Excuse me for the long post, but some may not want to register to read this in today's Chi-Trib. Just thought I'd pass this along, considering David's article above:

Cold War gift: Iran nuclear plant
Now cited as evidence of weapons activity, facility was provided to shah's government

By Sam Roe
Tribune staff reporter

August 24, 2006

In the heart of Tehran sits one of Iran's most important nuclear facilities, a dome-shaped building where scientists have conducted secret experiments that could help the country build atomic bombs. It was provided to the Iranians by the United States.

The Tehran Research Reactor represents a little-known aspect of the international uproar over the country's alleged weapons program. Not only did the U.S. provide the reactor in the 1960s as part of a Cold War strategy, America also supplied the weapons-grade uranium needed to power the facility--fuel that remains in Iran and could be used to help make nuclear arms.

As the U.S. and other countries wrestle with Iran's refusal this week to curb its nuclear capabilities, an examination of the Tehran facility sheds light on the degree to which the United States has been complicit in Iran developing those capabilities.

Though the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has found no proof Iran is building a bomb, the agency says the country has repeatedly concealed its nuclear activities from inspectors. And some of these activities have taken place in the U.S.-supplied reactor, IAEA records show, including experiments with uranium, a key material in the production of nuclear weapons.

U.S. officials point to these activities as evidence Iran is trying to construct nuclear arms, but they do not publicly mention that the work has taken place in a U.S.-supplied facility.

The U.S. provided the reactor when America was eager to prop up the shah, who also was aligned against the Soviet Union at the time. After the Islamic revolution toppled the shah in 1979, the reactor became a reminder that in geopolitics, today's ally can become tomorrow's threat.

Also missing from the current debate over Iran's nuclear intentions is emerging evidence that its research program may be more troubled than previously known.

The Bush administration has portrayed the program as a sophisticated operation that has skillfully hid its true mission of making the bomb. But in the case of the Tehran Research Reactor, a study by a top Iranian scientist suggests otherwise.

After a serious accident in 2001 at the U.S.-supplied reactor, the scientist concluded that poor quality control at the facility was a "chronic disease." Problems included carelessness, sloppy bookkeeping and a staff so poorly trained that workers had a weak understanding of "the most basic and simple principles of physics and mathematics," according to the study, presented at an international nuclear conference in 2004 in France.

The Iranian scientist, Morteza Gharib, told the Tribune that management of the facility had improved in the past three years. When asked whether sloppiness at the reactor might have contributed to some of Iran's troubles with the IAEA, Gharib wrote in an e-mail: "It is always possible, for any system, to commit infractions inadvertently due to lack of proper bookkeeping."

`This was not an oversight'

Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert at Harvard University, said bungling might be to blame for some infractions, but the Iranians clearly concealed major nuclear activities, such as building a facility to enrich uranium. "This was not an oversight," he said.

Another overlooked concern about the Tehran reactor is the weapons-grade fuel the U.S. provided Iran in the 1960s--about 10 pounds of highly enriched uranium, the most valuable material to bombmakers. It is still at the reactor and susceptible to theft, U.S. scientists familiar with the situation said.

This uranium has already been burned in the reactor, but the "spent fuel" is still highly enriched and could be used in a bomb. Normally, spent fuel is so radioactive that terrorists could not handle it without causing themselves great harm. But the spent fuel in Iran has sat in storage for so long that it is probably no longer highly radioactive and could be handled easily, the U.S. scientists say.

The fuel is about one-fifth the amount needed to make a nuclear weapon, but experts said it could be combined with other material to construct a bomb.

In an interview, Linton Brooks, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, an arm of the U.S. Energy Department, said the U.S. would like to retrieve the U.S.-supplied fuel, but the top priority has been to get Iran to suspend its enrichment efforts.

Under the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty, Iran has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. But the UN Security Council, saying Iran has failed to prove it is not building weapons, has demanded Iran stop enrichment by Aug. 31 or face economic sanctions. This week, Iran offered "serious talks" on its nuclear activities but did not promise to stop enriching uranium.

While Brooks downplayed the proliferation risk of the Tehran Research Reactor, some experts believe the facility is so important to Iran's nuclear program that it would be targeted in the event of a U.S. military strike on Iran.

"Its purpose is mainly advanced training and producing a cadre of nuclear engineers," said Paul Rogers, an arms control expert at the University of Bradford in England. "So it's one of the facilities that is really quite significant."

Exactly how significant is unclear. The Tehran reactor provided the foundation for Iran's nuclear program, but that program now consists of numerous other facilities as well. And over the years, Iran has obtained nuclear aid from various sources, including Russia and the black market network of Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan. China also has supplied research reactors.

Most of the world's nuclear research reactors, which train students or produce radioisotopes for medicine, fall under IAEA restrictions. Agency inspectors have visited the Tehran facility several times in recent years. Iran says its nuclear program, including the U.S.-supplied reactor, is solely for peaceful purposes.

When arguing for tough penalties on Iran, U.S. officials have pointed to activities in the U.S.-supplied reactor.

In 2004, John Bolton, the State Department's senior arms control official at the time, told a congressional panel that Iran's covert nuclear weapons program was marked by a "two-decades-long record of obfuscation and deceit." He cited experiments in the reactor as part of the evidence.

Several months later, Bolton told another congressional panel that Iran had received technological assistance from companies in Russia, China and North Korea in an attempt to develop missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Countries that provide Iran such technology "ought to know better," said Bolton, now the American ambassador to the United Nations. If foreign companies aid Iran, the U.S. "will impose economic burdens and brand them as proliferators."

What Bolton didn't note: America's role in Iran's nuclear program.

That role has complicated U.S. efforts to gain support for greater restrictions on Iran. For instance, the U.S. wants Russia to take a firmer stance on Iran's nuclear program and has been critical of Russian efforts to help Iran build a nuclear power plant.

But Russia has noted the U.S. had no problem providing Iran a research reactor and highly enriched uranium when it was politically expedient.

CIA helped restore shah

Those who defend the U.S. say it should not be faulted for aiding Iran in the past. "It's not the international community's fault for helping Iran exercise its rights in the past" to develop nuclear energy for peaceful uses, said Lewis, the Harvard expert. "It's Iran's fault for not living up to its safeguards obligation."

Iran's nuclear program can be traced to the Cold War era, when the U.S. provided nuclear technology to its allies, including Iran. In 1953, the CIA secretly helped overthrow Iran's democratically elected prime minister and restore the shah of Iran to power.

In the 1960s, the U.S. provided Iran its first nuclear research reactor. Despite Iran's enormous oil reserves, the shah wanted to build numerous nuclear power reactors, which American and other Western companies planned to supply.

Yet today, the U.S. argues that Iran does not need to develop nuclear power because of those same petroleum resources.

In 1979, when the shah was overthrown and U.S. hostages taken, America and Iran became enemies; Iran's nuclear power program stalled.

The U.S. refused to give Iran any more highly enriched uranium for its reactor, and Iran eventually obtained new fuel from Argentina. This fuel is too low in enrichment to be used in weapons but powerful enough to run the facility. To this day, the reactor runs on this kind of fuel from Argentina.

In 2003, shortly after IAEA officials inspected the U.S.-supplied reactor, Iran acknowledged it had conducted experiments on uranium in the reactor between 1988 and 1992--activities that had not been previously reported to the agency.

The IAEA rebuked Iran for failing to report these experiments and expressed concern about other activities at the reactor. These included tests involving the production of polonium 210, a radioisotope useful in nuclear batteries but also in nuclear weapons.

Inspectors also were curious why some uranium was missing from two small cylinders. Iran said the uranium probably leaked when the cylinders were stored under the roof of the research reactor, where heat in the summer hit 131 degrees.

When inspectors took samples from under the roof, they indeed found uranium particles. But inspectors did not think Iran's explanation about leaking cylinders was plausible.

Eventually, Iran acknowledged the missing uranium had been used in key enrichment tests in another facility.

----------

sroe@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

Gee, too bad Libby and Rove outed a classified CIA agent who was working on Iranian WMD, Valerie Plame.

At least it was worth it, for them to punish a dissenter who questioned our motive for war in Iraq (you know, the nation that had no operative ties to al Qeada, no links to 9/11, no WMD, posed no threat to the U.S., etc, etc etc).

Bush in his helmet stands watch

Or that the war was about countering the power of Iran--the reason Rummy and Saddam were such bosom buddies during the eighties, when we were supplying Saddam with weapons. And how rational was that plan? Since the war in Iraq has now made the influence of Iran greater than ever?

Or that the war was intended as a prelude to Armageddon, when all the Muslims will be banished to Hell and the neo-cons will be swept up to their special heaven, where they'll get to sit on the right hand of Hitler and be waited on by naked SS men..

When you get right down to it there just isn't any rational foundation for the Iraq war, just a choice between different brands of nuttiness. Whether you opt for the so-called 'realpolitik' motives or the out-and-out bizarre ones, reality has been banished from Washington.

No doubt that we in the (not so far) future will witness another "evidence" show at the UN Security Council, proving that Iran is a threat to America, and has to be dealt with in a strong manner. (Funny, the threats is allways against America, not the World!)

Mr. Corn, don't try to calm the situation with facts about what we know and what we don't know about Iran's nuclear weapons program. Facts only get in the way. We don't need cool heads now; we need grossly magnified fear and hatred, to guide the American people in the path their glorious leaders want them to go. You are undermining the will of the people by suggesting they should be informed about what's going on in the world. Shame on you, Mr. Corn, for bringing trivial "facts" to our attention. The best citizen is one who obeys without question, maintains a suppressive degree of ignorance, and is a slave to their emotions.

While Bush has been playing tin soldier in Iraq, Europeans have actually been apprehending terrorists. While the Bush administration has been cutting corners on security at home to pay for the war, other countries have been expanding and sharing intelligence. While the Bush administration has been making PR noises with colored alerts and dire warnings, and arresting a few incompetent bozos who couldn't blow up a coke bottle with a grenade, the British have foiled a major terrorist assault. This is because everyone else in the world seems to be aware that the 'war' on terrorism is not a war but a police operation.

Bush doesn't seem to realize that (1) it isn't 1940, (2) no one on the planet has the capacity to invade the United States, (3) terrorists aren't national armies, but networks of individuals with no real national allegiances, and (4) whether they're "here" or not has nothing to do with Iraq, except that the Iraq invasion has created an awful lot more of them.

Has his mental illness reached the stage where he really believes that if we leave Iraq a horde of bearded Iraqi dissidents will suddenly descend on customs officials at JFK, trying to smuggle in weapons of mass destruction?

Bush doesn't seem to realize that (1) it isn't 1940, (2) no one on the planet has the capacity to invade the United States, (3) terrorists aren't national armies, but networks of individuals with no real national allegiances, and (4) whether they're "here" or not has nothing to do with Iraq, except that the Iraq invasion has created an awful lot more of them.

Has his mental illness reached the stage where he really believes that if we leave Iraq a horde of bearded Iraqi dissidents will suddenly descend on customs officials at JFK, trying to smuggle in weapons of mass destruction?

Sorry for the repeat! Maybe a second posting was necessary!

Slight of hand.

While we are distracted by numerous wars, the chimpie group is gutting the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Treasury, the EPA, the National Forests and Parks, privacy, protections from corporate misdeeds, the election system, etc., etc.

Focus should be on the gang of thugs robbing us of everything we hold dear, not some fabrication meant to divert and distract.

The only possible reason they could give dates for the production of bombs and simultaneously say they don't have adequate intelligence assets in Iran is a mole in the Iranian nuclear program. The US Intelligence Community has never been very good, Iran under the Shah, the USSR and the Pakistani Bomb are only the most glaring examples. It would be very much like them to rely on a mole as the only source for this information.

When will the nightmares end?

I am hearing more people say that Bush should be "given" another 4 year term in office!!!

I guess in America losers are awarded benefits like endless office terms.

I guess that my nightmares will never end!!!!!

I have offered my nightmares, crying sessions, and puking experiences up so that my suffering can help souls in purgatory reach heaven sooner rather than later.

Mr. David Corn,

Does this situation sound a little bit Rovian?

Forget how overboard some claims have been, accuse anybody that does not favor frantic overreaction of minimizing non-existent or limited and flawed intelligence?

Since the intelligence was so poor about Iraq and WMD’s it proves any intelligence on Iran flawed as well and there is no reason to believe that the (neo)flaw this time is the gross underestimation of Iran’s stockpiles of banned WMD?

Rove using previous errors to prove the current point? So previous screw-ups guarantee success?

I think I smell a Rove!

HA!

Thanks for all of your work.

Kirk

(Funny, the threats is allways against America, not the World!)

Erling,

There is nothing funny about having your family threatened by a mad man. I'm going to help you out here buddy, the mad mullah is threating the west which would include you free birds in Norway as well. Iran is just a puppet of Russia and China. They are the ones you should be affraid of. Communism is alive and well and about to blow your door down. Wake up!

As I read David Corn's blog on Iran, I was struck with the possibility that Hitler Bush will drop nuclear bombs and missiles on Iran through assumptions and not facts. There will only be silence and not outrage for the brutal killing and massacre of the Iranian people.

(Funny, the threats is allways against America, not the World!)

Erling,

There is nothing funny about having your family threatened by a mad man. I'm going to help you out here buddy, the mad mullah is threating the west which would include you free birds in Norway as well. Iran is just a puppet of Russia and China. They are the ones you should be affraid of. Communism is alive and well and about to blow your door down. Wake up!

LET THE PILLAGING BEGIN!!!

http://tinyurl.com/ec7km

The spoils of war are being divided.

Bush delivers again, for his "base."

Bob

is that the very same U.S. Intelligence Community that insisted there were WMD in iraq and touted the niger yellow-cake bullshit? is this the very same U.S. Intelligence Community that spawned failed oil man con rice who insisted that a mushroom cloud was surely headed our way unless we (who is we? not I!) soread enough DU around to poison the iraqis for a long long time?
is this the same U.S. Intelligence Community that pretended that bin laden was going to attack us and then pretended to ignore the pretension when we were attacked?

this country is populated by fuckin morons who find it expediently comfortable to look the other fuckin way when a criminal regime takes over their govt and uses it's resources to take over other, more strategically located regions.

i am outraged to be associated with bushco in it's entirety and ashamed to be associated with the supporters, wannabees, apologists and enablers of and for the bushco crime family.

HAND to the whole fuckin lot of you. - james ha.

James,

Theres medication that can help you with your personal problems. You've got issues!

James,

There's an answer! Get the f*&k out of the country!

You've chosen your side - the side of the enemy.

I for one hope that the repugs get their war on with Iran it is going to be a show and they won't win this one either. Ha, stupid fucks and they can't even find one guy, yep all war all the time, be afraid and be scared of everything, gutless buttheads. So be afraid nuke Iran and don't bitch when the price of gas hits ten bucks a gallon just fill up that old SUV and motor on, of course there might be a lot of people that aren't happy with that scenario, so you might want to watch out for them. Not much you can do about it anyway, things are surely out of control now. Enjoy your new lifestyle it is approaching fast, and don't forget your gameboy kiddies, you will need it in them detention camps. Ha, makes me smile to think about it.

#16 Mr. Three Dots!

You're seeing ghosts in bright daylight. So it's the communists now who is behind Iran. I tought Iran was a an Islamic country.

I do not want wars, any wars, because wars kill and maim people.

American Soldiers

2,944 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Bush and his lies.

18,500+ American soldiers have been maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Bush and his evil lies.

55,000+ of the 140,000 American soldiers are suffering from PTSD. Stress disorder has increased and the percentage is now around 40%.

Over 350,000+ Iraqis have been killed in Iraq since Bush declared shock and awe bombings on March 19, 2003.

Contamination from depleted uranium may have affected 125,000+ American soldiers and several million Iraqis.

I will try to share with you a money figure for our war and occupation in Iraq. Our government taps into different bottomless money wells for wars and it is difficult to always know the correct amount of money that is being spent. Money figures will probably change from time to time. By 2010 we will have spent in Iraq $1.2 trillion. We will be in Iraq for at least 50 years and the money figure that is mentioned is $8 to 10 trillion. We will probably never leave Iraq, especially with 14 permanent bases in Iraq and of the 14 permanent bases 4 are mega military bases. Iraq will have access to a bottomless money well.

BUSH IS A UNITER! HE HAS UNITED THE TERRORISTS AROUND THE WORLD TO MAKE NAZI AMERICA, ENEMY NUMBER ONE! Are you feeling more safe and secure with Bush in the WH and Cheney as his chief hatchet man overseeing Nazi America and her citizens?

Our military men and women are used as cannon fodder for a terrorist Nazi American government.

Erling,

Q: But what of the objection that Russia no longer poses such a threat, now that “communism has fallen.”

A: If you read Russian publications, you would see that in Russia itself there’s no mystery as to what is taking place. We have a neo-Stalinist dictatorship taking shape, we have Russian journalists complaining about the dictatorship, openly asking the questions about why, if there is supposedly a democracy in Russia, Mr. Putin is blatantly and publicly planning for war against the Western democracies?

And, clearly, all the evidence points to the conclusion that Russia is preparing for war against the West. Putin openly boasts of Russia’s new ICBMs that can change course mid-flight and avoid all anti-missile defenses. Russia is now very much in league with communist China, with which it has forged a massive military alliance, and with other still-communist nations of the world.

Even on the cabinet level in the United States government it has been recognized that Russia and China are the ones who are aiding terrorist states, because terrorism is simply a tactic that is being used to distract, weaken and lull the West to sleep concerning the real threat to its security.

Cornposters, please go to smirkingchimp.com and read many good articles for August 24, 2006. Great reading material!!!

War is a result of failure in intellect.

Gerald,

As a Catholic, you should spend more time at Mass and saying the Rosary and spend less time at smirkingchimp.com.

Labor Department Undercounts Poor, Uninsured, and the Non-Employed
By John Schmitt and Dean Baker
Center for Economic Policy Research

Thursday 24 August 2006

Study concludes measurement problems getting worse over time.

Washington, D.C.: An analysis of the nation's most important labor-market survey concludes that official estimates of the number of Americans living in poverty and without health insurance may significantly underestimate the true number of poor and uninsured. According to the study, conducted by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), the measurement problems with the Current Population Survey (CPS) have been growing, making it difficult to assess changes in economic well being over time.

"The share of Americans covered by the country's most important survey of labor-market conditions has been declining over time," said John Schmitt, Senior Economist at CEPR and a co-author of this report. "The group that is falling out of the survey is economically marginalized, less likely to have a job, less likely to have health-insurance, and more likely to be poor."

Among the study's main findings:

The CPS appeared to miss about 1.4 percent of the adult population, or over 2.5 million non-working adults. The size and the increase over time in the bias in the CPS are largest for black men. The CPS overstated black male employment by about 2.5 percentage points in 1986, rising to 3.0 percentage points in 2000, and reaching 3.5 percentage points in 2005.

Since the undercounting has become more severe in the CPS in recent years, estimates of employment rates from the CPS are biased and the bias is growing over time. For all adults, the CPS overstated employment by about 1.1 percentage points in 1986, growing to 1.3 - 1.4 percentage points in 2000, and about 1.7 percentage points by 2005.

In 2005, the official national estimate of poverty, which is taken from the CPS, underestimated the actual number of adults and children in poverty by about 600,000 people (about 0.2 percentage points).

The official national estimates of the population lacking health insurance coverage in 2004 underestimated the number of adults and children without health insurance by about 350,000 people (about 0.1 percentage points).

The impact on poverty estimates for blacks and Hispanics are proportionately much greater. In 2000, the CPS underreported the poverty rate for blacks by 0.5 - 0.7 percentage points and for Hispanics by about 0.4 percentage points.
The full paper is available at http://www.cepr.net/publications/cps_declining_coverage_2006_08.pdf.

--------

Dots, who are you to judge? The Pope? or just a pompous ass.

Gerald

You spend a lot of time posting about those killed in Iraq, but never mention anything about the millions of babies being murdered through abortion. How can you not be more vocal on this issue as a faithful Catholic? Do you not agree with the Vatican about abortion?

As a Catholic I say daily prayers, the rosary, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I attend Mass on Saturday. I would go to daily Mass but the Mass starts at 8:30 AM and with my weird sleeping patterns a 5:00 PM Mass on Saturday is best for me.

Oh I see now, a FASCIST ass who is compelled to tell others how and what to think.

Ya turned left instead of right pal, buhbye!

My views on abortion are well posted as of this date. My concern is the Project for a New American Century that has as its goal to exterminate 6 billion human beings on our planet of 6.5 billion human beings. The PNAC says that our planet can only sustain 500 million people.

My views on abortion are well posted as of this date. My concern is the Project for a New American Century that has as its goal to exterminate 6 billion human beings on our planet of 6.5 billion human beings. The PNAC says that our planet can only sustain 500 million people.

American "intelligence" doesn't matter. All credibility has been lost in the world because of what the "deciderer" has done on false pretenses for the past 6 years.

It'll come down to an even smaller "coalition of the coerced" than last time. The end results will be even more catastrophic than what we're suffering through now.

...and the miltary/industrial complex will be laughing all the way to the bank.

-T

"War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace."

-Thomas Mann

I oppose gun control but I do see more Columbines in our present and future. We will go from videogames shooting to actual shooting of human beings.

Dallas Gun Store Opens "Kids Corner"
With gun guys around the country trying to put the hunting age as low as eight years old, it's almost predicatable that one gun store in Texas has actually created a kids' section.

You're never too young for a gun, says Beverly Melton.

"A lot of guys come in and want to buy a Crickett as soon as they find out their wives are pregnant," she said, showing off small-caliber rifles in the "Kids Corner" of the Garland, Texas, gun shop she owns with her husband, Steve.

Flanked by bandanna-print curtains with displays set against faux-weathered paneling, the Western-themed nook is designed to appeal to bored youngsters tagging along with parents.

Baskets filled with pompoms and foam footballs rest on the floor. Decorative touches, including sheriff-style gold stars, sparkle on the walls.

But it's the firepower that catches the eye.

Buyers have a range of choices, including a hot pink .22 rifle if it's a baby girl, or a 20-gauge shotgun for an older child.

Despite the overt marketing, the Meltons say their goal isn't to put a powerful weapon in the hands of every child.

"You can't emphasize safety enough with a gun," Melton said. "They're dangerous. They"re guns!"

Exactly–†they're guns, and so they can't be safe period. No amount of training or even experience can make them safe, and it's crazy (if not legally irresponsible) to market them to children. What's next, a kids' section in the liquor store? Kid-friendly cigars and cigarettes? Pure idiocy. But those things are illegal, and guns and kids, a much deadlier mix, is not.

Education, including proper handling, is the key to firearm safety, said Jim Kessler, a board member of Americans for Gun Safety.

"Owning a gun is a right, and along with rights come responsibilities," he said.

Kessler said his organization doesn't disagree with the concept of a gun department for children.

"Our feeling is that as long as a parent is involved, we have no problem with that," he said.

Because then they can blame the parent if something goes wrong, and not the gun. Kessler's wrong across the board–†the courts of this country have never once said that "owning a gun is a right." And firearms education has little to no effect on children–†even with education, the only way to prevent children from being hurt around firearms is to get rid of the gun completely. And literally marketing firearms for children isn't just asking for trouble–†it's begging for it.

Reid Durbin agreed. The owner of Ray's Sporting Goods in Dallas said he knew of no other stores with children's gun areas, "but I think it's a good idea. This industry doesn't really market itself to kids the way it should."

A table tucked into the Garland store's youth section holds an array of safety brochures published by the National Rifle Association. Next to them sits a framed photo of Laryssa Bonacquisti of Rockwall, Texas, a frequent beauty pageant winner, budding entertainer and avid hunter. In the snapshot, the girl squats to hold up the head of a doe she has taken down with a .243-caliber single-action rifle her dad bought for her at the store.

And of course, right at the heart of this disgusting attempt to sell guns to children, you'll find the NRA, more than willing to put children in danger if it means more money for the gun industry.

Guns and kids are a horrible mix–†tragedy after tragedy has made that extremely clear to families all around the country. By marketing guns to children, gun companies and dealers are slapping those families in the face, and putting even more innocent lives in danger.

Promoting Peace Is for Wimps

james/spy, looks like I ain't the only one Happy with investing these past 6~7 years!

401(k) balances on the rise
New study finds those who saved from 1999 to 2005 reaped the rewards of discipline.
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer
August 24 2006: 2:13 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- ....between 1999 and 2005, the average 401(k) balance rose 50 percent to $102,014, according to a study released Thursday.

The study,...attributed the growth in balances to workers' consistent contributions throughout the six-year period,...combined with strong equity returns on those contributions since 2002.

The average account balance in 2005 among workers in their 20s who have had accounts since 1999 was $24,169.....in their 30s, $50,930,... in their 40s, $91,848....in their 50s, $127,766,...in their 60s was $140,957.

In terms of asset allocation among all 401(k) account holders, 68 percent of 401(k) assets are invested in stocks....

But among participants, 15 percent have no money invested in stocks.

....Earlier this month, President Bush signed into law the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which included a number of provisions intended to boost savings in 401(k)s, including making it easier for companies to automatically enroll 401(k)-eligible employees. (See more here.)

Little Difference

Gerald,

Those are finally some good comments. I applaud you for your regular Mass attendance and Rosary prayers. As a Catholic myself, I pray for Bush and other world leaders (Pope included). Prayer is stronger medicine than any liberal website.

I see you are familiar with the PNAC. You know of course that this group was founded under the
Freemasons and have had a long history of infiltrating the Catholic Church from within. Theres a very good book on this called :"The Devils Final Battle" which is part of the three secrets of Fatima revealed by Sister Lucy.

Gerald,

Those are finally some good comments. I applaud you for your regular Mass attendance and Rosary prayers. As a Catholic myself, I pray for Bush and other world leaders (Pope included). Prayer is stronger medicine than any liberal website.

I see you are familiar with the PNAC. You know of course that this group was founded under the
Freemasons and have had a long history of infiltrating the Catholic Church from within. Theres a very good book on this called :"The Devils Final Battle" which is part of the three secrets of Fatima revealed by Sister Lucy.

Three Dots, I pray that you do not lust for blood as we see happening with Bush and his cabal. I had my heart attack October 13, 1994. October 13 was the last day that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to the three children of Fatima. Mary was with me in the emergency room of the hospital.

Three Dots try to read some information about the Bilderberg Group. This group opposes feeding of the starving people in Africa because they believe that our planet is already overly populated.

The Our Father is a powerful prayer and deserving of special attention to the words. The prayer stresses that we are all brothers and sisters in God.

Three Dots, my guess is we part in our perceptions of Bush. As you know, I do not like Bush.

My next post will be on Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching

To consider yourself a Catholic Christian and not a Catholic Fundamentalist, a Catholic Nazi, or a Catholic Taliban you must adhere to Catholic Social Teaching. The Catholic bishops have stressed ten areas that are important in Catholic Social Teaching.

1. Respect for the dignity and life of the human person, from conception to NATURAL DEATH
2. Call to family and community life
3. The right and duty to participate in social, economic, and political life
4. Advancing the common good to love our neighbor
5. Promoting peace and social justice
6. Promoting human rights and responsibilities
7. Special care and concern for the poor and vulnerable
8. The dignity of work and the rights of workers
9. Solidarity: loving our neighbor locally and globally
10. Caring for God's creation: stewardship of the earth

Unless these areas are important to you, you cannot consider yourself a Catholic Christian.

The Catholic Right stresses these five areas: abortion, gay marriage, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and capital punishment. These are important areas but Catholic Social Teaching goes beyond these specific areas. Of the five areas there are four areas that stress life issues and one area stresses family and community life. Eight important areas are excluded from Catholic Social Teaching. The hijacking of my Catholic faith must not be allowed to continue by the Catholic Right.

Dave Robinson, Executive Director of Pax Christi USA, makes a profound statement and I am in total agreement with him. Here are his words. "We will directly challenge the religious right and particularly the Catholic right, who would reduce Catholic identity to a handful of issues while rejecting the broader teachings of the Church. We can no longer allow a partisan hijacking of our Catholic identity to define Catholicism in the political dialogue here in this country."

Catholic Social Teaching

To consider yourself a Catholic Christian and not a Catholic Fundamentalist, a Catholic Nazi, or a Catholic Taliban you must adhere to Catholic Social Teaching. The Catholic bishops have stressed ten areas that are important in Catholic Social Teaching.

1. Respect for the dignity and life of the human person, from conception to NATURAL DEATH
2. Call to family and community life
3. The right and duty to participate in social, economic, and political life
4. Advancing the common good to love our neighbor
5. Promoting peace and social justice
6. Promoting human rights and responsibilities
7. Special care and concern for the poor and vulnerable
8. The dignity of work and the rights of workers
9. Solidarity: loving our neighbor locally and globally
10. Caring for God's creation: stewardship of the earth

Unless these areas are important to you, you cannot consider yourself a Catholic Christian.

The Catholic Right stresses these five areas: abortion, gay marriage, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and capital punishment. These are important areas but Catholic Social Teaching goes beyond these specific areas. Of the five areas there are four areas that stress life issues and one area stresses family and community life. Eight important areas are excluded from Catholic Social Teaching. The hijacking of my Catholic faith must not be allowed to continue by the Catholic Right.

Dave Robinson, Executive Director of Pax Christi USA, makes a profound statement and I am in total agreement with him. Here are his words. "We will directly challenge the religious right and particularly the Catholic right, who would reduce Catholic identity to a handful of issues while rejecting the broader teachings of the Church. We can no longer allow a partisan hijacking of our Catholic identity to define Catholicism in the political dialogue here in this country."

Please excuse the double posts! I seem to have some computer problems.

Largest Study of Third-Party Prayer Suggests Such Prayer Not Effective In Reducing Complications Following Heart Surgery
__________________

BOSTON, MA-March 31, 2006-For those facing surgery or battling disease, the prayers of others can be a comfort. Researchers in the Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP), the largest study to examine the effects of intercessory prayer-prayer provided by others-evaluated the impact of such prayer on patients recovering from coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
The STEP team, composed of investigators at six academic medical centers, including Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts; Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida; Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C; and the Mind/Body Medical Institute, found that intercessory prayer had no effect on recovery from surgery without complications. The study also found that patients who knew they were receiving intercessory prayer fared worse. The paper appears in the April issue of American Heart Journal.

"The primary goal of STEP was to evaluate whether intercessory prayer or the knowledge of receiving it would influence recovery after bypass surgery," said co-author Jeffery A. Dusek, Harvard Medical School instructor of medicine and Associate Research Director at the Mind/Body Medical Institute. Each year, 350,000 Americans have coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Though medical techniques and post-operative care have improved dramatically in recent years, the surgery is stressful. Earlier studies have shown that many patients enlist friends and family to provide private prayer for support during surgery and recovery.

STEP investigators enrolled 1,802 bypass surgery patients from six hospitals and randomly assigned each to one of three groups: 604 patients received intercessory prayer after being informed they may or may not receive prayers (Group 1); 597 patients did not receive prayer after being informed they may or may not receive prayer (Group 2); and 601 patients received intercessory prayer after being informed they would receive it (Group 3).

Caregivers and independent auditors comparing case reports to medical records were unaware of the patients' assignments throughout the study. The study enlisted members of three Christian groups, two Catholic and one Protestant, to provide prayer throughout the multi-year study. The researchers approached other denominations, but none were able to make the time commitments that the study required.

Some patients were told they may or may not receive intercessory prayer: complications occurred in 52 percent of those who received prayer (Group 1) versus 51 percent of those who did not receive prayer (Group 2). Complications occurred in 59 percent of patients who were told they would receive prayer (Group 3) versus 52 percent, who also received prayer, but were uncertain of receiving it (Group 1). Major complications and thirty-day mortality were similar across the three groups.

Unlike traditional intercessory prayers, STEP investigators imposed limitations on the usual way prayer-givers would normally provide prayer. The researchers standardized the start and duration of prayers and provided only the patients' first name and last initial. Prayers began on the eve or day of surgery and continued daily for 14 days. Everyone prayed for received the same standardized prayer. Providing the names of patients directed prayer-givers away from a desire to pray for everyone participating in the study. Because the study was designed to investigate intercessory prayer, the results cannot be extrapolated to other types of prayer.
_________________

hmmmm...

Maybe prayer is more effective for GI patients?

Modern Slavery

Here is Tom Delay, the victim!!! Is Tom Delay advocating human trafficking that is taking place in the Mariana Islands?

If Delay was to die let us say tomorrow, what should we say about him?

One of my favorite programs is NOW with David Branccacio. Since America suffers from a truth deficit, NOW offers viewers truth and information. On Fridays NOW has some interesting programs. On one particular Friday NOW discussed the Mariana (spell) Islands. Tom Delay, the born again kkkristian, called the Mariana Islands a model for America. The islands are in the Pacific Ocean and these islands are a Commonwealth of America but they are not subject to the same labor laws as in the U.S. The islands import women to work 15-16 hours per day and 7 days per week. The women do not punch a clock and the yearly salary is $350. Delay calls the Mariana Islands the model for America. He should know because he is having America headed toward 15-16 hours per day and 7 days a week for a yearly salary of $350.

We all know Delay as a born again kkkristian. He and Bush are poster children for the born again kkkristians. Born again kkkristians carry the Bible in one hand and an oozie in the other hand. Most born again kkkristians read the Bible but the words are meaningless to them.

I love America because America is a nation filled with hypocrites and her politicians are scum and slime. NY Times' Joel Brinkley had an article "US faults 4 allies over forced labor." These four allies are in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The US says that they practice modern slavery. Hypocrites are calling other hypocrites names and saying that they practice modern slavery. Yet, Delay calls the Mariana Islands a model for America.

When I see born again kkkristians like Delay and Bush, I am beyond puking and into dry heaves. The dry heaves never end. Yes, Delay and Bush are perfect examples of born again kkkristians. I love America because we are so predictable. We've gone from the home of the brave and land of the free to fear, greed, hatred, killing, and torture and born again kkkristians.

As a side note to our killing mentality the war drums are becoming louder and louder. Rummie, the dummie, issues a sharp rebuke of China on arms. America, a nation, with a nuclear holocaust as a game plan chastises China. Don't you just love America's hypocrisy?

In case you are interested our intelligence sources are saying that our terrorists are inside Iran. The war drums never stop and are getting louder. Soccer moms should be prepared for the renewal of the military draft and their sons and daughters singing out hut fours as they march off to war, Bush’≥ endless wars.

New Middle East

On a previous thread there was a post regarding 'nuclear winter' and 'global warming'. A nuclear winter or a super-eruption of a volcano would reduce the global temperature by quite a bit: 5-8 degrees Celcius for a super-eruption. But only for a short time, about 3--6 years for a super-eruption. Then the climate goes back to doing whatever it was doing.

Source: Scientific American, 2006 June issue.

The real stinking war

It the oil stupid!

Well shyt! Paul Krugman had a good article in the H-town Chronicle today, but since it's behind the "Select" firewall on the NYTimes website, the chron.com website doesn't have it either. It's titled ...
"Tax Farmers, Mercenaries and Viceroys" and begins...
The Bush administration seemingly wants to go back to the 16th century, and privatized tax collection is only part of the great march backward.

#2 dbrune....the right wing radicals out Plame and then turn up the heat on Iran, cut the funding to the Palestinians after they voted for Hamas, invade Lebanon all in line with Richard Perle, David and Liv Wurmser plans spelled out in "A Clean Break A New Strategy for Securing the Realm"

the clean break designed by this group of radicals is very very bloody.

#18 James Ha Ditto

David the same individuals that lied our nation into Iraq have been allowed to run free building up steam for a military strike in Itan, instead of being thrown into jail for the false pre-war intelligence.

Reuel Marc Gerecht, James Woolsey, Daniel Pipes, Richard Perle, Micheal Ledeen, Bill Kristol and more have been blowing their war trumpets endlessly since the illegal invasion of Iraq.

All the while General Wesley Clark, Scott Ritter, General Zinni, Madeline Albright, Jimmy Carter, General Gard (today on C-span), Paul O'Neil, Kevin Phillips, Arthur Schlesinger, and many more continue to push for direct talks, negotiations and diplomacy in regard to Iran.

These concepts do not exist for the radical individuals pushing for pre-emption.

Iaea's Mr. El Baradei was right about Iraq and the niger documents. I say let El Baradei take the lead not the psychopathic liars.

Approving Use of Wiretap, Judge Deals Blow to Free Press

By Paul Kiel - August 24, 2006, 12:39 PM

Journalism took another hit yesterday when a federal judge ruled the government could legitimately tap the phones of anyone handling "material that is not generally available to the public."

As one observer noted, that's just what a free press traffics. "If the press could only report on 'information generally available to the public,' there would be no need for a press," secrecy expert Steven Aftergood told JTA.

The ruling came in the AIPAC case, which deals with two pro-Israel lobbyists' receipt of classified intelligence from a Pentagon official. The two lobbyists had challenged the use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act by investigators to secretly record their conversations. But the judge ruled that "collection or transmission of material that is not generally available to the public" qualifies as an activity that could merit wiretapping under FISA.

More here

A chill wind is blowing through the legitimate press rooms of our country.

Pluto no longer a planet! Good. Now I only need to memorize eight planets, helpful as I get older and my memory...

"Our position is that whatever grievances a nation may have, however objectionable it finds the status quo, aggressive warfare is an illegal means for settling those grievances or for altering those conditions." : Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. American prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, in his opening statement to the tribunal

=

Crime Against Peace: A basic provision of the Charter is that to plan, prepare, initiate or wage a war of aggression, or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements, and assurances, or to conspire or participate in a common plan to do so is a crime: Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/resource/document/DocJac14.htm

=
"It would be some time before I fully realized that the United States sees little need for diplomacy. Power is enough. Only the weak rely on diplomacy ... The Roman Empire had no need for diplomacy. Nor does the United States." : Boutros Boutros-Ghali

=
"We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the world - no longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men." : Woodrow Wilson

===
Thanks ICH Newsletter!

Lt. General Gard (Ret.) Army was on C-span's Washington Journal this morning at 9:30. He found himself in good company with so many other people in the military who are encouraging the Bush administration to negotiate and to continue to use diplomatic means with Iran.

Geez does anyone think Iran would feel safer if Israel would sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty that Iran signed long ago? It is not hard to imagine why Iran feels a little nervous with the illegal invasion of Iraq, and Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

Israel should open their facilities to inspections and stop operating their nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in the shadow of the International community.

Oh how can I forget that the defense industries in Israel and the U.S. might off or out you(Valerie Plame) if you get too close to just who is profitting off of sales to Iran, Iraq, and other countries in that part of the world.

An agreement that would be based on MUTUALLY ASSURED SAFETY instead of MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION just does not put billions of dollars into the bank accounts of these defense industry killers.

UUNLESS and UNTIL Iraq is stabilized with direct help of the US, we are unlikely to drum up the national nerve (not just Conservative warmongers) to issue or carry out any kind of an ultimatum to Iran. However, Israle has much more at stake than us and given its small territory, can't reasonably be expected to wait!

Unless Iran changes course, not likely given its `steadiness of purpose' since 1979, Major, Major showdown by Israel w/Iran and Hezbo lie in the horizon. I'd guessed ~5 years previously, I'm moving it up by a couple of years!

Israel may 'go it alone' against Iran
By HERB KEINON
Jerusalem Post
Updated Aug. 24, 2006 14:29

Israel is carefully watching the world's reaction to Iran's continued refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, with some high-level officials arguing it is now clear that when it comes to stopping Iran, Israel "may have to go it alone," The Jerusalem Post has learned.

One senior source said on Tuesday that Iran "flipped the world the bird" by not responding positively to the Western incentive plan to stop uranium enrichment. He expressed frustration that the Russians and Chinese were already saying that Iran's offer of a "new formula" and willingness to enter "serious negotiations" was an opening to keep on talking.

"The Iranians know the world will do nothing," he said. "This is similar to the world's attempts to appease Hitler in the 1930s - they are trying to feed the beast."

He said there was a need to understand that "when push comes to shove," Israel would have to be prepared to "slow down" the Iranian nuclear threat by itself.....(more)

Pluto no longer a planet! Good.

Pluto is like Progressives, lost status as a player!

But, alas, there is now a long list of 'minor planets' to be memorized:

Xena (temporary name, so will have to re-learn permanent name)
Sedna
Pluto/Charon
Ceres
Vesta(?)
...

and the astronomers are sure to find many, many more in the Kuiper Belt. Can't keep track of the players without a program...

#56 Den I know this is a slippery slope. Although let's be honest here, journalist are not always innocent. They can have their own twisted agendas and can be involved in criminal activity.

Bob Woodward sat for two years knowing that he had been contacted first by a government official about Plame's identity and went on national T.V. several times undermining the Fitzgeralds investigation. Journalist are not always looking out for the public's good, they are not always trying to shine the spotlight on the truth. In fact sometimes just the opposite

The Aipac case seems to have several journalist/writers involved with the "alleged" transfer of classified intelligence. Judy Miller, Kenneth Pollack.

McNulty and Fitzgerald are supposedly working together where the Aipac and Plame case overlap. Let's just hope the Israeli Lobby is not successful at shutting this case down. Let the truth be told

The report also states that, according to US intelligence agencies:

* Iran likely has an offensive chemical weapons research and development capability.

* Iran probably has an offensive biological weapons program.

Note the qualifiers: likely and probably.
================================================
Corn Quiz:

Question 1) Iran, having fought against Iraq for 8 years, and knowing that Iraq has used WMD, if you were Iran, would you have similar weapons (chemical & biological), if not in time for that war, how about by today?

Question 2) Why would Iran very purposefully scatter its nuclear facilities and in many cases, built them underground and `blast-hardened'?

Question 3) What is the probability of having the exactly correct and comprehensive intelligence on the most dangerous and secretive regime since 1979?

Question 4) When analysts OVERestimate something, in the next round, are they more likely to UNDERestimate or once again, OVERestimate?

Question 5) Do you believe Iran is NOT behind many of the most heinous terrorist organizations and attacks in the past 25+ years?

Oops! "Dwarf planet", not "minor planet". Repeat after me: "Xena is a dwarf planet." That's hard to take. The dwarf planet Xena is named after a character in a minor TV series played by a big woman. Got it?

The report also states that, according to US intelligence agencies:

* Iran likely has an offensive chemical weapons research and development capability.

* Iran probably has an offensive biological weapons program.

Note the qualifiers: likely and probably.
================================================
Corn Quiz:

Question 1) Iran, having fought against Iraq for 8 years, and knowing that Iraq has used WMD, if you were Iran, would you have similar weapons (chemical & biological), if not in time for that war, how about by today?

Question 2) Why would Iran very purposefully scatter its nuclear facilities and in many cases, built them underground and `blast-hardened'?

Question 3) What is the probability of having the exactly correct and comprehensive intelligence on the most dangerous and secretive regime since 1979?

Question 4) When analysts OVERestimate something, in the next round, are they more likely to UNDERestimate or once again, OVERestimate?

Question 5) Do you believe Iran is NOT behind many of the most heinous terrorist organizations and attacks in the past 25+ years?

YooHoo, Mr. Techie, something is `bugging/wiretapping' David's site! See multiple posting throught this thread!

On the US-Israeli Invasion of Lebanon

Though there are many interacting factors, the immediate issue that lies behind the latest US-Israeli invasion of Lebanon remains, I believe, what it was in the four preceding invasions: the Israel-Palestine conflict. In the most important case, the devastating US-backed 1982 Israeli invasion was openly described in Israel as a war for the West Bank, undertaken to put an end to annoying PLO calls for a diplomatic settlement (with the secondary goal of imposing a client regime in Lebanon). There are numerous other illustrations. Despite the many differences in circumstances, the July 2006 invasion falls generally into the same pattern. Among mainstream American critics of Bush administration policies, the favored version is that "We had always approached [conflict between Israel and its neighbors] in a balanced way, assuming that we could be the catalyst for an agreement," but Bush II regrettably abandoned that neutral stance, causing great problems for the United States (Middle East specialist and former diplomat Edward Walker, a leading moderate). The actual record is quite different: For over 30 years, Washington has unilaterally barred a peaceful political settlement, with only slight and brief deviations.

More HERE

Aw heck. haha The "scholars" are starting to eat their own.

The Trouble with Steven E. Jones'
9/11 Research
Morgan Reynolds and Judy Wood

Morgan Reynolds and Judy Wood against Stephen Jones -- a theological war between the No-Planers and the Thermitians

#63 Kathleen, More from Boston.com:

Media advocacy groups have long been concerned about the government's prosecution of Rosen and Weissman because the statute used to prosecute them -- a World War I-era espionage law -- could easily be used to prosecute journalists who break news about classified government programs.

Ellis' decision to order an investigation into how CBS News and other media companies learned of the AIPAC probe in late August of 2004 crystallized that concern.

"I find it hard to fathom why the judge needed to file an order seeking confidential sources" in this case, said Lucy Dalglish, executive director for the Arlington-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "We're getting into really dangerous territory."

More here

It looks like this stems from Gonzos zeal to prevent discovery of unscrupulous goings on by the Administration. This is a control issue using national security as the reason, when in fact he is covering for his boss as he always has.

Strike fear into the hearts of reporters to prevent those nasty leaks.

One small point I think is important here is Gonzo is ALREADY snooping through the illegal wiretaps and a favorable ruling insures the cases will not be thrown out of court due to "Illegal searches".

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David Corn --- "heads rolled"? Seriously, this is indicative of the failures of the CIA for about as long as it has existed. Nothing new here...

Journalist are not omnipotent. In fact we have seen some seriously compromised reporting for quite some time. I believe the courts have only trumped Journalist protections when necessary.

Judy Miller is still pushing for a "shield law" for reporters. This is so odd coming from a reporter who has a serious amount of blood on her hands.

THIS IS AT JTA. Kofi Annan is planning a visit to Israel, Lebanon, Iran and Syria to help strengthen the cease-fire in south Lebanon.

#56 #70 Den thanks for posting those articles. I generally go to JTA at least once a week. Find more there about this case than in the U.S. MSM.

go figure

later

David Corn --- "Who knows?" It might be the case that not even the Iranian government knows?

A little mini-funny before the Late Night Humor. There's a rush to disseminate Anti-GOP songs on the undernet (before the Republicans revert to the minority status that they enjoyed for a huge chunk of the last century). The melodic quality would run someplace between Ashcroft and Seals & Croft. Here are some of the titles:

# Why won't Jesse Helms Just Hurry Up and Die? by MC Hawking (Kewl Album cover)
# BuShit! Send George Bush a Pretzel
# Yabba Dubya Doo
# Killing For The Oil Companies (The Pledge Of Obedience)
# Not-So-Curious George
# (George Bush Ain't) No Poor Man's Friend
# The Homeland Security Blues
# War Criminal George

You can download these hilarious little ditties here or here, and crank 'em out on yer ipod (or PC).

US action feeding Iran popularity -- Royal Institute for International Studies

MARK COLVIN: A new British report suggests that United States efforts to fight terrorism have only served to bolster the influence in the Middle East of Iran.

The report comes from the prominent think-tank, the Royal Institute for International Studies - also known as Chatham House.

It says Iran has superseded the US as the most influential power in the region and that Tehran now has too much clout for any Middle Eastern or Asian state to treat it lightly.

Democracy Now rundown for today

Did anyone read anywhere else in the mainstream media that Israel just purchased two nuclear submarines? Only at Democracy Now

Democracy Now
August 24 program
Lebanon Urges U.S. to Pressure Israel to End Blockade
- UNICEF: Israel Badly Damaged Lebanon’≥ Water System
- UK Report: Iran Is Chief Beneficiary of War on Terror
- Congressional Report: U.S. Faces Gaps In Its Intel on Iran
- Kidnapped Journalists in Gaza Plea For Release
- Report: Israel Buys Two Nuclear Submarines
- Bush Plans PR Blitz to Mark Katrina Anniversary
- Bush Administration Sues State of Maine Over NSA Inquiry
- 20% of Female Cadets At Citadel Report Sexual Assault
- EU Blocks Import of U.S. Rice Over GM Fears
- Univ. of Miami Janitors Sign New Contract Following Labor Battle
- NYC Officials Knew Air Quality Area Was Not Safe Post 9/11
- U.S. Judge Postpones Trial of Activists Accused of Ecosabotage

23/08/2006 Oh the Hypocrisy!
Germany announces plans to deliver two submarines to Israel
By The Associated Press
Germany plans to deliver two submarines to Israel, a German Defense Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

German shipyard HDW signed a contract with Israeli authorities on July 6 to build the two submarines, the spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.

The spokesman said the German government will finance about one-third of the construction cost, which has been estimated at $1.3 billion.

He provided no further details.

Israel's navy already has three Dolphin-class vessels delivered by HDW in 1999 and 2000, which are capable of carrying nuclear missiles.

Word of the deal first surfaced in November, when two German magazines reported that Berlin had agreed to sell Israel two submarines at a discounted rate.

Israel - which has neither confirmed nor denied reports that it possesses nuclear arms - has been expanding its military arsenal in light of Iran's nuclear program.

Iran insists it is developing only nuclear power plants, but Israel and the U.S. suspect its program is designed to produce nuclear weapons.

Is it Thursday already? Well, then... S.H.I.T.
Late Nite Goodness fresh from Letterman, Stewart, et al:

"Let me explain something to you about the algebra, if you will, of cable news:
* Three-year war in Iraq is less than 30-day-old bombing of Lebanon,
* which is less than explosive Gatorade on a plane,
* all of which is chickenshit compared to a break in a 10-year-old murder case."
--Jon Stewart

"Thousands of Lebanese refugees are pouring back into their home towns, and it seems that one relief organization is stepping up their aid efforts more than any other relief organization. Which group is it?
Here are some hints: They're Shiites, they're on the State Department's watch list of terrorist groups, and their name rhymes with 'Lezbollah'."
--Jon Stewart

"Here was big news earlier this afternoon: a federal judge in Detroit has ruled that Bush's wiretapping is unconstitutional -- unconstitutional. The good news is that JetBlue still doesn't need a warrant to confiscate your Snapple."
--David Letterman

"Oh, sure, you can have snakes on a plane, but forget shampoo and toothpaste."
--David Letterman

"A lot of folks are big fans of the planets. Pluto now has lost its status as a planet. But it says it will run as an independent."
--David Letterman

"When it comes to the war in Iraq, no one is more optimistic than our President Bush. In fact, no one is optimistic... other than President Bush.
So it was a bit surprising last week when the president acknowledged there was a problem with the way some things were going ... and was puzzled as to how a recent anti-American rally for Hezbollah could draw such a large crowd.' Puzzling indeed."
--Jon Stewart

"As three years have gone by, it's grown harder and harder (for Iraqis) to find the right way to say 'thank you.' Everyone knew before the war that Iraq had huge stockpiles of gratitude... He [President Bush] just wants a little thoughtfulness, that's all. It's not like the president thought that the U.S. would be greeted as liberators or handed flowers. I mean, he's not retarded (shrugs shoulders) but a note, a gesture. My sources in Washington say the president gets up every day, walks to the mailbox, and asks, 'Any cards?' But always, nothing. There's an Iraqi word for that kind of ingratitude -- 'chutzpuh.'
--Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi

... If they don't act fast, Iraqis could lose the 'Battle for American Hearts and Minds.' And if that happens, things over here could turn ugly."
--Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi

"Iran is really stepping up their nuclear program. Not only do they have the enriched uranium, they also developed the low-carb uranium."
--David Letterman

"President Bush now says he does not care about Iran's nuclear program, as long as they're not developing a nuke-ular program."
--David Letterman

But we all know there ain't nothing like the real thing baybee:

"I would guess, I would surmise that some of the more spectacular bombings are done by al Qaeda suiciders."
--George W. Bush, Aug. 21, 2006

"The United States of America is engaged in a war against an extremist group of folks."
--George W. Bush Aug. 15, 2006

"And the question is, are we going to be facile enough to change with—will we be nimble enough; will we be able to deal with the circumstances on the ground? And the answer is, yes, we will."
--George W. Bush July 25, 2006

"We shouldn't fear a world that is more interacted."
--George W. Bush June 27, 2006.

#57
Only in the Bush years would we lose a planet.

Tom Ricks author of "Fiasco"Ricks: "Echoes of Iraq, yes. But also the Israelis are very sophisticated in their handling of the media. They consider it part of the battlefield, officially. The word 'narrative' always comes up with conversations with Israeli national security officials. They consider shaping the narrative, the battle for the narrative, to be key as part of any war fighting. So they see the media as part of the battlefield. And, in fact, there's some belief from our reporters that they have occasionally targeted the media."

Tom Ricks author of "Fiasco"Ricks: "Echoes of Iraq, yes. But also the Israelis are very sophisticated in their handling of the media. They consider it part of the battlefield, officially. The word 'narrative' always comes up with conversations with Israeli national security officials. They consider shaping the narrative, the battle for the narrative, to be key as part of any war fighting. So they see the media as part of the battlefield. And, in fact, there's some belief from our reporters that they have occasionally targeted the media."

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A Little Povert Never Hurt Anyone

"Ruthless Exploiters, Inc"

"It is like paradise and hell. They throw our petitions in the dustbin. They have everything. We have nothing... If we protest, they send soldiers. They sign agreements with us and then ignore us. We have graduates going hungry, without jobs. And they bring people from Lagos to work here."

Eghare W.O. Ojhogar, chief of the Ugborodo community in Delta State (of Nigeria)

In describing the situation in Nigeria, Eghare presents us with a microcosm of a modern Inferno, Purgatorio, e Paradiso (about which there is little divine or comic). In the timeless struggle between the "haves and "have nots", alarming numbers of "useless eaters" ("have nots") are sliding from Purgatorio into the abyss of abject poverty's Inferno.

And what heinous transgression did they commit that necessitated their banishment into the Inferno? They were born, of course. Most of those experiencing the misery of indigence had the misfortune to enter this world bearing a losing lottery ticket.

.....Where is the wealth?

And just how heavily are the world's assets concentrated into the hands of the elite? While the United States is by no means home to the entire world's de facto aristocracy, it is the "leader of the obscenely rich world" and by default is the "leader of the (ostensibly) free world".

(1)For example, Professor G. William Domhoff of the University of California at Santa Cruz wrote in 2001:

"In terms of types of financial wealth, the top 1 percent of households have 44.1% of all privately held stock, 58.0% of financial securities, and 57.3% of business equity. The top 10% have 85% to 90% of stock, bonds, trust funds, and business equity, and over 75% of non-home real estate. Since financial wealth is what counts as far as the control of income-producing assets, we can say that just 10% of the people own the United States of America."

And thanks to the Bush administration, that 10% is maintaining a firm grasp on what they own.

...In 2003, the average worker in the United States was netting $517.00 per week. How much were CEO's taking home at that time? A mere $155,000. 52 times per year. That is a staggering 301 to 1 differential. In 1982 the ratio of CEO to average worker pay was "a mere" 42 to 1. From 1990 to 2003 US corporate profits rose 128%.

Ahhh....that's poverty.

Happy, I hereby banish you to Xena, the dwarf planet!

Truly, to tell lies is not honorable, but when the truth entails tremendous ruin, to speak dishonorably is pardonable.
....Sophocles

August 24, 2006 -- Cops are looking for two mystery men who visited a prominent gay public-relations executive days before he was found dead Monday, strangled in his own bed.
Martin Barreto, 49, a former aide to then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was discovered naked with KY Jelly and a condom next to his body, authorities said.

Now really, was it necessary to include the ialicized part of this story? Sordid journalism at its worst.

NYPOST

Tonight on Cnn Wolf Blitzer and reporter David Horowitz pushed for military action in Iran in their coverage. Stating that Iran's "alleged" nuclear weapons development was 6-12 months away. Why is it that Iaea's Mr. El Baradei has said that Iran poses "no imminent" threat.

On Chris Matthews Senator Biden called the push for a pre-emptive strike on Iran "absolute lunacy". Senator Biden hoped that other Senators would "not drink the kool aid" being dished out by the same folks who "cakewalked" us into Iraq.

Not only is the reporter an idiot, so is the detective who revealed intimate details of a crime scene to the reporter.

Kathleen,
This administration is nuts. No one wants this war. No one except the neocons and the Bush administration. Look at the approval ratings for the Iraq war. It's nuts. They're like pudgy little boys who have found vats of ice cream. They won't be happy until they've had it all.

#91 So why are you repeating the story?

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Cartoony Amusement:

The Economy
One

Iraq
One
Two

The Emperor has no clue
Uno
Dos
Tres
Cuatro

GOP (Goodbye Ol' Party)
Racist
Hopeless
Hapless
Dorky
Clueless (And yet they don't get why America has abandoned them)
Desperate

#93. Why do you ask?

This Ann Telnaes lady is pretty damned funny:
The Emperor has no clue
Happy Crossdresser
Riding the Cheneyburton Pig
Disneyesque et Cheneyesque
Dem Accessories
Bible-abusers Anonymous
Israeli William Tell

Pluto, the underdog...

Pluto and objects like it will be known as "dwarf planets," which raised some thorny questions about semantics: If a raincoat is still a coat, and a cell phone is still a phone, why isn't a dwarf planet still a planet?

I should have left off the question mark. I should have said, "so you repeat the story already."

American Soldiers

2,946 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Bush and his lies.

18,500+ American soldiers have been maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Bush and his evil lies.

55,000+ of the 140,000 American soldiers are suffering from PTSD. Stress disorder has increased and the percentage is now around 40%.

Over 350,000+ Iraqis have been killed in Iraq since Bush declared shock and awe bombings on March 19, 2003.

Contamination from depleted uranium may have affected 125,000+ American soldiers and several million Iraqis.

I will try to share with you a money figure for our war and occupation in Iraq. Our government taps into different bottomless money wells for wars and it is difficult to always know the correct amount of money that is being spent. Money figures will probably change from time to time. By 2010 we will have spent in Iraq $1.2 trillion. We will be in Iraq for at least 50 years and the money figure that is mentioned is $8 to 10 trillion. We will probably never leave Iraq, especially with 14 permanent bases in Iraq and of the 14 permanent bases 4 are mega military bases. Iraq will have access to a bottomless money well.

BUSH IS A UNITER! HE HAS UNITED THE TERRORISTS AROUND THE WORLD TO MAKE NAZI AMERICA, ENEMY NUMBER ONE! Are you feeling more safe and secure with Bush in the WH and Cheney as his chief hatchet man overseeing Nazi America and her citizens?

Our military men and women are used as cannon fodder for a terrorist Nazi American government.

THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE MILITARY WILL BE PASSED INTO LAW AFTER THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS. THE DRAFT AGE WILL BE THROUGH A PERSONS 42ND BIRTHDAY. EXPIRATION DATE OR AN OUTDATE WILL BE 25 YEARS AFTER THE PERSON'S DRAFT AGE. AMERICANS COULD BE SINGING HUT4S UNTIL THEY ARE 67 YEARS OLD.

you should spend more time at Mass and saying the Rosary and spend less time at smirkingchimp.com.
Posted by: ... at August 24, 2006 02:50 PM

As a dot, you should spend more time sucking my dic% and less time giving people advice.

Micki, PlEaSe don't post sUpEr LoNg Articles Re: Post #1. If you don't link, try WWW.TinyURL.COM. It's easy enough to paste a select part of the article with the link. Everyone with low-speed access will appreciate it and many with high-speed will too.

Those are finally some good comments. I applaud you for your regular Mass attendance and Rosary prayers. As a Catholic myself, I pray for Bush and other world leaders (Pope included). Prayer is stronger medicine than any liberal website.
Posted by: ... at August 24, 2006 03:39 PM

Everyone here is so glad you approve. I pray for the triupmh of critical thinking over dogma and radical ideology.

I pray for critical thinking.

Liberal Libations...
Liberal Libations...

Not to be confused "S.H.I.T"...

Tonight I spent most of the evening talking with a theater/music critic and a High-School teacher.

Probably the most sedate night yet. A local congresscritter apeared. No conservatives have come out yet...prolly at "15 minutes of hate, billy" instead.

Did notice that Jean Luc Ponte is gonna be performing at out meeting place on the 31st.

If you don't know...then you outta find out. (googlebeenbellygootome)

Now I'm gonnertakethispitchertobed....

'Nite!

-T

61 Pluto no longer a planet! Good. Pluto is like Progressives, lost status as a player!
Posted by: LBH at August 24, 2006 05:50 PM

It's a WIN-WIN for LBH. A small victory for a small-minded little man.

Speakin' of 'R LIEjunn!

Why wait 'till Sunday!?

Here's my pal Dennis'newest post to WRH

These h'year suthernfokes seem tobeagettin' a lotof ink thees daze!

There’≥ gold in them thar’†pews!
__________________

I have to say when I first saw the title, "There's Gold in them thar Pews," I thought it must be a parody on religion with regard to getting the faithful to part with their money. Certainly no one would actually promote a pastoral class on how to get more money out of a congregation with that title? If the average person in the pews, at least in the pews I am familiar with ever, for one moment even, read such a title, they would give less not more just to show the Pastor they were not sitting in the pews to be mined for Jesus. Alas, the article was serious and I'd like to take a moment to give the meaning behind the message as my experience as a Pastor in a denomination that all too well fleeced the flock and mined the Gold in "them thar pews."
_________

uhm...

-T

-T

Who says LBH is a man? Is a troll a man?

Hajji,

You are guilty of PWI...

Please refrain from posting until Sober...

-T

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Just bought 30 orders of acyclovir. great stuff. I own the stock. making millions. Gov't needs 40 million doses for bird-flue. You think bird-flue? Watch the stock price, whoo-hoo! Cheney and Rumsfield are major shareholders. whoo-hoo!

Why does GWB rely on Cheney for foriegn polict advice when he could have a seasoned strategist like Baker? Don't these guys know they're policies are fuc%ed and they need a new tack to end up with sustainable peace? Major league fuckups.

What's the national debt?

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