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Latest News and Analysis for July 2003

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7-31-03 Poindexter to quit Pentagon post amid controversy "Retired Adm. John Poindexter will resign his position at the Pentagon after a research project he was overseeing was condemned by Congress as an 'egregious error of judgment.'"  Terror trading program dies, but reality check still needed "This idea is so absurd that it would be laughable if it were not for the fact that it almost came to fruition. Before the plan was scrapped on Tuesday, a Web site had already been set up and potential traders were being screened—one can only imagine the criteria that were being used to determine their eligibility." Flashback: 8-2-02 Poindexter introduces an Orwellian project "Total Information Awareness—a prototype system— is our answer. We must be able to detect, classify, identify, and track terrorists so that we may understand their plans and act to prevent them from being executed. To protect our rights, we must ensure that our systems track the terrorists, and those that mean us harm."

7-30-03 Nation sends mixed signals regarding homosexual "rights" and wrongs  Poll shows backlash on "gay" issues  "Americans have become significantly less accepting of homosexuality since a Supreme Court decision that was hailed as clearing the way for new gay civil rights, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll has found." (Real News 24/7: While this sounds somewhat optimistic [the numbers in opposition are not as solid as we'd prefer, but it's a start], the following article shows a conflicting trend.) "Gay"-themed TV gains wider audience [Reader advisory: A vulgar photo of sodomite characters kissing accompanies this New York Times article. We have elected to include this since it is not pornographic and it gives readers a clear understanding of what the networks are foisting on the American people.] "But the trend has already come under attack. A. William Merrell, a vice president on the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, said the new shows (such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, below left photo) were a sign of the growing influence of gays in Hollywood. 'I believe that the net effect is to forward an agenda making homosexuality appear first normal, and then desirable,' he said." (Real News 24/7: Dr. Merrell is correct in his assessment. Furthering his thought, the constant promotion by Hollywood of impure and unnatural acts, if left unchecked, will, by dissolving America's traditional values and superimposing neo-pagan debauchery, bring about the demise of our society and Christian civilization.) Group: "Gay" student club actions may discriminate against others "A group that promotes what it calls traditional family values is criticizing a club for gay students at a northwestern Pennsylvania high school, saying the club's agenda could lead to discrimination against other students, particularly those with strong religious convictions." (Real News 24/7: Note the subtle bias evident in this opening paragraph. The reporter, Allison Schlesinger of the Associated Press, qualifies the term "traditional family values" by prefacing it with "what it calls," showing that this is according to the group in question's interpretation of the phrase, an interpretation that may not shared by every one. But when she talks about the "club for gay students," there is no quotation marks around the word "gay," despite the fact that this term originated in the homosexual subculture as one of their preferred self-descriptions.) Bush to block "gay" marriage "President has lawyers working to codify heterosexual definition." (Real News 24/7: Given the Bush track record on social issues—lots of family-friendly talk, but little or no substantive action, plus articles like this:  GOP sodomites hail White House access—we'll believe it when we see it.)

7-29-03 Warning of more suicide hijackings "United States officials say they have learnt of new threats of airline suicide hijackings planned for the latter part of the summer. The information was gleaned in recent interrogation of high-level al-Qaeda captives and corroborated by other means, including electronic intercepts, the officials said." The 9-11 report raises more serious questions about the White House statements on intelligence "Bluntly stated, either the Bush White House knew about the potential of terrorists flying airplanes into skyscrapers (notwithstanding their claims to the contrary), or the CIA failed to give the White House this essential information, which it possessed and provided to others." The 9-11 prior warning archives Here are scores of links showing that, without doubt, there was knowledge of such potential terrorist acts. (Whether this means simply  a government awareness of the danger or that a subversive faction acting within the U.S. government planted disinformation, while plotting the attacks itself, is another matter. Real News 24/7 9-11 Cover-up links examine the latter scenario.)
 

"Don't believe a word you hear. It was not suicide. It couldn't have been."
—Assistant Attorney General Webster Hubbell

7-28-03 New revelations in the Vince Foster death On July 20, 2003 the body of White House deputy counsel Vince Foster was found in a D.C.-area park; although experienced paramedics viewed it as a homicide, the official ruling was suicide, a conclusion that was immediately challenged. Recently revealed remarks of a U.S. attorney throw further doubt on that ruling and show how individuals within the government and news media covered up any attempts to get at the bottom of the case.  Tape of U.S. attorney: Foster probe a fraud "Investigator says FBI warned 'back down,' White House knew before 9-1-1 call made." Accuracy in Media's coverage (with exclusive audio) 101 peculiarities surrounding the death of Vince Foster

1. The man who discovered the body in Ft. Marcy Park says he was curious about the cause of death and looked closely for a gun. He emphatically says there was no gun in either hand. The FBI put great pressure on this witness to change his testimony. Why? Did he interrupt the staging of a suicide that was only completed after he left the scene?

The death of Vincent Foster: Evidence of a cover-up An exhaustive examination of the case from What Really Happened with many links. America's Dreyfus Affair  David Martin's six-part analysis into the Foster death.  Tony Blair's Vince Foster? "The Prime Minister and his entourage were obsessive observers of the Clinton years and Dr. [David] Kelly's death instantly reminded them of the suicide of Vince Foster," London's Sunday Telegraph reported."

7-27-03 The Amazing Stories of Condoleezza Rice "In the months before the Iraq War, Rice repeatedly reassured the public that the U.S. was seeking a peaceful resolution, and that war was not a foregone conclusion. However, it now appears that at the same time she was saying this, she was telling senior State Department officials that the decision to go to war had already been made—well before diplomatic efforts to diffuse the situation even began." (Real News 24/7: The author of this piece doesn't adequately demonstrate the foreknowledge of using planes as missiles: Rice said no one "could have predicted" that people wound fly an airliner into a building, yet none of the sources cited to counter this directly answers this. Here is proof from our archived May 2003 headlines that not only was this known as a potential problem, but the National Reconnaissance Office had a crash simulation scheduled for the morning of September 11, 2001!)  Rice admits "Iraq uranium hunt" blunder "Condoleezza Rice, a leading hawk on the Iraq war who publicly pressed the case that Saddam Hussein might soon develop a nuclear arsenal, is being singled out for blame in the backlash over Iraq’s missing weapons of mass destruction." It's rise and reckon time for Rice "Either she missed or overlooked numerous warnings from intelligence agencies seeking to put caveats on claims about Iraq’s nuclear weapons programme, or she made public claims that she knew to be false."

7-26-03 America's Uday and Qusay Conjuring Trick  Latest White House lies reveal larger hidden untruths Uday & Qusay Hussein Forged Photos, Forensic Analysis "Think about this people, think about it very hard. The only thing preventing the Administration from gleefully parading Lieutenant General Abid Hamid Mahmud al Tikriti in front of the media cameras, is the fact they never captured him at all. Now go search the archives, and try to find media video footage taken after the 'arrest' of any of the other 34 'wanted criminals' on the Deck of Cards that America claims to have in custody. No media footage? What a surprise…" Bloody proof: Hussein photos don't end doubt "'Everyone here in our office, we turned the TV on and said, "Boy it doesn't even look like them,"' said Martin Manna, an Iraqi-American who lives in Bloomfield Hills and is director of the Detroit-area Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce." Troops bulldoze Saddam sons' hideout after search Oops, there goes the evidence.  With Hussein's heirs gone, hopes rise for end to attacks And here's a motive for faking their deaths.   Pictures at an exhibition: bread, circuses, Uday and Qusay Okay, so we couldn't find the WMDs we kept insisting Saddam had, but at least we got his boys! Now are you satisfied?

7-26-03 Voting machine study divides Md. officials, experts "For some in Maryland, the report yesterday by Johns Hopkins University computer security experts that electronic voting machines could easily be hacked into set off alarm bells. But for others, including the state officials who recently signed a $55.6 million agreement to put the units in every voting precinct by March, the report is one more example of 'technological hysteria.'" (Real News 24/7: Hmm, technological hysteria; next they'll call critics of the plan "paranoid" and, after that, "conspiracy nuts." Anyway, they'll add, it's too late, since the money's been spent and Maryland voters just "love" touch screen voting; so leave us alone.)  Electronic voting system is vulnerable to tampering "The software believed to be at the heart of an electronic voting system being marketed for use in elections across the nation has weaknesses that could easily allow someone to cast multiple votes for one candidate, computer security researchers at The Johns Hopkins University have determined."( Here's the relevant press release from Baltimore's prestigious JHU, where the technical director of its Information Security Institute headed the team that uncovered these flaws. Also linked are pages that present the researchers' full report (the supposed "hysteria"—read it and judge for yourself) and the Institutes' webpage, which includes many valuable links).
 

7-25-03 Rachel Corrie remembered  Marchers want Congressional investigation "An activist group calling for a congressional investigation into the March 16 death of Washington college student Rachel Corrie marched through the streets of New Britain Wednesday."   The Maid and the Ogre "At the beginning of Zionist movement, its eugenic task was expressed in a poem : ‘Mi dam umi eza Nakim lanu geza’—‘out of blood and sweat we shall breed a new victorious and cruel race’, sang the Zionists. With murder of Rachel Corrie the experiment came to its fruition. The ‘cruel race’ is not a dream anymore, it is a new geopolitical reality." (Click "RETOUR" at top of page to go to a page of Rachel Corrie links. Another victim of the Israeli Defense Force  "He risked all for others": Tom Hurndall's mother remembers her son "On Friday 11 April, my eldest son, a photojournalist, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier. He was trying to protect two young girls in the Israelis' line of fire in Gaza. He is 21 and now lies in a coma, with severe brain damage."

7-24-03
Computer voting is open to easy fraud, experts say
"The software that runs many high-tech voting machines contains serious flaws that would allow voters to cast extra votes and permit poll workers to alter ballots without being detected, computer security researchers said yesterday." Accenture [Andersen] improves vote fraud "Last year, while President Bush marshaled U.S. forces for the invasion of Iraq, the patriots at the Department of Defense awarded the contract for a new online voting system for the military... to an offshore company. It gets worse.…" Jim Condit Jr.: Understanding the real "2000 election" scam "While international mystery men are supplying our American county officials with secret and unknowable codes to 'count' our votes, citizens are simultaneously barred by public officials, backed by the police, from exercising ANY checks and balances over the vote counting process on election day." Maryland: Touch-screen voting machines set for 2004 elections "The state's Board of Public Works approved a $55.6 million contract for 11,000 new voting machines last week, a move that will assure the state has one voting system for next year's presidential election. Voters will cast their ballots electronically by using touch-screen voting machines (see photo above)." The case of the Diebold FTP site "On Feb. 4, 2003, employees of Diebold Election Systems admitted that they had been using an insecure FTP server to exchange and update some part of Diebold's software.…This FTP server was taken offline on Jan 29, and it is alleged to have contained files with names like "rob-georgia.zip", large parts of GEMS (the Global Election Management System), and unknown other software. Not surprisingly, this disclosure fueled considerable speculation about some vast conspiracy undermining democracy." Diebold earnings pushed up by security sales "Diebold Inc., which makes automated teller machines and security and voting equipment, reported second-quarter earnings Wednesday of $41.3 million." Votescam: computer votefraud vs. honest elections  Real News 24/7's extensive collection of links exposing the electronic stealing of elections. (There are some duplications here with the links in "Understanding the real "2000  election" scam," cited above.)

7-23-03 Italian officials say banker was murdered "Prosecutors investigating the apparent 1982 suicide of Roberto Calvi, the Vatican-connected financier implicated in Italy's biggest postwar banking scandal, have concluded he was murdered, reports said Wednesday." Banco Ambrosiano and the Vatican Bank "Although this series of scandals first came to light in the early 1980s the controversy is not over yet." (Real News 24/7: A collection of links about the Calvi case, which was reopened last year.)  The Murder of Pope John Paul I "We shall follow [David] Yallop [author of In God's Name: An investigation into the murder of Pope John Paul I] in his demonstration and learn that Licio Gelli was the initiator and general organizer of the crime, that Roberto Calvi was his partner in the crime, a crime that was to cost him ever more dearly to the point where he too had to be suicided." (Real News 24/7: The author of these articles argues that John Paul I is a central figure in prophecy. That speculation aside (of which the reader may be the judge), there is much information of value here concerning Calvi, the secret society to which he belonged and its shadowy machinations.)  Roberto Calvi bibliography A list of numerous relevant books and articles, also containing a fascinating "social network diagram" (not to be missed).

7-22-03 Controversy continues to rage concerning Mel Gibson's The Passion: Opinions about upcoming movie range from bigotry disguised as art to film masterpiece; significantly, the latter view comes from those who have actually seen it  Stirring passions: Gibson's film about Jesus raises Jews' fears  "Jewish groups have also asked to view the film before it is released, but Gibson has not obliged, though he has shown it to others, including a gathering of evangelical Christian leaders." New Republic attacks Mel Gibson "The smear campaign against Mel Gibson's "The Passion" by people who haven't even seen the movie continues. Gibson's defenders, however, refuse to be silenced." Michael Medved: "Passion" elicits unfair conflict "Of course, members of the religious establishment in ancient Judea come across badly in New Testament accounts, but beyond these villains, the new movie boasts a Jewish hero (or Hero) -- not to mention many other sympathetic Judeans, including Christ's disciples and mother." (Real News 24/7: Significantly, Medved in Jewish,—as is Matt Drudge, below—yet, to his credit, he is not reacting with the knee-jerk reaction of the ADL and others who are overreacting about it. We do, however, take exception to his claim—and here he does buy into the propaganda fostered by the professional anti-anti-Semitics—that Christian beliefs caused the persecution of Jews.) Mel Gibson's Washington power play "Yesterday when the lights came up, many in the audience —who were required to sign a confidentiality agreement before being admitted to the screening room—were in tears. Some were sobbing, we hear." Buchanan and Press Matt Drudge, an invitee to the screening, shares his views on The Passion. (Note: Please read the entire transcript, since the film is discussed at the beginning, then mentioned again twice.) Mel Gibson's Film About Christ Still Stirring Passions "'If you made a movie blaspheming Christ, you wouldn't hear a word,' said Louis Giovino, spokesman for the Catholic League." Actor-director Mel Gibson visits U.S. bishops' building "When signing an autograph for Janet Kistler, who works in the bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, Gibson said, 'You're from Pro-Life? I've done my bit.' Gibson, a Catholic, is the father of seven children."

7-21-03
Was Dr. David Kelly murdered? 

"I will wait until the end of the week before judging — many dark actors playing games."
—David Kelly concerning his testimony

 Dr. Kelly's final hours did not indicate suicide "It is…important to realize that while the evidence that has been released about the death is consistent with suicide, it is also consistent with a murder made to look like suicide (emphasis added)." The Kelly suicide: Naming the elephant "It was absurdly easy to murder Dr. David Kelly. His regular habit of walking through the quiet fields to nearby Longworth Hill saw to that.…" British judge to decide scope of suicide investigation "The chairman of the official British inquiry into the death of weapons expert David Kelly says he himself will decide on the extent and scope of the probe, which will be held mostly in public." (Real News 24/7: But is foul play within the scope?)  A public enquiry into the Thames Valley police "We have left readers in no doubt that we are certain that Thames Valley Police and its Authority are polluted with Masons who are gravely corrupt. The integrity of the Buckinghamshire coroner and of the medical profession is also called into question." (Real News 24/7: This comes from the Victims Of Masonic Ill-Treatment , a British website. We link it here solely because it opens the possibility of corruption/cover-up by the people who are are handling the Kelly case. This was written in 2000 and the chief constable has been replaced, so even if the information and conclusions were accurate then, it remains to be seen if they still apply and precisely how such a scenario affects the investigation of Kelly's death. So its inclusion here should not be taken as an unqualified endorsement.)

7-20-03 Hell in Zimbabwe Mugabe threatens U.S., British descendants "President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has warned Britain and the United States that their descendants living in the country 'will be the first to die' if the two countries launch an attack, a newspaper said today."  Mugabe grooms ruthless successor "'Robert [Mugabe] is a bit like Macbeth. He’s haunted by the number of people he has killed. He is terrified of going on trial somewhere and being remembered not as a hero, but as a monster,' the source said. 'He knows that Emmerson Mnangagwa is a safe pair of hands because they’re as bloody as his own.'" (Real News 24/7: That's ruthless as in "brutal," "inhuman," "monstrous," "devilish," etc. But behind these adjectives there is a unspeakable reality. Anatomy of Terror brings that reality into nightmarish focus. This is the handiwork of Mugabe, Mnangagwa and their cohorts.  Be forewarned, these photographs are not for the faint of heart. Not recommended for children under 16.)

7-19-03 Dr. Kelly's "suicide" suspicious despite police claims Weapons expert had slashed wrist "A senior officer said a knife and a packet of painkillers had been found close to where his body was discovered in woodland near his home in Oxfordshire on Friday." (Real News 24/7: Yes, but did anyone check the body for a needle mark? This well could have been a murder to warn other scientists of the consequences of talking to the news media about off limit subjects.) Political storm over scientist's death Two days after the inquisition, Kelly, visibly uncomfortable in the media spotlight, went missing. British police said yesterday they had found a body matching his description. They were not treating his death as suspicious. Kelly's family: "Events made David's life intolerable"  Dr. Kelly declared dead "Just yesterday in an email to a friend he expressed a desire to return to the job that meant so much to him. 'Hopefully it will soon pass' he wrote 'and I can get to Baghdad and get on with the real work.'" (Real News 24/7: Doesn't sound very suicidal, does it?)
 

7-18-03 Scientist thought to be source of BBC report questioning WMDs dossier dies mysteriously

WMD Scientist's Death Rocks British Government  "British police said they had found a body matching that of soft-spoken defense ministry biologist David Kelly (left), a former U.N. weapons inspector, who had been grilled in parliament over allegations the government hyped intelligence to justify war." BBC: MoD expert "unused to spotlight" "During a lecture he once said: 'When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, little did I realize that Saddam Hussein would dictate the next 10 years of my life.'" (Video of Dr. Kelly's evidence included with this article.) Gilligan will be "worried and sickened," said Liddle Former editor of the BBC's Today program Rod Liddle: "Quite clearly there was a concerted effort to root out whoever had the temerity to speak to a journalist, supposedly out of turn. I'd also be interested to find out who decided in the end, or what pressure was put on the [foreign affairs] select committee, to call back both Andrew Gilligan and Dr Kelly for another cross examination." (Real News 24/7: The spin in this article and elsewhere is that Dr. Kelly was so despondent that he took his own life. Perhaps he was and perhaps he did, but before allowing this death to be quietly put aside, questions should be asked, such as: Could this be a homicide staged to look like a suicide? Did those who made "a concerted effort to root him out," later decide they needed to "rub him out"?) Tragic price of contempt for a free press The political pressure to find a name - to switch from an institutional assault on the BBC to the identification of a single (and therefore more vulnerable) individual—was intense.…  Timeline: Dr. David Kelly

7-17-03

Michael Ledeen and the neoconservative movement : Why their continued influence imperils America's future

Rep. Ron Paul: NeoConned by state terrorists Michael Ledeen, PNAC In this hard-hitting article, Congressman Paul ennunciates seventeen views held in common by neocons. Among them are:

1. They agree with Trotsky on permanent revolution, violent as well as intellectual.

2. They are for redrawing the map of the Middle East and are willing to use force to do so.

3. They believe in preemptive war to achieve desired ends.

4. They accept the notion that the ends justify the means, so that hard-ball politics is a moral necessity.

5. They express no opposition to the welfare state.

6. They are not bashful about an American empire; instead they strongly endorse it.

7. They believe lying is necessary for the state to survive.
 

Michael Ledeen demand "regime change" in Iran "Ledeen, as he wrote in his book Machiavelli on Modern Leadership: Why Machiavelli's Iron Rules Are As Timely and Important Today as Five Centuries Ago (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000), is a believer in 'total war' through 'creative violence.' There is no such thing as peace between nations, he maintains; peace is just an interlude between wars."  Michael Ledeen: Dangerous confusion about Iran "The war against terrorism was never limited to a single country or strategy. We have defeated Saddam, now we must spread freedom to the heartland of the terror masters in Iran. Now, please. Time's up." (Real News 24/7: Emphasis added. Ledeen claims that he doesn't mean the use of military force, but since he doesn't exclude it, has no qualms about using it, supports its use in general in the "War on Terror" and uses rhetoric here very suggestive of a possible invasion, it is not unreasonable to think that the above quote may contain a veiled call to arms,  if necessary. The next article promotes the idea of the United States backing Iranian malcontents to bring about the internal upheaval of that nation. Also, note the seventh neocon view cited above by Ron Paul.)  Michael Ledeen: The Future of Iran: Armitage might want to rethink that "democracy" line "In this confusion, the mullahs are stalling for time. They believe that if they can ride the whirlwind until next year, the president will forget foreign policy and devote all his energies to his reelection. They also believe that they can bloody us in Iraq, sending scores or even hundreds of body bags to American shores, eventually sapping our will and sending us home.…
 

7-17-03 Careful: The FB-eye might be watching This is Marc Schultz holding up a souvenir he received from his good friends at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Marc's a freelance writer who will be attending graduate school this fall at the University of Georgia. He works at a bookstore. Okay, not exactly a cloak-and-dagger occupation, but then his buddies in the FBI had other things than work that they were curious about. Marc writes amusingly of his close encounter with a couple of spooks who grilled him about a printout off of the Internet that he had been seen reading in public …the "wrong" sort of thing. Wrong as in something from the independent, questioning,  un-controlled, not bought off news media. (Like what your reading at this moment!) So check out Marc's story. It will give you an idea of what to expect if you get cornered by the FBI and, at the end, provide you with a link to Marc's "dangerous" reading material. Oh, yeah, and let this be a warning to you: Be careful who you let see what you read or you, too, could get a surprise visit from federal law enforcement agents.

7-16-03

More reasons for the United States to get out of the United Nations

U.N. seeking global gun control? "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged members to redouble efforts to curb small arms and light weapons. 'The United Nations remains firmly committed to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons in all its aspects,' he said." (Real News 24/7 translation: "illicit trade of small arms and light weapons" = any sales made without prior approval of the United Nations) Global gun grab "The United Nations 'Report of the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms' issued on August 19th bitterly complains that 'there are wide differences among States [nations] as regards which types of arms are permitted for civilian possession, and as regards the circumstances under which they can legitimately be owned, carried and used. Such wide variation in national laws raise difficulties for effective regional or international coordination.'" (The twisted handgun sculpture on U.N. grounds says it all!)  United Nations also wants arms control for countries "For several decades, pro-UN propaganda has held that furnishing the world body with enough power to 'enforce peace' would benefit mankind and forestall the possibility of future wars. But there are some crucial questions that few consider: If the UN should become all-powerful, who would be left to prevent it from establishing its own brand of tyranny? If the UN were powerful enough to enforce peace, would it not also be powerful enough to enforce the will of its leaders on all mankind?" Congress drops ball as vote to sever U.S. ties to the United Nations fails However, they do get it right (barely) in refusing assistance to the U.N. (De) Population Fund. Roll Call on H.R. 1950 (To get the U.S. out of the U.N.) Please check the list and commend or chide your Representative as is appropriate. Those who voted to end U.N. involvement need to be encouraged not to give up the fight, while those who didn't need to be educated on its dangers (true, some won't listen, but the effort still should be made).