6.27.2006
6.26.2006
Limbaugh arrested again
http://cbs4.com/
Don't worry Rush, there are plenty of conservative mouthpieces left to fill your shoes.
Don't worry Rush, there are plenty of conservative mouthpieces left to fill your shoes.
6.21.2006
Wash Post' Obtains Shocking Memo from U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
Wash Post' Obtains Shocking Memo from U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
By Greg Mitchell
Published: June 18, 2006 6:20 PM ET
NEW YORK The Washington Post has obtained a cable,
marked "sensitive," that it says shows that just before President
Bush left on a surprise trip last Monday to the Green Zone in Baghdad
for an upbeat assessment of the situation there, "the U.S. Embassy in
Iraq painted a starkly different portrait of increasing danger and
hardship faced by its Iraqi employees."
This cable outlines, the Post reported Sunday, "the daily-worsening
conditions for those who live outside the heavily guarded
international zone: harassment, threats and the employees' constant
fears that their neighbors will discover they work for the U.S.
government."
It's actually far worse than that, as the details published below
indicate, which include references to abductions, threats to women's
rights, and "ethnic cleansing."
A PDF copy of the cable shows that it was sent to the SecState in
Washington, D.C. from "AMEmbassy Baghdad" on June 6. The typed name
at the very bottom is Khalilzad -- the name of the U.S. Ambassador,
though it is not known if this means he wrote the memo or merely
approved it.
The subject of the memo is: "Snapshots from the Office -- Public
Affairs Staff Show Strains of Social Discord."
As a footnote in one of the 23 sections, the embassy relates, "An
Arab newspaper editor told us he is preparing an extensive survey of
ethnic cleansing, which he said is taking place in almost every Iraqi
province, as political parties and their militias are seemingly
engaged in tit-for-tat reprisals all over Iraq."
Among the other troubling reports:
-- "Personal safety depends on good relations with
the 'neighborhood' governments, who barricade streets and ward off
outsiders. The central government, our staff says, is not relevant;
even local mukhtars have been displaced or coopted by militias.
People no longer trust most neighbors."
-- One embassy employee had a brother-in-law kidnapped. Another
received a death threat, and then fled the country with her family.
-- Iraqi staff at the embassy, beginning in March and picking up in
May, report "pervasive" harassment from Islamist and/or militia
groups. Cuts in power and rising fuel prices "have diminished the
quality of life." Conditions vary but even upscale
neighborhoods "have visibly deteriorated" and one of them is now
described as a "ghost town."
-- Two of the three female Iraqis in the public affairs office
reported stepped-up harassment since mid-May...."some groups are
pushing women to cover even their face, a step not taken in Iran even
at its most conservative." One of the women is now wearing a full
abaya after receiving direct threats.
-- It has also become "dangerous" for men to wear shorts in public
and "they no longer allow their children to play outside in shorts."
People who wear jeans in public have also come under attack.
-- Embassy employees are held in such low esteem their work must
remain a secret and they live with constant fear that their cover
will be blown. Of nine staffers, only four have told their families
where they work. They all plan for their possible abductions. No one
takes home their cell phones as this gives them away. One employee
said criticism of the U.S. had grown so severe that most of her
family believes the U.S. "is punishing populations as Saddam did."
-- Since April, the "demeanor" of guards in the Green Zone has
changed, becoming more "militia-like," and some are now "taunting"
embassy personnel or holding up their credentials and saying loudly
that they work in the embassy: "Such information is a death sentence
if overheard by the wrong people." For this reason, some have asked
for press instead of embassy credentials.
-- "For at least six months, we have not been able to use any local
staff members for translation at on-camera press events....We cannot
call employees in on weekends or holidays without blowing
their 'cover.'"
-- "More recently, we have begun shredding documents printed out
that show local staff surnames. In March, a few staff members
approached us to ask what provisions would we make for them if we
evacuate."
-- The overall environment is one of "frayed social networks," with
frequent actual or perceived insults. None of this is helped by lack
of electricity. "One colleague told us he feels 'defeated' by
circumstances, citing his example of being unable to help his two-
year-old son who has asthma and cannot sleep in stifling heat," which
is now reaching 115 degrees.
-- "Another employee tell us that life outside the Green Zone has
become 'emotionally draining.' He lives in a mostly Shiite area and
claims to attend a funeral 'every evening.'"
-- Fuel lines have grown so long that one staffer spent 12 hours in
line on his day off. "Employees all confirm that by the last week of
May, they were getting one hour of power for every six hours
without. ... One staff member reported that a friend lives in a
building that houses a new minister; within 24 hours of his
appointment, her building had city power 24 hours a day."
-- The cable concludes that employees' "personal fears are
reinforcing divisive sectarian or ethnic channels, despite talk of
reconciliation by officials."
The final line of the Cable is: KHALILZAD
By Greg Mitchell
Published: June 18, 2006 6:20 PM ET
NEW YORK The Washington Post has obtained a cable,
marked "sensitive," that it says shows that just before President
Bush left on a surprise trip last Monday to the Green Zone in Baghdad
for an upbeat assessment of the situation there, "the U.S. Embassy in
Iraq painted a starkly different portrait of increasing danger and
hardship faced by its Iraqi employees."
This cable outlines, the Post reported Sunday, "the daily-worsening
conditions for those who live outside the heavily guarded
international zone: harassment, threats and the employees' constant
fears that their neighbors will discover they work for the U.S.
government."
It's actually far worse than that, as the details published below
indicate, which include references to abductions, threats to women's
rights, and "ethnic cleansing."
A PDF copy of the cable shows that it was sent to the SecState in
Washington, D.C. from "AMEmbassy Baghdad" on June 6. The typed name
at the very bottom is Khalilzad -- the name of the U.S. Ambassador,
though it is not known if this means he wrote the memo or merely
approved it.
The subject of the memo is: "Snapshots from the Office -- Public
Affairs Staff Show Strains of Social Discord."
As a footnote in one of the 23 sections, the embassy relates, "An
Arab newspaper editor told us he is preparing an extensive survey of
ethnic cleansing, which he said is taking place in almost every Iraqi
province, as political parties and their militias are seemingly
engaged in tit-for-tat reprisals all over Iraq."
Among the other troubling reports:
-- "Personal safety depends on good relations with
the 'neighborhood' governments, who barricade streets and ward off
outsiders. The central government, our staff says, is not relevant;
even local mukhtars have been displaced or coopted by militias.
People no longer trust most neighbors."
-- One embassy employee had a brother-in-law kidnapped. Another
received a death threat, and then fled the country with her family.
-- Iraqi staff at the embassy, beginning in March and picking up in
May, report "pervasive" harassment from Islamist and/or militia
groups. Cuts in power and rising fuel prices "have diminished the
quality of life." Conditions vary but even upscale
neighborhoods "have visibly deteriorated" and one of them is now
described as a "ghost town."
-- Two of the three female Iraqis in the public affairs office
reported stepped-up harassment since mid-May...."some groups are
pushing women to cover even their face, a step not taken in Iran even
at its most conservative." One of the women is now wearing a full
abaya after receiving direct threats.
-- It has also become "dangerous" for men to wear shorts in public
and "they no longer allow their children to play outside in shorts."
People who wear jeans in public have also come under attack.
-- Embassy employees are held in such low esteem their work must
remain a secret and they live with constant fear that their cover
will be blown. Of nine staffers, only four have told their families
where they work. They all plan for their possible abductions. No one
takes home their cell phones as this gives them away. One employee
said criticism of the U.S. had grown so severe that most of her
family believes the U.S. "is punishing populations as Saddam did."
-- Since April, the "demeanor" of guards in the Green Zone has
changed, becoming more "militia-like," and some are now "taunting"
embassy personnel or holding up their credentials and saying loudly
that they work in the embassy: "Such information is a death sentence
if overheard by the wrong people." For this reason, some have asked
for press instead of embassy credentials.
-- "For at least six months, we have not been able to use any local
staff members for translation at on-camera press events....We cannot
call employees in on weekends or holidays without blowing
their 'cover.'"
-- "More recently, we have begun shredding documents printed out
that show local staff surnames. In March, a few staff members
approached us to ask what provisions would we make for them if we
evacuate."
-- The overall environment is one of "frayed social networks," with
frequent actual or perceived insults. None of this is helped by lack
of electricity. "One colleague told us he feels 'defeated' by
circumstances, citing his example of being unable to help his two-
year-old son who has asthma and cannot sleep in stifling heat," which
is now reaching 115 degrees.
-- "Another employee tell us that life outside the Green Zone has
become 'emotionally draining.' He lives in a mostly Shiite area and
claims to attend a funeral 'every evening.'"
-- Fuel lines have grown so long that one staffer spent 12 hours in
line on his day off. "Employees all confirm that by the last week of
May, they were getting one hour of power for every six hours
without. ... One staff member reported that a friend lives in a
building that houses a new minister; within 24 hours of his
appointment, her building had city power 24 hours a day."
-- The cable concludes that employees' "personal fears are
reinforcing divisive sectarian or ethnic channels, despite talk of
reconciliation by officials."
The final line of the Cable is: KHALILZAD
Count Every Vote! Volunteer for the National Hand Count Registry
PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR LISTS!
The November 2006 election will dictate control of congress, and voting machines are melting down right and left. Let's take away all the excuses -- Black Box Voting is compiling a national registry of citizens willing to hand count if needed.
Register for the National Hand Count Registry here:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-profile.cgi?action=register
HAVE HANDS, WILL TRAVEL:
Local regulations permitting, citizens from New Hampshire to New Mexico are telling us they're willing to go where they're needed to help count the ballots. If it becomes necessary, we will contact you to let you know where you are needed.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL:
You never know when your local jurisdiction's voting machines will choke (as happened in Cleveland -- Cuyahoga County, Ohio -- in the May 2 primary). Don't give them any excuses. In Cuyahoga County, 17,000 absentee votes could not be counted on the scanners. What did they do? They reportedly ENTERED EACH VOTE INTO A TOUCH-SCREEN. Next time, we should have a battalion of citizens ready to count those ballots.
In Riverside County, California, citizens who opted for a paper ballot because they didn't trust the touch-screens were dismayed to find that their paper ballot was later punched into a touch-screen.
Black Box Voting is making certain that no elections jurisdiction can claim they don't have anyone to hand count.
Join the BBV National Hand Count Registry now, and please persuade a friend to sign up too.
You will find the link to join the Hand Count Registry on the main page of our Web site:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/
The direct link to register is at the top of this e-mail.
Thank you, citizens.
[Einstein's theory: "We the People" = us]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Black Box Voting is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501c(3) elections watchdog group funded entirely by citizen donations. If you would like to support our work, click here:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/donate.html
or mail to:
BLACK BOX VOTING
330 SW 43rd St Suite K
PMB 547
Renton WA 98055
The November 2006 election will dictate control of congress, and voting machines are melting down right and left. Let's take away all the excuses -- Black Box Voting is compiling a national registry of citizens willing to hand count if needed.
Register for the National Hand Count Registry here:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-profile.cgi?action=register
HAVE HANDS, WILL TRAVEL:
Local regulations permitting, citizens from New Hampshire to New Mexico are telling us they're willing to go where they're needed to help count the ballots. If it becomes necessary, we will contact you to let you know where you are needed.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL:
You never know when your local jurisdiction's voting machines will choke (as happened in Cleveland -- Cuyahoga County, Ohio -- in the May 2 primary). Don't give them any excuses. In Cuyahoga County, 17,000 absentee votes could not be counted on the scanners. What did they do? They reportedly ENTERED EACH VOTE INTO A TOUCH-SCREEN. Next time, we should have a battalion of citizens ready to count those ballots.
In Riverside County, California, citizens who opted for a paper ballot because they didn't trust the touch-screens were dismayed to find that their paper ballot was later punched into a touch-screen.
Black Box Voting is making certain that no elections jurisdiction can claim they don't have anyone to hand count.
Join the BBV National Hand Count Registry now, and please persuade a friend to sign up too.
You will find the link to join the Hand Count Registry on the main page of our Web site:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/
The direct link to register is at the top of this e-mail.
Thank you, citizens.
[Einstein's theory: "We the People" = us]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Black Box Voting is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501c(3) elections watchdog group funded entirely by citizen donations. If you would like to support our work, click here:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/donate.html
or mail to:
BLACK BOX VOTING
330 SW 43rd St Suite K
PMB 547
Renton WA 98055
6.18.2006
URGENT ACTION: Call about the Voting Rights Act tomorrow!
On Monday, Common Cause and a coalition of civil rights groups working to pass legislation that will renew and restore the Voting Rights Act want you to make three important calls to Congress.
Please use the toll-free number 1-866-808-0065 to call:
Please use the toll-free number 1-866-808-0065 to call:
- House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
- House Majority Leader Jack Boehner (R-OH)
- Rep. Peter Sessions
Urge Reps. Hastert and Boehner to use their leadership positions to bring H.R. 9 to the floor "as is," and to ensure that H.R. 9 passes without amendment. Then use the same toll-free number to call your representative and urge him/her to fully support H.R. 9.
Got Link?
Link tv ran an all-day special on voting in America, covering the 2000 election and Florida, 2002 and the New Jersey Booker/James debacle, 2004 and Ohio of course. Greg Palast was interviewed at length.
www.gregpalast.com
He has a new book out called Armed Madhouse. After hearing him talk this afternoon, it sounds like a must-read. Included is a letter from Jeb Bush to Kathleen Harris' office directing her to purge voters. (Bush' office denies that he had anything to do with the voter purge.)
www.linktv.org
Link tv--on Directv, it is channel 375. If you don't get it, I urge you to contact your cable tv provider and request it. The channel is viewer supported, but moreover, they accept NO corporate sponsorships and of course, receive NO government funding, which means that they are beholden to no outside forces.
Amy Goodman's news show, Democracy Now!, airs every weekday, and can be downloaded as a podcast and watched whenever you have some time.
Talk about MUST SEE TV!
6.17.2006
Austria's Haider says Bush is a war criminal
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian right-wing populist Joerg Haider called President Bush a war criminal on Saturday, days before Austria's government hosts Bush and European leaders in Vienna.
6.16.2006
6.15.2006
Pool of Dead Rights
Our freedom from unreasonable search and seizure was lost today when the not-so-supremes ruled that police do not need to knock in order to execute a warrant.
6.12.2006
More election fraud, compliments of the Republicans in Florida
In an exclusive interview with Florida House of Representatives candidate Charlie Grapski - arrested after he filed a lawsuit alleging voting fraud against Alachua County City Manager Clovis Watson, RAW STORY learns of corruption allegations that can only be described as not seen since the days of Boss Tweed.Charlie Grapski, a Democrat running for the Florida House of Representatives, was arrested in April after filing a lawsuit alleging that City officials abused power and influenced the outcome of an election by manipulating the absentee voting process. The story, however, does not start or ..
More at Rawstory.com
6.10.2006
What you need to know about the IRI
The Raw Story has some interesting information about an organization called the International Republican Institute, which ". . .has been associated with unscrupulous and undemocratic campaign practices both at home and overseas. "
Remember these names: Tony Marsh and Lance Copsey
Read more
Remember these names: Tony Marsh and Lance Copsey
The International Republican Institute, though billing itself as an independent nonprofit unaffiliated with the Republican Party, acts essentially as a wing of the GOP. Its is chaired by party presidential frontrunner Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Representatives David Dreier (R-CA) and Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) serve on its board of directors. Many of IRI’s high-ranking staff members have at some point worked directly for the Bush administration.
Read more
6.09.2006
Politics TV--very cool
You MUST check this out.
Politics TV: http://www.politicstv.com/
It provides free access to videos of political events. There are several channels:
- Democracy channel
- Candidates channel
- Satire channel
- Blog channel
Right now, they are posting videos of sessions from the YearlyKos. convention that is going on right now in Las Vegas. (YearlyKos is the first annual conference of people who read and blog on DailyKos, a high-traffic progressive blogsite.) The conference is drawing an impressive line-up of speakers.
I just watched a clip of Paul Krugman, who is one of my favorite "reality-based community" voices these days. Sen. Harry Reid is the keynote speaker. Many of the presidential hopefuls are likely to show up there. Wes Clark is to speak.
Check it out. Spread the word!
6.07.2006
You won't see this on the evening news...
Thank you to Margaret for bringing this to my attention.
"Last week an American military convoy on a road into Kabul crashed in a traffic jam. What happened next is confused. It appears the American soldiers, whose drug consumption is reputedly prodigious, lost their heads and fired into the crowd. The result was half a dozen deaths and the worst riot Kabul has seen since the occupation four and a half years ago..."
Read more at The Guardian
"Last week an American military convoy on a road into Kabul crashed in a traffic jam. What happened next is confused. It appears the American soldiers, whose drug consumption is reputedly prodigious, lost their heads and fired into the crowd. The result was half a dozen deaths and the worst riot Kabul has seen since the occupation four and a half years ago..."
Read more at The Guardian
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