The Bush Watch

[Miulang]

$82 billion of your tax money is going to...

It started out as a bill to approve supplemental funding for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but lookee what else got tacked onto this spending bill:

..."The bill also:

Adds uniform requirements for driver's licenses aka "Real ID".

Toughens asylum laws.

Grants the Homeland Security secretary authority to complete a fence on the California-Mexico border and build other border barriers.

Prohibits the United States from providing assistance to organizations that have not adopted international standards and penalties to prevent the sexual exploitation and abuses of international disaster victims.

Requires federal agencies to include disclaimers on video news releases to clarify that they were prepared at taxpayer expense. (They should start with the Prez' meetings with "selected citizens" when he's trying to sell his Social Security reform plan). ..."

Why can't the Senate and Congress just pass bills without tacking things onto it that have no relation to the original bill? Isn't that deceptive legislation? I'm surprised they didn't add in a kitchen sink and a partidge in a pear tree for good measure.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Bush Watch

Here's the NYTimes take on what the "Real ID" Act that was just passed as part of the $82 billion supplemental funding bill that the House and Senate just passed today.

Now that drivers' licenses will have to be standardized all across the US, it will serve as the de facto national ID card that the Bush Administration wanted. And how is the State of Hawai'i going to pay for the new equipment and the extra staffing that will be required to implement this new program? Another user tax??? You don't have a "real ID"? Then forget about getting on an airplane. Forget getting access to anything that the feds might have jurisdiction over.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Verrrry interesting

That big deal capture of the purported #3 most wanted al Qaeda terrorist in Pakistan the other day may be another smoke and mirrors attempt by the White House to keep the American public on the Prez' side.

Even though both Pakistan and the US insist that the man they captured, a Libyan named Abu Faraj al-Libbi, is the third most senior leader in Al Qaeda's terrorist network, some European security experts are dubious.

"...But some intelligence officials in Europe expressed surprise at hearing Mr. Libbi described as Al Qaeda's third-highest leader, pointing out that he does not figure on the F.B.I.'s most-wanted list.

There is another Qaeda operative on the list with a similar name, Abu al-Liby, also a Libyan, who was indicted for an "operational role" in the bombings of two American embassies in East Africa in August 1998. (The surname, in its various transliterations, means simply the Libyan.)

American officials, when asked about the doubts, dismissed the idea that they had confused the Libyans, saying they know Mr. Liby is on the list, and reaffirming the importance of Mr. Libbi. To be included on the F.B.I.'s most wanted list, they noted, a terrorist must have been indicted by a federal grand jury, which Mr. Libbi has not. ..."

I'm sure the truth will eventually come out, but I find it awfully suspicious that the Pakistani government announced the capture but didn't say what role the CIA had in assisting them in his capture. Could it be we had to fabricate a story for this too, because it appears that our success in capturing big-name terrorists like al-Zarqawi and bin Laden has been a little, um, quiet lately, and the violence has escalated in Iraq?

Mungo: "I know how I can improve my ratings. I'll just tell my buddies the Pakis to go arrest a guy and have them say he's the #3 most sought-after al Qaeda terrorist. Then maybe Americans will leave me alone and let me get on with my plans..."

Miulang

[Miulang]

The Unholy "Spooky" Trinity

Slowly but surely, some interesting things are leaking out about how people in the Bush Administration used the National Security Agency (the domestic equivalent of the CIA) and other intelligence units to spy on people and organizations that opposed the neocon agenda. The unholy trinity was apparently comprised of John Bolton (whose nomination as US Ambassador to the UN is in jeopardy), John Negroponte (now National Intelligence Director), and NSA's director and the new Deputy Director for National Intelligence General Michael V. Hayden.

Here are some of the things the NSA was ordered to do:

"...However, the reign of terror instituted by Hayden and his staff against NSA employees has resulted in a blowback effect. Although NSA employees are known for being the most indoctrinated in the intelligence community in that they have no historical legacy in revealing classified information to the public, their mistreatment has resulted in a number of embarrassing disclosures:

1. NSA has recorded tactical communications intelligence—overheard on a speaker system in the NSOC—that demonstrates that United Flight 93 was shot down by U.S. fighter planes over Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, and the Bush administration concocted a phony "patriotic" cover story about the passengers and crew deliberately crashing the plane into the ground.

2. NSA conducted telephone surveillance of phone calls between Secretary of State Colin Powell and New Mexico Democratic Governor and former ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson concerning a visit by a North Korean UN delegation to New Mexico to meet with the governor in an attempt to reinstate direct negotiations with the U.S. government over nuclear issues.

3. NSA possesses communications intelligence that proves the A.Q. Khan nuclear smuggling ring in Pakistan was also selling nuclear components to Saudi Arabia.

4. Intercept evidence of Chinese intelligence penetration of U.S. intelligence services is not being acted upon by the Bush administration. Similarly, signals intelligence data involving Israeli intelligence operations inside the United States and deep within the Bush administration are being covered up.

5. That NSA's poorly managed, fraudulent, and wasteful Trailblazer and Groundbreaker technical upgrade and reorganization contracts have resulted in massive intelligence failures. For example, fratricide or "friendly fire" incidents have occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan because faulty and outdated SIGINT/ELINT (signals intelligence/electronic intelligence) threat/non-threat data was retained in databases distributed to field military units. Such erroneous data was responsible for the Patriot missile shootdown of the British RAF Tornado and death of its two crew members near the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border shortly after the outbreak of the war, the four Canadian troops killed by a USAF F-16 in Afghanistan, the Navy F-14 attack on a Kurdish convoy in northern Iraq, and numerous other fratricide incidents. Trailblazer and Groundbreaker also involve questionable and possibly illegal procurement conflicts of interest between certain NSA officials and contractors such as SAIC, Booz Allen, Computer Sciences Corporation, and CACI. ..."

So for doing such good jobs at undermining the opposition all 3 of the unholy trinity were rewarded with substantial promotions. Sheesh.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Bush Watch

Here's the NYTimes take on what the "Real ID" Act that was just passed as part of the $82 billion supplemental funding bill that the House and Senate just passed today.

Now that drivers' licenses will have to be standardized all across the US, it will serve as the de facto national ID card that the Bush Administration wanted. And how is the State of Hawai'i going to pay for the new equipment and the extra staffing that will be required to implement this new program? Another user tax??? You don't have a "real ID"? Then forget about getting on an airplane. Forget getting access to anything that the feds might have jurisdiction over.

Miulang

Beginning on Monday, when you go to renew or get a driver's license, you'd better be prepared to wait in line longer. Beginning Monday, the MVL will be checking to see if your Social Security number matches your name, birthdate and the SSN they have on file for you. If you married and your last name changed and you didn't notify SSA about the change, you will probably be given the 10th degree and be forced to produce other kinds of documentation. If you DON'T have a Social Security number, you're in BIIIG pilikia. And that's just the beginning of it. The "Real ID" act gives States 3 years to come into full compliance...
Welcome to the world of national security. Don't be surprised if the fees attached to renewing or getting a license go up too. Somebody's gotta pay for the new equipment that will be required, and it's NOT going to be the Federal government. Mind you, your Social Security number was never intended to be an "ID". But nowadays, you can't get a credit card or a loan without disclosing your SSN. You can argue all you want, but the financial institution will come right back at you and tell you if you don't supply that SSN, you're not going to be doing business with them because they can, under the "Patriot Act" force you to give them your SSN...so it can later be stolen by someone to use to take away your identity.

Miulang

[Miulang]

911 Conspiracy Theory and the PNAC goal of world domination

All people of good faith and those who believe that people should not kill, steal or covet and believe in the sanctity of human life need to listen/watch the following lecture that was given by Prof. David Ray Griffin as he discusses discrepancies between the official accounts of 9/11 and the facts that are emerging. Prof. Griffin also provides some suggestions on how people of the different faiths can unite and end the hatred that exists between countries today.

Is it possible that the White House knew that the terrorists would be hijacking the planes? Is it possible that the Defense Dept or the FAA gave "stand down" orders which prevented jet fighters from intercepting the planes before they hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Is it possible that the people killed in NYC and Washington DC were martyred to further the objectives of the Project for a New American Century, the manifesto for the neocons now in the White House?

We now know because of a recently released memo to Tony Blair that George Bush had made his mind up about invading Iraq as early as July 2002. We also know that the FAA had warned Condoleeeeeza Rice in advance that there would probably be a hijacking prior to the actual event. So even though some of the Professors "evidence" seems a little far fetched, much of it does make sense in light of what's been trickling out recently.

This lecture is about an hour long, and I can guarantee you, you will hear things you didn't know previously.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Why are LBJ's daily briefings still secret?

After 35 years, the CIA is refusing to release documents from the Johnson Administration? So Prof. Larry Davis and former Johnson aide Bill Moyers, have launched a Freedom of Information Act inquiry to have the documents released.

"...In support of Professor Berman's case, former Johnson aide Bill Moyers, who reviewed many of the Briefs when President Johnson read them, said in a declaration that the Briefs were not "deliberative" or policy advice, but rather factual reports on world events, and that release of the Briefs could be accomplished without damage to national security by redacting any still-sensitive sources-and-methods information.

CIA information review officer Terry Buroker had filed a sworn declaration with the court claiming that every single word of the two Briefs had to be kept secret because release would contribute to a "mosaic" of knowledge about sources and methods and violate Presidential Privilege. He did not explain why 30 Briefs or excerpts of Briefs already have been publicly released without any harm...."

What is it in the 2 briefs that the White House is trying to hide anyway, when they released the rest of the Johnson briefings without a problem? Could the Prez be using some of the same tactics we used in Vietnam over in Iraq? If so, why is he thinking that what we did 35 years ago should be tried again? Um, didn't we "lose" the Vietnam War?

Miulang

[Miulang]

When a Federal Act is not a law

States are finally waking up to the fact that in order to implement the "Real ID" drivers license Act, they will have to cough up some serious money for new equipment and the bodies that are required to run it. Why didn't they say something sooner?

The kicker is, according to this story, if the majority of states balk at implementation, then that would force Congress to go back to the table and revise it so it is palatable.

Hmmm...so does this mean that if the majority of states tell the White House that they are against the war in Iraq and refuse to help fund it, that Congress would have to do something about withdrawing our troops? What a concept.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Bush Watch

Aw, gee, the Army and Marines missed their recruitment quotas again. And guess what? Beginning in the next fiscal year, a lot of draft age youngsters who are attending college on federal scholarships are going to lose them because of the cuts in the Fed budget for higher education.

My theory is this is the White House's way of getting enough young bodies to fill uniforms; if they can't go to school, can't find a job but get offered a $10,000 signing bonus, a supposed "choice" of specialty in the armed forces and a scholarship if they come back alive to collect it, what economically deprived young kid wouldn't jump at the money? And this way, the White House can avoid actually instituting a draft (and thereby keep their pledge of no draft) but still replenish its ranks.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Liar, liar pants on fire

It's going to be really really interesting to see how the White House explains the ultrasecret memo ("for UK eyes only") that was leaked a couple of weeks ago stating that the Prez, on July 23, 2002, had already decided that attacking Iraq was a necessity. Subsequent memoes have been leaked which show that the Prez and his henchmen actually told the intel officers to fabricate information that matched their intention to dethrone Saddam.

Mymymymy...wonder what the next revelation will be?

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Bush Watch

Didn't have to wait very long for a new revelation...as the White House and Capitol Hill were being evacuated yesterday (in the words of some of the evacuees, Secret Service and security personnel were running through the hallways, screaming "Get the hell out of here!") due to a private plane breaching (coming within a couple of miles of the Vice President's house) the secure airspace around Washington, DC, the Secret Service let the Prez continue his bike ride out in the hinterlands. It took a full 15 minutes after the first alert for the Secret Service to notify the Prez of the breach. Good thing it wasn't another hijacked plane.

Gee...this sounds an awful lot like 9/11 when the Secret Service DID NOT immediately pull the President out of his little storybook reading session and escort him to safety.

Bush's aides say the reason they didn't want to disturb his bike ride was because he trusts his people to do their jobs. Um, I believe the correct protocol is to let the President know immediately any time there is the possibility of an enemy attack on this country.

Sounds more like Nero fiddling while Rome burned around him.

Miulang

[Miulang]

First NAFTA--now CAFTA!

Remember NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which opened up the outsourcing of American jobs to Canada and Mexico in return for cheap goods?

Well, flying under the radar of most people in this country is CAFTA---the Central American Free Trade Agreement. CAFTA would remove all tariff and non-tariff barriers in the U.S. and in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to each others' goods. Of course, since we don't manufacture very much anymore (except maybe cars and technology), the net result will be that American corporations will import more cheap goods from those countries and therefore put more Americans out of work. This will also make our trade balance even worse, as the outflow of American dollars will go to the North, South, East and West, out of our country. Of course, besides the cheap goods, we'd be importing a whole lot more pricey professional baseball players from the Dominican Republic, too.

The White House is using the threat of having more jobs outsourced to China. Except they're sending a mixed message, because they just re-imposed an import quota on cotton trousers, cotton knit shirts and underwear from China because the American trade unions grumbled loudly enough.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Bush Watch

Abso-freaking amazing! Just as it states in the Project for the New American Century, the Air Force is requesting the White House's approval to start building a space weapons system that would be designed to protect our global interests from space.

Well, if nothing else, the current Administration does know how to read a game plan, even if that game plan is not in the best interests of the US or the rest of the world.

Here were the PNAC goals as stated in a 2000 statement:

* Reposition permanently based forces to Southern Europe, Southeast Asia
and the Middle East (NOTE: this is already being done in places like Uzbekistan, Iraq, Afghanistan);
* Modernize U.S. forces, including enhancing our fighter aircraft,
submarine and surface fleet capabilities;
* Develop and deploy a global missile defense system, and develop a
strategic dominance of space (NOTE: this is what the Air Force wants now);
* Control the "International Commons" of cyberspace;
* Increase defense spending to a minimum of 3.8 percent of gross domestic
product, up from the 3 percent currently spent (NOTE: signed, sealed and delivered--and then some).

We thought getting agreement on a nuclear nonproliferation treaty was bad, what's it gonna be like when other countries start launching systems into space to protect themselves from us? And if we thought the Defense Budget was already way too bloated and was taking away from programs to help our citizens, can you imagine what kind of black hole funding this space weapons system would create??? The only people who would benefit from this again, would be the defense contractors like Raytheon.

Sheesh.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Bush Watch

Scott McClellan, as the "Voice of the White House" has on 2 occasions (yesterday and today) held press conferences chiding Newsweek for its erroneous reporting of the abuse of the Koran at Gitmo.

The journalistic gauntlet has now been thrown down to the establishment press. If this is a free country, then information should be disseminated freely. If errors are made, retractions are made. I have never ever heard of any Administration prior to this current one that has come out and tried to publicly dictate what a member of the media should do to correct an error.

This is a very hypocritical thing for the White House to do, to make Newsweek a scapegoat. Even though the report might have been false, Newsweek did try to vet the story prior to publication with the Defense Dept. Two people within the Pentagon were asked to corroborate the story; one refused to comment and the other only commented on another part of the story not related to the Koran flushing. This to me can only mean one thing: the refusal of one Pentagon official to call the story unfactual is in a sense, affirmation that the story is true; in the second instance, the Pentagon official didn't even make a comment about the Koran burning, which again implies that such atrocities as flushing a Koran down the toilet was just business as usual.

Editorials in newspapers around the country are decrying the White House's attempts to smear Newsweek. It has been pointed out by published facts that Muslim hatred for the US has been festering for months, if not years, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban merely used the Newsweek article as another reason why Muslims should hate Americans.

If the White House is being so self-righteous about this incident, why haven't they apologized to the American public for sacrificing more than 1600 troops and possibly more than 100,000 innocent civilians to a war and an occupation that was started under false pretenses?

I do believe the media will become emboldened by this stupid move by the White House. This is going to be the Pentagon Papers redux, and will probably record this Administration as a tarnished one, along with that of Nixon. If additional revelations are not forthcoming from Michael Isikoff or Seymour Hersh, then there will be something from other equally intrepid reporters out there in the field soon.

Miulang

[Miulang]

The DoD is a funding black hole

OK, so everybody's heard about the Defense Dept.'s $640 toilet seat and equally expensive hammers. But if you want to talk about gross malfeascence, listen to this:

Somehow or other, the Army has "lost track" of 56 airplanes, 32 tanks, and 36 Javelin missile command launch-units worth hundreds of millions of dollars. What happened to the missing equipment? Was it dismantled and smuggled out of the country? Was some of it taken home by dishonest people (wouldn't you love to own your own missile launcher? )

If the DoD can't keep track of the equipment and money we already give it through the funding appropriations it gets annually, why the hell should we, the taxpayers, give them any more that they can squander???? How could the DoD just lose $1 TRILLION?

Miulang