Sunday, January 21, 2007

Iran: Shoots US Drone; Threatens Oil/Hormuz; Pentagon Surplus; Cheney Rebuffed Offer; 40 Year War; Pakistan/Al Qaeda

Iran Shoots Down U.S. Spy Drone
Iran Threatens to Stop Oil Flow through Hormuz
Cheney Reportedly Rebuffed Iran Offer
Cheney Says War May Last Forty Years
Iran Gets Army Gear from Pentagon Surplus
Pakistan (plus U.S?) Strikes Al Qaeda (Residents'?) In Waziristan

18 comments:

Ruiz said...

Thanks for the links!

Here's some choice cuts from Bob Chapman of International Forecaster newsletter...

India is willing to pay a higher price for extra quantities of liquefied natural gas from Iran if the latter honors an existing contract for five million tons. That will surely send Washington’s neocons and Israeli’s fascists into fits. This while the US, UK and the Saudi’s are pushing down oil prices to put economic pressure on Iran, Venezuela and Russia.

The Justice Department is getting rid of independent thinkers. It has removed seven US attorneys from their job in a giant purge reminiscent in the days of Joseph Stalin. Among them is Carol C. Lam, the top federal prosecutor in San Diego, who led the corruption prosecution of former Representative Randy Cunningham. They said Lam was fired on her overall record in not prosecuting firearms violations and crimes along the California border. We do not believe that. She was sacked because she canned Cunningham, who was very connected. This is payback, besides the neocons want the illegal aliens crossing the border.

Kevin V. Ryan, the US Attorney in San Francisco, among others has been fired without cause. Ryan’s office has been investigating the backdating of stock options granted to corporate executives. Mr. Ryan was about to prosecute up to 800 of these executives and put them in jail – where they belong – Steve Jobs of Apple included.

These are presidential appointees and are rarely removed without a specific reason. The Department is removing the prosecutors to take advantage of part of the 2006 reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act that expanded its authority to make indefinite interim appoints. This is being used to skirt the confirmation process now that the Senate is in Democratic hands and that the administration would normally have to submit nominees for Senate confirmation.

Rice Farmer said...

Yea, energy fascism is the up and coming thing. Here in Japan, the new hard-right prime minister is working hard to get Japan on the bandwagon. Over the last few years, Japan has found that money can't necessarily buy energy, and so Japanese leaders now see that a new energy regime (i. e., energy facism) is needed. Thus, "patriotic education" is now required by law, the Defense Agency is elevated to the Defense Ministry, and the creation of a conveniently nearby external enemy is in top gear through the North Korea demonization campaign.

Ruiz said...

More...

In one of the most chilling statements ever made by a US Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales questioned whether the US constitution grants habeas corpus rights of a fair trial to every American. If you doubted he was a Nazi, here is proof positive. The logic comes straight out of the Fuhrer bunker. Gonzales’ statement suggests that he is still seeking reasons to make habeas corpus optional, subordinate to the man who sees himself as dictator George W. Bush. Bush’s executive powers that neoconservative legal advisers claim are virtually unlimited during “a time of war” which George intends to have in perpetuity, are but vaguely defined as the war on terror, which he and his fellow corporatist fascists intend to last forever.

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 passed in the final weeks of the Republican-controlled Congress, effectively eliminated habeas corpus for non-citizens, including legal resident aliens. Now anyone can be an “unlawful enemy combatant” simply by disagreeing with our dictator. There will be all military tribunals or kangaroo courts because rules are heavily weighted in favor of the prosecution. This is only for American citizens to shut them up and whisk them to an internment camp. You can appeal, but that will take five years while you languish in prison. This is a “star chamber” law, a system of prosecution, imprisonment, and execution of enemies of the state.

Rumor has it that the White House has issued orders to the Northern Military Command authorizing the jailing and military tribunals, for any American citizen critical of the “war effort,” as we inch closer to a total police state. Mr. Bush has lost his confidence in the American Judicial System. AG Gonzales says that judges are unfit to rule on terror policy. This comes after 130 deans of US law schools signed a statement expressing their dismay at comments made by DOD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Detainee Affairs Charles Simpson in a radio interview criticizing top US law firms for providing pro bono representation to Guantanamo detainees.

As we wrote earlier the administration stuck a missed directive into the US Patriot Act that allows the AG’s office to appoint legal political hacks into the US Attorney’s Office instead of having politically neutral appointees. Now there is a massive political purge going in the Justice Department. Stalin and Hitler would be proud of George and the neocons. Eleven top prosecutors have already been purged. This is an attempt via the entire legal system to hold total federally executive power over court decisions. It will give total power to the President of the United States to rule by decree with no interference from courts or Congress or the American people.

Ruiz said...

And more...

Jimmy Rogers says, “Oil will resume its march toward $100 a barrel after a correction. It will go over $150 when you have big bull markets, 50% corrections, or retractions are normal.”

Fed Chairman Bernanke warned the US Congress that failure to take action soon to deal with budgetary strains posed by an aging population could lead to serious economic harm. This is the calm before the storm. Left unchanged, the cost of “so-called” entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, are set to soar as increasing numbers of the baby boom generation retire. The CBO shows spending on them would reach 15% of GDP by 2030. Bernanke said advocates of lower taxes would have to accept lower spending on these programs. It takes 10 years to qualify for Social Security Benefits. It takes people in Mexico 18 months. Bernanke did not mention the Totalization Act that would include 100 million Mexicans in our program that never paid into it. That addition would bankrupt our system in three years.

1,000 active duty soldiers and Marines have urged lawmakers to support a quick withdrawal from Iraq, as antiwar groups plan to rally state legislators. Congress is sitting on its hands in regard to the 21,500-troop increase. The Senate resolution isn’t worth the paper it is written on, just symbolic in reflection of a group of gutless wonders. The Senate will move first next Wednesday followed by a similar House resolution. This shows you how much Congress cares when more than 80% of their constituents want out of Iraq. They are just another cog in Bush’s war plan.

The latest amnesty bill is HR 884 that could legalize 1.5 million illegal aliens working in agriculture. The illegals would be given blue cards that grants them temporary legal status and put them on the road to permanent legal status. That qualifies their families as well and that could easily bring in six to ten million more people. Once that door is opened the rest would flow or 100 million new citizens to change the culture of our country.

Rice Farmer said...

Since MCR pointed out the importance of "protecting markets," I've found this subject quite interesting. One thing that always strikes me when reading business/finance articles is that the word "market" is always personified. "Markets reacted strongly to..." "Analysts are wondering what markets will do..." etc. Corporations have been legally endowed with personhood, but markets seem to have it de facto.

Rice Farmer said...

Nippon Oil and SK form strategic alliance.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4487880.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=a3HQR8cPg6IM&refer=japan

mrs p said...

RE: 40 Year War. Cheney won't last 40 years!...but his horror will last an eternity. I volunteer him and his Saudi Prince pals to go straight to Bagdad and fight their own war, on foot, without their Rolls Royces.

Rice Farmer said...

Japan's Defense Minister Calls Bush 'Wrong' on Iraq
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0124-06.htm

Rice Farmer said...

Indonesian mud volcano 'caused by gas drilling'
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn11025-indonesian-mud-volcano-caused-by-gas-drilling.html

Rice Farmer said...

Bush Oil Reserve May Support Prices as Asia Also Buys
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aV8MMkwMWLwY&refer=news

Pandabonium said...

L.A. Times -
Americans cut miles driven for the first time since 1980. High prices are behind the change in transportation habits.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fi-gas25jan25,0,7912888.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Pandabonium said...

"2006 was worst year ever for Ford"
$12.7 Billion loss
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-ex-ford25jan26,0,1541716.story?coll=la-default-underdog

Dumb and dHummer-
"More Hummer Models Needed, GM's Lutz Declares - Product guru wants to double brand's lineup."

http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2006/112_news060928_more_hummer_h1_h2_h3

Rice Farmer said...

RFID tagging system test in Tokyo

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/business/16497861.htm

Supposedly will "benefit" shoppers.

Ruiz said...

http://www.space4peace.org/articles/nasa_moon_base.htm

NASA PLANS MOON BASE TO CONTROL PATHWAY TO SPACE
By Bruce Gagnon

Rice Farmer said...

Tax Takers Send in the Spiders
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/security/0,72564-0.html?tw=wn_index_15

Is Xenon really just about taxes?

Rice Farmer said...

"Drop in Oil Output At Mexico's Cantarell May Pressure Prices"

http://online.wsj.com/google_login.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB116984658739189365.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsj

I don't have a WSJ subscription, but the preview says, "The virtual collapse at Cantarell -- the world's second biggest oilfield at the start of last year -- is unfolding much faster than projections from Mexico's state-run oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex."

Rice Farmer said...

New guidelines for oil companies

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1616095.ece

The Oslo Stock Exchange presented on Thursday new guidelines for listed oil companies that require them to disclose their proven and probable petroleum reserves, the bourse said.

David Cutter said...

In case your friends are telling you you're just a "conspiracy theorist", here's some conspiracy reality.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-11-18-contract-bribes_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA"


Don't forget to remind them of Congressman Bob Nay's recent conviction.