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8/30/2002
Iraq: October Surprise? :.Remember, Mark Roth, the author of this article, is speculating. I think, however, that it would be a good idea to keep what he's saying in mind, in case events do indeed unfold as he believes they will. According to his piece, the war with Iraq will begin in late October, around Halloween. But who will be perceived as firing the first shot? Roth thinks that the CIA/Mossad will affect the launch of a missile at Israel, which, as we all know, would lead to the annihilation of Iraq. If you doubt that the United States would consider such a diabolical act, calmly and carefully read the North Woods document. Roth's theory could lend credence to this recent story, which asserted that the U.S. will attack Iraq by the end of November. This sentence may be key: Israeli military sources said a senior U.S. military [general] visited Israel earlier this week and toured facilities where the U.S. military has prepositioned equipment and weapons for an emergency in the Middle East.What emergency? If Roth is correct, that "emergency" could be a missile attack on Israel. Whether or not Saddam Hussein will actually launch such an insane suicide attack is a different matter. Again, do not forget the North Woods document. Saddam Hussein has set himself up to be an ideal patsy. There is no way out for him. If he does nothing, he's going to get whacked. If he lashes out with a preemptive strike, because he knows he has no chance of survival, he's going to get whacked. No matter what event brings about the "final straw" that draws the U.S. and Israel into action against Iraq, the fact is that the U.S. and Israel will be, as usual, massacring Muslims. This insane adventure to insure access to cheap oil will radicalize Muslims all over the planet and turn America into a bull's-eye in the sites of hundreds of millions of people. Saddam Hussein may get the last laugh after all. So, while we're in speculation mode, here's a little bit from yours truly: I think Saudi Arabia, not Iraq, is the actual crown jewel in the eyes of U.S. geostrategists. If the U.S. and Israel attack Iraq, the Saudi regime would be in very serious trouble. Think in terms of a U.S. imperial strategy. Saudi Arabia WILL NOT be allowed to come under control of a radical Islamic regime. Absolutely, positively, will not. However, the House of Saud knows it's in dire trouble. I would not be surprised, at all, if the U.S. military was introduced into Saudi Arabia to, in effect, insure the "stability" of the criminal Saudi Regime. I would anticipate a major and brutal counter insurgency operation that could last.... a very long time. And what will happen inside Egypt? You see, this is the point at which I'd like to have a drink and maybe watch some MTV.
posted by Kevin at 3:36 AM
8/29/2002
Israeli Cutout Busted: Germany Halts Arms Headed to Iran :.Most people don't know that Israel has been involved with shipping arms to its "sworn" enemies for thirty years. Well, I guess some things never change. Also, note the city in Germany where this occured, Hamburg. Where was the base of operations for the 9/11 suspects while in Germany? You guessed it, Hamburg: German authorities today returned to Israel a consigment of Israeli-manufactured military equipment that they insist was bound for Iran.
The cargo of tank tracks and treads were found on board an Israeli vessel earlier this month by German customs officers after they discovered the equipment was being secretly shipped to Iran.
The Israeli goverment had authorised a private Israeli company to ship the equipment to Thailand and not Iran. Both Germany and Israel prohbits the sale of arms to Iran.
The Hamburg authorities today announced that it was returning the cargo to Israel where a police investigation will be launched into the circumstances surrounding the shipment.
posted by Kevin at 6:57 PM
9/11 Planes Flown by Remote Control? :.I've been hearing this theory since the days immediately following 9/11. At first, I thought is was sheer insanity. I'm just not so sure now: A group of military and civilian US pilots, under the chairmanship of Colonel Donn de Grand, after deliberating non-stop for 72 hours, has concluded that the flight crews of the four passenger airliners, involved in the September 11th tragedy, had no control over their aircraft.
In a detailed press communiqu� the inquiry stated: �The so-called terrorist attack was in fact a superbly executed military operation carried out against the USA, requiring the utmost professional military skill in command, communications and control. It was flawless in timing, in the choice of selected aircraft to be used as guided missiles and in the coordinated delivery of those missiles to their pre-selected targets.�
The report seriously questions whether or not the suspect hijackers, supposedly trained on Cessna light aircraft, could have located a target dead-on 200 miles from take off point. It further throws into doubt their ability to master the intricacies of the instrument flight rules (IFR) in the 45 minutes from take off to the point of impact. Colonel de Grand said that it would be impossible for novices to have taken control of the four aircraft and orchestrated such a terrible act requiring military precision of the highest order.
posted by Kevin at 6:43 PM
U.S. to Hit Iraq in Late November? :.TEL AVIV � The United States has told Israel that it will attack Iraq before the end of November.
Israeli military sources said a a senior U.S. military visited Israel earlier this week and toured facilities where the U.S. military has prepositioned equipment and weapons for an emergency in the Middle East.
The sources quoted a visiting U.S. general who heads army logistics as saying that Washington intends to strike the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by late November.
The Israeli sources said the two countries discussed Israel's role in any U.S. military attack, Middle East Newsline reported.
The general was quoted as saying that Washington's aim is to topple the Saddam regime. The general was not named.
posted by Kevin at 9:08 AM
Interesting Recent .Gov Hits.Gov has been sniffing around recently. I'm very interested in the activity originating out of the nipr.mil domain. Those guys have managed to erase their whois records and all former references in google. Here are the log entries: Aug 28 at 10:57:03 N cryptogon.com/2002_06_30_blogarchive.html Referred by: www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Archangel+Henao&btnG=Google+Search 199.196.144.16 tias-gw6.treas.gov [United States Department of the Treasury] Aug 28 at 12:00:20 N cryptogon.com/links.html Referred by: www.google.com/search?q=Michael+Rupert&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=130&sa=N 198.151.13.7 gimme.east.saic.com [Scientific Applications International Corporation, a large CIA cutout.] Aug 28 at 12:25:49 N no entry page detected unable to detect Referred by: (JavaScript not enabled in visitor's browser) 198.26.120.13 WCS2-MCPHERSON.NIPR.MIL [Classified Department of Defense gateway to the Internet managed by SAIC. Since the last time I got a hit from this domain, they have had their DNS records removed from the WHOIS database....Somehow. Do a WHOIS search on NIPR.MIL. It doesn't return anything now. Here's what the record returned a few weeks ago. Wave hello to the spooks! I found http://cap.nipr.mil/ using Dogpile. This is the outer ring of some pretty spooky realms. WARNING: Do not screw around with this. Most of the options look up your IP address to make sure you're coming from a .mil domain.]
posted by Kevin at 3:52 AM
RIAA Jackasses Hacked :.Oh God, this is funny. They better get a Microsoft DRM version of IIS on the job. BAAAA HAAAA HAAAAAAAAAA! Suck it up, gentlemen, and get used to it. The freaks will never go quietly: Looking to snag a free copy of your favorite tune? For a few hours Wednesday morning, you might have been able to download a copy directly from the Recording Industry Association of America's website.
The association, a vocal opponent of music file trading, became an unwitting repository of music files when its site was altered by unknown attackers.
An RIAA spokeswoman would only confirm that the site was experiencing problems, was being fixed, and would be back up shortly.
posted by Kevin at 2:22 AM
8/28/2002
Lonely Voices of Dissent :.Trying to talk to most people about what is actually happening in the world is roughly as productive as banging my head against the wall. This article discusses some of the more maddening aspects of being informed: For critics of the war, a day at the office is rather like being a homosexual in a homophobic world - you search others for signs that it's safe to come out to them.
How did this happen? Most Americans have little knowledge of the rest of the world, an ignorance the media do little to dispel; and most would like to believe that the war on terror is the best way to ensure safety in the future. Many adhere to an almost Manichean division of the world into good guys and evildoers, a world-view which makes the most outrageous of Bushisms seem plausible.
Yet Americans have nonetheless retained the desire for an all-encompassing sense of national purpose. I felt it myself in the horrible hours of September 11 and, in spite of the government's rhetoric, for weeks after that. The Bush administration has played on that desire with some skill, aided by a press that often seeks to build as well as express a common voice. Opponents face the challenge of not only providing a coherent alternative explanation for the events of September 2001 and after but of shaking the country's confidence and need to believe that the future is being secured. Few wish to be woken from a seductive dream of unity.
And so the post-9/11 dream remains, supported by little flags on countless office desks, American eagle screen-savers, and public silence. It is, for all that, a troubled dream.
posted by Kevin at 8:28 AM
Corporate Sponsorship of Florida Police Cars :.Sponsors must be clamoring! The next time a gang of cops beats the crap out of someone, and it's caught on video tape... Man, you couldn't ask for better product placement! SPRINGFIELD, Fla. Aug. 26 � This Florida Panhandle town is getting new police cars for only $1 each, but there's a catch. The cars will be festooned with corporate sponsorship logos similar to those on race cars.
City commissioners voted 4-0 Thursday to accept the deal with Charlotte, N.C.-based Government Acquisitions. The company hopes to provide a new squad car for each of Springfield's 15 officers within the next three years.Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 12:16 AM
8/27/2002
Drop Bush Not Bombs :.Global contempt for Bush is rising: THE Bush Administration faced a rebellion last night among its closest Arab and European allies, who warned Washington not to carry out its threat of war against Iraq.
In some of the most uncompromising language used by America�s former coalition partners in the Gulf War, Washington was told that it could have to fight alone if it chooses to depose Saddam Hussein by force.
President Mubarak of Egypt, one of America�s closest allies in the region, gave warning of Arab anger unless some form of peace was first reached between Israel and the Palestinians. �If you strike Iraq, and kill the people of Iraq while Palestinians are being killed by Israel . . . not one Arab leader will be able to control the angry outburst of the masses,� he told students in Alexandria.
�I don�t think there is one Arab state that wants a strike on Iraq, not Kuwait, not Saudi Arabia, not any other state,� he said, adding that a military intervention in Iraq could lead to �chaos across the region�.
posted by Kevin at 7:32 PM
FBI Memo Sent to Phoenix Area Police AgenciesThe FBI in Phoenix is encouraging the local police to call the Joint Terrorism Task Force to report anyone who, in the course of their contact with the police, mentions the U.S. Constitution or fails to identify themselves! "Lone individuals" are in the same category as "Eco-Terrorists" and "Insurgents/Rebels." If making some noise about the U.S. Constitution with a cop is enough to get you on a terrorist watch list, I wonder what having a site like this gets you? Well, guys, if I become one of the disappeared, it was nice knowing you, or not knowing you, as the case may be. FBI Memo: front and back. This post to the infowars.com list was very interesting. Keep in mind, I have no way of knowing if this is accurate. Considering the memo above, I'd say that it just might be: The agency I work just sent me to a week long course titled, "Dynamics of Terrorism" which was hosted by the DOD Polygraph Institute. The first day of the course began in a usual manner with the instructors (two of them) introducing themselves and discussing thier backgrounds. They were both NSA. Then began a week long introduction into what the FBI, NSA and our government classify as terrorism these days. Here's a condensed list; The teens who committed the school shooting at Columbine, The Branch Davidians, Randy Weaver, [the Founding Fathers], [Computer Hackers], Militias, anyone who commits a "Hate Crime", [and especially anyone who does not trust our government.] emphasis mine
posted by Kevin at 2:42 AM
Iraq and Presidential War Power :.I wasn't even going to comment on this story, but since a few of you sent it in, I will. It's pretty basic: There is NO restriction on the President's war power. Forget what you hear from professors and pundits about, "Congress controlling the purse strings," because it's basically all wrong. If you don't believe me, read this. Then consider the Boland Amendments. Once Congress shut off the money for operations in Nicaragua, the NSC/CIA raised the money through insurance swindles and narcotics trafficking. Post 9/11, nobody in Congress will even make a peep about the President's use of force. Anyone who tells you the executive branch is checked by anyone or anything is trying to mislead you. All of this noise, smoke and mirrors about what the President can and can't do is a waste of time. The President can do nearly anything when it comes to the use of military force.
posted by Kevin at 2:26 AM
U.S. Undertakes Global Perception Management Campaign :.Nobody is buying the garbage spewing out of the White House, so the Bush administration is going to step up the use of professional bullsh*t artists to help them out: WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The United States, faced with a survey by diplomats showing widespread foreign skepticism about their motives, is planning a public relations offensive to build international support among foreign opinion leaders for a war against Iraq.
The Iraq Public Diplomacy Group, a U.S. interagency task force, will be launching a widespread public relations campaign this fall, targeting newspaper editors and foreign policy think tank analysts in Western Europe and the Middle East.
posted by Kevin at 2:22 AM
No Support for U.S. Attack on Iraq :.It's no surprise that many European states are against U.S. warmongering, but this article makes some interesting points. I'm beginning to think that the U.S./British attack on Iraq is going to occur suddenly, without any discernable warning. Since the buildup in the region is already so massive, and since Bush is clearly operating without any modicum of logic or reason, why would he bother warning anybody about an impending attack? Don't you get it? The United States is acting in a mostly unilateral capacity. The British lap dogs are after the blood stained crumbs of U.S. hegemony. Analysts are drawing false analogies between the future war with Iraq and the pervious U.S. led war. This time, there is no international coalition. There is no deadline. No ultimatum. Notice how the U.S. is making no demands of the Hussein regime. I'm convinced the decision to go to war with Iraq was made long ago, probably around 9/12/01. Everything the diplomats and foreign policy staffs are saying publicly is intended to mislead 1) the U.S. public, 2) the U.S. Congress, 3) Iraq. Why anyone would believe the drivel emerging from the White House press office is a mystery to me. Once combat is underway, most Americans will ignorantly grunt, as usual, and Congress will twiddle their thumbs. Brave and informed people (requires RealPlayer) will speak out and protest, but they will be shot with rubber bullets, pepper sprayed and arrested.
posted by Kevin at 2:10 AM
Delaware Police Department of Precrime :.Primary criteria to get on the list: race and economic status. WILMINGTON, Del. -- Police in Delaware are trying to get a head-start on cracking crimes before they happen by setting up a database that contains a list of people who officers believe are likely to break the law.
Defense attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union oppose the database, which lists names, addresses and photographs of the potential suspects -- many of whom have clean slates.
The precise grounds for putting a person on the list aren't clear. But since the system was introduced in Wilmington in June, most of the 200 people included in the file have been minorities from poor, high-crime neighborhoods. Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 2:07 AM
Gene Separates Early Humans from Apes :.Attention Zecharia Sitchin Fans! WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A gene that separates humans from the apes and all other animals seems to have disappeared from humans up to three million years ago, just before they first stood upright, researchers said on Monday.
Most animals have the gene but people do not -- and it may be somehow involved in the expansion of the brain, the international team of researchers said.
posted by Kevin at 2:06 AM
8/26/2002
The Coming American Diaspora :.There are many among us who see the writing on the wall, and many who are planning on getting out of the U.S. Some have already left. This essay is probably the best one I've come across in recent memory. I encourage everyone to read it closely and pass it around. Cold, hard common sense reminded me that the best place to be when the shooting starts is somewhere else.
In the end, all we have left to cling to is the realization that the struggle for individual human rights and the freedom to exercise them�like life itself�begins anew in each and every moment, as it always has. Whether or not we choose to accept such a burden, each of us bears the responsibility as stewards of humanity to see to it that the flame is never extinguished.Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 1:59 AM
Chip Your Spawn: Interest in Child Locators Grows :.The other day, I wrote, "They won't care, even as the ID numbers are stamped on their arms, and the chips are implanted in their tiny, pink faced babies." Parents are beginning to, in fact, socialize their kids to the technologies of political control. What more could any tyrant possibly ask of his minions? The device discussed in the story isn't a simple, passive implant, but a full featured, web enabled tracking system that is worn on the wrist. Surely, as the wearable versions prove ineffective, responsible parents will move to newer, more convenient implants (that are now under development). Can you see the imbeciles on CNNMSNBCEtc. when an abduction happens??? They'll ask the parents why they didn't use the direction finding wristbands and implants. A few years down the road, if people refuse to chip their kids, will child endangerment charges be applicable??? Don't laugh. Look what's starting to happen to people who refuse deadly and toxic vaccinations for their children. (Forget the religion argument, just start reading about vaccinations.) Well, the freaks have been talking about this for no less than fifteen years. Here we are. Welcome to life in the so-called Information Age: SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Given the recent spate of high-profile child abductions, Eric Wasman now double-bolts his front doors and shuts his windows even on hot nights.
And soon, he'll arm his two young daughters, ages 4 and 2, with high-tech, satellite-linked bracelets he hopes will keep them safer and buy him some peace of mind.
The bracelets, locked onto a child's wrist and worn like an oversized wristwatch, have built-in technology that lets parents track their children's whereabouts by Internet or phone. In a kidnapping or other worst-case scenario, the wearer can contact 911 by pressing two buttons.
"When it comes to your kids, you can't be too careful," said Wasman, a mortgage broker in Redwood City. "And the worst thing is just not knowing."
posted by Kevin at 1:49 AM
Google Now Indexing Cryptogon.comAfter being denied access to Google's advertising program, and the refusal of the Google spider system to index the site, I began to think I was placed on some kind of permanent sh*tlist. I'm happy to report that, within the last couple of days, Google seems to have indexed my site! Readers are using all kinds of great search arguments to reach this site. This is my favorite one so far: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=rumsfeld+psychopathThis is encouraging stuff! So, anyone showing up here through the use of a search engine, if you like this site, please spread the word!
posted by Kevin at 1:42 AM
8/23/2002
Secret Court Rebuffs Ashcroft :.The Justice Department was acting improperly!? I'm shocked! The secretive federal court that approves spying on terror suspects in the United States has refused to give the Justice Department broad new powers, saying the government had misused the law and misled the court dozens of times, according to an extraordinary legal ruling released yesterday.
posted by Kevin at 7:05 AM
Iraqi Consulate Raid Staged by CIA? :.NOTE: This entry is based on information submitted anonymously to cryptome.org. It may be real, and it may just as easily be a complete fabrication. Whatever it is, it is definitely food for thought! Remember, a couple of weeks ago, when I wrote this: There is going to be an attempt to place at least some of the blame for the 9/11---and maybe even Oklahoma City---attacks on Iraq. Flash forward to yesterday: Apparently one of the two Iraqis was convinced that the diplomatic compound housed certain documents that could establish a link between at least one consular official and the Sept. 11 hijackers who operated primarily out of Germany.
As you know, the break-in into the Iraqi compound in Berlin occurred yesterday and the previously unknown group of dissidents managed to have nearly six hours to search for records.One has to wonder about this curious event in Berlin. There's something about Gerhard Schr�der. He strikes me as a straight shooter. I can't imagine him going along with such an outrageous and risky plot. I mean, come on, a staged raid on a foreign government's embassy? An act of war!? Could the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND, Germany's intelligence service) have been in on this with the CIA? I would almost have to say that both agencies would have had to be in on it. Was Grenz Schutz Gruppe 9 (GSG9, elite German counter terrorism unit) tipped off to the fact that the "terrorists" would just be giving up peacefully, in order to make sure nobody got killed as a result of this? Any European readers who are following this incident, please write in with any interesting details that may be related to a possible joint CIA/BND plot.
posted by Kevin at 6:34 AM
"America, You Are a Goddamn Shame" :.This is a maddening time to be a dissident. I listened to a recent Chomsky talk last night and you can hear it in his voice: Doom. He's not just talking about the threats to democracy, etc. He's talking about annihilation of the human species. You think, "Things have gotten so bad, people will finally have to wake up!" But guess what: Hardly anybody gives a damn. As long as the Budweiser is cold and the MTV is coming in loud and clear, nobody cares that the entire show is falling apart. And they won't care, even as the ID numbers are stamped on their arms, and the chips are implanted in their tiny, pink faced babies. They won't care as their cities are broken down into sectors and zones and soldiers control their movement. They won't care as people start to disappear. Oh. Woops. That's already happening. I would say to all of you out there in Internetland: Enjoy things while you can. Spend time with your family and friends. Just BE conscious in the moment. Things are so far gone that we shouldn't beat ourselves up too much at this late date. Am I saying to give up? No. All I'm asking is that you consider one thing: When the curtain comes down, will you be able to say that you tried to make a difference? I was actually stunned that this letter appeared in print. I think it's excellent. At some point, I will be creating an hyperlinked version of Mr. McDougall's letter so those interested in understanding some of his points in more detail may have easy access to the information. The vast majority of you are spiritually, emotionally and intellectually dead.
When did you stop caring, America? Was it after your own FBI and intelligence agencies plotted the murder of President John F. Kennedy? Or is this just the raving lunacy of the conspiracy nut? What does your gut tell you, America? Is something a little amiss here? [See the ABOUT section of this web site] Today, you excoriate, ridicule and ostracize the brave and true among you. Your best investigative journalists are fired from their jobs and ignored. Congress's few courageous souls are laughed at and dismissed out of hand as crackpots. The most honest and conscientious political leader in the country, Ralph Nader, is a powerless, near-invisible curiosity easily side-lined by hired goons.Special thanks to JH for submitting this one!
posted by Kevin at 5:24 AM
An Open Letter to President BushFrom: Hanna Levinson
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 8:01 AM
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Cc: Dennis Kucinich
Subject: An Open Letter to President George W. Bush
An open letter to President George W. Bush - August 22, 2002 (Please feel free to copy and forward; may you be further moved to write your own letter to President Bush, and copy your friends and representatives. Please also sign the petition at http://www.moveon.org/nowar/)
Dear President Bush:
In your apparent rush to War with Iraq, it appears to many in our country and abroad that you and your cabinet are chiefly interested in subverting civil and human rights and paving the way for U.S. interests to gain control of the natural resources of the Middle East.
Do you really know, Mr. President, that Saddam Hussein is plotting war against America? If you have proof of Mr. Hussein's complicity with the September 11th terrorists, or any other band of terrorists attacking or planning to attack this or any other country, then it is incumbent upon you as President of the United States, acting on behalf of the American people, to present your evidence to the World Court. In this age of possible nuclear annihilation, any consideration of war should and must be brought before all the Nations of this earth in order to determine the appropriate course of action.
Mr. President, I beg you to explain to the American people and the World why you are apparently ignoring the advice of the chief U.S. Weapons Inspector previously stationed in Iraq and why you have not sought counsel from members of the House Oversight Committee and the Senate of the United States as you consider and apparently make plans for going to war against Iraq. A good President works with the House and Senate, a good World Leader works with the United Nations, and a good human being puts the welfare of humanity above personal or political gain.
In closing, Mr. President, I believe that this proposed War on Iraq, is ill-conceived and destined to wreak more havoc than you or any of us can possibly know at this time. I am grateful that we live in a World where technology provides better communication between people of all nations. The mass of humanity is watching you, Mr. President. I pray you will meet and cooperate with the United States Congress and Senate, the United Nations and the World Court in every effort to gain World consensus and help bring us closer to a world at peace. The alternative is much less attractive.
Yours most sincerely,
H. Levinson
Santa Monica, CA USA
www.truthpoint.net
posted by Kevin at 4:21 AM
8/22/2002
N.Y. Times Reporter Suicided? :.I haven't yet looked into Myerson's background, but I will. And, I have no evidence that this was murder. But, keep this sentence in mind. It's from the CIA Assassination Manual ( original FOIA document scans) used around 1954: The most efficient accident, in simple assassination, is a fall of 75 feet or more onto a hard surface.NEW YORK, Aug 22 (Reuters) - A business editor at The New York Times, Allen Myerson, died on Thursday after falling from the top floor of the Times' building in midtown Manhattan, a spokeswoman for the newspaper said.
Police said his death appeared to be a suicide but that the case remained under investigation.
The body of Myerson, 47, was found on the roof of a parking garage next to the Times building on West 43rd Street shortly before 10 a.m. (1400 GMT), Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis said.
Police said he was pronounced dead at the scene.
It appeared Myerson fell from the top floor of the 15-story Times building, Mathis said. That floor of the Times is commonly used for receptions.Other CIA political assassination documents related to Guatemala are here.
posted by Kevin at 3:50 PM
Iraq: U.S. Invasion Force Almost In Place :.U.S. military personnel and equipment have been slowly trickling into the Persian Gulf region since just after September 11, 2001. Efforts have been stepped up in recent months and preparations are ongoing: There are growing signs that the United States is putting into place the necessary equipment for an eventual attack upon Iraq. At least two large cargo ships have been hired to carry military supplies to the region, according to Pentagon reports, and the US Air Force is also stockpiling munitions and equipment at its key bases in the Gulf.Mike Ruppert has completed an extensive analysis of the military buildup. Unfortunately, the report is not public (paid subscribers only) so there is no direct link. According to Ruppert's work, an attack could happen within a matter of days or weeks, rather than months: Aug. 21, 2002, 13:00 PDT (FTW) -- It may be too late for President George W. Bush to change his mind on the invasion of Iraq. An analysis of troop deployments in the region shows that the U.S. already has well over 100,000 military personnel in as many as 11 countries around Iraq. Additional analysis shows that another 100,000 or more crack assault and support personnel have just completed a major training exercise for a hypothetical conflict that bears a strong resemblance to Iraq. These troops can be ready to fight in the region on 96-hour notice. "Stealth" mobilizations of Reserve and National Guard units, begun after Sept. 11, also indicate that as many as another 150,000 military personnel can be deployed within days or weeks of an initial surprise attack.
News reports from other sources confirm the following report by the Asia Times on Aug. 19. "Since March 12,000 troops have been added to Kuwait (8,000) and Qatar (4,000) and 5,000 Brits to Oman, bringing the April/May total to 62,000. In late June, the Turkish foreign ministry reported heavy air traffic of U.S. military transport planes aimed at increasing the number of U.S. troops in Southern Turkey from 7,000 to 25,000 by the end of July. Also in June, a contingent of 1,700 British Royal Marines were re-deployed from Afghanistan to Kuwait and a 250-man, highly specialized German NBC (nuclear-biological-chemical) warfare battalion equipped with "Fuchs" (fox) armored vehicles has been in Kuwait since early this year.
"An additional 2,400 U.S. troops are deployed in Jordan and, according to the Jordanian news agency Petra, are being reinforced by another 4,000 arriving since Aug. 12 at Aqaba for joint exercises with the Jordanian Army. Already, 1,800 U.S. troops (mostly Special Forces) are inside Iraq, at least since the end of March and, in fact, units there were visited two months ago by CIA director George Tenet during a side trip from Israel and Palestine. Between another 2,000 and 3,000 U.S. troops are in semi-permanent deployment in the Negev and Sinai deserts in accordance with old international agreements. On Aug, 9, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reported that 5,000 Turkish troops had entered northern Iraq and taken over the Bamerni airbase north of Mosul. These numbers add up to about 105,000 U.S. and allied troops on bases surrounding and inside Iraq."
All told, including foreign troops, there are potentially 400,000 military personnel that are either in the theater of operations, ready to go, or deployable on very short notice. There are many other units that have gone into stealth mode and cannot be located. These advance deployments indicate that the Bush Administration likely committed itself to the invasion many months ago.Research credit for BBC piece: DG
posted by Kevin at 4:43 AM
U.S. and Britain Develop Active Armor :.We are witnessing the beginning of a new era in warfighting. This is essentially a crude deflector shield: Fitted on light armored vehicles such as personnel carriers, the force field uses a series of charged metal plates to dissipate the effects of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), a weapon found by the thousands from Mogadishu to Kabul to Baghdad.
RPGs and other "shape charge" munitions derive their destructive power from cones of copper embedded in their noses. When the warhead explodes, it crushes the cone, shooting out a jet of hot copper at 5,000 mph -- instantly destroying anything short of a tank.
The electrical armor system, powered by the vehicle's regular supply of electricity, stops the jets by zapping them with tens of thousands of amps of current. This vaporizes some of the deadly copper jets and reduces the rest to a relatively harmless mixture of melted and pulverized debris that disperses around the vehicle.
In recent proof-of-concept tests by the British military, RPG attacks on an electric-armor-equipped personnel carrier left only dents and scratches.
posted by Kevin at 4:40 AM
8/21/2002
Excellent "Enemy Combatant" Article :.Casting fundamental constitutional guarantees aside, the Bush administration is pressing forward with its policy of detaining people indefinitely, and without charges or access to legal counsel, as part of its so-called war on terrorism. Despite growing opposition to its policy, the Bush administration is preparing to expand the practice by allocating additional cells in military prisons and camps for detainees, including US citizens.
According to a news report in the August 8 Wall Street Journal, the Bush administration is formulating plans for a special committee�comprised of the attorney general, the secretary of defense and the CIA director�to designate �enemy combatants.� A person so labeled can then be transferred to military custody and held indefinitely in detention, incommunicado, subject to interrogations and beyond the reach of any judicial review. This policy violates multiple constitutional provisions, including the Fifth Amendment right to due process, which includes notice of charges and an opportunity to be heard, and the right to counsel.
These measures further undermine the system of �checks and balances� which underlies the constitutional framework as a whole. No longer are people subject to arrest and incarceration only for violating acts of Congress, and no longer can they obtain access to courts to protect their rights. Instead a US citizen or foreign national can be stripped of his or her civil liberties solely on the basis of an executive decree.Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 5:05 AM
Afghan Opium Production Coming Back :.I think the purposes for the U.S. activity in Afghanistan is 80% oil and natural gas and 20% heroin: United Nations drug officials say the new Afghan Government has largely failed in its efforts to eradicate the opium poppy crop. A UN spokesman, Hector Maletta, said a government campaign, launched in April, had had a very limited impact. The announcement confirms reports earlier this year that hardly any opium poppies had been destroyed despite government assurances.Here's another story on increasing opium production. Research credit: BW
posted by Kevin at 5:02 AM
Power Lines Are Dangerous :.Freaks have been aware of this for easily two decades. "Experts" are a little slower to admit the obvious: "To one degree or another, all three of the DHS scientists are inclined to believe that EMFs (electric and magnetic fields) can cause some degree of increased risk of childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease and miscarriage," states a leaked copy of the final report from the California EMF Program, a study begun in 1993 on behalf of the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
posted by Kevin at 4:58 AM
Woops: NASA Rejects Claims it Plans Mind Reading Capability :.I wonder who will get the lucrative contract to serve up the crow over at NASA? This was a pretty good one! I was hoping it would grow to circus like proportions. It was good for a laugh, while it lasted: "NASA does not have the capability to read minds, nor are we suggesting that would be done," said Robert Pearce, Director, NASA's Strategy and Analysis Division in the Office of Aerospace Technology in Washington. "Our scientists were asked to think outside the box with regards to ideas that could aid the nation in the war on terrorism and that's what they are doing. We have not approved any research in this area and because of the sensitivity of such research, we will seek independent review before we do."
posted by Kevin at 4:54 AM
8/20/2002
College Days, and Chemical and Biological Weapons, Part 1
Officers Say U.S. Aided Iraq in War Despite Use of Gas :.The U.S. helped Iraq fight the war with Iran during the 80's. The U.S. also helped Iraq plan chemical warfare attacks which resulted, basically, in genocide. In 1995, a junior in college wrote, what was then, a rather controversial case study. It took seven years for some of the story to make it from the backwaters of unread books and student papers to the New York Times, but hey, the Times is just one of the biggest and most powerful papers on the planet. Oh, that college junior was me, and here's the paper I wrote. I chose to write about the U.S. role in the genesis of Hussein's war machine and not the tactical day-to-day of the war fighting. One critical thing the Times article doesn't mention is the fact that U.S. Special Forces were in combat, on Iraq's side. Some of them died. Family members were told the deaths resulted from "training accidents," or "car crashes." Additionally, we found out after the war that U.S. made chemical warfare artillery munitions were found in Iraq. Lots of crates with U.S. lot numbers. I watched the hearings on C-Span. It's all forgotten now, mostly because some of that stuff was fired at U.S. forces and Israel during the war. Remember when Bush warned Hussein not to do that, or he'd get nuked? Woops. Hussein did it anyway. The article never mentions where Iraq got the chemical/biological weapons. *wink* *blink* *nod* Gulf War Syndrome, etc... It could have been U.S. chem/bio fired from Iraqi artillery. It could have been Iraqi chem/bio made with U.S. know-how. It could have been U.S. made chem/bio fired from U.S. forces that then blew back on U.S. forces. It could have been all three. You never heard that Iraq used chem/bio during the Gulf War? And that lots of weapons of mass destruction were flung around?! The U.S. didn't nuke Iraq, but it might as well have. See Operation Black Dog. Anyway, while this NY Times piece is interesting, it's lacking in profound ways, as usual. I'm more interested in why this is being published now than in the contents of the article. There is absolutely nothing new here. Active Neutrality was the term used inside the White House to describe the following: "Having gone through the 440 days of the hostage crisis in Iran," he said, "the period when we were the Great Satan, if Iraq had gone down it would have had a catastrophic effect on Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the whole region might have gone down. That was the backdrop of the policy."
The Pentagon "wasn't so horrified by Iraq's use of gas," said one veteran of the program. "It was just another way of killing people whether with a bullet or phosgene, it didn't make any difference," he said.
posted by Kevin at 8:37 AM
College Days, and Chemical and Biological Weapons, Part 2
The Use of Horror in Perception Management :."Horror has a face...And you must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terror are your friends. If they are not then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies." ---Col. Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) from Apocalypse Now When I was in college, I took a class called Science and Technology in International Relations. It dealt primarily with armaments, energy, international finance and the environment. Since the class was small and didn't contain a single female, the professor decided to show us a video to prompt a discussion on the nature of chemical and biological warfare. You have to understand my day up until that point. It was 1996, the sun was out, the sky was clear. I was enjoying a nice cup of coffee. A little part of me got the it's-movie-day-in-class-today-I'll-be-able-to-take-it-easy kind of feeling one usually gets in highschool, except for the fact that I was a senior in college. I had no idea that what I was about to watch would concretize much of what I suspected about the U.S. government and change my perception of it forever. I think the video was taken from 60 Minutes. The piece was about the chemical and biological warfare efforts of the United States. The scenes were beyond horrific. And there were lots of them. The death didn't occur in dusty caves or barnyards, but rather in Nazi-esk death labs. I specifically remember what happened when one drop of VX nerve agent was dropped into a cage containing one rabbit. I'll spare you the gruesome details, but it's safe to say that the dozen or so of us in the room were traumatized to some degree. I know I was. One guy got up to leave the room so he could vomit. The professor looked at us with a very serious gaze. It was as if he was thinking, "This is where the rubber meets the road, gentlemen, take a good look cuz' it aint pretty." After a few terrifying seconds the rabbit's body lay motionless. The scene cut to a wide shot of what looked like hundreds or thousands of large, cylindrical containers, like those tanks on railway cars. All of them full of VX, BZ, sarin, phosgene and other hellish concoctions. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of the stuff. At this point, I was no longer thinking about the U.S. government. I was thinking, "Humanity is doomed. Any species that would think up something like this, make it real and actually contemplate using the capability is, without a doubt, doomed." After the video was over the professor told us of other horrors. The one that stands out involved the incineration of dozens of beagle puppies, apparently to observe their behavior as the heat in the chamber rose slowly, eventually burning them alive. Anyway, these kinds of things are routine in U.S. DoD laboratories. So: If the media is making al Qaeda out to be monsters for what is depicted in these recent ALLEGED al Qaeda videos, why hasn't the same critical zeal been applied to the U.S. government for its ghoulish activity? Or any other industrialized country, for that matter!? Many states engage in this type of practice! First of all, the U.S. Army PSYOPS personnel in the CNN air studio might not appreciate it. Second, and most importantly, the average American needs to be molded into supporting a major war against Iraq, a major war against terrorism...or whatever the whim of the day happens to be. Nothing more. Nothing less. And it's working. The imbeciles at CNN shake their heads and speak in somber tones about how difficult it is to show those images, but, by golly, they just have to do it. I'm thinking about starting a business: Selling clothes pins to "Consumers" who need the use of both hands when they watch television. You see, "Consumers" may use a clothes pin to seal their nostrils instead of their fingers. The stench emanating from the television will be a thing of the past and they will have both hands free to gobble up that tasty reconstituted lard, bovine anus, 100% synthetic cheese food, rat excrement or whatever other Corporate Toxic Waste they may have hauled home from Walmart! Maybe in addition to the clothes pins, some Support Our Troops baby bibs would be big sellers. Oh ya, and God Bless America. Can't get enough of that!
posted by Kevin at 8:15 AM
8/18/2002
In the Event of Another Attack: "Forget About Civil Rights" :.Bush emissary Peter Kirsanow told a Detroit crowd last week that America could "forget about civil rights" if there is another terrorist attack on the United States by "the same ethnic group that attacked the World Trade Center," the Detroit Free Press reports.
What's more, such heathen devilry would cause the righteous folk in the Homeland to rise up and demand that the Regime chuck every last Arab-American into a concentration camp, Commissioner Kirsanow proclaimed.
Kirsanow -- one of Bush's many prank appointments, a "Civil Rights" commissioner who has spent his career opposing civil rights programs -- said that he wasn't advocating an Auschwitz for Arabs, you understand. He was just saying that the public outcry for one would be almost impossible for the Bush administration to withstand. (And you know they'd try really, really hard, too.)
"Nobody will be crying in their beer if there are more stops, more detentions, more profiling," Kirsanow told the crowd -- which was made up largely of Arab-Americans, who came to protest the ongoing, unconstitutional detention of Arabs without formal charges being carried out by Bush's biggest joke appointment: Attorney General John Jesus Jehovah Ashcroft.From the ABOUT section of this web site: I think it would be wise to bear in mind that the events of 9/11 will probably pale in comparison to the diabolical plots that may be hatched in the near future. I say that because, even as bad as 9/11 was, it wasn't enough to polarize the world. Something else is going to happen that will require a bold move by the G8 states. I don't know what that event will be, but it will be transformational in nature, changing the way we think about freedom of speech and movement, money, surveillance, state sovereignty and many other factors. Research credit: BW
posted by Kevin at 6:15 AM
8/17/2002
Professor Jonathan Turley Wrote BackI CCed him on an email I sent to the U.S. Department of Justice with regard to planned detention camps for American Citizens. Let's keep in mind that Mr. Turley is a respected professor at a respected university. He is to be commended for his courage. It's one thing for a freak like me to rave like lunatic. Who am I? Just some guy with a web site. It's an entirely different matter for someone in his position to say what he did. If more people like him don't start speaking out, we're doomed. Oh, no word, as of yet, from the DoJ. I'm getting many more hits from airforce.mil, however, and my old friend, 198.26.132.99 WCS3.NORFOLK.NIPR.MIL. -----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Turley [mailto:jturley@law.gwu.edu]
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 2:59 PM
To: Kevin F
Subject: RE: USDOJ Comments
I'm sorry for the delay but I am on vacation with my family. The quick answer to your question is that no formal policy has been issued. The disclosure of the proposal first appeared in the Wall Street Journal on August 8th with confirmation from various unnamed aides to Ashcroft. Since the op-ed in the LA Times, various newspapers have confirmed the story. The WSJ article has never been denied. There was no formal statement issued by Ashcroft and members of Congress are now inquiring into the status of the proposal. I hope that this helps in your own research.
Best,
Jonathan Turley
posted by Kevin at 12:36 PM
Ultimate Airport Security: Mind Reading Device? :.There's good news and bad news. The bad news is that the government is making an active attempt to read peoples' minds. The good news is that it's never going to work---if the description in this article is any indication of how they're going to go about it. How could I possibly know it's not going to work? Well, let's just say I worked for a company that burned up millions of dollars attempting to do something FAR less ambitious than these bozos at NASA have set out to do. We were using essentially the same techniques as described in the article, with one incredible difference. THE NASA THING IS NOT GOING TO TOUCH YOU. BAA HAAA HAAAAA! I nearly broke a rib when I read they're going to gather the EEG signals---I have to steady myself from laughing so hard as I type---without placing a "cap" on the subject. Wait, can you hear that? It's the sound of my former co-workers laughing their asses off. What is the NASA team going to do *I'm still chuckling*, have every airline passenger step inside a Faraday cage packed with room temperature, superconductive sensors built by little gnomes at Area 51!? We've been there, we've tried this....well, minus the full body Faraday cage and extraterrestrial sensors. That is, we had the luxury of actually using a standard EEG headset to collect the data. And it was still difficult to JUST GET QUALITY DATA. EEG is the biggest pain in the ass to work with. Ask ANYONE who's ever dealt with it. Well, say NASA can wave a magic wand and somehow collect the data, then what? Predict high order human behaviors and thought processes by analyzing EEG with some other special herbs and spices thrown in for good measure? It may sound good on paper, but I'm here to tell ya: It's bullsh*t. No, it's double bullsh*t. Two years and millions of dollars later, I'll tell you what we got: Snake Eyes. Nothing. Jack. Nil. And I can assure you that we weren't going for anything remotely as hard as this NASA thing. We had lots of PhDs, freaks, nerds, experts, etc. It didn't matter. The feds would have a better chance of getting at the intent of an individual if they would let a circus macaque run loose in the terminal, randomly identifying "terrorists" in the crowd! In case you think I'm kidding about all of this, that's me in the pictures. Pic1 Pic2 Pic3Oh these remind me of another funny situation. The researchers used to run analysis jobs that were massively CPU intensive. It got to the point where literally every machine I could lay my hands on was pressed into service. And they still needed more power. Well, check out my solution. HA!
posted by Kevin at 4:49 AM
8/16/2002
New INS Rules Don't Affect Saudis or Pakistanis :.I'm going to make this as simple as possible. Question: What nationality were the 9/11 hijackers? Answer: Of the 19 hijackers, 15 were Saudi citizens. SourceQuestion: Who wired Mohammed Atta, the lead 9/11 hijacker, $100,000? Answer: The head of Pakistan's national intelligence agency (ISI), General Mahmoud Ahmad. SourceQuestion: Citizens from which two states are NOT going to receive increased scrutiny as a result of the INS' new policies to prevent terrorists from entering the U.S.? Answer: SAUDI ARABIA and PAKISTAN. We're being set up. Again. WASHINGTON � The United States plans to impose significant restrictions on people seeking to enter the U.S. from a list of Middle East countries that does not include Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Officials said the greatest restrictions will be imposed on those who seek to enter the United States from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria. They said the new regulations will begin by October.
The new rules come under the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, Middle East Newsline reported. Under the system, the Immigration and Naturalization Service will monitor all those who enter or exit selected border points and land and sea ports.
posted by Kevin at 6:19 PM
General Franks on U.S. Imperialism :.The U.S. is seizing control of Central Asia and parts of the Middle East. Have no doubt about it, Afghanistan was only the beginning. They might as well rename the entire Central Asian region Pipelineastan. (I think Mike Ruppert coined that term.) The article states: American troops will be needed in Afghanistan for many years to ensure that the war-ravaged country does not revert to a haven for terrorists, the U.S. war commander says. That should read, "American troops will be needed in Afghanistan for many years to ensure that the Unocal pipeline, being built by Dick Cheney's former employer, Halliburton, remains safe and sound." They don't even bother trying to be subtle about this stuff anymore. "It does not surprise me that someone would say, 'Oh gosh, the military is going to be in Afghanistan for a long, long time.' Sure we will be," Franks said. The delivery boy Franks will be saying the same thing about Iraq in a couple of months. And where will the next conquest take us? Maybe they'll get a Rommel urge and fire up the Afrika Korps. Libya? Sudan? Somalia? You know, the Axis of Evil really is everywhere...
posted by Kevin at 5:31 PM
8/15/2002
Brent Scowcroft Warning: Armageddon :.In 1991, during the first Gulf War, Israel stayed out of the fight. Now, with Israel's nuclear missiles cocked and locked, it will take a miracle for the world to get through this insane adventure without a cataclysm: The retired general, who also advised Presidents Nixon and Ford, predicted that an attack on Iraq could lead to catastrophe.
"Israel would have to expect to be the first casualty, as in 1991 when Saddam sought to bring Israel into the Gulf conflict. This time, using weapons of mass destruction, he might succeed, provoking Israel to respond, perhaps with nuclear weapons, unleashing an Armageddon in the Middle East," Mr Scowcroft wrote in the Wall Street Journal.
The Israeli government has vowed it would not stand by in the face of attacks as it did in 1991, when Iraqi Scud missiles landed on Israeli cities. It claims it has Washington's backing for retaliation.
posted by Kevin at 8:53 PM
Camps for Citizens: Ashcroft's Hellish Vision :.Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft's announced desire for camps for U.S. citizens he deems to be "enemy combatants" has moved him from merely being a political embarrassment to being a constitutional menace.
Ashcroft's plan, disclosed last week but little publicized, would allow him to order the indefinite incarceration of U.S. citizens and summarily strip them of their constitutional rights and access to the courts by declaring them enemy combatants.If anyone can point me to the original sources in which that dangerous lunatic calls for detention camps, I'd appreciate it. Here's a copy of the email I just sent to the U.S. Department of Justice, with a CC to Professor Jonathan Turley, the author of the L.A. Times piece: -----Original Message----- From: Kevin F [mailto:kevin@cryptogon.com] Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 6:40 PM To: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov Cc: JTURLEY@main.nlc.gwu.edu Subject: USDOJ Comments Dear U.S. Department of Justice, I just read a commentary piece, that appeared in the August 14, 2002 Los Angeles Times, in which the author, Jonathan Turley, states that Attorney General Ashcroft has called for detention camps to house U.S. citizens that have been classified as "enemy combatants." The piece states: "Ashcroft's plan, disclosed last week but little publicized, would allow him to order the indefinite incarceration of U.S. citizens and summarily strip them of their constitutional rights and access to the courts by declaring them enemy combatants." What exactly does "Ashcroft's plan" entail? Are Mr. Turley's comments above correct? Please provide any information or URLs related to plans to classify American citizens as enemy combatants and incarcerate them in detention camps. My readers and I are very interested in this topic. We would appreciate a thoughtful response. Thank you, Kevin (Enclosed complete text of L.A. Times story.) Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 6:46 PM
Bush to the Arab World: "There will be no turning back from the military option, make your time." :.Diplomacy has returned to its pre-20th Century status. That is, the purpose of the diplomat is simply to be a formal messenger of kings and warlords. Now that the bad old days are back, there's no need to bother with negotiation or bargaining. Might for Right? F*ck that, man. Might makes Right! The U.S. is going to do this thing, no matter what anyone thinks about it. Diplomatic sources said the Bush administration has sent letters to the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in the Middle East. The letters, said to be nearly identical, assert that Washington is determined to topple the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The letters reported that the United States was deploying soldiers in the region and transporting a range of unspecified weapons for the attack on the Saddam regime.
"There will be no turning back from the military option," Al Hayat quoted the letters as saying.Though I cannot reveal my sources and methods, I have obtained the actual text of the diplomatic communication! I know, it's amazing: In A.D. 2101 2002
War was beginning.
How are you gentlemen !!
All your base are belong to us.
You are on the way to destruction.
You have no chance to survive make your time.
HA HA HA HA ....
posted by Kevin at 4:01 PM
8/14/2002
Helping the Blind to See :.Nope, this isn't about the political sophistication of average Americans, or lack thereof. This article, which stood the hair on my arms on end, is one of the most incredible things I've ever read. Researchers, through the use of digital cameras, computers and electronics, have allowed a blind man to see. Not glimmers of light against a sea of black. The guy went from being completely blind to driving a convertible automobile in a parking lot---once the system was turned on. His cyborg vision is nothing like normal human vision, of course, but considering that this is something like version 1.0, it's pretty incredible. (That system isn't running Microsoft Windows, is it?) What will things be like in one hundred years, if the human race can manage to survive that long? From a few steps closer, I see that the wires plug into Patient Alpha's head like a pair of headphones plug into a stereo. The actual connection is metallic and circular, like a common washer. So seamless is the integration that the skin appears to simply stop being skin and start being steel.
"It's called a percutaneous pedestal," Dobelle tells me.
All I can do is stare. The man has computer jacks sunk into both sides of his skull.
On the far side of the pedestal, buried beneath hair and skin, is the wetware: a pair of brain implants. Each one is the size of a fat quarter, a platinum electrode array encased in biocompatible plastic.
Dobelle has designed a three-part system: a miniature video camera, a signal processor, and the brain implants. The camera, mounted on a pair of eyeglasses, captures the scene in front of the wearer. The processor translates the image into a series of signals that the brain can understand, then sends the information to the implant. The picture is fed into the brain and, if everything goes according to plan, the brain will "see" the image.Patient Alpha is a rather incredible character. After needlessly blinding himself in two separate incidents (eye protection anyone?), he managed to find a wife, help spawn eight kids (delivering six at home because established medicine is a fraud), build a totally off grid house and learn to program computers! Forget about being able to memorize entire classical piano scores. That's just crazy. I'm feeling pretty dense, sitting here with the full use of both eyes.... No wife, no spawn, no off grid house, and only questionable programming skills at best. Well, if anyone knows where guys can find women who are agreeable to living off grid lifestyles, please let me know.
posted by Kevin at 3:17 AM
8/13/2002
Here We Go: U.S. to Begin Fingerprinting Aliens :.And what will THEY say when the next "terrorist" incident happens? "Woops, the boogiemen must have already been in the U.S. We will just have to fingerprint/photograph/implant/etc. everyone in order to defend the homeland!" And all the imbecile soccer moms and people with Chinese made American flags dangling from their SUVs will grin just a little bit and think, "Now we'll be safe." Nobody in the upper echelons of the U.S. government is serious about actually stopping terrorism. (Forget about even examining the causes of terrorism.) If there was no terrorism, how could THEY justify the diabolical police state plans that have been set in motion? The War to Save the Homeland/War on Terror is a twisted/bizzarroland version of the New Deal, designed to give unemployed people something to do with their time so they don't get hungry and start actually examining the core issues. Second, the War to Save the Homeland/War on Terror, like the War on Drugs and the Cold War, serves to further enrich the richest 1% if the population. Finally, the crooks running the show get millions of minions to do their bidding. Fear not, as the bewildered sheeple stumble around, tattling on each other and chasing shadows, the rare scotch and fine cigars will not be in short supply in and around the mansions, yachts and private clubs. If you think the above analysis is BS, why, for example, is the U.S. border with Mexico wide open? Iraq could move the entire Republican Guard into San Diego if it chose to. Osama bin Laden could be picking strawberries in Central California right now. But, we are led to believe, in the event that some of these serious characters (shooters, bombers, hijackers, etc.) decide to enter the U.S., they will make sure to walk right through an airport interrogation for finger printing and a photo session!? Like Atta and his crew....who had green lights from U.S. Immigration, despite being on terrorist watch lists!? People, wake up. The government is turning the screws, slowly getting us used to very ugly things. That's the purpose behind all of this garbage. WASHINGTON �� The Justice Department has chosen Sept. 11 as the starting date for a new program that will require tens of thousands of foreign visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed at the border, U.S. officials announced Monday.
The security program, developed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, will begin at several unnamed ports of entry and will mostly affect those from Muslim and Middle Eastern countries.
After a 20-day testing period, all remaining ports of entry will implement the new system on Oct. 1, 2002.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said the program will correct some of the problems that led to the Sept. 11 attacks.
posted by Kevin at 1:48 PM
America's Own Banana Republic :.Some people think the capital of corruption in the U.S. is Arkansas. Well, I wouldn't even want to fly over Louisiana, much less visit. Barry Seal was from Louisiana, and that's where he learned about the power of bribing state and federal employees. NEW ORLEANS -- A man was annoying Judge Ronnie Bodenheimer, getting in the way of a little business deal. "Aggravate the little [expletive] as much as you can," the judge told a flunky.
It didn't work. Something harsher was needed. Judge Bodenheimer, tough-guy dispenser of justice in the white-flight suburbs, pronounced the pipsqueak's downfall: "You know, this boy, you know, the sad part, he ain't got a shot, he ain't got a chance." And then the judge signed off on a plan, beautifully simple, that inscribes a new chapter in the annals of Louisiana sleaze, according to a federal indictment: plant illegal drugs in the man's pickup truck, then have him arrested.
"You know, he ain't gonna know what's hit him," chuckled Bodenheimer, a son of the rough-edged 9th Ward of New Orleans, according to transcripts of an FBI wiretap of his phone.
posted by Kevin at 1:06 PM
8/12/2002
Cryptogon.com Removed from Altavista.com Search EngineI'm on Google's sh*t list, and they have almost definitely instructed their bot to avoid my site. Yes yes, I know, you think I'm insane, but I've submitted the site to be crawled several times and I'm listed on a couple of other political indexes ( here's one) that are definitely hit by google. And now, it appears that I've been removed from Altavista's index! I started noticing several referrals from Altavista searches. So I searched cryptogon on there and, sure enough, the site was listed. Search cryptogon on Altavista now. If anyone knows anything about this nonsense, please let me know.
posted by Kevin at 2:28 PM
Cheney, Rumsfeld and the CIA Murder that Just Won't Die :.The death of CIA employee Frank Olson is one of the most researched incidents related to the CIA's MKULTRA programs. This little tidbit is new: But newly obtained documents show that the Ford administration continued to conceal information about Olson -- particularly his role in some of the CIA's most controversial research of the Cold War, on anthrax and other biological weapons.
The documents show that two of the key officials involved in the decision to withhold that information were White House aides Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, today the nation's vice president and secretary of defense.
``These documents show the lengths to which the government was trying to cover up the truth,'' said the scientist's son, Eric Olson, who gave them to the Mercury News. ``For 22 years there was a coverup. And then, under the guise of revealing everything, there was a new coverup.''Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 1:42 PM
Protesters Tear Up Japan ID Numbers :.The Japanese don't protest much of anything. It's considered impolite. So, what does it indicate when there is more outrage in Japan over Big Brother tactics than in the allegedly freedom loving U.S.? TOKYO (AP) - Protesters tore up government notices assigning them ID numbers at Japan's Public Management Ministry in downtown Tokyo on Monday, the latest civil disobedience against the new nationwide resident registry system.
Outfitted in prison stripes and cow costumes, the demonstrators denounced the "Juki Net" residents network set up last week, implying that it treats them like convicts or cattle. It links all citizens' personal data on a national computer network.
The protesters decried it as a "Big Brother" system.
"We don't want to be administered by numbers or have our information monitored!" read one banner. Some of the protesters had bar codes painted on their faces.Research credit: JH
posted by Kevin at 1:20 PM
May I Have My Mylar Bag, Please? :.Perhaps the Mylar bag can also be fashioned into an attractive headpiece---as an alternative to the more traditional Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie. HA! The traffic sensor system, which should begin operating next month, will make it possible to provide realtime information about some of the nation's worst congestion to drivers through their cell phones, over the airwaves and on the Internet, and gather better data for transportation planners.
Similar to systems in Houston and New York, the project will track electronic toll payment devices affixed to the windshields of more than 250,000 vehicles, using radio-based sensors mounted on highway signs every few miles.
And to the dismay of some FasTrak users, it's not optional -- the only way to avoid triggering the sensors throughout nine Bay Area counties is to stash the transponder in Mylar bags, which will be provided to nervous motorists.
posted by Kevin at 1:04 PM
More SUVs! :.Forget the reports that indicate the planet will be uninhabitable within a few decades. The wolf is at the door right now: (CNN) -- A dense blanket of pollution, dubbed the "Asian Brown Cloud," is hovering over South Asia, with scientists warning it could kill millions of people in the region, and pose a global threat.
In the biggest-ever study of the phenomenon, 200 scientists warned that the cloud, estimated to be two miles (three kilometers) thick, is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths a year from respiratory disease.
By slashing the sunlight that reaches the ground by 10 to 15 percent, the choking smog has also altered the region's climate, cooling the ground while heating the atmosphere, scientists said on Monday.NOTE: If you know anything about engineering or electronics, you might try slapping together one of these babies! And why are we fighting wars for oil!?
posted by Kevin at 1:44 AM
8/10/2002
Finally, They Will Have an Explanation for Chemtrails :.Well, folks, this is pretty much the biggest "Game Over" type story I've seen in quite some time. At least several days, anyway. In an attempt to stem the spread, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said she planned to ask the Air Force next week to send in a special operations squadron to spray insecticide in hard-hit regions. The operations group of the 910th Flight Wing, based in Ohio, specializes in insect control.What do you want to bet that the spray patterns will look something like this, or this? If you're not yet aware of chemtrails, sit back and start reading.
posted by Kevin at 7:29 PM
Feds Open 'Total' Tech Spy System :.The purpose of the IAO is actually related to political control! Please read this, if you haven't already. On Wednesday, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will begin awarding contracts for the design and implementation of a Total Information Awareness (TIA) system.
It's a system which, it hopes, will ferret out terrorists' information signatures -- clues available before an attack, but usually not correctly interpreted until afterwards -- and decode them prior to an assault. It's a task, the Information Awareness Office (IAO) says, that is beyond "our current intelligent infrastructure and other government agencies."
posted by Kevin at 6:33 PM
8/8/2002
Consumer Dystopia Coming to a Store Near You :.Johnny Q. Consumer walks into a national chain store, picks up diapers, pays in cash. He does not walk alone. One store camera captures his face, while another network of cameras traces his stroll through the aisles. The pressure-sensitive floor panels note how he lingers and nervously shifts his feet while browsing in the diaper section.
At the store's national headquarters, perhaps a thousand miles away, a machine quietly notes in Johnny's file that he may be a new father. That bit of data goes into an algorithm that a few days later cross-references birth records and finds that, indeed, Johnny has just become the proud father of twins. A card is sent out and special discounts will be offered the next time he enters the store.
posted by Kevin at 9:34 PM
Royal Endorsement of Global Economic Rape :.I'm actually going to hold my tongue on this one. Apoplexy doesn't make for good commentary. Let it suffice to say that if this isn't prima facie evidence that the End is near, I don't know what is: WASHINGTON �� He won't get to call himself "Sir Alan" but Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan � often known as the second most powerful man in the United States � will get another title: knight.
Queen Elizabeth II has approved an honorary knighthood for Greenspan's "outstanding contribution to global economic stability," the British Treasury announced Tuesday. A copy of the release was distributed in Washington.Think of the economic debacles currently unfolding all over the planet and say, "Outstanding contribution to global economic stability" outloud a few times. Just let that sink in a bit...
posted by Kevin at 3:41 PM
Rand Analyst Just Doesn't Get It :."The Saudis are active at every level of the terror chain, from planners to financiers, from cadre to foot-soldier, from ideologist to cheerleader," said Laurent Murawiec, a Rand Corp. analyst. What he failed to mention is that several Saudis, including the bin Laden family, have invested millions of dollars in George Bush's (Senior) armaments manufacturing mutual fund managed by the Carlyle Group. (If you're interested, this is a good primer on the fascist connections of the Bush Dynasty.) Muraweic also described Saudi Arabia as, "the kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most dangerous opponent" in the Middle East. HA! And what was the U.S. relationship like with Iraq up until the point Saddam Hussein annexed Kuwait? Cozy, my friend, very cozy. It is also interesting to note that Henry Kissinger, a notorious war criminal, is still managing to fiddle around in U.S. foreign policy circles. Simply incredible.
posted by Kevin at 2:44 PM
U.S. Seeks to Block Enforcement of Anti-Torture Treaty :.Torture should be added to the list of evils that the Bush administration is defending, in accordance with a foreign policy based on unilateral American domination of the globe. On July 24, the American delegation to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESOC) tried and failed to table an anti-torture protocol, losing the vote 29-15. The protocol was then approved by a 35-8 vote and goes to the fall session of the UN General Assembly for ratification. Since it is not a Security Council resolution, the measure is not subject to US veto.
The target of the US diplomatic assault was a measure negotiated over the past ten years to implement the International Convention Against Torture, a treaty that went into force in 1987 and was ratified by the US Congress in 1994. The anti-torture treaty, like most international human rights agreements, lacks an enforcement mechanism, because those regimes that are engaged in human rights abuses are willing to sign a treaty, but oppose any serious measures to implement its provisions. This is precisely the position of the US, which is now on record as opposing the implementation of the treaty on torture.Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 1:19 PM
8/6/2002
Microsoft Windows is Hopelessly F*cked :.We could be days, hours or minutes away from catastrophic hack-attacks and it's all due to the fact that Microsoft's operating systems are critically flawed. And these bozos expect all of us to go along with their plan for secure computing/secure vending machines!? Uhhh, I don't think so. Foon, I salute you: This paper presents a new generation of attacks against Microsoft Windows, and possibly other message-based windowing systems. The flaws presented in this paper are, at the time of writing, unfixable. The only reliable solution to these attacks requires functionality that is not present in Windows, as well as efforts on the part of every single Windows software vendor. Microsoft has known about these flaws for some time; when I alerted them to this attack, their response was that they do not class it as a flaw - the email can be found here. This research was sparked by comments made by Microsoft VP Jim Allchin who stated, under oath, that there were flaws in Windows so great that they would threaten national security if the Windows source code were to be disclosed. He mentioned Message Queueing, and immediately regretted it. However, given the quantity of research currently taking place around the world after Mr Allchin's comments, it is about time the white hat community saw what is actually possible.
This paper is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to exploit one example of this class of flaw. Several other attack methods are discussed, although examples are not given. There are many ways to exploit these flaws, and many variations on each of the stages presented. This is just one example.See also: Slashdot piece on this topic and the rather ironic ad running on that story when I viewed it.
posted by Kevin at 9:34 PM
Double Warning Against Iraq War :.Clearly, the Bush administration is going to have to find some sort of Iraqi link to the 9/11 situation if the U.S. hopes to maintain any semblance of legitimacy as it sets out on a premeditated crusade to depose Saddam Hussein/take over Central Asia and the Middle East. U.S. history is replete with patsies, lone nuts and useful idiots who have taken the fall for incredible crimes. Every once in a while, however, international figures need to go down in order to maintain appearances. Now that the specter of bin Laden is fading from the scene, it's time to ratchet up the nonsense to a feverpitch and resurrect the greatest boogieman of them all: Saddam Hussein. Whether or not he had anything to do with 9/11, he's going to pay. Well, actually, the Iraqi people are going to pay. Throughout all of this, I would implore people to keep in mind that the U.S. imposed death grip on Iraq (via "sanctions") has resulted in one of the most stunning acts of genocide in the history of the world. And just as basic civilian infrastructures in Iraq are limping toward recovery, the place is about to be pulverized again by the terrifying might of the U.S. military. As the bombs fall on Iraq again, as the indiscrimate incineration of civilians ensues, we should all be asking ourselves: What could THEY possibly have in mind for the next act? China? Maybe a coup in Russia will necessitate a return to the bad old days of the Cold War!? That would expand the Axis of Evil to staggering proportions! *gasp* Something closer to home, perhaps? Who knows??? Brent Scowcroft, who remains close to the Bush family, urged the President to concentrate on trying to broker peace between the Israelis and Palestinians while separately pursuing terrorist threats to the United States. But he said that by going to war with Iraq without linking President Saddam Hussein and September 11, Washington was risking a conflagration in the Middle East that would also engulf its efforts to defeat global terror groups.
His warning came as a former British Chief of Defence Staff said that Britain risked being dragged into a �very, very messy� and lengthy war if it supported a US military assault on Iraq. Field Marshal Lord Bramall called on Tony Blair to exercise caution, saying that an invasion to topple Saddam may not be morally or legally justified.
�You don�t have licence to attack someone else�s country just because you don�t like the leadership,� he told BBC Radio 4�s World This Weekend. �We are supposed to be taking a lead on the moral issues of the world.�See the related story below.
posted by Kevin at 8:58 PM
Boiling Frogs and Getting Used to Digital Shackles :.People have been writing for years about how the technologies with the greatest potential to set us free may just as easily be used to enslave us. The most stunning aspect to stories like this is that there is no outrage, no raising of fists, no stunned reaction. Average humanity is no different than a bunch of frogs in a pot of steadily warming water. (In case of link death, search: boiling frog syndrome.) We need to draw a line in the sand. We need to say "ENOUGH!" when it comes to our bodies, our genes and our minds. Just refuse to play the game any longer. And keep this quote in mind the next time some imbecile tries to biometrically shackle you: "If you will not fight...when you can easily win without bloodshed...you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves."
-Winston Churchill
. . .
It's down with passwords and up with thumbs for a school in Iowa trying to keep its data safe.
While the plan to use thumbprint scanners by the West Des Moines campus of the Des Moines Area Community College might sound like Big Brother to some, students seem unfazed by the idea. Even students at the University of California at Berkeley, with its reputation for protest, shrugged at the thought of logging into a school computer with their thumb....
"It's going to be mandatory that all students and faculty submit their thumbprint," Paustian said. "This offers more protection for the individual than just having numbers and passwords. Basically, our system will be no less secure than what a government or military system would have."
posted by Kevin at 8:51 PM
8/5/2002
Feds Lose Guns and Laptops :.Your tax dollars hard at work: WASHINGTON (AP) - Five agencies under Justice Department jurisdiction, including the FBI and DEA, have reported 775 missing or stolen weapons and 400 missing laptop computers, says a report released Monday.
Some of the weapons were used to commit crimes and the classification level of 218 of the missing laptops is unknown, said the audit report by the department's Office of Inspector General, an internal investigative unit.
The bulk of the missing laptops and weapons belonged to the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The report noted that "it is possible that the missing laptop computers would have been used to process and store national security or sensitive law enforcement information that, if divulged, could harm the public."
posted by Kevin at 1:04 PM
8/2/2002
Another FBI Agent Blows the Whistle :.The Weekly has learned that Chicago-based special agent Robert Wright has accused the agency of shutting down his 1998 criminal probe into alleged terrorist-training camps in Chicago and Kansas City. The apparent goal of the training camps, according to confidential documents obtained by the Weekly, was to recruit and train Palestinian-American youths, who would then slip into Israel. Recruits at these camps reportedly received weapons training and instruction in bomb-making techniques in the early 1990s. The bomb-making curriculum included the sort of explosives later used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. And government documents state that two trainees came from the Oklahoma City area.
posted by Kevin at 3:47 PM
Building a Case for the Annihilation of Iraq :. There is going to be an attempt to place at least some of the blame for the 9/11---and maybe even Oklahoma City---attacks on Iraq. As this unfolds, please keep this story in mind. [1] That George Herbert Walker Bush, as President, at the close of the Persian Gulf War, 1991, arranged to bring into the U.S. some four thousand Iraqi military officers, some from intelligence units, and their families.
[2] Some 550 of these officers became residents in Lincoln, Nebraska, AND TWO THOUSAND OF THEM took up residence in Oklahoma City. In a watered down story, CBS' "60 Minutes" Program did a segment once on this about Lincoln, Nebraska but said NOTHING about the Iraqi military officers in Oklahoma City.
[3] The financial and other provisions for them and their families were arranged by the Elder Bush, and then quietly continued by Bill Clinton as President, and perpetuated by George W. Bush as White House "resident" and "occupant". The arrangements included financial subsidies, housing, and employment for the Iraqi officers.. . . Convincing proof that Iraq was involved in the Sept. 11 attacks would give strong ammunition to the administration in its efforts to build domestic and international support for a military campaign to topple the Iraqi leader.
posted by Kevin at 3:45 PM
Chip Your Spawn :.It's for the children: The company says the device, which is the size of a wristwatch-face and could eventually be made even smaller, could be used to find kidnapped children, locate young kids who wander away from parents and track teens who participate in risky behaviour.
ADS spokesman Matthew Cossolotto said: "With an implanted device, the child doesn't have to remember to wear it. It can't be lost or stolen or stripped away. And it's totally concealed."
posted by Kevin at 3:42 PM
Bullet Proof Cameras Monitor Ghetto Alleys :.The steel-encased camera, designed to withstand a bullet, plays a recorded warning that police hope will act as a deterrent: "Stop! This is the LAPD," the recording says. "We have just taken your photograph. We will use this photograph to prosecute you. Leave now."
posted by Kevin at 3:41 PM
Routine Inspections for Rental Properties :.The City is undertaking a project to implement a city-wide systematic inspection program. All residential rental properties with two or more units will be inspected ... for common violations. All property owners and residents will receive additional information by mail. Neighborhood Services staff will post your inspection time at your building approximately two weeks in advance. We appreciate your cooperation, and look forward to working with you.Research credit: TR
posted by Kevin at 3:39 PM
Abraham Lincoln Called It"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country.... corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." ---Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 (Letter to Col. William F. Elkins) Submitted by: TR
posted by Kevin at 3:38 PM
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:. Reading
 Fatal
Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture by Andrew Kimbrell
Readers will come to see
that industrial food production is indeed a "fatal harvest"
- fatal to consumers, as pesticide residues and new disease vectors
such as E. coli and "mad cow disease" find their way
into our food supply; fatal to our landscapes, as chemical runoff
from factory farms poison our rivers and groundwater; fatal to
genetic diversity, as farmers rely increasingly on high-yield
monocultures and genetically engineered crops; and fatal to our
farm communities, which are wiped out by huge corporate
farms.
 Friendly
Fascism: The New Face of Power in America by Bertram Myron Gross
This is a relatively
short but extremely cogent and well-argued treatise on the rise
of a form of fascistic thought and social politics in late 20th
century America. Author Bertram Gross' thesis is quite straightforward;
the power elite that comprises the corporate, governmental and
military superstructure of the country is increasingly inclined
to employ every element in their formidable arsenal of 'friendly
persuasion' to win the hearts and minds of ordinary Americans
through what Gross refers to as friendly fascism.
 The
Good Life
by Scott and Helen Nearing Helen
and Scott Nearing are the great-grandparents of the back-to-the-land
movement, having abandoned the city in 1932 for a rural life based
on self-reliance, good health, and a minimum of cash...Fascinating,
timely, and wholly useful, a mix of the Nearings' challenging
philosophy and expert counsel on practical skills.
 Silent
Theft: The Private Plunder of Our Common Wealth by David Bollierd
In Silent Theft, David Bollier
argues that a great untold story of our time is the staggering
privatization and abuse of our common wealth. Corporations are
engaged in a relentless plunder of dozens of resources that we
collectively own—publicly funded medical breakthroughs,
software innovation, the airwaves, the public domain of creative
works, and even the DNA of plants, animals and humans. Too often,
however, our government turns a blind eye—or sometimes helps
give away our assets. Amazingly,
the silent theft of our shared wealth has gone largely unnoticed
because we have lost our ability to see the commons.
 The
Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It: The Complete Back-To-Basics
Guide by John Seymour The
Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It is the only book that
teaches all the skills needed to live independently in harmony
with the land harnessing natural forms of energy, raising crops
and keeping livestock, preserving foodstuffs, making beer and
wine, basketry, carpentry, weaving, and much more.
 When
Corporations Rule the World by David C. Korten
When Corporations
Rule the World explains how economic globalization has concentrated
the power to govern in global corporations and financial markets
and detached them from accountability to the human interest. It
documents the devastating human and environmental consequences
of the successful efforts of these corporations to reconstruct
values and institutions everywhere on the planet to serve their
own narrow ends.
 The
New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques
for the Home and Market Gardener
This expansion
of a now-classic guide originally published in 1989 is intended
for the serious gardener or small-scale market farmer. It describes
practical and sustainable ways of growing superb organic vegetables,
with detailed coverage of scale and capital, marketing, livestock,
the winter garden, soil fertility, weeds, and many other
topics.
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