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Monday, October 24, 2011
Police brutality charges sweep across the US
Guardian
From Naomi Wolf's arrest in New York to shootings in Tucson and Florida, forces face allegations of abuse of power
Officer Michael Daragjati had no idea that the FBI was listening to his phone calls. Otherwise he would probably not have described his arrest and detention of an innocent black New Yorker in the manner he did.
Daragjati boasted to a woman friend that, while on patrol in Staten Island, he had "fried another nigger". It was "no big deal", he added. The FBI, which had been investigating another matter, then tried to work out what had happened.
According to court documents released in New York, Daragjati and his partner had randomly stopped and frisked a black man who had become angry and asked for Daragjati's name and badge number. Daragjati, 32, and with eight years on the force, had no reason to stop the man, and had found nothing illegal. But he arrested him and fabricated an account of him resisting arrest. The man, now referred to in papers only as John Doe because of fears for his safety, spent two nights in jail. He had merely been walking alone through the neighbourhood.
The shocking story has added to a growing sense that there are serious problems of indiscipline and law-breaking in US police forces. Last week the feminist author Naomi Wolf was arrested outside an awards ceremony in Manhattan. She had been advising Occupy Wall Street protesters of their rights to continue demonstrating outside the event. Instead, as she joined the protest, she was carted off to jail in her evening gown. That incident is only the most high-profile of many apparently illegal police actions around the protests. One senior officer, deputy inspector Anthony Bologna, created headlines worldwide when he pepper-sprayed young women behind a police barricade.
A report from the New York Civil Liberties Union recently looked at police use of Taser stun guns in the state, and revealed that in 60% of incidents where they were used, the incident did not meet the recommended criteria for such a weapon. Some cases involved people already handcuffed and 40% involved "at risk" subjects such as children, the elderly or mentally ill. "This disturbing pattern of misuse and abuse endangers lives," said the NYCLU's executive director, Donna Lieberman.
In Los Angeles, officers in the sheriff's department are accused of physically abusing some prison inmates and having sex with others. An internal report, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, revealed allegations that included beating people visiting relatives in jail. In Pittsburgh, there is the case of Jordan Miles, a high-flying high-school student stopped by three plainclothes policemen. Miles, 18 at the time, was walking to his grandmother's house and had no idea who the men were, as they did not identify themselves. He ran, but the officers caught him and beat him so badly that he ended up in hospital. He is undergoing neurological treatment for memory problems and has had to drop out of college.
From Naomi Wolf's arrest in New York to shootings in Tucson and Florida, forces face allegations of abuse of power
Daragjati boasted to a woman friend that, while on patrol in Staten Island, he had "fried another nigger". It was "no big deal", he added. The FBI, which had been investigating another matter, then tried to work out what had happened.
According to court documents released in New York, Daragjati and his partner had randomly stopped and frisked a black man who had become angry and asked for Daragjati's name and badge number. Daragjati, 32, and with eight years on the force, had no reason to stop the man, and had found nothing illegal. But he arrested him and fabricated an account of him resisting arrest. The man, now referred to in papers only as John Doe because of fears for his safety, spent two nights in jail. He had merely been walking alone through the neighbourhood.
The shocking story has added to a growing sense that there are serious problems of indiscipline and law-breaking in US police forces. Last week the feminist author Naomi Wolf was arrested outside an awards ceremony in Manhattan. She had been advising Occupy Wall Street protesters of their rights to continue demonstrating outside the event. Instead, as she joined the protest, she was carted off to jail in her evening gown. That incident is only the most high-profile of many apparently illegal police actions around the protests. One senior officer, deputy inspector Anthony Bologna, created headlines worldwide when he pepper-sprayed young women behind a police barricade.
A report from the New York Civil Liberties Union recently looked at police use of Taser stun guns in the state, and revealed that in 60% of incidents where they were used, the incident did not meet the recommended criteria for such a weapon. Some cases involved people already handcuffed and 40% involved "at risk" subjects such as children, the elderly or mentally ill. "This disturbing pattern of misuse and abuse endangers lives," said the NYCLU's executive director, Donna Lieberman.
In Los Angeles, officers in the sheriff's department are accused of physically abusing some prison inmates and having sex with others. An internal report, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, revealed allegations that included beating people visiting relatives in jail. In Pittsburgh, there is the case of Jordan Miles, a high-flying high-school student stopped by three plainclothes policemen. Miles, 18 at the time, was walking to his grandmother's house and had no idea who the men were, as they did not identify themselves. He ran, but the officers caught him and beat him so badly that he ended up in hospital. He is undergoing neurological treatment for memory problems and has had to drop out of college.
NATO Prepares Global War – Russian and Chinese Military on Highest Alert
NSNBC
Dr. Christof Lehmann
At the International Security Conference (ISC) in Munich, 2007, Vladimir Putin warned western leaders, that the unprecedented aggressive expansion of NATO has brought the world more close to a third world war than it has ever been before. This stern warning came years before NATO´s aggression against Libya and it´s undeclared war in Syria and Pakistan. Following the recent deployment of US troops to Uganda, and military threats directed against Pakistan, the armed forces of NATO, Russia and China have never been as close to open and all out conflict as today.
A recent and sobering report of the Russian Intelligence Service FSB, details the fact that the USA and NATO are currently planning and actively preparing for all out war on all continents. After the recent meeting between Russian P.M. Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Huan Jintao, both Russian and Chinese military forces have been placed on highest alert.
The speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 43rd International Security Conference in Munich in 2007, and Putin´s statement, that the aggressive expansionism of NATO has brought the world more close to a third world war than it has ever been before, was sobering in 2007. That an all out conflict has been prevented until now however, is not based on the fact that NATO has changed it´s aggressive policy of military expansionism. Putin´s speech from 2007 was sobering then, and few understood it´s full implications. The developments of recent months, however, are eliciting the urgent need to stop a cycle of aggression that can only be described as megalomaniacs insanity.
Since the middle of September 2011 Russian politicians at Russia´s State Duma began discussing that NATO must significantly reduce it´s military footprint in the former Soviet Republics. By early October, those calls had developed into demands that Russia should assert it´s interests in the former Soviet republics, and especially in the South. Since the discontinuation of the USSR, and NATO´s war on Afghanistan, it has significantly increased it´s military footprint in Russian and Chinese neighbor states such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and not least in Georgia. The fact that Russian and NATO troops came into open armed conflict when Georgi attacked Ossetia, and not least the US backed armed insurgency in Chechnya are eliciting the fact that Russia is increasingly threatened. A clear response by Vladimir Putin to the State Duma´s demands for policy changes came on 3 October, after Putin had received the sobering Intelligence Report, that warned of US and NATO preparations of a global war. On 3 October, only days before his meeting with Jintao, Putin announced his plans for a Eurasian Union.
When Russia´s Prime Minister, and most likely winner of the next presidential elections, Vladimir Putin, met Chinese President Huan Jintao on 12 October, the official narrative elicited mutually beneficial friendship and treaties, trade and other relations. The most important reason for the sudden visit however, did not make the headlines. Before leaving for Beijing, Putin received a sobering report from the Russian Intelligence Service FSB. The FSB report to Vladimir Putin supported reports from the Chinese Intelligence Service and China´s Ministry of State Security, MSS, which were among other based on intelligence received via the former Blackwater operative Brian Underwood.
Underwood is currently held in the US on charges of espionage. According to reliable sources, China has attempted to warn Russia of US and NATO plans to initiate a global armed conflict. This conflict has reportedly moved from the drawing board to an activation stage.
According to both Chinese and Russian Intelligence Sources, the US and NATO plans include among other, the deliberate implosion of the US- and EU Economies, destroying the worlds financial systems, and the launching of a massive conventional war throughout North America, Africa and Asia, as well as the Middle East. The war plans include the release of biological warfare agents designed to kill millions if not billions of people. The NATO strategists rely on their ability to sue for peace when the coming conflict is at it´s highest, to call for the establishment of a “New World Order” under the pretext of preventing the destruction of the planet and civilization as we know it. One of the preparatory stages was reportedly doctrinal and strategy changes wherein the training of it´s soldiers shifted from counter insurgency to more conventional warfare and tank on tank battles.
The FSB Report states that the activation of the conflict is to be expected sooner rather than later, since the US and NATO have pre-deployed 2000 M1 Abrams Battle Tanks in Iraq, and another 2000 in Afghanistan. In the area between the Middle East and Asia, tens of thousands of other armored vehicles are deployed. The FSB evaluates the situation as so threatening, that it explains in it´s report, that the only thing needed to activate the war plan is a call for the full mobilization of 1.5 Million US Reserves. Their activation can come at moments notice, and needs no further authorization by the US Congress.
Dr. Christof Lehmann
At the International Security Conference (ISC) in Munich, 2007, Vladimir Putin warned western leaders, that the unprecedented aggressive expansion of NATO has brought the world more close to a third world war than it has ever been before. This stern warning came years before NATO´s aggression against Libya and it´s undeclared war in Syria and Pakistan. Following the recent deployment of US troops to Uganda, and military threats directed against Pakistan, the armed forces of NATO, Russia and China have never been as close to open and all out conflict as today.
A recent and sobering report of the Russian Intelligence Service FSB, details the fact that the USA and NATO are currently planning and actively preparing for all out war on all continents. After the recent meeting between Russian P.M. Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Huan Jintao, both Russian and Chinese military forces have been placed on highest alert.
The speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 43rd International Security Conference in Munich in 2007, and Putin´s statement, that the aggressive expansionism of NATO has brought the world more close to a third world war than it has ever been before, was sobering in 2007. That an all out conflict has been prevented until now however, is not based on the fact that NATO has changed it´s aggressive policy of military expansionism. Putin´s speech from 2007 was sobering then, and few understood it´s full implications. The developments of recent months, however, are eliciting the urgent need to stop a cycle of aggression that can only be described as megalomaniacs insanity.
Since the middle of September 2011 Russian politicians at Russia´s State Duma began discussing that NATO must significantly reduce it´s military footprint in the former Soviet Republics. By early October, those calls had developed into demands that Russia should assert it´s interests in the former Soviet republics, and especially in the South. Since the discontinuation of the USSR, and NATO´s war on Afghanistan, it has significantly increased it´s military footprint in Russian and Chinese neighbor states such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and not least in Georgia. The fact that Russian and NATO troops came into open armed conflict when Georgi attacked Ossetia, and not least the US backed armed insurgency in Chechnya are eliciting the fact that Russia is increasingly threatened. A clear response by Vladimir Putin to the State Duma´s demands for policy changes came on 3 October, after Putin had received the sobering Intelligence Report, that warned of US and NATO preparations of a global war. On 3 October, only days before his meeting with Jintao, Putin announced his plans for a Eurasian Union.
When Russia´s Prime Minister, and most likely winner of the next presidential elections, Vladimir Putin, met Chinese President Huan Jintao on 12 October, the official narrative elicited mutually beneficial friendship and treaties, trade and other relations. The most important reason for the sudden visit however, did not make the headlines. Before leaving for Beijing, Putin received a sobering report from the Russian Intelligence Service FSB. The FSB report to Vladimir Putin supported reports from the Chinese Intelligence Service and China´s Ministry of State Security, MSS, which were among other based on intelligence received via the former Blackwater operative Brian Underwood.
Underwood is currently held in the US on charges of espionage. According to reliable sources, China has attempted to warn Russia of US and NATO plans to initiate a global armed conflict. This conflict has reportedly moved from the drawing board to an activation stage.
According to both Chinese and Russian Intelligence Sources, the US and NATO plans include among other, the deliberate implosion of the US- and EU Economies, destroying the worlds financial systems, and the launching of a massive conventional war throughout North America, Africa and Asia, as well as the Middle East. The war plans include the release of biological warfare agents designed to kill millions if not billions of people. The NATO strategists rely on their ability to sue for peace when the coming conflict is at it´s highest, to call for the establishment of a “New World Order” under the pretext of preventing the destruction of the planet and civilization as we know it. One of the preparatory stages was reportedly doctrinal and strategy changes wherein the training of it´s soldiers shifted from counter insurgency to more conventional warfare and tank on tank battles.The FSB Report states that the activation of the conflict is to be expected sooner rather than later, since the US and NATO have pre-deployed 2000 M1 Abrams Battle Tanks in Iraq, and another 2000 in Afghanistan. In the area between the Middle East and Asia, tens of thousands of other armored vehicles are deployed. The FSB evaluates the situation as so threatening, that it explains in it´s report, that the only thing needed to activate the war plan is a call for the full mobilization of 1.5 Million US Reserves. Their activation can come at moments notice, and needs no further authorization by the US Congress.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Former ISI Director, General Hamid Gul Talks about 9/11
General Hamid Gul was put on a terrorist watchlist for suggesting Bush complicity in 9/11.
Afghanistan to back Pakistan if wars with U.S.: Karzai
MSNBC
ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan would support Pakistan in case of military conflict between Pakistan and the United States, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview to a private Pakistani TV channel broadcast on Saturday.
The remarks were in sharp contrast to recent tension between the two neighbors over cross-border raids, and Afghan accusations that Pakistan was involved in killing the chief Afghan peace envoy, former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, by a suicide bomber on September 20.
"God forbid, If ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan," he said in the interview to Geo television.
"If Pakistan is attacked and if the people of Pakistan needs Afghanistan's help, Afghanistan will be there with you."
Such a situation is extremely unlikely, however. Despite months of tension and tough talk between Washington and Islamabad, the two allies appear to be working to ease tension.
In a two-day visit to Islamabad, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued stern warnings and asked for more cooperation in winding down the war in Afghanistan, but ruled out "boots on the ground" in North Waziristan, where Washington has been pushing Pakistan to tackle the Haqqani network.
The Haqqani are a group of militants Washington has blamed for a series of attacks in Afghanistan, using sanctuaries in the Pakistani tribal region along the Afghan border.
The remarks were in sharp contrast to recent tension between the two neighbors over cross-border raids, and Afghan accusations that Pakistan was involved in killing the chief Afghan peace envoy, former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, by a suicide bomber on September 20.
"God forbid, If ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan," he said in the interview to Geo television.
"If Pakistan is attacked and if the people of Pakistan needs Afghanistan's help, Afghanistan will be there with you."
Such a situation is extremely unlikely, however. Despite months of tension and tough talk between Washington and Islamabad, the two allies appear to be working to ease tension.
In a two-day visit to Islamabad, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued stern warnings and asked for more cooperation in winding down the war in Afghanistan, but ruled out "boots on the ground" in North Waziristan, where Washington has been pushing Pakistan to tackle the Haqqani network.
The Haqqani are a group of militants Washington has blamed for a series of attacks in Afghanistan, using sanctuaries in the Pakistani tribal region along the Afghan border.
'Palestine bid faces new barrier at UN'
Editor's Note: The 'mini moves' begin.
PressTV
PressTV
The Palestinian statehood bid at the UN might suffer as new temporary members to the body are obedient to the United States, a UN analyst says.
"This election won't help the Palestinian cause," UN analyst at Century Foundation Jeff Laurenti was quoted as saying by Businessweek on Saturday.
"Guatemala will be in favor of everything Palestinian until the Americans tell them otherwise. They can be persuaded to abstain," he added.
On Friday, Pakistan, Morocco, Togo and Guatemala were elected to the 15-nation UN Security Council for 2012 and 2013.
The new states replaced Lebanon, Nigeria, Gabon and Brazil.
The previous members had been expected to support the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN Security Council.
The War on Libya and the Broader US-NATO Military Agenda Is a World War III Scenario Unfolding?
Global Research
Michel Chossudovsky
With the killing of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi this past week, NATO is celebrating what, in their view, is a great victory. However, this so-called "victory" has nothing to do with democracy, freedom or justice; it is part of a broad, insidious geopolitical strategy that has been on NATO's drawing board for years. And what is even more frightening than the bloodlust being shamelessly splashed across the mainstream media is the fact that this latest manoeuver is merely a small part of a much wider military agenda with potentially catastrophic consequences.
The following extracts by Prof. Chossudovsky reveal several key issues facing humanity today. (The full version of "Towards a World War III Scenario" is available to purchase from Global Research in convenient PDF format.)
Towards a World War III Scenario
The war on Libya is an integral part of the broader military agenda in the Middle East and Central Asia which until recently consisted of three distinct areas of conflict: Afghanistan and Pakistan (the AfPak War), Iraq, Palestine.
These four war theaters are interrelated. They are part of a broader region of conflict, which extends from North Africa and the Middle East, engulfing a large part of the Mediterranean basin, to China's Western frontier with Afghanistan, and Northern Pakistan.
The Battle for Oil
More than 60 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas reserves lie in Muslim lands. “The Battle for Oil” waged by the US-NATO-Israel military alliance requires the demonization of the inhabitants of those countries which possess these vast reserves of oil and natural gas.
Iran possesses ten percent of global oil and gas reserves. The US is the first and foremost military and nuclear power in the world, but it possesses less than two percent of global oil and gas reserves.
The US-led war in the broader Middle East Central Asian region consists in gaining control over more than sixty percent of the world’s reserves of oil and natural gas. The Anglo-American oil giants also seek to gain control over oil and gas pipeline routes out of the region.
Demonization is applied to an enemy which possesses three-quarters of the world’s oil reserves. “Axis of evil”, “rogue states”, “failed nations”, “Islamic terrorists”: demonization and vilification are the ideological pillars of America’s “war on terror”. They serve as a casus belli for waging the battle for oil.
The Battle for Oil requires the demonization of those who possess the oil. The enemy is characterized as evil, with a view to justifying military action including the mass killing of civilians. The Middle East Central Asian region is heavily militarized. The oil fields are encircled by NATO war ships stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean (as part of a UN “peacekeeping” operation), US Carrier Strike Groups and Destroyer Squadrons in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea deployed as part of the “war on terrorism”.
The ultimate objective, combining military action, covert intelligence operations and war propaganda, is to break down the national fabric and transform sovereign countries into open economic territories, where natural resources can be plundered and confiscated under “free market” supervision. This control also extends to strategic oil and gas pipeline corridors (e.g. Afghanistan).
Michel ChossudovskyWith the killing of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi this past week, NATO is celebrating what, in their view, is a great victory. However, this so-called "victory" has nothing to do with democracy, freedom or justice; it is part of a broad, insidious geopolitical strategy that has been on NATO's drawing board for years. And what is even more frightening than the bloodlust being shamelessly splashed across the mainstream media is the fact that this latest manoeuver is merely a small part of a much wider military agenda with potentially catastrophic consequences.
The following extracts by Prof. Chossudovsky reveal several key issues facing humanity today. (The full version of "Towards a World War III Scenario" is available to purchase from Global Research in convenient PDF format.)
Towards a World War III Scenario
The war on Libya is an integral part of the broader military agenda in the Middle East and Central Asia which until recently consisted of three distinct areas of conflict: Afghanistan and Pakistan (the AfPak War), Iraq, Palestine.
These four war theaters are interrelated. They are part of a broader region of conflict, which extends from North Africa and the Middle East, engulfing a large part of the Mediterranean basin, to China's Western frontier with Afghanistan, and Northern Pakistan.
The Battle for Oil
More than 60 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas reserves lie in Muslim lands. “The Battle for Oil” waged by the US-NATO-Israel military alliance requires the demonization of the inhabitants of those countries which possess these vast reserves of oil and natural gas.
Iran possesses ten percent of global oil and gas reserves. The US is the first and foremost military and nuclear power in the world, but it possesses less than two percent of global oil and gas reserves.
The US-led war in the broader Middle East Central Asian region consists in gaining control over more than sixty percent of the world’s reserves of oil and natural gas. The Anglo-American oil giants also seek to gain control over oil and gas pipeline routes out of the region.
Demonization is applied to an enemy which possesses three-quarters of the world’s oil reserves. “Axis of evil”, “rogue states”, “failed nations”, “Islamic terrorists”: demonization and vilification are the ideological pillars of America’s “war on terror”. They serve as a casus belli for waging the battle for oil.
The Battle for Oil requires the demonization of those who possess the oil. The enemy is characterized as evil, with a view to justifying military action including the mass killing of civilians. The Middle East Central Asian region is heavily militarized. The oil fields are encircled by NATO war ships stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean (as part of a UN “peacekeeping” operation), US Carrier Strike Groups and Destroyer Squadrons in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea deployed as part of the “war on terrorism”.
The ultimate objective, combining military action, covert intelligence operations and war propaganda, is to break down the national fabric and transform sovereign countries into open economic territories, where natural resources can be plundered and confiscated under “free market” supervision. This control also extends to strategic oil and gas pipeline corridors (e.g. Afghanistan).
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Stupid people do stupid things
Daily Bell
Adrian Krieg
Really stupid people repeat the same failed process over and over ad infinitum. Please pay attention, Dr. Chu! Einstein said it was the proof of insanity.
Case in point is the Obama administration's solar power loan guarantee program. Not one of the loans made since 2009 have proven successful. The most costly failure, as of now, is Solyndra at $535 million. After Solyndra received its loan it laid off 1100 workers and filed for bankruptcy, in which it had the government (Department of Energy) restructure the loan to put the taxpayers behind the bus, losing US taxpayers $535 million.
Before that, Spectrawatt went belly up and we lost $500,000. Spectrawatt was one of 13 companies given grants. How many are still in business is anyone's guess. We can't even find a list on the Internet.
All this has not satisfied the Obama energy department headed up by Dr. Chu. On the last days of availability he doled out another $4 billion. The question now is, is it even possible to run printing presses fast enough to keep up with Obama's insane spending? More astutely, how did Solyndra wind up with all that money? Seems that a review of the George Kaiser Family Foundation shows it was the grantor of $10,000 to the Urban Health Initiative at the University of Chicago Medical Center, the very place where Michelle Obama was employed, at a salary of almost a quarter-million dollars per year, after her husband became a federal senator and had siphoned a massive federal grant to the same institution.
Kaiser was a frequent White House visitor and the principal in an investment vehicle called GKFF Investment Company that is involved in Solyndra. While the payola by investors in Solyndra is not large, there is a pattern within this administration where donors become winners and taxpayers become the losers. Just so we don't upset anyone by leaving them out, we should mention that Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod were both also employed at the University of Chicago Medical Center and employee Michelle's hubby, Barack, was a lecturer at the University of Chicago. Oh, and I almost forgot good old George Kaiser, who in the weeks before Solyndra got its loan guarantee, visited the White House and gave the president's 2008 campaign a little gift of $53,500.
Newly released information indicates that the California Democratic Party was a major stockholder in Solyndra and is one of the creditors that will be bailed out while the taxpayers are left holding the bag. Now, we can all understand why the loan guarantee was renegotiated in favor of the stockholders over the government (taxpayers) at the last moment before filing for bankruptcy. And just by the way, Solyndra donated $7,500 to the Democratic Party of California, before the stock purchase or the loan guarantee, in October 2010.
Sadly, many lobbyists will now be looking for new jobs, which is not good for the president's jobs initiative. Seems that Solyndra had scores of DC-insider lobbyists and contractors working on their behalf, including, among others, McAllister & Quinn, McBee Strategic, Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY ret.), Senator Maria Cantwell (R-NY), Nancy Pelosi and Rice Hadley Group, whose principal is Condoleezza Rice.
New loans include $737 million to Tonopah Solar Energy on September 28 and then $646 million to AV Solar Ranch on the 30th. Total loans now outstanding to solar energy projects are $6.5 billion; projected cost per job created is $23 million. How much of the entire $1.383 billion in new loans will be used to manufacture the products in Mexico is unreported. But at least one of the companies built a plant in Mexico. One can only be amazed that no one in the administration has looked at Spain!
One can only guess that when these go belly up, this administration will find some more campaign donors looking for a handout. This administration has become the sleaziest, most corrupt and least transparent in my memory. Consider now: Operation Gunrunner, Fast and Furious, Solyndra, LightSquared, Chrysler – the list gets longer every day. There is so much dirt just on Operation Fast and Furious and Solyndra that the others don't even make the news. The fact of the matter is companies who are unable to secure loans in the private sector either have bad technology or a poor business plan. I have looked over the plan for Tonopah as well as Solar Power and know exactly why the private sector is not investing in these boondoggles.
Adrian Krieg
Case in point is the Obama administration's solar power loan guarantee program. Not one of the loans made since 2009 have proven successful. The most costly failure, as of now, is Solyndra at $535 million. After Solyndra received its loan it laid off 1100 workers and filed for bankruptcy, in which it had the government (Department of Energy) restructure the loan to put the taxpayers behind the bus, losing US taxpayers $535 million.
Before that, Spectrawatt went belly up and we lost $500,000. Spectrawatt was one of 13 companies given grants. How many are still in business is anyone's guess. We can't even find a list on the Internet.
All this has not satisfied the Obama energy department headed up by Dr. Chu. On the last days of availability he doled out another $4 billion. The question now is, is it even possible to run printing presses fast enough to keep up with Obama's insane spending? More astutely, how did Solyndra wind up with all that money? Seems that a review of the George Kaiser Family Foundation shows it was the grantor of $10,000 to the Urban Health Initiative at the University of Chicago Medical Center, the very place where Michelle Obama was employed, at a salary of almost a quarter-million dollars per year, after her husband became a federal senator and had siphoned a massive federal grant to the same institution.
Kaiser was a frequent White House visitor and the principal in an investment vehicle called GKFF Investment Company that is involved in Solyndra. While the payola by investors in Solyndra is not large, there is a pattern within this administration where donors become winners and taxpayers become the losers. Just so we don't upset anyone by leaving them out, we should mention that Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod were both also employed at the University of Chicago Medical Center and employee Michelle's hubby, Barack, was a lecturer at the University of Chicago. Oh, and I almost forgot good old George Kaiser, who in the weeks before Solyndra got its loan guarantee, visited the White House and gave the president's 2008 campaign a little gift of $53,500.
Newly released information indicates that the California Democratic Party was a major stockholder in Solyndra and is one of the creditors that will be bailed out while the taxpayers are left holding the bag. Now, we can all understand why the loan guarantee was renegotiated in favor of the stockholders over the government (taxpayers) at the last moment before filing for bankruptcy. And just by the way, Solyndra donated $7,500 to the Democratic Party of California, before the stock purchase or the loan guarantee, in October 2010.
Sadly, many lobbyists will now be looking for new jobs, which is not good for the president's jobs initiative. Seems that Solyndra had scores of DC-insider lobbyists and contractors working on their behalf, including, among others, McAllister & Quinn, McBee Strategic, Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY ret.), Senator Maria Cantwell (R-NY), Nancy Pelosi and Rice Hadley Group, whose principal is Condoleezza Rice.
New loans include $737 million to Tonopah Solar Energy on September 28 and then $646 million to AV Solar Ranch on the 30th. Total loans now outstanding to solar energy projects are $6.5 billion; projected cost per job created is $23 million. How much of the entire $1.383 billion in new loans will be used to manufacture the products in Mexico is unreported. But at least one of the companies built a plant in Mexico. One can only be amazed that no one in the administration has looked at Spain!
One can only guess that when these go belly up, this administration will find some more campaign donors looking for a handout. This administration has become the sleaziest, most corrupt and least transparent in my memory. Consider now: Operation Gunrunner, Fast and Furious, Solyndra, LightSquared, Chrysler – the list gets longer every day. There is so much dirt just on Operation Fast and Furious and Solyndra that the others don't even make the news. The fact of the matter is companies who are unable to secure loans in the private sector either have bad technology or a poor business plan. I have looked over the plan for Tonopah as well as Solar Power and know exactly why the private sector is not investing in these boondoggles.
Iraq rejects US request to maintain bases after troop withdrawal
Obama announces the full withdrawal of troops from Iraq but fails to persuade Nouri al-Maliki to allow US to keep bases there
Guardian
The US suffered a major diplomatic and military rebuff on Friday when Iraq finally rejected its pleas to maintain bases in the country beyond this year.
Barack Obama announced at a White House press conference that all American troops will leave Iraq by the end of December, a decision forced by the final collapse of lengthy talks between the US and the Iraqi government on the issue.
The Iraqi decision is a boost to Iran, which has close ties with many members of the Iraqi government and which had been battling against the establishment of permanent American bases.
Obama attempted to make the most of it by presenting the withdrawal as the fulfilment of one of his election promises.
"Today I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he told reporters.
But he had already announced this earlier this year, and the real significance today was in the failure of Obama, in spite of the cost to the US in dollars and deaths, to persuade the Iraqi president Nouri al-Maliki to allow one or more American bases to be kept in the country.
Obama was formally told of Maliki's final decision on Friday morning in a video conference.
Speaking later to reporters, Obama glossed over the rejection, describing it as Iraq shaping its own future.
He told reporters that the "tide of war is receding", not only in Iraq but in Afghanistan and in Libya.
"The United States is moving forward to a position of strength. The long war in Iraq will come to an end by the end of this year. The transition in Afghanistan is moving forward and our troops are finally coming home," he said.
Obama rose to political prominence on the back of his opposition to the Iraq war.
"Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home," he said.
"The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops," he said. "That is how America's military efforts in Iraq will end."
But Republicans criticised the failure to secure a deal with the Iraqis, describing it as a setback for the US.
The US suffered a major diplomatic and military rebuff on Friday when Iraq finally rejected its pleas to maintain bases in the country beyond this year.
Barack Obama announced at a White House press conference that all American troops will leave Iraq by the end of December, a decision forced by the final collapse of lengthy talks between the US and the Iraqi government on the issue.
The Iraqi decision is a boost to Iran, which has close ties with many members of the Iraqi government and which had been battling against the establishment of permanent American bases.
Obama attempted to make the most of it by presenting the withdrawal as the fulfilment of one of his election promises.
"Today I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he told reporters.
But he had already announced this earlier this year, and the real significance today was in the failure of Obama, in spite of the cost to the US in dollars and deaths, to persuade the Iraqi president Nouri al-Maliki to allow one or more American bases to be kept in the country.
Obama was formally told of Maliki's final decision on Friday morning in a video conference.
Speaking later to reporters, Obama glossed over the rejection, describing it as Iraq shaping its own future.
He told reporters that the "tide of war is receding", not only in Iraq but in Afghanistan and in Libya.
"The United States is moving forward to a position of strength. The long war in Iraq will come to an end by the end of this year. The transition in Afghanistan is moving forward and our troops are finally coming home," he said.
Obama rose to political prominence on the back of his opposition to the Iraq war.
"Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home," he said.
"The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops," he said. "That is how America's military efforts in Iraq will end."
But Republicans criticised the failure to secure a deal with the Iraqis, describing it as a setback for the US.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Officials: US drone fired in Gadhafi strike
Atlanta Journal Courier
Lolita C. Baldor
WASHINGTON — With the end of the Libya mission in sight, U.S. military officials were looking ahead Friday to where they might shift aircraft and drones that had been involved in the operations.
And, even as international leaders were still trying to sort out the details of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's death, they were bracing for a difficult transition as disparate rebel groups try to form a unified government.
U.S. officials confirmed Friday that an American Predator drone took part in the airstrike that hit the convoy carrying ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but it's still not clear how he got his fatal wounds.
The officials said the Predator fired on the convoy as it was fleeing Sirte, and French aircraft launched guided missiles. According to most accounts two vehicles in the convoy were hit.
Gadhafi was wounded when captured, and later died. He had gunshot wounds to his head, chest and stomach.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operations. NATO's top commander said Friday he will recommend ending the alliance's 7-month mission in Libya.
There are currently about 70 U.S. aircraft as well as a number of ships, three unmanned Global Hawk surveillance drones and several Predators assigned to the Libya mission. So far, none of those aircraft or ships have been moved or taken out of the mission, but many will likely move on fairly quickly.
There is fervent demand particularly for the drones, both at the battlefronts of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other hotspots around the world, including Africa, South America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Lolita C. Baldor
And, even as international leaders were still trying to sort out the details of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's death, they were bracing for a difficult transition as disparate rebel groups try to form a unified government.
U.S. officials confirmed Friday that an American Predator drone took part in the airstrike that hit the convoy carrying ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but it's still not clear how he got his fatal wounds.
The officials said the Predator fired on the convoy as it was fleeing Sirte, and French aircraft launched guided missiles. According to most accounts two vehicles in the convoy were hit.
Gadhafi was wounded when captured, and later died. He had gunshot wounds to his head, chest and stomach.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operations. NATO's top commander said Friday he will recommend ending the alliance's 7-month mission in Libya.
There are currently about 70 U.S. aircraft as well as a number of ships, three unmanned Global Hawk surveillance drones and several Predators assigned to the Libya mission. So far, none of those aircraft or ships have been moved or taken out of the mission, but many will likely move on fairly quickly.
There is fervent demand particularly for the drones, both at the battlefronts of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other hotspots around the world, including Africa, South America and the Asia-Pacific region.
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