Thursday, July 17 2008   -   9/11 Consequences

... Jonathan L. Hafetz, a lawyer for Mr. Marri with the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, called the Fourth Circuit’s decision deeply disturbing.

"This decision means the president can pick up any person in the country — citizen or legal resident — and lock them up for years without the most basic safeguard in the Constitution, the right to a criminal trial," Mr. Hafetz said.

...In the conclusion of his long opinion, Judge Wilkinson said terrorism cases presented courts with special challenges.

"We may never know,” he said, “whether we have struck the proper balance between liberty and security, because we do not know every action the executive is taking and we do not know every threat global terror networks have in store."

 

Thursday, July 17 2008   -   9/11 Commission

David Edwards and Muriel Kane
July 15, 2008
RawStory.com

A political billboard in St. Cloud, Florida reads "Please Don't Vote for a Democrat" over an image of the burning World Trade Center.

Businessman Mike Meehan, who paid for the ad, says he's "only trying to help Republicans." The billboard also carries a link for Meehan's website, TheRepublicanSong.com, at which he says, "I claim to be a man of God" and promotes his political song and video.

 

Wednesday, July 16 2008   -   In the Media

The July issue of the Creek (View it here) was our best yet, with more original and exclusive content than ever.

Since the very first issue, the Creek has covered the stories the corporate press won't touch: Torture, 9/11 Cover-up, Election Fraud, Vaccine Scams, The erosion of our Constitutional rights, and many more. With your help we will continue to provide the historical context and political analysis of the news that can't be found in any other publication. And we put it in print on the streets in the Capitol City, where it counts.

 

Tuesday, July 15 2008   -   Get Involved

BRUSSELS - JUNE 25TH, 2008 - For the first time in Europe some Non-Governmental Organizations and officials are endorsing the United for Truth platform and will support the second edition of this European peaceful protest held on September 7th, 2008 at the Schuman Place in Brussels. The platform is:

In solidarity with the American citizens, we demand an independent investigation of the 9/11 attacks, which were the pretext for too many wars, lies, and a serious decrease of (y)our civil rights (“anti-terrorist”-acts, secret prisons, “Patriot act”, etc). We want European troops back home! We want European laws that guarantee neutrality of the internet and that explicitly forbid tracing/chipping (RFID) of human beings as well as other electronic threats on our freedom. We want democratic and public control of financial organizations (IMF, WB, etc) and the mass media. But most of all we want you to get your life back.

This is why we organize a European peaceful meeting in front of the Berlaymont building at the Schuman Place in Brussels on September 7th, 2008. This will be the ideal place to exchange ideas and to demand answers from those who pretend to be our European leaders or servants. If you or your organization endorses our platform, please contact us. We need all the help we can get.

We strongly reject any form of racism, facism, any form of integrism or extremism and try to be straight forward, and we believe we are doing a great job in being Big Brother's worst nightmare: we think (and act) by ourselves! ... What about you?

 

Tuesday, July 15 2008   -   Other Important News

Corporate media colludes with democracy’s demise
By Bill Moyers
July 11, 2008

Without a free and independent press, this 250-year-old experiment in self-government will not make it. As journalism goes, so goes democracy

I heard this story a long time ago, growing up in Choctaw County in Oklahoma before my family moved to Texas. A tribal elder was telling his grandson about the battle the old man was waging within himself. He said, “It is between two wolves, my son. One is an evil wolf: anger, envy, sorrow, greed, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is the good wolf: joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The boy took this in for a few minutes and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf won?”

The old Cherokee replied simply, “The one I feed.”

Democracy is that way. The wolf that wins is the one we feed. And in our society, media provides the fodder.

Our media institutions, deeply embedded in the power structures of society, are not providing the information that we need to make our democracy work. To put it another way, corporate media consolidation is a corrosive social force. It robs people of their voice in public affairs and pollutes the political culture. And it turns the debates about profound issues into a shouting match of polarized views promulgated by partisan apologists who trivialize democracy while refusing to speak the truth about how our country is being plundered.

 

Monday, July 14 2008   -   Other Important News

July 13, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
By FRANK RICH

We know what a criminal White House looks like from "The Final Days" Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's classic account of Richard Nixon's unraveling. The cauldron of lies, paranoia and illegal surveillance boiled over, until it was finally every man for himself as desperate courtiers scrambled to save their reputations and, in a few patriotic instances, their country.

"The Final Days" was published in 1976, two years after Nixon abdicated in disgrace. With the Bush presidency, no journalist (or turncoat White House memoirist) is waiting for the corpse to be carted away. The latest and perhaps most chilling example arrives this week from Jane Mayer of The New Yorker, long a relentless journalist on the war-on-terror torture beat. Her book "The Dark Side" connects the dots of her own past reporting and that of her top-tier colleagues (including James Risen and Scott Shane of The New York Times) to portray a White House that, like its prototype, savaged its enemies within almost as ferociously as it did the Constitution.

Some of "The Dark Side" seems right out of "The Final Days" minus Nixon's operatic boozing and weeping. We learn, for instance, that in 2004 two conservative Republican Justice Department officials had become "so paranoid" that "they actually thought they might be in physical danger." The fear of being wiretapped by their own peers drove them to speak in code.

... In her telling, a major incentive for Mr. Cheney's descent into the dark side was to cover up for the Bush White House's failure to heed the Qaeda threat in 2001. Jack Cloonan, a special agent for the F.B.I.'s Osama bin Laden unit until 2002, told Ms. Mayer that Sept. 11 was "all preventable." By March 2000, according to the C.I.A.'s inspector general, "50 or 60 individuals" in the agency knew that two Al Qaeda suspects — soon to be hijackers — were in America. But there was no urgency at the top. Thomas Pickard, the acting F.B.I. director that summer, told Ms. Mayer that when he expressed his fears about the Qaeda threat to Mr. Ashcroft, the attorney general snapped, "I don't want to hear about that anymore!"

 

Sunday, July 13 2008   -   In the Media

No Lies Radio will air a live three-hour Pacifica Radio Network broadcast from the Green Party Convention in Chicago on Sunday, July 13th as the convention comes to a close.

Click Here To Listen

Live Broadcast: Sunday, July 13th at 9am Pacific - 12 Noon Eastern - 16:00 GMT
Re-broadcast: Tuesday, July 15th at 7pm Pacific - 10pm Eastern - 02:00 GMT and will be archived shortly after the live broadcast Sunday.

 

Sunday, July 13 2008   -   Other Important News

An Original Report from Chicago
by Sander Hicks
July 12, 9:10 PM, Chicago, IL

The Green Party of the United States today nominated truth activist and seasoned politician Cynthia McKinney for U.S. President. In her 12 years in Congress, McKinney distinguished herself for questioning Donald Rumsfeld under oath about missing trillions at the Pentagon. She introduced articles of impeachment and asked questions about the 9/11 attacks, in 2002, when such skepticism was not tolerated from public figures.

McKinney's story includes many accomplishments as a legislator. She has been the conscience for a misguided nation. But the other half of her story is not what she has done, but what has been done to her. She took the blows of fierce reaction when the political establishment and corporate centrist media attacked her for violating the taboo that demanded silence about 9/11. In 2002, GOP strategists used a special "crossover" strategy to get their voters to vote in the Democratic primary for a fake Democrat substitute for McKinney. She came back in 2004. After introducing articles of impeachment and holding congressional hearings into 9/11, Capitol Police pretended not to recognize her, which sparked a confrontation with a frustrated McKinney. The media claimed she punched a cop. McKinney lost re-election in 2006.

 

Sunday, July 13 2008   -   In the Media

Radio Free Oklahoma, a very new low-power FM station, is now broadcasting truth in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Congratulations to the wonderful people who pulled this together and are getting important information out to these communities! What a great example of "becoming the media." You can listen online to the Red Dirt Report at We the People Radio Network, Saturday nights from 6-8pm Central time or live in OKC on RFOK 107.1FM anytime, 24/7. You can read the hosts' bios here, and listen to archives here. Michael Berger and Janice Matthews, of 911truth.org, joined the Red Dirt Report on July 12 for a variety of issues. Listen here.  

Sunday, July 13 2008   -   Other Important News

David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Thursday July 10, 2008

During a town hall event in Portsmouth, OH on Wednesday, John McCain was asked by a member of the audience whether his links to the parent organization of the Project for a New American Century explain why he has been reluctant to support calls for a new investigation of 9/11.

The questioner began, "I was curious about a document. Back in September of 2000, the Project for a New American Century, or PNAC, whose members included Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Jeb Bush and Paul Wolfowitz, wrote a document entitled 'Rebuilding Americans Defenses.'"

As McCain turned and paced away from him, the questioner continued, "In it, they state, quote, "The process of transformation, even if it bring revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event like a new Pearl Harbor."

 

Saturday, July 12 2008   -   9/11 Consequences

FISA "Compromise" Completes Transformation of US into Full Police State

by Larry Chin

Global Research, July 11, 2008

On July 9, 2008, the US Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation permitting government spying, including immunity to telecommunications companies involved in secret domestic surveillance programs. With the stroke of George W. Bush’s pen, the US is now a police state by definition.

The extent of the spying program, and its larger implications, have been revealed by Mark Klein, who blew the whistle on secret domestic spying program of Bush/Cheney’s National Security Agency (NSA) and AT&T:

AT&T whistleblower: spy bill creates infrastructure for police state

 

Friday, July 11 2008   -   Truth Movement News

Last night 911Truth.org hosted a conference call with Rep. Dennis Kucinich. If you missed it, or would like to listen again and forward to friends, listen to the audio here. In addition, NoLiesRadio.org will rebroadcast this conversation at 11am Pacific Saturday. Following are the questions we asked him, as well as the full transcript, with a few links and very brief commentary, which we're posting for convenience and further study.

We are grateful to Rep. Kucinich for his time with us, especially on the day he introduced a powerful Article of Impeachment against George Bush; to Allan Rees of NoLiesRadio.org for recording the call and making available; to Paul Deslauriers for organizing the call; and we're grateful to all of you for listening, for submitting questions, and for your ongoing commitment to reclaiming our government!

A few key points...

"I think it's really important that people need to understand this is about more than an article of impeachment--this is about us regaining control of our government that we have lost since 9/11."

"I think that saying the [9/11] Commission is part of the legislative branch is not appropriate and I think that, I would argue that these records should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act, particularly since there are so many contests about the viability of facts that were represented to the public. And I certainly favor an open and transparent information process. Wherever you have information not available, it's very easy to manipulate a public position."

"Continuity of Government should not be used as a cover for an anti-democratic takeover of this nation. And I'm, I think that we have to be suspicious of this Administration's activities any time the President signs an Executive Order that seems to take steps in the direction of anti-democratic conduct."

read more

 

Friday, July 11 2008   -   Other Important News

July 10, 2008

Email from Rep. Robert Wexler, FL

Capitol Hill is buzzing today with major developments regarding our campaign for impeachment hearings for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Just today, in what could be described as a perfect impeachment storm:

• Karl Rove once again thumbed his nose at Congress and the American people by brazenly ignoring a lawful congressional subpoena to testify before the House of Representatives;

• Judiciary Chairman John Conyers indicated his willingness to use the power of inherent contempt against Rove if necessary;

• Rep. Dennis Kucinich introduced another article of impeachment on Bush's lies regarding the Iraq war; and

• Speaker Nancy Pelosi was quoted today saying that the House Judiciary Committee should address the issues that Kucinich raises in the House Judiciary Committee.

After years of work by so many of you, the time appears ripe to finally hold Bush and Cheney accountable.

 

Thursday, July 10 2008   -   Other Important News

Impeachment Article to be Introduced Thursday

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 8) -- Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) sent the following letter today to his colleagues in Congress:

July 8, 2008

WHEN THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF LIES TO GO TO WAR, HE MUST BE IMPEACHED

A SINGLE ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR ON THURSDAY; PLEASE CO-SPONSOR

Dear Colleague,

During the Fourth of July holiday a WWII veteran stood ram-rod straight in his crisp dress uniform and saluted our flag as it passed in a parade. His silent reverential stance was a powerful reminder of the love of country that is reflected in our veterans of all generations and all services.

It is also a powerful reminder of the responsibilities of the President of the Untied States in his capacity as Commander in Chief.

 

Thursday, July 10 2008   -   9/11 Consequences

By SHAUN WATERMAN
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor
June 30, 2008

WASHINGTON, June 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. military is looking for a contractor to patrol cyberspace, watching for warning signs of forthcoming terrorist attacks or other hostile activity on the Web.

... In a solicitation posted on the Web last week, the command said it was looking for a contractor to provide "Internet awareness services" to support "force protection" -- the term of art for the security of U.S. military installations and personnel.

... "The purpose of the services will be to identify and assess stated and implied threat, antipathy, unrest and other contextual data relating to selected Internet domains," says the solicitation. (emphasis added)