P-67 Bush routinely ignoring Blair

Bush 'routinely ignoring Blair' Britain's relationship with America is "one-sided" and Tony Blair is routinely ignored by President George Bush, a senior US official has said.

Kendall Myers, a senior analyst at the State Department, described Britain's attempts to influence US policy as a "sad business", the Times reported.

Mr Myers reportedly said he felt "a little ashamed" at Mr Bush's treatment of the prime minister...... Mr Blair has been a close ally of Mr Bush since the 9/11 attacks.

P-66 Quebec "nation" status raises native Indian ire

Quebec "nation" raises native Indian ire VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Canada's indigenous peoples are feeling a bit snubbed by Parliament's decision to recognize Quebecers as a "nation" within a united Canada and not them too..... Native Indian leaders say the vote in the House of Commons, which has helped reignite debate over the role of French-speaking Quebec within largely English-speaking Canada, ignored the peoples who lived in North America before European settlers arrived.

"If it is good for the Quebecois, and we have no objection to that, then it is good enough for us," Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said on Tuesday, a day after lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the measure.

Native Indians are usually referred to within Canada as the First Nations. Canada's aboriginals include native Indians, Metis -- descendants of Indians and early French settlers -- and the Inuit people of the Arctic region.

P-65 Ireland plans privatisation of water suppy in 2008

Water sell-off may begin in 2008 The privatisation or selling off of Northern Ireland's water service could begin in just over 13 months..... It has been confirmed that the government is considering starting to sell bits of it from 2008 - and they may do it without public consultation.

********************************** says a me comment ***************************

While this appears to be news, it's already in the works in Canada... As urbanization expands, rural people on wells and septic are being forced to hook up to new water supplies even though no sewer services are being provided.. Forced legislation and municipal by-laws prohibit them from continuing using their old wells.

When I was living in BC a couple of years ago there was legislation being put into place where all provincial wells had to be registered and that they could only draw so much water from the aquifer unless they were a commercial entity and had a special licence as private wells and water suppliers were already existence . Also, urban areas that used less than 20% of the water were being faced with 80% of the cost of rebuilding and refurbishing new water systems that was basically going to the heavy commercial water users and orchards. Urban areas were also paying five times more for water.

Thanks in part to the free trade agreement, fresh water is now up for sale and the Great Lakes have been receding in recent years as the US has been silently and diverting water from Lake Michigan to feed private interests. A few years ago, everyone thought that selling water was a joke, but now bottled water is a mega business and growing...

There's more... a lot more, as this is also part and parcel of the New World Orders plan of globalization and control.. control of everything... and thereby everyone..

Saysame JR

P-64 Canadian Parliament recognizes the province of Quebec as a nation

Parliament recognizes Quebecers as a nation

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Parliament recognized Quebecers as a nation within a united Canada on Monday, backing a controversial proposal that has already prompted one minister in the minority Conservative government to quit...... The House of Commons voted 266 to 16 in favor of the motion, which the government said it saw as a way to head off pressure from separatists who want to break away from Canada.

But critics said the proposal could actually bolster the separatists, and the Bloc Quebecois said it would use the change to demand extra powers, including Quebec's right to speak at international meetings.

P-63 West must prepare for Chinese, Indian dominance

West must prepare for Chinese, Indian dominance
SYDNEY (AFP) - Western nations must prepare for a future dominated by China and India, whose rapid economic rise will soon fundamentally alter the balance of power, former World Bank chief James Wolfensohn has warned..... Wealthy countries were failing to understand the impact of the invevitable growth of the two Asian powerhouses, Wolfensohn said in the 2006 Wallace Wurth Memorial Lecture at the University of New South Wales at the weekend.

Within 25 years, the combined gross domestic products of China and India would exceed those of the Group of Seven wealthy nations, he said.

"This is not a trivial advance, this is a monumental advance."

Wolfensohn said that somewhere between 2030 and 2040, China would become the largest economy in the world, leaving the United States behind.

By 2050, China's current two trillion US dollar
GDP was set to balloon to 48.6 trillion, while that of India, whose economy weighs in at under a trillion dollars, would hit 27 trillion, he said, citing projections by investment bank Goldman Sachs.

P-62 The beginning of the end of Canada....

Canada Liberals to back anti-separatist motion OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's opposition Liberals agreed on Thursday to support Prime Minister Stephen Harper's motion recognizing that Quebecers form a nation within a united Canada.

The motion is designed to derail one from the separatist Bloc Quebecois which has identical language except it does not refer to a united Canada. A vote is scheduled for next Tuesday.

"We are going to vote for a Quebec that forms a part of a united Canada," party leader Bill Graham told reporters after an emergency meeting of the Liberal caucus in Parliament.

*************************** says a me comment #1 ****************************

In the past three years I have not only traveled across Canada, but I've also lived in almost every province. I know what the people in each province think and feel. I have also come to realize what Canada is and is not. There is no Canadian Driver Licence, no Canadian vehicle registration, no Canadian Auto Insurance, no Canadian Health care. Each province has their own system that you have to buy into if you are in the province for over three months. Each province has their own political parties loosely tied to the federal system. Each province has their own provincial taxes system and official departments with tons of bureaucrats, doing the same job that one could do.

Each province is a separate entity and make no bones about it there is no love loss between western Canada and the rest of Canada or between Eastern Canada (the Maritimes) and the rest of Canada or between Quebec and Ontario and the rest of Canada.... The only thing that I noticed... to Quebec's credit... is that Quebec is the only province that is open and honest about their intentions about separating. All the rest are red necks, piously wagging their tongues and claiming that Quebec is wrong but denying that they are silently doing and plotting the same.

In the West; it's BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan that form a so-called alliance, but speak to them individually and Alberta has no use for either BC or Sask as they have the "their" Oil. BC has no use for Alberta or Sask as they have the natural resources, forests and East coast shipping. Sask is low man on the totem pole but they also see themselves as independent.

I never lived in Manitoba but they are caught in the middle, between the western provinces and wealthy and influential Ontario that is seen by many as trying to run Canada.

Quebec with it's French language has, since it's beginnings, felt alienated from the rest of English speaking Canada and has tried to preserve it's culture and language to the point that it is fiercely biased and prejudiced against any English influence. While federal and provincial governments mandate the acceptance of French and of being Bi-lingual, that same policy isn't applied for English speaking people in Quebec. While Quebec may think that they can survive on their own, they are heavily subsidized by the Federal government and like the Maritimes, what isn't subsidized is already controlled by BIG business and is US based...

New Brunswick is half French and half English speaking but they are not accepted by Quebec as they are deemed "lesser" French or Franglais. New Brunswick is what I would call the Bible belt of Canada. Lots of poor folk and lots of rich ones that are living off Federal Government subsidies.. The much criticized Canada Gun control law with it billion dollar plus operating budget has it's headquarters in Miramichi and employs about 200 people in. Do the math!

Nova Scotia is mostly English speaking and much like New Brunswick, is supported by the federal Government subsidies and PEI is in the same boat. Irving oil, with Irvings personal wealth stated at over 4.5 Billion has a strangle hold on the Maritimes, but is seen by many as a god sent... even if they are paying 15% higher prices for gas and heating oil than anywhere else in Canada. The Maritimes also have a close link with the New England states of the USA especially Maine.

The Maritimes also speak silently that they are not being supported or accepted by the rest of Canada and that they would be better off being part of the United States as they feel that good ole US Green Backs will fix their problems....

What other Prime Ministers, Trudeau, for example, have tried to keep Canada together, Harper (Bush's Page Boy) is setting the stage for it's eventual dismemberment. Every province with it's political power hungry wanna be kings, will... in it's own time begin to demand its own "national" status. While they may declare and obtain their independence, all will be quickly gobbled up by the USA... Divide and conquer...

Says a me JR

UPDATES:
Quebec separatists say strengthened by nation talk OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Acceptance that the people of French-speaking Quebec are a "nation," albeit one within Canada, has made the drive to independence all the easier, the head of the separatist Bloc Quebecois said on Friday.

Reversing the position he took earlier this week, Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe said he would back a government motion that Quebecers form a nation "within a united Canada," and he described the concept as another weapon in his party's pro-independence arsenal.

"It's very important for countries around the world, who will say, 'Even Canada recognizes they form a nation, they just said yes.' It's another weapon (for us)."

The Bloc, the third-largest party in the Canadian Parliament, would now ask whether Quebec had the right to speak for itself at the international level, Duceppe said.

Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper had argued that including the words "within a united Canada" would safeguard against separatists using his announcement to further their demands that Quebec secede from Canada.

*************************** says a me comment #2 ***************************

I was speaking to my sister in Alberta the other day and she also stated that Harper was splitting the country apart... this coming from a die-hard conservative... She also mentioned that their red neck friends also agreed that this was a bad move for Canada... and that it also provides fuel for Alberta and BC to state their independence as they desire to join the US...

Saysame JR

P-61 Shadow Company.. Private armies for hire...

Documentary Feature: 'Shadow Company'
Will the world privatize peace? Or, has it already done so? LOS ANGELES - In the second clip from 'Shadow Company' in the Hot Zone's Documentary feature series, private security contractors and historians discuss exactly how militaries-for-hire came to be.

Our discussion with co-director Nick Bicanic continues as he explains how Shadow Company is not a movie about Iraq, and that private security companies might be the answer to the crisis in Darfur. Excerpts from that discussion are below.

And yes, Iraq created a big new market for these guys, 50,000 or more currently working there. But the fact is, as much of the film states, the industry has been around for a long time and it will continue to stay around for a long time. If anything Iraq is just a spike in business, but it's not like it got created because of Iraq.

HOT ZONE: These private armies have played an important role in ending wars in the past and might do that again in the future.

The reason I brought up Darfur is [due to] Blackwater (a private security firm), who is fairly infamous for a number of reasons, one of them being it was their four employees who were burned and hung from a bridge in Fallujah which for many people was a catalyst in at least finding out a little bit about the existence of these guys.

Cofer Black (Vice Chairman at Blackwater) has said that Blackwater is ready to go to Darfur and willing to do it.

Think about what that means.

The fact that a private company today — irrespective of who it is, this happens to be Blackwater — has the ideological desire, the ability, and the manpower and the money to pull off an operation like that is very scary. I don't know how many people are aware of that.

Documentary: 'Shadow Company' Part I

Documentary: 'Shadow Company' Part II

Documentary: 'Shadow Company' Part III

Documentary: 'Shadow Company' Part IV

Documentary: 'Shadow Company' Part V

P-60 U.S. to require passports for nearly all.... Halt! Your papers please... Halt! Ihre Papiere gefallen

U.S. to require passports for nearly all WASHINGTON - Nearly all air travelers entering the U.S. will be required to show passports beginning Jan. 23, including returning Americans and people from Canada and other nations in the Western Hemisphere..... The date was disclosed Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in an interview with The Associated Press. The Homeland Security Department plans to announce the change on Wednesday.....

The requirement marks a change for Americans, Canadians, Bermudians and some Mexicans...... Currently, U.S. citizens returning from other countries in the hemisphere are not required to present passports but must show other proof of citizenship such as driver's licenses or birth certificates.

UPDATES:
Firms point to biometric future

RELATED TOPIC:
Jailed blogger denied Thanksgiving furlough Josh Wolf, the video blogger behind bars for refusing to hand over unpublished source material, won't be enjoying a home-cooked meal today. See Video and hear from the first jailed blogger Josh Wolf as he speaks at a press conference..... A federal judge on Tuesday denied Wolf's request for a Thanksgiving furlough, according to a court order issued by U.S. District Judge William Alsu

P-59 US Military Draft to be restored

US lawmaker to offer bill restoring military draft

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A top Democratic lawmaker said he will propose legislation to reintroduce the US military draft, saying that the all-volunteer army is shorthanded and overwhelmed by troop deployments in Iraq..... "I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft. I think to do so is hypocritical," Representative Charles Rangel (news, bio, voting record) said.

The proposal would have reinstated the military draft to include conscripts between the ages of 18 and 42 years old.

But he said he felt compelled to try again because of continuing pressure on US forces, including President George W. Bush's insistence that he would not rule out using military force against North Korea and Iran.

The US has heavily depended on military reserves to keep up staffing levels in Iraq, and many soldiers have been pushed into multiple tours there because of the shortage of fresh troops..... More than 140,000 US troops are currently deployed in the country.

"If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," said Rangel.... He said he envisioned that draftees could also serve in civilian positions...... "A draft doesn't necessarily mean that everyone drafted will have to serve in the military," said Rangel.

He advocated "having our young people commit themselves to a couple of years in service to this great republic, whether it's our seaports, our airports, in schools, in hospitals.".... Rangel said the bill could provide perks, including educational benefits, for draftees.

"It's the best thing for our young people and the best thing for our country.

P-58 India now test-fires medium-range nuclear capable- missile

India now test-fires medium-range nuclear capable- missile India has successfully tested a short-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according to defence officials.

It was part of an air defence exercise, and more trials are expected in the coming weeks, the defence sources said..... The test comes three days after a missile was tested by Pakistan..... The two countries recently announced they would prepare a deal to limit the risk of an inadvertent nuclear conflict.

The 8.5m (28-ft) surface-to-surface Prithvi missile covers 150 km (90 miles) in 300 seconds and has a range of up to 250 km..... More than 2,700 people were evacuated from the area of the test.

P-57 Bush - US Senate backs India nuclear deal

US Senate backs India nuclear deal The US Senate has overwhelmingly voted to pass a controversial deal to share civilian nuclear technology with India.

Under the deal, which was proposed more than a year ago, India must allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities..... US President George W Bush hailed the move as bringing India into the "nuclear non-proliferation mainstream".

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly defended the deal in the parliament in August..... He said India would not accept any move by Washington that would impede its atomic weapons programme, nor would it allow any international scrutiny of its military facilities.

P-56 Bush and his double standards on Nuclear Energy...

Two standards question for Bush In diplomacy, it is often hard to achieve tangible results, especially on a three-day visit..... Therefore, President Bush's South Asia tour will be viewed as a success. India and the US reached a landmark deal on civilian nuclear cooperation. President Bush has still got to convince a sceptical US Congress that the nuclear deal is a good one.

Politicians on Capitol Hill question whether it will undermine international efforts to tackle the spread of nuclear weapons.

Remember, India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and its military programme will still be hidden away from international inspections..... The favouritism being shown to India is making other countries in the region wary.... Some US politicians say that India is being rewarded for bad behaviour. Others fear the deal will send out entirely the wrong signal to Iran.

And President Bush's arguments so far have not been convincing..... He believes that helping India with its civilian nuclear programme will ease pressure on diminishing oil supplies. Well, not for a long time yet..... He also has to convince the international community that the US was right to bend the rules just for India.

P-55 And the TRUTH will land you in jail...

Danes on trial over Iraq secrets

he editor and two reporters from one of Denmark's main newspapers have gone on trial charged with publishing secret intelligence about Iraqi weapons......In articles published in 2004 they quoted from analysis by a Danish intelligence agent, Frank Grevil.....His report, written before the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, concluded that there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq.

It is being viewed as a landmark case in Denmark, which is usually an ardent defender of freedom of expression..... An offence of publishing confidential Danish government documents is punishable by fines or up to two years in prison.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen supported the US-led invasion of Iraq and told parliament he was convinced former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was in possession of WMD..... In October 2003, seven months after the invasion, the body set up by the US to search for WMD, the Iraq Survey Group, reported that no such weapons had been found.

P-54 Pakistan test-fires medium-range -nuclear capable- missile

Pakistan test-fires medium-range missile

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan said it successfully test-fired a new version of its nuclear-capable medium-range missile Thursday — a show of power a day after peace talks with India that were criticized by domestic hard-liners..... The Ghauri 5 missile, with a range of 800 miles — easily capable of striking deep into India — was launched to mark the end of military exercises at an undisclosed location, an army statement said.

The Pakistani military statement said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had witnessed the launch and congratulated scientists, engineers and the army for developing the new version of the missile..... "Pakistan can be justifiably proud of its defense capability and the reliability of its nuclear deterrence," he said, according to the statement..... Pakistan believes in peace that "comes from a position of strength and operational readiness," Aziz said.

P-53 Changes urged in U.S.- India nuclear deal

Changes urged in U.S.-India nuclear deal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arms control advocates urged changes in a U.S.-India nuclear cooperation agreement on Tuesday as the U.S. Senate prepared to resume action on the long-stalled deal..... The initiative, allowing nuclear-armed India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and reactors for the first time in three decades, is expected to be taken up by the Senate as early as Wednesday, Senate sources said.

Meanwhile, a new report by the Congressional Research Service, which examines issues for Congress, found that while India does not want
Iran to have nuclear weapons, New Delhi's "views of the Iranian threat and appropriate responses (to that threat) differ significantly from U.S. views."

P-52 Any non-citizen of the USA can be held indefinitely......

US: Immigrants may be held indefinitely WASHINGTON - Immigrants arrested in the United States may be held indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism and may not challenge their imprisonment in civilian courts, the Bush administration said Monday, opening a new legal front in the fight over the rights of detainees...... In court documents filed with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., the Justice Department said a new anti-terrorism law being used to hold detainees in Guantanamo Bay also applies to foreigners captured

"It's pretty stunning that any alien living in the United States can be denied this right," said Jonathan Hafetz, an attorney for Al-Marri. "It means any non-citizen, and there are millions of them, can be whisked off at night and be put in detention."

The new law says that enemy combatants will be tried before military commissions, not a civilian judge or jury, and establishes different rules of evidence in the cases. It also prohibits detainees from challenging their detention in civilian court.

P-51 France tests unarmed nuclear Missle from Submarine

France test-fires unarmed nuclear weapon PARIS - France successfully shot its new M51 submarine-launched ballistic missile over the Atlantic on Thursday in its first experimental test flight, the Defense Ministry said..... The missile carried no nuclear weapon for the test flight, which was closely monitored by specialists at a test center in Biscarosse, in southwest France, as well as by the Monge missile-tracking ship, ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau said.

The M51 is designed to replace the M45 submarine-launched ballistic missile, or SLBM...... The M51 can carry six TN-75 thermonuclear warheads and has a range of up to 6,000 miles.

P-50 Vietnam holds US terrorists..

3 Americans convicted of terror charges HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - Vietnam defused a political storm Friday by issuing light sentences to three Vietnamese-Americans convicted of terrorism, preventing the closely watched case from clouding
President Bush's visit next week..... The defendants had been held since September 2005 without charges after being accused of plotting to take over radio airwaves in their native country to call for an uprising to overthrow the communist government....

The case had attracted Washington's attention just before Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice planned to make their first visit to Hanoi, for the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It's Vietnam's biggest-ever event.

The seven faced punishments ranging from 12 years in prison to death by firing squad. Prosecutors instead sought lesser terms, saying the defendants had repented and had no previous criminal records.

"I am certainly pleased that they will be sent home," said U.S. Ambassador Michael Marine. "These individuals have been held for quite some time. That is allowed under Vietnamese law, but 14 months without being brought to trial is a long time for anyone. So, we're glad to see that portion over with."

**************************** says a me comment **************************

Geeeee!!! It would be nice if the US applied that last paragraph to their terrorist prisioners..

Saysame JR

P-49 UN asks US to lift embargo on Cuba for the 15 th year in a row

U.N. urges U.S. to end Cuba embargo UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to urge the United States to end its 45-year-old trade embargo against Cuba after defeating an amendment calling on Fidel Castro's government to free political prisoners and respect human rights....

It was the 15th straight year that the 192-member world body approved a resolution calling for the U.S. economic and commercial embargo against Cuba to be repealed "as soon as possible.

Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told the assembly "the economic war unleashed by the U.S. against Cuba, the longest and most ruthless ever known, qualifies as an act of genocide and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the charter of the United Nations."

Delegates in the General Assembly chamber burst into applause when the vote flashed on the screen — 183 in favor to 4 opposed, with 1 abstention. Joining the United States in voting "no" were Israel and the South Pacific nations of the Marshall Islands and Palau. Micronesia, also in the South Pacific, abstained.

The sanctions, aimed at toppling Castro's socialist system, were imposed after Castro repelled the CIA-backed assault at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. The embargo has been steadily tightened under President Bush.

UPDATE: '06 Nov 12
Castro's health is deteriorating

P-48 Democratic win seen as Bush rejection... BUT...

World sees Dems' win as a Bush rejection
TOKYO - Democratic gains in Congress were seen around the world Wednesday as a rejection of the U.S. war in Iraq that led some observers to expect a reassessment of the American course there.

Outside observers saw the bloodshed in Iraq as the major driving force behind the Democrats' success..... "Voters have punished the Republicans. They are not happy with the way the leadership has handled the Iraq war," said Chandra Muzaffar, president of the Malaysia-based think-tank International Movement for a Just World..... Bush's foreign critics cheered in Vietnam, and in Muslim-dominated countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

"The Republicans lost in the election because the American voters are now fed up and bored with the war," said Vitaya Wisetrat, a prominent, anti-American Muslim cleric in Thailand. "The American people now realize that Bush is the big liar."..... Echoing the sentiment of many in Muslim countries, Indonesian lawmaker Ahmad Sumargono hoped that the results would prompt a reassessment of American policies in Iraq and elsewhere...... "I am optimistic that American people have now realized the mistakes made by Bush in foreign policy. We hope this leads to significant changes, especially toward the Middle East," he said.

UPDATES: '06 Nov 08
Rumsfeld departure shakes Bush administration

World welcomes shift in U.S. politics

Americans choose Democrats

Dems complete election sweep of Congress

P-47 US war on terror and anti-americanism moves from Afghanistan to Pakistan

Air raid on Pakistan school angers many ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's attack on an Islamic school that killed 80 people has dented hopes for a diplomatic solution to quashing anti-U.S. militants in the autonomous tribal belt bordering
Afghanistan.

Pakistan madrassa raid 'kills 80' At least 80 militants have been killed in an air strike by Pakistani forces on a madrassa (religious school) used as a militant training camp, the army says.

The army said the madrassa in the tribal area of Bajaur bordering Afghanistan was destroyed by helicopter gunships early on Monday..... One eyewitness told the BBC that 70-80 students were inside. A leading local politician says the dead were innocent

Thousands rally against Pakistan attack KHAR, Pakistan - Chanting "Death to America," thousands rallied Monday in a lawless tribal area near the Pakistan-Afghan border to condemn a deadly airstrike last week on a religious school..... The protests were held in the Bajur tribal region, where the Pakistani military said it bombed an Islamic seminary that served as a front for training militants. Eighty people were killed.

Local people and an Islamic opposition party claim that almost all victims were children or teenagers studying at the school...... The raid has sparked furious protests in Bajur and in other Pakistani cities. Opposition lawmakers denounced the government, claiming that the military helped U.S. forces based in Afghanistan to carry out the strike.Protests condemn Pakistani attack on school

UPDATE: Bomber kills 42 Pakistani troops

'06 Nov 12 Pakistan PM: U.S. attacks within borders unacceptable

P-46 US - Iraqi war games.. Since when has war been a GAME?

1999 war games foresaw problems in Iraq WASHINGTON - The U.S. government conducted a series of secret war games in 1999 that anticipated an invasion of
Iraq would require 400,000 troops, and even then chaos might ensue..... "The conventional wisdom is the U.S. mistake in Iraq was not enough troops," said Thomas Blanton, the archive's director. "But the Desert Crossing war game in 1999 suggests we would have ended up with a failed state even with 400,000 troops on the ground."

"A change in regimes does not guarantee stability," the 1999 seminar briefings said. "A number of factors including aggressive neighbors, fragmentation along religious and/or ethnic lines, and chaos created by rival forces bidding for power could adversely affect regional stability."..... "Even when civil order is restored and borders are secured, the replacement regime could be problematic — especially if perceived as weak, a puppet, or out-of-step with prevailing regional governments."......

"Iran's anti-Americanism could be enflamed by a U.S.-led intervention in Iraq," the briefings read. "The influx of U.S. and other western forces into Iraq would exacerbate worries in Tehran, as would the installation of a pro-western government in Baghdad."

P-45 Iraqi tribunal sentences Saddam to hang.. Just before US elections

Iraqi tribunal sentences Saddam to hang BAGHDAD, Iraq -
Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced Sunday to hang for crimes against humanity in the 1982 killings of 148 people in a single Shiite town, as the ousted leader, trembling and defiant, shouted "God is great!"..... As he, his half brother and another senior official in his regime were convicted and sentenced to death by the Iraqi High Tribunal, Saddam yelled out, "Long live the people and death to their enemies. Long live the glorious nation, and death to its enemies!"

Saddam's chief lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi condemned the trial as a "farce," claiming the verdict was planned. He said defense attorneys would appeal within 30 days..... The death sentences automatically go to a nine-judge appeals panel, which has unlimited time to review the case. If the verdicts and sentences are upheld, the executions must be carried out within 30 days.

UPDATES:
Saddam verdict unleashes violence fears In a world sharply divided on
Iraq since the U.S.-led war began in 2003, Saddam Hussein's death sentence unleashed fears of fresh violence, European condemnation of capital punishment and new questions about the fairness of the tribunal that ordered him to hang.

Underscoring the fault lines that split the international community and widened the divide between Muslims and Christians, Islamic leaders warned that Sunday's verdict could inflame those who revile the United States — undermining U.S. policy in the volatile Middle East and inspiring terrorists.

Shiites praise, Sunnis protest verdict

Snow denies Saddam trial 'scheming' WASHINGTON - The White House on Sunday praised the Iraqi judicial system for its independence and denied the Bush administration had been "scheming" to arrange a verdict in Saddam Hussein's trial days before crucial U.S. elections..... "The judiciary is operating independently and we need to give them credit for doing their job and doing it in the way they saw fit and proper," presidential spokesman Tony Snow said.

Iraqis, he said, "are the ones who conducted the trial. The Iraqi judges are the ones who spent all the time pouring over the evidence. ... It's important to give them credit for running their own government."

UPDATES:
Bush hails verdict as milestone for Iraq GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -
President Bush celebrated Saddam Hussein's death sentence as a victory for "
Iraq's young democracy" and U.S. security, highlighting Sunday's verdict in the last hours of an election campaign in which Republicans are suffering from public discontent with the Iraq war.... "My decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision and the world is better off for it," he said to raucous applause......

Bush painted Saddam's conviction and sentence as vindication of the sacrifices made by American soldiers in Iraq. More than 2,800 members of the U.S. military have died since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

UPDATES:
US distances itself from controversial death sentence for Saddam WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States insisted it played no role in an Iraqi court's decision to sentence former dictator Saddam Hussein to death, a judgement assailed by allied governments around the world..... The Iraqi High Tribunal, funded and advised by the US government, found Saddam guilty of crimes against humanity in the case of 148 Shiite civilians who were killed in revenge for an 1982 attempt on the then-Iraqi leader's life.

**************************** says a me comment *****************************

In the last two updates posted here you can see the denials, lies and contradictions of the USA government.... "President Bush celebrated Saddam Hussein's death sentence as a victory for Iraq's young democracy".... Opps I almost forgot.. this is the US government correcting wrong or inaccurate media

Saysame JR
*****************************************************************
Iraq plans to reinstate ex-Baathist officials

P-44 US wants to silence freed terrorist suspect...... they say they weren't abusing...

U.S. seeks to silence terror suspect WASHINGTON - A suspected terrorist who spent years in a secret CIA prison should not be allowed to speak to a civilian attorney, the Bush administration argues, because he could reveal the agency's closely guarded interrogation techniques...... Human rights groups have questioned the CIA's methods for questioning suspects, especially following the passage of a bill last month that authorized the use of harsh — but undefined — interrogation tactics.


In recently filed court documents, the Justice Department said those methods, along with the locations of the CIA's network of prisons, are among the nation's most sensitive secrets. Prisoners who spent time in those prisons should not be allowed to disclose that information, even to a lawyer, the government said.


"Improper disclosure of other operational details, such as interrogation methods, could also enable terrorist organizations and operatives to adapt their training to counter such methods, thereby obstructing the CIA's ability to obtain vital intelligence that could disrupt future planned terrorist attacks," the Justice Department wrote.

The documents, which were first reported by The Washington Post, were filed in opposition to a request that terror suspect Majid Khan should be given access to an attorney. Khan, 26, immigrated from Pakistan and graduated high school in Maryland..... According to documents filed on his behalf by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Khan was arrested in Pakistan in 2003. During more than three years in CIA custody, Khan was subjected to interrogation techniques that defense attorneys suggest amounted to torture.

UPDATES: '06 Nov 14
Rights groups file war crimes suit against Rumsfeld

P-43 BIG BROTHER... is watching you in Britian....

Britain is becoming 'Big Brother' LONDON (AFP) - Britain is becoming a "surveillance society", where CCTV cameras, credit card analysis and travel movements are used to track people's lives minute by minute, a report published has suggested.

The nation has up to 4.2 million CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras, or about one for every 14 people.

The government is pushing ahead with controversial plans to introduce biometric identity cards, while Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he wants an expansion of the police's DNA database to cover even people released without charge.

"Every time we use a mobile phone, use our credit cards, go online, do searches on the Internet, electronic shopping, driving in our cars now: more and more information is being collected, so we're leaving an electronic footprint."
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Watchdog sounds alarm on UK "surveillance society" Civil liberties group Privacy International,in a survey of 37 countries, named Britain alongside Russia, China, Malaysia and Singapore as countries practicing "endemic" surveillance against the individual..... Only slightly better were the United States, Thailand and the Philippines, described as "extensive" surveillance societies."

The survey, conducted jointly with the U.S.-based Electronic Privacy Information Center, was based on 13 criteria ranging from constitutional protections to visual surveillance and phone-tapping. Germany and Canada scored the best marks for civil liberties safeguards.

Privacy concerns in Britain have been highlighted by developments such as the planned introduction of national identity cards and a rapid growth in the deployment of security cameras..... With an estimated 4.2 million now spread across the country, the average Briton is captured about 300 times a day on film.

UPDATES:
'06 Nov 06 Blair goes on ID card offensive

P-42 Russia, China won't back US lead sanctions on Iran

Russia, China won't back Iran sanctions MOSCOW - Russian and China indicated that they will not support a draft U.N. resolution imposing tough sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program.....

The "European draft" on Iran orders all countries to prevent the sale and supply of material and technology that could contribute to Tehran's nuclear and missile programs. It imposes a travel ban and freezes the assets of people involved in these programs — and also orders countries to freeze the assets of companies and organizations involved in Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

The comments by Russia's foreign minister and China's U.N. ambassador were the strongest reactions yet to the draft by the two key U.N. Security Council members, and signaled difficult negotiations ahead on the resolution drawn up by Britain, France and Germany..... The five veto-wielding permanent council members — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — were expected to discuss the resolution this week at the United Nations.

P-41 Reading between the Political lines to find the truth.

This is a article I wrote a few months back. I was responding to the Local newspapers headlines and was going to submit the following but never did... So here it is now.. I’ve come to know more about what’s really going on, not by what is being said, but by what is not being said, in reading between the lines.

In the ’06 Jan. 27 edition of the Times and Transcript, (Moncton NB, Canada), the front page headline read, “Harper wouldn’t “cosy up” to US.” Now while Stephen Harper blew some hot air flexing his independence muscles on Canadian sovereignty in the Artic, it became quite apparent that he was of the “Bush” mindset and agenda when he stated that although it was not an official “party” or “Canada” position, he hinted that he would not be recognizing the recently elected Palestinian Hamas government stating that they were terrorists, then added that he supports the Israelis and their right to “defend” themselves. What he carefully omitted or denied saying, but implied, was that Israel is justified in attacking Palestinians and that the Palestinians have no right to defend themselves and that if they attack Israel, they’re deemed terrorists who need to be eliminated.

Then on page C-12 of the same issue there’s a picture and headline stating that “Hamas sweeps Palestinian elections” capturing 76 out of 132 seats in a democratic election ending four decades of (keyword) “corrupt” rule of the Fatah party. Tired of being abused by their government and by the Israelis, the Palestinians held a free election and decided that they needed a change. True democracy in action, and isn’t that what “freedom” and Bush says his agenda is all about? So what’s the problem? If democracy is “good,” then why is the Palestinian political party “Hamas” labeled terrorists? And why is the so-called “Free World” afraid of this democratic election? Could the real reason be because they’re seeing what “real” democracy and freedom is; where the Will and issues of the people are given a real voice and not the façade of a voice only at election time. Where the Will of the people is expressed and not the will of the political parties via the hidden agendas of the “back room” boys that control them.
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UPDATE '06 Nov 06 So-called democracy in action.. Ten months of US led sanctions opposed to the elected Hamas party have further crippled Palestine...

Picture of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Abbas, Hamas don't agree on joint gov't
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The Palestinian president and prime minister, heading rival movements, on Monday failed again to agree on a joint government that might lead to lifting Western sanctions that have bankrupted their administration — but they planned to keep trying.

President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate (US PUPPET), and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas met in Gaza for more than two hours. But officials said the talks ended with no accord on a national unity government made up of independent experts.... Abbas has been urging Hamas, which controls most government functions, to join his Fatah movement in a coalition to end international sanctions. The platform of the emerging government is vague about the key international demand of recognizing Israel and may not be enough to end the painful aid boycott.

Negotiators and officials in Hamas, which has repeatedly rejected the international conditions since winning legislative elections in January, said an agreement on forming a government was imminent.
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Is a persons desire to be free of oppression evil? Stephen Harper just won the Canadian federal election and part of his mandate was to end the “corruption” of the existing Liberal party. Is Stephen Harper evil for desiring to remove the corrupt Liberals from power? Does ending political corruption defines a party as being terrorists, and if so, shouldn’t Harper and his conservatives also be labeled terrorists?

Since 911, the term terrorist applies to any person or group that is fighting back, that doesn’t bow to personal, political or religious intimidation, oppression, cohesion, exploitation and control; that refuse to follow traditional dogma, that questions hidden agendas and are upsetting the status quo of those in POWER. It’s interesting that in both politics and religion it’s the old “do as I say, don’t do as I do” rule. Terrorist, radical, traitor, heretic, witch, pagan, etc. same paint, different brush. And while you may disagree that religion and politics are bed fellows; that doesn’t change the fact that they are.

After 911 and the failed Afghanistan “war on terrorism,” the Bush administration invaded Iraq under the pretense that Saddam Hussein was involved with terrorists and that he had weapons of mass destruction? But then when none were found, (but of course they already knew that) the US changed their story to say that now they were liberating a ravaged country from the hands of a sadistic dictator and were going to bring “Democracy” to this impoverished land because “Democracy” is supposed to mean freedom for the people as it gives them choice and power. If democracy was his true agenda, he would praise the Hamas, instead of labeling them terrorists. Of course the hidden agenda is not democracy at all, but control of the Arab oil supply and in creating a military base in the Middle East, but of course that’s flatly denied as the truth would remove those in power. Saddam Hussein was a dictator, Bush is one also, the only difference is that Saddam didn’t pretend he wasn’t one. Another point is all this is that the Hamas are an Islamic based religion and in conflict with Judaism and Christianity. (Religion and Politics)

In the ’06 Jan. 23 issue of the Times and Transcript, there was an article where Israel was basically threatening to use nuclear force to fight terrorism. (Now the question that is who sold Israel its sophisticated modern military weapons and its nuclear arsenal? I’ll give you one guess and your right. The other day, France basically joined Israel’s ideology, fearing and condemning Iranians as terrorists wanting to expand their nuclear program. Countries with a well organized military presence and nuclear weapons have a hidden agenda, they don’t want to give up control and anyone who complains and acts out against being dominated and controlled by these countries are deemed terrorists who must be eradicated. Excuse me but there’s a big difference between someone throwing a rock at an invading army tank and someone using a nuclear weapon or threatening to do so if you don’t do as they say. Sure, things are escalating, but guerilla tactics and suicide bombers are unfortunately the most effective weapon these impoverished countries have in their arsenal against these well organized and sanctioned “military terrorists.”

If you think that all these “foreign” issues have nothing to do with “our” democracy and freedom, I’ll give you another example that brings this a little closer to home. In the same issue there was another article stating that (in Canada) if you defaced or destroyed your election ballot, or you created a disturbance in public, that you are committing an illegal act, punishable by a jail sentence and a criminal record. But, if you defaced your ballot in private, or you chose not to vote, that was OK. So what that’s saying is that you can’t openly or publicly disagree or criticize the political democratic system. DENIAL of self expression is acceptable, but any vocal expression or physical action of distain, disgust or anger is not acceptable even if the people that it’s directed at are not present. Yep, that’s the democracy and the freedom we’re fighting to save? Sadly, democracy only offers the façade of freedom. You have only to look at our neighbors to the south to see how their own personal freedom and liberties have been all but abolished in the “name of” freedom and in “protecting” their freedom. Don’t be fooled, we as Canadians, are only one step removed from the same conditions. Food for thought.

Saysame JR