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Thursday, June 19, 2008
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Special Comment
Major General Antonio Taguba
US General Accuses Bush Administration of War Crimes
Matt Renner and Maya
Schenwar report for Truthout.org: Wednesday 18 June 2008: "Maj. Gen.
Antonio Taguba (now retired) served as the deputy commanding general for
support for the Third Army for ten months in Kuwait during the early days of
the Iraq occupation. In a statement released today, he bluntly accuses
the Bush administration of war crimes and lays down a challenge for
prosecution."
Citing Iraq War, Renowned Attorney Vincent Bugliosi Seeks
“The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder”
An interview this
week on Democracynow.org states: “Vincent Bugliosi is one of the most
successful prosecutors in this country, with a record including twenty-one
murder convictions without a single loss. With a new book, he outlines his case
for the prosecution of George W. Bush for murder.”
In stinging rebuke to Bush, US Supreme Court rules
Guantanamo POW's have rights
US Attorney General Says Guantanamo Trials to Proceed in
Defiance of Supreme Court
UN panel criticizes US war crimes charges for Guantanamo
minors
Anti-Americanism at Record Levels: Report
Agence France-Presse
reports: "Anti-Americanism is at record levels thanks to US policies such
as the war in Iraq, and Washington's perceived hypocrisy in abiding by its own
democratic values, US lawmakers said Wednesday."
Bush, Musharraf, Ahmadinejad least trusted leaders in
World, new poll finds
America's Sour Mood: Ratings of Bush, Cheney, Rice and US
Congress Sink to Worst Levels Ever
'I Freed Millions From Barbarism' - Says Clearly Deranged
Bush
Bush slams anti-US 'propaganda'
UNHCR: Number of Displaced Iraqis Within Iraq Rises to 800,000+
Democrats to back down on Iraq war conditions
On Mon Jun 16, Richard Cowan wrote for Reuters:”WASHINGTON -
Democrats in the Congress, who came to power last year on a call to end the
combat in Iraq, will soon give President George W. Bush the last war-funding
bill of his presidency without any of the conditions they sought for
withdrawing U.S. troops, congressional aides said on Monday.
PNAC: John McCain's Chilling Project for America
Elliot Cohen of Truthdig reports in Truthout.com: “John McCain has
long been a major player in a radical militaristic group driven by an ideology of global expansionism and dominance
attained through perpetual, pre-emptive, unilateral, multiple wars. The credo
of this group is ‘the end justifies the means,’ and the end of establishing the
United States as the world's sole superpower justifies, in its estimation,
anything from military control over the information on the Internet to the use
of genocidal biological weapons. Over its two terms, the George W. Bush
administration has planted the seeds for this geopolitical master plan, and now appears to be counting on the McCain administration, if
one comes to power, to nurture it.”
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Iraq
war could cost taxpayers $2.7 trillions David Goldman, CNNMoney.com staff writer reports: “As the Iraq war continues with
no clear end in sight, the cost to taxpayers may balloon to $2.7 trillion by
the time the conflict comes to an end, according to Congressional testimony. In a hearing held by the Joint Economic Committee Thursday,
members of Congress heard testimony about the current costs of the war and
the future economic fallout from returning soldiers.” Iraqi Lawmakers Reject US Security Draft Pact QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA reports for AP News: “Jun 12, 2008, New U.S. proposals
have failed to overcome Iraqi opposition to a proposed security pact, two
lawmakers said Thursday, and a senior government official expressed doubt an
agreement could be reached before the U.S. presidential election in
November.” Pakistani Fury Over US Airstrikes Imperils Training The 1994 Buenos Aires Bombing and
Washington’s False [Iran] Narrative Problem Gareth Porter, writing for the HuffingtonPost.com reports:”The accusation by
both Clinton and Bush administrations that Iran was behind the 1994 terror
bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires is now so widely
accepted that my
investigation of that
issue, published last weekend at thenation.com, will be shock to many readers. European
Union Prepares to Lift Anti-Cuba Sanctions Phillipa Runner writing for EuObserver.com reports: “EU states
are nearing a deal to permanently lift sanctions on Cuba despite protests
from human rights activists and hundreds of political prisoners remaining in
jail. ‘The time could be right because of changes undertaken by Cuba's
new leadership,’ an EU diplomat told Reuters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign
ministers on the topic on June 16. ‘Sanctions could possibly be lifted...we
are working on finding the exact formula,’ another diplomat said.” Leaders of Spain and Mexico Call For Easing Sanctions
Against Cuba Irish voters
reject EU treaty in referendum William L. Watts reports from London for Marketwatch: “A treaty designed to
streamline the European Union's decision-making process appears to have gone down
to defeat in a referendum in Ireland, news reports said Friday. Irish voters
went to the polls Thursday. Tallies began Friday and have showed a strong
‘no’ vote across the country, with just a handful of constituencies appearing
likely to vote ‘yes,’ reported Irish broadcaster RTE.” EU may offer Ireland EU
treaty concessions EU treaty should be dropped,
say British voters EU treaty passed by British parliament, not allowed to
go to public vote Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia to become World's top oil
Nation, reports International Energy Agency Asian powers, US warn oil shock to hit Global economy Skyrocketing oil prices threaten Europe Portuguese truckers end strike as Spanish police clear
roads China, Taiwan sign historic agreements on flights,
tourism WEATHER CHANNEL
FOUNDER: 'I ask Al Gore, where's the global warming?' ANTECEDENTS: Washington’s Foreign Policy “BLOWBACK” - The Shot heard round the world It is now clear that Robert Kennedy's
assassination 40 years ago was in fact an eminently political act Stephen Kinzer writing for The
Guardian - London, UK:”Decades must often pass before shattering historic
events can be truly understood. So it is with the assassination of senator Robert Kennedy, which stunned the world 40 years ago this month. The killer, Sirhan Sirhan, seemed at
the time to fit the pattern of the wild-eyed lunatic that is often associated
with political assassins. James Reston, the eminent New York Times columnist,
called the murder "a wholly
irrational act". Most Americans saw it that way. Only now is it clear how wrong this
view was. Far from being a "maniacally absurd" crime, as Newsweek
concluded, the Robert Kennedy assassination was in fact an eminently
political act. It was the first "blowback" attack the United States
suffered as a result of its Middle East policies.” UN chief condemns latest violence in southern Israel,
Gaza Strip
Where's
healthy debate on US policy toward Israel? George Bisharat writes for the Houston Chronicle: “Now that the presidential primaries are over, it is fair to ask: Why do the presumptive candidates of our two major parties vigorously debate the economy, health care, Iraq, and every other issue, but mouth down-the-line support for hawkish Israeli positions? That
tendency was on national display last week when Sens. John McCain and Barack
Obama each spoke to the annual convention of the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee, AIPAC. Each
candidate recited a nearly identical litany of pro-Israeli positions on
everything from Israel's demand to keep Jerusalem as Israel's capital to
refusing to negotiate with the Palestinian group Hamas. Yet long
before the birth of Hamas in 1987, Israel had expelled Palestinians,
confiscated their property and demolished their homes. It had tortured,
assassinated, banished or imprisoned Palestinians without trial. Israel's
violations of Palestinians' human rights have been extensively documented by
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B'Tselem (an Israeli human rights
organization) and other respected institutions. Today, Israel is swallowing up the
land base for a Palestinian state in violation of President Bush's Roadmap
for Peace. More than 480,000 Israeli settlers live in segregated communities
built on confiscated Palestinian lands in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,
driving well-lit and paved roads from which Palestinians are barred.
Prominent observers have likened this to apartheid. Do none
of these policies merit criticism?” ISRAEL LOBBY: What should have been said to AIPAC
Michael C. Desch writes for the Chicago Tribune: “As longtime
State Department Middle East adviser Aaron David Miller reminds us in his new
book, ‘The Much Too Promised Land,’ it’s hard to compete and be
successful in American politics without being good on Israel.’ And so when
the AIPAC annual conference coincides with a presidential election, as it did
this year, these speeches become bidding wars to demonstrate the fervor of the candidates' support for the
Jewish state. Sen. Barack Obama declared himself the ‘true
friend of Israel.’ And Sen. John McCain set the late Sen. Henry Jackson's
uncompromising pro-Israel stance as his ‘model of what an American statesman
should be.’ For both, friendship with Israel means embracing the notion that
the Jewish state faces dire threats that require unwavering American support. Rice stuns Israel with new call for Palestinian state Israel to build 1,300 new settler homes in Jerusalem in
defiance of US Israel Brushes Aside US Pressure Over Palestine
Statehood Deal Adam Entous writing
for Reuters reports: "Israel sought on Monday to lower U.S. expectations
for any deal with the Palestinians this year, brushing aside pressure over
settlements and calling for decisions on Jerusalem's future to be deferred.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ended her sixth trip to the region
this year with no sign of progress in nudging both sides toward a peace deal
by the end of 2008." Israeli Attorney General to make writ of execution
against US government property Israel has learned it needs peace for safety, says
Syrian Leader Israel agrees to Gaza truce but with little enthusiasm US skeptical of news about truce in Gaza Syria's improved standing poses challenge to US policy
of isolation  Bits and Pieces US Spy Base to Be Built in
Western Australia Russia refuses to recognize new Kosovo constitution Will Moscow stun the world over Kosovo? Iran says demand to halt nuclear enrichment
"illegitimate" Dump weak US dollar, Ahmadinejad urges OPEC Ahmadinejad says oil price artificial due to US dollar EU denies agreement on new sanctions against Iran Iran withdraws $75 billion from Europe ahead of
threatened sanctions by West Iran not to withdraw assets from EU banks, says
Official Venezuela continues to sell off US dollars 'Shock'
rise in Colombia coca growth, reports UN
“Political language ... is
designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an
appearance of solidity to pure wind.” ~George Orwell~ Royal Bank of Scotland issues Global stock and credit
crash alert US stocks slide as oil rises; Dow ends at three-month
low Worst
of Global credit crisis yet to come, US losses may hit $1 trillion Mississippi overflows levees, crops threatened
PERSPECTIVE HE'S BACK! Ross
Perot Sponsors New Public Interest Website Don’t “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran!” Video Saddam
Hussein – “Thanks for the Memories” Video
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