SNL Takes On Tiger Woods Scandal (VIDEO)
Monday, December 07, 2009
Pearl Harbor mini-submarine mystery solved? -- latimes.com
Pearl Harbor mini-submarine mystery solved? -- latimes.com: "The remains of a Japanese mini-submarine that participated in the Dec. 7, 1941, have been discovered, researchers are to report today, offering strong evidence that the sub fired its torpedoes at Battleship Row.
That could settle a long-standing argument among historians.
Five mini-subs were to participate in the strike, but four were scuttled, destroyed or run aground without being a factor in the attack. The fate of the fifth has remained a mystery. But a variety of new evidence suggests that the fifth fired its two 800-pound torpedoes, most likely at the battleships West Virginia and Oklahoma, capsizing the latter. A day later, researchers think, the mini-sub's crew scuttled it in nearby West Loch.
The loch was also the site of a 1944 disaster in which six tank landing ships preparing for the secret invasion of Saipan were destroyed in an ammunition explosion that killed 200 sailors and wounded hundreds more."...
[bth: fascinating read in full]
That could settle a long-standing argument among historians.
Five mini-subs were to participate in the strike, but four were scuttled, destroyed or run aground without being a factor in the attack. The fate of the fifth has remained a mystery. But a variety of new evidence suggests that the fifth fired its two 800-pound torpedoes, most likely at the battleships West Virginia and Oklahoma, capsizing the latter. A day later, researchers think, the mini-sub's crew scuttled it in nearby West Loch.
The loch was also the site of a 1944 disaster in which six tank landing ships preparing for the secret invasion of Saipan were destroyed in an ammunition explosion that killed 200 sailors and wounded hundreds more."...
[bth: fascinating read in full]
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Obama’s Financiers Okay Extra $60 Billion for Pentagon (Updated) | Danger Room | Wired.com
Obama’s Financiers Okay Extra $60 Billion for Pentagon (Updated) | Danger Room | Wired.com: "For those of you who hoped — or worried — that the Obama administration would mean a big cut to defense spending, think again.
The Office of Management and Budget ” has approved a nearly $60 billion increase in the Pentagon’s base budget between fiscal years 2011 and 2015,” InsideDefense.com reports.
That includes an extra $15 billion for the next fiscal year — “a 2.7 percent increase after inflation. This boost “would bring non-war related military spending in FY-11 to $556.4 billion.”
The decision isn’t final - the President hasn’t approved of it, yet. But if the extra cash is okayed, it won’t be used to pay for more tanks or fighter jets, InsideDefense.com notes. “A sizable portion of the additional funds would pay for unforeseen DOD health care bills.”
UPDATE: The Defense Department claims personnel costs will run about $136 billion. The Progressive Policy Institute’s Jim Arkedis says that’s way, way off. “The real price tag is much bigger: $301.1 billion each year, 121 percent higher than the Pentagon’s figure. In other words, if you want major savings in defense spending, cutting weapons systems and the ever-elusive ‘waste, fraud and abuse’ won’t take you far enough.”"
[bth: Wired and Vanity Fair really have been doing exceptional reporting in recent years.]
The Office of Management and Budget ” has approved a nearly $60 billion increase in the Pentagon’s base budget between fiscal years 2011 and 2015,” InsideDefense.com reports.
That includes an extra $15 billion for the next fiscal year — “a 2.7 percent increase after inflation. This boost “would bring non-war related military spending in FY-11 to $556.4 billion.”
The decision isn’t final - the President hasn’t approved of it, yet. But if the extra cash is okayed, it won’t be used to pay for more tanks or fighter jets, InsideDefense.com notes. “A sizable portion of the additional funds would pay for unforeseen DOD health care bills.”
UPDATE: The Defense Department claims personnel costs will run about $136 billion. The Progressive Policy Institute’s Jim Arkedis says that’s way, way off. “The real price tag is much bigger: $301.1 billion each year, 121 percent higher than the Pentagon’s figure. In other words, if you want major savings in defense spending, cutting weapons systems and the ever-elusive ‘waste, fraud and abuse’ won’t take you far enough.”"
[bth: Wired and Vanity Fair really have been doing exceptional reporting in recent years.]
U.S. Sees Weakening for Zardari - WSJ.com
U.S. Sees Weakening for Zardari - WSJ.com: "WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is preparing for a significant weakening of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's political position in the coming months, as pressure intensifies for him to shift executive powers to his country's prime minister and military.
Pakistan's power struggle comes as the Obama administration is seeking to significantly remake its relationship with Islamabad, tied to the U.S. decision to send 30,000 additional troops to help rout insurgents in neighboring Afghanistan.
Mr. Zardari announced last week that he was transferring formal control over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Pakistan's president is being pressured to shed additional powers -- such as the right to dismiss the parliament and make key military appointments."
U.S. officials acknowledge that significant opposition to his rule has limited Mr. Zardari's effectiveness. He also been dogged by decades-old corruption charges. A 2007 amnesty agreement on those recently expired, potentially exposing him to a challenge to his rule by Pakistan's Supreme Court....
[bth: there hasn't been a Pakistani civilian government that hasn't been overthrown by the military.]
Pakistan's power struggle comes as the Obama administration is seeking to significantly remake its relationship with Islamabad, tied to the U.S. decision to send 30,000 additional troops to help rout insurgents in neighboring Afghanistan.
Mr. Zardari announced last week that he was transferring formal control over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Pakistan's president is being pressured to shed additional powers -- such as the right to dismiss the parliament and make key military appointments."
U.S. officials acknowledge that significant opposition to his rule has limited Mr. Zardari's effectiveness. He also been dogged by decades-old corruption charges. A 2007 amnesty agreement on those recently expired, potentially exposing him to a challenge to his rule by Pakistan's Supreme Court....
[bth: there hasn't been a Pakistani civilian government that hasn't been overthrown by the military.]
Little resistance on day 2 of US-Afghan offensive | Antiwar Newswire
Little resistance on day 2 of US-Afghan offensive | Antiwar Newswire: "U.S. Marines and Afghan troops have killed at least seven Taliban fighters during the first U.S.-led offensive since President Barack Obama announced a new American war plan this week, Afghan officials said Saturday.
American and Afghan troops have met little resistance since Operation Cobra's Anger was launched Friday to disrupt Taliban supply and communications lines in the strategic Now Zad Valley of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, Marine officials said.
About 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan troops are taking part in the offensive, including hundreds of Marines dropped behind Taliban lines by helicopters and MV-22 Osprey aircraft. A second, larger Marine force pushed northward from the Marines' main base.
'We're not taking for granted the low level of contact,' Marine spokesman Maj. William Pelletier said Saturday. 'Just because it's quiet now doesn't mean it will be in 24 hours. Part of the operation is to have a disruptive effect on the Taliban resupply activities. The Marines and Afghan forces are continuing the clearing operation, continuing to move through the valley.'"...
[bth: we are essentially attacking an abandoned town loaded with IEDs. It has got to be the most telegraphed mission in modern history. Further it appears timed to coincide shortly after the President's speech so that we can show the world 'progress' just like the minute drop in the unemployment rate was choreographed to be released just a day after the President's job summer which seemed to exclude small businesses from participating even though they create most of the jobs in the US and have for several decades. We are in a period of managed news and events. Don't get sucked in. In a few weeks we'll find out that the Taliban just displaced and that the jobless rate figures will be adjusted.]
American and Afghan troops have met little resistance since Operation Cobra's Anger was launched Friday to disrupt Taliban supply and communications lines in the strategic Now Zad Valley of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, Marine officials said.
About 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan troops are taking part in the offensive, including hundreds of Marines dropped behind Taliban lines by helicopters and MV-22 Osprey aircraft. A second, larger Marine force pushed northward from the Marines' main base.
'We're not taking for granted the low level of contact,' Marine spokesman Maj. William Pelletier said Saturday. 'Just because it's quiet now doesn't mean it will be in 24 hours. Part of the operation is to have a disruptive effect on the Taliban resupply activities. The Marines and Afghan forces are continuing the clearing operation, continuing to move through the valley.'"...
[bth: we are essentially attacking an abandoned town loaded with IEDs. It has got to be the most telegraphed mission in modern history. Further it appears timed to coincide shortly after the President's speech so that we can show the world 'progress' just like the minute drop in the unemployment rate was choreographed to be released just a day after the President's job summer which seemed to exclude small businesses from participating even though they create most of the jobs in the US and have for several decades. We are in a period of managed news and events. Don't get sucked in. In a few weeks we'll find out that the Taliban just displaced and that the jobless rate figures will be adjusted.]
Taliban Seek Deal on Foreign Forays - WSJ.com
Taliban Seek Deal on Foreign Forays - WSJ.com: "KABUL -- The Taliban said in a statement Saturday they would provide a 'legal guarantee' that they wouldn't intervene in foreign countries if international troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the closest the movement has come to publicly distancing itself from al Qaeda.
The Taliban have 'no agenda of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries and is ready to give legal guarantee if the foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan,' the group said in a statement emailed to news organizations. The statement didn't specify what such a guarantee would look like. A Taliban spokesman wasn't available for comment.
U.S. President Barack Obama has said the main purpose of the war in Afghanistan is to prevent al Qaeda from reacquiring a safe haven from which it can launch attacks against the West. U.S. and Afghan officials have been looking for ways to exploit the differences between al Qaeda, a mostly Arab organization that is focused on fighting a global holy war, and the Taliban, an Afghan group that largely restricts its activities to Afghanistan though it has links to the Taliban in neighboring Pakistan.
U.S. officials are skeptical that the Taliban can be taken at their word. 'This is the same group that refused to give up [Osama] bin Laden, even though they could have saved their country from war,' said a U.S. official. 'They wouldn't break with terrorists then, so why would we take them seriously now?'"...
[bth: curious. One key step in the right direction would be someone dropping a dime on OBL]
The Taliban have 'no agenda of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries and is ready to give legal guarantee if the foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan,' the group said in a statement emailed to news organizations. The statement didn't specify what such a guarantee would look like. A Taliban spokesman wasn't available for comment.
U.S. President Barack Obama has said the main purpose of the war in Afghanistan is to prevent al Qaeda from reacquiring a safe haven from which it can launch attacks against the West. U.S. and Afghan officials have been looking for ways to exploit the differences between al Qaeda, a mostly Arab organization that is focused on fighting a global holy war, and the Taliban, an Afghan group that largely restricts its activities to Afghanistan though it has links to the Taliban in neighboring Pakistan.
U.S. officials are skeptical that the Taliban can be taken at their word. 'This is the same group that refused to give up [Osama] bin Laden, even though they could have saved their country from war,' said a U.S. official. 'They wouldn't break with terrorists then, so why would we take them seriously now?'"...
[bth: curious. One key step in the right direction would be someone dropping a dime on OBL]
The Associated Press: PROMISES, PROMISES: A closed meeting on openness
The Associated Press: PROMISES, PROMISES: A closed meeting on openness: "WASHINGTON — It's hardly the image of transparency the Obama administration wants to project: A workshop on government openness is closed to the public.
The event Monday for federal employees is a fitting symbol of President Barack Obama's uneven record so far on the Freedom of Information Act, a big part of keeping his campaign promise to make his administration the most transparent ever. As Obama's first year in office ends, the government's actions when the public and press seek information are not yet matching up with the president's words.
'The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails,' Obama told government offices on his first full day as president. 'The government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears.'"....
[bth: his rhetoric doesn't match his actions]
The event Monday for federal employees is a fitting symbol of President Barack Obama's uneven record so far on the Freedom of Information Act, a big part of keeping his campaign promise to make his administration the most transparent ever. As Obama's first year in office ends, the government's actions when the public and press seek information are not yet matching up with the president's words.
'The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails,' Obama told government offices on his first full day as president. 'The government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears.'"....
[bth: his rhetoric doesn't match his actions]
Gordon Brown snubbed by soldiers' 'curtain' protest - Times Online
Gordon Brown snubbed by soldiers' 'curtain' protest - Times Online: "Gordon Brown was snubbed by badly injured Afghan veterans when they closed curtains round their beds during a hospital visit and refused to speak to him.
More than half the soldiers being treated at the Selly Oak hospital ward in Birmingham either asked for the curtains to be closed or deliberately avoided the prime minister, according to several of those present.
The soldiers, who have sustained some of the worst injuries seen in Afghanistan, described his visit as “opportunistic” and a “waste of time”.
Furious about equipment shortages and poor compensation for their injuries, one soldier said: “It is almost as if we are the product of an unwanted affair ... he has done nothing for us.”"...
[bth: an article worth reading in full. It is hard to understate the contempt for Brown.]
More than half the soldiers being treated at the Selly Oak hospital ward in Birmingham either asked for the curtains to be closed or deliberately avoided the prime minister, according to several of those present.
The soldiers, who have sustained some of the worst injuries seen in Afghanistan, described his visit as “opportunistic” and a “waste of time”.
Furious about equipment shortages and poor compensation for their injuries, one soldier said: “It is almost as if we are the product of an unwanted affair ... he has done nothing for us.”"...
[bth: an article worth reading in full. It is hard to understate the contempt for Brown.]
Where is bin Laden? Secretary Gates Says No Intel in 'Years' - George's Bottom Line
Where is bin Laden? Secretary Gates Says No Intel in 'Years' - George's Bottom Line: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates told me that the U.S. has not had any good intelligence on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden in 'years.'
He also couldn’t confirm reports that a detainee in Pakistan had claimed that he had information on where bin Laden was earlier this year. He made the startling admission during my interview with him for 'This Week' airing Sunday."...
He also couldn’t confirm reports that a detainee in Pakistan had claimed that he had information on where bin Laden was earlier this year. He made the startling admission during my interview with him for 'This Week' airing Sunday."...
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Officials cut Tehran Internet access ahead of major protest | Raw Story
Officials cut Tehran Internet access ahead of major protest | Raw Story: "Most of the Iranian capital's Internet links with the outside world were down on Saturday, two days ahead of planned demonstrations by opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Sources close to Iran's technical services told AFP the cut was the result of 'a decision by the authorities' rather than a technical breakdown, but telecommunications ministry officials were unavailable for comment.
Officials furthermore revoked all foreign media permits, in an attempt to block any reports coming out of Tehran between Dec. 7 and Dec. 9."...
Sources close to Iran's technical services told AFP the cut was the result of 'a decision by the authorities' rather than a technical breakdown, but telecommunications ministry officials were unavailable for comment.
Officials furthermore revoked all foreign media permits, in an attempt to block any reports coming out of Tehran between Dec. 7 and Dec. 9."...
Russian Police Find Car With Explosives Near Railroad Station - Bloomberg.com
Russian Police Find Car With Explosives Near Railroad Station - Bloomberg.com: "Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Russian police found a car laden with explosives at a railroad station near the Finnish border, five days after a train bombing killed 26 people in the country’s worst terror attack outside the North Caucasus since 2004.
The car was discovered yesterday in Segezh, a town in the Karelia region about 700 kilometers (430 miles) north of St. Petersburg, said Vadim Kashirin, head of the Interior Ministry’s regional criminal investigation unit. The ministry will release more details today, Kashirin said by phone.
Russian law-enforcement officials have stepped up security patrols at possible terrorism targets amid their manhunt for suspects in the Nov. 27 attack on the Nevsky Express luxury train en route to St. Petersburg from Moscow.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today vowed to implement “very tough” measures in the battle against terrorism and urged the country to be more vigilant against the threat.
“All of society, every one of us, needs to be aware of this threat that has been with us all these years,” Putin said in a live call-in television show with the nation.
Putin on Nov. 30 linked the Nevsky Express attack to an explosion that occurred on a railway line connecting southern Russia with Azerbaijan, calling it a “second terror attempt.” No one aboard the Tyumen-Baku train was hurt in the blast."...
The car was discovered yesterday in Segezh, a town in the Karelia region about 700 kilometers (430 miles) north of St. Petersburg, said Vadim Kashirin, head of the Interior Ministry’s regional criminal investigation unit. The ministry will release more details today, Kashirin said by phone.
Russian law-enforcement officials have stepped up security patrols at possible terrorism targets amid their manhunt for suspects in the Nov. 27 attack on the Nevsky Express luxury train en route to St. Petersburg from Moscow.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today vowed to implement “very tough” measures in the battle against terrorism and urged the country to be more vigilant against the threat.
“All of society, every one of us, needs to be aware of this threat that has been with us all these years,” Putin said in a live call-in television show with the nation.
Putin on Nov. 30 linked the Nevsky Express attack to an explosion that occurred on a railway line connecting southern Russia with Azerbaijan, calling it a “second terror attempt.” No one aboard the Tyumen-Baku train was hurt in the blast."...
Annals of Afghan Corruption: Government Officials Smuggle Suitcases of Cash to Dubai, While Drug Trade Thrives - Declassified Blog - Newsweek.com
Annals of Afghan Corruption: Government Officials Smuggle Suitcases of Cash to Dubai, While Drug Trade Thrives - Declassified Blog - Newsweek.com: "As President Obama prepares to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, U.S. officials on the ground are despairing over what some describe as the flagrant corruption of President Hamid Karzai's government. Among the most alarming developments: mounting evidence that Afghan government officials are spiriting millions of dollars in illicitly gained assets out of the country to the Persian Gulf. A special U.S. money laundering task force, dubbed the Afghan Threat Finance Cell, is monitoring the movements. 'It's very blatant-they are literally smuggling suitcases of bulk cash and moving them to Dubai,' said one U.S. official familiar with the money movements as well as other recent investigations into Afghan corruption.
In one recent high profile case, two officials of the Hajj and Islamic Affairs Ministry were arrested by Afghan at Kabul International Airport trying to carry $360,000--some of it hidden in biscuit boxes--out the country. The fund had allegedly been extorted from landlords around Mecca in return for directing Afghan pilgrims to their apartments-a scheme that U.S. and Afghan officials suspect was overseen by the Islamic Affairs Minister. ('I am 100 percent innocent,' the minister, Sadiq Chakari, declared in a recent press conference.)
But that seizure is almost certainly the tip of a vast money laundering iceberg, U.S. law enforcement officials say. Law enforcement officials in the United Arab Emirates have intercepted couriers from Afghanistan arriving at Dubai's airport with 'millions of dollars in suitcases,' according to a little-noticed passage in a recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee report. What happens to the funds after that is anybody's guess. 'We don't know, once the money comes into Dubai, where it goes,' said one U.S. Embassy official in Dubai, quoted in the Senate report."....
[bth: this article is worth reading in full then vomiting. Whatever Karzai was before, it he is now a very corrupt president that is facilitating narcotics trafficking.]
In one recent high profile case, two officials of the Hajj and Islamic Affairs Ministry were arrested by Afghan at Kabul International Airport trying to carry $360,000--some of it hidden in biscuit boxes--out the country. The fund had allegedly been extorted from landlords around Mecca in return for directing Afghan pilgrims to their apartments-a scheme that U.S. and Afghan officials suspect was overseen by the Islamic Affairs Minister. ('I am 100 percent innocent,' the minister, Sadiq Chakari, declared in a recent press conference.)
But that seizure is almost certainly the tip of a vast money laundering iceberg, U.S. law enforcement officials say. Law enforcement officials in the United Arab Emirates have intercepted couriers from Afghanistan arriving at Dubai's airport with 'millions of dollars in suitcases,' according to a little-noticed passage in a recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee report. What happens to the funds after that is anybody's guess. 'We don't know, once the money comes into Dubai, where it goes,' said one U.S. Embassy official in Dubai, quoted in the Senate report."....
[bth: this article is worth reading in full then vomiting. Whatever Karzai was before, it he is now a very corrupt president that is facilitating narcotics trafficking.]
Dems want temporary 'don't ask' immunity - Washington Times
Dems want temporary 'don't ask' immunity - Washington Times: "Frustrated by the lack of action to overturn the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, Democrats in Congress are calling for at least temporary immunity so gay service members can testify at the Capitol about their experiences.
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, Florida Democrat, introduced a bill this week to grant immunity to troops who otherwise would run afoul of the policy, which bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. He and other advocates see it as at least a first step to pushing the issue forward."...
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, Florida Democrat, introduced a bill this week to grant immunity to troops who otherwise would run afoul of the policy, which bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. He and other advocates see it as at least a first step to pushing the issue forward."...
Friday, December 04, 2009
The Beast of Kandahar
Ares Homepage
A photograph of the Beast of Kandahar, the classified stealth UAV first reported in April, has emerged on a blog linked to left-wing French newspaper Liberation.
The Raw Story | Pakistan militants kill 40 in mosque attack
The Raw Story | Pakistan militants kill 40 in mosque attack: "Suicide bombers stormed a mosque frequented by army officers in Pakistan's garrison city of Rawalpindi on Friday leaving 40 people dead in an onslaught of gunfire, grenades and explosions.
Four militants launched the attack, opening fire, tossing grenades and then detonating suicide vests in a crowd gathered for Friday prayers in the city adjoining the capital Islamabad, witnesses and officials said.
Rawalpindi is home to the military's headquarters and is a frequent target of Taliban insurgents, who have staged a wave of fierce attacks in recent months to avenge military offensives against them across the northwest.
'They exploded bombs inside the mosque.... They opened fire on the worshippers,' army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP.
'Thirty-six people were killed and 45 injured. Four terrorists were also killed,' he said, adding that the crisis ended Friday afternoon after security forces backed by helicopters ensured all the militants were dead."...
[bth: what I don't hear is the outrage that this Taliban attack occurred in a mosque. Why?]
Four militants launched the attack, opening fire, tossing grenades and then detonating suicide vests in a crowd gathered for Friday prayers in the city adjoining the capital Islamabad, witnesses and officials said.
Rawalpindi is home to the military's headquarters and is a frequent target of Taliban insurgents, who have staged a wave of fierce attacks in recent months to avenge military offensives against them across the northwest.
'They exploded bombs inside the mosque.... They opened fire on the worshippers,' army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP.
'Thirty-six people were killed and 45 injured. Four terrorists were also killed,' he said, adding that the crisis ended Friday afternoon after security forces backed by helicopters ensured all the militants were dead."...
[bth: what I don't hear is the outrage that this Taliban attack occurred in a mosque. Why?]
Scahill: ‘The war is in Pakistan right now’ | Raw Story
Scahill: ‘The war is in Pakistan right now’ | Raw Story: "In the wake of President Obama's plan to increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan, questions are being raised about the use of private contractors in US operations there. The acknowledgement by Eric Prince, founder of military contractor Blackwater, that he has been serving for years as a CIA asset only intensifies these concerns.
For Jeremy Scahill, author of the bestselling book Blackwater, however, the real concern is not Afghanistan but Pakistan, where according to an article in the New York Times, 'the White House has authorized an expansion of the C.I.A.’s drone program.'
'We need to view this sober reality,' Scahill told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Thursday. 'The war is in Pakistan right now. There's no question about it. The question, though, is how much it's going to expand. ... These are actions that are going to destabilize Pakistan and are going to create new enemies for the United States because of the high civilian casualties. ... Here you have military operations inside a country that we don't have a declaration of war against.'
Scahill emphasized that the most destabilizing actions come not from the CIA but from Blackwater mercenaries, whom he recently described in The Nation as working for US special forces to 'plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, 'snatch and grabs' of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan.'"...
For Jeremy Scahill, author of the bestselling book Blackwater, however, the real concern is not Afghanistan but Pakistan, where according to an article in the New York Times, 'the White House has authorized an expansion of the C.I.A.’s drone program.'
'We need to view this sober reality,' Scahill told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Thursday. 'The war is in Pakistan right now. There's no question about it. The question, though, is how much it's going to expand. ... These are actions that are going to destabilize Pakistan and are going to create new enemies for the United States because of the high civilian casualties. ... Here you have military operations inside a country that we don't have a declaration of war against.'
Scahill emphasized that the most destabilizing actions come not from the CIA but from Blackwater mercenaries, whom he recently described in The Nation as working for US special forces to 'plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, 'snatch and grabs' of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan.'"...
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Congress appears poised to back Obama war plan - Yahoo! News
Congress appears poised to back Obama war plan - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON – Despite misgivings, members of Congress seem poised to back President Barack Obama's plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan after getting assurances the commitment isn't open-ended.
The surge-and-exit strategy that Obama announced Tuesday night marks the largest expansion of the war since it began eight years ago. Critics conceded that Obama will have little trouble early next year getting Congress to provide an added $30 billion or $40 billion to carry it out.
The president's chief military and diplomatic advisers faced more questioning from lawmakers Thursday after encountering only tepid criticism Wednesday from members of the Senate Armed Services and House Foreign Affairs committees.
Anti-war Democrats, who rose to power because of voter opposition to Bush's strategy in Iraq, said they are skeptical that the troop buildup is necessary or will work. But at the same time, party leaders — who were among Obama's biggest supporters in his campaign for president — said it was unlikely that they would try to block the deployments or the money he wants.
Critical to winning Democratic support was a July 2011 deadline that Obama set to begin troop withdrawals."...
[bth: Johnson administration 1966. Congress has collapsed as a viable branch of government with regard to war policy.]
The surge-and-exit strategy that Obama announced Tuesday night marks the largest expansion of the war since it began eight years ago. Critics conceded that Obama will have little trouble early next year getting Congress to provide an added $30 billion or $40 billion to carry it out.
The president's chief military and diplomatic advisers faced more questioning from lawmakers Thursday after encountering only tepid criticism Wednesday from members of the Senate Armed Services and House Foreign Affairs committees.
Anti-war Democrats, who rose to power because of voter opposition to Bush's strategy in Iraq, said they are skeptical that the troop buildup is necessary or will work. But at the same time, party leaders — who were among Obama's biggest supporters in his campaign for president — said it was unlikely that they would try to block the deployments or the money he wants.
Critical to winning Democratic support was a July 2011 deadline that Obama set to begin troop withdrawals."...
[bth: Johnson administration 1966. Congress has collapsed as a viable branch of government with regard to war policy.]
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Rumsfeld Cries Foul on Obama Claim Troop Requests for Afghanistan Were Denied - FOXNews.com
Rumsfeld Cries Foul on Obama Claim Troop Requests for Afghanistan Were Denied - FOXNews.com: ..."In a rare break in his public silence since leaving the Pentagon, Rumsfeld rejected the claim as a 'bald misstatement' and 'disservice' that cannot go unanswered.
'Such a bald misstatement, at least as it pertains to the period I served as secretary of defense, deserves a response,' Rumsfeld said in a written statement. 'I am not aware of a single request of that nature between 2001 and 2006.'
The president leveled the charge in his speech Tuesday night outlining his plan to send 30,000 more U.S. troops into Afghanistan."...
[bth: the big lie]
'Such a bald misstatement, at least as it pertains to the period I served as secretary of defense, deserves a response,' Rumsfeld said in a written statement. 'I am not aware of a single request of that nature between 2001 and 2006.'
The president leveled the charge in his speech Tuesday night outlining his plan to send 30,000 more U.S. troops into Afghanistan."...
[bth: the big lie]
Zombie Reagan Raised From Grave To Lead GOP | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Night Watch on Pakistan
..."Politics. The Supreme Court announced today that starting 7 December an expanded bench of Pakistan's Supreme Court will begin hearing petitions against beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance, the Daily Times reported on 2 December. A petition filed in Sindh Province High Court begs the court to review more than 8,000 criminal cases that were closed by Musharraf in issuing the Ordinance in October 2007.
President Zardari and his late wife Benazir Bhutto were beneficiaries of the temporary case closures, without which Zardari could not have served as President. However, the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, refused to make the closures permanent or to extend the effects of the Ordinance, which many legal scholars consider unconstitutional.
The Ordinance expired over the weekend without extension by the parliament. Pakistani analysts wrote that normalization of those cases and a determination as to the constitutionality of the Ordinance required petitions to and findings by the Supreme Court. Those initial steps have now begun.
Comment. This has significance because the Supreme Court could require Zardari to step down as president, should it determine that Musharraf violated the constitution in issuing the Ordinance. The Pakistan Army would likely oppose any move to discredit Musharraf that also would discredit the Army. However, it would back any move to have Zardari replaced through legal action.
In that respect, the Army would be a member of an odd informal alliance of Opposition leader former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Supreme Court Chief Justice Chaudhry, all of whom disdain Zardari for different reasons. His prospects for remaining in office much longer do not look bright with today’s petitions.
Zardari squandered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a legendary president of Pakistan. He reneged on his political promises; promoted his personal business interests and those of his cronies; appointed flagrantly corrupt officials and mishandled national security secrets. The latest charges against him are that he has gotten too close to the Americans and, in the process, compromised Pakistan’s defense posture against India.
He has been good for American interests, to be sure, but so was Musharraf for a time. What is worth noting is how policy can become hostage to the fate of individual leaders, one of whom already has been rejected by the people and courts and the other is heading in the same direction.
If Nawaz Sharif were to be elected the next president of Pakistan, for example, US policy would be unhinged."...
[bth: so if I'm reading this and the other tea leaves correctly, the elected civilian government is about to be overthrown. An anti-American prime minister is about to be placed into power by the military of Pakistan.]
President Zardari and his late wife Benazir Bhutto were beneficiaries of the temporary case closures, without which Zardari could not have served as President. However, the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, refused to make the closures permanent or to extend the effects of the Ordinance, which many legal scholars consider unconstitutional.
The Ordinance expired over the weekend without extension by the parliament. Pakistani analysts wrote that normalization of those cases and a determination as to the constitutionality of the Ordinance required petitions to and findings by the Supreme Court. Those initial steps have now begun.
Comment. This has significance because the Supreme Court could require Zardari to step down as president, should it determine that Musharraf violated the constitution in issuing the Ordinance. The Pakistan Army would likely oppose any move to discredit Musharraf that also would discredit the Army. However, it would back any move to have Zardari replaced through legal action.
In that respect, the Army would be a member of an odd informal alliance of Opposition leader former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Supreme Court Chief Justice Chaudhry, all of whom disdain Zardari for different reasons. His prospects for remaining in office much longer do not look bright with today’s petitions.
Zardari squandered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a legendary president of Pakistan. He reneged on his political promises; promoted his personal business interests and those of his cronies; appointed flagrantly corrupt officials and mishandled national security secrets. The latest charges against him are that he has gotten too close to the Americans and, in the process, compromised Pakistan’s defense posture against India.
He has been good for American interests, to be sure, but so was Musharraf for a time. What is worth noting is how policy can become hostage to the fate of individual leaders, one of whom already has been rejected by the people and courts and the other is heading in the same direction.
If Nawaz Sharif were to be elected the next president of Pakistan, for example, US policy would be unhinged."...
[bth: so if I'm reading this and the other tea leaves correctly, the elected civilian government is about to be overthrown. An anti-American prime minister is about to be placed into power by the military of Pakistan.]
Suicide bomber kills one in Pak navy HQ attack
The Raw Story | Suicide bomber kills one in Pak navy HQ attack: "A suicide bomber attacked Pakistan's navy headquarters in the capital Islamabad on Wednesday, killing a naval official and injuring 11 others in the latest blast in the Taliban-troubled nation.
A young man walked up to a checkpoint at the entrance to the complex and detonated his explosives when challenged by security forces, scattering bits of flesh across a busy road in central Islamabad, police and witnesses said.
Islamist insurgents frequently target military installations, with attacks intensifying as Islamabad pursues a fierce military offensive, under Western pressure to do more to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda sanctuaries.
The attack comes after US President Barack Obama announced he was sending 30,000 more troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan, and said US success in the war there depended heavily on Pakistan's own fight against extremism."...
A young man walked up to a checkpoint at the entrance to the complex and detonated his explosives when challenged by security forces, scattering bits of flesh across a busy road in central Islamabad, police and witnesses said.
Islamist insurgents frequently target military installations, with attacks intensifying as Islamabad pursues a fierce military offensive, under Western pressure to do more to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda sanctuaries.
The attack comes after US President Barack Obama announced he was sending 30,000 more troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan, and said US success in the war there depended heavily on Pakistan's own fight against extremism."...
EFF sues to discover how US collects intel over Facebook, MySpace | Raw Story
EFF sues to discover how US collects intel over Facebook, MySpace | Raw Story: "The Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit against several government agencies hoping to force the revelation of how the U.S. utilizes social networks like Facebook and MySpace to collect intelligence.
'Millions of people use social networking sites like Facebook every day, disclosing lots of information about their private lives,' said James Tucker, a student working with EFF, in a media advisory. 'As Congress debates new privacy laws covering sites like Facebook, lawmakers and voters alike need to know how the government is already using this data and what is at stake.'
However, when EFF went looking for that information by filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, they ran into a stone wall of silence."...
'Millions of people use social networking sites like Facebook every day, disclosing lots of information about their private lives,' said James Tucker, a student working with EFF, in a media advisory. 'As Congress debates new privacy laws covering sites like Facebook, lawmakers and voters alike need to know how the government is already using this data and what is at stake.'
However, when EFF went looking for that information by filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, they ran into a stone wall of silence."...
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Arming Goldman With Pistols Against Public: Alice Schroeder - Bloomberg.com
Arming Goldman With Pistols Against Public: Alice Schroeder - Bloomberg.com: "Commentary by Alice Schroeder
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- “I just wrote my first reference for a gun permit,” said a friend, who told me of swearing to the good character of a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker who applied to the local police for a permit to buy a pistol. The banker had told this friend of mine that senior Goldman people have loaded up on firearms and are now equipped to defend themselves if there is a populist uprising against the bank.
I called Goldman Sachs spokesman Lucas van Praag to ask whether it’s true that Goldman partners feel they need handguns to protect themselves from the angry proletariat. He didn’t call me back. The New York Police Department has told me that “as a preliminary matter” it believes some of the bankers I inquired about do have pistol permits. The NYPD also said it will be a while before it can name names.
While we wait, Goldman has wrapped itself in the flag of Warren Buffett, with whom it will jointly donate $500 million, part of an effort to burnish its image -- and gain new Goldman clients. Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein also reversed himself after having previously called Goldman’s greed “God’s work” and apologized earlier this month for having participated in things that were “clearly wrong.”"...
[bth: time to get the pitch forks]
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- “I just wrote my first reference for a gun permit,” said a friend, who told me of swearing to the good character of a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker who applied to the local police for a permit to buy a pistol. The banker had told this friend of mine that senior Goldman people have loaded up on firearms and are now equipped to defend themselves if there is a populist uprising against the bank.
I called Goldman Sachs spokesman Lucas van Praag to ask whether it’s true that Goldman partners feel they need handguns to protect themselves from the angry proletariat. He didn’t call me back. The New York Police Department has told me that “as a preliminary matter” it believes some of the bankers I inquired about do have pistol permits. The NYPD also said it will be a while before it can name names.
While we wait, Goldman has wrapped itself in the flag of Warren Buffett, with whom it will jointly donate $500 million, part of an effort to burnish its image -- and gain new Goldman clients. Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein also reversed himself after having previously called Goldman’s greed “God’s work” and apologized earlier this month for having participated in things that were “clearly wrong.”"...
[bth: time to get the pitch forks]
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