STOP Uranium Drilling at the Grand Canyon

The Obama administration is currently considering halting environmental degradation around the Grand Canyon and you can support these actions RIGHT NOW!

The Bush administration approved drilling for uranium at 39 sites near the Grand Canyon’s south rim in 2008.  This decision led to a rush in claims for mining the radioactive mineral near this iconic park.  The House reacted to these developments in June 2008.  At that time the House Natural Resources Committee ordered 1 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service national park land to be withdrawn from new uranium mining claims.

The granting of these permits rested on a 19th century law.  The 1872 Mining Law allows gold, uranium and other hard rock metals to be taken from most western public lands almost for free and with few restrictions or cleanup requirements.  This law, enacted by President Ulysses S. Grant, was originally meant to help single miners with pack mules.  Now, huge mining corporations are abusing this law to establish large scale mining structures right next to national monuments.

The final straw occurred this year, after the Bureau of Land Management authorized Quaterra Alaska Inc. to conduct eight uranium mine exploration operations at five separate projects north of Grand Canyon National Park and west of the Kaibab Plateau.  This was in clear violation of the House Committee's order and only added one more permit for the 1,100 uranium mining claims within five miles of the Grand Canyon National Park.  To view the documents (provided by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Grand Canyon Trust) please go to http://www.eenews.net/public/25/10817/features/documents/2009/05/06/document_gw_01.pdf.

Secretary Ken Salazar of the Interior Department barred all filing of claims on the acreage around the Grand Canyon National Park this past July for two years.  The two year moratorium will allow the Interior Department to study whether the land should be permanently withdrawn from mining activity.  The authority for the moratorium rests upon General Mining Act of 1872, which does not allow for the negation of certain mining contracts because of the environmental impact.  The only recourse for previously authorized permits is the buying of the permits through federal monies.  This was done in 1996 when the federal government paid $65 million to buy out patented claims just three miles from Yellowstone National Park

Care2 has created an online petition that allows you to create an e-mail addressed to Secretary Salazar telling him to protect our parks and forests on a permanent basis by working with Congress to modernize the 1872 Mining Law.  Please show your support for Secretary Salazar and your commitment to stopping mining around our national landmarks by going here, http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/537758450?z00m=19785502.

(ArticlesBase SC #1157156)

Musharraf, 'a Trojan Horse' of Bush

What the world expected has come true. President of Pakistan , Pervez musharraf , oh , no ,- the Chief of Staff of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf declared a State of Emergency . He issued Provisional Constitutional order on the Pakistan Television at 18.30, on 3rd. November. All private television were banned and telephone , mobilise were jammed . The troops dismissed Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry , the Chief Justice and took the control of Supreme Court and other ’key’ Govt. Buildings .It is not that proclamation of emergency has ceased the democracy exist . Democracy was not kept written in Pakistani .dictionary .The recent Islamist activity , adverse verdict of Supreme Court , the Militant activities of Talliban and Al- Quida have already prepared the gun powder ready. And, the re arrival of Nawaz Sharif and Benezir Bhutto pulled the hammer. The interest of Jorge Bush in collaboration with the position of Pervez , that was hanging on the balance, drew the trigger.

Till to it every thing was alright and was an open secret. A rat was smelt in Pakistan. That was not known who decorated the stage of drama. Is emergency the brain-child of Pervez? No one hatched the eggs before? But Pervez won the first battle before January, 2008. The Chief of Staff administered a hard fatal blow militarily to Iftikhar , Nawaz and Benezir. Perhaps she was convinced and fled away. The smart lady over smartly doffed Pervez’s cap. Other opponents may be arrested or will be shifted to. Time will say whether President will get cool water permanently , or not , but now he has taken the country and his own position under wing .Willim J .Fallon , U.S. Admiral’s tour to Pakistan should not be taken for by any one as a nightmarish tour , or as ‘ glorious uncertainty’, or hair raising experience keeping mouth wide- open. And, it has been done So, everyone has shrugged off the incident. The question that is ringing in the air who will net the bird in the jungle of hullabaloo? .Have you recognised the king- pin? Why Lady Rice was seen? If you do not make out I have all right to ask how you come to possess the head. I advise you to make your head rule over emotional exploitation. Bush may say, “All paths of nations are struggling through lead unto me.”The whole scenario has only been re scripted .It was going to be difficult for Bush to sleep in peace due to America- wise extremist operations and Pervez is his pawn of anti extremist & political chase –board. Moreover, he does not rely India to will have put her foot into his shoes. On the other hand, Supreme Court might pass verdict against Pervez’s eligibility as a president very shortly. Naturally, sub- continent has found a treaty between two old friends . A part of I.S.I magnet has begun to show their ugly faces to president. So, he urgently needed a hide –out. U.S.A. has paved his way and India , though has not rolled on red carpet , shows soft-silent consent, as this situation was known to India. Condolidga Rice used to insist Pranab Mukherjee in New York to support Pervaz as he was in hot-water. RAW.

Already alerted Monmohan Sing with prior information. Monmohan Sing took the path of Gita between two rivals , Pervaz and Nawaz, “Impartial and equal am I to both. None do I despise nor love more than any other. Whoever approaches me in whatever manner , I accept him” Now India prefers Pervaz to Nawaz. Bush wants Musharraf’s chair secured . India coloured Pervaz’s emergency with silent support . Every nation would have done so to neighbouring countries present situation. In the question of supporting Musharraf , America and India are comrades of same trench. After all, no negative approach is expected from the side of Pakistan hampers the security of India. She has been beginning to keep an strict vigil eye on borders , as persuaded terrorists may try to intrude into India. Politically Manmohan Govt. finds it a golden sun to make the hey. The armed groups of Pakistan have been waging war against each other to establish supremacy over country . The people of Pakistan had lost all hope on Gia –Ul- Hock and Pervaz etc. The destiny of Gia –Ul may repeat to Pervaz. History of Pakistan says nothing [because] it is scared of being killed and, now it is taken captive. Disturbance has become the order of the day there. Democracy , rights of citizen and justice are gunned down and may remain same with all ages to come. Official crime figures are unrealistic. Crop shown by one has been harvested by another. This is the history of Pakistan . Surely, India finds her similarity to this point. But, now she starts to set her own house in order. Military insurgency is a virus in Pakistan, that lies dormant there for forty years. The only apprehension is that repeating of history takes place there very quickly. This dangerous change is nothing but a thin crust on the surface of hot lava of military dependence. Pakistan is always in the danger of breaking through the crust and slipping into uncertainty , the hot lava underneath. No dictator is immune from it. And ancestors , the Frankenstein , of Bush never succeeded to keep there demons in order. The critics and fans, who till the other day, hailed them as the saviour of them had suddenly began to take a closer look to see and discovered the vast blank behind. Bush is also the sort whose reflection in a mirror would not believe him. He has come to keep his military foot on Pervaz’s shoulders to get rid of his own made trap.

India should not trust this long distance love-bird. Her dream of honey-moon may up in smoke. Pakistan without disturbance is lame and Bush a blind. India , in this situation , may lend Pervaz a hand for victory for own ends, but remaining under curtain, in a safe distance. Now Bush as well as Musharraf are on the horns of dilemma , and want to set foot on India. They both have the job of glorification of violence , that has given birth of new seeds of violence world-wise. Pervaz has been enjoying the ‘loaves and fishes’ of the office. So he shall try to fight with all tooth and nail and anti-force must leave no stone unturned to turn Pakistan up side down. And obviously India will try to get the mount of long deposited garbage cleansed keeping an eagle eye on the turn

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/musharraf-a-trojan-horse-of-bush-252964.html#ixzz0ltHbv5mb

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Close Encounters of the Bush Kind

Excerpt
The following is an excerpt from the book Peace Mom
by Cindy Sheehan
Published by Atria; September 2006;$22.95US/$31.50CAN; 0-7432-9791-1
Copyright © 2006 Cindy Sheehan

Chapter 6

Close Encounters of the Bush Kind

We were a little late getting to the bus the next morning because at first we couldn't get Andy up -- either by phone or by knocking on his door. When we boarded the bus we were greeted by approximately sixty people, making up fourteen or fifteen families like ours. All the others had the same sad look around their eyes. There was no jocularity or singing on this bus.

I met a young woman whose husband had been blown to vapor and they'd recovered nothing of him to bury. His mom and dad were also on the bus. They were so hurt and fragile.

But sitting right in front of me was another woman whom I have grown to dislike very strongly. I soon found out that she was the stepmother of a soldier who was killed, but she introduced herself and her husband as the parents of "Ed." She then pointed out another woman who she said was Ed's "sort of foster mother"-- who I found out later was Ed's real mother. The first woman was his stepmother, who didn't have a very good relationship with Ed before he was killed. But ever since he was killed, she has been a tireless supporter of the war and the president. She is so "brave and valiant" to keep her chin up after her stepson was killed.

This stepmother and her husband became active participants in one of the most bizarre protests in history: The "Cindy doesn't speak for me" tour. I can't believe that these people's views, beliefs, and intellect are so wee that they can't even have a "We speak for ourselves" tour. Ed's real mother, who is very antiwar and anti-Bush, is in my organization and her heart aches every time this woman claims Ed as her own and exploits his name and sacrifice to prop up the president and his misguided war.

We arrived at Fort Lewis about forty-five minutes after we left the hotel. Then we had to stand in the parking lot of the post hospital, where the meetings were to occur, for another hour because they weren't ready to let us in yet. I was beginning to feel the Washington State "heat wave" more acutely as we stood on asphalt without shade or water.

This interlude, though, is when I found out that my soon to be new friend was Ed's mother, not his "sort of foster mother." I found out that she was even more deeply opposed to George Bush and the war than I was at the time. Her son was KIA back in 2003, so she'd had a little more time to ponder the reasons and lies. She even had a letter that she wanted to give George, accusing him of lying and taking our country to war for oil. Damn it, I thought to myself, I wish I had thought of that!

My new friend "Donna" requested, and received, a meeting with George Bush that was separate from the one with her flag-waving, red-white-and-blue-wearing ex-husband and his wife. She gave the letter to one of the president's aides and waited in a room by herself until George had met with all of the other families. I wish to recount her meeting before I recount ours. Then maybe, dear reader, you won't be so horrified by our little "tea party" with George.

Donna was waiting in her little curtained-off area for the president to appear. When he did, he strode right up to her and put his face an inch from hers -- there they stood, nose to nose, and Donna, God bless her, did not back off. He sneered at her and said in his most intimidating (he thinks) voice, "I'm George W. Bush, I am president of the United States, and I hear you have something to say to me."

Donna looked him squarely in the eye and said, "You bet I do."

She then went on to outline her grievances against him, asking the question that I would try to ask George a year later: "Why did my son have to die?"

Donna told him that Ed had a good life and if he had lived, he would have been a productive and wonderful citizen of our society. Then Bush said the coldest thing to her that I have ever heard. After Donna got through talking about her dear boy, George, unbelievably and incredibly, said, "If your son came home from Iraq alive, how do you know he would have had a good life?"

When Donna told me that, I wondered how she didn't slap him or spit in his face. President or not, that was a rude and coldhearted and pitiless thing to say. She said she was too shocked to even say anything in reply.

Our meeting with George was disturbing, but it took us a while to realize it because we were still in too much shock at the time to process it.

We were moved from a big room in the post hospital to a little room with a couch, chair, a coffee table, and a fake potted tree. The room was a curtained-off space that was barely big enough for the five of us. I had brought five pictures of Casey, ranging from when he was a baby to when he was a big soldier man.

The smiling pictures of a cheerful and chubby-cheeked baby break my heart. Why did I let my sunny, wonderful boy join Uncle Sam's army? The pictures of Casey when he was a beautiful boy are heartbreaking, too. Then he became an awkward teenager -- tall and skinny and all "asses and elbows," as I used to say to him -- with braces and acne, to boot! When the braces came off and the acne cleared, he was a handsome young man.

So we were sitting in this tiny room at Fort Lewis with the pictures of Casey on the coffee table. The scene was like some tragic and smaller version of our home and our decimated family. We were nervously waiting for George Bush to appear -- when in walked Arizona senator John McCain.

The events that I am about to relate were later disputed by John McCain, but I know they are the truth. Up to that point in my life, I had never even met one senator, let alone one with the stature of John McCain, and I treasured what he said to us.

The senator was very personable and he sat right down on the couch and complimented the girls on how pretty they were and on how handsome Andy was -- he called us all by our first names -- then he looked at the pictures of Casey and had tears in his eyes.

I asked McCain why Casey had to die, and he told me, "Well, Cindy, I am afraid it's going to be for nothing, like my buddies in Vietnam." I was stunned by his openness and honesty, but I deeply appreciated it. However, he denies having said this.

We chatted with some small talk and then he asked us if there was anything else he could do for us and I said, "Yes, you can run with Senator Kerry as his vice president." He chuckled and said, "Anything but that, Cindy. The country is too divided as it is." Senator McCain remembers this exchange. We had quite a spirited talk about this, our first meeting, when I met with him again in his Washington, D.C., office in September.

I had a lot of respect for Senator McCain, and I love what he did in the Senate to try to limit George and Dick's reign of torture. But after what the Rove team did to John McCain during the 2000 campaign when they smeared him and tried to aver that he had a black baby and demeaned his war record as a prisoner of war in Vietnam -- trying to make him look as if he gave up national secrets under torture -- then John McCain bends over and lets George Bush kiss him. He even campaigned for Bush in 2004. That's when I lost respect for the senator, but in June 2004, I still had a lot of regard for him. Now, with the senator's unending support for another Vietnam-style war, I fear that every shred of goodness and humanity in him has been lost.

After the senator left our little "living room," we looked at each other, and Carly said, "I wonder if he is the president's warm-up act." And Pat said, "I wonder what Casey has in store for us next."

After what seemed like hours, the curtain finally opened and in walked George. I was face-to-face with the devil, but I didn't even know how monstrous this person really was yet.

The president of the United States of America, arguably the most powerful man in the world, walked into the room wearing a blue suit that looked straight off a Wal-Mart rack. His entire tone was one of being at a tea party, and the first thing he uttered was, "So, who are we honorin' here?"

We all looked at one another in disbelief, and later, when we compared notes, we couldn't believe that the so-called leader of the so-called free world didn't even know Casey's name. And unlike the senator, he didn't know our names, because right before George entered they had us take off our name tags. I think this was to make it a better photo op, but I'm not really sure. At the very least, we couldn't believe that an aide didn't whisper, "Mr. President, this is the Sheehan family. Their son, Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed in Iraq."

So we told him who we were and who we were "honorin'." We are still not sure who he honors, and I am not sure we really want to know.

I tried to get George to look at the pictures that we had brought of Casey, but he wouldn't. We tried to talk about Casey and what a valuable member of our family he was, but he didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to know anything about Casey, and I feel he didn't want to see the face of someone his lies killed. I believe George does not want to humanize his cannon fodder, or bullet sponges, as the soldiers call themselves.

At one point he approached Carly and said, "Who are you to the loved one?" (He always called Casey the "loved one.") Carly replied, "Casey was my brother."

George then said a very stupid thing, which he is famous for: "I wish I could bring your loved one back to fill the hole in your hearts."

"So do we, Mr. President," Carly agreed. At which point he gave her what Carly says was the "dirtiest look I ever received from another human being" and said to her, "I'm sure you do." Then he dismissed Carly with a turn of his back and never spoke to her again for the rest of the meeting.

We had some presidential small talk. He wanted to know what we did for a living and was particularly interested in Andy's career as a surveyor. We took some pictures with him, and he said to the kids, "Take care of your mama, she has a very sweet soul."

Then he approached me for our infamous exchange. He took my right hand in both of his and said, "Mom" -- he called me Mom -- "I can't imagine losin' a loved one. Whether it is an aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, brother, sister . . ."

Before he could go through the entire litany of how Casey could be related to me without actually saying the word son, I stopped him and said, "Mr. President" -- that's when I still called him that -- "Casey was my son. I think you can imagine it -- you have two daughters -- try to imagine one of them being killed." I saw a brief flicker of humanity in his eyes, then it was gone. I said, "Trust me, Mr. President, you don't want to go there."

And he said, "You're right, I don't."

At least, and I think for the first time, he was honest. I was stunned at his coldhearted statement and all I could mutter was, "Well, thanks for putting me there."

George Bush stammered some things about everyone on earth deserving "freedom and democracy" and slobbered something else about "expressing the thanks of a grateful nation." Trust me, we didn't say "You're welcome." Then as fast as he swept in, the tea party was over.

When I say George pretended to have compassion it is because everything he said did not match his eyes. Speaking to him was like speaking to someone who is disconnected from reality. It is very disconcerting to talk to people when the heart light of their eyes does not match what they are saying.

It was a very disordered event, not quite but almost as disordered as burying a child.

One of the things I asked him when we were speaking was, "Why were we invited here? We didn't vote for you in 2000 and we are certainly not going to vote for you this year!" His answer to me was, "Mom, this is not about politics." For some unknown but totally forgivable reason I believed him. That is, until the Republican National Convention, when he betrayed my trust again.

In his acceptance speech for the nomination for president, he said something like, "I meet with the families of the fallen. I feel their pain. They tell me that they are praying for me and to complete the mission in Iraq so their loved ones don't die in vain." That is what tore it for me. He told me he wasn't meeting us for political reasons, but that's exactly what it was for. The so-called commander in chief doesn't allow the showing of images of flag-draped coffins coming home from Iraq nor has he attended a single funeral.

He was trying to assure the nation that he had compassion. He was trying to tell the nation that we wanted more children killed just because Casey was dead.

Again, and again, and again, and again, he was lying. That's when I decided to become involved in the 2004 presidential campaign. Not to campaign for John Kerry, but to campaign against George Bush.

Copyright © 2006 Cindy Sheehan

Author
Cindy Sheehan, mother of the late Specialist Casey Sheehan, U.S. Army, is cofounder of Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization devoted to families who have lost loved ones in Iraq.

Why Bush Can't Leave

This is not yet another discussion about whether or not we should have gone into Iraq. (Bad move.) Nor is this a conversation about the tactics employed after the war. (Worse still)
Or about the devastating politi-zation that placed ideology above competence in staffing the provincial government after the war (some would say “moronic”).

It also isn’t about the rhetoric that is being vulgarly brandished about in all corners regarding the "fight for democracy and freedom". Anyone who actually believes that democracy and freedom have anything at all to do with our ongoing involvement in Iraq might as well stop reading now. We’re way to far apart for you to get what I’m saying here.

It would be so easy to talk about the oil, presidential politics, neo-conservative doctrines, the war profiteering, and all that other self-serving blather. But at this stage of the game, none of that is driving Bush, nor will it define his actions from now till the end of his Presidency. And that’s what this article is about.

I disagree with those who suggest Bush isn’t very smart. Okay, maybe he’s not sophisticated, but he’s definitely not shallow. Personally, I think he would be a great guest to have at a backyard barbecue, and I’m pretty damn picky about who I invite to my house. He's plenty smart, but more than that, he is a visionary. And like many visionaries, he is painfully susceptible to the fawning advice given by those around him who will use (and ultimately corrupt) the magic of his vision to promote their own agendas.

In spite of any thing that may cause one to conclude otherwise, President Bush understands, at a painful, soulful and deeply personal level, the disastrous consequences of his actions in launching this war. In that dark and lonely realm of realization, it simply doesn’t matter whether he thought he was right (I believe he did). Nor does it matter that he may have resorted to manipulation or dishonesty in marketing the whole war mythology to the US public and the rest of the world.

At the most intuitive level, Bush believed in the moral and strategic rightness of his actions. He believed it so strongly that he was willing to carve his vision out of stone if need be, no matter the consequences. That kind of determination takes guts and honor. He was not driven by some divine mission of doing God’s work. When George Bush stood on the frontiers of history, he saw a vision of a shining city and he took off.

In many ways, history may well congratulate the president for the boldness and expanse of his vision. And in many others it will castigate him for the same thing. But, contrary to the conventional wisdom, Bush isn’t even thinking about how history will regard him. You see, what ever public comments, justifications or endless spin there are that pollute the airwaves and conversations, the President knows something that no one in his camp is willing to acknowledge. As sure as he knows that he must connect Iraq to terrorism, he knows that he started it all. And the pain of that knowledge is brutal and relentless.

It provides him very little consolation to speak the words that he speaks about why we must stay. As much as he drives the talking points home day after day, he simply cannot escape the fact that he and he alone, opened Pandora’s Box. In the still of the night when the pundits and advisors are silent and the adoring neo-con supporters have gone off to dinner, he must be with himself, and he knows. When he reads about the horrendous suffering of 2,000 people being killed or maimed by pissed-off Sunnis and their bombs in the Northern Iraq Yazidi villages, he knows that this senseless act is a consequence of opening the box, even though it has nothing to do with terrorists or democracy or even the solidarity of the Iraqi Parliament. For all the rhetoric, it's impossible to find any comfort whatsoever in that kind of stupid brutality, no matter how useful it may be in supporting a position. And he knows there will be more.

In the Greek myth, sweet Pandora, who was wise and noble and fatally curious, pressed her ear next to the box and heard the faint voices inside pleading for release. "Help us. Please open the box and let us out, Pandora. We need to be free." In spite of knowing that she shouldn’t do so, she opened the box. The nasty, liberated spirits attacked and mauled her before visiting untold anguish on her innocent husband (who had beseeched her to NOT open the box in the first place). As they flew off in gleeful malice to torment the rest of humanity, Pandora was crushed with the realization that, despite the passionate warnings to leave it alone, she had unleashed the worst evil imaginable on her fellow humans. Despite her innocence and her longing for the world to be a beautiful, peaceful place, she was forever burdened with the yolk of knowing that she had opened that box. There simply is no escaping that burden.

Just as with the ill-fated Pandora, Bush unleashed some horrifically bad energy when he authorized the invasion of Iraq. In spite of pleas and admonishments from so many around him to “not open that box”, he could not suppress his inner self and, with the best of intentions, he opened the box. Centuries of hatred, repression, fear, insult and vengeance erupted, and mankind has been forever changed by the bites and stings of those spiteful forces.

For years now, supporters have rushed to the defense of that decision. But as the debates rage, and America searches for the right answer and the world stands in judgment, the president stands alone, knee deep in the blood and carnage, because he knows that he opened that box and he could have stopped it from happening.

Mu Guiying, the remarkable Woman General of The House of Yang in 947 AD, is quoted as saying:

“Before going to war, the general must be so sure of the rightness of his actions that he is willing to be hated and despised by millions of innocent people for the suffering he will cause them.”

No way was this president prepared for the suffering he would unleash on millions of innocent people. And while a president may be able to justify unleashing a holocaust for a good cause, it is a terrible burden for a man to face. At least it is for a good man, and George Bush is a good man. And the damnable hell of it is that, as he sees corruption, greed and megalomania hijacking his noble vision, he has no certainty that his actions were worthy enough to justify the hatred of millions of people who have suffered because of them. Indeed, evidence to the contrary mounts daily. Making matters worse, in the midst of the death and suffering, all around him greedy, power-hungry people are profiting from the mayhem and couldn’t really care less about his vision. It was just a fortuitous vehicle and he was an unwitting front man. And he has to live with that.

After Pandora realized the consequences of her deed “She cried softly as she sat on the green grass under the pale sun and leaned against the box. Tears stained her beautiful face and she hung her head in shame. For though the creatures had not identified themselves, something in her knew who they were.”

There is a final turn to the Greek story, and this is the part that Bush is holding out for. When all “the sprites of disease, hunger, hopelessness, cruelty, and the rest” had fled the box, there remained on last energy - Hope. Here alone rested the only antidote for what had been done. Pandora embraced Hope and knew that she must now spend her days using it to heal the wounds caused by her actions, even till the end of time if that’s what it took. That’s why Bush can’t leave.

To leave now would be to open the box, and then head off to Olympus, safe from the day to day carnage. To leave now would be to turn his back on the desperate, damaged Iraqis who are being ravaged by the unconscionable violence and suffering that has been unleashed. He can’t live with that shame. And so he will do the best he can to bring some level of harmony to the tattered and bloody remains of his vision – a vision that held so much promise, was so noble in its pure self. A vision that has been corrupted and butchered by the same voices that pleaded with him to open the box in the first place, and have now moved on.

One of the things I like about W is his cockiness and his sense of bravado. He is an Alpha Male, and he is unashamed about that. And, for good or bad, he doesn’t quit. Even when it makes theoretical sense to quit, he’s not gonna. Under other circumstances, we Americans would applaud that as a high virtue, as we did right after 9/11. But, now it's different. Still, he won’t quit.

At this point, Bush doesn’t give a flip about his popularity or the neo-cons or the Republican prospects for future political triumphs. He only cares about the damage he has done and he now feels he must do what ever he can, with whatever time he has left, to bring Hope to a hopeless situation. He’ll let the politicians and the strategists duke it out, he’ll say what he needs to say to whoever listens. He’ll risk anger and venom from the citizens of his country, the world, and his party. But he won’t leave.

Because he just can’t.

War in November 2008 - God Forbid ( Based on the Theory of J.c. Rosenberg & Related Readings)

WAR IN NOVEMBER?  - A military showdown with Iran may be fast approaching.

 War clouds continue to build in the epicenter. Last month in Rome, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed that the United States and Israel would soon be "annihilated," language he had not used so explicitly since October 2005 when he promised to wipe Israel "off the map" and urged Muslims to "envision a world without the United States." This week, his regime authorized a new series of Iranian war games. He ordered the digging of 320,000 graves to bury the enemies of Islam. He is calling for the unification of the Islamic world politically and economically, including the creation of a single currency.

 What's more, Iranian TV is running a new anti-Semitic documentary film series entitled, "The Secret of Armageddon." Setting the stage for a coming apocalyptic war that will usher in the Islamic Messiah known as the Mahdi or the "Twelfth Imam," the series focuses on a series of Bible prophecies that inform Jewish and Christian End Times theology. While the presentation is grossly distorted, some facts do emerge. Iranian scholar Dr. Ismail Shafe'i Sarustani , for example, tells viewers that the word "Armageddon" is "originally a Hebrew word" and "is a real geographical region, situated south of Haifa," noting that "the place was shelled by Hizbullah during the 33-day [July 2006] war." Iranian historian Mohammad-Taqi Taqipour notes that "these [Evangelical Christians], along with the Jews, believe that the War of the End of Days will take place in the desert of Megiddo , in Palestine . They believe that Jesus will return, and that then there will be a millennium of happiness."

 The series, however, accuses Jews who were victims of genocide -- during the very Holocaust Ahmadinejad denies ever happened -- of actually planning to commit genocide. "There is a genocidal Zionist Jewish plan for the genocide of humanity at the hand of the Zionist Jew-boys," claims one Iranian researcher interviewed for the program. "The Zionist Jew-boys talk about a 'Greater Israel' -- from the Euphrates to the Nile -- but their actual goal is world domination." At one point, Iranian researcher Shams Al-Din Rahmani argues that "the goal of the Zionists is the total destruction of Islam."

During the June 7th episode, the narrator embraces anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and proceeds to try to justify Iran 's own war plans. "Today, there are many indications that the 'hidden hands' of world Zionism were involved in the 9/11 terrorist attack. According to a large group of Western intellectuals, the Zionists are the real rulers of the United States . According to irrefutable documents published by independent American media outlets, the Zionists used intelligence agents and spies, with the full cooperation of agencies with the country, to carry out this terrorist operation in full view of the world, in order to prepare the ground for taking over Afghanistan and Iraq , and to realize the dream of a greater Israel ."

 Top Israeli intelligence officials, meanwhile, increasingly believe that time is running out. They believe that Iran could have nuclear weapons within a year and one former Mossad chief is urging his country's leadership to launch a massive series of air strikes against Iranian nuclear and other military facilities before it is too late. Israel 's Air Force just conducted a test run of such a bombing mission.
 John Bolton, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., says he believes Israel may strike Iran sometime in late fall or early winter, after the U.S. elections in November but before the inauguration of the next American President on January 20. A senior Pentagon officials told the Washington Post several days ago he is worried about the same scenario -- a November surprise -- prompting both President Bush and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to make strong public statements warning the Israelis not to take such actions. Until just a few weeks ago, it was widely believed in Israel that new parliamentary elections would be held in November. But at the last moment, Defense Minister Ehud Barak withdrew his threat of voting to bring down the Olmert government for a few more months, leading some to speculate that Barak may be calculating that Israelis couldn't be fully immersed in an electoral campaign and a bombing campaign simultaneously.

The U.S. does not want Israel to strike. After all, the repercussions of such a war with Iran would be global in nature. Israel would face tens of thousands of incoming missiles not just from Iran but likely from Syria , Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza and possibly the West Bank . Some of these missiles could have chemical and/or biological warheads, even if the nuclear warheads in Iran are not yet ready. Ballistic missiles would also be likely fired from Iran at the oil fields in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States , at oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Straight of Hormuz, and at U.S. bases and forces in Iraq . Tens of thousands of suicide bomber cells could be activated in the region -- especially in Iraq and Israel -- and perhaps even in Western Europe and the U.S. and Canada . Iranian efforts to topple Jordan 's King Abdullah II and/or Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in favor of radical Islamic regimes friendly to Tehran could also be set in motion. Oil prices could shoot from $140 a barrel to $300 a barrel or more. U.S. gas prices could spike to $7-$10 or more, with horrific domestic and global economic repercussions.

 No wonder Washington doesn't want a war with Iran . No wants such a war. I certainly do not, and neither do the Israelis. Yet, the U.S. does not have a convincing plan to stop the Iranian nuclear weapons program in time. Nor does the U.N., or the E.U. Diplomacy isn't working. Economic sanctions have been imposed on Iran since 1979 to little strategic effect. Unfortunately, the words of Sen. John McCain keep echoing in my head this week. In April 2006, the senior Senator from Arizona appeared on NBC's Meet the Press. He said, "there's only one thing worse than using the option of military action, and that is the Iranians acquiring nuclear weapons." For if Iran gets the Bomb, he said, "I think we could have Armageddon."

Iran tests more missiles as U.S. vows to defend allies

- By Alistair Lyon

 TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran tested more missiles in the Gulf on Thursday, state media said, and the United States reminded Tehran that it was ready to defend its allies.

  Washington, which accuses Tehran of seeking nuclear arms, said after Iran test-fired nine missiles on Wednesday there should be no more such tests if Iran wanted the world's trust.

 U.S. leaders have not ruled out military options if diplomacy fails to assuage fears about Iran 's nuclear program, which Tehran says is only to produce electricity.

  Israel, long assumed to have its own atomic arsenal, has sworn to prevent Iran from emerging as a nuclear-armed power. Last month it staged an air force exercise that stoked speculation about a possible assault on Iranian nuclear sites.

  Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday he favored the use of diplomatic pressure and sanctions, but added: " Israel is the strongest country in the region and has proved in the past it is not afraid to take action when its vital security interests are at stake."

 Iran has vowed to strike back at Tel Aviv, as well as U.S. interests and shipping, if it is attacked, asserting that missiles fired during war games under way in the Gulf included ones that could hit Israel and U.S. bases in the region.

 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on a visit to the former Soviet republic of Georgia that no one should be confused about Washington 's commitment to protect its allies.  "We are also sending a message to Iran that we will defend American interests and ... the interests of our allies," she said after meeting Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

 Rice said a planned U.S. missile defense shield, to be partly based in the Czech Republic and Poland , would dampen any threat of an attack from Iran . Russia opposes the project.

  "We also are able to look to the future of a missile defense system that will make it more difficult for Iran to threaten (and) and be bellicose and say terrible things because their missiles won't work," Rice said.
 Iranian state TV and radio said the Revolutionary Guards -- the ideologically driven wing of Iran 's armed forces -- had fired ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and sea-to-air missiles overnight. Long-range missiles were also launched.

  CHINA URGES RESTRAINT:

  "The ... maneuver brings power to the Islamic Republic of Iran and is a lesson for enemies," Guards Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Ali Jafari was quoted as saying.

 Iran has threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz , a vital route for Gulf oil exports, if it is attacked. Thursday's exercises involved divers and speedboats, as well as the launch of a high-speed torpedo called Hout, state media said.

  Commenting on Iran 's Gulf maneuvers, Kuwait said it hoped wisdom would prevail on all sides. "The region has had enough of continuous wars," Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khaled Jarallah was quoted by state news agency KUNA as saying.

 On Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz , he said: "We hope it does not come to this."

 The missile tests rattled global oil markets, pushing up the price of oil. Crude prices have dipped in recent days but have hit a series of record highs this year partly on Iran tensions.

 China urged restraint in the row over Iran 's nuclear plans, but did not echo Western rebukes over the missile firings.

 "We express our concern about these developments," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said of the tests.

 He welcomed the prospect of fresh talks on the nuclear program being pursued by Iran , the world's fourth largest oil producer and China 's third biggest crude supplier.

 The United States , Britain , France , Germany , Russia and China have offered Iran incentives to curb its nuclear work. Tehran rejects their demand that it suspend uranium enrichment.

 European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, acting for the six powers, is expected to meet Iranian officials for talks on the package, but no time or place has been announced.

 China and Russia , which is building Iran 's first, and so far only, nuclear power plant, have been resisting U.S.-led calls for expanding U.N. sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

 Sanctions have made Western firms increasingly wary about investing. France 's Total said on Thursday it would not invest for now in a big gas deal due to the political risk.

 Iran has brushed off the impact of Western caution saying it has a big enough cash pile from windfall oil earnings to carry out the project itself or find other interested parties.

 "This is our message. We will proceed with development with or without them," Iranian Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari told journalists when asked about the latest comments from Total.

Iran States Missiles Are On Launching Pads and Ready for Fire

- By Willard Payne

 Night Watch: TEHRAN - "Our missiles are ready for shooting at any place and any time, quickly and with accuracy. The enemy must not repeat its mistakes. The enemy targets are under surveillance." That was the ominous-offensive statement by the commander of the Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-Air Force Brigadier General Hossein Salami on the nine missile tests Iran conducted yesterday as part of their The Great Prophet III maneuvers currently underway in the Strait of Hormuz. FNA reports an upgraded version of the Shahab-3 was tested with its range of 1,240 miles (2,000 km) along with the medium range Zelzal 240 miles (400 km) and the Fateh 102 miles (170 km). Tehran has in the past indicated the Shahab-3 will only be launched at Israel if Jerusalem attacks first, but the shorter range missiles are most likely targeted at the US/UK bases in Iraq and when the wider regional war begins they will be used in support of the Mahdi Army and other Islamic militias in Iraq . [FNA]

IRGC Naval commander, Morteza Saffari, explained one of the strategic concepts involved in the maneuvers is to show, "The maneuvers also sets out a reassuring message to regional countries that together we can secure the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz without the presence of foreign forces." That message resonates very favorably with governments in the Persian Gulf not only because of the disastrous situation the US/UK occupation has caused in Iraq but they no longer believe the gulf has to be a base for Western military units. They have probably viewed the West's insistence that bases be maintained as condescending and patronizing. Saffari added besides the missile firings the maneuvers also displayed a variety of other missiles, rockets and torpedo launchers. Military vessels and land-to-sea missiles were tested as well, everything Iran will use on this Persian Gulf-Strait of Hormuz front.

Great Prophet III - The France24 link has news video from Al-Alam television on the missile tests. Please keep in mind guidance systems on missiles of any kind and all ranges are extremely fragile and are prone to malfunction. Nothing works as well as advertised. Some will miss, others will be duds, some of course will work. Despite all the improvements and upgrading military-industries will never achieve perfection. [FRANCE24]

Tehran - This other France24 link contains more displays of military hardware and warnings from Iran . [FRANCE24]

Knesset - While Tehran prepares for a possible attack by the US-Israel the Wednesday Security Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon . INN is reporting cabinet ministers will be briefed on the massive rearmament campaign Hezbollah has been conducting as a constant stream of weaponry arrives in Lebanon through Syria . It was never any secret, since the 2006 war, that Hezbollah began its re-supplying the day after the war ended and in direct violation of the United Nations ceasefire resolution which was never enforced by the 13,000 European troops with UNIFIL in south Lebanon. Recently the Italian Foreign Minister visited Israel and its Lebanon front and Israel has also contacted France's Foreign Minister I suspect to inform both of them of Israel's planned offensive. It is quite possible one of the main reasons for Israel not having staged its offensive into Gaza against Palestinian militants is because they always knew their most serious threat is to their north across the Lebanese border and northeast into Syria . The vast majority of missiles launched at Israel will come from those two locations and the Security Cabinet discussed specific ways of halting the weapons traffic. [ INN ]

 Jerusalem is constantly aware UNIFIL is powerless and diplomacy is a lie therefore military operations are being planned which is completely consistent with Israel's security doctrine that allows for pre-emptive attacks not only to disrupt an enemy's preparation but even staging an outright invasion as in June 1967. They knew the invasion would lead to war and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were so successful the war only lasted six days. The cabinet ministers were informed Hezbollah now has three times the number of missiles-rockets they had two years ago and I believe it was also reported Defense Minister Ehud Barak is scheduled to visit Washington next week. I suspect when Pentagon Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, visited Israel recently Syria may have been discussed even more than Iran especially since the Israel Air Force (IAF) raid last September on Syria 's nuclear installation did not destroy all of Syria 's nuclear weapons fuel production. Yesterday Israel Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni made some extremely strong statements against Damascus which were just short of a declaration of war.

 Jerusalem seems to be convinced they need to repeat their initiative from 1967 which kept the enemy off balance and increased Israel 's security and the only way they can do so is to not wait for Hezbollah to attack first. That was the mistake Jerusalem made in 2006 and the IDF response was not aggressive enough since they did not re-occupy south Lebanon which would have made the thousands of Katyusha rockets Hezbollah has completely ineffective. The Security Cabinet was informed a Kuwait newspaper published a report which mentioned Hezbollah intends to position anti-aircraft missiles on the peaks of Lebanon 's mountains which is a direct threat to the IAF surveillance flights and the only way Israel has been able to monitor Hezbollah-Syria-Iran's network of weapons support. Washington has always said it was never against any IDF military offensive it just wanted to be told in advance so I assume the telling will be Barak's visit to Washington next week. There will definitely be more Guns of August in 2008 than in 2006.

 The Lebanon-Syria front have become one and the same. So Tehran will not be entering the war in support of Palestinian militants in Gaza but in support of Hezbollah-Syria. Israel has also warned Damascus when the IDF attacks Hezbollah , Syria will also be targeted. That is the only way for Israel to end weapons traffic in Lebanon . There may not be as much fighting in Gaza as I expected which would really disappoint Tehran . Iran has been years in planning its magnanimous military gesture in support of Palestinian people but instead Iran may have to desperately reinforce the Lebanon-Syria front.

 Barak warns Iran 'we won't hesitate to act' 

 Defense minister issues stern warning aimed at Tehran , says ' Israel is the strongest country in the region, and it has proven in the past that it is not afraid to act when there its vital interests are threatened.'

 With Iran continuing to flex its military muscles with Wednesday's ballistic missile tests, Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a strongly-worded warning on Thursday evening, warning Tehran that Israel would not hesitate to resort to military action.

 "This is a challenge not only for Israel but for the entire world. The focus now is sanctions and diplomatic action. Israel is the strongest country in the region, and it has proven in the past that it is not afraid to act when there its vital interests are threatened," Barak said in an address at the Labor party's Tel Aviv headquarters.

 The defense minister urged, however, for caution. "The responses of our adversaries must be taken into account. Hamas, and Hizbullah, and the Syrians, and the Iranians – there is activity all around us. And there exists a potential for confrontation," he said.

 "On the other hand, there is also potential for accords, particularly with the Palestinians and the Syrians. We have a moral responsibility to make the most of any chance to reach an agreement with our neighbors. But the considerations are very complex, and we need to see ahead, to work around the obstacles to ensure Israel 's security."

 "We must work towards an accord – but if not, then we must strike our enemy when it is required."
'Our moral duty to bring captives home'

Barak also addressed the prisoner-exchange deal with Hizbullah. "We hope to see the finish line of our fight to bring Udi and Eldad home," he said, referring to kidnapped IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.

 "We have a moral obligation as commanders to bring home soldiers who go out on missions in the country's name. It is our duty to tell the truth to the public and to the families if it becomes apparent that the boys have been killed, it is our duty to say that. Meaning – their return should not be delayed by Hizbullah ploys."

 The defense minister warned that Hizbullah continues to grow stronger. "There is a constant erosion of (UNSC) Resolution 1701. Over the past two years they have doubled and even tripled their arsenal of rockets, and these cover the entire country," he said, adding that Hizbullah now maintains far closer ties with Syria .

 Regarding the ongoing negotiations to secure the release of Gilad Shalit, Barak said: "There is a window of opportunity now, created by the ceasefire. It is important for us to take advantage of this window, and it is important that the tough decisions be made in Jerusalem and not in Gaza .

 OPEC chief warns of 'unlimited' oil prices if Iran is attacked

- By James Kanter

 VIENNA: The head of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries warned Thursday that oil prices would see an "unlimited" increase in the case of a military conflict involving Iran , because the group's members would be unable to make up the lost production.

"We really cannot replace Iran 's production - it's not feasible to replace it," Abdalla Salem El-Badri, the OPEC secretary general, said in an interview.

 Iran, the second-largest producing country in OPEC, after Saudi Arabia , produces about four million barrels of oil a day out of the daily worldwide production of close to 87 million barrels.

The country has been locked in a lengthy dispute with Western nations over its nuclear ambitions.

 In recent weeks, the price of oil has risen higher on speculation that Israel could be preparing to mount an attack on the country's nuclear facilities. The saber-rattling intensified this week with missile tests by Iran .

 That has further rattled oil markets because of concerns that any conflict with Iran could disrupt oil shipments from the Gulf.

"The prices would go unlimited," Badri said during the interview, referring to the impact of a military conflict. "I can't give you a number."

 Tehran has insisted that its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes.

 Badri, a former oil executive who has headed the oil industry in Libya and served as deputy prime minister of that country, called for a peaceful solution, and he hinted that an additional conflict in the Middle East besides the ongoing conflict in Iraq would be severe and long-lasting.

 "If something happened there, nobody would be able to solve it," he said, referring to a war involving Iran .

 He said that current geopolitical tensions were among the principal reasons why oil prices were so high. He said that a shortfall in refining capacity and a weak dollar were other factors but reiterated OPEC's position that speculation on oil markets probably was the most important.

 He insisted that reserves of oil were plentiful and that worries about scarcity were misplaced.

 Supplies from Russia and Norway and other non-OPEC nations outside the 13-member OPEC would keep growing, helped by technologies like turning gas and coal into liquid fuel and extracting oil from tar sands and shale.

 Even so, he also sought to assuage concerns about a supply shock, saying that OPEC members already were investing $160 billion in new production capacity up to 2012.

 But he said additional investment in future production capacity could be frozen, potentially sharpening a dispute with consuming nations about whether sufficient steps are being taken to meet demand over the next decade.

 Steps taken by the European Union and in the United States to cut dependence on fossil fuels meant that OPEC had no alternative but to take a cautious approach before going ahead with plans to invest up to $540 billion in oil production up to 2020.

 "If we don't see the demand, we are not going to invest," said Badri, adding that there was real doubt over what amount of money OPEC nations would invest after 2012.

 OPEC nations "don't want to spend their money on something they cannot use," he said.

 OPEC nations contribute about 40 percent of daily worldwide production.

Bush's Friends in Oil Hunting

Former U.S. president George Bush had started a small company in the 1970s named Bush Exploration/Arbusto. He sold this company to Spectrum 7 and received $ 600,000 in stock, a
$120,000 yearly contract and a lot of friends in the Texas oil scene. Oil and other energy money gushed into George II’s 2000 campaign coffers to the tune of $2.8 million. Another $2.3 million came from the auto sector. Enron donated more than a million dollars to the Republican National Committee. His most close friends and flowers are:

Dick Cheney, Vice President After serving as defense secretary
under Bush I, Cheney settled in Dallas to head up the world's largest oil service company, Halliburton. Halliburton has100,000 employees in 130 countries, and a market value of   $18.2 bill ion. Since 1992 the company has contributed $1.6 billion to Washington politicians. Halliburton now has contracts with the U.S. army to build and staff pre-fabricated bases, a program championed by Cheney when he was secretary of defense.

Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Envoy to Afghanistan: The highest-ranking U. S. diplomat in Afghanistan Khalilzad has a long history of promoting military action as a member of the Reagan and Bush I administrations. He was a consultant for oil giant Unocal in 1997, conducting risk assessments for their proposed 900-mile Afghan pipeline to transport natural gas. In advocating the Unocal pipeline while the Taliban still ruled Afghanistan, Khalilzad wrote in theWashington Post that “ Taliban do not practice the anti-U. S. style of fundamentalism practiced by Iran. We should be willing to offer recognition and humanitarian assistance.”

Don Evans, Commerce Secretary, Evans was Bush II’s campaign manager and chief fundraiser in the last three elections, pulling in millions from cronies in the oil patch. Before that he was CEO and chairman of the Colorado-based oil company, Tom Brown Inc. and a boardmember of Sharp Drilling, an oil industry contractor. As commerce secretary, Evans oversees policy for U. S. oceans and air. Since 25 percent of domestic oil and natural gas production comes from offshore drilling, the industry must be glad to have a friend on the inside.

Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor: Rice spent a decade on the board of Chevron Corporation (now ChevronTexaco). She was Chevron’s main expert on Kazakhstan, where the company has invested $20 billion. Chevron-Texaco is also a big player in Nigeria. Rice is involved in U. S. policy toward that country. When Rice left the Chevron board, the company honored her by naming one of its supertankers “Condoleezza.”