weekend at the National Conference on Media Reform about the Bush administration, the Fox News lawsuit and why Bill O’Reilly is “a pathological liar.” This past weekend, members of the Democracy Now! crew traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to attend the National Conference on Media Reform hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Listen to: Segment  / Show  / Watch 128k stream  / Watch 256k stream

Palestinian farmers seek protection against settlers November 12, 2003 Associated Press Einabus, West Bank — Men with chainsaws turned Fawzi Hussein's olive grove into a wasteland overnight — 255 trees cut down at the trunks, fruit-laden branches wilting on a West Bank slope, at the height of the harvest season. The suspected culprits: militant settlers who have been harassing Palestinian farmers for years, especially in the past three years of fighting. Human rights groups say it is part of an attempt to drive Palestinians off their land. globeandmail.ca

Protesters fight Bush exclusion zone November 12, 2003 Controversy over President Bush's visit to the UK has grown as anti-war protesters vowed to resist moves to create an "exclusion zone" in central London as part of security measures. The Stop The War Coalition, which is organising a series of protests during the president's three-day visit next week, said it would demand the right to march down Whitehall in the centre of the capital during a huge demonstration which could attract more than 100,000 people. ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk

Gore issues warning over “Big Brother” regime in US November 12, 2003 By Bill Vann In his second major speech in three months, former vice president Al Gore criticized the Bush administration’s “war on terrorism,” accusing the White House of exploiting the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to assume quasi-dictatorial powers. wsws.org

Twenty-Six House Democrats Push to Fire Rumsfeld November 12, 2003 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of more than two dozen House of Representatives Democrats on Monday said they had introduced a resolution urging President Bush to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "This resolution would make official what so many members of Congress already believe -- that the soldiers in Iraq and America's foreign policy would be helped greatly if Donald Rumsfeld would leave," Rep. Charles Rangel of New York said in a statement. wireservice.wired.com

“My Son Died For Oil” – In a Democracy Now! Veterans Day Special We Hear From Military Families of Soldiers in Iraq November 12, 2003 Listen to: Segment / Show  / Watch 128k stream  / Watch 256k stream As the latest polls say that nearly half of Americans now say that the Iraq war was not worth it, we hear from two women whose husbands are currently deployed in Iraq as well as a mother who lost her son in Iraq. democracynow.org

Shocking images shame US forces November 12, 2003 By Yvonne Ridley and Lawrence Smallman A series of shocking pictures revealing US soldiers tying up Iraqi women and children in their own home has provoked international outrage. The occupying forces have now come under renewed fire for their treatment of ordinary Iraqis as shown in the pictures published today by Aljazeera.net. english.aljazeera.net

50 False News Stories By Bush Propaganda Machine November 12, 2003 A Strategy of Lies: How the White House Fed the Public a Steady Diet of Falsehoods Earth Island.net Colonel Sam Gardiner (USAF, Ret.) has identified 50 false news stories created and leaked by a secretive White House propaganda apparatus. Bush administration officials are probably having second thoughts about their decision to play hardball with former US Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Joe Wilson is a contender. When you play hardball with Joe, you better be prepared to deal with some serious rebound. rense.com

Billionaire Soros takes on Bush Ousting president ‘central focus of my life,’ he says November 12, 2003 By Laura Blumenfeld THE WASHINGTON POST  NEW YORK, George Soros, one of the world’s richest men and a partner committed up to $5 million to MoveOn.org, a liberal activist group, bringing to $15.5 million the total of his personal contributions to oust Bush. msnbc.com

Lynch book fails to excite on first day November 12, 2003 NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Despite a media blitz, the biography of America's best-known soldier from the Iraq war, Jessica Lynch, appeared unlikely Tuesday to translate into big cash as the first day of sales fell short of expectations. After days of magazine covers, TV movies, tabloid tales and television interviews, first-day sales of her authorized biography, "I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story," fell well short of other high-profile books like Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's memoir, which had buyers lining up around the block. chinadaily.com

Southern Ozone Hole Resurgent November 12, 2003 After two years of a reduced ozone hole over the Antarctic largely due to statospheric turbulence, the Ozone Hole is resurgent this year almost matching its record size in 2000. Southern Hemisphere peoples, particularly children, have been warned to take care outside with increased exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. http://indymedia.org/

Migrant workers sue Wal-Mart Conditions of cleaners 'a step from slavery' lawyer alleges November 12, 2003 Julian Borger The Guardian Wal-Mart, the world's biggest company, has been taken to court by a group of former immigrant employees who have accused the US supermarket chain of conspiring with cleaning contractors to employ them in conditions that were "one step away from slavery", the workers' lawyers said yesterday. guardian.co.uk

U.S. troops arrest Iraqi for criticising them November 12, 2003 BAGHDAD (Reuters) - American soldiers handcuffed and firmly wrapped masking tape around an Iraqi man's mouth as they arrested him for speaking out against occupation troops. Asked why the man had been arrested on Tuesday and put into the back of a Humvee vehicle on Tahrir Square, the commanding officer told Reuters at the scene: "This man has been detained for making anti-coalition statements." He refused to say what the man said. A U.S. military spokesman said he had no immediate information on the incident. U.S. politicians and military commanders often say they toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein so that Iraqis can enjoy free speech and democracy after years of iron-fisted rule. Another U.S. soldier swore at Iraqis as he ordered them to move back. School teachers and young students looked on. mirror.co.uk

Israel may soon take path U.S. can't follow November 12, 2003 By Bookman Israel stands today at an important crossroads, trying to decide which of three roads it will travel. If it chooses one road, the United States will be able to walk proudly alongside Israel as its friend, ally and, if necessary, its protector against any that threaten its security. But if Israel chooses either of the remaining two routes, it will repudiate the shared values and strategic interests that have united Israelis and Americans for decades. Those Americans who count themselves as friends of Israel have an obligation to make that danger clear. com/opinion

Bush: A Crazed Mattoid November 12, 2003 The “global democratic revolution” is the center piece of the Bush presidency. While a revolutionary spirit was the focus that moved our Founding Fathers to break with the Crown, today’s all powerful imperial empire resides in the United States. King George II says he is on a hallowed mission to save the Middle East from themselves. Democracy will be the cure and the medicine of approved regime changes will be forced down their throats. Women will be made participatory citizens and the shahs of Islamic extremism will be tamed into submissive puppets. Ah, the ‘Pox Americana’ spreads the virus of emancipation with the fervor of an old time religion. batr.org

Frist Freezes Senate Probe of Prewar Iraq Data November 12, 2003 By Walter Pincus and Dana Priest Washington Post Staff Writers -- Angry about a leaked Democratic memo, the Republican leadership of the Senate yesterday took the unusual step of canceling all business of the committee investigating prewar intelligence on Iraq. washingtonpost.com

Bush's democratic vision is blind November 12, 2003 MADISON, Wis., (Badger Herald, U-WIRE via COMTEX) -- Last Thursday, President George W. Bush observed the 20th anniversary of the National Endowment for Democracy by articulating what William Safire has called "the central theme and purpose of his presidency." Deliberately placing himself alongside luminaries such as Woodrow Wilson and FDR, Bush outlined an optimistic vision for the expansion of global democracy. highmarkfunds.stockpoint.com

US unleashes renewed bombing raids on Iraqi towns November 11, 2003 By Richard Phillips The US military launched bombing strikes against Iraqi civilians last weekend for the first time since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1. The air campaign, involving F-16 bombers, targeted two towns, Tikrit and Fallujah, which have become centers of popular resistance to the US occupation. It was aimed at terrorizing the Iraqi people in response to the escalating number and sophistication of attacks on American troops in the last weeks. wsws.org

Soldiers Scrape Up Money To Pay For Supplies November 11, 2003 By KOMO Staff & News Services LONGVIEW, WA - A local Army National Guard unit is mobilizing to go to Iraq without many of the essentials the soldiers desperately need. Specialist Brian Lange with the Army National Guard just spent his last weekend with his wife and two sons before mobilizing for Iraq. He and more than 3,000 soldiers from the 81st Armor Brigade are heading out on Saturday. But instead of fun, Lange's mind was on finances all weekend. The Lange family is trying to scrape up enough money to buy what you'd assume is paid for by the U.S. government. He needs money for supplies including a flashlight, socks, a utility belt, binoculars, sunglasses, even a pair of boots. rense.com

Two Million More Jobs Headed To India November 11, 2003 By Katherine Griffiths The Independent - UK"...according to a report by consultants Deloitte Research, two million of the 13 million jobs in financial services will move from the West to India in the next five years." Their Jobs Are On The Line The next time you phone your high-street bank, you could well be put through to an Indian call centre instead. Katherine Griffiths went to Hyderabad to meet the people behind a new workers' revolution. rense.com

Anti-War Activist Subpoenas Ashcroft and Rove November 11, 2003 Long-time anti-war activist Brent Bursey, 55, sent subpoenas to Attorney General Ashcroft and Karl Rove to appear at his trial next week, in a case that has come to epitomize the contentious battle for free speech emerging under the Bush Administration. The controversy dates to October 2002, when local authorities in South Carolina arrested Bursey at Columbian Metropolitan Airport, where Bush was scheduled to arrive that day, for holding a sign that read "No More War For Oil." He was charged with trespassing, although he was on public property, because he had not been standing in the "free-speech zone" specially designated for protesters. Consistent with similar policies surrounding Bush?s appearances across the country, the protesters were confined to an area over half a mile from the airport, where their message was unlikely to be seen or heard by the President. Bursey told police he had been under the impression that the whole of America was a free speech zone. indymedia.orgcondemnation after another, from the sort of people who usually stay discreetly in the shadows. informationclearinghouse.info

Yard fury over Bush visit November 11, 2003 LONDON By Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard White House security demands covering President George Bush's controversial state visit to Britain have provoked a serious row with Scotland Yard. American officials want a virtual three-day shutdown of central London in a bid to foil disruption of the visit by anti-war protestors. They are demanding that police ban all marches and seal off the city centre. But senior Yard officers say the powers requested by US security chiefs would be unprecedented on British soil. While the Met wants to prevent violence, it is sensitive to accusations of trying to curtail legitimate protest. thisislondon.com

911 HIGH TREASON!! November 11, 2003 by Brian Downing I can now give 25 compelling reasons to indict Daddy Bush, Cheney, the PENTAGON and the CARLYLE GROUP for the real terror behind 911.  Daddy Bush and Cheney were in the SITUATION ROOM at the WHITE HOUSE during the terror attacks (during the 34 minutes between the second WTC hit and the PENTAGON hit while a stand down order was issued to the AIR FORCE to supersede established intercept procedures for planes that stray off course). Junior Bush was reading stories to grade school children during the attacks. questionsquestions.net

The White House just loves to help the little guy -- not November 11, 2003 By MOLLY IVINS, Creators Syndicate According to a report by the co-directors of Boston University's School of Public Health titled, "New Medicare RX Benefit Means Big Profits for Drug Companies," we have once more failed to sufficiently overestimate what special interest money can do to legislation written by our elected representatives. According to the report, "An estimated 61.1 percent of the Medicare dollars that will be spent to buy more prescriptions will remain in the hands of drug makers as added profits." Isn't that nice? Sixty-one percent of what the plan costs will be additional profit for drug companies. Just what we had in mind. Only our fully-bought-and-paid-for politicians (in Texas, we rather delicately refer to them as "whored out') could have taken a plan to help seniors and turned it into a plan to help drug companies already making obscene profits. Their estimated increased profits under this bill are $139 billion over eight years. naplesnews.com

Soros's Deep Pockets vs. Bush Financier Contributes $5 Million More in Effort to Oust President November 11, 2003 By Laura Blumenfeld Washington Post NEW YORK -- George Soros, one of the world's richest men, has given away nearly $5 billion to promote democracy in the former Soviet bloc, Africa and Asia. Now he has a new project: defeating President Bush. "It is the central focus of my life," Soros said, his blue eyes settled on an unseen target. The 2004 presidential race, he said in an interview, is "a matter of life and death." Soros, who has financed efforts to promote open societies in more than 50 countries around the world, is bringing the fight home, he said. On Monday, he and a partner committed up to $5 million to MoveOn.org, a liberal activist group, bringing to $15.5 million the total of his personal contributions to oust Bush. washingtonpost.com

Brutal Child Slave Trade On Romanian Pig Farm November 11, 2003 By Daniel Howden East Europe Correspondent The Independent - UK A near-fatal accident on a pig farm in Romania has uncovered a brutal new trade in forced labour in which poverty-stricken parents sell their children into slavery for as little as £70. Gheorghita Ciornei, 13, was taken to a hospital in Bucharest last week suffering from 60 per cent burns after an accident involving a power line. As doctors struggled to save the boy's life a farmer from Gostinu, a village 30 miles south of the capital, arrived to claim him. The man said he was the child's "master". rense.com

Storm and Strife November 10, 2003 By Philip J. Rappa I had an epiphany last night. What began as a nightmare transformed itself into a vision of hope. I dreamt I was plodding my way through a horrific sandstorm. This ill wind was so dense I was incapable of seeing my own hand before my face. Yet farther into the distance I could discern an incessant incandescent glimmering of light; a solitary beacon in this all-encompassing velvet darkness. A rivalry existed between every breath and step I took both possessing the inherent uncertainty of its predecessor and its sequel. Finally, after what seemed an endless journey there before me at my feet, tempest tossed, was a flame whose life force could not be denied. thepeoplesvoice.org

A Depression of Hitherto Unimaginable Severity November 10, 2003 Tom Chittum The Western stooge media is shrieking at Russian President Putin for jailing the biggest Zionist looter in all of Russia, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Henry the K is threatening continental Europe with unspecified "whirlwinds" of disaster if they don't get down on their knees before the Axis of Looting. Mr. Vialls says the Russians aren't impressed, and have put bigmouth Kissinger and bigmouth Sharon on notice that Israel will be nuked to glowing green goo if they get too frisky with Iran or Syria. The Iraqi barbarians are hacking our Glorious Imperial Legions into so much salami. There is no way our Glorious Imperial legions can win without throwing nukes or some other super doper wonder weapon which they may or may not have. The best outcome we can hope for is defeat in Iraq followed by a super depression of "hitherto unimaginable severity," as Mr. Vialls described it. The other outcome is the same with nukes stirred in. I think we'll find out sometime in 2004 if it's going to be just a super depression or a super depression plus nukes. prisonplanet.com

Israel's New War Machine Opens the Abyss November 10, 2003 By JAMES BROOKS "In the past thirty days, Israel issued new military orders that obliterate the rights of Palestinians left outside the barriers to live in their own homes .." Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories passed through a profound transformation during the last several months. Through a series of policy changes and military orders, the West Bank “security fence” has gradually revealed itself to be the backbone of a comprehensive new system of land theft, imprisonment, collective punishment...and worse. The question is not whether it is a “political fence” or a “security fence”, but whether it is an engine of ethnic cleansing. palestinechronicle.com

Rumsfeld retreats, disclaims earlier rhetoric November 10, 2003 BY ERIC ROSENBERG HEARST NEWSPAPERS Rumsfeld denies he ever made several pre-war statements. In the lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said U.S. forces would be welcomed by the Iraqi citizenry and that Saddam Hussein had large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. Now, after both statements have been shown to be either incorrect or vastly exaggerated, Rumsfeld - with the same trademark confidence that he exuded before the war - is denying that he ever made such assertions. starbanner.coml 

Bush quietly dismantling protection of the environment November 10, 2003 by Madeline Zane, Unknown News Bush v. Planet Earth, Part One: A month ago, the EPA issued new, looser standards that allow power plants to get away with churning out much more pollution with impunity. Now the Bush administration says it will drop all ongoing pollution investigations unless the companies are violating the new, relaxed standards. unknownnews.net

White House fights POWs for Iraq fund November 10, 2003 By Philip Shenon The New York Times WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is seeking to block a group of American troops who were tortured in Iraqi prisons during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 from collecting any of the hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen Iraqi assets they won last summer in a federal court ruling against the government of Saddam Hussein. In a court challenge that the administration is winning so far but is not eager to publicize, administration lawyers have argued that Iraqi assets frozen in bank accounts in the United States are needed for Iraqi reconstruction and that the judgment won by the 17 former U.S. prisoners should be overturned in its entirety. sltrib.com

'It would be laughable, were it not so pathetic' November 10, 2003 Reactions to his pro-democracy speech are mixed New York Times "Addressing the National Endowment for Democracy on Thursday, President George Bush sought to look beyond the current bloody chaos in Iraq. Successfully implanting a democratic government in Iraq, he predicted, would energise a democratic revolution that would sweep away tyrannies from Cuba to North Korea. Specifically, Mr Bush proclaimed a new 'forward strategy' for advancing freedom in the Middle East... guardian.co.uk

Backyard terrorism November 10, 2003 George Monbiot The US has been training terrorists at a camp in Georgia for years - and it's still at it. "If any government sponsors the outlaws and killers of innocents," George Bush announced on the day he began bombing Afghanistan, "they have become outlaws and murderers themselves. And they will take that lonely path at their own peril." I'm glad he said "any government", as there's one which, though it has yet to be identified as a sponsor of terrorism, requires his urgent attention. For the past 55 years it has been running a terrorist training camp, whose victims massively outnumber the people killed by the attack on New York, the embassy bombings and the other atrocities laid, rightly or wrongly, at al-Qaida's door. The camp is called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, or Whisc. It is based in Fort Benning, Georgia, and it is funded by Mr Bush's government. guardian.co.uk

U.S. Gen. to Iraq: Stop Attacks November 10, 2003 The Associated Press Fallujah, Iraq -- America's top general in the Middle East has warned community leaders the U.S. military will use stern measures unless they curb attacks against coalition forces, an Iraqi who attended the meeting said Monday. Hours after Abizaid's warning, U.S. jets dropped three 500-pound bombs in the Fallujah area after three paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division were wounded in an ambush. There was no report of casualties from the bombing. "Neither America, nor the father of America, scares us," said one resident, Najih Latif Abbas. "Iraqi men are striking at Americans and they retaliate by terrifying our children." Fakhri Fayadh, a 60-year-old farmer, said reprisal attacks "will only increase our spite and hatred of them. If they think that they will scare us, they are wrong. Day after day, Americans will be harmed and attacks against them will increase." newsday.com

Her Dying Wish: to Oust Bush November 9, 2003 New Orleans Gertrude M. Jones didn't want flowers or cards when she died. She wanted to get rid of President George W. Bush. The 81-year-old woman's obituary asked that memorial donations be given "to any organization that seeks the removal of President Bush from office." And people around the country are following her wishes. newsday.com

'No President has lied so baldly and so often and so demonstrably' November 09, 2003 By Andrew Gumbel "The intelligence process is a bit like virginity," says Ray McGovern, who worked as a CIA analyst for 27 years. "Once you prostitute it, it's never the same. Your credibility never recovers. "Watching what has happened with Iraq over the past several months has been like watching your daughter being raped." independent.co.uk

OSCE: Global Campaign Against Terror Becoming Excuse for Increased Torture November 9, 2003 Melanie Sully Vienna The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says the campaign against terrorism is being used as an excuse to inflict physical and mental torture on suspects in many countries. voanews.com

Reduced species protection wins House approval November 9, 2003 Associated Press President Bush and the Defense Department won House approval Friday for easing some protections for endangered species and marine mammals. One provision in the $401 billion defense bill amends the Endangered Species Act to prohibit setting aside any more “critical habitat" – lands needed for species to recover...montanaforum.com

Big 3 seek pension relief Corporations ask Congress for help November 9, 2003 By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News The proposal stunned a crowd of automotive executives at a recent conference in West Virginia. Conservative David Stockman, the former Reagan administration budget czar and now head of a Metro Detroit auto parts maker, suggested the federal government take over the under-funded pension plans of U.S. automakers and auto parts suppliers. detnews.com

He's an Anti, She's an Anti, You're an Anti, Too November 9, 2003 by Gene Callahan As the neocon foreign policy fiasco plays out like a slow motion viewing of the car wreck scene from The Blues Brothers, the neocons are backing into their burrows like frightened, angry wolverines. Like any other mustelid, when cornered they'll attempt to make their opponent stink, in the case of neocons by employing the smear. And their favorite smear of all is to call opponents "anti-Semitic."  lewrockwell.com

Robert Fisk: How we denied democracy to the Middle East November 9, 2003 By Robert Fisk The Independent We created this place, weaned the grotesque dictators. And we expect the Arabs to trust Bush's promise? It gets weirder and weirder. As his helicopters are falling out of the sky over Iraq, President Bush tells us things are getting even better. The more we succeed, he says, the deadlier the attacks will become. Thank God the Americans now have a few - a very few - brave journalists, like Maureen Dowd, to explain what is happening. bestofdesign.co.uk

9/11 inquiry subpoenas Pentagon November 9, 2003 BBC A United States federal commission investigating the 11 September 2001 attacks has voted to subpoena the Pentagon. The panel said they were "dismayed" that documents they had requested about the country's air defences on the day of the attack had not been provided. They subpoenaed the Federal Aviation Administration last month, accusing the organisation of slowing down their inquiry. news.bbc.co.uk

Collective Punishment for Downing Black Hawk?  November 09, 2003 By Abu Spinoza Tikrit, Iraq "The U.S. military swept through Iraqi neighborhoods early Saturday, firing at houses suspected to be harboring hostile forces in the wake of an apparent attack on a Black Hawk helicopter that killed six U.S. soldiers. "The report quotes the commander of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regimen, Lt. Col. Steven Russell, as saying, "This is to remind the town that we have teeth and claws and we will use them.” No doubt Iraqi civilians are finding out who has “teeth and claws.” Lest one forgets that the Fourth Geneva Convention, relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Aug. 12, 1949), adopted after the world learned about the horrors of war crimes of World War II, states very clearly: pressaction.com

Talk of a draft grows despite denials by White House November 9, 2003 By Charles Pope, Seattle Post-Intelligencer The United States' uneven record in Iraq has kindled a small but persistent push to reinstitute the military draft, a politically charged idea that hasn't been seriously considered since the end of the Vietnam War. smirkingchimp.com

Iraq casualties: Bush doesn't want us to know November 9, 2003 Brauchli: War is at best barbarism. . . . It is only those who have never . . . heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. -- William Tecumseh Sherman, Graduation Address. The magic number is 1,737. That's the number they don't want you to see. It's the number that The Wall Street Journal published on Oct. 29. It's different from the number 144. That's the number of American soldiers who have been killed in combat since May 1, the day the war was "won." The larger figure is the number of American military personnel injured between the end of "major combat" on May 1 and 7 p.m. on Oct. 27 dailycamera.com

It's Time To Declare War on "Terminator (mega) Corporations" November 8, 2003 By Rob Kall There's a war in this country, between the far right's Bush Regime and republican politics and the democrats. They are attacking the middle class, workers, the environment, the nation's resources, assets, rights, freedoms, ethics, values and principles. And the main sources for the funding for this massive war, with attacks on so many fronts are the mega-corporations-- the "Terminator Corporations." thepeoplesvoice.org

For years I have told Americans to wake up and see what was happening to their country before it was too late for America November 8, 2003 By Baldknobber Now it is time for me to tell the world to wake up about America before it is too late for them. I have been aware of a disturbing change in the US government for the last 12 years. It seems that the world has slept through this change and does not realize what America has become. I will outline some major problems, go into specific subjects and cite examples of how America has changed, yes, we are indeed no longer free. Much of what is written in this report is from my own personal experience. This is a warning to the world to watch out for the new America. America is no longer the moral guardian you knew it to be; in recent years America has become a tyrant unprecedented. libertyforum.org

President Boooosh. We Are “In A Pickle” November 8, 2003 By James Boyne I got my Allstate auto insurance renewal in the mail. Times sure are a changin’.Here’s the scoop. Allstate just merged with United Healthcare so they said I would have to switch my health insurance from Blue Cross to United Healthcare in order to be an Allstate Advantaged Preferred Policyholder I called my local Allstate agent right up on the phone and a friendly, pleasant sounding young lady answered with a slight accent. I asked where she was from and she said Bombay, India. I asked how long she had been here in the U.S. She said she wasn’t in the U.S. She was still in Bombay and that she just got this great job with Allstate/United because of the Great American President, Mr. Booosh. She said Allstate/United just hired 10,000 administrative people in Bombay and that she makes 35 cents and hour. “Wow”, I said, “How do you make ends meet?”. I said, “How do you pay your rent”?. opednews.com

Job market continues to weaken and to set records for severity November 8, 2003 jobwatch.org Payroll jobs increased by 126,000 in October. While far preferable to further job losses, those job gains fall short of the 150,000 jobs a month necessary to prevent the slack in the labor market from worsening. Jobs remain 2.4 million below the level of March 2001 when the last recession began. This post-recession labor slump has now become the first (since the collection of monthly jobs data began in 1939) without a full recovery of jobs within 31 months of the start of a recession. Instead of losing jobs over the last two and a half years, the economy should have added 4.5 million jobs just to keep up with growth in the working-age population. Actual job losses instead of needed job gains have created a total gap of 6.9 million jobs. The record-long labor slump has caused many people to give up on finding a job and created a “missing” labor force of 2.3 million. If added to the 8.8 million officially unemployed, the “missing” labor force would raise the unemployment rate to 7.4%. http://jobwatch.org/

Israelis Kill Boy, 10, As He Trapped Birds November 8, 2003 The Guardian - UK The 10-year-old, Mahmoud Kayed, was shot east of Gaza City early today as he trapped birds near the border fence with Israel, hospital officials said. A 12-year-old companion suffered a wounded leg. Palestinian security officials said that the children had come under fire from a tank. Soldiers fired a mounted machinegun and launched a tank shell, the officials added. Doctors said that the boy was killed by two bullets. rense.com

Shameless Senate November 8, 2003 WASHINGTON If defeat is an orphan, the U.S. occupation of Iraq, for which the Senate appropriated $87 billion by a voice vote on Monday, should already go down in the loss column. By rejecting the normal option of a recorded vote, America's senators decided that they did not want to be held individually accountable for our continuing presence in Iraq. That decision speaks far louder than their decision to actually fund our forces there and the Iraqi reconstruction. goerie.com

We've Partied Too Much! November 8, 2003 By Patricia Ernest I don't care if you're Republican, Democrat, Green, Independent, Vegan, Carnivore, Gay, Non-Gay, Black, or People from Another Country.  I don't care which Party you're going to.  I don't care what kind of Party animal you are.  I do care that you may have let your party hat slide down over your eyes. Hey, this isn't about parties, this is about the United States of America! This is about a really bad thing that's happened and is still happening to our country. This is about our country declaring war on another country for false reasons.  Hey that's it!  People have been killed, lots of our people, lots and lots of theirs.  They all died, but they didn't have to!  You see what I'm saying? opednews.com

House repeals research ban for some nuclear weapons November 8, 2003 BY JONATHAN S. LANDAY Knight Ridder Newspapers The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted Friday to repeal a 10-year-old ban on researching low-power nuclear warheads. The Bush administration pushed for the legislation, arguing that the United States must maintain the technology and skills needed to develop new weapons to counter threats of chemical, biological and nuclear attacks. Critics say it will undermine efforts to curb nuclear proliferation. tallahassee.com

Bush vows decades of war for “democracy” in the Middle East November 8, 2003 By Bill Vann In a speech before the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Thursday President Bush portrayed the military occupation of Iraq as only the first stage in a US crusade for “democracy” in the region that will continue “for decades to come.” wsws.org

'Foxes in the henhouse' November 8, 2003 By Doreen Miller (YellowTimes.org) There have been many questions raised over the past few years concerning George Bush's level of competence, or lack thereof. People joke about his numerous linguistic faux pas, with some even pointing to his bastardization of the English language as evidence of his being an ordinary Joe, just like the rest of us. He may appear to be harmless, but the truth is, he is as dumb as a fox, and he and his gang of marauders have taken over and are destroying this country for their own personal ego-trips and profit. yellowtimes.org

Voting Without a Choice November 8, 2003 VIRGINIANS CAN FLATTER themselves that they held an election this week, and in some technical sense they did. Votes were cast, and by day's end candidates had won state offices. Yet there was one glaring problem, which should gnaw at everyone who left the polls with a cheery "I Voted" sticker: Most of the legislative races were hardly more competitive than elections in the old Soviet Union. And just as it is in non-democratic societies, this absence of meaningful competition was the product of deliberate manipulation -- in this case the gerrymandering of legislative districts by the politicians who then run for reelection from those districts. Most results were known before a single vote was cast. washingtonpost.com

Enemies of the People November 8, 2003 As a legal concept, can someone explain the difference between George W. Bush's "enemy combatant" and Josef Stalin's "enemy of the people"? I don't think there is one: In each case, a national leader on his own, without courts, without laws, without clear definitions, dreams up a label and his government then applies it to certain people -- and then they're gone. thenation.com

Russian Oligarchs To Be Liquidated November 8, 2003 The process has been launched and it cannot be stopped It has become clear against the background of recent events that the history of the Russian oil giant Yukos is coming to its end. Neither new American top managers, nor Western politicians can help to save the company. All these events are logical: liquidation is a natural process. english.pravda.ru

Ashcroft: We'll Keep Fighting Anti-Semitism, Terrorism November 8, 2003 By DONNA DE LA CRUZ Associated Press Writer November 8, 2003, Attorney General John Ashcroft vowed Friday that the Justice Department would continue its fight against anti-Semitism and terrorism. "This administration believes that acts of anti-Semitism must be confronted, condemned and denounced," Ashcroft said in a keynote address at the Anti-Defamation League's national meeting. "As history shows, verbal attacks on the Jewish people are portends of more savage criminality to come," he added. newsday.com

6 U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq Copter Crash November 8, 2003 By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Writer TIKRIT, Iraq - An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Friday — apparently shot down by insurgents — killing all six U.S. soldiers aboard and capping the bloodiest seven days in Iraq for Americans since the fall of Baghdad. story.news.yahoo.com

9/11 Commission to Subpoena NORAD Information November 8, 2003 By Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The national commission investigating the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks decided on Friday to subpoena the military's North American Aerospace Defense Command records for information it promised but did not deliver. news.yahoo.com

US Toxic 'ghost fleet' not wanted in the UK November 8, 2003 NETHERLANDS/Amsterdam Two former US Navy ships are now crossing the Atlantic for scrapping in the UK. Contaminated with toxic waste, the failure of the US to clean them up at home has caused outrage in Europe. greenpeace.org

House GOP Cuts Democratic Projects in Bill November 8, 2003 ALAN FRAM Associated Press House Democrats will get no projects for their home districts in a huge education and health spending bill because none of them voted for an initial version of the measure last summer, majority Republicans say. Unapologetic GOP leaders say the decision reflects standard procedure in Congress, where uncooperative lawmakers can lose out on money for roads, clinics and other prized items for the folks back home. "We're doing business as usual," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said Friday. "If you don't support a bill, you have no right to say what's in the bill." But furious Democrats say the move would be an unprecedented retaliatory blow at an entire political party. They say Democrats voted their conscience against a $138 billion measure they said would shortchange schools and other high-priority programs at a time when Republicans have cut taxes for wealthy Americans. tallahassee.com

Russia, EU can direct formation of new world order - Putin November 8, 2003 ITAR-TASS ROME Russia and the European Union can move forward in their cooperation by building up potential of mutual trust, President Vladimir Putin said at the European Union-Russia summit. Only by acting together can Russia and the enlarging European Union direct the process of the formation of a new world order, common values and interests, he said. propagandamatrix.com

Indignant Arabs say Bush democracy speech a sham November 8, 2003 DUBAI President George Bush's calls for democracy rang hollow in the Middle East, where many said on Friday they were appalled Washington was preaching liberty for Arabs while occupying Iraq. msnbc.com

Armed Police Storm School in Drugs Raid November 8, 2003 By Mark Sage, PA News, in New York Armed police stormed a high school and ordered children to the floor at gunpoint so they could conduct a drugs search, it emerged today, Officers ran into the South Carolina school, screaming at pupils to lie face down, before rifling through their bags. Students who did not do as they were told were handcuffed. news.scotsman.com

Food industry criticizes Senate plan for meat labeling November 8, 2003 WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate insisted Thursday that the Agriculture Department move ahead with preparations for a law requiring meatpackers and grocers to inform consumers what country their meat comes from. Led by senators from some Western states, the Senate voted 58-36 to oppose efforts in the House to effectively exempt meat products from a law requiring that foods start carrying country-of-origin labels by September 2004. “If we can decide the difference between choice and prime we can decide the difference between Mexico and the United States,” said Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota. “This may be one of the single most important consumer bills that our Congress is going to take up in this session.” montanaforum.com

FTCR: Schwarzenegger Rumored to Choose Chamber of Commerce Lobbyist as Top Legislative Advisor November 8, 2003 SANTA MONICA, Calif Consumer Group Says Keys to Government Shouldn't Be in Hands of Big Business. Rumors afloat in Sacramento today suggest that Arnold Schwarzenegger will announce the appointment of top Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Richard Costigan as his legislative secretary. The non-profit, non-partisan Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) criticized the prospect that the governor-elect's top legislative post will be in the hands of big business's biggest lobbyist. releases.usnewswire.com

West Papuans Terrorised by Indonesian Special Forces November 8, 2003 A videotape that details allegations of the burning of villages, schools and churches in West Papua by the Indonesian armed forces (TNI) has recently been smuggled out and shown on Australian SBS television. Repression by Indonesian military and special forces (Kopassus), is resulting in many deaths and of people being driven into the jungles without food. http://indymedia.org/

BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT! November 8, 2003 By: Esclarmonde In Response To: WHY ARE OUR "ASTRONOMETERS" SILENT ??? (Questionnairy) Why don't the Astronomers talk? Because most don't know what they are looking at; others are scared (after the cable car accident in 99 that sent a message around the world). And those who aren't scared, but KNOW, figure that you wouldn't understand it if they tried to explain it. Cause it isn't at all ANYTHING LIKE what we think it is... not even remotely CLOSE! rumormillnews.com

Harris Considers Run For U.S. Senate November 8, 2003 Observers Say Harris Could Become Front-Runner ORLANDO, Fla. -- Published reports said Rep. Katherine Harris, R-13th District, is "seriously considering" running for the U.S. Senate. nbc6.net

Pentagon activates 100,000 more troops November 7, 2003 WASHINGTON (UPI) Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has approved the activation of more than 100,000 new troops for deployment in Iraq early next year. CNN said a formal announcement of the order was to be made Thursday in a plan that includes the call-up of some 40,000 National Guard and Reserve troops for one-year tours of duty. In addition, CNN said several thousand Marines will be used to make up for the failure of the United States to get enough commitments from other countries to field a third multinational division. informationclearinghouse.info

Some soldiers would rather desert than return to Iraq November 7, 2003 Becky Oberg Service members know the consequences of going absent without leave (unauthorized absence in the Navy) — a maximum penalty of five years confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge. The maximum penalty for desertion in a time of war is death. nuvo.net

Don't mention the dead November 7, 2003 Gary Younge When the body of US soldier Artimus Brassfield was flown to the military mortuary at Dover, Delaware, there were no TV pictures of a flag-covered coffin and hero's salute - the White House has banned media coverage at the base. But can Bush's efforts to hide the body bags quell growing public disquiet over the death toll in Iraq? guardian.co.uk

NUMBER OF HUNGRY PEOPLE IN THE U.S. IS RISING November 7, 2003 AP On Friday, the Census Bureau released the results of a survey of 50,000 families that shows that more and more Americans are hungry or are unsure where they are going to get their next meal. According to the report, some 12 million families last year worried they didn't have enough money to buy food, and 32% of them actually experienced someone going hungry at one time or another. That adds up to 3.8 million families hungry to the point where someone in the household skipped meals because they couldn't afford them. That's an increase of 8.6% over 2001 and 13% over 2000. The survey also found that 11% of 108 million families were in a situation where they were either unsure if they could buy food, or didn't have enough. rumormillnews.com

WORLD STOCK MARKETS ARE HEADING FOR CRASH-LIKE COLLAPSE November 7, 2003 Posted By: Rosalinda WORLD STOCK MARKETS ARE HEADING FOR A `CRASH-LIKE COLLAPSE,' states Swiss economics professor Fredmund Malik of St. Gallen University. In his latest monthly newsletter he warns his customers, that in view of the developments on stock markets in the recent months, he views "a crash-like collapse of stock prices as very likely, actually within the next days or weeks." All indicators are pointing in this direction, he says. Among the investors and the financial media he recognizes an "extreme bullishness", typical for the last days before the bursting of a financial bubble. "The mood is grotesque and in full contradiction to economic reality." Investors and the media are revealing an incredible "blindness in respect to facts". rumormillnews.com

CALIFORNIA'S 911 November 7, 2003 Eric Siegel www.waterbomber.com. There I found out that this plane that could put out fires the size of ten football fields lined up end to end, in 15 seconds! I realized that this was what was needed for this fire. I asked if anyone from our government requested the Waterbomber planes, he told me - No. I asked him if his planes could function in the winds and horrible conditions that we were experiencing here, and told me - That’s what they’re meant for. I asked him if he had planes available for the California fires, he said - They had five planes and had two ready for California. Then I asked him how much would it cost the State of California for these two planes for a few days and he said, "Nothing". I said that he must be kidding! He said that all California would have to pay for was the fuel! You got to be kidding me, I told him. The use of the Waterbombers with crew for free! And no one from the United States Government had even requested it, let alone look into this solution. I was flabbergasted, it was an outrage! A picture is emerging here that is becoming increasingly disturbing, the more it comes into focus. That picture is this - there are people who have some vested interest in California burning. sacredearth.org