Friday, August 14, 2009
Magnitude 2.3 earthquake hits Midwest City, Oklahoma - August 14, 2009
MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km
map 2.3 2009/08/14 15:08:58 35.467N 97.412W 5.0 2 km ( 1 mi) NW of Midwest City, OK
Obama Family to Visit Yellowstone National Park This Weekend (Yellowstone Nat'l Park earthquake update - August 14, 2009 10:15pm CDT)
http://www.seis.utah.edu/req2webdir/recenteqs/Maps/Yellowstone.html
Update time = Fri Aug 14 21:00:02 MDT 2009
Here are the earthquakes appearing on this map, most recent at top ...
MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km
0.4 2009/08/12 16:59:49 44.713N 111.100W 2.5 6 km ( 4 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
0.4 2009/08/12 12:55:09 44.736N 111.096W 9.2 8 km ( 5 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
0.1 2009/08/12 12:53:36 44.739N 111.097W 9.6 9 km ( 5 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
0.3 2009/08/12 12:43:31 44.737N 111.092W 10.6 8 km ( 5 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
0.4 2009/08/12 12:42:21 44.742N 111.096W 9.3 9 km ( 6 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
0.7 2009/08/12 12:28:12 44.743N 111.097W 9.1 9 km ( 6 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
1.2 2009/08/12 07:13:17 44.617N 110.327W 3.6 54 km (34 mi) SW of Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT
0.6 2009/08/12 02:14:41 44.736N 111.097W 10.1 8 km ( 5 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
0.1 2009/08/12 02:14:22 44.729N 111.095W 9.9 7 km ( 5 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
1.2 2009/08/12 02:12:40 44.730N 111.094W 9.7 8 km ( 5 mi) N of West Yellowstone, MT
0.6 2009/08/08 23:42:39 44.715N 111.143W 5.6 7 km ( 4 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.2 2009/08/08 20:26:31 44.723N 111.149W 7.2 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.6 2009/08/08 16:16:06 44.728N 111.156W 9.2 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
2.0 2009/08/08 15:47:22 44.724N 111.146W 7.6 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.9 2009/08/08 13:34:44 44.724N 111.151W 7.9 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.4 2009/08/08 13:28:55 44.722N 111.148W 7.8 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.7 2009/08/08 13:13:34 44.722N 111.150W 8.6 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.9 2009/08/08 13:11:20 44.724N 111.149W 8.4 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
1.2 2009/08/08 13:11:06 44.724N 111.145W 7.8 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.8 2009/08/08 12:58:29 44.725N 111.151W 8.6 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.4 2009/08/08 12:52:25 44.725N 111.159W 9.7 8 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.6 2009/08/08 12:11:14 44.679N 111.135W 2.8 3 km ( 2 mi) NW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.7 2009/08/08 11:57:43 44.730N 111.157W 9.5 9 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
1.1 2009/08/08 10:28:43 44.722N 111.145W 7.7 7 km ( 5 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
1.1 2009/08/08 04:15:17 44.731N 111.169W 9.9 9 km ( 6 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
0.3 2009/08/08 03:16:50 44.718N 111.147W 7.5 7 km ( 4 mi) NNW of West Yellowstone, MT
G. Edward Griffin - RealityZone | Unfiltered News Headlines - August 14, 2009
UK: Photographers organize mass protest to reclaim their right to take pictures of public buildings. They expect that many will be arrested.
Register 2009 Aug 14 (Cached)
Texas Congresswoman holds town hall meeting to promote socialized medicine and introduces woman doctor to speak in support. A reporter finds that the woman is an Obama campaign worker and no doctor at all. Collectivists justify such deception as being for the greater good.
Lone Star 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
US: Watchdogs to guarantee "transparency" in government maintain strict secrecy about the details of their own contract. Raw Story 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
US: Senate drops "end-of-life" provisions from socialized medicine bill. This is classic Hegelian strategy in which you start with an extreme position to elicit opposition and then fall back to a compromise, which was the real goal all along. Once the bill is passed, end-of-life provisions can be added later. Yahoo 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
FUS: irst wave is launched of $150 million advertising campaign to sell socialized medicine - paid by pharmaceutical companies, the AMA, Federation of Hospitals, Families USA, and others who will reap the greatest profits. TV ads are slick and, even if most Americans are not convinced, they will put pressure on Congress to pass the bill. Politico 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
New York cop tasers mom at traffic stop even though she is not threatening him in any way. See for yourself what is happening to the quality of law enforcement in America. Post Standard 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
Massachusetts deputizes dentists, paramedics, and pharmacists to administer Swine Flu vaccine. There is no evidence that Swine Flu is even half as deadly as common flu, yet government continues to prepare for massive injections. Why? Follow the money. Boston Globe 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
Swine Flu vaccine makers to profit $50 billion per year but they say they are not exploiting the pandemic. They are just interested in saving lives.
Mercola 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
US: Congressional Internet site overloaded with incoming emails mostly in protest over socialized medicine plan. My Way 2009 Aug 13 (Cached)
Bob Chapman - International Forecaster | This So Called Recovery Is Going Nowhere
The Fed’s Wall Street bubble, as we forecast in January, will need at least $2 trillion more in 2010, if the economy is to just stay on an even keel. The massive debt liquidation particularly in banking, Wall Street and in insurance demands many more trillions of dollars. $23.4 trillion is not going to be enough. Presently the Fed is in the process of monetizing $2 trillion in Treasuries, Agency paper, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and collateralized debt obligations held by lenders. It is a secret what the Fed is paying for this almost worthless paper. Is it any wonder the public has lost trust and confidence in these players and our government?
Bob Chapman - International Forecaster | The Crony Capitalist Bailout Nation
InfoWars.com |Equal Opportunity: Bush as Joker Poster for Download
August 14, 2009
| Download the poster: Large | Medium | Small |
In order to drive the point home — there is no difference between the New World Order’s front men — Infowars has created a poster displaying George W. Bush as the Joker.
Please remember when posting the Bush as Joker poster around town as a compliment to the Obama as Joker poster not to put the poster on private or government property, as this provides our enemies with an excuse to call us criminals and even terrorists. Post only in public commons areas where other posters, fliers, handbills, etc., are posted.
—
The latest Infowars poster is now also available as an instant classic Infowars t-shirt. Surf over to Alex Jones’ Infowars Store and get your Bush Joker Fascist black t-shirt today.
RussiaToday.com | Lost ship found at Cape Verde Islands – French Ministry
The missing Russian-crewed ship “Arctic Sea” has been found near the Cape Verde Islands. This is according to French Defense Ministry.
Related:
Missing ship turned off tracking devices?
Commercial dispute leads to Arctic Sea seizure?
According to Jerome Baroe, the ministry spokesperson, the Cape Verde coastguard has confirmed that the vessel was discovered about 520 miles off the coast.
The report is being echoed by the Russian ITAR-TASS news agency, with the information allegedly coming from NATO.
ITAR-TASS also quoted a representative of Cape Verde’s defense ministry as saying the authorities of the island state are co-operating with all the interested parties.
“I will neither confirm nor deny the reports about the ship’s presence off our coast. The information will be provided to the international media when the situation calls for it,” the representative stated.
According to Russia’s ambassador to Cape Verde, Aleksandr Karpushin, a Russian frigate is now heading to the area.
The diplomat was quoted by the Russian news service.
"I have a report from the Russian Navy that the frigate is going to enter Cape Verde territorial waters," said Alexander Karpushin. "The warship has its own search plan."
Meanwhile, according to France-Press agency, before the French have informed Russia about several other possible locations of the missing ship.
"Since yesterday we have spotted a number of vessels in the Atlantic Ocean which could turn out to be the Arctic sea," Captain Jerome Baroe told the agency. He also noted that the information has to be checked as “the ships resemble each other and can be easily repainted”.
According to the Financial Times Deutschland, the ship was seized by sea pirates.
The paper says the hijackers asked for $1.5 million ransom.
Earlier it was reported that Interpol also thinks pirates are behind the loss of the vessel, however the Russian Central Interpol Bureau could not confirm the information.
Some media have speculated the ship could have been targeted because it was carrying an "unknown cargo" in addition to timber – claims which have been denied by the operator of the Arctic sea.
The ship “Arctic Sea” has been missing since August 1. However, even earlier, on July 24, the crew reported men in masks boarding the ship, tying the crew up, searching for cargo and then leaving the ship.
The Swedish newspaper, Metro, said that the masked men spoke English and were very well equipped, suggesting that they could have been US special forces. They further reported, however, that the attackers spoke English with an accent.
Meanwhile, there has been much speculation over what has actually happened to the “Arctic Sea”. The European Commission suggested that the ship has been attacked twice – once in the Baltic Sea on July 24, and another time – off the coast of Portugal where it disappeared.
Others speculated that the ship carried precious cargo that was the target of hijackers, rather than timber as was originally reported.
Chesapeake Closes Wells Connected to Quakes | Researchers have found a possible reason for all the recent earthquakes in North Texas
2.9 magnitude earthquake hits 2 mi NE of Nickelsville, VA - August 14, 2009
MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km
map 2.9 2009/08/14 08:48:18 36.745N 82.355W 3.8 3 km ( 2 mi) NE of Nickelsville, VA
StanDeyo.com | Picture of Day - August 14, 2009
ORIGINAL CAPTION: Rescuers try to pull a stranded car out of floodwater in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China, on Aug. 9 after Typhoon Morakot battered China's commercial east coast. Several deaths were reported in mainland China, but the storm claimed most of its victims in neighboring Taiwan. (China Daily / Reuters)
Govenors to Department of Defense: Thanks, but no thanks
On August 7 the National Governors Association replied to a letter evidently received from Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Stockton. The content of this letter is extracted below.
According to Matthew Rothschild in The Progressive, the letter signals an intention to seek Congressional approval to post almost 400,000 military personnel in the U.S. Rothschild continues, “This request has already occasioned a dispute with the nation’s governors. And it raises the prospect of U.S. military personnel patrolling the streets of the United States, in conflict with the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.”.....
SteveQuayle.com | Hot Headlines - August 14, 2009
57 Trillion Reasons To Murder 100 Million
Goldman: Get Ready for Oil Prices to Go Back to $147
Shifting Sands
Bank on Inflation
Commercial Real Estate, Construction and Finance Employment: How Commercial Real Estate will drag the California Economy Deeper into Recession. 32 Percent of California Construction Jobs Gone.
Stock Market Dollar Store: U.S. Dollar Down 12.5% and S&P 500 Up 50 Percent since March. How the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Juice the Stock Market.
Obama and the Post Office
The Grinch Is About to Steal Christmas
In Illinois, Another Workers' Rebellion Flares Up Against 'Banksters' Greed The “Second American Revolution” Has Begun The Pentagon Wants Authority to Post Almost 400,000 Military Personnel in U.S. — STEVE NOTE: 345,000 is very close to the number of foreign troops that I have been told are already in-country.
National Guard Drill at High School to Prepare for Possible H1N1 Riot Israel Pushing for Swine Flu Vaccine Despite Controversy
How to Cure Diseases Before They Have Even Evolved
Princeton Bioethics Professor Peter Singer: Devaluing Human Life
The Closing of the Christian Womb
New World Order and Psychotronic Tyranny
Honey Bees Disappearing May be a Greater Threat Than Global Warming
What Lies Behind the Latest Israel-Hezbollah Tensions?
Earthquake swarm continues in the Puerto Rico Region - August 14, 2009 9:20am CDT
Earthquake Lists
Update time = Fri Aug 14 14:09:02 UTC 2009
| | MAG | UTC DATE-TIME y/m/d h:m:s | LAT deg | LON deg | DEPTH km | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAP | 3.0 | 2009/08/14 13:14:38 | 51.110 | -177.892 | 11.2 | ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA |
| MAP | 3.3 | 2009/08/14 13:08:06 | 19.350 | -65.727 | 61.2 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.4 | 2009/08/14 11:03:37 | 19.361 | -65.733 | 69.9 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.8 | 2009/08/14 10:37:32 | 19.303 | -65.722 | 93.0 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 4.7 | 2009/08/14 09:50:24 | 19.258 | -65.723 | 46.9 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.9 | 2009/08/14 09:48:16 | 19.288 | -65.716 | 93.4 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 5.7 | 2009/08/14 08:19:59 | -13.929 | 166.671 | 35.0 | VANUATU |
| MAP | 3.2 | 2009/08/14 08:06:40 | 18.855 | -65.757 | 141.0 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.2 | 2009/08/14 07:03:52 | 19.012 | -65.744 | 121.3 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.0 | 2009/08/14 06:42:45 | 19.376 | -65.780 | 82.3 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.2 | 2009/08/14 05:16:25 | 19.421 | -65.691 | 12.8 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 2.9 | 2009/08/14 04:34:27 | 19.155 | -65.850 | 42.7 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.4 | 2009/08/14 04:27:45 | 19.340 | -65.689 | 66.0 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.4 | 2009/08/14 04:16:35 | 19.372 | -65.712 | 57.9 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.6 | 2009/08/14 03:56:03 | 56.890 | -151.034 | 19.6 | KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA |
| MAP | 3.1 | 2009/08/14 03:40:42 | 56.741 | -158.575 | 3.9 | ALASKA PENINSULA |
| MAP | 2.7 | 2009/08/14 03:36:27 | 18.294 | -67.428 | 83.8 | MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO |
| MAP | 3.0 | 2009/08/14 02:40:49 | 61.459 | -146.496 | 12.3 | SOUTHERN ALASKA |
| MAP | 3.1 | 2009/08/14 02:30:57 | 19.213 | -65.734 | 98.9 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.1 | 2009/08/14 02:10:22 | 19.426 | -65.752 | 66.7 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 3.7 | 2009/08/14 01:01:32 | 19.314 | -65.683 | 57.1 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
| MAP | 2.5 | 2009/08/14 00:55:17 | 18.902 | -67.203 | 17.2 | PUERTO RICO REGION |
Sinkhole in Santee, South Carolina | 20' wide x 6' deep - appeared overnight Wed. Similar sinkhole occurred in same spot 5 yrs ago.
Sinkhole shows up for a second time in SC town
Associated Press - August 14, 2009 9:45 AM ET
SANTEE, S.C. (AP) - A small South Carolina town has a mystery on its hands - one that literally has authorities looking into it.
The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reported Friday that a 20-foot-wide, 6-foot-deep sinkhole has appeared for a second time in Santee. Witnesses say a sinkhole similar in size occurred at the same spot about five years ago.
Santee State Park manager Nathan Maiwald says the areas around Lake Marion are part of a sinkhole system which begins in North Carolina and ends in Florida. He says sinkholes can occur when groundwater or an underground stream causes the limestone under the top layers of soil to give away.
Authorities think the latest hole in Santee developed overnight Wednesday. Santee State Park officials will monitor the sinkhole.
Information from: The Times & Democrat, http://www.timesanddemocrat.com
CLG's BREAKING NEWS and COMMENTARY | August 14, 2009
Fort Detrick, Quantico, DHS and Halliburton --What do they all have in common? They're all monitoring the CLG. By Lori Price 14 Aug 2009 I took a walk through the Citizens For Legitimate Government visitor logs over the past thirty hours and saw numerous .gov, .mil and state visitors in the logs. I compiled some of them. Note: This is only a snapshot!
Man in Federal Building Standoff in Custody --The suspect made an unspecified threat against the White House, according to a law enforcement source. 14 Aug 2009 A man accused of making threats against the White House is in custody after an 8 hour standoff with police outside the Federal Building. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan identified the suspect as Joseph Moshe of Los Angeles. After several refusals to surrender to officials, Moshe withstood four rounds of tear gas tossed through his car window before officers fired a taser gun at him... Moshe is suspected of calling a police dispatch number Wednesday and making threatening statements about the White House, Donovan said.
A new Obusha money pit opens: U.S. to Resume Training Georgian Troops 14 Aug 2009 The United States is resuming a combat training mission in the former Soviet republic of Georgia to prepare its army for counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan, despite the risks of angering Russia, senior Defense Department officials said Thursday. The training effort is intended to prepare Georgian troops to fight at NATO standards alongside American and allied forces in Afghanistan, the Pentagon officials said.
*****
National Guard drill at high school to prepare for possible H1N1 riot 13 Aug 2009 (ME) Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School will be the site of a National Guard riot control drill Thursday morning to prepare in the event of a panic over distribution of serum to treat the swine flu. The school on Route 26 at the Paris-Norway town line has been designated by state officials as a distribution site for the H1N1 flu vaccine. The drill is to prepare for a worst-case scenario should the serum have to be transported from Augusta and people rush to get it. On Thursday morning, four or five National Guard Humvees will travel from Augusta to Paris with vials of fake serum. The National Guardsmen will take on the roles of panicked citizens and military police and practice what they would do, such as using tear gas, in the case of a riot. Plans were developed in April [?] to have vials of serum sent from the federal government to Augusta, Parker said... Local police chiefs have also been involved in the planning, Parker said. In a real event, local police would be in charge of security once the serum arrives in Paris.
State deputizes dentists, others to help with vaccinations --State takes extra steps to battle flu in fall 13 Aug 2009 Massachusetts health authorities took the unprecedented step yesterday of deputizing dentists, paramedics, and pharmacists to help administer vaccines against both the seasonal flu and the novel swine strain expected to make a return visit in the fall. In another emergency measure, regulators directed hospitals and clinics to provide [deadly] vaccine to all their workers and some volunteers.
Swine flu vaccinations plans revealed --First swine flu vaccinations on the way for more than 13m Britons 13 Aug 2009 More than 13 million Britons will be offered the first doses of a vaccine against swine flu this autumn, in a dramatic move which the government says will save lives. The initial stage of a mass immunisation campaign will see almost 11 million people in four priority groups, mostly those whose health puts them at risk from the pandemic, invited to have a course of two injections three weeks apart, probably starting in October.
German health expert warning: Does virus vaccine increase cancer risk? --German health expert Wolfgang Wodarg has given a shock warning about the swine flu virus vaccine - does it increase the risk of cancer? 07 Aug 2009 Lung specialist Wolfgang Wodarg has said that there are many risks associated with the vaccine for the H1N1 virus. He has grave reservations about the firm Novartis who are developing the vaccine and testing it in Germany. The vaccination is injected "with a very hot needle", Wodarg said. The nutrient solution for the vaccine consists of cancerous cells from animals and "we do not know if there could be an allergic reaction". But more importantly, some people fear that the risk of cancer could be increased by injecting the cells. The vaccine - as Johannes Löwer, president of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, has pointed out - can also cause worse side effects than the actual swine flu virus. Wodrag also described people’s fear of the pandemic as an "orchestration": "It is great business for the pharmaceutical industry," he told the 'Neuen Presse'. Swine flu is not very different from normal flu.
Startling New Evidence That The 'Swine Flu' Pandemic Is Man-Made --Novartis Patent Detailed And Mass Murder Charged By A. True Ott, PhD, ND 26 Jul 2009 I submit this paper will provide more than enough hard evidence to at least result in a series of criminal indictments of charges of MASS MURDER, and CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT WORLD GENOCIDE against Novartis Pharmaceutical principals and agents and others. The Primary Motive behind this alleged criminal activity is also the primary cause of most murders in the world today, and that motivation is simply: BIG MONEY. Billions of Dollars of windfall profits from government contracts worldwide, as a matter of fact.
96 cases, mostly U.S. soldiers, diagnosed with A/H1N1 flu in Iraq 12 Aug 2009 The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced Wednesday it registered 96 cases of A/H1N1 virus, including 67 cases among the U.S. soldiers in the country.
'Statute of Limitations Has Expired' on Many Secrets, Former Vice President Says --Cheney Uncloaks His Frustration With Bush 13 Aug 2009 In his first few months after leaving office, former vice president [sic] Richard B. Cheney threw himself into public combat against the "far left" agenda of the new commander in chief. More private reflections, as his memoir takes shape in slashing longhand on legal pads, have opened a second front against Cheney's White House partner of eight years, George W. Bush. Cheney's disappointment with the former president [sic] surfaced recently in one of the informal conversations he is holding to discuss the book with authors, diplomats, policy experts and past colleagues. [You know you're in trouble when... you reflect upon your term in office vis-à-vis the statute of limitations. --LRP]
AP: Former AG Gonzalez says criminal probe of CIA interrogations could be dangerous 12 Aug 2009 Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says a criminal investigation into whether CIA interrogations after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks crossed legal lines could have a chilling effect on U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Gonzales said a Justice Department investigation "could discourage" CIA operatives from "engaging in conduct that even comes close" to department guidelines.
Bagram base 'another Gunatanamo', says ACLU 13 Aug 2009 The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has voiced concern over the Pentagon and CIA's refusal to provide information about prisoners at Bagram airbase. The ACLU said in a statement that it was seeking the names and the nationalities of about 600 detainees currently held at Bagram, just north of Kabul. Additionally, the civil rights organization said it wants to know how many detainees there are, where they are detained and other essential facts.
Ex-Afghan president escapes Taliban ambush 13 Aug 2009 Amid rising 'insurgency' in Afghanistan, former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani has survived a Taliban attack in the troubled north of the war-ravaged country. Taliban insurgents attacked Rabbani's convoy with grenades and rocket-propelled Thursday in Kunduz Province. Sources said three fighters died in a clash with bodyguards and police during the exchange of fire.
Children die after playing with roadside bomb 13 Aug 2009 Separate roadside blasts in southern Afghanistan have killed 14 civilians, including three children. The Taliban have already been blamed for planting one of the bombs which exploded in Gereshk district of Helmand province when it was hit by a van carrying eleven of the victims.
Three British soldiers killed by explosion in Afghanistan --Death toll of UK troops in the country reaches 199 --Defence secretary advises against 'defeatist' attitude 13 Aug 2009 Three British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan today, taking the death toll of UK troops in the country to 199. The servicemen, two from 2nd Battalion The Rifles and the third from 40 Regiment Royal Artillery, were hit by an explosion while on a foot patrol near Sangin in Helmand province.
2 Americans, 3 Brits killed in Afghanistan 13 Aug 2009 Attacks on Western troops continue in Afghanistan with another three British and two US soldiers killed in the ongoing anti-insurgency operations. Three British soldiers were killed in an explosion in the southern province of Helmand on Thursday, bringing to 199 the UK's death toll in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in late 2001. Two US soldiers were also killed -- one in an explosion and the other in a direct fire attack -- in the south of the country on Wednesday and on Thursday.
Bomb Wounds 2 Journalists in Afghanistan 13 Aug 2009 The Associated Press reported Wednesday that two of its journalists embedded with the United States military in the south had been wounded in a roadside bombing. The A.P. said a photographer, Emilio Morenatti, and an A.P. Television News videographer, Andi Jatmiko, were traveling with the American military north of the town of Spinbaldak when their vehicle was struck by the bomb on Tuesday. The attack also wounded two American soldiers, The A.P. said.
Double Suicide Bombing in Northern Iraq Claims at Least 21 13 Aug 2009 Two suicide bombers killed at least 21 people in a cafe in northern Iraq on Thursday, Iraqi officials said. The double bombing occurred about 5 p.m. in the Ayoub coffee house in Sinjar, a town about 240 miles northwest of Baghdad. At least 30 people were wounded.
Israeli troops accused of white-flag murders 13 Aug 2009 A human rights organisation has called on Israel to investigate claims that 11 Palestinians waving white flags were killed during the Gaza conflict in January. Human Rights Watch says it has statements and evidence suggesting Israeli troops shot dead civilians, including five women and four children, who were carrying white flags. In each case it says victims were with other unarmed civilians and waving flags to show their non-combatant status.
US death squads are little bees! Pakistani Muslim clerics slain in Somalia 13 Aug 2009 Masked gunmen stormed a mosque Wednesday in western Somalia, killing at least five Pakistani Muslim clerics. Authorities tried to find out who carried out the execution-style murders [c'mon], and why. The victims belonged to the Islamic missionary movement Tablighi Jamaat, Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit told The Associated Press in Islamabad. Tablighi Jamaat is believed to be apolitical and nonviolent. Some of its members travel the world, preaching to fellow Muslims.
DNA reveals surprise Indonesian hotel bomber 12 Aug 2009 Police in Indonesia have disclosed that a flower seller, Ibrohim Muharram, smuggled in the explosives used in the bombings of the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels on July 17th; killing seven people and wounding more than 50 others. The flower merchant went missing after the twin suicide attacks.
Curfew imposed after Honduras protests 12 Aug 2009 Honduras' interim illegitimate government reinstated a nighttime curfew for the capital after thousands of anti-coup protesters marched into Tegucigalpa to demand the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. The government said it reinstated the curfew after protesters burned a bus and an outlet of an American fast food chain. 'Information' Minister Rene Zepeda said the curfew would be in effect from 10pm to 5am, and would apply only to the capital.
Coups we can believe in: Obama tacitly backs military's takeover of Honduran democracy By Mark Weisbrot 13 Aug 2009 President Obama is making a big mistake in coddling the dictatorship in Honduras, and putting his administration at odds with the rest of the hemisphere... President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras was overthrown by the military on June 28. Most of Latin America saw this as a threat to democracy in the hemisphere, immediately condemned the coup, and strongly supported Zelaya's return. The Organization of American States as well as the General Assembly of the United Nations called for Zelaya's "immediate and unconditional" return. But the Obama administration has issued a series of conflicting statements, and last week the U.S. State Department sent a letter to Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana that appeared to blame Zelaya himself for the coup.
Airlines Set to Get More Data From Passengers --Government Says Extra Information Will Prevent Watch-List Mismatches 13 Aug 2009 U.S. airlines on Saturday will begin asking travelers to provide their birth date and sex for the first time under a new aviation security requirement, federal officials said Wednesday. The change comes as the Department of Homeland Security takes over responsibility for checking airline passenger names against government watch lists. The additional personal information, which airlines will forward to the Transportation Security Administration, is expected to cut down on cases of mistaken identity, in which people with names similar to those on terrorist watch lists are erroneously barred or delayed from flights.
Internal Memo Confirms Big Giveaways In White House Deal With Big Pharma 13 Aug 2009 A memo obtained by the Huffington Post confirms that the White House and the pharmaceutical lobby secretly agreed to precisely the sort of wide-ranging deal that both parties have been denying over the past week. The memo, which according to a knowledgeable health care lobbyist was prepared by a person directly involved in the negotiations, lists exactly what the White House gave up, and what it got in return. It says the White House agreed to oppose any congressional efforts to use the government's leverage to bargain for lower drug prices or import drugs from Canada -- and also agreed not to pursue Medicare rebates or shift some drugs from Medicare Part B to Medicare Part D, which would cost Big Pharma billions in reduced reimbursements.
Did Obama sabotage health care reform? By Lori Price 13 Aug 2009 The health care CEOs are making millions of dollars per year, mainly by denying people coverage. President Obama would have won popular support for quality reform ('single-payer' health care) by putting this issue front-and-center. But he didn't. Instead, he allowed the rightwing to hijack the debate. Did Obama do that on purpose, so that he would not be held accountable to his campaign promise (apparently, a lie) that he would push for universal health care coverage? Health Insurance Company CEOs Total Compensation in 2008 By Michael Ricciardelli 20 May 2009 Ins. Co. & CEO With 2008 Total CEO Compensation: Aetna, Ronald A. Williams: $24,300,112 Cigna, H. Edward Hanway: $12,236,740 Coventry, Dale Wolf: $9,047,469 Health Net, Jay Gellert: $4,425,355 Humana, Michael McCallister: $4,764,309 U. Health Group, Stephen J. Hemsley: $3,241,042 Wellpoint, Angela Braly: $9,844,212]
LA sports arena hosts health clinic of last resort 13 Aug 2009 Inside an aging sports arena, where rows of dental chairs and a hospital smell have replaced the former Los Angeles Lakers basketball court, thousands of Americans are seeking free healthcare. Hundreds were turned away just on Tuesday, the first day of a weeklong clinic run by the nonprofit Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corp as part of its mission to provide free health, dental and eye care in needy spots around the world. It marks the first time in RAM's 25 years that it has gone to a major U.S. metropolitan area.
Insurance Lobby Reduces Unemployment By Hiring Thugs For Town Hall Meetings By R J Shulman 13 Aug 2009 Those angry voices shouting slogans against health care reform at town hall meetings come from a group that is actually grateful: Thanks to the insurance lobby, they have recently left the ranks of the unemployed. UnitedHealthcare, CIGNA Health Insurance, and the Republican National Committee have hired an estimated 5,500 unemployed thugs, bullies, and emotionally challenged people to swarm town hall meetings to shout down any intelligent discussion on the issues. (Satire)
White House Proposes Higher Fees on Big Financial Firms 14 Aug 2009 The Obama administration is pressing ahead with its broad overhaul of financial regulation by proposing to hike the fees big financial firms pay for federal oversight while easing the burden for smaller ones, officials said. The new two-tiered, pay-for-regulation approach is intended to partly cover the costs of more vigorous bank regulation and a new consumer financial protection agency.
BART strike set for Monday 13 Aug 2009 Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) local 1555 President Jesse Hunt says trains will run through the end of the day Sunday, but a strike will start Monday morning. Hunt says ATU will not work under imposed terms and conditions.
Foreclosures rise 7 percent in July from June 13 Jul 2009 The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes rose 7 percent from June to July, as the escalating foreclosure crisis continued to outpace government efforts to limit the damage. Foreclosure filings were up 32 percent from the same month last year, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday. More than 360,000 households, or one in every 355 homes, received a foreclosure-related notice, such as a notice of default or trustee's sale.
Antarctic glacier 'thinning fast' 13 Aug 2009 One of the largest glaciers in Antarctica is thinning four times faster than it was 10 years ago, according to research seen by the BBC. A study of satellite measurements of Pine Island glacier in west Antarctica reveals the surface of the ice is now dropping at a rate of up to 16m a year. Since 1994, the glacier has lowered by as much as 90m, which has serious implications for sea-level rise. The work by British scientists appears in Geophysical Research Letters.
U.S., NATO deaths from Afghan bombs up sixfold --A record 62,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan. 12 Aug 2009 U.S. and NATO deaths from roadside and suicide bomb blasts in Afghanistan soared sixfold in July compared with the same month last year, as militants detonated the highest number of bombs of the eight-year war, figures released yesterday showed. Three U.S. Marines and a Polish soldier were killed in the latest attacks, setting August on course to surpass the record 75 deaths of U.S. and NATO troops from all causes in July. . [See: We can't 'afford' health care for all US citizens, but by golly: Afghanistan Needs More Money --U.S. ambassador asks for an additional $2.5B next year for development and [KBR-funded] civilian reconstruction. 12 Aug 2009.]
AP journalists wounded in Afghanistan --Photographer Emilio Morenatti loses a foot after bomb attack 12 Aug 2009 Two Associated Press journalists wounded in a bomb blast while on assignment with the U.S. military in southern Afghanistan were evacuated to a medical centre in Dubai today after being treated at a military hospital. The Army said that two U.S. soldiers were also wounded in the bombing of a light armoured vehicle called a Stryker near the Pakistani border. Photographer Emilio Morenatti and AP Television News videographer Andi Jatmiko were travelling on Tuesday with a unit of the 5th Stryker Brigade when their vehicle ran over a bomb planted in the open desert terrain, the military said.
Canadian withdrawal from Afghanistan loss to NATO: expert 13 Aug 2009 A U.S. expert sees Canada's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2011 to be a great loss to NATO's mission there, Canadian media reports said Wednesday. The Canadian departure would seriously undermine NATO's war as it is not about a small number of troops but a big issue as the loss of experience and credibility with local Afghans, according to Anthony Cordesman, a U.S. counter-insurgency expert, who served as a special adviser to the alliance's new ground commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.
US soldiers largest swine flu-infected group in Iraq 12 Aug 2009 US soldiers in Iraq have become the largest group in the country to be infected with the deadly A/H1N1 virus, which is rapidly spreading in Asian countries. Iraqi health officials reported on Wednesday that some 67 American soldiers have been diagnosed with swine flu, adding that 23 Iraqis and six other foreigners have tested positive for the deadly virus. [They were likely vaccinated with it. Notice how disease outbreaks and pandemics usually begin at US military bases and Army medical research facilities?]
Baghdad bombings kill at least 8 12 Aug 2009 Several bombs exploded nearly simultaneously Tuesday in a mainly Shiite area of Baghdad, killing at least eight people. An explosives-laden car parked near a market entrance and two other nearby bombs detonated within minutes of one another about 8:40 p.m. in the Amin Thaniya neighborhood in east Baghdad, killing at least eight civilians and wounding 22, police and hospital officials said.
Five killed in Iraq attacks 12 Aug 2009 Five people were killed, including four police officers, and eight wounded in separate attacks in Iraq's tense northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul on Wednesday, police said. Three bomb disposal agents were killed and three hurt as they attempted to defuse a car bomb at around 5:00 pm (1400 GMT), police Major Salam Zinganah told AFP.
Interrogation Inc.: A Window Into C.I.A.'s Embrace of Secret Jails 13 Aug 2009 In March 2003, two C.I.A. officials surprised Kyle D. Foggo, then the chief of the agency’s main European supply base, with an unusual request. They wanted his help building secret prisons to hold some of the world’s most threatening alleged terrorists. Mr. Foggo, nicknamed Dusty, was known inside the agency as a cigar-waving, bourbon-drinking operator, someone who could get a cargo plane flying anywhere in the world or quickly obtain weapons, food, money -- whatever the C.I.A. needed... Mr. Foggo went on to oversee construction of three detention centers, each built to house about a half-dozen detainees prisoners, according to former intelligence officials and others briefed on the matter.