Halliburton is willing to pay a $559 million settlement to end the investigation into it's involvement in bribery.
Most US supplies on the way to Afghanistan are getting stolen in Pakistan.
Greece paralysed as farmers ratchet up protests
The NSA had been closely monitoring the 9/11 hijackers as they moved freely around the United States and communicated with Osama bin Laden's operations center in Yemen. The NSA had tapped bin Laden's satellite phone, starting in 1996.
"The NSA never alerted any other agency that the terrorists were in the United States and moving across the country towards Washington," Bamford told PBS.Despite the post-9/11 perception by many, a pending terror attack wasn't a big secret within government.
PBS also found that "the 9/11 Commission never looked closely into NSA's role in the broad intelligence breakdown behind the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. If they had, they would have understood the full extent to which the agency had major pieces of the puzzle but never put them together or disclosed their entire body of knowledge to the CIA and the FBI."
March 2001: Italians Advise US about Al-Qaeda Wiretaps
June 2001: Germans Warn of Plan to Use Aircraft as Missiles on US and Israeli Symbols
Summer 2001: Bin Laden Speech Mentions 20 Martyrs in Upcoming Attack; Other Hints of Attack Spread Widely
June 4, 2001: Illegal Afghans Overheard Discussing New York City Hijacking Attack
June 13, 2001: Bin Laden Wants to Assassinate Bush with an Explosives-Filled Airplane
Late Summer 2001: Jordan Warns US That Aircraft Will Be Used in Major Attack Inside the US
July 2001: India Warns US of Possible Terror Attacks
July 16, 2001: British Spy Agencies Warn Al-Qaeda Is in The Final Stages of Attack in the West
Late July 2001: Taliban Foreign Minister Tries to Warn US and UN of Huge Attack Inside the US
Late July 2001: Argentina Relays Warning to the US
Late July 2001: Egypt Warns CIA of 20 Al-Qaeda Operatives in US; Four Training to Fly
August 2001: Moroccan Informant Warns US of Large Scale, Imminent Attack in New York
August 2001: Russia Warns US of Suicide Pilots
August 2001: Persian Gulf Informant Gives Ex-CIA Agent Information About ‘Spectacular Terrorist Operation’
Early August 2001: Britain Warns US Again; Specifies Multiple Airplane Hijackings
August 8-15, 2001: Israel Warns of Major Assault on the US
August 23, 2001: Mossad Gives CIA List of Terrorist Living in US; at Least Four 9/11 Hijackers Named
August 29, 2001: Cayman Islands Letter Warns of ‘Major Terrorist Act Against US via an Airline or Airlines’
August 30, 2001-September 4, 2001: Egypt Warns al-Qaeda Is in Advanced Stages of Planning Significant Attack on US
Late August 2001: French Warning to US Echoes Earlier Israeli Warning
September 4, 2001: Mossad Gives Another Warning of Major, Imminent Attack
September 7, 2001: Priest Is Told of Plot to Attack US and Britain Using Hijacked Airplanes
September 7, 2001: French Give ‘Very Specific Information’ about Attack on US Soil
Terrorism is not acceptable but our response to 9/11 was full of denial, counter-productive and overly expensive.
George Mitchell's negotiation team is visiting Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Palestinian President Mahmoud Ababs in the West bank. He will not be visiting Gaza, Syria or Lebanon.
The moderate view is that the only workable solution is one where Palestine becomes it's own nation. The moderate among the Palestinians however are not going to divorce their support for militants until they are no longer living in what they see as a cage. The Israeli government has a right to defend themselves however the actions they have taken has not been effective and could be considered more offensive than defensive. Extremist Palestinians believe Israel should not exist. Extremist Israelis believe Palestinians should not exist.
Despite the propaganda war painting each side as the only victim, this battle has two sides, both of which can be called the only victim only if the entire picture is not viewed. The Palestinians are incapable of establishing a second state without Israel AND the world's support. Much of the world is, if not afraid of Israel, afraid of getting involved in the conflict.
To complicate matters is the long history of extreme hatred and violence, the extremists involved on both sides and that some profit from the conflict continuing.
This is dispute over land. The Palestinians are continuing to lose it.
Hard-core right wing Palestinians are in a battle against hard-core right-wing Israeli settlers, who themselves feel are in a battle with not only the Palestinians, but the Israeli government itself, who they believe should show a stronger hand against the Palestinians. Some settlers bombed an Israeli citizen who suggested that Palestinians “would be wise to concentrate their struggle against the settlements.”
Even the soccer matches get ugly.
DIRTY BUSINESS, DIRTY WARS: U.S.-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Much is being made across the political spectrum in the United States about Washington's waning influence in Latin America. The region has seen an emergence of left and center-left presidents voted into office, many as a result of budding social movements growing democracy from the grassroots. Some pundits and analysts are suggesting that this phenomenon is occurring because of the Bush Administration's perceived neglect of the region. Rather, what is happening is blowback from Washington's continued meddling in the economic and political affairs of an area arrogantly referred to as the United States’ "backyard." Latin America's growing unity in rejecting the Washington Consensus remains fragile in the face of U.S. opposition. Washington has been quietly using the war on drugs, the war on terrorism, and a neo-cold war ideology to institutionalize a militarism in the region that risks returning us to the not so far off days of "dirty wars."Ski slopes over downtown Tehran:
Iran has shopping malls...
just like Israel does:
New legislation would make creation of FEMA detention centers mandatory across the US
Reactions:
"I'm OK with a certain level of imperialism and bullying but financing terror against innocent people is unacceptable." (Anonymous)
Your Job:
Challenge a stereotype through education. Pick a topic related to another culture or a global issue you don't know much about and go learn more about it and go use Google to practice your research skills. Feel free to share with us any uncommon knowledge, your thoughts or what you learn.
Optionally you may resolve the Israeli Palestinian crisis.
Posts
This might be the hardest assignment u have presented! you have listed alot of areas, and I admit I need to learn more, especially more than what ones reads in print or on web..I did once hear on NPR a great show that featured 2 teens who shared their friendship on a personal basis, not too dissimiliar to The Kite Runner story..but these were young adults who thought education was the only way for the 2 areas to have lasting peace. So I am still thinking of what topic I need to pick...this one might take a few days, Mark
ReplyDeleteI meant to add the young adults were one from Palestine and one from Israel
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Halliburton is willing to pay that amt. of money..woh!!!Take that money and get it into the economy that we as Americans need...would that help the current economic problems we are all having? I think I know tons of people who could use a fraction of that money!
ReplyDeleteWell, you could reach out to someone from another culture who you haven't spoken with for awhile. After Obama has been in office for a bit, a future "Your Job" will be to do that and to engage them in a dialogue about how they think Obama is doing.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that Halliburton wanted to basically bribe their way out of a bribery case.
Anonymous, I remember that story on NPR. I think it was on Story Corps, but I can't seem to locate it. If anyone else can find the link please post it so we can listen to it.
ReplyDeleteThe NSA didn't tell the CIA or the FBI...
ReplyDeleteDidn't William Burroughs say something about the worst enemy of a cop being another cop? Google has failed me on this one. But the mistrust (perhaps justified) of one ring of our Secret Police for another leads directly to this sort of result.
Mark, I did speak - well wrote - my good friend in Germany. We tend to send letters only around Christmas time. They are very happy in Germany about the election. They feel this brings the whole world some hope, pretty much the same as what you're seeing in the news.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Halliburton goes companies and individuals do this all the time. I'm not supporting Halliburton in any way here, just presenting a viewpoint. Many don't really care if they're found guilty or not, it is mostly, okay pretty much all about money. If you fight it in court and lose you pay a fine, someone might go to jail, and your company has millions spent on legal fees. If you pay a settlement after going through initial "feeler" rounds you can get an idea if you stand to win and if it will be a short or long trial. Even if you win such a trial and go through all the appeals it could cost you way more than if you just pay the settlement. You could call it a bribe or you could call it blackmail. By accepting a settlement the prosecutor also eliminates the need to spend millions in court and attorney fees.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you can solve the Israeli / Palestinian issues. This particular situation has been going on for 60 years and encouraged or maybe I should say instigated by the US and Britain after WWII. But the issue goes deeper to long term religious conflicts between Jews (and therefore Christians) and Muslims. When you have so many nations backing each side there is a natural flash point in this region.
ReplyDeleteLike the NPR program pointed out individuals can break the barrier, but you've got to have individuals WILLING to take a chance. Unfortunately too many people don't want to take a chance or challenge their beliefs. Unfortunately governments and religions are too steeped in their own beliefs and preconceptions that they are afraid to change or accept challenges to these beliefs.
Of course I say there may be no solution, but look at another conflict we had little hope of calming, Northern Ireland. Could this be an example for the Middle East?
So what will it take? Lots of education. Lots of interaction between people. Programs such as People to People. Lots of interaction and talking between government and religious officials. Perhaps conferences on "neutral" ground between religion leaders...and not just leaders, it needs to go all the way down the chain. It will take a willingness to listen and share ideas.
If people have the misconception that they are right and good while the other guy is wrong and evil then they will not be willing to go down this path. People may be persuaded to open this dialogue if they are pushed by difficult conditions, but this can also work the other way. Think about it, if some group killed your child what would your reaction be? Anger, hatred a desire to kill them...basically Old Testament stuff.
So now that I"m on a biblical trail let's look at some lessons in this book. What does the Bible (Old Testament) say about the time it takes to heal these various "sins"? It says something along the lines of three or four generations must pass before the family is forgiven the sins. What this says to me is that the prejudices and misconceptions of the older generation must pass away by the passing away of those generations. This reminds me of my grandmother. One day, back in the 70's, she was watching a basketball game and suddenly threw up her arms and shouted "They're going to take over the world!" She was referring to African Americans....my grandmother! What would she say today if she were still alive? So now let's look at another major biblical lesson in the New Testament. While the Old Testament depicts battles for justice, an eye for an eye, etc the New Testament calls for forgiveness, tolerance and communing together. If religions could only follow the lessons they presume to teach.......
Going back to an earlier post about video games that help people learn. This one looks cool so I thought I'd pass it along. http://www.crayonphysics.com/
ReplyDelete