The Cave: 08/30/09

Saturday, September 5, 2009

US APNewsAlert | WASHINGTON — Obama aide Van Jones resigns as environmental adviser amid controversy over past statements.

(AP) – 33 minutes ago

Related

Obama Aide Van Jones Resigns After GOP Attacks

NBC Washington - ‎13 minutes ago‎

President Obama's environmental adviser Van Jones resigned from his post late Saturday evening after he came under fire for a series of inflammatory ...

Educate-Yourself.org | 21 Goals of the Illuminati and The Committee of 300

CropCircleConnector.com | New Crop Circle - Another dire warning that Western governments cannot afford to ignore

Preliminary Note

I’ve been working for some time on The Dragonfly formation, of June 03, because I discovered, amongst other things, that it’s linked in a number of remarkable ways to various other crop circles of the current season and my analysis should soon be ready. However, after just a brief examination of the new Wayland’s Smithy structure I had no doubt that it must be given priority over my other work. …

Intelligent woman with a strong message at a town hall meeting - YouTube Video

NewScientist.com | Genetically modified crops get the Vatican's blessing

Project Camelot interviews Dr Pete Peterson - 3 Parts (YouTube)

Part 1 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooSRh7V68uk
Part 2 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJyCG_OHXGg
Part 3 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfIlUMS_Q3g

Project Camelot interviews Dr Pete Peterson - 3 Parts (YouTube)
http://www.projectcamelot.org/interviews.html

When we were introduced to Dr Pete Peterson by a mutual friend, and spoke with him for the first time on the phone, we immediately realized we were talking with someone who even by Project Camelot standards had a quite enormous amount of high quality information, backed by personal experience, on an astonishingly large range of subjects.

We told our friend David Wilcock. David felt very strongly - as a psychic intuitive - that we needed to visit Dr Peterson immediately while he was willing to give on-record testimony. So this interview straight away broke new ground: it was the first Camelot interview in which David joined the two of us for the interview. A few days later, Bill flew to the US from Europe for the weekend especially for the meeting - which was held over two long days.

We talked extensively off-record, and Dr Peterson was extremely cautious about presenting some of his testimony on video. But we nevertheless recorded nearly four hours of testimony. Listen carefully to the questions and the answers - especially in Kerry's Part 3 (Part 1 was Bill and Part 2 was David) - and enjoy the very end of Part 2, just as that part of the interview fades. (This is our favorite section, and we have very purposely left it in.)

Dr Peterson is an extremely well-informed insider - and a most remarkable and brilliant scientist - who came forward to talk with us publicly because he feels the issues he cares deeply about, and knows about, are too important to keep silent about. We salute his courage.

Among the many things Dr Peterson spoke about at length was his strong, informed belief that there will be a melt-down of the global economy - and US infrastructure - which may be almost upon us; that Obama is planning to disclose the reality of ET contact by the end of the year; and that most, but not all, of the ET visitors are friendly.

There is much, much more. Here is a very general list of the subjects we discussed:

• The probable (in Dr Peterson's strong opinion) collapse of the economy, infrastructure, and law and order in the US
• The planned disclosure of the ET presence
• The Aurora (now retired from service and replaced by vehicles capable of superluminal travel) and the TR3B (the large flying triangle, which functions as an aircraft carrier)
• Artificial intelligence and advanced robotics
• The "information field" and how the body, the mind, and DNA really function
• Healing modalities which work very rapidly and effectively
• 'Rescuing' brilliant scientists out of the old USSR
• How Mir (the Russian Space Station) was so heavy that it could not have been assembled without 'help' from our 'friends' (or, to be exact, the Russians' friends)
• Time spent in the Vatican Library
• The existence of Sumerian high technology
• Quantum computing (off-camera, Dr Peterson held in his hand a cheap quantum chip, which he had assembled himself in his own laboratory, with the computing power of 10,000 PCs)
• The genius of James Clerk Maxwell, and why Einstein was wrong
• Why you should not spend too much time in front of your new Digital TV
• The reality of the US prison camps
• How President Obama was (in all probability) set up
• How he came to understand that 15% of the world's population (of all races) have ET ancestry that can be seen in their DNA - and are also resistant to mind control technologies.

The release of this video was delayed because Dr Peterson was concerned that it might contain some material that was just too sensitive, and which might endanger us. He spent some time checking with colleagues to ensure that we would be safe to release the material. At the time of writing, he has not specified what these sensitive parts of the video are - though one might guess. We have taken the decision to take these risks upon our own shoulders and to release the interview in its entirety. It has not been cut.

We hope that those who have been waiting this for what feels (to us also!) quite a long time may understand the complexities and many factors involved, and that being a whistleblower is far from a simple matter. Dr Peterson is a person of high integrity who is very concerned about some of the problems faced by the human race, and who to his immense credit feels that he must give a warning. Besides the warning, as you will see, he offers a substantial smorgasbord of fascinating information on a very broad range of subjects.

Note: at the time of writing Dr Peterson is currently scheduled to speak at the Project Camelot Awake and Aware Conference in Los Angeles on 19-20 September. Don't miss this:

http://projectcamelot.org/awakeandaware

Enjoy the interview...

--Bill Ryan
--Kerry Cassidy
--David Wilcock
4 September 2009

Category: Science & Technology

Wisconsin State Journal | Researchers work hard to protect Wisconsin bats against deadly disease

ScienceStage.com | - Dubai and moscow Wind powered dynamic skyscraper..Amazing architecture

China Starts Journey to New Reserve Currency

Wall Street Journal | China began the long journey to a new international reserve currency with a single step - agreeing to buy $50 billion in notes from the International Monetary Fund

Guardian.co.uk | Child sacrifice and ritual murders rise in Uganda as famine looms

Surge in deaths and kidnaps among poor linked to witch-doctors and organ trafficking

READ MORE>>>>>

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 05 Sep 2009

Uranium cake from Niger, redux: Iran says U.S. using forged documents to support nuclear claims 05 Sep 2009 Tehran claims the U.S. is using forged documents and fabricated intelligence to convince the world Iran is building a nuclear weapon. Iran has written an 8-page letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemning the U.S. allegations against Iran as fabricated, baseless and false. The allegations in Iran's letter to the IAEA are serious as the United States been previously accused of fabricating intelligence, and using forged documents, to justify an invasion of Iraq.

Iran: US feeding forged intelligence to U.N. nuclear watchdog 05 Sep 2009 A senior Iranian official has accused the United States of feeding "forged" intelligence to the U.N. nuclear watchdog that says Iran had studied ways to make atomic bombs... Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh told the IAEA in a letter seen by Reuters that the agency had not provided genuine documents on the alleged studies and the matter was "closed." "The government of the United States has not handed over original documents to the agency since it does not in fact have any authenticated document and all it has are forged documents," Soltanieh wrote in a letter to IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

Chalabi aide: I went from White House to secret U.S. prisoner 'His bizarre tale appears to be another example of how the Bush administration turned to Shiite Iraqi exiles, including Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress, for intelligence on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorism, most of which turned out to be false or exaggerated, then later accused them of collaborating with Iran against the U.S. presence.' 04 Sep 2009 U.S. authorities detained a top aide to former Iraqi exile leader and Bush administration ally Ahmad Chalabi last year and accused him of helping Iranian-backed militants kidnap and kill American and British soldiers and contractors. The aide, Ali Feisal al Lami, said he was quizzed about Iranian agents, senior Shiite Muslim politicians and deadly bombings. Then, Lami said, he asked his American interrogator: Have you ever been to the White House? "He said, 'No,' " Lami told McClatchy. "I told him, 'Well, I have.' "

Outrageous Behavior: Bogus Bluster From Bigwigs Hides Lockerbie Truth By Chris Floyd 05 Sep 2009 As soon as he [Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi] was freed, we heard howls of outrage from Washington: how could such a heinous killer be allowed to walk free? ...You can bet that every single official trumpeting their moral outrage at al-Megrahi's release knew the truth of the matter: he was not released because he was dying, but because the slow-turning wheels of his appeals process was about to force the release of hundreds of pages of damning documents that would confirm, yet again, that he had been, as the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission put it, the victim of a "miscarriage of justice" -- a frame job by the US and UK governments which has been covered up, in admirable bipartisan fashion, for years.

Islamabad: No Blackwater in Pakistan 05 Sep 2009 Islamabad has rejected reports that the US Blackwater security contractor, which has gained ill-fame in Iraq, has now expanded its activities to Pakistan. "Blackwater is not operating in Pakistan, we have our own system, rules and regulations and will not allow any body to operate from here," Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Friday, Press TV's correspondent reported from Islamabad. Malik's comments came after sources from among the Pakistani intelligence agencies, citizens and political parties reported that Blackwater USA was present in the country.

Nato fireball in Afghanistan burns 90 people alive --Nato officials have conceded [after their initial lie] a large number of those killed were civilians 04 Sep 2009 A Nato air strike in Afghanistan has killed dozens of people. Nato officials have conceded a large number of those killed were civilians. As at Saturday the death toll was at least 90. President Hamid Karzai has set up a panel to investigate the attack, saying the targeting of civilians is unacceptable to Afghanistan.

Consumed by fireball, the Afghan village devastated by Nato strike 04 Sep 2009 The two fuel tankers would have looked out of place, stuck by a river bank outside a small Afghan village. Local people came out to take a look and help carry makeshift containers with siphoned fuel inside from the stricken vehicles. That is when the Nato missiles struck, wiping out much of the village of Omar Kheil.

Gates Assails News Agency for Publishing Photo of Marine Killed in Afghanistan 05 Sep 2009 A furious Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has upbraided The Associated Press for its decision to go against the wishes of a young Marine’s family and publish a photograph of him taken after he was mortally wounded in Afghanistan. In a scathing letter to Tom Curley, president and chief executive of The A.P., Mr. Gates said that the news agency’s decision was "appalling" and that the issue was one not of constitutionality but of "judgment and common decency." The A.P. defended the decision, which editors said they made only after careful review and sharing the pictures with the family. In an explanation of its deliberations, The A.P. said it decided "to make public an image that conveys the grimness of war and the sacrifice of young men and women fighting it."

AP photo of dying Marine draws fire from Pentagon 04 Sep 2009 Defense Secretary Robert Gates has condemned the Associated Press decision to release a photograph of a US Marine wounded during a battle in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan. The Marine, Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard of New Portland, Maine, was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in a Taliban ambush on Aug. 14. He later died of his wounds. The caption, titled "Afghanistan Death of a Marine," identifies the location as the village of Dahaneh.

Brown rocked as aide quits over war --Former army officer resigns from Government with savage attack on conduct of conflict in Afghanistan 04 Sep 2009 The British Government's strategy in Afghanistan was thrown into crisis last night after the Defence Secretary's right-hand man resigned in protest about the handling of the war. Eric Joyce, a former major in the Black Watch, announced that he was standing down as the parliamentary private secretary to Bob Ainsworth... Mr Joyce, who had been regarded as an ultra-loyalist Labour MP, said he could no longer justify the growing death toll in Afghanistan by arguing that the war would prevent terrorism in Britain.

Naked mercenary pool parties we can believe in: Naked Pool Parties, Alleged Sex Acts at Kabul U.S. Embassy Force Out 10 Guards --POGO: Contractor forced out suspected whistleblower 04 Sep 2009 Following the release of shocking photos showing barely clothed and naked ~~private security guards~~ mercenaries at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul engaging in lewd hazing, eight guards have been fired and two others resigned, the Embassy said today. An investigation by the Office of the Inspector General has begun and senior management of ArmorGroup, which has a contract with the State Department to provide security at the Kabul embassy, is "being replaced immediately," the Embassy also said. A guard who spoke with ABC News this week on the condition of anonymity said the drunken parties had been held regularly for at least a year and a half and that guards were pressured to participate, as well as perform sex acts, in order to gain promotions or assignment to preferable shifts. The guard, a U.S. military veteran, said top supervisors at Armor Group were not only aware of the "deviant sexual acts" but helped to organize them.

Reliving the Past By Bob Herbert 05 Sep 2009 The president should listen to Joe Biden. Mr. Biden has been a voice of reason, warning the administration of the dangers of increasing our military involvement in Afghanistan. President Obama has not been inclined to heed his advice, which is worse than a shame. It’s tragic. Watching the American escalation of the war in Afghanistan is like watching helplessly as someone you love climbs into a car while intoxicated and drives off toward a busy highway. No good can come of it. The war, hopelessly botched by the Bush crowd, has now lasted nearly eight long years, longer than our involvement in World Wars I and II combined... We're fighting on behalf of an incompetent and hopelessly corrupt government in Afghanistan. [Yeah, but KBR, Fluor, ArmorGroup, Blackwater/Xe, and DynCorp are getting their Obusha b***jobs -- that's why we're there and why we'll remain there. That's change we can deceive in. --LRP]

CIA asks Justice to probe leaks of secrets 04 Sep 2009 The CIA has asked the Justice Department to examine what it regards as the criminal disclosure of a secret program to ~~kill foreign terrorist leaders abroad~~ assassinate people, The Washington Times has learned. Two U.S. intelligence officials, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because of the sensitivity of the case, said the leak investigation involved a program that CIA Director Leon E. Panetta told Congress about in June and that surfaced in news reports just a month later.

C.I.A. Resists Disclosure of Records on Detention 02 Sep 2009 The Central Intelligence Agency is refusing to make public hundreds of pages of internal documents about the agency's defunct detention and interrogation program, saying such disclosures would jeopardize national security by revealing classified intelligence sources and operations. The C.I.A.’s argument to withhold the material, laid out Monday in a declaration to a federal court in New York, comes a week after the Obama administration declassified documents about abuses in the C.I.A.’s secret overseas prisons and the Justice Department began investigating the actions of C.I.A. operatives.
We're birds of a feather, bees of a sting
Listen to the words that the stylo bring
'Cause we're living in the shadows of yesterday
And nobody can make that fade away
You can't make it fade away
--Stereo MC's

Proposed bill would allow state authorities to forcefully quarantine people during pandemic 04 Sep 2009 (MA) A new proposed bill designed to combat the threat of the H1N1 virus would allow the state to forcefully quarantine people in the event of a pandemic. Anyone who refuses to comply with the quarantine order could face jail time or a $1000 per day fine. The "Pandemic Response Bill" would also force health providers to vaccinate people, authorize forcible entry into private homes, and impose fines or prison sentences on anyone not complying with isolation or quarantine orders.

Mass Vaccination Hubs Are Part of D.C. Swine Flu Plan 05 Sep 2009 District officials said Friday that they are working to set up mass vaccination centers, potentially at city recreation centers, as part of a broad push to minimize the number of people sickened by swine flu this fall and beyond. A network of doctor offices, schools, clinics and hospitals is also being put together for the vaccinations. The city will update its flu Web site with case counts and recommendations from the Centers for Disease ~~Control and Prevention~~, and it is preparing radio and TV spots.

Some 2,000 reported sick with swine flu at WSU 05 Sep 2009 Swine flu has sickened some 2,000 people in and around Washington State University in Pullman following an outbreak that apparently started almost as soon as the university reopened for the fall term. The vast majority suffered mild illnesses.

'The exercise will last three days with Soldiers and Fort Lee Police going over all aspects of protecting of the military installation, whether its protesters or terrorists.' Fort Lee Soldiers and Police Stage Anti-terror Drill With Mock Protesters 01 Sep 2009 (NJ) Some of the soldiers meeting today's tough military standards put their skills to the test this morning at Fort Lee. It's part of a three day long anti-terrorism drill. The Army post staged a fake protest to show how well soldiers and Fort Lee Police are equipped handle the situation. Fort Lee Chief of Police Joe Metzger says in times of emergency's everyone has to work together "We forget one's wearing blue, one's wearing a uniform. We all come together for the same cause." Private Tiffany Saunders was another solider who participated. "I learned over here we also have missions back in the U-S to protect our families and friends and this is a part of doing so."

Tennessee cops shoot 59 rounds to kill one man --Killer cops have since returned to work. 19 Aug 2009 Alonzo Heyward carried a rifle around his low-rent Chattanooga neighborhood one day last month, ranting about suicide and ignoring the pleas of friends for hours before six city police officers surrounded him on his front porch and decided it had to end. Police, who tried unsuccessfully to disarm Heyward, fired 59 rounds to kill him on July 18... As questions continue to surround the shooting, Heyward's family and civil rights leaders take issue with the police response. Heyward, a moving company employee, was black. The six officers are white. They were temporarily placed on administrative leave but have since returned to work

Bush's attorney general might face trial 05 Sep 2009 A US court has paved the way for the indictment of former President [sic] George W. Bush's Attorney General, John Ashcroft, over his 'wrongful' judgments. The three-member legal panel of the 9th federal Circuit Court of Appeals issued a statement on Friday, which holds the former Attorney General liable for the illegal detention of suspects captured in the wake of the September 11 incident in which a number of US government and financial centers came under attack.

Court Says 9/11 Witnesses Can Sue Ashcroft --Material witness laws used detain former student for two weeks 04 Sep 2009 A federal appeals court has ruled that former Attorney General John Ashcroft may be held liable for people who were wrongfully detained as material witnesses after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In a harshly worded ruling handed down Friday, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals called the government's use of material witnesses after Sept. 11 "repugnant to the Constitution and a painful reminder of some of the most ignominious chapters of our national history." The court found that [U.S. citizen] Abdullah Al-Kidd who was detained as a witness in a federal terrorism case can sue Ashcroft for allegedly violating his constitutional rights.

Conservatives call for Obama boycott 04 Sep 2009 N.C. Republican Party chairman Tom Fetzer is blasting the White House for a speech President Obama is scheduled to make to school students across the country on Tuesday. The President's address will be shown live on the White House Web site and on C-SPAN at noon EDT, a time when classrooms across the country will be able to tune in. While Fetzer did not call for parents to keep their kids home from school, some ~~conservatives~~ racists, driven by radio pundits and bloggers, are urging schools and parents to boycott the address.

Job Losses in U.S. Slow as Unemployment Climbs to 26-Year High 05 Sep 2009 The U.S. economy lost fewer jobs in August as unemployment climbed to a 26-year high, indicating the recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s will be slow to gain speed. Companies cut payrolls by 216,000 workers, less than forecast, after a 276,000 drop in July, Labor Department data showed yesterday in Washington. The jobless rate rose to 9.7 percent, higher than anticipated, from 9.4 percent.

Pictured: Haunting face crying a river of tears as glacier melts into the sea 03 Sep 2009 At first glimpse it looks like any other glacier you might find in the freezing Arctic wastes of Norway. But on closer inspection an eerie face is depicted in the melting ice wall that appears to be crying a river of tears. The forlorn-looking 'Mother Nature' figure appeared to locals during a thaw, with the melting ice and snow falling towards the sea below. [A must-see]

Help Stop the International Polar Bear Trade 03 Sep 2009 In some countries, collectors can still buy polar bear skin rugs, claws, skulls and other parts of these animals -- even as these beloved bears struggle for survival in a warming world. The U.S. can strengthen protections for polar bears under international law by proposing to restrict trade in polar bear products -- a move that could save the lives of hundreds of polar bears each year. But officials need to hear from you. Take action now -- Urge the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to propose an international ban on the trade of polar bear products. Please take action today -- the deadline for comments is Friday, 11 September.

Previous lead stories: US probes USAID funds in Afghanistan --US funding contractors who pay Taliban 03 Sep 2009 The State Department said Thursday that an investigation has begun into whether U.S. development funding for Afghanistan is being diverted to local warlords and extremists following allegations that road and bridge contractors were paying "protection" money to the Taliban. Spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. Agency for International Development is looking into reports that some funds may be going to the Taliban and others as part of a larger probe into other diversions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan.

Gates Open to Troop Increase --Meanwhile, Army Will Extend Tours In Afghanistan 04 Sep 2009 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates indicated Thursday that he is open to increasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, voicing a shift in his position as the administration ponders a military assessment expected to lead to a formal request for additional forces. Gates, in a briefing at the Pentagon, also defended the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, rebutting suggestions that it is time to pull out. His remarks came just hours before the Army announced that it will extend the tours of about 3,000 soldiers in Afghanistan for between two weeks and two months amid an intensifying Taliban 'insurgency.'

Obama to spend another $2.7 bln to fight H1N1 02 Sep 2009 The Obama administration will spend an additional $2.7 billion to buy swine flu drugs and vaccines, just days after White House science advisers called the pandemic "a serious threat to our nation." The money is on top of $1.8 billion the administration earmarked in July for tackling the virus. Obama said the $2.7 billion would go toward buying new vaccines, antiviral drugs and preparing for a vaccination [propaganda] campaign.

NYTimes.com | China National Petroleum Corporation has struck oil at the Ahdab field in Wasit Province, SE of Baghdad

Published: September 5, 2009

WASIT PROVINCE, Iraq — When China’s biggest oil company signed the first post-invasion oil field development contract in Iraq last year, the deal was seen as a test of Iraq’s willingness to open an industry that had previously prohibited foreign investment.

A Chinese guard at the Ahdab oil field southeast of Baghdad. Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters

One year later, the China National Petroleum Corporation has struck oil at the Ahdab field in Wasit Province, southeast of Baghdad. And while the relationship between the company and the Iraqi government has gone smoothly, the presence of a foreign company with vast resources drilling for oil in this poor, rural corner of Iraq has awakened a wave of discontent here.

NewsWithViews.com | Frosty Wooldridge - MULTICULTURALISM: SNAKE-BITTEN AMERICA’S ULTIMATE DILEMMA

President Teddy Roosevelt said, “The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, or preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities. We have but one flag. We have one language, English.”

Read More>>>>

Tim Hawkins - The Government Can - YouTube (Humor)

The Boston Channel | 2 Great White Sharks Tagged Off Cape Cod - Successful Tagging Is First In Atlantic Ocean

BOSTON -- A state biologist and a team of Cape Cod fishermen became the first group to successfully tag a great white shark in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, placing tracking devices on two sharks off the coast of Chatham, according to the Department of Marine Fisheries.

READ MORE>>>>>

San Diego News Network | Falling demand may mean cheaper electricity

By Mark Williams, Associated Press
Saturday, September 5, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Consumers and businesses may finally be seeing some relief from rising utility bills, thanks to the biggest decline in U.S. electricity demand in decades.

Prices on wholesale markets are expected to decline for the rest of 2009, according to the Energy Information Agency. While rates will probably begin edging up again in 2010, it will likely be less than half the 6.2 percent jump recorded last year.

For decades as Americans bought more electronics, more appliances, air conditioners and other gizmos, energy demand has only moved in one direction and prices have followed suit.

The decline in power usage over the past year is a rarity and also an indication of how badly the recession has jolted the economy and changed the way Americans spend.

The shift began last year, when power consumption fell 1.6 percent. Government forecasters see consumption falling another 2.7 percent this year. That would mark the first time since 1949 that the nation has seen energy demand fall in consecutive years.

AFP | Air strike destroyed two fuel tankers hijacked by Taliban gunmen as villagers were clamouring to collect free fuel at the insurgents' invitation

US general promises Afghans inquiry into NATO air strike

Webster Tarpley's - World Crisis Radio Archive | September 5, 2009 "Labor Day Show - Unemployment - Obama'a Pro-Wall Street Bail-outs policies" mp3

September 05, 2009 (hour 1)
September 05, 2009 (hour 2)

Little Alice in Wonderland Digging Down the Rabbit Hole & Flipping Off Newspeak Along the Way | Deceitful Messages Coming Out Of Friday’s G-20 Meeting

At a G-20 meeting, Europe focuses on bankster bonuses as the U.S. urges for reserves increase.

READ MORE>>>>>

Global Research | Confronting Russia? U.S. Marines In The Caucasus

On August 21 the chief of the U.S. Marine Corps, General James Conway, arrived in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to begin the training of his host country's military for deployment to the Afghan war theater under the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

"During the meeting the sides discussed a broad spectrum of Georgian-U.S bilateral relations and the situation in Georgia's occupied territory." [1] Occupied territory(ies) meant Abkhazia and South Ossetia, now independent nations with Russian troops stationed in both.

Conway met with Georgian Defense Minister Davit (Vasil) Sikharulidze, who on the same day gave an interview to the Associated Press in which he said that the training provided by the U.S. Marine Corps could be employed, in addition to counterinsurgency operations in South Asia, in his country's "very difficult security environment."

Associated Press reported that "Asked if he was referring to the possibility of another war with Russia, he said, 'In general, yes.'"

The Georgian defense chief added, "This experience will be important for the Georgian armed forces itself — for the level of training." [2]

Sikharulidze was forced to retract his comments within hours of their utterance, and not because they weren't true but because they were all too accurate. The Pentagon was not eager to have this cat be let out of the bag.

READ MORE>>>>

Hellenic Shipping News | Frontline Ltd biggest ship operator carrying almost half the world’s oil may halt oil trading - rates not at profitable level

Saturday, 05 September 2009

Supertanker owners may start refusing cargoes within the next three months unless rates return to a profitable level, said Frontline Ltd., the biggest operator of the ships which carry almost half the world’s oil. Ship owners are contributing $942 a day toward fuel costs to ship Middle East crude, according to the London-based Baltic Exchange. Rates have been below operating costs since July. Should the losses persist, some owners may choose to idle their ships, according to Jens Martin Jensen, Singapore-based chief executive officer of Frontline’s management unit. “If you see another quarter, then I think owners have to do something,” Jensen said by phone today. “We are subsidizing oil companies.” The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has cut output by 4 percent this year to 28.4 million barrels a day, according to Bloomberg estimates. Over the same period, the fleet of in-service supertankers has advanced 5.8 percent to 528 ships, according to Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay data on Bloomberg. The five-member Bloomberg Tanker Index, led by Frontline, dropped 19 percent this year, extending last year’s record 49 percent slump. Frontline rose 3 kroner, or 2.3 percent, to 132.50 kroner in Oslo, valuing the company at 10.3 billion kroner ($1.7 billion).

READ MORE....

Related:

May, 2009 - Bloomberg.com | Frontline Says Third of Oil-Tanker Orders at Risk

OpenSecrets.org | Commercial Banks Lobby Federal Government to Save Billions on Derivatives

September 4, 2009 2:03 PM

Five of the nation's largest commercial banks stand to earn $35 billion on derivatives contracts this year -- but only if they get their way. To ensure that federal legislation won't kill their chance of collecting that cash, they've been meeting with lawmakers and their staffers, according to Bloomberg.

The U.S. banks are pouring money into campaign contributions and lobbying efforts -- and the total that could bring in by fending off a bill to regulate derivatives trading is 358 times more than what they've spent on politicking since the start of the 2008 election cycle.

(Don't know what derivatives are? Check our Merriam-Webster's definition.)

Together, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley Citigroup have spent $97.8 million on lobbying and campaign contributions (including donations from both the employees and political action committees of these companies) since 2007.

As five of the all-time top donors, these companies have strong financial ties to Congress. Perhaps it's no wonder, then, that the derivatives market hasn't faced much (if any) regulation during its 30 years of existence. These banks have also supported the party now in power, giving Democrats 63 percent of their total campaign contributions since the start of the 2008 election cycle.

In addition, all but Bank of America was among the top donors to President Barack Obama's presidential campaign in the 2008 election cycle. The employees and PAC of Goldman Sachs gave Obama more than all organizations but the University of California system at $994,800.

Regardless, the Obama administration last month announced a plan to regulate derivatives trading, specifically something called the over-the-counter derivatives market. Bloomberg explains: "The so-called OTC market consists of privately negotiated contracts that enable companies or investors to hedge against or bet on swings in the value of bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities or stocks. Unlike exchanges, the business is unregulated and prices aren't public."

Although commercial banks and the securities and investment industry have been successful at thwarting regulation in the past, they might have a harder time now, as the trading of unregulated derivatives has been targeted as one cause of the current economic mess. And despite the tough economic times, some of the banks are still clearly willing to spend their cash on influencing politics, especially when it could affect their bottom line.

Since the start of the 2008 election cycle, commercial banks have spent $116.3 million on lobbying and given $40.7 million in campaign contributions. The securities and investment industry has spent $226.9 million on lobbying and given $170.6 million to candidates and party committees.

While the PACs and employees of securities and investment companies have given 58 percent of their total contributions to Democrats in that time, commercial banks are a little more evenly divided, donating 52 percent to the GOP.

And the banks aren't alone in this battle. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is a lobbying powerhouse, sent representatives to Capitol Hill over the summer recess to explain to legislative staffers that "some proposals would make it very difficult for many companies to use over-the-counter derivatives to manage the risks of their day-to-day business."

To have a friend in the Chamber is no small achievement. The Chamber of Commerce spares no expense where lobbying is concerned, and it is the lobbying powerhouse at the federal level, spending more on influencing politics than any other single special interest group. So far this year, it has spent $26.2 million.

Other, more unlikely allies have come forward, too.

When employees from the Chamber of Commerce met with staffers, they brought along representatives from Devon Energy and Cargill. Regulation could make it harder for these two companies, like many others, "to use over-the-counter derivatives to manage the risks of their day-to-day business," Jason Matthews, the Chamber's lead lobbyist on financial-services issues, wrote in his invitation to staffers, according to Bloomberg.

Since the start of 2007, Cargill and Devon Energy combined have spent $4.9 million on lobbying.
and

CanadaFreePress.com | A Russian Warns Americans Against a Communist Takeover

Obama and his panoply of “czars” have only a few months in which to manufacture a "crisis" as a pretext to transfer all power to the White House

Gizmodo.com | Pole Dancer Doll Doesn't Really Set the Perfect Role Model

It rotates. It has blinking lights, a disco ball, and a pole. And it's probably one of the wrongest toys you can give to any girl. Because, unlike the USB Pole Dancer, this one is actually for kids. [Thanks David]

Financial Times | Hungry middle classes take up handouts

GoldSeek.com | Gain From The Cartel Game Plan

Examiner.com | Renegotiating the Outer Space Treaty

Thanh Nien News | Gold fever is sweeping Vietnam.

UniqueScoop.com | 14 Phenomenal Wonders of the Natural World

Real-time Magnetosphere Simulation - Latest Image - September 5, 2009 9:15am CDT

Reuters | G20-London Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bankers : US says to implement Basel II banking rules - Saturday, September 5, 2009

Reuters - Glenn Somerville, Patrick Graham - ‎14 minutes ago‎

LONDON (Reuters) - A U.S. Treasury Department official said on Saturday that the United States remains committed to implementing Basel II capital rules for banks.

Divisions have emerged in London over Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's proposals for reform of rules for banks' capital set-aside requirements, with some European officials saying changes already made to Basel II did the job.

"We are committed to moving forward to implement Basel II on the current timetable," a U.S. Treasury official said on the sidelines of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers.

G20 draft backs expansionary policy, IMF reform

Reuters
(Reuters) 09-05-09 - The G20 group of leading powers agreed on Saturday to continue expansionary fiscal and monetary policy until a global recovery was firmly secured, and to raise "significantly" emerging nations' say on the world stage, a draft statement showed.

The draft showed the meeting in London also agreed on global standards for curbing bankers' pay, including clawback for poor performance, but could not come to a deal on actual pay caps, instead asking the Financial Stability Board to study the issue.

The statement, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, gave no details on reform of the IMF but said it expected "substantial progress" to be made on the issue at a summit of world leaders in Pittsburgh later this month.

No compromise yet on IMF quota reform: Russia

Reuters - Toni Vorobyova - ‎3 hours ago‎

Brazil, Russia, India and China proposed a 7 percent shift in IMF quotas in favor of developing countries, more than the 5 percent the United States is ...

Russian economy to start recovery from recession in 3Q09 - Kudrin RIA Novosti

G20: Russia Fin Min: Reserve Currencies A Long Term Issue NASDAQ

Russia Fin Min: Need To Start Planning Exit Strategies EasyBourse.com

Investopedia.com | Basel II Accord To Guard Against Financial Shocks
Problems with the original accord became evident during the subprime crisis in 2007.

New Basel Capital Accord - Basel II
http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_raroc.html

In January 2001 the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issued a proposal for a New Basel Capital Accord (better known as "Basel II") that, once finalized, will replace the current 1988 Capital Accord. The proposal is based on three mutually reinforcing pillars that allow banks and supervisors to evaluate properly the various risks that banks face. These 3 pillars are:

1. minimum capital requirements, which seek to refine the measurement framework set out in the 1988 Accord (dealing with credit risk, operational risk and market risk),
2. supervisory review of an institution's capital adequacy and internal assessment process, and
3. market discipline through effective disclosure to encourage safe and sound banking practices.
The Basel Committee received more than 250 comments on its January 2001 proposals. In April 2001 the Committee initiated a Quantitative Impact Study (QIS) of banks to gather the data necessary to allow the Committee to gauge the impact of the proposals for capital requirements. A further study, QIS 2.5, was undertaken in November 2001 to gain industry feedback about potential modifications to the Committee's proposals.

In December 2001 the Basel Committee announced a revised approach to finalizing the New Basel Capital Accord and the establishment of an Accord Implementation Group. Previously, in June 2001 the Committee released an update on its progress and highlighted several important ways in which it had agreed to modify some of its earlier proposals based, in part, on industry comments.

During its 10 July 2002 meeting, members of the Basel Committee reached agreement on a number of important issues related to the New Basel Capital Accord that the Committee has been exploring since releasing its January 2001 consultative paper.

In April 2003 the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has issued a third consultative paper on the New Basel Capital Accord.

Webster Tarpley | The men behind Barack Obama (2 part YouTube video)

Especially in politics it is of the utmost importance to try to look behind the facade: who makes up the team of the presidential candidate? The future president of the United States of America is for a large part dependent on and being fed by his team of advisors and future cabinet members. Webster Tarpley wrote a book on the men and women behind presidential hopeful Barack Obama. He argues that there is more to Obama than his charismatic appearance and that some of his advisors pose a danger to the US and the world in case Obama might be elected to become the next US president. Whether Tarpleys view is correct for now is a matter of opinion and remains to be seen, but for the public debate it is relevant to take note of his facts and arguments. Therefor DeepJournal interviewed Webster Tarpley on the topic of his recently published book Obama, The Postmodern Coup,The Making of a Manchurian Candidate.

Part 1 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MouUJNG8f2k&feature=related
Part 2 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-KJCMWcoms

Breitbart | Obama unveils plan to encourage savings (While China is encouragings its people to invest in silver and gold)

China Urges Citizens to Buy Gold and Silver -- Seeking Alpha

Sep 4, 2009 ... "China's zeal for gold (and silver) is also strongly against U.S. ... and improve retirement plans to encourage its citizens to spend. ...

Gerald Celente on Gold Seek Radio Nugget - 09-03-09 3-Videos (YouTube)

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_jjtrH2TE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHgeDXnxUug
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmTByqoab9M&feature=channel

Amazon Defense Coalition: Judge's Recusal Clears Path for Legal Proceedings to Continue Recusal Does Not Change Overwhelming Evidence Against Chevron

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-defense-coalition-judges-recusal-clears-path-for-legal-proceedings-to-continue-2009-09-04

Related:

Republic of Lakota | Chevron, Pollution and Misinformation - Andy Rooney Speaks Out

Friday, September 4, 2009

CNN.com | 'Massive' ancient wall uncovered in Jerusalem - built of enormous boulders, confounding archaeologists as to how ancient peoples built it

The 150-Foot Solar Tower Current Towercam Image From the Mount Wilson Observatory, Mt. Wilson, California.

Updated 9:45pm CDT

http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/towercam.htm

Fire currently burning in the West Fork of the San Gabriel River Canyon near Shortcut Saddle.

Solar observer comment posted on September 1, 2009 at 10:32 P.D.T.
Current weather conditions: smokey

DailyMail.co.uk | Prince William is groomed to take over the Duchy of Cornwall with secret reception

www.ChinaView.cn | China to float $3.66 billion T-bonds

BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Finance announced Friday it would issue two batches of book-entry treasury bonds with a face value of 25 billion yuan (3.66 billion U.S. dollars) next week.

The ministry said one batch, with a face value of 10 billion yuan would have a term of 91 days, with an issue price set at 99.71 yuan after bidding for a face value of 100 yuan. The annual interest rate would be 1.19 percent.

The other batch, with a face value of 15 billion yuan, will have a term of 273 days, and an issue price set at 98.992 yuan for100 yuan, with an annual interests of 1.37 percent.

The T-bonds will begin three-day sales on Sept. 7, with interest calculated on the same day. They will become tradable on September 11.

HurriyetDailynews.com | Fresh protests in Xinjiang capital of Urumqi continue for second day

Friday, September 4, 2009

ISTANBUL – Daily News with wires

Protests in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi continue for a second day as people angered over a bizarre series of syringe stabbings targeting Han Chinese call for the resignation of regional Communist Party leader Wang Lequan. Meanwhile, exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer calls on Chinese officials to guarantee the security of people living in the region. Her call for direct talks are rebuked by Chinese authorities

An angry exchange of words between Chinese authorities and Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer continued for a second day on Friday as did the protests in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi.

Police used tear gas and public appeals Friday to break up crowds protesting a lack of public security after a string of the syringe stabbings that appeared ethnically motivated, reported The Associated Press.

China's Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu blamed ethnic separatist forces for a bizarre series of needle attacks in the restive western region of Xinjiang. Meng's comments Friday came as thousands of mostly Han Chinese have taken to the streets of the regional capital Urumqi for a second day to demand increased security.

The protesters wanted punishment for those behind the July riots between Han Chinese and Muslim Uighurs and the culprits in a series of stabbing attacks with syringes in the past two weeks that state media has said targeted predominantly Han victims.

The unrest shows how unsettled Urumqi remains since 197 people were killed in July in the worst communal violence to hit Xinjiang in more than a decade.

Pointing fingers

"I call on Chinese officials to guarantee the security of all people living in East Turkestan, including Uighurs and Han Chinese," said Kadeer in a statement on Thursday.

She added: "A precondition for peaceful coexistence between Uighurs and Han Chinese is the resignation of [regional Communist Party boss] Wang Lequan, leading to the appointment of moderate officials who understand the legitimate grievances of the Uighur people and the needs of the Han Chinese."

Meanwhile, China warned other countries Thursday not to provide a platform for Kadeer, reported the AFP. "We hope relevant parties can recognize her true nature and not provide a stage for or facilitate her anti-China separatist activities," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.

Call for talks

Kadeer said on Tuesday she wanted direct talks with the Chinese government on what she called its "policy failures" in Xinjiang. "I'm ready to discuss with the Chinese government the way we can address its policy failures of the past 60 years and seek political reforms," she said at a session of the European Parliament's human rights committee in Brussels.

"It is time for the Chinese government to sit and talk with me, his holiness the Dalai Lama and all those leaders of non-Han Chinese communities who have been vilified, imprisoned and slandered just because we happen to disagree with the bankrupt official policy," she said.

Uighurs have long complained of repression by China. China, however, has accused exiled Kadeer, who lives in the United States, of orchestrating the unrest. Kadeer has strongly denied the allegations and insists that police used excessive force against Uighurs, who were airing grievances after an ethnically charged brawl among factory workers.

The Moscow Times | Billionaire Plans First Circus in Space

Pravda.ru | Russia Does Not Need Preferential Loans from IMF- SDRS intended to be used for new world currency - an alternative to US dollar

04.09.2009

Russia will not use the right to receive a preferential loan from the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a recent session of the government. Russia could receive $8.840 billion from the IMF. Moreover, Russia intends to say no to investments in the Special Drawing Rights program (SDR), which were originally intended to be used for the creation of a new world currency, an alternative to the US dollar.

“Let’s agree to the following. We will not be using those resources [from the IMF], nor do we have any plans to be a donor state,” Putin said at the government Thursday, Interfax reports.

Russia ’s Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin stated during the meeting that Russia could count on a preferential loan from the IMF within the scope of the SDR program - $8.840 billion.

SDRs are used as an accounting unit with other international organizations. The cost of SDRs is based on the basket of world’s four major currencies: the US dollar, the Euro, the British pound and the Japanese yen. SDRs virtually represent records on accounts of shareholders at the IMF. The countries can receive currency assets from the fund (free of charge, in case of necessity) – an equivalent to the volume of SDRs on their accounts.

Russia has a right to use 4.407 billion SDRs, which is equal to $6.870 billion. Additionally, Russia receives 1.26 billion SDR ($1.970 billion) from the countries that became IMF’s shareholders after 1981.

“This is our reserve in case of a crisis, or a different situation, in which we would have to attract a loan to preserve stability of the Russian payment balance,” Finance Minister Kudrin said.

“For the time being, Russia covers its current imbalance of treasury with the help of the Reserve Fund. Probably, Russia will resort to its share at the IMF in the future, in case of a serious budget deficit. There is no such need at the moment. As for Putin’s refusal to act as a donor state, the situation here is clear. Russia cannot be a sponsor of other countries taking into consideration the nation’s budget deficit of nine percent. Governmental officials say that Russia’s Reserve Fund will be emptied by the end of 2010,” Andrey Gangan, a senior analyst with Kalita Finance Group said in an interview with the Vzglyad newspaper.

Putin’s decision to decline foreign investments means that the current situation in Russia is stable enough. Aleksey Kudrin said that Russia was not in a critical situation to attract IMF’s loans.

“Russia does not have such a situation. We do not think that there is a need for us to use those resources,” the minister repeated.

11-07 Pravda | U.S. dollar loses its value because of dirty politics

Stars and Stripes | Japanese lawmakers may challenge U.S. realignment deal

RussiaToday.com | “World leaders can catch swine flu at summits in US”

04 September, 2009, 22:58

At least 625 people were reported to have died from swine flu in the last week, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to nearly 3,000.

And with two major international conferences scheduled in the US in the near future, many think that it could be the perfect time and place for the swine flu to hit again.

“If they are taking some precautions, they are certainly not advertising them,” investigative journalist Wayne Madsen told RT. “We’ve got almost 200 leaders gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly on September 23 and later that week at least 20 of them will be going to Pittsburgh for the G20 summit. So if they don’t get the flu in New York, there’s a good chance that they’ll get it in Pittsburgh.”

Cave's Headlines | September 4, 2009

Disinformation: A common disinformation tactic is to mix some truth and observation with false conclusions and lies, or to reveal part of the truth while presenting it as the whole.

James McCanney's SOHO comet solar flare movie 01072004.mpeg
Large passing object could cause disasterous effect and natural catastrophes to the earth at a distance - by means of electrical conditions
PowersThatBe by means of their controlled science (Tier 2 Science) perpetuate the harmless "dirty snowball" comet coverup- while our fearless leaders are preparing for themselves with underground facilities, seed vault, etc.
http://jmccanneyscience.com/
MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING PLANET X (and the many planet X objects)
The following will only play on Real Player
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_06_2009.mp3
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_13_2009.mp3
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_20_2009.mp3
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_27_2009.mp3
5th in the series not yet in archives

SilverSeek.com | Theodore Butler - Warnings Ignored

But this much is clear – the long anticipated default of the massive OTC silver derivatives position by China appears to be at hand. It's hard to imagine a more profound event. All at once, the backing and ...

Space.com | Obama Administration Mulls U.S. Human Spaceflight Future

FDIC.gov | Bank Closing Information (starting to come in) - September 4, 2009 6:30pm CDT

Bank Closing Information - September 4, 2009
These links contain useful information for the customers and vendors of these closed banks.

Vantus Bank, Sioux City, IA
InBank, Oak Forest, IL
First Bank of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO

CapeCodOnline.com | Expert: Great white shark likely sighted

CHATHAM, Massachusetts – A single large shark, likely a great white shark, was sighted this morning east of Monomoy Island by Greg Skomal, state Division of Marine Fisheries shark expert.

UAnews.org | Evening Lectures on Migrating Planets, Hazardous Asteroids Search

In this artist's concept, a narrow asteroid belt filled with rocks and dusty debris orbits a star similar to our own sun when it was approximately 30 million years old. (Illustration credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T.Pyle, SSC)

Planetary sciences professor Renu Malhotra will speak on “Migrating Planets” on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Did the solar system always look the way it is now? New studies by Malhotra and others find that the outer planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – were more tightly clustered in the early solar system, then moved away from each other.

Malhotra’s models show that as the solar system evolved, Jupiter moved slightly closer to the sun, while the other giant planets moved farther apart from each other and farther away from the sun.

The migration likely perturbed asteroids that contributed to the heavy bombardment of the inner solar system.

The evidence is recorded as close as the moon and as far away as Pluto.

Catalina Sky Survey director Ed Beshore will talk on “The Search for Hazardous Asteroids from Mount Lemmon” on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

On Oct. 5, 2008, the UA’s Catalina Sky Survey discovered a small asteroid named 2008 TC3. It is the first asteroid discovered with a 100 percent certainty of colliding with Earth.

Just 17 hours after Catalina Sky Survey team member Rich Kowalski discovered 2008 TC3, it fell harmlessly in the desert of northern Sudan. During those 17 hours, amateur and professional astronomers made more than 570 observations of the asteroid. Months later, U.S. and African students and researchers recovered more than eight pounds of meteorites from the fall.

Beshore will also talk about how the Catalina Sky Survey searchers for dangerous asteroids, and some ideas about what might be done if an Earth-threatening asteroid is found.

Research

Astro-ph

Saturday, September 5, 2009

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Friday, September 4, 2009