Citizens for Legitimate Government

November 2004 Archives, Page Two

Top general warns Iran not to underestimate U.S. military --A top U.S. commander is warning Iran and others against thinking they can exploit the U.S. military because its ground troops are fighting two major missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. [Oh. I thought the 'mission' was 'accomplished.']

Iran Backs Away From a Demand on A-Bomb Fuel --Iran on Sunday backed off a demand to operate uranium enrichment equipment that could be used either for energy purposes or in a nuclear bomb-making project, European and Iranian officials said.

Iraqi Foreign Minister escapes car bomb --Assassins tried to kill Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, yesterday morning by leaving a car packed with explosives on a road where he was about to travel. His guards discovered the bomb shortly before his convoy went past.

Bombs Kill 4 Civilians and 2 Marines in Attacks in Iraq --Four Iraqi civilians were killed Sunday afternoon when a car bomb exploded 60 miles north of here in Samarra, and another was wounded, military officials said. In raids to the north, in Mosul, American and Iraqi troops detained 43 people suspected of being insurgents, military officials said.

Seven US soldiers killed in three days --Two US marines have been killed in action south of Baghdad, bringing to seven the total number killed in Iraq over the past three days, according to US authorities.

Baghdad Bombing Injures Two Soldiers --Two soldiers were injured and a military vehicle was damaged today after a car bomb exploded in central Baghdad. The blast occurred on the airport access road leading out of the International Zone, also known as the Green Zone, which houses interim Iraqi government offices as well as the U.S. Embassy

Fallujah Napalmed --US uses banned weapon ..but was Tony Blair told? US troops are secretly using outlawed napalm gas to wipe out remaining insurgents in and around Fallujah. News that Dictator George W. Bush has sanctioned the use of napalm, a deadly cocktail of polystyrene and jet fuel banned by the United Nations in 1980, will stun governments around the world.

U.S. uses napalm gas in Fallujah – Witnesses --The U.S. military is secretly using banned napalm gas and other outlawed weapons against civilians in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, eyewitnesses reported. Residents in Fallujah reported that innocent civilians have been killed by napalm attacks, a poisonous cocktail of polystyrene and jet fuel which makes the human body melt.

Turk Compares U.S. to Hitler --An official says the 'genocide' being committed in Iraq is the worst in human history. The head of Turkey's parliamentary human rights group has accused Washington of genocide in Iraq and behaving worse than Adolf Hitler, in remarks that underscore the depth of Turkish opposition to U.S. policy in the region.

Nobel Laureate Saramago Warns of Danger After Bush Re[s]election --Portuguese writer José Saramago, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature, spoke to writers and journalists this week in Caracas. Saramago used the occasion to express his views on what a second term under U.S. Dictator George W. Bush will mean for the region. "Things will undoubtedly be very bad for Latin America," the writer predicted. "You only have to consider the ambitions and the doctrines of the empire, which regards this region as its backyard," he said. At an earlier speaking engagement in Bogotá, Colombia, Saramago called Bush "the biggest liar on the planet." He added that if Bush ever decides to focus on the region, Latin America should tremble with fear.

Congress threatens to cut aid in fight over criminal court --The US Congress has launched a fresh attack on the international criminal court at The Hague, threatening to cut off development aid to countries who refuse to guarantee immunity from prosecution for Americans at the tribunal.

Neocons join the lynch mob for 'arrogant' Rumsfeld --The American defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, should be sacked, according to a growing chorus of conservative commentators who want him replaced by a figure with wider appeal.

Audit: Halliburton lost track of government property in Iraq --A third or more of the government property Halliburton Co. was paid to manage for the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq could not be located by auditors, investigative reports to Congress show. Halliburton's KBR subsidiary ''did not effectively manage government property'' and auditors could not locate hundreds of CPA items worth millions of dollars in Iraq and Kuwait this summer and fall, Inspector General Stuart W. Bowen reported to Congress in two reports. [See: The Fallout Shelter News presents . . . - a page as big and wide as the whole outdoors! - BUCK CHENEY - DUCK MASTER! --by Mary Titus]

Israel shocked by image of soldiers forcing violinist to play at roadblock --Of all the revelations that have rocked the Israeli army over the past week, perhaps none disturbed the public so much as the video footage of soldiers forcing a Palestinian man to play his violin.

US to sell 50 medium-range missiles to Jordan --The Pentagon is to sell 50 US-made air-to-air missiles to Jordan, along with supporting equipment, in a deal worth about 39 million dollars, despite objections from Israel.

Global Eye --by Chris Floyd "There has been much throwing about of brains on the subject of George W. Bush's further lurch to the Right since he limped over the election finish line with his tiny, 1 percent, fraud-marred majority. And to be sure, the wholesale purges he has instituted throughout his regime -- replacing a slew of merely cringing sycophants with cringing, drooling, groveling sycophants -- will indeed hasten the United States' degeneration into corpo-religious authoritarianism along the lines of Franco's Spain. But all the earnest disquisitions about Bush's Franco-U.S. 'ideology' entirely miss the point -- and increase the fog that the Regime deliberately spreads over its true interests. For the heart of this slouching beast is neither left-wing nor right-wing; it's strictly Bush-wing."

Ottawa prepares for anti-Bush protests over everything from war to capitalism --They're protesting everything from capitalism and corruption to criminality, and they're blaming it all on U.S. Dictator George W. Bush. Thousands of activists are expected to march on the capital Tuesday, clogging streets and shouting complaints over all manner of perceived wrongs - imperialism, racism, elitism, torture, treaties and terrorism.

Ukraine's parliament calls presidential election invalid --Ukraine's parliament yesterday declared the country's disputed presidential election invalid - a move that is has no legal effect but is symbolically potent, boosting opposition hopes for a new vote. [It is time to declare the 2004 U.S. presidential 'election' invalid.]

The revolution televised --The western media's view of Ukraine's election is hopelessly biased --by John Laughland "This week both the anti-war Independent and the pro-war Telegraph excitedly announced a 'revolution' in Ukraine. Across the pond, the rightwing Washington Times welcomed 'the people versus the power'. Whether it is Albania in 1997, Serbia in 2000, Georgia last November or Ukraine now, our media regularly peddle the same fairy tale about how youthful demonstrators manage to bring down an authoritarian regime, simply by attending a rock concert in a central square. Two million anti-war demonstrators can stream though the streets of London and be politically ignored, but a few tens of thousands in central Kiev are proclaimed to be 'the people', while the Ukrainian police, courts and governmental institutions are discounted as instruments of oppression." [a must read]

Blair ally wanted for questioning over coup --Police in South Africa want to question Peter Mandelson, the new European Union trade commissioner and one of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's closest friends, over any knowledge he may have of a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.

Int'l conference calls for total landmine ban --Nairobi --An international conference on landmine opened here on Sunday with participants calling for total ban of production, stockpiling and use of anti-personnel landmine to make the world mine-free.

US stays away from landmine conference --Nairobi: For the first time since it entered into force five years ago, the international treaty to ban anti-personnel landmines comes up for review here, but no official US delegates will be present among the hundreds of diplomats, campaigners and mine survivors.

Two more top spies quit troubled CIA --Shake-up by new director blamed for resignations --Two more of America's top spies were reported yesterday to be leaving the CIA, as an attempt to fix the troubled agency appeared increasingly to be dividing its ranks and driving out its most experienced officials.

Report: FBI Finds Link Between 9/11, Madrid Bombs [al CIA-duh?] --The FBI has established the clearest link yet between the March 11 Madrid train bombings and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, a Spanish newspaper reported Sunday.

First-hand Accounts of Underground Explosions In the North Tower --This article from Chief Engineer magazine presents eyewitness account of the moments after the first plane crash, and describes evidence of large explosions in the lobby, parking garage and subbasement levels of WTC-1 at the time of the crash... One of the most remarkable is the story of Mike Pecoraro, who was working in the 6th sub-basement of the North Tower when the first plane hit...

Public Extermination Project --by Janet C. Phelan "A specific public works project became 'classified' following 911. This project, which has been on-going throughout the U.S., has lethal capabilities for innocent U.S. citizens... Following 911, there began intensive and concentrated infrastructure work that has lethal capabilities and intent. In an extremely non-forthcoming governmental atmosphere, I have been able to document a small portion of this work, which was ongoing in Los Angeles County in the spring of 2004. Through the use of T-valves, the government can regulate, on an individualized, residence by residence basis, the introduction of another substance into the water lines. As fluoride goes in at the plant, we are not dealing with the capability to add fluoride. It is quite a bit more nefarious than that."

Colombian official: Rebels planned to kill Bush --U.S. Dictator George W. Bush was targeted for assassination by freedom fighters this week when he visited the city of Cartagena, a Colombian official said Saturday. "We found out through informers and various sources that groups within the [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] had been instructed from its leadership to make an assassination attempt on President Bush," Colombian Defense Secretary Jorge Alberto Uribe told Caracol TV, a Bogota-based satellite network.

One gulp, and Bush was gone --Behind the scenes at the Clinton library, we saw America's future --by Sidney Blumenthal "...[W]hen the presidents were announced, [George W.] Bush tried to push his way past [Bill] Clinton at the library door to be first in line, against the already accepted protocol for the event, as though the walk to the platform was a contest for alpha male... Bush appeared distracted, and glanced repeatedly at his watch. When he stopped to gaze at the river, where secret service agents were stationed in boats, the guide said: 'Usually, you might see some bass fishermen out there.' Bush replied: 'A submarine could take this place out.'"

Chat rooms targeted in hunt for 'terrorists' --CIA reportedly funding research into surveillance of discussions --The U.S. is looking at monitoring Internet chat rooms to identify potential 'terrorists.' According to CNET News.com, the CIA is quietly funding research into surveillance of online discussion halls. [If the CIA wants to identify *actual* terrorists, they should investigate 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.]

Federal Plan to Keep Data on Students Worries Some --A proposal by the federal government to create a vast new database of enrollment records on all college and university students is raising concerns that the move will erode the privacy rights of students.

U.S. Opposes Passport Privacy Protections --The Bush dictatorship opposed security measures for new microchip-equipped passports that privacy advocates contended were needed to prevent identity theft, government snooping or a terror attack, according to State Department documents released Friday. The passports, scheduled to be issued by the end of 2005, could be read electronically from as far away as 30 feet, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained the documents under a Freedom of Information Act request.

Records being shredded before Information Act (UK) Government departments have been shredding record numbers of official files in the months leading up to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. Julian Lewis, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: "I was wondering how a government with such a culture of evasion would be able to cope with an era of openness and it seems The Telegraph has found the answer. "They are going to destroy the evidence."

New Mexico Voting Oddity: --Post by indigoblue on democraticunderground, summarized here: In every single county, the Democratic Justice and Judge candidates received a higher percentage of votes than Senator Kerry. If Kerry got the average percentage of votes that the Democratic justice and judge candidates received, he would have received about 55,000 more votes.

Voting Machines Count Backwards in Okla. --by Bob Nichols --57 Rural Counties Affected - Vote Fraud Suspected --"Rural Oklahoma Voting machines know how to count backwards. That looks like what the secretly programmed machines did for Sen. Kerry in President [sic] Bush's easily won Presidential Election victory in Oklahoma. All 77 counties use the Optech Eagle voting machines and Tabulator's made by ES&S, Sen Hagel's Republican company. The respectable, conservative 'Tulsa World' newspaper reported Nov 3rd that Kerry was winning in 57 of the states' rural counties., with 70% of the vote counted. Turns out that the famous November 3rd report was probably not supposed to be printed... The 'official' State of Oklahoma Election Board vote totals released later show Kerry not winning; but, losing in all the state's 77 counties, including the 57 rural counties."

Jesse Jackson demands Ohio presidential recount, blasts GOP election officials, and says Kerry supports the process --Preaching to a packed, wildly cheering central Ohio citizen congregation, Rev. Jesse Jackson blasted the presidential election back into the national headlines Sunday. Jackson said new findings cast serious doubt on the idea that George W. Bush beat John Kerry in Ohio November 2. A GOP "pattern of intentionality" was behind a suspect outcome, he said.

Kerry Supports Ohio Vote Investigation, Jackson says --John Kerry supports a "full investigation" into voting irregularities in Ohio, Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday, during a teleconference with media regarding a recount and legal challenge of the Nov. 2 vote.

Chief Justice Won't Return to the Court This Year --Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who missed the Supreme Court's November argument session while being treated for thyroid cancer, will be absent for the December session as well, the court announced on Friday.

Senate GOP set to go 'nuclear' over judges --Senate Republicans, boldly confident after their Nov. 2 election theft, are preparing to end months of frustrating delays over Dictator Bush's judicial picks by hitting Democrats with Republican's ultimate legislative weapon. But the Republican threat to neuter long-cherished filibuster rules by steamrolling Democrats is risky — so potentially destructive that Capitol Hill calls it the "nuclear option."

Courts first to go in right-wing revolution --by George McEvoy "Every time the so-called Christian Right has tried to turn this country into a theocracy, those pesky federal courts have stymied things. So now — according to the liberal Americans United for Separation of Church and State — the right-wingers have come up with a new scheme. All they plan to do is to strip the federal judges of their right to hear cases involving the separation of church and state.

Scalia: founding fathers never advocated the separation of church and state --Scalia in shul: State must back religion --by Uriel Heilman "US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia used an appearance at an Orthodox synagogue in New York to assail the notion that the US government should maintain a neutral stance toward religion, saying it has always supported religion and the courts should not try to change that."

Texas District Attorney Blasts U.S. House GOP --A Texas prosecutor has lashed out at congressional Republicans for changing their rules in order to protect House Majority Leader [and Reichwing nutball] Tom DeLay.

Alabama Vote Opens Old Racial Wounds --School Segregation Remains a State Law as Amendment Is Defeated --On Nov. 2, Alabama voters refused to approve a constitutional amendment to erase segregation-era wording requiring separate schools for "white and colored children" and to eliminate references to the poll taxes once imposed to disenfranchise blacks.

Vast Borrowing Seen in Altering Social Security --The White House and Republicans in Congress are all but certain to embrace large-scale government borrowing to help finance Dictator Bush's plan to create personal investment accounts in Social Security, according to regime officials, members of Congress and independent analysts.

Tanker Spills Crude Oil in Delaware River --A tanker spilled 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River between Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, creating a 20-mile-long slick that threatened fish and birds, Coast Guard officials said Saturday.

Wal-Mart Cuts Forecast Amid Reports of Retail Strength --Wal-Mart cut its November sales forecast Saturday, citing declining customer traffic over the past week. Two other reports released Saturday showed strong retail sales on Friday.

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Aid threatened as US fights war crimes court --The Republican-controlled US Congress has stepped up its campaign to curtail the power of the International Criminal Court by threatening to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in economic aid to governments that refuse to sign immunity accords that shield US personnel from being surrendered to the tribunal. The move marks an escalation in US efforts to ensure that the first world criminal court can never judge US citizens for crimes committed overseas.

Is the Annexation of Canada part of Bush's Military Agenda? --by Michel Chossudovsky "For nearly two years now, Ottawa has been quietly negotiating a far-reaching military cooperation agreement, which allows the US Military to cross the border and deploy troops anywhere in Canada, in our provinces, as well station American warships in Canadian territorial waters. This redesign of Canada's defense system is being discussed behind closed doors, not in Canada, but at the Peterson Air Force base in Colorado, at the headquarters of US Northern Command (NORTHCOM)... Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced unilaterally that US Northern Command would have jurisdiction over the entire North American region. Canada and Mexico were presented with a fait accompli."

Saudis, Enron money helped pay for US rigged election --by Wayne Madsen "According to informed sources in Washington and Houston, the Bush campaign spent some $29 million to pay polling place operatives around the country to rig the election for Bush. The operatives were posing as Homeland Security and FBI agents but were actually technicians familiar with Diebold, Sequoia, ES&S, Triad, Unilect, and Danaher Controls voting machines. These technicians reportedly hacked the systems to skew the results in favor of Bush."

Election Company Has Long Criminal History -- Thugs, Racketeers Counting American Votes --by Daniel Hopsicker "While Ukrainians poured into the streets of their capital Kiev to protest a presidential election they say was stolen by that country’s current regime, here in the U.S. a little-known election company called Sequoia Pacific, responsible for putting our own 'current regime' in power four years ago, was at the center of controversy last week... for the second Presidential election in a row."

Hearings on Ohio voting put 2004 election in doubt --by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman "The unavoidable conclusion is that this year's election in Ohio was deeply flawed, that thousands of Ohioans were denied their right to vote, and that the ultimate vote count is very much in doubt... By depriving precincts of adequate numbers of functioning voting machines, [Republican Secretary of State J. Kenneth] Blackwell created waits of three to 11 hours, driving tens of thousands of likely Democratic voters away from the polls and very likely affecting the outcome of the Ohio vote count, which in turn decided the national election."

Jackson plans rally with ministers to call for election investigation --The Rev. Jesse Jackson said he plans a Sunday rally in Columbus with ministers from around Ohio to call for an investigation of election irregularities in the state. Jackson will be speaking:
Sunday, December 5, 2004
Mt. Herman Baptist Church
2283 Sunbury Road
Columbus, OH
3:30 P.M.

More voting questions raised (OH) Several new voting concerns surfaced yesterday as lawyers combed totals from the Nov. 2 presidential election. Attorneys for various citizen action groups that plan to contest the results said they are puzzled that vote totals in the presidential race in Warren County far exceed totals in most other statewide and countywide races.

Wyoming: 106% Turnout of Registered Voters In 2004 General Elections --According to the 'Profile of Wyoming's Voters - Voter Registration and Voter Turnout' on the Wyoming Secretary of State's website, Wyoming had a turnout of 106% registered voters on November 2, 2004. Wyoming had 232,396 registered voters, 62% of eligible voters for the 2004 General Elections; turnout of registered voters was 245,789, or 106% of registered voters. [Document last modified: 10-November-2004] Note: Voter turnout percentage highest since 1978 --The Wyoming Secretary of State's office counted 245,646 voters unofficially, statewide. The number of registered voters before Tuesday's election was 232,396, meaning the ultimate voter turnout among registered voters was about 106 percent, Secretary of State Joe Meyer said. "It is possible to have a voter turnout of more than 100 percent because Wyoming statutes allow voters to register at the polls on election day."

Margin Now Just 42 Votes in Washington State Race --The election was already achingly close, but the recount in the race for governor of Washington State was almost absurdly close, the results showed Wednesday. Former State Senator Dino Rossi, the Republican who was declared the winner last week by 261 votes, won the recount by a mere 42, of almost three million cast. And the bizarre contest is anything but settled.

Ukraine Court Delays Results in Vote Dispute --Ukraine's Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily blocked the victory of Prime Minister Viktor F. Yanukovich in the disputed presidential election, barring publication of the Central Election Commission's results until the court reviews complaints of widespread fraud and abuse.

Crowds blockade Kiev government --Thousands of demonstrators have laid siege to government buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in protest at the presidential election results.

Iraq considers call for 'election' delay --Iraq's 'election' commission said today it would consider a call by top political parties to delay the January vote because of violence gripping the country. In Baghdad, four Nepalese nationals who once served with Britain's elite Gurkha army regiment were killed in a rocket attack on the highly fortified Green Zone claimed by an al-Qaeda linked group, their firm said.

Blix plays down chemical laboratory claims Former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix says he will be "surprised" if a chemical laboratory found in Iraq was capable of creating weapons. "Let's see what the chemicals are," Mr Blix said, after Iraqi officials claimed to have uncovered a chemical bomb factory in Fallujah. "Many of these stories evaporate when they are looked at more closely," he said.

2,000 killed in Fallujah offensive --More than 2,085 people were killed and 1,600 detained in the massive US-Iraqi offensive on the rebel city of Fallujah, Iraqi national security adviser Qassem Daoud has said. The US military had previously said at least 1,200 rebels had been killed.

Four Killed in Baghdad's Green Zone --A mortar attack killed four employees of a British security firm and wounded 15 others in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, the company and British officials said Friday. "The mortar landed in their camp," said a Foreign Office official on condition of anonymity

Two Marines Killed in Fallujah Clash --Two Marines were killed and three others wounded when they came under fire during 'house-clearing operations' [U.S. terrorism] in Fallujah, the U.S. military said Friday.

Loud explosion rocks Baghdad as smoke rises over capital --A loud explosion rocked central Baghdad on Thursday, sending column of smoke rising above the protected Green Zone, witnesses said. Black smoke could be seen rising over the area north of the Green Zone complex which houses the offices of Iraq's interim government, the US and British embassies, according to the witnesses.

Deaths as blasts rock Samarra --Two people have been killed and 14 wounded in bomb attacks, one of them involving a human bomber, in the Iraqi town of Samarra, police and hospital officials said.

Japanese want troops to leave Iraq --Most people in Japan want their troops to leave Iraq, according to a poll carried out by a leading business newspaper.

Guardsmen Say They're Facing Iraq Ill-Trained --Troops from California describe a prison-like, demoralized camp in New Mexico that's short on gear and setting them up for high casualties. Members of a California Army National Guard battalion preparing for deployment to Iraq said this week that they were under strict lockdown and being treated like prisoners rather than soldiers by Army commanders at the remote desert camp where they are training.

28,002 troops wounded in Iraq: Veterans Affairs chief vows to work for the wounded --As of Tuesday, 20,802 troops have been treated at Landstuhl from injuries received in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

U.S. struggles to find troops for Iraq, Afghanistan --The Army, which has been hard pressed to find enough soldiers to man the rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, may soon be faced with an urgent request to find another 5,000 to 7,000 troops to increase the number of boots on the ground in Iraq.

Smoking while Iraq burns --Its idolisation of 'the face of Falluja' shows how numb the US is to everyone's pain but its own --by Naomi Klein "Impunity - the perception of being outside the law - has long been the hallmark of the Bush regime. What is alarming is that it appears to have deepened since the election, ushering in what can only be described as an orgy of impunity. In Iraq, US forces and their Iraqi surrogates are no longer bothering to conceal attacks on civilian targets and are openly eliminating anyone - doctors, clerics, journalists - who dares to count the bodies. At home, impunity has been made official policy with Bush's appointment of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, the man who personally advised the president in his infamous 'torture memo' that the Geneva conventions are 'obsolete'."

US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev --by Ian Traynor "Ukraine, traditionally passive in its politics, has been mobilised by the young democracy activists and will never be the same again. But while the gains of the orange-bedecked 'chestnut revolution' are Ukraine's, the campaign is an American creation, a sophisticated and brilliantly conceived exercise in western branding and mass marketing that, in four countries in four years, has been used to try to salvage rigged elections and topple unsavoury regimes. Funded and organised by the US government, deploying US consultancies, pollsters, diplomats, the two big American parties and US non-government organisations, the campaign was first used in Europe in Belgrade in 2000..."

Putin Warns Bush: Ukraine vote on hold after court ruling --The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday accused the US and the European Union of encouraging "mayhem" on the streets of Ukraine, and warned them against interfering further in the current election crisis.

Fighting to Keep One World of Human Rights and Law: Building a Resistance to Bush --by Greg Moses "By continuing to withdraw his administration from the spirit and letter of human rights and global law, President [sic] Bush is seceding from the rest of the world. Through a moral equivalent of Civil War, we must prevent this secession from taking place. If we agree with the terse thesis of Francis A. Boyle-- that the Bush movement constitutes 'a comprehensive and malicious assault upon the integrity of the international legal order'--then the muscle of the Bush grip at home is connected through sinews of illegality to the trigger finger in Falluja."

Lawyers Attempt to Bar Bush From Canada --"LAW [Lawyers against the War (LAW) a Canada-based committee of jurists and others with members in thirteen countries] sends letter to Martin in an attempt to bar Bush from Canada - Nov 19, 2004 --The following letter was sent to Prime Minister Martin (pour la version française cliquetez ici) and additional letters were sent to Minister of National Defence Bill Graham and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Irwin Cotler. ...Dear Prime Minister Martin: It was with absolute dismay that we learned of the planned visit of President [sic] Bush to Canada on November 30th 2004...."

Bush avoiding Parliament; no desire to be 'booed' --Dictator George W. Bush will avoid a potentially hostile reception in Parliament and travel to Halifax next week after his first official trip to American officials involved in planning the trip were worried about a cranky audience on Parliament Hill, sources said. "We didn't see the need and, frankly, we didn't want to be booed..." said one U.S. official.

Protesters gear up for Bush --Protesters are frantically organizing to yank the welcome mat out from under U.S. Dictator George W. Bush when he arrives here Tuesday. Sporadic graffiti heralds what could be a nasty reception as he starts a two-day visit to Canada.

U.S. Operating Secret 'Torture Flights' (democracynow.org) "The Sunday Times of London is reporting that it has obtained evidence that the US government is leasing a special Gulfstream Jet to transport detained suspects to other nations that routinely use torture in their prisons. We speak with the reporter who broke the story."

2 Top Officials Are Reported to Quit C.I.A. --Two more senior officials of the Central Intelligence Agency's clandestine service are stepping down, intelligence officials said Wednesday, in the latest sign of upheaval in the agency under its new chief, Porter J. Goss. [The 2 new CIA rats have been added to Mary Titus's 'Weasel Watch Tracks Bush Staff Exodus.']

Massive D.C. Counter-Inaugural Demonstration Jan 20 --Moment Building Fast - A War Criminal Will Be Inaugurated On January 20 and the People Will Protest (ANSWER Coalition.org) "Pinochet and Bush - The Troubles Facing War Criminals Learning a lesson from the trials and tribulations of the dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was indicted for crimes against humanity when he traveled outside of Chile, George W. Bush arranged for his being granted 'diplomatic immunity' by Chilean president Lagos as a precondition for Bush's trip to Chile for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference."

Conservative Republican group urges UN's expulsion from US --A right-wing Republican group launched a television campaign calling for the United Nations to be kicked out of the United States, alleging the world body is a "safe harbor" for terrorism.

Electronic passports raise privacy fears --The US State Department will soon begin issuing passports that carry information about the traveller in a computer chip embedded in the cardboard cover as well as on its printed pages.

U.S. Opposed Passport Privacy Protections --The Bush dictatorship opposed security measures for new microchip-equipped passports that privacy advocates contended were needed to prevent identity theft, government snooping or a terror attack, according to State Department documents released Friday.

For Blair there is no such thing as legal principle Sadly, Labour's law and order drive is more than an election strategy --by Helena Kennedy "Anti-terror laws cannot be vacuum packed; they seep into the policing culture and create new paradigms of state power. During a visit to India this spring, the home secretary suggested that governments may have to consider whether the burden of proof might have to be lowered from 'beyond reasonable doubt' to the civil test of the 'balance of probabilities' in terrorist trials. Two days later, the prime minister agreed that such a change should be considered, and he went further, suggesting that the lower standard might also apply to other serious crime. What is introduced today for terrorism almost invariably enters general usage shortly thereafter."

Area man stirs debate on WTC collapse --South Bend firm's lab director fired after questioning federal probe --The laboratory director from a South Bend (IN) firm has been fired for attempting to cast doubt on the federal investigation into what caused the World Trade Center's twin towers to collapse on Sept. 11, 2001.

'Blue' states may lose in Bush tax plan --Dictator Bush's plan for "revenue-neutral" tax reform needs losers to balance its winners, and people who take the federal deduction for state and local taxes may be in administration planners' sights, news reports say. That could leave the so-called blue states seeing red. In the past election, the states that collect the most income tax were solidly "blue" supporters of Democratic challenger John Kerry. [It's time to secede.]

Paper Charts Values Gap: Red States Love 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Playboy' --Much of the post-selection analysis in the press has centered on so-called red state values and the alleged "values gap" in America. Perhaps with that in mind, The New York Times presented two stories which seemed to give lie to some of the post-selection chatter concerning superior values in the red states.

FDA Scientist Says He Faces Retaliation --Star witness who criticized his agency's drug safety record contends he's under pressure to be 'exiled' to a different job. Dr. David J. Graham, the Food and Drug Administration scientist who publicly criticized the agency's approach to drug safety during a Senate hearing last week, said Wednesday that he was facing pressure to transfer to a different job in the FDA — a move he said was in retaliation for his remarks.

WHO warns of dire flu pandemic [...that the Bush terror team is busy working on, even as we speak? A biological (terror) disaster would provide Dictator Bush an excuse to quickly pass Patriot II, set up Dr. Frist's quarantines, insure the pharmaceutical companies receive windfall profits, and dump Social Security due the ensuing economic disaster --all in one fell swoop!] --The World Health Organization has issued a dramatic warning that bird flu will trigger an international pandemic that could kill up to seven million people. The influenza pandemic could occur anywhere from next week [?!?] to the coming years, WHO said.

Killer flu recreated in the lab --Thursday, 7 October, 2004, 05:02 GMT 06:02 UK [Why?] --Scientists have shown that tiny changes to modern flu viruses could render them as deadly as the 1918 strain which killed millions. A US team added two genes from a sample of the 1918 virus to a modern strain [Why?] known to have no effect on mice. Animals exposed to this composite were dying within days of symptoms similar to those found in human victims of the 1918 pandemic.

Flu victim exhumed after 85 years --Friday, 30 January, 2004, 20:08 GMT --Scientists are preparing to exhume the body of a woman who died of flu 85 years ago to find out how the virus killed millions across Europe. [Why?] Phyllis Burn died aged 20 in 1918, a victim of the 20th Century's worst flu epidemic, which killed more than 50 million people. She was buried in a lead coffin, thought to be virtually airtight, in Twickenham, south-west London. Scientists wearing protective clothing will remove lung samples from the body. ...The move has the support of Miss Burn's niece, Hilary Burn-Callander, who told BBC London she was a bit surprised at first by the request. "I didn't know what to think to be honest," she said.

Satellites show human destruction of Amazon rainforest --About half of Brazil's original Amazon rainforest has been occupied by man, deforested or used for industry, and its destruction is worse than government figures show, an environmental group says. A study using satellite photographs shows that land occupation and deforestation covers about 47 per cent of the world's largest jungle, an area bigger than the continental United States, the Brazilian non-government organisation Imazon said.

Toxic chemical discovered in Lake Michigan --Concentrations of a flame retardant banned by many European countries have been found in Lake Michigan and are increasing, adding to concerns over previous findings that the chemicals were showing up in supermarket foods and women's breast milk.

Turnpike runs free on 1st day of strike Union workers walk out, leaving toll gates wide open --The first strike in the 64-year history of the Pennsylvania Turnpike meant free rides for about 650,000 vehicles yesterday, the first travel day of the Thanksgiving weekend. But the labor dispute that has deteriorated into a war of words could get worse.

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Auditor to Army: Dock Halliburton's Pay --The U.S. Army should withhold some payments to Halliburton Co. for its 'work' in Iraq, a government auditor said on Wednesday, in a move that could cost the contractor tens of millions of dollars a month.

Group Finds Problems With Voting Machines --An organization that put more than 400 poll watchers in Maryland precincts on election day reported Tuesday that its volunteers found scattered problems with the state's electronic voting machines. Among the problems were machines that crashed, incorrect ballots and touch-screens that failed to work properly.

E-mails released Monday show lockdown pre-planned - November 16, 2004 (OH) Warren County finished its vote count Monday without any results changing... Warren County has drawn national attention for its election night problems, from three-hour-plus lines at the polls to locking down the administration building during the vote count because of terrorism [?!?] concerns [so that the results could be manipulated]. Federal and local homeland security officials say they didn't know of an increased threat in Warren County. County Commissioner Pat South has said the decision to lock the doors election night was made during an Oct. 28 closed-door meeting (the Thursday before Election Day). But in e-mailed memos dated Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 - released Monday after an Enquirer public records request - other county officials were already detailing the security measures, down to the wording of signs that would be posted on the locked doors.

GOP's Rossi Wins Wash. Governor Recount --Republican Dino Rossi came out ahead of Democrat Christine Gregoire by just 42 votes Wednesday in the recount for Washington governor, but the Democrats are expected to seek another recount.

Ukraine Liberal Calls for Strike, Civil War Warning [Why is this not happening in the U.S., following ***TWO*** stolen elections?] --Ukraine opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday called for a national strike that would halt transport and shut factories in protest at the declaration that his Moscow-backed rival had won election as president. [And, in the United States, we are calling for The Grand Refusal, to overturn ***OUR*** (second) illegitimate election!!!]

U.S. Rejects Ukraine Election Results --Powell Says Election Does Not Meet International Standards --The United States today rejected the announced results of Ukraine's disputed presidential election and warned the government of the former Soviet republic to uphold democracy or face "consequences" in its relationships with the United States and Europe. [Why doesn't a country force the U.S. to 'uphold democracy,' and remove the illegitimate Bush dictatorship???]

Zogby Vs. Mitofsky --by Keith Olbermann "It was a spectacular irony - a Republican senator using the word 'fraud' about the presidential election. More spectacular still, he was visiting his condemnation of apparent election manipulation on the incumbent party. And beyond all that, he and others based their conclusions largely on the incredible disparity between the last exit polls and the vote count itself. Of course, Indiana’s Richard Lugar was talking about the presidential election in the Ukraine. But in so doing, he underscored that once again, the exit polls appear to have fulfilled the time-honored international tradition of the canary in the mine shaft. If only we could have used them in that way here."

Republican Challenges Presidential Election Based On Exit Polls (Comments by Greg Palast) "Tuesday, November 23, 2004 --from The New York Times 'Citing the disturbing fact that official results diverged sharply from a range of surveys of voters at polling places, Lugar [Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R- hypocrite - Indiana] said, 'A concerted and forceful program of election-day fraud and abuse was enacted with either the leadership or cooperation of governmental authorities.' ...This reporter was unable to reach Senator Lugar regarding the inconsistency of official election results and exit polls in the USA; the intimidation of minority voters in Florida and Ohio; nor the failure to count two million ballots cast, half by African-American voters, in America's first post-democratic election held earlier this month."

Rights group sues over election results (FL) The aftermath of the general election in Volusia County grew more tangled Tuesday, as a local voting rights advocate sued to throw out the results. While the suit focuses on the most prominent countywide race, it asks that all general election results in the county be set aside.

Felons list audit faults state A new state audit criticized how Florida put together a central voter database and a felons list that was sent to election supervisors this year. A new audit shows that Florida's attempt to rid the voting rolls of felons this past election season was marred by lax oversight by the Department of State, which failed to follow legal settlements and relied on seriously flawed data when it put together the controversial felons list. [Article cites 'other key audit findings.']

8,099 Cuyahoga ballots ruled invalid (OH) The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections voted Monday to reject one out of three of the 24,472 provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 2 election. Seventy percent of the rejected ballots, or 5,595, won't count because there was no record of their registration. "I find it inconceivable that over 5,000 voters in the county would wait an hour in the pouring rain to vote if they haven't registered," said Dr. Norm Robbins, a neurosciences professor at Case Western Reserve University who volunteered for the Greater Cleveland Voter Registration Coalition.

Ohio Democrats Offer Support for Recount Effort --The Ohio Democratic Party announced this week that it is supporting a third-party-led effort to force the battleground state to recount its presidential vote. The organization, whose decision is expected to give more legitimacy to the recount push, complained that Ohio voters faced long lines at the polls Nov. 2, that some voting machines malfunctioned and that some absentee ballots were never delivered.

Judge Denies Demand for Ohio Recount --A federal judge on Tuesday denied a request by third-party presidential candidates who wanted to force a recount of Ohio ballots even before the official count was finished. Judge James G. Carr in Toledo ruled that the candidates have a right under Ohio law to a recount, but said it can wait. The judge wrote that he saw no reason to interfere with the final stages of Ohio's electoral process. [Why does democracy have to 'wait?' Why aren't people building toward the second American Revolution, in order to undo the (second) coup?]

US Congress to investigate irregularities in November 2 vote --The Government Accountability Office, the investigating arm of the US Congress, will probe allegations of irregularities in the November 2 US presidential vote, lawmakers said.

GAO to Investigate Voting Irregularies --Congress' investigative agency, responding to complaints from around the country, has begun to look into the Nov. 2 vote count, including the handling of provisional ballots and malfunctions of voting machines. The Government Accountability Office usually begins investigations in response to specific requests from Congress, but the agency's head, Comptroller General David Walker, said the GAO acted on its own because of the many comments it received about ballot counting.

GAO Will Investigate 2004 Elections --Government Accountability Office to Conduct Investigation of 2004 Election Irregularities --posted by Murshed Zaheed (Washington, DC) "Reps. John Conyers, Jr., Jerrold Nadler, Robert Wexler, Robert Scott, and Rush Holt announced today that, in response to their November 5 and 8 letters to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the GAO has decided to move forward with an investigation of election irregularities in the 2004 election. The five Members issued the following statement..."
Here is the list of the GAO signatories: John Conyers (D-MI) Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) Robert Wexler (D-FL) Robert Scott (D-GA) Melvin Watt (D-NC) Rush Holt (D-NJ) Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Louise Slaughter (D-NY) George Miller (D-CA) John Olver (D-MA) Bob Filner (D-CA) Gregory Meeks (D-NY) Barbara Lee (D-CA) Plus Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

Bush Orders the CIA to Hire More Spies --Goss Told to Build Up Other Staffs, Too --Dictator Bush has ordered CIA Director Porter J. Goss to increase by 50 percent the number of qualified CIA clandestine operators and intelligence analysts, an ambitious step that would mean the hiring and training of several thousand new personnel in coming years.

Bush Wants Plan for Covert Pentagon Role --Dictator Bush has ordered an interagency group to devise a plan that could expand the Defense Department role in covert operations that have traditionally been the specialty of the Central Intelligence Agency, regime officials said Monday.

Bush Orders Review of Covert Operations --Dictator Bush has ordered an internal review into whether the Defense Department should run covert paramilitary operations traditionally mounted by the CIA, administration officials said on Tuesday.

Blair Impeachment Probe to Be Sought by 23 British Lawmakers --Tony Blair tomorrow will become the first U.K. prime minister in 156 years to face a call for an impeachment investigation as 23 lawmakers accuse him of misconduct in taking Britain to war in Iraq. [Is it time to put the Bush dictatorship on trial for treason, with all appropriate penalties for treason on the table?]

Falluja Rebels Had Enough Arms to Rule Iraq -U.S. --Arab militants and insurgents who ruled the volatile city of Falluja before a U.S.-led offensive this month had enough weapons to take over all of Iraq, Marine officers said on Wednesday.

Explosion rocks western Baghdad, four wounded -- A bomb planted inside a commercial building in western Baghdad detonated Wednesday, wounding four people including a police officer, witnesses said.

U.S. Military Finds Five Dead in Mosul Gunmen Ambush Convoy of Kurdish Militiamen --The U.S. military said five bodies were found Wednesday in northern Mosul, bringing the total to 20 bodies found in the past week.

SAS joins US forces in major Iraq offensive --British special forces joined an offensive yesterday involving more than 5,000 US and Iraqi troops, backed by fighter bombers and helicopters, aimed at regaining control of insurgent strongholds in central Iraq. The operation - dubbed Plymouth Rock [Mega barf alert] - appears to mark an escalation in the role of the SAS in Iraq.

Troops Hit Sites South of Baghdad --Raids Involve U.S., British, Iraqi Forces --British and Iraqi troops mounted raids Tuesday in a swath of territory south of Baghdad where armed insurgents have seized control of several cities and towns, imposed stringent Islamic law and carried out kidnappings and executions of Iraqi police officers and religious pilgrims at checkpoints along the main roads.

Occupation Forces Battle Iraq Insurgents --U.S. Marines, British Troops, Iraq Soldiers Launch Offensive Against Insurgents Near Baghdad --Some 5,000 U.S. Marines, British troops and Iraqi forces launched a new offensive Tuesday aimed at clearing a swath of insurgent hotbeds across a cluster of dusty, small towns south of Baghdad. [Oops! Looks like the 'mission' has not been 'accomplished.']

U.N.: War 'Wreaking Havoc' on Iraq Young --Fighting in Iraq is "wreaking havoc'' on the country's children, nearly doubling malnutrition rates since the start of the war and all but preventing relief groups from working in the country, the U.N. children's' agency said Tuesday.

Purported al-Zarqawi Tape Raps Scholars --An audiotape purportedly made by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi lashed out Wednesday at Muslim scholars for not speaking out against U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying they have "let us down in the darkest circumstances."

Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghan Attack --Two U.S. soldiers were killed and another wounded in an improvised-explosive-device attack in Afghanistan today.

Appeals Court Refuses to Hear Challenge to Stop-Loss Program --A Sacramento-area soldier who challenged the military's so-called "stop-loss" program will have to go to Iraq with the rest of his unit. On Monday a federal appeals court refused to intervene in the case. The military's "stop-loss" program involuntarily extends enlistments during wars and national [Halliburton] emergencies.

US Military Taps Bugs and Weeds in War on [of] Terror --Don't squash that bug! Cockroaches, beetles, spiders and worms may be the U.S. government's next line of defense in the war on terror. Backed by the Pentagon, scientists are recruiting insects, shellfish, bacteria and even weeds to act as "bio-sentinels," which give early warning of biological and chemical attacks, detect explosives or monitor the spread of contamination.

U.S. Military Rules 8 Stay at Guantanamo --U.S. military review tribunals have ordered eight more men to remain held at the U.S. Naval outpost in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an official said Tuesday.

Justices Asked to Rule on Detainees --Yemeni's Attorneys Want to Bypass Federal Appeals Court --Attorneys for a detainee at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have asked the Supreme Court for immediate intervention to decide the legality of the "military commissions" set up by the Pentagon to prosecute alleged al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

Suit Filed in GOP Convention Arrests --N.Y. Police Accused of Overstepping Bounds, Detaining Bystanders --Twenty-three people filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court here, saying New York city officials violated their constitutional rights by orchestrating massive arrests and detentions to sweep up political dissenters during the Republican National Convention in August. "It is a bedrock principle of our democracy that the police cannot simply sweep the streets because they find protest inconvenient or embarrassing because the RNC was in town," said lawyer Jonathan Moore, who filed the lawsuit with the National Lawyers Guild.

Home Office 'linked to discredited claim of al-Qa'ida plot' --The Home Office is suspected of being behind discredited media reports on the eve of the Queen's Speech that an al-Qa'ida plot to fly planes into London skyscrapers had been foiled. Supporters of David Blunkett were accused of trying to exploit public fears in an attempt to help the Government introduce anti-[pro] terrorism legislation.

Citing 'Terror' Issues, Britain Plans ID Cards --Invoking a global threat of 'terrorism,' the British government announced plans on Tuesday to introduce national identity cards for the first time since the World War II era. An opposition legislator said the government wanted to create a "climate of fear" in advance of elections expected next year.

Guess Who Could View Your 1040? Democrats said Tuesday they would block quick congressional withdrawal of a provision that would give more lawmakers access to income tax returns, demanding that majority Republicans first promise to stop rushing bills through Congress. "This extraordinary invasion of privacy did not have the majority support of either chamber," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in announcing her plans to block House passage on Wednesday. "It was a 'Saturday night massacre' on Americans' privacy made possible only by the Republicans' willingness to abuse the rules of the people's House."

Future of Calif.'s 9th Circuit Under Review --Many conservatives think their new clout following Dictator Bush's 're-election' may help put some weight behind a movement to split up the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, leaving the 9th in California, creating a new 12th Circuit for neighboring Idaho, Arizona, Montana and Nevada; and a new 13th Circuit for Washington, Alaska and Oregon.

Top-Giving PACs Favor GOP Candidates 10-1 --The top-giving corporate political action committees didn't hedge their bets in the fall elections despite the narrow division between the GOP and Democrats in Congress. They favored Republican candidates 10-to-1.

Attempt to stop mandatory mental screening [to ignite a pharmaceutical industry windfall] fails --Congressman pushed language requiring parental consent --An attempt by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, to add language to the omnibus spending bill in Congress to require parental consent for any mental-health screening done to children with federal money has failed.

Top Economic Adviser to Bush Is Leaving Post --Stephen Friedman, who left Wall Street to assume one of the top economic posts in the White House, will return to the private sector Dec. 31 after two quiet years in Washington, White House officials announced yesterday.

Economic 'Armageddon' predicted --Stephen Roach, the chief economist at investment banking giant Morgan Stanley, has a public reputation for being bearish. But you should hear what he's saying in private. Roach met select groups of fund managers downtown last week, including a group at Fidelity. His prediction: America has no better than a 10 percent chance of avoiding economic "Armageddon.''

Krugman: Economic Crisis a Question of When, Not If --The economic policies of Dictator Bush have set the country on a dangerous course that will likely end in crisis, Princeton economics professor Paul Krugman told Reuters in an interview.

Dan Rather to step down as CBS News anchor --Veteran to remain with network as correspondent --Dan Rather, anchor of the "CBS Evening News," announced Tuesday that he will step down in March, on the 24th anniversary of taking over the job from Walter Cronkite.

Cattle Ranchers Want Their Own Mad Cow Tests --Greg Schoenbachler, with the Silver Springs Cattle Company, says he'd like to be able to test his entire herd to prove that it's mad cow free. But he can't; the government won't let him. Schoenbachler is part of a growing group of ranchers that wants every animal slaughtered tested for mad cow. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture refuses.

House Panel Joins Vioxx Inquiry --An influential House committee has joined in the congressional investigation of U.S. prescription drug safety, issuing extensive records requests Tuesday to the Food and Drug Administration and the drug manufacturer Merck & Co.

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U.S. Death Toll in Iraq for Nov. Tops 100 --Three Marines who were wounded in action during the Fallujah offensive later died at American hospitals in Germany and the United States, the Pentagon said Monday, raising the U.S. military death toll in Iraq for November to at least 101.

Volusia ballots may get 2nd look --Black Box Voting, a Seattle-based group fighting for improved voting systems, wants to inspect paper ballots from more than 25 percent of Volusia's precincts as part of its nationwide audit of the Nov. 2 presidential election.

First Hand Reports from Ohio Volunteers --by "ctsteve" --"RNC 'workers' were in our hotel. They were not there to do literature drops, canvas, or to make sure that people knew where their polling places were, as we were. One of them tried to infiltrate one of our hotel rooms (I removed him) to gather information on our activities. He and another RNC lawyer followed some of the canvassers the next day to try to intimidate them, telling them that they were 'putting them on notice, that what they were doing was breaking federal law' (among other more vile things)..."

Ohio Presidential Results to be Challenged (freepress.org) Ohio’s 2004 presidential vote will be challenged as soon as next week in the state Supreme Court, a coalition of public-interest lawyers announced Friday. The lawyers have taken sworn testimony from hundreds of people in hearings in Columbus and Cincinnati, and will use excerpts as well as documents obtained from county election officials and Election Day exit polls to make a case that thousands of votes were incorrectly counted or not counted on Election Day.

93,000 Extra Votes In Cuyahoga County - Outrage In Ohio (Nov. 12, 2004) by Teed Rockwell "The evidence discovered by some remarkably careful sleuthing would convince any reasonable court to invalidate the entire Ohio election. In last Tuesday's election, 29 precincts in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, reported votes cast IN EXCESS of the number of registered voters - at least 93,136 extra votes total. And the numbers are right there on the official Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website..."

Ohio Dems join recount effort --by Keith Olbermann "'Kerry/Edwards Campaign Joins Ohio Recount.' ...The statement ends nearly three weeks of official Democratic ambivalence towards the formal recount process in the election's decisive state. As late as Friday, Senator Kerry's email to 3,000,000 supporters contained a seemingly ambiguous reference to that process, which began with the phrase 'Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted, and believe me they will be counted, we will continue to challenge the administration.'"

Judge Refuses to Stop Wash. Recount --A federal judge Sunday denied the state Republican Party's bid to force Washington's most populous county to stop counting some ballots in the recount of the governor's race. In a conference call with lawyers, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman denied the GOP's request for a temporary restraining order barring the hand-counting of ballots in King County that were rejected because they could not be read electronically.

Republicans File Suit to Limit King County Recount --The Washington Republican Party filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Saturday afternoon to try to stop King County from including certain ballots in its recount for the governor's race. The GOP is asking for a temporary restraining order against hand-counting of ballots that are rejected by voting machines and hopes to have a hearing on Sunday.

Complete US Exit Poll Data Confirms Net Suspicions ----by Scoop Co-Editor Alastair Thompson "Scoop.co.nz is delighted to be able today to publish a full set of 4pm exit poll data for the first time on the Internet since the US election... Figure 1: Graph showing the "red shift" between 2004 US General Election exit polls & the actual 2004 US Election results..."

Activists protest electronic voting --Opponents of the technology gather at the Capitol and question exit-poll data --About 200 protesters and curious onlookers stood at the steps of the state Capitol on Saturday, with protesters toting signs that read "the machine ate my vote" and "paper ballots protect democracy."

Academia Still Fixated on John Kerry [coup 2004] --As states certify final election returns, an academic debate over their accuracy is heating up. Internet buzz that perhaps the exit polls were correct and the actual returns might be flawed grew louder this week when sociology graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley went public with an analysis arguing that Florida results in counties using electronic ballots differed from historical voting patterns.

Media largely ignored Berkeley study on Florida voting irregularities (mediamatters.org) --by S.S.M. "The mainstream media have mostly ignored a statistical study conducted by faculty and students of the University of California at Berkeley sociology department on voting irregularities in Florida in the 2004 presidential election that found major discrepancies in vote counts between counties that utilized electronic voting machines (e-voting) and those that used traditional voting methods. The study, released on November 18, determined that President [sic] George W. Bush may have wrongly been awarded between 130,000 and 260,000 extra votes in Florida -- 130,000 if they were all 'ghost votes' created by machine error, or twice that if votes intended for Senator John Kerry were misattributed to Bush."

Another Stolen Election and the End of Formal American Democracy --by Anis Shivani "The result of this election was foregone. This is now a farcical, Third World type of situation, with a retarded dictator getting away with whatever he wants. Karl Rove must have told the President [sic] long ago, Relax, there’s nothing to worry about. The election is in our pocket. The fix was in when the country didn’t rise up with one voice against the theft of the 2000 election. The last nail in the coffin was the lack of surprise and protest at the utterly weird and incomprehensible 2002 election results, particularly in Southern states like Georgia. The liberal elite knows; everyone knows what’s happening; but no one can talk about it."

Holy irony, Batman!!! U.S. Threatens Punitive Steps Over Ukraine Election --The United States on Monday threatened to review its relationship with Ukraine and to take punitive steps if the Ukrainian government fails to investigate allegations of fraud and abuse in its presidential election. [We have now had *two* stolen elections!! We DEMAND that allegations of fraud and abuse in OUR presidential 'election' are investigated HERE!!]

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South Iraq pipeline blast cuts oil flows --An oil pipeline explosion in southern Iraq cut flows to the main export outlet of Basra by at least 750,000 barrels per day on Monday, an oil industry official said.

Militant groups control 60 percent of Fallujah: witnesses --Militant groups in battle-torn Fallujah have controlled 60 percent of the central Iraqi city and surrounded dozens of US Marines in Jolan district,witnesses said Sunday. "Defenders of the city are controlling 60 percent of the city and they are encircling dozens of US soldiers in Jolan neighborhood," eyewitnesses who managed to sneak out of the city told Xinhua. [Oops! Looks like 'mission' *not* accomplished.]

Jackson fears Army will remain in Iraq for years --According to General Sir Mike Jackson [the officer commanding the Army], British troops will be sent to help the US in conflict zones anywhere inside Iraq, prompting fears that soldiers could be stuck in the most dangerous parts of the country fighting insurgents for years to come.

U.S. Soldier Dies in Attack in Baghdad --A U.S. soldier was killed in an attack in southwestern Baghdad, the U.S. military said Monday.

Baghdad: a city at war after raid on revered Sunni mosque, Fallujah fighting --A U.S.-Iraqi raid on the Abu Hanifa mosque one of the most revered sites for Sunni Muslims spawned a weekend of street battles, assassinations and a rash of bombings that changed Baghdad.

Several Die in Iraq violence as Blast Rocks Baghdad --A loud blast rocked central Baghdad early on Saturday and a large plume of gray smoke could be seen rising from the area near the 'Ministry of Health.'

'This is now the most dangerous place in Iraq. We are coming up against Zarqawi's people' --by Kim Sengupta in Mahmudiyah, Iraq 22 November 2004 --"The attack on Yusufiyah began at just after eight in the morning. Round after round of rockets, then mortar shells and machine-gun fire racked the US Marines' base, in an intense and unrelenting barrage. A relief patrol ran into a well-prepared ambush..."

Report: US discussing strikes on Iran --Pentagon officials are said to be discussing possible military action to neutralize Iran's nuclear weapons threat, according to a report in London's Observer. US administration sources are quoted as saying that air strikes – "either by the US or Israel" – to wipe out Iran's fledgling nuclear program would be difficult because of a lack of clear intelligence [?!?] about where key components are located. [Yes. This *truly* does boil down to a 'lack of clear intelligence.']

Powell 'pushed out' by Bush for seeking to rein in Israel --Colin Powell, the outgoing US secretary of state, was given his marching orders after telling Dictator George W Bush that he wanted greater power to confront Israel over the stalled Middle East peace process.

Air France Flight to Washington Diverted --Two Moroccan men were taken off a flight from Paris bound for Washington after officials determined one of the men was on the [insane] U.S. no-fly list.

News Release November 18, 2004 --by Karl W. B. Schwarz, author of One-Way Ticket to Crawford, Texas "Several key documents were delivered Wednesday, November 17, 2004 by one of my associates/friends to the Senior Assistant to Eliot Spitzer, Attorney General of the State of New York. ...[O]ut of the U.S. a party has come forth with information that there was a $120 billion deal that was to have closed on 9-11 or 9-12-2001 in WTC and that deal was apparently a debt that did not get paid due to 9-11. How fortunate for someone. We provided Mr. Spitzer with the routing codes and bank officer names of the parties that were to receive that payment and did not receive it."

Civil rights groups condemn Blunkett's anti-terror plans --Tony Blair faces a backlash from lawyers and civil rights campaigners over the string of anti-crime Bills and measures against international terrorism expected to dominate tomorrow's Queen's Speech. Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty, warned that the generations-old principle of innocent until proven guilty risked being eroded by the expected anti-crime legislation. The Law Society, which represents solicitors, warned that the measures could be seen as a step "in the direction of a police state".

Government Uses Color Laser Printer Technology to Track Documents --Next time you make a printout from your color laser printer, shine an LED flashlight beam on it and examine it closely with a magnifying glass. You might be able to see the small, scattered yellow dots printer there that could be used to trace the document back to you.

Lawyer sues alleging "Guantanamo on the Hudson" conditions for R-N-C protesters --A "little Guantanamo on the Hudson." That's how a New York attorney describes conditions protesters were held under during the Republican National Convention. He's filing a lawsuit against the city. Jonathan Moore said the only things missing were the "orange jumpsuits."

Lawsuit: NYC Created 'Guantanamo' at RNC --Saying the city had created its "own little Guantanamo on the Hudson" during the Republican National Convention, a lawyer Monday filed a lawsuit on behalf of nearly 2,000 people arrested at demonstrations. The federal lawsuit claims protesters and bystanders alike were rounded up in mass arrests without cause; were kept without access to their lawyers or families at an old bus depot used as a temporary detention center; and were exposed for days to cruel and inhuman conditions.

Clinton to ABC News: It's payback time --The former president chastises Peter Jennings for ABC's "sleazy" coverage of Whitewater -- and he's right. --by Eric Boehlert "...Clinton flashed real irritation when Jennings suggested some historians thought that Clinton's presidency had lacked 'moral authority,' without mentioning its having been tarnished by independent counsel Kenneth Starr's multiple investigations. 'You don't want to go here, Peter,' snapped Clinton, who proceeded to criticize the reporting of ABC News, in particular, in the 1990s. 'Not after what you people did and the way you, your network, what you did with Kenneth Starr. The way your people repeated every little sleazy thing he leaked. No one has any idea what that's like.'"

Colombia Deploys 15,000 Troops for Bush --The Spanish colonialists who fortified this Colombian seaport 400 years ago to guard against pirates and rival imperial powers could only have dreamed of the security being implemented for Dictator Bush's visit here Monday. About 15,000 Colombian security forces — backed by warplanes, helicopters, battleships and two submarines — will safeguard Bush's four-hour trip to discuss the nation's war on drugs. That is the same number of American troops deployed in the Fallujah offensive in Iraq.

25,000 protest start of APEC --The start of the APEC summit being attended by Prime Minister John Howard in Chile has been marred by violent protests against US dictator George Bush. An estimated 25,000 people marched through the capital to oppose Bush's involvement in the war in Iraq. Marchers held up posters saying: "Bush, you stink," and "Terrorist Bush." Some chanted: "Bush, listen: Chile is not for sale!" and "Bush, fascist, thief, murderer!" [Great comments!]

Protesters get chilly reception outside Fort Huachuca (AZ) About thirty protesters gathered across the street from Fort Huachuca on Sunday to demonstrate against torture tactics they say the U.S. military is systematically using in the war on terror.

Arrests Made at Military School Protest --At least 20 people were arrested Sunday while protesting a U.S.-run military school for Latin Americans, some of whose graduates they claim later committed civil rights abuses including murder.

Bush's slapdown for Blair on climate change --Dictator Bush has reprimanded Tony Blair for sounding the alarm over global warming and pressing for international action to combat it, senior Washington sources say.

Surprise Provision Delays $388 Billion Spending Bill --A $388 billion government-wide spending bill, passed by Congress on Saturday, was stranded on Capitol Hill yesterday, its trip to the White House on hold as embarrassed Republicans prepared to repeal a provision that could give the Appropriations committees the right to examine the tax returns of Americans.

Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution --Americans [whackjobs] do not believe that humans evolved, and the vast majority says that even if they evolved, God guided the process. Just 13 percent say that God was not involved. But most would not substitute the teaching of creationism for the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Evangelicals expecting payoff from Bush --Evangelicals who flexed their muscles on Election Day are feeling their oats. Dictator Bush is already feeling their political heat...

Religious Conservatives Demand Changes at Nation's Parks --In the aftermath of the [2004 coup d'etat], some people on the right of the political spectrum believe the government has a greater responsibility to heed their views. In some cases, that means changes in the images that define the nation -- including those at some of the nation's most popular parks and monuments.

Conservatives Urge Closer Look at Marriage -- ...Some conservatives say marriage in America began unraveling long before the latest gay-rights push and are pleading for a fresh, soul-searching look at the institution.

Agribusiness terrorists (the USDA) delay results of cow tested for 'mad cow' disease: Statement By U.S. Department of Agriculture Press Secretary Alisa Harrison November 22, 2004 "Test results for the BSE inconclusive are not complete. There will be no announcements made tonight. USDA will release the results as soon as the National Veterinary Services Laboratory completes the testing process."

Report: Bayer Held Back on Drug Dangers --An analysis of the cholesterol drug Baycol, pulled in 2001, says that problems were indicated as early as 1998. Medical journal criticizes FDA.

Jet Crashes Before Picking Up Elder Bush --A private jet that was en route to Houston to pick up former Dictator Bush clipped a light pole and crashed Monday as it approached Hobby Airport in thick fog, killing all three people aboard. [What luck.]

JFK shooting game 'despicable' --A controversial new British-made computer "docu-game" recreating the assassination of John F Kennedy has been described as "despicable" by aides to the late president's brother.

Firm Behind Boston's Big Dig Defends Work --The company overseeing the construction of the beleaguered Big Dig said Monday that repairs to fix widespread leaks would take months, not years, and denounced public officials for rushing to judgment on the $14.6 billion project. "The Big Dig is safe and sound," Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the project manager for the underground highway, said in a statement issued in response to reports of mismanagement and shoddy engineering.

S. California Gets Up to 3 Feet of Snow --An unusual type of storm nicknamed an "insider slider" blanketed Southern California mountains with up to 3 feet of snow and even coated desert areas with white. ...The weekend storm was tapering off Monday, although an additional 6 inches fell in some mountain communities.

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Pentagon turns heat up on Iran --Washington and European Union on collision course over how to neutralise Tehran's nuclear capabilities --Pentagon hawks have begun discussing military action against Iran to neutralise its 'nuclear weapons threat,' including possible strikes on leadership, political and security targets.

Bush Says Iran Speeds Output of A-Bomb Fuel --Dictator Bush increased the regime's pressure on Iran on Saturday, saying there were indications that the country was speeding forward in its production of a key ingredient for nuclear weapons fuel, a move he said was "a very serious matter'' that undercut Iran's denials that it was seeking to build weapons.

Bush Toughens Line On 'Nuclear Threats' --Dictator Bush said Saturday that he believes Iran is continuing to pursue a nuclear weapon, which he called "a very serious matter," and said he had won pledges from Asian allies to increase pressure on North Korea's leader to restart disarmament talks.

US to increase troop levels in Iraq --American military officials have said that they plan to extend tours of duty in Iraq and to increase troop levels there through the 'elections.'

Outcome of US Falluja assault disputed --US Lieutenant-General John Sattler's claim that his forces have broken the back of the resistance in Falluja has been overshadowed by a large number of attacks elsewhere in Iraq.

U.S. Fights Baghdad Militants; GI Killed --Insurgents battled American troops in the streets of Baghdad on Saturday, killing a U.S. soldier in an ambush and gunning down four government employees in signals that the resistance fighters remain a potent force despite the fall of their stronghold of Fallujah. Nine Iraqis also died in fighting west of the capital.

Violence erupts across Baghdad --Attack kills U.S. soldier, injures 9; Bodies of Iraqis found in Mosul --Insurgents ambushed a U.S. patrol, killing a soldier, gunned down four government employees and clashed with American troops in neighborhoods across Baghdad on Saturday. Nine Iraqis died in fighting west of the capital -- another sign the insurgency remains potent despite the fall of its stronghold, Fallujah.

Violence Surges Through Central and Northern Iraq --Violence surged through central and northern Iraq on Saturday as a tenacious insurgency led by Sunni Arabs kept up relentless assaults in a string of major cities, from Ramadi to Falluja to Baghdad.

U.S., Iraqi Forces Raid Baghdad Mosque --Iraqi forces backed by American soldiers raided one of the country's most important Sunni mosques as worshippers were leaving after Friday prayers. Witnesses said at least three people were killed and 40 arrested.

Red Cross slams Iraq fighting --The International Red Cross is "deeply concerned" with the killing of civilians and non-combatants in Iraq and the apparent failures by all sides to respect humanitarian law.

ICRC blasts 'inhumanity' of Falluja battles --The International Committee of the Red Cross has criticised the humanitarian toll of the Falluja assault while an Iraqi relief agency has removed 24 corpses for burial outside the war-ravaged town.

Children Pay Cost of Iraq's Chaos --Malnutrition Nearly Double What It Was Before Invasion --Acute malnutrition among young children in Iraq has nearly doubled since the United States led an invasion of the country 20 months ago, according to surveys by the United Nations, aid agencies and the interim Iraqi government.

Evangelist Graham embarks on 'last crusade' --Billy Graham, the evangelist, is to preach to as many as 200,000 Californians this weekend, giving sermons that largely avoid politics but claim that Iraq is "a Bible country as far as history is concerned".

Conservatives Reject Intelligence Compromise --Long-debated legislation to dramatically reshape the nation's intelligence community collapsed in the House yesterday, as conservative Republicans refused to embrace a compromise because they said it could reduce military control over battlefield intelligence and failed to crack down on illegal immigrants.

Blair plans increased anti-terror powers if re-elected -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government is considering toughening already contentious anti-[pro]terrorism powers if it wins another term in office, a senior government minister said Sunday. Home Secretary David Blunkett said the government is considering allowing wiretap evidence to be used in court and establishing special terrorism courts overseen by judges without a jury. Blunkett said new measures could also include the use of "civil orders" barring suspects from committing certain acts, even if the acts themselves were not criminal. They could, for instance, prevent suspects from using a specified banking network or using the Internet. The most controversial authorizes the indefinite detention without trial of foreign terrorist suspects if they cannot be safely removed to another country.

News Gathering Is Illegal Under New Patriot Act ll --by Alex Jones "Section 102 of the new Patriot Act ll states clearly that any information gathering, regardless of whether or not those activities are illegal, can be considered to be clandestine intelligence activities for a foreign power. This makes news gathering illegal... A Brief Analysis of the Domestic Security Enhancement Act 2003 - Also Known as USA Patriot Act II..."

Rebellious Republicans Derail 9/11 Reform --In a defeat for Dictator Bush, rebellious House Republicans on Saturday derailed legislation to overhaul the nation's intelligence agencies along lines recommended by the Sept. 11 commission.

Participants in the Cover-Up of 9/11: The Case of American and United Airlines --by Elias Davidsson "The first AA aircraft (flight AA11, tail no. N334AA) is said to have left Logan airport in Boston at 7:59 with 92 people on board (crew, passengers and hijackers) and crashed at 8:46 on the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City... As of November 13, 2003, the statistical database of the Department of Transportation (BTS) did not even mention AA11 as a flight scheduled for September 11, 2001 (6). At a later date the Department added a record for this flight with the departure time set as zero. Checking again the BTS database for this article on November 18, 2004, I discovered that the DoT again amended its database by setting the scheduled departure of AA11 to the 'official time' of 7:45 (6). It appears that the DoT had received orders to align its database with the 'official account' on the crime of 9/11."

More Ohio voter suppression testimony prompts upcoming legal filing for statewide recount (freepress.org) As transcribed testimony from citizens denied their right to vote November 2 has become public, a coalition of public interest lawyers says it will initiate a legal filing demanding a statewide recount.

Nader-requested recount in N.H. moving slowly --A recount Ralph Nader requested for some New Hampshire towns went slower than expected Thursday and won't resume until next week, state election officials said.

Democrat picks up seat in recount (NH) A Nashua Republican state representative still lost his seat after a recount of ballots in his race Friday, but a Francestown Democrat picked up a seat when a recount in her district changed the result.

GOP moves to facilitate future Reichwing coups: Exit poll data will be delayed --On future election days, news organizations that pay for surveys of voters leaving polling places won't see results until late afternoon or early evening. The goal is to avoid a repeat of what happened this Election Day, when leaked information from exit polls was posted by Internet commentators known as bloggers about 1 p.m. [showing the truth: that Kerry was winning the election].

Democracy in Question --by Ritt Goldstein "John Zogby, president of the polling firm Zogby International, told IPS he has been calling it 'the Armageddon election' for about a year. Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader believes the Republican Party was able to 'steal it before election day.' Facts suggest something went very wrong on Nov. 2. Speculation focuses upon a number of questions -- purposeful miscounts, anomalies surrounding electronic voting (e-voting) machines, particularly the optical scan types; and numerous reports of voting 'irregularities' in heavily Democratic areas."

School District Challenges Darwin's Theory --A Pennsylvania school district Friday defended its decision to discount Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and teach what critics say is a version of creationism. The district, the Dover Area School District in south-central Pennsylvania, is believed to be the first in the country to approve the teaching of a new theory called intelligent design, the National Center for Science Education said.

Bush Policies Push Racial Profiling - Report --Bush dictatorship policies have "facilitated" racial profiling despite Bush's vow to eliminate the practice, says the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in a report that was finished but not publicly discussed until after this month's presidential election. Following the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon, "Arab Americans and Muslims increasingly became targets of law enforcement scrutiny," says the report.

Domestic Budget Tightens $388 billion spending package bars requirements for abortion services. Congress reached final agreement last night on a $388 billion spending bill funding 13 government departments and dozens of domestic agencies in 2005, after last-minute objections from abortion rights advocates threatened to delay or derail the entire measure... Apparently slipped into the bill at the last minute by a House staff aide [?!?] was a measure that would allow agents designated by the chairman of the House or Senate Appropriations Committee to look at tax returns.

Bill Gives Lawmakers Access to Tax Returns --Congress passed legislation Saturday giving two committee chairman and their assistants access to income tax returns without regard to privacy protections, but not before red-faced Republicans said it was all a mistake and would be swiftly repealed.

Negotiators Add Abortion Clause to Spending Bill --House and Senate negotiators have tucked a potentially far-reaching anti-abortion provision into a $388 billion must-pass spending bill, complicating plans for Congress to wrap up its business and adjourn for the year.

Oops! Looks like Bush is leaving millions of children behind: Bill Clears Way for Government to Cut Back College Loans --The federal government will be able to require millions of college students to shoulder more of the cost of their education under the new spending bill approved yesterday by the House and Senate. Nearly 100,000 more students may lose their federal grants entirely.

Church air is 'threat to health' --Air inside churches may be a bigger health risk than that beside major roads, research suggests.

*****

Commons motion to impeach Blair gets go-ahead --The parliamentary motion to impeach Tony Blair for "gross misconduct" over the war against Iraq will be published next Wednesday, the day after the Queen's speech. It will be the first to be tabled in 198 years.

47 parties boycott elections in Iraq --Forty-seven Iraqi political and religious parties have decided to boycott the general elections due in January in protest against the extended use of force throughout the country, a joint statement said on Wednesday. The reason for the move was "the (US-Iraqi) assaults in cities like Najaf, Karbala, Samarra, Sadr City, Adhmiya, and especially the genocide crimes in Fallujah," said the statement obtained by Xinhua.

Troops storm major Baghdad mosque --At least two people have been killed after Iraqi security forces, backed by US troops, raided one of Baghdad's most important Sunni mosques.

US 'to blame' for journalist deaths --The global managing editor of British news agency Reuters said today the US military was entirely to blame for the deaths of three of its employees in Iraq since the start of the war there in March 2003, an allegation disputed by the Pentagon. "All of them were killed by the American army," Reuters chief David Schlesinger told reporters on the sidelines of a media conference in the southern Portuguese resort of Vilamoura, Portuguese national news agency Lusa reported.

Red Cross hits out at Iraq abuses --The International Committee of the Red Cross has condemned what it calls the "utter contempt for humanity" shown by all sides in the fighting in Iraq.

Baghdad's spiralling transport costs --A 15-mile stretch between Baghdad airport and the city centre is said to be the world's most expensive taxi ride. Small convoys of armoured cars and Western gunmen charge about £2,750 ($5,108) for the perilous journey.

Rare Blood Infection Surfaces in Injured U.S. Soldiers --An expectedly high number of U.S. soldiers injured in the Middle East and Afghanistan are testing positive for a rare, hard-to-treat blood infection in military hospitals, Army doctors reported on Thursday.

Bush terror team busy with Opium trade in Afghanistan: --shades of the cocaine-for-arms-for-terror deals with the Contras under Iran-Contra terrorist, Ronald Ray-Gun --Afghan opium cultivation area increased by 64 percent: UN --In a highly disturbing development, the area under opium cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 64 percent this year, giving the country the dubious distinction of establishing a new record in its cultivation and becoming the largest producer in the world, the United Nations has said. Afghanistan this year supplied 87 percent of the world's opium following record-high cultivation of 4,200 tons in an area of 131,000 hectares, the UN in its annual survey released yesterday said. [Now, *who* is in charge in Afghanistan? Drug lords, ex- (and current) Taliban leaders, and UNOCAL executives that Bush installed after biz partner, Osama bin Laden, would not allow the UNOCAL pipeline to be built. See: 'Taleban in Texas for talks on gas pipeline,' December 4, 1997: "A senior delegation from the Taleban movement in Afghanistan is in the United States for talks with an international energy company that wants to construct a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan across Afghanistan to Pakistan. A spokesman for the company, Unocal, said the Taleban were expected to spend several days at the company's headquarters in Sugarland, Texas."]

CIA plans riskier, more aggressive espionage --CIA Director Porter Goss told his new chief of spy operations this week to launch a much more aggressive espionage campaign that would use undercover officers to penetrate 'terrorist groups' and 'hostile governments' such as North Korea and Iran, according to a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge of Goss' plans.

CIA staff told to avoid politics --The head of the CIA has told its employees that they must not "identify with, support or champion opposition" to the Bush dictatorship. The email to staff by Director Porter Goss, a former Republican congressman, has been seized on by critics.

White House pressure on CIA under scrutiny --The World Today - Thursday, 18 November , 2004 12:30:00 Reporter: Eleanor Hall "ELEANOR HALL: To the United States now, where the nation's top spy agency has hit the headlines again this week, with accusations the agency is being leant on by the White House. ...Recently the White House complained about leaks from the CIA. On Monday two top CIA officers, including the Deputy Director of Operations, resigned. And today The New York Times has published extracts from an internal memorandum from Mr Goss which states that the job of CIA officers is 'to support the administration and its policies.'"

Sen. introduces bill to protect reporters --Reporters would not be forced to reveal their sources, and their notes, photographs and other material would be protected from government eyes under a bill introduced Friday. Amid a spate of First Amendment fights pitting the government against journalists over confidential sources, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., proposed the legislation as critical to ensuring the nation's liberties.

Demonstrations in Santiago, Chile, against Dictator Bush!! (photos)

Protests erupt in Chilean capital against Bush, Asia-Pacific summit --Chilean riot police fired water and tear gas at masked, stone-throwing anti-capitalist protesters Friday as leaders flew in for a major Asia-Pacific summit overshadowed by the "war on [of] terror."

MP assailed [and praised] for anti-Bush TV stunt Carolyn Parrish: Outspoken anti-American stomps on Bush doll --Renegade Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish has once again enraged members of the opposition and her own caucus [?!?] after tossing a George W. Bush doll on the floor and grinding it under her heel on a satirical television show. [LOL!!]

University researchers challenge Bush win in Florida --'Something went awry with electronic voting in Florida,' says the lead researcher --Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, said today that they have uncovered statistical irregularities associated with electronic voting machines in three Florida counties that may have given George W. Bush 130,000 or more excess votes. The researchers are now calling on state and federal authorities to look into the problems.

Bush Got 130,000 Excess Votes in Florida, Evoting System Challenged, says UC Berkeley Study --(rottendenmark.blogspot.com) "A research team at UC Berkeley will report that irregularities associated with electronic voting machines may have awarded 130,000-260,000 or more excess votes to President [sic] George W. Bush in Florida in the 2004 presidential election. The study shows an unexplained discrepancy between votes for President Bush in counties where electronic voting machines were used versus counties using traditional voting methods."

Oops! Election Officials Find Possible Double Votes, Ballots Counted Twice --Election officials in two Ohio counties have discovered possible cases of people voting twice in the presidential election, and a third county found that about 2,600 ballots were double-counted.

Watchdog group requests Volusia vote tallies --An activist group investigating possible irregularities in the Nov. 2 election requested copies of all Volusia County voter tallies Wednesday. It took county elections employees most of the day to complete the job, started at the request of Bev Harris of Black Box Voting.

Vote Recount to Settle Doubts? --by Kim Zetter [Regarding New Hampshire vote-patter anomalies in 71 wards:] "Even more interesting was the breakdown per brand of voting equipment. New Hampshire wards used optical-scan equipment made by Diebold Election Systems and Election Systems & Software. About 62 percent of the wards with anomalous results used Diebold machines."

Was It Hacked? --by Alan Waldman "Despite mainstream media attempts to kill the story, talk radio and the Internet are abuzz with suggestions that John Kerry was elected president on Nov. 2 – but Republican election officials made it difficult for millions of Democrats to vote while employees of four secretive, GOP-bankrolled corporations rigged electronic voting machines and then hacked central tabulating computers to steal the election for George W. Bush. The Bush administration's 'fix' of the 2000 election debacle (the Help America Vote Act) made crooked elections considerably easier, by foisting paperless electronic voting on states before the bugs had been worked out or meaningful safeguards could be installed."

How Kerry Won --by Brian Cady "Here's a 'cartogram', where each state's area is proportional to its population, and where reliable 2004 early exit polling, not corrupt ballot results, guides red-blue coloring." [A must see]

Ohio hearings show massive GOP vote manipulation, but where the hell are the Democrats & John Kerry? --by Harvey Wasserman "Columbus, Ohio---Hour after hour the testimonies are the same: angry Ohioans telling of vicious Republican manipulation and de facto intimidation that disenfranchised tens of thousands and probably cost the Democrats the election... An escalating avalanche of evidence indicates a true vote count would have thrown Bush out of the White House. But once again, the Democrats have dissed the grassroots. Once again, a candidate who promised democracy has disappeared with barely a whimper in the face of those who would destroy it. His silence has allowed an orgy of media bloviation in homage to a bigoted, war-crazed America that, if it won at all, took this election not by national consensus, but by the Rovian staples of dirty tricks and voter suppression."

Kerry to Give Dems Leftover Campaign Cash --Under friendly fire, Sen. John Kerry likely will donate a substantial portion of his excess presidential campaign cash to help elect Democratic candidates in 2005 and 2006, advisers said Thursday.

Democrats question Kerry's campaign nest egg --Democratic Party leaders said Wednesday they want to know why Sen. John Kerry ended his presidential campaign with more than $15 million in the bank, money that could have helped Democratic candidates across the country.

Police scoff at Ashcroft speech -- A day after Attorney General John Ashcroft told the nation's largest association of law enforcement executives that the Bush dictatorship had made the nation more secure from terrorist attacks and violent criminals, the group lashed back at the White House on Tuesday. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) said that cuts by the regime in federal aid to local police agencies have left the nation more vulnerable than ever to public safety threats.

One-third of Bush fundraising pioneers got government appointments --One-third of Dictator George W. Bush's top 2000 fundraisers or their spouses were appointed to positions in his first administration, from ambassadorships in Europe to seats on policy-setting boards, an Associated Press review found.

House GOP Changes Rules to Protect DeLay --House Republicans on Wednesday changed a party rule so DeLay, R-Terrorist-Texas, could remain as leader if indicted in a Texas campaign finance investigation that he calls political. The old rule required GOP leaders and committee chairmen charged with a felony to relinquish their positions.

The Weasel Watch Tracks Bush Staff Exodus --by Mary Titus [As the Bush ship sinks, new BushRats have been added!!]

Greenspan Warns About Trade Deficit, Lower Appetite for Dollar --A spiraling U.S. trade deficit over time can pose a risk to the U.S. economy, while at the same time the insatiable foreign demand for dollar holdings will eventually fall as investors diversify, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday in remarks that impacted the dollar and world markets.

Bush signs $800 billion debt limit hike --Party-line vote sent measure to Bush for signature --Dictator Bush signed legislation on Friday raising the government's debt limit by $800 billion, a measure forged by the same budget pressures that squeezed the spending bill.

Report: Hunger affected 12 million families in 2003 --More than 12 million families last year, about the same as in 2002, either didn't have enough food or worried about being able to feed everyone, the government reported Friday.

After seven-year gestation, Kyoto Protocol set to be born --The Kyoto Protocol, the UN's long-troubled pact for combatting global warming, finally got the green light, with February 16 announced as the date when it will become a binding treaty.

Obstacle to drilling for oil in ANWAR is removed --A controversial plan to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is likely to move forward now that there will be enough votes in the Senate to push the measure ahead.

Bush Administration Wants Arctic Meltdown --by Wayne Madsen "Speaking off the record, scientists studying the current warming of the Arctic region intimated that some officials in the Bush administration saw the loss of Arctic ice and the resultant opening of sea channels such as the Northwest Passage of Canada as a good thing for the exploration and retrieval of oil and natural gas from the endangered region."

FCC Crackdown Could Spread --With support from both Republicans and Democrats, the Federal Communications Commission is poised to get even more aggressive about enforcing moral values throughout broadcasting, even putting cable television in its cross hairs and taking aim at Howard Stern's right to talk dirty on satellite radio.

Mega barf alert!! USDA Testing Suspect Animal for Mad Cow Disease --Government scientists are chasing a possible new case of mad cow disease in the United States, with final results on a suspicious slaughtered animal expected in coming days, officials said on Thursday.

USDA Testing Suspect Animal for Mad Cow Disease --Government scientists are chasing a possible new case of mad cow disease in the United States, with final results on a suspicious slaughtered animal expected in coming days, officials said on Thursday.

Bush's corporate-owned USDA is useless: Second mad cow case suspected in USA [that we have been told about...] --A suspected case of mad cow disease has been detected in the United States, agriculture officials said Thursday.

Bush's corporate-owned FDA is useless: Expert Warns Against 5 FDA-Approved Drugs --At least five medications now sold to consumers pose such risks that their sale should be limited or stopped, said a government drug reviewer who raised safety questions earlier about the arthritis drug Vioxx. The committee chairman, Sen. Charles Grassley, suggested an independent board of drug safety may be needed to ensure the safety of medications after FDA approval.

*****

Clarke: CIA Had Spies Inside Al Qaeda, Pre-9/11 --The CIA had some low-level spies inside al Qaeda in the three years before the Sept. 11 attacks, but none who could provide advance information about the group's movements [?!?], according to testimony released on Wednesday from a closed-door intelligence briefing in 2002. On the three occasions when they thought they knew bin Laden's location, the CIA opposed taking military action, saying its sources were not good enough, Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism official, told lawmakers.

Clinton administration was worried about U.S. al-Qaida cells, Clarke says --A year before the Bush 'presidency' began, the Clinton administration was deeply concerned that al-Qaida sleeper cells existed in North America and considered taking swift action in response, according to newly released testimony.

US authorities put a cap on the rap (journalism.co.uk) Another website has been closed following action by US authorities - this time a site run by Norwegian rap group and political activists Gatas Parlament. killhim.no was launched in October as a satirical take on 'Tellhim.no', a Norwegian political campaign site that published reader-funded anti-Bush adverts in the Washington Post. killhim.no asked readers to donate money towards a bounty for the assassination of Bush. [Wow, how much $$$ did they collect???] One page on the site said: "Shooting this man is not just self defence, but is the only reasonable thing to do." Springing to the website's defence, Aslak Borgersrud of Gatas Parlament, said: "It is fairly obvious to everyone not working at the American embassy or in the police that this was not about killing anyone. The website is a political campaign." The US embassy in Oslo reported the site to Norwegian police, who then removed the contents of the site on 29 October and replaced it with a copy of the police closure order.

US forces arrest Iraq's deputy parliament speaker --US forces arrested on Tuesday the deputy head of Iraq's interim parliament and a high-ranking member of a Sunni political party after a dawn raid on his Baghdad home, spokesman from his party said.

Car Bombing Kills 10 in N. Iraq; Battles Flare in Fallujah --A car carrying explosives ripped into a U.S. convoy Wednesday in northern Iraq, killing at least 10 people, and U.S. troops encountered pockets of resistance in Fallujah, a city wrecked by more than a week of fighting.

Troops Move To Quell Insurgency In Mosul --Cleric Vows to Turn Iraq 'Into One Big Fallujah' --U.S. and Iraqi troops entered Mosul in force Tuesday to 'retake' streets and police stations seized by fighters in the northern city last week, while a prominent Iraqi insurgent claimed that the battle in Fallujah was only the beginning of an uprising that has already roiled parts of Iraq dominated by Sunni Muslims.

Australia PM Says Body of British Aid Worker Found --A body found in the Iraqi city of Falluja appears to be that of kidnapped British aid worker Margaret Hassan, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Thursday.

US claims 'no fault' in 2003 killing of reporters in Iraq: Reporters Without Borders --The US Army has acknowledged "no fault or negligence" [?!?] in the April 2003 attack on a Baghdad hotel that killed two reporters, a rights group said, even though the military knew that hundreds of journalists were based there.

Chirac questions US-led Iraq war --French President Jacques Chirac says he is "not at all sure" the world has become safer with the removal from power of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. In a BBC interview Mr Chirac suggests the situation in Iraq has helped to prompt an increase in terrorism.

World Food Day: Iraqi farmers aren't celebrating New from GRAIN --15 October 2004--NEWS RELEASE "When the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) celebrates biodiversity on World Food Day on October 16, Iraqi farmers will be mourning its loss. A new report [1] by GRAIN and Focus on the Global South has found that new legislation in Iraq has been carefully put in place by the US that prevents farmers from saving their seeds and effectively hands over the seed market to transnational corporations. This is a disastrous turn of events for Iraqi farmers, biodiversity and the country's food security. While political sovereignty remains an illusion, food sovereignty for the Iraqi people has been made near impossible by these new regulations."

Counterinsurgency run amok --by Pepe Escobar "Whom are you going to trust: Fallujah civilians who risked their lives to escape, witnesses such as Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, hospital doctors, Amnesty International, top United Nations human-rights official Louise Arbour, the International Committee of the Red Cross; or the Pentagon and US-installed Iraqi Prime Minister [Dictator] Iyad Allawi? On the humanitarian front, Fallujah is a tragedy. The city has virtually been reduced to rubble..."

Should Canada indict Bush? --by Thomas Walkom "When U.S. President [sic] George W. Bush arrives in Ottawa — probably later this year — should he be welcomed? Or should he be charged with war crimes? ...On the face of it, Bush seems a perfect candidate for prosecution under Canada's Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act."

Powell Says Iran Is Pursuing Bomb --Secretary Cites 'Evidence' of Missile Effort --The United States has intelligence that Iran is working to adapt missiles to deliver a nuclear weapon, further' evidence' that the Islamic republic is determined to acquire a nuclear bomb, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said Wednesday .

Moves Cement Hard-Line Stance On Foreign Policy --by Glenn Kessler "By accepting Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's resignation, President [sic] Bush appears to have taken a decisive turn in his approach to foreign policy. Powell's departure -- and Bush's intention to name his confidante, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, as Powell's replacement -- would mark the triumph of a hard-edged approach to diplomacy espoused by Vice President [sic] Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld."

U.S. Rights Record Blasted --After giving the United States a taste of its own diplomatic medicine, Belarus has withdrawn a draft UN General Assembly resolution attacking Washington on its human rights record. Belarus, smarting over a draft resolution co-sponsored by the United States criticizing the conduct of its parliamentary elections in October, drafted its own human rights critique pointing out controversies over recent U.S. elections and U.S. rights abuses under the Patriot Act.

Many detained in Chile protests --Hundreds of students protesting against the Apec meeting in Chile and an upcoming visit by US Dictator George W Bush have clashed with riot police. The unauthorised student march was met with water cannon and tear gas.

"Night of the Long Knives" at the CIA --by Mike Whitney "Porter Goss has unleashed a 'blood purge' at the CIA to rid the agency of its subversive elements. This comes as no surprise... Disloyalty is tantamount to treason in the Bush administration. The remedy is termination... Make room for the 'yes men'; the neoconservative pure-bloods who will keep their mouths shut even when the public is at risk."

CIA memo urging spies to support Bush provokes furore --The new US director of central intelligence, Porter Goss, told CIA staff this week their job was "to support the Bush administration and its policies in our work", stirring a new controversy over the future of the agency. The memorandum, circulated on Monday, was attacked by critics as an attempt to suppress dissent, particularly over Iraq, and ensure the agency only produces assessments the White House wants to hear.

House G.O.P. Acts to Protect Chief --Spurred by an investigation connected to the majority leader, House Republicans voted Wednesday to abandon an 11-year-old party rule that required a member of their leadership to step aside temporarily if indicted.

Republicans Change Rule to Shield DeLay if Indicted --House Republicans voted on Wednesday to change their own rules to allow Tom DeLay keep his position as majority leader even if he is indicted in Texas, where a number of his associates have already been charged in connection with illegal fund-raising activities.

Change in rules proposed to protect DeLay's post --Supporters of House majority leader (and Reichwing whackjob) Tom DeLay proposed a Republican rules change yesterday that would protect the Texan's leadership position if he were to be indicted by a Texas grand jury that already has charged three of his associates.

Penn Hills studying Santorum residency issue (PA) Residency question fans debate on cost of cyber-educating senator's 5 children --The Penn Hills School District, which is paying about $38,000 a year for five of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's children to attend a cyber charter school, is looking into whether the Republican senator resides in the district.

Louisiana teens getting driver's license also register for selective service --There may be no "plans" for a national military draft, but that hasn't kept Louisiana from registering teenagers too young to serve in case conditions change. Larry Chevalier of Glenmora was alarmed when his 16-year-old son Nathan had to register with the Selective Service System in order to get a driver's license. "I just can't believe it. That amazes me," Chevalier said.

Amtrak Begins Random ID Checks on Trains --Amtrak conductors have begun random checks of passengers' IDs as a precaution against 'terrorist' attacks. The onboard checks, which started at the beginning of November, are part of a broader program to 'improve' security, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said.

In Texas, 28,000 Students Test an Electronic Eye --In front of her gated apartment complex, Courtney Payne, a 9-year-old fourth grader, exits a yellow school bus. Moments later, her movement is observed by Alan Bragg, the local police chief, standing in a windowless control room more than a mile away. Chief Bragg is not using video surveillance. Rather, he watches an icon on a computer screen. The icon marks the spot on a map where Courtney got off the bus... Advocates of the technology said they do see broader possibilities, such as implanting RFID tags under the skin of children.

Informant attempts suicide at White House --FBI witness in terror trial upgraded to serious condition --An FBI informant who set himself on fire in a suicide attempt Monday has been upgraded to serious condition at Washington Hospital Center, a spokesman said. He tried to ignite himself in front of the White House.

Why Isn't Kerry Using $50M Unspent Campaign Money to Fund Recounts? (democracynow.org) "Third-party candidates are requesting recounts in swing states as reports of widespread voting problems and malfunctions in electronic voting machines continue to emerge. Meanwhile, Democratic candidate John Kerry is sitting on over $50 million in unspent campaign funds, which could be used to fund recount efforts. We speak with Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb."

Document reveals Columbus, Ohio voters waited hours as election officials held back machines --by Bob Fitrakis "Cliff Arnebeck, a Common Cause attorney, introduced into the record the Franklin County Board of Elections spreadsheet detailing the allocation of e-voting computer machines for the 2004 election. The Board of Elections’ own document records that, while voters waited in lines ranging from 2-7 hours at polling places, 68 electronic voting machines remained in storage and were never used on Election Day.

Ohio To Go Through Statewide Vote Recount After All --A statewide recount of the presidential vote appears inevitable after a pair of third-party candidates said they have collected enough money to pay for it. The recount would be conducted after the election results are certified in early December.

Candidates asking for a recount in Ohio are demanding that (chair of Bush's re-selection campaign in Ohio) J. Kenneth Blackwell recuse himself from his role of being the tie breaker that will decide whether many provisional ballots will be discarded or counted.
Contact: J. Kenneth Blackwell
180 E. Broad St., 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 466-2585 (Ask to be transferred to the extension where you can make comments on elections.)
Email: blackwell@sos.state.oh.us
Also, contact Ohio media and the Ohio Governor at to pressure coupmeister Blackwell.

3 more counties report errors --Franklin Co. equipment trouble wasn't an isolated incident --Franklin County isn't the only Indiana county that had programming troubles with optical scan voting equipment this year. Ripley, Brown and Carroll counties each had a different problem, ranging from handcounting a race because the software program didn't comply with Indiana law to 63 unvoted ballots in one precinct, according to the scanner's tally tape.

More Than 260 Absentee Ballots Uncounted In Pinellas County November 16, 2004 --Elections Supervisor Couldn't Explain How Mishap ['Mishap?!?'] Occurred --A box of 268 absentee ballots in Pinellas County have not been counted, and the blunder could affect the outcome of two local races in this month's general election. County elections supervisor [GOP whore] Deborah Clark couldn't explain how the mishap occurred, but she promised to investigate. This is the third time since Clark became elections supervisor in 2000 that her office has had problems handling ballots. [Express your sentiments to this whackjob:
Deborah CLARK (R)

Office
315 Court St.
Room 117
Clearwater, FL 33756
Email: election@votepinellas.com
Web: www.votepinellas.com
Phone: (727) 464-3551

Term Length: 4 years (Impeach *Now!!*)
Eligible for Reelection: Yes (?!? *N.F.W.*)

Ballots missing in Casar (NC) Precinct officials in Casar searched the volunteer fire department for 120 missing ballots last night, but none were found. There were 120 fewer ballots in the Casar box than there were votes on the canvass, said Betsy Wells, chairman of the Cleveland County (NC) Democratic Party, and Wes Westmoreland, her counterpart in the Republican Party.

Suspicions stir belief that presidential election was hijacked --by Greg Guma "Could sophisticated CIA-style 'cyber-warfare' have helped George W. Bush change a three percent defeat, as measured by exit polls, into a victory of about the same margin? Yes, at least in theory. But it would require hacking into multiple local computer systems, presumably from a remote location. There is as yet no solid proof that such a cyber-attack occurred on Nov. 2. But suspicions are mounting that the U.S. presidential election results were manipulated to some extent."

Keith Olbermann's Dan Rather moment --by Bill Steingerwald "So, America, what's sloppier? Our shaky elections system or the jayvee journalism practiced on Keith Olbermann's fake [you're the fake --a mediocre Rove troll] MSNBC news show 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann'? I cast all of my votes for Olbermann. ...I don't know, boys. Maybe it's because before they start making wild charges of 'vote fraud,' real journalists pick up a telephone." [Be sure to share your thoughts with Reichwing 'editorialist,' Bill Steigerwald: (412) 320-7983 and bsteigerwald@tribweb.com.]

Senate OKs $800B Debt Limit Hike --A divided Senate approved an $800 billion increase in the federal debt limit Wednesday, a major boost in borrowing that Sen. John Kerry and other Democrats blamed on the fiscal policies of Dictator Bush

Democrats in Congress decry ballooning US debt --Democrats in Congress decried a ballooning US debt which they warned could reach 14.5 trillion dollars in ten years unless drastic action is taken.

Dollar hits new all-time low against euro --Worries over oil prices, trade deficits weigh on greenback --The U.S. dollar dropped to a new all-time low against the euro Wednesday as the European currency rose to US$1.3035, breaking a week-old record against the slumping greenback.

Wholesale prices soar --Report shows biggest jump since 1990, driven by surge in energy costs. A key inflation gauge soared in October, the government reported Tuesday, as higher energy costs helped fuel the biggest increase in prices at the wholesale level in nearly 15 years. [Looks like Dick Cheney's secret Energy Task Force has paid off well for his installers...]

Analyst Says Oil Supply Problems Could Loom --The world's oil supply is headed toward a crisis state that could flare as early as next year, fueled by corporate greed ['steaming demand and declining production'], a longtime sector investor and analyst said on Wednesday.

Kmart to Buy Sears in $11.5 Billion Deal --Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp. will buy department store operator Sears, Roebuck & Co. in a $11.5 billion deal unveiled on Wednesday, creating the third-largest U.S. retailer.

Election Over, McCain Criticizes Bush on Climate Change --Wasting no time distancing himself from Dictator Bush on an issue that has long divided them, Senator John McCain yesterday called the White House stance on climate change "terribly disappointing" and said inaction in the face of mounting scientific data was unjustified.

US study links more than 200 diseases to pollution --Pollution has been linked to about 200 different diseases, as well as more than 37 kinds of cancer, startling US research shows... Britain has weakened the proposed European Union regulations to provide safety information on the substances at the behest of the US government.

*****

33,000 ballots lost in shuffle --Utah County votes fall through cracks in initial tally; race outcomes stay, but scale of error raises concerns --Voters in Utah County had more than a one in five chance that their ballots did not get counted in the initial, unofficial tally from Election Day. A programming glitch in the punch-card counter dropped 33,000 ballots from the totals - all of them straight-party ballots. That was more than 22 percent of the 145,769 ballots cast in the Republican stronghold. "The card readers were fine; it was just the way it was programmed initially," Utah County elections coordinator Kristen Swensen said Friday. "It was just off by one letter."

Ohio voters tell of Election Day troubles at hearing --Tales of waiting more than five hours to vote, voter intimidation, under-trained polling-station workers and too few or broken voting machines largely in urban or heavily minority areas were retold Saturday at a public hearing organized by voter-rights groups. For three hours, burdened voters, one after another, offered sworn testimony about Election Day voter suppression and irregularities that they believe are threatening democracy.

I Smell a Rat. --by Colin Shea, The Freezer Box "The first sign of the rat was on election night... The facts as I see them now defy all logical explanations save one--massive and systematic vote fraud. We cannot accept the result of the 2004 presidential election as legitimate until these discrepancies are rigorously and completely explained. From the Valerie Plame case to the horrors of Abu Ghraib, George Bush has been reluctant to seek answers and assign accountability when it does not suit his purposes. But this is one time when no American should accept not getting a straight answer. Until then, George Bush is still, and will remain, the 'Accidental President' of 2000."

Pilotless Jet Will Attempt Speed Record --NASA plans to try to set a world speed record for jets on Monday with the flight of a pilotless vehicle [similar to the ones that hit the World Trade Center?] that culminates a decades-long research program into hypersonic flight.

Falluja Rebels Battle On; Clashes Across Iraq --U.S. warplanes bombarded hard core rebel areas of Falluja on Monday and troops hunted insurgents house-to-house, while heavy clashes broke out in other cities and insurgents attacked Iraq's oil network. The U.S. military says it has taken control of Falluja [Really? Then why do the Bush terrorists keep bombing the city?] but scattered resistance remained, particularly in southern parts of the city. Large areas lie in ruins, devastated by the ferocity of the military's seven-day onslaught.

U.S. Planes Bomb Falluja as Rebels Battle On --U.S. warplanes bombarded hard core 'rebel areas' of Falluja on Monday as troops hunted 'insurgents' house-to-house in the city already devastated by the ferocity of the military's seven-day onslaught.

Falluja liberated [?!?], says marines commander --After United States and Iraqi security forces declared victory [?!?] in Falluja seven days after launching the largest military operation since the invasion last year, resistance forces struck hard in the central Iraqi city of Baquba and nearby Buhriz.

'This one's faking he's dead' 'He's dead now' Fallujah: Video shows US soldier killing wounded insurgent in cold blood --The US Marine Corps launched an investigation into possible war crimes last night after video footage taken inside a mosque in Fallujah apparently showed a Marine shooting dead an unarmed Iraqi insurgent who had been taken prisoner. The footage showed several Marines with a group of prisoners who were either lying on the floor or propped against a wall of the bombed-out building. One Marine can be heard declaring that one of the prisoners was faking his injuries. "He's fucking faking he's dead. He faking he's fucking dead," says the Marine. At that point a clatter of gunfire can be heard as one of the Marines shoots the prisoner. Another voice can then be heard saying: "He's dead now."

Inquiry into shooting of wounded Iraqi shown in television footage --The Pentagon said last night it was opening an investigation into the shooting of an unarmed and wounded Iraqi in Falluja, following the release of television footage showing what appeared to be a close-range execution-style killing.

Doctor tells of hospital nightmare --Ahmed Ghanim's nightmarish week began as Iraqi national guardsmen and US Marines entered the city's general hospital, handcuffed the doctors and forced patients out to the car park... The worst was yet to come as the bombing came closer to the city centre. ..."We would bring the patient in and we would have to let him die." Electricity to the city was cut. There was no water, no food, no fluids for the patients, Dr Ghanim said. But patients kept coming.

Pictures from 'Liberated' Fallujah: Fallujah in Pictures (fallujahpictures.blogspot.com) "Pictures from Fallujah that probably won't be on your television." [Warning! Graphic]

US does not pay back favours, says Chirac --Blair got nothing for support of US in Iraq, says French president --Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac clashed openly last night over the future course of Europe's relationship with the United States as the prime minister insisted they must work together for world peace and the French president suggested it is increasingly pointless. Mr Chirac, speaking ahead of his state visit to London, said that Britain had gained nothing in return for supporting the US over Iraq and that he did not think "it is in the nature of our American friends today" to pay back favours.

Porton Down unlawfully killed airman in sarin tests --The family of an airman who died in government nerve gas experiments more than 50 years ago is demanding an apology from the Ministry of Defence after an inquest ruled he had been unlawfully killed.

Long walk to freedom --Mordechai Vanunu served 18 years in an Israeli prison for blowing the whistle on the country's nuclear weapons programme. Last week he was arrested again - but not before he had given Duncan Campbell the following exclusive interview "...Mordechai Vanunu, who emerged from his 18-year sentence for revealing that Israel had a nuclear weapons programme only seven months ago, has been re-arrested and accused of disclosing classified information and of breaching the restrictions that forbid him from associating with foreigners."

Bordering On Nukes? --New accounts from al-Qaeda to attack the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction --A key al-Qaeda operative seized in Pakistan recently offered an alarming account of the group's potential plans to target the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, senior U.S. security officials tell TIME.

U.S. citizenship no bar to terror screening --A Joint Terrorism Task Force team, a combination of federal and local agents, converged on the home of home of a woman in North Virginia, threatened her with a subpoena, dispatched agents to her office to ask about her, and took away her garbage in the trunks of their cars.

Bush threatens mankind, says Caldicott --Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Helen Caldicott fears US Dictator George Bush's re-selection will lead to Armageddon and she isn't sure if mankind would survive another four years. "I don't know if we'll survive the next four years ... I don't think the Americans have, on the whole, the faintest idea - and I have to say also I don't think most Australians do either. But it's not just the threat from nuclear war. It's the threat of what's happening to the environment, the global warming which is occurring rapidly now, to ozone depletion, to species extinction, to deforestation - it's the whole thing."

Moderates make way for right wing shift --Secretary of State Colin Powell's resignation and a flood of high-level departures at the State Department and CIA remove the cautionary voices that had often acted as a brake on US Dictator George W Bush's aggressive foreign policy. US officials and analysts said today that by agreeing to Powell's departure and approving a purge by new CIA chief Porter Goss, Bush and Vice pResident Dick Cheney appear to be eliminating the few independent centres of power in the US national security apparatus. Some said they are cementing the system under their personal control.

Powell resigns with three other Cabinet secretaries --Condoleezza Rice nomination could be announced Tuesday --U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Monday he was resigning, and two senior regime officials told CNN that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice is Dictator Bush's choice to replace him.

Powell quits Bush Cabinet --US Secretary of State Colin Powell, widely respected in a world often wary of America's superpower diplomacy, resigned today. Powell, who was viewed as a voice of moderation in an administration dominated by right-wing hawks, is the top regime official to quit since Dictator George W Bush's re-selection.

Mega Barf Alert: Rice Is Top Candidate to Replace Powell -Sources --National security adviser Condoleezza Rice emerged as the likely candidate on Monday to replace resigning Secretary of State Colin Powell, Republican sources said.

Another Man Jumps Fence at White House --Just hours after a man set himself on fire on Pennsylvania Avenue, another man jumped the fence onto White House grounds. WTOP has learned that around 5 p.m. Monday, the man scaled the six-foot high fence, landed on the other side, and was pounced-on by the uniformed Secret Service. This happened just hours after the Secret Service put the flames out on another man.

US police slammed for stun guns on kids --The use by Miami-Dade County (Florida) police of 50,000-volt Taser stun guns to subdue children today sparked an uproar in the United States.

Fed Pension Agency Deficit to $23.3 Bln --The deficit at the federal agency that rescues failed U.S. pension funds more than doubled to $23.3 billion in fiscal 2004, officials said on Monday, as the safety net was hit by losses from pension plans that have failed or are expected to fail.

Noon turns to night as cloud blacks out sun (China Daily) Day turned to night across Shenyang when a freak cloud formation 8,000 metres deep blanketed the northeastern city. For over half-an-hour noon was as black as midnight. With sky and sun effectively blocked out, visibility was reduced to near zero, according to an expert from the provincial capital's meteorological bureau.

Melting Swiss Glaciers Threaten Alps - Scientist --Switzerland's glaciers are melting faster than expected, shrinking by as much as one-fifth of their size over the 1985-2000 period alone, scientists at Zurich University said on Monday.

*****

White House Ordered New CIA Chief to Eliminate Officers Who Were Disloyal to Dictator Bush --CIA plans to purge its agency --The White House has ordered the new CIA director, Porter Goss, to purge the agency of officers believed to have been disloyal to Dictator George W. Bush or of leaking damaging information to the media about the conduct of the Iraq war and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, according to knowledgeable sources. "The agency is being purged on instructions from the White House," said a former senior CIA official who maintains close ties to both the agency and to the White House. "Goss was given instructions ... to get rid of those soft leakers and liberal Democrats. The CIA is looked on by the White House as a hotbed of liberals and people who have been obstructing the president[sic]'s agenda."

Feds to Put Radio Antennas On Medicine Bottles --Food and Drug Administration and drug makers are expected to announce an agreement Monday to put tiny radio antennas on labels of millions of medicine bottles to further control Amerikans ['combat counterfeiting, abuse and fraud']. ["Gee, we can really scr*w with that. And, we will." --Carol Schiffler, CLG Actions Chair.]

U.S. OKs Commercial Drilling in Alaska Oil [?!? Wildlife] Reserve --Fri Nov 12, 3:51 PM ET --The U.S. Interior Department on Friday gave final approval to a plan by ConocoPhillips and partner Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to develop five tracts around the oil-rich Alpine field on Alaska's North Slope. [While we are debating ballots from Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the Bush dictatorship is moving full-steam ahead with its Reichwing agenda!! Do *not* let the Bush regime dictate debate!! BTW, this announcement is typical of the Bush dictatorship's Friday afternoon environmental 'bad news' dump, timed to insure that the media does not notice/cover such items, heading into a weekend (slow) news cycle.]

Study Says Polar Bears Could Face Extinction --Global warming could cause polar bears to go extinct by the end of the century by eroding the sea ice that sustains them, according to the most comprehensive international assessment ever done of Arctic climate change. [Luckily, bears do not waste their remaining days in lines waiting to vote on fixed elections, or send themselves on impossible chases after stolen elections while their habitat is being destroyed!! Instead, they can live out their remaining days, without being scammed into thinking they actually have a say in the situation...]

US study links more than 200 diseases to pollution --Pollution has been linked to about 200 different diseases, ranging from cerebral palsy to testicular atrophy, as well as more than 37 kinds of cancer, startling US research shows.

CIA transferring Iraqi detainees --US intelligence officials have transferred detainees out of Iraq for interrogation, a move that experts say violates international law. According to The Washington Post in its Sunday edition, the CIA has invoked a confidential memo written by the US Department of Justice to justify secretly transferring as many as a dozen detainees out of Iraq in the past six months.

Big bleeping surprise: Iraq vote could be delayed --Deputy PM voices doubts over January date as violence continues --Iraq's deputy prime minister has indicated for the first time that the much-heralded elections due in January could be derailed by the country's violent insurgency. [At least the Iraqis may have an election; we did not.]

Iraq's Allawi Is a 'Straw Man' and a 'Criminal,' Says Sy Hersh at NYU --Speaking at New York University this week, famed investigative reporter Seymour Hersh called Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi a "straw man" and a "criminal" and said the key story the press is missing in Iraq is the recent upsurge in U.S. bombing -- even before the Fallujah operation.

Fighting Breaks Out in Falluja After U.S. Strikes --Fresh fighting broke out in the Iraqi city of Falluja Monday after U.S. forces attacked suspected 'rebel' targets with air strikes, artillery and mortar rounds, a Reuters correspondent in Falluja said.

US Says 38 Soldiers Killed in Iraqi Offensive --The U.S. military said on Sunday 38 U.S. soldiers had died in the week-long offensive to recapture the Iraqi city of Falluja from rebels and 275 had been wounded. The toll includes three non-combat deaths.

AP Photographer Flees Fallujah --In the hours and days that followed, heavy bombing raids and thunderous artillery shelling turned Hussein's northern Jolan neighborhood into a zone of rubble and death. The walls of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein's house were pockmarked by occupation fire. ...By Tuesday afternoon, as U.S. forces and Iraqi rebels engaged in fierce clashes in the heart of his neighborhood, Hussein snapped. "U.S. soldiers began to open fire on the houses, so I decided that it was very dangerous to stay in my house," he said.

Body of woman found in Fallujah --The body of a blonde woman with her legs and arms cut off and throat slit was found today lying on a street in Falluja, a notorious Iraqi enclave for hostage-takers, US marines said.

Franks: US to stay in Iraq for 3 more years --The US-led invasion of Iraq will eventually succeed but US troops will likely have to stay in the country for up to three more years, former commander of US forces who ran the war in Iraq and Afghanistan (Tommy Franks), said here on Thursday.

US denies need for Falluja aid convoy --US military chiefs said yesterday that they saw no need for the Iraqi Red Crescent to deliver aid inside Falluja because they did not think any Iraqi civilians were trapped there.

Amnesty International --Public Statement --4 November 2004 Iraq - "Falluja: assurances needed for the protection of civilians Reacting to increasing reports that United States (US) and Iraqi troops are preparing to launch a major offensive aimed at gaining control of the city of Falluja, Amnesty International seeks assurances from both governments that they will comply with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. Similarly, Amnesty International calls on armed groups in Falluja to comply with the rules of international law."

Rights group blasts 'racist' US media --A rights group has blasted some US media organisations for allowing for 'racist and hate-filled speech' during its coverage of the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat's death.

Two N.C. Races Held Up by Voting Problems --A Florida-style nightmare has unfolded in North Carolina in the 10 days since Election Day, with thousands of votes missing and the outcome of two statewide races still up in the air. ...The biggest failure resulted from a computer glitch that wiped out more than 4,400 votes in one county, while other disputes have focused on how to count provisional ballots. In another county, 12,000 early and absentee votes were misplaced due to a procedural error, but later found.

"FOR REASONS THAT REMAIN UNCLEAR"~MEDIA DUI: ACCEPTABLY-FAIR-ELECTION Koolaid (poetry) --by "Artist General" Masley -- For whom the Bell Tolls?

Vilsack, Dean Jockey for Top DNC Post --Iowa Gov. [and GOP-lite troll] Tom Vilsack told Democratic leaders on Friday he may seek the party's top job as the jockeying to replace chairman Terry McAuliffe intensified.

Expert: Harvard Aided Nazi Image in 1930s --Harvard University enhanced the reputation of the Nazi regime when it sanctioned events in the 1930s attended by Nazis, a historian claimed Sunday.

Mega barf alert: Ads back Schwarzenegger for president --Californians will soon see advertisements urging them to help give GOP-installed [Nazi] Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other foreign-born citizens the chance to run for president.

Paying for Santorums' school costs questioned The senator lives in Va. His children attend a cyber school paid for by his Pa. school district. A suburban Pittsburgh school district is reviewing whether it should continue paying for the children of Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Liar, Pa.) to attend a cyber school even though the senator and his family live in Virginia. Penn Hills has spent $100,000 educating Santorum's children at an Internet-based school since 2001-02, said Erin Vecchio, a school board member who requested the review. "I'm concerned, because [he is] taking away from my kid. That $100,000... could be going to my kids, a computer or something," said Vecchio, who has three children enrolled in Penn Hills schools. "I'm sick of this man saying that he lives in Penn Hills when he doesn't."

EPA Suspends Study on Kids And Pesticides --The Environmental Protection Agency has suspended a controversial study aimed at exploring how infants and toddlers absorb pesticides and other household chemicals, officials said yesterday. Several rank-and-file EPA scientists had questioned the ethics of the two-year experiment, which would have given the families of 60 children in Duval County, Fla., $970 each as well as a camcorder and children's clothing in exchange for having the children participate.

EPA Will Use Poor Kids As Guinea Pigs In In New Study On Pesticides --Study Launch Date Suspended Until Early 2005 --Offers Public Comment Period (organixconsumers.org) "11/12/2004: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by Bush appointees, plans to launch a new study in which participating low income families will have their children exposed to toxic pesticides over the course of two years. The study entitled CHEERS (Children’s Environmental Exposure Research Study) will look at how chemicals can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed by children ranging from babies to 3 years old. For taking part in these studies, each family will receive $970, a free video camera, a T-shirt, and a framed certificate of appreciation."

What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits --With 3,600 stores in the United States and roughly 100 million customers walking through the doors each week, Wal-Mart has access to information about a broad slice of America - from individual Social Security and driver's license numbers to geographic proclivities for Mallomars, or lipsticks, or jugs of antifreeze. By its own count, Wal-Mart has 460 terabytes of data stored on Teradata mainframes, made by NCR, at its Bentonville headquarters.

WHO Meeting Warns of Flu Pandemic --An influenza pandemic, when it arrives [How do they know it is definitely 'arriving?'], will be an immediate threat to the health of nearly everyone on Earth, but very little is being done to prevent its potential devastation, say experts who met this week at the World Health Organization's headquarters in Switzerland.

*****

More Than 100 Journalists Killed This Year --More than 100 journalists have been killed since January, making 2004 the most deadly year for journalists in a decade, an international media rights group said.

US to build wireless network for future warfare --The Pentagon has laid the first connections for a secure, wireless information network that proponents say will fundamentally transform warfare, a US newspaper reported. Estimates are that the Global Information Grid will cost 200 billion dollars in the next decade alone, but take two decades to complete, the New York Times said.

Pentagon Building Its Own Internet For War --Pentagon Envisioning a Costly Internet for War --The Pentagon is building its own Internet, the military's world wide web for the wars of the future. The goal is to give all American commanders and troops a moving picture of all foreign enemies and threats - "a God's-eye view" of battle.

British soldiers sue Pentagon --$2.3m claim after military police and interpreter injured in crash --Three British soldiers and an army interpreter are suing the American military after their vehicle was rammed by a US tank transporter in Iraq. The $2.3m (£1.2m) suit is the first against the US army from coalition troops since the invasion of Iraq. It seeks to exploit provisions normally reserved for Iraqis claiming compensation for family members wrongfully killed in US raids.

Curfews as Iraq rebellion spreads --Iraq's government extended its security clampdown last night, imposing new curfews as the US military struggled to 'contain' [not going to work, morons!] a spreading wave of militant attacks.

U.S. Armored Forces Blast Their Way Into Rebel Nest in Falluja --Army tanks and fighting vehicles blasted their way into the last main rebel stronghold in Falluja at sundown on Saturday after American warplanes and artillery prepared the way with a savage barrage on the district. Earlier in the afternoon, 10 separate plumes of smoke rose from southern Falluja, as if etched against the desert sky, and probably exclaiming catastrophe for the 'insurgents.'

Fresh Falluja assault launched --Backed by tanks and artillery fire, US troops have launched a major attack today against insurgent holdouts in southern Falluja, hoping to finish off resistance in what had been the major guerrilla bastion of central Iraq. In northern Mosul, a car bomb exploded as a convoy of Iraqi National Guards passed by through the eastern part of the city, witnesses said.

U.S. Troops 'Occupy' City of Fallujah [??? Isn't the whole insane, immoral invasion of Iraq an 'occupation???'] --U.S. military officials said Saturday that American troops had now "occupied" the entire city of Fallujah and there were no more major concentrations of insurgents still fighting.

Strategy maximizes Iraqi civilian deaths --The stunning revelations that postinvasion Iraqi deaths are three to 10 times higher than any previous estimates will be a major embarrassment for the Bush regime. The revelations come from the first scientific survey of the postinvasion death toll among Iraqis, which was published last month on the Web site of the influential British medical journal The Lancet.

Die, then vote. This is Falluja --Iraqi elections were postponed to save Bush. That led to today's carnage --by Naomi Klein "With all the millions spent on 'democracy-building' and 'civil society' in Iraq, it has come to this: if you can survive attack by the world's only superpower, you get to cast a ballot. Fallujans are going to vote, goddammit, even if they all have to die first. And make no mistake: it is Fallujans who are under the gun. 'The enemy has got a face. He's called Satan. He lives in Falluja,' marine Lt Col Gareth Brandl told the BBC. Well, at least he admitted that some of the fighters actually live in Falluja, unlike Donald Rumsfeld, who would have us believe that they are all from Syria and Jordan."

Soldier killed, three wounded in Iraq - U.S. --Insurgents attacked a military base outside Baghdad with "indirect fire", killing one soldier serving with U.S.-led multinational forces in Iraq and wounding three, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

Homeless Vets Already Overload Safety Net --System Struggles With Down-and out Vets, and There May Be another Generation Coming --"Are they or aren't they really veterans?" is a question often asked when encountering a homeless person claiming to be a vet. There's a good chance they are. "There is plenty of evidence to show that one third of [homeless males] are veterans," says John Baskerville of Swords to Plowshares, a non-profit veterans support group in the San Francisco Bay area.

Deputy Chief Resigns From CIA --Agency Is Said to Be in Turmoil Under New Director Goss --The deputy director of the CIA resigned yesterday after a series of confrontations over the past week between senior operations officials and CIA Director Porter J. Goss's new chief of staff that have left the agency in turmoil, according to several current and former CIA officials.

Patriot Act renewal up to Congress --Law's critics and supporters debate whether it undermines constitutional search rights --The 109th Congress which convenes on Jan. 3 will join one of the most contentious legislative battles to result from the war on terrorism: whether to preserve, amend or scrap portions of the USA Patriot Act, enacted in October of 2001.

Guantanamo Detainee Won't Attend Hearing --A man the United States alleges was the roommate of a suicide bomber in the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen refused to appear before a U.S. military review panel at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an official said Saturday.

Fort Bragg Troops Train For Homeland Security Mission --November 11, 2004 --This week, Fort Bragg soldiers ran a rare training exercise in New York. The group of soldiers flew to New York to train for a fictional scenario in which terrorists plan to strike the West Point Military Academy, the place where future Army leaders train... Most units around the country are scheduling more domestic "training ops" like this one. The soldiers at Fort Bragg have done three.

Second Child Shocked by Police Taser Gun --Police have acknowledged using a stun gun to immobilize a 12-year-old girl just weeks after an officer jolted a first-grader with 50,000 volts.

Cheney Is Said to Be Fine After Shortness of Breath --Vice pResident Dick Cheney, who has been plagued by heart problems for more than 25 years, underwent tests at a hospital here on Saturday after complaining of shortness of breath. Cheney went home after three hours, and his doctor said there was no evidence that he had suffered a heart attack.

Flu oddities: Flu pandemic looms as major global crisis --4:28 p.m. ET Nov. 12, 2004 --The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged governments to provide funds to drug makers developing vaccines against a feared influenza pandemic, which could kill millions of people. The greatest influenza pandemic occurred in 1918-1919, causing an estimated 40 to 50 million deaths, more than were killed in World War one which preceded the outbreak. The U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have projected that a pandemic today would result in between 2 million and 7.4 million deaths globally. Only two drug makers -- Aventis-Pasteur of France and British manufacturer Chiron Corp have been working on potential pandemic vaccines with funds from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. [Chrion was the U.S.-based company - NOT a U.K.-based company - that produced the (allegedly) contaminated flu vaccines for the 2004 'flu season.' (See: 'Flu Shots' article October 6, 2004 - "This year, Chrion, one of the major manufacturers of flu vaccine is not being able to distribute its supply of vaccine to the United States because their license has been suspended.") WHY is this company entrusted with developing a vaccine to 'stop' a disease that, according to the CDC, could kill 'between 2 million and 7.4 million deaths globally?']

Chrion: Contract awarded to develop vaccine against H9N2 avian influenza --Aug. 18, 2004 - The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a contract to Chiron Corporation of Emeryville, CA, for the production of an investigational [?!?] vaccine based on an H9N2 strain of avian influenza virus that has infected humans and has the potential to trigger a modern-day pandemic.

Killer flu recreated in the lab --Thursday, 7 October, 2004, 05:02 GMT 06:02 UK [Why?] --Scientists have shown that tiny changes to modern flu viruses could render them as deadly as the 1918 strain which killed millions. A US team added two genes from a sample of the 1918 virus to a modern strain [Why?] known to have no effect on mice. Animals exposed to this composite were dying within days of symptoms similar to those found in human victims of the 1918 pandemic.

Flu victim exhumed after 85 years --Friday, 30 January, 2004, 20:08 GMT --Scientists are preparing to exhume the body of a woman who died of flu 85 years ago to find out how the virus killed millions across Europe. [Why?] Phyllis Burn died aged 20 in 1918, a victim of the 20th Century's worst flu epidemic, which killed more than 50 million people. She was buried in a lead coffin, thought to be virtually airtight, in Twickenham, south-west London. Scientists wearing protective clothing will remove lung samples from the body. ...The move has the support of Miss Burn's niece, Hilary Burn-Callander, who told BBC London she was a bit surprised at first by the request. "I didn't know what to think to be honest," she said.

Despite Warnings, Drug Giant Took Long Path to Vioxx Recall --In May 2000, executives at Merck, the pharmaceutical giant under siege for its handling of the multibillion-dollar drug Vioxx, made a fateful decision. The company's top research and marketing executives met that month to consider whether to develop a study to directly test a disturbing possibility: that Vioxx, a painkiller, might pose a heart risk. Two months earlier, results from a clinical trial conducted for other reasons had suggested such concerns. But the executives rejected pursuing a study focused on Vioxx's cardiovascular risks...

Political row as Italian TV news host forced out --Italy's most respected newscaster has been abruptly moved from his prime-time news programme on a network owned by [Reichwing whackjob] Silvio Berlusconi, raising new fears over the prime minister's influence over the media.

*****

Indiana 'voting' machines count straight-party Democratic votes as Libertarian --Glitch causes Franklin Co. recount --BROOKVILLE, Ind. - Election equipment counted straight-party votes for Democratic candidates as Libertarian votes, an error that could affect election outcomes in as many as nine counties, the Richmond Palladium-Item reported today. Democrats discovered the error in Franklin County, where ballots will be counted again tonight. The county's election equipment vendor, Fidlar, notified officials Wednesday of the error.

Judge eyed on ballots (NM) --A Republican judge in one voting precinct has some explaining to do, Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera said this morning. As the weary clerk's staff continued to examine provisional ballots, attention gathered on one batch in which the disqualified ballots all were Democrat and those that qualified were Republican, Herrera said. Herrera's staff had been combing through 2,000 "questionable" ballots, which led to the certification of 1,400 of them.

Presidential Race Still Undecided in New Mexico --It will still take more than 10 days to find out who took the last state up for grabs in the Nov. 2 election. "I will not be declaring a winner until Nov. 23," said New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron.

Judge Sides With Democrats In Ballot Dispute (WA) A judge on Friday ordered King County elections officials to turn over the names of 929 voters whose provisional ballots are in dispute. State Democrats said they planned to contact those listed to ensure their votes count.

Democrats Sue Wash. County Over Ballots --Washington state Democrats, fearful their candidate for governor might narrowly lose because of disputed ballots, sued election officials Friday in the state's largest county. The lawsuit would block election officials in King County, home to Seattle, from discarding about 900 provisional ballots. Party officials hoped they could get a decision later in the day.

King County faces election lawsuit (WA) Democrats object to ballot handling in governor's race --The state Democratic Party plans to sue the King County Elections Department today over its handling of special ballots in the neck-and-neck race for governor, party officials said last night.

Kerry campaign scrutinizes Ohio --Checks provisional ballots, other issues --Lawyers with John Kerry's presidential campaign are gathering information from Ohio election boards about uncounted ballots and other unresolved issues from last week's 'election.' Attorneys say they are not trying to challenge the election [Why not?] but are only carrying out Kerry's promise to make sure that all the votes in Ohio are counted.

Kerry Won Ohio --Just Count the Ballots At the Back of the Bus --Most voters in Ohio chose Kerry. Here's how the votes vanished. --by Greg Palast "This February, Ken Blackwell, Ohio's Secretary of State, told his State Senate President, 'The possibility of a close election with punch cards as the state’s primary voting device invites a Florida-like calamity.' Blackwell, co-chair of Bush-Cheney reelection campaign, wasn't warning his fellow Republican of disaster, but boasting of an opportunity to bring in Ohio for Team Bush no matter what the voters wanted. And most voters in Ohio wanted JFK, not GWB. But their choice won't count because their votes won't be counted. The ballots that add up to a majority for John Kerry in Ohio -- and in New Mexico -- are locked up in two Republican hidey-holes: 'spoiled' ballots and 'provisional' ballots. --OHIO SPOILED ROTTEN --American democracy has a dark little secret. In a typical presidential election, two million ballots are simply chucked in the garbage, marked 'spoiled' and not counted."

Post-vote reform is sought --Registration: Election officials target groups paid to register. Election officials sorting through several thousand provisional votes said Monday that state lawmakers should consider reforms targeting groups whose registration activity cost some Nevadans their right to vote on Nov. 2. Voter Outreach of America, operated by Republican-based Sproul and Associates of Phoenix, was singled out for most of the criticism directed at such groups. Some of its former workers in Nevada and other battleground states alleged they were told to register only Republicans and to ignore pro-Kerry people. Some said that completed Democratic registration forms were thrown out or ripped up. The head of the company is Nathan Sproul — a former Christian Coalition activist and one-time executive director of the Arizona GOP.

Vancouver lawyer visiting U.S. cities to tell Americans how to emigrate --A Vancouver immigration lawyer is travelling to three U.S. Pacific Coast cities to tell Americans who can't face another four years of George Bush how to find the life they hoped for in Canada. "A lot of people are feeling disenfranchised after the last election," Kischer said. [And, after the previous 'election,' as well!]

Down With Fancy Book Learnin' What's it mean that the big cities and college towns of America all voted blue? --by Mark Morford "Have we progressed almost not at all from the days prior to the Civil War, when the nation was split almost exactly as it is now? Verily, it would appear not, not so much. In fact, it's only getting worse."

For the First Time Since Vietnam, the Army Prints a Guide to Fighting Insurgents --For the first time in decades, the Army has issued a field guide to counterinsurgency warfare, an acknowledgment that the kind of fighting under way in Iraq may become more common in the years ahead.

'Iraqi' Gov't Warns Media About Coverage --The U.S. puppet dictatorship in Iraq ['Iraqi government'] warned news organizations Thursday to distinguish between insurgents and ordinary civilians in coverage of the fighting in Fallujah and to promote the leadership's position or face unspecified action. The warning came in a statement sent to news organizations by Iraq's Media High Commission [?!?], which cited the 60-day state of emergency declared Sunday on the eve of the [insane and immoral] offensive in Fallujah. "You must be precise and objective in handling news and information,'' the statement said... It also told news organizations to tell their correspondents "to be credible and precise'' and not to "add patriotic descriptions to groups of killers and criminals." [Oh. You mean as Faux News does for the Bush regime, on a daily basis?] ...It said that failure to follow the instructions will require authorities to "take all necessary measures to safeguard the supreme interest of the homeland.'' [Joseph Goebbels would envy *this* propaganda ministry!]

Black Hawk Shot Down Near Baghdad; 3 Reported Injured --A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by anti-Iraqi forces northeast of Baghdad at about 4:30 p.m. Iraq time today.

A father's anger: 'I would kill Geoff Hoon' --The father of two Black Watch soldiers serving at Camp Dogwood in Iraq threatened to kill the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, yesterday because he was a "two-faced lying git". James Buchanan, whose sons Gary, 27, and Craig, 24, both corporals, were due to return home but then redeployed north to reinforce the American assault on Falluja, said: "This man has got me so angry. If I see him in the street I would kill him. I would kill that man. I would cut his throat." [Get in line, pal! Everyone seems to detest Hoon the Goon!!]

V.A. to Study Toxins' Effects From 1991 Gulf War --The government will spend $15 million over the next year for research on the illnesses of veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, the secretary of veterans affairs, Anthony J. Principi, announced Friday. He said it would concentrate on the role of neurotoxins, and not the stress and psychological conditions often implicated as a cause of the veterans' health complaints.

Ashcroft says judges threaten national security by questioning Bush decisions --Federal judges are jeopardizing national security by issuing rulings contradictory to Dictator Bush's decisions on America's obligations under international treaties and agreements, Attorney General [and Reichwing whackjob] John Ashcroft said Friday.

Ashcroft Condemns Judges Who Question Bush --Federal judges are jeopardizing national security [?!?] by issuing rulings contradictory to Dictator Bush's decisions on America's obligations under international treaties and agreements, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Friday.

Bush Sees Patriot Act Renewal As Key Goal --Attorney General John Ashcroft is leaving but the top issues for the Justice Department are the same heading into Dictator Bush's second term: persuading Congress to renew key parts of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act and continuing fundamental reforms at the FBI.

We seize servers, you can't complain - US gov --by John Lettice "The US Government is attempting to block efforts to find out who seized Indymedia's servers in London last month. The Government has filed a motion in San Antonio District Court opposing the Electronic Frontier Foundation's motion to unseal the court order which resulted in the seizures, and arguing among other things that unsealing would 'seriously jeopardize' an 'ongoing criminal terrorism investigation'."

Gov't Orders Air Passenger Data for Test --The government ordered U.S. airlines Friday to turn over personal information about passengers so it can test a system for identifying potential 'terrorists.' The move was expected but nonetheless brought protests from civil libertarians worried about invasions of privacy. Under the system, called "Secure Flight," the Transportation Security Administration will compare passenger data with names on two government watch lists: a "no-fly" list comprises known or suspected 'terrorists,' and a "watch" list names people who should face tighter scrutiny before boarding planes.

CIA Critic of U.S. War on Terror Resigns --A CIA analyst who wrote a book that criticized the U.S. war on terror has resigned from the spy agency after it effectively banned him from publicly discussing his views, his publicist said on Thursday. Michael Scheuer, whose book "Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror" was signed as "anonymous" and published this summer, will resign effective Friday after 22 years at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Secret Service pays visit to Boulder High --Bob Dylan's Masters of War is a hard-hitting, anti-war song produced more than 20 years before any current Boulder High School student was born. More than 40 years after its release, the song has been resurrected at Boulder High that prompted Secret Service agents to pay the campus a visit Thursday. Rumors were rampant that during an audition and rehearsal for today's talent show, the students changed Dylan's powerful last verse at the end of the song to say that they hoped that Dictator Bush was going to die.

Police use stun gun on 6-year-old --Police say a 6-year-old Florida boy wasn't hurt when they shocked him with a 50,000-volt taser to keep him from cutting himself with a piece of glass.

Frist Warns on Filibusters Over Bush Nominees --Issuing a blunt warning to Democrats, the Senate majority leader, Bill ['cat-torturer'] Frist, said Thursday that the newly strengthened Republican majority would not allow filibusters to block action on judicial nominees in Bush's second term. "One way or another, the filibuster of judicial nominees must end," Dr. Frist, Republican of Tennessee, said in a speech to the Federalist Society, a conservative lawyers' group.

Unit Plans Closed Hearings on Collapse of the Towers --The federal agency investigating the collapse of the World Trade Center said this week that some of its deliberations would take place in secret, including discussions on possible changes to national building codes and standards. The announcement has been sharply protested by advocates for families of the 9/11 victims, who said they were considering a lawsuit to force the agency to open the meetings to the public.

Scientist Who Cited Drug's Risks Is Barred From F.D.A. Panel --The Food and Drug Administration has told a researcher that he cannot be part of an advisory panel that will meet early next year to review the safety of a class of drugs, COX-2 inhibitors, used to treat arthritis and pain. The reason, the agency said, is he publicly stated that he thought one of these drugs caused heart problems and that Pfizer, its maker, knew that and was covering it up.

Flu pandemic looms as major global crisis [Pharmaceutical terrorists trolling for more government funding] --The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged governments to provide funds to drug makers developing vaccines against a feared influenza pandemic, which could kill millions of people. Only two drug makers -- Aventis-Pasteur of France and British manufacturer Chiron Corp have been working on potential pandemic vaccines with funds from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Calif. Jury Finds Peterson Guilty of Double Murder --California fertilizer salesman Scott Peterson, 32, was convicted on Friday of the Christmas Eve 2002 murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, in a case that riveted Americans caught up in the tragic story of a seemingly perfect couple.

*****

The Unexplained Exit Poll Discrepancy --by Steven F. Freeman, Ph.D. "As much as we can say in social science that something is impossible, it is impossible that the discrepancies between predicted and actual vote counts in the three critical battleground states [Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania] of the 2004 election could have been due to chance or random error... The likelihood of any two of these statistical anomalies occurring together is on the order of one-in-a-million. The odds against all three occurring together are 250 million to one. As much as we can say in social science that something is impossible, it is impossible that the discrepancies between predicted and actual vote counts in the three critical battleground states of the 2004 election could have been due to chance or random error."

47 State Exit Poll Analysis Confirms Swing Anomaly --by Jonathan Simon "In the 12 critical states (CO,FL,MI,MN,NE,NV,NH,NM,OH,PA,WI,IA) the average discrepancy was a 2.5% red shift (= total movement of 5.0%), nearly twice that in the safe states. This in spite of the fact that the average sample size in the critical states was nearly twice that in the noncritical states and should have produced significantly more accurate results."

Others raised red flag over Gaston turnout --Commissioners want to know why oversight went unnoticed for days --A state elections official e-mailed Gaston Elections Director Sandra Page on Friday to question the county's election results, four days before Page announced that she had discovered the results were wrong. It was one of at least four inquiries Page received before her Tuesday announcement that 12,000 early votes were accidentally [sic] omitted from the results.

2 N.C. candidates request recount --Feds to check out flaws in Mecklenburg, other N.C. counties --With all except a few thousand votes across North Carolina counted Wednesday, two Council of State candidates asked for a recount and one of the races was still close enough that it could force a new statewide election. Meanwhile, federal authorities intend to look into election troubles in Mecklenburg and coastal Carteret County to determine whether any activity warrants a criminal investigation, the Observer learned Wednesday.

'Patriot' Vote Machines in S.C. Malfunction Lancaster County counts by hand after malfunction --1,600 absentee ballots could affect some races (Thu., Nov. 04, 2004) Huddled in the basement of the Lancaster County Administration Building, election officials late Wednesday were manually tallying results of about 1,600 absentee ballots. A malfunction with Patriot [LOL!] voting machines stopped the computerized tally late Tuesday night about a third of the way through, and elections officials said they were unable to restart the procedure.

And so the sorting and discarding of Kerry votes begins --by Bob Fitrakis "Are the provisional ballots in Ohio being thrown out? A new rule for counting provisional ballots in Cuyahoga County, Ohio was implemented on Tuesday, November 9 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, according to election observer Victoria Lovegren. The new ruling in Cuyahoga County mandates that provisional ballots in yellow packets must be 'Rejected' if there is no 'date of birth' on the packet. The Free Press obtained copies of the original 'Provisional Verification Procedure' from Cuyahoga County which stated 'Date of birth is not mandatory and should not reject a provisional ballot.' The original procedure required the voter’s name, address and a signature that matched the signature in the county’s database."
Contact: Ohio Secretary of State (GOP)
J. Kenneth Blackwell
180 E. Broad St., 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
614-466-3910
Email: blackwell@sos.state.oh.us
Also: guide@sos.state.oh.us
Kenneth Blackwell's webpage

Kerry attorneys investigating Ohio vote count --Lawyers for the John Kerry campaign are on what they call a fact-finding mission in Ohio, where the Democratic candidate 'lost' by 136,000 votes. The lawyers don't plan to challenge the election results but they want to make sure all of the estimated 155,000 provisional ballots cast Nov. 2 are counted, the Cleveland Plain Dealer said.

Nader calls for US election recounts --Ralph Nader, an 'independent' presidential candidate this year, has called for recounts of November 2 voting results saying that amid allegations of irregularities, he wanted to ensure that every ballot was counted. Nader highlighted irregularities including one reported earlier in an Ohio polling station where 638 voters cast ballots but results showed 4,258 voted for Bush, and 260 for Kerry. [But you cannot recount electronic votes that went away or were added to Bush's total, or when machines counted BACKWARDS! This coup was designed (in part) electronically and no 'proof' will be recoverable, despite the fingerprints showing the theft!]

Green and Libertarian Presidential Candidates to Demand Ohio Recount. (David Cobb for President News Release) "David Cobb and Michael Badnarik, the 2004 presidential candidates for the Green and Libertarian parties, today announced their intentions to file a formal demand for a recount of the presidential ballots cast in Ohio... The candidates also demanded that Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican who chaired the Ohio Bush campaign, recuse himself from the recount process."

Diebold Source Code!!! --by ouranos (dailykos.com) "Dr. Avi Rubin is currently Professor of Computer Science at John Hopkins University. He 'accidentally' got his hands on a copy of the Diebold software program--Diebold's source code--which runs their e-voting machines. Dr. Rubin's students pored over 48,609 lines of code that make up this software. One line in particular stood out over all the rest: #defineDESKEY((des_KEY8F2654hd4" All commercial programs have provisions to be encrypted so as to protect them from having their contents read or changed by anyone not having the key... The line that staggered the Hopkin's team was that the method used to encrypt the Diebold machines was a method called Digital Encryption Standard (DES), a code that was broken in 1997 and is NO LONGER USED by anyone to secure programs. F2654hd4 was the key to the encryption. Moreover, because the KEY was IN the source code, all Diebold machines would respond to the same key. Unlock one, you have then ALL unlocked. I can't believe there is a person alive who wouldn't understand the reason this was allowed to happen. This wasn't a mistake by any stretch of the imagination."

Diebold rewarded for coup 2004: Diebold selected by Riyad Bank of Saudi Arabia to expand ATM network --Diebold, Incorporated, a global leader in election fraud ['providing integrated, self-service and security solutions'], has been selected by Riyad Bank to deploy 100 Diebold Opteva automated teller machines (ATMs) across the bank's network.
Diebold products: 1-800-999-3600, productinfo@diebold.com.
Diebold, Incorporated
5995 Mayfair Road
P.O. Box 3077
North Canton, Ohio USA 44720-8077
Phone number 1-330-490-3790
Fax number 1-330-490-3794

GOP Nev. Controller Impeached Over Campaign --Nevada [Republican] Controller Kathy Augustine was impeached by the state Assembly Thursday for using her state-paid office workers and equipment to help run her 2002 re-election campaign. In a series of 42-0 voice votes, the Assembly sent three articles of impeachment to the state Senate, where a trial will be held to determine whether Augustine will be removed from office.

Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D., Founder and Chair, Citizens for Legitimate Government, appeared on YNOT Humpday Lunch Radio Show on YNOT RADIO, 4PM EST, November 10, 2004. Dr. Rectenwald discussed the stolen election, and CLG's Grand Refusal. The show will re-air: Friday, November 12, 9PM EST.

Radical Anti-Bush Group Plans to Block Bush Inauguration --by Jeremy Reynalds Talon News November 9, 2004 "A radical anti-Bush activist group that has never accepted the legitimacy of the Bush administration is calling for what it has dubbed 'The Grand Refusal.' In a four-stage plan laid out in an e-mail to supporters, one portion reads, 'Stage 3 will include but will not be limited to: Inauguration protests (Block Bush Swearing In: No Inauguration for Bush!).' ...According to its web site, Citizens For Legitimate Government (CLG) is a 'multi-partisan activist group established to expose the Bush coup d'etat, and to oppose the occupation in all of its manifestations.'"

Fuck the South. (essay on fuckthesouth.com) "Fuck the South. Fuck 'em. We should have let them go when they wanted to leave. But no, we had to kill half a million people so they'd stay part of our special Union. Fighting for the right to keep slaves - yeah, those are states we want to keep. And now what do we get? We're the fucking Arrogant Northeast Liberal Elite? How about this for arrogant: the South is the Real America? The Authentic America. Really? Cause we fucking founded this country, assholes. Those Founding Fathers you keep going on and on about? All that bullshit about what you think they meant by the Second Amendment giving you the right to keep your assault weapons in the glove compartment because you didn't bother to read the first half of the fucking sentence? Who do you think those wig-wearing lacy-shirt sporting revolutionaries were? They were fucking blue-staters, dickhead. Boston? Philadelphia? New York? Hello? Think there might be a reason all the fucking monuments are up here in our backyard?"

U.S. ambassador intervened in Halliburton contract, documents show --The U.S. ambassador to Kuwait intervened last year to ensure that Halliburton, the oil services company once led by Vice pResident Dick Cheney, retained a Kuwaiti business as a subcontractor to deliver fuel to Iraq, documents released Wednesday show. State Department documents appear to contradict the Bush regime's assertion that all decisions involving Halliburton's contracts were handled only by career contracting officers for the government.

Clashes erupt in Iraqi oil city of Baiji --Insurgents have taken to the streets of the oil centre of Baiji in northern Iraq and clashes have broken out with Iraqi security forces, according to witnesses. The gunmen stopped cars in several streets, the witnesses said on Thursday. Baiji is home to Iraq's biggest refinery.

Insurgents rampage through Mosul --Insurgents have set police stations ablaze, stole weapons and brazenly roamed the streets of Mosul as Iraq's third largest city appeared to be sliding out of control, residents said.

Patrol cars burn after a police station was attacked in the northern Iraq city of Mosul. Insurgents set police stations ablaze, stole weapons and brazenly roamed the streets as Iraq's third largest city appeared to be sliding out of control, residents said. [Photo]

Street-to-street fighting in Falluja --19 killed, 15 wounded in Baghdad car bomb attack --U.S.-led forces engaged in fierce street fights Thursday in Falluja, part of an operation that has claimed the lives of 18 U.S. troops and five Iraqi soldiers.

General Says 18 U.S. Troops Killed in Falluja --Eighteen U.S. troops have been killed and another 69 wounded in this week's offensive to take control of the rebel-held Iraqi city Falluja, a senior U.S. Marine Corps commander said on Thursday.

Two US helicopters shot down near Fallujah --The US military said two US Marine helicopters were shot down in separate incidents near Fallujah and their crews were rescued.

US Troops Reportedly Gassing Fallujah --US troops are reportedly using chemical weapons and poisonous gas in its large-scale offensive on the Iraqi resistance bastion of Fallujah, a grim reminder of Saddam Hussein’s alleged gassing of the Kurds in 1988. "The US occupation troops are gassing resistance fighters and confronting them with internationally-banned chemical weapons," resistance sources told Al-Quds Press Wednesday, November 10. The fatal weapons led to the deaths of tens of innocent civilians, whose bodies litter sidewalks and streets, they added.

Falluja to be Phantom Fury's 'in 48 hours' --US-led troops occupied most of Falluja today and aimed to take full control within 48 hours, as kidnappers threatened to kill members of Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's extended family unless the assault was stopped. Meanwhile, a car bomb targeting police exploded today in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 10 people, police said.

U.S. Forces Battle Into Heart of Fallujah --Units Meet Scattered Resistance; Attacks Continue Elsewhere --U.S. forces pushed into the heart of Fallujah on Tuesday, encountering roadside bombs, rockets and gunfire on the second day of a battle to wrest control of the city from insurgents.

Besieged city like hell, says resident --As the remaining civilians in Falluja described deteriorating conditions, aid agencies expressed concern about the plight of tens of thousands of people fleeing fighting between insurgents and US troops. "The situation in Falluja is a tragedy," said one resident, who gave his name as Ismail.

A thousand Fallujahs --by Pepe Escobar "The Pentagon is pulling out all stops to 'liberate' the people of Fallujah. According to residents, the city is now littered with thousands of cluster bombs. In an explosive accusation - and not substantiated - an Iraqi doctor who requested anonymity has told al-Quds Press that 'the US occupation troops are gassing resistance fighters and confronting them with internationally banned chemical weapons'. The Washington Post has confirmed that US troops are firing white-phosphorus rounds that create a screen of fire impervious to water. ...The wounded in Fallujah are in essence left to die."

Baghdad car bomb kills 17 --As US troops hunted rebels in Fallujah, rebels hit back with a rampage in Mosul and a car bomb that killed 17 people and wounded at least 20 in Baghdad. The Fallujah assault has provoked an upsurge in violence elsewhere in Iraq, as happened in April during an earlier failed US attempt to subdue the country's most rebellious city.

Gunmen Kidnap Two Members of Allawi's Family --Gunmen kidnapped a first cousin and daughter-in-law of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi from their Baghdad home on Tuesday, an Allawi spokesman said Wednesday. A militant Islamist group said it would execute Allawi's relatives unless U.S. and Iraqi forces withdraw from Fallujah.

Hundreds of US soldiers in Iraq hit by parasite that causes chronic sores --More than 650 US troops deployed in Iraq have been infected with a fly-borne parasite that causes chronic, festering sores, officials said at a health conference in Miami.

Iraqi prisoner abuse trials moved to US --The courts martial of three US soldiers over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners have been transferred from Baghdad to a base in the United States, the military has said. It gave no reason for shifting the trials after earlier rejecting such requests from some of the accused.

U.S. Deploys Satellite Jamming System --The U.S. Air Force quietly has put into service a new weapon designed to jam enemy satellite communications, a significant step toward U.S. control of space.

Rumsfeld in Latin America to press war on [of] terrorism --U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Latin America on Thursday to press Washington's southern neighbors to tighten security cooperation to prevent [foment] a new terrorist attack in the Americas.

CIA Critic of U.S. War on Terror Resigns --A CIA analyst who wrote a book that criticized the U.S. war on terror has resigned from the spy agency after it effectively banned him from publicly discussing his views, his publicist said on Thursday.

W.H.O. Panel Backs Gene Manipulation in Smallpox Virus --An advisory committee to the World Health Organization for the first time has recommended that Russian and American scientists be allowed to manipulate a gene in the smallpox virus to speed the development of drugs that could spread ['treat'] the disease, the agency said yesterday.

Arafat's doctor calls for autopsy --Yasser Arafat's longtime personal physician called today for an autopsy on the deceased Palestinian leader, saying he was baffled and angered by the French medical team's failure to diagnose Arafat's illness. Ashraf al Kurdi, who was a friend and doctor to Arafat for 25 years, also said he was "disappointed" in the care that French doctors gave Arafat.

Call to avenge Arafat 'assassination' --The militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades urged militants to attack Israel to avenge the "Zionist assassination" of Yasser Arafat, who died hours earlier in a Paris hospital, said a statement received by AFP today.

Israel accused of poisoning Arafat --A top leader of a Palestinian militant group today publicly accused Israel of killing Yasser Arafat. Neither doctors nor Palestinian leaders would say what caused Arafat's death today after days in a coma at a Paris hospital. Rumours he had been poisoned by Israel had swirled for weeks.

Yasser Arafat, icon of Palestinian cause, is dead --The Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died overnight in a Paris hospital. "Mr Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian Authority, has died at the Percy Military Training Hospital in Clamart on 11 November 2004, at 3.30am," spokesman Gen. Christian Estripeau told reporters in a brief statement.

Suez Canal Shut Off, Oil Prices to Soar --Shipping through Suez Canal, the world's most important thruway, had been stopped after a Russian company Sovkomflot’s oil tanker named Tropic Brilliance struck ground. Tuesday morning already 135 ships had been blocked, and now many law suits threaten Russia.

CensoringNewsNetwork asks: 'Do you believe there is a U.S. government cover-up surrounding 9/11?' Snapshot, 11:55AM EST: Yes 90%, 6588 votes; No 10%, 736 votes - Total: 7324 votes [Vote in the poll, then sign the CLG petition!! Petition to Senate to Investigate Oddities of 9/11 - 26,225 signatures to date]

Michael Moore Planning Fahrenheit 9/11½ --Michael Moore tells Variety he met with Harvey Weinstein and they plan to start working now on Fahrenheit 9/11½. "We want to get cameras rolling now and have it ready in two-three years," Moore told columnist Army Archerd.

Terror laws unjust, says EU human rights chief --Britain has been accused of weakening the rule of law by wrongly detaining foreign terror suspects under emergency powers rushed through parliament in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

TSA to Require Electronic Data Gathering Devices On All New Cars Made In US --Some safety and privacy experts are reacting with apprehension, others with all out condemnation over a recent ruling by the National Transportation Safety Board to require electronic data recorders or "black boxes" in all new cars manufactured in the United States.

Tanks Appear at Anti-War Protest in Los Angeles (la.indymedia.org, Westwood Anti-Occupation Demonstration Pictures --by Ich Bin Ein Fallujan) "Despite the one-day notice, about 400-500 people came to the Westwood Federal Building on Tuesday night to protest the start of the second U.S. attack on the people of Fallujah, which had been officially launched on the previous day... About 7:30pm, two tanks barreled past going East on Wilshire, rounded the corner onto Veteran going South, and disappeared. About ten or fifteen minutes later, two tanks (apparently the same ones) appeared again going East on Wilshire and stopped for the light there. Demonstrators immediately stepped in front of the lead tank, blocking its path, and started to chant 'U.S. Out!' at the soldiers, whose heads and torsos were clearly visible and who evidently exchanged a few words with protesters."

Police Use Stun Gun On 6-Year-Old Boy At Miami Elementary School -- Miami-Dade police tasered a 6-year-old boy who was wielding a piece of glass in a school office and threatening to hurt himself, officials confirmed Thursday. Police say they followed their own guidelines and only tasered the child because they were afraid he would hurt himself. But the incident has raised calls for the department tighten its policies regarding the use of the stun guns, which shoot 50,000 volts of electric current through a subject.

Bob Jones Sees Bush Win As 'Reprieve' --Bob Jones III, president of the fundamentalist college that bears his name, has told Dictator Bush he should use his electoral mandate to appoint conservative judges and approve legislation "defined by biblical norm." "In your re-election [sic], God has graciously granted America -- though she doesn't deserve it -- a reprieve from the agenda of paganism," Jones wrote Bush in a congratulatory letter posted on the university's Web site.

Bush selects evangelical for attorney general post --Alberto Gonzales, the White House counsel who advised that the Geneva Conventions and international anti-torture treaties did not apply to terrorist suspects held by the US, was yesterday selected by Dictator George Bush as his new attorney general.

Bush names Gonzales to replace Ashcroft Successor for attorney general is friend, associate from Texas --Dictator Bush named White House counsel Alberto Gonzales as attorney general on Wednesday. Gonzales wrote a controversial February 2002 memo in which Bush claimed the right to waive anti-torture law and international treaties providing protections to prisoners of war. That position drew fire from human rights groups, which said it helped led to the type of abuses uncovered in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

Tennessee to End Expanded Medicaid Program --The governor announced plans Wednesday to dissolve Tennessee's expanded Medicaid system and drop 430,000 poor and disabled people from the rolls of the health-care program that has been devouring a large chunk of the state budget. [Oh, and how much does Halliburton devour, for Dick Cheney?]

US states defy Bush over greenhouse gases --Individual American states are putting together a system to cap and trade greenhouse gas emissions, despite the Bush dictatorship's opposition to the Kyoto protocol on global warming. Such a measure was backed by John Kerry during the recent election campaign.

Meltdown: Arctic wildlife is on the brink of catastrophe --Polar bears could be decades from extinction, a survey into global warming has found. 11 November 2004 --Polar bears, the biggest land carnivores on Earth, face extinction this century if the Arctic continues to melt at its present rate, a study into global warming has found. The sea ice around the North Pole on which the bears depend for hunting is shrinking so swiftly it could disappear during the summer months by the end of the century, the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ICIA) says.

*****
Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D., Founder and Chair, Citizens for Legitimate Government, appeared on American AM (Tampa Bay, Florida) Tuesday - November 9, 2004 - 8:30AM EST. Dr. Rectenwald discussed the stolen election, and the Grand Refusal.

Glitch could force NC to vote again (NC) More than 4,500 votes irretrievably lost in coastal Carteret County could trigger a new statewide election if the official margin of victory in two Council of State races is close enough, state election officials said Monday. The problem, which one expert called one of the worst election glitches nationwide, occurred on a machine that wasn't set correctly. ...The maker of Carteret's push-button voting machines, UniLect Corp., acknowledges it told county officials the machines would hold more than 10,000 votes. The machines actually held 3,005 because the computer software had not been updated.

12,000 votes uncounted in Gaston (NC) About 12,000 votes cast in Gaston County have not yet been counted, elections director Sandra Page said Tuesday. Page said most early and absentee votes were not included in the county's unofficial election results because of a procedural error. The inclusion of the votes in the county's results, expected Tuesday afternoon, could change the outcome of several local and statewide races.

Ohio Is Set to Reckon With Outstanding Ballots --Ohio election officials said Monday that they would begin this week the final count of 155,428 provisional ballots and an unknown number of overseas absentee ballots that were cast in the presidential election. ...On Friday, officials in Franklin County — which includes state capital Columbus — acknowledged that they may have improperly counted votes for Bush because of a touch-screen 'voting' system malfunction. A precinct in the county reported that a 4,000-vote margin won by Bush appeared to exceed the number of registered voters. The touch-screen system in Franklin County is among the oldest and least reliable electronic voting machines in use, said David Dill, a Stanford University computer expert. Based on reports that Dill's organization — Verified Voting.org — has received, one precinct in Youngstown, Ohio, recorded a negative 25 million votes, which was discarded from official results. And it was widely reported after Nov. 2 that a North Carolina precinct lost 4,000 votes when a recording device used up all its memory but voters continued to cast ballots on the machine.

Electronic Voting Angst --by Keith Olbermann "In 29 precincts there [Cuyahoga County, Ohio], the County’s website shows, we had the most unexpected results in years: more votes than voters. I’ll repeat that: more votes than voters. 93,000 more votes than voters. Oops. Talk about successful get-out-the-vote campaigns! What a triumph for democracy in Fairview Park, twelve miles west of downtown Cleveland. Only 13,342 registered voters there, but they cast 18,472 votes. Vote early! Vote often!" [A must read]

Election stolen, group suspects --60 meet at UW, plan next steps --American democracy: a shining city on a hill or gutter politics that steals votes and suppresses voter intent? To about 60 people who gathered Saturday at the UW Humanities Building, it's more like the latter. ...A notice of the "No Stolen Elections" meeting on the Madison Area Peace Coalition's Web site. The meeting followed an anti-war rally that attracted 500 to 600 people to State Street and the Capitol.

Part One: Will Your Vote Count? --by Rick Dawson and Loni Smith McKown "An I-Team 8 investigation reveals recent changes in voting technology have raised the risk of fraud and miscounting. The investigation finds serious questions about security and troubling concerns on both how the technology is sold, and who is getting rich on public money..."

Ohio County: More Votes Than Voters --Cuyahoga County Precincts (americans4america) "Each precinct in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Highlighted areas represent 90% (very, VERY unlikely) and higher (up to 1160.78%) voter TURN-OUT! 29 are above 100% Calculated from data on county page --(Ballots Cast/Registered Voters) *100 = per cent turn out. Ballots Cast SHOULD NEVER be more than Registered, thus % should NEVER be higher than 100% This amounts to 93,136 EXTRA votes beyond 100% in those precincts! This is just for ONE county!"

In one precinct, Bush's tally was supersized by a computer glitch --A computer error involving one voting-machine cartridge gave Dictator Bush 3,893 extra votes in a Gahanna precinct. Franklin County’s unofficial results gave Bush 4,258 votes to Democratic challenger John Kerry’s 260 votes in Precinct 1B, which votes at New Life Church on Stygler Road. Records show only 638 voters cast ballots in that precinct. ...Gahanna Precinct 1B has three voting machines. After the polling station closed, the cartridges were taken to a computerized reading station. When one of the cartridges from the precinct was plugged into a reader, it generated the faulty number. The reader also recorded zero votes in the race between Arlene Shoemaker and Paula Brooks for county commissioner.

Nebraska County: More Votes Than Voters --Too many votes --Sarpy County election officials are trying to figure out how they ended up with more votes than voters in the general election. As many as 10,000 extra votes have been tallied and candidates are still waiting for corrected totals. Sarpy County borrowed the election equipment from Omaha-based Election Systems & Software.

Wet Ballots Found, Rejected By Voting Machines (FL) Several hundred ballots in Seminole County, Fla., mysteriously got wet and were rejected by voting machines Tuesday, according to Local 6 News. The wet ballots were apparently discovered unmarked Tuesday at the Community United Methodist Church in Casselberry, Fla.

GOP surfed for voters at work --Business groups picked Ohio two years ago as the first place to fully deploy a new tactic for turning out Republican votes in the 2004 election. Managers at more than 50,000 companies in Ohio urged employees to vote, while trying to coax them in e-mails to look at customized internal Web sites rating politicians' votes on business issues, a project leader said. 'I spent a lot of time looking in Ohio, and a lot of time looking in Florida.' --Karl Rove, interview with Chris Snow (Fox [Faux] News Sunday), November 7, 2004. [Looking?!? That's not *all* you did, whackjob!!]

Teacher finds anti-Bush stickers get tires slashed --Political tempers are running hot even after the election. On Saturday, Gary Jimenez discovered two tires slashed on his Volvo station wagon with its four anti-Bush bumper stickers. Lest he miss the point, the vandals left a note on the windshield that said: "We voted . . . Now you can either move to another country (maybe France, Germany, Iran or Pakistan will take you) or stop your whiney belly aching. This country was founded by righteous God-fearing men of integrity like George W. Bush. Now, take off these bumper stickers. We don't want to see them again." [Solution to Bush's Brownshirts? Arming the Left: Is the time now? --by Charles Southwell]

Secret Service to Oversee Inauguration --The Homeland Security Department designated Dictator Bush's coronation ['inauguration'] a national security special event, which makes the ceremony's high-profile gatherings eligible for federal money and heightened security overseen by the Secret Service.

Americans Flock to Canada's Immigration Web Site --The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after Dictator George W. Bush's selection this week.

Hundreds March In Anti-Bush And Anti-War Protest --About 500 protesters marched through downtown Seattle Saturday, venting their frustration over Dictator Bush's re-selection and calling for United States troops to be pulled out of Iraq.

Opposition to Iraq war at new high --The public's opposition to the war in Iraq has reached a record high, according to an opinion poll in the Times. The survey published on Tuesday found 57 percent thought taking military action to oust former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was wrong, compared to 31 percent who supported it.

Weapons Sleuth Duelfer Narrowly Misses Being Killed in Iraq Suicide Car Bombing --Weapons sleuth Charles Duelfer, who conducted the fruitless post-invasion search of Iraq for weapons of mass destruction, narrowly missed being killed by a suicide car bomber [US forces?] in Iraq, two television networks reported Tuesday.

'Scores of civilians' killed in Falluja --Muhammad Abbud said he watched his nine-year-old son bleed to death at their Falluja home, unable to take him to hospital as fighting raged in the streets and bombs rained down on the Iraqi city. In the midst of a US onslaught and hemmed in by a round-the-clock curfew, he said he had little choice but to bury his eldest son, Ghaith, in the garden. [Uh, is this all part of 'Operation Iraqi Freedom?' Just curious.]

'Body parts everywhere' in Fallujah --"Body parts everywhere!" cries a US soldier as a shell crashes onto a group of suspected rebels in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, where a punishing torrent of firepower thundered down on Tuesday. More than 500 rounds of 155-millimetre Howitzer cannon shells have been fired on the besieged Sunni stronghold west of Baghdad since a US-Iraqi offensive to take control of the city started on Monday evening, said Sergeant Michael Hamby.

10 US, 2 Iraqi Troops Dead in Falluja -US Military --Ten U.S. troops and two Iraqi troops fighting alongside them have died in the assault to take control of rebel-held Falluja, but senior insurgency leaders probably escaped the city, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

U.S. helicopter shot down over rebel-held city --A U.S. helicopter was shot down over Fallujah on Tuesday as U.S.-led forces were pressing home an offensive on the rebel-held city.

35 US soldiers captured in Fallujah: mosques --Mosques in Iraq's restive city of Fallujah announced on Monday that the fighters inside the city have captured 35 US soldiers. Loud speakers of the mosques blared out the news as US forces were trying to penetrate the rebel-held city, but the news could not be independently confirmed.

Five killed in Baghdad hospital blast --A suicide car bomber has killed five policemen outside a hospital where victims of two church bombings earlier in the night were being treated, police say.

U.S. Forces Launch Attack on Fallujah --U.S. Marines, Army's 1st Infantry Division Lead Operation Phantom Fury --U.S. forces entered the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah Monday, launching a long-anticipated urban offensive that is widely seen as the most significant and controversial battle since the U.S. invasion of Iraq 19 months ago.

Fighting Around Fallujah Intensifies --Premier [US Puppet] Puts Most of Iraq Under State of Emergency --U.S. ground forces fought insurgents on the outskirts of Fallujah early Monday, and U.S. warplanes pounded the insurgent-held city, as a full military assault appeared increasingly imminent. On Sunday, Iraq's interim government had announced a state of emergency for most of the country.

Sixty Day State of Emergency Declared In Iraq (so the U.S. can carry out its insane acts of terrorism in Fallujah, and continue to violate international law with the illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq...) US Puppet Dictator 'Iraqi Prime Minister' Issues State of Emergency Throughout Country --US Puppet Dictator, 'Iraqi Prime Minister' Ayad Allawi, issued a statement today declaring a state of emergency throughout Iraq, except for the Kurdish region in the north. Iraqi spokesman Asan Alib said the order is for 60 days and that "all concerned ministers should comply." The order, he said, will be carried out in all regions.

VA backlog forcing Iraq, Afghanistan vets to wait for treatment --Thousands of veterans in Michigan are on waiting lists for medical services and disability claims provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

*****

CLG News Archives



Citizens For Legitimate Government™ is a multi-partisan activist group established to expose the Bush coup d'etat, and to oppose the Bush occupation in all of its manifestations.
	November 2004 Archives, Page Two Top general warns Iran not to underestimate U.S. military --A top U.S. commander is warning Iran and others against thinking they can exploit the U.S. military because its ground troops are fighting two major missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. [Oh. I thought the 'mission' was 'accomplished.'] Iran Backs Away From a Demand on A-Bomb Fuel --Iran on Sunday backed off a demand to operate uranium enrichment equipment that could be used either for energy purposes or in a nuclear bomb-making project, European and Iranian officials said. Iraqi Foreign Minister escapes car bomb --Assassins tried to kill Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, yesterday morning by leaving a car packed with explosives on a road where he was about to travel. His guards discovered the bomb shortly before his convoy went past. Bombs Kill 4 Civilians and 2 Marines in Attacks in Iraq --Four Iraqi civilians were killed Sunday afternoon when a car bomb exploded 60 miles north of here in Samarra, and another was wounded, military officials said. In raids to the north, in Mosul, American and Iraqi troops detained 43 people suspected of being insurgents, military officials said. Seven US soldiers killed in three days --Two US marines have been killed in action south of Baghdad, bringing to seven the total number killed in Iraq over the past three days, according to US authorities. Baghdad Bombing Injures Two Soldiers --Two soldiers were injured and a military vehicle was damaged today after a car bomb exploded in central Baghdad. The blast occurred on the airport access road leading out of the International Zone, also known as the Green Zone, which houses interim Iraqi government offices as well as the U.S. Embassy Fallujah Napalmed --US uses banned weapon ..but was Tony Blair told? US troops are secretly using outlawed napalm gas to wipe out remaining insurgents in and around Fallujah. News that Dictator George W. Bush has sanctioned the use of napalm, a deadly cocktail of polystyrene and jet fuel banned by the United Nations in 1980, will stun governments around the world. U.S. uses napalm gas in Fallujah – Witnesses --The U.S. military is secretly using banned napalm gas and other outlawed weapons against civilians in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, eyewitnesses reported. Residents in Fallujah reported that innocent civilians have been killed by napalm attacks, a poisonous cocktail of polystyrene and jet fuel which makes the human body melt. Turk Compares U.S. to Hitler --An official says the 'genocide' being committed in Iraq is the worst in human history. The head of Turkey's parliamentary human rights group has accused Washington of genocide in Iraq and behaving worse than Adolf Hitler, in remarks that underscore the depth of Turkish opposition to U.S. policy in the region. Nobel Laureate Saramago Warns of Danger After Bush Re[s]election --Portuguese writer José Saramago, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature, spoke to writers and journalists this week in Caracas. Saramago used the occasion to express his views on what a second term under U.S. Dictator George W. Bush will mean for the region. "Things will undoubtedly be very bad for Latin America," the writer predicted. "You only have to consider the ambitions and the doctrines of the empire, which regards this region as its backyard," he said. At an earlier speaking engagement in Bogotá, Colombia, Saramago called Bush "the biggest liar on the planet." He added that if Bush ever decides to focus on the region, Latin America should tremble with fear. Congress threatens to cut aid in fight over criminal court --The US Congress has launched a fresh attack on the international criminal court at The Hague, threatening to cut off development aid to countries who refuse to guarantee immunity from prosecution for Americans at the tribunal. Neocons join the lynch mob for 'arrogant' Rumsfeld --The American defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, should be sacked, according to a growing chorus of conservative commentators who want him replaced by a figure with wider appeal. Audit: Halliburton lost track of government property in Iraq --A third or more of the government property Halliburton Co. was paid to manage for the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq could not be located by auditors, investigative reports to Congress show. Halliburton's KBR subsidiary ''did not effectively manage government property'' and auditors could not locate hundreds of CPA items worth millions of dollars in Iraq and Kuwait this summer and fall, Inspector General Stuart W. Bowen reported to Congress in two reports. [See: The Fallout Shelter News presents . . . - a page as big and wide as the whole outdoors! - BUCK CHENEY - DUCK MASTER! --by Mary Titus] Israel shocked by image of soldiers forcing violinist to play at roadblock --Of all the revelations that have rocked the Israeli army over the past week, perhaps none disturbed the public so much as the video footage of soldiers forcing a Palestinian man to play his violin. US to sell 50 medium-range missiles to Jordan --The Pentagon is to sell 50 US-made air-to-air missiles to Jordan, along with supporting equipment, in a deal worth about 39 million dollars, despite objections from Israel. Global Eye --by Chris Floyd "There has been much throwing about of brains on the subject of George W. Bush's further lurch to the Right since he limped over the election finish line with his tiny, 1 percent, fraud-marred majority. And to be sure, the wholesale purges he has instituted throughout his regime -- replacing a slew of merely cringing sycophants with cringing, drooling, groveling sycophants -- will indeed hasten the United States' degeneration into corpo-religious authoritarianism along the lines of Franco's Spain. But all the earnest disquisitions about Bush's Franco-U.S. 'ideology' entirely miss the point -- and increase the fog that the Regime deliberately spreads over its true interests. For the heart of this slouching beast is neither left-wing nor right-wing; it's strictly Bush-wing." Ottawa prepares for anti-Bush protests over everything from war to capitalism --They're protesting everything from capitalism and corruption to criminality, and they're blaming it all on U.S. Dictator George W. Bush. Thousands of activists are expected to march on the capital Tuesday, clogging streets and shouting complaints over all manner of perceived wrongs - imperialism, racism, elitism, torture, treaties and terrorism. Ukraine's parliament calls presidential election invalid --Ukraine's parliament yesterday declared the country's disputed presidential election invalid - a move that is has no legal effect but is symbolically potent, boosting opposition hopes for a new vote. [It is time to declare the 2004 U.S. presidential 'election' invalid.] The revolution televised --The western media's view of Ukraine's election is hopelessly biased --by John Laughland "This week both the anti-war Independent and the pro-war Telegraph excitedly announced a 'revolution' in Ukraine. Across the pond, the rightwing Washington Times welcomed 'the people versus the power'. Whether it is Albania in 1997, Serbia in 2000, Georgia last November or Ukraine now, our media regularly peddle the same fairy tale about how youthful demonstrators manage to bring down an authoritarian regime, simply by attending a rock concert in a central square. Two million anti-war demonstrators can stream though the streets of London and be politically ignored, but a few tens of thousands in central Kiev are proclaimed to be 'the people', while the Ukrainian police, courts and governmental institutions are discounted as instruments of oppression." [a must read] Blair ally wanted for questioning over coup --Police in South Africa want to question Peter Mandelson, the new European Union trade commissioner and one of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's closest friends, over any knowledge he may have of a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea. Int'l conference calls for total landmine ban --Nairobi --An international conference on landmine opened here on Sunday with participants calling for total ban of production, stockpiling and use of anti-personnel landmine to make the world mine-free. US stays away from landmine conference --Nairobi: For the first time since it entered into force five years ago, the international treaty to ban anti-personnel landmines comes up for review here, but no official US delegates will be present among the hundreds of diplomats, campaigners and mine survivors. Two more top spies quit troubled CIA --Shake-up by new director blamed for resignations --Two more of America's top spies were reported yesterday to be leaving the CIA, as an attempt to fix the troubled agency appeared increasingly to be dividing its ranks and driving out its most experienced officials. Report: FBI Finds Link Between 9/11, Madrid Bombs [al CIA-duh?] --The FBI has established the clearest link yet between the March 11 Madrid train bombings and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, a Spanish newspaper reported Sunday. First-hand Accounts of Underground Explosions In the North Tower --This article from Chief Engineer magazine presents eyewitness account of the moments after the first plane crash, and describes evidence of large explosions in the lobby, parking garage and subbasement levels of WTC-1 at the time of the crash... One of the most remarkable is the story of Mike Pecoraro, who was working in the 6th sub-basement of the North Tower when the first plane hit... Public Extermination Project --by Janet C. Phelan "A specific public works project became 'classified' following 911. This project, which has been on-going throughout the U.S., has lethal capabilities for innocent U.S. citizens... Following 911, there began intensive and concentrated infrastructure work that has lethal capabilities and intent. In an extremely non-forthcoming governmental atmosphere, I have been able to document a small portion of this work, which was ongoing in Los Angeles County in the spring of 2004. Through the use of T-valves, the government can regulate, on an individualized, residence by residence basis, the introduction of another substance into the water lines. As fluoride goes in at the plant, we are not dealing with the capability to add fluoride. It is quite a bit more nefarious than that." Colombian official: Rebels planned to kill Bush --U.S. Dictator George W. Bush was targeted for assassination by freedom fighters this week when he visited the city of Cartagena, a Colombian official said Saturday. "We found out through informers and various sources that groups within the [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] had been instructed from its leadership to make an assassination attempt on President Bush," Colombian Defense Secretary Jorge Alberto Uribe told Caracol TV, a Bogota-based satellite network. One gulp, and Bush was gone --Behind the scenes at the Clinton library, we saw America's future --by Sidney Blumenthal "...[W]hen the presidents were announced, [George W.] Bush tried to push his way past [Bill] Clinton at the library door to be first in line, against the already accepted protocol for the event, as though the walk to the platform was a contest for alpha male... Bush appeared distracted, and glanced repeatedly at his watch. When he stopped to gaze at the river, where secret service agents were stationed in boats, the guide said: 'Usually, you might see some bass fishermen out there.' Bush replied: 'A submarine could take this place out.'" Chat rooms targeted in hunt for 'terrorists' --CIA reportedly funding research into surveillance of discussions --The U.S. is looking at monitoring Internet chat rooms to identify potential 'terrorists.' According to CNET News.com, the CIA is quietly funding research into surveillance of online discussion halls. *[If the CIA wants to identify actual* terrorists, they should investigate 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.] Federal Plan to Keep Data on Students Worries Some --A proposal by the federal government to create a vast new database of enrollment records on all college and university students is raising concerns that the move will erode the privacy rights of students. U.S. Opposes Passport Privacy Protections --The Bush dictatorship opposed security measures for new microchip-equipped passports that privacy advocates contended were needed to prevent identity theft, government snooping or a terror attack, according to State Department documents released Friday. The passports, scheduled to be issued by the end of 2005, could be read electronically from as far away as 30 feet, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained the documents under a Freedom of Information Act request. Records being shredded before Information Act (UK) Government departments have been shredding record numbers of official files in the months leading up to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. Julian Lewis, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: "I was wondering how a government with such a culture of evasion would be able to cope with an era of openness and it seems The Telegraph has found the answer. "They are going to destroy the evidence." New Mexico Voting Oddity: --Post by indigoblue on democraticunderground, summarized here: In every single county*, the Democratic Justice and Judge candidates received a higher percentage of votes than Senator Kerry. If Kerry got the average percentage* of votes that the Democratic justice and judge candidates received, he would have received about 55,000 more votes. Voting Machines Count Backwards in Okla. --by Bob Nichols --57 Rural Counties Affected - Vote Fraud Suspected --"Rural Oklahoma Voting machines know how to count backwards. That looks like what the secretly programmed machines did for Sen. Kerry in President [sic] Bush's easily won Presidential Election victory in Oklahoma. All 77 counties use the Optech Eagle voting machines and Tabulator's made by ES&S, Sen Hagel's Republican company. The respectable, conservative 'Tulsa World' newspaper reported Nov 3rd that Kerry was winning in 57 of the states' rural counties., with 70% of the vote counted. Turns out that the famous November 3rd report was probably not supposed to be printed... The 'official' State of Oklahoma Election Board vote totals released later show Kerry not winning; but, losing in all the state's 77 counties, including the 57 rural counties." Jesse Jackson demands Ohio presidential recount, blasts GOP election officials, and says Kerry supports the process --Preaching to a packed, wildly cheering central Ohio citizen congregation, Rev. Jesse Jackson blasted the presidential election back into the national headlines Sunday. Jackson said new findings cast serious doubt on the idea that George W. Bush beat John Kerry in Ohio November 2. A GOP "pattern of intentionality" was behind a suspect outcome, he said. Kerry Supports Ohio Vote Investigation, Jackson says --John Kerry supports a "full investigation" into voting irregularities in Ohio, Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday, during a teleconference with media regarding a recount and legal challenge of the Nov. 2 vote. Chief Justice Won't Return to the Court This Year --Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who missed the Supreme Court's November argument session while being treated for thyroid cancer, will be absent for the December session as well, the court announced on Friday. Senate GOP set to go 'nuclear' over judges --Senate Republicans, boldly confident after their Nov. 2 election theft, are preparing to end months of frustrating delays over Dictator Bush's judicial picks by hitting Democrats with Republican's ultimate legislative weapon. But the Republican threat to neuter long-cherished filibuster rules by steamrolling Democrats is risky — so potentially destructive that Capitol Hill calls it the "nuclear option." Courts first to go in right-wing revolution --by George McEvoy "Every time the so-called Christian Right has tried to turn this country into a theocracy, those pesky federal courts have stymied things. So now — according to the liberal Americans United for Separation of Church and State — the right-wingers have come up with a new scheme. All they plan to do is to strip the federal judges of their right to hear cases involving the separation of church and state. Scalia: founding fathers never advocated the separation of church and state --Scalia in shul: State must back religion --by Uriel Heilman "US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia used an appearance at an Orthodox synagogue in New York to assail the notion that the US government should maintain a neutral stance toward religion, saying it has always supported religion and the courts should not try to change that." Texas District Attorney Blasts U.S. House GOP --A Texas prosecutor has lashed out at congressional Republicans for changing their rules in order to protect House Majority Leader [and Reichwing nutball] Tom DeLay. Alabama Vote Opens Old Racial Wounds --School Segregation Remains a State Law as Amendment Is Defeated --On Nov. 2, Alabama voters refused to approve a constitutional amendment to erase segregation-era wording requiring separate schools for "white and colored children" and to eliminate references to the poll taxes once imposed to disenfranchise blacks. Vast Borrowing Seen in Altering Social Security --The White House and Republicans in Congress are all but certain to embrace large-scale government borrowing to help finance Dictator Bush's plan to create personal investment accounts in Social Security, according to regime officials, members of Congress and independent analysts. Tanker Spills Crude Oil in Delaware River --A tanker spilled 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River between Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, creating a 20-mile-long slick that threatened fish and birds, Coast Guard officials said Saturday. Wal-Mart Cuts Forecast Amid Reports of Retail Strength --Wal-Mart cut its November sales forecast Saturday, citing declining customer traffic over the past week. Two other reports released Saturday showed strong retail sales on Friday. *** Aid threatened as US fights war crimes court --The Republican-controlled US Congress has stepped up its campaign to curtail the power of the International Criminal Court by threatening to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in economic aid to governments that refuse to sign immunity accords that shield US personnel from being surrendered to the tribunal. The move marks an escalation in US efforts to ensure that the first world criminal court can never judge US citizens for crimes committed overseas. Is the Annexation of Canada part of Bush's Military Agenda?** --by Michel Chossudovsky "For nearly two years now, Ottawa has been quietly negotiating a far-reaching military cooperation agreement, which allows the US Military to cross the border and deploy troops anywhere in Canada, in our provinces, as well station American warships in Canadian territorial waters. This redesign of Canada's defense system is being discussed behind closed doors, not in Canada, but at the Peterson Air Force base in Colorado, at the headquarters of US Northern Command (NORTHCOM)... Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced unilaterally that US Northern Command would have jurisdiction over the entire North American region. Canada and Mexico were presented with a fait accompli." Saudis, Enron money helped pay for US rigged election --by Wayne Madsen "According to informed sources in Washington and Houston, the Bush campaign spent some $29 million to pay polling place operatives around the country to rig the election for Bush. The operatives were posing as Homeland Security and FBI agents but were actually technicians familiar with Diebold, Sequoia, ES&S, Triad, Unilect, and Danaher Controls voting machines. These technicians reportedly hacked the systems to skew the results in favor of Bush." Election Company Has Long Criminal History -- Thugs, Racketeers Counting American Votes --by Daniel Hopsicker "While Ukrainians poured into the streets of their capital Kiev to protest a presidential election they say was stolen by that country’s current regime, here in the U.S. a little-known election company called Sequoia Pacific, responsible for putting our own 'current regime' in power four years ago, was at the center of controversy last week... for the second Presidential election in a row." Hearings on Ohio voting put 2004 election in doubt --by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman "The unavoidable conclusion is that this year's election in Ohio was deeply flawed, that thousands of Ohioans were denied their right to vote, and that the ultimate vote count is very much in doubt... By depriving precincts of adequate numbers of functioning voting machines, [Republican Secretary of State J. Kenneth] Blackwell created waits of three to 11 hours, driving tens of thousands of likely Democratic voters away from the polls and very likely affecting the outcome of the Ohio vote count, which in turn decided the national election." Jackson plans rally with ministers to call for election investigation --The Rev. Jesse Jackson said he plans a Sunday rally in Columbus with ministers from around Ohio to call for an investigation of election irregularities in the state. Jackson will be speaking: Sunday, December 5, 2004 Mt. Herman Baptist Church 2283 Sunbury Road Columbus, OH 3:30 P.M. More voting questions raised (OH) Several new voting concerns surfaced yesterday as lawyers combed totals from the Nov. 2 presidential election. Attorneys for various citizen action groups that plan to contest the results said they are puzzled that vote totals in the presidential race in Warren County far exceed totals in most other statewide and countywide races. Wyoming: 106% Turnout of Registered Voters In 2004 General Elections --According to the 'Profile of Wyoming's Voters - Voter Registration and Voter Turnout' on the Wyoming Secretary of State's website, Wyoming had a turnout of 106% registered voters on November 2, 2004. Wyoming had 232,396 registered voters, 62% of eligible voters for the 2004 General Elections; turnout of registered voters was 245,789, or 106% of registered voters. [Document last modified: 10-November-2004] Note: Voter turnout percentage highest since 1978 --The Wyoming Secretary of State's office counted 245,646 voters unofficially, statewide. The number of registered voters before Tuesday's election was 232,396, meaning the ultimate voter turnout among registered voters was about 106 percent, Secretary of State Joe Meyer said. "It is possible to have a voter turnout of more than 100 percent because Wyoming statutes allow voters to register at the polls on election day." Margin Now Just 42 Votes in Washington State Race --The election was already achingly close, but the recount in the race for governor of Washington State was almost absurdly close, the results showed Wednesday. Former State Senator Dino Rossi, the Republican who was declared the winner last week by 261 votes, won the recount by a mere 42, of almost three million cast. And the bizarre contest is anything but settled. Ukraine Court Delays Results in Vote Dispute --Ukraine's Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily blocked the victory of Prime Minister Viktor F. Yanukovich in the disputed presidential election, barring publication of the Central Election Commission's results until the court reviews complaints of widespread fraud and abuse. Crowds blockade Kiev government --Thousands of demonstrators have laid siege to government buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in protest at the presidential election results. Iraq considers call for 'election' delay --Iraq's 'election' commission said today it would consider a call by top political parties to delay the January vote because of violence gripping the country. In Baghdad, four Nepalese nationals who once served with Britain's elite Gurkha army regiment were killed in a rocket attack on the highly fortified Green Zone claimed by an al-Qaeda linked group, their firm said. Blix plays down chemical laboratory claims Former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix says he will be "surprised" if a chemical laboratory found in Iraq was capable of creating weapons. "Let's see what the chemicals are," Mr Blix said, after Iraqi officials claimed to have uncovered a chemical bomb factory in Fallujah. "Many of these stories evaporate when they are looked at more closely," he said. 2,000 killed in Fallujah offensive --More than 2,085 people were killed and 1,600 detained in the massive US-Iraqi offensive on the rebel city of Fallujah, Iraqi national security adviser Qassem Daoud has said. The US military had previously said at least 1,200 rebels had been killed. Four Killed in Baghdad's Green Zone --A mortar attack killed four employees of a British security firm and wounded 15 others in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, the company and British officials said Friday. "The mortar landed in their camp," said a Foreign Office official on condition of anonymity Two Marines Killed in Fallujah Clash --Two Marines were killed and three others wounded when they came under fire during 'house-clearing operations' [U.S. terrorism] in Fallujah, the U.S. military said Friday. Loud explosion rocks Baghdad as smoke rises over capital --A loud explosion rocked central Baghdad on Thursday, sending column of smoke rising above the protected Green Zone, witnesses said. Black smoke could be seen rising over the area north of the Green Zone complex which houses the offices of Iraq's interim government, the US and British embassies, according to the witnesses. Deaths as blasts rock Samarra --Two people have been killed and 14 wounded in bomb attacks, one of them involving a human bomber, in the Iraqi town of Samarra, police and hospital officials said. Japanese want troops to leave Iraq --Most people in Japan want their troops to leave Iraq, according to a poll carried out by a leading business newspaper. Guardsmen Say They're Facing Iraq Ill-Trained --Troops from California describe a prison-like, demoralized camp in New Mexico that's short on gear and setting them up for high casualties. Members of a California Army National Guard battalion preparing for deployment to Iraq said this week that they were under strict lockdown and being treated like prisoners rather than soldiers by Army commanders at the remote desert camp where they are training. 28,002 troops wounded in Iraq: Veterans Affairs chief vows to work for the wounded --As of Tuesday, 20,802 troops have been treated at Landstuhl from injuries received in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. U.S. struggles to find troops for Iraq, Afghanistan --The Army, which has been hard pressed to find enough soldiers to man the rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, may soon be faced with an urgent request to find another 5,000 to 7,000 troops to increase the number of boots on the ground in Iraq. Smoking while Iraq burns --Its idolisation of 'the face of Falluja' shows how numb the US is to everyone's pain but its own --by Naomi Klein "Impunity - the perception of being outside the law - has long been the hallmark of the Bush regime. What is alarming is that it appears to have deepened since the election, ushering in what can only be described as an orgy of impunity. In Iraq, US forces and their Iraqi surrogates are no longer bothering to conceal attacks on civilian targets and are openly eliminating anyone - doctors, clerics, journalists - who dares to count the bodies. At home, impunity has been made official policy with Bush's appointment of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, the man who personally advised the president in his infamous 'torture memo' that the Geneva conventions are 'obsolete'." US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev --by Ian Traynor "Ukraine, traditionally passive in its politics, has been mobilised by the young democracy activists and will never be the same again. But while the gains of the orange-bedecked 'chestnut revolution' are Ukraine's, the campaign is an American creation, a sophisticated and brilliantly conceived exercise in western branding and mass marketing that, in four countries in four years, has been used to try to salvage rigged elections and topple unsavoury regimes. Funded and organised by the US government, deploying US consultancies, pollsters, diplomats, the two big American parties and US non-government organisations, the campaign was first used in Europe in Belgrade in 2000..." Putin Warns Bush: Ukraine vote on hold after court ruling --The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday accused the US and the European Union of encouraging "mayhem" on the streets of Ukraine, and warned them against interfering further in the current election crisis. Fighting to Keep One World of Human Rights and Law: Building a Resistance to Bush --by Greg Moses "By continuing to withdraw his administration from the spirit and letter of human rights and global law, President [sic] Bush is seceding from the rest of the world. Through a moral equivalent of Civil War, we must prevent this secession from taking place. If we agree with the terse thesis of Francis A. Boyle-- that the Bush movement constitutes 'a comprehensive and malicious assault upon the integrity of the international legal order'--then the muscle of the Bush grip at home is connected through sinews of illegality to the trigger finger in Falluja." Lawyers Attempt to Bar Bush From Canada --"LAW [Lawyers against the War (LAW) a Canada-based committee of jurists and others with members in thirteen countries] sends letter to Martin in an attempt to bar Bush from Canada - Nov 19, 2004 --The following letter was sent to Prime Minister Martin (pour la version française cliquetez ici) and additional letters were sent to Minister of National Defence Bill Graham and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Irwin Cotler. ...Dear Prime Minister Martin: It was with absolute dismay that we learned of the planned visit of President [sic] Bush to Canada on November 30th 2004...." Bush avoiding Parliament; no desire to be 'booed' --Dictator George W. Bush will avoid a potentially hostile reception in Parliament and travel to Halifax next week after his first official trip to American officials involved in planning the trip were worried about a cranky audience on Parliament Hill, sources said. "We didn't see the need and, frankly, we didn't want to be booed..." said one U.S. official. Protesters gear up for Bush --Protesters are frantically organizing to yank the welcome mat out from under U.S. Dictator George W. Bush when he arrives here Tuesday. Sporadic graffiti heralds what could be a nasty reception as he starts a two-day visit to Canada. U.S. Operating Secret 'Torture Flights' (democracynow.org) "The Sunday Times of London is reporting that it has obtained evidence that the US government is leasing a special Gulfstream Jet to transport detained suspects to other nations that routinely use torture in their prisons. We speak with the reporter who broke the story." 2 Top Officials Are Reported to Quit C.I.A. --Two more senior officials of the Central Intelligence Agency's clandestine service are stepping down, intelligence officials said Wednesday, in the latest sign of upheaval in the agency under its new chief, Porter J. Goss. [The 2 new CIA rats have been added to Mary Titus's 'Weasel Watch Tracks Bush Staff Exodus.'] Massive D.C. Counter-Inaugural Demonstration Jan 20 --Moment Building Fast - A War Criminal Will Be Inaugurated On January 20 and the People Will Protest (ANSWER Coalition.org) "Pinochet and Bush - The Troubles Facing War Criminals Learning a lesson from the trials and tribulations of the dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was indicted for crimes against humanity when he traveled outside of Chile, George W. Bush arranged for his being granted 'diplomatic immunity' by Chilean president Lagos as a precondition for Bush's trip to Chile for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference." Conservative Republican group urges UN's expulsion from US --A right-wing Republican group launched a television campaign calling for the United Nations to be kicked out of the United States, alleging the world body is a "safe harbor" for terrorism. Electronic passports raise privacy fears --The US State Department will soon begin issuing passports that carry information about the traveller in a computer chip embedded in the cardboard cover as well as on its printed pages. U.S. Opposed Passport Privacy Protections --The Bush dictatorship opposed security measures for new microchip-equipped passports that privacy advocates contended were needed to prevent identity theft, government snooping or a terror attack, according to State Department documents released Friday. For Blair there is no such thing as legal principle Sadly, Labour's law and order drive is more than an election strategy --by Helena Kennedy "Anti-terror laws cannot be vacuum packed; they seep into the policing culture and create new paradigms of state power. During a visit to India this spring, the home secretary suggested that governments may have to consider whether the burden of proof might have to be lowered from 'beyond reasonable doubt' to the civil test of the 'balance of probabilities' in terrorist trials. Two days later, the prime minister agreed that such a change should be considered, and he went further, suggesting that the lower standard might also apply to other serious crime. What is introduced today for terrorism almost invariably enters general usage shortly thereafter." Area man stirs debate on WTC collapse --South Bend firm's lab director fired after questioning federal probe --The laboratory director from a South Bend (IN) firm has been fired for attempting to cast doubt on the federal investigation into what caused the World Trade Center's twin towers to collapse on Sept. 11, 2001. 'Blue' states may lose in Bush tax plan --Dictator Bush's plan for "revenue-neutral" tax reform needs losers to balance its winners, and people who take the federal deduction for state and local taxes may be in administration planners' sights, news reports say. That could leave the so-called blue states seeing red. In the past election, the states that collect the most income tax were solidly "blue" supporters of Democratic challenger John Kerry. [It's time to secede.] Paper Charts Values Gap: Red States Love 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Playboy' --Much of the post-selection analysis in the press has centered on so-called red state values and the alleged "values gap" in America. Perhaps with that in mind, The New York Times presented two stories which seemed to give lie to some of the post-selection chatter concerning superior values in the red states. FDA Scientist Says He Faces Retaliation --Star witness who criticized his agency's drug safety record contends he's under pressure to be 'exiled' to a different job. Dr. David J. Graham, the Food and Drug Administration scientist who publicly criticized the agency's approach to drug safety during a Senate hearing last week, said Wednesday that he was facing pressure to transfer to a different job in the FDA — a move he said was in retaliation for his remarks. WHO warns of dire flu pandemic [...that the Bush terror team is busy working on, even as we speak? A biological (terror) disaster would provide Dictator Bush an excuse to quickly pass Patriot II, set up Dr. Frist's quarantines, insure the pharmaceutical companies receive windfall profits, and dump Social Security due the ensuing economic disaster --all in one fell swoop!] --The World Health Organization has issued a dramatic warning that bird flu will trigger an international pandemic that could kill up to seven million people. The influenza pandemic could occur anywhere from next week [?!?] to the coming years, WHO said. Killer flu recreated in the lab --Thursday, 7 October, 2004, 05:02 GMT 06:02 UK [Why?] --Scientists have shown that tiny changes to modern flu viruses could render them as deadly as the 1918 strain which killed millions. A US team added two genes from a sample of the 1918 virus to a modern strain [Why?] known to have no effect on mice. Animals exposed to this composite were dying within days of symptoms similar to those found in human victims of the 1918 pandemic. Flu victim exhumed after 85 years --Friday, 30 January, 2004, 20:08 GMT --Scientists are preparing to exhume the body of a woman who died of flu 85 years ago to find out how the virus killed millions across Europe. [Why?] Phyllis Burn died aged 20 in 1918, a victim of the 20th Century's worst flu epidemic, which killed more than 50 million people. She was buried in a lead coffin, thought to be virtually airtight, in Twickenham, south-west London. Scientists wearing protective clothing will remove lung samples from the body. ...The move has the support of Miss Burn's niece, Hilary Burn-Callander, who told BBC London she was a bit surprised at first by the request. "I didn't know what to think to be honest," she said. Satellites show human destruction of Amazon rainforest --About half of Brazil's original Amazon rainforest has been occupied by man, deforested or used for industry, and its destruction is worse than government figures show, an environmental group says. A study using satellite photographs shows that land occupation and deforestation covers about 47 per cent of the world's largest jungle, an area bigger than the continental United States, the Brazilian non-government organisation Imazon said. Toxic chemical discovered in Lake Michigan --Concentrations of a flame retardant banned by many European countries have been found in Lake Michigan and are increasing, adding to concerns over previous findings that the chemicals were showing up in supermarket foods and women's breast milk. Turnpike runs free on 1st day of strike Union workers walk out, leaving toll gates wide open --The first strike in the 64-year history of the Pennsylvania Turnpike meant free rides for about 650,000 vehicles yesterday, the first travel day of the Thanksgiving weekend. But the labor dispute that has deteriorated into a war of words could get worse. *** Auditor to Army: Dock Halliburton's Pay --The U.S. Army should withhold some payments to Halliburton Co. for its 'work' in Iraq, a government auditor said on Wednesday, in a move that could cost the contractor tens of millions of dollars a month. Group Finds Problems With Voting Machines --An organization that put more than 400 poll watchers in Maryland precincts on election day reported Tuesday that its volunteers found scattered problems with the state's electronic voting machines. Among the problems were machines that crashed, incorrect ballots and touch-screens that failed to work properly. E-mails released Monday show lockdown pre-planned - November 16, 2004 (OH) Warren County finished its vote count Monday without any results changing... Warren County has drawn national attention for its election night problems, from three-hour-plus lines at the polls to locking down the administration building during the vote count because of terrorism [?!?] concerns [so that the results could be manipulated]. Federal and local homeland security officials say they didn't know of an increased threat in Warren County. County Commissioner Pat South has said the decision to lock the doors election night was made during an Oct. 28 closed-door meeting (the Thursday before Election Day). But in e-mailed memos dated Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 - released Monday after an Enquirer public records request - other county officials were already detailing the security measures, down to the wording of signs that would be posted on the locked doors. GOP's Rossi Wins Wash. Governor Recount --Republican Dino Rossi came out ahead of Democrat Christine Gregoire by just 42 votes Wednesday in the recount for Washington governor, but the Democrats are expected to seek another recount. Ukraine Liberal Calls for Strike, Civil War Warning [Why is this not happening in the U.S., following *TWO* stolen elections?] --Ukraine opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday called for a national strike that would halt transport and shut factories in protest at the declaration that his Moscow-backed rival had won election as president. [And, in the United States, we are calling for The Grand Refusal, to overturn *OUR* (second) illegitimate election!!!] U.S. Rejects Ukraine Election Results --Powell Says Election Does Not Meet International Standards --The United States today rejected the announced results of Ukraine's disputed presidential election and warned the government of the former Soviet republic to uphold democracy or face "consequences" in its relationships with the United States and Europe. [Why doesn't a country force the U.S. to 'uphold democracy,' and remove the illegitimate Bush dictatorship???] Zogby Vs. Mitofsky --by Keith Olbermann "It was a spectacular irony - a Republican senator using the word 'fraud' about the presidential election*. More spectacular still, he was visiting his condemnation of apparent election manipulation on the incumbent party. And beyond all that, he and others based their conclusions largely on the incredible disparity between the last exit polls and the vote count itself. Of course, Indiana’s Richard Lugar was talking about the presidential election in the Ukraine. But in so doing, he underscored that once again, the exit polls appear to have fulfilled the time-honored international tradition of the canary in the mine shaft. If only we could have used them in that way here." Republican Challenges Presidential Election Based On Exit Polls* (Comments by Greg Palast) "Tuesday, November 23, 2004 --from The New York Times 'Citing the disturbing fact that official results diverged sharply from a range of surveys of voters at polling places, Lugar [Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R- hypocrite - Indiana] said, 'A concerted and forceful program of election-day fraud and abuse was enacted with either the leadership or cooperation of governmental authorities.' ...This reporter was unable to reach Senator Lugar regarding the inconsistency of official election results and exit polls in the USA; the intimidation of minority voters in Florida and Ohio; nor the failure to count two million ballots cast, half by African-American voters, in America's first post-democratic election held earlier this month." Rights group sues over election results (FL) The aftermath of the general election in Volusia County grew more tangled Tuesday, as a local voting rights advocate sued to throw out the results. While the suit focuses on the most prominent countywide race, it asks that all general election results in the county be set aside. Felons list audit faults state A new state audit criticized how Florida put together a central voter database and a felons list that was sent to election supervisors this year. A new audit shows that Florida's attempt to rid the voting rolls of felons this past election season was marred by lax oversight by the Department of State, which failed to follow legal settlements and relied on seriously flawed data when it put together the controversial felons list. [Article cites 'other key audit findings.'] 8,099 Cuyahoga ballots ruled invalid (OH) The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections voted Monday to reject one out of three of the 24,472 provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 2 election. Seventy percent of the rejected ballots, or 5,595, won't count because there was no record of their registration. "I find it inconceivable that over 5,000 voters in the county would wait an hour in the pouring rain to vote if they haven't registered," said Dr. Norm Robbins, a neurosciences professor at Case Western Reserve University who volunteered for the Greater Cleveland Voter Registration Coalition. Ohio Democrats Offer Support for Recount Effort --The Ohio Democratic Party announced this week that it is supporting a third-party-led effort to force the battleground state to recount its presidential vote. The organization, whose decision is expected to give more legitimacy to the recount push, complained that Ohio voters faced long lines at the polls Nov. 2, that some voting machines malfunctioned and that some absentee ballots were never delivered. Judge Denies Demand for Ohio Recount --A federal judge on Tuesday denied a request by third-party presidential candidates who wanted to force a recount of Ohio ballots even before the official count was finished. Judge James G. Carr in Toledo ruled that the candidates have a right under Ohio law to a recount, but said it can wait. The judge wrote that he saw no reason to interfere with the final stages of Ohio's electoral process. [Why does democracy have to 'wait?' Why aren't people building toward the second American Revolution, in order to undo the (second) coup?] US Congress to investigate irregularities in November 2 vote --The Government Accountability Office, the investigating arm of the US Congress, will probe allegations of irregularities in the November 2 US presidential vote, lawmakers said. GAO to Investigate Voting Irregularies --Congress' investigative agency, responding to complaints from around the country, has begun to look into the Nov. 2 vote count, including the handling of provisional ballots and malfunctions of voting machines. The Government Accountability Office usually begins investigations in response to specific requests from Congress, but the agency's head, Comptroller General David Walker, said the GAO acted on its own because of the many comments it received about ballot counting. GAO Will Investigate 2004 Elections --Government Accountability Office to Conduct Investigation of 2004 Election Irregularities --posted by Murshed Zaheed (Washington, DC) "Reps. John Conyers, Jr., Jerrold Nadler, Robert Wexler, Robert Scott, and Rush Holt announced today that, in response to their November 5 and 8 letters to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the GAO has decided to move forward with an investigation of election irregularities in the 2004 election. The five Members issued the following statement..." Here is the list of the GAO signatories: John Conyers (D-MI) Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) Robert Wexler (D-FL) Robert Scott (D-GA) Melvin Watt (D-NC) Rush Holt (D-NJ) Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Louise Slaughter (D-NY) George Miller (D-CA) John Olver (D-MA) Bob Filner (D-CA) Gregory Meeks (D-NY) Barbara Lee (D-CA) Plus Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). Bush Orders the CIA to Hire More Spies --Goss Told to Build Up Other Staffs, Too --Dictator Bush has ordered CIA Director Porter J. Goss to increase by 50 percent the number of qualified CIA clandestine operators and intelligence analysts, an ambitious step that would mean the hiring and training of several thousand new personnel in coming years. Bush Wants Plan for Covert Pentagon Role --Dictator Bush has ordered an interagency group to devise a plan that could expand the Defense Department role in covert operations that have traditionally been the specialty of the Central Intelligence Agency, regime officials said Monday. Bush Orders Review of Covert Operations --Dictator Bush has ordered an internal review into whether the Defense Department should run covert paramilitary operations traditionally mounted by the CIA, administration officials said on Tuesday. Blair Impeachment Probe to Be Sought by 23 British Lawmakers --Tony Blair tomorrow will become the first U.K. prime minister in 156 years to face a call for an impeachment investigation as 23 lawmakers accuse him of misconduct in taking Britain to war in Iraq. [Is it time to put the Bush dictatorship on trial for treason, with all appropriate penalties for treason on the table?] Falluja Rebels Had Enough Arms to Rule Iraq -U.S. --Arab militants and insurgents who ruled the volatile city of Falluja before a U.S.-led offensive this month had enough weapons to take over all of Iraq, Marine officers said on Wednesday. Explosion rocks western Baghdad, four wounded -- A bomb planted inside a commercial building in western Baghdad detonated Wednesday, wounding four people including a police officer, witnesses said. U.S. Military Finds Five Dead in Mosul Gunmen Ambush Convoy of Kurdish Militiamen --The U.S. military said five bodies were found Wednesday in northern Mosul, bringing the total to 20 bodies found in the past week. SAS joins US forces in major Iraq offensive --British special forces joined an offensive yesterday involving more than 5,000 US and Iraqi troops, backed by fighter bombers and helicopters, aimed at regaining control of insurgent strongholds in central Iraq. The operation - dubbed Plymouth Rock [Mega barf alert] - appears to mark an escalation in the role of the SAS in Iraq. Troops Hit Sites South of Baghdad --Raids Involve U.S., British, Iraqi Forces --British and Iraqi troops mounted raids Tuesday in a swath of territory south of Baghdad where armed insurgents have seized control of several cities and towns, imposed stringent Islamic law and carried out kidnappings and executions of Iraqi police officers and religious pilgrims at checkpoints along the main roads. Occupation Forces Battle Iraq Insurgents --U.S. Marines, British Troops, Iraq Soldiers Launch Offensive Against Insurgents Near Baghdad --Some 5,000 U.S. Marines, British troops and Iraqi forces launched a new offensive Tuesday aimed at clearing a swath of insurgent hotbeds across a cluster of dusty, small towns south of Baghdad. [Oops! Looks like the 'mission' has not been 'accomplished.'] U.N.: War 'Wreaking Havoc' on Iraq Young --Fighting in Iraq is "wreaking havoc'' on the country's children, nearly doubling malnutrition rates since the start of the war and all but preventing relief groups from working in the country, the U.N. children's' agency said Tuesday. Purported al-Zarqawi Tape Raps Scholars --An audiotape purportedly made by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi lashed out Wednesday at Muslim scholars for not speaking out against U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying they have "let us down in the darkest circumstances." Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghan Attack --Two U.S. soldiers were killed and another wounded in an improvised-explosive-device attack in Afghanistan today. Appeals Court Refuses to Hear Challenge to Stop-Loss Program --A Sacramento-area soldier who challenged the military's so-called "stop-loss" program will have to go to Iraq with the rest of his unit. On Monday a federal appeals court refused to intervene in the case. The military's "stop-loss" program involuntarily extends enlistments during wars and national [Halliburton] emergencies. US Military Taps Bugs and Weeds in War on [of] Terror --Don't squash that bug! Cockroaches, beetles, spiders and worms may be the U.S. government's next line of defense in the war on terror. Backed by the Pentagon, scientists are recruiting insects, shellfish, bacteria and even weeds to act as "bio-sentinels," which give early warning of biological and chemical attacks, detect explosives or monitor the spread of contamination. U.S. Military Rules 8 Stay at Guantanamo --U.S. military review tribunals have ordered eight more men to remain held at the U.S. Naval outpost in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an official said Tuesday. Justices Asked to Rule on Detainees --Yemeni's Attorneys Want to Bypass Federal Appeals Court --Attorneys for a detainee at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have asked the Supreme Court for immediate intervention to decide the legality of the "military commissions" set up by the Pentagon to prosecute alleged al Qaeda and Taliban fighters. Suit Filed in GOP Convention Arrests --N.Y. Police Accused of Overstepping Bounds, Detaining Bystanders --Twenty-three people filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court here, saying New York city officials violated their constitutional rights by orchestrating massive arrests and detentions to sweep up political dissenters during the Republican National Convention in August. "It is a bedrock principle of our democracy that the police cannot simply sweep the streets because they find protest inconvenient or embarrassing because the RNC was in town," said lawyer Jonathan Moore, who filed the lawsuit with the National Lawyers Guild. Home Office 'linked to discredited claim of al-Qa'ida plot' --The Home Office is suspected of being behind discredited media reports on the eve of the Queen's Speech that an al-Qa'ida plot to fly planes into London skyscrapers had been foiled. Supporters of David Blunkett were accused of trying to exploit public fears in an attempt to help the Government introduce anti-[pro] terrorism legislation. Citing 'Terror' Issues, Britain Plans ID Cards --Invoking a global threat of 'terrorism,' the British government announced plans on Tuesday to introduce national identity cards for the first time since the World War II era. An opposition legislator said the government wanted to create a "climate of fear" in advance of elections expected next year. Guess Who Could View Your 1040? Democrats said Tuesday they would block quick congressional withdrawal of a provision that would give more lawmakers access to income tax returns, demanding that majority Republicans first promise to stop rushing bills through Congress. "This extraordinary invasion of privacy did not have the majority support of either chamber," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in announcing her plans to block House passage on Wednesday. "It was a 'Saturday night massacre' on Americans' privacy made possible only by the Republicans' willingness to abuse the rules of the people's House." Future of Calif.'s 9th Circuit Under Review --Many conservatives think their new clout following Dictator Bush's 're-election' may help put some weight behind a movement to split up the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, leaving the 9th in California, creating a new 12th Circuit for neighboring Idaho, Arizona, Montana and Nevada; and a new 13th Circuit for Washington, Alaska and Oregon. Top-Giving PACs Favor GOP Candidates 10-1 --The top-giving corporate political action committees didn't hedge their bets in the fall elections despite the narrow division between the GOP and Democrats in Congress. They favored Republican candidates 10-to-1. Attempt to stop mandatory mental screening [to ignite a pharmaceutical industry windfall] fails --Congressman pushed language requiring parental consent --An attempt by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, to add language to the omnibus spending bill in Congress to require parental consent for any mental-health screening done to children with federal money has failed. Top Economic Adviser to Bush Is Leaving Post --Stephen Friedman, who left Wall Street to assume one of the top economic posts in the White House, will return to the private sector Dec. 31 after two quiet years in Washington, White House officials announced yesterday. Economic 'Armageddon' predicted --Stephen Roach, the chief economist at investment banking giant Morgan Stanley, has a public reputation for being bearish. But you should hear what he's saying in private. Roach met select groups of fund managers downtown last week, including a group at Fidelity. His prediction: America has no better than a 10 percent chance of avoiding economic "Armageddon.'' Krugman: Economic Crisis a Question of When, Not If --The economic policies of Dictator Bush have set the country on a dangerous course that will likely end in crisis, Princeton economics professor Paul Krugman told Reuters in an interview. Dan Rather to step down as CBS News anchor --Veteran to remain with network as correspondent --Dan Rather, anchor of the "CBS Evening News," announced Tuesday that he will step down in March, on the 24th anniversary of taking over the job from Walter Cronkite. Cattle Ranchers Want Their Own Mad Cow Tests --Greg Schoenbachler, with the Silver Springs Cattle Company, says he'd like to be able to test his entire herd to prove that it's mad cow free. But he can't; the government won't let him. Schoenbachler is part of a growing group of ranchers that wants every animal slaughtered tested for mad cow. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture refuses. House Panel Joins Vioxx Inquiry --An influential House committee has joined in the congressional investigation of U.S. prescription drug safety, issuing extensive records requests Tuesday to the Food and Drug Administration and the drug manufacturer Merck & Co. *** U.S. Death Toll in Iraq for Nov. Tops 100 --Three Marines who were wounded in action during the Fallujah offensive later died at American hospitals in Germany and the United States, the Pentagon said Monday, raising the U.S. military death toll in Iraq for November to at least 101. Volusia ballots may get 2nd look --Black Box Voting, a Seattle-based group fighting for improved voting systems, wants to inspect paper ballots from more than 25 percent of Volusia's precincts as part of its nationwide audit of the Nov. 2 presidential election. First Hand Reports from Ohio Volunteers --by "ctsteve" --"RNC 'workers' were in our hotel. They were not there to do literature drops, canvas, or to make sure that people knew where their polling places were, as we were. One of them tried to infiltrate one of our hotel rooms (I removed him) to gather information on our activities. He and another RNC lawyer followed some of the canvassers the next day to try to intimidate them, telling them that they were 'putting them on notice, that what they were doing was breaking federal law' (among other more vile things)..." Ohio Presidential Results to be Challenged (freepress.org) Ohio’s 2004 presidential vote will be challenged as soon as next week in the state Supreme Court, a coalition of public-interest lawyers announced Friday. The lawyers have taken sworn testimony from hundreds of people in hearings in Columbus and Cincinnati, and will use excerpts as well as documents obtained from county election officials and Election Day exit polls to make a case that thousands of votes were incorrectly counted or not counted on Election Day. 93,000 Extra Votes In Cuyahoga County - Outrage In Ohio (Nov. 12, 2004) by Teed Rockwell "The evidence discovered by some remarkably careful sleuthing would convince any reasonable court to invalidate the entire Ohio election. In last Tuesday's election, 29 precincts in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, reported votes cast IN EXCESS of the number of registered voters - at least 93,136 extra votes total. And the numbers are right there on the official Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website..." Ohio Dems join recount effort --by Keith Olbermann "'Kerry/Edwards Campaign Joins Ohio Recount.' ...The statement ends nearly three weeks of official Democratic ambivalence towards the formal recount process in the election's decisive state. As late as Friday, Senator Kerry's email to 3,000,000 supporters contained a seemingly ambiguous reference to that process, which began with the phrase 'Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted, and believe me they will be counted, we will continue to challenge the administration.'" Judge Refuses to Stop Wash. Recount --A federal judge Sunday denied the state Republican Party's bid to force Washington's most populous county to stop counting some ballots in the recount of the governor's race. In a conference call with lawyers, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman denied the GOP's request for a temporary restraining order barring the hand-counting of ballots in King County that were rejected because they could not be read electronically. Republicans File Suit to Limit King County Recount --The Washington Republican Party filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Saturday afternoon to try to stop King County from including certain ballots in its recount for the governor's race. The GOP is asking for a temporary restraining order against hand-counting of ballots that are rejected by voting machines and hopes to have a hearing on Sunday. Complete US Exit Poll Data Confirms Net Suspicions ----by Scoop Co-Editor Alastair Thompson "Scoop.co.nz is delighted to be able today to publish a full set of 4pm exit poll data for the first time on the Internet since the US election... Figure 1: Graph showing the "red shift" between 2004 US General Election exit polls & the actual 2004 US Election results..." Activists protest electronic voting --Opponents of the technology gather at the Capitol and question exit-poll data --About 200 protesters and curious onlookers stood at the steps of the state Capitol on Saturday, with protesters toting signs that read "the machine ate my vote" and "paper ballots protect democracy." Academia Still Fixated on John Kerry [coup 2004] --As states certify final election returns, an academic debate over their accuracy is heating up. Internet buzz that perhaps the exit polls were correct and the actual returns might be flawed grew louder this week when sociology graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley went public with an analysis arguing that Florida results in counties using electronic ballots differed from historical voting patterns. Media largely ignored Berkeley study on Florida voting irregularities (mediamatters.org) --by S.S.M. "The mainstream media have mostly ignored a statistical study conducted by faculty and students of the University of California at Berkeley sociology department on voting irregularities in Florida in the 2004 presidential election that found major discrepancies in vote counts between counties that utilized electronic voting machines (e-voting) and those that used traditional voting methods. The study, released on November 18, determined that President [sic] George W. Bush may have wrongly been awarded between 130,000 and 260,000 extra votes in Florida -- 130,000 if they were all 'ghost votes' created by machine error, or twice that if votes intended for Senator John Kerry were misattributed to Bush." Another Stolen Election and the End of Formal American Democracy --by Anis Shivani "The result of this election was foregone. This is now a farcical, Third World type of situation, with a retarded dictator getting away with whatever he wants. Karl Rove must have told the President [sic] long ago, Relax, there’s nothing to worry about. The election is in our pocket. The fix was in when the country didn’t rise up with one voice against the theft of the 2000 election. The last nail in the coffin was the lack of surprise and protest at the utterly weird and incomprehensible 2002 election results, particularly in Southern states like Georgia. The liberal elite knows; everyone knows what’s happening; but no one can talk about it." Holy irony, Batman!!! U.S. Threatens Punitive Steps Over Ukraine Election --The United States on Monday threatened to review its relationship with Ukraine and to take punitive steps if the Ukrainian government fails to investigate allegations of fraud and abuse in its presidential election. [We have now had two stolen elections!! We DEMAND that allegations of fraud and abuse in OUR presidential 'election' are investigated HERE!!] * South Iraq pipeline blast cuts oil flows --An oil pipeline explosion in southern Iraq cut flows to the main export outlet of Basra by at least 750,000 barrels per day on Monday, an oil industry official said. Militant groups control 60 percent of Fallujah: witnesses --Militant groups in battle-torn Fallujah have controlled 60 percent of the central Iraqi city and surrounded dozens of US Marines in Jolan district,witnesses said Sunday. "Defenders of the city are controlling 60 percent of the city and they are encircling dozens of US soldiers in Jolan neighborhood," eyewitnesses who managed to sneak out of the city told Xinhua. [Oops! Looks like 'mission' not accomplished.] Jackson fears Army will remain in Iraq for years --According to General Sir Mike Jackson [the officer commanding the Army], British troops will be sent to help the US in conflict zones anywhere inside Iraq, prompting fears that soldiers could be stuck in the most dangerous parts of the country fighting insurgents for years to come. U.S. Soldier Dies in Attack in Baghdad --A U.S. soldier was killed in an attack in southwestern Baghdad, the U.S. military said Monday. Baghdad: a city at war after raid on revered Sunni mosque, Fallujah fighting --A U.S.-Iraqi raid on the Abu Hanifa mosque one of the most revered sites for Sunni Muslims spawned a weekend of street battles, assassinations and a rash of bombings that changed Baghdad. Several Die in Iraq violence as Blast Rocks Baghdad --A loud blast rocked central Baghdad early on Saturday and a large plume of gray smoke could be seen rising from the area near the 'Ministry of Health.' 'This is now the most dangerous place in Iraq. We are coming up against Zarqawi's people' --by Kim Sengupta in Mahmudiyah, Iraq 22 November 2004 --"The attack on Yusufiyah began at just after eight in the morning. Round after round of rockets, then mortar shells and machine-gun fire racked the US Marines' base, in an intense and unrelenting barrage. A relief patrol ran into a well-prepared ambush..." Report: US discussing strikes on Iran** --Pentagon officials are said to be discussing possible military action to neutralize Iran's nuclear weapons threat, according to a report in London's Observer. US administration sources are quoted as saying that air strikes – "either by the US or Israel" – to wipe out Iran's fledgling nuclear program would be difficult because of a lack of clear intelligence [?!?] about where key components are located. *[Yes. This truly* does boil down to a 'lack of clear intelligence.'] Powell 'pushed out' by Bush for seeking to rein in Israel --Colin Powell, the outgoing US secretary of state, was given his marching orders after telling Dictator George W Bush that he wanted greater power to confront Israel over the stalled Middle East peace process. Air France Flight to Washington Diverted --Two Moroccan men were taken off a flight from Paris bound for Washington after officials determined one of the men was on the [insane] U.S. no-fly list. News Release** November 18, 2004 --by Karl W. B. Schwarz, author of One-Way Ticket to Crawford, Texas "Several key documents were delivered Wednesday, November 17, 2004 by one of my associates/friends to the Senior Assistant to Eliot Spitzer, Attorney General of the State of New York. ...[O]ut of the U.S. a party has come forth with information that there was a $120 billion deal that was to have closed on 9-11 or 9-12-2001 in WTC and that deal was apparently a debt that did not get paid due to 9-11. How fortunate for someone. We provided Mr. Spitzer with the routing codes and bank officer names of the parties that were to receive that payment and did not receive it." Civil rights groups condemn Blunkett's anti-terror plans --Tony Blair faces a backlash from lawyers and civil rights campaigners over the string of anti-crime Bills and measures against international terrorism expected to dominate tomorrow's Queen's Speech. Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty, warned that the generations-old principle of innocent until proven guilty risked being eroded by the expected anti-crime legislation. The Law Society, which represents solicitors, warned that the measures could be seen as a step "in the direction of a police state". Government Uses Color Laser Printer Technology to Track Documents --Next time you make a printout from your color laser printer, shine an LED flashlight beam on it and examine it closely with a magnifying glass. You might be able to see the small, scattered yellow dots printer there that could be used to trace the document back to you. Lawyer sues alleging "Guantanamo on the Hudson" conditions for R-N-C protesters --A "little Guantanamo on the Hudson." That's how a New York attorney describes conditions protesters were held under during the Republican National Convention. He's filing a lawsuit against the city. Jonathan Moore said the only things missing were the "orange jumpsuits." Lawsuit: NYC Created 'Guantanamo' at RNC --Saying the city had created its "own little Guantanamo on the Hudson" during the Republican National Convention, a lawyer Monday filed a lawsuit on behalf of nearly 2,000 people arrested at demonstrations. The federal lawsuit claims protesters and bystanders alike were rounded up in mass arrests without cause; were kept without access to their lawyers or families at an old bus depot used as a temporary detention center; and were exposed for days to cruel and inhuman conditions. Clinton to ABC News: It's payback time --The former president chastises Peter Jennings for ABC's "sleazy" coverage of Whitewater -- and he's right. --by Eric Boehlert "...Clinton flashed real irritation when Jennings suggested some historians thought that Clinton's presidency had lacked 'moral authority,' without mentioning its having been tarnished by independent counsel Kenneth Starr's multiple investigations. 'You don't want to go here, Peter,' snapped Clinton, who proceeded to criticize the reporting of ABC News, in particular, in the 1990s. 'Not after what you people did and the way you, your network, what you did with Kenneth Starr. The way your people repeated every little sleazy thing he leaked. No one has any idea what that's like.'" Colombia Deploys 15,000 Troops for Bush --The Spanish colonialists who fortified this Colombian seaport 400 years ago to guard against pirates and rival imperial powers could only have dreamed of the security being implemented for Dictator Bush's visit here Monday. About 15,000 Colombian security forces — backed by warplanes, helicopters, battleships and two submarines — will safeguard Bush's four-hour trip to discuss the nation's war on drugs. That is the same number of American troops deployed in the Fallujah offensive in Iraq. 25,000 protest start of APEC --The start of the APEC summit being attended by Prime Minister John Howard in Chile has been marred by violent protests against US dictator George Bush. An estimated 25,000 people marched through the capital to oppose Bush's involvement in the war in Iraq. Marchers held up posters saying: "Bush, you stink," and "Terrorist Bush." Some chanted: "Bush, listen: Chile is not for sale!" and "Bush, fascist, thief, murderer!" [Great comments!] Protesters get chilly reception outside Fort Huachuca (AZ) About thirty protesters gathered across the street from Fort Huachuca on Sunday to demonstrate against torture tactics they say the U.S. military is systematically using in the war on terror. Arrests Made at Military School Protest --At least 20 people were arrested Sunday while protesting a U.S.-run military school for Latin Americans, some of whose graduates they claim later committed civil rights abuses including murder. Bush's slapdown for Blair on climate change --Dictator Bush has reprimanded Tony Blair for sounding the alarm over global warming and pressing for international action to combat it, senior Washington sources say. Surprise Provision Delays $388 Billion Spending Bill --A $388 billion government-wide spending bill, passed by Congress on Saturday, was stranded on Capitol Hill yesterday, its trip to the White House on hold as embarrassed Republicans prepared to repeal a provision that could give the Appropriations committees the right to examine the tax returns of Americans. Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution --Americans [whackjobs] do not believe that humans evolved, and the vast majority says that even if they evolved, God guided the process. Just 13 percent say that God was not involved. But most would not substitute the teaching of creationism for the teaching of evolution in public schools. Evangelicals expecting payoff from Bush --Evangelicals who flexed their muscles on Election Day are feeling their oats. Dictator Bush is already feeling their political heat... Religious Conservatives Demand Changes at Nation's Parks --In the aftermath of the [2004 coup d'etat], some people on the right of the political spectrum believe the government has a greater responsibility to heed their views. In some cases, that means changes in the images that define the nation -- including those at some of the nation's most popular parks and monuments. Conservatives Urge Closer Look at Marriage -- ...Some conservatives say marriage in America began unraveling long before the latest gay-rights push and are pleading for a fresh, soul-searching look at the institution. Agribusiness terrorists (the USDA) delay results of cow tested for 'mad cow' disease: Statement By U.S. Department of Agriculture Press Secretary Alisa Harrison November 22, 2004 "Test results for the BSE inconclusive are not complete. There will be no announcements made tonight. USDA will release the results as soon as the National Veterinary Services Laboratory completes the testing process." Report: Bayer Held Back on Drug Dangers --An analysis of the cholesterol drug Baycol, pulled in 2001, says that problems were indicated as early as 1998. Medical journal criticizes FDA. Jet Crashes Before Picking Up Elder Bush --A private jet that was en route to Houston to pick up former Dictator Bush clipped a light pole and crashed Monday as it approached Hobby Airport in thick fog, killing all three people aboard. [What luck.] JFK shooting game 'despicable' --A controversial new British-made computer "docu-game" recreating the assassination of John F Kennedy has been described as "despicable" by aides to the late president's brother. Firm Behind Boston's Big Dig Defends Work --The company overseeing the construction of the beleaguered Big Dig said Monday that repairs to fix widespread leaks would take months, not years, and denounced public officials for rushing to judgment on the $14.6 billion project. "The Big Dig is safe and sound," Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the project manager for the underground highway, said in a statement issued in response to reports of mismanagement and shoddy engineering. S. California Gets Up to 3 Feet of Snow --An unusual type of storm nicknamed an "insider slider" blanketed Southern California mountains with up to 3 feet of snow and even coated desert areas with white. ...The weekend storm was tapering off Monday, although an additional 6 inches fell in some mountain communities. *** Pentagon turns heat up on Iran --Washington and European Union on collision course over how to neutralise Tehran's nuclear capabilities --Pentagon hawks have begun discussing military action against Iran to neutralise its 'nuclear weapons threat,' including possible strikes on leadership, political and security targets. Bush Says Iran Speeds Output of A-Bomb Fuel --Dictator Bush increased the regime's pressure on Iran on Saturday, saying there were indications that the country was speeding forward in its production of a key ingredient for nuclear weapons fuel, a move he said was "a very serious matter'' that undercut Iran's denials that it was seeking to build weapons. Bush Toughens Line On 'Nuclear Threats' --Dictator Bush said Saturday that he believes Iran is continuing to pursue a nuclear weapon, which he called "a very serious matter," and said he had won pledges from Asian allies to increase pressure on North Korea's leader to restart disarmament talks. US to increase troop levels in Iraq --American military officials have said that they plan to extend tours of duty in Iraq and to increase troop levels there through the 'elections.' Outcome of US Falluja assault disputed --US Lieutenant-General John Sattler's claim that his forces have broken the back of the resistance in Falluja has been overshadowed by a large number of attacks elsewhere in Iraq. U.S. Fights Baghdad Militants; GI Killed --Insurgents battled American troops in the streets of Baghdad on Saturday, killing a U.S. soldier in an ambush and gunning down four government employees in signals that the resistance fighters remain a potent force despite the fall of their stronghold of Fallujah. Nine Iraqis also died in fighting west of the capital. Violence erupts across Baghdad --Attack kills U.S. soldier, injures 9; Bodies of Iraqis found in Mosul --Insurgents ambushed a U.S. patrol, killing a soldier, gunned down four government employees and clashed with American troops in neighborhoods across Baghdad on Saturday. Nine Iraqis died in fighting west of the capital -- another sign the insurgency remains potent despite the fall of its stronghold, Fallujah. Violence Surges Through Central and Northern Iraq --Violence surged through central and northern Iraq on Saturday as a tenacious insurgency led by Sunni Arabs kept up relentless assaults in a string of major cities, from Ramadi to Falluja to Baghdad. U.S., Iraqi Forces Raid Baghdad Mosque --Iraqi forces backed by American soldiers raided one of the country's most important Sunni mosques as worshippers were leaving after Friday prayers. Witnesses said at least three people were killed and 40 arrested. Red Cross slams Iraq fighting --The International Red Cross is "deeply concerned" with the killing of civilians and non-combatants in Iraq and the apparent failures by all sides to respect humanitarian law. ICRC blasts 'inhumanity' of Falluja battles --The International Committee of the Red Cross has criticised the humanitarian toll of the Falluja assault while an Iraqi relief agency has removed 24 corpses for burial outside the war-ravaged town. Children Pay Cost of Iraq's Chaos --Malnutrition Nearly Double What It Was Before Invasion --Acute malnutrition among young children in Iraq has nearly doubled since the United States led an invasion of the country 20 months ago, according to surveys by the United Nations, aid agencies and the interim Iraqi government. Evangelist Graham embarks on 'last crusade' --Billy Graham, the evangelist, is to preach to as many as 200,000 Californians this weekend, giving sermons that largely avoid politics but claim that Iraq is "a Bible country as far as history is concerned". Conservatives Reject Intelligence Compromise --Long-debated legislation to dramatically reshape the nation's intelligence community collapsed in the House yesterday, as conservative Republicans refused to embrace a compromise because they said it could reduce military control over battlefield intelligence and failed to crack down on illegal immigrants. Blair plans increased anti-terror powers if re-elected -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government is considering toughening already contentious anti-[pro]terrorism powers if it wins another term in office, a senior government minister said Sunday. Home Secretary David Blunkett said the government is considering allowing wiretap evidence to be used in court and establishing special terrorism courts overseen by judges without a jury. Blunkett said new measures could also include the use of "civil orders" barring suspects from committing certain acts, even if the acts themselves were not criminal. They could, for instance, prevent suspects from using a specified banking network or using the Internet. The most controversial authorizes the indefinite detention without trial of foreign terrorist suspects if they cannot be safely removed to another country. News Gathering Is Illegal Under New Patriot Act ll --by Alex Jones "Section 102 of the new Patriot Act ll states clearly that any information gathering, regardless of whether or not those activities are illegal, can be considered to be clandestine intelligence activities for a foreign power. This makes news gathering illegal... A Brief Analysis of the Domestic Security Enhancement Act 2003 - Also Known as USA Patriot Act II..." Rebellious Republicans Derail 9/11 Reform --In a defeat for Dictator Bush, rebellious House Republicans on Saturday derailed legislation to overhaul the nation's intelligence agencies along lines recommended by the Sept. 11 commission. Participants in the Cover-Up of 9/11: The Case of American and United Airlines --by Elias Davidsson "The first AA aircraft (flight AA11, tail no. N334AA) is said to have left Logan airport in Boston at 7:59 with 92 people on board (crew, passengers and hijackers) and crashed at 8:46 on the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City... As of November 13, 2003, the statistical database of the Department of Transportation (BTS) did not even mention AA11 as a flight scheduled for September 11, 2001 (6). At a later date the Department added a record for this flight with the departure time set as zero. Checking again the BTS database for this article on November 18, 2004, I discovered that the DoT again amended its database by setting the scheduled departure of AA11 to the 'official time' of 7:45 (6). It appears that the DoT had received orders to align its database with the 'official account' on the crime of 9/11." More Ohio voter suppression testimony prompts upcoming legal filing for statewide recount (freepress.org) As transcribed testimony from citizens denied their right to vote November 2 has become public, a coalition of public interest lawyers says it will initiate a legal filing demanding a statewide recount. Nader-requested recount in N.H. moving slowly --A recount Ralph Nader requested for some New Hampshire towns went slower than expected Thursday and won't resume until next week, state election officials said. Democrat picks up seat in recount (NH) A Nashua Republican state representative still lost his seat after a recount of ballots in his race Friday, but a Francestown Democrat picked up a seat when a recount in her district changed the result. GOP moves to facilitate future Reichwing coups: Exit poll data will be delayed --On future election days, news organizations that pay for surveys of voters leaving polling places won't see results until late afternoon or early evening. The goal is to avoid a repeat of what happened this Election Day, when leaked information from exit polls was posted by Internet commentators known as bloggers about 1 p.m. [showing the truth: that Kerry was winning the election]. Democracy in Question --by Ritt Goldstein "John Zogby, president of the polling firm Zogby International, told IPS he has been calling it 'the Armageddon election' for about a year. Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader believes the Republican Party was able to 'steal it before election day.' Facts suggest something went very wrong on Nov. 2. Speculation focuses upon a number of questions -- purposeful miscounts, anomalies surrounding electronic voting (e-voting) machines, particularly the optical scan types; and numerous reports of voting 'irregularities' in heavily Democratic areas." School District Challenges Darwin's Theory --A Pennsylvania school district Friday defended its decision to discount Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and teach what critics say is a version of creationism. The district, the Dover Area School District in south-central Pennsylvania, is believed to be the first in the country to approve the teaching of a new theory called intelligent design, the National Center for Science Education said. Bush Policies Push Racial Profiling - Report --Bush dictatorship policies have "facilitated" racial profiling despite Bush's vow to eliminate the practice, says the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in a report that was finished but not publicly discussed until after this month's presidential election. Following the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon, "Arab Americans and Muslims increasingly became targets of law enforcement scrutiny," says the report. Domestic Budget Tightens $388 billion spending package bars requirements for abortion services. Congress reached final agreement last night on a $388 billion spending bill funding 13 government departments and dozens of domestic agencies in 2005, after last-minute objections from abortion rights advocates threatened to delay or derail the entire measure... Apparently slipped into the bill at the last minute by a House staff aide [?!?] was a measure that would allow agents designated by the chairman of the House or Senate Appropriations Committee to look at tax returns. Bill Gives Lawmakers Access to Tax Returns --Congress passed legislation Saturday giving two committee chairman and their assistants access to income tax returns without regard to privacy protections, but not before red-faced Republicans said it was all a mistake and would be swiftly repealed. Negotiators Add Abortion Clause to Spending Bill --House and Senate negotiators have tucked a potentially far-reaching anti-abortion provision into a $388 billion must-pass spending bill, complicating plans for Congress to wrap up its business and adjourn for the year. Oops! Looks like Bush is leaving millions of children behind: Bill Clears Way for Government to Cut Back College Loans --The federal government will be able to require millions of college students to shoulder more of the cost of their education under the new spending bill approved yesterday by the House and Senate. Nearly 100,000 more students may lose their federal grants entirely. Church air is 'threat to health' --Air inside churches may be a bigger health risk than that beside major roads, research suggests. * Commons motion to impeach Blair gets go-ahead --The parliamentary motion to impeach Tony Blair for "gross misconduct" over the war against Iraq will be published next Wednesday, the day after the Queen's speech. It will be the first to be tabled in 198 years. 47 parties boycott elections in Iraq --Forty-seven Iraqi political and religious parties have decided to boycott the general elections due in January in protest against the extended use of force throughout the country, a joint statement said on Wednesday. The reason for the move was "the (US-Iraqi) assaults in cities like Najaf, Karbala, Samarra, Sadr City, Adhmiya, and especially the genocide crimes in Fallujah," said the statement obtained by Xinhua. Troops storm major Baghdad mosque --At least two people have been killed after Iraqi security forces, backed by US troops, raided one of Baghdad's most important Sunni mosques. US 'to blame' for journalist deaths --The global managing editor of British news agency Reuters said today the US military was entirely to blame for the deaths of three of its employees in Iraq since the start of the war there in March 2003, an allegation disputed by the Pentagon. "All of them were killed by the American army," Reuters chief David Schlesinger told reporters on the sidelines of a media conference in the southern Portuguese resort of Vilamoura, Portuguese national news agency Lusa reported. Red Cross hits out at Iraq abuses --The International Committee of the Red Cross has condemned what it calls the "utter contempt for humanity" shown by all sides in the fighting in Iraq. Baghdad's spiralling transport costs --A 15-mile stretch between Baghdad airport and the city centre is said to be the world's most expensive taxi ride. Small convoys of armoured cars and Western gunmen charge about £2,750 ($5,108) for the perilous journey. Rare Blood Infection Surfaces in Injured U.S. Soldiers --An expectedly high number of U.S. soldiers injured in the Middle East and Afghanistan are testing positive for a rare, hard-to-treat blood infection in military hospitals, Army doctors reported on Thursday. Bush terror team busy with Opium trade in Afghanistan: --shades of the cocaine-for-arms-for-terror deals with the Contras under Iran-Contra terrorist, Ronald Ray-Gun --Afghan opium cultivation area increased by 64 percent: UN** --In a highly disturbing development, the area under opium cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 64 percent this year, giving the country the dubious distinction of establishing a new record in its cultivation and becoming the largest producer in the world, the United Nations has said. Afghanistan this year supplied 87 percent of the world's opium following record-high cultivation of 4,200 tons in an area of 131,000 hectares, the UN in its annual survey released yesterday said. [Now, who is in charge in Afghanistan? Drug lords, ex- (and current) Taliban leaders, and UNOCAL executives that Bush installed after biz partner, Osama bin Laden, would not allow the UNOCAL pipeline to be built. See: 'Taleban in Texas for talks on gas pipeline,' December 4, 1997: "A senior delegation from the Taleban movement in Afghanistan is in the United States for talks with an international energy company that wants to construct a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan across Afghanistan to Pakistan. A spokesman for the company, Unocal, said the Taleban were expected to spend several days at the company's headquarters in Sugarland, Texas."] CIA plans riskier, more aggressive espionage --CIA Director Porter Goss told his new chief of spy operations this week to launch a much more aggressive espionage campaign that would use undercover officers to penetrate 'terrorist groups' and 'hostile governments' such as North Korea and Iran, according to a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge of Goss' plans. CIA staff told to avoid politics --The head of the CIA has told its employees that they must not "identify with, support or champion opposition" to the Bush dictatorship. The email to staff by Director Porter Goss, a former Republican congressman, has been seized on by critics. White House pressure on CIA under scrutiny --The World Today - Thursday, 18 November , 2004 12:30:00 Reporter: Eleanor Hall "ELEANOR HALL: To the United States now, where the nation's top spy agency has hit the headlines again this week, with accusations the agency is being leant on by the White House. ...Recently the White House complained about leaks from the CIA. On Monday two top CIA officers, including the Deputy Director of Operations, resigned. And today The New York Times has published extracts from an internal memorandum from Mr Goss which states that the job of CIA officers is 'to support the administration and its policies.'" Sen. introduces bill to protect reporters --Reporters would not be forced to reveal their sources, and their notes, photographs and other material would be protected from government eyes under a bill introduced Friday. Amid a spate of First Amendment fights pitting the government against journalists over confidential sources, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., proposed the legislation as critical to ensuring the nation's liberties. Demonstrations in Santiago, Chile, against Dictator Bush!! (photos) Protests erupt in Chilean capital against Bush, Asia-Pacific summit --Chilean riot police fired water and tear gas at masked, stone-throwing anti-capitalist protesters Friday as leaders flew in for a major Asia-Pacific summit overshadowed by the "war on [of] terror." MP assailed [and praised] for anti-Bush TV stunt Carolyn Parrish: Outspoken anti-American stomps on Bush doll --Renegade Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish has once again enraged members of the opposition and her own caucus [?!?] after tossing a George W. Bush doll on the floor and grinding it under her heel on a satirical television show. [LOL!!] University researchers challenge Bush win in Florida --'Something went awry with electronic voting in Florida,' says the lead researcher --Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, said today that they have uncovered statistical irregularities associated with electronic voting machines in three Florida counties that may have given George W. Bush 130,000 or more excess votes. The researchers are now calling on state and federal authorities to look into the problems. Bush Got 130,000 Excess Votes in Florida, Evoting System Challenged, says UC Berkeley Study --(rottendenmark.blogspot.com) "A research team at UC Berkeley will report that irregularities associated with electronic voting machines may have awarded 130,000-260,000 or more excess votes to President [sic] George W. Bush in Florida in the 2004 presidential election. The study shows an unexplained discrepancy between votes for President Bush in counties where electronic voting machines were used versus counties using traditional voting methods." Oops! Election Officials Find Possible Double Votes, Ballots Counted Twice --Election officials in two Ohio counties have discovered possible cases of people voting twice in the presidential election, and a third county found that about 2,600 ballots were double-counted. Watchdog group requests Volusia vote tallies --An activist group investigating possible irregularities in the Nov. 2 election requested copies of all Volusia County voter tallies Wednesday. It took county elections employees most of the day to complete the job, started at the request of Bev Harris of Black Box Voting. Vote Recount to Settle Doubts? --by Kim Zetter [Regarding New Hampshire vote-patter anomalies in 71 wards:] "Even more interesting was the breakdown per brand of voting equipment. New Hampshire wards used optical-scan equipment made by Diebold Election Systems and Election Systems & Software. About 62 percent of the wards with anomalous results used Diebold machines." Was It Hacked? --by Alan Waldman "Despite mainstream media attempts to kill the story, talk radio and the Internet are abuzz with suggestions that John Kerry was elected president on Nov. 2 – but Republican election officials made it difficult for millions of Democrats to vote while employees of four secretive, GOP-bankrolled corporations rigged electronic voting machines and then hacked central tabulating computers to steal the election for George W. Bush. The Bush administration's 'fix' of the 2000 election debacle (the Help America Vote Act) made crooked elections considerably easier, by foisting paperless electronic voting on states before the bugs had been worked out or meaningful safeguards could be installed." How Kerry Won --by Brian Cady "Here's a 'cartogram', where each state's area is proportional to its population, and where reliable 2004 early exit polling, not corrupt ballot results, guides red-blue coloring." [A must see] Ohio hearings show massive GOP vote manipulation, but where the hell are the Democrats & John Kerry? --by Harvey Wasserman "Columbus, Ohio---Hour after hour the testimonies are the same: angry Ohioans telling of vicious Republican manipulation and de facto intimidation that disenfranchised tens of thousands and probably cost the Democrats the election... An escalating avalanche of evidence indicates a true vote count would have thrown Bush out of the White House. But once again, the Democrats have dissed the grassroots. Once again, a candidate who promised democracy has disappeared with barely a whimper in the face of those who would destroy it. His silence has allowed an orgy of media bloviation in homage to a bigoted, war-crazed America that, if it won at all, took this election not by national consensus, but by the Rovian staples of dirty tricks and voter suppression." Kerry to Give Dems Leftover Campaign Cash --Under friendly fire, Sen. John Kerry likely will donate a substantial portion of his excess presidential campaign cash to help elect Democratic candidates in 2005 and 2006, advisers said Thursday. Democrats question Kerry's campaign nest egg --Democratic Party leaders said Wednesday they want to know why Sen. John Kerry ended his presidential campaign with more than $15 million in the bank, money that could have helped Democratic candidates across the country. Police scoff at Ashcroft speech -- A day after Attorney General John Ashcroft told the nation's largest association of law enforcement executives that the Bush dictatorship had made the nation more secure from terrorist attacks and violent criminals, the group lashed back at the White House on Tuesday. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) said that cuts by the regime in federal aid to local police agencies have left the nation more vulnerable than ever to public safety threats. One-third of Bush fundraising pioneers got government appointments --One-third of Dictator George W. Bush's top 2000 fundraisers or their spouses were appointed to positions in his first administration, from ambassadorships in Europe to seats on policy-setting boards, an Associated Press review found. House GOP Changes Rules to Protect DeLay --House Republicans on Wednesday changed a party rule so DeLay, R-Terrorist-Texas, could remain as leader if indicted in a Texas campaign finance investigation that he calls political. The old rule required GOP leaders and committee chairmen charged with a felony to relinquish their positions. *The Weasel Watch* Tracks Bush Staff Exodus --by Mary Titus [As the Bush ship sinks, new BushRats have been added!!] Greenspan Warns About Trade Deficit, Lower Appetite for Dollar --A spiraling U.S. trade deficit over time can pose a risk to the U.S. economy, while at the same time the insatiable foreign demand for dollar holdings will eventually fall as investors diversify, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday in remarks that impacted the dollar and world markets. Bush signs $800 billion debt limit hike --Party-line vote sent measure to Bush for signature --Dictator Bush signed legislation on Friday raising the government's debt limit by $800 billion, a measure forged by the same budget pressures that squeezed the spending bill. Report: Hunger affected 12 million families in 2003 --More than 12 million families last year, about the same as in 2002, either didn't have enough food or worried about being able to feed everyone, the government reported Friday. After seven-year gestation, Kyoto Protocol set to be born --The Kyoto Protocol, the UN's long-troubled pact for combatting global warming, finally got the green light, with February 16 announced as the date when it will become a binding treaty. Obstacle to drilling for oil in ANWAR is removed --A controversial plan to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is likely to move forward now that there will be enough votes in the Senate to push the measure ahead. Bush Administration Wants Arctic Meltdown --by Wayne Madsen "Speaking off the record, scientists studying the current warming of the Arctic region intimated that some officials in the Bush administration saw the loss of Arctic ice and the resultant opening of sea channels such as the Northwest Passage of Canada as a good thing for the exploration and retrieval of oil and natural gas from the endangered region." FCC Crackdown Could Spread --With support from both Republicans and Democrats, the Federal Communications Commission is poised to get even more aggressive about enforcing moral values throughout broadcasting, even putting cable television in its cross hairs and taking aim at Howard Stern's right to talk dirty on satellite radio. Mega barf alert!! USDA Testing Suspect Animal for Mad Cow Disease --Government scientists are chasing a possible new case of mad cow disease in the United States, with final results on a suspicious slaughtered animal expected in coming days, officials said on Thursday. USDA Testing Suspect Animal for Mad Cow Disease --Government scientists are chasing a possible new case of mad cow disease in the United States, with final results on a suspicious slaughtered animal expected in coming days, officials said on Thursday. Bush's corporate-owned USDA is useless: Second mad cow case suspected in USA [that we have been told about...] --A suspected case of mad cow disease has been detected in the United States, agriculture officials said Thursday. Bush's corporate-owned FDA is useless: Expert Warns Against 5 FDA-Approved Drugs --At least five medications now sold to consumers pose such risks that their sale should be limited or stopped, said a government drug reviewer who raised safety questions earlier about the arthritis drug Vioxx. The committee chairman, Sen. Charles Grassley, suggested an independent board of drug safety may be needed to ensure the safety of medications after FDA approval. * Clarke: CIA Had Spies Inside Al Qaeda, Pre-9/11 --The CIA had some low-level spies inside al Qaeda in the three years before the Sept. 11 attacks, but none who could provide advance information about the group's movements [?!?], according to testimony released on Wednesday from a closed-door intelligence briefing in 2002. On the three occasions when they thought they knew bin Laden's location, the CIA opposed taking military action, saying its sources were not good enough, Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism official, told lawmakers. Clinton administration was worried about U.S. al-Qaida cells, Clarke says --A year before the Bush 'presidency' began, the Clinton administration was deeply concerned that al-Qaida sleeper cells existed in North America and considered taking swift action in response, according to newly released testimony. US authorities put a cap on the rap (journalism.co.uk) Another website has been closed following action by US authorities - this time a site run by Norwegian rap group and political activists Gatas Parlament. killhim.no was launched in October as a satirical take on 'Tellhim.no', a Norwegian political campaign site that published reader-funded anti-Bush adverts in the Washington Post. killhim.no asked readers to donate money towards a bounty for the assassination of Bush. [Wow, how much $$$ did they collect???] One page on the site said: "Shooting this man is not just self defence, but is the only reasonable thing to do." Springing to the website's defence, Aslak Borgersrud of Gatas Parlament, said: "It is fairly obvious to everyone not working at the American embassy or in the police that this was not about killing anyone. The website is a political campaign." The US embassy in Oslo reported the site to Norwegian police, who then removed the contents of the site on 29 October and replaced it with a copy of the police closure order. US forces arrest Iraq's deputy parliament speaker --US forces arrested on Tuesday the deputy head of Iraq's interim parliament and a high-ranking member of a Sunni political party after a dawn raid on his Baghdad home, spokesman from his party said. Car Bombing Kills 10 in N. Iraq; Battles Flare in Fallujah --A car carrying explosives ripped into a U.S. convoy Wednesday in northern Iraq, killing at least 10 people, and U.S. troops encountered pockets of resistance in Fallujah, a city wrecked by more than a week of fighting. Troops Move To Quell Insurgency In Mosul --Cleric Vows to Turn Iraq 'Into One Big Fallujah' --U.S. and Iraqi troops entered Mosul in force Tuesday to 'retake' streets and police stations seized by fighters in the northern city last week, while a prominent Iraqi insurgent claimed that the battle in Fallujah was only the beginning of an uprising that has already roiled parts of Iraq dominated by Sunni Muslims. Australia PM Says Body of British Aid Worker Found --A body found in the Iraqi city of Falluja appears to be that of kidnapped British aid worker Margaret Hassan, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Thursday. US claims 'no fault' in 2003 killing of reporters in Iraq: Reporters Without Borders --The US Army has acknowledged "no fault or negligence" [?!?] in the April 2003 attack on a Baghdad hotel that killed two reporters, a rights group said, even though the military knew that hundreds of journalists were based there. Chirac questions US-led Iraq war --French President Jacques Chirac says he is "not at all sure" the world has become safer with the removal from power of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. In a BBC interview Mr Chirac suggests the situation in Iraq has helped to prompt an increase in terrorism. World Food Day: Iraqi farmers aren't celebrating New from GRAIN --15 October 2004--NEWS RELEASE "When the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) celebrates biodiversity on World Food Day on October 16, Iraqi farmers will be mourning its loss. A new report [1] by GRAIN and Focus on the Global South has found that new legislation in Iraq has been carefully put in place by the US that prevents farmers from saving their seeds and effectively hands over the seed market to transnational corporations. This is a disastrous turn of events for Iraqi farmers, biodiversity and the country's food security. While political sovereignty remains an illusion, food sovereignty for the Iraqi people has been made near impossible by these new regulations." Counterinsurgency run amok --by Pepe Escobar "Whom are you going to trust: Fallujah civilians who risked their lives to escape, witnesses such as Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, hospital doctors, Amnesty International, top United Nations human-rights official Louise Arbour, the International Committee of the Red Cross; or the Pentagon and US-installed Iraqi Prime Minister [Dictator] Iyad Allawi? On the humanitarian front, Fallujah is a tragedy. The city has virtually been reduced to rubble..." Should Canada indict Bush? --by Thomas Walkom "When U.S. President [sic] George W. Bush arrives in Ottawa — probably later this year — should he be welcomed? Or should he be charged with war crimes? ...On the face of it, Bush seems a perfect candidate for prosecution under Canada's Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act." Powell Says Iran Is Pursuing Bomb --Secretary Cites 'Evidence' of Missile Effort --The United States has intelligence that Iran is working to adapt missiles to deliver a nuclear weapon, further' evidence' that the Islamic republic is determined to acquire a nuclear bomb, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said Wednesday . Moves Cement Hard-Line Stance On Foreign Policy --by Glenn Kessler "By accepting Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's resignation, President [sic] Bush appears to have taken a decisive turn in his approach to foreign policy. Powell's departure -- and Bush's intention to name his confidante, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, as Powell's replacement -- would mark the triumph of a hard-edged approach to diplomacy espoused by Vice President [sic] Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld." U.S. Rights Record Blasted --After giving the United States a taste of its own diplomatic medicine, Belarus has withdrawn a draft UN General Assembly resolution attacking Washington on its human rights record. Belarus, smarting over a draft resolution co-sponsored by the United States criticizing the conduct of its parliamentary elections in October, drafted its own human rights critique pointing out controversies over recent U.S. elections and U.S. rights abuses under the Patriot Act. Many detained in Chile protests --Hundreds of students protesting against the Apec meeting in Chile and an upcoming visit by US Dictator George W Bush have clashed with riot police. The unauthorised student march was met with water cannon and tear gas. "Night of the Long Knives" at the CIA --by Mike Whitney "Porter Goss has unleashed a 'blood purge' at the CIA to rid the agency of its subversive elements. This comes as no surprise... Disloyalty is tantamount to treason in the Bush administration. The remedy is termination... Make room for the 'yes men'; the neoconservative pure-bloods who will keep their mouths shut even when the public is at risk." CIA memo urging spies to support Bush provokes furore --The new US director of central intelligence, Porter Goss, told CIA staff this week their job was "to support the Bush administration and its policies in our work", stirring a new controversy over the future of the agency. The memorandum, circulated on Monday, was attacked by critics as an attempt to suppress dissent, particularly over Iraq, and ensure the agency only produces assessments the White House wants to hear. House G.O.P. Acts to Protect Chief --Spurred by an investigation connected to the majority leader, House Republicans voted Wednesday to abandon an 11-year-old party rule that required a member of their leadership to step aside temporarily if indicted. Republicans Change Rule to Shield DeLay if Indicted --House Republicans voted on Wednesday to change their own rules to allow Tom DeLay keep his position as majority leader even if he is indicted in Texas, where a number of his associates have already been charged in connection with illegal fund-raising activities. Change in rules proposed to protect DeLay's post --Supporters of House majority leader (and Reichwing whackjob) Tom DeLay proposed a Republican rules change yesterday that would protect the Texan's leadership position if he were to be indicted by a Texas grand jury that already has charged three of his associates. Penn Hills studying Santorum residency issue (PA) Residency question fans debate on cost of cyber-educating senator's 5 children --The Penn Hills School District, which is paying about $38,000 a year for five of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's children to attend a cyber charter school, is looking into whether the Republican senator resides in the district. Louisiana teens getting driver's license also register for selective service --There may be no "plans" for a national military draft, but that hasn't kept Louisiana from registering teenagers too young to serve in case conditions change. Larry Chevalier of Glenmora was alarmed when his 16-year-old son Nathan had to register with the Selective Service System in order to get a driver's license. "I just can't believe it. That amazes me," Chevalier said. Amtrak Begins Random ID Checks on Trains --Amtrak conductors have begun random checks of passengers' IDs as a precaution against 'terrorist' attacks. The onboard checks, which started at the beginning of November, are part of a broader program to 'improve' security, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said. In Texas, 28,000 Students Test an Electronic Eye --In front of her gated apartment complex, Courtney Payne, a 9-year-old fourth grader, exits a yellow school bus. Moments later, her movement is observed by Alan Bragg, the local police chief, standing in a windowless control room more than a mile away. Chief Bragg is not using video surveillance. Rather, he watches an icon on a computer screen. The icon marks the spot on a map where Courtney got off the bus... Advocates of the technology said they do see broader possibilities, such as implanting RFID tags under the skin of children. Informant attempts suicide at White House --FBI witness in terror trial upgraded to serious condition --An FBI informant who set himself on fire in a suicide attempt Monday has been upgraded to serious condition at Washington Hospital Center, a spokesman said. He tried to ignite himself in front of the White House. Why Isn't Kerry Using $50M Unspent Campaign Money to Fund Recounts? (democracynow.org) "Third-party candidates are requesting recounts in swing states as reports of widespread voting problems and malfunctions in electronic voting machines continue to emerge. Meanwhile, Democratic candidate John Kerry is sitting on over $50 million in unspent campaign funds, which could be used to fund recount efforts. We speak with Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb." Document reveals Columbus, Ohio voters waited hours as election officials held back machines --by Bob Fitrakis "Cliff Arnebeck, a Common Cause attorney, introduced into the record the Franklin County Board of Elections spreadsheet detailing the allocation of e-voting computer machines for the 2004 election. The Board of Elections’ own document records that, while voters waited in lines ranging from 2-7 hours at polling places, 68 electronic voting machines remained in storage and were never used on Election Day. Ohio To Go Through Statewide Vote Recount After All --A statewide recount of the presidential vote appears inevitable after a pair of third-party candidates said they have collected enough money to pay for it. The recount would be conducted after the election results are certified in early December. Candidates asking for a recount in Ohio are demanding that (chair of Bush's re-selection campaign in Ohio) J. Kenneth Blackwell recuse himself from his role of being the tie breaker that will decide whether many provisional ballots will be discarded or counted. Contact: J. Kenneth Blackwell 180 E. Broad St., 16th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 Phone: (614) 466-2585 (Ask to be transferred to the extension where you can make comments on elections.) Email: blackwell@sos.state.oh.us Also, contact Ohio media and the Ohio Governor at to pressure coupmeister Blackwell. 3 more counties report errors --Franklin Co. equipment trouble wasn't an isolated incident --Franklin County isn't the only Indiana county that had programming troubles with optical scan voting equipment this year. Ripley, Brown and Carroll counties each had a different problem, ranging from handcounting a race because the software program didn't comply with Indiana law to 63 unvoted ballots in one precinct, according to the scanner's tally tape. More Than 260 Absentee Ballots Uncounted In Pinellas County November 16, 2004 --Elections Supervisor Couldn't Explain How Mishap ['Mishap?!?'] Occurred --A box of 268 absentee ballots in Pinellas County have not been counted, and the blunder could affect the outcome of two local races in this month's general election. County elections supervisor [GOP whore] Deborah Clark couldn't explain how the mishap occurred, but she promised to investigate. This is the third time since Clark became elections supervisor in 2000 that her office has had problems handling ballots. [Express your sentiments to this whackjob: Deborah CLARK (R) Office 315 Court St. Room 117 Clearwater, FL 33756 Email: election@votepinellas.com Web: www.votepinellas.com Phone: (727) 464-3551 Term Length: 4 years (Impeach Now!!) Eligible for Reelection: Yes (?!? N.F.W.) Ballots missing in Casar (NC) Precinct officials in Casar searched the volunteer fire department for 120 missing ballots last night, but none were found. There were 120 fewer ballots in the Casar box than there were votes on the canvass, said Betsy Wells, chairman of the Cleveland County (NC) Democratic Party, and Wes Westmoreland, her counterpart in the Republican Party. Suspicions stir belief that presidential election was hijacked --by Greg Guma "Could sophisticated CIA-style 'cyber-warfare' have helped George W. Bush change a three percent defeat, as measured by exit polls, into a victory of about the same margin? Yes, at least in theory. But it would require hacking into multiple local computer systems, presumably from a remote location. There is as yet no solid proof that such a cyber-attack occurred on Nov. 2. But suspicions are mounting that the U.S. presidential election results were manipulated to some extent." Keith Olbermann's Dan Rather moment --by Bill Steingerwald "So, America, what's sloppier? Our shaky elections system or the jayvee journalism practiced on Keith Olbermann's fake [you're the fake --a mediocre Rove troll] MSNBC news show 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann'? I cast all of my votes for Olbermann. ...I don't know, boys. Maybe it's because before they start making wild charges of 'vote fraud,' real journalists pick up a telephone." [Be sure to share your thoughts with Reichwing 'editorialist,' Bill Steigerwald: (412) 320-7983 and bsteigerwald@tribweb.com.] Senate OKs $800B Debt Limit Hike --A divided Senate approved an $800 billion increase in the federal debt limit Wednesday, a major boost in borrowing that Sen. John Kerry and other Democrats blamed on the fiscal policies of Dictator Bush Democrats in Congress decry ballooning US debt --Democrats in Congress decried a ballooning US debt which they warned could reach 14.5 trillion dollars in ten years unless drastic action is taken. Dollar hits new all-time low against euro --Worries over oil prices, trade deficits weigh on greenback --The U.S. dollar dropped to a new all-time low against the euro Wednesday as the European currency rose to US$1.3035, breaking a week-old record against the slumping greenback. Wholesale prices soar --Report shows biggest jump since 1990, driven by surge in energy costs. A key inflation gauge soared in October, the government reported Tuesday, as higher energy costs helped fuel the biggest increase in prices at the wholesale level in nearly 15 years. [Looks like Dick Cheney's secret Energy Task Force has paid off well for his installers...] Analyst Says Oil Supply Problems Could Loom --The world's oil supply is headed toward a crisis state that could flare as early as next year, fueled by corporate greed ['steaming demand and declining production'], a longtime sector investor and analyst said on Wednesday. Kmart to Buy Sears in $11.5 Billion Deal --Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp. will buy department store operator Sears, Roebuck & Co. in a $11.5 billion deal unveiled on Wednesday, creating the third-largest U.S. retailer. Election Over, McCain Criticizes Bush on Climate Change --Wasting no time distancing himself from Dictator Bush on an issue that has long divided them, Senator John McCain yesterday called the White House stance on climate change "terribly disappointing" and said inaction in the face of mounting scientific data was unjustified. US study links more than 200 diseases to pollution --Pollution has been linked to about 200 different diseases, as well as more than 37 kinds of cancer, startling US research shows... Britain has weakened the proposed European Union regulations to provide safety information on the substances at the behest of the US government. * 33,000 ballots lost in shuffle --Utah County votes fall through cracks in initial tally; race outcomes stay, but scale of error raises concerns --Voters in Utah County had more than a one in five chance that their ballots did not get counted in the initial, unofficial tally from Election Day. A programming glitch in the punch-card counter dropped 33,000 ballots from the totals - all of them straight-party ballots. That was more than 22 percent of the 145,769 ballots cast in the Republican stronghold. "The card readers were fine; it was just the way it was programmed initially," Utah County elections coordinator Kristen Swensen said Friday. "It was just off by one letter." Ohio voters tell of Election Day troubles at hearing --Tales of waiting more than five hours to vote, voter intimidation, under-trained polling-station workers and too few or broken voting machines largely in urban or heavily minority areas were retold Saturday at a public hearing organized by voter-rights groups. For three hours, burdened voters, one after another, offered sworn testimony about Election Day voter suppression and irregularities that they believe are threatening democracy. I Smell a Rat.** --by Colin Shea, The Freezer Box "The first sign of the rat was on election night... The facts as I see them now defy all logical explanations save one--massive and systematic vote fraud. We cannot accept the result of the 2004 presidential election as legitimate until these discrepancies are rigorously and completely explained. From the Valerie Plame case to the horrors of Abu Ghraib, George Bush has been reluctant to seek answers and assign accountability when it does not suit his purposes. But this is one time when no American should accept not getting a straight answer. Until then, George Bush is still, and will remain, the 'Accidental President' of 2000." Pilotless Jet Will Attempt Speed Record --NASA plans to try to set a world speed record for jets on Monday with the flight of a pilotless vehicle [similar to the ones that hit the World Trade Center?] that culminates a decades-long research program into hypersonic flight. Falluja Rebels Battle On; Clashes Across Iraq --U.S. warplanes bombarded hard core rebel areas of Falluja on Monday and troops hunted insurgents house-to-house, while heavy clashes broke out in other cities and insurgents attacked Iraq's oil network. The U.S. military says it has taken control of Falluja [Really? Then why do the Bush terrorists keep bombing the city?] but scattered resistance remained, particularly in southern parts of the city. Large areas lie in ruins, devastated by the ferocity of the military's seven-day onslaught. U.S. Planes Bomb Falluja as Rebels Battle On --U.S. warplanes bombarded hard core 'rebel areas' of Falluja on Monday as troops hunted 'insurgents' house-to-house in the city already devastated by the ferocity of the military's seven-day onslaught. Falluja liberated [?!?], says marines commander --After United States and Iraqi security forces declared victory [?!?] in Falluja seven days after launching the largest military operation since the invasion last year, resistance forces struck hard in the central Iraqi city of Baquba and nearby Buhriz. 'This one's faking he's dead' 'He's dead now' Fallujah: Video shows US soldier killing wounded insurgent in cold blood --The US Marine Corps launched an investigation into possible war crimes last night after video footage taken inside a mosque in Fallujah apparently showed a Marine shooting dead an unarmed Iraqi insurgent who had been taken prisoner. The footage showed several Marines with a group of prisoners who were either lying on the floor or propped against a wall of the bombed-out building. One Marine can be heard declaring that one of the prisoners was faking his injuries. "He's fucking faking he's dead. He faking he's fucking dead," says the Marine. At that point a clatter of gunfire can be heard as one of the Marines shoots the prisoner. Another voice can then be heard saying: "He's dead now." Inquiry into shooting of wounded Iraqi shown in television footage --The Pentagon said last night it was opening an investigation into the shooting of an unarmed and wounded Iraqi in Falluja, following the release of television footage showing what appeared to be a close-range execution-style killing. Doctor tells of hospital nightmare --Ahmed Ghanim's nightmarish week began as Iraqi national guardsmen and US Marines entered the city's general hospital, handcuffed the doctors and forced patients out to the car park... The worst was yet to come as the bombing came closer to the city centre. ..."We would bring the patient in and we would have to let him die." Electricity to the city was cut. There was no water, no food, no fluids for the patients, Dr Ghanim said. But patients kept coming. Pictures from 'Liberated' Fallujah: Fallujah in Pictures (fallujahpictures.blogspot.com) "Pictures from Fallujah that probably won't be on your television." [Warning! Graphic] US does not pay back favours, says Chirac --Blair got nothing for support of US in Iraq, says French president --Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac clashed openly last night over the future course of Europe's relationship with the United States as the prime minister insisted they must work together for world peace and the French president suggested it is increasingly pointless. Mr Chirac, speaking ahead of his state visit to London, said that Britain had gained nothing in return for supporting the US over Iraq and that he did not think "it is in the nature of our American friends today" to pay back favours. Porton Down unlawfully killed airman in sarin tests --The family of an airman who died in government nerve gas experiments more than 50 years ago is demanding an apology from the Ministry of Defence after an inquest ruled he had been unlawfully killed. Long walk to freedom --Mordechai Vanunu served 18 years in an Israeli prison for blowing the whistle on the country's nuclear weapons programme. Last week he was arrested again - but not before he had given Duncan Campbell the following exclusive interview "...Mordechai Vanunu, who emerged from his 18-year sentence for revealing that Israel had a nuclear weapons programme only seven months ago, has been re-arrested and accused of disclosing classified information and of breaching the restrictions that forbid him from associating with foreigners." Bordering On Nukes? --New accounts from al-Qaeda to attack the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction --A key al-Qaeda operative seized in Pakistan recently offered an alarming account of the group's potential plans to target the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, senior U.S. security officials tell TIME. U.S. citizenship no bar to terror screening --A Joint Terrorism Task Force team, a combination of federal and local agents, converged on the home of home of a woman in North Virginia, threatened her with a subpoena, dispatched agents to her office to ask about her, and took away her garbage in the trunks of their cars. Bush threatens mankind, says Caldicott --Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Helen Caldicott fears US Dictator George Bush's re-selection will lead to Armageddon and she isn't sure if mankind would survive another four years. "I don't know if we'll survive the next four years ... I don't think the Americans have, on the whole, the faintest idea - and I have to say also I don't think most Australians do either. But it's not just the threat from nuclear war. It's the threat of what's happening to the environment, the global warming which is occurring rapidly now, to ozone depletion, to species extinction, to deforestation - it's the whole thing." Moderates make way for right wing shift --Secretary of State Colin Powell's resignation and a flood of high-level departures at the State Department and CIA remove the cautionary voices that had often acted as a brake on US Dictator George W Bush's aggressive foreign policy. US officials and analysts said today that by agreeing to Powell's departure and approving a purge by new CIA chief Porter Goss, Bush and Vice pResident Dick Cheney appear to be eliminating the few independent centres of power in the US national security apparatus. Some said they are cementing the system under their personal control. Powell resigns with three other Cabinet secretaries --Condoleezza Rice nomination could be announced Tuesday --U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Monday he was resigning, and two senior regime officials told CNN that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice is Dictator Bush's choice to replace him. Powell quits Bush Cabinet --US Secretary of State Colin Powell, widely respected in a world often wary of America's superpower diplomacy, resigned today. Powell, who was viewed as a voice of moderation in an administration dominated by right-wing hawks, is the top regime official to quit since Dictator George W Bush's re-selection. Mega Barf Alert: Rice Is Top Candidate to Replace Powell -Sources --National security adviser Condoleezza Rice emerged as the likely candidate on Monday to replace resigning Secretary of State Colin Powell, Republican sources said. Another Man Jumps Fence at White House --Just hours after a man set himself on fire on Pennsylvania Avenue, another man jumped the fence onto White House grounds. WTOP has learned that around 5 p.m. Monday, the man scaled the six-foot high fence, landed on the other side, and was pounced-on by the uniformed Secret Service. This happened just hours after the Secret Service put the flames out on another man. US police slammed for stun guns on kids --The use by Miami-Dade County (Florida) police of 50,000-volt Taser stun guns to subdue children today sparked an uproar in the United States. Fed Pension Agency Deficit to $23.3 Bln --The deficit at the federal agency that rescues failed U.S. pension funds more than doubled to $23.3 billion in fiscal 2004, officials said on Monday, as the safety net was hit by losses from pension plans that have failed or are expected to fail. Noon turns to night as cloud blacks out sun (China Daily) Day turned to night across Shenyang when a freak cloud formation 8,000 metres deep blanketed the northeastern city. For over half-an-hour noon was as black as midnight. With sky and sun effectively blocked out, visibility was reduced to near zero, according to an expert from the provincial capital's meteorological bureau. Melting Swiss Glaciers Threaten Alps - Scientist --Switzerland's glaciers are melting faster than expected, shrinking by as much as one-fifth of their size over the 1985-2000 period alone, scientists at Zurich University said on Monday. *** White House Ordered New CIA Chief to Eliminate Officers Who Were Disloyal to Dictator Bush --CIA plans to purge its agency --The White House has ordered the new CIA director, Porter Goss, to purge the agency of officers believed to have been disloyal to Dictator George W. Bush or of leaking damaging information to the media about the conduct of the Iraq war and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, according to knowledgeable sources. "The agency is being purged on instructions from the White House," said a former senior CIA official who maintains close ties to both the agency and to the White House. "Goss was given instructions ... to get rid of those soft leakers and liberal Democrats. The CIA is looked on by the White House as a hotbed of liberals and people who have been obstructing the president[sic]'s agenda." Feds to Put Radio Antennas On Medicine Bottles --Food and Drug Administration and drug makers are expected to announce an agreement Monday to put tiny radio antennas on labels of millions of medicine bottles to further control Amerikans ['combat counterfeiting, abuse and fraud']. ["Gee, we can really scrw with that. And, we will." --Carol Schiffler, CLG Actions Chair.]* U.S. OKs Commercial Drilling in Alaska Oil [?!? Wildlife] Reserve --Fri Nov 12, 3:51 PM ET --The U.S. Interior Department on Friday gave final approval to a plan by ConocoPhillips and partner Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to develop five tracts around the oil-rich Alpine field on Alaska's North Slope. [While we are debating ballots from Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the Bush dictatorship is moving full-steam ahead with its Reichwing agenda!! Do not let the Bush regime dictate debate!! BTW, this announcement is typical of the Bush dictatorship's Friday afternoon environmental 'bad news' dump, timed to insure that the media does not notice/cover such items, heading into a weekend (slow) news cycle.] Study Says Polar Bears Could Face Extinction --Global warming could cause polar bears to go extinct by the end of the century by eroding the sea ice that sustains them, according to the most comprehensive international assessment ever done of Arctic climate change. [Luckily, bears do not waste their remaining days in lines waiting to vote on fixed elections, or send themselves on impossible chases after stolen elections while their habitat is being destroyed!! Instead, they can live out their remaining days, without being scammed into thinking they actually have a say in the situation...] US study links more than 200 diseases to pollution --Pollution has been linked to about 200 different diseases, ranging from cerebral palsy to testicular atrophy, as well as more than 37 kinds of cancer, startling US research shows. CIA transferring Iraqi detainees --US intelligence officials have transferred detainees out of Iraq for interrogation, a move that experts say violates international law. According to The Washington Post in its Sunday edition, the CIA has invoked a confidential memo written by the US Department of Justice to justify secretly transferring as many as a dozen detainees out of Iraq in the past six months. Big bleeping surprise: Iraq vote could be delayed --Deputy PM voices doubts over January date as violence continues --Iraq's deputy prime minister has indicated for the first time that the much-heralded elections due in January could be derailed by the country's violent insurgency. [At least the Iraqis may have an election; we did not.] Iraq's Allawi Is a 'Straw Man' and a 'Criminal,' Says Sy Hersh at NYU --Speaking at New York University this week, famed investigative reporter Seymour Hersh called Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi a "straw man" and a "criminal" and said the key story the press is missing in Iraq is the recent upsurge in U.S. bombing -- even before the Fallujah operation. Fighting Breaks Out in Falluja After U.S. Strikes --Fresh fighting broke out in the Iraqi city of Falluja Monday after U.S. forces attacked suspected 'rebel' targets with air strikes, artillery and mortar rounds, a Reuters correspondent in Falluja said. US Says 38 Soldiers Killed in Iraqi Offensive --The U.S. military said on Sunday 38 U.S. soldiers had died in the week-long offensive to recapture the Iraqi city of Falluja from rebels and 275 had been wounded. The toll includes three non-combat deaths. AP Photographer Flees Fallujah --In the hours and days that followed, heavy bombing raids and thunderous artillery shelling turned Hussein's northern Jolan neighborhood into a zone of rubble and death. The walls of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein's house were pockmarked by occupation fire. ...By Tuesday afternoon, as U.S. forces and Iraqi rebels engaged in fierce clashes in the heart of his neighborhood, Hussein snapped. "U.S. soldiers began to open fire on the houses, so I decided that it was very dangerous to stay in my house," he said. Body of woman found in Fallujah --The body of a blonde woman with her legs and arms cut off and throat slit was found today lying on a street in Falluja, a notorious Iraqi enclave for hostage-takers, US marines said. Franks: US to stay in Iraq for 3 more years --The US-led invasion of Iraq will eventually succeed but US troops will likely have to stay in the country for up to three more years, former commander of US forces who ran the war in Iraq and Afghanistan (Tommy Franks), said here on Thursday. US denies need for Falluja aid convoy --US military chiefs said yesterday that they saw no need for the Iraqi Red Crescent to deliver aid inside Falluja because they did not think any Iraqi civilians were trapped there. Amnesty International --Public Statement --4 November 2004 Iraq - "Falluja: assurances needed for the protection of civilians Reacting to increasing reports that United States (US) and Iraqi troops are preparing to launch a major offensive aimed at gaining control of the city of Falluja, Amnesty International seeks assurances from both governments that they will comply with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. Similarly, Amnesty International calls on armed groups in Falluja to comply with the rules of international law." Rights group blasts 'racist' US media --A rights group has blasted some US media organisations for allowing for 'racist and hate-filled speech' during its coverage of the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat's death. Two N.C. Races Held Up by Voting Problems --A Florida-style nightmare has unfolded in North Carolina in the 10 days since Election Day, with thousands of votes missing and the outcome of two statewide races still up in the air. ...The biggest failure resulted from a computer glitch that wiped out more than 4,400 votes in one county, while other disputes have focused on how to count provisional ballots. In another county, 12,000 early and absentee votes were misplaced due to a procedural error, but later found. "FOR REASONS THAT REMAIN UNCLEAR"~MEDIA DUI: ACCEPTABLY-FAIR-ELECTION Koolaid (poetry) --by "Artist General" Masley -- For whom the Bell Tolls? Vilsack, Dean Jockey for Top DNC Post --Iowa Gov. [and GOP-lite troll] Tom Vilsack told Democratic leaders on Friday he may seek the party's top job as the jockeying to replace chairman Terry McAuliffe intensified. Expert: Harvard Aided Nazi Image in 1930s --Harvard University enhanced the reputation of the Nazi regime when it sanctioned events in the 1930s attended by Nazis, a historian claimed Sunday. Mega barf alert: Ads back Schwarzenegger for president --Californians will soon see advertisements urging them to help give GOP-installed [Nazi] Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other foreign-born citizens the chance to run for president. Paying for Santorums' school costs questioned The senator lives in Va. His children attend a cyber school paid for by his Pa. school district. A suburban Pittsburgh school district is reviewing whether it should continue paying for the children of Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Liar, Pa.) to attend a cyber school even though the senator and his family live in Virginia. Penn Hills has spent $100,000 educating Santorum's children at an Internet-based school since 2001-02, said Erin Vecchio, a school board member who requested the review. "I'm concerned, because [he is] taking away from my kid. That $100,000... could be going to my kids, a computer or something," said Vecchio, who has three children enrolled in Penn Hills schools. "I'm sick of this man saying that he lives in Penn Hills when he doesn't." EPA Suspends Study on Kids And Pesticides --The Environmental Protection Agency has suspended a controversial study aimed at exploring how infants and toddlers absorb pesticides and other household chemicals, officials said yesterday. Several rank-and-file EPA scientists had questioned the ethics of the two-year experiment, which would have given the families of 60 children in Duval County, Fla., $970 each as well as a camcorder and children's clothing in exchange for having the children participate. EPA Will Use Poor Kids As Guinea Pigs In In New Study On Pesticides --Study Launch Date Suspended Until Early 2005 --Offers Public Comment Period (organixconsumers.org) "11/12/2004: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by Bush appointees, plans to launch a new study in which participating low income families will have their children exposed to toxic pesticides over the course of two years. The study entitled CHEERS (Children’s Environmental Exposure Research Study) will look at how chemicals can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed by children ranging from babies to 3 years old. For taking part in these studies, each family will receive $970, a free video camera, a T-shirt, and a framed certificate of appreciation." What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits --With 3,600 stores in the United States and roughly 100 million customers walking through the doors each week, Wal-Mart has access to information about a broad slice of America - from individual Social Security and driver's license numbers to geographic proclivities for Mallomars, or lipsticks, or jugs of antifreeze. By its own count, Wal-Mart has 460 terabytes of data stored on Teradata mainframes, made by NCR, at its Bentonville headquarters. WHO Meeting Warns of Flu Pandemic --An influenza pandemic, when it arrives [How do they know it is definitely 'arriving?'], will be an immediate threat to the health of nearly everyone on Earth, but very little is being done to prevent its potential devastation, say experts who met this week at the World Health Organization's headquarters in Switzerland. *** More Than 100 Journalists Killed This Year --More than 100 journalists have been killed since January, making 2004 the most deadly year for journalists in a decade, an international media rights group said. US to build wireless network for future warfare --The Pentagon has laid the first connections for a secure, wireless information network that proponents say will fundamentally transform warfare, a US newspaper reported. Estimates are that the Global Information Grid will cost 200 billion dollars in the next decade alone, but take two decades to complete, the New York Times said. Pentagon Building Its Own Internet For War --Pentagon Envisioning a Costly Internet for War --The Pentagon is building its own Internet, the military's world wide web for the wars of the future. The goal is to give all American commanders and troops a moving picture of all foreign enemies and threats - "a God's-eye view" of battle. British soldiers sue Pentagon --$2.3m claim after military police and interpreter injured in crash --Three British soldiers and an army interpreter are suing the American military after their vehicle was rammed by a US tank transporter in Iraq. The $2.3m (£1.2m) suit is the first against the US army from coalition troops since the invasion of Iraq. It seeks to exploit provisions normally reserved for Iraqis claiming compensation for family members wrongfully killed in US raids. Curfews as Iraq rebellion spreads --Iraq's government extended its security clampdown last night, imposing new curfews as the US military struggled to 'contain' [not going to work, morons!] a spreading wave of militant attacks. U.S. Armored Forces Blast Their Way Into Rebel Nest in Falluja --Army tanks and fighting vehicles blasted their way into the last main rebel stronghold in Falluja at sundown on Saturday after American warplanes and artillery prepared the way with a savage barrage on the district. Earlier in the afternoon, 10 separate plumes of smoke rose from southern Falluja, as if etched against the desert sky, and probably exclaiming catastrophe for the 'insurgents.' Fresh Falluja assault launched --Backed by tanks and artillery fire, US troops have launched a major attack today against insurgent holdouts in southern Falluja, hoping to finish off resistance in what had been the major guerrilla bastion of central Iraq. In northern Mosul, a car bomb exploded as a convoy of Iraqi National Guards passed by through the eastern part of the city, witnesses said. U.S. Troops 'Occupy' City of Fallujah [??? Isn't the whole insane, immoral invasion of Iraq an 'occupation???'] --U.S. military officials said Saturday that American troops had now "occupied" the entire city of Fallujah and there were no more major concentrations of insurgents still fighting. Strategy maximizes Iraqi civilian deaths --The stunning revelations that postinvasion Iraqi deaths are three to 10 times higher than any previous estimates will be a major embarrassment for the Bush regime. The revelations come from the first scientific survey of the postinvasion death toll among Iraqis, which was published last month on the Web site of the influential British medical journal The Lancet. Die, then vote. This is Falluja --Iraqi elections were postponed to save Bush. That led to today's carnage --by Naomi Klein "With all the millions spent on 'democracy-building' and 'civil society' in Iraq, it has come to this: if you can survive attack by the world's only superpower, you get to cast a ballot. Fallujans are going to vote, goddammit, even if they all have to die first. And make no mistake: it is Fallujans who are under the gun. 'The enemy has got a face. He's called Satan. He lives in Falluja,' marine Lt Col Gareth Brandl told the BBC. Well, at least he admitted that some of the fighters actually live in Falluja, unlike Donald Rumsfeld, who would have us believe that they are all from Syria and Jordan." Soldier killed, three wounded in Iraq - U.S. --Insurgents attacked a military base outside Baghdad with "indirect fire", killing one soldier serving with U.S.-led multinational forces in Iraq and wounding three, the U.S. military said on Sunday. Homeless Vets Already Overload Safety Net --System Struggles With Down-and out Vets, and There May Be another Generation Coming --"Are they or aren't they really veterans?" is a question often asked when encountering a homeless person claiming to be a vet. There's a good chance they are. "There is plenty of evidence to show that one third of [homeless males] are veterans," says John Baskerville of Swords to Plowshares, a non-profit veterans support group in the San Francisco Bay area. Deputy Chief Resigns From CIA --Agency Is Said to Be in Turmoil Under New Director Goss --The deputy director of the CIA resigned yesterday after a series of confrontations over the past week between senior operations officials and CIA Director Porter J. Goss's new chief of staff that have left the agency in turmoil, according to several current and former CIA officials. Patriot Act renewal up to Congress --Law's critics and supporters debate whether it undermines constitutional search rights --The 109th Congress which convenes on Jan. 3 will join one of the most contentious legislative battles to result from the war on terrorism: whether to preserve, amend or scrap portions of the USA Patriot Act, enacted in October of 2001. Guantanamo Detainee Won't Attend Hearing --A man the United States alleges was the roommate of a suicide bomber in the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen refused to appear before a U.S. military review panel at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an official said Saturday. Fort Bragg Troops Train For Homeland Security Mission --November 11, 2004 --This week, Fort Bragg soldiers ran a rare training exercise in New York. The group of soldiers flew to New York to train for a fictional scenario in which terrorists plan to strike the West Point Military Academy, the place where future Army leaders train... Most units around the country are scheduling more domestic "training ops" like this one. The soldiers at Fort Bragg have done three. Second Child Shocked by Police Taser Gun --Police have acknowledged using a stun gun to immobilize a 12-year-old girl just weeks after an officer jolted a first-grader with 50,000 volts. Cheney Is Said to Be Fine After Shortness of Breath --Vice pResident Dick Cheney, who has been plagued by heart problems for more than 25 years, underwent tests at a hospital here on Saturday after complaining of shortness of breath. Cheney went home after three hours, and his doctor said there was no evidence that he had suffered a heart attack. Flu oddities: Flu pandemic looms as major global crisis --4:28 p.m. ET Nov. 12, 2004 --The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged governments to provide funds to drug makers developing vaccines against a feared influenza pandemic, which could kill millions of people. The greatest influenza pandemic occurred in 1918-1919, causing an estimated 40 to 50 million deaths, more than were killed in World War one which preceded the outbreak. The U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have projected that a pandemic today would result in between 2 million and 7.4 million deaths globally. Only two drug makers -- Aventis-Pasteur of France and British manufacturer Chiron Corp have been working on potential pandemic vaccines with funds from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. [Chrion was the U.S.-based company - NOT a U.K.-based company - that produced the (allegedly) contaminated flu vaccines for the 2004 'flu season.' (See: 'Flu Shots' article October 6, 2004 - "This year, Chrion, one of the major manufacturers of flu vaccine is not being able to distribute its supply of vaccine to the United States because their license has been suspended.") WHY is this company entrusted with developing a vaccine to 'stop' a disease that, according to the CDC, could kill 'between 2 million and 7.4 million deaths globally?'] Chrion: Contract awarded to develop vaccine against H9N2 avian influenza --Aug. 18, 2004 - The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a contract to Chiron Corporation of Emeryville, CA, for the production of an investigational [?!?] vaccine based on an H9N2 strain of avian influenza virus that has infected humans and has the potential to trigger a modern-day pandemic. Killer flu recreated in the lab --Thursday, 7 October, 2004, 05:02 GMT 06:02 UK [Why?] --Scientists have shown that tiny changes to modern flu viruses could render them as deadly as the 1918 strain which killed millions. A US team added two genes from a sample of the 1918 virus to a modern strain [Why?] known to have no effect on mice. Animals exposed to this composite were dying within days of symptoms similar to those found in human victims of the 1918 pandemic. Flu victim exhumed after 85 years --Friday, 30 January, 2004, 20:08 GMT --Scientists are preparing to exhume the body of a woman who died of flu 85 years ago to find out how the virus killed millions across Europe. [Why?] Phyllis Burn died aged 20 in 1918, a victim of the 20th Century's worst flu epidemic, which killed more than 50 million people. She was buried in a lead coffin, thought to be virtually airtight, in Twickenham, south-west London. Scientists wearing protective clothing will remove lung samples from the body. ...The move has the support of Miss Burn's niece, Hilary Burn-Callander, who told BBC London she was a bit surprised at first by the request. "I didn't know what to think to be honest," she said. Despite Warnings, Drug Giant Took Long Path to Vioxx Recall --In May 2000, executives at Merck, the pharmaceutical giant under siege for its handling of the multibillion-dollar drug Vioxx, made a fateful decision. The company's top research and marketing executives met that month to consider whether to develop a study to directly test a disturbing possibility: that Vioxx, a painkiller, might pose a heart risk. Two months earlier, results from a clinical trial conducted for other reasons had suggested such concerns. But the executives rejected pursuing a study focused on Vioxx's cardiovascular risks... Political row as Italian TV news host forced out --Italy's most respected newscaster has been abruptly moved from his prime-time news programme on a network owned by [Reichwing whackjob] Silvio Berlusconi, raising new fears over the prime minister's influence over the media. * Indiana 'voting' machines count straight-party Democratic votes as Libertarian --Glitch causes Franklin Co. recount --BROOKVILLE, Ind. - Election equipment counted straight-party votes for Democratic candidates as Libertarian votes, an error that could affect election outcomes in as many as nine counties, the Richmond Palladium-Item reported today. Democrats discovered the error in Franklin County, where ballots will be counted again tonight. The county's election equipment vendor, Fidlar, notified officials Wednesday of the error. Judge eyed on ballots (NM) --A Republican judge in one voting precinct has some explaining to do, Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera said this morning. As the weary clerk's staff continued to examine provisional ballots, attention gathered on one batch in which the disqualified ballots all were Democrat and those that qualified were Republican, Herrera said. Herrera's staff had been combing through 2,000 "questionable" ballots, which led to the certification of 1,400 of them. Presidential Race Still Undecided in New Mexico --It will still take more than 10 days to find out who took the last state up for grabs in the Nov. 2 election. "I will not be declaring a winner until Nov. 23," said New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron. Judge Sides With Democrats In Ballot Dispute (WA) A judge on Friday ordered King County elections officials to turn over the names of 929 voters whose provisional ballots are in dispute. State Democrats said they planned to contact those listed to ensure their votes count. Democrats Sue Wash. County Over Ballots --Washington state Democrats, fearful their candidate for governor might narrowly lose because of disputed ballots, sued election officials Friday in the state's largest county. The lawsuit would block election officials in King County, home to Seattle, from discarding about 900 provisional ballots. Party officials hoped they could get a decision later in the day. King County faces election lawsuit (WA) Democrats object to ballot handling in governor's race --The state Democratic Party plans to sue the King County Elections Department today over its handling of special ballots in the neck-and-neck race for governor, party officials said last night. Kerry campaign scrutinizes Ohio --Checks provisional ballots, other issues --Lawyers with John Kerry's presidential campaign are gathering information from Ohio election boards about uncounted ballots and other unresolved issues from last week's 'election.' Attorneys say they are not trying to challenge the election [Why not?] but are only carrying out Kerry's promise to make sure that all the votes in Ohio are counted. Kerry Won Ohio --Just Count the Ballots At the Back of the Bus --Most voters in Ohio chose Kerry. Here's how the votes vanished. --by Greg Palast "This February, Ken Blackwell, Ohio's Secretary of State, told his State Senate President, 'The possibility of a close election with punch cards as the state’s primary voting device invites a Florida-like calamity.' Blackwell, co-chair of Bush-Cheney reelection campaign, wasn't warning his fellow Republican of disaster, but boasting of an opportunity to bring in Ohio for Team Bush no matter what the voters wanted. And most voters in Ohio wanted JFK, not GWB. But their choice won't count because their votes won't be counted. The ballots that add up to a majority for John Kerry in Ohio -- and in New Mexico -- are locked up in two Republican hidey-holes: 'spoiled' ballots and 'provisional' ballots. --OHIO SPOILED ROTTEN --American democracy has a dark little secret. In a typical presidential election, two million ballots are simply chucked in the garbage, marked 'spoiled' and not counted." Post-vote reform is sought --Registration: Election officials target groups paid to register. Election officials sorting through several thousand provisional votes said Monday that state lawmakers should consider reforms targeting groups whose registration activity cost some Nevadans their right to vote on Nov. 2. Voter Outreach of America, operated by Republican-based Sproul and Associates of Phoenix, was singled out for most of the criticism directed at such groups. Some of its former workers in Nevada and other battleground states alleged they were told to register only Republicans and to ignore pro-Kerry people. Some said that completed Democratic registration forms were thrown out or ripped up. The head of the company is Nathan Sproul — a former Christian Coalition activist and one-time executive director of the Arizona GOP. Vancouver lawyer visiting U.S. cities to tell Americans how to emigrate --A Vancouver immigration lawyer is travelling to three U.S. Pacific Coast cities to tell Americans who can't face another four years of George Bush how to find the life they hoped for in Canada. "A lot of people are feeling disenfranchised after the last election," Kischer said. [And, after the previous 'election,' as well!] Down With Fancy Book Learnin' What's it mean that the big cities and college towns of America all voted blue? --by Mark Morford "Have we progressed almost not at all from the days prior to the Civil War, when the nation was split almost exactly as it is now? Verily, it would appear not, not so much. In fact, it's only getting worse." For the First Time Since Vietnam, the Army Prints a Guide to Fighting Insurgents --For the first time in decades, the Army has issued a field guide to counterinsurgency warfare, an acknowledgment that the kind of fighting under way in Iraq may become more common in the years ahead. 'Iraqi' Gov't Warns Media About Coverage --The U.S. puppet dictatorship in Iraq ['Iraqi government'] warned news organizations Thursday to distinguish between insurgents and ordinary civilians in coverage of the fighting in Fallujah and to promote the leadership's position or face unspecified action. The warning came in a statement sent to news organizations by Iraq's Media High Commission [?!?], which cited the 60-day state of emergency declared Sunday on the eve of the [insane and immoral] offensive in Fallujah. "You must be precise and objective in handling news and information,'' the statement said... It also told news organizations to tell their correspondents "to be credible and precise'' and not to "add patriotic descriptions to groups of killers and criminals." [Oh. You mean as Faux News does for the Bush regime, on a daily basis?] ...It said that failure to follow the instructions will require authorities to "take all necessary measures to safeguard the supreme interest of the homeland.'' [Joseph Goebbels would envy this propaganda ministry!] Black Hawk Shot Down Near Baghdad; 3 Reported Injured --A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by anti-Iraqi forces northeast of Baghdad at about 4:30 p.m. Iraq time today. A father's anger: 'I would kill Geoff Hoon' --The father of two Black Watch soldiers serving at Camp Dogwood in Iraq threatened to kill the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, yesterday because he was a "two-faced lying git". James Buchanan, whose sons Gary, 27, and Craig, 24, both corporals, were due to return home but then redeployed north to reinforce the American assault on Falluja, said: "This man has got me so angry. If I see him in the street I would kill him. I would kill that man. I would cut his throat." [Get in line, pal! Everyone seems to detest Hoon the Goon!!] V.A. to Study Toxins' Effects From 1991 Gulf War --The government will spend $15 million over the next year for research on the illnesses of veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, the secretary of veterans affairs, Anthony J. Principi, announced Friday. He said it would concentrate on the role of neurotoxins, and not the stress and psychological conditions often implicated as a cause of the veterans' health complaints. Pentagon Building Its Own Internet For War --Pentagon Envisioning a Costly Internet for War --The Pentagon is building its own Internet, the military's world wide web for the wars of the future. The goal is to give all American commanders and troops a moving picture of all foreign enemies and threats - "a God's-eye view" of battle. Ashcroft says judges threaten national security by questioning Bush decisions --Federal judges are jeopardizing national security by issuing rulings contradictory to Dictator Bush's decisions on America's obligations under international treaties and agreements, Attorney General [and Reichwing whackjob] John Ashcroft said Friday. Ashcroft Condemns Judges Who Question Bush --Federal judges are jeopardizing national security [?!?] by issuing rulings contradictory to Dictator Bush's decisions on America's obligations under international treaties and agreements, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Friday. Bush Sees Patriot Act Renewal As Key Goal --Attorney General John Ashcroft is leaving but the top issues for the Justice Department are the same heading into Dictator Bush's second term: persuading Congress to renew key parts of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act and continuing fundamental reforms at the FBI. We seize servers, you can't complain - US gov --by John Lettice "The US Government is attempting to block efforts to find out who seized Indymedia's servers in London last month. The Government has filed a motion in San Antonio District Court opposing the Electronic Frontier Foundation's motion to unseal the court order which resulted in the seizures, and arguing among other things that unsealing would 'seriously jeopardize' an 'ongoing criminal terrorism investigation'." Gov't Orders Air Passenger Data for Test --The government ordered U.S. airlines Friday to turn over personal information about passengers so it can test a system for identifying potential 'terrorists.' The move was expected but nonetheless brought protests from civil libertarians worried about invasions of privacy. Under the system, called "Secure Flight," the Transportation Security Administration will compare passenger data with names on two government watch lists: a "no-fly" list comprises known or suspected 'terrorists,' and a "watch" list names people who should face tighter scrutiny before boarding planes. CIA Critic of U.S. War on Terror Resigns --A CIA analyst who wrote a book that criticized the U.S. war on terror has resigned from the spy agency after it effectively banned him from publicly discussing his views, his publicist said on Thursday. Michael Scheuer, whose book "Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror" was signed as "anonymous" and published this summer, will resign effective Friday after 22 years at the Central Intelligence Agency. Secret Service pays visit to Boulder High** --Bob Dylan's Masters of War is a hard-hitting, anti-war song produced more than 20 years before any current Boulder High School student was born. More than 40 years after its release, the song has been resurrected at Boulder High that prompted Secret Service agents to pay the campus a visit Thursday. Rumors were rampant that during an audition and rehearsal for today's talent show, the students changed Dylan's powerful last verse at the end of the song to say that they hoped that Dictator Bush was going to die. Police use stun gun on 6-year-old --Police say a 6-year-old Florida boy wasn't hurt when they shocked him with a 50,000-volt taser to keep him from cutting himself with a piece of glass. Frist Warns on Filibusters Over Bush Nominees --Issuing a blunt warning to Democrats, the Senate majority leader, Bill ['cat-torturer'] Frist, said Thursday that the newly strengthened Republican majority would not allow filibusters to block action on judicial nominees in Bush's second term. "One way or another, the filibuster of judicial nominees must end," Dr. Frist, Republican of Tennessee, said in a speech to the Federalist Society, a conservative lawyers' group. Unit Plans Closed Hearings on Collapse of the Towers --The federal agency investigating the collapse of the World Trade Center said this week that some of its deliberations would take place in secret, including discussions on possible changes to national building codes and standards. The announcement has been sharply protested by advocates for families of the 9/11 victims, who said they were considering a lawsuit to force the agency to open the meetings to the public. Scientist Who Cited Drug's Risks Is Barred From F.D.A. Panel --The Food and Drug Administration has told a researcher that he cannot be part of an advisory panel that will meet early next year to review the safety of a class of drugs, COX-2 inhibitors, used to treat arthritis and pain. The reason, the agency said, is he publicly stated that he thought one of these drugs caused heart problems and that Pfizer, its maker, knew that and was covering it up. Flu pandemic looms as major global crisis [Pharmaceutical terrorists trolling for more government funding] --The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged governments to provide funds to drug makers developing vaccines against a feared influenza pandemic, which could kill millions of people. Only two drug makers -- Aventis-Pasteur of France and British manufacturer Chiron Corp have been working on potential pandemic vaccines with funds from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Calif. Jury Finds Peterson Guilty of Double Murder --California fertilizer salesman Scott Peterson, 32, was convicted on Friday of the Christmas Eve 2002 murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, in a case that riveted Americans caught up in the tragic story of a seemingly perfect couple. *** The Unexplained Exit Poll Discrepancy --by Steven F. Freeman, Ph.D. "As much as we can say in social science that something is impossible, it is impossible that the discrepancies between predicted and actual vote counts in the three critical battleground states [Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania] of the 2004 election could have been due to chance or random error... The likelihood of any two of these statistical anomalies occurring together is on the order of one-in-a-million. The odds against all three occurring together are 250 million to one. As much as we can say in social science that something is impossible, it is impossible that the discrepancies between predicted and actual vote counts in the three critical battleground states of the 2004 election could have been due to chance or random error." 47 State Exit Poll Analysis Confirms Swing Anomaly --by Jonathan Simon "In the 12 critical states (CO,FL,MI,MN,NE,NV,NH,NM,OH,PA,WI,IA) the average discrepancy was a 2.5% red shift (= total movement of 5.0%), nearly twice that in the safe states. This in spite of the fact that the average sample size in the critical states was nearly twice that in the noncritical states and should have produced significantly more accurate results." Others raised red flag over Gaston turnout --Commissioners want to know why oversight went unnoticed for days --A state elections official e-mailed Gaston Elections Director Sandra Page on Friday to question the county's election results, four days before Page announced that she had discovered the results were wrong. It was one of at least four inquiries Page received before her Tuesday announcement that 12,000 early votes were accidentally [sic] omitted from the results. 2 N.C. candidates request recount --Feds to check out flaws in Mecklenburg, other N.C. counties --With all except a few thousand votes across North Carolina counted Wednesday, two Council of State candidates asked for a recount and one of the races was still close enough that it could force a new statewide election. Meanwhile, federal authorities intend to look into election troubles in Mecklenburg and coastal Carteret County to determine whether any activity warrants a criminal investigation, the Observer learned Wednesday. 'Patriot' Vote Machines in S.C. Malfunction Lancaster County counts by hand after malfunction --1,600 absentee ballots could affect some races (Thu., Nov. 04, 2004) Huddled in the basement of the Lancaster County Administration Building, election officials late Wednesday were manually tallying results of about 1,600 absentee ballots. A malfunction with Patriot [LOL!] voting machines stopped the computerized tally late Tuesday night about a third of the way through, and elections officials said they were unable to restart the procedure. And so the sorting and discarding of Kerry votes begins --by Bob Fitrakis "Are the provisional ballots in Ohio being thrown out? A new rule for counting provisional ballots in Cuyahoga County, Ohio was implemented on Tuesday, November 9 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon*, according to election observer Victoria Lovegren. The new ruling in Cuyahoga County mandates that provisional ballots in yellow packets must be 'Rejected' if there is no 'date of birth' on the packet. The Free Press* obtained copies of the original 'Provisional Verification Procedure' from Cuyahoga County which stated 'Date of birth is not mandatory and should not reject a provisional ballot.' The original procedure required the voter’s name, address and a signature that matched the signature in the county’s database." Contact: Ohio Secretary of State (GOP) J. Kenneth Blackwell 180 E. Broad St., 16th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614-466-3910 Email: blackwell@sos.state.oh.us Also: guide@sos.state.oh.us Kenneth Blackwell's webpage Kerry attorneys investigating Ohio vote count --Lawyers for the John Kerry campaign are on what they call a fact-finding mission in Ohio, where the Democratic candidate 'lost' by 136,000 votes. The lawyers don't plan to challenge the election results but they want to make sure all of the estimated 155,000 provisional ballots cast Nov. 2 are counted, the Cleveland Plain Dealer said. Nader calls for US election recounts --Ralph Nader, an 'independent' presidential candidate this year, has called for recounts of November 2 voting results saying that amid allegations of irregularities, he wanted to ensure that every ballot was counted. Nader highlighted irregularities including one reported earlier in an Ohio polling station where 638 voters cast ballots but results showed 4,258 voted for Bush, and 260 for Kerry. [But you cannot recount electronic votes that went away or were added to Bush's total, or when machines counted BACKWARDS! This coup was designed (in part) electronically and no 'proof' will be recoverable, despite the fingerprints showing the theft!] Green and Libertarian Presidential Candidates to Demand Ohio Recount. (David Cobb for President News Release) "David Cobb and Michael Badnarik, the 2004 presidential candidates for the Green and Libertarian parties, today announced their intentions to file a formal demand for a recount of the presidential ballots cast in Ohio... The candidates also demanded that Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican who chaired the Ohio Bush campaign, recuse himself from the recount process." Diebold Source Code!!! --by ouranos (dailykos.com) "Dr. Avi Rubin is currently Professor of Computer Science at John Hopkins University. He 'accidentally' got his hands on a copy of the Diebold software program--Diebold's source code--which runs their e-voting machines. Dr. Rubin's students pored over 48,609 lines of code that make up this software. One line in particular stood out over all the rest: #defineDESKEY((des_KEY8F2654hd4" All commercial programs have provisions to be encrypted so as to protect them from having their contents read or changed by anyone not having the key... The line that staggered the Hopkin's team was that the method used to encrypt the Diebold machines was a method called Digital Encryption Standard (DES), a code that was broken in 1997 and is NO LONGER USED by anyone to secure programs. F2654hd4 was the key to the encryption. Moreover, because the KEY was IN the source code, all Diebold machines would respond to the same key. Unlock one, you have then ALL unlocked. I can't believe there is a person alive who wouldn't understand the reason this was allowed to happen. This wasn't a mistake by any stretch of the imagination." Diebold rewarded for coup 2004: Diebold selected by Riyad Bank of Saudi Arabia to expand ATM network --Diebold, Incorporated, a global leader in election fraud ['providing integrated, self-service and security solutions'], has been selected by Riyad Bank to deploy 100 Diebold Opteva automated teller machines (ATMs) across the bank's network. Diebold products: 1-800-999-3600, productinfo@diebold.com. Diebold, Incorporated 5995 Mayfair Road P.O. Box 3077 North Canton, Ohio USA 44720-8077 Phone number 1-330-490-3790 Fax number 1-330-490-3794 GOP Nev. Controller Impeached Over Campaign --Nevada [Republican] Controller Kathy Augustine was impeached by the state Assembly Thursday for using her state-paid office workers and equipment to help run her 2002 re-election campaign. In a series of 42-0 voice votes, the Assembly sent three articles of impeachment to the state Senate, where a trial will be held to determine whether Augustine will be removed from office. Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D., Founder and Chair, Citizens for Legitimate Government, appeared on YNOT Humpday Lunch Radio Show on YNOT RADIO, 4PM EST, November 10, 2004. Dr. Rectenwald discussed the stolen election, and CLG's Grand Refusal. The show will re-air: Friday, November 12, 9PM EST. Radical Anti-Bush Group Plans to Block Bush Inauguration --by Jeremy Reynalds Talon News November 9, 2004 "A radical anti-Bush activist group that has never accepted the legitimacy of the Bush administration is calling for what it has dubbed 'The Grand Refusal.' In a four-stage plan laid out in an e-mail to supporters, one portion reads, 'Stage 3 will include but will not be limited to: Inauguration protests (Block Bush Swearing In: No Inauguration for Bush!).' ...According to its web site, Citizens For Legitimate Government (CLG) is a 'multi-partisan activist group established to expose the Bush coup d'etat, and to oppose the occupation in all of its manifestations.'" Fuck the South. (essay on fuckthesouth.com) "Fuck the South. Fuck 'em. We should have let them go when they wanted to leave. But no, we had to kill half a million people so they'd stay part of our special Union. Fighting for the right to keep slaves - yeah, those are states we want to keep. And now what do we get? We're the fucking Arrogant Northeast Liberal Elite? How about this for arrogant: the South is the Real America? The Authentic America. Really? Cause we fucking founded this country, assholes. Those Founding Fathers you keep going on and on about? All that bullshit about what you think they meant by the Second Amendment giving you the right to keep your assault weapons in the glove compartment because you didn't bother to read the first half of the fucking sentence? Who do you think those wig-wearing lacy-shirt sporting revolutionaries were? They were fucking blue-staters, dickhead. Boston? Philadelphia? New York? Hello? Think there might be a reason all the fucking monuments are up here in our backyard?" U.S. ambassador intervened in Halliburton contract, documents show --The U.S. ambassador to Kuwait intervened last year to ensure that Halliburton, the oil services company once led by Vice pResident Dick Cheney, retained a Kuwaiti business as a subcontractor to deliver fuel to Iraq, documents released Wednesday show. State Department documents appear to contradict the Bush regime's assertion that all decisions involving Halliburton's contracts were handled only by career contracting officers for the government. Clashes erupt in Iraqi oil city of Baiji --Insurgents have taken to the streets of the oil centre of Baiji in northern Iraq and clashes have broken out with Iraqi security forces, according to witnesses. The gunmen stopped cars in several streets, the witnesses said on Thursday. Baiji is home to Iraq's biggest refinery. Insurgents rampage through Mosul --Insurgents have set police stations ablaze, stole weapons and brazenly roamed the streets of Mosul as Iraq's third largest city appeared to be sliding out of control, residents said. Patrol cars burn after a police station was attacked in the northern Iraq city of Mosul. Insurgents set police stations ablaze, stole weapons and brazenly roamed the streets as Iraq's third largest city appeared to be sliding out of control, residents said. [Photo] Street-to-street fighting in Falluja --19 killed, 15 wounded in Baghdad car bomb attack --U.S.-led forces engaged in fierce street fights Thursday in Falluja, part of an operation that has claimed the lives of 18 U.S. troops and five Iraqi soldiers. General Says 18 U.S. Troops Killed in Falluja --Eighteen U.S. troops have been killed and another 69 wounded in this week's offensive to take control of the rebel-held Iraqi city Falluja, a senior U.S. Marine Corps commander said on Thursday. Two US helicopters shot down near Fallujah --The US military said two US Marine helicopters were shot down in separate incidents near Fallujah and their crews were rescued. US Troops Reportedly Gassing Fallujah --US troops are reportedly using chemical weapons and poisonous gas in its large-scale offensive on the Iraqi resistance bastion of Fallujah, a grim reminder of Saddam Hussein’s alleged gassing of the Kurds in 1988. "The US occupation troops are gassing resistance fighters and confronting them with internationally-banned chemical weapons," resistance sources told Al-Quds Press Wednesday, November 10. The fatal weapons led to the deaths of tens of innocent civilians, whose bodies litter sidewalks and streets, they added. Falluja to be Phantom Fury's 'in 48 hours' --US-led troops occupied most of Falluja today and aimed to take full control within 48 hours, as kidnappers threatened to kill members of Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's extended family unless the assault was stopped. Meanwhile, a car bomb targeting police exploded today in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 10 people, police said. U.S. Forces Battle Into Heart of Fallujah --Units Meet Scattered Resistance; Attacks Continue Elsewhere --U.S. forces pushed into the heart of Fallujah on Tuesday, encountering roadside bombs, rockets and gunfire on the second day of a battle to wrest control of the city from insurgents. Besieged city like hell, says resident --As the remaining civilians in Falluja described deteriorating conditions, aid agencies expressed concern about the plight of tens of thousands of people fleeing fighting between insurgents and US troops. "The situation in Falluja is a tragedy," said one resident, who gave his name as Ismail. A thousand Fallujahs --by Pepe Escobar "The Pentagon is pulling out all stops to 'liberate' the people of Fallujah. According to residents, the city is now littered with thousands of cluster bombs. In an explosive accusation - and not substantiated - an Iraqi doctor who requested anonymity has told al-Quds Press that 'the US occupation troops are gassing resistance fighters and confronting them with internationally banned chemical weapons'. The Washington Post has confirmed that US troops are firing white-phosphorus rounds that create a screen of fire impervious to water. ...The wounded in Fallujah are in essence left to die." Baghdad car bomb kills 17 --As US troops hunted rebels in Fallujah, rebels hit back with a rampage in Mosul and a car bomb that killed 17 people and wounded at least 20 in Baghdad. The Fallujah assault has provoked an upsurge in violence elsewhere in Iraq, as happened in April during an earlier failed US attempt to subdue the country's most rebellious city. Gunmen Kidnap Two Members of Allawi's Family --Gunmen kidnapped a first cousin and daughter-in-law of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi from their Baghdad home on Tuesday, an Allawi spokesman said Wednesday. A militant Islamist group said it would execute Allawi's relatives unless U.S. and Iraqi forces withdraw from Fallujah. Hundreds of US soldiers in Iraq hit by parasite that causes chronic sores --More than 650 US troops deployed in Iraq have been infected with a fly-borne parasite that causes chronic, festering sores, officials said at a health conference in Miami. Iraqi prisoner abuse trials moved to US --The courts martial of three US soldiers over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners have been transferred from Baghdad to a base in the United States, the military has said. It gave no reason for shifting the trials after earlier rejecting such requests from some of the accused. U.S. Deploys Satellite Jamming System --The U.S. Air Force quietly has put into service a new weapon designed to jam enemy satellite communications, a significant step toward U.S. control of space. Rumsfeld in Latin America to press war on [of] terrorism --U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Latin America on Thursday to press Washington's southern neighbors to tighten security cooperation to prevent [foment] a new terrorist attack in the Americas. CIA Critic of U.S. War on Terror Resigns --A CIA analyst who wrote a book that criticized the U.S. war on terror has resigned from the spy agency after it effectively banned him from publicly discussing his views, his publicist said on Thursday. W.H.O. Panel Backs Gene Manipulation in Smallpox Virus --An advisory committee to the World Health Organization for the first time has recommended that Russian and American scientists be allowed to manipulate a gene in the smallpox virus to speed the development of drugs that could spread ['treat'] the disease, the agency said yesterday. Arafat's doctor calls for autopsy --Yasser Arafat's longtime personal physician called today for an autopsy on the deceased Palestinian leader, saying he was baffled and angered by the French medical team's failure to diagnose Arafat's illness. Ashraf al Kurdi, who was a friend and doctor to Arafat for 25 years, also said he was "disappointed" in the care that French doctors gave Arafat. Call to avenge Arafat 'assassination' --The militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades urged militants to attack Israel to avenge the "Zionist assassination" of Yasser Arafat, who died hours earlier in a Paris hospital, said a statement received by AFP today. Israel accused of poisoning Arafat --A top leader of a Palestinian militant group today publicly accused Israel of killing Yasser Arafat. Neither doctors nor Palestinian leaders would say what caused Arafat's death today after days in a coma at a Paris hospital. Rumours he had been poisoned by Israel had swirled for weeks. Yasser Arafat, icon of Palestinian cause, is dead --The Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died overnight in a Paris hospital. "Mr Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian Authority, has died at the Percy Military Training Hospital in Clamart on 11 November 2004, at 3.30am," spokesman Gen. Christian Estripeau told reporters in a brief statement. Suez Canal Shut Off, Oil Prices to Soar --Shipping through Suez Canal, the world's most important thruway, had been stopped after a Russian company Sovkomflot’s oil tanker named Tropic Brilliance struck ground. Tuesday morning already 135 ships had been blocked, and now many law suits threaten Russia. CensoringNewsNetwork asks: 'Do you believe there is a U.S. government cover-up surrounding 9/11?' Snapshot, 11:55AM EST: Yes 90%, 6588 votes; No 10%, 736 votes - Total: 7324 votes [Vote in the poll, then sign the CLG petition!! Petition to Senate to Investigate Oddities of 9/11 - 26,225 signatures to date] Michael Moore Planning Fahrenheit 9/11½ --Michael Moore tells Variety he met with Harvey Weinstein and they plan to start working now on Fahrenheit 9/11½. "We want to get cameras rolling now and have it ready in two-three years," Moore told columnist Army Archerd. Terror laws unjust, says EU human rights chief --Britain has been accused of weakening the rule of law by wrongly detaining foreign terror suspects under emergency powers rushed through parliament in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. TSA to Require Electronic Data Gathering Devices On All New Cars Made In US --Some safety and privacy experts are reacting with apprehension, others with all out condemnation over a recent ruling by the National Transportation Safety Board to require electronic data recorders or "black boxes" in all new cars manufactured in the United States. Tanks Appear at Anti-War Protest in Los Angeles (la.indymedia.org, Westwood Anti-Occupation Demonstration Pictures --by Ich Bin Ein Fallujan) "Despite the one-day notice, about 400-500 people came to the Westwood Federal Building on Tuesday night to protest the start of the second U.S. attack on the people of Fallujah, which had been officially launched on the previous day... About 7:30pm, two tanks barreled past going East on Wilshire, rounded the corner onto Veteran going South, and disappeared. About ten or fifteen minutes later, two tanks (apparently the same ones) appeared again going East on Wilshire and stopped for the light there. Demonstrators immediately stepped in front of the lead tank, blocking its path, and started to chant 'U.S. Out!' at the soldiers, whose heads and torsos were clearly visible and who evidently exchanged a few words with protesters." Police Use Stun Gun On 6-Year-Old Boy At Miami Elementary School -- Miami-Dade police tasered a 6-year-old boy who was wielding a piece of glass in a school office and threatening to hurt himself, officials confirmed Thursday. Police say they followed their own guidelines and only tasered the child because they were afraid he would hurt himself. But the incident has raised calls for the department tighten its policies regarding the use of the stun guns, which shoot 50,000 volts of electric current through a subject. Bob Jones Sees Bush Win As 'Reprieve' --Bob Jones III, president of the fundamentalist college that bears his name, has told Dictator Bush he should use his electoral mandate to appoint conservative judges and approve legislation "defined by biblical norm." "In your re-election [sic], God has graciously granted America -- though she doesn't deserve it -- a reprieve from the agenda of paganism," Jones wrote Bush in a congratulatory letter posted on the university's Web site. Bush selects evangelical for attorney general post --Alberto Gonzales, the White House counsel who advised that the Geneva Conventions and international anti-torture treaties did not apply to terrorist suspects held by the US, was yesterday selected by Dictator George Bush as his new attorney general. Bush names Gonzales to replace Ashcroft Successor for attorney general is friend, associate from Texas --Dictator Bush named White House counsel Alberto Gonzales as attorney general on Wednesday. Gonzales wrote a controversial February 2002 memo in which Bush claimed the right to waive anti-torture law and international treaties providing protections to prisoners of war. That position drew fire from human rights groups, which said it helped led to the type of abuses uncovered in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Tennessee to End Expanded Medicaid Program --The governor announced plans Wednesday to dissolve Tennessee's expanded Medicaid system and drop 430,000 poor and disabled people from the rolls of the health-care program that has been devouring a large chunk of the state budget. [Oh, and how much does Halliburton devour, for Dick Cheney?] US states defy Bush over greenhouse gases --Individual American states are putting together a system to cap and trade greenhouse gas emissions, despite the Bush dictatorship's opposition to the Kyoto protocol on global warming. Such a measure was backed by John Kerry during the recent election campaign. Meltdown: Arctic wildlife is on the brink of catastrophe --Polar bears could be decades from extinction, a survey into global warming has found. 11 November 2004 --Polar bears, the biggest land carnivores on Earth, face extinction this century if the Arctic continues to melt at its present rate, a study into global warming has found. The sea ice around the North Pole on which the bears depend for hunting is shrinking so swiftly it could disappear during the summer months by the end of the century, the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ICIA) says. *** Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D., Founder and Chair, Citizens for Legitimate Government, appeared on American AM (Tampa Bay, Florida) Tuesday - November 9, 2004 - 8:30AM EST. Dr. Rectenwald discussed the stolen election, and the Grand Refusal. Glitch could force NC to vote again (NC) More than 4,500 votes irretrievably lost in coastal Carteret County could trigger a new statewide election if the official margin of victory in two Council of State races is close enough, state election officials said Monday. The problem, which one expert called one of the worst election glitches nationwide, occurred on a machine that wasn't set correctly. ...The maker of Carteret's push-button voting machines, UniLect Corp., acknowledges it told county officials the machines would hold more than 10,000 votes. The machines actually held 3,005 because the computer software had not been updated. 12,000 votes uncounted in Gaston (NC) About 12,000 votes cast in Gaston County have not yet been counted, elections director Sandra Page said Tuesday. Page said most early and absentee votes were not included in the county's unofficial election results because of a procedural error. The inclusion of the votes in the county's results, expected Tuesday afternoon, could change the outcome of several local and statewide races. Ohio Is Set to Reckon With Outstanding Ballots --Ohio election officials said Monday that they would begin this week the final count of 155,428 provisional ballots and an unknown number of overseas absentee ballots that were cast in the presidential election. ...On Friday, officials in Franklin County — which includes state capital Columbus — acknowledged that they may have improperly counted votes for Bush because of a touch-screen 'voting' system malfunction. A precinct in the county reported that a 4,000-vote margin won by Bush appeared to exceed the number of registered voters. The touch-screen system in Franklin County is among the oldest and least reliable electronic voting machines in use, said David Dill, a Stanford University computer expert. Based on reports that Dill's organization — Verified Voting.org — has received, one precinct in Youngstown, Ohio, recorded a negative 25 million votes, which was discarded from official results. And it was widely reported after Nov. 2 that a North Carolina precinct lost 4,000 votes when a recording device used up all its memory but voters continued to cast ballots on the machine. Electronic Voting Angst --by Keith Olbermann "In 29 precincts there [Cuyahoga County, Ohio], the County’s website shows, we had the most unexpected results in years: more votes than voters. I’ll repeat that: more votes than voters. 93,000 more votes than voters. Oops. Talk about successful get-out-the-vote campaigns! What a triumph for democracy in Fairview Park, twelve miles west of downtown Cleveland. Only 13,342 registered voters there, but they cast 18,472 votes. Vote early! Vote often!" [A must read] Election stolen, group suspects --60 meet at UW, plan next steps --American democracy: a shining city on a hill or gutter politics that steals votes and suppresses voter intent? To about 60 people who gathered Saturday at the UW Humanities Building, it's more like the latter. ...A notice of the "No Stolen Elections" meeting on the Madison Area Peace Coalition's Web site. The meeting followed an anti-war rally that attracted 500 to 600 people to State Street and the Capitol. Part One: Will Your Vote Count? --by Rick Dawson and Loni Smith McKown "An I-Team 8 investigation reveals recent changes in voting technology have raised the risk of fraud and miscounting. The investigation finds serious questions about security and troubling concerns on both how the technology is sold, and who is getting rich on public money..." Ohio County: More Votes Than Voters --Cuyahoga County Precincts (americans4america) "Each precinct in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Highlighted areas represent 90% (very, VERY unlikely) and higher (up to 1160.78%) voter TURN-OUT! 29 are above 100%** Calculated from data on county page --(Ballots Cast/Registered Voters) 100 = per cent turn out. Ballots Cast SHOULD NEVER be more than Registered, thus % should NEVER be higher than 100% This amounts to 93,136 EXTRA votes beyond 100% in those precincts! This is just for ONE county!" In one precinct, Bush's tally was supersized by a computer glitch* --A computer error involving one voting-machine cartridge gave Dictator Bush 3,893 extra votes in a Gahanna precinct. Franklin County’s unofficial results gave Bush 4,258 votes to Democratic challenger John Kerry’s 260 votes in Precinct 1B, which votes at New Life Church on Stygler Road. Records show only 638 voters cast ballots in that precinct. ...Gahanna Precinct 1B has three voting machines. After the polling station closed, the cartridges were taken to a computerized reading station. When one of the cartridges from the precinct was plugged into a reader, it generated the faulty number. The reader also recorded zero votes in the race between Arlene Shoemaker and Paula Brooks for county commissioner. Nebraska County: More Votes Than Voters --Too many votes --Sarpy County election officials are trying to figure out how they ended up with more votes than voters in the general election. As many as 10,000 extra votes have been tallied and candidates are still waiting for corrected totals. Sarpy County borrowed the election equipment from Omaha-based Election Systems & Software. Wet Ballots Found, Rejected By Voting Machines (FL) Several hundred ballots in Seminole County, Fla., mysteriously got wet and were rejected by voting machines Tuesday, according to Local 6 News. The wet ballots were apparently discovered unmarked Tuesday at the Community United Methodist Church in Casselberry, Fla. GOP surfed for voters at work --Business groups picked Ohio two years ago as the first place to fully deploy a new tactic for turning out Republican votes in the 2004 election. Managers at more than 50,000 companies in Ohio urged employees to vote, while trying to coax them in e-mails to look at customized internal Web sites rating politicians' votes on business issues, a project leader said. 'I spent a lot of time looking in Ohio, and a lot of time looking in Florida.' --Karl Rove, interview with Chris Snow (Fox [Faux] News Sunday), November 7, 2004. *[Looking?!? That's not all* you did, whackjob!!] Teacher finds anti-Bush stickers get tires slashed --Political tempers are running hot even after the election. On Saturday, Gary Jimenez discovered two tires slashed on his Volvo station wagon with its four anti-Bush bumper stickers. Lest he miss the point, the vandals left a note on the windshield that said: "We voted . . . Now you can either move to another country (maybe France, Germany, Iran or Pakistan will take you) or stop your whiney belly aching. This country was founded by righteous God-fearing men of integrity like George W. Bush. Now, take off these bumper stickers. We don't want to see them again." [Solution to Bush's Brownshirts? Arming the Left: Is the time now? --by Charles Southwell] Secret Service to Oversee Inauguration --The Homeland Security Department designated Dictator Bush's coronation ['inauguration'] a national security special event, which makes the ceremony's high-profile gatherings eligible for federal money and heightened security overseen by the Secret Service. Americans Flock to Canada's Immigration Web Site --The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after Dictator George W. Bush's selection this week. Hundreds March In Anti-Bush And Anti-War Protest --About 500 protesters marched through downtown Seattle Saturday, venting their frustration over Dictator Bush's re-selection and calling for United States troops to be pulled out of Iraq. Opposition to Iraq war at new high --The public's opposition to the war in Iraq has reached a record high, according to an opinion poll in the Times. The survey published on Tuesday found 57 percent thought taking military action to oust former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was wrong, compared to 31 percent who supported it. Weapons Sleuth Duelfer Narrowly Misses Being Killed in Iraq Suicide Car Bombing --Weapons sleuth Charles Duelfer, who conducted the fruitless post-invasion search of Iraq for weapons of mass destruction, narrowly missed being killed by a suicide car bomber [US forces?] in Iraq, two television networks reported Tuesday. 'Scores of civilians' killed in Falluja --Muhammad Abbud said he watched his nine-year-old son bleed to death at their Falluja home, unable to take him to hospital as fighting raged in the streets and bombs rained down on the Iraqi city. In the midst of a US onslaught and hemmed in by a round-the-clock curfew, he said he had little choice but to bury his eldest son, Ghaith, in the garden. [Uh, is this all part of 'Operation Iraqi Freedom?' Just curious.] 'Body parts everywhere' in Fallujah --"Body parts everywhere!" cries a US soldier as a shell crashes onto a group of suspected rebels in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, where a punishing torrent of firepower thundered down on Tuesday. More than 500 rounds of 155-millimetre Howitzer cannon shells have been fired on the besieged Sunni stronghold west of Baghdad since a US-Iraqi offensive to take control of the city started on Monday evening, said Sergeant Michael Hamby. 10 US, 2 Iraqi Troops Dead in Falluja -US Military --Ten U.S. troops and two Iraqi troops fighting alongside them have died in the assault to take control of rebel-held Falluja, but senior insurgency leaders probably escaped the city, the U.S. military said on Tuesday. U.S. helicopter shot down over rebel-held city --A U.S. helicopter was shot down over Fallujah on Tuesday as U.S.-led forces were pressing home an offensive on the rebel-held city. 35 US soldiers captured in Fallujah: mosques --Mosques in Iraq's restive city of Fallujah announced on Monday that the fighters inside the city have captured 35 US soldiers. Loud speakers of the mosques blared out the news as US forces were trying to penetrate the rebel-held city, but the news could not be independently confirmed. Five killed in Baghdad hospital blast --A suicide car bomber has killed five policemen outside a hospital where victims of two church bombings earlier in the night were being treated, police say. U.S. Forces Launch Attack on Fallujah --U.S. Marines, Army's 1st Infantry Division Lead Operation Phantom Fury --U.S. forces entered the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah Monday, launching a long-anticipated urban offensive that is widely seen as the most significant and controversial battle since the U.S. invasion of Iraq 19 months ago. Fighting Around Fallujah Intensifies --Premier [US Puppet] Puts Most of Iraq Under State of Emergency --U.S. ground forces fought insurgents on the outskirts of Fallujah early Monday, and U.S. warplanes pounded the insurgent-held city, as a full military assault appeared increasingly imminent. On Sunday, Iraq's interim government had announced a state of emergency for most of the country. Sixty Day State of Emergency Declared In Iraq (so the U.S. can carry out its insane acts of terrorism in Fallujah, and continue to violate international law with the illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq...) US Puppet Dictator 'Iraqi Prime Minister' Issues State of Emergency Throughout Country --US Puppet Dictator, 'Iraqi Prime Minister' Ayad Allawi, issued a statement today declaring a state of emergency throughout Iraq, except for the Kurdish region in the north. Iraqi spokesman Asan Alib said the order is for 60 days and that "all concerned ministers should comply." The order, he said, will be carried out in all regions. VA backlog forcing Iraq, Afghanistan vets to wait for treatment --Thousands of veterans in Michigan are on waiting lists for medical services and disability claims provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. * CLG News Archives**



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