ICH: Keith Olbermann : Go to Iraq and Fight, Mr. President Resent-Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:52:33 -0500 (CDT) "Can any reasonable man be well disposed toward a government which makes war and carnage the only means of supporting itself?" -- Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) Source: at the US Constitutional Convention = "Perhaps the fact that we have seen millions voting themselves into complete dependence on a tyrant has made our generation understand that to choose one's government is not necessarily to secure freedom." -- Fredrich August von Hayek (1899-1992), Nobel Laureate of Economic Sciences 1974 = "Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." -- Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) US Supreme Court Justice 1928 Source: Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. United States, 277 US 479 (1928) = "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.": Aesop - (c. 550 B.C.) legendary Greek fabulist === Read this newsletter online http://tinyurl.com/dy6yy === Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered In America's War On Iraq - At Least 655,000 + + http://tinyurl.com/usq4x Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America'sWar On Iraq 3632 http://icasualties.org/oif/ The War in Iraq Costs $445,083,507,989 See the cost in your community http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182 === Go to Iraq and Fight, Mr. President Special Comment - By Keith Olbermann It is one of the great, dark, evil lessons, of history. A country - a government - a military machine - can screw up a war seven ways to Sunday. It can get thousands of its people killed. It can risk the safety of its citizens. It can destroy the fabric of its nation. But as long as it can identify a scapegoat, it can regain or even gain power. Video and transcript http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18054.htm === Facing the Truth By Monica Benderman A marine not only convicted of conspiring to commit kidnapping, larceny, and making false statements; but the murder - MURDER - of an innocent Iraqi man, was given his sentence. He is to receive a reduction in rank and a bad conduct discharge. THIS is what America has become. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18050.htm === Rape By Another Name Force-Feeding at Guantanamo By Ben Fox Twice a day at the U.S. military prison here, Abdul Rahman Shalabi and Zaid Salim Zuhair Ahmed are strapped down in padded restraint chairs and flexible yellow tubes are inserted through their noses and throats. Milky nutritional supplements, mixed with water and olive oil to add calories and ease constipation, pour into their stomachs. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18052.htm === Working For The Clampdown By James Bovard How many pipe bombs might it take to end U.S. democracy? Far fewer than it would have taken a year ago. The Defense Authorization Act of 2006, passed on September 30, empowers President George W. Bush to impose martial law in the event of a terrorist "incident" or if he or other federal officials perceive a shortfall of "public order" or even in response to antiwar protests that get unruly as a result of government provocations. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18055.htm === No Wonder The Bloggers Are Winning By Robert Fisk These gutless papers explain why more people are Googling than turning pages. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18053.htm === Trouble in Hedgistan: "Its gonna get a lot worse" By Mike Whitney The compiled assets of the Bear Sterns High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Fund-nearly $20 billion-have vanished into the miasma of cyber-space where they will soon be joined by $1.4 trillion of other, equally worthless, Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO). http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18051.htm === Iraq: At least 94 killed In Another Savage Day Of U.S. Occupation: U.S occupation forces kill another 18 civililians in helicopter strike near Husseiniyah town, north of Baghdad http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BUL023839.htm === Sistani''s official for financial affairs assassinated in Najaf : A police source told KUNA unknown armed men stormed Falak's house located in Al-Baraq around 50 meters from Al-Sistani's house and stabbed him to death before fleeing the scene. http://tinyurl.com/24mllk === Secret Report: No Iraq Oil Deal by September: The report, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the issues the three sides are too far apart to agree on are the "role of foreign companies in the oil sector" and the division of the oil profits. http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/07/secret-report-n.html === U.S.Puppet: Iraqi PM urges parliament to cancel or limit summer break to pass laws seen as crucial by US : One on the distribution of oil and another on how to handle former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party. http://tinyurl.com/yrjrqm === Iraq unions vow 'mutiny' over oil law : "This law cancels the great achievements of the Iraq people," Subhi al-Badri, head of the Iraqi Federation of Union Councils, told the al-Sharqiyah TV station. He referred specifically to laws that nationalized Iraq's oil sector. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007/07/20/iraq_unions_vow_mutiny_over_oil _law/ === Hassan Jumaa, President of Iraqi Federation of Oil Union: Video: Hassan describes the Union's campaign against the proposed Hydrocarbon Law, which will see much of Iraq's oil wealth fall into the hands of foreign oil companies. http://tinyurl.com/2d5j9a === Manufacturing Consent For Continuing Occupation Of Iraq: Early troop pullout could force return to Iraq: US military: Several high-ranking military chiefs have asked for more time in Iraq, as Congress and US public opinion grow impatient with the war, but Conway insisted that a US retreat without some show of success will be viewed as a victory for Al-Qaeda. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070720/pl_afp/usiraqmilitary === U.S Air Force, Navy seeing growing duty in Iraq: The decision to send thousands of airmen and sailors into nontraditional assignments such as convoy duty reflects growing personnel shortages as the armed forces try to sustain the highest troop levels of the war. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/21/MNGI3R4EI01.DTL === British Army reserves almost non-existent -report: Britain has almost no reserve troops to support operations in Iraq or Afghanistan or meet unexpected emergencies, the head of the British Army said according to a newspaper report on Saturday. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21183345.htm === War is racket: Bribery Network to Bloat War Costs Is Alleged : At the core of the case is a contract that KBR, previously known as Kellogg, Brown & Root, won before the war to supply the American military with food, fuel, housing and other necessities. The value of the contract soared with the Iraq invasion, and has so far paid KBR some $20 billion. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18049.htm === Watchdog group: Government awards contracts despite firms' misconduct : The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) yesterday released a revamped database detailing misconduct by the top 50 government contractors, including some of the world's largest military hardware, information technology, construction and energy companies. http://tinyurl.com/39lvbf === Afghan Police Report 25 Taleban, Four Guards Killed in Gun Battle : Police in occupied Afghanistan say 25 Taleban rebels and four security guards were killed when insurgents ambushed a "private" convoy in the western part of the country http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-07-21-voa19.cfm === Taliban say they killed two abducted Germans: The Islamist rebels have demanded that both countries pull their troops out of the war-torn country where the Germans serve under Nato and the Koreas under US-led command, a spokesman said. http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/07/22/d70722013923.htm === Can the war in Afghanistan be won? : The Taleban have new confidence and new tactics, and their campaign against the government and its Nato backers has been increasingly successful since the beginning of this year. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6756125.stm === 7 militants killed in Pakistani tribal area : 7 militants were killed Saturday in shelling in Pakistan's tribal area of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, according to army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/22/content_6411639.htm === Bush says US, Pakistan targeting Al-Qaeda 'safe-haven': In his weekly radio address, Bush expressed full US support for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's efforts "to rid all of Pakistan of extremism" including an Al-Qaeda "safe haven" in tribal areas. http://tinyurl.com/2ueuzs === 'Action in tribal areas can split Pak army': Time magazine quoting a former head of the powerful intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence said many foreign observers believe that his days are numbered as leader of Pakistan, raising the issue of who could possibly replace America's primary ally in the war against terror in this critical region. http://tinyurl.com/2jd6zw === Pakistan warns US on unilateral 'strike' : Pakistan on Friday called White House comments that US forces could unilaterally strike militant targets inside the country "irresponsible and dangerous." http://tinyurl.com/2ouzzu === Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran: Iran attack could be 2nd Holocaust, Gingrich warns: Former US House speaker, who is considering running for presidency on Republican ticket, warns that if Iran acquires nukes, Israel and US would be under severe threat; 'Firing one or more bombs at Israel could be a second Holocaust for the Jewish people,' Gingrich says http://tinyurl.com/2wt5g6 === How to Sell an Endless War: Many of the elements used to sell that attack on Iraq--the intelligence dossiers, the unsourced revelations, the denigration of hard evidence, the cosying-up to prominent exiles--are now being used to sell an attack on Iran. With some 22 minutes out of every hour on US TV given over http://www.counterpunch.org/keen07212007.html === Don't ignore us, Hamas warns Blair: We warn the new envoy that any attempt to marginalise the Hamas movement will cost him his credibility," said Hamas hard-liner Mahmoud Zahar, a former Palestinian foreign minister. http://tinyurl.com/2ocaph === Hamas Replacing Defunct Gaza Courts : The legal system in Gaza stopped functioning after Hamas took over the area last month. Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered judges, prosecutors and police to stop cooperating with Gaza's new rulers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6795719,00.html === A Racist Jewish State: Every day the Knesset has the option of passing laws that will advance Israel as a democratic Jewish state or turn it into a racist Jewish state. There is a very thin line between the two. This week, the line was crossed. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=884358 === Without a plot, is Padilla guilty?: Government lawyers argue that a series of shady phone calls and a few documents are enough to establish the existence of a terror conspiracy and send all three defendants to prison potentially for the rest of their lives. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0719/p03s02-usju.html === Bush Executive Order: Criminalizing the Antiwar Movement: A presidential Executive Order?issued on July 17th, repeals with the stroke of a pen the right to dissent and oppose the Iraq war.? http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=6377 === Thom Hartmann interviews Paul Craig Roberts: Paul Craig Roberts, old-school republican and former Reagan official known to be "father of Reaganomics" wrote an op-ed, "Impeach Now Or Face the End of Constitutional Democracy," on 7/16/07. Which prompted Thom to interview him. He argues that we are very, very close to a scenario where the Bush administration could instate a dictatorial police state yes, in America. http://www.archive.org/details/71907ThomHartmannInterviewsPaulCraigRoberts === U.S. to extradite Noriega to France: Manuel Noriega will be extradited to France to serve a 10-year sentence for money laundering upon his release from prison in Florida this fall, according to Justice Department papers filed in court Tuesday. http://tinyurl.com/37grar === Lockerbie: Evidence Fabricated by CIA : Long before the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) announced its spectacular decision to grant a fresh appeal to the Libyan man convicted of the worst act of terror in the U.K., Lord Fraser, who issued the warrant for his arrest, had expressed doubts about the initial verdict. http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=372529&rel_no=1 === Cynthia McKinney on American Blackout, stolen elections, the Green Party: Cynthia McKinney talks about American Blackout, who really stole the 2000 and 2004 elections (it wasn't Nader) as well as her 2002 and 2006 congressional races. She thanks the Green Party for their efforts in Ohio 2004 recount attempt. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=332622179870559068 === Let Us Work Towards Peace & Joy Tom Feeley