Announced today by the Iraqi Interior Ministry Spokesman Major General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, the Iraqi government has banned Blackwater from the country due to "improper conduct and excessive use of force". The most infamous Blackwater killing came in November of 2007 when 17 civilians were shot in a busy Baghdad intersection by rampaging American contractors.
Blackwater provides security for U.S. and foreign diplomats visiting Iraq. During President Obama's summer 2008 tour of Iraq, Blackwater protected him throughout the visit. Since the 2007 slayings, the government has sent special military overseers on Blackwater missions, however their multi-billion dollar contracts with the U.S. government has remained intact.
Blackwater is a private military contractor company based in Moyock, North Carolina. Its ties with Halliburton, KBR and former Vice President Dick Cheney are well known.
Blackwater could be expected to leave Iraq as early as this spring.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Obama Deception
Alex Jones releases a trailer for his newest expose of the American political scene. It is called The Obama Deception and is slated for DVD on the Ides of March.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Proposed Bill Contains Camp Provisions
A newly proposed bill, the National Emergency Centers Act (H.R. 645), if passed would ratify into law the operation of FEMA housing and work camps for American citizens to dwell in during "an emergency or major disaster”. The bill provides for the location of such camps to be on U.S. military bases where 24-hour surveillance would be introduced.
For years, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Managment Agency) has been constructing a large network of labor camps around the nation. In addition, some "prison affiliates" such as the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas, indefinitely detains foregin families held before extradition.
One of the bill's provisions mainly allows the use of present and former military bases for holding American citizens in cases of emergency.
Announced earlier this winter in December 2008, Northcom (Northern Command Center for Strategic Control) plans to quarter 20,000 U.S. troops in American cities. These soldiers are to be at use to quell "civil unrest" and participate in "crowd control". Many American military personnel were already spotted in American streets in Denver, Colorado and St. Paul, Minnesota, during the respective Democratic and Republican Conventions as well as at last week's Presidential Inauguration.
The bill is being proposed by Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida.
Despite calls for necessary disaster plans and the need for more citizen security, the bill in question delegates sweeping power to FEMA and military bases at the expense of the citizen. This legislation is terrorizing the public and waving the flag of fascism high.
For years, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Managment Agency) has been constructing a large network of labor camps around the nation. In addition, some "prison affiliates" such as the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas, indefinitely detains foregin families held before extradition.
One of the bill's provisions mainly allows the use of present and former military bases for holding American citizens in cases of emergency.
Announced earlier this winter in December 2008, Northcom (Northern Command Center for Strategic Control) plans to quarter 20,000 U.S. troops in American cities. These soldiers are to be at use to quell "civil unrest" and participate in "crowd control". Many American military personnel were already spotted in American streets in Denver, Colorado and St. Paul, Minnesota, during the respective Democratic and Republican Conventions as well as at last week's Presidential Inauguration.
The bill is being proposed by Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida.
Despite calls for necessary disaster plans and the need for more citizen security, the bill in question delegates sweeping power to FEMA and military bases at the expense of the citizen. This legislation is terrorizing the public and waving the flag of fascism high.
Ron Paul: New Bailout will cost each American $6,700
Ron Paul on CNN's Good Morning on January 27, 2009, talks about government manipulation of the U.S. dollar and the grave danger of another Great Depression.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
DTV: Transition of Power
As ratified by a Senate vote last night, lawmakers have voted to delay the television transition to a digital signal until June 12th of this year. However, the almost invisible transition of power behind the screen will continue unabated.
The government mandated switch will forever finish the steady-air signal that has been a fixture of American life for sixty years. The TV airwaves have been a regulated feature available for those with television since the "TV Freeze" for standardizing frequencies ended in 1952.
While the Federal Communications Commission and the Association of Broadcasters lauds the transition as a vast improvement in signal and picture quality, little difference can be noted. The main contrast is that the broadcasted signal is digital rather than sent through the ether of Earth's electromagnetic waves. However, what will be left of the former airwaves?
Here comes the real reason for the switch. These frequencies on airwaves, an asset of the American public were sold by the FCC to unspecified private telecom companies as well as many public and private police and security agencies. According to The News Hour, the sales garnered well over $50 billion for the government.
But when was the public ever consulted? The television is now outsourced to create a massive and fail-proof cross-communication system. It is undoubtedly a dubious proposition, especially considering the more recent revelations about domestic surveillance. Proponents of DTV argue that the switch properly allows for the TV spectrum to be handed over to more essential police communications. It is claimed that their ownership of the spectrum will improve security operations following the September 11th terrorist attacks.
A similar coup occured 90 years prior in telecommunications. In the 1910s, at the height of the amateur radio operator, (when two-way communication existed over air), U.S. military communication errors in the Atlantic was used as an impetus to ban amteur use of frequencies. Later, when the Federal Radio Act passed in 1927, the spectrum of radio waves were sold and commercialized by the newly created Federal Radio Commission and the golden age of radio was forever lost.
The American people were shortchanged in that transition and by all looks of it, are about to lose another crucial public resource. But then again, did we ever have much of it at all?
The government mandated switch will forever finish the steady-air signal that has been a fixture of American life for sixty years. The TV airwaves have been a regulated feature available for those with television since the "TV Freeze" for standardizing frequencies ended in 1952.
While the Federal Communications Commission and the Association of Broadcasters lauds the transition as a vast improvement in signal and picture quality, little difference can be noted. The main contrast is that the broadcasted signal is digital rather than sent through the ether of Earth's electromagnetic waves. However, what will be left of the former airwaves?
Here comes the real reason for the switch. These frequencies on airwaves, an asset of the American public were sold by the FCC to unspecified private telecom companies as well as many public and private police and security agencies. According to The News Hour, the sales garnered well over $50 billion for the government.
But when was the public ever consulted? The television is now outsourced to create a massive and fail-proof cross-communication system. It is undoubtedly a dubious proposition, especially considering the more recent revelations about domestic surveillance. Proponents of DTV argue that the switch properly allows for the TV spectrum to be handed over to more essential police communications. It is claimed that their ownership of the spectrum will improve security operations following the September 11th terrorist attacks.
A similar coup occured 90 years prior in telecommunications. In the 1910s, at the height of the amateur radio operator, (when two-way communication existed over air), U.S. military communication errors in the Atlantic was used as an impetus to ban amteur use of frequencies. Later, when the Federal Radio Act passed in 1927, the spectrum of radio waves were sold and commercialized by the newly created Federal Radio Commission and the golden age of radio was forever lost.
The American people were shortchanged in that transition and by all looks of it, are about to lose another crucial public resource. But then again, did we ever have much of it at all?
Onslaught Rages in Afghanistan
This past Saturday a U.S. missile strike in Mehterlam, Afghanistan, on a suspected terrorist site killed 16 people. While the U.S. military alleges all killed were terrorists, the government of Afghanistan recognizes that all 16 massacred were civilians.
President Hamid Karzai publicly denounced the attack and has sent requests to the United States and United Nations asking for greater Afghan oversight over the strikes. Karzai also pointed to such mistakes as an impetus for further fighting by terrorists in the region. Hundreds protested the massacre of civilians in Mehterlam on Sunday.
This event transpires admist President Obama's plan to double U.S. forces in that country. This Afghan "surge" would raise troop levels from 30,000 to over 60,000. Ultimately devastated by 30 years of near-constant war, Afghanistan remains one of the world's poorest countries. However, executive oil companies' plans since the 1990's have called for an oil pipeline through Afghanistan and beyond the Caspian Sea to circumvent Russia in delivering oil to Europe. This long-time initiative, now ever closer in sight, gives the largely untraversable country increased international importance.
The War in Afghanistan has entered its eighth year. After occupying that country from 1980-1988, the Soviet Union collapsed a year later.
President Hamid Karzai publicly denounced the attack and has sent requests to the United States and United Nations asking for greater Afghan oversight over the strikes. Karzai also pointed to such mistakes as an impetus for further fighting by terrorists in the region. Hundreds protested the massacre of civilians in Mehterlam on Sunday.
This event transpires admist President Obama's plan to double U.S. forces in that country. This Afghan "surge" would raise troop levels from 30,000 to over 60,000. Ultimately devastated by 30 years of near-constant war, Afghanistan remains one of the world's poorest countries. However, executive oil companies' plans since the 1990's have called for an oil pipeline through Afghanistan and beyond the Caspian Sea to circumvent Russia in delivering oil to Europe. This long-time initiative, now ever closer in sight, gives the largely untraversable country increased international importance.
The War in Afghanistan has entered its eighth year. After occupying that country from 1980-1988, the Soviet Union collapsed a year later.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
U.S. Strikes Pakistan, Kills 20
As the euphoria of Inauguration Day subsides, the War on Terror continues its rampage throughout the world. Yesterday, a U.S. strike in Pakistan attempting to strike a suspected terrorist hideout killed twenty people.
Covert operations producing missile strikes in the rugged terrain of western Pakistan were a central part of the Bush Administration's terrorist containment policy for the region. It is a highly contested policy that the Pakistan government condemned late last year in November when a U.S. missile strike killed nearly two dozen civilians.
As President Barack Obama plans to double the amount of U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 30,000 to as much as 70,000, relations with Pakistan are highly strained as Pakistan has publicly denounced such U.S. attacks in their borders and have called on the international community for assertion of their autonomy.
But after U.S.-backed dictatorial President Perez Musharraf (who seized power in a 1999 military coup) enacted martial law in 2007 and arrested many political dissidents and intellectuals, Pakistan remains highly suspicious of U.S. motives. Musharraf's reign of terror culminated in the December 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, his head opposition who seemed poise to assume power. Musharraf's role in her assassination still remains dubious.
The continuing missile strikes into Pakistan by the United States contradict President Obama's anti-war rhetoric which attracted many to his campaign. Although only four days into his presidency, it is reported that after the attack, President Obama met with the National Security Council and discussed military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Washington Post reports that since August, there has been 38 missile strikes, killing over 130. All of the strikes have been conducted by the CIA.
Covert operations producing missile strikes in the rugged terrain of western Pakistan were a central part of the Bush Administration's terrorist containment policy for the region. It is a highly contested policy that the Pakistan government condemned late last year in November when a U.S. missile strike killed nearly two dozen civilians.
As President Barack Obama plans to double the amount of U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 30,000 to as much as 70,000, relations with Pakistan are highly strained as Pakistan has publicly denounced such U.S. attacks in their borders and have called on the international community for assertion of their autonomy.
But after U.S.-backed dictatorial President Perez Musharraf (who seized power in a 1999 military coup) enacted martial law in 2007 and arrested many political dissidents and intellectuals, Pakistan remains highly suspicious of U.S. motives. Musharraf's reign of terror culminated in the December 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, his head opposition who seemed poise to assume power. Musharraf's role in her assassination still remains dubious.
The continuing missile strikes into Pakistan by the United States contradict President Obama's anti-war rhetoric which attracted many to his campaign. Although only four days into his presidency, it is reported that after the attack, President Obama met with the National Security Council and discussed military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Washington Post reports that since August, there has been 38 missile strikes, killing over 130. All of the strikes have been conducted by the CIA.
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