On Iraq Reconstruction

http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/investigations.asp?Issue=Iraq+Reconstruction

Auditors Can't Account for Iraq Spent Funds
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/101604C.shtml
"We found one case where a payment ($2.6 million) was authorized by the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority) senior adviser to the Ministry of Oil," the report said. "We were unable to obtain an underlying contract" or even "evidence of services being rendered."

Children 'starving' in new Iraq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4395525.stm
"When Saddam Hussein was overthrown, about 4% of Iraqi children under five were going hungry; now that figure has almost doubled to 8%, his report says. "

On Prisoner Deaths

U.S. Military Says 26 Inmate Deaths May Be Homicide
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/16/politics/16abuse.html?ex=1112418000&en=6a2e7e0e28ecdff1&ei=5070&fta=y

Army Details Scale of Abuse of Prisoners in an Afghan Jail
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/12/politics/12detain.html?ex=1112418000&en=dc8731ce9ccc87b3&ei=5070&oref=login

The D-word

Draft may be needed in a year, military analysts warn
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0330draft30-ON.html
"America's all-volunteer military simply cannot deploy and sustain enough troops to succeed in places like Iraq while still deterring threats elsewhere in the world," Carter concluded in the March issue of "Washington Monthly."

"The American society "hasn't gotten the message that we're at war," agreed Carter."Those at peril are completely divorced from those in power," said Mark Shields, a syndicated columnist and TV commentator who moderated the symposium. "It's 'Patriotism Lite' -- you put a sticker on your SUV."
How ironic. SUV's are part of the reason why we're at war. Think about that the next time you see a yellow sticker on the bumper of some gas-guzzler. - Vox

Mental disorders on the rise among Iraq, Afghanistan veterans

Keep an ear open for these types of news. Eventually, all our soldiers will be home and then we'll find out who really "SUPPORTS OUR TROOPS". - Vox
http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050331/NEWS01/503310318/1002

Foreshadowing 9/11?

The Project for the New American Century
Maybe you've heard of them, maybe you haven't. They do exist, so see for yourself. - Vox
http://www.newamericancentury.org/

Rebuilding America's Defenses, September 2000
http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf
"...the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor" - pg. 51

Interesting commentary on the subject.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3249.htm

The Pride of West Virginia?

This isn't the WVU that I know and love. - Vox
http://www.wvmetronews.com/index_forsub.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=11322

Report: TSA misled public on passenger data

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/03/25/passenger.privacy.ap/index.html

Interesting stats on the Death Penalty

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/FactSheet.pdf
Some highlights:
• In 96% of the states where there have been reviews of race and the death penalty, there was a pattern of either race-of-victim or race-of-defendant discrimination, or both. (Prof. David Baldus report to the ABA, 1998)
• 98% of the chief district attorneys in death penalty states are white; only 1% are black. (Prof. Jeffrey Pokorak, Cornell Law Review,1998)
• A sophisticated statistical study in Philadelphia found that for similar crimes committed by similar defendants, blacks received the death penalty at a 38% higher rate than all others. (The Death Penalty in Black & White - DPIC, 1998)
•Consistent with previous years, the 2003 FBI Uniform Crime Report showed that the South had the highest murder rate. The South accounts for over 80% of executions. The Northeast, which has less than 1% of all executions, again had the lowest murder rate.
• A 1995 Hart Research Poll of police chiefs in the U.S. found that the majority of the chiefs do not believe that the death penalty is an effective law enforcement tool.

Hunger Strike at Georgetown Over, All Demands Met

http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml
"At Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., the hunger strike has just ended. Twenty-two students went on hunger strike nine days ago to demand a living wage for University employees. All 10 Demands that the Stundent Solidarity Group had made have been met by the University."

Big Brother is watching (and taking notes)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VEHICLE_BLACK_BOXES?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
"Most people don't realize these devices are in their vehicle, that the information recorded may be used against them and there's no sort of regulation about who owns that information,"..."

The D-word

Army Orders Further Involuntary Troop Call-Up
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1896&u=/nm/20050323/us_nm/iraq_usa_reserve_dc

"Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), a manpower pool in the Ready Reserve, primarily consists of: Individuals who have had training, have served previously in the Active component or the Selected Reserve, and have some period of a military obligation remaining. IRR members are in an active status, but do not perform regularly scheduled training."
(from http://www.defenselink.mil/ra/secondary/componentsfaq.html#individual - Vox)

Army Likely Won't Meet Recruiting Goals
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050323/D890PKJO0.html
"In February the Army missed its monthly recruiting goal by 27 percent. That was the first time it had fallen short for any month since May 2000, and it underscored the difficulty the Army faces in signing up young men and women during time of war."

Accounts of Iraq Raid Rife With Discrepancies

http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/1581

Insurgents control raided 'Qaeda-Baath' training camp in Iraq
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/050323/1/3rgl9.html
"A US military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Goldenberger, confirmed the operation and said Apache attack and Kiowa Warrior reconnaissance helicopters backed the commandos.
He said what started as an Iraqi mission quickly turned into a joint one after fighters opened fire on the some 240 members of the interior ministry's 1st Commando Battalion approaching the camp.
"More important than the number of insurgent casualties is the fact that we have disabled their capabilities and denied them a safe haven," he said."

U.S. bars Italians from examining victim’s car

For security reasons? Hmmm...
- Vox
http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-740304.php

Secret U.S. Plans For Iraq's Oil

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0317-23.htm

Greg Palast is all aces as far as I'm concerned. Check out his book, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.
- Vox

No Child Left Behind. See for yourself

http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf
page 115 STAT. 1983
Education Reform? What does Armed Forces Recruitment have to do with improving the education system of the country?
- Vox
(Emphasis added by Vox)
‘‘SEC. 9528. ARMED FORCES RECRUITER ACCESS TO
STUDENTS AND STUDENT RECRUITING INFORMATION.
‘‘(a) POLICY.—
‘‘(1) ACCESS TO STUDENT RECRUITING INFORMATION.—
Notwithstanding section 444(a)(5)(B) of the General Education
Provisions Act and except as provided in paragraph (2), each
local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act
shall provide, on a request made by military recruiters or
an institution of higher education, access to secondary school
students names, addresses, and telephone listings.
‘‘(2) CONSENT.—A secondary school student or the parent
of the student may request that the student’s name, address,
and telephone listing described in paragraph (1) not be released
without prior written parental consent, and the local educational
agency or private school shall notify parents of the
option to make a request and shall comply with any request.
‘‘(3) SAME ACCESS TO STUDENTS.—Each local educational
agency receiving assistance under this Act shall provide military
recruiters the same access to secondary school students
as is provided generally to post secondary educational institutions
or to prospective employers of those students.

Halliburton: What a joke.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4350373.stm
I know the Halliburton story is pretty well-known by now, but every time it comes up, I'm amazed at the blatant corruption of such a high-profile organization. On the above link, see the "See Also:" section in the right sidebar. Check out some of those links. They take you to even more articles.
And this company gets a "no bid" government contract.
- Vox

Another good article from Juan Gonzalez of the NY Daily News

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/290649p-248801c.html

How secure do you feel?

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/290785p-248890c.html
"After the first shutdown, transit workers found a 2-foot-deep hole at the bottom of a manhole that breached the thick subway tunnel's concrete ceiling on Park Ave. South near 33rd St., officials said.
"We do not know when this hole was dug or by whom," said Fleuranges, who added that service was expected to be normal this morning."

The Coincidence Theorist's Guide to 9/11

Are you a Coincidence Theorist?
http://100777.com/node/963
(I haven't done all the fact-checking on this. You can do that yourself. - Vox)

"In politics nothing happens 'by chance. If something happens, then you can bet that it was planned that way."

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

For all of you non-believers...

This is old news, but I bet you never heard about it.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/health/article-page.html?res=9A00E4DA1F3EF931A15756C0A9659C8B63
"A division of the pharmaceutical company Bayer sold millions of dollars of blood-clotting medicine for hemophiliacs -- medicine that carried a high risk of transmitting AIDS -- to Asia and Latin America in the mid-1980's while selling a new, safer product in the West, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.
The Bayer unit, Cutter Biological, introduced its safer medicine in late February 1984 as evidence mounted that the earlier version was infecting hemophiliacs with H.I.V. Yet for over a year, the company continued to sell the old medicine overseas, prompting a United States regulator to accuse Cutter of breaking its promise to stop selling the product."

You'll have to read between the lines of this article to get the greater evil. - Vox

Read this if you use AOL Instant Messenger

Actual Terms of Service:
http://www.aim.com/tos/tos.adp
Under "Content You Post":
"You waive any right to privacy. You waive any right to inspect or approve uses of the content or to be compensated for any such uses"

How this may affect us:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1775649,00.asp
"They're encouraging businesses to use AIM to discuss details of their business correspondence, even to sync their Outlook contact and calendar files, which, according to their TOS, AOL then has the right to publish in any way they see fit, including, among other things, providing that information to business competitors. I'd be pretty damn leery of using AIM@Work for any kind of business," said Ben Stanfield, executive editor and founder of MacSlash, Inc.

Syria-Iran-Russia-Venezuela: The New Cold War

Our preoccupation with Michael Jackson is diverting attention from
some real concerns. (Yummeee..Love that herring!!) - Vox

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4270859.stm
""We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats," Iranian
Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said after meeting Syrian PM
Naji al-Otari. "
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1346621/posts
"Moscow (CNSNews.com) - Russia and Iran announced they plan to
sign a long-delayed agreement that will clear the way for Russia to supply
fuel to Iran's first nuclear power plant.
At the same time, Moscow is preparing to sell controversial weaponry
to its former Cold War ally, Syria, for the first time since the collapse of
the Soviet Union. "
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1361114/posts
"Venezuela last year agreed to purchase an estimated 50 MiG fighter
jets from Russia as well as other arms and vehicles to ostensibly
improve its aging military equipment and secure its border with Colombia. "

I have just seen a mutant Super-Hero!

These pictures are UNBELIEVABLE! - Vox
http://www.richardsandrak.com/Pictures.htm
http://www.sportachievements.com/World/richard7yo.html
http://www.craigproductions.com/RichardS.htm

thnx, nik-nak

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold from 10/25/01 on his opposition to the USA PATRIOT ACT

He was the only US senator to oppose the bill. - Vox
http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/statements/01/10/102501at.html

FYI - The Fundamental Right You Don't Have

http://www.guerrillanews.com/headlines/1360/The_Fundamental_Right
_You_Don_t_Have
"Summary:
Last week, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Il., introduced House Joint Resolution 28 with 54 original co-sponsors. The Jackson amendment would reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bush v. Gore that the citizen has no constitutional right to vote. Currently, voting is a state right, and all 3,067 counties in the 50 states have different rules about who votes and how. The congressman says it’s time to make voting a citizenship right. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill., has served Illinois’ 2nd congressional district since 1995. He is a board member of FairVote—The Center for Voting and Democracy."

A Simple Explanation of Hybrid Automobiles

http://www.guerrillanews.com/headlines/1361/The_Hybrid_Basics
If we all decided to go Hybrid, we could force the auto-industry to admit that it's a viable product. - Vox

What does it mean to "support the troops"?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/03/09/national/w133541S60.DTL&feed=rss.news
"Very simply, this is either negligence on their part, because they were not happy with this when it passed, or it's incompetence," Dodd said. "It's pretty outrageous when you have all their rhetoric about how much we care about our people in uniform."

Ex-Marine Says Public Version of Saddam Capture Fiction

""Later on, a military production team fabricated the film of Saddam's capture in a hole, which was in fact a deserted well," Abou Rabeh said."

Interesting interview with Hunter Thompson

http://www.libertythink.com/HST911insidejob.rm

11,000 US Soldiers Now Dead From DU Poisoning

http://www.rense.com/general63/11.htm

The Case for the Draft

"America can remain the world's superpower. Or it can maintain its current all-volunteer military. It can't do both."
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0503.carter.html

US Attack Against Italians in Baghdad was Deliberate: Companion

Interesting. - Vox
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0305-05.htm

21st Century Slavery

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1430823,00.html?gusrc=rss
"Slaves in Niger are generally born into an established slave class that works without pay for masters who control every aspect of their lives. Babies are taken from their mothers to prevent bonds being formed in families, and sexual assault and rape are widespread. Slaves are given as gifts or inherited among the slave-owning class."
Damn, this is 2005! - Vox

Afgani Opium

Afganistan, the model democracy.
http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/050306032715.5px4fk5v.html &
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DRUG_REPORT?SITE=APWEB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Remember this whenever Afganistan is held up as Bush's shining success. Hamid Karzai is the President of Kabul, and that is all. - Vox

Do YOU know what America's favorite food is???

RED HERRING!!
We just can't get enough of it! We love to eat this stuff up!
- Vox Info

Ann Coulter. Is she serious?

Comparing Helen Thomas to James Guckert (better known as Jeff Gannon). How can you expect to be taken seriously? - Vox
http://anncoulter.com/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=43
"Press passes can't be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the president."

For a bio on Helen Thomas: http://www.thenation.com/directory/bios/bio.mhtml?id=1538
For a bio on Jeff Gannon: http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Jeff_Gannon or http://www.jeffgannon.com/

Why Democracy in Iraq Will Not Work

Imagine the United States where there is one stated set of rules for 49 states and a different stated set of rules for 1 state. That's what is being attempted in Iraq. The Kurds have always been autonomous, and have been guaranteed by the US that they will stay that way. Any Iraqi constitution will state this. For this reason, combined with Iraq's history of oppression and terror through raw tribal separtism, it cannot succeed as a "democracy". I think continuing to feed this separtism will result in 1 of 2 futures:
1. With the resources & support of the US (militarily and politically), Iraq's "elected" gov't will become a covert neo-tyranny, or
2. There will be all-out civil war
Either way, I think Iraq will become a dangerous rogue-state within 5 or 10 years.
- Vox Info
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
"Violence that has killed hundreds of people the past three weeks led Allawi on Thursday to extend a state of emergency until the end of March. First announced nearly four months ago, the order affects all of Iraq except Kurdish-run areas in the north." (emphasis added by Vox)
"Talabani and Barzani told reporters in Irbil on Thursday that they will ally with whichever groups support their demands to expand the autonomous Kurdish region and to retain control over their Peshmerga militias, which they do not want to disband" (emphasis added by Vox)

Oh, so the troops must be mistaken

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/286765p-245381c.html

Perfect together

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/03/wpep03.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/03/03/ixworld.html
"The US military is developing a weapon that delivers a bout of excruciating pain from afar to use against protesters and rioters." (emphasis added by Vox)

Ah, yes..."protesters and rioters" go together like "Burgers and fries", like "Howie and baseball", like "crackpot conspiracy theory". - Vox

US Soldiers and Ecstasy

Is this such a good idea? - Vox
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1416073,00.html

Biodefence...or Offense?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4309315.stm
"...increasing the number of labs and people working on bioterror agents would raise the risk of an accidental release or deliberate attack. "

US spies 'cannot sue government'

Interesting article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4314283.stm

I feel safer already...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/03/02/state/n152601S66.DTL
..."The jobs I'm being asked to do, the five hats that I wear, are too much for this mortal," Goss said. "I'm a little amazed at the workload."...
..."It's got a huge amount of ambiguity in it," he said. "I don't know by law what my direct relationship is with John Negroponte," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld or other top officials involved with intelligence.
Despite the confusion, Goss praised Negroponte's selection.
"I hold him in the very highest regard," he said, noting that the two attended Yale at the same time. "The intelligence community is going to be strengthened and unified and more effective than it has ever been."...

Remember the "Dirty Bomber"?

In case you forgot, he's the American citizen who's been held in custody for over 2 years without being charged with any crime. Can anyone say "Unconstitutional"? - Vox
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/ENEMY_COMBATANT?SITE=APWEB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

In The Name of National Security

How long until the pen and paper are banned in the name of national security? - Vox
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/03/02/spain.ny/index.html

"Kelly said the sketch, which he described as "amateur renderings of the interior," did not appear to have been done from actual surveillance of the facility."

Did this...
http://www.nbc5.com/news/3236436/detail.html

lead to this...?
http://www.nbc5.com/news/4240724/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=2265994&dppid=65194