Latest News & Analysis August 1-15 2003

8-3-03 Sensational memos lift the lid on media control "If they are authentic, these memos represent the most important revelation of government deception since the Pentagon Papers, and suggest the 'news' is little more than mass psychological control. There are shocking references to cover-ups of government domestic terrorism, SARS, Mad Cow, and events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Iran and much more."

8-2-03 U.N. approves force for Liberia "The United Nations Security Council voted 12 to 0 to authorize deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force to Liberia, clearing the way for the arrival of Nigerian troops on Monday and the possible participation of U.S. soldiers." GOP Senator criticizes Bush on Liberia case "With American warships full of marines steaming closer to Liberia's coast, an influential Republican senator criticized the Bush administration today for preparing plans to send troops to that country without making a convincing case to Congress, which has just started a month's recess." (Real News 24/7: The real issue is whether American is going to continue to be the U.N.'s bully boy on the road to global government.) Liberia leader promises to step down "Pressured by fellow West African leaders, President Charles Taylor promised Saturday to resign Aug. 11 after the expected arrival of peacekeepers, as his forces stepped up their battle against rebels for Monrovia's port." Flashback: Remember Katanga! "In order to avoid the nightmare that attended Communist rule in the Congo, the province of Katanga declared its independence. Its president, the Christian, pro-American Moise Tshombe, announced that "we are seceding from chaos." (Real News 24/7: A preview of what's to come for Liberia? Included here because people still don't get it and the controlled news media. won't give it to them. See Part I of G. Edward Griffin's exposé The Fearful Master for an in-depth look at this shameful, but revealing page in U.N. history.)

8-2-03 Patriot Act legal attacks pile up "At the local level, several cities also have enacted legislation that repeals or scales back implementation of the Patriot Act in their communities. Librarians have been among the more vocal critics of the bill, which they say could force them to turn over members' book-borrowing records."

8-2-03 Pentagon: China has 20 ICBMs that can hit U.S. "China has 20 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) capable of targeting the US and this number could increase to around 30 by 2005, a Pentagon report on Chinese military power says." (Real News 24/7: Thanks in large part to Bill Clinton.…Baghdad's a threat, but not Beijing?)

8-2-03 U.S. debates bid to kill Hussein and avoid trial Senior Bush administration officials are debating whether to order military commanders to kill rather than capture Saddam Hussein to avoid an unpredictable trial that could stir up nationalist Arab sentiments and embarrass Washington by publicizing past US support for the deposed Iraqi dictator, according to defense and intelligence officials. (Real News 24/7: Oh, and this is supposed to be rule by law? Of course, one law applies: Dead men don't talk.)

8-2-03 Dan Smoot: Rest in Peace "Dan Smoot, 89, passed away on July 24th in east Texas. Mr. Smoot, a former FBI agent, became a successful independent broadcaster whose "Dan Smoot Report," in TV and radio formats, eventually reached 20 million people weekly." E-Book: Smoot's classic The Business End of Government "When, early in this century, they began to move in important ways to destroy private capitalism in America, socialists were few in number, a ragtag bunch without financial re sources, generally held in contempt — while businessmen enjoyed prestige. To accomplish their purpose, the conspirators had to use capitalism's wealth against capitalism, and enlist wealthy businessmen as leaders in the effort. Patient and relentless, they succeeded. Norman Thomas, long-time head of the Socialist Party, and Earl Browder, long-time head of the Communist Party, both said, before they died, that there was no longer any need for them and their organizations to participate directly in American political campaigns, because Democrats and Republicans had adopted all their basic programs." (Emphasis added)

8-1-03 More strangeness revealed in Dr. David Kelly's death

Electrodes on chest "unusual" "Heart experts today said it was 'unusual' for someone to wear electrode pads while walking following revelations that government scientist David Kelly had four of the special monitors on his chest when his body was found in an Oxfordshire wood." Electric pads found on chest suggest recent test "The four electrode pads found on David Kelly's chest at a post-mortem examination indicate that he had recently had an electrocardiogram (ECG) test to check his heart rhythm, probably on the morning that he died." Intrigue, unanswered questions and the death of an MoD weapons expert "That Thursday Dr Kelly finally replied to his e-mail, saying: 'Many thanks for your support. Hopefully it will soon pass and I can get to Baghdad and get on with the real job.'" Betrayal: The torment of a man of morals "'It has been a very difficult time, as you can imagine,' he murmured. Difficult indeed. Honest and decent, Kelly was no peacenik or whistleblower. He knew that Saddam had for many years pursued terrible weapons and he had had a key role in compiling one of the government’s dossiers about them. However, ever the meticulous scientist, he felt it had exaggerated some aspects in its presentation." (Real News 24/7: Why does a man planning to commit suicide bother to have his heart examined that day? And why does he write optimistic e-mails the same day? As was written over at What Really Happened: "I wonder if whoever "suicided" Kelly wanted to make sure his heart had really stopped before dumping the body, and in their haste yanked the EKG wires but forgot the adhesive pads." [Emphasis added. While the website cited here has much good material, we will not recommend it as long as it supports of "gay rights," and includes foul language and, as it has on a couple occasions, nude photos. Added 8-2: Yet another reason we won't recommend What Really Happened is its support of the absurd thesis that Christ never died on the Cross, but married Mary Magdalene, fathered children and fled to what is now France.])

8-1-03 Robert Novak: Repatriated Cubans spell boatload of trouble for Bush "It was not just that the Bush administration dispatched 12 Cubans who hijacked a boat to the tender mercies of Fidel Castro. What inflamed pro-Bush Cuban Americans in south Florida is that the United States negotiated with the communist dictator to impose 10-year prison sentences. This sudden agreement between Washington and Havana could cost George W. Bush a second term."

8-1-03 Voting systems "can't be trusted" "Dangling chads, nothing. Florida's voting snafus during the 2000 presidential election pale in comparison to the vulnerabilities of high-tech voting machines counties throughout the nation are scrambling to buy in compliance with a new federal law, several top computer scientists are warning."

8-1-03 Charley Reese: Strange Reactions "One small piece of advice for better understanding of the world is to realize that the rest of the world does not see us as we see ourselves. We see ourselves as the good guys. Not everyone agrees."

8-1-03 Israeli spooks gain admiration from U.S. "Results of the Congressional enquiry on the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington puts Israel on a pedestal when it comes to human intelligence gathering, a report in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz indicates smugly." (Real News 24/7: We totally disagree with the comment made in the last paragraph stating "the jury [is] still out on Israel's bombing of the USS Liberty." We suggest the writer try running that by the survivors of the Liberty and see how far she gets!)

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