Monday, October 15, 2007

Kristol Is Pushing For ‘The Next World War’

Think Progress
October 14, 2007

On Fox News Sunday, right-wing pundit Bill Kristol continued to beat the war drums for a strike against Iran. “I hope the administration is willing to do what it takes to back Iran off,” he said, adding that “we may need to do stuff across the border.”

NPR’s Mara Liasson claimed that the Bush administration could politically “withstand” an attack against Iran, and that a bombing raid inside Iran would not count as “an all-out war.”

NPR’s Juan Williams noted that Liasson and Kristol were in effect condoning “the next world war”:

WILLIAMS: I think what Bill Kristol is saying is he wants some action against Iran in a way that Israel apparently took action against Syria. And I think what you’re looking at then is the next world war. […]

And if we now say the U.S. is going to take action against Iran, and it’s not as a result of some specific provocative action, then you’re talking about spreading war.

Kristol responded by citing the recent Israeli airstrike on Syria as evidence for his claim that a strike on Iran would not have deeper consequences. “Has the Israeli action against Syria spread war? Has that destabilized the region?” Kristol asked. Watch it:

Last year, Williams told Kristol: “You just want war, war, war, and you want us in more war. ”

Neither Liasson nor Kristol should fool themselves about the consequences of striking Iran. Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski recently said “that Iran would likely react to an American attack ‘by intensifying the conflict in Iraq and also in Afghanistan, their neighbors, and that could draw in Pakistan. We will be stuck in a regional war for twenty years.’”

Transcript:

KRISTOL: And Dave Petraeus and Ryan Crocker understand exactly that, and they are pursuing a very sophisticated political-military strategy of classic counterinsurgency. But Charles is absolutely right. It requires security.

You cannot get people to invest politically until they feel that we’re not going to betray them and they’re not going to be left in the mercies of Al Qaida on the one hand or Iranian-backed militias on the other.

That’s why the one thing — the only thing I now think that stands in the way of success is Iran, and I’m worried — General Petraeus is clearly alarmed by the degree of Iranian support, training, weapons providing, to the extreme Shia militias, to the extreme elements, the special elements, Jaish al Mahdi.

I hope the administration is willing to do what it takes to back Iran off. I think if the Bush administration does that, we’ll be…

HUME: Well, that’s the question. What will that take?

KRISTOL: Well, I think we’ve warned them. We’re being very aggressive against them in the country.

We have not done anything across the — we have not succeeded in getting them, apparently, to slow down the flow of advanced arms or the training of Iraqis in Iran, which is doing real damage to U.S. forces and which makes it harder for the Shia to do exactly what Charles is talking about…

HUME: What would happen…

KRISTOL: … to flip over to our side. We may need to do stuff across the border.

HUME: What would happen, Mara, in your judgment politically if the administration took action against Iran inside Iran?

LIASSON: I think it would depend on what kind of action. I mean, I think it would…

HUME: Well, sent a bombing raid on a training camp.

LIASSON: A bombing raid on a training camp?

HUME: Or a series of them.

LIASSON: I think it could withstand that. I think the that the Democrats — there would be some calls that this is war and you needed congressional approval. There would certainly be that.

But I think that if it was limited, if it wasn’t kind of an all- out war with Iran…

HUME: So you don’t think all hell would break loose.

LIASSON: No. I think there would be…

HUME: What do you think, Juan?

LIASSON: There would be criticisms, but, no, I think that…

WILLIAMS: I think what Bill Kristol is saying is he wants some action against Iran in a way that Israel apparently took action against Syria. And I think what you’re looking at then is the next world war.

LIASSON: That’s kind of different. Oh, striking nuclear facilities? I thought we’re talking about just training camps…

WILLIAMS: Well, no, but that’s what happened with Israel and Syria. And if we now say the U.S. is going to take action against Iran, and it’s not as a result of some specific provocative action, then you’re talking about spreading war.

KRISTOL: Has the Israeli action against Syria spread war? Has that destabilized the region?

13-year-old shot in encounter with Seattle police officer

Nicole Tsong
Seattle Times
Monday October 15, 2007

A 13-year-old was taken to the hospital with leg wounds early this morning after a confrontation with a Seattle police officer during which the officer mistook a cellphone for a weapon.

Seattle police said today that the officer was patrolling the area near the 2500 block of East Yesler Way around 3 a.m. when he saw two people acting suspiciously. The two people ran when they saw the officer and he chased them a couple blocks south to the intersection of South Washington Street and 26th Avenue South.

Police say the officer shined a spotlight on them and ordered them to put their hands up, police said.

One suspect, a 14-year-old, complied. The other, 13, acted "very agitated" and didn't listen to the officer, who ordered the suspect to put up his hands several times, said John Diaz, deputy chief of operations for Seattle police.

The suspect took off a large jacket and threw it on the ground, then lifted up his T-shirt, reached into a pocket and pulled out a black object. The officer, who had his own weapon drawn, believed the teen was had a weapon and shot twice, Diaz said.

The boy was wounded once in the lower leg and once in the upper, Diaz said. The black object was later found to be a cellphone in a black case. Police described the boy's injuries as non-life-threatening.

The 14-year-old told police that the teens were "tagging" and crossing out other graffiti tags last night, but the boys did not have paint on them, police said. Neither boy was charged with a crime. They are not believed to have criminal records.

The officer, a 3-year veteran of the force, was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the shooting review board. Police said he has no prior shootings on his record.

"It is a tragic situation, tragic for the officer, tragic for the family and tragic for the kids," Diaz said.

The parents are "understandably angry," Diaz said, and the Police Department has offered the families victim support.

"We are very thankful he [the boy] wasn't hurt more seriously," Diaz said.

Officers are trained to shoot at the center of the body. Seattle spokeswoman Deanna Nollette said it was possible the officer squeezed the trigger too fast and shot low, but said it was more likely the officer shot at the perceived threat.

Vicente Fox Statue Torn Down by Protestors

Short News
Monday October 15, 2007

Just before dawn in the city of Boca Del Rio, Veracruz, Mexico, city workers put up a statue of Vicente Fox, which was to be dedicated just a day later. By midmorning, a 100-person crowd started egging the statue, fastened a rope, and pulled it down.

Many of the protesters were members of the Revolutionary Institutional Party which governed Mexico for most of the 20th century.

Fox has come under fire recently with calls of corruption in his government. Last week, Fox was interview by US networks and grilled about how he got various perks while in office.

Source: www.cbsnews.com

Pentagon, FBI misusing secret info requests: ACLU

AFP
Monday October 15, 2007

The Pentagon has misled Congress and the US public by conniving with the FBI to obtain hundreds of financial, telephone and Internet records without court approval, civil-rights campaigners said Sunday.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which has successfully challenged key planks of US anti-terrorism legislation, said it had uncovered 455 "National Security Letters" (NSLs) issued at the behest of the Department of Defense.

Before the ACLU's challenge, the USA Patriot Act had allowed the FBI to issue gag orders to prevent those receiving NSLs -- usually Internet service providers, banks and libraries -- from disclosing anything about the request.

Beyond the gag orders, the ACLU said its analysis of the letters showed the Pentagon and FBI had collaborated "to circumvent the law" and "provided misleading information to Congress" about the nature and reach of the requests.

"Once again, the Bush administration's unchecked authority has led to abuse and civil liberties violations," ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said.

The claim came as Democrats and Republicans battle in Congress over updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which critics say has been abused by President George W. Bush to spy on Americans.

Full article here.

Handcuffed, Assaulted, Ticketed By Cop For Distributing 9/11 DVD's

Harassment, unconstitutional search, attempted frame-up of Livonia man for truth movement activism

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet Exclusive
Monday, October 15, 2007

A Michigan man was harassed, handcuffed, assaulted, branded "unpatriotic" and subjected to an unconstitutional search of his vehicle during which drugs were allegedly planted, before being ticketed by a police officer for the apparent crime of freely distributing DVD's about 9/11 truth earlier this month.

Josh Skoll was driving in his car when he noticed a slowly moving vehicle without its lights on in front of him. The vehicle's light were turned on shortly after Josh passed the car, identifying it as a Livonia "Charger" police cruiser. Josh stopped about 10 seconds later to continue delivering free 9/11 truth DVD's to homes along his route before the police officer began to question him.

The officer asked Skoll who the owner of the house he had stopped at was, to which Skoll responded that he didn't know, upon which the officer told him that he needed a permit to hand out free DVD's and ordered him to return to his vehicle.

The officer then ran Josh's license plate and ordered him to again step out of his vehicle. As soon as Skoll exited the vehicle, he was slapped in handcuffs and threatened with arrest.

With increasing anger, the officer slammed Josh against the car and announced that he would search his vehicle before detaining Skoll inside the police cruiser.

Shortly after proceeding with the unconstitutional search, the cop returned with a small bag of marijuana that Skoll claims was planted. Skoll noted later that his other belongings had hardly been moved during the search.


The police officer defined Skoll's crime as "pasing out 9-11 CD's" on his citation ticket.

The officer continued to voice more threats asking Josh why he shouldn't be taken jail before interrogating him about the information contained on the DVD's he had been freely distributing. Despite Skoll's best efforts to explain, the cop dismissed him as "unpatriotic," "unfit for the military" and "too young to have an opinion."

Josh was eventually allowed to leave but not before being cited for a misdemeanor and given a ticket. The comments section of the ticket reads "passing out 9-11 CD's," which is supposedly now a crime in police state America. Skoll's court date is to be set within the next few weeks.

Skoll is not the first to be harassed and abused by police for handing out free information.

In 2004, Kelly Rushing was charged with making "terroristic threats" after he handed out Alex Jones' videos and recordings of a Ron Paul speech on C-Span to Lyon County, Kentucky officials and Kentucky State Trooper Lewis Dobbs.

A jury later ruled in favor of Rushing but he continues to be harassed by authorities and local law enforcement.

NZ police hold 17 in terror raids

BBC
Monday October 15, 2007

Tame Iti (file photo, May 2004)
One of those arrested was Maori rights campaigner Tame Iti
New Zealand police have arrested 17 people and seized a number of weapons during a series of anti-terror raids.

More than 300 police were involved in the operation, reportedly targeting Maori sovereignty and environmental activists - not foreign groups.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad said those arrested had used firearms and other weapons at military-style training camps.

Among those held was the prominent Maori rights campaigner, Tame Iti.

The North Island raids were the first use of the country's Terrorism Suppression Act.

The people targeted were from "a range of motivations" and from various ethnicities, the police chief said.

"Based on the information and the activity known to have taken place, I decided it was prudent that action should be taken in the interests of public safety," Mr Broad said.

Months of planning

Armed police raided camps in the eastern Bay of Plenty, as well as a number of addresses in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North and Hamilton, police said.

New Zealand map
Media reports said the raids came after months of work by anti-terror police, with evidence gathered from hundreds of hours of recordings from bugged conversations, video surveillance, and tapped mobile phone calls and text messages.

One of the videos reportedly showed a military-style training exercise with live ammunition being fired in mountainous terrain.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was briefed on the planned police raids last week.

Asked if she was surprised by the police information, she said: "Yes and no. Surprised at the scale and numbers of people involved".

Tame Iti made headlines last month when he went to Fiji to offer support to coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama.


Adverts for the Police State

Kurt Nimmo
TruthNews
October 14, 2007

Mountain Dew, the “diet” (that is, aspartame infused) soft drink brand produced by PepsiCo, is running a television advert showing a puppeteer raided by a SWAT team because “window puppet shows are illegal in New York.” As MSNBC’s Ads of the Weird notes, the supposedly humorous ad is “likely to get the attention of diet Mountain Dew’s core intended audience, men ages 18 to 39,” but there is another message here for this “core intended audience”—ninja-black clad SWAT teams, dispatched on the flimsiest of pretense, are not abnormal, are in fact quite normal. Get used to it. You live in a police state now.

Man dies after being Tasered by police at Vancouver airport

CBC News
Monday October 15, 2007

man in his 40s died early Sunday morning after RCMP jolted him with a Taser at the Vancouver International Airport, police said.

Airport security called the Mounties for assistance after an unidentified man began pounding on windows and throwing chairs and computer equipment in the customs area shortly after arriving on an international flight at 1:30 a.m., Richmond RCMP Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre told CBC News.

"We arrived and tried to calm the man," Lemaitre said. "We tried through gestures to get him to put his hands down on the desk … to no avail."

When he ignored orders to calm down, police used a stun gun on the man.

The man dropped to the floor and police said it took three officers to handcuff him. He then lost consciousness and appeared to go into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the airport, the CBC's Chris Brown reported.

Few other details have been disclosed other than the man spoke an Eastern European language and a flight from Poland touched down about an hour before the incident, Brown said.

Taser devices are controversial because of the dozen North American deaths resulting from their use. There has been debate about how safe these devices are when dealing with certain kinds of people who are delirious or wound up, Brown said.

Police are investigating and a toxicology report will be done to determine whether there were drugs in the man's system. They will be interviewing customs officers and flight attendants, Brown reported.

International arrivals were rerouted but there were no delays in flight schedules.

Riot police storm pub after a smoker lights up in protest to the ban

UK Daily Mail
Monday October 15, 2007

It wasn't exactly the dramatic finale one cricket fan was expecting.

Having installed himself in his local pub to watch England play India, John Vaughan was enraged when the channel was switched over to football just as the cricket was reaching its thrilling conclusion.

So Mr Vaughan lit up a cigarette in protest. When he refused to extinguish it, staff pressed a panic button behind the bar.

And a few minutes later six riot police officers wearing protective gear stormed the pub.

Mr Vaughan had been watching the one-day international at the Copper Pot pub in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, last month.

The game was about to finish when the channel was switched to the England versus Israel Euro 2008 football qualifier.

Mr Vaughan said yesterday: "The cricket only had ten minutes left, but the football wasn't even going to start for another 45 minutes.

"We complained but nothing happened. So I decided to light up out of protest.

"Staff told me I couldn't smoke, but I said I'd had enough of being pushed around by the Government.

"They pressed a panic button and the next thing I knew, there were six policemen in the pub and two outside."

No action was taken against demolition boss Mr Vaughan after he agreed to leave.

There was a big cheer round the pub from about 60 people, added Mr Vaughan, "and even the police found it quite amusing."

Warwickshire Police confirmed officers had been sent to the pub on September 8 following reports of a man "smoking and being aggressive".

A spokesman said: "They explained why he should not be smoking, asked him to leave and he did so happily."

Blackwater drew weapons on US troops

Rod Nordland and Mark Hosenball
Newsweek
Sunday October 14, 2007

The colonel was furious. "Can you believe it? They actually drew their weapons on U.S. soldiers." He was describing a 2006 car accident, in which an SUV full of Blackwater operatives had crashed into a U.S. Army Humvee on a street in Baghdad's Green Zone.

The colonel, who was involved in a follow-up investigation and spoke on the condition he not be named, said the Blackwater guards disarmed the U.S. Army soldiers and made them lie on the ground at gunpoint until they could disentangle the SUV.

His account was confirmed by the head of another private security company. Asked to address this and other allegations in this story, Blackwater spokesperson Anne Tyrrell said, "This type of gossip has led to many soap operas in the press."

Whatever else Blackwater is or isn't guilty of—a topic of intense interest in Washington—it has a well-earned reputation in Iraq for arrogance and high-handedness. Iraqis naturally have the most serious complaints; dozens have been killed by Blackwater operatives since the beginning of the war. But many American civilian and military officials in Iraq also have little sympathy for the private security company and its highly paid employees. With an uproar growing in Congress over Blackwater's alleged excesses, the North Carolina-based company is finding few supporters.

Responsible for guarding top U.S. officials in Iraq, Blackwater operatives are often accused of playing by their own rules. Unlike nearly everyone else who enters the Green Zone, said an American soldier who guards a gate, Blackwater gunmen refuse to stop and clear their weapons of live ammunition once inside. One military contractor, who spoke anonymously for fear of retribution in his industry, recounted the story of a Blackwater operative who answered a Marine officer's order to put his pistol on safety when entering a base post office by saying, "This is my safety," and wiggling his trigger finger in the air. "Their attitude was, 'We're f---ing security; we don't have to answer to anybody'."

Full article here.

Rice Avoids Criticizing Putin as U.S. Seeks Russia's Cooperation

Michael Abramowitz and Peter Finn
Washington Post
Sunday October 14, 2007

With the Kremlin backsliding on democracy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has responded with expressions of dismay over a crackdown on independent institutions, while steering clear of any direct criticism of President Vladimir Putin's possible plan to extend his hold on power by becoming prime minister next year.

On the second day of her trip here, Rice assured human rights activists and other members of Russian civil society that she supports their efforts to protect "universal values" such as freedom of expression, worship and assembly.

A few hours later, however, Rice told reporters that she had not raised the issue of Putin's political future when she met with him Friday, saying the topic was not appropriate for a meeting devoted to security issues.

"There's a lot of speculation about who's going to be president, whether President Putin is going to take any number of jobs or no job at all," Rice said in an interview with reporters traveling with her. "I just think speculating on that is not going to help the situation." But she added, "I think there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin."

Administration officials once thought that Putin's decision on his future would be a defining moment for Russia, when it would become clear whether the rule of law or the rule of one man would win out. Their careful language following Putin's recent announcement that he might become prime minister shows how cautiously Rice and other officials are now balancing concern about the Kremlin's autocratic moves with the need to enlist its cooperation on confronting Iran, missile defense and other volatile issues. It may also reflect a recognition that the United States has limited influence on Russia's decisions.

Full article here

Former Phone Chief Says Spy Agency Sought Surveillance Help Before 9/11

SCOTT SHANE
NY Times
Sunday October 14, 2007

The phone company Qwest Communications refused a proposal from the National Security Agency that the company’s lawyers considered illegal in February 2001, nearly seven months before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, the former head of the company contends in newly unsealed court filings.

The executive, Joseph P. Nacchio, also asserts in the filings that the agency retaliated by depriving Qwest of lucrative outsourcing contracts.

The filings were made as Mr. Nacchio fought charges of insider trading. He was ultimately convicted in April of 19 counts of insider trading and has been sentenced to six years in prison. He remains free while appealing the conviction.

Mr. Nacchio said last year that he had refused an N.S.A. request for customers’ call records in late 2001, after the Sept. 11 attacks, as the agency initiated domestic surveillance and data mining programs to monitor Al Qaeda communications.

But the documents unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Denver, first reported in The Rocky Mountain News on Thursday, claim for the first time that pressure on the company to participate in activities it saw as improper came as early as February, nearly seven months before the terrorist attacks.

The significance of the claim is hard to assess, because the court documents are heavily redacted and N.S.A. officials will not comment on the agency’s secret surveillance programs. Other government officials have said that the agency’s eavesdropping without warrants began only after Sept. 11, 2001, under an order from President Bush.

Ron Paul wins Conservative Leadership Conference Straw Poll

Stephen Fountain
politicalderby.com
Sunday October 14, 2007

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has won the inaugural Conservative Leadership Conference straw poll. Despite not appearing at the conference, Paul won convincingly with 33% of the vote. Mitt Romney, who addressed the conference in a town hall meeting and during a general session, finished second with 16%. Duncan Hunter, who also delivered a major address during the three-day event, finished third at 15%.

The Full Results:

Ron Paul
32.80%

Mitt Romney
16.13%

Duncan Hunter
14.52%

Undecided
11.29%

Fred Thompson
7.53%

Rudy Giuliani
6.45%

Alan Keyes
3.76%

Mike Huckabee
3.23%

Tom Tancredo
1.61%

John McCain
1.08%

Other
1.08%

Sam Brownback
0.54%

Private US military contractors move into Helmand

Kim Sengupta
London Independent
Sunday October 14, 2007

Large numbers of US private military personnel are expected to arrive in Helmand, the focal point of British involvement in Afghanistan, as part of a new effort to promote reconstruction and development in the war-torn province.

The US has contributed the largest sum to the new aid effort, over $200m. But British officials striving to win "hearts and minds" in the conflict against the Taliban have expressed concern over the potential influx of military contractors, amid a continuing furore over the shooting of civilians in Iraq by Blackwater.

As Nato troops reclaim territory from the Taliban, the movement has increasingly resorted to suicide attacks and roadside bombings. "The worry is that there will be a blast, and some contractors will panic and open fire, as happened with Blackwater in Baghdad. That is the very last thing that Helmand needs at the moment," said a Western diplomat.

"On paper the Americans are by far the largest donors in the province, but a big portion of that never filters down to the ground." A recent meeting of donors decided that the security situation in Helmand was now stable enough to start bigger aid projects. But there are recurring complaints, including among some USAID workers, that a substantial proportion of American aid money is siphoned off for security. The US government spends, on average, just over $1m a year to protect each aid worker it sends to Afghanistan.

DynCorp, one of the main American security companies, has already sown resentment in Helmand with its participation in the campaign to eradicate the opium poppy crop. British commanders accept that farmers whose livelihoods have been destroyed do not distinguish between private contractors and soldiers, despite repeated assurances that British troops are not involved. The government of President Hamid Karzai, like its counterpart in Iraq, has expressed concern about the activities of private contractors and is discussing new legislation to tighten control.

Blackwater provides security for the US embassy in Kabul, but the largest American government contract in the country is believed to be held by Texas-based USPI. According to reports in its home state last week, the company has been accused of overbilling the US government by millions of dollars for non-existent employees and vehicles. USPI acknowledges that it is being investigated, but insists that the allegations are untrue.

USPI's hiring practices in Afghanistan have drawn criticism from the International Crisis Group, a think tank. It said in a report that a majority of the men on USPI's payroll were associated with private militias. "Many have used their authority to engage in criminal activity, including drug trafficking," it claimed.

An American supervisor working for USPI was accused of shooting dead an Afghan interpreter and is said to have been flown out of the country the next day. Officials from Blackwater later took part in a raid on its offices in which computers and files were removed.

USPI has been the target of several bomb attacks. Its headquarters in Kandahar was hit by a suicide bomb, and another suicide bomber targeting a convoy being escorted by the company's personnel killed 15 people and injured 26.